A/N: Special thanks to Jameyofthemegacosmos, Icysnowsage, Darklord331, Silkdreamweaver (chief beta reader and editor) and our Gundam consultant and designer Redrat8. Greatkingrat88, and Seerking have also contributed to the development of this story. I had begun in-between projects since early last year.
Well this begins the three chapters consisting of Lelouch and his new squad/friends Comprehensive Combat Skill Evaluation, which was decided to break up into three chapters since we're moving between three groups of characters over a couple days period, so this chapter will likely be the short end of the trio. Now I know the Comprehensive Combat Skill Evaluation tends to come before TSF training, but I covered that by the fact Lelouch and his squad are on a accelerated training track and because some of his opposition within the military want to ensure it was hard as possible, which those opposing parties allowed, in the hopes Lelouch and his squad would succeed to silence any lingering naysayers about Lelouch all because he's a foreigner.
Producing what became these chapters weren't easy, I had a hard time trying to decide what kind of challenges Lelouch could face while making them comparable to what Takeru and his friends would face, while making it challenging at the same since they aren't using mobile suits or TSFs. It took awhile for me to finally find an idea with the aid of the betas that could allowing me to finish the chapter, so that being said its a good thing I had pre-made a lot of these chapters including this one well in advance.
Anyway thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed the story, they are always appreciated and are always great at encouraging me to continuing the story.
Now since this chapter got a LOT of anonymous reviews, I am going to save them for the very bottom of the chapter after the author notes so it doesn't interfere with the chapter, with that being said, let us begin.
Chapter 10
Graduation, Part I
(Two weeks later)
Lelouch got back on his bearing after a rough fall. He could hear Yuzuka's footsteps from behind, approaching him with her pack in hand.
Never expected a drill this suddenly, Lelouch thought. They must've prepared this while Yui and I were away, and kept the rest of us occupied.
Two weeks after returning from Area 11, Lelouch and his new friends endured more rigorous training with more of a focus on physical training and hand-to-hand combat. The night before he immediately went straight to his bed in the barracks, following a rather exhausting day of training. While he expected the exam to occur today, the airhorn caught him off guard. He, Yuzuka, Haruka, Tsukiko, Haruko, and Asagi were in a squad when they boarded the MH-53 Pave Low. Marimo ordered them to get out with parachutes and backpacks in hand. Lelouch and Yuzuka went out first per Marimo's instructions. As they descended, they saw the rest of their squadmates deploy elsewhere on the island.
After removing the parachute from his backpack, he went to Yuzuka and helped her with hers. A radio on Lelouch's belt had Marimo's voice cracking through, prompting him to pick it up.
"Attention, teams. Come in."
"I hear you, loud and clear," Lelouch gave a sharp reply. "That was quite a rough drop."
"Yeah, what's with that?" Asagi radioed elsewhere.
"We're all scattered all over the place," Tsukiko agreed.
"The Comprehensive Combat Skill Evaluation is about to begin," Marimo briefed, ignoring their complaints. "This will represent a survival mission and covert operation to put everything you have learned to use. Your mission is to complete all the objectives with your given items and equipment, then reach the designated extraction point marked on your map."
Yuzuka opened her pack, finding a piece of paper folded into quarters. She unfolded it to reveal a map of the island
"As you see on the map, your mission is to infiltrate the camp south of the island and complete the three objectives listed."
Lelouch saw the three locations marked one to three in red ink, as Marimo explained.
"Objective 1: Infiltrate the command center of the enemy base and disable or retrieve any electronics you find, including any radios and radar systems. Objective 2: Disable the motor pool and any vehicles stationed in the southeast. Objective 3: Infiltrate the underground missile base, which has been repurposed into a detention center. Intel reports there is a hostage inside. Rescue the hostage, and if he's already deceased, obtain any documents that you find that the enemy might find valuable. Once you complete your objectives, head to the extraction point on the island's east coast. Fire a green flare with the gun provided, and the chopper will come in to extract you."
"Uh, madam? There are two flare guns here." Asagi checked the bag. "And two of the rounds are red."
Seeing the flare guns and four rounds, Lelouch peeked into Yuzuka's pack to confirm. As Asagi stated, two of the rounds were labeled red.
"The green ones certainly mean mission success," Haurka could tell. "But those red ones are also to signal a mission failure."
"Commander, can you give us an explanation for the extra flares?" Lelouch inquired.
"Confirmed, those red flares are used to abort the mission," Marimo replied. "Fire one, and the chopper will come in for extraction. However, doing so will cause you to fail the exam. Do not get into an emergency where you must fire one."
In other words, don't injure yourself out there. Lelouch saw the extra meaning there, especially after remembering what happened to Haruka.
"You also have five days to complete the mission," Marimo added. "Finishing later than that will also mean automatic failure. After the completion of the exam, your team will be evaluated."
So we're on a time limit, huh? Lelouch thought. Makes sense for a covert operation.
"Now then, we shall maintain radio silence until you signal. The mission starts now."
With that, the radio went silent before any of the girls could respond. The radio silence would make sense since this was supposed to simulate an actual mission. Still, Lelouch could sense some agony from a few members.
"Well, five days, huh," Asagi tried to lighten the mood. "Well, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? I bet we could get this done before the day ends!"
"I doubt that," Lelouch argued. "We don't know the exact layout of the island, which includes topography. There's also the possibility of multiple obstructions blocking the way."
"Come on, don't be such a stick in the mud!"
"Asagi isn't entirely wrong," Haruka backed her teammate as she looked at the map herself. "If I'm seeing this right, this is supposed to be the island of Niijima."
"You know the place?" Lelouch asked.
"Niijima," Yuzuka explained with a noticeable tone of disapproval. "Yes, this is near the occupied Shikane Island. Initially, it was inhabited many decades ago, when a missile test facility was established. However, the island's population declined as many people were conscripted into the war against the BETA and later evacuated after a minor, short-lived nuclear accident. Even after the radiation that affected a very small section of the island subsided, there have been no attempts to re-inhabit the island due to having no strategic value for the war."
