A/N: After getting over that bit of trouble with chapter three I had I guess every idea I have been thinking about and considering since I was stuck on that one part of chapter three has come spilling out.
First off thank you all for the reviews, although there won't be a lot of action in this chapter it is still an excellent opportunity for me to introduce some of the other characters in this story. Among them, we get a look at our villains, although initially Arcadius's gender was kept unknown. I am going to reveal it while Lelouch and some of those outside of PACT believe Arcadius is a different gender, the reason and such for this will be explained in a later chapter for those who didn't play Sunrider.
I got nothing further to mention except on with the chapter…
Edited: 1/13/2019
Special Thanks to Greatkingrat88 for fixing, updating and improving the chapter.
Chapter 6
Expanding the Ranks
Travelling toward its destination at warp speed, the ship cut an elegant figure against the black void of space. C.C. was accompanied by Michael Garibaldi, the two of them heading an expedition to find a remote location to use as a primary base. Furthermore, they were looking for a place with the kind of natural resources to let them become more independent, less reliant on the credits and supplies of other powers and organizations. The duo was not wandering aimlessly. Navigational star charts and data recovered from the Ryuvian Cruisers they had found had made for an expansive data set, mapping a considerable amount of space. After comparing them to "current" navigational charts of the galaxy, the Black Knights had identified a possible number of locations which at present had not been explored or exploited.
Their searches were focused on class fourteen planets, planets that were not only habitable, but possessed plenty of resources. The only complication was the question of what condition these planets would be in after almost two thousand years.
Alternatively, they were looking for locations better suited for a space station they could create as a new base, if nothing else noteworthy came of their search.
If some of these planets have the valuable resources I hope to find, then the Holy Ryuvian Empire might have controlled or restricted access to such worlds to hoard the untouched spoils for themselves, or to use as a bid for more influence and power when the time came, C.C. thought, recalling Lelouch's words on the matter.
What he was hoping to find was a world with Ongessite, or at least a material compositionally similar to it.
Ongessite was a precious material used in the creation of liquid Ongessite, which could be used as a critical component in creating high-grade wrap drives and potent munitions. The only known source of Ongessite was the planet Ongess, which was quoted to be the sewage pipe of hell in the galaxy due to a long history of being heavily exploited by the Holy Ryuvian Empire and later the New Empire. Even today, it was being utilized by various outside powers for its resources.
Despite its value and use, Lelouch wanted to find an alternative source to enable the Black Knights to become more independent. An empire as large as Ryuvia was bound to have been wrapped up in intrigue and corruption, and the idea of whole worlds being hidden away from sight was not far-fetched.
To worlds that might have possessed such a resource. The past Emperors of old Ryuvia would likely have wanted to monopolize such resources as a measure of power, to limit the creation of weapons that could lay whole galaxies to waste.
So Lelouch believes that if the Ryuvians did find a planet possessing a resource superior to Ongessite, they probably declared it a forbidden world. C.C. thought as they were using the combined navigation charts they had to check blank spots between the two maps in the hopes they could find such a planet. It was a considerable gamble Lelouch was playing with, but hopefully, if it paid off, it would give them an advantage towards energy and fuel independence.
That was assuming, of course, that the world wasn't forbidden for more legitimate reasons, such as dangerous environment or something else more hazardous.
What have made Lelouch decide it was worth investigating the possibility of such a planet was his own homeworld, Earth.
If Ryuvia Prime was the cradle of humanity, then how does Earth fit into it?
Lelouch had asked as much before. When you considered the existence of Sakuradite along with Thought Elevators and Geass, which were possibly creations of the Ryuvian Empire, you couldn't help but wonder how a galaxy-spanning Empire could have overlooked their world.
Unless their planet had been overlooked on purpose. Which, if it was true, meant might have been other worlds forgotten as well, for possibly similar reasons.
Not to mention that Ongess would likely be a priority target when PACT began its invasion of the Neutral Rim. It would be of incredible tactical importance, and a serious problem if it fell; it represented of the largest sources of starship fuel and weapons munitions in the system. The Solar Alliance had discovered alternative sources, but Ongessite was still by far the best fuel source in the galaxy, so what would that leave the Black Knights?
"So are we there yet?" C.C. said , growing bored with the emptiness of space.
"No, we are not, so stop asking… this might end up taking some time." Garibaldi said, knowing this was going to be an extended mission. This would try both their patience, and he wasn't sure who it would be worse for.
Elsewhere in the galaxy lay a planet that was a shell of its former self, a dried and withered husk of what had once been grand and glorious. Ryuvia Prime, the supposed birthplace of humanity, and formerly the primary seat of power in the galaxy up until the collapse of the Holy Ryuvian Empire. Even in its decrepit, decayed shape, some its past glory lingered. There, in orbit around the planet, was the Star Palace. An orbital fortress, still containing one of the greatest collections of art in the galaxy, the fortress itself a work of architectural art. Once, it had been home to the emperors themselves; now it was all that was left of a once glorious civilization.
Ryuvia itself was a class fourteen habitable planet, with a current population of fourteen billion, but years of history and over ten thousand years worth of exploitation has led the once-rich planet into a husk of its former self, much like the Ryuvian empire itself. With at least three moons, Ryuvia Prime was commonly referred to merely as Ryuvia now that it has become the only remaining territory of a fallen nation on its last legs.
