A/N: Thanks again to Greatkingrat88 for his work on the chapter and polishing it up, and those from the Love and Space discord server for their feedback which helped with some ideas I had, and offered something I could do in the coming chapters.

No guest reviews for me to respond to, so let's get into it then.

Chapter 20

The Way Forward

The streets of the capital of the planet Austerlitz II were filled with spectators. Spontaneous parades had erupted, celebrating the Black Knights' victory. Granted, it was only temporary, and no one knew how long the ruse could hold before PACT found out their invasion fleet had been wiped out. Nevertheless, considering the odds they were facing, the people of Austerlitz II were overjoyed. Most importantly, they now knew that PACT could be beaten.

Lelouch understood this, but he recalled words Milly once told him.

That's why we need this.

I suppose they do, he thought. Facing the loss of their world. Everything they own, memories they made here with friends and family, even now knowing they could lose them.

The unspoken purpose of this celebration was to thank the Black Knights and, if, for a short time allowed, everyone to forget the fact they could lose their planet, should the ruse be uncovered.

I don't know if I agree with this, but I suppose I should just go along with it, for now, Lelouch thought as he joined the leaders of Austerlitz II in the victory parade, being hailed alongside his Black Knights as heroes.

The parade brought them to the heart of the city, and after the leaders of Austerlitz II spoke a few words, Lelouch was given his chance to address the crowd. He approached the podium, thanking the chairwoman before saying what he believed had to be said.

"Thank you, Madam Chairwoman," Zero said, speaking into the mic. "Together the Black Knights and the brave men and women of the Austerlitz II Space Force succeeded in repelling a PACT invasion, a galactic superpower."

The crowd applauded, cheering loudly.

"It is true this victory may be temporary, and sooner or later PACT will discover their invasion has failed, but this victory has a far greater meaning. Assured of victory, this great power arrogantly came at us, looking to crush us with a mailed fist- and together we stood up against them and won!"

The crowd's cheers were deafening, and Lelouch gave them time to work through theory exuberance before continuing.

"They seemed unstoppable, but the truth is, no superpower is impossible to overcome. What we accomplished here today, together, proves it beyond all doubt."

The 'we' was rather an exaggeration; his Black Knights had done most of the fighting, but it never hurt to be generous.

"PACT is not unstoppable. They can be beaten, now and in the future! We were outnumbered, but we still won. It took skill and most of all it took courage- the courage to dare stand up and fight, to say 'no more', to refuse to give in to tyranny! We need only those brave enough to stand their ground and fight, for the will to fight and the willingness to stand up and fight is the greatest strength we have. Even as PACT continues to conquer worlds the Black Knights continue to grow, and those who wish to continue the fight will be brought together under one banner to fight back. In the end, we will send them back from where they came!"

The crowd began cheering, their applause growing louder.

"Remember, this is but one victory, but it's proof we can win. We only need to bring those who wish to see their worlds free to join together and fight back. So who among you are prepared to fight and do their part?"

The crowd erupted into cheers once more, and Lelouch smiled under his mask.

Later that day, following a meeting with the planet's leaders, Lelouch returned to the Rhongomyniad. He decided to retire to his cabin for the time being. It was not so much that he was exhausted physically, but the negotiating, reassuring, public appearances and minutiae of running an army were draining. Despite the victory celebration, Lelouch's mind was working overtime, trying to devise one plan after another, contingencies and strategies for every possible situation. They would deal with PACT soon enough, and he had to be ready. Distractedly walking through the ship's corridors, he nearly collided with princess Sola.

"Zero," Sola said, leaning against the wall outside of his cabin.

"What can I do for you, princess?" Lelouch said, a little surprised. He had been deep in thought.

Although the mask made it difficult, Sola silently studied Lelouch, and after a moment she answered.

"I wish to speak to you privately," she said.

"Very well," Lelouch said, entering the code to his door. Once open, he gave a gentlemanly gesture for Sola to enter first. The princess sat down in the chair across from Lelouch's desk, the former prince taking his seat and removing his mask. The Ryuvian Princess looked at him intently, spotting the weariness.

"You seem tired, commander. Feeling the weight of what comes next, trying to prepare for it? I've experienced it myself, and I didn't have your gift for strategy and leadership," Sola said, cutting to the heart of the matter. Lelouch, surprised, quietly conceded Sola was right.

