Turn 13.2: The Narita Sanction, Part 2: Born in a Crossfire Hurricane
It's heartening to know that Jerry isn't out here, at risk of getting microwaved.
Because judging by what the RWS does to Knightmares?
They did not die well.
Even with Kallen being a tsundere with a chip on her soldier, she's still a nice girl. So naturally, her berserker fighting style in her new war beast would be a bit off-putting and at odds with her personality, superficially at least.
That's what I assume some of the rank and file are saying, anyway. Or maybe they're too busy cheering for the fact that, for once? We're actually winning against Britannia. And not against tacticians with delusions about their capabilities like Clovis.
But against Cornelia, the Witch of Britannia herself.
Personally, I find her rampaging arousing.
Hmm? I'm being paged. Looks like...Katase. Lovely. And here I was in such a good mood, too.
I flip the switch for audio-only, scrambler switched on. Frankly, I don't want to see his face right now.
"How goes your attack?" I drawl.
"ZERO! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND PLAY INNOCENT!"
...何? (What?)
Oh no, please tell me he wasn't that...nope. Not even going to say it. He almost certainly WAS.
"Let me guess. You didn't actually listen to me and move your troops away from the avalanche, despite my telling you very distinctly that if you wanted to win, avoid the south side," I say with an exasperated sigh.
An indignant huff is his response, "As if I would listen to a masked upstart who gave no reason why and showed no respect to his fellow resistance fighters!"
So it seems he was being polite earlier, too. Or maybe he's outraged about my callously throwing his men away.
I facepalm. I don't have time for this.
"Perhaps you weren't listening, earlier. I am NOT a resistance fighter," I growl out my response. "I, am a warlord.
"And if you dare to blame me for YOUR poor decision-making, you'll get no sympathy from this direction. The Black Knights know me well enough by now to remember what happened with the Yamato Alliance."
"I heard you betrayed them and left them to die when they refused to obey you!" he snarls at me.
I clench a fist in frustration, "Typical. Had you actually bothered to get the real story, one which, I might add, I told Cornelia herself, you would know that they refused to listen to my instruction when I specifically told them NOT to be somewhere and to retreat. And now they're ash and bone because of it."
I gesture dramatically out of habit, "When Zero says to get out of the way, you do so. For Death follows in his wake. So unless you're calling to surrender command, be silent, and let me TRY to salvage this clusterfuck!"
I angrily shut off the comm and punch a panel.
Skullduggery and hellfire! I'd be surrounded by idiots if I had joined them.
I tap my comm unit to Kallen's frequency, "Welp, just talked to the JLF. Katase is pissed at me for the avalanche since he didn't move his troops out of the way. So don't expect much, if any, support."
"Seriously? They ignored you? Did Katase say why?"
I shrug, "Apparently I should have explained my reasons and been more respectful. Also, word has apparently gotten out about my leaving the Yamatos to die."
"Normally, I'd be telling you 'I told you so' right now," she murmurs.
"'Normally'?" I raise an eyebrow in mild surprise. She's usually pretty reliable about calling out my mistakes. Not that I'd consider the unlamented deaths of the Yamatos to be one.
"But right now, I'm enjoying my new baby waaaay too much to care."
Did she just purr? Guess the humping joke wasn't that far off. I smirk as I pick off a Sutherland with my rifle, nailing it in the Factsphere.
"So what you're saying is... you want a Sybian mode?"
She raises an eyebrow on the viewscreen, "I might not know what that is, but you know I'm going to hit you later if you try and fuck with my Guren, right?"
I nod, "I am aware I'm playing with fire by taunting you and being a pervert. I just can't help myself."
Her expression says she can definitely tell I'm doing a Cheshire cat smile under the mask, and she's not amused.
"Right. Still too happy to care. Back in a bit, killing Britannians."
The Guren then flips over a unit, clawing its head off while shotgunning another unit off to the side. She then extends her claw to flash-fry another unit, while ducking a Slash Harken fired from behind.
And after burning down the unit in front? She jumps the guy who tried to backstab her and mauls that unit's chest with her claw.
It's like poetry in motion. I do believe I'm in love.
I tap Ohgi's frequency between reeling off orders.
