Chapter 5, part 1.
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The two weeks following my meeting with Lelouch finally made me realize that my actions have consequences. And I mean really, in the more than intellectual understanding; knowing that all that happened is my fault.
If the world was made of a bunch of chess pieces, there would be no consequences that you couldn't control. But the world isn't like that.
I got the first hint of the full impact of my presence at a meeting with the Black Knights.
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The Black Knights watch me with a variety of different expressions as I walk through their new headquarters. The looks I receive range from fascination to suspicion; from fear to awe. It's still a bit hard for me to reconcile myself -how I see myself that is- with how these people see Morgan. Really, I still haven't settled on who I'm supposed to be.
I tried to escape Morgan through Alexis. The girl at Ashford Academy is me trying to hold on to the person I believe I... or the person I was... patterned from, used to be. I tried to get away from my identity as Fog and hold on to some measure of humanity.
But I was wrong. About what I'm trying to get away from, that is.
It isn't my Fog programming that makes me feel a rush of pleasure when someone backs away from me in fear. It isn't "warship instinct" that fills me with pride when humans are fascinated and awed by my presence. It isn't the bloodlust of a machine that enjoys combat somewhere hidden under the civilized exterior. It's certainly not a battleship's vanity that aches for me to recover my true combat form and display my grandeur for all to see.
No. Much as I want to blame it on becoming Fog, those feelings are very much human. A warship with the singular purpose of destroying the enemy can't feel pride. It can't relish the panicked look in the eyes of those weaker than it. It can't feel vanity. It certainly can't feel... jealous of someone else being prettier GOD DAMMIT MILLY!
My mental model creates these feelings because it is human. Despite all of these emotions being placed in the context of a personified warship, it is human instinct and human desires that allow them to exist. Being of the Fog just amplifies what was always there to begin with. It removes all my human needs and thrusts immense power upon me. The only logical result of that is to feel invincible and vainglorious, no matter how much I try not to.
This isn't exactly comforting me… and it's really making me look terrible to myself.
With funding and support from Kyoto House, the Order of Black Knights has moved way up in the world. They've moved out of ghetto ruins and into a new building owned by Kyoto. Their popularity has risen dramatically, bringing in a surge of new recruits. Of course, Diethard Ried is doing full background screenings on every prospective member. Zero hasn't announced the official reorganization yet, but it's obvious he knows where he wants everyone to be already.
The "stage room" as I call it -because I don't know what else to call it- is already nearly full with people when I walk through the door. With a slight twinge of disappointment, I am not immediately gazed upon by all the puny mortals in the room as though my very presence makes people pay attention to me. No, it takes a while before I am noticed as I casually stroll down the center aisle, my heeled boots clicking on the black marble floor.
… Suddenly I have an intense desire to make all the floors of my future ship into black marble. It looks so nice.
Oh wait, yes, people noticing me. By the time I've walked all the way to the front of the room, pretty much everyone is eyeing me. I've already seen all the looks they can possibly give me, so I'm not interested anymore. Let them gawk and stare and glare and whatever else. I'm just gonna take a note from that Indian scientist lady and lounge on the edge of the stage platform like I own this shit and give no fucks about anyone.
… Wait a second, isn't that her? Brownish skin, blue dot on her forehead, long sandy blonde hair, hookah pipe as long as her forearm and clothes intentionally unkempt so as to bare as much skin as that outfit can get away with? Yes, I do believe this is Rakshata Chawla. She beat me to the position of lounging on the stage. Dammit, now it's just going to look like I'm copying her. I don't wanna do it anymore.
I wonder why she's here so soon? Or is it soon? I have no idea. She looks a bit… not sure how to describe it. She's stuck somewhere between anger and amazement and can't get her face settled on either. Guess she saw the Gurren.
I decide to just stand in the front row with everyone else. No reason to make myself any more obvious. As if he's been waiting for me specifically, (which wouldn't be a surprise) Zero walks out from behind the curtains with his usual dramatic flair.
"Greetings to you all. Let us quickly get down to business. Lights."
As the lights dim, I realize that Zero just completely failed to acknowledge me. He absolutely saw me. He just didn't specifically greet me. That was definitely intentional. I'm just not sure why he would do something like that.
The curtains part and show an ultra-wide LCD screen that soon fills up with graphs and other boring shit. First order of business is discussion of how much the Black Knights have expanded in just the last few days. I suppose I should care about this part, but I really don't. Perfect memory will pick it up for me.
Then Zero starts talking about the larger scale situation in Japan as a map shows blotches of color representing different zones of influence throughout the archipelago. The entire southern half of Honshu and all of Kyushu is plastered with purple for Britannia. Those are zones the Empire has developed since taking over. There are numerous smaller purple spots showing known military outposts outside of developed areas. Purple lines representing Britannian-controlled roads and highways snake up and down the country.
"During the invasion in 2010, the Britannian Royal Air Force bombed out most major routes leading into the mountain ranges, cutting off many of the more remote regions of Japan from the city centers. Entire rural communities became isolated, and those that weren't self-sufficient soon starved to death. In the years since, Britannia has conducted limited reconstruction of these roadways."
