Chapter 11
The Tip of Resolve
To Mr. Taizō Kirihara,
I presume that you are reading this after having discussed at length with Miss Sumeragi the essence of my own conversation with her. As such I will dispense with any prefatory statements and get right to the point. My request for access to the Sumeragi Group's internal account books is not some ploy to obtain evidence of the NAC's complicity in supplying the Japanese insurgency. I already have that evidence. Based off of the data available to me, the Japanese Liberation Front, in which Kyoto House has invested the bulk of its resources into, stands at approximately a single division of infantry and between two to four battalions of knightmares. The infantry come from remnants of the Japanese Army that scattered after the government's formal surrender, while the knightmares were acquired by your own company, Kirihara Industries, ostensibly as scrap but which were delivered into your hands wholly intact after the necessary documentation certification their destruction was falsified. I trust I have sufficiently demonstrated how superfluous it is for me to delve further into the Sumeragi Group's records to obtain evidence against the NAC, especially considering the Group has been intentionally compartmentalized from the NAC's more clandestine activities.
My sole purpose for obtaining unfettered access to the original company records of the Sumeragi Group is to determine the extent to which other foreign interests may have played a role in the runup to Britannia's invasion of Japan. I have already explained to Miss Sumeragi my suspicions, and I do not doubt you harbor some of your own. It is indeed a matter of open record that the European Union and the Chinese Federation offered tacit support to the Japanese government in imposing the sakuradite embargo. The evidence available to me however is indicative of a deeper effort on the part of the Chinese Federation, of greater designs for Japan and her sakuradite wealth. And even with Britannia's conquest of Japan, I have no reason to believe that the Chinese have abandoned that design.
You likely suspect that my interest in these designs is due to my position as His Majesty's representative and my charge of overseeing Japan's integration into the Empire. I will not deny that plays a part, if only because Kyoto House itself would see benefit in China's machinations in advancing its cause of liberation. But for reasons that will be touched upon later, this is not my primary concern. My primary concern is the manner in which China's machinations touch upon the national security of Britannia as a whole, for I am given reason to suspect there is a wider, larger plan in motion, one with global ramifications. Japan has already felt those ramifications, in the Empire's conquest and occupation of your home, and there may be yet more to come unless some means is found to get a handle on how wide a scope the Chinese plans are. The cost in treasure and blood already borne have been immense, and presumptuous as it may sound, I consider it my duty to try and stem that cost from climbing ever higher.
As to the matter of the JLF, you are wise enough to recognize that I cannot merely ignore its existence, that I must take measures to nullify its capacity to restore Japanese sovereignty via force of arms. I know that the JLF represents Kyoto House's trump, the ace that you hoped would win you the hand. I also understand that by its nature, the relative value that the JLF represents is substantially higher for Kyoto House, even should the balance of forces reach such a point that Britannia is poised to sweep it all away with minimal hindrance, for this force that you have built represents the single, genuine source of martial strength undeniably under the control of Japanese interests, and that were it lost or traded away, your people are unlikely to ever be in a position to rebuild that force a second time. Such considerations would thus argue strongly for you to use that force before it is too late. Nonetheless, it is my hope that you are possessed of enough wisdom and imagination, that you can envision a way in which the JLF may be played, but without being employed, to the benefit of your people. That they can obtain for the Japanese a measurable, genuine recognition without ever firing a single shot. Should such imagination strike you, know that my doors are always open to you and yours, whomever you consider sufficiently trustworthy enough to bear any response you deign to pen.
With Regards,
Lelouch Lamperouge
Cardinal of Eden Vital, Viceroy of Administrative Area 11, Japan
Kirihara set the letter back down, having reread it for what felt like the hundredth time. The entire thing had been handwritten, and even if the scratches of characters that made up the English language lacked the artistry of calligraphy, Kirihara could tell the cardinal possessed a steady and sure hand in the neat, even spacing of each letter and word. It was hard to put into words the emotions that swirled within him. Shock was obviously there, and despair probably as well at the possibility of all his hopes and dreams being crushed. If Lelouch genuinely did have all the evidence he claimed to, and Kirihara was not so delusional as to think the cardinal was bluffing, then the Britannians had all the pretext they needed to crush Kyoto House. Kirihara grimaced slightly. Kyoto House, another thing that the Britannians were not supposed to be aware of, and yet the cardinal bandied that name about in his letter so casually. Perhaps this was how the Prince Clovis himself felt before the hammer fell, Kirihara mused. To have events spiral so out of control in a seeming instant. Considering how that ultimately turned out, that was not a parallel that enthused Kirihara.
