To Algeria!

I thought about it a little… and I like Kallen, but I like Kallen as half Japanese, it's a part of her character. That Japanese-ness won't be the same as in canon because canon's Japan is so different from this universe's. Plus, it's an interesting way to explore other parts of the world. So… yeah. Don't expect shipping though.

Kallen can't play the same role of knightmare pilot that she did in the original, but she could be a good officer or maybe something like a sharpshooter? But it will take a while- Kallen distrusted the original Lelouch, she fought for Zero, and the closest to that in this universe will be when Italy declares independence.

So am I kind of retconning? Yeah. But I think Kallen gives me a chance to explore interesting parts of the world, and that's a part of this story I enjoy.

Lelouch was almost surprised when the sun rose (it felt far too early, although he supposed he was awfully busy), exposing the damage done to both their fleet and Tripoli. The Italian fleet had come out of the fighting largely undamaged, other than the damage to The Ligurian's paddlewheel, which meant they had two floating batteries instead of one. Thankfully, none of the Tripolitans were quite bold enough to try a cutting out- seizing a ship at night using small boats- as Lelouch had to admit that boarding parties were a weakness of theirs.

The city itself wasn't too bad, although the occasional shell did get close. The city's walls kept the fires that consumed the docks from spreading inside the city, although it wasn't like a fire would be nearly as disastrous in Tripoli as it would be in other cities considering the lack of wooden structures. On the subject of defensive works, what coastal batteries they managed to locate in the dark of the night were destroyed or abandoned after being bombarded.

Some of the city's defenses were still up, but their military fleet was mostly sunk, and after a while one of the city's remaining craft, a little merchant sloop, began to sail towards them gingerly, a white flag flying on the ship's mast.

Of course, the ship wasn't carrying Yusuf Karamanli, the actual Bey of Tripoli, but rather a representative of his. The representative chattered with their one Arabic speaker- and the man turned to them after a few moments. "The Bey is now willing to hear our demands, considering the damage done to his city."

Lelouch smiled. "Give him our demands- free trade for Britannian shipping and an end to piracy against Britannian ships. And warn him that if our demands aren't met, we'll come for Benghazi before shelling Tripoli again."

Eventually, the unfortunate Tripolitan who was sent to speak with them got back on his boat and returned to shore- Lelouch was sure the Bey wouldn't take the news well, and Lelouch was expecting a different man to come and try to negotiate with them.

Sure enough, when the sloop came back a different man clambered on board The Ligurian and relayed the Beys' response. "The Bey agrees to your requests, vi Britannia." Lelouch was sure that wasn't the entire story- he could imagine the arguments that must have gone on in the city- if what the Bey of Tunis told him was correct, the ruler of Tripoli had a temper and probably didn't accept Lelouch's demands with grace.

Of course, they had to wait a bit longer to draw up a proper treaty and make sure everything was in order, but they left for Marsala within the day. It was October 6th, and they hoped to reach western Sicily within a few days, with the sirocco winds at their backs. It would practically be straight north, and they wouldn't even have to pass by Malta.

The expedition had actually been pretty short so far, and Britannia probably hadn't caught on. With good fortune, the garrison at Gibraltar would only hear about his war against the Barbary corsairs when they sailed up. He supposed there was no real reason to keep it secret- they would probably be done and back in Venice before an order to stop could arrive (assuming that such an order would even be given)- but if their campaign caught Britannia completely by surprise, that was a good sign for their future endeavors.

Gibraltar and the islands composing Malta were bastions of Britannian control in the Mediterranean (not counting Italy) and the Maltese archipelago would play a key role in any war of the independence. The islands of Malta and Gozo were dangerously close to Italian shores, and if he was willing to look like an aggressor he could probably take the islands before Britannia could reinforce them.

Lelouch would prefer the islands in his hands instead of Britannia's, and there were even cultural ties between Malta and his own home of Sicily if he wanted to push the idea that Malta would be better off under his protection. They had been acquired by Britannia some years before taking Sicily and while they had managed to affect the island some, the Sicilian influence on the island was clear (not that Lelouch could speak a lick of Maltese).

