The Adventures of Kazdin Willow: Brotherhood of Steel

by FalloutGuy1986

Kazdin Willow is an adorably ditzy courier who wakes up in Goodsprings without even the comfort of her memories. Follow the perilous and oft hilarious adventure of one woman on a reluctant quest for revenge, who will discover where her true loyalties lay in the battle ahead. Smuttiness throughout, but I think it's classy. Rated M for a reason guys. Slightly AU after chapter ten.

10. A War in the Valley

CHAPTER TEN: A War in the Shadow of the Valley

A/N: Hello Fanfic readers and fans of Kaz! Nice to see ya. How you feeling tonight? Good? Well, that's awesome. Can I refresh your drink? No? Well, fine, didn't want to refill your drink anyway, because you are a bitch. Lol. Anyway, it's been 10 chapters and I feel this is an anniversary. An anniversary since I sprang a slightly crazy courier on the world. Kaz ain't for everyone, as I have said since the beginning and she has had her share of opposition from anons and other folks, but she has kept her head through thick and thin and has stayed who she is. She has fallen and gotten back onto her figurative horse.

Now she starts her training with the Brotherhood of Steel. The title of this series is Kazdin Willow: Brotherhood of Steel, and now it is time for her to seize her destiny. She will make new friends and maybe even a couple new enemies as she makes one choice that will change her future forever. This choice will paint her as an enemy to both Caesar's Legion and the NCR. She will have tougher fights and will ultimately earn her reputation as a Mojave Badass…who is sometimes less than smart. But who needs brains when you have an army backing you and a marksmanship that rivals that of the entire NCR First Recon unit?

So thank you all you lovely readers. If you consider yourself a fan of this series, I am humbled and I appreciate your following. As a writer, when I see that even one new person has followed and ESPECIALLY favorited my story, it makes me feel that I made a difference at least in entertaining you for 20 minutes or however long it takes a person to read one of my chapters. I do this for you as much as for me. Love you all and keep reading

The greeting that Sunny and Kaz received upon the completion of their duties was much warmer than the first. Their explosive collars were removed and they were welcomed inside the underground bunker.

Kaz walked slowly behind Paladin Ramos and took in the dull metal structure with awe. She was tempted for only a moment to stay locked up down here, but she knew that the idea was ludicrous. She had a destiny to unfold and she needed to proceed with her mission.

Kaz knew that she wanted to continue her journey but that with the absence of Boone she needed new allies. She would be shot and left for dead by assassins if she were to brave the long road ahead alone. Not to mention the fact that with herself and Sunny alone she did not exactly have a force to be reckoned with.

She admitted defeat for now and decided to put her main journey on hold for the moment in order to gain favor with the one faction she felt would accept her and make her exactly who she needed to be.

There were concerns to weigh. In her travels she had heard that this chapter of the Brotherhood was not exactly held in high regard around the Mojave. There had to be a reason for that, and she would manipulate her way into the inner workings and do her best to secure some change. If that meant moving her way into being the Elder of the chapter, then so be it. Kaz knew that the likelihood of that happening was beyond slim to none, but she would do her best to argue her point when the time came.

Her limited knowledge of the Codex stated that changing this chapter's deeply held beliefs would take a miracle, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. She had options, she realized, but they were clouded in a shroud of mystery at the moment. However, on instinct, Kazdin knew that they would show themselves with her patience.

For now, her solo quest was to find Veronica and convince her to forgive her crimes. She asked Paladin Ramos if he knew where the scribe was and he indicated the stairwell with a nod of his head.

"She will likely be in the mess hall at this time. I have to say she hasn't been as annoying as she normally is. She has been for the most part quiet." He said. Kazdin gave him a sour look and he rolled his eyes. He pointed sharply to the stairwell again.

"She's waiting for you. Get going." He said firmly.

Kaz swallowed her retort, but Sunny did not.

"No need to be a dick okay? We're just worried about our friend."

Kazdin placed a warm hand on her shoulder and asked her to come along.

"I'm not gonna just sit back and let someone talk…" Sunny began but Kaz cut her off.

"You are the one who made me take the reigns and be in charge. If I am going to be this great leader you seem to think I am, then you need to listen to me Sunny. Get moving." Kazdin said taking her friend's hand and tugging her toward the stairwell. She relented with a rigid sigh and breathed out a "fine."

"We need these peoples' help. It won't do to go around picking fights with everyone who talks down to us. We are outsiders here and we will need to earn these men and women's respect. When we finally earn their respect, then feel free to knock out anybody who says a cross word to you. Until then you need to be a bit more light-hearted." Kazdin explained as the duo made their way down stairs.

"Yes ma'am, what are your orders?" Sunny said sarcastically. Kazdin stopped and did an immediate about-face.

"Do you or do you not want me to be the leader here?" Kazdin snapped, annoyed at her friends' nonchalance.

"Yes, but you…" Sunny started, but Kaz held up a hand.

"Yes or no, Sunny. This is your last chance to talk me out of it. After this, you need to be the friend I know you to be, but I need you also to defer to me when it comes to leadership responsibilities. Now yes or no, do you want me to be the leader here?"

"But…" seeing Kazdin's serious look she sighed.

"Yes." Sunny said finally.

"Okay. Then it is settled. Stop all this sarcastic ma'am bullshit. You thrust this upon me, and this is how it will be. I want to be your friend, not just some commanding presence. I want to have fun with you and talk with you on a level playing field. But Sunny, you need to listen to me." Kazdin spoke firmly. Sunny nodded.

"Okay Kaz. I'm sorry. What do you need from me?" Sunny said seriously.

"It's okay, we are fine, so don't worry about it. As for what I need, I want you to be Sunny. Be who I know you are. The sweet and wonderful Sunny Smiles who I met when I first woke up from a head injury induced coma. Be that woman I know you were when we lay together by the campfire. Okay?" Kazdin explained. Sunny looked misty eyed as she nodded, remembering.

