There was complete silence on the bridge as the video message closed. The Paladins stood still, watching Lelouch closely. It was clear that Nunnally was now a captive of Britannia, one of the things that Lelouch feared the most. They all knew that when it came to his sister, Lelouch could act purely on his emotions, barely thinking things through.

However, that was when Lelouch was alone. He had support now. Friends and allies that he could rely on to help him.

A good thing too, as the next thing they knew, Lelouch had spun around and tried to make a beeline for the Black Lion's elevator.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Lelouch, where do you think you're going?!" Kallen shouted, grabbing onto his wrist tightly.

"What does it look like?" Lelouch snarled and fiercely tried to free his arm, but the Red Paladin held firm.

"You-you're not just going to go barging in there without a plan, are you?!" Rivalz exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Every second Nunnally's there is a second far too long!" Lelouch shouted, still struggling vainly against the Kallen, C.C., and even Coran's holds.

Then abruptly, Suzaku stepped directly in front of Lelouch and placed his hands on his shoulders. He looked the Black Paladin dead in the eye. "Lelouch! You need to calm down! We'll rescue her! But you running in there like a psycho isn't going to make her condition better!"

"Suzaku's right Lelouch," Milly agreed with a determined frown, "First, we should find out where she is. Rai, see if you can track that signal. Maybe we can pinpoint where that broadcast was!"

"Already on it!" Rai growled as he practically flung himself into his chair, barely waiting for the screen to load correctly before getting to work.

"I know I likely don't need to point this out," C.C. said, calmly releasing Lelouch after she ensured he wouldn't run again, "but we could be walking headfirst into a trap. Nunnally is the perfect bait for it."

"What makes you think that?" Shirley asked nervously, eyes shifting back and forth between Lelouch and the witch.

C.C. hummed thoughtfully, "What I mean is that it is likely that Charles either knows or strongly suspects that Lelouch is a part of Voltron. Hell, for all we know, he may have figured out that Lelouch is Zero too. He knows Lelouch and knows that he loves Nunnally, and will do anything for her safety. Therefore, Nunnally becomes the perfect bait to try and keep Lelouch, and by extension, Voltron in check."

"Whoa, time out!" Rivalz exclaimed, his hands making the 't' sign, "If the Emperor already knows that Lelouch is Zero, why didn't he just say so in that broadcast? If you ask me, that could've been the perfect time to expose his identity."

"Best guess? He likely kept the information to himself because if word got out that a member of the Royal Family was openly opposing Britannia, other nations like the EU and the Chinese Federation could start to believe that the Emperor is losing control of his Empire. This would only encourage them to fight back against Britannia even harder," C.C. theorized.

"That makes sense," Milly nodded, "I know there was a bit of contention between Britannia and the Chinese Federation as of late. So caution is understandable."

"So then… what do we do?" Shirley asked, looking around nervously.

"We won't be able to do anything without more information," Suzaku quickly said, "it's just like with the Balmera. We can't just start shooting down the Viceroy's Palace. Until we locate Nunnally, we're stuck."

Lelouch, having been quiet for a majority of the conversation, could still feel panic bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He knew what Suzaku said was the most logical, but his instincts to protect his sister were waging war within him right now.

He suddenly felt a weight against his leg and looked down to see that Kaguya had hugged him again, "Don't worry Lelouch, Nunnally will be okay! And you'll definitely get her back, now that you have the Goddess of Victory on your side!"

The group chuckled at Kaguya's declaration, but only a tiny curve shook Lelouch's lips, his own heart still pounding in his ears.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump. Turning to the source, he saw Rai looking at him, having gotten up from his Paladin seat.

"Lelouch, I can't read minds, but I believe I know what you're thinking. And… I understand. I feel the same way about Sophie and my mom. Ever since I discovered that they're still alive, I've wanted to find them. But I know I can't just fly out blindly into the next galaxy we come across. That won't get me anywhere. Until I know for sure where they are, all I can do is keep looking. So I promise, once I find where Nunnally is, you'll be the first to know."

"Rai…" Lelouch murmured, staring back at the Green Paladin. Another hand suddenly jerked him forward a little.

"You want Nunnally back, right?" Kallen asked, a stern frown on her face. She continued before Lelouch could answer honestly, "Then you need to be Zero right now. Nunnally needs Zero right now. So use that big, scary, strategic brain of yours that I know you have and figure out how to save her!"

