Kaname Ohgi was a pretty simple guy. It would be an exaggeration to say he had been changed completely by the Britannian occupation. Did he have the will to stand up for the Japanese people back then? Back when their whole world was ripped apart by knightmare frames? No. At least, he hadn't had it in him to do it for a paycheck. Hadn't joined the military. He was a teacher by profession. He was more the type with dreams of shaping the future one young mind at a time, rather than protecting it. But when the landspinners rolled in, and he watched the giant machines demolish their way of life... When even their schools were repurposed for Britannian immigrants and the people who built them were shoved aside to the ruins of their once great cities...
Yes. He had stood up then. But, maybe that wasn't a change. Before the war, the will had been there, but not the need. And as soon as the need was there it was already too late.
As for everything else about him... If he had the option? He would probably be happy if he could go back to his old job. Teach the next generation about their heritage, the skills they would need in life. Maybe settle down with a good woman, have kids of his own. His desires weren't anything special. He wanted himself and every other Japanese person to be able to live free and happy. There was nothing more to it. If he had to fight Britannia to achieve that... Then he would fight Britannia.
If he had to fight for Britannia to achieve that... He wasn't so sure. He wasn't a complex man, or one with conviction beyond what goals he held. The how was less important than the what. This... Whoever, this was. This Britannian. He had made a lot of promises. But his friends, the people of his group, they were varying levels of skeptical. Tamaki the loudest among the dissenters.
"The hell're we even doing here, Ohgi?" the loudmouth asked, scowling at every passing fixture as they walked through the designated hallways to get to their destination. "Some Britannian who doesn't even show his face gives us a fancy gift and we're supposed to come running when he calls? We should say, 'Hey thanks,' and shoot him in the face. He'd deserve it."
"Tamaki's being a dumbass and a hypocrite for how much he hogged the simulator," Inoue noted, bringing a little flush of shame to Tamaki's face, "But he's not entirely wrong. Is it even right for us to trust this guy, Ohgi? We don't know anything about him. Did Kallen tell you who he was? Is that why you're trusting him?"
"I'm not trusting him," the current leader of their cell, for as much as it could be said to have a leader, answered. "We've made sure it's not a trap. We're taking precautions. And no, Kallen hasn't told me who he is, just that she's confident he's on the up and up."
"And what the hell is that?!" Tamaki complained again. "She knows and she's not telling us?! What, did she get some of that upper-class Brit dick and now she's too good for–!"
A fist was suddenly wrapped in Tamaki's jacket, lifting the young man just enough to make a point. "I know you run your mouth without thinking sometimes, but don't." That was all the warning Ohgi gave. And with how rarely he showed any kind of severity, he knew it would be enough.
Sure enough, Tamaki immediately backed down, waving his hands. "Sorry, sorry! You're right, that was way over the line." Ohgi let him go with one last glare before returning to walking. "But you know what I'm saying, right? She's so devoted to the cause then all of a sudden this guy swans in and she's protecting him over us?"
"It's like you said," the leader answered. "She's devoted, even if I wish she wasn't. She wouldn't turn her back on us, you know that. If she vouches for him, and if he somehow got her to take up knight training, then at the least we can hear him out."
"Hm." That was all Inoue had to contribute further. Tamaki scoffed but stopped arguing. Which was as good as agreement for him.
They heard the murmur of a crowd before they saw it, emerging into the large room of what had once been the third floor conference room of an office building. Derelict, not in use for six years, but still serviceable despite the grime and dust.
"This is a lot of resistance groups," Tamaki stated the obvious.
"The Third Dans," Inoue pointed out with a nod, "The Shinsengumi, the Six Paths..."
"Lot of fancy names, still a room full of nobodies," Tamaki mused aloud, earning dirty looks from any who overheard him. "But this is still a lot of groups he got to come to this thing."
"Thirty-four people here alone, and this sure isn't everyone. Most probably did what we did and only brought a couple people just in case." The female member of their group noticed at least the Third Dans, flush a little. Well. At least one group brought everyone. "So if everyone gets on board, that's around a hundred people, at least."
