I do not own Code Geass.
…
Convent of the Salesas Reales, Madrid, Unincorporated Area 24, January, 2018
"How long have you been standing there?" Jeremiah demanded, agitated.
"The whole time," the redhead replied, his smirk turning into a feral grin. "Shin told me to keep an eye on you. For some reason, he just doesn't quite trust you."
"The feeling's mutual," Jeremiah ground out between clenched teeth.
Ashley chuckled. "You know," he said conversationally, "Shin's not gonna be happy, hearin' this. Might even terminate our agreement." He stared cruelly at Jeremiah. "Might even tell ya ta 'Take a trip.'" He guffawed at his own joke.
Jeremiah considered killing the man then and there. "What do you want?" he asked, hiding his unease behind a wall of pure anger.
To his surprise, the knight flushed. "Uh, you're niece," he began uncertainly. "Joanna, right?"
Jeremiah cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, what about her?"
Ashley coughed into his fist. "I'd like to...call on her."
Suddenly, dealing with Shaing seemed much less dangerous. "Call on her?" Jeremiah repeated.
"Shit, I'm not good at this- Ask her out!" Ashley nearly shouted.
Jeremiah would sooner take his chances with a shark. "Out to what?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"A date, obviously! She's gorgeous!" The young man's face matched his hair. "Her black hair matches perfectly with her violet eyes. And she has this almost, dammit, I don't know, this regal beauty, maybe?" He searched for the right words. "To Hell with it, she's beautiful, alright!"
"She's waifishly thin and can't walk."
"That just means I can sweep her off her feet by default!" Ashley retorted. "And her being skinny just means we'll have a lot of cheap dates!" He mussed his own hair. "Dammit all, would you rather I just go tell Shin?"
Jeremiah would rather bathe in lava. He pinched the bridge of his nose, scrunching his eyes against a headache. "You will be chaperoned at all times," he surrendered. "Our maid, Sayoko, will have final say wherever you go. And, of course," he glared at Ashley, "Joanna will have to say yes."
"Duh!" Ashley said dismissively, waving his hand. "I'm not gonna force her!"
"And you can't tell Shin if she rejects you," Jeremiah conditioned. "On your honor."
"Right, right."
Jeremiah shook his head. "No," he said. He pointed to the altar. "Swear there, before Almighty God."
Ashley blinked, surprised. "Didn't take you for a man of faith," he remarked.
Nevertheless, he strode past Jeremiah, drew his sword, and knelt before the altar. He raised his sword in both hands, offering it to the cross upon which their Savior hung.
"I, Sir Ashely Ashra, do hereby pledge that I shall not divulge what has been said here," he intoned. "Let it remain here, witnessed only by Almighty God. And may I be accursed among men should I ever break faith with this sacred oath. Amen."
"Amen," Jeremiah whispered. "Be on your best behavior."
And may His Highness not flay me alive.
…
Secret Knightmare Development Station, New Delhi, Republic of India
The secret facility in which the Guren and Shen-Hu were constructed were underground facilities, built out of an abandoned subway system taken offline in favor of the newer rail line that ran around it. Construction equipment had been hauled in to widen the area to give the scientists more room for their testing, and the rail line was kept intact so that the Knightmares could be rolled out of it with ease. Computer banks and servers were scattered aroudn the area, and a large Sakuradite tank was stationed nearby for refueling.
In the main chamber of this facility stood the Shen-Hu itself, in all its glory.
Lelouch gazed upon the Knightmare.
Shen-Hu, he thought. The reason I came here in the first place.
Dim fluorescent light gleamed off the gold mask that was Rakshata Chawla's magnum opus. A Knightmare so powerful, so physically demanding, that it had been left in storage when the Indians sent the Guren to the JLF. Only one man had been able to get it to work.
But should I give it to him?
Lelouch and Xingke were on a collision course. He didn't doubt for a second that the man would turn on him at the slightest provocation; perhaps, even, at no provocation at all. Using this was, by its very nature, a two-edged sword.
Without it, there's a good chance we get bogged down during our offensive. That could spell disaster.
The Wars of the Orient needed to be concluded as speedily as possible. Could he risk damaging his campaign simply because he distrusted Xingke?
"So this is your newest toy?" C-Two asked him. "How...colorful." She curled her arm around his, pressing herself against him so that he got a full, heady wisp of her scent. "'Tis certainly eye-catching."
"It's not meant to be pretty," Lelouch said, stifling his hormones.
"Who will be flying it? You?"
Lelouch shook his head. "I'm an average pilot at best, and that's on the ground. This weapon is intended for Xingke." He cupped his chin. "I'm just debating whether I should give it to him."
"Oh yes, he is the man that betrayed you, after all." She chuckled. "One of them, anyway. Will he be able to fly it?"
"He's the only man who can. The Shen-Hu is too demanding on anyone else."
It was too demanding on Xingke, as well. Lelouch was half convinced that flying the thing had killed Xingke even earlier in the prior timeline.
C-Two blew on Lelouch's neck. "Then perhaps you need to have an insurance policy against him. I am certain there is a way of ensuring he remains loyal."
"I'm not geassing him," Lelouch said. We're way too close to the time period when the Canceler was developed. I am not opening myself up to that.
C-Two laughed. "Silly boy!" she said. She twisted around his front, twined her arms around his neck, and smiled up at him. "Who said anything about geassing him?"
Lelouch looked from her to the Knightmare, an idea already forming.