"Okay, Kazdin. You got it."

Kaz smiled as they walked along. Silence passed in the few moments it took for them to find the small alcove which held the mess hall. Upon entering the tiny room, they immediately noticed Veronica eating alone.

Sunny nudged Kaz.

"I'll be at the shooting range." She whispered. Kaz nodded and Veronica looked up upon hearing the younger woman's words. Sunny waved with a half smile and shot her a thumbs-up. Veronica nodded at her friend as she left. She regarded Kaz with a sigh and indicated a chair.

Kaz moved toward her and after adjusting her leather armor she sat across from the short haired scribe. She was wearing a set of lightweight Brotherhood explorer armor. Her hood was nowhere to be seen revealing her short, pretty hair to the light of the room. Her equally pretty face was scrunched up with sadness, but there was also a look in the young scribe's eyes that said she was happy to see Kaz. Or at least relieved she was not dead.

"Veronica…" Kaz began. She had a hard time finding any words. Her mind was a jumble of different thoughts. Her heart was pleading with her to listen to it, rather than the express lane of thoughts rushing through her head. She breathed deep and searched the scribe's eyes for an ounce of proof that she even wanted her in the same room. The fact that her friend had let her sit down was a good start.

"Veronica…I deeply hurt and troubled you. I likely scared you to death. When I started thinking clearly, my first thought was that I missed you. I know what I did was so very wrong. You were just trying to help, and I brushed you off like you were nothing." Kazdin began.

Her blue eyes settled on Veronica's dark eyes. She had the beginnings of tears but composed herself very well. Her pink lips trembled with the effort not to give in and just throw her arms around Kaz.

"Veronica, you are not nothing. Maybe…maybe I didn't care as much as I thought I did. That's not your fault, that was all me. I am to blame and I feel so miserable for what I did."

"Where the fuck were you?" Veronica asked in a husky whisper. Her trembling lips caused her eyes to betray her and her tears fell. Her cheeks splashed crimson.

"I promised myself if I ever saw you again I would not cry. I wouldn't give you that satisfaction…" Veronica said. The sound of her tear filled voice crushed Kazdin as the sudden realization hit her that this was all her fault, that she caused this reaction.

"I would never be satisfied by that…" Kazdin tried but the scribe shushed her.

"Either let me speak or leave." Veronica said sharply. Kazdin shut her mouth and nodded. Veronica waited a beat before continuing.

"I said I wouldn't cry. I said I would ask you why you deserved my company. I told myself to be mad at you until it no longer hurt to think you were out there somewhere in the god damn wasteland being eaten by a mother fucking cazadore!" Veronica's tears were streaming and she was shouting now, but as Kazdin knew this was just what she deserved she sat and took it in stride. The sound of Veronica's voice made her ears hurt, but she would not flinch, she would lower her eyes knowing that she had asked for this and that this was the first step of many to eventually healing their friendship.

"I told myself after I left Sunny in Goodsprings to come back to the people who would rather have me out scavenging for useless technology that I would forget you existed because you obviously didn't give a fuck about little Veronica. No! She's just a dumb little scribe who can go on without me! It's not like she will worry or anything! Kaz, we've known each other for a fucking week at best! So why the fuck did this make me so angry? Why am I crying right now? Why did I break my promise to myself and cry like a pathetic little girl?" Veronica had risen and placed both hands on the table.

"Because no matter what I promised myself…No matter how much I wanted to brush you off, or be angry with you, or hate you until it didn't hurt so much to be brushed off by a girl I was really starting to like like so much dirt…No matter how I wanted to make you earn this forgiveness…I would rather throw my arms around you right now and kiss your lips and welcome you back into my life." Veronica said. She finally sat back down in her chair and dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.

"Veronica…I had no idea…" she whispered. Veronica nodded.

"Yeah. I was starting to really like you. But you were focused on being in love with that damn whiney traitor who wouldn't get his head out of his ass to see what a knockout brilliant catch you were. Then he went off, probably to rejoin the freaking military that controls his puppet strings, and I thought I may have a shot at maybe bonding with you. If not eventually becoming more, then just getting as close as we can as best friends one day in the future. Then you fucking fired me." Veronica said. Her voice took on a hard edge at the last sentence and Kazdin took it like a champion.

"Veronica, I don't deserve you. I deserve what you just said. Every single angry word, I deserved that. But I want to be with you and get to know you. I want to bond with you and be your best friend someday. But I don't deserve that." Kazdin said softly, daring to meet those beautiful dark orbs.

"Stop that Kaz. You deserve even more than that. I just don't know how bad you want it. How can I trust you right now? What if I come back only for you to make another mistake and go crazy and fire me again? How do I know you will be there for me the way I planned on being there for you? I wiped your tears away, Kaz. You wiped me away." Veronica said evenly. Kazdin nodded.

"I would say the same thing in your position. I am back in command of my own life. Sunny saw to that. I have to thank you for going to Sunny and telling her what happened. That led to Sunny confronting me in a bar where I was drowning. When she confronted me, I decided then and there to always be in control and not let anybody else control my life or my emotions. I don't blame you for not believing me. But I swear here and now Veronica, that I will earn it. I will earn your love one way or another." Kazdin swore.

Veronica noticed immediately. So Kazdin had claimed her life, her will, back. This pleased Veronica, but she kept her face stony. She wanted to see Kaz want it. She wanted to see how far Kaz would go to earn her favor. Veronica made her decision right then and there. Once Kaz had sufficiently prove herself to the scribe, she would forgive like nothing ever happened and she would be with Kaz to grow in friendship. Maybe perhaps one day in the future, they would grow to love one another.

Hope springs eternal. Veronica thought to herself as she watched Kazdin's back retreat out the door and into the background until it disappeared to be replaced with an image of her that lived within her mind.

