Wow, over 200 hits already? That is something I did not expect. Well, for all of you there I hope you enjoy reading this as I had to do a lot of research here. Read & Review! (Re-edited version)
"They're taking the bait." A man in his late 50s stood looking at the battle on the screen, pleased with the results. The silver trimmings on his green-blue uniform glittered in the command bridge. His great red beard was mixed with grey. Tiny blue red and dots clashed in many individual battles. The blue (their own forces) outnumbered the red by at least three to one but one red would only disappear only after taking down at least two blue.
"So it seems." A man agreed. "30 degrees to port! Ready the Haldron cannons to full power. We're going to New Pendragon. If we can hit the Imperial fleet from here with only 20% of power, we raze the Imperial Palace at 80%." He grinned.
"Banzi!" A Black knight cut down his Gloucester opponent. He used his custom gun to fire at an advancing enemy. This one however, deflected his shots with its Blaze Luminous shield and readied its lance in a swinging mode. The Japanese pilot swung his sword to meet the upcoming attack but the bulkier weapon knocked the sword aside. The Gloucester pulled back for a thrust and skewered the Black knight before his could react.
Before the purist could move however a large metallic claw pierced out from his back, causing the Knightmare to explode as well.
Kallen cursed as she failed to save her fellow member. Withdrawing the arm, the Crimson Lotus dodge a lance thrust and skewer the Knightmare with her energy wings.
"This is taking too long!" Kallen muttered. Another squadron of Gloucesters was sent out after they had reached the carrier. They had to deal with both the turrets and missiles from the ship as well as the enemy Knightmares before they could even get close to the attacking the ship itself.
"Kozuki!" Kallen heard General Alexandros' voice through her radio. "We're being overwhelmed here! Have you taken out that ship?" There was an explosion in the background.
"General, we've found the ship but heavily defended. Will take some time…"
"I know, lass." The general's voice was unusually soft. "Just make sure you take it down before we're all dead, eh?"
"Yes, milord!" Kallen smiled at the answer and switched channels. "The Britannians are in trouble! We need to hurry. Zero Two and Three try to draw their missile turrets from our forces. Zero Four and Six destroy their engines. Five and Seven with me! We're taking that cannon down!"
With that Kallen moved ahead of her squadron, trusting them to be able to hold of the enemy. Meanwhile her Elite Guard is beginning to take higher losses. She needed to be quick.
As soon as she reached her destination, several turrets fired their missiles at her. Kallen used her radiation burst to destroy the projectile weapons. Using its slash harkens to spear several of the turrets the Black knight ace pulled her Knightmare on thecarrier itself, on the starboard side. Anti-Knightmare gattling cannons started to fire at the Guren, their sabot rounds were strong enough to pierce through Knightmare armour-if they could get pass her radiation burst. Using it as her shield, Kallen worked her way down the ship's main cannons which were at its head. Every once in awhile an enemy Knightmare would appear out of nowhere but they were dealt by Zero Five and Seven. Their Akatsukis were superior to the Sutherland and Gloucesters and the pilots were amongst the best the Black knights had.
"What the hell-" The ship suddenly rumbled and the Guren almost went out of balance. Wait. The ship was changing course! Kallen pulled her Knightmare back to see where the ship was going.
"It's heading…towards…east? But why leave in the middle-" Then it struck her. The battle…the whole battle was a diversion. A trick. The large number of Knightmares…the flagship in the front of the fleet…the hidden cannon…it was all part of their plan…
'If we are able to turn the tide of the battle then this ship will be allowed to escape and attack Pendragon and if we destroy this ship it will be too late to save the Imperial fleet from destruction. But why didn't they just use the ship to destroy the fleet?' Kallen thought. It was probably because it would have been a perfect target. But time for such thinking was not now.
Her alarm system rang again as a large slash harken suddenly speared at the Guren. She managed to block it with her surger arm but the impact forced her back.
"The Red Lotus! Finally we meet!" A sadistic female voice laughed from her radio.
An orange coloured Knightmare with gold trim shoulder plates hovered above her. It was similar to the Percival in appearance but it had yellow energy wings as well. Knowing she was facing a powerful opponent Kallen readied her Guren in battle stance.
