Kallen Kozuki ran for her life. How could it have come to this? After the successful rescue of Nunnally from the Kingdom of Zilkhstan, everything was supposed to go back to normal. Everything was supposed to return to a peaceful existence. That wasn't what happened though. She evaded her pursuers as she made her way towards the Knightmare hangar of the Ikaruga. The Guren Type Special quickly came into view, a silent sentinal standing next to the Lancelot siN. The crimson armor shining brilliantly in contrast to the Lancelot's white and gold. The two most bleeding-edge Knightmares in the world, or at least they had been until the confrontation with Zilkhstan had revealed the existence of the world's first ever 10th Generation Knightmare Frame. That and a Knight Giga Fortress that had pushed her to her limits. Only the skill disparity between her and her opponent, and the suprise of the Frame Coat hiding the more agile form of the Guren had saved her life.
Kallen snapped back into focus as the sound of her pursuers brought her back to the present. Their calls for her to stand down went unanswered. Her adrenaline spiked as she made her way into the Guren's cockpit. The Guren's OS quickly hummed to life as she rushed to start the machine. The primary camera feed showed her pursuers in vivid detail, their sharp Black Knight uniforms now marking them as a blatant threat.
"Kallen Kozuki, you are under arrest for conspiracy against the peace and the alleged murder of the rulers of Zilkhstan!" The first Black Knight raised his assault rifle, pointing it at the Guren as Kallen prepared for her escape.
"The hell I am!" she retorted. What the hell was Schneizel doing? The order for her arrest seemed to have come out of nowhere. She had only caught wind of it due to an advance warning from Gino. The glowing Energy Wings of the Guren flared to life, and she readied the Radiant Wave Surger.
"Surrender, or we will resort to lethal force!"
"Get the hell out of my way before I move through you!" The Black Knights that had been sent to arrest her dived out of the way before the Guren rocketed forward, blowing out the hangar doors of the Ikaruga.
Now in free flight, Kallen finally got her bearings. She quickly glanced back at the Ikaruga, whose hangar bay doors were now a wreck. The Radiant Wave Surger had boiled right through its armor plating. Panic welled up as she noticed the two escort airships flanking the flagship on either side, each launching several Sutherland II equipped with Air Glide Systems. A curse escaped her breath as her advanced warning systems blared to life, letting her know she was in their line of sight. A quick bank to the left narrowly avoided their automatic fire. "Shit! I didn't think they'd escalate to shooting down the Guren so quickly. I wouldn't put it past Rakshata to murder them if they succeeded."
On pure instinct she set the claw of the Radiant Wave Surger to low power and released a scatter shot, which damaged the Air Glide Systems enough to immobilize the pursuing Knightmares. Kallen's mind raced as she contemplated her next move. She really didn't want to risk killing any of her apparently former comrades. She didn't know enough about the current situation, and lack of information was kneecapping her decision-making process. At first she had thought talking her way out of the situation would have worked, but they had immediately jumped to trying to arrest her. It brought back bad memories from when she had been captured by Xingke and handed over to Britannia. She'd be damned if she ended up a POW again.
As she thought over her next course of action, it seemed fate had decided for her. The Ikaruga's Scatter Hadron Cannons began to charge, sending a shiver down Kallen's spine. "They'd go that far!?"
Kallen began performing evasive maneuvers. She wasn't sure if the Guren's shields could withstand battleship-grade firepower, but she wasn't keen on finding out. The Hadron Cannons fired, sending a huge beam of energy careening toward her, which she only narrowly managed to dodge. The beam shot outward, splitting any cloud cover that happened to be in its way. Kallen let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Considering the recharge time of the main cannons, it gave her a little breathing room.
"This is probably a lost cause. Suzaku's already been taken captive, and I'm not sure who else is still an ally. Sticking around here is only likely to get someone killed, even if it's not me." Kallen ran a frustrated hand through her red locks and did the only thing that made sense to her given the circumstances. She turned off her IFF transponder, and her signal went dark. Then she fled the area at the maximum speed the Guren could handle for long-term flight.
