Phase XXIII: Lines, Vines and Trying Times.
(Slayers military base)
"Hey someone help me! Kallen-san just fainted!" Kaguya said as she tried desperately to bring her friend conscious once more.
"Who could blame her! I mean if I had just found out that my classmate was the enemy commander I'd faint as well!" Ohgi replied.
The truth was that after they innately asked Kallen about her relationship with Lelouch she had said they were just friends and vehemently denied any romantic involvement, they took her word on that and with the exception of Kaguya were no aware that she and Lelouch became lovers.
(Ashford Academy)
"EHH!" Rivals said astounded at what he was seeing.
Nina was just as shocked. "If Lelouch is a prince then that means Nunnally is a princess to?" she asked out loud.
"Of course! They are siblings after all!" Millie replied.
"M..Madam President, did you know about this?" Rivals asked hesitantly.
"Yes! Lelouch and myself have know each other since we were little and he asked me to keep it a secret!" Millie replied.
Shirley was still in the bathroom and was not aware of what had transpired.
(Pendragon city, throne room)
"I present to you my son Field Marshall Lelouch vi Brittannia, the 'Niddhog' of the Empire! Tonight within the hour we will celebrate his great victory and his new commission, go to the ball room and leave us alone, I wish to speak with him in private!" Charles said and the camera crew stopped filming and the nobility left.
Once they were alone Lelouch eyed his father, he could tell that Lelouch was masterfully hiding his discontent, but his eyes said everything.
"You are angry that I made you reveal your face to the world?" Charles said with fake confusion in his tone.
"Will all due respect your highness, this mask gave me an aura of mystery which bread great fear into my enemies, some even thought that under it wasn't a human at all, but rather a demon, so why did you take that great power away from me?" Lelouch calmly asked, he was a master at forming a mask.
"Reason ? The reason is that I want you to be great!" Charles replied calmly and this caught Lelouch off guard.
"You hide your face behind a mask, and because people do not know your face they do not show you the respect you deserve, after what you did tonight every man will bow at your feet and every woman will smile at you and invite you to your bed!" Charles continued and his sudden reply made Lelouch anger dissipates.
"I want my son to be acknowledged, loved by his subjects and feared by his enemies. Is that good reason enough for you Field Marshall?" Charles asked his son.
At this response all Lelouch could do was give an apologetic bow of the body and say.
"Yes my lord! I apologies for my behavior!" .
But before Charles could respond Lelouch phone which fell out of his pocket suddenly began ringing, and before Lelouch could pick it up Charles did before him.
"Hello?" Charles said into the phone.
"Hello? Lulu is that you?" Shirley replied over the phone.
(E.U military headquarters)
A few minutes had already passed since the transmissions end and Philippe Pétain had ordered his General Staff to gather every scrap of information they could now that they had his picture.
"Well what do you have so far?" Philippe Pétain asked his staff.
"Well sir, based on his picture we managed to get the following data:" one of the staff members said.
"Lelouch vi Brittannia, under the name Lelouch Lamperouge he entered together with his sister Euphemia's knight Kururugi Suzaku The Virginia Military institute at West Point, graduated a few months ago, while at West Point he received top grades at all his studies except those which required physical exercise which he had mediocre, nicknamed 'the little corporal' by his fellow classmates, he became the unofficial leader of the entire institute student body, even upperclassmen and seniors considered him the commanding officer.
He remarked himself as a sniper, military strategist and tacticians and it is reported that after a few months at West Point the dean remarket the following about him:
'Why is that young man here to learn when there is nothing we can teach him that he does not already know? He should be leading armies not wasting time with old men like us!'" he finished his report and Philippe Pétain remained silent for a while a grave look on his face.
He then sat down and broke the silence.
"A natural born leader! My God! My God! He only had about fifty thousand men and look what he did to us! Now as a field marshal he will have an army at least 150.000 strong and authority over other generals!" Philippe said distraught.
Just then Ludwig Beck the minister of war spoke up.
