"Together we are strong, alone we will fall, Unity is the only way forward, I will achieve it at all costs."

Alexander Andreas Gustavos Di Britannia.

….

"Lelouch! Why are you here!?" Kallen half shouted as she saw the boy standing near a tall Knightmare, wearing a slim pilot suit the Britannian boy was casually leaning back. A small smirk on his face as he looked at her.

"I was convinced by your new boss to come and help out." He answered with a slight drawl, something she had come to associate with him in the week she had spent on the student council. "So I pulled the Shogun out of storage and came over."

"The Shogun?"

"It's a refitted prototype machine I got my hands on a while back." Lelouch said as he tapped the Knightmare he was leaning against, the large samurai styled machine was rather intimidating, the large barrel on its chest glowing softly, a katana like sword mag locked to its side and a Knightmare rifle on its back.

"You can pilot that?"

"Yes, I am rated in the 89th percentile, tough my endurance is not the best."

89 was pretty high, just below ace level in fact, but that was only a guideline really, because someone could have a very high aptitude on the test and still be unable to keep up in a fight. Still, her classmates score was very good, more than good enough to pilot an average frame, so him piloting this machine should be within his calibre.

At that point the imposing form of Zero and his bodyguard walked in, the man stopped in front of them and she noted how Lelouch took place on his right without any protest from the man or the Ninja. It was quite interesting really, as the Ninja had damn near killed Tamaki when he tried to approach Zero uninvited.

"Hello everyone, I am sure you have all heard of the events happening at Saitama?" The masked man asked, she nodded along with the others. "Good, I hope you will all bear with me while I explain my plan."

"So we are going to intervene?" She asked, considering the idea, it would be difficult to fight in a strange Ghetto against experienced forces, but with the Saitama alliance backing them up they should have a chance.

"Yes, tough likely not as you assume." The masked man paused as he looked them all over. "We have not the numbers nor the equipment to beat Cornelia Li Britannia's personal forces as we did Clovis and the Purebloods, not when Alexander Andreas Gustavus di Britannia is aboard her command centre observing."

Well that was bad fucking news, the Gilded Lion was Britannia's Field-marshal in Asia and would bring reinforcements in if his sister even looked like she was going to lose.

"I see at least most of you understand why a normal attack is not going to work, as such we are going to try to evacuate the Alliance. Does anyone know how the Alliance was founded?" After a few moments of no answer Zero continued. "They started as a small time gang hitting Britannian supply depo's to distribute the goods, then moved up to playing police and court in the Saitama Ghetto, mostly fairly, and as such earned Kyoto's favour as an associate. Normally this would be a good thing, but now it is stopping them from retreating, they refuse to disobey Kyoto's orders of protecting the Ghetto."

"So they want to die fighting?" Ohgi asked with a frown, the afro-bearing man seeming a bit put off by the idea.

"Yes, but letting such a large and well equipped rebel unit just be slaughtered is not in anyone's interests, which is why I am going to be contacting Kyoto personally to get them to fold the Alliance into our unit. However I am unlikely to be able to do so before they are destroyed at this point, which is why you are going to assist them."

"But if you are away to convince Kyoto then who will have command?" She asked, fearing the worst possible given their current guest.

"That would be me, my name is Lelouch Lamperouge." The boy in question stepped forward, his attitude at school revealed to her to be a disguise similar to hers as his voice was firm and his stance solid. "I am an agent of the Illusive Man currently on loan to Zero."

"And what qualifies you to command us, why should we take orders from some Britannian schoolboy!?" Tamaki shouted, taking a step forward, she noted how the Ninja's hand on her tanto tightened slightly at the same time.

"Because I am the Illusive Mans best battle commander, and go to man for wet work operations involving Knightmares." Her eyes widened briefly, this was news to her as the boy had made no mention of it ever before, then again that might be because he simply did not trust her at that point, which she considered a fair point. Still she made a note to question the boy on her suspicions at some point after this. "My Knightmare is perfectly suited for command and control while also being a good counter to any troublesome aces on the Britannian side."

"But what if that white machine shows up again Zero?" she asked, the machine had nearly turned their fight against Clovis on its head by itself and could destroy an operation like this.

"The Shinobi will be on standby to assist if that is the case." Zero answered, "I must be going now, and its best you all mount up as well, Kallen, I have a new frame for you to replace the Glasgow, Lelouch, you are in command"

"Understood Zero."

….

"Well Andre, it seems Zero might not show after all."

"Hmm, just you wait sister, I am sure he will soon."

I smirked at her as I leant back, taking a sip of my drink, glad that my Sister had a similar taste in alcohol as I did, even if the blend was not my favourite it was still good rum. I was sure our brother was going to show his presence soon, exactly as planned, all was still going by the script of the show. And what a show this would be, a first-hand experience of Zero, the miracle maker himself, time to see how my brother fights a battle.

