The Hohenzollern Empire 5: Holy Phoenix - An Empire of Jerusalem Megacampaign in New World Order

[zenphoenix]

Shame about that, as jumping from Boris' speech to Tiger Defense suddenly being destroyed and Vilnius falling is a little jarring, but it's not that big of a deal since the attack will probably have more detail in the gameplay chapter and this is still good update, especially with Boris' speech. Curios to see how the gameplay update will portray the fall of Livonia, as I'm sure Konstantinov feels guilty about not protecting it from Haynau. Can't wait to see Konstantinov to defeat Haynau, especially since the gameplay chapters seem to present Haynau as Konstantinov dark mirror in asymmetrical warfare.

I genuinely did attempt to write Kowalski experiencing the attack, but I hit a wall due to both writer's block and me realizing the attack would boil down to a missile hitting the bunker, causing an explosion, and taking everything out. So if I had gotten over the writer's block, I probably would have added a scene of Kowalski walking down a hallway or in the command center monitoring the front lines and then an explosion. I also didn't know how to get from there to Vilnius falling, since I only have two Livonian POVs and I didn't want to repeat Boris' previous battle scene. I think that would be better left for Chapter 467.

If I do come back to this in a definitive edition, I'll try fixing it.

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

I think it's the right call skipping the actual attack. It emphasizes how their entire defense was gone just from Tiger Defense failing.

 

[zenphoenix]

I think it's the right call skipping the actual attack. It emphasizes how their entire defense was gone just from Tiger Defense failing.

I’m not sure how to feel about it, though. I get the impression that Tiger’s Defense was the only thing holding back Jerusalem, and Konstantinov and Kowalski and the others contributed absolutely nothing. i did try to mention how important it was to the country’s defense, but I might have gone too far with that.

 

[zenphoenix]

I just finished both seasons of Code Geass about two hours ago (not the OVAs yet), and now I finally get all of the references made to it in this thread and the Annionaverse ones over the last few years. So I thought I would try to properly address them now. The quotes I got might not be in chronological order (the forum search function doesn't give me the option to sort it that way), but I tried my best.

I feel like Neurhomania would have a lot of other roles in TTL´s alternate history where the reich falls as well, like becoming Oceania from 1984 after the Soviets destroy the rest of the Reich or becoming the Holy Britannian Empire from Code Geass. Tho I honestly think China would be a better replacement for the Holy Britannian Empire (Great Celestial Republic in TTL) and India or one of the Reich´s territories would probably replace Japan in that anime.

I don't think China would be a good Britannia stand-in, unless we're talking about a super Song Dynasty that took back the mainland or a Fusang that took over all of the New World.

Code Geass would center on the premise that the Thirteenth Century Crisis was worse than expected. The Mongols and Aztecs/Mexica utterly defeat the Roman forces and partition the Reich between them. They then conquer Scandinavia A small group of Romans and Scandinavians flee to North Eimerica, in what would have become Kanata. There, they establish the Holy Germanic Empire, with the former Kaiser Sigismund I declaring himself Autokrator Sigismund vi Germania. The Holy Germanic Empire ends up conquering the Jin Dynasty and the rest of the New World, ironically exiling the Mexica to their conquests in Europe. Fast forward several centuries, and the HGE now has mechas and conquered Ireland from the Mexica. The Irish, who have adopted Mexica culture and religion (like real life Mexico adopted Spanish culture), do not welcome the HGE, whose culture is a strange hybrid of Roman, Scandinavian, Native Eimerican, Mexica, Jin Chinese, Mayan, and Quechua cultures.

I'm going to revise this scenario now that I've watched the show and understand it better. And agreed, Neurhomania somehow keeps finding a way into my "Reich gets exiled" alternate history scenarios. Especially a Neurhomania that has conquered the entire New World. Happened in 1984 and Draka and now here.

The new point of divergence is the Fifty Years' War resulting in Frederica Augusta embracing absolutism even more than she did in real life, interpreting meritocracy in terms of the survival of the fittest. Her child and successor is also a son, avoiding the Reign of Women, and he builds on his mother's absolutism. Fast forward two centuries, and Iskandar Yinal's revolutionary movement finds far more supporters within Persia and its neighbors, including the Reich, where the emerging Maximist movement is taken over by a genuine Yinal-style revolutionary movement. The ensuing wave of revolutions successfully overtakes not only Persia but also India, Russia, Scandinavia, the Commonwealth, and, most importantly, the Reich itself. The Hohenzollerns, including both Siegfried and Maximilian, escape to loyal Neurhomania. A power struggle breaks out between the two princes, with Siegfried II favoring absolutism and Maximilian II embracing a return to traditional meritocracy. With the aid of his father, Prince Nikephoros, Siegfried wins and executes Maximilian, sealing the Reich's fate. Paranoid that the revolutionaries will eventually cross the ocean, Siegfried sends Nikephoros on a conquering spree across the Eimericas, annexing Tawantinsuyu as Area 1 and turning its population into second-class citizens and cannon fodder for more conquests. The "Holy Neurhomanian Reich" ultimately conquers the entirety of the Eimericas, which are unable to counter the tactical and strategic genius of Nikephoros and his officer corps (most of whom weren't discovered until after the revolution and exile, explaining why they couldn't stop it from happening to begin with; a few of them could've also joined the revolutionaries) and later that of Kaiser Sigismund II. Sigismund and his successors double down on their absolutism and brutal meritocracy, twisted into now enshrining inequality and discrimination as core values and established laws, as a way of keeping the subjugated Eimericans in line. The Reich hadn't supported Kanatan or Nsoralan independence in this timeline, so as a result both are still colonies of Scandinavia and Mali, but when Yinal's revolution takes over both of those countries, Neurhomania seizes the colonies for itself both to deny the revolutionaries sympathizers and a foothold in the New World and to use their populations as more second-class labor and cannon fodder. New Berlin, renamed to Nibelung, prospers off what is effectively slave labor and becomes a capital to rival those of Africa and Eurasia. The name Hohenzollern becomes sidelined and forgotten as the imperial family becomes known as the House of Neurhomania. Ironically, Siegfried became exactly like the Acatls.

