A/N: A very huge thanks to Greatkingrat88 for his work on the chapter, but not only editing this time. He has helped me fill in the blanks since much of this was more original than based on the game providing ideas and more for much of what is done in this chapter.

Much of the world and its people was based off of Sola's accounts of her life and the Empire at the time which seemed to horde a lot of its technology for itself or at least upper-class citizens, or so we think. If so, it could explain how the whole galaxy fell into a dark age that took a very long time for it to recover after the Holy Ryuvian Empire collapsed.

Next to respond to the review I can't reply to.

Guest: Indeed they faced with a moral dilemma which will be explored in this chapter, but what will they do? Well I am trying to speed up the updates for this story, but part of the slow updates was my concern was that not too many folks were interested in this story judging by the reviews and view counts. And like some of my stories I was having an issue with ideas on how to best proceed, so hopefully this chapter will work out.

And yes you were right on the money about Jankowski, and thank you.

So, without further delay here is the chapter.

Chapter 15

Gods among men

Kayto Shields sat in the office of Admiral Nishimura, the two watching a recording of his award ceremony from yesterday. Kayto felt… conflicted. He had expected to be reprimanded for his actions in the wake of his superior's demise, but instead Kayto was being celebrated as a hero. In a televised and frankly overblown event, he had been awarded the Platinum Star of the Horizon, one of the Ceran Space Force's highest honors.

He had struggled to keep a straight face, stunned by what was happening.

Noticing Kayto's embarrassment and confusion, Admiral Nishimura turned off the news broadcast.

"No need to say anything, Captain Shields, I understand your confusion and shock completely."

"Yes sir. This seemed excessive, to put it lightly. I do not deserve the honor," Kayto said.

"Well, you did manage to get your ship out of a dangerous situation with the odds stacked against you, and that alone is praiseworthy. However, I do agree the politicians took things above and beyond when they heard about what happened. I guess they were desperate for some good PR."

"P… R?" Kayto asked, realization dawning on him.

"I think you are beginning to understand. The government wanted something to present itself in a positive light, and your exploits at Cera-Six was that something. As you know there have been growing voices of discontent among the people, with our world split down the middle over the matter of PACT."

"And their efforts to quell those voices only made things worse," Kayto said. Realizing he had spoken out of turn, he added, "My apologies, Admiral. It is not my place to comment."

"No need to apologize," Admiral Nishimura said, giving him a dismissive hand gesture. "You can speak freely here. But you're not wrong, though."

"Yes sir. It seems… very desperate to have gone this far?"

"I agree, but I suppose the one good thing we got out of this is that this event has allowed the funding bill for the Sunrider to finally pass. It was announced today after your news of your award ceremony was played, along with the news you would be its captain."

"Sir," Kayto said, at a loss for words.

"The Prime Minister's office announced the Sunrider would be the first of a new class of warships, which are meant to gradually replace our current ships in time. Ensuring the safety of our plan in an ever-changing galaxy, or so he said in his speech. The important part is the people accepted the idea of the ship being built, so the shipyards are making preparations to begin construction once all necessary materials and work crews are assembled."

"I see. And the crew intended for it?"

"Most of those who served under you will be integrated with the crew and personnel we have been training in preparation will serve as her crew."

"Sir, I… I'm only a junior officer. My last trip was my very first command. We were lucky."

"You took charge of a highly dangerous situation and saved not only the crew but the whole vessel, and won an unlikely victory against a strong enemy. I know seasoned officers who have not come close to that," the admiral retorted.

"Even so, it was- it was a fluke. There is no guarantee I can repeat it, admiral. It's not just humility, sir. I can't be sure I am fit for this command."

"Well, you had best make sure you are, Captain," said Nishimura firmly. "This appointment is a chance of a lifetime. Don't forget, we've been grooming you since your academy days for this role, and you just proved you are the best choice to be the Sunrider's captain. No one will question the appointment now once the Sunrider is built."

Kayto almost said something, but the admiral was right. This is exactly the role they were preparing him for.

"If you aren't terribly ambitious, or just frightened, this needs to happen. We are under considerable pressure from our political leadership. They made a hero out of you, and they need Kayto Shields, the hero of the expanse, to be the one to command. What I'm trying to say, politely put, is don't screw us, Shields. There will be hell to pay if you say no, and not just for you."

Kayto took a deep breath.

"Do you really think I can do it, admiral?"