"Sigmund patrol reports ambush, he is falling back to Maurice patrol's location!"

"Maurice Patrol reports three frames destroyed via RPG!"

"Langden is no longer responding!"

"Holland is stuck holding back an enemy Knightmare group!"

"Send Hammonds group forwa-"

"No, pull all forces back, Zero has arrived." Nelly said, taking command back from the remaining Pureblood commander.

"And the stage is set, time for your show Zero, best perform as good as I am hoping you will." I muttered, eyes locked on the strategical map.

…

"All of you hold, this was only stage one, the next attacks will come soon." Hearing Lelouch's voice given her commands was strange, it felt almost wrong, yet still natural to follow his orders. At least he was doing a good job of it, they had beaten the soldiers in the ghetto with ease using a combination of ambushes and frontal attacks meant to pin. "Q-1, get to the central square, I need you to stage an ambush, there are a few Britannian stragglers so be careful."

"Roger K-2, moving to target location, this better work Lelouch or I will make your life at school hell."

"Don't worry Kallen, it will be fine."

"It better be, or I will tell Shirley we are dating." She swore he sputtered at that for a moment to her great amusement, smirking she put her new Gloucester into a tight turn, its Jousting lance ready to pierce any enemy that might be hiding around the corner she was turning. She found a tank in her path, a few Britannian soldiers, likely injured and attempting to retreat trying to crawl into it. Her jousting lance thrust forward into it, piercing the side of the tank and causing an explosion as it pierced the fuel tank.

Apparently the sound alerted another Brit, this one piloting a Sutherland that came screaming around the street corner, she fired her Knightmare rifle at its legs, shredding its left one and causing it to stumble forward, right into her Jousting lance thrust. Letting the Knightmare fall off her lance in an explosion of rubble and scrap metal Kallen smirked.

"I fucking love this thing."

…

"We have eyes on a red Gloucester, reactor matches the one stollen from a Kyushu supply depo!"

"Where?"

"Atop an old school building general."

"A clear trap, let's see if we can turn it around on him... Guilford, advance towards the red one, Darlton, take your unit and flank around the old-hospital."

Smart move, if I was Lelouch I would have some heavy weapons at the hospital ready to fire on anything moving towards the school. I am going to go out on a limb and say that the Gloucester is piloted by Kallen, how strange, she was not supposed to be here in cannon was she? It has been a few years since I watched the show, over a decade in fact, so I am a little sketchy on the details here.

Lelouch was likely planning to lure Nelly into some kind of pitfall trap, maybe even collapse the school building atop the forces trying to take on Kallen. How did he get his hands on a Gloucester as well, that was not supposed to happen, those machines are not just something one can buy, even on the black market.

…..

"Enemy forces coming up on the hospital K-2, looks like four Gloucester."

"I have another four coming towards Ka- I mean Q-1, looks like they have royal guard capes!"

"Alright then, Q-1?" she had her eyes focused forward, locked on the enemies coming towards her, but she managed to answer pretty quickly.

"Yes K-2."

"Keep their attention on you." She heard him take a breath before he spoke again. "Lelouch Lamperouge, Knightmare Shogun, launching!"

Rolling her eyes at the boys theatrical way of saying that he was on his way she focused back on the approaching enemies, four Knightmare frames armed with Jousting lances same as her, one carrying a shield and the others Knightmare rifles. Choosing to take the initiative she fired her slash harkens into a half collapsed building, then charged forward, the harkens imbedded slowing her down as she fell, pulling the building down behind her and atop the Gloucester's.

It was not enough to stop them of course, but the falling stones did put a few dents and dints in their armor. She turned around towards the slightly stunned Brits, her rifle barking bursts of fire into one of the shieldless Gloucester's, its damaged chest armor tanked the shots but only barely, they retaliated quickly however, firing back at her while charging forward with their lances.

She reversed as quick as the Gloucester allowed her to, aiming her Jousting lance forward before reversing into the front runner, who ejected before she pierced his reactor. She tanked a few shots to her shoulder plates in turn before she swerved out of the way of the shield bearing Gloucester's lance thrust. She was about to put some rounds into him from up close when her rifle clicked, damn, out of ammo, she decided to discard the weapon instead, using her manipulator to bend his shield at the top.

"Better get here quick Lelouch, I am out of ammo and there's still three of them!"

"Duck." she was quick to respond to that, not with words but by doing as requested, her frames Landspinners folding as her frame fell to its knees, a millisecond later a burst of green flew from behind her and over her head, striking the shield bearing frame right on the shield, melting it and the arm it was attached too.

Then the Knightmare that had fired it charged from behind her, hefting a glowing green katana the Shogun fell upon one of the gun holding Gloucester's, cleaving through its Jousting lance and leaving a deep gash in the Knightmares armor, before forcing the auto eject by thrusting the sword into the cockpit. Kallen found herself smirking as she joined him in his charge forward, driving her Jousting lance through the leg of the last intact Knightmare, the pilot unable to eject with his back to her, she withdrew it before thrusting it through the cockpit, the man screaming for a brief moment before his death.

