A hard knocking woke Siri from her sleep. For the last three days she hadn't so much as left her room; she had barely even left her bed. She had miscarried shortly after the punch to the stomach. That had smashed any hopes that the fetus had survived the punch.
"The NCR are have sent a messenger.", Starved dog said from the other side of the door.
Siri hid her head beneath a pillow, desperately trying to ignore the man. How could she have been so stupid? Starved dog was as hard and brutal as any legionary; he wasn't ever going to change anything.
"I need your council. I am to meet with them", Starved dog continued to talk before pausing for several pregnant seconds, "... Reyes is with them."
Siri's breath caught in her throat at that. Reyes... could she help them? Maybe they could find a compromise and save thousands of lives.
The hope in her heart died out when she remembered that this was Starved dog she was talking about. He would compromise with her and was willing to make reforms when it was necessary, but he would never be willing to side with the NCR.
Siri laid in her bed silently, hoping that he would leave before Titas returned with Melody and the two men would get into another fight.
She never heard his foot steps of him walking away. She tried to listen to as closely as she could to see if she could make his breathing, but it was no use.
She struggled out of bed, her legs felt like jelly, and made her way slowly toward the door.
As soon as she had opened a crack to peak out into the hall, Starved dog was there looking right back at her.
"L-leave", she choked out as she could feel tears ready to fall from her face again at the sight of his scarred face.
He clinched his jaw so tightly at her words that Siri was scared his teeth would shatter, but he left without a word.
...
Reyes sat uncomfortably at the table beside two of the most powerful men in the NCR army on her left. Both had been hesitant, especially Chief Hanlon, and for very good reason but this was the only way to negotiate with him. They had set out a table with folding chairs equal distance between the NCR camp and New Vegas. She was certain she could feel legion rifle sights on her and the fact that First recon snipers would be doing the same to Starved dog didn't help to comfort her.
Out of the gates a one armed man walked out from the gates of new vegas. He had a miss formed jaw and was as thin as a rail but their was no mistaking who it was. He walked over with his limp still there after all these months. Reyes wondered he would have it for the rest of his life.
He sat down at the table across from the three of them. He only glanced at her for a split second before boring his eyes into General Oliver and Chief Hanlon.
Starved dog spoke first, "What do you want?".
Oliver spoke up, "Tech Sergeant Reyes believes you can be reasoned with and that you aren't working for either Vulpes Inculta or the Legate. Is it true?"
Starved dog didn't speak for the longest time. Starved dog turned and looked back at Vegas, "We took this city to remind the armies of the fox and the butcher what the legion truly stands for. You are here but not them. They both rather fight each other over power than for the legion. They are both traitors and the price of treason is death."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend", Oliver responded with a self satisfied smirk.
Hanlon said nothing but Reyes could see through the corner of her eye that he was hunched over with a face like a man who just drank a glass of lemonade and realized it was piss.
If Starved dog notice Hanlon rage, he ignored it. "If you give was we need than we will leave the Mojave with our allies and head east. We will mount Lanius's and Vulpes's heads on a pike and reform the legion. We have even made alliance with your followers of the apocalypse that we will end slavery when the war is over."
"And than what?", Hanlon spat, "We'll live in harmony between us?", He asked sarcastically. "You defeat the two bastards and than you break your little promise and keep slavery, and than you go right back to attacking us again."
Oliver looked like he was ready to rip Hanlon's head off but he new they had to try and show a united front.
"I think what Chief Hanlon is saying is...", Reyes spoke up to try and save this meeting. What the hell had gotten into him? The chief of the rangers had been calm when she had first been introduced to him and than turned into sour old man after the general had agreed to her plan bt he never seemed reckless like he was now. "We have no proof we can trust you".
"You have my word", Starved dog said like someone have to explain that the mojave was hot, "We will be to attack you even if we wished to. We will head east, and north, and south and conquer those lands. You profligates can keep your lands."
"And what do you want in return?", Oliver asked.
"Ammunition. Food. Bandages. Guns.", Starved dog said every word like he was an angry sinner in a catholic confessional.
"NO!", Hanlon shouted as he jumped out of his seat. The old ranger stared daggers at Starved dog who stared right back, "My rangers have heard about what your kind do for fun. You have crucified and murdered hundreds of our people. And don't think the Tech Sergeant here hasn't told us about what you did to ranger Stella."
Starved dog stood up from his own seat, knocking his chair over. "I killed your ranger whore in single combat", he growled, "I know how you treat legion prisoners of the few who ever surrender", his eyes turned to Oliver, "I snuck into McCarren. I saw what you did to my brother. You can call us savages and butchers if you wish but we are honest in who we are while you hide behind a kind mask."
"You son of a bitch!", Hanlon went for his sequoia but just as he lifted it from it's holster, his head exploded as a legion sniper took him out!
The air turned silent. Every legionary, trooper, and ranger watching them had their fingers on a hair trigger.
"We are done here.", Starved dog said as he turned and walked away.
"You can't win this!", Reyes shouted at him.
He turned his head back to look at her, "The legion still stands"
(sorry for the extremely slow updates)