Despite being recognized as one of Europe's most dangerous enemies, it must be said that if it wasn't for the scheming machinations of Schneizel el Britannia, it is highly possible that the Gross Europa Reich would have never sprung into being. Even with the reversal of our military fortunes courtesy of the then General Krueger and his allies.
For unlike most of the political leadership of Britannia, who were quite willing to sacrifice countless soldiers on the field of battle if it meant they could achieve personal glory, the 2nd Prince was far more capable in using the weapons of diplomacy to achieve his ends.
If it wasn't for the Britannian defeat at Kursk, which as everyone knows, be they European or Britannian, was where our beloved Chancellor set into motion our eventual, if somewhat incomplete victory on the Eastern Front, then it is highly possible that Schneizel's plan would have worked.
For he cleverly sought to take advantage of the fragmented nature that had always been present in the EU by opening diplomatic channels to the individual countries themselves.
If it wasn't for the people's growing confidence in the militaries capabilities, it is incredibly likely that this plot would have been undiscovered until it was to late.
Luckily for the citizens of Europe however, General Karina Richter, who now serves as the Director of the Reich's Internal Security Division, had always mistrusted those who advocated a negotiated peace with Britannia, and as such decided to act on her suspicions with the full support of her commanding officer.
In what has been labelled the Night of the Long Knives, dozens of high ranking politicians, most of whom were members of the ineffectual Parliament, were uncovered as traitors to our valiant nation, and as such met the only sort of end that those who betray their country deserve.
Public show trials, followed soon after by firing squad or the noose.
Instead of successfully detaching strategically valuable nations like Portugal, France, Norway, and Greece from the EU, Schneizel's plan actually ended up creating the very thing he had sought to avoid.
A strong, united Europe under the command of an individual who not only knew the steps his country needed to take if it was to emerge triumphant from the current conflict, but also possessed the full backing of both the populace AND the military establishment
….
Having managed to procure a copy of the heavily biased account of the Great War thanks to the craftiness of his adjutant, the Empire's most promising candidate for the throne was unsure if he should be amused by the volume in his hand, or disgusted by it.
As the latest piece of propaganda to come out of the new, and questionably improved Europe, it was an effective tool to highlight the fact that the Empire was not the unbeatable juggernaut that it loudly proclaimed it to be.
At least 5 million soldiers dead. 3 million wounded. Hundreds of billions of pounds lost. And for what?
A scrap of coastline that was frozen 8 months of year, the bottom quarter of a continent that acted like the war was still ongoing. And perhaps most troubling of all, a nation whose political leadership was not averse to mobilizing the previously untapped potential of their land to transform themselves into a true rival of the Britannian Empire.
It didn't matter that the former EU had been subjected to terror bombing, or the fact that their overall causalities were greater thanks to the overzealousness of the Euro Britannian Faction, the fact remained that the war resulted in the formation of a country that possessed both the will and the means to successfully challenge the empire's global conquest.
Of course his father trumpeted that the war was a success, for not only did it claim new territory for the empire, but also weed out the unworthy elements that had supposedly plagued his military. But he knew better.
And what's more, his scheme to try and fracture the EU through diplomatic means had failed, though thankfully he had managed to avoid the fate of many of the Empire's leaders who had failed to defeat their tenacious foe.
Still he supposed the situation could be worse.
Chancellor Krueger could have officially allied the rebuilt Europe to aid those who still actively resisted Imperial authority, instead of simply clandestinely supplying them with arms and munitions. Though he had to admit that the manner in which he was doing so would allow him to deny the claims, despite knowing that his former enemies had no doubt that it was him.
And what's more, he could have chosen to spend more effort in strengthening his countries ties with the Chinese Federation instead of practicing a policy of friendly neutrality.
Of course it was highly possible, if not downright certain, that the leader of the Gross Europa Reich was merely biding his time until the opportune moment came when he could launch his war of revenge against the Empire.
And if his current pet project continued to suffer delays, it was possible that the world would suffer from the effects of a war between 2 militaristic super powers.
However, before he could ponder what he could do to help speed up the construction of his ultimate, yet still somewhat lacking weapon, the doors to his private officer were thrown open by the only man in the Empire who held his complete trust.
"Your Highness. Forgive the intrusion, but I thought you might want to hear this".
Raising an eyebrow to show his curiosity, for it was not often that Kannon said that particular statement while wearing a small frown, Schneizel carefully bookmarked his place in his reading material before giving his adjutant his undivided attention.
And true to form, his right hand man needed no prompting to tell him the news.
"I just received word from Area 11. It appears that your brother has finally allowed his arrogance to get the best of him".
Knowing full well what his trusted adjutant meant, and feeling only the slightest bit of regret for the passing of his largely incompetent half sibling, Schneizel began relaying his orders to the patiently waiting Kannon.
