Throne of Glass
Part Two: To Wage a War
Merry late Christmas or whatever
Chapter 24: Crusade
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Ashford Tower; 2017 ATB
Sayako had been given a trivial task over the next few weeks. At least, to her it was of no consequence. To closely monitor the movements of the Knight of Five: Emilia Strauss.
The woman had been given a false sense of freedom to wander the tower by Lady Kallen, never knowing she was under such intense scrutiny. It was quite amusing to watch the knight scour her room in an attempt to uncover any hidden cameras or bugs, completely unaware she was being physically watched the entire time. From her place outside the balcony, peering silently into the room, Sayoko could effortlessly examine anything she did in her own quarters. And everywhere else in the tower was even simpler to tail.
Already she had learned a surprising amount from the woman simply from observing her behavior when she believed she was alone. Emlilia was a woman who wore a finely crafted mask in public, one she was all too eager to remove when none were present to witness it. Granted her master made such appearances seem trivial, his many masks slipping to and from without so much as a thought. This woman seemed unused to such practices, allowing her mask to fall so easily. Which meant deception was not a skill she spent her life honing. Why then, was she here to investigate? Unless the knights serving the emperor were in fact exemplary individuals of renowned integrity, though she somehow doubted that. Watching as the young woman began to make a call, Sayoko wondered if they were being taken seriously, or if there were simply no others trusted by the emperor who could withstand keeping such appearances available. "Yes, though I haven't had a moment alone until I reached my room. They've been sure to keep an eye on me this entire time." Silence followed, as she was too far away to hear the man's response. "Well it's not exactly cause for suspicion on its own, it is perfectly understandable."
Sayoko heard the knight shift toward the open balcony, prompting her to silently hop the railing, clinging to it's side out of sight.
"He left a young woman named Kallen Stadtfeld in charge, and it seems Lord Ruben is handling foreign affairs. I had the opportunity to speak with him briefly before he left."
Even this close, the shinobi was unable to hear the lengthy response from the Knight of One before Emilia spoke again. "Of course. I have a feeling something here is amiss, though I would describe it more as a lack of evidence being considerably suspicious. Which of course isn't much to go by. That being said, what I do find, if anything, could be a range of things. However, if the Ashfords are engaging in activities considered treasonous, I will immediately send for you sir Bismark."
Now directly above her, Sayoko caught a glimpse of the woman who clearly posed a threat to her master. "Understood, I'll continue to-" she abruptly stopped, leaning over to see the view of the settlement below, and nothing more. "No, it's nothing." She continued. "I'll contact you again next week."
From her new position on the balcony below, Sayoko frowned. It appeared her new target was more attentive then she first thought. Nonetheless, her master's suspicions were confirmed, that this woman's only purpose was to uncover his plans before they could be put into action.
She would be watching her most closely.
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G-1 Command Center; 2017 ATB
Lelouch watched with an observing eye Cornelia's formation as she approached the fortified city before him. Though he made a show of disgracing his elder sister upon her arrival, he didn't actually have the resources to make her pay for every inch of land she took. And so he consolidated defenses to key cities where the templars could work without being overwhelmed. The local populace and garrisons would harass her everywhere else for him. For now though, he would watch her maneuvers closely. The entire reason he was going through with all this was to enact a plan that would involve minimal engagement with her. But contingencies were valuable, and he'd be a fool to waste this opportunity.
Cornelia's strategies were simplistic he found however. Despite the title 'Goddess of Victory' her success was accredited more to her relentless nature than any tactical prowess. You can't lose if you never quit, and the Chief General had more than enough multi-ton bipedal war machines to hurl at her problems until they were beaten into submission. It shouldn't go unnoticed however, the raw fear her mere presence instilled on the battlefield. To that end he gave her his grudging respect, as she was the only royal who truly put her soul into her duty. Yes many of their siblings tried their hand, throwing away lives from the safety of a command center. She led in a likeness to his own philosophy, and so he dealt with her using the proper measures she deserved. Even her own personal battles would be closely examined, picked apart to be thoroughly abused when the time came.
"Princess Cornelia will be leading our main forces that assault the front gate." Darlton explained to a curious Euphemia, while gesturing to the General's IFF ahead of her unit. "Lady Enneagram will be with the right flank, while Alex commands the left flank spearheaded by the Lancelot."
Lelouch eyed the unit positioning himself, noting Cornelia's preferred compositions, and imagining ways he might counter them.
"I must say, I have always admired the princess for her leadership." The blonde spoke, watching said general's signal ahead of the pack. "She is not only an inspirational leader, but a formidable devicer in her own right."
