"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

The Second Invasion of Japan

Lelouch

"Good citizens of Area 11, this farce has gone on long enough. My wayward daughter can pretend that the elevens are people and deserve respect, but we all know the truth. They are weak and barely even put up a fight when we first conquered them! This Special Administration Zone is officially disbanded, and the elevens will be put in their proper place!"

"The Britannian Empire stands on strength. The strength of our people, our dominance over those who couldn't resist. Europe is collapsing under their weight and the Elevens relied on our mercy. And no one who gets given rights has a right to them! We stay strong with our iron fists, and my daughter loosened hers, giving people the false hope that they may be free. If one group gets rights, then why wouldn't everyone else? We would be no better than the divided Europeans! When one of us is weak, all of us are weak!"

The emperor swept his hand, "Area 11 will be cleansed of the Black Knights and Zero. My daughter will be brought home and reminded of who we are! And mercy shall not be given to those that resist! We will restore the proper status of the people that live there. All hail Britannia!" Lelouch watched with a deepening scowl as a chorus of "All hail Britannia" echoed in the background. His father had started a conflagration, and Britannia would be the one that would suffer for this.

He grabbed a mask from his closet, throwing a cloak on as he opened the door. The base was swarming with life as soldiers and staff walked past him. He was focused on his objective, ignoring the chaos around him. The PA system was giving out orders, but he ignored that. He was impressed by how quickly they were adapting, though he was counting the minutes it would take to get his forces deployed. The media room quickly came into sight, and as he opened the door, the crew was hard at work, making sure things were set up.

The room was fairly simple, with a podium up on the stage, a flag of Japan behind it. There was a mic on the wooden podium, and a few tables on the side able to be moved if there needed to be more than one person presenting something. Lelouch looked to Diethard, "Is the override signal in place?"

The Britannia propagandist gave him a confident smile, "Whenever you are ready. I must say this will do a lot for our numbers." Lelouch had long swallowed the idea that the man in front of him wasn't a true believer in Japanese freedom, and only interested in him. That suited his needs just fine, but he always sat a bit wrong. Lelouch walked on stage, the crew doing their last-minute checks, and once he saw the green light on the center camera, he gave the signal for Diethard to start the override, taking a deep breath.

With a fire in his chest, Lelouch gripped the podium, "Dear citizens of Japan! We have seen the real face of Britannia! They never wished to support us. The left Princess Euphemia out to dry for years! But the Black Knights stood by and waited, prepared for a moment like this. We wished to give the people a period of peace, but the fire has been lit, and Britannia will burn! If the Japanese can be equal, so can every other area! We will tear apart by the empire from the inside by winning and showing that pure strength will not hold their empire together!"

Lelouch pointed to the Japanese flag behind him, his passion rising, "We will resist the oppressors of the Japanese people. No more will we stand by. We will take back Japan from those who stole it from you. The emperor is wrong! The Japanese are not a dead people. They resisted every second after they were conquered. The Blood of the Samurai, the JLF, and every other small resistance group. We are their successor, and their blood will not have been spilt in vain. The United States of Japan will be founded today! Starting in the SAZ until we take everything back!"

"A country for those that accept freedom and toleration in their hearts. Not only the Japanese, but people like the Viceroy who can treat people with the respect they deserve. For those that oppose the oppressive Britannians. Ideals will be our guide, and with the drive of a people tired of being stepped on. We will not be like them. We will not treat our enemies like they are animals. We are better than them!"

His voice rose to its most triumphant, the lights focused on him, "All of those who can, join our fight! Britannian, European or Japanese! Show the world that someone is willing to resist the Britannian Empire! Long live Japan!" The men and women in the room chanted the phrase, and Diethard had a wide grin on his face. Lelouch wasn't done and chanted the phrase one more time. The camera live feed ended, and Lelouch knew the speech would be looping till the Britannians could override the Black Knights override.

Lelouch walked off the stage, and the news reporter walked up to him, that grin still plastered on his face, "A wonderful speech, Zero. A country for not just the Japanese, but anyone. What a wonderful idea!"

The young man just smiled under his helmet, "How better to challenge the Britannians than to directly oppose their ideas? Make sure this gets spread around the world and to other Areas."

The reporter nodded, "And I assume you are leaving this up to Ms. Sumeragi for more details?"

"I will discuss with her about how to formalize this, but we have to win the war before we can do anything about it. Get the media out there and start warning people in the SAZ and our other cells it is time to act."

Diethard saluted him, "Understood, Zero!" The man ran off, and Lelouch looked around the room. Bright eyes looked at him, with smiles and a fire in their hearts. They would fight to the death, and that is what he needed. 'This war won't be easy.' With the flair and flutter of his cloak, he left the room. Two soldiers were at the door and saluted, Lelouch simply nodded.

