Stage 8 - Snow is Beautiful: Part I

The Britannian Shuttle, a pearl-white aircraft of the variety commonly used to transport members of the Imperial Family, flew through the sky at cruising altitude, leaving white contrails in its wake.

After confirming their flight path with the co-pilot, Zero entered the neatly furnished passenger section of the craft. Out of the window he could see two pale-gray Britannian Jet Fighters flying in formation, serving as their escort. Zero hoped that one day, such precautions would be unnecessary, but he couldn't risk any harm befalling this particular passenger…

"Is everything on schedule, Zero?" Nunnally vi Britannia enquired, turning her attention from the window for a moment to give him an assuring glance. "I'm looking forward to seeing how Spain - old Area 24 - is faring now that it has regained its independence."

Taking a seat opposite Nunnally, he gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Yes, your Highness. If anything, we may arrive a little sooner than expected thanks to clear skies and a favorable jet stream."

Nunnally's eyes glistened. "That's good news. If the skies are clear I'm hoping we'll get a good view of the Alps from the window!" she cooed before blushing slightly, perhaps embarrassed at her overt display of excitement. "I'm sorry," she smiled, "it's just that I haven't seen them from the sky before."

Zero smiled, his content expression hidden behind the iconic oval mask he was wearing. While it had been over two months since Nunnally had regained her eyesight, it sometimes slipped his mind that there were sights - those he had always taken for granted - that Nunnally had yet to see.

"It's a shame what happened to Marry," Nunnally commented, steering the conversation towards politics. "It would have been good to see her… at least one last time."

Zero reclined in his seat. It was only about a year ago that he first met with the late Marrybell mel Britannia - the old Viceroy of Area 24. She had a similar appearance to Nunnally, but that was where their similarities ended. Indeed, when she was still alive, Marrybell had a reputation for being ruthless and cruel, a stark contrast to Nunnally's kind and understanding nature.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Zero responded, acknowledging her pain but not wishing to dwell on the past.

Nunnally's face broke into a kind smile. "In any case, I hope the world can truly accept Britannia's commitment to a peaceful future," she began. "I've…tried to convey how sincere we are, but I'm not sure the representatives from other nations trust us yet. I'm sure that having you by my side has helped, Zero, but I think there's still a lot of work to be done."

"I think you're right, your Highness," Zero nodded.

Nunnally let out a gentle giggle. "I suppose that means we'll be living on a plane for the foreseeable future too…"

Zero chuckled in agreement. Back when he was a Knight of the Round, escorting members of the Britannian Imperial Family or dignitaries was common, but even he had to admit the amount of traveling the two had done together recently was unprecedented. Peace talks, formal dinners, summits on the allocation of resources and signing new treaties. The last two-months had been full of events like that, spread across Europia, the Chinese Federation and Japan. At least it was preferable to conflict and strife, that much was for sure…

Having said that, they could not be complacent. While most nations were content with blaming Lelouch for all misdeeds committed by the old Britannian Empire, the truth was that the sheer volume of war crimes and other evils could not be laid at his feet alone. Zero suspected that most world leaders were astutely aware of this fact, but were turning a blind eye to the acts of Lelouch's predecessors to facilitate amicable discourse with Britannia… for now at least.

Sighing as he looked out of the window, Zero considered what Lelouch had sacrificed - his life and his soul - for this fragile peace. Lelouch had done the hard part, and now it was up to him, and those like Nunnally, to do everything they could to strengthen and preserve it.

Nunnally gasped excitedly, breaking his introspection. "Look, you can see the Alps now! Oh wow - the mountains look like little waves of toasted meringues from all the way up here! How beautiful."

"They look much different on the ground." Zero commented, enjoying Nunnally's colorful description. "Maybe one day we can see them close-up."

"I'd love that! Once we've visited all the nations of Europia we can take some time out!" Nunnally beamed excitedly.

