Have to admit, this chapter may be a little too ambitious. Still, this is pretty much what I had originally written before I lost my data, so hurrah for slightly good memory. I think it might even be better than what I originally wrote. Well, I leave the quality for you, dear reader, to decide. As always, point out any mistakes you see, and advice for improvement is always appreciated. Hope you enjoy your weekend.
I do not own Code Geass.
…...
Captured G-1 Mobile Base, Just Outside of the Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven, 2017
Katase wrung his hands behind his back. This isn't good, he thought. The Settlement was supposed to be in our hands by the time we arrived. What is going on? He frowned deeply. The plan hinged on a lightning offensive. We don't have time for a siege.
"How amusing!" Gao Hai said, his blue-painted lips lifted in a delighted grin. "They're going to fight it out!" He turned to Katase. "We must commend them for their bravery, General. Or," he giggled, "laugh at their foolishness."
Katase turned to his comm officer. "Order all artillery units to begin bombardment. Avoid striking the major population centers. I don't want civilian blood on our hands."
"Yes, sir!"
"Bombardment will last for one hour." What I wouldn't give for aerial reconnaissance right now. "Have our skirmishing units prepare to advance once the artillery is finished."
"Yes, sir!"
Gao Hai huffed. "Are we really going to stand here for an hour?" the High Eunuch asked him. "We have superior numbers. Why don't we just overwhelm their defenses?"
"Because we'd lose thousands of men," Katase replied curtly. "We don't know the disposition of the enemy's forces, and the storm hinders our ability to perform accurate reconnaissance. If we sent the army in now, it would be a bloodbath."
Gao Hai grunted. "Two hundred thousand of my men are currently marching from Sapporo," he reminded Katase. "Even with this weather, they'll be here in ten hours." He waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever losses we take can be replaced when they arrive."
Katase struggled to reign in his disgust. Those are human beings down there, not cattle to be slaughtered! "Nevertheless, we'll do this my way."
Gao Hai sniffed. "How boring."
"General Katase!" an intelligence officer shouted.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, we've intercepted a transmission from the Settlement," the officer informed him. "The Pacific Fleet is on the move! ETA six hours!"
"Six hours?" Katase demanded in shock. "That's impossible! Even going at top speed, it will take at least three days for the Fleet from Honolulu to arrive!"
"According to the transmission, warships from the Guam, Midway, Wake Islands, and Marshall Islands territories are on the move."
Damn! Cold sweat broke out on Katase's forehead. "Not good," he mumbled. "If we don't have the Tokyo Settlement under our control before they arrive, they'll be able to bombard us from the sea."
"How unfortunate," Gao Hai said pleasantly, a little smile on his face. "It seems we have no choice. We'll have to begin the assault right now."
"Are you insane?" Katase erupted, glaring at him. "We'll lose a third of the army at least! We can't simply assault an entrenched position!"
Gao Hai sighed mockingly. "Then we have no choice," he said in a faux melancholic tone. "We'll have to negotiate with the Empire."
Katase stared at him, dumbfounded. "Negotiate?"
"Oh, yes," Gao Hai confirmed sagaciously. "It'll be all but impossible to take the Settlement with the Royal Navy just offshore. And our own Navy is currently supporting the amphibious landings on the other side of the Area." His lips pouted. "It would be a tremendous loss of life, and we can't have that, now can we? Our only option, then, is to negotiate."
Katase wanted to pull his hair out. "You just declared war on the Empire!"
Gao Hai snorted. "The Empire does not want a war with the Federation," he retorted. "Not while they're bogged down in Europe. I am certain that we can come to an arrangement that would be mutually beneficial." He lifted his robed arm over his face, but the smile he had was unmistakable. "The Federation will receive a return on its investment, General. One way or the other."
Katase swallowed heavily. He stared out the window of the G-1. Beyond the rain and the wind and the blossoms of cannon fire stood Tokyo in all her glory. She was finally in his grasp. He looked down at the column of Knightmares and troop transports that stood at the ready; and at the mile of open terrain they would have to cover before they would reach their objective. He looked back at Gao Hai.
There was a wicked smile on the High Eunuch's face.
"Rescind my previous orders," Katase finally said. "Order all units to advance."
Forgive me, he begged as his orders were carried out. Forgive me.
…
In transit to the Airport, Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven
The distant sounds of machine gun and cannon fire rippled through the air. Milly looked out of the back window of the ambulance she shared with Rivalz, a nervous tingling in her heart.
And so it begins, she thought.
"Hang on!" the ambulance driver shouted. "We're gonna pull up on the sidewalk!"
Milly held Rivalz as they bounced up and over the concrete outcropping, lamenting once again their sorry luck.
Those poor men shouldn't have been flying in this.
A Black Hawk helicopter on the Marquis' orders had been ordered to the hospital to evacuate Milly and the others. It had made two trips successfully, carrying away a crippled girl on the first and poor Shirley on the second; but on the third, a bolt of lightning struck the craft, and the pilot had lost control. The ambulance that Milly and Rivalz were in drove past the flaming wreckage.
With an airlift now out of the question, an ambulance became their only option. For the first time, Milly was truly grateful for her impending marriage.
I'll make sure to thank you in person, Lloyd, she silently promised.
"...fighting."
Milly started. "What, Rivalz?" she asked him, leaning down so she could hear him.
"Should be...fighting," he mumbled weakly. "Should be...out there...fighting."
Milly shook her head. "It's alright," she told him. "You're right where you need to be."
He shook his head tiredly. "Man should…be able to pro...tect...the woman he loves."
Milly smiled at him. "You are protecting me, darling," she assured him. She brought his good hand up to rest against her chest. "See? I'm not afraid." She kissed the palm of his hand. "Because you're here to protect me."
…
Mount Fuji, Area Eleven
The beam of pink-purple light slashed through the ground behind Cornelia.
"Goddammit, Kallen!" Zero shouted. "Would you keep this thing steady!"
"Maybe you'd like to fly!" Kallen shouted back at him.
Zero went to retort, but Kallen suddenly jerked the yoke to the side as a proximity alarm sounded. "Rocket shooting bastard!" she shouted.
"Hold it steady for a second!" Zero demanded. Contrary to his command, the moment he hit the firing stud, the Gawain juked again, and the beam went wide, just barely missing the side of Mount Fuji and exploding in the distance. "Kallen!"
"You want a missile up your ass, or what?" Kallen groused.
"Son of a bitch, Kallen, you're better than this!"
"This is the first time I've flown something before!"
No it's not! Zero wanted to say, but didn't. No, this is the first time you've flown something.
For some reason, he'd forgotten she'd never flown before. Kallen had been so worshipful, so subservient for so long. Somehow, it felt like he had the old Kallen back. Or, maybe the future one?
Time travel is bullshit.
"Come here, Zero!" Cornelia shouted from below, her lance raised toward the sky. "Don't cower away in the skies! Gird your loins like a man, and meet your death!"