She was pissed. Schneizel, that dirty traitor. Spouting off crap about her being a threat to the global peace. Not to mention the lie about murdering the rulers of Zilkhstan. Sure they were killed in the fighting, but they had started the bloody conflict when they abducted Nunnally and Suzaku. Her mood took a worse turn. "Suzaku..."
He hadn't even put up a fight. His pride was always his greatest weakness. He just let them arrest him without doing anything. Saying "I trust the system to prove my innocence." If it had been anyone else in the Black Knights that had ordered his arrest, she would have believed his reasoning, but not with Schneizel. The sudden shift in his behavior was alarming. He was supposed to support Zero, who at this point was Suzaku. What changed?
Regardless, she had a problem. She was alone, on the run, and didn't know if she could contact anyone. The Black Knights were off the table, as were most of the people she knew. Lelouch and C.C. were off who knows where. The old Student Council were probably easy enough to get in contact with, but involving a renegade with them might be bad karma. Who else did that leave? Then Kallen had a flash of realization. "Orange boy..."
Suzaku Kururugi sat in his prison cell, contemplating everything that had happened in the last few hours. Schneizel had ordered the arrests of several members of the Black Knights, notably those who had aided Lelouch in the rescue of Nunnally from Zilkhstan. It hadn't been immediate. Weeks had passed since those events. Long enough for those without strong ties to the current Black Knights to go their own way. Of those from the rescue squad, Lelouch and C.C. were off living as nomads. Jerimiah and Anya were still attending their orange farm. Everyone else had been arrested, however. Nina, Cecile, Lloyd. Even Cornelia and Guilford weren't safe from the allegations.
"Conspiracy against the peace, and regicide..."
That wasn't right. He had been kidnapped and tortured. He had only resorted to lethal force after Nunnally had been made a hostage. Something went horribly wrong. Schneizel should have still been under the effect of the Geass, the one where Lelouch had ordered him to be Zero's greatest supporter. When the other Black Knights had come to arrest him, he hadn't fought back at all. He wouldn't resort to killing just because he was being falsely arrested. It brought back memories of when he had been falsely accused of the murder of Prince Clovis. The system had proven him innocent after Zero had claimed responsibility for the crime.
Compared to that time when he had been handcuffed and forced to wear a shock collar, at least he was being treated more humanely, he supposed. Still, there was some sort of ulterior motive going on, but he just wasn't sure what yet.
Susaku leaned back against the wall of his cell. He supposed it wasn't all bad though. Supposedly, Kallen had managed to escape in the Guren. Sayako was missing as well. He supposed if anyone could troubleshoot the current situation, those two would at least be able to figure something out. Even if they couldn't, he trusted them to track down someone who could. "Lelouch, what are you up to right now?"
Schneizel sat in the captain's chair of the Ikaruga, resting his chin in the palm of his right hand. His attendant, Kanon Maldini, stood loyally by his side. He supposed things were progressing smoothly. Most of his targets had been arrested without any incidents. Of those currently in custody, only Cornelia and her Knight had put up any resistance. They were quickly brought to heel under superior numbers. Only Kallen Kozuki had escaped her pursuers. Aboard the Guren, she wouldn't be found easily. He wasn't too worried, though. She would be detained eventually.
"Sir, is it really alright that Kozuki escaped? The Guren is one of our most dangerous assets," Maldini questioned, worry clouding his appearance.
"Be that as it may, it's only one machine. It can't be everywhere at once, and she's on the run now. Most major cities will have a warrant out for her arrest, and the Guren only has so much energy before she's forced to continue on foot. There is hardly a person alive who isn't aware of the famed Ace of the Black Knights. Kozuki's exploits will be her Achilles heel. I'm not worried."
"What about the other one?"
"Yes, the maid. That's more troublesome. She disappeared before the first arrest was even made. We'll have to thoroughly tighten security until she's found. I wouldn't put it past her to attempt an assassination."
"Understood, sir. I'll have Gino Weinberg accompany you at all times. Even an assassin won't have an easy time getting past a former Knight of the Round."
"That would be prudent. My own safety aside, I want to keep an eye on Weinberg as well."
