Fallen Grace

[Jeremy Hunter]

Planet Orleans, Roux Estate. Day of Fallen Grace

The rain fell of Orleans. Sloshing through, a man dressed in black with a red jacket, an umbrella forgotten back at his ship, headed towards a massive estate the dominated the skyline. He paused under a tree, weighing the object in his hands. It was his personal sidearm, straight from Sword Base. This day…it was suppose to be the happiest day of his life. The day he finally could have the woman he had loved for years. He looked at his clothes. His suit lay untouched on Vendome. His normal white attire now soaked with rain. It seemed as if God himself was letting him show how drenched his heart was with grief. He looked at the tree.
"It's raining." He said. If someone had been with them, they might have understood. Tears and rainwater mixed together on his face before falling down to the ground.
Lelouch Gwenael D’Aramis slid the gun back into his pocket, pushed some hair from his eyes, and resumed his steady pace to the estate of the Roux Family. He approached the gate, walking through as the guards saluted him. No one made the Baron of Orleans wait. Not when he was the fiance of the Marquise of Orleanais. But the guards felt something was off as he passed. No salute. No cheery smile. Just the bleak look and rain soaked clothes.
Lelouch walked up the gravel towards the massive house.
The place where his fiancé, Adelaide Gwenaelle Roux, was.
Where a monster controlled her thoughts and actions.
Lelouch D’Aramis checked the charge on his weapons. Full. He took a deep breath, and then flicked his collar to turn on the comm that was placed there.

“This is Gardien du serment. The time has come. May God have mercy on our souls, and the souls of those who shall meet him today. Go. Commence Fallen Grace.”

Lelouch D'Aramis pushed the door open and raised the sidearm.

Planet Nevers, Naval Yard. Fourteen days before Fallen Grace

Lelouch D’Aramis was dressed to the nines. Fresh shoes, fresh shirt, pants, jacket. Fresh bouquet of roses. Today, he finally was going to ask it. Checking his pocket, Lelouch was finally satisfied that he was ready. Stepping into the Naval Yard, he shooed away a few Lieutenants wanting to ask about a mission and briskly headed for Adelaide’s office. Men and women moved to give him room to pass; not many dared to get in the way of the Directeur of Naval Intelligence when he obviously was on a mission.
Stopping at her door, he took a deep breath.
Lelouch pushed the door open. “I have a bouquet of roses for the most beautiful person in Gallia?”
Adelaide Roux looked up from her papers, shirt unbuttoned at the top, AC going, her hair falling all over her face. “Lulu!” She smiles warmly at him. “What brings you to my office? I would have thought you’d just wait at my house.”
“While waiting for you in your closet to scare you is fun, it’s important.”
She laughs. “Ok, why are you here? You know I expressly told you we cannot have a round of passion, not after we almost were discovered.”
“Well, not sure about passion, but I am here out of love.”
“Oh, really?” She smirks, leaning back. “I’m a bit busy.”
“I only have one question for you.” Lelouch set the flowers down and moved to the other side of the desk, then knelt at Adelaide’s side. Lelouch smirked slightly.
Yep. Didn’t even hit the ground before she gasped.
Then, blunt as ever, Lelouch D’Aramis asked the one question he had wanted to ask since the first day he met Adelaide Roux.
“Will you marry me?”

RNS-Eglantine, Rambouilette Shipyard Drydock. Ten Days before Fallen Grace

Acadia Celeste was going over the final checks onboard the Eglantine when Lelouch called.
“Alone. Somewhere you cannot be heard or spied on. Acadia. Trust me.”
Frowning, Acadia complied, locking herself in Eggy’s Secure Commnications Center alone.
“What.”
“Remember when I told you about Rouge Eitole, and that I was keeping tabs on it using the Underloch?”
“I do.”
“They found something. They’ve changed, Acadia. Nothing can imitate perfectly. Nothing. I just had two men, two men I trusted, try and kill me. Acadia. Gather those you trust. And purge the Eglantine of anyone you find suspicious. Forgiveness will be needed…but something wicked this way comes.”
Acadia cut the connection, then pulled out her sidearm.
“Celeste?”
She turned and raised her weapon, pointing it at the young girl, barely eighteen, who was working on a console. “Faerie.”
“Ma’am, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Acadia didn’t put the gun down. She didn’t trust Faerie, but at the same time, killing such a young girl…
“Get on your knees, hands on your head.”
Looking scared, the girl replied. Acadia restrained her, tucking her out of sight. “Stay quiet. If you are not discovered, I will come back and let you live. If you are, I will have to execute you.”
Acadia left. She turned a corner, face to face with a marine.
With glowing eyes, he raised his rifle to kill Acadia. “For conspiring to kill the Gra-“
The blast from Acadia’s shotgun sidearm tore his head clean off. She stepped over the body, grabbing his rifle.
It would be wrong to say that blood did not run through the halls of Eglantine as Acadia, and soon a small squad of trusted marines, began to slowly and methodically massacre the skeleton crew. Some just fell and lay still, while other shook as the incubi attempted to escape, or bits of incubi littered the gore. Eglantine was a bloody flower by the time it was done.
Acadia called Lelouch. “Eggy has been secured. Destination?”
“Vendome.”
Acadia clicked the comm off, then retrieved Faerie. The girl had soiled herself. From all that Acadia and the rest could tell, she was clean.
The cabin boy, who was seventeen…had glowed long enough to let them know he was gone.
Acadia Celeste turned the Marine Corporal Bernard Clement.
“Captain Clement. Secure the airlocks. We must head to Vendome to rendezvous with the rest of the forces.”
“Ma’am…is this…?”
“Yes. This is the Fallen Grace Protocol.”

RNS Eglantine, Vendome Residence. Eight days before Fallen Grace

The Gawain locked into place on the Eglantine, and onboard rushed Lelouch and a small girl.
“Lulu…you…”
“This goes far beyond it all…Acadia…Adel…she has been…turned…”
“Mon dieu…Lulu…” The woman hugged him. Closing his eyes, he silently cries.
“The King has sided with these monsters. They have...brainwashed the woman I love."
“But…how will we stop this? If the King has been taken, then…they control the Kingdom.” Acadia bit her lip. "Fallen Grace...this Protocol..."
Lelouch opens his eyes. Acadia could see the defect in his right eye more clearly. The weird bird shape that had been there since he had been a child.
"Fallen Grace will commence...but there will be a slight variation to it."
Acadia swore the bird-shaped defect glowed for a split second before Lelouch spoke the words that set in motion what would be a costly affair.
“I am going to assassinate the King.”

RNS Eglantine, Communication Room. Seven Days before Fallen Grace

Lelouch D’Aramis stood in the center of the room. He stood alone, but he knew Acadia, Amelie, and Bernard were waiting outside. He was about to commit yet another treasonous act, all to save the kingdom he fought for. Well, not like he didn't attempt to bed a Sirian already - a very cute one, that is - and ordered the massacre of the entire skeleton crew of the Eglantine while Adelaide was away. He decided to get it over with, and typed in the destination.
“Here goes.”
Lelouch closed his eyes as he pressed the enter key. The room darkened. Waiting, the soft pings went on rhythmically, until finally one loud beep confirmed the connection was made. When he opened his eyes, he faced Richard Connors of the Colonial Republic. He exhaled softly, eying the man. This was a conversation no one had seen coming.
“I wager I was the last person you expected to call you. Well. I need your help.” Lelouch closed his eyes. "I plan to assassinate King Charles of Gallia."

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May you ever walk in the Light, Shizune.