"So dramatic," Zero drawled.
"Like you're one to talk!" Kallen shot back. She dodged past another rocket. "Still, we're probably better off doing what she says."
"What do you mean?"
"Take a good look," Kallen ordered, gesturing toward the Black Knights already at Mount Fuji. "The army's stuck in its tracks." She clumsily flipped over a stream of machine gun fire. "Probably because they don't want to get hit by a stray blast." She grunted as a missile exploded just below them. "This thing's slow and cumbersome. It has excellent armor, but it's slow to turn on a dime. That might not be in an issue, were we not the only people stupid enough to fly in this storm. They can fire into the air with impunity." The Gawain shuddered against a sudden, hard wind. "And to top it all off, I'm learning how to fly this thing in a goddamn storm!" she shouted irately. She blew a lock of her red hair out of her face. "This thing isn't made for ground combat, and the only other armament we have other than those cannons are the slash harkens, but we'll have a much better chance engaging in ground combat than we will here in the sky." She ascended twenty feet to avoid a trio of rockets. "So, what are my orders?"
Zero blinked in surprise. "You're asking me?" he said incredulously. You seem to have this all figured out.
"Of course I'm asking you!" Kallen said. "You're my commander!" She flew ahead of a string of cannon fire. "Command me!"
Zero stared down at Kallen. There was a strange quickening in his heart. He glanced down at the energy filler. Thirty-five percent already. A small smile came up on his face.
"Thank you, Kallen."
"Wh-What?" She turned around, her cheeks rosy. "What are you thanking me for?"
For pulling me away from Nunnally's bedside. "Descend to the ground, Q-1," he ordered.
He looked back up at Cornelia. "We're doing this hand to hand from now on."
"Right!"
….
Sir David's Defensive Line, Tokyo settlement, Area Eleven
"HERE THEY COME!"
Gunfire exploded up and down the line from behind the barricades. Machine guns propped behind sandbags swiveled left and right, sending Black Knights and Chinese toppling to the ground. Field artillery pieces tore apart enemy troop transports and light armor as they attempted to plow through the rows of barbed wire that had been laid out. An alleyway choke point began to fill with the bodies of both sides, creating piles of corpses that turned into obstacles and defensive positions.
Suzaku fired a borrowed machine pistol into a clump of Chinese soldiers, transforming them into a shower of blood and gore. Suzaku grimaced at the damage the anti-personnel rounds were doing to the largely unarmored infantry. He had yet to use his VARIS rifle, having decided to save the power pack until he might truly need it.
If only I could fly! he lamented. Damn this weather!
Not that he'd be able to fly for long; the power consumption issues were still plaguing his Knightmare.
What good's a pair of wings if you can't actually fly?
A Sutherland exploded to Suzaku's right in a rain of steel and fire. There were a half dozen men surrounding the flaming wreckage, limbs severed, skin melting off their bones, screaming for help.
"Someone get those men out of here!" Sir David shouted. "Don't bunch up!"
Suzaku watched in horror as a stretcher team attempted to assist the injured men, only to be suddenly cleared away by a mortar round, a few bits of gore and shredded skin remaining.
"Get your head out of your ass, Eleven!" Sir David ordered. "Keep up the pressure. Don't let any of them through!"
Suzaku turned away from the grisly sight, targeted a squad of engineers, and opened fire.
…
Main Hall, Viceroy's Palace
"We're taking heavy casualties all along the front," Viletta said. "We estimate five hundred dead, almost a thousand wounded." She looked up at Jeremiah. "We're losing men and Knightmares fast."
"That's the ugly truth of Knightmare warfare," Jeremiah replied, grimacing. "The average Sutherland only weighs about eight tons. That's less than a tank. It's main strength lies in its maneuverability." He crossed his arms. "Take that away, and it's just a heavy armored car." He glanced over at the enemy lines. "How many casualties are we inflicting?"
"A lot," Viletta replied. "Twenty-five armored troop carriers, a hundred Knightmare Frames, over a thousand of their infantry." She shook her head. "The problem is, they can replace those numbers. We can't."
Jeremiah grabbed his chin in contemplation. "Six hours," he mused aloud. "We just have to last six hours."
There were fifteen thousand troops in the Settlement, but of that number only eleven thousand could be deployed to the defensive lines; the other four thousand were trying, and failing, to get the city back under control.
Those six hours felt like they were an eternity.
…
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"Kazuma Company reports 70 percent casualties!'
"Toriyama Company has been completely wiped out!"
"The Third Armor has broken down, a rocket took out their treads!"
Gao Hai bounced up and down on his feet. "How exciting!" he said. "I can just feel the tension mounting!"
"Watch your damn mouth!" Katase snapped at him. "This is no game!"
Gao Hai gave him a cold glare. "Remember to whom you are speaking, General," he warned.
Katase swallowed. "Of course. My apologies." He turned back to the comm officers. "Send in the next wave. Have Naomi and Takeda companies evacuate what wounded they can."
"Yes, sir!"
Katase rubbed his mouth. This is a slaughter.
"It's a shame the Empress isn't here to witness this," Gao Hai mused aloud. "I'm certain she would appreciate seeing the fruits of her labor."
Katase shook himself from his brooding. "How are Lady Sumeragi and the Empress?" he asked him.
Gao Hai waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, they're quite fine," he reassured him. "The Lady Sumeragi will be returned to you once this conflict is over. She's been restricted to her quarters for now. Pay me no mind, I was just thinking out loud."
"What about the Empress?" Katase dared.
The High Eunuch turned a pair of cold eyes at him. "Concern yourself with your own, General," he warned. "We will deal with our Empress."
Katase ground his teeth. "Very well," he acquiesced.
…..
The Tianzi's Private Chambers, The Palace of Heavenly Purity, The Forbidden City, Beijing, Chinese Federation
"Let me see her!" Xingke demanded.
Cheng Zhong chuckled. "Really now, General," he chortled, "do you truly believe we're going to just let you in there with her? Who knows what could happen?"
"You said that I could see her!" Xingke reminded him.
"The war is not finished yet, General," Zhong denied. "Not until the battle in Area Eleven has been concluded. Once that's been accomplished, you will be allowed to see her."
"God damn you Zhong!" Xingke shouted. He whirled around and marched away.
There was nothing he could do. His men had been confined to their barracks, their access to their weapons restricted, their officers corralled in a single building. Xingke was the only one allowed to walk free, and that he was certain was only intended to mock him.
He punched the wall. His heart was torn in two. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," he whispered painfully. "Please, forgive me."
….
Utsunomiya, Area Eleven
"Thanks," Nonette said as she accepted an energy filler. It was one of the last ones. It was carefully slotted into her Knightmare, and a minute later she powered up. One hundred percent. It won't be enough.
She was down to just a third of her fighting force, and she'd just received word that enemy forces were advancing from the south. She had forty minutes before they would get there.
