The planet was not earth, though they were not aware of this fact yet. Soon, though, it would be drilled into the minds of every living soul, that they might never forget that fact. This world was not the throneworld, the cradle of mankind. But it had a place in Terra's Imperium, and today they would learn of it.
Word had not spread of the warfleet orbiting the planet. It was known only to a few souls, after all, and they were well occupied. No technology existed on the planet that would be able to detect the fleet if they did not wish it.
The Imperium did not come all at once, and neither was their coming a grand affair. Not immediately. The first sign was a small gunship, one that might almost be mistaken for something made on this false earth. It made its landing in Tokyo, and its passengers gathered on the steps in front of the Britannian Embassy. They were strange, giants, armoured in a manner utterly alien to all who beheld them.
Even the smallest of them were massive. Golden warriors, all helmed, bearing mighty spears shimmering with energy. One of them stood beside an even greater being, and there could be no mistaking he was a warrior born. His posture, his essence, his very being oozed charisma and deadly ability. He was not armed, but he was armoured, his panoply painted a pure white edged with silver. A massive fur coat fell across his shoulders. He was smiling, always smiling, careful to try and put any onlookers at ease even as they fell to their knees at the sight of him.
Him, and the one he called father.
Dwarfing even the giant in white, the Emperor of all Mankind stood patiently, waiting as the onlookers trickled from a few interested passersby, to a crowd stretching as far as the eye could see.
Some came on their own. Others, by word of mouth. More were responding to frantic calls as their friends and family urged them to come and see for themselves, and most just wanted to see what everyone else was fussing over.
Still others came, not out of interest, or even by knowing something was happening, but by a vague sense that pulled them nearer, drawing them in like moths to a flame. It hardly mattered how they came to watch, only that they did.
And when he was satisfied, the Master of Mankind opened his eyes, and spoke. In an instant, all across the world, every screen that could, every speaker, every device capable of broadcasting showed only his image, gave only his words. And all across the world, they listened.
"I am the Emperor of Mankind," He said. "And I have come to show you the truth."
"You have done well. Truly. Thousands of years of ignorance, and yet you have all persevered. Throughout trial and tribulations, your survival, your continued existence is nothing short of a testament to the unyielding endurance of humanity, even when their own history is shrouded to them."
"You have continued for millenia believing yourselves to be the foundation of mankind. You think the world you call home is none other than Old Earth. This is false."
"This is but one world of many humanity has seeded with their habitation. Through the ages, you have grown to imitate something resembling Ancient Terra, but you are not the throneworld. You are her descendants, flung out into the far reaches of the void and isolated. But I have come, as the lord of Terra, as the Master of Mankind, and as the shepherd of humanity that will bring you into an age of enlightenment the likes of which you could never hope to dream."
His words were received by hundreds of millions, either watching or listening to his grand speech, and yet not a single one doubted the truth of it. There were those who were horrified by the revelations, and those who welcomed them, and in the aftermath many would deny his words. But as they listened, at least, they knew it for the truth it was.
"Soon, I will bring you under the fold of the Imperium, with all the myriad benefits that will entail. But first, I must illuminate you regarding another matter. The true reason I have come here. For while yes, I will unite all of the lost pockets of humanity in time, it was not coincidence that brought me here, now. Rejoice, and take pride in the fact that one of my sons has been found among you!"
Murmuring rose throughout those capable of tearing their eyes away from him, as the Emperor paused briefly for effect. Questions, confusion, all of which would shortly be put to rest.
"I will tell you of my son. I will tell you of the life he has led here, all that he has accomplished and all that he has sacrificed. Most of you will know him, by one name or another, though I can say with certainty not one of you knows the truth. Not all of it."
More murmurs, but the Emperor did not let them fester. "Yes, you know of him. He has known many names in his brief life, but most of you call him the Demon Emperor of Britannia. The Eleventh Prince. Lelouch vi Britannia."