Kallen Stadtfeld hated the Cape Colony. Her father had convinced himself that his fortune was waiting for them in Italy, and brought his family with him. His harridan of a wife, his 'half-breed' child and her mother came along as well, although Kallen wasn't looking forward to Italy if this Lelouch was anything like his brother Clovis.

When they landed at the Cape, they were invited to Pendragon, Clovis' palace complex, to feast and celebrate. The Viceroy was proudly toasting his younger brother and regaling his crowd of sycophants with tales from their boyhood- although Kallen suspected the Viceroy probably didn't win as many chess matches as he said he did. It took actual strategic competence to run a military campaign, which Clovis seemed to lack, although he certainly had the charisma required to lead people, if not a state.

Of course, being a skilled tactician didn't make this Lelouch fellow any better. He had consigned millions of people to one of the most tyrannical governments in the world- well, she supposed that was part and parcel for Europe, but still- although Kallen did have to admit that some of her dislike of Britannia was personal.

Her father had ties with the Dutch, and managed to get into Dejima while it was still ruled by the Dutch East India Company, and was one of the first Britannians to mingle with the Japanese, even if in a very limited capacity. Of course, he also mingled with the Japanese in another way… and Kallen was a result of that mingling. She knew the only reason he kept a bastard (in the very genuine sense of being born out of wedlock) like her around was because she was the only hope for her father's line- her stepmother seemed to be infertile.

So she was raised on Dejima, not quite Japanese and not quite Britannian. The Britannians didn't like her for her Japanese blood, and the Japanese… well Kallen had heard enough whispers of ainoko, in-between child, to know her that her "countrymen" weren't particularly hospitable either. She was taught both English and Japanese, and had plenty of chances to speak both languages, in addition to hearing whispered insults in both.

Her father's business had started to fall apart in Japan, and he decided to search for greener pastures while he still had the money to move. Perhaps that was the real reason behind his stay with Clovis- trying to exploit his hospitality for as long as the Viceroy would tolerate them- and for now, the wine kept on flowing.

The Viceroy had a charming veneer, but he was going to drive Kallen daft. Some of his eccentricities, while wasteful, weren't actively offensive. He liked to paint? Fine. He spent tax money on massive menageries crawling with exotic animals, like Cape lions and mountain zebras, which was wasteful, but wasn't grating (except to Kallen's own sense of frugality). However, his biggest flaw in character was his rakishness.

He loved women, and for some reason, women seemed to love him. Kallen supposed there wouldn't be a scandal if he kept his own little harem and stayed silent about it- the Emperor was a famed polygamist after all- but he seemed happy to chase anything with a skirt, including Kallen.

Lots of unsolicited comments about how the administration could use an "extra pair of hands" (Kallen could imagine exactly where Clovis wanted her hands to be, and it wasn't anywhere near paperwork) and many uninvited touches. If he was this forward when approaching the heiress to a prominent noble family, Kallen didn't want to imagine how he treated his staff. If Kallen was one of those poor Boer serving girls, she would have poisoned him already- at least Clovis was an equal opportunities pervert, and would sleep with a Dutch girl as easily as a Britannian one.

Clovis didn't have nearly as many paramours as his father did but unlike his father, he had no children- at all. Of course, that was the sort of thing Clovis would want to sweep under the rug to maintain his reputation, but Kallen really didn't want to know how- she supposed there could be a perfectly innocent reason like infertility, but… she doubted it.

Hopefully, her father would decide to sail for Italy sooner rather than later- murdering a prince was the sort of thing that would get her in trouble, after all.

As Lord Stadtfeld sailed for Italy, another merchant was waiting to leave the country. Reuben Ashford was waiting in Marsala, which was just about as far west as you could reasonably get in Sicily. The Italia was prepared for her voyage, her holds filled with Italian wines and glass, but they weren't willing to risk such precious cargo (and such a precious ship) to piracy, so Ashford waited for Lelouch to resupply at Sicily, so the fleet could escort the ship most of the way to the Atlantic.

News of the campaign was spreading, but the rumormongers couldn't agree about where Lelouch was sailing to, other than the fact that they departed from Venice. Ashford and his crew knew what Lelouch was actually up to of course, but he did have to admit that the rumors made the wait more entertaining. Many of the fishwives were leaning towards some bold seizure of the holy land, which amused Ashford to no end. Lelouch was about as pious as a brick, but the public didn't know that, so they assumed from what they did know.

