Hell or Glory
I don't want anything in between
Then came a baby boy with long eyelashes
And Daddy said you gotta show the world the thunder

-"She's My Winona", Fall Out Boy

Chapter 15

The Descent of the Valkyries

There was tension in the household, and Jeremiah wasn't sure how to deal with it. For one thing, he had never exactly been a family man- his father was a military man to the core who had only ever treated his son as a new recruit rather than a boy, his mother having passed from the world long before he ever really knew her.

For another thing, the two in question were not exactly normal- Lelouch was his prince and his liege lord, and C.C. … well, she was C.C., the woman he had somehow maintained a strange but strictly platonic relationship with for the past seven years in a joint guardianship of his prince.

He sighed, turning away from the kitchen for a moment to hang up his apron. C.C. was lounging out by the couch, steadfastly ignoring everyone except the T.V. Lelouch was upstairs, sequestered in his room like always.

Neither of them had exactly come out and said there was an issue between the two of them, but you didn't live with the same two people for seven years without learning to read between the lines. And for more than a day Lelouch and C.C. had been all but screaming that they were avoiding speaking with one another.

Jeremiah briefly considered trying to pry the answer out of C.C., but quickly discarded it- their relationship was built entirely around Lelouch, and Jeremiah had no idea how to even start a heart-to-heart kind of conversation with most women, let alone her.

So he had talk with his prince, instead. With an inward sigh he put the tray he had been preparing in his hands and walked up the stairs, briefly stopping at the foot to look back and say, "C.C.-san, yours are on the counter."

Even if she didn't say anything, he figured she had been eyeing the snacks he made.

Without waiting for a reply, Jeremiah headed up the stairs to Lelouch's room, knocking gently with his elbow to announce his presence.

"Come in, Jeremiah," Lelouch said distractedly.

Jeremiah pushed his shoulder lightly against the already partially open door and went inside the room, taking it all in with a glance. It was messier than usual, which was a surprise given his prince's zealous need for organization.

"I'll clean it tomorrow," Lelouch said suddenly, his back to Jeremiah as he continued typing at a relentless pace on his laptop, eyes glued to the screen.

Jeremiah sighed and set the tray down on the desk table, pushing aside several printed out articles and textbooks which were scattered atop of it. "If I may be so bold, my lord, you're pushing yourself too hard."

"The country's nearly in a state of war, Jeremiah. If anything, I am not working hard enough," Lelouch responded tartly, ignoring everything but the screen in front of him. "Naoto-san needs to approve my plan for Clovis's transfer by tonight. The operation is in two days."

Jeremiah struggled with the urge to continue with his protest, but in the end he knew he had to stay silent when it came to matters such as these. That was the duty of a knight to his lord- unquestioning obedience and utter faithfulness to the oaths sworn by the knight on his master's honor. Lelouch was determined to see this through, and it was his chivalrous duty to only serve his master's goals.

Instead, he supposed he would put forth the other matter he had come up here to discuss.

"Lelouch-sama… is there an issue between yourself and C.C.-san?"

Lelouch stiffened, and his brow furrowed in annoyance. "There's nothing the matter, Jeremiah. We had an argument. I offended her in one of those myriad ways she takes offense to. You know how she is. She'll come around eventually and apologize."

Jeremiah coughed, eyeing his very young prince thoughtfully. Intelligent and gifted as he was, Jeremiah couldn't help but acknowledge that he was still a teenage boy.

"I know C.C.-san can be difficult, but she is still a girl. And girls… well, they're not the ones to apologize after an argument, Lelouch-sama," Jeremiah said delicately.

Lelouch eyed Jeremiah for the first time since he walked into the room, frowning.

"I didn't say anything truly wrong," he refuted stubbornly. "I merely pressed her for information. I am not a child and I do not need to be coddled, especially by that witch."

Ah. Now Jeremiah was starting to see the full picture. This was one place that Jeremiah really did understand C.C.- the desire to protect Lelouch, even from himself. As a knight Jeremiah knew there would be days when his two objectives of obeying his lord and defending his lord might come into conflict.

Jeremiah briefly felt the urge to set his hand down on Lelouch's shoulder, but squashed it. Even seven years of service would not rid him of the rigid codes of honor ingrained in his soul.

Instead, he merely spoke quietly, "We are both here for you, my lord. What we do, we do to serve and protect you. I know that much is true for myself and C.C.-san."

Lelouch said nothing for a long while, and Jeremiah turned to leave with a silent bow.

"Thank you," Lelouch said suddenly, and gave Jeremiah pause.

He smiled, though he did not let it show.

"No thanks are necessary, my lord."

00000

Suzaku had been to Birmingham once, before the war. As the second largest city in Brittania, it was a sprawling metropolis of the Brittanian Empire, a microcosm of the various cultures and peoples of the Empire. Lelouch, Nunnally, and Euphemia had taken him around the city, insisting he see the sights. Over a million people lived here at one point. He remembered smiling faces and buildings that even impressed someone like him, who dwelled exclusively in the Imperial Palace (not that he admitted it).

Suzaku looked outside the window of the plane and saw only the skeletal remains of that once great city.

The siege at Birmingham had lasted only three months, but the Japanese campaign had been one of overwhelming force over strategic advance, and as such tremendous amounts of damage had been done to the city in those scant weeks. Even seven years later, most of the outskirts were still in ruins, and entire neighborhoods were now clusters of rubble where the destitute and diseased of society were forced to congregate into ghettoes.