"We need to break out," she mused out loud. "We have to get back to Tokyo before it's too late."
She pulled up her call sign selection on her screen, and tapped twenty of them. "You're with me," she informed them. "We're going to break out to the southeast. We have to reach the Settlement before it falls to the enemy."
"On our way, My Lady."
I'm sorry, Nonette apologized to her command. I have to leave you here. She closed her eyes briefly. Forgive me.
She'd chosen the best aces from among the Mobile Defense Force, and hoped they'd have enough fuel left to make an effective assault when they arrived.
We'll break through the enemy's rear and head into the city.
Two of the Sutherlands in front of Nonette exploded into balls of fire. As she whirled around, another to her left collapsed, its cockpit riddled with bullet holes. Nonette glared.
Five strange gray Knightmares were heading her way, the one in the lead sporting a long, red hair-like tendril that sprouted from the back of its head.
It hailed her. "Knight of Nine Nonette Enneagram, I assume?" the enemy pilot asked.
Nonette grinned. "My reputation precedes me. You have me at a disadvantage. To whom am I speaking?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh, of the Black Knights."
Oh ho! "It's an honor to meet you, Colonel," Nonette told him honestly. "I don't suppose you could let a girl go, could you?"
"I'm afraid not. Do not resist. You are defeated. Surrender your sword."
Nonette placed a finger on her chin in faux contemplation. "Nope, no, I don't think I will," she refused.
"Then prepare to die."
Faster than she would have thought possible, the Miracle Man was suddenly in front of her. Nonette blocked him with her shield, thrust with her sword, dodged a kick, parried his blade. All the while, she was laughing.
"You want to dance?" She missed a kick to the head. "Let's dance!"
…
In transit to the Airport, Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven
There was an earthquake beneath the ambulance. Milly covered Rivalz as the passenger side window broke, scattering into pieces. The ambulance rolled heavily to a stop.
The doors to the ambulance opened up, revealing the ambulance driver, his cheek sliced open and bleeding, his shirt red with blood. "We have to get out of the street!" he said. "Tires are ripped apart and the engine's shot. We need to take shelter!"
"What about Harry?" the nurse asked.
The driver gestured to his shirt. "What the Hell do you think is all over me? Come on!"
With Milly's help, they rolled Rivalz out of the ambulance. The streets were absolutely mad; screaming, fighting, bouts of gunfire, running people fleeing from the combat area, dead bodies and wounded people littering the asphalt. Milly held on desperately to the IV line as they rolled Rivalz up a block to an abandoned restaurant, the windows boarded up. The driver kicked in the door and they rolled Rivalz inside.
There was a storage room in the back, and there they took him, rolling him up behind the wall.
"I'll radio for another ambulance," the driver told them. "Get him lowered to the floor, and stay close to the ground. That should keep you out of the line of fire." They all ducked at another explosion outside. Cursing, the ambulance driver charged back out into the street.
"He certainly knows a lot," Milly commented as she sat beside Rivalz, holding the slumbering boy's hand.
"Billy used to drive trucks for the army," the nurse, Natalie, explained. All the blood was drained from her face. "Harry, too. They served during the Pacific War. Billy got him a job at the hospital after the war."
"Were you close?" Milly asked.
Natalie fiddled with a ring on her finger. "He was my husband."
Milly bit her lip. "I'm so sorry." She rubbed Rivalz's hand.
"Do you love him?" Natalie asked her.
Milly was startled by the question. Her cheeks burned. She stared down at Rivalz. "Yes," she said softly.
"Then don't ever let him go."
Milly brushed back a lock of Rivalz's hair.
"I won't."
…
Mount Fuji
Cornelia stabbed her spear at the Gawain's shoulder. The Gawain's hand slapped it, but not before it gouged out a big cut in the machine's armor. She dodged the slash harkens that were fired at her factsphere. She went to make a kick, but her other foot slipped out from under her in the mud, and she was forced to roll as the Gawain's fist struck the ground where her reactor core had been.
She came back up in a spinning swing, cracking her spear over the Gawain's head, but a fist shot out and smashed into her Gloucester's shoulder.
She rolled with the punch, using the chance to haul up her autocannon to fire at point blank range. The Gawain held out its hand and blocked the antipersonnel rounds that issued, firing its slash harkens. Both missed, though one managed to tear through her Knightmare's cape, and Cornelia jumped back out of range.
"I must admit Zero, I'm a little disappointed," she taunted. "I expected better from you. What happened to that red frame you used at Narita?" She laughed. "Don't tell me it broke down."
"Why, Cornelia, I'm surprised at you," Zero admonished her mockingly. "I thought you would appreciate my gentleman's courtesy. After all, it would have been uncouth to use the same weapon I killed Guilford with."
Cornelia saw red. "You bastard!"
She charged forward recklessly, thrusting out her spear. Zero fired his slash harkens, but Cornelia ducked beneath them, and she stabbed upward, aiming for his factsphere. Zero grabbed the spear with ease, and kicked Cornelia's Gloucester in its central chassis. Cornelia heard the crunching of steel, and knew her Knightmare had been damaged. She used the momentum from the kick to jump away, cursing her own foolishness.
He lured me into a trap.
Zero flipped the spear around, taking up a nonchalant but still threatening stance. "My thanks, My Lady," he said, saluting. "I always wanted one of these."
"Princess Cornelia!"
Cornelia turned her factsphere. "Sir Claudio?"
"Show no fear!"
Claudio threw his spear, and Cornelia caught it with ease. "My thanks, Sir Claudio," she said. She turned back to Zero, striking her own casual pose. "Shall we continue?"
….
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"General, second wave ineffective! Naomi company reports 95 percent casualties!"
"We've lost a third of our registered Knightmare Frames, sir!"
Gao Hai sniffed. "Ah, how dull." He yawned. "This is getting boring."
Katase barely paid him any attention. He stared out at the burning remains of dozens of troop transports, Knightmares, and tanks that hadn't even made it to the battlefield, blown to pieces instead by coordinated artillery fire.
"I hereby authorize the use of special ordinance," Katase said. "We will see how well Lieutenant Einstein's technology works." And may the Heavens have mercy on us all.
"Special ordinance?" Gao Hai asked him. "How intriguing." He giggled. "Most soldiers would use their best weapons first, but you have saved your best for last!"
Katase didn't reply. He didn't take his eyes off the metal corpses on the battlefield.
….
Sir David's Defensive Line
"HERE THEY COME AGAIN!"
Suzaku leveled his machine pistol and fired again, this time with anti-armor rounds. He put a three-round burst into an enemy tank. The tank stopped moving, the top hatch opened, and the entire crew came spilling out. Just a moment later, a geyser of fire erupted from inside the tank, funneling upward like a flaming tornado. Enemy soldiers scurried left and right in a panicked attempt to escape the blaze, only to be put down by concentrated machine gun fire.
