Turn 7: High Noon At The Saitama Saloon.
Today's the day. There's a media blackout and traffic warnings to avoid the Saitama ghetto due to military action.
Give my sister credit, Cornelia doesn't do half measures. She's deliberately being loud and direct in her attack on Saitama.
"War is a struggle between Pride and Life." I mutter.
My sister's war maxim. It's a soldier's view. A patriot's perspective on war.
I can respect it. But as someone immersed in the political and strategic side of warfare, I must beg to disagree.
Pride has no place in war.
The nascent Black Knights are here. But theirs is not the heroes role today.
A beep on my radio at my side alerts me that channel 5 is now active. Excellent. That means that the Yamato Alliance has received my instructions.
I flick the switch on my encrypted radio on.
"Am I to presume this is the Yamato alliance leader I'm speaking to?"
A rough but somewhat educated voice answers me.
"Yes, I'm Izumi, leader of the Yamato Alliance. Are you going to save us?"
I smirk to myself.
"Not quite. I can save your lives, and that of the civilians, but Saitama will be lost either way. However, there is a price for your salvation."
There's clearly some grumbling about that. I honestly don't care. The Yamato Alliance are the dregs of the resistance. My plans will be helped if they accede to my orders.
But they're not necessary for operational success.
"What is your price?"
I grin, teeth bared like fangs. "Simple. You and the Yamato Alliance are under my command if my operational objectives are met. I promise you that Britannia will regret attacking Saitama today."
"Alright, we'll place our trust in you."
"Perfect. Be ready to move shortly."
Now for the real preparations.
I switch channels. "B-1, P-5, How goes the evacuation?"
"All clear Zero." Ohgi sounds off.
"Mission accomplished, boss." Tamaki says with a sound that seems like a salute or perhaps he hit his face.
I nod in satisfaction. "Stand by to exfiltrate."
"Exfil-what?"
I facepalm. No, I shouldn't let it get to me. After all, Tamaki likely never finished high school.
I sigh as I hit the receiver. "P-5, exfiltrate is the counterpart of infiltrate. It means to exit without being seen. When Cornelia arrives, our group will leave. I will direct the Yamato alliance before leaving with whichever of them is worthwhile. Understand?"
"Ok boss."
A 2nd radio change brings me to the secret mission objective that I haven't told the Yamatos about.
"CC, Q-1, status."
"I'm already done, I'm heading to your position." CC sighs with an exasperated sound.
"We're done too. Next move?"
"All of you except Q-1 will stand by to evac with civilians. Q-1, rendezvous with me. I will need a bodyguard just in case Cornelia or Guilford takes the field personally."
"Yes sir!"
I make my way to a shadowed area and wait for the start.
It's unlikely either of them will personally enter Saitama, but best to be safe.
A quick application of Geass, and I'm hiding in a Sutherland, watching the Yamato Alliance grab the train Cornelia sent in.
If everything before didn't say this was a trap, this alone would.
Somewhere, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is spinning in his grave.
CC was against my going here initially, until I explained that I have no intention of attacking Cornelia herself today.
My plans are more long term. Suzaku sadly, cannot be involved today as my sister does not trust Elevens and ASEEC is Schneizel's team, and thus not under her control.
Orange is on the G-1 and will fill me in later.
Ah, there she is. My witch is holding her thumb out like a hitchhiker. Cute.
I open the cockpit and lower the boarding winch.
A few moments later, CC is in my arms, and giving a lascivious kiss.
"How goes it?" She says as she settles into my lap.
I test the comms systems, then turn to her. "The curtain is about to rise. Pity we don't have a concession stand." I mutter the last part.
CC smirks and pulls out a thermos and two bags from her Britannian soldier's outfit.
"Tea and popcorn?"
I laugh and nuzzle her cheek.
"You should share the popcorn with Kallen, I'm going to be busy for abit."
My radio starts beeping.
"Zero, I'm coming up."