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Wandering the compound wasn't an option, although Kazdin certainly wanted to. The Elder's office was right up ahead and Kaz did not know what to do. She was nervous and she wanted to make a good first impression with the leader of the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel chapter.

On one hand, ahead of her was the first step into a life she had only dreamt of. A life unafraid of the wars and regrets that came with her home in the Mojave. In power armor she could face the world with no fear.

On the other hand, following the path would be to change her future forever. A foreboding thought if ever there was one. It was a path she could never turn from once she started down its rocky and dusty trail.

To become a Paladin meant to become enemies with most of the factions vying for control of the desert area. Her biggest enemies would be the two armies she wanted no part of. One being a controlling and annexing bear and the other a salving, raping and marauding bull.

To wear the power armor would also bring her a measure of accomplishment. After all nobody bore the T-51 B without earning it. It would bring her credibility that her word would never be able to match above all, and if she would be the one to inspire change then she would need it.

The options swirled around in her mind like the winds of a tornado even as she stepped through the door.

The room around her seemed cavernous by comparison to the rest of the bunker. Nearly incongruous to the labyrinthine metal halls, the roof of the Elder's office seemed a good ten feet higher and the interior was very large and roomy. Sense of claustrophobia did not exist within the steel walls of this room.

"So you are the courier Veronica has told me so much about. Very nice to meet you." Nolan McNamara greeted, rising to shake Kazdin's diminutive hand. Kazdin could only focus on fighting to keep her astonished mouth closed so as not to look like an idiot in front of the leader of her childhood idols.

"My…me…uh, my pleasure to meet you, sir." Kazdin stammered. Nolan smiled.

"Please, you have done us a great service by eliminating a potential security threat. There is no need for you to be nervous." Nolan assured her. She gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded happily.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, sir." Kazdin said, managing not to squeal in delight.

"I can tell by your face that you are hardly able to contain your joy. I did not expect you to be so happy to be here." Nolan said allowing his white brows to rise in surprise.

"I have been enamored of the Brotherhood since I was a young girl. I have something of a history with your fine organization." Kazdin smiled. Nolan grinned understandingly.

"That is good news. Whereabouts are you from?" he asked.

"Dallas, Texas, sir." Kazdin said proudly.

"Vanderkamp?" he asked, referring to the Elder of the Dallas chapter. Kazdin shook her head with a confused look in her eye.

"No sir, the Elder I am familiar with is Evan Johanness. I never met an Elder named Vanderkamp." Kazdin said. She suddenly felt a tingle within as she realized that this was the most she was able to recall from her life before her bullet wound. She was remembering!

Nolan had been silent for a few moments before clearing his throat.

"I was not notified of a changing of Elders. Do you have any idea why Victor Vanderkamp was replaced?" Nolan asked.

Kazdin did think hard. It was possible that her amnesia had made her forget this Elder Vanderkamp, but that made no sense as she could remember Johanness with clarity.

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't remember anybody named Vanderkamp. I don't recall when I met Mister Johanness. Only that he rescued me from some raider attack on my home in Reunion Tower, but that is all I can remember." Kazdin said with an apologetic look.

"When was this?" Nolan asked thoughtfully.

"It happened when I was fourteen. I am twenty-five now." Kazdin said. Nolan nodded.

"2269…" Nolan said thoughtfully before shaking his balding head as if clearing a bad thought away. Kazdin was too polite to pursue the matter further and so she simply stood patiently with a polite smile.

"In any event it is nice to meet a person who has some positive experience with us." Nolan said appreciatively. He paused for a moment before he leaned forward, business on his mind.

"So, you stand here in the heart of our Mojave base, but as I am sure you can see, our members cannot move about during the day. Between the threats of the NCR and the advancing of the power hungry Caesar's Legion it is not safe for our diminished strength." Nolan said with a weary sigh.

"What happened?" Kazdin asked, crossing her arms.

"To put it simply, Helios One happened." Nolan explained.

"I don't understand, sir." Kazdin admitted.

"Father Elijah who was our Elder before me had his mind set on taking the Helios One solar power plant. We all protested. I protested this move myself but he would not be dissuaded. Even your friend Veronica, who was enamored of him beyond simple respect, explained that his ambitions would only get us killed and turn us into enemies of a major army who were wary of us in the first place."

"So she was never at Helios One?" Kazdin asked.

"No. None of the existing Mojave Brotherhood was. The contingent that went with Elijah was killed and only he escaped. It was a colossal blunder and Elijah was exiled and I took the leadership. I immediately locked the bunker down. The NCR labeled the entire Brotherhood an enemy and that's the way it has been for a year now." Nolan explained.

Kaz blanched. The NCR declared the whole of the Brotherhood enemies for what a rogue unit did? She held in her rational mind that this was a very good example of miscommunication. It was possible that there was no way the NCR could know that the faction who attacked them was a splinter group.

That's what Boone would say. The thought of the sniper made her face burn with anger, but a small part of Kazdin's mind retained that she missed him.

The roughness of the short relationship would not stand. If she could ever forgive him, things would be different.

Kazdin sighed inwardly. She was thinking of an extremely unlikely future and she was no fortune teller.

"I don't now what to say. I have my own doubts about the NCR, but for them to declare you all as their enemy are just…I don't know…an overreaction." Kazdin said, allowing the annoyance to enter her speech. How she wished Boone was here.

"Could it be that command just didn't realize that Elijah's group was a splinter group?" Kazdin tried.

"The possibility had entered my mind before, but it didn't stand up to scrutiny among the order heads. Namely Head Paladin Tristan." Nolan said. Kazdin nodded slowly as the light of understanding spread into her eyes.

"Well surely the NCR's command isn't stupid enough to think the attack was a Brotherhood campaign if the Head Paladin was not even involved." Kazdin fumed.

