Chapter 13

Dark Prince

Helltanz's notes: Yes Lelouch is more, I would not use the word evil but I would certainly use the word determined, he certainly has been working at the plan longer than canon Lelouch.

Admittedly I'll be following canon along general lines, until like episode twenty, Siegfried will still make an appearance it might even make a reappearance with an update, as will Nina's idea for using Sakuradite enhanced nukes.

At present Lelouch has one other advanced machine, of course since he got his hands on the research data for the seventh he has basically put that one on hold.

Lets say the Emperor and Lelouch also won't be having a pleasant reunion either.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass.

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Chapter begin

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Lelouch rolled over, Rivalz had called about a chess match the previous afternoon, and the prince had reluctantly agreed, much to the blue haired teen's delight. In truth it'd been an easy, if enjoyable match. The noble in question had not been a bad player just relatively easy to trap.

Of course that wasn't the problem, it had been the earful he had received from Shirley when they had returned to Ashford Academy. Millie had only exasperated the situation, and it didn't help that he had to put up with the rumors flying around the school.

Memories of the past only troubled him further depriving him of a pleasant evening of relaxing soothing sleep.

He grabbed the still ringing phone, "Lelouch," The prince stated somewhat irritably into the receiver of the house phone.
It was Clovis, of course it was Clovis, "Did I call at a bad time, oh my you have a woman over, how callous of me," He half excitedly squealed. "Well I'll be fast. Cornelia is gearing up for something big, I mean really big," The other prince babbled on, "she wants us to gather our forces and guard the settlement." The blonde prince explained. "Have fun tootles." His older brother immediately hung up before Lelouch could retort.

'Something big eh,' Mused the Eleventh prince, 'what are you up to?" He wondered. Charles may not have stripped me of my title as a prince, but my power as such is limited. In order to match him I need a country and an army, or at least to get close enough to him to use the power of the king, his knights, will become targets.'

That is what he decided, they were supposed to be the best well they could be the best for him.

He set the phone receiver down, well it wasn't like he had a problem having his forces guarding the settlement, still it irritated him she'd be so demanding about it. He was not a member of Britannia's armed forces there was nothing in the law that aid she could go ordering around his troops.

Now to go endure this nonsensical cat festival pre planning meeting, the prince thought; and then find out what Cornelia is doing.

He stumbled into the shower, mentally reminding himself to thank Sayoko for washing clothes.

All things considered though Cornelia was probably one of the better choices for viceroy of Area 11. While she was being a right nuisance it was far more likely one of the others would have been directly antagonistic to the Black Knights and Lelouch, and that would terribly complicate matters. For all Cornelia's opinion on numbers, she wouldn't go sticking her nose in quiet places like Hokkaido, and that was great for them.

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The eleventh prince entered his room, "Oh well what has you looking so serious?" The green haired girl asked.

It was now clear what she, the second princess, and so called witch of Britannia intended to do, how very foolish of her. He smirked.

Saitama, so be it, he thought watching the TV. "Your not falling for the enemies provocation are you?" CC asked from his bed extremely blasé.

"But they went to such trouble to invite me though," Lelouch commented smugly before pausing for a moment. "Besides, I have something I would dearly like to ask Cornelia, as Zero." He remarked, and of course I do need make another propaganda victory for the Black Knights as the leader of the Istavaanians.

"Which is more important to you discovering who murdered your mother?" she paused "Or killing your father?"

He frowned, "The two are of Equal importance," The dark prince responded enunciating the word, "The royal family members are competing with one another to see who will ascend the throne and become the next ruler, or rather we're being forced to fight" He stated before angrily finishing his statement, "by that man. This competition is too dangerous to leave to play out."
"But the very thing you fight is also the thing that makes Britannia strong," CC commented, "The royal heir who is best fit to become the next ruler of Britannia is the last one standing,"

"Exactly the weak ones lose and are cast aside Britannia is that kind of nation. The world we live in is that kind of world," Lelouch replied bitterly, had he not had Nunnally to care for he could have thrived in that kind of world.

Lelouch was not the only Black Knight who had ties to the aristocracy, to contrast outside nobility it was common to express it was the duty of the strong to obliterate all who would threaten the weak.

"Survival of the fittest is the most basic rule of all," The green haired witch responded.

Lelouch slammed his case onto the table. "If that is so what will happen to my sister, and those like her? Should I simply give up on my sister because she's frail? I refuse to accept that. That kind of disgusting idea is one I'll destroy."

CC disengaged the safety on the pistol as she stood up.

"You can't go Lelouch, you need to fulfill your part of our bargain so I won't have you dieing, before that" She stated,

"Notice what your saying and what your doing are contradictory." He remarked in an amused tone,

"Oh I won't kill you I'm merely going to shoot you in the leg to quiet you down," The green haired girl responded smugly.

