Chapter 57
In Surmountable Charge
The thump of very heavy footsteps was audible for quite some distance, announcing the presence of the knightmares well before their appearance. For most people, that sound was a warning to get the hell out of the area before something even heavier started thundering. For the cluster of soldiers spread out in the grassy plains, it was a sign that their prey was nearing. One of the soldiers raised her head ever so slightly and peered through a set of binoculars. It was not long before the distinctive shapes of the bipedal walkers entered her sight. The machines were advancing at a steady pace, their legs pumping step by step.
"KP1 is making their approach," Mikasa heard over her radio. "Ackermann, be ready to launch once our targets enter view."
Rising slightly herself, the Japanese woman propped up the long tube so that she had clearance to fire the missile. No targets were visible on her sight yet, but with the knightmares on their way, it wouldn't be long. And right on cue, the roar of another engine could be heard as a tank suddenly charged over a slight slope. Mikasa immediately trained her launcher on the armored vehicle, taking a mere few moments to acquire a lock.
"Backblast clear!"
When she pulled the trigger, nothing actually launched, though that was hardly a reason to not adhere to protocol. Instead a virtual missile was tracked by the overall simulation as it streaked up into the sky. Near simultaneously, two other members of Mikasa's squad also launched. The three missiles spent a few seconds gaining altitude before plunging down towards their target. One suddenly winked out of existence, the simulation indicating it had been shot down. Then a second missile disappeared. The third however flew true and slammed into the roof of the tank, causing the vehicle to ground to a halt as it was 'killed.' As far as exchanges went, expending over half a million pounds worth of munitions to kill a six million pound tank was not a bad tradeoff.
Of course if they had expended under half a million pounds, they would have gotten exactly zero in return, showing just how fine a line there was in success and failure on the battlefield. Especially when such tanks rarely operated alone, at least when fielded by those employing proper doctrine. As expected, three more tanks soon surmounted the small hill, their turrets already lined up towards their intended targets. Fortunately for Mikasa's squad, they were still aiming at the fleeing knightmares. Though with their Javelin missiles expended, it was not as if the soldiers could do much to further threaten the tanks.
Despite being regarded as a sort of wonder weapon, knightmares actually had a variety of scenarios wherein they were less than ideally suited for. One of the most difficult environments for them was the one this very simulation was taking place in, an open field battle against more conventional enemy armor. There were a variety of reasons for why knightmares were so ill-suited to such battles. The most obvious was how their increased height made them much more visible compared to the likes of tanks or other armored fighting vehicles. Another was, while the knightmares were still fairly mobile, their absolute speed was badly constrained due to the difficulty of using their wheels on uneven terrain.
The prototype Glasgows were flatly incapable of employing their wheels on anything save for paved surfaces, while the mass production Sutherlands could just barely manage so long as there were not too many or too deep divots in the terrain. The newer Gloucesters did better, but one generally still needed to disable the automatic stabilization and attempt manual compensation if one wanted to push past a certain speed. Only Eden Vital's GX series or Camelot's Lancelot could go full throttle on rough terrain, and that was as much due to the improved mechanical systems as it was the neuro-link based control system.
Knightmares in general were also less armored, and carried smaller caliber guns, than conventional tanks. Combined with how even the main gun on a modern tank had difficulty penetrating the armor of other tanks, the mechs understandably had even greater difficulty defeating tanks at range. The few exceptions to this firepower and protection discrepancy were those knightmares equipped with the newer railgun weapons and Blaze Luminous shields like the Lancelot and, again Eden Vital's GX series. With how much those knightmares cost however, it was unlikely their advantages would see much widespread deployment aside from specialized, elite units.
The final challenge the knightmares were facing in today's exercise was that the tanks they were fighting were not the standard Abrams that filled Britannia's armored corps. Though using the Abrams as a base, the Paladin tanks were Eden Vital designs that possessed several substantial upgrades over their Britannian Army counterparts. One such upgrade was a point defense laser that had managed to take down two of the incoming simulated Javelin missiles, but whose rate of fire was not quite high enough to deal with the third missile. Of course had that first Paladin hung back a bit more, the point defenses from the other tanks in its platoon might have been able to save it.
The big, externally visible upgrade the Paladin had over the Abrams would have to be its main gun however. Instead of a 120mm cannon, the Paladin was equipped with a railgun. A knightmare was already toast if hit by a shell from a regular tank cannon. That made a railgun decidedly overkill against the Sutherlands that made up the knightmare company taking part in today's exercise. It was therefore perhaps not terribly surprising that the mechs had spent most of the exercise doing their damndest to avoid a direct engagement with the tanks. Instead they concentrated on maneuvering the opposing tanks into ambushes just like the one Mikasa's squad had launched. And which several other squads were now also launching with the appearance of the other tanks.
That one needed a minimum of three missiles per tank launched with exacting timing was a lesson the soldiers of the 597th had learned in a hands-on manner since the training exercise began. The need to tightly sequence the launches was the main reason why it took a few moments before the Javelins were fired, the three squads coordinating with each other to allocate targets and get the timing just right. As admirably brief as those few moments were however, they were still enough for the Paladins to lock onto their own targets and open fire. The retreating knightmare platoon had not quite managed to break contact, and two were forced to come to a halt as hits were registered. Shortly thereafter, three Javelin hits were registered as well, but they were all on the same tank. Apparently the Paladins had also done a bit of coordination themselves, sacrificing one of their own to focus their counterfire to decisively defeat the missiles raining down on the other two tanks. And with no armored targets in sight anymore, the turrets on the surviving tanks traversed to the only targets that they still might hit, the infantry that had just launched on them.
"All units stay low!" the commanding lieutenant warned.
One of the biggest advantages of the Javelin was its fire and forget nature, allowing soldiers wielding them to shoot and scoot. Indeed, the moment their simulated missiles had gone off, the various squads had begun scooting as quickly as they discretely could from their prior positions. Unfortunately, there was only so far they could get in such a short amount of time, and the minimum safe distance from the impact of the antipersonnel railgun shell fired by a Paladin could be considerable. The next moment, the majority of two entire squads were registered as KIA.
"Shit!" Rico, Mikasa's commanding sergeant, cursed. "Ackermann! Get those launchers reloaded!"
"Yes Sergeant!"
