I do not own Code Geass.

…...

New Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia, March 11, 2020, Kowa Period

"A 'Code of Immortality'?" Nunnally repeated. C-Two nodded. "Explain," she commanded.

C-Two drew up her breath. "Lelouch once referred to geass as a wish," she expounded. "Geass was a way of reaching out for something you couldn't get on your own. But, that's not quite true.

"Geass," she continued, "is a contract. One made between the immortal who bestows it, and the contractor that receives it. It cannot be forced on anyone. It is, in a word, a choice."

"I so far fail to see what this has to do with my brother's supposed immortality," Nunnally said coldly.

"Your brother and I made a contract," C-Two replied. "He would fulfill my wish, and in so doing, achieve my immortality."

"Yet, you're still here," Nunnally pointed out. "While my brother is dead."

There was an undercurrent of resentment to Nunnally's statement. C-Two sympathized.

"That's because Lelouch didn't fulfill my wish," C-Two confirmed. "He doesn't have my Code." She leaned forward. "It is my belief that he has your father's."

Nunnally's eyes went wide. "My fa-My father had a Code?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes," C-Two confirmed. "Your father took his Code from his own contractor, V-Two. Actually, it's better to say that he stole it."

"Is that possible?"

C-Two nodded. "It can be done. While the claiming of a geass is a choice, it is entirely possible for the contractor to steal the Code once their geass has completely matured. Your father did it to V-Two." She smirked. "I can assure you that V-Two did not give it willingly."

"Yet, my brother killed my father," Nunnally puzzled out. "Was his geass fully matured?"

"It was."

"But my father wasn't his contractor," Nunnally retorted. "How could he-"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," C-Two admitted. "Such a thing, to steal a Code from an immortal that isn't your own...I don't think it's ever happened. But that doesn't mean it can't have!"

C-Two placed a hand to her chest. "It's my belief that Lelouch, be it by design or happenstance, took your father's Code, and is, even now, immortal."

Nunnally swallowed heavily. Her eyes darted in the direction of the graveyard. "Then, that would mean..."

That he was, at this moment, buried alive.

"We need to exhume the body," C-Two told her excitedly. "We need to confirm whether or not he has your father's Code!"

"But, but he's not..." Nunnally said quietly, her eyes shimmering.

C-Two leaned in. "Not what, My Lady?"

"There," a hard metallic voice answered.

C-Two started. In walked Suzaku, Nunnally's personal Knight. Commander of the Knights of the Rounds. The man who slew Lelouch.

"Your Majesty," the fool said in a heavy, robotic voice. He bent down to one knee before her. "All of the preparations have been made for your journey. The chopper is fueled and ready to depart for the airport."

Nunnally nodded. "Very good, Lord Zero," she said, her tone devoid of emotion. "I will be along presently. You may rise."

Suzaku did as bid, coming to stiff attention. He inclined his head to C-Two. "My Lady."

C-Two glared up at him, the hate in her expression undisguised. "Sir Knight," she ground out through gritted teeth.

She would never, ever, call this imposter Zero.

"If you came to exhume the Demon's remains," this parody continued, "then you have wasted your journey."

"The Empress will be the judge of that," C-Two retorted.

"Lady C-Two," Nunnally said, her voice hollow. C-Two turned back to her. She was astonished at how ashen the girl had become. "I wish with all my heart that you had said this sooner."

C-Two cocked her head. "Why?"

"The Demon Emperor's body was cremated," Suzaku answered, "in accordance with his own wishes. They were scattered above Japan, the site of his final defeat and death, gone to the four winds."

C-Two gaped at him. That, that can' be true!

"He never told me anything about this!" she said.

"Of course he didn't," the murderer sneered. "He knew something like this might be possible, and that you might try to pull this."

"Lady C-Two," Nunnally said formally, "I'm afraid we will have to continue this conversation another time. As I said, I have a trip scheduled for a summit in Zilkhistan that cannot be delayed. If you will excuse me."

"N-Nunnally!" C-Two cried out.

"Lady Shinozaki," the traitor said, turning to the maid that had come in behind him, "would you see Her Majesty to her ship? I have words that need to be shared with Lady C-Two."

Sayoko had not changed much in the two years since her true master's death. She still wore a white and gray maid outfit, though her eyes reflected the resentment C-Two felt on a daily basis towards the man before them.

"Yes, My Lord," she said. She stepped in behind Nunnally and rolled her out the door. It shut behind them.

C-Two stared in dismay after them. "This...this can't be..." she mumbled.

"We need to talk," Suzaku said.

She glared at him. "I have nothing to say to you," she said, making to leave.

Suzaku caught her by the arm. "I don't care," he replied coldly.

"Do you really want to detain me, fool?" she warned. "Knowing what I can do?"

"The audio sensors in this damn mask pick up quite a lot," he ignored her. She could feel his glare behind the mask. "Would you really seek to undermine and destroy everything he worked for?"

"Considering Zilkhistan is infringing on Chinese territory," C-Two retorted, "I can't help but think I'm not hurting much." She jerked her arm out of his grip.

"You bring him back, everything falls apart," Suzaku reminded her. "What are you going to do, travel around the world with a man who looks just like Emperor Lelouch? If there are even whispers that the Demon Emperor is alive and well, this whole house of cards could come tumbling down. Our position is too tenuous."

"That's your problem, not mine," C-Two snarled back. "I never thought this farce the two of you cooked up would work. And it looks like I was right." She smirked spitefully. "I hear the Bear is stirring, Sir Knight. Cruel winds are rising from the East." She leaned in close to him. "South America and Africa are descending into anarchy. And all the UFN can think to do is demand more in reparations from a nominal member state." She placed a finger to her lips, mocking. "How long, I wonder, before the storm breaks, and we all reap the wild wind?" she whispered.

"Shorter still if your hunch is right," Suzaku replied.

"So you think it has merit?"

"I think you want it to have merit."

"Desire and destiny are not mutually exclusive."

"Nor is genius and insanity."

C-Two snorted. "As if you're one to talk."

"You're right," Suzaku said, catching her off guard. "I haven't been sane since she died."

C-Two swallowed. She looked away from him, reluctant empathy rising within her. "He never intended to harm her," she reminded him.

"I know," Suzaku said, sounding tired. "If he had told me at the time-If he'd just been honest!" He gripped the back of the chair she'd been sitting in. It creaked loudly. "I wish he had told me."

C-Two stared at him dubiously. "Would it have changed what came?"

Suzaku shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he confessed. "I just don't know."

C-Two stared at the walls, her eyes boring into the pastels.

"I love him, Suzaku," she said. "I know you do as well. He's the only one who can fix this mess. That's why I have to bring him back, by any means necessary." She looked him where his eye would be. "Whatever plans you and he made, I will defeat them. Count on it."

Suzaku sighed. With the microphone in the mask, it sounded like a haunting breeze. "Have you ever considered that maybe he doesn't want to come back?"

C-Two opened the door. As she left, she said, "What he wants doesn't matter."

…

Colonel Alan Spacer's Chambers, The Winter Palace, Chinese Federation, January 2018

"What was she like?" C-Two asked.

Lelouch looked up at her. She lay on a floor mat, all soft curves perfectly traced by an oversized blouse that he recognized as one of his. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail that dangled lazily behind her head, amber eyes soft, inquisitive.

"Who?" he asked.

"That girl," she answered. "The girl I became. The girl you loved. What was she like?"

Where is this coming from? he wondered.

