"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

A Royal Decree

Lelouch

The Shinkiro flew into the main base, shifting to mech form as he guided it to the hanger for custom frames. Men, women and vehicles moved through the hanger, shuttling parts and damaged mechs as mechanics did their best to get them fixed as soon as possible. There was a noticeably smaller number of support frames and weapons, Lelouch hoping the supplies got to the proper place. 'As much as I need them, I'd rather not lose them to Britannia.' He had ordered his senior officers to gather in the war room, the Black Knight leader expecting questions.

Kallen's eyes scanned around the hanger, and a frown crossed her face, "You don't plan to hold out here, do you?"

"No. This is a bad position to hold if we want to hold out. It's too close to the Tokyo Settlement." She hummed at his words, and he moved past a few Burais holding wrecked Akasukis. He looked to see a message on his display, showing a message saying the princess was in the meeting room, with Suzaku and two Britannians. He looked at Kallen, "You can take a break if you want. Shower, clean up and get on your uniform. I can meet her on her own."

Kallen rolled her eyes, "I am the commander of Zero Squad. I'll stay by your side, especially if Suzaku is with her." She lightly bonked his head, and Lelouch just grinned as he found his way into the special hanger. The Guren was already being worked on, Rakshata guiding her mechanics as she blew her pipe. Lelouch slid his mask back on, steadying himself as he played the role of Zero again. He could see the pensive look on her face from her reflection as she glanced at the Guren. 'Nothing I can do about that.'

The Shikiro was put into its spot, and he opened the cockpit as the two of them lowered from the machine, hitting the ground. Kallen instinctively followed lockstep behind him, passing by the damaged Guren. Lelouch walked with purpose as people looked with respect at the two high ranking Black Knights.

The elevator was soon in sight, and CC's pink Akatsuki passed by them as he pressed the button, signaling in morse code at them 'Good luck'. Whether she knew was a mystery to him, but he trusted her enough to not cause problems right now. The door opened, a handful of soldiers leaving as they headed to where they were needed.

The hum of the elevator filled the air as Kallen looked forward, "So what is the plan with the princess?"

"If we can get her on our side, then it is another tool to use against the empire. Imagine a royal rebelling against the empire, denouncing them." His voice was even, but he was doing his best to hold back the worry as he straightened his clothes.

Kallen lowered her voice, "We'll keep her safe. We won't lose someone else close to us." A small smirk crossed her face, "And she has Suzaku at her side. You think that man would ever let her get hurt?"

Lelouch chuckled, "I don't think either of them can help it. She charged suicidally to save him when we had him trapped." The memory of that day, and that fateful command filled his mind again, and he wondered if that command had ever struck him again since then. 'Live. Trying to force the man who wants to die to save himself.' Bitter thoughts filled his mind, fate seemingly coming to a head.

The door opened, and Kallen was at his side as they walked to the meeting room. The door slid open and Lelouch stood tall as he surveyed the room. Euphemia, in common garb, stood with Suzaku, along with the team behind the Lancelot. 'Cecile and Lloyd.' He had met them a few times, but unfortunately wasn't directly involved with that side of R . But his attention was on the princess, bowing deeply as he couldn't help but smile beneath his helmet.

Kallen followed his example as he rose back up with a flourish, "Greetings Princess. It fills my heart with hope that you are safe. I'm sorry that you were betrayed by your homeland."

Euphemia kept a serious expression as she responded with a slight hitch, "Thank you for taking me in. The Black Knights have proven to be a steadier ally than my own people." Her hand twisted as she continued, "I am formally joining the Black Knights. I will help in whatever way I can. Suzaku has stated he's staying with me, so I request he stay under my personal command."

"I can agree to that. You are aware once you join us, you will be under my command, and no longer an ally."

She nodded, "I would rather serve a man who I can trust has the best intent for the people of Japan. And who was willing to continue to fight." A deep frown crossed her face, and Lelouch assumed it was because he had built up an army in secret.