The murmurs rose to become panicked shouting. The Emperor did not interrupt, preferring simply to let the small disturbance run its course. For while fear sprung out briefly among the onlookers, it was dwarfed by naked curiosity.
One by one, they fell silent, turning once more to this strange intruder. And the Emperor spoke once more. "I am not Charles zi Britannia. Neither do I claim any ties to Britannia's royal family save for the ones we all share, as fellow members of the human race. Lelouch was created by me, using my own genetic material far from here, in my laboratories on Terra. He was stolen from me, him and all his brothers, and through a twist of fate he was brought here, to the Imperial household. Charles zi Britannia claimed him for his own, raising him as his son alongside Marianne as his mother. A lie, but one he never knew."
"His youth is known to you. He was reared in his mother's palace, the Aries Villa, afforded the same childhood any other of his assumed siblings were given. He was a boy, one who fiercely loved his sisters, and idolized his mother. Innocence was robbed of him even before tragedy struck, for the woman who claimed to be his mother was of common birth, and thus brought scorn upon her children. He learned quickly that he would never be respected in the manner of his siblings."
"Still, he was happy, for a time, in the way all children are. Until childhood was robbed from him as well, and he was thrust into the harsh reality of the world he lived in."
"His mother was murdered in front of him by gunmen, in broad daylight. She fell on top of his sister, without so much as uttering a warning. He watched in horror as the blood pooled beneath him, unable to tell if his mother was dead, or his sister, or both."
"His sister survived. He stayed with her, day and night in the hospital as she fought for her life, until he could wait no longer. He marched into the throne room of the man he called father and demanded action be taken for the death of his mother. For this loyalty, this faith in his family, for this nobility, he was rebuked. Exiled to Japan alongside his sister, to a country Britannia would invade not long after."
"And again, he was happy. Unlike his time in Pendragon, he was far removed from court politics, and the hatred and jealousy of his so-called family. He could grieve, as a son grieves his mother. He could heal with his sister. They could play as children played, without the fear of maintaining appearances. They had even made a friend to share their newfound joy with."
"This too, was robbed from him. The Emperor ordered the invasion of Japan, knowing full well his children would likely be slain in the chaos. Indeed, this was likely his very intent. Lelouch and Nunnally were an inconvenience to him alive, and served as excellent martyrs in death."
The giant armoured in white clenched a fist in barely restrained anger. His face was a cool, seething rage that emanated around him, only just overpowered by the Emperor's presence. It was clear he knew nothing of what the Emperor spoke of, and every word served only to feed his fury.
Among some of the crowd, a few began to emulate his anger. They did not hear the Emperor speaking of the man destined to become the Demon Emperor. They heard him speak of a boy betrayed by his father, beset by tragedy after tragedy, and the injustice of it all angered them.
"Whatever his intent, it mattered not. For Lelouch was far more resourceful than even he knew. With the aid of his friend, Suzaku Kururugi, they escaped the burning shrine they had called home, and avoided as much of the invasion as they could, sticking to old battlefields and the outskirts of towns. Soon enough, the war came to a swift end. The children were separated, and it was then, looking upon the aftermath of his father's brutal invasion of his second home, that he swore an oath that would bind him until death."
"He would see Britannia burn, no matter the cost."
"But he was still a child. More than that, he was a brother, caring for his crippled sister. He took them to the one place he might find shelter, with the Ashford family, who had sponsored the rise of his mother from commoner to Empress."
"For seven years, they lived in peace. But it was a bitter peace, for Lelouch. The indignation of their exile grated on him. Forced to live in hiding, to gamble for the money needed to pay for his sister's medical bills. Above all, he loathed living beneath the heel of Britannia. He was eager for a chance to begin his war. A chance he was given in Shinjuku."
"Through sheer coincidence, he found himself hiding in a truck belonging to a cell of Japanese resistance fighters, being hunted through the city by his brother's men. Eventually cornered, he retrieved a communicator from one of the rebels, slipping past the Britannians. He made contact with the rebels, and from there struck back at the viceroy's men, taking command and giving the Japanese their first tangible victory since the invasion."