Kallen's statement was the last bullet needed to break through Lelouch's wall of despair and panic. He straightened himself, eyes set, and determined.

"I will do everything to help as well," Sayoko said, giving a short bow, though her eyes and posture were heavy with regret, "It's my fault that Lady Nunnally was captured after all."

Lelouch hated to put Sayoko on the spot, but he had to know, "How did this happen?"

He hoped his voice didn't sound harsh, but if it did, Sayoko paid it no mind.

"I don't know how, but Lady Nunnally and I were tracked to the safe house that you had set up. When I found out that we'd been discovered, I quickly made arrangements to leave. But it seems I wasn't fast enough. Forces led by your brother, Schneizel, surrounded us. I held back as many as possible, but at one point, when I was fleeing with your sister, I was knocked unconscious and fell into a pit. Whether it was a trap set prior or not, I don't know. By the time I woke up, I was alone, and Lady Nunnally was gone."

Then, to Lelouch's shock, Sayoko collapsed to her knees and bowed to Lelouch deeply, "I'm sorry, my Lord, I failed you."

It took a couple of seconds for Lelouch to shake himself from his shock, but he quickly knelt next to the kunoichi. "You're not to blame for this, Sayoko," he gently lifted the maid up, "I was a fool. I should've suspected that Schneizel would figure it out. He always has, and likely always will be, the worst foe I've faced. Minus Zarkon, of course."

"'Your worst foe'?" Shirley said, "What do you mean, Lulu?"

"Let me put it this way," Lelouch said, turning to face them again, "We used to play chess together when I was still living in Aries Villa, and he was the one person I could never beat."

Various reactions erupted from everyone in the room, gasps of shock or wide eyes, and Rai paused from his rapid typing. Coran and Allura, in particular, looked stunned. They still remembered when Lelouch and Coran played their first chess match against each other back on Arus, and Coran had commented to Allura later that Lelouch was likely on par with King Alfor in skill, maybe even more so. So to hear that there was someone that not even Lelouch could beat was both shocking and terrifying.

"Wait... wait... hold on a second!" Rivalz sputtered after picking his jaw up off the floor, "Your brother, actually beat you. At chess. I've seen you take on pretty much every kind of noble out there, and you always total them in ten minutes or less! And you're saying that there's someone that you could never beat!?"

"Yes," Lelouch replied quite bluntly.

Stunned silence followed as everyone digested this new information.

"Okay… that's a little terrifying," Shirley said, voicing everyone's thoughts at that moment.

"Anyway, that's a topic for another time," Lelouch said, waving his hand in dismissal, "Rai, make sure to scan every Britannian communications link that you can to track Nunnally. When you do, inform me immediately."

"You'll be the first to know," Rai nodded before practically diving back into his seat.

"Anything I can do, Lelouch?" Kaguya asked, smiling kindly. Lelouch smiled back at the young woman. He remembered that Kaguya had been one of the few people at the Kururugi Shrine to be kind to him and his sister. He remembered the two girls becoming close friends. Therefore, he knew precisely what Kaguya could do.

"All I can ask of you right now, Kaguya, is to be a friend for Nunnally when rescue her. Can you do that?" Lelouch asked, bending down to Kaguya's eye level.

Kaguya nodded happily, "Of course I can do that!"

Lelouch nodded before straightening again, "All of you be ready to leave at any time. The second Rai locates Nunnally; we're moving out." He then swiftly turned to leave the bridge, "C.C., come with me."

"Where are you going?" Kallen asked as she and the others watched him leave.

Lelouch stalled for a moment, looking over his shoulder, "I'm gathering the Black Knights. It's time that they know the truth about me… and about Geass," everyone's eyes widened at this proclamation, "Best to get this out of the way."


"Schneizel, what is the meaning of this?!" Cornelia roared as her brother calmly walked into the Viceroy's throne room. The moment that the broadcast had ended, Cornelia had requested… no… demanded that her brother come to the Viceroy's Palace immediately. Standing close by her were Nonette and Euphemia, as well as Guilford and Darlton. The two knights were positioned closer to the walls while her sister and the knight stood side-by-side with her. Cornelia's eyes glared angrily towards the Prime Minister as he approached with his own loyal subordinate, Earl Kanon Maldini.

