Note: Do you like Bleach? Come check out my other fanfiction, The Lost Secrets of the Quincy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. It belongs to its creator. I only own this little fanfiction, and a few books.

Chapter 9

Aya

"And Prince Odysseus?" Lloyd asked. I sat in my wheelchair next to Shi-chan as Suzaku, Gino, Anya, Cecile, Lloyd, and Shi-chan conversed over the next move.

"He seems to have calmed down. He's resting now." answered.

"Then, once the float unit replacement for the Lancelot is complete, I will rescue the Empress." Suzaku said.

"Further military action would require a request from the Chinese Federation."

"I understand that, but…" Suzaku began.

"Your duty right now is to make sure my Fiancée is alright." Shi-chan interrupted, putting his hand on mine. I remained silent, praying in my head for Lelouch, Kallen, and the Empress to remain safe.

"Milly-chan!" I cried. Milly sat on the couch with Anya.

"Aya-chan!" Milly cried, helping me transfer from my chair to the couch next to her carefully.

"Long time no see!"

"You too." I said. "How is everyone?"

"Well, everyone's fine…How are you?"

I put my hand on my abdomen.

"It still pains me a lot lately, but it's starting to get better." I answered. Suzaku came into the room.

"We're still on stand-by." He told us. He sat down next to me.

"I see." Milly said. "Hey, Suzaku, Aya, did you know? About Lord Earlstreim's cell phone pictures?"

Anya showed Suzaku and me the pictures.

"Is it okay?" Suzaku asked.

"Yeah." Anya answered. She showed a slide show of the welcoming party for Suzaku at Ashford Academy.

"How nostalgic…" I said.

"Ah, right. You guys came to my welcoming party. Oh, this is bad for the sake of privacy." Suzaku said as he saw Gino's and Anya's pictures.

"Ah, Lelouch." Suzaku then said. My hands clenched into fists.

It wasn't an act. I could not believe Suzaku had known. And he did not tell me.

"Lelouch?" Anya asked. I tried hard not to cry. Each time Lelouch's name was repeated, another knife stabbed my chest.

"What's he doing?" Suzaku asked. "Shirley's there for crying out loud."

"Right?" Milly said mischievously.

"Ah, that's right." Suzaku said. "We're getting confirmation right now for your contact with Ashford."

"I see. No can do, I guess." Milly said. "I bet they're all worried about me…Lelouch and everyone…"

I whimpered quietly when Milly said Lelouch's name. I stood up, ignoring the pain in my stomach.

"I…I need to go to my room for now…" I said, my voice shaking. Suzaku gasped.

"Aya! Oh, I'm sor-"

I never heard him finish, because I was already gone.

"Aya!" Suzaku yelled, running after me.

"Leave me alone." I said childishly.

"Aya, I'm sorry!" Suzaku said, grabbing my wrist to stop me.

"Let go of me, you traitor!" I yelled. Suzaku did just that, obviously pained by my words.

"Aya…I'm so sorry no one told you…I…"

"You what? When were you actually planning to tell me this? What were you afraid of? That I would break off the engagement? Well, I'm not, so you can leave all those worries behind!"

"Aya…" Suzaku said, trying to piece together a sentence that would make me stop being angry with him. I crumpled to the ground, sobbing and coughing.

"I thought you would tell me everything, yet you led me to believe such a huge lie…" I whimpered.

"Aya…" Suzaku said, kneeling next to me. He put his hand on my shoulder.

I really didn't have the strength to shrug his hand off. I was too heartbroken.

"Aya!" Milly cried, kneeling next to me as well. "Aya, it's okay, please, this isn't good for your health…"

I embraced Milly, calming myself down. She stroked my hair as if she was a mother. I remembered back at the Academy when she would do the same when I'd cry.

Suzaku couldn't help but just stay there, a guilty and sad look on his face.

Lelouch

"Black Knights, all units prepare for battle!" I cried. "There is little difference in altitude, so we can't expect any terrain advantage. Therefore, the only choice the Chinese Federation has is…"

I thought for a moment.

"The center!" I cried, after I had figured it out. Toudou went ahead and attacked the only good Knightmare from the Chinese Federation, Shen Hu. The rest of the Chinese advanced towards us.

