Chapter 61
Of God Spede
"SNIPER!"
Even as Lucretia shouted this, the girl was aligning her knightmare's rifle in said gunman's direction. Both her and Sancia's frames were designed for long-range fire support scaled to that of mechanized armor, so the piddling range of only a kilometer out amounted to spitting distance for her. The singular round from her railgun demolished the rooftop of the building the sniper had been hiding on, but it was too late. The assassin had gotten his own shot off, and struck one of the figures on the platform.
"EUPHIE!"
An immense mental pressure suddenly slammed into Lucretia before a singular, burning thought was seared into her mind. Kill the heretics. A simple goal, one Lucretia and her sisters had already dedicated their lives to in the service of Eden Vital. Now however, she felt that same thought pulse through not just her sisters, but through the tens of millions of people within the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. It took Lucretia but a moment to realized what had happened.
"Sirius!" Lucretia shouted into the radio. "Code Ablation!"
Down below, Kallen forced herself to shake off the roar of fury gripping her mind and, after mustering the near entirety of her energy reserves, socked Lelouch in the stomach. There was actually a loud bang as Kallen's fist struck some sort of barrier, but the suddenness and Lelouch's own distracted state rendered his defenses just weakened enough to let Kallen overcome it. The cardinal dropped like a rock and immediately Lucretia felt the edge lessen in the burning rage she felt.
"Dame Monica!" Lucretia called out next. "Wide-range cancellation!"
"I can only do upwards of 300 meters, and it'll knock me out in the process," Monica responded.
"Do it," Lucretia insisted nonetheless.
"Doing," Monica affirmed.
And one more person collapsed upon the stage, marking the fifth. In addition to Kaguya and Euphemia, Anya had keeled over the moment Lelouch's reflexive imposition overrode her geass to telepathically broadcast itself throughout the entire metropolitan area. The girl's implants had kept her from suffering a fatal stroke in the process, but Anya, like Monica, and the cardinal himself, was going to be out of action in the short term. Unfortunately, even pushing herself to such an extent, Monica's range was far too limited to counteract the cardinal's broadcast. The most they could hope for was to contain the immediate chaos and avoid a mass stampede with all the people gathered nearby. As for the rest of the city, Lucretia could only hope enough cool heads would prevail to avert a bloodbath. At the distant sound of explosions, Lucretia suspected that hope had already been dashed.
"Evacuate all VIPs now," Lucretia shouted into the radio, taking command of the situation.
Down below, Kallen had already picked up Lelouch and was hauling him away. Those still conscious were varying degrees of cooperative, from Milly quickly following after to Empress Victoria needing to be outright dragged off-stage screaming after her daughter. From what Lucretia's geass told her however, it was already too late. Euphemia was neither breathing nor her heart beating. Even so, it was with immense care that the still girl's form was lifted up and carried off, alongside the still alive but dazed Kaguya. Lucretia would have to trust the others to handle the situation down below however, she needed to get to grips with the rest of the unfolding chaos. With Anya unconscious, the telepathic link that otherwise would have connected her to Sancia was also severed, forcing the girl to rely on more conventional means.
"Abacus, VIPs being evacuated, status at the palace?"
"Trying to keep Princess Cornelia from carpet bombing Tokyo, exfil and get back here ASAP, Abacus out."
It certainly sounded like Sancia had her hands full with her own crisis. Combined with Lelouch's own incapacitation, the chain of command above Lucretia was rather bare, which left the girl to deal with the unfolding pandemonium about her by herself. The highest priority was ensuring a crush did not happen and hundreds of people die in the subsequent stampede. That meant evacuating the ceremony area in a controlled manner, which with the numbers present was no trivial task. It was however still one that had been planned for.
The possibility of some sort of attack being orchestrated on the handover ceremony had been considered at length by Lelouch and his staff, along with how to minimize the casualties that might result. The biggest challenge was deemed in keeping the crowds under control, to prevent panic from overtaking them even if the immediate threat was neutralized. Then there was the possibility of attackers hiding amidst the crowd, which would make neutralizing them without getting innocent civilians killed in the crossfire a nightmare.
The solution they ultimately settled upon was the installation of sonic cannons at strategic points, weapons that were technically less-than-lethal and but capable of incapacitating those it was aimed at. Significant qualifiers were attached to the chosen method, not least that less-than-lethal was not the same as non-lethal. Persons with underlying health conditions could still succumb to such weapons, not to mention long-term effects if subjected to the weapons for long durations. The hope was the weapons would only need to be used in short bursts, to disrupt any crowds that were cresting towards a stampede and give time for the security personnel onsite to manage the flow in a more orderly fashion.
