Britannian Airbase,
Tokyo settlement,
2017
Claudius p.o.v.
After landing in Tokyo, I stepped off the plane to meet with the small representation of my soldiers which I sent ahead to prepare for today.
"Lieutenant, what's your report on the status of the operation?" I asked the head of the advanced party there to greet me clad in the regular blue and gold uniform of the Ouroboros Corps.
"Sir, Operation Savior is active and has been up and running for the past week. It's been well received by the local population; we have men stationed to guard the medical outreach and refugee camp adjacent to the Shinjuku ghetto. We have secured the first high-value target and moved him to the safe house. However, the second has eluded us, as terrorists seem to have taken possession of what is being called poison gas and fled into the old subway underneath the ghetto forcing us away from our search. The Viceroy 3rd Prince Clovis has mobilized the military to surround the ghetto to find the weapon."
"Good it's unfortunate that we weren't able to locate both targets, but I expected as much, tell the men to mobilize and protect the refugee camp along with any civilians seeking refuge. Also, prepare my Knightmare for transport as I'm heading there to handle this mess myself."
"Yes sir, we'll have you ready to go in five minutes tops." The Lieutenant started to relay my orders to the men as they scrambled to get the Merlin and the rest of the Knightmares unloaded and prepped for combat from the military transport that got in just behind us.
"So a military operation straight off the plane while jet lagged how very like you." Mary said with her usual poker face from behind me in her military uniform but instead of blue hers was a light shade of purple.
"It can't be helped, my idiot of a brother has just mobilized the army to clean up the mess he made," I replied to Mary.
"Still I'm curious you knew that this would happen didn't you, but why this whole operation set up," She asked looking me in the eye.
"Do you think I'm a prophet?" I asked sarcastically to her in which earned me a glare.
Finally not able to continue anymore I decided to cough and continue "Fine, you're right on the medical aid part being a reason to involve ourselves in my brother's pathetic attempt at trying to keep his dirty laundry under wraps. But I also believe that thousands of innocent people don't deserve to die just because they happen to live there. Don't you agree, my knight?"
Grinning, I turned to the hangar that housed the Merlin and started to make my way there Mary fell quickly in behind me ever watchful as my personal protector and knight.
Mary also had a custom knightframe named Azul colored with blue and purple. Although Azul had almost the same model of my knightframe it was altered a bit and Unlike Merlin who wields a sword Azul wield a halberd instead.
While I supported multiple charities and organized projects to help devastated conflict-ridden areas of the empire by giving aid reconstruction and investments in the area.
This led many progressive members of the empire to see me as a hope for the future; many middle class and commoners saw me as a self-made man and an example of what can accomplish through hard work. The Numbers saw me as a beacon of hope for not just aid but giving some of them opportunities to advance in the military and better job prospects based on ability and merit rather than what nationality or culture you grew up with.
This had the unintended effect of painting me as one of the major front-runners to succeed my father as emperor. The thought crossed my mind over the years, but it was still too early to think about that especially if I'm declared a traitor in the future. I don't desire to be an emperor and thinking of this i can't help but think of the future of Britannia.
I was even viewed in a favorable light by most foreign countries. Although I was seen as a military threat, I was seen as an honorable warrior who treated his enemies with respect and never attacking innocent civilians.
Even my opponents and critics were eventually forced to swallow their words as my success both militarily and with my company seemed to go against the nation's policy of the strong stand above the weak.
My indirect stand against my father's Social Darwinism made him see me as a troublesome son.
However, as long as I won battles for the empire I was allowed to continue as I was.
Climbing into the cockpit of Merlin I found a strange sense of comfort, although still relatively new it has been fielded in a few small conflicts already. However, it's first real battle against other Knightmares would be today.
Initially, I thought I would not get involved in the first battle at all and let things go the way they did in the anime.
That thought was quickly dismissed as I couldn't sit back and let thousands of people be killed by my desire not to interfere with the story and let fate decide if things will be the same as the history I know.
So I set in place a plan to help avoid the massacre that would occur.