He was due to meet the Tianzi in ten minutes. As such, he'd gone ahead and taken a brief shower and changed into a fresh dress uniform, his red eyes burning as he stared at himself in the mirror. C-Two had dozed off into a catnap, only to awaken when he exited the shower.

He stood next to a desk in the main sitting room, carefully going over the notes for Case Arnold that would be presented to the Tianzi. They weren't all of them; he wasn't trusting either her or anyone in her inner circle with those details.

"She was a lot like you, actually," he said, looking back down to flip a page. "Acerbic. Ruthless. Bitter."

C-Two huffed. "Forget I asked."

Lelouch gripped a page, throat tight. "She was also unfailingly loyal," he said, just above a whisper. The girl perked up. "She was funny. She was sarcastic, and witty. She never put up with my bullshit. She was compassionate, and so very, very loving."

C-Two was silent for a long moment. "You truly love her, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I did," he admitted. "But she's gone now, like everything else in my life."

Rivalz, Milly, Suzaku, Euphemia, Shirley. And now, even Kallen.

"And Kallen?" C-Two asked. "You love her, too?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Lelouch snapped.

C-Two pierced him with her gaze.

He sighed. "Yes, I love her as well," he confessed.

"Yet you chose m- the girl I become," C-Two pointed out. "Why?"

Lelouch stared into nothing. Amber eyes shone with love.

"Because we were two lonely people," he answered after a long time, "so why couldn't we be lonely together?"

C-Two glanced down at the floor. "I see," was all she said.

He stared down at her for a moment, not sure what he was thinking, or feeling. He set the envelop down and strode over to her, sat down on the floor in seiza.

"Napoleon won, you know," he said.

C-Two blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"He beat Britannia," Lelouch continued. "After Trafalgar and Austerlitz, he rallied northern Europe against Britannia and invaded across the Channel. The Royal Family, most of the peerage, and tens of thousands of commoners were forced to flee to the American Colonies. Though he himself did not live to see it, his dream of a united Europe, freed from the oppression of Britannia, was achieved."

Her eyes shimmered. "I know," she said. "I read it in one of your history books."

Lelouch nodded. He went to stand, but C-Two caught his hand.

She was soft, and gentle.

Her smile was grateful. "But thank you anyway," she said.

….

Throne Room

Colonel Alan Spacer was a man that immediately put Xingke on edge. He was no older than eighteen, nineteen at the most, and a Britannian to boot, yet Zero had given the man wide latitude in his dealings with the Federation. The black scarf that rose high on his face obscured, but did not totally obliterate his features. He wore a pair of black aviators that shimmered darkly in the throne room. The Lady Sumeragi had already deferred to him in negotiations, and seemed joined at the hip as well.

C-Two, the Gawain, Sumeragi's devotion. There was something fishy there, pieces of a puzzle that were already beginning to resolve themselves in his head.

Nevertheless, he held his peace as the Black Knight spoke with this Empress.

"As the man tasked with commanding the Black Tiger Mercenary Company in China," the enigma was saying, "I have been granted discretionary powers of negotiation by the Office of the First Consul to conduct operations in any manner I see fit."

The Tianzi raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean, then, that Lord Zero is preparing to recall the Lady Sumeragi?"

"Not at all, Your Majesty," Spacer rejected, shaking his head. "Merely that from now on, all actions she takes will be deferred to me."

"Zero must have a great deal of trust in you, to place such power in your hands."

"I will not wield it unwisely."

"Very well."

"Your Majesty," Hong Gu said, "it grieves me to interject, but this man must remove his glasses in your presence. 'Tis presumptuous and rude to meet Her Majesty so."

"I would beg that you allow it, Your Majesty," Spacer said. "I unfortunately have a genetic defect that makes my eyes extremely sensitive to light. I wear the glasses to protect them, not to cause offense."

"Nevertheless, you should-"

"We will allow it," the Tianzi said in her mercy. "Let it not be said that we are inconsiderate and ungrateful to our friends and allies." She turned to Xingke. "Commander, has Colonel Spacer shared with you his deployment plans?"

Xinkge bowed. "Not as yet, Your Majesty."

The Tianzi turned back to Spacer. "Well, Colonel?"

Spacer held out a hand, to which the Lady Sumeragi deposited a manila envelope. He approached the Throne and handed it to one of her attendants at the foot of the dais. The attendant turned, bowed, and presented the envelope to Xingke. Xingke accepted it, but did not open it.

"Thank you, Colonel Spacer," the Tianzi said. "We will review the files that you have given to us, and make a speedy conclusion. In the meantime, you have our permission to return to your chambers and rest."

Spacer bowed. "I thank you, Your Majesty."

….

Conference Room, Presidential Palace, Tokyo, United States of Japan

"I think I speak for all of us when I say: Welcome back, Ohgi!" Yoshida said.

A cheer went up around the Cabinet as Kallen rolled Ohgi into the room in a wheelchair. Ohgi scratched the back of his head, visibly embarrassed at all of the applause.

"There's no need for that!" he said, flustered. "I only got shot."

"Only got shot!" Tamaki laughed. "He only got shot! Listen to this guy!"

Kallen patted him on the shoulder. "We were all really worried about you, Ohgi," she said.

Ohgi brushed his nose. "Sorry to make you all worry," he said. "I should be back up on my feet in a couple of weeks. I hope you can all bear with me."

"It's not a problem in the slightest, pal," Sugiyama said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Handshakes and slaps on the back were exchanged all around, Ohgi fighting not to flinch every time someone slapped him.

Holy God, the bullet didn't kill me, but if this keeps up, my friends will!

The congratulatory agony mercifully ended after a few minutes, and Ohgi was rolled up to the head of the table.

"Wait," he protested, "I'm only Second Consul. This is Zero's spot."

"Zero's in China, remember?" Kallen reminded him. "Inoue wears the costume pretty well, but you're still the leader while he's gone."

"She's right," Yoshida said. "Looks like you're back in the saddle, Ohgi."

Ohgi sighed. I hated being the leader. "OK, what have we got?"

Yoshida pulled up a sheaf of papers. "General Urabe is camped outside of Sendai, negotiating with the last of the holdouts," he said. "We're moving troops north and west throughout the former Rebel lands. We should have power consolidated in less than a month."

"Urabe should just hurry up and crush the Rebs," Sugiyama said. "We don't have time to pussyfoot around. He's wasting Sakuradite we don't have."

"Better Sakuradite than Japanese blood," Ohgi retorted. "They can't hold out forever, anyway. They don't have the supplies. If he can make them surrender peacefully, then more's the better."

Sugiyama clearly didn't agree, but he made no reply.

"What about Mount Fuji?" Ohgi asked.

Yoshida looked uncomfortable. "We're running through the prisoners too quickly," he said. "A dozen of them have died over the past week. If we don't get some heavy equipment in soon, they're all going to be dead before we hit March."

Ohgi felt sick. "Is there no way to get them to rest?"

"You know it doesn't work that way, Ohgi," Kallen said gently. "They'll only follow his orders. I tried to get him to modify the command he placed on them before he left, but he refused."

"Jeez," Ohgi sighed. "If not even you of all people could get him to move on this, then none of us are going to."

"Me of all people?" Kallen asked. "What are you talking about?"

Ohgi was confused. "Didn't you two da- uh..." He trailed off, embarrassed. Everyone was looking at them with interest. "Never mind, we can discuss it later. How goes the hunt for new Zero Squadron members?"

