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naruwitch · 4 years

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Code Geass: Paladins of the Voltron: Chapter 29

The woman groaned as she struggled to open her eyes. The surface she was resting on was fairly comfortable, and whatever was covering her was soft and smooth. She cracked open an eye and was greeted by a fairly dimmed, circular room. There were a couple of figures standing off to the side, seeming to be in deep conversation, though they kept their voices low, likely to keep from waking her.

"Oh, you're awake," another voice said. Slightly alarmed, she turned her head towards the voice and was greeted by a man's face, looking down at her concerned.

"Wh-where am I?" she asked looking around, "What is this?"

The man winced, "It's a long story."

A beep to the right of the man made her jump, and she saw that one of the figures had moved, a tall thin… man (?) with pointed ears, orange hair, and a large mustache was holding a device close to her face.

"Oh, apologies, nothing to cause alarm," the man reassured, "just running some last dobosh tests. You suffered a fairly decent blow to the head when we brought you here."

The woman blinked, "I… hit my head?"

"Er… sort of…?" a younger female voice said this time. She looked unusually nervous as she eyed the woman cautiously. Like a rabbit staring down a fox and prepared to bolt at the slightly hostile movement, "Do you… recognize me at all?"

The woman squinted and racked her brain to try and identify the girl. Sadly she shook her head, "No, I'm sorry,"

To her further confusion, the girl visibly relaxed.

"...Are we friends?" she asked curiously.

The girl flinched, "Uh… no, we're not. I did bring you here though. So…?"

Instead of being offended, the woman smiled and sat up. Looking down, she noticed that she was wearing some sort of skin-tight bodysuit. She still felt slightly exposed, but it was better than being naked.

"Thank goodness," she smiled, "Anyone could have picked me up out there but I got someone nice."

Shirley gasped a little but looked away. Was this really okay? To bring Villetta onto the ship like this? But according to Coran's past scans, she wasn't faking this amnesia. Unfortunately, amnesia was also unpredictable. There was no telling when Villetta would get her memory back if she ever did.

"Well, we're glad you're okay," Ohgi said awkwardly, though he tried to sound friendly.

Villeta smiled kindly back.

o~o

"Okay, so how exactly does this work?" Rivalz asked, standing in the middle of the training room. Alone.

"Well, we won't know how it works until we try and test it," Lelouch said from the observation deck with Allura, C.C., and the other Paladins, sans Shirley, "and the best way to that safely is here on the deck."

Rivalz glanced nervously around the Castle's training room. After a night's rest, Lelouch had immediately insisted the next morning that they test and try out Rivalz newly-acquired Geass as soon as possible so that they could incorporate its skills into strategies should they ever need it.

"All right, training level one, begin!" Allura ordered next to Lelouch.

Moments later the familiar shape of the gladiator landed lightly across from the Blue Paladin. Rivalz instinctively took a defensive stance as the gladiator came running towards him.

He yelped as the gladiator suddenly leaped into the air. Rivalz had been sent in without his bayard since C.C. informed them that Geass usually activates instinctively the first couple of times it's used. Lelouch and Shirley both confirmed this from their own experiences.

A loud clang filled the room, followed by a crash. Opening his eyes, Rivalz saw that the gladiator had somehow been thrown to the other end of the room, its staff was completely bent the wrong way.

"Huh?" he gasped, "What just happened?"

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Milly exclaimed from the control deck.

"What?!" Rivalz shouted up to them.

"Rivalz, haven't you noticed what's around you?" Kallen asked.

The Blue Paladin blinked and glanced around him. Now that he looked around, he finally noticed the slight distortion a little ways away from him. It was almost like he was looking through a convex lens.

"Wha-"

"Rivalz, it seems your Geass is a shield, a literal one," Lelouch said with slight awe.

"Oh cool! So does that mean-ugh!" Rivalz exclaimed as he felt like he had just walked headfirst into a glass windowpane.

Everyone blinked as well, confused. Then Rivalz pressed his hands flatly against the shield's surface and banged on it several times.

"...Interesting. Rivalz, try turning it off!" Lelouch suggested.

Rivalz quickly calmed down and focused on switching the power off. He blinked as the shield went down and he cautiously stepped across the area where the wall had been a moment ago.

"So… you have a shield, but you can't exit it unless you turn your Geass off?" Kallen asked.

"Seems like it?" Rivalz questioned, not sounding too sure himself.

"That could become a big problem if his Geass goes out of control," Milly commented with a wince.

"Yeah. If he can't turn it off, he won't be able to go anywhere, nor will anyone be able to get to him," Suzaku added.

"Indeed," Allura said with a frown. She was grateful that the other night she and the Paladins made an agreement for them to not use their Geass unless they absolutely had to. The less they used it, the less likely they'd lose control. Hopefully, they'd also be able to figure out a way for them to control the power before that happened. C.C. had made it clear that it was possible to control a Geass properly, but until they figured out how, it was better to be safe than sorry. Allura and Coran already had a couple of ideas that they brainstormed, but she had yet to share them quite yet.

"Alright, it looks like we've got the basics of your power down, but Rivalz, just like with the rest of us, don't use it unless you absolutely have to, okay?" Lelouch said firmly

"Yeah, yeah, got it!" the Blue Paladin nodded, scratching the back of his neck.

The Black Paladin nodded before he and the others exited the deck. He pulled out his tablet and sent a message to Shirley. Now that that was out of the way, time to do some real training

o~o

"Hey, I know that this is off-topic, but do you know how much longer it'll take to get those Knightmares going?" Shirley suddenly asked as she entered the bridge room, a grueling training session, and a hot shower later.

"Not sure but according to Lady Kaguya, Kyoto will be sending us some help in the form of a top scientist that they're associated with," Lelouch informed her calmly going through a file on his tablet.

"That'll be good," Ohgi nodded, who had been asked to join them briefly on the bridge. He turned to look at Allura, "No offense to Coran or anything, Princess, but when it comes to weapons and upgrades, he can get a bit… much."

Allura giggled a little at the comment. She wasn't offended at all as she knew that Kallen was correct. Coran hadn't begun any physical tinkering with the machines quite yet, but she had overheard him passing out suggestions to a couple of the Black Knights. Tamaki always sounded enthusiastic whenever Coran was speaking of a possible upgrade, but one of the other BKs would almost immediately shoot it down by explaining why it wouldn't work due to x and y. Hopefully, the arrival of this scientist could help Coran get a better grasp of the machines and make better judgment calls when it came to upgrades.

"So… I'm guessing that besides space-style Knightmare upgrades, we're here to talk about the other elephant on the ship, right?" Kallen asked hands on her hips.

"You're talking about Ms. Nu's presence, yes?" C.C. clarified.

"Yeah…" Kallen nodded with a small grimace which was shared by a majority of the rest of the group.

"So… what exactly do we do with her?" Rivalz asked, "I mean, according to what Shirley and Coran have told us, the lady's completely harmless right?"

"It seems that way," Shirley nodded, "I mean, she certainly didn't recognize me when I woke up. She didn't even seem freaked out when she saw Coran examining her. She looked more confused than anything."

"Could she be faking it?" Rai asked suspiciously.

"If she's faking it, she's one hell of an actress," Ohgi said, "Ever since Coran cleared her to move about, she's been nothing but helpful, always asking about chores or other maintenance that needs to be done."

"...Either way, if you want my personal opinion, I think she should stay on the ship anyway," Suzaku said with a frown, "At least this way, whether she really has amnesia or not, she's in a confined space, and we can keep an eye on her."

"I agree," Milly nodded, "it would be too dangerous to send her back to Earth. She wouldn't have anywhere to go. And who knows what creep may try to pick her up on the street because of it."

Lelouch frowned but then sighed, "I, myself, am not a huge fan of this arrangement. However, Suzaku also brings up a point. At least if she shows signs of hostility, whether through regaining her memory or not, we should be able to detain her more easily on the ship rather than on Earth."

There was an awkward silence for a couple of seconds before Shirley spoke up again, "Um… sorry if this sounds weird but… do you think there's a possibility we can convince her to join our side this way?"

"What do you mean?" Rai asked as he and the others on the bridge looked at the Orange Paladin inquisitively.

"Well, I mean, even when we were trying to get Nunnally, when I ran into her on that ship, she wasn't trying to kill me-"

"If I recall correctly she said that she'd tie you up and drag you against your will back to Britannia if she had to," C.C. bluntly interrupted.

