Hi everyone! It's been a while; I've been trying to get these chapters in faster. All I can say for this one in particular: We have knightmares fighting! And a preview of where we'll be heading next! Enjoy!

The Black Knights were at first shocked to actually see Kaguya in the flesh, after believing for so long that she had been dead. However, they quickly regained their composure and bowed with precise formality. Zero, in turn, held out his arm towards the crew. "Kaguya-sama, I wish to welcome you and your men aboard the Shitora. It is an honor to work together with you once again."

Kaguya smiled, and bowed to the mask man in return. "The honor is mine, Zero-sama." She turned to address the crew. "I hope my presence here will not prove to be a burden. However, rest assured, I shall return the favor with man-power and all the resources I have."

Ohgi addressed her this time. "You needn't worry about that, my lady. We have been awaiting your return for a long time now." Ohgi then looked to Zero. "We shall leave the shoreline as you requested, Zero-sama. Which direction would you like us to head to now?"

"India. Rakshata has people she knows who are willing to help us and get our knightmares in working order." He then addressed the crew with a bit of bad news. "In finding Lady Kaguya, I may have tipped off the empire. I had no choice. But if we hurry, we may still have a chance to escape."

"All personal, back to your stations!" Todoh yelled. "Get us out of here and back into the sea!"

Though there was no immediate emergency, the crew treated it as such. Soon, the submarine submerged and propelled itself through the water full throttle.

After a few hours, it seemed the Black Knights were in the clear. Zero, now dressed in his full attire, gave Kaguya and her pet a tour of the ship, figuring it would help calm her nerves. "It's amazing that your men have managed to keep this wonderful submarine going!" Kaguya exclaimed as she looked around.

"A miracle, more or less." Zero sighed. "I'm just amazed that I managed to save who I could and get this thing running. Now that we have you and your extra help with us, we will be ready to begin our full assault on the empire soon."

"Yes. But you'll need money. And allies." Kaguya said. "The former of which I have hidden in ample supply. As for allies..."

"We'll worry about that when the time is right." Zero assured her. "Besides, I am quite...persuasive."

"Yes, indeed." Kaguya agreed as they went to the bridge.

Seeing everyone hard at work, Zero decided to break the silence. "Ohgi..."

Ohgi turned around, saluting Zero. "Yes sir!"

"At ease. I'm just giving Kaguya-sama a tour of the bridge."

"I see." Ohgi said. He then looked down on the creature at Kaguya's feet. "Uh...forgive me, Zero-sama. Kaguya-sama. But...is it safe to bring...that thing, on board?"

Zero and Kaguya looked down at the Tasmanian Devil, who was being kept on a leash like a dog and rubbing against it's mistress for comfort. "Tsukisoku?" Kaguya asked. "Oh, don't worry! He can be the sweetest thing, once he gets to know you! And he's housebroken, too!"

Ohgi stared at the animal, then to Zero, who only shrugged his shoulders. "Oh...that's cool, I guess?"

"Hey, what the heck is that thing!?"

Everyone turned to see Tamaki approach them. "Major...shouldn't you be at the sonar station?" Zero asked.

"Ah, nothing's happening, Zero." Tamaki assured him cockily. "I just wanted to find out what's getting everyone's attention?" He then looked to the creature. "So, this is the thing you're worried about? He doesn't look like such a big deal..."

He began to rub it it's head...and suddenly it snarled and snapped his fingers. "AHHH!"

"Tsukisoku!" Kaguya screamed as she scooped him up. "I'm so sorry! He doesn't like strangers without being introduced to them first!"

"GODDAMN FU-"

"Tamaki." Zero stepped in between them. "Get yourself to the medical bay. I'm sure you'll be fine. And let this be a lesson to everyone here! From now on, no one touches Kaguya-sama's pet without permission and if you must, DO EXACTLY AS SHE SAYS!" Zero announced.

"Serves him right." one person down below mumbled as they went back down to business.

As Tamaki was escorted away, Zero motioned to Kaguya. "Well, you've seen the bridge. I think we've both had enough excitement for one night. Come; I'll show you to your room. We made a space just for you."

"I won't be sharing the same room as you?" Kaguya asked as if she heard disappointing news.

Zero looked behind him, being silent for only a moment. "She really took that marriage business seriously!?" "I'm afraid it would be...inappropriate. For now."

Kaguya smiled at that. "Yes, of course! We'll have to fix that and arrange the wedding soon!" Zero said nothing as he guided her down the hall, ignoring Tamaki's muffled cries in the medical bay.

Getting into Tasmania was a little more problematic than Gino had initially anticipated. First, his fleet had to be hidden both from the visible eye and radar. That was a given. Then finding a way inside without alerting their military; it was pitiful, their knightmares could easily take on the entire army. But Gino did not want to unnecessarily waste life and dirty his sword, so to speak; he felt lucky his crew felt the same as him. Finally, it was decided that he, Anya and a few other soldiers would simply take a raft towards the shore. Hiding their transport on the rocky beach, they donned civilian clothing.

From there, it was a matter of getting in contact with Peter. Gino called his phone, but received no answer. He texted him, but for more than 10 minutes he didn't reply. "Something's wrong." Gino concluded. "Anya, there should be a microchip inside his body. Use that to locate him. I'm going to his apartment."

"Roger." Anya said as she and some other men split up from him.

Upon arriving at his apartment, Gino jimmied the lock, and made a bee-line for his laptop upon entry. Typing in a few commands (and logging in via a password he gave to Peter himself), he went over his spy's activities. "Well...it seems he was tracking someone...jut who-?" Finally, Anya reached him over his comm. "Go ahead, Anya."

"We found Peter."

"Great. Put him on."

"I don't think you'll get much information from a poorly burned corpse." she replied.

Gino slammed his fist against the desk. "Where'd you find him?!"

"Remote area. We found an abandoned train station, but we're having trouble figuring out if anyone was there."

"Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn't matter now anyway. He's gone. And so are the people who did this!" Gino took a moment to compose himself. "Unfortunately we won't be able to smuggle him back to the homeland. Just give him as proper a burial as you can and meet me at the shoreline."

"Understood."

Once more, Gino went through all of his late spy's entries. He was wise enough to follow protocol and keep accurate records. Still, that was as far as he got. Nothing more. But he found something; why else would he be dead in such a gruesome fashion? He had to have taken some sort of contingency in the event of his death. "If I were about to die at the hands of my enemy...how would I act in order to warn my country?" Gino thought for a moment...and had an idea. It was a long shot, but worth looking into. He typed in the code for any homing beacons he activated...and he got it. One was activated. "Yes!"

Quickly, Gino fumbled around his shelves and dug out a GPS. Activating it, he got a red dot...out in the ocean. Quickly, he took the laptop and ran out of the apartment. "Anya!" he called over his comm. "I've got a lead! If we hurry, we may still be able to catch them!"

Zero opened another door down in the sub for Kaguya. "This is your room, Kaguya-sama. I'm sorry; it's the best we can do for now. Please bear with it."

It wasn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, this was a luxury for most of the soldiers currently inside the sub. It had a carpet, a bathroom and a small bed. It would pass as a decent motel room, but many of Kaguya's status would turn their noses up at it. Thankfully, Kaguya was not quite like most Japanese upper classmen. "It is quite alright, Zero-sama." Kaguya replied. "We don't have much room for luxury...except when it comes to you. I hear your room has everything a man could ever want."

"It is customary for the leader of a military force." Zero explained. "Still, I am often busy planning our next move; I don't have the luxury to take advantage of my quarters."

Kaguya then moved dangerously close to him, and looked him where his eyes would be. "I see. Well, we may have to change that-"

"I think for now, it's best we retire for tonight." Zero interrupted, holding up his hand. "We've had quite a day. I think it's time we both put our minds to rest."

Kaguya did not lose her smile, but it did fade. "Yes. That is a wise decision at this time." She and her pet stepped in, and bowed at him. "We will begin our plans tomorrow."

"Yes. We shall. Take care, Kaguya-sama. And good night."

