In the 2010, in an alternate reality, Japan was invaded by the Britannia Empire and overthrown.  They were renamed Area 11.  The former Japanese, now named Elevens, live under a harsh dictatorship under the rule of Prince Clovis.  A few years after the invasion a boy named Lelouch who is a Britannian citizen, gets caught up in the theft of some kind of  secret device by rebel Japanese group.  He runs into an old Japanese friend named Suzaku who is now working for the Britannia military.  They discover that they rebels had stolen a woman.  When the military arrive and order Suzaku to kill Lelouch, he refuses and is himself shot.  Lelouch and the girl make their escape.  They almost make it out before getting caught.  The girl saves Lelouch from being shot but is herself shot.  Before she dies she makes a contract with him: in exchange for certain powers he must help her when the time is right.  He agrees.