….

"Damn! Send rescue to Guilford's escape pod! Darlton?! How far are you out?!"

"Be there soon! Zero has us bogged down with infantry using RPG's but we are getting through."

"Andre if you open your mouth I will deck you!" her words stopped me from piping up just in time, the sight of one of my machines, the Agamemnon unless I was mistaken, fighting against Nelly's Knight made me rather annoyed at it all. Not the worst diversion from cannon that could have happened, even if it showed that my presence was changing things more then I hoped. "Prepare my Gloucester! It's time to end this debacle!"

"Cornelia." I said as my sister tried to push past me, but I blocked her with my broad frame, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Gilford will be fine, your Gloucester is not outfitted for field command yet and if I take charge it won't look too good for you, sit and get a grip."

"Fine."

…..

Sticking by Lelouch's side Kallen raced through the tunnels, they had to fall back when the Gloucester's reinforcements got through but not before forcing another of the pilots to ejects. Lelouch continued to give orders as they attempted to get back to the surface, from what she understood of it they were doing decently, but had still taken a lot of casualties.

She was quite proud of her performance against those frames, alone she had taken one of them out, and with Lelouch they had taken down another four of them. Five royal guard Gloucester taken down by just the two of them, one of the royal guard dead, a sign that they had more than just a chance at fighting the Britannian's, they could beat them.

"Q-1, Zero has completed his task, we are to fall back immediately."

"Roger K-2, but aren't the Brits going to chase after us?"

"Zero has a plan for that Q-1, don't worry."

…

"Incoming message from the terrorists your majesty, it doesn't seem to be a surrender messages, should we ignore?-"

"No, put it on screen." Cornelia frowned in frustration, they had been steadily pushing the terrorists back, but any decisive victories were denied to her forces, Zero was proving himself to be a rather annoying adversary.

"Greetings Viceroy." Speak of the devil, Zero's mask was exactly as she remembered, emotionless black, the man in question sat motionless on a chair, leant back comfortably. "A pleasure to speak to you, I must say."

"Zero, why have you contacted me?" She growled out, hearing Andre shift from his position leaning against the wall to watching intently as she conversed with the masked monster. "Ready to surrender?"

"Why should I, my objectives have already been achieved."

"Have they Zero? You are being forced back, your Knightmares are being damaged and destroyed, you are running out of ammunition, how have you won here today?"

"Oh I did not win in this battle, Viceroy, I was never at the battlefield after all, I was simply arranging... This." With that the masked man produced a king chess piece with a button and cut the connection, she braced herself as a reflex, eyes snapping to the tactical map, her forces were spread evenly, so what else could he destroy.

"Reverse the G-1 now!" She and Andre shouted simultaneously, the command staff responding within milliseconds to reverse the massive mobile command centre pulling back from its roadside anchors and driving backwards as fast as possible. Below them they heard the crunching of earth and the cracking of stone the ground in front of the G-1 began to collapse.

"Fire Anchors behind us!" She ordered, the G-1 slowly beginning to slip into the slowly widening hole in the ground, the heavy sounds of the drill anchors firing into the ground behind it a comfort as the G-1 stopped slipping, most of its front suspended in the air. "Damned masked fucker!"

"Hmm, I do believe we underestimated him Cornelia..." She heard Andre mutter, the tall man drenched in the rum that was once in his hand, looking highly amused for some reason. "He has commanders under him that of at least some skill, he seems to be able to plan far ahead, and he likes to gloat."

"He is a lot like you in some ways my Prince." Marius piped up, the handsome knight nursing a bump on his head, "If more annoying."

"I resent that statement Marius, I am far more annoying and you know it."

….

"It all went close to your plan boy, I must say, well done."

"Yes, this was not easy to set up, but the reward will be worth it, I believe, separating my known presence in the underworld from Zero by acting as his commander, making Cornelia think Zero has a subordinate with skill at command, and reinforcing the belief that the Illusive man has aligned himself with Zero, all of them done."

"But your little bombing plan did not go quite as well."

"True, but it did make them doubt, made the Britannian's seem vulnerable and established a repour with Cornelia." He paused for a moment, smiling as he placed the chess piece detonator into his breast pocket, it had gone fairly well all in all, geassing the Alliance leadership was easy, getting them to join him would be as well, it would add many dozens of experienced fighters to his ranks. "And the combat test of the Shogun was a nice bonus, it is good to know I can hold my own against at least a single Gloucester with little risk to myself."

"Hmm, I want pizza."

"Then let us speak with the cell and we can go get some."

"As much as I want right? That was the deal for impersonating Zero remember?"

"Of course."

…

"We have returned to an era of legend, where a single knight can swing the outcome of an entire battle, where a single man can destroy an army."

Alexander Andreas Gustavus Di Britannia.