Interlude 21: The Puppeteer
I scowl as I make my way toward my private chambers and a secure communication system.
Euphie is being stubborn and headstrong. Any other time, I would be amused or think it was cute.
But not on this. Not when she's idiotically and recklessly endangering herself with this asinine stunt.
The worst part is I can't even blame that damn Eleven she has for a knight! Not only have I actually grown... somewhat fond of Suzaku, I can tell even HE is a bit leery of this foolishness.
Gilly feels the same way I do. Darlton, however? While Andreas thinks that Euphie's approach is flawed, he actually started arguing with me about the intent behind it.
Really? Giving rights to Numbers? A more asinine suggestion, I've never heard.
As if I would ever forgive the damn Elevens for killing Lelouch and Nunnally!
Clovis...regrettably, though I do miss him, I'm forced to admit I find myself caring less and less about over time. It really is for the best that Euphie never sees the full extent of what he degenerated to.
I march to the console, typing in my private encryption code, hoping for answers. And knowing full well it will be like squeezing blood from a stone.
I had asked Euphie why would Schneizel agree, because I know the man. Even after what he did to Suzaku, she still doesn't understand.
I sigh as I sit back in an ornate chair, a leftover from Clovis's decorations that I haven't found myself able to get rid of. Despite the tackiness of the gold enamel, the carvings of naked women adorning the legs, arms, and back, and the purple velvet cushions with swan feathers embroidered with his family crest? It really is a surprisingly comfy chair. And credit to my brother, the women depicted are done in a rather tasteful fashion and showcase a variety of body types and appearances.
The communication console beeps, indicating an incoming signal. And I brace myself for what promises to be an onerous, but necessary conversation.
"A pleasure to see you, dear Nelly. To what do I owe the occasion?"
No matter where he is, no matter what he's doing, he also has the same look on his face. A placid intrigued smile. An expression of a man carrying endless secrets, and hungering for more.
I know he has some familial affection for his siblings at least, though. His expression towards those of us he does like has a grain of truth to it.
"You know full well why I'm calling you, Brother Schneizel. What's going on? Why are you backing the SAZ?"
Britannia's Prime Minister sighs, putting down the tea he was sipping as he closes his eyes. My refusal to indulge in any niceties is a clear warning to him that I won't be put off and that this isn't a social call.
"You're upset with me for permitting this experiment of Euphie's."
I slam the console panel in front of me as I growl at him. "You're bloody right I'm peeved at you! What's your scheme, Brother?! You would never permit this unless you had something planned!"
The way he's smiling so serenely...the ponce KNOWS I'm right.
"Tell me, dear sister, have you been apprised as to what has happened in Area 18?"
My brain immediately slams on the brakes on my current train of thought. What the hell? "Brother...what happened in Area 18?" I growl at him.
He sighs melodramatically as he leans back in his chair, and for once, I glimpse a glimmer of annoyance on his fair features. "The late Viceroy Carleton was far less candid about the status of Area 18 than I would have liked."
Late Viceroy?! We lost a viceroy to that hellhole and nobody told me?! But more importantly!
"How?! I purged that entire Area's military! There was nothing left even capable of being a threat beyond suicide bombers or desert rats!"
I swear to God, if he died because of something stupid like getting blown by some random lunatic terrorist—!
Schneizel pinches the bridge of his nose as he lets a sigh out, "In a way, I suppose we are lucky it happened the way it did. It could have been far messier."
I master my frustration with an act of will and let a deep breath loose. We are after all, on the same side, and family besides. And this is clearly something troubling him as well.
The worst part is, the last I heard of him was that gift he sent me, the one I've had locked up and undergoing a refit under Asplund's eye.
"Tell me Nelly, what do you know of the Brotherhood of Nod?"
"Brotherhood"? Sounds like another one of those random terrorist groups that talks a good game but never amounts to much.
A chill runs up my spine as something about that rings a bell. That's what we thought the Black Knights were. And witness what they have become.
"Schneizel...Dear brother. What in the name of the Crown happened?" I whisper as I clench my fist, dreading the worst case scenario.
