Turn XVI: Kristallnacht,
(Kish Island)
"So you have come here to try and persuade us to join the Empire…Lady Kaguya has offered me and the people I choose several high positions in their Government and a number of economic benefits, what is your offer?" The Iranian president said to James.
"Beg your pardon your Excellency, but I such things are best left to discuss in private" James said.
"Why? Are you afraid of the two charming ladies over here?" Mahmud said cockily.
James a veteran of hundreds of intercompany buyer wars and thousands of meetings was unfazed by that announcement and he calmly said the following:
"Our offer is the following: Iran will receive the supply right to our troops on the Middle East, your navy will have immunity within our waters from attack and your merchants will receive a 30% discount in borders taxes to our territory".
"In exchange for those benefits you want us to join the Empire?" Mahmud asked.
"No…" James replied much to Kaguya, Mahmud and Kallen's confusion.
"…..In exchange for remaining neutral in the conflict" James said and the shock of that statement made Mahmud, Kaguya and Kallen jump from their seats.
(Sarmizegetusa, Lelouch's office)
"Are you sure you should destroy them? They are researchers not an army" C.C said to him.
"In this world there are two kinds of people: Leaders and followers, the order is established because the strong or capable are the leaders, Geass has the potential to give a subordinate the raw power to defeat his leader's superior strategical and tactical abilities….It's very existents' threatens the natural order of the universe, that is why it must be purged" Lelouch replied unfazed as he geared up for battle.
"What about Rollo? You he also has Geass." C.C replied.
"I promised Rollo a peaceful life free of geass, and I will give it to him…life is short, especially for knightmare pilots" Lelouch said and he walked out of the room and to the hangar bay.
"Spoken like a true son of Charles" C.C said indifferently muttered to herself and also prepared for battle.
(Kish Islands)
"If we remain neutral? What do you mean? A country gives another benefits in exchange for assistance, they never make an offer like this without wanting something in return!" Mahmud said to James.
James's mind then flashed back to the meeting he had with Schneizell and Lelouch before departing for Iran.
"Ensure Iran's neutrality in the conflict? Wouldn't it be more profitable to have them join us?" James asked.
"Technically yes…but practically no, Iran in viewed by the Majority of the Empire and a bubbling cauldron of Religious fanaticism, the origin of terrorism and the hotbed of anti-women's rights, we would lose a great deal of public support from both the numbers and the citizens alike for making allies with Iran" Schneizell replied.
"Also from a military point of view it is at a disadvantage! Our strategy in the middle east if that of Defensive nature for the coming war and with few troops stationed in Suez, and in the Caucasus, we are unable to hold both Suez and Asia minor, also Iran is bordered with a bigger army of the U.F.N then ours and even a fool can see that it would be madness to join Brittannia under those conditions….therefore an alliance with Iran is impracticable both politically and militarily for our side, but we must not let Iran join Kaguya!" Lelouch replied.
"Understood! I will do my best to make sure of their neutrality!" James replied.
End of flashback…..
"There is no hidden meaning behind it, we have made an offer and it is up to you to accept it or refuse it, I will remain in this country until seven o clock tomorrow morning, if I do not here a response until then I will assume our offer has been turned down and your country is a member of the U.F.N" James replied, bowed and walked away slowly.
James knew that this offer of benefits without responsibilities which he presented to them was much more beneficial than joining the U.F.N and leading them their military strength.
And if that did not convince them , the time limit would surely help to do so, people had a way of accepting generous offers more easily when under pressure.
He walked into the elevator which would lead it to his room, when an arm was popped in and it stopped the doors from closing, it was Kallen and she entered the elevator with James.
They sat there in silence for a few moments, until Kallen broke it.
"Not even a 'Hello honey how are you doing' for your own daughter? You haven't changed since brothers funeral, of which you didn't show up." Kallen spat out to him.
At this James heart tore in two, he did not know how much he could keep his game face on before he would break down so he replied the only reply he could muster.
"When I heard Wellington died I was so grief stricken that I almost drank myself to death and couldn't attend the funeral" .
