Throne of Glass
Part two: To Wage a War
Chapter 28: Paid in Blood
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"I really can't begin to thank you enough for what you did." Cornelia spoke, from thousands of miles away. "Euphemia means a lot to me, and you went far and above to protect her."
From a private room in the Ashford tower, Lelouch responded. "I can't accept any praise for what I did, your highness. The danger was born entirely from my own negligence. You can't thank me for solving my own problems."
The older princess shook her head. There was that humility again. "If anyone, it's my brother to be blamed for the cause of it all. But regardless of the circumstances, you save my sister's life, putting hers above your own. There's nothing more one could do to earn my praise than that."
To that he returned only a small smile, before continuing. "There is a silver lining to this however. Lady Strauss has uncovered a paper trail Kusakabe left that leads us to the Narita mountains. It's strongly implied that the Black Knights' base of operations is located somewhere there. We plan to launch an attack there tomorrow."
"I see, that is a most fortunate turn of events." Cornelia nodded. "In the best case I may not even need to set foot in Area Eleven."
"That may be asking too much, but if there is something there, this is the first opportunity we have to finally go on the offensive." The young lord replied.
"That's true enough. Even if this is their primary base, we have no way of knowing just how far they've spread. It would be very much a miracle to crush such pests in one fell swoop." She agreed. The general had more than enough experience to understand that much.
"I'll be staying here a few more days to see all this through. Once it's over, I'll return- hopefully with good news."
"I would like to stay here with Allen as well." Euphy spoke up, with a surprising amount of conviction her older sister was not familiar with.
"Of course." She found herself answering. "As long as that won't be a problem?"
"Not at all." The blonde replied. "We'll both be back soon enough."
"Right. I'll see you then."
The video ended, and Cornelia was left with an odd mix of feelings she hadn't experienced before.
"It seems as though Euphemia has found herself a knight in shining armor." Guilford commented with a wry smile.
"I…suppose she has." She'd noticed how close they'd already gotten, but now; she would be nigh inseparable from him. But despite herself, Cornelia really had to wonder, was that such a bad thing?
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India; 2017 ATB
Xingke narrowly backed away from an incoming swipe from his opponent. The claws of the menacing black knightmare came mere inches from slicing straight through his own machine; like it had done to many of his allies already. The frame was a design which he had never seen before, sleek and deadly. There were only five fighting on the front lines beside the more common knightmares he had fought up until now. These ones were new, and very much a problem.
Their speed and power were above any knightmare he'd previously seen, and the pilot he was facing was far from any ordinary devicer either. And as he narrowly evaded the relentless assault of his opponent, he caught a glimpse of the symbol adorning the frame's pauldron. His eyebrows raised in surprise, that was certainly not expected. He couldn't begin to make sense of why the Black Knights were participating in this war. He wasn't given time to ponder it either as the far superior knightmare struck at him without pause.
Xingke began to seriously wonder if he was capable of defeating the monstrosity shortly before it suddenly halted its assault. Without warning, it broke from their engagement and retreated back into the depths of the city. He quickly realized the other four frames were following suit, however their rank and file allies didn't seem to get the memo. Without their battlefield champions, the Indian defenses fell apart in a matter of minutes. Soon a frown found its way upon his face. Already he felt he had very little control of the situation in which he was a pawn to some unknown schemes. To add this to the mess made things that much worse. He wasn't given much time to ponder it, as a call came through shortly after the battle was decidedly won.
"Xingke, report on the current situation." High Eunuch Zhong demanded, his shrill voice breaking Xingke's train of thought.
"Oh? Since when were you so interested in my progress Zhong?" He taunted the pathetic man.
"We have decided that it is in our best interest to put an end to this as quickly as possible." The Eunuch ground out, clearly unamused. "We have organized three infantry and one Armored division to assist you in reclaiming territory so that you may press in to New Dehli."
Xingke gave the man a smug grin. This meant not only did they admit to failing to pressure her majesty, but they were forced to acknowledge his own authority as well. He was surprised it took them this long to swallow their pride on such a vital matter. No, actually he wasn't at all surprised.
"Give us as detailed a description of your progress as you can. We want to know how much longer this will take, and if more forces will be needed." Zhong continued.
He was really not happy about being made a piece on the board when he was clueless of the goal; but in the least, watching this man squirm made it bearable.
