I sat at the table and on the chair which was beginning to hurt my back. There he was "The Monster of the East", Legate Lanius…or Caesar…or whatever. I was surprised the seat could hold all the weight of his steel gauge armor. He still had the same exact armor from when I faced him at Hoover Dam, but there were some differences…
The beard and some other pieces were golden and the armor seems to have been sharpened and a long and elegant red cape hung over his back. And of course, there was the huge Blade of the East that was the size of a person.
It was a long and awkward silence, "Would you like some coffee…Caesar?" I asked
"You're pushing your luck, little man." Was all he had said
Well…he was right, I was on the shorter side. I was 5'6 and people described me as a bulldog, short and stocky. It had actually got to the point where people thought Arcade was my father. I did wish I was taller though, at least 5'8 or 5'9.
"So…" I said, trying to start some conversation to avoid the growing tension, "I'm happy to see that you have some women in the Legion now."
"I had to bring some of the wiser slaves and wives into my council. After you butchered Caesar's and his council."
"Oh…" Was all I could muster
It was actually pretty funny. Such a huge monster like he is, there he was on a little chair with his advisors next to him. It was a pretty good mix of both men and women, it was only four people, however.
"So how's Arizona?" Arcade asked
No response from Caesar. He just sat there staring at us. Or was he? I couldn't tell, his helmet was just pure darkness.
"So how do you feel about the NCR, now?" Veronica asked
Again, no response from the almighty Caesar. I looked at Yes Man, who was always occupying the huge screen.
Ding! I nearly jumped out of my seat. Standing up, I could get a good view of the elevator. Again, the same as when I first saw Caesar, my heart fell into the deep pits of my stomach. No other than NCR President Enrique Salazar barged out of the elevator…
Next was his Vice-President, Richard Beckham. Then was one of his main advisors, Logan. And there was both Hanlon and Hsu. Damn! Stuffing four people into that cramped thing! No wonder Salazar barged out!
Salazar quickly straightened his tie and made direct eye contact with. A smirk spread over his face as he walked calmly and coolly towards me, "Well…well. Mr. Armstrong." He said, extending his hand
Our hands interlocked in a handshake. Salazar had a very firm grip, "Hm…" He said, "It seems you don't live up to your namesake…sadly."
He broke off the handshake and walked over to the conference table, "Lanius!" He had said, as though he was an old friend, "Is it true what I heard? Your Legionaries are still mounting each other? Some things do die hard…literally!"
Beckham shook my hand next, and then it was the ghoul, Logan. "Well…well." Hanlon said, "If it isn't the boy who helped me out with my secret!" Hanlon said chuckling, "Good to see you."
We shook and I nodded. Hsu only gave me a look of both suspicion and anger…I guess that's fair, I did blow up his monorail.
I sat back down at my seat and there we were at the large circle table. To my left was the Legion, and to my right was the NCR. As soon as both sides exchanged pleasantries, everyone took their seat and I began the meeting with clearing my throat.
Salazar handed me a paper, "Here are our demands." Was all he stated
I looked at the paper, "Salazar…these demands are outrageous! I mean, what the hell?" I read off a couple of his "demands", "Forty percent cut off of all products in New Vegas, you want Helios One and Zion, and…you demand unlimited casino chips and drinks for you and all your friends."
"And one hundred free nights in your most expensive penthouse. Those are our terms. Take them or leave them."
In an attempt to calm him down (and hopefully distract him), "Alright, let's just go around the table and make our demands. The first thing I want to talk about is the current embargo of New Vegas and the Legion from the NCR."
I wasn't going to lie. We were having a lot of trouble attempting to be self-sufficient. I mean, even with Westside and the Sharecropper Farms expanding to an insane limit, New Vegas was growing and we couldn't continue to provide for everyone. And the NCR has a large surplus of food that they could sell and trade with us.
"If the NCR were to lift the embargo, we would buy crops and food from you, which would be a win-win. You get money, we get food."
"Very well, in return we demand the take over and the usage of Sloan and the Quarry Junction."
"What!? You're already getting money for the food! That's your benefit, right there!"
"I don't care."
"Besides, that's where we get all of our stone from! We're in the middle of building a stone wall for Freeside and Vegas!" But I feared that he would probably walk out, so I made a compromise, "We want a thirty percent cut."
"Twenty seven."
I rolled my eyes, this man was impossible, "Fine. Deal."
I turned to Caesar, "So, Caesar, one of your terms."
A woman next to him spoke on his behalf, it seemed as though Caesar didn't want to be here, "We demand that you stop all assassination attacks on Centurions and other Legion generals."
I raised an eyebrow, "Well…I didn't send any assassins to kill your leaders." To be fair, I didn't send Boone to attack them, he did it himself
Then all eyes were turned on the NCR, "Fine." Salazar said, "We'll stop. As long as the Legion stops their raids on our caravans and jacking our stuff."
Caesar gave one simple nod, "Good!" I said, "Good! We're making progress!...You know what? Let's quit while we're ahead! Ten minute break!"
