Code Geass: The Grey Chessmen

by Generatedname

An unknown enemy encountered during a Refrain bust leads the newly formed Black Knights to a discovery that warns of a coming global catastrophe. The question is, will they be ready in time to face it?

6. Interlude 1

A/N: Apologies for the delay, I had some pretty bad internet issues and some personal matters came up. That said I've decided to try something a bit different for this chapter. Instead of focusing on the main story at hand, I've decided to instead turn this into a sort of interlude chapter, focusing on events that are important to the grand plot, but also generally taking place in areas well outside of Area 11, or with characters not immediately related to the ongoing plot. Inserting these mid-chapter would lead to breaks in the action, so I've decided to instead put these aside and collect them here. I hope you all enjoy, and the next chapter will be a return to the main storyline.

---

Interlude 1

Just the day before, Narita had been a small city, nestled up against a picturesque forested mountain. It had been a popular place to visit by the Japanese people even before the occupation, and its popularity had only grown after the Occupation, when many other venues of entertainment were cut off. Be it a family going out for a picnic, or a rock climber looking to stay close to Tokyo but also near some difficult crags, or a party of hikers looking to spend a few days in the woods, Narita had long been seen as relatively safe. Britannia rarely went here, not with the JLF so close at hand, and the Britannians that did were of a sort that were less likely to start a fight.

Now though, the place was a desolate wasteland. The city lay in ruins, the buildings burnt out and shattered by relentless artillery bombardment and the fires that started in its wake. The northern half of the city had been partially buried by the landslide, buildings having been knocked off their foundations, swept along, and eventually coming to rest at odd angles. The people within had fared little better. The Britannians had ordered the population to shelter in place, believing that the battle would not come close to the city and that civilians moving around trying to leave would only hinder Britannian troop movements. Thus, when the Britannian Center had retreated into the city before the JLF charge, the population had not been removed at all. Thorough JLF shelling had ensured many of those that stayed in place died, either from bombardment or as the fires spread throughout the city. Those that ran fared little better, as the JLF drone swarm had then descended on the town. The drones were effective weapons, but as the JLF had learned, their simple programming left them unable to differentiate between a Britannian soldier running for cover, and a civilian doing the same. Any figure not wearing an IFF headband was gunned down without mercy by the swarming machines.

The surrounding countryside had fared no better. There was no greenery left for miles around, and smoke still rose from smoldering embers. The entire area had been charred and blackened, and the sky itself was yellow from all the soot in the air. Amidst the broken, blackened trees, one could see the twisted wreckage of Knightmare frames, strewn about like fallen titans. Some were visible in their entirety. Others were half-buried. Still others lay completely below the ground, swallowed up entirely by the merciless landslide.

General Katase walked through this barren landscape, deep in thought. His senior officers walked beside him, along with the Emissary. The alien glided along at Katase's right side, leaving no apparent trail behind it.

"... This was no victory." He finally speaks.

Did you not defeat the enemy?

The Emissary's question echoed in the minds of all nearby.

"We did not seek to merely defeat Britannia." Katase replies.

"Our goal here was to destroy them! Completely and utterly. Divide their forces, destroy them, kill Cornelia and Euphemia, and leave the path clear for a march on Tokyo. Even with losses such as these, we would have been able to sweep aside the dregs that Britannia had guarding the capital, take the city, dig in against a counterattack, and proclaim the liberation of Japan." Katase growls.

"Instead, we have to settle for merely killing many Britannians and forcing them to retreat, with both princesses still alive, a sizeable force still remaining, and with our own forces attritted so badly we cannot launch another offensive before Britannia can ship in more men from elsewhere in the country and abroad... All thanks to that bastard Zero and the traitor Toudoh!"

With the facilities we have already established, your losses may be replaced swiftly. More still is yet to come. You have proven yourselves capable wielders of the technology we have offered.

"Equipment is not the problem." Katase replies.

"Metal is cheap. Between what we can salvage from the battlefield and what we can produce in our base, we can replace most of our equipment losses in a matter of weeks. The issue is manpower. A Knightmare is useless without a pilot, and even then it is a sitting duck without a team of infantry to support it in close quarters, artillery to level obstacles in its path, and SAMs to keep it safe from aircraft. All of these need more and more people to crew them, and we don't have people."

There are many people in the surrounding area, no? Many more in Tokyo. With your efforts here, surely they would be convinced to join?

"It... Isn't so simple. Most people simply want to keep their heads down and wait for the dust to settle. They won't come to us just because we won one costly victory, even if they do support us in their hearts and wish for the liberation of Japan."

A strange mindset. Victory requires sacrifice. If they are unwilling to sacrifice their peace for victory, then do they truly support you?

"I..." Katase pauses.

You told me of why you fought, many years ago. You desired for your progeny, and for the entire nation, to know that you stood by the customs and traditions of your people and that they brought you victory in turn. Would the same not hold true for others? Even if they may be more... Hesitant to admit it, would they not be more proud, in the end, to tell their own progeny that they fought, rather than cowered and waited?

Yes... That made sense... Why didn't he think so earlier? What problems had there been with such a thing anyway? It was so simple.

"You are right..." Katase nods, seeing the men around him nod as well.

"Perhaps we should look into mobilizing people from the surrounding countryside. Take them, train them, and once all is over, return them home with compensation for lost time, plenty of stories to tell, and the ability to hold their heads up high when all this is over. How does that sound?" He thinks aloud.

The men around him all nod assent.

"... Then we shall organize such an effort tonight. We shall begin by reaching out to any surviving resistance groups across the country. With our victory, we should be able to convince them to join forces with us easily enough. Then, we shall turn to the people and ensure that they do their patriotic duty." He says as the group passes by a team of excavators, working to dig a Burai out of the dirt. This one, as it turns out, was not JLF. The black paint scheme makes it out to be a unit from the Black Knights. Its cockpit block is missing, indicating that it had likely been taken out during the Black Knights' uphill charge, with its pilot then ejecting. The unit was largely useless as a consequence, though perhaps it might still serve as a spare parts hulk, or a target for trainees.

"What of the Black Knights?" One of his lieutenants speaks up.

"Yeah... We cannot let Zero or the traitor Toudoh walk free after they stabbed Japan in the back yesterday. They must be hunted down, or else they shall simply strike again!" Another man says.

"We lack the forces to simply attack the Black Knights, especially since now we can assume that they and the Britannians are on the same side. We will have to wait until-" Katase begins, but the Emissary interrupts him.

The focus on the JLF must be on rebuilding. We, however, have other loyal agents working within the Tokyo settlement itself. When the time comes, they shall ensure you can take the city easily. However, in the meantime, we shall task them with eliminating this... Zero character.

"How many such agents?" Katase asks.

Several units, whose numbers are increasing. We shall task our best to the elimination of Zero and the destruction of the Black Knights. The rest shall continue their work in sabotaging Britannian defenses for your upcoming push.

"Very well." Katase nods.

"I will leave it to your agents, then. In the meantime, I suppose we have an army to rebuild. How long until the new equipment arrives?"

Ten local planetary cycles. Implementation may be delayed due to damage control taking precedence over further excavation.

"No matter. We will get it done." Katase nods once more.

All around them, the work continued. JLF teams picked their way across the ruined landscape, digging up what they could. Occasionally a cheer would rise up as a survivor was found in one of the buried Knightmares. Those were the lucky ones, though, who fell in such a way that their Knightmares still had access to outside air. Most were not so fortunate. Further down, near the town, two graves were being dug. One was a simple affair. A deep trench, into which the bodies of the dead Britannians would be bulldozed once they were gathered up. The other a more respectful affair, for the JLF dead, and for the Japanese civilians killed in Narita as a result of Britannian negligence.

This was not a victory for the JLF, but it had not been a defeat either. In the end, the Britannians had come with the goal of annihilating them, and for their efforts they had suffered many dead and had to run with their tails between their legs.

This was merely the first battle in a larger war, and now it was time to prepare the JLF for its eventual victory.

---

The Caribbean Islands, or Area 1 as they were now known, had a long history with the Britannian Empire. Originally conquered and colonized by the Spanish, they had then spent centuries being traded between the world's great powers, with Britannia, France, Spain and many others all at some point owning land in the area for more than three hundred years. During these centuries the Caribbean had turned into a place of incredibly lucrative slave plantations, with first Native and then African slaves producing incredible amounts of wealth for the rulers of these islands. However, it would not last forever. The French Revolution's aftershocks would be felt as far away as the colony of French Hispaniola, where the slaves would rise up in revolt to overthrow their rulers. Normally such a revolt would have been crushed in short order, but at the time the Napoleonic Wars were raging and Europe's gaze had turned inward. Thus, what began in the newly established Republic of Haiti spread like wildfire across the islands, striking both warring sides in Europe equally hard as the islanders turned against their colonial overlords and kicked them out while the military's might was focused elsewhere.

Unfortunately for the newly freed islanders, it was not to last. Once the dust had settled in Europe, the cash-strapped European powers looked abroad to reassert their global dominance and simultaneously refill their drained treasuries. Soon, French and Spanish ships appeared on the horizon, and a brutal war to retake the islands began. In the end, the free Caribbean states were crushed in their infancy, and the rebels found themselves repressed and worked even harder than before as the Europeans sought to extract everything they could from the islands. Over the course of the next few decades the islands would be overworked and overexploited. Even the outlawing of slavery by the Europeans would change little, as unpaid slaves would simply become unpaid indentured laborers and apprentices.

Things would change once more with the turn of the century. By the late 1800s, Britannia had recovered from its humiliation at Napoleon's hands and expanded across the North American continent, pushing the French and Spanish out of their colonies in Florida, Louisiana and California, and now looked south for further gains. Soon, black smoke was seen on the horizon as Britannian battleships and cruisers arrived in the Caribbean. The French and Spanish defenders, unable to successfully coordinate a defense, were taken down one by one, and soon the Britannian flag flew over the entire Caribbean. However, times had changed since the days of Napoleon.