A young violet-haired woman of her own age appeared on her monitor screen wearing a similar pilot uniform as the Knights of the Round except for the silver and gold trims indicating her nobility status. Her face was gentle but her green eyes showed only cruelty. And those eyes reminded her of someone…someone very familiar…
"Look familiar?" The woman sneered. "I am Luna Bradley. And I have come to avenge my brother Luciano Bradley whom you murdered!"
"Murdered?" Kallen snorted at the statement. "I find it ironic since I'm accused of murdering the man who fights specifically because it allows him to freely kill people in public."
"Well, I guess that runs in the family…" Luna agreed. "Anyway, you're still going to die, bitch."
"Come on then!" Kallen brandished her forked knife. "We'll see who the real bitch is!"
The two women then clashed with incredible speed, piloting Knightmare Frames with Energy Wing Systems. The strange Knightmare was not wielding any weapon yet, using slash harkens and the energy wings to battle. Kallen for once in a long time found herself being pressured. This Luna was Luciano's relative alright. She gave no regards her allies either as Luna used one of her harkens to strike one of the rebel Gloucesters and hurled it at the Guren. Kallen let loose of a radiation burst to destroy it mid-air but the blood thirsty noblewoman then tackled her as she did causing the Guren back. The Red Lotus however was even better in hand to hand and Kallen used her surger arm to punch the strange Knightmare. The blow caused Luna back but she then lung forward again this time with her energy wings. Kallen met the attack her own wings and engaging a fearsome duel.
From a far, the Black knights and their Britannian allies could only see a clash of between a purple and yellow blur.
The two were evenly matched when suddenly the ship halted. Kallen's fears had become true. Since the Capital was so near the battle the ship was now likely now in range, and that means Nunnally was in danger! The thought of losing Nunnally like losing Lelouch suddenly brought more anger in her. She had failed Lelouch and she will not fail Nunally!
"Agrah!" Kallen used forked knife to cut a broad swathe across Luna causing the noblewoman to dodge away lest she gets beheaded. Taking the chance, the Black Knight ace charged forward to the Haldron cannons as red energy was being gathered.
Kallen then got in front the enormous Cannons and used her radiation burst in full energy to form a large barrier on it. She knew that her radiation energy may not be able to contain all the Hadron blasts at least not without killing herself but she had no choice. It was either hers or the lives of an entire city.
The beams fired and struck her barrier hard forcing the Guren back. Red lights were all ringing in Kallen's machine.
"So you decided to risk your own life to save others? You are indeed worthy of being called a knight…" Luna said it sarcastically.
"Just like Lelouch…" Kallen mused.
"Kallen-san!" Sakura and several other Black knights charged in their Akatsukis but the noblewoman just used her energy wings and tore them to pieces in mere seconds.
"NO!" Kallen shouted seeing her comrades dying but not being able to do anything due to her blocking the beam. Luna then turned towards the Black Knight ace.
"I've been saving for this moment!" The Knightmare finally drew its weapon the same identically weapon her brother used the MSV particle drill-lance. Kallen nodded and closed her eyes. If she had to die then so be it.
"For Lu-!" The drill-lance arm suddenly exploded, surprising both Kallen and Luna.
"What in the name-" A crimson slash harken suddenly shot out and struck the customised Percival. Three small Haldron beams and a volley of sabot followed causing it to back off. Kallen looked around to see her rescuers and her eyes grew wide in surprise and awe.
A blood-red and silver Vincent suddenly appeared hovering protectively the Guren. The eyes of the Knightmare were violet instead of the usual green. Behind the Knightmare, a squadron of Gareths appeared.
"Guren! Take care of the ship. We'll deal with her!" A voice suddenly said from Kallen's radio. Kallen did not answer. She was not shocked by the sudden appearance of these new Knightmares. It was by the voice. It sounds so familiar.
"Hah! You think that old class Knightmare can match a ninth generation Knightmare?!"