The older man nodded with a faint smile. "Yes, it's really no wonder her highness was able to obtain a title as lofty as the 'goddess of victory'. Our soldiers follow her into battle knowing she will be victorious, in their minds there is no doubt."
"And soldiers who fight a battle they believe they can win, against a force that fears defeat, are indeed guaranteed to win." Allen agreed. He wondered however, how they would fare when their goddess suddenly found herself swiftly crushed by a foe with an equally steeled resolve. When the illusion of invincibility is shattered, that infallible resolve turns on itself in an instant.
"I wonder if there exists any who could hope to match her tenacity." He mused aloud before letting out a small chuckle. "In a simple Marianne frame no less. It makes me wonder just what her highness would be capable of in a prototype knightmare of her own."
With a glint in his eye, he turned to the older general. "Perhaps we could do something about that, when all this settles down?" and truthfully, it was an intriguing idea, dependent all upon his sister's decisions when the time came.
"I'm certain she would be very interested in the prospect." Darlton replied. "But I have to ask, are you any good as a devicer yourself, Lord Ashford?"
"Good enough to rival the general you mean? Not a chance." Allen answered with a grin. "I know the machines inside and out like the back of my hand, and can certainly pilot them quite well. But ace pilots are a cut above the rest, nearly freaks of nature. Suzaku and I spar regularly, and in Mariannes I can hold my own, but that's the machine limiting his potential. In the Lancelot I would be swept in seconds."
"Kururugi huh? If I'm not mistaken he's the son of the last prime minister correct?" Darlton asked.
"That's right. We met by chance years ago, before the war even. He's living proof that there's an incredible talent out there going to waste." And in a lower tone he added "Much the same as Marianne herself."
"I see." He answered plainly. Unsure of how to respond he decided to change the subject. "That reminds me, about the knightmare you've already created. I know her highness will never say so herself, but she is beyond grateful for what you did."
The young man raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was talking about.
"My princess idolized Lady Marianne, if you didn't know. Served as the captain of her guard in the days before her death." He explained with a melancholic gaze. "I myself never had the opportunity to meet her, nor was I serving her highness till much later. But her own prowess is more than enough to aspire, and it was that goal that led her to become the chief general. So for that, I must express my gratitude; that you have given her majesty the respect due her legacy, that was long denied her."
At a loss for words, the young lord appeared to be at a brief conflict with himself before he finally responded. "Lady Marianne did much for my family, and we owe her a great deal. It was the least I could do, even if I never had the chance to meet her myself. It was because of her that I am here today, that I am able to realize my own dream."
"Please accept my thanks as well." Euphemia spoke up, offering a kind smile. "Marianne meant a lot to me as well, she was like a second mother, one that I miss dearly. I know my sister feels the same."
Mixed feelings kept Lelouch from speaking any further. Now even more he was unsure of himself, of his past grudge. He spared Clovis on what felt like a whim, justified by an excuse that it was more beneficial to keep him alive. Now Cornelia was beginning to wear on his resolve as well. Was he getting soft? No, his hatred remained unchanged, his judgement simply dictated that his siblings were not deserving of his wrath. Many he still believed responsible, or at least guilty by association. But Clovis, Cornelia, Euphy…
It was in that moment that he decided he wanted Cornelia on his side. He wanted his family back.
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For the first time in what felt like an eternity Cornelia felt the exhilaration of rushing headlong into battle. She spent far too long in the deserts that encumbered a knightmare's movement. The princess nearly forgot what it was like to have that anticipation coursing through her as she plunged into the enemy.
A modest wall surrounded the city before them, and the scouts had determined it was adequately defended. Though no sign of the infamous Templars had shown, she was keenly aware they would likely make another appearance.
"Assume formation Delta." She commanded the forces that followed behind them, directing them to form a spear that would crash through their gate. It was their goal to quickly breach the city, where the urban environment would benefit their knightmares the most. Though her enemy finally had knightmares of their own, evening the playing field would put her numbers at the advantage. Artillery shells began to rain down around them, distinctly absent of the deadly gefjun technology. It seemed Zero had put on a show up front he couldn't back up. If he was hoping to scare her off he was a terrible judge of character. "Evasive maneuvers, prepare for contact!"
A small group of ganymede frames were lined up outside the wall, meant to skirmish with her forces break the charge against the wall. They were of little concern, and would not last long. The real danger had yet to reveal itself.
Bringing her spear down upon her helpless foe, she obliterated it with a single blow. "I have no time for rabble like you!"