Said personnel was the other half of the contingency planning, as the combined Gendarmerie and Order Militant contingent had undertaken rigorous planning and then drilling to conduct an organized evacuation of the ceremony grounds. The grounds themselves had been divided into blocks, sized based on how many people could be directed through the various entry points, with the personnel trained to corral the crowds block by block. And thanks to Eden Vital's augmented reality training system, they had been able to simulate the crowds to provide more realistic, even if virtual, trial runs before the event proper. Now it was time to see if all that effort was worth it.
"Attention all attendants," Lucretia's voice sounded over the speakers. "We will now perform a coordinated evacuation of the ceremony grounds. Please remain where you are until directed to leave by security personnel. Do not attempt to vacate the premises on your own."
The civilian attendees looked about frantically, a measure of panic still swirling about. Lucretia did not spare any further time trying to soothe it however, the faster she got the evacuation itself done, the safer everyone would be.
"Squads Alpha and Bravo," Lucretia next spoke on the command net, "begin evacuation of blocks 39 and 40. Charlie and Delta, blocks 11 and 14."
The battle sister rattled off orders for each of the deployed squadrons, even while keeping an eye on the crowds in case she needed to deploy the cannons. That need was not long in coming as a group of attendees began getting riled up. The large dishes mounted all along the ceremony grounds turned about and converged upon the area of interest. The next moment, the crowd that was just starting to rise up toppled back down, their balance thrown completely askew by the sonic pulses that struck them. Mercifully only a short burst was needed to subdue them.
"Echo, move to block 13 and render any assistance necessary, but make sure they do not attempt to leave before their turn."
Acknowledgements flowed back as Lucretia continued directing the flow of bodies pouring out of the grounds, her geass giving her a complete picture of everything happening within and also the immediate surroundings. It was however in those surroundings that she detected something unusual. Something that felt both familiar, and very wrong.
"Squads Zulu and Foxtrot," Lucretia called out to the closest units, which unfortunately were Gendarmerie instead of Eden Vital, "move to grid 69 and secure the perimeter. Do not attempt entry, simply hold there until reinforcements arrive."
Lucretia's own knightmare rose. Hopefully she would make it in time.
Like many of the residents of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, the girls of the Alright Courier Company were watching the handover ceremony on TV instead of trying to pack into the ceremony grounds itself. In their case, it was less a matter of disinterest and more due to a request that had been passed down to them via their contacts. Said contacts made clear that while the Britannian government hoped the ceremony would go off without a hitch, they had reason to suspect trouble, and thus wanted the leaderships of the various resistance cells to be off-site so they could react quickly if the worst came to pass. And as far as worst-case scenarios went, the apparent assassination of an imperial princess, one popular with both Britannians and Japanese, was pretty high up there. And that was before the surge of vengeful fury swept over them.
"Those bastards!" Momo screamed. "I'm going to rip them to shreds!"
While all of the women felt an inexplicable urge to do the same, and for some reason they had a remarkably clearcut perception of who the culprits were, not all of them were quite as overwhelmed by the seething hatred.
"Wait, Kawashima-senpai," Miho said, trying her utmost to keep calm and not let the unnatural hatred roiling in her boil over.
"Wait!? What do you mean wait!?"
Others around her were having a bit more difficulty with that however.
"I mean we don't know who to actually fight," Miho scrambled to placate her friends. "The heretics," now where had she picked up that word, "might have just murdered Princess Euphemia, but where would we even go to find them?"
That was a very good point, enough of one to even give the rattled Momo pause.
"So what do you propose we do instead, Nishizumi?" Anzu asked, the calmness in her tone masking the vehemence she really felt.
The smoldering fury had abated some by now, which made it easier for Miho to compose her thoughts. Even so, the conclusions she was arriving at were still grim.
"I think, we need to mobilize. This attack on the ceremony can't be a one-off, if someone went to all the effort of sneaking a sniper close enough to make that shot, they'll definitely have other cards in play as well."
From the grimaces the others expressed,
"Cards, you say," Anzu said. "So which of ours should we show?"
The look from Miho this time was full of determination. "All of them."
Anzu spent perhaps a moment contemplating the response before giving a big nod and a wide smile.
"Alright, let's get to it then! Kawashima, Koyama, Takebe, get in touch with all of our cells, order them to take up defensive positions all around the perimeter."
"Right away, Prez."
"Akiyama, rouse the others and get the tanks warmed up. We don't know where the heretics," that word again," will be coming from, but I want us ready to intercept them the moment they poke their heads out."
"Roger!"
Anzu now met Miho's gaze once more.
"This is the moment we all hoped would never come, but here it is. Once you're out in the field, it'll be your call, Nishizumi. We're counting on you to not just bring everyone home, but to win."