"Everyone else, spread out and try to draw the attention of the tanks away from Ackermann and her girls!"
Mikasa and the rest of her heavy weapons team stopped their retreat. Due to their size and weight, the squad only carried enough extra missiles for one more salvo. That would not be enough to defeat the two tanks, or even really one tank, with how closely they were bunched together. If this was going to work, they needed the other surviving squad to get their reloads ready as well.
"Heads down!"
Of course, they needed to survive long enough to get their own reloads in as well.
Stomping could be heard again, as the two surviving knightmares made their return. They opened fire, succeeding at drawing the enemy tanks' attention if nothing else. One of the Paladins advanced, seeking to get a clearer shot on the mechs, while another held its position, its gun looming threateningly over the grassy field that the infantry was hidden in. It was clear the moment anyone popped up their heads, it would be unleashing hell upon them.
"This is Ito," a voice from another squad spoke up. "The rest of my squad is down, but I've got one launcher. Let me know when the rest of you are ready, and I'll pop up, maybe distract the tank."
That action was guaranteed to get the woman killed. A simulated kill, true, but Mikasa had little doubt that Ito would have done the same thing if this were a real battle.
"This is Ackermann, Javelins loaded," she announced over the radio.
"Javelins loaded here as well. We'll take the mobile tank."
"Then we've got the stationary one," Mikasa said. "Counting down from five. Ito, pop up at two. Ready?"
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Five, four, three, two."
A lone figure shot up from the grass, launcher in hand. The stationary tank immediately traversed its turret in her direction and fired.
"One, mark!"
Six more figures arose, far too soon for the tank to have reloaded or otherwise react. The two tanks were now physically far enough apart that their point defenses could not provide decent overlap. Still, now aware of where the threat was, the moving tank spent its last moment traversing its turret, and aimed its cannon straight at Mikasa's team. This time only a single fireteam was counted amongst the fatalities. Mikasa at least had the satisfaction of seeing the two tanks likewise getting registered as kills not long after.
The main deck of the command cruiser offered a passable view of the surrounding plains, but the ranking occupants were mostly huddled around the large display laid flat and showing a map dotted with the units participating in the training exercise. From time to time the dots would turn into x's, indicating the defeat of the corresponding unit. Overall, neither side was achieving a particularly decisive advantage over the other, the ebb and flow of the battle marked by minor tactical victories being scored by both as they exploited what opportunities they could.
That the two sides were at an effective stalemate was not some mark against their respective commanding officers. The scenario as envisioned had not granted much in the way of tactical advantage to either side and the respective force levels were at that level where most competent commanders would prefer not to engage at all, parity. That meant achieving a breakthrough was going to be down to as much luck as the skill of the two commanders, and truth be told, both had demonstrated plenty of tactical acumen this thus far.
Commanding the combined knightmare and mechanized infantry force was Jeremiah Gottwald, with Villetta Nu as his deputy. While the Knightmare Corps was considered a more prestigious service than infantry, Jeremiah was still the ranking officer as the 597th's commanding colonel, and his own experience commanding the very same knightmare regiment as Villetta now headed meant he was well familiar with how to employ the mechs anyway. The two officers had easily fallen into their old rhythm from when Villetta was one of the colonel's company commanders. While the colonel identified and set various tactical objectives, Villetta carefully allocated the units at their disposal to move on those objectives.
On the other side was a combined arms battalion of Eden Vital's Order of the Black Knights. Composed of a single company of tanks along with a company of infantry, they were part of Eden Vital's mobilization of its own militants in preparation for the wider war against the heretics that everyone knew was coming. By and large their basic kit was the same as that of the Britannian Armed Forces, allowing Eden Vital to benefit from the Empire's logistics. In a few instances however Eden Vital fielded what was arguably better kit, such as the M2 Paladins. From the glares Cornelia had shot Lelouch since learning about the Paladin's existence, the Marshal of the Empire was less than enthused with the Order's better armored capabilities.
"The army will be receiving its first Paladins for evaluation next year," Lelouch said offhandedly in response to the latest glare his sister was shooting him.
"And how many Paladins does Eden Vital already have?" Cornelia retorted.
"Just the one battalion," Lelouch said. "Compared to how many divisions of tanks and knightmares the Empire has?"
A snort sounded from the princess. "For a religious order, Eden Vital certainly likes to be at the cutting edge of warfighting technology."
That probably had something to do with Eden Vital having assisted with the Paladin's development. The single battalion that Lelouch referred to was basically a prototype run to field test the tanks. When the Britannian Army did get around to ordering a full production run, the resulting Paladins were likely to incorporate a few lessons learned from their Eden Vital predecessors. Assuming the impending war did not see the Empire rush the current design into mass production this year.
"Quality over quantity," the cardinal said with a shrug, then looked over to the other flag officer present. "And what say you to the quality of the blue force?"
"The tactical proficiency of the 597th has certainly improved by leaps and bounds since their initial operational readiness report," Andreas said. "And it is good to see that the 12th working so effectively with the infantry support."
Seeing as the 12th knightmare regiment had been a hotbed of Purist sentiment, to see them working so well hand-in-hand with the predominantly Japanese 597th was quite the marked improvement indeed. Then again, between the losses in the Battle of Shinjuku and Lelouch's subsequent purges, there would hardly be anyone left that would be so unprofessional.
"Colonel Gottwald is also showing a deft hand at combined arms," the general continued. "Assuming there are no further blemishes upon his record, it should not be long before he earns a star on his shoulder." A grimace followed. "We'll be needing such competent generals soon enough, at the rate things are going."
Cornelia glanced over at her brother. "Lelouch, are you certain about not reinforcing Fukuoka Base?"
"Fukuoka, and Kyushu at large, will hold," the cardinal replied, though what exactly drove his confidence Cornelia could still not determine. "I am personally more concerned about Hokkaido's force levels. Lelouch grimaced. "That island is simply too exposed to the Russians."
At this point the Britannian government was fairly certain how the Chinese and Russians were going to divide up their respective theaters of operation, as well as the force levels both were intending to commit. Without conducting a general mobilization, both nations were at least somewhat limited in the number of troops they could commit in the opening offensive, but limited was by no means small. The Russians had parked something like two hundred thousand troops in their eastern territories as part of their recent joint exercise with the Chinese and had yet to disperse them back to their previous stations. If all of that was thrown against the Hokkaido garrison, combined with the expected Chinese contribution, the single armored division would be outnumbered something like ten or twenty to one. Of course, there was the small factor of getting all those troops across the sea to Hokkaido.
