Despite having suffered their greatest defeat since Napoleon's naval victory at Trafalgar, Britannian society still possessed a great thirst to expand its already substantial territorial holdings at the expense of weaker nations.

Japan was one of the first nations to feel the Empire's frustrations for their setbacks in Europe, though it must be recognized that the island nation only had themselves to blame.

With the myth of Britannian invincibility crushed at the decisive battle of Kursk, Japan began to form aspirations of becoming a major player on the world's stage since they believed that they could force other nations to accept unfavorable trading agreements.

If the Empire wasn't already embroiled in a war that required massive amounts of raw material to feed its armaments industry, it is possible that Japan could have gotten away with this. Instead, with the need to expand the heavily damaged knightmare corps, and possessing a substantial military presence in Siberia, Britannia decided to punish the audacity of the Kururgi administration in the brutish manner that they had become known for.

Of course, the campaign that was soon to be called the 2nd Pacific War ended in total defeat for the Japanese, ensuring that Britannia would seize control of 70% of the world's sakuradite, but it would have substantial benefits for Europe as well.

The coward Genbu Kurugi's surrender ensured that there were enough intact military forces left over to form a substantial resistance movement, thus siphoning away more troops and equipment from Europe. Those Japanese citizens who had been abroad at the time of their countries fall would form one of the first foreign legions that would serve under Europe's new Internal Security Division. And perhaps the most important of all, it resulted in the end of a much reviled blood line.

The next important nation that had attracted the interest of the Imperial beast was the union of nations known as the Middle Eastern Federation.

Having remained neutral during the course of the Great War due to Prime Minister Inoue's desire to remain aloof from a conflict between "white skinned infidels", the nation was soon forced to experience the revived might of the Britanntian Empire.

Led by one of the more capable children of the Emperor, Imperial forces staged a successful landing on the south eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula, and proceeded to advance steadily north in the direction of the capital of Ankara, and the valuable oilfields that bordered the Persian Gulf..

Without the Reich's aid, it is certain that the Federation would have fallen within the first year of the conflict, for this was the first major conflict in which witnessed the Sutherland and Gloucester knightmare frames deployed in massive numbers.

But since Chancellor Krueger recognized the importance of having a friendly neutral country on the south eastern borders of the Reich, the military highways of the Caucasus, and the shipping lanes of the Black Sea, were soon filled with every piece of military equipment that could be used to help the MEF.

Of course the amounts were limited in order to publicly deny the Reich's involvement, but enough tanks, artillery, ammunition, and other supplies were shipped in order to slow the Britannian advance to a crawl.

And though no one knew it at the time, the final course of the conflict would come about thanks to the decisions of both Chancellor Krueger, and Britannian's royally appointed Prime Minister.

(Excerpt from the Aftereffects of Europe's 1st Great War. Revolutionary Year 245).

Though she always cautioned her subordinate's to temper their feelings of optimism on the field of battle, the 2nd Princess of the Empire was currently finding it very hard to follow her own advice.

While the Homeland might praise her past victories in this campaign as nothing less than masterful, in truth her previous triumphs were far from praising worthy. For while the forces under her direct command managed to claim additional territory for the Empire, which was more than could be said for the more 'experienced' officers in her army, the fact remained that Britannian forces had yet to achieve that most crucial objective in warfare.

Inflicting enough damage to the enemy forces so that they cannot continue to offer effective resistance.

While the enemy wasn't nearly equipped or skilled enough to drive Imperial forces back towards their firmly established bridgehead, they had proved to be far more capable than had originally been expected, which had resulted in heavier casualties, and a much slower advance towards the more valuable sectors of the country.

However on this day there was a growing belief, shared by both the common solider and their royal commander, that a significant breakthrough was finally within their reach.

For not only had they destroyed a good portion of the Federation's 5th army, which now only contained less than half of the 90,000 men it had started with at the beginning of the campaign, they were now within sight of the strategically important city of Riyadh.