"Near Shikane Island," Lelouch spoke to himself as if he had heard that name before.
"Lelouch?" Yuzuka asked, curious about his thoughts.
"Nothing," Lelouch shook his head as he radioed to Haruka. "Suzumiya, since you recognize the island, what do you know about the place?"
"We're deployed at an old lighthouse here. We can reach the base that's been marked for us by entering the main settlement and taking the roads. That alone would be a few hours."
"Any back roads into the base?" Lelouch asked. "We seem to be on the other side of the island, near the motor pool. I feel this exercise would have the roads blocked off."
"There are forests and mountains along the sides of the base that act as natural barriers. The motor pool, specifically, is built by the Shiromama Cliff. It will take two more hours, but there's a path an enemy would least likely expect us to take."
"Better than spending extra time backtracking to take a detour," Lelouch formulated his plan. "Very well, Yuzuka and I will take the motor pool then. If possible, I can secure a ride for us and speed up the time. If not, I can at least map a path to the extraction point."
"Are you sure you can hijack a car?" Tsukiko raised an eyebrow at him.
"Don't worry, I've done it before," Lelouch assured Tsukiko as he gave the rest of his plan. "Asagi, Haruko, can you confirm your location?"
"Um, I think we're somewhere in the middle of the island?" Asagi answered with little confidence. "It's hard to tell from here."
"Very well, see if you can head south. You two will head to the underground prison and rescue the hostage, or retrieve any intelligence the enemy could use. Tsukiko, Haruka, I'd like you to head to the command center. Haruka's knowledge of computers will be better for the objective, but she'll probably need your help. "
"Understood, but," Haruko brought up a question. "Any idea where to meet after this?"
Lelouch looked at the map, pondering her question. He checked all the paths and found a very sharp curve north of the intersection to the base.
"Once we're finished, we rendezvous at the curve on the road north of the base. Considering the time, we'll stay there until the next day. Hopefully, everyone will familiarize themselves with the terrain enough to know the way by then."
"Understood," the girls called out before the radio went silent.
"So, what now?" Yuzuka asked.
"Let's locate our objective, then go from there," Lelouch suggested.
Leading the way, Lelouch found what appeared to be a trail. However, suspecting that the island had traps, Lelouch searched and found a long, broken tree branch. Holding it in one hand, Lelouch grabbed some rocks in the other.
"What are those for?" Yuzuka inquired.
"I expect there to be traps," Lelouch said. "We can toss some of these to any suspicious spots to see what happens."
Looking ahead on the path, Lelouch saw a patch of leaves that seemed out of place. He threw one of the heavier stones at the center of the suspicious area. Sure enough, the ground gave way to a small pit. Although it wouldn't cause any serious harm, it was enough to catch someone's leg and cause injury. Someone being unable to properly walk would be debilitating and possibly an instant mission failure..
"Wow, right off the bat," Yuzuka said, equally surprised they quickly encountered a trap.
"That was just a warning," Lelouch replied. "There are no doubt more traps that we will have to keep an eye out for."
"Well," Yuzuka stuttered while following Lelouch. "I hope the others won't fall for them."
"We can only hope," Lelouch replied, leading the way.
On another corner of the island, the second team started their own trek through the forest ahead. Haruka and Tsukiko had landed together on the coastline since neither wanted to risk being trapped in the trees. Thanks to the two having previously undergone similar evaluations, they had also picked up some rocks and a long stick to help them set off any traps along the way.
"You know, I am worried about the others," Tsukiko commented. Already they had come across a few different traps hidden in the forest.
"Lelouch will do fine," Haruka responded. "But I know what you mean."
"As long as Yuzuka can follow his instructions, for sure," Tsukiko explained. "It's just the last group is a bunch of newbies."
"But we spent those nights together talking and planning what might happen. I don't think there is any reason to worry," Haruka offered reassuringly.
"Maybe we should try to complete our objective as soon as possible, then regroup with the others," Tsukiko suggested.
"Good idea," Haruka said, as she led the way. "In the worst-case scenario, we can help anyone having trouble."
Elsewhere on the island at that moment, Haruko and Asagi were making their own way to their intended objective. Unlike the other two teams, the pair were off to a…difficult start.
Asagi nearly fell into a pitfall trap. It was large and at least a good ten feet deep. If Haruko hadn't grabbed her at the last second she could have ended up stuck down there for who knows how long.
"Careful. Haruka warned us that there would be traps." Haruko warned after pulling Asagi up by her arm.
"Yeah, but I didn't think we would run into one so soon."
"Let's avoid walking on direct trails for now, and find our objective to link up with the others."
Later that day, Lelouch and Yuzuka neared their destination. To confirm their location, Yuzuka climbed up a tree to get a bird's eye view of their location and hopefully their objective. Yuzuka was mindful to stay hidden before she climbed down to report to Lelouch.
"It looks like the motor pool is over there," Yuzuka informed once she was back on the ground. "I didn't notice any guards, but there are at least a dozen vehicles."
"They might have other forms of surveillance protecting the place that are hidden." Lelouch said with one hand on his chin. "It would be too easy otherwise."
"Hard to imagine that they go this far to prepare new recruits," Yuzuka remarked. "When my dad first told me, I thought he was joking or just trying to dissuade me from joining the army."
"It is extreme, but I know that TSF pilots face a frighteningly high mortality rate," Lelouch explained as he moved closer to the base with Yuzuka.
"As someone who faced the BETA, I'll take your word for it."
After a few minutes Lelouch and Yuzuka reached a high, ten-foot tall chain-linked fence surrounding the motor pool. There was barbed wire on top, but no signs of cameras or motion sensors. The pair cautiously approached. They kept to the cover of the forest. Even if there were no cameras, it would be foolish to assume that someone wasn't keeping a lookout for them.
