Thanks for viewing/reviewing the story! As for Nicfoto5, I do plan to keep this going for a while at minimum, though I will have to take breaks here and there for other reasons. Now onto the chapter!

As for the use of Gundam SEED mobiles suits, I am not very familiar with them and I had already decided how I was to go with Theo's unit's, sorry but thanks for the suggestion!

I own nothing of Code Geass except for our lovely Theovold.

"Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your destiny!"- Lao Tzu

After we had returned to me childhood home, we had made preparation to visit my mothers grave. Myself dressed in all black mourner's attire, while Micheal and Stella had both been dressed in their Knight outfits, a white blouses and trousers with a vest of each of their favorite colors, Micheal's being blue and Stella's being Orange, with a red cravat around their necks. They had the option of a white and black outer coat though they didn't need them for today as it wasn't that chilly. Slowly, the three of us approached the grave site, the head stone decorated with the symbol of the Imperial family, though it seemed quite normal for considering how the other's around here looked.

Kneeling down, I dropped the chrysanthemums down at the base, staying in that position as I felt the overwhelming feeling of grief surge through me, my heart aching at the thought of her smile. I dropped completely on my knees, my hands taking in fistfuls of grass as I silently let out my grief. Micheal and Stella both watching me with concern though not stepping forward knowing I needed to let it out.

We stayed like this for hours, the sun beginning to set being the notification for me to go, my eyes red and clothes grass stained form staying like this for so long. Micheal moved forward to help me up, a steady hand I eagerly accepted, "Thank you, Micheal." I said softly as I turned to the blonde.

He shook his head, a somber smile on his face, "We can stay longer if you need to, I sure won't mind."

"Neither would I," Stella said stepping forward placing a hand on my shoulder, her face marred with concern.

I shook my hand, my hand on her's as I calmed my nerves, "No, it will be getting cold out soon, and I couldn't do that to you two. Let's head back, I heard that Herold was preparing a feast with our return." I put on a smile as I put an arm around both of my knights to begin to lead them back, though I still caught the concerned look they shared between each other.

Once we had made our way back, I was proven right as Herold had prepared something quite special. The head chef had been trying out a new recipe and was eager to let us try. I had some reservations as did Stella, but seeing how Micheal was enjoying it without a care in the world, I decided to give it a go. I felt like kissing the man with how well he had prepared the steaks, and oh my god the potatoes!

After a full meal that we hadn't gotten to enjoy in years, we each went our separate ways to our rooms. Just as I was about to reach mine, I noticed someone in the shadows, Stella taking a few steps forward to not startle me, "May I speak with you?" She seemed nervous though about what I didn't know.

Opening the door, I let her into my room, taking a seat at the small circular table that took up the center of the room, offering her the chair next to me, "Is something the matter?"

She took the seat and seemed to think about what she wanted to say a bit before talking, "Are you alright, Theo?" The concern in her voice immediately shot me red flags.

"I believe so yes, why are you asking?" I tried to not let my concern show through.

"Well, today at the grave, I couldn't help but be worried for you. I know you have important matters as Prince, though you shouldn't have to suffer in silence. You should let these emotions out or we fear that they will consume you," She said, her eyes steady as she gave me her full attention. I knew they were worried about me and I knew I could rely on them to be a shoulder to lean on if I need to.

Closing the distance, I pulled Stella into a hug, surprising the shorter girl, "Thank you, but I will be fine after a bit. I have important matters I need to attend to and I can't afford to be distracted. Trust me on this okay?" I smiled to down her blushing face as she gave me a small nod.

"Good, now go off to bed, tomorrow will be a busy day and I will need both of you at the top of your game," She nodded again, leaving my embrace before walking quickly down the hall towards her room. I watched her leave before entering my own room, heading to the telephone I keep on my nightstand.

Quickly punching in the numbers, receiver to my ear as I waited for them to pick up. Hearing the click I was greeted by a mature voice, "Hello? This is Ruben Ashford speaking, how may I help you."

"Earl Ashford, this is Theovold, I was wondering how you are this evening?" I asked, keeping my voice warm as I talked, "I understand it's late, though I have a very important proposition for you, that is if your interested?"

I could hear the corporate man shift in his chair, "Your Highness, I see your finished your training, that's good to hear," He paused for a second before continuing, "Before we begin, I am sorry to here what happened to Lady Genessa, she was truly a kind person. I will miss her dearly." His voice was somber and I could tell he was being honest despite them only meeting each other a handful of times. I felt my face become more distraught as I thought of her again, but I pushed the feelings to the side, not now.

"I thank you, though not to be rude, I came calling about business, I have heard that the Ashford foundation is currently suffering from the backlash of Lady Marianne's death," I stated, keeping my voice jovial, "I sadly cannot save your company, I can however save the people in said company. I am willing to purchase all major production plants as well as the various development sites within the homeland. Sadly, I cannot do the same for the outliers though I figure the other vultures pecking at your back wouldn't mind taking them in."

There was a few minutes of pause while Ruben thought, I had even checked to make sure I was still connected before he spoke again, "What would you do with them?" His voice was a note quieter than before, he seemed resigned and defeated. I sympathized with the man though I knew I had to do this if I wanted to change the future.

"I intend to start my own conglomerate, their main purpose being knightmare production and development," I could hear him straighten up on through the receiver, I had his interest, "If you wish, I would prefer to start negotiations on price now, if you don't mind."