And yet Kirihara was too smart to wallow in despair overlong. His mind was already working through the ramifications of this letter, and the method of its conveyance. The seal was intact when Kaguya passed it into his hands, and Kirihara trusted the girl's promise that she had not attempted to otherwise peek at the contents. And seeing as the Britannians had not otherwise made any noise about Kyoto House's connections to the JLF, the cardinal was likely keeping that information close at hand as well. Not that that offered any easy outs either, since Lelouch could be expected to have contingencies in place should anything unfortunate happen to him, and was so well protected anyway that getting to him would have required Britannian control over Japan to be near-broken anyway.
The cardinal was also right about one thing, knowing that Kyoto House's cover was basically blown made Kirihara seriously contemplate rolling the die in a do or die gambit before the JLF was somehow neutralized. But after a few moments to collect his thoughts, Kirihara could recognize how big a mistake that would be. For all the turmoil that roiled within the armed forces, Kirihara knew from his sources that by forcibly redirecting their attention away from civilian policing, Lelouch was making sure the military was better prepared to face the sort of large-scale attack that the JLF was intended to deliver. And with the eagerness to reclaim their honor, the military would not hesitate to strike hard and fast should the opportunity arise.
Successfully defeating the Britannians was always reliant on a bit of luck, but also in catching the Empire's forces unaware, as otherwise the balance of power was just too extreme. The biggest advantage held by the Empire was their air superiority, which would allow them to launch air and missile strikes with near impunity against the terrestrially bound JLF. Indeed many of the meetings Kirihara attended to discuss what sort of strategy might successfully eject the Britannians emphasized the need to neutralize Britannian airpower in some way, either by launching a surprise attack on the airfields that hosted the planes or obtaining enough modern anti-air weapons to be able to shoot them down. And one reason for the initial JLF offensive to start in western Japan, with the objective of liberating Kyoto, was to place the field of battle outside the range of the Britannian Seventh Fleet and the considerable firepower represented by its aircraft carrier flagship and the missile destroyers that served as escorts. With the ability to achieve strategic surprise gone, the question now was whether the tactical surprise that might still be possible was enough for victory. Kirihara suspected it was not, which meant even though the JLF would likely be able to do substantial damage to the Britannians, all that would be left in the wake of its defeat would be a further ruined Japan, with their oppressors given even further reason to grind the populace harder.
Kirihara's thoughts turned to the last bit of Lelouch's letter. The cardinal demonstrated surprising acumen in describing what made the JLF so important, beyond its quantitative firepower. Indeed Kirihara found himself curious enough by the cardinal's assessment that he could not help but wonder what Lelouch might be willing to offer. Certainly not the restoration of Japan's sovereignty, Kirihara was realistic enough to recognize the cardinal neither possessed the authority nor likely the interest in outright freeing Japan. What then could Lelouch possibly offer that would entice Kyoto House to demobilize the JLF? Or convince the JLF itself to accept demobilization? It was not as if the soldiers that filled its ranks would blindly obey Kirihara and his fellows whatever they commanded. If they believed Kyoto House might genuinely betray Japan, the soldiers would almost certainly mutiny and try to take matters into their own hands. That could result in even greater disaster, if the JLF felt so cornered that they had nothing left to lose. Carnage and destruction were only useful as means if they could achieve a desired end, as ends themselves they were pointless. And right now, the situation was perilously close to that being the only end the JLF was capable of.
The cardinal was going to need a very, very big carrot to entice Kyoto House, much less the Japanese Liberation Front, into agreeing to demobilize. Kirihara thought over the possibilities. Lelouch had already declared on television that his long-term vision for Japan included granting the Japanese full citizenship within the Empire. That was such a shift in Britannia's stance that Kirihara was still trying to come to terms with the possibility emotionally, even if intellectually he recognized what a boon it would be for the average Japanese. But that there was the rub, for if they accepted, they would arguably no longer be Japanese, they would be Britannian. Fully Britannian, not just the Honorary nonsense the viceroyalty had foisted upon the populace for all these years. Kirihara had choked down the indignity of the title because he knew it to be a lie, on both sides of the coin. The Britannians did not truly consider him one of them, nor did he ever for a moment demean himself by actually accepting the token place they wished to place him in. But if full citizenship really was extended, he could not continue telling himself that he was not a true Britannian. Not if he accepted the offer. Could he live with that?