"Why would that be sir? He wasn't involved in the events if Zilkhstan directly. He only served as a mediator."
"I can't prove it, but I suspect him of giving Ms. Kozuki advanced warning of our plans to arrest her. He has always had a soft spot for her, even if the feeling wasn't mutual."
"I see. What are your next plans?"
"We'll make a public announcement about my brother's return."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Who knows? It might just drive him further into hiding. However, once the world discovers that the dreaded Demon Emperor is still alive, then his freedom of movement will be cut off." Schneizel clasped his hands together, his violet eyes narrowing. "Sooner or later, I'll have you, Lelouch."
A Black Knight officer approached Schneizel. "Sir, the prisoner has finally succumbed to his wounds."
Schneizel raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did. What was his name again?"
"Tamaki Shinichiro, sir."
"Ah yes. He was tougher than he let on. Truly loyal to my brother until the end. His loud mouth, however, can certainly stir up trouble. If it weren't for him gloating about being pivotal to the rescue operation in Zilkhstan, word of my brother's return wouldn't have made its way to me, I'm sure. Take measures to ensure that word of his passing doesn't make its way around the ranks. I don't need that sort of headache right now."
"Yes, Sir." The Black Knight officer saluted and took his leave.
"Maldini, make sure to take care of that officer. I don't need any loose lips. A death of a Black Knight under our care, even someone allied with my brother, won't be taken too well."
"Gladly." Maldini left, his newest task now given. Schneizel reclined in his seat. The man Tamaki had given him everything he needed to know about what happened in Zilkhstan. He just needed to work him over a few times first. Apparently his brother now had some sort of immortality, alongside that cursed Geass of his. Tracking him down won't be easy. He pondered for a second, before deciding that his next targets would be Jeremiah Gottwald, and Anya Alstreim. They were a known quantity, and easily located. They wouldn't go down without a fight, but he was prepared to sacrifice the numbers necessary to detain them. Sooner or later, his brother would have nowhere left to turn.
Sayoko Shinozaki continued her escape, having long dodged any pursuers. She was riding a motorcycle, and was avoiding taking any regularly travelled paths. Having successfully skydived out of the Ikaruga, she had taken great strides to make as much distance between the Black Knights and herself as possible. She had noticed Schneizel beginning to act strangely these last few days, and his actions led to her being suspicious of his goals. She had fled at the first signs of trouble, which sadly meant she was unaware if anyone else managed to escape. The list of likely captives wasn't too long, but it included everyone that was involved in Zilkhstan. If her suspicions were correct, she had a feeling Tamaki might already be deceased.
"I have to see if Sir Gottwald and Lady Alstreim are safe. I couldn't stop Schneizel from enacting his plan while he had the full might of the Black Knights at his disposal, but he's unlikely to send a conspicuous force to apprehend the others. I might be able to intercept them before it's too late."
She already had a single passenger plane ready to fly to the Britannian homeland. She couldn't contact Gottwald directly, but the chances of him being anywhere else other than on his orange farm were slim. It would take a couple of days to get in touch with him; she just hoped it wouldn't be too late.
Milly Ashford sighed deeply. She couldn't believe what she was about to report. The information had come in less than twenty minutes ago. Directly from Schneizel el Britannia himself. Word of Lelolouch's resurrection had been made publid knowledge. This wasn't going to go over well. Even though she knew the greater details of his rise to power and subsequent death, to the public at large, Lelouch vi Britannia was known as a tyrannical dictator who was responsible for mass casualties and was feared as such. In a couple minutes, the world would be plunged into chaos again. A year of peace, thrown away, and for what? She didn't want to be responsible for reporting this, but she had her orders.
Rivalz gave her the thirty second warning from behind the camera he was operating, letting her know they would soon be live. Milly took a deep breath, preparing her nerves for the bomb she was about to drop on the whole world. The five second warning went off, and the teleprompter started feeding her the lines.
