Chapter 7

The Rate of Truth

Suzaku shifted, using his arms to adjust himself into a more comfortable position. Or at least as much comfort as his upper body felt was necessary, seeing as his legs were completely numb. A part of him was genuinely grateful that he was still alive and that the nerve damage was not worse. Another part wondered if there was much point going on after being crippled like this. It was not just a question of emotional despondency, there was the very practical consideration of how he would make a living. The army would have no use for a paraplegic, and the options for Japanese like him, even Honorary Britannians, were not so ample even were he whole and hale. Though the cardinal would probably not leave him dangling like this, not after having made that broadcast. So there was at least that, even if all it did was turn him right back to the psychological aspects of having been crippled. Suzaku did not want to be a burden on anyone, even someone whom felt indebted to him. He needed to be able to do something, with his own two hands, even if not on his own two legs.

As the youth mulled over all this, the doors to his private suite, another example of the cardinal's consideration, opened, and two Britannian officers entered. Suzaku rose instinctively, or tried to. He still snapped a crisp salute however, palm out.

"At ease, Private," the woman, not the man, said as they both returned the salute. "Considering your condition, we're not going to demand you exert yourself on our behalf."

"Thank you, Captain Croomy," Suzaku said, reading the name off the uniform. "Umm, may I ask why you and Colonel Asplund are here?"

A perfectly legitimate question, that. Commissioned officers such as them rarely interacted with soldiers of such lowly rank as Suzaku, even more so considering his racial background.

"Suzaku Kururugi," the bespectacled colonel said with an almost unnervingly wide grin. "How would you like to pilot the most advanced knightmare the Empire has ever built?"

Suzaku stared blankly at the man. "Umm, what?"

The captain sighed. "Colonel, might we provide the good private at least an introduction beforehand?"

"Oh, yes," the colonel said, as if that thought had genuinely not occurred to him. "I am Lloyd Asplund, director of the Camelot Institute. This woman here is Cécile. She is my assistant. Now-"

Cécile cleared her throat, causing Lloyd to glance over at her and sigh.

"Why don't I let Cécile explain whatever she thinks is necessary?" he segued.

Suzaku looked over at the woman, more than a bit flabbergasted at the dynamics on display. Despite being officially Lloyd's junior, the good captain was clearly exercising some degree of authority over his conduct. She felt less like an assistant and more like a minder. Still, Cécile's sternness seemed only to be directed at Lloyd, as she offered a gentle smile as she looked back at Suzaku.

"As the colonel intimated, we are with the Camelot Institute, a research and development organization under the auspicious of the Imperial Britannian Armed Forces," Cécile began a much more detailed introduction. "Our work principally involves the development of next generation weapons platforms, with a specific emphasis on knightmares at present. Our work on a next generation frame has reached the point where we are in need of pilots to help test the prototype. We were hoping you would be interested."

"Umm, I don't understand," Suzaku said with genuine puzzlement. "Why would you want a, an Eleven, to test something that important?"

"Because all of the Britannian pilots are proving to be too much like frightened children," Lloyd said somewhat peevishly.

That did not abate Suzaku's confusion, but by this point he knew to direct his quizzical look at Cécile instead of the colonel.

"Allow me to explain," Cécile said, even as she shot a glare at the colonel that looked to be a warning for him to keep his mouth shut. "The prototype knightmare we are working on will employ an entirely different control mechanism than the purely haptic system used now. We call it the neuro-link, and it would effectively allow you to control a knightmare as if it were an extension of your own body."

"That, sounds kind of incredible," Suzaku said honestly.

"Ah, someone that finally appreciates the genius of the system," Lloyd said with a wide grin.

"There are however complications," Cécile quickly put in. "I won't sugarcoat this, Private. Of the last three test pilots that attempted to use the neuro-link, one suffered total brain death from feedback, another suffered a stroke, and the last suffered paralysis of an arm and a leg. We think we've identified all of the flaws that resulted in these injuries, but as no further volunteers have been forthcoming, we have not been able to conduct any further tests outside of simulations."

"Oh," Suzaku said, some of his initial amazement dying down. "I can see why." And then a thought occurred to him. "Is that why you're asking me?"

Lloyd chuckled. "I'm glad you're quick on the uptake, Colonel."

"That is not the only reason we are approaching you, Private," Cécile very pointedly cut in. "I will not lie, Private. The fact that you have already suffered neurological damage means you arguably have much less to lose if our precautions prove inadequate. The additional safeguards that we have implemented however are much, much more stringent than that employed with our previous test pilots, even to the point where response time via the neuro-link will be impacted. You have my word that all due caution will be taken, and we will most certainly not take any shortcuts or treat you as expendable in any way, shape, or form."

That last bit saw Cécile looking very pointedly at Lloyd, which hardly gave Suzaku much confidence. But it seemed evident that the good captain meant every word she said, and would indeed do everything in her power to keep him safe, even if it meant butting heads with her nominal superior. That for some reason gave Suzaku a warm comfort.

"I understand, Captain," he thus said. "And I believe you."

Cécile looked back at him and offered another smile.

