"Lelouch"-Speech

'What'-Thoughts

"{Live}"-Geass Command

"Stop"-Loudspeaker

"Report"-Radio

Interlude: The Battle of Port Yokosuka

September 11th, Port Yokosuka, 8:21 P.M.

Celaeno

Nonette's Knightmare charged at the Gorgon, locking blades with its twin Katanas. Despite being in a normal sized Knightmare, Nonette could still swing that axe as fast as the big one. Her only saving grace was that it required two hands to wield it.

"We've got you now!" A Britannian Sutherland, accompanied by two others, aimed their rifles at the Gorgon...only for the command deck of the tanker to smash on top of them. Both Nonette and Celaeno looked up, and saw debris from the exploded tanker had begun raining down upon them.

"All forces, watch your heads. The sakuradite didn't completely destroy the ship."

"Incoming, incoming!"

Both Britannian and Black Knight forces began both engaging in battle, and avoiding falling debris. Celaeno and Nonette's duel ended prematurely as a piece of the tanker's hull separated them.

Nonette

"Woooo!" Nonette exclaimed as she backed the Club away from the hull piece, "That was a little too close. Rai, how're you doing?"

Rai may have been a better tactician than her, but his Knightmare skills were only subpar. It has been one of the major training she's been drilling him on. As such, she assigned him to the rear guard.

"I'm fine, Lady Nonette. However, I'm noticing a discrepancy."

"Clarify."

"The amount of sakuradite reported on the ship should've sent a much larger shockwave, and completely disintegrated the tanker. I believe that they may have taken most of the sakuradite, and rigged the rest to blow."

"Which means," Pollux replied, "That they got here long before we did."

"Ironic," Castor retorted, "We set a trap for them, and we were the ones who got ambushed."

"Status Report."

"Suwa is engaging the Lancelot and the support group assigned to him."

"Celaeno's group has engaged me."

"Regroup at the western docks," Pollux commanded, "Reinforcements will be arriving in five minutes."

"And watch for falling debris," Castor added, "I don't want our after action report to include 'death by falling tanker'!"

'Too late for that, unfortunately.'

Then, Celaeno's Knightmare appeared above the tanker debris, and did a double downward slash at her. Nonette raised her axe and blocked it, but was hit when the Gloucester's slash harkens fired at her. The frontal section of the was damaged, but not badly. The two circled each other once more.

"I must say, Celaeno," Nonette exclaimed over the speaker, "You've proven to be a much more interesting opponent than I gave you credit for."

"Underestimation of your opponent is the first step to defeat." Celaeno retorted, however, that struck a cord to her.

'That statement. It was said by our combat instructor back at Camlann! Only Britannian nobility were allowed there.' Nonette believed she now had a clue to Celaeno's identity, but she wouldn't tell her that.

"It doesn't matter, though. In the end, you're simply ants taking on a titan."

"Hmph, actually, you'll find we're a pack of wolves taking on tigers. You only fight for your own personal glory, though there are exceptions. We may be weaker, but we fight as one. I believe the situation is 'defeat in detail'."

'Oh, this snarky bitch!' Defeat in detail was more commonly called 'divide and conquer', however, the phrase itself was first used during the French Revolution. Nonette was always fascinated with military history, and, despite the personal hatred, Napoleon, who used that method countless times against Britannia, leading to the exodus of the British Isles.

"However, to put your ant metaphor into context. You should be careful."

Celaeno

"Because ants tend to swarm."

All across the docks, Black Knights, around fifty, hidden in shipping containers, began appearing, and firing upon the Britannians using their newly mass-produced Arcadons.

"What?"

Celaeno charged as Nonette was currently distracted by the sudden reinforcements. Nonette quickly recovered, but not before her Knightmare took a slash across the front. Nonette fired her slash harkens, forcing her to back off, and then cross her katanas together when Nonette brought down her axe. Celaeno shoved the axe off, but then the blue Lancelot quickly circled behind her. Luckly, she flipped one of the katanas backwards, blocking it.

"All units assigned to Alpha Group," Celaeno said over the radio, "Do not approach the Gorgon. I'm activating the KDS." She pulled the overhanging level all the way down, skipping straight into overdrive mode. The blue Lancelot immediately noticed the difference in power output.

