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Black Knights iceberg ship, 10:00 a.m. The Black Knights were offloading supplies onto their latest home, Horai Island.

Kenta Sugiyama: Guess we lucked out on getting a place to live.
Yoshitaka Minami: Tell me about it. At least they trust us more than they trusted Sawasaki, since he was sided with Nanbu.
Asahina: High Eunuchs, huh? An entire country, run by a bunch of old guys...
Tamaki: Hey, Asahina! Did you ever stop to wonder how they sound like Paul Bearer?
Asahina: No, actually, I never pieced that together.
Tamaki: Dude, for some reason, they let themselves lose a specific part, between their legs.
Minami: Tamaki!
Tamaki: What? I'm not insultin' them. Just statin' a fact.
Asahina: No sane person could let that happen to them.
Minami: Could be tradition and culture.
Asahina, Sugiyama and Tamaki: (in unison) Could be bullshit. (notice that they all thought the same thing, smiling) Hey!
Ohgi: Hey, guys! Can any of you help me bring in the new Knightmares?
Asahina: Damn, that was quick. We just got here.
Tamaki: So, India designed these Knightmares?
Ohgi: Yep, as well as our new ship, the Ikaruga.
Tamaki: The Yatagarasu's a bit bigger than that, and has that same shape, for the bow. Really oughta help, with the Michizane.
Minami: Oh, yeah! You're a sniper, right? That's...actually a good strategy.
Tamaki: Covering fire, first, then move out to kick ass. Good enough strategy, for me.
Asahina: There must be something going on, here. Otherwise, why would India wanna help us?
Tamaki: To show the world that their designs kick ass?
Asahina: (pauses) That's one fair point.

Meanwhile, inside a control room, Zero was talking with Diethard, while Kallen worked on a console.

Diethard: We just finished picking out staff leader candidates, Zero. Should we have them at the Ikaruga, for the time being.
Zero: That's right. The municipal leaders are all that's left.
Diethard: I'll work on that, as well. And, Zero?
Zero: Hm?
Diethard: I... (clears throat) I've been feeling an urge to become a journalist, again. I know I'm the head of espionage and PR, but-
Zero: I've been thinking on that, as well. Since we're moving to worldwide actions, we'll need a good producer. How does that promotion feel, to you?
Diethard: Thank you, very much! (runs off, door closes)
Kallen: You sure we can trust him?
Zero: (pushes button, shutters close) Yeah, we can trust him.
Kallen: Oh, it's that verbal ass-kicking you gave him, isn't it?
Lelouch: (takes off mask) That's right. He won't want to make a mistake, like that, again. Plus, he's good at getting info, thanks to his journalistic talents. I mean, the guy was a producer. He knows that shit, like the back of his hand.

Outside, Tohdoh was sitting on a folding chair and Rakshata was laying on a couch, while Chiba and other women were cooking.

Tohdoh: (closes book) Well, that takes care of that. So, this ship of ours... You copied the Gawain's schematics, onto it?
Rakshata: Same with the Shinkiro. I've been working nonstop, to recreate the Hadron Cannons, and made adjustments to match Zero's combat design.
Chiba: And, the unit Orange had? What about it?
Rakshata: Gone. No wreckage, no evidence, nothing.
Tohdoh: Civility must've taken it, when they kidnapped Zero off of Kamine.
Chiba: Alistair said Jeremiah was in the process of turning into a cyborg, but was in a crude state.
Rakshata: He must've been Civility's plaything, for experiments. We can only guess as to what's happening to him, now...
Tohdoh: (opens book) Still, the designs for the Knightmares are nice. Shinkiro, Akatsuki, Zangetsu... Then, the ones we had, before. Burais, Sutherlands, the Gawain Nexus. (pauses) Wait, what?

Back in the command tower, Kallen was working on the electrical equipment, in the ceiling.

Kallen: So, why's China our first stop, anyway?
Lelouch: There's something wrong, going on, out here, I just feel it. Those Eunuchs are up to something.
Kallen: They've certainly got that suspicious feel, to them. Besides sounding like Paul Bearer, for the most part.
Lelouch: They're scheming little bastards, and they're planning.
Kallen: Says the guy that schemed his way to being the leader of a rebel group. Now that I think about it, you're the only good schemer I've ever come across.
Lelouch: Thanks.
Kallen: That should do it. (notices Seth) Mr. President. (closes hatch) So, what's the plan on dealing with-?

Kallen's eyes widened, and before she could reach the floor, she climbed back up and opened the hatch in the ceiling, quickly, and saw Seth, again, inside the hatch.

Seth: (smiles, waves with fingers) Hi.
Lelouch: What the-?! Why are you here?!
Seth: I, uh...had some paperwork to be done.
Kallen: What kind of paperwork?
Seth: The kind that should never be signed. Ever.
Lelouch: I think I've heard of this tactic. You're trying to avoid signing it, until it becomes pointless, right?
Seth: Bingo!
Kallen: So... You decided to land the Nexus, and stick with us?
Seth: It was the more fun option, yes.
Kaguya: (over intercom) Zero! Please, come to the Ikaruga, immediately! Trouble's on the rise!
Lelouch: Wonder what's going on?
Seth: Wait! Could you get me some butter?
Lelouch: ...Why?
Seth: I think I'm stuck.

Meanwhile, aboard the Yatagarasu, Alistair and Nunnally were setting their course for China, albeit at a slower speed.

Alistair: Take your time, people! We don't wanna get there, early!
Nunnally: Waiting for the action might get boring.
Alistair: Yeah. Though, there's something going on, over there. The fever pitch is inevitable.
Nunnally: I agree. By the way, Seth's assistant has been looking for him, pretty frantically.
Alistair: What, did Seth sneak off, again-? Guys? Is the Gawain Nexus in the hangar?
Ichika Date: Nope.
Taiga Sunohara: Haven't seen it.
Kanda: Not on the list, boss.
Alistair: (pauses) Oh, dear.

Aboard the Ikaruga, Zero, Seth and other Black Knights listened to the news Kaguya had received.

Zero: I beg your god damn pardon?!
Kaguya: It's true. I was invited to a wedding. The bride is the Empress of China, and she's a good friend of mine.
Tohdoh: The groom is a guy named Odysseus.
Zero: You're shitting me! That is...literally the last thing I expected to hear, about that prick!
Tamaki: I...don't get it. None of us know about every member of the Britannian royal family, like you do.
Zero: Diethard?
Diethard: The problem is that he's bland as shit.
Black Knights: (in unison) Ah...
Tamaki: So, he's pretty much worthless.
Zero: What's worse is that he's probably just a pawn in the Emperor of Ego's plan.
Tamaki: And, if they wanna be in bed with Britannia, they'll sell us out! Shit!
Seth: So, we just crash the wedding, when the time's right. Simple. So, how nice is this Empress?
Kaguya: Very nice. And, she's 13.
Seth: (clenches fist, knuckles crack) I would like to retract my plan. Get me a shotgun, and I'll blow that mediocre son of a bitch's face off.
Zero: In time. For now, we need to plan this out, and deal with whatever the Eunuchs are up to. (thinking) Why would they throw their leader off, like some kind of bargaining chip? If anything, Schneizel might be there.

Meanwhile, Schneizel was getting off the Avalon, alongside Odysseus, with an annoyed expression on his face.

Schenizel: (thinking) Whose idea was this?