Another goddamned Zero!
My brother taps a button on his console, causing an after-action report to pop up on my screen.
"You need to understand, everything I am telling you now is pieced together after the fact, based on Carleton's private records, and what little information Intelligence could find on the Brotherhood."
I grimace, seeing the casualties. Wait...no. He couldn't have been that stupid. "Brother...Tell me Carleton wasn't using chemical weapons."
Bloody hell. A violation of the Tibetan Accords would be a propaganda coup for the Euros and the Chinese.
"No. Carleton, in that regard, was merely duped by local forces that hid their use of them. He applied standard policy regarding the regional warlords."
IE: Bribing, cajoling, threatening, etc, to make them police themselves. Not the best of tactics, but he was undermanned and it's a standard policy when opportunity presents itself.
"The problem, was that the local warlords formed a coalition called the 'Triumvirate', and they started using biological weapons against the Brotherhood."
I rub my forehead as I try to process the extent of this...what was that acronym the Darlton Boys liked to use, again?
Ah yes, SNAFU. Situation Normal, All Fucked Up.
"So after he found out they were using chemical weapons...wait. Why did you say biological weapons?"
Schneizel frowns in disgust, "Because one of the leaders of this group was a man with considerable talents in both chemical and biological warfare. His signature specialty was a particularly virulent strain of Anthrax."
Dear god...how did I miss these people? Was I truly in that much of a rush to finish the campaign and avenge Clovis?
...Of course I was. That had been my one and only consideration at the time. Breaking the entire country in a blitzkrieg so I could rush to Area 11 and finish off Zero.
And now the man I had put in charge, whom I had entrusted Area 18 to, is dead. And from the sound of it, he was deeply in over his head. A fact I no doubt exacerbated by plundering his veteran soldiers for my campaign here in the Far East.
"Brother Schneizel, it strikes me that we bear some small share of the blame, given our machinations to purloin his soldiers and replace them with green troops from the homeland."
"A fact that would indeed weigh heavily on my mind, Nelly, were it not for Carleton trying to contain the situation himself and this 'Triumvirate' being the start of the problems he faced."
...Oh god, what now?
"Carleton, of course, was appalled once he realized the situation he was in. But the problem was, the Brotherhood of Nod and their leader, a man known only as 'Kane', had managed to take over most of what was left of the Area's military forces, including several experimental Knightmares. One of which...I believe is in your possession, Cornelia?" He finishes with a raised eyebrow.
I should have expected this would come up eventually. I might as well lay my cards out on the table. After all, Brother Schneizel isn't the only one who can be sneaky.
"Yes, Carleton seized it from a research facility. Lacking a capable pilot to use it, he decided to send it to me after hearing of the difficulties I was having with Zero. Currying favor with me, obviously, but it was a gallant and magnanimous gesture all the same, one that I appreciated."
Schneizel smiles, but there's a hint of tightness to it. Ha, probably thinks I poached it from him.
"Oh, don't pout, dear brother. I'm having Asplund look it over now, I'm sure he'll happily forward whatever he comes up with to your teams in Camelot."
Don't ever say I never did you any favors, dear brother.
His face lightens as what I said reaches his ears. No doubt he's realized this is a olive branch to let him know that we are still family regardless.
That doesn't mean I won't tear a strip out of his hide later on in this conversation for sticking his nose into Euphie's airheaded idea, however.
"Well now, I am very appreciative for your generosity, Nelly. What will you be naming it, by the by? I assumed you changed the original name."
I smirk as I raise my own cup of tea, "Reginleif, it's Norse for 'Daughter of the Gods.' The original name was some Arabic something which I couldn't pronounce without contorting my mouth in some unseemly way. So I rechristened it with a proper Britannian name."
Asplund had wanted to call it the Guinevere or the Morgan Le Fay. Insufferable boor. As if I would allow my new steed to be named after my harpy of an older sister or one of the greatest traitors in our country's history!