Zero continued to look out of the window. It was rare to hear Nunnally so excited. In the past she'd been so innocent, but being forced back into the role of a Britannian Princess - and experiencing great loss - had cooled her temperament over the last year or so. Hopefully, as time healed her wounds and peace was strengthened, she could begin to act like a girl - no, a young woman - again.

A few moments passed before he turned his gaze back towards Nunnally. He expected her to be bright eyed staring out the window, but it seemed that all the traveling they'd done recently coupled with her newfound excitement had taken its toll. She really did look peaceful when sleeping like that…

Unfortunately, Zero couldn't rest so easily. Taking advantage of the silence, he pulled a handheld communications device from his pocket and began scrolling through a recent report. According to the report, someone had managed to access protected information from the Britannian Embassy in Tokyo.

Normally this would have warranted only moderate concern. In this case, however, whoever had breached their security had accessed files on Sir Julius Kingsley - the rather grand persona that Lelouch had been brainwashed into adopting to support Britannian military activity in Europia.

Zero's clicked his tongue as he reviewed the information that had been retrieved. Fortunately, all information on Geass had been redacted, but most other data had been accessed: from pictures of Kingsley through to his movements and involvement in Military Operations. The degree of incompetence in leaving this kind of highly sensitive information at Level Six Clearance was beyond comprehension.

Gripping the armrest of his chair tightly, Zero pondered who could possibly be interested in Julius Kingsley. A disgruntled member of the old Euro-Britannia nobility? But, then, what were they doing in Japan of all places? Whoever it was, Zero was sure that they wouldn't be able to piece everything together about Lelouch with the data on Kingsley alone…

Lost in his thoughts, Zero barely heard the footsteps of the flight attendant approaching. "Master Zero," she whispered carefully to avoid waking Nunnally, "we're about halfway to our destination. If you look closely, you'll see Geneva from your window."

"Thanks for the update," Zero said sternly, waving the flight attendant away.

As her footsteps faded, Zero came to a realization. Whoever accessed the files on Kingsley could have used other search terms.

Hastily bringing up the report again, Zero immediately noticed that the search terms 'Switzerland', 'Alexander' and 'February - April 2018' were used. He would need to investigate this more, but those terms narrowed it down substantially. If the person who accessed this file was in any way connected to that unit of Swiss mercenaries, then…

Zero grimaced at the thought, his eyes darting from the screen and settling on Nunnally's peaceful appearance. While he'd vowed not to lie to her again, the topic of 'Julius Kingsley' had never been broached, so she remained blissfully unaware that her brother was used as a tool of war for the best part of six-months by Britannia after being captured following the Black Rebellion and before returning to Ashford Academy with his memories erased.

The person Lelouch was forced to become as 'Julius Kingsley' still made his skin crawl. As Zero, Lelouch had pushed the boundaries of morality to their extreme, but as Kingsley, no such boundaries existed. In a way, Kingsley was far more terrifying than Zero had ever been - a ruthless strategist and tactician who reveled in his own self-inflated sense of superiority.

Zero sighed. It was no good dredging up these memories. His investigation would hopefully shed some light on who it was that was interested in Kingsley. He just hoped his initial hunch was wrong. If it was that person who had somehow managed to crawl from obscurity after all this time, then Nunnally could be in danger, as well as the current state of peace that Lelouch had sacrificed so much for…


Stage 0.624

February 2018 a.t.b

Suzaku Kururugi absent-mindedly gazed out of the window of the Britannian armored train as it glided through the French countryside.

While Britannia's invasion of Europia had advanced through Northern Africa to Southern Europe, including the monumental conquest of France by Prince Schneizel, the heartland of Europe remained strong. In particular, the border between France and Switzerland had proven particularly challenging to any invading Britannian forces, in part due to the mountainous terrain.

To break the stalemate, Britannia needed someone who could think outside the box from a tactical and strategic standpoint. That explained the call for Military Advisor Sir Julius Kingsley.

The door to the carriage opened. "Sir Kururugi, we're almost at our destination," the passing Warrant Officer informed him concisely before bowing. Suzaku nodded in acknowledgement and watched her exit before casting his eyes back over his traveling companion.