He turned to one of the machine's developers, a dark-skinned man around Rakshata's age. "Prepare this machine for delivery to the Federation," he said. "We'll transmit this gift to the Tianzi, with my compliments."
The scientist bowed. "At once, My Lord."
"But first," Lelouch said, turning back to the lime-haired woman in his arms, "we're going to do a little bit of...tinkering."
…...
Auditorium, li Britannia Estate, Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia
Euphemia breathed in and out, in and out. She smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her dark gown, shuffled the papers in her hands. It was her speech, the speech she had initially intended to give to the House of Lords, heavily modified now, before Ruben had talked her out of it.
"Start small," he had advised. "Speaking before an audience is intimidating. Ease into the hot water so it doesn't burn you."
The man in question was on the stage behind a lectern, preparing the way for her. The crowd she was speaking to was a gathering of some of the noblemen who had signed the initial letter that dragged her into this. There were twenty in all, dressed in a variety of different colors, though they were almost uniformly older; many had graying hair, some none at all.
These were the grandparents of the youths who were doing the dying all across the world.
Like you, she thought. Green eyes sparkled in the dark blue drapes before her. Stay safe, just a little longer. Let the war be postponed just a little longer. If I can just…
"Now, ladies and gentlemen," Ruben finished up top, "it is my distinct honor to introduce to you Her Imperial Highness, Princess Euphemia li Britannia."
Euphemia stumbled over the hem of her dress as she climbed the steps, but thankfully no one saw. She took Ruben's hand as he helped her onto the stage, gave a small wave to the polite applause she received from the assembled worthies. With a shaking breath, she stepped behind the lectern.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, too loud, if the sudden loud screech in her ear from the sound system was any indication. She winced at the flinches she could see in the audience. "Sorry," she mumbled. She coughed. "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for being here today," she tried again, quieter.
There were a couple of coughs in the audience.
"I would also like to think Sir Ashford for inviting you all here," she said, turning to him, "and for agreeing to host this first gathering in my home." She clapped for him and, after a beat, the crowd followed.
She returned to her prepared speech. "I know-We know," she corrected herself on the fly, "why we are here…" She looked up, stared.
They stared back.
Her heart hammered in her head.
"We…"
There were so many of them.
She shot her eyes back down, bored them into the lectern. "We are here because, because we've all lost someone," she said, gripping the lectern so hard her knuckles turned white. "Friends, loved ones, family, love-"
She stopped herself. Her chest hurt too much. She pressed her lips together.
"This war has touched the life of every Britannian," she said in a rush. "Be they the meanest commoner, or even…" she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Even a Princess."
Guilford.
Darlton.
Cornelia.
Suzaku.
"A war in which there is no end in sight," she said. "Even should our heroic soldiers finish the conquest of Europe, there will still be Japan to deal with. We will still have to fight Zero one last time."
She bit her lip, briefly, refusing to raise her eyes lest she be unable to continue.
"How many more must be maimed in this war," she asked, "be it physical or emotional? How many more must die? How many more sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, must perish in the fire of this tragedy?"
She took a deep breath. "I ask that you all join me-us," she nodded to Ruben, "in bringing this war to a swift conclusion. Thank you."
She left the stage to polite applause.
That wasn't even half of it!
She hadn't even said the name of their group: the Cornelia li Britannia Peace Conference.
Euphemia cursed herself. Coward! Coward coward coward!
…
Imperial Air Base 632, Outside of Zaragosa, Unincorporated Area 24
"Tighten up on the left, J-Three," Suzaku called out. "You're falling out of formation."
"Copy, L-Leader," the pilot replied. The digital Sutherland wobbled back into formation, where it continued to tremble in the wind.
"That's good," Suzaku encouraged him. "You're doing well. Just hold at that altitude. Continue to compensate."
"Copy."
Suzaku looked down at his digital map. Aside from J-Three, J-Six and J-Four were periodically moving left and right within the formation. Suzaku's own L-Flight was having similar difficulty, but they'd managed to maintain a tight grouping despite that. That made sense; his own wing had gotten the most attention from him, given they were going to be his immediate wingmen. They needed to be as trained as possible, because he was going to be in the thickest of the fighting.
Unfortunately, some of the other flights seemed to be suffering for it.
Suzaku sighed. Why couldn't they give me a smaller command?
There were just too many ships, too many pilots that needed specialized training.
"We don't have much time to train," he had said. Twenty-four men stood at parade rest, their eyes facing resolutely forward. If they had a problem taking orders from an Eleven, they didn't show it. "What we lack in expertise, we will make up for with numbers. I'll teach you what I can, and I'll entrust you to spread that to your comrades."
Not exactly Shakespeare, but it got the job done. He had thought that, at least, until one of them hocked a loogie onto the ground. Suzaku had ground his teeth, but said nothing.
"L-Leader," Sir Offen said, "detecting bogies incoming at 2'O clock."
"Copy." Suzaku checked his own instruments. He checked the projected flight path against his own. "We'll make contact in ninety seconds. Assume attack formation."
A string of "Copy"'s replied over his computer.
Within thirty seconds, he had visual confirmation. A squadron of Sutherlands flew up against them in about as tight a formation as he had. It was Green and Blue Squadrons.
"Knight Leader," Suzaku ordered Sir Offen, "come up on my nine. Aegis Leader," he directed at Sir Hecksen, "on my three. We're going for envelopment."
"Copy," Sir Offen replied.
