Hi everyone, thanks again for waiting. I'm really happy to hear how well-received my last chapter was, particularly with the introduction of Grimlock. But now, we are here back at the "Akito the Exiled" arc, which will be the central focus for the next few chapters; afterwards, we'll see what's going on with Optimus, Grimlock, and their allies on the side of the Chinese Federation, but more on that later. Now, there are some points I'd like to make in regards to some things a few of you brought to my attention in the last chapter…
First off, many of you are wondering how Cera was able to help override the effects of Shin's Geass from Akito and Marrybell, when she had trouble with just Akito before. Well, there are a few things; she was able to use her powers to tap into their memories and will to try and have them fight back against the power, as we have seen its possible to fight back against a Geass power with their own will. However, it wasn't just that. You should have taken notice how Cera's Geass emblem changed from red to a blueish white during the process, something that happened when she made contact with the Matrix of Leadership back at the end of R1. Well, who's to say that when she gave a Geass to Optimus through the Matrix, something ended up passing onto her as well? (Hint, hint). You'll learn more about it later on.
Second, a few of you were surprised to see Rolo killed off this early on in my story, particularly because he's an important character in the canon series. But remember the reason why he's important in the canon. The whole reason he was even there was because of the failed Black Rebellion when Charles brainwashed Lelouch and had Rolo act as his 'younger brother' after V.V. abducted Nunnally. But, since that whole thing was avoided in the events here in Code Prime, there was no reason for Rolo to go that route here. There was no reason for him to meet the heroes and take the same path he did in the canon, so of course Shockwave would make him into a living weapon, which Grimlock was more than happy to lay waste to.
I hope that clears things up for you. Now, with all that being said, let's get started.
Black Bishop's Gambit
Snow was beginning to fall over the area, just as a speedboat that had recently departed from Castle Weisswolf and arrived at the shore of the designated meeting area. Claus was the first to step off the boat, followed by Leila, as well as Nunnally, Shirley, Rivalz, Milly, even Nina.
"You all didn't have to come out here with me." Leila told them. "It's going to be dangerous."
"Yeah? Well, what else is new?" Rivalz questioned with a shrug and a friendly smile.
"Like we were gonna let you walk into the lion's den alone." Milly commented.
"If something goes wrong, we can help you." Nina added.
"We're you friends Leila." Shirley said sincerely. "And friends stick together, no matter what."
Leila smiled almost emotionally at them. "Thank you." However, that look faded as her hands shook slightly, but it wasn't from the cold. She then felt a gentle touch on her left hand and looked to see it was none other than Nunnally holding it.
"It's going to work out." Nunnally smiled, without a hint of fear or hesitation in her voice. "We'll get through this."
Her smile returned as Leila squeezed her friend's hand back. "I know we will."
"Well, this is sweet and all…" Claus got their attention. "But let's not keep them waiting."
With that, everyone resumed their trek up the hill as more snow continued to fall; Claus at the lead, and everyone else behind him. The former Student Council members stuck behind Leila to watch her six, while Nunnally stuck by her side and kept her hand firm in her own.
After a few more minutes; the group had made to their destination. It was old ruins that was currently occupied by a small group of Euro Britannian soldiers led by Jean. Sitting casually in on a chair in the center of the ruins was Shin Hyuga Shang; with the Decepticons Steeljaw and Sky-Byte by his side.
"So, you've come." Sky-Byte greeted with a bow. "A pleasure to meet the famous Leila Breisgau. I have to say, you're much younger than I thought you'd be." Leila said nothing, but simply glared at the Decepticon.
Steeljaw then noticed the Black Knights that had been escorting Leila and recognized three of them instantly. "Oh, I remember you three." He spoke to Milly, Shirley, and Rivalz specifically. "You were in Japan that one time with those Autobots."
"Steeljaw. Yeah, we remember you too." Milly's eyes narrowed at the wolf-like Decepticon
"Glad to see I left an impression." Steeljaw chuckled. "Tell me, how close are you to Suzaku and/or Kallen? Or even the Autobot, Arcee?" That caused all their eyes to narrow. "Airachnid is a little upset that she didn't deal the finishing blow to either of those three, but maybe mutilating those closest to them could help console her."
"Tell that monster if she thinks she can get away with everything she's done! She's got another thing coming…!" Shirley shouted, only for Jean to aim a gun at her; prompting Milly, Rivalz, and even Nina to stand in front of her.
"Keep your mouth shut." Jean glared.
"That's enough, Jean." Shin spoke in a seemingly calm tone. "There's no need for violence here, isn't that right Warwick?" He looked to Claus in particular.
"That's right." Claus confirmed. "We've come here to discuss terms of surrender. All we ask, is that you allow all base personnel to clear out before you move in."
"Fair enough." Sky-Byte shrugged. "Apollo's Chariot still in there?"
"Yes it, is." Claus nodded. "Kinda hard to move a giant rocket without actually launching it."
"Very good." Shin said. "You were an excellent agent, Mr. Warwick. We'll see to it you get proper asylum in Euro Britannia."
"Thank you." Claus nodded.
Nunnally then took a look at the man in front of her and Leila. 'So that's Akito's brother. I do see the resemblance but…' She got a good look in his eyes. 'Deep down, they are nothing alike. That look in his eyes… he's just… empty. Hollow.'
"I wasn't expecting you to bring friends, Ms. Breisgau." Shin said before taking a good look at Nunnally as she continued to stand next to her. However, there was something familiar about her that he couldn't quite identify right away. "Where… do I know you from?" He got a good look at her as Nunnally narrowed her eyes back. After a few seconds, it came to him. "Oh, my goodness… Nunnally Vi Britannia."
That got Jean's attention, as well as Steeljaw and Sky-Byte.
"The daughter of the late Marianne the Flash. How interesting." Steeljaw commented with a slight chuckle.
"I thought she died with her brother once Japan was invaded by Britannia." Sky-Byte assumed.
"Well given her brother came back as Zero, it only makes sense that his sister would survive too." Steeljaw said, causing Nunnally and her friends to gasp. "What? It wasn't all that hard to figure out. A young prince is exiled upon his mother's death, he and his sister are placed in danger when their own home nation attacks with no regard for their well-being; then we have a masked revolutionary appear years later leading a group of people that his own nation have oppressed and enslaved. Honestly, why Britannia couldn't figure it out is beyond me."
"Because they were fools." Shin said. "They foolishly believed that nobody among their own ranks could rise against them as they felt everyone supported their philosophy of Social Darwinism. It's honestly pathetic, and easy to understand why they were wiped off the map so quickly."
"And now you're going to do the same to Europia too, right?" Nunnally accused. "With Zero and our Autobot friends gone, you're going to wipe them out?!"