The answer, Kirihara was finding, was that no, he could not. He had been born and raised a Japanese, and had raised others, indirectly at least, also as Japanese. He could not forsake his heritage so easily, nor could he let others discard it so readily either. But that there was the rub, for the cardinal was offering a very easy way for his people to do just that. The offer of citizenship was, thus far, seemingly unconditional. Kirihara doubted for a moment that that would truly be the case, but any strings attached were likely to be more abstract than concrete. So Lelouch was likely not intending to ask Kyoto House to demobilize the JLF in exchange for full Britannian citizenship, not when he was so readily offering it already. That actually removed what Kirihara would have expected to be the biggest card Lelouch could have played, except upon further reflection, perhaps not, seeing Kirihara's own reluctance to actually accept the title of Britannian over his Japanese heritage. Was this another demonstration of the cardinal's astuteness? Had Lelouch realized the likely reaction that citizenship would elicit in at least some portion of the Japanese populace? Possibly. The cardinal seemed at least more attuned to public sentiment than his deceased brother.
That still left unanswered however what exactly Lelouch intended to offer in exchange for the JLF. And the more Kirihara thought about it, the more his personal curiosity grew. A curiosity not just to what the answer might be, but what the cardinal himself might yet accomplish. Kirihara reached for some sheets of paper and a pen of his own. The cardinal had taken the time and effort to write his message by hand. The least Kirihara could do was return that courtesy. And besides, penning a response in this manner would give young Kaguya further excuse to travel to Tokyo and call upon the cardinal. Despite everything else, Kirihara had a sneaking suspicion that that would be no bad thing in the long run, and potentially absolutely vital if things went awry. He started writing.
The courtroom was rather nondescript looking, a stark contrast to the sort of pomp and circumstance Britannia's upper class liked to surround themselves with, even within the military. Sometimes practicality won out over showmanship however, especially considering the previous commanding authorities never expected to use this room for its true, proper purpose. The five officers seated at the front of the room on the other hand seemed to relish the opportunity to do just that.
It was arguably a stacked panel to begin with, seeing as for the court martial of the Purist officers Lelouch had selected others of sound character and conviction. Naturally, none of these officers held in high regard the jingoistic and self-important attitudes held by the Purists, and took especial offence to the way the Purists flaunted their political ideologies even when in uniform. Such disdain for the defendants was therefore probably inevitable, even if the Purists themselves refused to see it that way. That was the thing about bigotry however, those that exhibited it rarely possessed the self-awareness to realize they were in the wrong, and much preferred to believe others simply failed to understand them than admit any fault on their part to preserve their fragile egos. Somehow clinging to such an attitude only saw them be held in even greater contempt by cooler heads. Who would have thought.
With Bartley Asprius recalled to stand trial in the homelands and Jeremiah and Villetta having renounced their ties with the Purists, Kewell Sorsei was the highest ranking Pureblood officer to stand trial for his complicity in the Shinjuku Incident and the systemic abuses he and his fellows had committed during their tenure in Area 11. No one doubted for a moment that Kewell would be made an example of, pour encourager les autres, if nothing else. That Kewell was actually guilty of all the crimes he was being charged with was just the cherry on top.
That was not to say the lawyer assigned to Kewell had not tried his best, despite the horrific hand dealt his client, to argue the case. Britannian law being what it was, the shifting and dodging of responsibility was less effective a method than might be the case in more liberal nations, and this being a military court even less so. None could argue the man had not tried his best, even as the conclusion seemed forgone. Not that any of this was any comfort to Kewell, whom was looking at the very real prospect of being officially disgraced and executed. As the officers on the panel prepared to read out their verdict, Kewell felt his stomach tighten in anticipation, even if it was merely in confirmation of what he already knew was going to happen.
"On the charge of willful disobedience of his lawful superior while under fire, guilty."
Expected, given that officially Lelouch's invocation of secundus meant his authority trumped that of Clovis, and so when Kewell refused to obey Jeremiah's orders on the cardinal's behalf, he was engaging in gross insubordination.
"On the charge of attempting to employ a proscribed substance against a civilian target, guilty."
The smoking gun for that one came in the form of the radio transmitter discovered in Kewell's knightmare and also recovered from the knightmare of the one soldier that actually got close enough to detonate the Sarin warhead. When his knightmare was disabled, Kewell had been knocked unconscious, and by the time he awoke the gendarmerie had already moved in to secure himself and his machine, preventing him from destroying the evidence. The first charge would have seen him dishonorably discharged and possibly jailed during peacetime, and facing possible execution when the under fire clause was taken into account. The second charge was an automatic death sentence.
"On the charge of conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman, guilty."
Kewell actually felt his jaw tighten at that one. That last charge seemed almost petty, considering the gravity of the previous two. The first two Kewell could at least rationalize as him being on the wrong side of a political conflict between the Purists and their opponents at court. The last though, that was a besmirching of his own character, and that was something Kewell was not prepared to accept.
"Does the defendant wish to make any statements for the official record?" the presiding officer offered.
"I do, sir," Kewell responded immediately.
The man's lawyer raised an eyebrow but did not make any attempt to dissuade him, not that Kewell would have listened. Once the presiding officer nodded, Kewell began speaking.
