GATE episode 12

Riding the Tachikoma I managed to make it in front of Pina and the order of the roses before decloaking causing one of them to raise their sword at the Tachikoma.

Getting out of it I smiled and said, "Missed me princess?"

Princess Pina smiled and said, "Nice to see you too High Inquisitor I assume you're here to see Itami as well and help bring stuff into the capital?"

I nodded my head and said, "yes Ma'am!"

We soon met Itami in a horse drawn carriage with all the supplies along with a diplomat escort wearing a bullet proof vest. The man got to know Pina's right hand woman Hamilton while I went through the supplies to make sure everything was there.

Itami put a hand on my shoulder and said, "so are you sure dark legion would be okay with you diverting assets like that? I mean the legion brought over only 10 of these Tachikomas right? The flame dragon might destroy them."

I shook my head and said, "the templars if they aren't quick on their feet will be burned but the tachikomas and the think tank use the same armor plating as my armor so no they will not blow up, after all like all dark legion gear they are meant to be dropped from orbit in one way or another."

Pina then looked at Itami and said, "ahhh Itami it has been too long, this is the first time since we've gotten back that we could just chat."

Itami chuckled and said, "yeah it really has, so what brings you out here?"

Princess Pina chuckled and said, "well Sugawara and Jango both said another Diplomat would be dropping by and I thought I'd make his acquaintance."

I could sense Pina's bullshit and said, "that isn't the only reason she's dropped by"

Pina started to blush and said, "wah- what I have no idea what you're saying, but…do you have the thing I requested."

Itami seemed confused so Pina grabbed Itami and said, "Bozes said you had a package for me you know it is so hand it over!"

And Itami realized what it was…. a Yaoi magazine

Pina held it up like she had discovered the holy grail and said, "this is it; this is what I have been waiting for!"

The diplomat looked really confused and said, "uuuh what did you get?"

Pina then held it close to her and said, "a work of fine art, come Hamilton let us meet with the others there is much work to be done!"

I chuckled and said, "I'll provide an escort for the carriages Diplomat if you want to go inside the carts or the spare Tachikoma just let me know" before getting into my own Tachikoma and zooming off cloaking.

Pina talked to me Via the net and said, "I have some ideas on how to negotiate a base of operations and land for dark legion…however this could be rough."

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"Gladiatorial combat if you can fight the champion and win then dark legion private enforcement would be seen as a strong military might as our current champion holds sway in the government from his kingdom" Pina said.

I thought about it for a second and said, "that could be a good idea hmmm tell you what for now give me the details and I'll decide in the morning what to do…I assume the reason you wanted that Magazine brought on ahead of other supplies has to do with…classified information?"

Pina nodded before jumping onto the Tachikoma which shocked me and said, "oh I had all the many feats you and your brother did translated int our language from your heroic defense of the middle east to Itami's heroic journey in Italica, every military strategy or victory you two have obtained I have had inscribed so the peace talks between our two worlds can start!"

I smiled and got a private message from Doctor Miandi with a simple message one that made me grin happily, "gate opened."

Peace would soon be here…whether it would be through the peace talks with the empire…or exterminatus by dark legion, either way this world would be different one way or another. For now, though, I decided to go over the details of who was good, who was bad and who I had to keep an eye on.

Rounding out the list I start with the emperor himself Molt Sol Augustus, a man of unknown age but it was his call to attack the gate. He was sitting on a council who sought to overthrow him in a peaceful manner, a visionary in his own right hell from I've heard from the locals his actions could be beneficial to dark legion should we get in his good graces. Next up was the eldest son the first-born pain in the ass from what the people call him Zorzal El Caesar, all reports point to him being a threat but not in the way most people would believe.

