Armored Core belongs to From Software, Code Geass belongs to Sunrise
Since the ascension of Charles zi Britannia to the throne, the world was embroiled in war, as the Holy Britannian Empire, the United Republic of Europia, and the Chinese Federation fought for global supremacy. Their people fought for survival, duty, and/or glory, while their leaders just to fulfill their selfish desires.
Needless to say, in a world dominated by the warmongering, the greedy and the deceiver, there are those who saw chance to grow without bending the knee to those superpowers.
The Nest is a neutral association that profits of the death and destruction in this chaotic era, facilitating the negotiations between mercenaries of all kinds – from solitary assassins to security teams, up to rogue armies – and those in need of their talents. None of the Three Factions liked them, but they're considered a necessary evil due their efficacy and quick time of response.
An evil that will be purged once the battle is won.
When Britannia revealed the might of the Knightmare Frame (KMF) in the Second Pacific War in 2010 a.t.b., it was only a matter of time before the Nest welcomed those KMF pilots who were dissatisfied with their lot under the Factions.
These rogue pilots are known as Ravens. Pilots who obey no ideology, no nation, and no king, guided instead by their thirst of money, adventure, or battle.
It was in August of the year 2017 a.t.b. when it saw the rise of the infamous terrorist/freedom fighter/vigilante Zero, as consequence of the incompetence of Viceroy Clovis la Britannia that turned Area 11/Japan into a land where nobles, corporations, criminals, and insurgents fought a shadow war to secure their little fiefdoms in the lucrative region, with the Nest benefiting of this ordered chaos.
This is the tale of a mercenary whose operations in Japan started at the start of that year, who would be vital to the chain of events that would ignite the Black Rebellions.
A Raven seeking vengeance, a man known as Leos Klein.
Port Strike
Reward: 320000 £
Requester: Kirihara Industries, The Nest
This mission was assigned to you, to see if you have what it takes to be a Raven.
Kirihara Industries asked us to eliminate the strikers occupying Kawasaki Port before the Britannian Army gets involved.
Your targets are the Fourth Generation Knightmare Frames (KMF) and their leaders coordinating the Strike.
If you succeeded the assignment, not only you shall be welcome to the Nest, but also, you'll get your Security License from the Viceroy himself, giving you more freedom to accept contracts in Area 11/Japan.
The pilot looked at the debriefing for one last time, he smiled at the thought his future bosses were mindful to call Area 11 to its former name. Nevertheless, the thought that a well-known fop as Clovis la Britannia would give him "free" reign to kill anyone the Nest allowed made him chuckle a little.
As the train transport moved to Kawasaki Port, he looked his KMF. He knew he hit the jackpot back when he found an abandoned Gloucester after he went AWOL on Europia Unita by faking his death. Repainted with dark blue and grey, with a white "ST-21" painted in its left shoulder. It was armed with the standard Slash Harkens in its chest, the standard Britanian Assault Rifle held in its arms and a retractable Sword mounted in its left forearm, meant to cut apart any foe who got too close to it.
It wasn't much, but soon the custom KMF Annihilator will be worthy of its name.
"We're approaching the port." The driver of the transporter announced. "I suggest that you get inside your tin can right now."
The Knightmare pilot let out a breath. He liked his new war machine, but a part of him was still struggling he wasn't piloting a Panzer-Hummel anymore.
Once inside the KMF, he checked all systems and opened a channel with his operator.
"Leos Klein, reporting."
"Klein, is everything in order?" The now identified female of around twenty-something years old called from the radio.
"All clear, ma'am."
"Very good." The woman said. "I'm Lana, your operator for this mission. You should know the risks this mission means for you."
"I succeed, I'm hired. I fail, I'm dead."
"Good. ETA one minute to mission area."
"How may targets are present?"
"7 KMFs and five ringleaders, supported by technical vehicles and infantry." Lana replied. "As a tip, I suggest that don't waste ammo on the chaff unless you have no other option."
"Or the mission demands a total extermination."
"There's potential in you."
"Oi!" the train's driver interrupted them. "We're opening your container's door in thirty seconds. I'll rather not get my baby shot by angry terrorists."
"Clear, but you better wait for me in the evac zone." Leos said.
"Yeah, yeah. Give those Eleven pricks a spanking for me, will ya?"