Ruben began to laugh lightly through the phone, "I would love to, however I hold myself to a standard of professionalism, if you may, your Highness, I would like to meet you at my estate. When would you be available?"

I smiled as he finished, "Tomorrow, and I expect you to stop using my title, I thought I told you that all those years ago when you let me drive the Ganymede." My voice playful as I heard another bout of laughter.

"Then I will see you tomorrow, Theovold, I wish you a goodnight," At that I hung up and placed the device back down, a determined look in my eye, 'I can begin now, I can save everyone!'

The next day, We had a hearty breakfast courtesy of Herold before we made our way to the Ashford manor, Ruben greeting us all warmly on the front steps as he took us inside and we began the negotiations. They overall went well with me purchasing eight of his production plants and three of his R&D labs. A decent startup venture if I had to say so myself. We had immediately set off to each of the locations, Micheal however headed to see about getting an office building within the city limits while Stella and myself were talking with the staff personally to renew their contracts if they so wished, most of which agreed though there were a few who declined.

I had most of the factory's making various parts for whatever knightmare was being mass produced at the time, selling straight to the Britannian military for a slightly reduced price than competitors. While I expected they wouldn't take it lightly, I doubted they'd do anything now. I had saved one factory to producing exclusive parts for the company, to secure an avenue for specialized parts without a middleman or an external company. While they needed to expand as they only had the basic construction equipment, that was an issue for later.

Now we were on our way to first of the development labs,as I figured the researchers wouldn't mind the switch as long as they were allowed to continue to their work, a task I wanted as much as them with a few nudges towards technology I would want to develop. We had been driving for a bit as this particular lab helped to test armor and ordinance, so it was a couple hours outside the capital.

After a few hours, with Micheal calling to inform me that there were some hiccups but we secured a building, I thanked him and tasked him with getting the place up and running, something he seemed to dislike but I convinced him to do it with a personal knightmare. With Micheal dealt with I laid my head back, enjoying the smooth ride to outskirts of the city limits when I noticed Stella glaring at me.

"What's the matter?" I said, keeping my internal panic at where I fucked up down and off my face.

"Why nothing," She said with a huff, though I could easily tell she was upset about something. I thought about it for a second before it clicked.

"You want a personal knightmare too?" I said with a smile, bringing my fist down into the palm of my hand, earning a glare from the blonde as she crossed her arms, "I know your smarter than to assume I wouldn't do that, I can't have my knights running around in outdated frames now can I?" I was beginning to tease her as her cheeks turned light pink as she turned to look at something very interesting outside.

Before I could continue, we slowed to a stop, the door opening and Herold standing to the side with a bow as I got out. The building was impressive, it held a elegance I would expect from somewhere like the Louvre, not some backwater research facility. I was given a moment to appreciate the building before I realized no one was here to greet me, 'Interesting they didn't want to meet their new source of income' I thought with a smirk as I began to make my way to the front door, motioning for Stella to follow.

It was a short walk before I found what I assumed to be their receptionist desk, the man behind it seemed to be content until he locked gazes with us as we walked in, fumbling with a telephone as he quickly called for someone. I was in a red officer's uniform with a shoulder cape on the right side with my hair in a ponytail while Stella was in her knight's uniform with the outer coat and boy did she look pissed.

As I made it to the desk, he had set the receiver down, I opened my mouth to speak but Stella beat me to the punch, "I hope you have a good explanation as to why My Lord was made to show himself around." Her voice was ice cold and even a bit venomous though I quickly inserted myself to prevent anything else from happening.

"It's fine Stella," I said with my hand up and my trademark smile on my face as I turned my attention to the man behind the counter, "Would you happen to get the person in charge of this facility. I happened to just buy it and was wondering if I could meet with them." I kept my voice even as he nodded though he seemed to glance at Stella every once in a while.

"I had called him down from his lab once you entered, Your Highness, I profusely apologize for our rudeness, I am willing to acce-"

I cut the man off immediately, "I would have none of that, I had only called a bit over an hour ago, I can't just expect you to drop your work like it was nothing." I gave Stella a look that told her to wait till later as she looked like she was about to argue with me over my decision. I do love that they voice their mind.

After a moment of idle conversation with the man at the desk, a door opened to reveal a thin man dressed in a white lab coat and what appeared to be sweat pants. He had brown hair and looked to have no shaved in a few days as it seemed a bit patchy. I quickly shot Stella another look as walked up to me, "Your Highness, a pleasure to meet with you, I am Lucas Gavelfield, Head researcher. I am assuming your the one who had bought out the Ashford's huh?" He seemed to be quite tired though his eyes seemed like they were analyzing me.

"A pleasure Lucas, I am Theovold Lu Britannia and this is Stella Verithe, One of My Knights of Honor, she has quite a temper, forgive me if she comes off a bit rude, "At this I turned and gave her a small wink, "She means well that I can assure you." If this fazed her, I couldn't tell as she crossed her arms.

The scientist offered her his hand, which she begrudgingly accepted, "A pleasure, My Lady," He then turned to face me again, "Now, would you like a tour?"

What we saw there was Impressive, had I not known what was to come from the future. They had several different types of rocket in testing, and a dozen more on the drawing board with a few melee weapons that actually seemed kind of interesting. They hadn't really moved into the defensive department due to the fact the Ashford frames had been proven as very formidable combatants focusing almost entirely on offense.