"Suzaku… could you please bring me some… water?" Kingsley muttered weakly as he leant against the corner of the carriage, clutching the window sill with his head facing the floor.

He turned away, ignoring Kingsley's request and cursing to himself that the Emperor had given him this responsibility for a second time, as if their last operation in St Petersburg wasn't agonizing enough.

"Suzaku…" Kingsley choked meekly. "Water…please…"

He exhaled sharply and glared at Kingsley. After a moment of exasperation, he grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby storage compartment and tossed it on the floor by Kingsley's feet. "There," Suzaku said, in the iciest possible tone he could muster.

Kingsley slowly reached down to the floor, his hands shaking like leaves in a gentle breeze. When the tips of his fingers finally made contact with the bottle, a hellish movement in the train's course caused it to roll away, as if taunting him. Kingsley grunted, stretching further than before to grasp the bottle now dancing just out of arm's reach to the rhythm of the train. As he did so, he slipped and fell from his seat, letting out a small gasp as he hit the floor.

Suzaku grimaced at this pathetic display as Lelouch - no, Kingsley - fumbled around on all fours in an attempt to quench his thirst. With the bottle finally in reach, Kingsley clutched it and clumsily unscrewed the lid.

Upon seeing Kingsley's relieved expression at finally obtaining what he desired, the rage that Suzaku had kept hidden away overwhelmed him. In an instant, he rose from his seat, grabbed Kingsley by the arm - forcing him to drop the bottle - and threw him brutally back into his seat. Kingsley grunted in pain after being manhandled and gasped for breath. Slowly, he opened his uncovered right eye and began scanning the carriage, his expression flickering with despair the moment his gaze finally rested on the now-unscrewed bottle leaking water cruelly onto the floor. After a sigh of exhaustion, apparently resigned to his dehydrated fate, he curled up into a ball.

Suzaku stood over Kingsley, clenching his fists tightly. This monster was the reason Euphie was no longer with them — with him. But then why - despite the seething rage coursing through every fiber of his being - couldn't he help feeling pity for this man?

After they'd returned to Pendragon following Kingsley's mental breakdown in front of Shin Hyuga Shaing earlier in the year, Suzaku was sure that the Emperor would send Lelouch back to Ashford Academy - or lock him in a cell - whichever took his fancy at the time. Instead, the Emperor had reimplanted false memories in Lelouch, more so than last time, in a final attempt to bleed some usefulness out of his rebellious son. Suzaku wasn't sure if the Geass would hold for long, but in any case he had a duty to fulfill if he was to earn recognition as the Knight of Seven and, hopefully one day, become the Knight of One.

Unable to look upon Kingsley's disgraceful expression any longer, Suzaku looked to the window. He could see the silhouette of large mountains in the distance. It seemed like they'd be arriving in Lyon soon…

Once they arrived at Lyon Station, Suzaku and Kingsley were welcomed with a fanfare worthy of an Imperial dispatch. It seemed that using the train designated for use by members of the Britannian Imperial family had not gone unnoticed. As Suzaku alighted the train, glancing at the neo-gothic architecture of the station interior, he was greeted by General Lafayette and approximately twenty officers, who had fanned out along the platform in a line facing the train.

"We welcome with loyalty and admiration Sir Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Seven, and Sir Julius Kingsley, Military Advisor appointed by his Majesty Charles zi Britannia!" Lafayette bellowed, his voice echoing through the station. As if on cue, the officers standing behind him stood at attention, clicking their boots together with a noise which reverberated in an impressive display of discipline.

Once the station had fallen silent, Kingsley emerged from the train, his footsteps tapping against the metallic steps down onto the platform. Taking in the scene, he cast his eye over the officers lined up in front of him and Suzaku.

"Not bad." Kingsley finally remarked, his mouth breaking into a patronizing grin. "Although, given the victory I'm about to deliver you on a platter, I was picturing a grander welcome. I suppose all things are relative, especially in this backwater city which has only recently had the privilege of joining his Majesty's glorious Empire."