"Holy shit," one of the Sutherland pilots said. "Nice shot, Elev-"
He didn't finish. An artillery round took the entire top half off the Sutherland, and the bottom half teetered until it toppled to the ground. Two more Sutherlands quickly followed it.
"Cut the chatter, damn it!" Sir David shouted. "Pay attention to what you're doing!"
Suzaku began looking for targets again, and saw one of the Black Knights charge forward, a silver cylinder in his hand. The hairs on the back of Suzaku's neck stood up. What's this dread?
Just as the Black Knight pulled back to throw it, Suzaku fired. The Black Knight disintegrated when the anti-armor round struck him, leaving behind a pile of gore and the cylinder, which fell to the ground.
Not a second later, a dome of pink light suddenly appeared, blinding Suzaku's sensors for half a minute. When his main camera finally came back online, his jaw dropped. A twelve meter wide hole had consumed the barbed wire defenses. All fighting seemed to have stopped for the moment, as both sides gaped in horror at the results.
"What, what was that?" someone asked.
"Did you see that light? It damn near fried my camera circuits."
"Cut-Cut the chatter!" Sir David stammered. Suzaku heard him take a deep breath. "Kururugi, your computer should have recorded the imaging of that bomb. Transmit the details to our computer network."
"Yes, My Lord," Suzaku replied, already beginning work on it.
"Oh, and boys?" Sir David said. "Thank the kind Eleven for saving our asses."
There was a chorus of 'Thank you's' from the soldiers around him.
Suzaku laughed.
….
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"It blew up in his face?" Gao Hai laughed. "My apologies, General," he said. "I spoke too soon. I haven't had this much fun in quite some time."
Katase's expression was ashen. "Order them to resume the attack," he said quietly. "We have no choice. We've committed too much to this now."
"Yes, sir."
There was little enthusiasm among the bridge staff.
Ten thousand of my men are dead, Katase mused. How many more of my comrades must I lose?
"General, we've just picked up a large amount of people coming from the west!"
"What?" Katase barked. "Have we been outflanked?"
"No, sir, it's..." the officer looked back up at him, baffled. "It's civilians."
…
Utsunomiya
Nonette breathed hard. Sweat flowed freely down her face and clung to her body. Her flight suit felt stuffy. She was exhausted.
All of the aces she had brought with her were either dead or disabled, for an exchange of three of the strange machines, each of which had either been disabled or ejected from. Nonette credited that to the skill of the pilots. She had lost track of the rest of the battle.
There was a beeping in her ear. She checked the energy filler, and scowled.
Only 22 percent left.
"Lady Enneagram!"
She looked up.
"You have fought valiantly," Tohdoh commended her. "I have never had a more difficult opponent. For that, I honor you."
Nonette laughed. "You're not so bad yourself." She licked sweat off the top of her lip.
"However," Tohdoh continued, "you have lost this battle. Lay down your weapon." His tone became gentle. "There is no shame here in this defeat."
Nonette smiled. "For what it's worth, Colonel Tohdoh, I appreciate that." The smile faded from her face. "However," she raised her sword and pointed it at him, "I can't do that. Honor demands that I fight to the end."
There was silence for a moment. "Very well then," Tohdoh said. He returned her gesture with his sword. "Then I will honor you with a warrior's death." He lowered the sword and bowed before her.
Nonette returned the bow. "I will strive to do the same for you."
A mob of Sutherlands suddenly appeared, overwhelming Tohdoh and his remaining subordinate.
"My Lady, flee!" one of the Sutherlands begged.
"Retreat, please!" another added.
"We'll hold them off!" yet another promised.
"No, wait!" Nonette denied. "I won't abandon you!"
"Princess Cornelia needs you!"
"One Round is worth a hundred knights! You said so yourself!"
"Protect the Princess!"
They were getting hacked to pieces. She could see steel arms, legs, factspheres, explosions. Her men were being torn apart before her very eyes.
I was resolved to die here, with all of you. She blinked away tears. Damn it!
"I've never served with finer soldiers," she told them as she fled. "Please, here my final order: Die well! Do you understand? You're Britannians! So die well!"
"YES, MY LORD!" they shouted back.
She could hear their dying screams over the radio, but she didn't turn it off. Instead, she cranked the volume all the way up.
Her final order had been for them to die.
She'd be damned if she didn't hear them do it.
…
Sir David's Defensive Line
Pink light enveloped a machine gun post fifteen meters from where Suzaku was. This time, his sensors were tuned to the explosive's frequency, so he didn't lose his camera feed. By the time it was finished, a sizable gap had been created in their defensive formation.
"Kururugi, with me!" Sir David shouted.
Suzaku fell in line behind him, firing his machine pistol as he went. The enemy was converging on the breach that had been created, concentrating their machine gun and artillery fire.
"Engineers! Fill the breach!" Sir David ordered. "Covering fire!"
Suzaku opened up with the rest of the line, a storm of bullets being exchanged back and forth as thick as the rain that fell on their heads. One of the buildings in front of them collapsed under the stress of artillery and machine gun fire, crushing the rebels that had been inside. With it gone, Suzaku could see the full strength of the army before them.
"Holy God," he murmured as he saw the steel sea that was coming against them. "There's no way we can hold them back."
"Keep your mouth shut, Eleven!" Sir David ordered. "We will hold them back." Suzaku could almost see him grimace. "We have to."
A swarm of rebels and Chinese surged forward to the breach. Some of them tripped and fell into the hole, others attempted to leap across, only to be shot mid-jump. The crater was rapidly filling with rain, mud, bodies, and blood. They were beginning to pile up.
"Charge!"
A mob of Britannian infantry answered the challenge and ran pell mell into the breach, some opening fire into the crater from above, but most flinging themselves down into it. Fists, rifles butts, close quarter gun discharges, bayonets and combat knives went back and forth, left and right, in an orgy of murder.
"HOLD THE LINE!" Sir David shouted. "HOLD THE LINE! HOLD THE-"
The top half of Sir David's Knightmare exploded. Part of the steel slammed into the Lancelot. Suzaku ducked as the top of his cockpit was ripped away. His face burned; his mask was on fire. Suzaku ripped it from his face and flung it aside.
"Sir David!" he shouted.
Sir David's Gloucester was a smoking wreck that slumped forward pitifully. It rolled over the edge of the crater and, over the screams of the men inside, crashed down on top of them.
"Oh, God," Suzaku whimpered. He shook his head to regain control of himself. "Sir- Sir David is dead! Whose the next commanding officer?"
There was no answering reply. As Suzaku looked left and right, he suddenly realized that he didn't see any other Knightmares around him. Where did everybody go?
Scowling, he said, "Call out ranks, highest level in squads!"
"Sergeant Tompkins!"
"Sergeant Porter!"
"Master Sergeant Peterson!"