Allowing herself a brief moment to appreciate the fact that all her hard work was finally about to achieve something worthwhile, the lavender haired princess adopted a serious expression as she contacted her subordinate.

"Dartlon. How long until the 21st and the 43rd are within range of the city"?

"About another 10 minutes your highness. However, I've just been informed that it will take another half hour for the 4th and 9th tactical squadrons to reach their targets. Apparently some remaining stragglers of the main enemy force disrupted some of our supply convoys, so it will take some time before the flyboys can lend us a hand".

Cursing under her breath for failing to perform a more thorough sweep of the rear areas, and knowing that the scared officer was waiting for her to decide what to do with this information, Cornelia issued the necessary orders.

"Tell the commanding officers of the 4th and 9th squadrons that they are now to concentrate their efforts on the north side of the city. And after you do that, tell the rest of the army that we're going to advance within the next 15 minutes. This is our best chance to finally inflict a crushing defeat on their so called 5th army, and I'll be dammed if I allow them to get away".

Receiving the expected words of compliance from the scarred leader of her forces, the 2nd Princess changed the frequency to contact her most trusted ally on the battlefield.

"Guilford, once I give the order to advance, I want you to take the 11th and the 22nd knightmare squad and capture the enemy's command center. Once these pathetic worm's realize that their leaders have been taken care of, it should be easy for us to deal with them".

It was only thanks to years of serving her faithfully that the bespectacled knight was allowed to voice his hesitance with the order he had just been given.

"Are you sure that's wise your highness? While I hold no doubt that we will emerge triumphant this day, I think it would be wiser if I stayed by your side during the course of this battle. A cornered enemy is a dangerous one, especially when we've forced him to seek refuge in his nest. And considering your preferred command style, I would be more at ease if I was to accompany you".

Scoffing at her knight's concern, though she was still rather touched that he would reject the chance to obtain additional glory to ensure her safety, Cornelia nevertheless reaffirmed her decision.

"I am quite confident in my decision Guilford. Now stop treating me like one of your women and do your duty like a true Britannian soldier".

Receiving the standard 'Yes Your Highness" from her loyal knight, the 2nd Princess of the Holy Empire of Britannia could only stare at the monitor of her Gloucester, for it depicted a prize that would finally spell the beginning of the end for the Middle Eastern Federation.

….

Though he was only a mere private in the Federation's 5th army, Kamal Inam was able to recognize the fact that his commanding officers had no intention of relinquishing the city of Riyadh without a fight.

While much of the civilian population and the wounded were transported out of the city by the still secure northern highway, 20,000 soldiers of the Federation's most celebrated army were ordered to inflict as much damage on the Britannian infidel before they were over run.

Despite the losses in manpower over the last few months, there was still plenty of armaments, not to mention will power left over to make the Imperialist invaders regret their decision to ever set foot in his beloved country.

Sniper nests, hidden minefields, carefully placed rocket teams, hell even a concealed tank or 2 in an alley way, the young private was certain that even if the battle was to end in his death, he would die knowing that enough Brit invaders would follow him to the grave.

And perhaps if he was truly blessed, he might be able to take out one of those bastards who had killed his brother during the battle of Marib. Unlikely since the only a shot from a Panther, or a fairly close shot from a Panzershreck could hope to penetrate the armor of a Sutherland, let alone those purple colored monsters the enemy leaders used. And since all he had was one the few remaining MG 222's, a gift from their European allies, the best the young Saudi could hope for was mowing down a couple squads of infantry before he met his end at the hands of a knightmare.

….

Despite possessing an unshakable loyalty towards the Middle Eastern Federation, General Muhtar Pasha knew that his country would eventually lose the war.

Not because of a lack of will to stand against the invader, or even because his country's officer corps was severely lacking in training.

No, it was because his country was far too weak to halt any attempt by the Big 3 to expand their influence in his beloved nation.

It didn't matter if it was through outright military conquest, as the Britannian's were currently attempting to do, or through political machinations of a friendly neutral power, as was the case for the Reich. The fact remained that his nation would lose the right to govern its own affairs without seeking permission of a more powerful country.