In the Old World, the revolutionaries never follow the Hohenzollerns across the Atlantic but instead spread their revolution over land. The former Reich is split up into smaller republics based on regional nationalities, and the same thing happens to Mali, Abyssinia, the Roman African Länder, and the East African colonies. India suffers the worst fate as it not only loses the Central Asian colonies, but the subcontinent is split into dozens of regional republics. All of these republics ally with each other under Yinal-led Persia's Continental System, forming a massive bloc, the Eurasian Alliance, spanning from Sudafrika to the jungles of Burma. Terrified by the growing power of the revolutionaries, the Ming Dynasty moves quickly to establish its own bloc. It quickly defeats the Tran Dynasty, followed by the Song, and seizes the former Roman and Indian colonies in Southeast Asia for itself. A last stand by the Ming imperial armies in Yavdi barely turns back the Alliance's revolutionary armies, giving hope that counterrevolutionary forces can survive. Realizing a need to unite just as much as the revolutionaries did, the Ming coopt some revolutionary ideas for their own ends, creating what becomes known as the Chinese Federation. Consisting of the Ming, Tran, and Song domains as well as Yavdi, the Ghaznavids, Mittagsland, and Maritime Southeast Asia, the Federation has a semi-democratic federal government where all member states ostensibly contribute to overall governance, but in reality the Ming Dynasty, specifically the Ming imperial court, has the final say. By the turn of the century, all three blocs have consolidated, dividing the world between them. The 20th century sees almost constant war between the three powers. While the Chinese Federation and the Eurasian Alliance frequently exchange territory in Yavdi, India, and Central Asia, the Federation and Neurhomania fight over Hawaii and other Pacific islands, and Neurhomania funds anti-Alliance insurgencies in Africa, no side can break the stalemate. Eventually, the Alliance gets bogged down in bureaucratic red tape and political infighting between its dozens of constituent republics, while the Federation's government falls under the sway of corrupt unelected eunuchs and palace attendants who make the imperial family into their puppets. Seeing an opening, the Holy Neurhomanian Reich, under the rule of Kaiser Karl II (a thinly veiled satire of Prince Wilhelm Karl), builds up its military in preparation to not only liberate Europe but take down both the Federation and Alliance and unite the world under its rule. It invests heavily into experimental new technologies like newer generations of Knightmare Frames. By the 21st century, the preparations are complete, and in an overwhelming assault, the British Isles, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Japan, the Qiandao Islands, Mittagsland, Maritime Southeast Asia, and Penglai quickly fall. The British Isles become Area 11, setting the stage for Lelouch vi Neurhomania, exiled there as a political ploy, to begin plotting his father's and Neurhomania's downfall. Ironically, the Hohenzollerns House of Neurhomania ended up launching a Sunset Invasion of their own, against their own people. The irony is not lost on the writers.

This time, I tried to go for parallels with the original Code Geass premise while remaining faithful to how things went in EU4/Victoria 2 and to my original scenario. I was intending to keep Ireland as the location of Area 11 as it was in the original scenario, but I couldn't pass up the irony of making England, the origins of the OTL Holy Britannian Empire, into Area 11. So I basically made both of them (and Scotland) into Area 11. Still not sure if the main action will take place in either Dublin or London. Probably London. Wonder how the dynamic between Neurhomanians and Elevens would play out now that it won't be as easy to distinguish Elevens based on skin color.

Julian seems like a very skillful and charmastic leader like his Annionaverse counterpart and Osterhild before him, makes sense since @dragoon9105 more or less based him on Lelouch (ironically, Julian’s situation with the Bremerhaven rebels now kinda reminds me of Lelouch leading the Black Knights against the HBE In Code Geass and Eva might possibly have some similarities to Nunnally and Euphemia , probably unintentional since I don’t think you’ve seen Code Geass)

Eva seems too aggressive compared to Nunnally and Euphemia, since she did lead an armed resistance. Wilhelmina comes across as having Euphemia's idealistic spirit but also a willingness to fight.

There really were Black Knights vibes in those rebels. It's a shame I didn't watch Code Geass sooner, because Angelica could have gotten a lot of influences from Kallen (my favorite character).

I could see shades of the ideological struggle between Lelouch and Suzaku (violent revolution against an unjust system vs reforming the system from within) reflected in some of my own characters.

If that is true then hopefully Julian can do similar things to what Lelouch did in the show? But that is probably just our wishful thinking.

If Annionaverse Julius was clearly a reference to Lelouch, I could imagine our Julian would share some of his strategic genius. But it hasn't shown up yet. Julian's still stepping into his role as a political leader, and perhaps his talents would focus on navigating politics instead of war.

Another one is this one from 2012 that to me looks like a Knightmare Frame from Code Geass.

The Knightmare Frames do feel like stuff I could use. I had an idea for mechs switching between walking like humans and using wheels, though I think for a good while the technology will stick to Xenoblade X's wheeled mode before eventually evolving into Code Geass' as the controls improve (I'm sticking with the idea I previously mentioned instead of the manga/anime's version). The melee weapons used are pretty cool and fit the ideas I had. Most mechs would use swords for melee combat, but some would use lances and other weapons. Of course, the Annionaverse mechs would put heavy emphasis on their own melee weapons. Perhaps since they have a large psionic population, their mechs would be fine-tuned to take advantage of and enhance psionic capabilities to boost their combat prowess and possibly provide limited personal shielding (or deflection like Wilhelmina does) against ranged weapons, making melee combat viable against gun-wielding opponents.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

I'm going to revise this scenario now that I've watched the show and understand it better. And agreed, Neurhomania somehow keeps finding a way into my "Reich gets exiled" alternate history scenarios. Especially a Neurhomania that has conquered the entire New World. Happened in 1984 and Draka and now here.

Great job on the Code Geass breakdown. I wonder if you would consider doing full summaries for this series in the future. Also, I wonder what other Anime you've been watching lately, as it would be nice to see detailed outline for shows like Attack on Titan, for example.

Also, I noticed Neurhomania can't catch a break in our alt history scenarios. We have Neurhomania either becoming a brutal dictatorships (the timelines you mentioned, TL-191, and now Code Geass), an anarchic warzone (Volkerschalt), or getting occupied by Twantinsuyu (Tianxia). Funny how those later two things have happened to Neurhomania in the main timeline and the first almost happened in the Cold War with your Paulluist Neurhomania idea.

Speaking of Volkerschalt, I apologize for the over two year wait for this update, but I'm finally to post this general update for the Tianxia Alliance in Volkerschalt. Hope you guys like it. Please be free to share feedback and constructive criticism you have for this update, I'll work on editing them in.
-

Volkerschalt-Legacy of the Weltkrieg:​

The Tianxia Alliance​

“Loyal subjects and friends of the Celestial Empire, do you remember our old Middle Kingdom, the center of civilization? Look at it now! It is a festering abomination worse than that of the Mongol invaders centuries ago! Millions of our citizens live in fear of the red revolutionary guard, dreading the moment shadowy men knock on their door as a black car waits for them under the cover of night, with the headlights turned off. Our Chinese brethren pray each waking day and night of their lives for salvation from the Totalist menace! So much of our millennia of culture, such as the teachings of Confucius and the Buddha, has been callously destroyed and erased for being reactionary. We, the great Tianxia Alliance of ancient and proud kingdoms and dynasties, are their best and only chance for salvation. Loyal citizens, it is my duty to inform you that the time has come for a new Expedition of the Thousand, a new Fuxingyundong that will reclaim the name of the Redshirts the Syndicalists have twisted for their own ends. Our glorious navy will send their fleets to the bottom of the Dahai, our Air Force shall seize rightful control over the heavens from the Totalist usurpers, and our troops will land on their beaches and liberate our ancient homeland. The return of the Celestial Empire is upon us! Soon, the Syndicalist yoke will be shaken off, and all peoples, from Manchu, Mongol, Burmese, Siamese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Ryukyuan, Turks, Iranians, and even Indians and Romans, will be united under Heaven, as is the natural order of things.

