AN: As I promised, here's the next chapter after such a long break.
First of all, I would like to apologize to all those who were deeply involved in this story for having to wait so long. However, as I mentioned in the announcements, I got involved in another project.
Moreover, looking at the last chapters of "For New and Better Empire" I noticed how much I had changed as a writer. For this reason, I mainly had no motivation to return to "Hated Brother" quickly.
Regardless, here I am, and I would like to invite you to read it, and ask you to leave a review after reading it.
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire
June 2017 A.T.B.
The last few days could be considered successful by Lucius himself and he was happy to go to S.K.F.D. Institute, with his entire personal entourage. However, not to the research center, but this time to a testing ground located far from the city, built at the request of Doctor Zimmad, who intended to use this area for tests.
First of all, Char and Ciaran, who, together with Lucius, were to witness tests of the new variant of Knightmare Frames, which will become the standard for new generation machines in the future. Even though Garma was responsible for the logistics of the Knights of the Purple Rose, today he had his first major family gathering in a long time. And in the case of House of Zabi, that made for a nerve-rackingly rowdy episode, if nothing else.
Subsequent takeovers of quite important industrial concerns and alliances with their owners constantly strengthened his power base. Most importantly, he did it on his own, without Schneizel's participation in all this, so the new supporters became his own and answered only to him. Of course, the supervision of them fell to Gihren and Degwin, who at this point were second only to Lucius himself, and given his enormity of responsibilities, they were the ones who managed the policy of his party, at least in everyday matters. When it comes to the most important decisions, the Purple Prince still had the last word and despite trusting these two, he still preferred to exercise at least hidden control preventively, receive the most important information and make decisions in this matter. Although it wasn't easy and required a lot of time and even more effort.
The trio, riding in an armored limousine, arrived at the institute after some time, unceremoniously or even without anyone waiting outside to greet them. Considering that the tests would start just after one in the afternoon, and that Lucius himself wasn't too bothered by circuses like all those greetings and already knew the building quite well, it wasn't surprising.
Before the trio made it to the observation room, Char decided to speak out of the blue. "I am personally extremely curious to see how the test of this so-called Tallgeese Unitrooper will turn out."
"Well, considering the whole thing is a combination of all three of the most common KPR-01 variants, that's at least satisfactory." Ciaran, who was personally involved in creating such a universal variant of the machine, replied. "However, if this fails, we can always continue to rely on the Stormtrooper, Scouttrooper and Stormcommander variants."
"You have been particularly involved in the development of the universal and highly efficient Knightmare Frame, Ciaran," Lucius interrupted their short conversation, clearly skeptical of the entire project. "Personally, I think it is unnecessary. We have three widely used variants and several more in the testing phase. I will not deny that these are great machines and have mostly integrated parts, but our logistics in further development of this concept will very quickly become extremely stretched and basically Knights of the Purple Rose, will only be suitable for use in campaigns where the infrastructure is quite well developed and the supply points are not that far apart."
"If we stop developing, our formation will soon fall behind the enemy armies." The experienced front-line commander responded. "We must keep moving forward to maintain the advantage over our enemies. Otherwise, they will take it over us."
"Not to mention the fact that you are the one pushing for the use of new machines and their creation." Ciaran interjected as they continued walking. "Stopping at this key point means slow stagnation and death, you have said it yourself many times."
"You don't have to remind me of that, my dear friends." Lucius sighed. "You also don't have to remind me to standardize certain basic parts of our machines. I simply have no intention of messing up our logistics or putting still defective Knightmare Frames into production and service too quickly when we can simply eliminate manufacturing defects without risking the lives of pilots."
"I have visited this institute more often than you, as well as the training ground, Luc, and I can tell you beyond any doubt that the prototypes and first versions of this universal machine, the Tallgeese Unitrooper, are more than capable of being the first step towards creating universal yet efficient machines , more efficient than our order's standard Knightmare Frames."
"It shouldn't be this hard." Lucius dismissed his comment. "The army, by definition, should strive to unify equipment and provide its soldiers with idiot-proof, and therefore also reliable, machines. That's why I focused on specialized models that would have a clear role and the pilots would also be more than aware of the role they will play on the battlefield."
The conversation was no longer continued, especially since after a while they reached the door, which opened to reveal a large control room, where Doctor Zimmad and his son were already waiting for them. A whole staff of engineers and technicians was waiting with them in this room filled with electronics and reading screens. In addition, there were guards in Britannian armor and the crest of a purple rose, soldiers from the order.
Behind the large windows made of armored plate, there was a quite large, but rectangular space prepared for testing, to test the machines in action.
"Your Highness, it is an honor to welcome you to this demonstration of the newest machine our institute has been able to build based on a project started by Carl Tallgeese." Kinnon began with eccentric and theatrical gestures, which made his son and Char roll their eyes, as they were already used to the aging man's antics. "In a moment, I will present an introduction to the perfect combination of three roles in one. Stormtrooper, sniper, commander, all in one machine, the result of many hard work and tests, KPR-01/U Tallgeese Unitrooper."
Lucius and Ciaran were already quite overwhelmed upon entering, but nevertheless, both of them, along with Char, walked up to the armored glass that showed the latest Tallgeese. They immediately noticed quite significant differences from the earlier versions, which Kinnon himself began to describe quite quickly.