"It can't be that easy, after what Haruka and Tsukiko said," Yuzuka pointed out as they stood before the fence.
"I agree, given that Haruka lost her legs attempting this evaluation the first time," Lelouch replied, but he had a sinking suspicion about the fence.
"You think this fence is electrified?"
"I was thinking the same, not that climbing over this fence would be easy, to begin with," Lelouch contemplated.
Following the fence to the cliff edge, the pair came to a lookout tower built along and atop of what Yuzuka recognized as Shiromama Cliff. The cliff hugged the shoreline and shielded the compound from one side and provided a position to overlook the ocean. They cautiously approached. At first glance, they saw nothing, but at the base of the lookout tower, they noticed an open window facing the ocean.
"It can't be that easy?" Yuzuka remarked. As they drew close they could see that there was enough space between the building and cliff for a person to shimmy up to the window.
"That is a steep drop," Lelouch pointed out as he peered over the edge. "We need to be cautious."
"Right," Yuzuka agreed. "So here comes the fun part," Yuzuka said nervously.
"No kidding. Are you ready for this?"
"I am if you are," Yuzuka said, sounding more nervous as she looked down at what would be a hundred-foot drop if they fell.
"Let's be thankful this motor pool wasn't built on the highest part of the cliff," Lelouch commented, trying to dismiss his nervousness. The land on this side of the island sloped upward until the cliff side reached heights of nearly nine-hundred-feet.
"Well," Yuzuka suggested. "How about I go first, then?"
"No, I should go."
"It really should be me. I am stronger than you physically. No offense."
"None taken, but," Lelouch paused with a sigh. "We're procrastinating out of fear, aren't we?"
"Why wouldn't we?"
"Good point," Lelouch said in agreement.
Lucky for them, thanks to the wear and tear of time on the tower's foundations, there were points for the hands and feet of a brave or crazy few to shimmy across the base of the tower.
Neither wanted to rush across as with the wear on the foundations that made it fragile and at risk of a break happening..
The pair were halfway across, and everything was going well. But that only raised their worries something would go wrong.
The winds blew against them, threatening to separate them from the wall they were hugging, which made it more difficult to find good places for their hands and feet.
"Ah," Yuzuka cried, as her grip slipped. Thankfully her reflexes were fast enough that she managed to regain it.
"Are you alright?" Lelouch asked, concerned.
"I am fine. Let's keep moving," Yuzuka replied.
Lelouch followed Yuzuka's lead, replicating her hands and feet placements. The strong gusts were cold and almost blinding if they tried to look toward its oncoming direction.
Minutes felt like hours, but the pair were eventually below the window. Unable to climb up further, Yuzuka and Lelouch realized they were short by only a foot or two since the tower walls offered no useful way to climb up.
"What do we do?" Lelouch asked.
"Get ready to grab the window frame," Yuzuka said, double checking her footing and grip.
"Huh!?"
Lelouch was caught off guard when Yuzuka grabbed him by the back of his belt before lifting Lelouch up with her right arm. Yuzuka grunted from the strain of lifting a sixteen-year-old boy with one arm.
"I got it," Lelouch said, grabbing the window frame before pulling himself up.
Once he was in, Lelouch didn't waste a moment to help Yuzuka.
"Give me your hand," Lelouch said, reaching for her.
Yuzuka grabbed Lelouch's hand, followed by the other.
Knowing the risks and his limited physical strength, Lelouch put all he had into pulling Yuzuka up. Lelouch struggled and grunted with the muscles in his arms burning from the strain.
However, thanks to his physical training, he was able to pull Yuzuka up enough for her to reach the window frame. From there, after getting a good grip, Yuzuka pulled herself in.
The pair collapsed onto the ground, beside each other, breathing heavily. Their breathing remained ragged for a minute or two until Yuzuka uttered.
"Thanks…huff…for…huff…not dropping…huff me."
"Likewise," Lelouch managed in between breaths.
After resting for a few more minutes, Lelouch and Yuzuka got up. Cautiously, they searched the lookout tower they were in for anything of use. They only found a military axe, which Yuzuka took possession of after feeling the sharp edge.
This place was stripped bare, Lelouch observed. Probably to keep us from gaining any potentially useful resources.
"Yuzuka, I am going to the top floor and see if I spot anything we should be concerned about," Lelouch said, ascending the circular stone stairs.
"What more could there still be after what it takes to get past that fence?"
"Remember how they raised the difficulty against us during the mock battle?" Lelouch reminded her as a counter-argument as he headed to the top.
Reaching the top floor, Lelouch approached a window and looked down. He carefully scanned the area for anything suspicious or out of place. Moments of peace were when sudden surprises were most likely to catch people off guard and could easily spell death on the battlefield.
"Take a look over there," Lelouch pointed.
"What is it?" Yuzuka called out as she stepped outside the tower. "I'm sure they wouldn't make the course super dangerous like…Oh."
Yuzuka trailed off as her eyes focused on the wire before her. She could then see multiple similar wires strewn across the ground and strung up between rocks and trees. Each wire connected to what looked like explosives. She froze in place as her heart stopped from the danger before her.
"Just like an actual booby trapped area," Lelouch remarked. "The instructors did a good job imitating what a competent enemy would do."
"Even so, this looks…overkill."
"But it's also good for us."
"Huh!?" Yuzuka jumped at his sudden statement. "Are you mad? We're in the middle of a death trap right here!"
"Yes, but if we're careful enough, we can deactivate and reuse these against them," Lelouch explained. "I'll guide you where to cut the wires. Afterward, we'll check to see if there's anything else that might trigger those charges. Once it's clear, you can retrieve the explosives for us to use."
"Me?" Yuzuka asked, understandably hesitant.
"You want to trade places?"
"Uh, I'll go," Yuzuka didn't take long to prefer disarming the tripwires. She had difficulty spotting them, while Lelouch could easily see where they were.