"We may wipe out the nation, but we'll keep the people around." Steeljaw confirmed. "Thanks to that little speech of yours, very moving by the way…" He spoke to Leila. "All the people of Europia see you as their savior. So, once we make an example of you, their will to fight should be all but broken."
"You have our word, the people of Europia will be spared." Sky-Byte said. "But we'll be taking away their freedoms."
"You make that sound like a good thing." Shirley glared.
"Oh, and what exactly have you humans done with your freedom?" Sky-Byte argued. "Hatred, war, oppression, segregation, discrimination, honestly it's a miracle you didn't go extinct by your own hand already. We're doing you guys a favor."
"Pardon us for not feeling honored." Milly glared as well.
"If you think humanity is going to go down without a fight…!" Rivalz tried.
"It's not like they have anyone to unify them together at this point." Shin said. "Zero? He's dead. Leila here? She's our prisoner now. Little Nunnally? Even if there are some remnants of the Britannian royal family that remain free, nobody is going to side with them because the rest of the world hated Britannia. Especially after what Massacre Princess Euphemia did."
"That was not Euphie!" Nina exclaimed. "That was you!" She pointed to Steeljaw and Sky-Byte. "You Decepticons are the ones who slaughter so many innocent people! Euphie is a kind and loving soul, and you ruined her dream!"
"I said keep your mouth shut!" Jean shouted, aiming her gun at Nina; prompting everyone else to stand in-between her and in defense of Nina.
"Speaking of slaughter…" Leila glared towards Shin. "Lord Hyuga, Akito told me you were his brother. He also told me what you did to his family! What you did to him!"
"Hmmp, what of it?" Shin questioned, not paying much mind.
"What of it?!" Nunnally exclaimed. "He was your brother! You murdered his entire family! You tried to murder him! How can you be so cruel?! So… so evil!?"
"Oh? So, I'm evil, am I?" Shin mused.
"How the hell are you not evil?!" Rivalz questioned. "You're working with the god damn Decepticons! Ya know?! The same guys who destroyed their own home planet?!"
"Cybertron's destruction was not our intention." Sky-Byte put in.
"It still happened!" Shirley stated. "And that's not even counting every horrible thing Megatron and everyone else did here on Earth!" She then glared at Shin directly. "The fact that you actually sided with those monsters of your own accord only proves that you're every bit as heartless as they are!"
Jean smacked the back of her pistol into Shirley's face to knock her down. "Shirley!" Nunnally exclaimed as Nina and Rivalz ran to help you.
"Say one more word of Lord Hyuga! I dare you…!" She kept her pistol trained on Shirley and looked ready to pull the trigger, but Milly quickly grabbed Jean by her arm, crossed her own leg over Jean's and flipped her over to knock the pistol out of her hand before kicking it away. Immediately, all the Euro Britannian soldiers aimed their guns at the group, clicking off their safeties, but had not yet opened fire.
"Well, this escalated quickly." Claus commented as he reached into his coat to grab a hold of his own concealed gun. Sky-Byte looked on with a serious expression, while Steeljaw smirked in amusement.
The tense silence was then broken by the sound of Shin's maniacal laughter, something that made Steeljaw smirk even more before he stopped. "Even in defeat, you still remain defiant. I can't help but admire that sort of stubbornness." He looked towards Leila and Nunnally. "You wish to know why I did what I did back then? I was doing my family and Akito a favor. Humanity by nature is cruel, this world unforgiving, they would have suffered horribly in this life. I showed them a mercy, or at least tried for Akito, but he refused to die." He smiled evilly. "But I guess I was able to help him to rest finally, along with your other friends. But don't worry, you'll join them soon enough."
Leila knew what was coming and quickly stood in front of Nunnally as Shin activated his Geass. "Die!"
However, the instant he said that, Leila had purposely activated her own Geass, the blue sigil manifesting in her left eye and making contact with Shin's. Instantly, his own power was negated as he felt a force push back against him. Causing him to groan in pain as he felt his head and was forced back.
"What…!?"
"Lord Hyuga!" Jean quickly ran to try and help him. "Are you alright?!"
"Yes… I'm fine." He tried to straighten himself out.
'His power was repelled?' Steeljaw thought in surprise as he glanced at Leila. 'Does she have a Geass as well? What sort of power is it?'
"You're wrong." Nunnally spoke to Shin, getting his attention.
"What was that?" He asked upon standing up.
"There is someone that humanity can unite and rally behind. Someone that can give them hope." Nunnally said as she glanced toward the two Decepticons in front of her. "Someone that you have failed to defeat time and time again. Someone who sees and brings out the best in everyone. His name is Optimus Prime! Even if you take over Europia, or even the Chinese Federation, you can't break our spirit! You can't break his spirit! Optimus Prime will stop you!"
Steeljaw chuckled. "I'm looking forward to seeing him try."
"You'll have to deal with us first before you get to him!"
A certain voice echoed throughout the air, the very same voice that caused Nunnally, Leila, Rivalz, Milly, Shirley, and Nina to all smile with joy and relief; while Shin, Steeljaw, Sky-Byte, Jean, and the Euro Britannian soldiers looked in shock.
"What?!" Steeljaw exclaimed as they all looked up to see the Shinkiro in its black Cybertronian shuttle alt. mode flying down through the skies and straight toward them.
"He sure knows how to make an entrance, doesn't he?" Claus commented as he and the young soldiers all ran for cover.
Sitting in the cockpit of the transformed Knightmare was the unmasked leader of the Black Knights, Zero otherwise known as Lelouch Vi Britannia. And sitting right behind him was his recently rescued half-sister.
"Strapped in there alright, Marrybell?" Lelouch asked with a smirk.
"Give them hell, little brother!" The red-haired princess had an equally devious smirk on her face just as Lelouch opened fire, the transformed Shinkiro blasting its hadron canons toward the enemy; creating an explosion that blew away the Euro Britannian soldiers, while Shin and Jean took cover along with Steeljaw and Sky-Byte.
"Zero?! He's alive?!" Jean exclaimed. "That's impossible!"
"He's not the only one!"
The four of them looked in even further shock to see a white Alexander in its insect-mode scurrying toward them, the pilot being none other than Akito Hyuga. Right beside him were the respective vehicle modes of Bumblebee and Elita One. Acting on instinct, Shin and Jean made their way toward their Knightmares, pressing on their keys to remotely call them while Bumblebee and Elita gunned toward the two shocked Decepticons. The yellow Autobot transformed and delivered a hook to Steeljaw's face and knock him down, while Elita also transformed and slid on the ground to strike a kick into Sky-Byte and send him crashing into the ruins to.
Akito's Alexander transformed into its robot mode as it stood in front of Leila, Nunnally, and the others, its gun pointed out to keep the enemy from getting any closer. "Sorry for the delay, Commander."
