As Vulpes Inculta exited his quarters of the Legion Fort, a stranger in the shadows watched him go from beneath his dark hood. He moved across the dusty ground silently and slipped inside the tent before the fabric even had time to settle. In front of the stranger, inside the doorway, lay a Legionary soldier, unconscious. His laboured breath wheezed through a broken and bloodied nose and his eyes were swollen shut. At the far side of the tent, a naked woman sat on the floor, flushed and panting. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she scrambled to find something to cover herself with.

"Forgive me Courier," the stranger spoke softly, fleeting his eyes over her pale body, "it is not my intention to either harm or humiliate you, but I would like to speak with you." He turned his head so his hood would offer the young girl some privacy as she dressed.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?" She demanded, rapidly pulling clothes on. "Are you the next method of torture Caesar has devised? Are you going to pull my fucking fingernails out? Is that why he summoned Vulpes?" She spat her words, "Fuck you!"

If the way she spoke to him had any effect, it didn't show. In fact his whole demeanour, the Courier noticed, was so relaxed, she could almost have believed he was barely even there, if it weren't for the fact she was looking at him.

"On the contrary, honey," he replied, his voice liquid, "nobody even knows I am here. You're the first person I've spoken to in a very long time. I've sought you out because I've been monitoring your progress throughout the Mojave and despite several dubious decisions," he looked poignantly at the bed of Vulpes Inculta, "I believe you to be a trustworthy person whose judgement is generally sound. That is important to my task at hand."

The Courier found herself calmed by the way this stranger spoke, but her stubbornness shone through and she shook off the serenity that had washed over her. She found her boots and pulled them on. "You still haven't told me who you are, and what do you mean nobody knows you are here? Aren't you a guest of Caesar? You can't have entered the fort without someone seeing you."

"Who I am will pose more questions than I have time to answer, so for now I'm hoping you can trust me based on some information I can offer. Your man, Inculta," the Couriers eyes darted to his at the mention of the Fox's name, "has been summoned to Caesar to hear conditions of his and your release from Fortification Hill. While you can trust Caesar to allow you to leave, he has an agenda beyond what he is prepared to divulge. Take his offer, and leave this place as soon as possible. There are others here who believe Inculta should be punished for his," he paused, "personal interest in the famous ruler of New Vegas."

The Courier stared at him for a moment and stood. Looking at the floor, she slowly circled the tent and positioned herself between the stranger and the exit. "Psh!" she exclaimed, "You're talking shit. Caesar will never allow us to leave this place. Why the hell should I listen to you? In fact," she pulled a knife from her boot, "you can damn well wait here until Vulpes get's back, and he can decide what to do with you. I guarantee it won't be pleasant."

The stranger smiled at the way she'd manoeuvred herself into a strategic position, to prevent him from leaving without a fight. She was quite the warrior.

"My dear Tash, formidable as you are, leaving this place will not be a problem for me, and I have no intention of engaging you in combat. Alas, I have still not imparted the information I believe will secure your cooperation."

"So what is it?" she asked incredulously. "What could possibly get me to trust you?"

"This agenda of Caesar," he spoke soberly, "is the death of a mutual acquaintance of ours." He paused as footsteps approached the tent. The courier, turned her head to see who would come through the doorway. The stranger continued, "Caesar has ordered the death of Desmond Lockheart."

The Courier gasped in shock and snapped her head back to look at the stranger as Vulpes Inculta entered the tent. To her astonishment, the silent man had gone.


A mixed silence had descended upon the fort as the Courier and Vulpes made their way to the exit. The men they passed wore expressions of disappointment and hate, disbelief and in some cases, pride. Many were clearly having problems with Caesars decision to release them both, but it was a testament to his mighty hold over his legion that nobody spoke or acted out of turn.

In the distance, Tash could see Benny, still strung up on his cross. A fire of regret flared up within her. She had all but begged Vulpes to help her take him with them, but he merely stared at her with his cold eyes, ordered her to collect her things, donned his Vexillarius helmet and left the quarters. As she'd joined him outside, his eyes had scanned every visible area of the fort, scrutinising each face in sight.

Now as they moved through the parting sea of soldiers, Vulpes seemed not to notice or care that his men, his comrades, his subordinates were at unrest. He continued to study his surroundings as though looking for something.

They moved around the arena and the Courier cast a glance to Caesars tent. He was not there, which did not surprise her, but Lucius stood glowering at them. Even from this distance, she could sense the pure hatred the Praetorian leader had for them, Vulpes in particular, but she held no fear of him whatsoever. Although he could be as sadistic as Vulpes, she knew his power came from the loyalty and respect of his men, and she wondered if it came down to it, who they would follow, Caesar or Lucius.

The giant gates to the fort opened ahead of them, allowing them through. Tash paused at the head of the steep steps which led down the hill. She surveyed the view across Lake Mead, subconsciously checking for any signs of a threat, if there even was anything more threatening than a vilified legion at your back.

