Throne of Glass
Part One: To Build A Truth
Chapter revised 4/10/24
Chapter 2: In Pursuit of Power
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Genbu Kururugi, Prime Minister of the once proud nation of Japan, stood hunched over a scattering of reports and maps that all pointed to the same grim conclusion. Indeed, it was a simple fact from the day the invaders first reached their shores that their end was as inevitable as the setting sun. In a rare moment, he well and truly acknowledged that fact in his mind, allowing the truth to truly take root.
They were going to lose, no matter what he did.
Even still, knowing that did not change how he was going to act. He, and all of Japan, would die fighting until the bitter end, such was the way of their people.
A rapping on his office door drew the man from his dreary thoughts, and Genbu stood a little taller, shrugging off the dread that hung over him like a blanket.
"Who is it?" He called out.
The door opened. Revealing the Lelouch vi Britannia, the young prince who was sent to his home so many months ago. Seeing the boy injected a dose of rage into his veins, but it was a temperament he quickly doused. His mind knew the prince was as much a victim of his father as the rest of them. Even if his heart did not.
"What do you want? I'm very busy at the moment." He said.
"Forgive me for intruding so late at night." The boy bowed as he entered the room. He cast his eyes upon the maps laid out on Genbu's desk, and he half started to cover them, as if to shield them from the child's prying gaze. Like it actually mattered.
"Britannia's advance is far more brutal than I had imagined." Lelouch commented, witnessing just how much they had already lost.
"That it is." He agreed. "Nonetheless we shall fight, as it is all we can do."
The boy looked at him, silent and thoughtful. Genbu frowned, not knowing what such a child could be thinking of.
"Will you not reconsider? Surely you know better than anyone that your people will die. Britannia will conquer Japan and any who remain will become numbers. That fact is unavoidable. But it doesn't always have to be, you can still-"
"Why does it matter to you, boy?" Genbu interrupted. "You are not Japanese, it is not your people dying in the streets. No, yours are the ones who wield those monstrous weapons of death. So why do you care if we choose to die here, when you can leave and pretend it never happened?"
Lelouch glared at him, his hands curling into fists. "Because it did happen. Because I saw with my own eyes what hell looks like. You cannot say the same."
"Don't presume what I know, boy. I've seen my share of war, I know it's taste. I know what we are facing, and I know we can endure to the end." Genbu growled.
The prince snorted. "Can you honestly say that of the defenseless civilians-the children-who were killed without any hope of seeing tomorrow? You say that you intend to fight until the end, but what of them? They are not fighting for their honor, they're being slaughtered in their own homes! I fail to see the honor in that, Kururugi."
The Prime Minister scoffed at the boy's outrage. "You're just a Britannian, it would be asking too much to expect you to understand."
"Then why don't you help me." With the declaration, a searing pain erupted in his chest. Genbu looked down to see a small sword, a tantō, embedded in his heart.
He choked, falling to his knees as he feebly grasped the protruding weapon.
"Now you're going to die the same way they did: powerless, unable to protect yourself. And from a Britannian invader, no less."
"You…bastard." Genbu choked out.
The prince's eye twitched. "I'll forgive you that insult, for Suzaku's sake."
He shuddered at the mention of his son's name. How could he have forgotten?
"I need Japan. And you do not deserve it. But it's no different for you this way right?" Lelouch said, examining his handiwork. "An honorable death at the hands of an enemy. But I'll let the rest of Japan decide for themselves what they want."
"You're still making that choice for them." The dying man rasped through grit teeth. "A life…of slavery."
"No, it won't be for life. One day, they will be free again. I'll make sure of it."
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Narita mountains, Area Eleven; 2011 ATB
With a ragged breath, the boy pushed himself off the floor once again.
Physical exercise was still an activity he loathed. Little by little however, it became easier; and he possessed enough discipline to continue. That and a merciless instructor breathing down his shoulder.
The last year Lelouch had spent holed up within the Narita base was a difficult one. Though he had lost since grown accustomed to the way those around him viewed him-like those at the Kururugi shrine did-it was exhausting to deal with. Only a handful of people actually spoke honestly with him. Todoh being among them, though Lelouch could tell he had not forgiven his transgression.
Luckily however, he would soon be able to leave Narita, and establish a haven of his own.