The red Vincent gave no response but suddenly pulled out a gun which looked like the VARIS rifle, the type which the Lancelot used and fired at the arrogant noblewoman. Luna of course dodged and the beam suddenly exploded behind her. Laughing, she charged at the red-silver Knightmare when suddenly her energy wings suddenly lost power.
"Ugrah! Who did that?!" She demanded but no one was there behind her. The Vincent then pulled out its MVS dual blade sword and charged. Luna shot out her slash harkens but the red-silver Knightmare caught the harkens together by spinning its weapon, then slicing them as the blades turn ruby red.
"Damn so you used an energy disturber? Pretty smart." The knight knew that the Vincent was no match for her custom Knightmare if she had the Energy wing System.
Despite everything, the Percival like-Knightmare still had some fight as it was able to dodge any attacks the Vincent made though it was unable to perform any proper attacks or rely on its speed. But the red was incredibly fast
Kallen wanted to crush the noblewoman while she's at her weakest but she had more important things to do. Her radiation blast had actually held out and as the cannon's beams disappear she used all her remaining radiation energy to one powerful blast to destroy the abomination.
"Go to hell!" She shouted as she fired, remembering all the faces of her squadron members and the Britannian knights who gave their lives for Nunnally.
The cannon turned crimson red as it was filled with radiation energy before started to explode slowly as the Guren got out of the way. She then saw missiles and crimson beams firing from the Gareths at the cruiser. The ship was starting to disintegrate into burning inferno.
"Reinforcements from the Empress, milady!" A Black knight reported.
"Yeah, I already know." Kallen snapped as she turned to find that the noblewoman only to find her gone. However a monitor screen appeared again with the young violet haired woman's glaring at her.
"Well, Kozuki. It seems we'll have to finish our business some other time, thanks to your knight in bloody armour. But we'll be seeing each other again real soon!" With that the transmission was out.
"And I'll be waiting…" Kallen said grimly. She was wondering where her rescuer was when something exploded from another of the rebel's Caerleon-class ships. A blur of crimson caught her attention and she turned to follow hoping to contact the pilot.
On the frontlines
Guilford clenched his teeth as he struggled against the lances of five Sutherlands and three Gloucesters. He and the survivors of the Haldron blasts were now fighting badly against the larger army.
"Guilford," A voice suddenly appeared on an unknown channel, startling Cornelia's knight. "Watch your left." Guilford instantly turned and parried a lance blow. He then took out the Sutherland's head.
"Who is this man?" He thought as the voice came again.
"Dive your Knightmare down twenty metres." Guilford was flabbergasted by the command.
"What? Who are you? Why should-"
"If you want to live…" The voice responded and Guilford's alarm system rank and he did as told.
"Ha! Coward of a knight!" A rebel whom he was engaging sneered. "Why-" The man was cut off as a barrage of missiles struck him and his comrades from out of nowhere.
While still wondering who this mysterious voice was, Guilford nevertheless appreciated his help. A red blur suddenly appeared on his screen. It was probably the commander of their reinforcements.
"My thanks, fellow knight. Your timing is just right."
"No need for thanks. Come on. We have a battle to win here."
The crimson Vincent flew around the battlefield sending many transmissions to different groups and turning the tide of the battle. His tactics were quite startling as he gave quite outrageous orders and the plan only revealed itself at the last minute. The Imperials started to obey his commands as if he was their superior as he would be able to lead them to victory.
Unfortunately the rebels noticed it too and many squadrons were now focused on the red knightmare. Strangely it did not attack and soon a large number of Knightmares were chasing it. The Vincent was approaching the rebel cruisers which were engaged with those of the Imperials when it sent another transmission this time to the Red squadron.
"Red leader, fire all your missiles across the Maiden."
"But, sir," The knight protested. "There is no target." There was absolutely nothing there.
"DO IT NOW, SOLDIER!" The voice roared and the entire Red squadron's Gareths fired all their ballistic weapons out. The red leader was wondering if it was a trick when a flash of red passed them and the missiles they sent clashed with perhaps about fifty to sixty rebels. The heat seeking missiles then followed the red Vincent.