"I hardly believe that they care, Miss Willow. We are their enemies and that is all they think about when they see a set of powered armor." Nolan sighed.

"That seems obvious. In my relatively short travels I have noticed that the NCR treats anybody they deem enemies like shit." Kazdin said, crossing her arms.

"That could be said about anybody's enemies." Nolan pointed out.

"That's true, but in the Bear's case, they treat these factions like shit whether they deserve it or not. They treat the Brotherhood and the Khans the same way they would treat the fiends, for example." Kazdin argued.

"Different reasons, although the end result is the same." Nolan agreed. Kaz nodded and paced as she elaborated.

"The fiends are drug-crazed lunatics who will attack anyone, so I can see how the NCR is justified in their war against them. And don't get me started on the Legion." Kaz said.

"But…" Nolan inquired as he reclined in his seat, a look of admiration on his grey-blue eyes.

"Well I don't know what the Khans did to piss off the NCR so badly, but the war crimes the NCR perpetrated at Bitter Springs were unforgivable. Even more despicable was the fact that the cowards hid behind the red tape of the matter and labeled it a miscommunication. A cosmic oops, my bad situation. And why the wanton murder of civilians and children? So the army could forcibly take the real estate for yet another crappy army camp.

Maybe if the soldiers were all fucking high, I could understand how the sick and women, even the elderly could be mistaken for enemies. However even in the dark I have a very hard time believing that children could be mistaken for combatants unless the Khans had a bunch of midgets who were trained to attack and catch an enemy unaware, but I highly doubt that is the case."

Kazdin had stopped pacing and sighed as she allowed a tear to escape.

"The NCR murdered children and called it a miscommunication to cover their asses. Even in the darkest dark and average man can tell the difference between a man attacking and a small child running for their lives." Kazdin said. Nolan nodded with understanding.

"So you understand why we are underground. The NCR will destroy anything and anybody who they deem a threat to their annexations." Nolan said.

"Not while I live and breathe." Kazdin stated evenly.

"You are but one woman." Nolan explained calmly.

"I wish to speak to you about that." Kazdin said after a deep breath.

"I want to know what I can do to become more than one woman. I want to be a part of something greater. I want to be a Sister of Steel."

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Apprentice Watkins walked the perimeter for what seemed the thousandth time that day. She hated guard duty more than sitting through the monotonous lectures that her instructor gave her day by day. At least in class she could pretend to pay attention while doodling or writing in her favored journal. While on guard duty she had to walk around.

Watkins pondered skipping out and finding Initiate Stanton. She and Stanton had been friends since childhood and she enjoyed watching the handsome teen squirm when she suggested they go on some adventure that would likely lead them into trouble.

An explosion rocked the bunker, interrupting her reverie and causing the young woman to tighten her grip on her laser rifle. Her pink lips opened as wide as her deep blue eyes. She tightened the rubber band holding her bright blonde hair into her ponytail. She didn't quite understand why she did this. Probably just a nervous reaction to a situation she had never been in.

This wasn't just an accident. She told herself as she jogged along with the knights up the stairs and toward the security station. Her brain nagged at her that this wasn't a very good idea, but she could not convey that message to her legs which kept up with the longer limbs of her brothers.

Watkins took a breath and let it out shakily as she entered into the security room behind her brothers. She ducked behind a hastily made barricade created by one of two steel tables that had once inhabited the room that Paladin Ramos usually inhabited. The steel surfaces had been pressed into service and they reluctantly protected bodies encased in power armor.

Watkins brought the iron sights of her laser rifle to her eye and held her breath nervously as the first clinks upon the single remaining steel door keeping the intruders out resounded. Safeties clicked off and Watkins readied herself for battle.

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"What you are asking me is highly irregular, but there are plenty of things we need done. If you prove to be an asset I would say we would take you on gladly." McNamara said as he rubbed his lightly stubbled chin thoughtfully.

"Whatever it takes, Elder…" Kazdin began.

The Elder, his guards, the Head Paladin, Kazdin and Sunny all heard the initial explosion at once.

"Brothers, we are under attack! Every man to their stations now!" McNamara yelled into his intercom. He hit the red button beneath his desk and klaxons blared while a flickering blue force field appeared over the only entrance into or out of the room, effectively blocking themselves from attack.

Kazdin whipped her head around after she had stared in shock at the force field.

"What are you doing? We need to join them! We need to help them defend this place!" Kazdin said. She was relieved when she realized that she was holding her panic in and while she raised her voice, she did not lose her head. She felt a jolt of pride that told her that she was learning to be a leader.

"If that is the NCR then they will not hesitate to put a bullet in all of us. If there is any hope of survival then we will need to negotiate." McNamara defended. "They will be unable to breach these barriers! We will be safe."

"Sometimes being a leader means putting yourself in danger to protect the ones you love." Kazdin reasoned. Sunny smiled at her and while she caught it, Kaz made no movement to acknowledge it. Now was not the time.

"They hate us all. Their first objective will be to kill the Order Heads." McNamara said in panic.

"Do you love the Brotherhood, Elder?" Sunny cut in. Kaz stepped aside to let the smaller redhead to ascend to the top of the stage to look the Elder fully in the eye.

"Of course I do…But the NCR's hit squads…they scare me." McNamara said, his voice quivery.

"We all feel fear, McNamara. I made this same mistake you are making now. Being indecisive leads to reckless and stupid decisions." Kazdin said from experience.

"If you love the Brotherhood as much as you claim, then you need to put that barrier down and allow Kaz, myself and the Order Heads into the fray." Sunny said firmly.

The first sounds of bullet and laser fire sounded, drawing the worried stare of Elder McNamara toward the door blocked by the shimmering blue force field. He stared helplessly back at Kazdin.

