The Black Knights (episode)

The Black Knights is the eighth episode of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

Summary
Led by Lieutenant-Colonel Kusakabe, a group from the Japan Liberation Front takes a hotel and its occupants hostage, including most of the Ashford Student council and a disguised Princess Euphemia. Princess Cornelia, who dotes on her little sister, refuses to make a move against the hostage takers for fear of endangering her, which Lelouch realizes and takes advantage of. He mounts a rescue operation with Ohgi's resistance cell. As he speaks with the hostage takers, Suzaku sinks the hotel using the Lancelot. However, Lelouch derails any rescue efforts by the army so he can take credit for the rescue. In a public broadcast, he announces the creation and purpose of his Black Knights, "allies of justice" who will judge the world and protect the weak from "those with power."

Plot
Shirley, Milly, and Nina are on a train heading outside the Tokyo settlement, for which it is Shirley's first time doing so, causing Milly to try and bring up the subject of boys. As the train passes through a tunnel, Nina's xenophobia begins to get the better of her, so Milly calms her down. The train then passes by Mt. Fuji, which has a huge portion of it cut open and replaced with a brown metal slate. The train then heads for Lake Kawaguchi, which has had a hotel built on it.

Meanwhile, Ohgi's resistance group arrives at a stowed-away vehicle full of utter luxuries. They find Zero there, and he announces that this will be his new organization's hideout, which we happened to "borrow" from a Britannian nobleman, and is complete with a second story and television. When the group turns on the latter, they discover that another terrorist group, the Japan Liberation Front, has taken hostages in a hotel; however, it is actually defectors of the group, led by Josui Kusakabe without the enraged Tohdoh's permission, attempting to gain hold of a vital resource, which stabilizes practically all of the nations. Footage of the hostages is released by the terrorists, where Milly's group and a Chairman are shown among them; Suzaku is also among the troops mounting against the terrorists. While the group debates over whether the Front is doing it out of pure jealousy for Zero's stand, Lelouch gets a call from Rivalz but hangs up on him. Cornelia, left with no other option, has three Sutherlands go to the hotel via an underwater supply route, where they will destroy the hotel's foundation and submerge it in a lake. However, the Front has prepared for this: having modified a Glasgow into a giant shrapnel cannon, they destroy the Sutherlands with a single shot. It is also shown that Euphemia is among the captives, and Cornelia doesn't want to take action even though the Front may start using her as a bargaining chip.

At Ashford, C.C. appears to be talking to someone about taking care of Lelouch. Suzaku also tries to go in, but Lloyd tells him that Cornelia refuses. Zero's group begins to unload their goods when Kallen notices Zero looking at footage of Shirley's father being interviewed. Lelouch himself thinks that they are not ready yet, but can't just sit around, and figures Cornelia will kill them eventually. He tells this to Kallen when Ohgi finds several black uniforms. Ohgi is confused since resistance groups don't need such luxury, but Zero says they are not a resistance, but knights for justice.

Despite Cornelia's orders, Cecile prepares Suzaku in the Lancelot. As they do, they watch the Front savagely shove an ordinary Britannian off the hotel to his death. The terrorists then send another message saying they will shove hostages off the roof every 30 minutes until their terms are met, but Cornelia refuses to legitimize terrorism. A messenger then comes by and reveals that Zero has been spotted stealing a car from Diethard Ried. The vehicle itself heads straight into Sutherland territory, with Zero's entire group inside, questioning Zero's plan. They are eventually confronted by Cornelia herself, who shows her face and prepares to shoot Zero with a one-handed rival. However, Zero asks her to choose between Clovis or Euphemia, having deduced she is in there. He tells Cornelia that he plans to save Euphemia, and Cornelia lets him pass. They drive straight across a bridge and pass through the hotel gate, with Zero thinking that, regardless of whether or not he is seen as an ally, the events will be eventful. However, Cornelia plans that, once Zero is in the tower, not only will the hostage killing stop, but both Zero's forces and the Front can get wiped out at the same time. She thus gives Suzaku the greenlight to head into the tunnel against the cannon; once he destroys the cannon, he has to destroy the foundation block, giving Cornelia's forces 8 minutes to recover the hostages or otherwise their room will be submerged. Although this basically means he's a decoy, Suzaku agrees.