"Look," said Nishimura, leaning back in his chair, "I understand your hesitation. I share it, to an extent. But you're legitimately talented. This ship is yours for the taking, and you have an opportunity like none before you to serve the country. Not just as a figurehead, but as a real Captain. So don't tell me you're not going to do it. There are men who would kill for this opportunity, and you're getting it handed to you on a silver platter."

Kayto gave the admiral a look.

"Do you really think I can do it, sir?"

The admiral did not hesitate, nodding immediately.

"I do. Will it be dangerous? Yes. Are you likely to make mistakes a more seasoned captain would not? Also yes. But you have what it takes. So what will it be?"

Kayto swallowed.

"A captain, huh?"

"A captain."

"That… does have a ring to it, doesn't it?"

Admiral Nishimura smiled.

"Take some shore leave, Captain. You've earned it. Take the time to clear your head of this mess. But remember, the Sunrider will be your vessel to command once she is complete."

"Thank you, sir."

Around the same time, Ava and Maray sat in the cafeteria of the Niobe, a scout vessel on patrol, with Ava having finished reading the news report on her holo. Maray could only sigh, having read that same news report about Kayto's recent triumph over the Ivory Web.

"That looks like the face of someone who doesn't want to be there," Maray remarked, looking at an image of her brother accepting his Platinum Star from the Ceran Space Force command.

"Unbelievable," Ava said with a sigh. "Its impressive he managed to get his ship out of such a mess, but this is ridiculous."

"They must be desperate, handing him that honor. The Platinum Star is usually reserved for admirals who've won a major battle. It's pure PR, and everyone can see it."

"At least he's getting a ship out of it," Ava said.

"He was the captain they picked?"

"Yes. I don't know if he mentioned it or not, but I knew the Ceran Space Force had plans for the Sunrider. However, it kept facing political roadblocks that kept the project from going to the construction phase. Regardless, they began training crew for it, because the ship would be unlike anything the more experienced crew and captains of the Cera Space Force would be used to," Ava explained.

"I think my brother might've mentioned something, but he didn't go too much into details," Maray said. "I didn't pay much attention at the time.

"Such a ship would most likely be classified. Mostly to avoid the wrong people hearing about it to cause more political headaches."

"Right," Maray said, deciding to change the subject. "So, what do you think is going on? I just heard the Black Knights called in some serious reinforcements."

"I haven't heard anything, but I haven't noticed anything on the news to justify a deployment like that," Ava said, wondering what Lelouch was up to.

Cautiously approaching the moon around the new planet, they had found; Lelouch sat on the bridge of the Excalibur. His ship was flanked by the Dominion, Avalon and Oberon. Their Ryders were ready to be deployed, and all of their weapons were armed and ready.

"All ships, report in," Lelouch commanded from the bridge.

"Oberon, reporting in. Weapons system online, all Ryders ready to deploy," Captain Kenway replied.

"Dominion, reporting in. All weapons are free and ready," Captain Cisneros said.

"Avalon, reporting in. We are battle ready," Captain Sergeyevna said, gripping the arm rests of her chair.

She recalled hearing stories how ships would find old Holy Ryuvian Empire military bases or some cache of weapons and technology, only to be destroyed by its automated defenses. Either by stumbling upon these places purely by accident or due to poor preparations, treasure would often not survive encounters with these automated weapons systems. She had even heard of an Alliance Battleship being destroyed when it happened upon an old Ryuvian base.

I hope all this firepower we'll have will be enough.

Lelouch steeled himself for whatever awaited them as they closed in on the Ryuvian Base. Even if they knew where it was, that did not mean it would be easy. Like his colleagues, he was well aware of the tales of formidable defenses killing unsuspecting vessels.

The plan was to deploy Ryders. Once battle was joined, they would launch boarding parties of soldiers and engineering crews into the base itself. Most bases and caches found never had any kind of internal defenses beyond locked doors, so their task would be to infiltrate the base and shut down the defense systems.

Nevertheless, Lelouch was taking no chances, and he made sure the teams accompanying the engineers were armed to the teeth.

"I want Ryders launched the moment we detect anything from that base. All defense batteries at the ready," Lelouch commanded.

An air of nervousness filled the bridge, but it was balanced by a heightened state of alert.

"ENEMY CONTACT!" A bridge crewman on the Excalibur exclaimed.

"How many?" Lelouch asked, giving the signal for all Ryders to begin launching.

"One- no, three enemy ships emerging from the ravine below the base. Confirmed three Ryuvian Shikire-class Cruisers."