Within the halls of the Star Palace sat two young women, watching the news feeds on the galaxy through an enlarged holographic screen towering over them.
"In other news, the civil wars and unrest plaguing the planet Versta have finally come to a close, thanks to the appointment of President Zefiris, who had just been rescued from his captivity at the hands of the recently disbanded group of outlaws known as the Orion Pirates," a female newscaster with short brown hair announced, as a screen behind her showed Captain Edward being hauled away by law enforcement officials on Versta.
"He was rescued alongside over seven hundred captives taken from Versta and various surrounding colonies around the Neutral Rim. The operation was carried out by the mysterious vigilante organization known as the Order of the Black Knights. Furthermore, evidence suggests that political enemies of President Zefiris were behind the kidnapping, having collaborated with the pirates to ensure victory for Zefiris' opponent, the now former Prime Minister of Versta, Cardin Winchester."
"Oh! This is so cool huh, Chigara?"
The upbeat, seemingly perpetually optimistic voice came from a red-haired woman, whose hair was styled into a pair of pigtails. She had a fair skin complexion and green eyes. Despite being a young adult, her lack of maturity was evident, especially considering the family she belonged to. As if to emphasize this, Asaga di Ryuvia, crown princess of the Ryuvian empire, wore casual attire, consisting of a simple T-shirt and black pants, rather than the more stylish and decorative clothing expected of her.
"The civil wars are ending? It's been a huge problem on Versta since it became independent."
The softer, shy voice of the second occupant in the room and Asaga's best friend was Chigara Lynn Ashada. In a clear contrast between them in personality and appearance, the shy girl didn't like attention very much, but still ended up ultimately attracting it due to her savant intelligence and remarkable talents with technology. In fact, the bookish, soft-spoken and bashful Chigara much preferred tinkering with gadgets more than interacting with people.
Chigara, being the shorter of the two, possessed a fair skin complexion, with short-cut periwinkle-blue hair fastened with a pink hair clip.
"Yeah, I guess the Black Knights did it again!" Asaga cheered, like a little girl who had just watched the final moments of an holo-drama featuring her favorite heroes.
It had been at least six months since the Black Knights made their appearance, but three months since their first appearance they took the entire Neutral Rim by storm, becoming famous for their acts of heroism, especially when it came to decimating the various pirates plaguing the neutral rim.
"Our people on Versta have just received a video message from Zero," continued the news anchor, "and at the request of Versta's new president, we will play it now."
The screen on the holographic monitor before the two young women went black, before the lights came on, showing Zero standing proudly at the centre of the shot, his large black, gold-trimmed cape draped over his shoulders, obscuring his body entirely. Standing behind him in attendance were members of the Black Knights, wearing black uniforms with gray trimming, black transparent face plates on their caps obscuring their faces.
The members were male and female both, and behind them hanging from a wall was the emblem of the Black Knights, a strange and stylized sigil with a sword through it.
"People of the Rim! Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit! We are the Black Knights!" Lelouch as Zero declared, as his pre-recorded message was broadcasted throughout most if not all of the galaxy. "We of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield… regardless of what planet they are from. The Orion Pirates stole the lives and freedom of people to sell them like livestock, condemning them to a fate worse than death. We delivered justice to them, when nobody else would. Just as we punished the Flaming Skull Pirates for raiding and attacked small colonies including pre-warp planets, slaughtering their scores of their inhabitants while robbing them of their possessions and lives."
Chigara watched intently, while Asaga only seemed to get more excited by the declaration.
"The Black Knights will never stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made each and every pirate of pay for their actions. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be KILLED!"
Zero exclaimed, dramatically extending his left arm before pulling it back, curling his hand into a fist.
"Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty or formidable our foe may be!"
"Look at that, Chigara! We got some real knights of justice!" The red-haired girl exclaimed, seeming ready to jump up and down like a child. Remembering her age, she restrained herself.
"Those of you with power, fear us!" Zero declared as he extended his left arm out in a dramatic fashion before following suit with his right arm as he declared, "Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of the galaxy!"
As the report came to a close, Asaga turned off the holographic device, before throwing her arms up into the air.
"THAT WAS SO COOL! We got some real heroes cleaning up the Neutral Rim!"
"But Asaga, they are technically vigilantes. I don't know how the other Neutral Rim worlds feel about them," Chigara said apprehensively, knowing how impressionable her friend was.
"They should be thanking them," Asaga asserted, with the dead-sure confidence of an admirer, "piracy is at an all-time low. They said so on the news just last night."
This much was true, Chigara knew. The Rim's law enforcement agencies were limited both in resources and co-operation, leaving the pirates plenty of room to operate with impunity. This recent turn of event represented the first real effort to combat crime in space in- in forever, as far as Chigara knew. The pirates were steadily decreasing in number, and they were being pushed back to the corners of the Rim.
"Asaga, we don't know anything about who these people are," Chigara protested gently, doing her best to not put her friend on the defensive, "what does it say about our laws when we can't enforce them ourselves? Should we really put that much power in the hands of... these vigilantes? We don't even know who they are. That's a lot of trust to place in the hands of strangers."