Miho reflexively clenched her fist. The question Anzu asked evoked memories of the chaotic downfall of Japan, how she and her fellow cadets had felt so completely adrift while wondering if the next day might be their very last. While none of them had succumbed to outright panic, and they did end up finding refuge with the Oarai girls, the stress and fear had had a long-lasting impact upon all of them, Miho included. And now, they were about to go out into another possible combat situation, one which promised to be extremely fluid. It was not just the question of whether the heretics, whoever they were, might launch attacks upon the city, but also whether the Britannians would hold to their agreement after the murder of their princess. For if they did not, then Miho and the rest of the resistance might well be caught in a mass crossfire that would kill all of them. But if they didn't go out, what would happen to the people of the city? All of the civilians who weren't part of the resistance and who had no part in the assassination? Even without the driving urge to find and crush the heretics, Miho knew she could not leave them to fend for themselves.
"We'll win, Prez," Miho thus declared. "I'll make sure of it."
Anzu gave a firm, even proud nod. "Then get out there and kick some ass."
"Yes ma'am," Miho clicked her heels together before bolting out the room.
By the time she arrived down in the vehicle bay, preparations were already well underway. The four Type 10 tanks were rumbling to life, their crews buttoning down.
"Captain!" Yukari waved. "We're ready to go when you are!"
Technically Miho had never been formally commissioned, seeing as she had never actually graduated from the defense academy. Even the emergency decree that bumped all the senior cadets to active duty was provisional in nature, not to mention well expired with the dissolution of the Japanese government and military. Still, the rank was useful in establishing a clearcut chain of command, especially for when they went out into the field. And had Miho actually served in the military all these years of the occupation, she certainly would have made it to captain by now, if not higher.
Miho gave a curt nod as she herself climbed into the lead tank and put on her headset.
"Alright, Oarai platoon, sound off," she ordered.
"Hippo team ready to go."
"Leopon team, same here."
"Rabbit team, let's hop to it!"
Miho gave a wry chuckle at that last bit. Enthusiasm was good, but hopefully they would not let it cause them to take reckless risks. Still, the girl refrained from admonishing her fellow tankers.
"Very well then, open the doors."
The large doors rose up and sunlight struck the tanks for the first time in years. Miho took a deep breath, then gave her battle cry, one audible even over the rumbling engines.
"Panzer vor!"
All across Tokyo, similar conversations as that at the Alright Courier Company were playing out. The immediate reaction of all those watching the ceremony was shock and then horror at the sight of Euphemia's still form laying atop Kaguya. The princess was, if not exactly beloved, then at least popular with large segments of the populace. And even those that weren't fans did not particularly wish the girl ill, much less dead. Simultaneous to this, many people immediately realized just what the ramifications of a Britannian princess dying as a result of a terrorist or insurgent attack in Japan might be. The slowly building rapport between the Japanese people and their Britannian conquers was still extremely fragile, on both sides, and it would not have taken much for it to crumble. The outright murder of a princess of the realm in so public a fashion went well beyond much.
Even as such fears and anxiety began swelling, another sensation entirely suddenly swept through the populace, one of firm, even fanatical conviction. Those responsible for murdering Princess Euphemia needed to pay, every single one of them. The sensation did not last for long, but the impetus it created lingered. Soon all of the resistance cells were breaking out their weapons caches, while even regular civilians were grasping at whatever makeshift weapons they might have kept stashed as insurance during the more turbulent past of the occupation. But there was still no target for them to unleash their fury upon, not yet at least.
As the largest insurgent faction in eastern Honshu outside of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, the Blood of the Samurai could, when pulling out all the stops, muster a force of close to five thousand fighters. In preparation for the attack today they had positioned themselves all along the metropolitan area outskirts. Some were even close enough that they were at the very edge of Lelouch's imposition, but whether because of Mao's manipulation of their mindsets or other preexisting dispositions, none succumbed to the urge to purge themselves. If anything, their perception of what constituted a heretic simply reinforced their prior motives, to defeat the Britannian occupiers, and any that collaborated with them. It was an impetus that they were about to get an opportunity to act upon.
Attempts to preposition deeper within the metropolitan area had been thwarted by the very unwelcome response of the resistance cells native to those areas, whose growing rapprochement with Lelouch, if not exactly Britannia, was seeing them ill-disposed to the notion of insurgents still raring for a fight encroaching upon their territory and thereby drawing unwanted attention from the Empire. That lack of welcome however was nothing compared to the reception they were receiving now, from both the native cells and the civilian residents.
When the flow of vehicles started appearing, it took at least a little bit for the locals to register that they were outsiders. It took a bit longer for them to realize they must have at least some tangential involvement with whichever party was responsible for murdering the Princess Euphemia. The moment that possibility registered however, the response was immediate and escalated quickly. As the lead truck weaved its way through the streets, something suddenly crashed through the windshield.
"Whoa! What the fuck!?"
The driver reflexively swerved aside, barely managing not to crash into anything before getting back onto the left side of the road.
"What was that!?"