"I only recruited two," she said. "Lieutenant Benio Akagi, formerly of the Fifth Kyoto, and Captain Rei Sumeragi, Third Matsuda. Both of them are capable fighters, and their loyalty to Zero is absolute."

I'd prefer their loyalty was to Japan. "Well, that's good," he said. "What are they like personally?"

Kallen smiled. "Benio Akagi is starstruck." She ruffled her hair, embarrassed. "Capable, cheerful. Exactly what we need."

"And Sumeragi?"

Her face wrinkled with disgust. "Total perv. If he wasn't such a good fighter, I'd beat his ass and throw him out!"

Ohgi and the others laughed.

"Too bad for him!" Tamaki guffawed. "He shoulda been there when we were on campaign! Dude'd know he's got no shot!"

"What do you mean?" Ohgi asked.

"Dude, Kallen was all over Ze-I mean Lel- I mean Spa- goddammit, he's got so many friggin' code names!" Tamaki complained. Yoshida and Sugiyama laughed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kallen said without any inflection in her voice. It was mechanical, toneless.

Tamaki laughed. "C'mon, Kally, the two of you-"

"There was never anything between us," Kallen interjected emotionlessly.

Tamaki blinked at her, surprised. "Uh, Kally, what-"

"Maybe we should move on to something else," Kallen interrupted in that same tone. "Like what we're going to do about the civil rights abuses taking places under our own noses."

Everyone was looking at her like she'd grown a second head.

"Right," Ohgi said uncertainly. "Yeah, you told me about that. That's important, that..."

Collectively uncomfortable, they turned their attention to the point she had brought up.

Ohgi kept Kallen in the corner of his eye. She brought a hand to her brow, looking mildly confused.

Something's wrong here, he thought. I don't know what, but something's wrong.

…

Fix For Six Fuel Station, Cuenca, Unincorporated Area 24

"Jeez," Rivalz grumbled as he filled up their tank. "Three-twenty-nine sterling for a liter!"

"Rivalz, darling," Milly said as she leaned over the hood of the car, "with Area Eleven currently in the hands of a terrorist, what precisely were you expecting?"

The car was a brand new sedan that Rivalz had bought the Sunday before, all on his own penny. Milly's parents had offered to buy them one, but Rivalz had refused.

"You're parents are great," he'd said at the time, "but I want everything I have to be mine. The product of my own blood, sweat, and tears."

There was quite a lot of sweat that night, Milly thought with a dreamy smile. But just a little bit of blood.

They had the day off, owing to the fact that Milly had woken up that morning vomiting, though she felt fine now. Since they had called out, they were heading to the beaches at Valencia to soak in the unnaturally hot sun and swim in the Mediterranean.

To that end, Milly wore a strapless bikini top that barely restrained her large breasts, and a pair of blue jean shorts that rode high and tight on her ample bottom. The looks Rivalz kept giving her during the drive down were sending thrills through her. He himself simply wore a blue tanktop and basketball shorts, all of the bandages on his body finally removed. There were some scars on his shoulder from his injuries, but Milly liked the texture on her tongue.

Rivalz huffed. "You'd figure we'd have just taken whatever Spain's stockpiles were," he groused.

"I imagine we did. And it's probably sitting inside the filler of a Knightmare right now."

He sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right." He jerked a thumb at the station store. "Why don't you pick us up a couple of burgers while I finish this? We can chow down on the way."

"Two burgers coming right up!"

She stood up straight, her chest bouncing, to his clear delight, and sashayed into the store. There weren't many customers inside, just rows and rows of white shelves.

Empty white shelves.

Milly walked down aisle after aisle, increasingly confounded by just how vacant the store's stocks were. There was candy, junk food, some cans of dried milk, but not a lot of it. She found the hot hatch where the cooked food was, but found no food of any kind.

Weird.

Milly made a mental note of everything she was seeing. She went back to the junk food aisle and grabbed a couple of cinnamon buns.

"Are you guys out of stock?" Milly asked when she hit the cash register. "The shelves are pretty empty."

The cashier, a teenage girl who couldn't seem to take her eyes off Milly's chest, nodded. "Yeah, a lot of stuff right now," she said. "Our truck didn't come in this morning, so we've pretty much worked through all the backstock."

"Really?" Milly quirked her lips.

There's something here. I'll have to check the stores in Madrid and see if it's the same way.

A queasy feeling hit her belly.

"You alright?" the cashier asked.

"Yeah," Milly said, waving her off. "Yeah, my stomach just acting up."

She paid for the cinnamon buns, at about a third more of the normal price, and returned to Rivalz, who had just finished filling up the car.

"No burgers," she announced, tossing him his bun. "Just empty calories, it looks like."

He glanced down at her chest. "Not that empty," he remarked.

Milly blushed, giggled. She ran a finger over his jaw. "Come on, lover boy."

…..

Paris Internment Camp For Japanese Refugees, Paris, Sovereign Republic of France

"It's good to see you beat the rap, Major," Shinzo Shibata said. He was around twenty-eight, with close-cropped brown hair, and kind green eyes. Just a couple of months ago, he'd been a member of the W-0 unit under Leila's command. He had been one of the group that resigned after Japan's liberation, only to be thrown back into the internment camps when the island nation devolved into civil war.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Leila said, smiling. Her hands were on the wire fence dividing them.

I hate this place.

The internment camp teemed with Japanese refugees dressed in threadbare uniforms provided by the EU government. The camp housing, if such it could be called, was a series of barracks blockhouses stretched to overflow capacity. The ground was wet and muddy, churned up by thousands of rushing feet. Many of the prisoners lined the wire fence, begging for food, begging for medicine, begging to be let out.

"I've submitted request forms to begin the process of repatriating all of you back to your homeland," Leila said. "I would have preferred you remained here, possibly even rejoined the W-0, but with the government's vindictive streak, it was the best I could do."

Shibata waved a hand. "Don't sweat it, Major," he said. "It was my own stupidity that landed me back in here. We'll get out of here, one way or the other."

"I will get you out. I swear it," Leila promised. "There's a big gala I'll be attending tonight with a few of the notable worthies of the Council of 49. I intend to bring a petition directly to them."

"Don't do anything that will get you in trouble," Shibata warned. "I don't know about the others, but I'd never forgive myself if we ended up costing you your career."

"What is my career against the rights of my men?" Leila asked. "My rank means nothing if I leave you all in here."

Shibata stared down at the ground. "Thank you, Major."

Leila beamed at him.

Shibata raised his head, a sly smile on his face. "So, who's the lucky man to be your escort?"

Leila flushed. "Lieutenant Hyuga agreed to do it."

Shibata whistled, causing her blush to deepen. "Look at you, Major, making all the moves."

"I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean," Leila retorted. She rubbed her cheeks, trying to brush away the incandescent bloom. "He's a very good friend."

"I'll bet."

Kill me now, Leila silently begged. Am I really that obvious?

…

"This is absurd!" the Empress declared. "This will not stand! I will not negotiate with rebels and traitors!"

Spacer's war plans outlined deployment points along the eastern and western borders of the Maheraja, within the rebellious country. To that end, negotiations with the Indian government had already been scheduled, with Japanese recognition offered and accepted in exchange for a military alliance.

"There will be no peace with them!" the Tianzi continued irately. "No negotiation! I will never recognize their independence! China is India! India is China! There can be no separation!"

She turned to a serving woman. "Bring him here! Bring me that man! The arrogance! The presumption!"

The woman bowed. "It will be done, Your Majesty."