Everyone's eyes widened at this. Not only because the thought of such action was disturbing on its own, but that C.C. said it so matter-of-factly as well.

"Er… well," Shirley stuttered for a second before continuing, "What I mean is, if she knows the truth about Britannia, maybe she'd come over to our side. And besides, Lelouch, isn't that ultimately what we want to have happen anyway? It's why we're trying so hard to not kill any Britannian soldiers. We'll need as many as possible by the time Zarkon and his army get here."

Lelouch hummed in thought. He understood Shirley's logic as that was indeed still the end goal. However…

"If Ms. Nu was her normal self, I can potentially see her at least considering siding with us if she were to learn about the Galra. If it was simply about Britannia, I'd doubt it. Her old unit is called 'Purebloods' for a reason," Lelouch informed, "However, with the way she is right now, she's no longer a soldier. She'll be completely useless on the front lines, much less in a Knightmare frame."

Shirley frowned, not because she was upset, but because Lelouch was right. As wrong as it was to think that, unless Villetta got her memories back, she wasn't much help in the long run.

"Um, Lelouch," Ohgi interjected, "if you want, I can keep an eye on her for all of you."

This remark caught everyone off guard as they all stared at the older man.

"You want to look after a Pureblood, Ohgi?" Kallen asked incredulously.

"Well, I mean, it's like you all said, she doesn't have any of her memories right now. Plus, I was in the room when she woke up. She might be more comfortable if a familiar face was close by," Ohgi pointed out.

"...Alright," Lelouch eventually nodded, "We'll leave her in your care then, Ohgi. But if you notice any sort of sign that she could be remembering something, let one of us or Coran know immediately okay? Especially if she shows signs of aggression."

Ohgi nodded, completely understanding. Before anyone else could say anything though, there was a buzzing sound coming from the bridge doors.

"Master Zero," Sayoko's voice sounded over the intercom, "We have guests. They also have an introduction from Kyoto."

Translation: Put on your mask.

Lelouch was quick to reach for his mask and put it on before nodding for Allura to open the doors to the bridge.

On the other side, Sayoko and Kaguya greeted them, but everyone, especially Ohgi and Suzaku, was shocked to see just who their 'guests' were.

Following behind the two women were the members of the Four Holy Swords themselves: Nagisa Chiba, Shōgo Asahina, Ryōga Senba, and Kōsetsu Urabe.

"You're the-" Kallen stuttered, before quickly bowing respectively along with Ohgi and Suzaku.

"The Four Holy Swords. Welcome!" Suzaku greeted, respectfully.

Zero was quick to follow Suzaku's example and bowed politely in greeting. The other Paladins were quick to follow, along with C.C. and Allura.

The Holy Swords bowed in return before straightening. They didn't seem to be too deterred by the fact they were on an alien ship as all of their expressions were grim.

"I'll get straight to the point here," the oldest one, Senba, said bluntly, "We've come to you today to ask you for your help."

"And what exactly are you requiring our assistance for?" Zero asked. For these four legendary warriors to come seeking assistance from the Black Knights and Voltron, something serious must have happened back on Earth.

Lelouch wasn't disappointed when Senba continued, "Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh has been apprehended," Suzaku gasped in shock before the older man continued, "He sacrificed himself so that we could escape."

o~o

"Today, Kyoshiro Tohdoh will be executed," Guilford alerted Princess Cornelia. She was currently with her two knights, and Nonette as they oversaw a multitude of Sutherlands being deported on their next assignment.

"Yes," Cornelia acknowledged, with a frown, "While this would be a significant blow to the Japanese Liberation Front, I find it rather insignificant compared to the threat Voltron is posing."

"While that may be true Viceroy, Tohdoh is still an important symbol for the Eleven population. Seeing him get executed could strike a blow to the other resistances, as well as the remaining JLF," Darlton pointed out calmly.

"Speaking of which," Cornelia said looking back at the two men behind her, "any word about the reinforcements we requested from the homeland?"

"Yes," Darlton responded immediately with a smile, "the entirety of the Glaston Knights just arrived this morning."

The Glaston Knights were some of the most elite pilots in the empire, and they all answered to their own adopted father, who happened to be Lord Darlton himself. Cornelia nodded approvingly. They were excellent choices.

"What about your colleagues in the Knights of the Round, Nonette?" Cornelia asked, now addressing the Knight of Nine.

"I put the request in for further support," Nonette informed her friend, "However, with the arrival of Voltron many other nations, not just the EU and Chinese Federation have become bolder in fighting back our own forces, even other Britannian occupied areas. I've heard reports that the rebels in Area 18 have begun to rise in number dramatically."

Cornelia scowled upon hearing that. Area 18, formerly known as the Middle Eastern Federation had been the last place Cornelia had conquered before being called to Area 11. It annoyed her that all of her work was being put to waste because of the rebellions.

"Due to these rebellions, the Knights are currently scattered all over the globe, trying to quell the chaos that's happening. There will be support coming," Nonette quickly said, noticing the anxious looks on Darlton and Guilford's faces, "but it won't be right away."

"I see…" Cornelia sighed before frowning again, "Speaking of reports, has there been any news regarding Nunnally?"

Nonette grimaced and shook her head, "No, nothing." Guilford and Darlton also shook their heads, looking downcast.

Cornelia clenched her fists, a tiny sheen of moisture covering her eyes before she blinked it away. Just as she swore when she first saw that news broadcast, she swore she wouldn't stop until she found her little sister. She had already lost them once. She wasn't going to lose them again.

o~o

"We will open Art Week with the dedication of the Clovis Memorial Museum of Art." the curator noted, smiling confidently as he led Euphemia, Schneizel, and their entourage down the halls "You, Princess Euphemia, will select the first-place winner from amongst these submitted works."

Euphie paused before one painting, which showed a house with a garden in a serene background. The very picture seemed to bring feelings of comfort, of that fuzzy feeling of a nice day home.

"I really like this one." Euphie declared with a small smile.

The curator cleared his throat. "Yes well, our research showed that the artist was a quarter Eleven."

Euphemia frowned. If the curator was so concerned to bring up a detail like that... "Perhaps it shouldn't have been displayed here in the first place then."

The curator sighed, "Well, it's a delicate balance with our public. Anyway, take a look at that painting right there. It was painted by the son of Marquess Nicolai," he directed Euphemia's attention to a large painting of the Emperor during Clovis' funeral. Despite the colors and how huge it was though, Euphie wasn't very impressed. She'd seen plenty of paintings of her father back in Pendragon and she honestly didn't see anything special about it.

"It's an impressive piece," Schneizel complemented, "But curator, please let Princess Euphemia make her own choice. I'm sure the people will love whichever one she chooses."

Euphemia looked back at her brother, surprised as it seemed like he read her mind. The curator nodded and continued down the line.

"I honestly don't see the point in doing this," Euphie eventually said, "With all of that's happening with the Black Knights and Nunnally…"

Schneizel sighed, "I know this may seem frustrating, Euphie, but it's because of what's happening that makes things like this necessary. It helps the public feel a sense of normality in the midst of a crisis like this."

Euphemia nodded, seeing her brother's logic. She just wished there was more that she could do.

o~o

"So… sorry for being so ignorant Lulu, but what's the big deal about this Tohdoh person?" Shirley asked later on the bridge as she and other Paladins discussed the best strategy to rescue the colonel.

"Kyoshiro Tohdoh, he was my sensei, or my teacher when Lelouch and Nunnally first arrived in Japan," Suzaku explained, a small smile on his face, "He was strict, but he always meant well."

"Indeed," Lelouch chuckled, "not only is he strong physically, but his mind is sharp too. When Nunnally and I were at the shrine he was one of the only people that posed a decent challenge at chess. He even taught me shogi, a Japanese equivalent of the game."

"He must be a good strategist then," Coran commented, sounding intrigued.

"Yes. Not only that, but he's also a skilled warrior as well," Lelouch nodded, he then looked back to the other Paladins, "Have any of you heard of the Miracle of Itsukushima?"

He got head shakes from everyone except for Kallen, who answered, "You're talking about one of the few times Japan actually won against Britannia during the Pacific War, right?"

"Precisely," Lelouch smirked, "Tohdoh had been the one that led that mission and not only did he win the battle, but he did it without using a single Knightmare frame."