The man seated next to him picked up the object that had come through the windshield, holding out a large brick.
"Who threw that?"
"How would I know?"
Something else suddenly hit the hood of the truck, and then the sound of further impacts echoed as the vehicle was pelted from seemingly all directions.
"We're under attack!"
"From whom!?"
"I don't know! Shit, what's going on?!"
The makeshift projectiles were, aside from smashing in the windshield, more inconvenience than a genuine threat. Then something broke against the lead vehicle, and a burst of flames erupted.
"WE'RE ON FIRE!"
"Put it out!"
"With what!?"
Another Molotov cocktail sailed through the air, spreading a wave of fire as it smashed open after impact. Chaos now gripped the convoy as some of the aflame vehicles swerved wildly about, forcing others into equally frantic efforts to avoid crashing into them. That effort took on much greater urgency as suddenly another sound could be heard, the hiss, and then snap, of bullets.
"We're under attack!"
"No shit!"
The exasperation in the response could well be excused, seeing as being bombarded with makeshift projectiles and incendiaries arguably had already made that point clear. The only real question then was how to respond in an effective manner.
"Return fire!"
The trucks and buses carrying the insurgents were not exactly designed for traversal under fire, they had been whatever the Samurai were able to cobble together. It was something of the worst of both words, in that they offered little to no protection from incoming fire while also not being very convenient to fire out from. Still, the insurgents improvised the best they could, sticking guns out windows or poking out backs to take potshots at the surrounding buildings. More than a few had the satisfaction of seeing an attacker fall, though for whatever reason the incoming barrage did not diminish. Indeed, it seemed to intensify, in both volume and lethality. What started out as stones and bottles had now escalated to not just bullets and makeshift incendiaries, but actual explosives as grenades started getting flung out onto the road. Despite previously weathering the gauntlet, the damage was mounting as vehicles started giving out.
"Shit!" one of the drivers cursed. "Engine's out!"
"Fuck! Everyone out!"
While not all of the vehicles stalled or were otherwise disabled, enough were out of action to cause a growing logjam on the road. While the still running trucks and buses might be able to press onward alone, that would simply result in the Samurai's forces getting split up and potentially encircled in little pockets. Even lacking in formal training as these insurgents were, they could at least realize that much.
"Form up on both sides of the road!" one of the Samurai commanders ordered. "Any vehicle still running, slow down to keep pace with the walkers. Stay together, so we can cover your flanks."
The idea was sensible enough, have those dismounted fighters sweep alongside the vehicles to try to fend off the would-be ambushers. Even with the incoming fire, the Samurai were arguably still better equipped than the locals taking potshots at them. They still had a slight advantage, at least at a localized level, so this should have been enough to keep the force both moving and relatively better secured. They still needed to worry about not expending themselves against the locals before they had a chance to take on the Britannians, but hopefully once they made clear they were no longer such easy pickings, the attacks would peter out.
"Damn it," one Samurai muttered, "why are these people coming at us? Aren't they Japanese just like us?"
"Beats me," another grunted. "Maybe they're actually buying the crap the imps have been feeding everyone, about how things'll get better if they just roll over. Hell, you know these people in the capital have always had things easier. They probably were just looking for any excuse to bow to the Empire."
"Yeah, but if they're that gutless, then why take a shot at us?"
The second man grunted again, not having any particularly good ideas. The other fighter had a point after all. If the Tokyoites really were too fainthearted about actually fighting the Empire, they should have been at least as reluctant to take on their fellow Japanese. After all, they were at least of the same race. Even if they didn't want any new fighting to wreck their homes, they should have just been hiding away. Instead, the locals had actively gone after them, and even without any warning. Something about that felt off.
Even as a sense of unease was building amongst the Samurai ranks, they were still certain enough of their aim to press forward. The initial incursion might not have gone particularly to plan, but no one yet doubted that they would not have their shot at their Britannian oppressors. That was when the true challenge would begin, or so they thought. What happened next however made clear that the Tokyoites were far from timid or fainthearted, and that they were not to be taken lightly in any way, shape, or form.
The rocket that streaked through the air came so fast that no one had any real time to react. The first real warning the insurgents had of what was happening was the explosion that engulfed the now-lead vehicle, taking not just the truck but also the dozen or so fighters still onboard. Several others walking alongside the vehicle were also knocked aside, the lucky ones merely dazed. Those less so would not be getting back up.
"What the hell was that!?"
"RPG!" came the frantic response. "Someone's shooting rockets at us!"
"What the-who the hell are we fighting!?"
That was certainly a fair question. Normal civilians, even those inclined to have a weapon handy due to the lawlessness that had developed in the districts of Tokyo outside the Concessions, would still not be in possession of something as destructive as a rocket propelled grenade. Aside from the military proper, the only factions that might be interested in those would be outright criminal cartels, or a resistance cell. Which one had just now struck at the advancing Samurai was quickly made evident by the cry that next sounded.
