Chapter 1

As everyone ran around setting up camp I was on autopilot. After, what was it, ten years almost eleven, serving in Cesar's legion everything becomes routine, automatic. Things like putting up your tent, tending to your armor, sharpening your weapon, and feeding your dog. These things, they became second nature.

We were a small battalion, twenty soldiers. Five of them were recruits. Judas was told these were the most promising of the new batch of recruits. Although that's what they said last time and I had them broke in no time. Before the week was up I had them running across the Mojave begging for a place of sanctuary. Ha, they won't find it here, not in the wasteland. I guess I didn't have to shoot one of their nuts off, but hey they've got to get use to the brutality. Well now they'll spread news of our cruelty, let the Mojave know that Cesar's legion is not to only be feared in the East, but all over the wastes.

"Rome!" I turned to see who was beckoning me and instantly regretted it so I turned back to whatever I was doing before that asshole walked in. Man I hate that guy, Clitorious. Why did he pick that name its Greek not Roman.

"What Clit?" If he insists on calling me Rome he was going to be called a part of the female reproductive system.

"Judas wants to speak with you." He said through gritted teeth.

"Do you know what it's about?" I asked standing all the way up and scratching Nuka behind the ear.

"No." That was either a very good or very bad thing. I decided it was best not to keep him waiting. As I walked towards Clit I saw him brace to hit me with his shoulder. He seemed to let slip from his mind the fact that I'm about five inches taller and easily have 60 or 70 pounds on him. I just let him hit me with all the force he could muster. I heard a crack followed by what I assume was the sound a tendons ripping. Before I have even made it out the door he's sprawled out on the ground clutching at his shoulder crying like a little baby. He does his best to scowl at me through the pain when I mutter dumb ass under my breath. Once the dry, hot dessert air hits my face I make my wait towards the commander's tent wondering what Judas could want to talk to me about. I'm not a recruit but I'm certainly not high up on the chain of command. I just train the new guys. That's why my tent is supposed to be set up really far from command.

Before I reached my impending doom of being torn a new one I decided I would stop off at the arena and see what Dominic was doing with the recruits. Before I was within ten feet of the thing I saw the new blood spots that hadn't been there this morning. On the bright side! I couldn't hear any screaming. Once I was able to properly see and hear I saw two of the bigger recruits where wrestling while the others stood to the side and Dom laughed his head off.

"Didn't Judas tell us we needed at least one of them to survive this time and you're going to let two kill each other?" I asked once I was standing right next to him.

"Of course not but I can at least get some entertainment out of it. I'll stop it when I need to." Once again I was caught off guard when his Capital accent came through. He's the only one in the camp not from the Mojave or California so you never quite get used to his Capital Wasteland accent.

"Why are they fighting anyway?"

"Well the one with the buzz cut said something colorful about the scratched up ones mom doing something to his cock. The other guy took offence to it." It took all the will power I had not to do a face palm right then and there. Sometimes these recruits are just moronic.

"That. I. A. Very stupid reason to fight someone you might have to depend on later to save your life."

"That's what I said but maybe it'll teach them a lesson."

"Yeah and what lesson is that?"

"It will teach them either not to say things about another soldier's momma or not to get so damn defensive about it if they do." Just as he said that buzz cut tossed Scarface right onto a stray bumper sword. Damn sword went right through the guy's abdomen.

"God damn it! I told you not to kill him" Dom said as he went over to teach buzz cut a lesson in what I'm sure will be a very dignified manner that he will later have to defend himself to Judas about. Hey at least it wasn't my fault this time. However that train of thought only brought me back to current predicament of having no idea why Judas would summon me. As I continued my walk toward the tent I tried to think of a reason. I hadn't killed anybody recently or gotten into a fight with a fellow soldier which for me was quite the accomplishment. By this point I had reached the dusty torn up rag of a tent. The two soldiers standing guard simultaneously held their guns out. Two assault carbines that, if I recall correctly we pilfered from some radio station type thing. They would run out of use soon we don't come around ammo for those things a lot. 5mm bullets aren't that common because that's the only gun that uses them. Well that and a Mini Gun but those things are so heavy no one trekking it through the wastes is going to waste caring capacity for it.

"State your business soldier 0198." The taller of the two soldiers commanded more than asked after looking at the number tattooed into my right shoulder under the letters SPQR.

"I was told Judas wished to speak with me. I assume it's to discuss the training of the new recruits given the outcome of the last few was, well not so great."

"You're right Judas did wish to speak with you, however it's not about the new recruits." The short one said with a arrogant look to rival Clit's. They moved their weapons away from the door quietly laughing. If those two are laughing there can't be anything good for me on the other side of that cloth entrance.