"No, No, Akito. You're right on time." Leila smiled, speaking in a tone indicating she was expecting this.
"Glad to see you're back from the dead yet again, big brother." Nunnally said as the Shinkiro transformed and landed beside Akito's Alexander, with Bumblebee and Elita joining them. "Is Marrybell alright?"
"Yeah, she's right here with me." Lelouch assured. "I'm sorry if I made you worry."
"Us? Worried? Dude, this is you we're talking about." Rivalz commented.
"A little second earlier still would have been nice." Milly added.
"But we're glad you guys made it." Shirley said. "And that your plan actually worked!"
"Oh, you have no idea." Lelouch couldn't hide his smirk.
'Plan?! They planned this!?' Steeljaw thought in surprise as he suddenly got a communication alert from Thunderhoof.
"Yo! Steeljaw! The Bots and their meatbag buddies are back!"
Meanwhile, the small army that comprised of what seemed the entirety of the Holy Order of Michael; being led by Steeljaw's pack had entered a large clearing to see three hovering Knightmares a couple hundred meters in front of them.
"Ya know, I think they actually looked shocked to see us." Rai said as his Raiden's screen zoomed in to see the surprised faces of Airachnid, Thunderhoof, Fracture, Underbite, and Quillfire.
"Should they really be so shocked?" Kallen questioned, looking almost with a brief smirk. "I mean, we're pretty good when it comes to surprises, so they shouldn't be surprised themselves."
Suzaku chuckled. "Notice you just spoke in contradictory, Kallen. But you're right, why don't we give them something to really be shocked about."
The Lancelot Albion, Guren SEITEIN Eight Elements, and Raiden SEITEIN Seven Elements activated their respective energy wings to fire a storm of energy bolts straight toward the small army in front of them. Though the Decepticons in front tried to transform and run away for cover; the Knightmares in the lead were torn to shred and blown away in spectacular fashion.
But that wasn't the end of it. The front-left side of the army was suddenly bombarded by Energon blasts from Arcee, Smokescreen, and Bulkhead, with Ayano and Yukiya's Alexander Valiants, Orpheus' Gouka Byakuen, and Gino's Tristan Divider opening fire with their respective long-ranged weapons on the left flank. While at the same time, on the right flank, Strongarm fired with her Energon crossbow as she stood with Sideswipe and Grindcore, who threw a large boulder into the mix, while Monica's Florence Nero, and the Alexander Valiants being piloted by Alice and Ryo fired their long ranged weapons as well, even Prowl threw his shurikens at the enemy Knightmares that were closest.
Already, more than two dozen enemy Knightmares had been demolished by the surprise attack as all the present Black Knight Knightmares and Autobot soldiers regrouped in front of them.
"Yo! Look at us! We're still alive!" Smokescreen raised his hands and waved them around.
"If you guys can't get rid of us by rigging a giant ship to blow, maybe it's time to rethink your approach, don't ya think?" Yukiya smirked.
"Man, I can't believe Lelouch's plan actually worked." Ayano commented.
"Don't get cocky. We still gotta get going!" Arcee stated as she took command. "Autobots, Black Knights, roll out!"
With that, all the Autobots transformed into their respective vehicle modes along with the Lancelot, Raiden, and Guren, while the four Alexanders transformed into their insect modes and drove off with the Tristan, Florence, and Byakuen flying or rolling alongside them.
Airachnid was the first to recover as she glared at the retreating heroes; particularly Arcee, Kallen, and Suzaku. She then turned back to see her fellow Decepticons having regrouped and the Euro Britannian Knightmares simply standing there, apparently still not over the initial shock.
"Don't just stand there, you idiots!" Airachnid yelled at all of them. "GO! AFTER THEM!" She transformed into her helicopter mode and was joined by the other Decepticons of her team as they transformed as well and drove in pursuit of the heroes, with the small army of Knightmares right behind.
Alice looked at the radar of her Alexander. "It looks as though we have their attention."
"Then we just gotta lure them to the drop zone." Bulkhead replied.
"Commander Magnus, Jetfire, we are on our way with the enemy in pursuit." Strongarm reported.
"Acknowledged. Payload is ready and will be dropped upon your signal." Magnus reported.
Gino smiled. "Well, looks like things are going well on our end. Wonder how Euphemia's doing right now."
Euro Britannia – Holy Order of Raphael base
Explosions raged all around the castle as multiple Vehicon troopers pushed against the defenses surrounding the only remaining stronghold of Euro Britannia. The defenses comprised of large, automated turrets and several Knightmares piloted by Euro Britannian soldiers that belonged to not only the Order of Raphael, but even small remnants of the Orders of Uriel and Gabriel, even some common Knightmares owned by ordinary soldiers. However, despite their resilience, the Decepticons were laying waste to virtually everything in their path.
Inside the castle, Andrea Farnese, and Grand Duke Velaines stood in the control center as the castle was rocked by another explosion.
"Status report!" Farnese ordered.
"Sir, sixty percent of our outer defenses have been wiped out!" One of the military officers reported. "I don't know if we can hold them back much longer!"
Velaines sat back as he placed his shaking hands on his knees. "Is this it…? Is this really the end for us? I had expected something like this would happen, the second those vile Decepticons entered our nation… but to see it happen…?"
"Duke Velaines, there is still hope! We cannot give up yet!" Andrea tried reason with him, even though he himself was beginning to doubt his own resolve.
"That's right! There is still hope, and we're going to give it to you!" A familiar voice spoke through the speakers of the control room, surprising everyone. Velaines recognized the voice immediately. "Euphemia…?"
"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner, Duke Velaines." Euphemia said over the communication systems of a certain ship. "Making contact was not an easy task, but Zero was able to pull it off! So we're here now!"
"We?" Velaines questioned over the other line.
"That's right, your excellency." Toto Thompson said, standing next to Euphemia at the controls of the Grandberry. "The Glynda Knights are here, along with some other additional reinforcements."
Toto pressed a few key commands on the ship controls, allowing the approaching vessel to fire a series of missiles and hadron canon blasts towards the Decepticon forces outside the castle; blowing away more than half the Vehicon troopers that were previously on the attack. As the remaining Decepticons turned their attention to the Grandberry, its deployment hatches opened up as multiple Knightmares dropped in.
The Glynda Knights, led by Oldrin Zevon in the Lancelot Grail, all flew out as their respective Knightmares; the Vincent Gram, the Zetland, and pair of Bradfords each had their own built-in float systems. But they weren't alone. Following alongside them were four white and red Gloucesters with built-in float systems, owned by the surviving Asura Strike Force, being led by none other than the red custom Gloucester's energetic pilot.
"Hey Decepticons!" Ashley Asura called out to them. "Who's feeling lucky?!"