"As someone who led the Holy Ryuivan Empire's war effort against Crow Harbor, fighting a war far larger in scale than this one, I imagine you must've been in my position more than once." He retorted.

"Yes, Crow Harbor and his followers were many. His Ebon Fleet was formidable. He was determined not to only claim the throne for himself, but purge the Empire of those who were not of pure royal blood, which he himself of course was not," Sola said.

"Someone had a complex. But I take it he was quite dangerous; otherwise, why bring out one of the Empire's most dangerous superweapons?"

Sola nodded, "You are right. Crow was brutal to his enemies. any world which did not submit willingly would see their cities razed by orbital strikes."

"And no other civil war or clash for succession was ever this…violent?"

"No, not that I know of. This was the only civil war that demanded the use of Sharr' Lac, to my knowledge."

"The war must've dragged on for quite some time before they decided to use it."

"It did, for about fourteen years. Worlds were viciously attacked, and the Empire was split in two. When I became the Sharr of Ryuvia, I was placed in charge. Even though I had never led a battle, I had help and my skills as a hunter helped me master piloting quite quickly," Sola said, a strange look coming over her face as she looked back, remembering those ancient times. "Yet those who followed and helped me never showed the faith and respect I see among the Black Knights for you."

"So they saw you as a warrior and a member of royalty, nothing more? Not as a true leader?"

"That is accurate, I suppose. The galaxy I lived in was not a pleasant place."

How long will the war with PACT last? Lelouch thought suddenly.

Deciding to change topics, he asked,

"You mentioned the Sharr of Ryuvia. Was that a title you had as Princess?"

"Yes. It was given to the greatest and deadliest pilot in the galaxy. All Ryder pilots in my time were women. A few from the Royal Family, the rest coming from families of nobility, the wealthy or accomplished military leaders. All of them, regardless of status, were expected to master the art of piloting and hone their skills so they could attract the attention of a well-bred prince. If married, their genes would enter the Royal Bloodline after they are augmented by genetic engineering, enhancing their abilities."

"So the Sharr of Ryuvia was indeed exclusive for women?"

"Yes, for all Ryder pilots in my time were women. Those who served under me as pilots were no exception."

She probably didn't have any friends. And unlike Sola, they probably joined the war effort more willingly, Lelouch thought.

"The Ryder pilots you command are mixed genders. It's not an unwelcome change."

"Well you can't be picky when you are trying to gather people to topple a galactic superpower," Lelouch mused. "I didn't have the resources of a superpower. We have strong allies helping us, but even so I must acknowledge the coming struggle will not be easy."

"War is never easy."

"I completely agree," Lelouch said.

"I will help you as much as I can. I know the weariness you are trying to hide. You are trying to account for everything up ahead, are you not? For every possibility?"

"Was that obvious?"

"Yes, but I find it reassuring."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, inviting her to elaborate.

"Because you are not likely to let arrogance or overconfidence cloud your judgment even with your recent victory, impressive as it was," Sola said, leaning forward and placing a hand on Lelouch's.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lelouch said. A strange thought came to mind.

This war could last years, but when I win… what then?

"I hope you'll live a full life, brother," Nunnally's words echoed in his mind.

A full life? Lelouch thought before an image of Sola beside him as his partner- no, his wife as they led the charge in their Ryders. The former Emperor was startled by the thought. He had never thought much about that kind of thing, and the unwelcome fantasy triggered some irritation. He was neither gifted nor experienced in that area, but… he had always expected something to happen in that area, hadn't he? But if so, who? Somebody like Sola, or… somebody like Ava?

He shook the thought off. I can't exactly do that with a war to wage, he thought.

Unbeknownst to Lelouch, though, someone had observed him and Sola enter his cabin together. Seeing that Sola hadn't left, that someone summoned C.C., who had arrived on Rhongomyniad to meet with Lelouch. However, she was summoned instead to meet with a certain mischievous blonde.

"What is this about?" C.C. asked as she arrived at Milly's temporary quarters aboard the ship, the door closing behind her.

"Oh I just want to have a chat between us girls," Milly said with a wink, making C.C. suspicious.