This elicited gasps of amazement from the Britannian Paladins, eyes shining in amazement. C.C. was smiling and nodding, remembering the news of that battle. Allura also looked impressed. Although the Knightmare frames were no match against Voltron and the Lions, she would admit that they were still formidable machines. So to hear that someone managed to defeat what she assumed was likely an army of these machines, without any of his own was an impressive feat indeed.

"This guy sounds totally awesome!" Rivalz exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

Lelouch couldn't help but smile at the praise of the old colonel, "Having Tohdoh within our ranks will be essential for the upcoming war with the Galra, both in manpower and strategically. I'd honestly go as far as to say that he may even give Zarkon a run for his money."

"Well, if that is the case, I am looking forward to meeting this man," Allura said, barely covering the eagerness in her tone.

Lelouch nodded before a concerned frown took over his features, "However, this may not be as simple as an in-and-out mission. I can think of at least one potential obstacle that we may encounter."

"You mean the Lancelot, right?" Rai asked.

"Not just the Lancelot," Lelouch corrected, pulling up a screen on the bridge, "thanks to Kallen's Geass, I think I finally know who's the person piloting it now." On the screen, the photo of a woman with very pale green hair, tied in a twist to the side of her face. "Nonette Enneagram, a Knight of the Round."

This brought a series of gasps again, but this time in shock rather than awe.

"Knight of Round?" Allura asked. She and Coran looked confused.

"The Knights of the Round are the absolute best pilots in the entire Britannian Empire," Lelouch explained, "They were all handpicked by the Emperor himself and ultimately take all orders from him directly. I guess you can say that they're like an elite personal guard for him. They even surpass Cornelia in skill, and… well, there's a reason that she is called the 'Goddess of Victory.' My mom used to be a Knight of the Round as well before she married the Emperor."

"Do you know Nonette, Lelouch?" Milly asked curiously.

"Not personally," Lelouch told them honestly, "I know of her reputation though. She and Cornelia went to the same academy together, and just like her colleagues, she's very skilled with the Knightmare frame."

Despite this revelation though, Rivalz smirked slightly, "I'm sure that we can take her with our Lions."

"Careful Rivalz," Lelouch warned, "underestimating these people would be a huge mistake. There's a reason that they've been hand-picked by Charles zi Britannia."

"Lelouch," Suzaku asked, looking thoughtful, "do you think there's a possibility to get a couple of the Knights on our side? Besides Tohdoh-sensei, they'll be valuable allies to have when Zarkon comes."

"Honestly, I have no idea Suzaku," Lelouch answered, "The only one I'm somewhat familiar with is Nonette, and possibly one or two others if they are still members. But until I confirm who the current members are, I won't be able to give an accurate opinion. A lot can change in a decade. One thing I do know is that most of them are completely loyal to the Empire, so if they do join our side, it likely won't be until the Galra actually invade, or the Emperor miraculously sees reason and joins us willingly."

o~o

"Hey, I told you not to bunch up all the hydro lines in one place! That's why I said it was different from a Burai!" Yoshida scolded Tamaki as he squatted on top of the Guren Mk II, which was temporarily stationed in the Black Lion's hangar. The Lion herself sat majestically in silence but still proved to be an imposing presence to the Black Knights performing maintenance on the Knightmares.

Off to the side, by the entrance to the hangar, the Four Holy Swords stood watching the Black Knights carefully. They remembered when Kyoto had recommended going to Voltron for help with Tohdoh, especially because General Katase and the rest of the JLF had gone dark for their own safety. The thought of requesting help from aliens seemed absurd at the time, but they also hadn't had many other options. Now that they had gotten a look at the Castleship, as well as the Black Lion for themselves, they had to admit they understood why Kyoto favored the group so highly now. They had no doubt that the Black Lion alone could squash a Knightmare as flat as a pancake if it really wanted to.

Even so…

"Are you sure it's a good idea to throw in with the Black Knights?" Asahina asked.

"Can you think of any other way to rescue Colonel Tohdoh?" Chiba asked, crossing her arms.

"There's also what Kyoto said," Senba muttered, the elderly veteran's features solemn as he nodded his head in approval of Lord Kirihara Taizo's message, "That they'd lend us the new models."

"Still, their principles seem to be somewhat off," Asahina noted. He looked up at Chiba for her opinion, but she simply shrugged dismissively.

"We're not ethnocentric, but after all, you already know that," Chiba said simply.

"We can worry about the details of our partnership after we've rescued the Colonel," Senba assured with a small smile, which Asahina returned with a nod.

"I understand." The bespectacled soldier said to the veteran, a small smile appeared on his face, "But no matter where Colonel Tohdoh may be, it's the place I belong."

"Look, just stuff 'em in and close the lid for crying out loud!" Tamaki shouted in frustration.

"Take your time and treat it with the utmost care!" a new voice suddenly countered from behind the red-head. Turning their attention towards the elevator, they were greeted by Lady Kaguya and a tall, Indian woman with blonde hair, dressed in a lab coat, with two similarly dressed men at her sides, "It was far more fragile than any of you when I gave birth to it."

"Huh?" Tamaki gaped, trying to wrap his brain around such a concept as a woman, especially of her particular shape, giving birth to a machine. But he quickly shook his head and glared at the woman in question, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am its mother." The woman answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You've arrived on time," Zero greeted as he entered the hangar from the other side of the swords, dressed fully in his dark Paladin armor, and his mask on his head. Coran and Allura were walking with him.

"Are you Zero?" the woman asked, quirking an eyebrow, "It's a pleasure, I've heard a lot about you," she also scanned the faces of his companions, "And you two must be these Alteans Kyoto spoke of."

"Miss Rakshata Chawla, correct?" Coran asked, grasping his chin contemplatively.

"The pleasure is all ours," Zero assured the woman, accepting her hand. "I've been reading about you on the net for some time now."

"You have?" Rakshata asked, sounding surprised.

"The articles relating to medical cybernetics." Zero clarified.

Rakshata chuckled slightly, "I do hate talking about the past," she then smirked almost deviously, "Right now, I'm much more interested in that." She gestured to the Black Lion.

"Yes, the Lions of Voltron are indeed spectacles aren't they?" Coran chuckled.

"I do hope our accommodations have been acceptable so far," Allura said politely.

"Well, can't exactly relate it to anything, seeing as this is the first and only space station I've ever been to," Rakshata pointed out lightly, "Though I do find the concept of it also being a Castle quite amusing."

Coran grinned proudly at the compliment, "Well, it was built by my grandfather Hieronymus Wimbelton over 10,600 years ago. He was the chief architect and engineer behind it alongside Allura's father."

"I'm sure that Coran will be more than willing to give a tour at a later time," Zero said, hiding an amused smile under his mask before turning to address the two Alteans directly, "Please fill Ms. Chawla in on the situation. She should be able to assist with the Knightmare upgrades and get them battle-ready faster."

"Right away!" Coran chirped with a sharp nod.

"Hey Le-I mean, Zero," Tamaki shouted, "don't you think they should put a rush on that? None of these Knightmares are close to ready yet!"

"There's no need for that," Zero answered, much to Tamaki's confusion, "the Lions will be more than enough to complete this mission. Just focus on the maintenance and your own training."

Tamaki groaned. So help him, if he got his butt kicked by that gladiator one more time…!

o~o

"Sub-viceroy, is it true that no Eleven companies were used in the construction of this museum?" a reporter asked, standing up from his seat, his microphone pen directed towards Princess Euphemia seated in the front of the crowd.

"W–well, with regard to that question, I–" Euphie stuttered. While her sister Cornelia was going through the final preparations for Colonel Tohdoh's execution, Euphie struggled to keep a confident face in front of all of the reporters. The only comfort she had was that Darlton, as well as her brother Schneizel and his attendant, Kanon, were present there as well.

"We're looking into it right now, so we have no answer at this time," Schneizel answered calmly. Euphemia shot her brother a look of gratitude.

"Kerryman from Interstate," another journalist called out, rising gracefully from his seat, "Your Highness, there have been rumors lately that you are close to choosing your Knight."

This question caught Euphemia off-guard. It was true, with all of the chaos that Voltron was breeding in Area 11 and beyond, Cornelia was stressing the necessity for Euphemia to have a personal knight with her more than ever. Unfortunately, of the people her sister recommended, none of them felt right to the sub-Viceroy.