From above, Lelouch called out whenever Yuzuka got too close to a wire, and how to evade them. Thanks to Lelouch, Yuzuka drew close to the first of the bombs, which appeared simple to disarm. It only had one visible wire to cut. Using the ax blade as a makeshift wire cutter, Yuzuka cut the red wire that disabled the bomb.
"Got it," Yuzuka shouted.
"Good work. Now you have six more to disarm."
Yuzuka steeled herself, as Lelouch gave further instructions.
"Be careful. You have three wires low on the ground ahead of you," Lelouch cautioned.
"I see them," Yuzuka replied.
"Once you pass them, there are more ahead," Lelouch warned. "They are strung up between those trees, right in front of the next explosive."
"Got it," Yuzuka replied as she bent down to go under them and drew closer to the next bomb. After passing the next set of wires, Yuzuka reached the bomb and quickly disarmed it.
Thanks to Lelouch helping her, and the ample sunlight, Yuzuka successfully disarmed all the bombs. As she gathered them up, Lelouch came down from the lookout.
Yuzuka spoke, when Lelouch rejoined her. "Say, Lelouch…"
"What is it?" Lelouch listened.
"About that comment earlier, back at the start. Is it true? That you stole a car once?"
Yuzuka's question was not unexpected, but it still caught Lelouch off guard. Her voice sounded calm, but he could tell it was a facade. He had already been through this before with Nunnally so he decided to play up his audacity.
"I did."
"When exactly did you do such a thing?"
"About six years ago."
"Six years," Yuzuka was taken aback. Her face grew hot as she tightened her grip on her axe. "You stole a car when you were nine years old!? Do you know how dangerous it is!? What were you thinking back then!?"
"For a correction, I was ten years old," Lelouch replied despite knowing it would make her angrier. "For clarification, I only jump-started the car when we took it. My friend did the actual driving."
"Still, doing that isn't just crazy, that's just plain stupid! And I assume your friend was the same age? I hope you two were caught and got quite the spanking for it!"
"Sorry to get your hopes up, but we didn't," Lelouch smirked.
"How were you not caught?" Yuzuka inquired, raising her axe. "What happened back then? Was your friend that good of a driver?"
"You have no idea," Lelouch chuckled for the moment. "At the very least, he drove good enough to get us out of trouble."
"When did he even learn how to drive a car? Was he taught at that young of an age?"
"Sort of," Lelouch knew sharing would be a little complicated. "It's something we have back in my world called video games."
"Video games?" Yuzuka's confusion was expected. "What's that?"
"You know the TSF simulators that you have in this world? Well, video games are like that if they were for public use."
"For the public?" Yuzuka stated, surprised. "Huh, never thought of that."
"And I don't expect you to do so. My world had a little more peacetime, so it makes sense they were designed for civilians. One set of games was where even children could unconsciously learn how to drive vehicles."
"And your friend learned from that? Sounds a little reckless if you ask me."
"That's fair, but a war had just broken out," Lelouch pointed out. "We had to escape the coastline and the cities."
"And you had your crippled younger sister to worry about."
"That's right," Lelouch said as Yuzuka followed him. The pair entered the depot and approached one of the parked transports.
These look identical to trucks used by Britannia about thirty or forty years ago, Lelouch thought, recalling having seen similar vehicles from educational films.
His hopes for using the vehicle were dashed when he opened the hood to see the engine and saw its rusted, broken state..
"I can't say I am shocked, but it would've been nice to hotwire one of these for us to use," Lelouch sighed before closing the hood.
"You, of all people, should've known none of these are usable," Yuzuka lightly scolded Lelouch. "Even if these trucks weren't gutted, there is no way they would work after being neglected and left to the mercy of the elements for so long."
"No harm in trying," Lelouch argued.
"Why don't I do something about the fence so we can leave," Yuzuka suggested after nodding with both hands on her hips. "I'll let you repurpose these bombs to blow this place up."
"Good plan, I'll get to work."
Haruka and Tsukiko exited the forest to find the remains of a small town, much of which was overgrown as nature had reclaimed much of it. Some buildings had collapsed due to neglect or nature, such as trees or vines growing through the structures in such a way their structural integrity was compromised until they came apart.
Even the wood that made them had rotted away.
"This place has seen better days," Tsukiko remarked.
"We should be careful. Some of these buildings might have a basement that we could fall into if we aren't careful," Haruka warned, glancing at some abandoned homes.
"Right, although if these buildings have been abandoned for fifty years, I don't know what we could find that could be useful," Tsukiko commented, doubtful.
The pair walked in silence until, in the corner of her eye, Tsukiko noticed an abandoned jeep. Haruka cautiously stepped away from it, seemingly on instinct.
I wonder, Tsukiko thought.
Haruka and Tsukiko walked silently, but as they passed another abandoned vehicle, Haruka cautiously moved away. This time, Tsukiko didn't notice any sign of fright on her face; rather, it was almost instinctive.
Now that I think about it, Haruka didn't mention how she lost her legs. Did it have something to do with a vehicle?
Tsukiko decided against asking, not wanting to bring up any unpleasant memories. Considering how she had her own unpleasant memories, she understood not wanting to share those experiences.
Eventually, the two reached a small clearing, their destination about a hundred yards ahead.
Given how much nature had grown over much of the long-abandoned structures, it was hard to tell what it was. The rusting remains of a chain-link fence encircling it suggested it was once a government building. Automatically, based on the briefing, they knew this was a command center. Maybe it became both.
However, there was a problem.
"Are those..." Tsukiko noticed flying drones surrounding the command center. They were military-grade and armed with anti-personnel weaponry.
"Those are the kind used to attack enemy infantry," Haruka recognized.
"So how are we supposed to get past those?"
"Let's look around and see if we can't find an alternative path," Haruka suggested, knowing rushing the building would be suicide.
"Right. Let's hope there is something we can work with."