"Glynda Knights, Asura Strike Force, attack!" Oldrin ordered as all the Knightmares flew down to engage the enemy with the Grandberry providing covering fire.
Europia
Back at the negotiation's' site turned battlefield, Shin and Jean had managed to enter their respective Knightmares and join the fray. The Vercingetorix shot forward as the Gracchus provided cover fire, which the Bumblebee returned as the Shinkiro clashed with the Vercingetorix. Sky-Byte also went on the attack as he transformed into his shark-mode and flew toward Elita-One, who raised her arms to bring up her arm-blades and block Sky-Byte's jaw, but he still forced her back quite a bit. Bumblebee and Akito's Alexander remained close to Leila and the others and shot towards the Gracchus and Steeljaw as they hid behind cover by the ruins.
'How is this even possible?!' Steeljaw thought to himself. 'How could they have planned this?! Even if they somehow survived the ship explosion…. They couldn't have possibly known where and when to strike unless…!'
Steeljaw's optics widened as realization set in. He peered out from cover to glare at humans. "I have to admit Warwick, I'm impressed! You've made a convincing triple agent!"
Claus chuckled with a shrug. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. It was more of a spur of the moment kind of thing."
Flashback
A few hours before the operation of the Gallia Grande began, Claus Warwick sat in his office as he worked with a special code-machine that would send crucial information to the Euro Britannian forces. However, as he was about to send the information…
"It's always the one you least suspect." That caused Claus to gasp in surprise as he glanced toward the open window to see Prowl, having turned himself invisible via holographic projection, reveal himself as he hung upside down from the roof.
"Well… You're pretty quiet for a giant transforming robot." Claus commented.
"Prowl was trained in a Cybertronian stealth art that is similar to Earth ninjitsu." Orpheus Zevon walked into the room. "That kind of skill, along with certain intelligence can help you discover quite a few unexpected things."
"Like how you've been acting as a spy for Euro Britannia." Prowl said.
For one of the few moments in his life, Claus' smile vanished as he sat down with a defeated sigh. "Well, no point denying it now. Yes, I'm a spy for Euro Britannia. I've already slipped them the information of our base's location, as well as Apollo's Chariot. So, go ahead, turn me in; let me stand trial or a firing squad or whatever it is you do. Heck, pull a gun on me and just shoot me right here and now."
However, neither Prowl nor Orpheus made such a move. "The last thing we want is to make your daughter an orphan." Prowl said, catching Claus' attention once more.
"Before joining the Black Knights and the Autobots, I was part of a group called Peace Mark." Orpheus revealed. "We had connections worldwide, and those kinds of connections make it easier to find information that is normally difficult to find, or that people try so hard to bury."
"Shortly after your divorce from your wife, you gained custody of your daughter." Prowl began. "But she was diagnosed with a special form of cancer, the kind that you don't really get better from. You needed money for her treatment, and Euro Britannia offered you not only the necessary money, but even access to their more advanced medical materials that should help her. That's why you became a spy."
"You've done your homework." Claus said, making no effort to deny it as he stood up and faced the wall, with neither of them seeing his face. "Yeah, I sold out my comrades, my friends, my country… all for the sake of my own daughter who doesn't even have a guarantee of living these next few years."
Though they couldn't see his face, they could tell from his body language that he was more than a little devastated, and neither of them could blame him. This was his daughter, and the chances of her surviving her condition, even with advanced Britannian medical science, was far too slim.
"So, like I said, do whatever you want with me." Claus said, still keeping his back turned. "But for what it's worth, I hope you guys manage to pull it off. Even though world peace is more like a pipe's dream than anything else."
Orpheus smirked as he looked towards Prowl, who had his own smile as well. "Your daughter is currently being treated at St. Anne-Marie's in Paris, correct?" Prowl asked.
"Yes…?" Claus turned around with a curious expression.
"Well, once this whole battle is done, we can have her relocated to our base." Orpheus revealed, causing Claus to look at them with shocked expressions. "The Autobots are a little less stingy at sharing their technology with us than the Decepticons. And after six months, we've gained a good enough understanding that we can apply some of their medical advances to humans. So, I'm sure we can not only give her proper treatment, but even a cure."
Claus did not expect to hear something like that.
"And given that you have a means to send coded messages to the enemy, perhaps we can use that to orchestrate a little surprise of our own." Prowl said. "We may have a chance to catch them off guard and perhaps even score a decisive victory."
"What… what are you…?" Claus stuttered.
"We're giving you a second chance, Claus." Orpheus said. "A chance to do the right thing. You can not only help all the people here that you see as friends, but also save your daughter, and even give her a hero to look up to."
"Why…?! Why are you doing this…?!" Claus questioned, losing his composure. "I betrayed you! I sold all of you out! I'm a spineless coward! A hero?! Me!? What in the actual hell makes you think I could ever be something like that?! Huh?!" He questioned as he shook Orpheus by the shoulders.
However, Orpheus remained completely unphased. "See, that's where you're wrong. If you were doing it for money or your own safety, you'd already be behind bars right now. But you're not doing it for you. You're doing it for someone you love, and believe me, more than a few people in our alliance, be they Autobot or human, know exactly what that's like, and I'm no exception."
"Sometimes we do the wrong things, for the right reasons." Prowl added. "And that's worth giving a second chance. Granted, Ultra Magnus may not be too happy with it initially, however if you manage to own up to it, and even offer some inside information, he'd be more willing to accept it. At the very least, he'll postpone any judgements until the crisis has been adverted."
"And even then, I'm sure Leila and Zero would still be willing to give you a chance." Orpheus put in. "Leila doesn't seem like the type to hold onto a grudge, and Zero knows what it's like to cross a few lines for someone you love."
Claus backed away slightly, in a state of shock and disbelief. They know he's a spy and are still willing to give him a chance to atone and are even offering to help his sick daughter. Given the time he spent with the Autobots and Black Knights, would actually expect their aid for his daughter, but he did not expect them to give him such an opportunity. His state of shock and disbelief soon turned into an empty chuckle.
"You guys are something else… you know that right?" Claus said in-between laughs. "How do you do it? How are you so… optimistic?"
"Honestly, I wasn't always like this when I first joined Peace Mark." Orpheus confessed. "But after spending some time with the Autobots and the Black Knights, I guess it kinda rubbed off on me."
"And in the state the Earth is currently in, humanity could use some optimism right now." Prowl said.
Claus gave a long and deep sigh before he looked at them with a serious expression. "Just promise me one thing. Even if I end up dying… Marie still gets her treatment."
"You have our word. Your daughter will be in safe and capable hands." Prowl promised.
A smile formed on Claus' face. "Thank you. I'm in."