"All ships spread out and enter attack formation. Open fire once you have a target lock!" Lelouch commanded.

"Aye sir," an officer replied.

"Beware of enemy Ryders. Once we have engaged the enemy ships, deploy our boarding parties to enter the base. The sooner we can end this, the better."

"Yes sir!" The bridge crew cried out in unison.

The three Ryuvian Shikire-class Cruisers moved in formation, heading towards the approaching Black Knights. Missiles were launched from the ancient cruisers. Anti-missile guns unleashed their wrath upon the missiles, the deployed Ryders opening fire on the incoming salvo as well. The Excalibur led the charge, opening fire with its main cannons.

Focused fire from the Oberon and the Avalon tore apart one of the enemy cruisers. The other two continued their advance, which meant the A.I. controlling them was limited or the cruisers were in worse shape due to a lack of proper maintenance over the past two thousand and a half years.

The Dominion and the Excalibur doubled teamed another of the cruisers, while the Ryders swarmed the last cruiser attacking it weapons and engines. Once the other ships were done with the other two cruisers the four ships came around and destroyed the last vessel.

"Sir, we've eliminated the last enemy vessel," a crewmember aboard the Excalibur reported.

"Any other enemies?'

"None so far sir."

Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief. More good news followed when another report came in.

"Sir, we have confirmation the engineers successfully infiltrated the base and are working to disable the defense networks. Soon we'll have control of the base."

"Very well. All forces remain on yellow alert until we receive the all clear," Lelouch commanded.

Following Lelouch's success in space, the Black Knights took position at the base of the space elevator. They had established watch posts and fortified key areas of the elevator, while monitoring the settlement a distance away. On one of the levels of the ancient space elevator, two bored marines stood on guard by a observation platform, staring out into lush trees beyond the base of the space elevator. There had been combat, but it had been brief and hundreds of miles off, a far cry from the dramatic ventures the Black Knights were known for.

These men didn't exactly have a glamorous posting.

"So how do you suppose the boss is going to handle this?" said one of the marines, the shorter of the two.

"How am I supposed to know?" the taller marine replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"For now, we're supposed to watch them. But then what?"

"I don't know. But hey would you rather be here or risking your neck trying to seize an old ancient base? You've heard all of those stories, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose. This is an easy posting. Rather bored than dead, huh?"

"Exactly. And it's not like any of the locals have been seen trying to come up into orbit."

"Hold that thought," the marine said, noticing something in the corner of his eye.

"What is it?"

"I think we might've spoken too soon." Said the shorter marine, pointing to a monitor.

"What is happening?"

"I see two locals entering the area. They haven't seen us, but what happens if they begin poking around?"

"Just relax. We have orders on what to do, don't we? We just gotta be friendly, and we only open fire in self-defense."

It did not take long for the report to reach the highest rungs of the Excalibur, and before long, Lelouch read the report. The natives were getting restless- literally- and with the orbital defense systems neutralized, the time had come to decide what to do about the planet beneath them.

A meeting had been called. Lelouch took the place at the head of the conference table, all but one of his captains present in hologram form. Jeremiah took a seat next to Lelouch, whereas the projections of captains Kenway, Sergeyevna and Cisneros appeared in holographic form.

Lelouch had elected to take off his larger mask, the mask covering the lower half of his face being enough in the company of this inner circle.

"First of all," Lelouch started, "I wish to congratulate you all on that last assault. We executed a clean, smooth operation with minimal casualties, and we now have complete control over the defense systems. There was real risk, but we all did our part to perfection, and it paid off. You have all come quite a long way since you first joined."

Captain Cisneros smiled, in that menacing way she usually would, and said,

"There is no such thing as perfect, commander. That said… we did do well. Not terribly exciting, but there will be better battles ahead."

"Maybe one day we'll have a meeting without you openly thirsting for blood, Cisneros," said Kenway dryly.

"No chance," Sergeyevna laughed. "If she didn't, I'd be suspicious. It's in her nature."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Cisneros said haughtily, although the smile did not leave her face.

As the gathering of captains shared a chuckle, Lelouch studied them carefully. There had been friction between them in the past. That they were able to share a laugh and a joke at each other's' expense without anyone taking offence was a good sign. He would need them like this, working well together even in his absence.