I switch my receiver on. "Excellent Q-1. Just pull up beside me and relax. This is the Yamato's test, not yours."
A Sutherland parks itself next to mine and Q-1 opens her cockpit to salute.
I open mine, and salute while CC waves and throws a bag at Kallen.
Kallen catches it with a frown. Which then changes to a puzzled expression.
"Popcorn?"
I nod. "Assuming all goes well, we'll be standing around and waiting alot before leaving. Well, you and CC will. I have to direct the Yamatos. Now, if you'll excuse me."
CC gives a Cheshire cat smile at Kallen as the cockpit closes.
"Showtime." I mutter.
Cornelia has arrived.
Basic Britannian squad tactics. Standard purge and exterminate action.
A few die-hards and hold outs try and attack but are swiftly cut down.
Fools. I gave every civilian the chance to escape. It's their own fault for refusing to bend their stupid pride.
Thankfully, over 92% of the civilians are already gone, leaving Saitama a ghost town.
"Yama-1, stand to attack. Yama-2, ready UN ordinance. Yama-3, ready harkens."
Round 1, start.
The next 15-20 minutes is about as challenging as Clovis.
"Detonate the bridge."
A loud explosion in the distance signals that a large amount of Britannian ordinance has been destroyed.
In the original timeline, Lelouch would be getting giddy and far too cocky.
And doing what's basically the dumbest fucking plan possible.
Trying to assassinate Cornelia by using a Sutherland while she has an army of goons around her and is one of my few siblings who ISN'T a fucking idiot when it comes to warfare?
Christ, Lulu's revenge boner would have made John Holmes feel inadequate.
"Yama-1, status." I ping Kallen to get her on the conversation, typing a message for her to just listen.
"The enemy is on the run! We need to press the attack!"
I stroke my chin and give a vicious smile to my witch as I stroke her hair.
"No."
"What?! We have them scattered!"
I sigh. "Izumi, do you actually understand the concept of tactical and strategic victory and defeat?"
Hmm, he's grinding his teeth it seems.
"The Witch of Britannia is on the run! This is our chance to rally and kill her before they call reinforcements!"
CC is now facepalming. "Merde, they cannot be that stupid..."
I frown as I turn the receiver back on. "You agreed to obey my orders. Now I'm giving you them."
I steeple my fingers together. "We're done. We are going to retreat."
"What?! You coward!"
I smirk. "I'm warning you that I am not responsible for what happens to you if you refuse to obey me and leave."
"As if we would fear anything from a coward without a shred of the Japanese Yamato spirit!" He sneers at me.
I raise an eyebrow. "Your pride is such that you refuse to leave?"
"We know we can't defeat Britannia today, but by fighting and killing Cornelia, we can show our glorious Japanese spirit and retain our honor!" He yells proudly.
I rub my forehead in frustration. "Then be it on your own head. But let it be known that I warned you. You WILL die if you stay here."
"A brave man dies only once. A coward dies a thousand times."
I flick his channel off in disgust.
"Q-1, we're done. Let's leave."
A gasp comes over my comms unit. "Zero, you can't be serious! You know what will happen to them!"
I nod and close my eyes. "They made their choice. Kallen...have you ever asked Ohgi about who the Yamato Alliance are?"
"Well, no. Our cell is friendly with a few others, but the Yamatos keep to themselves."
I shake my head. "They keep to themselves because they're ostracized. The Yamato alliance is composed of yakuza, street gangs, junkies, and criminals, and traitors to the ideals of human decency. They are the scum of the earth."
"They're still fighting against Britannia!"
I slam my fist on the console deck. "I refuse to let vermin who deliberately target civilians, Japanese or Britannian, into my army."
"Army? Delusions of grandeur much?" She says incredulously.
I chuckle sinisterly. "Hehehehahahahaha...oh Kallen, you do not see what I do. I see the core of a grander design. The beginning of a force that can destroy Britannia once and for all."
