AN: This turned out pretty long. Sorry.

Guest(1): Suzaku's working on containing his anger currently. He knows that if he has another big outburst, he's going to lose out on the support from the friends his NT version built up. Of course, he knows Rai is aware of Zero's identity, which is why, while he does hope that Rai's way can be done, he highly doubts it. After all, he once supported the same ideals, and it failed horribly.

Guest(2): Powerhungry? How is Suzaku powerhungry? If he was, he would've taken the deal to join the Glinda Knights without hesitation. He would've abandoned Lila with no issues. But he didn't, because this Suzaku is far more calculating than his NT or OT counterparts. I mean, it's no secret that Lila hasn't even come close to confronting Zero. So him immedietly taking the offer wouldn't have been out of character at all, especially if he wants a good chance at killing Lelouch. But Suzaku it thinking of the future, or at least trying to be. As for being an ass for no reason, Suzaku certainly has a reason. I mean, Rai literally took his position as Euphemia's Knight, how can he not be mad at that? Of course, he's trying his best to hold in that anger, as he knows it'll get him nowhere. Also, this is Karma Suzaku, not normal Suzaku. This one has experienced vastly more traumatic events, and is seeking revenge on the man who took everything from him, so the arguement for him still mourning Lelouch's death doesn't apply here. Though, he's not completely heartless, as even after killing Karma Kallen, he still felt remorse, so he's not some psychopath. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the criticism, and I would love more feedback so I can improve. For instance, I do agree that this story takes a while to start up. It's a slow burn, so the beginning devolpment might not suit those who want to get straight to the plot. But your criticisms for Suzaku's character by boiling him down to *just being Japanese Schneizel* are not valid when there are more layers to his character.

PhantomGuest: The Foreign Legion are currently with Dasko. They'll be the reason why he'll be doing extrordinarily well in this battle, and I have an idea for Clara actually aiding in fighting them off. Also, Clara still has access to her Geass, but it's in a very difficult state to use, because of the trauma she suffered from facing off against Kallen. The reason for the trauma comes from the beating, obviously, but also from the fact that Clara couldn't instill a command into Kallen, which is a pretty big deal. Not only that, but the biggest shock, came from the fact that all of Clara's preparation was seemingly used against her in those last moments, making her feel like she had no power.

Chapter 68: Battle of Nikko

A convoy of several Semi-trucks dragging large trailers barreled down the road at full speed. They were clearly in a rush, and didn't have much time to deliver these special packages.

In the center trailer, Rakshata and her team worked tirelessly trying to quickly finish up the finishing touches to the Guren, and the four Holy Swords new weapons, fresh off the production line. Ahead of them, Mario and Maya worked on their Sougetsus, making sure they were in top performance. "Tohdoh, what's your status?" Zero spoke to a screen with the miracle worker's face showing in the back of a trailer.

"Due to the size of their force, Britannia's having a hard time breaking through. However, they have seen success on the southern front. I suspect that's where Marrybell's forces are concentrated." the new leader of the JLF informed the masked man.

"So… you're saying we should approach from the south?"

"It would be great if you could take the pressure off."

"Alright." Zero turned to Naoto, "You know what to do."

The Kozuki approached the radio and gave a few orders to the drivers. Meanwhile, Kallen, who wore a red pilot suit, kept close behind Zero, making sure to never leave his side. The same could be said for Clara, who didn't want to be questioned by C.C.

"Which Kagero will you be taking?" Lelouch asked, holding up both keys. Behind him, two identical copies of the Zero Kagero kneeled just below the ceiling. Their cold eyes lied dormant, ready for a fight.

"The back one. Remember? That one has the specifications to support my style." Naoto took the right key, and opened his Kagero's cockpit. "Kallen, are you sure you're ready to fight? If you're still affected by what happened, you can-"

"I'm fine, Naoto." the red head smirked, "I'll be able to give Britannia what's coming to them. The one who'll lead the vanguard… is me!"

"No you won't." Lelouch interrupted his girlfriend's announcement, "The one who will be leading it, is Naoto." both Kozuki's eyes widened with shock. However, the Prince soon explained, "I need someone who has experience commanding troops, and Naoto is the perfect fit. His piloting skills are also top-notch. Obviously not as good as yours, but he can hold his own."

Kallen rolled her eyes, "I understand your reasoning, Lelouch. But still… I want to be of use."
Naoto stepped forth, "I won't let you down." he boarded the Kagero, and looked over its systems, "Not this time. I'll show that I am worthy of the title of Zero."