"That being settled," Lelouch continued as the laugh died down, "we need to decide what to do with this planet. If it were not settled, the matter would be simple- hire a mining guild or two to start exploiting its resources and set up a permanent base of operations. It is rich with the kinds of minerals we could use for trade of our own as well as directly appropriating for the war effort. However, this being a populated space, this is more complicated, morally if nothing else. I have ideas for what to do, but I wanted to give you all an opportunity to voice your opinions. I would prefer not to rule without considering advice from my most trusted supporters."

"You say it's complicated," said Cisneros. "I say it's not, although I doubt many at this table will agree."

"Please, speak up," Lelouch said.

"This colony is what, some long lost backwater without even spacefaring capabilities. Relative to the galaxy, they're a bunch of hillbillies with no idea of what they're sitting on. The easiest thing to do is to just take over, revolutionize their technology with ours, and make this our home base. They won't thank us for it now, but they will when we raise them up from nothing."

"Tyranny," said Kenway flatly. "What you suggest is tyranny. Well-intentioned tyranny, but still tyranny."

"Like I said," Cisneros said, shrugging, "I know it would not be popular."

"It does sound a bit heavy handed," Sergeyevna said cautiously, "if the locals get hostile, it could completely ruin our efforts to begin with. And if we took charge by force, and they rebelled, we'd have to put them down with more force. We would not only end up no better than PACT, but it would be impractical."

"This is all about practicality," Cisneros retorted. "Our fleet is small still. Its main strength at this moment is its speed, its relative obscurity, and the high quality of its crew and equipment. We need to stay on the move if we wish to pursue our enemies. We do not have the time to sit down for ten years to build a civilization. The easiest thing to do is to leave a contingent here, hire a guild to help us terraform, and let our fleet move on to do what it does best."

"I see the reasoning of captains Cisneros," said Jeremiah diplomatically, "but you cannot afford to halfway do something as important as building the infrastructure of a major military base. I would like to suggest that the population could be turned to our advantage- if they could be persuaded fairly, we might only need a few contractors to help us build what we need, and use the locals as a workforce. They would be far more invested in their own home planet than some off-worlder would, and if they voluntarily joined us in a partnership, we would never have to worry about revolts or uprisings."

"What do you do if they say no, then?" Cisneros cut back. "We all know we're not giving up a prize like this. We'd be fools too. Zero has always wanted economic independence, hasn't he? To not be beholden to greedy private donors? This is perfect, and if we're fighting a war of this importance, you're not going to come out of it with your hands clean. A dictatorship? If taking over for a few thousand ignorant colonials is the worst we'll do, then I'd consider us lucky. War is an ugly, ugly thing, and it makes for ugly people if you go at it long enough."

"War does make for ugly things. I know it better than you, I believe," said Kenway firmly. "Which is why it's so important not to do ugly things lightly. Even if we do not consider the morality of it- which we absolutely should- consider how it would make us look publicly if it were found out. The Black Knights have been running on propaganda as the fighters for liberty, justice and order. Champions of the little guy. I am proud to say I think it's more or less true. So what do you think would happen if it got out that we trampled over thousands of little guys just because it was convenient?"

"If it got out," said Cisneros firmly.

"Are you suggesting we not only take over by force, but hide our shame?" said Kenway, an edge to his voice.

Deciding it was time to weigh in, before it devolved into endless bickering, Lelouch said,

"I appreciate all of your perspectives, I really do. I believe all of you make valid points, and I do not think there are easy answers here. In my time, I have lived under the thumb of tyranny, and been in the seat of a tyrant as well. I wish to see neither one repeated. Our goal here will be to establish a base. However, before we can make a final decision, I believe we must first approach the locals. There's no point in speculating about what they may or may not do when we could actually find out. No action we take can be justified without first having a look at the lay of the land.

It is true as you say, captain Cisneros, that we cannot pass this opportunity up. One way or another, we need a base- maybe outside the settled areas, if they refuse to work with us. However, I want us to be true to the spirit captain Kenway mentioned, as a defender of the powerless. And to Gottwald and Sergeyevna's points, we must also consider the practical aspects. For now, I suggest we create a formal committee for first contact with these colonials, to find out where they live, what their civilization looks like, and to see if they would be willing to parlay. Can we all agree on this?"

"Diplomacy. Yes, of course," said Kenway, nodding in approval.

"It would make no sense to take direct action without knowing the lay of the land," Cisneros conceded.

"I agree, yes," said Sergeyevna.

"Likewise," said Jeremiah. "I will spearhead this personally."

"Do not bother. After the initial probes, I will go myself," said Lelouch firmly.

"Commander-" Jeremiah started.