"I could wish the navy could forward station another carrier strike group," Lelouch said, "but until the upgrades at Yokosuka are complete, we're not really in position to host more than one at a time."
"Charging a single CSG with fending off the combined Russian Pacific Fleet and Chinese North Sea Fleet might be asking a bit much," Cornelia pointed out, "especially if we also have to worry about the Chinese East Sea Fleet."
"Then let us hope the CSG stationed at Pearl Harbor can make good speed," Lelouch said. "Or Eighth Fleet's readiness allows for immediate deployment. Best of all would be if the additional units being concentrated arrive before hostilities commence."
Short of averting war outright, the next best outcome would be to prevent the Chinese or Russians from successfully landing their own forces upon Kyushu and Hokkaido. With the naval and aerial assets available in Japan however, that was likely to be a tall order. That meant the troops on the two islands would ultimately need to be able to hold on their own long enough for Britannia to retake control of the surrounding seas and either logistically starve out the invading soldiers or land enough reinforcements of their own to defeat them in detail. For Kyushu, the presence of the Japanese Liberation Front meant there was actually the equivalent of a second mechanized division, with armor in the form of their knightmares, supporting the single division officially stationed on the island. Lelouch had yet to reveal this trump card to his sister and fully expected to get an earful once the upcoming battle revealed their existence. Still, if the JLF proved as decisive in defeating the Chinese landing as he expected, Lelouch could live with that.
The Hokkaido situation however was as fraught as appearances suggested. Reinforcing Honshu had taken utmost priority, the one thing Lelouch could not afford was to let the Chinese or Russians get a foothold on the main Japanese island. And while some of the assembled corps could be sent north to Hokkaido once they were absolutely certain there wasn't going to be a landing on Honshu, that was still a poor second to having more troops already on the northern island before the fighting started.
"The next wave of reinforcements includes another strike squadron and mechanized division, both earmarked for Hokkaido," Andreas said.
"But their arrival is scheduled to be after both the vote in parliament and the current tentative transition ceremony," Lelouch pointed out. "Setting aside the vote, the Chinese and Russians can't afford to wait too long after the ceremony lest public perception start to accept Japan as an inviolable part of Britannia."
As most everyone expected Schneizel to be able to get the Special Administration Act through parliament, preparations were already underway to start implementing its provisions here in Japan. The transition ceremony Lelouch alluded to was intended to mark the point where the regulations governing how the Japanese people interacted with imperial authorities would shift from that of conquered subjects to integrating residents. The Honorary Britannian system would be done away with as a whole, with those already having sworn their oaths becoming full citizens and those not gaining all of the benefits previously restricted behind the oaths without having to swear themselves. Simultaneous to this, the viceroyalty would start meeting formally the dual language conditions that had been agreed with Kyoto House. In fact there were plenty of examples of such accommodation already happening in the form of dual language paperwork and translators being provided at various government offices. It would have been impossible to make the switch on the day of without thorough preparations beforehand after all.
The ceremony that Lelouch referred to would be marking not only the transition date itself, but also the grant that the Viceroyalty of Japan would be receiving to put into legal force its reforms. That was not to say Lelouch's current prestaging was illegal, as a viceroy he had fairly significant leeway in what policies he pursued so long as they did not outright break existing laws, but the grant would turn changes underpinned by Lelouch's positional authority into ones undersigned by the crown and the imperial government as a whole. That would make it substantially harder for anyone to try to legally undermine the policies, whether it be an obstinate bureaucrat or a future viceroy. Of course, with the way things were going, whether there would be another viceroy after Lelouch for people to worry about was also becoming less and less certain. There would probably be at least one more, if only because Lelouch was determined that he not have a Japanese fief foisted upon him, whatever the desires of the native populace, or even his own family.
"If Your Eminence is so concerned about the tactical situation in Hokkaido, should we perhaps not take steps to evacuate more of the populace from the expected landing targets?" Andreas asked.
"The advisory has been issued," Lelouch said, "through multiple channels, from the government to Eden Vital to even the Japanese resistance."
A grunt sounded from Cornelia at that last one but the princess did not give voice to any further reactions.
"I cannot force people to leave their homes," the cardinal thus continued, "the best I can do is make provisions such that when they are forced to flee, they will have a place to go. If they can flee at all."
Those unfamiliar with Lelouch might have interpreted his words as a sign of resignation. Andreas however had worked closely with the young man these past few months and noticed the slight tightening of his jaw, indicating not resignation, but a flicker of that anger which always asserted itself whenever the cardinal was worried over something. It had actually taken Cornelia a bit longer to be able to so read her own brother, but both now understood that Lelouch's general attitude was not because he was uncaring or blasé about consequences of his actions. Indeed the cardinal cared, a lot, hence why he was so often moved to anger when harm befell others. Andreas was fortunate that he had never actually seen the cardinal's anger visibly assert itself. Even in the aftermath of the debacle that was the Glaston Knights' deployment to Lake Kawaguchi, the cardinal's reprimand to the man had been curt, but still professional. Cornelia was arguably less lucky, having had Lelouch blow up on her on multiple occasions before the two finally reached an understanding. Still, neither would make the mistake of underestimating just how far the cardinal might go if he were truly angered again.
"Are you concerned about how the Chinese and Russian soldiers might conduct themselves after landing?" Andreas asked.
"Of course," Lelouch said. "It doesn't really matter how professional an army is, once the bullets start flying, stress can push people to lash out in extreme manners. The propaganda that the Chinese and Russians have been spouting isn't going to help either. They're clearly trying to frame themselves as liberators, and it is likely a significant percentage of the troops they are deploying will actually believe it. How do you think those soldiers will respond if a large portion of the Japanese populace rejects that narrative?"
Poorly, both Andreas and Cornelia could easily surmise.
"And what does Your Eminence intend if the Chinese and Russian forces overstep the laws and customs of war?"