The center of the city, specifically the Japanese district, was of course clean and well maintained, but only there. The stark contrast of the clean and sharp Imperial designs and the ruined remains of the Brittanian buildings in the evening light was a painful sight for Suzaku.

It pained him to realize that his influence had really only spread around London- everywhere else in Brittania, his reforms were moving slowly.

"We're about to land, Suzaku-sama," Milly announced, stepping over to his seat with a pinched look. "You should buckle your seat belt."

Suzaku said nothing, still staring outside pensively.

Milly stepped close and peered out the window next to him, her face inches from his own.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she offered, though they both knew it was a lie.

Suzaku sighed, glancing away from the window. "Bring me the file on the leadership in Birmingham, would you?"

Milly rolled her eyes, reaching over to buckle his seatbelt as she nodded absently. "Yes, yes, master," she murmured as she passed over a manila folder.

Suzaku opened the file and glance over it. He had already read it over the night before, but lately his memory had been a bit spotty, likely from stress, and he tended to need to look things over multiple times before they stuck.

"District Chief Yamamoto Shuusuke is meeting us at the airport, along with the Mayor of Birmingham Asahi Masatama," Milly explained as he continued studying the file. "There are a few minor officials attending as well."

One name, however, gave him pause, and his brow furrowed.

"Milly, down at the bottom… What position is 'Under-Secretary to the People's Representative?"

In Suzaku's experience, generally the longer and more complicated the title, the less power they would have. And the name was most certainly not a Japanese name.

"You really should try to pay more attention to global politics as a prince, you know," Milly chided, rolling her eyes as she read off the name. "Kanon Maldni, Under-Secretary to the People's Representative in the Imperial Diet, Schneizel El Brittania. His personal assistant."

Suzaku's eyebrows shot nearly off his face at that. He may not have realized it at first, but hearing Schneizel's name put things together quite nicely in his mind. Where the rest of the Brittanian Imperial family had gone into obscurity, either living in exile or hiding for the most part, Schneizel, who had brokered the Windsor Treaty, had risen higher.

The position of People's Representative was supposed to be merely honorary, a way to appease the masses by supposedly letting them have a single vote in the Diet. Supposed to be, anyway, but Schneizel had been building a steady power base in the Diet- nothing threatening enough to even warrant attention from the Imperial Council or the Emperor, but enough that it was noticeable even to Suzaku, who had not returned to the homeland in years.

Suzaku himself hadn't dealt much with that faction- the Imperial Diet was largely uninvolved in provincial matters, and thus he hadn't needed to deal with them.

"Hmm, he's included in the list?" Suzaku murmured, wondering at that. "Maybe there's hope for progress after all."

Milly only frowned, however, and he glanced over at her with a pinched look. "What?"

"Master, nothing is ever that simple for you," Milly said simply, shaking her head.

00000

Kanon Maldni was a profoundly patient man. Politics were, in his mind, all about patience, planning, and placement. The three Ps form a perfect P, as Schneizel used to say jokingly. But to craft the perfect plan and achieve the correct placement, one required patience above all else.

Which was why he was more than capable of enduring the annoyed looks and resentment practically seething off of the Japanese officials who utterly loathed the idea of a foreign dog being included in the welcoming delegation for the Crown Prince.

Kanon smiled passively as the others shuffled in front of him, brushing him aside with rough shoulder bumps that couldn't be anything but intentional.

His phone began to ring, and he absently opened it and said, "No, he hasn't landed yet."

Schneizel's familiar laugh, light and with a soft tenor, came out from the other end of the cellphone. For whatever reason, impudence from Kanon amused Schneizel more than anything else.

"I do wish I could be there in person," Schneizel said amusedly. "I've been desiring a meeting with the Prince in person."

"His file is fairly interesting," Kanon agreed, keeping his voice low. "I find this bit about his maid especially intriguing- he allows her basically unlimited control over his personal and public affairs. Just about all of his interactions are mediated through her. She wields an enormous amount of power- I would go so far as to say she has more potential influence than you, Schneizel."

"Milly Ashford, correct?" Schneizel murmured. "Well it means he's most certainly sympathetic to our cause, not that I had any doubts otherwise."

"Do you still think he knows where your brother Lelouch is?" Kanon questioned.

"Their friendship is too strong for the two of them not to keep track of one another," Schneizel answered calmly. "Just knowing Lelouch is alive is enough for now. I still have that particular Sword of Damocles over him in any case."

Privately, Kanon admired that part of Schneizel which allowed him to use that incident as not only a means to control a member of his family. Others might have seen it as monstrous to use the tragic mistake of a child against them and force them into compliance if necessary, but Schneizel had always claimed that Lelouch was the brother most like him, and thus the most dangerous to him. And any dangers were to be suppressed and dealt with immediately.

There was a commotion at the front of the delegation, and Kanon smiled. "It seems that the prince has arrived."

"Watch, observe, but let's not make contact quite yet," Schneizel murmured. "Let's see how this all plays out."

As Kanon watched the Prince step off the plane, he smiled quietly and nodded.

"Yes, your highness."