"They are right, Elder. As the Head Paladin, I need to be out there with them. We can NOT lose today or we will be eradicated." Head Paladin Hardin said loudly. The action loving Paladin had had enough of the indecision. He slammed his palms on the Elder's desk, making the other three crowded around it jump.

The screams of Brotherhood members carried through the steel construct like electricity, perfectly conducted and brought Elder McNamara to a decision. With a defeated sigh he pressed the button once again and the barrier flickered out of existence. With a hard as steel look, Hardin placed his helmet over his head and nodded to the two women before him.

Kazdin and Sunny followed him out, readying their weapons.

"Sunny, you have a shotgun, but my rifle has armor piercing rounds so you go ahead and be ready for anyone who gets close. I will cover you from medium range. Alright?" Kazdin said firmly, looking at her friend. Sunny visibly shuddered.

"I fucking love you, bitch." Sunny grinned. Kaz smiled back.

"You too." Kaz said.

The two women exited the Elder's office a few paces behind Hardin, Sunny in front of Kaz. The second level was free of NCR soldiers, but was even more fortified than the upper level due to importance.

"Ladies, front and center!" Kaz and Sunny stepped forward at attention.

"When we get up there, you will defer to me and we will get out of this alive. Understood?" Hardin shouted above the din.

"Yes sir!" Kaz and Sunny shouted, their eyes displaying their readiness for battle.

"Good, since I have thicker armor, I'm out front. Redhead one, you're behind me. Kaz, cover us with that rifle. Understood?" Hardin reiterated Kazdin's orders. Both women answered in the affirmative and Hardin opened the blast door before all three exited and Hardin shut and locked the door once again.

The stairwell the trio found themselves within was bathed in red emergency lights.

"Fuck! The first thing they would do is cut the electricity. That means they overran the security room! If they got Ramos…" Hardin shouted.

"Sir, take these!" Kazdin shouted, pressing a capsule of cateye into his palm. She handed a pill to Sunny and swallowed one herself.

"VERY good, Kaz." Hardin complimented. Kaz nodded and Hardin led the trio up the stairs and through a second blast door.

As soon as the door rose, Hardin's armor was hit by a blast of bullets. They plinked to the ground, having not struck in between the steel plates. Hardin immediately liquefied the offending NCR ranger with a blast of his Gauss Rifle. The resulting shower of blood and organs made Sunny's mouth gape open.

"You sure you want to join me?" Kaz teased. Sunny nodded.

"Yea, of course. I've just never seen anything like that." Sunny answered, stepping over the puddle.

"Don't worry, you get used to it." Kazdin assured her. "Let's just get going."

Sunny nodded and proceeded behind Hardin. She aimed her shotgun as the trio rounded the corner. Hardin crouched and pointed at his eyes and then at the two busted turrets in the main hall.

Sunny was surprised by a ranger clad in full riot armor. Sunny screamed but brought the barrel of her shotgun up into the face of the ranger and squeezing the trigger once, twice, three times, she separated the ranger's head from his shoulders and she was immediately drenched in blood. She slowed her panicked breathing and grimaced. She pulled the trigger again, blasting the former ranger's body into oblivion. The anger in her eyes did not abate as the sound of gunfire erupted from toward the bunks.

"They are pinned down." Hardin shouted as Kazdin moved beside him and started popping off shots with her armor piercing rounds.

"How do you know?" Kaz shouted as she scored a beautiful headshot on a female ranger, causing her to slam bodily into the steel doorjamb.

"They are not moving forward or retreating. That tells me that they are still fighting Brotherhood behind them." Hardin answered. He moved into cover and produced a laser pistol and slid it toward Sunny.

"Redhead one, move to the bathroom doorjamb and start firing on ''em." Hardin shouted pointing toward to hallway opposite their position.

"The name's Sunny!" Sunny shouted.

"Why would that matter right now?" Hardin shouted, scoring a body shot with his Gauss Rifle on a ranger who chose that moment to try and move up the hallway toward their position.

"Just thought it'd be easier for you to give me orders if you knew my name!" Sunny shouted as she waited for Kaz and Hardin to cover her. When their shots rang out, Sunny moved and ducked behind the wall of the bathroom before pointing the death end of her laser pistol down the hall and squeezing the trigger when she saw sandy brown clothes or black armor poke their heads from cover.

Sunny fired on two heavily armored rangers but had to duck back when a .357 round from the ranger's cowboy repeater struck the steel an inch from her head.

"I'm stuck!" Sunny cried.

"The term is pinned down." Kazdin shouted.

"Great to know! Take care of the fuckers!" Sunny shouted. Kaz giggled as she moved and fired an armor piercing round directly through the head of one of the rangers and as the remaining man turned his repeater toward Kazdin's position Sunny moved from cover and fired her lasers at the ranger, hitting him with three of the four shots. He fell into a pile of ash and Sunny shouted with joy.

"Clear!" came a voice from the other end of the bunker hall, from toward the target range.

"Clear!" Hardin shouted back. He signaled his partners and they both nodded and joined him. Sunny placed her pistol on her hip.

"Sunny, don't put your gun away! Why is it that every NPC does that when there are still enemies around?" Kaz said incredulous.

"Well, I thought that since there were no more enemies in about twenty feet around me we would be safe…plus my weapons are heavy…my arms need a break." Sunny said, trying to explain herself while she also wondered why she would put her weapon away in the middle of battle. She pulled her shotgun and cradled it.

"There are still enemies in the building, Sunny!" Kazdin scolded.

"Okay, it won't happen again. Geez!" Sunny cried.

"Schuler! Is everything clear over there?" Hardin asked.

"Yes sir, but the elite rangers are holed up tight in the security room. They have the high ground and are expert tacticians." Scribe Schuler said as she moved close.

Kazdin noticed that Schuler and…well, everyone but herself, Sunny and Hardin had all put their weapons away.