Sometime later, Lelouch and Yuzuka had managed to finish planting all the repurposed bombs. After retrieving their packs, Yuzuka and Lelouch didn't waste time getting as far away as possible. The timers were set for an hour to ensure they had enough time to put distance between themselves and the depot, but neither wanted to waste time being idle as both Lelouch and Yuzuka knew that nighttime would come soon. They needed to find shelter for the night since they lacked any reliable means of navigating through the dark, and since the island had its fair share of booby traps, that was a risk neither was willing to take.
"You think we can get far enough away?" Yuzuka asked as they hurried through the forest..
"Hopefully," Lelouch suggested in between breaths. "If this island has any hostiles on it, it would be best if we got further away."
"So what's next?"
"Let's start making our way towards the rendezvous point, but it's going to be dark soon," Lelouch said, glancing at the sun as it was nearing the horizon with the color of the sky changing to an orange hue.
"Are you suggesting finding shelter for the night?"
Lelouch nodded, "After today, I think we both need the rest."
"I agree, but where?"
"Let's head for the lighthouse. It's not too far away and we just have to stick close to the shoreline to reach it. That might be among the few places we can safely rest for the night."
"But didn't Marimo say we can't break any part of the lighthouse or take anything from it?"
"True, but she didn't say anything about breaking in," Lelouch said with a grin.
"You got some kind of plan?" Yuzuka inquired curiously.
"I do. Follow me."
Haruka and Tsukiko sought shelter for the night. They knew attempting to sneak by armed drones at night would be impossible, but unlike Yuzuka and Lelouch, the pair had few choices for where to sleep. The abandoned buildings were a possibility, but besides having questionable structural integrity, neither liked sleeping in a proximity that felt too close to the drones.
The pair decided to use an abandoned store, that a tree grew through, to sleep in. Haruka leaned against it in deep contemplation.
"I am back," Tsukiko returned with a bundle of firewood.
"Oh, need me to help?"
"No, I got it. Besides, you seem to be thinking about something. Care to share?"
"I've been thinking about how we would get to our destination," Haruka replied as Tsukiko created a makeshift fire pit..
"So, any idea for how we get past those drones?" Tsukiko asked as she stacked the sticks in the pit.
"Well, trying to find an alternative route has failed, so we'll need a diversion to get by them."
"How do you suggest we do that?"
"I'm not sure yet, but we need one since they've left no openings we can't exploit," Haruka said, recalling what they observed from the drones.
Knowing they couldn't remain in the air indefinitely, the pair watched to see how long the drones could fly. Unfortunately, before returning to recharge, a second set of drones would fly out to replace them before the first set would leave. The process would then repeat itself.
It was plain as day that their only option would be to distract the drones.
"So what will we do?"
"I have an idea," Haruka said, having an eureka moment.
Suddenly, an explosion sounded in the distance, startling the two.
"What the hell was that!?" Tsukiko said as she jumped to her feet.
"Someone accomplished their objective," Haruka replied with a bemused smile.
"In that case, let me get this fire going so we can celebrate with some dinner," Tsukiko said as she went back to working on lighting the campfire.
"Whew, I am glad we got far away from that," Yuzuka commented after hearing the explosion.
"Our repurposed bomb went off without problems then."
"So what's your follow-up plan?" Yuzuka asked.
"First, I need to see if my suspicions are right," Lelouch replied as he and Yuzuka approached the lighthouse.
Unlike the other structures on the island, the lighthouse was still well maintained. Connected was a two-story house made of brick with a wooden roof covered with solar panels. It was likely maintained by only one or two people who were likely sent out, periodically, for necessary maintenance.
"Originally, the lighthouse was overseen by someone who lived here, but when they converted it to be fully automated," Yuzuka explained as she looked around the lighthouse with Lelouch.
"There!" Lelouch pointed to where an open window could be seen. It was cracked open, and just large enough that if they could reach it, they could squeeze through and enter.
"Oh," Yuzuka said, realizing what Lelouch had in mind. "How about I handle the next part?"
"You sure?" Lelouch asked, trying to be a gentleman.
"I am. Here, give me a boost up." Yuzuka climbed onto Lelouch's shoulder and reached for the window. She managed to grab a hold and pull herself in.
Then, to Lelouch's relief, Yuzuka easily opened the window before crawling inside. Once Yuzuka was inside Lelouch went to the door and waited for her to open it.
I am glad that worked out, Lelouch thought, fearing he wasn't going to be able to support Yuzuka on his shoulders.
Lelouch didn't have to wait long for Yuzuka to make her way downstairs to unlock the door to let the young man inside.
"Care to come in," Yuzuka offered jokingly.
"Don't mind if I do," Lelouch replied with a smile.
Once inside, the pair locked the door before surveying the house. As expected, it was almost bare save for a few things, such as a radio, a sofa, and a simple coffee table. The dining room had a small table and a pair of chairs.
"I guess this place was set if maintenance ever has to stay the night," Yuzuka said, looking around.
"That is likely, or maybe if they travel by boat, they just stay the night before making the trip back to the mainland," Lelouch agreed.
"That would make sense."
Exploring the rest of the house, Lelouch and Yuzuka found the bedroom sparsely furnished beyond a pair of beds and a nightstand between them. But something on one of the beds caught their eye.
"What's that?" Yuzuka asked as she and Lelouch approached the gun case.
"Let's see what we got," Lelouch knelt down to open the case and revealed what appeared to be a breech-loading, single-shot, bolt-action sniper rifle.
It was forty-five inches long with a silver finish and an attached scope. The case held four large fifty-caliber bullets.
"There is a note," Yuzuka pointed out.
"Let's see…" Lelouch said, picking up the letter to read its contents.
If you are reading this, I assume you and Yuzuka noticed my choice of words, so you can have this bonus tool to aid you in the objectives. Remember you have only a few shots, use them well.
