Code Geass: Enduring Retribution

Key:

[ ] - Sound Effects

" " - Regular Speech

' ' - Unheard Thoughts

" " - Emphasis / Radio Communication

" " - Amplified Speech / External Speakers / Public Address System (PA System)

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Chapter X - Itsukushima & After

September 24th, 2010 A.T.B.

The Miracle of Itsukushima, that's what the troopers were calling it. It was the sole and unique victory for the JDF forces against the Britannia invaders in the whole entirety of the Second Pacific War, a beacon of hope that burned brightly within the hearts of every Nippon national, a testimony that, no, the enemy was not invincible, that they could be beaten, and that, one day, the once proud country of Japan would rise again, reborn as a phoenix from the ashes of its conquest, strong and determined. Or, at least, that was what was being said. But Tohdoh knew better. Tohdoh knew the truth. Itsukushima was, for lack of a better word, a fluke, pure and simple.

The men now called him Kiseki no Tohdoh, otherwise known as Tohdoh of Miracles, testimony to how starved for victory they'd been. So low was their morale that, at the slightest hint of triumph, at the bare inkling of a win, they'd jumped upon the bandwagon and praised it as an unparalleled achievement, a success story worthy above all others. And yet, despite the praise, despite the accolades, encouraging words and cheers of joy, Tohdoh knew that their victory had been, at best, pyrrhic in its nature, born out of a mixture of detailed intelligence, planning, favorable weather and overconfident opponents. That wasn't to say the Colonel himself was a poor leader, far from it. It did, however, state that many factors had been sympathetic to his side.

It had rained the night before the battle, torrential outpours saturating the island's ground and turning the landmass into nothing more than a large, squalid pit of mud, sludge like earth slowing down anything and everything, from men to tanks to Knightmares, that attempted to make its way along the earthen roads.

The plan had been simple: Using the gathered up remnants of the Japanese Western and Central Armies, Kyoshiro Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords would establish a defensive perimeter within the small costal island of Itsukushima, right off the northwest portion of Hiroshima Bay, and prepare themselves to engage in a last man stand against the ever unstoppable Britannian forces, vying to bring down as many enemies as they could before death came to claim them as well, honoring the ways of Bushidō. They would fight, and die, for their country. Surrender was not an option.

The assembled troops were, to be blunt, a pale comparison of their original numbers. The scattered pieces Tohdoh and his men had come across consisting of a variety of retreating, or worse, shattered fragments of differing army battalions, some nearing the size of company while others came closer to no more than a squad, each shred of what was once an individual and independent fighting force, varying in their roles and degrees of experience, reduced to nothing more than bands of men on the run.

Most were infantry, small groups of soldiers whom, either through luck or skill, had been able to escape the clutches of a relentless adversary, their weapons alternating between rifles, snipers, machine guns, mortars and more. Others, however, disposed of better equipment and, ergo, had more power, encounters with individual units and half - sections of APCs and mobile gun platforms brining in much needed firepower to the melting pot of a gradually forming rag - tag regiment. Finally, but far more rarely, came the unmoving or abandoned series of armored vehicles and tanks, their crews stranded throughout the region as they'd had run out of fuel, their sakuradite cells empty and depleted, requiring replacements. Their scarcity originated from the fact that most had been destroyed during the initial onslaught of the invasion, waves of bunkers on treads having been ripped apart by the, yet unknown, Knightmare Frames that treated them like tissue paper. Nevertheless, their inferiority put aside, the armored boxes' guns, given the opportunity for a proper shot, remained just as effective against the humanoid machines as much as they did against themselves, so they too were gathered up. By the time they'd reached the island, Tohdoh, as the highest ranking officer with his designation as Colonel, had control over 1234 men, 64 APCs, 29 mobile guns and, last but not least, 26 tanks, all of various makes and models.