They flanked him as he made his way to the command center. People's eyes were on him, and everyone seemed to be fired up. He knew this would be a short burst, but it was needed for the start of this war. The door to the command center slid open, and it was bustle of people on comms, sensor and other stations.

Everyone saluted him as he walked into the smaller war room. There was a large tactical display in the center, showing the zoomed-out terrain view of the SAZ. Panels on the walls had a few displays, and there were chairs for those that wished to sit. Tohdoh, Kallen, Oghi and the Four Holy Swords were among those in the room, all looking at the map.

But as soon as they saw their leader, they saluted and stood at attention. Lelouch shook his head, "At ease." He walked up to the table, "Here are your orders." He gestured to the south of the SAZ, near a set of hills, "Tohdoh, you are to take most of our available forces and hold off the Britannian forces on the southern line. I estimate that the garrison forces will reach us first, though I don't know from what direction. Do not stretch your lines or chase too far."

"Understood. I request to take my Holy Swords with me."

Lelouch shook his head, "Not all of them. I want Senba and Urabe to help protect the evacuating citizens."

The general nodded, "Understood." The four officers nodded at their orders, and Zero moved onto Kallen.

"Q-1, you are to guard the eastern flank of the SAZ. If no attack comes, I will order you to assist General Tohdoh. And like Tohdoh, do not chase enemy forces." He showed her plain to the east, with a few existing trenches, "You will get the remaining forces, and I will send reinforcements to you and Tohdoh as they are deployed."

Kallen gave Lelouch a smile, "Understood. Do you think we can hold?"

Lelouch just hummed under his breath, "For now. We need to evacuate the SAZ, because my predictions say that the forces being brought will be too much and need to find a better defensive perimeter. Or at least too much for our available forces." His head turned to Ohgi, "You will have three squads of Frames and tanks to help you escort people to point Alpha. Make sure to keep control of crowds and keep them from panicking. Civilian vehicles are to be used to help, to supplement our supply of trucks and buses."

Ohgi swallowed nervously, "Yes sir. What about potential bombing raids over the SAZ?"

"Anti-air units will be place at essential points." He gestured to several highlighted areas in the SAZ, "We can't protect everyone in the SAZ, and hopefully the defense forces can hold off any bombing or missiles. Those gathering points is where the evacuation will proceed from." Lelouch sweated a bit knowing they would have to evacuate a few million people. He wished that the Japanese in the Tokyo Settlement could be freed, but right now he had to focus on things he had to control.

He looked around the room, finishing giving out his commands, "Does everyone understand their assignments?" Everyone nodded and he placed his hands on the table, "Then go and show me why we can stand up to Britannia!"

Euphemia

The emperor's speech echoed from the television as tears began to stream down the Princess's face. She was watching as her father tore down everything that she stood for. The chance for an understand administration. To set a new example for how to treat people. 'Is this what Lelouch felt when the emperor told him he wasn't investigating Marianne's death?' Her sister had also been distraught that day, and her own heart hurt for her brother and sister, but now she wished she didn't have to feel the sheer agony in her chest.

Her father stood tall, but all she could see was a monster. Everyone deserved to be treated with respect until they showed they didn't earn it, and here her father was saying she was going to be sent back to the homeland to be reminded of the proper place for someone like her. 'I'm not weak!' Anger and sorrow in equal measure filled her.

Suzaku was looking between the TV and her, and a part of her hoped he understood what this meant. She loved him, but his blind faith in the homeland and their ability to change was a sore spot she wished didn't exist. She took deep breaths as she tried to calm down, but more tears just flowed. She was a helpless little girl for all that mattered right now. Suzaku rubbed a hand down her back, helping a little, but it didn't take the edge off as she tried to get her head around what was happening.

"This is real, isn't it?"

Suzaku nodded at her, and wiped away some of her tears, "We can't give up. We can go back and try to-"

Euphemia pushed away his hands, pushed up to look him in the eye, her eyes red and puffy, "Suzaku, no. There is no fixing this. The homeland has abandoned me, and everyone in my family lied to me!"

She aggressively wiped away her own tears, and Suzaku looked down, shame filling his eyes. Euphemia held back the pang of hurt in her chest seeing that, and cupped his chin, "Suzaku, I'm not sure they are even going to let you stay my knight. For all I know they will strip you of your rank and give the Lancelot to someone else!"

Lloyd spoke up from the background, "I would fight against that last one, if it helps." Cecile shushed him, pulling him outside.

"I'm sorry. We will leave you two alone to talk." The door closed and the couple was left alone in the room. The princess looked at Suzaku, who looked at the closed door. He took a deep breath and looked away in shame.

