Chapter 6: Spring's Tempest

Alternative Chapter Title: No Plan Survives First Contact With the Enemy

The Knightmare frame is without a doubt, the greatest scientific achievement in recent history. When the knightmare frame first arrived on the battlefield, it slaughtered the opposition. The common thought was that a single knightmare frame was equivalent to an army. Such a belief is foolish, but that thought changed the way Britannia approached combat for the next decade.

In many ways, the knightmare frame is the Britannian ideal of combat and honor. As winning a knightmare fight was a matter of skill and dependent on the capability of the machine, it exemplifies the idea of a single worthier soul. The ejection system allowed for a conclusive defeat without the risk of injury or death. The knightmare frame was the solution to the War of Honors and the multitude of Noble Heirs that were severely wounded and thus discarded by their family. But all the factors that led to Britannia enthusiastically adopting the knightmare frame, also spelled the end to Britannia's military might.

—The End of the Golden Age of Knightmares by Lelouch Lamprouge (2014)

Britannian Military Base, Tokyo, Area 11

Marianne detested the Elevens. The sun had barely begun to peak over the horizon when scouts detected enemy movement and she had been forced to wake up. Her entire body ached, but such pains had to be ignored for the good of Britannia. She had terrorists to deal with: the remnants of the Japanese army and riled up civilians. The government may have surrendered, but that meant nothing to the savages.

She swallowed the scalding coffee and looked blearily at the gathered officers. "What is the situation?"

Lord Oberstein spoke up first. "Scouts saw troops assembling on the E4. The morning fog hasn't cleared up yet, so it is hard to tell their numbers. We can only assume this is a last desperate measure to retake Tokyo."

Only fools would undertake such a suicidal mission. Despite having superior numbers, Britannia would win any engagement due to their knightmares. There was no weapon that could stand up to the might of a knightmare. Suicidal. Marianne shook her head. Elevens were inferior to the Britannians, but surely they weren't that stupid? Britannia wouldn't lose Tokyo, even if it meant burning it to the ground with the terrorists in it.

Marianne straightened in her wheelchair and gazed at the officers dismissively. "How did they get past our troops? From what I understand, General Katase is up North fighting Cornelia."

"We don't know," said Lord Mayer. "It should be impossible, yet the troops are there. It could be they hid while our armies swept North."

"Cowards," commented Lord Agner. The rest of the officers nodded in agreement.

Marianne took another sip of coffee. She just wanted the war to be over so she could meet up with her two precious children, but until that could happen, she would make the Elevens pay for delaying her and brainwashing her sweet little angels. "What sort of aerial power do we have?"

Lord Agner looked down at his papers. "We've got three bombers that need maintenance and one reconnaissance plane. The rest have been sent to deal with Area 10."

That was rather unfortunate. They still had knightmares, but they weren't impervious. "Send out the reconnaissance plane once the fog fades. I want accurate intel on their numbers and movement. And someone call Lord Ashford."

Lord Newton frowned. "Are you sure we need him your highness?"

Marianne glared at the Two standing by the door and she scurried off to fetch Reuben. She shouldn't have to explain herself. "Lord Ashford is going to be the Margrave of Tokyo. All that is left is for the paperwork to be properly filed. The Emperor has already signed off on it."

Nobody dared to question her, but she could feel their animosity. It seemed some things would never change. To many of them, she was still the commoner brat who had seduced the Emperor. From a businessman's daughter to an Empress, she had come further than she ever dared to dream. She and Charles would break the cycle of hatred and finally bring peace. Once they succeeded with the Ragnarok connection, she wouldn't have to deal with such foolish men.

Reuben strode into the room, his face unusually serious, and bowed. "Your highness."

"Sit down Reuben, please. I'm sure you have heard about the situation along the E4?"

He sat down, ignoring the glares he received from the other nobles. "Of course. I assume you have a plan in mind?"

There was a reason she liked Reuben beyond the debt of gratitude she owed him. He was always quick on the uptake. "Despite the surrender of the Japanese government, the Elevens continue to fight on. This is, quite simply, due to the government surrendering before we had the chance to show the true might of Britannia. It was quite the ingenious plan the Prime Minister came up with."