In the two days he'd been given before the Britannian attack, Tohdoh had immediately set to work on digging in, working in close collaboration with Urabe and Senba, the more level headed of his soldiers, to establish the series of defenses that would ensure the maximum amount of inflictable damage towards an assaulting invader. The men dug trenches, the guns were camouflaged and the tanks placed into the hull down position. The APCs, on the other hand, stayed in reserve, their energy stores filled through the usage of all remains spares and removal of the other vehicles' fuel cells, so as to render them as a sort of dual purpose mobile cavalry and transport, the latter part determined to ferry any necessary men or materials from one part of the battlefield to another in a both quick and efficient manner. Then came that fateful day.

September 21st, 2010 A.T.B

It was at daybreak when the Colonel had first started received the scouting reports from the pre - positioned lookouts, a slew of radio chatter flowing into the temporary headquarter's command post on observations of the oncoming Britannia forces' composition, the amalgamation of countless details steadily forming an approximate image as to what kind of odds the 30 year old commander and his troops would be facing. What both he and those present heard was enough to make them collectively pale.

By all available evidence, the opponent forces seemingly consisted of anywhere between two to three fully manned Imperial army regiments, along with a detected three platoons of mixed armor and, worst of all, three squadrons of Knightmares, acting in support. The assailants, therefore, essentially outgunned and outmanned the Japanese by a rough factor of three to one, with approximately 4500 men, 150 armored vehicles and 72 Knightmares squaring off against Tohdoh's forces. Preliminary analysis, with technological differences taken into account, all pointed towards one singular outcome: Total annihilation of the island's defenders. This prediction, however, would turn out to be false, though only by a slight margin.

Confident in their massively successful lightning war across the Japanese mainland, the Britannian officers placed in charge of the offensive operation failed to adhere to the most basic teachings of warfare, preferring to, instead, simply jump headlong into the fray, reconnaissance and planning be damned. It would prove to be their undoing.

It was, just as in every other battle of the war, the Glasgows whom got sent in first, their role being that of piercing the Japanese front and severing said forces straight down the middle, allowing closely following allied infantry, as well as supporting armor, to then sweep into the area and conduct mop up operations, wiping away any and all forms of remaining resistance. The plan was quintessentially simple, battle proven and, quite frankly, utterly inappropriate for the situation at hand.

To begin with, the offensive's driving force, the Knightmare Frames, were quickly obliterated. The deep and viscous mud which laid upon the ground, clinging to the KMFs' land - spinners, robbed the otherwise untouchable death machines of their greatest attributes, their speed and maneuverability, effectively downgrading them to no more than sitting ducks, their hulking size making them easy targets. The Japanese guns, placed in a manner that acted both to conceal and create interlocking arcs of fire, made short work of the humanoid weapons. Yet the carnage failed to stop there.

As per the Britannian plan, a variety of infantry carriers and armored vehicles had followed in the wake of the robotic knights, their column like approach rendered slow and vulnerable by the same treacherous mud that had doomed their frontline comrades. The Itsukushima hills turned into a shooting gallery, torrents of gunfire, round s upon rounds of heavy caliber bullets and shells, pouring onto the unprepared attackers, unable to maneuver so as to formulate a proper response or counterattack. By then end of the first wave, little to none of the opposing forces had survived, while Tohdoh's own, on the other hand, remained largely unscathed. This would not last.

Outraged by their initial failure, the Britannian command choose to adopt a strategy of continual full frontal assault, the usage of human wave tactics chosen in order to wear down the JDF body through nothing but sheer attrition. After all, the Empire could afford such loses, whereas Japan could not. Whether out of damaged pride or delusional ideas of racial superiority, however, the Britannian method of approach remained the same as before, with wave after wave repeating their fallen brethren's' past failed actions and, as a result, meeting the same ends, though not without inflicting a certain number of casualties of their own, the onslaught of never - ending foes gradually locating, isolation and, inevitably, destroying, the few guns within Tohdoh's possession, grinding away at his strength. Had it not been for the strategic usage of the, until then held - back, APC's, as well as the overwhelming losses incurred by the reckless Imperial command, the battle would have, by no doubt, ended in an allied defeat.