Limited due to an interest in keeping the rural areas crippled, forcing the Japanese to move closer to urban centers. Britannia doesn't care about Japan's agriculture at the moment. The only thing they want is the sakuradite mines. The only roads being rebuilt are the ones leading to old mines so that the Empire can take them. Farming communities without mines nearby are ignored, making the Japanese entirely dependent on Britannian food imports. If any communities get reconnected, it's just a happy coincidence Britannia can use to make it look like they're really doing this work for the benefit of the "poor Elevens".
Zero explains as much for the benefit of those present.
"This morning, forces believed to be the remains of Nihon Kaihou Sensen began sabotaging roads and tunnels leading to reclaimed mines. Transports carrying sakuradite have been struck by roadside bombs on their way to the main highways, with the resulting detonations completely obliterating the vicinity. Civilian companies contracted for roadway reconstruction projects are being attacked at their work-sites."
The map begins filling up with red as we're shown known blocked roads and territory believed to have JLF presence. Significant portions of Fukushima and Niigata prefecture have been hit.
"What is the civilian death toll?" I ask, amplifying my voice slightly. It wasn't Zero, but Diethard Ried who answered.
"At this time, Area Administration has informed media outlets of roughly 600 unarmed civilians killed either intentionally by JLF or as collateral damage from bombing the sakuradite shipments. The detonations caused by those bombings didn't only slaughter anyone unfortunate enough to be within the blast areas; they've caused mass vehicle pileups. Reports are still coming in."
Diethard receives a lot of distasteful looks from the Japanese in the room, as if they hate that he's even allowed to be here, let alone speak. If I didn't know better I would just blame it on the oppression they've endured from Britannians for years.
I know better.
"This is a clear sign that the Japan Liberation Front has made a major shift in its doctrine. With their last stronghold lost, they have no hope of fighting a conventional war against Britannian occupation forces. This is the start of a long term guerrilla campaign with the intention of turning Japan into a gaping wound for the Empire."
"Yeah! Get those Brit bastards!" Tamaki says, inciting a wave of approval from the audience.
"Bleed the fuckers dry!"
"Gaijin go home!"
"Gaijin drop dead!"
"Nippon, Banzai!"
The last one sparks a rousing cheer of "Nippon, Banzai!" and "Kill the gaijin!" that lasts for several seconds. I notice that Kallen looks really conflicted whenever everyone shouts murder to gaijin.
"SILENCE!"
The room quickly quiets down when Zero demands it.
Yes, I definitely know better. Japan has a history of xenophobia and jingoism. It's nothing new for them. The only reason Japan was a democracy before Britannia invaded was for the same reason it's a democracy in my timeline. They built a massive Pacific Empire, went to war to conquer Asia, lost, and were forced to demilitarize for several decades. The Britannian invasion was the 2nd Pacific War, after all.
They're victims now, but in another time they were the aggressors. The Empire of the Rising Sun used many of the same national policies that the Britannian Empire does now. Even the Area System is a variation of how the Japanese Empire treated the people they conquered.
To be truly fair, all empires of that age kinda acted that way. But "I just did what everyone else was doing" doesn't excuse them. If they don't learn -if they aren't taught better- they'll just be driven by their oppression to return it in kind if they ever win.
"This is not what Japan needs!"
"And what makes you say that, huh?"
Please shut up, Tamaki.
"When you first joined my cause, I told you that purposely involving civilians would lead to nothing! It will not win the hearts of the people!"
"What do we care if more Britannians don't like us?!"
"FOOL!" Zero says, thrusting his arm out of his cape for emphasis. "Thoughts suchs as that are why you were a small and inconsequential terrorist group before I took you in and built you into what you are now! WHO ARE WE?"
It takes a moment before Ohgi pipes up in the deafening silence.
"Kuro no Kishi-Dan."
"And what is our mission?"
"We are allies of justice and defenders of the weak!" Kallen says with confidence. I did mention I LOVE her voice, right?
"YES! We are not just a resistance group! We are not merely here for the liberation of Japan! Our mission is to bring justice down upon those who would abuse the defenseless! That mission does not care for nationality, race, religion or social standing!"
I can see Diethard get a crazed look in his eyes as Zero belts out a doozy of a speech. Rakshata smirks with the hookah pipe in her mouth. Kallen is smiling, her adoration of Zero coming back despite learning who the man under the mask is. Everyone else listens in stunned silence, enraptured by his charisma.
"JLF has embarked on the path that will shed the most blood of both Britannians AND Japanese! They will cripple this nation to make the Empire suffer! Though Britannia's reconstruction efforts were directed to serve their own interest, there is no denying that innocent lives depend on them! By taking this road they have shown that they only desire the Japan that is forever lost in the past!"
Zero holds out his hand and clenches it into a fist.
"We, the Order of Black Knights, exist for the FUTURE!"
Damn, Lulu… I gotta get me summa that ham.
... Oh god, why do I only now realize how horribly wrong that sounds?!