"A Knight. Yes well you see I'm-"

"Ladies and gentlemen," the museum curator cut in, "We ask that you please limit your questions to those concerning the museum only."

Euphemia sighed, slightly embarrassed. This conference couldn't finish fast enough.

o~o

Diethard grimaced as he avoided yet another Knightmare patrol enroute to his destination. For a prison holding one of the top soldiers in the JLF, there was really too many holes in their security even for a civilian like him.

But it wasn't the execution of Colonel Tohdoh that Diethard was seeking to document tonight. Oh no.

He grinned as he reminded himself of the mission he'd set out to fulfill.

Diethard was certain with every fiber of his being that Voltron would show up to this. If they truly were on the side of the Elevens, they would never allow such a prominent figure like Kyoshiro Tohdoh to meet his end this way. And if his theory was correct, he could be the first to get some real, raw footage of the robot giant.

But he wouldn't just be recording a giant mech. No, no. He would be seeing history in the making. And he would be at the center of it.

o~o

The footsteps of a single soldier echoed through the hall as he approached the single occupant in the cell down the hall.

Kyoshiro Tohdoh was kneeling in his cell, his features closed off in meditation, calmly awaiting his execution. He didn't fear death, no true warrior did, and he would not give the enemy the pleasure of seeing him scared for his life. Nor would he open his mouth to indulge any information. Like a true samurai, he would face death head on, and take the secrets and honor of his people and country to his grave.

"I just heard they changed your executioner," the guard came in view of the cell at last, "You should feel honored. The Viceroy has decided to do it herself."

Tohdoh opened his eyes, his eyes boring into the guard with such ferocity that he actually took a step back, despite the bullet-proof wall separating him and the 'miracle worker.' Despite this though, Tohdoh said nothing, his expression as calm and composed as ever.

o~o

"My, my, I certainly don't envy you right now, Viceroy," Lloyd smirked as Cornelia was handed another paper in need of her signature. Cecile frowned and shook her head in her seat next to the scientist.

"I personally don't see the point of all this paperwork, Corny," Nonette also commented, "You're the Viceroy, you should be able to do this without all these legal actions."

"Well, even so, there are still formalities that need to be followed for things like this," the bureaucrat said simply as the Viceroy scribbled her name on the page again, "A change of executioner is the most exceptional of circumstances."

"Oh, what's the hold up?" Lloyd complained again, "All you're doing is pointing the gun and pulling the trigger. Is that really so hard?"

Cornelia scowled and nearly growled at the Earl's nonchalant remark.

Before she could reprimand the Earl though, an explosion sounded in the distance.

"What was that?!" the bureaucrat cried. Looking out the window, a column of smoke was rising from a hole that had been blown completely through the wall of the prison compound.

"Well, well, at least now you're free of hellish paperwork, Viceroy," Lloyd laughed gleefully as the occupants of the room rose to their feet.

o~o

Multiple Sutherlands poured out of the prison facility to meet the attack from the wall. Moments later, they were greeted with ear-splitting roars as all seven of the Voltron Lions landed within the compound, a couple of them crushing the Knightmares underneath them before landing.

Several Sutherlands open fired on the Lions, but just like the previous encounters, the bullets bounced off the armor like tin foil. With feral growls, the Lions leaped towards their targets, paws swiping and lasers blasting from their tails and mouths, effectively destroying several units at once.

"Colonel Tohdoh," Lelouch said softly from inside Zen, "today is not the day that you die."

o~o

Back on the bridge of the Castle, Allura, Coran, C.C., Sayoko, Kaguya, Rakshata, and the rest of the Black Knights, along with the Four Holy Swords were watching the battle on the main screen.

If the members of the Holy Swords were honest, they didn't agree with the plan originally. Due to Tohdoh being their leader, the four soldiers felt obliged to be among the rescue party. However, Zero and Princess Allura assured them that the Lions would be more than enough for this mission. Plus, even if they went anyway in the custom Burais that Kyoto had offered, they would simply get in the way and had a bigger chance of getting caught in the cross-fire.

There was also the face that Zero wanted as few casualties as possible, and using other Knightmares in this operation would make that objective much more difficult.

And now, watching the Lions trashing the Britannian forces, they agreed that that had been the right call. They remembered fighting alongside the Lions back at Narita, and were glad they had heeded the Alteans' advice.

"A stealth protocol?" Rakshata questioned as she noticed Zerth fade away from battle, her cloaking mechanism kicking in.

"That's a little something that Rai himself added to his Lion," Coran explained, "He's quite the bright mind. He said that he reverse-engineered the cloaking device from the training hall's invisible maze. He's also added the feature to several transports located in the launch bay."

Rakshata hummed, sounding impressed as she continued to observe the other Lions. Polaris promptly froze a dozen of Sutherlands solid while Aka leaped over the Blue Lion and with her flamethrower, melted several arms and legs off of the Knightmares.

"Hmmm, I can't help but notice that the Lions' attacks are all elemental-themed," Rakshata observed.

"Oh well, you see, when King Alfor first started creating them…" Coran continued to describe the mechanics and abilities of each Lion with great enthusiasm causing Allura to chuckle fondly.

o~o

"And now for the highlight of today's event," the curator exclaimed happily, "Princess Euphemia will now select the Grand Prize Winner!" he turned and handed Euphemia a beautiful white on gold plating, "The work of art upon which you place this flower will be deemed the winner your highness."

Euphie delicately took the flower in her hands and hesitantly turned to look at all the paintings, the one of her father standing hanging directly in front of her. She hesitated to place it though. She knew that this would be the piece that everyone would expect her to pick, but she ultimately didn't want to.

Before anything else could happen though, the ringing of phones started echoing throughout the museum. Bureaucrats and journalists that were there to document its opening whispered urgently.

Then a Britannain soldier ran up next to Schneizel and whispered in his ear.

The Prime Minister's eyes widened.

"What?!" he gasped. The guard could only nod to confirm the information, "All right, send in all available forces as support, immediately."

"Yes, Prime Minister," the soldier nodded.

From above the crowd, a large television turned on and began to broadcast the current situation at the prison compound. The nobles all gasped as they witnessed the Voltron Lions easily wiping out every Knightmare that got in the way.

o~o

"My superiors have just ordered that you be unofficially executed before you're busted out of here. Any last words?" a guard muttered, holding a handgun up in front of him.

Tohdoh remained emotionless as the bullet-proof glass was slowly raised, "It's a life I gave up once before. It's worth nothing."

"In that case, I'll claim your life for myself!"

Tohdoh's head snapped up in surprise as the wall opposite his cell suddenly caved in, crushing the guard about to execute him in the process.

As the dust cleared, Tohdoh's eyes widened as he came face-to-face with the large head of the Black Lion.

"Relax, she won't bite," the same voice quipped as the Lion opened its jaw and out stepped…

"Zero," Tohdoh stated.

"Is this truly where you wish to die Colonel Tohdoh?" Zero demanded.

Tohdoh scoffed, "What does it matter? I have failed in my mission to save Japan…"

"Don't be a coward!" Zero countered in challenge.

"What?!" Tohdoh exclaimed, confused and rage flashing in his eyes.

"You must take responsibility. Responsibility for the miracle that you made! The Area 11 resistance movement is greater than that of any other conquered area because Japan surrendered before exhausting all of its military strength. You have failed to carry on the Miracle of Itsukushima."

"You saying this is my fault?" Tohdoh asked calmly, though Lelouch could see the rage simmering in his eyes.

"Yes. People grasp at illusions because they're desperate for miracles. Why else has there been such rampant use of Refrain?" Tohdoh unintentionally grimaced as that accursed drug was brought up, "You must endeavor! To the bitter end beyond all that's decent, and then you can die! Till the name of Tohdoh the Miracle has grown ragged and tattered!"

"You're telling me the Japanese people cannot accept their defeat until then?" Tohdoh questioned, his anger diminished.

"Till now they had to accept it. However, now that I'm here there's hope because I, no, we can likely turn their dreams into reality," Zero said, a hand over his chest.

If Tohdoh had been suspicious of Zero's identity before, any doubt soon fled. He smirked slightly as he stood up, staring right through Zero's mask into Lelouch's purple orbs.

"I see... so that truly is you, Lelouch."

Zero's hand moved from his chest to his head as he slowly and calmly removed his helmet. A small smile was gracing his lips.