It was only with the sun's setting that the fighting finally came to a close, the bruised, broken and battered remains of the Empire's forces having wisely chosen to retreat, sour in their greatest, and only, loss of the war to date. The affair, by all accounts, had been bloody. With night had came the casualty reports: Only 100 Japanese soldiers had remained unharmed and fit for service, the other 1134 either wounded or killed in battle, with all original vehicles, save for a dozen APCs, destroyed. It was at this point that Tohdoh had been faced with a fatal decision: Either he, the Swords and able soldiers could remain upon the island for the following day's attack, choosing to stay by the dead and wounded's side in honorable combat, or they could load onto the still working transports and attempt to find their way towards the Narita Mountains, where General Katase was rumored to have gathered his own remaining troops within the heavily protected fortress.

Unable to decide himself upon one of the two options, the Colonel had eventually settled upon a vote. The result was almost unanimous: Retreat to fight another day. The soldiers believed they had struggled with both valiance and honor; their minds having attained peace. The wounded, knowing that their need for care would only slow down those whom had successfully remained unharmed, elected themselves to stay behind, maintaining the camp's fires to uphold the illusion of the defenses' occupancy, their companions, in the meantime, fleeing during the dead of night.

Present Day

And so it was that Kyoshiro Tohdoh, the Four Holy Swords and the 100 other survivors of the Battle of Itsukushima found themselves around 20 miles from the former Nippon capital of Tokyo, on foot, the transports having run dry of their energy around three days prior, sun beating down upon their brows under a clear blue sky.

"How much further to General Katase's position Colonel?" Asked a visibly exhausted Asahina, his breath ragged and brow drenched in sweat from the hours long march he and his comrades had endured since their leaving behind of the APCs, his standard military rucksack and weapons only adding to his already hefty burden. It wasn't so much the marching itself that left him tired, no, as he and every other soldier, just like the men in every other army in the world, had been trained to endure such conditions with ease. It was, rather, the pure length of time they'd actually spent walking, an approximate eight hours so far, that left him spent.

Paying no head to his subordinate's behavior, one that seemed eerily close to that of a complaint, Tohdoh calmly answered, "There remains approximately 80 kilometers of travel left, so I advise that you conserve your energy Asahina, lest you crumble from fatigue."

"You shouldn't be so harsh towards the lad." Came the amused yet courteous voice of Senba, his face equally wet from perspiration, "Not to subvert your authority but, with all due respect, both he and the men, all of us in fact, have been marching for quite some time. Add to that the difficult terrain and our loads, I do think some form of a rest is mandated. It would allow us to recuperate our strengths and refresh our minds, Sir."

"I concur with Senba Colonel, I also think some kind of brief cutoff would be to the benefit of us all." Followed the weary voice of Urabe, hands brushing against his brow as he wiped off the salty liquid dribbling into his eyes. Truly they needed an interlude.

The only one of his Swords whom did not voice their opinion was the ever loyal Chiba, though, judging by her all too similar appearance, there was no arguing that she too was probably thinking of the same thing, even if she'd never voice such an opinion out loud, so long as it went against her leader's own, that is.

It was true that he as well was in a heftily worn shape, the on - foot travel having taken its tool on him in an equal fashion to his followers, the added fact that they'd been forced to navigate across open land, forests and hills, unable to use the roads out of fear of being intercepted by hostile forces, rendering the journey all the more arduous. Taking into account these circumstances, as well as his Swords observations into account, Tohdoh came to a plain yet critical decision. Raising his right arm skywards, hand balled into a solid fist, the Colonel shouted, "Halt! One hour's rest from this point on! Use your time wisely so as to eat, sleep or take care of any other important business you may be in need of! Be warned, do not stray to far from this point of you will be left behind, is that understood!?"

"Yes Sir!" Came the relieved cry of the nearby soldiers, many instantly slumping onto their rears at the welcome opportunity of a break.

'I must have truly been out of it to not recognize my own troops exhaustion.' Came the self - chastising thoughts of Tohdoh, surprised as to how oblivious he'd been to the all but inapparent signs. Maybe the battle and ensuing flight had taken more out of him than he'd initially led himself to believe. In any case, he had to insure protocol's following before choosing to relax himself, wary at how, even while hidden deep within the woods, they were still behind enemy lines.