"What is it I always say, Gottwald?" Lelouch said, a smile under his mask. "How can soldiers expect to lead if their king will not move first?"

Before the next day cycle had passed, scouting drones had been deployed widely to observe the settlements on the planet beneath. The next day they returned, with interesting basic information: the civilization beneath was pre-industrial, although it seemed to possess all the things necessary for civilization: organized city structure, a bureaucracy, a police force, a political hierarchy…

There was a large, major city around which this small civilization was built, with five smaller cities in the surrounding area. The terrain was harsh in the outer areas, sometimes even hostile, which probably explained why they hadn't built bigger in the two millennia they had existed. They seemed to subsist mainly on farming, despite the uneven, rocky terrain. They were located in a mountainous area, in the middle of the most even ground. Past the mountains, there was no sign of habitation.

The architecture was interesting, from the images the drones had gathered. It looked… ancient. Large stone buildings, the more official buildings looking almost like temples.

Reconnaissance teams were already under way, to get a closer look, to determine if they were hostile or not, to get a sense of the people here. They were under strict orders to keep interactions to a minimum, and to open fire only in a situation where their lives were under threat. They did not need first contact to be a Black Knight killing a local.

When they returned and reported, Lelouch would assess the information they had gathered and prepare a delegation for official contact. In the meantime, he had decided to investigate the base they had so recently taken over. Luckily, the ancient AI system had preserved a vast database. Although it would be over two thousand years out of date, it would still yield important information.

With a team of soldiers keeping the door secure, more as a precaution than anything else- the base was firmly under their control, their coding specialists overwriting the station's imperatives this very minute- Lelouch took a seat by the main data panel, sifting through the archive. It was in ancient Ryuvian, but his translation programs handled it neatly.

What he found was, as predicted, quite interesting. The city-state beneath them had once been a Ryuvian colony, meant to settle and mine its valuable resources. Five hundred people had been left here in the waning days of the empire, far away from its sphere of influence. When the empire fell, it had gone silent. Isolated. Designate M4-2136, as the celestial body had been named, was left to its own devices.

From five hundred people and two thousand and a half years had sprung its own mini-civilization, perhaps fifty thousand strong. Surviving in a harsh environment, for two millennia…

As Lelouch read on, he found more interesting practical facts. The reason the planet had been singled out in the first place was that it had access to some kind of rare mineral that could serve as an alternative to Ongessite, strangely dubbed "Desitium". It also had deposits of black iron, which Lelouch knew was a rare and valuable metal used for high-stress purposes, such as the joints of a ryder. On top of that there were other valuable minerals like copper, zinc or regular iron. It had almost every raw material he'd need to build ships of his own, and according to these reports- admittedly, two thousand- and five-hundred-year-old reports- there would be enough that he could comfortably sell much of it to buy whatever else he needed.

If only they were willing to bargain.

Hierarch Arvian Daelamos was rudely awoken by a loud thumping on the door. A senior member of the council, he was nominally in charge of The One City only because everyone else who was younger, more ambitious and more energetic were all busy putting out fires in the outer cities. Hierach Parvia was dealing with a grain shortage riot in Dolum, Hierarch Adrapos was out in Skyth overseeing negotiations with the miner coalition currently on strike, and Hierarch Dehlia was organizing the southern militia in Balion to defend against increasingly bold bandit raids.

That left Daelamos in charge of Ecbatana, the only city in the world worth its name and keeper of the peace, along with twenty other tedious and increasingly pointless titles. Nearer his seventies than his sixties, he had thought about retiring more than once, and the incessant thumping at his door only made him feel like now was the day.

Eventually his sense of duty to the state made him slowly get up to defy his aching knees, and he slid on his silken robe. The stone chamber was luxuriously decorated, but the fire had gone out in the night and cold air was starting to slip in through the cracks, something Arvian felt in his very bones. He didn't even bother combing his wispy, whitening beard of comb what was left of his long hair, which had receded far enough back that he was more bald than not.

"What?" he demanded irritably, sliding the door open. "You have but one moment to give me a good reason not to have you flogged, waking me up at this hour!"

The young man who had woken him, an official working as a secretary and all around errand boy for the council of Hierarchs, didn't even look intimidated. That woke Arvian up; his gruff demeanour and reputation usually frightened the young, ambitious whippersnappers with ease. The young man- Gromos?- had a look of awe and wonder on his face, and his toga was in disorder.

"Well? Spit it out!" Arvian demanded.

"Hierarch, the- the star children have returned!"

