After a light meal, the Courier hitched a ride with a convoy heading back to Headquarters, princess in tow. The ride back was rather calm; they passed the occasional patrol, but otherwise there was nothing of importance.

At least, wouldn't have until they passed by a regiment practicing their drills. Piña looked horrified as she stared at the shermans firing downrange, as infantry practiced kicking in doors and clearing rooms. In the distance, the roar of artillery could be heard as siege companies practiced their drills.

"What kind of enemy has the Empire angered?" A trooper sitting across from her gave a dumb grin.

"The kind that's been kicking everyone's ass since the past thirty years, missy." He gave a lecherous grin.

"Though I can get a piece of that, don't you think guys?" The APC was filled with chuckles, until a voice cut in.

"She's with me." The trooper glanced and did a double take, as a terrifying red glare and the familiar heavily armored duster came into view.

"Oh. uh..."

"We'll pretend this never happened."

"Yes sir." The trooper stared at his feet, as snickers filled the air. He pulled her closer, as she glanced around in fear at the troopers in their seats.

"It's fine. Nobody will dare to hurt you in my presence." The APC eventually stopped, as the ramp opened.

"Welcome back home, boys." The driver's voice crackled through the speaker, as the Princess got her first view of the enemy beyond the gate. Personnel were everywhere; mechanics running around to repair various engines and suits of power armor, as imposing watchtowers outfitted with machine guns overlooked the massive concrete walls that guarded the entire area. Vertibirds landed and took off, as they carried Power armored shock troopers to most likely eliminate enemy camps.

All of that was ignored, however, when he spotted a jeep exiting from the gate, a recognizable face in the shotgun seat.

"Ambassador Crocker!" Six greeted, the princess in tow.

"Ah, Mister Courier! It's good to see you again." The ambassador greeted, as he climbed off the jeep and thanked the driver. He raised an eyebrow.

"And who is this? Another one of your companions?" The Princess blushed.

"No sir. She's the princess of the Saderan Empire, otherwise known as 'them'." The Ambassador nodded, and gave a friendly smile.
"Don't worry, your highness. Nobody will harm you here. In fact, I'll make sure to tell the General to assign the Courier as your bodyguard." Six did a double take.

"What, but sir-"
"No buts. Someone as important as her would no doubt be a target to slavers, raiders, and most of all, Legion." The Courier sighed.

"Understood, sir." Crocker smiled, and gestured to what most likely was his new office.

"Come in, take a seat. As a representative of the NCR, we can have diplomatic talks." They passed two troopers guarding the doors, gulping when the Courier glanced at them both. They shut the doors behind them as they entered, and Six plopped himself down on a couch and popped off his helmet. Crocker took a seat at his desk, and gestured for the Princess to sit down.

"Come. Take a seat and relax." The princess slowly sat down, and Crocker clasped his hands together.

"Now, for introductions. I am Ambassador Dennis Crocker, in charge of foreign relations between the NCR and the residents of the Special Region." The Courier translated to the princess, who nodded slowly.

"As you may know, the Saderan Empire had attacked and kidnapped several of our citizens. Although we seek reparations, we are willing to have any diplomatic talks." The Courier translated once more, and Piña visibly calmed down.

"To be honest with you, the senate wants blood. They want to start another war once again, simply because the enemy this time is too weak to fight." The Courier looked at the ambassador, alarmed. Crocker sighed.

"Yes, Six. It's going to be like the Khans all over again." His gloved hands gripped into fists; He had never forgiven the NCR for their betrayal, after he had promised the Great Khans peace. The NCR had stormed in, and massacred them all in another Bitter Springs massacre.

He had executed the politican who had bribed to give that order, the terrifying red glare being the last thing the poor sop would ever see.

"And so, I give you an offer. I wish for you to make a appearance before the Senate, and also for us to visit your father, the Emperor of the Saderan Empire." The princess looked conflicted; and Crocker smiled warmly.

"I can understand that it's a big decision. Take as much time as you like." There was a rapid knock on the door, and the Courier slipped his helmet back on.

"Come in." The doors swung open, as General Oliver entered, and glanced at the princess.

"Is this her?" The Courier nodded, as the princess looked in fear. Crocker stood up from his seat.

"General, she's a guest-" He snarled.

"She's a royal family member of the enemy. The enemy, that slaughtered some of my men and enslaved countless citizens. Like hell I'd-" Six stood up, standing between the General.

"Courier, step aside. That's an order." Six shook his head.

"You tend to forget; I'm not on anyone's payroll, General. I answer directly to Chief Hanlon of the Rangers, and even then, I'm a freelancer." The General shook in rage, and eventually deflated.

"We've been getting reports of NCR citizens being sold off in auctions like cattle, Six. You've seen what Slavers do. You know what will happen to those innocent souls." The Courier visibly gripped the grip of his Sequoia, but stood his ground.

"And I believe that interrogation against her is unnecessary, General. If she knew anything, she would have spilled by now." He glanced out the window, and noticed what seemed to be a commotion outside. Checking his pip-boy, he made to move out the room.

"Courier, we aren't done yet."

"You can interrogate one of the Legion centurions then. Or, if you need to-" The General sighed.

"You aren't allowed to interrogate on prisoners anymore, considering that they die shortly afterwards." Six shrugged as he left.

"Still gets results."

As the Courier exited the building, he made his way over to the commotion, right hand resting on his revolver.

"What's going on here?" the troopers saluted.

"Courier, sir!" He glanced over their shoulders and noticed who it was.

