Lelouch walked into the meeting room with the same strong self confidence that his practiced masks allowed him to project in all but the most dire of circumstances, and even then most times the mask only slipped when he was in private. Behind the Prince came Jeremiah three Royal Guards in full body armor, and of course Dr. Crow.

"Ah so the Dark Prince of Britannia decides to finally join us. I had almost figured you didn't actually care to negotiate." A older man with Greek features stated with a glare aimed directly at the prince, his European Uniform showing obvious signs of ill discipline from the man as his medals were out of order and some even misaligned, and his shirt untucked, he even dared to wear his officer's cap indoors.

Opposite of the European stood the head of the Alliance Garrison for Eden Prime and an Asari diplomat serving the questionable mixed roles of advisor, and Alliance diplomat while also answering to the Citadel Council. The Garrison commander were his full combat hardsuit, though he had removed his helmet and there was a package likely containing his dress uniform nearby, pressed and ready, likely the man had made the hard choice to forgo changing after inspecting his men and overseeing the Alliance's portion of the site security. The Asari apparently wore a dress common among their diplomats, almost common enough to be considered a uniform if Lelouch didn't already know that the dress was simply a fashion fad that would probably fade by next year and every Asari diplomat would be rushing to the newest outfit.

Already a plan formed in Lelouch's head, the E.U. Commander was someone who didn't care, he was simply here for the economic interests of his backers in Europe, he'd just as readily sell or destroy the Prothean Ruins and the Beacon if he thought he could gain anything. The Alliance Commander on the other hand was strict and serious, his movements suggesting discipline. Almost certainly he either was a fanatic who bought into the Alliance delusion of dominance over humanity or at least was dedicated enough to know he could not afford to allow anyone else to secure the Ruins let alone the Beacon. Pitting those two against each other wouldn't be too hard with just a few key words.

The real issue was then was the Asari and knowing how long she was a diplomat. It was already easy enough to see how she would be treating each of the parties in these negotiations. The Alliance were both the council's proxy and her allies, but if she viewed human interests or the council's interest as being more significant she likely would culturally see the Council's interests as being the greater good. But her time as a diplomat would shape how she went about that, would she try to sell some optimistic lines with promises that the council would never fulfill, or would she try to instead compromise her own position to try and convince everyone here that they were actually using her and the council to their own benefit. In other words, did the Council assign her to the Alliance because her skill, or did they assign her because she was politically expendable?

"Well Prince. Throw out your blusters, make some absurd claim and lets get this empty show of yours out of the way." The European demanded, his disinterest all but obvious, and as if to punctuate the point he took his seat at the table with both feet kicked up and hair tilted back to balance on its hind legs.

Next the Alliance Commander and his Asari counterpart took their seats more formally. "Let us begin official negotiations. Noted for record this meeting is taking place between the apponted Representative of Europia United, Georgios Aetos is in attendance, along with Prince and seventeenth in line for the Britannian Throne Lelouch vi Britannia, I am Commander Stefan Kree of the Alliance with Matron Diplomat Lyn'koshi Maiari serving as the Alliance diplomatic head."

As Lelouch closed to his own seat with Dr. Crow and Jeremiah flanking him he smiled while the Asari brought her palm to her face in embarrassment. The Commander clearly had mistaken the Asari's lifecycle stage for an official title and had mistakenly included that in his introduction. Still Lelouch was now situated well enough he could start dealing damage to these negotiations. After all he didn't actually have to win the negotiations, either Lloyd's device would work, or he could create enough confusion that they could steal the beacon before the Alliance's Normandy arrived with a Spectre intent on using the Council's authority and the Alliance's position to forcibly seize the Beacon.

How the Emperor knew of this plot Lelouch wasn't certain, but it was becoming clear that Schnizel and their Father were both engaged in and potentially acting as rivals in something well beyond the sight and understanding of even those within the Britannian Nobility. So for now Lelouch would just play his part until he could usurp their petty little game. And so with a smirk he began the negotiations with a question. "So Georgios, how much do you think the Prothean Beacon is worth? Six million credits, Six Billion?" Lelouch's filled his voice with as much mockery as he could.