"Not many shots, but why give us such a gun?" Yuzuka picked up one of the bullets to inspect them. "These bullets look like they could punch through a tank."
"Good question, which I consider a worrying sign." Lelouch wondered what test or obstacle could demand the use of such a weapon. "We'll carry it with us in the morning, but let's eat something for now. This place likely has working water and a stove we can use."
"Sounds like a good idea."
Yuzuka and Lelouch headed downstairs, and after a while, they used a cooking pot they found to boil water from the sink. They then used the flameless heater with one of their provisions, MREs, also known as Meals Ready to Eat. Once they prepared the water, Yuzuka lit an old oil lamp to provide lightning for them to eat.
The pair made fruit drinks using the boiled water and mixing powder from their provisions. They located some glasses and other dishes that the pair decided to use.
"Mind if I ask you something?" Yuzuka said while eating her choice of fried rice and grilled chicken.
"Go ahead."
"If you don't mind me asking, why did Claude pick you for all this? I have nothing against you or anything but…uh," Yuzuka trailed off, not trying to offend Lelouch.
"Good question. I wonder that myself," Lelouch answered before sipping from his fruit drink. "I don't accept her reasons for choosing me. Even if some of them were true, given the places where some of our technology originated, I question why she didn't choose someone from those worlds directly."
"That's my question," Yuzuka inquired. "Given your world doesn't seem as advanced as others, why does it have to be you of all people?"
"I wish I had an answer, but I suspect it ties into her agenda," Lelouch said as he ate another forkful of his dinner. "I can only guess, but I can't say without further information."
"Maybe something special about you or your world?"
Lelouch considered that for a moment.
"Other than being a former prince and our world having Sakuradite, nothing else comes to mind."
"What is Sakuradite?"
"A superconductive material used in a lot of recent technology, especially for developing Knightmare Frames. They are key to making their power systems, so Sakuradite has become increasingly in demand. One of the key reasons why the Japan of my world was invaded was to gain control of its mines, which provided seventy percent of the world's supply."
"Knightmare Frames, basically a tiny version of a TSF?" Yuzuka reviewed as Lelouch replied with a nod.
"The general application for them, yes," Lelouch replied while Yuzuka ate another fork full of food. "Other than being used as potent explosives, detonating an enormous amount of Sakuradite can be very destructive."
"Wow, that sounds powerful," Yuzuka replied. She hesitated, but she has been wanting to ask this next question for a while. "So, a more personal question, if you don't mind. I've been curious since I learned about it. You were a prince of a nation?"
"One of many in line for the throne. When I was exiled, I lost all rights to the throne, which doesn't bother me, if I am honest."
"How many were there, competing for the throne?"
"Last I checked, there were at least fifteen contenders among the princes worth mentioning. I am one of many children the Emperor had, at least more than a hundred."
"How…how many wives did he have?" Yuzuka asked, shocked by the number of half-siblings.
"One hundred and eight consorts," Lelouch answered, causing Yuzuka's jaw to drop, silently wording the number he had just given her. "In case you wonder, yes, polygamy is legal in Britannia. It isn't solely dependent on your social rank in the nobility, but only if you have the needed wealth to support such a relationship."
"Competition for the throne must be crazy," Yuzuka said, reeling from that revelation. "I don't think the Emperor of Japan at any point in history had that many consorts."
"Yes, but the competition are also very bloody," Lelouch replied calmly while Yuzuka looked at him sympathetically. "Assassinations among the contenders are a regular occurrence. My mother was a victim of this, and my sister nearly lost her life during that same incident. After I was exiled, I heard another consort and one of her daughters was killed in a bombing, shortly before the war between Japan and Britannia erupted."
"And the Emperor just banished you and your sister to Japan just for speaking to him about the loss of your mother?"
"Not exactly, but that is generally what happened. All the more reason I chose not to return to Britannia, and accepted the Ashford Family's help in faking our deaths and taking new identities," Lelouch explained. "Even if they were allies of our mother, they only did so in order to have us as liability insurance."
"You know," Yuzuka paused to eat again. "I understand why you were willing to endure so much for Claude's deal."
"Given everything I've seen and come from, I understand. Coming here from my world must seem like an act of insanity."
"You have a good reason, don't you? You want revenge for yourself, your sister, and your mother?"
"It's more than that," Lelouch acknowledged. "The Ashford Family is looking after Nunnally and me, but we have some issues with being liability insurance. Who knows how long they'll continue to shelter us? Then there is…the fact I feel like I am dying a slow death."
"I…" Yuzuka stuttered, caught off guard and not knowing what to say.
"Imagine going through it daily, the fear of being cast aside or found, and ending up as another casualty of royal ambition. Imagine being unable to do anything about it and going through the motions of living. Each day is a routine where I must lie and hide who I am from others. It's what I call a slow death. Even if I don't trust her, I would take a gamble by accepting Claude's bargain if it means I no longer have to lie to myself."
"So we're seeing the real you more than what people in your world see?"
"That is right." Lelouch went back to his food, breaking eye contact.
"I even know what losing a mother and siblings is like." Yuzuka's response caused Lelouch to look up at her. "It's unfair you get to share something personal with me, so allow me to return the favor. My father, Sarutobi, owns Japan's biggest TSF production company. I was the youngest of three children my father had with my mother, Tomoko."
Lelouch listened silently. Although he wanted to say something, he allowed Yuzuka to continue.
"My older brother became a TSF pilot while my older sister, the middle child, became an engineer who worked for both my father's company and the military, acting as a liaison at times," Yuzuka said, before falling silent for a moment, adding. "They were both in Kyushu when the BETA invasion happened, and my mother was trying to help my dad's grandparents living in Kumamoto. She tried to escape, but her chance to evacuate was denied because members of the Royal Guard were prioritizing their own families and friends, hogging the much needed transports to escape. They were prioritizing protecting "politically important" places rather than strategic ones or the cities."