Kallen's eyes immediately snapped in shock at the sentence.
During their time when Naoto lead the cell, they had used code names from the characters in the Sharpe Book series, Naoto's codename was Wellington.
"W..wait you know about our code names, but only…..only people from the resistance cell knew them!" Kallen replied and then the dreaded question was asked by her.
"Are you really a Brittannian spy, not a business man?"
"No….I am Major Hogan" James calmly said and as the elevator's doors opened to the floor he was assigned to have a room opened he went outside the doors.
Kallen's mind went blank at this" Major Hogan! Our secret sponsor, the reason we even had weapons, supplies and a cover from the police from time to time, the only reason we survived this long….was you father!" Kallen thought to herself and she lunged forward trying to stop her father from leaving, but she was stopped by the elevator doors which closed before here.
James meanwhile went into his room, sat down on the couch and dialed room service.
"What kind of liquor do you have here?" he asked the room service operator.
"Approximately 500 brands of alcohol" she replied.
"Please bring one bottle of each to ambassador James's room" he replied and put down the phone.
(Geass cult headquarters)
"Bartley and his men aside, what are we going to do about Princess Cornelia? At least we should contact His Majesty" One of V.V lieutenants asked him.
"Did Charles know of Cornelia's movements? Or did he not?" V.V asked.
"Master V.V we have an incoming transmission from Rollo" the communication officer said through the speakers.
"Ah, link it here." V.V replied nonchalantly.
"Please to meet you. You must be V.V eh?" Lelouch said as his face appeared on the screen before V.V, startling him.
"Lelouch…" he responded.
"Why is he using Rollo's communication network! where is the transmission coming from?" one cultist asked.
"Moscow, inside the St Petersburg palace presumably" another one answered after looking at the back ground in Lelouch's transmission.
"At this point, self introductions are pointless. But I'd like to ask you a few things. During the first battle of Fukuoka and my raid a year after that where you responsible for both instances of Geass?"
"Where you also the one that gathered Suzaku and me at Kamine island, and acted as a spectator?" Lelouch asked.
"Yes, that's right, but the fact that you are asking this means that you know about Geass and its connections to Charles"
"Yes, " Lelouch replied.
"Then C.C is with you ,too? Give her to me, and I shall give you freedom from ge…."
"Convenient is it not? Having power for so long has made you think you can just proclaim it and it would be accepted, like one of the ancient God's with blind followers, well I am afraid that it's the end of your reign" Lelouch angrily replied.
"But, by them time you arrive here, we would have already moved on to our next location "
Lelouch interrupted him with the following:
"Location, time, probability, lifespan, reality and dream, these are all just units represented by numbers, and in any system, any era, there is always one constant to all of these..eventually they all return to Zero!"
*BOOM* V.V speech was interrupted by the sound of shell hitting the outer walls.
"Master V.V knightmares!" one occultist said to him.
"What!" V.V said surprised and confused.
"Black Knights we believe" another one said and C.C and her strike team of George ,Omar, Kewell and Viletta entered the room.
"V.V location has been pinpointed. All units encircle point Alfa 7" C.C ordered.
The attack began and both Bradley and Cornelia noticed it form their respective cell's.
"I see, so that's how it is…"V.V said as he got up from his chair.
"Yes, buying myself a little time was enough. To make you let your guard down just for a little moment. To make you think I was still in Russia, and slow your escape" Lelouch replied as the fake background fell down to reveal the Shinkiro, and Suzaku, Jeremiah's, and Rollo's Lancelots and Vincent.
"V.V, the day of judgment has come for you and your hoard of witches" Lelouch added.
While inside the Geass cult C.C and her strike team, now joined by Lelouch and the other where slaughtering everyone in sight.
"Move all research data into the Eject Dart. And prepare that thing for me." V.V replied.
"Master you are going out yourself?" one occultist asked,
"I need to buy us some time to escape. And Marianne's child needs to be taught a little discipline" V.V replied and he left.
(Kish Islands)
James was sitting on the sofa and the table in front of it was covered with mini bottles of various strong drinks.