"Line them against the wall and put a bullet in their heads," Lelouch answered without hesitation. "As with Britannia, both China and Russia are signatories of the Geneva Conventions, the original articles, if not the additional protocols. Those however cover the salient points about how parties are supposed to behave in an international conflict. Any soldier of theirs that violates those stipulations are guilty of war crimes and subject to the highest sanctions available." The cardinal snorted. "I've ordered enough Britannian soldiers shot for crimes committed during the Japanese occupation that hopefully no one is stupid enough to think I'm bluffing or somehow being hypocritical."
And killed a few by his own hands even.
"So long as culpability is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the courts, I hold no objections to such sanction," Andreas said. "I can only hope that such a turn does not come about however. The moment one side discards the laws and customs of war, it becomes next to impossible to reinstate them without the effective debellation of the offending polities."
"If the need arises, then so be it," Lelouch however said without any hesitation. "I may regret the necessity of the cost in blood that must be paid in the upcoming conflict, but of the necessity itself I hold no reservations thereof. If China or Russia reveal themselves to be so vulgar nations that they cannot instill enough discipline in their soldiers to avoid grossly violating the laws of war, they will find that sovereignty is a privilege, not a right, the revocation of which by the very nature of their callowness would be beyond their power to prevent."
Andreas and Cornelia exchanged looks. Callow though the two other nations might be, they did possess some modicum of power in their nuclear arms if nothing else. Though Cornelia was at least now privy to the fact that Britannia would soon be capable of effectively neutralizing those arms, so Lelouch was perhaps not entirely wrong in his assessment. Still, even if the nukes were taken off the table, any such attempted revocation would still be grossly expensive. Hopefully Lelouch's willingness to see that price paid did not presage a merciless brutality within the cardinal himself.
Due to the nature of Britannia's bicameral legislature, the majority of the most important acts of parliament originated in the House of Lords. Most times any acts that pass in the upper house was pushed through without much muss or fuss by the Commons. That was not to say the Commons did not hold debates of its own, but usually any concerns raised by the Commons tended to already be accommodated or mediated away in the version working its way through the Lords as well. This parallel process therefore meant the most crucial stages of a bill's consideration tended to happen in the Lords. The Special Administration Act was no exception in this regard, and with it entering its third and final reading, it was but a single step away from having imperial assent be requested, if the votes could be found to pass it. With the majority he commanded in the Lords, there was not any real doubt that the prime minister, Prince Schneizel, would be able to do just that, but that did not mean the opposition was prepared to let the bill through without having their say, and extracting at least some political price from the prince.
"The Honorable Member Himmel Hexenhaus representing Idaho."
The large-set man that stood at the podium had a stern, rigid demeanor to his face. As a marquess, Himmel was one of Britannia's provincial lords, and thereby a member of the most prominent political circle within the Empire. As a more conservative noble however, Himmel was not held in any sort of great confidence by the Prince Schneizel or the Emperor Charles, and thereby was just short of the very pinnacle of political power and authority. He could not be ignored, far from it, but neither was Himmel capable of extracting as generous concessions from the Empire's leadership as certain others of a more reformist bent. A lack of cooperation on his own part played no small role in that, though whether Himmel himself saw it that way might generously be considered a matter of subjective perspective.
"Thank you, Lord Speaker," Himmel said, then gazed out at the chamber. "My lords and ladies, I am here today to beseech you to avoid what I fear to be a most grave mistake. Britannia, this great nation that we call ours, remains to this day strong and united because of the care our ancestors took to forge a singular identity for all subjects of the Empire. Past efforts to carve out exceptions, to accommodate those of a differing disposition, have generally done nothing but plant the seeds for future strife. Were not the Quebecers and their ilk granted leave to retain their French heritage, and thereby became an insular, isolated community that rose up because they thought themselves entitled to foregoing the obligations all Britannians are held to?
"The privileges that the Special Administration Act proposes to grant the Japanese are another example of this past folly. To provide state sanction for the preservation of a language? To allow for the usage of such language as a means of interacting with His Majesty's Government? How could that do anything but allow for these Elevens to maintain the pretense that they are not wholly and irrevocably subjects of Britannia?"
As Himmel's usage of the derogatory term indicated, assuming the general context of his speech had not already made abundantly clear, the man was a wholehearted believer in Britannian superiority, cultural and racial alike. To the man's credit, Himmel was at least openly honest with his viewpoints, and would not even deny the charge of being a Purist, despite the political disfavor that faction was in. Or perhaps that was why he was so zealous in his verbiage. After all, if by offending the Japanese he might incite them to some foolhardy action, that would only give him opportunity to claim vindication, regardless of whether such a claim was credible or not. Opportunistic, if nothing else.
"Let us also not forget the precedent this would set. Area 11 is not the only recent addition to our Empire. What happens when the others seek to emulate the Elevens, in demanding concessions when it is they whom are the defeated? If they are to seek the grace of our mercy, then they must show themselves worthy of it. The continentals might delude themselves in thinking equality, liberty, or fraternity are somehow natural rights, but all they have done is instill a sense of entitlement in their people that they should enjoy such privileges without paying the requisite price. See what that has gotten them, a society that cowers as the world around them begins demanding a debt that they are no longer capable of meeting. Are we truly so foolish as to aspire to such indolence?"
The disbelief in the concept of a natural right was something taught in the current iteration of the Empire's civics course, though Himmel was himself too old have undergone that during his own schooling. Still, he would have had some awareness of it through the education of his own children and what they brought back from school. One would like to hope that this superficially imparted awareness was why he was mangling the concepts so badly.
"The world that we live in is not so kind as to allow such laxity," Himmel declared. "It is a world that requires constant vigilance, lest we ourselves slip into the precipice without even realizing it. It is my hope that my words this day does not serve as a marker, for the path we should have taken, for the eternal glory of Britannia."
Applause sounded at Himmel's final words, even a few cheers. The noble was not without some likeminded colleagues in the Lords, and their numbers were considerable enough to make their support quite audible. Considerable, audible, but also visibly in the minority, for a substantial majority of the seated nobles were stoically impassive, at best politely pensive. As for what they were waiting for, well, the sitting government was hardly going to let Himmel's little spiel go unanswered. As for whom would have the honor of responding, that the speaker announced next.
"The Honorable Member Pierre Dabney-Ashford, representing New England."