Lelouch took a step forward, destiny sitting on his shoulders as he offered his hand, the princess gripping his hand, shaking with a firmness even he was surprised by. Suzaku's eyes went over him and Kallen, hand resting the sword. A smirk formed as he finally contained Suzaku. The man had been a problem to all his plans, and with him now nominally with the Black Knights, it was one less issue that he had to try to calculate for.

"Then welcome to the Black Knights. The rest of my staff might give you dirty looks, but I will make sure you are treated with respect if they do."

Euphemia nodded, "I understand. I can only hope that I prove to be a valuable ally to them." Her eyes went to Kallen, "It's good to see you again. Is Lelouch safe?"

The redhead smiled, "He is." Kallen looked at the princess, and Suzaku's eyes filled with relief at those words. That stung as he was the only one left out of the loop. 'Kallen and Euphie must be getting to me.' He let out a silent breath as he looked at the town engineers.

"And where do you two stand? If you wish to go back to the settlement, I will let you go with no issue."

Lloyd just smiled, "I go where the Lancelot goes. If you can offer me resources, I will happily work for you." Cecile's eyes went wide at his words, and she sweat a bit as Lelouch looked at the strange man. He reminded him a bit of Diethard at how little he seemed to care, yet there was something more ethical about him. Or at least specifically focused. 'I can work with that.'

"I'm not opposed to letting a skilled designer in my organization. Are you aware Rakashata works with us?"

A scowl formed on his face, "As long as she keeps her hands off the Lancelot, I am willing to keep the peace." Lelouch wanted to sigh at this, but he had bigger concerns than the squabbling of some rivalry. But having a man who can improve their frames with the tech his brother funded was a victory he would take.

"She will ask the same of you with her designs." Lelouch looked towards Cecile, "And what about you?"

Cecile took a few deep breaths. Lelouch knew she was more of a patriot for Britannia, but she showed a shocking amount of empathy for people for being so high up in the military. Granted it was a special engineering corps, but he was still surprised when empathetic people made it anywhere in the military. She seemed to collect herself as she looked at him with the best confidence she could, "Well someone needs to keep track of Lloyd and keep Suzaku from taking too many risks."

Lelouch just nodded, knowing she probably was as important to the Lancelot as Lloyd was, "Then you will meet with Rakshata once you clear security checks. We will be asking for any intel you have on any Britannian designs." Cecile just smiled, and Lloyd just leaned on the wall like he was a fly on the wall. The rebel leader looked to Euphemia, "Follow me. I wish to introduce you to your new co-workers. Guards, bring these two to an interrogation room." The princess nodded, and the two couples moved, Euphemia at Lelouch's side as the two warriors stayed behind them. Lelouch snuck glances at his sister, seeing her standing straight. 'Our paths have been set. Now we can see what that brings.'

His sister opened options he didn't have before, and plans formed as they passed through the main command center, eyes on the pink-haired princess. There was a clear mix of reactions, and people were paralyzed for several seconds, probably asking themselves what this all meant. There were sounds of muffled talking through the door, a mix of familiar voices.

But as the door opened to the main planning room, that noise stopped, and the same thing repeated as he took stock of who he had. Tohdoh, Diethard, Kaguya, Chiba and Ohgi were around the main battlefield display, Tohdoh and Chiba still in their pilot suits. He took his place at the top of the table, Euphie at his side. Suzaku stayed just behind her as Kallen took her place at his side, "The princess has joined our ranks. I assume that's not a problem."

Kaguya clapped her hands and looked towards the former viceroy, "Thank you for making the right choice! I would happily accept her into our ranks." The diplomatic voice of the Black Knights eyes shined as Euphemia returned the smile. Lelouch looked around, and noticed Chiba had a deep scowl on her face.

"You have something you want to say, Lieutenant Chiba?"

The woman looked at Zero, and her voice was harsh, "How can we trust a Britannian after they just declared war on us again?! She may be nice, but she is still a pet to the people who oppress us, not matter how nice she is." She crossed her arms, and he looked between her and Euphemia, catching Kallen with a pensive look. He was about to speak when his sister beat him to it.