"As you can probably see, we have made significant progress since the basic version." He then grabbed a small object taken from his sleeve, which, after pressing one button, transformed into a rod resembling a riding crop, but without a characteristic tip, and with its help he began to point to the elements in question. "In terms of aesthetics, we made quite significant changes, such as covering parts of the upper armor with dark purple paint and the emblem typical of the corps. As for the armor, I decided to make small changes that do not have a major impact on mobility, such as adding an additional two-piece armor plate to the torso and back to make this part less susceptible to fire or direct hits from large guns, and in favorable conditions even cuts from large melee weapons, although I don't recommend trying it. As for the systems, they have been combined into one based on the Stormtrooper, Scouttrooper and Stormcommander versions to ensure versatility, high mobility on the battlefield, reconnaissance and communication capabilities."
Lucius listened with interest. Honestly, combining three different versions into one universal version was undoubtedly a huge feat. It also indicated that there should be no major change or complication in spare parts or operating systems resulting from pilots being retooled or mechanics mastering their maintenance and repairs. Nevertheless, Lucius still had some doubts, but he listened silently.
"In terms of potential speeds, the machine outperforms previous versions of previous versions and significantly outperforms both Sutherlands and Gloucesters, but this does not change the fact that both machines could still be a dangerous opponent for this model. As for the armament, we improved the large machine gun and decided to implement a version that will be used in the successors of the KPR-01 series. As for the anti-tank weapon, again, we decided to implement 66mm rocket launchers as an alternative to the machine gun. The optional sniper rifle for scouts has not changed and will remain the same as in the Scouttrooper version…
The doctor talked for a few more minutes about the changes and improvements, and also mentioned that this version will use a cheaper, but no less dangerous, version of energy weapons for close combat, the heat saber, which can cut no less efficiently than the more expensive one to produce or exploitation, and basically the beam saber is not yet fully developed. At least, as a ready for mass production weapon for Knightmare Frames.
At the very end, there was a presentation of the capabilities and efficiency of the new machine, as well as its comparison with the most advanced Knightmare Frames used by the Knights of the Purple Rose, Stormcommander. Both models were piloted by two of the best pilots from Lucius's royal guard. The two began the test duel by firing rapidly with machine guns, to no avail, before both switched to rocket launchers.
"Are you absolutely sure about this, doctor?" Lucius asked and he could see from the others' faces that he wasn't the only one concerned. "Conducting this type of duels underground and using explosives in a closed space?"
"Please don't worry, Your Highness, everything has been properly tested by me and I would never put my research team in danger." In an instant, from proud, arrogant and arrogant, the seemingly mad scientist became deadly serious and as if offended by the suggestion that he could put his staff at risk of death.
"I trust you are confident in your words, doc." Lucius answered him and was once again fully focused on the machine fighting display.
Although the rocket launcher battle was quite spectacular and caused some damage, it was nothing serious or brought any resolution to the small battle taking place here. Therefore, the pilots of both machines engaged in close combat. Here, however, it quickly turned out who had the final advantage and a better position, because the Stormcommander pilot, although he had undoubted knowledge about the advantages of the model and the possibility of eliminating their negative effects for him, was not able to compete with the better and more efficient in terms of mobility , machine.
The Unitrooper pilot made excellent use of the advantage of mobility and, at the same time, much better weapons for close combat. The Maser Vibration Sword, also known as the Vibration Blade, turned out to be a much better weapon of this type. However, this did not change the fact that despite the Stormcommander pilot's attempts to maneuver, his opponent made excellent use of his mobility, otherwise a better weapon would not have been so important and, after avoiding a short series of thrusts, he cut off both legs of the enemy machine, which resulted in a quick end, ending with a strong thud and accompanying vibrations.
Then, Doctor Zimmad turned to Lucius once again, pleased. "As you can probably see, Your Highness, the newest model of the Knightmare Frame, is more than capable of dealing with even the best machines currently used by your order. It would be most sensible to upgrade the obviously outdated machines as soon as possible, and due to the great universality of the KPR-01/U."
The Purple Prince gave the doctor only a fleeting and quick glance, and then his full attention was focused on the newly presented Knightmare Frame, whose test pilot had already left the machine after deactivating all systems. Despite such a spectacular display, Lucius still had many doubts whether it would be appropriate to adopt this half-measure at this critical moment.
"I'm not sure it's appropriate at this point." He replied, much to the dissatisfaction of everyone gathered here except the guards. "Although I will not deny that it is a great machine, the process of improving the existing old types would be expensive and the pilots themselves would have to get used to them. Honestly, I'd rather get the KPR-02 instead, as something much better and next-gen. For me, the Unitrooper presented here is a half-measure."
"A necessary half-measure, Your Highness." Kinnon allowed himself to be interrupted and was not the least bit embarrassed or upset by the piercing but calm look Lucius gave him. "The cockpit, its layout and appearance will remain unchanged, just like in Deathtrooper, apart from several additional systems aimed at improving the pilot's awareness of the surroundings and reaction time to threats, compared to the machines designed for mass production that have been built and used so far. The transition of pilots to this latest version should not pose any major difficulties."
Lucius continued to look through the armored glass at the specimen prepared for today. The pilot of the latest model noticed this and immediately stood at attention and saluted. It was a woman with long, but braided, light platinum hair, a quite lithe figure, some of whose slightly more precise shapes were revealed thanks to the latex and tight Knightmare Frames pilot suit.
"Your Highness, I think we should decide on this, because it will once again increase our advantage on the battlefield and give our pilots a much better chance of surviving the battle in which we and them will have to fight." Char was the one who argued for it quite sensibly, especially since Lucius himself had always advocated universal and extremely well-prepared machines for ordinary pilots, and not prototypes filled with highly refined technologies. "Not to mention that your previous decisions have ensured that all of this has integrated parts and upgrading the old machines to the new type will not be a major problem from a logistics perspective. If Garma were here, he would undoubtedly agree with my opinion."