"At least he's enthusiastic. Are you ready to for your new life?" Lana asked.
Leos gave a hard breath, gripped the handles, closed his eyes, and let his Knightmare do the talking.
"Main Systems. Engaging Combat Mode."
The door of the container opened, and Leos activated the Landspinners. Annihilator snipped away of the moving train, as gunfire from the defenders were already heard from the other side of the small forest.
"They're trying to hit the train, use it to your advantage." Lana said as Leos moved between the trees. Annihilator shifted its direction after Leos looked at his IFF and noted two Burais at the entrance of the port supported by two entrenched Heavy Machine Guns. Leos uses the Slash Harken to launch Annihilator faster at the left of the rebels, who just realized they were shooting at the wrong target when Leos fired his Assault Rifle at the nearest Burai.
It didn't take much to the Japanese KMF to blow up from the damage, taking its pilot to hell. Its partner looked at Annihilator just as the blue Gloucester stabbed in its chest, killing the pilot too. Leos then grabbed it and threw it at one of the mounted HWG, letting the explosion take it out too as Annihilator rolled away inside.
"Alarm! The Britannians are here!"
"They know you're inside." Lana stated the obvious. "A group of technical vehicles and infantry are trying to surround you."
Well, calling a raffle of angry workers 'infantry' might have been a little generous, but even so, the IFF confirmed Lana's warning about the technicals. A clash was investable.
Annihilator jumped and used the Slash Harken to grab itself to a metal archway, launching itself above the blockade of vehicles as it avoided the gunfire. Just to be sure, the KMF fired its rifle at the blockade, seeing it explode before its eyes.
Leos turns his machine around, his IFF warning him of two more enemy Knightmares getting close at him from the wreck of the blockade
"Since when the Brits are using blue KMFs?" one Burai pilot asked as he opened fire, Leos didn't bother to answer as he rolled at the pair, ducking the gunfire, and replying with some of his own, destroying one Burai. This time Leos tackled the other KMF to the floor and stabbed it with the blade.
It felt good being capable of to go close and personal.
"Three KMF targets left." Liana informed. "They are at the docks, along with the ringleaders."
Leos immediately moved Annihilator forwards the docks, ignoring the remaining gunfire from the remaining vehicles somewhat hitting the KMF. It didn't take much time before he arrived, and identified the last three Burais, and a small ship already leaving the port.
"They're getting away." Leos hissed, offended by the cowardice of the ringleaders
"One Burai has a rocket launcher." Lana informed, making Leos focus on the trio left.
Indeed, behind its friends the Burai prepared to fire at Annihilator, its own systems warning Leos that he was locked on by the enemy.
The Burai pulled the trigger, and Leos had to fire the Slash Harken at a gantry cane to avoid it. Leos immediately used the altitude to fire his rifle at one of the gunners Burais as he landed at the one armed with the rocket laucher. Leos forced Annihilator to shoot down the other gunner Burai then stab the downed KMF with the Sword. He grabbed the rocket launcher and fired the harken at another gantry cane to avoid the explosions.
"All KMF targets destroyed. Only the ship is left."
The gantry was wide enough, and Annihilator kneeled to properly aim with the rocket launcher.
"Hurry! It's leaving the combat zone!"
"Three, two, one…"
Leos pulls the trigger, and watches as the rocket strikes true, destroying the ship in one fell swoop.
He could hear the remaining rebels' despair as the ship was engulfed in flames, they weren't a threat anymore.
"All targets destroyed. I'll communicate the client he can mop up the rest." Lana said. "Well done, Leos. We'll make a Raven out of you yet."
Leos was already leaving the port when a squad of purple Sutherlands surrounded him. It was the goddamned Britannian Army.
"Hey! Since when we have Gloucesters here?" asked one of the pilots.
"Identify yourself." The lead Sutherland (which had a cape, because of course the Britannians would put it) pointed at the blue Gloucester. "What are you doing here."
"Raven Leos Klein. KMF Annihilator." The smiling pilot replied. "Just done doing the job you were supposed to do."
One of the Sutherlands tried to fire at Leos, but his leader ordered him to stand down.
"I assume the crisis in Kawasaki Port was contained." The leader of the cohort spoke.