"No I get it your unable to use Geass yourself aren't you," He responded assured of his statement. Of course White had confirmed that despite possessing some very frightful abilities they couldn't use Geass themselves. "I'm not surprised, in fact I suspected as much," The eleventh prince of the empire stated drawing his own gun, "You obviously wouldn't ask me to do it if you could done it yourself."

"Do you honestly think you can threaten me with a gun?" She asked

"Oh but I do," He commented turning the weapon on himself, "I will not allow myself to return to the life of imprisonment, for that is no better than being dead hiding behind a façade of being alive. It is no better than going through the motions of life with out actually gaining any meaning."

She lowered the gun. "Stop it," The witch commanded in defeat, "I see, I know its life with out meaning," CC stated,

"This is correct, a man has to stand on his own strength."

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Cornelia was thinking he would follow through with the same strategy, as Shinjuku, and she would continue to think that up until things got underway.

Her forces had commenced the extermination of the Saitama ghetto. "All forces are in position," announced one of the Istavanians.

Lelouch smirked from his place on the captured Sutherland. Stealing it had been easy enough, pretending to be a member of a reconnaissance team with a CD, it was simply too easy.

The 'Istavanian' marked Edinburghs and their pilots were just waiting for the order to attack, to 'punish Cornelia for her injustice against the Elevens of the Saitama Ghetto.'

As far as things went this fight would be interesting. It would answer questions about the capacity of Cornelia's own Sutherland derivative. While it was possible they could have operated directly in the homeland that risked sparking a conflict amongst the aristocracy, and for the time being that didn't serve the Black Knights at all.

Cornelia's forces were among the best supposedly that Britannia had to offer, however even them could be defeated with numbers, as the Blood of the Samurai Faction had proven with their captured Sutherlands. That was to say nothing of what the infamous Kyoto group could do with all of these captured machines.

The Burais were somewhat troublesome, especially in combating Britannia's hordes of Infantry, not that Britannia would care if the losses were just honorary Britannians.

Of course the Black Knights hadn't been contacted, it would seem they needed to make another spectacle of the Britannian Military. Apparently Kyoto must have been a little intimidated by their bold interest.

Lelouch activated his Radio broadcasting to the terrorists, "This is Zero," He stated clearly.

"You mean,"
"Zero?"
"Zero you mean?"
Two of the terrorists managed to say, rather that they managed to stammer.

"I assume you have all heard of the Shinjuku incident, and our other operations do what I say and you will be saved,"

So it was a tad dramatic. That it seemed to work only proved sometimes theatrics and flowery words beat the undisguised truth of reality.

The terrorist quickly agreed to heed his intructions, and before long the first of the preparations were complete.

A pair of Sutherlands exploded as they passed hit by the terrorist's anti armor rockets, much to their surprise. They were so easily impressed by success on the battlefield, but then up until this point for such a small group actually taking out a Sutherland team would have been next to impossible.

"So what should I do, drag Cornelia out, or make an opening, hmm," He paused, "I suppose I'll have to take it easy if I use to much force she might withdraw. No the Witch of Britannia would never order a retreat against a lowly terrorist, she has too much pride to permit that. I keep thinning her forces and when her royal guard arrive," He glanced at the transport trailer, "Then the strong arm comes out to play, and we get much needed information." He turned on his radio, "R 1 R 2 maintain distance draw them back to the area where N 2 is, B 7 open fire towards two o'clock." He commanded looking over his Heads Up Display. "P 5's team will commence its barrage."

Cornelia was beginning to get the reports, her forces were reporting this to being very similar to Shinjuku, including the use of Sutherlands captured from her own forces.

"N 2 continue to the upper right, R 4 fire." The dark prince ordered, "N 1 take the man on the left, right P 3 take out the bridge and close down the route now."
The destruction was spectacular as the suspension bridge went crashing, along with the Britannian forces on it, into the water below.

The second princess ordered all her troops to fall back.

Lelouch smirked opening his cockpit. "And thus the task at hand is complete, now for the second stage," He turned to the pilot of the Sutherland, "Well then here's your Knightmare continue with your orders."
"Yes my lord." Intoned the man blankly. The prince watched as the Sutherland he previously occupied sped along with the rest of the Britannian Knightmare forces.

"Yes run away," He remarked. "Cornelia, your no match for me you'll lose." The eleventh prince remarked, even as his sister made a similar declaration. 'even if I used my Geass security is simply to stringent for me to just stroll in,' Lelouch mused from the cockpit. 'But I'll just create an opening, I should have brought along Sora, her ability would be ever so useful, oh well White insists on dragging her around wherever he goes, besides she'll be of more use in 'Area 18, besides they didn't even bring the Lancelot.'

His phone vibrated,

'the student council room,' The prince thought "But I thought the actual cat festival meeting was scheduled for tomorrow," he murmured

Lelouch tilted his head as the line went dead, "Hmm," he rolled his eyes dismissively obviously there were more important matters, "Whatever," he declared.