End Flashback
New Flashback – Paris
The capital of Europia remained in a state of chaos ever since the destruction of the North Sea Power Plant, as well as the broadcast of the incoming Decepticon invasion. Even as the night ended and daytime came about, the rioting did not stop. However…
"Citizens of Europia, please listen to my words with an open mind!"
The voice of Leila rang throughout the city, which drew the attention of several hundreds of people, who stopped rioting to see the transparent image of the young woman hanging in the sky, and all across several large television screens throughout the city.
"I understand why you are afraid, the hostile regime known as the Decepticons do indeed pose a great threat to us. But it is the height of foolishness to panic in response to their threats and manipulations."
It wasn't just across the largest screens in Paris, Leila's speech was being streamed across the internet as well. Nearly everyone in Europia stopped what they were doing as they turned their attention to their computer sand smartphones and listened to Leila's words.
"The Decepticons believe us to be powerless, that we are unable to defend ourselves against them. But we all know that is not true. There is a force out there, an alliance that stands their ground against them even know, fighting for a future where we no longer have to live in fear. They are the Black Knights and the Autobots, warriors of true justice. I give you my word, that the Black Knights are every bit as human as we are, even the masked revolutionary named Zero is among us, an ordinary human. Yet despite that, they chose to take a stand and fight alongside the Autobots, not as subserviates but as equals. They are a brotherhood that sees the best in our people as a whole and are prepared to lay their lives down for each and every one of us, and they are not alone. I lead a Europian military unit covertly that has been battling Euro Britannia, but we have now joined forces with the Black Knight-Autobot alliance in their struggle against the Decepticons. During our time together, I have seen that people from all ethnicities are included in their ranks; Japanese, European, Chinese, even former Britannians. My unit also comprises of the Japanese, the very same people that our government has kept in internment camps out of fear, first that fear was of the Britannian Empire, now it is fear of the Decepticons. It is true that the Decepticons have all but eliminated Britannia, but humanity still has a chance! For decades, the people of our world have been divided by war, prejudice, and hatred; and if the actions of the Decepticons continue to feed our fear, then there is no hope. Not just for Europia, but the entire planet! Why do we continue to hurt one another? Why must we… find solace in the demonizing and pain of others? We can no longer allow ourselves to be ruled by hate! We can no longer be defined by our petty differences! We may all come from different places, practice different cultures, see the world from very different perspectives, but it's our differences that make us strong! Now is the time to come together despite our differences! Now is the time to work alongside the people who spill their blood and Energon for our sakes! Even if they come from a different planet, the Autobots are people just like the Black Knights that fight alongside them! Just like us, the people they continue to protect! We need freedom, in every aspect of our existence! I have every confidence that the Decepticons will be defeated, but if our world is to have a peaceful future, we must be willing to take responsibility for every action we take, both good and bad. My father, Bradow Von Breisgau, always believed that a future of peace and equality was a future worth striving toward! So I will not give up! I'll stand alongside Zero and Optimus Prime and face the darkness with them! My name is Leila Breisgau, and I pledge my full support toward the Autobot-Black Knight alliance and the cause they fight for! Please join me in our struggle! Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and we must stand to preserve that freedom for each and every one of us! For every man, woman, and child that occupies this Earth!"
With that declaration, it was as if Europia came to a halt. All the people looked toward the image of the young woman with surprise and awe.
"Is that really Breisgau's daughter?"
"Is she really working with the Black Knigths and the Autobots?"
"The daughter of the Assembly man, working with Zero and Optimus Prime…?"
As the awe increased among the people of Paris, one man shouted her name as he raised his fist in support. "Leila Breisgau!"
Soon, everyone else around him followed.
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Leila Breisgau!"
"But it is not just her!" One woman shouted. "We all thought Zero was dead, but he has returned! He and that Autobot, Optimus Prime have stood against Britannia from the beginning, and even now they continue to fight for us!"
"Then we must give them our support as well!"
"Zero!" They all shouted and praised as well.
"Optimus Prime!" The third name was added before all three were shouted together simultaneously.
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Zero!"
"Optimus Prime!"
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Zero!"
"Optimus Prime!"
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Zero!"
"Optimus Prime!"
"Leila Breisgau!"
"Zero!"
"Optimus Prime!"
Gene Smilas Office
As the cheered could be heard even from inside his office, General Smilas sat as he saw the whole speech as well through the main screen in front of him. He chuckled slightly before speaking his thoughts aloud.
"She is certainly your daughter, Bradow. You'd be proud of her." Smilas said before smirking. "But now, perhaps it's time to send her your way. Or rather, her name anyway."
His plan was already in motion. The soldiers he worked closely with were organizing Europia's military forces and preparing to march on Euro-Britannian territory. All they needed was his word, and once he would give the false reports of the deaths of Leila and Zero, their fires would burn even more and they'd be more willing to destroy Euro Britannia, and the Decepticons stationed there, to 'avenge' their heroes.
Suddenly, the door to his office opened. "Hello General."
Smilas looked in surprise to see none other than the young woman before him. "Leila?! How… how did you get over here…?"
"I used a Groundbridge." Leila revealed. "So, you've seen my speech?"
"Y… Yes." Smilas regained his composure. "And from all the voices outside, it seems you've rallied the people and managed to quell the chaos. It's wonderful, isn't it? Now it looks like our nation is ready to lend its support to the Black Knights and the Autobots. I'm sure Zero and Optimus Prime will be pleased; I especially look forward to meeting the later."
"Let me ask you something, General." Leila began. "How did you react to my father's death, exactly?"
Though mildly surprised by such a question, he gave his answer. "I was utterly devastated. You know he was a close friend, him and your mother."
"You were friends with him?" She asked.
"Yes, that is what I just said." Smilas replied.
"If that's true, then why did you arrange for his murder!?"
That completely caught him off guard.
"He trusted you! I trusted you! So why… why did you kill him?!" Leila exclaimed.
"Leila… I… I don't know what you're talking about…" Smilas stuttered.
"One of the most recent additions to the Black Knights' alliance with the Autobots was a group named Peace Mark." Leila told him. "They have connections all over the world. If you ask the right types of questions to the right kind of people, you'd be surprised what kinds of rocks are turned over. Bradow Von Breisgau was not killed by any Britannian assassin, but by you! Why?! Why would you kill the very same man who worked so hard for the benefit of Europia!"
Smilas sighed before his face became solid and responded. "That is exactly why he had to die. Leila, I respected your father, but his ambitions were weak. If your father were to have his way, all of Europia would have thrown away its weapons, which would have made it all the easier for Britannia to invade and conquer. But, if Europia were to stand as an empire, we could have the means to fight back!"
Leila questioned. "That is exactly the same train of thought Megatron had when he created the Decepticon regime and destroyed Cybertron!"
"I am not trying to destroy the Earth!" Smilas exclaimed.