"Oh. It's you again." The sergeant in command did a double take.

"You know her sir?" The Courier paused, as he thought of a way to bluff her in.

"She's my adopted daughter." The scathing look Rory gave him was positively murderous.

"Uh..." The troopers paused, and he gave them a glare.

"If you say so, sir." The Sergeant turned towards his troopers.

"Alright! Let her through!" The troopers let her pass, as she walked up to him with the most sweetest smile.

And promptly kicked him in the groin, causing him to double over.

"Sheesh, What kind of kid is that?"

"Takes after her father too much."

The glare the Courier gave them was positively murdererous, as the troopers scurried away back to their posts.
"Now. What are you here for?"

"Visiting." The Courier sighed.

"Really." She spun around on her heels, completely carefree.

"I'm here to visit my loving father, after all." Six ignored her, and continued walking back to the embassy, as Rory stepped in line behind him, and grasped his hand. She gave him a innocent look, as the Courier sighed and gave up. The secretary gave him a strange look, as the duo walked past, towards the ambassador's office. He rapped his knuckles against the door, and a muffled reply of 'Come in' was heard. The door swung open, revealing the now relaxed General on the couch as the princess sat across from him, Crocker visibly upset.

"Six, who the hell is this?" Crocker demanded, and the Courier sighed.

"As of ten minutes ago, this is my adopted daughter." The ambassdor grabbed his head in frustaration.

"And? what else? is there?"

"She's also supposedly nine hundred and ninety five years old." the ambassador groaned.

"Damnit, I'm an ambassador, not a doctor!" the Courier walked across, and sat Rory down on the sofa next to the princess.

"Moving onto the mission at hand. The senate wants to have diplomacy, though they'll most likely support for war."

"However, if the public believes that peaceful coexistence is possible, then the senate will have no choice but to pursue peace. With the NCR still licking it's wounds from the battle with the Legion, I'd say peace is for the best." The Courier grunted.

"I hate politics."

For Thomas Crawson of the 402nd Infantry battalion, it was a shitty day.

Ever since they'd been deployed from Headquarters to build up a firebase around thirty kilometers away, they'd been building up fortifications along with the engineers of the 4th Engineer Battalion. All they'd been doing was construction, all day long, with no action whatsoever and shitty rations as usual. Private Gered and Corporal Naomi spent the time playing caravan, as their now complete firebase was now officially the most boring deployment of all time.

"Hey Thomas! You see anything?" And of course, he had been saddled with watch duty. He peered over the open field, all the way to the forest on the edge.

"Do you fucking think there's anything? No! What did you think?!" He hollered back over his shoulder.

"Dunno. Thought I heard something."

"Yeah. In your fucking head."

"Shut the fuck up." He turned with his binoculars again, and noticed what appeared to be a banner of some sort.

"Fuck. I've got contact! Sound the damn alarms!" Private Gered toppled out of his seat and smacked the button, as a klaxon began to blare.

"To your posts! No lollygaggin!" Their Lieutenant Colonel, Wallace bellowed, His extended ripper hanging by his belt. The enemy formation appeared in full force, and Thomas gulped.

"It's a whole damned army." Naomi whispered, as she gripped her service rifle.

"Headquarters reports that air support will be on it's way in ten minutes! Until then, we need to hold on!" Wallace yelled, as they opened fire on the enroaching formation. Bullets tore through their shields and armor like paper, as the army began it's charge.

"Fuck! Gered! machine gun!" Thomas yelled, his rank as Sergeant and as acting CO of their fireteam giving him the authority.

"Yes sir!" The light machine gun opened fire, as 5.56 rounds began to rain upon the enemy formation. Enemy legionnaires attempted to duck or run out of cover as Gered gunned them down mercilessly.

"How do you like that, you legion bastards!?" He hollered, as the legionnaires cowered on the ground.

"Tossing a frag!" Naomi chucked a fragmentation grenade up and over, as it rolled into a group of legionnaires and blew them apart, arms and legs everywhere. Shrapnel flew everywhere, as the troopers ducked behind their cover from the steel rain that seemed to come from everywhere.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Thomas smacked Gered on the head as he began to shake.

"Hold it together, and keep firing on those bastards!" A stray spear plowed into the dirt next to them, as Naomi fired blindly over the trench. He fixed his bayonet onto his rifle, as he thrust madly over the dirt and stabbed a legionnaire violently in the chest.

"Die you fucks! Die!" Gered started firing again, as the legionnaires attempted to move out of the way or hide behind their shields.

"Hold on!" He yelled, as the wind picked up, and the roar of engines could be heard.

"This is 4th Squadron, moving in to provide air support. Hold on boys, We're comin'!" Miniguns roared as the vertibirds made their way over the battlefield, the panicking legionnaires providing easy targets for the door gunners.

"The gods are punishing us!"

"Retreat! Sound the retreat!" An officer screamed, until he was mowed down alongside thirty others from 5.56 rounds. The proud enemy force of what had to be in thousands, was left of only a several hundred as they attempted to flee back into the forest.

Or at least, tried to.

"AFTER THEM! REMEMBER FREESIDE!" Wallace screamed, Ripper roaring as he caught an unlucky legionnaire by his neck and shredded apart his innards, firing his sidearm with another. Troopers emerged from trenches, firing at the retreating figures. Something grabbed his foot as he attempted to run after his subordinates, and he glanced down to see what appeared to be a dying legionnaire pleading for help.

"Please, help me…" Thomas kicked his hand off, and fired a few bullets into the man's torso before running off.

"Damn tribals."