"Really?" the witch said, pulling up a chair to sit at the desk with Milly.

"Well, all things considered, that battle went well," Milly commented, sitting by the table across from C.C.

"I suppose. We still lost two Excalibur-class ships and hundreds of men," C.C. said with a serious expression.

Despite their best efforts, the Oberon and Dominion were damaged beyond repair. What parts were still usable were being stripped from the ships; whatever they couldn't reuse would be disposed of in Austerlitz II's sun. Excessive, but Lelouch didn't want to risk PACT getting their hands on any of their technology to avoid losing the slim advantage they hold.

"We may have more men in reserve, but PACT has a lot more ships. We've won this round, but PACT will take us more seriously from now on. We can expect things to get harder from here on," C.C. said.

"True, but Lelouch won't let that stop him."

"No, I doubt it would, but he wouldn't do anything foolish. He'll need to stay ten steps ahead to keep up with them."

"Defeating PACT could take a very long time. Lelouch might be Admiral Grey's age when he succeeds," Milly said worriedly.

"Is this conversation going where I think it's going?" C.C. said, eyeing Milly suspiciously realizing the real reason she had been called.

A devilish smile appeared on Milly's face, and she pushed a button on her holo.

"Oh naturally, since this was one of Nunnally's dying wishes. Get her brother a lover or two, and have him raise a family," Milly exclaimed deviously. "And I just saw someone I thought would make a move on Lelouch enter his cabin and not come out."

"First I am pretty sure Nunnally never said anything about a lover, or more than one," C.C. snorted. "She just wanted her brother to find love and start a family." She had expected this topic to come up sooner or later. "And second, that could mean anything. They could just having a long chat, or do you really think Lelouch would just decide to have sex with someone with everything going on?"

"Of course," Milly said with a dismissive hand gesture, but anyone who knew the former student council president knew her devious smile meant nothing but trouble. "I am glad to see Sola making some moves through, but here are those I've noticed may or may not have an eye for Lelouch."

"So who are going to be the victims of your latest scheme of playing matchmaker?" C.C. said sardonically. Ignoring the witch's sarcasm entirely, Milly went ahead.

"In order of who he met first, we got Ava Crescentia," Milly said, a picture of Ava appearing from a small holo-device. "We can thank her for Lelouch becoming Zero again and recreating the Black Knights."

"Yes, she literally slapped some sense into him," C.C. mused.

"Quite, and unlike Kayto she stayed in contact with Lelouch, and even influenced her enough to finally defy her father," Milly said, some pride in her voice.

"And Kayto doesn't know?"

"No. I do feel bad for the guy, but Ava wasn't the only girl he was interested in."

"That aside, isn't Ava a workaholic?"

"Yes, but she and Lelouch have the longest relationship with one another," Milly retorted. "And they have their work in common too."

"I mean, Lelouch is clueless when it comes to women. He's not likely to make the first move," C.C. countered. "And Ava' more likely to prioritize her career."

"True, that could be an issue," Milly acknowledged with a nod. "But, I never thought she'd ever defy her own father, and look what happened. You can't deny Lelouch has had a positive influence on her. Maybe we should get them together."

"That sounds like a strategy that could hit or miss," C.C. said, sounding doubtful.

"Maybe, but getting them near one another might help things," Milly said confidently.

"If nothing happens, what then?"

"Then we go down the list to the second person who has known Lelouch the longest!"

"Maray Shields?" C.C. asked. Milly nodded, bringing up her picture. "Now here is someone who might be bolder and a little more aggressive than Ava."

"How so?"

"She'll be more forward than Ava, given the chance. While she might've felt attracted to Lelouch when she first met him, I believe she has legitimately fallen in love with him."

"How? They've had far less time together."

"True, but remember all that happened to her and why she joined the Black Knights? She might've had a silly crush on Lelouch at first, however discovering he was Zero and idolizing the Black Knights have turned that crush into something more," Milly explained.

C.C.'s lips curled into an amused smile

"You're coming up with quite a lot there. Based on what, exactly?"

"Science, of course," Milly scoffed.

C.C. chortled, shaking her head. "Right. Science. And not an overactive imagination coming from a need to vicariously live through Lelouch."