"Moving on, Viceroy Carleton was in a particularly awful situation. And yet? He somehow managed to make it worse," my brother says with a tone conveying a hint of incredulity. Which for him, is an aghast expression on most people.
"How?"
He rubs his forehead, blonde locks over his eyes as he takes a moment to compose himself.
"He called in Luciano Bradley."
...I choke on my tongue a moment at that answer. Bradley?! Good God, why would he call that vile personage in willingly?
"Gods be damned, he was that desperate?"
Schneizel sighs, "Between this man Kane, who as you no doubt have surmised, was well on his way to becoming another Zero, the Triumvirate unleashing chemical weapons, and our taking his troops at the worst possible time? He was in a rather unfortunate pinch. Thus, he turned to his old friend, General Douglas MacArthur, and asked him for aid."
I grind my teeth as it falls into place, "And MacArthur was the man unlucky enough to be made Bradley's minder, trying to keep this mad dog muzzled. So he offered to try and get Bradley to sortie, knowing that the man couldn't resist causing the kind of bloodbath his presence would create."
"Quite. Bradley arrived with a crack team of OSI operatives and half a battalion before setting to his usual modus operandi."
I snort at that far too generous description of the man's methods, "You mean terrorism, barbarity, and depravity, brother."
Schneizel sighs and smiles at my turn of phrase, "Sir Bradley is technically on our side, so as much as I may agree with that definition of his activities in private, I cannot, of course, refer to it as such publicly."
My brother takes a sip of tea before continuing, "Upon arriving in Area 18, Sir Bradley began an investigation into the situation on the ground. And it rapidly became apparent that Viceroy Carleton had both drastically understated the problem, and was in fact unaware of the full extent of the powder keg he was sitting on."
This is getting tiresome. I want hard details, not his beating around the bush.
"Brother, get to the point, please. And do you mind if I smoke?"
He nods, smiling lightly at me, "Of course, feel free to indulge."
I reach into my desk, pulling out a cigar and my lighter. It was a gift from...my lady.
An engraved lighter with the words 'To my dear Nelly, whom I trust with my children, my life, and my heart.'
I strike up the flame, taking in a breath of tobacco before blowing a cloud at the screen.
"So Bradley found chemical weapons, a spring-trap for our forces, and a rebel leader readying himself for a hostile takeover. Have I missed anything?"
"That is a reasonable summary, dear sister. Bradley caught the scent of blood and went wild. There was a rather destructive battle, which ended in a victory for our forces when the leader of Nod, 'Kane', was immolated in his own Knightmare. A conflagration that also caused Bradley's own arsenal to detonate rather explosively."
I snort to myself, trying to suppress a laugh. Serves him right for carrying ordinance like napalm, flamethrowers, and thermite. His desire to see things burn finally caught up with him in deliciously ironic fashion.
"Well, well. So the problem is solved, and we tragically lost Sir Luciano Bradley? I'll be sure to send a bouquet of roses to his funeral...and I'll see that Kane has an honorable burial for his contribution to improving Britannia," I snark as I blow a smoke ring into the air.
...Damnation. That vaguely distasteful look of disappointment on his face says my hopes are almost certainly dashed.
"Sadly for all involved, he somehow managed to survive," Schneizel says with a heavy sigh.
I bite on the cigar, grinding my teeth. How in the bloody hell does that disgusting vermin manage to have the Devil's own luck?!
"I share your opinion, Nelly. I'm quite honestly at a loss to explain how he was not roasted to cinders myself. He's currently convalescing, but thanks to the wonders of Britannian medicine, will likely be back on the active duty roster soon enough to horrify us with his latest depravity. Last I heard, he was taking the death of General MacArthur rather badly."
We lost MacArthur to that rat's nest too? Is it too much to ask that Schneizel have some good news? Just something to set my mind at ease a moment?
"Is there any good news out of this, or are you just here to rain on my parade?" I say half jokingly, half asking seriously.
Schneizel chuckles at that remark, "Not much, I'm afraid. The only real upside is that Area 18 is no longer at risk. Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod are officially broken, and none of the remaining forces are any kind of threat. Fortunately, we were able to find a suitable Viceroy in the person of Laila, our heretofore lost sister.."