It is revealed in flashback that Shirley invited Suzaku to join on the trip, but he was busy. In the hostage room, Nina's xenophobia gets to her head to the point where she calls one of the Front members an Eleven. The soldier attempts to drag her, Milly, and Shirley to another room to beat them to death, but Euphemia stands up and reveals her identity before asking Nina if she is okay. In another room, Zero meets with Kusakabe in another room, the latter asking him to remove his mask. Zero instead questions their motives, and when Kusakabe says it is to show the Japanese aren't dead, Zero rebukes him. Suzaku takes on the cannon, dodging its shrapnel, while Zero's group plants small white bombs on fuel pipes. As Euphemia is moved to another room, Kusakabe tries to kill Zero but is killed by Geass along with the other soldiers. The soldiers escorting Euphemia enter the room and discover the carnage caused by Zero, who claims it was suicide for the pointlessness of the ordeal; Zero also claims Euphemia hasn't changed. Suzaku manages to shield himself against the shrapnel, then prepares to shoot the cannon itself, while Zero's group guns down the Front members. Zero talks with Euphemia privately in the room, and reveals he killed Clovis (Euphemia being his successor) not because he murdered Elevens casually, but because he was Charles zi Britannia's son, and holds a gun up to Euphemia. Suzaku manages to destroy the cannon and proceeds to carry out the plan, destroying the foundation block. He and Zero briefly see each other before Zero detonates the explosives, prompting Suzaku to rush in to try and save survivors.

As the hotel collapses, Suzaku begins to mourn, saying that this thing has happened before, but Zero suddenly appears on a boat with all of the hostages (including Euphemia) perfectly safe, intending to return them, which Cornelia realizes is a way to prevent them from killing him. Zero then reveals his group, who are also all wearing masks and the suits he handed out earlier, and declares his group the Black Knights. He also rebukes the Front's actions, and states his intention to save all civilians. He says he tolerates battle but not outright massacre, and will appear again if such an act happens. As Kallen wonders what Zero is thinking, Zero calls on the strong to be afraid and the weak to join them, as they now are the judges of this world.

Battles

 * Japanese Liberation Front Hotel Incident (Concluded)

Powers or Abilities used

 * Lelouch's Geass

Quotes

 * "I'm here in front of the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. The hotel jackers have identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front. Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, most notably, chairman James, were taken hostage as well as several tourists and hotel employees. This footage was taken by the perpetrators; in it, you can clearly see chairman James, including some students. The leader of the group claims to be Lieutenant-Colonel Kusakabe of the now defunct Japanese military. Sakuradite, an essential component in the manufacture of high-temperature super conductors, is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area 11 is the largest producer of this material, providing 70% of the world's total supply. Here at the yearly national meeting of Sakuradite producers, it will be determined how this resource will be distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome determines the balance of global power between Britannia and other countries. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hotel takeover." - Female News Reporter
 * "Wrong. We're not a resistance group, is that clear? What we are -- what we're trying to be, are knights for justice!" - Zero
 * "I prefer the logic of systems to individualist emotions." - Suzaku Kururugi
 * Conversation between Zero and Kusakabe
 * Zero: "I'd like to ask you something. What exactly do you hope to accomplish by this action?"
 * Kusakabe: "Gain attention. I want this country and the world to know the Japanese aren't dead yet."
 * Zero: "How stale. You people are obsolete. There's no saving you."
 * "Euphemia, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the commoners. You haven't changed." - Zero
 * "What are you doing, Zero? Wasn't that part of your plan? To show us something?" - Diethard Reid
 * "My dear Britannians, have no fear. All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed." - Zero
 * "Of all the brazen audacity! If we attack you, those people will quickly become your hostages, won't they?" - Cornelia li Britannia
 * "People! Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Black Knights. We of the Black Knights stand with those who have no weapons to wield; regardless of whether they be Elevens or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished. Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens, we could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors have abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how mighty, or formidable our foe may be! Those of you with power, fear us! Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world." - Zero
 * "I was lucky; Heaven must truly be on our side. I never expected that Cornelia's one weakness was among the hostages; a weakness named Euphemia. From now on, the Black Knights will become my counterattack. Against the world in which I was trapped, and against my own undecided heart." - Lelouch Lamperouge (Preview for the next episode)