"Was it that obvious, Tohdoh-sensei?"

"I had my suspicions," Tohdoh admitted, "but now I'm certain. So, what do you really want with me Lelouch? Another Miracle of Itsukushima?"

"Indeed. In fact, the entire universe could use a miracle," Lelouch said gravely, "I can't go over the details right now, but I will say that the situation has changed dramatically. It's not just about Japan, or even the entire Earth anymore. Something is coming, something far worse than Britannia. We need every able bodied human we can obtain. So please," Lelouch bowed his head respectfully, startling Tohdoh, "fight with us now."

Tohdoh was absolutely stunned. In all the time Lelouch had stayed at the shrine, not once had the boy said 'please' before. At least not to him. For Lelouch to be acting like this, the situation must be dire. He had seen the desperation in the young man's eyes.

Then he smirked.

"I'm in."

o~o

Diethard was grinning like a madman as he held his camera up on his shoulder. This was his first time seeing the Lions with his own eyes and he couldn't be any more thrilled. The machines were practically mopping the floor with the Britannian forces, and Princess Cornelia herself had just entered the battle with her own Glouscester along with the white knightmare, the Lancelot. He honestly wasn't sure why the Viceroy was still using these same toys and tactics. Sure, they likely couldn't supply upgraded Knightmares to all forces, but going against the same machines that already bested her twice was a little more than simple insanity.

Diethard paused in his mental ranting as he spotted five unusual looking Glouscesters charge in right behind Cornelia. They looked similar to ordinary Glouscesters, but Diethard learned long ago that looks were deceiving.

o~o

"So these are those Knightmares you told us about, father?" Alfred G. Darlton said as he and his brothers swerved behind the Viceroy. Upon arriving in Area 11, the five brothers had been briefed on the situation by Lord Darlton.

But watching the Lions on what little footage they had was completely different to actually seeing and facing them with their own eyes.

Despite their huge size, the movement of the Lions was just as fluid, if not more so than even the Lancelot's advanced maneuverability, even the large hulking orange one. Not to mention the armor of the Lions themselves had yet to so much as dent in all the fights Britannia had thrown at them so far.

"Yes. Be careful, all of you," Guliford, who had been given temporary leadership in Andreas' absence, cautioned as he flew down swiftly, guns already firing down from above.

The combined gunfire from above, alerted the Lions that the aerial forces had arrived, being led by the familiar caped Glouscester that Cornelia piloted.

Almost automatically, spotting the Lancelot within the numbers, Yoru and Suzaku leaped from the ground furiously swiped at the Knightmare. Their jump had been so unexpected that they managed to actually hit the Lancelot's legs, causing it to spin in the air several times before regaining balance.

Nonette grit her teeth as she endured the turbulence. She wasn't sure why, but the Purple Lion, or at least whoever was piloting it, always seemed to go for the Lancelot first, as if the pilot had a grudge against her. She knew it couldn't be because the Purple Lion was the strongest. If that were the case, she'd likely be facing the Black Lion each fight. Why was the Purple Lion that always came up to challenge her?

"Same old, same old, Suzaku?" Milly asked, watching the Purple Lion take off after the Lancelot.

"Just leave Nonette to me," the Paladin replied.

"Okay, enjoy your dance, Suzaku!" Rivalz teased, as he froze two ground Knightmares with Polaris's ice beam.

Suzaku choked, "Wh-what?"

"Well, I mean, now that we know the pilot of that Knightmare is a woman, and you both know your way around the Lancelot so… looks kind of like you're dancing," the Blue Paladin shrugged.

This earned a wave of groans from the rest of the pilots. While Rivalz's jokes were always a nice way to lighten a situation or mood, sometimes they weren't the most clever, and that was definitely one of them.

"Careful guys," Kallen suddenly shouted, face appearing on their screens, "Some of those Glouscesters look stronger than the others!"

True to her word, the Glaston Knights proved that they weren't gifted their titles for no reason. Compared to most of ordinary Sutherlands, the Glaston Knights' skills were on par with that of Cornelia's, and unlike other Britannian units, their teamwork was close to flawless.

Due to this, the Knights were able to pinpoint that despite its thick armor, the Orange Lion was the slowest and most bulky of the Lions, and while they did distract the other Lions, they slowly started cornering and separating it from the rest of the pride.

Shirley noticed this as well, and while she knew that she could easily bust through the Glousestors, but that ran the risk of killing the pilots, and though she knew that a couple deaths would be unavoidable, she still hesitated to personally take any lives.

She gasped in fright as one of the Glouscesters suddenly charged her head on, aiming for Zinnia's eyes. She braced for impact only to hear a familiar roar moments later.

In a blur of movement, Zenobia sliced through the float systems of Claudio and Edgar's Glouscesters.

"Wha-what was that?!" Claudio shouted as his Glouscester began to fall to the ground, alongside Edgar's.

Upon making impact on the ground, Claudio and Edgar's Glouscesters opened up.

"Claudio, Edgar, are you alright?" David shouted from the air.

"Yes… somehow we are," Edgar acknowledged, bewildered. How on Earth were they still alive?

"Are you all right, Shirley?" Lelouch asked, after dispatching the two Glaston Knights.

"Yeah, sorry about that Zero," the Orange Paladin said.

"You have Tohdoh, Zero?" Kallen asked anxiously.

"Yes, I've got him," the Black Paladin replied, glancing back at the Colonel, who was currently bracing himself between the pilot seat and the cockpit wall… he should probably talk to Coran about installing some passenger seats for situations like this.

"Colonel Tohdoh," Kallen greeted, her face popping on Lelouch's screen. The Red Paladin bowed her head in respect, "It's a true honor to meet you."

"Likewise," Tohdoh acknowledged with a nod.

"We're glad to have you with us, sir-er, Sensei? Sama?" Shirley stuttered, getting her Japanese honorifics mixed up. She prayed she wasn't accidentally offending the man.

"Suzaku's told us so much about you!" Rivalz added as his and Milly's faces popped up. The Blue Paladin had an excited sparkle in his eyes.

"Oh, has he?" the Colonel asked solemnly.

Suzaku's face joined the screen moments later, "...It's good to see you, Tohdoh-sensei."

Tohdoh was silent for a few moments before a small smile formed on his face. "You as well, Suzaku."

"Um, I hate to interrupt the reunion," Rai suddenly interrupted, "but we got company!"

Looking up towards the sky, the Paladins spotted practically a whole fleet of aerial Knightmares, all being led by the Avalon. They were closing in fast. So that had been why the Glouscesters and Lancelot had suddenly withdrawn.

"Seems like we're about to have our hands full," Lelouch observed with a frown.

"Sure, maybe if we were in normal units!" Milly remarked with a smirk.

Rai followed up with a smirk of his own, "I guess we all know what we need to do now!"

A devious smile spread across Lelouch's own face, before he glanced back at Tohdoh, "Well, Sensei, would you like to meet a fellow miracle worker?"

Not waiting for Tohdoh's response, Lelouch turns to the rest of the Paladins.

"Form Voltron!"

In a flash of light, the Lions converged and Voltron was formed once again, ready for battle.

"Shirley!" Lelouch shouted.

Not needing further instructions, Shirley shoved her Bayard into Zinnia's keyport. The familiar weight of the bow materialized around Zerith's mouth. An arrow of energy glowed as Voltron pulled Aka's head back.

The Paladins didn't fail to notice that the Britannian forces had halted in midair. This was the first time that they had seen this weapon after all.

"Fire!" Lelouch ordered. Aka's jaw promptly let go, and the energy arrow flew towards the fleet in a stream of light. Halfway there, the arrow split, dispersing into dozens of tendrils of energy.

Most of the Knightmare units at the front of the fleet took a majority of the hits first, but Voltron had been sure to set the shot of stun rather than kill, so none of the Knightmares went up in flames. Instead the moment the attack hit, the internal workings of the began to glitch and short circuit. It wasn't long before the Knightmare wore off all together, dropping out of the sky.

Most of the pilots near the back managed to shake to their senses before they could get hit, evasively maneuvering around the rest of the arrows. They all regrouped around the Avalon, where the bottom of the float system started opening up.

Tohdoh gasped, "Lelouch, you need to stop it before it fires!"

Lelouch briefly looked back at the Colonel. He sounded greatly concerned, which was rare. However, he nodded and acted quickly.

"Form sword!"