Lelouch got into his Kagero, leaving Kallen and Clara to watch as they worked diligently to get their systems ready. However, this moment of peace wouldn't last long, as an explosion outside sent them flying to the wall, "Trailer three's been hit! The Guren and the Gekka's are falling down the mountain!"

"What!?" Lelouch exclaimed.

Unbeknownst to him, due to Tohdoh not knowing their range, Euphemia and Lila chose to set up their artillery on the outskirts of the battlefield, allowing them to target the highway leading into the canyon with sure-hit accuracy at Carine's orders. "We have to deploy, now!" Naoto shouted as another explosion went off.

"Trailer seven's been hit!" the Black Knight foot soldiers hit the button on the back of the trailers, allowing their Knightmare's to be sent out immediately.

Without a second thought, Naoto rushed out, skidding past the second trailer as the seventh burned in the distance. "Woah…. Long way down…" he commented as he saw JLF and Britannian forces fought at the foot of the canyon.

"You're telling me the Guren fell down there!?" Maya exclaimed while stopping next to Kozuki in her Sougetsu. "Do you think Rakshata's…"

"There's no way." Mario added. "The inside of the trailers are padded. So, she's probably broken a bone or two, but she'll live."

"But if she landed on her head…"

"Quit being so negative!"

"I'm not! I'm just… being realistic."

A faint whistle caused all three Black Knights to duck, just as an artillery shell hit the hillside behind them. "We've gotta move!" Naoto ordered, "All Black Knight's converge on-" before he could finish his sentence, their radios were suddenly disrupted by static, limiting their communication range. At this moment, the once strong chain that made the Black Knights an unstoppable force, was broken.

Meanwhile, in the middle of a shallow river.

"What the hell is going on!?" Lelouch shouted as two JLF Burais kept watch.

Kallen and Clara exited the trailer while scratching the back of their heads, "What the hell happened? Where is everyone?"

A small team of Black Knight's surveyed the area carefully, trying to figure out the same thing. "Did you all get knocked out from that blast?" Zero questioned, "Well, that last one threw us off course. And now we're lost with no way of contacting the others."

"Wait, what happened to the radio?" a Black Knight asked as he grabbed a rifle.

"Long range radio jammer." Clara answered, "I've seen it used before. And for a force like the Black Knight's, that heavily rely on high-tec communications, this is basically a game-ender."

"S-seriously?"

"Yeah. I don't know where Britannia has it set up, but it has to be on some kind of high point."

"Wait… if this stops all radio transmissions, wouldn't Britannia also be deaf?"

"No." Lelouch chimed in, "They most likely already have a counter-measure for it in play. But why did they only just activate it now? They could've stopped Tohdoh from calling for reinforcements."

"I doubt it." one JLF pilot chimed in, "We use landline's to primarily communicate with each other. It makes listening in extremely difficult."

"Old tech for an out-dated army. Fitting." Clara added, "But… it's smart, and prevents situations like this from happening."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"I honestly don't know if that was a compliment…" Lelouch watched an explosion in the distance go off. It looked like it was in the direction of the main road they should've taken, "We've effectively been separated."

"If your friends can get to a JLF unit, they'll be able to use the radio packs to get in contact with Tohdoh." the JLF pilot explained, "Though… I hope they're smart enough to figure that out…"

Lelouch sighed, "Thank you for the information. You've been very helpful." he said as two Black Knight Burai's approached in the distance. It was a small scouting party he sent out, "Let's move! Burn the trailer, leave nothing behind."

"Splash out!" a G1 staff member heard as the last volley made contact with the remaining trailer, "The incoming Black Knights have been routed!"

"Are we sure those were the Black Knights, though?" Lila asked with a worried tone, "I'm not doubting you, Carine… but they could've been civilians."

"Really? A suspicious amount of semi-trucks enter the battlefield with several trailers, and you think they're civilians? It was clearly a military convoy, and whether it was the Black Knights or not is undecided. Though…" numerous images of the twin Sougetsus flooded the Princess' screen, "I'm inclined to believe that they were." she then leaned back nonchalantly, "And even if they were civilians, they were idiots for entering an active combat zone. They knew the risk."

"But they didn't know we were fighting here!" Euphemia protested, "No one does!"

"Boohoo. It ended well, didn't it? Stop worrying about the 'what ifs', and live in the present!" the red-haired Princess heartlessly stated, "They were Black Knights. Plain and simple. There's nothing else to it."