Still, despite the fact that their current actions were primarily selfish in nature, the Turkish General had to admit that it was thanks to the Europeans that he had been able to fight as well as he had during the course of this war.

While it had been insufficient to keep the Britannian's from advancing into central Arabia, it had been enough to give them a fighting chance in the face of the enemy's material superiority.

And despite the fact that his beloved army was now well below strength, and would become even weaker thanks to his plan to turn the provincial capital into a Volograd, he was confident that he could inflict enough damage on Brtianana forces to stall their advance for at least 2 months.

For as good as the Brit's were when it came to tactics on the open battle field, not to mention their aerial capabilities, his brave boys were masters of urban combat.

And even after they had expended their last bullet and their last grenade, they would know that their efforts had been for the greater good of their country.

….

Though she was not one to give much thought to artistic imagery, that was more her brother's forte, Cornelia had to admit that there was something oddly beautiful about watching a formerly pristine city get turned into a smoking ruin.

Thanks to her more than capable subordinates, the artillery barrage was able to proceed ahead of schedule, which meant that as it did its destructive work in clearing the pitiful defenses of her trapped advisory, her troops were able to steadily advance into the city.

She knew that enemy propaganda portrayed her as a blood drunk monster, though not nearly as much as they portrayed some of the more…unique members of the Rounds, but in truth she always found herself enjoying the rigors of the battle field.

For what was more exhilarating then leading men onto the battlefield against a determined, yet grossly inferior foe?

"You're Highness. I have just received word from our scouts that the enemy is preparing to evacuate the city. Do you wish for us to proceed with the original plan? Or do you want us to break off and halt their efforts"?

Aiming her gloucester's assault rifle at a particularly stubborn enemy position, the 2nd Princess ensured that the enemy position was silenced before providing her scarred subordinate with an answer.

"Have 3 knightmare squads advance from the eastern suburbs to link up with Guiflord's task force, and then take your sons and advance into the heart of the city".

"Understood you're Highness. Also want to inform you that the ETA for 4th and 9th squadrons is now 2 minutes. So I advise you to keep your fun to the southern part of the city".

Chuckling at the protective streak of her former teacher, Cornelia was prevented from offering a reply as the air was soon filled with a sound that many veterans of the European War knew instinctively.

Of course, she hadn't participated in that gigantic struggle against the Empire's European foes, having spent the last years of that war trying to console her sister while training to become as skilled as her beloved idol, but that didn't mean she was totally clueless to what those low level shrieks meant.

Knowing that she only had a few moments to take cover, the lavender haired princess piloted her knightmare into the smashed ruins of what appeared to be a high school, and watched as the unexpectedly heavily retaliation crash into her escort.

….

Though the war had done much to rob him of the belief of miracles, Private Kamal Inam couldn't help but think that perhaps there was some larger plan at work.

Yes he had cursed hiss ill fortune when the Britannian artillery bombardment destroyed his position, as well as countless others.

And yes he had cursed again when he realized that both his team and his MG 222 had been wiped out.

But it appears that the fates had been particularly kind to him this day.

For it that artillery barrage hadn't destroyed his position, and wiped out his comrades, then it was possible that the enemy knightmare would have chosen a different building to take shelter in. And it would have been another soldier who got the chance to use the squad's sole remaining Panzerfaust.

Thankful that the purple colored knightmare was showing it's back to him, for it would allow him to get closer to his target before he fired the armor piercing weapon, the young Saudi solider mumbled a brief prayer before pulling the trigger.

….

Turning his attention towards his military aide, for he could no longer watching the once pristine city become yet another smouldering inferno, on his orders no less, the aging General issued his next series of orders.

"Tell Colonel that apart from the appointed crews, he is to withdraw all his personnel and head to our new position. Cause knowing the Brit cowards, I'm certain that we will soon be paying for the strength of our resolve".