Lelouch had a sudden religious revelation (or at least seemed to) while on the road to Rome and willingly gave up his claim to the Empire for the sake of his religion- he even got among amicably with the Pope! It almost would have been believable if Ashford didn't know the boy since childhood. The way in which the public viewed Lelouch outside of his religion was interesting as well.

Of course, his mother's Sicilian heritage and common birth were a large part of his appeal- without Italian blood, he wouldn't have been able to unify Italy. His commoner roots meant that he had a sort of appeal that a "normal" royal wouldn't, he didn't feel like an import or a foreign oppressor. Some of the more educated saw shades of Justinian in him- an Emperor of common descent, a restorer of Italy, a lawmaker- even if Lelouch wasn't the son of a swineherd, and lived in the lap of luxury from his birth.

At the very least, the French invasion tore down barriers (even if they did eventually try to build them back up) and encouraged a greater Italian identity, and Lelouch would forever be associated with harnessing that sentiment, leading Italy to a unified state. Sure, republicans grumbled and he wasn't universally supported, but there was a certain romance about him anyways. Lelouch was attached to modern Italy in an unusual, almost unique way, at least from Ashford's point of view. Britannia had been Britannia for hundreds of years- sure, they frequently integrated new lands or centralized the government, but the state stayed similar throughout- Britannia never went through a unification like this- at least not recently. If the state's founding myth of pushing back the Romans was true, Britannia was the result of a sort of British unification, which was similar to the Italian unification, he supposed.

The Italian unification was a subject of discussion north of the Alps as well, in the relatively new German Confederation. It truly was a confederacy, an alliance or league of German princes, and all it managed to accomplish, as of yet, was a pact of mutual defense, which was a serious threat- the German states maintained some of the militarization they had before the French takeover, when the princes of the Holy Roman Empire feuded frequently and as such kept large standing armies- and a tentative customs union.

The Empire of the Danube certainly had German territories- Austria and the Sudetenland ringing Bohemia- but the Confederation and the Empire of the Danube had gone their separate ways. Even the name change was indicative of a more eastern focus, away from Germany proper. Sure, the Danube traced its way through Bavaria, but the Habsburgs had decided to turn east, towards Belgrade, towards Buda and Pest.

All in all, things looked good for the various countries of Germany- the French may have occupied them, but they also swept away nearly a millenia of old traditions and red tape, stretching back to the division of Charlemagne's empire into three pieces. That was an interesting thing that Germany shared with Italy- the idea of a German state was an old one, even if it was tied into the Holy Roman Empire.

When the Holy Roman Empire existed it was nominally composed of several kingdoms: Bohemia, Burgundy, Germany, and Italy. As the Empire grew less powerful, it became more associated with Germany, until the French finally put the state of its misery. The idea of a German state lived on though, even if the various princes of the region were content to wait. They had lost so much authority to the French- why give it up to a Prussian?

A similar attitude could be found in their foreign policy- sure, there were Germans in the Empire of the Danube or across the border in Schleswig and Holstein, but why spill more blood? Let the rest of Europe squabble- they cared very little for the Walloons or Flemings, the Italians or Britannians.

They eventually docked western Sicily to resupply, and Lelouch made sure to send his letters out before reuniting with Reuben Ashford. Hopefully, his letter to Lloyd would reach the man quickly- an entirely new propulsion system would probably take a while to develop. That would certainly be something- the paddlewheel steamboat made obsolete a few decades after its development- but Lelouch refused to be left behind in changing times, even if that meant pouring more money into Asplund's scheming.

Lelouch smiled as he saw Lord Ashford ordering stevedores and sailors around with all the confidence of a man who had been trading for longer than Lelouch had been alive. Hopefully, his trade expeditions would help make up for all the money Lelouch poured into his pet projects.

Ashford turned when Lelouch approached and embraced him- when the man wasn't busy away on trade, he had played a very fatherly role in Lelouch's life, when that role wasn't being filled by Jeremiah, who had signed up to guard an Empress and found himself teaching Lelouch how to shave, among a litany of other minor domestic concerns (well, until Lelouch became a man grown and Jeremiah's military experience became more valuable).