"Even so… it still feels wrong…"

Carine rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I don't have time to deal with this. Go bother Marry or something."

"Wait!" Lila called, "Why did you have us activate the jammer now?" outside the G1, a second antenna sat by their surveyor, letting out an eerie sound that spelled doom for the Black Knights, "I mean… I understand what we're using it for, but why not when we started battle? It could've stopped the JLF from calling the Black Knights!"

Carine closed her eyes, "You want to know the real reason?"

Her sisters nodded vigorously, "Yes! Please!"

The red-haired Princess nodded, before playfully knocking herself on the head, "I forgot~"

"Eh!? You forgot!" Lila shouted in disbelief.

"Yep. That's the real reason." Carine lied with an innocent smile, "I'm still new to this whole battle thing, remember? Speaking of remembering, you did tell your troops to activate their special IFF's before you activated the jammer, right?"

"O-of course we did."

"Good."

"And you told Marry too, right?" Euphemia asked with concern.

"Naturally." the bloodthirsty Princess lied effortlessly, "Now. I have to go. We'll talk later. Au revoir!"

Once she hung up the call, Carine began laughing, "Oh Marry… whatever am I going to do with you?" she watched as her Britannian forces surrounded the sparse Glinda Knights as they pushed deeper and deeper into the enemy lines. "The Knights of the Round are well ahead of the vanguard, so it's safe for me to snuff out her flame." she cleared her throat, garnering the attention of her G1 staff, "Ladies and gentlemen, please inform our troops, that we're to initiate Order 66." everyone shuddered upon hearing those words, "I advise my troops to carry this out with maximum efficiency."

Meanwhile, in the middle of a thicket, the Glinda Knights came to a halt, watching as their fellow Britannians zoomed into battle.

Leonhart constantly dialed his radio, trying to get some kind of frequency that wasn't static. But nothing came up for the past 5 minutes, "Seriously? What the hell's going on? My radio's on the fritz."

"We're being jammed…" Toto Thompson answered, causing everyone to come to a halt.

"W-woah… the JLF have something like that?" Sokkia muttered, "Well, what do we do?"

"I don't know. But I can't fight in these conditions." a Glinda Knight pilot complained, "The chances for friendly fire are too-"

An anti-KMF round suddenly pierced his cockpit, killing the man upon impact, causing a fiery explosion. "H-holy shit!" Leonhart hid his Sutherland behind a rock, "Where'd that come from?" he looked in the direction of where the bullet came from, but only saw a purple Gloucester holding an anti-KMF rifle with its barrel smoking, "Oh… it looks like they got the bastard who did it already-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the Gloucester fired another round at Toto, taking off an arm of her Sutherland. "What the hell!? Friendly fire!" Sokkia desperately called as more Britannian Sutherlands surrounded their position.

"No way… what's going on?" Leonhart muttered with a fear stricken voice, "Are we seriously going to die?"

"Man up, Steiner!" another Glinda Knight shouted, "We're clearly being targeted here!"

In less than a minute, the Glinda Knights were suddenly caught in the cross-hairs of the soldiers they once called allies. Causing the forest to erupt in gunfire, with multiple explosions occurring in a matter of seconds. This also caused great confusion to the JLF soldiers they were combatting, "Wait… who do we shoot at?"

"They're fighting amongst themselves!"

"Who cares? Kill 'em both at the same time!"

Of course, the confusion didn't last long, as they didn't have any issue with deciphering who their enemy was. And just like that, the entire southern flank was compromised, with the Glinda Knights being sandwiched between Britannia and the JLF.

This naturally didn't please Marrybell, as she watched nearly 50% of her Knights get wiped out, "What the hell is this? First our communications go dark, and now we lose half our force? Did Zero really manage to turn the tides so easily?"

"If I may interject, Princess." Oldrin chimed in, "Carine's forces seem to be relatively intact. If this was some kind of ploy by Zero, then it would make sense for her to lose some too, no?"

The Hero Princess' eyes widened, "No. Even she's not crazy enough, is she?" her mind wandered to Carine laughing maliciously as she ran down the halls with one of her 'special magazines', "Carine's a bully. That's something I recognize, but I didn't think she'd be insane enough to pull something like this off." she clenched her fist, "As much as I want to deny it, the possibility is too high. We have to warn everyone, but how?"

Suddenly, their head mechanic burst into the room, as guards tried to stop him, "Sir! You cannot be on the bridge in times of war! I will be forced to punish you at once!"

"No! I need to get this to the Princess… she needs to hear this."