I looked over a project, an attempt to produce a melee weapon capable of projecting energy though it seemed to be in the extremely early stages with the Glasgow like frames they had produced being unable to handle the device. At least it looked interesting and with the development of the Lancelot, there might be something here. I would need to see what I could do.

Turning towards Gavelfield, I offered my smile, "What do you have for staff here? Specifically for something like armor development?"

Lucas gave me a questioning look, though thought better than to ask, "We have about a dozen who could fit the bill, what would you have me do with them my lord?"

"As I know it, all Knightmare development has been using tungsten as the main source of armor, right?"

The scientist nodded, a curious look on his face, "That's correct, mainly because of the reaction between it and sakuradite. Because of this, it will have a high yield and is quite effective at both absorbing damage and retaining its form."

I smiled to him, "Then could I ask about a deviation in the production of the armor? I was wondering the effect's of combining sakuradite with a bit of a different mix. One that would use Steel, Iron, and Nickel."

Lucas brought his hand up to cup his chin, his mind working quickly to determine if the project could be useful. After about a minute, he smiled back to me, "I think that would prove to be a fruitful endeavor, though what would be the purpose of this? Most of the other companies focus on an all around lightweight model that can still take a hit. Using that formula would lead to something unlike what anyone has previously built, possibly even surpassing what we would call the fifth generation knightmare."

I waved off the question, "I will answer it later, though I would prefer to keep this project under wraps, save it for something special."

His eyes widened at what I said before he quickly nodded, "I will increase security around the project to prevent any leaks."

I waved it off again, turning my back to him, "Actually, keep the security about average, hiding something in a vault would only make other people curious to what's in it. Instead start the production of an advanced model, I will leave the design up to you, though I have a couple of specifications."

"And what would that be?" He asked, his interest only seeming to grow, "Planning to make a custom frame?"

I nodded, motioning with my hand to Stella, "It will be her frame, so it would be fitting to have her specifications in mind when making it, don't you think?"

He nodded, turning to the blonde, "I will contact you later then," He turned to me again, "And what of your frame, Your Highness? I heard that you scored top of the class when it came to piloting, and I wouldn't dare assume you wouldn't want one as well." He had a rouge smirk on his face, he was proving an interesting find.

"I will send my specifications later, I don't plan to take the field in some unit I couldn't call my own outside of what the military provides. I can't expect you to rush excellence now can I?" I gave him a firm handshake before I turned, motioning Stella to follow while the scientist spoke once more.

"Very well, Your Highness, we will begin work immediately." He quickly turned and went into the lab to break the good news to his colleagues.

"Theo, what are you going to do?" Stella asked once we were back in the car, she had her eyes closed, though I could see the worry on her face no matter how hard she tries to hide it.

Leaning my head against my palm, I gently place my hand on her cheek, causing her to flush red, "Do not worry, these are only precautions in case the future begins to prove quite hostile, I wouldn't want you hurt now. It would tear me apart." Her cheeks remained red, though she didn't knock my hand away, only nodding her acceptance of my mediocre answer. I retracted my hand, turning to look out to the city skyline as my mind raced on a rebellion that would take the world by storm.

The thirtieth of November of the year 2013 a.t.b.

While it took a bit of time and quite a few meetings, I had successfully established my company named Rang-Solis, a small jab towards mine and my father's different views. The main focus was production of parts for the Britannian Military, serving to fuel the production of knightmare's. This was the bulk of the infrastructure as I didn't need it to be anything specific. The secondary project was left to R&D based off of my direction, which to say hasn't bore any fruits outside of the new armor type we have made, aptly named Afli Armor. Using Sakuradite, it is extremely resilient to firearms, including knightmare rifles, though it is balanced out in the fact it's twice as heavy as Tungsten armor and not as mobile. For the Glasgow we had produced using the Afli, it was barely able to move, and couldn't fight properly against a normal Glasgow. With time and some dedication, I'm sure Lucas will develop something extraordinary though I knew I'd have to be patient.

As I finished up the general basics of the company, I had been tasked by my father to take charge of in the South African Theater. I now was on a plane to meet with the command staff as well as the higher ranking Knightmare pilots. With me was both Micheal and Stella, dressed to the nines in their uniforms, while I was dressed in my service uniform, a simple red high collared coat that went down just below my knees, a white blouse, my red ascot, black trousers, and a pair of riding boots. A bit fancy for what were doing, though I was confident I could pilot in this without much discomfort.

As we sat waiting to land, Micheal was going over his excitement to finally be deployed while Stella remained neutral as she filed some paperwork, "Theo, how do you feel about this?" The messy brunette asked, his face a smug smile as he nudged me with his elbow, "I know your itching to fight again."

I sighed and gave my friend a warm smile, "While I do miss being in control of a knightmare, I'm not exactly excited to take the field," This caused even Stella to raise an eyebrow, "I would have to kill many people soon, and that alone isn't something to be happy about." My voice became somber as I looked out the window.

Stella looked down to her hands while Micheal got a sheepish look, the rest of the flight remained silent as we made out way back over land and towards the spearhead of the campaign. As we began to circle around to prepare for our decent I spoke up again, "Micheal, while I may not share your excitement, I won't condone it. If you want to enjoy it go ahead, though even you should know to not let it get to your head."

Micheal cracked a small smile, "I may enjoy it, but it's purely for the challenge, like you. You'd have to be a psychopath to enjoy it in that regard." He ended with shrug earning a sigh from Stella.