"There is another reason why we believe you to be a suitable candidate, Private," the woman continued. "You come highly recommended."

Suzaku blinked. "I do?"

"Cardinal Lamperouge spoke well of your actions during the Shinjuku Incident," Cécile said. "You and your entire unit are to receive commendations for your bravery and resolve in the face of such horrible danger. The paperwork is already in progress, and I've seen a copy of the dispatches. His Eminence applauded not only your courage, but also your discretion. Those qualities, especially the latter, are especially important for anyone that will be working with Camelot on our projects."

At that Suzaku's expression flickered. There was only one reason why discretion was mentioned, and that would be because of the lie the cardinal spoke during his broadcast. A lie that only three people likely knew the truth of; His Eminence, Kallen, and Suzaku himself. After all, Kallen had not given the cardinal her dose of atropine as was claimed, though Suzaku knew the girl had at least made the offer. Lelouch had refused however, and injected her with the antidote himself. And somehow emerged from the Sarin infused tunnel with nary a quiver or shake. Maybe the cardinal had just been extraordinarily lucky, or maybe he had already taken an antidote beforehand. Whatever the truth, it was a secret that Suzaku knew he was expected to keep, the mention of discretion serving as a very pointed reminder of that. And keep it he would, seeing as there was no benefit to revealing it, and certainly plenty of potential harm.

"His Eminence is very gracious," was thus all Suzaku said on the matter.

The way Cécile looked at him, the captain obviously picked up an unspoken subtext. She nodded approvingly however, as if having confirmed something.

"There are other benefits to you becoming a test pilot for Camelot," Cécile said. "You will be granted a substantially better stipend, and due to the nature of the control interface, we will also ensure all of your other medical needs are met, both while you are with us, and if the unthinkable should happen." The captain's expression hardened. "Whatever happens, we will not forget that you are one of our own, Private."

Suzaku smiled. "I, appreciate the sentiment, Captain?"

Cécile returned the expression. "There is also one other aspect of our work that might be directly applicable to your situation, Private."

The youth cocked his head aside, waiting for Cécile to elaborate.

"As I mentioned, the new knightmare is intended to be controlled by a neuro-interface," the captain continued. "There is no reason to believe that, with further refinement, that interface could not be used for other things, such as prosthetics."

That caused Suzaku's eyes to widen. He began to slowly nod.

"I think I do see, Captain."

"I thought you might," Cécile said with a smile. "Granted it will likely be years before the technology reaches the level of maturity required to employ it in that manner, but as they say, every journey starts with a single step."

"Yes, yes it does," Suzaku said, smiling back. "And I think, Captain, I will accept your most generous offer."

"Wonderful!" Lloyd clapped his hand together.

Cécile however frowned slightly. "Are you certain, Private? We do not need you to make a decision today, and this really is something you should spend some time considering."

Suzaku shook his head. "With the way I am now, I'm not going to be of much use to anyone. At least this way, I'll still be able to serve, to make good on the oaths I swore. And if what I do can in the future help others that end up like me, how could I possibly say no?"

"There, you see, Cécile?" Lloyd said. "The private has thought it through. Who are we to second guess his reasoning?"

The captain did not look entirely convinced, but nodded in the end. She then leaned over to more closely face Suzaku.

"I want you to know, Private, that we will not take for granted your assistance. And I promise, if anything can be done to restore to you what you have lost, it will be done."

"Thank you, Captain," Suzaku said, then with steady resolve. "And I won't let you down either."

"Alright Schneizel, what the hell is going on!?"

Even when so irate, the visage cut by Cornelia li Britannia was that of a striking woman with flowing violet hair. Beautiful though she was, it was the thorns that came more to mind than petals if one were to compare her to a rose. Not that her brother, Schneizel el Britannia, ever really thought of his younger sister in that manner, much as Cornelia might acknowledge in a matter-of-factly manner that Schneizel's blond hair and regal bearing was classically handsome without really feeling it. They were family after all.

"You will need to be more specific, Cornelia," he said. "Quite a few things have happened in the past few days."

"You damn well know what I'm talking about!" Cornelia exploded. "What happened in Area 11!? What happened to Clovis!"

The prince sighed wearily. Granted it was not surprising his dear sister would be so fixated on the matter, but Schneizel himself had been dealing with the fallout of those events on a near constant basis over the past two days, so he could hardly be blamed for his response.

"I would think, dear sister, that what happened is self-evident," Schneizel said. "As such the question you are asking is not what happened, but why it happened, no?"

Cornelia's jaw tightened. "There's more to the what than you're suggesting, Schneizel. I don't want to doubt Lelouch, but this whole Sarin business sounds almost farcical."

"In some respects I would agree," Schneizel said, "but Lelouch has been meticulous in the documentation of the evidence he has supplied thus far, a rather stark contrast to how sloppy General Asprius appears to have been in both concealing the Sarin operation and his own black market dealings."

"Neither of us wanted Bartley assigned to the Area 11 command," Cornelia snapped. "And we warned Clovis to watch his back with the man."

"That we did, and it appears Clovis either did not heed us, or thought he could somehow take advantage of Bartley's plots," Schneizel said. "And now we see the consequences of that negligence."