"I will not apologize for my decisions, but I can understand why you distrust me. I stood with my country even as they abused the people under them. I tried my best to protect Japan, but it wasn't freedom. Not really. I can only promise that I intend to free Japan for the Japanese people going forward. You have my word and promise. I am even giving up my name and claim to the throne." She looked around at the group, finally focusing on Chiba as she finished.

Chiba blushed in anger, and was about to look away, when Tohdoh put a hand on her shoulder. Her blush went deeper, and his sister smiled at that. 'How Tohdoh can miss that, I have no idea.' Diethard grinned like had gotten a major scoop, and Ohgi had relaxed a bit, though Lelouch could see the weight of leading the evacuation was weighing down on him.

Ohgi spoke with an honest kindness, "Thank you for joining us, Princess Euphemia, and your willingness to sacrifice your title. You have been nothing but a boon to the people." He looked to Lelouch, "What role will she have?"

"She will be working with Kaguya as a diplomat, as well as any public relations for the Black Knights. Is that acceptable?" He turned to look at the pink-haired princess, and she nodded.

"I would be honored to do whatever was needed." She smiled at Kaguya, then at the rest of them, "I look forward to working with all of you." Lelouch could see the practiced face of diplomacy, but beneath that lay the truth.

Kaguya stayed in place, but he could see the young woman's eyes doing calculations like he did. Beneath the surface of the cheerful woman was a calculated planner, if lacking the coldness that he and his older brother could display, "She will be a boon to us, and many Japanese people will be bolstered by a princess joining us. Britannia will have to scramble to react to that."

Diethard looked at him, "Zero, what is the plan with the princess?"

"Kaguya accurately predicted what I was planning. No royal has ever willingly joined an enemy. Not one of the jewels of the royal family up until the last couple years." He wanted to laugh at the irony of him saying that, but he had been effectively disinherited before that, so it wasn't nearly as strong as the third princess doing it, "I want you to give her a platform to speak to the people. Something that no one can ignore."

Diethard's eyes lit up at those words, and a wide smile curled on his face. Lelouch had fed him exactly what he desired, and the man that wanted to document the people that changed the world had another person to follow, "Understood!"

Lelouch looked to his sister, "Please follow him." He looked to Suzaku, "And I trust you won't try anything?"

Suzaku shook his head, "No. As long as no one tries to hurt my lady." Lelouch felt a tingle in his chest at his best friend's devotion to his sister, and watched the three leave the room, leaving the rest of the Black Knights standing there, seemingly waiting for him.

Tohdoh spoke evenly, "What is our next move, Lord Zero?"

Kallen

Kallen looked down at the tactical display as the map of the SAZ was on full display. Lelouch used his controls to note points in the eastern SAZ and southern SAZ, "Most of the east has been evacuated. The south has been cleared as well, giving us less worries about civilians. Our defensive line will fall back in the east." He created a dotted line showing a tighter, more cohesive defense line in the city itself, "We will use the streets to funnel enemy forces if they assault from that angle. Tohdoh, I entrust the eastern defenses to you."

"Understood. I assume that means you will lead the southern defenses?" Kallen looked over the map, studying the terrain. It was like so many years ago defending the ghettos from their enemy. 'Surely we would be able to hold out?' She hummed under her breath. 'No, he's right.'

Lelouch responded evenly, "Yes. Ohgi will keep control over the evacuation, and if I can convince the princess, then you should be able to get Sir Kururugi assisting." He changed the perspective to the coastline near the evacuation point, "These will be perfect for naval frames or flying units to assault from. Until our fleet is operational, we will be at a distinct disadvantage."

Kallen spoke up, "I can assist with protecting the evacuating troops if you want." Seeing those desperate people tugged at her heart, especially the families. Her mom was still in the main settlement, and she hoped she was safe. 'I will get her to safety.' But that was a question for Lelouch in private.

"Negative. I need you with me to hold the mainline. I suspect the rest of the Britannian troops will have arrived by tomorrow, and we will face an even larger disparity. And if one knight of the round is here, then there might be another. So, our ace and commander of Zero Squad would be needed to counter them."