Marrybell and Oldrin turned to the man with raised eyebrows, "Let him go."

The Mechanic smiled as the guards got off him, "M-my lady! Forgive my ignorance, but I have a solution to our communication problem!" he extended a large motherboard, "Prince Schneizel instructed me to have our R&D team to have this ready for the Sutherland Eye. In truth, we got it done the same day we received it, but…" he looked off to the side, "Considering that high detailed mapping would be needed for this mission, we chose to not include it in the Eye."

Oldrin picked up the board with a curious eye, "And what's this supposed to do?"

"It… it allows for the Sutherland Eye to activate an exclusive channel that can bypass radio jamming, by operating at a lower frequency." Marrybell's eyes widened upon hearing those words, "But… we can only outfit one motherboard at a time, due to the Sutherland Eye only being a prototype and all…"

This explanation quickly dispelled Marrybell's anger, but she still had some questions, "Why wasn't this brought to me sooner?"

"Th-that was my mistake, Princess." the mechanic explained, "Y-you can punish me for this insolence later, but I need you to get this to Sokkia! She'll know what to do!"

Marrybell looked at the man intensely, before saying, "Get him out of here. I'll deal with him later." she turned to Oldrin, "Can you deliver this to Sokkia Sherpa?"

Her Knight smirked in response, "Are you doubting my abilities?"

"Not even for a second." the Hero Princess said confidently, "Now go. The fate of the Glinda Knight's hinge on you!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Oldrin quickly boarded her Gloucester and took off at full speed, heading for Sokkia's last known location.

"Ugh. So how're we supposed to get into this rock?" Luciano questioned while piercing through a Burai, and hoisting it up like a pike.

A red hadron beam suddenly passed by the vampire, causing a massive explosion upon making contact with the mountain. The Zetland calmly walked past the Gloucester, with Anya assessing the damage, "Not a scratch…"

"The mountain itself is way too thick to pierce." Gino informed as a large group of JLF Burai's appeared out of nowhere, "We should probably find out where they're coming from."

"Lord Weinburg!" a Britannian soldier shouted while laying suppressing fire against the incoming resistance group. "We have reports of JLF troops being deployed out of large metal doors built at the base of the mountain. If we can reach even one of them, we could begin stage 2 of our plan."

"What's the status of our encirclement?"

"Our advance has greatly slowed everywhere, especially here."

Luciano checked his map, and noticed how far he, Anya, and Gino were pushed ahead of the Glinda Knights, which surprisingly hadn't moved much since the start of the battle. "Could those idiots really not keep up? What's taking them so long to break through?"

Of course, he wasn't the only one to realize this, "It says here that we've almost been encircled." the Knight of Three stated, "Maybe we should reform with the Glinda Knights, and advance from there?"

Before the Britannian soldier could protest, the Knight of Ten shouted, "Hell no! We are not losing all this ground just because those idiots can't keep up! We'll keep pushing, regardless of how far behind the Glinda Knights fall."

Gino sighed, "Why do you have to make this so difficult?" he turned his Gloucester to the last known position of the Glinda Knights, "I'm going to assist them. You can keep pushing if you want to."

Anya watched as her fellow Knight sped off, and she was about to join him, but was stopped by Luciano, who said, "Leave him. We have a mission to complete."

In her heart, the Knight of Six was conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to help her friend, Gino. But on the other, she recognized that the mission was important, and by completing it as soon as possible, she could prevent the further deaths of her comrades. However, that wasn't an excuse to leave Gino to fend for himself. In the end, she chose to side with Gino, and sped off after him. Not nearly as fast, but she was moving as fast as the Zetland allowed her.

"M-Ms. Alstreim!" a Britannian soldier shouted, "Where are you going!?"

Luciano clenched his controls, trying to hide his rage. In the end, he failed. "You guys are fucking idiots!" he roared while charging toward the enemy positions, slaughtering them in a matter of seconds. "Fine! I'll have all the fun by myself!" he proclaimed while fighting his way toward the Glinda Knights. He was doing this on purpose, as it was obvious to him and Gino, that Anya's purpose was to mediate the relationship between the two Knights. And if she chose to side with one over the other, then the opposer would follow suit. Of course, he would never tell anyone that he was willingly going to help them. After all, he gets to kill as many JLF soldiers along the way as he wants. What more could he ask for?

