Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.
(Sun Tzu)
Despite regularly wishing that circumstances had been different, Lieutenant Eikio Hamara nevertheless had to confront a fact that faced each and everyone of his countrymen every time they opened their eyes.
Japan was no more.
Even if it hadn't been for the knightmare frame, the island nation would have still lost the 2nd Pacific War due to the fact that the Imperial Military greatly outnumbered, and outmatched anything Japan could have fielded against them. Of course with the commitments of a multi theatre war, not to mention the need to recover from the devastating losses at the Battle of Kursk, the Britannian Empire could only spare a mere trifle of their strength, but even that was superior to what the Japanese military possessed.
However, thanks to Prime Minister Kururugi, part of Japan's strength was able to be preserved. A state of affairs that had resulted in Area 11 maintaining the largest Imperial garrison outside of the newly claimed African and Siberian territories.
But while his countryman held onto the desire that Japan could once again be free, Eikio Hamara, a low ranking officer in the JLF, but more importantly a honorary Britannian, possessed a more realistic outlook.
Even while governed by that airhead of a prince, the Britannian garrison had been steadily, albeit slowly, wiping out those who had refused to adhere to Kururugi's terms of surrender. That process had only become more rapid after Cornelia took over, and despite her firm stance regarding the proper place for numbers, she nevertheless made it clear that Area 11 could become a better place.
For unlike her brother, the 2nd princess had little tolerance for the corruption that had been created during the Clovis era, which meant that the average, law abiding number could look forward to living a life where they didn't have to fear being shot at for sport.
Which was why he had chosen to betray the location of the JLF in exchange for the promise of becoming an Honorary Britannian.
Of course he was uncertain if his handler would ever fulfil his part of the bargain. Or had even passed on the location of the JLF's headquarters to the proper authorities, but one thing he did know was that the JLF's days where numbered.
Especially after Kusabake's stunt at Kawaguchi.
As a member of a conquered nationality, he could appreciate the need to strike a back at those who viewed his entire people as nothing more than a defeated animal. But as a solider, and more importantly as a human being, he couldn't stomach the murder of innocent civilians.
And evidently neither could Cornelia.
He wasn't of sufficient rank to attend the meetings of the JLF leadership, but only an idiot would fail to notice the frantic preparations that were being made to enhance the defenses of the underground base.
And while Hamara was still confident of a Britannian victory, he was nevertheless forced to acknowledge that the 11,000 members of the JLF would ensure that such a victory would be hard won.
Dozens of carefully concealed artillery emplacements that were strong enough to not only destroy a Sutherland with one hit, but also survive, for a time at least, the devastating barrage of Britannian counter fire.
Thousands of infantry equipped with the latest technological marvels that had been copied on the models that were currently being fielded by the Empire's most powerful enemy. Though there were whispered rumors that much of the JLF's latest equipment, from the anti armor rockets to the heavy machine, had been manufactured in Europe rather than in Kyoto's clandestine factories.
And perhaps the most important of all, the 90 knightmares that cemented the JLF's status as the strongest remnant of the old Japan.
Of course over half the organization's armored fleet comprised of Glasgows that had merely been refitted, given a new paint job and relabelled as Burai's, but it was thanks to Kyoto's recent delivery of 25 machines that ensured that the JLF had a greater chance of seriously damaging Imperial forces before being overwhelmed by their undeniable numerical superiority.
And while few people below the rank of colonel had ever seen the machines that had been granted to the legendary Todoh and his Holy Swords, it was undeniable that they, along with the 20 Hummels, would prove to be an unpleasant surprise to Cornelia's forces.
Or at least it would be if he didn't already have the intention of leaking additional information to the proper authorities.
Which is precisely what he would do once he managed to deal with a potential problem his recently acquired aide had discovered during the course of his duties.
Corporal Akito was diligent enough to be sure, at least when he wasn't disappearing on him at the most inconvenient times, but his constant hovering was annoying to say the least.
Not to mention that stare of his.