"I'll have one of my subordinates draw up a status report for you later. I'm still a little preoccupied to handle that for you right this moment." He told the other man.
"Hmph. Very well then, we'll be expecting it."
The Eunuch closed the call, leaving Xingke to observe the closing moments of the attack. One more piece of the puzzle had been presented to him today.
And though he couldn't yet see the full picture, it was now obvious the complexity of the schemes he was a part of were far greater than he imagined. While he stood to gain from it now, he had to be cautious moving forward, else he be the one sold out for someone else's gain.
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Viceroy's Palace, Area Eleven; 2017 ATB
"Our reconnaissance has led to some promising discoveries." Emilia began, pointing to aerial photos shown on the large screen beside her. "The area is sparsely populated with any sort of civilization. However, it actually made finding a potential target easier."
An image of a small cabin situated upon the side of a mountain was shown next. "This cabin, for example, appears abandoned yet surprisingly well maintained." Another photo, of the mountainside. "The ground in the surrounding area has strange disturbances that faintly outline shapes if you look hard enough. I would hazard a guess that right there is a hidden hangar door, if it's anything at all. They may just have a massive underground bunker buried deep in here. It's no surprise they stayed elusive here for so long. Without knowing there is something to look for, there's nothing here to find."
A final picture, in it several trucks were caught moving through the mountain roads. "And suspicious unmarked vehicles moving through the area. We lost track of their movements through the trees, but where they were going leads me to believe that the cabin is our best bet."
"I would agree. We haven't had any grounds to go by, and combing the entire Area for something like this was never practical." Allen commented. "But we know they are in Narita, and this is enough to go off of."
"With that established then, I would like to firstly create an encirclement surrounding the known landmarks, to ensure they are unable to easily escape." The knight continued. "Doing so should hopefully provoke them to attempt to engage us, as I doubt they possess any kind of external defenses in lieu of concealing their presence. I will lead the main body of our forces from the south of the mountain up to the cabin, divided into three units positioned like this."
A topographical map of the location Emilia described came onto the screen. Unit compositions and arrows representing their planned routes were shown. "I will be leading that main unit with the goal of pressing my way into the heart of their base." She pointed to another cluster of units on the opposite side of the map. "And I would like Kallen to lead a second group up here, opposite of my position."
The redhead in question jumped in surprise. "You want me to lead them?"
"That won't be a problem will it?" The knight asked. "I have complete confidence in your abilities from what I've seen. But what I need from you will be quite difficult. It's likely they will target you in order to break free and escape the encirclement. In fact I'm counting on it. But if you can hold them in, I will be able to crush their base from behind them."
Feeling all eyes on her, Kallen glanced at Allen, who nodded in approval. "You can rely on me." She answered.
"Good, I have no doubts." She then turned to Clovis and Allen. "Prince Clovis, Lord Ashford, I would be honored to have the two of you provide strategic support from the G-1."
"It would be my pleasure." The viceroy replied.
"Excellent. I have every confidence we will crush these rebels underfoot without issue."
Lelouch grinned. "Without a doubt."
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Riding through the Tokyo Settlement in the back of a luxury vehicle, Lelouch looked out upon the city that he was soon to completely dismantle. The very symbol of Britannia embodied in the ecological dominance of the land surrounding it. It was ugly, a blemish as foul as the scar upon Mount Fuji in the distance. Soon enough, he would remove it from this land, and all others like it across the world. No interloper nor decrepit fool would stand in the way of that goal.
Finding his phone, he began to make a call while waiting for their car to arrive at the Ashford Tower. "General Katase, I just finished the briefing with Emilia Strauss. The attack on the base will commence at six a.m. tomorrow morning. I trust everything has been handled on your end?"
"Yes, we've discreetly moved most of our supplies and equipment out of the mountains through the tunnel as you requested. Any questions being asked about those transfers have been dealt with." The Japanese commander told him.
"Very good. It's a shame to have to give up the base, but soon it will no longer be necessary to hide away in the mountains anyway. We're making the best of the situation here, but we've given up far too much to back down now. Whatever it takes, we need to see it through."
"I understand. Kusakabe was my subordinate, this is recompense for my failure to properly deal with him while I had the chance."