After a few seconds, Cornelia spoke up. "Lord Ashford?" She recognized the man vaguely, in large part due to his connections to Marianne.

He separated himself from Lelouch and gave a grandfatherly smile. "Your highness. It's been years."

"What brought you to Italy, Lord Ashford? The last I heard, you were off trading in the East?"

Ashford shrugged. "We were already headed in the direction of Europe on business when news of Lelouch's campaign reached us."

Cornelia raised her eyebrows. "And it just happened to be good business?"

Ashford shrugged his shoulder. "Of course, opening up the Italian markets was good for trade, but that didn't mean the only reason I decided to visit Lelouch was economic."

Lelouch smiled and redirected the conversation- this particular line of conversation was pointless. "Ashford has been a great help, and we're going to be escorting him to Gibraltar, to protect the Italia from the corsairs."

"The Italia… is it iron plated?"

"No. Iron hulled." Cornelia's eyes widened a little at that, but after another glance at the ship she nodded as Lelouch continued. "Its holds are filled with wares for the Britannian markets- fine wines and Murano glass. Hopefully, this will be the first trade expedition of many."

Unfortunately, they wouldn't have time to repair the paddlewheels on their two damaged craft, but Lelouch didn't really mind- they were getting better at handling normal sailing ships with the exploding shell guns, and that was a skill Lelouch wanted his men to practice, just in case.

Lelouch had visited Marsala once or twice before, largely due to its prominence in the wine trade- in fact, some of the wine on the Italia was produced in the city itself. It was as charming as most Sicilian coastal towns were, and it was nice to be home again, walking on Sicilian soil, even if only for a while. Time waited for no man after all, and the sooner they sailed for Algiers the sooner Ashford could reach London and the sooner Lelouch and Cornelia could get back to Venice.

The Italia truly was a wonder, cutting through the sea on a completely iron hull, and it served to heighten Lelouch's hopes for a potential iron sided craft. He could imagine the incredible possibilities of a ship designed entirely around warfare and countering previous ships, and hopefully Lloyd would give something like that to Lelouch, even if it took a while.

They sailed north of Tunis and followed the north African coast, and Lelouch had to admit it was an incredibly stark contrast to the deserts of Tripoli. The cliffs and hills were high and craggy in some places, but they were comparatively lush and were dotted with trees. He could certainly understand a European power desiring to take the land over- it was just a quick hop over the Mediterranean, and it would certainly be easier to control and influence than say, Australia. All a power like France would need is an excuse- and piracy could be a possible excuse to start a war and take the region over.

Bringing in European families to settle the land would of course have catastrophic effects on local culture, and would push natives closer to the inhospitable desert, but would a colonial power care? There was so much promise in the coast, on the surface, but diving in would only reveal a series of problems- it was rather like colonialism. How much good could Britannia be doing its people if it didn't have to focus on keeping the colonies in line?

Eventually, they reached the bay of Algiers, where the Bey of Algiers lived, fittingly enough, in Algiers. The city was another sprawling affair, and Lelouch could see a number of minarets towering above the streets, and as the sun reached its zenith in the sky he could faintly hear calls to prayer all across the city. Once again, Lelouch's fleet settled down in the middle of the city's harbor and waited.

The Bey eventually invited them to talk with him within the fortified keep of the city, the casbah- Lelouch was uncomfortable with walking straight into a potentially hostile city, of course, but working out a deal with Hussein Dey was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

Of course, he was accompanied by Cornelia, Jeremiah, and the guards, although Lord Ashford had decided to stay behind. Lelouch was painfully aware that he was the only person in the group incapable of fighting well on his own, but that wasn't something he could remedy in the short term, if his constitution even allowed it.

The fortified casbah was an impressive feat of architecture, even if its delicate horseshoe shaped arches and intricate pillars felt like a prison hemming him in. Jeremiah and Cornelia were both particularly wary, their eyes flitting around, searching for any potential threats that may have been lurking in the shadows of those beautifully decorated walls.