"I would never," Milly scoffed. "Anyway, here's option three…"

C.C. shook her head in amused disbelief. Milly had good intuition, but at some point it blurred into some kind of bizarre fiction.

"...sleeping Beauty, Sola vi Ryuvia," Milly said, the next image appearing.

"Why her?" C.C. asked, raising an eyebrow. Considering how those two met… "Those two didn't exactly hit it off well."

"I know Lelouch got to see more of her than any of the girls already, if you know what I mean," Milly said with a laugh. C.C. rolled her eyes, suppressing a laugh. "Jokes aside, they've been seeing each other quite often. They've been walking together more than once, and Sola hasn't been opposed to their discussions despite their earlier clashes."

"Maybe, but I haven't noticed any romantic spark between them. Sola might be too much of a cold fish and somehow I doubt romance is on her mind, what with having lost her entire family and… everything else," C.C. said.

"Maybe. Or maybe she just needs the right push?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Sola has nobody in this era, no friends or family, like you said. So far Lelouch has been the only one she has interacted with, and they share some similarities."

"Some, yes, but they are both quite different," C.C. pointed out.

"True, but they say opposites attract. And while they are similar, they are also opposites in some ways," Milly acknowledged with a nod, folding her arms under her chest.

"How so? They couldn't be any more different."

"Lelouch is a rebel and Sola is loyal, despite the royal family treating her as an expendable pawn," Milly answered. "Lelouch started a war against his own country, and in a sense brought it to its knees, while Sola defended hers. Yeah, there are some big differences for sure, but the fact they've been able to relate to one another and hold regular conversations should be telling."

"Okay, I'll concede she might work out," C.C. snorted. "Anyone else fit into your harem selection?"

"Two more," Milly said cheerily. "Lynn, for one." She showed a picture of the girl looking annoyed.

"Ok, you're really going to have to convince me of that one," C.C. said bluntly.

"I call the trope, best her to bed her?"

"What!?" C.C. exclaimed in shock.

"I mean, the only one she respects and will listen to is Lelouch. Even if she might have been sore after losing to him. I've been watching her, and the way Lynn seems to eye him tells me she might have the hots for him, but she could be too prideful to act."

"You know, her watching him could mean a lot of things."

"Maybe, but she might be another one to watch for. Kids between those two would be interesting," Milly mused.

"So who is the last one?"

Milly grinned, showing an image of Icari Isidolde on the holographic screen.

Coincidentally, later that same day Icari and Lelouch met in private aboard the Rhongomyniad, inside the cabin that doubled as his office and personal quarters. Lelouch offered Icari a drink, pouring himself a glass. Icari raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know, I know that mask doesn't have a straw, so why not take it off… Lelouch," Icari said. Lelouch froze, stunned. How? He tried to think of an excuse, but before anything came to mind, she cut him off.

"Come now, I thought a former Emperor would be bolder."

Sighing, Lelouch slowly removed his mask.

"How long have you known?"

"Admiral Grey told me after that first job you hired me for. I've worked with him extensively, and he knew you'd be seeking my services more regularly once the war started," Icari said, feeling rather smug. "That man is downright impressed with all you've done."

"He must trust you greatly to have shared that. I wish he would have asked me first before telling you."

"Actually, I am telling you as a show of trust from me," Icari retorted. "As good as the Admiral has been in paying me and giving me plenty of chances to get at PACT, I think you'll do a lot more damage, and the Admiral will have the interests of the Solar Alliance first and foremost in his mind."

"That is true," Lelouch agreed. "Admiral Grey's assistance has been invaluable, but I haven't forgotten all of his actions are for the Solar Alliance's benefit. As long as the Black Knights continue to benefit the Alliance in some way I doubt he'll cause any problems for us."

"For now," Icari remarked before taking a drink.

"Yes, for now." Lelouch said, well aware that he would need to be mindful of the Alliance, since their changing interests could turn them from supporting allies to possible enemies.

"Still, I've got to say you've done more to PACT than I could have done on my own," Icari complimented.

"I am surprised myself, considering the events that led to the discovery of Lost Technology and more. With that in hand and a bit of luck, we have what it takes to win," Lelouch said, taking a sip from his glass. "Of course, we don't have strength to beat PACT, but our ships and Ryders can match them and more. However, they have more resources, ships and people. Arcadius isn't likely to care about losses, not too much, since PACT has plenty more."