The Ashford Tower soon came into view as their vehicle rounded the large solar arrays on the edge of the settlement. "I am certain Strauss will want to capture you once she discovers you're in command of the bunker. We'll just have to hold you captive until the time comes that we can deal with the Knight of Five."
"I've waited long enough secluded in this mountain. A couple more months in a prison cell won't be a problem." Katase replied.
"I apologize all the same. We'll do our best to make it bearable whenever Strauss isn't looking." He told the older man.
"I appreciate it." The general said. "I suppose I'll be seeing you soon then."
"Right. Until then." Lelouch put the phone away, his expression hardening as he pulled into the massive tower's sublevel garage.
He stepped out, followed closely by Euphemia who had since been providing silent support. Despite himself, he found his once-favored sister to be a more than welcome presence. Perhaps he had to thank Kusakabe after all, he wasn't sure he'd have been able to admit to her who he was.
"My lord, they are assembled and waiting for you in conference room six." Sayoko spoke to him from where she appeared at his side. He nodded, preparing to arrange the last piece in this makeshift plan to fix what his Japanese 'allies' had thrown awry.
When he entered the room, he stood before ten men of many backgrounds lined up, all dressed in identical black armor. It had been some time since he had last sortied his black ops squadron, but no others could handle such an operation.
"Tomorrow morning Lady Emilia Strauss will launch an attack on the underground bunker located in the Narita Mountains." He addressed them. "At this point, preventing that is impossible, however it is a loss I have come to accept, and have made the best of. Which is why I have called you all here.
"You will have three objectives to complete during the battle. Infiltrate the Narita base via the mining tunnel located within before the operation begins, and plant explosives on the entrance, so that it cannot be discovered afterward. Additionally, arm more on the fuel reserves located on the lower levels to cripple them from within, guaranteeing they fall swiftly and to the man. Lastly, reach the command center and ensure absolutely no record of any collaboration remains intact. I will not allow any more of our assets or activities to be compromised by this interloper." Lelouch then produced a small flash drive from his pocket. "You will leave this behind however, as it contains a trail to keep Strauss occupied for some time. Ensure it is left in a place that it will easily found. And most importantly, during the extent of the mission, you are to eliminate all personnel you encounter. Make certain none survive to give her any sort of clue you were there. Any questions?"
Euphy watched Lelouch as he spoke so callously about betraying men he once worked with. She understood, at least in theory, why he was doing this. She didn't believe she was capable of taking another's life, at least not in such a capacity. But she chose to support him nonetheless, to whatever extent she could. While Lelouch's vision was extreme, and his methods heavy handed; she had begun to believe it necessary. No half measures were going to change the world, and if spilling blood was going to pave the way, hesitating would mean all the sacrifices up until now were meaningless.
The team leader raised a hand. "To clarify sir, all targets are expendable?"
"No one remaining at the base is worth anything. Kill anyone you find."
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Narita Mountains, Area Eleven; 2017 ATB
As unit checks were called in, IFF signals brought online and equipment readied, Kallen breathed a heavy sigh. Her nerves were getting the better of her, but not because she was afraid of entering a real battle.
Not too long ago, she would have been appalled at the very idea of fighting against her fellow Japanese. It went against everything she had once stood for. But since meeting Lelouch, and coming to glimpse the future he envisioned, the redhead found it wasn't as hard to stomach as it may have been. Her enemy was anyone who stood in the way of that new world they would build. And these remnants of an age that would never again see life, were a detriment to that future; Kusakabe was proof of that. Back then, she was lost and confused. She wanted nothing more than acceptance from her brother, and a chance to strike back at those that hurt her. To do something with all that pent up rage. But then Lelouch found her, and showed her something so much bigger than herself. Now she was fighting for the sake of the entire world. No decrepit shortsighted fools were going to get in the way again. Be they Britannian, Japanese, or that part of her that still clung to the life she once had as a child.
The signal to begin rang from within the cockpit. She vowed that naive part of her would be dead along with them by the day's end.
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On her command, well over a hundred knightmares emerged from the shadows to surround the mountain before her. Emilia pressed forward in her Bedivere, watching for signs of enemy movement. She briefly wondered once more if her guesswork was actually wrong. It would be…embarrassing on top of many other things if all this time and effort was wasted. Her assault would quickly turn into a search and destroy mission across the entire region. She had planned for that course of action, but it was distasteful. She was relieved of that worry however when she heard Allen. "Lady Strauss, we have unidentified signals approaching you from the mountain. Numbers and composition unknown, be ready for them."