The man that now rose had many similarities to Himmel. He was pale, male, and of impeccable pedigree in both his own lineage and that of the family he married into. As the husband of Amelia Ashford and father of one Millicent Ashford, Pierre often saw his loving wife and daughter less often than he would like on account of his role as his father-in-law's proxy in the House of Lords. That duty came part and parcel with his marriage however, and at times like this, the importance of carrying it out could not be clearer.
"Thank you, Lord Speaker," Pierre said, getting the perfunctory courtesies out of the way. "My lords and ladies, I would hope that whatever your disposition is towards my views and allegiances, that none of you are so disagreeable as to dismiss my perspective, or the fact that that perspective was earned through personal experience."
While Pierre did spend many months of the year in Pendragon, the time he spent in Japan with the rest of his family was not short either. While he and his wife had been reluctant, reasonable enough considering the danger, the two had ultimately acquiesced to Ruben's insistence of Milly completing her secondary education in Japan. The old marquess wanted his granddaughter to witness firsthand the circumstances of a nation sacrificed for the sake of Britannia's, and their own family's, advancement, so that his granddaughter would better appreciate the costs should she face similar such decisions in the future. And in the process of checking upon their daughter and the marquess himself, both Pierre and Amelia also obtained an understanding of the state of affairs in Japan, both the good and the bad.
"It is certainly true that we require certain obligations to be met in exchange for the privileges we grant the peoples of our fiefs. The form this exchange takes is however not the balancing of weights on a scale, but a circle which feeds back into one another. Such a cycle's perpetuation is contingent on mutual effort from both the ruled and the rulers, true, but its beginnings cannot be coerced or imposed by either side. And what we have with this act before us today is, despite seven years since Britannia's conquest, a mere beginning."
Metaphorical as that was, it was still fairly understandable, even if not everyone in the chamber agreed with it. Though the fact that Pierre had alluded to the prospect of disagreement was less prophetic and more the noble knowing the attitudes of certain listeners.
"The extent to which we of the peerage can afford to extend consideration and privileges to our subjects is certainly constrained by the reciprocal service and obedience we are given, but only insomuch as it is beyond even our means to provide something in perpetuity without proper recompense. But surely we are not of so meager means that we would be averse to even the prospect of making that initial investment to start the cycle anew?"
A longwinded way of accusing, in a backhanded manner, of cheapness on those nobles opposed to the act's terms. Which was a pretty gross insult for those peers that prided themselves of being at the pinnacle of Britannia's social hierarchy. To be concerned about something as petty as mere money? The Britannian nobility might be more pragmatic than their continental counterparts, but they still liked to present a self-assured image of success, and insinuating money troubles suggested not only a lack of success, but also a lack of adequacy in the actual administrative duties demanded of the Empire's peers. And that lack of adequacy was grounds for losing a house their patents of nobility.
"What price is being asked of us today? Certainly nothing particularly exorbitant, in coin or dignity. The Japanese wish for recognition of their language, along with the liberty of expending their own wealth in its perpetuation. To preserve it, not to place it in primacy above that of English. What fragility does this add to the Empire's unity? How many of us here in this very chamber are limited to merely English as a language of fluency? The Emperor Charles speaks immaculate German, the Cardinal Lamperouge is fully versed in French. My own wife speaks Welsh, while my daughter has picked up enough Japanese, completely outside of her formal schooling, to be conversant. Yet do any of us appear to be at risk of losing our Britannian identity?"
The answer of some of the more reactionary nobles would have been yes, but only because they mistook their own perceptions as synonymous with that identity. The Empire was far too large and populous to have its multitude of perspectives encapsulated into even parliament. Those seated in this chamber especially represented a very specific and narrow stratum of Britannian society, one that was at best a distinct minority, with the reactionaries an even smaller subset.
"For onwards of seven years, the Empire did not even try to lay the proper foundation for the Japanese to integrate. We demanded loyalty and obedience, but refused to provide the proper enablers necessary for them to demonstrate either. And yet despite our own shortcomings, there have been exceptional displays of loyalty and faith by the Japanese people. Those that took on the stigma of becoming 'honorary' Britannians in pursuit of a better future, and those that, in the face of near-certain death, proclaimed faith in the promises made by His Majesty's representatives."
Oblique though the reference might be, no one could have mistaken who Pierre meant. Kaguya's broadcast had not been a sensation merely in Japan after all.
"In light of the courage shown by these Japanese, it is unthinkable for me to fail to accept their proffered hand out of simple fear," Pierre stated. "Such cowardice would be unbecoming of anyone that deigns to call himself Britannian, much less a peer of the realm."
Whereas the noble's opening remarks were layered with mild admonishments, Pierre was now getting to some actual invectives, even if still politely worded.
"The Empire as we know it today has endured much to reach this point, and it certainly did not do so unchangingly. There is a reason the Empress Claire's reign is known as the Second Founding, and the ascension of our own Emperor Charles the Sovereign Restoration. When new challenges arise that test the means of old, we surmount them not by being rigidly obstinate, but by adopting the new. Not by recklessly charging ahead, but by deliberately testing and weighing each one, until we have found that which represents the very best of both. In this way Britannia has stood for two centuries, and in this way the Empire will stand for countless centuries more."
In a way, both Himmel and Pierre had started and ended at the same place, the precipice that this day represented and the possibility of a far-off imperial future. The paths they charted however could not be more different. Then again, the peers gathered today were hardly people that would let a singular speech, no matter how stirring, be the decisive factor that would tip their decision. The more numerous applause that capped Pierre's speech therefore marked those that had already aligned their position with the noble instead of those suddenly inspired by his eloquence. Or perhaps they were inspired by Pierre's eloquence, in annunciating the very views they already held. Whatever the case may be, as the votes were tallied, no upset was to be had today. The Special Administration Act as proposed by the Prince Schneizel passed the House of Lords with 72% of the vote and 85% in the House of Commons before arriving at the Emperor Charles' desk. His Majesty duly granted his imperial assent by adding his signature to it.
The political structure of the European Union could be described as mildly labyrinthine on account of its numerous institutions. From the European Commission to the European Council to the even more poorly named European Council of Ministers, one might almost think the bloc's founders were making things up as they went while building up the EU's bureaucracy. That wasn't far from the truth, as the various forms that the institutions took today were because that was what the various individual polities had ultimately been willing to tolerate. Despite being called a Union, the EU was still composed of a litany of independent sovereign states, each of which guarded its prerogatives jealously.
