Suzaku of the Rebellion

Chapter 9: The Major

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Cornelia raced through the trees at the foot of what was once a mountain. Dust completely covered her view and obstructed even her allies beside her.

"Darlton!" She shouted into the comms. "Darlton please respond!"

She had no idea what the hell just happened. Hundreds of IFFs instantly went dead. And they weren't just restricted to the unit in the mountain.

"Princess! You need to get back to the G1!" Guilford called to her from her side. "It isn't safe out here!"

"That won't be happening Guilford. Like hell I'm going to hide away now!" She shouted back, continuing her blind race through the mostly flattened trees. "Darlton!"

She was only given a split second to react to the half dozen Slash Harkens that simultaneously burst from the dust in front of her. She swept her Lance out in front of her, knocking away a few; and taking the others in various parts of her Gloucester.

"Princess!" Guildford called to her, rushing full throttle to her front.

The rest of her unit quickly followed suit, forming a protective ring against the unseen assailant.

The attack was far too obvious to write as a coincidence. That the first sign of an enemy was against Cornelia herself. They were deliberately after her. And something told her that Zero found his way here anyway

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"Euphy, I can't get through to Cornelia." Lelouch said over his personal phone. "I have no idea what's going on."

He looked out over the massive dust that hadn't quite reached his position. He glanced at the tactical map inside the Lancelot's cockpit, noting the various IFF signals still remaining scrambling left and right through zero vision in the cloud.

"What's going on Lelouch?" Euphy asked panicked. "Where's Cornelia?"

"Her unit seems fine." He reassured her, noting the tightly knit group bearing his sister's IFF. "But her signal is interrupted, I can't talk to-" before he could finish, an IFF next to Cornelia went dead. "Shit!" He exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Euphy asked worriedly, already fearful enough.

Lelouch grimaced. Cornelia was already under attack. He had no doubt this was the work of Zero. The only way he could have gotten past Cornelia's encirclement was if he had already been there. A theory made more plausible by the clear signs that a trap had been laid out for them. He grit his teeth, they were clearly at a disadvantage. Another one of Cornelia's units went dead. Somehow, Zero knew where Cornelia was. And the rest of the Britannian units stuck in the cloud were getting nitpicked without warning.

"Damn it!" Lelouch shouted. "Euphy, order all the frames to deactivate their IFFs. Zero is intercepting them somehow!" One of the frames has to be Zero. He must have stolen one of their Sutherlands, there was no other explanation.

"Are you sure?" Euphy asked, still panicked. "I don't know if they will listen to me Lelouch."

"Just speak with confidence Euphy, you're a princess, they will listen to you." Lelouch told her, speaking confidently himself in order to encourage her.

"O-okay. I'll try." She responded.

He quickly scanned the locations of the Britannian squadrons, and committing them to memory. And just as he got it all down, the signals collectively disappeared. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad Euphy pulled through.

However, the hard part was yet to come. He took a deep breath. "Harper Squad, this is Major Lamperouge with the ASEEC." He spoke, flaunting his rank given by Cornelia.

(if only to keep him further away from danger. But a promotion from the Chief Genreal was still to be taken seriously.)

"Princess Cornelia is currently engaged with unknown enemy forces. Please move to point twelve to provide support." He ordered. He was replied with a hesitant confirmation. He genuinely outranked everyone save Cornelia, who was at the moment indisposed. Even if nobody knew who he was, they were trained to listen to him; since birth in fact. Though they didn't know that.

It was going to be a blind battle, nearly impossible strictly speaking. But he once played chess blindfolded; how hard could it be?

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Suzaku sat in the cockpit of a commandeered Sutherland on the outskirts of the Britannian line. Far away enough to make an escape without resistance. He was surprised that they were so quickly able to discover he could see their IFFs. And now some Major was ordering the squads around practically blind. And as unfortunate as it was, he couldn't keep up with the rapid fire commands. Not that it mattered though, Kallen's Guren would soon disable Cornelia and her guard. And once they did, they would all disappear without a trace. Of course, after Todoh arrived with the four holy swords to assist him in destroying the G-1. Not only would Cornelia fall here, but the entire command structure in area eleven. Then the empire would be forced to send another person to subjugate Japan. But who was more capable than Cornelia? Only Prime minister Schneizel and the emperor himself could present a greater threat. And Suzaku would kill them too. He was like a spider trapping flys in his nest. And the pathetic flys just kept on coming.