Most Japanese youth's possessed haunted looks, the downside of growing up in a land that treated its rightful inhabitants lower than animals, but the blue haired boy's look was like looking into the eyes of a shark.
Full of focused killer instinct.
But such a thought was ridiculous.
For only a solider, one that had several military campaigns under his belt, would be able to acquire the necessary hardness of character to pull off a look that many JLF members had come to label the 'Todoh stare of doom'.
And considering that Akito was merely the son of some widowed servant, it was impossible for him to have achieved the mindset, let alone the skills of a trained killer.
….
Though she had earned a well deserved reputation as a woman of action, for the moment Cornelia was largely content with the simple act of looking out her window.
For while the image below her would undoubtedly offend the pacifist tendencies of her sister, the sight of an assembling military force was one that always soothed her nerves.
Especially since this pure example of Britannian military might would soon be used to exterminate the cockroaches that had forced her to endure 2 horrors that she had never wished to experience.
Having Euphie threated by a violent and delusional madman, and being placed in a position where she was forced to rely on the treacherous word of a terrorist to achieve what she could not. The safe return of her beloved sibling.
In gratitude for her sister's safe return, the purple haired royal had instructed her forces to adopt a more passive search for the masked leader and his new band of followers. Of course this brief period of immunity did not prevent Britannian security forces from defending themselves should the Black Knights choose to target them, but as far as she could tell, Zero and his minion's were busying themselves with tasks that should have long been dealt with by the previous administration.
And while these little publicity stunts regretfully raised the masked leader's standing amongst the Eleven population, they nevertheless ensured that she could spend her time amassing the force that would destroy the Japanese Liberation Front in one blow.
While the infantry component was relatively easily to assemble, being as it was limited to 20,000 foot soldiers, the rest of her army was harder to obtain due to the responsibility of leaving enough forces to deal with any potential problems that may arise in her absence.
However, by calling on her influence as 2nd Princess and Chief General of the Imperial Army, Cornerlia was able to within a short amount of time assemble over 300 knightmares, with 100 of them being of the Gloucester Class, 90 support aircraft, and hundreds of AFVs.
Her spies and scouts had already mapped out the region that housed the JLF's headquarters, and after she had words with her more opinionated sibling, she would give the order for this latest example of Britannian military process to move out.
And fortunately for her, she did not have to wait long.
"You wanted to speak to me sister"?
Taking a deep breath as she prepared for what was expected to be a tense situation, the purple haired princess adopted one of her sterner expressions as she turned to face her younger sibling.
"I did Euphie. While I am certainly treasuring our time together, I'm afraid that this state of affairs will be quickly brought to an end once I've finished wiping out Area 11's last credible terrorist cell. Which means that we need to start actively involving you in the process of ruling if you are to inherit my position".
Allowing a small, sad smile to cross her features as she soaked in Euphie's less than pleased expression at the news she had just been given, Cornelia prevented her full blooded sibling from protesting her decision by continuing the conversation.
"While I am hesitant to do this, especially since you are still recovering from your experience at Kawaguchi, I have decided that it is in your best interests to accompany me on my latest operation. But rest assured, I have taken the liberty of ensuring that you are perfectly safe during the course of the battle".
Pleased to see that Euphie seemed to accept that there was no fighting her decision, and forgoing to mention that she would be left well behind the front lines with at least an entire battalion serving as her body guard, the purple haired princess found herself frowning as her beloved sister revealed that she wasn't as accepting as she had previously thought.
"While I am..pleased that you think I am ready for such a responsibility sister, would it be possible to change the parameters of my sentence…I mean my responsibility"?
Her eye's narrowing at the pinkette's question, Cornelia's expression soon softened as her gentle sister informed her of what she had in mind.
"Despite the fact that my experience in these matters is far less than yours, I nevertheless wish to be placed in charge of the medical services of the campaign. I know that with you leading the charge the battle will be over quickly, but that does not mean that we will not have any causalities. And since I'd rather be apart of something that involves putting people back together instead of taking them apart, I think I can be of greater help this way instead of spending my time in a command center going over military strategy".