I laughed at the remark, "Then you'd refer to my sister as a psychopath?"

Micheal's face got a bit red as he thought of what he just said,"Wait -no -that's not what I- I apologize, that was uncalled for."

I waved it off, my smile returning as I spoke, "I don't disagree, she is a bit of a enthusiast when it comes to warfare, though I will say it's because she is extraordinary at it."

Stella took this chance to speak up, "The Emperor did say that he planned to expand towards the middle east correct?"

I nodded, crossing my legs, "Indeed, for that to happen, we need at minimum the east coast of the continent secured. It won't be an easy task though most of it should be open savanna and sparsely populated. It'll be the major cities and fortresses that will be the issue, as I've been told the European Union has been sending them supplies and knightmares to help hold us back."

Stella seemed to think about this, nodding when she spoke again, "A smart move, especially since it isn't their pilots being lost."

I nodded agreeing with her, "Expect heavy resistance once we make it up towards Ethiopia. I doubt they will sit idle and take the Middle east."

Both nodded, as we felt the plane land on the tarmac, the engines roaring as they slowed us down to an acceptable taxiing speed. As it slowly made it's way towards the main hanger, I could already see several figures standing at attention in a line, with one standing in front. As we got closer and stopped,I could tell the figure in front was a decently tall man, sporting a blonde goatee and short hair. Judging from the shoulder boards from his traditional blue uniform he was somewhat high ranking.

As the stairs dropped down, I let Micheal take the lead, my knight had grown excellently since we meet at the beginning of our training, His frame was massive, he even stood a head taller than me, his brown hair was long, though it parted just above his right eyebrow to show his green eyes. He had a resting face that looked perpetually irritated which didn't help his intimidating aura. In fact, the only person who didn't shrink a little when he stepped out was the man I noticed beforehand. Despite this however, he was really easy going and tended to be a bit too friendly, rarely getting mad.

Next was Stella, and she had grown quite well as she was now quite attractive. She had her hair down in a long blonde ponytail that rested on her shoulder, her blue eyes vibrant and focused. She had an ability to turn heads, and when she did there was hell to pay as she wasn't one to enjoy attention in that regard, she much preferred to keep things professional and wasn't afraid to step up and make sure it's enforced. I would say she had grown out of the shyness she had shown at the Academy since I started my company, both her and Micheal proving to be of great assistance.

As they waited at the bottom of the stairs, I stepped into the light, my auburn hair was shoulder length as I liked it, tied into a pony tail that went down the back of my neck and a couple inches below my collar. my bangs seemed framed my face to give me a kind and gentle look, one I didn't mind at all. I stood at about seventy five inches tall, and now weighing in at about two hundred pounds as I try to keep in shape as much as possible.

I took the final step and began to approach the leading officer, my knights falling in step behind me as I passed. As I stopped, the officer offered the traditional hand over his heart as he bowed, "Your Highness, welcome to the Lesotho Forward base, I am General Fredrick Walters and I am the officer currently in charge of the strike forces stationed here, as well as the various other forces in the area."

"A pleasure to meet you, General Walters, how's the situation?" I asked after extending my hand out to the veteran. A look passes over his face before he accepts.

"All things are going according to plan, though we have been having a bit of a problem with the transportation of supplies from here to the front lines." He rapid fired off, his face remaining calm and collected.

I smiled to the general, my free hand moving to his soldier, "May I ask, what of the troops? How is their conditions?" My face remained friendly though I couldn't keep a bit of anger out of my voice.

The General's eyes went wide for a second before returning to his stoicism, "Your Highness, the troops are being treated as best they can given the situation."

I sighed and pulled away from the general, "I will see for myself then, I want you all to remain on standby for if I need you. I will leave Stella here with you as my primary contact, treat her words as my own. Is that understood?"

The people here quickly snapped to attention, offering a resolute salute before I dismissed them, "Stella, I will leave this place to you, make sure to give me a call if anything pops up." To this she nodded before following where the other officers had went.

Once Micheal and I were alone, he walked up to me, placing my hand on my shoulder, "Let's get a move on, they won't inspect themselves now will they?" He had a rouge smile on his face that lightened my mood a bit.

"Yeah let's get going." I smiled back to my friend as we made our way to one of the cars meant to travel between the base and the lines. It took us about four to five hours and the sun was beginning to set by the time we reached what could be called the Britannian encampment. Immediately upon exiting the car, I could feel all eyes on me as the soldiers began to see why someone as high ranking as me had decided to grace them with my presence.

I quickly made my way to the first huddled group sitting around a fire, taking a seat next to one of the men who hadn't notice me walk up, "What are you having?" I asked keeping my voice bright and curious.

The man nearly choked on the food he was eating once he got a good look at me, standing up, "Y-your highness! I apologize for not recog-"

I cut him off quick, "No need for that, I would rather you all treat me as one of you when I'm here, after all I will be fighting with you all. Now, what are you guys having? I'm curious about your conditions." This didn't seem to put them at ease, but at least they began to talk and eat again, though it upset me they treated me like some alien when I'm just another person.

