Frozen Knightmare
Chapter 4: Engage!
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or any of the characters involved except Guardian I. Ice
Ice rocketed off to engage the White Knightmare. She leaped onto an overpass to get a better view of the battlefield and was engaged by the White Knightmare after only a few minutes.
"Nice to meet you," Ice's voice echoed over the battlefield as she blocked a kick from the enemy frame.
"I'll give you one chance to stand down and surrender," a voice replied.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that."
Ice pushed back against the Knightmare's leg and sent it spinning away from her. She took the opportunity to step back and summon her ring blade.
As the White Knightmare slammed into the ground and slid to a stop the pilot's voice came out from the speakers again.
"Then don't blame me for what happens next."
He shot toward her, the slash harkens erupting from the Knightmare's hips as it flew. Ice spun her ring blade in an underhand swing, blocking the heads of the slash harkens as the White Knightmare closed in. She caught its kick with her off-hand and the two struggled against each other, neither willing to give ground.
Meanwhile, at the Britannian Comand Center
Prince Clovis watched with mock disinterest as the White Knightmare ravaged the enemy forces.
"The Lancelot certainly seems to be effective," he said mildly.
Doctor Lloyd of the Special Corp gave a nervous smile, "Yes Your Majesty. It is the first of the newest generation of Knightmare Frames, expanding and improving on all previous models."
"So it seems… but this other one…" Clovis leaned forward in his seat as their camera zoomed in on Ice's Knightmare while it engaged the Lancelot.
"This seems like a remarkably similar model as the Lancelot, does it not?" he asked.
"W-well, perhaps it might be an experimental model. But I assure you that it is no match for the Lancelot."
Lloyd turned away from Prince Clovis to his assistant, "Cecile. I need you to return to the launch center for the Lancelot and back up the data it's sending to us."
She gave Lloyd a look of surprise, "Do you think that other Knightmare could win a fight with it?" she asked.
Lloyd shook his head, "No, but at this rate, the Lancelot is going to run out of power if Pilot Kurarugi continues to push it to the limit, and we'll want to make sure we have all of the data before that happens."
She nodded before turning and exiting the room. Lloyd turned back to the camera as Suzaku leaped back from Ice to disengage.
"You're quite good," Suzaku said to her as the two sized each other up, waiting for the other's next move.
"Thanks. I was specifically selected to come here because of my experience with heavy machines," she said.
"Who sent you?" Suzaku asked.
She went to reply, then thought better about it. As she debated how to reply she saw the Lancelot's scanners appear from its chest. She leaped forward, slicing her ring blade through them. Suzaku barely managed to back away in time, but both cameras received a slight gash in them from his delayed reaction.
"What the?" Clovis asked as the camera cut out.
"It seems they knew were watching," Lloyd said to himself, "That's strange… they shouldn't have known the cameras were in the scanners…"
Suzaku grunted as he slid to a stop.
"You would take a cheap shot like that?" he asked.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you. I needed to guarantee us some privacy," she answered.
"What?"
"Suzaku Kururugi. Son of former Prime Minister Kururugi. That's who you are right?" she asked.
Suzaku's eyes widened in surprise, "How do you know my name?"
Ice nodded to herself in her cockpit, "I thought so. My name is Guardian I. Ice. I was sent here by my people to secure aid in a war between us and our long-standing enemies. We have been looking for strong allies to help us in this fight as our enemies have also been recruiting."
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
"I was sent here to recruit two individuals. You. And the leader of this Japanese Resistance cell."
Suzaku's eyes widened, "What if I say no?"
"That's fine. I can't force you to help me. But I was hoping your sense of honor would at least hear me out. You've done that, so if you want to refuse I'll leave you to your war with the Resistance."
"Aren't you an ally of the Rebellion?" he asked.
"Only so far as their leader is willing to help me. I'm not here to fight his war. I'm just here to help enough so he's convinced I'm worth helping in return."
Suzaku nodded understanding as he stood up, "Well. If you're going, then go. Like I said, I was only going to give you one chance to surrender, but if you're not here to fight Brittania then I have no reason to keep fighting you unless you force me to."
Ice let her blade slide back into the palms of her Knightmare as she stepped back.
"Thank you Sir Kururugi. I hope that, in the future, we might be able to meet face-to-face and under better circumstances."
Suzaku did not reply, and after a few seconds of silence, Ice turned and retreated. She reached down to her radio and tapped a button.
"Did that buy you enough time K-1?" She asked.
Lelouch smiled as he approached the command base of the Britannian forces, "More than enough time Q-1. Thank you."
Lelouch used his power to force the guard to stand down and surrender his weapon. As he made his way through the mobile base, he was passed by Lloyd who was on his way back to the Lancelot's deployment bay to review the data.
As Lelouch entered the command center he smiled to himself as he realized his plan had worked, the officers that normally occupied the consoles had been called away, so that only Clovis remained.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Clovis asked as he saw Lelouch enter.
Lelouch stepped around to face Clovis, removing the borrowed helmet as he leveled his pistol at Clovis's face.
"Hello, brother."
"Lelouch?" Clovis asked, his eyes widening in shock.
"The one and only. But now that formalities are out of the way, I have questions for you."
Clovis began to sputter and panic, but Lelouch used his power on Clovis, forcing him to tell the truth about the murder of Lelouch's mother years ago.
"I swear I don't know anything. But, Schneizel or Cornelia might!"
Lelouch scoffed, "Of course, Schneizel would be involved."
Clovis stared at him in fear, waiting for further questions, but Lelouch smiled.
"Thank you Clovis, you've served me admirably."
He leveled the pistol at Clovis who began to panic, "W-wait, I can help y-"
He was cut off as Lelouch pulled the trigger.
"Q-1, let's get out of here. We have more work to do."