Caribbean sugar was no longer the lucrative cash crop it once was. The industry had been on the verge of collapse when the Britannians arrived thanks to a mix of overcultivation and a worldwide drop in sugar prices. Indeed, the Britannians had not sought the islands for any local industry, instead looking to keep the Europeans from developing any naval bases so close to Britannian soil. However, the need to administer the islands still remained, and so a new system was created, with the Caribbean Islands being declared Area 1. Under this new system the natives would be allowed a decree of self-governance, made possible through the ennoblement of local collaborators, all under the watchful eye of a Britannian Viceroy who would oversee the smooth development of the Area, particularly its military aspects. With this new system, the European plantation system would vanish overnight, and the locals would hail the Britannians as liberators, and many would go on to fight in the Britannian Army during the Great War a decade later. As a reward for their service, Emperor Godred du Britannia would declare the people of the Caribbean to be Honorary Britannians. Not the first use of the term, but nevertheless setting precedent for how Areas were administered for years to come.

Nowadays, Area 1 had largely assimilated into the Empire, and many within the Empire's government, including Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, were pushing for for its full integration into the Britannian Metropole to serve as a positive example to other Areas as to the benefits of loyalty and assimilation. The old agricultural economy had been entirely displaced as its main industry by tourism, the islands proving to be a very popular destination for vacationers from all across the Empire. Many Britannian nobles owned huge, seaside estates within the Area, luxurious getaways for the rich and powerful and their friends.

The most magnificent of these estates was located on a beach just outside Havana, and belonged to its current viceroy. The sprawling estate had been completed just five years prior, and its extravagance fit its owner's tastes perfectly. Inside the beachside mansion's basement was a large room, built to look as though it were some strange natural grotto. Illumination was provided by lights cleverly hidden behind crystal, and the walls were smooth and polished black stone. In the center of it all was a large bath, steam rising up from the heated water within as its owner rests within, her eyes half-closed as she relaxes after a particularly long two days.

Guinevere su Britannia, the First Princess of Britannia and the current Viceroy of Area 1, was a figure of some controversy within the Empire. Her detractors considered her to be little more than an extravagant gossip-monger. A spoiled socialite who cared more for celebrity gossip and her own indulgences than the glory and prosperity of the Empire. They derided her as a Britannian Marie Antoinette, who would flush away the Britannian treasury on pointless luxuries if given half a chance, and they were at least partially right. She had spent an astronomical sum on this mansion, as well as several others like it in other places around the Empire. Even the underwear that had been carelessly tossed aside on the floor behind her was worth more than a month's salary for the average Britannian worker.

Conversely, many of her proponents pointed out that she wasn't just building mansions. They pointed out the immense amounts she had spent on public works and investments throughout Area 1. Shopping malls, cruise ships, hospitals, airports, hotels, and the infrastructure to support them were all financed by her, and that as a result the revenue the Empire gained from Area 1, the quality of life enjoyed by its people, and the experiences of tourists vacationing there, had never been better. This was also true. Guinevere liked to build things, build them big, and then name them after herself. The largest cruise liner in the world, the S.S. Guinevere, was funded by and named after her. Guinevere Tower, the largest and most luxurious hotel in Havana, was another project of hers. The Guinevere su Britannia Imperial Airport had only just opened last month, and was currently one of only a handful of airports large enough to accommodate the airships that she knew would be the future of air travel, several of which were now being built to usher in the next generation of air travel.

Most importantly though, all this debate over her fitness to rule happened entirely on networks that she owned, for Guinevere, along with her half-siblings Cornelia and Schneizel, were considered the Big Three by the Britannian population. It was an open secret that the First Prince, Odysseus eu Britannia, did not want the throne, and would almost certainly abdicate if crowned Emperor. That left three possible successors, all with credible claims to the throne and considerable resources to back them up.

The first was Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia, who controlled the government and legislature, and already was largely responsible for running the Empire's day to day affairs.

The second was Field Marshal Cornelia li Britannia, who controlled the military and had distinguished herself as a capable commander in the war for Area 10, and who had only recently added four new Areas to the Empire in her lightning-fast drive across North Africa and into Arabia.

The third was Guinevere su Britannia, who held a tight grip over the Empire's media. When Schneizel wanted to influence public opinion, or Cornelia's victory had to be presented to the masses, both went to her to get it done. While perception wasn't quite reality, it certainly went a long way in shaping it. All the controversy that Guinevere stirred up was allowed to exist at her leisure. The debates over her latest project, the cost of her dresses, the lavish parties she regularly threw, all of it served to keep her in the public eye as a larger than life figure, one whom the public could not help but be fascinated by.

Recent news, however, had not been so good. Cornelia had lost a battle against some rebels in Area 11, and now it had fallen to her to try and put a good spin on it. However, what she had originally thought to just be her sister's arrogance getting the better of her turned out to be far, far more concerning as she had dug into it. Her name had opened a lot of doors, allowing her access to highly classified combat footage, and what she had seen had chilled her to her core.

Cornelia had not lost to random rebels in the woods with a few RPGs and a lack of self-preservation instinct. She had faced an army, with Knightmares and artillery, with technology that was visibly far in advance of anything they could have possibly obtained. Digging deeper still, she had found recorded communications between Euphemia and Zero, buried under so many levels of secrecy that they had stuck out like a sore thumb. The Black Knights, the same terrorists that had been such a pain to manage over the past few months after they had killed Clovis, had come to Cornelia's aid, and based on what she had found, they were likely the only reason Cornelia had made it out of that inferno alive. It was a confusing picture, and one that would be incredibly difficult to spin to the public, but Guinevere's primary concern remained the JLF's technology. The implications involved...

A chime rings out, causing Guinevere to blink and stand up. She looks around, confirming that the door is locked and that the room is secure.

"It's clear!" She declares.

A moment later the wall opposite her slides open, revealing a tunnel that led out all the way to the ocean, terminating in an underwater exit.

"You are as beautiful as ever, my dear Guinevere." The figure in the doorway says as he walks inside, closing the door behind him.

Guinevere laughs as she walks up to him and pulls him into an embrace.

"Charming as always, I'kal." She replies with a grin.

The man in front of her could have passed for a normal human at a distance. Tall, with pale, almost translucent skin, a muscular physique and a wild mane of shoulder-length black hair, most women would have doubtlessly considered him quite handsome, but for the obvious traits that set him aside. Webbing stretched between his fingers, and his toes were long, forming into flippers. The lines of gills could be seen along his neck, though for now these were closed as he breathed normally, and when he smiled he revealed a mouth full of razor-sharp, pointed teeth, like those of a barracuda. In his hands he held a long bundle, wrapped in cloth.

"How are things beneath the waves?" Guinevere asks, sitting back down in the warm water, the man doing the same, placing the bundle on his knees.

The man shrugs.

"There are good tidings and bad, though I suppose I will start with the good." He says, unwrapping the bundle. Inside is a long trident and a hatchet, both made out of a light blue material.

"The latest rebellion by the Gillmen has been put down, and I personally reaffirmed their fealty to my Lords. These previously belonged to their High Chieftain, and now I gift them to you." He says, handing the weapons to Guinevere.

"Oh, you shouldn't have~!" She laughs in delight, picking up the hatchet. It feels almost like a toy in her hands. Light, as though it were made of plastic, but she knew that the edge was razor sharp, and that it could hold that edge better than any metal. She gives it a few playful swings before setting it and the trident aside.

"Congratulations on your victory, darling! It is good to hear that those ungrateful savages have been put in their place. After all your Lords have done for them, for them to repay you with such disobedience is unthinkable."

"Indeed. Moreover, their time is coming to an end. As of last month, the Tasoth genetic template has entered mass production. Soon, we shall have an army of creatures far more capable and loyal than those ungrateful barbarians." I'kal nods.

"Just in time too..." Guinevere sighs, her good mood evaporating.

"So you have already heard as well?" I'kal asks.

"Yes. They're here. I believe my sister ran into a force of their proxies yesterday while attempting to put down a rebel group in Area 11. The rebel group turned out to be in possession of technology far more advanced than our own, which they could have only gotten from the Invaders." Guinevere nods.

"Indeed. Four days ago, one of our monitors picked up hyperwave transmissions originating from within this solar system. It seems that they have established a forward base within our system, and the first stages of the invasion are beginning."

"I thought we would have had more time..." Guinevere sighs. I'kal shrugs, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"We knew it would happen. Be it in one year or one thousand, they would have reached this world eventually. If anything, it is fortunate that they came now, and not five thousand years prior. Your peoples' technology is in the middle of an exponential growth spike. I believe that we have a fighting chance." He says, smiling, though Guinevere can tell that at least some of the bravado is forced.

"On the subject of technology, production of the Hydra Knightmares and Mudskipper Powered Armor has begun, with the first deliveries having been made to my Honor Guard. They are undergoing conversion training as we speak. A few units have also been set aside to be sent down to your people for evaluation." Guinevere replies.

One advantage of spending such extravagant sums of money was that it left a lot of room for funds to be siphoned off into secret projects, like the design and manufacture of advanced Knightmares.

"That is good to hear. I believe I have the cargo space to take them with us when we go." I'kal replies.

"We?" Guinevere asks.

"Yes. My Lords have requested your presence. Recent events have shown that our plans need to be accelerated."

Guinevere sighs, before nodding.

"Very well. I suppose we shouldn't delay, then." She says, standing up and wading towards the hidden door. She opened it, and stepped into the tunnel. There, in a side alcove, is a locker, which Guinevere opens by placing her palm on a scanner. From inside she takes out a golden mask with a prominent mouthpiece that she puts on. Next comes a diving suit, which mounts several pieces of technology. A displacer device, intended to create a bubble of constant pressure around her, as well as a pressure differential that allowed her to move through water far faster than any swimmer, as well as a temperature regulation device, to keep hypothermia at bay.

With that, she closes the door and follows I'kal out through the tunnel.

As the water grew deeper, soon she began to have to swim instead of wade, the mask activating upon being submerged and beginning to provide her with breathable air. Kicking her feet, she swam after I'kal, who moved slowly, giving her time to catch up.