"Good heavens..." The pilot muttered, completely awed by the spectacle. He just led more than three to five squadrons into a missile barrage with incredible accuracy. And now he's leading the missiles the squadron shot in form of a swarm of angry locus.
Suddenly worried the might hit their own, the Red leader almost ordered to destroy them but the pilot instead told him not to. Confused but deciding to trust the voice, the Red leader wondered what the crazy knight was going to do.
Meanwhile…
"Guren, how is your machine?" Kallen startled when she heard the voice again. It was using a voice changer so she could not recognised but the tone…it sounded like…no…it can't be…can it?
"It's fine." She answered. "I still have 30% power. What do I need to do?" Maybe…just maybe it could be…
"Destroy the Blaze Luminous shield on the rebel cruiser in sector 9." The voice replied.
"Roger!" Using the remaining what's left of the radiation energy she blasted the shield on the cruiser. As the shield started to disappear, the pilot came again.
"Good job, pull back! You're not fit to battle now." For some reason, Kallen felt angry and wanted to snap at him that she had fought harder battles when her energy level started to shout a warning sound.
"Roger," She sighed as Kallen retreated back to the Lionheart.
But as she did, Kallen saw the red Vincent leading…are those missiles? Into the catapult of the cruiser. The attack took all combatants around by surprise as the missiles went in the ship like bees into their hive.
"He...just destroyed an entire carrier like that?" Kallen was unable to control herself and she watched the ship exploding into other pieces.
The scarlet and silver Vincent now appeared again out of the burning ship. He then gestured something to a squadron of Gareths that came along with him. The Knightmares took off and lay waste to the next ship in line with their heavy weaponary while another squadron of Wards arrived and supported the carnage.
Kallen tried to sent a transmission to their apparent rescuer but the channel was blocked. Feeling both frustrated that her Guren was almost out of power and angry at the pilot for blocking his channel, she landed in the Lionheart's docking bay and got out of her Knightmare. She suddenly found her muscles aching and her head throbbing.
Though, the rebels still outnumbered the Imperials and the Black Knights, they retreated after losing both their giant Haldron cannons, more than half of their cruisers and probably over two hundred of their Knightmares. The surviving allied forces cheered as what would have been a bloodied defeat became an overwhelming victory.
The red Vincent finally after battling the rebels, retreated back to the Lionheart. The Knightmare hovered near the ship. The violet eyes turned to the glass-panel the Black knight ace was watching from. Kallen's heart raced. Who was this pilot anyway? He just made a miracle. She only knew one person who could have done the same. A thousand questions appeared in her mind. Her hands were trembling as she drank down her water.
General Alexandros and Guilford came into the hanger.
"Good job, lass. A splendid sword technique!"
"Thank you, sir." The Black knight ace smiled, feeling flattered. Guilford stepped forward to the window screen.
"I wonder who that knight is…" He muttered.
"I wish I know…" Kallen muttered as Alexandros and Guilford discussed the theory about the pilot. She ignored them and watched the Vincent then suddenly broke off and flew away disappearing into the distance.
"Red Knight here. Mission acomplised."
"Base control. Did you discover anything? Over." Another voice asked, with an unidentified accent.
"Afraid not." The pilot answered sadly. "Just helped save her majesty from those popinjays."
"Well, good job anyway," A different voice laughed. "At least, the purists are now crippled."
"Yeah. That will make things easier for us to infiltrate. There's someone among them who knows about the cult."
"Right but for now come back to base and rest. You earned it."
"Roger that, Base control. Red Knight, out."
The Knightmare pilot took of his helmet as he took out a small box from his pocket. A picture of a young man with dark hair and violet eyes appeared with the letters of L.L.
"I will get to the bottom of this, sire. I swear it."
Well, what do you think? Yeah, I know the cannon scene seemed to be similar to that the Battle of Yavin in Starwars IV A New Hope but I loved that scene. It's one exciting scene. And what do you think of Luna Bradley? I welcome any advice to make this fanfic better. So if have any ideas to make her more sinister please feel free to add in your review. Don't know if you notice it but General Sir Harold Alexandros is obviously named after the British general Sir Harold Alexander. Well, Read & Review!