"Probably more," Ohgi agreed. If anyone believed this was a mockery or a waste of time, bringing this many disparate groups together presumably to unify them under one banner would change that. That was, assuming that whoever their mystery benefactor was could actually pull it off.
The Kozuki faction leader noticed a flicker at one end of the room. A television screen he had dismissed as part of the old furnishings coming to life. On the screen, a person sat at a desk. The only things they could use to describe him were his clothes for his face was covered. He wore a plain suit. Not fancy or expensive, just an ordinary suit a salaryman might wear. And covering his head was a plain black mask. The way he faced the camera directly, they couldn't even see around it to guess at his hair colour. But enough of his skin was on display to show he had the common pale skin of a Britannian.
"People of the Japanese resistance, thank you for coming," he spoke, making no movement at all as he did. "Coming here at all, you have put just a little faith in me, and I will not see that faith unrewarded."
"Yeah? How about you start with your name and face, bastard?!" Tamaki yelled because of course he did. The comment and most likely the insult getting some agreeing shouts from other groups.
"I understand your frustration. But let me ask you this. Those of you in this room are already aware I'm Britannian born." Some displeased rumblings arose at the open admission that their mysterious benefactor came from 'the enemy'. "Knowing that, would learning my true identity even earn me a single iota of trust? Would it reassure you at all? For now, you may call me Zero. And I can assure you this much. I am not in the employ of the Britannian government in any capacity. I am not even in the employ of any Britannian civilian institution. I do not represent their interests. I certainly do not represent their culture of oppression and social darwinism. My short-term goal is to defend this land from all who would make war on it, be they Britannian or not. My long-term goal is to give the people of Japan the same rights as Britannians, and the return of the name that unifies their, your, culture."
"Sweet words like perfume," one of the Shinsengumi spoke up, a broad-shouldered man wearing the haori they considered their uniform, the same as the red headbands of the Kozuki group. "Drifting gently through the air. As they are but air." He strode to the front of the room, in front of the screen, standing proudly as he faced his audience–
Oh. It clicked in Ohgi's mind. He saw what was happening here. Someone had managed to bring all these disparate groups together under tenuous circumstances and it seemed the Shinsengumi were hoping to steal that success. Taking the distrust of the Britannian and using it as a bludgeon while styling himself as a beacon for Japanese culture. Wearing a haori, a group named for one that supported the expulsion of foreigners, and as the former teacher counted the syllables, realised the man had even announced himself in haiku.
It was... Honestly it was almost an insulting level of pandering.
And then he pulled his sheathed wakizashi from his waist and drove the blunted scabbard into the screen, smashing it.
"We do not need a pompous foreigner claiming he will save us from his own people!" the Shinsengumi man spoke, "We do not need honeyed words as he pretends to act in our interests when his only goal is to serve his own greed and trample Japanese pride! I propose we dismiss the interference of a Britannian who will not even reveal his name, and unite for the purpose of a true Japan! Free from Britannian oppression!"
There were scattered cheers building support. Including, "Tamaki, don't cheer for that."
"What? This guy's finally talking some sense!"
"He's trying to drag everyone into the Shinsengumi."
Inoue agreed. "It's all the same talking points as the JLF. Only he's giving an open door policy. At least for everyone here."
"An interesting proposal," the Britannian's voice appeared again, taking the wind out of everyone's sails. The Shinsengumi leader looked at the broken television in confusion. But then, another screen at the opposite end of the room, behind everyone, blinked to life. "So. How has overthrowing Britannia been going for you so far?" The Shinsengumi's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. "You aren't planning to smash this one too, are you? Once is a dramatic statement. Twice is just petty."
"Are you mocking me?" the resistance leader asked. "Oh, of course you are. You're a Britannian after all. You think, he thinks," he corrected, bringing the small crowd into it again, "that we are all beneath him! Tools to be used and discarded! To join him is to yoke ourselves to Britannia again! All for empty promises of a soulless Japan!"
"I asserted, when I contacted every cell present here, that the soul of Japan is its people. Its culture lives on through its people so long as they are willing to pass it on. So long as the Japanese exist, there is no soulless Japan and there never can be. That's proven by everyone in this room. Even and especially you, the Shinsengumi in traditional dress, carrying traditional blades and speaking in haiku."