Sir Hecksen made no response. Suzaku checked his digital map. Aegis Squadron was starting to pull out ahead of the formation.
"Aegis Leader," Suzaku called out, "slow down and fall back into formation on my three."
Aegis Squadron accelerated, adopting a crude chevron.
"Aegis Leader, I am ordering you, pull back into formation!" Suzaku demanded.
The two enemy squadrons shifted their approach, adopting a crescent formation that neatly wrapped around Hecksen's flight. In rapid succession, each unit switched to 'LOST' and dropped out of the fight.
Suzaku gnashed his teeth. "Okay, full throttle," he ordered. "We've got some idiots to avenge."
"Copy, L-Leader."
Sir Offen sounded amused, but Suzaku paid it no mind. The rest of the wargame went about as well as could be expected. With Sir Hecksen's squadron taken out so early, the enemy squadrons outnumbered them two to one. They came in from above and below, their own movements as janky as Suzaku's, but coordinated much better.
They must have been serving together for a while, Suzaku surmised.
He targeted each enemy ship that he could, bobbing and weaving as he tore through the enemy ranks. Problem was, as fast as he was moving, and as efficient as he was, this was a group exercise, and his was dropping like flies.
He clamped his jaw shut tight as another signature flashed 'LOST' on his screen. That's it.
"Attention, all units," the wargame's proctor announced, "L-Group has dropped below the minimum threshold. Blue Group has won the wargame."
"Goddammit," Suzaku grunted, jerking his earpiece from his head. "I'd have been better off on my own."
The two teams separated. Suzaku debarked from his simulator, hopped to the ground.
"That was some work you did, Schnee!" Sir Offen shouted.
Suzaku looked up. Sir Hecksen stood next to his Knightmare, arms crossed childishly, his head bowed, expression angry.
Suzaku scowled at him. He stomped over towards the young man. "What the Hell was that?" he demanded, stopping in front of the knight.
Hecksen shrugged. "I took the fight to the enemy," he responded tightly.
"You got your whole squadron wiped out!" Suzaku shouted at him. "If that had been a real battle, they'd all be dead!" He stabbed his finger at Hecksen's face. Hecksen gripped his arms. "If you wanna die, go ahead and die, but don't drag good men down with you!"
"What right do you have to speak to me that way?" Hecksen demanded.
"I'm your superior officer-"
"I'm a knight, dammit!" he interjected.
"You are under my command! You will follow my orders, Sir Knight!"
Hecksen's eyes bulged. "Your orders?" He cut the air with his hand. "You're an Eleven! I don't have to take shit from you!"
He whipped around to walk off, but Suzaku grabbed him by the shoulder. "One more word from you, and-"
"What, you'll send me to a penal unit?" Hecksen jerked out of his grip. "I'd rather muck shit than take orders from an Eleven!" He stormed off, back hunched.
Suzaku gritted his teeth.
Sir Offen approached him cautiously. "Um, sir," he said hesitantly, "should I…"
Suzaku shook his head. "Leave him be. I'll deal with him later." He glanced around.
There wasn't a pilot in the squadron that wasn't staring their way.
He scowled. "Get this all packed up," he said. "And tell the next squadron to get ready for training. I'll be with them shortly."
"Yes, sir."
…...
Sitting Room, li Britannia Estate, Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia
"I made a total muck of it," Euphemia said. Her chin rested on her arms, her knees drawn to her chest.
"It was your first time, Your Highness," Sir Alfred comforted her. "I think you did quite well."
"You're my Knight, Alfie," Euphemia scoffed. "You think I do everything well."
Sir Alfred smiled. "Admittedly, Your Highness," he said, "your tea could be better.""
Euphemia stuck her tongue out at him.
"He's right, Your Highness," Ruben said, sipping at his tea. "It could be better."
"Ruben!" Euphemia said, faux outraged.
The old man chuckled. "You did as well as could be expected," he assured her.
Euphemia had limited public speaking experience. Certainly, she had been before large audiences at ceremonies, both here and in Area Eleven. She'd never given an actual speech, however; usually it was just a few prepared remarks that totaled no more than a few sentences. Nothing had really been expected of her.
"I was terrified," she admitted. "I know it wasn't a lot of people, but they were all staring at me."
"You will grow used to it, in time," Ruben said. "All it takes is practice, and you'll be getting plenty of it."
"What do you mean?" Sir Alfred asked.
"I've scheduled more meetings for the Peace Conference," he said. "The next is to be held Wednesday."
"So soon?" Euphemia asked.
He nodded. "The sooner you grow used to it, the better," he said.
"This is all rather sudden," Sir Alfred said. "We should take it more slowly."
Euphemia shook her head. "He's right, Alfie. It's the only way I'll improve."
He didn't look convinced. "But-"
Euphemia reached out, took his hand. "Have a little faith," she said with a bright smile.
"I-Yes, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Princess," Ruben said. He leaned forward. "Keep your eyes up when you speak to them, Princess. No matter the speech, you must maintain eye contact as much as possible with your audience. You have to connect with them on a personal level."
Euphemia nodded, put down her feet, leaned forward.
"When you speak, speak with confidence," Ruben said. "You're right. No matter what it is your saying, you're right. Say it."
"I'm right," Euphemia said.
"No, no," Ruben said. "You have to mean it, Princess. You're right. Say it."
"I'm right," Euphemia repeated, a little stronger.
"You have to believe it, Princess," Ruben said. "If you don't believe it, how can I? You're right."
"I'm right."
