The raider war part one

by urchin of vault 101

set between fall out one and two several comunities unite to fight well organised raider clans

Fallout fan fiction – setting some time after fallout 1

Tinker - Trader

Chapter 1

They called the little village of about 30 make shift huts blasted creek. there was a little river of black sludge that ran through the village. the water mill at the centre of the village was the most well build building strong stone walls carefly fashioned and reinforced. a primitive dynamo hooked up to the mill weel provided some electricity that kept the settlement running. There were a few other buildings solid two story affairs. The village hall was one. Maria's place The last gulp bar and bording house was another as well as sawbone henrys house. The rest of the buildings were small fragile affairs two or three trasders shops were all else there was of note in this one bramin village.

There were a couple of rader camps far north but they left blasted creek alone Mr Vancover the head of the town kept it that way he made sure that there was a well armed sheriff and several well trained deputies on guard at all times. He owned the mill and the workshops there he had a manopaly on power and various manufactured goods from the mills work shops.

The were a few other small towns sparks and blood rust to the east both settled by retired raiders and both quite well established.

To the south was the old mining town called the chard pits. Full of rads and a few old ghouls who kept mostly to themselves.

There were a few nomadic tribals and a few dozen settled dirt farming communities perhaps three times that number of single homesteads and lone farmers.

Mostly wasteland rad scorpions feral dogs and mutant rats.

This was jacks whole life he was a drifter moving from one place to another born on a farm he helped his parents raise crops in the thin irradiated soil till he was 16 then he had leaft home and drifted round this region till he was 25 and back in blasted creek. Jack was about 6 foot tall about 220 pounds brown hair he wore a baseball cap faded beyond recognition with the edge split. He had a faded black shirt stained with oil and sawdust. Pached jeans with a bramin hide belt. A pair of betten up shoes that were falling apart a scrached up watch on his leaft hand. He had an empty back pack a throwing knife and nine caps to his name. his arms were scrached up his hands hard and calased.

As he approached blasted creek The deputy on the gate looked him over. The deputy wore thick heavily pached metal armour. From his head to toe, he carried a combat shot gun which was probably half empty amo being scarce. As huge knife and two grenades hung from his belt. Stop where you are he shouted. A second deputy wering an old flack jacket and carrying a 9 mm pistal apered from behind jack he had been hiding in a crevice in the wall and serched him. All he had on him was the knife one of the deputys the one in armour buck remembered him so they let him in town.

Jack passed through blasted creek every few months looking for work or to pick up some supplies. He had gone as a guard on a trade caravan the last time he came through here signing up for an experdition that traded goods for smoked meat and skins from the tribals. Jack heded over to Maria's place The last gulp bar and bording house – there was a front bar where people whent to get drunk and a rear bar where people whent to do business. Jack headed round the back.

Chapter 2

A patetic waste of space in a black coat occupied one corner of the rear bar. A man they called desperate sam was as lazy as he was stupid but he had a proposition for Jack. When jack got into the bar sam called him over. I got something to talk to you about a bit of business he said. Jack lissened as sam told jack how he found an old safe from the before time in some ruins to heavy to move couldent be broken nedded to be picked or blown. Sam didant have any explosives or any knowledge how to use them. But he knew jack knew a bit about picks and locks.

Do you know where we can get a lock pick sam turned to jack. "don't worry I can get us a pick you show me where that safe is". Jack and sam whent out of the back bar and headed for the mill. What are we doing sam questioned him. Jack just waved him quiet. Daren Murphy was a fat mechanic that worked in one of the mills workshops repairing bits and peaces of agricultural equipment for the local farms. Jack taped on the the back door to the mill. Daren answered it what do you want? He eyed the pair suspiciously. A simple trade Jack said. He handed daren a single cap as payment. Jack looked around the workshop. He picked up a hamer and turned to Daren holding out his hand "Four inch soft iron nail" daren rummaged around and handed a single nail to jack. Jack held the nail over an anvil and proceded to hammer on end flat. He eyed it up carefully then took the flattened metal over to a grinding station. Putting on a pair of eye glasses sitting on the bench next to the grinder jack set to work with a few passes of the grinding weal the flattened nail was beginning to look like a lock pick. A few passes with the hamer and and a dip in cold water to cool it of and jack had a crude but serviceable lock pick in his pocket.

Where did you learn to do that sam asked him. Jack turned round in a hushed tone "a retired raider out at blood rust showed me how to do that in exchange for fixing his roof ". sam looked impressed . Jack held his finger to his lips "its probably better people don't know I can make picks people get suspicious". Jack and sam left the vilage. They travelled at night for a couple of hours until they got near a broken shell of a building. A place that been picked for scrap and rubble. As they aproched a couple of small rats jumped out the rubbish and headed for them. Jack had his dager in his hand in an instant. It flew throught the air and smashed into the first rat. Sam pulled a wooden club out from under his jacket and batted the second rat into submison. Jack booted a third rat against a wall pulled his knife out of the rat it was lodged in and then disposed of the third.

Jack and sam approached the safe it was half berried in the dirt Jack had oviously unearthed it tried to false it with his bare hands then tried to open it with a rock. Having no lock picks or tools he had returned to blasted creek where he found jack.

Jack set to work on the lock. The crude lock pick whent into the old safe and began to explor with a little pressure jack worked the tumblers in the lock into place. With a little effort he began to turn the lock. He made sure that he had one hand on his knife and one eye on sam. Sam was a week coward but depending on whatever was in the safe he might risk trying to rob Jack. Slowly jack twisted the handel on the safe it clicked and began to open. Help me its rusted shut he shouted to sam. With a huge exertion the two of them oppend the safe. Inside was some of the old paper money that was not worth a thing and a large chamera. "blody worthless "Sam yelled he looked frustraited he picked up the chamera and was going to smash it. Jack stopped him "Look its worth something split between the two of us it could be 20 – mabe 25 caps each if we trade it." Reluctantly sam nodded. They put the dead rats and the camera in jacks back pack. Even irradiated rat would get a cap or two at The last gulp bar for the meat for there extra cheep ask no questions stew.

There is a traders shop run by simon the scavenger between the bar and the mill. Simon byes old things and takes them apart for spares. The chamera feched about 45 caps jack excepted a hamer some pliers in trade and 8 caps as his share. Sam took 23 caps as his share and proptly left for Maria's place The last gulp bar and bording house for one of the private upper rooms with the entertainment.

Jack spoke to maria about the rat meat. He got him and sam a bed to sleap in for the night in the basement where the customers who wanted to sleap in there beds stayed. People who wanted a bed for something else paid for the upstairs rooms.

Jack thought to himself he needed some more tools before he could start of as a tinker and handy man again. He would also need some meds some more picks mabe a rad counter a decent weapon with some amo and a back up weapon. Perhaps even some metal armour would be a good idear. And some more caps.

sawbone henrys was the only Doc around apart from a few sharmans and mabe one dock in blood rust. He was more of a vet trained by his owen hand trial and error on bramin and other critters that were farmed before he moved onto people. He sometimes needed stuff to be aquired for experiments or simply ingredients. Terry degan who was technically the elected mayor but realy simply a croney of Mr Vancover sometimes had odd jobs to be done in the village. There were travelling traders and others passing through town the back room of the last gulp and there were jobs mr Vancover handed out or more likely lists of parts to be scavenged and aquired.

Chapter 3

Jack had to lay down eight caps the next morning it was a lot but it got him back into one of the workshops with daren. Jack made himself 4 tourks of varying sizes and an aditianal nine lock picks to suit a range of locks he spent all day carefully adjucting sizing and grinding the picks to shape. Jack oiled them then wraped up a serviceable set of lock picks and walked out of the mill. Two years before that mr vancover had offered jack a job as a technition or smith in the mill but he had politely turned the opertunity down as he enjoyed staying mobil.

Jack passed two caps to maria to pay for a meal rat meat plus vegetables boiled for three hours and borrowed a sowing kit and a little bit of bramin leather he soon had himself a bag for his picks.

Jack turned up at the town hall the next morning he had some picks and the beginning of a tool kit but he needed far more stuff. There was a small cue of people outside the town hall Terry degan was sitting on a bench with one of the deputys standing next to him pointing a rifle with a scope at nothing in particular. The cue was moving forward 5 caps a day pay for labours they were building some more housing on the east side of town and they needed people to dig foundations jack acepted. About 15 men set to work in teams of 5 digging down into the hard baked earth in square formations that had been laid out as boundaries for the new houses. It was hard work jack had not done this sort of manual labour for a few years with an aking back and sore feet he trudged back to the town hall and got paid 5 caps for his labour. With a little limp in his step he headed round to simon the scavenger store.

Jack did a deal with simon he payed the five caps he had earned plus three left over from the sale of the camera and got a set of six small files in a cary case and a metal chisel in reasonable condition. With just three caps in his pocket he headed to the back bar of The last gulp to see if he could find any more work. A short woman in ragged clothes brushed up against him "Whant a good time" she enticed pulling her jacket back to show a selection of jet booz and various other drugs spilling out of pockets in her jacket. Jack politely declined.

A grisled man wearing leather armour with a pach over one eye aproched him. "names james you would be Jack I hear your good with a pick". The man introduced himself. Jack replied "it depends what you want opened". james indicated a side table and they sat down. "I need to get in to the mill and have a look at a few of the interesting rooms down in the basement". Jack responded "I cant for two good reasons first I haven't got the tools I need some better picks and an electronic lock pic to get in there and secondaly mr vancover would kill me and you". With that jack got up and walked off , "if you can find the equipment give me a call this job pays well".

A man with dark hair and a dark purple shirt was busy dealing a deck of cards. He turned round as jack passed him. "high jack I heard about you, They call me ace a gye by the name of Little tony short fella bad eyes bad gambler he owes me 30 caps if you find him and bring him hear you can have a ten percent finders fee on what he owes me". Jack agreed to aces proposition and set out to look for little tony.

Jack began to serch around blasted creek there was a doss house frequented by casual labours and caravaners no sign of little tony. He checked the town hall out the rubbish bins by the mill where the drunks some times crashed. The front bar of the last gulp with a little more serching he found little tony round shellys shop. Shelly was a tailer or dress maker she sold simple clothes and shoues as well as lether armour from her front room and make custom pieces for clients with a few more caps from her back room. Little tony was eyeing up some items when jack tapped him on the sholder. "little tony" jack asked yes replied little tony. "Ace wants to see you, you owe him 30" jack gently but firmly marched tony back to the rear bar and ACE.

Ace got his 30 caps and proceded to give jack three caps. You fancy a deal ? ace turned to jack fanning a deck of cards. no thanks jack replied and walked off. Jack whent to the doss house and put down a single cap for a blacket for the night.

In the morning Jack got up early he had five caps in his pocket and there were probably some more tools he could get at the shops. simon the scavenger looked up from his counter when he saw jack come in , "I got something for you" simon pulled out a worn little hack saw and a pair of snips I will let you have em for three caps each. Jack inspected the tools the saw was a bit blunt but serviceable the shears were a little rusty but still good. He took the saw apart and examined each piece. 5 caps for both jack replied simon just nodded. jack dropped five caps picked up the tools and leaft.

Over at the town hall Terry degan was handing out duties. He had a particularly nast job because a string of people were refusing it. Jack joined the end of the line. Bit by bit it whent down till jack was at the front. We have some plants that need to be cleared off an old plot of land terry informed him it pays well 30 caps. There has to be a catch remarked jack plus I only have a knife and a hamer on me at the moment. "I tell you what terry replied I have a machete hear and you can have it as down payment there are about a dozen spore plants that need to be killed then there seed pods and them burnt to stop them re growing. Jack replied "I agree where do I go".

Twenty minutes later jack was at a plot of land outside town it must have had some good growing soil as it had a large variety of plant life. Jack held a burning torch in one hand and the machete in the other. The machete had a dull blade and a lose Handel. Jack crept into the garden spore plants had little perception so if you could get behind one before it knew you were there you could chop it to bits before it would react. Two spore plants on the outskirt whent down that way. The third plant noticed jack and spat out a dager like spore jack ducked then closed in and finninshed it off the plant with the machete. Jack hacked his way through the rest of the plants doging there slow attacks and coming in to slice them. Jack had to stop the odd spore with the flat of the machete he finished without injury , an injury would have negated any reward he received as he would have had to pay for a medic.

Jack piled up all the dead plants and spores then burnt them with the torch. However that was when things went bad. a rad scorpion had decided to live there and the fire woke it up. One second jack was enjoying the glow from a fire and a job well done the next second he was back pedalling as the rad scorpion decided to make him diner. Jack had his throwing knife out and imbedded in the scorpions face. It gave him a few seconds to get to his back pack and pull out his hamer with a weapon in each hand he turned round and faced the rad scorpion. It attacked stinger first, jack intercepted the stinger with his machete cutting into the meet of the tail held the stinger at bay inches from his face. The scorpion pushed forward with its pincers. Jack fell back he wedged his boots againsts its pincers and held the scorpion at bay. In this position jack could bring the hamer down on the scorpions head again and again till it stoped struggling and died. Jack cleaned the rad scorpions guts of his equipment then cut its stinger off .

Jack marched back to blasted creek he walked into terrys office and dropped the radscorpion tail on the desk. Terry didant even flinch "well done I didant know there was a rad scorpion there here take 23 caps and the machete , you can probably get a bit for the stinger at sawbone henry's ". With that jack walked out. He walked round to simon the scavenger for twelve caps he got a mole grip as well as two metal files one of which needed a new handel. One of sawbone henrys apprentices paid him eight caps for the rad scorpion tales.

With nineteen caps in his pocket jack headed back over to the mill to make a few modifications to his gear. The machete was not well balanced and the handel was lose. Jack took the handel apart sanded the handel down to a more comfortable grip. He put it back together and bound the handel with cordage, he sharpened and rebalecnced the blade now the machete was a far better melay weapon jack got some scraps of wood and began to make himself a sheath for the blade. By evening jack had a wooden scabbard for his machete he was going to add some belt loops and cover it in a layer of bramin hide.

He handed over three caps for materials and use of the workshops. Over at the last gulp he paid two caps for a bed and something to eat. At the last gulp after his evening meal jack finished of the scabbard binding the entire thing together with some cordage. Jack went to bed that night with a full stomach and a fuller tool kit he still needed some medical supplies and other bits like a water canteen but he was making progress.

Chapter four

Jack woke up and headed over to Danny's general merchandise one of the shops in blasted creek Danny was a very old man probably in his eighties or older he had been running the shop before mr Vancover build the mill or saw bone henry practiced medicine on his first sick geco. Danny wore faded old clothes that would have been rather bright red at one point his shop was full of clutter many things requiring fixing some old tech people didant even know the purpose of and many other bits and pieces.

"come in kid what can I do for you today" Danny called evey one kid Danny adjusted his glasses "I know you they call you jack , jack of trades they say you can turn your hand to anything well I got something you might be interested in". danny produced a small bag from under the counter then proceeded to show jack a multie tool combination blade pliers screw driver and file. "I can let you have it for 15 caps " jack responded "you can have 12 caps for it" danny considered this "that's a deel keep the bag". Jack handed over 12 caps then picked up the tool and headed off he put his last two caps in the bag.

Jack headed over to the last gulp and the back room to look for more work. Two tribals in leathers and skins bumped into him and blocked his was one had a rusty machette one had an old axe with the handel coming apart. The leader or the two spoke first "I know you. You are jack you traded with my tribe the two moons you hunted with us onece you sold my father the chief fighting eagle a knife you made". Yes jack answered what of it? My name is walking eagle and this is quiet river the man behind him nodded. Can you fix my blade and his axe.

Jack looked at the weapons your machete is in a bad state it needs a new handel and the blade needs to be re ground I can do it for you for 3 caps your friends axe needs a new handel I can do that for 2 caps. Walking eagle considered this for a minute ok he said he handed over 5 caps and the two broken tools. Jack walked over to the mill and handed daren two caps to use the facilities in one of the work shops he quickly took apart the two tools cleaned the rust of them re ground them then made and attached new handles.

quiet river and walking eagle were quite pleased with his work. Jack demonstrated the machete by getting a chunk of wood and chopping it up into little pieces with the machete to daemonstrate.

Jack decided to head for the town hall again he had enough of the last gulp. Jack found his way past a couple of deputies to Terry degan's office the mayor looked at jack you can handel yourself from what I can see there have been some sightings of some one or some thing to the south west of town by the ravine if you check it out and find something interesting I can pay you ten caps it's the best offer of work your going to get today. Jack thought about it ok but if there is something dangerous I expect appropriate compensation.

Jack heded out of town with all his stuff he realy needed to get himself a water canteen and some other bits and pieces soon. Out at the ridge he worked out what was going on south east was a big farming community that mr vancover had a stake in well a shack that operated as a trading post. A every couple of weeks a few wagons of goods and items would move backwards and forwards between the two settlements raiders would find this place a good ambush place – but only realy stupid or very well equipped raiders would try to operate this far south. Jack was betting on finding the tracks of some stupid punk kids then reporting back for an easy ten caps, that was until he triped over one of the sleaping raders.