"God damn it, we should have argued harder to keep those two apart," Cornelia snarled. "I am going to have Bartley's head on a pike for this!"

"That you may well have," Schneizel said. "Based on everything that Lelouch has provided, Bartley is looking at charges of sedition, dereliction of duty, and conduct unbecoming of an officer, at minimum. If he is not lined up against the wall by the end of all this, then it would probably be because the Empire as a whole is up in flames."

"I wouldn't bet on that, Brother," Cornelia said with a dark smile. "As Marshal of the Empire, I was involved in reviewing and approving the contingencies for such a situation, and shooting all of the potentially treasonous officers preemptively is one of them."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Schneizel said with a slight sigh. "But in either case, what is done is done. And for what it's worth, I don't think Father or Lelouch actually intended to force Clovis into such a corner. Events, however, outpaced all of our intentions and desires."

Cornelia fell silent for a beat. "So you think he was honest when he said he mourned Clovis?"

"Entirely," Schneizel said. "Lelouch has remarkably masterful control of his expressions, but you and I do have a few more years on him in that regard. He hid it well, or perhaps he felt no reason to hide it at all, but he was clearly unhappy about how things turned out."

"That's something at least," Cornelia said with a sigh. "Damnation, this is not how I wanted our reunion to be prefaced."

"On that point I think we are all in agreement," Schneizel said. "This is going to color his interactions with all of us, regardless of whose fault this actually is." The prince made a slight grimace. "You may not have heard, but the Empress Gabrielle has become bedridden since hearing of the news."

Cornelia winced. "And what about Laila?"

"Taking it better. Euphemia and Marrybell are seeing to her."

The wince deepened. "Euphie was just telling me in her last letter how much she was looking forward to seeing Lelouch again. With what has happened, I'm going to need to keep the two apart until I can have a chat with Lelouch myself after I get back to Pendragon."

"That may yet be some time," Schneizel said. "While you may be able to return once the Middle East Federation signs the instruments of surrender, Lelouch is likely to remain in Area 11 for the foreseeable future. Father seems inclined to appoint him as the permanent replacement as viceroy, and considering the foundations that Lelouch has laid, even if inadvertently, he is well positioned to assume the role."

Cornelia frowned thoughtfully, then nodded as if she had come to a conclusion.

"Considering the lack of discipline and general ineptitude demonstrated by the occupational forces, it probably behooves me as the senior officer of the armed forces to inspect the region and whip them back into shape."

An eyebrow arched upward on Schneizel's expression. "Are you certain that is wise, Cornelia? Lelouch may interpret your presence as a show of lacking confidence in his capabilities and judgment."

"Considering he cannot possibly have the necessary training to oversee military affairs, even if he is to become governor-general, it would be expected for the armed forces to dispatch replacements as necessary for all of the officers that clearly need replacing," Cornelia stated. "Besides, this affair in Area 11 has gone on long enough. Had Father allowed you and I the necessary latitude, we could have finished the Area's integration by now."

There might be a bit of hubris in that declaration, but Schneizel did not fundamentally disagree with Cornelia. Of course, that was not the same as completely agreeing with her.

"While that all sounds reasonable, recall that Lelouch as he is now is not a prince of the realm," Schneizel reminded his sister. "He is a cardinal of Eden Vital. Are you prepared to deal with the possibility that his and your methods for handling the native populace will, differ?"

A look of slight annoyance crossed Cornelia's expression, but she gave a choppy nod.

"I'm not a Purist, Schneizel. And I'll happily sign any death warrants that the upcoming trials produce. And don't forget, I was the captain of Marianne's royal guard, so I know well her own allegiances to the Order and its philosophies. I'll give Lelouch the room he needs to implement his civil policies, and I'll even take into account his views on strictly military matters. But I, not him, will be the ranking military officer in Area 11. That means my word trumps his in certain cases, and he will need to understand that as well."

Schneizel's lips thinned. Cornelia was technically correct in that her position as Marshal of the Empire made her legally the highest ranking officer in the Imperial Britannian Armed Forces, at least after the emperor himself, so no one besides their father was technically authorized to issue her binding orders, nor could her own orders be overridden except by the emperor, most of the time. The one big caveat to Cornelia's authority was if she was faced with someone exercising delegated authority from the emperor, someone acting as a direct representative in His name, much in the way that Cornelia herself was as marshal. Schneizel himself was one such delegated authority as prime minister. And as viceroy, Lelouch also counted as a direct representative. While plenty of precedent existed that placed the prime minister on a slightly higher tier than the marshal, allowing Schneizel to actually order his sister about if the situation warranted, the prince could recall no such precedents that established the relative authority between a viceroy and a marshal. And he could not think of a more disastrous way to establish the precedent than a public rupture between Cornelia and Lelouch over matters of policy.

"Cornelia," Schneizel thus said. "Be very careful in how you approach this matter. Lelouch has won a significant modicum of public support on account of not just Clovis' death, but also for how he is handling the entire affair in Area 11. If he is steadfastly opposed to some method of yours, heed his concerns. Much as you claim he is not schooled in the military arts, I know for a fact that you lack the touch necessary to administrate at a civil level. And if Lelouch feels that your presence is undermining his authority as viceroy, I don't think he'll hesitate to try and get you recalled, publicly if need be."