As the door swished closed, Kaguya walked towards the bathroom. "Well...I suppose I can use a good bath. And so can you, Tsukishou. You smell quite awful." The marsupial whined in protest. Most normal people would have had their fingers bitten off for what Kaguya was about to do, but as she undressed, the animal submitted, allowing her to pick him up and run the bath. Unbeknownst to her, inside her collar, a small metallic device was attached. And it's red light was blinking...

Zero sighed as he walked down the hall. Kaguya's rather forward behavior was not lost on him. Girls liking him was nothing new to him. But usually, they asked for dates, not outright marriage. That was just frightening for him. And to a girl not much older than Rolo as well. The thought of him brought about more confusion. "I better not think about him right now..."

He finally reached his suite, and entered the large room. CC had already changed into her "prison" attire, kicking her feet up while lying on the bed. "Enjoyed your date with your biggest fan?" she asked sarcastically.

Zero only sighed under his mask. "I certainly am beginning to understand how celebrities feel." The door swished open again, this time Kallen coming in. "Shall we not talk about Kaguya, please?" he said, anticipating the subject of the conversation.

Kallen smirked. "Okay then. Not yet." She then pulled out a tablet. "What I ACTUALLY wanted to talk to you about was the progress of the knightmares."

"Ah. Okay then."

"Rakshata has been making excellent progress while we were away." she said as she brought the tablet into Zero's view. He nodded, indicating he was indeed impressed. "Some of the mass-produced ones are ready. Todoh's knightmare is ready to go...Mine is mostly complete, but it still has significant parts that need to be completed. For one thing, it's useless in the air..."

"Don't jinx us." Zero said. "And my knightmare?"

"Not ready." Kallen replied, shutting the tablet off as she felt Zero's disappointment. "Oh, don't give me that! As commander, your place is here giving orders. The battlefield for you is only a last resort."

"You know us boys and our toys." The two shared a light chuckle.

"You know, as forward as she is, I'm surprised you didn't just accept Kaguya's offer."

Zero just stared at her blankly. "...you're kidding. She's too young for me..."

"Not by a lot." Kallen replied. "It was quite common for Japanese women to marry men several years older than them."

"Well, I'm not Japanese."

"Plus, it would benefit you politically."

"It wouldn't last..."

"Okay, okay." Kallen smiled. "I'll stop teasing you right now."

"THANK YOU!"

Meanwhile, in Japan/Area 11, the local Britannian government got a stage ready. No, they weren't making a play. Rather, they were making an announcement. Today was the public premier of their new viceroy.

And Suzaku and Dorothea were there to witness it. "You think she's nervous?" Dorthea asked him.

"I don't know." Suzaku said. "I always imagined that when you're blind you can't be afraid of how you look and stage fright would be impossible."

"True." Dorothea agreed. "But how do you help her remember her lines?"

"We shouldn't worry." Suzaku smiled. "Nunnally has always been very articulate for her age. Plus she has a very good memory."

"Ah. I'd imagine she'd have to, given her condition." Dorothea agreed.

As soon as the Britannian Flag was draped over the background, the two knights heard a very familiar voice approach them. "Suzaku! Miss Dorothea!"

The two turned around to see Nunnally pushed towards them. "Nunnally!" He kneeled down to her level and cupped her hands. "Ready?"

"No..." Though Nunnally frowned, she "looked" up to him and smiled. "But then again who can get ready for something such as this?"

"True enough." Suzaku chuckled. "It happens to everyone. Just act natural. You rehearsed your lines, and it helped that you wrote them yourself."

"You think they will appreciate it? The Japanese?" Nunnally asked with concern.

"I looked over them myself." Suzaku replied. "They will. I'm sure of it!"

"Your highness! We're ready!" one of the producers called. With that, Nunnally was wheeled onto the stage.

"Break a leg!" Suzaku called, having learned the expression from the homeland. The two looked on as Nunnally was brought into the center stage.

Nunnally stared at the cameras (as much as a blind girl COULD stare), while the director began the countdown as loud as he could for her. "We're on in 3...2...1..."

Nunnally waited for one second, took a deep breath, and began. "Greetings..."

Lelouch finally removed his Zero helmet, and reclined in his desk chair. Somehow, the conversation of Kaguya's pet came up. "I just hope Tamaki is doing okay." Kallen sighed. "I heard those Tasmanian Devils have a nasty bite."

"That is why you don't pet a strange animal without asking first." CC said as she hugged her cheese-kun on the bed.

"He'll get over it." Lelouch sighed "It's not like accidents don't happen.". Just then, the intercom beeped. "Yes?" Lelouch answered.

"Zero, the new viceroy of Area 11 is about to give her inauguration speech." Ohgi spoke over the comm.

"Put it on." Lelouch ordered. "I'd like to see what kind of woman this new viceroy would be."

The TV came on, the flag of Britannia present. Then, it cut to the new viceroy. And all in the room, even CC, widened their eyes in shock."Nunnally?"Kallen wondered.

If she was confused, Lelouch's mind was in absolute turmoil."That...that's the girl in the photograph Kallen gave me! But how? She was supposed to be my sister!?"

"Greetings."the girl spoke, never opening her eyes but giving the warmest smile one would ever see."My name is Nunnally Vi Britannia, fourth princess to the throne and your new viceroy." She paused before continuing. "As you are all aware, life in Area 11 has been...problematic. And it is understandable why. The SAZ massacre had scared the lives of everyone. For the Japanese, not only were their loved ones taken, but their fragile trust in the empire has been shattered. But they are not the only ones who suffered that day. No, the native-born Britannians have suffered as well. Our princess...my sister...suddenly, without explanation, went mad. Many of us have tried to rationalize it. But it doesn't matter anymore. She was killed...and as much as it pains me to admit it...after all that has happened, it was probably for the best."

A single tear flowed down her eye. "What's done is done. And whatever her reason may have been, her actions gave rise to the Black Rebellion, which also took the lives of many Britannians, both soldier and civilian. I was caught in the chaos as well, but thankfully men sent by my knight Suzaku Kuurugi had escorted me safely to the mainland. Though I cannot see, I was not blind to the chaos that happened. And what should have been a time of healing after the tragedy instead became a time of chaos. As Britannians, we should have set an example and showed mercy. Instead, we sought vengeance. But what we forget is that the Black Rebellion was born from hatred. Many missteps were made in handling the crisis, forgetting that the Japanese have also suffered before and during that time. It was the oppression and stripping of identity that led to the Black Rebellion, and if we continue on this course, we will only ensure another one in another area. That is why, as my first action as Viceroy of Area 11, I shall reestablish the Special Administrative Zone."

Not only did the Black Knights react with shock, all the Japanese and Britannians watching all over the world were shocked too.

"And there comes the dropping jaws." Dorothea commented, pessimistic about the reactions that would follow afterward.

"Give her time." Suzaku assured her. "Watch her sell it."

And true to his words, Nunnally continued. "I am very well aware of the skepticism many of you may have, and I cannot blame you. I cannot win you with words, but I ask for you all to give me a chance to show you through action. The plans need work, but I promise you, I will work my hardest to insure the safety of all citizens and earn your trust. For I believe if the empire is to survive,we must acknowledge the heritage of all our subjects and allow them their own identities. It is not antithetical to Britannian philosophy to pledge unity and celebrate diversity as well. It will be a challenging road, but please, endure. I shall guide everyone through it. Thank you, citizens of Area 11, and not just those of pure blood heritage. I shall come forward with the my plans soon."

With that, the transmission ended.

As the set was cleared, Suzaku approached the Princess. As Nunnally sensed him coming, she gave him a concerned look. "Suzaku...was it-?"

"Don't worry, Nunnally. You were perfect!" He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "I have the utmost faith in you. I always have. There will be naysayers; but as long as you're strong, you will win them over."

"Thank you, Suzaku." Nunnally said, hugging him back. "It means a lot to me."

"Yes." Suzaku said as he put some distance between them. "Listen, Nunnally. You've had a long day, and I've more work to do. Let's call it a day; you've got a lot to prepare for come tomorrow."