Her allies quickly followed her lead, laying waste to the meager defensive line. Seconds later they set to work breaching the gate while defending against what armaments could reach them directly under the wall.
"Your highness, a group of knightmares just exited the wall left of our position, and appear to be approaching your flank!" Nonette warned her over communications. "They looked like those new ones from before."
Now things were getting serious. She repositioned herself to face the right side, Guilford close behind her. Moments later her opponents came into view, their dark frames numbering over twenty at least. Bracing herself for a fight, she counted the seconds before they would be upon her.
The nearest one to her raised its claws in preparation, racing full tilt toward the princess. Cornelia readied to deflect the attack, when her battle-honed instincts detected a feint at the last possible moment. Barely holding onto her Marianne's head, the general wasted no time following up with an strike of her own, begrudgingly impressed by the speed in which the knightmare moved to avoid it. A testament to both the frame and the pilot's ability. A short and brutal exchange followed, one that put Cornelia perilously close to defeat. Gritting her teeth, she prepared to drive her lance straight through the cockpit. "I will not allow you to humiliate me again!" She let the momentum carry her past her foe before abruptly stopping herself, and ramming the butt of her weapon into it's back. Her opponent reacted quickly however, and she missed her intended target. Reeling around to face it again, she narrowly dodged another killing blow, losing a chunk of her breastplate. She grinned however, first blood was hers.
This time she chose to allow the black knightmare to strike first, watching carefully as it came in low for a strike against her core. Blocking it with her lance, Cornelia retaliated with her bare fist, colliding the unconventional weapon against its shoulder. The damage was minimal, but it achieved the desired effect. Knocked off balance, the princess had no trouble bringing her lance back around, slicing straight through its core. She watched with satisfaction as it...collapsed?
"He didn't eject?" They certainly had the opportunity to, so why not? Losing one of their own seemed to be enough for them to order a retreat, pressing through her line as soon as the gate was open.
"After them!" She ordered. Removing them now would save her the hassle of constantly dealing with them. As she was more than certain they would be back again and again.
"Your Highness, it's highly likely they are luring you into a trap." Allen cautioned from the safety of the G-1. "They wouldn't have gone back into the city otherwise."
Forcing herself to calm down she thought through his warning. "Fine, sweep through the city. And Alex, set up a perimeter, make certain they cannot escape our encirclement."
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New Dehli, India; 2017 ATB
"So, our second line of defense has already fallen?" Kaguya mused at the monitor displaying the battle taking place. It came as no surprise, though it of course irritated her nonetheless. Sighing, she looked once more at her fortifications written upon the country's map before her. At the rate both Cornelia and Xingke were pressing inward, they would be upon her in mere weeks. Something had to be done about that, they needed more time. If she was to save Cornelia, a remnant of Lelouch's past he still cared for, she would need to slow them considerably.
Her frown turned to a scowl as the knightmare dueling Cornelia was lost. "Retreat back into the city, prepare to evacuate." She ordered. Hopefully Lelouch would convince the princess not to pursue them, giving her time to get her essentials out of the area.
"Here will do." Kaguya muttered to herself, circling a city further east. She would move all her assets, save those allocated to the capital, to that spot. There she would force the Britannian war machine to a grinding halt. "The question then becomes how long can I hold those two ace pilots at bay?"
But she did have one more card to play. Her personal secret weapon gifted by Lelouch. "Give K6 this message to send to Lelouch." She addressed the fallen Templar, who would be unable to retreat. "About what I plan to do next."
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G-1 Command Center; 2017 ATB
He awoke to a wave of freezing cold assaulting his entire body. Once he was finally able to see clearly past the blinding light pointed directly at him, he slowly began to assess his condition. Having resigned himself to the fate that befell him after losing to the chief general, it came as no surprise to find he was now bound firmly to a chair in the center of a hostile interrogation room.
Before him stood four people. One was Cornelia herself, flanked by her knight Guilford and some nobody interrogation officer. But behind them silently stood his master, face impassive and betraying nothing. Sparing but a single glance toward him, he understood the boy's intent.
"So then, are we going to go about this like reasonable adults, or do I need to have my friend here convince you first?" The princess spoke to him with a menacing tone.
"There is nothing you could do to me I have not suffered through already." He coughed out. "Britannia has already taken everything from me. Short of my very life you cannot harm me in a way that means anything."
"We'll see about that. Or perhaps we'll see if you change your mind after a healthy dose of refrain. You numbers seem to be quite fond of the stuff right?"
He scoffed. "Do what you will."
Cornelia smirked before gesturing to the man who would be his close friend for however long this would take. "Notify me when he is feeling more agreeable."