"No, you just want to see it brought under Europia's heel." Leila's eyes narrowed. "Just as Britannia tried to do. Don't you get it?! Trying to force your will on everyone is only going to lead to more destruction! You would spill the blood of innocent people in your quest for power!"
"People will die, yes. But those people will become martyrs just as your father did." Smilas said. "You think democracy is any better? Look at the state Europia was in yesterday when our nation was ruled by capitalists who only thought of themselves. I am trying to make it into what Napoleon had intended."
"Your dreams of power are only going to consume you, General Smilas." Leila told him. "You cannot prevail against the Decepticons with Europia alone."
"But I won't be alone." Smilas said. "Once Optimus Prime gets the word of Zero's death, I'm sure he'll be more than eager to work alongside me in repelling the Decepticons. But of course… I can't have you tell him that." He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Leila's face. "Nothing personal, Leila. For what it's worth, I truly did enjoy our time together."
He fired his pistol, only for the bullet to bounce off her chest, leaving her completely unaffected, much to his surprise.
"What?!"
Leila smirked in a sense that was not her own. "You are a fool, General…."
Her form began to fade away, almost like static before it was revealed that the Leila standing before him was nothing more than a hologram being projected by the armor worn by the masked revolutionary named Zero.
"…Every bit as foolish as the late Charles Zi Britannia. Just another power-hungry war monger."
"Zero?!" Smilas aimed and fired his pistol again, only for the bullets to bounce of his armor as Zero rushed him to punch him in the gut and deliver a roundhouse kick to send him flying across the office and into the wall.
This was the second phase of his plan. Lelouch had anticipated the Gallia Grande was booby trapped somehow. He and all his friends and allies on-board, even Marrybell, had managed to escape via Groundbridge. Though they were unable to return to Castle Weisswolf due to some kind of interference that prevented a Groundbridge in that area, they were able to return to Europian soil all the same. Once they got the broadcast for Leila's speech, Lelouch used a Groundbridge to send only himself to Paris and confront Smilas. Before the operation began, he and everyone else at the castle, including Leila herself, got the confirmation from Wizard, using his Peace Mark connections to learn that Smilas had arranged for the assassination of Bradow Von Breisgau, and now he heard the words straight from Smilas' mouth.
"You should have seen the look on Leila's face when she found out." Zero told him as he marched over the recovering general and picked him up by his shirt and pinned him to the wall. "She cried, in front of everyone. Even the other WZERO officers and soldiers reacted in shock and disgust, I even saw that same look on Akito. Leila trusted you, she even saw you as family, and you betrayed her. Just the thought of that makes me sick to my stomach."
He really did know what that was like. To be betrayed by someone you trusted and respected, someone you even saw as family. It was a pain he did not wish on anyone. And it was clear that even now, Smilas had no show of remorse for his own actions.
"You… You can't kill me!" Smilas stuttered. "I lead Europia's military! If you kill me, or even expose me, you risk sending the entire country into chaos again! Do you really think that foolish girl can lead Europia into the future?!"
"A future of peace and freedom with the rest of the world? Yes, I do." Zero said without a hint of hesitation. "Oh, and for the record, even if your plan did succeed, you could never fool Optimus Prime. He would see through your façade like glass. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I won't even expose you. You'll be doing that yourself."
"What?"
"But first things first, we must rid the Earth of the Decepticons. So until that time…" A slit opened in Zero's mask that exposed Lelouch's eyes as his Geass activated. "You shall obey Zero."
The red sigil flew from Lelouch's eyes and straight into Smilas. The command overrode his brainwave patterns as a red ring formed in Smilas' eyes just as Lelouch set him down.
"As you wish, Zero. What do you command?" The Geassed Smilas asked with a bow.
"You are going to help us in our struggle against the Decepticons." Zero began. "And once we're certain they are defeated and the conflict ended, you will confess your crimes before the populace and turn yourself in to face proper judgement."
"Of course." Smilas nodded. "So, how shall we proceed?"
"Tell, me everything that is going on right now with Europia's military. We don't have much time." Zero demanded.
End Flashback
Present Time
General Smilas, still under the command of Zero's Geass, stood in the military command center with his officers working at their stations when one of them got an alert.
"General, we seem to be receiving a transmission! It appears to be Britannian in origin!"
"Put it up." Smilas ordered.
"Yes, sir." With a few key commands, the main screen in the center lit up to reveal the faces of Euphemia, and even Grand Duke Velaines as well as Andrea Farnese, the group appeared to be onboard the Grandberry.
"Euphemia, the Black Bishop's Gambit is underway." Smilas told her.
On her end, Euphie got the subtle message that told her Lelouch's plan had worked. Now it was time to begin coordinating their forces.
"General Smilas, as you can see, I stand with Grand Duke Velaines of Euro Britannia, and Andreas Farnese, the last surviving head of Euro Britannia's Knights." Euphemia began. "Working alongside the Glynda Knights, we have formed a resistance group in Euro Britannia and are ready to fight alongside your forces in repelling the Decepticons from the continent."
"Then what are waiting for?" The Geassed Smilas replied. "Let's get to work."
Back in the ruins outside Castle Weisswolf, Leila and her group had managed to make it back to the speedboat as they looked back to hear the sounds of battle with explosions going off in the distance.
"I still can't believe his plan actually worked." Claus commented. "I know he's supposed to be a chess master and all but damn… impressive." He said with a smirk.
"You should see him when actually plays chess." Rivalz said with a smirk.
"Maybe we should get going?" Nina suggested. "We'll meet them back at the castle, right?"
"Right." Shirley nodded. She quickly noticed Leila looking back with a somewhat worried expression. "Hey, Leila. They're going to be okay."
"Come on, you have faith in them, right?" Milly said before a teasing smirk fell on her face. "You have faith in him?"
That earned a chuckle from Leila as she looked toward Milly with a semi-annoyed smirk. "You just couldn't help yourself there, could you?"
"Sorry, force of habit." Milly shrugged.
"I have faith in them." Nunnally said as she squeezed Leila's hand once more. "Big brother, Suzaku, Bumblebee, Alice, Akito, all of them. They'll make it through this."
"I know they will." Leila nodded without a hint of hesitation. She truly did have faith in all of them; her friends and comrades, and especially Akito. "Let's go." They boarded the speedboat as Claus turned on the ignition and drove it back toward Castle Weisswolf.
Back at the ruins, Elita was forced back into a wall that almost collapsed on impact. She kept her arm-blades up and crossed as Sky-Byte, still in his shark-mode, continued to bite down on her while also pushing harder with his thrusters. However, Elita smirked as she purposely fell back with the collapsing wall and pulled back her feet before kicking into Sky-Byte's underside to send him flying upward. Before he had a chance to recover, she opened fire with her Energon blasters to blast him down.