Lucius finished listening to him and quickly made his way to the elevator that took passengers directly to the testing room. Nobody tried to stop him. Nevertheless, Char, Ciaran, Albert and Kinnon all exchanged glances. Only after a short moment of thought did Doctor Zimmad smile.
"It seems that when it comes to suitability or comfort for pilots, Prince Lucius prefers to seek the opinion of a pilot who has tested it and operated the machine in front of him." He stated, gaining the attention of the other three.
"How can you be sure, father?" His son asked him.
"Isn't it obvious, Albert?" Kinnon asked him, but he didn't turn to face his only family member. "If I were him, I would definitely prefer to hear arguments about this from someone who operated the machine and had to work with it. It doesn't matter whether it's a Knightmare Frame or some unusual war machine of other type."
Meanwhile, however, Lucius entered after the elevator had reached its lowest altitude, and Prince entered with a military step. Meanwhile, the pilot noticed him, as did about 15 technicians and mechanics who were supposed to take care of the machines after the presentation.
"Your Highness!" The pilot stood at attention once again, but this time she didn't salute and instead bowed to him respectfully. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing you're not responsible for, pilot." He replied quickly and firmly. "What is your name?"
"Cima Lenny, Your Highness!" The woman replied without thinking and lying didn't even cross her mind.
"Were you in the army?" Lucius continued asking the question.
"Yes, Your Highness. I served during the invasion of Japan as a Knightmare Frame pilot, but it turned out that the battlefield was not the place for me. For this reason, I resigned from service and reported to S.K.F.D. Institute, as a test pilot, due to my previous New Colchester credentials and two island fighting medals. Additionally, apart from military training, I also completed technical studies in robotics."
"Great, so your opinion will undoubtedly reflect the facts." Lucius now had no doubt that he had made the right decision. "At this point I expect you to reveal to me your completely honest opinion regarding the operation of this new version, which may serve as a temporary primary Panzer Infantry type equipment for the Knights of the Purple Rose in the future. I want to know everything about possible complications with training, adaptation of pilots or potential problems for them resulting from the stronger performance of the Unitrooper."
"Yes, Your Highness." The test pilot nodded stiffly. "As for the adaptation itself, switching from KPR-01/SC to KPR-01/U was not a problem for me. First of all, the cockpit has remained practically unchanged, and the system can easily keep up with better response time, much smaller problems in moving the machine and a much higher maximum speed. Basically, the only thing I had to get used to was much easier operation compared to previous models."
Lucius nodded as his gaze fell on the several-meter tall colossus, which he was now closely observing from close quarters. "Have any serious defects been detected so far that could impede operation or be potentially dangerous?"
"So far, the problem of unreliability of the cockpit ejection system and loosening of parts has been detected, especially in those connecting limbs to the central part or connecting limb to limb." Cima obediently reported and her military past took its toll on her, especially the discipline imposed on her. "However, everything until the creation of this version, the possibilities of which have just been presented, has been fixed and the causes have been found. In the first case, the additional layer of armor in some cases simply made it impossible to eject the cockpit. The answer to this was simply to adapt and improve the shape. In the second case, it turned out that the connection method was simply too weak and inappropriate for the new possibilities. A solution was found quite quickly by adding new fixings and reinforcing parts."
"I understand that apart from that, no additional faults or technical defects have been identified yet?"
"No, Your Highness, and if I can allow myself to be completely honest, this is by far one of the best machines I have had the opportunity to test, just like the KPR-01 Mass." The moment Cima moved on to praise the machine, she lost some of that obedient soldier in favor of a simply genuinely delighted and passionate human being, in her case, Knightmare Frames. "To put it bluntly, considering the ease of use, much better mobility than previous versions and the low requirements for improving previous versions, regardless of whether it is a Stormtrooper, Scouttrooper or Stormcommander, I can only strongly recommend rearming the entire formation with this new variant."
Lucius walked over to the KPR-01/U that had been temporarily left alone and tapped the armor of one of its lower limbs with his knuckle, completely lost in thought. On the one hand, he was inclined to agree with this, but on the other hand, introducing another basic and universal Knightmare Frames model for his personal strength seemed absurd and too hasty to him. Especially since this model was to be used in Japan. A place filled with terrorists, due to the brutal occupation and the great sense of national identity among the natives. So there was no room for leaving anything to chance, especially considering that his previous experiences made it clear to him that leaving anything to chance - especially the most important matters - could have absolutely disastrous consequences.
"Thank you for your opinion, Pilot Cima." Lucius replied stiffly and she just saluted. He made his final decision and then headed to the elevator. "Your opinion was invaluable in the context of the efficiency and possibilities of the newly presented version. I hope that your next weapons tests will be equally successful and will bring equally satisfactory results."
With these words he entered the elevator and after a while he found himself back in the control room, where next to the doctor and his son, two assistants were already standing with tablets in their hands, probably with readings and a more comprehensive set of statistics and performance that the Unitrooper could obtain.
As for Lucius himself, he approached the doctor without a word and said: "The test pilot's presentation and opinion leave me no other decision than to allow the replacement of obsolete variants with the one that has the ability to provide my pilots with high survivability for the next month."
"But now I'm going to ask something else, how quickly will my royal guard and battalion-sized unit be able to receive these new variants?"