A knock was heard at the door.
"If you are the one with the second wave of beverage then come in its unlocked" James replied.
James had his eyes closed and didn't bother to look who it was.
"You are drinking too much, it's bad for your health." a feminine voice replied.
At this James angrily got up and said:
"What I drink or how much I drink is none of your business, who do you think you are? my wife?" James said and for the first time looked and saw that the person who entered the room was the last one he expected to see here.
"….Nodoka!" he said now out of breath, before him was his ex wife and a very tall man dressed in Slayers uniform behind her.
(Geass cult headquarters)
Omar and George where shooting at a group of civilian and after a few moments all of them died.
"Hey George this doesn't fell right, killing defenseless people like this" Omar said to him.
"Lelouch said that he wouldn't force us to join him in this mission and if we did we would have to kill everyone here, even the civilians, you gave your word that you would participate Brad and you knew what was expected of you, so suck up and let's get back to work!" George replied a bit angry at Bradley, and they both returned to making carnage.
In another part of the cult Bartley and his subordinates had escaped.
"We still haven't found Princess Cornelia? We must save her within this opening-" *Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang* .
A hail of machinegun fire came and cut down Bartley and his associates.
The knightmare which did it then left to continue his work elsewhere , giving C.C a clear view of Bartley.
"…That man…if I remember he was with Prince Clovis" C.C said to herself.
"Master C.C! You came back! Please save us, Master C.C!" a group of Geass scientists said to her.
*Boom* an anti personal grenade from came and obliterated the group of scientists.
With his last drops of life Bartley looked up to C.C and lamented at just how great a disaster this had turned out to be.
"P-Prince Clovis…The immortal woman we were going to offer to His Majesty, Apparently….His Majesty knew about her existence already…F-Forgive me…we should never have laid hands…on that woman.." Bartley said and he died.
(Horai Island)
"Lelouch's flagship has been spotted in Mongolia?" Ohgi asked Sugiyama.
"Yes, but we have no idea why he would be present there." Sugiyama replied.
"Most probably scouting the terrain for an offensive through the Gobi desert or something like that" Urabe replied.
"Whatever the case we must hurry and finish ratifying the U.F.N constitution, after that we march on the Black Gates themselves!" Asahina said to those present.
And a silence filled the room…..
"Asahina! If I told you once I told you a thousand times to STOP WITH YOUR LOTR REFERENECES!" Chiba said shouting out the last part.
(Kish Island)
James had found himself in a rather unique position, his ex wife Nodoka was standing on the couch a few feet away from him.
"The man before…..was he your boyfriend?" James asked and awaited with dread the answer and poured himself another drink.
"No..that was a bodyguard Kallen insisted I have" Nodoka replied.
James at this let out a not to subtle breath of relief, one that was not unnoticed by Nodoka, he then lifted the glass to his mouth ready to drink it, when…
"I told you that you're drinking too much." Nodoka said in a calm and nurturing manner.
James at this placed the glass back on the table and then got up from the couch and went to the nearby window to look outside.
He lowered his head in desperate and with a voice filled with grief said:
"Why are you being concerned for my well being? After everything I did to you I was expecting you to hate my guts"
"That was not your fault, our divorce was unavoidable….." she replied.
"I killed him…" James suddenly blurted out.
Nodoka immediately looked at him confused, James still had his back turned to her.
"Our son Naoto…the reason he died was because of me….so I killed him" James said as his voice was indicated he was about to burst into tears
"How can that be! Naoto died in battle, you had no part in it!" Nodoka said and got up from her seat.
"And who do you think supplied him with weapons to fight battles, who do you think gave him the means to raid that convoy where he died?..." James said and he turned around, he was now visibly crying"…I did….I was the one who sponsored his resistance cell" James added as he started crying.
"And you know the funny thing is that while I was doing it, me and Naoto reconciled….we treated it like some weekend fishing trip…and then one day, one day….oh God!" He said as fell to his knees.
"If I hadn't sponsored him, he wouldn't have ambushed that convoy…he would still be alive….I tried to help my son….and I ended up killing him…." He then looked up at Nodoka and said" Even after hearing this can you say that you don't have me?" he then burst into tears.