"If you knew that Nunnally was alive all this time, and had her with you, why weren't we informed of this immediately?!" Cornelia shouted again.

"Your reaction is understandable dear sister," Schneizel answered calmly, "but please think rationally for a moment."

"RATIONALLY?!" Cornelia shrieked and nearly drew her sword from her waist.

"Viceroy!" Darlton gasped, stepping forward for a moment, "Please, we must hear him out before any rash actions are taken!"

Cornelia growled before forcing herself to calm down, as she knew he was correct. Despite his protest, though, Darlton and Guilford looked less than pleased with the Prime Minister too.

"Thank you, Lord Darlton," Schneizel nodded, "I do apologize for my actions as of late. However, you must first understand when I found Nunnally, I was given direct orders from the Emperor himself to not reveal her presence until deemed necessary."

This statement only further confused the group rather than calm them down. Why on Earth would the Emperor want Nunnally's presence hidden? He could have at least told them about it.

"What about Prince Lelouch?" Guilford cautiously asked, "Have you been able to find him yet? Or any of the students from Ashford Academy?"

"Unfortunately, we haven't found any new information regarding Prince Lelouch, or any of the other Ashford Academy students," Kanon answered with a shake of his head. Though the Ashford students were not top of the priority list, everyone also knew that if they could track and find even one of the students, that could lead them to find Prince Lelouch.

"Can… we see Nunnally right now?" Euphemia timidly asked.

"We apologize, Princess Euphemia, but that is not possible at this time," Kanon answered with a sad expression.

"What?! Why?" Euphie gasped, tears gathering in her eyes.

Cornelia scowled angrily, not liking the answer either, "Yes, why the hell can't we see our own sister?!"

"I'm truly sorry, Cornelia," Schneizel said, his tone pacifying as he held his hands up in emphasis, "but Nunnally is in a very fragile and emotional state. We don't want to add any more stress than she's already experiencing."

This response didn't seem to dull Cornelia's ire even slightly as she shot her brother an almost murderous glare, "Schneizel… if you do anything to her…"

"Cornelia, do you truly believe that I would harm our own sister?" he asked plainly.

The Viceroy scoffed, "To be honest… I really don't know what to think of you right now, brother."

Schneizel frowned, "That hurts. Truly, it does. But I can understand that. Our family is quite broken, isn't it?"

Though she didn't voice it aloud, Euphemia immediately agreed with that statement. It had been for a long time. Perhaps longer than before she had been born. What happened to Lelouch and Nunnally did little to nothing to repair it and only spread the rift among the Royal Family broader. A tear escaped Euphie's eye.

With this statement, Schneizel turned to leave, but Maldini stalled and turned back to the trio, "Princess Nunnally is scheduled to be transported back to the homeland before day's end. Prince Schneizel and I can pull some strings to have your unit serve as her protection, Viceroy."

"Indeed," Schneizel glanced over his shoulder again, "Don't worry, once Nunnally is home, you'll all be seeing her again very soon."

With these final words, the Prime Minister and his escort left the throne room, the door closing behind them. Cornelia's scowl never left her face.

Guilford sent his princess a wary look, "Viceroy, pardon my ignorance, but how could you distrust the Prime Minister. He's your own brother."

Cornelia rolled her eyes before addressing him with a sigh, "Guliford, if you grew up with a man like him, you would have some trust issues yourself. I promise you that."

Meanwhile, as Schneizel and Maldini continued their walk away from the throne room, Maldini turned to the prince, "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Prime Minister?"

Schneizel turned to his subordinate with a small smile, "Kanon, do you trust me?"

His answer was immediate, "Of course, my Prince," he said with a small bow.

"Then rest assured, I have everything under control."

As the two exited the palace, Schneizel remained deep in thought. There were very few things in this world that would make him lose his composure. However, he could certainly add the arrival of that Voltron machine to the list of things that did. Though he would never admit this aloud to anyone, when he saw the footage of Voltron for the first time, he had nearly fallen out of his office chair. After a brief discussion with Earl Asplund, Schneizel agreed with the scientist that the machine, mainly the Lions that made it up, couldn't possibly be of Earth origin. Otherwise, he was sure they would have discovered the Blue Lion long before its debut two months prior.

