The White Prince

A Code Geass story about an exiled prince and his rise as the leader of the Black Knights in opposition to his father's evil empire.

The Greatest threat an emperor can face is the success of his own offspring: Often the Emperors son will leave the Empire only to return at the head of a vast army.

Chapter 1) The more things change...

2017 A.T.B.

The Viceroy's palace

Tokyo Settlement Military Base

Area 11 (Japan)

Kyoshira Tohdoh (former Colonel in the now defunct Japanese Defence Force:- JDF) strode through the corridors of the Viceroy's palace his face a grim mask of professionalism. His short brown hair swept back with a spiky fringe, clad in a maroon military jacket featuring yellow stripes at the front for the button sections and yellow sleeve guards with black stripes and two yellow stripes on the neck collar, a pair of white military trousers and a pair of black combat boots to finish his appearance off. The military dress uniform of the Britannian commander.

As he passed by the various palace servants (cleaners/secretarial staff) and the occasional Soldier without a single glance ignoring even the salutes the soldiers gave to their superior officer. All except for one instance when in reply to a salute from a young woman several years his junior Tohdoh replied with a curt nod to the young officer. Her short brown hair arranged in a bowl shape with an upside down V shaped parting fringe, clad in a purple Sleeveless military jacket that reached past her knee's with the tail featuring a yellow stripe than ran up the middle of the front from top to bottom branching of into a cross over the breasts which were heavily empathized (the uniform clearly not a unisex design) although buttoned up at the top including the neck collar still opened enough to reveal a hint of cleavage, bare shoulders with long purple gloves covering her arms, and a short black mini-skirt that barely reached past her thighs (a clear indication that the uniform designer was male, perhaps the Emperor himself didn't he have several dozen wives and a few hundred children?) Long black stockings reached all the way up to half-way down her upper leg (compensating for the shortness of the skirt perhaps) overall the pair of Black combat boots rather looked out of place even as they finished her appearance off. The military dress uniform of the female Britannian Knight (Dame.)

Tohdoh couldn't help but glance back appreciatively at his subordinate Nagase Chiba (another former soldier of the JDF) contrary to popular beliefs he was only human and she was a fine looking woman. Before he continued on his way to the Viceroy's quarters relieved that no one else had been around to see his facade of feigned indifference slip.

Perhaps in another life Tohdoh would have broken down the door, charged into the Viceroy's quarters and assonated the Britannian pig within before making a daring escape with his beautiful and bloodthirsty partner Chiba back to their comrades in the resistance. But not now and not here. Tohdoh merely knocked on the door smartly before waiting to one side for acknowledgement. A few seconds later the Viceroy's muffled voice can be heard through the door bidding him leave to enter.

Tohdoh opened the door and entered walking calmly and at ease while years of military training and personal training in the arts of Bushido told him he shouldn't be so relaxed while on duty especially in the presence of his superior officer; nearly several years of dealing with the Viceroy had conditioned him to appreciate a more relaxed air when around familiar faces, his close comrades and the Viceroy who enjoyed a more lessee fair style of leadership.

The room was spacious which was only natural for a holder of such an important rank: A set of book selves covered a whole wall filled with everything; fine Britannian literature, Scientific and Engineering manuals, War and Political volumes, Historical novels (on the Britannian Empire by Britannian authors mainly with one written by a neutral author from the E.U. and several on the history and culture of Japan - written in Japanese.) But a place of pride was reserved for the shelf's by the window in the corner by a comfortable old armchair where hundreds of volumes of pre-war manga (all in Japanese of course) were stored. The walls where visible were painted a dull orange colour (for no particular reason) several paintings were hung around the walls (a tall intimidating woman with long black hair reaching down to her waist clad in a white Britannian uniform at the controls of a large light blue mech with a white torso displaying the royal crest of Britannia, a young girl of about 5 years of age with long brown hair a mischievous smile on her face, a twinkle in her eyes as she gazes adoring at a young boy at least 5 years older with short black hair looking away his face turned away obscuring his features, a landscape of a peaceful Japan showing an image of Mt Fuji before it was turned into a mining site, a young pink haired girl of about 10 years of age wearing a flower necklace placed a tiara made of flowers upon a blushing young woman with purple hair's head she was at least twice as old as the girl but despite her apparent discomfort made no attempt to stop her, A young girl with red hair arranged in spikes about 16 years of age clad in brown shorts and a yellow sleeveless top that showed of her mid-drift was standing beside an older brown haired young man clad in dark grey trousers and a red jacket over a black shirt and wearing black gloves, behind them a young man about the same age as the other with dark coloured hair wearing a pink shirt was arguing with a black haired young boy of about 16 years of age clad in a simple black jacket apparently over a game of chess.) and a purple carpet patterned with black checkers symbols.

In the centre of the room dozens of chessboards were arranged in formations upon a large table literally hundreds of chess pieces covered them (white outnumbering the few black pieces which are spardicly placed along several of the boards.) The black King was currently flanked by a black Knight and 4 black Bishops and were surrounded by a veritable flood of white pieces of every kind Knights, Bishops, Rooks and Pawns (most of the white King's and Queen's were located several boards away on three boards put together to form a giant area.) To Tohdoh the board with the black King represented Japan there were more black pieces on this board than any other (mostly pawns scattered about hiding from the white pieces.) Strangely enough a white Knight and a white Bishop stood beside the black Knight and black Bishops flanking the black King but unlike their comrades in white they seemed to be shielding the King alongside their Black counterparts (if you looked closely enough you could see a single crack running across their left sides - signifying their change in allegiance against the code of their colour.)