Star children. It spoke of his commoner background that he'd use such an infantile term. The history of great Ryuvia, to which they would one day return, was cold fact and not some mystical mythology, but to the common man it was just that. Two thousand and five hundred years had done much to shroud it in mystery, and it was up to the patrician class to keep its memory alive and sensible, kept safe from sensationalism and mysticism.

"Ryuvia has finally come for us?" Arvian said, unsure of how to feel about the concept. They had been gone for quite some time. Would they find the Ecbatanians worthy subjects? Anger quickly washed over him. The young man was probably making things up, as all his generation was wont to do.

"This had better not be one of your foolish pranks, young man!" He snarled. "I will personally tan your hide if-"

"It's no lie, Hierarch, on the bones of my ancestors," said Gromos eagerly. Arvian considered chastising him for daring to interrupt a hierarch, but his curiosity won out.

"What is the situation?" he demanded firmly. "Are the Ryuvian masters here?"

"Well… I'm not sure they're Ryuvian," said Gromos. "They do not wear their colours or livery, and they do not speak the language. But they came here in one of the sky-vessels the stories speak of. They landed in the city square. They wear all black, Hierarch, and they carry guns!"

That got Arvian's attention. He had never seen a gun himself- the technique for making them had been lost over the aeons, and while they had the blueprints, there was a political agreement to not invest in making new ones for fear of escalation. If half the stories were true, they could decimate any security Ecbatana could muster.

"Fetch my robes," he demanded, "and my personal servant. I will go meet them myself."

His official purple-and-gold robes donned and his face washed, Arvian Daelamos walked out to the central city square, flanked by the Hierarchal Guard, resplendent in their breast plates. Any other day, Arvian would have felt perfectly safe in their company.

As he approached, his heart skipped a beat. The black craft that dominated the city square looked very much like the smaller vessels from Ryuvian history. Different in design, yes, but it had wings, jets, black-tinted windows…

It was the world of old come alive. For a moment, Arvian wished he would die then and there, for he had seen more than any Ecbatanian would in a lifetime.

But as he did not die, he had to walk on.

Twenty men stood lined up. Like Gromos had said, these were clearly not Ryuvians. Their sleek black military uniforms had no insignia on them that Arvian recognized. Their helmets had a visor, tinted black, covering the upper halves of their faces. They carried what looked like short carbines. Meant for assault and firefights in urban conditions, Arvian recalled. The thought was chilling; narrow streets were all around them. Their body armor was well made, and they stood still with perfect discipline, guns aimed down but still covering every angle.

His servant stepped forward to introduce him, as was the custom. Officiously, the young man said,

"His excellence the Hierarch Arvian Daelomos, protector of Ectebana, senior of the Hierarchical Council, Fellow of the Historical Association, Keeper of Ryuvian tradition, Master of the-"

"Get on with it," said Arvian, in no mood for the twenty-odd titles that accompanied every official proclamation or meeting. In the fifty years of service he had given, he had come to be utterly sick of them.

A bit flustered, his servant said,

"…er, His Excellence wishes to parlay with the foreign entity which has landed upon Ectebanian soil. He demands you state your purpose and declare your intent. In the name of the Great City!"

A word was spoken and the platoon of soldiers guarding the vessel parted. Arvian saw behind them what he presumed was their leader, a man in black, but with the kind of flair Arvian recognized as official leadership. A black cape, and a strange black mask obscuring his face. Some strange device hovered by his face, letting out a chattering noise. A… translator drone? Such a wonder was only spoken of in distant references in their history.

"The Black Knights wish to acknowledge Hierarch Arvian Daelamos, and hereby express their intent to open dialogue with the Great City of Ectebana," the drone said, in flawless Ryuvian.

"Who is it that would address me in this manner?" Arvian demanded. "You dare address me without even giving your name, while hiding your face?"

The figure in the mask looked back and forth for a second, and then shrugged. He reached for his mask, and there was a hiss of air- hydraulics, in a device this small? Fascinating- and the back of the mask receded. It came off, revealing the face of a young man, halfway covered in black cloth. The mask tucked under his arm, he spoke and the drone translated,

"That is as much as I can do, unfortunately. Consider this a gesture of goodwill. I have many enemies, and I prefer my face to be unknown. My name I cannot give you, but I am known to the men and women under my command as Zero. I command the Black Knights, an army in its own right, in the pursuit of justice and opposition to the tyrannical regime of PACT. Our fleet is in orbit. My advisors opposed me coming to speak to you directly. I dismissed their concerns, and I hope you will prove them wrong."