"Throwing them into the proverbial meat grinder," Icari said, looking serious. "They also conscript anyone they can get their hands on, from prisoners, slaves, and folks kidnapped by pirates."

"Either they are desperate or they want a stockpile of cannon fodder. How do they expect them to stay loyal?"

Icari shrugged her shoulders, "The threat of being sold into slavery is always there. Serving PACT definitely beats that."

"I can imagine being a soldier for PACT would seem better than outright slavery… at a glance, I suppose," Lelouch mused, reclining in his chair. He wondered if threats or even brainwashing was used on those unfortunate enough to be captured or sold to PACT.

"True. I remember a mission where I had to rescue an Alliance citizen who got kidnapped by pirates. They were going to sell him and others to PACT to boost their ranks. I had to disguise myself as the Veniczar sent to meet them. Thankfully she was a woman, so that part was easy. However, I had to wear a full body suit to match her and arrive at the meeting."

"I assume something went wrong?" Lelouch said, noticing a shift in Icari's expression.

"Yeah, it turned out the pirates planned to double cross the Veniczar and ransom her back to PACT. Lucky for me, some of the prisoners escaped, and started a fight with the pirates. It was chaos, and my body suit was ruined, but it did save me from some deadly attacks. I got the guy and escaped, but the ship blew up after I left. I think someone hit the self-destruct, or the power core went critical from the chaotic fighting."

"So you were hired to save just that one man?"

"Don't give me that look," Icari said, frowning. "In all that chaos there was no way to save everyone in that situation."

"Fair enough. I just wanted to know how you would react."

"Trying to get a read on my character, your majesty?"

Lelouch groaned, andIcari smiled mischievously.

"As someone who wanted revenge, I hate to admit it, you were better at pulling it off in the end."

"Yes, although there are things I did I am not proud of," Lelouch said. In his mind's eye he saw the limp, bloody bodies of Euphemia and Shirley, two women who had both died for getting involved with him.

"I understand. I haven't exactly been clean myself for a long time. I've done more than my own share of things I am not proud of, and not all of it is just because I worked as an assassin and mercenary."

"I can only imagine." Lelouch paused, giving her an awkward look.

"What?" Icari demanded.

"I wouldn't want to pry-"

"Go ahead," Icari insisted. "I'm a big girl. I can handle a personal question."

"What happened to put you on this path? The life of a mercenary?"

"Well," Icari said with a shrug, and this time it was her turn to pause, "when I… lost those who cared for me, I was dead set on getting even. It set me down a certain road, and once I headed far enough down that path it was all I knew how to do. And here I am."

Lelouch gave her an intrigued look. She hadn't opened up much about this before.

"I was afraid I was going to die while left adrift for days in that escape pod," she continued, "but once I was safe I thought about nothing about retribution. I would have nightmares about it, it's just something I could never forget. I bet it was the same for you."

The look she gave him was strange, intense, and there was a softness to her voice.

"Yes. I still had my sister, but she was scarred and crippled from our mother's death. But the worst part was finding out that the mother I dedicated myself to avenging was just as terrible as my father the Emperor. They abandoned us for their own ambitions, no matter their excuses," Lelouch said bitterly.

"Avenging her became all for nothing, huh?"

"Yes. I wasn't in the best state of mind, and I… didn't take it well." Lelouch said before falling silent for a moment before adding. "I… killed them for it, actually."

Icari blinked. Lelouch took a deep breath. He had never said it out loud, he realized, and he hadn't lost much sleep over it. It had been a severe thing to do, but once he had known the truth of who they were, he had felt no compunctions about it. It was very much not a normal way to feel, he realized. It felt good to acknowledge it, somehow.

"It's complicated, but I willed them to disintegrate. I didn't put a gun to them, but it's the same thing. I killed them, and they both deserved it."

Icari looked at him stunned, if she didn't know about his Geass power and other interesting bits of info she might've mocked him for saying something so outlandish, but instead.

"Well damn, you must've been really pissed, huh?" Icari said with an approving smile.

"You don't think it's strange? A bit… monstrous?" Lelouch said, eyes narrowing. It was not the reaction he had expected, and he suddenly felt guarded.