That seemed to actually take Cornelia aback. After a long, pensive silence however, she gave a firm nod.

"The point is take, Brother. I will heed Lelouch's concerns. And I will see how much of our brother remains, and how much is entirely this Eden Vital cardinal."

Kallen was keeping very, very still. That was arguably harder to do than one might imagine, but when the alternative was to set off a spasmatic fit the moment she tried to do something as mundane as lift her arm because her nervous system was so garbled, she really did not have much choice but to exert the effort. What was really annoying was that the behavior was not consistent. Sometimes she could even lift up a spoon and take a few bits, other times nurses and orderlies had to help hold her still until the spasms passed. The past few days, had not been fun. Assuming the nerve damage did not end up doing her in, what passed for the food she was forced to choke down might instead.

With nothing better to do, or rather nothing better that she could do, Kallen had spent most of the time just watching TV. Some of the time she sampled a mixture of news channels that basically repeated the same thing over and over again and then loudly declared the most trivial of new details as some major breaking item. Other times she watched documentaries or something similarly laid back that didn't remind her of the rather craptastic situation she, and arguably much of the world, was in. Some measure of escapism was probably necessary for her to maintain her sanity.

To Kallen's mild surprise the TV they installed in her room actually had voice activated controls, which were not too terrible. She generally only had to repeat herself two or three times to get the desired outcome, and there were even instances where the TV got it right the first time. Somehow the girl doubted such extra lengths would have been extended to just anyone, even at a hospital as posh and well-equipped as this one. But Kallen had the gratitude and favor of an Eden Vital cardinal, so little surprise the staff here would make the effort to accommodate her however they could.

While Kallen did not mind, it was certainly better than being outright neglected, the extra attention was something of a reminder about the importance of connections. The specific hospital that she, and indeed her friends, were recovering in was one of the finest facilities in all of Japan. It was also an Eden Vital owned and operated hospital, but one that clearly served a much more prosperous clientele compared to their clinics in the ghettos. They did not go so far as having carpeted floors, this was still a hospital after all, but the fixtures and fittings that did not interfere with the efficient provision of medical care were clearly chosen with an eye towards aesthetics. The marble reliefs that lined the main lobby certainly were not there for reasons of practicality.

Perhaps not surprisingly then, the equipment at the hospital was also top of the line, as were the doctors and nurses. It had taken them all of two minutes examining her to identify Kallen's allergy to atropine, something the girl had not even realized was possible, and start administering alternative antitoxins. Perhaps even more impressively, the nurses that came to check up on her did so without the hurried motions of someone on a timetable, instead taking the time to chat with her and making sure everything really was alright before moving on. That had surprised Kallen enough that she actually asked, tactfully of course, whether there were not other patients that might need their attention soon. The response was a gentle smile, and assurances that the hospital was sufficiently staffed such that the nurses on duty could provide not only the basic medical care patients required, but also lend an ear to soothe any mental anxieties that might arise.

That was a very different approach to healthcare than Kallen was used to, even with her status as a noble daughter. All other hospitals that she had reason to visit tended to focus heavily on efficient turnaround. Time spent gabbing with patients was time not spent treating others waiting in line. Then again, perhaps Eden Vital could do it for this particular hospital because one usually had to pay, a lot, for admission, or be suffering from an extremely rare condition that no other place in Japan could treat. In some ways the existence of hospitals like this one might actually explain where some of Eden Vital's wealth came from. The amount they gouged from the wealthy and powerful that were normally served here probably more than balanced out whatever costs were involved in running the place, with the surplus diverted to the clinics that served the common populace. And also to building knightmares of their own.

The cardinal had more or less admitted to Eden Vital owning those particular machines, even if he remained vague about just why they were needed. Granted Kallen likely owed her life to them, but the thought of a nominally religious order possessing weapons of war like that was not the most comforting thought. She was enough a student of history to know that war and religion did not mix well, and religious conflicts tended to pile on atrocities even more than purely secular conflicts. That was reason enough to remain wary of Eden Vital, and the cardinal, even if they seemed capable of performing great good with their resources. After all, those same resources did not always have to be employed for the greater good.

The door opened, stirring Kallen from her woolgathering. Instead of the nurse she expected however, the very subject of her ruminations stepped in.

"Lady Stadtfeld," Lelouch greeted with a playful smirk.

"Cardinal Lamperouge," Kallen responded likewise. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"A few matters pertaining to your status, legal and medical, that need resolution," Lelouch answered.

One thing Kallen was learning about the cardinal, when he wanted to he could dissemble and vacillate such that all the words out of his mouth combined amounted to absolutely nothing. He could also be blunt to the point of being tactless if it similarly served his purposes. Right now Lelouch was not going quite that far, but his declaration was a clear indication that he intended to be forthright with her right now.

"Alright, well, make yourself comfortable," Kallen said, then looked around slightly. "Your minders aren't with you?"