"Corporal-"
"Are there any officers?" Suzaku interrupted. "Are there any officers left?"
There was a moment of silence, before someone said, "Sir, I think it's just you."
Suzaku's stomach bottomed out. "Oh, God."
…
Main Hall, Viceroy's Palace
"Do we have anyone else?" Jeremiah demanded.
Viletta checked the list again. "No, My Lord, no one," she told him. "Almost all of our Knightmares have been destroyed, and what few are functioning, the pilots are green cadets. Warrant Officer Kururugi is the highest ranking officer left on the field."
…
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"My name is Takahiro," he said. He was a man with graying hair and a bum leg, supported by a crutch. Around him were other, younger men, roughly in their late twenties and early thirties. They were all thin, with little muscle, clearly undernourished.
Katase felt an overwhelming sympathy. "I'm General Tatewaki Katase. It's an honor." He shook the older man's hand. "You are the representative of the refugees, correct?"
Takahiro scowled. "We're not refugees, sir, we were kicked out of our homes by the Viceroy's goons," he told him. "There's five thousand of us, all told. Women, children, the old, the sick." He gestured behind him. "And a few energetic youngsters."
Katase nodded. "I understand. Unfortunately, we're in the middle of a battle, so I can't give you any supplies. You'll have to make your way to the rear."
Takahiro shook his head. "I appreciate that, General, but that's not why we're here. We want to fight!"
"That's right! We're ready to make a stand!"
"We won't let those bastard Britannians enslave us anymore!"
Katase scowled. "You can't be serious!" he said. "You're not soldiers! You're untrained, undernourished civilians! There's no place for you on the battlefield!"
"I fought in the Pacific War!" Takahiro retorted. "Just like you, I fought on the front line! That's how I got this." He patted his leg. "For seven years, I've had to bow and scrape before those Imperial pigs, allowed them to treat me like a dog! Well, no more!" He slashed his hand. "I will be a dog no longer! I'm a free man, and I demand to be treated as one."
"I was against the war," one of the young men said. There was deep shame on his face. "I refused to fight as a conscientious objector. I thought we were in the wrong. Well," he clenched his hand into a fist, "no nation deserves what Britannia has done to us! I wasn't willing to do my part then, but I'm ready to fight now!"
"Bone spurs kept me out of the last one, man!" another said. "Freaking bone spurs! I won't miss my chance again!"
Katase raised his voice. "Even if I was insane enough to give you weapons, there aren't any available!" Unless you count the ones on the battlefield, he considered miserably.
"But we-"
"I say, who is that?" Gao Hai interjected. He was pointing at one of the screens.
Katase squinted at it. "Magnify 3-point-5," he ordered. "Put it on the main screen."
The image of a white Knightmare appeared before them. The top had been ripped off, revealing the young pilot underneath.
Katase's jaw dropped. "I don't believe it," he said. "That's Suzaku Kururugi."
"Kururugi?" Gao Hai asked skeptically. "As in Genbu Kururugi, the Last Samurai?"
"Yes," Katase confirmed. "That's his son, Suzaku. He left our side when he was thirteen, and joined the Britannian army a few years later. We've kept tabs on him ever since."
"Traitor!" Takahiro spat venomously. "Coward! A disgrace to the name Kururugi!"
Katase cupped his chin in his hand. "He seems to be commanding those troops," he mused aloud.
"Truly?" Gao Hai asked. He looked back and forth between the young man on the screen, and the civilians standing before them. A sly smile appeared on his face. It unnerved Katase to no end.
He collected his hands into his opposite robe sleeves. "General," he announced, "I've grown bored of this confrontation. It's time to wrap this up."
A chill ran down Katase's spine. "And what would you propose?" he asked. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
The High Eunuch smiled sickly at him.
"I may have an idea."
…
Main Hall, Viceroy's Palace
"How much ammunition do you have left?" Jeremiah asked.
"Enough for another round, maybe two," Suzaku replied. "I have our men collecting ammunition from the dead. Those that are wounded, but still able to fight, have been propped up in their positions." He sighed. "We need reinforcements. Without them, I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold them off."
"Until Hell freezes over, Warrant Officer, if necessary," Jeremiah told him.
Suzaku laughed. "How much longer until the Pacific Fleet arrives?"
Longer than we have. "It doesn't matter how long," Jeremiah said. "They could be an hour out right now and it wouldn't matter if we didn't hold the Settlement." Jeremiah pinched the bridge of his nose. "Return to your duties. We'll-"
"Lord Jeremiah!" Viletta came running up to him.
"Yes, Major, what is it?"
"The enemy is on the move again," Viletta told him. There was a perturbed look in her eyes.
"What is it?" Jeremiah asked. "What's their compliment? Armament? Numbers?"
Viletta seemed to have a hard time speaking. "My Lord, they're..."
Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"They're not armed."
…
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Defensive Line
"COWARDS!" Suzaku shouted. His teeth gnashed together so hard he might have cracked them to pieces. "YOU COWARDS! BASTARDS!"
There was a crowd of civilians marching through the no man's land. They weren't wearing any weapons of any kind. They ranged from young to old; from sick to healthy; from men to women; from adults to children. Some of those children were so small they were being carried by their mothers. They were a pitiful sight, as they huddled together beneath the heavy rains, trying to shield each other against the cold winds.
They stepped forward tentatively, cautiously, but as the minutes passed, and the silence continued, they grew bolder, their steps came faster, and soon, the fear that had been present on their faces was replaced by fiery determination.
Behind them came a massive column of enemy armor and infantry; dozens of Knightmares, tanks, armored troop carriers, armored cars.
"YOU SONS OF BITCHES! EVIL!"
"Warrant Officer," Sergeant Tompkins said, "they're not armed! What do we do, sir?"
Suzaku slammed his fist into the computer display. "This is bullshit!" he raged. "You call yourself Japanese? COWARDS!"
"Kururugi," Tompkins asked again, "what do we do, sir?"
…
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"NO! THEY'LL ALL BE KILLED!" Katase screamed. He, and the rest of the Japanese members of the bridge, had been forcibly bound at gunpoint when they would not comply.
"Come now, General, I think you're being rather dramatic," Gao Hai scoffed. "If this man is truly the son of Genbu Kururugi, the man who killed himself for peace, then he most certainly will not open fire on unarmed civilians. We can just march the civilians through the city and win by default." An ugly grin appeared on his face. "And, if by some chance he does fire, he'll just be wasting his ammunition on noncombatants." He lifted his robed hand up before his face, his eyes closed happily, like a small child that just answered a difficult question. "It's win-win!"
"NO!"
"Ugh, someone do shut him up."
…..
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Defensive Line
"They're getting closer!"
"What do we do, sir?"
Suzaku hit his communication rig. "Lord Jeremiah, there are noncombatants in the field! I repeat, there are noncombatants in the field! The rebels are using them as human shields. Requesting instructions.