'Although, I presume that it would be wise to assume the entirety of Japan is now enemy territory." He silently mused, reflecting on how grim his country's situation currently was. It would be quite some time before he or the unbending Japanese would even stand a chance to evict their imperialist invaders, much to his dismay.

Cautiously eyeing his surroundings, Tohdoh waved towards two of his nearby men, his hand signaling for them to approach. Once they'd reached about a meter from his sitting form, they asked, "What is it you require from us Colonel?"

Tohdoh replied, "I need you and the private to scout the perimeter in order to make sure there are no unwanted surprises lying in our wake. Our situation is precarious as it is. Take only your rifles, radio and binoculars with you, silencers included. The rest of your affairs should remain here. Make sure you survey a complete circle around us of, to make sure, 300 meters. That will ensure that we are out of danger for the time being. Should you fail to observe any potential threats and complete your round, you may then return and recreate yourselves while a replacement duo takes over your shift. That will be all. Dismissed."

Flashing their commander a quick salute, the two men then gathered their supplies and made their way through the woods, vanishing from sight soon after. Content with his meager yet important action, the drained Colonel stretched his back upon a nearby tree, opting for a quick nap. His mind was his greatest asset and, should he be prevented from thinking with a clear head, he held no illusions that both he and his men would meet their untimely end. His light slumber, to his mild annoyance, did not last long however.

It was the frowning face of Urabe to which Tohdoh awakened to, the man's palm resting upon his own shoulder, the Holy Swords' member having lightly shaken him until he'd woke.

"What is it Urabe?" The black haired Colonel questioned, words garbled by his groggy tone, "What is it you need to bring to my attention?"

The skilled swordsman looked down at his leader and answered, "It's the rations Sir, we're coming dangerously close to running out, for both food and for water."

Tohdoh's face scrunched up at the unpleasant news, having not expected a shortage occurring so soon. Then again, not all of the accompanying fighters had had their pre - packaged meals and bottled waters on them when they'd hightailed it from Itsukushima, many having lost their packs during the fighting. Add to that the additional time taken while moving from point A to point B, due to the need to avoid Britannian patrols, it all made a certain amount of sense why they were already running out. Pondering over the issue he asked, "Are there any edibles or sources of water we could scrounge off the land nearby, at least to briefly tide us over?"

The blue haired Lieutenant merely moved his head side to side in a silent gesture of no, explaining, "Chiba and I have already given a quick look around in the woods surrounding us, we wee unable to find any sort of fruit or plants that could be deemed edible, nor did we locate some form of stream from which it would be safe to drink. We are simply not in a proper enough location."

It was then that a crackling buzz emanated from the duo's personal handheld communicators, a distinctively Japanese voice sounding out over the airwaves.

"Is anyone there, over? Can anyone hear us, do you copy? This is the scouting group sent out by Colonel Tohdoh over."

Reaching for the small contraption at his side, Tohdoh unclipped the small, brown box from his belt and responded, finger pressing against the speaker button, "This is Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh over. What is it you've found scouting group?"

A brief silence ensued, for reasons unknown, before another transmission emanated from the radio again, opposing voice now recognizably lowered to the level of a whisper, "We've located a small clearing less than 200 meters West from base camp Sir, there's some kind of fortified structure dead ahead with armed infantry patrols circling its walled perimeter."

The idea of a heavily defended site so close to his own unprepared and resting soldiers did nothing to help ease Tohdoh's worry, concerned by its proximity and evidently armed nature. In need of greater details, he asked, "Are there any visible markings or flags that you can observe from wherever it is you're positioned? I need to know whether those inhabiting the building are to be considered as hostiles or not."

Silence ensued yet again as the scouts on the other line no doubt searched for easily identifiable designations, before an answer finally made itself known, "We've circled the complex and are currently starring at what appears to be the front entrance. The letters LPDS are inscribed in large, black font on the rightmost wall. Does that mean anything to you Colonel?"