"Have the necessary arrangements made to transport Clovis's body to the homeland. And once you've completed that, send word to Cornelia that she should prepare herself for potential redeployment".
It was testament to the amount of trust that laid between that Kannon was able to get away with questioning the Prime Minister of the Empire in a manner that was more akin to equals rather than master and servant.
"Are your sure that's wise given the state of her current campaign? While I have no doubts that her highness will eventually win the campaign, albeit through the use of brute force, I do not believe that removing her from an active field of war will improve our situation. Unless of course you decide to take a more hands on role when leading our valiant soldiers. You would look rather fetching in a military uniform after all".
Chuckling at the teasing nature of his most valued friend, the second prince of the empire merely reaffirmed his early position.
"Be that as it may, I still wish for you to inform my dear sister that she should prepare herself for taking up the position of our newly deceased brother. Though with that being said, I want you to try and schedule a meeting with Chancellor Krueger. For it's only thanks to the aid they receive from the Reich that the Middle Eastern Federation has managed to perform as well as it has".
Receiving a raised eyebrow from his trusted companion, Schneizel was largely unsurprised when Kannon decided to voice his opposition to his latest order.
"Are you sure that will accomplish anything? The Reich's interests are better served by keeping us away from the borders while they continue to recover from the war. And as far as I can tell one of the best ways Krueger has been able to do this is by encouraging open resistance to our forces. So unless you're willing to trade our holdings in Africa or Siberia, which I point out would not go over well with certain individuals, I do believe there is nothing you can do, short of declaring war, that can convince the Chancellor to stop his actions".
Having come to the same conclusion himself, and again silently cursing the fact that it was due to his failure that had resulted in the creation of a country that could challenge the Empire on more even terms, Schneizel dismissed his adjutant's concerns with a small smirk.
"And that Kannon is why, despite all your gifts, you will never have a successful career as a diplomat. Whether they admit it or not, everyone has a price for doing something they would ordinarily find repugnant. The trick is discovering what said price is, and offering it to them so they do your bidding".
What was left unsaid of course was that Chancellor Krueger had never shown the least bit of interest in anything Britannia could offer him, unless of course it was the reacquisition of lost territory or the total immolation of the Empire, but that merely provided him with a challenge.
And past failures or not, there was nothing the 2nd prince loved more than a challenge.
…..
"And in conclusion sir, barring any unexpected surprises, the first of the Siegfried Class will be fully operational by the end of the month".
Keeping my expression impassive as I nodded in acknowledgement with the information provided to me by the former fighter pilot, I turned the full weight of attention towards the Reich's Minister of Armaments.
"And how many of these will we be able to produce should the Rodnia's performance prove to be satisfactory"?
I must say, there is something immensely satisfying to be surrounded by individuals who possess great degrees of competence. For the man didn't have to consult his carefully organized pile of documents in order to provide me with an answer to my question.
"With the continued expansion of our industrial capabilities, initial production of the Siegfried Class will result in at least 8 vessels by the end of 5 months. This number of course can be increased to 13 vessels in 3 months time, but only by curtailing production in other vital areas".
Though I was somewhat reluctant to do so, I managed to shake my head in the negative.
"I believe the original production schedule will suit the purposes of the Reich for the time being. However, once our new factories have been constructed, I expect the number to be increased. Am I understood Director Speer"?
Receiving a brief respectful nod from the balding German, I turned my attention to the aged, yet still highly effective commander of the Wehrmacht's ground forces.
"Field Marshal Zhukov, I trust that the reformation of our ground forces continues on schedule"?
Watching the bald headed Russian incline his head slightly forward, I knew that I would be pleased with the information he had to share.
"It does indeed Chancellor. By the end of the month, the army will be able to field 120 divisions at full strength, with the potential to immediately activate an additional 20 if we choose to accelerate the training of the next conscript class. Of course only 26 of these divisions possess an armored competent, whether it be tanks or knightmares, but I am confident that they, along with the 6 divisions of the Waffen ISD, are more than a match for anything the Empire can throw at us".
Nodding my head to show that I was not only satisfied with this report, but also the fact that the old Russian possessed none of the jealousy that many traditional officers still bore towards the armed wing of the ISD, I allowed a slightly pleased smile to cross my face as I expressed my thoughts towards the results of this meeting.
"Very good. Since there is nothing further to discuss, I believe it is safe to say that this meeting is at an end".
Accepting my words of dismissal with an efficiency that would have impressed my old drill sergeant, I allowed the room to empty before I directed my attention to the Director of Europe's Internal Security Division.
"Not that I don't like our little one on one chats Karina, but isn't there something you could be doing right now? Like say, finding out why our most gifted diplomat was late to this meeting? Or issuing orders to the commanding officer of the Nippon Regiment to prepare for deployment"?