"What are you trying to say?" The Greek growled at the Prince, moving to sit more properly in his seat.

Lyn'koshi leaned forward putting her palms out in a placating manner. "Prince Lelouch you should understand that the Beacon isn't something for sale. Now if we could start without..."

"Not for sale? I didn't know you owned it. So Georgios how much was it worth, your nations pride I mean?" Lelouch of course kept the mockery and dismissive and bullheaded front to his tone as he watched his counterparts carefully.

"You want to try me again? Just because you came from your father's inbred dick don't you dare think your anything even close to resembling competent enough to understand things beyond you little boy!" Georgios was incensed and it would take him a moment before he stepped into the traps Lelouch had laid out, but he would certainly step into them entirely blindly. Meanwhile Stefan Kree simply glared at Lelouch, likely disliking the Prince but also oblivious to the poison Lelouch had already slipped into the negotiations, and Lyn'koshi Maiari probably could see the trap, but unless she could gain control over Georgios she wasn't going to win this stage of the conversation.

"Simple Georgios, last I checked this site was meant as a transport rail between the Britannian and European supply networks. And yet you clearly sold our work and discovery for profit, truly just like my blood makes me predestined to rule, yours makes you a sellout." With just a little racial teasing and the right amout of cocky indifference and the other man was now fuming.

"Lelouch, either control yourself or bring us someone who will negotiate in good faith. Mocking Georgios over the Beacon is in no way changing these negotiations. We were all hear to negotiate in good faith over the Prothean Ruins which will be hear for years, both to study and for economic use." Lyn'koshi tried to refocus to conversation, but Georgios' pride and outrage were too much by this point.

"The damn Beacon is part of the ruins, why shouldn't we talk about it? I don't remember selling it to the Alliance! In fact I don't even remember who invited you to these negotiations in the first place." Lelouch held back a smirk, maybe he was too successful. Still now Lelouch could capitalize on this.

"Commander Georgios remember it was Alliance researchers who found and identified the Beacon, and we will need Citadel expertize to learn everything we can from the Beacon for as long as it remains functional, it's been Fifty thousand years since the disappearance of the Protheans their technology couldn't have been made to last much longer than that, not while under planetary conditions between soil errosion and sedimentary buildup over these last fifty thousands years its amazing that the Beacon and these ruins are still in such excellent shape." The Asari tried to reason with the fuming European.

However Lelouch couldn't allow her to seize control, at least not yet, more damage needed to be done first. "Ah yes, the Alliance, and where are your researchers again? Dr. Crow here has told me plenty about the wonders of this site, but I don't seem to notice any academic interest in these ruins coming from the E.U. almost like they were already trying to offload and sell the Ruins behind Britannia's back, and I have yet to see a single Alliance scientist."

Commander Stefan was the one to answer. "Considering the tense situation here on site I ordered our scientists away for their own protection."

"Your Scientists!" Now the Greek man stood his face red as he shouted. "I heard complaints of soldiers telling our scientists to leave the site for their own protection! Have you bastards been trying to seize the ruins from under me?"

And there it was, Lelouch now didn't need to play antagonistic games anymore. He could negotiate legitimately or simply put on a decent act. After all Georgios had taken the poison, though how the man could have let such blatant attempts at seizure by the Alliance happen right infront of him without giving his approval actually impressed Lelouch with the levels of incompetence of the man. Lelouch had thought that the man had given up the operation to the Alliance for cheap, not that he had allowed them to steal authority over it.

Still it didn't matter. Lelouch tapped the transmitter on his Omnitool, signalling to Kallen to begin. Behind him Dr. Crow looked about the room giving polite nods to various guards from all three sides present.

Kallen waited in her Knightmare and mentally ran a check on the Maser Vibration Swords and Knightmare Assault Rifle her machine carried as its primary armaments. On the main display of her Knightmare she watched the building, a shack really, that Lelouch had gone into for the negotiations. Then a light in her Knightmare flashed twice, Lelouch's signal.