"N-1! Sitrep!"
"Sir, we've got the Britannian units on the run. The JLF are helping, but it's sporadic at best. Did they not avoid the avalanche?"
I get the feeling this is going to come back to haunt Katase after today.
"Unfortunately, General Katase chose to deliberately ignore my warning and is blaming it on my not explaining myself and a lack of respect."
"You're kidding. Sir, you were very adamant that they needed to stay off the south side," he says, shaking his head.
"We'll just have to not rely on them. They're already helping as it is, just by providing cover fire and more bodies on the field. Status?"
Ohgi nods, "I think we're fine unless Gloucesters show up. Any word on Tohdoh?"
No, actually. And that worries me.
"No. I'm somewhat concerned. Keep an eye out. We're in pursuit of Cornelia now."
We're getting close. She hasn't replaced her Royal Guard completely. So we should be able to handle them.
Bingo. Two regular Gloucesters, and one custom unit with horns.
Hello, Nelly.
I put on the cheesiest, most saccharine tone I could manage without gagging and giving the joke away. "Cornelia! If I'd known you were coming, I'd have set up a picnic!"
My comm screen lights up, and...Yep, she's definitely pissed.
"I will see you buried in concrete so you can suffocate to death, like the hell you condemned my men to," she says icily.
"Oh, please," I scoff. "Like you wouldn't be gloating, were our positions reversed. You're cornered, General. Surrender, and I shall guarantee your treatment with all the rights and courtesy of an honorable prisoner of war. It's better than I'd get from your side."
That's not really an exaggeration. Asking about prisoners rights would likely get the questioner a response of, "Get fucked, Number scum."
She's smirking. Why is she smirking? And is that a familial trait? Because I swear to god, Charles has that same smirk, and I know she and I aren't the only ones to have it.
"I have two guardsmen and myself to your three units. Sutherlands are no match for Gloucesters," she gloats, her lip curling back to reveal pearly whites.
Better odds than Burais. But still an uphill battle. I should get Reuben a bottle of scotch for the Sutherlands.
"Indeed, the odds would normally be in your favor. However..."
I snap my fingers and gesture with my Frame's arm as Q-1 enters with a flip, her Slash Harken shredding one of the guardsmen's Frames.
"I have a Guren Mk. II, your argument is invalid," I reply cheekily.
The Guren assumes a bestial stance, clawed fingers flexing.
"Finally. I was wondering where you'd run off to, Bitch of Britannia."
I adjust my trousers, hearing her husky voice. I don't think she needs the Sybian.
"General Cornelia Li Britannia, allow me to introduce Q-1, my red queen, and ace of the Black Knights."
The red Frame tilts its head in a parody of a bow.
The Gloucesters get into a paired stance as they face us both. Guardsman facing Kallen, Nelly watching me. I'm too high up for her to directly engage, but she's got a rifle, so she isn't helpless.
"Methinks you have made a mistake."
I duck out of the way of her bullets as the Gloucester charges Kallen.
"What, not facing your ace myself? Ha! As if an Eleven machine is any match for Britannian engineering!"
I observe as Kallen spins out of the way, gripping her opponent with the claw. Yep, he's fucked.
Cornelia's expression widens in horror as the Gloucester puffs up, metal bulging unnaturally, heat rising off it in visible waves, and then detonates with the pilot screaming.
I shake my head, "Had you bothered to ask, I'd have said that your mistake was sending a fifth-point-five generation Frame against a seventh. Not to mention that the Guren's claw is a very nasty way to die," I drawl.
The Guren's claw clicks as it moves forward slowly, blue eyes twinkling. Huh. Same color as Kallen's.
"You forget, Zero, I'm an ace pilot myself. All I have to do is defeat her, and your forces will be demoralized!" she yells, charging at Kallen.
I tap the comms open, "Q-1, break her. But be aware that Guilford will likely be incoming, so we're on a time limit."
No Burai Kais means Tohdoh will be outmatched, even with the Sutherlands I loaned him. Then again, the Kais lost in the original timeline, anyway.
Nelly is doing better than the original timeline, from what I can tell. She knows what the claw can do, so she's being cautious...Whoop, spoke too soon. She just lost an arm.