Euphemia forced him to look her in the eyes, "Suzaku, we can't ignore reality. It just tore the heart out of me, and I won't look away as Japan is tore away from me. Do you think the next Viceroy will practice tolerant policies? Not enforce some of the blatant laws that treat natives like secondary citizens? You heard my father. The Black Knights are to be shown no mercy, along with everyone else who resists."

Suzaku's mouth hung open like a fish, and some of that anger lowered to a simmer. She let out a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry. I love you and want you at my side, but we can't be blind." The broadcast of her father repeated, and the news later today would be a buzz with commentary.

Suzaku caressed her side, and she nuzzled into his hand unconsciously, "I just don't know. What are we supposed to do?" Euphemia was about to speak when the transmission was interrupted, and Zero appeared onscreen. Her eyes widened as she watched her brother speak, Suzaku's eyes also drawn to the screen.

That anger and loss that filled her chest was buoyed with a glimmer of hope, and the mention of a new Japan caused a smile to start to grow on her chest. She didn't know how much her brother meant for this, but this at least offered a better future for Japan. The princess glanced over at her lover, and his eyes flashed with hope and despair. She didn't know what was truly going on in his heart, but her own heart clenched at that conflict.

She kissed his cheek, and pushed off his lap, "My knight, I need to think. Please stay here." She looked back once as she headed towards the master bedroom. Suzaku stayed in place; his eyes glued to the screen as Zero finished his speech. She quietly closed the door and sat down on the bed. She pulled her knees to her chest and took a deep breath.

Right now, she couldn't just sit here and fall apart. Even now she was trying to hold back the tears that wanted to stream down her face. Her brother had proposed a country for those who followed her ideals. She didn't know the practical reality of it, but just the fact that her brother did that brought some light to her heart.

She had a few choices right now. Euphemia had a three-pronged road in front of her. She could choose to go back to the homeland, turn herself it. She would be "safe", but all of her power would be removed, and she had no idea what would happen to Suzaku. Sure, she would have her sister, but after being given this chance to help, it would tear her dream into tiny pieces with no chance of recovery.

Second, she could just run away. She and Suzaku go on the run and try to be normal. Have a family and leave it all behind. Yet as the thought went through her, guilt tore at her mind. The Japanese people had trusted her, and all this did was prove that no Britannian had the backbone to stand up for them. For any of the Areas. No one in the royal family would be willing to reform the empire if she wouldn't. Trust in her would evaporate, and the shame would hang over her like a cloud.

And last was the toughest. Join her brother. Fight with the Black Knights and liberate Japan from her family. It would throw away everything she had, and her name would be worthless. No power from her royal status. And her sister would be her enemy. A tear rolled down her cheek at the thought, but she continued to listen to the looping speech coming through the door. Her brother's words hit her heart, and she lowered her head as the internal debate raged.

She had offered to renounce her name years ago, and her brother had talked her down, which had been a good move at the time. But after three years of the administration opposing her, she had burned any political capital with the Britannian court. All she had was the Japanese people and those who were coming around to her viewpoint.

She had no idea how much time had passed since she entered her room, but that mix of emotions that sat in her gut had turned to determination. She had made a decision, and moved to her closet, grabbing a dress and putting it on as best as she could. It was the simple dress that she had worn when Suzaku had first caught her. When she had just been a girl named Euphie, even if it was for an afternoon. The orange skirt and green corset filled her with nostalgia, and she put her hair up in her classic buns.

Looking in the mirror, she looked like a plain woman. She wasn't a princess right now. She was a woman who did what she needed to do. She pushed open the door and she could see Suzaku at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes went to her, and he blushed. She smiled, and then looked at him, "Do you trust me? Are you willing to keep following me?" He was about to speak when she stopped him, "And be honest with yourself. Don't go along with me if you don't want to."

She looked into his eyes as she let him decide. She kept some distance between them, to not help guide his decision. 'All people must make a decision of their own.' It was a silent few minutes, a war clearly within Suzaku. She resisted biting her lip, her heart beating fast as she hoped he would choose her. And with a hard hug, he pulled her in close, breathing her in, "I trust you. I go where you do." His voice warbled, and she let out a breath, a warm smile crossing her face. It was the first step, but she would be with him every step.

Euphemia broke the hug after a soft kiss on his lips, rubbing his ring finger, and gestured for him to follow her, "Then follow me." She opened the door, and walked out, knowing there was no going back.

Kallen

Kallen walked towards the Guren, dressed in her improved pilot suit. It was nearly identical to the suit she wore a few years ago, but better able to handle g-forces, especially with the ability to fly. The hanger was a buzz with life, last-minute maintenance checks being done as pilots mounted up. Men and women were ready to launch and stripped down Burai's loaded frames with ammo. Trucks were also leaving, as well as tanks and armored vehicles that would supplement knightmare forces. They were outdated, but they still had use as backline and support vehicles, as well as artillery.