Ohgi could say this much. Zero was a talented speaker. He had heard some good speeches. Naoto was great at them. There was a reason he had managed to gather a bunch of guys older than him and stayed in charge. But hearing Zero speak on the soul of a defeated nation still living on, he had the conviction to back his words. He believed them.
"As for empty promises, well," Zero continued in teasing amusement, "I didn't bring all of you together for a social gathering. Some of your groups were offered a gift upon my introducing myself. It's about time we make the most of it. The reason I've brought all of you here is to prepare for an operation. A heist from the Britannian military themselves."
"Wait, seriously?!" Tamaki exclaimed, his enthusiasm for Japanese zealotry forgotten in typical fashion.
"You're going to acquire your own knightmare frames."
-(-)-
As the smallest movements were being made in Area 11, pebbles shaking free in hopes of a landslide, far larger things were happening to the distant south-west.
Her Royal Highness Princess Cornelia li Britannia had successfully taken her forces through the Arabian Sea, through the Indian Ocean, back to land on the shores of Area 10, formerly some of the nations that made up the Indochina peninsula. Only some, as internal and cultural schisms had forced the separation of the area into two distinct areas. Cambodia and Vietnam becoming Area 13 as a result of an outright rebellion. Cornelia assumed it was largely a conflict stirred up by petty Britannian infighting, wasting everyone's time and resources on a useless power grab. But, the matter had been resolved in a satisfactory manner. Area 10 retaining its Developing status while the new Area 13 relegated to Reformation status. The stick of their current woes contrasted perfectly by the carrot of the relative comfort of their neighbouring area. A powerful motivator to give up their notions of rebellion entirely.
And so the world had continued to turn, leaving the region largely conflict-free save for the sabre rattling of the Chinese Federation. Rattling that had only gotten louder in recent weeks. The Chinese were going to strike. The only question would be where and when. It was theorised the Britannian fleet might have been struck as they were rounding India, but it seemed not. Perhaps the malicious compliance of India as part of the Federation made the idea too problematic to attempt, at least against a General of Cornelia's reputation. And so, the next logical target had been Area 10, necessitating Cornelia's stop on her path to Japan. The retaining of areas were not her highest priority, but so long as she was passing through she would be glad to ensure the empire would keep their land holdings. So long as it wouldn't take too much time.
And so, as the bulk of her fleet made their way through the Kra Canal, Cornelia's personal vessel docked at Bangkok. She and her entourage were given an imperial welcome as they visited the viceroy's palace. Her loyal knight Guildford was not with her, only two of her trusted Glaston Knights, sans knightmare frames. All three of them in military dress as appropriate for a state visit such as this. She was wearing her imperial diplomat hat today, with hope of her command officer hat being her primary role going forward until she could leave.
As with many seats of Britannian government in areas, the viceroy's palace of Area 10 was essentially a game of one-upmanship for the locals. Looking at the most beautiful bit of architecture the area claimed and looking to outdo it. To prove Britannian superiority. More often than not they ended up gaudy eyesores as a result, but Cornelia thought the same of what they were being compared to most of the time. So perhaps she wasn't a good judge of such things.
"Presenting!" the bellman announced, his voice pitched to carry through the room without bellowing. "Her Royal Highness, Second Princess Cornelia li Britannia! Chief General of the Imperial Army!"
The palace guards flanking their march stood straighter and saluted as the princess and her knights moved with sure steps through the throne room. The princess' eyes flicking from one guard to the next, looking for any sign of suspect motives. It didn't hurt to be paranoid in this new age of war.
At the far end of the room, the viceroy for Area 10, her half-brother Uther tou Britannia awaited her. He looked to be very glad to see her, oddly enough. A reaction that only deepened her suspicion. Or perhaps even confirmed it. Still, his initial reaction was polite enough. "Cornelia, it's been a long time, sister."
"Uther," she nodded. Her knights kneeling behind her. Her knights or not, he was still a prince and they must show deference to that. She, of course, needed to show no such deference. "I see you've recovered well in your position of viceroy since the ugly business of four years ago."