"Euphemia-sama no tame ni!"
What was previously small-arms fire now got measurably heavier. Instead of pistol rounds or the odd small explosive, heavy machinegun fire suddenly raked the Samurai columns. More rockets were fired as well, turning into fireballs several of the other vehicles.
"All units dismount!" the Samurai commander ordered. "Get away from the trucks!"
The Samurai insurgents piled out, diving into what cover they could. Refuge however proved difficult to find as their attackers seemed to be coming in from all directions.
"Hit them with everything we've got!" the Samurai commander ordered. "Hold nothing back!"
"But sir!"
"These bastards are traitors, one and all!" the commander cut off the protest. "If they are so eager to die in the name of some Britannian bitch, then that is exactly the end we will deliver them to!"
The local resistance cells were not the only ones with heavier weapons, the Samurai had of course brought everything they could muster to the city. They had of course intended to use such weapons against the Empire's heavy hitters, but faced with such strident opposition, they had little choice but to break it out now, lest they get cut to pieces otherwise. Soon enough, RPGs streaked out from the Samurai's ranks in response to the enemy fire. That seemed to give their enemy some pause, or at least force them to be more judicious in their positioning.
"What's the status on the other columns?" the commander demanded.
"They're also under attack," came the response from the radioman. "It's as if the entire city has risen up to try to stop us."
The commander grimaced. While he had known the Tokyo cells were drawing closer and closer to the Britannians, never in his worst nightmares had he considered they'd actually take up arms against their fellow resistance fighters. Had the rot spread so deeply in just a few short months?
"We need to rendezvous with the others," the man came to a decision. "If the local cells are all opposed to us, we need to move in strength if we're to punch through and still have the strength to take on the Britannians when they finally show up."
"I'll get in touch with the others," the radioman said. "The second column is just east of us, so if we-wait, what's that noise?"
The rumbling had at first been lost in the cacophony of weapons fire, but by now it was able to cut through all the background. It sounded like an engine, but louder than any mounted on a truck or bus. And there was a grinding sound as well, as if metal was scratching the roads. At the same time, the incoming fire actually died down a bit, allowing the more adventurous of the Samurai to poke their heads out to try to see what was making all that noise. It did not take them long to catch sight of the source.
"TANK!"
The commander cursed, risking a quick peek himself just to make sure his troops weren't seeing things. And they weren't. The massive, armored hulk bearing down on them had not only the parallel treads of a tank, but also the telltale traversing turret and long-barreled cannon mounted on it. A cannon that was pointing in their direction.
"Oh SHI-"
Reports of the Samurai advance had been filtering upward to the ACC since they were first spotted, so Miho and company had a pretty good idea of what they would be facing once they made contact with the enemy. The most important detail was which columns had accompanying armor and which did not. The few knightmares the Samurai did possess were concentrated in their center two columns, while the two on the flanks made do with just infantry. As this was one of the latter, the shell loaded in the gun was of the high explosive variety. A shell that it now fired.
The roar of the cannon was a mere afterthought compared to the effect of the shell as it impacted. Propelled by the explosive charge, the shockwave smashed those unfortunate enough to be in the immediate vicinity of the impact, while the ensuing fragmentation skewered those that were nominally more fortunate to be further away. A massacre was perhaps the gentlest way of describing the resulting carnage.
"Fall back!" the Samurai commander tried to shout over the cacophony. "FALL BA-"
Out of the corner of his eye, another sight caused his cry to be cut abruptly short. A second tank was rounding the corner, its turret already traversed to face his direction. The tank came to a halt mid-turn, and fired. That was the last thing the Samurai commander saw before everything turned red, then black.
Things inside the palace command center were tense. No, tense was too mild an understatement. While the initial shock and panic had subsided, the intense fury that replaced it was hardly any better. Indeed, the atmosphere was at the point where weapons might well be drawn.
"We need to get the garrison out now," Cornelia shouted, "and sweep the entirety of the ghetto! I am not letting those Eleven bastards get away with this!"
"The shot that was fired was very likely aimed not at the Princess Euphemia," Sancia was not intimidated however, "from what we can tell it was actually Ms. Sumeragi that was the target."
"And what the hell does that matter!? Euphie was the one actually hit!"
"It matters quite a bit, not least of which the fact that the people outside the Concessions are innocent Japanese civilians," Sancia snapped back, her own testiness growing by the moment. "What you are proposing risks putting thousands of them at risk, especially with the soldiers likely as inflamed as you yourself are."
Reasonable as all that was, in her current state of mind Cornelia was not especially disposed to reason.
"I don't care!" the princess nearly screamed. "Under my authority as Marshal of the Empire, I am ordering the garrison to be turned out!"