Lafayette stiffened, but his expression remained neutral. "Thank you for your understanding my Lord," he responded professionally. "If you'll follow me please, Sir Kingsley, your insight is urgently required at our forward base around forty Kilometers to the East."

"Excellent," Kingsley grinned, "right to business. Lead the way."

Lafayette nodded dutifully, pulling an electronic device from his pocket and offering it to Kingsley. "All the intelligence we've gathered so far which is relevant to the enemy's position is on here for your perusal."

Kingsley smirked. "How efficient of you, General," his tone borderline sarcastic, "I'm sure it'll make for some light reading while we're in transit."

As with the welcome at Lyon Station, little grandeur had been spared with their mode of transport - an expensively adorned armored sedan bearing the flag of the Britannian Empire. The same could be said of their escort - a regiment of Sutherlands, all equipped with both anti Knightmare and anti-infantry ballistics - which kept expertly in formation around the sedan as it traveled East along the well-maintained freeway.

"I've reviewed the information you've gathered on the enemy," Kingsley drawled after skimming the data for a matter of minutes, "but I'd be interested to hear your personal insight, General."

Lafayette, occupying the seat opposite Suzaku, crossed his legs and focused his gaze on Kingsley. "The enemy is a well oiled machine composed of the Swiss Guard supported by a number of elite mercenary units. Within days of Prince Schneizel subjugating France, these forces crossed the border and took position in the mountainous regions of French territory to ensure that no supply chains could be established from France to Geneva. Since then, any attempt to break through has been met with heavy resistance."

Kingsley chuckled. "Sometimes having the high ground can provide such a false sense of security, particularly when we have a Knightmare with flight capabilities on hand."

Suzaku shot Kingsley a cold, questioning glance. The only unit he knew of with flight capabilities in the vicinity was the Lancelot. Granted, it had been transported with them to Lyon, but Suzaku had no appetite to take orders from Kingsley as part of any military operation. That was the one condition of his tenure as Kingsley's escort - that he was a bodyguard and nothing more.

"Is your intention to use the Lancelot equipped with a Float System?" Suzaku asked archly. "If so, let me remind you Lord Kingsley that–"

Kingsley raised his hand to stop Suzaku's objection. "I wouldn't dream of issuing you with a direct command," he grinned devilishly without meeting Suzaku's gaze, "I just assumed that since Britannian casualties have been so significant, you may wish to step in and prevent any more unnecessary deaths."

Suzaku turned his face away from Kingsley and Lafayette, in particular so that the latter couldn't see his expression. That bastard… He knew that he had no direct authority but he also knew that Suzaku couldn't say no to such a request. It also didn't help that Lafayette, a former member of the French military, was party to this exchange. They couldn't afford to look at odds with his watchful gaze on them.

Breaking the silence, Lafayette spoke up. "Interesting, but we've tried aerial assaults, and the anti-air capabilities of the Swiss Guard are second to none."

Kingsley groaned derisively. "The Panzer-Hummel Knightmare, is that it?"

"Yes, as you'll be aware," Lafayette began, "European tactics are built around long ranged engagements. With that in mind, the Panzer-Hummel has no close-quarters capabilities but, in the hands of a skilled pilot and with enough distance, its dual cannons can do significant damage, even to Britannian Fifth Generation Knightmares like the Gloucester and Sutherland."

Kingsley sneered. "Thank you for the history lesson, General. However, if Sir Kururugi is up to the task, then you won't have to lose a single unit…"

Lafayette reclined gently in his padded seat and smirked. "I'm looking forward to seeing what both of you can accomplish…"

Counting the seconds before he could be a comfortable distance from Kingsley, the remainder of their car journey through the increasingly rural scenery passed at a snail's pace. Finally, Suzaku spied a Britannian G-1 Base in the near distance. It seemed that this large land-cruiser, of the type commonly deployed by members of the Britannian Imperial Family to serve as mobile command centers, was to serve as their base of operations.