Receiving a brief salute from the young solider before he went off to fulfil his orders, the commander of the 5th Army payed a last look towards the instruments were still busy tuning the inevitable Britannian victory into a pyrrhic one.

They weren't much to look at really. Certainly nothing as impressive as a Bamides, or even a Panther tank.

But in war, an effective weapon didn't exactly have to look pleasing to the eye. And unseemly as it was to attach dozens of metal railings to the back of a truck, they definitely proved their worth as a tool of war.

…

Having spent some time on the Eastern Front during the last year of the Great War, General Andreas Darlton knew full well what it was like to be on the receiving end of a Katusha bombardment.

The wailing of the rockets as they descended towards their target, the unmistakable booms that could only occur from a weapon that was designed to quickly seed an area with explosives, and of course as ever, the terror filled crises of soldiers who realized that their enemy was not as weak as originally supposed.

Luckily for him however, this was bombardment was on a much smaller scale than anything he had experienced in Europe, though it was larger than anything previously seen in the current campaign, so it meant that he, as well as his sons, had a very real chance of surviving it.

"Fucking fly boys. If they had just paid more attention to their supply lines, we wouldn't have to put up with shit".

Fighting the urge to chuckle at his son's outburst, for that thought had crossed his mind more than once during the course of this campaign, Darlton didn't bother to keep the amusement out of his tone as he chastised his adoptive offspring.

"While I can't say I fault you for your feelings Alfred, I suggest you keep them under control. If the enemy is desperate enough to shell the bombard the city when half of their troops are still in it, it stands to reason that they might try other desperate measures to hurt us. And besides, it's not like the fly boys would have been able to make much a difference anyway. Or have you forgotten that our adversaries like to mix their artillery with 88s"?

Hearing Alfred click his tongue in disgust, an action that was shared by all of his sons, the scared military commander was spared no chance to think about the lengths their enemies would go to harm them.

"Darlton, report your status. Repeat. Report your status".

Once again grateful to be serving under a military commander who valued the lives of her subordinates, for he had spent enough time with the 2nd princess to identify when her strict tone was acting as a cover for her concern, the scarred general allowed more than a hint of relief to enter his voice as he responded.

"We're alive and well your highness. You didn't think a little thing like a rocket attack would be enough to get me and my boys did you"?

Though such a joke would be inappropriate at the best of times, Darlton felt that adding a bit of humor into the conversation would help them all deal with their nerves. And to his relief his purple haired commander seemed to share this feeling.

"I would be most disappointed in you if it did. I take it from your tone that despite the tenacity of our enemy, your unit has retained its effectiveness".

Recognizing that the time for humor was over, Darlton easily fell back into the role of a military commander as he answered her question.

"Yes your highness. The paint on our knightmares might be a little scuffed up, but we're still combat worthy. Just give us the word and we can resume the advance".

Hearing a hum of approval from the royal he had sworn allegiance to, the scarred general's grin of anticipation soon grew into a look of concern as he listened to the reply.

"Very good general. Maintain your position for 2 minutes to let the artillery switch targets, then you can...GRKKK".

"Your highness. YOUR HIGHNESS".

Fearing the worst, for only enemy activity would have caused problems to the Princess's communication unit, Darlton began to issue orders to his ever attentive sons.

He could only hope that Princess Cornelia would be able to hold out long enough for them to reach her last reported location.

…..

Despite the fact that such language was unbecoming of a woman of her rank, though she highly suspected that her most persistent torment could easily surpass her in the realm of crudeness, Cornelia could only let out a list of obscenities as proceeded to deal with her latest battlefield annoyance.

Bad enough that she had been forced to hide from an enemy that had been labelled as their inferiors, but now she would have to explain to her faithful subordinates why their princess was currently driving a one armed knightmare.

She wouldn't tell them that it had only been due to blind luck that the damage hadn't been worse.

If she hadn't turned her knightmare around at the exact time the tenacious fanatic fired his armor piercing weapon, then it would have hit her exposed cockpit rather than her rifle carrying limb.