Micheal was making his way over to other group, scaring a few people before he began to get them to talk. I think I even heard them telling him their stories earning quite a bit of laughter. This put my smile on my face as I noticed on of the soldiers trying to warm his hands by the fire. Getting up I cam over, unbuttoning my over coat and draping it around the boy, his youth becoming more apparent as I got closer, "Yo-Your Highness, what are yo-"

"Shh, take it, you seem cold, is it like that often here?" I kept my voice low despite the attention I had drawn. The boy looked me in the eye and nodded, pulling the coat tighter around him.

"During the day, it is pretty hot, so we aren't able to wear most of our thermal equipment or else we risk overheating. At night though, the temperature drops and we have to huddle around these fires for warmth." His breath was a little foggy as he spoke, and even I felt the nipping cold without the overcoat. I made a mental note of this.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, showing my concern for them in my voice, I didn't want them to have to struggle beyond what I'm already asking of them, "If there's anything I can do, I will, so just tell me."

He paused for a minute, looking around for a second before nodding, "The food sucks, though beyond that I can't think of anything, Your Highness."

I laughed at him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Call me Theo while I'm here, I hate that stuffy nonsense, though it does have it merit's sometimes, it won't out here. We're all equal in war, whether a prince or a commoner, we all bleed and fight and struggle. And for the food? I can't change much of that, unless your mother would be willing to come out to cook for everyone?" I chided warmly, the boy's face turning a bit red as I joked with him as everyone around burst into laughter.

"You could cook for us, Your Highness!" Shouted someone out in the crowd earning another round of laughter, getting me to stand up and face the guy who said it.

"I bet you'd prefer the princely treatment wouldn't you!" My smile was stuck and it carried in my voice as I began to taunt him.

"You bet I would, I could get steaks or booze everyday!" This earned another round of laughter from the crowd as we began to go back and forth, eventually leading to some questions about myself.

"What do you do in your free time?" Asked the soldier clutching my overcoat, everyone had a smile on and it warmed my heart to see it.

"Well, I spend most of my time running around doing various project's with my company, if not that I'm either reading or training." I said nonchalantly, turning down a cup of water and handing it to someone else.

"Training? What do you do for training?" Asked one of the older members of this group, he had a full beard and a chiseled face showing over several scars.

"I usually spar with Micheal over there," I pointed over to my knight as he was beginning to get a bit rowdy. "If not that, I spar with my other knight or do knightmare simulators."

"You spar, I thought it'd be too much for a dainty prince," Asked the same veteran, "A bit to rough for that face of yours."

I laughed it off, leaning forward on my knees, "I have been told I'm quite skilled actually, though my knights give me a run for my money. I went undefeated at my academy." I had a sly smirk on as I pointed towards him, "Care to try to change that?"

A couple of people stopped doing what they were doing to watch the soldier's response, the older man thinking for a second before standing up, "Your on, Your Highness!" This earned a couple of whistles as I stood up as well, unbuttoning my uniform top, handing it the the boy with my overcoat. Underneath the fabric, I revealed a well developed body that showed years of hard work. This earned a couple of whistles.

"Take care of this for me," I asked kindly, the air was cold against my skin, my muscles were a bit stiff from the flight and I needed to work it out sooner rather than later. The older veteran did the same, showing a decent amount of built up muscle. While he was a tad bit bigger than me, I was probably still stronger, "We only wrestling or we going all out?" My tone didn't change from being friendly as those around us created a circle for us to have some space.

He shrugged, "Whatever you wish, I have no problem either way."

I nodded, "We will go all out then, is that alright?" He nodded his consent as he took up a boxer's stance, 'Interesting...' I though as I entered my stance, my hands more in front of me and unclenched as I began to make my way towards him. As I got within striking range, he threw a lightning fast jab, my eyes barely keeping up as I felt his hand brush against my cheek as I ducked my head to avoid most of the damage. If he was shocked he didn't show it, as he continued to throw jab after jab, my arms coming up to help to intercept them as I worked my way in closer. He brought his right in as a hook, weaving back, I launched my first attack, hooking my fist to collide with the pit of his elbow, feeling the skin shift I threw my second punch, hitting the underside of the same elbow, watching as the arm moved in a way it definitely shouldn't be. As he tried to back off, I landed a solid punch to his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him before landing a kick on his wounded elbow again.

The man grunted in pain as he sunk down, clutching his arm as he looked back up to me, "That's pretty... gnarly there... " He huffed out a smirk growing on his face as he got up, his good hand going out, "I didn't expect you to be so ferocious..."

I took his hand and shook it, "And I didn't expect you to be so fast, I thank you for showing me something new!" I was smiling as someone came and took him to the infirmary to get his arm looked at.

I turned and saw Micheal smiling over by the edge of the crowd which had grown as people realized that someone was fighting me, I waved him in as I caught the look in his eyes, "Come on, I know you want to!" Micheal immediately began to take off his shirt and we began almost instantly, both of us landing blow after blow against each other as the crowd watched on in fascination. Here in the middle of their camp they were watching a Prince and his knight go at it like prize fighters. The crowd was getting into it quickly as they weren't one to turn down entertainment of this quality and as the fight continued on, Micheal landed a good blow against my cheek, bruising it almost instantly. I returned with a kick to the knee I've been weakening all fight, his leg buckling underneath him and as I was about to land the cross to end it all, I got interrupted as I heard someone yell to me, "What are you two idiots doing!" Stella all but screamed as she saw who exactly was fighting after being unable to find us.

I turned to Stella, a smile on my bruised face as I waved to her, "You want next?" She quickly stepped through the crowd, her hand grabbing my wrist and began to pull me away from Micheal who was being helped up off his injured leg, a promise of revenge following behind me as I was taken inside one of the tents.