Dr. Zimmad replied without stress, "If we don't run into any major problems, a week and a half should be more than enough time to accomplish this requirement, Your Highness."
"Excellent, very good, so do it as soon as possible and you can be sure that your position as the main designer of my Knightmare Frames and equipment will not be compromised in any way." After this exchange and approval, he turned to the commander of the Scarlet Crusaders and the commander his personal guard. "Ciaran, Char, we're going back to the mansion."
The trio left the control room, while the staff remained silent for several seconds before the engineers and technicians gathered there erupted in pure joy and cheered as the first fully operational product of their labor was brought to life.
"You did it, father!" Albert couldn't contain his emotions and threw his arms around his adoptive parent. "After so many years of disfavor and begging, we have finally created something wonderful! We all!"
Kinon just hugged his son back. "Yes, although we have managed to take the first step towards a complete return from grace, this is only the first of many. We must continue to work on KPR-02, the successor to the machines of the 6th generation."
He then addressed the institute's employees gathered here in a voice that seemed almost fatherly to them. "At the moment we are only working on a machine whose basics were created by a brilliant but deceased kid. We, we have to move forward and be better than him. We cannot stop, but instead we must keep pushing forward until the structures and creations we create give us a place in history and unparalleled wealth! I have no doubt that we are more than capable of doing this!"
His impromptu speech was met with applause and once again, shouts of joy and excitement rose from the crowd. Each of them had, if not the desire to be remembered by history, then at least the desire to lead a comfortable and prosperous life. Creating war machines seemed to them to be the simplest and most effective way to achieve this goal, and it is hardly surprising.
Ultimately, the military and the requirements of its commanders will always require increasingly better tools to defend or attack. This is, is and always will be human nature, it doesn't matter whether some people like it or not.
XXX
Lucius, Ciaran and Char returned to Aries Villa in an armored limousine with 4 Stormtroopers guarding them. It didn't take long, and as soon as they arrived, they all rushed to the Purple Prince's office. There, Lucius sat down in one of the armchairs at the coffee table, and his two friends followed right behind, sitting on the sofa across from him.
"So let's finally start finalizing our plans for this little trip to Area 11." Lucius began, eyes closed and an extremely relaxed expression on his face as he enjoyed the comfort of the long-remodeled office that once belonged to his mother. "I'm telling you right now that I'm only going to take the Guard and your Scarlet Crusaders, Char. I could only bring in more force from the imperial court or the local administration without any objections when I become thoroughly familiar with the situation and when I manage to discredit the viceroy in one way or another."
Ciaran, a man who had watched the behind-the-scenes and much more serious side of politics at his side many times, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do you really believe that Clovis won't realize your intentions if you start taking actions against him so quickly? Even if it's behind the scenes, sooner or later he will realize that you are working against him."
"What if it happened through someone else?" Lucius then opened his eyes after asking the question, although his face showed nothing but iron concentration and cold calculation of the entire situation. "If, for example now, the de Britannia faction launched a smear campaign against Gabrielle, her faction, supporters and children?"
Char, although he did not have much experience in politics, did understand some of its basics and could comment on it to a greater or lesser extent. "Are you sure that Princess Guinevere would agree to start this campaign now that your and Schneizel's coalition is gaining more and more ground in the political arena of our empire? It would make more sense to me for these two factions to start working together, especially given the similarities in allies and supporters?"
"She and her brother will do this because I will not give them ammunition to attack directly, but through willing intermediaries." Lucius then smiled coldly and cockily at the same time. "Besides, although both parties, la and de Britannia, hate me and Schneizel for allying with me, they hate each other equally and will fight to gain or retain as many followers as possible, or to kill those who disobey or even the uncertain ones, just in case."
Ciaran understood what his friend was trying to say at that moment. "When a ship is sinking, rats will do anything to save themselves, even if the rescue methods are irrational and potentially do them more harm than good."
This statement was met with an affirmative nod from Lucius. "You're absolutely right, that will indeed be the case unless something happens to make them act together."
"What else could they possibly do at this point?" Ciaran couldn't help but let out a mocking snort that bordered on pure contempt. "You and Schneizel basically already have a decisive influence on the policy of the empire. As long as the two of you remain united and useful to each other, no one can seriously challenge you, not after all this avalanche of fortunes and their consequences. What else could the de and la Britannia factions do…?"
"Start ordering assassinations or preparing them yourself, both against yourself and against my and Schinzel's coalition, although it is more likely that any attacks will be aimed at me." Lucius interrupted him without the slightest enthusiasm and no one answered him, considering that this option seemed to them to be pure abstraction. "Do not be misled by the wishes of my father, the Emperor, that members of the Imperial Family not kill each other. I am more than sure that if Guinevere, and especially Gabrielle, feel threatened enough, they will not hesitate to order assassinations. "Such a struggle for power is basically inherent in the nature of the Imperial Family."
This statement caused both of his friends to fall silent, and neither of them said another word until Lucius moved away from the topic of politics, to Area 11 itself and what potential complications they could encounter there, primarily from local terrorists.
"Although terrorism in that area is very high, there are many organizations of this type and their strength varies." Ciaran, who was very well prepared in the field of typical military analysis, reported to him. "The most powerful organization, if I may rely on OSI reports and your personal intelligence, will be the Japanese Liberation Front, which is composed of either former Japanese Self-Defense Forces military personnel or recruits who joined the established organization after our invasion, felt its effects and received training undoubtedly similar to that received by standard Japanese soldiers."