As they descended the steps, Vulpes spoke to her with the soft but threatening tone that sent tingles up her spine, both pleasure and fear. "Why is it we've gotten this far, and you've not once asked why we're permitted to leave, or where we're going?"

Tash inwardly chided herself. She'd decided not to mention the stranger to Vulpes until she'd had time to think about what he'd said. Hell, she wasn't convinced he'd been anything more than a figment of her imagination. She thought fast.

"When you came back and said we were leaving, I figured you'd been summoned to Caesar to do his bidding. I kinda hoped I was coming along because you'd bartered for my life?" She threw in the last bit as a test. She wasn't sure if she could yet trust Vulpes when it came to choices between her and Caesar.

Vulpes stopped and looked hard at her. His face was riddled with distrust, but she got the feeling it wasn't directed at her. He moved on without another word. They got to the barge and travelled to Cottonwood Cove. Vulpes didn't speak another word as they travelled, though his eyes never stopped moving, studying the ridge lines and shores.

They passed through Cottonwood Cove without incident and were barely given a second glance. The Courier was not going to give in to Vulpes mood, so there was no conversation at all. She kept pace with him and watched for signs of where they might be going. As the sun started to set, they happened upon a deserted rusty shack. Vulpes broke the silence. "We'll make camp here for tonight. We need to talk."

Tash was surprised by this. Vulpes wasn't usually one for talking things over and she wondered how much he was prepared to tell her. He scouted around the shack, checked behind and turned to Tash. "Go find us something to eat, you've proven yourself more than capable of foraging for food. I'll set things up here." He kneeled down and set to making a campfire. Tash stood in the semi darkness and looked around. She spotted a rocky outcrop about half a mile away. It looked the kind of place she might find some geckos so she set off, double checking her 10mm pistol as she went. As she approached, she could hear the telltale chirping sounds of geckos and hunkered down behind a large boulder. Peering round she saw there was at least ten of them milling around with one or two set back from the main group. It was uncharacteristic in her experience to see so many of them together, and it was going to make killing one of them a damn sight harder.

She edged slowly around the boulder, taking care not to disturb any of the loose rocks at her feet. One of the creatures seemed to have lost interest in the group entirely and was making it's way toward her. Tash drew her pistol and prepared to fight, knowing fine well that the first shot would draw all of the other geckos to her. She took a deep breath, spun out from behind the boulder, took aim and, "What the fuck?" she gasped. The creature was not there, but she could hear it. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her look up. The gecko was there, on top of the boulder. It hissed down at her, preparing to attack. She swung her pistol up, relying purely on adrenalin when the gecko collapsed and slid toward her down the large rock. Seriously, she thought to herself, what the fuck is going on?

"Don't be alarmed," a newly familiar voice whispered from behind her, causing her to swing her gun again, "there are another two large gecko groups within earshot."

"You!" Tash snapped, instinctively bringing her voice to a whisper but keeping her sights trained on the stranger. "Are you following me?"

He crouched and moved closer. "Of course I'm following you, we need to talk."

"How come everyone suddenly needs to talk to me? When did I become a fucking oracle?"

"Your actions throughout the Mojave recently have shown you are a person with whom it's worth seeking counsel. Do not censure it, as many would kill to be so…popular."

Tash snorted. "You speak funny, do you know that?" She was coming to a realisation that she trusted this man, but she couldn't place why.

The stranger gave a slight nod of acquiescence. "I am from a different generation to one you may normally encounter in this world. You could say time has made me unique." He looked at her gun. "Am I to ascertain that as you've not shot me yet, you care to indulge my ramblings?"

"I haven't shot you yet because I don't want to be swamped by geckos. I'm not sure what I'll do when we're alone." She lowered the gun. "What weapon are you using? I didn't hear a thing when you dropped that gecko."

"It's a longbow," he moved silently to the fallen creature and pulled something from it's chest, "an ancient weapon which has sadly, and very surprisingly, been overlooked since the great war. As you can see, an arrow directly to the heart can drop most creatures instantly, and silently. If you decide we can be friends, I'll teach you how to craft one."

"If you want us to be friends, how the hell do I introduce you to Vulpes?" she asked, mentally noting that he would soon be wondering where she'd gotten to. "He's not the most trusting of people."

"Let me worry about Inculta. For now, go back to him and have this talk he wants," the stranger shushed the question Tash was about to ask, "I overheard your conversation at the shack. Go back to him and hear him out. I think you've already decided that what he tells you will determine if you can trust him. I will be nearby, and I will approach you both when I feel the time is right." He started to back away from the Courier, she couldn't hear him move at all.

"Should I tell him about you?" She asked, "You know a lot about me but I don't even know what to call you."

"I'll leave that decision to you. And for now," the stranger said, vanishing into the darkness, "call me Phoenix."