There were three punk kids probably 17 or 18 years old very porly armed and without much in the way of supplies. Jack was a fighter who didant get hurt much because he hit hard and fast before an enermy could. The tatos on the raiders marked them as very low ranking and therefore expendable in the eyes of there clan. The burlies of them charged him with a hand axe. Jack grabed the axe by the handel with his left hand while grabbing the raiders left wrist with his right hand. A a skinny emaciated raider pulled a throwing knife and drew dack to throw it. Jack swong the burly raider round the knife embedded in his back. Jack pushed the raider away from him the raider landed on his back pushing the knife deep into his organs and killing him. A third armed with a very crude knife rushed Jack. Jack had his own throwing knife out and threw it so it embedded in the hip of knife wielder jack embedded his machete in the raiders skull. He stood recovered his throwing knife and faced the final raider. The raider pulled out a double ended crudely made throwing kife and hurled it at jack. jack esily deflected the crude weapon with the flat of his machete blade. The raider took up a bare handed fiting stance. Jack accepted the chalednge he sheathed his machete and dager. He closed with the raider fast he swept the legs out from under him then with one hand on the back of the raiders skull and the other twisting his arm jack smashed his head against a rock killing the raider instantly.

Jack looked over the camp the only things of value were the handful of crude weapons the raiders had had. Jack gathered them up and reported back to terry.

Terry gave him 10 caps for the information and promised that he would give him another 15 caps or the equivalent in supplies bounty on the head of every raider once he had a deputy confirm Jacks story.

Jack could repair and sell the weapons one blunt axe two bent throwing knifes and a blunt metal dager with a bad handel. He whent to one of the mills workshops and payed the duty hand 3 caps to use the machines, he Resharpen the axe then decided to keep it he found a cover bag for it in some rubish . he flatered the small bent throwing knife regrind blade and binding round the handel to give it a good grip. He Sharpened the stabbing blade's single edge and rebinound the lose handel. With the unusual Double point throwing weapon he extensively reground and sharpen it plus binding the mid point handel.

Jack went round to simons shop and sold him the dagger and two throwing knives for eight caps total. Simon showed jack a selection of tools he had in stock jack picked a small screwdriver for two caps, a small electric sensor for three caps a iron probe for two caps, a small craft knife for a single cap and a stanly knife for three caps jack now had nine caps in his pocket. He went round to the town hall to collect his reward for killing the raiders.

When he got to the town hall he was directed to an empty office on the second floor it wasent completely empty. Two men whering compleat sets of good quality metal armour stood either side of the single desk and chair. They had well maintained asult rifeles in there hands. Mr Vancover sat at the desk he wore a flack jacket and carried an old revolver tucked in his waist band he was in his early 40's with a huge bushy mustash. "jack its been a long time , onece when I was builing I offered you a job when I was building the mill but you turned me down" he paused for a moment "jack I control 20 setlements I have pushed the raiders back and back they now only prey on the small freeholds , and week caravans – soon I will have finished fortifying the settlements and training the militias then I am going to war against the raider clans I am going to kill or drive out every raider out and every raider you kill is one less I have to and one more bounty in your pocket." Jack thought on mr vancovers words for a second. Mr vancover picked up a package from the table "this is a flint lock single shot I am arming the militias with these sorts of weapons its worth 45 caps and this one is your reward for killing those raiders, its slow to load and noisy but devastating at close range". Jack picked up the weapon "very cleaver well made and light and I have to pay for powder and bullets from you". Jack walked out as mr vancover smiled.

As jack walked out terry pulled him to one side – jack you remember to farming settlement grown beans built round an old well name of farmhold jack nodded I fixed the winding gear on the well – any way terry continued there are a few raiders round there a scouting party of two or three find them kill them and I will give you a bonus of a flack jacket and some amo for that flint lock pistal plus the usual bounty. Jack nodded and headed off for the settlement thay called farmhold after spending two caps on food for the trip he headed off.

Two days later jack was at the farmhold the little community had been hevily changed. All the houses and grain store's had been moved together a crudely made wind turbine was providing some electrical energy for one of mr vancovers outposts a couple of deputys in mixed leather and metal armour stood on gate duty with some milita men with muskets and leather armour. A five foot hight stone wall was being built round the settlement , a watch tower was partially constructed and a trench was being excavated around the settlement. If these fortifications were finished only a very large party of raiders would be able to sucksessfuly attack the settlement.

Droping three caps at the local outpost bar jack learnt from a farmer that there were sighting of raiders on a trail to the north. Jack headed there he heard a noise up the trail. Jack drew his machete and dager. Holding his machete in his right hand and his dagger in his leaft he advanced up the trail. A raider jumped him. The raider was a bare fist fighter and hand gloves with the knuckles studed. He also had a blunt metal spike in his left hand he brought this down on jacxks right hand nocking the machete out of his grip. Jack elbowed the raider twice in the face causing him to drop the spike. Jack kicked the raider hard in the balls folding him over. Jack took this opertunity to jam his throwing knife into the back of the raiders neck killing him instantly. Two more raiders came out of cover behind him a raider pulled a huge solid knife out of a sheath and charged in front of him the second raider pulled a thin machete out and also charged.

Jack scooped up his machete and met the raider with the knife head on he used the flat of the blade to push the raiders knife hand out of the way the machete flached backwards and opened up the raiders soft neck letting him blead all over the path. In a flash jack had turned round and blocked the last raiders machete . jack blocked the raiders attack once twice then they locked blades the raider had no hand guard on his jack exploited this sweeping his machete down cutting off two of the raiders fingers the raider droped his weapon. Jack used this opertunity to embed his machete in the raiders skull killing him instantly.

Jack got one of the deputys to confirm the raider kills then payed two caps for some more provisions and headed back for blasted creek.

Chapter 5

After two days of trecking jack was back at blasted creek his pockets were rather empty. Jack headed to the town hall but his kills had not been confirmed yet so jack did not get the reward yet.

Jack headed back over to the mill and handed Darren two caps daren let jack into one of the workshops and let him have a few supplies. Looking at the metal spike weapon that the first raider had attacked him with jack decided to improve on it. he added some cordage to give it a better grip and a chain loop so that who ever was holding it could not be disarmed as the bandit had been. Jack then looked at the thin machete. Looking at the machete all it needed was a belt loop for the sheath with a bit of leather glue and cordage jack put it back together.

Jack headed over to Danny's general merchandise he sold the old man the studded gloves and spike weapon for 4 caps and the machete for 5 caps. Jack had a brief look round for tools but couldn't find any.

Jack headed back to the mill he handed Darren another two caps - Looking at the remaining weapon the big knife needed a new sheath so he got some wood and began to carve one. He carefully carved the two haves them covered it with bramin calf leather and a tough belt strap. Jack oiled and sharpened the blade then went back to danny's where he sold it for six caps.

Jack headed back to terry and the town hall for his reward. A deputy in metal armour with a combat shotgun stepped to one side to let jackinto terrys office on the second floor. On the desk were 3 piles of caps each the bounty on one of the raiders. Next to the 45 caps were jacks bonus a flack jacket a bag of powder a twenty slot amo bag half full, terry continued a little bonus he threw a belt onto the table – oviously it was ment to go with the amo bag but it would need a little work- jack had some questions – you needed those raiders dead quick let me guess you wanted to stop an attack before you finished building that villages defences. Terry simply nodded.

Jack began again "how many caps is a vest like that worth", about 210 to 220 caps terry replied when we can find them, a fairly scarce item these days. As for the amo its our standard iron cores they cost a cap a bullet but they fit the old mark one pistols we used to make and equipped the rangers with. They also fit the long barrel muskets we make for the militias as well as the gun you have the mark two pistol. We also have steel cores at 3 caps a round and if you need amo talk to frank at the supply room for the mill, if you need specialised amo frank can probably arrange something.

Jack headed back to the mill he paid a single cap for some materials and modified the amo bag and the belt to become an ammo belt. Jack headed down stairs to see frank. Frank was the quarter master of the mill he sold things that the mill made to traders and shops and to people who worked for mr Vancover or his allies. Frank was seated behind a serving hatch. He looked up from an inventory book the man was a little fat from all the time behind the desk. He looked up at jack "I have been expecting you amo right our hand turned iron core rounds are 1 cap each, our steel core rounds are 3 caps each if you need something stronger its going to be very expensive though to be honest there isant much that can survive the iron core rounds powder is 12 caps a bag". Jack looked at Frank "ten more iron core rounds please". Frank looked at jack and held his hand out jack got out his money bag and from the 57 capscounted out ten. Frank handed over ten rounds wraped in paper jack looked at the ammo unwrapped it and filled up the rest of his ammo belt. "just out of interest what special amo have you got?". Frank thought for a minute "incendury steel core at 5 caps a round, hamer head steel core at 6 caps a round, Drill needle point steel core 8 caps a round and toxic shrapnel specials at 12 caps a round we are currently out of the uranium tiped 35 cap steel core and the tranquiliser dart light at 11 caps a round.

What about explosives? Jack asked , "im not allowed to sell you them yet" frank replied, if you get a slightly better reputation with mr vancover I might think about it. Have you got any tools you could sell me? Frank thought for a minute we don't have many spare tools I have this hamer that was badly forged you might be able to re grind it into something useful? Jack paid two caps for the twisted piece of meteal . in the morning he would go back to the workshop and grind it into a metal working hamer. For now he headed back to the last gulp for a bed and a meal spending another 2 caps.

Jack got up he stretched and had something to eat. Jack headed out of towm till he found some wasteland plants with properties he wanted. He cut off several dovzen tought old vines. Jack peeled of the outer casing and exposed the stringy flesh working it a little jack was soon able to produce a type of thin string. When he had three equil lengths he plated them together to form some cordage thin rope that while it was not strong enough to carry someone's body weight, it would still be a useful supply.

Jack headed back to the mill back to the hammering and drilling noise of the area. Jack bumped into Daren. Jack paid him two caps to use a work bench and got to work on the hamer with a hacksaw he removed the larger lumps then got a grinder and smoothed the hamer occasionally quentching it till jack had a functional hammer suitable for the finer points of sheet metal working. Jack needed a very heavy hamer for less sutle jobs he tracked one possibly for sale down from simon the scavenger.

Simon had one as well as a drill and a broken wooden mallet – simon wanted six caps for the hamer wich had a lose handel and 8 caps for the hand drill. Jack offered him 12 caps for the lot. Simon thought about it for a minute them agreed. Jack was able to put the two items back together with his own tool kit. Jack decided he needed a tool bag he bought an old bag from Shelly's shop costing him 4 caps. Jack laid out his tools and took stock of them.

Jack made a mental note I need a wood saw a bigger hack saw a set of chisels and a few wood working tools. Plus fix that handel on the metal file. Jack headed back to Danny's general merchandise danny was at the counter polishing some glass whares. When jack came in. jack steped up close to danny "I do little jobs for mr vancover that has to be worth something have a think them mabe you have a few wood working tools that you could sell me?

The old man looked at jack "that is true you have been killing raiders for mr vancover " the shop owner reached under the counter moved a few items aside and placed a saw on the table. "mr vancover likes to keep a handel on the supply of tools that way only people who work with him can have them its just another way of denying the raiders supplies". Jack leaned closer do you think I work with raiders ? No I don't danny handed the saw over it was a little rusty but still usable Five caps danny asked jack handed them over. Can you get me some chisles "I can get you a set but it will cost 15 caps five up front" jack nodded and handed over five caps, by the way danny said terry degan may be looking for you.

Jack headed over to the town hall and found terry outside talking to sherrif Heric the sheriff was a merc that had worked for mr vancover for 10 years he wore the best armour that could be made a heavily modified version of combat armour it had been treated with fire retardant chemicals on the outside on the inside a lead lining had been added to protect against radiation. A modified section of telsa armour had been grafted onto the outside. A giger counter and motion sensor had been grafted onto the right gauntlet a pair of night vision gogals had been built into the helmet. A bandoleer of grenades hung across his chest a huge vibro knife on his right hip. The sheriff carried a huge combination weapon. A combat shot gun with an extended drum magazine grafted onto a flame thrower. With a cable leading to a tank on heric's back.

Terry turned round to jack I have a job for you but you are going to need some healing supplies and a more advanced lock picking kit. Come see me again when you have prepared. Jack whent back over to the mill and bort some steel six inch nails and wire from frank jack paid him a cap then began to work on some better lock picking tools.

Jack was working in the shade out the back of the last gulp. Sam with his black coat flapping ran over to jack iam running a few errands for danny now days he says he has the chisles you wanted if you have the caps. Jack trecked over to dannys got the chisles and paid the caps though they were betten up and in a bad shape jack couls still use them.

Jack brought some thin bramin leather from Shelly for a single cap then whent out foraging around the village he collected ten Broc Flowers and ten xander roots. Jack went back to the last gulp and rented a room and a meal for two caps. Jack borrowed a needle and thread from one of the bar maids. Jack set the ingredients to dry out over the fire then he set about cutting 10 patches of leather. with the sowing kit and some of his home made cordage jack constructed 10 little pounches the leather would stop the healing powders he was going to make from going off. Jack pealed and cut up the xander root then roasted the broc flower. Jack then preceded to pound the ingredients up with a hammer grinding them into a fine powder then mixing them together jack carefully ground up the results even finer and carefully measured out ten equal dowses. The next morning jack returned to the mill and spent his last cap carrying out the final grinding on six complicated lock picks. With new tools in his pack and empty pockets. Jack headed off

Jack turned up at the town hall and found terry's office. "I have some better lock picks and ten healing powders what is this job you have for me? Terry thought for a moment where did you get the healing powders? Jack replied "I made them I did some errands for a sharman and he was grateful". Terry nodded "this job is to recover an item from a raider base I will not describe the item but it will be unique there is an old bunker about a day and a half's jerney on the three hills trail. The raiders sometimes use it. we have not been able to clear them out as the bunker has a very sturdy lock on the door its too thick to blow off and we don't have anyone very skilled with lock picks. You will go there kill the raiders outside the bunker then unlock the door kill the raiders inside the bunker its only a small one then you will recover the item inside and bring it back hear. you will be paid 30 caps some healing supplies some tools some amo and some metal armour for this job, you will also be paid 15 caps for each raider you kill. Also you will be assisted by one of the rangers to assist you. Stuart the ranger will meet you there. At the approximate location I have indicated.

Jack headed out within the hour he made his first kill with his pistol a large rat at 20 paces this became his lunch skinning it cooking it and eating it. Jack made camp and sleapt. The next morning he headed out again. A half day of forced march and jack was at the approximate location of the raider base. The location was confirmed when a raider screaming obsenities rushed out of the bushes towards jack carrying a crude wooden clubb with large steel spikes and a wrapped handel. Jack drew his pistal and blew the raider away at six feet he put a hole through his chest. The pistal shot smashed the raider down dead like a puppet with its strings cut.

Then a ranger in leather armour armed with a primitive version of jacks pistal steaped out of the brush. "names stuart you must be jack I have been watching this place for a day that gye there was the only raider above ground the rest of them are in a little fallout shelter with a very thick door " they headed over to a hill side some way of the road in it was a thick door with a odd lock. "in a wisper the ranger talked to jack your better armoed and you have better armour than I have you better go first and I will take up the rear. ".

Jack set his bag down and got out his lock picks he re loaded his pistal and got his throwing knife and machete ready. Jack carefully aproched the lock his first pick edged the cylinder round with it held in place by this pick jack set to work on the tumbler pins. He got a second pick shaped like a saw and quietly tested the tumblers with a little effort he had about 2 of the six locked in place. With a narrow strait pick jack was able to move two more with a curved pick he reached the one at the back. And with a little more sawing pokeing he got the final pin up. Jack put the lock picks away and pushed the shelter door open.

There were four raiders inside the room a few supplies furniture and a locked box. The leader of the raiders had a small 2.2 pistal one from before the grate war he drew it and tried to fire, the next closest raider pulled a cut throat raiser out and flicked it open. Jack was faster he had a pistal in his left hand and his throwing knife in his other hand. The raider with the gun got a throwing knife in his sholder he tried to aim but his shots whent wild he emptied the pistal and tried to draw a knife the second raider got a bullet from jacks pistal at close range putting him down in one go. Jack drew his machete as the next two raiders reacted one drew an extendable batton the second unsheathed a roap knife. Stuart entered in and shot the raider with the batton dead. Jack hacked the last raider down with his machete. The raider with a throwing kife in him got his lock knife out and opened it up with his teath. He faced stuart who discarded the empty pistal and drew his own knife. Before the raider cound react jack was on him cutting him down with his machete.

Jack opened up the locked box inside was an electronic lockpick with a few parts missing. Jack put it in his pack jack claimed the 2.2 pistal though it was empty also the lock knife the cut throat razer and the roap knife stuart claimed the extendable batton. Jack leaft the clubb as it was pretty worthless. Jack reloaded his pistal and headed back towards blasted creek.