"Yeah, Kirihara's own guards are detaining the survivors as we speak."
"Typical Elevens, they follow like dogs the scraps of their betters." Another pilot scoffed.
"In that case, you're free to go, merc." The KMF leader signaled his cohort. "Just don't forget who're your betters here."
"Loud and clear, sir." Leos waved them away and waited until he left them behind to utter his true thoughts.
"Assholes…"
"System switched to normal mode."
Leos let himself rest outside of Annihilator once the train started to go at the Tokyo Settlement, where he would live for the time being, three hundred thousand sterling pounds richer, while his KMF would hide somewhere in the abandoned metro, which only he and the Nest would know of.
"That was a nice scrapping out there." The driver – an old man, the newly appointed Raven noticed – came next to Leos
"Shouldn't you be driving this train?"
"I'm letting Junior get the hang of the business," the driver answered. "Area 11 may be a hellhole sometimes, but it has a bit charm on it that dragged the rest of my family here."
"Good for you…"
"Problems with yours?"
"They're dead, both of them. If I'm lucky, I'll join them after their murderers are nothing but dust to history."
"And who are the asshats responsible?"
"They're way out of our league, for now." Leos replied, not in the mood to talk with strangers.
"I see… never expected see a fellow Britannian working as a merc. Did you anger a noble or something?"
Leos resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't a Britannian – thank God – but a proper Englishman, descendant of those who considered Napoleon's almost tyranny an improvement compared to the old English royalty that would degenerate further into the bloodthirsty Britannia.
Still, he looked Britannian enough for the place. It sure made his life easier after faking the right papers.
"They forced me to make a suicide attack. I gave them a piece of my mind and I lived anyway." It felt really good punching his aristocratic Colonel in the nose before his last sortie as an EU goon.
"Well, whoever they're, I hope you give them a good beating like you did with the rebels today. See ya later." The driver left. Leos hoped that the train arrive to Tokyo soon.
"I suppose this is my home now." Leos looked at the door of the apartment at the center of the Tokyo settlement. It was night when the train arrived at the settlement and left him while it went to hide Annihilator. He had bought the apartment with the identity of 'Fritz Byne' – a lad who worked for a security firm – two weeks before and was thankful none of the building's administrators asked him too many questions.
Once inside, Leos threw his bag with his clothes to the floor, he opened his backpack and pulled out a laptop. He could leave the arrangements for later, he needed to see if the Nest approved him.
Once it was on, Leos inserted a devise shaped like a small box, from which an antenna rose up. Just to make sure the Britannians would not snoop into his business.
He opened an email account he made for irregular dealings. It showed three new messages. One from the Nest itself:
From: The Nest's Council
Re: To the new Raven
Congratulations into being accepted by the Nest. The Nest is an association that facilitates contacts between mercenaries and those who need their services across the world. That includes in the recent years the rogue KMF pilots known as Ravens.
Given the costly necessities to keep their KMFs operative, the Nest support its Ravens in relaying missions, KMF repair services, supply ammo, sell new KMF parts, etc.
We also relay information that may be considered of interest to our associates.
However, the Nest itself is neutral in the conflicts themselves. That means that we never interfere with the requesters or the individual Ravens. That goes the same for the other mercenary forces associated with us.
We also cannot get involved with whatever trouble you may cause with the mission requesters. Be aware of this.
Whatever our association is long or short depends entirely on your skill.
We'll be on touch.
-The Nest's Council.
"How ominous…" the pilot muttered at the last part. He went to the next mail, which held a familiar name from his days with the EU. He smiled as he read it.
From: Ed Weisz
Re: Welcome to Area 11
Welp, you made it after all.
As we agreed with the Nest, I shall be your analyst from now on, informing you about the possible consequences of your actions in Area 11. While the Ravens prey in volatile zones like here, even they don't want to be at the center of a new Emblem of Blood just yet.
While I will go into details as you advance your career, these are the Persons of Interest you must be wary of for the time being:
-Clovis la Britannia: Third Prince in line for the throne and Viceroy of Area 11. Great artist, godawful ruler. More interested into making monuments to his ego and the fallen Vi Britannia children while making the locals' life miserable. That said, his jobs are the best paying ones, but currently his favorite Raven is Evangel.