"Since my assignment to Area 11, I have conducted myself in full and total accordance with the expectations of an officer of the crown, fulfilling the letter and intent of my oath."
The officers seated facing him began to look outright offended at such a declaration, but Kewell did not care.
"As such I refute in totality the charge that I ever conducted myself in any way unbecoming of an officer or gentleman, and consider it an insult of the highest order to be so accused. To besmirch my honor in this manner is not a charge that can go unanswered, and I answer it thusly. I charge my accusers of having conducted themselves in unbecoming manners themselves, and demand the right to exact satisfaction for their slandering of my person. And I would call them coward if they lack the courage to face me in honorable combat."
Offense turned into something else entirely as the officers listened to Kewell. What the disgraced officer was demanding was obvious enough, even if the practice was heavily frowned upon in this day and age. The ability to call out one's superior and challenge them to a duel was rooted in ancient tradition, but it was a tradition that any modern military recognized to be highly unproductive. One did not want to encourage one's junior officers to try to murder their superior officers on some random flight of fancy after all. But like many other things, the specific regulations were still in the books, having not been removed due to either inattention or other priorities. Even so, to have a duel happen at all was a rare enough thing, seeing as even if a challenge was issued, there were no formal ramifications for refusing the duel, except perhaps some loss of face. Then again, if employed strategically, that loss of face could be damaging enough, like now, that the relevant statutes really should have been removed by now.
Before any of the officers, any of whom Kewell could arguably claim to be calling out, could respond, another did so.
"Your challenge is accepted."
Sharp inhalations and gasps could be heard throughout the room as all recognized the voice. And then on a video monitor mounted on one of the courtroom's walls, a face appeared to accompany that voice. There was Lelouch, apparently having been following the proceedings of the course, and having now been given reason to reveal himself.
"Sancia," Lelouch said to someone apparently in the same room as him but off-camera, "allocate a block of time, three days from now. I believe an opening can be created then."
"Yes, Your Eminence," a woman could be heard saying. "How long a block would you like set aside?"
"Hmm," Lelouch said, then his gaze shifted towards the presiding officers. "Colonel, it is my understanding that the trial of the remaining complicit officers will also be wrapping up today. Please convey to them that if any wishes to challenge me as Mr. Sorsei has, I also accept, with the understanding that they are to have all their affairs in order before the duel, and that they will not be granted option of taking their scabbard with them."
While the first bit was probably hint enough, the last bit made it quite explicit. Lelouch intended to kill any of the officers that stepped onto the grounds. Or rather, the cardinal seemed deadly certain his opponents would be the ones leaving in body bags, regardless of how many dared face him. Such confidence, or was it contempt, only caused Kewell's blood to roil further. And then the cardinal's cold, level gaze fell upon the man, and Kewell felt a chill seemly run through him.
"The same goes for you, Mr. Sorsei. I will expect you to have put all your affairs in order, to the legal satisfaction of your lawyer. If you have not done so before the time of the duel, you will instead face the firing squad as originally proscribed."
The cardinal was serious. He actually, genuinely expected to be able to kill all of them with his own blade. Kewell was not sure whether to be incredulous or even genuinely frightened at that prospect.
Lelouch glanced to the side again, likely looking over at his assistant.
"Taking into account the total number of officers that would be able to issue you a challenge, I have set aside a three-hour block for all of the duels," the woman's voice could be heard saying. "I believe that will be adequate time to handle all of them, Your Eminence."
"Very well," Lelouch said, then back towards the presiding officers. "Apologies for my intrusion then, Colonel. Please proceed with the rest of your deliberations."
The screen then went black as Lelouch disconnected. A stillness settled in the courtroom for a minute or so, and then Kewell realized that quite a few eyes were now on him. The man grimaced. Whatever he had expected when he made his declaration, this was arguably not it. Kewell had thought he might be able to goad one of the presiding officers to accept his challenge, or if not at least grind their gears a bit. Instead he found himself with a set date and time in which he would be facing not just any other opponent, but the Cardinal Lamperouge himself. Part of Kewell was giddy at the prospect to put in place the man responsible for all the calamities that had struck him. Another, more rational part however, recognized that no matter how the duel turned out, he was somehow in an even more precarious position than before.
If the cardinal succeeded in killing him, then little would change, except perhaps his status as a fool might be cemented in polite society, as someone that not only ran afoul of a political powerplay, but then failed to score even a minor victory in his death. Perhaps even worse was the possibility that he might somehow win and kill Lelouch. The cardinal may no longer be an imperial prince, but he was still a scion of the blood, and one whose popularity amongst the masses was growing considerably. To be known as the man that took his life, Kewell would be lucky to make it past the first block before being lynched even if he was ever released. And the danger his own family would be placed in could not be underestimated either. For perhaps the first time, Kewell was forced to seriously consider the possibility that he might be wrong. It was a most unpleasant notion.
