Knighthood.

Kallen couldn't help but ask herself where her life had gone. Who was the girl who told herself she would fight the Britannians until she died? Who was the girl who scorned everything they were, who hated them with everything she had? Who hated the part of herself that came from them?

Even this. Even her knight training, it was supposed to be an infiltration. That was how Lelouch framed it. That was how she justified her own actions. As though this experience would be temporary. That it wasn't the real her, the same as her time at Ashford wasn't the real her. But... As time passed, as she made connections with people she previously loathed on principle, this was slowly becoming the real her. A part of the real her, at least.

Temporary? Never was. Lelouch had big plans. Taking the throne. Reshaping the empire. Making life better for the conquered so they could live their lives with dignity again. And all of those things facilitated by his current actions. Creating a fighting force of Japanese who would defend their home in a time of need, even siding with Britannia to do it. And Kallen... She knew what her role would be. She knew what part she would play in this ambition of his. A symbol. Britannian and Japanese. A knight, an ace pilot, acknowledged by one of the ten finest pilots the empire had to offer. A symbol of what they could achieve with a mix of what it was to be Britannian, and what it was to be Japanese. Her existence and excellence was a giant middle finger to Britannian dogma.

And hell... If that was her role, it sounded like a fun one to play to her.

The ceremony was larger than she expected. But, if Britannia could be counted on for one thing, it was putting all possible pomp into an event even if circumstances should warn against it. War was on its way, but dozens of knights still appeared to attend this brief ceremony. And she would be expected to appreciate each and every one for doing so, even though many were probably just playing the game of politics. She was technically of the nobility, even if her father's title was barely significant, most of their success coming from smart investments. Nobility, plus being knighted personally by the Knight of Six. A Knight of the Round was one thing, Sir Alstreim had never knighted anyone before.

"Lady Kallen Stadtfeld, daughter of Baron Roger Stadtfeld, Baron of Stretton, New Shropshire."

The flat droning of Anya's voice only made the title sound even more boring than it already was. Her name was one thing, but her father's, as if it was relevant. To Britannians it was. Inherited relevance. Kallen was sure some of the other knights in attendance must have been nodding along. Of course she was excellent, she was of noble breeding stock. As if that mattered. Anyone could have the talent she had. All she got was access.

"Wilt thou upon this day, pledge thy fealty to Britannia and stand as a Knight of the Empire?"

Ugh, the bastardised antiquated speech. "I do so pledge."

"Dost thou wish to abandon thy self and be sword and shield for the sake of the greater good?"

At least that part Kallen could wholeheartedly agree with. "I do." She drew the ceremonial sword at her hip and presented it to the Knight of Six, who raised it upright, before tapping it on one shoulder then the other.

"I, Lady Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six, do hereby dub thee Sir Kallen Stadtfeld. May your courage and devotion become a shining example to the people of the empire."

Kallen stood and turned to the audience, bowing slightly with a hand over her heart, to well-mannered applause. Yes. An example to the people of the empire. Absolutely. To all of them. The Britannians who thought the 'numbers' could never amount to anything. And to the Japanese. She would usher in a new world wherein anyone could rise to greatness. Her path would be easier than almost all of them, she knew that. She understood that. But she would take that first step, she would help clear that path, and one day someone would walk it, unhindered by a system that had previously scorned them.

She had decided. That was what she wanted and she would see it through. Dammit if that wasn't what Lelouch wanted as well. The stupid charming asshole.

"Cheer up, Sir Stadtfeld!" Viletta Nu said as she emerged from the audience to stand alongside Jeremiah Gottwald. "It's rare to see someone scowl during their knighting ceremony. You should be proud."

"Well, who can blame her?" Kewell Soresi added much quieter. "With her sponsor being so... Detached."

What a discomfort that her training came partially from the direction of the pureblood faction of Britannian politics. That promised to be awkward, but then again Kallen couldn't help but look forward to the day they found out the truth. Stomping on Britannian arrogance and they're the ones who helped her do it? She hoped she'd be able to see the looks on their faces.

"Maybe she doesn't like being the centre of attention?" Anya offered as an explanation. Maybe even a subtle reprimand of the people who were already beginning to crowd, rushing to congratulate the newest knight among the ranks of Area Eleven.

Anya was... Strange. Lelouch had told Kallen to get close to her, but the difficulty of that varied between two levels. Distressingly difficult and distressingly easy. For the former, the girl was very much how she was in this moment. Quiet, dour, closed off, even only going through the motions of being a person willing to interact with other people. But for the latter... It wasn't like she was completely different. But there was a greater openness, a greater interest in those around her, and especially in Kallen. She had done as asked, to the point that even her more closed off moments would see the girl defending Kallen as she was now.