Uh-oh, radar says incoming.
Yes! She broke her gun! I fire a rifle burst, nailing her Harken.
"Hey! I was winning!" "Zero, you dishonorable blackguard!"
I sigh in exasperation, "This isn't a duel, it's war. Q-1, we're taking her alive."
"To all soldiers of Japan!"
What?! Katase?
"The battle is lost. But never fear, the fighting spirit of Japan is eternal! I, your general, shall fall on my sword to ensure your safe retreat. The 暁 (dawn) shall shine upon the JLF in a blaze of glory! 日本万歳!" (Long live Japan!)
WHAT THE FUCK?! THAT WAS ON ALL CHANNELS?! IT'S NOT LOST! WE HAVE BRITANNIA ON THE ROPES! I CAN STILL CARRY THE DAY!
I rapidly switch to the JLF's frequency and start roaring at Katase.
"Katase! Explain yourself!"
"The battle is lost, Zero. The JLF is vanquished. I am merely doing an officers final duty. And in some small way, atoning for Kusakabe's dishonor," he says solemnly.
I scream mentally. THAT HIDEBOUND IMBECILE! He's killed our momentum! Our morale just tanked because of him!
"「暁」は何ですか?!" (What is the 'dawn'?!)
He smiles sardonically, "One last blaze of glory. Narita shall be the funeral pyre for the JLF, and the hopes of Japan."
A self-destruct mechanism?!
I close my eyes. This entire operation has been a catastrophic failure. Tactically, it's a push for us. Strategically? We've achieved NOTHING!
"I have only two questions. One: Where are Tohdoh and the Swords?" I ask with a flat tone, my face as emotionless as my mask.
Katase bristles, "Safely evacuating with as many of our men and equipment as possible. No thanks to you."
I lean back in my chair, grinding my teeth.
"Second: Why did you disobey orders and squander the JLF? And why do you despise and distrust me so much?"
Katase draws himself up to his full height, mustache wrinkling.
"Those orders were never verified. As for squandering? I did nothing of the sort. I did the best I could, based on available information."
He narrows his eyes at me, crossing his arms, "As for you? I was willing to be cordial. To make you our chief strategist, to grant you the favor of the JLF."
He points his index finger at me, shaking with outrage.
"Instead, you spit on our generosity, and attempted to seize control! You slaughtered my troops callously, throwing their lives away for your grand strategy! And you? You don't even fight for Japan at all! Just some vague amorphous concept like 'justice'. Where is the justice in good and brave men and women of Japan being killed for refusing to kowtow to you?!"
Oh no, you do NOT get to pull the righteous indignation card on me, you son of a bitch!
"Men like the Yamato Alliance? A gang of murderers and criminals? Or perhaps the 鬼殺し組 (Devil-Killer Group)? A gang of street thugs, openly extorting civilians and peddling Refrain while claiming to be a resistance group? Or maybe you mean your own bad example, Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe Josui, a would-be rapist and disgrace to his uniform, who would have signed the death warrants of every Japanese man, woman, and child left in this country, had his half-assed plan succeeded?"
I lean forward, hands steepled under my chin.
"Please, do tell me which of these were the 'good and brave people of Japan'? I'm just dying to know," I pronounce sarcastically.
I'll give him credit for not being a racist, I suppose. But a Japanese supremacist isn't that much of a step up.
There's nothing to be done. I can't contradict him publicly; it would just cause more confusion. And the JLF likely wouldn't listen, anyway.
I tap open all Black Knight comm frequencies, "BLACK KNIGHTS! THIS IS K-1! ALL UNITS, RETREAT AS YOU ARE ABLE! I REPEAT, ALL UNITS FALL BACK TO THE RENDEZVOUS POINT!"
I tap my fingers on my crossed legs as I consider how to respond after closing the Black Knight lines.
Katase chooses to speak first, "While groups like the Yamato Alliance were perhaps guilty of overzealousness and being indiscriminate in their targeting, they were first and foremost fellow Japanese and resistance fighters. As such, they could have been useful as troops for the cause. And in a more civilized country after we had won, we can deal with a few rotten apples," he says smugly.