After she left, the Tianzi turned back to Xingke. "This is insupportable Xingke! I will not stand for it!"

Xingke merely bowed his head.

The Tianzi glared at him. "Speak, Xingke. You clearly have something to say."

Xingke breathed deeply. "Your Majesty, why are we fighting this war?"

She blinked. "'Why?'" she demanded. "'Why?' To restore the Federation, of course! To unite All Under Heaven, as has been the sacred decree for millennia."

"Can we restore it right now?" Xingke asked.

"Do not play games with me, Commander. Say your piece."

"We have too many enemies, Your Majesty," he replied. "The Communists, Nationalists, and Eunuchs to the north. Indochina to the southwest. India on our immediate flank. The only reason we haven't been overrun from the west is that the Indians have been similarly tied up on their own fronts. And, of course, that does not yet include the Holy Empire of Britannia, which even now plans its revenge.

"It will take years to whittle down the other factions, to grind them into the dust, and restore the national integrity of China proper. Everything outside of our historical borders will take decades to reacquire. We don't have that kind of time.

"We need allies, Your Majesty. We are stretched too thin all along our fronts. If we can take one of our enemies off the board and make them fight for us, that alone will count as a great victory."

The Tianzi ground her teeth. "If we recognize Indian independence," she asked, "how long can we put it off for the others? For what cause or purpose should we?"

"Alliances are, and should always be, temporary," he answered. "Today's comrades are tomorrow's adversaries. Once we no longer have need of them, we eliminate them at the earliest opportunity."

The Empress scrunched up her lips. She turned to one of her guards. "Chase her down and order her to return," she commanded. "We will play Zero's game, for now."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"And on his head be the consequences if this is wrought amiss."

…...

Top Secret Warehouse, Zaragosa, Unincorporated Area 24

The warehouse was massive. The ceiling was at least a hundred feet off the ground, while the ground floor plan was roughly the size of a Britannian football field. It needed to be; the concrete floor was lined with hundreds of Knightmare Frames, three times as many mechanics and technicians, and thick cables leading to diagnostic computers on which thousands of lines of code flashed by every second.

Most of the Knightmares were Sutherlands being retrofitted with the new and improved Float Systems, turning what had been highly agile mobile infantry into a far more versatile, airborne killing machine.

Lloyd led Suzaku past all these machines, waving his arm dismissively. "They're just hunks of metal that can fly," he said snootily. "They're agile, certainly, and their evasion rates are very high in the simulators, but so's a V-TOL, and these are supposed to replace those."

Suzaku held back a chuckle at Lloyd's expense. Cecile smiled next to him, shaking her head.

"None of these will revolutionize warfare," Lloyd went on obliviously. "To be frank, they're better off being used as scout ships, or as maintenance platforms. Their designs are, ugh," he shivered, and Suzaku wasn't sure it was fake, "garish. They're simply not built for flight. Not like our dear Conquista!"

A light bounce entered Lloyd's step at the pronouncement. He led them to the back of the hangar, to an area that had been roped off, the only entrance checked by a trio of armored guards. Behind them stood the Lancelot. Except, not.

Though the base of the Knightmare remained the same, what looked to be a large blue wing extended perpendicular to the chassis, the red wings of the Float System hanging underneath.

"It looks the same to me, Lloyd," Suzaku pointed out.

"Only to the untrained eye," Lloyd said with an air of superiority. "The blue module on the back is the Hadron Blaster, a cannon not dissimilar to the Hadron Cannons on the Gawain. All you have to do is hook the VARIS rifle up the mount, and suddenly you're sporting enough firepower to take out a small nation."

Lloyd stepped up to the Conquista, patted the leg. "Additionally, the platform has three new energy shields: one on each leg, and another on its chest. An emitter in the chest piece unites all three energy shields to form a conic barrier when activated. But the best part?" Lloyd grinned at him. "The energy shields in the legs make the Lancelot Conquista's kicks even more powerful!"

Suzaku burst into laughter. "You certainly thought of everything this time around, Lloyd."

"Not everything," Cecile interjected. "The actual best part of the new Lancelot is that it has an ejection seat."

"Oh please," Lloyd said, waving his hand. "A wholly unnecessary addition. Suzaku won't need to eject."

"Well, better to have it and not need it, right?" Suzaku said, smiling at the scientist fondly.

Lloyd sniffed derisively.

"Honestly," Suzaku said, "I'm kind of surprised the Lancelot is in the open like this. I figured you'd have kept it in a top secret location."

"This location is top secret," Cecile said. "But putting your Knightmare with the others was necessary." Cecile gestured to the hundreds of Knightmares they had passed. "These Knightmares are your command, Suzaku."

Suzaku snapped his head to her. "Wait, what?"

"A squadron captain commands somewhere around eight at a minimum, to twenty-four at the most," Cecile explained. "Since this upcoming battle could see you promoted to the rank of Captain, I convinced the brass that it was only appropriate that you be given the tools of one." She smiled at him. "I put in the paperwork to have you breveted to the rank of Captain. All that's required now is success in the upcoming operation."

Suzaku was flummoxed. "Cecile, I..." He bowed deeply to her. "Thank you."

Cecile laughed. "You don't have to thank me, Suzaku. You earned it." She pointed to a pair of Knightmares further down the line. "Those will be the command platforms of your immediate lieutenants. They'll be in tomorrow or the day after."

"What are they?" Suzaku asked as he stood up straight.

"Just a pair of Vincents," Lloyd said. "Nothing special. They're better than Sutherlands, but they're mere imitations of the Lancelot. They only have a third of the Lancelot's maneuverability-"

"Which is still quite a lot," Cecile whispered to Suzaku.

"-and only seventy percent of the power capacity," Lloyd finished. "The very definition of cheap."

"He and I have very different definitions of 'cheap'," Suzaku whispered to Cecile.

Lloyd turned back to Suzaku. He slipped out the USB key to the Lancelot and handed it to him.

"You're going to be in the thick of things, Suzaku," he said somberly. Suzaku started at his unexpectedly solemn tone. "There's no telling how much flak will be in the air. This entire flight could be destroyed. No matter what happens..." He clasped Suzaku on the shoulders, his stare intense. "You must protect the Lancelot!"

Cecile clapped a hand to her forehead. "Honestly," she grumbled.

Suzaku chuckled. "I'll bring it back safe and sound," he promised.

…

Office of the Prime Minister, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire

"You lied to me," were the first words out of Euphemia's mouth. She hadn't intended for them to be, but she was incandescent with rage.

Schneizel blinked. "Euphie, what-"

"He's right on the frontlines!" she accused. "He's in the very thick of it! You told me he would be safe! That he would be far away from anything dangerous! Instead you have him right in the middle of it!"

Schneizel's mien closed off. "Ah. Yes. That," he said awkwardly. "I did actually try to get him out, Euphie, but-"

"But NOTHING!" Euphemia shrieked. "You are the Prime Minister! You are my brother! You are solely in charge! And you stuck him right back in there!"

Schneizel stood. "Euphie, calm down. You don't under-"

"I LOVE HIM!" she shouted. "I HURT HIM BECAUSE I LOVE HIM! AND YOU THREW HIM TO THE WOLVES!"

"He is a wolf, Euphie," Schneizel retorted, his demeanor unflappable. "Do you have any conception of the number of people he's killed?"

"All on your orders!" she shot back. "How many people have you made him murder, brother?"

"As many as necessary to win this war," he replied.

She slapped him across the face. "DAMN THIS WAR!" she shouted. "AND DAMN YOU!"