Allowing an amused chuckle to escape her lips, the purple haired princess allowed a smile to cross her face as she gave her permission.
"I suppose that would be acceptable, so long as you coordinate everything from the safety of the Mobile Command Center. Considering the cowardly tactics of the JLF, I wouldn't put it past them to targeted our wounded. I realize that this might hamper your efforts, but I'm afraid that I will broke no argument on this point".
Left unsaid was the fact that she would still keep Euphie safely sequestered behind the walls of a heavily defended armored vehicle/command center even if she didn't accept her terms, but in the end she didn't have to worry.
At least in that crucial, yet military insignificant aspect of the coming operation.
Since the JLF was inferior in terms of numbers, tactics, and quality when compared to her veteran soldiers, she could easily spare the troops and knightmares to defend her beloved sibling while she used the rest to smoke out the rats from their nest.
Of course her elder brother's toy would also be placed on standby, but if she could avoid it, she would ensure that Earl Asplund's pet Eleven passed the battle without having to leave the confines of their assembly area.
While she could admit that Kururugi was a talented pilot, his heritage was more than enough to make her wish to keep him at arm's length. Not only because his actions could lend weight to Euphie's dangerous ideas about alleviating the status of the conquered masses of the Empire, but because he was a traitor to both his nation and his name.
And if there was one thing she could never look upon favorably, even if it did end up benefiting her side, it was betrayal.
…..
Having spent the better part of the past 3 weeks in the frigid wastes of northern Russia trying to speed up the preparations for Operation Reclamation, the blond haired leader of the Reich's Internal Security Forces luxuriated in the still somewhat novel experience of piloting the 1st example of the Reich's take on what the modern knightmare should be.
Of course her 3 opponents lacked the balls to physically pilot their Vikings, instead choosing to remain safely sequestered in a heavily fortified control room, but that still didn't mean that they couldn't provide her with some entertainment. Because while the Britannian Empire might have lax recruitment standards when it came to filling the ranks of its knightmare corps, the Reich was far more selective. And since only the best of the best where allowed to pilot the Wehrmacht's Viking frames, let alone those belonging to the Waffen ISD, the blonde haired leader nevertheless could still get a descent workout.
Even if her support crew, who had personally been selected by her to look after her beloved Brunhilde, lamented her decision to fight at a disadvantage.
While her silver colored knightmare had been designed with a fairly descent capability for hand to hand combat, its true strength laid in its powerful array of weaponry. But while she relished the role of a one woman artillery battalion, her time in Siberia had caused her to miss out on her usual fitness regime, something which the revolutionary design of the Brunhilde's cockpit allowed in spades.
Yes it was rather annoying to squeeze into a skin tight pilot suit that let no one doubt that she was a woman, not to mention waiting to ensure that the necessary sensors were online and synchronized before she could move her beloved toy, but the benefits were well worth it.
For if she moved her arm to punch the air in front of her, the Brunhilde's arm would copy the move almost instantaneously. And if she used her legs to propel her upwards, her frame would leap into the air.
Of course for the time being, such a revolutionary piece of technology was too expensive to put into mass production, thus limiting to both her frame, and the one that was piloted by her superior, but she was confident that once Speer's team of lackeys had simplified the process the Reich's knightmare corps would prove to be unbeatable.
"Pardon for the interruption Madame Director, but the Chancellor is requesting to speak with you".
Declining to respond until she had finally managed to decapitate one of her opponents with a singly blow from her ammoless limb, Karina allowed her voice to adopt a slightly childish tone as she switched her knightmare's radio to a more secure frequency.
"This better be important Friedrich. I couldn't bring my new toy with me on my little artic tour, so talk fast".
Her words earning a brief bout of chuckling from the only man she considered to be her superior, though she would never tell him that since she believed it would only inflate his ego, the buxom German found her annoyance disappearing as she listened to Krueger's excuse.