The man bowed, to which the princess nodded before departing, followed by her knight. Allen then followed behind, stopping for a split second, without betraying any of his thoughts. He was soon left alone with the other man.
Picking from a table filled with numerous wicked tools, he spoke to him. "Well, let's get started shall we?"
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"Will we get anything out of him?"
Allen shook his head. "It's hard to say. Piloting one of those machines means he is probably one of Zero's elites. Breaking him won't be easy."
"Still, it baffles me that those knightmares don't have an ejection system."
"It makes sense. The templar is an incredibly streamlined machine, abandoning something unnecessary like that to improve its performance was probably a trivial decision. One I find quite intriguing, it will be very interesting to tear that thing apart." The blonde explained.
"If you can find any sort of weakness, it would be greatly appreciated. Especially considering they seemed to have disappeared from our grasp again."
"Your battle was impressive your highness." He complimented her. "The difference in machines was incredible, yet you prevailed by sheer skill to make up the difference."
"I'd say it was more experience than anything. I bested that eleven because he likely had not faced battle nearly as long." She corrected, waving him off.
"Nevertheless, it is awe inspiring all the same." With a devious smirk he added "I was speaking to Darlton earlier, I would be most honored to work with you in developing a new prototype knightmare that suits you alone, your highness."
In an uncharacteristic splutter, she shook her head. "I couldn't possibly- I'm no ace. Surely that would be a waste of time, lord Ashford."
The young lord laughed lightly. "Not at all. Natural talent is in abundance for pilots like the rounds. But as you said, you have experience and a refined instinct that trumps that. In a knightmare designed specifically for you, I have faith you would be nigh unstoppable."
"Well, coming from you that is high praise. I'll gladly take the offer into consideration." Cornelia relented. "But before that, we have a war to win, and a terrorist to root out afterwards. I don't intend to leave that bastard to your people, I will find him."
Allen nodded. "His actions are concerning, and dangerous if nothing else. What he truly aims to do here is anyone's guess."
"That aside, he may just be the single greatest enemy the empire has faced. All things taken into account, the EU nor the Federation were capable of striking the OSI; or defeating an imperial prince, even if Clovis is not a military commander. Losing Area Eleven now would be devastating, to say the least if he even decides to stop there. Who can say how the other nations will react, or if his goals are even more ambitious. It could be catastrophic."
"Yes it would. The world as we know it would be thrown into a great upheaval. One that would shape the future in ways we cannot imagine." He agreed.
Indeed, his ambitions extended far beyond Japan itself. The question to be answered now, was which side would his sister take: his, or their father's?
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Well into the night, a solitary Lelouch stalked the halls of the command center. Passing unsuspecting guards with an appearance of distracted thought. Reaching his destination, he was pleased to find there was nobody around to observe him. Making certain his visit would go unnoticed, he opened the door to the cell.
The man in the center of the room was in far worse shape then he saw him last, but rose his head all the same. He was expected after all. "The cameras are off, you can speak."
"I have no excuses for my failure." The man croaked through bloodied lips. "Had I been able to defeat Cornelia then-"
Lelouch rose a hand, silencing him. "I hadn't expected nor planned for Cornelia to fall here. Though your capture was an unfortunate result, I believe Suzaku or Kallen alone could take her one on one."
Despite the reassurance, his subordinate's head fell in defeat. "I bring a message from Lady Kaguya. She has decided to establish a bastion defense at Kota to hold Cornelia for several weeks. She intends to deploy the Megami there, and return it to the capital when the time comes."
"I see, so she'll be in Kota herself then. Thats good, she could use the experience and a field test. I suppose I'll have to direct them there." He said to himself.
"Well, we have to decide what to do with you then don't we?" He began, gaze fixed solely on the bruised man before him. "Cornelia will be merciless, and the refrain was no jest. I cannot allow you to give her anything. That said, the choice is yours. If you believe you can persevere, if you're desire to see the end is strong enough; then struggle on. Otherwise, take comfort that your death will have meaning, I will not waste your life."
He raised his head, a surprised expression on his face. "I...thank you. I swear to you, I will not break this vow: I will look upon the world you create with my own eyes, no matter what it costs me."
Satisfied, he backed away. "Very well. You shall see it then."
Lelouch knew better than anyone the resolve it took to overcome a living hell, and it reflected in his eyes. Eyes that wanted to gaze upon a better tomorrow. Who was he to deny that?
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And we're back. A little shorter but I wanted to end it here, considering what happens next chapter. Speaking of which, reviews are the best motivator, as I'm sure many of you know. And I am busy with life, so keep me writing!