Lord Oberstein leaned back and rolled a coin between his fingers. "You mean psychological warfare? We do need enough Elevens for mining operations on Mt. Fuji."

"Exactly correct. The Eleven army will head along the E4 and into Saitama. I don't want to damage Tokyo anymore so we will be taking the fight there. We'll send out a few sections who will plant explosives. Lord Newton, your men will round up some Elevens, preferably women and children. Fifty should do."

Reuben crossed his arms, looking slightly disturbed although she couldn't fathom why. "And what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to make sure that the bombers are fully operational. I also want you to prep my knightmare."

His eyes narrowed. "You're stressing your body with the Nevere system. I'm asking you to consider your health. There will be detrimental effects."

"There is no need to worry."

Reuben clenched his teeth and glared at her, before taking a deep breath. He glanced at the others and pursed his lips. "We haven't had the time to rigorously test the Nevere system. We know nothing about the long term impacts. And I know that you think fatigue and sores are negligible, but eventually your body won't be able to keep up. Please, take it easy so I can monitor your health. You haven't fully recovered from the assasination attempt."

Fortunately he didn't elaborate. If others knew that she slipped into comas, she would be perceived as weak, vulnerable. For her children's sake, she couldn't afford such knowledge to get out. It made sense for Reuben to worry, not knowing she did it deliberately every time she activated her Geass. There was nothing to worry about. She had a clean bill of health.

"The faster I finish in Japan, the sooner I can rest."

Saitama, Area 11

The fog did not fade. Marianne cursed to herself quietly as she observed the orange fog rolling forward. The enemy was purposefully obscuring their movements and lighting fires to mask their heat signatures from infrared. She was leading her men blind and it did not please her. Still, with all the fog, the enemy could not see clearly either, which leveled the playing field.

Her radio crackled and a frantic voice screamed, "Knightmare! The enemy has knightmares!"

Marianne looked up again and watched in horrified awe as the silhouette of a Glasgow appeared. Had there been a leak? But if the plans had somehow reached the Japanese, surely they would have been more prepared for their invasion? It didn't make sense and she narrowed her eyes at the silhouette as her troops began to scatter in panic. A small company charged forward, intent on ending the threat.

"Stand your ground," Marianne shouted. The enemy had revealed their ace, but why? It would have been more advantageous to keep it back and let it crush their forces when they overextended.

Four knightmare pilots ignored her. A blast exploded from the ground and Marianne watched in horror as the knightmares were shredded to bits. "Reuben. How?"

Reuben's own voice was filled with horror. "Sakuradite. But it shouldn't be that... volatile."

An army hadn't gotten past Cornelia. This was a small force relying on ambush tactics to tackle a much larger force. Distraction. Deception. How long had it been since she fought such a battle? They had all gotten rusty fighting in War of Honors where such cowardly tactics were looked down upon. The Japanese flag rose above the fog.

"Lord Newton. Release a couple prisoners. Make sure they see the see the flag."

Her cold eyes watched as twelve prisoners dashed across the landscape, so eager for safety, they never bothered asking why. No further traps were triggered and they disappeared into the fog. Were the traps weight sensitive? Remote controlled? Or had they just been lucky?

"Lord Newton, I want one knightmare accompanied by a couple prisoners. Make sure the enemy can see. And don't let them escape alive."

The Glasgow rolled across the ground slowly while the Elevens desperately tried to run for freedom. Just before they reached the fog, the pilot gunned them down. It was a befitting fate for such weaklings. After this show, no Eleven would ever dare to rise up again and her two wonderful children would be safe.

Should she sacrifice the pilot to determine the nature of the battlefield? "Lord Newton. Order the pilot to stay there. Have one other pilot follow the same route to back him up."

Against such a weak enemy, there was no reason to sacrifice troops blindly. The second pilot joined up with no casualties. So, they had been lucky. Or perhaps there was only one bomb to make them hesitate. What was the enemy's objective? Such a paltry force could never reclaim Tokyo. They were like a persistent mosquito, annoying because they kept dashing out of reach, but ultimately harmless. The enemy didn't attack the knightmares.