Kallen flexed her hand, simply enjoying the sensation of the motion without feeling any of the numbness or prickling sensation that previously plagued her. It had only been a few short weeks, but the surgery and treatment she underwent seemed to have fully restored her previous mobility. Even bolstered it, as hard to believe as that was. Kallen was not going to be setting any marathon records anytime soon, she was still technically healing from the implants that had been surgically installed within her, but even in the limited physical therapy sessions she was allowed so far, she could feel the minute changes in her reflexes and kinesthetic sense. Whatever secrets of the human body Eden Vital had cracked, they were genuine.
A young woman about Kallen's age with flowing green hair and piercing yellow eyes entered Kallen's ward, a wide smile plastered over her face. Kallen looked up at her quizzically.
"May I help you?"
"Oh, you probably can," the woman said. "You're Kallen Stadtfeld, the girl that's caught Lelouch's eye, right?"
That elicited a roll of Kallen's eyes. "I'm not sure I'd put it that way."
The other girl cocked her head aside. "Oh? Aren't you the one he vouched for to be treated here, at the main complex? And the one he's also sponsoring to become a lay sister? That's more attention he's shown any girl since, well, ever!"
One thing that Kallen quickly learned upon her arrival at the Eden Vital facility was that this was the place Lelouch himself was raised after he was taken into the Order's custody, and that many of the Famulous sisters had dotted on him like a surrogate son. Other sisters in his own age group had even become smitten with him, the way that teenage girls were wont to do, but Lelouch himself never showed any interest in becoming romantically entangled with anyone. That aloofness only seemed to add to his allure as far as the girls were concerned, and then out of the blue Kallen appeared, someone of the same age bracket and apparently having attracted Lelouch's personal attention. The amount of tongue waggling that ensued seemed mildly ludicrous to Kallen, and she had spent her first week or so adamantly denying any and all possible liaisons with Lelouch that the various sisters imagined. And some Kallen had not even considered the possibility of herself. Things had quietened down after that initial flurry of rumors and so Kallen had thought she was finally past all that gossip, but apparently there were still those that felt the need to try and stir the flickering embers. Possibly because they had not gotten to participate in the initial round, Kallen never having seen this woman before.
"I assure you, Miss?"
"Oh, call me Cecilia," the other woman said with a wide grin.
"Well then, Cecilia," Kallen continued, a vague familiarity in that name nagging at her before fading, "I assure you, His Eminence and I are not engaged in any such entanglements. Our relations are purely professional and arose solely because of our mutual interest in helping Japan rebuild."
Cecilia did not look convinced. "But weren't you at the ball that welcomed Lelouch to Japan? Didn't you dance with him?"
"In point of fact," Kallen said with some relief, "I was one of the few that did not take to the dance floor with him. His Eminence and I exchanged a few words and I offered him a refill of his glass, but that was it."
"Is that so," Cecilia said, looking rather disappointed, then started muttering to herself. "Is he just that late of a bloomer? Or does he maybe not swing that way?"
Kallen did not know whether to pity Lelouch or chuckle at the sort of attention foisted upon the young man. He was clearly very popular within the Order, at least amongst the female portion. At the same time, that sort of attention could be wearying all on its own, especially when they crossed into such avid and wanton gossip. Feeling at least a shred of sympathy for Lelouch, Kallen decided to try and salvage some of the young man's reputation, while simultaneously directing the rumors away from herself.
"If Lelouch is to have engaged with anyone, it would likely be with the Lady Millicent Ashford," Kallen said. "She was after all the first to take his hand that night."
"Really now?" Cecilia said, a wide grin crossing her face.
"I seem to recall that Milly herself lived in Pendragon for a time. Considering her grandfather's standing at court, the two may well have met beforehand," Kallen continued to fan the flames. "Perhaps they are even childhood friends?"
"Oh ho," Cecilia said, clearly enjoying the speculation.
Before the conversation could proceed further, one of the nurses attending to Kallen entered the room. She came to an abrupt halt and inhaled sharply, then bowed her head.
"Grandmaster, I was not aware you would be calling upon Lady Stadtfeld," the nurse said.
Kallen blinked. Cecilia clicked her tongue. Kallen's own was now clearly visible with her jaw dangling open.
"Well, the cat's out of the bag now," Cecilia said with a lazy sigh.
"You," Kallen began. "You're the grandmaster!?"
Cecilia flashed wide smile. "Indeed. I am C.C., Grandmaster of the Order of Eden Vital."