"I assume this isn't a private moment," a dry but exuberant voice stated more than asked, its owner pushing aside a knight who became disgruntled, and remained disgruntled but elected not to respond aggressively on seeing who it was that pushed him. "Sir Stadtfeld, delighted to meet you," the man dressed as a scientist of some type said as the woman behind him pleaded apologies to the offended knight. "Lloyd Asplund, Director of the Camelot Engineering Corps and Lead Engineer of the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps."

"He means 'Earl Lloyd Asplund'," the woman added hurriedly.

"Ah, yes, that too I suppose."

"Yes, well, as the Knight of Six was saying, perhaps it's time to give Sir Stadtfeld a little space to process–"

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Asplund," Kallen said, ignoring Kewell trying to save face or subtly badger the scientist away. Suddenly Asplund had shot to near the top of the list of her favourite out and out Britannians. Mostly for how he clearly didn't give a shit about inherited titles. "And thank you for coming."

"Yes, well, I didn't really come here for the knighting ceremony in particular–"

"But he is very happy for your success and advancement, Lady Stadtfeld!" the woman who was clearly his assistant or something along those lines added with just a little panic.

"I was hoping to ask whether you would be willing to assist us in our knightmare development program."

"Oh dear, here we go," Jeremiah groaned.

Helping with knightmare development, helping someone who didn't give a shit about inherited worth, and it annoyed the purebloods. Kallen couldn't think of anything she wanted to do more in that moment. In short order, she was following Lloyd toward a remote area of the base. Unfortunately the purebloods who had decided they were her minders had also decided to follow her.

"You see, Camelot as a research division works on many projects pursuing military advancements. From sakuradite energy filler efficiency, to specialised knightmare armaments, there was even one working on some sort of special tank. Ha! Can you imagine, in this day and age, a tank!" The scientist laughed at the very idea, and it even earned chuckles from the pureblood hanger-ons. "Naturally I scrapped that one the moment I became the director of the program. A waste of everyone's time. But! What ASEEC are developing, what I have created is something that will truly be the next evolution in warfare!"

With a scan of his ID card, a shutter slowly pulled up, revealing a keypad-locked door that he quickly unlocked, leading the way into a hangar. A knightmare hangar.

Kallen let out a low whistle.

"My pride and joy! My magnum opus! The Z-01 Lancelot, the very first truly seventh generation knightmare frame!" The scientist sounded almost worshipful of the white and gold machine, of his own creation.

"Or it would be," Viletta added, "If anyone could pilot the thing."

"Precisely!" Lloyd agreed with the comment that was intended to be dismissive. "What we need, what my Lancelot needs, is a devicer worthy of it! Unfortunately, despite others showing better scores in simulators, our great and noble viceroy has restricted our potential recruitment pool. Only sworn and acknowledged Knights are viable candidates to act as devicers for experimental knightmares."

"Devicers?"

"He means pilots," the assistant explained for Kallen's benefit. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself before. Cecile Croomy, Earl Asplund's assistant," the pleasant woman introduced herself. "We've had dozens of pilot candidates tested, but none have been able to properly control it, let alone perform to optimum efficiency."

Kewell snorted. "It's a boondoggle no one can use."

"A devicer with a score of 55% efficiency does not get to denigrate my Lancelot as the failure!"

"How dare you! I will not endure such-!"

"Earl Asplund," Jeremiah interrupted to remind Kewell of the difference in rank and to get the more easily infuriated man to shut the fuck up. "You're saying you intend for Sir Stadtfeld to attempt to pilot your toy."

"My Lancelot is not a-!"

"She has incredible scores on the simulators," came the now typical more diplomatic answer from Cecile. "It would be a waste not to at least try, now that we have the opportunity."

"Hm," Lloyd grunted. "Yes. And I assume Lady Alstreim still refuses to even try?" he asked archly of the diminutive Knight of the Round.

Anya looked up at the machine. "Close combat model. I like heavy artillery. My Mordred is just fine." Then returned to typing on her personal diary.

"Yes, yes, you enjoy your glorified big Gloucester with cannons strapped to it." It took a bold man to so readily dismiss the preferences of a Knight of the Round. More and more Kallen appreciated the man for his inability to give a shit. "Well, Sir Stadtfeld? Shall we begin?"

"Let's."

The startup sequence was... Odd. Kallen had at this point been in more simulators than she could count, and a fair number of knightmare cockpits. She had piloted an old Glasgow and made it dance. So much for a hazing ritual. She had piloted a Sutherland. And a Gloucester, that honestly felt barely better than a Sutherland, quickly explaining why people were so dismissive of the so-called sixth generation frame.