The enemy's knightmare was fake, a distraction. Her entire army was delayed fighting phantoms. Where was the real threat?

Lord Oberstein's voice crackled to life. "The base's security system has been triggered your highness."

Assassins intent on taking out an enemy commander. For not being Britannian, that plan was rather clever. Fortunately they didn't know that she fought on the battlefield and yearned to show her skills. She would never miss the thrill of battle.

"Lord Newton. Have your men follow the safe path and attack the enemy. Bring me their leader alive. I will destroy the people's last hopes."

The two pilots surged forward and a thin line of knightmares rolled forward through the safe zone. She would need a bomb squad after the battle was done, but the uncertain terrain was just an annoyance. The fight was over.

"Everyone else, fall back to Tokyo." She would punish them for trying to kill her and it served as an excellent opportunity to prove her strength to the Numbers. After this, the Elevens would be cowed and their proud spirit broken.

Tone River, Near Saitama, Japan

Tohdoh smirked as he watched the explosion go off in the distance and his men slowly sneaked back to the Tone River. He had bought his men five hours, but his little deception would soon be over. The enemy commander was Marianne vi Britannia and he would never underestimate her. One of the privates, Saito with hair that defied gravity, rushed over to him, trailed by another private aiding a couple civilians. One of them, a woman clutching her small infant son, gazed at him with adoration.

"Sir, we have a problem," said Saito. "They were using civilians as human shields. We need to go back."

Tohdoh frowned as his men helped guide the civilians into the small boat. His heart felt heavy. Why hadn't he expected such tactics? Britannia did not care for his people. The wise choice would have been to abandon them, but Suzaku, Nagisa, and his infant son were in Tokyo. He had sought to protect them, but had he condemned them instead?

"I will only take volunteers. Someone inform Lieutenant Iki that I am putting him in charge. He knows the plan." Hopefully Lieutenant Iki would be able to adapt. He needed it to work.

One of the privates on the boat nodded. "I will inform him sir. And thank you. Good luck."

Saito gave a stiff bow. "I volunteer sir."

The men who hadn't board the boat all stepped forward, volunteering for the mission. Tohdoh pulled out his worn subway map. There were too many tunnels to guard effectively, so with some luck, they should be able to sneak into Tokyo. The actual rescue mission would have to be improvised.

Laying down the map, he let his volunteers gather around. Pointing to the map, he began to explain. "The Brits will be looking for our army after they discover the deception. I don't know how long it will take, but they should realize that we took the river. It is the only effective means of transportation that would bypass their military surveillance. That means that Marianne will lead the fight against Narita, hopefully reducing the security around Tokyo. That is when we move in. We will have to blend in with the civilians and hope that it is too cumbersome to take hostages to the battle on Narita and that an opportunity presents itself."

Saito frowned and looked at the red head next to him. "If we die, I'm doing it besides you Kudo."

Kudo laughed shrilly. "What's left to live for besides each other? But if you die for me, I will fight the Shinigami."

Pulling out a pack of pokki, Tohdoh offered it to his men. "No dying. We cannot save anyone if we're dead."

They nodded sincerely and a grim silence settled over them as they cleaned up their encampment. They would be traveling on foot to avoid attention. It was a ten hour long hike. Tohdoh sent a quick prayer to Bishamonten, hoping that the god of fortune and war could hear him. He needed all the luck they would get.

"Let's head out. We don't want to be here when Britannia arrives." The soldiers nodded at his words, and fell behind him as they began the jog to find a subway tunnel.

They arrived in Tokyo as the sun began to set while storm clouds began to gather. Tohdoh slipped through the subways, thankful that his map wasn't entirely up to date, as it showed tunnels that were under reconstruction and therefore unnoticed by Britannia. That was the only piece of good fortune granted to him and his team. Britannia was on high alert with soldiers patrolling the street at every turn.

Briefly, he considered finding Nagisa and seeking shelter with her, but he dismissed that thought, shaking his head. There was no need to endanger his wife and infant son, Ko. He had to hold onto hope that they were alright and staying out of trouble. They still had a chance to live, even if he failed here. Nagisa, Ko, and Suzaku would stay safe in Tokyo, out of danger's way.