The Bey and his retinue seemed amicable enough upon first greeting Lelouch and his companions, but it was evident that everyone was on edge, hands hovering close to their sword's hilts. In contrast, Hussein Dey idly fanned the air with a fly whisk, although Lelouch supposed that he certainly wasn't one to judge a man for potentially lacking martial prowess.

"What brings you to Algiers, Britannia?"

"I came in hopes of reaching an amicable agreement about Barbary piracy." The Bey tensed, his eyes narrowing at a potential threat to one of his biggest sources of revenue.

"What do you hope for, Britannia? I assume an end to piracy against your country, with nothing in return in exchange? Are you just here to rattle your saber?"

"I would like to make a deal that we could both agree upon. In exchange for an end to piracy against Britannian shipping, I would be willing to supply you with modern industrial technology to help make up for your losses."

The Bey huffed. "Promises, promises. Did you know that the French still owe us debt, Britannia? A new government may rule from Paris, but that does not mean they care for their obligations. What proof do I have you will not keep the secrets of factories to yourself?"

Lelouch sighed. "Do you need some sort of insurance? If you wish, I could probably draw you a schematic for a steam engine right now, as a gesture of good faith."

Hussein Dey stroked his magnificent beard contemplatively. "You are awfully confident that these steam engines will make up for the revenues of piracy, vi Britannia. Why are you so confident that these will change the world when so many other inventions haven't?"

"Britannia is already reaping the rewards of producing on a massive scale- iron, textiles, even weapons- the block mills at Portsmouth have revolutionized naval production, for example. Manufacture is so much faster than before it's hard to describe. With industrial machinery, one worker can manage dozens of spools at once."

"An interesting proposal, but Algiers is not Britannia. We do not have great herds of sheep to shear or colonies with sprawling fields of cotton. Piracy will continue to work for Algiers, even if you think factories are the future for your country."

Lelouch sighed in annoyance. "And you'd consign yourself to the history books? How long until your pirates evoke the wrath of one of the other European powers, one with fewer qualms about taking over Algiers, and with the industrial power to hammer down your walls and forts?"

"You're awfully confident, Britannia. You come to my city, to my country, to tell me that our way of life is no longer reasonable. Have you considered that we do not want your salvation, Britannia?"

"I came here hoping to make an exchange. One that would benefit both of us- no pirates plaguing my country, and a better future for yours. Salvation may be a strong word… but a wise ruler would wish to gain every advantage he could, wouldn't he?"

The Bey's face colored at that. "What are you implying, Britannia?"

"That this is your best chance to catch up with the other European powers, to show them you are an equal worthy of respect and not a primitive governor of a backwater to be crushed underfoot when given any provocation."

His expression grew thunderous and he rose from his seat, fly whisk still in his hand. Lelouch could scarcely believe it when the man struck out with the whisk, apparently trying to strike him. Lelouch, as physically lacking as he was, remembered enough from his sword fighting training to dodge such an obviously broadcasted attack.

Of course, an attempted attack on a member of the Britannian Imperial Family wasn't something that could be easily overlooked, and Lelouch could the raspy sound of swords being pulled from sheathes as Jeremiah took a step in front of him.

The Bey's guards responded in kind, pulling out their long curved swords, and Lelouch decided that he should try a different approach, and looked Hussein Dey dead in the eyes before raising his voice. "I will warn you that I have ordered my men to begin shelling the city if I don't return to the ships by sundown. I can assure you that if you're having economic troubles, having your city shelled will not improve them."

Of course, Lelouch was bluffing and had given no such order, but his guards realized what he was going for immediately and didn't react in a way that would raise the Bey's suspicion. The Bey's ruddy expression turned white when he heard Lelouch's threat.

"I assure you, we've done it before. Our guns launch exploding shells, and we've sunk fleets off of Tripoli and Tunisia already. More than a dozen crafts with all the destructive power of mortars, and if I don't come back…"

After a few moments, the Bey conceded. "So what are your demands, Britannia?"

They negotiated a similar deal to the one they made in Tripoli- free trade and an end to piracy against Britannian trade- and Lelouch had also promised industrial support for Algiers. That meant that of the three Barbary lords, the only one who wasn't going to receiving aid was Tripoli- and Lelouch had to admit that of the three, Tripoli was almost unsalvageable.