At the mention of the publicly instituted civilian shelter Tohdoh smiled. It was not some dangerous enemy camp to which they had nearby made halt, but instead a neutral, defense oriented emplacement, most likely sympathetic to the Japanese plight. Brining his mouth closer to his device, he spoke, "What you're observing is not a hostile entity. Remain were you are, unseen, for the time being. Lieutenant Urabe and I shall make our way towards you as of now."

A simple "Yes Sir!" wasregistered in reply before the radio's crackling ended, its power temporarily shut off so as to conserve its limited batteries.

"An LPDS Colonel? Are you sure that its wise to seek help there?" Questioned Urabe, perplexed at his officer's seemingly elated expression.

"Worry not Urabe, the presence of one of these shelter's comes at a good time for us. I sat on the approval committee as a military advisor when the LAC first approached the government for the project's approval. The parent company might be Britannian in nature, but the purpose and manner in which the systems were designed convinced me that there was no hidden intent at foul play. Now, that doesn't rule out the need for caution, as, despite everything, the camps remain under the LAC's control, and may therefore refuse to aid us by fear of retaliation from the Britannian authorities. However, it is in my belief that, with some carefully negotiated diplomacy, we may be able to receive some form of help from them nonetheless. We could always implore support from the inhabiting Japanese civilians at worst, seeing as how they would undoubtedly be friendly to our cause, as they could then pressure the guards into supplying us with the rations we need."

The grey eyed soldier listed carefully to his commander's explanation, facial features indicating as to how, he too, was going over and reviewing the information behind Tohdoh's words. He simply nodded throughout, only then to comment, "While I believe your reasoning is sound, are you certain that we should go alone Sir? I think it more prudent that we take at least another two to three men along with us, for security's sake, even though I'd doubt they'd open fire on non - hostile men. There's also the matter of explaining this to Senba and the others. I'm certain that neither Chiba nor Asahina will be in agreement with this, especially considering how the LPDS is of Britannian origins."

Tohdoh eyed the man and flashed him a brief, but pleased, smile, a rare sight from the otherwise unemotional man, before responding, "I see your points and recognize that you are not wrong, it is a sound idea for us to bring along more men, thought only two at most. I'd rather not us seem as antagonizing to the guards, it would be best to avoid trouble. As for the other Swords you should not worry. Senba will see the logic behind our views and, to be blunt, the other two will ultimately give into my authority, no matter their objections."

Urabe grinned in amusement at his commander's reference to the fiery duo of his squad, chuckling.

"Out of curiosity though," He began, intrigued by the Colonel's mentioning of his presence upon the original Japanese LDPS review board, "Were you able to meet the LAC's CEO during the meeting? I've been told that he remains anonymous to the public at large, even in Britannia."

Tohdoh shook his head in a show of ignorance, explaining how, "The man only communicated to us through a series of sent intermediaries and a single, brief video conference, at which time his face was blacked out and voice heavily modified. I do believe him to be young, however, as the outline of the speaking figure appeared to be rather small."

Urabe exhaled in disappointment, before getting himself once more on track, "So, when do we get started?"

As it turned out, Tohdoh's assessments of Asahina's and Chiba's reactions proved themselves to be spot on, much to his own consternation. They were brave and loyal followers, true, but they also harbored many faults, chief among them being their overbearing sense of nationalistic pride, a factor which render them innately suspicious and untrusting towards anything, and everything, foreign.

"Colonel Tohdoh, please, I urge you to reconsider!" Pleaded an evidently anxious Chiba, wary of the what she perceived as an up and coming danger, "That construct is under Britannian authority, you'll be shot dead before you even make it to the front gate! They don't take prisoners, you know they don't! You've seen them mercilessly slaughters our men as POWs as if they'd been nothing more that animals! Do not let yourself be deceived by the outward appearance of things, you of all people should know this. I…"

Chiba's insubordinate ranting came to its halt as Tohdoh finally lost his patience, silencing the woman with a single bellow, "ENOUGH NAGISA!"

