A/N: First off special thanks to Greatkingrat88 for fixing and overall improving the chapter.
And now I am sure you are all wondering, what the heck is this?!
Well, I should explain that over the past couple of months since November, I have reached out to my friend Greatratking88 and together, we have gone through the entire story from chapter one to chapter eleven. Every chapter has been redone, but storywise nothing has changed, but after chapter five, things were expanded upon and changed.
The Battle in Chapter 10 has simply been pushed back to expand upon the conflict between the Black Knights and Captain Kidd while adding new scenes and expanding upon scenes I skipped over. And we built upon the raid, and this chapter has an even further extension than merely wiping out Kidd while the space battle was significantly improved in overall writing quality.
I know this may mean going back and re-reading the story or some of the chapters, but I hope these changes will make the story a better reading experience.
Anyway, on with the story.
Chapter 11
The Center of Attention
"We are reporting live from the Far Port Star City Resort," the female newscaster began, "we have just received word a Black Knight vessel accompanying the Queen's Anne Revenge is heading this way. Alliance vessels have begun following the ships in, but everyone is eager to see what will be the vigilante Zero's first public appearance."
In the brig of the Excalibur, Lelouch smiled underneath his mask. Everything had gone according to plan. He had leaked that the legendary outlaw Kidd would be delivered to justice here at Far Port, a former trading hub for the Ryuvian Empire prior to being abandoned during its war with the New Empire. Although no longer the bustling trading hub it had once been, it was close enough to Solar Alliance space for an official meeting with its representatives.
Naturally, every news network he had fed this information had flocked to it like seagulls to an aging fish. Not just those of the Solar Alliance, but of every neighboring planet. Miguel Kidd had led a long, infamous career, and none of the planets in the Rim had been untouched by his sting. Everyone wanted to see the criminal brought low. Everyone wanted justice for the people he had killed and robbed in his time. And they would get it, in front of a thousand pict-feeds broadcast across the entire rim. Everyone would see Zero, head of the Black Knights, serving justice where their governments could not. He felt something of a thrill. This was just like the old days, early in his campaign against Britannia, when all he'd had was a handful of rebels, some leftover Knightmares, his wits, and a flair for the dramatic. It had taught him much about the value of propaganda and grand gestures, and as far as gestures went, they could hardly get grander than this.
"You think you're so god damn smart, don't you?"
It was Kidd, sneering at him. He had been brought out of his cell, hands cuffed behind his back as he stood on his knees. Lelouch had taken particular care with him. He had not been given any chance to polish his appearance, and it showed. His hair hang in stripes, and although he had been given back his old uniform, it had been damaged and dirtied, its command insignias ripped off. What the cameras would see when he was handed over was a man who was the very picture of defeat. He had considered just dressing the man in plain prisoner overalls, but had decided against it- people should be reminded that Kidd had been a pirate, not a common prisoner.
"You shut your mouth!" said one of the soldiers standing guard, but Lelouch raised a hand.
"Let him speak," said Lelouch.
"Listen, you smug prick," snarled Kidd, "they might hang me, but one day it's going to happen to you too. You're going to feel like you're on top of the world and nothing can touch you, and suddenly the rug will be pulled off under your feet, just like it was for me. I won't be around to see it, but mark my words, your time will come!"
Lelouch chuckled.
"The difference between us," he said amusedly, "is that it already has. Several times over."
Kidd looked at him, perplexed. Before he could reply, Jeremiah entered the brig, wearing his parade uniform. He would accompany Lelouch, looking the very picture of an officer and a gentleman.
"We are ready to disembark, sir," he said neutrally, "the admiral is waiting."
"Very good," said Lelouch with a nod, "let's go, then."
"I can see it now," said Kathleen Connelly, news reporter of Solar Central News. Her voice was eager, excited far beyond the neutral tone a reporter would usually keep, "we're getting the first images. Can we get a closer zoom? Yes- yes, there they are! It's the criminal Miguel Kidd, scourge of the rim!"
She beamed as the camera zoomed in, showing a rough-looking, worn Kidd, manacled, walking in between two soldiers in all black.
"And in front of him," she continued eagerly, "we can see- is that Zero, that old gentleman? No- there he is, the mysterious masked leader of the Black Knights. Some have branded him an outlaw or even a terrorist, but it looks like today, he's shown his true colors- and they're all black!"
Lelouch felt an immense satisfaction as he walked down the ramp of the shuttle alongside Jeremiah. As instructed, they took their time walking toward the podium where Admiral Grey was waiting. The press was everywhere, camera drones following their every movement. They had been blocked from coming too close by the military escort the admiral had brought, but even so, several worlds would see this. Slowly, each step deliberate, he and Jeremiah walked towards Grey and his escort of marines.
"You damn well took your time," Grey muttered once Lelouch reached the podium, "you do realize I wanted the press kept out of this?"
"But I did not," Lelouch said simply, "there's no reason to fret. You get to bring an infamous criminal to justice, and we get a nice little bit of PR. That's a win-win situation, is it not?"
Grey gave him a stern look, then turned to the pirate. Once he stepped onto the podium, he was shoved to his knees by the soldiers, both having their guns at the ready.
"Well, well," said Grey, unable to hide the satisfaction in his voice, "Miguel Kidd. Been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Go to hell, you shifty bastard," said Kidd hatefully.
"I always thought you'd run out of luck one day," said the admiral, with a cold smile, "and while no amount of prison can ever punish you enough, at least you'll go down in history as the legendary pirate who lost it all to a man with not even half the ships and guns."
"Admiral Grey," Lelouch said, projecting his voice loudly, "we hereby present you with the traitor, renegade murderer and pirate, Miguel Kidd. In addition, the Black Knights offer back to the Solar Alliance the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship he used for so long to spread terror. May it serve the alliance proudly, as it once did!"
The admiral nodded to his marines.
"Take him away. Secure him in the brig of my ship."