So they were here after all. She brought her shield forward, advancing through the trees at the forefront of her forces. It was good that they chose to engage her directly rather than hunker down and hide. It made things easier. Rough estimations of her enemy's positions appeared on her map, seconds before Emilia made visual contact. Ganymedes, with a few Marianne frames scattered between them. They were all painted black, with that silver emblem clearly visible. Without pause, the knight bore down upon them, shrugging off their oncoming gunfire. With a swing of the MVS she felled one, two and three opponents. They made little effort to evade her attacks, obviously poorly trained amateurs. She kept a sharp eye out however, for the unique knightmares reported by Cornelia. The Templar, the knightmare slayer. If they were to appear now, it would prove to be extremely dangerous to her offensive line. But as she steadily carved through their mediocre defense, she began to wonder if they would show at all. Had they really committed their strongest pieces to a foreign conflict? After all the moves Zero made up until this point, was that the next step? It made no sense.
Emilia sliced clean through the cockpit of another Ganymede. It didn't matter now, soon enough, she would pry whatever secrets they had hidden away inside that mountain.
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All around General Katase, the chaos of battle raged on. It had been a long time, long enough to nearly forget; if not for the circumstances of the last moment he found himself in such a great and terrible position. He found it quite like the battles he took part in seven years ago. He was equally powerless now as he was then. As his men, loyal soldiers scrambled around him, attempting to make sense of the madness that overtook their refuge in the blink of an eye. He closed his eyes, trying to drown out the feeling of despair that began to creep into the hearts of his soldiers. Their communication had been cut, and even if they got a message through, anyone who could hear them, would surely ignore them. He knew perfectly well what purpose this all served, what future these men's lives would purchase. But he couldn't help but wonder if there was another way, that his oldest allies might be saved. They wanted nothing more than to see their home stand proudly once more, to see their friends and families free to call themselves Japanese without fear. He sold out that dream long ago, when he chose to ally himself with the exiled black prince of Britannia.
Honor. That was something he hadn't thought of in a long time. All his life, pride and the honor of his people meant everything. It was the way of the Japanese people, their history, their very being. He threw that being away, that his life might be spared, that his people might live on. This was the result of that choice made so many years ago. It surprised him that the guilt of that choice had yet to catch up with him until this very moment. He supposed it made sense, after all the sacrifices demanded of him were easy to pay up until this point.
But now the price was the blood of his own comrades.
And now, the old general wondered if the payment was worth it. He threw his honor away, trampled upon it and ground it into the dirt. How weak he was, that he could turn a blind eye until today.
Through the rumbling of distant fighting on the surface, Katase could make out the sounds of gunshots, echoing throughout the tunnels of the underground bunker. He frowned, unsure of what he was hearing. Had the Round already gotten inside the base? He would have seen her coming though, and the knight herself was still engaged in battle.
The sounds grew louder, very clearly closing in on the command center. Moments later, a number of armed guards were brought down in a bloom of crimson. Katase watched in horror as less than a dozen soldiers in full black armor stormed the room, delivering well placed bullets in the skulls of everyone around him. He recognized those uniforms. These were the Black ops team that answered to Lelouch only. What the hell were they doing here?
One man approached him, as Katase now noticed he was the only one still alive. Had the prince decided to have him evacuated instead?
"General Katase?" The soldier asked, visored eyes glancing at the bands on his shoulders that signified his rank.
He raised his weapon at Katase, and the last general of Japan realized in an instant how terribly he had failed his nation.
His Japan would never again rise.
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One week ago, Throne of Glass hit its six year anniversary. And that kinda hit me hard. To be honest I don't want to still be working on this story in another six years. I have other things I'd love to write here, on top of personal projects that have begun to really pick up steam. However, I have no intention of dropping ToG. Thus I've decided to actually try and update monthly. My motivation for writing comes and goes, but it's always been a matter of sitting down and just taking the time to write out what I already have planned. I have this entire plot layed out chapter by chapter, I have for a long time now. And I will get this done eventually. Sooner, rather than later from now on.
Probably