When it got dark jack made camp he looked at the items he had , the gun was in good confition he could probably sell it to frank. It was pretty much useless without ammunition. The roap knife needed some work on the handel. The lock knife needed to be sharpened and the razer needed to be cleaned up.

Jack set about cleaning the raiser he sharpended the blade cleanded off the rust then polished it to a mirror shine. Next jack looked at the roap knife he took some of his home made cordage and set about putting the handel together so that the pices that were coming lose were held rigid making it a functional tool. Jack opened the lock knife and began to sharpen it against a stone it was stainless steel which did not hold a very good edge but it would do. Jack settled against his pack and went to sleap.

In the morning jack ate some of the supplies from the raider camp. He packed away his equipment and began to head for blasted creek. About two hours into his jounrney jack saw a ruined settlement from the pre war era a deputy and two milita men in leather armour oversaw a work party taking apart the ruins for building materials primary stone or concreat for foundations. They were unearthing bricks and steel and loading them into carts pulled by dog teams. Jack noted this and then continued walking.

Jack got to balasted creek late in the day as the sun was setting. Jack whent to simon the scavenger he placed the razer the lock knife and the roap knife on the counter. Simon looked at them for a second "I will give you three caps for the knife three caps for the razer and four caps for the roap knife". Jack made a counter offer "12 caps for all three is a friar price". Simon thought about it for a second – "eleven caps is the highest I will go". Jack looked at him "eleven caps it's a deal". The blades disappeared under the counter and simon counted out eleven caps from his cash box.

Jack headed over to the town hall terry was nowhere to be found one of the deputys pointed him in the direction of the sheriffs office. Jack travelled to the sherrifs office on the sherrifs desk was 30 caps some tools a blue bag some rusty but mostly usable armour and what appeared to be ten rounds of steel core amo. Jack turned to heric this is my payment? Heric replied do you have the item. Jack dug around in his bag and handed over the electronic lock pick. Heric picked it up and put it into a safe.

Jack looked over the armour there were pieces for forarms and legs split into an upper and lower section. Jack looked at the two gauntlets one would need some rust treatment and some re grinding both would need to be padded. The lower leg guards would need a little re grinding and the upper leg guards needed to be re straped for attachment points. The blue bag contained a large quantity of bandages sutable for a little first aid. The ten rounds of steel core amo were un finished and would need a little work to get them in a usable state the tools consisted of a wood working knife that needed a clean and a sharpen a g clamp a triangular metal file a pair of wire cutters and a broken pry bar. There was quite a bit of quantity but a low quality reward – jack gritted his teath he still had four bounties and the sale of the 2.2 pistal coming to him, when he decided to sell and when he got confirmation on his four dead raiders.

Jack scooped the caps into his purse and put it in his bag , he added the bandages in with his healing powders, jack got out his tool kit and threw the clamp wire cutters and file into the bag. he needed to work on the other two tools to make them useful. Jack picked up all his stuff and headed out the marshals office.

Marshal heric made a passing offer "for that pistal I will give you 95 caps or two dynamite charges with detonators".

I will think about it jack replied.

Jack paid a single cap at the doss house and whent to sleep.

Chapter six.

Jack woke early the next morning he streached yewned then finished off the last of the raiders rations. Jack got his things together and headed for the mill. The duty hand excepted two caps and let jack use the equipment. Jack got out the broken pry bar he de tempeded the metal then ground it back into shape jack carefully re tempered it and quenched the tool. Next jack took out the wood working knife he got some wire wool and cleaned the rust off then he got a large sharpening stone and oiled and sharpened the blade.

Jack got out the ten rounds of steel core ammunition they had not been finished the machining on the bullets was slightly off they would stick in the gun or worse they would cause the barrel to explode. Carefully very carefully jack cleaned them up and re filed the waste from the ammunition making it usable. Jack was sertain it was a deliberate test of his skills by some one who he could not gess. Jack went downstairs to the quartermaster to frank. Frank looked up from his service hatch what do you want jack brought 3 iron core rounds to replace the ones he had used and some iron off cuts to make lock picks for a total of 4 caps. Jack stowed the amo away and put the prybar in his tool kit. Jack took another look at the wood knife the sheath was in a bad shape jack bound it together with some of his make shift cordage. Also he improved the handel grip. Then added the wood knife to his tool kit. Jack looked at the upper leg guards first he would need a belt to ancor it plus another four jack paid shelly a visit she had four belts in stock for 2 caps each jack parted with 8 caps. Jack visited danny's general merchandise , jack brought one battered belt for a cap and two clips and some chain for two caps more. Jack beat the armour into shape cut and punched the straps to size then re straped the armour jack modified the faseners to clip to the belt – then he adjusted the armour now he had almost completely armoured legs though his movement was a little slowed. jack just needed to make some modifications to the arm guards and he would have a far supiror set of armour.

Jack was about to start working on filling out his advanced lock picking kit when one of the deputies arrived . he tapped jack on the sholder "marshal heric wants to see you". Jack gathered up his gear and headed back over to the marshals office. The marshall was at his desk four piles of caps lay on his desk. Stuart confirmed your story you have sixty caps as a reward for those raiders you got. Heric continued think about my offer spend some money improving your equipment when you run low on caps or you think you need to add a bit of a bang to your arsonel come see me. Jack thought about it mr vancover and his men were alfally keen to remove guns from circulation – ensuring mr vancovers men had good weapons and the raiders did not. – jack counted through his caps he had 84 caps now not an inconsiderable sum. It would be a good idear if he invested it in supplies.

Jack went back to the mills work shops he paid Darren 3 caps and began to work on his expanded lock picking set. After a few hours he had ten more picks and a duel torsion key. Jack paid Darren an other cap for some paint and began to work on his picks rust proofing them. Jack left them to dry he would come back to pick them up later. Jack headed over to shellys he paid 4 caps for a sowing kit and brought a patch of bramin leather for another cap. Jack sowed a carry case for his picks together he returned to the mill where the enamail paint on his picks was still drying. Jack saw that the picks were not ready yet so he paid another cap and got some oil and cleaned up the rusty gauntlet on closer inspection the second gauntlet did not need cleaning. Whoever had owened the gauntlets before probably a deputy they had been right handed the right hand gauntlet was lighter and did not cover the wrist so that it did not interfear with aiming while the left hand gauntlet was sturdier and far hevier. Jack brought some padding from shelly and while he was at her shop looking around jack saw a heavy canvas jacket the tough material would do well, the padding and the jacket came to 11 caps jack paid up padded his arm gauntlet attaching the material to the inside of the gauntles adjusting it till it was comfortable then whent back to the town hall looking for heric.

I knew you were coming heric comented you want the explosive not the cash you're a man who likes to have options more than one way to deal with a situation. Heric reached into a draw and put two white sicks with silver pins in them and put them on the table the sticks were nytoglicorine in its stable state dynamite. The little pins were detonators. They could be set for between 20 and five seconds. Jack pulled the small pistal out of one of his pockets and handed it to heric. Jack picked up the explosives and examined the detonator. The primitive explosive seemed to be in good condition but there was something wrong with the detonators. Jack took them out and examined them. The detonators were faulty instead of waiting up to 20 seconds they would have gone off straight away. Jack adjusted the detonators so that they would work properly then he turned round to heric.

Are you trying to test me or kill me simple answer first the amo now the detonators why is this equipment faulty? Heric replied It is a test of how useful you could be it is not one I have arranged I simply know of it, either terry mr vancover himself or another of his lieutenants have arranged this to see if you can be of use to them. I myself am a competent figher I could not have arranged these tests I know next to nothing about ammunition I know little about first aid nothing about repair or locks or explosive or computers. You are jack of trades you know a little about everything never the master of anything but passingly competent in everything you pick up.

Between you and me mr vancover is looking to expand he will need people to manage his affairs in the land he takes from the raiders he will need new luietenants people who help him remove the raiders you are marked as having potential there are obligations but there are rewards to.

I have a job for you if you are interested It will bring you grate reward but make you a swarn enemy of the raiders for life, not that you are not reguarded by them as a threat now.

There are two raider clans the cobaras and the vultures they both have about 150 fighter's each. They are slowly being pushed out of the lands mr vancover is taking over. Currently the vultures have moved out of areas we operate in they are more causious the cobras are more reckless they have faught us directly and have suffered losses you have killed about 10 of them alone. However they are not without resources there spy master operates behind our lines he has aquired some diagrams circuit plans from one of my agents – I know he is a one eyed man and an expert in stealth and melay fighting find him kill him bring me back the plans. You will come into danger he is not exactly an easy opponent jack nooded

Your reward will be one of our muskets made hear worth 120 caps plus a large bounty of ammunition plus some healing supplies and some caps. You could use a long ranged weapon, the range makes up for its slow load rate. Do note the reward reflects the danger of this assignment. Jack thought about it for a minute a better weapon would be useful and quite sellable if he did not need it plus he had no love of the raiders.

"I accept your offer there better be a lot of ammunition as compensation for all the tests". With that jack leaft. He returned to the mill his picks were ready he bundeled them up and added an advanced lock picking kit to his supplies.

Jack was certain that the man in the back bar at the last gulp named james was the cobra clans spy master the evidents fitted. Jack had let slip about the types of lock mr vancover used and as a result the raiders had aquired an electronic lock pick it probably needed parts that could be made from the diagrams that the spy master had aquired. Jack headed to the back bar where the connected scum hang out. James had to have been asking questions for a long time before someone identified that jack was good with locks. Asking those questions got you noticed.

One man who noticed things and talked was little tony he was sitting in a corner of the back bar when he saw jack a look of revulsion spread across his face "you cost me 30 caps" little Tony then noticed the machete pistal and knife on jacks belt he began to look a little worried. "you keep your eyes open tony you may have seen a gye leather armour name of james"

And what if I have tony replied. Jack reached into his bag took out 10 caps and put them on the table. Tony eyed the caps for a second "price might be a little different than what you thought." Tony replied angling for more.

Jack replied ok you want a different price he put one cap in his pocket. Tony flincehed that's not what I ment tony responded ok jack continued and picked a second cap off the table leaving 8.

Toney greedily snached up the caps. "Theres a caravaners hole two hours along the north trail james uses a cave there as a camp."

Jack considered the man he was facing and loaded his pistal with steel amo and headed along the north trail. Towards the cave camp. Jack approached the camp it was basically a hole cut into the side of a small hill. Looking at it jack saw that there was a fire in the entrance any one who steeped into the entrance of the cave would be back lit and make a terrific target. Jack approached causionusly with his pistal drawn. He carefully aproched when jack was outside the camp he noticed trip lines in the undergrowth. Jack carefully steped over them. There was a groweling from inside the cave then a huge dog lept out of the darkness straight for his face.

Jack emptied his one shot pistal into the oncoming dog the steel core round riped the huge mutt apart. Before jack could reload he was attacked from behind by the bandit spy master. A steel garott looped over jacks neck and he was pulled back. Jack reached back and got hold of the wrists of the spy master. Jack had a grip like an iron vice. He had worked with his hands every day for nearly a decade. Jack regained his balance. He twisted the spymasters wrists till there was a wet crunching sound and a cry of pain. The tension from the garot was gone and jack could breath again. He did not let go. Jack used his grip on the raiders wrists to throw him forward jack twisted his body using his hips for leverage and momentum to swing the raider in an ark. Over his sholder the raider came down as jack had planed landing with his spine on a rock. There was a sickening crunch as something broke in the raiders back.

The raider tried to reach for his knife but his hands were twisted ruins which would not work the raider tried to get p but his leggs wernt working. He howeled an animal noise of pain and defience the raider spat on jack. Jack saw red he punched the raider in the face his jaw broke jack drew back his fist and puncjed again something snapped in the raiders nose jack punched the raider again fracturing the bone around his eye socket. Jack pushed his thumb into the raiders eye socket into the soft material inside then using this grip for leverage he twisted the raiders head till his neck snaped finaly killing the man.

Jack searched the corpse there were six sheets of paper covered with circuit diagrams, these would be needed to fix the electronic lock pick. Jack looked over the camp there was a kife the garot and seven caps on the raider.

The dager was of a very good quality the garot was not. Jack pocketed the items and headed back to heric.

The guards on the gate were quite alert they hailed jack as he was approaching town the deputies noticed the bloody mess all over jack "What happened to you jack"? the sentry asked "I found a raider, you can have a look yourself two miles back along the trail". A Deputy and a militia man headed off into the dark to recover the boddy. Jack headed over to the town hall and found herics office. The marshal had a musket and some other items on his table. This is your reward jack Heric pointed to the pile of items.

There was a musket the stock on it showed some signs or repair there were a total of 20 rounds of ammunition. 5 inceduary rounds, 5 hamer head, 5 drill needle point and 5 toxic shrapnel. Also there was a Small set of surgical tools. In a canvas case and 60 caps. Jack wiped a few bits of gore off the circuit diagrams and handed them to heric. Heric looked over them for a second. – This is everything the reward is yours. This musket it belonged to a militia man that fell defending his village to raiders use it in the same spirt that is to say killing raiders.

Heric began "The twenty towns vialges and settle ments that mr vancover controls are lossly known as the alience we are also called the incrementalists mening we belive in the incremental advancement of our industrial technology till we have restored the world. I am one of the ruling council that answers to mr vancover terry degan is another as is sawbone henry and the professor cranius as well as 4 governers who act like terry overseeing three or four settlements each". There are alies who we trade with citizens who work for us, agents who are more highly regauarde then we have knights of the alience and arch knights then the counsellors. For killing the raider spy master I am making you an agent of the alliance this has several benefits the ones you like the most are you now get 25 caps bounty on every raider you kill also you get a small gunpowder alowence. Jack took all this in he had pretty much thrown his lot in with vancover and the alience.

Jack took a single iron core round from his amo pounch he loaded it into the musket and walked out of hericks office there was a firing range set up next to the town wall where the militia practiced using cheeper lead ammunition. Jack took aime at a target a piece of wood quiet a distance away. Jack hit it dead on. Jack had used on of these weapons before as a caravan guard. Happy with the musket jack returned to herics office. Jack added the 60 caps to his purse there was bairly room. Jack wrapped the different types of ammo in some paper of off herics desk and added them to his pack. Jack put the medical tools with the rest of his healing supplies and headed over to the mill. Frank filled up jacks powder bag and sold him a replacement rounds for ones jack had used for a total of 4 caps.

Jack went over to the last gulp he paid two caps for a bed and a meal he slept rather well that night.

Chapter seven.

The next morning jack got up and whent upstairs for a meal. They were serving a dish they called potluck. It looked like pig rat. One of the tarts from the upstairs rooms came over to him her name was daisy she wore a short skirt and an extreamly tight leather top she noticed the large bag of caps. "How about you bye us a drink?" she asked. "I don't drink" jack replied. "How about some time in one of the upstairs rooms only 8 caps and we could have some fun?".

"Im not interested at the moment jack replied I have business to attend to" "If your one of mr vancovers men its 6 caps if you're an agent or higher to you its four caps." Jack shook his head. "Your one of that sort rather have your hands over some greasy cold machine than a hot woman". With that daisy walked off.

Jack headed over to frank at the mill he put the dagger he got from the raider on the counter how much for this frank looked at it. I could probably use it somewhere it is good quality I bet you this piece dated from before the grate war rare to see a blade that lasts that long. I could give you eleven caps for it frank said. jack replied with a counter offer Tell you what 12 caps and I will throw in this garrot. Frank looked at it unsheathed the blade checked it resheathed it then handed over 12 caps. Jack checked everything he now had at total of 128 caps not a bad hall.

Jack decided he needed to ingraciate himself with a few other councilers . Jack headed over to doc henrys building there were cattle pens and sheads. On the ground floor was the dispensing counter one for humans and one for animals. Upstairs was the human treatment centre and the training rooms downstairs were the animal treatment rooms. In the basement were the mixing rooms for healing chems and the experiment lab. Jack walked past the line of patients with various complaints and headed to meet robby one of Doc henrys assistants.

I heard you got yourself made an agent the big agent looking for some work. What do you think robby? Well as it so happens I do need a few items scorpion tails we do have two of the little bastards in captivity but I need more of there poision to use for antidotes that I can get out of the two we caught. Robby handed jack a sack. You can try the maze it is full of the little bastards rad scorpions I need at least ten tails – you can have two antidotes if you do it for me.

Jack thought about it for a second or two 50 caps worth of healing supplied for about 10 caps worth of ammunition it would be worth it. Jack headed out of blasted creek and walked for about 5 hours till he got to the maze. the maze was a large nest of rad scorpions all with interconnected burrows.