00000

"HI-YAH!" Kallen cried out, coming down with a powerful slash of her wooden sword, feeling beads of sweat fly from her face. She had foregone the kendo helmet in favor of a simple training gi and hakama pants, and was using a bokken instead of a shinai today. Her eyes were narrowed, and she pretended as though a certain green eyed prince was the target in front of her instead of empty air.

Stupid, arrogant, selfish… doesn't he care that he's putting his life in danger? He's a prince, the Emperor's own blood, Kallen thought irritably. He needs to have more thoughts about protecting himself before protecting anyone else.

It wasn't as though Kallen didn't understand Suzaku's feelings- she did. She was half-Brittanian, for the Emperor's sake. She understood wanting to keep this country stable and safe just as much as he did.

But the idea of losing Suzaku was more painful than imagining the suffering of any number of faceless civilians. He was her oldest and dearest friend, and on top of that Kallen had sworn oaths to defend the Imperial line to her dying breath- with the Emperor a world away Kallen's top priority was keeping his son safe.

So why couldn't he understand that?

With another wordless cry of frustration and anger, Kallen went through a quick kata, the practiced series of movements learned at the Kururugi Dojo helping focus her mind.

"You know I never get tired of seeing you do that," came a cheerful voice.

Kallen blinked and turned around to see Kaguya's smiling face as she stood at the edges of the dojo's door.

"Kaguya-san," Kallen said respectfully, bowing her head instinctively. "I didn't know you were coming."

Kaguya smiled at that. "Well, I wanted to deliver your costume to you in person and surprise you."

Kallen's eyes were drawn to the large brown cardboard package sitting right behind Kaguya's slight form, and she suddenly remembered that the Halloween party was coming up in about a week.

"Oh, that…" Kallen said slowly, backing away hesitantly, like someone who just noticed a tiger in the room. "I thought people would be picking their costumes individually."

"Oh come on now, we can't have the Prince and his bride to be dressed in non-matching outfits," Kaguya replied as if it were completely obvious. "I was going to go with some kind of classic anime couple but I realized that this is the first time you two will be at any kind of event together, and so we needed to make a good impression."

Kallen blinked. That was almost… responsible.

"So, here we go," Kaguya said cheerfully, pushing the package towards her with a smile. "I ordered it special from the homeland. Yours is on top."

Kallen set down her bokken and stepped behind Kaguya. After a minute or so of struggling with the overly wrapped and taped package and wishing she had brought along one of the combat knives Naoto had given her for her last birthday, she opened the package, and, despite her misgivings, was actually taken aback.

"This is… really pretty," Kallen managed, and meant it. The fabric was obviously silk, and obviously extremely high quality- even though Kallen was a noble, she had never owned an outfit this nice in her life. And Kaguya had practically bought it for her on a whim.

"I'm so glad you like it!" Kaguya said happily, clapping her hands in delight. "I'll instruct the maids on how to dress you in it properly."

Kallen smiled back. "Thank you, Kaguya-san. Really."

Kaguya shook her head dismissively. "No problem at all. Have you heard from my dear cousin?"

At that, Kallen's smile faded, and her momentarily forgotten ire returned with simmering force.

"No," she said tersely.

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "Well, you two have certainly worsened your terms, hmm?"

"You could say that," Kallen said bitingly, before she bowed her head in apology. "Sorry, I shouldn't be so rude. It's not your fault Suzaku is a…"

She trailed off before she could finish her sentence, simply scowling instead.

Kaguya smiled in understanding. "My cousin has been through a lot. He has lost sight of his importance as a prince and of the greater good the Empire needs," she conceded, sounding saddened, "But he's still got a good heart- the heart of a true ruler."

Kallen frowned, refusing to meet Kaguya's eyes in a slightly stubborn gesture of defiance at her words. She had to acknowledge them, however. Suzaku's concern for the people over his own well being was the mark of someone who could rule over the Empire with a sense of justice and compassion.

"I know, I know," she muttered, gritting her teeth, "But I just… I don't want him to get hurt. I swore an oath to shield the Emperor's line from harm. And more than that… he's my friend. Even without the oath I want him to stay safe."

"That's why you're going to be his wife," Kaguya said quietly, and Kallen's head jerked up.

Suddenly, things made a lot more sense as to why she, of all people, was chosen as the bride of the Crown Prince of the Empire.

"You were the one who suggested the match," Kallen realized, blinking in astonishment. "People said it was my grandfather who asked for the match, but someone must have helped things along. I'm a noble but I'm not of the Six Houses. There are far better matches for Suzaku than me."

"Politically maybe, but not personally," Kaguya disagreed, shaking her head. "Suzaku-kun needs someone to look after him. There is a saying, in the homeland. 'Every sword needs a sheath.' Something to keep it protected, even from itself. "

"You want me to protect him because he doesn't protect himself," Kallen understood, her expression pensive. "So even when he's risking his ass like this… you want me to support him, and shield him."

Kaguya smiled.

"I expect you to be Kallen-chan and him to be Suzaku-kun. No more, no less."

00000

"District Chief Yamamoto Shuusuke, right? It's nice to meet you," Suzaku said politely, bowing his head as the older man in front of him nearly bowled himself over with a bow.

"My prince," Yamamoto was a thin, almost boyishly framed man that was a head shorter than himself, making his deep bow all the more ridiculous looking. "Welcome. We are honored to receive the Emperor's blood here in our humble city."