He received no response. While he waited, the civilian line climbed over or cut through the first line of barbed wire and barricades. They were walking even faster.
"Lord Jeremiah, they've passed the first barrier. What do I do?" Suzaku asked again.
He received no response.
"Damn it, Lord Jeremiah, what do I do?"
…..
Main Hall, Viceroy's Palace
"Lord Jeremiah? Answer me! What do I do?"
Jeremiah sat in his chair, his jaw slack, his eyes bulging wide. Someone was shaking his shoulder.
"Jeremiah, please!"
It was a woman. She was crying.
"Please, he needs an answer!"
"Lord Jeremiah, what the Hell do you want me to do?"
Everything buzzed in his ears, like hornets on a child who kicked their hive. He couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening.
"Jeremiah, please! What do we do?"
Do not refer to me as 'My Prince.' I would accept no follower who would commit such atrocities, who would do them with such glee. And neither would Nunnally.
Then Princess Nunnally is-
Alive? Yes. Blinded and crippled, but alive. She would cry to know that one of mother's guards committed genocide.
Jeremiah covered his mouth. "My Prince..."
You will hold the Tokyo Settlement, by any means necessary.
…
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Defensive Line
Suzaku snarled. "To Hell with this!" They were coming in way too close now. In a few minutes, they'd be right on top of them. They were almost power walking now. "All forces, withdraw!"
"But, Warrant Officer Kururugi, if we do that-"
"We lose this area, I know!" Suzaku interrupted. "I freaking know, okay? But without orders, I can't do anything else."
"What if orders come to shoot them?"
"They haven't yet, so button it, Tompkins!" Suzaku removed himself from his position. "All forces, pull back! Grab the wounded, and let's go!"
Almost eagerly, the Britannians slid out of their positions, grabbing their equipment as best they could, and taking off.
"Sir," Sergeant Tompkins said, "what happens if we get the order to fire?"
Suzaku didn't have an answer.
….
Mount Fuji
Spears flashed back and forth, crisscrossing, deflecting, stabbing. The Witch and the Demon danced around each other, every slip and trip incorporated into their duet. A kick sent the Demon recoiling. A punch sent the Witch spinning. The Demon dodged a thrust. The Witch ducked under a swipe.
Back and forth the two fighters went. Sir Claudio watched from his position behind the barricades, his heart hammering in his chest.
"We should step in," Sir Edgar said. "She needs help."
"We'd only get in her way," Sir Claudio rejected.
"He's going to kill her!" Sir Bart worried.
Sir Claudio shook his head. "No, she will revenge us."
Sir Claudio's face in his Lady was absolute. She would not lose. Zero would die. This rebellion would be over. Britannia would be supreme.
"All Hail Britannia," Sir Claudio murmured.
"All Hail Britannia," Sir Edgar said, louder.
"All Hail Britannia!" Sir Bart shouted.
Sir Claudio hadn't meant it, but soon all around him, their soldiers began chanting, "ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"
Their words seemed to have traveled; within a few minutes, the Black Knights at the bottom of the mountain were chanting, "HAIL ZERO! HAIL ZERO! HAIL ZERO! HAIL ZERO!"
Back and forth the chanting went, each side responding to the other, as the Witch and the Demon battled in the mud, and the muck, and the rain, until finally…
Lighting flashed.
The ground quaked.
The Britannians roared.
The Demon had fallen, and the Witch stood above him.
…..
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"The enemy is falling back! They've passed the second defensive barrier!"
There was a loud cheer on the bridge.
Gao Hai laughed aloud. He turned to Katase. "You see, General, my plan worked." He smiled cheerfully. "The Britannians are falling back. We're almost halfway into the city."
Katase, bruised, bloody, and gagged, closed his eyes as he heaved a sigh of relief.
Gao Hai turned back to the action. "I think I'll have my supper tonight in the Viceroy's office."
…
Abandoned Restaurant, Tokyo Settlement
"Where are all the soldiers going?" Milly asked. Outside, she could see Britannian soldiers scurrying past the restaurant, some of them in a blind panic.
"I don't know," Billy said. "I'll go and check."
There wouldn't be another ambulance out to get them for the foreseeable future; the hospital itself was trying to evacuate, but the streets were filled with refugees.
Billy stepped outside the door, and looked around. His head exploded in a shower of blood.
Milly and Natalie screamed. Even as Billy's body crumpled to the ground, Natalie ran to the door and slammed it shut. "Goddammit!" she shouted, terrified tears streaming down her face. "The lock is busted!" She turned back to Milly. "Lady Ashford, shut and lock the do-"
A burst of machine gun fire ripped through the door. Blood erupted from Natalie's back like lava from a volcano, and with a hoarse cry she was flung backwards onto the floor.
Milly screamed and slammed the door shut. She quickly turned the lock on the door, and crouched down beside Rivalz.
She shook his shoulders violently. "Rivalz," she begged, "Rivalz, wake up, wake up."
She didn't consider the fact that there was practically nothing he could do, what with being unable to move very much. "Rivalz! Rivalz, please!"
She screamed when someone on the other side tried to kick the door in. She screamed even harder when, after a second kick, the loud roar of machine gun fire filled the air, tearing the door handle completely off.
An Eleven in a Black Knight uniform stepped inside. He had dyed red hair and a piercing through his lip.
There was a cruel light in his eyes.
…
Mount Fuji
"Oh no!" Kallen shouted. All of the systems had turned off at once. "No! Goddammit!"
When was the last time she had checked the energy filler? The screen was black, the Gawain filled with dim red light.
The Gawain suddenly shook from an impact.
Kallen shuddered as she was jolted left and right.
"Lelouch! I think we're out of power!" Kallen shouted.
The Gawain shook again.
Oh no…
…
Main Hall, Viceroy's Palace
"Goddammit, Lord Jeremiah, what am I supposed to do?"
You will die. In service to me.
Jeremiah clutched his head in his hands.
Jeremiah Gottwald, wilt though become a sword for justice, a shield for the innocent?
Yes.
Tears leaked out of Jeremiah's eyes.
Wilt thou swear thyself to me and any member of mine family?
Yes.
Jeremiah's breaths came faster and faster.
Wilt thou throw away thine own life and commit it to mine?
Yes.
He gnashed his teeth.
Then I dub thee Sir Jeremiah Gottwald, my Orange Knight, my faithful protector. May you know victory on the battlefield in confrontation to our enemies, and atonement for your various sins.
Flood the streets with traitor's blood.
Now,
Flood the streets
My Knight,
with traitor's blood.
My faithful friend,
Hold the Tokyo Settlement,
by any means necessary.
Rise.
…
Viletta shook Jeremiah by the shoulders. Tears dripped down her cheeks.
"Jeremiah," she wept, "Jeremiah, please. I'll-"
Kaname's face flashed before her eyes.
Hatred has no place inside a classroom.
That little girl, and her sweet eyes.
We killed that girl's parents.