"Sancia and Alice are waiting outside," Lelouch said. "Should their presence be required, they will know it."

Kallen chuckled. "Yeah, I bet they would." She took a deep breath. "Before we get to me, how are the others? Really."

The nurses and doctors had only given Kallen general comments about how the others were faring, pointedly telling the girl to focus on her own recovery. Seeing as that recovery was going to be long and arduous, Kallen at least wanted to know the others would be okay.

"Most of your friends will likely be discharged in the next week or so," Lelouch said. "The doctors want to keep them under observation for a few more days to make sure they have identified any lingering effects from the Sarin exposure. Ms. Inoue however will likely be here for much longer. Her eyes were severely damaged when she was caught in the bursting charge, and she has had to undergo several surgeries to try to remove as much of the shrapnel from her face as possible."

Not tactless, but probably a bit more blunt than kindness warranted. Kallen took another deep breath.

"Will you, make sure she's properly cared for?" she asked.

"My word, Lady Stadtfeld," Lelouch assured her. "Indeed, the Order may even have a few techniques that might allow for the restoration of her sight. Though, that procedure will not be simple to carry out."

"I see," Kallen said, sighing again. "Thank you for indulging me. So, what about me then?"

"Let us delve into your legal situation first," Lelouch said. "I took the time to investigate your official records, and there are clear indications that they have been manipulated, likely at your father's behest. Whomever he hired to make the changes at least did a thorough job of altering all of the electronic records, but they either could not get to or did not know about the physical hardcopies. One of those hardcopies was a copy of your birth certificate, which registers you as having been born to Albrecht Stadtfeld, and Kanon Kouzuki."

Kallen kept her face mostly impassive, but whether because of her Sarin poisoning or because she genuinely could not control it, it twitched ever so slightly.

"You already have enough on me to probably order my execution," Kallen said somewhat frostily. "Did you really need to dig up more dirt about my background?"

"My apologies," Lelouch sounded actually genuine about that. "My intent was not to try to find anything incriminating, I simply needed to know the full scope of your situation to ensure my proposed solution to your legal entanglements would actually hold up."

"Your proposed solution?" Kallen said, eyebrow arched upward.

"As you yourself said, I have enough evidence on hand that if I so wished, I could have you prosecuted and likely executed," Lelouch stated bluntly. "I have no such wish for that outcome, but resolving the matter in such a way that would prevent some other imperial authority from enacting such a prosecution is, complicated."

"You obviously have come up with a way," Kallen said. "Otherwise I doubt you would have bothered to drop by just yet."

"Astute of you," Lelouch said. "And yes, I have devised a means to shield you from prosecution over your past actions, as well as ensure no one can attempt to use your lineage against you. I can even offer clemency to your comrades, assuming they are willing to agree to a few terms. Consider that a, bonus."

And an additional enticement for her to also accept, Kallen could read between the lines.

"So what do you propose then, Your Eminence?"

"Your induction into the Order of Eden Vital as a lay sister."

Kallen blinked once. Then twice. She lost count after that as the pace of her blinking went full throttle.

"My WHAT!?" she finally exclaimed.

"Exactly what I said," Lelouch responded.

"You-you want me, ME, to join Eden Vital!? Are you out of your mind!?"

"I assure you, I am perfectly fit in both mind and body. And yes, I do wish for you to join Eden Vital. You possess the exact sort of qualities that we look for in recruits. Courage, determination, intelligence, and a strong moral center. Qualities like those are all too rare even in isolation. They are all the more precious when present in a single person."

"A single person that is a paraplegic!" Kallen pointed out rather forcefully.

"If that is your only objection, then rest assured that Eden Vital has a solution to that as well."

That caused Kallen to stop short of her incredulity. "What?"

"The Order has access to medical technology well advanced of what is available to the general public," Lelouch said. "Amongst our capabilities is the regeneration and even outright growth of nerve tissue to repair damage inflicted by toxins such as Sarin. If you agree to join Eden Vital, we are prepared to provide you with the necessary treatment to restore to you the full mobility and tactile precision that you were previously used to. It might arguably be even better."

The incredulity was back in full force.

"Are you taking the piss with me here?" Kallen blurted out.

"I assure you, I am not," was Lelouch's entirely flat response.

Kallen's eyes narrowed as she considered the ramifications of what Lelouch was revealing to her. Being able to repair nerve damage like that was something of an aspirational dream for many in the medical field. Indeed if what Lelouch said was true, then Eden Vital was capable of treating much more than Sarin poisoning, they arguably could also treat stroke patients and maybe even patients suffering neurodegenerative diseases like Wolfram Syndrome or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

"If Eden Vital really is capable of that, then why hide it?" Kallen asked.

"Because the procedure is extraordinarily difficult to perform," Lelouch stated bluntly. "The necessary instrumentation exists in only one place on Earth, Eden Vital's main headquarters, and we can only do it for one person at a time. Much of the work done over the past few decades was just to develop the necessary technology to even build the instrumentation. It will likely be a few decades yet before the general level of industrial development is such that it can be mass produced."

The girl tilted her head as she considered that, then frowned.

