"In battle, meditation is key, keeping calm is best, but when anger does overtake it? Make sure to treat it like a gun, point it in the right direction and handle it with care."
Alexander Andreas Gustavos Di Britannia.
….
The sounds of battle were a comfort to people like her, the people who spent more days in war then out of it, Cornelia did not know if she could ever do without battle, it was like a drug to her, an addiction almost. She knew Andre had something similar, if not to a much greater degree, from the way Marius described it, it was like her Brother was a completely different person on the field of battle.
She knew she became more vicious, crass and prone to aggressive moves, almost recklessly confident too, tough she knew she could not like anything more. She fired her Knightmare rifle at the turret popping up out of the ground while moving at full speed, her Gloucester-S frame faster and more manoeuvrable then her old one, more difficult to control true, but more than worth the trouble.
She spotted a pair of JLF frames, modified Glasgow's known as Burai's, the only real improvement to them a chest gun and sword, thrusting her jousting lance forward into the cockpit of the likely unexperienced eleven she focused her rifles fire on the other, tearing through its leg armor and incapacitating it for her guards to finish off.
"Sister, it seems that general Darlton has found the main entrance."
"Excellent, another medal for him I suppose. Guilford move to reinforce him!"
"Yes Princess!"
…..
"Zero, when are we going to move out! The JLF is getting slaughtered down there, and we are trapped too!" Rai's voice broadcasted from the cockpit of his Gekka, Kallen wondered the same thing herself, but trusted Lelouch enough to wait until he wished to strike.
"Not quite yet, Q-2, the Iron Maiden found the side entrance to the JLF base, her forces are converging as we speak." C.C, dressed as Zero responded, that entrance was right below them, right where they would send their greatest attack of the battle. "Q-1, get ready for it please."
"Of course." Moving her Guren besides Lelouch in his Shogun and C.C's type ZERO Burai Kallen placed her radiation surge claw onto the node they had prepared, trepidation overcoming her for firing the dangerous melee nuke. The machine handled like a dream however, fast and agile and responding perfectly to her every input, like it was made for her she found, a true ace machine. "Ready to fire on command K-1, K-2?"
"Yes Kallen?" Lelouch answered. "What can I do for you?"
"When the fighting starts, I want you to stick by my side, try not to slow me down."
"You think so little of me Q-1, I am basically an Ace myself." The drawl of his words told Kallen he appreciated the conversation, and the slight relief of pre battle stress it brought. "But okay, we will fight together then, Q-2?"
"Yes K-2?"
"Stick with Shinobi, you will be our reinforcements in case things don't go to plan."
"Understood K-2."
"Fire it, Q-1!" Zero's shout drew all attention and she fired the claw as soon as it registered, time for a real fight.
…
"Seems like we won't be seeing any action after all..."
"Now, now, Marius, something tells me this is far from over." The smirk on my face was clear to my brother by bond, as I could sense him rolling his eyes, Hercules Hydra besides my Perseus Medusa shifting slightly as well to turn its Factsphere onto me. "Give it a few moments."
"I don't like it when you don't tell me about your plans ahead of time you know."
"But that is part of the magic Marius! If I were to just tell you what I was going to do how am I going to look like a hyper intelligent megalomaniac?"
"Because you are one."
"Ha, true enough! Still best be ready, brother, something will happen soon, something big, I am not quite sure what exactly, but I know it will be bad for our side."
"And you could not have prevented that bad something?"
"Not quite, not without risking greater problems for us later." The Perseus rose from its kneeling position as I extended my senses using my battle-meditation. Quickly I started feeling the conviction from my own Spartans and Marius, the exhilaration of victory from my sisters troops, the hope and prayers of the JLF and the nervous readiness of the Black-knights at the top of the mountain. My left eye burned with baleful light and the stinging slicing pain I had come to associate with large battles, it heightened my senses and got me ready for battle.
Extending my lance I planted one end of it in the ground before I heard a rumble in the distance, the sound of dirt, mud, sand and stone sliding over one another as it gained speed. Perseus Medusa's head snapped upwards towards the peak of the mountain, the kicked up dust a clear sign that it had begun. The earth swept away Darltons units and a large portion of Guilford's before they could even hope to respond, Cornelia was cut off and isolated with only a pair of Royal guards to support her. Then enemies began to appear, coming down from the summit.
"This is Alexander Andreas Gustavus Di Britannia, Field-Marshal and Duke of Asia, I am hereby taking command of this operation! Spartans, Charge with me!" I bellowed, the Perseus shooting forwards quickly followed by my dozen steadfast companions, Marius at my side as we used our thrusters to ascend the slopes at breakneck speeds before I turned on the music, Panzer Battalion by Sabaton. "Ser Guilford, set up a defence and try to hold the enemy! Spartans we are going towards the Viceroy! Prepare artillery barrages!"
"Under this sun, no shadows will fall, piercing our eyes as we Charge!"
