"Speech"

"Radio or calls"

'Thoughts'

A Tense String

Suzaku

Suzaku sat on the bed, his hands on his knees. The room was dark, his eyes blank as all that anger that filled him before had faded to a dull ache. His most important people had lied to him, but even a little bit of time left him more confused. 'How can I be mad at them when I lied to Lelouch for so long?' He had kept the secret of his father's death for so long, and even that had been revealed against his will. Yet Lelouch had not judged him, not treated him like a monster.

'What sort of person would treat their friend like that?' His frustration and betrayal still sat in his heart. He didn't know what the worst part was, but he knew there was more than just anger at what happened. What was his life now? Another betrayer? Another man who broke his vows? It wasn't the first time he broke a promise, and he grasped his chest in imaginary pain. He closed his eyes, grasping the symbol of his loyalty to Euphemia, the pin she gave him. He started to tighten his grip, but let go, the badge falling onto the bed, bouncing, once, then twice.

It stilled, and the door slid open, filling the room with a blast of light. He blinked, and saw Cecile standing at the door, "May I come in?"

Suzaku nodded, "Sure." His voice was low, almost inaudible, and Cecile's expression filled with worry. She sat down next to him, crossing her legs, "What are you doing here?"

"Your wife said you might need someone to talk to. I was confused and said she should, but she said he needed a third party. So, what is going on?"

Suzaku pursed his lips. He couldn't tell the full truth, and he had to give his wife credit. She knew exactly the right person to pick. The knight almost smiled, and let out a breath, thinking of how to word this without being too revealing, "Hypothetically, if someone close to you lies because of a promise to someone else, is that wrong? Especially if it's a promise to another person close to you."

Cecile hummed, and he wondered if she could see the hurt and confusion in his eyes. The life in his voice was faded, and she just put his hand on his knee, "Was this a secret the person held deep? Hypothetically?"

"I…yes. It was something the person held close to the chest."

"Then that person keeping the secret would be in a tough position, though it might not be fair to the person out of the loop. I would make my feelings known and try to understand why the lie needed to be told. But the person who was lied to has all rights to be frustrated and hurt, even if it was for a good reason." Suzaku trembled a bit. While his mind might have cleared a bit, there was too much hurt in the history for him to unwind.

Suzaku looked at the kind woman, who just smiled at her, "Thank you. I think I needed to hear that." Suzaku looked down at the ground, "Is it right that we work with Zero? Even after all the innocent people that got hurt?"

Suzaku couldn't see her, but he could feel her hand clench on his knee, "I don't know. I'm still trying to get my head above the water. But are you ok?" Suzaku could see the firm affection in her eyes, and he blushed. A warmth spread through him, and he took a deep breath.

"I don't know. We are traitors to Britannia, and all I can see is the blood we are stepping in." He looked at his hands, his mind flashing to an image of his father, a look of betrayal in his eyes. He shuddered.

Cecile had a shaky smile, "We were always involved in the fighting. I may not have done it myself, but if we have to fight, then we might as well do it for a worthy cause. It's not like we were clean to start with."

Suzaku pursed his lips and stayed silent. Cecile looked at him for several seconds, before standing up and moving in front of him, "But you should talk to your wife. It has been hard on both of you, and you know communication is central to a marriage. Maybe talk to your friend Lelouch. You always seemed so close to him."

Suzaku's expression deepened into a frown, and he exhaled, "I will think about it." Cecile turned the lights on, Suzaku wincing hard, "What was that for?"

"You looked like a hermit in here." Suzaku groaned at her teasing words, but a small smile began to grow, "Please give yourself slack. No one can be perfect."

Suzaku just nodded, and Cecile turned to leave, "Lloyd wants to ask your opinion on how to change the colors of the Lancelot."

"I'll talk to him when I can." A bitter chuckle left him, no real humor in it, and he watched Cecile leave the room, the door closing behind her.

"Princess!" He looked up, hearing his wife's former title from Cecile.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. How is he?"

"I can't be sure, but he needs direction. I don't know what happened, but did something happen between you two?" It was all muffled, but clear enough that there was concern in both women's voices.

It was strange hearing him being referred to like this, but his wife's words cut to the heart of him, "I made a decision I regret, and now I want to earn his trust back."

Cecile's tone was low, "He has a big heart. I know he will." Suzaku barely resisted letting a noise slip as he clenched his chest. His mind was still torn, and he hated how much the beautiful princess had on him, even when he tried to hold onto his hurt.