She ran from his office in tears, Sir Alfred scrambling after her. "Y-Your Highness!" he called out.

She barely heard him.

She had a phone call to make.

I have to end this war! I have to end it, no matter what!

…...

Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Wurttemburg, Federal Republic of Germany

We make a handsome couple, Leila thought happily as she and Akito approached the mansion steps. She wore a white gown that hugged her torso, squeezing her ample breasts so that they almost spilled from the top, and hid her legs beneath a mountain of flowery frills. Her long blonde hair was coiled into a cinnamon bun twist at the back of her head, with twin locks braided with diamond beads that fell down to the middle of her back. Akito was festooned in his normal dress blues, a more dashing figure he could not cut, if Leila was to be the judge.

They were near the front of a long line that extended for near half a mile, surrounded by the glitz and glamour of fashion and entertainment photographers snapping away pictures of the rich and famous. Some of those rich and famous stood off to the side, enjoying martinis and wine as they conversed with one another or gave interviews to some enterprising reporter.

All of them were dwarfed by the storybook castle that arose before them. Burg Hohenzollern was a castle out of a child's fairy tale. It sat atop Mount Hohenzollern, each level of the fortification rising till the throne room was reached. Tall stone towers topped with blue cones punctuated the stone walls that were adorned with flying buttresses and arched windows.

The castle had been the seat of the Hohenzollern Dynasty for nearly a millenium. When the throne was vacated during the Revolution, the Hohenzollerns retained their ownership. It was stripped from their possession when Wilhelm led Central Europe into the conflagration that had been the First German Revolt. Their title to it had been restored only after Wilhelm's son provided material support to the EU during the Second Revolt, when some corporal from Austria attempted to usurp the world.

"You look handsome tonight," she complimented Akito, blushing pink as she said it. She'd been too shy to say anything up to this point, but standing in line like this compelled conversation.

"Thank you," he said. His voice was as tenorless as ever, save for the slight degree of warmth she was always able to somehow sense. His expression hadn't changed, but she knew he was glad to be there with her.

Leila placed a hand to her chest. "What about me?" she asked him half-jokingly.

"You always look beautiful."

Her cheeks burned bright red. She mouthed a thanks and said nothing else.

The next few minutes passed in companionable silence, in her hands the purse that contained her petition. In that time, they arrived at the massive double doors. The smooth, polished oak mutely reflected the light of the torches that burned on either side. Their invitations were checked by a doorman in red livery, and they were allowed entrance.

The great foyer was filled to capacity with people in expensive gowns. Almost everyone was holding an alcohol of some kind, some better than others. A couple came stumbling by Leila and Akito to climb the grand staircase directly in front of them, no doubt searching for more privacy.

Would you do that with me? Leila wondered, glancing at her escort.

It took several minutes to first locate, then arrive at, the grand ballroom. The hallways were wide enough that a group could stand four apart and still have room to maneuver. A red carpet with gold borders ran the length of the hallway's tile floor, covering the grid of alternating black/white squares.

The grand ballroom itself was magnificent. It was twice the size of a gymnasium. Diamond encrusted chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Stone gargoyles pondered atop the support beams, set against pristine white walls. Half a dozen long tables covered in all manner of drinks and snacks sat on either side of the room, leaving ample space for the dancing circle in the center.

Music played from a white-collar band somewhere Leila couldn't see. Through the thick crowd, she spied dancers spinning, stepping, whirling around one another. Their numbers were exchanged periodically as people came and went off the dance floor. The room was loud with conversation.

A server stopped in front of Leila, a tray of wine glasses balanced in his hands. "Refreshment, Miss?"

"Yes, thank you," Leila accepted. She grabbed a glass of red wine. "You, Akito?"

"No, thanks."

Leila gave the server a dismissing smile. He returned it, gave her a quick bow, and left.

Leila took a sip of her drink. She licked her lips. The wine had been watered down, but there was still a sharp edge to it. She took little sips of it as she and Akito negotiated their way through the crowd.

"Have you seen him yet?" Akito asked her.

She shook her head. "No," she answered. "I know I saw that Minister Laurent was going to be here. I hope he didn't have to change his schedule."

Joseph Laurent was a member of the Council of Forty, and oversaw the Refugee Affairs Committee. By his pen stroke, the fates of whole internment camps were decided. If she could just speak with him, she was certain she could convince him to release her comrades.

"Leila Malcal!"

She turned to the sound of the voice, and smiled. "Professor Hans!" she said happily.

"Leila, my dear! So good to see you!" A bald man wearing thick glasses with a thick gray mustache shook her hand happily. He looked to Akito cheerfully. "And who might this young man be?"

"Second Lieutenant Akito Hyuga," Akito said.

Leila rolled her eyes. "This is Akito," she said, patting his arm. "My friend and escort for tonight's proceedings. Akito," she gestured to the Professor, "this is Professor Hans Steiner. He teaches History at the University of Paris."

"History and Archaeology!" the man reminded her playfully. He shook Akito's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, young Akito."

"Likewise," Akito replied. His demeanor was as placid as ever, but Leila detected a hint of warmth from him.

"It's a tragedy that Europe has been compelled to conscript refugees for what should be our struggle," Steiner declared. "Evolution shouldn't come at the price of being able to protect ourselves."

"Evolution?" Akito asked.

"Professor," Leila interjected, "perhaps this isn't-"

Steiner waved his hand. "Now now, Leila, you understand my views," he dismissed. "Europe is the preeminent civilization of the world. The apex, if you will," he chortled to Akito knowingly. "The barbarism of the Empire should not have to be matched by the survivors of the lesser kingdoms."

"Professor!" Leila admonished.

Steiner chuckled. "It seems I've upset young Leila," he said. He leaned toward Akito, as if to share some great secret. "She's always been rather more liberal than I."

"I've noticed," Akito said quietly. The professor couldn't recognize it, but the warmth had left his eyes.

"Professor Steiner," Leila broke in again, "I heard you've been working on securing some of the ruins in Central Europe?"

Mercifully, Steiner took the hint. "Oh, yes!" he affirmed happily. He turned to Akito. "You're probably not aware of this, but there are a series of exotic ruins throughout Central Europe, primarily in Germany's eastern provinces." He took a sip from a wine glass. "Absolutely marvelous constructions. Great stone temples whose subterranean cavities dwarf even the halls of the Hagia Sophia. I've postulated that they are religious in nature, though not in a way that is native to the area."

"So nothing similar to the Germanic gods like Odin or Loki?" Akito asked.

Steiner blinked, gave a huge grin. "You know your mythology!"

"There was little else to do but read in the refugee centers," Akito said, shrugging.

Steiner placed a hand on his arm. "You shall have to attend one of my seminars on the subject!" he said. He let go of Akito, began bouncing on the balls of his feet. "There was some concern that the ruins might be harmed in the event of continued war with those savages, but the General Secretary has worked out an agreement with the Empire's Prime Minister to protect the sites."

"With fortifications?" Leila asked.

"No, no," the professor denied, waving his hand. "They're to be declared neutral zones. University staffs are to be the only ones allowed."

"You really think the Britannians will abide by the agreement?" Akito asked.

Steiner shrugged. "They have no reason not to," he pointed out. "Even those brutes understand how prestigious the possession of the ruins are. They won't do anything to destroy a landmark of Europe's heritage, not when they wish to steal if for themselves."