"Lelouch!" A voice whined at him. He suppressed a groan, having ignored it several times now.
"Stop ignoring me!" Kaguya demanded, tiny hands planted on her hips. It was a pose that reminded him of Nunnally. "I came all this way to play chess, so you'd better get your butt over here!"
"You came all this way because Kirihara did. You're supposed to be learning from him." He finally deigned her a response.
"He doesn't teach me anything." She protested. "All he does is talk to old people about Sakuradite all day."
"Then you should be listening." He replied as he continued his routine.
"I've been doing that all day." Kaguya said, folding her arms in irritation.
Lelouch sighed. "I don't have time for games Kaguya, I have to get stronger." That, and if he stopped now, he wouldn't finish his regimen. And that meant a reprimand from Todoh.
"Is it really that important to be strong?" She asked. "Suzaku is the same way."
"Yes, it is." He told her without hesitation. Without strength, without power, he could never exact his vengeance.
"Then…does that make it bad to be weak?"
His thoughts drifted to his mother, to Nunnally. And the countless bodies that littered the streets of Tokyo. So many people were so terribly weak, their lives stolen away as a result. It was despicable, the world his father created.
He would tear it all down, rip it apart with his bare hands. But to that end, he needed power. And thus…
"That's exactly what it means."
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"You finished your training?"
Rubbing his weary arms, Lelouch nodded. "I did, despite Kaguya's presence."
"Good. You're still a ways from Suzaku, but you're making progress." Tohdoh replied.
He grunted "You say that every time."
The colonel grinned slightly. "That doesn't make it any less true. There's only one way to improve."
"What do you think of Katase?" The boy suddenly asked. "Is he someone I should be wary of?"
Tohdoh watched as the hangar doors creaked open, spilling natural light into the spacious hangar. A common Britannian helicopter descended through the opening. Aboard it was the man in question. He looked at the prince, his brow furrowed. "You will not kill him, Lelouch."
The prince peered at him out of the corner of his eye. "Are you telling me I should?"
Todoh sighed, it wasn't often the prince's behavior reminded him he was dealing with a child. "General Katase is both competent and well respected. He was one of the Prime Minister's closest allies, and a faithful supporter." Realizing he wasn't exactly helping the man's case against the boy, he added "but he always did what he believed was right, even if it was in opposition with Kururugi, or his fellow officers. The fact that he has chosen to comply with your plan, and spent the last year subduing resistance across Japan before it could sprout should speak to his credibility enough."
"I see." Was all he offered in return.
As the helicopter touched down, Tohdoh and Lelouch stepped forward to greet the aging officer.
"General Katase." Tohdoh spoke, shaking the other man's hand. "I trust you were successful in keeping everything in check then?"
The officer of Japan's former army nodded. "I was. Though I found it increasingly difficult to convince many of our men to stand down. It wasn't an easy decision for many to make. "
"It's for the best though." Lelouch spoke up as he came to stand by Tohdoh, who gave him a sideways glance, having preferred he didn't say anything.
Katase looked at the young prince, and gave him a courteous bow, which Lelouch returned. "You look well, Prince Lelouch. And I sincerely hope you are correct. Many are sacrificing their pride for a ghost of a chance at revenge."
Lelouch shook his head. "There's no need to call me prince. That title was stripped from me, and I have no intention to reclaim it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then Lelouch, I pray our choice was the right one."
"It is, I can assure you. And I haven't been standing idly by this last year myself. I've been hard at work establishing a plan moving forward, and gathering pieces to make it a reality as best as I could from here."
The general smiled. "Very good. You're quite diligent for someone so young. If there is anything you need from me, do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, sir." Lelouch bowed.
He then turned to address the other man. "Now then, Tohdoh, a word if you will?"
He nodded, following Katase as they proceeded to the command center, leaving Lelouch behind. And once the boy was out of sight, Katase spoke up. "Tell me, Tohdoh, you've spent this last year with the boy. What do you make of him? "
A frown set upon Tohdoh's face at the question. He almost wanted to be rid of the awful secret he carried, to tell Katase the truth he alone knew. But he did not. It was his burden to bear. "Like you just said, he is remarkably diligent, almost single mindedly. What he wants out of this might differ from you and I, but the path he is taking to reach that end aligns with ours. For now, at least."