Suzaku said nothing to that, preferring instead to greet the others as well rather than continue on with the mindless pleasantries. They all treated him the same way, bowing low and repeating the same words over and over to him ad nauseam. The assembled crowd was practically a mob of low-level officials and members of the press, each of them practically buzzing with the desire to speak with him even for only a moment.

He paused when he reached Kanon Maldni, but if the man was excited to see him he did not show it, merely keeping his eyes low to the ground and bowing even deeper than anyone else. "My prince. On behalf of all of the Brittanians in Birmingham, we welcome you."

Kanon then retreated back into the crowd, practically invisible. Suzaku moved to speak with him, when a loud shout rang out.

"Go home before you feel the justice of men!"

The crowd went deathly still, and Suzaku turned around to face the voices.

There, standing on the other side of the fence of the airstrip, was a small crowd, all of whom shared three qualities. One, they were Brittanians one and all. Two, they looked like dirty, disposed vagrants. And third and most telling of all, each and everyone one of them had branded themselves with two distinct kanji.

Human and Justice.

Jinchuu.

Suzaku's lips twitched and he said, under his breath, "All of them, huh?"

He quickly schooled his features into neutrality as the crowd of Japanese officials around him began clamoring out in panic.

"Guards! Get that filth out of the prince's sight!" Yamamoto practically squeaked, turning towards him and bowing again and again apologetically. "My prince, I am so sorry. Those filthy Brittanians, I don't know how they got there."

"It's alright, Yamamoto-san," Suzaku said dismissively, striding towards the fence purposefully, to the shock of those assembled.

Before he got more than halfway across the tarmac, he felt a hand grasp his arm and turned around to face one of Milly's rare glares.

Don't be stupid, she urged silently.

Suzaku sighed and stopped where he was, shrugging out of Milly's grasp as he turned back to face the crowd of Jinchuu supporters.

"We don't want you here you false prince!" called out someone else from the crowd. "You and your father will be punished for coming to our lands!"

"Go back to your Emperor before Jinchuu chooses you next!"

"He'll smite you like all the others!"

Suzaku felt a laugh rise up in his gut and he quashed it quickly. It wasn't just the hilarity of his alter-ego being used as a threat against himself. It was a laugh of triumph that threatened to leak out from his lips.

People were starting to believe.

"The Jinchuu movement has started to grow, especially after the incident in Dudley," came a quiet tenor, and Suzaku turned to face Kanon, who was standing off to the side, watching the crowd with a bemused expression. "The BLF hasn't always been popular with the people, but this Jinchuu on the other hand…"

"Is nothing but trash," Yamamoto interrupted, glaring furiously at Kanon. "And the prince does not need to hear such garbage. Guards, clean this filth up."

Before Suzaku could say a word the guards, who had come up behind him with a large, powerful firehose, hit the crowd with a violent torrent of water, knocking several of them over and causing the others to cry out.

Whirling about in fury, Suzaku stormed over to the guards, roaring "STOP!"

The guards, being military personnel, instinctively obeyed, though they gave him a questioning look.

"Your highness… my prince…" one of them started, but Suzaku raised a hand to interrupt him.

"All you're doing is fueling the fire," Suzaku snapped irritably. "Escort those people away if you must, but don't resort to things like this."

Without waiting for an acknowledgment to his orders Suzaku turned on his heel and stormed off.

As his anger faded, however, and everyone else turned away to whisper amongst themselves at his actions, Suzaku finally allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction that he was finally, finally getting things to change.

00000

Lelouch, clad in the now familiar white cloaked garb of Rei, stepped into the planning room, pushing the door shut behind him as he did so.

The room was small, as this meeting was restricted to only himself, Major Minami, and Kallen. The room was dominated by the large metal table, with a large touchscreen on its surface, and had several chairs positioned around it.

"Rei, sir," Minami said respectfully, standing next to the door, bowing his head as he handed him a manila folder. "The briefing is just about to start."

"Trying to be fashionably late?" Kallen said sarcastically, sprawled out on the far corner chair, legs propped up insolently on top of the table.

Lelouch ignored the provocation, opening the folder and glancing at the contents absently. The plan was his, of course, but it was military protocol and Lelouch felt that the others would feel better if he adapted to the chain of command.

The briefing room felt empty without Naoto and Sancia, and Lelouch wished Naoto were there to help him, at least in regards to Kallen.

"Okay," Lelouch said quietly, "Let's review the plan. At precisely 1700 we will begin the operation and load the prisoner, designated as 'Ichibana', into the transport."

He tapped the touch screen to bring up the technical specifications of the transport, and then of the Amaterasu and the Shinran.

" The Amaterasu and three Shinran Knightmares delegated from Taiyou Company, designated as Taiyou-One through Four will act as a guard," Lelouch said softly, and brought up the image of a sleek, angular aircraft. "A squadron of Taka-class fighters will be our air support as Sora-One. Command callsign is 'Bishamonten-Actual'."

"The Bishamonten is too large to function as a command vehicle for this op," Minami commented, raising an eyebrow as he read off of the file. "But it states that there will be a command presence with the convoy."

Lelouch nodded. "Indeed. That is why I will be accompanying the convoy in a command-variant Shinran that the Commander requisitioned for me, as listed on page five of your briefing."