"Villetta, begin patrol route Sierra." Kallen told the Purist Knight over her comms receiving an immediate signal of acknowledgement. Meanwhile Kallen began to divert her own Knightmare keeping her turns and route erratic but enough to suggest she was positioning for an advantage in an assault. Soon the rest of the garrison joined Kallen, each patrol changing routes randomly while keeping careful eyes on their Alliance and E.U. counterparts and security posts being abandoned so their soldiers could also start jockeying for position with their counterparts.

As expected the Alliance and E.U. troops went into a frenzy, some hunkering down in their guardposts intent on holding their positions while the rest rushed to move to match the movements of the Britannians while three of their Knightmares diverted to track Kallen specifically. Then the other three Knightmares of Kallen's squad joined her activity and the rest of the Alliance and E.U. knightmares were forced to start moving to track their movements.

Of course there was no actual advantage to this jockeying for position across the sigsite camps. The dance itself was the point. For all the effort and attention that was put on Kallen and the Britannian soldiersz that was less attention focused on the alternative routes to the Prothean Beacon, and fewer eyes that could catch the trio of researchers, Lloyd, Cécile, and the Priestly Robed researcher slowly made their way progressively closer to the beacon ducking behind cover and concealment while testing Lloyd's device each time as they drew closer to the Beacon.

In perhaps just a few minutes they would know if this was all worth it or if Lloyd's device failed. If the device failed then they would have to change plans and likely go back to the original plan of stealing the Beacon with some layer of plausible deniability after Lelouch finishes provoking the E.U. commander, some hothead that the reports stated was corrupt enough to even be easily bought off and only held his position due to a mixture of having adequate skill as a military leader and his connections with the aristocrats in Europe.

Still the distraction would only last a few minutes before the Alliance and Europia United caught on and stopped playing along with her little game. If they noticed Lloyd then the whole operation is over. And it would be up to Lelouch to drive the wedge between the Alliance and E.U. to confrontation over the Beacon, and in many ways that was a long shot that would certainly earn the Alliance's scorn and probable retaliation that the Empire would have to endure.

As Kallen moved leading the Alliance Knightmares on their strange dance the sky darkened, and suddenly the display showing the GPS IFF positioning of turned to static and the long range communications system suddenly activated it's error light.

"What? Lady Stadtfeld, we lost communication with the Colony!" Villetta's voice announced over the short range radio, as Kallen stopped to stare at the darkening sky in confusion.

Then the black clouds broke as a machine, no a ship unlike any Kallen had seen before descended over the nearby E.U. colony just before a sound, or rather the sensation of a sound washed over Kallen. She gripped her controls fighting back the noise coming from inside her own head, but her vision narrowed and she felt almost paralyzed, and Kallen could barely react as strange bug-like ships flew over head. Kallen despite the pain pulled her controls and barely managed to avoid as blue pulses of some kind struck the ground where she was and was able to barely see as another of the ships fired upon and struck one of the Panzer-hummels the shots tearing through the Knightmare's armor and destroying the machine as it stood still not even reacting until the first attack struck, which by then it was too late.

The strange ships then dropped masses of soldiers and strange four legged constructs onto the battlefield and the alien attack began in earnest. Just as the strange noise in her head started to fade and Kallen could react to their actions more easily. Immediately the Red Knight gunned down two of the small enemy infantry their bodies splintering apart in what certainly would be a shower of gore as she brought her gun to fire on the first of the four legged constructs even as its shields endured her initial burst of fire.

Then the radio clicked on. "Empty... errrgh, Crown, We have a Empty Crown, hostiles are moving Lelouch away from the camp, Dr. Crow is the... terrorist leader." Jeremiah gasped through his mic, sounding injured... and for half a second Kallen froze her world suddenly shattering and questions flooding her head.

Should she abandon the garrison as they were clearly being overwhelmed to rescue Lelouch, of course she needs to rescue him, but were the terrorists with these attackers? What if she just made his situation more precarious by rescuing him just to have a army of these invaders attacking her and him after the overrun the garrison? How did the Terrorist capture Lelouch from beside Jeremiah and in a room full of witnesses and soldiers?