A natural consequence of this was the difficulty in getting the EU to take united action quickly when confronted by a crisis. Britannia's invasion of Japan was a case in point, with the Empire having already functionally conquered Japan even as the EU was still trying to sort out what, if any, retaliatory measures it wanted to adopt at the bloc level. While a few countries were bold enough to try to impose sanctions unilaterally, the patchwork that resulted was both inconsistent and incomplete, allowing for most anyone who cared to circumvent them.
It was only after Britannia's aggression continued, with the Empire continuing its westward advance by seizing the Indonesian archipelago, that the EU started to coalesce around a more concrete, unified response. Part of that response included funneling a significant stock of weapons to the Middle East Federation when it became apparent they were Britannia's next intended victim, but even as the EU armed the MEF with the very latest from its arsenals, there was still a general refusal for Europe itself to commit to an open conflict with Britannia. Seeing as both sides were in possession of nuclear arms, fear of escalation was certainly a significant driver. Perhaps not surprisingly, the meeting being held today was a tense one, seeing as it once more revolved around the EU's intended response, or lack thereof, of the latest Britannian machination.
The European Commission, the body gathered today, was the de facto, and de jure for that matter, executive body of the European Union. It was the one that set area-wide policy and coordinated their implementation. The specific type and depth of the policies it could actually formulate was constrained by what areas the member states were willing to cede to the EU, but the reach the Commission did possess was still long enough to give it some political weight, along with the decisions that the Commission arrived at. Little surprise then that if and when a decision went against the desires of a member state, representatives of that state could get very heated.
"Vous ne pouvez pas être sérieux."
As might be expected for a political institution whose headquarters were in Paris, the day-to-day language of business was French. The origins of this extended back to when many of the various royal courts of Europe used French on account of a desire to emulate the supposed high culture of the French court. This prevalence survived not only the republican revolutions that, ironically, spread out from France to bring about the downfall of the other royal courts, but also the ascension of Britannia as the world's premiere power. Indeed, French was actually the second most spoken language thanks to its wide prevalence in not just Europe, but also the African territories that remained under European control. Mandarin was first on account of the much higher population densities of the Chinese Federation, while English, despite the Britannian Empire's imposition of it, remained a respectable third.
All this meant of course the man that was now speaking, despite being fluent in French, was not of actual French descent. He was, as he often liked to remind others, of Cossack descent, as much to boast about his supposed personal toughness as to explain his propensity for forceful language.
"Bad enough that we stood aside while the Empire subjugated one people after another, but now the EU is thinking of actually legitimizing their annexations!" A fist slammed down on the table. "The Russian Federation will not stand for this!"
Anatoly Cherdenko, the Russian Commissioner, was a rather heavyset man, with wide shoulders and a neatly groomed beard and mustache. Under more genial circumstances he could give off a perfectly friendly demeanor. Now, he looked more like a raging pit bull.
"Calm yourself, Anatoly," the man seated at the effective head of the table said sternly. "We are here today to talk about the practical reality of the situation, not make bellicose proclamations. And the fact of the matter is, Britannia has achieved in the last year far greater progress in its integration of Japan than the previous six years of its occupation. At this point the time has likely passed for any opportunity to try to liberate Japan via force of arms."
"Excuse me Rupert," the Hungarian commissioner spoke up, "but isn't that at least partially because the EU itself spent so long dawdling instead of actually trying to do something?"
"Exactly!" Anatoly boomed.
It took some effort for Rupert Thornley, the Commission president, to not roll his eyes. While Anatoly had always been somewhat bombastic and direct about representing his country's interests, despite Commissioners supposing to work for the common good of Europe, by and large the man had still been tolerable, even productive, as a colleague in the early days of the college. Rupert would have never proposed him for membership in his Commission otherwise. Now though, as their tenure drew to a close and the EU continued to face the prospect of turmoil on account of Britannia's predations of various other nations, the frustration certain member states felt were leaking more and more during Commission meetings.
"In case you gentlemen have forgotten," Rupert said, his tone even but firm, "the EU actually has spent the past six or so years doing something. For that matter, this very Commission has spent most of its tenure overseeing that something. It is certainly not nothing that the EU has increased production of military munitions by an average of 400%, of combat vehicles by 200%, and of combat aircraft by 100%. In addition, we provided the Middle East Federation with a full half of our pre-invasion stocks of missiles, shells, and general ammunition, as well as diverting half again of our production of such munitions to them. All this at considerable cost, when Europe itself was undergoing a mild economic crisis due to the reduced Sakuradite exports from Britannian-occupied Japan. So tell me, gentlemen, short of going to outright war with Britannia, which an absolute supermajority of the member states have adamantly refused to countenance, what more of something do you think was within this Commission's ability to do?"
It was rare for Rupert to show even this much impatience with his colleagues, but Anatoly and those other commissioners that he could browbeat into following his head had arguably been getting more and more disruptive in their attempts to steer the Commission in a direction more to their liking. And it was not just here that the Russians were trying to flex their diplomatic muscle, the sessions of the European Council, where the heads of state of the member nations met, had been growing more acrimonious as well. The current Russian president, one Alexander Romanov, shared his commissioner's tendency for bombast, and whether out of electoral strategy or genuine conviction, had ratcheted up the anti-Britannian agitprop rather considerably over the last year. Most everyone could tell the Russian leadership was hoping to marshal support in preparation for a more aggressive confronting of the Empire, but aside from their own citizenry and a few groups naturally sympathetic to such messaging, the mainstream parties that governed the other European nations were steadfastly opposed to getting into an actual shooting war with the Empire. With time running out to get their ostensible allies onside, and the increasing likelihood that they wouldn't be able to get their cooperation, it was little wonder the Russians were becoming more acerbic.
"Maybe that unwillingness to go to war is itself the problem," Anatoly stated. "Or do any of you really think Britannia is actually going to stop? That Europe isn't also in their crosshairs?"
"Our intelligence services have not been able to provide any definitive indication that-" Rupert began.