The room practically imploded with noise from both Minami and Kallen as they both stood and began to protest.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Rei, sir, I have to protest-"

Lelouch raised a hand and barked, "This is non-negotiable. The Commander has consented to my presence and that is final."

Minami backed down with a reluctant look, but Kallen remained standing, fixing him with an annoyed look. "Do you even know how to pilot? A Knightmare isn't some child's plaything."

"I have experience," Lelouch said quietly. He had read a number of technical manuals this week alone, and Kaguya had requisitioned him a civilian construction Knightmare last year when they attempted to build the "World's Biggest Pizza" in accordance with C.C.'s whims.

"Let's hope you do," Kallen said darkly, rolling her eyes as she settled back down into her seat. "If you get into a bind I am not risking myself or the lives of my men to save your sorry ass."

"Duly noted," Lelouch said dryly, and with a few quick keystrokes, he illustrated the route that the prison transport and its guard would take. "The convoy will not stop for any reason until it reaches its destination, the battleship Kojiro, at which time we will hand over custody of Ichibana and let the Navy take care of the rest."

Lelouch paused and frowned beneath his helmet. "Our route is fairly secure all around, however, there is a security checkpoint just before the port is, as noted in your briefings, our biggest weakness. At that hour we will have a large amount of civilian traffic going in and out of the area, and we will have to raise the security gate as well. We can clear them out but there will still be a short delay that may be fatal if we linger."

"What's the estimated window?" Kallen questioned, without looking up from her folder.

00000

"Three minutes," Cornelia stressed, tapping the whiteboard with her pen almost like a schoolteacher, a frown marring her face. "That's how long we think that the convoy will be held up at the security checkpoint as they clear a path and move on through. That is our window of opportunity."

Darlton, standing next to her, coughed and spoke up. "We will have Weinberg and Kewell set up in a warehouse nearby to establish flanking fire and allow the Commander's team to move in. Two eighteen wheeler trucks will be used to transport the Commander's team into position. With any luck we will get close enough that we will have the element of surprise once we are to deploy."

Darlton paused and flicked a glance at Dorothe and Nonette, who were watching him with rapt attention. Nonette offered him a catty smile, and he continued, "Once we commence the attack they will almost certainly attempt to escape to the battleship Kojiro. The superior firepower of that ship is not something we can go up against, so we need to prevent that from happening. To this end, Ernst and Enneagram will infiltrate the security checkpoint and incapacitate the guards, preventing them from raising the gate and escaping."

"My team will consist of myself, Guilford, and Fenette," Cornelia continued, nodding her head towards Shirley in acknowledgment. "Fenette will use the Amalthea to occupy Kouzuki Kallen and prevent her from reinforcing the others. Guilford and myself will mop up the survivors and free the prisoner."

Cornelia glanced around the room, repressing a wistful sigh as she looked down at the battered wooden table, and at the walls with fading and cracked paint. Malory's was a secure site, but it was not a true op room.

Once upon a time she had state of the art briefing rooms with touch screens and the best computers money could buy. Now, she was doing op briefings in the backrooms of bars and in cramped conference rooms.

Shirley was sitting to her right, a subtle sign of her favored position. Gino and Kewell were sitting next to Shirley, while Guilford sat to her left.

"What is the extraction point?" Kewell questioned.

Cornelia turned back to the whiteboard. Pinned at the center was a large map of the London area, and she circled one particular point. "There's an Underground station in Stepney which we will use to make our escape. Ernst and Nonette will escape via the sewer system and convene with us there." Nonette gave her a dirty look of annoyance which Cornelia pretended not to notice.

Payback was sweet.

"A secondary fallback point is established in Ratcliff, though be warned that support there is limited and it is to be used only in emergencies."

Cornelia crossed her arms behind her back and stared hard at her assembled subordinates, studying their faces. She met their eyes and saw the flame of resolve that was echoed in her own heart.

She smiled.

"This is a high risk operation. Brittania thanks you in advance for your dedicated service in these dark times."

She saluted primly, and everyone at the table stood and saluted back.

"All hail Brittania!" Darlton barked.

"All hail Brittania!" came the assembled reply.

"Dismissed," Cornelia said quietly.

00000

Kallen sighed as she leaned into the cockpit of the Amaterasu, doing her routine systems check distractedly.

"Sakuradite filter green. Landspinners are go. Factsphere sensors clear," Kallen mumbled, tapping on the control panel.

"I expect you to be Kallen-chan and him to be Suzaku-kun. No more, no less."

Since the disastrous call a few days ago, Kallen had not spoken to Suzaku. Even with Kaguya's words she was still hesitant to speak with Suzaku, fearing that any kind of contact might result in another argument.

"You seem distracted, Kallen-sama," came an unwelcome voice, and she scowled reflexively.

"I'm doing just fine, thank you Rei," Kallen said bitingly, straightened to turn around and face the masked man. It was only the two of them standing on the catwalk, with everyone else milling around the hangar trying to prepare for the operation.

Though the masked man said nothing, Kallen somehow got the impressing that he was smiling beneath the mask, and it irritated her.

"I do not need you hovering over me right before an op," Kallen said irritably, turning back towards her Amaterasu, powering up the screen. "My brother would never do that."

"I am not the Commander," Rei said quietly.

Kallen snorted. "That's for sure."

Rei said nothing for a few moments. "I would hope that if we are to work together, we could at least be professional about it," he murmured diplomatically, his tone dispassionate.