Leila curled her arm around Akito's. "Lieutenant," she said, "fascinating as this conversation has been, I have been itching to get onto the dance floor." She bowed her head to Steiner. "Professor."

Steiner gave her a gentlemanly bow. "Of course." He shook Akito's hand again. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Lieutenant."

"You as well."

Steiner disappeared into the crowd.

Leila smiled up at Akito. "Sorry," she said. "For what he said."

"It doesn't bother me."

Leila knew that to be a lie, but she didn't call him on it. She glanced over at the dance floor. "I hope you know how to waltz."

…

Imperial Gardens, The Winter Palace, Shanghai, Chinese Federation

Lelouch held a finger up to the purple flower petals. With the onset of Spring, the garden had bloomed to life, bringing with it purple orchids, pinkish peonies, white magnolias, and many other types and colors. The moonlight cast the whole of the garden in an ethereal glow, granting it an otherworldly appearance that seemed almost dreamlike. A sense of peace descended on Lelouch as he walked the length and breadth of the entire garden, relieving him of a sense of tension that he wasn't even aware he had.

He found green dahlias on a perch above his head, just out of reach. A shame; he would have liked to have plucked one, felt its texture and soft petals. He would have to settle for the slightly bitter scent that wafted down to him on the spring air.

He shifted away from them, paced down the garden walls till he reached a shallow, rectangular pool. Pink-white lotus blossoms floated on the water this way and that. He lifted one out of the pool, caressed the petals, cradled it in his hand like a newborn babe. He placed it back on the water, waves rippling out around it.

"You seem to take pleasure in playing with things that aren't yours."

Lelouch glanced up. "I see I'm not the only one who enjoys a late night stroll," he commented to Xingke.

The man had swapped out his usual tunic and pants for a cotton shift that flowed to his knees, but his usual stern expression was fixed in place. He held his sheathed sword in his left hand. They were separated from each other by the pool, but Lelouch had no doubt that Xingke could clear it in a single leap if necessary.

"Ever the warrior, Commander Xingke?" Lelouch asked, pointing to the weapon in question.

"I have found snakes in these gardens before," Xingke replied. "Many times, in fact. Exterminating such dangerous pests has always been my duty as Her Majesty's servant."

"And do you think there are snakes in the garden tonight?"

"Possibly," Xingke said. "You must know that protecting her is my solemn duty."

Lelouch tilted his head. "It's good that Her Majesty has such a loyal servant," he said favorably. "Would that she'd had such people around her all the time. She might yet still have an Empire."

The scabbard creaked as Xingke clenched his fist. "Do not count her out just yet, Zero."

Lelouch cocked an eyebrow. "I see the Spacer identity has not fooled you."

"You show up here with the Gawain, Zero's mistress, and Sumeragi fawns over you. Did you think us so foolish we wouldn't comprehend?"

Lelouch shrugged, uncaring.

"Why the Spacer persona?"

"I like to play dress up. Didn't you know?"

The blade cracked out of the sheath, a deadly gleam in the moonlight. "Careful how you play, Zero," Xingke warned, his voice deadly quiet.

"If you slew the man Kaguya Sumeragi loves, the Tianzi would never forgive you," Lelouch retorted. "You would never hold a position of trust with her again. And where would China be, then?"

Xingke said nothing.

Lelouch bowed. "It was a pleasure speaking to you tonight, Commander," he said, "but I have some sleep to catch up on. Good night."

He turned his back on him, his hips tilted in the same cocky swagger he wore as Zero.

As he walked away, one thought solidified.

I'm going to kill that man.

Or he's going to kill me.

…

Ball Room, Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Wurttemburg, Federal Republic of Germany

If one could be tortured by mere proximity, then Leila was experiencing a war crime. Her back burned where Akito's hand clasped it, even through the fabric of her gown. When he tipped her backward, the flat of her belly would brush against him, sending butterflies whirling inside. They were close enough that every breath he released, she took in. Perspiration stood out on her skin. Her cheeks were on fire.

"You never told me you could waltz," she whispered as they spun around.

"Your friend Anne gave me a few pointers," he responded. "I'm only barely keeping up."

If he was she didn't notice. Although, she didn't think she could notice much of anything right now. "I think you're brilliant."

"Thanks. Good to know I didn't waste Anne's time."

Leila would have said something else, but an arrogant voice cut through her happy haze.

"How disgusting."

Leila came to an abrupt stop, her head jerking to the sound of her brother's voice.

Ioan Malcal was a classically handsome man. His light brown hair fell down to his shoulders, and his green eyes were alight with a kindness that he seemed incapable of expressing. The earring studs he wore matched perfectly with his blue dress suit.

A pair of busty blondes hung off each of his arms, their smiles belying the cruel contempt they directed Leila and Akito's way.

"It's already humiliating to have someone with your tainted blood in our family," Ioan continued, smirking cruelly, "but that you should further shame our family by bringing one of his kind?" He clicked his tongue. "Despicable."

Leila took a step back. "Brother..." she said tremulously.

"I just don't know how you can do it," Ioan remarked. She could smell the alcohol on him. "Already you corrupt our great military with your Britannian blood. If you had any shame, you would resign your commission and live a life of penitence."

"I..." Leila swallowed the lump in her throat. "I am just as French as you are, brother!" she retorted.

"Adoptive brother, Leila," he reminded her pointedly. "Unhappily adoptive. I don't know what father was thinking. Bringing you into our family, instructing you in etiquette, even betrothing you to me to seal the union." He shook his head with a faux sadness that made Leila sick. "I appreciate the value of training dogs, but there must be some limit to even a father's favorite pet."

Akito grabbed a glass of wine from a passing tray, and tossed the contents onto Ioan's white blouse. Ioan cried out, startled. His pristine blouse was now stained red all over his torso. The women on either of his arms gasped.

"You bastard!" Ioan hurled at him, grabbing the front of his blouse, holding it up to his eye. "You filthy Eleven! Do you have any idea how much this cost?"

"Brother!" Leila cried out, her eyes wet. "Isn't that enough?"

He pointed his finger at her angrily. "I wasn't speaking to-"

Akito seized him by the wrist. Ioan's face went pale at his grip.

"Leave," Akito said in a low rumble. "Now."

Ioan grimaced, his calm expression replaced with pain. "You-You can't-"

Akito wrenched him closer, his demeanor placid. Leila could hear the bones in her brother's arm popping. "Now."

After a moment, Ioan finally nodded fearfully. Akito released him.

The two women tried to help him, but Ioan shouted, "I don't need your help!" He sulked away, disappearing into the murmuring crowd.

A minute later, the music started back up. Akito approached her, holding out his hand. "Would you like to continue?" he asked.

Leila glanced around at the surrounding attendees. Not a one of them had spoken up in her defense.

"No," she shook her head, suddenly exhausted. "No, just...let's just find Minister Laurent. I'm sick of this place."

…

Viceroy's Palace, Cairo, Area Eighteen

Sir Claudio Darlton had been to Cairo a total of three times in the last eighteen months. The first had been when he'd led the Glastons under Princess Cornelia in the final weeks of the North African Campaign. The second and third times he and his brothers had been summoned in anticipation of a general insurrection that never materialized.

This visit was no different. Claudio sat three seats down from Princess Marrybel in a private conference room in the Viceroy's Palace at a long oak table piled high with official documents, notes, and dozens of used styrofoam coffee cups and empty soda cans. He had been assigned to the Glinda Knights in the aftermath of Area Elevens fall. With two Glastons dead, Alfred acting as Euphemia's Knight, and Edgar serving in South America under the command of Dame Kruczweski, the Glastons had been effectively disbanded.