As she went onwards, towards the open ocean, she thought about just how things had gotten to this point. If the Britannian people could see what their princess was getting up to now, they'd probably be calling for her head for any number of reasons, from treason to embezzlement to interspecies relationships. There would soon be other crimes to add to that list as well, if her prediction proved correct, but she had been steeling herself for those dark deeds for years now, ever since she had first learned about the world beneath the waves.

It had all started with Empress Marianne, she supposed. Granted, she'd never been particularly close with the woman or her children, but it was clear to see that her father loved her above all his other consorts, to the point of specifically making her his Empress above all those he had married before, and while her son was only the 11th Prince in the official hierarchy, Guinevere had at the time suspected that her father might have been planning to push him ahead of the line when the time came. Thus, the vi Britannia line was a threat to her position, and had to be monitored closely.

Then Marianne had died, and suddenly the vi Britannias had lost everything. It was strange to see just how fast the Emperor seemed to damn Marianne's memory and banished her children out of his sight. There had definitely been something strange going on that night. Between the Emperor blocking the investigation, his sudden reversal of affection, the banishment of his children.. Guinevere personally suspected that Marianne had been having an affair and been caught, with the Emperor's wrath coming down swiftly onto her head. What else could possibly explain both the Emperor's sudden change of heart and his desire to cover everything up?

Whatever the truth, it had been a sobering reminder to a young Guinevere that her position of First Princess meant nothing. If the Emperor could dispose of his Empress and her children seemingly without a second thought, he could do the same to her. It was this event that had prompted her to start building her media empire, her lavish palaces, her huge public works projects, and naming it all after herself. With so much publicity, so much construction, and her name everywhere, she desired to make it impossible to remove her in the way that the vi Britannias were removed.

Soon she had successfully gained the Viceroyship of Area 1, and it was there that she encountered the Dagonites for the first time. At the time she had thought them to be just some strange old cult, a relic of the island's days of voodoo and hoodoo. At the time, urged on by idle curiosity, she had attended a meeting in disguise. However, something about the little cult had seemed strange to her, and soon became apparent why. It was not some primitive religion amalgamated from old African superstitions. No, it was something else.

The cult spoke of a great and ancient enemy from the stars that would inevitably arrive at Earth. An inexorable doom that would shatter and destroy the unprepared. However, not all hope was lost, for another ancient civilization had fled to Earth in the distant past, and as it awakened, it would aid the faithful in repelling the threat and usher the world into a new utopian age. What truly made it all strange, however, is that these claims were never followed by demands for the faithful to give money to the cult or its leaders, like she would expect. No, if anything the opposite was happening, with the cult offering to assist its members in business ventures and developing valuable skills, without ever asking for financial compensation.

This had kept Guinevere from simply having police raid it after a few nights for a quick PR stunt. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she wished to see just how deep the rabbit hole went. In time she had penetrated through the outer circle and the cult's mysteries began to be revealed to her... And it was then that she had seen her first Hybrid. Genuine proof that the cult was not simply some elaborate sham, but an actual organization that simply used religion as a convenient carrier for its message, namely to prepare for an incoming threat.

At the next meeting she had come prepared, and when the Hybrid stepped out to give his speech, she revealed her true identity. With a dead-man's switch hidden up her sleeve, she spoke with the creature, asking the questions that she would not expect a simple cult to be able to answer, or that the cult's scripture had left too vague for her liking. Every one had been answered to her satisfaction. For hours she and the Hybrid had spoke, first in public and then in private, and by the end she had negotiated an alliance between herself and the People of Dagon.

That had been six years ago. In the time since then, she had grown to be the head of the Cult in Area 1, and under her leadership it had grown significantly. As she built lavish monuments on the surface, she built factories and infrastructure underground, all in the name of preparing for a threat that could come at any time.

She saw I'kal point up ahead, and she spotted the silhouette of a ship. A sleek, yellowish vehicle capable of traveling through the air and under the water with equal ease. The Hybrid opened the airlock for her, and she swam inside. As the water drained and air filled the chamber, she took a deep breath.

The Invaders had arrived. It was time to get ready to face them.

---

The region of Alsace lay on the border between France and Germany, deep within the heartland of the EU. Long ago it had been part of the Holy Roman Empire, but during the 17th century it had been slowly conquered by the French as part of the nation's drive to achieve what it considered its natural, geographic boundaries. The region had been administered by the French ever since, a fact that had nearly broken the European Grand Alliance apart in the late 19th century. In fact, it was a common belief among European historians that had the French and the newly reunified state of Germany gone to war then, the European Union that succeeded the Grand Alliance would have never come to pass. Peace prevailed in the end, however, though many anti-Imperialists within the EU pointed out that this peace had been bought with African land at the Berlin Conference in the late 1800s. Indeed, Germany had come away from the conference with a considerable sum of territory marked out in Africa, territory that it had been happy to take for its own over the course of the following decades. Kenya, Tanganika, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ruanda, Urundi, Sierra Leone, Gambia, South Africa, Somalialand, Cameroon, Nigeria, the Gold Coast... All of these territories and more ended up either fully or partially under German colonial control, and had remained as such for the following century, the German Empire growing rich off the land's plentiful natural resources.

At least, until now. The African War, as the Europeans had called it, had been a disaster. Britannian forces had invaded through South Africa, driving north into the heart of the German colonies in a surprise attack. Though the German National Army and local Askaris had fought well, they had been unable to stop the Britannian advance. Perhaps in time they might have been able to reverse the tide of the war, with new units from the German heartland being prepared to stop the bleeding, but before they could arrive, everything had gone from bad to worse. Princess Cornelia li Britannia, Field Marshal of the Britannian Army, had landed in Morocco, and with surprising speed had swept clean across North Africa. The French and Italian colonial forces in her path were swept aside, as were the EU Regulars marched in to plug the gaps. Hamstrung by confusing and often opposed command structures, the EU's forces had failed to stop the Britannian blitz despite numerical superiority and the region's close proximity to their heartland. Had that been all, the situation may have yet been salvageable, but Cornelia did not stop after taking the Italian colony of Libya. Instead she drove onwards into Egypt, then a territory of the Middle Eastern Federation. The Arabs had proceeded to fold like a house of cards, and in a matter of weeks Cornelia had reached the Suez Canal, crossed it, and shattered their armies in Arabia. The Middle Eastern Federation had capitulated in its entirety, save for some government officials who fled to their last independent holdings in Sudan to form a government in exile, and the EU, now deprived of access to its African resources, had been forced to sue for peace.

Now, in Alsace, the man responsible for brokering that peace was busy discussing the next war.

"I am telling you right now, Chancellor, that if you want to win back the Suez before Britannia decides to take the rest of Africa, reforms to our military structure are absolutely crucial. Right now, we have thirty-one separate armies under our command. They don't talk to one another, many don't even speak the same languages, and getting half of them to leave their own little corner of the EU is like pulling teeth! We must centralize it all under a single authority, or else you may as well start learning Britannian now." A tall bearded man in a general's uniform explains.

"General Smilas, I understand and I agree with you in principle. However, the right to maintain national territorial defense forces is an inviolable right in the European Constitution. You know this, General. Besides, the European Regular Army fills the role you-"

"The European Regulars?! Don't make me laugh, Chancellor. We both know that these days, every single nation puts all its funds, men and materiel into their own TDFs, and only kopecks and dregs are left for the Regulars. When I fought in Algeria, the Polish Hussars were in Poland, the German Panzergrenadiers were in Germany, and the French Cuirassiers were in France! Instead on my left flank I had Algerians with a mix of decades-old equipment and whatever they could hammer together in their backyards, on my right I had Italians, who fired a few shots and retreated across the Mediterranean, and in my center I had the EU Regulars, composed almost entirely of goddamn Russians who arrived on the battlefield drunk and would happily sell their own ammunition to the Britannians for some sausage and rum!"

"Surely you exaggerate!" The Chancellor exclaims.

"Not in the slightest." Smilas growls.

"I see... Still, the problem remains. The Hemicycle will approve a great many things, but an end to one of the EU's foundational national rights would be too far. I could never force it through."

"Then do something else. Require TDFs to rotate units into the Regulars, or make ensure that the budgetary and material needs of the EU Regular Army are met before nations can start spending what remains on their TDFs. Anything to ensure that next time we will present a united front to the enemy instead of a shattered, squabbling mess!"

"Such measures, especially so soon after the peace treaty was signed, risk provoking the Britannians."

"The treaty is meaningless to them. Schneizel has us by the balls and he knows it. Without the Suez Canal, we cannot get Sakuradite from the Kilimanjaro mines. Our only alternatives are the Italian mines, which are already running dry, or the Kamchatka mines, which will take decades to develop to the point where they can meet our needs while also being on the opposite side of Siberia. We have at most one or two years until they make a move to take the rest of Africa. If we are not ready by then, the EU will fall." Smilas.

"I will take that into consideration." The Chancellor replies.

"Thank you, Chancellor Malcal." Smilas nods, before turning and leaving the room.

Once the door closes behind him, he lets out a long sigh.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asks.

"Most of the last half, sir."

The speaker is a young blonde girl, with violet eyes and long hair done up in two small buns. Much like Smilas, she wore a blue military uniform, with a Major's insignia on its collar and epaulettes.

"Anna has already given me her report from her talks with the Russians. Unfortunately, I must concur with her conclusions. I believe that Castle Weisswolf is entirely unsuitable as a site for the continued development and subsequent deployment of Apollo's Chariot." She says.

"What have you found, Leila? As I recall, you were previously an advocate for the use of the site, citing its defensibility, size, and central location." Smilas asks.

"Yes, and I believe it may still be a good place for housing men and conducting the research and development process, but the actual launch infrastructure must be moved as soon as possible." Leila replies.

"As you likely already know, our team has recently been joined by several Russian experts in rocketry for the purpose of vehicle development." Leila says.

"What I did not know, however, was that apparently Apollo's Chariot was not the first attempt at making such a vehicle."

"What?!" Smilas blinks.

"Yes. Apparently, about forty years ago, the Russians attempted to make something similar, though instead of a troop deployment vehicle their intentions were to turn it into a long range artillery piece, capable of shelling Pendragon from a launch site in the Kazakh steppe." Or Paris and Berlin from the same, but that went unsaid.