"Then you think he can be trusted?"
Tohdoh hesitated a moment, thinking of the scene he witnessed that day a year ago now.
"I believe we should not take him lightly, just because he is a child." He settled on. "The lengths he will go to in getting what he wants should not be underestimated. He has the makings of a formidable ally, and a terrible enemy."
Katase nodded thoughtfully. "We have no shortage of enemies these days. And our allies are sparingly few. I think I'd rather have another of the latter, if given the choice. The boy's in the same boat, all too many to call foe. I see no reason for him to turn on us, and he seems reasonable enough to see that." He inclined his head toward Tohdoh. "Still, I'd appreciate it if you kept an eye on him."
"Of course, sir." He'd already been doing as much. He wasn't going to be easing up either.
"I was prepared to die for my country, Tohdoh." The older man said with a heavy sigh. "The path the prince has set us on…I don't know where it may lead, if it will be for the better or worse. Yet we walk it all the same."
Toward a future unknown. A truth yet to be built.
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With another swift kick sailing over his head, Suzaku smashed his fist into the side of his opponent's face, sending him careening into the matted floor. The man lay flat, likely unconscious; and the rest of the people there looked at him with mixed feelings of awe and terror.
Lately, Suzaku had spent the majority of his time at the dojo in the Narita mountains. Like Lelouch, he was dedicated to a strict training regimen under Kyoshiro Tohdoh. While Lelouch was beginning to gain interest in other fighting styles, Suzaku still preferred the Japanese martial arts. It was, to him, the only thing worth keeping of the old Japan. In the past year since the war ended, he was constantly proved over and over that Lelouch was right all along.
The honor of Japan he respected so much was dead. Gone like the cowardly man he called a father. Everyone around him were pathetic excuses for beings, wallowing in their own self pity. Refusing to admit their weakness was the reason for their defeat.
And to think that the only one actively working to save Japan was a Britannian prince!
How pathetic.
The old Japan was weak, worthless, and cowardly. Hiding behind a feigned sense of honor that kept them arrogant and ignorant to the rest of the world. And that arrogance is what led to its downfall.
But the new Japan, the one Lelouch would build, would be different. A Japan built upon the ideals of one who knew what it was like to walk through hell on earth.
One who hated everything this world stood for.
And Suzaku was no different.
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"Lelouch, I've been looking for you."
The boy looked up from whatever he was enamored with. "Apologies, Tohdoh, I was busy examining this here."
What Tohdoh had to say died on his lips as his eyes came to rest upon the strange object sitting before him. A bright pink cube, faintly glowing, barely the size of his fist; suspended in a liquid filled container.
"What…is that?" He asked, dumbfounded by what he saw.
The boy grinned. "This is the most coveted object in the world, Tohdoh. Wars are fought for it, as you are intimately familiar with."
Tohdoh gazed at the object and its captivating glow. There was something ominous to it, dangerous. "That's sakuradite?" He guessed.
"It is called a core luminous." Lelouch revealed. "The single most important component of a knightmare frame. And it took a very long time to finally acquire one."
"What do you intend to do with it?" Tohdoh wondered. He could hazard a guess, but not one that seemed practical.
"A year has passed now, since the war ended and we hid away in defeat. Since then, nothing has changed here. We are still the same tattered remnants of an army that lost miserably to a foe far greater than we." Lelouch said, his hand running across the frame of the container housing the object that caused it all. "We won't win like this, not today, not in a decade from now. Britannia will only continue to grow stronger with each passing day. The only way we can defeat them, to actually win, is to surpass them. This is how."
"You intend to build your own knightmares? We aren't capable of that, even if we knew how. Let alone in the capacity of the empire." Tohdoh countered. What could a single piece of Sakuradite, however valuable it may be, do against a force of that scale?
"No, we are not. But I know someone who is."
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Pendragon; 2011 ATB
Clear on the other side of the globe, an old man stood looking out into the night sky of Pendragon. He watched the lights of the greatest city on earth, wondering how it had ever come to this.
Ruben had seen much in his life, he was painfully familiar with the nature of Britannia's upper society. But it did nothing to ease the guilt eating away at him every single day. Lady Marianne, killed likely by her own family, and little Nunnally too weak to survive much longer after. And the fate that befell Lelouch only ending in his inevitable death.