"Hmph, very much so," he agreed with a smirk. "One might think I would be furious at losing a third of my territory but the rabble of Area 13 are far more trouble than they're worth. I much prefer enjoying the vibrant culture of this city than dealing with pathetic uprisings of beaten dogs."
"Of course." She was sure she knew what 'culture' he spoke of and genuinely wanted to hear no more of it. There were certainly some among her siblings who enjoyed such things, repulsive as they were, but she certainly didn't need to hear one of them revel in it. "Be that as it may, the potential exists for the northern border of this area to become unstable. The Chinese have been mobilising their forces, likely to retake their neighbouring territories and steal Area 11 from us. My priority and final destination lies there. However, I am prepared to offer a portion of my troops for the purpose of securing this area, as well as strategic support."
"Straight to business then," the viceroy sighed. "You haven't changed. Very well! Straight to business it is! Guards!"
The princess' eyes closed as several rifles were pointed her way, the telltale click marking the location of every single one.
"I can see it on your face. The realisation of your stupidity. Your trusting naivety," her half-brother crowed victoriously. "I thank you for your generous offer, dear sister. However, I have a counter-offer. I will take your army that I have had delayed at the canal. Your troops. Your equipment. I will seize it all and secure my own border. I will take Areas 11 through 17, establishing my own Asiatic Britannia before taking the fight to the Chinese Federation directly!"
Cornelia sighed.
"I know, I know!" her brother continued. "I'm sure you were all set to be Schneizel's loyal attack dog. But think of it this way! If you play your captivity right, perhaps you'll find your way to being my first Empress!"
Cornelia's eyes opened. Showing not resignation or defeat, but boredom. "Three times."
"What?"
"Three times, someone has tried to take me hostage during a diplomatic meeting," she explained. "You might say it's a lesson I've learned the hard way but..."
As her words trailed off, there was only the slightest sound of rumbling before the wall burst inward, glass and brick and exquisite marble shattering as Gloucesters busted their way into the room, weapons ready.
With the great machines as a distraction, the princess moved, her knights drawing sidearms and putting down the furthest guards while Cornelia shot the one to her left while cutting down the one to her right. With a casual movement, she cleaned her sword with a handkerchief and sheathed it, tossing her long magenta hair over her shoulder. "I've never needed to learn about taking precautions from stupidity like this. Take the viceroy into custody!"
"Yes, your highness!"
She looked at Uther, watched him as her knights secured his arms, his expression uncomprehending of what exactly just happened. "What you saw in my face, Uther?" she told him. "It was frustration. Frustration that now you've turned traitor to the empire, I have to clean up your mess and secure this area properly. It wasn't defeat. It was seeing a fool with the nerve to waste my time."
A resource that dwindled by the day. Every delay was a greater danger that the Chinese would arrive in Area 11 before she could.
-(-)-
Lelouch loved it when a plan came together. It was perhaps why he had never tired of chess when there were so few opponents who could compete with him. There was a thrill in seeing everything work out in the way he hoped it would, regardless of whatever wrinkles might crop up along the way.
The operation was progressing well. Thanks to intelligence fed to him by Kallen, and what little he could still gather through his tried and true methods, they had what they needed. The plan wasn't especially complicated. Subvert the delivery of newly manufactured knightmares by intercepting them on the rail system. Get people in place to replace the train driver, maintain the protocol check-ins to assure everything was perfectly fine, then divert the train to stop on a rarely used train line. From there, it would simply be a matter of getting their pilots inside the knightmares, gathering the needed supplies from the shipment into their own vehicles, and leaving. With Britannian forces none the wiser until the train would be reported missing an hour later.
Simple, clean, efficient.
All of that was excellent. And he was happy it was going well, the train already on its way to the collection point. But what really had Lelouch in a good mood was how well things had gone in his first 'face to face' introduction to his new subordinates.
The Shinsengumi. He felt proud of himself for introducing that wrinkle himself. He wasn't an idiot. Bringing in a group who would so obviously be against working for a Britannian despite what else they might have said? They had been present for one reason and one reason only. By planting a hostile force, he crafted a narrative of being the one put on the back foot, but overcoming it. Proving his capability and planning, while creating a representative of the opposite ideal. The Japanese nationalist. A figure the resistance groups could see, could hear speak, and could realise he was superior to.