Knowing full well that she must have had a legitimate reason for being here, even if I could only guess to what it was, I found myself grinning as she told me something that I had been most eager to hear.
"Just wanted to let you know that Speer informed me that our latest toys will be reading for testing at the end of the week. So if you think you can take some time away from your busy schedule, I'm sure you would like to know if all that time behind a desk hasn't dulled your skills in the cockpit".
Not bothering to dignify the last part of her comment with a response, for it was a joke that had rapidly gotten old after I exchanged the thrills of combat for the responsibility of forging a new nation, I was unfortunately prevented from voicing my interest in her invitation when the voice of one of my guards interrupted me.
"Forgive me for the intrusion Chancellor, Madam Director, but Colonel Landa has just arrived".
Sighing in mild frustration, both for once again putting business before pleasure, and for the lateness of my most effective diplomat, I gesture for the mask-wearing sentry to fetch the charming Austrian.
For his sake I hope that he has a worthwhile excuse for his absence. Otherwise I might be tempted to let Karina take the lead in coming up with an adequate punishment.
Schooling my features into a mask that clearly stated my annoyance at his lack of punctuality, I silently gestured for the middle aged man to begin his report.
"Apologises for my late arrival Chancellor, but I thought it would be prudent to delay my departure from Area 11 considering the events that had transpired mere moments before I was destined to return".
Grateful that Landa wasn't one of those arrogant sycophants that seemed to infest the Reich's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I adopted a thoughtful expression as I considered his excuse.
"As long as the information you gathered is of use to me Colonel, I'm certain I can find it in my heart to forgive you. Or at the very least spare you the fate of enjoying a state paid vacation to the less hospital regions of Northern Russia".
To his credit, Landa didn't even react at this threat. He merely told me what he had managed to discover before he left the former nation of Japan.
"Though the facts are still somewhat sketchy, courtesy of the fact that I only had an hour in which to verify the information, I can say with certainty that the Viceroy of Area 11 has been sent to his heavenly reward".
…
Despite spending the last 7 years dreaming of the day when he could begin the process of avenging the numerous crimes that had been inflicted on his family, the former 11th prince of the Empire could only feel disgust as he considered the actions he had partaken in this day.
He felt no pity for using his newly obtained power on the soldiers that had gunned down his childhood friend and the woman who had given him this incredibly useful gift.
Nor did he feel guilty for manipulating the terrorist cell into inflicting a humiliating defeat on his former countrymen.
No, the cause for his current state stemmed from the fact that he had just killed a member of his own family.
He might have turned into more of an arrogant buffoon during the years they had been separated, but Clovis had still been one of the small number of siblings who hadn't treated him like he was dirt just because his mother was a commoner, and it was because of those memories that the exiled Prince had emptied his stomach once he had returned home.
In hindsight, he should have known that his foppish half-brother would only have theories regarding who was responsible for killing his mother, especially since it would have made sense regarding the positions of their older siblings at the time.
Cornelia's involvement in this conspiracy made sense since she had been the head of the late empresses' guard, who had been strangely absent during the successful assignation attempt. And Schneizel was simply to intelligent and well connected to ensure that he would have no connection in the death of his half siblings' mother.
Perhaps if he hadn't been so hopped up on the high of being able to take his first credible step in achieving his revenge, he would have recognized this. But it did not do to dwell on what ifs.
If he was to obtain his revenge for the crimes committed against his mother and sister, he would have to get his hands dirty. And if that meant covering them in the blood of those who had done nothing to aid the Vi Britannian siblings in their time of need, he would do so.
….
Wow, its amazing what I can do when I get that creative streak XD.
Anyways, once again I point out that I was inspired by another AU Europe Code Geass Fic, but which is sadly no longer there. In the original story, Schneizel has his whole 'negotiate and divide thing' backfire massively when the EU army learns about this. This of course does the whole stab in the back, rise of the Nazi sort of thing. However, this seems to happen 1 year before R1, rather than the 8 years I currently have going.
Anyways, YES I will be using some historically important names (i.e. Speer, Zhukov) as well as some tech/personel ideas from other ww2 sources :P
Anyways, since this seems to be a common way to tell AU stories on code geass (i.e. brief history/future interviews) will continue to do so.
Oh and for those who are questioning the timeline/the whole HOW did Schneizel and the Reich learn about Clovis's death when the Purebloods haven't released the news yet, the answer is Intelligence networks. The 2nd prince is way to smart NOT to have agents in a valuable Area, while the Reich has an intelligence network with the effectiveness of the Soviet Union rather than WW2 Germany.
It's a fanfic….im entitled to some wiggle room XD.
Anyways, Next chapter will probably see the Intro of Zero (or at least mention it) with some combat
Anyways, as always, please review. No flames
And see you (hopefully soon).