Of course that brief moment of surprise was the only chance the enemy solider had to take her out. For even as she was recovering from the sudden impact, the Empire's 2nd princess was already turning her knightmare around to impale the unlucky fool who had dared attacked her.

Flicking him off her now bloodied spear point, which had been designed to puncture the armor of the toughest enemy vehicle rather than an opponent made of flesh and blood, the 2nd princess barely spared a moment to consider just how close to death she had been.

It hadn't been the first time where her philosophy of leading from the front almost resulted in her permanent end, nor would it be the last. But she had long ago accepted these risks she would need to take in order to achieve victory, so she didn't dwell on such things for too long.

Her royal guard and her loyal knight on the other hand….

"PRINCESS CORNELIA, please report your status. Repeat PLEASE report your status".

Shaking her head in tired amusement at the protective nature of her most trusted subordinates, Cornelia Li Britannia could only hope that they kept their mother henning to a minimum.

They still had a battle to win afterall.

…..

"In short, the 5th Army has been reduced to barely 30,000 soldiers, 68 artillery pieces, 12 tanks, of which only 4 are Panthers, and 20 KAT Trucks. Of course if the idiots hadn't tried to launch a 2nd bombardment, they probably would have at least 3 times that number, but instead their greed got the better of them when the Brit airforce decided to join the party".

Remaining at perfect military attention as Europe's most fearsome woman proceeded to inform her of their allies current difficulties, the blond Standartenfuhrer remained silent as her superior continued her briefing.

"Upside is that by emulating our actions at Volograd, our Middle Eastern Allies have managed to take out 12,000 Brit Troopers, with an additional 9000 needing medical care before they can return to battle, 47 tanks, 80 artillery pieces, and 24 knightmares. 23 tanks, and 14 knightmares, including the Purple Witch's personal frame, where also damaged in the battle, so it will be quite some time before their ready to resume the offensive".

Closing the intelligence report in a manner that suggested that she had rather enjoyed that last little detail, Karina flashed a disarming grin at the serious looking officer.

"You can stand at ease Malcal. I'm sure you must be filled with curiosity as to why I would share this information with you, and would much prefer it if I could get your opinion without you acting like you'll be sent to the gulag if I don't like what I hear".

Though her expression remained serious, Standartenfuhrer Lelia Malcal nevertheless did what the older woman suggested before posing a question of her own.

"How long will it take for the 5th Army to recover from their losses? While I'm certain that they can easily replace their losses with fresh conscripts, the losses in material and experienced manpower cannot be as easily replaced. At least in the amount of time it will take for the Britannian Army to recover its strength and pacify their new holdings".

Receiving a grin that the former Britannian suspected could even unsettle the Chancellor himself, Lelia failed to keep herself from expressing her surprise at the answer she was given.

"Well considering I plan to send you and the Nippon Reigment to Bagdad within 3 days time, I suspect that our Allies will be able to recover their strength in record time. Of course 3000 soldiers, 10 Panzer Hummels, and 3 Vikings isn't enough to fully replenish their strength, but I think under your capable hands it will be more than sufficient to tide them over for the time being. Unless of course you wish to refuse this rather generous vacation I'm setting up for you and your unit"?

Doing her best not to flinch at the danger filled tone of the smirking German woman, Lelia quickly shook her head to show which option she obviously preferred.

"Tha..That won't be necessary mam. I assure you that I take great pride in proving the worth of not only myself, but also that of the Nippon Regiment during our service in the Waffen ISD. It would be shameful if I did anything to reject this assignment".

Having long since become accustomed to the personality of the woman that led Europe's security division, which also bore the moniker Krueger's fist, the 17 year old officer was largely unsurprised, though still unnerved, by how quickly her superior could change personalities.

"Well said. And it is precisely that attitude that makes you my favorite subordinate. Devotion to duty, skilled in combat, and the added bonus of looking quite fetching in a uniform, such a shame that you already have eyes on your second of command. Otherwise I'm sure I'd be more insistent in trying to convince you to sleep your way to the top. Not that it would work mind you, especially since I have no desire to relinquish the top position to any one, but I'm sure we would have had a good time".