"Eh, whatever," said Asaga with a shrug, and Chigara decided not to push it any further. Asaga could be stubborn when she put her mind to it, and she was clearly enamored with the idea of vigilante justice. In part, Chigara couldn't blame her. That Zero certainly knew how to make an entrance…
Throughout the neutral rim, Zero's broadcast was being discussed, the proclamation spreading like wildfire. The Black Knights revealed and their intention stated, pirates were already beginning to organize themselves. But upon another world, someone else had taken an interest in events in the Neutral Rim since the Black Knights made their appearance on the galactic stage.
Deep within the territory that had once belonged to the New Empire, but was now known as PACT under its new leader. The grand palace that had once belonged to the Emperor had now become the new seat of power for PACT.
Inside a private chamber that was hidden underground in what was once a shelter meant to be used by the Emperor and the Royal Family sat the enigmatic leader of PACT. The walls had been stripped of any sign of its former owner, all memorabilia, iconography and art replaced by metal plating over blood red paint.
The enigmatic leader of PACT sat in a revolving chair, the armrests possessing different controls and keyboards for processing and reviewing every speck of information all around her. Everything from fleet deployment, tactical updates, general news and updates including news reports from places such as the Solar Alliance, the Neutral Rim and more came through this room for the leader of PACT to review and then decide on a course of action.
But today only one piece of information intrigued the supreme leader, as the holographic screen being projected from the right armrest of her chair showed a recording of Zero's proclamation and the announcement of the Black Knights.
"So either a copycat, or something more…" Veniczar S. Arcadius said, the iconic silver mask electronically distorting her voice, giving it an artificial, inhuman sound.
The mask was known throughout PACT, a smooth, expressionless thing of silver with elongated ears.
The rest of Arcadius was every bit as immaculately stylish as the smoothly crafted mask she wore; fair skin, short pageboy-style periwinkle-blue hair, and clothing befitting that of a count. The masked leader wore black dress pants, a matching high-collared military coat with maroon-red cuffs, gold embroidery and vertical stripes stemming from the shoulders, kept tied by maroon-red fabric fasteners instead of buttons.
Arcadius silently studied the footage, before quickly using the console built into the chair to call up every bit of information they had on the Black Knights and Zero so far. Her dainty hands skillfully worked the keyboard and computer controls like those of a master pianist. Veniczar S. Arcadius examined the information presented before her eyes and studied everything carefully, looking for details or possible hints not present with their current data which was incomplete as far as Arcadius was concerned.
This new ship of the Black Knights.. it's such an unusual design, andconcept, but… Arcadius thought as she examined the photos from the news sources of Zero's vessel, the Excalibur. The notes mentioned new Ryders of a unique design, but there was nothing else other than witness testimonies which were, surprisingly, lacking in detail. Someone who would have seen them in action surely would have mentioned something much more than vague details.
Are they a simple band of pitiful wretches who revived a long-dead organization, someone trying to play the role of Zero?
The fact they possessed a newly built vessel using weapons that shouldn't be possible for a gang of would-be heroes to get their hands on was evidence enough.
No, there must be more. How did they obtain the resources to build a ship of that quality and design? And Ryders to boot? That is well beyond any meagre warlord. Arcadius leaned back in her chair, deep in thought. These 'Black Knights' could be anything. Radicals. Terrorists. A warlord on the rise using his pirate hunts for propaganda. A contractor paid off by the various business interests in the Neutral Rim to finally clear out the pirate nuisances. Their presence was a curiosity, and a potential problem. Although a single ship hardly posed much of a threat to the might of the PACT navy…
Arcadius, having finished her line of thought, activated the FTL transmitter in the room to speak with her right-hand man.
His hologram materialized within seconds, responding promptly. He was already bowing respectfully before his superior as his hologram finished appearing. Although a grown man, he was young still, tall and lean. He has shoulder-length dark-purple hair, fair skin and intense sky-blue eyes.
"You called, high commander Veniczar A?" Veniczar B. Fontana said with the utmost respect. He had been chosen in part for his loyalty, and he never failed to display it.
"Rise, Fontana." Arcadius commanded. Her second in command obeyed, standing before his leader. "We are sure you have heard about recent events in the Neutral Rim?"
It took the purple-haired Veniczar only a second to realize the one thing that could have drawn Arcadius' interest.
"The Black Knights?" Fontana answered crispy, prompting Arcadius to nod in confirmation.
"They have proven far more capable than a group of their size should suggest, especially considering that ship they have."
"I concur. Do we know who supports them, commander? A vessel that size does not come cheap."
Arcadius shook her head. "Not much is known at the moment. I want you to contact Captain Miguel Kidd and instruct him to deal with the Black Knights. We'll supply him with whatever credits he needs to amass a force capable of challenging them head-on."
"You believe them to be a threat, commander?"
Arcadius shrugged. "They have some very interesting technology. I'd like to know where it came from."
"I understand, great veniczar. What if he refuses?"
"Then remind him of our agreement and what will happen if he fails to fulfill it."
Fontana bowed before dismissing himself. "I understand, and I'll make certain Captain Miguel understands as well."