The place used to be a mencie then mr vancover started an annual cull to keep the numbers of the rad scorpions down. This reduced them to nothing more than pests. Jack got out his pistal and musket he loaded them both with iron core rounds. He had his machete as a back up. Jack approached the razed mass off tunnels then 3 radscorpions emerged from the tunnels and headed towards him. Jack began to retreat slowly leading the rad scorpions awy from there lair. When they were a safe distance jack let fly with his musket killing the first he pulled his pistal and blasted the second away. The third scorpion was now too close for jack to reload in time. Jack drew his machete and charged it, the stinger bounced off his armour plated thigh. Jacks machete found the joint in one of its legs crippling the scorpion. Jack retreated to a safe distance reloaded his gun and returned to kill the crippled rad scorpion jack put the crippled animal out of its misery. With a few swipes of his machete he harvested 3 stingers. Jack reloaded his weapons and tried the same trick again. This time 2 scorpions followed him. Jack lead them to the same are blasted them then harvested them. Jack repeated this exercise till he had nine rad scorpion tails. Looking around jack could not see another rad scorpion. It was possible that others were out hunting or too deep in the maze to fall for such a trick. If there were femails with young then you could be in trouble. On a hunt with some tribals he had found a rad scorpion femail with young, the young clinged to the mother when the mother died as a hunter shot it with a bow dozens of the young rad scorpions had tried to swarm him. The hunter had been put into a coma and was only saved by the tribes sharman mixing up an antidote and force feeding it to him.

Finaly as it was getting dark jack saw a lone scorpion returning home it was a big one very heavy armour jack took careful aim with his musket and fired at the scorpions centre of mass. The scorpion was knocked down then got up jack put his musket to one side he got out his pistal advanced on the scorpion and put a second round into it. The radscorpion got back up again and continued to learch forward. Jack pulled out his machete and advanced jack dodged the slow moving tail and claws then began to slash at the scorpion with his machete after a few swipes the rad scorpion fell. Jack hacked off the rad scorpions talis bagged them then headed back to blasted creek. Jack got in last thing. Robby turned to him you have the tails jack nodded robby took the bag come back tomorrow mid day I will have made some antidote up by then.

Jack paid up 11 caps to frank to replace the amo he had used. Jack got something to eat and a bed at the last gulp. The next morning frank woke up and got a bite to eat he headed over to doc henrys place. He found robby and got his reward of two bottles of antie venom. Jack checked out the despencing farmacy the nurse behind the counter showed him a price list. "Healing powders 10 caps rad scorpion antidote 25 caps healing salv bandages 15 caps bandage rolls 2 caps."

Jack pocketed the two doses of anti rad it would work for scorpion venom. Then a deputy rushed over to jack – terry needs to see you now jack headed over to terry the man looked at jack. Heric ordered you to kill the raider spy master we have news that the radiders are going to carry out a masacar as a reprisal they are planning to butcher a community three hills that's in negociation to join the alliance there is a war party of about 20 raiders heading for the community. go there stop them. You will lead what forces we can muster – if you suckseed I will make you a knight of the alliance a position of some power. Its 5 days walk you need to hurry.

Jack headed out there were four deputys in mixed metal armour one had a sawn off double barrel one had a 9mm pistal another had an asult rifle and a fourth had a pump action shot gun, as well as that ther were four militia men in light leather armour carrying muskets. Stuart the ranger joined them with his light mark one pistal. Jack signalled the men to form ranks 10 men marched out with him. It was 5 days heavy march they were attacked by a pack of mongrel dogs and a pack or pig rats. It cost them a little ammunition but gave them food.

Close to night fall they approached the community of three hills they were met by Vinncent head man of the village of three hills. He explained that there were about 30 familes in the community and they had few weapons most of there fighters had been killed in the last raid they had seen raider scouts.

Jack loaded his side arm with a steel core round he loaded an incendiary round into his musket. He deployed his men as best he could the raiders would use cover to get as close as they could to the settlement before risking open ground. Jack put the rainger and the militia men at the rear on roof tops they had lighter armour and range weapons. The deputys with there thick metal armour took cover near the gap. They were better prepared for enagaging the raiders at close distance jack stayed with them they did not have long to wait for the raiders to attack. The raiders were lead by a man that jack recognised he wore a metal chest plate he carried a wicked metal crossbow. This was the man who had robbed him stolen his supplies equipment and trade goods.

About twenty raiders attacked about half of them were ranged fighters armed with crossbows of various qualities. Half of them were melay fighters armed with an assortment of nasty weapons. Jack fired the first raider whent down with an insendury round embedded in his shoulder . the raider had two long blunt dagers he droped them as he was hit the bullet burnt into the raiders flesh he spasamed and died. Before jack could reload the first raider was on him a man carrying a broad machete jack smacked the man in the face with the butt of his rifle before the raider could react. Before jack could finish off the raider two more were approaching him. Jack layed his musket down he pulled his pistal and his throwing knife out simaltaniously jack threw the blade with his left hand and fired the pistal with his right. The raider on the left hand a single wickedly curved dager she dropped dead with the knife embedded in her chest. The raider on the right carried two short heavy blades with a hole blasted in his chest the fat raider dropped both blades and slumped forward. Jack drew his machete and pulled the axe from his tool bag. The raider he had smacked in the face with the butt of his musket was getting up. Jack dispatched him with a single swing of his machete. The next two raiders were on him. One had a metal pipe the second had a huge knife. Jack blocked the over head swing of the first raider and smacked him in the head with his axe killing the man. Jack kicked the second raider sending him staggering back. Jack pulled his axe free. The raider with the pipe twisted the metal cylinder it split in two with a chain between the raider swong for jacks unprotected head. Jack blocked the blow with his axe he gutted the raider with his machete then hacked his neck open to make sure.

Jack had killed about 6 raiders looking around jack saw a raider dule wealiding two night sticks he was beating on a deputy that had run out of ammunition. The deputys armour gave him some protection but the raider was doing some damage. Jack ranover to the deputy and hit the raider in the back of the head with his machete the raider droped dead like a puppet with its strings cut. Jack looked around there were 17 dead raiders scattered about the settlement three of the malita men were down but not dead one had a blunt fore wound to the head a second man had several cross bow bolts embedded in him a third had a crossbow bolt imbedded in his sholder but he looked worse than the injury. There were two deputies wounded they were standing but they were not quite right one was hobbling the other was clutching his right arm. Stuart was reloading his gun he had a nasty cut above his head. Jack looked for the other three raiders. Looking out from the settlement the raider in metal armour was carrying an unconscious raider a third raider limped beside him. They disappeared into the darkness a deputy made to follow the raiders, jack stoped him "Howmuch ammunition do you have". "two rounds the deputy replied" embarrised.

Jack quickly determined that no one else had brought any healing supplies with them they had not had time to pack. Jack immediately began to work on the most severe cases. He pulled the leather armour from the militia man with three cross bow bolts in him. Jack pulled the bolts out one at a time he bandaged the wounds tightly and quickly to stop the blood loss jack gave him 4 doses of healing powder which would repair a lot of the soft tissue damage the effect of all the healing powder was to put the man out cold.

Jack moved on to the next man the cross bow bolt had poision on it jack cut away the leather armour he then pulled out the bolt it was covered with radscorpion poision. "Look man im going to give you some antidote it will taste like vomit mixed with acid but you have to drink the lot". The malitai man nodded jack gave him the antidote then cleaned out the wound with some strong alchol one of the locals had to hand. Jack then stiched the wound and gave the man a dose of healing powder.

Jack moved to the militia man with the head troma. Jack threw a bucket of water over the man he woke up but staggered a bit. Jack bandaged his head and gave him a healing powder to remove some of the bruising damage. He told the man to rest for a couple of days because of the head trauma. Jack moved on to the deputies the one with a bad leg came first jack removed the armour the leg was badly bruised but the joint seemed to be ok, jack bandaged the wound and gave the man a dose of healing powder. Jack finaly got to the deputy with a bad arm he had a cross bow bolt wedged in the arm joint of his metal armour the bolt had not done much damage but it had wedged the joint solid. Jack pulled the bolt out and gave the deputy a dose of healing powder. Jack came over to stuart he simply stiched his head wound closed.

Jack looked around the community there were about 20 hutts and one large building that served as a bar come town hall. There was no well and no walls to the community. Vincent the town headman approached jack and embraced him warmly "Thank you for your help you and your men saved all our lives tell mr vancover that I accept his offer I have spoken to the elders and we will join his alliance what was 20 is now 21".

Jack turned round to stuart gather up the raiders bodies and burn them strip them of anything useful and distribute any kit supplies among the men. Jack collected up a pile of the raiders weapons got out his tool kit and began to work on them. He got the broad machete and began to re work it into a better shape he found the local black smith and paid him 2 caps to use his turned the broad machete into a sharp efficient weapon. Jack wraped it in a bit on cloth and put it to one side. He got out the two long bladed dagers the handles were coming lose jack fixed them. He put them with the machete, jack picked up the wickedly curved dager the pommel needed fixing. Jack looked over the remaining weapons from the seven raiders he had killed the rest of them were functional. Jack signeled Vincent over "see this pile of weapons you can have it for 20 caps" Vincent nodded. Vincent paid jack 20 caps and began to distribute melay weapons amoungst his people. Jack turned round to stuart hear are 15 rounds of iron core I don't think the raiders will try again before I am back but keep this place defended. I am heading out back to the nerest traid post in iron bluff to get supplies and reinforcements.

Jack packed up his gear and headed south east . Iron bluff was the next nerest town that was controlled by mr vancover it held some minor industry and was a well established alliance town with a small workshop distillery med centre and traid shop. Jack bumped into a couple of rad scorpions on his travel but a steel core round goes through a rad scorpion like a knife through butter. Jack arrived at the gates of iron bluff the steel and iron reinforced gates swung open at his request for entrance. A deputy rushed up to him "are you jack of trades king of blades" jack nodded. Jack walked past the water pump and the water purifier. And a wind turbine to the local trade shop with a deputy on his heels. A militia man behind the counter looked up at him what can I do for you he asked.

Jack ratteled off a list of supplies "20 iron core rounds" 3 steel core rounds 1 incedury round 7 healing powders 1 antidote and a roll of bandages" the militia man began to rummage behind the counter, the militia man began to count through everything "That's a lot of supplies sir that will be 132 caps or goods of an exchangeable nature". Jack handed over most of his caps he was down to a single one. Jack turned round to the militia man who is incharge hear he asked him . "That would be arch knight Harass sir he is in charge". Jack reported to the arch knight a middle age man in a sturdy suit of metal armour with a very battered combat shot gun. "we went there and defended the settlement from a medium strength band of raiders I killed seven, the raiders suffered heavy losses then retreated the wounded were heealed I armed the locals as best I could and then came for reinforcements." Harass looked over jack "I have herd of you jack of trades King of blades I expected to lead an expedition to bury you and your men however others thought differently a team has been sent on the assumption of your sucksess they are one day away a strong force 10 deputies 20 militia men with 3 rangers 4 pack lords with trained attack dogs. The pack lords come from doc henrys ranch they get the meanest fighting dogs then they bread them with mutant wolves then a man dressed as a raider torments the puppies every day of there lives until they reach adult hood they are trained to kill anyone dressed as a raider on command they are visous. As well as this they have a team of engineers who will begin to build up three hills into a viable community sink a well set up a steam engine turbine a work shop a wind powered dynamo a medical centre they have a medic with them. Put up a defensive wall a defensive ditch ". Jack made a polite coff "You are of course after a reward for the 7 raiders you killed you are a proven man of your word by my own authority as an arch knight and a field commander I promote you to knight and reward you with 175 caps or materials out of stores the choice is up to you". Harass handed jack a requisition form basically stating give the berer of this document 175 caps or equivalent goods. Jack headed back over two the trade store. The militia man in charge looked at the note and let jack look around the merchandise. There was a pair of armour plated boots for 50 caps they were far better than jacks current foot where as an exchange for 2 caps of the price jack got the new boots. Looking over the armour there was a shoulder guard for 25 caps it would add a bit of protection to jack. He added that to the pile. Jack looked around at the other merchandise "I will take the rest in caps" Jacks purse was quickly refilled he added the extra armour on and headed back to the commanders office.

Harris looked up as jack returned a scount for the reinforcements has arrived he had orders for you. You are to report back to blasted creek there are a few lose ends to tie up before we push further into raider territory. Jack nodded jack picked up some supplies and headed south for blasted creek. Travelling on his own jack encountered one pig rat which he promptly dispached and smoked choice cuts from its carcus as jerky.

When jack approached blasted creek he saw the signs of industry apparent they were beginning to build a second defensive wall around the community this one was a lot larger than the first also they were strengthening the existing wall and adding reinforced concreat gate houses. Small buildings workers accommodation were going up around the Iner wall as well as a larger solid building that looked like some kind of bunker. The deputy on the gate pointed him towards doc henrys place "the doctor has some work for you".

Jack headed over to dock henrys place or saw bone henry as they called him. Jack found the doctor in one of the offices the man was going over some paper work. When jack entered the room heanry got up. The doctor was five foot ten he was thin as a rake with a large bard and thick red hear, he wore a white cote with every pocket stuffed with aperatus and medical equipment. Heanry shook jacks hand "I hear you have been fighting up at the front the raider war has rearly started , you have seen first hand they are using rad scorpion poision as an enhancement to there weapons, if it continues the way its going we are going to run out of anidotes to the rad scorpion venom which is where you are going to come in, you are going to go to the maze use some tranquilizer rounds and capture four radscorpions for me so I have a reliable source of material to make antidotes from, I have already had four pens constructed for them and I have a team of handerlers and four wagons ready". Jack considered this "What is the payment for leading this risky endevour"? Dock heanry replied "I will give you 20 caps a scorpion plus 5 healing salv bandages that's 80 caps plus 75 caps worth of healing supplies". Jack replied "What about the tranquilizer darts?" The doctor took a corked test tube out of his pocket it had some clear liquid in it. "This is what we use as an anesthesia you can take it to the mill and make some tranquiliser rounds what you don't use give to frank".

Jack headed over to the mill the forman of one of the work shops recognised him and let him work at a machine jack cut the boddies of four darts then shaped them and added tails. Jack then applied a small quantity of the powerful tranquiliser careful not to get any on himself. Jack took the rest of the tranquilizer and passed it to frank as he did so frank pointed him in the direction of terry. apparently terry had a job for him that was related to doc heanrys job. Over at the town hall jack found terry outside "I have a job for you alfter you finish collecting specimens for henry the maze has got to go I think its time to clear that radscorpion nest out for good , according to heric you have explosives and the knowledge to use them you demolish the maze and I will replace the explosives you used and give you 50 caps". Jack replied you have a deal.

Jack headed over to doc heanrys place a team of 8 handlers and four wagon drivers with four wagons with bramin teams plus supplies were waiting. Jack road shot gun on the first wagon leading the team out to the maze. As they were approaching the maze jack saw two peole in the distance it was a pair of raiders one had a large net made out of chains the second had a crude spear they were hunting rad scorpions for poision for there weapons. Jack signeled the wagons to stop he left his pack and aproched them on foot. The man with the spear saw jack first and threw the spear at him jack easily doged it. The reaider pulled two weapons out of his pockets a set of colapsable nunchucks and a box cutter knife. Jack emptied his musket at the raider the raider tried to duck as jack fired so he ended up hiting him in the shoulder. Jack drew his pistal and blasted a chunk out of the raiders knee this stopped the raider in his tracks the man droped to on knee jack pulled out his throwing knife and threw it hiting the raider in the chest and killing him dead. The second raider drew a curved knife with one hand and two small throwing blades with the other jack ducked one throwing knife flew over his head the second bounced of his armour. The raider drew a second throwing knife and charged. Jack drew his machete he side steaped the raider and triped him as he flew past jack grabed the raider by the shoulder and nelt on his back holding the man down jack brought his own machete down on the back of the raiders head killing him instantly. Jack recovered his throwing knife and the raiders weapons.

Jack loaded his mucsket with a tranqilizer round he coxed a rad scorpion into following him back towards the wagons jack fired into the centre of mass of the rad scorpion it took about 5 seconds for it to go down but as soon as the rad scorpion was out the 8 man team was on it the brought up two long beams and tied them to the main boby of the radscorpion they wrapped heavy chain around its pinces then folded them up against the scorpions body tieing and braicing them in place the scorpions sting was corked into a block of soft wood its tail floded in on its self and bound into place the rad scorpions legs were folded up and bound into place more straps chains and roaps were added until the rad scorpions was cocooned. The scorpion was then carried to a cart and dumped in place. Jack then repeated the same action 3 more times. When they had four rad scorpions secure jack sent the wagons to a safe distance he let the handelers have the spear and the net as they could use them.

Jack headed back to the maze he crawled down a rad scorpion hole and set a tick of dynamite lodged in a crevise with a piece of cord attached to the detonator contact. Jack crawled out and headed round to the other side of the maze a rad scorpion came out jack drew his pistal and blew it away. A baby rad scorpion crawled out jack up ended his gun and brought the handel of the empty pistal down on the rad scorpion killing it. After planting the scond charge of dynamite jack grabbed two courds each one leading into a different hole he pulled them till they were taught then he gave them a final yank and started running. As he got clear there was a mighty explosion and the maze disintegrated in on its self killing or traping every radscorpion in there and there young and eggs. Jack rejoined the carts each rad scorpion had two handlers with more tranqilizer and neadels. they headed back to blasted creek.

