Three weeks had passed since negotiations with the Japanese. All that was needed for the refugee camp was the post-apocalypse survivors themselves. It was problematic at first thanks to the conflict with the entire Metro against the Fourth Reich. However, the Commonwealth of the Stations of the Ring Line and their associate stations had offered their valuable trading routes to process those who were willing to leave the tunnels. Although the Polis Council had fewer troops under their command, they were the one with all of the cards. After all, who else would dare attack an organization that managed to contact a pre-war government and managed to convince powerful nations to their aid? Even deserting soldiers and fleeing citizens of the Fourth Reich were trickling amongst the number of refugees that were looking for a future beyond this world.

Artyom couldn't care much about the details as he met up with the Order's quartermaster in a small tent. "Morning Kuzmich, I heard that you've gotten a recent supply of equipment from the Metro. Do you have them on hand?"

The older man nodded his head with his arms crossed as he stood behind a table of various weaponry. "Yes. There has been some new attachments and weapon parts. It's expensive, but that is the price of having the best people around. What do you need? Want to make your railgun better?"

He shook his head. "No, two of my firearms need some adjustments." Then he slung his assault rifle and a makeshift shotgun before him. "I like my railgun, no doubt, but ammo is quite hard to come by - especially in this world. Mind making my Kalash into a battle rifle with that grenade feature?"

"I can do that, but it will take some time since Tokarev isn't here. What about the Shambler?"

"The Abzat is too heavy to lug around, but I still need some firepower - preferably one with a bigger magazine." The quartermaster reached for under the table and placed a large ammo box on the table before bringing several belts of shotgun shells before him. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Hand it over, Tokarev got an idea when this problem came up." After Artyom gave him the Shambler, he began to remove the revolving clamps from the process before attaching the ammo box inside. Then he slipped a belt of shotgun shells inside. "There we go, I solved your problem already. Pay me for the service, but the ammo belts are for free."

The young man pulled out the military grade rounds and handed them over. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Once I'm done with this, I'll give you the heads up."

With one of his weapons changed, the Polis Ranger stepped out of the tent and found his fellow Russians, the Japanese, and the locals intermingle with each other. Strange how this once small camp had grown enough to match a station in the Metro. It's not that he'd mind it, but to see such a large settlement not restricted by the physical constraints of walls and tunnels was a blessing in disguise.

A large commotion had earned the attention of many as Uhlman approached him. "Artyom, we got to get to work. Our visitors earned our attention."

"Really? How so?" He wondered.

"That girl that was in our company is here and she wants to meet with us, but mostly with you. If this wasn't important, I'd say this was a date."

He rolled his eyes. "Let's just hear what Milena has to say."

A group of riders approached them in the middle of the camp as the imperial spy was in the company of female knights - except for one. He had seen him before during the Battle of Italica, but now he was here amongst their party. The woman dismounted from her horse and approached the duo as she passed a scroll to them. "Artyom, it's quite a pleasant surprise to see you again."

"Likewise, what brings you here?"

"His majesty - Emperor Molt Sol Augustus of the Saderan Empire - wishes to meet with a representative of your people at the Imperial Palace for a… diplomatic discussion."

Uhlman spoke first. "I apologize for interrupting, but what did she say?"

Artyom was quick to translate. "She says that the leader of their empire wishes for one of us to come to their capital and speak."

"This isn't good. Our schedule is fucked since most of the Order's representatives are meeting with the Japanese or still in the Metro. We don't have anyone on hand and I can't go since I got to help the JSDF in the expedition in the Metro."

Milena brought their attention back on her. "What do you say?"

The young man translated it back to the senior Polis Ranger. "Don't want to decline, but you'll have to go. Timur, Aleksandr, and Shuhrat will accompany you on your journey."

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Artyom wondered. "It's just going to be the four of us."

"The Order doesn't have the luxury and I think it would be an insult to these people if we refuse."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Definitely. Tell her that you'll be coming." Then he walked away for the duo to speak.

Milena's became confused as he walked away. "Did I say something wrong to offend him?"

Artyom shook his head. "No. He's informing me that I can be the Order's representative and follow you back to the palace."

"That is good news. The emperor has been curious about your people ever since you arrived."

A smile was all he could express with a hint of reluctance. "Now you made me even more afraid."

The familiar knight commented on his reaction. "There is no need for you to worry. You saved my life during the Battle of Italica. I can save your life in this particular matter."

"I apologize if we haven't had the proper introduction." He introduced himself. "My name is Artyom."

"Norma Co Igloo of the Rose Order." He replied. "You are perhaps one of the best warriors I've ever stumbled upon."

The young man dismissed the thought with a handwave. "Not really. There is someone in the Order who is far better than me."

"Really? Then it is a good thing that our empire hadn't antagonized your people." He laughed it off. "We should have done the same with the Japanese."

"Why did your people attack the Japanese?"

"Like all nations do when they need to expand."

Norma's words gave Artyom enough to think about his people's situation. The Japanese had the pre-war means to protect themselves, but should the situation turn south - his people didn't have that luxury.