That brought him to his second line of inquiry. According to confirmed reports, Zero, as well as the seven Ashford students, disappeared around the same time that the Blue Lion showed itself. He already had strong suspicions that Zero and Lelouch were one and the same. As it was true that Lelouch had been one of the seven missing students, not to mention that there were, conveniently, seven Lions that made up the machine, it was likely that his brother hadn't been found yet because he was off with the other teenagers with Voltron.

His thoughts eventually led Schneizel to think about their father, the Emperor. Was he aware of this as well? And if so, that would undoubtedly complicate some of Schneizel's plans.

The Emperor's order to transport Nunnally to the homeland was no doubt a ploy to try and lure Zero, a.k.a. Lelouch, out. She was the perfect bait for it, after all.

If his brother was to come for Nunnally, and Schneizel had little doubt that he would, he hoped to at least have a talk with him to resolve all this violence peacefully, if not for Nunnally's sake, then the world's as well.


Lelouch and C.C., along with the space mice that were perched calmly on her shoulders, carefully watched to gauge the reactions of the Black Knights as they all sat in one of the castle lounges. Lelouch had just finished telling them his history, his current mission, and finally about the Geass power that he, along with three other Paladins, now wielded, though he didn't mention which ones.

From what they could see, the group's initial reaction was one of stunned shock, though he did spot Inoue and Minami shooting him looks of pity and sympathy.

"And that's everything?" Ohgi eventually asked as he was still trying to process not only the information given to them but also the fact that they were being trusted with it as well.

"Yes, that's everything," Lelouch nodded, "Now, you all know."

"Damn…" Tamaki murmured with an expression that Lelouch couldn't quite identify.

"Heh, our mysterious, masked leader is a Prince of Britannia? Who knew?" Inoue chuckled in disbelief.

Lelouch bowed his head slightly with a pained expression, "I do apologize for hiding my identity from you, but I'm sure if you knew who I initially was, you wouldn't have been as inclined to join me."

Ohgi waved the apology off, "Don't worry, we get it."

"So… this Geass thing, what exactly does it do?" Sugiyama asked cautiously from the back.

C.C. shrugged slightly, "It depends on the user. No Geass given out by people like me is the same as any other. It can be anything from reading minds to turning invisible. The particular one that Lelouch has is called Absolute Obedience. If it's activated and he makes direct eye contact with you, he can order you to do anything he wants, and you'll have no choice but to obey him no matter how outrageous the order. The drawback that we've noticed so far is that it only works once per person. In other words, once he gives you an order using Geass, he can't do it a second time."

C.C. then smirked playfully, "So, anyone of you want to form a contract with me? Get some mysterious, supernatural power?"

A couple of the Black Knights couldn't tell if she was serious or not as Ohgi smiled nervously and scratched the back of his neck, "Uh… no thanks. Maybe some other time?"

C.C. didn't seem offended by the statement. Only more amused as she chuckled.

"I have a question," Tamaki said, raising his hand, "What's with the rats?"

To the surprise of the Black Knights, the mice seemed to actually take offense to that comment. All four of them simultaneously turned and glared at the red-head. The skinny light blue one started hissing at him, its hackles raised.

"They are not rats, they're Altean mice," Lelouch emphasized, "They somehow managed to sneak into Princess Allura's cryopod and were asleep inside it with her for the last 10,000 years. Due to that, she somehow developed a telepathic link with them. Basically, she can understand them, and they can understand her."

Tamaki shrugged and nodded, apparently accepting the answer.

Despite that pleasant interruption though, Lelouch still had a serious question for the Black Knights, "Anyway, now that you know who I am, and why I'm doing this, I'll understand if you don't want to work with me anymore. After all, I'm the prince of a nation that you all hate so much, so if you want to leave, I won't stop you."

"Well, even if we did want to leave, you could just use that Geass thing to make us stay," Inoue pointed out matter-of-factly.

"I won't do that," Lelouch answered immediately and folded his arms, "That's one of the few things I'll never do. Otherwise, I'm no different from that man I have to call a father."