"Gentleman! It is now clear who our greatest foe is, Zero and his Black Knights have literally become over knight legends, and we must make it our priority to capture, defeat or destroy both him and his army, the longer they exists, the more victories they collect the worse the situation for our side will get! We must annihilate the 'Iron Prince' and his army….before he annihilates us!" Beck said and everyone agreed to that.
(Pendragon city, throne room)
"LuLu?" Charles asked over the phone confused and eye balled his son.
"Who is this?" Shirley asked.
"I am Lelouch's father" Charles replied.
"His….His Father! Ah…ah excuse me! My name is Shirley Fenette, I am one of your son's classmates, it's a pleasure to meet you sir." Shirley immediately replied in the manner in which a girl introduces herself to her fiancés parents.
"The pleasure is all mine Miss Fenette!" Charles replied with a snicker as he watched Lelouch's nervous face as he chatted with his Shirley.
"By the way sir, might I enquire what your name is, I kept wanting to ask it but kept forgetting!" Shirley asked innocently.
"My name is Charles miss Fenette!" he replied.
"Hey you have the same name as the Emperor!" Shirley said.
"Yes, and I've also been told that I look a lot like him!" Charles said and chuckled slightly, he decided that he liked Lelouch friend and he was really enjoying the conversation.
"Am I interrupting a family thing?" Shirley asked concerned.
"Miss Fenette, did you watch the recent news broadcast?"Charles asked.
"No!" she replied.
"Then you are not interrupting anything….yes I will tell him the costume party has been postponed for next week…..good buy miss Fenette" Charles said and he hanged up the phone and gave it back to Lelouch.
"I rather like your taste in women my son, now let's go to the banquet!" Charles said and he dragged Lelouch with him.
(World of C Sword of Akasha)
"You really are such a child Charles!" V.V said to himself as he watched his younger brother through the monitor located with Akasha.
(Ashford Academy)
"Lulu's father seems like a nice man! I wonder why he said they didn't got along?" Shirley said in her mind as she returned to were her friends where.
"Hey guys I'm back, and you never guess what happened, I just had a conversation with Lelouch's dad when I tried to call him, how cool is that huh! So I miss anything?" Shirley replied innocently at which everyone in the room stared at her.
"What? Did….I say something?" Shirley asked a bit startled.
Just then Rivals grabbed Shirley by her shoulders and shouted
"DID YOU JUST SAY YOU TALKED TO LELOUCH'S DAD!" he said while shaking her.
"DID YOU HONEST AND TRULLY JUST TALKED TO HIM!" he said again as he was breathing heavily.
Shirley immediately pushed Rivals of her, and startled said:
"Y..yes I did!" What's the big deal?"
Millie remembered that Shirley was not present when the news broadcast was played so she decided to correct that mistake.
Millie then showed Shirley a recording of what was broadcasted a few minutes ago.
(Pendragon city, Emperor's palace ball room)
Lelouch was sitting down on a chair and a glass of Schweppes lemon was in his hand, around him the nobles danced, drank and made business deals and alliances.
Lelouch then saw the man he wanted to meet and quickly went to him.
"Good evening Sir Luciano" Lelouch politely greeted.
"Field Marshall!" Luciano said and gave a polite bow of the head.
On one hand Lelouch was surprised and pleased that he was addressed by his military rank and not his social rank, on the other hand he was mentally disgusted when he saw that Luciano was carving up a big piece of fried pork meat with a dagger like the pour animal was still alive and he delighted in torturing it.
"What brings someone like you to someone like me? " Luciano said as he took a sip of wine.
"Why I just wanted to give you a present!" Lelouch said and he handed Luciano a book.
At this Luciano almost choked on his wine, there were few people in the country or rather there were no people at all who considered him a friend of even got him a present.
Luciano hesitantly and a little stunned took the book.
"I hope you enjoy it!"Lelouch said enjoying the shocked expression on his face and then left Luciano's side.
"I shocked the vampire of Brittannia! How many people can boast to have done something like that!" Lelouch smirked and mentally said to himself
After a few moments Luciano read the book's title.
"The complete works of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch and Donatien Alphonse François, marquis de Sade volume I" he said to himself and he then started reading the book.