Kallen took a breath and nodded. She would ask him questions in private but now was not the time to question his plans. 'Not that I have anything to add really.'

Chiba added her voice into this, "What knight did you have to fight, Major Kozuki?"

"Monica Krushevsky. Said she was the Knight of Twelve. I damaged her frame, but I don't know if she will be able to fight tomorrow. Both of our frames look serious damage." No one mentioned she was beaten, but Tohdoh gave her a quick look, which she looked away at.

Zero spoke as she finished, "And now we know that the emperor takes us seriously if he sends a powerful knight like this. Rakshata will recover the combat data, and we will use it to study her techniques and frame." He gave her a respectful nod, and plans were forming in her head, the fight still replaying there. He kept moving on as he was in command in this room, "Once the population has evacuated, a rearguard led by me will hold back the enemy as we withdraw to Nagoya on route Alpha and Beta. We will then reorganize our forces and dig in here." He showed a point to the east of Nagoya at Okazaki, which had three small passes that connect it to the Tokyo Settlement.

Ohgi's voice rose a bit, "We are abandoning the SAZ?" Kallen raised an eyebrow at his plan.

"Yes." Lelouch moved back to the display of the SAZ, his voice cold, "This position isn't defensible, and we will be too close to the Tokyo Settlement. Enemy numbers will be too much, and I'd rather they waste men taking the SAZ then waste our men."

Kallen looked at the map, "Zero is right. They can bombard us from a distance and trap us here. We would practically be besieged." The settlement was so close, and she had no doubts there would be rocket and missile attacks.

Tohdoh gave her a small nod, "Good observation Major Kozuki. Sometimes it is better to lose ground then men." He looked at Lelouch, "This may be too early to ask, but what is our strategy for the war?"

Her boyfriends head turned and looked at everyone, raising in power, "We do not have the manpower to match the numbers of Britannia now. We will establish defensive lines and hold out, looking for chances to strike. The people are on our side, and I trust our ability to stand our ground." He took a beat to let that sink in, and continued, "There are people in the Chinese Federation willing to help us, so we will send a detachment to assist them. All eyes will be on us in Japan, our other plans will be in the dark. But I will explain the details once we establish our new headquarters."

Kallens chest filled with pride, and watching Ohgi's worry wash away removed any doubts she had. There was something about having a plan that settled her, and Lelouch began to list where units would go, her only assignment leading Zero Squad this time. 'There's something relieving about not having to worry about people under you.' The cries of the men and women who died under her command stayed in the back of her head, as well as seeing the injured. 'That was my fault.'

Euphemia

The princess followed the well-dressed Britannian man. She swore she recognized him, but nothing was coming to mind. She had met several of the high-ranking members of the Black Knights, and even some of the cops that patrolled the SAZ but hadn't met him for whatever reason. His smile sent a shiver down her spine. There was something off about him, but she couldn't place it. The way he looked at her in that meeting was like he was looking at potential or some sort of prize. 'Not my body, but who I am maybe?'

People moved through the hallways around them as Diethard spoke excitedly, "You will be perfect for dealing a blow against the empire. One of their prized princesses decrying their very way of life!"

Suzaku growled under his breath, "She's not a tool."

Euphemia couldn't see the man's face, but just by the way his body language didn't change told a story all of its own. The princess stayed quiet as the man spoke, "All of us are tools one way or another. You were a tool used by the Britannians to oppose Zero and damage us. And your prime minister used the princess to make it look like you beat us. I am merely the editor of a revolution."

Suzaku grunted, "I was not a tool."

"Then explain why-"

"How long have the Black Knights been hiding these forces?" Euphemia had to head off this conversation before Suzaku did anything. She did want to know why they were hidden, but it was as good a transition as any. She looked back at her husband and gave him a soft smile. She could see that anger built up in his eyes, and reached back to grab his hand, squeezing it. She hated how even she could tell the words hurt; his eyes hardened even to her.