When they arrived jack headed for the town hall he needed to see terry. "terry I have bad news and good news the good news is the maze is demolished the bad news is that I have seen a party of raiders this far into alience territory only a two man team but still it is worying" terry nodded "spotters saw the maze go up from hear I had a telescope trained on the area as for the raiders small groups of raiders ones and two's can slip past our patrols they cant attack much as we have strong defenses but they can gather supplies the maze was the only point you can garentee to find rad scorpions within a large area I consider this a victory for us I did suspect they were farming poision from there". Terry pointed to two sticks of dynamite with detonators and a bag on the table "your payment, if you killed the two raiders the marshal will want to know and to reward you". Jack checked the detonators and put the dynamite in his pack. Jack opened the bag checked the 50 caps them pockedted it. Jack headed over to the mill frank was behind the amo counter jack bought some replacement amo for the bullets he had used he refilled his gunpowder bag and got 4 tranquilizer rounds jack carefully wraped them in a bit of scrap paper and pocketed them jack spent a toatal of 48 caps on amo.

Jack headed over to doc henrys place – dock Henry was in his office he saw jack and thanked him Dock Henry counted out 80 caps from his inside pocket he pulled five rolled up leather bandages from a draw they were coated with a layer of jellied healing powder which would heal a wound when directly applied to it doc heanrys own invention slow but with no unpleasant side effects each was bound up with twine wich could be used to secure it in place. Jack counted the caps into his purse and added the bandages in with his healing supplies.

Jack was tired and it was late he went to the last gulp paid a single cap and got a bed for the night.

Chapter eight

Jack woke up early in the morning he got up found a table and paid a cap for some porage jack had a few of the raiders weapons and equipment to sell he whent round to the mill daren was working in one of the workshops He stoped working and went to see jack "Long time no see what are dooing". Jack looked at daren "Im working as a knight of the alliance mostly small jobs for council members, I killed a raider who had this knife on him a box cutter you could use it for 3 caps its yours" daren looked at the tool "its worth 2 caps" jack smiled and nodded. Daren handed over 2 caps and jack handed him the knife.

Jack whent downstairs and saw frank "I have a couple of raiders weapons you might like a nice knife and a set of telescopic nunchucks" jack opened his pack took out the weapons and let frank have a look at them. Frank took the knife out of the sheath and tested it he extended the nunchucks then put them back in there case "These are ok I can give you 5 caps each for them" Jack replied to franks offer "frank they are worth at least ten caps each". Frank considered his reply "we can compromise 15 caps for both of them" frank held out his hand jack griped his hand and they shook on the deal. The weapons disappeared under the counter and frank laid 15 caps on the counter. Jack still had one of the raiders weapons to sell so he headed round to dannys general merchandise sam was behind the counter he looked a bit better like he was getting regular meals it took him as second to recognise jack "it seems like a long time jack you have moved up in the world working for the alience fighting the raiders what can I do for you". Jack pulled out the last knife he aquired off a raider and put it on the shop counter "I got this knife of a raider" Sam looked at it I can give you 3 caps for it . Jack elaborated "its a good knife strong heavy easily worth 5 caps". Lets compremis 4 caps do we have a deal. Jack nodded sam put 4 caps on the counter and jack gave him the knife. A ranger walked into the shop and tapped jack on the sholder "Doc henry wants to speek with you he has a few other jobs for you".

Jack headed back to doc henrys place he found the doc with a bunch of students showing them how to treat a sick reptiles. Jack waited for a few minutes till the leson finished then he approached the doctor "I heard you had a few more jobs for me". Doc henry turned round "yes I do you see I know from terry that you can make healing powder this tells me you know quite a bit about the wasteland about pharmasuticals and first aid infact I saw a report from three hills you did well as a first aider there you saved lives if you were not a knight I would offer to train you as a medic". Jack thought about it for a second "Thank you that is quite a compliment any way please continue". Doc heanry Continued " I have been trying to develop a stronger version of healing powder we are a long way from developing a stim pack that is usable or cost effective to produce the skirmishes with the raiders are producing injuries that are difficult to treat with just healing powder so I am trying to make it stronger the decrese in perception leading to unconsiousness from high doses of healing powder is not good in the middle of a fight , I have tried a few mixes it hasent gone well and I need some help ". Jack thought about it for a second "We have a few options lets go back to the basics the simplest and cheapest method of healing in the wasteland is irradiated vine fruit it restores some health but only a little if you use it a lot you get sevear radiation if we could extract the active ingredients from the irradiated fruit and added it to normal healing powder we could probably create a drug that could heal almost as well as a stim pack of course it would add to your back ground radiation and it would cause your perception to drop as much as a normal healing powder but for emergency use it should work". Doc henry thought about it for a minute. "Jack you go and get some samples about enough for 5 doses and I will set up a lab and some animals for an experiment ".

Jack whent out foraging around Blasted creek he found a vine with five fruits on it and collected them he collected 5 Broc Flowers and 5 xander roots. Jack went back to doc henrys place he followed one of the students to a lab that doc heanry had set up. The two men worked in silence Jack set the ingredients broc flower and xander roots to dry out over a heater while doc henry cleaned up the fruit finely sliced them and pulped and juiced them till he had five samples of rad fruit juice. jack set up 5 dishes for the powder. Jack pealed and cut up the xander root then roasted the broc flower. Jack then preceded to pound the ingredients up with a hammer grinding them into a fine powder then mixing them together jack carefully ground up the results even finer and carefully measured out five equil doses.

First they tried simply poring a dose of healing powder with the juice from a fruit the result had no effect on a caged rat they forced it to eat it inhale it and injected it it had no effect. The next sample they distilled the juice and added it to the powder this resuled in a slight ly stroger healing powder that left the rat they tried it on with some back ground radiation. The next batch they distilled the juice from the fruit further then added it to the healing powder then dried the healing powder and finely milled the results. Doc heanry tested this on a caged pig rat that was bably wounded the mixture worked and created an effect similar to a stimpack but with a little raidiation and a drop in perception. Doc henry confirmed his tests with a giger counter and some tests on animals reactions. Jack converted the last two sets of ingredients into two doses of strong healing powder. Jack cut a patch of leather. with the sowing kit and some of his home made cordage jack constructed a little pounch he used a difrent colour leather so he could distinguish which was wich the leather would stop the strong healing powder he had make from going off. When jack was certain doc henry knew how to make the strong healing powder and that it was working as expected he took one dose for his own use bagging it and atting it to his medical supplies. Doc heanry turned to him "I thank you for your assistance, you can have some caps some heling supplies or a favour to be returned at a later date I think we will be selling these strong healing powders at 15 caps a bag. Jack nodded let me think about it jack headed over to the last gulp he paid a cap for a meal and a bed.

Jack woke up the next morning he put on his armour and headed upstairs for some breakfast – while eating his breakfast one of doc henrys students sat down next to him "Jack they call you right Doc henry would like to speek with you again" jack agnoldeged the man finished his breakfast fried pig rat and headed for the doctors place.

They were already starting to produce strong healing powders jack could see there were boxes of brock flower radioactive fruit and xander root being gathered by students to be mixed by lab technitions. Robby was amoungst them organising things. Dock henry appeared out of the basement he was wiping what looked like blood of his hands. "Good to see you jack I have another little matter that could use your attention we have traiders and rangers heading south as far as chared pits to do business with the ghouls down there the place still has quite a bit of radiation we have a small supply of rad away that we salvaged from some ruins but treating those who got irradiated has made a serious dent in our supplies we have recipies for making rad x and rad away but we don't have the ability to mas produce the chemicals required if we are to form business relationships with the ghouls and they have some resources that would be useful we need a way to deal with the radiation exposure traiding with them brings". Jack considered this for a moment "I have traided and hunted with the tribals a few times I heard a tale a bout a geco hunter who went near to chared pits the place has a lot of gecos they can survive the radiation for some reason and they are not affected by it in the same way they have a natural chemical that acts like rad away its probably the reason they turn into golden gecos rather than dieing from rad poisioning, its stated according to the tail that this geco hunter got a bit to close to chared pits he suffered a dose of rad poisioning he had nothing to eat at the time all he had with him was some geco skins In desperation he tried to eat one this apparently alleviated his radiation poisioning long enough for him to get away from chared pits". Doc henrry looked at jack with a little scepticisism "There may be a grain of truth to that story get me a geco skin a fresh one and I can test it to see if the same chemicals are present".

Jack whent out of town he found some dense rocks in a warm area where gecos could heat themselves up in the morning by suning themselves. Jacks machete quickly made short work of 5 gecos he skinned them with his throwing knife and headed back to doc henry . jack arrived back at the lab doc henry took samples from the geco skin and found chemicals similar to rad away present in the geco skin. Jack shredded some of the fresh skin up then grated it finely doc henry added some chemicals to create a product similar to rad away. Doc henry considered there results "there are two problems this mix will not be very palatable and it needs a preservative agent added to make it last or it will go off ". they tested it on an irradiated iguarna using a giger counter they determined that it would remove about 20 from the rad count of an animal it however took jack doc henrry robby and two lab technitions 15 minutes to force feed the iguana the mixture as a medicine it was not particularly palatable and with the chemicals involved injection was also not an option. Jack hit appon the idear of mixing it with a strong spirt like moonshine wisky one of the products made by mr vancovers business interests sold widely and cheaply. The result was a mixture that dented your perception twice as much as healing powder but cleared 20 from your rad count. Doc henry took a pensail and paper and made some calculations we can make and sell this stuff for 20 caps a bottle it will give us a soulution to radiation I will talk to mr vancover about setting up a geco farm jack you can have 3 dose from our first bach as well as caps supplies or a second favour. Jack replied "It always helps to have a council member owe me a couple of favours ". jack added three bottles of antiradgulp meds to his supplies .jack said good night to doc henry and headed for the last gulp. A deputy with a sawn off shot gun bumped into jack mr vancover wants to see you now he has a job for you he is at the town hall.

Jack did not want to keep mr vancover waiting he followed a deputy at the entrance to one of the offices upstairs mr vancover was at a table. "Welcome jack you have been useful and now it is time to be even more useful first I will tell you what this job pays then I will tell you what it emtails you will be given a house hear in blasted creek a small property inside the outer wall worth 500 caps a deed will be given to you confirming it is yours for you can live in it use it as a store house or rent it out rate is about 10 caps a month" jack thought about this for a second. Mr vancover looked through him "that's good your thinking about my offer you have traided with the tribals hunted with them you know them you are to negociate the entrance of the tribals into the alliance, you will go to them as a traider and then present my offer to the most powerful of there chiefs". Jack thought about this "I want fighting egal to join my alience as a concil master the tribals will follow him he is the strongest. I want access to all clan scouts 60 of his warriors to be at our desposal as milita men the location of there geco hunting ground the right to build a trading post at there main camp. he will unite with the other three tribes I will give him 20 head of cattle. sink a well into the main campsite and provide them with a medical centre give them 15% better prices on the lumber charcoal skins and crops they sell to me, permission to build a proper lumber mill as well as well as better charcoal ovens". Jack thought about it for a second what garentees will you give "I will back him militarily and financially to lead the other three clans of tribals". Mr vancover handed jack a rolled up treaty – "fighting egal is an educated man he paid alliance teachers to train him to read and wright and math , get his signature on that treaty get his agreement to meet me hear to negociate the finer points and the reward is yours". Jack rolled up the treaty shook jacks hand and headed off.

Offer on table

For tribals

20 head of cattle

20 muskets mark 2 and 200 rounds plus powder

15% increase in price pay for lumber

15% increase in price pay for carcole

15% increase in price pay for skins + tanned hides

15% increase in price pay for crops

1 x well

1 x medical centre

1 x school

make fighting egal a council master and 3 of his luitenants knights

for allience

Land and labour to build lumber mill

Land and labour to build charcoal overns

60 warriors to serve in the militia

lists of sites from tribe scouts and watering holes game hunting grounds

unifed four tribes

Land and labour to build traiding post.

Jack gathered up his equipment paid five capps for supplies and headed off. It was a three day journey to get to fighting egals camp. There was a fairly well worn trail as fighting egal traided with the alliance. Jack saw two caravans coming from fighting egals camp one was full of charcoal one was full of strait grain lumber. Jack met quiet river a warrior of the two moons the man carried an axe. "greetings my axe fine work what is your business". Jack nodded to the stocky warrior "I have come to traid I need to talk to fighting egal". "first you will see our sharman rackgar". Jack followed quiet river till he arrived at the sharmans hut. Jack knew the sharman quite well he had fixed his hut up collected herbs for him and run some errands the sharman had taught him some thing about medicine and herbs and some healing powder.

The sharmans hut was woarm jack settled his pack down with his musket and sat by the old sharman by his fire. The sharman signalled quiet river away. "Jack it has been many months since you have traided with us you have joined the alliance and now you come with the same offer to my people I had a vision of you a prophetic dream they will call you jack of trades king of blades the most lethal thing to ever walk the wasteland history will remember you as such. you are not that man yet but I think you are becoming him. I see you leading the alience in ther war against the raiders I see the raiders final defeat I see that we should join your alliance while we still have some bargaining strength". Jack Bid the old sharman ferewell he met up with quiet river and headed to fighting egals tent. The tribals had steel knives and machetes steel arrow heads and spear heads all made at the mill they wore clothes and leathers stained with dyes made with chemicals made in alience workshops. The tribals even carried composit recurve bows made in alience work shops rather than there old pine flat bows.

Jack brought the treaty to fighting egal in his tent the tent had a warrior with a large spear on either side of the entrance. One of them announced jacks presence. Jack ducked into the tent fighting egal had a desk with a few old books and maps on it he had several boxes and leather bags hanging up in the corners a large hamouck there were weapons and trophys all over the place including the skull of a death claw fighting egal had claimed to have killed single handedly with a spear. The man sat at the table looked old but he was younger than he looked his features were hard and haggered. "Jack it has been a long time that knife you made me is still with me you put care into what you build now you come in the name of mr vancover and his alliance we will talk about this treaty, I will sleap on what you have to say. I have asked the heads of the other 3 tribes to join us they will get hear some time tomorrow", Jack and fighting eagle spent the evening going over the treaty finaly with most points covered , jack leaft for a place to sleap in ann old patched tent.

In the middle of the night jack thought he herd something he got his throwing knife and his pistal and whent to investigate he found drag marks leading from fighting egals tent around the back there was no guard. Jack quickly entred the tent a raider was slowly moving towards fighting egals hammock he had a knife drawn and a club on his belt jack emptied his pistal into the raiders back waking up the entrie camp. Fighting egal woke up and roled over he had a small ancient revolver in one hand and a short wicked stabbing spear in the other. Jack already had his throwing knife in the air a split second it landed in the wounder raider and they calapsed dead. 3 seconds later warriors with spears burst in they pointed them at jack who was reloading first then at the dead raider then in the air. Fighting egal spoke "search the camp find what happened to my guard search the area find any other raiders". Fighting egal turned to jack "you have saved my life today jack I hate the raiders so do all the other tribes for this one fact we may well join the alience, you may take the raiders weapons do with them what you will I know I owe you a favour". Jack got some breakfast iguarna on a stick from on of the tribals. Running egal came up to him "we found the raiders supplies and crossbow in a camp a few hours away he looks like he was alone, the guard was unconscious in a storage tent, it will be a few hours till the other chiefs arrive best you find something to do". Jack got out the raiders dagger the scabbard was in a teribal shape he set about repairing it. He got the cuddle and sealed the wood with some oil. At this time the three other tribal chiefdens arrivad walking shadow dressed all in gray with two bow men behind him stone hart a calculating emotionless man with a belt of throwing daggers and two men with spears behind him finally 10 stings a mountain of a man who was said to have survived being stung by a rad scorpion ten times arrived he carried a gient spear.

The men met jack and fighting egal they talked they drank then they looked at the offer on the table.

Offer on table

For tribals

20 head of cattle

20 muskets mark 2 and 200 rounds plus powder

15% increase in price pay for lumber

15% increase in price pay for carcole

15% increase in price pay for skins + tanned hides

15% increase in price pay for crops

1 x well

1 x medical centre

1 x school

make fighting egal a council master and 3 of his luitenants knights

for allience

Land and labour to build lumber mill

Land and labour to build charcoal overns

60 warriors to serve in the militia

lists of sites from tribe scouts and watering holes game hunting grounds

unifed four tribes

Land and labour to build traiding post.

Fighting eggal was after the power it would bring his people stone hart and walking shadow were only interested in the caps and resources they could gain ten stings did not want to become weak by comparison to the alience.