ZHONGHUA WANSUI, ZHONGHUA WANSUI!”
The Xuantong Emperor of China, declaring war on the Nationalist Union of China in the late 1930s.

Flag of the Guangzhou court.​

The Great Celestial Empire entered the Weltkrieg with the promise of toppling the hated Daquin yoke over the world. Instead, after years of brutal trench warfare and failed espionage campaigns, it would be the Tianxia alliance that would be toppled in the end, resulting in China losing east Turkestan, Tibet, Burma, and most of Thailand. They were also forced to pay heavy war reparations and accept responsibility for the war. Unrest from the humiliating conclusion of the war and economic downturns would lead to the 1925 revolution, where a coalition of Syndicalist revolutionaries and long marginalized minorities, such as the Manchu and Siberian tribes in the north, seized control over Nanjing and started a bloody civil war that would last until the miracle of the Pearl River in 1927, where various strategic decisions, both good and bad, the aid of colonial loyalist militias, and infighting within NUC command turned what was supposed to be a heroic but futile last stand into a miraculous victory that saved the Ming from destruction and halted the Syndicalist advance at the Pearl River, leading to a ceasefire in 1927.

Despite the Emperor's reign being miraculously saved, not much of his empire survived to see the ceasefire. Of the Chinese heartland, imperial loyalists only controlled the provinces of Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, and Guangxi, as well as naval bases in Ryukyu and Kyushu. The Ming court would eventually take up residence in the ancient city of Guangzhou, where many skilled Chinese migrants fleeing the Syndicalists have settled in. Despite its small size, the Ming remnants retain a great industrial potential, a huge population, and a considerable naval presence due to most of the Imperial Chinese Navy remaining loyal during the civil war. It’s this massive naval force that allows the Ming to maintain control over its colonies like Penglai, Fusang and Vietnam, which have imperial ambitions of their own yet face instability and opposition. In exchange for their continued support for the Ming regime, the old Jin, Tran and Song dynasties were also reinstated to rule Fusang, Vietnam and Penglai, this time in fealty to the Ming court in Guangzhou. In exchange for loyalty to the Ming, Cantonese and Tawainese fleets and armies are deployed to help quell unrest in their territories, such as rebelling Dine in the former Zhumasi court lands and syndicalist Hongzhou movements in Fusang, or Southeast Asian groups like Thais and Cambodians resisting Tran rule with NUC encouragement, which also shields them from the unrest that their neighbors are facing. This came at the cost of civil liberties under the remaining Tianxia regimes, which have begun drifting away from the values enshrined in the Mingzhi Constitution. Penglai's Ming-backed military junta has cracked down on all alleged leftist movements and suspended the democratic process in the name of preventing a repeat of the mainland's revolution in the southern reaches of the Sinosphere.

Tensions between the Tianxia alliance and the Nationalist Union of China are on the rise, giving way to a shadow war in Japan between NUC backed syndicalists in the north and Ming supported monarchists in the south, through the monarchist side is plagued by distrust and divisions between imperial and shogunate loyalists, Shintoists and Buddhists and Christians, and various groups of Japanese, Ainu, Chinese, Manchus, Mongols, and Koreans, all with overlapping and opposing ambitions. In addition to the two warring Japanese factions on Honshu, there is a Korean government in exile on the island of Kyushu, which has allied with the Guangzhou court and has declared the Syndicalist government in mainland Korea illegitimate. It also has icy relations with the Japanese monarchists despite mutual opposition to the syndicalists, due to many monarchists still considering Kyushu rightful Japanese territory. With the Reich heading towards civil war, Ming diplomats have also entered into talks with local provincial governments in the Pacific, such as the governors in Mittagsland and Indochina, about the possibility of trade agreements and military defensive pacts with the Tianxia alliance. The Indian Empire, long a rival with both the Ming and Tran empires during the Imperial Century, may also be a useful ally to have in the war against the Syndicalists, should the Indians and Chinese put aside their differences in favor of combating a common enemy.

Through careful negotiations, the remains of its espionage network from the last war, and the gunboat diplomacy of the aging Imperial Chinese Navy, the Empire has clawed back some semblance of its former power and influence across the Pacific. Future developments may affect the success or failure of the Guangzhou court at retaking the mainland, such as the potential for alliance or rivalry with the Indian Empire, the coming collapse of the Reich into civil war, or the ability of Tianxia nations to weather the storm of revolution and unrest, but it is clear that the Tianxia is gearing for a showing down with the Nationalist Union of China, and the Ming will either reclaim their Mandate of Heaven, or lose it for good. As has happened many times before and will happen many times again, the empire, long divided, must unite!

 

[zenphoenix]

Great job on the Code Geass breakdown. I wonder if you would consider doing full summaries for this series in the future. Also, I wonder what other Anime you've been watching lately, as it would be nice to see detailed outline for shows like Attack on Titan.

I might, but I think I'll wait until I've seen the OVAs first and wrap up the arc before I get to them.

Actually, I haven't watched any other anime lately. Evangelion, FMAB, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes are on my list though. That last one in particular is there because my friends kept recommending it, there's a lot of stuff I could take inspiration from for Stellaris, and I've seen it mentioned here before.

Also, I noticed Neurhomania can't catch a break in our alt history scenarios. We have Neurhomania either becoming a brutal dictatorships (the timelines you mentioned, TL-191, and now Code Geass), an anarchic warzone (Volkerschalt), or getting occupied by Twantinsuyu (Tianxia). Funny how those later two things have happened to Neurhomania in the main timeline and the first almost happened in the Cold War with your Paulluist Neurhomania idea.

Neurhomania got the short end of the stick I guess. It's not like governments in exile could go anywhere else and still be relevant in these alternate histories. Same goes for Tawantinsuyu for being right next to either. Either it destroys Neurhomania or it gets destroyed by Neurhomania. To a lesser degree, these alternate histories also screw over the Mexica. As the most hated enemies of the Reich, Neurhomania wouldn't hesitate to destroy them as an existential threat.

Speaking of Volkerschalt, I apologize for the over two year wait for this update, but I'm finally to post this general update for the Tianxia Alliance in Volkerschalt. Hope you guys like it. Please be free to share feedback and constructive criticism you have for this update, I'll work on editing them in.

Great work as always. I'll add it to the table of contents.

 

[zenphoenix]

On another note, I managed to find all (or at least the vast majority of) my original screenshots for CK2, EU4, and Victoria 2, not just unusable thumbnails. I've got everything from as early as 1068, which the first thread says is when I started screenshotting. This will help me immensely with the 11th century rework and the possible definitive edition. Not only can I use them to plot out the story arcs, but I can also rewrite the gameplay chapters themselves.