Oldrin desperately sped through the forest, ducking beneath trees as bullets surged over her head. The source? Britannian forces keen on taking her out, "So it's true… Carine's trying to kill us." she took out her KMF lance, before rushing forth, deflecting bullets away from her with a Blaze Luminous system in her left arm. Once she was in range, she pierced through the Sutherland's cockpit, killing the pilot in an instant. Its buddy then tried to flank around her, and shoot her in the back. However, Oldrin quickly whipped around the corpse, and used it as a meat shield to absorb the incoming bullets, creating a fiery explosion that spread black smoke through the forest. The Knight took the chance to shove her lance through the second Sutherland's body, sending the cockpit flying into a tree, which broke upon contact.

She continued her journey, killing a Gloucester wielding an Anti-KMF rifle in the process. That's when she saw the red paint of Glinda Knightmare's pinned down in a thicket. "Sokkia!" she boomed through the intercom.

"O-Oldrin!?" Toto shouted with disbelief, "What are you doing here!?"

The blonde quickly grabbed the anti-KMF rifle from earlier, and used it to destroy a squad of Sutherland's in one shot, "Marrybell knows we're being jammed." she leapt down to their level, and killed a Sutherland which was trying to sneak up on the group, "Apparently, Carine's trying to take us out."

"Seriously!? Why would she do something like that?" Leonhart panicked while cowering behind a rock.

"Who knows." Oldrin pulled up behind Sokkia's Sutherland eye and said, "I've got a modification for you to install. It should re-open our channels if you get it right." both women opened their cockpits, and exchanged the motherboard, "I leave this in your hands." Oldrin closed her Gloucester, before shouting, "All Glinda Knights! Hold position here. Everyone is our enemy! Keep close, and stay back-to-back!"

Sokkia quickly installs the new motherboard, while the other pops out, burning her hands, "Ouch!" she shouts while dropping it. "Fuck. That hurt."

"You okay?" Oldrin asked as a bullet grazed her head.

"I'm fine!" Sokkia shouts while turning off her Knightmare, before activating it once again. Initializing her new systems. At that moment, her Knightmare was flooded with radio chatter from every single Britannian KMF. Though, it seemed to be in a radius, as everyone was talking about attacking the south side. "Um. Everyone, tune your radios to this frequency!" she shouted out a series of numbers, allowing the Glinda Knight's communications to come back online. At least for the troops.

"Nicely done!" Oldrin shouted while destroying a Britannian Sutherland.

"You're incredible, Sokkia." Leonhart complimented the girl.

"Yoohoo!" Gino's Gloucester bursts onto the scene with a fiery explosion, "Ah, is that you Oldrin? What are you doing here?"

"G-Gino!?" the blonde clenched her controls with rage, "Why the hell did you push so far ahead!?"

"W-we were just trying to reach the objective faster…"

"But you left all of your backup behind! We understand you Knights of the Round are better than us, but you can't take on the whole fortress by yourself!"
"I'd argue otherwise." Luciano chimed in while riding a destroyed JLF Burai like a skateboard, "I can't believe these pitiful bastards actually destroyed so many of you. This is an utter travesty of an 'elite unit' we have here."

Oldrin clenched her teeth and shouted, "I'm gonna fucking kill him!"

Anya watched the sight from a distance, while also watching as the Britannian Sutherlands retreated with smoking guns. "No enemy. Why are their guns smoking?"

Of course, she wasn't the only one to notice this, but Gino didn't mention it, as there were too many prying eyes. Though… Luciano felt differently, "Hey, you pieces of shit. Where do you think you're going?" he approached the fearful Britannian Sutherlands.

"Uh… we just finished helping subjugate the JLF forces pinning us down… sir…"

"Do you really think I'm a fucking idiot?" he ripped open the pilot's cockpit, causing him to nearly piss himself, "I'm the one who destroyed all those pitiful Elevens on my way over here. Meanwhile, you were nowhere to be seen."

"Bradley! Stop!" Gino shouted as the Knight of Ten picked up the Britannian soldier with his claws.

"Really? I thought you were someone who always cared for their fellow soldiers. And yet you're just going to let these bastards walk all over them?" Luciano snapped while slowly closing his pincers, "Not me. I won't stand for it. I'm going to be executing some martial law." he glanced at Oldrin, and asked, "Any objections?"

While Luciano Bradley was a bloodthirsty psychopath on the battlefield, deep down, he really did care for those who served by his side. Sure, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice them for the greater good, but he still cared enough to take care of insubordination himself. He wouldn't just let the Glinda Knights be walked over by traitors. And if there was one thing Luciano hated more than weaklings, it was traitors who cowardly stab you in the back.