"Suzaku also suffered from pretty bad Sarin poisoning. Does this mean you'd ask him if I said no? Or did he say no already?"

"Private Kururugi was not approached, and I have no intention of approaching him either way," Lelouch responded.

"Because he's not half-Britannian like me?" Kallen said, then smirking. "Or because he's not a girl like me?"

Lelouch gave a snort. "Neither. His psychological profile however indicates that he would not be suitable for recruitment."

"Really?" Kallen drawled.

The cardinal shrugged. "Believe me if you wish, or don't. The salient point is that Kururugi is not a candidate for recruitment, whereas you are. And the pertinent question is, do you accept?"

That caused Kallen's lips to thin. Lelouch's offer was tempting, very tempting, and not just for the promise of making her whole again. Legal cover for her friends was obviously part of the bargain, and while the cardinal was probably not crass enough to have them all shot as insurgents even if Kallen refused, he likely would not be well motivated to clear them entirely either. But that was only part of the consideration, and Kallen could not help but feel a sense of foreboding at all the things she did not know.

"Why do you need me to join?" Kallen asked. "I know what you said about me being courageous, and smart, and how that's all rare and stuff. Sure, I'll buy that. But this is more than just you wanting my help, you seem like you need it. So what sort of rabbit hole are you really trying to lead me down?"

"That sort of observation illustrates quite nicely why I want you to join," Lelouch said with a slight smile, then all trace of humor disappeared from his face. "As to why I need you, I am certainly willing to answer you. On the understanding that if you decline afterwards, I would exact whatever measures I feel are necessary to ensure you are incapable of ever revealing to anyone else what you know, up to and including taking your life."

Kallen met Lelouch's gaze without flinching. "You actually think that's going to endear me to the idea of joining you?"

"The threat? No. The matter that I am prepared to reveal to you? Very much so."

The two stared at each other for a few moments longer before Kallen snorted.

"Alright then, if you're so sure. Lay it on me. And I'll even swear I won't speak a word of it to anyone else."

Lelouch nodded, then leaned back a bit. "Alice, if you would please."

Kallen blinked, turning her head slightly to look towards the door as well. A slight breeze caused her to start, and when she looked back at Lelouch, she saw a petite, fair-haired girl already standing at his side. Kallen blinked again. She looked over at the closing door, then back at the pair before her. A mischievous smirk crossed Lelouch's face.

"Alice, some water please for the Lady Stadtfeld please."

The girl disappeared, this time in plain view of Kallen, and reappeared right next to her holding a glass of water. There was some jiggling sound coming from the pitcher, indicating the water inside was not sitting still, and Kallen looked back and forth between it all.

"What the hell?" she finally managed.

"Had Alice been accompanying me in the tunnel instead of Dalque, the skirmish with you would have likely ended far more quickly," Lelouch said, still smirking.

"What is going on!?" Kallen demanded, having far less reason for amusement.

"What does it look like?" Lelouch responded.

"Don't give me that crap," Kallen said, her eyes gleaming with anger. "That girl, Alice, she's-"

Her tirade was interrupted as a fit of coughing overtook Kallen and her body began shaking. Alice immediately set down the glass of water and reached out to grab hold of her, but seemed unable to stop the spasms running down Kallen's body. And then Lelouch reached out and took her hand.

"Calm."

Immediately, her body relaxed and went limp. Kallen slumped back down on the bed, breathing much more easily now.

"My apologies," Lelouch said. "I should not have caused you to overexcite yourself like that."

"What did you do?" Kallen half accused.

"A demonstration of my power, much as Alice's motions were a demonstration of her own."

"Power? What, she some kind of teleporter?" Kallen said somewhat sarcastically.

"Super speed, though over short distances it can certainly look like she is teleporting," Lelouch responded somberly.

Kallen's eyes widened. She looked back and forth between the two.

"You're serious."

"That I am."

The young woman fell silent and Lelouch waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts.

"So what's your power then?"

"I can, in simplistic terms, make real what I imagine," Lelouch said.

Kallen gave him a dubious look.

"I did say in simplistic terms," Lelouch said, a hint of his smirk returning. "As for what I did to you, I wanted your body to relax and the nerves to stop misfiring. Thus I imagined, thus it came to pass."

Skepticism turned into something else entirely.

"I hope it does not offend, Your Eminence, when I say that that sounds fucking terrifying," Kallen said softly.

"No offense taken," Lelouch said. "And rest assured, there are finite limits to what I can actually do. I cannot actually change reality at a whim, nor can I maintain the changes I effect for any significant period of time. Indeed the greater the change I wish to make, the shorter they will last. If I push too far, I could end up overstaining my body and killing myself."

Kallen stared at him for a few long moments. "That frankly sounds scary in a whole other manner, Your Eminence."

"Again, you will find no argument from me," Lelouch said. "Indeed the number of people that possess the mental fortitude to control such power are few and far in between. You, Lady Stadtfeld, are one of them. And as you likely have guessed, Private Kururugi is not."

Kallen tilted her head quizzically. "And why is that?"