Fighting egal spoke "we should join the alience now when we are in a position of relative strength if we wait longer they will ask a higher price and offer us less. it is a fair deal mr vancover pays a fair rate for the sweat of our labour and the use of our blades but mostly I want to say I was there when the raiders fell that I can avenged my wife not that an alience soldier did it for me. I will fight by them against the raiders what do you say walking shadow you lost your father to the raiders or you ten stings you lost a son to them or you stone hart your brothers blood still crys for vengence". Walking shadow spoke "fighting egal you have 50 warroirs and we each have 30 united we have 140 men if we unite then we are a force in this land they will not call us primitives or weak we will sit on there councils as equils and we will baith in the raiders blood". The other chiefs signalled there agreement. Jack got his treaty signed by fighting egal and underneath fighting egals signature the marks of the other 3 chiefs jack headed back to blasted creek with an escort of 4 worriors one from each tribe.

Mr vancover was at his desk working when jack entered with the four tribals he carefully placed the signed treaty on his desk. "In two days time fighting egal and his luitenants will be hear to finish the negociations". Mr vancover nodded he saluted the tribals and had one of his deputys show them to the last gulp to get something to eat "get them some food some drink and some entertain ment if they wish". Mr vancover turned round to jack "hear is the deed to the property I mentioned it bears my own signature I assume you want it rented out" Jack nodded "so it is you can arrange collection of rent with terry, oh and by the way herick has a job for you". Jack carefully folded the deead up and headed for terrys office.

Terry was behind his desk a ranger with some bad injuries was in a chair across from terry the man had about 20 healing wraps around his arms and legs. Jack exchanged a nod with terry and the ranger "Jack our rangers are heading further and further out into the wasteland and coming across larger and stronger creatures there one shot weapons do a lot of damage but they are not killing the stronger vairiants even our most powerful regular ammunition the toxic shrapnel specials are not killing these creatures, doc henry says you know quite a bit about chems and you have knowledge of the wasteland what do you say" if you can find a solution I can give you some land around farmhold 3 plots of land you can rent out I can arrange it just give me a solution. Jack looked at the problem "the toxic shrapnel specials have no real penitraiting power they are designed for creatures larger than a man but not that much larger bulkier creatures simply survive because the toxic material cannot penitraite into the blood stream or the internal organs to do real damage a needle round would penitrait far enough into a larger creature to do damage of course the toxcisity of the round must be increased as it will only be located in one place not a number of locations. The toxic shrapnel special acts as a slow acting neuro toxin destroying the nervous system its effects are limited I could create a hemotoxin that is to say a poision that directly damages the blood and tissue of the victim the area around the builet wound would quickly disintegrate infact a pit viper venom would do this job quite well we could add it to the normal reciply for toxic shrapnel specials to create a necrotizing agent one that would badly damage flesh causing it to rot brock flower has an agent in it that speeds up the healing process if prepared correctly it could be used to catalyse the damage of this toxin I could create a viper round in a few days with the right assistance and materials"

Terry looked at him for a second "we captured the creature that wounded this ranger a centaur it took 8 tranquilizer rounds to bring it down we will test the potency of your concoction on that when you are ready you have the resources of the mill and doc henrys labs use them well".

Jack headed to the mill he found Darren and requested a sample of the toxic material they used to make the toxic shrapnel special rounds, he also requested 5 unfinished rounds. With these materials Jack headed over to dock henrys place he found robby and they gathered a brock flower and a sample of pit viper venom from one of the smaller captive pit vipers. Jack carefully prepared the brock flower then he whent over to the mill and began to make the bullets after he had finished five rounds jack mixed up the toxin and applied it to the bullets jack leaft the rounds to dry and the chemicals to set he whent and began working on the damaged scabbard he got from the raider at the two moons tribal camp. After a few hours jack returned to the seting rounds when he was sure that they were ready he loaded one into his pistal he carefully wrote down the construction information on some note paper. Jack returned to terry and told him the test was ready. Terry jack the injured ranger frank and robby met by one of doc henrys animal pens.

The centaur was trapped inside a giant cage made from steel Gerdars welded together. The animal was large and verry pissed and angry it beat against the cage and snarled. When every one was in position jack fired into the centaurs centre of mass through the bars of the cage. The amimal flinched for a second then paused and began to have a fit thrashing around and spaseming it howeled and gibbered in pain. A black coulouration began to spread around the area of the wound the flesh was rotting and dieing as they watched. Black sludge began to seap out of the wound the centaur began to coff up its own putrifying guts in twitched and collapsed the black colouration of dead flesh spread throughout the animal and it breathed its last slowly a black pool of slime spread out from under the animals carcus.

Terry took a breath "well that certainly was effective give me the construction plans for the ammunition and the samples you have and I will pay you". Jack handed over the construction plans and materials list terry handed this to frank who began to look at it with robby. Terry handed over the deads to Jack who checked them over. "The land itself is worth about 100 caps per plot its got farmers who pay rent totalling 6 caps a month as a little bonus you can have five rounds free from the first batch of ammunition". Jack nodded and put the deads away. Frank turned to terry "we can make this stuff and ern a profit if we sell it at 20 caps a round". Robby turned round to jack as he walked off "Martial heric has a job for you he is overseeing the construction of his new headquarters" jack nodded and headed for the building site.

In amoungst the building site a deep multie level basement was deing constructed from reinforced concreat. the alience had quarrys and there own mixing plant so that they could produce concreat to construct buildings but the costs were prohibitively on large projects. Martial heric and the site forman were going over some plans as Jack arrived heric dismissed the sight forman and indicated they head towards a shack to one side of the building site. In side the shack were two chairs and a table there were three piles of 25 caps and a red bag heric jestured for jack to sit. Heric began "Counciler fighting egal reports you killed a raider sent to assainate him and some of doc henrys men say you killed 2 reiders at the maze before you destroyed it this is the reward the bounties on the raiders you must have been bussy not to come and collect them". Heric put the caps in a bag and handed them to jack "you didant invite me hear simply to pick up a bounty , considering your line of work who or what do you want me to kill heric". "I have a job for you jack it's a dangerous one but the reward is quite high I have two properties in Iron bluff single houses worth 500 caps each 10 caps worth of rent each month per property I will give you the deeds. The raider clan the cobras are trying to get the vulture raider clan to join them against the alience. This cannot be allowed as it would double the number of raiders we are currently finghting. They are meeting in the second rest stop along the traid trail to blood rust. kill the raider captins shanaka the soul of darkness and kanaka the mind of chaos from the cobras I don't want the representative from the vultures killed they are a problem for another day" Jack nodded and headed out.

There was a trade trail to blood rust approximately three days walk along it was a rest spot a shack and a fire place that traide caravans used it was well known about and not far either the cobra or vulture clan territory. It made sense as a meating place. Jack paid two caps for supplies and then headed for the meating place. It was two days hard march and it took a tremendous effort to get to the rest stop. When jack got to the place he saw three figures two raider captins from the cobras and an elder from the vulture clan. Kanaka was thin and evil looking. Shanaka was a mountain of a man. Jack took the opertunity first levelled his musket and fired. His opponents both had knives and pistols shanaka with a under arm holster while kanaka drew from a hip holster. Jack put a iron core round through shanaka's shoulder the raiders responded with 9 mm pistol fire. Jack was knocked back by a 9 mm pistal round connecting with his flack jacket. Jack loaded a neeadle round into his musket and fired at shanaka again blasting a hole in his stomuck the raider grabbed his gut holding in the blood. Jack put his musket down drew his pistol and advanced and fired at shanaka again putting an iron core round into the raider, on the third round he droped. Kanaka paused for a second to relode his long bareled pistal jack drew his throwing knife and let it fly. The blade embedded in kanaka he screamed in pain and dodged behind the shack. Shanaka rose to his feet and charged towards jack. Jack drew his machete and embedded it in shanaka the raider staggered back then kept coming. Jack drew his axe and smashed it into the raiders skull ending the legacy of the soul of darkness. Jack pulled his axe and machete out of shanaka's courps jack turned towards kanaka.

Kanaka reloaded his pistal and came for jack. Jack dived at kanaka and tackled him the raiders shots whent over jacks head. Jack cut and cut at kanaka he droped his gun and whent for his knife kanaka was able to push jack away then swang for him. Jacked blocked his attack by cutting off kanaka's fingers. The raider tried to bite him jack chopped once more and ended kanaka the mind of chaos. Jack searched the courpses and retreved six 9mm builets the two holsters and guns. Inside the hut the elder from the raider clan cowered in a corner jack entered the hut with blood covering him a machete in one hand and a loaded mark 2 pistal in the other. The man had a cross bow next to him he backed away from it the elder spoke "That was shanaka the soule of darkness he killed pig rats with his bare hands he has taken a thousand wounds and lived and kanaka he was a crack shot the mind of chaos nothing ever hurt him. how did you kill them who are you what are you?". Jack got close to the man "I am jack of trades king of blades the cobra clan are dead if your clan raid alience lands I will come for you and your clan will die" at this jack was gone.

Two days laterjack walked back into blasted creek there was a little progress on the second wall and marshall hericks hedquarterts were progressing nicely there were steel gurders being erected to form a skeleton of the building. A labourour directed jack back towards the same shack herick was at his desk it was covered in paper work. Herick noticed jack he nodded "jack I assume you were sucksessful I can see you have two pistals and you are covered with new blood stains what of the vultures"? "The vulture clan will not be joining the cobras I gave them a strong warning and a taste of what will happen if they face us" Jack responded. Heric continued "I did not give the chance of the vultures joining the cobras much likelyhood as the war is going bably for them but I could not pass up an opertunity to demolish two of the raiders captins, the only leaders leaft are iron back who lead the assault at three hills and the patriarch of the raider clan and now for your payment" herick handed over the two deads. Jack checked the deads and packed them away. "I see you have two pistals are you thinking of selling them I can make you a good offer"? "mabe I am keeping one gun the short barrel 9 mm in the sholder holster I have a few rounds for it for the other gun lets see your offer". "I have 200 caps worth of farming land at iron bluff I will sign it over to you for that long barrelled 9 mm". jack nodded a reply and put the gun in a holster on the desk. "A wise desigion also terry gave me these to give to you and the professor over at the foundery has a job for you" heric gave him 5 viper rounds and the two deeds. Jack got up and left jack headed over to simon the scavengers he sold him the knife and the club from the raider he killed at the two moons camp for 5 caps total.

Jack headed out of blasted creek for the foundary. The professor was a scientist and council member a man who had worked with vancover from the beginning. However he had one experiment to many fail and had been politely asked to move his lab and equipment a safe distance away from any valuable machinery or population centres. The proffewssor lived with his daughter and a few technitions a little distance from the foundery. The foundery was mr vancovers certer of heavy industry where most large machine components and metal building materials like gurders were manufactured. Jack had traided with the foundery as a scavenger getting all the scrap metal he could find from an old ruin and selling it to the forman who would then smelt it down into new metal.

Jack saw the smoke from the charcoal fuelled blast furnesses way off into the distance. After a few hours walking he saw some traid on the road a train of wagons filled with rusty scrap metal aproched the foundery while a few wagons loaded with reinforcing bars for concreat and other products leaft.

Jack headed left from the trail there was a low building the professors place. A deputy with a flame thrower stood to one side of the gate on a low fence. He looked at jack for a second regognised him and stood to one side. As jack headed up the path he could see various craters and scorch marks on the ground along with bits and pieces of twisted machninery. Jack saw a woman heading down the path it must have been the proffessors daughter Bethany she was about five foot six she wore tight blue geans and a tight oil stained top which showed her chest of she had long red hair tied into a tight pony tail. she was athletic and quiet pretty if you overlooked two things firstly her right arm just below the elbow was completely missing she had lost it and her right eye in the same axcident that had got the professor put out all the way one hazel coloured eye looked at him one tinted camara lense focused on him. Bethany had been rebuilt by her father her missing eye replaced with a chamera wired into her brain her right hand had been replaced with the first thing to hand a hevily modified power fist. Jack looked her in the face in both eye and lense without hesitating or flinching he shook her hand and smiled at her "I am hear to see your father my name is jack".

Bethany lead Jack into the laboratory it was large workshop jack headed past a few lab technitions to a work bench at the rear of the building an old tired man sat there working on a mechanical drawing as jack aproched the man got up a grinding sound could be heard the professure had mechanical legs from above the knee they were designed after the mechanisms of power armour but of a simpler design. The professor walked over to jack and shook him by the hand. "Helow jack and welcome to my home you can call me prof , my old friend doc henry wrote to me to sugest that you could help me with a problem of mine you see I am beginning to develop the mark three fire arms as a replacement for the last of the weapons we have from the old time which are wearing out and running out of amo we are developing a cartrage repeater from scrach first we had primitive unreliable flint lock pistals now we have reliable flint lock pistals and rifles I have been tasked by mr vancover to develop the next generation of fire arms and I am coming to an impass if we could arm our men with better weapons this war against the raiders could be over in a few days. At the moment we are standing there taking pot shots at one another us with musket the raiders with crossbows. If you can help me develop the mark threes then I will give you the land deed to some property in three hills I recently aquired as part of the development of the comunity ." Jack nodded he sat down at the woek bench and looked over the plans for the repeating fire arm.

Jack made a few modifications to a set of plans with a pencil, simplifying the over complicated design. he took a block of wood cut it down and machined it into a rough stock. Jack got a barrel and trimmed it down he began to mark out metal to make into various components. Carefully jack assembled the magazine using a large spring the standard musket rounds could be adapted with a push on cartrage to fit into it the magazine was located under the barrel like a pump action shot gun. Soon jack began to assemble the trigger mechanism. It was getting late jack had some dinner and then whent to bed. In the morning jack woke up had some brake fast then finished assembling the weapon. It had a five bullet capacity 1 in the chamber and a four round magazine jack loaded it with iron core rounds and took it over to a make shift firing range and tested jack adjusted the gun and tested it again. Jack whent back to the professor they disassembled the prototype that jack made then re assembled it. The two of them then made a second prototype and tested that. The professor calculated that it would take 325 caps worth of labour and materials to make a mark 3 repeater. The professor gave jack a the deed to the property in three hills as well as the first prototype that jack made , some cartridges and 20 caps as thanks. Jack added the deed to his stack of papers. And then pocketed the caps. And the mark 3 repeater. As he was leaving the professor turned round to jack "Heric sent a note over, if you manage to build a repeater he has a job for you something that needs to be killed something big and tough the creature is occupying a ruined factory light industrial some things we could salvage from that place vancover wants the land for something " jack nodded and headed of for blasted creek.

After a days walk jack was back at blasted creek they hadmoved the work on the outer wall forward and began to construct more dwellings inside the boundery of the wall. In the shack next to the construction of the sheriffs office heric was working on some papers. Jack nocked on the door and came in. Heric got up and greated jack "Take a seat jack I see you were sucksessful in helping the professor he is an old man he was old ten years ago when he joined vancover his wits are fadeing we will need a new crafts master soon, but that is a conversation for another day. I have another job for you jack there is a piece of land with a womingo on it mr vancover wants that land and whatever technology we can salvage from the ruins on the land I have already lost two deputys trying to kill this creature the reward reflects the effort required to kill this creature 2 houses in three hils from the new development there worth 500 caps each it is not a small reward but it is not a small dager the ruins are 5 miles north of the wesarn Y shaped trail split". Jack replied "I accept this job and I will fulfil it womingos are old but breed for war and hard to kill I have hurd that they are weak against fire so I will use insenduary rounds".

Chapter nine

It was not hard to find the old ruin five miles from the fork in the trail there was a large building that was mostley intacked the wamingo tended to leave people alone especially the trade caravans which were well armed however it was a different matter chasing the creature into its lair. Jack saw some rusted debre outside it looked like two piles of armour probably the deputies that never came back. Jack headed into the darkness inside the building the doors long fallen of.

The wamingo was fast faster than jack expected however he still had time to raise and fire his musket onece before it came closer. The wamingo hissed in pain as the needle round penetrated it. It rushed closer a mouth full of sharp teath screaming at jack , jack discarded his musket and brought his repeater to bear he emptied 5 rounds of insendury into the creature it screamed in agony and conhinued to come though its pace was dramatically reduced. Jack drew his machete and his one shot pistal he put a steel core round into one of its legs and rolled out of the way of its jaws to embed his machete in its other leg. The wamingo badly injured and hevily bleeding retreated jack took this opertunity to quickly load his repeater with iron core rounds the wamingo returned limping forwards jack emptied the 5 rounds into the creature it collapsed and began to spasm jack drew a stick of dynamite out and his 9 mm but it was such a low calibre weapon jack doughted it would do much. jack prepared to use it on the creature. The womingo spasamed again and lay still. To test it was dead jack threw his knife into it the creature did not move, it was most definitely dead jack put the dynamite away and set about recovering his machette.

Jack headed back to blasted creek he had thoughly checked out the ruins there were no other womingos no eggs and no indication where the creature had come from but it had been there a long time people had been going missing and the thing had been seen since his grandfathers day. Jack had resisted the urge to loot the place for supplies as it was a veary bad idear to get in mr vancovers way plus he was already going to be paid well for this job.

