“You have won earthling.” The Emperitor said, his voice subdued.

“According to my notification, you have three hours to gather your things, your wounded, and survivors and leave. Or the system will punish your faction, yes?” John asked. The Emperitor nodded slowly.

“Just so.”

“What will happen to you when you return?” The golden armored figure barked a harsh laugh.

“Most likely my father will have me beheaded, my armies disbanded, and my lands sold to pay the debt I have taken on from this battle.” He motioned towards the arena that even now was dissolving.

The sun was starting to rise, and the combatants from the third duel, if it could even be called a duel, were slowly being deposited outside the arena and brought back to life by the system. The process would take several more minutes according to the information John received from his HUD.

“What if you didn’t return completely empty handed?” The Emperitor’s eyebrows rose slightly. “I wasn’t joking before, when I suggested I was interested in trade. Your faction seems knowledgeable about the System, and how it works. We need that knowledge if we’re to survive here long term. I and the other Pillar fort commanders I am sure, would be willing to pay handsomely for accurate information. Both on how the system functions, and the other factions we are likely to encounter through the portal.” Something seemed to click and the Emperitor grinned slightly.

“So, you received additional connections to your pillar did you? As a ‘prize’ for your victory over us?” John nodded. “For some reason the system seems to think that opening yourself up to multiple avenues of attack by multiple factions is somehow enticing. What are your options?”

“WOuld you give me guidance, real helpful guidance, without payment? After all of this?” John asked, and that seemed to make the golden armored figure think for a moment.

“I suppose you couldn’t trust my word unless you knew it was also in my own self interest, could you? Fine. We can work out an arrangement. You give me the secret to generating such large amounts of EU’s so quickly and consistently? And I’ll provide you with the information you need to survive.” John almost laughed.

“I’m going to get a hell of a lot more than a bit of unreliable information from you for something like that. What's on the other side of the portal on your end? What will greet you when you return home?”

“The fortress of Ka’dra’loom. It's more of a ruin than a fortress. The surrounding area is inhospitable territory, sulfur lakes and acidic fields at the base of active volcanoes. There isn’t a true pillar there, not like you have here. But there is an old invasion beacon purchased by the first Dragon Emperior twenty thousand years ago. We uncovered it when my father sent me to Ka’dra’loom to restore it as a border fort. When it activated, and the system gave me the opportunity to invade a newly integrated world? Well. . . how could I turn up such a stunning opportunity to prove my worth? I was a fool. And now I, my family, siblings, and men will die for this dishonor and waste of the empire's resources.”

“Unless you don’t have to. I am sure we can work something out.” John already had plans. “For now, you're my prisoner.” The emperitors eyes widened. “Oh you’re going to go back through the portal alright, as the system requires. Same with your men. But, I'm sending some forces through with you. You and your army will be disarmed, and we will build a defensive . . . trading post out of Ka’dra’loom.”

“But, the emperor will never allow foreigners to control even an ounce of land on our homeworld. He will take a direct interest. I am a beloved son sure, but I did not have anywhere near the resources the throne would have. Imagine an army of people, twice my strength marching through that portal to take this fortress. It is quite impressive what you have made here, but if you invade our world? The system will remove the protections you now enjoy. They will turn this entire fortress into molten slag just for the insult.”

John thought about it for a moment. “Do your people not have embassies?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Are they in the capitol? Taking up valuable real estate that could be put to better use?” The emperitor nodded, his expression changed to one of contemplation.

“Yes. It is often a discussion among the court how best to mitigate their impact on the planetary economy. Why?”

“Well, what if Ka’dra’loom became our embassy? By your own words, it's far away in the boonies. Surrounded by unusable terrain that's dangerous to most life. We can turn it into an embassy, and a trading post.”

“It might work. . . But the only ones with portals owned and operated by foreigners are those who have signed treaties of mutual protection with us. I know for a fact my father would not sign such a treaty with you. Not yet. Your faction is too weak, too unknown.”

John nodded, understanding the problem. “Then we’ll have your men guard it. Twenty four seven they are in direct control of the portal.”

“But you just said they will be disarmed before returning home.”

John smiled. “Exactly.”

“A legal fiction. We control the portal in name, while you use it primarily for trade.”

“Not entirely a legal fiction. Other than my troops, they will have the ability to inspect every crate of goods going through the portal either direction. They wouldn’t be able to do anything about it directly if we decided to do something stupid, or against your wishes, but they could report back to you what we are doing. Here on Earth, we call those observers, and they can be extremely helpful in keeping your friends honest.”

“And for this, and some information on how the system functions, you would provide me with the secret to your power generation?”

“Yes, and no. I won’t give you one of our generators.” The tall golden man’s shoulders slumped slightly. “But, they are extremely advanced. You wouldn't be able to keep them running anyway. And trust me, if they’re not taken care of by professionals, well, they can have catastrophic outcomes. Instead, we’ll begin teaching you the basics for how to make your own. Even help you build a few of your own prototypes. Starting probably with hydropower or something. I’ll get the engineering boys on it soon. Do we have a deal?” John held his hand out and the EMperitor looked uneasy.

“Why would you do this? You are giving up so much, and taking so little comparatively. Why? Why when you could keep me as a bargaining chip, and my siblings and ransom us away from what you desire? You could hold my men hostage and their families would pay what they could. You would have a fortune thrice over. Why?”

John sighed. “Because, I don’t want an enemy that I can humiliate, I want a trading partner. I don’t want wealth, I have that. I want information. I want connection, real connection. Building alliances is slow work, and it has to start at the end of a conflict. With the winner being gracious about it.”

“I, don’t understand.”

“I’ll see if I can explain. At the end of our last great world war, the Japanese, a great empire far to our east, tried to conquer the world. My people beat them back. It was a bitter war spanning our entire world. But we won. We ended up having to use terrible weapons, but they eventually surrendered.”

“Then they became your subjects. What does that have to do with this?”

John shook his head. “No. They didn’t. Yes, for a while we controlled their nation. But, we didn’t control them forever. We rebuilt their cities, invested in their businesses, gave them food and water and shelter directly after our crushing victory to help lift them out of the terrible hole the war had put them in. Eventually, less than eighty years later, the Japanese became one of my people's closest allies. But it took time, selflessness, and forgiveness on both sides. We made mistakes during the occupation too, don’t think we’re perfect beneficent overlords. We’re people, and imperfect at that.

“But we tried. And they saw that, and they reciprocated. Today, one of my closest personal friends is the Japanese general Hakido Sato. We went to school together, worked alongside each other during several conflicts. And you know what? My father shot and killed his grandfather. That's how we met actually, at an event designed to bring together warriors who had affected each other's families, so that healing could take place.”

“I, I still don’t understand.” John was about to give up. “But, I am as you said, willing to try. If you are.” John shook the giant golden bronzed man’s hand, and grinned. “Perhaps one day, we will be as close as you and this Hakido.”

“Maybe. But I. . .”

“General!” Cranton practically yelled as he barged out onto the deck. “General, Mayor Smith and a few others have been kidnapped!” He handed John the dispatched and John frowned, took it, and read it from front to end.

“When it rains, it pours . . .”