"I suppose you're right." Nunnally reluctantly agreed. "But this weekend, you must come over for dinner! That is an order!" she said in good nature.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Suzaku smiled as Nunnally was wheeled away. As Suzaku made his way down the hall, he was in deep thought. "So, Zero...or should I say...Lelouch? How will you act now?"

Lelouch turned the TV off, all just staring blankly at what happened.

Kallen was at a complete loss of what to do. "Nunnally was a Britannian princess...? No, that's impossible! That would mean Lelouch-!" Kallen looked to Lelouch, who was still staring at the blank screen. "No, of course not." she told herself. "It's the same spell Lelouch is under. It has to be!"

Lelouch, meanwhile, had his own thoughts. "What's going on!? They both told me she was my real sibling! What was she doing there!?" His fingers scratched against the wooden desk as he began to clench his hands. "I abandoned Rolo...for a member of the Royal Family!?"

Kallen, noticing Lelouch was completely still, decided to act. "Lelouch..." she walked over, gently touching his shoulder.

"What's going on here!?" Lelouch finally hissed. "What is this sick game you've been playing with me!?"

"Lelouch, I honestly don't know what's going on-"

"You don't know!? YOU DON'T FREAKING KNOW!?" Lelouch suddenly rose from his seat, throwing the chair down and swatting her hand away. "You two literally came into my life, guns blazing, tell me the family I knew is a lie and unleash a frightening power within, make my teacher go crazy, get one of my best friends killed, force me to abandon my life...and you expect me to believe, that after all this of telling me this girl is my real sibling, only to see her as a princess of the empire we're fighting...AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW!" he screamed in rage. Even though Kallen could easily overpower him, she still trembled when faced with his rage.

He began to pace furiously around them. "Well, here I am! And for what!?" he demanded, waving his arms. "Can you tell me that now!? HUH!?"

Kallen tried to form words, but she could only say one thing, in the most pathetic tone she ever had to project verbally. "Lelouch-"

"GET OUT." Lelouch growled, pointing towards the door. Kallen tried to protest, but now she was truly at a loss for words. Trying to save face as best she could, Kallen put on her best poker face and exited out the door. CC remained, being an expert at showing virtually no emotion. "You too." Lelouch hissed.

CC didn't seem to be upset, but nonetheless did as he asked; trying to get through to him right now was pointless. Before she left, however, she stopped at the open door. "Nunnally is your sister. That was no lie. How you proceed from here...that's up to you." She closed the door.

Lelouch, now having no one else to take out his rage on, walked towards his bed and sat on it. Slowly, he curled up and began to cry.

Gino sighed as he stared at the endless waves of ocean. At day, it was breathtaking. At night, it was practically nothing. To do it at any time of the day for hours was absolute torture. He was doing his best to behave as a responsible commander and not doze off, even though his soldiers wouldn't have blamed him for taking a nap. "Sir, we have a problem." One of the technicians said.

Gino snapped out of his half-conscious trance. "What's wrong?"

"Storm's coming." he said. "It looks pretty bad. We're going to have to stop and make a detour."

Gino sighed in irritation. "How far are we from the target?"

"Close." the technician said. "We'd engage them within a few hours if it weren't for this storm. Hopefully, it will clear and we'll find them tomorrow afternoon."

"No helping it now." Gino said. "It's probably for the best; we've been at this for hours. Since we will not be doing anything for a while, I think it's time to retire. We will resume at dawn and attack them when we're at our best." he smiled.

Morning came to the Shitora, and the crew got ready for their assigned duties, except for the late shift who had to wait an extra hour before turning in. Everyone else filled up with breakfast.

However, there was one person missing. Granted, he often ate in his private quarters, and CC would bring him his meals. But he usually came to the bridge for a quick inspection at least. This absence did not go unnoticed by Todoh, who was currently sitting with Ohgi, who sensed the same thing. Though they did not voice their opinions, they knew something was wrong. Tamaki, of course, was completely oblivious to the "problem" as he dug into his scrambled eggs.

Todoh suddenly stopped eating and spoke one word. "Kozuki."

Kallen stopped dead; she was carrying her tray to sit elsewhere. Because she was afraid THIS would happen. "Yes?"

"We need to talk." Kallen sighed, and sat down next to him. It briefly took her by surprise when Todoh began speaking in English; it was apparent that he did not want the others listening in on this conversation. "Kozuki...I understand Zero chose you as his personal guard. You know things about him the rest of us won't. And I have gotten the sense that you two are...close."

Kallen looked away, replying in the same language. "It's not like..."

"I didn't say it was. I don't care exactly what it is. But I sense something is...off." he clarified.

"He's not feeling well." Kallen answered.

"Physically? I doubt it."

"Wh-what makes you say that!?"

"If I were in Zero's position, I would mask all physical ailments." Todoh explained. "Though I partially believe you. It's something else, isn't it?"

Tamaki, who had some education in English, banged his fist on the table and yelled "Todoh, how many times do I-"

"Tamaki!" Ohgi clamped his mouth shut. "Don't cause a ruckus, you idiot!" Everyone else already was staring, wondering what was getting him so angry this time.

Todoh breathed a sigh of thanks to Ohgi. "The point is...I have backed Zero, albeit reluctantly. But there is only so much I can do; there is only so much I WILL do." he emphasized.

Kallen looked away. "Todoh-san...really, it's not that big a deal..."

"I'm telling you this BEFORE it becomes a big deal." he said. "And I can already tell through the tone of your voice that it IS something serious. I need you to be honest with me. What is..."

"THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" Kallen suddenly screamed in Japanese, causing all the idle chatter in the cafeteria to cease. "There's nothing anyone can do!" She sat up and took her tray away, to eat in peace.

Todoh sighed. "Teenagers."

"Todoh." Ohgi said. "You didn't have to press so hard..."

"Ohgi. We are at war, and under the command of an unknown who brought us excellent results but has proven to abandon us on a whim. I'm not letting that happen again without a fight."

As he continued to eat, Ohgi questioned. "So...just what do you think..."

"I honestly don't know. But, I will admit, it does sound really serious. Kallen may even be right about us not being able to do anything. But I need to know; at least I'll know what to expect."

Ohgi fiddled with his breakfast as well. "A part of me is actually relieved by this development."

"How so?" Todoh asked.

"Ever since the Black Rebellion...maybe even a little bit before that...I was worried that Zero really was a demon inside. The fact he has personal problems means he is human inside. And that's a relief to me."

"Humans often reveal themselves to be demons. Like the emperor." Todoh clarified, to which Ohgi reluctantly agreed. "Zero can take on the whole weight of the world on his own time, for all I care. But I expect...no, I demand that he gets his act together for us if he expects us to follow." Todoh said.

Getting dressed as Zero had finally become routine for Lelouch ever since he took on the mantle. Not even the trauma from yesterday was enough to break him out of it. Except for the mask; he didn't have it in him to put it on. In a way, it excused him from duty. He pulled out the photo of Nunnally, desperately wanting to rip it to pieces. Yet something inside of him prevented it altogether, only serving to deepen his inner turmoil. Lelouch sighed in disgust at himself. "You really can't commit to anything, can you, Lelouch?"

Suddenly, his door swished open. "You didn't come in for breakfast." CC walked toward him, placing a tray of eggs beside him on his desk. "I don't care if you're not hungry. Do with these as you will. What you can't back out of now...is being Zero." Lelouch said nothing. "Whatever regrets you may be having, it's too late now. The best you can do now is move forward. Don't wait too long; if you don't lead, someone else will. And then...you should fear for your life."

She began to walk out to the main hall, but then he called to her. "C2!" CC stopped so he could speak his piece. "If Nunnally is truly my sister, why won't you tell me about my past!? Why won't you tell me anything!?" he asked desperately. "I want to know the truth! I want to know my real past, and yet you say nothing about my life before that day!

CC waited a moment before answering. "And if I did? Would you truly cling to a past you have no emotional attachment to? I've only known you for over a year; I couldn't tell you everything even if I wanted to! But if I could, and if I did, it would all mean nothing in the end! There is no use in learning of a past that your heart has no feelings for!" CC paused, hoping her words would sink in. "Lelouch...whatever the past was to you, it's DONE. Now, you need to live in the present, and actively shape your future."