Saito shook his head as they snuck into sewers. "And I thought the clothes we filched from the trash were bad."

"Oh shut up," Kudo replied as he climbed down the ladder. "This is mostly a storm drain anyway."

"You know, I could almost imagine you aren't a red head with all that mud."

Tohdoh rolled his eyes at the bickering trio. He could feel the air getting more humid. "We need to find a safe house soon. The storm isn't going to wait for much longer."

The men glanced at the faint waning light through the gutter and shuddered. Rain could be torrential and in such tight quarters: deadly. The wind began to whistle as it danced between the buildings. Tohdoh pulled his stolen coat tighter and checked that his pistol was still safely tucked away. A tank rolled down the street causing the tunnel to shudder. They didn't have much time.

Small splashes echoed through the stone tunnel. His men froze, letting the water gently lap against their worn boots, the only part of the uniform they hadn't discarded. Saito drew his pistol and the wind howled again. The splashes got louder.

A young woman, barely into adulthood stared at them with wide eyes. She was dressed plainly, but Tohdoh could see the small imprints of bladed weapons through her clothes. Saito aimed his gun at her and the small red dot danced on her forehead.

Tohdoh stepped forward, the murky water shifting around his feet. "Who are you?"

Her eyes narrowed and he could see her preparing to fight. There was something unsettling about the way she held herself and he was reminded of some of the servants in old wealthy families. "Just a simple maid sir... You're part of the Japanese army."

Apparently, she was one of those strange maids that served the rich. It didn't ease Tohdoh's worries. "We don't mean to cause you any trouble. Do you know where we could find a place to wait out the storm?"

The maid frowned, her brown hair drifting through the wind. Her eyes darted between him and his men: deliberating. Finally, she reached a conclusion, and to his surprise, kneeled down in the water. "Sayoko Shinozaki at your service. Do you promise to help liberate Japan and its people?"

Shinozaki? That name was vaguely familiar. He frowned. There had been a Shinozaki employed by Kururugi-Shushou. Hadn't General Katase's personal assistant also been named Shinozaki? He died several years ago from what he remembered. Was she a kunoichi? An assassin?

"I, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, do solemnly swear to work to liberate Japan and protect its citizens."

Sayoko nodded and he could see the tension draining out of her body. She pulled out a kunai and the deadly edge gleamed in the faint light. She flipped it in her grip and blood trickled down the blade. "Then my blade is yours. May it strike swiftly in the darkness and eliminate your opponents."

Small drops of rain began to patter on the streets above them. Tohdoh swallowed his trepidation. He was not of a noble family. He was a man of common means. Such a contract should be offered to people greater than himself, but there was no one else. It would be foolish to forsake such an asset because of propriety.

"I accept your service."

Sayoko smiled and straightened. "I have a safe house. We can wait out the storm there."

They stared at her, and watched as she walked past them confidently, in the direction from where they came. Saito shot him an indecipherable look and Tohdoh shrugged. They would have to trust her. She seemed to care for Japan, but that could all be a ruse. One could never trust a ninja.

Tokyo, Area 11

Marianne looked over the summary and the various troop reports. The infiltrators had entered the base with apparent ease, leaving a string of bloody bodies behind. Numerous knights and smaller lords were dead, but they had obviously not been the true target. Her own personal aid, Agatha, was found in Marianne's bed. It filled Marianne with righteous anger that the enemy would strike against those who weren't engaged in the war. Agatha had been innocent and in charge of her schedule.

Every noble was on high alert. The death was a warning. It said that anyone could be next. The assassin and his team had to have been highly skilled to cause such wide spread carnage and to only trigger the alarms on the way out. Yet, even more irritating, was the report from Lord Newton.

The terrorists had apparently fled down the river meaning they had split their forces between Tokyo and Saitama to conduct a two pronged attack. The unknown commander was a subtle genius. Shaking her head, she authorized Lord Newton to continue to track the terrorists. She needed answers and the only way was to find the commander who had disappeared down the river with his men.