 

[zenphoenix]

Looking through the missing CK2 screenshots, and I realized I skipped over a lot of interesting story material. For example, there was this entire event chain Siegfried I was involved in:

Spoiler

I'm not going to post the whole chain, which I had fully documented like most other things, to keep the outcome a secret. I think the reason I didn't put this in a chapter was because it would have chronologically fallen into either the prologue or Chapter 1, both of which were focused on the Sunset Invasion. I was also still getting started after ROTCE1 at the time and couldn't write high quality story arcs yet (as the quality of ROTCE1's plots shows). In any case, if I do continue reworks after Friedrich the Great and Friedrich the Glorious, I'll definitely have a mini-arc for this. I could use this to explain why chariot racing declined in the Reich. Though I'm not sure how I would justify Siegfried participating in a chariot race in Constantinople when Ocuil Acatl is rampaging in Ireland and Scotland and the Scandinavians are invading as well.

(Spoiler tags in case people would rather go into the mini-arc completely blind)

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

As a fan of Code Geass, nice to see that.

As for the Tianxia Alliance in Volkerschalt update, all the better. It's a solid speech.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Glad you were able to find the majority of your old screenshots. That would help I a lot with the rework, espicaly the screenshots that show the personality traits of different characters. I remember seeing that event play out in my recent playthrough of the Byzantines, starting at the Alexious startdate, so it should be fun to see that adapted into a mini arc.

Also, I remember this screenshot of Saint Wihelmina and notice most of her friends seem to be monarchs of different empires, like Mali (which is intresting since Saint Wihelmina did go to war with Mali a few times) and India. Regarding her interpersonal relationships, I'm mainly more interested in who exactly Wilhelmina's rivals in this screenshot are and would they be of any significance to a definitive edition?

Spoiler

 

[zenphoenix]

As a fan of Code Geass, nice to see that.

As for the Tianxia Alliance in Volkerschalt update, all the better. It's a solid speech.

Maybe once I finish the OVAs I’ll think about doing a proper interlude for the anime itself.

Glad you were able to find the majority of your old screenshots. That would help I a lot with the rework, espicaly the screenshots that show the personality traits of different characters. I remember seeing that event play out in my recent playthrough of the Byzantines, starting at the Alexious startdate, so it should be fun to see that adapted into a mini arc.

The personality traits can be gotten from the save file as well, and in a way it’s easier to get it from there instead of having visually match the icon with what’s on the wiki. But yeah, a lot of other stuff could be cleared up and expanded on. Or just as easily retconned—in 1068, the in-game HRE had already conquered all of Italy except the papacy, Genoa, and I think Venice, so I think I’ll have to ignore that. There was also the fact that I renamed the HRE into the “German Empire” for some reason. Maybe I’ll justify that as representing how the Byzantines saw the HRE, like how western Europeans called the Byzantine Empire the Empire of the Greeks.

Also, I remember this screenshot of Saint Wihelmina and notice most of her friends seem to be monarchs of different empires, like Mali (which is intresting since Saint Wihelmina did go to war with Mali a few times) and India. Regarding her interpersonal relationships, I'm mainly more interested in who exactly Wilhelmina's rivals in this screenshot are and would they be of any significance to a definitive edition?

I don’t remember. They’re relatives, but I’ll have to check in the screenshots for any mentions as I don’t think friendships and rivalries remain recorded in the save file after death. If they were made rivals via event, then I probably documented it somewhere. Only then can I figure out how important they could be.

 

[zenphoenix]

Also, I remember this screenshot of Saint Wihelmina and notice most of her friends seem to be monarchs of different empires, like Mali (which is intresting since Saint Wihelmina did go to war with Mali a few times) and India. Regarding her interpersonal relationships, I'm mainly more interested in who exactly Wilhelmina's rivals in this screenshot are and would they be of any significance to a definitive edition?

I just checked the screenshots. I got nothing that would have at least mentioned their names.

 

[GhostRider124]

Catch a Tiger by the Toe​

This title made me think of the Buck Owens song which has a similar name. That being "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail".

“You wanted this, Jerusalem?” Boris Bradziunas said to the camera. “You wanted to help us? To not let us fall? You see it like that, people of Jerusalem? The cries of our children and seniors? Is that your passion?! Do you dream about our families tears? We’ve been forced to leave our homes, which have been destroyed by your bullets and bombs. Our cities have become tombs. Do you dream about all this?

“Here me all, anybody who is listening from deep in Jerusalem. I am speaking in German right now. Even though I am Lithuanian, I have not been banned from speaking German, nor was I persecuted for being from Aegyptus. What did you think? That I was suppressed? Ask yourself, how does that even make sense when I’m the chancellor?! What have your leaders been feeding you?

“We are being fed bullets, terror, and death. Your leaders call this salvation. How in any religion is this madness a salvation?! People are dying in horrible ways every day? Do they all deserve it? See for yourself with your own eyes what this war has caused! Please, I know there are still good people in Jerusalem who won’t stand for this. To those people, I urge you to speak up. Don’t be scared. We got into this mess because people were too scared to call out the crazies for their šūdas, and we can get out of it by no longer being scared. While our children scream and die from the bombs and gas and germs, please, we can at least take solace in the hope that some of you will speak out and rise up. We really need you and your courage so much. Livonia and the free world both need it.

“To the so-called Regency waging this war. Why wage this war? You say you want to save our souls. Yet what you’ve done is slaughter our people like animals and permanently separate our families. Mothers wait for their sons and wives for their husbands, if they themselves are not also on the front. Really, after decades of helping to build our nation after we shook off the Soviet yoke, you decide to treat us like this?!

“Tell your friends, tell your family! Tell everyone you can! The world is hanging on the edge of a knife. Humanity lies at a crossroads and must choose a path soon. The path we choose will decide where we go and who we are as a species and civilization. Do we want to take the path of light and peace, or the one of darkness and chaos? While your Crusaders are destroying our homes, please don’t be silent! Don’t let us all be wiped out!

“And with all these thoughts, and the enemy closing in around me, I again tell you, good people of the former Reich, to wake up! Wake up and realize the shackles the committee has placed you in. Wake up and break the chains, then take back your country and end this terrible war! Wake up!”

Me when I only read this part: Lets' hope so.

Me after reading the rest of the update: shot.

I’m not sure how to feel about it, though. I get the impression that Tiger’s Defense was the only thing holding back Jerusalem, and Konstantinov and Kowalski and the others contributed absolutely nothing. i did try to mention how important it was to the country’s defense, but I might have gone too far with that.

I mean to be fair you did have had heroes like Konstantinov in the Chapter updates and you had Boris defending Vilnius in the "The Defense of Vilnius" update so it is not just Tiger's Defense.

