[Code Geass]
Click-clack. The already signed and stamped "Area 11 Special Task Force February Repatriation Transfer Order" was quickly taken away by an attendant. As the doors were slowly closed by guards, the Amber Hall study returned to quiet once more, leaving only the heavy sound of rain and snow from outside the window and the crackle-pop singing of burning logs in the fireplace.
After placing the copper-gilt eagle-lion-and-serpent seal back into the seal case, Vela calmly lifted the teapot and refilled herself a cup of black tea.
"Hah." Holding up the cup wreathed in white steam, she gave it a small shake and gently blew on it a few times.
A mouthful of hot tea went down, warm and comforting.
"Do your best, Cornelia." She murmured softly and leaned back. Her sidelong gaze swept across the holographic screen displaying Area 11 battle reports. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of the bone china cup. The hazy steam wove a gauze-like curtain before her eyes, yet it could not melt the frost congealed in her gaze.
Despite providing assistance, she ultimately did not reveal the truth of Geass power to Cornelia.
Sorry, Cornelia.
The struggle for the throne had always been like this.
This was also the intention of her bargain uncle, V.V.: to strictly conceal the mystery in order to maintain the power of Geass.
V.V. had taken the initiative to reveal himself and accept Vela because her Geass aptitude was sufficiently outstanding.
Furthermore, under Vela's command there lurked a "wild" Geass-compatible individual (Shin Hyuga Shaing). On another level, Vela herself had proven capable enough to perceive and awaken Geass.
So what was the price Vela paid for learning the truth behind Britannia's global war of conquest?
Answer: assisting V.V. and Emperor Charles in concealing the truth.
Of course, as someone from beyond the world, Vela knew that V.V. had not told her everything.
Her bargain uncle had explained to her the Code, the world of C (human collective unconscious), the Thought Elevator, and other inner-world truths and abstract concepts, yet he concealed the most crucial element—the god-slaying plan: to create a peaceful world without lies, namely using the [Sword of Akasha (the system that controls the world of C)] to erase the barriers of understanding between individuals and integrate everyone's consciousness.
In simple terms, Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Perhaps the execution differed, but the meaning was much the same.
To halt a constantly changing and developing world, anchoring an uncreative yesterday in eternity.
"Another obsession forged from childhood trauma, huh."
Shaking her head, Vela drained the slightly cooled black tea in one gulp.
Then she leaned forward, reached out, pressed the intercom, and said, "Summon Lord Shaing and Suzaku Kururugi to see me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
On the other end of the line, a dedicated operator from the Palace Communications Bureau responded.
While waiting, Vela rose to her feet and walked to the window with her hands clasped behind her back.
Outside the window, blue-and-white colonnaded fountains, garden pavilions, and towers were all buried under deep snow, clad in silver. Icicles hung from the eaves. The synchronized tread of military boots echoed. Mecha stood beneath hedgerows. Lances and cloaks, drive wheels humming. Snow drifted like catkins. Within the powdery jade-white scene, vibrant life was revealed.
"You've made great progress." Tap, tap. Her fingers lightly knocked against the windowsill. Vela's gaze was deep as she pondered.
Judging from the current situation in Area 11, the Black Knights that Lelouch had cobbled together had truly gained momentum.
Their makeshift nature had weakened. Their organization and degree of regularization were visibly improving.
Vela had read the analysis reports of ZERO's speeches over the past half year. How to put it—much less chuunibyou flavor, fewer fantasies in his methods, more caution, pragmatism, and a touch of cruelty.
For example, using coercion and semi-forced submission pledges to undermine Vela's divide-and-dismantle military merit pacification policy for the Japanese. Using frequent attacks to stir Britannian resentment toward the Numbers. Seizing the moral high ground of public opinion to deepen anti-Britannian sentiment among remnants of the Yamato chrysanthemum dynasty. Casting a global net to provoke the sensitive nerves of the pureblood faction within the imperial military...
From explicit, blunt, short-term commands like "die," "tell me the intel," "hand over the KMF armor ignition key," had he shifted to implicit, abstract, long-term commands like "pledge loyalty to me," "live on," and "awaken your potential"?
Lelouch, you've really grown.
At that thought, Vela's hand rubbing the edge of the window ornament paused.
Setting aside the so-called godlike power of "absolute obedience" Geass, my foolish little brother—your mental cleanliness seems to have indeed been effectively cured by harsh reality.
Better safe than sorry. With the rebellious little brother fighting on his home turf, one still had to guard against floor-flipping tactics.
...
[Cyberpunk]
You ask what I'm doing? Putting on a show, winning hearts and minds.
Using the Arasaka name wasn't the same as being an imperial princess. Authority required persistent reinforcement.
Multitasking, Vela chatted with herself while stepping forward until she stood directly before the soldiers.
"No need for formalities. A division-level combat group reorganized from part of the Security Bureau SAT unit? Your name is Martin Brown, correct?" As she scanned the soldier's information and saw his affiliated unit, Vela felt an immediate sense of familiarity. Anyone connected to the SAT division counted as half her direct lineage.
"Yes, Commander."
"Northern front. Injured during the Fargo assault operation?"
"Yes. Took a hit from a thermal cannon. Half my body was blown away."
Vela looked him over. A mixed-race Black man. Beneath the heavy EXO exoskeleton was nearly full cybernetic military-grade augmentation. She asked, "Aren't you afraid of cyberpsychosis?"
"No. Everyone says you're a genius. I trust your technology. Didn't you endorse the new tech yourself? The implant surgery suppressing cyberware load has made breakthroughs. I'm willing to test the waters." As he spoke, the rough cybernetic soldier grinned. "Besides, compared to going crazy, I'm more afraid of dying poor. Even if I leave my life on the battlefield, Commander Russel won't skim the compensation money, and won't let those bastards dock it either, right?"
A grassroots soldier who had walked through death's gate. The ferocity of a cyberpunk desperado was displayed to the fullest.
Vela did not grow angry. She raised a hand to stop the officer who was about to reprimand him.
A typical lower-class soldier of the cyberpunk era. Education barely beyond early childhood, latent neural damage, knowing nothing beyond killing, looting, drugs, and guns. Clever in small ways, but unfamiliar with formal etiquette. If not for the Fifth Corporate War's military expansion and his own stubborn survival plus a body capable of hosting cyberware, he might still be rotting in some street corner, unable even to meet the threshold for joining a corporation.
But now, the corporation needed cannon fodder. So being able to fight was enough.
"So that means injury compensation and combat allowances were fully issued? Nothing missing?"
"Yes."
"Good."
She nodded and walked past.
"For Arasaka! For Vela!" His right fist clenched and struck heavily against the heart position on his left chest armor as he raised his head and shouted.
This was prestige. This was power. Combined with the long-maintained public persona, built little by little, reinforced bit by bit, until grains of sand formed a tower.
Even Night City's scavengers knew that selling their lives for the relatively less awful Vela meant at least squeezing a few more drops of value out of a rotten life.
While Vela discussed PUA techniques with her imperial-princess self and simultaneously demonstrated them in practice by motivating recovering cannon-fodder soldiers to fight harder, a leisurely, ocean-breeze-like consciousness entered the private chat group of the "two Velas."
"Oh my~ everyone's lives look quite colorful and spectacular."