The Lancelot... The first bit of weirdness was easily explained. The entry system wasn't quite right because it was a prototype. It had no ejection system. Though even Kallen knew there was a difference between a test model and a prototype model. This machine was meant to go into combat, so it really should have had an ejection system. That said, the cockpit itself was fantastically designed despite that oversight.

"Energy filler at full capacity and optimum efficiency. Core luminous engaging. Sir Stadtfeld, how do you feel?"

"Fine," Kallen answered Cecile, getting a feel for the controls and situating herself in the seat. "Based on Lloyd I didn't think it'd be so comfortable."

"An ideal man-machine interface is essential," Lloyd commented archly. "A devicer is a part like any other. If interlocking gears aren't properly aligned then a malfunction is only a matter of time."

"Woman-machine interface, thank you."

"Yes, yes. Cecile?"

"Rejection response, within acceptable parameters. Stress response, nominal."

"Well, she hasn't made a mess of the instruments, that's a good sign," the scientist noted. "More than I could say for a certain spectator's attempt." As he talked, Kallen saw the system locks release, then the main hangar doors open. "Now to see if she can actually handle what my Lancelot has to offer. Sir Stadtfeld, we have cleared the test course. You have permission to launch when ready."

"Got it." The redhead took a deep breath, feeling the mild straining of a pilot suit that didn't quite fit her physique. Took hold of the controls, the Lancelot crouching low, lowering landspinners and firing out of its bay into the small open area outside of the hangar. "Let's get a feel for what this souped-up mother can do."

A series of quick movements, a test of the frame's manoeuvrability, its range of movement, its speed and power. "Unreal," she muttered. It was like nothing she'd ever piloted before, both in specs and in the strain it put on her. She was starting to understand why people had trouble with it. This simple test sequence took a mental toll, and on top of that it was like half her effort was going towards keeping the machine in check. Like a horse that refused to do anything but gallop, if she didn't stay in control it would take her for a ride.

Then the equipment check. Four slash harkens instead of two, wrist and hip mounted. But the most significant advancement. With a flick of a switch the Lancelot's raised forearm was covered by a translucent green energy field. Anya was right. This machine was meant to move, to be a vanguard, a trailblazer.

It was too much, but she would overcome. Because it was also perfect. This machine would be hers. "Test course is clear?"

"Like a cloudless sunny sky, Sir Stadtfeld."

She swallowed. "Good. Alright Lancelot. You wanna gallop? Let's ride. Activating ME Boost!"

The pristine white machine blasted forward through the start of the test course. Slipped under a low wall at full speed, skidded to the side, then reverse, through a slalom of pillars while barely slowing down. Fired a slash harken from the right wrist at a corner wall, retracted to drag the machine around the corner in a drifting manoeuvre. Leapt over a hurdle, harken to the ceiling using the momentum to drag her forward until the machine was almost horizontal. Dropped, slid under another low wall to find the first target. The easy choice would be to mark it with a slash harken but... Instead she leapt at it directly. Instead of marking it, she chose to smash right through it with the Blaze Luminous.

"Using experimental shield technology as a blunt weapon!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Lady Kallen is a... Straightforward woman," Jeremiah tried to cover for her.

Lloyd cackled in response. "Margrave, I was not complaining, I assure you! Do as you will, Sir Stadtfeld! We're getting some marvellous data from this!"

She intended to. She hoped the scientist wouldn't be too pissed at her but this wasn't his Lancelot anymore. It was hers.

-(-)-

"This is a boring plan."

Lelouch barely even glanced at the wilful witch, instead focusing on the camera feeds he was watching. "Boring is effective more often than not. Audacious plans are good for putting on a show, to sway the masses. When you want to get something done, be boring."

"Look!" the voice came from another room in the building, but also from the man on one of the camera feeds. "Look at these people!" he gestured at the picture projected on the wall behind him. "Japanese, yes. Politicians. But also men and women who ran when the Britannians came. How does he say he stands with us, or that we should stand with him when they already turned tail and ran once?"

Kaname Ohgi. His second in command of the JSDF, a sensible man with some ability to hold people's attention and sway a crowd. Thus it was only sensible to put him in front of crowds in a time like this. Recruitments, sure. But also to sway people away from unfortunate choices like joining up with a soon to be doomed organisation.

"You don't need to be here for this," C.C. complained, sounding bored not just as a general affectation but as her actual feelings. "I don't need to be here for this. Is it really so important that you watch him chatter on like this?"

"Winning hearts and minds is important," Lelouch argued back. "But that's not why I'm here."

"COWARDS!"

Lelouch grinned, watching more file into the large, open room. Taking up the back and slowly forming into two lines, with a leader figure standing alone. "Something took the bait..."

"The bait being your loyal subordinates," the witch drawled. "How ruthless. You leaked this rally, didn't you?"