"The Tokyo garrison's chain of command runs through His Eminence in his capacity as viceroy of Japan," Sancia retorted. "Even as Marshal of the Empire, you do not have the authority to issue them that order, especially not when it conflicts with His Eminence's own standing orders."
"Enough of this!" Cornelia spat out. "I am turning out the garrison, and if you stand in my way, I will have you removed!"
If Cornelia thought such a threat would at all dissuade the younger woman, she grossly miscalculated, not just in Sancia's fortitude but also the environment she was in. Despite the progress of his reforms of both the civilian bureaucracy and military units in Japan, Lelouch continued to rely on a predominantly Eden Vital core for his top staff in the viceroy's palace. That of course included the personnel manning the palace's military command center, where despite the presence of Imperial Britannian Armed Forces officers, the bulk of the personnel present were members of Eden Vital's Order Militant, both operators and guards. And the latter were armed. They did not bother waiting for orders before the carbines were unslung and pointed straight at the princess. Cornelia's eyes went wide, even as her own guards moved to draw their weapons. Before things could escalate further however a loud shout cut through the room.
"STAND DOWN, ALL OF YOU!"
Nonette Enneagram, Knight of Nine, imposed herself between the two sides, casting a withering gaze at both.
"This is NOT the time for such nonsense!" she said scathingly. "Cornelia, you are an officer and a princess of the realm! Act like it!" She now looked over to the other side. "Sister Sancia, His Eminence charged you with ensuring the situation does not boil out of control. Getting into a shooting exchange with Her Highness and her guard is the epitome of out of control."
Sancia's jaw tightened but after a moment she gave a curt nod to the knight. Cornelia looked rather less ready to back down, even if it meant facing down her old classmate. Before she could snap back however, a hand came to rest upon her shoulder. Glancing back, she saw Gilbert looking at her with a pained expression.
"Your Highness, please."
The worry in Gilbert's eyes finally broke through the hazy of anger clouding Cornelia's thoughts. Her body even slackened, the rush of adrenaline fading now. That however was the only thing forestalling the grief just barely held at bay, which finally crashed over here. Cornelia's expression transformed from enraged, to utterly broken.
"My sister," she said. "They killed my sister, Gilbert."
"I know," the knight said softly, making sure he had a firm grip on his liege to provide her support. "I know. But you must hold yourself together, Your Highness. Or there may yet be more tragedy this day."
Cornelia took a deep breath, though it was clear she was still far from composing herself. The princess needed something to focus on, something that was not her grief and anger, or at least not solely that. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there were matters aplenty to choose from.
"Sister Sancia," one of the Eden Vital operators spoke up, "we're getting alerts from the Hokkaido and Kyushu garrisons. Chinese and Russians forces have launched bombardments against our military positions."
"Get me General Darlton," Sancia ordered, "and Colonel Gottwald."
By the time the connection was established, at least some measure of composure had returned to Cornelia's expression, though it was still tinged with anger.
"Your Highness, Sister," Andreas greeted, with Jeremiah standing next to him in MacArthur's command center. "I was just notified of the Chinese and Russian attacks."
Sancia nodded. "We are reverting to contingency A2, General. See to Kyushu and Hokkaido's defense. Colonel Gottwald will assume responsibility for Tokyo."
Andreas' eyes narrowed. "And what of His Eminence?"
"Indisposed at the moment," Sancia responded without missing a beat. "His orders still stand however, even the contingency ones."
One could not entirely blame Andreas for the slight hesitation showing on his face. With Lelouch apparently indisposed, that meant the orders Sancia was issuing were technically on her own authority, even ones that ostensibly were to continue carrying out Lelouch's own orders. While the battle sister might have been Lelouch's second in command within Eden Vital's hierarchy and did hold an official position in the viceroy's cabinet to help maintain a clear chain of command within the civilian hierarchy, her position relative to the military hierarchy was a bit fuzzier. It also didn't help that Sancia's simulated rank in the Order Militant was a colonel. Absurdly high for someone of her relative age and experience, but still quite a few grades down from Andreas' own, meaning she technically did not possess the positional authority to issue orders to Andreas, only relay them. So no, one could not entirely blame the lieutenant-general for the way his eyes drifted over to Cornelia, who legally was his superior officer. That still did not stop a flicker of irritation visibly cross Sancia's own face.
Fortunately for all involved, Nonette very audibly cleared her throat, an obvious warning for everyone present to not succumb to the prior unpleasantness. Cornelia spent a moment or so taking a deep breath before giving a simple nod to the general, who returned it.
"Very well, Your Highness, Sister," Andreas said. "I will see to my task."
"See that you do," Sancia said rather pointedly, not even bothering to hide her scowl.
Andreas raised an eyebrow but, seeing the Knight of Nine shaking her head behind the sister, decided not to press the matter and gave a curt nod before stepping aside, leaving Jeremiah alone in the video feed.