It took half an hour for the Courier to carry the dead gecko back to the shack. Vulpes stood watching her struggle with the weighty beast and offered no help. Stubborn to the core, Tash asked for none and dropped the creature by the fire, pulling the knife from her boot. After a few minutes of skinning and gutting, she produced several adequate pieces of meat and set to making some steak.

"For someone who wanted to talk," she said, glancing at Vulpes, "you haven't said a damn thing since I left."

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. "Very well." He sat down next to her and removed his hat. "I have been commanded by Caesar to seek out and kill the current possessor of a certain…contract." He studied her closely at this, but her eyes betrayed nothing. "He has re-instated me completely and told me to spin you some brahmin-shit story of giving you protection, to elicit your cooperation in finding the contract." He left it at that and the silence hung between them.

After a few minutes staring at the steaks cooking over the campfire, the Courier responded. "He would kill you for telling me that information."

"You're quite correct," Vulpes replied sombrely, "and a year ago, I would have fallen on my own sword for the same thing. But things have changed. We're are all nothing but pawns in his struggle for power, his own selfish power. I took pleasure in inflicting pain on the profligates while I believed it was for the right reasons. Nipton was the epitome of what is wrong in the world. Wicked and corrupt. Caesar belongs there. He serves no purpose other than his own and would sacrifice every last one of us for his selfish glory."

Tash stared at Vulpes. She'd never heard him speak of Caesar in this way and she could feel the torment with each word he spoke. She understood that almost his entire life had been given to the Legion, that they had stoked the fires of evil within him, but never did she expect to see this side of him. The moment shared between them had drowned out all noise other than Vulpes voice and her own tumultuous heartbeat. She was brought out of it to the smell of burning gecko meat and quickly removed the steaks from the fire.

As she passed one across to Vulpes, he spoke again. "Who was in my quarters while I was with Caesar?" The question surprised the Courier, but it explained why he had been so vigilant since they left the fort. It would have sounded blasé from anyone else, but Tash detected a quiet rage beneath his words. She weighed her options and decided to be honest.

"Seeing as you've been candid with me, I'll tell you the truth."

Vulpes sat upright and his eyes bore into the Courier's. "I expect no less." He growled.

She cleared her throat. "I was visited by a hooded man who claimed to have information that would allow me to gauge him trustworthy or not. He told me why you had been summoned to Caesar and what would happen next. I was uncertain if he was telling the truth or not, so I held him at knifepoint until you returned. As you entered the tent, I looked to where he stood and he was gone." She took a mouthful of gecko steak and chewed. Vulpes portion was forgotten, his concentration on her every word was palpable.

"Who was this man?" Vulpes quietly demanded. "How did he know of Caesar's plans?"

"I don't know." She replied. "He said nobody knew he was there, and leaving the fort would not be a problem for him. You came back before I could get anything more from him."

Vulpes stood up and began pacing. "He must be a spy of Caesar. It's impossible to get into that fort unseen. He is part of my lord's…" he corrected himself, "…Caesar's plan."

"I'm…" Tash hesitated. "I'm not so sure."

Vulpes stopped and looked back at her. "You've seen him again, haven't you?"

"He approached me when I went for food just now, and it may be he actually saved my life. At least, he helped prevent me being overwhelmed by these things." She indicated a piece of gecko steak and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, allowing Vulpes time to process this information. "I think I trust him."

Vulpes started pacing again, deep in thought. "He's an unknown, and I can't risk him being a legion spy. If Caesar finds out I'm less than the perfect Frumentarii, he will send everything he's got after us. No, we've got to move and we've got to move fast. This stranger of yours can try to keep up, but I am in no mood to make new acquaintances.

Now, let's cut the shit. You didn't get to be one of the most revered individuals in the free world without knowing how to keep your ear to the ground. What do you know of this contract that Caesar is hell bent on having? Who holds the contract, and what is it actually a contract for?"

In that moment, a flash of inspiration hit the Courier. Something which Vulpes had just said resonated in her mind. "Wait," she held up a finger, "didn't Caesar tell you who held the contract?"

"No," Vulpes replied, "he simply said that he wanted whoever owned it, dead. Why, do you know who owns it?"

Tash stared hard at Vulpes, thoughts racing through her mind. Yes, she knew who owned the contract, and she knew what the contract was for, but Caesar didn't. In fact, only two people knew those pieces of information and she was honour bound by request not to reveal anything about it. But what had the stranger said back at the Fort? Caesar has ordered the death of Desmond Lockheart. If Caesar didn't know the contract owner was Desmond, how did Phoenix know who was to be killed?

"Did Caesar order you to kill anyone else?" Tash asked, trying to keep the tension out of her voice.

Vulpes glared at her through squinted eyes. "No, he did not. Tell me Courier, what are you hiding?"

Tash averted her gaze. "I can't Vulpes, I truly can't. But I think I know someone who can." With that, she lay down by the campfire and closed her eyes. Her last thought before dropping into a heavy sleep, who the hell is Phoenix?