I just finished both seasons of Code Geass about two hours ago (not the OVAs yet), and now I finally get all of the references made to it in this thread and the Annionaverse ones over the last few years.

That is great. Code Geass is one of my favorite anime's to watch and one of the very few that I have watched completely through along with Mobile Suit Gundam 00 which ironically enough also has the world divided into three superpowers like Code Geass.

I do wonder what version you watched though if it was Dub or Sub. For me I liked the Dub version better than the Sub version.

In the Old World, the revolutionaries never follow the Hohenzollerns across the Atlantic but instead spread their revolution over land. The former Reich is split up into smaller republics based on regional nationalities, and the same thing happens to Mali, Abyssinia, the Roman African Länder, and the East African colonies. India suffers the worst fate as it not only loses the Central Asian colonies, but the subcontinent is split into dozens of regional republics.

So are these like the Sister Republics that were set up in places like Italy and Germany by the French First Republic during the early sages of the revolution or are they more like the Kingdom of Italy and Duchy of Warsaw that Napoleon set up after he came to power?

So I basically made both of them (and Scotland) into Area 11. Still not sure if the main action will take place in either Dublin or London. Probably London.

Yea maybe London could be TTL's stand in for Tokyo?

I could see shades of the ideological struggle between Lelouch and Suzaku (violent revolution against an unjust system vs reforming the system from within) reflected in some of my own characters.

Mabey Eva could have a relationship with Julian like Lelouch and Suzaku had in the sense that Eva was more like Lelouch and Julian could still had hope for the future and was not as pessimistic as Lelouch or Eva was?

Speaking of Volkerschalt, I apologize for the over two year wait for this update, but I'm finally to post this general update for the Tianxia Alliance in Volkerschalt. Hope you guys like it. Please be free to share feedback and constructive criticism you have for this update, I'll work on editing them in.

Really good update reading this made me realize that I still have at least two updates the Balkan and Central Europe updates for Tianxia. I also am planning a rework on my first one on China to make it more in line with my current ones. Also I was kind of whiting for the Kaiserreich Documentary that covered Germany that just came out a few days ago to come out for some inspiration.

a new Fuxingyundong that will reclaim the name of the Redshirts the Syndicalists have twisted for their own ends.

Wouldn't to keep with the Chinese theme instead of Redshirts it be something like the Red Turban's? Although now that I think about it I think I remember the Fuxingyundong heaving Redshirts but then again that sounds to British for it to be Chinese.

Fusang, Vietnam and Penglai, this time in fealty to the Ming court in Guangzhou.

So would the Guangzhou court, Fusang, Vietnam and Penglai be to China in TTL what Canada, the Australasian Confederation and Dominion of India are in OTL's Kaiserreich?

 

[zenphoenix]

This title made me think of the Buck Owens song which has a similar name. That being "I've Got A Tiger By The Tail".

The reference was to the children's game ("eeney meeney miney mo," I don't know how to spell it) which had it as the second line, but sure.

Me when I only read this part: Lets' hope so.

Me after reading the rest of the update: shot.

It's going to take a lot more than a few words from Boris to wake up the people of Jerusalem.

I mean to be fair you did have had heroes like Konstantinov in the Chapter updates and you had Boris defending Vilnius in the "The Defense of Vilnius" update so it is not just Tiger's Defense.

And then Tiger's Defense explodes, Konstantinov doesn't show up at all, and Boris flees. I just wish I could explain it better.

That is great. Code Geass is one of my favorite anime's to watch and one of the very few that I have watched completely through along with Mobile Suit Gundam 00 which ironically enough also has the world divided into three superpowers like Code Geass.

I do wonder what version you watched though if it was Dub or Sub. For me I liked the Dub version better than the Sub version.

I watched the dub. Johnny Yong Bosch's and Yuri Lowenthal's performances were amazing.

So are these like the Sister Republics that were set up in places like Italy and Germany by the French First Republic during the early sages of the revolution or are they more like the Kingdom of Italy and Duchy of Warsaw that Napoleon set up after he came to power?

No, there was no Napoleon-like figure since that was Prince Nikephoros. Yinal never declared himself an emperor like Napoleon did and only installed republics in the former Reich and other conquered countries. Unless there's something in the lore of Code Geass which says otherwise. I do know in the backstory Napoleon and the French Empire likely won against the coalitions, but I don't have that many specifics. Don't know where to find them.

Yea maybe London could be TTL's stand in for Tokyo?

Good call.

Mabey Eva could have a relationship with Julian like Lelouch and Suzaku had in the sense that Eva was more like Lelouch and Julian could still had hope for the future and was not as pessimistic as Lelouch or Eva was?

Well, Eva's dead, and if anything she would have been like the Nunally to Julian's Lelouch, as she abandoned Suzaku's "reform from within the system" as soon as Jerusalem cracked down. Like Nunally was to Lelouch, Eva is still Julian's moral anchor. Without her memory, he'd likely have ended up like Annionaverse Julius.

Really good update reading this made me realize that I still have at least two updates the Balkan and Central Europe updates for Tianxia. I also am planning a rework on my first one on China to make it more in line with my current ones. Also I was kind of whiting for the Kaiserreich Documentary that covered Germany that just came out a few days ago to come out for some inspiration.

Fair enough. Looking forward to that.

Wouldn't to keep with the Chinese theme instead of Redshirts it be something like the Red Turban's? Although now that I think about it I think I remember the Fuxingyundong heaving Redshirts but then again that sounds to British for it to be Chinese.

In Victoria 2, the Chinese unification movement drew heavily on Garibaldi, his Redshirts, the Expedition of the Thousand, and the Risorgimento (the Italian unification movement). I used elements of Garibaldi's life for Lin Zexu and translated the names Redshirts and Risorgimento into Chinese. Hence why they're called Redshirts here.

So would the Guangzhou court, Fusang, Vietnam and Penglai be to China in TTL what Canada, the Australasian Confederation and Dominion of India are in OTL's Kaiserreich?

Also some hints of National France with the West African natives it is forced to live with.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

n Victoria 2, the Chinese unification movement drew heavily on Garibaldi, his Redshirts, the Expedition of the Thousand, and the Risorgimento (the Italian unification movement). I used elements of Garibaldi's life for Lin Zexu and translated the names Redshirts and Risorgimento into Chinese. Hence why they're called Redshirts here.

That, and in the context of the NUC, “Redshirts” make me think of Totalist Britain in Kaisereich and Maoist China.

Also some hints of National France with the West African natives it is forced to live with.

I could see that, though I was thinking of the British parallels @GhostRider124 mentioned. Ironic how the Ming state still has land on the mainland, but I didn’t want to screw over the other dynasties by having the Ming settle in their lands, and the Ming would likely be too weak and irrelevant to maintain control over their colonies and reconquer China if they reduced to just Tawain like the Nationalists in OTL and the pro-Ming Kingdom of Tungning.