Oldrin clenched her controls and looked down. She knew this wasn't right, and it would've been so easy to simply deny Luciano this. Of course, he wouldn't listen, but that wasn't the point. She couldn't just let the Glinda Knights watch as she simply lets the Britannians walk all over them. Examples had to be made. And while Oldrin recognized this was wrong… she couldn't reject it. "Go ahead… I won't allow anyone to disrespect the Glinda Knights. And by extension, Princess Marrybell."

Gino looked down, trying not to hear the Britannian soldiers wails as he was cut to ribbons in front of everyone. Even the blond Knight recognized that this couldn't go unpunished. He just wished there was some other way.

"I will be returning to the G1." Oldrin announced as Luciano withdrew his Lance from the body of a destroyed Sutherland, "In the meantime, I forbid all of you from breathing a word of this to anyone. Even Princess Marrybell."

"Oh my. Someone's becoming a rebel." Luciano teased, "It started with a public execution, but now you're going to lie to your precious Princess? That's not very Knightly of you."

Oldrin ignored his comment and sped off, "Continue your advance! Don't let anyone hinder you again! As far as you're concerned, everyone's your enemy here!"

Gino's eyes narrowed as he faced the mountain, while Luciano smiled sadistically while bursting forth, crashing through the forest without hesitation. Anya calmly walked through the forest, causing birds to fly away at the force of her foot. Leonhart clenched his controls, while Toto attached a Sutherland arm to hers. With that, the Glinda Knights advance started once more, this time, unhindered by their Britannian 'allies'.

"Tohdoh. This is Asahina. We've come across the trailer…" the four Holy Swords member reported in his Burai, "It looks pretty beat up. And I doubt the cargo is intact. We're currently trying to pry open the door, but…"

Suddenly, the shimmering red Guren tore open the trailer's side, allowing it to escape its prison, "I-is that Kallen Kozuki!?" a random JLF soldier exclaimed.

The Guren's cockpit opened, revealing a green-haired girl, "Asahina, please escort Rakshata back to the JLF infirmary. She's badly injured." Using the new opening, the JLF soldiers got inside, and escorted the Indian woman, alongside her aids. The padding luckily made their fall easier to bear, but it still hurt them bad. "Also, get into your new toy."

Asahina ripped open the trailer a bit more, revealing four Knightmares that were still in a sitting position thanks to their straps. "What is this thing?"

"It's called the Gekka. And I promise you, it's leagues better than that Burai."

"So it's true…" Tohdoh clenched his fist, "The Black Knights have been scattered." he looked at the battle map, where he had Nagisa stationed at the northern front, Urabe at the Eastern, and Senba toward the west. Asahina was placed at the south, but was retreating with a new package. Overall, the Eastern front was having the most trouble, as that was where Dasko was running rampant with highly advanced Knightmare's spearheading his advance. "Their artillery… it has to be toward the West…" he muttered while circling four possible locations. "Senba, do you copy?"

"Reporting." the aforementioned Holy Sword answered.

"Have you made any progress in finding those Artillery pieces?"

"We've made great progress in pushing the enemy back this way. I can tell this area is holding the lightest amount of their forces. When the time comes, we can escape through here if need be."

"That may be sooner than later… especially with Zero missing."

"Shall I prepare an escape route?"

"Yes. I fear this battle may be already lost." Tohdoh sighed, "Lelouch… where the hell are you? Did Britannia really get you with that initial volley? I refuse to accept such a fact."

"Wait a minute… I think I see the Kagero!" Senba suddenly reported, "And… it's Zero!"

"Get him on the line immediately!"

"Already on it." Senba sped his Burai over to the masked man, who was riding on the shoulder of the Kagero. He opened his cockpit, and greeted the man, "Zero. I'm so glad you could make it. What happened?"

"We found their trailer a little banged up, sir. But before we could report what happened, the radio cut out." the JLF Burai reported.

The Kagero's cockpit opened, revealing Kallen to be the one piloting it, "Do you have any idea where that jammer is? I could quickly destroy it if I knew the location."

"The location isn't an issue." Senba pointed at a hill top that was across the canyon from them, "Our scouts have reported that a G1's set up camp with a strange antenna. However, we can't get a good angle to shoot it from here, and we don't have the man power to take the hill."

"No problem. I'll just break through."

The Holy Sword shook his head, "Not in this frame. The one who's guarding it… is the Lancelot."