"Zero! We just lost group four!"

Suzaku frowned at the information. Group four was supposed to provide backup once Kallen finished Cornelia. "What happened?" He asked.

"A Britannain squad took them out! They're getting more organized now, we can't just pick them off anymore." Ohgi told him.

He scowled, they weren't gathering together quicker than they should. The dust cloud still hung in the air, and the Britannians decided to cripple themselves to get at him. So what was going on?

"McDonnell, cut left sixty degrees, you will find another group there."

Suzaku heard the voice of the major, and just as soon as the order was given, another one of his groups was destroyed. It couldn't possibly be that he was actually commanding them in these conditions? He listened intently to the orders being given. Somehow the major knew where all the units were despite not seeing them. As such, most. The orders meant nothing to him when he heard them. The guy even knew where Suzaku's own units were located.

"Madison, move down to point eight to intercept." He heard, an order he could work with.

"Group nine, you have incoming units from above!" Suzaku warned the group situated in the exact spot the major sent his men to.

All he could do was wait until he heard his group shouting over the comm. "what?! The came from below too-"

The transmission cut off, and group nine was gone. From below? When was that order given?

"Sir, the enemy was facing north like you said." He heard a Britannian speak over their comm, likely to the major.

"I see. Just as I thought." Suzaku heard the major respond. "Than that means..."

Suddenly, a loud crash in front of him made Suzaku jump. And there stood the white knightmare that lost him Shinjuku, and beat him at kawaguche too. "You must be Zero."

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Euphy stood in the command center of the G-1, where she had no idea what was going on. She heard the orders Lelouch was giving, and could hear the replies. But she couldn't see anything on the screen, or out the window. Whether or not they were even winning, she didn't know. All she could go by were the stunned looks of awe all around her that told her they were at least pulling through okay.

She told the officers here to allow Lelouch to command unhindered, and while at first they were skeptical, that opinion changed when he actually did a good job of it. She just hoped that Lelouch would save Cornelia in time.

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It was far simpler than he had first anticipated.

Lelouch had feared he would be incapable of commanding this many troops with so little information. But he soon realized that wasn't a worry at all. Not only was he able to remember where they all were, he even found he could predict where Zero's forces were. His Black Knights.

He had to give the man credit however, the positioning of the enemy groups were genuinely ideal. The exact way Lelouch himself would have done it. Except that's what made it so easy. All he had to do was think of where he would have units, and they were there. Zero clearly planned ahead, but did not expect everything. Something he would need to learn to succeed.

Lelouch was right to assume that Zero had their IFF codes, as disabling them immediacy reduced the losses he was taking. And as such, he came to the conclusion that Zero had to be in one of his own knightmares. Since that was the only real way he could have the IFF signals. Not only that, but he could hear the orders Lelouch gave. Evidenced by the trap he set for anyone listening in.

He skimmed over his mental map of the units on the field, trying to discern where he was hiding. It was clear to him the Zero would be hiding somewhere where he could direct orders, away from the fighting, and where he could easily escape. So obviously the outer perimeter. And since Lelouch knew Jeremiah and the purebloods made up the majority of the rear, that left few places to hide. He grinned, revving up the Lancelot. In fact, it only left one.

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"You!" Zero growled. "You're the one who keeps getting in my way."

The Lancelot lunged forward, slicing air where Suzaku had once been with an MVS. He returned with a blow of his own, watching the knightmare swiftly sidestep. The thing was far more advanced than any other knightmare he'd seen before; but that wouldn't stop him. "I'll take you out too, and nothing will stand in my way."

Suzaku jammed the control stick, lashing out with another strike. It was parried by the glowing sword, and he quickly returned with fire from his rifle. He saw that the Lancelot just barely managed to pull up that green force field before the rounds smashed into it. So it was possible to win after all.