In other words, back to square one, where we thought we were all along after conquering the Area in the first place. Wait...Laila?! She's alive?! "What happened to her?! Why didn't she contact us?!"
At that, he gives me a very tired and fatigued look. Which on him, is a sigh and a slow shake of the head.
"My dear sister, Laila herself informed me that she had been held captive by NOD for the past few months. She only just escaped sometime ago during the confusion. I myself have been busy trying to get a handle on the various brush fires popping up as a result of the Vampire's rampage. As such, I am simply happy to have her back alive and intact."
I'm rather inclined to agree myself. As little regard as I have for Clovis after what he did? I still have a soft spot for little Pixie... And god help me, I'm so relieved I haven't lost another of the few siblings I actually care about.... "Very well, I'll contact her at a later date to check on her," I say, rubbing my forehead as I tap out the ash on my cigar, "Alright, enough of this sidetracking. I want answers, Schneizel. Why are you backing this three-ring circus that Euphie proposed?"
I know Schneizel. He's clearly up to something, and I swear to god, I won't let him use Euphie as one of his pawns.
"As you know, the war in Europe is currently at a stalemate. And I will likely be tied up here, negotiating a ceasefire so that both sides can recuperate. With Euphie's 'Special Administrative Zone'? We can undercut Zero's rebellion and gain ourselves time to fortify against him."
So I was right. He's playing games with my sister this time, instead of her knight.
"And if he hurts Euphie?" I hiss at him, the smoke from my cigar highlighting the smoldering flicker of flame in my gaze as our eyes meet across thousands of miles of distance.
"Heh, you forget dear sister. I gained a measure of Zero's character and personality during the Kyushu battle."
You callous blackguard..."At the cost of almost killing Euphie's Knight, an act for which she reprimanded you, and for which I asked you to leave Area 11, brother," I pointedly remind him. I doubt Euphie has forgotten what he did, despite what she said earlier.
His response, is a shrug and a raised eyebrow, "I find myself moderately surprised that you, of all people, are defending an Eleven, Cornelia. Have you not gone on tirades about the depravity of the Elevens and how none of them can be trusted?"
He isn't wrong. I have certainly railed against the Elevens for what they did to Lelouch and Nunnally. Indeed, they were merely the foremost targets of my hatred for Numbers. However...
"I have seen Suzaku Kururugi's valor and character for myself, Schneizel. And...I admit I was wrong. Not all Numbers are worthless scum. Euphie has chosen a noble and courageous man to be her Knight. One that even someone as dedicated in their crusade against Numbers as myself, must concede is an exemplary knight."
"Ha. Ha ha ha..."
I never thought I would say those words. But it is the truth. It's hardly that amusing, though. "Something prick your sense of humor, brother?"
He covers his mouth to stifle his chuckle a moment, and then looks at me with an appraising eye.
"Your change of heart, dear sister. I do find myself curious about that broadcast you did with Zero some time ago."
I knew someone was going to give me grief for that. I've been expecting a call from him or someone back in the homeland about my standing shoulder to shoulder with a terrorist.
And yet...? I don't regret it in the slightest. Something about that masked madman seems to click with me.
"I am the Viceroy of this Area. How I conduct my affairs is my own business, Prime Minister."
My using that title signals that my patience is wearing thin and I want answers. Answer that are always frustrating to extract from Schneizel.
"As I was saying, I had a hunch and it paid off. Zero is a man who, publicly at least, holds to the tenants of honor and justice. To do harm to Euphemia would poison his reputation permanently."
My brother sits back, a look of triumph upon his fair features, "Trust me, Nelly. I'm almost certain I know exactly what Zero is up to."
I puff away at my cigar, my thoughts racing. Truly, brother? You really think you understand that man? I'm far less certain of that prospect than you are.
Zero is a man of intense convictions. While I do not believe he will hurt Euphie, this does not feel like a check. Rather, it feels like a forcing move. Something designed to force him to react.
The question is, what move are you trying to force, Schneizel?