Jack adjusted his pack he was carrying a lot of armour and supplies at the moment soon he would need a pack animal or a porter to help him jack headed over to the marshals shack which he was using as a sight office. A real variety of soldiers stood guard at the gate a deputy with an old bolt action rifle in mixed metal armour a mailtia man with a mark two pistal sheathed and a mark 2 mucket wearing leather armour a ranger with no armour but 2 mark one pistal in holsters one on each hip a tribal in leather armour with a bow with arrows slung over one sholder and a spear in his hand, a wagon load of bricks and lumber passed jack and a gang of tired workers limped the other way. Jack grabbed a deputy standing by the gate "You know the ruins five miles from the Y split in the trail the wamingo's hole go get some men and secure it from looters the wamingos dead ". the deputy ran off jack headed to the marshals office. Jack opened the door and sat down the marshal nodded to him "Another little pest dead and a good field test for the mark three with plow and gun the alience will taime the wasteland piece by piece I got in at the ground I have been with mr vancover from the beginning and it has made me ritch and powerful you get your share as well jack". Heric handed over two deeds of ownership renatable property from three hils when the war with the raiders was over and the frontear of the alience moved further north that would be choice property. Jack responded "Thank you heric I will turn in for the night" heric responded before jack could go "When you have had a meal and a nights sleap see mr vancover he will be at the town hall" jack pocketed the deeds then whent over to the last gulp and paid 2 caps for a meal and a bed for the night

Jack woke up the next morning he stretched and dressed in his full armour he got some brake fast fryed geko eggs rasher of pig rat and some bramin chezze. Jack ate his fill and then headed over to the town hall he located an office with a stream of low level buracrats and business men outside jack walked straight past them and sat down across from mr Vancover. He shook jack by the hand "Good to see you jack its been a while things have changed you have moved up in the world I got a surprise out of that raider spy master I bielieve they wanted to get into the store rooms under the mill where we keep the aliences main gunpowder store he would have detonated it and put us back two years but you stoped him, you took him and his plans apart and now we move on I wish to make the alience stronger for the final push against the cobra clan. there is the ghoul town of charred pits I want the ghouls to join my alliance they have some technology we can trade to fix. they have some knowledge also we can trade with them but mostly I want some of the old mining robots I have very little in the way of heavy weapons or energy weapons and explosives are difficult to deploy against defended targets. Basically I am saying i plan to modify some mining robots into war bots to act as a heavy core to my armies. You will go to the ghouls and you will befriend them you will find there leader and you will convice them to join us I am willing to raise another council master up a real representative from the ghouls a position of power go see doc henry for medical supplies then go to chared pits, I will give you the deads to two of the new house being built at two moons the name of the tribals new town".

Jack nodded and then headed for saw bone henrys medical centre he passed more builders on his way over there. Several reinforced two story towers were going up along the perimeter of the wall they were just shells of structures at the moment but they had work crews crawling all over them. At the infirmary jack met doc henry "Jack I have been building on our research I have modified your reciplie for rad gulp into a weak form of rad x I am selling it for 35 caps a bottle it lasts about a day and will give you 25 % protection from radiation" jack nodded "and the down side " he asked. "Well it will give you a real hit to your perception to become completely rad immune you have to get pretty wasted on the side effects I will give you 4 doses for the job mr vancover has for you as well as any amount of rad gulp to clean you up afterwoods" jack looked at his supplies "doc do you have a bag or something im running out of room mabe I need something separate for my medical supplies". Doc henry had a look around and handed jack an old cavas bag jack was able to stuff everything apart from 3 rad gulps into the bag jack thanked henry and leaft . he paid 4 caps for some provisions and began to head south for chared pits.

Jack had met two traiders that had briefely been to chared pits one had worne a lead lined suite the othere had receved a fatal dose of radiation the man had not died instead doc henry had mixed up a cocktail or rad away rad x and a few other chemicals the serium had saved the traiders life but turned him into a ghoul not an appealing fate but the alience had given him rad resist jack knew enough to stay out of the hot spots the ghouls had been sceptical and dought ful but not overtly hostile to the previous traders. Jack headed over to charred pits it was a coal mine that had been re opened at the hight of the energy crisis before the bombs had droped people had tried to use it as a make shift vault by grabbing what they could and heading under ground it had only been partially sucksessful.

As jack headed towards blasted he saw a lot of signs of gecos. As jack got closer he saw about two dozen huts on the surface jack guesed that a lot of the the ghoul community would be below ground in the mine tunnels there were some gardens and a few other structures and signs of habitaition. two ghouls stepped out and levelled old beat up guns at jack. One wore a trench coat and carried a battered double barrelled shot gun there was only one barel intact the second ghoul had armour made from tires and canvas he had an old rifle which was held together with a lot of tightly wound wire round the butt of the gun. "Whats your business smothe skin" The ghoul on the right asked "I come from the alliance I have come to talk about trade who do I need to speak to who would be the voice of your community"? the two ghouls looked at each other for a second then lowered there weapons, finaly the one with the shot gun spoke up "You need to speek to Barnaby your two well armed in my opinion and I don't even recognise some of the weapons leave your gear in one of the huts it will be safe and you can come with me and we will see the boss". Jack headed over to a shack the ghouls let him put his musket both pistals repeater and axe and machete into a locker they missed his throwing knife.

The ghoul in a trench coat lead jack down into the mine the structures on the surface were in fairly bad shape but the ones under ground were little better jack found this out as he walked into the mine proper the ghoul paused at the door"Rodgers the name he extended his free hand" jack shook his hand "name is jack". They opened the door and walked in a large ghoul was propped up against a desk he had a pick axe handel with bits of rusty metal embedded in it he was ment to be on guard duty but he was fast asleap Rodger signalled to jack to let the man sleap they continued down into the mine past a few more ghouls who were tanning some geko skins. An old mechanic in greasy over alls walked past the ghoul had trouble moving as he was dragging a huge tool chest on weals behind him. Further in they whent past some more ghouls talking and they finaly got into the mine proper down a series of rickety ladders they came to a central hubb of tunnels crude signs pointed to living quarters stores work shop etc. they headed for the living quarters there were bunk beds every where with crude devides something was powering the lights but only about one in three were working and they were fairly dim. Past the bunk beds they came to a wooden door. Rodger knocked twice a deep voice replied "Enter". Rodger whent in and talked to Barnaby for a couple of minutes then came out and signalled jack.

Inside the door was a sort of office battered and rusted crates lined some walls racks of shelves old well thumbed books etc a ghoul about seven foot tall stood up from behind the desk and walked over to jack "Another traider from the alience and one sensible enough not to fall in a pool of toxic waste on the way hear, my name is Barnaby I will talk for charred pits". Jack and Barnaby sat down "Shortly before the war started I was an average joe an every man however as hostilities began I saw a way I could help I organised a group of people 295 of us grabbed everything we could and headed for this mine we thought it would act as a vault keep the radiation out I was only partially correct it has been a long time I have lost count of the years infact it has probably been over nine decades since the bombs have fallen there are now 174 of us left including my self. we live of mushrooms irradiated fruit and geckos which we hunt with harpoon guns. who are you". Jack responded "I am jack called jack of trades I am a trader and a tinker if its broken I can fix it if its working I can make it work better I can find a buyer for most anything I am a knight of the alience and I am hear to make you a deal". Barnaby responded "What kind of deal do you have in mind?" jacks response "what do you need"? Barnably response was short "about 30 years ago a group split off from us ten of them to the west they set up home they have all gone feral mad dogs put them down end there pain. rodger saw you had a lot of weapons let us see if you can use them".

Jack headed back to the surface he collected his weapons and headed west towards the feral ghoul camp. There was a small ruined house with a wall and part of the roof caved in a screeching pain maddened monstrosity of decaying flesh and tattered rags shot out from a dark bolt hole and went for jack. Jack considered using his muscket but he didant want to waist a round the feral ghoul came closer jack smacked it across the face with the butt of his musket the ghoul was sent backwards. Jack brought his boot down on the ghouls neck and killed it dead. Three more feral ghouls emerged from the wrecked house and screamed then headed for jack. Jack put his musket down he drew his throwing knife and let it sail into the first ghoul dropping it dead. Jack drew his machete and axe and slashed and hacked the two remaining ghouls to pieces. Jack advanced on the ruined house a ghoul emerged from the wreckage at the same time a hidden ghoul jumped jack from behind trying to strangle him. Jack up ended the ghoul that had jumped him onto the ghoul infront of him the two were knocked down jack embedded his machete in one and his axe in the other. With all his mellay weapons imbedded in a dead ghoul jack fought the next two bare handed the first got a right to the face which sent it staggering back the second jack dodged out of its way got it in a head lock and snapped its neck the other ghoul got back up jack knocked it down with another well placed punch then preceded to put his boot on its throught and crush the ghouls wind pipe leaving it dead. Jack recovered his weapons he could see a strange light coming from inside the house a feral ghoul with a length of pipe runs out of the house and straight at jack jack blocked the pipe with the flat of his machete and then smacked the ghoul round the side of its decomposing skull with the axe putting it down. The next and final ghoul is a glowing feral ghoul one completely irradiated in a panick jack began to drink down the rad resist four bottles will have seriously hampered his perception but he was rad immune when the glowing ghoul arrived. Jack slashed at the creature with his machete as it whent for his throught it screamed and backed away the wound began to close. Jack realised that a glowing ghoul has regeneration. Jack came at the ghoul he smashed it in the face with his axe it backed away its face slowly rebuilding jack hacked at it again and again with his machete as its head came off it died the glow slowly faded away. Jack had a quick look through the house for anything of value but there wasent a thing he could use. Jack turned round and headed for charred pits his vision blurring from the rad resist.

It took jack a few hours to walk back to charred pits his head cleared but he still retained his radiation resistance. Barnaby and Rodger were waining outside. Jack and Barnaby sat at a table in a shack and spoke Barnaby whent first "I watched you jack you mostly carry weapons made locally and probably from scrach the alience is quite advanced you have antie rad medication and probably healing supplien to" Jack nodded. "The alience is far better of than charred pits we have some technology but no way to fix it some expensive guns without any expensive ammunition the guns we have got are in a bad state I cannot stand against the alience it would not profit me or my . own mr vancover keeps sending people to trade with me for what he wants if I keep stalling he will come and take it what he wants I will hear your offer" .

Jack began "Mr vancover is still after allies to join him against the raiders just recently the tribals united and joined us fighting egal was raised up as a council master. Mr vancover is offering you a similar position your ghouls will become citizens of the alliance we can repair what technology you have we can sell you new guns made in alience work shops you give me a list of what things you have in your supplies and what materials and resources you have and we can come to an arangement". Barnaby thought about things for a second I have such lists in my office downstairs you are skilled with machines while I get them you can have a look at our auto dock , we aquired it a long time ago but it has worked for seventy years but it has not worked for a considerable time now and we need it if you fix it I will pay you . jack was lead by Rodger to there auto doc he looked over the machine carefully he checked the power core was sound the memory core was souns that the mechanisms were sound jack unscrewed the maintinence panels and had a look inside the wiring was sound but he had seen an old machine with a simple problem before the conetors between the power supply and the rest of the machine had be come corroded jack took them out cleaned off the corrosion jack carefully did this for each module in the machine then put it all back together and switched it on the auto doc came back to life. "Impressive what do you want in payment" Barnaby asked "I belive you have a mini reactor that runs on uranium cartrages I could use a spent cartrage for the depleated uranium to make amunition" Barnaby nodded at this request he got a spent cartridge and handed it to jack. Barnaby got out a hube club and a carefully made harpoon gun with a bag of bolts he would follow jack back to blasted creek and negociate with mr vancover.

Jack and Barnaby headed out of the mining town and on the long jurney to blasted creek on the way Barnaby was jumped by a golden geco it gave him a rather nasty wound to the side before he could harpoon it. Jack fished out his strong healing powder and used it on the ghoul the ghoul found it quite suited to his anatomy the extra bit of radiation it gave off helped him heal more from it than a human.

Jack boart ten unfinished steel core rounds from frank he got the spent uranium catraged and set about making some ammunition while mr vancover and Barnaby negociated charred pits terms of entrance into the alliance. Part way through the process as jack was making the ammunition a technition walked in and signalled jack. Jack turned the macine he was working at off and headed over to the man "Mr vancover wants to see you chared pits has joined the alience".

Jack headed back over to the town hall mr vancover was standing next to Barnaby they were talking together when jack arrived they both turned towards him mr vancover spoke "Jack its good to see you hear is your reward " mr vancover passed two deeds to jack then he continued "The alience is strong enough to wipe out the raiders, soon I will send you at the head of my armies to destroy the cobra clan I am promoting you to an Arch knight of the alliance you are one who is becoming ledgend jack, get some sleep or get some supplies in the morning you march." Jack whent back and finished of his ten uranium tipped rounds then jack whent about making a sholder strap for his one shot musket. After finishing it jack whent to bed at the last gulp arch knights got free food and board.

The next day jack surveyed his troops ten deputies ten milita men two rangers and 4 tribals made up his advanced platoon his orders were simple there were two groups of enemy skirmishers one lead by dead eye a sharpshooter with a scoped rifle the second lead by iron back who used poision weapons jacks orders were simple find them kill them clear anything between the alience main force and the raiders strong hold , The men set off and marched hard for three days they whent past units who had exchange fire with the raiders they whent past three hills which was now quite hevily fortified.

On the third day they met dead eyes skirmisher group dead eye was a sniper he took aim at a militia man they wore little head protection and the man whent down dead. Jack ordered his men down in a ditch where they could not be picked off he slowly crept out of the ditch and saw the glint from the lense of the scope on dead eye's rifle jack decided to forgo all subtlety he took out a stick of dynamite and carefully approached where dead eye was jack saw about 20 raiders in a trench waiting for dead eyes signal he planed to play a game of cat and mouse jack saw the crevice in the rocks he armed the detonator and let the dynamite fly. There was a brief pause then the rock exploded bits of body and rock flew every where a twisted lump of metal that was dead eyes rifle came to rest next to jack. The raiders responded by attacking jack, jacks own men took it as a signal and headed for the raiders. Jack carmly levelled his musket at a raider and put an iron core round through the man. Jack sholdered his rifle and pulled out his repeater he charged into the raiders emptying five more iron core rounds the first blew a raider in half the second removed a raiders arm at the sholder the third removed a raiders head the fourth blew a hole in a raiders guts leaving him foled up and bleading to death the fith was another head shot removing most of the raiders head . a raider ran at jack with a sledge hamer jack cracked them across the face with his empty mark three droping them to the ground jack puttled his mark 2 one shot pistal and his throwing knife he took down two raiders in one go one droped as a needal round pierced there skull a second droped with a knife in there chest. Jacks men arrived Jack pulled out his 9 mm he had six rounds he emptied two into the next raiders chest dropping them then shot two more into the next raider then emptied the final two rounds into a third raider. Jack pulled out his machete and finished of the raider with the sleadge hamer as he tried to get up. Jack looked around there were no raiders leaft alive they had been completely decimated he had lost a man to dead eye and some of the more lightly armed men would have scars but they were still ready to fight. Jack recovered his throwing knife then reloded his mark three with iron rounds his mark 2 pistal with his last iron core and his musket with a nedal round he recovered his throwing knife and claned up his machete. A couple of healing wraps and bandages were applied by his men a dose of strong healing powder for one man and they were ready to continue.

About two hours later they spotted the last group of raiders these were more numerus and better armed there leader iron back could be seen from some distance due to his metal armour. They were streached out across a vally jacks men split in two and began to creep up on them from cover determined to catch them in the cross fire. A raider noticed a deputy next to jack he fired at him with a shot gun the pellets dented the deputys armour and sent him realing back jack decapitated the raider with a neddle round from his musket. Jack drew his repeater and signalled his men forward the raiders answered with antiquated fire arms crossbow bolts and throwing knives. Jack blasted a raiders arm off at the elbow then he blasted off the raiders head jack decapitated two more raiders in quick sucksession a fourth turned and tried to run jack emptied his last round into the mans back droping him dead . jack drew his mark 2 one shot and blasted another raider who had been trying to use a dead comraide as cover while he reloaded his cros bow. A raider out of amo tried to use the butt of his cros bow as a club jack pulled his throwing knife he blocked the man with his armoured gauntlet and stabbed him in the guts jack drew the blody knife out of the dyeing raider and threw it into another raider's leg leaving the man hobbeling. Jack drew his axe and machete and advanced on the injdured raider. The raider tried to reload his ancient zip gun, jack was on him to fast and the man was dead. Jack saw the raiders dead or dieing two of his men were down with cross bow bolts in them but they would live jack saw iron back trying to macke his escape jack charged him iron back brought his cross bow up to late jack nocked it out of the mans hands jack hacked at the armour with his axe until it finaly gave way and buckled jack wedged him machete into the hole iron back was still fighting back jack tapped the machete with the flat of his axe one more the blade whent in a little further and iron back died jack whent back to his men two had been poisioned with radscorpion venom on iron backs cross bow bolts jack treated them with antie venom then a healing powder each for the wounds from his own stocks. Jack picked up iron backs cross bow and ammunition The way to the raiders strong hold was now clear, jack lead his men up to the raiders strong hold they had taken a large hill as there base of operations a tack wide enough for a cart wound up the hill to a stockade made of wood and rubble there were thick earth walls and deep ditches a large wooden gate house reinforced with metal bars on the gates a two story building dominated the stockade it was made of stone and brick it had firing holes and thick walls jack waited at the foot of the hill for the main army to catch them up.