"Oh please," Anatoly however cut him off. "What exactly then do you call Britannia's increase of its own munitions production by 1000%? Or their development and mass production of a third generation of these, knightmares of theirs? Or their construction of a second aerial carrier task group? Even after their conquest of the Middle East, the Empire has only further increased its output of armaments. Where do you lot think all that is going to be directed towards?"
China, everyone in the room knew full well, Anatoly included. Though the Russian commissioner clearly also wanted them to include Europe in that conclusion as well. And in truth, that was not a possibility that the other commissioners could with full confidence dismiss. While all of them were aware of Britannia's claimed intentions as conveyed by one Cardinal Lorenzo of the Holy See, that was certainly not the same as believing the Empire was actually being honest in its claims. Besides, Britannia could always change its mind. If it somehow managed to defeat a nuclear-armed China without causing Armageddon, the Empire might decide that trying to conquer a similarly armed Europe was a worthwhile idea after all. By that point however, if China truly was out of the way, Europe would stand no chance in a conventional war against Britannia, and unless they themselves wanted to trigger a nuclear exchange, would inevitably face defeat. Still, the nature of this particular conundrum meant its very solution, or at least a solution, was present in the problem itself.
"We are all aware of the threat to China that Britannia poses," Rupert thusly said, "as well as the grave consequences should that nation succumb to the Empire's aggression. That is why the EU and its other member states have tolerated, indeed even assisted, in your own country's efforts to augment China's capabilities, even to the extent of accepting certain costs being imposed on our nations, as with your divergence of oil and gas supplies eastward."
Of the three major powers, the EU and the Britannian Empire were both actually self-sufficient in oil and natural gas. Even before its conquest of the Middle East, the Empire had bountiful reserves spread out across its territories north and south, while Europe could meet most of its own needs from deposits within its territories along with those in its African possessions. China however was not so lucky. While it did possess some reserves, the Chinese were heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East for a substantial portion of their consumption. Even more than the conquest of Japan cutting off sakuradite supplies, Britannia's conquest of the Middle East risked outright strangling the Chinese economy if the Empire decided to cut off exports, unless they were able to find an alternate source. One such alternative was no other than Russia.
While the Russian Federation could not entirely replace Middle East supplies for China, a combination of its own production limits and the lack of adequate infrastructure to transport oil and gas in the requisite volume, it could still make up a good portion of it. But every barrel or tank it sold to the Chinese was one less to its usual customers in Europe. Somewhat ironically, that had forced those European customers to find new suppliers of their own, the closest of which happened to be the Middle Eastern oilfields now under new management. And with Britannia actually honoring most of the joint venture contracts various European companies had struck in the Middle East, there was little commercial complexity in purchasing the produced oil and gas. So while the other European nations were refraining from grumbling too openly about Russia diverting oil and gas to China, they were still in effect paying quite a bit of money to the very power that Russia's efforts were geared towards trying to constrain. The contradiction this posed was not lost upon anyone, nor the rather roundabout way money was changing hands.
"We have also made clear to Britannia that Europe will not tolerate any further annexations," Rupert continued, "that if what they seek is China's debellation, the EU will intervene with all the tools at our disposal, including military ones."
This time it was Anatoly who was tempted to roll his eyes, and the Russian actually did just that.
"And why in the world would the Empire believe us, after we blithely stood by while it conquered three other regions?"
That was a good point, there was no denying that while the EU had plenty of reason to doubt Britannia's sincerity, so too did Britannia of the EU's conviction. After all, as Anatoly so rightly pointed out, for all the EU's diplomatic protestations about the unacceptability of Britannia's imperial conquests, Europe did not even bother severing its commercial relations with the Empire, much less commit its own blood to try and stop the conquests. Even if Britannia could not presume Europe to give up immediately without a fight if the Empire were to invade the bloc proper, the Empire could be forgiven for presuming the EU would continue to stand idly by for just about anything short of that.
"Or that such a threat, even if Britannia believed it, would be of any use?" Anatoly continued. "By the time Britannia's intentions are sufficiently convincing to certain governments," the man's eyes pointedly swept across certain specific commissioners, "China would have already functionally collapsed as a combatant and no amount of military intervention by Europe would be enough to turn the tide. The only way to prevent Britannian hegemony over the entire world is for all of Europe to stand with the Chinese from the outset."
Again, the Russian was not wrong in his summation. Whatever Britannia's publicly stated intentions, by the time developments on the ground revealed that the Empire might actually be seeking China's full annexation, the Chinese would likely be so depleted militarily that Europe would have to functionally fight Britannia on its own. Despite the immense wealth that Europe still commanded, economic downturn or not, they still fell short of Britannia's economic heft. In an open conflict between the two, Europe alone would be at an automatic strategic disadvantage. So everything Anatoly said was entirely reasonable, even convincing. With one caveat.
"If China is indeed subject to Britannian aggression, the danger you warn of is certainly significant," Rupert allowed, "and the EU's credibility is certainly contingent on us acting in a genuinely meaningful manner if China is subject to Britannian aggression."
A smirk started crossing Anatoly's face. "Then-"
"Which is why the EU has not protested to Russia's military exercises with Chinese forces or the continued concentration of your country's troops in the Far East," Rupert however was not done. "Such things are certainly necessary preparatory steps if the situation arises that the EU must come to China's aide should it become the victim of Britannian aggression. What the EU will not countenance however is to be complicit in initiating direct conflict with Britannia."
The Commission president stared unflinchingly at the Russian representative. It was no great secret Russia's buildup in eastern Siberia, and as a purely preventative measure no one could fault the country for taking such steps. But the rhetoric that had been coming out of Russia the past few months was clearly intended to help justify not merely a reactive, defensive action, but an active, preemptive one. The nature of the European democracies being what it was, there was a greater need to provide proper pretext and justification for any military action a government wished to embark upon. Unlike in the Empire, where mere pursuit of interest was considered acceptable, the more assertive democratic electorates of Europe required being shown an active, immediate threat before they would tolerate some military adventure. And while the European populace probably sufficiently convinced of the genuine threat that Britannia represented to accept the prospect of war with Britannia if the Empire did initiate a war against the Chinese Federation, as Rupert was making clear, that acceptance was still qualified on Britannia being the active aggressor.