…
"Zero!" Cornelia shouted as readied her machine to defend, five Knightmares against three was not a fair fight, but all she had to was hold out, she knew Andre was on his way. "You bastard! They will suffer as they die, and all of that suffering is your fault!"
"I simply used the means that would give me the greatest advantage Princess, any competent commander would do the same." The crowned Burai spouted as it stood behind its more unique companions, a tall and slim blue frame with a single edged sword and silver claw and a frame she recognized as the modified Spartan III, a strange machine with two short swords and a low centre of gravity.
Behind her and her two guards stood another two machines, a short red frame with a glowing right claw and a large jousting lance painted blood red and a frame she recognized as the modified Agamemnon, wielding a massive sword of buzzing with plasma. "Now if you would be so kind as to surrender?"
"Hah, you have balls I will give you that! No, I would rather die than be captured." With those words she activated her own little ace in the hole, a few plates on her Gloucester-S arms popping to the ground to reveal shield projectors, and a few on her machines legs falling away to show plasma-thrusters. "You face Cornelia Li Britannia, the Iron Maiden! You will fall as all before you have!"
Firing her Knightmare rifle at the crowned Burai she found her shots blocked a red energy coming from the blue machines claw, the Gekka as it was now identified. It and the Modified Spartan charged at her, their swords revving and buzzing as she ducked under a sweep from the two of them her lance snapping up to deliver a thrust at the blue machine, it was too agile however and avoided her attack.
Noticing that her guards were doing their best to keep the other two machines occupied, taking heavy damage in the process she knew she had to take out one of the machines to even the fight up. The Spartan charged into her gaurds as the Agememnon moved to attack her, its massive sword ready to cleave into her, her own plasma sword blocked his strike, but she could not counter with the Gekka moving to attack her.
With her swipes blocked, she was on the back foot, but she could tell she had the advantage in close combat, all she had to do was keep the Agamemnon between her and the Gekka. Deflecting its massive blade she made a cut across its chassis with her own sword, she was about to go for a stab before being forced to jump aside using her thrusters and block a barrage of shots from Zero's Burai with her shields. Now away from the black frame the blue one came in, its claw encircling her left arm, the one holding her rifle, which suddenly began to bubble.
She ejected the arm before the blue machine could do any more damage but she was at a distinct disadvantage.
"Burn Britannian!"
Then she heard a shout behind her, followed swiftly by an explosion and a familiar scream, one of her guards was dead.
…..
"Marius, move to reinforce Guilford then rendezvous with me! Commander Shader, move to the assigned coordinates, it seems we have incoming enemy reinforcements, I need you to hold them off."
"Who is coming your Highness, more of Zero's men?"
"No, I do believe it's the last samurai and his swords." Marius frowned, if his Brother was sending all the Spartans towards them, they must have had some new frames to be that much of a threat, then he realised that his prince would be going ahead alone.
"My Prince are you sure going alone is not too big a risk."
"It might be Marius, that's why I need you to deal with whatever is troubling Guilford ASAP, then the two of you can come assist me and Cornelia." He knew that tone all too well, Andre was in commander mode and would not have any argument, Marius knew that he calculated such risks perfectly, but it always made him nervous.
"Understood my Prince, good luck."
….
"Burn Britannian!"
Kallen activated her surger, the Gloucester in her grip bubbling and deforming as the pilot inside boiled, refusing to eject. Loyalty over his own life? She had to grant the man his honourable death, setting her surgers output to max and killing the man in a second. The Knightmare exploded in front of her, the Guren showered in shrapnel yet untouched. Sayoko kicked the machine she was fighting towards her and Kallen responded in an instant, her lance thrusting forwards and into the cockpit of the Knightmare, the auto-eject activating and the pod sailing out of sight.
"Cornelia, surrender, you are alone, your machine is damaged, no aid is coming to you-"
Kallen heard it then, a distant tune, the banging of drums, the strings of the bass and the notes of a guitar coming towards them. Her Factsphere could not detect anything yet, so it was too far out, but it still made her nerves rise. Like an invisible shadow was being cast over them, a pressure that pushed on the edges of her mind and made the hairs on her neck rise on instinct.
"Your wrong Zero," Why was the Iron-Maiden cackling, what did she know... "Because he is here..."
"Thousands of tons of armor and guns! Making its way through the sand! Our Panzer Battalion is packed for revenge, Artillery sweeping the land!"
The she saw it, a great golden shaped sailing through the air in a leap, the blue and green of its thrusters lighting it as it flew at insane speeds, a spear burning on two sides in green in its grip. The machine landed gently with a blast from its thrusters kicking away dust from all around it, spear embedded into the ground and standing tall.
"The Perseus..." She muttered in a mix of excitement and fear, the greatest war machine in the Empire standing right in front of her, an indominable tower of golden metal and green plasma, like a god come to earth to wreak its wrath upon those that had displeased it.
"So, what have we here?" The voice coming from the machine was strong, authoritative and tinted with interest, she knew who was piloting the machine of course, she had seen the Lion on TV several times. A man renowned for his skills as a commander, fighter and pilot, the duke of Asia, the Gilded Lion, Britannia's god of war, a true challenge.