(Tokyo concession Hilton Hotel, royal sweet)
It had been six days since Lelouch's unmasking; currently he was relaxing sitting on a couch, he was wearing a bath robe and reading 'A short essay on naval tactics by Admiral Nelson'.
Just then a pair of arms went around his neck.
"Why did you call me over today if all you want to do waste time reading?" Kallen asked lustfully and gave Lelouch a kiss.
"I think you mean why did I call you here yesterday, it was evening when we met up and now its morning." Lelouch pointed out.
"Really?" Kallen asked amazed.
"Uh hu! I woke up half an hour ago, and since I didn't want to disturb you I decided to catch up on my reading, and I'll have you know this is a book on naval warfare by admiral Nelson himself!" Lelouch replied.
"Naval tactics? But you're a Field Marshall not an admiral! Why are you learning naval tactics?" Kallen asked curious.
"Because after Fukuoka Xingke took command of the navy which transported Sawasaki's army here and turned it into a pirate fleet, they been capturing merchant ships and confiscating their cargo, I laid a request for a navy fleet to command against him, and the 3rd, 4th and 7th Navy fleets are gathering and should arrive in Tokyo bay right around Decembers end, until then I am brushing up on my naval tactics." Lelouch replied.
He then turned around, gave Kallen a kiss and said.
"But I think I can take a break now!" and let her to the bed were they prepared for another session of love making.
"I'd never thought three days ago that I'd end up in such a situation!" Kallen said giggling as Lelouch kissed her neck.
"That makes two of us!" Lelouch said and his mind flashbacked to three days ago.
…..
Lelouch was waiting in the hotel room for Kallen to arrive, he decided that after his unmasking and what happened between them before Shikinejima they needed to talk at set things straight.
He was reading the above mentioned naval book when he heard the door to the sweet open.
"Time to face the music I guess" Lelouch said to himself and a radio he left on in the main room started playing Ace of Base's 'All that she wants.
She leads a lonely life
She leads a lonely life
Kallen entered the room as silently as she could, she heard that the shower was being used and went towards it.
She unsheathed her switch blade knife and walked in the bathroom.
When she woke up late in the morning light
And the day had just begun
She opened up her eyes and thought
She silently stepped close to the shower curtain, pulled it open and realized that no one was there.
Oh what a morning
It's not a day for work
It's a day for catching tan
She then heard the sound of a pistol cocking behind her.
"Hello Kallen, this gun I am using is the same one from when I destroyed seven Gun Ru's, so please don't be rash and drop the knife!" Lelouch said to her emerging from behind the bathroom door.
Just lying on the beach and having fun
She's going to get you
"Lelouch you stinking liar, why did you call me here today !" Kallen said on the verge of tears.
All that she wants is another baby
She's gone tomorrow boy
All that she wants is another baby
"Stinking liar? I told you I was part of the phoenix fund, that I was pro equal right for all the people which live in the Empire and that I worked closely with the 'Iron Prince! You on the other hand pretended to be a frail daughter of a noble, when in fact you were an athletic member of the Slayers, when the two of us compare I told you at least 70% of the truth and you none to me, so you're a bigger liar then me!" Lelouch replied and this caught Kallen off guard.
All that she wants is another baby
She's gone tomorrow boy
Lelouch then lowered his gun which made Kallen lower her guard, he then gave her a smile and walked towards her, he took off his shirt, and as Kallen tried to slip past him he caught her by the wrists and gave her a passionate french kiss.
"Wait! You…you said you called me here to talk!" Kallen said after the kiss was broken and she blushed like crazy.
"I did! However you came here and tried to threaten me with a knife! This is punishment!" Lelouch said as he moved Kallen under the shower, he then moved one hand to her breasts and another to caress her womanhood.
All that she wants is another baby
All that she wants - all that she wants
"S…stop it!" Kallen said still blushing, it was not a 'stop you're rapping me' stop but a ' I want you to continue so I am bashful and I say stop' stop.
"She's even wearing the red underwear I requested, I wonder if that knife was actually part of some kinky game of hers!" Lelouch thought to himself as he moved his lips from kissing Kallen to her now expose womanhood.