Unsure of how she should react to this latest half hearted attempt to convince her to lose her purity to her fellow female, Lelia was grateful when she received a casual wave of dismissal.

For as much as she respected the German war hero, not only for her exploits on the battlefield but also for her efforts in establishing a stronger Europe, Director Karina Richter never failed to make her feel uncomfortable to some degree.

It was quietly speculated amongst the lower rank why Chancellor Krueger allowed such a…unique personality to enjoy the 2nd highest authority within the new Europe.

Some wagered that it was because Krueger didn't care who operated under his command as long as they showed results. Others said that in truth it was Richter who controlled the fate of Europe, while using her fellow German as a lightning rod in order to shift blame should the worse should happen. There was even one or two who said that the Chancellor put up with her because their relationship was slightly more unprofessional than it should have been.

Lelia suspected that it was probably a combination of all three, though she would never have the courage to say that out loud.

For even if the German woman occasionally poked fun at the man who was responsible for saving Europe from the brink of destruction, she had made it quite clear that she wouldn't tolerate any sign of disloyalty towards the Chancellor.

And since she knew that her origins had made it impossible for her to enjoy a successful career in the Wehrmacht, the Britannian born woman's best option for proving her worth to her adoptive nation rested in her ability to impress the black uniformed leader of the ISD.

….

Fighting the urge to chuckle at the retreating form of the blonde ISD officer, and having completed all of her business until the following morning, Karina decided that she would spend the rest of her evening doing what she loved best.

Annoying her childhood friend while trying to get him to relax. Preferably in a manner that resulted in moving her out of the friendzone.

Of course she knew that such an attempt would probably once again end in failure, though it had provided her with much amusement seeing his composure crack during her more…original attempts, but she kept at it.

However, as she entered the private office of the Chancellor of the Gross Europa Reich, she knew that any chance of amusement would have to be put on hold.

For instead of reviewing some piece of intel taken from their intelligence network, or perusing the specs of the new knightmare frames that would once again remind the world that the New Europe was a power to be feared, the leader of the only nation capable of successfully challenging the Britannian Empire was staring intently at what looked to be a foreign news broadcast.

"The Man who killed Clovis…Was Myself".

…

ANNNND I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW.

I know I keep promising to work on my other stuff, but I can't seem to stop writing this one XD.

To Clarify some things since they have been asked of me.

YES the New Europe has a lot of things in it that I borrowed from History's Nazi Germany (i.e. Wehrmacht, Waffen SS, SS). BUT will also be incorporating lots of elements from the Stalinist USSR (GULAG, NKVD, Katusha rockets, and more).

There are 3 official languages in the Reich due to the level of Importance. Enlgish of course is an easy language to learn, and German and Russian because of the strength of these nations.

YES I am utilizing Akito the Exiled characters and units, BUT have expanded them to fit into a more Capable Europe. (I.E. Foreign Legions for citizens of conqerored Areas). I know they sort of covered this, but my idea is to make it better (i.e. no suicide bombs)

As for the first half of the chapter, I believe that the course of Britannia's war against a minor power like the Middle Eastern Federation would be VASTLY different in the case of a more supportive Europe. The Empire is gonna win the war eventually, but with the MEF getting more uptodate equipment, PLUS having large numbers of Britannian troops tied down in garrison efforts to both keep their new conquests, AND put down simmering rebellions, believe that Cornelia will have to work a bit harder XD.

And of course, ended the chapter when ZERO declares himself

STILL committed to Suzaku bashing. And since I have powerful OCs that executed hundreds if not thousands of people that tried to do what Suzaku did…well lets just say that it will be fun for me to write their interaction once I get to that point.

My thanks to reviwers Fuhrer of Europe, and Chancellor ZVE for their comments…..I EXPECT MORE REVIEWS IN TOTAL…helps keep me motivated lol.

And till next time.

Heil Europa.