"Excellent, Fontana. Send one of our agents to observe events with strict instructions not to get involved in any way."
"Understood."
"Dismissed."
"Yes, commander." Fontana replied, saluting. The communication ended, the hologram vanished.
Arcadius rose from her chair, retreating to her private chambers for a few minutes before returning with a small electronic device. It was worn out, almost ancient, being at least over a hundred years old. Still, through her hand and technical skills, the handheld device functioned, and its contents were still accessible. Plugging in the device into her chair the masked leader of PACT uploaded the files contained within the small device to go over its contents.
They were video files, from Terra, well over a hundred years old. Arcadius opened the second file, dubbed 'second televised appearance'.
A brief show of static could be seen on the screen before it revealed the figure known Zero, standing on a boat, with a group of his followers in the middle of a lake with life-boats full of people surrounding it. Arcadius knew this event well. All of modern Terran history had been affected by the vigilante known as Zero; it was taught in schools everywhere. In one year, he had brought the world's mightiest superpower to its knees, before treachery nearly undid all he had worked for.
She had been told the story in detail once. But that person was gone now, and Arcadius held onto the few possessions he had for reasons known only to her.
"The way they speak, even the hand gestures are similar, right down to their words being almost the same." Arcadius mused to herself. "Computer, run a voice recognition program between the two audio files I am about to play."
The AI heeded her command, and Arcadius begun to play the two videos, side by side. As they came to a close, the computer began to run its analysis.
Finally finishing its run, the program displayed its results in bright letters on the screen: Voice Recognition 100% MATCH!
Could just be better voice box installed in the mask, but we'll see if you are just a poor copycat. But… are you somehow involved in this, C.C? Arcadius thought, her hands suddenly tightening in barely suppressed anger.
Hidden within an asteroid belt in a remote and forgotten corner of the Neutral Rim was an old base that had been once used by the Solar Alliance during the Imperial-Alliance War a hundred years ago. Even though it had been abandoned and in disuse for a hundred years, it remained in remarkably good condition, even though it had required much work and restoration to bring the base back up to operational status. It had been done, though, and now served as the headquarters of the Black Knights.
The base commander's office had been appropriated by Zero- rather, Lelouch- doubling as his personal quarters. Sitting in front of a screen, he was watching the latest news feeds from around the Neutral Rim as the various worlds and groups responded to his message and declaration. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic about making the statement and reveal of the Black Knights, hearing those same words spoken over and over. It had been almost unintentional that his speech was almost exactly the same.
But it will confuse anyone who might have heard about the legend of Zero from Earth, bringing into question if I am a copycat.Lelouch thought, concluding that mincing his own speech could work to his advantage, although it was unlikely anyone outside of the Black Knights would know of his existence on Earth in the past. On the other hand, it could be helpful in revealing anyone who did and see how they react accordingly which could serve his purposes either way.
A beeping sound at his door disrupted his thoughts.
"It's me, sir," Jeremiah said from the other side of the door through the intercom.
"Come in." Lelouch commanded leaving his mask off before shutting off the holographic screens around him.
Jeremiah entered, giving a curt bow to Lelouch before turning his eye to the screens.
"How are they reacting, your majesty?"
"As expected," said Lelouch, a contented smile on his face, "our reception seems mostly positive, especially in the areas the most affected by piracy. Some officials have condemned us as vigilantes, but it seems our pitch has worked for the most part. It helps that we are taking on pirates. Unlike the Britannians of old, they don't have any good PR, and nobody really likes them."
"And the systems outside the Rim, your majesty?"
"The news are still making waves, but we're getting news coverage. Most of it paints us as overambitious pirate hunters."
"Not quite flattering, then," said Jeremiah dryly.
"Positive news coverage is positive news coverage," said Lelouch with a shrug.
"True enough, sire," said Jeremiah, "forgive me if I am too familiar, but this… it must be somewhat nostalgic to your majesty."
"It is," Lelouch admitted with a nod, "It brings me back remembering how the world reacted to my existence and then that of the Black Knights. But I cannot let such things get in the way. This is a critical time for us. Jeremiah, has everything been arranged?"
"Yes, and as per your instructions, we have divided a majority of our growing numbers into smaller mercenary and bounty hunting parties to amass more credits and funds for our organization. This will also provide additional forms of intelligence gathering on various groups and parties in the Neutral Rim," Jeremiah said, before activating the holo on his wrist to display a holographic screen, showing the logistical breakdown of how their forces were being split up.
Lelouch nodded in approval. "Very good. This will help keep the Neutral Rim worlds from troubling us too much. If our numbers were to publically grow too large, then it might end up working against us if those worlds started to view us as a potential threat," Lelouch said, reviewing the information Jeremiah had provided. He was already planning the next moves the Black Knights would make.
"I agree, your majesty. I would also like to inform you that we traced the funds President Zefiris's political opponents had been using to pay off the Orion Pirates and using to fund the various anti-government forces on Versta," Jeremiah explained before scrolling through the information on his holo. He searched for bank account forms their newly minted intelligence division had managed to collect with the help of Versta's law enforcement, the Mining Union and using underworld information brokers their intelligence agents had contact with. "It all leads to a Neutral Rim world called Centaur, that sits on the edge of…"
"PACT space, I assume?"