A preemptive strike, or even a semi-reactionary one seeking to liberate the current territories Britannia occupied, would violate that principle of non-aggression sufficiently that doing so was politically impossible for the EU as a united bloc. Whether that lack of willingness constituted moral courage or moral cowardice was, as with morality itself, highly subjective. In either case however, Russia clearly recognized the political unpalatableness of being seen as the aggressor in any upcoming conflict, hence the immense effort it was exerting to paint the Britannians as having already fired the first shot. Unfortunately for the Russians, Britannia was not without some diplomatic nous itself, and had been working to give those European governments reluctant to partake in any conflict every possible excuse they could wish for to sit it out. Lelouch's concessions during the sakuradite conference and Eden Vital's other negotiations with the Holy See were only part of the Empire's diplomatic maneuvering, and they had seen enough success to convince at least some of the EU's members to sit on the sidelines for anything short of Britannia being unequivocally the aggressing party in a future conflict. And with the EU requiring unanimous agreement amongst its members on matters involving mutual defense, that was enough to neutralize the possibility of the EU marshaling the entirety of the bloc's resources in a direct confrontation against Britannia.
"The EU will continue pressing for a diplomatic solution to the current crisis," Rupert stated, "and we will do our utmost to facilitate a peaceable resolution that will see no further outbreaks of conflict. We do this cause no good by displaying a willingness to be a co-belligerent in the conflict. And until such time as every possible diplomatic avenue is exhausted, this body will not be party to any action that risks escalation into a nuclear exchange, this I swear."
End of Chapter 57
The European Commission scene was something of a last-minute addition to this chapter. I realized that I needed to show a bit more of how things were unfolding on the other side for worldbuilding purposes, so it was either add it at the end of this chapter or add it to the next. And seeing as the next chapter is already going to be fairly lengthy, I decided to toss it into this one.
Random aside, readers have in the past asked if I ever considered a story where Lelouch went to the EU and became an actual leader figure instead of him being a covert intelligence operative like he was in Calculus. Back then, my answer was no, I couldn't think of anything. Now however, I actually do have a story concept that would see Lelouch in a more traditional leadership role in the EU. A role where he would even be publicly known as the second coming of Wellington, Suvorov, and Napoleon. The process of him achieving this however would take him long enough that he'd be in his late twenties, I simply cannot envision a path for him to do so while still adhering to the level of geopolitical and military realism that I do for my stories. The good news for all of you is that I have not succumbed to the temptation of actually working on that concept, as that could only result in this and my other stories getting delayed even further due to my divided attention, for now. We'll see if this particular plot bunny becomes irritating enough in its gnawing for that to change, or if I need to shove out a 30K word "outline" to get it out of my head enough to focus, like I did with A Most Civil Campaign. What's that? There's not a story with that title under my profile? That's intentional.
We've now been introduced to Milly's father. Previously I seesawed a bit back and forth as to whether Milly's father was the Ashford heir or if he married into the family. At this point I've settled on Milly's mother being the Ashford heiress and Pierre having married in. And we see Milly got at least some of her wit and backbone from her father.
Yes, I am aware of the notion that geass was used on Franklin. The mechanical 'how' of the matter is frankly a somewhat minor quibble. The broader issue I've always had with it was why even bother with Franklin. As important a role as Franklin played, he was not the crux on which the French decided whether to assist the Americans, France had its own geopolitical calculus under which it was operating irrespective of how charming they might have found Franklin. There's also the ripple effect to account for. One of the big reasons for why the French Revolution happened was because of the massive expenses the French state incurred intervening in the American Revolutionary War and their efforts to try to pay off the associated debts incurring the anger of so many people. Assuming one wants easy reconciliation with the French Revolution still happening, which it ostensibly did in the canon Code Geass, you actually need France to have still taken the colonists' side in an aggressive enough manner to have sunk as much money into it as they did in the real world. Having the colonists lose in spite of this requires fiddling around with entirely different people, since Franklin certainly had no relevancy when it came to the actual military decision making of the colonists, the French, or the Spanish that joined the former two. So saying the colonists lost the war because Benjamin Franklin betrayed them is a bit, umm, investing more weight behind a single person than he necessarily warrants.
I feel like I need to once again emphasize that while I am reusing the characters from Code Geass, my versions are distinctly different people from their canon counterparts. If nothing else, the motives that drive my characters are not dictated for the sake of narrative convenience, the narrative itself is driven by the actual motives and agency possessed by the characters. This means that a lot of what many viewers perceived as major character failings do not carry over to my iterations. Which is why Euphemia never attempts the sort of from the heart schemes she tries in the anime, and also why no such scheme would have ever stood any chance of getting even as far as they did in the anime in my narrative. Similarly, that also means characters like Cornelia do not command the absolute obedience of her knights. Loyalty, yes, but that loyalty would compel them to refuse any order they considered genuinely in violation of their and their liege's honor. And in the most extreme case, they would move to stop their liege from besmirching her own honor, by force of arms if need be.
In many ways, this distinction is a consequence of values dissonance. In the Japanese cultural context, absolute loyalty is a quality to be admired, hence why Code Geass in so many instances so unironically had so many characters exhibit it. Even in those instances where they tried to subvert it, the intrinsic, almost romantic ideal behind such loyalty remained. In western societies, this sort of loyalty is nowhere as celebrated. Characters that seek to exemplify it come off as not those seeking to uphold an ideal, but as wannabe fanatics that are almost certain to do more harm than good. It is for this reason that I've put particular emphasis on how my characters by and large do not skew towards this sort of absolute loyalty. Their loyalty is conditional, because those who have it have earned it through word and deed. If any of the characters tried pulling any of the canon nonsense in the world of my narrative, they would get put down hard by those whose loyalties would have been destroyed by such actions.
Flowery language, that's a new one, or at least the phrasing of it. Though by and large the subsequent complaints betray a pretty significant misunderstanding as to what sort of information dialogue is supposed to, or even capable of conveying, as opposed to prose. If a reader is fooled into thinking that all of the additional information in the prose was somehow so obvious that dialogue alone would have been sufficient, that actually goes to show how seamlessly the two have been interleaved to complement each other. If a reader actually genuinely thinks the prose has provided no additional information, then they've missed probably over half of the story anyway, irrespective of how obvious any of the information might have been.
As for the complaints about the character behaviors, about all I have to say is, others are not obliged to constrain themselves to the limits of someone else's understanding of entirely fictional people.