"Well that would depend what you view as important Karina. I mean, I suppose having a combat ready right hand is a useful thing to have during this period of time, but I confess, a public display of our new aerial capability is a more useful display of why no one should fuck with the Reich. I had intended to attend this meeting with my strongest ally by my side, but I suppose if your bu…".
"I'll be right there".
Hanging up before she was forced to listen to the amused laughter of her fellow German, the blond leader of the ISD was already shouting orders at her subordinates to get ready for immediate departure.
For while she enjoyed the cathartic activity of getting her hands dirty with the blood of her enemies, whether that be on the battlefield or in the comforts of one of the several ISD headquarters that populated the Reich, she could still enjoy the spectacle of a military parade.
And since she had been forced to miss out on the one that commemorated the recapture of Moscow, there was no way in hell she would miss the one that made it clear to the world that the Reich was a power to be reckoned with.
…
Though his subordinates would likely classify his current mood to be neutral, for he had long ago mastered the ability to keep his face from expressing all but the most extreme of emotions, in truth the second most powerful being in Britannian Empire was experiencing the all too familiar feeling of murderous rage.
Something which he had expected to have been completely been behind him after the events of 7 years ago.
Of course he still experienced feelings of anger and annoyance at the less that rapid progress that was being done in achieving his goals, especially since his assassins seemed to be completely incapable of removing one of the primary obstacles to his goals, but that paled in comparison to the undeniable fact that the living world was still inhabited by those who were descended from HER.
Of course he had no concrete evidence to prove to his brother that Marianne's children, or at the very least her son, were still alive, but for a genius intellect like his, the blond immortal was more than capable of using the information he possessed to form this opinion.
A declared hatred for the elite of Britannian society.
Declaring himself as the champion of those who had suffered the indiginity of having their rights as human beings stripped away.
And perhaps the most important of all, targeting members of the royal family that had once been close with the thankfully deceased empress.
Only Marianne's son could possess the impudence to raise the flag of rebellion against his family. And with the help of that pizza eating witch, for how else would Zero have gained the knowledge to model his insignia after the Geass symbol, if given enough time, he could potentially grow to become a credible threat to everything that he and Charles were trying to build.
Though currently Lelouch lacked the resources to be as big of a nuisance as Krueger did.
Yes Charles's current deal had managed to secure their control over 2 thought elevators, but two more remained out of reach, though one of them could be obtained if they devoted more resources to covertly claiming it like they did with the Chinese based location of the Directorate.
However, while he would like nothing more than to order one of his followers to take out Marianne's rebellious offspring, who unlike the Reich's Chancellor lacked the loyalty of a full organized security apparatus, he knew that Charles would probably find out about it. And while his younger brother thankfully was totally ignorant of the part he played in the death of the venmous snake he called his wife, V.V. nevertheless knew that he could not be lucky a second time.
But that didn't mean he couldn't utilize the resources of another well-equipped power that possessed viable, if slightly more selfish reasons to ensure that the Vi Britannia branch of the Imperial Family remained deceased.
Of course he would have to play this card at the right time since Lelouch was currently playing a rather important role in the final implementation of the Ragnarok Connection.
Not as an active participant of course, for the boy lacked the clarity that even his temptress of a mother had possessed when first informed of the plan to rid the world of lies. But more like an anchor to keep his green haired senior from wandering off.
Of course C.C. had a history of abandoning those who failed to fulfil her rather ridiculous wish of helping her to get rid of her immortality, but since she had only recently entered into a contract with Charles's rebellious son, the likelihood of her staying close was pretty good.
For unlike him, she was not one to quickly lose interest in a disobedient tool. And considering the fact that her options for gaining new contracts was somewhat limited, she would stay put long enough to capture her.
An event that he looked forward to immensely.
….
Though his position and rank ensured that he couldn't publicly partake in the numbing gift that was alcohol, that didn't mean he couldn't drink in the privacy of his own quarters.