James at this point let everything out, all the pain, all the grief, all the misery he had to suffer for the past eight years he let out in tears, Nodoka could take one of the alcohol bottles and beat him to death for all he cared…he almost even prayed that she would.
Instead she did what he least expected him to do, she got down on her knees next to him and hugged him, she buried her face in his shoulder and she too started crying….they both stood like that for a while spilling each other's grief and comforting each other emotionally.
(Geass cult)
"Now that I have V.V down to his last breath, I just need to activate the bomb set on Rollo's unit, and with this Geass will be urged from this world for this generation!" Lelouch gleefully thought to himself.
*Blaaaaaaaaam* the building before Lelouch was demolished revealing V.V final Ace.
"This unit's!" Lelouch said to himself.
"The Siegfried! No wonder we couldn't detect it after it sunk!" Suzaku said as V.V fired a harken at Lelouch propelling him out of the Geass cult and into the skies above the surface.
"This is surprising V.V! For a spectator to become an actor himself!" Lelouch replied.
"I did like you ever so slightly, Lelouch…for you resembled Charles" V.V replied and he started chasing Lelouch.
"fF all things, for Siegfried to appear here!" C.C said over the radio.
"Back away! You are his target!" Lelouch said to her.
V.V continued to chase Lelouch until Suzaku appeared an placed himself between Lelouch and V.V.
"This is the end for your V.V!" Jeremiah proclaimed as he and Omar, Viletta, Kewell, George and Bradley came from behind.
"Please surrender!" Rollo said as he came in front of the Siegfried.
"What are these traitors talking about?" V.V asked.
"V.V, I will drag you from there! All units attack!"Lelouch ordered.
"Yes, sir!"They replied.
They unleashed a barrage of fire power upon it, but V.V blocked it with his spinning electronic shield.
Most of the blasts where absorbed but then Suzaku fired one powerful one with his Conquesta V.A.R.I.S enhancer, that shot ricochet off and with added kinetic energy hit Suzaku's Lancelot right in the chest , making it crash to the ground.
"Suzaku, are you alright?" Lelouch asked his friend.
"Yes, my knightmare is disabled but I am clear…I am sorry everyone." Suzaku replied.
"That damn electronic armor!" Lelouch angrily spat out.
"Marianne's child is becoming conceited…" V.V said and launched a spinning melee attack, it hit George, Omar's, Viletta' and Kewell's Lancelot, disabling them.
"You son of a bitch! How dare you strike my comrades, also that unit is mine, in order to carry out my loyalty!" Jeremiah angrily spat out at V.V.
"Jeremiah, you are an imperial soldier, what you are doing now is treason to Charles" V.V said.
"Indeed! My loyalties lie to the Royal family, and I still serve them, I serve Prince Lelouch, just like I served his mother Empress Marianne!" Jeremiah shot back.
"Even you…shall utter that name!" V.V angrily said as he lunged at Jeremiah.
Meanwhile on the ground…
"God damn it! Lelouch and Jeremiah are facing that monster and we can't do anything about it!" George said frustrated.
"All of our knightmares are out of commission, there's nothing we can do" Viletta said frustrated as her comrades f aced that thing alone.
"Cannibalize the five fallen knightmares into one and rejoin the battle!" a voice from behind them was heard, and they turned around and where surprised to see who it was.
"Princess Cornelia!" Kewell said astonished.
(Kish Island)
"Yes George that's right I want a divorce from Brigitte as soon as possible….the effect on my social standing? I serve the Iron Prince! The nobles already hate my guts for that….if father disapproves it's no concern of mine, just tell remind him of who I serve!" James replied and he ended the conversation.
"Do you plan on marrying a third time now?" Nodoka asked curious, she was lying next to him on the bed, both of them had been making love for the past few hours.
"Something like that….but I am not sure if my potential bride will accept" James replied while he looked passionately at Nodoka.
Nodoka understood what he was hitting at, but before she could answer a knock on the door was heard.