Just across from the Princess sat her uncle, Oiagros Zevon, the Head of Dame Oldrin's own House Zevon, acting Viceroy of Area Ten. The previous Viceroy had been killed by a car bomb just a week ago.

How much power Lord Zevon would have was questionable, however, given that the Military Governor of Area Eighteen was Lord Luciano Bradley, the Vampire of Britannia. A tall blonde man with orange highlights in his hair, the man's insanity was certifiable. He was the most mercurial of the Rounds, ranging from sickeningly pleasant to gleefully murderous. His Valkyrie Squadron, a group of female Knights that were more window dressing than bodyguard, changed its makeup at a higher rate than the top three squadrons in the Imperial Order combined.

Bradley stood at the front of the room, a clicker for the projection screen beside him in hand.

"The Viceory's death was an unfortunate event," he said silkily. "He may have been the size of a planet, but it has revealed an astonishing failure in our internal security measures. That a terrorist was able to infiltrate the personnel of the Palace is shameful. We have increased the standards by which we select the people who work here, and all of the native employees have, of course, been fired."

"From what, a cannon?" Steiner, a fellow Glinda with long blonde hair, mumbled a little too loud.

"Steiner!" Princess Marybell said. She bowed her head to Bradly. "Please forgive my subordinate's lack of manners, Sir Bradley."

"Why? He's absolutely right." Bradley grinned, cruel and merciless. "After they were all hung for treason, we painted their blood on our bullets and rockets." He laughed, a shrill thing that sent tremors down Claudio's spine. "They're certainly loyal now!"

The Princess visibly swallowed. "I..I see."

"They weren't the last, of course." Bradley tapped a button on the clicker. "Justice was meted out to the Fourth Jurisdiction, from which the parts for the bomb originated." An image of a mass grave was depicted on the screen. Blood spattered the ground and hole within. Eyes, too many eyes, stared at them.

"We also brought Imperial justice to Tanta-"

He hit the button again, showing a massive pile of corpses. On top of them sat several African soldiers, likely from the Sudan given their coloring, flashing V for Victory at the camera.

"-and Mansoura."

Corpses hung from telephone poles. How many could not be said. A sign in the background said, 'Mansoura, Population:', and the number had been scratched out and replaced with a zero. Men, women, and children hung from what looked like girder wire.

I'm going to be sick.

Everyone around Claudio was restless. Dame Oldrin had long since looked away, but Princess Marrybel stared, her complexion pale as she burned the image into her mind.

Bradley smirked at them.

This scum is enjoying it!

Lord Oiagros appeared to recognize that, too. He coughed. "I think that is quite enough, Sir Bradley."

Bradley pouted. "But we were just about to get to the good stuff!"

If this nutter hadn't been a Rounds, Claudio would have blown his head off there and then.

"Now," Lord Oiagros repeated, looking angry for the first time.

"All work and no play," Bradley groused, but his tone indicated he wasn't serious. "Based on materials examined from the remains of the explosive device, we've been able to determine three possible locations from which it originated."

He started hitting the clicker, rapidly enough to get them to the appropriate slide faster, but just slow enough that they could make out each one.

Bodies, Claudio thought with horror. So many bodies.

Each photo captured an atrocity, some in the making, most already performed. Rows of people lined up before firing squads; piles of corpses being thrown into mass graves; children screaming over the bodies of their parents, or the parents over the bodies of their children.

Claudio barely kept his lunch down.

"This is...an abomination!" Steiner whispered just loud enough for Claudio to hear. He could only nod, not trusting himself to speak.

"Ah! Here we are!" the Vampire declared. He settled on a map of Egypt, with three positions encircled in red near the far southern end of the Nile. "Based on trace amounts of evidence, we've determined three possible points of origin for the device used: Beni Suef, Samalut, and Minya."

Princess Marrybel leaned forward. "Those locations are all along the Nile," she pointed out.

Lord Oiagros laughed. "In fairness, Princess, near everything is along the Nile."

She smiled sheepishly. "Yes, of course, My Lord. But my point was that it's possible Peace Mark may be preparing to strike the fertile breadbasket of Egypt. Certainly the majority of our Mediterranean operations depend on foodstuffs from the Nile Crescent."

Lord Oiagros nodded. "I agree. That means we'll have to strike hard and fast if we're to deprive them of their prize."

"We'll plan for a simultaneous attack at all three locations," the Princess announced. "Hitting them one at a time might give them the opportunity to run. Let's get started."

…

Zahir's Tower

"I would very much like to assist you in this attack," Sir Bradley could be heard to say.

"Thank you, Sir Bradley," the Princess responded, not sounding grateful at all, "but you have...done enough as is. On behalf of His Majesty, I thank you."

"Interesting verbiage," Lyre commented.

He was a handsome youth, with blonde hair and sun kissed skin, a mole perched just under his left eye. A red bandanna was wrapped around his head, and he wore a mixture of white and blue robes that hid the machine pistol he kept on his person.

Lyre sat on a rooftop several rows down, he and his listening equipment hidden inside the roof's supply store. He had been working at the building for a month now as part of his cover as a custodian. Once it became clear the meeting was at an end, Lyre packed up his listening equipment. He would lug it downstairs tomorrow morning with the rest of his scant luggage.

He had a feeling he was about to switch locations.

Ninety minutes later, he punched his time card to head home. Outside was a cheap car bought for a few thousand pounds, the engine rickety but solid. He drove to the warehouse district, a trip that took him past dozens of tent cities and thousands of starving and bandaged lepers. Egypt had been a poor country before the war, and its situation had only worsened since the beginning of the Occupation.

He parked outside of one of the warehouses on Industrial Row, climbed out and walked inside. The warehouse was filled with used cars, toilets, bathtubs, and all manner of other consumer commodities that the warehouse shipped to stores throughout the Fertile Crescent. The business was completely legitimate, allowing them to move freely in the background without having to worry about any criminal investigations.

Lyre came to a stop in a maze of container stacks. "It's done," he announced to the silence. "The Glinda's are preparing to strike at Samalut, Beni Suef, and Minya."

"We are only in Minya," a ghostly voice echoed back from somewhere in the maze.

"How do you wish to proceed?" Lyre asked.

There was silence for a moment. "Let them have Minya. They'll need a win here, otherwise they may choose to stick around. We don't need the Princess to discover what we're really up to in Egypt before we're ready. I'll have evidence planted that will lead them elsewhere."

"What are my orders?"

"Put in your week's notice, then prepare to meet with Shesthaal to confirm the terms of the contract."

Lyre bowed his head. "It will be done," he said to Wizard, the leader of Peace Mark.

…

German Countryside, Federal Republic of Germany

Minister Laurent hadn't been at the gala; evidently, his wife had taken ill an hour beforehand and he had stayed behind to take care of her. With none of the other Ministers in attendance, and beneath the stiflingly sympathetic gazes of those around her, Leila had decided it was time to go home.

The Malcal family had an extensive estate in Hausen Am Tann. The country chateau sat at the crest of a hill overlooking one of the area's many valleys, affording a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. When Leila had been a girl, her father brought her and her brothers here every holiday. They were all accomplished equestrians.

"I remember racing my brothers across these fields," Leila murmured to Akito. They sat across from each other in a limousine. The seats were comfy black leather. "Stephane always won, he's the best of us all, but Ioan used to slow himself down just so I wouldn't be last."

"What changed?" Akito asked.