Two very sturdy men in uniforms quickly secured the pirate king, and Grey turned to Lelouch. Sighing, he offered him his hand. Lelouch, realizing the importance of the gesture, shook his hand firmly.
"On behalf of the Solar Alliance," said Grey, his voice curt, "I thank you for this service to our great Alliance. We are eternally grateful. The bounty on Kidd's head is yours to claim."
"Most appreciated, Admiral," said Lelouch dramatically, spreading his arms, "but it was not for money we sought out this dangerous brigand, but for a burning desire for justice where none could be given."
He turned to face the camera drones, speaking with a firm, loud voice. It was like riding a bicycle at this point. Speeches came naturally.
"People of the Solar Alliance," he begun, "it pained me to see so much chaos, injustice and cruelty in this much-neglected area of space. Therefore, we sought to find justice, to bring order where none existed, to bring freedom where only tyranny reigned. So I urge all of you- where you see an injustice that cannot be remedied by the hand of the law, where you are oppressed by a cruel and callous master, look to the Black Knights. We are here to protect and to serve. We will work with the Solar Alliance, as you have seen here, or with any other government that will accept it- our commitment is purely to justice, to freedom, and to the death of tyranny!"
He pumped his fist into the air as he spoke, knowing the speech would be repeated Ad Nauseam for millions to see. Behind his mask, he smiled wide.
It didn't take long for it to blow up. A few hours later, the Black Knights were the front page news on every channel on every news network, on every planet in the Rim. It was invaluable propaganda. It would change Lelouch's image from that of a barely known vigilante to a true hero of the people, one whose words were matched by his deeds. Not only did it make the Black Knights seem as the heroes of the hour, bringing to justice a stain on Solar Alliance history, but it also meant the whole world knew that a small fleet had accomplished what several planetary navies had failed to do. Even the most critical pundits acknowledged it was extraordinary. The story was further bolstered by reports from legal enforcement teams sent out to investigate the Luarcia Asteroid Belt.
The investigation was expected to take weeks, but initial observations and reports of the battle site did find a large amount of wreckage belonging to known types of pirate vessels. It could take anywhere up to several days or weeks to identify the ships and, by extension, the pirates who crewed them to determine an exact causality count.
These news reports spread quickly throughout the Neutral Rim, including Ongess.
"Well," Cosette said with a smug expression, slamming an empty glass onto the countertop of the bar she was sitting at, "can't say I am surprised."
Cosette had just seen the report from one of the holographic monitors playing behind the bartender at the End of the Line bar. Upon seeing the news, Cosette had turned to the bar patrons sitting to her left with a predatory grin on her face. Next to her was a rugged man wearing a mixed and matched outfit combined with armor with an eyepatch and a mechanical right hand.
"So, what were you saying about Captain Kidd and how you were untouchable?"
"Well, I…" the pirate captain sitting next to Cosette began, clearly nervous. Sweat was already starting to show on his forehead.
Kevin Rackham slowly tried to get up from the barstool he was sitting on to put some distance between him and Cosette, but sensing what Cosette had in mind, her own men drew their weapons quickly, pointing them at both Rackham and his crew. Rackman's crew was outnumbered by Cosette's, and those not aiming their guns at the head of one unfortunate crewman were pointing their weapons at the terrified Rackham.
The bartender quietly slipped away and into the back to escape the oncoming massacre likely to happen.
Leaping off the barstool, Cosette accepted a shotgun a crewmember handed her.
"You know, someone better pick up that phone because I fucking called it. I knew Kidd's little hunt for Zero was going to go belly up, but I thought it would be more from backstabbing than Zero wiping them out." Cosette said with a maniacal smile, approaching the terrified Rackham.
"Please Cosette, it wasn't anything personal?"
"Funny, because I remember a while back you said I was too SMALL time, and some other things I cannot overlook," Cosette said sweetly, but then her voice turned venomous and deadly in less than a second, "especially now that Captain Kidd isn't around to protect you. So who's small now?"
"Please, no… I…"
Rackham made a desperate run for it, but Cosette swiftly shot him in the back with shotgun, ending his life and putting down one of her more troublesome rivals.
"It's time for a new Pirate Queen to step up!" Cosette cried triumphantly, and her crew cheered.
Outside, the sounds of gunfire could be heard mixed with screaming and shouts of battle cries as similar events to the one that just happened at the End of the Line bar began taking place across Ongess. Of course, it wouldn't be shocking to hear pirates in their ships fighting one another to claim whatever territory Captain Kidd and the pirates who were sunk with most of his fleet had.
The sudden power vacuum left by the Neutral Rim's most dangerous pirate had set off a violent confrontation among the rest of the various space pirates to see which of them could claim Captain Kidd's title as the Pirate King, or Queen.
Three days later, Lelouch was at his desk within the sanctuary of his cabin aboard the Excalibur, reviewing reports of supplies, budget, and recruiting efforts. Thanks to the private accounts Captain Kidd had hidden across the Neutral Rim, their finances had spiked considerably. The bounty the Solar Alliance had given them for turning in Captain Kidd and his ship was quite considerable, too.
As a result, the Black Knights were exceptionally well off financially, but as for everything else…
We got a long way to go, but our time to prepare is steadily decreasing, Lelouch thought as he began examining a report on recruiting efforts.
The problem facing the Black Knights were numbers. In ships, Ryders, and people to both crew and pilot them. While their popularity had never been greater, training and vetting new, qualified personnel took a long time, and this was not like Japan where it was just a matter of learning to pilot a Knightmare. This new warfare required great starships, and starships required engineers, technicians, computing, all manner of highly qualified specialists.
And now the prospect of facing beings like Lynn complicated matters. Lloyd was already examining what's was left of Lynn's machine and reviewing the combat data they had collected during their confrontation with it. The scientist assured him he would begin designing new machines to match them, including a new Ryder to replace the Knight unit.
"Now we just need more people," Lelouch commented, shutting off the holo screen on his desk before messaging his temples with his hands.
A beeping at his door interrupted his thoughts.