She finally exited, Lelouch burying his head in his desk as her answer only gave him more questions.

Gino calmly sipped his tea, enjoying the morning sun. "I almost don't want to find them." he thought as he observed the horizon, the scene giving him a feeling of serenity.

"Sir! We have them in our sights!" one of the technicians shouted.

"Hmph. If there is a God, he has a rather remarkable sense of humor." Gino finished his tea and walked towards the one who announced it, looking over his radar screen. "How long?"

"We'll catch up and be ready to launch within 15 minutes."

"Excellent." Gino took his place at the bridge and announced his commands. "Prepare the Sutherlands and our Knightmares. Fire our warning torpedoes; we'll give them a chance to surrender."

"Do you believe they'll take your offer?"

Gino sighed. "Kinda doubt it, in all honesty. But I feel that I should offer, nonetheless." Gino walked off and addressed Anya. "Anya! Get ready to board your Mordred! We're launching!"

"Coming." Anya said as she finished with fooling around on her phone, following after him.

Todoh took his place on the bridge, simply observing the situation. Which at the moment was nothing, but under these circumstances, that was good. Suddenly, the entire submarine shook. "What the-!?"

Everyone scrambled on their consoles. "Was that a piece of debris!?"

"No! That was definitely an explosion! It barely missed us!"

"Hold on! I'm getting a signal! Let me play it!"

Soon, a voice with a Britannian accent spoke over the radio. "Attention Black Knights! This is Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three of Britannia!"

Gino, inside the Tristan, continued his address. "We have you in our sights, and are prepared to engage! However, if you surrender, including Zero, we will spare your lives...for as long as the emperor sees fit, anyway. If not...I don't think I need to elaborate. You have five minutes. I suggest you choose wisely." Gino hung up.

"To your battle stations! Now!" Ohgi shouted at the bridge and across the sub. The Black Knights scrambled into their assigned position. Techs took their stations. Gunners got to the on-board weapons. And those who could suited up for their knightmares.

"Man, it's been forever since I got to pilot something!" Tamaki shouted as he zipped up his pilot suit.

"Well, don't get too enthusiastic!" Todoh warned him as he slammed his locker shut. "Fate couldn't have picked a worse time to test our rusty skills!"

"What? We have the simulations..."

"Tamaki." Asahina said as he approached him and patted his shoulder. "This probably isn't the best time to tell you. But those simulations...they're pretty worthless."

"WHAT!?"

Todoh sighed. "Well, to be fair, that's a matter of opinion. But in all honesty, me and the other Holy Swords trained without them in the past. They're good in terms of practicing maneuvering and aiming, but no matter how technically accurate they are, going in you lack the fundamental element of fear that you will always have in battle. To me it's no different than playing a video game on the couch."

"Yeah." Asahina agreed. "My thoughts exactly."

Tamaki was practically shaking in his knees. "YOU MOTHER-"

"Just get in." Todoh told him as he walked out. "When the fighting starts, you'll forget all about the simulations." As he he ran down the hall, he brushed past Kallen, also in gear and ready to go. "You're going out into the field too?"

"I'll be on standby. Besides, what choice do we have?" Kallen shouted back.

"Your knightmare is not flight ready."

"It can still fire weapons and fight melee if the enemy chooses."

"I don't think they're going to be stupid enough to do that." Todoh thought, but kept it to himself. "Just be careful! And limit fire to incoming missiles! That's where you will be able to help us best at this time!" Nothing more was said as they rode their pulleys into their mechs.

"Sir, shall we attack?" Gino's captain asked.

"They still have 30 seconds." Gino reminded him as he and other knightmares flew in front of the carrier ship behind them. "I suppose it's pointless to wait for such a trivial amount of time, but we should honor our end of the deal until they give us a definitive answer." Suddenly, the Shitora broke the surface, and their new knightmares, the Kitsukamis and Holy Swords' Tsunamis flew through the bays like torpedoes, along with Todoh's Zangetsu.. "Never mind. Looks like they've given us their answer." Gino said as he flew his knightmare down to engage them. "Anya, flank the stragglers. The rest of you, cover me!"

"Yes sir!" the soldiers in the Sutherlands saluted.

Todoh quickly scanned the specs on his monitor. "Shit." He felt he could handle either the Mordred or the Tristan, but not both. And he did not want to tell his soldiers to engage either Knight so he could handle the other; not if it meant costing their lives. "No choice..."

Before he could issue a command, missiles suddenly raced ahead of them towards the enemy, much to Todoh's relief. They dispersed before any could be destroyed, but the formation they planned was broken. Gino used his camera to zoom in on the Shitora, seeing a familiar red knightmare on the bridge, holding a 4-shot RPG. "Interesting..." It didn't join it's comrades; given the stories Suzaku told him, this was their ace in the hole. Why wasn't it in the front-line? As soon as the specs came up, he realized what was up. "Ah! You're that desperate...Anya! The red knightmare down there is incomplete and is grounded! I've got things covered here! Engage it!"

"Roger." Anya said in her usual monotone voice as she took aim with her canon...

Ohgi looked worriedly at the screen as he observed the battle. The kitsukamis were doing pretty well, but they were not that much better than the Sutherlands. And they were all outnumbered, which meant it was up to the higher end knightmares to turn the tide. "What's the battle plan?"

Ohgi looked behind him to see Zero approached. He wanted to ask where was he; he should have been here minutes ago. But now was not the time to question him when their own survival was at stake. "I was hoping you could tell me." Ohgi said. "Unfortunately, we're on the defensive. Kallen's going to shoot them from the surface of the sub. Provide a distraction, at least."

"What!?" He knew that Kallen's Guren was not air-borne yet. "What kind of Knightmares are we fighting?"

"We're bringing up the specs now!"

Lelouch's eyes widened in horror as he saw the specs on one of the knightmares. "No! She's making herself out to be a target!" "Call Kallen back! NOW!"

"Too late! The enemy knows!" one of the technicians shouted.

"The Mordred won't have to engage her! She'll just aim and sink all of us! Get the four swords to intercept her!" Zero ordered in panic.

"I'm going in!" Chiba flew her knightmare right over to the Mordred, also anticipating it's most obvious course of action.

Todoh resisted the urge to call out to her, knowing this was the best course of action. "If anyone can back up Chiba, do so! The rest of you, engage the others!"

Todoh flew his Zangetsu over to the Tristan, and the two clashed blades. "Nice Knightmare you've got there." Gino smirked. "Let's see how good the pilot is who wields it!"

The two swung at each other, blocking each strike; it wasn't clear who had the advantage, if anyone did. "He's good." Todoh thought. "As expected of a round." Todoh kicked the Tristan away and flipped in the air, firing a slash harken, which grazed the Tristan's head.

"Nice!" Tristan then fired his energy canon which scratched the Zangetsu.

"Shit!" Todoh quickly brought up the luminous shield and flew away, trying to avoid his sight.

"Fast." Gino agreed. "But not fast enough!" Gino went into fortress mode and pursued the Zangetsu's back...which suddenly turned and sprouted a beam rifle mounted on it's left hip. "Shit!" The red energy fired, but Gino banked left. Thankfully, only the paint on the Tristan was seered; had that beam hit, he would have been a goner. "Wow." Gino whistled, sweating slightly. "Even an inch to the left, I'd have been a goner."

Todoh growled; the weapon was powerful, but the Knight of Three was just too good to be hit by a sniper laser. Looking at his screen, he realized he had two shots left. "It's too risky to waste them." Todoh flew back to the Tristan, resuming a melee duel. Katana and vibration sword clashed. While Todoh's techniques were arguably better, Gino seemed to have a speed advantage and managed to push Todoh towards the ocean. Todoh smirked. "Rakshata, you truly are a genius." He flipped a switch, and suddenly, a blade within the katana sprung forward.