The uncharacteristic outburst from her superior caught the woman off guard, her head bowing in submission following the temporarily stunning shock. She knew she'd been getting on the Colonel's nerves with her ceaseless raving, but it was only to try and make the black haired man realize the obvious trap he was walking into. Still she obeyed, speaking with humility, voice lowered and laced with sadness, "Forgive me Colonel, I did not mean to usurp your authority, I only wished to attempt and make you realize the danger of the situation you are placing yourself in…Sir."

Tohdoh, having promptly calmed down from his earlier temper, merely sighed in exasperation.

"Chiba," He began, tone slightly softer than his usual neutral delivery, "I understand your worries and I have listened to your opinions, however the decision has been made. I therefore expect you to follow those decisions as pertained by my orders, are we clear? I have already been lenient with you and Asahina by allowing the both of you to come along despite my previous wishes to leave you behind at camp, so it is expected that you return the favor by accepting the situation as its stands. Do you understand?"

The brunette woman's only answer was a silent nodding of her head, eyes darting in multiple directions so as to not look into the Colonel's own. The four man group of Colonel and Swords, minus Senba whom had been left in charge of the recuperating forces, silently walked through the increasingly thinning woods before eventually coming to an overly large bush, two Japanese soldiers at its side, an unmistakably concrete gray fortress looming within the small clearing not but a meter away. Taking notice of the approaching group, the troopers turned to face their commander.

"Anything new to report?" Questioned Tohdoh, unsure of what sort of events may have occurred during the short walk to this hiding place.

"None that we can think of Sir. The patrols mainly stick to the walls and tube like towers when surveying the area and we believe to have yet to be spotted. There's also no indication of any kind of armored vehicle, at least any that can be detected by either sight or sound, so we are rather certain that the fort's garrison is comprised entirely of infantry. We did, however, reconnoiter a large gathering of civilian cars some 500 meters to the West, though it is unclear as to their being there. Would you mind telling us a bit more on what it is we're currently observing Colonel, you seem to know what that is."

Tohdoh's eyebrow rose in mild surprise, finding it interesting that the two men had not known of the LPDS, despite the large amount of publicity the LAC had pushed for throughout the Japanese media.

"It is a privately funded public shelter created by the LAC. Their purpose is to act as a safe - haven for those registered should violence or war break out, which, as you may have noticed, has."

"They're probably making a fortune by selling spots to our people too while they're at it, greedy bastards…" Came the lowly muttered comment of Asahina, his face plastered with an look of disgust.

"Ah, but that's where you'd be wrong Asahina." Came Urabe's voice, his two - sense shifting the bespectacled boy's features into an image of curiosity.

"And why is that?" The blue eyed boy inquired, intrigued.

Urabe gave him a grin as he answered, "Because not only are the LPDS privately funded, but they were also completely open to the public, free of charge, for anyone who wished to sign up or apply for residency, not to mention how the Japanese government received a very generous sum for the land it leased to the company."

Both Asahina's and Chiba's expressions faltered at this key piece of knowledge, their past assumptions largely undermined, however Chiba tried to hold out, "That doesn't change the fact they are still inherently part of the enemy, and therefore cannot be trusted. Not only that, there's also the point that they must have known something about the ongoing invasion; it seems just to convenient they would launch this type of project only months before the outbreak of a major conflict, so I'll keep my suspicions for the time being."

Urabe merely sighed at his friend's stubborn attitude, though Tohdoh took notice in the latter part of her rebuttal. While he was thankful for the LAC's construction of the shelters that protected at least some of his people, their construction in such 'convenient' time - span did elect some suspicion from him. He'd approved of the project and trusted its intentions, but still, he wouldn't mind if there was a greater amount of light being shed upon the subject.

'It would be interesting to meet the man behind the company.' He thought.

Pushing these speculations aside, the Colonel decided to get his group back onto the task at hand.