"I don't believe you. You're right."
"I'm right!"
"With feeling. You're right."
"I'M RIGHT!" Euphemia shouted at him.
Ruben smiled. He relaxed back into his seat, drank his tea. "There, that's better."
…
Major Cecile Croomy's Trailer, Camelot Staging Ground, Huesca, Unincorporated Area 24
"He's an egotistical, entitled punk," Suzaku said. He sat at the dinner table, a steaming mug of Earl Grey tea sitting in front of him. His temper burned along with it.
Cecile stood over the stove, dressed in a low cut turtleneck and a blue skirt, a pot boiling in front of her. Udon noodles sat in a dish off to the side. On the counter, fried fish rested in a saucer, ringed with an assorted mix of vegetables.
Suzaku wasn't entirely sure he trusted her to cook, but he wasn't going to tell her that.
"He's a knight," she said, giggling. "Of course he's entitled. No knight is going to want to take orders from a common officer."
"Especially not an Eleven," Suzaku grumbled, taking a sip of his tea.
"There's that, too," Cecile agreed with a nod. "But you're always going to deal with that. Ignorance and stupidity never goes out of style."
"If I was the only one affected, I wouldn't mind it so much." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I'm not. His idiocy could get a lot of good men killed."
Not that they weren't a bunch of asshats themselves. They took every opportunity to be insubordinate. Four of them had been late answering the call of reveille, and several of them had pretended he was some kind of servant. He couldn't put any of them in the stockades because he couldn't spare the lost training time. Hecksen, on the other hand…
"I think I'm going to have to transfer him," Suzaku decided. "He's made himself a rallying point for the malcontents. He's going to get them killed."
"You do that, your problems will multiply," Cecile retorted, waving a ladle. "Hecksen isn't the only fool you have to deal with, he's just the loudest. Transfer him out, a lot of your men are going to act the same way just so they can get transferred. The ones who remain won't respect you, either." She turned to him. "You can't just throw him out. This has to be dealt with in-house."
Suzaku groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that," he admitted.
Cecile set the ladle on the counter and stepped over to him. She ran a hand through his hair. "You'll figure something out," she encouraged him.
He looked up at her. "How did you deal with jerks like Schnee?"
She blushed. "Admittedly, I've never actually had to deal with this level of insubordination. I'm afraid you're on your own on this one."
He patted her on the backside. "Not completely," he said, his hand lingering on her soft bottom.
She blushed, smiling, and returned to the stove.
Suzaku relaxed into his seat, thinking. I can't transfer him, but the situation can't continue either. "How am I going to get his respect?" he wondered aloud.
"We're Britannians, Suzaku," Cecile reminded him. "Usually 'respect' means a fist in the face."
Suzaku didn't comment. He worked her words around in his head, clenching his fist before him. A fist in the face, huh?
He glanced over at his fist, an idea forming. He stood up, approached Cecile, wrapped his arms around her from the back. She started in his embrace, then yelped when he kissed the side of her neck.
"Wh-What are you doing?" she gasped, her head falling back as he squeezed her breast.
"Thanking you," he replied, running his hand over her flat belly to the junction of her thighs. "I know what I have to do."
"What?" she let out with a breathy sigh.
"Beat the shit out of him."
…...
Takeshi Nagata Air Force Base, Tokyo, United States of Japan
Sweat beaded on Kallen's forehead, ran down her cheek.
He's good, she thought. Really damn good.
Rai weaved in and around all of her attacks, slipping through her offensive with ease. She jerked the yoke around, firing a stream of digital bullets at his signature. He dodged every one, firing back as he did.
But I'm better.
Just as predicted, his Knightmare clipped the top of the simulated building, jarring his aim and reactions ever so slightly. It was more than enough for Kallen to line up and fire her next shot, taking off the Akatsuki's starboard wing and send him tailspin into the ground.
WINNER: KOZUKI, the computer screen read.
"Damn straight I am," she crowed, wiping away the sweat from her face.
She climbed out of the simulator to the hoots and hollers of the surrounding crowd. Akagi's was the loudest and most energetic as she jumped up and down over and over again.
Rai bumped fists with her from the top of his cockpit. "Hell of a fight, Major," he said. "Almost had you that time."
"In your dreams," Kallen retorted, but she laughed. "I'm the best there is!"
He had said so, the night their first ki-
We what? What did we do?
She shook the weird thought away along with the sudden pain in her head.
"How's about a beer and a burger?" Rai proposed. "And after that," he grinned, eyes on her chest, "maybe a little…"
She rolled her eyes. "Never in a million years," she said. "Besides, I'm already ta-"
She placed a hand to her head. "What was I?" She shook the vague thought away. "Where did you learn to fly like that, anyway?"
"Used to be Britannian Special Forces," he replied. He cocked his head. "Which sounds a lot more impressive than it is. 'Special Experimental Reconnaissance Group' was what we were called. Really it just meant we were the test subjects for live fire exercises."
"That's horrible!" Benio said from below.
Rai shrugged. "Eh, it was good money. And it wasn't all that dangerous. Safety standards were surprisingly stiff. Even had a smoking hot Brit girl for a while."
"Bull," Kallen said, crossing her arms. "There's nothing in your file about being former special forces."
"What, like they were going to be honest about deploying Elevens as Red Berets?" Rai said.
"Rai, we have guys in the Armored Division that are ex-Special Forces," Kallen said. "And yes, some of them are Japanese." She glared. "You weren't one of them."