"What the-!?" Gino was forced to release his sword when the curved blade hooked his blade. Todoh slashed at him, but Gino went into fortress mode and dived for his discarded weapon. Retrieving it, he reverted to knightmare mode. "That's a great knightmare you have there, Kyoshiro. I'm actually quite sorry I have to destroy it."

"You will try." Todoh replied.

Meanwhile, Chiba fired at the Mordred with her pulse canons. Anya blocked with shields of her own, not reacting externally. However, one blast managed to make it through and shot off a good portion of the Mordred's shoulder She pressed a switch on her stick, and several beams fired from her knightmare. Chiba quickly twisted, only for the beams to twist with her. "Shit!" Though Chiba was airborne, the Tsunami was not designed for aerial combat, and her flight pack wasn't maneuverable enough to keep this up. She turned and fired her pulse canons, neutralizing most of the lasers. However, one managed to escape and sever her knee. "Good thing we're not on land!" Quickly, she unsheathed her heated katana and brought it down on her opponent. Though she put a good scratch on the shoulder of the Mordred, it wasn't enough to deliver functional damage. The Mordred suddenly punched Chiba's knightmare, throwing her into her seat and into a world of hurt. "Uhh!"

Kallen, meanwhile, only watched helplessly below, the power cord keeping her Guren functional."Shit!" She couldn't stand being stuck down on the sub for only basic support. She had to turn the tide of the battle somehow; and there was one weapon that could do it. Kallen checked on her Guren claw; there wasn't much charge on it. Quickly, she hit her communicator. "Rakshata!" she called. "How functional is the Radiation Heat Wave!?"

Rakshata hissed on the other end. "I didn't focus on it's primary weapon that much; figured that wouldn't be much of a priority at this time. Still, it should hold enough charge for one blast. However, I can't promise the structural integrity of the right hand."

"Understood." She then focused back on the battle. "I just need to bide my time...maybe wait for a chance to take out a round..."

Todoh fired a blast from his rifle again. Though he failed to line up for the perfect shot again , the Tristan sported a nasty gash in it's side. "Nice shot!" Gino exclaimed. He then fired his slash harkens as Todoh dodged and flew in an arc, as he used the opportunity to engage him in close again...

"So far, we're safe." Lelouch thought.

"Any ideas yet, Zero-sama?" Ohgi asked.

"Kallen could use her Heat Radiation Wave to take out an enemy, preferably one of the rounds." Zero replied. "However, at best she will only take out one. Once that happens, the others will be able to exploit her weakness."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Ohgi groaned.

"We must be patient: Todoh and his soldiers are capable warriors, and should be able to hold their own against one round." He didn't dare tell Ohgi he had no idea what to do afterward; even if Todoh did beat one, his own knightmare would most likely be too damaged to engage the other and win. And then there were the others to deal with. "Planning a strategy ahead of a battle is one thing! Forming one dead in the middle of it is another!"

"The empire couldn't have picked a worse time to attack, could they?" CC said as she approached the bridge in her Black Knight outfit.

"Yes." Zero said as he looked back to the screen. "While I had anticipated Britannia would find us at an inconvenient time...this seems too ideal for them. Too perfect." Zero didn't miss the hint CC gave him. "Of all times to attack...they did so right after we retrieved Kaguya...that can't be a coincidence..." "C2. Could you please check on Kaguya for me? The poor thing must be terrified."

CC said nothing, only nodded her head and walked back. "You're not thinking Kaguya led them to us!?" Ohgi asked, having caught the drift of their conversation.

"No." Zero replied. "Not intentionally, anyway."

The battle seemed to have shifted in favor of the Britannians at this time; all the kitsukamis were taken out by the Sutherlands, though thankfully none of the pilots were killed and managed to take at least 2 enemies with them before falling. However, this was of little comfort to Todoh as he took the time to observe his surroundings.

"Keep your guard up!"

The Tristan's head rammed into the Zangetsu's, stunning Todoh's sensors and leaving him blind. "Crap!" On instinct, Todoh blocked diagonally. Luckily for him, it was enough to block whatever sword strike Gino used.

"You're really good, Kyoshiro!"

"So, he knows who I am. This man may act carefree, but he is a true soldier!" Todoh made a surprise move, grabbing his wrist and firing a slash harken.

The Tristan twisted it's head to the side, the harken only scratching the shoulder and still able to counter attack with it's sword. "Nice try!" Todoh kicked away, escaping the slash. "It's been fun, Kyoshiro! You're every bit as good as Suzaku says you are! But I have to end this!"

Suddenly, he shot out his wrist, a gun hidden inside ejecting a projectile. Todoh, caught off guard, couldn't block it in time and a thick goo covered his camera. "Oh no!" Instinctively, he blocked, managing to parry an incoming strike as Gino got close again. As suddenly as he approached, Gino flew back.

Chiba, seeing her leader in danger, abandoned her fight with the Mordred and raced for Todoh. Anya prepared to fire, but Gino relayed a message to her. "Not yet, Anya. I need this shot to be the Guren's. We may even get lucky and take out too at once." Anya's targeting lens folded back into place as she simply replied "Understood."

Kallen saw below what was happening. Todoh was swinging blindly, while Gino just glided away. Chiba was coming to his aid, but Kallen doubted she could take on a round. Then she saw the Tristan prepare it's energy canon. "NO!" Kallen had no choice; she charged her radiation heat wave, and aimed at the Tristan...

"Something's wrong!" Zero announced. "Zoom in on the Zangetsu and Tristan!"

"Yes sir!"

Both came up on the screen, and saw the Zangetsu was blinded. However, that wasn't what bothered Zero. On the Zangetsu's chest was a silver disc. Looking to the Tristan, Zero saw it too had an identical disk in the same spot. "Those are...magnets!" The knight must have planted it on Todoh right when he blinded him! The enemy's strategy all at once became clear to Zero. "Kallen, don't do it!" Zero cried out in vain. "That is just what they wanted!

"DIE!" Kallen fired the radiant wave surger, an explosion of red energy erupting from her knightmare's right hand.

"NOW!" Gino cried as he suddenly flew back while flipping a switch. He activated the magnet, the Zangetsu suddenly flying towards his position. "With this magnet, he'll be taken out by the Guren's shot! She will not only waste her trump card...she'll kill her comrade, and even if she still can fight...she won't!"

However, one of the opposing warriors was better than he expected. Asahina, who just beheaded his last opponent, saw what was happening right before Kallen fired. "Kallen, don't do it!" Quickly, he flew down to help his leader, another Sutherland in pursuit and firing. Asahina acted quickly, turning around and firing his slash harken. The wire wrapped around the attacker's arm, and Asahina turned back, firing his other slash harken at Todoh. Quickly, he revved up the stick, pulling him in while the torque he built up sent his ensnared prey in the path between the two magnets, weakening the connection and allowing Todoh to fly back.

The surge hit the Sutherland square, vaporizing all traces of him. "CECIL!" Gino cried. "This wasn't part of the plan!" he screamed as he slammed his control console.

As soon as it came, the surge was gone. The airship behind it, however, was untouched, having used it's blaze luminous shields. "Todoh!" Chiba called, clutching the Zangetsu and pulling the tar off it's visor. "Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine." Todoh looked down to see only his knightmare's foot was blown away. "I'm still in the fight. Thanks to Asahina."

"Hn." Asahina smirked inside his cockpit. "Someone has to save your sorry ass."

Gino was furious; his plan was a failure, and it cost him. He always held himself personally responsible for every man under his command. "Anya! Change of plans! Finish off these airborne ones! The Guren is mine!"

He flew down towards Kallen. Todoh and the other holy swords tried to go after him, but Anya fired several beams at them. "You're not going anywhere." she warned them.

Kallen growled, realizing they played for a fool; they knew her best weapon was not complete, and that she was grounded. They intended for her to waste her shot and take out one of her own comrades; thank goodness for Asahina. "You're going to pay!" Gino yelled as he fired his energy canon.

Kallen countered with the bazooka, smoke coming in between them as the projectiles collided. Gino dived down through the smoke in an attempt to bring the sub down point blank, but the Guren's hand grabbed his wrist, and pulled it up."You only have yourself to blame for your loss!" Kallen kicked him away, but Gino hovered over the water, quickly flying back to her. The Tristan tried punching the Guren, but she caught it's fist.