"It's me, sir," Jeremiah said through the door's intercom.
"Come in," Lelouch answered, unlocking the door.
"We'll be arriving at the Mnemosyne Abyss in five minutes," Jeremiah reported upon the cabin door closing behind him.
"I see," Lelouch replied.
"Have you been sleeping well?" Jeremiah inquired. Lelouch looked a bit worse for wear; bags were starting to form under his eyes.
"It could be better, but as I am sure you realize, I have been swamped," Lelouch pointed out.
"Of course," Jeremiah acknowledged. "However, as you have said, a well-rested army will perform better. I believe the same applies to you as the leader."
"Jeremiah, while I appreciate the concern, I can't just take a vacation while the threat of PACT looms over our heads!" Lelouch snapped.
"It's not simply signs of exhaustion. I hate to put it this way, but I am making you at the very least take a few days off," Jeremiah replied.
Lelouch looked at Jeremiah, nonplussed.
"The casualties with had against Kidd's fleet have weighed on you, hasn't it?"
Lelouch, usually quick to respond, said nothing, and looked down.
"No matter how many times you lose men under your command, you never get used to the feeling," Jeremiah said, "And our casualties were quite high, despite our victory."
"That is supposed to justify me taking time off?"
"With all due respect, I think you sorely need it. When did you last take any time off?"
Lelouch didn't have an answer, but both men knew Lelouch hadn't taken a day off from being Zero since he adopted the mantle once more a few years ago.
"You have done all you can for now, and there is nothing pressing. Our ships are being repaired, and the Black Knights are not currently planning any major operations. Until we are back in shape, there's not that much to do. Let your subordinates carry out their tasks. So we can have a leader who is properly refreshed for the war ahead."
He wasn't exactly thrilled, but Lelouch recognized a battle he couldn't win.
"I assume if I don't, you'll get C.C. and Milly involved?"
Jeremiah merely smiled.
"Fine. I suppose I'll spend some time on Cera then. One week. No longer than that, agreed?"
"Agreed. I'll make the arrangements."
"In the meantime, let's conduct the inspection tour," Lelouch said before rising from his desk.
Donning his mask, Lelouch followed Jeremiah.
Five minutes later, the Excalibur docked at the Ancient Ryuivan Ship Graveyard within the Mnemosyne Abyss. Ever since the last time Lelouch had first come to the vast Graveyard of ships, the Black Knights had established a base serving as both the heart of their salvage efforts and a harbor for their vessels, including the restored Ryuvian Shikire-class Cruisers that guarded the area. Near the station was a pair of drydocks created to house a Ryuvian Shikire-class Cruiser where restoration and rearmament efforts were underway, or at least for those Cruisers that could be restored to full combat readiness. Any cruisers that couldn't be restored were dismantled and used as spare parts to repair the others or repurposed for other shipbuilding efforts of the Black Knights.
A total of seven Ryuvian Shikire-class Cruisers protected the base, and near space, from anyone who stumbled upon the region. The rest of the restored and refitted cruisers were being used to protect their main base. The Black Knights had so far managed to restore at least twelve of the ancient cruisers to combat-capable status, while adding new upgrades, such as shields and armaments.
Adding to Lelouch's regrets about the casualties they sustained recently was the fact he couldn't use any of the restored cruisers in that battle, not yet. Had he marshalled a larger fleet, fewer lives might have been lost, but using them would mean revealing his hand, signalling that the Black Knights had found a large amount of Lost Technology. It would not only could cost them a potential advantage against PACT, but other Neutral Rim planetary governments might at least become nervous about the Black Knights. He could not risk losing their support before the invasion of the Rim commenced.
But what was, Lelouch could've found himself dealing with more enemies than he would risk engaging against at this time.
Disembarking the Excalibur Lelouch and Jeremiah met with the man Lelouch had put in charge of their salvage operations and restoration efforts of the Ryuvian Cruisers.
"Welcome back to our Lost Land Outpost, Zero," the commander of the base said, saluting her superior.
"I am glad to see that you and the outpost are doing well, Commander Bayerle," Lelouch replied, returning the salute.
Eugenia Bayerle was a former Space Marine turned Treasure Hunter and Professional archaeologist from the Neutral Rim world of Minerva. She was a woman in her late thirties with a tanned complexion, green eyes, and purple hair tied into a bun on the back of her hair, wearing the traditional Black Knight officer's uniform.
"Thank you, sir," Eugenia said, gesturing for Lelouch and Jeremiah to follow her.
"How have operations been going?" Lelouch asked as the trio walked down a hallway of the space station, which was built from a combination of parts from Ryuvian Cruisers and parts the Black Knights brought.
"Everything has been proceeding smoothly," Eugenia answered proudly. "We have two more cruisers that will be operational within a week, and maybe a few more we can begin work on once they are finished."
"Excellent. I assume you came across some wreckages we couldn't restore?"
"Yes, unfortunately. But we have been able to salvage some kinetic batteries from them, along with some armor plating and more Scout Ryders. We have already disassembled them, and we have a full list of all of the parts we are prepared to ship back to base," Eugenia said, forwarding a report on her own holo to Lelouch's for him to review at a later time.
"I'll check your report later. Were there any relics, or other items of interest?"
"Anything we could sell to a museum or have a substantial finder's fee attached to it, we have set aside as well," Eugenia confirmed.
"Good work," said Lelouch with an approving nod.
"Has Professor Lloyd worked out a way for us to safely enter the ship at the center of the graveyard yet?" Asked Eugenia.
"Not yet when I last spoke to him," Lelouch replied.
Due to the necessity of keeping the existence of the Graveyard hidden from the rest of the galaxy, the Black Knights had put into place stringent rules for the outpost. Communications with their main base was forbidden except in case of an emergency, on the off chance those communications could be intercepted and traced back to the outpost, revealing the Graveyard's existence.
"I see. But I do believe I have deduced what the ship actually is."
Lelouch was intrigued, and gestured for Eugenia to continue.