Days had passed and the patience of the mercenary captain was at an end. Severus insisted on meeting with Prince Zorzal about this issue and his ultimatum was simple - invite him or he goes to his brother. The latter seemed to spark action as the captain was now granted an audience with his highness about this issue. Hallways were filled with various furniture or trophies throughout the prince's history in the empire. However, he carried little care when he had the knowledge to hurt the enemy who occupying Alnus Hill and those associated with them.

Four royal guards accompanied him as they brought him towards a door and brought him towards those who would find value in his experience. After they knocked on the great doors, they swung open and brought him to a balcony.

The mercenary saw various men of rank laying about, eating fine meals with the content, or kissing women sitting in their laps. One woman took the opportunity to approach him, but his gauntlet smacked her hand out of the way - earning the reaction of someone who owned them. "Careful now. Finding slaves in the business of pleasure are rare and I would be upset if you permanently damaged them." Severus looked on the far side of the balcony to find a muscular and tall man rise up from his seat. "May I have the pleasure of knowing the man who demanded my full attention."

"I am Severus Adranos, captain of a mercenary company, or what's left of it after the Battle of Italica." His words made everyone pause in their enjoyment, inciting a surprise from both the slaves and the prince's retinue.

The blonde-haired prince let out a smile. "I've heard rumors that Pina fought there. Most of the reports are usual rubbish with rumors of her fighting the enemy who occupies Alnus Hill. However, I am quite sure that a mercenary company would have been noted amongst the town's defenders." Then he glanced towards his men. "We have someone who excels in banditry."

The guards who once escorted him had immediately drawn their swords. Surprised by this action, the captain was quick to express his value to the imperial prince. "I have important information on the enemy's capabilities!"

"Well then, I could torture the information out of you and then kill you," Zorzal answered. "Of course, my father will be asking why I ordered my guards to kill you in cold blood. My reason would be that someone sent an assassin after me and he wouldn't think much about it. After all, the only value your life has gone the moment you tell me."

The mercenary captain looked around with worry. "What if you needed someone to teach your troops? Running a company is no different than running a small army."

The prince was surprised at his response before he let out a laugh. "So? The Imperial Army has many generals and officers to train and handle their mundane matters. What makes you any different from them?"

"Experience." Severus answered. "I have fought them in the field. Few could ever claim that."

He nodded his head from side to side. "Quite an interesting proposition you're giving me. In exchange of letting you live, you're going to serve the empire based on your experience. Though there is one problem. Sooner or later, your experience can only do so much."

"Your highness, what if you require my services for unsavory matters?"

Prince Zorzal raised an eyebrow. "A bandit is offering his services to me? What would people think if this became public? No, no, no, it wouldn't do. There is little you could do to entice me to pay for your services."

Severus glanced at the guards and then his eyes noted the enslaved women. One of them wasn't even native to Falmart, but closely resembles the people who fought amongst the defenders. "What about a high-risk reward for slaves beyond the Gate?"

He looked towards the foreign woman and back at the mercenary. "You must be really suicidal to even consider such a choice. I welcome the notion, but you must be desperate for your life."

"So you would let me live if I get some for you?"

"If you do come on your end of the deal, I will hear you out on what thoughts you have on the imperial forces. At the very least, you've proven to me that your experience speaks for yourself." He waved a dismissive hand at the guards. "Sheathe your blades, men." As the tension wore down, Zorzal walked to a small table of pouches and grabbed a few of them. Then he tossed them in his direction. "This should be enough for you to form a slaving party. It's not much, but if your endeavors get you killed I won't be losing much this way. Spend it wisely." His eyes glanced to the guards. "Escort him out, lest his mere presence spoils our fun."

Three trolleys traveled past the remains of wreckage and hardware left aside while the Third Recon Team scanned their surrounding areas with their flashlights. Lieutenant Itami had been told by Uhlman that despite their attempts at keeping the entire tunnel safe from harm, there wasn't enough manpower to protecting such a vital transportation line from the Gate to Polis Station. The Japanese officer was at the front of the trolley to see the occasional group of sentries huddling around a campfire. "Is it always this dark? Why don't you add more floodlights in this tunnel?"

Uhlman turned towards him in his armored helmet. "Not enough generators and unlike the regular stations, they're exposed to the elements or the people maintaining them might get ambushed by a pack of nosalises."

"Damn, is it always that normal for people to always have their flashlights on?"

"Yep. Some groups are desperate enough to use lanterns because there are not enough flashlights to pass around or too expensive to buy."

Itami felt a finger tap his shoulder. "Father, do you need some light?" When he turned around, the Falmart elf girl in her modern clothes expressed a great concern upon their situation. "I could use some of my magic."

"Go ahead, Tuka. It's better to have more light than what we got right here."