Tohdoh had long since given up trying to make heads or tails of the elaborate war-game (he may be a much praised tactical genius, the commander who brought about the Miracle of Itsukushima, but the sheer scale of the game was beyond even him.) He did however understand the finer points of the game and what some of the pieces represented:- The white King's represented members of the royal family (of which only one was currently present upon Japans board.) The white Queen's represented personal Knights/Knights of the Round (currently there were none present upon Japans board.) The white Knight's/Bishop's/Rook's represented Britannian elites (accomplished soldiers, officers and KMF pilots, of which quite a few were present upon Japans board.) And the white Pawns (were just that disposable troops that Britannia had in abundance, many were present upon Japans board.) That is not to say Pawns weren't important like the game they come from they can gain experience level up and grow more powerful.

The black King on the other hand represented the Viceroy (overall leader of the black pieces whether they knew it or not.) The black Knight Tohdoh himself (loyal to the black King.) The black Bishops...Tohdoh smiles...his Four Holy Swords considered by many to be on the same level as the five Glaston Knights (they were loyal to Tohdoh and through him the black King.) And then there was the cracked white Knight which represented Tohdoh's rival of sorts Margrave Gottwald (Loyal without question to the black King.) and the white Bishop Gottwalds own subordinate (loyal to Gottwald and through him the black King.) Black has fewer open advantages over white but had lots of potential.

The long black curtains were open allowing streams of early morning sunshine to fall over the boards and the various marble pieces scattered across them coming to a stop over the pale features of the Viceroy leaning over the game in contemplative thought, analysing any necessary changes as of today and all future impacts that will likely effect the outcome of the game.

"Any changes my lord?" Tohdoh asks evenly, nothing immediately sprang to mind as different but only the Viceroy would know for sure. The young and yet already highly important man doesn't reply verbally instead choosing to reach out over the boards and shift several white pieces to a single board halfway between Japan's and the three that make up Britannia itself. (1 white King, 2 white Queens, 5 Bishops and at least a dozen more white Knights.) To add to those already on the board which featured a dozen black pieces (several black Pawns, 3 Bishops and 2 Rooks.) Cowering of to one side. The Viceroy sighs tiredly.

"Cornelia has been dispatched to the Middle Eastern Federation" he chuckles wirily "to the soon to be formed Area 18" he states all traces of amusement wiped away "she will no doubt waste no time pacifying the last vestiges of resistance" the Arabs had put up a stronger resistance than expected initially expected but it was all for nought now. Tohdoh didn't display any outwards signs of emotion although inside he was disappointed that the Arab fractions would be slaughtered by the Britannian elite forces, if only they'd retreat and conserve their forces for future (winnable) battles. He didn't hold out much hope for the rebels chances in a direct fight Cornelia wasn't known as the witch of Britannia for been kind and considerate to its enemies.

Lelouch Vi Britannia; 11th Prince of Britannia and Viceroy of Area 11 (for over 6 years now) his black hair hung down to his shoulders, his bangs sometimes obscuring his eyes from the world but never the other way around currently clad in a black dressing gown with silver tassels and an emblem of a silver bird in flight with a sword running through it upon the back, a pair of Geta (Japanese sandals) upon his otherwise bare feet. Turns around to face one of his most trusted Knights and subordinates "my feeling exactly" he replies ignoring the fact Tohdoh hadn't replied he knew how the man referred to as the 'last Samurai' would feel about the news. "On the other hand it keeps her busy and out of my hair" he adds flippantly before laughing "I wish Scheizel was as accommodating half the world away and still he manages to interfere" he was referring to the Camelot special division research team that had recently arrived in Area 11 with hope of field testing their experimental KMF designs in actual combat outside of an 'actual' war - it was all rather pedestrian even if the technology involved was of high interest to the young Viceroy.

"Oh well with the JLF hardliners still at large they'll probably get a chance to show off" he shrugs his shoulders "so long as they don't get in the way of my renewal projects that is"

Tohdoh bows his head "all projects are currently ahead of schedule if only by a few days, almost all are on budget, the public morale is at an all time high, terror attacks are infrequent barring a few cases nearly always directed at the military" he smiles ironically "perhaps it is time to begin the next stage" he suggests to the Viceroy who smiles back gleefully "perhaps...hee who am I kidding?" he chuckles "lets do it, the future awaits us"

0o0o0

1 Tohdoh's uniform is based on the one worn by Guilford.

2 Chiba's uniform is based on the one worn by Villetta (And does indeed look like it was designed by a perverted male commander.)

3 The Portraits are a pivotal clue to a future development (hint the last one is based on a photograph)

4) The Chess based war-game is an idea used several times before in the fic's I've read but I've never heard of one been used on this scale before.

5) I'm pretty sure your all WTF? Tohdoh a part of the Britannian military! But I assure you I have a fully thought out reason to explain this, the story as you may have guessed is AU and I wanted to do something that had never been done before (and a scene of Burai fighting alongside Sutherlands against several terrorist Glassgows came to mind) Before you condem it wait for me to finish chapter 2 which should explain if not everything then at least the reason why Tohdoh didn't join the JLF (of course who says he didn't?)

P.S. I'm in two minds about what to do with Suzaku should he remain as cannon in which case he would probably join Lelouch, or should he be a hardened resistance fighter in which case do you think he'd oppose Lelouch (and/or Tohdoh) or work with him?