The moment nearly cost Kallen as heavy fire from the four legged machines tore through her shields far too quickly for comfort and even began to eat away at her Knightmare's armor. Swiftly Kallen dodged to the side on her landspinners, her own rifle barking as it threw multiple heavy rounds into the front most machine. While the shields on the four legged machine fell its armor still endured. But Kallen raced forward, drawing her Knightmare's MVS blade, the Machine was quickly adjusting and it's compatriots already were trying to turn Kallen's aggression against her. But for the lead machine, it was too late as her Knightmare's blade removed the head of the first quadped machine. Its companion fired some sort of heavy cannon but Kallen fell back using the dying machine as cover and managed to avoid the shot. She then fired her Slash Harkens the machine tried firing its machineguns but deapite deflecting the first the second Harken embedded itself into the machine's chest. With a quick flick of her thumb the Harken pulled Kallen's Knightmare to the machine that she then carved in half.

"Don't worry Lelouch. I'm coming."

Lelouch smirked at his work. Georgios was too easily to manipulate and now he was serving as Lelouch's distraction for him. While it had taken enough teasing and prompting that it almost undermined his entite position at the negotiations table, could have even made them try to just cut Britannia out of the negotiation all together, Georgios was no firmly against the Alliance.

The man was ranting and raving against them now, after all he wasn't even being given his typical bribe and just expected to give up the Beacon to the Alliance for half hearted promises. Though those promises were being given to the fool only now, which made him ever the better tool for Lelouch. Ironically it was the Alliance's unwillingness to engage with Georgios corruption and their need to use the Beacon to gain the Citadel's support to solidify their claims as being the ' representative' government of humanity that now had come back to bite them.

The more the foolish hothead demanded payment in exchange for the Beacon, the more Lelouch could use those demands to form a sort of temperary coalition with the E.U. if just long enough to either steal the Beacon's data, or steal the Beacon itself. Though the Asari Lyn'koshi was proving her competence and if Lelouch wasn't here she certainly would have seen the E.U. dealth with and expertly made a trivial matter.

"Commander Georgios, we don't yet even know what data is within the Beacon, only that there are suspicions of data from the Prothean's currently being stored within. Negotiating a price now could actually undercut your potential profits perhaps we could instead agree on a set minimum and once we know the value of the Beacon's data the Council and Alliance can set up a suitable finder's fee." A cleaver ploy, and even if entirely honestly expected by the diplomat a guarantee of betrayal by the Council.

"So the Council still gets exclusive access to the Beacon, and we don't ever get to learn of what's actually within without the council deciding to tell is what there may or may not be inside. Besides the fact that you most certainly will not share any of thos with Britannia, you're guaranteeing the most greedy of the council will lie to the E.U. as well." Lelouch challenged, though just to keep Georgios' temper running.

"No! We will learn whats on the Beacon before it is removed from this site! Not after!' The Greek shouted, hia voice almost masking the pained gasp that came from next to Lelouch.

Dr. Crow was bent over, a hand clutching her eye as she seemed to tremble. "No, not yet, they're too early."

"What the hell is wrong with her?" The European demanded, as Lelouch gave a concerned look to Jeremiah. Were the Terrorists about to attack now? How did Crow know and why did she look to be in pain?

And then noise. It was like a infernal screach from hell coming from within Lelouch's own skull. Nearly all other sounds suddenly fading as Lelouch's vision blackened in the immense pain. Still despite this Lelouch could barely hear as first two gunshots sounded, followed shortly by multiple bursts of full automatic fire. A arm wrapped around Lelouch and pulled him around in a protective embrace and he followed as the body of his protector pushed him towards the door, but when had Jeremiah gotten so thin, was he really not allowing the overzealous Knight enough time for exercise, sure Jeremiah would probably work himself to death if Lelouch and others didn't constantly remind him to take care of himself but still this was a crisis and he needed Jeremiah at his peak...

Lelouch was then twisted back towards the room and he felt a barrel pressed to his temple as the voice of Catherine Crow broke Lelouch's cloud of confusion and vision began to return to the Prince. Jeremiah lay on the floor struggling to reach for his pistol while bleeding from his side. At the table Commander Georgios lay dead with a pistol in his hand. One of Lelouch's royal guards, the only one not laying dead or dying on the ground, stood side by side with one of the Alliance Marines laying down covering fire for Lelouch and his captor while the remaining E.U and Alliance soldiers took cover or used their bodies to shield Lyn'koshi Maiari with Stefan Kree at their head.