Arvian's brows furrowed.

"PACT? Black Knights? Tell me, are you subjects of Ryuvia, come to reclaim our colony?"

"…there is much that has happened since your ancestors first came here," said the young man evasively. "Suffice it to say that we are not with Ryuvia, no. I would like to show you all of it, but this place, as impressively built as it is, lacks the technology. Would you accept an invitation to my flag ship to discuss this matter further?"

Arvian eyed the unflinching men with guns, and the absolute confidence of the young man before him. He couldn't be more than twenty standard years, but carried himself like a man of the world all the same. His eyes were purple, hardened and sharp. They spoke of a soul that had seen hardship beyond their years.

And then the thought struck him. I'll go into space. I'll be the first Ectebanian to go into space in fourteen hundred years. The thought was too much to resist.

"If I say no?" he mustered, unwilling to go along too easily. He wanted to know the measure of the man.

"Then we will have our discussion in your city. I am sure you have a suitable location in your… temple? Government building?"

"Hierarchical summit," said Arvian, staring up at the sky. His gaze snapped down to his attendant.

"Tell my second he will be in charge. Let it be known that the Hierarch is negotiating with the outsiders for the time being, and that I have gone of my own volition."

"Hierarch," protested the guard sergeant, "we cannot allow you to go on your own with these people!"

"They have weapons of the lost age, you fool," spat Arvian, "you think your armour will stand a chance if they choose to open fire?"

"Even so," the sergeant insisted, "it is our sacred duty to protect you or die trying."

"The shuttle has room for four more people," said Zero calmly. "If three guards wish to follow along, that can be arranged."

The guard sergeant gave Zero a suspicious look, but finally nodded.

"You, and you," he said, pointing to two men. "Keep an eye out, and sell your lives dearly if you have to."

Arvian was already approaching the shuttle, a look of awe on his face. Under his mask, Lelouch smiled. So far, so good.

Arvian watched the city beneath him grow small from a shuttle window. He saw the mountain ranges clearly for the first time in his life, not just on a map but by the naked eye. He watched them grow small too, as they ascended into the dark void of space. He saw five great battle cruisers of a class he did not recognize- cruiser class, judging by the size- and realized just how massive they were as the shuttle came closer and closer. When they approached the docking bay, it was like being enveloped, swallowed by a giant. Then the hatch opened, and there was air. The Hierarchal Guardsmen who had followed escorted him out, wide eyed and on edge. Zero followed after, having donned his mechanical mask again. Not a word had been spoken on the way up.

He was escorted from the docking bay to a long corridor, and although it was quite a long walk, Arvian ignored the protests of his aching knees. He was bearing witness to something spectacular, and it was worth the pain.

Finally, eventually, they were seated in a conference room in two comfortable chairs, a table with refreshments between them. A large window showed the rest of the fleet in the distance, four great ships hovering in space.

"Can I offer you a drink?" said Zero civilly, removing his mechanical mask again. Arvian nodded, still staring out, eyes fixed. He drank it down in one go, and the burn of fine alcohol snapped him back to reality. He coughed.

"Ceran brandy," Zero explained. "They make fine spirits."

"Cera? Oh- never mind," Arvian muttered, "we are over two thousand years behind. There are all sorts of things I will not know. Even so, before our talks can continue, I demand to know: what happened to our Ryuvia? What of our great empire?"

Zero sighed. The translator drone chattered, and spoke.

"I assumed you would want to know that. It is a good thing you're sitting down then."

"Speak, damn you!" Arvian demanded.

"Ryuvia has long since fallen. Your colony was planted at the very edge of their territory, and it was… deprioritized in the face of great strife. War, politics, a hundred and one things pulling it apart. Four hundred years after your colony was established, it officially died out. It is remembered today as a great civilization, but it is only a memory."

Arvian took in a deep breath.

"I would like another drink."

Zero filled his glass, and Arvian took another hard swig, grimacing as the burning sweetness of the alcohol went down his throat.

"I suppose I'm not surprised," he muttered, staring out into space again, "most of us today assume as much. Over two thousand years and no word? Still... there's a difference between assuming and knowing. Everything about our way of life is about preserving our heritage and history, to one day re-assimilate into the empire. This… will change things."

"Do you need a moment?"

"No," Arvian muttered, "a lifetime of moments would not suffice. We'll move on."