"I have gone over what records we have of different ship types the ancient Ryuvian used, and thanks to all of the various ship logs left behind by the captains of the vessels we have gone through, I have determined the vessel is the Sharr' Lac."
"The Sharr' Lac," Lelouch asked.
"It's unknown if more than one existed, but the Sharr' Lac was the Ultimate Weapon of the Holy Ryuvian Empire, a super-dreadnought class with a primary weapon capable of wiping out everything within a half-a-light year," Eugenia explained as they entered her office.
From her desk, she brought up a holographic projection of the massive vessel at the very heart of the Graveyard of ships.
"Only spoken of in legends, it was supposedly a weapon so terrible that the founding Emperor of the Holy Ryuvian Empire designed it so that it could be activated with the sacrifice of the Emperor's daughter, to discourage its usage," Eugenia explained. "Through the logs we collected and shorted through, we have pieced together what events led to the battle that left us with this graveyard."
"The battle, according to the information we were given that led us to this place, mentioned it was the final battle of a civil war. Correct?"
"Yes, that much we have confirmed," Eugenia said with a nod, explaining to Lelouch with her arms crossed, "the battle was between Crow Harbor, the Third Crown Prince of Ryuvia, and Princess Sola vi Ryuvia, the daughter of the Second Prince and Crow's half-brother."
"I see," Lelouch said, writing off the battle as another of the Holy Ryuvian Empire's bloody succession battles. "I assume this was another battle for the throne, wasn't it?"
Eugenia nodded. "Yes sir. We pieced together things as best we could from the logs we recovered from the various ships here. The Emperor at the time, along with the First Prince, were assassinated. The blame fell upon Crow Harbor."
"I am not surprised, but," Lelouch began as he looked at the holographic display of the Sharr' Lac. "If that ship is capable of such destructive power, then why are so many ships still drifting around her?"
"You would expect more of them to have been destroyed, sir?"
Lelouch nodded, "Yes, I would. I feel there is more to this battle than meets the eye. Or maybe I am just overestimating the destructive capabilities of the Holy Ryuvian Empire."
"No, and I am inclined to agree with you," Eugenia acknowledged, "we suspect it could be possible the Sharr' Lac was disabled before it could fire its primary weapon, considering the damage upon the vessel itself. However, we can only guess unless we board the ship itself and inspect both the vessel and its logs."
"Intriguing. But we'll hold off on attempts to investigate the Sharr' Lac until we have a safe way to disarm whatever traps it could have onboard," Lelouch said after a moment of consideration. "That being said, we should also explore options to destroy the vessel, should this place be discovered by less than savory parties."
"PACT especially, I imagine," Jeremiah commented.
The thought of PACT possessing the remains of something like the Sharr' Lac sent an unpleasant chill down Lelouch's spine.
"I'll talk to Lloyd and see what his progress is, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, I believe you wanted to show me the shipyards?"
"Of course," Eugenia replied, gesturing for Lelouch and Jeremiah to follow her out of her office.
Jeremiah, Lelouch, and Eugenia boarded a shuttle to tour the two shipyards. As they waited for the shuttle to reach its destination, Lelouch brought up his holo to review the designs for the Black Knight's Assault Carrier currently under construction at the shipyards at their primary base.
The shipyards, also overseen by Lloyd and others, were where the Excalibur-class ships had all been built. Following their completion, however, Lelouch had used the increased funds and resources they had acquired to expand the shipyards even further, allowing for more than one ship to be built, especially larger ones. The large scale purchase of repair and construction drones had helped boost productivity considerably, much to Lloyd's delight.
Presently, four more Excalibur-class ships were under construction, along with two new ships that would be essential for the war with PACT.
This new class would be dubbed the Kusanagi-class, an Assault Carrier which would combine battleship-grade firepower with the speed of a cruiser, and the ability to transport and launch up to thirty ryders. It was based on designs Suzaku had acquired for them from PACT, similar to one of their projects but also combined with design innovations collected from contacts and supporters on Cera, who were working in a similar class of ship.
Compared to the Sunrider being developed by Cera, while trying to get around the politics that kept it from being built, the new Kusanagi-class Assault Carriers would be at least eight hundred meters in length to accommodate such a large Ryder carrying capacity. At the same time, they would possess heavy armor, shields, Blaze Luminous, and an assortment of weapons, making them heavily armed and thus eliminating the traditional weaknesses associated with Ryder Carriers.
I hope we can build more than two before the war with PACT begins, thought Lelouch, but we'll need more people as both crew and pilots to fill to capacity so they can be at full combat strength.
A week later, in a remote and uncharted corner of the galaxy, C.C. was relaxing in her cabin while enjoying a slice of pizza.
Lelouch should be back on Cera by now, she thought, Good for him. He needs some time off, but…
C.C. recalled the conversation they had before Lelouch left on his forced shore leave. Upon learning of the significant battle Lelouch had engaged in against the pirate fleet of Captain Kidd, C.C. had heard that there had been a girl piloting a powerful Ryder that didn't belong to any known military or armed organization with the resources to build a brand new heavily armed Ryder.
I never imagined he would've told her of Geass, but it seems she doesn't know the full mechanics of Lelouch's Geass, C.C. contemplated as she finished off the pizza.
Lelouch had even shown C.C. a picture of the captive pilot, who did bear a resemblance to someone C.C. had met during the PACT revolution. There was a difference in eye color, yet the likeness was unmistakable. Lloyd had also met her at Diode before he was exiled from the planet, which painted a worrying picture.
So after escaping from Diode, you landed in New Empire space where you were found by Arcadius, and welcomed into the ranks of Compact.
C.C. had met Alice Ashada during her time with Compact, but she had never told her where she came from, except she was highly intelligent gifted in a wide range of scientific fields, which had been a massive boon to Compact.
Given how close Alice and Arcadius became, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised they started sharing secrets with one another, but this does complicate things a little.