She spoke in a foreign tongue - far different from the common language that the imperials and the other Falmart locals used. This earned the attention of the other soldiers, both Japanese and Russian, to look at her with curiosity. Her hands seemed to be forming into a sphere, but it grew larger and brighter as more of these strange energies were being brought out of thin air. Tuka lifted her hands above her head to maximize the range of its brightness, removing the darkness the surrounding convoy.

The Polis Ranger beside the lieutenant joked at this development. "Good job, Tinkerbell. You became a walking lighthouse."

"Do you always make a joke at every moment?"

"Yes. The Metro is a depressing mess at every turn. I'd rather make bad jokes or puns than show that ugly face every time I wake up." He answered.

One of the lieutenant's soldiers voiced her concerns. "How long is it going to take to get to this special station of yours?"

"As long as it takes. The only time we ever book it is when there are too many of them for us to take on."

Sergeant Kuribayashi was quick to make a remark on his words. "The JSDF has fought a dragon the size of Godzilla. These things don't look too tough to deal with."

"I don't know, Kuribayashi. Our post-apocalypse survivor seems to know what he's talking about," Itami commented. "What's it like dealing with a full pack of nosalises?"

The Russian's expression changed. "Utter hell. In my line of work, these are the sort of problems that can destroy entire stations if people don't make the necessary precautions to treat them seriously. Like failing to put in early-warning systems, not enough guard posts, or poorly placed defenses because somebody wanted to cut down costs at the bare minimum." He explained. "There have been times when the Order arrived just in time to save the remaining survivors because they took the threat seriously and there are times when we were just too late."

"Then what are my chances in these tunnels? I don't want the situation to turn sour because we didn't take your advice when it was really needed. Did our preparations earlier make a difference?"

He nodded his head. "The good things your recon team did was get enough air filters, high-quality gas masks, and radiation equipment when we get to the surface. Better thing that you did was bring enough ammo to sustain yourselves for awhile until your tour of the place is finished - especially since you guys have a lot of high-quality ammo to use."

"Good to know then. What are we going to do when we got to Polis?"

"First, we're going to settle your people in and sleep for the night. Then we depart in the morning to get a good old breakfast with the boys at the Church. After that, your team returns back to Falmart and report to your superiors about our messed up city."

The Japanese soldiers were taken aback by how simple the plan was. "That's it? We're not going to do anything fancy? I'd expected to be fighting to save a station or something like that, not go on a simple walk and leave."

"Trust me, if you think that's a cake walk, you haven't been around long enough."

Itami looked around the corner of his eye to see a bright wave of lights in the distance. "I have a feeling we arrived. Seems kinda bright for an entrance."

"That's intentional." Uhlman replied before he activated his radio. "Polis Guards, this is Uhlman, three trolleys are coming from the western approach. Notify security and permit entrance."

Then a quick scrambled echoed back. "Understood. The gate is opening, standby."

When the lieutenant's trolley was nearing the entrance, he was surprised by the defenses of the station. Concrete bunkers with dual-mounted machine guns, cannons, and battlements made up of layered metal sheets. This was all here to defend a large steel door that led into a network of rail lines. As the great door was fully open, the trolley proceeded past it's vigilant guards and arrived at a lived-in train station.

The platforms were packed refugees filled with faces of excitement and worry with several armed soldiers keeping the order. Yet, the JSDF arrival did not go unnoticed as children pointed what they saw to their parents. Many curious eyes turned towards them, but those in the back tried their best to look over the shoulders of others to see their arrival.

When the convoy stopped to a halt, Uhlman stepped onto the platform and glanced at the Japanese soldiers. "Welcome to Polis Station. Get your bags people and make sure you have everything on you. The refugees are going to be taking these trolleys, so whatever you leave behind will be theirs."

The JSDF personnel started to assemble onto the platform - some returning smiles to their observers. However, Itami heard one of his soldiers make a comment. "Everything about this place is so weird. It's like they never seen a Japanese person before."

"That's because it's true. There are some people here who were born without knowing what other people looked like. The closest they've ever met someone who isn't Russian are the Order's neighborhood American or Kazakhs."

A ranger walked towards them as he earned their full attention. "I thought we lost you on the other side of the Gate. How are things doing?"

"Fine, Damir. Did you rent the apartments on time?"

The Mongolian-looking man nodded his head. "Of course, it's expensive, but I guess you'll owe me as soon as it's over."

He chuckled. "Maybe in rouples, by the time we get into that earth." Then he stepped aside and gestured his hand out to the JSDF lieutenant. "Damir, meet Lieutenant Itami of the Japanese Self-Defense Force."

The stranger walked up to the officer and shook his hand. "It's good to meet you."

"Just to give a heads up, he doesn't know a lot of Russian so I'm going to be their translator in-between."

Damir slowly glanced towards him. "I have a feeling that is a recipe for disaster."

Sigma-del-Prisium: Indeed.

Don't Trust Tea: Mushroom tea, the bane of empires.

ptl: Fear the future.

Guest: For the motherland!

Ger0nim0: Find out, on Dragon Ball Z!

De4dlyW0lf: Thanks for the review, but I think having the location tends to ruin some of the things I have in store.