"Correct, which seems to support your suspicions. It confirms the intelligence Kururugi gave us, that Arcadius is supporting pirate groups in the Neutral Rim as well as other parties like those who opposed President Zefiris whose reforms once he took office would have ended the civil wars and unrest plaguing the planet," Jeremiah noted.
"Yes. Suzaku's information said that PACT was using third-party proxies supporting anti-government groups on Versta to keep the planet destabilized, to make its conquest a lot easier when they begin their invasion of the Neutral Rim. I suspected this went a lot further than just one world, but this confirms it." Lelouch said as he rested his head on his hands while he had his arms propped up on his desk in deep contemplation. "Now we need to track down the one handling their operations in the Neutral Rim."
It made sense. PACT was still a new empire, and dedicating navy and army elements to conquering Versta would cost them more than it was worth. The planet lacked much real value, having neither an abundance of natural resources nor a strong economy. But weakened and defenseless? That might be worth the Veniczar's time. It would also make it easier for PACT to crush any chance of resistance groups forming against them once said planet was conquered.
Besides, it's something I would have done if I was Arcadius, seeking to conquer the Neutral Rim. Lelouch thought, looking at it from Arcadius's point of view, taking into account the various possible factors the masked leader of PACT might be considering.
Arcadius is likely taking into account that the Solar Alliance might decide to intervene, although with its political deadlock and the Solar Congress being dominated by members of the Progressive Party will likely prevent the Alliance from becoming involved until the Neutral Rim has been conquered or worse, until PACT invades the Solar Alliance itself.
From what Lelouch knew about the Solar Alliance and its current political state, this was a likely outcome at this point, but if his own past experiences have taught him anything that unexpected events and factors could emerge without warning.
Still, there is always the possibility that this could change, and Arcadius is probably aware of that. No matter how unlikely the opportunity of the Solar Alliance becoming involved before the conquest of the Neutral Rim is completed, he'll be seeking ways to quicken the conquest of the Neutral Rim to avoid a war on two fronts.
Arcadius had, much like himself, taken a rag-tag group of resistance fighters and led them to victory against a military force with better ships, better weapons and more soldiers. Now the same person who brought down the New Empire had far more resources, weapons, ships, and men to command than before, but he couldn't see Arcadius as the foolish type who would squander and waste resources or make careless mistakes. He was facing an opponent unlikely to waste any resources, or make any obvious mistakes.
If I were Arcadius, I would be concerned about the potential threat the Black Knights would represent. Lelouch thought. If Arcadius's goal was to destabilize the Neutral Rim as a whole to make its conquest more straightforward when the actual invasion commenced, then surely he should have heard about the Black Knights by now. Possessing a ship that is superior to anything most pirates and even some government militaries have and new Ryders as well… I would likely seek whatever information I could get, and then find a way to neutralize us. If I took the threat seriously, that is. They might still underestimate us- a single ship, against an armada? Those are good odds for PACT.
"Your majesty?" Jeremiah said, noticing that Lelouch was very deep in thought.
"I am sorry, Jeremiah. We need to get our intelligence agents out of there to collect information on pirate movements. I think we're about to experience an escalation of hostility between them and us." Lelouch said, before rising from his chair.
"You mean there will be pirates coming after us?"
"Yes, and I am sure Arcadius will be the one who will push them into action. Right now, we're an unknown factor, so I doubt he'd waste actual warships on us." Lelouch said, before donning his trademark mask. "If I were Arcadius planning an invasion of the Neutral Rim which could, although it's unlikely, push the Solar Alliance into action against us in the middle of the coming invasion."
"It was my impression that the political deadlock and division within the Alliance would not push them into action quickly enough."
"You are right on that account, Jeremiah, but something could happen to change that. A fact I am sure Arcadius is all too aware of." The former Emperor replied sagely, gesturing for Jeremiah to follow him as they walked out of his office. "If he wants to crush the Alliance before they decide to act against PACT he'll need to conquer the Neutral Rim quickly and consolidate all of his newly held territories for an effective and destructive campaign if he wants to inflict crippling damage to the Alliance before wiping it out."
"I see. From Arcadius' point of view, we could an obstacle to their swift victory over the Rim."
"Exactly. Even though the rest of the galaxy believes we are but one ship with a few Ryders. But somehow I wouldn't put it past someone like Arcadius to suspect we may have more resources and weapons than what the public knows. It's simple deduction. Our ship alone, along with its three Ryders, are superior even to some smaller Neutral Rim planetary governments' militaries." Lelouch said as he and Jeremiah made their way to an observation platform.
"Then what do we do, sir?"
"We stay the course, but we'll need to hurry. I hope C.C. and Michael will find a better location for our base of operations with some untapped resources we can use to continue our preparations. Because once PACT begins its invasions, we'll need to find some alternative means of obtaining the resources and funds for our operations."
"Let us hope for the best, then, until those pirates make the first move. But if I may suggest, sir, we should try to accelerate our projects. I fear time is going to become something of a vital commodity in the near future."
"You are probably right about that, Jeremiah," Lelouch said grimly as he gazed out into space. He saw old space docks that had once been used by the Alliance Navy to resupply and repair their ships, now repurposed into construction yards for new vessels.