Also Zen, since you mentioned the Draka in your Code Geass outline, I was wondering what POD the Draka would have? I think it would have to be before 1700 when the Reich phased out slavery, given how heavily the Draka are built around slavery. Maybe the Anarchy through Malcolm Bethune fleeing to Neurhomania, to mirror the British loyalists fleeing to the recently conquered South Africa during the American Revolution to establish the OTL Draka?

 

[zenphoenix]

I do wonder what version you watched though if it was Dub or Sub. For me I liked the Dub version better than the Sub version.

I forgot to say this earlier, but even though I watched the English dub, the subtitles on Netflix seem to have been made for the Japanese dub, so effectively...both? It helped me keep up with the pace of the story while still catching some things the dub may have missed.

That, and in the context of the NUC, “Redshirts” make me think of Totalist Britain in Kaisereich and Maoist China.

The symbols of the Fuxingyundong would have been fought over by both the NUC and the imperial loyalists, both of whom want to claim the movement for their own.

I could see that, though I was thinking of the British parallels @GhostRider124 mentioned. Ironic how the Ming state still has land on the mainland, but I didn’t want to screw over the other dynasties by having the Ming settle in their lands, and the Ming would likely be too weak and irrelevant to maintain control over their colonies if they reduced to just Tawain like the Nationalists in OTL and the pro-Ming Kingdom of Tungning.

Yep, if the Ming had been completely driven out of the mainland, their colonies would've immediately abandoned them. There's no way they could continue projecting power in that state.

Also Zen, since you mentioned the Draka in your Code Geass outline, I was wondering what POD the Draka would have? I think it would have to be before 1700 when the Reich phased out slavery, given how heavily the Draka are built around slavery. Maybe the Anarchy through Malcolm Bethune fleeing to Neurhomania?

Not sure if I'm going to revisit that scenario anytime soon. But yes, the point of divergence would probably be before 1700 and the abolition of slavery. I don't think I want to involve Malcolm Bethune in it.

 

[zenphoenix]

Worry Not​

Tingvalla - March 20

“Please stand and salute for the entry of the exalted representative of the gods, His Majesty Knud IV, Fylkir of the Norse, King of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Jarl of Iceland and Greenland, defender of the faithful of Midgard during the chaos of Ragnarok, long may the Nornir spin his reign!”

A fanfare played. The doors swung open, and Snorrison emerged first from City Hall, followed by Knud. By now, Snorrison’s formal suit had become decorated with far more medals, honors, and rank insignia than the Fylkir himself, who no longer wore the ermine royal cape. Knud approached the podium and tapped the microphone, wincing when he heard a screeching feedback loop.

“Uh…good morning…m-my fellow Scandinavians…” he stuttered. “T-Today…my chancellor Thorvald Snorrison…w-will relay m-my address to the…p-people’s concerns.”

He yielded the podium to Snorrison.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Snorrison said, “On behalf of His Majesty, I’d like to address the ongoing rumors that Crusaders have landed in Oslo, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Some of you may have heard this alleged news over the last couple days. I understand it sounds frightening and very realistic with our current situation and what’s happening in Vilnius right now. But His Majesty tells you now that such rumors are unequivocally false.”

Everyone in the audience murmured to each other.

“These allegations are baseless and not rooted in reality. They are part of the enemy’s propaganda. Such fear-mongering will cause panic and mass disorder that will tear apart what fragile stability remains in our society. Know that if you as much as entertain this fiction of an invasion, you are playing into, supporting, and spreading Jerusalem’s propaganda. Such incidents will be treated equivalent with those related to enemy collaboration and dissemination of anti-government rhetoric. They will be considered high treason against His Majesty and the nation.”

The crowd was getting more agitated now.

“Surely this would not be a problem for any truly loyal Scandinavian. After all, there are no Crusaders in Oslo, Gothenburg, and Malmö currently. And we have already surrendered to Jerusalem, so there is no reason for them to continue attacking us. That is what His Majesty believes and what led him to announce this through me, as his humble and loyal servant. Are we absolutely clear?”

The crowd started shouting at Knud, who shuddered.

“Now, on to more pressing matters,” Snorrison continued, “Preparations for the annual Disting are proceeding as scheduled. You will all be glad to hear the fair will open at noon, when the sun is highest in the sky on this first day of spring. So drink, sing, dance, and pray to the gods for a bountiful harvest in the coming year without worry!”

---

Sylvia stormed into Clara’s tent, disturbing Clara as she put together Oliver’s breakfast, a sandwich.

“You could’ve knocked!” Clara said.

“Kind of hard when it’s a tent. Also, I was just at Snorrison’s latest press briefing.”

Clara stared at her wife. “You went there again?”

“As much as I hate the guy and his policies, I need to know what’s happening.”

Clara finished the sandwich and handed it to Oliver, who obliviously chomped down on it. “Okay, what’d he say now?”

Sylvia clenched her fists. “Promise me you won’t be mad? Or freak out?”

“I’ve had a lot to freak out over these last few weeks, so I think I’m ready.” If I can even hear it. My hearing aid’s slowly breaking down, and nobody here can fix it.

“Snorrison denied that Crusaders had landed in Norway and Sweden,” Sylvia said, “Which means they obviously did.”

WHAT?! “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Also, discussing and sharing it is now treason.”

Clara downed a cup of light mead. Nothing like drinking at about 8 in the morning. Frak this. “Every single time Snorrison shows he can get even worse. When’s he gonna ban criticism of himself?”

“Probably tomorrow,” Sylvia said.

Clara slammed the cup down on her plastic table. “DAMNIT! We come all this way to escape Jerusalem and keep Oliver out of harm’s way, and they STILL find a way to catch up to us! How much farther do we have to run? How much longer? When will it stop?!”

“It won’t stop,” Sylvia said, “Not until Jerusalem is taken down. So until then, we have to keep running. I was thinking we could go to Iceland this time. I doubt they can even get that far—”

“No.” Clara cut her off.

“What?”

“You two go to Iceland,” Clara said, “I’m going to stay and fight.”

Sylvia put her hands on her hips. “Are you out of your mind?”

“You said it yourself. No matter how far we run from Jerusalem, they’ll always catch up. At some point, we’ve got to fight back.”

“Clara, you barely survived Bremerhaven,” Sylvia said, “Your ear’s not fully healed. Not to mention your other issues.”

“I can still fight, though.”

“That’s not the main issue! We are in no shape to repel a direct assault.”

Clara was adamant. “Still, somebody’s got to do it. If anything, that’s why we have to help. We can hold them off long enough for you and Oliver to get to Iceland.”

“Look, is this about Bremerhaven? I get that you want to make up for everyone who died there, but this is suicide.”

“Maybe it is.”

“I don’t want us to split again. It was hard enough for me without you.”

“I’m sorry. I really am. But I can’t just keep running from Jerusalem. We all can’t. It’s not going to get us anywhere. We’ve got to draw a line at some point.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Is there any way I can convince you?”

