Failing to contain the justified feelings of rage that coursed through my body, I all but snarled at the image my childhood friend as I gave her an order that she had no doubt already anticipated.
"I want him dead Karina. I don't care what methods you use, or how long it will take for his soul to leave his body. I want that incompetent lump of flesh to die. Understood"?
Receiving a nod from the equalling furious blond, I allowed a slightly blood thirsty expression to cross my face as Karina gave a more verbal reply.
"You don't have to worry Friedrich. Within the hour, Commandant Beria will be spending his final hours waiting in the coldest cell Vorkuta has to offer. After of course I teach his successor a lesson that the ISD will not tolerate incompetence, even from a mere jailer".
Accepting Karina's promise with a single dismissive wave of my hand, I sunk back into my chair as I moved to discuss the effects the bloated Georgian's failure would have on my plans.
"How much will this damage our preparations for Operation Reclamation? With Britannia knowing, or at least suspecting the location of our northern most staging point, I suspect that Army Group North's opening salvo will be met with some pre-emptive strike".
Earning a hum of consideration from my fellow German, I quickly found my anger morphing into confusion as Karina provided a solution that I had not anticipated.
"Frankly, and I know that this might sound insane, but why don't we take advantage of Beria's security failure by appearing to follow the original plan"?
Frowning as I began to have an inkling of where she was going with this, I gestured with my hand for her to continue. And the more she spoke, the more my previously sour expression morphed into a smirk.
"Since the escaped prisoner has probably already provided a description on what units are to form the northern edge of our offensive, my suggestion is that instead of shipping the rest of the designated corp to its assembly area, we detach those 3 regiments from their parent divisions and attach them to something a bit more…deadly than a mere infantry division. Of course the orders would have to be given to wear the proper unit insignia, not to mention having our labor force of dissidents and traitors work a little bit harder in constructing a more…expansive assembly area, but from my calculations it shouldn't disrupt the schedule by more than a week or two".
Which in turn would assure that my troops wouldn't have to worry too much about the effects of a delayed thaw. All in all a good plan.
However, there was one tiny flaw that had to be addressed before I agreed to it.
"Tempting. However it does raise the point of who will be in charge of this new formation. General Dietl's appointment was based on his past ability to lead purely infantry forces in hostile climates. Since we're replacing the infantry divisions with something more…mobile, we need a commander with experience in getting the most out of their mechanized troops. I don't suppose you have a candidate already in mind"?
Enjoying the brief scowl that came over her face as she realized that she hadn't thought that far ahead, I nodded in acceptance as she provided her answer.
"I'll have the name within a week. Might have to promote a middle ranker to take command, but it shouldn't be too difficult. I trust you don't care if they belong to the Waffen ISD or the Wehrmacht"?
Shaking my head in the negative, for all that really mattered was if the officer was competent enough to perform their duties, I decided to bring this conversation to a close after inquiring after one last piece of information.
"You know my preferences Karina, so I will leave it up to you. But before you go, tell me, was Skorzeny successful in all parts of his mission? Or should I expect another notice from Layfette about how the Empire has another piece of intel to threaten us with"?
Allowing just a hint of displeasure to enter my tone, though I highly doubted its effectiveness considering the nature of our relationship, I found myself nodding in approval as Karina provided her answer.
"You'll be happy to note that Skorzeny accomplished his mission to the letter. Though he did suffer the unfortunate loss of one of the more...prideful JLF members he was escorting. The dangers of operating in a enemy country I'm afraid".
Chuckling at the rather innocent terminology Karina had used to describe the act of killing a less than grateful asylum seeker, I canceled the connection and leaned further back in my chair.
For while the Empire now suspected that the Reich is preparing to attack them in the near future, they do not know that I know that they know.
Which means that while the element of surprise is somewhat mitigated, it is not completely gone.
...
Though he knew the members of his brother's court had their own theories on why their emperor wasted his time starring at a more basic reminder that the empire had yet to achieve its goals of global conquest, the blond haired immortal knew that none of them possessed the correct answer to explain this brooding pastime.
Some thought that he did this to be reminded of how much the Empire had expanded after his ascension to the throne.
Others thought it was a tactic to remind his subjects that he was displeased that Europe, and to a lesser extent China, remained credible threats to the dream of Pax Britannia.
But they were wrong.
Only V.V. knew the true reason behind his brother's actions. And it was one of the things about his younger sibling that caused the blond haired immortal to occasionally treat the towering Geass user like a child.
For Charles had always possessed a fascination with maps ever since their mother had gifted him a child appropriate atlas when he was 4. And while the years had given him plenty of valid excuses to stare at a condensed representation of the current state of the world, V.V. knew that his brother continued to do this because it allowed him to briefly connect with the innocent and naïve prince he had once been.