Lelouch was grateful the Lancelot performers as well as it did. In a Sutherland, he wouldn't have stood a chance. It was blatantly clear that Zero was a phenomenal pilot. And it was only thanks to the superior operating system that he was able to fight equally with him. He swung with the MVS again, and fires two slash harkens in addition. And somehow, Zero deflected all three. Were his movements too slow? Too predictable? He cursed his own inability when a stun tonfa slammed into the Lancelot's arm. He really couldn't tell who was going to win this. And that was something he didn't like.

"Sir! The enemy has attacked the G-1!"

He froze, hearing the information. Who, who was able to get to the G-1? There were no forces able to get to it. Nobody was around the area. Unless...

"Who is it?!" He demanded.

"It's Todoh sir, the four holy swords!" Came the answer.

Todoh? So Zero was in league with the JLF here. That presented a while new problem to deal with.

"I'd imagine you're now learning just what kind of position you're in, major."

Lelouch glared at Zero, angered by the smug sound in his voice. "Gottwald!" Lelouch called to the man in charge of the rear guard. "Move to protect the G-1! Todoh and his men are there right now."

Although the man who was once in charge of area eleven for a time felt a tinge of annoyance taking orders from a boy whose rank was really superficial; it was the fact that he now had that rank that jeremiah's theory on who he actually was began to seem more real. And if it was the case, he would not hesitate to accept any order he gave. "On my way."

And with that problem addressed, Lelouch turned back toward his own opponent.

"Soon, I'll have Cornelia disposed of, and the G-1 will fall as well. And then there won't be anything left to stop me." Zero said, practically bragging.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "You think the emperor would give area eleven up so easily? This is the most valuable are under Britannian rule, he would never allow you to have it."

He sacrificed his own children to obtain it, after all.

"Cornelia's death with be the rallying call to unite Japan under my banner. As a whole nation, we will be able to weather anything Britannia can throw at us. And of the emperor does not give up, it would be quite the honor to have him appear at my doorstep."

The two of the exchanged blows, neither taking any significant hits, the battle continuing on into a stalemate.

"And if the emperor falls. Britannia falls." Zero stated. "To think that the obliteration of Britannia, that the means to that end, is so clear to me!"

To obliterate Britannia. Lelouch remembered the time theses words once came from his lips. The mouth of a foolish child. It was not Britannia at fault, but it's emperor. It was that man who was responsible for every sorrow Lelouch had ever known. But Lelouch would not allow Zero to kill him, that was a right reserved for himself. Zero could not destroy Britannia, because the empire belonged to him. He would use it, become emperor and with that power; create the world Nunnally desired. And right now...

Teeth bared, Lelouch surged forward. "You're in my way!"

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Cornelia was on the defensive.

In fact, that was an understatement. It was far more one sided than that. The red knightmare she was facing was a formidable opponent to say the least. She had seen what that clawed metal hand had done to a few of her men; and resolved herself not to succumb to that same fate. She was able to use her lance to keep the knightmare at a distance, until the red frame took hold of it, and set it aflame.

She dropped the smoldering lance, launching her slash harkens to cover her back step. Guilford and her royal guard were dealing with the numerous other knightmares that were closing in on her, leaving her to go head to head with the Black Knight's new weapon. It sprang forward, open hand reaching for her Gloucester's head. She moved to the side, careful to block the oncoming attack she saw coming, losing her left arm to the red glow that swung around to grasp it.

Now with one less appendage, and no ranged weaponry, Cornelia backed away from her opponent. She wondered how the rest of her men were doing. She was unable to contact anyone with the local communications, and was resorting to open comms to talk with her unit. And she had no idea if it was any worse out there. And although clearer than earlier, the heavy dust cloud still restricted her view rather greatly.

Opting to turn the tables, she rushed forward after her fired slash harkens; taking the red knightmare head on. She only hoped everyone else was doing better than her.

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This was not what he had in mind.

Slowly, the white knightmare, the Lanclelot, was overcoming him. It's pilot becoming more determined to eliminate him. And though he had not heard any negative news yet, the lack of confirmation that any objectives so far were completed, was unnerving. Todoh had not destroyed the G-1, instead, he ran into unexpected resistance. And Kallen was still fighting the persistent witch of Britannia. And here he was, losing to the fucking Lancelot. Again.

As an MVS slashed through his right shoulder, and the arm went limp, Suzaku came to the conclusion things would only be getting worse from here.