"Zangetsu will take on Shen Hu!" Toudou cried, fighting Shen Hu.

"We have to put the enemy commander in check! Team Akatsuki, fire away!" I yelled.

"They've broken through our center!"

"Where's the enemy's main camp?" Ohgi cried.

"Still ahead."

"Very well, conditions have been cleared. Begin counter-attack!" I ordered. "Right flank, Chiba's forces! Left flank, Asahina's forces! Adopt pattern Sigma. Prepare for support fire, maintain barrage fire on enemy main camp, and destroy the forward units! Have Shen Hu use up all of its energy, for is we take down Xing Ke, victory will be ours!"

"We'll have you return Karen to us!" Ohgi cried.

I laughed as the canal collapsed, surrounding my soldiers.

"Xing Ke. Your strategy was the canal's collapse? But I reduced the amount of water in it." I said aloud.

Suddenly, I gasped. My soldiers' Knightmares began to sink into the ground.

I couldn't believe it. He read my moves? He took this formation…knowing I'd challenge him to a decisive battle?

"Zero, you've lost!" Xing Ke yelled.

"Xing Ke!" I yelled back in anger.

"The battle's not over yet!" Toudou cried, attacking Shen Hu.

I've been forced into a situation of getting picked off one-by-one? What a humiliation…

"I proposed that we retreat!" Diethard cried.

"Very well." I agreed. "Guard our reactor section and fall back."

"Returning to Penglai won't…" CC began.

"I know." I answered. "Ohgi, the location I referred to?"

"Ah, yeah…" Ohgi answered. "We've completed recon and survey."

A bomb shook the ship.

I accept this, Xing Ke. I should have taken you down first. Strategic intelligence on par with me, and heroism on the level of Suzaku…Have the heavens given him both gifts?

"Bow-mounted Scatter-Hadron heavy cannon, set."

"Gefion control, in synch."

"Aiming set…All systems, go!"

"Good. Aim at both enemy flanks, and fire!" I ordered.

The cannons fired, hitting their targets.

"Toudou, you're in charge of rescuing allied units and of taking command of reformation. Ikaruga will take a roundabout way to distract the enemy. Advance to the 4th scheduled point!"

Suzaku

I glared at Karen, who was strapped to a board. Xing Ke had just captured her. Karen returned the glare with an icier one.

I left and went into the Lancelot to help with the battle.

"Oh? So they have other forces than the Guren…" Gino said.

"Gino, I'll take care of that side." I told him.

"Suzaku?" Toudou cried.

The battle continued on. It was obvious that Zero was going to lose.

Suddenly, just as Xing Ke was about to die, Zero's new Knightmare stood in front of them, unharmed completely.

"Do you still wish to fight me? Fight Zero?" Zero taunted.

"Zero? On the frontlines in person?" I said in disbelief.

"I see. That is the answer of the Eunuch Generals, I take it?" Zero asked. Shots were blocked again by his shield. He then shot a laser and cut away all the Knightmares. Anya struggled to withstand the laser hitting her shield.

"Troublesome?" she said to herself. "Just a little."

"What should we do, Your Highness?" Gino asked. "If we fire from here, the Empress will…"

Schneizel thought for a few moments.

Suddenly, a report came in. Rebellions plagued the entire Chinese Federation!

Anya was attacked on both sides by two Knightmares.

"The Black Knights must be annihilated." Anya simply said, struggling slightly. Suddenly, something went wrong.

Anya let go of her controls, beginning to whimper.

"An opening!" A Black Knight cried, attacking her. Anya's Knightmare fell.

"Anya!" I cried.

"Tristan here, I'm backing up Mordred!" Gino cried. This was just too strange…Anya never collapsed in battle like this before!

The Black Knights suddenly all attacked at once.

"Foolish…To send out all their land units now…"

"We will win if we bombard them."

"No. We shall retreat." Schneizel said. "A country is neither its territory nor its system. It's the people. Having lost the support of its people, the Eunuch Generals do not have the standing of entering our country as representatives of the Chinese Federation."

"Yes, Your Highness." I said, retreating. At least we had one thing: The Ace of the Black Knights and Guren's Pilot, Karen.