"F-Father I would like to have a talk with you" Kallen's voice was heard.
Immediately both Nodoka and James jumped up and started getting dressed.
"I've heard of teenage lovers sneaking around behind their parents back, but this is the first time I heard of parents sneaking around their teenagers back." Nodoka said with a chuckle.
"It doesn't bother me one bit" Nodoka replied, James went to the door while Nodoka hid in the bathroom.
"Hey Kallen, sorry I was busy and I couldn't answer the door sooner" James replied and Kallen entered the room.
Whatever Kallen's potential question where before she entered where replaced by a new set of questions after seeing her father's face and glancing at the couch.
"Busy?...I can see, that lipstick really suits you dad." Kallen sarcastically replied.
"Lipstick! I don't have lipstick on me cheek!" James replied flustered.
"Who said I was talking about your cheek?" Kallen answered and James realized that he meant his lips.
"Also that brazier on the couch over there is a dead giveaway" Kallen replied.
"K-Kallen it's not what you think. If you can just let me explain" James added.
"Explain what? There's lipstick on your lips, a bra on your couch, I didn't see you brink any woman from Brittannia with you so there's only one explanation!" Kallen said and she pointed her finger accusingly at James.
"Admit it father, you are…" Kallen paused and James held his breath"…. A drag queen aren't you?" Kallen said greatly embarrassed.
"WHAT?" James said astounded at the accusation.
"If I tell Kallen the truth, that Nodoka and me slept together the both of us can be shut out of Kallen's heart….and the alternative…is for my daughter to think I am a drag queen?" James thought to himself as both answers filled him with dread.
From the bathroom watching and listening from a cracked open door Nodoka could barely contain her laughter and eagerly awaited James's reply.
"Well Kallen sweetie….the truth is…..silk feels really good sometimes" James hesitantly and shamefully replied.
"Bwahahaha hahah ahahah ah ah aha haaaaaaaaaa!" Nodoka suddenly came out bursting with laughter from the bathroom.
"Mother! What are you doing here?" Kallen asked confused.
"Haha….oh Kallen your father's not a drag, we spent the evening together and the bra and lipstick belong to me…and James to your question..is yes…you where ready to switch from shoe's to high heel foe my sake, how can I turn down such a marriage proposal! Bwahahaha hahah ahahah ah ah aha haaaaaaaaaa" Nodoka replied.
"Proposal! The two of you are getting remarried!"Kallen said both in great embarrassment and shock.
"What's with that look on your face Kallen, it seems like your preferred the news of your father being a drag than the two of us getting back together?" Nodoka replied after she stopped laughing.
Kallen didn't replied with words but from the look on her face James could discern one crystal clean answer:"I am still waging the two against each other"
At this point James a feeling which James had not felt came back into his body, it was that emotion whci was the effect of a mixture of entrapment and freedom, of frustration and reward,, of happiness and regret at the same time…it was the feeling of family.
(Geass cult headquarters)
The Battle above the geass cult now raged on in full fury.
"Rollo, is there any way you can get to the Siegfried?" Lelouch asked him.
"But geass won't work on V.V" Rollo replied.
"Just get onto it. I have a plan for what follows" Lelouch replied.
"Okay, I'll try "Rollo replied and ended the video feed.
"Rollo, I shall have you and Siegfried vanish together, with the bomb u set on the Vincent." Lelouch thought to himself and he readied the remote detonator.
"I'll do this! For brother's sake!" Rollo said to himself as he charged the Siegfried from behind.
The Siegfried turned to face him, it fired a harken but Rollo managed to dodge.
"This time it's you, Rollo? You also lied to me eh? You know that Geass doesn't work on me" V.V said as the Vincent and Siegfried clashed.
(Geass cult train)
"Master V.V preparations for evacuation are complete. Shall we run towards the E.U for now?" one occultist asked.
"Yes, I will rejoin you once I take care of these people. Now we know how to capture C.C, if we can escape from this battle, then it will be victory for me and Charles, " V.V replied as the train gates started to open.