C.C., not Cecilia, though now that Kallen knew who the woman was, she suddenly recalled from one of her lessons on the Order's history that Eden Vital's legendary founder was some woman they called Saint Cecilia. As common as that name might be, that should have alerted her then and there that Cecilia might not be exactly who she appeared to be. If nothing else she certainly could not have been the Order's centuries past founder.
"Leave us," C.C. said, an imperious inflection coming out in her tone that further cemented the fact that, yes, she really was the Eden Vital grandmaster.
The nurse bowed slightly and immediately took her leave, closing the door behind her. Left alone with C.C., Kallen regarded the woman intently, trying to discern what she wanted.
"Lelouch informed me that you would have words with me," C.C., said, referring to the cardinal by name, and another hint that Kallen had not paid close enough attention to considering no one else referred to the youth so casually. "About my directive that led to the conquest of your home."
Kallen's expression tightened into a grimace. Indeed she certainly had some things to say, or rather, she had a lot of things to say. What she had not expected was to be in the grandmaster's presence with so little warning, or for the grandmaster to be some woman her own age, and possessed of humor that reminded her more of someone like Milly than Lelouch. That it took her a moment or so to gather her thoughts was hardly unexpected, but Kallen still felt a hint of irritation at being caught so off-guard like this.
"I did," Kallen finally said, "and I do." Her eyes narrowed. "By your own admission, you hold considerable responsibility for inflicting the suffering and death that my homeland and people have endured these past six years. And something tells me whatever regrets you might have, you wouldn't change a thing about your decision, or let them stop you from making a similar such decision in the future. That being the case, why shouldn't I try and kill you here and now, so that you won't be able to?"
If C.C. was at all perturbed by having her life threatened, assuming she believed Kallen was serious, the woman did not show it at all. Indeed she flashed a wide smirk as she responded.
"You are certainly welcome to try, though you are unlikely to have any more success than the French did when they tried to burn me in retribution of Jean's execution."
The annunciation of that name was distinctly French, and Kallen was enough a student of history to recognize whom C.C. was probably alluding to. Not that it helped make sense of the woman's remarks at all.
"What are you talking about?" Kallen demanded, anger inflecting her own voice.
"Exactly what I said," C.C. answered. "The French tried to burn me at the stake as a reprisal for Jean's similar execution at the hands of the English. Their actions resulted in a rather, permanent rupture between Eden Vital and the Catholic Church, and we've been a thorn in the Church's side ever since."
The woman almost sounded proud of that last bit.
"Don't be ridiculous," Kallen snapped. "That happened hundreds of years ago. Are you really expecting me to believe that you've been alive that long?"
C.C. cocked her head aside. "And why not? Considering the miracles you've seen Lelouch and his cohort perform."
That, momentarily gave Kallen pause. The girl's eyes narrowed, still suspicious, but more thoughtful now.
"You, you're immortal?" she guessed.
"To a degree," C.C. said, then flashed another smirk. "Enough so that you might have some trouble trying to kill me with just your bare hands."
Kallen scowled, her irritation growing at how C.C. was making light of all this.
"As to your actual question," C.C. went on before Kallen could snap at her again. "I can only explain what I sought to buy in exchange for inflicting such devastation upon your home. Whether you consider that prize of sufficient magnitude to stay your anger, that is a decision only you yourself can make. No one else can make it for you."
The scowl did not disappear as Kallen crossed her arms.
"Alright, what was this prize that my people paid in blood for?"
"Both your peoples," C.C. finally assumed a somber and serious expression. "Many a Britannian have also fallen in exchange for a prize they never knew was being fought over."
That, Kallen had to admit, was true enough, so she nodded to indicate the point was taken.
C.C. propped a foot onto her chair, letting her chin rest atop the bent knee.
"Lelouch has already spoken to you about the geass, and my ability to grant them," C.C. began. "He also mentioned that those opposed to us are also in possession of geasses. It therefore stands to reason that they have within their ranks my opposite number, someone also capable of granting geasses."
Kallen continued staring at C.C. even as her mind raced. What the other woman said was all fairly logical, and arguably something Kallen should have been able to work for herself. That she had not was a rather annoying failure of imagination.
"One additional point Lelouch informed you of was the necessity to undergo augmentation in order to withstand the strain that geass places upon your body and to employ it to its fullest potential," C.C. continued. "That augmentation is extremely difficult to perform however, and only the main facility here in Antarctica possesses the instrumentation necessary. It is certainly beyond the capabilities of the heretics. But that has not stopped them from likely creating new geass wielders, or of using other expedients to allow them to fully tap their powers, even at the cost of their mind and body."
That all made sense, as far as the basic information went. Kallen was still waiting for what this supposed prize was however.