C.C. made a mental note to talk to Lelouch in person in more detail about Alice when they saw one another again, and it might be soon too, since she and Garibaldi were contemplating turning back. They hadn't found anything useful so far. Then, the immortal's thoughts were interrupted by a call from the bridge on her holo.
"What is it?" said C.C.
"I am sorry to bother you, but we might've found something," a communications officer by the name of Otto reported.
Leaving her cabin, C.C. hurried to the bridge. Upon her arrival, she found that Garbiabli had already gotten there.
"Ok, Mr. Alex, what did you find?" Garbidali said before his words trailed off in shock. C.C. was just as surprised, looking up at the primary monitor to see the planet before them.
On both the screen and displayed on the tactical holographic map at the heart of the bridge was a lush planet that looked akin to a second Earth before them. Compared to the barren celestial bodies they had passed by, it looked like paradise. However, that wasn't the only surprise. The tactical map was picking up derelict vessels and what appeared to be crumbling remains of orbital elevators. Only one was left, but judging by the wreckage there had once been at least a dozen in function.
"Initial scans show it to be a Class-28 planet," Alex replied. He was an aged and experienced helmsman with plenty of experience, graying black hair and a small beard growing on his chin.
"Class-28," C.C. said, at a loss for words.
"The only worlds with that classification was New Eden and a few others within Solaris," Garbiabli commented before adding, "I think we just hit the jackpot."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said C.C., "we need to investigate this planet before we tell Zero the good news," She turned to the helmsman. "Take us in nice and easy, Mr. Alex. We don't know if Ryuvia left anything behind to guard this gem. Make a course for the orbital habitats attached to the last Orbital Elevator we see."
"Understood," Alex said, carefully steering the ship towards the last Orbital Elevator, still standing after thousands of years.
"I just hope this find doesn't prove too good to be true," Garibaldi commented.
"Same here," said C.C.
"It hasn't changed much," Lelouch commented as he drove down the main street of Cera City in a black rental vehicle.
He hadn't seen any signs of noticeable change after these years he had spent away from Cera, but Lelouch wondered if the people had changed.
Sitting on the passenger seat beside Lelouch was the morning newspaper from the Cera Inquirer. Its headline was titled "Near Disastrous School Trip."
According to the story, a field trip of students from the Cera City University who had run afoul of a PACT battle cruiser patrolling the area. The incident was triggered when a damaged transport had fled across the PACT border, bearing refugees trying to escape. As per intergalactic law, any crippled transport was to receive aid, and the Ceran ship, the Pequod, did so after ensuring they were a safe distance away from the PACT border.
Unfortunately, a PACT Cruiser, in pursuit of the fleeing transport, confronted the Pequod despite being outside PACT territory.
It's a miracle the Pequod escaped unharmed, but that was too close, Lelouch thought.
According to the story, the Captain of the Pequod had tried to reason with the PACT captain but soon realized the PACT captain couldn't be reasoned with. Reacting fast, the captain of the Pequod initiated an Emergency Warp to Cera to escape, but upon exiting warp near Cera, the ship was pursued by the PACT cruiser. The PACT cruiser opened fire upon them upon leaving warp for attempting to flee. The situation would have gotten worse, if not for the remarkable intervention of a pair of Ceran Battleships.
Although the PACT cruiser was prepared to face the Ceran military in a display of fervent zeal, the situation had been stopped by Veinczar A. Fontana, who commanded the vessel to stop and withdraw.
Arcadius cannot afford a direct confrontation with Cera yet, so I imagine that was done on his behalf, Lelouch mused as he noticed a large protest happening by the government building to his left.
The incident was clearly not without rippling after-effects. It had caused a public outry, the Ceran sense of stability and peace rocked to its core. PACT was now being seen as a threat, not just some far-off force with no relevance to Cera. Protesters were lined up outside official government buildings; Lelouch saw one of these marches as the car drove by.
Lelouch observed the protesters from his vehicle seeing signs calling for increased militarization and signs insisting PACT was a threat. To Lelouch's surprise, he could some protester boards; some were written with the words:
"Heed Zero's Warning about PACT!"
"Defend Cera's children!"
"Zero, our hero"
Driving away from the scene, Lelouch recognized this wasn't going to be pretty for the politicians on Cera. It was too early to say what the outcome would be, but this incident would undoubtedly lead to a shake-up of the Ceran status quo.
Later Lelouch arrived at the apartment complex that had served as his home while he was attending school. It was still his home, and a security detail arranged by Jeremiah had kept an eye on the place taking care of it while Lelouch was away. That same security detail would guard Lelouch from afar and protect him, but at the same time, Lelouch could call upon them if he needed them.
After unpacking, Lelouch decided to talk a walk around the city park, having little to do and wishing to enjoy some fresh air without having to wear his mask for once in a planetary environment.
It was early afternoon by the time Lelouch reached the park and began strolling around. Nothing in the park has changed since he had last walked through it. Lelouch would stop by a tree overlooking a small lake, where he observed a family helping their child steer a remotely controlled boat across the water's surface, before in the corner of his eye Lelouch saw someone familiar.
Sitting on a bench nearby was Ava, wearing civilian attire; a white dress shirt, a black skirt and matching leggings, and a matching jacket over the shirt. Ava was attempting to feed what looked like an anchovy to a cat, but it was wary of Ava, hissing at the offering of food before running away, leaving Ava disappointed.
Ava had been so absorbed in her attempt to charm the animal, and was now left so disappointed she didn't notice Lelouch walking up directly behind her.
"And I thought my friend had trouble with cats," Lelouch said, catching Ava by surprise.
She quickly looked over her shoulder in a snap. Her cherry eyes briefly widened in surprise.
"You are certainly the last person I expected to see today," Ava remarked, putting the rest of her snack down.
"Likewise," Lelouch replied before moving towards the front of the bench, just as Ava gestured for him to take a seat next to her.
"So, are you here on business?" She asked.
"No. Unfortunately, I have been given forced shore leave as it were," Lelouch replied, almost reluctantly.
"I see. So you and I are in a similar situation."