And then with a forceful pull the Doctor and Lelouch were out of the building and soon the two disguised terrorists followed after. The pistol holding arm then thrust forward and Doctor Crow's omnitool flashed and the door sealed itself, the automated locks likely overriden to prevent pursuit. This was madness, while that noise was still making it hard to think, certainly these terrorists weren't so stupid as to think the garrison troops would just let them past.

However all the garrison troops, Alliance, E.U., and Britannian stood clutching their heads, lay on the ground, or had even removed their face masks so they could vomit. The troops were all recovering, but it was too late for that, his captor and her two compatriots had already dragged him halfway out of the camp, and worse yet strange ships of a design Lelouch couldn't recognize were sweeping in over the camp firing heavy mass accelerators into the camp and dropping what looked to be some sort of drone troops in among the garrison troops. No not drones, these were Geth, the Geth were attacking the camp, but how, and did Dr. Crow know they were coming, who the hell was this terrorist?

"What the hell is happening?" Lelouch muttered to himself only to get lightly pistol whipped by the woman holding him.

"Shut up. You radio to Thomas we have what I came for. We need to move before it's too late!" The Doctor shouted to the other two men who now had taken the time to put strange patches on their shoulders, a sort of gold enlongated hexagon with a open space traveling up the bottom edge, and flanking the sides of the hexagon on either of the two sides were two thick lines.

"Hey, what about the Geth? Are the Pluton guys behind them arriving too? What the hell is going on?" One of the two soldiers asked just before a Geth came into their section of clearing causing the pair of soldiers to gun it down.

"No, they're seperate but they'll make for a decent cover." The Doctor stated her tone detached and unconcerned watching the destroyed geth with mild disinterest.

"If everything goes right we will be able to secure the Beacon data, and if not your boss is arranging plans on the Citadel." The Doctor then added.

Lelouch took note, 'Your boss, meaning she isn't a part of their group. A arrangement of desperation? No they're too coordinated, a temporary Alliance then. But why, is it just for capturing me, or was i right to assume they originally planned to take Clovis? And these others they want the Beacon, but she isn't concerned with it. What would this lone woman, surely her act as a Doctor was a false identity, want with a single person, even a Prince? Or was she a agent for another organization? Just how many organizations are there that I don't know about operating inside Britannia?' The Prince's mind swiftly went over everything and each possibly working to deduce the most likely source of these mysterious agents and coming to a few possibilities just before they had fully left the camps and began to move into the E.U. colonial territory.

Lelouch had little chance of fighting back against his captors, but did whatever he could think of to try and slow them down and to leave a trail. While he couldn't be certain of everything taking place with the Geth launching a seemingly random all out attack against Eden Prime, one whose first target seems to be the Beacon, and his captors being of A or multiple mysterious organizations he couldn't identify. But he knew Kallen would be sure to try and come after him.

Finally the group reached the top of a small hill, here his three captors slowed down and within moments a band of rebels, all armed with various weapons and in disorganized gear rose to meet the trio. "Hey Thomas, they really got em." One of the rebels shouted his expression one of pure jubilation.

"I see dat. Nah, now dat we've get ourselves a blue blood Prince. We can hang 'is corpse from da rafters." At this Lelouch's captors all seemed to snap to attention.

"Hey, that's not the deal, we provided you with arms, intelligence and financing to last your group for years. All we asked from you was a way to get her off planet with the Prince, and assistance pulling the Beacon from the dig site." The soldier dressed as a Alliance Marine stated firmly.

The leader of the terrorists looked over to the dig site camp and the ongoing battle. "Nyah, soaree pal, see New Canada ain't happenin' if wez all dead. And it ain't happening if we can't show da people dat 'ere serious 'bout lib... liberating us all from dem Brits. And how better than showing off a fukn Prince, Eh?"