"How long have they had this?" Smilas demands.

"They... Haven't. The project was canceled after several disasters, and they were rather... Chilling to read about. After several years of expensive failures the whole project was canned and swept under the rug, and the launch sites were demolished to keep them out of Chinese hands during the Second Eastern War. Nothing remains but a few experts who have now joined with us." Leila replies.

"What sort of failures?"

"In one, a malfunctioning guidance system led to the rocket looping around back onto the launchpad and exploding, soaking the surrounding area in hypergolic fuel. The entire launch site was uninhabitable for several days until rain came and washed the chemicals out. On several occasions, rockets would simply explode during the fueling process and kill everyone nearby. In one such incident, the project's chief designer, Mikhail Yangel, was among the deceased." Leila pauses, deciding not to go into the details of how many of the people died.

"The chemicals the Russians used for their rocket fuel, NTO and UDMH, were selected because they would allow the rockets to be kept fueled and ready to launch at a moment's notice, without extensive cryocooling equipment. We selected the same for Apollo's Chariot for similar reasons. However, I believe that when I advocated for the use of Weisswolf as a base, I drastically underestimated the volatility and toxicity of the chemicals involved. A single failure of the sort that the Russians experienced runs the risk of potentially killing everyone in the castle, destroying all the infrastructure we have built there, and setting all the research progress back to zero. With this in mind, I strongly recommend that the launch site be moved to an alternate location, and that construction of launch facilities at Castle Weisswolf itself be ceased immediately." Leila replies.

"I agree." Smilas nods, worried.

"Good thing you found this out. Otherwise we may have learned the hard way. I will see to it that the necessary steps are taken." He nods.

"Ah... Pardon me?" A German-accented voice causes both of them to turn.

"Yes?" Smilas asks politely, though clearly irritated at the interruption. The speaker is a brown-haired woman, still young but nowhere near as young as Leila.

"I am Doctor Moira Vahlen, working with the University of Basel, and I have a request for you." She says.

"Go ahead." Smilas replies. Leila nods as well, curious as to what this woman could have in store.

"I ah... I suppose I will start from the beginning. Approximately four months ago, at the Sphinx Observatory, a team of researchers led by Doctor Hongou Marazuki detected something unusual." Vahlen reaches into her folder and pulls out a piece of paper. It shows a field of stars, bisected by a thin white line.

"What is this?" Smilas raises an eyebrow.

"This is a long exposure photograph we took. What interests us is this." Vahlen points at the line.

"This is an unidentified cosmic object that crossed the field of view during the exposure period. We were subsequently able to capture similar contamination in several other frames, and-"

"Get to the point." Smilas frowns.

"W-Well, yes. The point is that we believe this contamination is caused by objects entering Earth's orbit, and based on the fact that they appear to be changing orbital patterns at unpredictable intervals indicates that they are not natural. We believe that this may be a case of extraterrestrial life!" Vahlen declares.

"... Aliens." Smilas deadpans.

"Yes. We believe that the movement patterns of the objects in question are clear technosignatures. However, there is a limit to how much we can do with the instruments we have available to us at the Sphinx Observatory. If we want to confirm the presence of these signatures, we require a more powerful sensor, one more suited to the tracking of distant objects. With this in mind, I would like to request permission to temporarily use the Ajax Array to search for and track these contacts." Vahlen says.

For a few moments there is silence.

Then Smilas explodes.

"You are telling me that you want to take the EU's most powerful and modern early warning system, the same system that is currently our best means of detecting the next Britannian surprise attack, and divert its focus to search for god-damned ALIENS?!" The general shouts.

"Sir, please understand that this could be the single most important discovery in all of human history! Think of what-"

"If the aliens are here and wanted to have anything to do with us, they would have said something. I am not about to leave us completely blind to satisfy some scientist's half-baked theories!" Smilas replies.

Leila, however, is deep in thought. There was every chance that the scientist was wrong, but what if she wasn't? If that was the case it would certainly be significant...

"Ah, Sir?" She interjects.

"Yes?" Smilas turns to her.

"May I speak to you in private for a moment?" She asks.

"Of course. Go on." Smilas gestures to a side room, and the two of them enter, closing the door.

"Surely you don't mean to humor that woman's blathering, right? A few photographs of stars with lines in them are enough to leave our nation blind for who knows how long?" The general asks once they are in private.

Leila takes a few moments to consider her response.

"Actually... I was thinking that this may be a good opportunity." She replies.

"What for? If aliens were real, and they wanted something to do with us, we would have known by now." Smilas answers. To that, Leila shakes her head.

"No. I mean for Apollo's Chariot, both now and in the future. Perhaps this may be a good cover for some tests of our ability to track objects at high speeds and altitudes." She says.

"Oh?"

"Well... I was thinking. We will soon be ready to begin launching smaller rockets, for the purpose of gathering data on the upper atmosphere and what lies beyond, as well as for component tests. The Ajax Array, while it is Europe's largest and most powerful radar system, would also be the ideal system for tracking these tests, helping us determine if any anomalies occur during flight, and eventually providing similar support for the Chariot itself." Leila says.

"Perhaps we can humor her, as a means of allowing us to test the system's capabilities of tracking objects at high altitude, beyond the atmosphere?" She proposes.

"Would we really require Ajax to track the Chariot?" Smilas asks.

"It certainly would not hurt." Leila replies.

"More importantly..." She thinks for a few moments.

"Now that we have resolved to move the launch site out of Castle Weisswolf, we have the potential to create a complex with multiple launch pads, capable of launching multiple Chariots at once. For something like that, the tracking capabilities of Ajax would likely be far more of a necessity than a luxury."

"... That... Is certainly a good point." Smilas muses.

"Especially if we combine it with the Russian attempt to build their own long range bombardment system... Yes, that certainly would make the intended use case for the system far more likely to succeed. If we could bombard Pendragon in the moments preceding the landing, and then land far more than just a dozen Knightmares... Yes, that might just work." Smilas nods to himself.

At the mention of the Chariot's intended purpose, Leila keeps her face neutral. The Chariot had a single, simple goal. To transport a team of elite pilots in seventh-generation Knightmares from the EU's heartland to the Britannian capital in just fifteen minutes. This team would land in the Imperial City with near total surprise, and would proceed to try to capture the Emperor and as much of the Royal Family as they could, taking them hostage to force peace negotiations. It was a suicide mission, through and through. A desperate, last-ditch weapon that could turn the tide of war, and Leila would be the one serving as the leader of this forlorn hope.

It was a role she had volunteered for. After all, if not her, then who?

"That said, it would mean having to wring more funds out of the Hemicycle, and they are nervous about funding this untested device already. However, if you were to show off a proof of concept..." Smilas' words cut through her thoughts.

"Yes. A smaller scale proof of concept launch can be arranged." The general finishes with a smile.

"Very well. I will tell the scientist out there that she will get her radar, at least for a short while. As for your proposal for increasing the scope of Apollo's Chariot, rest assured that it has my full support. Get me my proof of concept, and I in turn will likely be able to get you the funds you need." The general nods again.

"I will do what I can." Leila nods as well.

"That is all I ask. Keep up the good work, Major Breisgau. Now, shall we go break the good news?"

---

"My dear comrades and friends... I am sure that all of you gathered here today have already heard the news. Today, as of eight in the morning, Moscow Time, a new round of conscription notices has been sent out to the far reaches of our motherland. The bloodthirsty imperialists in the Hemicycle have demanded another tithe of our best sons and daughters, to be sacrificed in the name of their pointless wars." A bald man, with a carefully trimmed goatee and moustache, stood on a stage before a crowd of onlookers.

The declaration was greeted by jeers and shouts of outrage from the gathered crowd.

"Bastards!"

"Pigs and Murderers!"

"They took my son!"

The gathering was taking place in a village in the Simbirsk Oblast, though the amount of people gathered far outnumbered the locals. They had come from far and wide, from Simbirsk, Samara, Penza, Saratov, and beyond. A revolutionary army, gathering for a great struggle. Similar gatherings were taking place elsewhere in Russia, for exactly the same reason. The recent bloodbath in North Africa had led to many of Russia's sons serving in the EU Regulars coming home in bodybags, and the blame had been laid squarely on the EU and the Russian government.

The relationship between the EU and the Russians had long been a contentious one. A century before, the two entities had been separate, vying for power within the European continent, with the revolutionary European Grand Alliance positioned against the antiquated and declining Russian Empire. The Tsar, having recently suffered a stinging defeat against the Japanese and looking for a way to salvage his failing popularity, had chosen to intervene militarily in Serbia to prop up their own king against a German-backed revolutionary movement, and things had quickly spiraled out of control. The Tsar had believed that the Grand Alliance was merely a loose confederation of states, and that any real outside pressure would cause it to fall apart due to conflicting interests. Instead, as war broke out, the opposite became true. The Grand Alliance's member states instead closed ranks against a common enemy, and the Grand Alliance became the EU.

Four long years of brutal, grinding, attritional warfare followed, as artillery, barbed wire and machine guns created a deadlock that stretched from the Carpathian mountains to the Baltic Sea. In the end the front lines had held, but the people did not. High casualty rates led to increased conscription, leading to a labor shortage at home, leading to lost harvests, leading to famine in the countryside. In the cities, a desperate need to keep up with the EU's superior industry led to long, difficult shifts and impossible quotas, with draconian punishments for failing to meet them. All this, while the Russian nobility lived as they always had. In the end, the peoples' rage boiled over, and the Russian Empire had shattered in the fires of revolution.

"One hundred years ago, our forefathers saw this and fought to prevent it, but in the end they were defeated by the likes of Kolchak and Denikin, who then turned and prostituted themselves and our entire nation to the European Imperialists!"

The revolution had indeed been short-lived. A multitude of squabbling factions and breakaway movements had shattered the Russian Empire, but in the end the status quo prevailed. The White Army, under Alexander Kolchak and Anton Denikin, had successfully overthrown a provisional government under Alexander Kerensky. The end result, they claimed, was a compromise. The Tsar would be restored, but shackled by a constitution, and a new Russian State Duma would hold the real power as a government of the people. By then, the Russian population, tired and weary of war, had fallen in line behind this new government, which promised peace, bread and stability.