Well, now. That's more pragmatic than I expected. Morally bankrupt, but ruthlessly pragmatic.
So you acknowledge that I'm actually right, but because of your desperation, you're willing to overlook some of the dishonorable conduct for the sake of additional manpower.
From a PR perspective? It's clever. Use whatever you can to win, then when victory is achieved? Single out a few of the worst offenders as scapegoats to placate the masses. All while sweeping the majority of the crimes under the rug.
As a politician, I can't help but applaud. But under my chosen title?
I chuckle sinisterly. Since Katase is a dead man, anyway, why not make sure he knows just what I'm about to do? And he should have realized that my combat black box recorder would keep a record of this conversation.
"Well then, General Katase Tatewaki. Since we're finally being honest? I shall tell you a prediction of the future and pronounce your sentence," I say with a poisonously sweet tone.
I hold up my hand, palm up, fingers like claws.
"Hear now the doom you have cast upon you and yours. Had you aided me? I likely could have forced Britannia out within six months to a year. And with a new and better country backing me, taken the fight to Britannia itself."
I point a talon-like finger at him, voice going low and venomous.
"But you have spurned me of your own accord. And thus does this doom come upon you. As the incarnation of Mara's Will in this world, I curse you. The people shall know that it was you who denied me out of pride and spite. History is written by the victors, General."
I cackle as I clench my fist at him, "Heh, heh, heh. And I shall see your name and that of the JLF blackened in the accounts that shall be written about this day. And it shall be written that an exiled son of Britannia delivered them from slavery, when those had pledged to protect them instead abandoned them all for the sake of their own worthless egos. When you arrive in Yomi, ask Kusakabe who I really am."
I give a mocking salute, middle finger extended, "さあ、さよなら片瀬帯刀。" (Well then, farewell, Katase Tatewaki.)
I shut off the comms unit as I quietly light up a J, grinding my teeth in frustrated anger.
God fucking dammit! At least he'll have the frustration over pondering my identity before he burns. If there's any karmic justice at all, I hope he suffers before he dies.
My timetable estimates were reasonably accurate. I really could have accelerated the entire rebellion into high gear with their resources.
Jerry was right. I really should have just let Cornelia steamroll these idiots.
"Sir! Incoming fighter jets and missiles detected!" a Black Knight spotter signals on our alert channel.
Missiles?! Shiiiiit. So you want to crush us in the JLF's death throes, Cornelia?
I take a deep breath. Okay, just need to check something.
...MWAHAHAHAHAHA! YES! It worked!
"Prepare for impact, I have a contingency plan!"
I dial up Cornelia and the G-1's signal. Let's see if this works. By now she's likely managed to retreat back to her base camp.
"Cornelia! Well played! So you're going to upend the table and bombard us like we did to you with the mountain?"
Nelly smirks as she looks at approximately where my eyes are, "Of course. Why should I waste my time and men trying to get to you, when I can bury you all under several tons of explosives?"
I grin maliciously, "Because, my dear Witch, I have you in check."
She frowns, raising a long eyebrow.
"Check? You don't have the men or the firepower to get to me."
I cackle sinisterly, "As you said, why waste time and men, when I can just use explosives?" I tap my chess-piece detonator.
An explosion rocks the G-1. The screen goes fuzzy for a brief moment.
"Pressure plate-sensitive explosives! Set to arm only when multi-ton weights are positioned on top of them. Weights such as, say, a G-1 base?"
Cornelia growls at me, "So it's another trap?"
I nod, "All I ask for is time to evacuate. I have no wish to spoil this game. We shall be gone within the hour. I'll disarm the explosives then."
Cornelia closes her eyes and taps her chin.
"Why not just kill me? That would be a great victory for the Elevens and the JLF."
I shake my head, "That wouldn't stop the missiles or the bombing run. And I won't sacrifice my men pointlessly. For your father, or perhaps Schneizel? Oh yes, I'd most assuredly consider it then. But I actually respect you. And who said anything about the JLF?"
I mime a spitting motion, "They're utterly worthless, aside from Colonel Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords. Katase has delusions of glory and I have no intention of joining him in his self-immolation. Regardless of what else happens today, we can agree that the JLF being finished is a benefit to both our sides."