Suzaku shoved his Bayard into Yoru's port, and the blue blade flashed to life as the bow faded. With a blast of its boasters, the juggernaut rocketed towards the Avalon.

"Um, Lelouch, is the sword going to be enough to deal with that thing?" Shirley asked anxiously.

"It'll have to," Lelouch answered firmly.

However, the Lions had a different idea in mind. One by one, each of the Lions started to growl, drawing the attention of their Paladins. They each noticed that their port keys were rising from the dashboard.

"Guys, Zerith's telling me something!" Rai exclaimed.

"Yeah, so is Aka!" Kallen added.

"Same here!" Rivalz shouted.

"I can feel it too!" Milly yelled.

"What's going on?" Shirley wondered.

"I don't know!" Suzaku said.

"Well, whatever it is, just do it!" Lelouch ordered.

Without hesitation, the remaining Paladins pulled out their Bayards and shoved them into their keyslots.

To the shock and amazement of all onlookers, the sword glowed again, and grew. It was now almost double the size of Voltron.

"Whoa…" Rivalz breathed, translating the thoughts of the other Paladins as well.

On the other side, by the Avalon, upon seeing the sword's sudden growth, many Knightmares desperately flew out of the way as Voltron, with both of his hands, pulled the sword back, and swung downward, cutting the Avalon square in the center. Voltron didn't even need to push through the floating ship, as the sword cleanly exited the end of it on its own.

There was a moment of shocked silence as everyone processed what happened, before the Avalon erupted into a massive inferno, debris and balls of fire raining down all over the prison.

Shaking themselves from their own stupors, the Paladins were quick to fly towards the rest of the aerial troops that hadn't flown away. The sword vanished and instead was replaced by the jawblades of both Zerith and Aka. With several swift strikes most of the Knightmares joined their fallen brethren on the ground below, the Glaston Knights, and Nonette in the Lancelot among them.

Cornelia, on the other hand, was not one that fell so soon. Her eyes shook as she took in the events of what just transpired. Not only had Voltron been successful in rescuing Tohdoh, but had completely destroyed her brother's ship, the Avalon. Even the more skilled Glaston Knights were no match for Voltron, much less the Lions separately. Even Nonette had yet to score any sort of victory from this abomination.

Her shock soon morphed into blinding red rage. Not only had these scum defeated her, the Goddess of Victory, practically since the day she and her forces first encountered it, annihilated her troops and made her look like a fool in front of her subjects, but they had even… they had likely taken away one of the few people she loved almost on par with Euphemia. Again.

The thought of Nunnally and her unknown fate was the final straw for the Viceroy as with an almost psychotic shriek, she charged straight at Voltron, lance out to strike at any point it could land a hit.

Her shrill screech did not go unnoticed by the Paladins. Looking up and seeing the Gloucester racing towards them, Kallen smirked.

Putting away Aka's jawblade, the Red Lion's mouth extended open just as Cornelia's Knightmare came within inches of it.

Cornelia barely registered what was happening as Aka's jaw clamped down on the top of her Knightmare, its legs and arms being ripped off in the process.

o~o

Euphemia gasped in horror as she saw her sister's Knightmare practically crumble to pieces as Voltron's hand encased around it securely.

The rest of the crowd in the museum also gasped and screamed in horror, witnessing the Viceroy's Gloucester disappear into the Lion's mouth. Cameras flashed and many of the journalists had pulled out their phones to film the battle. Some cell phones could be heard dropping to the floor as their owners froze in astonishment.

Schneizel el Britannia also stood in shock, visibly shaken. Not only had he watched his personal transport ship be cut directly in two, but his heart nearly stopped as he watched Voltron capture another one of his sisters right in front of him.

Who on Earth was Voltron? Who had Lelouch gotten himself associated with?!

o~o

Her smirk never left her face as Kallen cautiously left her pilot chair and descended into Aka's mouth. Upon making it down the ladder, she was greeted by the site of Cornelia's Knightmare in shambles, sparks flying from where the limbs had been severed.

Spotting movement by the debris, Kallen blinked in slight surprise to see Cornelia herself, though with a severe gash on her forehead, still conscious and struggling to exit her Gloucester.

The Viceroy's eyes soon fell on Kallen herself. But before Cornelia could properly aim her sword-gun, the Red Paladin lunged forward, Bayard flashing to life, and caught the weapon between her cestus claws. Then with a click her Bayard's second function, the wave surger, burst to life, practically melting the gun from Cornelia's grip.

The Viceroy dropped the weapon with a pained yelp of surprise, only to feel a strong force impact the side of her head, and Cornelia's world went black.

"...You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that, Viceroy," Kallen spat, flexing her left hand that had punched Cornelia square in the face, "It felt so good."

With a slightly hysterical giggle, Kallen swiftly activated her commlink, "Oh, Lelouch~" Kallen basically sang, "You'll never guess who I just caught!"

Amused with Kallen's behavior he answered with his own satisfied grin, "Unexpected, but not unappreciated. I have been meaning to 'catch up' with my sister for a while now."

Taking a quick scan of the area, and seeing that all remaining troops still airborne had wisely retreated, Lelouch turned and looked at Colonel Tohdoh.

"So, what do you think, Colonel?"

Tohdoh let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head with a smirk, "I think 'I'm impressed' isn't even close to enough to describe my thoughts right now."

Lelouch chuckled, "Fair enough."

With this final statement, Voltron once more ascended into the night, carnage and destruction left in its wake.

The survivors, surprisingly being most of the troops, could only watch helplessly as Voltron vanished into the night.

"Princess Cornelia…" Guilford murmured in despair. He grit his teeth as tears leaked from his eyes. He failed her. He failed everyone.

Despite the overall atmosphere of loss, after a few moments, Diethard couldn't hold back a maniacal laugh as he collapsed to the ground. That… that had been more than simply a battle. That had a show. A performance! And it had been glorious!

o~o

Hidden strategically in the ever-shifting asteroid belt of the Solar System, Britannia was not the only one that witnessed Voltron's victory.

"I don't understand why you're still waiting!" Mao loudly complained, pacing the ship's small bridge, "With this new power, I will easily have my revenge. You can have your Lions and I'll…" he sighed dreamily like a lovesick schoolgirl, "...I'll finally have my happy ending with C.C.!"

"Patience…" was all Haggar said as she observed the last traces of the fight. While it was true that this child had been given a great power, should they strike too recklessly, it would be all for naught. Despite their age, the Paladins were formidable adversaries and were no longer working alone.

For her plan with this boy, and yes despite his physical age this human was indeed still a boy, they had to strike when the Paladins least expected it.

o~o

The Lions made it back to the Castle with no further trouble, and the Four Holy Swords were eager to welcome their commander back.

Kallen dragged Cornelia out of her Lion and nimbly handed the Viceroy over to Tamaki and Ohgi upon exiting her bay. They had both been instructed earlier to take the Princess to the cell that had been prepared for her in the lower levels of the ship.

The battle-hardened warrior was promptly introduced to Coran and Princess Allura, who greeted him respectfully, saying it was an honor to meet him.

Afterward, Lelouch, Suzaku, and Allura quickly filled Tohdoh in on the situation. He only interrupted a couple of times with a brief question. Once everything was laid out on the table, Tohdoh promptly agreed with Lelouch's plan. Though it did run the risk of the Galra finding their planet, he concurred that it would only be a matter of time before they reached Earth anyway, and it was wise to strengthen the planet now before the threat arrived at their doorstep.

"Unfortunately, Colonel," Lelouch added, "most of the other factors, particularly regarding the Galra themselves, remain an unknown. We'll be counting on you to provide as much additional military strategy as possible."

"I understand," Tohdoh nodded.

Lelouch smiled fondly at the man, "It's good to see you again."

Tohdoh inclined his head in agreement.

The doors of the Bridge opening halted any further discussion.

"Lelouch… it's time," Coran said, looking up from the datapad in his hands.

o~o

Lelouch's heart pounded as he stood in front of Nunnally's pod. She had been inside for a total of seven days. A whole week. Gazing at his sister's face, her eyes were still closed in a peaceful slumber. It was hard to tell from the outside if the pod had managed to fix anything.

Coran assured them that Nunnally's legs had been repaired. If it wasn't possible, then the pod would have spit her out almost immediately after they put her in. Just like at the beginning though, Coran was uncertain about her vision. The pod data didn't show any signs of changing in regards to that. All they could do was hope for the best.