The Excalibur was never intended to be a one-of-a-kind ship, and it wouldn't be the only new ship.
The Excalibur-class ships would no doubt become the workhorse of the Black Knight's naval forces, but against the might of PACT and their more heavily armed and numerous military, they would need more substantial and more powerful ships capable of matching or superior to battleships and carriers. Through a unique arrangement with the Ceran government or at least individual leaders in its military, a joint-development project was being conducted.
Lelouch was surprised he and the Black Knights could secure such an arrangement with Cera, or rather certain members of its government who recognized the threat PACT represents.
Through Lloyd and Garibaldi a meeting was arranged and a proposal was laid out between Lelouch as Zero and the head of the Cera Space Force acting as the representative of the Cera faction willing to support them.
Admiral Andrew Kinchloe offered whatever support he could to the Black Knights, in exchange for any combat data should they implement and improve on the designs for their Assault Carrier with Lloyd's assistance. Of course, the deal also included the elimination of specific pirate groups that have become a thorn in their side as well.
Cera's version of the project was being slowed down due to political roadblocks and disagreements within its military, but since the Black Knights had no governmental oversight or really anything to stop them with various resources at their fingertips, the project proceeded unhindered on their end.
Unless those idiots behind Cera's leadership get their act together and face the truth, they'll be steamrolled by the PACT war machine, Lelouch thought with a look of frustration under his mask.
In one of the repurposed docks was the hull of an incomplete vessel. Within a year, it would be finished and ready for duty. It was at least seven hundred and eighty meters in length, with a smooth arrowhead-like design with small wings built into the overall hull and body, giving it a sleeker appearance than most standard battleships. Unlike most battleships and carriers, the scanning towers commonly mounted on the hull were lower than most, which was to prevent any kind of high towers or raised sections of the ship becoming a tactical liability.
"We may not have numbers on our side, but our ships and Ryders will be of a higher quality," Lelouch said as he gazed out at the work of what would become his personal flagship, and the first of a new kind of ship.
The idea was being pioneered by Cera's military engineers and designers, an Assault Carrier that would carry Ryders and serve as both a carrier and a battleship rolled into one. Were it not for the political issues and problems its development was facing then more than likely the Cera government would have built it by now, but work on it still continued behind the scenes with Lloyd helping them in the design phase, offering suggestions and input in exchange for assistance in their own development of the ship.
Despite being confident in extraordinary capabilities of his growing army and weapons, Lelouch feared it might not be enough. Content in his examination of their burgeoning fleet, he turned around and walked back toward his office, accompanied as ever by Jeremiah.
Just as he entered the room, there was a beeping sound from one of Jeremiah's devices.
"Sir, I have C.C. and Garibaldi online. They're ready to report."
"Very good," said Lelouch, sitting down at his desk once more as contact was established with the ship C.C. was on as her holographic avatar and Garibaldi's avatar materialized in empty chairs next to the one Jeremiah decided to occupy.
"How has the expedition been?" Lelouch asked.
Garibaldi sighed while C.C. grinned, leading the former to comment.
"About as well as you might expect."
"I see," Lelouch replied, feeling sympathetic for Garibaldi. He knew how much trouble C.C. could be when she was bored.
"We have checked some of the blank spots on the navigational charts, although these new travel lanes we have found could be useful to us in the future," C.C. began.
"There isn't anything we can use as a suitable base, then." Said Lelouch.
"Not yet… but there's hope," C.C. replied.
"We may not have the numbers yet to face PACT head on, but I fear the Neutral Rim will be invaded well before we do. Once that happens, many people will be displaced from their worlds, although some will flee to Solar Alliance," Garibaldi explained before adding. "Or they may want to join our ranks."
"I concur, but that would still leave us with the problem of what to do with their families along with any refuges that could end up in our care." Lelouch said which was another key reason he had hoped to find a planet to establish a colony on.
"Our base certainty won't have enough room for all of them, and not to mention keeping them here would be risky should we be discovered." Garibaldi said in agreement. "It would be a potential bloodbath."
"I know," Lelouch replied putting both arms on his desk to rest his chin atop his hands in contemplation.
"And there is the issue of the funding. We would need to properly establish a colony and base even if we find such a planet," Jeremiah pointed out.
"The support we have now is enough to sustain our current forces, but we must keep growing so we will need to begin looking at alternatives for funding as well."
The meeting lasted for about forty minutes before coming to a close. When it was over, Lelouch asked to speak with C.C. privately, prompting Jeremiah to leave while Garibaldi ended his transmission.
"How are you holding up?" C.C. asked.
"Quite well, all things considered," Lelouch replied with a smile as he reclined in his chair.
"You've been talking to Ava, haven't you?"
Lelouch seemed slightly surprised by the question, but his minor change in expression was the only answer C.C. needed.
Smirking, C.C. said, "It's nothing to be ashamed about."
"It's not like that."
"True, but it's good to see you interacting with another so closely. You could do worse than her, you know…"
"I keep telling you, she and I are just friends," Lelouch protested, realizing too late that he had let a little irritation show in his voice. C.C., unable to resist the opportunity, went right for it.