Kallen rolled her eyes and glanced back at him. "That's just it. I am a professional. You're not. And that's what irritates me." She straightened her shoulders and drew herself to her full height, though she noticed in a bit of childish annoyance that Rei was still taller. "I don't like the fact that me and my people are in the hands of someone who won't even show his face."

"It's not your decision to make," Rei answered simply, and she almost took a swing at him.

Forcing herself to calm down, she clenched her jaw tight and spoke. "No, it is not. And I can accept it. But I won't like it."

Rei turned on his heel.

"You don't have to like it, Kallen-sama. Just do your duty."

00000

Not for the first time, Lelouch felt discomfort at hiding his presence beneath the anonymity of a mask and a false name. He did not regret the decision- it was the right one, but at the same time he felt discontent at having strained some of his relationships.

He enjoyed his civilian friendship with Kallen as Lelouch Lamperouge. She was a fun person to speak with, intelligent and lively, and what's more she shared his ideals regarding the unification of Brittania and Japan. He had come to consider her one of his closest friends in the past two months.

But as Rei, their professional relationship was nothing short of a disaster. They were on the same side, but Kallen the soldier, the Seventh Sword of the Shichitennou would never accept the presence of Rei the outsider, the man who never shows his face.

Lelouch sighed as he made his way down the corridor, Major Minami stepping in line behind him.

"I take it you heard that, Major," Lelouch said quietly.

"The argument was a bit loud, sir," Minami said apologetically, adjusting his glasses.

"You don't have to keep calling me sir," Lelouch reminded him with a frown. "I'm not an officer."

"No but you have the authority of one right now," Minami replied simply, bowing his head. "And besides, Kallen-sama's feelings are not shared by all of us."

Lelouch flicked a glance backwards at the Major with a curious look. "What do you mean by that, Major?"

Minami paused, leaning towards him with a slight smile.

"I mean, you are not… unwelcome," he admitted quietly. "There have been rumors of a ghostly advisor to the commander amongst the enlisted men. Someone who saved the lives of our men in the Underground and the lives of thousands of civilians at Kojiki airport. Someone who brings victory like the name of our command vehicle, Bishamonten."

Lelouch frowned beneath his helmet, pausing in the corridor. To his vague dismay, he noticed that several enlisted men and women had stopped at the far end of the corridor and began whispering amongst themselves as they did their very best not to stare at him.

"That's not what I want, Major," Lelouch said sternly, frowning as he pulled the Major aside. "I didn't come here for recognition or fame. My role is strictly that of support. Do you understand me?"

His grip on the Major's arm was tight, but if the other man noticed he said nothing. Minami only smiled. "The men believe what they want to believe. They believe you are a bringer of victory, and with you we can win our war."

Lelouch said nothing for a long while, and Minami added, "Rei, sir, there's nothing you can do about men talking amongst themselves. It makes them feel better. Won't you let them have that?"

Lelouch sighed. "I suppose there's nothing I can do." He released his hold on the Major's arm and started back down the corridor.

Neither of them spoke until they reached the holding cells. Lelouch said nothing as the Major got them through the security checkpoints, still lost in his own thoughts regarding being thought of as anything more than an anonymous benefactor.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, as they finally reached the main holding cell, and with a swipe of a keycard Lelouch was face to face with Clovis for the first time in seven years.

His brother looked more like an emaciated shadow of Clovis than anything else. The Clovis of Lelouch's memories was always primped and dressed to the nines, wearing expensive colognes and with pale golden hair that Lelouch knew for a fact took at least half an hour to prepare.

This Clovis had stringy, unwashed hair that looked more like tarnished bronze than gold, his features gaunt and unshaven. The stubble in particular gave Lelouch pause- it was ragged and uneven, and made Lelouch remember the first time Clovis ever tried shaving.

The memories were bittersweet, and Lelouch forced them down as Clovis looked up at him with a confused expression.

"What are you supposed to be?" Clovis asked, bewildered.

"For now, your warden," Lelouch said simply, and nodded to the guards, who pulled Clovis up to his feet. "You're being transferred."

"So the Japs are using costumed freaks now?" Clovis remarked rudely, snickering. "Must be getting desperate."

For his comment he got a sharp blow from one of the guards. Lelouch was about to speak when he got a warning look from Minami, who shook his head slightly.

"Prisoners don't get to talk," Minami barked roughly. "Take him to the transport."

Lelouch watched his brother go, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed that his brother had not instantly seen through his disguise.

Briefly, he wished they were still children again, innocent and free. He wished he was still living in the Aries Palace, pulling pranks with Clovis and laughing at his brother's attempts to defeat him in chess.

Then he sighed and turned away to take his brother to a lifetime in prison.

00000

Despite Kallen's rather vindictive hopes that Rei would be laughably inept at piloting, she was forced to admit, even silently and only to herself, that he was not a bad pilot. He was rough around the edges and he was no savant, but he was a fair hand at the controls and he moved in formation with the others passably, like a fresh recruit out of basic.

"Bishamonten-Actual to Kojiro. We have reached checkpoint two," Rei said quietly, drifting behind Taiyou-Four.

"Understood Actual. See you soon," came the static filled reply.