Icari just shrugged. "If anyone knows about getting even, it's me. So what if it's your folks? They deserved it, didn't they?"

"They did," Lelouch said with a nod. "Not just for abandoning me and my sister, but for their… insane designs on the world itself."

"Then there you go."

"You're a strange character, you know that?" said Lelouch. He felt ambivalent; surprised at her reaction, both relieved and disappointed not to be judged for it. Icari was not exactly normal, but then again, neither was he.

"Of course I am," she chuckled. "You know, if they made a movie about your accomplishments, it could sell big time," Icari said jokingly.

"Heh, maybe. Better to do something like that once I've taken down PACT, though," Lelouch said, half-jokingly.

"Are you sure you can do it?"

"The movie or PACT?"

Icari rolled her eyes. "PACT, smartass."

"Of course. It will cost trillions of credits and tens of thousands of lives, and maybe many years of bitter struggle, but I've brought superpowers to their knees before. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it could be done," Lelouch said boldly.

"Confidence. I like that in a man," Icari said with a smirk.

Six days later, in a penthouse suite at the orbital space station resort orbiting Far Port, Michael Garibaldi was meeting with an envoy of Admiral Grey to pass along the data from the Black Knight's most recent battle at Austerlitz II. Instead of transmitting it, and risking PACT discovering the ruse, it was agreed that it would be taken directly to a trusted aide of the Admiral.

The other problem was the growing number of spies in their ranks. Despite their best efforts to uncover them so far, which had been fairly successful, some would no doubt be finding cracks as the organization rapidly grew. The Black Knights were in dire need of new members, and some would undoubtedly be enemy agents.

Garibaldi's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door, rising from his chair, he approached the door. Using its keypad, he checked the visitor, while examining his Holo to check the sensors he had hidden in the hallway outside of the room to confirm if the visitor was alone.

"Yes?" Garibaldi asked. Through the looking hole he saw his visitor was a young woman in her early twenties with short blue hair and amber eyes, wearing a black suit with a green tie, carrying a case.

"I am your massage therapist, sent from the Jade Relaxation Group here for your twelve ten appointment," the woman answered.

"Come in," Garibaldi, unlocking his door.

He knew who the woman was, Admiral Grey having shown both him and Lelouch a photo, but just the same he kept a hand near his concealed pistol. Once the door was closed and locked, the woman saluted him.

"Lieutenant Kryska Stares, here on behalf of the Admiral."

"At ease. You know, the salute isn't necessary. I haven't been part of the Alliance Military in a long time," Garibaldi said, returning the gesture and heading for the living room of his hotel suite.

"Sorry, Mr. Garibaldi. Force of habit," Kryska said modestly, following him.

They sat down on some soft chairs with a coffee table between them. Garibaldi brought up a metal case, opening it on the table. It contained several samples of Desitium, and Michael explained how it was the more potent alternative to Ongessite, and how the Black Knights were working on using it as a replacement in order to become self-sufficient. However, the rare and potent substance had another use. Kryska was no scientist, so she couldn't fully follow along, but she was intrigued by the samples.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she said, inspecting the case's contents.

"I am curious how the Alliance will react once they get a look at this stuff," Garibaldi said with a knowing smile.

"Yes, the Admiral is very curious about this discovery," Kryska said, moving the contents into the case she had been carrying, designed to transport and conceal the samples. "I have to say, I was skeptical of Lelouch's capabilities when the Admiral first told me, but the results he has delivered speak for themselves."

"I'll admit I was the same initially. The way he not only defeated them but managed to hide his victory… I'm impressed. The deception has been working better than we thought."

"PACT still hasn't learned that Austerlitz II is still free?"

"For now, but I don't think we can keep it up indefinitely. PACT's efforts to quickly conquer the Neutral Rim has been working in our favor. They've been eager to keep their conquest going; they haven't really checked the planet beyond contacting the Veniczar in charge," Garibaldi replied. "Thanks to Lelouch's Geass, that isn't going to be a problem as long as no one shows up unannounced."

"What about materials from the planet? I imagine PACT would want the resources of Austerlitz II?"