"What made you leave?" Akagi asked, coming in between the two.
Rai didn't take his eyes off Kallen. "We got word down the grapevine that Viceroy Cornelia had shot some Honorary Britannian in the face after Narita."
Kallen's eyebrows shot up. Suzaku!
"You would not believe how mad we were. The unit ended up splitting eighty-twenty: eighty percent of us were pissed, twenty percent were really pissed." He grinned, jerked a thumb at himself. "I'm happy to say I was in the minority."
This guy is so full of it, Kallen thought. She made a mental note to pull up his file and shove it in his face.
"Major Kozuki!" someone from the upper office shouted. "Colonel Spacer's on the line for you."
"Thanks!" Kallen shouted up at him, joy bursting in her chest. She turned to Rai, who was giving her a strange look. "To be continued," she said.
She jumped down from the simulator and sprinted up the stairs. Her stomach twisted wonderfully.
She entered the office, a rectangular space with tile floors dominated by a cheap desk and a couple of bookshelves. She grabbed the phone.
"Colonel?"
"Glad to hear from you, Q-1," that voice that sent chills through her said.
"Me too!" she said.
I love you, I love you, I love-
She put a hand to her head, painfully.
What is wrong with me?
"I've just heard that the Guren Flight Enabled is operational," Lelouch said.
"That's news to me," she said.
"The Director only informed me a few minutes ago," he elaborated. "Get your squadron together and deploy to New Delhi International Airport. I'll meet you there."
"Copy. We'll be there by O-Nine Hundred tomorrow."
"Understood. Spacer out."
"I lo-"
Kallen rubbed at her eye, unsure of what she was about to say. Her chest ached painfully.
It didn't matter. The line had already clicked off anyway.
She shook her head. She stepped out of the office, shouted to her squadmates, "Beni! Rai! Grab your gear! We deploy in ten hours!"
…
Apartment of Joanna Brumine, Madrid, Unincorporated Area 24
"He wishes to court me?" Nunnally asked her brother's knight.
"Yes, Joanna," Jeremiah confirmed. He was visibly embarrassed.
Nunnally didn't know whether to laugh at the bizarity of the situation or shout in frustration. In the last week, their circumstances had gone from a tentative alliance with Sir Manfredi and the beginnings of a vi Britannia rebellion in Europe, to being under the watchful eyes and ears of the man who murdered him. Now one of that man's knights wished to court her?
"This is absurd," she blurted out. "This whole situation strains credulity."
"Her Ladyship isn't obligated to do this, is she?" Sayoko asked, her tone hard.
Jeremiah shook his head. "Ashra swore an oath to God Himself that it would be Joanna's choice," he assured them.
Sayoko snorted. "This is a fine mess," she grumbled.
"Sayoko, please," Nunnally said, laying her hand on Sayoko's. "Peace." Sayoko bowed. Nunnally turned back to Jeremiah. "I should not have been so forceful in my desires, Uncle. Please, forgive me."
Jeremiah took a knee, gathering her hand up in his. "There is nothing to forgive. The fault is mine. I have made a colossal mistake."
"As did I," Nunnally replied. "I'm just so..."
Visions of Lelouch impaled on Zero's sword flashed before her eyes.
I won't let it happen!
She took her hands from Sayoko and Jeremiah, delving deep into thought. This could work to our advantage, she thought.
"I will agree," she said aloud.
"My Lady?" Sayoko asked, startled.
"He is a handsome man," Nunnally said, "and could become a powerful ally, binding us ever more closely to the Order." She smiled falsely at Jeremiah. "Perhaps they could even induct you, Uncle!"
Jeremiah nodded, seeming to have understood her intent. "I shall inform him at once, Joanna." He kissed her on the forehead and left.
"My Lady," Sayoko said, her tone concerned, "are you certain this is what you want?"
"It is," Nunnally confirmed. She would explain her reasoning to Sayoko soon, when there would be no chance of their conversation being overheard.
From what Lord Jeremiah told me, she countenanced, Lord Shaing cannot be trusted. His murder of Manfredi proves that. By linking myself with Ashra, I will have a friend in the Order with Knights at his command. If the time- No, when, when the time comes that our purposes shall diverge, we shall split the Order in twain.
Jeremiah reentered the room with Ashra in tow. The knight knelt before her, taking her hand in his. She resisted the urge to extricate it.
What was her hand against the evil future that haunted her dreams?
"Lady Brumine," he said formally, "I come to call upon you, and hope that I am well received." He kissed the back of her hand.
"You are indeed," Nunnally said with her most winning smile. "I confess that I had hoped you would do so," she lied through her teeth. "'Tis not every day a young girl meets such a gallant Knight."
He flushed deeply.
This, Nunnally thought, still smiling, will be easy.
….
Kozuki Residence, Taito City, Tokyo Metropolitan Area, United States of Japan
Kallen flipped page after page of Rai's file, freshly printed off her desktop computer. She had swapped out into a yellow t-shirt and a pair of pink sweatpants. A cup of instant ramen sat next to her keyboard, untouched and cold.
Special testing duty, June 28th, 2016, Fukuyama.
Special testing duty, October 30th, 2016, Nagasaki.
Special testing duty, February 3rd, 2017, Hiroshima.
None of them had been in his file prior to today. Someone had inserted them sometime between their conversation and Kallen's investigation.
I need to call Inoue, she decided. We need to get the Security Forces onto this on the double.