Lucius narrowed his eyes, but although he hated the Japanese with all his heart and would love to subject the natives of this area to a wild and chaotic extermination, he remained calm. "You're telling me about the largest known and recorded shark on that scale, but you're leaving out smaller sharks that, although they may have less equipment and be of lower quality, could still theoretically surprise us."
Ciaran nodded. "I know, and you're undoubtedly right, there are dozens of smaller or local organizations out there that don't have the resources of the JLF, but our problem will still be something other than just terrorist organizations."
Lucius nodded in understanding. "Corrupt and questionable performance of army and officer corps in garrisons."
"Indeed, Luc. Mariemaia in her reports gives more than enough for thought that although the problem of terrorism is gradually being solved in that area thanks to loyal officers and soldiers, or rather part of them, the civil administration and part of the local garrisons responsible for quartermasters and logistics are no longer so pure or willing to make sacrifices. On the contrary, Mariemaia and her people were able to discover at least several cases in which quartermasters sold weapons, ammunition, rations and even Knightmare Frames to terrorists. Besides, your brother, Prince Clovis, is not making the situation any better, not really, despite the previously mentioned anti-terrorist campaigns and objectively quite well-organized PR actions."
Lucius nodded. "Yes, that is indeed true and unfortunately for him. Although Clovis was and is a great administrator or artist, he should not have been given such a difficult to maintain area to manage. He should have become viceroy of Area 6, which is definitely a more peaceful place in this respect."
Then he turned his attention to his friends. "So let's prepare as best we can. Apart from re-equipping our Knightmare Frames with more modern ones, we still have to be ready for unpleasantness and unfavorable behavior from local structures. Later, I will give an order to Mariemaia to prepare a list of loyal and trustworthy people and units. As for the discredited, it will not be her people who will start collecting compromising materials and evidence against them, depending on their usefulness for trial or blackmail purposes. All I expect from you is to prepare and train both the Scarlet Knights and, by the way, my guard. That's all."
It seemed like that would be it, but then Lucius' phone started ringing so he took it out, without hesitation, and turned it on. "Is something wrong, Anastasia?"
"Your Highness, Princess Euphemia is here and would like to see you as soon as possible." There was an answering voice from the woman who managed this mansion and who was a part of Lucius's life almost as much as his loved ones, his friends, or his once deceased family.
"I see, so let him come into my office, I'm done with this meeting anyway." Lucius replied before turning off his phone with a sigh. "It looks like little Euphy has decided to pay me a surprise visit."
"You don't seem particularly happy about this, Luc." This statement came from Char, who was a bit surprised by it. "If my memory serves me right, Princess Euphemia, apart from Princess Cornelia and Princess Marrybell, is the last member of the family who is definitely friendly to you. So why would you be dissatisfied with this?"
Lucius then sighed and gave a dry answer. "Because her sweetness and innocence into the world can sometimes be as tiring as it is frustrating. I won't deny that she's a great sister and, objectively speaking, quite an intelligent girl, but her detachment from reality can be very irritating. However, I can only blame Cornelia for trying to keep Euphemia away from the dark spheres of this world and our country at all costs."
Char just shrugged in response. "If it is what you say, I won't argue with it. However, my advice is that if you find this irritating or inappropriate, just make her aware of what this world is really like."
"I can do it, I guess I will eventually, considering that my sister is slowly approaching the age of 17 and I have no intention of destroying my childhood friends." Lucius nodded. "Meanwhile, I wish you a good day Char."
Both the large blond and the slightly smaller guard commander bowed to their friend and left his office. Although Ciaran left, it was to supervise the guards, remaining inside the villa the entire time. After a few moments, Euphemia herself entered, wearing her characteristic and elegant dress that perfectly highlighted her pink hair.
"Good afternoon, Lucius." She bowed to him gracefully and with a smile on her face, and seeing that he pointed her to the sofa opposite his current seat, she hurried there as quickly as possible. "I'm more than happy that you found time for me."
"If I can, I will always find time for my family." He replied, then activated his phone again and called Anastasia. "Let the servants prepare tea and something for us as a snack. I have a feeling this is going to be a long conversation."
After these words, he turned to his sister with a smile. "What can I do for you, Euphy?"
His stepsister looked at him with a smile. "What makes you think I want something from you, Luc? I don't need a reason to meet my favorite big brother, or rather one of my favorites."
"Yes, undoubtedly, my dear, undoubtedly." He replied with a moment of thought before returning to the present and once again focusing fully on the conversation between them. "So let me change the question, what would you like to talk about?"
Euphemia rubbed two fingers of her right hand against her dress a little nervously. "I heard you were planning to go to Area 11. Is that true?"
Lucius nodded, having no intention or need to lie about this. "So it is. Some time ago, Clovis asked me to come there and help him fight the Elevens. Clearly, and while the terrorist threat continues to decline, he hopes, at least I believe, to speed up the process by engaging my knights to do so."
Euphemia nodded nervously and was about to say something, but at the same moment the servants brought in a tray with a pot of tea, cups, and several shortcrust pastries with lemon icing, on separate plates. Only after the servants had left the office did Euphemia decide to speak. "If I can ask you for something, Luc, please reconsider this again."
Lucius raised his eyebrows in obvious surprise and after a few moments he spoke. "Why would you do that, dear sister?"
After these words, he poured some of the black tea from the pot into a cup and took a deep sip. Euphemia, seeing this, did the same and also enjoyed the drink, but she did not refuse a bite of one cookie. "I just have a bad feeling, especially since that's where they died…"
"Lelouch and Nunnally, I remember it all too well." Lucius sighed, his rather jovial expression quickly turning quite annoyed. "Euphy, if you only came here to remind me of old and irretrievable times, then we might as well end this conversation and drink the rest of the tea in silence."