"For one, you are not suffering from chronic depression," Lelouch answered, probably revealing a bit more about Suzaku's medical record than he really should have. "In truth the private is likely not psychologically fit to bear arms, but he enlisted anyway because he craved a cause to fight for, and the occupational authorities previously did not care enough about the welfare of their Honorary Britannian recruits to screen him out as would have been appropriate."

"So what's going to happen to him then?" Kallen asked. "Are you just going to toss him aside because he isn't, suitable for recruitment?"

A pointed question, that. It was clear that despite Kallen's general apathy for the that she considered a racial traitor, she would still frown upon anyone that callously ignored him just because helping him would be inconvenient.

"I have arranged for Private Kururugi to be transferred to a military research institute," Lelouch said, "one that is doing research on neuro-link interfaces. While currently the institute's focus is on the military applications of the technology, in time they might be able to develop it sufficiently to allow for civilian applications, such as in prosthetics. In this manner, Private Kururugi will be able to fulfill his desire to serve a worthy cause, while his place in the institute will also reduce the probability of him being placed back on the frontlines where his psychological trauma could cause manifest at an inopportune time."

Lelouch was not exactly painting Suzaku in the best light there, even if he was trying to be helpful to the private. Kallen had to actively remind herself of that latter bit as she parsed through the salient points in his answer.

"Okay, so I'm supposedly suitable for getting some superpowers," Kallen said. "But what's the point? Why would Eden Vital even need people that can do things like that?"

"Because there are others out there with similar powers, and whom have far less noble motives," Lelouch stated.

Kallen stared at Lelough. She then let out an exasperated sigh.

"Are you telling me you want me to become a superhero, because there are supervillains out there?"

"I suppose that is one way of looking at it," Lelouch remarked lightly. "Though the Order does go to significant lengths to not actively use our powers where the general public can see it. The risk of mass hysteria and all that."

Kallen let out an exhausted sigh. "Oh my god, my head hurts. And even if do believe all this, what's to say that you aren't the supervillains in all this, and all of the charity and stuff isn't just a massive front to hide your true intentions?"

"It would be a very expensive front," Lelouch said dryly. "Eden Vital spends billions of pounds each year maintaining its network of clinics, training centers, and other assorted services. While expenditures for maintaining the Order Militant is no small sum, it is easily dwarfed by our philanthropic ventures."

"You get what you buy," Kallen said, though there was no actual force behind those words. "Alright, so say I believe you on that too. And if I believe you about the powers, I can believe that anyone that has them and is also of ill intent warrants extreme measures to stop them. But there is still one wrinkle to asking me to join Eden Vital."

"And that would be?" Lelouch inquired.

"You need to convince me that signing on with Eden Vital isn't tantamount to signing on with the power that conquered and subjected my people to such privation," Kallen said, her eyes hard.

Lelouch's lips thinned, but his hesitation did not seem to be because he did not want to answer. Instead, it seemed he was simply determining how best to answer.

"I owe you a confession, Kallen," Lelouch said, foregoing the formal courtesies. "For I actually cannot convince you of that, though not for the reason you may think. It is a truth that Eden Vital and the Britannian state are distinctly separate, even if the two cooperate in several matters of mutual interest. And Japan was one of those items of mutual interest."

Kallen's eyes flickered dangerously. "What the hell do you mean by that, Your Eminence?"

"I was there," Lelouch said softly, "when the grandmaster of Eden Vital declared that Japan needed to be conquered, to deprive our enemies of access to the sakuradite riches of this country, and the thought elevator within its territorial waters."

The mention of sakuradite made enough sense to Kallen, the room temperature superconductor was a crucial component to all sorts of highly advanced technologies and systems after all, and through some fluke of geology Japan possessed three quarters of the known, accessible reserves in the world. Indeed everyone assumed that was the true reason for Britannian's invasion of Japan, and having Lelouch confirm it was not some major revelation. This thought elevator though, Kallen was drawing a complete blank on that.

"Explain, if you would please," Kallen said slowly.

"Certainly," Lelouch said, "though I will need to keep it somewhat simple for the sake of brevity. Know however that if you do choose to join us, you will be inducted into the fullest secrets of the Order."

Kallen gave a choppy nod, indicating for Lelouch to continue.

"The enemy that Eden Vital faces is actually a splinter branch of the Order, one that broke off after they orchestrated the murder of my mother."

That caused Kallen to inhale sharply.

"The instigator of this schism was another cardinal by the name of V.V., my uncle."

This had all the makings of a really bad family drama. But when the family involved were the rulers of one of the most powerful nations on Earth, the fallout from that drama could have ramifications that was stained in blood.

"V.V. hated my mother, for supposedly creating a divide between himself and my father. He was also deluded enough to believe that Father would understand his murdering of Mother." Lelouch bared his teeth. "He was wrong. Father was horrified by what V.V. had done, and sufficiently enraged that he sought to bring V.V. to heel, despite him being his brother. V.V. was able to flee, and ensconce himself in the Chinese Federation amongst those sympathetic to his views. The schism resulted in some loss of resources to the Order, but V.V. was the one facing the far greater deficit, one of which could only be made good with a substantial amount of sakuradite. The proximity of China to Japan, and the very real possibility that he might be able to sway the Federation's government to attempt annexation of Japan, prompted Eden Vital and Britannia to preemptively strike instead."