"That was a powerful surge." Gino acknowledged. "But I bet it cost you!" The Tristan pulled back it's arm quickly, and the Guren's claw collapsed.

"Oh no!" Just as Rakshata warned, the surge had damaged the claw! There was no time to panic; Kallen used her machine's remaining arm to unsheathe it's new wakizashi, and parried the first of the Tristan's swords. However, it could only dodge when the next came, and even then a severe scratch was formed across it's shoulder. Kallen, realizing there was no room for nonsense, kicked the Tristan back.

Gino growled in frustration. "As much as I'd like to finish you fair and honorably...I've a mission to complete!" Gino aimed for the sub itself. Suddenly, missile launchers popped up from the hull, which the Tristan flew back up in response as the missiles followed him into the sky. "Should have known." Gino mumbled. "Anya! How are you doing with yours!?"

"They're fast." she replied. "I shot down one, but the others won't let me finish him off. Having trouble locking onto them."

"I'm going to attack the sub from a distance!" Gino declared. "No doubt the Guren will counter me again, but the collision should cause another smoke screen! When that happens, fire at me! I'll avoid the blast and the sub will be taken by surprise! Even with radar, if they don't have visual, they won't be able to counter all of the missiles in time!"

"Roger."

Meanwhile, Kallen could only look up helplessly. "They've got a plan, I just know it...and I'm powerless to stop it!"

Kaguya gripped her pet as the ship shook. "A battle already?"

"Easy miss." Daniel assured her. "You may have to put on a strong face for the Black Knights and Zero. But you don't have to around me. So don't worry; I'm sure he's handling this the best he can." He looked up as the lights flickered and the alarms blared. "I hope."

Suddenly, her door opened, and CC stepped through. "I do believe I locked the door." Kaguya stated accusingly.

"The lock will keep the rest of the Black Knights out." CC explained. "But not Zero...nor me."

"What do you want!?" Daniel asked defensively.

"When we found you, we were attacked by a Britannian spy. And now, we are under attack by a whole fleet. That can't be a coincidence." CC stated.

Kaguya only huffed in annoyance. "If you're accusing me of betraying Zero-sama, you're wasting your time."

"Not knowingly." CC said, knowing full well Kaguya was too pure in that regard to back-stab Zero. Looking to the drawer, she asked "Do you still have that yukata from when we first found you?"

"Y-yes." Kaguya answered. "We haven't had a chance to wash it..."

CC walked over and opened it, revealing the traditional clothes within. She ran her fingers across the fabric, and then felt something round and metal. Pulling it out, CC saw the tracking device. "As I surmised." she said as she crushed it.

Up in the Britannian airship, one of the technicians noted an anomaly on his screen. The tracking signal had vanished. "Sir! The homing device-! I think they destroyed it!"

"It matters not!" The captain declared as he witnessed the rounds fight. "We end this here! Today!"

Zero nervously watched the screen. He didn't know how he knew, but he had a feeling the entire fleet would fire upon the sub. They were planning it as a surprise; the only way to counter it was with a surprise of their own. "Get me Rakshata." he ordered.

Ohgi obliged and patched her through. "Please tell me you have a plan to save my babies!" Rakshata nearly cried.

"Perhaps." Zero said. "Have you made any progress on my knightmare?"

"Well, it's not battle ready if that's what your asking!" she exclaimed in disdain.

"All I need is the Absolute Protection Field! Is it ready!?"

Rakshata was silent at first. "It's been installed, but it hasn't been tested yet."

"Then allow me." Zero said. "Have it as ready as possible. I'll be there soon." Zero shut off the communication and proceeded down to the dock.

"Zero!" Ohgi shouted. "What you're thinking is suicide!"

"There are times in chess where the player must risk the king!" Zero responded. "They're about to sink us, Ohgi!"

"Our shields will-!"

"They're not enough, even if we see it coming. They'll need the extra support, and I'm the only one who can give it!"

Zero was about to run off, but Ohgi interrupted him. "If I may, sir, permission to speak!"

Zero sighed. "Be quick about it; we may not have long to live!"

Ohgi spoke up. "I'll be honest: I figured you had your own motives in organizing us against Britannia; I know you're not Japanese. I'll admit that I don't trust you completely...but I also can't ignore the fact that it's because of you we've come this far! You've saved our lives and lead us to victory before! While it's assuring to see you'll put your life on the line for us, don't forget that if you die, all of this falls apart! And whatever other agenda you have will go down with us!"

Zero seemed to pause in thought for a moment. "I understand Ohgi." Zero said, turning his helmet. "And thank you; I promise I'll do even more to earn your trust in the coming future." With that, he briskly jogged down to his knightmare.

Rakshata watched in mild irritation as Zero ascended into the incomplete knightmare. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't so much care what happens to you. Just make sure the foundation of the knightmare at least is intact."

"I can't guarantee that." Zero responded. "But if you've done your job, you should have nothing to worry about." he said as the hatch closed

In the privacy of the cockpit, Lelouch pulled his helmet off, and pulled his face cloth down. Then, he opened up a private line. "Kallen, this is Zero." he said. "I'm coming up!"

"WHAT!?" Kallen shouted. "DON'T DO IT! IT'S SUICIDE!"

Zero sighed. "I've already been told that. This is not up for debate; my decision is final." As the platform rose, and the hatch above opened up, the incomplete Gawain Camelot joined the damaged Guren Sankami in the sun. He noticed it's right arm was practically disintegrated, and it's only long-range weapon was the RPG. It was a miracle the power cord hadn't been cut in all this chaos! "Kallen, can you still use that bazooka?"

The red knightmare struggled with it's small hand, the weapon severely unbalanced in it's grasp. "I'm afraid not." Kallen sighed in defeat.

"Here." The Gawain came up and supported her the two together able to aim it at the fleet above. "Wait for it, Kallen."

Kallen figured out what Lelouch was about to do. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"No." Zero sighed. "But I'd rather much try something desperate to save my own hide than submit to death."

Kallen nodded, and turned back to her main screen. "Okay then. I'll trust in you...Zero-sama."

"Kallen." Zero said, causing her to look back at the screen. Lelouch looked at her guiltily. "I'm sorry...for earlier. I realize there is a lot going on that neither of us understand. And even if Rolo is still my brother, it doesn't change the fact that I can never go back to my old life. I should have never blamed you for either."

Kallen sighed, smiling slightly. "Apology accepted, Lelouch. But next time you feel the need to apologize, don't do so when your life is on the line."

Lelouch chuckled nervously. "I'll keep that in mind if we survive this."

"I know what you're planning!" Todoh yelled as he slashed at the Tristan, grazing it's leg. "I won't let you!"

Gino only sneered. "We'll see." As Todoh got in close with his katana, Gino parried with his sword. Before Todoh could use his surprise blade, Gino used his other sword to knock it aside, and rammed his knightmare's shoulder into Todoh's Zangetsu. "Bind him!" The Sutherlands suddenly shot their slash harkens, snaring the Zangetsu's limbs. Though it's thrusters pulled the knightmares for a distance, the sheer number of Sutherlands managed to more or less to hold him in place. "You have a choice, Kyoshiro-san!" Gino said. "You can either surrender, die here, or try to escape and die when you get caught in the blast! Captain! Are we ready!?"

"We're ready, sir!"

"NO!" Chiba suddeny latched on to the Mordred's bazooka with her giant hand, and activated her hidden blade, tearing a gaping hole through it. Quickly, she raced towards Todoh as fast as the flight pack would take her.

"You will not interfere." Anya fired her multi-lasers, and hit the knightmare's thrusters. "Oh no!" Chiba cried as she went down. The knighmare hit water face first, giving it's impression of the deadman's float.

Though Todoh didn't cry out, he growled in anger. "After escaping death, to come so far-!"

"FIRE!" Gino yelled. The fleet fired it's missles, the Shitora countering with it's own. The two waves created the smoke screen upon collision. Little did the Black Knights know, the missles contained a chemical, which upon transforming into a gaseous phase, would blind the radars of both sides until it disperssed. And Gino made his move. "Fire! NOW!"