Lucius knew this was undoubtedly harsh of him, but he had no intention of even pretending to be particularly happy about being reminded of this past.
Euphemia meanwhile shook her head in denial. "It's not about them, it's about you, Luc. I just have a feeling these islands will swallow you too. Especially since last night I had a nightmare where I found you dead in the cockpit of some destroyed Knightmare Frame, your body horribly mangled. That's why I'm asking you not to go there!"
Lucius set down his cup of tea and raised an eyebrow before giving a clear answer to her request. "Euphemia, although I am not a specialist in psychology, I know that dreams are an expression of our subconscious, but they have no major impact on reality. It is true that in the past it was believed that dreams could be visions of the future or the past, but this superstition was disproved when we began to develop our knowledge about our mind.."
His sister, however, was not convinced about this and had no intention of letting go. She lowered her eyes nervously to the ground. "Please, Luc, if you're not going toresign, at least promise me that you'll take care of yourself and that you won't get yourself killed. Far too many of our family members have already died and we don't need any more dead."
Lucius watched his sister in silence for a moment, then took another sip of tea. Meanwhile, she resumed her observation of her brother and waited for his response, making it clear that she would not be satisfied with any excuse or clever words. In fact, the Purple Prince had been most surprised so far by her unlikeliest choice of words, because almost always, she seemed to him as an uninformed and partially detached teenager. Now, however, her words gave him a clear reason to change this harmful and, as it turned out, false opinion.
"All right." Lucius nodded and smiled warmly. "You have my word that I will take care of myself and will not take unnecessary risks during my stay there unless it is absolutely necessary."
"Glad to hear it, Luc." Euphemia smiled warmly in response, very pleased with her older brother's promise. "Now, however, I would like to talk about your engagement, as I have not had the opportunity to broach the matter."
"There's nothing to talk about, Euphy." Lucius laughed and closed his eyes for a few short moments. "You, who have known me from an early age, should be fully aware that Monica has always been my chosen one. Long before we really fell in love."
They then spent quite a pleasant fifteen minutes talking about his love with Monica and the planned wedding. In addition, the topic of the not-so-distant past was touched upon, as was Euphemia's condition over the past few months. Admittedly, the Purple Prince and his sister hadn't had much opportunity to talk lately, so this was a very nice change for the two of them.
Later, they were informed that dinner was prepared, so they decided to go to the dining room and eat the meal together. Overall, it was a very nice time that they missed and there were reasons for it. Lucius was involved in politics, and Euphemia sought to obtain an education.
Holy Britannian Empire, Area 11
June 2017 A.T.B.
Managing a colony full of terrorists, the potential prospect of economic destabilization, rebellion, burdening the administration with great corruption and, in extreme cases, incompetence, was not an easy matter. All this required delicate and sensitive maneuvering between various power groups and interest groups. All this just to prevent this unstable and dangerous mixture from blowing up in the manager's face.
Viceroy Prince Clovis la Britannia was undoubtedly the man who over the past few years had managed this area with the greatest possible sense of care, precision and efficiency that the prevailing situation allowed him. Or at least that's what he liked to think of himself, and it wasn't entirely unfounded. Over the last few years, by pursuing a balanced civil policy and putting increasing emphasis on rebuilding this area, which was almost completely ruined at the very beginning, he managed, on the one hand, to ensure that the empire could draw from the extremely valuable and huge amount of pink gold hidden underground. , and which was absolutely necessary for every modern economy of this era, in addition, the companies, office buildings and factories located here brought a lot of profit. Considering the situation before Clovis took over the management, it could actually be considered an act of miracles.
You could, except for the fact that the truth was much simpler and it was definitely not a matter of a miracle or the creation of one. Simply put, economic advisors and specialists were given complete freedom of action by the Viceroy and no interference in their work as long as they carried out their task of economic reconstruction of the devastated area, and as long as their actions and prescriptions did not lead to the outbreak of a crisis. Fortunately for them, the option that would have tied their hands never came to fruition. Instead, Area 11, thanks to this freedom in economic reconstruction, combined with support from some of the financial and industrial elites of the old Japan, guaranteed a huge economic boom, a development unseen anywhere else in the empire, in any other colony. In other words, Area 11 has become the object of a huge migration from the Homeland and other areas, both of specialists in many different fields, and of people who want to start their lives anew, or who want to start life at all.
Despite all this, living here was fraught with great risk, the risk of death in a terrorist attack. The price of death for the opportunity to become rich and even - with a bit of luck - social advancement in the empire's hierarchy, did not seem to deter anyone. After all, isn't that the nature of humanity as a collective that they are willing to ignore the threat of losing their lives and leaving their loved ones to fend for themselves if they are offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
Regardless of all these facts and opportunities, both for nobility and commoners, offered in Area 11, in the office of Viceroy Prince Clovis la Britannia, a meeting of him and three quite important figures in the military hierarchy of the area was about to take place. Although Clovis, as Area Viceroy, was the nominal commander of the armed forces and had the last word on military and police operations and garrison maneuvers, he had a whole staff of people under him to supervise everything. As for the supreme structure, it was the Commander of the Area 11 Forces, General Bartley Asprius, to whom all other lower military functions were subordinated. Such as Chief Quartermaster, Colonel Lawrence De Lugo, or Commander-in-Chief of the Garrisons, General Adrian Barclay.