"Lelouch, it's gonna be okay," Suzaku said, his hand falling on Lelouch's shoulder. T was clear how anxious the Black Paladin was when he physically jumped at the contact, "no matter what happens, Nunnally's safe here."

"Yeah, and like Coran said, if the pods don't work, we'll find another way," Kallen added.

"We're not gonna give up that easy," Rai grinned, clenching his fist, "We never gave up on you, right?"

Lelouch smiled in gratitude as the rest of Paladins spoke words of support and encouragement, and he was once again reminded how much these people were like his family. Even the Alteans, C.C., and Sayoko who were also present in the infirmary. Words would never be able to describe just how grateful he was for them all.

A small beep was the only warning given as the pod's shell dissolved. The young princess leaned outward, stumbling on her own feet before slumping forward into Lelouch's arms.

After a couple of seconds, the Paladins wondered if she was still asleep at first, Nunnally's hands firmly clutched her brother's arms, pushing herself up. Though her legs were shaking, Lelouch didn't need to hold his sister's weight on his own.

Staring down at Nunnally's face, her eyelids flickered as if just pulling out from a dream.

Then they slowly fluttered open.

Time seemed to stop as Lelouch stared deeply into the lavender eyes that he hadn't seen in over eight years.

"Lelouch…" Nunnally's voice wavered as she caressed her brother's cheek. Tears gathered in Lelouch's eyes, "I... I can see you... and... I feel my legs."

Lelouch couldn't hold his joy back any longer, as he hoisted Nunnally into his arms, and hugged her tight. Nunnally squealed, her arms flying around her brother's neck as he spun her around.

Everyone else in the room started cheering, overjoyed that the pods had been enough to help Nunnally. Several started crying right along with the vi Britannia siblings. Suzaku and Allura smiled warmly, small trickles leaking down their face. Sayoko and C.C. were standing to the side, but they still smiled warmly at the moment. Milly and Shirley were openly crying, the Orange Paladin placing a hand over her mouth to hold in her sobs. Rai instinctively reached over and clutched Shirley's other hand, and the two exchanged teary smiles.

Rivalz fanned his eyes, desperately trying to keep his tears in, but failing miserably, "Any… anyone else got… space dust in their eyes…?"

"Yeah…" Kallen blinked rapidly, her throat tight, "There… there is a lot of space dust in here…"

Coran let out a loud bawl, tears flowing and even snot dripping from his nose, "It's filthy!"

#Fanfiction #AU #Code Geass #voltron #lelouch lamperouge #kallen kozuki #suzaku kururugi #milly ashford #shirley fenette #rivalz cardemonde #c.c.#princess allura #coran #nunnally lamperouge

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naruwitch · 5 years

Text

Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron Chapter 2: Rise of Voltron Part 2

"What is that? Is that the 'Voltron'?" Shirley asked nervously, staring at the giant robot lion. The lion itself had blue metal with metallic legs and torso. The face of the lion looked like an ordinary lion with bright, glowing yellow eyes and a white muzzle with blue on the edges.

"It must be…" Milly said, unusually severe and shocked.

"I haven't seen any Knightmare Frames this advanced or in this design before, not to mention it's way bigger!" Suzaku said. Being a member of Earl Lloyd Asplund's Engineering Corp allowed Suzaku to know about a lot of the military's weapon projects, but as far as he knew, there was no mention of a weapon like this.

"Me neither," said Lelouch, shaking his head.

"But then why is it here?" Kallen asked.

"I don't know," Rai admitted, still in absolute awe of the giant robot, "but this must be where I'm getting all those crazy readings from!"

Lelouch started approaching the lion, seeing that there wasn't anything or anyone here to stop him from doing so. The other student council members followed close behind. "It looks like there's some kind of force field around it, so it should be okay to approach."

As they walked closer, Rivalz kept his eyes on the lion. The teen couldn't explain it, but it felt like the lion was eying him. "Um, does anyone else here feel like this thing's staring at them?"

Everyone looked at him like he was nuts, "No..." Kallen said with a raised eyebrow.

"...Yeah, the eyes are totally following me!" Rivalz exclaimed, sounding anxious and his movements becoming antsier.

Lelouch was standing right in front of the force field, and he put his hands on the surface. His eyes squinted in concentration, "I wonder how we get through this…"

"Maybe you just have to knock," Rivalz said sarcastically and did just that, rapping his fist against the translucent shield. He yelped when it felt like a jolt of electricity ran through his body. The forcefield glowed with a blinding light before vanishing from around the lion and the platform underneath suddenly lighting up. The ground beneath everyone also rumbled as they all stared at the lion in shock.

Suddenly an image of seven lions, each looking similar but each a different color, fly high into the sky like shooting stars. In a flash of light, the lions were gone only to be replaced by a gigantic robot with red and green arms, orange and blue feet and shins, to yellow and purple knees and upper legs, and the head with the same glowing yellow eyes inside the mouth of a black lion. The figure swung its sword of fire across the sky, lighting it for the universe to see.

"Woah!" Rivalz muttered in awe as did everyone else. "Uh... did everyone just see that?!"

"Voltron's a robot!" Shirley shouted in shock.

"A huge… huge awesome robot!" Milly practically squealed in excitement.

"And this thing is only one part of it," Kallen added, "I wonder where the rest of them are?"

"If that's the case, then what is it doing down here?" Lelouch asked, "And why isn't it with its other pieces?"

"I don't know," Suzaku muttered, "but it's still incredible."

"I know for certain now that those aliens I heard are looking for this thing," Rai confirmed.

The lion suddenly started to move on its own as it lowered its head in front of the students. Shirley immediately started screaming in fright, scared that it might eat them. That turned out not to be the case, however, as the lion's mouth opened right in front of Rivalz to reveal a pathway inside of it.

Skeptical, but still curious about what was inside, Rivalz approached the platform and walked in. The other students followed close behind. Right before the lion closed its mouth, though, another person also snuck on behind them. The green-haired woman quietly found what looked to be a small sleeping chamber in the back of the lion and snuggled into the area without anyone noticing.

Rivalz quickly took the path up and found what looked like the pilot's control room with a single chair in the middle of the room. Looking around, Rivalz took a seat and crossed his legs with a smug smile.

"Well, here we go-woah!" Rivalz didn't finish as the seat suddenly pushed him forward to the front. Once it stopped, the room started glowing in a bright blue aura, and futuristic control screens popped up in front of Rivalz. The other student council members weren't too far behind him, all of them staring in wonder at the advanced technology inside.

"Woah!"

"Cool!"

"Wow!"

"Alright, very nice!" Rivalz said with a laugh as the main screen in front of them turned on to show the inside of the cave they were just in.

"Okay, uh, everyone," Shirley said nervously, "I think I just need to point out, just so we're all, you know, aware. We're in some kind of futuristic, alien, cat head right now."

Just as the words left Shirley's mouth, Rivalz felt another jolt of electricity run through him, from the top of his head, all the way to his toes, penetrating him to his very core. His ears suddenly filled with the sound of a soothing purr.

"Woah! Did you guys just hear that?!" asked Rivalz, looking back at them almost frantically.

"Hear what?" asked Suzaku cautiously.

"I-I think it's talking to me!" he exclaimed before turning back around and examining the controls. Finally, he hesitantly pressed a couple of buttons seemingly at random.

Outside, the blue lion jolted and leaped to its feet, roaring loudly. It almost sounded excited.

"Okay, got it," he said with a grin, "now let's try this!" Rivalz pushed the controls forward, and the lion shot out of the mountain cave like a rocket and flew into the sky, and as it was descending to the ground, it did a front flip before using missiles in its legs to glide across the field. It then shot into the air again with a series of corkscrews. Everyone inside the head was screaming at the top of their lungs. They held onto either the pilot seat or Rivalz himself for balance.

"RIVALZ!" screamed Kallen as the lion did a few more flips, "YOU ARE. THE WORST. PILOT. EVER!"

o~o

Meanwhile…

"What in King George's name is that?!" exclaimed Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia, seeing the blue lion swooping around near Lake Kawaguchi. About a few miles away from where the lion was found, a small military base had been set up upon Earl Lloyd Asplund's request, believing it could function as a good practice sight for the Lancelot Knightmare Frame that Suzaku piloted. Cornelia was visiting the base to ensure everything was in order only to receive a shocking surprise at the blue lion's appearance.