She couldn't do this. Not again. Never again.
"Jeremiah, we need-"
Jeremiah gave her an uppercut to the chin.
Her head snapped back. She was just aware of him catching her before everything went black.
…
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Defensive Line
"Dammit, WHAT DO I DO?" Suzaku shouted.
His heart was beating so fast, he feared it might burst from his chest.
The third defensive line had collapsed. They were practically running now. There was no time left.
"Warrant Officer Kururugi."
Finally! "Yes, My Lord?" Suzaku asked hopefully.
"Open fire on them."
Suzaku froze. "Sir," he said shakily, "I don't believe I heard you properly. Please repeat."
"Open fire on them," Jeremiah repeated.
"Sir, I don't think you understand," Suzaku protested. "They're using civilians as human shields! I can't just-"
"I will accept full responsibility."
A cold stone settled in Suzaku's belly.
"When the report of this is made, I am the one who will be solely culpable," Jeremiah told him. "You were just following orders."
Suzaku shook his head. "I can't accept that!" he rejected. "I'm not some machine! I'm a thinking, feeling human being! Not a cog in a system! If I take these lives, it's because I chose to do so!"
"You have your orders, Kururugi," Jeremiah said coldly. "Open fire."
Suzaku snapped. "Maybe this is easy for you to do as a goddamn Purist, but I'm Japanese! Those are my people out there! Would you be so willing if they were your own?"
"You're Japanese? Strange, I was under the impression you were an Honorary Britannian."
"I'm both!"
"You can't be, Kururugi. No man can serve two masters. You will hate the one and love the other. Choose your side, Suzaku: are you Britannian, or Japanese?"
…
Abandoned Restaurant
"You're pretty hot," the Eleven said. He'd rested his submachine gun on a strap, replacing it with a Britannian issued side-arm, which he kept down at his side. "Not as good looking as this redhead chick I met, but your knockers are definitely better."
Milly bit her lip, but said nothing.
The Eleven gestured to Rivalz. "Whose he?"
Milly covered Rivalz with her body. "Nobody," she told him. "Leave him alone."
"You're not in a position to make demands, Brit," he warned her. "Move aside."
Milly glared at him, not moving. He rolled his eyes and pointed his gun at her. "Move it, or I'll blast both of ya."
Reluctantly, Milly stood up and moved away. The Eleven approached Rivalz from the side, and squatted down next to him. "You put him on the ground to get 'em outta the line of fire. Smart." He nodded. "How'd he end up this way?" he asked her.
Milly grabbed her arm. "He was protecting me," she said guiltily.
The Eleven nodded. "Good man. I can respect that." He stood up and leveled his gun Rivalz's head. "I'll make this quick."
"NO!" Milly shouted. She charged forward and knocked the gun away. It fell to the floor, where she didn't see, because the Eleven backhanded her hard across the face. Milly saw stars.
He punched her hard in the belly, and as she wheezed, he threw her to the ground, climbed on top of her, and pinned her arms to the ground with his legs.
Another Eleven stepped into the room. "Hey, Sai," he said, "can I have this one?"
"Go for the Brit on the floor outside," Sai told him.
"That bitch is covered in blood. It's a total mess, man."
Sai snorted. "That's never stopped you before."
The other Eleven laughed.
They've done this before, Milly thought with growing horror. Just outside she could hear weak sobbing and the grotesque sound of smacking flesh. He's going to rape me.
"It's better this way," the monster above her said. "You'll still be warm for a few minutes after you're dead." He grinned back at Rivalz. "And your boyfriend gets front row seats. I'll deal with him after I finish with you."
"RIV-"
He grabbed her around the neck, slammed her head against the floor, and squeezed.
…
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Defensive Line
Suzaku was resolved. He lowered his machine pistol. "I won't do it. Be they Japanese, Britannians, or anyone else, I will not fire on innocent-"
A tank toward the rear of the enemy column fired. It was an inaccurate shot, fired too high. Or, perhaps, it was at just the angle the operator intended. What man can say?
The cannon round struck the Viceroy's Palace.
Suzaku stared in dumbfounded shock as a whole section of the Palace crumbled away in a pile of burning steel and concrete. He saw bodies tumbling with it.
"Oh, God," Lord Jeremiah choked. "They hit the infirmary."
Suzaku's eyes bulged.
No.
NO!
"EUPHIE!"
…
Abandoned Restaurant
Milly kicked her feet weakly as she tried to dislodge him, but she lacked the strength to do it. His hands grew tighter and tighter around her neck.
Her vision began to darken, the light turning into pinpricks before her eyes.
She began to fade away.
Rivalz…
…
Mount Fuji
"What's the matter, Zero? Run out of juice?" the Witch crowed mockingly. "I have you this time, you sadistic freak!"
The Gawain shuddered beneath Cornelia's pummeling. She seemed to have completely abandoned her spear, focusing all her effort instead on beating the Gawain into the mud.
"We're going to die here," Kallen realized. "We're going to die, and I never..."
Her heart was pounding in her ears.
The Gawain shuddered as the sound of ripping steel screeched through the air.
She's going to crush the Sakuradite core.
"We're going to die," Kallen said aloud, tears in her eyes. Only one thing mattered now. She whirled around in her seat to look up at him, and cried out, "Zero! I love-"
….
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Defensive Line
Look out below!
She fell like an angel from Heaven.
Camelot Unit, is everyone okay? Camelot Unit, please respond!
That's a relief. I was so worried for you. All of you, I mean! I'm glad you're all okay!
She gave him the chance almost no one else would.
Well, Your Highness, if it means that much to you, you could just meet me in a few days to see a movie. Don't mind that, Your Highness, it was just a-
Which movie?
What?
What movie?
Any movie, doesn't really matter to me.
Deal. It's a date.
She trusted him.
Suzaku! I love you! I love you so much!
And he had failed her.
The flaming wreckage of the infirmary fell several stories to the ground.
"No, no, no, no, no, NO!"
Suzaku turned back to the oncoming crowd. He was soggy, and blinded, by tears or rain he didn't know. The people before him were sprinting now. Their victory was in sight.
His hands trembled on the firing stud.
Kururugi, let me offer a word of warning.
Suzaku filled with hate.
The day will come when you will be forced to make a choice-
"Damn you, Zero."
-between the ideals you hold to so strongly-
"You evil trash."
-or the innocent people that they will doom.
"This is all your fault!"
I only hope that when that day comes-
"GODDAMN YOU ZERO!"
-you will not regret your choice.
"OPEN FIRE!"
…
Abandoned Restaurant
There was a sound of thunder.
The brute on top of her went flying, slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the room. He lay still, and moved no more.
Milly coughed raggedly, clutching at her bruised neck. The other Eleven came charging through the door, his crotch and pants dripping in blood. A second boom splattered his brains across the wall, and he slid to the floor in a heap. She looked over to see Rivalz, the smoking gun still in his hand.