"Sister," the colonel said, clearly worried at the underlying turmoil.
"Colonel," Sancia responded, then got right down to business. "Deploy the 597th and move them to the Concession perimeter. They are not to cross into the outer districts however."
"What of the 12th?" Jeremiah asked.
"Do you believe that regiment can be trusted under these circumstances?" Sancia asked bluntly.
"I trust Major Nu," was the colonel's equally frank and immediate response.
Sancia's head dipped ever so slightly. "Very well then, Colonel. At your discretion."
"My word, Sister," Jeremiah said, and was about to also sign off when a call sounded inside the palace command center.
"Sister Sancia!" an operator called out. "We're receiving an emergency message from the ACC cell!"
"Put it through," Sancia said. "Colonel, hold for a moment."
The text message scrolled across the sister's terminal and her brow furrowed as she read.
"What is it, Sister?" Jeremiah spoke up after a lengthy moment.
Sancia took a deep breath, then began reading aloud. "'Lookouts have sighted major force moving south. Deploying all assets to protect the civilian population.'" The Eden Vital sister looked Jeremiah straight in the eyes. "'Please don't shoot our tanks.'"
Jeremiah blinked, then inhaled sharply. "Tanks?"
"Do we have eyes above?" Sancia asked.
"Drones already vectored, bringing feed up on main monitor."
"Route to MacArthur as well."
The feed that appeared was fairly clear, thanks to the high-resolution camera mounted on the Eden Vital drone. Down below, the telltale boxy shape of tracked armored vehicles could be seen. The operator even helpfully instructed the camera to magnify.
"They actually have tanks," Jeremiah said in some wonderment.
Sancia on the other hand had a more thoughtful expression.
"That does not appear to be a Type 90," she said. "Do we have an ID?"
"Image recognition places a 70% confidence level of it being a Type 10," came the response, "though as that tank never left prototyping stage, there aren't many images available to make a match."
An eyebrow quirked up on Sancia's face. "A prototype. And they must have kept it hidden since the invasion. Impressive." She looked over at a map of the city. "And the reported attackers?"
Several sections were highlighted, all along the northern edge of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.
"ACC has plugged us into their communications network and is feeding us everything they're getting."
Someone made a gurgling sound, though Sancia paid it no need. She had more pressing matters to deal with than the surprise of those unaware of the networking she and Eden Vital had spent the last few months building up.
"Sightings suggest an enemy force in brigade, if not divisional strength," the operator continued with a grimace. "And they are already exchanging fire with various local resistance cells."
Not surprising, considering what the cardinal had accidentally done. If the cells identified these invaders as working in concert with the sniper that had murdered the Princess Euphemia, the resistance fighters, and possibly even the civilians, were going to be relentless. If they did not intervene, the battle would be an absolute bloodbath.
"Colonel, how quickly can you get your forces deployed beyond the Concessions?"
Jeremiah grimaced. "It'll take me a good hour just to get to the Concession border from MacArthur by ground. I could deploy some by air, but not enough to cover that wide an area, and not with any heavy equipment."
"We just need enough deployed to keep the enemy insurgents from breaking into the outer urban districts and dispersing to cause widespread havoc," Sancia said.
"Very well, I'll-"
Sancia suddenly gasped, causing Jeremiah to stop mid-sentence as he looked at the woman warily.
"Sister!" the operator called out a moment later.
With her geass active and tapping into the data feed, Sancia had already seen what the operator was trying to alert her to. Operating the system at far greater speed than the others could, Sancia shifted the main display to focus on a particular section of the city outskirts. There, the fighting between the encroaching insurgents and the native residents was intensifying. Not just resistance fighters, but civilian residents as well. It took the armed forces officers a moment longer to grasp what they were seeing, but once they did, all echoed Sancia's own reaction.
"Get your troops out there now Colonel," Sancia said, "before this turns into a massacre!"
"Birds will be in the air in ten," Jeremiah said, "but our heavy hitters will still take over an hour to get there."
"Is someone in need of rapidly deployable heavy equipment?" another voice cut in as suddenly one Colonel Lloyd Asplund appeared on the communications channel.
"Colonel Asplund, this is not to the time for your antics," Sancia said, her irritation flaring again.
"On the contrary, I'd say I have just the solution to your present problem," Lloyd said, completely ignoring Cécile's attempts to get him off the call. "You are in need of heavy firepower deployed to the outskirts of the city, yes? Camelot can provide."
Sancia's eyes narrowed. "Be succinct."
Lloyd smirked, as if he were a cat with the mouse right where he wanted it.
"One of the enhancements added to the rebuilt Lancelot is a prototype float system," the colonel said. "We just completed operational bringup of it, and it should allow the Lancelot to arrive at the outskirts within ten to twenty minutes."