However, the new government was completely bankrupt from the day it was formed. With rebellious territories all along its periphery, the looming threat of the EU, and the threat of a revolt in the event of another war, in the end the government played the only card it had left. It applied to join the EU, hoping that this would reduce the need for a military buildup and give them access to European resources and industry for aiding in economic recovery.

The Europeans would, after several years of debate, would allow the new Russian Federation to join, but they set out several conditions first, which involved the recognition of many breakaway regions that also wished to join the EU. The Russian Federation agreed to give up its claims on Ukraine, the Baltic states, Poland and Finland as a result, losing all its ports on the Black Sea, and keeping only St. Petersburg in the Baltic. Russia would ultimately join the EU, but it would join alongside a large bloc of former Russian subjects, all of which were very firmly anti-Russian in their voting habits. Between its former enemies and former subjects, Russia had found itself soundly outvoted in every major issue it tried to bring up.

"For centuries now, the Europeans have profited off the backs of Russian labor. They have drained Russia of her resources, denied us our voices in their supposed European Democracy, and sent our men to die so that they could keep their iron grip on Africa... But when the Chinese invaded our own motherland, did the EU send its own men to fight for us? No! Russian men fought and bled as the Chinese overran our lands like a horde of locusts!"

Indeed, the Chinese had taken advantage of a period of tension between the EU and Britannia to invade their under-protected far eastern flank. The Manchurian War, as it became known, only ended when the Britannian invasion of Japan forced a truce, and the EU had been sluggish in providing aid due to a fear of Britannian invasion. In the end, China took Manchuria, as well as large chunks of Siberia. It would not be the last time the Russian and Chinese forces clashed. A second war, just a few years prior, had led to Chinese forces driving deep into Kazakhstan before finally being halted by the threat of EU reinforcements... Reinforcements that, in the end, were never committed.

"After all that, they have the nerve to demand more of our sons go off to fight their wars in Africa?! No, I say! No! No more Russian blood shall be spilled for the parasites in Berlin and Paris, and today, we shall help ensure it!"

Artem Sorokin clapped along as the crowd cheered, raising their fists as the speaker finished. Many held guns. Others held red flags and banners. Unlike most though, he was standing on the stage behind the speaker.

"Today, the New Soviet shall declare itself to the world. With the aid of our comrades working within the system, we shall strike at the recruitment offices of Simbirsk and ensure that not a single one of these illegal conscription notices shall claim another life! If the imperialists in Berlin and Paris wish to retake their colonies, let them send their own men to do it! "

Amidst more cheers, the crowd began to disperse, heading for the train that would carry them to their destination.

"An excellent speech, Comrade Baranov." Artem nods as the speaker steps away from the stage.

"Thank you, Comrade Sorokin. How has the Knightmare been treating you? Any issues?" Baranov replies.

"None so far. It seems our workers did a good job under the circumstances." Sorokin says.

Up ahead, the Knightmare in question sits in a field, crouched forward to allow for easy boarding. Officially, the design was designated the Sh-16 Ilya Muromets. However, the large, boxy design, suspended on two plantigrade legs, quickly led to it gaining the nickname Izbushka among its users. This particular one had been assembled by the New Soviet in secret, with sympathetic factory workers marking good parts as scrap and ensuring that the vehicle was sent, piece by piece, to a junkyard operated by the organization. There, it had been put together according to leaked instructions, and now it, as well as several others, stood ready to do battle against the Moscow government.

The machine was a new one, having been designed to counter the swarms of Gun-Ru that the Chinese had deployed during the Second Eastern War. On its shoulders were two turrets, each one carrying a pair of 57mm dual-purpose guns. During the war, the Chinese had made extensive use of VTOL-based airlifts to transport entire platoons of Knightmares in behind Russian lines, and it quickly became apparent that the old doctrine of relying on dedicated AA units for air defense while the Knightmares focused on ground engagements was inadequate, both for preventing the mass infiltration of Russian defenses by Chinese Knightmares and for dealing with the integrated air support that these attacks always came with.

Thus, the decision had been made for the next generation to have built-in anti-air capabilities, calling for two independent 57mm guns capable of engaging and destroying both VTOLs and Knightmares on the ground. Complications with designing a smart loading system had led to the Sh-16 being instead equipped with two twin guns, with each pair having one gun firing armor-piercing ammunition, while the other was fed airbursting rounds for AA duty.

The war had also showed the Russians that Chinese Knightmares were practically defenseless in close quarters, and so the Sh-16 had been given two fully articulate arms, allowing it to use appropriately sized rifles and melee weapons as the situation demanded. In Artem's case, he had opted for a large hammer, capable of demolishing buildings and Knightmares with ease, as well as an automatic grenade launcher for dealing with infantry.

"Comrade Sorokin." A deep voice greeted him as he reached the Knightmare. Artem turned, and saw Baranov's other secret weapons approaching him. A squad of six men, each one standing nearly nine feet tall, came up to greet him. These giants were seemingly made of pure muscle, and over their green uniforms they wore heavy metal plates capable of stopping rifle rounds without issue. Each one wielded a 14.5mm machine gun as if it were an ordinary rifle, and on their hips they carried long, curved war picks.

Each of these giants had once been a normal man, injected with a strange drug they called Storm. This drug, combined with a corresponding diet and extensive physical training regimen, would turn a physically fit man into a towering, muscled giant in a matter of weeks... Or kill them in the process.

"No problems with your gear?" Artem asked.

"None so far." The lead giant replied.

"Good. In that case, hook up and hold on. If you fall off, I'm not staying back." Artem grins.

"Ha! Don't worry. If I fall off, I'll catch up." The leader replies, before beginning to hoist himself up onto the Knightmare, clipping himself into place after climbing up onto its back. The others did the same as Artem climbed into the cockpit and started the engine. The fight ahead would likely be long and hard, but it would be worth it to see a Russia free of the shackles of the EU.

---

The Forbidden City had been the center of power in China for more than five hundred years. From here, the most populous nation in the world, which for the long time was also its most powerful by far, was ruled by its Emperors. Some emperors were wise, bringing China to new heights. Others were fools, bringing it to the brink of collapse. Most were simply average... But throughout it all, China had endured. Through prosperity and pain, it had persevered into the modern age, the finery of the Forbidden City serving as much as a boast of its heritage and history as a showcasing of the wealth and power of the Emperors. Even the Bolsheviks had made use of the palace during their brief reign, seeing the place for the symbol of power that it was.

Now though, the Empress in the Forbidden City, or the Chairwoman as she was officially known under the Communist government of China, was little more than a child. The curse that had befallen China so many times in its history had repeated itself once more. Just three generations since Emperor Puyi had ousted the foreign Bolshevik government under Josef Vissarionovich Jughashvili, a powerful Eunuch faction had usurped power in all but name.

Eunuchs had been a staple of the Chinese Empire since ancient times, with many Emperors seeing them as the ideal civil servant. After all, as they were castrated, they could not found dynasties that could undermine Imperial power, nor could they engage in sexual relations with and be manipulated by women, or have inappropriate relationships with Imperial concubines for that matter.

Unfortunately, powerful Eunuch factions would constantly rise over time, using their unique positions of power to exert control over the Empire, often to serve their own corrupt ends, and now was no different. Today, the Eunuch Faction ran China in all but name, acting as regents for the Chairwoman Tianzi, whom they were also tasked with raising. They did so, both to keep up appearances and to ensure that she would grow up pliable and easily manipulated. In the meantime, they spent their time enriching themselves, consolidating power, and indulging themselves in what pleasures they still had available to them. As millions across China struggled to eke out a living, starving in what had once been the world's breadbasket due to decades of agricultural mismanagement, the Eunuchs feasted lavishly, for food was one of the few worldly pleasures they could still indulge in. They cared not for the state of the country around them, for without any descendants of their own, they had no stake in China's future. China could burn and rot away for all they cared, so long as it did so after they died.

Of course, the system still had to perpetuate itself somehow, and in this case it was done via apprenticeships. The four Senior Eunuchs would each take an apprentice, training them to be their successor while also integrating them into the web of deceit and corruption that they had built, ensuring that with each new generation, the rot would not simply stay, but spread further.

Out of all the Eunuchs, the youngest was Gao Hai. The second son of a wealthy land developer, he knew that his prospects for inheritance were very slim, as the thin veneer of socialism that the government kept up ensured that only one child would stand to take his father's position. Instead, to satisfy his own political ambitions he had voluntarily become a eunuch. Soon after, he had been chosen as an apprentice by none other than Zhao Hao, the current leader of the Eunuch faction.

The two of them formed a stark contrast. Where Zhao Hao was morbidly obese, Gao Hai was slim and delicate. Where Zhao Hao was ugly, Gao Hai was handsome. Where Zhao Hao gorged himself on fine dishes at every opportunity, Gao Hai ate in moderation, seemingly not caring much for the pleasures of food that so many other Eunuchs indulged in.

However, the servants who worked closely with the two knew that their hearts were equally black, and their spirits equally twisted. Both men cared for little outside of their own pleasure and power. In the case of Gao Hai, rather than eating and drinking himself into oblivion, his pleasure would come from the servant girls in the palace. Already, rumors of his cruelty towards them had made round around the Imperial Palace, telling of how he would often force them to beat and choke each other, or how he would occasionally flog them, or force them to offer intimate services to men he was looking to bargain with.

Thus, when a young woman whom he does not recognize walks in to serve him his dinner, he raises an eyebrow. The servant girl is quite beautiful, with white skin as pale as his own, and long black hair, perfectly styled. Were it not for her servant's dress, she could have been easily mistaken for the daughter of some powerful courtier or general. However, what stood out most to the Eunuch was her demeanor.

Most servant girls cowered in his presence, or scurried about to try and get their work done fast so that they could leave his sight. She, on the other hand, carried herself with confidence and elegance. Definitely a good new hire, Gao Hai mused. He would enjoy breaking this one.