Lelouch smiled, but he somehow wasn't surprised given Ava's workaholic tendencies. Of course, in the back of his mind, given how defiant he was about taking time off, he knew he wasn't one to talk.
"Yes, and given recent events, there were some who felt some time off was needed."
"I see," Ava replied. She paused, then said, "You saw the recent news about the Black Knights and the Pirates they faced?"
"I have," Lelouch answered, catching on to what Ava was doing. Being in public, she couldn't exactly ask him directly about these things, but making conversation about it…
"Quite the opposition they were facing, yet they won. Although I hear they sustained heavy casualties."
"No doubt about it," Ava said in agreement, "but still, their victory was impressive. I heard they are still trying to figure out how many pirate ships they sunk, but the number's likely to be high given the amount of debris they found so far."
"Give the fact the ships and Ryders they use are supposed to be an original design, I suspect it's a case of quality against quantity."
"Yes, I have to agree based on the news reports, but I am curious how they obtained the resources for those ships and machines."
"Who can say? But I imagine there are some Neutral Rim worlds or factions who had no effective means of dealing with pirates backing them, or Zero has deep pockets to finance such operations."
"Or both," Ava offered.
"That is also possible," Lelouch replied.
"How long are you going to be on Cera?" Ava asked.
"One week, starting today," Lelouch answered.
"Are you staying at your old apartment still?"
"I am."
"Would you mind if we go there so we could talk more?" Ava asked. There were somethings they couldn't discuss while out in the open.
"Sure, and I am interested to see if you can still play a good chess game," Lelouch answered with a smile.
The decisive victory of the Black Knights and the fiery rhetoric of Zero had not been without impact to the public. While many Cerans still viewed PACT as a distant threat, many others found the cause admirable. It had galvanized issues that had long boiled under the surface; frustration with inaction was not new to the planet. Kayto Shields, who had never paid too much attention to politics, had suddenly found himself drawn into an argument he had never asked for. To him, the default had always been to follow orders and let the politicians do as they would. The navy conducted naval operations, politicians voted on laws, and that had suited him just fine. His sister, however, seemed to take issue with this as of late. She had been on the Pequod when the incident had occurred, and the harrowing experience had changed her.
"Maray, please calm down and think about this," Kayto said, trying his best to be considerate.
"How can I?" Maray snapped. "It just proved the rumors and what Zero has been saying was true, that PACT plans on conquering the Neutral Rim. We clearly need to do something. Either Cera will end up conquered, and our people will end up like those refugees or before that we might not be as lucky, and we could lose some ships to PACT next time. Our leaders need to do something, or we'll be overrun!"
"Maray I…" Kayto began, but he was at a loss for words.
We have been arguing all day about this.
Kayto wanted to be considerate for Maray, especially given what happened to her when she and her classmates from Cera's Univerisity went on a voyage to study Space Whales. A trip that brought them close to PACT space where something unexpected happened, which had now divided the planet into two.
"We are currently near the Martha Nebula. All students, please report to the observation deck," the Captain of the vessel announced.
The ship Maray and her classmates were on was named the Pequod, a Ceran research vessel equipped with a wide range of different sensors to keep them aware of any potential dangers in the nearby area and to detect anything of scientific interest. The ship was capable of carrying at least two hundred people on board, crew included. It also had emergency warp capabilities, so if they happened upon space pirates or detected any in the area, the ship could make a quick escape.
Maray left her cabin wearing causal clothes consisting of blue pants, a pink shirt with brown loafers on, but following behind her was her roommate.
"Think we'll see some space whales today?" asked Maray's roommate Hana, a young woman a few years older than her, being around Kayto's age. She had blonde hair that extended to her mid-back, a fair skin complexion, and icy blue eyes.
"I hope so, especially since we are so far away from Cera," said Maray.
"It can't be helped," Hana said, "most space whales avoid larger celestial bodies except in some rare instances. According to the Captain, this Nebula is a popular spot for them. This area is one of the few places where they come together to mate and raise new calves."
"I suppose," Maray said, sounding hesitant.
She crossed her arms as she and her roommate entered an elevator to take them to the observation deck. As Maray leaned against the wall of the lift, her roommate pushed a button before the doors closed, and the elevator began moving.
"So assuming we see some space whales, what happens next?" said the roommate, "This is like your fifth time out here, isn't it, Hana?"
"If we see them, we'll keep our distance and use the ship's sensors and other instruments to monitor them from a distance. If we get too close, they'll either run or become dangerously aggressive. This ship has decent armor and shields for such an occasion, but it's for the best we avoid getting too close," Hana explained sagely.
"Right, and we have a fake asteroid loaded with additional cameras and sensors we can launch remotely so we can keep our distance and get a closer look at them."
Hana nodded. "That's right. Sometimes we get here ahead of them, so we'll wait and a few days, but I haven't been on a research voyage where we never saw any."
"Ok, I'll take your word for it," said Maray.
"Don't worry about it too much. Besides, we could always keep swapping stories about your brother," Hana replied. Both women laughed.
Maray had been pleasantly surprised to find out Hana was one of her brother's old crushes during high school. After Ava graduated and joined the Cera Space Force, Hana and Kayto began dating; however, things didn't work out well, so they broke up after a few months.
"That reminds me- the next time I see my brother, I am going to grill him for keeping secrets from me," Maray replied with a mischievous grin.
Hana could only laugh before saying, "Go easy on him. Your brother was nice, but things… just didn't go anywhere between us, so we drifted apart."
Maray wondered if there was more to that then what Hana was telling him, but as much as she wanted some more dirt to unleash on her brother, Maray thought it was best not to inquire further. Not to mention, she could just simply get the info out from Kayto.
The elevator arrived at the observation deck, and judging by the size of the crowd, Hana and Maray were the last to arrive.
The Captain of the vessel, Herman Bulkington, noticed their presence. He was a middle-aged man with brown hair, blue eyes, and a tanned complexion, and he wore a blue uniform. A crewmember stood behind him, operating the holographic display behind him, which covered the observation windows.
