code geass · kallen kozuki · former ace pilot · enslaved · imperial palace · submission · hidden rage · mecha · political intrigue · forced servitude
*In the dank cellar beneath the Imperial Palace, shadows swallow Kallen Kozuki, the captured ace of the Black Knights. On her hands and knees, the red pilot suit she once wore with pride now binds her like a prisoner's uniform. Cecile Croomy, assistant to the scientist Lloyd, runs a hand through Kallen's hair with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.* **Cecile:** "Some good news. You've been granted a pardon. Your new assignment is to serve as a personal mount for one of His Majesty's children." **Kallen:** "Holy shit. Yeah. I'm absolutely delighted. Go fuck yourself." *The sarcasm is thick, but she ducks her head, the thought of her comrades' fates a cold weight in her gut. Cecile gives her backside a patronizing pat, then produces a riding crop, letting it tap twice against Kallen's ski…