The meeting that was to take place shortly, in the viceroy's extravagant and almost fairy-tale-like decorations, was to involve two other people who were very important in this area.
While waiting for their arrival, Clovis casually glanced at his office computer screen, scrolling through the messages sent to him. It was approaching noon, but due to his poor sleep last night and his hopeless mood, he turned to reviewing important reports from around the area and from the Homeland only at that moment. Message after message, report after report, and request after request were sent to him. The latter category included, for example, grants from the treasury of an area for investments, public or private, but of strategic importance or potentially beneficial to the income of the colony, and therefore the income of the empire's finances.
But apart from this boring sequence, there was one thought that gave Clovis great excitement and gave him some mental comfort, as well as put him in a good mood, and that was the arrival of his younger brother, the Purple Prince of Britannia, in Area 11 in less than a week and with some of his forces. The news about the exact date of arrival reached the viceroy the day before yesterday and gave him a lot of reasons to be happy. First of all, there would be someone in the area who knew much more about military matters than he did.
Although Clovis entrusted the command of all military aspects related to the management of the colony to General Asprius, he still had to make the most important decisions and give consent to police and military operations, the meaning and purpose of which he often simply did not understand. Apart from extensive knowledge of art, a certain natural flair for management, and an innate charisma that had been constantly developed over the years, Clovis simply had neither military experience nor natural talent in this field. However, what is worse, he did not have the slightest luck in battle, which became particularly clear at the beginning of his term as viceroy, when the need for his personal intervention arose, as a quite large local uprising broke out near Kyoto.
Clovis was still ashamed of that moment in his life when he decided not only to sign the order to begin the pacification operation, but also to personally appear on the battlefield and command in person, although Bartley and Adrian warned him that this might not be the most prudent move . Nevertheless, Clovis was not convinced, full of enthusiasm he moved at the head of a quickly formed formation with the size of a single army, deployed his forces, and everything ended in almost a disaster. Very quickly, a simple and quick victory over the savage natives ended in a massacre that cost the lives of many brave sons and daughters of the empire. The entire operation did not end in a disaster, only thanks to the field commanders and their initiative. Men such as the then Captain and Commander of the Knightmare Frames Company, Jeremiah Gottwald, or, Amon Dirlewanger, then Lieutenant, who successfully took over command of another Knightmare Frames Company after the death of the original Commander and was promoted to Captain after the battle.
The operation wasn't even halfway through and Clovis was already becoming a nervous wreck as the Elevens successfully led him by the nose and led him into situations where he pushed many brave men and women into ambushes to their senseless deaths. Fortunately, he then lost consciousness and the command was taken over by General Asprius, who successfully carried out a quick reorganization, brought in reserves and reinforcements from other garrisons, and due to the exhaustion of the natives' supplies of war materials, managed to easily defeat them. Nevertheless, the death of so many soldiers of the empire could not go unpunished, so General Asprius carried out the pacification of the ghettos protecting the rebels in an extremely brutal manner, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths, and thousands of others were locked in refugee camps 'prepared' for them, where hunger, terrible sanitary conditions , a typhus epidemic and the possibility of being shot for even the slightest offense effectively completed the destruction.
The viceroy shook his head, remembering that moment, which was a source of shame for him and which he had fortunately managed to cover up under a façade of victory and the ferocity of the fighting. However, this was not the only reason for shame, there were huge losses among the civilian population. He might hate the Elevens for being half-animal barbarians who murdered his younger brother and sister without an ounce of mercy, but he still felt bad about being responsible for their deaths.
His further thoughts on the matter were interrupted when the intercom built into his desk beeped twice and Clovis realized that it must be his new secretary, Miss Jessica Smith, whom he had hired only three weeks ago when she proved to be the most efficient of all candidates for this position. The woman had already managed to get used to the work and fell into its rhythm, fortunately for the Prince of Britannia, because the first days with the new secretary were very awkward and sometimes even comical.
With that said, Clovis took the order and then immediately asked the question, which he put a minimal amount of energy into just to not sound like the living dead. "Is this General Asprius and Colonel Gottwald?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The answer came quickly and concisely. "I will let them in immediately if that is your wish."
"I wish it very much." Clovis had no intention of continuing this, and after saying these words, he ended the conversation.
Meanwhile, after a short while, the door was opened by elegantly dressed royal guards, who were part of Clovis's personal guard, and two extremely different men entered. One was squat but quite tall, bald and obese, and the other was tall, well-built and with characteristic dark aquamarine hair.
"Your Highness." They both spoke and fell on one knee before him, like medieval knights before their feudal lord. However, only Margrave Colonel Gottwald did it properly, because the general had trouble doing it neatly and almost fell down.
"Stand up, gentlemen, we have two issues to discuss." Clovis motioned them to two chairs in front of his extravagant desk, and the military men sat down without hesitation. "I called you here for two reasons. First of all, how has the pacification of the Yotsukaidō Ghetto and the Yachiyo Ghetto been carried out so far?
The question was asked not without reason to these two, because they were in command during the police and military operations aimed at destroying the local resistance groups. General Asprius was the operational commander, while Colonel Gottwald was responsible for field command of the most important and best in terms of quality combat unit in the entire colony, the Purist Faction, and specifically one of its branches located in former Japan.
They both haven't expressed anything about it, at least in terms of body language. As for the report, it was started by General Asprius, who was in command of the entire operation, so it was the most natural thing. "My Prince, everything was worked out in detail and carried out with due care. Thanks to previous infiltration of the terrorist groups operating there, we were able to easily decapitate the snakes first, and then Colonel Gottwald and his forces destroyed the core of what the rebels had. As you recommended, we tried to avoid indigenous deaths, but some deaths simply could not be avoided."