The frown on Sancia's face did not lessen.
"My understanding is that the system is still in the testing phase and not yet ready for field deployment," the sister stated.
"And we've tested the unit by itself countless times, and its integration with the Lancelot went without any hitch." Lloyd said with his usual nonchalance, then the man's voice hardened. "Besides, do you really think something as inconsequential as operational readiness would stop Suzaku from going out there after what happened?"
Sancia's eyes flickered as another point registered, there was a distinct lack of objection from Cécile, who could usually be counted on to serve as the voice of reason whenever her superior officer went off on a lark. This time however no voice of protest arose. Perhaps, as with the colonel and Suzaku himself, the captain had succumbed to Lelouch's imposition. If so, denying Camelot permission to deploy was not going to stop them. In such a situation, Sancia's job was to direct that determination in the most productive way possible to avoid it backlashing upon her side.
"Very well, Colonel Asplund, coordinate with Colonel Gottwald and determine the best place to deploy the Lancelot."
The smile Lloyd flashed had an atypical ferocity to it. "It would be my pleasure."
"Colonel Gottwald, expedite your forces as quickly as possible."
"Understood, Sister Sancia."
The two men disappeared from the displays and Sancia allowed herself to let out a long sigh. She could not even claim any particular problem had been solved yet, not while civilians were preparing to throw themselves against hardened insurgents. The disaster was still unfolding, and right now the best she could hope for was to try and slow it down a bit. The terminal beeped. If even that.
"Abacus," Lucretia's voice sounded, "I've detected an anomaly in the immediate vicinity of the ceremony grounds that matches a signature previously detected at the Lake Kawaguchi resort."
Sancia inhaled sharply. Assuming Lucretia was not mistaken in her identification, and Sancia had no reason to doubt her fellow battle sister on this point, that would mean a heretical contractor was on-site.
"I have two Gendarmerie squads positioned to cordon the perimeter and am moving to reinforce myself," Lucretia continued. "I request that Huntress, Zephyr, and Sirius join me as soon as practicable."
Before Sancia could respond however another voice cut in.
"It will take ten minutes for us to suit up, after which we will depart."
Sancia winced as Lelouch's words cut through.
"Your Eminence, are you certain that is wise?" she tried.
"The bastard that orchestrated my sister's murder decided to take a front row seat," Lelouch's voice was outright seething with fury. "I will make that the last mistake he ever makes."
There was no point arguing further with the cardinal when he was in such a mood. While Sancia was certain Lelouch would not hold it against her if she did, the woman also knew that the best way to ensure her concerns did not come to pass was to help Lelouch achieve his desired end as quickly and cleanly as possible. The cardinal was determined to go hunting and would likely not have any attention to spare until his quarry was run to ground. Nor was he the only one.
"Wait, Lelouch, you found the one responsible for Euphie's murder?" Cornelia cut in. "I'm coming with you."
One might have expected the cardinal to refuse, to tell his sister to remain in the palace. And had Lelouch not been possessed of his current bloody-mindedness, the cardinal might have done just that.
"You have the aforementioned time to meet me at the palace second helipad."
Cornelia barely waited to finish listening to said response before turning on her heels and making for the exit, her knights hurrying after. As for Sancia herself, there was really only one thing she could do.
"Dame Nonette, I am handing command of Tokyo's defense to you," she said to the knight, and then back over the radio. "Cartographer, I will be connecting to the data net to filter your scans. Once you are onsite, we will direct you towards the target, Legate."
"Acknowledged," was Lelouch's curt and succinct response.
"Good hunting," Sancia whispered under her breath, as much to herself as to the cardinal, "and Godspeed."
End of Chapter 61
Previously, the extent of Lelouch's power was only really alluded to or hinted at. That he was powerful was more of a tell, the few instances of show were somewhat constrained in the magnitude of the feats Lelouch pulled off. Now however, there should be absolutely no doubt as to just how obscenely dangerous Lelouch is, and why Eden Vital exerts so much effort to limit the scope in which Lelouch exercises his powers. Imagine if Lelouch's desire for vengeance erupted in say Pendragon and affected those people with access to Britannia's equivalent of the nuclear football. In the right, or wrong, place, Lelouch has the capacity to quite literally destroy human civilization as we know it. In a lot of ways, much of the support Eden Vital provides Lelouch is to make sure measures are in place to prevent such a worst-case scenario from happening while still allowing him to unleash his power in full if the need arises.
The battle is actually moving at a faster clip than I was expecting, which resulted in a few developments occurring earlier than I was originally intended. This chapter was mostly just to set the stage for the multiple perspectives that we're going to be following for the rest of the Battle of Tokyo. Next chapter is when the actual heavy fighting will start taking place, the Samurai's run-in with Miho's tanks notwithstanding.
