Chapter 32. Empires

It's difficult for Cornelia to just stand by and watch her little brother go, but as much as she hates it, she understands that he does occupy a role and he cannot just leave his underlings unattended. God only knows what those Numbers could be up to if Lelouch is not there to keep an eye on them.

Not to mention that there are other things she needs to worry about. Lelouch can take care of himself. Schneizel and Euphie cannot, and neither can Britannia.

As soon as Lelouch is gone, Cornelia turns toward the doctors. "Well? What's the verdict?"

"His Majesty's condition has stabilized. His internal organs have suffered some damage, but he is no longer beyond our aid."

"So he'll make a complete recovery?"

"It's much too soon to tell. What happened to His Majesty is... unprecedented. But if he doesn't have a relapse of his past condition, that is our estimate. It will, however, take some time."

"Time," Cornelia repeats. "How much time?"

"We're not certain. Weeks. An induced coma of a certain length would be safest to make sure there's no lasting damage."

Weeks. That is a lot, considering the state the empire is in. Still, it's a huge improvement, considering the fact that a few hours before, Schneizel was practically dying.

"All right. Do it."

It's the best possible option at this point. Lelouch and his knight have told her that Schneizel will be all right, and despite the weirdness of the situation, she does believe that.

In the meantime, with Schneizel down, she is the only one left to handle the empire, and she honestly does not know how to do that. For as long as she has been alive, Britannia has had a solid structure, with her father at the helm. Now, he is dead, their forces are scattered and most of her family has fallen.

But she cannot afford to give up, not now.

She will have to talk to Lelouch again soon, but first, she needs to understand the exact gravity of the situation.

As soon as she makes sure Schneizel is in good hands, she meets up with her war council, leaving Euphie to keep Schneizel company. Technically, it's not necessary, but she needs to approach Euphie in private later before her little sister can be included further in her plans.

Her war council is as efficient as always. "Is Euro-Britannia lost to us?" she asks without preamble.

"It would seem so, Your Highness," Darlton replies. "We have received some transmissions from remnants of the Knights of St. Raphael and the Knights of St. Uriel, but all of them say the same thing. They have been retreated from St. Petersburg and are uncertain what is going on. The Knights of St. Gabriel appear to have been completely destroyed."

That was pretty much what Cornelia expected. She will have to regroup and form a proper attack unit in order to take St. Petersburg back. First order of business after this, talk to Lelouch to ask how exactly this strange subliminal weapon works.

Fortunately, the viceroys of the Areas have mostly managed to do damage control in their respective zones, so there haven't been significant uprisings. But that still leaves the two biggest problems for Cornelia to handle.

"Any news from Nonnette? How are things in Pendragon?"

"Stable, for now, but once people learn of His Majesty's situation..."

It would be chaos all over again. Damn it.

As much as she trusts Nonnette Enneagram, the Knight of Nine can only be a temporary replacement to a proper manager for the reconstruction of Pendragon. Schneizel only intended for her to contain the situation while he handled the more immediate problem in Euro-Britannia. Unfortunately, now that things have massively gone sideways, it leaves Cornelia in quite a pickle.

Well, there's nothing for it. Euro-Britannia will have to wait. She will need to go to Pendragon first.

"I'll have to go to Pendragon. We cannot abandon the throne while my brother is ailing. I will leave Euphemia as an acting viceroy in my absence, but suffice to say she will need some help." Technically, Japan isn't an area anymore, but that's not the only factor at play here. "Despite Schneizel's original agreement with Zero, it seems unlikely that we can continue with the original plan of the evacuation of the Britannian citizenry at this time. It's just not safe. We'll have to delay it."

"Will Zero agree to a change in terms, Your Highness?"

"Zero is a reasonable man, and he has no desire to place civilians in the line of fire. He is also aware that Britannia is not his enemy right now. He will work with us. Nevertheless, we must maintain a solid presence in Japan, especially since I am not certain when it will be safe for Schneizel to be moved."

Considering her options, Cornelia looks toward the quiet Knight of Three. Weinberg hasn't said much since his arrival, but then, his input hasn't been required. He is young and brash, schooled in combat, but no so much in politics. Still, she's going to need Darlton and the others with her, so her options on who to leave behind in Area 11 are rather limited. While David has done a good job as Euphie's knight, he doesn't have the same influence as a Rounds.

There's also the fact that Weinberg is a huge part of the reason why Schneizel even lived long enough to get to Japan. He will do nicely to make sure her siblings stay safe.

"Weinberg, you will remain here, assist Euphie and work with Zero to make sure Area... Japan is safe."