"It doesn't really matter, we're only talking about Elevens." Clovis waved his hand dismissively, although his mood had definitely darkened at the mere mention of beings who, as defeated, had no right to their own identity and considering whose death they were, according to his knowledge, responsible for, did not deserve even the right to live or even the slightest human dignity. "We are the winners, dear gentlemen, and therefore no one will judge us for our achievements and the collateral damage that occurred during our operations."
"Undoubtedly, Your Highness." Bartley nodded respectfully. "Naturally, some of the terrorists dispersed and were most likely absorbed by other organizations. Nevertheless, it does not matter much, given our constantly increasing pressure on terrorists. By building a network of informants in many terrorist organizations in cooperation with OSI, we are slowly getting closer to completely infiltrating the anti-Britannian underground."
Clovis then turned to the margrave, expecting his report, directly related to local issues and the fights with the enemy. "Your Highness, until now we have rarely encountered any major difficulties in defeating Elevens in direct combat. However, this is not due to the quality of our garrison forces, their level of discipline or good communications, but rather to the lack of these elements on the opposite side."
Clovis frowned at his words, then turned his gaze subtly for a moment to the general, who was clearly starting to get a little nervous when the subject of comparison with his opponent was mentioned and the viceroy didn't need to hear anything more. "Bartley, do you have anything to say to me about this? Or maybe something to add to the Margrave's words?"
The General sighed, fully aware that now he had no choice but to be completely honest. "My Prince, repeatedly and for a long time, specifically for several weeks, I have been receiving reports and rumors about increasingly poor discipline among garrison crews, about growing corruption in the part of the military administration responsible for quartermasters, and about growing cases of pathology among soldiers."
"Be specific!" Clovis growled, not sure if the General wanted to elaborate in hopes of soothing his anger or if he wanted to cover all the topics. The viceroy was almost certain that it was a mixture of both.
"Simply put, discipline has loosened over the last period of time, I'm not sure how long, and is now causing some problems." The general coughed and rubbed the monocle over his right eye with a scarf from under his neck. "Some contemptible behavior that may have once been the domain of men like Captain Amon Dirlewanger is now becoming increasingly common. Rapes or, in extreme situations, collective orgies with the participation of our soldiers, robberies during or without participation in the pacification action, or even the willfulness of some individuals, in the form of entering ghettos without orders and committing massacres.
"This is not acceptable!" Clovis was furious, but not because of the violence against the natives, but instead because it was being done by the soldiers of the empire, who were supposed to be the best, most disciplined sons and daughters of the empire. "Why hasn't anyone dealt with this before?"
The general was not upset, but instead calmly proceeded to explain this to the viceroy. "This may sound like a terrible or downright pathetic excuse, but I simply didn't have the time or opportunity to do it. I am constantly focused on the coordination and management of local forces, while until recently, inspectors' reports were laconic on this issue and did not indicate an alarming level of this phenomenon. Especially in the multitude of duties, the need to fight to maintain the appropriate public image of our garrison forces, or to deal with certain projects. So I haven't had time to properly deal with this matter yet."
Clovis understood this reference to the Code-R project without much difficulty, and he leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. "I understand and you are justified, although I am still disappointed."
General Asprius apologized humbly and respectfully, but the viceroy paid no attention to it at that moment. "Regardless of this, I will leave this problem to my brother to solve when, upon his arrival, he will receive the official rank of military adviser, with the authority to inspect or interfere in the structure of individual formations, garrisons and lower or middle-level cadres."
Both officers exchanged surprised glances, but only after a while did General Asprius speak. "My Prince, which prince of the empire is coming to Area 11 and when? I doubt it would be 1st Prince, given his position, much less 2nd."
Clovis pierced them with his gaze, but after a while he smiled and with considerable satisfaction told them news that had not been publicly known until now. "My younger brother, Prince Lucius vi Britannia, will arrive here in a few weeks at most, along with some of his knights, at my request and to help us fight the terrorists. "I have no doubt that his presence will strengthen the morale of the soldiers and strike fear into the hearts of the empire's enemies."
The general was more than pleased with this news, considering the Purple Prince's reputation as one of the empire's greatest military leaders. It was therefore clear that this man could very quickly and extremely effectively defeat a significant portion of the terrorist forces in the colony. This enthusiasm, however, was not shared by Margrave Gottwald, who looked down at the ground and his discomfort was more than visible to the other two interlocutors.
"Oh dear." He muttered under his breath, and there was a reason for it, considering the fact that immediately after murdering his mother and getting himself back together physically, Prince Lucius had thrown out everyone from the old royal guard and immediately started looking for new candidates to take up these prestigious positions. "I have no doubt that he remembers me and definitely not in the warmest way."
AN:That's all for this chapter, I sincerely hope you are not bored with what I have presented to you here.
Honestly, I didn't initially plan to introduce the KPR-01/U Unitrooper. That's how it was originally. Nevertheless, later I remembered the stories of the Panzerwaffe and how long it took the Germans to move from terrible constructions like the Leichttraktor, to the wonderful Pazer III and IV.
Also, if you are interested in the character mentioned here, Captain Amon Dirlewanger, I recommend reading on Wikipedia about two people from the past: Amon Göth and Oskar Dirlewanger. This should be enough of a taste for you as to what kind of character this will be.
I hope you don't feel bored and that you will look forward to the next chapters. In the meantime, see you soon and I wish you all the best. -King's Snake.