Ohgi stood up from his spot on the couch, "You saved all of our lives in Shinjuku, and showed us that we're more than just simple rebels. You proved that we can stand up to Britannia. You've given us hope when we thought we'd lost it. And if what you've told us about the Galra is true too, that they're more dangerous than Britannia, you're going to need all the help you can get. You're our leader, and the fact that you willingly revealed not only your history but your power to us means that you trust us. We trust you, and we're with you."

"Heh, yeah, you're stuck with us, kid," Tamaki smirked as the rest of the Black Knights smiled and nodded in agreement.

Lelouch couldn't help but smile in relief as he looked at all of the Black Knights. He was extremely grateful that they were willing to put their faith in him, and he was going to do everything he could to not let them down.

"I thank you all," he said with a nod.

"So…" Yoshida started, "Sorry, but what exactly do we call you now?"

"Hm? Oh!" Lelouch gasped when he realized what Yoshida meant, "Well, out on the field and on missions, you'll address me as either Zero or the Black Paladin. It'll depend on the situation. Otherwise, when we're just in the castle like this, just calling me Lelouch is fine."

"All right," Ohgi nodded, grateful that Yoshida had thought to ask, "Also, Lelouch, we were all wondering... Do you have any plans yet regarding your sister? And if you do, is there anything you need us to do?"

"...We're currently trying to gather information regarding Nunnally," he told them after a moment, "but as of right now, I can't think of anything where I'll need your assistance yet. I do not doubt anyone here, but as of right now, we simply lack the resources we need for you all in a fight."

"Coran and Allura are currently making arrangements with Lady Kaguya and the other heads of Kyoto to have some Knightmares brought up to the castle," C.C. added. "Coran is going to try and see if he equip them properly for space use, as well as prepare the needed equipment you'll need for your own use. If his modifications are successful, the Black Knights will be the owners of likely the most advanced Knightmare frames on the entire planet."

This statement sent a wave of excitement through the Black Knights. They all looked at one another with broad smiles on their faces. Even Ohgi's eyes sparkled excitedly.

"Ha! I'm really starting to dig this whole 'teaming up with aliens' gig we've got going on!" Tamaki grinned.

Before any other comments could be made, the intercom crackled to life.

"Lelouch. We need you on the bridge immediately!"


After a quick farewell to the Black Knights, Lelouch practically sprinted to the bridge with C.C. hot on his trail. The other Paladins, as well as Coran, Sayoko, and Kaguya, were already there waiting for him.

"Did you-?"

Before the Black Paladin could finish his sentence, Rai pulled up a radio message that he managed to intercept. On it, they could hear the voices of several officers discussing Nunnally's transportation from Area 11 to Pendragon, Britannia's capital.

"Have you managed to trace it at all?" Lelouch asked Rai urgently.

"Already have coordinates," the Green Paladin promptly answered.

"You have a plan, Lulu?" Milly asked, turning to him.

"Yes," he nodded, "if everything goes according to plan, we should be able to get in, get Nunnally, and get out fairly quickly. However, I want to make one thing clear. And that is that Voltron is not going to be used for this mission, not if we can help it. Any objections?"

All of the Paladins shook their heads. They didn't need an explanation. Not only could using Voltron make it more challenging to rescue Nunnally, but from the beginning, the goal was to keep Britannian casualties to a minimum. They were going to need those soldiers after all, once the Galra caught up to them.

"Good. All right, this is our plan of attack," Lelouch typed into the computer, bringing up an image of the transport, the Avalon, that Nunnally would be escorted in. "We need to wait until the transport that has Nunnally is in the air. This will allow us not only more room to maneuver, but will also allow us to inflict as little damage to the transport as possible. We can also avoid combat with any Knightmare frames. We'll have Zen, Zerith, and Zinnia stationed underwater in the Pacific Ocean until further notice. Meanwhile, Aka, Yoru, Polaris, and Maeraka will fly in the air and keep any Britannian aircraft at bay, as well as drop off myself, Sayoko, Rai, and Shirley at these three points of the ship," three parts of the Avalon highlighted in red. "Rai and Shirley will take port and starboard and sabotage the engines. While they're doing that, Sayoko and I will search for Nunnally. Once we have her, you'll pick us up. Worst case scenario, though, the Paladins that are on the Avalon can use the bonds we have with our Lions to call them to us. After that, we return to the castle. Any questions?"

Most of the Paladins shook their heads, but Suzaku, surprisingly, raised his hand slightly, "Lelouch, I...I was wondering. Could I somehow come with you to get Nunnally? She's my friend too, and I want to help more."