Kallen shook herself from her thoughts as she glanced around warily. This was the area Rei had spoken of as the perfect ambush point. Nothing around them looked too suspicious. The civilians had been moved back by the police forces, giving them a nice breadth of road to move on through. There were a few sedans nearby, as well as a couple of large unmarked trucks that gave Kallen pause.

As her eyes swept across the area, a faint glint of light stopped her, and she was just about to say something when the terribly familiar sound of gunfire erupted around her, and suddenly Taiyou-Two was screaming over the radio as his Shinran detonated in a whirl of flame and shrapnel.

"Enemy fire! I repeat, enemy fire!" Rei barked shakily, "All units take cover! Secure the prisoner!"

Kallen whirled about, attempting to position the Amaterasu behind the transport to take cover-

When the eighteen wheeler trucks to her right opened and two Sidhe Knightmares surged out from their metal confines, accompanied by a sleek, blade-like Knightmare the likes of which Kallen had never seen before.

"What the hell is that?" Kallen exclaimed in surprise, and her shock at the sudden appearance of a new enemy caused her to almost miss Rei's words.

"God in Heaven, it can't be…"

Kallen's moment of pause at his words nearly cost Kallen her life as the unknown Knightmare closed the gap with frightening speed, so fast that only her honed reflexes saved her life as she pulled the Amaterasu back before the enemy's dark, crimson-tinged blades slashed through the air with a terrible hiss.

"Actual! We need orders!" came the panicked scream of Taiyou-Three, one Private Ishida.

"Stay away from that Knightmare!" Rei snapped suddenly, seemingly reinvigorated by the scream. "It's far more dangerous than the Sidhe! Taiyou-Three and Four, you're on me- we'll handle the Sidhe. One, you're the only one who can take on the Amalthea- keep it off of the transport until it can get clear. Sora-One, we need air support now! Get that enemy fire off of us!"

With some semblance of order restored, Kallen was able to direct her attention back to the battle, dodging the enemy's attack again, though only narrowly.

This guy's as fast as me, Kallen admitted reluctantly, parrying the enemy's next blow. Though her enemy's blades were thin and attached to the elbows in a rather odd fashion, the speed of that blow gave it enough momentum that even her heavier and more durable claws were pushed back.

Enemy fire rained down nearby, and as her allies fired back, Kallen seized the initiative against her mysterious opponent, unleashing her fearsome blinding ability-

Only to have her enemy dodge swiftly to one side, out of the line of fire from the blast and allowing them an opening.

Kallen's eyes widened as the enemy Knightmare struck out at her with a vicious series of blows. Though she was able to keep the blades from slicing the Amaterasu apart, shallow cuts were left along the Amaterasu's chest, causing the armor integrity warning alarm to go off angrily and knocking her straight back through the highway barrier.

"Emperor above this bastard is fast," Kallen swore. Any deeper and her critical systems would have been destroyed. No one had ever come that close to destroying her before, not even Jinchuu.

Who the hell is this guy?

00000

Shirley couldn't help but smile as she drove back the mighty Kouzuki Kallen, Seventh Sword of the Emperor Himself.

Just a lowly commoner from a broken nation, fighting on par and winning against the highborn noble feared throughout the empire.

This was the kind of justice the world needed.

Gripping the throttle, Shirley lashed out with the Amalthea's MVS blades again, gunning the engines hard as she did so. The key to using the machine, she had learned, was mastering the ability to use the engines in combination with the blades to outmaneuver the enemy.

To her credit, Kouzuki dodged beautifully, adapting to her speed instantly after nearly having been eviscerated, coming back at her with claws glowing with Radiant Surge energy, meaning that her lighter MVS blades would take heavy damage from coming into contact with them.

Drawing back using her superior speed, Shirley fired off a burst from the recessed guns in her torso, landing a handful of shots on the Amaterasu, content now with using her greater agility to control the fight now that she was sure she could outmaneuver Kouzuki.

Shirley's grin widened as she slashed again and again, pressuring Kouzuki, focusing all of the ace's attention on her instead of the Commander and Guilford, who, at this time, should have been overwhelming the guards.

Shirley spared a sideways glance as Kouzuki was pushed back, trying to catch a glimpse of the greater battle around them. She saw the Commander's Sidhe exchanging fire with the remaining three guards, one of which looked like a command variant Shinran rather than the traditional rank and file, judging from the enlarged ornamentation that doubled as extensions on the communications array that protruded from the helmet-like head.

That was all she had time to view as Kouzuki closed the gap again, the chestplate glowing once more with that fearsome blinding light that made close combat with the Amaterasu such a deadly proposition.

Still relying on the same tactics, Shirley thought in distaste, preparing another violent shift away to avoid the blast and moving her blades in position for another flurry of blows-

When Kouzuki's glowing claws made sudden contact with the ground, unleashing the black-red energy at point blank range with explosive force and propelling her above Shirley, claws poised now to shred her to bits.

Shit!

Without thinking Shirley shifted her left arm blade up and shielded herself, catching the burning claw. Kouzuki detonated the energy again, knocking her backwards.

The alert flashed on the monitor, indicating that the MVS blade would not sustain another hit and was forced to retract, leaving her with only one of the blades.

It was time for her to leave.

"Commander!" Shirley gritted out. "I'm taking some hits- is the prisoner secure?"