Two hours later a scout cough them up he told jack that the main army was a bout half an hour away. They could hear the rattle of wagons and the klanking of armour long before the army arrived there were fourty deputies in metal armour some with mark 3 repeaters about a hundread others followed them in supply wagons and on foot tribals and militia men making up the bulk of the force. They were lead by arch knight harris. He gretead jack "Its good to see you jack" "Likewise" jack replied harris continued "you have cleared out every raider from three hills to there stronghold I saw what was leaft they did not put up much of a fight I gess you took them by surprise " jack nodded. "If we had heavy weapons we could blast them out of there with ease but we don't we could sit back taking pot shots at one another or starve the raiders out but mr vancover wants a decicive victory soon he wants you to give him the raider patriarchs 45 magnum desert egal pried from the mans cold dead hands". Jack took hariss to one side "I have been to blood rust and sparks they traid with the raiders there are rumours of a hevily locked door on the other side of the raiders compound an escape rought I will lead five men armed with mark 3 repeaters get in and hold there court yard I have some explosives left I cam blow the main gates once the stronghold is compromised it will be easy to get the last of them out".

Jack selected 5 deputies armed with mark three repeaters once it was completely dark they scalled the rear of the hill that the raiders camp was built on. there was a trail carefully hidden it would have been the raiders escape rought jack noticed a section of wall with a few distinct differences in it jack carefully serched it till he found the key hold jack carefully picked the lock and put his tools away. Jack loaded his gun with steel core rounds and pushed the door open the deputies followed him into a small storage room. A raider half asleap almost walked into jack all stelth forgotten jack simply blew him away before the man could un sling his cross bow. The deputies ran to the windows of the store room jack pushed the door open a dozen raiders were running towards the noise not a very good idear a raider with a fire axe ran at jack. Jack blasted his guts out dropping the man a raider fired a crossbow hastily it embedded in the wood above jacks head , jack returned fire the raider droped with half his chest missing before he could reload . a raider on one of the walls fired down at jack with a pipe gun the dirt at jacks feet exploded jack emptied the last two rounds in his repeater into the raider blasting him apart. Jack ducked back into the store room and reloaded his mark 3 repater with hamer head rounds. Looking out the deputys were reloading and there were ten raider corpses in the court yard. Jack looked out there were two buildings between them and the gate house. Jack saw a raider detach himself from a shadow the raider lit a Molotov cocktail and ran at the store shack. Jack put a hamer head round into the raiders centre of mass. Droping the raider and setting him on fire jack signalled the deputies to move. Out of the door they headed across the open court yard for the next building. Two raiders came up ready to shoot one with a revolver the other with a zip gun jack blasted one in the chest a deputy shot the other. Jack put two hamer head rounds into the door of the shack and it disintegrated into splinters jacks men piled into another store room a raider with a sledge hamer got up from a make shift bead jack put him down. Jack reloaded his mark 3 with toxic shrapnel specials. He signalled for his deputies to stay put. Jack climed out a window and carefully climed onto a wall he worked his way around silently and dropped down behind the next building jack saw six men with crossbows waitng to ambush them as they came out jack caught them by surprise from behind and emptied five shrapnel rounds into the huddle of men blasting them into pices. Jack signalled his men that the cost was clear and they came out of the store room to the next building that was an empty stable any live stock that they had. Would have been slaughtered long ago. Jack looked at the gate house through a window it was well defended solid building covering the gate jack pulled out his last stick of dynamite and loaded his mark three with his remaining 4 steel core rounds jack tossed the dynamite up against the gate then shot it the gate blew apart. Half a dozen raiders got out of the gate house and made a run for the keep they were blasted to pieces jack got one with a well placed shot. Jack's men came up the hill about 30 deputies in the lead they carefully came into the main compound serched it and delt with the two or three remaining raiders. They were weary of the keep and stayed out of range or under cover. The deputies wealed carts in place used boxes and spare wood to form barricades they could use as cover. Every once in a while an arrow or bullet or other crude projectile would issue forth from the keep as nervous raiders took pot shots at deputies. Militia men with muskets took pot shots back the battle had ground to a hault again the lines redrawn with perhaps 30 raiders holed up in a strongly defended structure.

Harris and jack surveyed the sean from behind a barricade Harrison comented "My remarks still stand we need heavy weapons to blast them out or we need to starve them out no cleaver trick is going to get us through 3 foot thick walls or 2 inch steel doors" jack looked at Harris "We need to maintin momentum there are a lot of raiders and a long siege will cost us a lot of resourcess" jack walked over to a barricade he signalled to a deputy "Bring me my musket". The deputy disappeared and returned a second later with jacks musket jack loaded it with his last needle round he rose up from cover he took aim at a patch of gray that could just be seen from one of the upper windows. Jack fired there was a scream in the night a guragaling sound the noise of something heavy hitting the floor and then silence. Jack ducked back as a crude spear shot over his head he handed his musket back to the deputy. Jack picked up his mark three and emptied the last two steel core rounds into the side of the keep there were two holes dug into the stone but not significant one. Harris turned to jack "Our standard armourments cant penetrate walls that thick" jack looked at harris "It's a good job I brought some non standard armaments then". Jack loaded his mark three with five uranium tipped rounds he signeled to a group of ten deputies with particularly thick armour jack lead them round to the side of the keep to a window that was well away from the main door . Jack let lose 5 uranium tipped rounds into the wall they blasted huge sections of wall out creating a gaping gap jack ran across the open area loading his mark three with viper rounds as he went.

Jack was the first to make it through the hole a raider still alive was half buried under the rubble he drew a knife and tried to stab jack in the leg jack pined the mans knife hand down with his boot not bothering to waist amo jack picked up a piece of rubble and blugened the raiders skull in. two raiders came into the room jack shot one in the thigh and one in the gut they dropped and died screaming in agony. Jack directed 4 deputies down one corridor four down another and had two follow him. Jack kicked open a door to find a raider inside the man whent for a revolver jack decapitated him with a viper round. The raiders retreated to the top floor up a stone staircase . Jack blasted another raider in the sholder with a viper round to leave the man to die as the poision quickly over whelmed his system. A grill droped down at the top of ths stairs a deputy ran up to it an old raider wearing a flack jacket came out of nowhere he had a 45 magnam desert egal he emptied 5 rounds into the deputy through the grill, the calibre was enough to pierce the metal armour and kill the man he fell to the ground and slowly rolled down the staircaise. Jack halted his men at the foot of the stairs out of shooting range. Jack whent back to the front door and opened it more deputies flooded in under a barrage from the top floor they cleared out the rest of the raiders on the ground floor but found a door to the celler locked firm.

"I want to talk to that butcher leading you" the raider shouted Jack retorted "we can talk from hear what do you want to say old raider scum". The raider patriarch spoke his last words "I am King Cobra the patriarch of the Cobra clan I am the undisputed leader of my people we will still win this day I have a few suprises for you yet, I have stole raped and murdered my way over this land for thirty years you wont end me now". Jack waited for the right opertunity "I am Jack, known as jack of trades king of blades and I am your death", jack came round the corner and emptied his last viper round into the spot where the raider had been but king cobra was too fast and disappeared back into the corridor.

Jack whent back to a vacant room he loaded his last 5 uranium tipped rounds into his repeater jack found a table that he could pick up with one hand. Jack came round the base of the stairs with the table held high a shot blasted one corner of the table. Jack got so far up the stairs and threw the table to one side shots hit his bullet proof vest and metal armour jack emptied one round into the metal grill blowing it to pieces jack grabbed it with his one free hand and pulled it aside. Along the corridor was a sand bag barricade two raiders with rusty guns hid behind it jack put two uranium tipped rounds into the barricade blowing it apart and killing the two raiders. Jack advanced up the corridor deputies behind him a raider hiding behind a door drew a pistal jack saw the tip of the pistal and emptied a uranium tiped round into the door shreading it and the raider behind it. Jack was down to his last uranium round he turned round to his men "Keep away from the windows or you could be shot by our men outside". Jack got out his mark 2 one shot pistal and loaded it with a tranquilizer dart he then holstered the weapon. Harris with his automatic shot gun was suddenly behind jack the two of them advanced up the main corridor all around them raiders died in there last futile struggle. four raiders with guns burst out of a side coridoor jack blew one apart with a well placed shot to the chest the man litteraly exploded. Harris set his auto shot gun to burst fire and killed the other three.

Harris reloaded jack drew his machete and throwing knife. Harris and jack entered a room there were two raiders one with a mache one with a crossbow. Jack put his throwing knife into the man with a crossbow then leapt across the room with his machete to finish the man off. Harris had his gun jam he simply smacked the raider in the face with the butt off the gun the proceded to beat the man to death. Deputys checked over the entire floor all raiders were dead except for King Cobra and there was one locked door. "King cobra is mine" jack declared he moved his men back and then picked the lock.

Jack let the door open inside was a throne room of sourts king cobra was on his thrown with his desert egal in his lap he hissed at jack and fired jack was already diving for the floor jack had his one shot pistal out. he aimed at king cobra and shot him in the groin with a tranquiliser dart. The raider screamrd in pain the fell unconshus. Jack looked over the raider, king cobra had his teath filed so that they looked like two fangs the man had a cut down the centre of his toung so it resembled a snakes forked tong. Jack signalled a deputy over two him he brought iron backs cros bow and bolts. Jack layed the raider king out on the floor he fired a cross bow bolt through his forarm pinning it to the ground jack repeated it with the other arm the raider woke up from the venom and the pain . jack picked up the raiders own pistal jack checked the gun there was one round leaft in the chamber the deputies and militia men gathered round jack heled the gun to king cobras head "by the authority of the alience by and for its peoples I end your rain and your life king cobra" at this point jack blasted king cobras head off so ending the first chapter of the raider wars. Jack looked at Harris then spoke "serch the bodies of the raiders then pile them up and burn then mr vancover wants this place inventoried first so no looting check this place twice for hideing holes then we get some sleep". Jack whent down to the celler and picked the lock inside were about 25 slaves that the raiders used as labourous and servants. Jack had them freed they agreed to become alience citizens and would settle at the ex raider stronghold.

Next chapter

jack woke up in a strange bed he stretched and yawned it was a different place in the light the raiders strong hold it was more inviting but a little draftee from all the holes jack had blown in the building. Jack organised Squads of militia men to go about the place all the clan marks from the raiders were to be removed from everything. clerks were instructed to inventorying the acumliated rubbish the raiders kept for any worth wile items. the fire arms and weapons the raiders had including a lot of broken weapons were pilled up. A team of labourous were instructed to clear the reckage of the gate house away all around the strong hold work teams were repairing the signs of damage. Jack was told by a scount that marshal heric Mr vancover and a body guard were approaching.

Jack organised his men into ranks they saluted heric and Mr Vancover. The marshal made a speech with every other word victory or glory. afterwoods they met in a quiet side room in the raiders keep Mr vancover patted jack on the back "You have done very well jack you swept aside the raiders defences in a short time ,and doc henry insisted we bother to test you before I gave you this position , I am making you the governer of the north this place strong hold is your main baise three hills also falls under your jurisdiction you will in time add blood rust and sparks to your territory when you convince them to join the alience you are now the rank of provisional council master". Jack handed mr vancover the holster and gun that king cobra used and the crossbow and bolts iron back used. "A few little momentows of this war" jack comented. Mr vancover looked thought ful for a minute "jack I suppose its time to pay the piper what do I owe you". Jack thought for a minute "43 bounties the bonus for removing the skirmishers the bonus for taking this stronghold the bounty on king cobras head the bounty on iron back and dead eye". Mr vancover looked over jack "Let us begin" mr vancover got out a large back full of caps and began counting out 175 caps vancover put them down "That pays off seven raiders" jack nodded and added them into a bag of caps jack was bairly able to close the bag. Mr vancover continued "I will need you to do the same thing you did hear to the vulture raider clan but that will take time they are better prepared" mr vancover counted out four deeds "land plots 17 to 20 in three hills worth 400 caps and 8 caps a month rental pays off the bounty on 16 raiders" jack nodded and folded the deeds up and put them away. Mr vancover looked at jack "you used uranium rounds you caught a few rads best take some rad gulp" jack took some out of his pack and downed it, mr vancover continued "the cobra clan had more weapons than I thought they would they are dealing with another power a slaver clan these will be a future enemy" mr vancover organised another stack of land deeds "plots 24 to 28 at three hills totalling 500 caps and worth ten caps a month rent, that pays off all the bounties I owe you" jack nodded. Mr vancover continued "there is a fragment of the masters army that is to say super mutants somewhere on the border of the alience territory we don't have the fire power to deal with there kind but we can deal with there pets the centars, there was a two hundread cap bounty on dead eye if I add the three hundread cap bounty for iron back I can give you a deed for a house in three hils worth 500" jack nodded mr vancover handed him the deed "You notice I am granting you land in three hills it gives you power over the teritory" Jack nodded at mr vancover. Mr vancover continued "I have aquired a third share in an orchard at three hills called the cider press this is worth 1200 caps I will give it to you as your reward for cutting through the raider skirmishers the monthly revinue is 30 caps, you accept" jack nodded at this "A solid business with land" mr vancover continued "there is something worse than the super mutants out there" he handed jack the deed for a 1/3 rd share of the cider press orchard. Mr vancover came closer "There is a roge splinter group from the brother hood of steel that was origionaly sent after the super mutants they abandoned there mission and turned into another bunch of raiders they will be another pain to kill". Mr vancover looked at jack "I have given you some idear of the bigger picture for taking this place the stronghold I will give you another two houses in three hills and for killing king cobra I will let you re stock back up on ammunition" jack nodded at this mr vancover handed him the two deads. Jack spoke up "Doc henry and fighting egal owe me some remind them we will need beter fire power to beat the vulture clan they are far better organised than the cobras were". Mr vancover thought about it for a second "Also its worth mentioning that a nest of death claws have probably sprung up somewhere they will also be a problem for another day, You have good knowledge of fire arms you will work on a commission for me develop a new type of gun a clip weapon a mark 3 machine pistal the professor is working on another fire arm. This place will be called Stronghold it is your base I am leaving a garrison of 50 men hear the civilian contingent will grow it is the 24th settlement in the alliance keep working jack " there meeting finished jack whent to the supply wagon and re stocked his supplies.

Slowly they repaired stronghold to make it into a strong base which to launch attacks against the vulture raider clan. Jack had a fully supplied engineering detachment and set up a work shop in an old store room. It took jack about five days to finish his work . he found a rusty piece of junk that used to be a machine pistal amoungst the raiders rubbish jack took the weapon apart and make careful notes on it he drew up several plans to make a simplified version capable of using the aliences heavy calibre rounds. Carefully jack selected a barrel that had been made at the alience foundery he ground it down and modified it to become the barrel of the machine pistal. Jack got some hardwood and acrefully carved the handel and body of the weapon he made it as light as possible jack carefully built the internal mechanisms from steel stock available he built a triggour mechanism superiour to the previos mark 2's jack build the trigger guard and reinforced the grip to stop the recoil from shaking the weapon apart. The loader was especially tricky to make a clip capable of carrying ten standard cartridge rounds. Jack added a selector to his design so it could be put on automatic or single shot. With one in the barrel and ten in the clip the gun could put eleven rounds into a target at close range in about 2 seconds. The accuracy of the gun was greatly reduced in burst fire mode but it still worked quite well jack carefully calculated that it took about 400 caps to produce a single mark three machine pistol . a day after jack had finished the second prototype a mesanger arrived from mr vancover he had news and items for jack.

The deputy handed a deed to jack "Fighting egal gives you one house in two moons as payment " jack nodded and excepted the deed. The deputy pulled out a second deed "Doc henry gives you this land in three his as full payment worth a thousand caps with a monthly rental of 20 caps" jack nodded and accepted the deed. The mesanger handed jack a small type of pistal that was easly conceled yet had a single shot of a high calibour round. "This is a mark 3 micro pistal developed by the professor they are about 25 caps to make he said you should have the original as a gift" jack nodded. The mesanger continued "The vulture clan have been denied traid by blood rust and sparks and as a result they have began to raid again mr vancover says you may attack they with the forces you have at your disposal take no prisoners destroy them utterly if you are able". Jack handed over the plans for the mark 3 machine pistal and a prototype he set about organising a ten man patrol and the beginning of the second chapter in the raider wars.