But as much as he enjoyed watching his younger sibling indulge in such activities, for his...condition made participation in such emotionally soothing past times difficult, the blond immortal knew that his brother had something else in mind than childhood nostalgia.
And since a large portion of his responsibilities required his direct oversight, V.V. wasted no time in getting to the point.
"Not that I don't enjoy your company Charles, but was there a reason for your summons? I was in the process of forming a new insertion team when you called, so I hope its important enough to demand my attention".
Receiving an amused chuckle from his younger, if physically older, sibling, V.V. found his curiosity peaked as Charles proceeded to list the topic for their latest brotherly conversation.
"I would say so brother. For what I have to say concerns not only our plans to initiate Project Ragnarök, but also the empire's ability to defend its territory from its enemies. Both external and internal".
Suspecting where his brother was going with this, at least the part regarding Britannia's enemies, the child like immortal remained silent as Charles continued his explanation.
"Thanks to the information I received from Bradley, it appears that the Reich's attempt to reclaim it's lost territory will happen sooner than we thought. Which means that our ability to clandestinely seize control of their Thought Elevators will become much more difficult in the near future. And since my son is steadily becoming a larger thorn in Cornelia's side, I suspect that the time will soon come when we will also have to worry about our assets in Area 11 as well".
Successfully fighting the urge to scowl at the mention of Marianne's sadly capable brat, though also pleased that his brother was still unaware of using Rolo to help establish contact with Europe's leader, V.V. kept his tone level as he tried to get to the point of his brother's grandstanding.
"I see. So what do you want to do about this? The issue with your son could probably be cured by enlarging Area 11's garrison, with 1 or 2 Geass using agents provided by me, but solving the problem of the Reich is a bit more…complicated. Unless of course you want to speed up the completion of the superweapon your other son is currently constructing. I suspect that while Schneizel might be a little upset at having you take control of his flying fortress, he'll probably be pleased that it was completed before Krueger finishes whatever he's building in the Artic".
Acknowledging his point with a scowl, for despite the best efforts of the OSI and Geass Order they were still unable to determine what exactly the Reich was building in the mountains of Northern Sweden, the Emperor quickly regained his composure as he revealed what would hopefully be the proper solution to the Empire's problems.
"Which is why I decided that it is time for another of my progeny to finally contributed to the maintenance of the empire. Of course in order to properly prepare her for her role, we will have to temporarily give the impression that we are willing to yield some of our territorial holdings, and perhaps also promise a full restoration of citizenship for those who buy into her...philosophy".
Unsure of what his brother was scheming, for to his mind this didn't sound like an assassination mission, though in the long term it would probably turn out to be one, V.V. found himself glaring as his little brother all but ordered him out of the room.
"I will talk to you later brother. Preferably after you've successfully managed to get our agents in contact with that unofficial ambassador of theirs. Because the less people who know about this proposal before we publicly release it, the better".
Nodding his head to show that he would carry it out, V.V. waited until he had his back turned before allowing a pleased smirk to spread across his features.
For his darling little brother had just given him the perfect opportunity to resolve his own issues in managing to pass on a message to the leader of Europe.
And since he was never one to pass on the opportunity to remove those who threatened his relationship with his brother, he would ensure that the Reich's diplomatic operative carried more than one message for his masters.
...
Peering out the window of his thankfully empty bedroom, for he was in no mood to put up with the Witch's less than comforting words of wisdom, the exiled prince couldn't help but allow a depressed sigh to escape his lips as he watched a familiar head of hair go about her daily business.
When he had first been granted the ability to accelerate his plans to avenge the Vi Britannian branch of the royal family, he had sworn to never use his power on those who were close to him.
A promise he had managed to keep for the most part, minus the incident with Kallen and the means he used to absolve it, until last night.
In truth, he was naïve to think that his actions would never eventually effect those who made his life tolerable after his father had all but sentenced his grieving children to die. A state of mind that the green haired witch had seen fit to remind him of time and time again.
But while Shirley, the girl who seemed unable to confess what even an inexperienced guy like him could clearly see, had managed to retain control over her clearly shaken emotional state, his mind was still troubled by what he had done to her.
Even if the end result was far less guilt provoking than it could have been.
When she had told him the reason for her capture, as well as all the factors that had led her to leave the relative safety of the residential area of the Settlement, his first thought was to use his Geass to order her to forget not only her mental anguish, but also the feelings she possessed that he felt he could never reciprocate.
For it was clear that her infatuation could be used to force her into committing acts that could put both them and those they cared about in danger. And since he had adopted the mantel of Zero to prevent this from happening in the first place, erasing her memory had seemed like the logical move.
However, his green haired witch had other ideas. Ones that he would have thought of if he hadn't been rattled at having one of his classmates nearly discover his secret.