-Jeremiah Gottwald: Leader of the Eleven Branch of the Purist Faction, an elite cadre of racist snobs in the Britannian Army who, among other things, seek to abolish the Honorary Britannian system. If you get hired by them, expect assignments meant to ruin the low reputation the second-class citizens have. Knowing you though, he'll be the first on the list that will seek your death. He mostly uses Werehound as Raven of choice.
-The Black King: Biggest crime lord of the Tokyo Settlement. Outside of the JLF, he's the one calling the shots in the ghettos of the Area's center. Pimping, drug-dealing, protection rackets, you name it, he has his hand in it. His jobs are about punishing at the rivals, vigilantes and police members who make a stand against him. His preferred Raven is Wildcat.
-Tatewaki Katase: Major General and leader of the Japan Liberation Front (JLF). His group are the largest resistance group in Area 11, thanks to being the remnants of the Japanese Army who kept their discipline. However, they have been lagging behind in the last years and due to their own xenophobia, expect them to be more of a target than a clientele.
-Taizo Kirihara: Your first client, who also happens to be the leader of both Kirihara Industries and the Kyoto House, the latter being a group of elite Japanese industrialists and plutocrats who bowed to Britannia after the war. However, there are rumors they're financing the JLF and other resistance groups. It's true that he does not like his Britannian rivals trying to get his contracts with the Crown. Ironically, his most selected Raven is May Greenfield.
And that's it for now, I'll be on touch.
-Ed
P.S: If you're into chess gambling like most wealthy Britannians, STAY AWAY of one Lelouch Lamperouge. Trust me, he'll left you dry.
"Okay…" Leos mused. "I don't even like chess anyway." Still, he was glad that his old comrade from the EU days was fine. Then he went for the last mail.
From: Lana
Re: Congratulations
Well done, Klein. You're officially a Raven now.
I know you wanted to sortie in the Middle Eastern Federation instead, but despite your confirmed experience in the EU KMF Divisions, the Council judged you too green for that warzone. They felt you needed get a better hang on what being a Raven truly meant.
But fret not, they decided that I'll shall be your Operator from now on, and I have a feeling it won't take much time before you'll get enough clearance to accept the jobs that conflict. Who knows? Maybe you can get a shot at the Witch of Britannia herself.
We'll be on touch.
-Lana
That was… good? He had to keep completing missions and the Nest would consider him 'worthy' to hunt down his mortal enemies? It made sense, given the monsters he's after were a pair of tough cookies.
Still, step one achieved. He was a Raven now.
Would his family approve of his new life? Would his late squamates?
He knew they wouldn't, but it was the only way to avenge them.
He closed his account and clicked four images.
The first was a photo when he graduated to the KMF Divisions. His parents and his little sister were proud of his achievements, and so was himself. He could tell he inherited the short black hair from his father, while the blue eyes where his mother's.
The next was a photo of the Knightmare Frame that killed them during a Britannia-sponsored terrorist attack. The red warmachine with a Nine-Ball as its emblem above the destroyed city. It belonged to Hustler One, the First Raven.
The third photo was of himself, and the rest of the ST-21 squad of the IV Panzer-Hummel division celebrating after they drove back the Brits at the first weeks of the latter invasion of the Middle East Federation. They though they were invincible until the subject of the fourth photo arrived.
It was a press conference led by a purple woman with Britannian military attire, flanked by a pair of Generals and a pink-haired princess. It was Cornelia li Britannia, the Witch of that rotten empire. Even now, the people she conquered were condemned to be nothing but slaves or corpses.
Leos looked at the photos for what he felt were hours, until he felt the apartment was quaking until he realized it was his hands instead. He closed his laptop and went to unpack what was needed to get some sleep.
"It doesn't matter how much time it takes, and how many I have to kill." Leos Klein swore as he laid in the bed. "You bastards will pay for taking everything from me."
Honestly, I don't know why exactly I wanted to write this, I was already familiar with Code Geass some time before I got atracted to Armored Core, and some thinking led me to realize the somewhat similarity of both series. Sure, Code Geass was not a cyberpunk hellhole, nor Armored Core was a place where old-fashioned autocrats were messing with supernatural powers, but both settings are worlds dominated by violence and mechas, both driven by flawed human nature. So I wrote.
Please, read and review.