Quickly I was sat in a chair, a furious blonde staring me down with her arms crossed over her chest as she began to speak, "What the hell was that?!" I flinched at her tone of voice, my hands going up to subconsciously.

"Well, Micheal and I were here to learn about the soldiers conditions and well after about an hour or so, one of them challenged me and we fought, after that Micheal wanted a go so I indulged him." I quickly shot out, a apologetic smile on my beat up face.

Stella sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "I don't understand you sometimes..." She was quiet as she spoke, her face showing an emotion I couldn't quite pin down.

"What about me do you not get?" I asked, taking her free hand in mine, my knuckles bruised from the bout.

"I don't understand why you like fighting but hate war, you go out and get yourself beaten bloody for fun, but find the idea of conflict on a larger scale revolting," I frowned to this, While Micheal seemed to understand me and my motives quite easily, Stella was a few pages behind.

"Well, they are different to me," I started, my eyes moving down to her hand in mine, my voice soft, "War is a machine of carnage and death, a waste of good honest lives. One should fight not worried about their lives being on the line, or that if they lose their families are the ones to suffer. The fights I take part in are situations devoid of that, what I enjoy is a fight where losing one doesn't do anything outside of a couple of injuries. Your alive and all you hold dear is still safe. A war causes only pain, and while a fight can bring a sense of accomplishment unlike any other." I could feel Stella's gaze on me as she processed my answer.

Waiting patiently, I felt her hand squeeze mine, Stella going down to squat in front of me, her eyes locking with mine as I noticed her face was slightly red, "I'm sorry for yelling."

I shook my head, pulling her into a hug, "I don't forgive you!" My smile forming on my lips as she slowly returned the hug, "I want you two to be able to express yourselves, or to corral me in when I am making a mistake. I'm actually quite happy you stepped in Micheal would have had me if he was able to take that last punch!"

"Idiot..." I heard her whisper into my shoulder, though I knew she was just embarrassed at her display back then. We sat like this for a bit before she pulled away, her hand running back a couple of wispy strands, her face much more relaxed now than before.

"We should get to bed, we have many things to do tomorrow." She said before standing up, her back towards me, "We can't have you falling asleep in the middle of the battle strategy now can we?"

I nodded and stood up, my hand on the table to support myself, Micheal was always able to make me push myself a bit too far, "Indeed, that would be unbecoming."

It had been a week since Stella corrected me and we had been fully briefed on the future plans for our operations. Now we were beginning to move out with he newly released model of knightmare named a Sutherland, which proved quite the useful device as it had higher specs than the now outdated Glasgow. With this we quickly stormed up the east coast, moving as a large triangle, taking hundreds of miles of territory for the Empire. Despite these advances however, I spent most of it in the command G1 helping to establish what I could of my command staff, at least until I was comfortable with them leading without my being there. Our casualties were minimal outside of a bit of ordinance or Knightmare frames, though the pilots usually got off pretty easily.

As we finally reached our first major stronghold of Nairobi. This city had be reinforced to be resistant to siege and with dozens of European Devicer's, making for one tough nut to crack. The first day was mainly probing of their defenses, which lead to the loss of a couple of men, all of which felt like a personal blow to me. Each day we had advanced I had visited the men and woman who made of the eleventh combat corps, the army group I was assigned to command. Each day I would see the distraught faces of those who witnessed someone they viewed as a friend or lover get killed, and I would go out of my way to help comfort them in their time of need. This had earned me quite the reputation among the bulk forces and pilots as I would bring with me supplies to help boost morale. I even made it a point to eat with them when it wasn't considered a threat to my safety, though I still was able to sneak away and enjoy some time with them when I could.

With this new obstacle, I knew I wouldn't be kept off the field, as I had grown confident with the bridge staff to be able to command without me, though I would leave Stella to help them. The first day we began the assault in earnest, I was piloting a freshly brought in Gloucester with red markings on the face plate and armor. The machine felt sensitive and I could tell the amount of control I had was significantly different from before. While I was part of the second team to attempt to break into the city, it didn't stop me from standing at the front watching as the first wave began.

The sight I saw that day would never leave my nightmares. I watched as entire squads of infantry were torn apart by gun emplacement's. Sutherlands getting obliterated inside the various choke points through out the outer edge of the city. And the sounds of the wounded over the communications begging for aid. The intensity of it all broke me, and I ended up charging straight ahead towards the encampment to assist where I could.

The Gloucester made it's way up the hill sides and through the narrow streets were the fighting had already been. I watched as medics tried to treat men with limbs missing, and to ease some of them as their wounds were too severe to treat. I felt the tears stream down my cheeks as I made my way to the front line, my sword coming out of it's scabbard and my pistol in the other hand. I began my rampage.

I spotted a enemy knightmare frame and immediately charged it, using the pistol to disable it's land spinners before decapitating it. Two more frames charged forward, their rifles spraying towards me, destroying the various buildings around me as I began to dodge and weave through the fire, the tip of my blade piercing the joint at the top of the leg before going up to slash off the arm of the unit. The second turned to fire but was too slow as I slammed the pommel of my sword into the fact sphere, crushing the frail device causing the auto eject to launch the pilot away. My hands began to shake as I saw the remains of a couple of units nearby, the blood covering the flag of Britannia. The anger taking control, I slammed my fist against the left monitor, feeling the glass creak beneath the force. I was barely able to contain my rage at this form of assault, the careless loss of life. I quickly sped forwards down the street, heading towards the center of the city where the fighting seemed to be the most active.