Lelouch smiled but shook his head, "I appreciate it, Suzaku, but we can't risk Britannia learning your identity, and you already know why."

Suzaku grimaced, but nodded, "Yeah, got it."

"All right, we leave in half a varga. Be ready!"

As everyone scrambled to prepare for departure, Lelouch managed to snag Sayoko's arm.

"Sayoko, may we speak in private?" he asked politely.

The maid nodded, and Lelouch led them down the hall, not too far from the bridge.

"Do you have it with you?" he asked urgently once he was sure they were alone.

Sayoko immediately reached into her pocket and pulled out an object wrapped in fabric. She handed it to him without protest.

Lelouch took the object and carefully unwrapped the cloth. Underneath it was a knife. But not just any knife. The metal of the blade was a purple color and had a familiar symbol engraved at the bottom of the hilt.

Lelouch bit his lip. Theories and possibilities all pooled within his mind, some making more or less sense than the last.

"Master, if I may ask, what exactly is this? How did you get it?" Sayoko asked.

Lelouch took a breath before answering... "...It belonged to my mother. I came across it completely by accident. Details aren't needed, but let's just say that the noble I was playing against that day bit off a little more than he could chew with the gamble. In exchange for keeping half of the money, he offered this knife as a replacement. He told me it was one of a kind and that it didn't need much maintenance. I was feeling generous that day, so I agreed. I will admit, though… the second I touched the knife, I felt some sort of… connection to it… does that sound strange?"

"Not at all," Sayoko shook her head.

"Anyway, a couple days later, when I was taking a closer look at it, I found a note hidden in the knife's sheath. That's when I found out it belonged to my mom. I also learned the name of her father this way. How that nobleman got it, I don't know, but I was actually able to learn a lot about my mom's family because of this. My mom was born a civilian, and her father, my grandfather, was a fireman, and he died like one too. Lost his own life in a house fire while he was trying to save a little girl..." he smiled sadly. When he learned about the man he would've called grandfather, he was sad that he hadn't been able to meet him. He seemed like a good man to have raised a woman as wonderful as his mother.

"...Is there another reason you're so interested in this knife, my lord?" Sayoko asked.

Lelouch's face went from a whimsical smile to severe and determined again, "Before we arrived back here, we, Voltron, ran into a Galra operative who was working against the Empire. He apparently was a member of a Galra resistance group. They call themselves 'The Blade of Marmora.'" Lelouch tightly held the knife by the hilt, "All of their operatives apparently carried blades just like this. Though the one that Ulaz was carrying was much bigger than this one…"

"...What does this mean then?" Sayoko asked, her face looking troubled.

Lelouch shook his head, "That can wait for now. Nunnally needs us."

Sayoko nodded and bowed, "Of course."

Before she could leave to prepare herself, Lelouch grabbed her arm again, "Wait… Sayoko. I just wanted to tell you, I'm thankful for everything you've done for Nunnally and me all these years. You know who we are, and yet you've stayed by our side through everything. I don't think I can thank you enough for that."

Sayoko smiled and placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulder. He looked up at as Sayoko caught his eyes with her own, "Lelouch. You and Lady Nunnally are both precious to me. I think of you as my own. And I want to promise you right now, if I ever meet that monster that you call your father, the only thing he will get from me is a knife between his eyes."

Lelouch's eyes widened. He knew that Sayoko was dedicated to her work, but to hear her say that she would kill someone so willingly aloud took him by surprise.

Before he could think, he pulled Sayoko into a hug. The ninja stiffened for a moment before quickly returning it.

As they pulled away, Sayoko smirked at her young lord, "Now, let's go get your sister."

Lelouch smirked back, "Right."


"Attention all personnel. The Avalon is scheduled for departure in ten minutes," a voice announced over the radio.

Sitting alongside the massive ship that her brother was currently prepping, Cornelia sat impatiently within her newly repaired Gloucester within an escort ship. Nonette was stationed in a separate ship on the other side, with the Lancelot and Schneizel's research team as well. As Kanon and Schneizel promised, they managed to make arrangements for Cornelia to be with the group that would escort Nunnally back to the homeland. While she still wasn't allowed to see her sister, much to her great annoyance, she was at least grateful that she would know Nunnally was safe. And once she finished officially cleaning up the terrorism in Area 11 and left it to her sister, Euphemia, the first thing she planned to do was visit Pendragon to see Nunnally. She would assure her that she nor Lelouch had been abandoned, that she had secretly never stopped looking, and wouldn't until she had physical evidence of their deaths.