Steeljaw sliced his claws toward Bumblebee, who ducked underneath one slice before using his right arm to parry another strike and deal a punch to Steeljaw's face. Bumblebee then drew his katana to slice at Steeljaw's side as he reeled back, but Steeljaw quickly recovered to parry the katana strike with his claws before pouncing at Bumblebee.
Akito's Alexander shot toward the Gracchus as it fired its slash harkens at him, but Akito leapt over the strikes to land behind the Gracchus and bring out its tonfas to strike at the Jean's silver Knightmare, but she quickly recovered and drew her Gracchus' rapier to block and parry the tonfas from the Alexander as she glared at the enemy.
Shin drove his Vercingetorix straight towards Zero's Shinkiro and tried to bring its massive and complex blade down onto it, but the Shinkiro clapped its hands, with the blade in-between and kept it from coming down.
"Shang, you made a big mistake screwing around with my mind like that!" Marrybell exclaimed from inside her brother's Knightmare.
"Marrybell, you survived to." Shin commented with a smirk. "I suppose family has to stick together, right Lelouch?"
"You think I'd be shocked at you learning my identity?" Lelouch questioned. "At this point, I don't really care what others think of me. It still won't stop me from freeing this world."
Shin pulled the Vercingetorix's blade back, as he withdrew his Knightmare. "Akito." Shin spoke to his brother, whose Alexander had just knocked down Jean's Gracchus. "Why don't you help your big brother out… and die!" Shin's Geass activated as he tried to trigger the command that he gave his brother. This would send Akito into a rage and attack everyone in sight, maybe giving him and his allies a chance to kill Zero here and now.
However, Akito looked at Shin with an unphased expression. "That won't work on me anymore, brother."
For one of the few moments in his life, Shin was completely caught off guard. "What?!"
"I've been purged of the curse you gave me as a child." Akito revealed.
"That's impossible… How could you have…?!" Shin questioned.
"Do you know what your problem is, Shin?" Lelouch asked. "You underestimate humanity. Even if Geass is a cursed power, that doesn't mean we can use it for good." A smirk fell on his face. "Just ask my friend, Cera."
That was the signal. That was the opportunity for the pink Akatsuki to emerge from its hiding spot among the clouds and shoot toward the ground at high speeds straight toward the Vercingetorix, crashing into the golden Knightmare and sending it crashing through the ruins and trees.
"Lord Hyuga!" Jean had just recovered with her Gracchus and was about to go in and help, only for the Shinkiro and Akito's Alexander to block its path.
Shin grunted as he wiped some blood from his mouth. He tried to pull up on his Knightmare, only for Cera's pink Akatsuki to land on top of it. The pink Knightmare's hands quickly reached down to grab the Vercingetorix's cockpit.
"If I could remove your Geass from your twisted mind, I wouldn't hesitate to do it." Cera said. "But since that's not an option, I can do the next best thing and suppress it!" She channeled her power, her Geass emblem glowing a bright red. It may be indirect contact, but it was still contact, nonetheless.
Shin gasped as he felt Cera's power flow through his being and go straight into his mind. He tried to channel his own Geass power and fight back, but soon felt something being built around it. Almost like a piece of his mind was being walled off and contained from the rest, which forced his power to deactivate.
"No… you…! You dare…?! You dare to try and contain me?!" Shin exclaimed in rage as he tried to pull up on his Knightmare.
"Yes. I dare." Cera stated with a determined and fierce expression.
Meanwhile; the Autobots, Black Knights, and WZERO soldiers continued to flee from the pursuing army of Britannian Knightmares being led by the Decepticons in Steeljaw's Pack. The enemy army firing with everything they had from machine guns to rockets to Energon blasts and even large portable energy-based rail guns. One of which fired a powerful green bolt that shot toward the fleeing heroes.
Acting quickly, Rai turned his Raiden around and fired a bolt of electricity from its surger claw to intercept the bolt, causing a large explosion to ignite in between the two forces. The shockwave was powerful enough to give the fleeing heroes an even further boost forward. A few briefly lost their balance before regaining it and continuing onward. While the enemy was forced to stop and avoid getting caught up in the blast.
"Those railguns are gonna be a problem!" Rai stated.
"Then we better get rid of them." Arcee stated before contacting their air support. "Jetfire, take care of their heavy artillery! We can't have that intercept the payload!"
"Rodger."
As they continued to flee, the Decepticons at the lead transformed into their robot modes as the smoke began to clear.
"Look at those cowards run! Too scared to face the revolution!" Quillfire exclaimed.
"They're not even trying to fight back. Why?" Fracture asked.
"Maybe they just don't have the brass." Thunderhoof commented.
However, Airachnid gazed up toward the sky as she saw something moving fast toward them. Her optics zoomed in to see it was the jet-mode of Jetfire.
"We got enemies in the sky!" Airachnid turned back towards the Britannian army. "Shoot him down!"
Immediately, all the hundreds of Sutherlands fired toward Jetfire, but he proved too quick and agile and had avoided nearly every single shot. But he wouldn't have too much longer as he got a target lock on all three energy rail guns and fired his missiles. Jetfire curved upward just as the missiles made contact and obliterated the rail guns.
"We lost our heavy artillery!" One of the Britannian commanders exclaimed.
"Commander Magnus, their railguns are destroyed! Drop the payload!" Jetfire reported in as he flew away.
"Acknowledged." Ultra Magnus responded from within the cockpit of his ship, the Iron Will. His vessel had a large tractor beam shining out from a device in its back. What was attached to the tractor beam, being suspended in air by anti-gravity energy, was none other than the wreckage of the Gallia Grande. Though it was all in pieces, it was still incredibly massive and would serve the purpose.
"Not exactly what I call a payload, nor is it an orthodox method." Ultra Magnus commented to himself. "But, I will give Lelouch points for creativity. This could even make the Wreckers jealous." He contacted his forces. "All Autobots and Black Knights, as well as WZERO soldiers, clear the area! Dropping the payload now!"
With that, Ultra Magnus pressed the right buttons, causing the tractor beam to deactivate and drop the remains of the large Euro Britannian ship.
Back on the ground, Underbite sniffed the air. "I smell metal. A lot of it, and it's coming right at us!"
Airachnid and the other Decepticons present gazed up toward the clouds again, seeing a darkened shape just beyond them. However, their optics widened in terror as they saw the debris of the Gallia Grande fall straight toward them.
"CLEAR OUT! NOW!" Airachnid screamed as she transformed into her helicopter mode and flew away.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Thunderhoof also transformed and put the pedal to the metal, followed by Underbite, Quillfire, and Fracture. All the Britannian soldiers saw what was happening as well and attempted to follow their lead.
"Retreat! All unit's retreat…!"