"I think it was the day our engagement was announced," Leila said. "Father's way of fully bringing me into the fold, and to latch on to my biological father's remaining power base."

She placed her hand on sill of the limousine as it rolled up the long, winding road that led to the driveway.

"I told Ioan at the time that we didn't have to go through with it," she continued. "That we could call off the engagement when father wasn't around to force the issue."

"What did he say to that?"

Leila sniffed. "That I had dishonored the family, dishonored father. That I was ungrateful." She shook her head. "I wonder if that was when he first started to call me 'dog.' Or, maybe, he'd always thought that, and my foolish words just compelled him to speak the truth."

"You're not a dog."

Leila smiled at him. "I know. It's stupid. I've had a few years to get used to his insults." She reached across the empty expanse of the limousine to take his hand. "Thank you, for sticking up for me."

He returned the pressure. "I'll always protect you," he promised.

Leila flushed. She smiled, looked out the window to hide her blushing face.

They passed through a set of cast iron gates that opened automatically as they approached. The car rolled around a massive statue in the middle of the courtyard depicting a Revolutionary Era cavalry man, rearing back with saber raised. The walkway to the front door was stone, the lights flicked on.

Leila had called ahead to let the staff know they wouldn't be needed tonight. She intended to go straight inside, change clothes, and not think about what had happened with her brother.

They stepped out of the limo, Leila thanking the driver and telling him to go ahead and turn in. As the car rolled away, Akito slipped his arm in hers, and escorted her to the door.

"Thank you," she said once they reached the door. "I had a fun time tonight, Ioan notwithstanding." She turned to face him. "I hope we can-Oh!"

Akito leaned down, pulled her to him, and captured her lips. Leila's eyes fluttered shut, her arms sliding around his neck. When he pulled away from her, she was breathless, her heart hammering in her heaving bosom.

"Would, um..." Her face burned. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

Leila led him into her home.

…

Dining Room, Kozuki Household, Taito City, Tokyo Metropolitan Area, United States of Japan

"The rice cakes were delicious, Mrs. Kozuki," Ohgi said.

"Hell yeah, shit's- OW!"

"Tamaki, you know there's no swearing in this house!" Kallen reprimanded him, her fist still grinding into his head.

"Jeez, Kally! No need to beat my brains in!"

Sugiyama laughed. "Like you have any brains up there!"

"What was that!" Tamaki shouted standing up, fist raised.

Sugiyama rose with him. "I said you crapped your IQ into the toilet!" His own fist was raised, snarl matching Tamaki's.

Kallen's mother slapped the both of them on the shoulder, clamping on and squeezing painfully till both men were crying pitifully. "If there's to be any fighting, it will be done outside," she declared. She gave them both an intimidating glare. "And remember, boys, no matter who wins, I'll be waiting for both of you."

Both men quailed. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" they said together.

They all sat around the Kozuki family table, their Black Knight uniforms undone and haphazard, their coats hanging on the rack in the hall. Beer bottles, and, in Kallen's case, a cream soda, sat next to glasses at varying states of capacity. Plates were scattered across the table.

Ohgi went to pick his up to take to the kitchen, but Mrs. Kozuki slapped his hand. "Ah, ah, Kaname!" she said kindly. "You're a guest in this house. The guests don't do the cleaning."

"But, Mrs. Kozuki," Ohgi started, but her sweet smile cut him off, and he could only scratch the back of his head with a rueful smile of his own.

"When will that sweet Villetta girl come by?" she asked him as she removed the dishes from the table.

Ohgi blushed. "Hopefully within the next couple of weeks," he answered. "Colonel Spacer is supposed to be making his first scheduled report from China. I hope to make the request then."

"Well, hurry up about it. I'm anxious to meet her," Mrs. Kozuki told him. She gestured to her daughter. "Kallen, honey, would you help me with the dishes?"

Kallen set down the remainder of the rice cake she had been eating. "Sure thing!" she said, trailing after her into the kitchen.

"Dude, you really think Zero's gonna for it?" Tamaki asked as he relaxed back in his chair, a toothpick between his lips.

"I should think so," Ohgi replied. "The war in Japan is over."

"But not the war with Britannia," Minami said. "We're still at war with them, Ohgi. And probably will be for a while."

"But do we have to be?" Ohgi asked. "What exactly requires us to continue this war?"

"Uh, the fact that they wanna kick our shit in?" Tamaki said.

"Ohgi, we gave them a real good bloody nose," Yoshida said. "There's no way those proud bastards are just going to take it lying down."

"And when they come back, we're screwed," Sugiyama lamented. "Getting the factories to keep running is such a nightmare. We still haven't gotten those two reactors the Rebs took out back online. We need more Sakuradite."

"Have you seen those guys up at Fuji?" Yoshida asked. "Their nails are totally gone. Ripped right off from all the digging. They're covered in blisters, sores. Jesus, some of them look like skeletons. It's just-" he shivered, raised his hands. "It's messed up man, that's all I'm saying."

"There's barely anything being salvaged from Reb territory," Minami added. "No ammo, no fuel, nothing. Some MRE's, but most of them are spoiled."

"And Urabe is cooking off a lot of what's left just sitting outside Sendai," Inoue said. She rubbed her temples. "Christ, what the Hell did we even win?" she wondered aloud.

"Our freedom!" Tamaki rebuked her. "Have you guys forgotten? We're free now! Sure, we gotta rebuild an' shit, but that's a Hell of a lot better than we were before! And Britannia!" He punched the palm of his hand. "Zero'll kick their asses just like last time! He ain't let us down yet!"

"Tamaki," Ohgi said, rubbing his brow tiredly, "does it sound for even a second like we're in any condition to fight a war?"

Tamaki crossed his arms. "So long as we got Zero, we can do whatever, man! That kid works all kinds a' crazy miracles." He pointed a thumb to himself. "I'm with my best bud to the end! If he says we can take 'em, we can take 'em!"

There was something refreshing to Ohgi about Tamaki's optimism. "You're probably right," he said with a smile. "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here. It's just..." He sighed. "I just don't want the work he's done for us to be for nothing."

Kallen reentered the room, an apron on, her red hair tied behind her head. "You guys done with your glasses?" she asked.

Tamaki raised his. "Kally, keep the booze comin'!" he said.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Like I'm letting you get wasted in here. You're not puking on Mom's carpet again!"

"That was like one time!"

"It was one too many!" she shot back, raising her fist to threaten him with.

"Kallen!" Ohgi said with a laugh, placating her with his raised hands. He smiled. "I heard you and our miracle worker went on a date right before he set off. How'd it go?"

Kallen blushed to her roots. "Well," she said excitedly, "uh, we, that is, we- We did absolutely nothing."

They all started at the sudden monotone she spoke in. Her face had gone entirely placid, her body stiff as a board.

"Kallen?" Sugiyama said. "Kallen, you OK?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she said in that same voice. "I have to help Mom finish with the dishes."

She left without taking anything from the dining room.

Minami gaped after her. "What-What was..."

"Holy Christ..." Yoshdia whispered.

Ohgi, shaken, looked at him. "What?" he asked nervously.

"Her eyes, Ohgi," Yoshida said, turning back to him fearfully. "Her eyes. They're all red and hazy, like...just like..."

Inoue breathed, "Victims of geass."

Sugiyama's jaw dropped. "Oh, no."

Ohgi's teeth chattered in his mouth. What have you done? "That...That bastard.." he whispered, horror mixing with fury. "He used it on Kallen."