Being unable to save them during Japan's conquest was a regret that weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she planned to do everything in her power to make up for it in the future.

Meanwhile, at the ground level, Jeremiah Gottwald and a small squadron of soldiers, including Villetta, were standing guard on the runway. They watched as the last of the supplies was loaded into the Avalon.

The soldier couldn't help but frown with frustration, "This is unacceptable… I should be on that ship, protecting Princess Nunnally personally!"

His radio wasn't on, so he received no response to his lament. Thinking of the young princess, though, his mind soon wandered to darker, more painful thoughts. He remembered being there on the day that Lady Marianne had been cruelly shot down. And he had been on his first assignment as a guard as well. It had been his chance to prove his loyalty to Lady Marianne and the Empire!

But he failed. His loyalty didn't carry through. And now, the woman that he loved and respected was gone, and her children followed shortly after.

Then, just over two weeks ago, he received the news that nearly had him fall to his knees with joy. Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally were alive! And in good health from what he could tell. Once the Viceroy learned of this, she had all units, all units, out searching for clues on where to find her brother and sister.

Jeremiah had leaped on the opportunity to prove himself once more. It had to be him that found them. Not only could it repair his reputation and honor that he had lost due to the 'Orange' incident (he grit his teeth just thinking about it), but also redeem himself from his failure eight years prior. And once Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally were safe once more with the Royal Family, he would never leave their side again. He would do everything in his power to keep them safe and happy.

Due to his prior history with Lady Marianne, he was one of the first to piece together Ashford Academy's connection with vi Britannia siblings. He felt like an absolute fool for not thinking about it before, either! The Ashford family had been one of Lady Marianne's top supporters. They had lost nearly everything when she had died, so it would make sense, therefore, for that same family to provide the vi Britannians with refuge.

But when they finally had been given the okay to infiltrate the school, they were once again too late.

The clubhouse that they found out the vi Britannians had been living in was deserted. There were no signs of life, and the home appeared to have been uninhabited for a week at the most. When he heard Villetta recheck the school attendance, his heart gave another pang of despair when she told him that their names, Lamperouge, had been removed from the school.

This discovery only proved to Jeremiah another horrifying revelation. The vi Britannia children weren't being held captive like some conspiracy theorists thought, but it was more likely that the children were purposefully hiding from Britannia. The more he thought about it though, the more it made sense.

The day that Prince Lelouch confronted his father was a harrowing one. Jeremiah's loyalty was only to his Lady Marianne, and being one of the ones there to witness the Emperor openly saying that his son was nothing to him had made his blood boil. To this day, he wondered why he didn't act differently. If he had defended the prince in that throne room, or at the very least insisted on going with them to Japan, things likely could've ended up differently.

Jeremiah was shaken from his thoughts, though, when the ground beneath his Knightmare rattled. Sirens and warning sounds rang wildly throughout the base. Knightmares scrambled into defensive positions, and soldiers rushed to finish the Avalon's preparations.

Then with a fantastic boom, three of the Voltron Lions, the black, green, and orange one, landed hard right in the middle of the base, tails thrashing, and teeth bared.

Jeremiah had been unable to get a good look at the Lions when they had first appeared at Narita. Now that he was practically standing in front of them, he could understand the panic that they seemed to inflict on many of the soldiers that day.

However, this didn't deter Jeremiah. If the Lions were here than that had to mean-

"ZERO!" Jeremiah shouted as he raced towards the Lions in his Knightmare.

"Lord Jeremiah, wait!" Villetta shouted after him.

"Zero! If you're here, come out and face me!" he shouted, "Come and face Jeremiah Gottwald!"

"Well, well," a voice came from the Black Lion, "it's been a while, Jeremiah. So, you're still in the army? I'd love to stay and catch up, but I'm afraid I don't have time right this minute, Orange boy."

There it was. That name. The name that now made Jeremiah a near pariah among the rest of the soldiers. Red slowly bled into Jeremiah's vision.