Kallen grabbed her phone off her desk. She flipped it open, scowled when she saw she had no signal. "Of all the times for the cell tower to shit the bed," she groused. "I'll just have to visit her myself. This can't wait till tomorrow."
She changed quickly into a pair of slacks and a long sleeved blouse, not even bothering to style her hair.
Besides, Lelouch liked it well eno-
She grasped her head painfully. "Dammit! What is with these headaches?"
She exited her bedroom, pounded down the stairs, and called out, "Mom! I'm going to see Inoue!"
"And why would you be doing that?"
Kallen came to a dead stop. She stared in shock.
Rai leaned against the foyer doorway, smug smirk on his face, pistol in hand and pointed at Kallen.
"Major," he said cheerfully, "I think you and me need to have a chat."
….
Above Salamanca, Unincorporated Area 24
"Woohoo! This is badass!" Gino Weingburg shouted as he rushed through the air.
Nonnette watched him dip and dive, pirouette and roll, each one punctuated with a bark of laughter. His opponent was Anya Alstreim, in a Flight Enabled Vincent just like his. Her movements were slower, more cautious, defensive in nature, conserving herself against an onslaught of digital gunfire. It was wholly unlike her the other day, when she had been moving just as fast, if not faster than, Gino, laughing with him. Nonnette was almost certain the girl was bipolar, or that there was some other condition that she suffered from. Given her frequent mood swings, and just as frequent memory lapses, Nonnette couldn't help but question the Emperor's wisdom in making her the Knight of Six.
What if she has one of these mood swings in the middle of a firefight? Nonnette worried. Her mental state could get her killed!
She glanced over at Gino's ship. He'd taken to the Flight Enabled Knightmares like a duck to water, making the transition from fighter jets to flying Frames quicker than anyone else in the Rounds, including herself. Nonnette wished the rest of the Knightmare Corps had taken to them as quickly. Kururugi's air squadron wouldn't be the only cannon fodder flying through the skies when the invasion began. Plenty of low-rated Knightmare pilots, the dregs of the Knightly caste, would be used to soak up AA fire for the transport V-TOL's and fighter screens that would be lighting up the sky.
How many thousands will we lose in the assault? She bit her lip.
Not for the first time, she wished Cornelia were there.
I'd feel so much better about this if you were leading us, she thought, and not moldering in some unmarked grave.
She envied the airborne corps being prepared for the retaking of Area Eleven. If the plan of the High Command worked, a massive invasion force would be bearing down on that wretched island inside the year. Nonnette doubted she would be with them. If the South American colonies descended into even more anarchy, she had no doubt that she would be assigned there to reinforce Monica and Dorothea.
We're spread too thin, she mused. And occupying Europe will spread us even thinner. What does the Emperor have in mind?
"BOOM BABY!" Gino shouted, disrupting her thoughts. "That's game!"
"How very impressive, Sir Weinberg," Anya drawled. "Beating up on a lady."
"Oh give me a break!" Gino laughed. "You whooped my ass all over the place just the other day!"
"Did I? I can't remember," Anya said in her almost dreamy voice. "I'll have to check the battle records again."
"Just check your camera phone! You took a picture of it!"
"Really? Let me check….Ah! Yes, there it is. I guess we're even, then."
"Alright, you two," Nonnette called out, "Sakuradite fillers are at thirty percent. Time to land."
"Copy," they both said.
The three of them descended to the ground, coming to rest next to the Sakuradite station. Their energy fillers were unloaded, the remaining Sakuradite being taken away to be siphoned back into the current supply. Nonnette winced.
With the loss of the Sakuradite reserves of Area Eleven, the Empire had been forced into drastic conservation plans to make their current stockpiles last as long as possible. All but one of the home Sakuradite fields had been swapped over to wartime production, but even that wasn't going to be enough to cover their fuel costs in the long run. It was why the conquest of Europe needed to take place as quickly as possible. It was another reason why Nonnette was so anxious about their leadership.
Princes Castor and Pollux rui Britannia had been the ones given supreme command over the invasion. It had been they who had completed the conquest over Southern Africa, which would have been impressive if it hadn't been a human wave assault that washed over the South African defenses, burning the entire region to a crisp and leaving three hundred thousand Britannian casualties behind. The vicious fools had gone out of their way to destroy South African monuments and holy sites, inspiring an insurgency that persisted to this day.
Is there truly no one else we can trust the success of the invasion to? Nonnette wondered.
"Hey, Nonnette!" Gino called. "You gonna stay up there, or what?"
She rolled her eyes. "I was considering it," she yelled sarcastically. She hit the release on her cockpit, climbing out and stretching her limbs.
She smirked internally, knowing he was following her every move. She let herself peek at him from behind a cracked eye, her heart skipping a beat when she caught sight of him.
His face gleamed with sweat, his blonde hair plastered to his head. His flight suit hugged his masculine body, outlining his powerful muscles.
Unconsciously, Nonnette licked her lips.
"Like what you see?" Gino asked with a knowing grin.
She leaned over, allowing her heavy breasts to sway beneath her, her own sweaty cleavage exposed. She smirked when she saw him gulp.
"Do you?" she retorted. He gave a wide-eyed nod. "Good. It's the closest you're getting." She jumped down, conscious of the way he watched her chest bounce.
When she stood up straight, she was reminded that, despite their age gap, he towered over her. When Gino matured fully, the man would be a perfect specimen of the Britannian race.
Not that he isn't already.
