Preparations

Area 11

Britannian Military Base

Ouroboros Corps. Temporary Headquarters

Claudius p.o.v.

I was in the officer's lounge back in the barracks that I had taken over and occupied with the rest of the Ouroboros Corps.

I was alone lounging on a couch looking over details of my sister's upcoming operation in the Saitama ghetto.

It mostly ordered for troop movements and the encirclement of the ghetto, but I knew what came next.

To draw out Zero, my sister Cornelia would destroy the ghetto and the Yamato Alliance to provoke him.

She didn't care for civilian casualties because they were barely human in her eyes.

Since I had the power to save them of course I tried my best to find a way for them to avoid the crossfire.

But I had to be careful now that things are starting to heat up.

I didn't want to draw too much suspicion from my father or the Directorate until I had enough power to take them out and win the resulting battles.

So I had to play things a little more strategically instead of rushing in and overwhelming the enemy like I'm used to.

It would also force Lelouch to focus on me instead of Cornelia and would throw off the timeline.

And not knowing what comes next would be a disadvantage that I can't afford if I'm going to win.

However unlike Shinjuku, I didn't have the time to prepare a cover to excuse my involvement and I doubt my sister would let me deploy and get away with going against orders.

So I was left to find a way to limit casualties on the civilian side while trying to hide my involvement from my sister.

The best option would be to take over one of the old underground subway tunnels creating a secure evacuation line for the civilians to slip out of the encirclement.

But that left me the problem of how would I get to the people to co-operate with a Britannian military force.

Lucky for me I was prepared for this and knew just the right man who could get the word out for me.

The door opened revealing Naoto with Mary strolling in behind him as they approached my place at the end of the room.

I straightened up from the couch and looked at the new Naoto Stadtfeld.

Gone were the signs of torture from his days in prison.

Now he stood at attention as a shining example of a picturesque soldier but I could tell from his rigid stance he was still wary of me.

To him, I was the man who held everything he held dear hostage.

"Care to take a seat Lt. Stadtfeld."

He took the couch across from me, as he took my suggestion as more of a command while Mary stood at the side ever vigilant.

"Well, with your training finally behind you Naoto, I think it's time for your first assignment."

Naoto had not been expecting that as his stoic expression quickly turned to surprise.

"Assignment, sir?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes, with my sister now in command of the military, she has decided to increase anti-terrorist operations, I wanted to let you know what's coming next."

I slid the file I had been reading earlier to him and let him look it over, he soon became wide-eyed and stood up.

"Sir, is the Viceroy really going to take it this far?" He asked clearly in duress over the information of the future slaughter.

"Yes, it is accurate and will commence in three days time.But enough with sir call me Claudius or Commander Claudius if you must, with all my lord, sir, your highness I get it's exhausting after a while."

"You said something about my first assignment Commander Claudius?" Naoto asked as he sat back down after recovering from his shock.

"Your first assignment is helping me save as many civilians from the ghetto." He looked surprised again, but I merely took a cup of coffee that Mary had prepared for me.

"I will be busy with entertaining my sister on board the G-1 command center so I will need someone to help facilitate the evacuation plan you're holding."

"Commander if I may, why the need to keep all this secret, can't you just ask your sister for this."

If only I could, but sadly I knew that wouldn't work with her.

"Sadly my sister Cornelia is a rather headstrong woman who does not emphasize with others as much as I, so we are on our own to save the lives of the civilians which she'll throw away to provoke Zero."

Naoto held back a curse directed at my sister, not that I'd blame him.

My sister was a cold and calculative commander who was willing to sacrifice anything for victory.

To her, the lives of a few hundred or so elevens were nothing compared to our brother's murderer Zero.

He looked back and forth between me and the plans digesting the responsibility I had given him.

"You won't be in command per say, but I will need you to act as the main intermediary between my forces and the civilians for things to go as smooth as possible. While you're helping to direct the evacuation, I will keep my sister and her forces off your back until the last possible moment however I doubt that will be necessary."

I put down my coffee and waited for any questions that would come my way as Naoto finished up reading the plans I had given him.

"This could work, but I have to ask, why do you want to give this to me?" He asked unsure at the responsibility and position I had given him.

It must be because he still has doubts about my sincerity and thinks I'll really blackmail him. While I wasn't against pressuring him into to service, Naoto was much more useful to me as a willing subordinate than a forced one.

Not only does it give me a capable soldier who shows great promise according to how his training has been, but also his connections with the future black knights and Kallen may prove useful in the future.

"I'm trusting you with this operation to not only save innocent lives but also to help redeem yourself from your previous mistakes."

He flinched at my remark but kept his silence, at least he wasn't a loud mouth like Tamaki then I might have just left him in that prison. At least all that military training taught him discipline, or he was biding his time to escape and regroup or get close and kill me.

Still the chances he succeeds are next to zero if he tries since I know everything about him and know exactly where to press if he shows any signs of becoming a traitor.

"Also, I'm giving this opportunity to you as a test, if you succeed, you'll have earned my respect and the respect of your peers and will be officially a member of the Ouroboros Corps.