"Really now? You aren't dreaming about her at night, the sweet, gallant Ava?"
"C.C.-" Lelouch said, trying to put on an authoritative, warning tone of voice, but if there was one person in the universe he could not intimidate, it was her.
"You're not thinking about her naked? It's perfectly normal, you know. Frankly, I think it's about time. You're over a hundred years old, and still a virgin."
"You- you- be quiet, you obnoxious little witch!" Lelouch snapped, wishing he had his mask on still; he felt his cheeks heating. How could he run an army, build a fleet of starships, and still be this easily rattled?
"Huh. You must really like her," said C.C., in a flat tone of voice that Lelouch recognized as triumphant.
"How would that even work?" Lelouch snapped, "She's married to her job, following her father's footsteps, millions of miles away in her own ship!"
"Excuses," said C.C., flippantly waving her hand. Seeming to have had enough fun, she continued. "Regardless, I am sure Nunnally would be happy, and even more so if you found someone you could share your life with."
Lelouch gave C.C. a questioning look.
"Should you succeed in bringing my brother back," she continued, her tone of voice changing, becoming more serious, "all I wish for him is to find happiness and peace for the rest of his days. I know he might be lonely without me and everyone else, so I wish he'll find someone he can love, and that they can love him back. So that my brother can hopefully find peace."
"Was that something Nunnally said to you?" Lelouch inquired with a melancholy expression.
"Yes, it was," C.C. confirmed. "It was her wish that you can find someone you could not only be happy with, but someone who can live for so you will have a reason to go on. Nunnally was worried you wouldn't take well to being resurrected, so naturally…"
Lelouch closed his eyes, but a light smiled appeared on his lips. "She would wish that for me."
"Your end goal is to liberate Earth, right?"
"It is, but I know we are a long way from achieving that goal." Lelouch answered. "PACT will need to be dealt with first and foremost, but we don't have the numbers and resources for an undertaking like that. Not yet at least, but right now everything is in its early stages. It's impossible to say how the future conflict between us and them will go."
Even if I mustered a force large enough to liberate the Earth it wouldn't be enough, Lelouch thought.
Even if he was successful in liberating Earth, there was the likely possibility of PACT simply using numbers to wear them down before simply reconquering it again. Complicating matters was the condition of the Earth; could it stand on its own as a independent nation? Lelouch had heard from Jeremiah that Earth was stripped mind by the New Empire. Rebuilding efforts would have to be made, while taking steps to ensure Earth could properly join the greater galaxy as its own nation.
With that in mind, it makes retaking the Earth sound easy, but even so it's going to be a long time before I can liberate it…
"And once you liberate the Earth and defeat PACT… then what?"
Lelouch was silent, and it was because he didn't have an answer. What would he do with his life when there were no enemies left to conquer? He had never tried his hand at anything but conquest. Violence had been his life ever since that one fateful day. A life of peace… he wasn't sure how he would even handle that. Briefly, he tried to imagine that. Lelouch, fully grown, in charge of something normal. Lelouch, in civil society. Lelouch, husband, father, family man. Unbidden, Ava came into his mind, and briefly he imagined himself next to her, children at their side…
He shook his head, dispelling the fantasy. Ridiculous.
Collecting his thoughts, he consoled himself with the fact that an undertaking like this could easily take decades. Maybe even an entire life. He'd cross that bridge when he got there. Here and now, he had a fleet to build, an army to train, and an empire to topple.
The following day, deep within PACT territory, Suzaku exited a transport shuttle. He had gone to a hidden shipyard complex, located within an asteroid field that orbited around a small moon, several light years away from New Eden. He had come here on important business, heeding a call he could not ignore. As he walked down the ramp of the shuttle, he saw a detail of elite troops marching next to the man he had come to meet, their PACT uniforms spotless, their weapons doubtless loaded, their muscular frames emphasizing the authority and power of their leader. Ignoring the ache in his aged joints, Suzaku walked down the ramp, a smaller squad of bodyguards following behind him. Just like the man he was meeting, he was in uniform. He halted some four paces away from the man, who stared him down, a slight smile on his face.
"Veniczar B. Fontana," said Suzaku, "it's been some time, hasn't it?"
"Indeed," said Fontana calmly, "I am glad to see you again… Veniczar C. Kururugi."
"Please, Fontana, let's dispense with the formalities." Suzaku said returning the greeting with a slight bow.
"I may be your superior, but you have been with PACT and its predecessor much longer than I," Fontana said respectfully.
Together, the two boarded a specialized observation shuttle, which would take them to the heavily guarded primary shipyard. Security was extremely tight; besides the personnel working there, only those of Fontana's rank and above were aware of what was being constructed. Once they were underway, Suzaku and Fontana sat down together on one of the chairs in the observation room of the shuttle that would allow both men a bird's eye view of construction efforts once they reached the shipyards.
"I heard you met with her again recently." Suzaku said, prompting Fontana to nod as a saddened expression appeared on his face.
"She has become even less like the Arcadius I remembered."
"I assume you are thinking about that time on Threala…when you two met."
"I was saved from a life of continued slavery because of Arcadius. Back then… back then, she believed. She seemed like a paragon, Kururugi. Incorruptible. Out only for justice against the suffering and brutality of the New Empire."