"Now that everyone is here, we can begin," Bulkington said. He was acting not only as captain, but as their instructor on the voyage.
Maray was among the first-year students seeking to obtain a degree in Astrobiology with a scholarship from her musical talent. As a gifted violinist, her tuition and living expenses were covered. Some second and third-year students were like Hana, seeking a more specialized field in Astro-cetology, which required more time and field experience.
The lesson was about thirty minutes in when the crewmember aide standing behind the Captain received a notice from his holo. Upon inspecting the notice, the crewmember whispered something into the Captain's ear, causing him to pause his lesson.
"I see," Bulkington replied before addressing the students, "I apologize, but it seems our lesson will have to be put on hold. We have picked up a distress signal, and we are the only ship in the area able to respond to it."
There was some disappointment among the students, but it couldn't be helped. It was intergalactic law for any ship to respond to another vessel in distress, but because luring ships into traps was a typical tactic used by pirates, they were allowed to ignore it if they found the signal suspicious. It seemed this wasn't the case if the ship was intending to respond to it.
"For now, I ask that all of you return to your cabins and review your textbooks. We shall resume the voyage as soon as possible," Bulkington said.
Minutes later, Hana and Maray had returned to their cabin to wait until the Pequod had finished rescuing the ship in distress. Watching from their holographic windows, the pair watched the Pequod arrived at the area where the distress signal originated from. Hana and Maray didn't recognize the ship type, but judging by the odd, different color metal plating upon the disabled vessel, it seemed to be an older model of transport ship with some parts scavenged from another vessel.
"What do you think happened? A pirate attack?" Maray asked.
"I don't know," Hana replied.
They observed as a boarding shuttle was dispatched to the crippled ship. In the time that followed, the shuttle would return to the ship about seven times, but shortly after the seventh time the shuttle returned to the ship, the alarms began sounding throughout the Pequod. To the girls' shock, a warship appeared out of warp.
Hana and Maray didn't know it at the time, but the vessel that had arrived was a PACT Cruiser. Without a word, let alone any warning, the crimson ship immediately fired upon the disabled transport, destroying it with lasers and two shots from the vessel's forward guns. Hana and Maray were horrified, and now fearful the PACT ship could attack them next. Five minutes of uneasy tension passed, which Hana and Maray assumed meant Captain Bulkington was communicating to the Captain of the PACT ship. Not knowing what was being exchanged, it was surprised Hana and Maray when their ship suddenly made an emergency warp.
"My apologies for what happened," announced Bulkington over the Pequod's intercom system, minutes after escaping a tense standoff against the PACT vessel, "but due to this incident, we will be returning to Cera in haste and canceling the voyage for the time being."
"What the heck happened?" Hana asked, but Maray didn't have an answer.
But it wasn't over. As the ship dropped out of warp near Cera, the most unexpected thing happened. The PACT cruiser dropped out of warp directly behind the fleeing research vessel, opening fire with its laser armaments.
Thankfully the Pequod's shields withstood the lasers, but their impact caused the vessel to shake with each hit. For what it lacked in weapons, the Pequod made up for it in its defensive options, able to shake off the lasers from the PACT cruiser.
As the students panicked fearing it was the end, two vessels of the Cera Space Force quickly intercepted the PACT Cruiser. Maray would learn later that Captain Bulkington feared the PACT cruiser wouldn't let them go so easily, so during the emergency warp to Cera, he had called ahead to both report the hostile encounter and request protection in the event of a pursuit.
The Cera Battleships the Gallant, and the Bohemian Maiden had arrived on the scene. Gallant was about to engage the PACT Cruiser while the Bohemian Maiden was acting as a shield for the research ship. The PACT Cruiser didn't move any further, but its captain was probably conversing with one of the Cera Battleship's captain. But before the situation could escalate further, a PACT Battleship arrived on the scene.
Five tense minutes would pass before the PACT Cruiser followed the PACT Battleship and fled the area without further incident. But needless to say, everyone on the Pequod was severely shaken by the experience.
Maray and Hana disembarked as soon as the Pequod docked at the Cera Military Space Station, but the last thing Hana and Maray saw as they left the vessel was the passengers of the transport. They were refugees trying to flee PACT space if their appearances and how their transport was put together using parts from other ships were any indication, a fact news outlets would later confirm. The mere fact that a warship would aggressively pursue a fleeing, unarmed transport and shoot it down upon finding it was deeply troubling.
The image of how terrible the refugees appeared, with tattered clothes and emaciated figures, provided a glimpse into living conditions in PACT space. It haunted Maray.
Kayto was quiet; although he didn't have Maray's first-hand experience of what happened, he knew what happened from the news and interviews from the refuges, not to mention that he had read the reports of the captains of all three vessels.
The incident, despite having resolved itself, led to widespread outrage, which only grew as interviews from the refugees became public knowledge revealing what life was like within PACT space. Shortly after consolidating his hold on former New Empire territories, Verizcar S. Arcadius focused all of PACT's newly gained resources into an aggressive military expansion campaign, instead of tending to the destitute and poverty-stricken worlds of the former New Empire. Apparently, Arcadius's goal was to bring the entire galaxy under PACT rule by "liberating" the rest of the galaxy from their corrupt rulers.
What can I say to her? Kayto thought. It was clear the incident had left a lasting impression on Maray. Maray had become one of those among Cera's local populace who were calling for increased militarization, especially if PACT was going to make good on its threat of conquest. Not to mention how a PACT warship had so brazenly chased down an unarmed civilian vessel to recapture or eliminate a group of refuges for merely trying to escape.
I agree we should take steps to better protect our ships and borders against future PACT aggression, but building up our military too much might just provoke them to attack us, Kayto thought. And a larger army is costly. A wartime economy could ruin us. This is not something we should rush into.
At that moment, a news report displaying Zero as the highlight of the broadcast caught Kayto's attention.
And he's not helping matters.