Someone knocked on the door and Marianne set down her fountain pen as she nodded to the guard standing by the door. Lord Oberstein stood in the doorway and stepped into the room, his eyes feasting on her rather spartan surroundings. Marianne waited for his belated bow and wondered if it would be too rude to immediately dismiss him. While he had saved Reuben from embarrassment, Lord Oberstein's involvement reeked of a greater plot.

It was a pity that the man never seemed to confide in anyone otherwise Marianne would have used her Geass on one of his subordinates to learn of his plans. The man was too paranoid for such a tactic to ever work which left Marianne with the old fashioned solution: talking.

Lord Oberstein finally bowed. "Your highness. The infiltrators have disappeared completely, as if they were never there. My team has been unable to salvage the security footage. Considering their apparent skill, it is possible they will strike again. As you are the intended target, your highness, I suggest you move to a more secure location."

And then Lord Oberstein would take control of the military. Marianne leaned back in her wheelchair. "No. I will be staying here. Lord Newton is occupied, but Lord Agner is watching the Eleven prisoners. The Elevens are hiding the terrorists and for that, they will be punished."

Hidden behind his impassive face, Marianne could see a small pleased smile forming. He always did understand what she intended to do. It was a pity that she couldn't trust the man. Perhaps in another lifetime, they could have been friends. Lord Oberstein bowed. "I will set up the executions my lady."

She smiled and glanced back at her papers, before paging her new assistant. "Janice, please ask Lord Ashford to come to my office."

The judging stare from Lord Oberstein drilled into her. "Your highness, it may not be my place, but showing such blatant favoritism will only paint a target on Lord Ashford's back."

"Reuben is a close friend of mine. It is only fair to reward such service."

"But he has only ever been loyal to you, your highness. Many within the court are displeased that he continues to grow in influence despite his neutrality in the Emblem of Blood." Oberstein glanced at the guard and she could see him frown. "Furthermore, he clearly does not have the aptitude for command. He is too softhearted to be effective."

Marianne simply smiled. "Noted Lord Oberstein. But considering we should be wrapping up here in a few weeks and I trust Cornelia will handle the situation in the North soon, Area 11 will no longer be under the oversight of the military. It is only fair to give Reuben the opportunity to handle his estates at home before he must deal with Tokyo. Dismissed."

While not visibly satisfied, Lord Oberstein left. Reuben was always nice and transparent regarding his intentions. He was a breath of fresh air in the subterfuge of the court, part of the reason Charles forgave Reuben for not supporting his claim to the throne. Marianne tapped her pen on the desk and sighed as ink lightly sprayed her papers. Despite the common sentiment, he wasn't weak. If he wasn't so preoccupied with the design of the knightmare, Marianne would recruit him for the Ragnarok plan.

Princess Guinevere might have intended for Reuben to fail by becoming the Margrave of Tokyo, but Marianne was eager to see him prove his mettle. Reuben's brilliant mind would bring about great change to Britannia and he might be the only one who was capable of handling the Elevens who were proving themselves incredibly stubborn.

Tokyo, Japan/Area 11

Suzaku listened to Chiba's quiet breathing as he stared at the ceiling. Chiba had found the abandoned apartment in the outer portion of Tokyo. Another small family, occupied the neighboring rooms. The previous owner was probably dead. Every few minutes a military patrol would sweep by, illuminating the cracks and bullet holes. In the corner of the room stood a makeshift bed and Suzaku could hear little Ko's whistling as he tried to breathe through a clogged nose. Another truck passed by and the bullet holes glared at him accusingly. Why was he allowed to survive?

He reached out to rearrange his pillow, his hands shaking. Lelouch's mother, Bloody Marianne as the people called her, had held the first execution at noon. Chiba had tried to protect him from the news but the other refugees in the building talked in hushed scared voices. Apparently they were Elevens now, no longer Japanese.

He had been proud to be Japanese, but then he killed his father. Japan was no more, they had surrendered and as long as the military fought, the civilians would suffer. Marianne, sweet Nunnally's mother, would kill them all in order to ensure peace. There was no hope for anyone. Ko, Chiba, Tohdoh, Kaguya... they would all die.