"I know what many of you think. That this couldn't be possible, that it was Zero who orchestrated the success of Shinjuku, that it was Zero who killed viceroy Clovis. And you would be correct, for Lelouch vi Britannia and Zero were once one and the same."
There were no gasps, or shocked protests. No arguments, no jeering or fervent denials. Across the world, they watched, they listened, hungry and eager, hanging onto every word that spilled from the speakers lips.
"Zero was not born that day, however. He was born soon after, when the blame for Clovis' murder was laid at the feet of none other than Suzaku Kururugi, his childhood friend. He couldn't stand for such a thing, of course. So he devised a persona, his greatest creation. A way to truly enact his revenge whilst hiding his identity. He freed his friend, who denied his offer of alliance, and so began his war."
"I shall not tell you of every victory and loss my son has to his name. You know them all well, I'm sure, for before long Zero was a symbol of hope not just in Japan, but to all who stood for the ideals of freedom and justice. He won, he lost, as all commanders do. He inspired those who fought for him, and even when they thought themselves abandoned, they still fought on. And he always returned."
"Eventually, tragedy struck. His brother Schneizel learned of his identity, and used it to drive a wedge between him and his chief officers within the Black Knights. They could no longer trust him, for never had Lelouch given his identity away willingly to them. They betrayed him, and it was only through a twist of fate that he escaped, mere hours after believing himself responsible for his beloved sister's death."
"He was lost, then. Betrayed by the very revolution he had begun, abandoned by those he called friends, and erroneously thinking his sister dead, he had nothing left. Nothing, save that first spark that had kept him going for so many years. The spark of hatred, the need to see his false father brought to justice. And through chance or fate, the opportunity had arisen."
"His father was nearby, sequestered away in the ruins of Kamine Island. Lelouch confronted him, and upon realizing the scale of the former Emperor's brutality and how little he truly cared, the son slew the father, and vengeance was taken upon the architect of so much misery for this world."
The Emperor fell silent, pausing longer than he had since beginning his account. The silence was not broken by the crowds, but where once they were eager to hear him continue, it was almost as if they couldn't bear for him to go on. It was too much.
"My son was lost. His army had abandoned him. His sister was thought dead. And now, finally, he had slain his father. Nothing else was left to him. Nothing, that is, except the small strand of hope, that he might do one last deed that could undo all that his war, and his father's wars had wrought."
"He journeyed to Pendragon, with his friend turned enemy, turned friend again. Together, they revealed themselves to the world and took the throne. What happened next is a bitter memory, one that lies fresh in infamy in the minds of all of you, I would wager. A more terrible reign than even his father could claim, one that only came to an end with his rightful assassination at the hands of Zero, returned."
"Except…Lelouch was Zero. And he was the ruler of the world, with the power of Damocles held within his hand. How was it that one man could slay him so easily?"
"The truth is that Lelouch's reign was a lie. From the very beginning, it was always going to end in his death, no matter what. He would become the greatest tyrant the world had ever known, uniting the planet in their loathing of him, and at the apex of his horrible power, he would be struck down by the very symbol of freedom he had created, ushering in a new era of peace. It was his last gift to humanity. His Zero Requiem. He lived for you, fought for you, killed for you, betrayed his own ideals for you, and died alone and hated. For you."
Beside the Emperor, the giant armoured in white remained silent, tears flowing freely from his eyes in anguish as the Emperor came to the end of his tale. It was much the same across the rest of the world. There were those who doubted, of course, but many felt revulsion at how they were so easily deluded, how quick they were to deride the so-called Demon Emperor.
"It was his wish that he died as such, and I do not fault any of you for believing his lies." The Emperor smiled lightly then. "He was rather good at that. No, I come to bring you news of a happier matter. My son died. He died without ever knowing I existed, or that indeed anything lay beyond this planet. But I have come, and I tell you all now that he is returned."