'I hope he doesn't get hurt more.' It was the truth, and she hated how blunt it was, but that had been the growing feeling over these three years. But a tool could be used right, and her voice was what was needed to spark a change. Diethard replied evenly, "Ever since we were supposed to disarm. Better to pretend to be weak then let the Britannians suspect we were arming ourselves."

"Speak softly and carry a big stick." A quote from a Sir Theodore Roosevelt that she had remembered ever since she was a girl. Years ago, she had been opposed to the idea of a strong army and using force to get what you want, but after the last day, things had changed.

"I see you know your history. A rather controversial knight, but one I can respect. Imagine if his American revolt had succeeded." Suzaku looked at her in confusion, and she answered for the man that led them.

"He was a knight that revolted a century or so ago. His family were famous knights and businessmen, and he managed to kill the emperor in a surprise attack. He didn't expect that his squabbling children would unite to kill him, putting down his ill-fated revolt. His entire wing of the family was wiped out as traitors." A deep frown crossed her face, and Suzaku seemed to match her.

"So, he tried what Zero did but failed." That doubt filled his voice, and Diethard just smirked.

"Revolutions fail all the time. But we have a well-built-up network, and a plan. We will win." There was supreme confidence in his tone, and he swiped a badge to open a door. Euphemia took in the full media suite, with multiple cameras pointing up to a familiar stage. A small crew in Black Knight uniforms buzzed around setting everything up. The Britannian man looked at her, "It will take a few minutes to get setup. Relax and prepare yourself."

He walked away and left the couple alone. The pair drifted to a back wall, and Suzaku looked at her, lowering is voice to a whisper, "Do we trust this man? He cares more about the end than the methods."

"I trust Zero. He has a place in this organization for a reason. We don't need to like him but we need to put some trust in him." Her husband wasn't wrong, but they had gone too far already. 'There is no way I was getting out of this not losing something.'

"And if it means we have to get blood on our hands?" There was a hard edge to his voice, a tremble going through his frame.

The princess let out a heavy sigh, "Neither of us were ever going to escape it. All we can do is minimize how much and protect as many innocents as possible."

Suzaku was silent for several seconds, intertwining his fingers with Euphemia. She squeezed his hands in comfort, "I don't know if I can promise that we won't get blood on our hands. But I will always be here to talk to you about any decisions I make. I value your input and need your guidance."

Suzaku's smile brightened, and she kissed him softly. She held him close, and saw a few crew members give them a look, causing her to blush. She collected herself, though a silly smile still crossed her face. No longer would she have to hide her love. No longer have to play by the rules set by the homeland. Suzaku squeezed her hand again, and she knew what she was fighting for. For Suzaku and Lelouch, for all the people she met and tried to help. She would step out of her sister's shadow and Schniezel's grasp.

Diethard walked up to her and grinned, "The cameras are ready. I will give you a countdown when I am starting, and the green light will indicate which camera is the focus." She nodded, used to this after years of public events. She strode up to the stage with as much confidence as possible, Suzaku right behind her.

The lights were bright, and she put her hands on the podium as she watched the man begin the countdown.

Ten, nine, eight. Her mind was racing as she wondered what words to say. Seven, six, five. No planned speech. Nowhere to start. Four, three, two, one. Her eyes opened, and the words that sat in her heart left her lips, a slight hitch in her voice, "I am sorry people of Japan. I failed you. I didn't stop the violence that happened to you. But I stand today as an ally of the people of Japan, and of those that want peace and freedom. I, Euphemia Li Britannia, hereby renounce my name and title. I am Euphemia Kururugi!" She reached down onto the chain on her neck and pulled off a gold wedding band. Sliding it onto her finger, she took a breath, collecting her thoughts as Japan and the world probably sat shocked. The words from her heart flowed freely, and she opened her mouth, all that pent up idealism ready to explode onto the screen.

Author Note

Welcome back! This week we get back to more character drama as our princess has made her choice. What remains to be seen in the consequences, but I am excited for this speech as I have been waiting to get to this for a long while now. And for the war part, I am doing general geographic research, but I'm not digging too deep. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and more drama is to come as we are only partly done with this intro arc! I'll see you guys' next time!