"Very good."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, by the way," Arvian said, gesturing loosely toward the window, "five cruisers, poised over our planet? All of them armed to the teeth, no doubt. You could obliterate all of us in a heartbeat, and it is on your terms we negotiate."

"I can see how you would come to that conclusion," Zero said, after a pause, "but the point I am making is… different. The galaxy is a cold and hard place, and there are many bigger, crueller players than us. The point I am making is that you're lucky we found you first. Others might not even think to ask. They would just put you under their boot, and exploit you for all you're worth."

"What does that make you, our saviour?" Muttered Arvian.

"Perhaps."

"Let's get down to business. What do you want?" Arvian demanded.

"Very good," Zero said, nodding. "We, the Black Knights, wish to have your permission to construct a permanent base of military operations in the more habitable zone of living on your planet. We also wish to harvest the wealth of minerals your colony was originally founded to mine. In exchange, we would offer you not only our protection, but, well… anything you could need. Technology. History, if you want it. Tell me, what does Ectebana need?"

Arvian blinked. He had to think for a second. It needed so, so many things. Now, finally, those needs could perhaps be solved.

"Famines ravage us at least once a generation. Starvation and disease takes a toll on us. The outer cities struggle with stability. Banditry and local warlords terrorize our people. Our miners live in terrible conditions, but we cannot afford to pay them more. Our society constantly struggles, always living on the edge of what it can give us. Can you solve these problems, oh great Black Knight?"

Zero reclined in his chair, seeming to think for a second.

"It is not our usual expertise," he said cautiously, "but we certainly have the funds to employ some degree of terraforming. We could import food off world until we've industrialized food production. Agrarian science could probably do some work with your own food production. The Black Knights could most certainly pacify bandits or warlords. And the mining is what we want most. Trust me, that we will solve with automation."

Arvian nodded.

"That is a start, then. I cannot make any decisions without first conferring with my colleagues, but that… that is a strong offer."

"We only want access to your land, not to rule over it. Your colony will receive a percentage of our revenue from the mines. Once we start selling, you will be far richer than before. Of course, it will take a few years to set up mining operations."

"I don't see why it should."

Zero blinked.

"Pardon?"

"The mines first set up in the time of our ancestors are still intact. Ryuvia built great mining complexes just for this purpose. Our ancestors filled their quotas at first, but when the ships stopped coming, they of course eventually stopped mining. The stockpiles are empty at this point, but the mines are largely unexplored."

"That was two thousand and five hundred years ago."

"Commander Zero, history is our greatest asset. The maintenance of the mines is a great pride to our people. The skills to use them has been passed down, even if we lack the technology. The maintenance of the machinery is a proud tradition. They are as functional now as ever. Great Ryuvia built things to last," Arvian said proudly.

Zero's eyes widened.

"That does… make things easier," he said, nodding cautiously.

"You had better give us a good deal. Ryuvian pride will demand no less," Arvian said firmly. This young warlord had scruples; best to push it when he could.

"I can assure you, your people will be well cared for," Zero said firmly.

Arvian smiled, and let out a laugh.

"I don't understand. Do you doubt us?" Zero said.

"No, no," Arvian said, shaking his head. "It's just that I am making history. In a society where history is all we have, I will be history. I will be the man who negotiated Ectebana into the modern age. You cannot understand how much that means. And to think I wanted to retire…"

They spoke at length after that. Arvian had more than a few more brandies. By the time the shuttle was ready to take him back, he was in the best mood he had ever been.

Lelouch watched the shuttle leave. First contact had gone well. Learning that the mines were operational- he'd have to double check that- was definitely better than expected. Sometimes, he supposed, diplomacy really could work out.

Assuming the other Hierarchs weren't stubborn or obstinate. A show of force might be good- not to threaten, but to remind them of what they were dealing with. They had mentioned banditry… yes, a simple assault force should clear that out easily. A division to solve a big problem in a noticeable way, simultaneously earning their favour while showing them the might of the Black Knights. He wanted this resolved morally, but he was not above a bit of manipulation to stack the odds in his favour.

He smiled to himself. This was an important step forward, and so far, it was going well.

A/N: Well Lelouch successfully got his foot in the door, but will everything really work out so easily?

Wait for the next chapter to find out, but in the meantime Lelouch has moves he has to make and a Moon Base to explore to learn more about the planet. Including what happened to those tasked with watching over it and why it was forgotten in the end?

As for Kayto his stunt in the last chapter has secured his post as the captain of the Sunrider now seen as a hero of Cera.

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I thank you in advance for your feedback, favourites and follows.