And with that the Terrorist leader aimed his pistol at Lelouch's head and began to pull the trigger. As he did so the fake Dr. Crow lunged forward shouting something just as the gun went off. Three shots later and her corpse fell atop Lelouch, immediately the two others began firing at their once terrorist allies, but the volume of guns against them forced the pair to retreat.

"Looky 'ere, eh? Little Prince got a woman all over 'em and like a real Blue Blood all yer friends, dry don't exist. Time to die Princeling." The Terrorist boss loomed over Lelouch teasing him while aiming his pistol down at Lelouch.

'No it can't end here, Nunally!'

And then everything stopped. 'You don't want this to end here do you?' A voice, her voice stated in Lelouch's head. 'what?' How, a dead woman, she moved and grabbed his wrist and now she was speaking in his head, it was enough to freeze Lelouch's mind with pure incomprehension.

'You appear to have a reason for living.' Her voice continued in his skull just like the screeching from before, the slightest twitch in the terrorists face suggested to Lelouch that somehow he was precieving everything in extremely slow motion, or was he thinking fast...but, 'That girl, its impossible.'

'If I grant you power, could you go on?' Now Lelouch's vision was dominated by the girl, multiple of her each with their hair down. 'I propose a deal. In exchange for this power you must make my one wish come true. Accept this contract and you accept its conditions while living in the world of mortals, you will live a life unlike any other, a different providence, a different time, a different life.' More images flashed before Lelouch. youth of species all somehow familiar yet so diverse and different he couldn't hope to name them all all sat as if in prayer each and every one with a strange red mark upon their forehead. Planets all so close together it should be impossible. Vessels that looked like giant sea creatures floating through a endless void and a darkness even further beyond. 'The power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude, are you prepared for this?'

And then the vision brought forward something else, the familiar presence of his father, surrounded by black robed figures Lelouch couldn't identify. 'A convergence with the Crucible Connection? The myth is beginning once again?'

While laying on the ground, Lelouch also felt as if he was floating in the void of space while also warmed as if he was comfortable and safe in his own bed. 'Yes, I hereby accept the terms of your contract!'

"Well Princeling any last words, wanna beg fer yer life?" The Terrorist leader began moving again, and time seemed to resume.

Lelouch chuckled darkly, somehow he knew something had changed he now had power, real power for the first time, power to make others obey him. "Yes, Lelouch vi Britannia commands you, die."

"What kind of request is dat?...w-what...what is... yeah Die." The Terrorist leader looked confused at first like he was struggling to understand his own actions as he slowly turned the pistol away from Lelouch and slowly put the pistol to his temple, and then pulled the trigger.

"The hell, what happened to Thomas!?" One of the other Terrorists shouted and soon they were all aiming at Lelouch who was now burried under both the body of his would be kidnapper and his would be killer.

"Lelouch!" A familiar, and very welcome voice cried through the speakers of a Kightmare and soon the sound of large near fist sized mass accelerater rounds began tearing through the landscape and shortly after the gunfire began the dying screams of the Terrorists could be heard.

Then a familiar red Knightmare pulled up next to Lelouch and seconds later the familiar form of Kallen dropped out of the machine running over to Lelouch. "Lelouch are you alright?" Kallen sounded so frantic and looked so close to tears it was almost adorable.

"I'm alright." Lelouch gasped out from under the weight of the bodies on top of him.

Swiftly Kallen's flipped both bodies off of Lelouch, and she pried the dead woman's fingers off from Lelouch's wrist. "Lets get out of here." Kallen then said starting to carry Lelouch to her Knightmare.

"Hows the battle going?" Lelouch asked feeling tired, but knowing that he should take command

"Not good, but we need to get you to safety first."

Reviews

Asharzal: Yes and No. That was the hardest part, but after the disrespect EA pushed onto the Indoctrination process, and if you check out the Indoctrinated Shepard theory essentially Mass Effect has a non-magical means to mimic the effects of both. Infact each Reaper is itself essentially a collective Unconsciousness formed from millions of individuals from each harvested species, and yes the process says millions not billions implying that for each species there are multiple reapers made, probably only a handful but still.

Imperial warlord: yeah too many fictions with bastardized versions of the British, and all of them spelled differently.