So if you are in sight and the day is right
She's the hunter you're the fox
The gentle voice that talks to you won't talk forever
It is a night for passion
But the morning means goodbye
Beware of what is flashing in her eyes
She's going to get you
Kallen by now stopped trying to oppose Lelouch and she took of what remained of her clothes and let Lelouch have her way with her.
All that she wants is another baby
She's gone tomorrow boy
All that she wants is another baby
All that she wants is another baby
She's gone tomorrow boy
All that she wants is another baby
All that she wants…
It had been morning when Kallen entered the bathroom, and it was evening when they exited the bathroom.
When they exited they sat down on the bed., and Lelouch noticed a sad expression on Kallen.
"What's wrong? I don't think I was that bad!" Lelouch said jokingly.
"No! That's not it!" Kallen replied blushing.
"It's just…it's that sooner or later we….we're going to have to fight each other and possibly kill each other!" Kallen said sadly.
Lelouch realized that she had a valid point so he offered a problem to her dilemma.
"There's an answer for that!" Lelouch said and Kallen snapped to attention.
"For a while their isn't going to be any major military action on land, these kind of periods of peace follow great battles, until then we could continue seeing each other and when the day comes for us to fight each other, we break up the night before" Lelouch told her.
"What's the matter with you?" Kallen said and jumped to her feet.
"What do you mean? You had a dilemma and I offered a solution, what's wrong with that?" Lelouch asked curious.
"Well….love is not that simple!" Kallen said, but the truth was she thought Lelouch idea was pretty practical.
"Of course it is! Look at it this way, your time with the Slayers can be considered your day job, my time as field marshal could be considered my day job, eventually our day jobs will force us to break up, when that happens we do what any other couple would do when their jobs no longer allow them to be together and break up! Love and war maybe the two sides of the same coin, but those sides are best kept separate" Lelouch said with a grin.
"Ah….well….alright" Kallen said in defeat, she should have known by now that debating Lelouch was futile.
"Now then!" he said and gave Kallen another passionate kiss.
"Since our time together is limited why don't we make the most of it!" he said and he and Kallen rolled on the bed in each other's arms.
"For someone who has little stamina, you sure know how to please a woman!" Kallen said and squealed with joy.
"It's all in the technique, and you should know by now that I am a master strategist!" Lelouch said with a smile and both he and Kallen spent the night together, her father was not at home and Kallen's stepmother was indifferent to her fate, and as for Lelouch he had to spend nights away from Nunnally because of the Black Knights, so he was covered as well.
…..
Lelouch's mind returned to the present, and after another session of sex he lay on the bed exhausted with Kallen besides him.
"This is a much better stress relief then smoking!" he thought to himself and laughed in his mind.
What Lelouch didn't know was that Kallen also built up a lot of stress from her duties as pilot of the Guren and so both Kallen and Lelouch used each other to 'relieve' the stress, there was also an unspoken rule that they wouldn't discuss what happens during their 'day jobs' while together.
Their relationship was also kept a secret from their classmates for various reasons.
Just then Lelouch's black berry rang its alarm reminding him that he had an appointment.
"I have to go now, today I have to organize my new command! Also this afternoon I will be hosting a barbeque, Millie and the others want to meet my commanders, you should come, if not for food or fun, come to gather intelligence on 'the enemy'" he said with a smile and gave Kallen a kiss, then left.
Kallen also remembered she had an appointment with the Slayers and also left a few moments later.
(Slayers military base)
Kallen and the other members of the executive committee were having a meeting, the meeting's concern was organization, equipping and training the now 150.000 strong soldiers, upgrades to the Guren, their budget and what heavy weapons they would receive from Kyoto.
After an hour or so of the meeting steered to the one topic which everyone was curious about.
What do we do next?
"In regards to Zero I recommend assassinating him" Chiba suggested.
"Assassinate Prince Lelouch, why?" Todoh asked.
"Princess Cornelia and her army will be deployed against the E.U in the future, and Schneizell's responsibilities as Prime minister prevent him from concentrating on Japan, so logically Lelouch will be the one left in charge of the army stationed in Japan, that's why I recommend assassination!" Chiba replied.