I clench my hand into a fist. "We've already won today. The Yamatos are fools who don't understand strategy."
"And I do not suffer fools and traitors under my command." I say with imperious cruelty.
"Zero..."
"Q-1, we can speak about this after the operation."
"I...yes sir."
CC purrs in my lap. "Such a cruel man you are. Using everyone around you like puppets."
I run my hand down her back, smiling gently. "Is it cruel to reject rapists, thieves, drunkards, addicts, and traitors?"
CC looks up. "Your witch thinks thou doth protest too much." She says with a lecherous grin. "Beggars can't be choosers after all."
I pat her ass with a gentle spank. "You and Kallen are both right, in a way."
I move the Sutherland to a position further back.
Cornelia's royal guard has sortied. The Yamato Alliance is finished one way or the other.
I disembark and move to a location out of public view.
"Yes, beggars can't be choosers. I obviously cannot only take people of exemplary character and references. We're a rebellion and revolution, not a corporate office." I say as I yank off my Britannian soldier chest armor.
I throw the shirt to the side as I towel off my face and torso. Not the most hygienic situation for changing to my real 'work' clothes, but that's war for you.
"But at the same time, have you noticed that the Yamato Alliance has no female membership?"
CC taps her chin as she considers the point. "Isn't that true of most resistance groups though?"
"Not quite. Female resistance fighters are more sporadic, but not unwelcome. Some women certainly wish to stand up against Britannia, but keep their heads down for the sake of their family, children, etc. Men do the same, but Japan lost a fair amount of their male population when the Japanese army was crushed seven years ago," I explain as I toss the pants to the side.
"Thus...an entire generation of children grew up without fathers...or in some cases, mothers either." I say as I hang my head down.
"Lelouch..."
I look up to see Kallen standing nearby, a sorrowful expression on her features.
I sigh as I look up. "Back to my original point. The Yamato Alliance has no female membership, because they prey on women. If I inducted them into our group, they would be harassing you, CC and Inoue."
It appears Kallen is not unfamiliar with this sort of harassment, given that she's clenching her fist.
"I can take care of myself." She says with a growl.
I give her a flat stare in response. "That situation is what would apply to Japanese women. If your paternity became known? You would be subject to their 'initiation' ritual."
I cast off my boxers, dick hanging as I rummage through a bag containing my Zero outfit.
"A gangrape ending in execution."
Kallen blinks in shock, then blushes red and turns around. "Do you mind?!"
I chuckle to myself at her innocence. "No. I don't. You can watch. It's only fair given our first encounter. After all, I got to enjoy yours."
Kallen turns back, her face red, but eyes focused. "That ritual...you confirmed that?"
I tap my left eye in response. "Along with checking missing persons reports. The individual I interrogated showed no remorse, so I had him castrate his offending instrument, then strangle himself with his own intestines." I hiss.
Kallen pales and shakes her head. "You're a sick person...but I can't say I can blame you."
Her eyes glance downward as I towel off and pull out a pair of boxers, and her cheeks flame crimson.
"Don't you have any modesty?"
"This from the girl who held a knife to my throat whilst straddling me naked?" I scoff as I pull my underwear up.
CC looks at Kallen with an appreciative eye, roving her form.
Oh right. I never told her exactly how that scene happened.
"Lulu, where do you find these people? She's an adorable little tsundere." CC crosses her arms as she grins.
"I am NOT a tsundere!" Kallen whirls on CC, her embarrassment forgotten.
I wisely say nothing as I pull the suit on, tying my cravat to my neck.
"Just digging yourself deeper." CC smirks.
With a snap of my arms, the cape settles on my shoulders.
"Much as I'm enjoying this...it's time to go."
I draw forth the last piece, the mask.
"I have a message to deliver to my sister." I intone eagerly as I affix my helmet.
Round 2 is just about to end. And I have to set the tone for our next encounter.