"Stay." He ordered quietly as the girl turned to leave.

"Of course, your excellency, what-"

"Quiet." He cut her off.

The first step was to remind her of her insignificance. Thus, he began to eat his meal, not paying her any attention, pretending as though she did not exist. He took his time doing so, savoring the meal, with the maid having to stand still by the table the whole time, unable to speak or to leave.

Or at least, that was the plan. As the minutes ticked by, Gao Hai felt himself growing drowsy. Unusually drowsy...

Had he been drugged? No... No, that could not have been true. His food was normal. He was just tired. He should eat some more.

Suspicious thoughts were quickly quashed. Nobody would dare drug him. He was Gao Hai! One of the High Eunuchs! Anyone who dared do such a thing would be a dead man walking. No, he should just keep eating and pay the intrusive thoughts no mind...

Those thoughts ran through his head right up until the moment he collapsed, the drugs coursing through his system taking full effect.

The maid let out a small sigh of relief as she feels the Eunuch's mind pass out. Her own mind withdraws from his, having worked hard to suppress his growing realization that he had been drugged, and ensuring that he kept eating until the dose was sufficient.

Now she was on the clock. She reaches into her dress and pulls out a phone, sending a quick text to confirm that the job was done before grabbing the unconscious Eunuch and beginning to haul him out. Just outside there was a large box, which she'd placed there ahead of time, and she loaded Gao Hai's unconscious body inside, before closing it and wheeling it off.

She passed nonchalantly through the Eunuch's palatial quarters, passing by servants and bureaucrats alike, all of them entirely unaware of what she was truly carrying. In time, she would reach the wine cellar. There, amid the many bottles of alcohol, she stopped to move several crates aside, revealing a secret tunnel. She entered, then pulled the blocking crates back into place, and began to descend.

Eventually, the tunnel would begin to slope back up, and soon she would reach the exit, hidden in a back alley. Stepping out, she saw a car already waiting for her.

"Is it done?" The driver asks.

"It is. No complications." The maid replies, hefting the box and loading it into the trunk, before getting into the passenger seat.

"Good. Master Luo will be pleased."

The two of them drove off, nobody suspecting anything. They would drive on out of the city, until they eventually reached a small village, with a large Taoist temple in its center. The car came to a halt just outside this temple, and the driver and maid would step out, unloading their cargo and making their way inside. They pass through the open portion of the temple, a pair of cultists opening a side door for them. Passing through, they reach an elevator, which quickly takes them down into the earth.

Once it stops, they exit, navigating a series of winding hallways, elaborately decorated with wooden paneling until they arrive in a large, square room with a table in its center. On the far side of the table sits a man. Old and wizened, with a long grey beard, white hair done up in a topknot, and wearing long black robes, he was the very picture of the traditional Chinese sage.

"Master Luo, we have brought Gao Hai to you." The maid bows deeply, a gesture that the man returns.

"You have done well, Daji. Sit him down and administer the antidote, then leave the room. Are you prepared for your next assignment?" Master Luo asks.

"I am. His mind is familiar to me." Daji nods as she opens the box, gently heaving the eunuch out and sitting him down in an empty chair. Then she pulls out a syringe and plunges it into his shoulder, administering the antidote before leaving the room, taking the box with her.

For a few moments, Gao Hai sits, slumped forward in his chair. Then, his eyes flutter open.

"... what the... Nggh..." He groans, sitting awake, before realizing his situation.

"Who...? You! You dare poison and kidnap a High Eunuch?! I shall see you suffer for this!" Gao Hai shouts.

The old man is quiet for a few moments, before nodding.

"Yes... Your Excellency is correct. The punishment for kidnapping and drugging a High Eunuch is indeed death." He says, before reaching into his robes and pulling out a large pistol. Gao Hai flinches at the sight... But then the old man sets it down on the table and slides it across towards him. Gao Hai takes it, wondering just what sort of trap this is...

"Go on. I have violated your heavenly law. It is only just that I be punished for it." The old man says.

Gao Hai is quiet for a few moments, before taking aim at the old man's head. His target does not move, simply staring him in the eye and nodding slowly.

After a few seconds, Gao Hai snarls and pulls the trigger. The recoil is tremendous, but at this close of a distance he could not miss. The old man's head is obliterated in a spray of blood, and his dead body slumps down, sliding off the chair.

The Eunuch then turns to the door behind him, lowering his gun... But nothing comes through. No servants or angry guards.

Then the door on the other side of the room opens, and in walks the old man.

"W-What?!" Gao Hai gasps.

"It seems your aim was true." The old man replies, casually kicking the corpse on the floor out of the way and wiping some of the blood off the chair as he sits back down.

"Impossible... You must be a twin! Or a body double! Either way, you are dead!" Gao Hai shouts as he fires again. Once more the old man dies, his chest obliterated by the high-caliber round.

About half a minute passes, and the door opens again... And in walks the old man once more!

"You-"

Gao Hai does not hesitate and shoots the man once again, his body falling to the floor, a gaping hole in its abdomen.

Again, half a minute later the old man enters and Gao Hai shoots him. Again the cycle repeats. And again. And again...

Until at last the gun clicks empty as the old man enters the room once more. He steps around the seven corpses strewn about the floor, before sitting down in the chair, which by now is bloody and damaged from bullet hits.

"W-What are you?!" Gao Hai demands, the gun shaking in his hands as he pulls the trigger again and again to no avail.

"A friend who bears good tidings." The old man replies, leaning forward and steepling his fingers.

"My apologies for the means by which we conveyed you to us. Unfortunately, there was no other way." He says.

"W-What do you want from me?!" Gao Hai gasps.

"Oh, I do not want anything from you, Your Excellency." The old man bows.

"I simply wish for you to hear the message I bear... And the gift that comes with it."

"... What is this message?" Gao Hai asks.

"I suppose first, introductions are in order. Would your Excellency care for some tea?"

"No thank you." Gao Hai replies tersely.

"Very well then. I am Master Luo, of the Order of the Black Lotus. It is our task to ensure that the Mandate of Heaven is maintained, and that only the righteous rule this nation as is commanded by the heavens." He says.

"I know who you are. I was under the impression that none of you secret societies survived the Communist purges." Gao Hai replies.

"Most did not, but I persevered. I alone ensured that our secret arts remained alive." Luo replies.

"... And for my perseverance, I was rewarded. The Star Gods took notice of me, and rewarded me with their secrets, so that I may help guide China into the new age that is upon us." He says.

"... The Star Gods?" Gao Hai asks.

"Yes... The divine heralds of the coming age. Soon, the world as we know it shall change forever. The Star Gods' divine hosts shall sweep the land clean of the unworthy, but China... China shall remain." Luo says.

"China shall remain because it shall be guided by the righteous... And to help me shepherd China into this new age, I have chosen you, Gao Hai." Luo finishes.

"... But I am but the least of the High Eunuchs. Would not the Empress Tianzi serve the role better?" Gao Hai asks after a few moments, deciding that in the presence of this clearly delusional and potentially very powerful sage, it may be best to play the part of the humble Eunuch servant.

"The Empress is pure of heart, but she is young... Moreover, she is surrounded by evil men who would never let my agents get close to her. She must first be freed from those who seek to bind her, so that she may embrace her destiny. Thus, I have come to you, Gao Hai, with this divine commandment." Luo says.

"You shall help free Tianzi and dispose of the other High Eunuchs... And in order to do so, I shall grant you the same power I possess."

Gao Hai is silent for a long while.

It seemed too good to be true...

A justification to eliminate the other Eunuchs and to gain full control of Tianzi, and through her, all of China... And the mysterious power on top of that...

"... Very well. I accept your offer." Gao Hai nods.

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Please, extend your right arm." Luo says.

After a few moments, Gao Hai complies.

The old man across from him takes hold of the offered arm, raising it and bowing his head with appropriate reverence...

And then suddenly, without any warning, his other hand came up. Gao Hai saw something metal clasped in his palm before it jabbed into the pale, smooth skin of his forearm.

"W-What- Nggh!" Gao Hai gasps as Luo lets go.

He sees his blood welling up in his forearm from a deep puncture wound.

"Y-You-" He feels a strange, electric buzz begin to build in his arm, slowly spreading out from the wound.

"Y-Y-You... W-What have... Y-You... I-I-ARRGGHHH!" He cries out in agony as he feels the sensation spread throughout his body. It is as if every inch of him is being electrocuted simultaneously, the pain growing and growing and growing until suddenly...

It stops.

Gao Hai feels himself in darkness... No eyes to see... No hands to feel... No mouth to breathe... He feels himself floating, up and away... He can feel something. Not in any way he can understand, but he knows that there is something grand ahead of him, pulling him towards it. Immense, magnificent, surpassing mere mortal comprehension-

Suddenly, it is as if a hook has been dug into his chest, and he feels himself being pulled back down, away from the indescribable grandeur ahead. He feels his senses returning, and then suddenly-

"Haahhh!" He gasps, lungs burning as they pull in a desperate breath of air. He hears a hiss as light floods in through closed eyelids. His eyes blink open, and he sees a burning lantern hanging over him.

He sits up, looking around.

He is sitting in a golden cylinder, its open sides decorated with elaborate imagery of serpents, coiling around in endless circles, devouring their own tails. He notices a robe hanging on the wall, and realizes that he is naked.

He stands up, taking a step forward-

And he feels something between his legs.

Something that he knew should not be there.

His breath hitches as he reaches down, testing and feeling to make sure it is truly there...

"How...?" He stands there, not knowing what to do. This was...

There is a knock at the door.

"Are you decent?" He hears Luo's voice on the other side.

"... Ah, no." Gao Hai hurriedly dresses himself. Once that is done, he exits the room to see Luo waiting patiently outside.

"My apologies. The procedure to grant this power is always fatal." Luo says, leading Gao Hai down a hallway. Opening the door at the end, he sees the meeting room from before. Seven of Luo's corpses are strewn about the floor... And there, slumped in the chair, is his own dead body.

"As you can see... The power is now yours. If your body is killed, your mind and spirit shall be rescued, and through the power of the Celestial Cylinder, it shall be placed inside a new body."