"Some of those expedients require sakuradite in their manufacture," C.C. said. "The more sakuradite you have, the more powerful of an expedient can be crafted. And it matters little to the heretics if their geass wielders burn out or go insane after they have been employed, they only need them to survive long enough to complete whatever mission is set before them. With enough sakuradite, the heretics would be able to unleash an entire army of disposable pawns, wielding powers comparable to what you've seen Lelouch and the others demonstrate. While they may fall short of the magnitude that my own contractors can manifest, quantity is still a quality all its own, and with great enough numbers they can still be overwhelmed."
Sakuradite, of which Japan was seemingly blessed with an ample bounty of. That wealth was feeling more and more like a curse these days though. That being said, Kallen's eyes narrowed a bit.
"The Empire has curtailed exports of sakuradite to foreign markets for the past few years," the girl said. "My father was complaining about how that was tangling up the minerals market overall."
C.C. nodded. "Were we to let the heretics to gain control of Japan's sakuradite reserves, we would have been faced with catastrophe on a global scale. As it is, the curtailment of sakuradite exports has heavily impacted the civilian economies of both the Chinese Federation and the European Union, likely causing considerable hardship for their people as well. But in exchange for their suffering, along with that of our own people, we forestall the ability of the heretics to increase their number of geass wielders, hopefully long enough for us to strike a decisive blow and neutralize them for good."
Kallen's lips thinned. C.C.'s statement made sense, and considering what Lelouch had hinted at being capable of, Kallen could see very well why Eden Vital would go to extremes to keep the number of other geass wielders running around to an absolute minimum, especially if they were all basically ticking timebombs without the augmentations that only the Order could provide them. A psychologically crazed superpowered fanatic was not a threat to take lightly. But the sheer cost, even if it might, might, be proportionate, it was still horrific.
"Is this why Eden Vital does so much charity work?" Kallen asked. "To try to offset all the suffering you're responsible for?"
"Eden Vital has been committed to charitable works long before the schism," C.C. said with a sniff, sounding genuinely offended. "We do it because it is a thing that needs doing, not as some sop to our conscience."
That, Kallen was not sure whether it made things better or worse. Or maybe both. C.C. was evidently a person that did want to do good, so that was better. But even so, she demonstrated the clear capacity to do evil when needed. And arguably nothing was more frightening than a good person doing evil because they earnestly believe they were doing good. Was C.C. so frightening?
"Lelouch also said that, in exchange for the geass you would grant, I would have to perform a service for you," Kallen said. "What would that service be?"
"Oh that? Tis a simple thing." A flat, serious expression fell upon C.C.'s face. "Of all my contractors, there are two that I cannot afford to lose, whatever the cost. Lelouch is one, and also the one whom you will be entering the service of when you return to Japan. My charge upon you is a simple one. Ensure he survives, whatever it takes, even if it means the sacrifice of others, including yourself."
Kallen raised an eyebrow. "That's a simple thing?"
"I jest not, Kallen, when I say that Lelouch is the crux upon which our hopes for victory over the heretics lie," C.C. said. "You have already seen his skills as a leader. You have only seen a fraction of his abilities as a geass wielder. His power will be absolutely essential in neutralizing my counterpart amongst the heretics. Indeed, Lelouch may be the only person that is not a code bearer to possess the capacity to kill one of us."
Code bearer, another new term, likely in reference to C.C.'s ability to grant geasses. And also her immortality, come to think of it.
"So this other, code bearer, he's immortal too?" Kallen ventured.
"Yes, albeit a mere child compared to the ages I've seen," C.C. said. "Still, whatever his relative immaturity, he remains a significant threat."
He damn well better be, if C.C. feared him enough to order the conquest of an entire nation and the effective economic crippling of two thirds of the world in order to contain him. But even if he were, Kallen still felt a deep unease.
"I agreed to sign on with Lelouch because of certain things I want from him," Kallen said. "Certain things he's promised me in turn. And I warned him that if he reengaged, I would not stand idly by."
"My boy is not one to break promises," C.C. said, flashing a smile. "Especially not one to a fair lady such as yourself."
Kallen almost groaned. It seemed C.C. was not going to let that slide anytime soon.
"Any promise or oath he actually swore, he will abide by," C.C. continued, the smile disappearing. "And ultimately the best manner in which you can ensure he fulfills those oaths is to ensure he remains alive to do so."
That was probably a fair statement.
"However."
Kallen frowned again, a sense of foreboding building with that qualifier.
"The oath that binds you and I is another matter entirely," C.C. said. "For I would demand your word that you would see to Lelouch's survival regardless of anything you think is owed by him to you. Your priority, your only priority, above yourself, above your comrades, above even your own people, is to be Lelouch. That is the service I demand in exchange for your geass, Kallen Stadtfeld. And it is the only service within your capacity to give. So, what say you?"