Other than a dusting of minor farms near the ocean and some more major ones near Benghazi, the land was lacking in resources… was there anything at all of value in those desert sands? Well, Lelouch supposed that most people probably didn't care too much about Wales until they found coal, but if Tripoli had some natural resource worth exploiting, they hadn't discovered it yet.

With business in Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria done, that left only one other den of Barbary piracy: Morocco. He didn't know much about the Sultan, but Lelouch was hopeful that the man was forward thinking enough to align himself with Lelouch's interests.

Of course, they couldn't reach Morocco without passing by the Rock of Gibraltar- a Britannian settlement, and the closest to Italy after Malta- a towering precipice of limestone that the Britannian government had held for years. It was tremendously fortified: tunnels were carved through the rock, connecting dozens of batteries specially designed to fire down at Spanish positions. The King's Lines, the Queen's Lines, the Prince's Lines- trenches were etched into the cliffs, fortified with bricks and landscaped to make approach almost impossible. In addition, the Britannian military had carved out hundreds of feet of tunnel with hammer, crowbar, and powder, all while the French and Spanish besieged them during the American Rebellion.

That rose an interesting question- who would the powers of Europe side with, if war between Italy and Britannia began? In the past, France and Spain fought with the failed American Republic, more to weaken Britannia than out of any belief in republican ideals. That was the best possible way things could go, but Lelouch wasn't expecting anything like that. Italy was surrounded by reactionary powers, and it would be so easy to sell an Italian revolt as a resurgence of the same republican disease. At the same time, Britannia's relationship with the continent were… shaky, at best.

Maybe if Lelouch adopted more traditional or religious styling, he could present himself as a religious rebel of sorts- a Catholic standing up against Anglican tyranny. However, that would alienate certain elements in his government, which would cause its own problems. Lelouch certainly didn't expect an easy path if he revolted against the Britannian government, and he only would if he was forced to- he had to admit he was in a pretty good place. However, if the pressure grew too great, then he might be forced to jump ship.

If he managed to balance things out to a simple war between Britannia and Italy, Gibraltar would prove critical. Of course, the strait was a little too wide to try something like simply blocking it with a chain like they used to do in the Golden Horn of Constantinople, but if he managed to take the Rock it would serve as a base of operations to control the only entrance to the Mediterranean. Seizing the Rock (which was much easier said than done) and blocking the strait would be his best possible chance at crippling Britannian supply. Of course, that idea was dependent on being able to beat Britannia at sea, which was… possible, if Lloyd managed to whip up some form of ironclad, but for now exploiting the natural bottleneck (well, it was 9 miles wide, but it was the best possible point to defend) of the strait was out of his reach.

Lelouch idly wondered if the Hessians were still hiring out- their soldiers had served alongside the Britannians during the American Revolution. Italy did have the Alps, which gave them a defensive barrier to the north. Pair that with a navy of sufficient power, and Italy might just be able to triumph- but those were all very long term possibilities. For now, Britannia was his "beloved" suzerain and he was chastising the Barbary corsairs for the Empire's sake.

There was a bit of alarm at the Rock when they saw a fleet approaching, but by the time Lelouch's fleet had docked the garrison was welcoming them warmly. Even as the garrison's commander welcomed them to Gibraltar, Lelouch thought about how he could potentially undermine the fortress, or at least take it with little effort. Ideally, a takeover would be fast- a long siege would be bad enough, especially if the Spanish got involved in the war, and Lelouch might be able to exploit his royal blood for that. It would require a bit of planning of course, but he might just be able to walk in and take over from the inside- or at least cut off the head of the snake and take control. Perhaps the captain would be willing to cooperate, perhaps the garrison wouldn't; it was all unpredictable, so Lelouch decided to focus on something he actually could do to better his chances.

They sent Russo up in his balloon, and Lelouch made a show of it to the garrison, explaining how it helped them catch corsairs before they could approach, and its potential applications on the battlefield. He could see the soldiers gawking, and he could practically imagine the Spanish peasantry in nearby villages staring too; it was an unusual sight, even if they couldn't see Russo scribbling away at a map up there, drawing sketches of the defensive lines as best he could. Of course, he was no Renaissance artist, but he could get the specifics of a fortress or the like close enough for Lelouch's purposes.