He was certain that there were probably more refined versions of Sake still in existence, but the aged general preferred to drink the spirits that had been crafted in the final year of Japan's independence. Of course this supply had quickly dwindled due to the fact that he had a glass every time Japan's hope for a better tomorrow was dimmed. And since he was reluctant to touch the bottle that he had vowed would only be opened when the JLF had freed his country, he was stuck with the unofficial, yet incredibly potent swill that the more creative members concocted for the rank and file.
However, considering the idiotic actions of the late Kusakabe, Tatewaki Katase was seriously considering breaking said vow since the hope of a renewed Japan died as soon as the moustached colonel revealed his affiliation with the JLF to the world.
And while several of his troops had cheered at the public display of Japan's continued struggle, the aged military officer knew that soon enough Britannia would come to punish those who had foolishly challenged it in such a manner.
He had done all that he could to prepare the JLF for the coming battle, and had even made plans, tentative and defeatist though they might have been, to evacuate key personnel once the weight of Cornelia's army became too much for his battered forces to hold back.
Of course the chances of accomplishing this would have been better if Kyoto hadn't given Zero and his followers the Guren and enough Burais to field 2 squads, but he would have to settle with what he had on hand. Which he supposed was sufficient enough to make the Britannians bleed for every step they took towards their inevitable triumph.
The long range capability of the 20 Panzer Hummels would devastate the enemy's Sutherlands. And while grossly inferior in number to the amount of Gloucesters Cornelia would surely bring, the modified Vikings, piloted by his most capable and recognized subordinates, would inflict a heavy toll.
He thanked the heavens that Todoh and the Holy Swords had their equipment on base instead of having to pick it up as would be the case if his entire strategy rested on the capabilities of Kyoto's latest delivery, the Burai Kai.
However Todoh's presence on base did manage to upset him in one crucial area, but unlike Kusakabe, he welcomed the concept of military debate.
While the idea originated from their Reich provided overseer, whose impressive skill set would be used to clear a path for the evacuation of the mountain, Katase had to admit that the blue haired youth had a point about the mountain being their best asset.
Not only because it afforded them an excellent defensive position, but also cause it gave them the ability to artificially harness the power of Mother Nature for their own ends.
Todoh of course had spoken against the idea since the resulting landslides would inevitably bury their own defenses as well as the Britannian. But despite the colonel's convincing arguments, which amusingly enough had also shown concern for the fate of the Britannian civilians that inhabited the region, Katase still intended to go ahead with his plan.
But only as a last resort.
When it became clear that the JLF could no longer hold back the assembled might of the Britannian Empire, the mountain, which had served as a refuge for those who wished to avenge the very pride of Japan, would become the tomb for those who enslaved it.
…..
Annnnnd that's enough for now =)
Again pleased with pace of my writing, as well as how the chapter turned out.
First segement is my explanation as to how the Empire knew about the location of the JLF's base (through the use of a traitor that possesses a slightly more realistic view of the world than Spinzaku XD). Don't remember it being covered in the series, but it has been some time since I watched it. Also expanded on just what forces the JLF has at its disposal, and the preparations it has made into fortifying their mountain fortress. And u
Second segment dealt once again with Cornelia and Euphemia. Recently came up with an idea that has been bugging me for some time (its cannon divergent so wont reveal what it is yet XP) and will slowly set it up for future chapters until the big reveal. Also covered WHY Cornelia is so distrustful of Suzaku, and to a lesser extend serving honorary Britannians. Cause lets face it, WHO THE HELL WOULD TRUST A GUY WHO MURDERED HIS FATHER AND BETRAYED HIS NATION TO THE ENEMY XD. Also included the first (or second) acknowledgement of the Suzaku Euphie Ship, but don't worry, I have plans to change this because he deservers NO happy ending.