I then got up ready to take my leave.

"Remember that I'm putting my trust in you for this and I think you know the ramifications if you don't succeed."

Naoto then got up and saluted me.

"Commander I won't let you down, but when will this operation begin?" Naoto asked in a determined voice.

"Oh you didn't notice on the plans, the operation is already underway."

Naoto then was sent into a frenzy picking up documents which had spilled out, and getting his things in order.

"By the way, there's a car that will take you to the forward staging area where you'll begin your mission, good luck."

I then left the scrambling Naoto trying to get his things together and reach the ghetto to save as many lives as possible.

I wasn't sure how many would listen to me, but with Naoto, I hoped they would be convinced to evacuate with his good word instead of staying to be gunned down by sister's troops.

"I wonder why you are putting so much stock into this man who at best is an above average, pilot?"

I smirked at her question and replied "Let's just say that Naoto is a low-risk investment for the future, if it works out I gain another asset and then some, if it doesn't I risk to lose next to nothing. Also, we need more men like him Mary."

"Sir?"

Mary looked unsure as to what I meant.

"He is fighting for something more than himself, and he is willing to do anything to protect what is precious to him, that kind of person who fights for the sake of others is the embodiment of what we need."

The rest of the ride was quiet as we made our way back to the comfort of the palace and to prepare for the challenge to come.

Saitama ghetto

G-1 Mobile command center

Claudius p.o.v.

I was walking with Mary following shortly behind up to the command center of the G-1.

I was going there to do my job as an observer to oversee the deployment and to keep an eye on my sister to keep her from going overboard.

"Mary how goes the operation?" I asked wanting to know how Naoto has done with the three-day head start I gave him.

"Reports say that sixty percent of the civilians have evacuated on their own or by our designated route. The Lieutenant and a small detail protecting both entrances of the tunnel are waiting in case of additional civilian holdouts try to escape. There have been no problems with the terrorists and things have been running smoothly."

Well, it's good that most of the civilians got out already now I just had to hope some of the holdouts would make it to the escape route out of the encirclement. However, that also meant the terrorists would be trying to escape as well so I had given a few squads of knightmares to protect the escape route.

All I could do now that what I had done was enough and that Zero would draw the army's attention away from the civilians and onto the terrorists.

"Good, now let's see my older sister shall we." Mary just nodded as we approached the door to the command center just in time to hear my sister ask those buffoons who managed to survive the battle in Shinjuku if the conditions were similar.

"Well I'm sure it's similar but hardly the same dear sister," I said as I strolled into the command center as all eyes shifted towards me as everyone went to attention at my arrival except my sister who just seemed annoyed at my remarks.

"Claudius I didn't expect you to come out here to the front." My sister stated as she sat on the throne with Guilford, her knight at her side.

"Well since you summoned everyone that was present in the Shinjuku disaster I might as well show up since it was because of Schneizel's Lancelot and my Merlin that the entire situation was salvaged from being a total disaster."

The group of officers from before wanted to say something, but they just lowered their heads in shame and gritted their teeth as they knew what I said was true.

"Also, I wanted to see my older sister, is that so wrong?" My lax attitude didn't go unnoticed by the officers, as many were unfamiliar with my carefree attitude.

I sent a nod towards my old mentor Darlton, who silently nodded back as I approached my sister's throne.

Cornelia, however, scowled at me as I walked up the stairs to lean against the wall on the right-hand side of her throne with Mary approached the command table to survey the situation.

"I would have thought you too busy with your wasted charity efforts for the numbers to actually to your duty as a soldier," Cornelia remarked making it clear yet again that my efforts to help my fellow man were a foolish one.

"Well dear sister I try to actually solve problems where I go, not all the problems in the empire can be fixed by a knightmare, and Euphemia offered to help out with most of my charity work while I'm on duty. Sister do you have to be that hostile? Sometimes I wish we could go back in time where we still get along together." Thinking of this I can't help but sigh.

Hearing my words Cornelia too can't also hold back her sigh.

Cornelia was a prideful warrior and general who sought to bring glory to the Empire.

However in her quest to emulate her idol, Marianne, she has blindly followed the empire as was her duty as a general and princess without much thought to the true reasons for the empire's expansion wars.

"No matter, I didn't come here to argue with you, rather I'm interested if Zero will show up as well," I said with a smirk that only caused my sister to scowl even more.

"So you've just come to watch, I must say I thought you to be someone who always did things yourself?" Cornelia asked curiously as to my true intent.

"Well I wouldn't want my sister to be in danger trying hunt down Zero on her own, plus its kind of my job to observe anti-terrorist activities," I said as I shrugged off my sister's gaze.

"Hmph, I trust you won't interfere unless I direct you to?" I nodded and remained silent as my sister went on to detail her plan that would start soon after her announcement of her actions to draw out Zero.

I just hope that the two hours would be enough time for the stragglers to make it out before the army moves in.

But right now I had to have faith in Naoto that he'll follow through on his end while I sit tight and keep watch from the command center.