Aiming by sight, the fleet fired it's laser, and the immediate area was covered in a bright, red hue.

"Stop here." Suzaku ordered the driver. The limousine did so, and Suzaku excused himself from the vehicle. He stared longingly at the steps. After a good minute, he made his way up the stairs to his country home and dojo. Though the Britannians had mercilessly colonized the Japanese islands, replacing everything they could with what was considered "proper civilized" architecture, some spots they inexplicably left intact. Suzaku's home was one of them. Despite their claims of superiority, during his time as a Round, Suzaku learned the Britannians did find some novelty in the remains of the cultures they conquered.

He came back to reality as he found himself at the front of the dojo. He remembered how Todoh would mercielessly drill him in the martial arts as he helped himself inside. Todoh was not a kind teacher, but he was reasonable and effective, and did praise him when he did something good. Suzaku was thankful for all he taught him; he only wished they didn't have to wind up on opposite sides. Looking inside, he saw the bokkens were still in their proper place. Taking one in his arm, he gave it an experimental swing. "Perfect." he thought, not having used anything resembling a Japanese sword in the longest time.

Not letting it go, he looked back into the woods where he, Lelouch and Nunally played before his country's conquest. He let the nostalgia wash over him, until the rage he felt from the year past ran through him as well, almost canceling the prior feelings out. "Lelouch...what are you doing now?" he wondered.

He wandered further into the woods, until he settled upon a lone tombstone with the buddhist kamiyo name, said to prevent the dead's return if their name is called. Though it differed from the man's name when it was alive, Suzaku easily identified it as "Kuurugi Genbu". Suzaku simply stared at it. He didn't light incense, ring a bell, or even pray. Suzaku figured his father would never want to hear from him again, in this life or the next. And yet...he hoped somehow he could reach him.

Finally, he sighed, and turned back. That was enough revisiting the past; time to get back to his duties in the present.

The red beam dissipated, a fog of evaporated ocean water filling the atmosphere. "NO!" Todoh yelled, fearing the worst.

"Finally." Gino sighed. "Sorry, Suzaku. Looks like I got to Zero first." When the fog cleared...the Shitora was still there!

"What the-!?" Gino zoomed in on the sight. The Shitora was heavily damaged, yet still afloat. "It must have Blaze Luminous Shields!" But that wouldn't be enough! He looked down to see the gold knightmare at the front of the Guren; between the two knightmares, the gold one suffered the most damage. "Could it have additional shields!?" Gino wondered. If it did, and they were on par with that of the ship's...the additional support from that angle COULD block the beam just enough to prevent catastrophic damage. But to have that kind of energy-! The engineer would have to be an absolute genius!

"Kallen!" Lelouch shouted as he felt the gears within the Gawain creak loudly. "My Knightmare's falling apart! Fire now, while we have the chance!" Kallen obliged, pulling the trigger. The missiles fired, the Gawain's arms falling off from the recoil. Soon his other leg followed, as the Gawain fell face first. Lelouch yelped as he was rocked back into his seat from the fall."Well, that was the most dignified way to go out." Zero thought. "But the shields...they worked, Rakshata." he smiled.

Gino should have been able to dodge the blasts, but he was so caught up in surprise the missile was upon him before he could feasibly react. Gino moved as best he could, but the missile hit his side, blowing off the Tristan's arm and leg. "Shit!" Gino felt his flight device fail.

"Sir! Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine! But it looks I'll be out of the fight! Finish the job!" he yelled as he steered his knightmare into the ocean, upon which he activated his life-rafts.

"I got the Tristan." Kallen informed Zero as she stared ahead.

"That's good..." Lelouch agreed. "...But we're still in the frying pan, so to speak!"

The Mordred suddenly descended upon the Shitora in a flash. "Checkmate." Anya declared as she took aim, figuring her smaller lasers were bound to bring the sub down.

Ohgi gripped the railing nervously as he watched from what little cameras remained; Zero performed another miracle, as usual. But it seemed he only delayed the inevitable.

"Open the hatch." CC said over the comm.

"You're knightmare's ready?" Ohgi asked in surprise.

"No one's knighmare is ready." she replied. "But as long as we buy Zero time, there is hope. I can fly, at least."

Figuring they had nothing to lose, Ohgi ordered the bridge to be opened.

Anya had the two knightmares dead in her sights. Though she no longer had her bazooka, she still had her missile launchers and lasers mounted all over her knightmare. Just as she was about to fire, another hatch opened up. Before she could react, a knightmare she could have sworn was a Britannian prototype suddenly jumped out of the hatch. It flew, and rammed into her, dispersing her weapons elsewhere. "Excellent, C2!" Lelouch said.

CC didn't have much in the way of weapons; only her slash harkens were installed, and her sniper rifle had perhaps one shot. Just like the rest of her comrades, she would have to make do. She fired, scratching the Mordred, but it only fired again. Thankfully, CC's flight system proved adequate for her to dodge. "Zero." she said. "While I can't die, this knightmare has potential that I don't want to see to got waste. So, please, do think of something."

Lelouch looked up to the fleet-ship. "I think I just did. Asahina! Free Todoh anyway you can!"

"Roger!" Asahina swatted another Sutherland out of the way and charged. The others pursued, firing. One hit his side. "Shit!" He aimed his guns, and fired at the cables holding Todoh's knightmare. They snapped free, but Asahina's flight pack suddenly exploded from another hit. "Damn it!" His knightmare glided down into the ocean.

"Asahina!" Todoh shouted as he sliced a knightmare with his katana. "Are you alright!?"

"Don't worry!" Asahina replied as he deployed his rafts, floating on the water. "I'll be fine! Do whatever Zero asks of you!"

"Check up on Chiba!" Todoh ordered his subordiante. "Zero?"

"Todoh, we can't win! Not directly!" Zero explained. "But we can escape!"

"Just tell me what to do!"

"Todoh, it's a HUGE risk. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"We don't have a choice!" Todoh said. "And no time to debate this!"

"Very well, Todoh! I recognize this type of ship! They have an effective defense, but there is a blind-spot in the ship, in the middle of near the posterior!"

"There are no weapons there!?"

"The weapons in the back aren't perfectly adjusted to block incoming fire from a certain angle there; you'll only have a second, but if you make it, it will down the ship; they will have no choice but to make an emergency landing, and every soldier will have to return to aid the fleet!"

"Understood!" Todoh flew under the ship, slashing at knightmares and dodging gunfire. His free arm was caught in the blast, but thankfully he could still fly. He manuevered around the ship, dodging the projectiles as he flew dangerously close to it's underbelly Finally, he found the place Zero was talking about. And it seemed the others have caught on as well. "Zero..."

"Hold on, Todoh! I'm beginning phase two!"

Ohgi nervously watched what was happening. "Ohgi!" Zero called. "Hit the fleet-ship with everything we've got! Everything!"

Ohgi balked at the order. "Zero-sama! If this fails..."

"I know the consequences! No more hesitation! We are literally on our last legs! Let them have it!"

Ohgi clenched his fists on the railing...and suddenly, all the fear was gone from his face. "Your heard Zero-sama! FIRE WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!"

The Shitora suddenly fired a whole barrage of missiles and artillery. CC saw what was happening, and flew forward. Anya tried to pursue, but her knightmare was too slow. After taking two hits from missiles, she dunked the Mordred under water to protect it.

"Return fire!" the fleet captain commanded above. Missles and guns fired from the ship, seemingly perfectly countering every strike the Shitora shot at them.

When Todoh the fire-fight in front of him, he knew now was his chance. "Now!" He aimed his sniper rifle...and then felt his flight pack explode. "NO!"

Todoh's knightmare began to fall, the world changing to slow motion as he felt it tip over. However, the Sutherland who fired upon him was suddenly decapitated by a slash harken. CC's Joan flew in behind him, supporting his knightmare and pushing it up. Todoh would not waste this second chance. He quickly aimed...and fired, the hull melting away as the laser tore through. The defensive weapons in the rear forced CC to retreat, but the damage had been done.