Third segment, insight into the Reich's knightmare forces. Since they cant match Britannian knightmare production, they have to ensure that their knightmares are piloted by only the best the training schools can produce. And yes, I am borrowing concepts from Pacfic Rim, and of course from the knightmare giga fortress for how the Reich will pilot its 7th generation knightmares, but I think its plausible XD. And gives the Reich a fighting chance against elite pilots who make their frames look like their playing a video game (I know it's an anime series, but come on, a TOUCH of realism please XP). Also did a shout out to the remote controlled frames from Akito the exile. AND just to clarify, my Viking Frames, are in fact non transforming Alexanders.
4th segement dealt with everyone's favorite immortal midget XD. Series never fully touched on how HE learned about Lelouch's survival. Yes he had conversations with C.C., but that was much later on. Also seems to be completely unaware of Marianne's current status inside a loli, but will expand upon that later.
And lastly, the segment devoted to a character that had, in my opinion, had potential. If Todoh respects someone, they must have done something worthy to earn it. And touched upon the idea that the JLF could have easily caused a landside like Lelouch did. But only as a last resort since Zero's actions damaged the JLF almost as much as the Britannians. Also for the upcoming battle, Todoh and his crew ARE already IN THE MOUNTAIN.
And now to answer some questions/comments my faithful readers :D
Chancellor ZVE
Q: According to your answer to my question regarding the Reich's priorities for military R&D, you are saying that unlike the "Pure Knightmare" military of the Britannian Empire, the Reich is focusing on a "Combined Arms" approach while the Knightmares the Reich build are reserved for the elite units. Since the Reich means to present a higher quality of training and tactics to make the most use out of their Knightmare Corps, my question thus is, how well trained is the average Reich Knightmare pilot compared to the average Britannian Knightmare pilot? It's just that I'm fairly certain that even a rookie Reich pilot would have performed better than that Britannian pilot that got blown up by the JLF.
A: That is correct. While avoiding the production mistakes (i.e. too complicated to produce quickly) of the German nation that my Reich is based on (at least the military parts of it) the Reich's current knightmare production means that only the best trainees get to be active knightmare pilots. The average reich pilot IS better than the average Brit pilot, but not be a ridiculous degree (i.e. Compare the quality of 1 mid war WW2 German solider to that of a Western Allied solider. With the Chinese Federation being worse off (quality speaking) than the early Soviet).
Q: While I'm asking about comparisons between the Empire and the Reich, I can't help but ask for your personal opinion on comparing Knightmares. Since the mainstay Knightmares of the Reich are still the Panzer-Hummel and the Vikings at this point, how would you personally compare the Panzer-Hummel to the Sutherland and the Viking to the Gloucester?
A: The standard knightmares of the Reich ARE cannon to the series, the Viking simply being a non transforming version of the Alexander. But heres what I view. 1on1, equal piloting skills a Panzer will usually beat a Sutherland due to heavier armor and armament (think T-34 vs PZ IV), a Gloucester will beat a Panzer (Panther vs Sherman) and a Viking will match a Gloucester (can't think of a WW2 comparrsion that matches XP)
Fuhrer of Europe
I always thought that he didn't really care about Suzaku's beliefs as long as Suzaku provides excellent performance and combat data for the Lancelot, but for you to portray Lloyd as someone who is actually willing to have a relatively mediocre pilot as long as he had a "more realistic outlook on life" really tickled me with amusement. I guess Suzaku's views don't really mesh with anyone of influence in the world of Code Geass, whether it be in the Britannian Empire, the Reich, or ANYWHERE really huh? I would say I feel sad for him, but I would by lying.
You are correct. Which is why Im going to enjoy bashing the hell out of Suzaku. Some people are just tooo idiotic, which makes it hard to be inspired to write a happy ending. As for Lloyd, in the beginning at least, he would in my opinion accept a pilot that, while less in quality than suzaku, is still above average (think Guilford level). But once Suzaku starts bringing in the data, he wouldn't want to give that up.
Anyways that's all for now.
REVIEWS are a must if you want me to keep me motivated XD.
Heil Europa.