"This is Milly Ashford with KT-TV. Minutes ago we have received word from the Black Knights, that the former 99th Emperor of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia has been confirmed alive. I repeat, the former 99th Emperor of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia has been confirmed alive. This has been confirmed by eyewitness testimony from multiple members of the Black Knights who were present at the events that took place at the Kingdom of Zilkhstan mere weeks ago. According to Black Knight Commander Schneizel el Brittania, the kidnapping of Honorary Advisor of the W.H.A Nunnally vi Britannia was a plot set up to destabilize the country. This ultimately led to the death of its acting King, King Shalio, and his sister, Princess Shamna. It is unkown what the end goal of this act of terror was, but the former Emperor has now gone into hiding. If you see any signs of his presence, you are urged not to make direct contact. Please report any sightings to your proper local authorities."
The camera feed stopped, and Milly let out a choked sob. Rivalz ran over to her and pulled her into a firm hug. "Are you okay Prez?"
Milly regained hold over her emotions, and wiped the tears forming in her eyes away. "I'm fine. I'm just worried about Lelouch. I know he's responsible for alot of wrongdoing, but to me he's still the VP of the Ashford Student Council."
"I know. He's a genius though. If they had us make this announcement, then it means he hasn't been found yet. I'm sure he'll be fine."
Milly nodded in agreement. "I know he can take care of himself. I just can't help but feel bad for Nunnally. Her and her brother finally reconciled with one another, and now he's being vilified again."
"We should check in on her to see if she's doing okay," Rivalz offered. He knew Nunnally was strong, but the news probably blindsided her. He just wished he knew where Lelouch was at the moment. He was going to need as many supporters as possible.
Cornelia was furious. Schneizel betrayed her, and locked her up in spite of her being the Sub Commander of the Black Knights. Spouting drivel about her being in cahoots with Lelouch to destabilize Zilkhstan. Her objections fell on deaf ears of course, which led to a confrontation. Guilford had taken a shot meant for her. He was still alive, but in critical condition. After he went down, she had immediately surrendered. In one fell swoop, Schneizel had taken full control over the Black Knights. Kururugi had surrendered quietly, and Kozuki had fled. With no one else with any real authority left to oppose him, she supposed it was only a matter of time until he accomplished whatever his end goals were.
"What a joke. The mighty 'Witch of Britannia' reduced to a prisoner." She had escaped a similar position over a year ago, being held captive on this very ship. Even though she wasn't cuffed, the retrofitting of the Ikaruga after its near destruction had led to the inclusion of real prison cells. That left the probability of a repeat performance slim. If she ever did get out, she'd kill Schneizel herself. To think the one she originally had placed so much trust in would be the real monster, while Lelouch would turn out to be content to live the life of a nomad.
If Lelouch were here, he'd probably single handidly turn this whole situation around. In the end, he was one of the few people in the world who could match wits with Schneizel. Which led to the other issue. It was no secret to the inner circle of the Black Knights that Lelouch had placed Schneizel under a Geass. However he managed to slip out from underneath its influence was another mystery to solve she supposed. She just hated being stuck here, useless to help with the current situation.
Nunnally was not okay. After the public announcement of her brother's return, she had a panic attack. Schneizel had set up the world to turn on Lelouch. She didn't have any other details outside of what was announced via the news, but she was on her way to find out. Her body guards escorted her to her private plane, which was charting a course to The United States of Japan.
She knew that it was likely Schneizel was no longer under the effect of Lelouch's Geass command. If that was the case, even if her influence was now limited, she would do every in her power to make sure he didn't start another mass conflict. She just hoped the other members of the Black Knights were doing what they could to keep him in check. He had already gone over the heads of the UFN when he made the move to directly contact the media, and she was afraid his power and influence would continue to go unnaposed. On paper, he was the current Commander of the Black Knights. Suzaku was supposed to be leading from the shadows, but it was likely he was indisposed.
She wished her brother had chosen to stay by her side. Even though she didn't begrudge his choice to travel the world incognito with C.C., it was still a bitter pill to swallow. He could solve all these issues in his usual dramatic flare. He was a known miracle worker after all. He had always been able to do anything he had set his mind to. After all, because of him, the world was currently at peace, or at least had been until Schneizel's latest stunt.
"Please big brother, come back home. The world needs you again. I need you again."