The fact spheres detected the dispatch of the Gloucesters.

"Finally she sends out the Royal Guard," He grumbled impatiently, "This is Zero," He said picking up his radio. "N 1 will reengage their IFF signal and operate as a Britannian unit." The prince ordered, and act as my decoy.

The trio of Gloucesters destroyed it.

"No confirmation, well he did fire first," He turned on his radio, "N 2 transmit signal then fall back to the hospital ruins, R 1 R 2 hold your positions fire only if attacked." The eleventh prince switched channels. "Well then get ready for battle," He said over the radio, as he sat in the cockpit.

She didn't follow the unit until more Gloucesters arrived, Lelouch of course realized this and ordered the Yamato members to disengage.

However by now they, the terrorists, were panicking.

"So she killed them after they surrendered," The Dark Prince drawled, "How ruthless of you dear sister," He commented, not caring in the slightest, "No wonder that men would joke about taming the witch of Britannia."

The last of them were destroyed.

"Mission complete," He laughed, at her claim. "Don't count me out," He snarled angrily, just because those fools failed doesn't mean that you have won.

Buildings exploded inside the ghetto and began to collapse. The truth was for heavy assault units like this one it was best to fight in open terrain, so the first step was to clear the area of anything the enemy might try to take cover behind.

MMI 101 Cardoc online; read the screen, Hadron cannon output stable; All systems green. The blasts obliterated the surrounding area.

"This is Zero," He stated smugly over Britanian frequencies, as the hip mounted VARIS Rifles deployed the Gloucester team attempted to rush him, how predictable, with area flat, well they would not be able to be so damn acrobatic.

Lelouch flipped a switch activating the MSV particle shields, which glowed to life, several green blasts fired from underneath the arm and chest shields.

The attack splintered the Royal knights.

"Commence attack." He ordered in an almost bored monotone, as he charged the Hadron Cannons and fired into the now disoriented Britannian ranks, assured the Royal Knights weren't much threat to him.

Out of the Subways emerged Edinburghs. The Black Machines bore different secondary colors than the Thorian units that Cornelia had seen in action just recently, and also lacked the improved comm systems as well. In the place of those differences the units sported shoulder mounted cannons. That in itself was actually something they'd be carried over from another model.

Lelouch powered the hover system on his Knightmare's legs, seeing as the Cardoc was much heavier than the regular Knight Mares and the land spinner propulsion system would not as such been of as much use for the heavy machine, the strain from moving the machine would cause the land spinners to need to be repaired fairly often due to extensive wear. "With this Britannia can't beat me," He laughed.

"Should remind you close combat is not advisable in that unit," Chimed a voice over the radio.

"I know," The prince responded somewhat more soberly. "How long till you can fix the Hadron cannons," He growled.

"We are working on it," assured the mechanic,

The Knightmare frame was mostly a black with blue as a secondary color, and some gold trim. The first pair of Hadron cannons were mounted on shoulder pylons, the second pair could swivel over the shoulders located in resting positions near the pair of Fact spheres, another feature from the Lancelot the fact spheres that was, this arrangement offered some amount of mobility to the weapons in that they could rotate individually.

Replacing the Slash Harkens on the arms, were a set of two small bore linear cannons underneath its arm shields. In truth while the cannons were effective they were not as long ranged as those rifles carried by the Black Knight Edinburghs,

Of course it did have a flaw in hand to hand combat, but it didn't matter Cornelia was being attacked. Clovis hadn't sealed off the subway, and she didn't know that was where they had arrived from, but between the MMI 101 approaching and the two teams of shield toting Edinburghs well the princess was in trouble, and now to save the day, and of course humiliate the army, again, Mused the prince.

His display beeped, warning him of the approaching unit. "A Gloucester?" Lelouch questioned moving his machine to face the rear. "Die!" He hissed annoyed, the automatic blonde knife deployment forced the Gloucester to dodge. "Who the hell is this pilot?" The teen spat, it was obviously one of her royal guard, so perhaps her record of elite troops wasn't so exaggerated. "I should have used the Hadrons." The prince snarled as the insufferable purple machine continued to dodge his attacks, much to the eleventh prince's anger.

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Chapter conclusion

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Helltanz's notes: Bum, bum, bum, MMI 101 Cardoc Assault Type Seventh Generation Knight Mare Frame is finished.

Anyway tomorrow is my birthday, that said I will be posting, for those of you who are reading Lightning Fervor, the prequel to that story, and possibly the next chapter for Rage of the Ibilis.

So no one is worried about Narita being one sided, well lets put it this way Britannian forces under Cornelia will have a compensator for this turn of events, though it won't last long miss Witch of Britannia won't get captured, but whose to say that's not apart of Mr. Evil Genius's plan.

[Maniacal Laughter ON]

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