"True, but we're using it to our advantage to send PACT faulty parts and ores. Nothing that would be noticed, but faulty enough that after some use they could cause some serious issues for their ships and Ryders, and the materials wouldn't be the same. We'll be sending ore identical in appearance, but different so when used to create hull plating it would be weaker than the standard type of plating," Garibaldi said.

"Wouldn't they inspect it?" she said, frowning.

Garibaldi shook his head, "They inspect the materials harvested from a world and any parts made before they are shipped out and are never checked again, going straight to production facilities in PACT space to build new ships and Ryders."

"That sounds very foolish?"

"Yes, but they are rushing to conquer the Neutral Rim as soon as possible so they can prepare to invade the Solar Alliance," Garibaldi said. "If they do realize, they'll have to slow down production because they'll have to double check everything, which might help us more."

"Then I trust the Veniczar you have under control is helping you with more than just keeping the rest of PACT unaware of their failed invasion?"

"That's right. We know what routes they use for supply runs and which planets they'll strike at next. We can send warnings ahead for the planets in danger, while the Black Knights launch hit and run tactics on their supply lines attacking their transports."

"Wouldn't that alert PACT to the charade?"

"Maybe, but its all the more reason we need to make our next moves carefully and not exploit our advantage too much," Garibaldi said.

"Fair enough, the Admiral will be pleased to hear this."

"I hope he will be," Garibaldi nodded. There was much to do yet, but as an opening salvo, they couldn't have asked for more.

The following day Maray and Hana had just finished another round of training, which not only involved further mock battles but intense physical they were meant to be Ryder pilots, they underwent daily physical training, running laps, weight lifting and hand-to-hand combat practice. They had to be able to handle the physical demands of being a pilot, and also be prepared for a situation where they could be trapped behind enemy lines or left outside of their machines.

The two were together in the women's crew showers, washing up after their daily physical training, which naturally worked up quite a sweat.

"Today was pretty rough," Maray said, working the shampoo into her long white hair.

"I think my arms were about to fall off." Hana said, rinsing out her blonde hair.

"No kidding. It wasn't so bad when we first started, but now?"

"True, but I think we've gotten used to it," Hana said in agreement before glancing over to Maray in the shower. "I think it shows too. You've started look a lot more fit. Sexy, if I dare say so."

"Really?" Maray said, looking down at herself. "Yeah, I didn't really pay attention, but yeah, there's a difference, I guess. A shame my breasts haven't gotten bigger, but my legs, arms and hips look great. You look good yourself, Hana. Pretty toned."

"I know. I didn't really notice myself until I started checking myself in a mirror," Hana replied.

"With a body like that, I think you'll land a guy easily," Maray said encouragingly.

"Thanks, but what about you? As you are now, you won't have that problem. Is there someone you've got an eye for?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Maray said, and in her mind's eye she saw Lelouch. "It's thanks to him that I joined the Black Knights."

"Really?" Hana said, were both lathering themselves, stepping into the warm showers.

"I found out he was a member of the Black Knights purely by accident though. He was hesitant before he let me join," Maray said, using a scrubber to work the soap across her arms.

"How did that happen?"

"It happened when I got the notice that I was expelled, he happened upon me in the park where I was… you know… not taking the news well," Maray said. She could still remember the shock and the tears, how Lelouch had picked her up when she was at her lowest…

"Right, that day," Hana said, remembering how she got her own notice for a similar reason.

"It had been raining, so he brought me to his place to dry up. While I was in the shower, I heard someone coming in. I opened the door by a crack to listen in. It was Ava. They started talking private business, and… well, turns out they were both Black Knights. I confronted them then and there, and insisted on joining."

"So Ava knew him," Hana said,surprised. There was a hint of bitterness to her tone at the mention of Ava's name.

"Yeah, I don't know how long, but apparently it was a long time," Maray said.

"So… Lelouch is in the Black Knights, huh?" Hana said thoughtfully. "Never took him as the type. If he's been around for that long, is he like a big shot or something?"

"No- no," Maray said, a little too quickly, "he's… I think he's a mid-ranked officer on some base or ship. You know how it is, we're not supposed to give too many details. Operational security and all. He's not the combat type, I think he works with… logistics?" It was as credible a lie as Maray could come up with; while she could admit he was with the Knights, it wouldn't do to let anyone know he was its supreme leader.

"Logistics, huh?" Hana said, giving Maray a scrutinizing look.