"They're in no danger. If ever there were a time the JLF and allies couldn't risk harming their reputation, it's now." But that wasn't important. What was important was that those 'soldiers' weren't the prey Lelouch was trying to catch.

"It doesn't matter who they might have been or what they might have done!" the leader of some force Lelouch didn't care about bellowed. "They bring forces with them that can take the fight to Britannia! This chance will never come again! A chance to throw off the shackles of Britannian rule and fight for a free Japan as any true patriot should! The JLF–"

"The JLF are the cowards!" another voice from the front shouted.

"Oh no," Lelouch moaned.

"Is that the loud one?" C.C. asked, amused. "I like him. The stupid ones are always at least amusing."

"Well he's just moved them from in no danger to in some amount of danger."

"What the hell have the old Japanese army done, huh?!" Tamaki asked with rough sarcasm. "Hid in their damn mountain or wherever, watching the rest of us fight and die in the streets for nothin'! So now what, you're tellin' us they're gonna come out of hiding now that their paper-pushing masters are coming back?! Even better, gonna drag us all into another war all so Sawazaki can sell us to the Chinese–!"

For once, Tamaki stopped talking. As vibrant lights filled the entranceway, before more men filed in. All in uniform. All carrying rifles, save for one man wearing an officer's uniform who only wore what might have been a ceremonial katana.

"Excellent!" Lelouch cheered. "So long as Tamaki doesn't get them killed, my plan worked perfectly."

"And if he did?"

"Then they'll be mourned as martyrs to the cause. Either way, I can't do anything for them now. I have somewhere else to be."

Within the room, the officer stood proud. "I am Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe of the Japanese Liberation Front." His voice carried well, despite how he barely raised it above normal speaking volume.

"Kaname Ohgi," Ohgi responded, holding Tamaki back carefully. "Second in command of the Japanese Special Defence Force."

"Oh?" The officer grunted. "And what makes it special?"

"We actually defend the Japanese, for one!" Tamaki shouted. "More than the JLF can say!"

"True, we are not defenders," Kusakabe agreed. "We are liberators!" As if on cue, the soldiers moved as one, standing at attention. "Our goal is not to defend, it is to throw off the yoke of the Britannians, to fight for a free Japan!"

"Sawazaki doesn't bring a free Japan!" Ohgi argued back ."Just another kind of tyranny at the hands of the Chinese Federation!"

"Of course he does!" Kusakabe agreed without hesitation. "But he brings a chance for liberation all the same! They will fight, weaken the Britannians and themselves, and we will take our chance to liberate our home! Take back the pride of our people and our nation!"

"Yeah?! Then what?!" Tamaki shouted.

"Tamaki," Ohgi warned.

"No, since he came all the way out here I want an answer! Then what, Colonel?! What happens after you let the Britannians and Chinese fight it out on top of corpses of the Japanese! This war that puts everyone here in the crossfire! Then what?! You think they're gonna just decide to leave us alone after that?! No major power gonna try to snap us up again and bring war to the Japanese a third time?!"

"We fight to free Japan. We will always fight for this righteous cause. And we will not allow ourselves to be caught unaware again," Kusakabe swore.

Tamaki opened his mouth to retort again, only for Ohgi to actually manage to stop him this time. "You make that promise, and you sign it with rivers of blood of the Japanese people. You'd sacrifice them without hesitation or second thought. All for dead glory." His words were filled with judgement and condemnation. "Tamaki's right. We're different. Liberating Japan doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't give a damn about the Japanese."

"We have always fought for the Japanese. And we do so now." Kusakabe's attention turned from the debate to the crowd. "We will bring freedom to our nation once again. There will be no mistaking it. When we act, those who believe in a future where we can live freely will rise up beside us. For Japan."

Lelouch had heard none of this exchange, though would later review the footage of it out of curiosity. But while it was happening he had other priorities. Sneaking down to the ground floor and around the building, checking for the men standing guard.

"Oi!"

... He was not as stealthy as he would have liked. But that was to be expected. Thankfully it was a dark night and the ghetto didn't have much in terms of reliable street lighting. "Sorry," he said in Japanese to the man, the soldier who had snuck up behind him. "What's going on?"

"Turn around, now."

With raised hands, Lelouch did so. On seeing his face, the JLF soldier raised his gun, but by then it was too late. "Obey my orders."

... The gun lowered again. "Yes sir."

"Good. Help me meet the rest of your squad without drawing attention."

"Of course."

A nice start. Little by little, Kusakabe's perimeter guards were brought under control, until eventually all were under Lelouch's sway. Enough for him to be able to climb inside Kusakabe's covered vehicle, ready for the man himself to return. And return he did.

"What–"

"Obey my orders."

"... Yes of course."

And just like that, Lelouch had a man on the inside, and a way into the JLF.