As the sedan and its armed escort drew closer to its destination, the G-1 Base's polished exterior became more evident, reflecting the overcast sky and mountainous backdrop with a purple hue. Lafayette adjusted his seating position as the sedan ground to a halt. "Sir Kingsley; Sir Kururugi"— he nodded, as he opened the car door and gestured for them to exit.

After a short walk up to the top level of the G-1 Base, they finally arrived at their destination. "Commander on deck!" General Lafayette announced, heralding their entrance onto the bridge. A number of senior officers turned to face them as they entered. Behind the officers was a large digital display of the battlefield - a three-dimensional map of the pass between Lyon and Geneva snaking from West to East with the Alps to the South and a separate mountainous region to the North. Suzaku was quick to notice that the Britannian forces were currently arranged in a line along the low-altitude expanses to the West of the map. Presumably the enemy forces were dotted around the mountainous regions towards the East as Lafayette explained earlier.

As Kingsley approached the display, some of the officers parted.

"With all the resources at your disposal, this is the best you can manage?" Kingsley sneered as he leaned over the edge of the display, drawing a few perturbed glares from the incumbent military personnel.

"Unfortunately so, my Lord," Lafayette bowed, maintaining his collected appearance. "From our discussion earlier, it sounded as though you already had a plan in mind. Please elaborate."

Grinning maliciously, Kingsley walked to the opulent commander's chair situated at the rear of the room. "With pleasure," he replied grandly, spreading his arms widely before taking a seat. "Let me show you how his Majesty deals with rabble who dare to try and halt the march of his glorious Empire of Britannia…"


To the West from his elevated vantage point, Jack could see the Rhône Valley in all its glory as the sun set on the horizon. Vast expanses of grassland, with the occasional smattering of evergreen woodland which cast long shadows, could be seen in the distance. The more proximate hillside forests surrounding the Rhône river, which carved a path through the mountains towards Jack's position, were dusted with recently fallen snow that gradually thickened towards the alpine regions.

The view was truly breathtaking, or at least it would have been had his eyes not been glued to this view for the last two weeks. He was beginning to hate it and the snow that continued to fall.

"My God this is boring…" Amy droned, voicing Jack's internal complaint. "It's so damn cold too…"

Jack smiled wryly. "Maybe next time you'll bring a book or something to pass the time."

"...Don't joke around, we both know Amy can barely read," Naoto teased over the radio.

"You think you're so funny, but really you're just insulting a girl who missed out on her chance to go to high school…" Amy responded bitterly. "And I'm pretty sure I can read better than you, you oversized gorilla."

Naoto chuckled. "Don't write off school just yet. There's still time."

"Maybe," Amy acknowledged, "but only if Britannia stops invading other countries. You know that there's no place for us in their society and we need somewhere to call home…"

"Cut the chatter, S Unit. It looks like Britannian forces are on the move." A steady voice laced with authority ordered over the radio.

Damn, they forgot to tune the frequency to a private channel again.

"Sorry, General." Jack replied professionally, bringing up his tactical display. Looking closely at the enemy signatures, it appeared that the Britannians were consolidating their forces towards the North of the Rhône Valley, leaving the Southern expanses more exposed than before.

"Your view on the matter, Reiner?" The General enquired over the Officers' private frequency.

"This has to be bait." Jack replied curtly. "There's no reason for Britannia to leave its Southern flank open at the expense of a potentially futile push towards the North.

"I agree, Reiner, but the question is: to what end?"

Jack stroked his chin while reclining deeper into his cockpit seat. The Britannian advance North provided an opportunity for Swiss forces to advance and gain territory in the South, encircling the lowland supply routes between Lyon and Geneva. The theoretical drawback to exploiting this opening was that their front line would need to be brought in from the South to compensate for the units advancing Westward. That would make it easier to bypass their frontline from the South. However, the Alps lay to the South, and those mountains couldn't easily be traversed by land or river, making it practically an impossible task.

Could Britannia's now-deserted regions be rigged with explosives? No… the scanners would detect ordnance capable of damaging Knightmare Frames and Britannia would know that. They were arrogant but not stupid….