"Thank you for being there for him. I don't know what I would do." More footsteps were heard, and soon he saw the face of his wife, looking as tired as he felt.

Euphemia

Euphemia looked upon her husband. He looked tired, but at least not as lost as before. She sat down next to him, and he leaned on her. She smiled, seeing this as a good sign at the very least. He didn't hate her. Of all the things she hated, him hating her was the last thing she wanted. Euphemia glanced at Suazku, "I don't expect you to forgive me, but please do one thing for me."

Suzaku looked up at her wordlessly, nodding to her to continue, "I know Lelouch broke your trust, but he needs us. We both saw what he could do when given power as Zero. And that was before he had a standing army." She stared into his eyes, her blue eyes shining intensely, "War brings destruction, yet we can make it righteous."

Suzaku's voice was small, "What can a man who killed his father to end a war do to call out what Lelouch is doing?" He was looking away from her, and a thought went through her to force him to look at her, but she could see how fragile he was right now.

"I can't bring you peace with my words. But you have shown your bravery and valor, even if it was used by Britannia. So even if it means small steps, then we do what we can." Euphemia's voice lowered, "I'm worried about my brother falling into his worst instincts. Kallen, as good as she is, is on the same page in the war. We are different."

Suzaku leaned back, scooting away from her a bit. Euphemia looked down, feeling ashamed of the kneejerk anger at him doing that, "Do you think he will punish innocent Britannians? And the rest of the Black Knights?

"I don't want to think about it, but my people have been abusing them for years. It would only be natural to punish us the same way that we did to them." The fact that her people punished people for wanting to have their own culture and have their freedom disgusted her. A nicer hand was still a hand over any conquered people.

"Lelouch wouldn't just let the Black Knights rampage if he the choice." There was a tremble in Suzaku's voice, yet a certainty that hadn't been there before. Her heartbeat was fast. 'Even he can't hate Leloouch with all his heart.' Suzaku continued, "And he even said the land would be for all people, and that was a lie, it is a lie he will have to hold himself to. Has to hold himself to. I'll hold him to it, even if it is by a sword."

She wasn't sure about that, but she didn't want to undermine Suzaku. Lelouch was a mystery even to her at some level, even if he loved her unconditionally. 'And it doesn't help he's only gotten better at hiding himself.' Euphemia nodded, and rubbed her marriage band, which steadied her nerves, "Thank you. I hope it doesn't come to that, but we need to keep an eye on him."

Suzaku didn't say or do anything, and several tense seconds passed, before he spoke again, "So what are your orders, my lady?"

Euphemia bit her lip. It was so formal, and cold compared to before, "You will be protecting the evacuating equipment and refugees. I'll give out commands, but at least follow the general orders of the Black Knights for now."

He nodded, "Understood." He looked at her, and some hope rose in his eyes. She hoped her being there was something for him to grab onto. It was strange for him to see him so fragile, and the princess the rock, but if she needed to be his rock, she would keep him safe until he figured everything else out.

Lelouch

A couple hours had passed, and the door to an interrogation room slid open. It slid with a hiss, and sitting at the table was his girlfriend's father. The room was simple with a metal table and two chairs, and a pane of glass hiding an observation room. He had on simple prisoner's garb, and Richard turned to look at the Black Knight leader. He didn't say anything, and with a click of his boots, Lelouch soon sat in the chair, a swish of his cape behind him. It covered the back of the chair, and Lelouch leaned forward, "What is a man like you doing here in the middle of a war?"

Richard looked down at the intimidating mask, taking a deep breath before speaking, "Because Sayla and my daughter matter more than anything right now."

"Well, a nobleman who actually cares for his family. Color me surprised." Lelouch crossed his legs, "There are some in my organization that would want to hang you for just being a noble."

"I…" The man fell silent, and took a minute to respond, "These last couple years have opened my eyes. I have been trapped in an arranged marriage, and some of my old allies have spoken behind my back about me visiting my ex-lover." Lelouch could see the man's trembling fist, and just tapped his foot

"Q-1 did say that her father was around more often over these past few years. Now I can see she wasn't lying."

"You assumed she was lying?"

Lelouch internally chuckled, "I like to see things before I believe them, but I assume that you want to know why I actually came to talk to you?"

The man nodded his head, "Yes. But I just wanted to ask where my daughter's boyfriend is. Is he safe?"

"Why do you wish to know?"