"Unknown to him, and anyone here, Lelouch was much more than simply human. He was a Primarch, one of twenty beings genetically crafted from my own genes. One of my sons. He truly thought he would die that day, but he did not know the truth of his nature. He had entered a form of deep biostasis, and his enhanced biology permitted me to use some of my own technology to return him to life. He lives, and soon he will take his place by my side, commanding a legion of warriors to bring the Imperial Truth to other pockets of humanity, lost and scattered across the galaxy."
"In the coming days, Your home will be brought into the fold of the Imperium. It is a great honor to be one of the worlds that a son of mine calls home. Like countless other worlds, you will be given knowledge and resources far beyond anything you have ever dreamed. The peace that Lelouch fought so hard for, shall be maintained."
"And you will thank him for it."
Nejima growled, shoving the other onlookers as the golden man faded from the screen. They watched through a tv screen on display in the window, dozens of them crowding the already small street. He had pushed his way to the front of the crowd to get a better look.
The speech was over now, and all around him people were still reeling from the revelations. As soon as the man who called himself the Emperor began to leave, questions emerged from the crowd almost instantly. Doubts. Everything they knew was a lie.
They were not alone in the galaxy. They were not the birthplace of humanity.
And the last Emperor was no demon.
Nejima grinned. He was Zero. Zero was a Britannian Prince, and one who had conquered the world at that. It was a rich sort of irony, wasn't it? The kind he could respect.
He had been a Black Knight, back when they existed. Not really in any official capacity, of course. He was only fifteen. A noble organization like that, one devoted to justice and freedom wasn't supposed to use child soldiers.
But they used them all the same. At least, on the lower levels they did. Command likely never knew, but children were useful to rebel organizations. They were seen as more innocent, less likely to arouse suspicion. There had been plenty like him back when the old Emperor had reigned. Charles.
He had found life boring, after the war. He enjoyed the fighting. The thrill, the ever present possibility that he would be discovered. Civilian life didn't suit him. He had dreamed of the day that the peace might be broken, that Zero would call them all back and reform the Black Knights against some new threat.
As the others began slowly departing, getting on with their lives now that the so-called Emperor had left, they no doubt had their own thoughts on the matter. They heard him speak, and they heard about the peace he promised. The assurances he gave them.
Nejima heard him speak, and all he heard was that there was another war to be waged, one that Zero would help lead.
And Nejima grinned.
Marco's parents were in a state of panic, and had been ever since the Emperor's speech had ended. His sister wasn't much better, refusing to even look outside.
The ships had begun to come down a few hours after the Emperor left. None came near them, of course. They had a small little cottage in the south of France, far from Paris. No reason for anyone to come here. The Emperor's emissaries would no doubt go to the places of power in the world. Paris, the Vermilion Forbidden City, Tokyo.
That didn't stop his family's panic, though. They insisted that they would all remain inside for as long as possible, intent on waiting it all out. He didn't bother trying to point out there wouldn't be any waiting it out. The world was changing, and it would never go back to the way it was before.
And he awaited that day eagerly.
For too long, they had been bystanders. When Britannia began its war in earnest against the EU, his family had been just as terrified. That was all they ever were. Scared. Scared of change, for good or bad. But while they had been focused on Britannia, worried that France would soon become another Area and they would become nothing more than numbers, he had looked elsewhere.
He had looked to the only source of hope left. The only one who seemed to go against Britannia and win. He had looked to Zero.
His parents had tried to stop him, of course. Officially, to the EU Zero was nothing more than a terrorist to be scorned. But to a twelve year old boy, he had been a hero. A freedom fighter, a true symbol of freedom. He followed the exploits of the Black Knights closely, yearning to be a part of what he was convinced would be an organization that would change the world. Instead, he had been stuck helpless halfway across the world. Waiting for their fate to come to them, instead of working to preserve their way of life.