He gnashed his teeth together. This would be the third time he would get away with only the bare minimum. He had not gained anything, only prevented losses. And that was no way to win a war. All thanks to the Lancelot, to the major. The only thing he could do was prevent anymore losses.

"All units, this is Zero. The enemy has begun to regroup faster than expected." He glanced out toward the thinned out dust, and to the clusters of Sutherlands moving together toward his units. "We have to cut operations short. Retreat immediately."

"But Zero! I can beat her!" Kallen instantly objected.

"I can't afford to lose you Kallen." He told her. "And if we stay any longer I just might."

Another hit sent him to his knees.

"Get out of there!"

He grasped the ejection levers in the sides of the seat. It seems you win yet again. Major.

"But I'm not done yet."

His pod burst out, flying away from the Lancelot, from Lelouch. Where it would be recovered by an awaiting truck that would carry grounded pilots out of the battlefield. And before the Britannians could give chase, they were gone, and out of sight.

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"I see. So Darlton did not make it."

Cornelia was disheartened by the news she received from Guilford, who had been able to contact the G-1.

"Yes princess. He died in the mountain."

He had been a loyal, and indispensable ally that would be difficulty to live without. He did his job well, better than anyone she knew.

"Also, it seems that Major Lamperouge has been directing our forces in your absence." Guilford told her. "Would you like me to contact him?"

Major Lamperouge. Lelouch? He was commanding everyone? And had caused Zero to retreat no less. It would appear she owed her younger brother yet another debt she could not repay. Words could not express her relief when the red knightmare turned away from her dilapidated knightmare. Of course that also begged the question of how he was actually able to command them through it all. He had never once been in the kind of situation, nor did he have any training at all. It made her think of the young boy she knew who was always so smart. The boy who could beat her at any game they played, though usually chess. And it made her wonder...

"Yes, I'll speak to him personally." She responded to Guilford.

"Very well princess."

When Cornelia finally made it back to the G-1, which was showing signs of external damage she later learned Todoh was responsible for, who fended off by Jeremiah Gottwald of all people. She found herself attacked by a shaken Euphy, who no doubt was suffering from severe anxiety. This certainly wasn't the ideal first exposure to warfare she wanted for her younger sister. "I'm okay Euphy, it's alright." She assured her.

"I was so worried, nobody could get to you, and I couldn't figure out what was going on!" She mumbled into Cornelia as she clutched her older sister.

Cornelia looked up as the door opened, revealing the black haired teenager responsible for the safety of both their lives today. He stepped in front of her as Euphy detached herself to stand next to her. Lelouch knelt, hand over his chest. "Chief General." He acknowledged.

"Lelouch." She spoke, bearing in mind the only other one present was Guilford. "Is it true? That you lead everyone to fight Zero?"

Lelouch remained silent a while before answering. "Yes, I did."

"What you did was incredible. And no doubt miraculous. You've demonstrated both intuition and tactical skill that exceeds just natural talent." She knelt down, looking Lelouch in the eye while he looked down. "You are born to lead Lelouch."

He looked at her, his emotions something she couldn't read.

"I want you to help me Lelouch, I want you to defeat Zero with me. I know you can do it, and I don't know if I can do it without you." She told him honestly. "It's what you are meant to do."

"You want me to join you?" He asked.

"Yes. As more I'm then just Lelouch Lamerpouge."

"I can't do that." He quickly responded. "Not yet. Not when it can put Nunnally at risk. I won't let her be used Cornelia."

She nodded. "I understand that." And she really did. She knew that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Nunnally, because she felt the same about Euphy. So in order to secure Lelouch, she would need to offer just one thing. "And that's why I will protect her. Our father won't deny me if I insist it. I'll keep her safe. You as well. I don't know how the emperor would react."

Lelouch looked at Cornelia, gratitude evident in his eyes. "You would do that? You would help her?"

She nodded. "Yes. She is my sister too you know."

He smiled. Perhaps he always read Cornelia wrong. Maybe...maybe he should have gone to her all those years ago. Perhaps things would have been different.

Nevertheless, this was his opportunity to enter the race. The race for the throne. He would become the eleventh prince yet again. And prove himself worthy of the title. As long as his father didn't have him executed first, that is.

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