"Because my daughter loves him, and I don't want her to be hurt. Besides, he seems like a nice kid."

Lelouch smiled under the helmet. It's good to have the approval of her father, even if it was obvious before, "Yes. He is serving as a logistics officer for Zero squad. He is remarkably good at making sure everything gets done. He has already been evacuated."

"Thank you."

Lelouch leaned back in his chair, "The reason I brought you here was the fact that you willingly surrendered yourself to us. And for the love of your Japanese daughter no less. So, you would be perfect to get some of the more wavering nobles to jump ship." Lelouch paused to let his words sink in, Richard's expression twisting in confusion, "You are not the only noble or Britannian who has ever had a child with a Japanese man or woman. Or other conquered people. Love can change people more than they suspect, and the father of our ace is high up on importance."

Tumult filled the expression of the older man. Low sighs left the redhead, while Lelouch just leaned back in his chair. 'I hope Kallen won't be mad at me for using her father like this.' Kallen, despite all of her training, never picked up the desire to manipulate and control like he did. He appreciated that about her, but sometimes he swore he could feel her eyes judging him just a bit. But he let the man work through things in his head.

It must have been a minute or more of silence, accentuated by the groan of the chairs' underneath them. Richard took a deep breath, "And what would you want me to say? Some preprepared speech?"

"I want you to speak from your heart. We can help you practice your words, and make sure they are as good as they can be, but they need to be honest." Sometimes the truth was more important than a lie and could do more damage than anyone ever suspected. 'Euphie's honest intent certainly helped change my mind.' She had almost beaten him with just a declaration.

The years had only made him more impressed by her unintentional act, and while he had turned the act around on his older brother and father, he couldn't remove the power the words had at the time. Forcing him to reveal his face to the Black Knights was something he never would have thought of otherwise at that time.

"And what if I don't turn anyone?" Richard spoke in a low and deliberate tone.

"Then it didn't work, and we have to try something else. No plan survives contact with the enemy. But no matter what, you will have earned a place in the new Japan if you show good faith for supporting our war."

The noble's eyes filled with hope, "What are the odds I'll be able to keep my lands?"

Lelouch tilted his head, "To what end?"

"I know it sounds selfish, but if I am allowed to keep my lands, I will pass it onto my daughter. She has dealt with so much and deserves something nice from her father. To make up for what I did in the past." There was a shine in his eye, "And it would probably look good to have a nobleman give up his land to a daughter of Japan."

Lelouch chuckled, "And to a war hero, no less. Assuming we survive this war." The young man pretended to think, "I think that would be perfect. Once we leave, I will talk to Diethard and we will create an appropriate plan." Lelouch than leaned forward, elbows on the table, "I do have one more thing I want to ask you."

"Yes?"

"I want the contact information on Sir Henry Dover."

"The head engineer of the settlement? Why?" Lelouch knew the two men went to a military academy together and had been close for years.

Lelouch smirked under his helmet, tapping his hand, "What I want with it is not your concern, unless you wish to raise an issue."

Richard shook his head, "No problems. I was just confused. I can give you what I know."

Lelouch just chuckled under his breath, "Thank you for the information. And hope this works out for you." He stood up, pushing in the chair, "You will be brought back to your cell, but once we arrive at our destination, you will be brought to a special cell, where we can plan this in private." He nodded at the glass, and two soldiers came in, letting the noble stand up.

"Thank you, Zero."

Kallen

The sun was just beginning to rise as Kallen looked at the truck being loaded on the hanger. Several trucks were overflowing with gear, while another held several scientists and engineers. Military police were trying to keep everything organized. She was dressed in her pilot suit, not wanting to be caught unawares. Her Guren had been repaired as much as it could, Rakshata telling her that she couldn't use the increased performance mode, and it might be a bit more sluggish.

But more importantly, her mother was being put on a truck and taken out of the base. Kallen smiled at her mom, who touched her daughter's face, "Promise me you will come back alive."

Kallen nodded, a surge of emotion filling her chest, "I will." She could see her mother wanted to say something else, but both knew she couldn't make that promise. Her mother stood on her toes, kissing the redhead's forehead.

"I'll try to keep tabs on your father if I can. You just worry about freeing Japan." Kallen couldn't help it and hugged her mom, both women in a crushing embrace. A few tears streaked down her face, and Kallen took a deep breath.