The Knight of Three twitches slightly, as if he didn't expect being addressed. Still, he isn't a knight for no reason, so he quickly hides his surprise. "Yes, Your Highness. Of course, Your Highness."

"I'll introduce you properly to Zero at a later date. I must speak to him and Euphie before any further arrangements are made. But I will be relying on you to make sure both Schneizel and Euphemia are safe."

"Of course, Your Highness. It will be my honor to protect His Imperial Majesty

Despite Weinberg's agreement, there is still a heavy weight on Cornelia's heart at the thought of leaving. It's the same weight that caused her to bring Euphie along to Area 11 to begin with. She just hates not being able to keep an eye on Euphie. And now there's Lelouch to consider, and possibly Nunnally as well. She hasn't gotten the chance to speak to her youngest remaining sister, but she still worries.

For this reason, when she ends the meeting, she asks Weinberg to stay behind. "Zero is also essential to the future of Britannia," she tells him. "I cannot explain why at this time. You do not need to know.

"The matter at hand is the following. I trust him, but those Numbers he keeps company with, not so much."

"Do you think they would go against Zero's word and attack us, Your Highness?" Weinberg asks.

"It's... unclear," Cornelia says. She isn't actually sure how many of them are aware of Lelouch's true identity. The red-headed woman was obviously among them, but the others may not be in the same situation and they may react badly should they ever learn the truth. "His inner circle, Kururugi and the two women you saw... They wouldn't go against Zero. The others... I'm not so sure about. Be watchful. Befriend the Elevens if you have to. Like Schneizel and Euphie, Zero too must be protected. I am relying on you, Weinberg, to do that."

Weinberg kneels and bows his head, not questioning her in the slightest. "Yes, Your Highness. I understand."

Cornelia smiles. She feels a little better at the knowledge that there will be a Rounds here for her siblings. Kururugi is competent, but she hasn't forgotten the fact that he technically turned on them. He seems dedicated to Lelouch, but that can change.

Satisfied with her progress, Cornelia leaves the room and heads back toward the infirmary. She still needs to speak with Euphie. Then, she'll have to contact Lelouch. So much work to do, so little time.

She hopes like hell that when Lelouch catches their uncle—as he undoubtedly will—he will give her the chance to take out some of her pent-up aggression on him. Yes, that is definitely something to look forward to.

Xingke stands in front of the quarters of his young empress, suppressing the urge to pace. He trusts Zero with the Tianzi's safety, but he hasn't seen the masked Japanese vigilante since the attempted assassination on him. According to what he's heard, his knight has recovered from the effects of whatever weapon was used on him, but since then, the Black Knights have provided no further information and Kaguya Sumeragi has been vague in her explanations on what they're actually doing.

He has tried to reach Zero earlier this evening, only to be told that Zero was not available due to an emergency meeting with the Britannians. This unsettles him greatly. He doesn't like being in the dark, especially in such a volatile situation.

For this reason, he has sent Xianglin to keep an eye out. As efficient as ever, she comes running as soon as she finds out what he needs to know. "My Lord Xingke. Zero's transport is arriving."

"Excellent. Stay here with the Tianzi. I'll speak with Zero and come back."

"Yes, Sir."

Nobody tries to stop him as he makes his way through the SAZ. Xingke rather appreciates the show of good faith. It's quite impressive, given that just a few days back, they were facing each other on the battlefield.

The hangar bay where Zero's transport landed is not quite so easy to access, of course, but Xingke assumes Zero must be headed to the main HQ of the Black Knights in the SAZ, and he knows where that is.

Security is tighter in this area and he is stopped by a group of Black Knight guards. He isn't delayed for long. They contact someone through their headsets, then wave him forward with a simple, "Zero is waiting for you."

Xingke has no idea where that came from, but he supposes Zero may have been informed even before this that Xingke wanted to talk to him. This fact only serves to unsettle him further.

Zero has given Xingke the impression that the UFN is very important for him. If its importance has fallen so drastically, just how serious is the threat they are facing? Is it something targeting the Empress too? Has something else happened that he isn't aware of?

Hopefully, he will get his answers soon.

When he arrives at the Black Knights control room, he finds Zero already in a meeting with the rest of his inner circle. As always, his green-haired mistress—C.C.—and his knight are by his side. "Xingke," Zero says in welcome. "Welcome. I understand that Kaguya informed you of the basics of what happened yesterday."

"Yes, Zero, but I did have some questions."

"Understandable. Please, come in. I was just about to debrief everyone else on what has been going on."

Xingke walks into the room, eyeing the rest of its occupants. Most of the Black Knights—especially the red-haired pilot, Kallen Kozuki—look concerned. This does not fill him with confidence.