"I see..." Gao Hai says.

"And you say that these Star Gods granted you these cylinders?" He asks.

"Indeed they did... So that their immortal servants may rule China forever." Luo replies.

Just then, the door opens, and Gao Hai recognizes the maid that enters.

"O-Oh! Your Excellency! Forgive me-" The maid begins.

"You drugged me." Gao Hai steps forward, grabbing her shoulder.

"Y-Yes, but-"

"What is the punishment for assault on a High Eunuch, Master Luo?" Gao Hai asks.

"Death, your Excellency." Luo replies.

"Indeed..." Gao Hai says quietly.

"... but I can be... Persuaded to ignore your past transgressions..." He says, pushing the maid down, a wicked grin growing across his face.

"I shall leave it to you to ensure that justice is done." Luo says, turning and leaving the room.

---

Luo closes the door behind him, giving the Eunuch privacy. The despicable creature was likely about to slake the urges that had been denied to him for so long. In truth, he despised having to work with the pale creature in the other room, but the Star Gods demanded results, and Tianzi was yet too young to be suitable.

He opens another door, across from the room where the Eunuch had been resurrected, and steps inside. Within is a second cylinder, albeit far less ornate than the one he had assigned to the Eunuch. More importantly though...

"It is done. China is yours, Celestial Radiance." He announces.

What guarantee do you have that this Gao Hai will be cooperative?

The answer comes from the tall, grey-robed figure standing in the center of the room, echoing through his mind.

"He has been granted access to the resurrection cylinder, but his mind remains simple and pliable. Daji is getting her claws into him as we speak. She is the most capable of us in the mental arts you have taught us. Should she fail, we still have the option of cutting him off from the cylinder at any time. A worm like him will be easily coerced through such means." Luo replies.

"Therefore he will do as we say. Through him, we shall engage with those whom we could not otherwise gain access to. The generals, the heads of the military, the bureaucrats who hold the system together while the Eunuchs indulge in their vices. With Gao Hai to open the doors, we shall be able to approach and recruit them all. Then, once he has served out his usefulness, he shall eliminate the other Eunuchs in Tianzi's name when the time is right and prepare China for the final war that is to come. Then, he shall be eliminated as well, and Tianzi shall be placed on the throne, to rule over all of China as a truly immortal empress, and all shall be as it should be." Luo finishes.

He pauses for a few moments.

"Though... May I ask a question of you, Celestial Radiance?"

Speak. You have earned that privilege.

"Why did you choose to bless China with these gifts? Why not Britannia or the EU?"

The Chinese Federation is the most populous nation. Moreover, its administrative power is most centralized. With a single Eunuch, we have converted this entire nation to serve our purpose. The EU is too distributed and decentralized. We lack enough Resurrection Cylinders to buy the loyalties of all the politicians required to assume total control. The Britannian Empire, conversely, was selected for destruction. Every conquering army needs a foe to fight a just war against. Britannia fits that purpose due to its recent aggressive expansion, conquests, and blatant repression of the people it rules. Its destruction shall usher in the new age we have promised.

Luo weighs the Star God's answer in his mind for a few moments, then bows.

"Thank you, Celestial Radiance."

Ensure that you continue performing your duties with the same diligence you have until now. Do so, and your rewards shall be fittingly great.

"Of course, Celestial Radiance." Luo bows deeply once again, and turns to leave the room. There was indeed still much work to be done.

---

The sky over Tokyo was yellow as the ship pulled into harbor, the scent of burnt wood apparent to all. The nearby fires around Narita had gone out, but fine particles were still up in the atmosphere, slowly descending down onto the city. Tugboats soon arrive, pulling it into port, and people begin to disembark.

Among them is a Chinese man, wearing a polarized visor and a pair of large headphones, who takes a deep breath before stepping off the ship. At least aboard the freighter there were only a few minds to listen to. Now though... No. This would all be worth it in the end. C.C. is here. Somewhere in the city before him, C.C. is hidden, and he would find her.

So much searching. So much time and effort had been wasted on fruitless, aimless searching before he finally got a lucky break in the form of a strange boy from the deserts of Xinjiang. He had told her of where his C.C. was, and Mao did not hesitate to follow. He trekked across China, manipulating and stealing from others to survive. Eventually, arriving in Hong Kong, he was able to find a ship to take him to Area 11, and now here he was.

"Just a little more time, C.C... I'm almost here for you... Yes... Almost..." He mumbles to himself as he walks on into the crowded city.

"Attention, there is an air quality alert in place for the Tokyo Settlement. All residents are advised to wear respiratory protection while outdoors. Individuals with respiratory problems are advised to stay indoors."

He barely hears the announcement as the wall of noise hits him. He hated cities. The countryside was quiet and peaceful, and the wilderness even more so... But cities? So much noise, so much idle, useless chatter, drowning out his every thought as he grit his teeth and tries to focus. So many voices. Thousands of them, all chattering about something or other.

"N-Nggh..." He groans, clapping his hands to his headphones, trying to blast the gentle voice of C.C. into his ears to drown the voices out, even though he knew it was fruitless...

He tries to sift through the noise, listening for any indication of his quarry. A mention of green hair, or yellow eyes, or a strange, quiet girl, but nothing could be found. For hours he wanders the streets, desperately trying to pick out something among the noise...

A hand taps him on the shoulder, and he spins around in surprise. With so much noise all around, he isn't able to tell that someone is sneaking up on him as easily as he could aboard the ship.

The person who sought to get his attention was a woman, tall and with long, blonde hair, wearing a red dress. There was a strange radiance about her, and even in the somewhat dimmed, yellow sunlight, she seemed to almost shine. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses, but even through them, Mao could see that her attention was focused entirely on him.

She asks something, her voice quiet, but Mao does not hear. He frowns at that. Even with all the noise and his headphones tight around his ears, he should have been able to hear her words as she thought them through...

The woman is quiet for a moment, before gesturing to a nearby alleyway. Behind his visor, Mao narrows his eyes. There is something strange about this woman. He tries to focus her, to drown out the more distant voices to try and get a better understanding of her... But even so it seems like there are just too many people all around him. He can't make out anything at all... But how could that be? He had been in cities before, but even in the middle of Hong Kong he had, with some difficulty, been able to read the thoughts of individuals, but this woman...

Wait...

There was one other person who could do such a thing, but this woman clearly was not C.C... She was too tall, her figure differently proportioned, and the way she carried herself...

Still... Could it be...

Mao nods, and moved to follow her.

In the alley, it was scarcely quieter, but there were less people close by. The ambient volume was somewhat muted, even if the amount of voices still numbered in the thousands.

"Can you hear me now?" The woman asks, her voice barely audible through his headphones. This, however, confirmed it. He could not hear this woman's mind.

"I... Cannot." Mao replies, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. He was not used to people whom he could not read.

"I sensed something strange as your ship came into harbor." The woman says.

"I wondered if, perhaps, it might be someone else gifted... And it seems I did indeed find someone." She continues, taking a step forward.

"... Who are you?" Mao demands.

"All in due time..." The woman replies, staring him in the eye. She is quiet for a few moments, and Mao feels pinned in place, like a mouse before a snake as she sizes him up.

"... Oh." She finally murmurs.

"Oh... You poor thing..." She says.

"I was wondering why your power could be felt from so far away, and why you couldn't seem to focus it on me. You cannot control it, can you?" She asks.

"I..." Mao looks around for an escape, but the only one is behind the woman. His hand drifts towards his jacket, where he is carrying a concealed pistol. He did not like this. Not one bit. The woman laid his secrets bare so easily... He had done the same to so many people, and for it to happen to him did not feel good in the slightest.

"It must be awful... To have to listen to so much with no way to tune them out..." The woman continues.

"... But it need not continue."

Before Mao could process those words and what they meant, the woman moves, much faster than he thought possible. His hand reaches for the pistol, but the woman seizes it first, gripping his wrist tight as her other hand reaches around to the back of his neck, grabbing him firmly.

"W-What are-?! Let go of...!" Mao shouts, but his words die in his throat as he feels a sudden pressure... Seemingly coming from everywhere, all at once, bearing down on him. The walls of the alley seemed to be closing in around him as he thrashes, desperately trying to escape the woman's grip to no avail.

"What are you d-doing to me?! What... W-What is... A-ARRGGHH!" He cries out, the pressure intensifying.

Still, the pressure continues to grow, crushing not his body but his mind, squeezing tighter... Tighter... Tighter...!

Until at last, he feels something break...

Then the pressure is gone.

"W-What did you..." He trails off as he realizes something.

It is quiet.

Quiet!

Not a single mind could be heard. No inane chatter. No trains of thought bulldozed their way through his head.

It was quiet.

"MAO. I'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU. JUST LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF MY VOICE, MAO."

The recorded voice of C.C. breaks the silence, the volume almost deafening amidst the sudden silence. He gasps and pulls the headphones off, wincing at the sudden sound...

And yet, even with them removed, there is still quiet.

"... I... I can't hear them..." He whispers.

"I can't hear them...!" He says again, a bit louder now.

"I can't hear them! It's quiet! It's quiet! It's quiet!" He repeats, still not quite believing it. For the first time in four years, since he first lost control over his Geass, Nothing but blessed silence could be heard.

He doesn't even notice the tears running down his face until they drip down to the concrete below.

"I... I..."

"... There. It's ok. It can't have been easy, living like this." The woman says, gently stroking the back of his head with one hand while the other maintains a grip on his wrist.

"... T-Thank you..." Mao murmurs.

"It isn't a permanent solution though." The woman cautions, causing Mao to look up.

"I can suppress it, but I need to touch you in order to do so." She says.

In an instant, Mao's free hand grabs her own, gripping it tight, refusing to let go.

The woman laughs quietly at that.

"Oh no, I have no intention of abandoning you. No... I have an offer for you." She says.

"What... What is it?" Mao asks softly, looking up at her, wondering what the catch was.

"... If you come with me, I will train you to control your power. There are many others in this world like us. People who have been given very special gifts... But you clearly have not been taught how to use your gift. If you are willing... I will teach you. All you will have to do is follow my instructions carefully, understand?"