Lelouch observed Yuzuka's expression, noticing both sadness and anger mixed together. He now understood where Yuzuka's distrust of the elitists of the Royal Guard came from. He wondered if the demise of her siblings must've been tied to that as well, but opted against asking her.
"I am sorry for your loss," Lelouch said, with an expression of understanding.
"That's okay. It was unfair for you to share something personal with me, so we're even."
"It wasn't necessary, but thank you."
"Not at all," Yuzuka said, before deciding to change the subject. "So, what is the plan for tomorrow?"
"We should try to call the others and learn where they stand with their objectives," Lelouch suggested, accepting the change in subject.
"Do you think they accomplished their objectives?"
"I wish I knew, but our radios have limited use," Lelouch answered.
"Right, but I hope the others are doing alright."
"I am sure Haruka and Tsukiko are doing fine since they've both done the evaluation before, but…"
"But?" Yuzuka inquired as Lelouch looked to the side.
"I am worried about the other two."
A/N: Whew a short chapter, but the other two should make up for it with chapter 11 ready to go, but I'll be posting it in two weeks from today as normal.
Worthy of note is that I had to be creative with Yuzuka's backstory because while it was well out of my limited budget to the Day After visual novels there was a YouTube walkthrough I was able to watch, which I found no further details on how Yuzuka's mother, older brother and older sister had died. The wiki had nothing beyond the fact they were dead and her dad was still alive, which I also watched said walkthrough to see if he appeared so I could gauge what he is like, but no I didn't see him. So I had to be creative with it, making it in a way that matches her issues with the Royal Guard to keep her in character as much as possible since she is appearing much earlier than in canon. My experts in all things Muv Luv, and main beta Silkdreamweaver and Jameyofthemegacosmos, didn't seem to mind the idea, so I figured it was cool.
Lelouch and Yuzuka's challenge was tricky, since as I've said I did want to make it both challenging and demanding teamwork, so I hope it worked. Also the gun they found, it was based off of the anti-tank rifle used by Burt Gummer from Tremors 2, the Grizzly Single Shot .50 Caliber BMG, so yeah wonder WHY they would need something like that. As for Yuzuka's strength, she isn't super strong, but considering how in the Day After and outside of it (like in her summer variant from Muv Luv Dimensions where she has one in her hand) she has been shown with an ax which I thought could mean she was much stronger than she looks to have a preference for them and her finding a military ax was a shout out too.
As for Asagi and Haruko's test, let's just say there's will be more psychological in nature.
No new specs for this chapter, at least until chapter fourteen.
But I do look forward to chapter thirteen being posted, because its probably the best in character moments and development I have ever done.
Thank you all for reading this chapter and I thank you all in advance for your feedback, they are always encouraging and very much appreciated.
Anonymous Review replies, in order from the most recent to the not so recent...these took awhile to write out:
Samurai seven1: If I make any more Gundams for characters, since I want to avoid including too many, but if I did make one for Cui it likely wouldn't be based on the Altron Gundam since Cui has a much more brutal and aggressive fighting style involving swords with a preference on downing a foe in one strike thanks to how the swords of Chinese TSFs are designed, so her Gundam would likely be made to compliment this style of combat with powerful melee strikes using swords.
Samurai seven2: You know I did consider what kind of theme song this story should have, and I've been between T.M. Revolution's Invoke or Apocalypse of Destiny by Ayami, but the latter I couldn't find any kind of English translations on the lyrics so I am not sure how it could work. So I might do some more searching to find an opening that sounds both awesome and with fitting lyrics to fit the story when I got time. Do not surrender by Yuuki was a promising alternative, but I wasn't sure for an opening theme song.
Samurai seven3: That would depend on where the story stands, although their homeworld was found we don't know if they are around as of Muv Luv canon or what they are like unless a future installment showing them comes out between now and when the story reaches that point. Otherwise even if I don't, I got a lot of alternative options to work with as a back up. But I do like the idea of VV's fate you suggested through and I could find another way to make it work through.
Leon Kennedy1: While I don't know if I would do a scene like that, I will say in regards to Tohdoh that would be true and you can thanks of the influnce of Yui and the others, but probably the biggest effect that changed Lelouch from being unwilling to sacrifice others if he can avoid it, would be his assisted mercy killing of Kaori Kisaragi during their flight through Kyoto with Kazusa helping him had a more profound effect on him, without realizing it at first. Lelouch will be the character those fans of him like at his core, but his experiences in the Muv Luv world are no doubt having a positive impact on him despite some of the horrors he saw. Lelila and Akito, I admit I am not sure yet how they could be involved in the story through. For Diethard, if nothing else he is very unlikely to betray Lelouch this time given all of the things he is involved with and doing. And like with the review above I wouldn't mind having that happen to V.V. if I can make it happen.
Leon Kennedy2: If Lelouch does get his Geass, which I am considering he'll need for what I am planning for events surrounding Schwarzesmarken, given the unique challenges he will face given the risk involved with time travel. But I am considering if Claude might, or at the very least warn him about overusing it, something C.C. didn't do until the whole incident with Mao. As for Mao, I am not sure if I would involve him in the story or not, he is among the things from Code Geass cannon I am considering, but remaining open too until the story gets closer to that so I can see where Lelouch stands at that point to better gauge if he should be in the story in some way or not. But kidnapping much of the canon cast just for that scene seems excessive for Claude and I should note she cannot use her powers so freely expect in carefully planned out ways, even if the world of Muv Luv due to certain events gives her more leeway in this regard, but I don't doubt it would make for an interesting scene if it could work, but maybe not at the risk of causing a reality destroying paradox. Maybe as a kind of omake scene or something, we'll see if and when the inspiration strikes me.