"Would that be even practical?" Kirihara asked.
"Captain Kouzuki is his classmate and has access to him, it should ne to hard under such circumstances!
Everyone! Brittannian's Achilles heel has always been the fact that they lack capable generals, we must not let them have a capable one! " Chiba replied.
Kallen immediately panicked, if they asked her three months ago she would have done it without hesitation, but now….
"What should I do if they give me that order!" she said to herself and dreaded what she might be asked to do.
"I disagree!" Kaguya said out loud.
Chiba turned her head towards her and wanted to ask why, but was beaten by Kaguya to the punch.
"Have you forgotten Chiba-san that Lelouch is the driving force behind the equal rights movement that is gaining ground in the Empire, and has also done great things for the Japanese like naming former numbers as officers in the army, crating the 'Phoenix Fund' and destroying the refrain cartels, now let me ask you this!" Kaguya said and paused and looked intensely at Chiba.
"If the one member of the Royal Family which has done the most for Japan is assassinated by a Japanese resistance fighter, what do you think the effect would be? I will tell you what it will be, every fanatic that says we are nothing more than monkeys who walk on two legs will be proven right, and this country will be demoted to a correctional facility, and when that happens the people will be begging for the country to return to its status as an Area" Kaguya said and this caught Chiba off guard.
She had never considered to think about the consequences of such an action, and she realized that through his actions Lelouch had created an invisible aura of defensive around him and if he died then a tidal wave of blood would be washed over Japan and she just remained silent.
At this sight Kallen let out a breath of relief, her sentiments were shared by the majority of the others present in the room, since in their opinion if they killed Lelouch in cold blood they would be no better than Sawasaki.
For now they decided that the best thing to do was wait, patience was a virtue and they hoped that the opportunity to act would present itself before that virtue would be exhausted.
(42nd mobile command base)
Lelouch was surrounded by his subordinates and he addressed them with the following:
"In conclusion with my new rank of Field Marshall I have been given another five army corps, bringing our total forces to the following:
250.000 men 100.000 thousand of them former numbers, 150.000 Brittannian, 2.500 knightmares, 4.000 tanks, 34.500 guns, 1.800 helicopters and 1.000 fighter jets.
The corps name are the following: 42nd, 43rd, 44th ,45th ,46th and 47th.
I have completed the reorganization of the Black knights will be as follows.
"Jeremiah Gotwald will be promoted to Lieutenant General and will be given command of the 42nd and 43rd"
"Kewell Soresi will be promoted to major general and be placed in charge of the 44th and 45th"
"Viletta Nu will be promoted to major general and be given command of the 46th and 47th"
"Major Patton will be promoted to Brigadier General and be given command of the knighmare corps, with Captain Bradley receiving the rank of Brigadier as his second in command"
"Odysseus will be given the rank of Brigadier General and will retain his position of Chief of Artillery, with Colonel Kuribayashi as his second."
"Suzaku is now my sisters knight so officially he is a part time member so the Black Knights, but he will receive the brevet rank of Colonel and be given the 811th knightmare regiment to command"
"And last but not least in charge of intelligence gathering, information, espionage and public relations will be Diethard Reed with the rank of Colonel"
"Does anyone have complains with their new ranks?" Lelouch asked and no one had such complains.
"Good! Also I know this is unconventional but my friends from Ashford have expressed a desire to meet you all, so I arranged for a barbeque this afternoon, I will hope you will all be able to attend!" Lelouch asked them and they all agreed and then dismissed them after telling them were it would be.
"Two corps to command and the rank of Major General!" Jeremiah shouted in happiness to his friends Kewell and Viletta.
"The Prince is very generous to those who are loyal and capable!" Viletta said and she was equally thrilled.
"Yes…. He does reward who is capable….and loyal…." Kewell thought to himself the weight of his double servitude and time for paying for such an action was baring down on him.
Whatever path the future held for Kewell he was certain that the end off that path would ne death and dishonor.
Authors note:
Read and Review, let me know if I should continue.