"I'll try. We can have a home." There was hope in her mother's eyes, and Kallen wished deep down it could include her father, but she had no idea what would be done with him, seeing that he was technically their enemy. She broke the embrace, and one of the MPs gently tapped the shoulder of Kallen.

"Major Kozuki, we need to get your mother to the truck. The convoy is leaving in a minute." Kallen nodded, and the man saluted her, walking back to talk to other.

Sayla nodded, taking a step back, "I think that message was clear. I'm sure your fellow black knights will keep us safe." Kallen's heart clenched in worry. She did trust the soldiers of the Black Knights, but this was her mother.

"I'll find you when I can." Kallen's mother just smiled, and began to walk towards the truck, Kallen hanging back. She wished she could follow her mom, and be there every mile, but she was right. Kallen was needed on the frontlines. 'You are doing it for her.'

The redhead took a minute, watching her join several non-combatants and soldiers. The truck rumbled on as the vehicle began to move, the sounds echoing through the hanger. Kallen turned away from the sight and headed towards the hanger with the Guren. If anything could help her, it was her baby.

And what greeted her was the sight of the seemingly repaired Guren. Across from her knightmare was the Shinkiro, and taking the spots in the rest of the hanger was Zero Squad. They used the elite Akatsukis, but with a similar paint job to the Gawain and Shinkiro. There were general small tune ups, but nothing compared to the custom units.

The soldiers gave her a salute, and she saluted back, "Make sure there are no computer errors Lt. Ibuki!"

A young woman saluted her, "Yes ma'am!" Kallen nodded in approval. Nine other men and women were all doing the same, a few of them drifting in after her. While it was unfortunate that the Zero Squad hadn't been on base during the initial attack, they would be essential. Holding back the royal knights would take their best, and she could only engage so many people, especially in a damaged frame.

'You got to hand it to Britannia. They are never behind in mobile suit development.' She only wished they had a true counter to the Gareth, but that would have to come after they actually had time for that. She made sure to check in with everyone, taking the time to try to raise their morale. Not that she was worried about the loyalty and focus of her squadron.

A smaller Japanese man saluted her as she approached, "I'm ready to kill some Britannians!" He was on the younger side, but Kallen had to suppress a shiver. Hearing the excitement at fighting and killing was something years ago she would have been up for. But something about the past couple years and seeing half of the frames she commanded the previous day had put somewhat of a damper on that excitement.

"Don't get overconfident, Warrant Officer. The enemy is sending their best at us."

The man just smirked, "Well then I'll take a few of them with me before I die." Kallen smiled slightly at his devotion and saluted back, though that bitter feeling didn't fade.

"You can't die on us now. Your girlfriend would kill us." The man blushed, and a call echoed from nearby.

"Maybe he would actually have one if he had the balls." A few people laughed, and Kallen couldn't help but chuckle. The young man began to yell at his squadron mate, and as she neared the Guren, a familiar masked figure strode confidently up to her.

"I see you are keeping my squadron on their toes." Lelouch's voice was even beneath the mask, and she saluted, which he returned.

"Just trying to relax them before the fight. No one should go into this any more tense than they are."

"At ease." Lelouch walked with her, lowering his voice, "Any improving their morale is good. They know what they are facing. I wouldn't have picked them otherwise." Kallen had to admit she would have had other choices, but Lelouch seemed to have sixth sense for elite pilots, so she had trusted him then and still did now. 'Some of them are relatively green.'

That was her main worry, but she would have to deal with that, "I can handle them. A bunch of hotshots, all of them." She leaned against the Guren as they reached the red machine, and a wry smile crossed her face, "If I was paranoid, I would say you were teaching me a lesson."

Lelouch chuckled, "I would never do that my Q-1." He looked up at the ace frame, then back at his girlfriend, "But I am putting direct command of the squadron in your hands today. Something in my gut says that I will need to be on my toes tomorrow."

The redhead nodded, "Understood." Running a squadron was a lot easier than the unit she had yesterday, and being freer at least let her use the Guren to its full power, "What are the odds of an orderly retreat?"

Lelouch's voice was lower, covered by the hum of machines and echoes of others talking, "More than likely. But we haven't seen the commander yet. It's not my sister, so I wonder who it could be." He looked straight at her, and continued, "But be ready to be called off to deal with an ace."

"As if anyone else could."

Author Note

Welcome back! Drama fallout is always fun, and Suzaku has been more fun of a character than I expected. Dragging him through the mud is going to be fun, especially with his hornet's nest of mental issues. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you guys' next time!