As soon as the door closes behing Xingke, Zero begins to speak. "Yesterday, I was the target of an attempted assassination. It was arranged by Charles zi Britannia's brother, Victor, who used a form of subliminal weaponry to turn Suzaku against me. In our case, he failed. Emperor Schneizel was not so lucky.

"Tonight, we received a report from Princess Cornelia of her older brother having been attacked in Euro-Britannia. We have managed to help stabilize his condition and he is expected to recover. However, I estimate that at this time, Euro-Britannia will probably be in the hands of Victor zi Britannia and this man."

The monitors in the room flare to life and a picture of a Japanese man pops up on the screen. There are instant exclamations of surprise. "Huh? He's one of us?" Tamaki asks.

"Not in the slightest," Zero says, shaking his head. "This is Shin Hyuga Shaing. He's an Honorary Britannian who was adopted by an Euro-Britannian noble family. He served under Michele Manfredi, in the Knights of St. Michael, and was eventually made Manfredi's second in command. Apparently, that wasn't quite enough for him, because he recently, he assassinated his superior. He is the main orchestrator behind the explosion that almost destroyed Pendragon and also the man who attempted to assassinate Schneizel. At this time, we believe him to be working with Victor."

"But why would Victor zi Britannia cooperate with the man who killed his brother?" Tohdoh asks.

"Cooperation is a strong word," C.C. says in Zero's stead. "Victor is only using Shaing for his own purposes. If Shaing is aware, he doesn't care. His sanity is very questionable indeed. Either way, we have no doubt that Victor fully intends to remove Shaing from the equation once he is done with him."

"This brings us to our current situation," Zero adds. "I am not certain on the number of troops Victor has at his disposal. I need to double-check some numbers with Cornelia. However, it would not be out of the question to assume that he may come at the Chinese Federation next."

The image Zero's words paint is dreadful. If someone was powerful enough to deal Britannia such a serious blow, the damage they could inflict on the weakened Chinese Federation could be disastrous.

"Xingke, the Forbidden City has been left without a real leader for too long," Zero says, as if guessing Xingke's thoughts. "With the eunuchs gone, you're going to have to go to take charge and make sure the Federation doesn't fall."

Xingke finds himself torn between two duties. Zero isn't wrong. Hong Gu has been in the Federation these past couple of days, keeping things going. But Hong Gu is not enough if a war is coming their way. "The Empress..."

"She will stay here," Zero cuts him off. "We will turn the SAZ into a safe haven of sorts. My own siblings are here, so believe me when I say we will make every effort to ensure the SAZ is unbreachable. The Tianzi will be far safer here than in the Forbidden City, Xingke."

Xingke knows Zero is right. After all, it was very easy for Zero's subordinates to sneak into the Forbidden City. Zero is the person who is best aware of the threat that they face, and as such, he will know how to make sure the empress is not harmed.

"Insofar as it is possible, I will not leave her side," Kaguya Sumeragi says. "I know the situation has been difficult for her to handle. We will take care of her, you have my word."

"I believe you," Xingke says. "In the end, if you had wanted her harmed, we would not be having this conversation."

"Indeed."

"Now, before you go... We will be outfitting the Black Knights with some equipment that will help protect you against the subliminal weaponry used. The most basic of necessities include visors of a specific thickness and opacity, as often times, the weapon in question targets the eyes. Ideally, some sort of hearing protection should be helpful. Naturally, this will take some time, time we do not have. As I know providing such equipment to all of your troops is an unfeasible idea, replace them with full helmets and goggles. We will probably do the same and request some armor from Cornelia."

"Britannian armor?" Tohdoh's female subordinate asks. "Is that really necessary, Zero?"

"The Britannian combat armor is very technologically advanced," Suzaku Kururugi says. "The helmet incorporates a communicator, a gas mask and a combat sensor suite. It wouldn't render any of us immune to the weapon, but it would definitely help."

Xingke supposes that Kururugi would know. From what he's heard, the Knight of Zero actually wore said armor in the past. He isn't surprised when the Black Knights look uncomfortable at the reminder.

"With the exception of the Lancelot, I've made every attempt to avoid relying on Britannian gear in the past," Zero says, "but we cannot afford to do that any longer. For as long as we share an enemy at least, we cannot spurn the advantage this equipment offers."

Xingke can understand that logic, and the Black Knights must be in a similar situation, because they don't press the matters further. "All right, Zero," Tohdoh says instead, his lips pressed in a very thin line.

The meeting breaks up soon after, with Zero promising he will send all available data. Arrangments are made for Xingke's imminent departure and that of his entourage.

Xingke leaves the Black Knights HQ feeling both reassured and disheartened. He now knows what he must do to keep the Tianzi safe. That doesn't mean he is happy about it.