"One moment, Fenette," Cornelia replied harshly, her voice terse. "The enemy is putting up a stronger resistance than I anticipated, using the transport truck as a shield. We will attempt to break through their fire and close the gap with our superior close combat abilities. Hold out a little longer."

Shirley set her jaw determinedly, and boosted forward again to engage Kouzuki.

"Understood."

00000

"Taiyou-One! That machine is obviously trying to distract you, not defeat you!" Lelouch barked. "Take the first chance you get to break away and support Taiyou-Three and Four!"

"I already know that you ass!" Kallen snapped back irritably. "Now let me do my job and butt out!"

She closed the channel, and Lelouch watched as the Amaterasu once more clashed with the weapon that his own mother had once wielded, the two machines a whirlwind blur of steel and violence that savaged the area around them.

How can the Amalthea be here, Lelouch thought worriedly, eyes wide beneath his mask, even as he continued to fire a steady burst of fire at the enemy Sidhe Knightmares.

That machine disappeared at the end of the Three Month War, so how could it possibly have resurfaced here and now, of all places?

Cornelia must have been hiding it this whole time, waiting for a pilot capable of utilizing it, Lelouch deducted, frowning as he barked out, "Taiyou-Three, shift fire ten degrees to your left The enemy's secondary squad must be suppressed if we are to have any hope of getting clear! Four, keep fire on those Sidhe, do not let them get close!"

As they acknowledged his orders, he switched channels. "Sora-One, weapons free! I repeat, weapons free! Use your Raiden 20mms only, I don't want missiles hitting London soil!"

"Understood Actual. ETA in thirty seconds," the pilot said smoothly, unrattled by the sounds of gunfire.

Switching channels one more time, Lelouch said impatiently, "Transport, how long till you can get Ichibana out of here?"

"We can't hail the security gate," the driver responded, sounding panicked. "They're not responding!"

"Shit, they must have gotten to them first," Lelouch swore, scowling as he whirled about, raising his Knightmare's rifle. "Clear the gate! I'll blast it down!"

Just as he shifted his attention away, however, it seemed the enemy seized the opportunity and burst forth from their position, closing the distance rapidly with their fire so divided.

They were waiting, Lelouch realized, even as he tried to shift back around to face the enemy, shouting a warning as he did so.

It was too late for Taiyou-Four, who was impaled on the end of a Sidhe's lance before being tossed aside like a piece of trash. Taiyou-Three tried to avenge his fallen comrade, firing off his Slash Harkens but the Sidhe moved swiftly and emptied a full burst of ammunition from its sub-machine gun into the Shinran's arm and torso, shredding through the armor in a second, sending it crashing down to the hard asphalt of the road.

"Damn you!" Lelouch cursed, firing off a burst even as he was driven backwards by the other Knightmare. His opponent quite obviously outclassed him in pure skill, forcing Lelouch back again and again, slicing through Lelouch's rifle with his last attack as his ally moved in on the transport, using the lance to cut through the metal hull.

"Sora-One! Where the hell is my air support!" Lelouch called out desperately, gritting his teeth. He was not going to let Clovis fall into the hands of the BLF.

"Sora-One to Actual. Weapons free, we are engaging now. Danger close," the pilot replied smoothly, and the air around them roared with the sound of heavy gunfire.

To his credit, the Sidhe who was fighting Lelouch immediately broke off to engage, firing back with his own gun, forcing the fighters to break formation to avoid being shot down.

Kallen and the pilot of the Amalthea remained locked in a bitter battle, the Amaterasu's claw being relentlessly parried by the remaining blade of the Brittanian machine.

Lelouch started towards the enemy again, releasing his Stun Tonfas to attempt to engage at close range, hoping that if he could distract the Amalthea that Kallen would have a chance to turn things around-

When both Sidhe and the Amalthea broke off just as suddenly as they appeared, all three dropping a oblong metal object before retreating off one of the side roads rapidly.

"Smoke!" Kallen shouted out, before each of the objects burst and released a cloud of smoke and chaff, blinding and confusing their sensors. "Moving to pursue!"

"Kallen-sama! Wait!" Lelouch called out, moving towards her.

As they tried moving in pursuit, the supporting enemy fire picked up again, keeping Kallen and himself from pursuing as they were driven back.

"Actual! They got him! They got Ichibana!" came the panicked yells of the transport driver.

"Damnit!" Lelouch swore, slamming his fist down on the control panel furiously.

"Actual! Taking fire from the enemy's support squad! Should we pursue?" Sora-One questioned, the fighters soaring back overhead for another pass, the air being filled with a storm of bullets from their still unseen opponents.

Lelouch set his jaw and sighed. Their forces were down three Knightmares already, not to mention the people who were probably killed inside of the port to get the BLF agents in place. A pursuit would be long and bloody and only end in greater casualties.

And he couldn't accept that.

"No. Pick up our casualties and head back to the farm, Sora-One. All units, mission is a failure. I repeat, mission is a failure, we are heading home. Actual out," Lelouch said quietly, sighing again.

"That's it? You're just giving up!" Kallen burst in furiously. "I almost had that damn Knightmare!"

"We just lost three men, Kallen-sama," Lelouch replied softly, "I'm not risking more in what is likely a futile pursuit. We lost today. There'll be another time."

Kallen snorted in disgust. "The mighty Rei admits defeat. Well, I guess that's one bright spot to this."

Lelouch said nothing in reply. She was right, after all.

He had failed.