"Hey! Why did everyone put their rifles away? What the fuck?" Kazdin demanded angrily.

"We're safe for the moment." Schuler said with a shrug, rifle still clinging snugly to her back.

"Dude! A ranger making a trip to the fucking bathroom could unload on you and kill half of you before you had a chance to lift your rifles again! How is that safe? Like, at all?" Kazdin asked.

"Well, we just thought since they were on our backs and not, like, in our packs that we could just put them away and still be good. Plus our weapons are heavy and…" Schuler said before Kazdin interrupted with a loud growl.

"Everyone, seriously, weapons out! Damn it!" Kazdin said. With a resigned sigh Schuler nodded to the rest of the surviving Brotherhood behind her to take out their weapons and hold them.

"Anyway…" Hardin said casting a hard glance at Kaz, "What advantages do we have?"

There was a silence while everybody thought of anything they could use.

"Well, unless the door above is blown open, they are all probably in one space, close together." Kazdin thought. Sunny looked up.

"So we toss a grenade and then boom." She added. Hardin smiled and nodded.

"That is genius." Hardin said placing a congratulating hand upon Sunny's shoulder. Knight Torres placed a grenade in Kazdin's hand.

Kaz nodded and turned to Sunny.

"If this goes to hell, Sunny…" Kazdin started. She placed a single finger against her lips to shush her.

"Don't say goodbye yet. I'm going with you." Sunny said.

"But we both don't need to…" Kazdin started.

"If you make it an order, I will comply. But I want to come with you. I love you Kaz. I think of you as a great friend, and I really, really really do not want to stay behind." Sunny said. Kaz smiled warmly.

"You don't even know me that well." Kaz said.

"I've known you longer than anyone else in your life. Besides even if I didn't you are a very charming woman." Sunny answered with a shrug. Kazdin nodded.

"Alright, come on but stay low and quiet." Kaz said with a smile. Sunny nodded.

"Far as we can tell there are six of them up in the security area. But we have no idea whether or not they are huddled together or spread out in the outer rooms." Torres said helpfully.

"There should be three or four in the security room, likely helping one another with the logistics." Hardin answered.

"So we take down four of them and two remain." Kaz said thoughtfully.

"That's the best we can do when they have the advantage. We send up a platoon and we get massacred. They would hear us coming and an assault rifle will clear us out. This armor is thick but with enough punishment it'll breach." Hardin explained.

"No, this is a good plan." Kazdin nodded.

"It's the best we can do." Hardin reiterated. Kazdin shook her head.

"No, this will go well. Me and Sunny will go up top sneakily and hopefully cook most of them with a grenade and we can kill the rest." Kazdin said.

"So it's agreed?" Schuler said.

"Yes." Kaz said. Sunny nodded.

"We will corral outside the stairwell door and we will fight like hell if for some reason you don't make it." Torres promised.

"Alright. Let's do this." Kazdin said.

Kaz and Sunny crouched and slowly crept up the stairs. Their shoes made nary a sound as they ascended. Their breaths were quiet as they strode the metal staircase. Kaz held out a hand as they neared the top.

There was no way to look above the top step without giving themselves away. Kazdin looked at Sunny and rolled her eyes. They joined hands and Kazdin placed her forefinger through the rounded hole in the pin.

"I won't say a fucking word!" Kazdin heard. She gasped and her blue eyes shot open.

Veronica! Kaz thought wide eyed.

Sunny had the same look and she stared into Kazdin's eyes.

"What do we do?" Sunny mouthed silently. Kazdin replaced the grenade into her pack and pulled her gun from her shoulders. Sunny hesitated, an are-you-sure look in her eyes. Kaz nodded and Sunny pulled her shotgun.

"Veronica." Kazdin mouthed silently. Her look was as serious as she had ever been.

Sunny nodded.

"She won't talk. Put her down." Came the emotionless tone of the woman who was apparently the leader.

"Over my dead body!" Kazdin shouted as she popped from cover and placed an armor piercing bullet cleanly through the forehead of the woman standing before Veronica's huddled form and training her pistol on her head. She was dead before she could think to pull the trigger.

Veronica dove for cover and the two women in the stairwell opened fire, killing most of the occupants before diving back into cover.

"Veronica is safe now." Kaz said while bullets rained into the stairwell. She pulled the pin and looked over the top stair and sent the grenade into the middle of the three remaining rangers.

Their cries of terror were music to Kazdin's ears as the grenade exploded and killed them.

"One left murderer." The leader said mockingly.

"The best there is I assume?" Kazdin called from cover.

"You better believe it." The leader said, the grin evident on her face.

"You're high right now." Kaz called out nonchalantly.

"Say again, bitch?" the leader said.

"I would say a cocktail of Psycho and Buffout. Another failed test in NCR politics." Kazdin said derisively.

"What are you doing?" Sunny asked quietly.

"Pissing her off." Kaz said.

"Failed experiment? You already have a death wish, you want to die slow while you're at it bitch?" the other woman shouted.

"I love a challenge." Kazdin grinned.

"Fine, no weapons for either of us. I will beat the hell out of you!" the woman said with a mocking laugh.

"Bring it on." Kazdin said. She unclipped her belt and left her rucksack with Sunny.

"You're not seriously going to…" Sunny began but couldn't finish.

"Trust me. I am well-trained." Kaz said. She left cover with her hands out, palms out to show she was unarmed.

A tall Hispanic woman approached Kaz and grinned sadistically.

"Dilated pupils, quickened breaths, sweating profusely. Classic symptoms of Psycho addiction. So…The NCR is using drugs to bring their soldiers out of their right minds. Some kind of super-soldier bullshit?" Kazdin mused as she brought her fists up and started a sinister circle of death as she faced the ranger woman.