…
"Good to see you Sister, mostly intact as well?"
"It's just a scratch."
"Hah, at least you have your sense of humour, now dear guests." I turned the Perseus Medusa's head towards the Japanese Knightmares surrounding us, 5 frames, one of them a crowned Burai, hmm, Zero's then.
The Agamemnon was damaged but still functional its pilot surprised but prepared, the blue Gekka had a few pockmarks on its armor from Knightmare rifle rounds, its pilot winded but ready to kill, the desecrated form of my Spartan was untouched, its pilot a blank slate emotion wise, its two katanas ready, and the Guren, the greatest threat here by far was pristine, its claw clacking in anticipation as its pilot felt the glee of a challenge, huh Kallen is really into fighting, who would have guessed.
"Now dear guests, would you all kindly..." Pause for effect. "Fuck off!?"
The stunned silene was music to my ears, Zero sputtering over the open channel something I wished I was recording.
…
"Master, are you sure we should-"
"It is our only choice Chiba! We have to punch through to give the general a chance to retreat!" the line of golden headed Knightmares in front of them seemed to be a solid wall, shoulder guns ready, swords humming as their plasma burned the air, shields polished to a mirror shine. Spartans they were called, 6 gen Knightmares build for quick destruction of enemies, speed was their greatest advantage.
"Crane wing formation! Encircle and contain!"
Their Gekka test type, the newest 7 gen machines built as downgraded models from the pre-production type, outclassed the Spartans in everything but experience in the cockpit. The Spartans were not easily surrounded however, every time it seemed that they could attack in their preferred way, two against one to kill instantly, the Spartans pounded them with their shoulder guns as they approached.
"Piercing spear formation, drive them apart!" his swords formed up behind him as he took point, his Gekka's sword buzzing as he charged towards the Spartans, instead of moving out of the way the unit he was facing bashed at his sword with its shield, trying to cleaving him with its plasma sword, Chiba blocked its blade, but was hit by a shoulder gun shell in return.
"Fall back, regroup for another attempt!"
…..
"Has that ever worked?" Kallen found herself asking before she could stop herself, flushing even inside the Guren when the Lion laughed loudly. The sound a warm one that still managed to make a chill run down her spine, a loud boisterous laughter that echoed around her head leaving a sense of slight fear.
"Not yet but I am hopeful." The man responded, Kallen was unsure about his tone, it was not at all hostile, almost friendly, amused even. "Anyway, as to my question, would you all please stop harassing my sister, it is very rude."
"Prince Alexander... we both know that is impossible, we have you outnumbered and you cannot win in this situation."
"I've heard that before, impossible this, unwinnable that, yet here I stand, unbeaten to this day, in truth the only reason I have not started eviscerating you-" The sound of whistling filled the air and she looked up, her Factsphere confirming her fear, artillery! "Is the barrage that will cut you off from your reinforcements!"
"You three take him on! I will keep the princess busy!"
Kallen responded to Lelouch's orders by launching herself towards the Perseus, radiation claw ready to do its job, Rai and Sayoko following behind her, yet the golden titan remained unmoved. Only when she was within striking distance did the Lion respond, firing its shoulder guns, blocked by a surge of her claw, before dodging behind her in a movement that seemed impossibly smooth, Rai blocked his spear thrust with his sword, Sayoko trying to get a swipe in only to be avoided completely.
The Lion managed to get a hit in on the Shinobi as it dodged past it, a massive deep gash in the short frames leg that leaked the slightest stream of coolant, Kallen rushed forwards with a shout, her claw burning in baleful red as she managed to get a hold of the Lion's spear.
"Huh, looks like fire." The Lion muttered over an open channel as he pushed off of her claw, his spear discarded to violently explode, obscuring her vision for a moment. When it returned she saw the Perseus dodge a swipe from the Gekka, blocking the follow up on a newly extended spear before the shoulder guns fired, Rai dodging the blast.
"Damn, he got the surger!" Well mostly at least, the Gekka's left hand had been melted fully, a big loss, the Lion had learned of their power. Kallen re-joined the fight a mere moment later, her Jousting lance scoring the first hit on the monster machine, a scratch on its rear shoulder plate. The only reason the Lion even took the hit was because he had to riposte Sayoko's attack, leaving a second gash in the Shinobi's armor.
Still she and Rai attacked simultaneously his sword coming from above and her jousting lance from below, he chose to tank her attack, deflecting Rai's blow to deliver a jab to the Gekka's chest while she hit one of his thrusters, the light in it flickering briefly but remaining on. Damn, surface damage only!
"Quite a Dragon aren't you? All fire and claws. Fine then, no more kiddy gloves."
….
"So I might like toying with my opponents a little too much, who can blame me, it's not often I get to banter with my enemies."
Alexander Andreas Gustavos Di Britannia.
All credits for lyrics go to Sabaton and their amazing songs, please check them out if you are into history, metal or both!