(Skies above the geass cult)
"If I can just get close enough!" Rollo said as he pushed hard for the Siegfried's surface.
"You were a failure. To think that your heart would go into arrest when you sue Geass..A failure that would die any moment…" V.V said to Rollo over the speakers and with a harken destroyed the Vincent's feet.
"Not yet, if I purge the body parts-" Rollo said as he released what's left of the legs and jumped onto the Siegfried.
"I did it , brother!" Rollo said, but as he grabbed onto the Siegfried V.V activated the energy shields Rollo was in great pain, but he held on.
"Well done Rollo, now all we have to do is" *Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang*
Heavy fire from the ground came damaging the Siegfried, the kinetic energy of the rounds made Rollo loose his grip on the Siegfried and he floated to the ground.
"Who is it? Attacking Siegfried ware of its weak point…" V.V said as he used the zoom to view from where the blasts came from.
"You said you're V.V right? You underestimated me thinking my captivity had me weakened," Cornelia said from the ground at V.V menacingly.
"Forgive me, Brother." Rollo said to Lelouch after he landed his knightmare.
"No don't worry about it."Lelouch replied to Rollo.
Lelouch then activated his speaker sand said:
"Cornelia this is Lelouch, Siegfried's armor has been damaged. Now damage it directly!" he said as he readied the Shinkiro's energy cannon.
"The reason Lelouch almost died, cease to exist…."Cornelia said.
"The source of Geass!"
"The source of Geass!"
They both said in unison and fired at V.V
*Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang**Bang*
"N-No..This Siegfried can no longer.." V.V said as he desperately charged Lelouch, only for the Shinkiro's cannon to hit it and send it flying back to the ground.
"Lelouch, you cursed prince!" V.V said as he crashed towards Cornelia's position.
Jeremiah, who had his knightmare shot down a few minutes ago immediately used his cyborg enhancements to rescue her and move her out of harm's way.
(Geass cult train)
"Siegfried…Master V.V" One cultist said
"Calm down, Master V.V has an immortal body. He should be able to use the door of twilight at the lower most level. Now we must take out the research data –" Another cultist said as the train tracks gates opened , only to reveal C.C waiting with her knightmare.
"Forgive me…This is my sin for letting you all run rampant..Therefore the genealogy of Geass shall end here…That's perhaps Lelouch and my…" C.C said with tears as she opened fire on the train destroying it.
(Near the gate to Akasha)
"Damn you…..Lelouch…" V.V said as he dragged his injured body to the gate.
V.V looked up and saw his brother.
"Good thing you came, Charles I knew that brothers are the last thing a person can count" V.V replied.
"Brother, is it true you had Rollo try to kill Lelouch in Fukuoka?" Charles asked in a soft voice which was uncharacteristically of him.
"Thanks to that, I invited this reprisal..But…I know Lelouch would come and destroy our plans…there was no other way" V.V replied.
"Brother you lied again.." Charles said disappointed.
(Middle of the geass cult)
"Was there really a need to kill these children?" Viletta asked.
"These children would have grown up from seeds today to the threes which sowed destruction tomorrow….even the most honorable ruler must dirty his hands sometimes…."Kewell replied, he understood that sometimes one small evil was necessary for a greater good, he understood, he just didn't like it.
Lelouch's position…
"A life reaction? So you went back to your original location, V.V!" Lelouch said as he flew the Shinkiro to where V.V was located, right in front of the Akasha gate.
As he now hovered above V.V a wave of energy washed over him from Akasha.
"What the! No! IT's the same thing from Kamine Island!"
Lelouch said to himself as he found himself transported to Akasha.
"Since..when did I dismount from Shinkiro…and this place? These aren't holograms …"Lelouch said as he looked around confused.
"That is correct!" a booming voice was heard and Lelouch quickly turned his face from where it came from.
"And inelegant items such as Knightmares…before the Sword of Akasha…before this system, are mere…" Charles added.
"You!" Lelouch angrily said to his father.
"My son , Lelouch…The time has come! For redemption!" Charles said to his son.
Author note read and review
Let me know if I should continue.