I set up a relief camp and medical center to assist the people of the Ghetto creating a haven from Clovis's soldiers.
As well as having my forces guard the center and keep order while starting rumors of Britannian military action in the ghettos.
The plan was a success and thousands were flocking to the protected area where they wouldn't be killed.
I don't know how many people I will have saved through this plan, and I know it won't be all of them, but all I can do is hope that I could save some people who wouldn't have made it otherwise.
Completing the pre-launch checks, I equipped a new weapon pulse gun on the right shoulder mount finally decided to head out.
Today I wasn't looking to kill any black knights of soldiers and chose weapons that wouldn't accidently kill the enemy pilot if I'm off the mark.
Checking the fact spheres I see Mary in her purple Gloucester all ready with a knightmare rifle and anti-knightmare sniper rifle on her back.
The rest of my local forces were in their respective Sutherlands with the standard load out painted the standard purple ready to escort me to the refugee camp and the Ghetto.
After getting the all clear, I turned on the radio to communicate with Mary and the escorts. "Attention men of the Ouroboros Corps, our destination is the refugee camp just outside of the ghetto once there we'll assess the situation and adjust accordingly understood?"
The response was a unison reply of "Yes Sir!"
"Alright, this is Merlin heading out." And I gunned the throttle as my land spinners shot me out of the gate moving fast towards the ghetto with Mary and a half dozen men of the Ouroboros Corps following me. I let a grin of excitement slip across my face for the action to come.
Shinjuku Ghetto outskirts
G1 Britannian Mobile Command Center
Clovis la Britannia sat on the throne in the main command center watching Bartley and the various other officers scramble to adjust to the terrorists new strategy. It was nothing to be worried about yet just a few isolated ambushes and setbacks.
"Sir, we're receiving reports that many elevens are escaping to a refugee camp to the east opposite of our position." A lowly radio operator relayed to those present.
"What I thought we had the ghetto encircled?" General Bartley's astonished voice rang out.
"We did sir however we ignored that area seeing it was already guarded." One middle-aged staff officer replied.
"Then why are they escaping, I thought I told you all to leave no one alive, tell those pilots to kill all those who try to leave the encirclement." Clovis voiced over the bickering staff.
"The thing is sir, they don't belong to the regular army, the unit guarding the refugee camp are from 4th Prince Claudiua's Ouroboros Corps, and they say they were ordered to defend the camp, and they are refusing our forces entry." The same radio operator answered.
Hearing that his younger brother's personal forces were in Area 11, protecting lowborn scum like these elevens didn't surprise Clovis.
Claudius was always seen as one of the softest ones in the family.
Still if it wasn't bad enough being shown up by Schneizel and Cornelia, but being overlooked in favor for his younger brother made him seethe with anger.
While his older siblings had distinguished themselves in their respective roles, it was the success his little brother that trumped his own is what infuriated him.
Whatever he seemed to do he succeeded and was considered to be a poster boy for all that is right with Britannia.
He was admired and adored throughout the empire; it wasn't fair that he got skipped over as his other siblings had all the greatness.
That was part of the reason he took the viceroyship over Area 11 so he could finally surpass them, with the Code R project he would be able to take his rightful place as the new emperor.
"Who do we have near there?" Bartley asked the other officers
"Lord Smith Sorsei's unit is closest shall I connect them?"
"Yes, they will do" Clovis despised Claudius, so he would show that insufferable brother of his what happens when you place your things to close to the fire.
"Your highness I and my men are at your disposal." Smith's voice cut through command center and dispersed Clovis's thoughts of his infuriating younger brother.
"Lord Smith I command you and your men to go to the other side of the Ghetto and destroy the refugee camp there. Kill all the elevens and those who stand in your way." He would show him and all of them.
"Yes, your highness." Then the line to Smith was cut off as he set out to fulfill his orders.
Satisfied Clovis smirked at the thought of his brother finding his precious relief center turned into a mass grave filled with those filthy elevens he cares so much for.
Clovis and the rest of the staff continued to work searching for one green haired girl somewhere in the ghetto, ignorant of the trap being laid for them.