According to neighboring kingdoms Zorzal is arrogant naïve and delusional in all manners of life even going as far as to keep sex slaves for his own amusement. His belief that the empire would wipe out the JSDF would be the downfall of him, however one thing did catch me off guard, the woman he kept by his side, Tyuule as some of the locals called her, all reports point to her being a queen from a rabbit warrior tribe thought to have died…she may seek revenge on Zorzal or worse the empire and if her sights are on the empire she would have to go down, and go down hard. Zorzal did have some level of competence though cause some sources state his military philosophy of the will of man is stronger than the enemy did win him many battles however his lack in the field of knowing your enemy or realizing just how technologically superior we are is key to his defeat should it come to that. The Zero system ranked him as a 6.5 on the threat scale and his concubine at an 8 since we don't know how far she would go to destroy the empire.

Next up was the second born son Diabo El Caeser, like his father and sister Pina he was Pragmatic and overthought the situation. Unlike his brother Zorzal who believes in military might, Diabo is highly intelligent, however this leads him to being very Ego centric. The spies I have in place though have all said the same thing, he's not a threat and would more than likely surrender if dark legion strong armed him into doing so. He would make for a good candidate to choose should we need a puppet in the empire.

Next up was Pina herself, third princess of the empire and Liaison for Dark Legion Private Enforcement LLC. And the JSDF she was quite frankly the most levelheaded out of all the children even creating the order of the rose, an order of primarily young women from noble families or veterans who don't want to retire. According to the Templars I have guarding Pina the way the order of the rose fights is unlike anything they have seen in terms of the empire hell even the drills they run are like Raider drills. Pina has also told me herself that she has lieutenants of her own in the army with Bozes representing the yellow rose, Panache Fure Kalgi being the white rose, Feefeita E Caty the Black rose, and Hamilton who according to Pina was her right-hand woman. The order of the rose were capable fighters, and I was even in talks for getting them some Dark Legion supplied gear just to make things easier for them.

Next, we had foreign interests who were threats such as Desperado Enforcement and now Hotel Moscow, I'm sure Balalaika would want my head after killing Revy and Dutch.

The Tachikoma picked up on this and said, "you seem to have a storied history with Balalaika High Inquisitor what's the scoop on that?"

"she was a member of a soviet Airborne force in the past, I had heard stories about her when I was young and wanted to one day meet her…well I got that wish when I was a deacon in the legion, I was sent to Roanopur for a mission involving the Adrea crime family down there, the moment I did I was approached by Revy who took me straight to Balalaika where I got more information on Adrea than I knew what to do with…in exchange for a one night stand with her, I don't regret that night but I do regret breaking her heart and leaving her…in other words I guess you could say we're kindred spirits who at this point are both looking for soldier's deaths" I said bringing up a photo of Balalaika being spotted in northern Japan.

The Tachikoma then said, "well I mean you two seem like you'd make a cute couple why not hook up now?"

Snapping a bit I said, "that is out of the question! Balalaika and I will not be doing that any time soon!" before going back to the Zero system.

The Zero system also brought up a shady organization that the many templar stealth ops around the empire had heard about, the Haryo tribe. All accounts call them the silent hand of this land, people without a home. Interbreed between the many races here, if anything these people would be a threat as their numbers are unknown, their leader though was known, Bouro the leader of the tribe and quite frankly the tribes espionage tactics was nothing to slouch at they were a threat of the highest order as they could slip in and out and we wouldn't even know as the Haryo aren't one distinct people, they're a collective. I placed them as the highest threat level if they got a hold of dark legion or JSDF equipment they could pose a threat.

Finally making it through the capital to the order of the roses base undetected I made my way through the palace till I made it to my room where an armor pod along with a charging station for my Tachikoma tank waited.

Giggling the Tachikoma said, "boy that was a short day huh High Inquisitor?"

Deactivating my armor and storing it on the pod I walked over and put on my body glove to charge my cyborg body and said, "yeah you have a point…we didn't have much to do just watch over the princess and kill some assassins but it was a short day" before walking over to the charging station and plugging in the Tachikoma so it could charge for the night.

Meanwhile in Japan

Balalaika had just arrived at the unmarked graves of two of her closest friends Revy and Dutch and left flowers for them.

"I will avenge you my comrades I promise you that" she muttered lighting up a cigar.