"It appears to be a flying, lion-like Knightmare, Viceroy!" a soldier next to here reported as he lowered his binoculars, sounding just as shocked and intimidated.

"I can see that you fool!" Cornelia exclaimed angrily, "What I mean is, is that Knightmare one of ours? And if it is, why wasn't I alerted about it?"

"Alerted about what?" the voice of Lloyd Asplund asked behind her, followed by Cecile Croomy, his assistant.

"Asplund, why wasn't I alerted about this test-run?!" Cornelia demanded.

The Earl blinked, "Test run? I don't recall authorizing a test-run on any Knightmares." He took the binoculars from the soldier next to Cornelia to see for himself as Cecile pulled out one of her own.

"I don't believe that Knightmare is one of ours Viceroy," Cecile informed Cornelia, "and if it is, the engineering corps wasn't aware of it… Lloyd?"

The Earl slowly lowered the binoculars. His mouth was open with his tongue hanging out and eyes sparkling with stars, drool descending his chin. "I don't know whose that is… but I want it!"

o~o

The blue lion landed on the ground once more and began bounding around like a mountain lion. Everyone inside the head held onto something as the ride continued.

"Isn't this awesome?!" exclaimed Rivalz with a broad grin.

"Make it stop!" yelped Shirley, who was starting to look a little green, "Make it stop!"

"I'm not making it do anything; it's like it's on autopilot!"

Suddenly, the lion's back legs fired it off the ground, and the lion ascended into the sky.

"Rivalz!" shouted Lelouch, "Where are you going?!"

"I just said it's on autopilot," he explained hurriedly, "Ah- it says there's an alien ship approaching Earth, I think we're supposed to stop it!"

"What did it say exactly?" Milly demanded.

"Well, it's not like it's saying words, more like feeding ideas into my brain… kind of!"

"Wait, if this thing is what the aliens are coming for, why don't we just like, I don't know, give to them? Maybe they'll leave us alone?" Shirley suggested, "Sorry lion, nothing personal."

"Or we end up giving it to them, and they turn on our planet!" Lelouch argued, "This the first time we're contacting other life outside Earth, we have no way of knowing if they're hostile or not. If we give this to them, maybe not even the Britannian Empire can stop them."

Everyone seemed to agree with Lelouch's statement and were glaring at Shirley. Her eyes widened in realization at that possibility and had the decency afterward to look a little sheepish.

"Oh… nevermind then."

It wasn't long before the lion exited the Earth's atmosphere and entered open space. The group didn't have time to admire the stars though, as moments later, a huge purple ship with flashing purple lights appeared in front of them like a bolt of lightning, and twice as fast.

"Holy Britannia! Is that really what I think it is?!" Milly shouted in fear and astonishment at seeing a real alien spaceship.

"...They found me..." Rai whispered in horror. Lelouch glanced at him suspiciously. What did he say?

After floating and observing the UFO for a few seconds, the ship started rapidly firing purple lasers at them.

"We need to get out of here!" Kallen ordered, sounding uncharacteristically frightened.

"Hang on!" shouted Rivalz as he pulled on the controls, and the lion flew off at top speed. Even though Rivalz had little to no idea what he was doing, the lion seemed to know what to do as it maneuvered and dodged all the attacks with little to no effort.

"Okay, I think I know what to do!" Rivalz exclaimed.

"Rivalz, be careful!" shouted Suzaku, "This isn't a simulator!"

"And you don't think I know that Suzaku?!" he replied as he helped maneuver the lion around the lasers. He then pushed down on one of the control levers, and the lion's mouth opened wide and fired a powerful blue beam directly at the side of the ship. It sliced through it like a sword, causing massive explosions.

"Let's try this!" Rivalz smiled as he flew the lion closer to the ship, scrapping the lion's claws on the other side, leaving deep gashes, causing explosions as well.

"Nice job Rivalz!" Lelouch praised.

"Okay, I think it's time to get these guys away from our planet!"

o~o

"Lord Zarkon, the escaped prisoner, and his people found the Lion. It attacked us and is heading out of the system," the commander of the warship reported to the overlord on the computer screen. The shadowy figure on the other side narrowed his eyes.

"Follow that lion and alert all ships in the area to intercept. Capturing the Lion is your first and only priority."

"Yes, your majesty. Full power, after the Lion."

o~o

"Oh, no!" Milly gasped as the ship started picking up speed behind them.

"They're gaining on us!" Kallen exclaimed.

Lelouch's eyebrows furrowed, "It's weird, they're not trying to shoot us. They're just chasing!"

"Okay, seriously, now we think having aliens follow us is good? I'm not on board with this new direction, guys!" Shirley exclaimed.

"Where are we?" asked Milly looking around.

"Edge of the Solar System," Rai gasped in awe, looking at a distant moon to the side, "That's Keroberos, Pluto's moon!"

"That's impossible!" Suzaku exclaimed, "It takes the most advanced spaceships decades to get out this far! We got out here in five seconds!"

Suddenly, a swirling, sparkling wormhole, like a vast swirling ocean, appeared in front of them.

"What is that?!" Shirley nearly shrieked at the sight of it.

"Uh, this might seem crazy, but I think the lion wants us to go through there!" Rivalz explained hastily.

The gang looked at the vortex. There was no telling what was on the other side of it. There could be more dangers. Despite these possibilities, though, their instincts told all of them to go. But they all knew that whatever was on the other side they needed to know what it was, desperately.

"Where does it go?" Kallen asked Rivalz, urgently.

"I-I don't know… Lelouch, what should we do?"

"Why are you asking me? Ask Milly; she's student council president."

"You're more experienced with this than I am Lelouch. You're the chess master, not me, so what's the best move to make right now?"

Lelouch stared at Milly in shock for a second, realizing the hidden meaning in her words. As much as he wanted to deny it, he was still technically a prince of Britannia, and now it was time to act like one.

He furrowed his eyebrows as his brain worked on overdrive. If they went through this... thing, there was no telling if they would come back. A minute on the other side could equal a century or more on Earth, though the opposite was possible as well (though Lelouch was leaning towards that possibility being pure bogus from science fiction space movies). He had left Nunnally behind, and while he trusted Sayoko to keep her safe, once word got out about the seven of them going missing, his identity as Lelouch vi Britannia could be exposed. Should his face make it on the news, Cornelia, Euphemia, or someone else from the military could recognize him, and there'd be Britannia soldiers swarming Ashford Academy faster than he could say "I am Zero!"

Not to mention that the Black Knights would be awaiting further orders from him ever since they made their debut at the hotel jacking just over two weeks ago. Since then, they haven't done much but assist the police in taking out drug cartels and exposing corrupt politicians and businessmen, but he could tell that they were all anxious to take their 'Knights of Justice' charade a step further, and without him, they could do something rash and ruin everything. But from what he could tell, Ohgi, whom he had placed as second in command, seemed to be the most level-headed of the Black Knights and wouldn't take too many risky chances. It appeared he had no choice but to trust them until he and Kallen got back.

However, if he found out what this lion, and it's other pieces, was capable of, and convinced the others, including Suzaku, to help him, he could use this Voltron to defeat Britannia. Not to mention that there seemed to be little to no chance that the lion was willing to turn around and go back to Earth, even if they tried. Plus, even if they did manage to turn around, the aliens would no doubt follow them, and possibly invade Earth. This would endanger not only Nunnally and Japan, but the whole world as well.

Once everything was thought over, there was no choice in the matter.

Clenching his teeth in frustration, he finally spoke, "Whether we like it or not, the lion seems to know more about what's going on than we do. Besides, I doubt we can force it to turn around. Not to mention that those aliens will follow us back to Earth as this lion seems to be their target. From the way things look, we're going to have to trust it. But if we're in this together, we should decide as a group."

Everyone took a moment to look at one another, all of them, though some reluctantly, seemed willing to go through with this, after all, they wouldn't be alone in this.

Rivalz sighed, "Alright, guess we're all ditching class tomorrow."

With that said, Rivalz urged the lion towards the wormhole, which almost immediately upon entering, closed behind them, the alien ship pursuing them missing it by seconds.

#Fanfiction #AU #Voltron #Code Geass #lelouch lamperouge #kallen stadtfeld #rai (lost colors)#suzaku kururugi #shirley fenette #milly ashford #rivalz cardemonde

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