As I rounded another corner, I was met face to face with a small squad of enemy knightmares, their rifles coming up to try to pepper me with their volley. I quickly fired my slash harkins into two sides of the street using them to pull me one way or another to help avoid the incoming fire quickly as I fired, taking on the the knightmares by surprise as I blew off it's land spinner, causing it to veer and tumble, damaging the weapons and arms of the hastily made frame. The other two continued their assault trying to pin me down with a lucky round, though I dodged left and right in a pattern too quick to figure out in the heat of battle. I jabbed my blade forward, puncturing the arm of the leftmost unit, the pilot deciding to eject before the frame exploded, leaving the last pilot. He quickly reversed, firing the rifle inaccurately, destroying the few untouched building surrounding my frame as I threw my sword towards him, impaling the fact sphere, causing the machine to go into low power mode, the pilot ejecting to save himself. After I retrieved my sword, I set off again towards the battle, my blood boiling as I saw husk after husk of Sutherlands and enemy knightmares, the bodies of civilians and soldiers littered the streets as I pushed forward to my full potential.

Rounding a corner, I saw a Sutherland explode, it's pilot being killed instantly. With a roar I charged forward, my pistol firing the the knightmare trying to reload it's cannon, though the bullet's quickly tore apart the joints in it's hand, leaving it defenseless outside of a knife. The enemy quickly charged, his knife out and ready to try to slash towards me, though my unit was quicker, quickly cutting the arm off at the elbow before smashing the pommel into the fact sphere, causing the auto eject to fire. The pod launched itself into a building , taking down the front wall with it.

As I turned away from it, I heard small pings coming from behind me, turning to the rear camera, I saw an injured pilot firing his pistol in hopes to hit something vital, I clenched my teeth right before a friendly pod came into view, landing between us. I turned to face it, the pod opening and the pilot slowly making his way out, the old face of the veteran I fought just a bit ago revealing itself to me. The enemy pilot seemed to notice this and right as he aimed towards my comrade, time seeming to slow down as I watched with wide eyes as the veteran turned towards me, recognizing my frame his hand coming up to address me. 'No, don't... don't do this!... DON'T DO IT!' I activated the anti personal machine gun in the front of the cockpit tearing the enemy pilot to shreds. I screamed in the cockpit as the image of the man was soon replaced with a blood splatter and body parts, a notification warning me that my ammunition had run out. I felt the hot tears streaming down my cheeks as I thought of what I just did, how I had committed an act so horrible that I felt bile rising in my throat.

Opening the cockpit, I jumped down, the vomit quickly leaving my mouth as I thought of the family and friends of the man I just ended. I felt a pair of strong hands on my shoulders, pulling me up from my hunched position, the knowing eyes of the soldier, his name popping up into my head as Nikola, boring right into mine, "Your Highness, are you alright? Your not hurt right?" His eyes quickly scanning me for wounds, seemingly relieved when I was unbloodied. Though when I thought of what I did, I could feel the foul taste entering my mouth again as I hunched over and proceeded to empty my stomach until I was dry heaving.

During this, Nikola sat beside me, calling in back up on our position as he waited for me to calm down, "You Highness, are you alright?" His voice was laced with concern as his eyes met mine again, I doubted I looked very princely right now.

"I-I'm fine..." I said shakily as I tried to stand up, the veteran holding me up with my arm around his shoulder. He shot me a knowing glance as we took shelter behind my Gloucester, the reinforcements quickly over taking our position as I was escorted out of the battle. I felt cold inside with a guilt that made it almost impossible to lift my head as medics tried to get me to talk, eventually wrapping me in a blanket and retiring me to my room aboard the G1. I don't know how much time had passed since the room was in the interior of the massive vehicle to protect it from enemy fire in case we were to be ambushed. I had shut the lights off soon after getting there and sat curled into a ball against the foot of my bed, my eyes sore from the tears I spilled over what I did.

Eventually, I felt light bath into the room, my eyes shutting from the sudden brilliance. Slowly, I heard someone walking towards me, though I didn't pay it any mind. I was too self absorbed in my own grief that I didn't even respond as I felt someone place a small hand on my shoulder, a small shake causing me to turn towards the owner of it, my hair undone and messy covering the majority of my tear stained face. My deep purple meet with the vibrant blue of Stella's, a feeling of restlessness coming over me as I began to stir, my body popping in a few spots from not moving, "Stella... How long has it been..." My voice was dry and uneven as I steadied myself against the bed post, Stella giving me a foot or two of space as I got up.

"It's been two days, the siege was a success and we now captured the city." Her voice remained even, though I could hear the worry beneath it all.

"And what of the men?..." I asked into the room, my head down and my hair obscuring my face from view. I gripped the post tighter as she didn't respond, the silence permeating the space as I waited, my own sorrow rising to the surface, "Tell me... how many..."

She stayed quiet, placing her hands on my shoulders as she gently pushed me towards the bed, "Lay down, Theo, I will get you something to drink..." Her voice was gentle and pleading though I lacked the strength to resist even if I wanted to.

"Stella... please..." My voice breaking as I begged for her to tell me.