Kallen's eyes shook upon hearing the name. Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to charge in headfirst, and kill him. But, her mind knew better. So, she held firm, not moving from her position until given further instructions by Lelouch. "Zero!" a JLF soldier with a radio pack shouted, "Come down here! I've got Tohdoh on the line for you!"

Lelouch did as told, and grabbed the receiver, "Tohdoh. I'm here."

"Zero. What's your status?"

"My forces are scattered, and I'm afraid most have been destroyed. If we can destroy that jammer, I'll be able to regroup, and commit to a counter push. Or at the very least, commit to a successful retreat."

"Do you think you can win with what little you have?"

"With the new technology? I have no doubt. If Tamaki and Ohgi have survived, they should have something very interesting in their trailer." Zero looked off in the distance as another wave of Britannian troops approached, forcing him to take cover in a trench, where he would continue the conversation, "And I know for a fact Naoto, Maya, and Mario are alive. They could practically change an entire battle together. Then there's the Guren . If Kallen gets her hands on it, the Western front is as good as won."

Tohdoh smirked, "I'm glad you haven't given up. Luckily, Asahina just came in contact with your… secretary. She has the Guren, so I'll send her over to your location."

"Secretary?" Lelouch smiled, "C.C…" he then returned to the matter at hand, "What was the status of her trailer?"

"Everyone was heavily injured in the fall except for her. But the Gekkas are still intact. I'm bringing in Nagisa and Urabe to quickly get theirs."

"You can have Senba to join them too. I can take care of this front alone."

"Very well. Senba, you heard the man."

"I leave this in your care, Zero." the four Holy Sword quickly pulled back, allowing Lelouch to take full command of the combined JLF and remnant Black Knight forces.

Kallen fully entered the Kagero once again, staring down the enemy from her cover, "The only issue should be Suzaku. Even if I face off against the Lancelot Club, I should be able to take it down with ease, since the pilot clearly isn't near Suzaku's skill before awakening." she checked her systems one last time, "Lelouch only has a Blaze Luminous System, and an MVS blade installed on this thing. If this were Naoto's version, I'd have plenty of options for an attack."

"Die, you Britannian bastards!" a JLF foot soldier shouted while gunning down Britannian soldiers as they approached the trenches.

Clara watched the battle carefully, taking note of a squad of Britannian soldiers as they breached the line. So, she quickly reacted by running toward the trenches they were in, and with a pistol in hand, she quickly breached their sector, jumping on top one of them in the process. "Shit!" one shouted as he tried to kill her.

Using her weight, Clara slammed the soldier she mounted into another, causing them to hit the walls hard, then she killed another with a shot to the head, before grabbed a knife from the knife of the first soldier she threw, using it to stab the gun of the second, piercing the chamber. She put her pistol to the chin of the first soldier, and blew his brains out, using his rifle to kill the second soldier with ease.

"H-holy shit…" a JLF soldier muttered, "Where the hell does Zero find these people?"

Lelouch smirked upon seeing Clara's performance, "She's already being put to good use. Though, her real purpose is yet to be demonstrated."

"Die you bitch!" a Gloucester activated his anti-personnel machine gun, and opened fire on the girl, only for her to take cover in the trench. In order to get a better angle, he moved closer, only for Clara to suddenly burst forth, running up his arm, and mounting the cockpit. In the process, she took a mechanism out of her fatigues, and hooked it up to the cockpit. Shortly after, the machine opened, allowing her to freely kill the pilot, and hijack the Knightmare.

"Wow. Maya really is a genius. Maybe I didn't give her enough credit before…" she turned the machine to face her new Britannian opposition, but struggled with the movement at first, "Damn… this is way clunkier than in the simulations…" she muttered as she took some hits on her right side.

Luckily, Kallen came in for the assist, and destroyed the opposing Sutherland's in a matter of seconds. Meanwhile, Clara returned to Zero, and sat the Gloucester before him, "As you requested. One Gloucester with ongoing Britannian transmissions."

"Thank you. Those skills of yours are really special." Lelouch complimented the girl while boarding the Britannian war machine, "Feel free to hijack another for yourself. In the meantime, I'm pulling back."

Kallen got slightly jealous upon hearing her boyfriend complimenting Clara like that, so it motivated her to perform even better than before. The red head effortlessly tore through the Britannian offensive like butter. Even without her Guren, she was a stellar pilot who could adapt to nearly any situation, and this was no exception. With her MVS in hand, she tore through a Gloucester's lance, and bisected it at center mass. Then, she used the Kagero's arm-mounted machine gun to destroy three incoming tanks. At that moment, two Sutherlands surrounded her from both sides in an attempt to commence a pincer maneuver.