Marianne's demands rang through his head: one person to be publicly executed every six hours as long as the terrorists remained at large. Only one person needed to step up and sell out his own people to stop the execution. Anything useful to the military would be accepted. The question was who would go first? Who would be betrayed when the next mother was ripped away from her child and dragged in front of the firing squad. He could save one person. The son of the Prime Minister was surely of use. But he had promised Lelouch... and he didn't want to die. Was he a coward? Constantly seeking to survive while his people died around him? He had killed his father to save the people, but they were still dying because he didn't have the strength to turn himself in.

Suzaku stood up and pushed aside the thin ragged blanket. Feeling around the dark, he walked outside into the fresh night air. The storm had finally purged the lingering smell of death and blood. Water guzzled through the drain and Suzaku shivered as the wind tugged at his clothes and fled towards the sea. He had heard of the miraculous escape of the Japanese army in the Nagisa mountains. Tohdoh had been successful although Suzaku missed his teacher. At least he was safe. No one knew where the army was hiding, not even Chiba.

"Hey kid! What are you doing over here?" shouted a female soldier.

Suzaku froze as the guttural English words swept over him. She sounded nothing like Lelouch. Suzaku turned, grateful for the low lighting conditions. "Sorry ma'am. I couldn't sleep."

The soldier stopped before him and he could make out purple hair escaping the gray helmet. He fidgeted as the masked face stared at him. "You're an Eleven."

He was wasn't he? Japan didn't exist anymore. He stared at the ground submissively. He shouldn't have gone outside. "Yes ma'am."

"You're English is quite good. Almost thought you were a rich Britannian there with that accent." His stomach growled. She took off her helmet and her hair clung to it as she held it under her arm. "Let us get you some food kid."

"But I'm an Eleven?" He was a murderer, a coward, unworthy. She should kill him. He had promised not to die.

"And I'm a Two. Give it a few years and everything will settle down. I'm Eira kid, what is your name?"

"Suzaku." He was an idiot. Surely she would recognize his name. "I could stop it you know."

Instead Eira smiled, sat down on the curb, and handed him a protein bar. "Suzaku. Nice name kid. And don't feel so guilty. There's nothing you can do kid. Just wait it out. It's not your fault." He began to cry and she froze, before awkwardly patting his back. "Look Suzaku. I promise I won't tell anyone. Just get it off your chest. Nobody will die because of you."

The despair burned through him and he choked as he tried to breathe in and calm himself. "I could turn myself in. I'm the Prime Minister's son. She would love to kill me."

Eira drew him into a harsh hug. "Kid. Nobody cares who your father is. You're not a terrorist. Don't die... And lose the posh accent. You're never going to blend in with the other Numbers if you speak English like a Noble."

He hiccuped and felt himself relaxed. She was a good person. "You sound like Lelouch. He taught me. He would be so mad at me right now. Crying. He never cries, he just keeps moving forward."

"Was he a good friend?"

"The best."

Her hand patted him on the back and Eira slowly drew away. "I hope he won't prove himself to be like other nobles. Numbers are always on the bottom of the totem pole and nobles don't associate themselves with us." She paused and kicked a small rock. "We're dirty to them. They grow up looking down on us."

Would Lelouch and Nunnally no longer care for him? He wasn't useful to them. And Lelouch was always so smart... Lelouch didn't need him. His shoulders drew in and he hugged himself. "He is my best friend."

She sighed and pulled out her wallet, passing him a couple crumpled banknotes. "You're a good kid. The only way to survive as a Number is by becoming an Honorary Britannian. Save that money. A couple pounds should be enough to bribe your way in, despite your heritage. At least you can marry some commoner this way and become a full citizen. Stay alive kid... and go back to bed. Technically curfew is still in effect."

Eira put her helmet back on and stood up. Suzaku watched her go, never looking back. There were good people, kind people, in Britannia, in the army. His fingers curled around the banknotes, squeezing them tightly. Eira believed in him. It was enough. Someday, he would find a way to pay her back for her kindness. For now, he had a home to return to and a future to consider. Stuffing the banknotes in his pocket, Suzaku began the frigid walk back to the broken apartment.

Author's Note:

Sorry for not posting last week and no worldbuilding notes this time. Not sure if people actually want them? Thank you x1tears1X on FFN for your help with this chapter. If anyone else wants to beta, just ask? :)