Cornelia grimaces before laughing ruefully.
"Hahahaha. Well played, Zero. Very well. Consider today a draw. But you won't escape me forever. I'll see you on your knees in chains before me. I'll consider the JLF's demise as my pound of flesh for the day."
I bow slightly, "I might not be opposed to that sort of kink. And you may want to avoid the mountain itself; from Katase's last transmission, I believe he intends to detonate the base in an attempt to take your forces with him. I look forward to our next battle, General li Britannia."
I hang up the call and sit back in my seat, taking off my helmet.
"...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Got ya! I did calculate the possible locations for her to position the G-1. BUT NOT THE EXACT POSITION!
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
I couldn't be sure of the exact location, so I just put enough explosives to rock the G-1 at each location. In other words? A BLUFF!
"HAHAHAHA!"
She had no way of knowing that, of course. Which means I got exactly what I wanted by a false check position!
Of course, my brief sojourn into good humor fades as I consider the gain-loss ratio of this entire exercise...and find it wanting.
Had I enough time, the pressure mines WOULD have been of sufficient quantity to disable a G-1, rather than merely a high-risk bluff.
DAMN YOU TO THE SIXTY-FOUR HELLS, KATASE!
We got NOTHING OUT OF THIS! ARGH!
A beeping on my system alerts me that I'm being contacted by someone.
I furiously turn on the cam after re-donning my mask.
"WHAT?! Unless it's life-or-death important, I'm pissed off enough that I'm tempted to break your skull open and GORGE MYSELF ON YOUR CEREBRAL CORTEX AND BLOOD!" I vehemently rant, while my hands twitch in suppressed fury.
"Huh. Impressive. I do believe that's actually an original threat. Well done, Lulu. You've successfully threatened an immortal with something new," a sly, throaty voice responds with a sarcastic tone.
I sigh in relief as I see her smirking face, "Please, please tell me you met with some kind of success. Also, where are you?"
I see her tapping buttons. Probably verifying her position.
"About 15 minutes away from the rendezvous point. Sooo, how did it go?" she says slyly.
"The JLF is dead and good riddance. Katase is about to blow the—"
A massive explosive goes off in the distance, shockwaves buffeting the trees as the JLF's last hurrah finally goes off. Rocks and other debris falling from the sky.
Have a nice trip to Hell, General. Kaguya will be VERY interested in our last conversation. Probably useful for propaganda purposes too.
"...mountain. The man was...CC, how often have you encountered people who had a certain vision of things and refused to acknowledge any deviations? Someone stuck in the past with no self-conception whatsoever of their capabilities?"
"...Far more than I'd like to think about. Why that question?"
I beat my head against the wall panel, groaning.
"How often did you want to kill such people, and how often did you actually manage to follow through?"
I see her giggling at that. It's at times like this that I appreciate her sick sense of humor.
"Fewer than I'd like. Probably for the best, though. Wouldn't want to make too much of a dent in the global idiot population," she says wistfully with a wink.
I shake my head in amusement. She'd have almost certainly drop-kicked Chiba for drawing a gun on me.
She files her nails as I wait patiently for her report.
...Fuck. Something went wrong there too?!
I facepalm, "Okay, what happened? Clearly things didn't go according to plan for you, either."
She looks up, "Actually, I managed to get a decent-sized chunk of the research data. That wasn't the issue, though. It's the prisoner we acquired."
I lean forward eagerly, "Bartley?" my eyes lighting up with glee.
If she got Bartley, this entire bullshit waste of time might have been—!
"No."
I hang my head in a parody of a kicked puppy. I knew it was too good to be true.
"Code-R was almost completely cleared out. The only person still there was our prisoner, a data analyst who was erasing the hard drives."
She pauses in her narrative as her nose scrunches in thought, "On second thought, perhaps you should talk to him."
Saying that, she taps open a line on audio-only.
Rather confused as to why I need to talk to this guy, but okay.
"This is Zero, commander of the Black Knights. To whom am I speaking?"
A tired middle-aged voice responds.
"Zero, my name is Joseph Fennette, data analyst with the Britannian army, attached to the Code-R group. I wish to request asylum."
...What. The fuck?