The woman struck first, but was predictably erratic. Kazdin was clear minded and could see the attack coming and dodged right before bringing her elbow to smash into the woman's mouth. Her lips split opening with a satisfying smack. Blood coated Kazdin's arm while she rolled to the left and brought her clenched fist to connect with the back of the woman's neck, dazing her.

Kazdin buried her knee into the taller woman's lower back, bruising her spine. The psycho made her meaner, but did nothing more than blur pain. The woman cried out as she sunk to her knees, but she unpredictably refused to yield.

With a grimace of hate the woman brought her fist up into the unprotected jaw of the woman who one second ago was winning the fight. Her teeth clacked together and Kazdin swore she heard one crack. The blood falling down her chin confirmed her suspicions.

When the NCR woman stood to her feet she rushed Kazdin and rammed her shoulder into her gut effectively pinning her to the ground. Fist after fist connected with Kazdin's jaw and nose. Kaz was reeling in pain when she noticed the ranger reach into a side pocket in her jeans and produce a switchblade. She switched it open and moved to stab Kazdin with the distended blade. Kazdin caught her arm and pushed up with all of her might.

The ranger pushed her forearm into Kazdin's throat and she struggled to breath. Her vision blackened and her arm was slowly losing its strength. The cold steel blade inched lower and lower until the tip touched Kazdin's throat.

Suddenly Kazdin felt no more pressure upon her throat and felt no more pinch of sharpened steel at her neck. She opened her eyes to see a very wide eyed and startled Latino woman in NCR ranger fatigues with two large but feminine hands wrapped around her neck and the side of her head.

An inhuman howl accompanied the sick crunch of bone as the leader of the wolf pack's head was twisted into a lethal angle. The dead woman was thrown to the side.

Kazdin's first thought was that Sunny was too small help in that way, less powerful than Kazdin herself. Veronica was tied up in cover. Who was this mysterious new presence?

Kazdin looked up, but the light was in her eyes. She saw the blood streaked hand before her body and she reached up and took it tentatively. The hand she gripped surged with power as it squeezed Kazdin's. With not even a grunt the mysterious hand pulled Kaz to her feet.

"You're alright soldier." Came a low toned but doubtlessly female voice. Kazdin's eyes focused and the woman before her came into startling clarity within seconds. Before Kazdin stood a stout and well muscled woman in a filthy white tank top and what looked to be the remains of a tattered leather dress being used as a skirt and held up by suspender's made of rope,

Her short dark blonde hair was wavy and equally dirty, spotted with equal parts mud and blood. Her brown eyes were devoid of feeling, but filled with righteous hate. However when the eyes examined Kazdin herself, the emotions within switched to something of worry and pity.

She was very well built but still decidedly beautiful in a lethal sort of way. Her face had bruises around her left eye and her right cheek. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and Kaz could tell the woman's nose had been broken multiple times.

"Kazdin!" Sunny shouted. Veronica was approaching as well, her cuffed hands before her.

"Thank you. You saved my life." Kazdin said. The woman nodded. Her sad eyes still filled with wariness and anger.

Kaz moved toward Veronica and examined her bound wrists. She bent to examine the leader and checked her pockets, producing a key to Veronica's cuffs. She unlocked them and they fell to the floor with a clank.

Veronica hugged Kaz and she held it before releasing the scribe and turning back to her mysterious rescuer.

"May I have your name please? I really would like to know the beautiful woman who saved my life." Kazdin tried, hoping she sounded charismatic.

The other woman tilted her head. After a few moments silence she spoke up.

"My name is Stella." She said. Kazdin smiled and nodded her head respectfully.

"Thank you again, Stella. I owe you." Kazdin said.

"Good, because I plan to collect. I hear you hate the NCR and you are one of their biggest worries. That's a start." Stella said, her feminine voice dripping with hatred and venom.

"An enemy of the NCR is a friend of mine." Kazdin said. She extended a hand.

"Welcome to the team, ex-ranger Stella."

Stella shook Kazdin's hand and a smile slid slowly across her face.

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

"Kazdin, if it were not for you and your allies the Brotherhood would be no more. I owe you a debt of gratitude." Elder McNamara said.

"Thank you, sir." Kazdin said gently, smiling at the older man's words.

"A discussion with the rest of the Order Heads has revealed something that I already had been thinking about. That is that my fears have clouded my judgment. I am no longer the leader that I need to be. My failure to prevent Helios One and my stubborn inaction in the battle earlier today have forced me to concede that I am no longer the leader this chapter needs. I step down, but not before I bestow upon you, Kaz, full membership within the Brotherhood of Steel." Elder McNamara said, gesturing towards her.

"I am humbled, sir. However I cannot accept that at this time." Kaz said, declining politely.

"You told me this was what you wanted." McNamara said, visibly shocked. Kazdin nodded.

"More than anything." She said. "However, I don't want this handed to me. I need to earn this. I don't feel that I have done everything I can to earn my membership." Kazdin said.

"Alright, as you wish. I will allow the next Elder to decide your requirements for joining us." McNamara said.

"When it comes to electing a new Brotherhood Elder, I think it needs to be someone who can effect change." Kazdin said, crossing her arms. McNamara blinked.

"What do you mean?" McNamara asked.

"Since when do you decide who the new Elder will be?" Hardin demanded, crossing his arms.

"If you all continue to make enemies, then one day there will be so many that even with all our forces unified on their best day, we will be overrun and destroyed." Kazdin said.

"So what, we wield peace? We will be pushovers." Hardin said incredulously.

"Not necessarily. We defend ourselves and continue on our mission to collect technology of course. We should not be pushed around by anybody. However there are areas we need to improve upon." Kazdin said, standing her ground.

Veronica's eyes were glued to the other woman. She had not yet discussed her thoughts on current Brotherhood politics, but this was exactly what needed to happen. She studied Kaz carefully as she spoke.