Clara turned the question around. “Is there any way I can convince you?”

“No need,” Sylvia said.

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re going to stay, I will too.”

“But Oliver…”

“I’ll leave him with Irina. I trust her.”

“You sure about this? If things go south, our son would grow up without both his parents.” Clara looked at Oliver, who kept eating his sandwich without a care in the world.

“You said it already,” Sylvia said, “My main concern is Oliver’s survival. If we don’t take a stand, he might not even make it to Iceland. Point is, I’m not letting us be separated again. Not after Bremerhaven.”

“It’s been years since you were last in mandatory training, though.”

“You can always help me remember.” Sylvia mimicked holding up an Athanatoi badge. “Or have your skills gotten rusty?”

“Still, this is a war,” Clara said, “Are you sure you want to fight?”

“As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine. We’ll find a way to get through this.” She took Clara’s hand. “Together.”

Clara nodded. “Right. Together.”

I suppose I could put my Athanatoi skills to use recruiting more people from around town, without alerting our idiot of a chancellor.

---

Later on, Clara met with Irina and Joey and explained her situation.

“So can you help me out?” she concluded.

Irina nodded with a warm smile. “Of course. Rest assured, Oliver will be in good hands.”

“Thank you, Irina. I am in your debt.”

Irina dismissed that with a wave. “No need. This one’s on me. In a way, you’re a lot like me. Or rather, my sister. She always did everything she could to protect me. Now it’s my turn to pay it forward.”

“And what about you, Joey? When are you leaving for Iceland?”

Joey shook his head. “I’m staying.”

Clara did a double take. “What?”

“I may not look it, but I do know how to fight,” Joey said, “I don’t particularly like it, but if it comes to it, I have my ways.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it, but sure,” Clara said.

“You seem conflicted,” Irina said.

“How so?”

“That look on your face.” Irina pointed at Clara’s face. “I used to see it all the time on my sister’s face, when we were a little older than Oliver. She was always so worried about me, I felt bad if I didn’t worry about her enough in return. She’d always come home late from the academy in Kyiv, busting her back so she could get the better ranks and connections for me to live better. She’d ask if she was a bad sister for leaving her alone for so much of the year.”

“And how did you feel?”

Irina mused on her thoughts. “I admit I did resent that she wasn’t always physically there, but we can’t help it. We’re human. We want to stick with our families. But I do understand why she did what she did. It was for me. Since I couldn’t do what she could, she took it upon herself to support the both of us. So she did for all of our childhoods, and she did it without complaints. I have a feeling Oliver will eventually come to understand what you and Sylvia are doing. If not, I’ll explain it to him. He’ll be safe in my hands, Clara. You don’t have to worry.”

“I sure hope so,” Clara said.

Irina put a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Have faith, Clara. The Rozhanitsy have not spun the day of your death yet.”

“How do you know?” Clara asked.

Irina shrugged. “I don’t. That’s what faith is. You won’t know until it happens.”

Clara looked at Irina’s callused hand, feeling the firm and strong grip it had on her shoulder despite Irina’s age. She took a deep breath. “I suppose it can’t hurt to hope. To have faith.”

We have to make sure that Tingvalla won’t end up like Bremerhaven. It can’t. I know it may be selfish of us to leave Oliver, after what happened with me. But I do think it’s for the best. Scandinavia’s going to make its last stand at Tingvalla. If all goes well, we’ll drive back the Crusaders, and then us two can go join Oliver and Irina in Iceland. If not…I trust Irina to give our boy the life we couldn’t.

---

Snorrison didn’t change the title from “Fylkir of Scandinavia.” I retconned it into “Fylkir of the Norse” since we previously talked about the name Scandinavia with its modern definition as having originated in the 19th century. Did I break my own record for fastest retcon?

 

[GhostRider124]

(not the OVAs yet),

No, there was no Napoleon-like figure since that was Prince Nikephoros. Yinal never declared himself an emperor like Napoleon did and only installed republics in the former Reich and other conquered countries. Unless there's something in the lore of Code Geass which says otherwise. I do know in the backstory Napoleon and the French Empire likely won against the coalitions, but I don't have that many specifics. Don't know where to find them.

One Code Geass OVA that I recommend is Code Geass: Akito the Exiled. It is a series that stars a different cast of characters in a different part of the world and is set in between R1 and R2 (Seasons 1 and 2). It is usually recommended that people who are new to Code Geass watch Akito after the original series since there are some major spoilers to R2 but since you said you finished it you will be safe watching that show.

It also mentions Napoleon and what happened to him.

If you want a good backstory on the History of Britannia I would recommend the one done by Wing Zero Alpha for their FanFic Code Geass Megiddo

Britannian Empire (Megiddo)

The Britannian Empire is the world's dominant military superpower and one of the large supernations that control Earth in the early 21st Century, the others being the Eurasian Union and the Chinese Federation. The story of Britannia begins in the distant past, in a group of islands off the...

codegeassfanon.fandom.com

But if you want more information on what is "Cannon" I would suggest the Code Geass Wiki.

“Please stand and salute for the entry of the exalted representative of the gods, His Majesty Knud IV, Fylkir of the Norse, King of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Jarl of Iceland and Greenland, defender of the faithful of Midgard during the chaos of Ragnarok, long may the Nornir spin his reign!”

A fanfare played. The doors swung open, and Snorrison emerged first from City Hall, followed by Knud. By now, Snorrison’s formal suit had become decorated with far more medals, honors, and rank insignia than the Fylkir himself, who no longer wore the ermine royal cape. Knud approached the podium and tapped the microphone, wincing when he heard a screeching feedback loop.

“Uh…good morning…m-my fellow Scandinavians…” he stuttered. “T-Today…my chancellor Thorvald Snorrison…w-will relay m-my address to the…p-people’s concerns.”

He yielded the podium to Snorrison.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Snorrison said, “On behalf of His Majesty, I’d like to address the ongoing rumors that Crusaders have landed in Oslo, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Some of you may have heard this alleged news over the last couple days. I understand it sounds frightening and very realistic with our current situation and what’s happening in Vilnius right now. But His Majesty tells you now that such rumors are unequivocally false.”

Everyone in the audience murmured to each other.

“These allegations are baseless and not rooted in reality. They are part of the enemy’s propaganda. Such fear-mongering will cause panic and mass disorder that will tear apart what fragile stability remains in our society. Know that if you as much as entertain this fiction of an invasion, you are playing into, supporting, and spreading Jerusalem’s propaganda. Such incidents will be treated equivalent with those related to enemy collaboration and dissemination of anti-government rhetoric. They will be considered high treason against His Majesty and the nation.”

The crowd was getting more agitated now.

“Surely this would not be a problem for any truly loyal Scandinavian. After all, there are no Crusaders in Oslo, Gothenburg, and Malmö currently. And we have already surrendered to Jerusalem, so there is no reason for them to continue attacking us. That is what His Majesty believes and what led him to announce this through me, as his humble and loyal servant. Are we absolutely clear?”