"Keep your damn hands off her," he whispered.
…
Mount Fuji
"GRAB THE YOKE, Q-1!"
Months of close combat had ingrained in Kallen the familiarity of his commands. Almost unconsciously, she spun back around and grabbed the command yoke.
"DIE ZERO, YOU TERRORIST TR-"
The Gawain came suddenly back to life, the lights flashing on instantly. Kallen could see the witch before her, the spear descending toward the Sakuradite core. On instinct, Kallen grabbed the spear in mid-thrust.
"WHAT?" Cornelia shouted.
Kallen reached up and grabbed the Gloucester by its shoulder.
"BURN IN HELL, WITCH!" Zero shouted.
The Hadron Cannons blasted the Gloucester at point blank range, melting the Knightmare in almost an instant. Cornelia had no time to eject.
The bottom half tottered backwards before it collapsed into the mud.
…
Warrant Officer Kururugi's Advance
Suzaku fired a burst of antipersonnel rounds into a group of children and elderly. Their bodies burst like watermelons. With the other hand, he fired VARIS rounds into approaching enemy armor. His every shot was precise and accurate. Dozens of towering infernos began to erupt in the streets.
The enemy was in full retreat, and they were on the advance. All down the line, the defenders were shouting, "ASHFORD! ASHFORD! ASHFORD!"
Suzaku said nothing. The rage had faded away. His heart had died in the infirmary. All he felt was cold, mechanical. He was not human anymore. He was a cog in the system. He was an extension of the Lancelot. A cold, unfeeling, machine.
"Warrant Officer Kururugi," Lord Jeremiah said.
"Yes, My Lord?"
"There is a G-1 Mobile Command Base at the rear of the enemy formation that was used to issue their ultimatum. We believe this is their command structure. We could not risk it beforehand, but now that the enemy is in complete disarray, here are your new orders: terminate the enemy leadership, with extreme prejudice."
"It will be done, My Lord."
…..
Captured G-1 Mobile Base
"Why are you running? Go back!" Gao Hai whined piteously. His lip pouted. "I thought you said you were prepared to die to free your nation?" He scoffed. "Lying cowards."
He turned around to look at Katase. "Oh! That's right!" He bowed slightly to Katase. "You have my sincerest apologies, General. I honestly didn't think he'd fire on them. My mistake!"
Katase said nothing. He was catatonic, his eyes staring at something no one else could see.
"Although…" Gao Hai placed a hand to his lips. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. I mean, they did use a tremendous amount of ammunition on the civilians, so..." He smiled brightly. "Everyone wins!" He looked back at the burning city. "Well, everyone except the Britannians, of course."
Gao Hai paced back and forth on the bridge. "We will have to send in the next wave, of course, but I'm confident this will be the one to secure victory. Oh!" He sighed happily. "How exciting this has all been! Truly, I haven't had this much fun in ages!"
An alarm started to blare.
"What's that?" Gao Hai asked.
"Proximity alarm!" one of the Federation technicians shouted. "Incoming enemy aircraft!"
"Bring it up on screen!" Gao Hai commanded.
The white Knightmare piloted by Kururugi appeared on the screen.
Gao Hai's eyes bulged. "That thing can FLY?" He turned around. "Shoot it down, hurry!"
"We can't get a lock-on, it's moving too fast!" one of the techs panicked.
"It's just a Knightmare, how fast can it be?"
Someone started laughing.
Perturbed, Gao Hai turned around to see that it was Katase, his eyes filled with some strange gleeful madness.
"You!" Gao Hai shouted. "You think this is funny? What's so funny? WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" He whipped back around. "SHOOT HIM! SHOOT HIM DOWN! SHOOT HIM-"
The White Knightmare was suddenly in front of him, the long barrel of its beam rifle pointed squarely at the bridge. A green light appeared deep within the darkness of the barrel.
Katase's mad laughter screeched like nails on a chalkboard even with the gag.
Gao Hai backed away. "NO! I-BUT-NOOOO!"
The green fire consumed them all.
…
Mount Fuji
"KUROU BANZAI!"
The Black Knights charged up Mount Fuji, smashing into the retreating Britannians. Knightmares on both sides fought, fell, exploded, and everything in between.
Throughout all of it, Kallen could only give voice to one thought.
"What the HELL is going on?"
"I forgot you didn't know how to fly."
Kallen turned around. Lelouch was, for some reason, wearing an eyepatch over his left eye, his mask held casually in his left hand.
"I've been in something of a funk for the past few days. I've been thinking that some things that aren't are, and that things that have yet to be are already."
Kallen had only one response. "Heh?"
"You snapped me out of the state of foolishness I was in." Lelouch smiled. "Thank you, Kallen, I couldn't have done it without you."
Kallen shook her head. "I'm sorry, what the Hell did we just do?" she asked him.
"We were using up too much energy trying to take Cornelia out with the Hadron Cannons," he explained. "By the time we landed to fight her, we were down to just 35 percent." He shrugged. "So, while you fought Cornelia, I turned off nonessential systems one by one, starting with the energy filler indicator." He smiled at her. "Couldn't have you getting distracted." He continued, "My plan was to drag the fight out to as long as possible, then put the Gawain into low power mode once it dropped to five percent. That simulated a shutdown." He sneered. "I knew Cornelia wouldn't be able to resist giving me a little punishment before putting me out of my misery, so I just waited for the opportune moment." He placed a contemplative finger against his chin. "Not my best plan," he admitted, "but we couldn't really afford a long, drawn out battle with her entire army, and I didn't want to risk damaging the Sakuradite mines too thoroughly, so this was really our best option." He grinned again. "I couldn't have done it without you."
The lights went off inside the Gawain, leaving just the red emergency light on.
"And now, it's really shutdown," Lelouch commented.
Kallen was slack jawed. "B-But," she stammered, "how did you know I wouldn't cock it up?"
Lelouch looked at her seriously. "Kallen, you are the greatest Knightmare pilot I have ever seen. If a Knight of the Rounds is worth a hundred knights, then you're worth ten thousand. Easily."
Oh…
"Ohgi and the others should get here in about twenty minutes. All that's left is to mop up the last resistance here, consolidate our control of the Sakuradite mines, and put down those treacherous sons of-"
Kallen stepped up lightly, eagerly over the lip of the gunwale, slid her arms around a stunned Lelouch, and kissed him softly on the lips. It was her first kiss, off center, sloppy, but her heart was pounding in her rib cage, and there was a light feeling in her head. He was stiff as a board, and for a moment she feared he might push her away.
His arms came up and wrapped around her waist, his hands coming to rest on the small of her back, crushing her body flush against his. He shifted his mouth on hers, centering it, and pressed down on her hard.
A thousand stars went supernova in Kallen's head. Every part of her body was on fire.
For at least a little while, he was Lelouch, and she was Kallen, and everything was perfect.