"Oh, you bi~BAHA!"

'She's laughing?'

"I have to admit, fighting someone like you. You haven't given me a rush like this since my academy days."

'Uh oh. Please don't make a connection.'

"Just goes to show that, just because you're the greatest empire in the world. Doesn't mean there aren't a few exceptional warriors."

"If you think I'm dangerous. Then perhaps we should trade partners."

"Oh? You mean face off against Suwa? No, you have my attention. She seems more like a rampaging flail. You...you're like an elegant broadsword."

Kallen

Kallen grabbed the head of a Sutherland using the RWS, and destroyed it.

"Suwa!" A voice exclaimed. Kallen turned and saw the Lancelot charging at her. It fired the VARIS, but she blocked it with the RWS, dissolving the bullet, though it did take a lot of energy from it. Kallen raised her left arm and fired the mounted machine gun as the two circled each other, but Suzaku the shields on his arm to deflect them.

"So you know who I am. Unsurprising."

"Is that your real name, or are you like Zero, hiding yourself behind a falsehood."

'Jeez this guy is thickheaded.' "I don't know," Kallen retorted as she lunged at him with the claw, "Figure it out yourself!"

"You take the name of one of Japan's protectors, yet all you're doing is making things harder for the Japanese! You should be working to change the system from the inside." Suzaku dodged, pulling out two MVS blades, before doing a double right slash at her.

"If that was possible, then why do they have the Honorary Britannian system at all?" Kallen exclaimed as she dodged, using the machine gun to take out another Sutherland that got too close for his own good.

"That system is designed to destroy cultures. The ones that accept Britannia's rule and work to better the Empire get to live barely decent lives, while the ones who hold onto their people's culture and beliefs rot in the ghettos! In your mission to obtain power, you've abandoned the very people you wished to save." Suzaku fired his slash harkens at Kallen.

"I have NOT abandoned them!" Suzaku replied as Kallen jumped up, dodging the harkens, and dived, her claw aiming for him.

"Then it's you who should be helping us!" Kallen retored. Suzaku used one of the MVS to block the claw, but Kallen activated the RWS, forcing him to drop the blade as it was destroyed.

'Take that, you self-righteous assho~'

"This is Fountain Guard Carius to all units." A Knightmare speaker exclaimed, "Zero's right in front of me! Open fire! Forget about me!"

"What?!" Kallen turned and saw Zero's Sutherland in front of some shipping containers, with a fallen Gloucester. Almost every Britannian Knightmare around her, with the exception of the Lancelot, turned their guns at Zero, and opened fire.

"NO!" Kallen quickly destroyed one Sutherland with the RWS, and another using her machine gun. However, the hail of fire was too much. Zero's Sutherland collapsed, though she saw the cockpit eject upwards. It didn't stop there, however, as they continued to fire at the cockpit itself, one of them getting a grazing hit.

"You bastards!" Kallen destroyed two more Sutherlands that were firing at Zero. She saw the cockpit sail off into the distance, but, due to the combat, she couldn't see where it landed.

"This is Suwa to Celaeno. Zero's Knightmare's been destroyed."

Celaeno

"WHAT?!" Celaeno shrieked. Her momentary shock gave Nonette an opening, as she swung the axe at her right side. Celaeno had an instant to react, and blocked the attack, though the impact did send her flying back.

"I saw his cockpit eject, but I couldn't see where it landed."

"Direction?"

"South-west."

"This is Ohgi, I'm nearest to that area. We'll look for him on foot."

"Good. Hurry."

"At once, sir."

She returned her attention to Nonette, who, surprisingly, didn't continue the attack after sending her flying.

'What's she~'

"So it seems your little brother is in a bit of a pickle."

'Ah, she must've received word of what just happened. Wait~' "What makes you think he's my little brother?"

"Oh, several things. Height difference, the maturity of your voice compared to his."

"Maturity?! We use voice modulators! You shouldn't tell which is our true voice."

"Semantics."

Celaeno could feel a vein popping. 'Dear lord, it's like I never left the academy!'