"Yes! I will. I swear I will! I won't disappoint!" Mao nods eagerly.

"Excellent!" The woman nods.

"Now... What is your name?"

"Mao!"

"I see... It is nice to meet you, Mao. My name is Gertrude. I think the two of us will get along quite well." She smiles.

"... Now, follow me, and hold on to my hand. If you let go, the noise will return, and I will have to suppress it all over again."

Mao's grip tightens in response, and she nods encouragingly. Then, she turns and begins to lead him out of the alleyway, back onto the crowded street.

No endless stream of mental chatter greets Mao as he follows the woman, clinging onto her hand like a lifeline.

At last.

At long last.

Peace and quiet.

---

A/N: Once again, I apologize for how long it took to get this to you. Various real-life issues cropped up. I hope you all enjoyed this glimpse at what is going on all over the world while Zero and Cornelia fight their battles in Japan.

First up, I wanted to give a bit of a glimpse into what is going on with Katase and how the Emissary approaches the task of controlling him, as well as a bit of attention to the aftermath of the battle. The JLF was hit every bit as badly as the Britannians were, and thus aren't able to carry on with the follow-up operation that they had originally intended. The Britannians still hold Tokyo, and the JLF needs to rebuild before it can make an attempt to take it. On the flipside, the Britannians were badly mauled, and so can't just attack again. Still, this state of affairs is only temporary. Once one side feels confident enough it will move, and who knows what the result would be...

Second... This was the scene that originally inspired me to work on these sort of interlude chapters. I always had the idea of Guinevere being involved with the aliens, specifically those from Terror from the Deep. However, up until very recently, I had not decided whether the TFTD aliens would be part of the same group as the Ethereals, or something else entirely. In the end, I decided that the Alien vs. Alien aspect of things would be more interesting than just more of the same aliens, just from underwater. Of course, the full story of why and how they ended up on Earth is yet to be told, since unfortunately I couldn't really find a way to tell it in a way that flowed naturally (I.E. I'Kal not telling Guinevere information she would already know in-character). Still, I left some hints, and I am sure that some of you will be able to put together at least part of the bigger picture.

I also wanted to take this chance to flesh out the character of Guinevere. As far as I am aware, Guinevere is second in line for the throne, just behind Odysseus. She is the First Princess, and yet most stories, as well as the anime itself, kinda just dismissed her as this vain, spoiled socialite. I wanted to do more with her, and make her more than just some greedy royal who sold out her family and all of humanity to aliens for power. The first step, then, was to find a sphere of influence that one of her siblings didn't already control. Odysseus was easy. He is the Mediocre Prince for a reason, and is not particularly active. If given the throne, he would likely abdicate in favor of another sibling. As for Guinevere's other main rivals, Schneizel, as Prime Minister, controls the legislative arm of Britannia, as well as being its face abroad for diplomatic reasons. Cornelia, on the other hand, controls the military. Together, they are a sort of velvet glove and iron fist combination that work very well, though external observers would wonder how that cooperation would hold up once the throne is up for grabs. Thus, Guinevere could not be too active in either of those fields. Fortunately, there was an obvious third field which suited Guinevere perfectly. Her stereotype among the fandom seems to be that of a vapid, spoiled celebrity, spending her time gossiping, indulging herself, and showing herself off on TV. Control of the media thus fit her perfectly IMO. The media is every bit as powerful as the state and the army, as it is the filter through which the masses learn of the actions of both. A friendly media can highlight the benefits of laws, extoll the glories and virtues of the nation, show off its military triumphs and minimize its defeats. An unfriendly media, on the contrary, can spin the population into a frenzy to protest against laws meant to bring them long-term benefits, make minor military setbacks seem like major defeats, and barely comment on any positives.

For all this, Guinevere seemed like the perfect fit, and from there I built up her profile. She became the Viceroy of Area 1. A very easy position, and a prestigious one to boot, while also being ideally located around the Gulf of Mexico to allow for easy contact with Aquatoid proxies. She constantly places herself in the media spotlight, with lavish spending, philanthropy, and the occasional manufactured controversy, living a very public life while also owning the networks to ensure that the controversy remains manageable. At the same time, she has gotten involved with underground/underwater elements, and a good chunk of her spending is being funneled into covert projects as part of her collaboration with the Aquatoids, or the People of Dagon as I have chosen to call them.

Third came the EU. Out of all the three nations, the EU got the least amount of development in the main series. They DID get their own spinoff series, but that one also turned what was on paper a power bloc able to compete with Britannia into a complete joke. Why exactly they had to create Euro-Britannia and simultaneously deprive the EU of a huge chunk of their land, natural resources, and manpower, is beyond me. Why they decided to take the entirety of Russia and turn it into a bunch of Britannia-LARPers is even further beyond that. At the same time, I don't have an issue with including some characters and aspects from the Akito series. Just expect me to put my own spin on them, as opposed to take them straight as they are.

One example would be Leila Malcal. Sixteen years old and already a Major... Given how she is the daughter of the previous Chancellor, I smell nepotism. Of course, once she got 'nepped' as it were, it turned out that she was, in fact, quite capable, and so was taken under Smilas' wing. Smilas, in turn, sees a legitimate problem in the EU's structure that Britannia is taking advantage of, namely that its member states are focusing inward and spending on themselves first and on collective matters second, with the only solution being increased centralization, culling of redundant institutions, and consolidation of power.

Then there is Apollo's Chariot. Hooo boy, Apollo's Chariot.

As it was implemented in Code Geass, Apollo's Chariot is nothing more than the single most expensive way to flush 7th-generation Knightmares down the toilet, twelve at a time. The idea of dropping Knightmares behind enemy lines is not bad in principle. They could wreak havoc in enemy supply routes, take or destroy critical installations, and strike with surprise on their side.

Then, about a day later, their energy fillers run out and unless they were close enough to the front and did enough damage for the soldiers at the front to break through and reach them, the entire unit is captured and destroyed. There is a reason why these sorts of deep insertions are generally performed by small special forces teams capable of living off the land; such small teams can actually be expected to last for more than a few days before some critical supply runs out that cannot be easily replaced.

Don't even get me started on the design of Castle Weisswolf. Apollo's Chariot would realistically only be a single-use weapon, as the force of its launch would level every piece of supporting infrastructure built around it. From the fueling systems, to the assembly area, to the living spaces for everyone who worked on it, as well as any people in the area, all would be completely destroyed because rocket exhaust is very, very strong.

In the end, I decided to change its use. It is no longer a very expensive way of tossing Knightmare paratroopers into oblivion. Now, it is a European Hail Mary, a system that, in the event of war with Britannia, could land a force of Knightmares directly into Pendragon, where they could strike at the Royal Family directly in a decapitation strike that would hopefully turn the tide in favor of the EU. Leila Malcal, and the entirety of W0 Unit, are being trained specifically for that task.

Also, given how the rocket closely resembles a Soyuz/R-7 series, I decided to add some real world Russian space program references in. Mikhail Yangel was a real man, and the accidents I described were also real. Of course, in our timeline Yangel survived the Nedelin Catastrophe, which was an incident in 1960 where a prototype R-16 ICBM exploded on the launch pad during refueling. Yangel survived through sheer dumb luck; he had stepped away from the pad for a smoke break shortly before the explosion, having walked off to a safe distance behind a bunker as smoking was prohibited near the launch site for obvious reasons. In our timeline, Yangel would go on to develop many successful ICBMs and their associated space launch systems. Here though, his death played a key role in cancelling the Russian secret space program before it could really get off the ground, and ultimately reminded Leila that maybe, just maybe, one shouldn't put gigantic tanks of hypergolic substances right next to your bedroom.

The following scene, with the New Soviet uprising, was primarily meant to show the effects of Alien destabilization efforts, but also to highlight the issues plaguing my version of the EU. Here, the Russians have come to see the EU as a net negative for their country. The strong anti-Russian bloc within the Hemicycle means the Russian political voice is silenced. Russia has lost a considerable amount of its former territory to China in recent years, and the EU is more concerned with affairs in Africa. After all, China still only borders the Russian portions of the EU, while many major EU nations, such as Germany, France, Spain and Italy all own colonies in Africa, thus leading to differing responses to invasions of these different locations. Now, with some nudging from the aliens, the simmering discontent has boiled over into armed rebellion.

Next up, there is China. After prolonged consideration, I have decided that China was the most vulnerable of the big three nations to alien subversion attempts. With the EU, aliens would have to effectively control multiple governments at once, and potentially hundreds or even thousands of people across Europe, to bring them under control. Britannia, conversely, has an issue of too many princes who could rise up against a controlled puppet, and many Areas that would revolt rather than listen to the central government if given half a chance. Britannia also has several other factors working in their favor against the aliens, but those are a secret to be revealed later. That leaves China, currently ruled by a very small cabal of people with absolute power, and if these few are subverted or replaced by a puppet, the entire nation will follow. Indeed, this is exactly what Schneizel very nearly managed to pull off in R2, and if Schneizel could almost pull it off, then an alien with mind control powers and advanced technology definitely could.

The means by which the Ethereals aim to accomplish this is by manipulating and empowering a secret society within its borders. Secret societies have long been a part of China, and the Triads of the modern day have their roots in these organizations. These organizations have, over the course of thousands of years, acted as everything from criminal cartels to rebels to kingmakers to puppetmasters. The Black Lotus was a reference to one such society, the White Lotus, which was a particularly prolific society that lasted for over a thousand years of Chinese history, even into the modern age. It even got a reference in Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is also a reference to the enemy faction of the same name in The X-Com Files, from which a fair amount of inspiration has also been drawn.

Finally, there is Mao. I have big plans for him, which will diverge considerably from how he acted in canon. In canon, he was a cautionary tale for Lelouch, a warning of what his power could do to him if he was not careful in using it. Here though, his power has drawn alien agents to him, who seek to both study his gift and to exploit it to better eliminate their target.

As usual, I hope you all enjoyed this story. Please let me know if there are any issues or inconsistencies.