Tohdoh was coordinating with Chiba and Asahina as their checks were being finished, and other officers were ordering troops. She could see units were being gathered, and she had been given a list of squadrons she had command over. It was around thirty frames, made up of an artillery squad and two standard mechanized ones. None of them had fought in the initial rebellion, and she hoped they were trained well.

As she neared the Guren, CC was grabbing the handle to be lifted into her Akatsuki, and before the immortal closed up the cockpit, she stood and smiled, "Took your time I see." Kallen just grunted and two mechanics gave her a thumbs up. She nodded and followed CC, standing in the Guren's cockpit.

"So, are you with me or Tohdoh?"

CC gave her a blank look, "Well technically I am part of Zero Squad, though you more than anyone know I don't listen to anyone. But I decided to grace your side with my presence." A small smirk grew on CC's face, and Kallen rolled her eyes.

"Will you at least follow my commands if I give them?" It was one thing to deal with her sass outside of combat, but now was not the time for it.

"As long as they aren't suicidal." CC smiled as she laid down and the cockpit closed. Kallen sighed and laid down herself. She was sure that Lelouch would mainly be running the defense, but she would still need to make more tactical decisions. The display lit up, and she could feel the rumble of the frame as she made sure all the systems were working properly.

Her Radiant Wave Surger was fully loaded, and one of her displays to the side showed a tactical map, which she toggled off for now. It would help identify units under her command, and she moved to the eastern exit to the base. CC was right behind her, and as she reached the launch zone, she could see the room full of Akasukis, a few of them the same type as CC.

She looked over them, waiting for the order to launch. She took a deep breath, and opened a comms channel to everyone, who was marked on her tactical map, "Listen up. Our job is to hold off the enemy and make sure our friends, family and other civilians get out of this alive. We are the only line of defense for them, so we will not back down!"

A cheer went across the assembled force, and CC opened a private channel to the redhead, "Not bad."

Kallen smiled and could see the order to launch. Activating her air glide system, and flew out of the opening hatch, the rolling of wheels behind her as the dozens of frames and armored vehicles rolled behind her. The roads were opened as civilians clogged the sidewalks. Families clung to each other as sirens echoed through the streets. It was liberating as she soared over the city, finally able to do it after so many years of having been doing it in simulations. 'If only it was under better circumstances.'

It wasn't as chaotic as she expected, Black Knight infantry guiding people onto buses and other large vehicles, as well as letting others use their cars to help get their families out. The Guren and handful of flying Akasukis flew over all this, Kallen keeping pace with the forces along the ground, making sure they didn't leave their sight. Control guided them to through the SAZ, and she zoomed in to see people crying and desperate. It tugged at her heart, and she growled under her breath.

There had been peace here for a few years, and now they would have to fight for it all over again. 'Hopefully more permanently.' She was thankful Lelouch had planned for this, and that Britannia wasn't ready for the nationwide strike against all their settlements.

And soon the tight city became more suburban, the designated defense point coming up. Looking at the tactical display, Kallen began to order troops to take positions. The terrain in front of them was a plain with light forest around it, a clear center lane where the highway connected the SAZ with the rest of the Tokyo Settlement. There were very little overtly defensive positions, vehicles taking cover behind what small hills there were as frames hid behind trees.

That wave of Britannian units was only getting closer, and Kallen readied herself. That was a massive wave, and they were already starting to split off, adding to a trail of dust of a clearly approaching column of knightmare frames, which she guessed were from the garrison forces. Then frames began to fall from the sky as Kallen's mouth hung open, Zero's voice echoing in all the frames, "Let's see how they handle their own defenses!"

Author Note

Welcome back! Combat will start in the next chapter, but the SAZ certainly is chaos. It won't be an easy fight for our protagonists, but like always, Lelouch has tricks up his sleeve! Thank you for reading, and don't forget I love comments and reviews!

P.S.

Also, since I think it's relevant, I wanted to show what a general knightmare brigade looks like. From an organizational perspective, they generally have 60-80 frames, split up in 5-6 squadrons. A squadron has around 10-12 frames, with different weapons to give them flexibility, though specialized units exist, like a melee unit, or shield unit. Each squadron is also split into two squads, containing 5-6 units. One or two squadrons will be fliers, while the rest will be ground based, besides specialized flying brigades.

And attached to this are a lot of support vehicles, like supply trucks, armed armored personnel carriers for transporting the one thousand infantry that supported the knightmare frames, and transport vehicles. Other potential vehicles are fliers that can hold and drop ground based knightmare frames. Total personnel in the brigade are around 3-4k, and three or four of them make up a division. But this is the ideal, and often there might be less than listed here.

I won't be focusing on these details, but I just wanted you guys to have a mental image of what I'm using in this fic.