In contrast to the heated exchange between the two siblings, Lelouch and Ava were enjoying a much more civilized discussion.
"Facing down such overwhelming odds seems almost insane, from an outsider perspective," said Ava, moving her rook up the board.
"Only if you lack vital information," said Lelouch, blocking her rook with a knight. "We were well aware of how the numbers were stacked against us, and we negated this disadvantage by choosing our own battlefield and setting a trap. Once you set the right conditions, and you know what you are facing, any battle can be won. Once they were retreating in a panic, a majority of their fleet destroyed without us even having taken any damage, I knew this battle was ours. However, it came at considerable cost. We took heavy losses when we engaged them directly."
"Considering the opposition you faced, I am not surprised, but the fact you won is even more impressive," Ava replied, taking a moment to study the chessboard.
"I owe it to having capable pilots and captains, and some good preparation work on my part," Lelouch said, watching Ava finally move her piece, aggressively taking his knight with a bishop. Ava smiled, waiting for Lelouch to make his move.
"You made quite a stir," she continued, "the media can't get enough of you, and along with the recent PACT incident in Ceran space, there's a wide outcry for action and you? You're becoming the centre of it."
"I heard about the incident with the Pequod after I arrived on Cera and saw the protests," Lelouch replied, tactically moving up a pawn.
"Cera has been greatly divided by this incident. Some are calling for increased militarization, and others are calling for restraint," Ava noted, moving up her knight even further to threaten his king.
"I imagine the result might not matter much, but," Lelouch said before pausing to study the chessboard before moving a piece to guard from the knight. "The fact that a PACT cruiser chased down a civilian ship to Cera has at least given the military a golden opportunity to push ahead with the development of the Sunrider, if my prediction is accurate."
"Somehow, I am hardly surprised you know about that."
Lelouch chuckled as she made her move, taking out his pawn.
"I expect you are slated to be a member of her crew when they finally build it?"
Ava nodded, "Yes I am, but I doubt I'll be her captain. I have heard they already chose a captain, but I don't know who."
"I see. It is probably because the military fears putting a young and inexperienced captain on such a prominent vessel could lead to public anger and backlash. However, someone young and trained to captain the Sunrider might be better suited than a seasoned Captain who is likely to be stuck to an outdated military doctrine," Lelouch said.
"I agree. I think they are trying to give whoever they decided on to be its Captain as many chances as possible to gain experience to minimize any potential backlash from the decision," Ava offered in agreement as Lelouch moved a black chess piece. "But will it be enough for Cera to endure a PACT invasion?"
"Unlike most worlds in the Neutral Rim, Cera does have an actual military and would have a better chance of repelling an invasion," Lelouch said, before his face turned grim. "However, sooner or later, Cera will fall regardless if they build up their military or not. They simply don't have the resources nor numbers to keep PACT from conquering Cera. Arcadius will seek to conquer the Neutral Rim quickly, so to conquer Cera, I suspect they will throw the bulk of their invasion fleet at Cera, aiming to brute-force its fleets with overwhelming numbers."
"Sounds excessive," Ava commented.
"Excessive, but necessary if Arcadius wants to complete his conquest of the Neutral Rim before, the Solar Alliance decides to intervene," Lelouch pointed out.
Ava sighed; although it was not a pleasant outcome, it was something she couldn't deny if you just compare the resources and manpower PACT has compared to Cera. Even if Cera repelled an invasion, then PACT would attack with a much larger invasion or use hit-and-run maneuvers to wear down Cera's military before invading again.
What troubled Ava even more was that she wasn't sure she wanted to be part of its defence. She had always wanted to make a difference, but Cera had been sleeping for too long, and it might just wake up too late. Right now… the people who made a difference were the Black Knights. Ava loved her home planet, and paradoxically enough, it might mean not serving it directly.
Ava had wanted to make a difference in high school as student council president, and accepted that wouldn't be possible for her. Yet seeing Lelouch and hearing of his accomplishment brought those desires to make a genuine difference back to the surface.
The only thing stopping her was her father, Wilhelm Crescentia.
You must put your duty first, before anything else, Wilhelm's words echoed through Ava's mind.
Ava had never known her mother. She didn't even have a picture of her, only a name: Beatrice Crescentia. Her father had raised Ava himself, whenever he was on leave; when he was not, his friend Douglas Shields and his family would look after her. Her father had been harsh and uncompromising with Ava, and had instilled in her a strict and near obsessive work ethic. Ava had been raised to be a serious, ambitious girl who worked hard, harder than most thought reasonable. It had made her a strict, even severe person. Wilhelm was raising her to follow in his footsteps once she was old enough, and he had expected only the best out of his daughter. When she failed him, he would discipline her with exceptional harshness. She resisted the urge to feel an area behind her shoulder when she remembered her father striking her with an iron rod to discipline her.
It was these values her father had given her, of duty first of all, that led her to this crossroads. Her duty was to Cera, but she was not serving this duty well where she was.
"Ava," Lelouch asked, "are you alright? It's your turn."
"Oh," Ava replied before realizing she had lost focus while deep in thought. "Sorry, I had something on my mind."
"It's fine. It happens to us all," Lelouch replied as he watched Ava study the chessboard.
"Anyway, how long do you intend to be on Cera, again?"
"Until the end of the week?"
"I hope we can meet up again before our time is up, then."
"I would like that. It will be good to spend time with a familiar face," Lelouch replied. Little did he know the inner turmoil she struggled with, and how soon it might change it all.
A/N: Well, The Black Knights have become heroes to some, but a worrying factor to others. Everyone is also reacting to what the Black Knights have accomplished, but some are questioning it.
Furthermore, Captain Kidd's downfall has set off a power vacuum that Cosette is likely to fill the void in due time.
Then on Cera, all has not been well as an unexpected incident has left the planet divided.
I admit that scene was something I had some difficulty with trying to best execute the idea, but that incident will have a lasting effect and more to come.
I hope this chapter and all of the others are far better than the originals.
Thank you all in advance for your reviews and feedback.