Nothing galled him more than having his agency stolen from him. It didn't matter that he was young, he still had a life, didn't he? What Britannia did affected him, what the EU did affected him, what Zero did had affected him
He thought it was over. He thought that he had missed his chance at being a part of history, with the death of the Demon Emperor and the restructuring of the Black Knights into a peacekeeping force. He thought that he would never have a chance to stand up for what he believed in, to fight for the life he wanted, to help people who needed it.
But as his parents ran around the house, taking stock of their supplies, and his sister locked herself in her room in some useless protest against their temporary isolation, a dangerously hopeful thought took root in his mind.
That his chance wasn't gone just yet.
Han hadn't seen such chaos in the streets since the Eunuchs were overthrown.
He had been there, of course. Most everyone had. Young, old, sick and dying, healthy and strong, the poor of China rose up as one almost in unity across the nation to overthrow the tyrannical rulers who had been using the Empress as their puppet.
Fourteen years of his life had been spent in abject poverty, living as little better than a slave. Then Zero had come, and everything changed. He had exposed the lies of the Eunuchs, rescued the Empress and devoted the Black Knights to ensuring she remained on her rightful throne. He did not use her as the Eunuchs did, even when she was no doubt indebted to him. He allowed her to act as her own ruler, and for that Han was eternally grateful.
He knew many of his countrymen felt otherwise. They saw Zero as an opportunist, little better than the Eunuchs except for the fact that he decided to side with the Empress. They told him his youth blinded him to the truth, that he had been caught up in the mystique of Zero.
None of them understood.
They were the ones content to beg and grovel as they had all their lives. They were the ones who had bowed to the Eunuchs, ignoring the blatant corruption that was obvious even before Zero tricked them into admitting it themselves. They were the opportunists, leaping at the chance Zero had given them, like hounds fighting over scraps of meat.
Zero had come to China. He had brought the entirety of the Black Knights, and indeed over a million civilians seeking sanctuary. He had uncovered a plot, and delivered the Empress herself from the clutches of the Eunuchs. He could have demanded her cooperation. He could have married her himself, for the political power, or forced her to join the United Federation of Nations. He could have done any of these things, and so much more besides.
But he did not. He recognized that it wasn't his place to meddle any more in Chinese affairs than he already had. He respected the Empress, and gently stepped aside, permitting her to rule as she saw fit.
She chose to help him, yes, but it was her choice. And it was because of Zero that the Empress was finally allowed to turn her attention to the people. In the span of a year, she had enacted government programs that drastically raised the quality of life for those in poverty, providing a safety net for the lowest of her subjects. All because Zero did what was right, what he believed in. Freedom and Justice.
And for that, Zero would always have his respect and admiration.
Even if Zero was the Demon Emperor.
Han frowned. Much of what the Emperor said was still processing, for him and the rest of the world. Even now, strange ships came down from the sky, beginning the first step in a new journey for the world, one he didn't think anybody knew where it would end.
Still, he wasn't worried. The rioting was only born from panic, and fear of the unknown. It would die out soon enough. Order would return to China, and eventually the world, whatever world that may be.
Whatever path this Imperium brought them on, he knew it would be one that would eventually lead them to a better life. Not because of the Emperor's promises of peace. Not because of whatever technology the ships would bring.
Because of the Demon Emperor. He was the new Emperor's son, and therefore the one who would lead them into this new life.
But more importantly, he was Zero, and so Han trusted him completely.
"It's exciting, isn't it Walter?" Arthur asked.
His friend frowned, backing away from one of his swipes. "I'm not sure…exciting…is the word I'd use," He said, in between panted breaths.
"Oh?" Arthur asked, intrigued before gripping his sword with both hands and thrusting. "Then what would you say? I'm curious."
Walter parried the blow, using the brief reprieve to catch his breath. "Terrifying. Momentous. Detrimental, possibly."
Arthur tsked. "So cynical. Why not greet the future with a bit of hope, eh?"
Walter looked at him incredulously. "Warships from outer space are invading our world. Britannia is crumbling from a proud nation into a leaderless republic. And the Demon Emperor is returned from the dead."