Fontana spoke with proud fondness of the time he had met Arcadius, who had saved him. He was but a young boy then, but his dedication and intelligence despite his age had seen him rise through the ranks of Compact before it became PACT.
"Your mother was a slave, wasn't she? She was pregnant with you when you were sold to that lord on Threala."
"Yes," said Fontana, his expression darkening, "he would always brag about how he got a two-in-one deal because of it,"
Suzaku remembered the time he and Arcadius met for the first time. His eyes sparkled, and the expression of reverence upon his face was endearing as if savor from the heavens had come to pull him out of the hellish life of a slave.
"So much has changed, hasn't it?" Suzaku said solemnly deciding to change the subject a little.
"Yes… nothing what we had expected when the New Empire fell. I wonder if this is her way of punishing them?"
"You might be right I fear, but…" The elderly man said as he allowed his words to trail off.
I fear this will only get worse from here.
"Instead of focusing on helping and restoring the improvised worlds that had been left to poverty or worse under the New Empire remain the same, instead of using our newly acquired resources and factories to help those worlds, we are now pouring everything into the development of more Ryders and ships building a much larger military than we need." Fontana said solemnly, shaking his head, "That was not the vision we were promised, was it?"
"What can we do about it?" said Suzaku, shrugging. It was tempting to pursue this further, but he couldn't be sure how loyal Fontana was. If he gave him any idea what he was really doing, it could compromise everything.
"She's still Arcadius. She's still the one who led us to victory. And it's she who controls it all."
Sensing this meeting was more than a simple inspection, Suzaku decided to ask another question, a serious expression on his face.
"Fontana would you mind telling me the real reason you called me here? Because I think you wanted me for something other than an ordinary inspection."
Fontana sunk back into his seat, and shame seemed written in his face.
"Tell me, do you understand revenge?"
Suzaku carefully contemplated the question for a moment before giving his answer.
"Yes…more than even I wish to know."
"Then tell me, what you think of her reasoning behind building something like that," Fontana said gesturing at the massive construction effort taking place on the surface of the moon.
Suzaku rose from his chair to get a better view, but he quickly regretted his decision, as his blood went cold at what he saw, the color draining from his wrinkled face. Seeing what was being built caused a memory from long ago to flash within his mind's eye- the image of a white, flying fortress capable of untold devastation, using terrible weapons of mass destruction.
But what he saw was something much worse than Damocles.
He didn't need to be an engineer to know what a massive ship of three kilometers in length, designed to look like a giant cannon with the stern being the most significant part of the vessel was designed to do. The center section of the dreadnought matched the rear, containing massive engines. A ring surrounded the rear of the ship, four large arms pointing forward. Even though a good part of the superstructure and outer hull was finished, Suzaku could tell much internal work and weapons needed to be done. From what Suzaku could see so of the ship so far, he saw numerous laser battery placement points and other armaments already installed, indicating that this ship had, or would have, enough laser, kinetic, missiles and machine cannons mounted upon its hull to take down an entire fleet on its own.
Its thick armor hull and the shields they might install would make it very difficult to damage it, but it was the massive cannon on the bow of the ship which looked like a gaping maw that Suzaku feared would be the ship's trademark weapon.
"Fontana… just what is that?"
"A new super-dreadnought, designed by PACT's best engineers. As I am sure you the spinal beam cannon at its bow. It was designed by Arcadius herself. This is to be PACT's secret weapon when we invade the Alliance, although I fear she might decide to use it sooner than expected depending on the circumstances."
"That laser is for sinking entire fleets… right," Suzaku said nervously, but he knew just as Fontana did that this ship was capable of more than merely something to wipe out small fleets with on its own.
With a look of pained regret on his face, while trying to mask his own distaste for the terrible weapon being built below them, he answered,
"No, I am afraid the laser is capable of… or rather… designed to be able to wipe out large targets from orbit, completely wiping out a projected estimate of ten kilometers of the target zone all around, according to simulations."
Horror washed over Suzaku like a dark cloud, but any doubts he might have had about convincing Lelouch to become Zero again to stop Arcadius was instantly gone.
"Arcadius is naming this ship… the Legion."
A/N: just when it seems Lelouch is off to a good start we find there might be some complications along the way with a monster of a city and fleet busting warship like the Legion going to be a huge problem.
But the Legion itself is merely one challenge and danger Lelouch will face in this story.
Although he won't have significant numbers to fill the ranks of the Black Knights, hopefully, Lelouch's quality over quantity approach will work out for him.
I am glad I got to introduce Asaga and Chigara as they will have essential roles in the story. I am merely trying to avoid spoiling too much for those who haven't played the game.
We find out about Suzaku's exact place in PACT as one of its high-ranked Veniczar and his precise relationship with one of its primary leaders and hinting at knowing much more about Arcadius and probably more than what he told Lelouch. Why he kept his mouth shut will be revealed much later in the story, but for now, the poor man must endure and be the spy Lelouch, and the Black Knights need.
I'll introduce some more characters in the coming chapters including those who will be critical crewmembers of Lelouch's flagship and the Excalibur. I just didn't do so because he would get a different crew later on.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to the feedback/reviews, and the poll is still ongoing.