"Alright men, listen up: I, Urabe and Chiba will walk towards the main gate of the shelter in an attempt to parley with whoever's in charge. Privates, you and Asahina will remain here with your weapons ready should anything go wrong, with smoke grenades prepared so as to cover our and your escapes if needed. In the worst case scenario, should all three of us be either killed or captured, you are to rendezvous at base camp and have Senba take control of our troops. Understood?"

Asahina, though looking slightly troubled at the possibility of his comrades' deaths, bobbed his head in response, answering, "As ordered Sir, loud and clear."

"Good." Was the Colonel's reply.

Emerging from their hiding place, the small trio of two men and one woman slowly made its way towards the imposing steel gates of the bunker complex, weapons holstered but drawing hands at the ready. It took little more than a moment before they caught themselves observing one of the patrolling guards pointing towards them while apparently shouting out to one of his co - workers, his rifle at the ready.

As they came ever closer to the impressively thick walls, a loud grinding discord echoed throughout the woods, the sound of metal scraping on metal producing a high - pitched was which permeated the sky. It wasn't until the very large and heavily imposing canon ends of the, until now, hidden turrets were pointing directly at them that the group understood where the noise had originated from. Though Tohdoh kept his cool, he was practically certain of having heard Chiba swallow.

It was then that two men, clad in pitch black armor, a silver winged crest on their vests' breast, shape skewering the easily defined letters of LPF, emerged from a human sized door built into one of the larger gates. The duo's only visible weapons included their sidearms and what appeared to be a large kind of knife, though it didn't rule out the possibility of concealed ones. The first of the two held out his arm in the offering of a handshake, smile on his face as he spoke, "Welcome to Lamperouge Public Defense Shelter Number 1, I'm John Akiyama. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Tohdoh eyed the man, no, boy, in front of him, carefully analyzing his physical features. To start off he was young, no more than 19 to be exact, and appeared to have a mix of both Western and Asian features, his olive shaped eyes and Japanese tinted skin to name two examples. The fact that he'd also introduced himself in the Britannian manner but while speaking in Japanese also gave him a clue to the youngster's origins.

"Are you of mixed blood? And what do that abbreviation stand for?" Tohdoh questioned.

John maintained his beginning composure at the, for him at least, common inquiry, visibly un - offended, responding, "Yes, that is correct. My mother was of Britannian origin while my father was from Japan. She was of minor nobility at the time so their relationship caused quite the scandal. She eventually left the America's to move to Japan, where she birthed me some time latter. Pretty fairytale - like story, I know, but it's the truth, although I doubt your presence here is to learn about my life. As for the letters, they stand for Lamperouge Police Forces. Were essentially the LAC's own private security force and maintain the shelters as needed. Now, all this set aside, what can I help you with?"

Taking comfort in the fact that his counterpart was of an, apparently, far more liberal background, the black haired commander asked, "I and several of my soldiers have been on the run in an attempt to reach friendly forces for the past few days and are now coming to close to running out of supplies." He began, being careful so not as to mention where his troops were located or what their destination was. He then continued, "It was my belief that you may be able to supply us with some food and water for our journey, if it isn't too much of a burden on the civilians you are sheltering of course."

John's smile dimmed at the JDF officer's request, an aura of uncertainty pouring out from his person. Maintaining silence for a moment, he began to respond in a slow and mindful manner, "I… Understand your plight, however that sort of decision is not within my authority to make if I'm honest. Let me…"

His response was cut off by a ticked - off Chiba, scowl on her lips and eyes narrowed in a threatening manner as she spat, "So you'd just let our comrades die from thirst and hunger, is that it? Are we not good enough for your charity? It's probably that Britannian side of your's that's controlling your reactions,isn't it?"

John's expression rapidly darkened at the woman's criticism of his heritage, visibly insulted. Tohdoh, instantly aware at just how quickly the Sword had placed negotiations in danger of collapse through a single unwarranted comment, quickly stepped in in order to salvage the situation. He turned, hand pointing at the woman while his voice held traces of both venom and steel, "Chiba, you will hold you tongue for the durations of this talk, understood! These comments of yours are completely unjustified in this conversation; we are here to request help from these people, not insult them!"