"Orange?!" he howled in rage as he stared at the Black Lion, and he could swear the Lion itself was smirking at him as it waved its tail haughtily, "DIE!"

Jeremiah charged forward in a fury with his Sutherland. Before he could land a single blow though, the Black Lion's mouth opened, and a single laser blast collided with his Knightmare, throwing it backward in pieces as it erupted in flames.

"Lord Jeremiah!" Villetta gasped in horror as she watched another soldier and comrade meet his end right in front of her eyes. Looking behind the Lions, Villetta noticed the Avalon finally beginning to take off, along with the other escort ships. Thinking fast, she raced around the Lions and leaped onto the Avalon just as the loading doors closed. Jeremiah died trying to protect Princess Nunnally. The least she could do was honor his death by doing the same thing in his stead.

As Lelouch watched the Avalon take off, he smirked, "Just as planned. Now!"

Zen, Zerith, and Zinnia all leaped into the air, pointing their heads downward, and began blasting at the ground below, blowing dust and debris up everywhere, making a makeshift smokescreen for their escape.

As the dust finally cleared around the remaining Britannian forces, they were shocked to see the lions had vanished.


"All right, phase one complete," Lelouch reported through the comms as the Lions dove underwater, "the Avalon is now airborne. Meet at the rendezvous point."

"Understood!" a chorus of voices responded. It was music to Lelouch's ears. Even now, he was amazed at the support and assistance he was receiving from his fellow Ashford Academy peers.

As the three Lions descended to the seafloor, a reasonable distance ahead of the Avalon's current location, Lelouch spotted the other four Lions gliding towards them. Waiting for them within the other Lions would be Sayoko and C.C., who insisted on accompanying the infiltration team onto the Avalon ship as well.

The trio gently set their Lions down on the ocean floor, before their helmet shields automatically pulled up. They then quickly left the cockpits of each Lion and were soon submerged into the depths of the sea. Using their jetpacks, the three effortlessly glided through the water to the four Lions waiting for them. Lelouch swam into Yoru's mouth, Rai into Polaris, and Shirley into Maeraka.

As Lelouch emerged and entered Yoru's cockpit, Sayoko and Suzaku greeted him with a nod and smile. The maid was now wearing an outfit nearly identical to Allura's and C.C.'s, only hers was red and light blue.

Same with Rivalz when Rai arrived. The two shared a fist bump before bracing for action.

Shirley also made it safely to Maeraka's cockpit, with Milly and C.C. waiting for her.

"I thought you would be with Lulu, C.C.," Shirley said when she got there.

"I decided that I'm going with you at the last minute, Shirley Fennete," the immortal answered.

"Oh… okay," she said awkwardly.

"I probably don't need to remind you, Shirley, but there won't be Galran sentries up there this time. The soldiers we'll be fighting will be real-life people. Are you willing to do what it takes to complete the mission? Are you willing… to kill to do so?"

Milly looked warily between the two women. She had thought about this too and turned her concerned face towards her friend.

"Th-that won't happen!" Shirley stuttered, "I-I'll just use my Geass and sneak past them. I don't have to kill anyone!"

C.C. sighed, "You realize you can't solely rely on your Geass forever. Sooner or later, you'll have to fight and possibly kill, to survive."

Shirley didn't answer. How could she respond to that appropriately?

Turns out, she didn't need to, as the shadow of the Avalon finally fell over them.

"Kallen, use your Geass to check the ship for Nunnally. Is she on there?" Lelouch asked urgently.

Kallen promptly activated her Geass, and her vision zoomed in on the ship. She scanned the interior before her eyes fell on a room near the center of the Avalon. In the middle of the platform, she spotted a familiar figure.

"Yep, she's there. This definitely isn't a decoy!" Kallen confirmed.

"Good! All right, commence phase two of the operation!"


AN: So... sorry again for the long wait. But you ever get that feeling after you've gone through a heap of exams and afterward you feel like you just want to lay down and do nothing? Well, that's how I've felt for a while, especially as I was trying to write this chapter. But it's finally done. I debated on making it longer, but I feel like this is a good place to stop. Sorry that it's shorter than the other chapters, but keep your eyes open for the next one!

Thanks for your patience, and please R&R! Oh, and update the TVTropes page too!