"Today we lost a quarter of our troops. Stanton, Watkins, many high ranking Paladins and even a few scribes. But what happens if we make even more enemies? We lose more and more until this chapter is dead. We need a change of policy." Kazdin said, gesturing.

"Granted, this was not our fault. The NCR has attacked us unwarranted and I have seen with my own eyes that they are drugging their elite soldiers, which I believe caused the various massacres that have happened over this past year. The NCR is a demon and given time will overrun us all and they need to be stopped now. But if you want the Brotherhood to survive another year there need to be changes."

"Like what?" Hardin asked, moving closer to Kazdin as they debated.

"How about instead of being a detriment to the people of New Vegas we become an asset? Stop relying on force all the time and start helping others in order for them to help us in the future. Start making deals and becoming useful, a group the people of the wasteland want around rather than being a humungous burden? The Followers help and are welcomed with open arms, we hinder and are rejected." Kazdin argued.

"The Codex is our rulebook. We can't go against it." Hardin interjected.

"The codex has been good to the Brotherhood in the past, that is true. But the time has come to either add to the codex or be eliminated, a forgotten past piece of history in the Mojave wasteland." Kazdin said. There was a silent stare down between Kaz and Hardin. Even Hardin looked unsure.

"She's right." McNamara sighed. His eyes looked defeated.

Every eye was then trained on McNamara.

"Veronica tried to tell me so many times that our ways are outdated. We lost so many good men and women today. Hardin, you will not be the Elder of this chapter. But I am out of ideas for whom to appoint who will not continually mire our name the way I have over all of these years." McNamara said sadly.

"Sir, what about Veronica?" Kaz said softly, laying a comforting hand upon McNamara's shoulder. His gaze shifted to hers, although not as swiftly as Veronica's.

"What do you mean?" McNamara asked.

"She is young, yes. But you said she has all of these ideas that I have. I would do it myself but I am not a homebody type. And I'm not even a member yet. But Veronica knows what's best for the Brotherhood here and I believe she could lead you admirably." Kazdin said.

"There is the issue of age yes. From a political standpoint there is a wealth of experience needed to effectively run a Brotherhood contingent." McNamara said.

"I appreciate the gesture, Kaz." Veronica chimed in with a smile.

"Sir. I'll do it. I volunteer to lead this chapter within the ideals expressed by both Kazdin and Veronica. No more lockdown and we will make strides to become a friend to the surrounding area. We will actively seek new tech, but at the same time help those who need us and assist in whatever capacity we can, therefore we can make a few friends rather than only enemies all the time."

The voice which chimed into the conversation was the voice of Scribe Schuler. She looked up with determination on her face. McNamara turned to look at Head Paladin Hardin for his opinion.

He finally shrugged.

"As long as we end this ridiculous lockdown." He quipped. McNamara nodded his head.

"Then before I step down as Elder, I appoint in my place Linda Schuler, Elder of the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel." There came a chorus of applause and a few grumbles from various old school members, but the predominant emotion was one of joy at the new Elder's post. Veronica moved toward Schuler and embraced her.

Kazdin made her way out of the crowd and toward the bunk rooms. She sat on the edge of the bed and cried tears of joy at truly making a difference in the lives of other people. She heard a knock on the doorjamb and looked up to see a very teary Veronica.

"Kaz…you changed our lives. Thank you. I think you've proven yourself." Veronica said with a happy grin. Kazdin stood and moved to embrace Veronica who accepted it readily.

When they separated, Kaz looked at Veronica and smiled.

"Thank you. But Ronnie, I haven't even begun to prove myself."

"Nevertheless. I want to join you. I forgive you Kaz and I want to be with you again." Veronica said. Kaz grinned and nodded.

"Welcome back. And thank you." Kaz said, hugging Veronica again. Veronica moved back a few inches and pressed a long warm kiss to Kazdin's lips. Kaz didn't move to break the loving lip lock, entranced by the pressure, the warmth and the taste of her friend's mouth. There was no tongue pleading for entrance, only a long lasting kiss of friendship, a little bit of lust and a hope for future love within the lip lock.

When they separated, both Kaz and Veronica struggled to breath.

"Veronica, will you come back to stay?" Kazdin said when she finally found her voice once again.

"Let's go make trouble." Veronica answered with the light of respect and friendship burning bright within her dark eyes.

Kazdin would never hurt her again.

A/N: and there we go ladies and gentlemen, chapter ten which turned out to be longer than I thought it would be, but with as special as this chapter was to me I felt that it needed to have some real substance, especially given the short stature of the last couple of chapters.

Welcome ex-Ranger Stella into the group! Yaaaaay ex-Ranger Stella! Will she help our heroes in their war against the NCR? Is she a sleeper agent placed in Kazdin's inner circle? Will she snap one day and murder our heroes? Only one way to find out.

Also within the next couple of chapters we focus more on Colonel Moore's history and why she's a stark raving bitch. I will also attempt to bring her out more into the light and make her one of the main bad guys.

Finally, as I have mentioned in my re edit of my profile, I will reiterate right here officially that everything from here on out will be AU. All chapters before this were more or less canon with a few minor tweaks by me for the purpose of my story. I am a Fallout veteran. So I know that technically Stella does not appear until after Station Charlie's downfall which I haven't even hinted at (and probably will not until we get into Stella's back-story). I also know that canonically Stella is very pro NCR and kills all those elite Legionnaires because of her love for NCR and hatred of the Legion.

But this is exactly why I am going to place an AU tag in my description. From here on out we go out of canon for the game and I will tell you a very good story on my own. Awesome Stella companion! Enemy NCR! Changes in the Brotherhood! Explaining Moore's insufferable insanity and outright bitchiness! So much goodies on da way!

I love all my readers and fans and I hope you enjoy this chapter slightly more than you enjoyed the other chapters. Keep reading and reviewing and being all around in touch with me. Peace.

-FalloutGuy