If Shirley returned to school, and suddenly displayed a sudden case of amnesia in regards to the boy she had a crush on, questions would be raised. And since he already had to deal with the headache of finding Shirley's 'handler', he could do without the chaos that would undoubtedly occur during Milly's attempts to force them to explain why the carrot haired girl was acting like she didn't know him.
With this in mind, and conscious of the need to tread carefully unless he wanted Kallen to use that hidden blade of hers, Lelouch had decided to use his power in a way that not only preserved and protected the Shirley he knew, but also protected himself from further issues of this kind.
Without the power of Geass, he was certain that his school mate would have never believed that her crush's gambling debt to a bunch of criminals had been settled by Zero's actions in cleaning up the criminal elements that had held sway in the Ghetto's.
But since he did have that power, not only did Shirley buy the excuse, but she would also never reveal it to anyone unless she had his express permission to do so.
Something which he had no intention of doing unless Milly proved to be even more insufferable than usual.
Shuddering as his mental process brought up less than pleasant memories of what the buxom blond was capable of when she put her mind to it, the former royal sighed in relief as the ringing of his cellphone provided a much needed distraction.
"Hello".
"Hello your highness. I trust that your having a pleasant day after your rather violent evening"?
His eyes widening in understandable shock, for this was a conversation he had always feared but never expected to have, Lelouch found himself growing confused as the childish voice proceeded to speak of things he had no possible way of knowing.
"Seriously you never expected to have this conversation? That's rather arrogant of your isn't it? I mean, yes I can see it if you had chosen to get over the sight of seeing your mommy's bullet ridden corpse crushing your cripple of a sister. But considering your increasing ability to harm the family that cast you out, you should have known this day would come. Especially since you don't seem to be willing to use that rather useful power of yours to its fullest potential".
Gritting his teeth at the rather callous way this...stalker was talking about his past, Lelouch managed to retain enough control over his temper as he tried to get a better sense of who this was.
Though once again the voice answered his question before he could even voice it.
"I'm your predecessor your highness. Surely you didn't think you were the only one with Geass? Would have thought C.C. would have at least talked about me considering our history together, but I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised considering what she's gone through".
Eyes narrowing as he heard the voice adopt a more possessive, yet unmistakably dangerous tone as he talked about the green haired immortal, Lelouch found his mind racing as his so called predecessor began to give him orders.
"Now here's what your going to do. Your going to escort our favorite green haired lady to a location of my choosing. And once C.C. is with me, I'll give you something you really should have gotten rid of that day in the Ghetto. And...and do keep this just between the 3 of us. I'll know if you invite one of your underlings to our little get together. And while I dislike the thought of putting a poor, crippled princess in harms way, I hate the thought of having my reunion interrupted by knightmares and machine guns. Don't you"?
Fighting the very real urge to snarl his answer, and suspecting that for now he would have to give into the demands of a man who knew too much about his former and current life to easily ignore, Lelouch gave his answer.
...
Smiling as she regarded the shattered form of the prisoner, who as always was hooked up to cables to prevent him from using his time/heart stopping technique, Karina's tone carried an unmistakable level of approval as she voiced her opinion towards the results of her latest 'session'.
"You know what Rolo, I think we're finally making some descent progress with you. We've gotten to the point were we barely need to route electricity through you to get an answer, and I haven't felt the need to threaten your fun bits in what feels like forever. Though I confess that last part can be attributed to what I did to one of my underlings. Not sure if your pint sized master would use the same method, given the nature of the abilities of your little group, but I'm sure he lacks the same tolerance for incompetence that I do".
Smiling as the heavily bruised youth flinched at the mention of the one who had granted him his ability, Karina was about to launch into another of her cheerfully delivered tirades by the unexpected interruption of a clearly nervous Sturmman.
"Ex...excuse me Madame Director, b...but I have an ur...urgent message from Colonel Landa".
Raising an eyebrow at this display, for Krueger's unofficial diplomat never used intermediaries unless he had a very good reason to fear for his life, the blond German woman's expression became slightly colder as she accepted the letter from the shaking Sturmman.
And suddenly she could understand why the young trooper was nearly pissing himself with fear.
For while she knew that he wouldn't have had the balls to sneak a peek at this rather important document, he was nevertheless intelligent enough to recognize when his superiors wished to avoid the intitial violent outburst that could potentially occur when she was delivered news that would sour her mood.
But the Sturmman was worrying for nothing.
"You can stand at ease boy. I fully agree with the saying that shooting the messenger will only result in less mail".
Waiting for the young messenger to get a better hold of his nerves, for she knew, and sometimes encouraged the rumors that had stemmed from her...unique management style, Karina's comforting smile vanished into a sneer as she drew her pistol.
"That's what prisoners are for".