End of Chapter 11
As my master draft breaches 100k words, Word is having trouble being as responsive with wordcount and other statistics when I'm trying to check for scene length.
Ended up needing to bump Cornelia's arrival further down the line in order to let a few other scenes happen beforehand. There was a lot of reshuffling that happened as I tried to get in all of the necessary foreshadowing and general buildup. I even had to excise a scene from this chapter and move it into the next one because we were pushing over 9K words before the move for this chapter alone, which is substantially higher than my general target of 7K on average.
In retrospect I may have underestimated how much groundwork I was going to need to set up the sakuradite conference incident, as there is at least five chapters' worth of material that I have yet to get through. Going to go work a bit on Vengeance first though, to at least wrap up the bit I stopped in the middle of to get these chapters out of my head.
Enlisted rank titles are such a Charlie Foxtrot. And it's just now that I realized that I screwed up Suzaku's rank in Calculus where I treated him as an officer even though he was also a specialist there. I'm surprised none of my US servicepeople readers called me on that one, or perhaps that's an indication of them presuming I was using specialist from some non-US ranking structure.
So, just to be clear. Lelouch isn't somehow omniscient or something, he just happens to have a very, very good forensics accounting team working for him. It helps that a member of that team, Sancia, is pretty much a human computer. Having all this information does not mean that all of Lelouch's problems just magically go away, though. He still has to make use of this information in some way that doesn't make the situation worse. Him going to demand the NAC stop or face execution isn't going to get the NAC to actually stop, it's just going to kick off a revolt earlier. But by offering to negotiate, while demonstrating he has quite a few cards to play, Lelouch might be able to pry some concessions out of the NAC and get them to voluntarily demobilize the JLF.
In the canon Lelouch as Zero had a tendency to attempt a lot of high-risk, high-reward gambits. The Lelouch of my story is also possessed of that tendency, even if his chosen arena is less on the battlefield and more in the office or conference room. Lelouch can be a warrior if the need arises, and he does actually have enough training to credibly serve as the Order Militant's leader. So far though he hasn't really had a need to show off in that regard yet. Yet.
One thing that a lot of Code Geass fanfic writers seem to not quite get is what the JLF and Kyoto House are fighting for. Freedom is the obvious and most straightforward objective, and many also toss in equality as the sop that lets their version of Lelouch in the "Lelouch is still a prince" AUs to basically buy out Kyoto House. I don't quite agree with that price however, as indicated by this current chapter. If one considers what members of Kyoto House say in the canon, and also the sort of rhetoric that is prevalent in Japanese society and politics in the real world, it becomes clear that there is a much greater emphasis on the survival of culture. That is what Kyoto House wants to ensure is preserved. Integration as equals into Britannia would not necessarily serve that cause, as it is entirely possible Japanese culture would get subsumed and overtaken by Britannian culture if the Japanese were to start thinking of themselves as genuine Britannians. This being the case, the most obvious way to ensure the preservation of their culture would be to regain Japan's sovereignty. But that doesn't necessarily mean there wouldn't be a way of preserving Japanese culture even as part of the Empire. That's the needle that Lelouch needs to thread in order to win Kyoto House over. And even if he pulls it off, there may still be bits of the JLF or other insurgent groups that are more interested in revenge than in cultural survival or the needs of the Japanese people.
The 100th in Calculus was just a battalion and numbered after the 100th infantry battalion composed predominantly of Nisei that fought during WWII for the US. As a regiment, the 597th is substantially larger, for reasons.
As with Calculus, I am not going to have knightmares be some sort of overpowered superweapon. They serve in the role of highly mobile armored fighting vehicles, with all the limitations that implies, including being hideously vulnerable to airpower. So you're not going to be seeing any knightmares outrunning an airstrike or any nonsense like that (except maybe Alice, but even she can't keep that up indefinitely). This also means that I'm not going to be having super knightmares that so outclass others that they can just curbstomp anything that gets in their way by virtue of their specs. So nothing like the Lancelot Albion or the Guren SEITEN. Flying knightmares, if and when they do appear, are going to be subject to the laws of aerodynamics and thermodynamics unlike canon, so air resistance is going to be a thing and in practical terms no knightmare is going to be able to pack a power supply dense enough to overcome that resistance. When pilots like Suzaku or Kallen or the other members of Lelouch's entourage win battles in their frames against overwhelming odds, it will be because they are employing actual tactics on top of exploiting every advantage their machine gives them. And there is going to be a lot more opportunity for the other branches of the armed forces to show their stuff as well.