The entire family was gone, and he blamed himself. He supported Lady Marianne, he encouraged her to further a relationship with the emperor; knowing full well that such a union would never sit well with the pure blooded nobles that plagued Britannia like a disease. It was never going to end well, he had always known that.
He could have even in the least, taken Lelouch before he challenged the emperor, and protected the last child of Marianne. But he did nothing. And now he would no longer be able to do anything at all.
It was no surprise to him that the Ashford Foundation was all but collapsed now. No doubt the exact intentions of those who desired to see Marianne fall as well. There were once high hopes for the Foundation and its ace pilot, but those days were long gone now. He wasn't even given the chance to memorialize her, and her Ganymede knightmare would never see use again.
Ruben gave a sigh, stepping away from the window. He was at a complete loss for what to do. The options left for him were nearly reduced to nothing. It was only a matter of time before those snakes found a way to seize his noble title as well, and they would be forced to leave Pendragon. Still, it was nothing compared to the fate of the vi Britannia line.
He was about to turn in for the night when a sudden ring stopped him. "Who would be calling at this time?" He muttered irritably, absently glancing at the clock. He strode back toward the desk of his office and picked up the phone resting upon it.
"Ruben Ashford. To whom am I speaking?"
"Hello, Ruben."
The old man froze in place, his fingers nearly dropping the telephone. That voice…it couldn't be.
"I'm sorry for calling so late at night. Well, for you it must be." The ghost continued when Ruben did not reply.
"Lelouch? Is that really you?" He managed to ask.
"It is."
"You're still alive? Where have you been, we all thought you were dead!" The old man stammered out, hardly believing his own ears.
"No need to worry, I am very much alive. Despite my family's best efforts." The boy reassured him.
Ah, so the prince thought as much. Ruben himself suspected that was the grim reality of it. "That's why you haven't returned."
"I am in Area Eleven now, I've chosen to stay here. I managed to make a few allies and I…hoped to count you among them."
Then the prince still needed him? It was as if a light had suddenly shone through the clouds upon him. "Of course your highness, whatever you need." He answered without hesitation. Of course, there was a problem. "Though I fear I may not be of use to you anymore. The Ashford Foundation is in ruins, I have nothing to offer you."
"I'm aware of your situation." Lelouch said. "And I'm deeply sorry you have suffered as a result of my actions. Had I not spoke out, perhaps you-"
"Not another word, son. You are not to blame in the slightest." Ruben cut him off.
There was a pause the the prince pondered his words. "I was a fool all the same, but now I know better. I want your help, with something only you can do for me."
"And what is that?" He asked.
"You pioneered knightmare technology, along with my mother. I want you to do it again for me."
"I lost every asset I had. And the Ganymede has already been made obsolete by the Glasgow." He argued. As much as he wished otherwise, that was the brutal truth. "I fear it is already too late.
"I have everything worked out." Lelouch countered. "All I ask is that you come and meet me in the Tokyo Settlement, and I'll explain what I have planned."
Ruben breathed out, perhaps he worried too much. Yet that still left a lingering question. "Very well. But to what end?"
"An army needs weapons, Ruben."
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International waters; 2011 ATB
Lelouch currently sat in the comfortable seat of a first class plane that was headed toward the Militarized Zone of India. He allowed himself to enjoy the lavish furnishings of the plane, a palace compared to the dim underground bunkers of Narita he'd spent the last year confined in.
He ran a hand through his hair, now dyed blond for his visit to India. He would present himself as Allen Ashford, the son of Ruben and the heir to what was left of the Ashford family, which with any luck, would soon be something of genuine worth.
"Are you certain about this Lelouch?" Ruben asked from beside him. The old man held a look of fatherly concern his own father had never shown him.
He had explained to him exactly what he intended, from this trip and years into the future. He was now aware of just how far Lelouch wished to go. "I am. I couldn't face mother and Nunnally otherwise, not after what I've seen. They were murdered by my bastard of a father. Even if he himself wasn't responsible, it was his philosophy that caused it. I can't allow that to continue, I'll avenge them, and rip apart everything that man built."