"You mean Zero," Arthur pointed out.
"Ugh. Don't remind me," Walter stepped back, throwing his practice sword on the floor. "I yield. The mood is spoiled, and you would have won anyhow."
"If the mood is spoiled simply because you're uncomfortable, then you must be a poor conversationalist indeed," Arthur said with a grin.
Walter sighed. "Why do I put up with you?"
"Because I spoke up on your behalf when your holdings were taken from you, you were stripped of your titles, and your estate was dissolved."
"All acts done by the Demon Emperor," Walter said bitterly. "It hardly counts."
Arthur refrained from pointing out that if that were the case, he could simply appeal to the Empress and have his inheritance reinstated. He had no desire to anger his friend.
Not too much, at least.
He changed the subject. "Still, it's interesting at the very least. That the true Zero is none other than the Demon Emperor himself."
Walter snorted. "Poetic is more like it. The two greatest enemies Britannia has ever known. Of course they would be one and the same."
"You know, some would say Zero was one of the best things to happen to Britannia," Arthur mused, knowing it would infuriate Walter. A little isn't so bad.
He growled. "Peasants and sycophants. They can hardly think for themselves, I wouldn't take their opinions to heart. Make no mistake, it is by their actions that Britannia is dying. Turned from a proud nation into a sickening republic," Walter spat. "It's ridiculous. As if the peasants can govern themselves. And to think that cripple calls herself Empress. She'll dissolve the nobility as a whole at this rate!"
Arthur also refrained from telling his friend that the Empress planned to do precisely that. It was announced a week ago. But his friend still clung desperately to the hope that he may one day reclaim his status, and he couldn't quite bring himself to dash said hopes.
As for himself, he wasn't too bothered by it. He was far from the most nationalized of Britannians. Sure, the Caedwens were one of the oldest and most prosperous of the old Britannian houses, but the Caedwens were all but gone, now. Only he lived on.
The most amusing part of the whole affair was how little he cared.
His parents were dead, slain by the agents of the Demon Emperor for helping fund efforts to dethrone him, and reinstate the class systems of Britannia. He had tried to tell them it would only end in disaster, but they never listened.
Perhaps it was because he was still a teenager that he didn't care so much about tradition. But then, Walter was of an age with him, and he was every bit the patriotic noble.
Arthur was patriotic, to a degree. He was Britannian. He was proud of the fact. He was enamored with the glories of the past, with tales of grand heroics and knighthood long before Britannia proper came into existence.
That may have been it. He was too caught up in the past, he never bothered to worry about the present. He never much cared for the plights of the numbers, but neither did he hate them, or think them lesser. The numbers served, that was the way it was, and the way it always would be.
Until Zero came, of course.
His parents were too concerned with the affairs of the court, at the time. More interested in the war with the EU than some upstart showman.
But Arthur knew. He knew from the very beginning Zero was different. He watched live as Zero announced himself to the world, and kept track of every one of his exploits with bated breath, hiding his newfound hobby from his parents.
Zero was something new. No, something old come again, something the world desperately needed. A real knight, one devoted to justice and freedom just like the stories. Not some political position given to whoever could suck up to the Emperor the most.
He had wanted to be a Knight, once. It was why he fenced with a practice broadsword, instead of a more typical rapier. All the real knights fought with proper swords. He thought he might even become a knight of the round, one day. Not that his family would ever let their only heir risk his life, but he had dreamed.
Then Zero came, and he was shown something much better. The Black Knights. As close to real knights as any that existed these days.
He thought about joining them, occasionally, in the early days. Never seriously, of course, but it made for a nice waste of time to entertain the idea. He thought of fleeing to Japan, and joining the fight against Britannia. Supposedly, they accepted anyone willing to fight. He had grinned at the image of his parents finding out.
But nothing had ever come of it, of course. He was still more or less a loyal Britannian, and more importantly, one too young to have any real agency of his own. Before he knew it, the Black Knights had won, and then the Demon Emperor had come to take Zero's place.