The trenches carved into the cliffs were definitely interesting, and Lelouch wondered if they could be replicated on a smaller scale. When the Romans built their great works in the field, they began with trenches and ramparts; unfortunately, Lelouch didn't have any sort of pioneer or sapper units like many other militaries had. Issuing spades would be another expense, but being able to set up trenches, whether to approach defensive works or set up lines to slow an enemy's advance had tremendous tactical value. Especially with all the rifles they had, if he ordered the men to aim carefully from a defensive position…

Lelouch smiled and started a conversation with the garrison's commander- in part to gauge what sort of man he was, and to ask him about the methodology behind his defensive works. He was more than happy to discuss the specifics of the fortifications with Lelouch- after all, why would he doubt the intentions of the man who conquered Italy out of love for Britannia?

A rider traveled up the length of Italy, carrying a handful of priority letters from the Viceroy to Venice- they were intended for vi Britannia's sister and the scientist he patronized, Lord Asplund. The rider had no idea what was inside the letters, of course, and had no interest in attempting to break the seals to find out, not to mention how wrong it would feel to intercept the communications between a man and his sister. Admittedly, the letter to Lord Asplund sounded interesting, especially because the messenger had seen the man's inventions at work, but whatever was written inside the letter wasn't his business.

Lord Asplund,

Your exploding shell guns have proven extremely useful- they're capable of sinking entire ships. I fear that you have ended an age, Lord Asplund, and sail will soon be surpassed by steam. That's the purpose of this letter, I suppose. While sailing near Tripoli, one of our paddlewheels was damaged, and I came to a realization- why not replace the paddlewheel with a screw?

I could imagine a ship entirely covered in iron plating, thick enough to block cannonballs, armed with an exploding shell gun, and an underwater screw of some kind to propel it. It would revolutionize naval warfare, a terror of the seas that would haunt the dreams of admirals across the world- perhaps you could call it the Nightmare? I am confident your work will be excellent, as usual.

Sincerely,

Lelouch vi Britannia

… Kallen's mom is hot. Like seriously, it's obvious where Kallen got it from. I was considering involving her mom in opium, (maybe I still will) because I imagine it's the sort of thing Britannian traders would be bringing with them and serves as a parallel to Refrain, complete with destructive properties. Or is Refrain designed to mirror opium? Whatever.

I might use Kallen as a way to explore another way in which people might get tired of Britannia. In canon, her hate was founded on a love of Japan and a desire to avenge her brother, neither of which are concerns here. So, taking that core of rebelliousness and exploring another way that hate might develop could be fun.

The Boers haven't gone on the Great Trek yet, and are currently stifling under Clovis. I tried to capture some of Clovis' personality- the general dandiness and carefree personality paired with a disturbing brutality when it comes to defending his reputation. I did tune down his disdain for other cultures though- or it could be argued that Dutch speaking Boers would be more tolerable to a Britannian than the Japanese.

Isolationist Germany (or German states) was an interesting choice that I liked. I could imagine a Germany coming out the other side of the French revolution and just being completely uninterested in the world outside. The Confederation of the Rhine bled for Napoleon- why fight more?

The Fly Whisk incident was a real thing, although my version is fictionalized- technically, it should have happened already in April, to a Frenchman. I guess the French in my universe were a bit more financially responsible- it falls into the same category as the Paixhans gun, I suppose. Why does the bey address Lelouch as Britannia? It's my way of showing the weirdness of the Britannian naming system, and how picking up on the vi in Lelouch's name isn't intuitive.

Calling the first true ironclad Nightmare or some equivalent was something I wanted to do for a while. It's easily one of the most revolutionary weapons of the century with the exception of the Maxim gun or breech loader. Well now that I list them there's tons of uber dangerous new weapons in the 19th century, but you get my point. Total sea change, literally.

Imagining Jeremiah as a father figure to Lelouch and Nunnally is honestly hilarious though.

I'd like to thank everyone for reading. I'm not sure how accurate this site's hit counting is, but apparently we've had more than a 1,000 views in January. Thank you all so much for enjoying my weird little fic. It's niche, but I'm proud of it and happy to hear others are enjoying it too.