Effectively, he invited them to make them look bad and to make himself look even better by comparison. And it seemed to be working. Perhaps because even while he was proving himself a better option, he didn't relegate himself to humiliating them. Even praising them for keeping Japanese culture alive. What better evidence could have given in that particular situation that he meant what he said about valuing their identity? Letting them spit in his face, the only hostility a gentle reprimand, all while praising them for the objective he shared with them.
They had refused to take part in the operation, of course. But after everything else... Oh, he hoped. He hoped so dearly that the Shinsengumi would take the next step. It was the only thing that could make this even more perfect.
From his vantage point on a hill above the area, he watched the train come to a stop through binoculars. The resistance fighters working together to open the storage compartment as a truck moved into place. More resistance members flooding out of the trailer, first to help unload the train, then to pilot the Sutherlands and get them somewhere secure. He could just make out the red headbands of the Kozuki group, a kind of camaraderie forming between them and the Third Dans. The knightmare pilots among the groups present. A third had been given a simulator but they too had decided to go their own way instead of join with a Britannian. Their loss. But only in the short term. They'd be folded in once this small army would begin to make a difference.
"Yes," Lelouch whispered under his breath, clicking his radio. "Be advised, you have unknowns approaching your position. Northbound." Another truck. Unmarked. It had to be them. It had to be. He clicked over to a different channel. "B1, are you prepared?"
"I am." Inoue's answer was curt. No respect or deference. That was fine. Expected, even. So long as she was prepared, it was fine. How this played out was entirely out of his hands now.
He watched. He watched as his group waited with guns drawn and pointed at the vehicle. From inside the cab came a man in Shinsengumi garb. He carried a rifle but showed no intent to use it. He would have liked to hear what the man was saying, but he could guess as well as he needed to. More speeches about the glory of Japan. How his men were selling their pride to Britannia, something along those lines.
The latter was true, granted. But still.
At some point talks seemed to break down as the back of their truck opened and a knightmare frame emerged. A Glasgow. Old. Outdated. But still a knightmare.
And then an RPG launched, slamming into the unprepared machine. It did heavy damage but not enough to destroy it utterly. The torso section severely warped and broken, the machine knocked back for a moment before finding its feet again, one arm seeming to malfunction.
The pilot's compatriot did not survive the blast nearly so well.
Lelouch listened to the main operation channel as Inoue barked at the shocked and confused resistance members, demanding they get at least one Sutherland working. All while ordering covering fire.
The Glasgow pilot was clearly not trained in knightmare combat. He feared small arms fire for one thing, evading the bursts from rifles as though they might do worthwhile damage and not barely scratch the armour. The Shinsengumi truck sped off in the confusion. Perhaps they assumed they would win by words or by knightmare. The potential failure of both was as good a reason as any to escape.
And then, one of the Sutherlands rose. The difference in machine specs, the difference in training, it proved how much those things mattered as in a matter of instants, the old and broken machine was fully disabled, the cockpit ejecting to send the pilot far into the distance.
"Status," Lelouch ordered.
"It was the Shinsengumi," he heard Ohgi explain. "Wanted us to hand over the knightmares so they could be presented to the JLF."
"As if those fucks have done anything close to this in years!" Tamaki added.
"Any casualties?"
There was a small pause, presumably to perform a headcount. "Tanjuro's a little shaken but we're fine," the leader of the Third Dans confirmed. "I can't believe they'd do that. What kind of bullshit is them talking up Japan if they're gonna hold up Japanese?! We're on the same side, dammit!"
"They did what they thought was best." An empty platitude that was more damning than forgiving if anyone cared to truly think about it. And it seemed this failed heist hijacking might harm the reputation of the JLF alongside completely discrediting the Shinsengumi and other nationalist-leaning resistance groups. Not Lelouch's goal, but a pleasant bonus. "Now, we don't know whether that firefight will have drawn attention. Get those machines and supplies ready for transport and get out."
"Yes sir!"
The forgotten prince wore a triumphant smile. There it was. That thoughtlessly spoken word. Sir.
Objective complete.