"That's what he told me," Maray said, giving her most convincing smile. "He had the pull to get me and Ava our positions, but I don't know if he has much more than that."

"I see," Hana said. She suspected Maray knew more; now she was even more curious about Lelouch.

She remembered him. Like many students she knew about him, but at the time no one had been interested in him beyond his joining of the Student Council. He became the only other person next to Kayto to have endured Ava's reign of Student Council President. Unlike Ava, and much like Kayto, he was likable and much more approachable than Ava was, but even so Lelouch was something of an ice prince; sociable yet keeping people at arm's length.

"So you've got a crush on Lelouch, right?"

"Huh?!"

"Oh come on, Maray. Even your brother told me how you would stare at cute guys quite a lot, and it looks like you stared at him," Hana lightly teased.

"Hey I've grown out of that," Maray shouted, her face aflush.

"I am sure. While you teased your brother about it, I don't recall him mentioning you ever getting a boyfriend, while he got a girlfriend in me."

"True, I never got one. I guess I set some high standards for myself," Maray was a mischievous smile on her face. "But what about you? I mean, I know you and Kayto went out together before everything went sour. You never found anyone else?"

"No, I guess after Kayto I decided to set some higher standards myself," Hana admitted.

"Really? So if you don't mind me asking, what happened between you two? Things seemed to have been going well."

"Are you really that interested?"

"Well as the younger sister, it is my right to pry into my brother's love life," Maray proclaimed proudly.

Hana sighed, but relented. "The problem was that no matter what, he still pined for that annoying stick in the mud, Ava."

"That's it?" Maray said in surprise. "When I tried to ask Kayto he brushed me off, not wanting to talk about it."

"Heh, I suppose I tore into him once I figured out he still had a thing for her, even though their relationship didn't go anywhere beyond friends as far as I know."

"Yeah, on the last night Ava was going to be in town, Kayto and Ava didn't spend the night with each other when he walked her home."

"You sound almost disappointed," Hana said suspiciously. "Wanted to know if your brother would lose his virginity to Ava?"

"Maybe," Maray replied innocently.

"I am not shocked. Ava is too much of a workaholic, a real stickler for the rules. She'll likely remain unmarried and die a virgin," Hana said dismissively.

"Ouch, that's harsh."

"Please. She tried to be Student Council President, but her strict, uncompromising enforcement of the rules drove everyone out of the council within days. Some stayed for a bit, but only because of Kayto. She quickly became the most disliked girl in the school because of that. No guys wanted to go near her."

"Double ouch," Maray said.

"So for the life of me, I couldn't understand why Kayto would be interested in a girl like her. I don't know if he likes being verbally abused by her or something, I didn't think he was into that."

"Thankfully I don't think Kayto is a masochist," Maray said awkwardly.

"Anyway, our relationship wouldn't go any further because of that. I mean, he never really kissed me, just on the cheek the one time, and I guess my frustration just boiled over at some point," Hana continued.

"Right, I won't ask any more."

"So anyway," Hana said, shrugging off the resentment in her tone, "tomorrow I we are shipping out, huh?"

"Yeah, I hear we're going to one of the other bases to test pilot some new machines as part of our training. I guess the Black Knights are trying to speed up the training of the new recruits," Maray answered.

"I guess that makes sense. We're up against a galactic superpower. The Black Knights are going to need all of the people they can get."

The future looked uncertain, and it would doubtless be dangerous and fraught with loss, but neither of them could help but feel a little excited at the thought.

A/N: Well there you go, as Lelouch is worried about keeping his successful defense of Austerlitz II safe from PACT, but working in Lelouch's favor is the fact that PACT is set on conquering the Neutral Rim as fast as possible but there is more to it, which I'll elaborate on in the future.

But while Lelouch plans, Milly with an unwilling C.C. begins plotting on who Lelouch's love should be, and has her eye on who to play matchmaker with.

A certain Solar Alliance officer also makes their appearance here, but the clock continues to count down towards when Cera will face the PACT onslaught.

So I'll see you guys next chapter, and thank you to those who review, favorite and follow the story because they are very much appreciated and help me keep going with this story.

This story will be updated once updates for my Kingdom Hearts and Fate/Grand Order crossovers are updated.