Gino grinned. "How long you gonna keep teasing me like that?" he asked.
She brushed a hand along his cheek, delighting in the way his skin flushed. "As long as it's fun," she answered. She jerked her thumb at the Vincent. "How's it handling?"
Gino put a hand on his hip, looked up at the Vincent. "It's not bad," he said. The flirtatious smirk morphed into a confident grin that made Nonnette's heart flutter. "Turn's a little sharp, and I can only max out at Mach 3, but the ability to machine gun a pursuer definitely compensates. That armor's nothing to sneeze at, and that Blaze Luminous shield is awesome." He laughed, patted its leg. "But I would so prefer to be flying a plane. There's just something...romantic, about being a true fighter jockey." He laughed again. "Maybe they'll make a Knightmare that transforms into jet."
Nonnette chuckled. "That sounds insanely dumb, Gino," she said.
"You mean insanely awesome!" he retorted.
She shook her head. And this is when I'm reminded of how much of a kid you are.
Anya approached the two of them from her own Frame. "I took a few pictures for my blog," she said, eyes still on her phone. "I'll definitely remember this exercise."
"Um, Anya, you know these things are classified, right?" Gino asked.
"I just took pictures of the scoreboard, it should be fine," the pink-haired girl said, red eyes still on her phone.
"That's...not how it works."
Nonnette waved a hand. "Let her have it, Gino. It's fine."
Gino shrugged. "If you say so."
"Gino," Anya said, a slight tinge of pink to her cheeks, "I think there's something wrong with the joystick on my Knightmare. Think you could take a look?"
"Sure, not a problem." He gave Nonnette a thumbs up. "Duty calls! What say we all get together at a Parisian cafe once this is all done?" He grinned. "We'll go out one night and set the whole town on fire!"
Nonnette laughed. "Be happy to," she agreed. She glanced at Anya, who had a mildly peeved expression. Nonnette rolled her eyes. Young love.
As the two departed, Nonnette stared after them, thinking.
Gino just turned seventeen, and Anya's fourteen.
They were children, though Gino had much more of a right to call himself an adult.
They could be killed.
Nonnette ran a hand over her arm.
"Nelly," she whispered, "I won't fail them like I failed you. They'll make it out alive. I promise."
…
Sitting Room, Kozuki Estate, Taito City, Tokyo Metropolitan Area, United States of Japan
"Just who are you?" Kallen demanded.
Rai had forced her to her knees, hands behind her head. He patted her down, surprisingly professional given how much he liked to ogle her body. "Rai Sumeragi, that's me," he said. "And yes, that is actually my real name, believe it or not."
"Why should I believe anything you say, traitor!"
"I'm not a traitor," Rai retorted. "I'm completely loyal to His Highness. I just express it differently."
His Highness? A flash of panic burned through Kallen. "You mean the Emperor?"
Rai sighed. "Don't play dumb, Lady Stadtfeld, it insults us both," he said. "His Royal Highness, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, has numerous friends among those in the know, not the least of which being his own father."
"Liar!" Kallen denied. "The Emperor wants Zero dead!"
"If the Emperor wanted His Highness dead, he would be dead," Rai stated. "There are a half dozen agents embedded in the Black Tiger Mercenary Company, and yet more within the government. Every move made was telegraphed before His Highness even left the country."
Bullshit. Kallen didn't say the word aloud. There was no telling how much of what he was saying was truth or lies.
"How do you like your tea?" her mother's voice asked calmly.
"MOM!" Kallen shouted, turning to the kitchen. "MOM! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE! HE'S GOT A GUN!"
Rai sat down on the sofa, an amused grin on his face, gun still fixed on Kallen's head. "Two cream, one sugar," he responded confidently.
A minute later, her mother entered the room carrying a tray loaded with tea.
Kallen's eyes grew wet.
Her mother's eyes glowed red.
"I'm sure you can guess why I'm here," Rai said. He took the tea from her mother, thanked her politely, and took a sip. "Those records you accessed earlier. I told Mitsuki she shouldn't have done that, but by the time she let me know, it was already too late." He waved his hand around, indicating the room. "Hence our current predicament."
Mitsuki? The girl who does the minutes for the meetings?
Her expression must have showed some of her mounting horror, because he chuckled. "You starting to realize just how screwed you are?"
Kallen glared defiantly. "You won't get away with this! Lelouch will figure you out!"
"By the time he does, it'll already be too late." He leaned forward. "Did you seriously think you could take us on? The world's lone superpower? Our Empire, upon which the sun never sets?" He snorted. "What arrogance."
He sat back, shook his head. "I can't let you remember tonight, Major. Nothing personal." He jerked a thumb towards her mother. "And Captain Kozuki here is going to make sure she keeps an eye on you and our friends. The Emperor has big plans for you and his wayward son. How do you feel about him by the way?"
I love hi-
Kallen ground her teeth against the sudden pain, wincing one eye shut.
Rai whistled. "So it's true," he said. "He really did it." His eyes took on a hint of admiration. "I respect that. He'll make a fine Emperor."
Rai stood. "But it's a little too far, even for me." He smirked. "And besides, figuring out how your command went away will drive him to distraction, which is exactly what we need right now. Look at me, Major. I'm about to help you out with your headaches."
Mindful of the gun pointed at her, Kallen did as he said.
His right eye burned.
…
Black Knight Conference Room, Presidential Palace, Tokyo, United States of Japan
When Ohgi met Nina Einstein, he was surprised by how mousy the girl was. Her dark green hair was pinned up behind her head in a loose ponytail, large round glasses framed her eyes, and her red dress conformed to a waifishly thin figure.