After walking into the tent I noticed that it felt about five degrees cooler than outside. Probably because the sun wasn't betting down on you as if its sole purpose in life was to make every single thing you do difficult. It was very dark however. All the window flaps had been let down. The only illumination was coming from the far corner on a table with three men standing around it. I continued to approach them but when I was within three feet of them none looked up. They didn't seem to notice my entrance so rather than take a whipping for waiting and making them think I was "spying" I snapped a quick salute and cleared my throat.

"Soldier 0198 reporting for duty at your request Commander Sir." Wow that seemed redundant, but if I addressed him in any other way I would be punished severely for it. All three men turned to look at me quickly with bewilderment in their eyes. Judas unmistakable in his coyote headdress laughed whole heartedly when he noticed the look on the other two men's faces.

"Told you he would be perfect for the job, how many soldiers you know can get that close to you and not make a sound. I could have been on the floor dead before either of you even knew he was here." Judas said as the other two put whatever was on the table away pretty franticly. They must really not want me to see it. Judas told one of the soldiers in the corner, who I hadn't noticed before to open the window flaps so we could shine some light on this conversation. I still had no idea what the subject of said conversation was, but it obviously involved me and being sneaky. I don't like that.

"Sir may I ask what I have to do with whatever it is that was just being discussed?" I asked nervously but managing to keep the confidence in my voice. The sun that was let in by the opened flap blinded me momentarily so I was somewhat surprised when Judas wrapped his arm around me while letting out a hearty laugh.

"Of course my boy of course if you're going to be a part of the mission you'll need to be briefed on the situation any way. So Roman is it?" he said once he pilfered a worn out piece of paper from his pocket. I can only assume it's the list of all the soldiers in his camp.

"Yes sir."

"Well Roman you were requested specifically for this mission by Caesar himself, you should feel proud. Know, do you have any prior knowledge of the Lucky 38 casino in New Vegas?" The Lucky 38? Why would anyone need information on that old place?

"Only that no one has been in there for quite some time."

"Good you'll go in fresh then with no misconceptions or biases. Here is your mission. There is a bunker near Caesar's camp and in that bunker the insignia for the Lucky 38 is everywhere. Caesar say to open the doors we need chip but not just any chip he says it's this thing called a platinum chip. That's all we know. You will be sent to New Vegas to discover the location of the platinum chip we do not believe it is in the Lucky 38 but if it is you must find a way in. You are to report back here when you have located the chip. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes sir. Do you have a starting place for me?" I asked quizzically really not wanting to have to start from scratch with information.

"Yes! That ridiculous Mr. New Vegas won't stop talking about some courier who was shot in the head by Tops casino owner Benny."

"What use is a dead courier to me?" I ask trying to be respectful but my intolerance for pointless chit chat was getting to me.

"Here's the thing the courier isn't dead. But if they had something important enough for the owner of the Tops to follow them all the way out to a god forsaken town like Good Springs you should find out what they had, and to do that you've got to know where they went."

"Yes sir. I'll start with Good Springs."

"You are dismissed. You may have unrestricted accesses to any and all armory options you wish to use. Show Calvin outside this coin and he will show you to the armory." My eyes must have lite up when he said that because having unrestricted accesses to the armory was like a kid being able to eat all the radiation free sugars bombs they wanted. I walked out examining the coin as I went. It was flawless perfectly clean, probably the shiniest thing I'd ever seen or ever would see. It had to be from before the war it's in too good of condition to have been made after. When I pulled the door flap back I was once again blinded violently by the setting sun. I stepped all the way out and turned around squinting my eyes to get a better look at the two brutes standing before me.

"Which one of you is Calvin?" I asked putting the coin up so both could see, the one with a scare over his lip stepped forward.

"Sargent Roman please follow me to the armory." Calvin deadpanned. He began to walk away taking massive strides for a big guy he could get around pretty fast. The armory was just a slightly bigger tent then the rest positioned towards the back of the camp with guns and skulls painted on it. But when you walk in its paradise with walls and walls of gun cabinets, a few dozen crates of ammo and sorted explosives, but let's not forget energy weapons. Not many of us use them but we still like to keep them around. They're nice to use on those fucking cazadores, god I hate those things. It's so satisfactory to see them reduced to a pile of goo or dust. Calvin chuckled when I looked in awe at a fully restored combat shotgun.

"Have fun." I heard him say in a sing song voice as he walked out.

"Oh I will" I let him know as I continue into the tent.