Turning with a speed that left no doubt that her combat training hadn't dulled since the end of the Great War, Karina proved that she was Europe's deadliest woman by not only shooting the tied in prisoner in an area that wouldn't gurantee an instant death, but also by acting like there wasn't a suddenly high pitched wailing in the room.
"Tell Landa that I want to speak with him immediately. I want to verify the authenticity of this information before I bring it to the Chancellor. Do you understand me Sturmman"?
Earning a frightful nod from the man, Karina proceeded to retreat to her borrowed office.
Stopping at the door to direct a final parting comment to her equally frightened assistance.
"If the prisoner is still screaming in two minutes, you have my permission to disconnect the safety features. And once his heart's stopped beating, I want the body taken back to Berlin for study. Understood"?
Receiving an nod from her understandably nervous subordinate, Karina left the echoing chamber.
Confident that the boy who tried to kill her would be dead from either blood loss, or from his time/heart stopping efforts to bring an end to his suffering. Cause she knew that her subordinates wouldn't dare ease his pain by giving him morphine.
If only because they didn't want to anger her any further than she already was.
…
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that's enough for now XD
Pleased with this chapter since it moves towards the vision I had first created when I had the idea for making my own Reich in Code Geass story (still can't find the orginal story that motivated me XD oh well)
Lot of death in this chapter. Beria of course was NEVER going to survive for long. And Rolo...felt bad having him die like the guy from Django Unchained, but oh well XD.
This chapter also showed that the Reich's plans (or at least their intentions) aren't as secret as they think. Have to remember that Charles IS emperor for a Reason, besides Geass power of course XD. However, since he only cares about the Raganarok Connection, he won't treat the Reich's plans like Schneziel would. Also believed that the Emperor was aware of Damocles in cannon, and reflected it here. Cause lets face it, it takes time to construct a machine of that size. Especially since its a secret project that is being used to seize power.
And as for Lelouch, Mao, and Shirley, don't believe I have to go into too much detail there since I think I was pretty clear about my explanation about what happened.
And now, to answer some questions that have been posed by my faithful readers.
Chancellor ZVE
Question: This question is a reference to both a line a questioning, regarding Wanzers and Front Mission, that Fuhrer of Europe swore to stop asking as well as your answer to Fortitude501's question, and that is, what is your opinion on the idea of the Reich latching Knightmares onto CONVENTIONAL, NOT NUCLEAR, ICBM's and/or MIRV's, launching said missiles, and then detaching the Knightmares close to their drop point while the missiles continue on to their intended targets for destruction? I saw that video from what Fuhrer of Europe kept on mentioning so long ago, so I got curious and that was what I saw. Crazy tactics let me tell you, but that just screams Modern Blitzkrieg at my face, and I'd like to hear your thoughts if you wish to comment.
Answer: At this point in time, the Reich's rocket weaponry is not at the point where it can launch satellites, or hit targets with precision hundreds of miles from its launched position. Got Katushas, Panzershrecks/fausts. Perhaps guided rockets, but for tactical purposes, not for strategic use.
Question: Based on your answer to Fuhrer of Europe about the trade between the Reich and the Chinese Federation, will there be any sort of significance in the Chinese Federation's progress with their struggle against the rebels of India since they are getting European tech to better counter military rebellion against the Eunuchs? Or are the Eunuch loyalists still as incompetent as ever with only their vast numbers being their only quality?
Will the JLF remnants who went down the path of the Reich play any sort of significance in the future like the foreign legions of the Waffen ISD, or will they just be nameless manpower absorbed into the greater whole of the Wehrmacht?
Answer: All tral perspective as I personally hope the majority of the Britannian leadership continue to be hopelessly arrogant when it really matters.
Answer: Think that in the modern era, defeat is not a common occurrence for the Empire. Hence their inability to deal with it. That was my take.
Question: How would you compare the levels of torture between Director Richter and Sir "Vampire" Bradley?
Answer: Richter will make sure you don't die unless she wants you to die. Bradley seems to just like to make the end messy and painful.
Question: We know that Bradley is itching to get his revenge on Krueger for what happened after their implied confrontation during the Great War, but isn't Nonette going to argue with him on that since she wants to face Krueger first for entirely different reasons? Will this somehow cause the two Knights of the Round to come to blows?
Answer: Perhaps.
Fortitude501
Question: Also please don't ignore this, but will the Reich be able to built an anti-knightmare jet fighter? For example the Skygrasper VTOL jet fighter from Gundam SEED. A capable VTOL jet like that will put a massive fuck you to Britannia just se with a powerful beam weapon and it doesn't need Sakuradite to power it. Krueger would be drooling at such a weapon
Answer: I have plans for this. Thinking of making a modern Stuka.
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed
Please Review. No flames.
Heil Europa