He then turned back towards John, now somewhat appeased at the fact of Nagisa's ruthless chastising, speaking, "I apologize for my subordinate's behavior, please continue."

Reacting to Tohdoh's commanding attitude, John cleared his throat as he reengaged himself into the conversation, "As I was saying, we are not lacking in supplies at the moment and would be glad to supply you and your men; the only problem is that the power for me to carry out such a task, or to make such a decision, is officially outside of my hands. However, I do have the LAC's CEO on site whom I can give a quick call in order to get his approval, it should only take a moment. Do you find it agreeable? I only required you to remain here for a minute or two, the time for me to relay the message across."

At the mentioning of the LAC's highest authority being present Tohdoh's eyebrows rose in fascination, his interest peaked at the newly uncovered information. Quickly agreeing he said, "Yes, of course, those terms of fine."

John, nodding back in assent, began making his way towards a small, red panel at the main gate's side, opening the iron box with a small, brass key. As John began to dial a number into the keypad of the built in phone, Tohdoh latched onto the whispered voices of the intermediary's, up to this point silent, colleague.

"You can't be serious, can you? Are you really going to call that kid? How can you even be sure he's our boss?" The man questioned.

John continued to punch in the appropriate numbers, not bothering to look back at his surprised friend, answering, "I know its weird but you have to face facts. The boy had all the necessary paperwork and evidence to prove he's the executive, as unbelievable as it may be. You known just as well as I do how much security there was to confirm it. Fingerprints, DNA testing, rectal scan, voice analysis; it all matched, he's the real deal."

The other, in a rather bitter manner, replied, "Working for a ten year old who owns a multi - billion dollar conglomerate, what's next?"

The idea that the LAC's owner was nothing more than a child acted in a manner akin to that of a bomb within Tohdoh's head, his mind caught completely off - guard by the revelation of such magnitudes that he didn't even wish to think of all the possible implications.

He came to realize he'd lost track of time due to his musings, John having, somehow, appeared once again at his side, hands behind his back as he was apparently waiting for something. Then, suddenly, the door through which the two LPFs had come through earlier opened yet again, this time with a lustrous, green haired woman, with hauntingly deep amber eyes, walking through, followed closely by the small form of a boy he knew all too well, those violet irises and the raven black hair instantly brining up memories of their first encounter upon the airport tarmac.

Lelouch vi Britannia.

Word Count: 6380

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the wait but there's not much that can be done about it, but still, Spring Break! Expect far more frequent updates for the time being at least and hope you enjoy. This has been the longest chapter to date though, but not by much. Still, appreciate it! Now, about the last few chapters.

I originally believed I would sail straight through the war and get to the, by now generally standardized, 7 year jump as most fanfics do. In this case, however, reality got in the way, with plot development, as well as my own imagination, making what had supposed to be one chapter become broken into a variety of them, such as C.C. and Lelouch's reunion, and this time the reappearance of the Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. I should also warn you that there will be at least 1 to 2 more chapters focusing on Cornelia and Kallen; I figured introducing them into the war at this point would be a great way to deepen their character development (Or make one to begin with considering the latter of the two), though be warned, there will be no romance between the redhead and the raven, so sorry KalaLulu fans. Those stories are well written, believe me, but it's my personal preference to have the witch and the warlock keep each other company.

Reviews:

Sacchin:

Fluff, you need some of it. Plus, while I don't believe myself to be the guy to over fluff everything in sight, some amount of the stuff is necessary, but you're not complaining, are you now?

MadeInBestKorea:

Dialogue. Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. My eternal foe. I completely agree with your point, and I too personally enjoy the parts where characters are able to interact with each other. It makes for a more fun and driving story and allows yourself to be pulled into the plot. I like dialogue...I just can't write it well. Give it time and some practice and, eventually, hopefully, it will get to the point where the majority of the story is upheld by those interactions. Thanks for the praise and constructive criticism, it helps, seriously.

Everyone Else:

Your reviews have value! I'm not begging for more, my ego is big enough. Just making you all feel valued as part of the larger group, at least for now. In any case, thank you and enjoy!