"Die!" they shouted while unloading their rifles relentlessly. Though, their attack fell short when Kallen activated both of her Blaze Luminous shields, deflecting the bullets with no issue. However, before she could counter-attack, the Sutherlands were taken out by two JLF rockets.

"Keep pushing them back!" Lelouch shouted while giving out orders, "Those two Knightmares… they haven't moved in a while. That must be Suzaku guarding the G1. And what are those green units at the south? No matter. They don't concern me right now. I just hope Urabe can hold out with Senba's help." suddenly, he noticed one of the Knightmare's moving forward, "Here he comes!"

"Suzaku… where are you going?" Rai questioned as the Kagero stared down their position.

With heavy feet, Suzaku's Lancelot boomed with each step, making his heavy presence known to the battlefield, "Zero's here. We must stop their advance here, otherwise, Princess Euphemia and Lila will be in danger." he trudged through the river, crossing it to get closer to the JLF positions.

Rai nodded, "I understand. But why don't we wait for them to get closer? If we fight them out there-"

"We'll have the support of the attacking force. If we wait, we'll be forced to face off against the JLF alone." the Knight answered heartlessly. But it was logical. Their odds would be better if they joined the ongoing assault. "Princess Euphemia." he contacted the G1, "Rai and I are moving to support the advance. If we don't attack now, they'll flank us and get to the artillery, putting your lives in danger."

Lila smiled upon hearing those words, "I… I understand. Give it your best!"

"Oh? He was talking to me though…" Euphemia teased the innocent Viceroy, "But in all seriousness, do your best, Rai! Suzaku!"

As Rai followed behind his former mentor, he put together his MVS lance, and trudged through the water slowly, "So what's the plan? You take left, I take right?"

"No. The right side has the Black Knightmare on it. I want to face it alone."

The silver-haired boy shrugged, "You got it. Just don't bite off more than you can chew."

Suzaku emerged from the forest, onto the desolate battlefield, where a few Britannian foot soldiers cowered in fear. However, upon seeing the twin Lancelots entering battle, their cowering turned into cheers, "Alright! Go get them, Rai!"

"A-and you too, Suzaku…" they were still hesitant to cheer on the Knight of Lila, but they've seen how he could change a battle just by being present. That was obvious from their battle with the Blood of the Samurai.

The JLF modified costal guns spotted the two approaching, and fired their rounds in one large volley, hoping to end the fight there. However, Suzaku and Rai, in a remarkable display of synchronicity, leapt over the barrage, and landed on the other side, cutting two stray rounds that would've hit them with their MVS, sending the pieces flying into the background, causing an explosion. "We're so screwed…" a JLF soldier muttered as they saw the display.

Meanwhile, Kallen was stunned with fear as she saw the Lancelot approaching her position. Its appearance constantly flickering between a black and red design with a cloak, back to the normal white and gold, "Wh-what's going on!? Why are my eyes playing tricks on me?" she shook her head, trying to snap herself out of her funk, "No. I can't worry about that now. I have to kill him, right now! If I don't, this whole operation's a bust!"

Suzaku noticed the captured Gloucester hunkering behind a rock, and muttered, "Which one is Lelouch?" he glanced at the Kagero, "Obviously, it's the Gloucester. There's no way he'd enter the frontline in that." he took out his VARIS, and tried to fire a shot at the hiding Knightmare, only to have his weapon knocked out of his hand by a slash harken.

"Suzaku!" Kallen let out a battle cry while trying to hit the Knight with his own spinning kick.

The Japanese man was faced with no choice but to match her attack with his own kick, "So, you're the one piloting this Knightmare. No matter. I'll simply defeat you and kill Zero."

The Kagero separated from the Lancelot, and the two had an intense stare-down. The first of many battles, between the Strongest Black Knight Vs the Strongest Britannian Knight, was about to begin.

An: Was that a good cliffhanger? I hope so. We still have a bit to explore in this battle, but with the Glinda Knights pushing at full force, we'll leave them alone for a while.

And yes, I'd figure I'd make Clara rusty at Knightmare combat. It'll take her a bit to get into the swing of things, but I imagine she'll perform just as good as Rolo, if not worse.

Also, from what I've read on the wiki for Bradley, he's a psychopath that enjoys tearing apart his enemies, but there is some semblence of care for those he serves with. For instance, the valkeries, and while he won't care for the Glinda Knights in the same way, I'd imagine he'd have enough to actively protect them if he realizes they're being set up.