Jack briefly considered whether the Britannians were planning to try and flank them using an aerial assault from the South, but even that would be repelled. The mountainous terrain meant that aircraft would need to fly above radar, so Britannian forces would be easy pickings for the anti-air capabilities of their Knightmare Frames.

"Reiner, your advice?" the General repeated, his tone cooler this time. As with most military men the General didn't like to repeat himself, especially when it was a request for counsel.

Jack clicked his tongue as he continued attempting (and failing) to imagine what kind of trap Britannia could plan in this situation. This was certainly not their usual modus operandi.

"Has there been any new intelligence on Britannia's movements in the region today?" Jack asked over the Officers channel. "With what we have I can't make a firm assessment."

The General tutted over the radio in a manner which radiated 'what the hell am I paying you for?'. "Reynolds," he finally spoke, "any word from our informants: have there been any material developments in Lyon and the surrounding areas?"

"Just one Sir," Reynolds responded in a thick French accent. "There was a rather 'grande' fanfare at the Lyon Train Station - apparently the Britannian Imperial Train was sighted entering the Station - apparently transporting an unknown VIP. The report also says that Lafayette was there to greet them."

"That snake Lafayette is working with the Brits? That doesn't surprise me," the General spat. "That man always was slippery."

Jack narrowed his eyes, ignoring the General as he went into greater detail about how much he hated Lafayette. The Britannian Imperial Train; so was this VIP a member of the Imperial family? If so, did they have an escort? Thinking back to reports over the last few months, the Knights of the Round had been assisting with operations in Northern Africa and Southern Europe. Britannia was quick to sing its own praises, so it wasn't difficult to find out that most of those Knights used Knightmare Frames equipped with Float Systems. Could that be it: an aerial assault from the South using high-spec Knightmares capable of navigating the ravines under the radar? But even if that was the case, it didn't explain the change in Britannia's formation: there's no way one or two units were capable of doing so much damage that it would justify allowing the Swiss to advance so far, unless the enemy was considering another means of warfare…

Jack's theorizing was interrupted when a large clump of snow suddenly landed on the cockpit of his Panzer-Hummel. "Fuck!" he gasped. The force of the impact was surprisingly strong given that the snow must have only just fallen from a nearby tree. He sighed, no wonder avalanches could be deadly at this time of year, what with all the accumulated snow and compressed ice at higher altitudes.

Wait…

His eyes sparked with realization as he brought up a map of the Alps to the South and East of their position. Could that be it? Using the terrain as a weapon? It was an extremely risky move for an invader to attempt to use the defenders' home turf against them. The chance the enemy commander was planning something like that was slim, but he couldn't rule it out given the information he possessed…

"I have a suggestion," Jack finally spoke, interrupting the General's scathing monologue about Lafayette 'the prick'. "It will require using a small dispatch of units to avoid alerting the enemy, but if we pull it off, then we'll take that land Britannia has offered up without springing any potential trap.

"Interesting, maybe I was wrong about you mercenaries. Explain."

"With pleasure," Jack replied, "let me show you why someone with the title 'Reiner' is worth the price."


Author's note

This was a fun chapter to write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The interaction between Kingsley and Suzaku is barely explored in the Akito OVAs and personally I thought it was wasted. On that basis, with this fic (or at least part of it) I really wanted to explore their dynamic in more detail… and also to write them in action together.

Another sad point from the Akito movies is that they are revisionist (i.e. made after R1 and R2 but set in between the two seasons) and so there's no reference to Kingsley or Europia (not really) in R2 as a natural consequence. It's a shame the resurrection movies didn't fix that, but as usual with Code Geass we're always left wanting more…

Next up: This 'flashback' will continue in "Snow is Beautiful: Part 2"!

Thanks to those following / supporting this fic - it means a lot. If you have any thoughts or comments feel free to leave a review. In particular, I'd be grateful to hear whether people are enjoying, or having trouble, following the exposition / descriptions of the scenery.