The crowd started shouting at Knud, who shuddered.

“Now, on to more pressing matters,” Snorrison continued, “Preparations for the annual Disting are proceeding as scheduled. You will all be glad to hear the fair will open at noon, when the sun is highest in the sky on this first day of spring. So drink, sing, dance, and pray to the gods for a bountiful harvest in the coming year without worry!”

So is Snorrison going to be TTL's modern day Vidkun Quisling?

Sylvia stormed into Clara’s tent, disturbing Clara as she put together Oliver’s breakfast, a sandwich.

“You could’ve knocked!” Clara said.

“Kind of hard when it’s a tent. Also, I was just at Snorrison’s latest press briefing.”

Clara stared at her wife. “You went there again?”

“As much as I hate the guy and his policies, I need to know what’s happening.”

Clara finished the sandwich and handed it to Oliver, who obliviously chomped down on it. “Okay, what’d he say now?”

Sylvia clenched her fists. “Promise me you won’t be mad? Or freak out?”

“I’ve had a lot to freak out over these last few weeks, so I think I’m ready.” If I can even hear it. My hearing aid’s slowly breaking down, and nobody here can fix it.

“Snorrison denied that Crusaders had landed in Norway and Sweden,” Sylvia said, “Which means they obviously did.”

WHAT?! “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Also, discussing and sharing it is now treason.”

Clara downed a cup of light mead. Nothing like drinking at about 8 in the morning. Frak this. “Every single time Snorrison shows he can get even worse. When’s he gonna ban criticism of himself?”

“Probably tomorrow,” Sylvia said.

Clara slammed the cup down on her plastic table. “DAMNIT! We come all this way to escape Jerusalem and keep Oliver out of harm’s way, and they STILL find a way to catch up to us! How much farther do we have to run? How much longer? When will it stop?!”

“It won’t stop,” Sylvia said, “Not until Jerusalem is taken down. So until then, we have to keep running. I was thinking we could go to Iceland this time. I doubt they can even get that far—”

“No.” Clara cut her off.

“What?”

“You two go to Iceland,” Clara said, “I’m going to stay and fight.”

Sylvia put her hands on her hips. “Are you out of your mind?”

“You said it yourself. No matter how far we run from Jerusalem, they’ll always catch up. At some point, we’ve got to fight back.”

“Clara, you barely survived Bremerhaven,” Sylvia said, “Your ear’s not fully healed. Not to mention your other issues.”

“I can still fight, though.”

“That’s not the main issue! We are in no shape to repel a direct assault.”

Clara was adamant. “Still, somebody’s got to do it. If anything, that’s why we have to help. We can hold them off long enough for you and Oliver to get to Iceland.”

“Look, is this about Bremerhaven? I get that you want to make up for everyone who died there, but this is suicide.”

“Maybe it is.”

“I don’t want us to split again. It was hard enough for me without you.”

“I’m sorry. I really am. But I can’t just keep running from Jerusalem. We all can’t. It’s not going to get us anywhere. We’ve got to draw a line at some point.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Is there any way I can convince you?”

Clara turned the question around. “Is there any way I can convince you?”

“No need,” Sylvia said.

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re going to stay, I will too.”

“But Oliver…”

“I’ll leave him with Irina. I trust her.”

“You sure about this? If things go south, our son would grow up without both his parents.” Clara looked at Oliver, who kept eating his sandwich without a care in the world.

“You said it already,” Sylvia said, “My main concern is Oliver’s survival. If we don’t take a stand, he might not even make it to Iceland. Point is, I’m not letting us be separated again. Not after Bremerhaven.”

“It’s been years since you were last in mandatory training, though.”

“You can always help me remember.” Sylvia mimicked holding up an Athanatoi badge. “Or have your skills gotten rusty?”

“Still, this is a war,” Clara said, “Are you sure you want to fight?”

“As long as you’re with me, I’ll be fine. We’ll find a way to get through this.” She took Clara’s hand. “Together.”

Clara nodded. “Right. Together.”

I suppose I could put my Athanatoi skills to use recruiting more people from around town, without alerting our idiot of a chancellor.

To be honest I thought this was going to go a similar way of THT Season 5 in were the way they wrote Emily out of the show was to say that she went back to Gilead to fight. But this is an interesting take. I do hope Oliver is able to have at least one parent at the end of this.

 

[zenphoenix]

One Code Geass OVA that I recommend is Code Geass: Akito the Exiled. It is a series that stars a different cast of characters in a different part of the world and is set in between R1 and R2 (Seasons 1 and 2). It is usually recommended that people who are new to Code Geass watch Akito after the original series since there are some major spoilers to R2 but since you said you finished it you will be safe watching that show.

I heard about that one and will definitely check it out. What about the other OVAs?

It also mentions Napoleon and what happened to him.

Good to know.

If you want a good backstory on the History of Britannia I would recommend the one done by Wing Zero Alpha for their FanFic Code Geass Megiddo

Any spoilers in there?

But if you want more information on what is "Cannon" I would suggest the Code Geass Wiki.

Will consider checking it out.

So is Snorrison going to be TTL's modern day Vidkun Quisling?

Even worse than that. While Quisling was aware of what the Nazis were doing and what they were capable of, Snorrison denies there even is a threat.

To be honest I thought this was going to go a similar way of THT Season 5 in were the way they wrote Emily out of the show was to say that she went back to Gilead to fight. But this is an interesting take. I do hope Oliver is able to have at least one parent at the end of this.

If my original plans to end Clara's arc with her arriving in Scandinavia were any indication, she probably would've gone the same route and fought Jerusalem off-screen when the war began.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Man, Snorrison is really pulling a Dai Li with that "there are no crusaders in Scandinavia" crap, still don't know what he hopes to gain from this since it's not like Jerusalem will accept him as a collaborator.

To be honest I thought this was going to go a similar way of THT Season 5 in were the way they wrote Emily out of the show was to say that she went back to Gilead to fight. But this is an interesting take. I do hope Oliver is able to have at least one parent at the end of this.

Agreed, hopefully they do make it out of this arc, Clara and her family deserve a happy ending after all this.

I will say this through, and I mean no offense by this criticism, but there aren't that many LGBT characters in this arc, and some of them, like Lakshmi, have died in pretty unfortunate ways after limited screentime. This is something I've noticed recently and it doesn't sit right with me the more I think about it, as it feels a little too close to the bury your gays trope (particularly Lakshmi that I mentioned earlier, as it's the only death I have an issue with, I don't have a problem with characters like Oskar or Jessica due to their buildup and development), but I do still enjoy this arc and I understand it might be hard to avoid, given this arc's THT influences and the antagonists being a massively homophobic theocracy. I just think this something you should keep in mind for the future. I apologize if I was too harsh here.