She bite her lip as she contemplated what to do. Finally taking a breath, she spoke, "We lost three hundred infantry in total as well as forty three knightmare pilots..."

I felt the pain return to my chest as I gripped at my blouse, my fingers digging into the bed sheets. I knew there was nothing I could do, nothing to prevent this suffering and lose of life and it made me feel powerless. I slammed my fist against the wall, angry at myself for not being a good enough tactician to prevent this, or had the strength to handle the burden alone.

"Theo!" Stella cried out before she noticed I was biting my lip, a small trickle of blood going down my chin as I retraced my hand, bring both of them to my face as I curled up. Slowly, she began to rub my back, trying to comfort me as this gnawing sorrow chewed at me, a silence settling in for a bit before she spoke again, "You know Theo, your probably the most sensitive person among the royal family... A trait one could say is unique to you." She laid next to me, wrapping her arms around me pulling me close as she rested her head on my shoulder blade, "Despite your linage and the power that comes with it, I haven't seen you abuse it once, nor have I seen you hold it over anyone. Instead, I watch as you lower yourself to be with those men out there, to be just another normal man to them, with faults and flaws and dreams of your own. If there was a person I would want to serve, it would be you, and only you, because you have a way of connecting with people around you in a way no one else tries to do. Even as you sit here, consumed by grief, you always keep them at the forefront of your mind, always concerned for others well being." Slowly she went up, placing her cool lips against the back of my neck, "That is why no matter what, I will always stay by you and help you through those difficult times when you need someone to help you carry the burden of responsibility that you carry."

We stayed like this, Stella offering me her comfort as I slowly built myself back up again, eventually accompanying her out to see what had survived of the battle group. As soon as I stepped over the thresh hold and into the crisp open air, I was met with a friendliness from the troops in the near vecinity, eventually drawing almost everyone who wasn't inside the G1 or on duty to me. All of them barraging me with one thing or another.

"Your Highness! How are you feeling?!"

"Oi! Theo! I was wondering when you'd come out, you have challengers lined up for weeks!"

"I saw you fighting, could you give me some pointers!"

This continued for a bit before Stella stepped forward, clearing her throat, "Alright, His Highness has had it pretty rough and has something he would like to say." Her spoke over the crowd, all of the falling into silence as they gave their Prince their undivided attention.

I stepped forward, my hair still down and my face still a bit of a mess as Stella tried her best to help make me presentable, "I want to thank you all for what you did, we have scored a tremendous victory these past few days with the capture of Nairobi, though that isn't what I want to speak about." I left a pause as I felt my throat hitch, though I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Micheal offering his sympathy, a small smile on his face as he squeezed my shoulder. Slowly, I took a breath as I began again, "As you all know, War is a terrible business. We lose friends, partners, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. People we cherish and love. During these past few days it's been especially brutal for you all as I no doubt you all grieve for someone as much I as I do. I wanted to speak and touch on this, you aren't just statistics on a spreadsheet. A Number to determine our strength or a nobody with nothing outside of your service. I have been meeting you all and getting to know you on a personal level, so that the memory of you passes on with me, should you fall in battle. Once we have established this Area, I plan to return to each of the homes of those who have fallen these past days and personally deliver the news." I took another breath as I looked over the crowd as I felt my eyes began to water a bit, "I don't envy this task, though I would want you to do the same for me should I perish in combat... So with this... I wanted to ask if any of you would volunteer to come with me, to show the families left behind that their memory will live on in us! I will not force anyone who doesn't wish to go.. except for Micheal, he's being forced to.." I finished earning a couple of laughs from the small jab I sent towards my good friend.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, not like you could stop me from going," He said with a smile, his arms crossing over his chest in a triumphant pose.

I nodded, turning to the crowd, though most seemed to hold back something. I felt an uneasy air about them and felt a bit of pain in my heart until I licked eyes with Nikola, the veteran having a bandage over on of his eyes. Slowly, he got up and made his way through the crowd, eventually stopping right in front of me, his eyes level with mine as I waited for him to speak.

"Two days ago, I was defeated in knightmare combat, though as you can see, I was able to eject and escape. As I landed, I noticed the Prince was there in his Gloucester, and as I was about to call to him, he opened fire." He left a pause as he turned to the crowd, his eyes going over each and every persons there, "When I turned and saw what he had shot at, I was greeted with the sight of an enemy pilot, his gun aiming at me before Theo had ended him. I would have died if not for his split second decision! Though I respect the man before me not for saving my life, but how he acted upon taking one. I saw a man who had done something that shook him to the core of his being, his very body couldn't accept what he had done anymore than he could."

He returned his gaze to me, a warm welcoming smile on his face as he did, "I have seen too many consumed by blood lust in the field, and on your display, your conciseness, I can safely say you are a kind and gentle man. I would be honored to join you on the return to the homeland to go and pay your respects." He gave me a crisp salute, his hand firmly pressed against his chest.

As soon as he finished, I watched as the rest of the company began to pop to attention, offering their own salute as they roared in unison, "We would be honored to return to the homeland with you, Prince Theovold!"

I felt tears begin to stream down my cheek as I watched them with a warmth in my heart I have only felt with one person before, the image of my mother appearing in my mind as I pulled Nikola into a tight embrace, "Your all a bunch of idiots!"

And with that, I end this chapter! I hope you like how I'm portraying Theo, as i'm nervous as hell about how this is turning out.

R&R appreciated!