Gino watched as his fleet enacted emergency procedures as it glided down into the ocean. Quickly, he ran back into his cockpit and opened the line. "Captain!" he called to the ship. "How bad!?"

"Bad, sir!" the captain replied. "All flight systems are down, and our reserve knightmares have been damaged!"

"Then, we have lost the battle." Gino sighed.

"I can still fight." Anya proclaimed over the radio as her Mordred rose from the ocean.

"You could." Gino agreed. "But then you may leave our soldiers die. In way, I wouldn't be surprised if Zero was counting on that; even if we won, we would be dishonored, and Zero would have the last laugh. All remaining knightmares, save as much of the crew as you can and head to the nearest base. The rest of you, deploy the life-rafts. We have lost the battle for today, but help will come soon enough."

Gino watched as Zero's knightmares boarded the roof of the submarine and were lowered inside. Gino smiled slightly. He wouldn't dare tell Suzaku or anyone on the round...but he actually felt himself develop a new found respect for Zero. "It's no wonder his men follow him into battle." he smiled, as he watched the Shitora disappear from his sight.

As all those who piloted their knightmares walked down the halls, as the rest of the Black Knights cheered them on. "Let's hear it for Zero-sama everybody!" Tamaki yelled, as the others cheered them.

Zero held up a hand to silence them. "Everybody! While I played what part I could, none of this could have been accomplished without the brave men and women who went out there before me!" Everyone applauded for them as well.

"Zero-sama!" Kaguya practically shoved past the crowd and bowed. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea that awful man attached a tracking device to my person!"

"You have nothing to apologize for." Zero said, holding his hand up. "The Britannians, as much as we like to believe otherwise, are quite clever. It is my fault for not anticipating this." he sighed. "But the immediate problem is behind us now. Ohgi! Where were we headed again?"

"To India, sir! Rakshata says she knows someone who can help us get our knightmares finished!"

"Yes. We are right in route to them." Zero agreed. "Head further west. Towards Area 18."

Everyone was shocked. "But, we need supplies-!" Ohgi began

"Yes." Zero said. "Which will amount to nothing if we are captured!" Zero paused. "We've been through a lot. Set the course, and all will be explained in the morning. Back to your duties. Stay alert, but please try to relax."

Everyone dispersed, back to their posts. Todoh briefly passed Zero, and bowed. Chiba reluctantly did the same, as did Asahina. Zero, in turn, also bowed. "None of this would have been possible without you." he said. Todoh nodded respectfully. Kallen was about to head down to take five as well, but Zero called to her. "A moment of your time, Kallen. You too, CC." The two followed him back to his quarters.

As the three entered Zero's quarters, Zero took off his mask and pushed down his face-mask. "Quite a day we've had, hasn't it?"

"Yes." Kallen said. "The sooner my Guren is Airborne, the better."

Lelouch walked towards the circular sofa in the middle, and beckoned them to sit. "Sit. Please." The two did so. "I said this to you a few minutes ago Kallen, but I owe you an apology. Both of you." Lelouch sighed before continuing. "There is so much going on. Things I'm not in control of, and for that matter, something neither of you are either."

"It's fine, Lelouch." Kallen said.

"No, it's not." Lelouch insisted.

"Lelouch..." Kallen began. "...we've brought you back into a world you are still not fully immersed in. We tore up your old life...your artificial life, but still..."

"Kallen." Lelouch said, holding up his hand. "Let's just say we all did and said a few stupid things ever since this all started. I think it's best that we accept what happened, and we should expect more such things to come. " Lelouch rubbed his chin in deep thought. "In fact...this actually backs up everything that's happened."

"You figured it out?" CC asked curiously.

"Figured it out? No, far from it. But I feel we're scratching the surface of what's going on. Rolo tried to kill me. You claim that girl...the princess, is my sister. Which means..."

"I can't believe it." Kallen breathed. "I just don't believe you being a prince!"

"Neither do I." Lelouch sighed. "It's either that, or whatever happened to me happened to her as well."

"Is it what you truly believe?" CC prodded.

"Not completely." Lelouch admitted. "But it is beginning to make sense in a way. If nothing else, I've heard rumors of how cutthroat the path to the throne was. IF I am part of the royal family, it wouldn't surprise me that someone would want me out of the way."

"Or maybe, protect you." Kallen suggested. A flimsy suggestion, but she felt he needed some hope after all this darkness.

Lelouch sighed. "Even so, while these events have opened up new possibilities, they raise more questions. Questions none of us have the answer to for now, and no means to obtain them." Lelouch gathered up his helmet. "It doesn't matter for now. What matters is our current mission." The two women nodded. "CC, thank you for sticking with me and your counsel. Kallen, thank you for protecting me, and for your friendship. Whatever circumstances brought us together, there's no going back. And we're going to need each other to survive." Lelouch then looked to CC. "Well, me and Kallen anyway."

"Excuse me for being immortal." CC huffed. "It can actually be quite a pain in the ass at times?"

Lelouch groaned. "Well, if it's alright with you two, I'd like to be alone for a bit. Just need to clear my mind and make some plans. If you need something, let me know."

Kallen and CC nodded. "Lelouch...before I go, there's something I would like to propose." the red-head said, standing affirmatively.

"Speak freely." Lelouch said curiously.

"Remember what I said over the phone back in Tasmania? About making sure you could take care of yourself?"

"Yes..."

"We're going to start on that now." Kallen said, placing her hand on her hips. "Lelouch Lamperouge...you are brilliant. You are also weak."

Lelouch was just stunned silent by this declaration. "...I never explicitly denied that, but..."

"I will do my best to protect you. But we both know fortune will not always be on our side. So, if only to make my job easier...I'm going to train you."

"I beg your pardon!?" Lelouch nearly squeaked.

"We've got quite a trip ahead of us. We might as well make the most of it." Kallen said. She then gave him a dark smile. "Also...consider this divine punishment for the bullshit you've put me through with your angst!" Lelouch began to visibly sweat, and gulped. "Understood?" she asked. Lelouch only nodded silently. "Good." Kallen said, this time with a more positive smile. "See you at 7 tomorrow."

"Evening, right?" Lelouch asked.

Kallen only gave him a coy look. "Well...if you want to believe that." Kallen said as she helped herself out.

Lelouch just looked at CC. "If you're asking my opinion on the matter...I agree." she said.

Lelouch only leaned back and gripped his face. "I'm doomed, aren't I?"

Suzaku wiped his hair dry as he stepped out the shower. He then took a seat at his desk as he looked over the paperwork leftover from Calares. Some he would translate into brail for Nunnally; others he saw fit to do himself. "So much to do...did the last vice-roy actually do anything during his tenure?"

Just then, the phone rang. Quickly, he pressed the speaker. "Kuurugi."

"Suzaku!" Gino said on the other line.

"Gino! Is everything alright!"

"No." he sighed. "We just got back to base; we needed a rescue crew to find us at the edge of the Indian Ocean."

"What happened?" Suzaku asked, giving him his full attention

"Zero, Suzaku. It was Zero. We tracked him down, and attacked. They only had a few knightmares; many of them were not complete. And yet he turned the entire tide of the battle in an instant!" Silence was the only sound on both ends of the line. "He's just as you said, Suzaku."

"Don't feel bad; I know you did your best." Suzaku assured him. "Remember, now, we're working under Prince Schneizel. He is also an expert strategist. We will just have to believe in him and give him our best."

"You're right, Suzaku. Since you're the most experienced dealing with him, I'll put a word in to His Highness on your behalf. Wherever Zero shows up next, I think you should be there."

"I appreciate it, Gino. Thank you, and stay safe, my friend." he said.

"You too."

Gino hung up, and left Suzaku to his thoughts. "Well, Lelouch...you're just as dangerous as ever." Suzaku's hands clenched as he reflected on it. "I will stop you, my friend."

Next time, the beginning of Lelouch...OF ARABIA! (cue music)...okay, it's not going to be quite like that. But that's where we're headed, nonetheless. See you all there!