Nonette

Celaeno swung at Nonette, who dodged it. As one of the Katanas slammed into the ground, Nonette pinned it with one of the feet, before slamming her axe down on it, snapping it in two. Celaeno backed up, stumbling for a second before gripping the last Katana with both hands.

'One down.' She felt impacts on her Knightmare's back, and she noticed the enemy infantry was taking long range shots at her.

'These damnedable fools.' Nonette pulled the Lancelot Club behind some shipping containers. She then saw Britannian Knightmares entering the port from the North-east.

'Reinforcements. Finally.' However, her relief was short lived, as that area was then bombarded with rockets.

'What?!' From the warehouses in that area, several Knightmares, Burais, charged out, bearing the sigil of the Japan Liberation Front.

"How did~"

"We know where your reinforcements were coming from?"

Celaeno

"It was actually quite simple."

(Flashback, Several Hours Ago)

Zero and Celaeno were in the captain's quarters of the JLF tanker, listening to General Katase's plan, with all three overlooking a map of the harbor.

"The Britannians expect us to escape using the tanker," Katase said, "And they believe we are unaware of their presence. We can hook a makeshift bomb attached to the remaining sakuradite on the ship. When the time comes, we'll start the ship, aiming it for the harbor's exit. The moment it begins moving, a timer will start. Zero, how long do you expect it to take for them to board us?"

"The Twins would want to capture you, not kill you, so they'd destroy your propellers first, before boarding. I estimate thirty seconds, maybe a minute, from the moment the tanker launches, before they start their attack, and another minute of two before they begin entering the tanker."

"Then the bomb will be set for three minutes. What's our counter attack?"

"We currently have twenty Knightmares," Celaeno replied, "And just under thirty foot soldiers, wielding Knightmare-killing rifles." Katase's eyes widened into perfect soldiers at the rifle part. "We'll have them sneak into shipping containers near the spots we predict the Britannians will use once the battle begins. Once the ship is detonated, we'll use landing crafts on the opposite side of the docks to quickly storm their positions. Katase, no offense, but, since your men use outdated Knightmares, and since you're the target, your men will be held in reserve when reinforcements arrive."

Katase grimaced, but silently agreed that his men were inadequate for the current situation.

"Brother, when can we expect reinforcements?"

"If they have the Knightmare leave their support units? Five minutes."

"I'll have my hidden near the main entrance," Katase replied, "So we can ambush them."

"No," Zero retorted, causing Katase to look offended, "That'll be useless."

"Explain."

"When Pollux and Castor realize that it was a trap, they'll expect us to have people ready at the main entrance, so they'll direct them somewhere else. They'll most likely come in from the North-eastern entrance."

"Celaeno," Katase calmly exclaimed, "Your brother is smart. It's almost terrifying."

"Heh, you have no idea."

(Present)

"If I wasn't on the receiving end," Nonette exclaimed, "I'd say I was impressed."

"Then forgive me, but I'll have to anger you once more."

"Huh?"

"NOW!"

From all sides of the docks, smoke trails were fired upwards, before crashing down into the battlefields. In less than a minute, the entire area was covered in smoke.

"Your tricks aren't going to help if you fight up close."

"We aren't," Celaeno then turned off the speaker, and returned to the radio, "All forces, begin retreat procedures. All objectives have been met."

This was the plan the entire time. Once Katase and his men ambushed the reinforcements, they would consider the battle over, and begin retreating out of the zone. Celaeno reversed the Gorgon, disappearing into the smoke.

"EH!" Nonette roared into the smoke, "Don't think our dance is over yet! The next time we'll settle things!"

'That's what I'm afraid of.'

After a moment, Celaeno entered a warehouse at the edge of the docks, where everyone was in a frantic, but not chaotic, dash to get everything moving.

"Celaeno," Diethard's voice came over the radio, "This is Diethard Ried."

"Mr. Ried," Celaeno replied, annoyance clearly evident, "Would you like to explain yourself?"

"I'll fully accept punishment for my actions, however, we have a situation."

For some reason, she felt a sense of dread.

"Someone saw Zero with his mask off."

Author's Notes: A much shorter chapter, but this is mainly because I couldn't find anywhere to fit this without breaking the flow of the previous chapter. Next one we'll get back to the main story

As always, leave a review, follow/favorite the story, and I'll see you next time.