"So you're saying," Kallen said in a very low tone. "That my home. My friends. My family. Was rent asunder because of a conflict that originated between your father and his brother."

"My family bears grave responsibility for all the suffering that has happened to you and yours," Lelouch stated frankly. "It will be impossible to ever make whole that which so many people have lost. And it is unlikely the killing will end anytime soon, not with my uncle still at large." The cardinal took a deep breath. "Eden Vital wishes for your recruitment because of your compatibility with the geass and the supporting augmentation. I however wish for you to join because I want, I need your help. To try to make good at least some of the harm that my family has inflicted upon the world, and to try to keep the number of innocents caught in the crossfire from climbing ever further."

"You have the gall to ask for my help!?" Kallen screamed. "After what you and your family did to mine!?"

"Yes," Lelouch said. "Not out of gall, but out of genuine, desperate need."

"Well you can go fuck your need!"

Kallen almost lunged forth trying to grab hold of Lelouch, but whatever grace period her body was previously granted now expired as it began to spasm once more.

"Get the hell out of my room!" she screamed even as Alice struggled to steady her again. "Get out, NOW!"

Lelouch rose, making no protest. With a slight, dignified bow, he stepped out of the room and let the door close behind him.

End of Chapter 7

I keep saying one more chapter. And then the scenes balloon out of control and end up sprawling because there's so much information I need to dump out, or the scene flows in a way that won't let me end it the way I wanted. Okay, the next chapter WILL be the last one of the Shinjuku arc, even if I have to cut content.

Incidentally, if you think that Lelouch's little discussion with Kallen tells you what the broader plot is intended to be, you'll only be half right. There is a big, big scene coming up that is intended to cap off the entire Shinjuku arc that will be much more informative about the overall plot, and maybe blow a few minds.

One needs to recall that Kallen is a very passionate person. She is smart, no doubt about that, but if she is pushed too hard, her passion can boil over and end up overriding her rationality. And it's not going to be quite that easy for Lelouch to recruit her. Not quite that easy.

Just a general note, the latter portion of my author notes tend to be responses to comments left in reviews, so if you're wondering why I'm spending time on a particular topic, checking the reviews will probably tell you why.

If any of you are inclined to look at my older works, for simplicity, the rule of thumb is to only bother with those stories whose starting publishing date comes after that of In Tune, which was my big comeback story. Everything before that was much, much rougher and possesses neither the depth nor the general smoothness in language. I think the only one from that lot that comes even close would be Darkness Risen, but that one's been on hiatus for so many years I don't know if I'm ever going to bother finishing it.

The above delineation actually ironically means that one of my other stories that actually got recommended on tvtropes is not on my personal list of recommended reading from my literary past. Bird of Prey was, late enough, in my development of my writing skills that it exhibits some of the styles that I employ much more effectively these days. It however lacks the subtlety that I've learned how to do in the intervening years, and of course the overall wordsmithing is much simpler. In general I don't mind Prey being I think my first recommended fic on tvtropes, since it helps with my informal goal of being one of the most recommended fanfic writers on the site, but it is old enough that I have more things I cringe about.

I actually have very firm reasons for why Lelouch's current entourage will never be potential romantic partners. In terms of the story's background, they each consider themselves to be siblings, so any love that is displayed between them is purely familial. Changing familial love into romantic love is not trivial, and requires quite a few psychological hoops to be jumped through, not least of which is how familiar all of them are with each other. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt, and in this case that familiarity means all of them know each other well enough that they know all about each other's baggage and how far they can tolerate of each other's crap, and that tolerance does not extend in a manner that lets them view each other as romantic options.

The other, bigger reason is narrative. It is not to allow Lelouch to be available to others, but rather it is to establish Lelouch as a more real person by NOT having every girl he runs into falling heads over heels for him. One of the bigger problems with a lot of Japanese works is that the male protagonist almost always finds himself the center of attention of a large majority of the female characters present, to the point where the main defining trait of those female characters becomes what is the degree of relational separation between them and the protagonist. That, does not make for good writing or interesting characters, for either side.

Purely platonic relationships between men and women exist, and arguably are the norm. Therefore, to me at least, a character feels more real if they are shown to be having a wide range of relationships with the opposite gender that is NOT measured on some sliding scale of romance. Just being friends is fine. And the fact of the matter is, there are far too few female characters in pretty much the entire Code Geass franchise that I don't actually have much margin in letting any number of them be attracted to Lelouch before the situation becomes eyeroll worthy.

So, I foresee this becoming a thing, so I'm just going to preemptively say this. You, dear readers, are not Lelouch. Or any of the characters for that matter. Which means that your own personal preferences have no relevancy on how the person that is Lelouch would react based on the events that occur or the other people that he encounters. While being able to sympathize or empathize with a character is useful for becoming invested in their journey, projecting yourself and presuming that the character is you inherently limits your ability to enjoy or even understand the narrative. Just saying.