He gripped the seat tightly, anger bleeding into his words. "And I know that the only way I can do that, is to acquire more power than he has. No matter what it takes, whatever I have to do. I will destroy him."
Giving him a look of sympathy, Ruben laid a hand upon the boy's shoulder. He had undertaken quite the burden for himself. "I understand. You want to change this world, to make it into a place they could be proud of. For that kind of reason, I believe you have a righteous cause."
"Righteous?" Lelouch whispered to himself. "I harbor no such delusions about the nature of my path. I know where it ends."
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Militarized Zone of India; 2011 ATB
Lelouch decided that India was a very dreary place. It was evident just from appearance alone, that the people living here were no better under the Chinese Federation than those of a Britannian colony. They may not have the designation of a number, but they were slaves all the same.
Really, it wasn't any different wherever he went.
A large bearded man greeted them, along with an entourage of menacing guards sporting all manner of weaponry. He clearly meant to demonstrate whatever power he could muster.
"Welcome to India my friend. I am Maharaja, governor of the Militarized Zone of India. You must be Ruben Ashford, I've heard a lot about you." The man spoke with heavily accented English, shaking Ruben's hand with a boisterous grin.
"I'm hardly the man I was before." He replied with a humble shake of his head. "This is my son, Allen. He is to thank for arranging this meeting, as well as dragging me from my study to participate."
Maharaja looked toward the boy with a curious expression. "Is that so? That's quite impressive, my young friend."
"Thank you very much, governor." Lelouch replied in Hindi, the man's own tongue.
His brow shot up in shock. "Well aren't you full of surprises?" He laughed, gesturing as he turned. "Come, let us discuss your proposal somewhere more comfortable, shall we?"
He led the two of them into the imposing building, past more shows of force until arriving at a conference room already occupied by several others.
"Now, I am aware you've faced quite a rough patch in recent times, yes?" Maharaja began. "So then, what can we do for each other?"
"You are correct, we have fallen from grace. Right now, our foundation is all but gone." Ruben said. He nodded toward Lelouch. "Allen here refused to give up, when I already had. As such we have decided to try once more at establishing ourselves as the premier manufacturer of knightmares. We have in our possession blueprints for a streamlined variant of our prototype Ganymede we are capable of perfecting. What we do not have however, is the materials and means of bringing them to life. Both of which you possess in abundance."
"I see now. So you wish for us to construct knightmares for you?" Maharaja concluded. "A very tempting prospect I'll admit. But surely you know as well I, that a very crucial piece of the equation is out of our reach. Without it, this is nothing more than a pipedream I'm afraid."
"That is true." Lelouch finally spoke up, setting a case upon the table for all to see. "Which is why I went to such lengths to share this with you."
He opened the case, allowing its tantalizing glow to fill the room. Maharaja and his companions stood mesmerized by what lay within, and Lelouch allowed them a moment to take it in. "We will provide the Sakuradite necessary for constructing our knightmares. And in addition, we will also pay you with the resource as well."
He smiled at the man, noting the gleam in his eyes. "I'm certain it's much more valuable to you than money."
Lelouch closed the case. "So how does that sound?"
Maharaja glanced at his colleagues. "If you would give us a moment."
He shuffled out of the room with the others, leaving Lelouch and Ruben alone with their priceless rock.
"Do you think he'll accept?" Lelouch asked.
"I've seen the look in his eyes many times before." Ruben said with a knowing smirk. "It was greed, my boy. He wants what we have very badly."
"I was counting on it. I did a lot of research for potential partners." Lelouch explained, running his hand over that crucial component. "India has been stockpiling resources under the table. They've contacted my friends in Area Eleven about a deal themselves, though it wasn't one I intended to take. They want to free themselves of the Federation. You saw the condition they live in, they're being bled dry for nothing in return."
"We should be able to work out a reasonably favorable deal." Ruben said. "At least until we can get back on our feet. This is a brilliant move, my boy."
He nodded. "As long as they agree, that is."
They only waited a few minutes longer before the governor returned.
"It would be our pleasure to work with you, gentleman." Maharaja announced. "Now, when can we expect the Sakuradite to arrive so we can begin?"
Lelouch smiled. Indeed, greed was very easy to manipulate.
Now he could finally begin.
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