He was spared only because he didn't share his parents' determination to cling to ideals of superiority. He was willing to work with the Demon Emperor, and so at the tender age of fifteen became one of the few remaining lords of Britannia, and as a favor to a friend had saved Walter from execution.
He would never get to have his adventure. He would never become a real knight. He couldn't even say that he had done the right thing. He had simply stood by and let history take its course.
But now, things had changed. A new Emperor had come, and a new ideal. A Crusade, it was called.
"Arthur?" Walter asked hesitantly. "What are you thinking? Something stupid, no doubt. I know that face."
Arthur grinned. "Nothing all that bad," He lied through his teeth.
In the streets of Shanghai, the crowds were beginning to disperse. The Emperor had finished his speech, and now, slowly, the people were returning to their normal lives. It would be one of the last times they would do so, for a new normal would soon exist throughout this world.
One remained, though. One remained, staring at the blank screen that had previously told a tale both familiar and alien to her. Her face was set into a frown, her arms crossed. She was irritated, intrigued, and even a little surprised, a rarity for her.
More than any of that, though, she was excited. But she was a careful woman, and to any who looked at her she seemed little more than bored.
C.C. shook her head, uncrossing her arms. "Fool of a boy. What mess have you gotten yourself into now?"
Lot of setup this chapter. I'll just go ahead and say right now that those pov characters will show up again.
So, to address a few things. The Emperor fudged a few details in his speech, obviously. Lelouch wasn't in any form of stasis, he was dead. DEAD dead, and as previously established, he didn't HAVE any form of Primarch biology before The Emperor brought him back, meaning it would be impossible for him to go into stasis. Plus, he intentionally made no mention of Geass.
There were a few people confused about Lelouch's reaction to The Emperor, so I'm going to try and clarify a little further. Lelouch at the end of season 2 is a guilt ridden suicidal mess. Throughout the series he consistently blames himself for events that were both entirely his fault, and completely out of his control. The deaths of Euphemia and Shirley in particular weigh heavily on him.
He places a lot of emphasis on personal accountability, hence "If the King does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"
He was tired. He wanted to die. But he wanted to do so in a way that would leave the world a better place. So he did. He went to great lengths to let himself be seen as a monster, the greatest tyrant in the history of the world. It was perfect. He would be able to overshadow the SAZ Massacre with his own cruelty, and the entire world would loathe him, satiating his guilt and his need to feel like he was being punished for his (self) perceived sins. He is not a mentally healthy person, certainly not at the end of the show.
He dies making amends, atoning for his actions. And then, all of a sudden, he's brought back against his will. By ANOTHER Emperor, ANOTHER father, one who offers him no real choice in joining the Crusade.
Keep in mind, Lelouch has only been alive for a few days. He's still reeling from his resurrection, and bitter about the entire affair. He hasn't had time to cool off yet, not really.
Even ignoring logic, look at circumstance. Another man who claims to be his father, another tyrannical Emperor. As the Emperor pointed out last chapter, that alone would be enough for Lelouch to distrust him.
Anyways, the takeaway here is that even if The Emperor is seemingly better than Charles, he's still a tyrant. He's still forcing Lelouch into the Great Crusade against his will, and undoing his life's work. And most importantly, Lelouch is still not of an entirely sound mind.
Lastly, a few people have asked me to have Lelouch basically ignore his legion in favor of a human militia, which…just does not make any sense. The human forces of the heresy weren't really the driving force of the Great Crusade, hence them being called Auxiliaries.
Ignoring certain plot points that I won't spoil just yet, even if Lelouch hated his Legion completely, why would he not take the opportunity to use their lives in battle as opposed to humans?
More than that, I just find the normal military in 40k very boring. This is a fic about the Horus Heresy. I'm not writing about the auxiliaries, although they will play an important role. Lelouch is the Primarch of a Space Marine Legion, and right now he hates that fact, but he can't just ignore it.
Now let's see where it goes from here.