Leon Kennedy3: True and they all have military training too and by that point when Lelouch forms the Black Knights he'll have seasoned commanders and potential leaders along with fighters in his ranks giving a much better start than he did in canon, and that is not even considering the potential resources he could have by then. Yes that will be quite the scene, once Lelouch has enough manpower to kick Britannia out of Japan and ensuring they can't retake it, Lelouch would bring his ships and mobile suits into the fight and Sunrider ships do have the means for orbital bombardment so Lelouch could potentially attack Britannian military bases from orbit, especially those on the frontlines of current conflicts to really hurt them. But the rest of that I won't lie is amusing to picture in my mind, although while I doubt things will happen like that in the story, it still makes for an amusing mental image.
Leon Kennedy4: Yeah he has been much more well trained as the test in this chapter shows how far he has come so far thanks to Marimo's training from hell with Claude's injections ensuring he could survive them. Furthermore thanks to the skills he unknowingly got from Yui also helped him, but his training will continue since he'll need come events of Schwarzesmarken for sure. He'll definitively be a much more competent pilot in canon, especially when he and Yui are in coupling mode which will make them a powerful battle couple. Yui and Lelouch will become a couple at some point before harem beings forming, which Shimako will be the trigger and the best catalyst for it to happen. While having Lelouch take down Suzaku and Bismarck could be a sight to see, I don't want to take way from his strengths as a commander through, but keep this in mind what kind of person would Yui be if she allowed such people to threaten her boyfriend and future husband to be, heck the harem and Yui might not even give them a chance to get at Lelouch lol. I think Yui has the skills and the right machine that she could take on Suzaku and others from CG.
Guests: So far Shimako will be first since her character provides the best means for a threesome to happen, but it will begin opening the door for the harem to happen as the other girls around Lelouch might start expressing interest, and if he has built enough of a close relationship with those like Izumi, Aki, Kazusa and others by that point it might not take much for them wanting to join, although they might have different reasons its worth keeping in mind by that point they've formed close bonds by fighting together and protecting each other, depending on any specific characters it might not take much. While I don't know if Lelouch's harem will include Aki and Izumi, Kazusa is a BIG maybe for sure, since as something else to keep in mind I fear making this harem too big could be detrimental to the story hence the size limit, which is to avoid character bloat too. We are thinking nine as the max, but talk of increasing to 12 has come to mind, but I am willing to wait and focus on Yui and Lelouch then Shimako, then see where things stand from there.
Guests1: That would be amusing, but as for the JLF they might remain independent for now, but yeah if Tohdoh's four swords fought Marimo or any of the Muv Luv works with combat experience I can't imagine it would go well for them. But could also depend on how much experience they have in a Knightmare Frame since they do operate differently from a TSF. Yeah as I said, Lelouch's harem, or at least the majority will be basically a Battle Harem, so yeah if you threaten Lelouch they will probably maul anyone stupid enough to try to death lol.
Samurai seven4: He won't need a CG one, as I mentioned with Yui she'll be using a original prototype Knightmare Frame with Lelouch likely to get one customized to be a commander unit and modify for his style of his combat. They'll have mass production models and others for the Black Knights, the Guren I'll same through and if he steals the Gawain as in cannon that might get some use too for situations where it would be useful.
Guest's: Yeah Yui and Lelouch will grow closer with further signs to come in chapter thirteen with some amusing complications to that you guys can look forward to I promise you. It also helps Yui and Lelouch's relationship that he doesn't have to put up the walls he has in canon and he can be himself, and not be the mask he wears at Ashford Academy, which chapter 13 will also explore too. Hmmmm that could happen, but that depend on a number of factors that is too early to tell at this point.
Samurai seven5: Well one of my betas for the story might debate you on Rivalz being Lelouch's best friend, they are friends sure but he wasn't really involved too much to justify that title. I might consider giving him a pairing at most by the end, but we'll see. If Suzaku runs afoul of Lelouch and his harem, it will not be a good day for him, and depending on who joins, if they have any kind of assassination training which a few of the candidates I am looking at do, could mean being off the battlefield may not save him from their wraith, which Lelouch probably stopping it or discouraging it could be his only saving grace. Jeremiah I would be open to him joining Lelouch's side sooner if I have an opportunity for it, since given the number of women on his side having some extra men will likely be welcomed XD, and there are some women around his age group who could be pair-able options for him.
Samurai sevn: That is the general idea, but of course they must find out first and do something about Yuuya's attitude issues first. As for people's reaction to his harem, that is something Lelouch would like to avoid, but there are justifications for it and he would remind them polygamy is legal in Britannia too, I share the same mindset for Seerking on that one, but I am sure the rules and requirements for it differ for those outside of the Emperor.
Guests: Well at this point Lelouch would have no reason to punish them, and sure he would keep an eye on them until he is sure he could trust them. And he has the personnel and people needed to keep any problems under wraps, as mentioned above and depending if they join there are some potential harem candidates alone who are skilled in intelligence work and assassination so they alone could deal with any traitors if they become a problem for Lelouch, and you are forgetting its not that Lelouch isn't worthy to fight Suzaku, its just that Yui and others may not allow anyone to get close to him to harm the man they love. But who knows, maybe Lelouch might get involved and face Suzaku.
Samurai seven: Thank you and yeah while I feel bad for Shirley and Milly, as their chances of getting into Lelouch's harem will be an uphill battle because of the competition they are up against too as there are some who could offer more and have more chances around Lelouch too. I have nothing against Milly and Shirley and wouldn't mind their inclusion into Lelouch's harem, but looking at the other candidates...yeah competition is going to be fierce.
Samurai sevn: Yeah its there isn't much reason for Rivalz to be paired with someone other than not having him feel left out, and Kaguya, yeah that whole thing about Lelouch having court ladies will be true for sure by the time she meets Yui XD.
Guest: Thank you and yes that is true, I haven't decided if Kallen's brother might survive the story and join Lelouch, not yet at least.
Oh depending on what he has by then, its not going to be pretty once Lelouch gets the manpower he needs to hold Japan and launch further attacks against Britannia once he gives them the boot from Japan.
Yup, the next chapter is already ready.