Everyone stood up and walked around, and the room was filled with muttering between individuals. And I was happy to see people reaching across borders and talking to people of different ideologies, faiths and races.
Arcade and Salazar debated back and forth about Capitolizm (is that better?). And I couldn't help but notice Hanlon by himself getting some coffee. Out of everyone in the NCR, I felt as though I liked Hanlon the most.
We made a deal back in Camp Golf. I would let him continue to falsify reports and that would help him by not getting him court marshalled and it would help me by weakening the NCR. The man cares for his troops, he was against the Mojave Campaign and Kimball and Oliver.
I cracked him a smile, "Chi-Sorry, General Hanlon. How you doing?"
He sent me one back and reached for the creamer, "Fine, fine! Things have been going…great. I mean it! It's been a pretty rough transition from civilian back into the military career," But there was something in his voice…fear, "But I have faith that Salazar will lead us to glory!" He said loudly amongst the chatter
I grabbed another mug of coffee and leaned closely to him, "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"
There's been one thing that has absolutely been nagging me ever since I heard he was promoted general. If he was against Kimball and his "hawkish and imperialist ways" when he became Senator of Redding, why the hell was he working for Salazar? A loose cannon that was due to set off any second. And didn't Salazar forcefully take over San Francisco, Reno and other territory?
Hanlon gave me a small nod, "Alright," I assured him, "Let me get Salazar busy. Get in the elevator and get to the suite on the top floor."
I turned away and walked towards Arcade who was still talking with Salazar. I whispered into Arcade's ear, "It's too long to explain. Just keep Salazar busy."
I turned and walked towards the elevator as I heard Arcade mention Comyounissum (?). I walked up the steps and in the elevator. I hit the top button and the dinky little elevator went up to the suite. The doors opened and I saw Hanlon standing there, "I don't know where to begin." He stated
"Start from the very beginning. Listen, no one can hear us in here. Just let it on me."
He took a loud and deep sigh, "He's crazy, Salazar that is. Nuts. Paranoid. I…was in the Senate. Then I received a letter from Salazar who wanted me to be a general. I declined. But he sent me another one. And I declined again…
Then, one day. His limo pulls up in front of the Senate building and he calls me in. We drove around the block and he delivered a punch to the face. He said that I opposed him and how that…I had to support the NCR no matter what.
He kept me under armed watch and made me sleep in the mansion that night. In the morning he…he…He pushed me in the limo and took me to the Senate building…That was the day of January 8th….the day he executed all of congress.
Senator by Senator, Congressman by Congressman, Representative by Representative…killed one by one. Some went out bravely and without a word, others cried and begged for mercy, others tried to fight but were killed instantly.
And there he made me sit and watch the blood splatter against the wall and floor. Dead body after dead body falling to the ground in mass graves. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles…all dead.
And he looked me straight in the eye and he said that he saved me. He said he saved my life. And that I owed him one. And he said that if I didn't do what he demanded…that it would be my family in their place.
The NCR is a country run on terror. The people are scared. And they're not scared of the Legion or of Vegas or anything…they're scared of the very man who they voted for. Even his own damn admiration, Beckham and Logan and Hsu and everyone else…they're scared and they'll do whatever he says if it means that they can defend their families…
People are starving in the streets. People can't feed their kids. Mothers and fathers are prostituting themselves on the streets. Anyone who Salazar deems worthy is given a job so that they can 'contribute to our nation'"
I was shocked…but I wasn't. I knew the NCR was basically a dictatorship. But I had no idea that even his own inner circle was afraid of him. "What do I do? What can I do?"
Hanlon took a deep breath and ran his hand through his thinning hair, "The NCR is going to attack Vegas and take over Hoover Dam!" He blurted out
"WHAT? What the hell are they planning? I thought they were over the entire damn Mojave!"
"That's what he wanted originally. But the NCR is running out of energy. We're expanding too fast and we're taking over other territories for new fuel. The more we expand the more energy we use, the more energy we use the more we expand. It's an endless cycle."
"But what do I do?"
"Chop off the head." Was all he said
"Kill Salazar? Wait, right now?"
He looked at me…straight into the eyes. His dark brown eyes that were filled with hundreds of different emotions. "I don't think there's any other way…Wait! The rebellion."
"Rebellion? In the NCR? To overthrow Salazar?"
He nodded quickly, "You need to help the rebels. They're stationed in Navarro. They need all the help they can get against Salazar. He has the troops, money and the supplies…Help them and help the NCR."
He walked up to me so close…I could feel his breathing on my face, "Save the NCR. Save our people. Help me. I can only do so much to try and weaken the NCR from the inside. But if Salazar gets too suspicious about me…there's no telling what he'll do."
Too many thoughts…so many thoughts…
"I just want to see my babies again." Hanlon said
I looked up at him and met him right in the eyes, "I promise you I'll do whatever I can…I won't stop…I'll never stop even if it means a full out war with the NCR."
Hanlon gave me a huge smile, "Thank you."
We shook hands as I escorted him back to the meeting…