However, the smaller pieces of debris impacted first, crushing and breaking several Knightmares, or even landing in front of them to block their path as larger and heavier pieces fell on top of them. In no time, the entire cluster of rubble had fallen onto the Holy Order of Michael's forces. Though the front most and rear most Knightmares were able to escape, but in that one instant, they had lost more than two thirds of their whole army.
The entire area shook with a large impact, which was enough to distract Steeljaw from his fight with Bumblebee.
"What in the…?!" He was suddenly punched across the face by the black and yellow scout to send him crashing into the ruins, with Bumblebee opening fire with his Energon blasters on the ruins above him, causing it all to collapse on Steeljaw.
At the same time, Elita One slid under Sky-Byte as he tried to slash at her with his claw, but she swept her feet to knock him down before grabbing his foot and flinging him toward the recovering Vercingetorix after Cera had finished her work, her Pink Akatsuki pulling back toward the Shinkiro.
"Lord Hyuga…!" Jean's distraction was her undoing as Akito's Alexander drove one of its arm blades into the Gracchus' right leg, and the other into its left arm. With a twist, both limbs were severed, crippling the Knightmare.
"It's done, I've suppressed his Geass." Cera informed the group. "I can't say for certain if it's suppressed permanently, but it should slow him down."
"Just got word from the others." Elita reported. "The payload was dropped, and all our forces are regrouping at Castle Weisswolf. Nunnally, Leila, and the others are already there as well."
"We could finish them off right here and now." Marrybell suggested.
"No." Zero said. "Let them regroup and lick their wounds. We still got to solve that issue with the Groundbridge, and see to it all personnel in the castle are taken care of."
Akito paid one last glance to the Vercingetorix, seeing its cockpit open, with Shin climbing out to glare at all of them. He'd honestly never seen his brother so out of composure like that. His eyes burned with rage and his teeth gnashed so hard, they looked like they might crack.
"We'll settle this later, brother." Akito told him before the group made their leave. The Shinkiro transformed into its Cybertronian shuttle mode, allowing Akito's Alexander to grab onto it and fly away with Cera's pink Akatsuki. Bumblebee and Elita both transformed into their vehicle modes and drove away with them.
As Steeljaw and Sky-Byte both recovered, they and Shin got multiple reports from their forces about the damage they sustained from the enemy's surprise attack. Jean also got out of her Gracchus and tried to help her commanding officer.
"Lord Hyuga! Are you alright?!" However, as she got to him, Shin smacked the back of his fist into her face, knocking her down as she looked to him in emotional shock, while Shin looked as though he was about to murder someone. Steeljaw felt himself in a similar state of rage, so much so that he began to shout in the direction of his retreating enemies.
"THIS ISN'T OVER! I WILL TEAR YOU TO RIBBONS, ZERO! YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE YOU CALL A FRIEND AND COMRADE! THAT CASTLE SHALL BE YOUR TOMB!" Steeljaw's rant was finished with a powerful wolf-like howl that echoed throughout the sky.
The transformed Shinkiro flew alongside Cera's pink Akatsuki with Akito's Alexander still hanging on to the former. They were soon joined by the Guren, Lancelot, Raiden, Tristian Divider, Florence Nero, and Byakuen, along with Jetfire's Jet-Mode and the Iron Will piloted by Ultra Magnus. As they flew over the lake, the vehicle modes of Bumblebee and Elita-One drove underwater and were regrouped and joined by those of Arcee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Sideswipe, Prowl, Strongarm, and Grindcore; and even the insect-modes of the Alexander Valiants piloted by Ryo, Ayano, Yukiya, and Alice, their Knightmares fully capable of submerging underwater thanks to Jetfire's modifications.
Though they couldn't see each other's faces at the moment, everyone could feel each other's smiles, knowing the victory they just pulled off. Even Akito couldn't help himself but smile.
"Lelouch… you are something else, you know that right?" Marrybell commented with a smile as she sat behind her half-brother.
"So, I've been told." Lelouch replied as he looked to see they were approaching Castle Weisswolf; Nunnally, Leila, Shirley, Rivalz, Milly, and Nina were already there with Claus, and were even greeted by Oscar, Anna, and Misty as they all waved their approaching comrades with emotional and excited smiles.
Lelouch looked at the screen of his younger sister and saw her smile. Somehow, her smile only grew as she looked his way. It was as if they could see each other's faces despite the circumstances. Unbeknownst to them, Akito and Leila had a similar moment themselves.
However, Lelouch's smile faded as a serious expression formed on his face. "We may have won now, but it's not over. To the contrary, the Battle for Europia… has only just begun."
Done.
So, this chapter was a bit shorter than I thought, but I'm very pleased with how it turned out. For many of you who are confused, allow me to explain Lelouch's plan to you…
He anticipated the Gallia Grande was some kind of trap. So, after rescuing Marrybell and defeating the enemy on-board, they all escaped via Groundbridge. Though the satellite currently hovering over Castle Weisswolf prevented them from getting back to base, they were still able to make it to safety. Once that was done, Lelouch used a Groundbridge to teleport to Paris and confront Smilas. They learned from Wizard and his Peace Mark connections that he was the one who arranged for the murder of Leila's father, and Lelouch got Smilas' confirmation, before using his Geass on Smilas (in a similar manner to what he did with Schneizel near the end of the canon series). And now the people of Europia are standing together, inspired by Leila's genuine speech to reach them and are voicing their support to the Black Knight-Autobot alliance.
Meanwhile, Euphemia was able to get into Euro Britannia, where she made contact with the Glynda Knights and Asura Strike Force to rescue Grand Duke Velaines and the only surviving order of knights, the Holy Order of Raphael; and have now formed a resistance group in Euro Britannia. Now they have made contact with the Geassed Smilas in Europia and have begun coordinating their respective forces to fight back against the approaching Decepticons in-between both nations.
Using those same Peace Mark connections, they were also able to find out about Claus' mission as a double agent for Euro Britannia and were able to convince him to side with them for real. He used his status as a double agent to lure Shin and Steeljaw, thinking they were surrendering, when they had sprung a trap of their own. Cera was able to use her power to suppress Shin's Geass, whether or not it'll stay like that is unknown, even Cera is unsure. The heroes also managed to literally drop the remains of the Gallia Grande on the enemy forces, wiping out more than two thirds of their whole army.
So yeah, this is a pretty big victory for the heroes. But their job is not done yet. As Lelouch said, the Battle for Europia is just getting started.
However, the next chapter is not going to kick the battle off right away. I actually have something very special planned in the next episode that I hope you'll find enjoyable.
Anyways, I had fun writing this story and I hope you all enjoy reading it as well. Thanks again for your patience, stay safe and stay healthy out there. The upcoming battle is going to be a big one.
Take care. Love you.