For someone who had just handed him the designs to what could be the most powerful weapon in human existence, she seemed as imposing as a squirrel.
"Can you guarantee it will work?" he asked her.
"If my calculations prove to be correct," she answered. "You must understand, I haven't had the resources to perform any field tests."
"The HADIS grenades seem to work just fine," Yoshida pointed out.
"The HADIS has a much smaller payload," Einstein retorted, "and I was able to run extensive field tests on it." She gestured to the file Ohgi had. "I can assure you the specs as they are now are correct, but I can't tell you what modifications will have to be made to get the most out of it. Or, even, whether or not it will work in live fire."
Ohgi tapped his pen on the table. This is not what I wanted to hear. "How much Sakuradite do you need to conduct your experiments?"
"At least a ton," she said, "but no more than six, I should think. The HADIS was a good trial run, and I've gotten solid data out of it. I just need to tweak the formula until I have it right."
Ohgi nodded. "I can requisition two tons for you, but no more than that," he said. "The war effort takes priority."
She looked ready to protest when the intercom on the table buzzed. "Major Kozuki to see you, Second Consul," Hinata said.
"Thank you, Hinata," Ohgi said.
"Kallen's here?"
Einstein surprised Ohgi with her excitement. Is she...blushing? "Uh, yeah," he said. "She's just outside. You guys are friends, right?"
Einstiin nodded enthusiastically. Before Ohgi could dismiss her, she walked out.
"H-Hey, wait!" Ohgi called.
…
"Kallen!"
"Nina! Long time no see!"
Nina fought to not drool. Though Kallen wore her Black Knight coat, she was already in her flightsuit, every curve and declivity perfectly mapped out by the skintight one piece. The redhead beauty wrapped her in a warm embrace. Nina's brain short-circuited as her beloved's full, round breasts and taut belly mashed against her. She held Kallen around the back, too timid to run her hands down to her darling's plump bottom.
Kiss me. Please, just kiss me.
Kallen pulled away, leaving her horribly bereft. "What are you doing here? I thought you were stuck with all your beakers and computers and stuff."
Nina adjusted her glasses shyly. "The Consuls wanted an update on my work."
Technically, the Second Consul, she had no clue where Zero was.
What does it matter? I'm here, she's here, we-
"I wish we could talk longer," Kallen lamented, "but I'm just here to confirm my next deployment. We need to get together soon and catch up."
"Y-Yeah," Nina stammered, put out. Kallen embraced her again, blasting away her disappointment in a heady rush of endorphins and hormones. She felt a pair of hard tips pressing into her chest. A-Are those her nip-
"I'll see you later!" Kallen promised with a kind smile as Nina flushed a deep red, and darted past her.
Nina watched the way her buttocks swayed up and down as she entered the room.
…
"Ohgi!" Kallen said. "I'm here to confirm my deployment."
Ohgi nodded. "Yep, we received a message from Zero about just that," he said. He plastered a false smile on his face. Kallen blanched uncomfortably. "Sorry," he said, raising a hand. "If he wants you in China now, I don't think he's really worried about being recognized."
Kallen shrugged. "It's alright," she replied. "You probably have a point." She gestured out the door. "I've got to gather my teammates. I'll see you guys soon."
"Just a moment," Ohgi said.
Kallen tilted an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Ohgi coughed. "The night you and Lelouch went out," he said, "what happened?"
The other Black Knights leaned in, every one of them. Have to make sure. They were embarking on the same path that had plunged the country into civil war. This could not be done lightly.
To his surprise, Kallen flushed. "Um, is that really any of your business?" she asked.
Ohgi was flummoxed. Judging by the reactions around him, he wasn't the only one.
"Kallen, what do you mean?" he asked.
Kallen blushed even more brightly. "Well, what we do isn't any of your concern."
Ohgi leaned forward, despite the pain radiating from his bullet wound. "Kallen," he said urgently, "it's vitally important!"
She turned away from him, hand covering her face. "We kissed," she confessed. "We kissed a lot. And it was fun, and wonderful, and can we please stop talking about this?"
Ohgi nodded dumbly. "Yeah. Yeah. Um…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Could you wait outside for a minute?"
The girl nodded, beet red, and hurried out the door.
As soon as it shut, Tamaki launched to his feet. "What did I tell ya?" he crowed. "What did I freaking tell ya? I told ya my bud wouldn't do it!"
"Bullshit!" Yoshida barked back. "I know what I saw! Her eyes were all hazy red."
"Mitsuki," Sugiyama said, "please step outside."
"Yes, Minister."
Once the young woman had left the room, Inoue asked, "Could it have been a timed geass? Did he need her to forget about that night until now?"
"Why and for what purpose?" Minami asked.
"Maybe it was imbued with a failsafe if we ever got suspicious," Sugiyama offered.
"Or maybe she was never geassed at all, and you guys have all been freaking paranoid!" Tamaki bellowed.
Sugiyama clicked his tongue. "Ohgi, what are you thinking?"
Oghi stared down at the table, thinking. "I'm thinking maybe we should bring Zero into this conversation," he said. "A direct confrontation will yield the results we're looking for." He tapped the table. "Besides, we have no idea if the FLEIJA even works, and Einstein needs a field test." He nodded, decision made. "She and I will deploy to China together. Two birds, one stone."
And they would have answers.