This is it, the most action packed chapter so far. Hold on to your hats, because shit is about to get real. In this chapter...General Oliver...DOES PAPERWORK! I know, your minds are blown. It gets better though. He also...HAS A CONVERSATION! Wow. I can tell your anticipation is palpable, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Okay okay fine, it's another report chapter, like Chapters 3, 20, 30 and 36. That means it'll be short and dialogue heavy. Are you happy now? No you can't skip it! This shit is important! Read on! Don't make me come down there!
Bad News
General Lee Oliver was in a bad mood. If someone had come up to him a year ago, and told him that in a year he'd have complete and utter control of the Mojave, but he wouldn't be any happier, he would've called them an idiot. Yet here he was, possessing more power than any other person in the Mojave, and yet still utterly pissed off; although his poor mood was probably to do with the small mountain of paperwork that sat in front of him. I should've learnt by now; with great power, comes great paperwork. He thought sourly as he signed yet another important document. He sat in his office in Hoover Dam, the same office that he hadn't left for weeks because of the sheer amount of paperwork he had to fill out. Paperwork was blocking the door, both literally and figuratively. He wasn't even reading the forms anymore; his attention span had long since dissipated to a point where he no longer gave two shits. As he finished signing the document, and reached for his engraved hip flask, a familiar figure burst into his office.
"Sir." Craig Boone said in greeting, saluting dutifully. Oliver didn't return the gesture, instead pouring the alcoholic contents of the hip flask down his throat. After a few seconds he stopped drinking, before turning to Boone. It wasn't unusual for Boone to storm into his office unannounced; the sniper had pretty much become his right hand man since Kimball's death, and was probably the second most powerful man in the Mojave behind the general himself. Still, Oliver didn't sound pleased when he spoke.
"What the hell is it Boone? I'm very busy." He barked. He wasn't actually annoyed to be interrupted, anything was more interesting than paperwork, but Boone was a good outlet for his anger and aggression, especially since the man never responded to his jibes and insults.
"I have some important news sir." Boone replied emotionlessly. Oliver huffed in response.
"Give it to my assistant. I told you, I don't have the bloody time right now." Oliver returned to his paperwork, but didn't hear footsteps leaving the office. After a few seconds, he looked up, and was surprised to see that Boone hadn't moved. It was strange…the man had never disobeyed his orders before. "I said get out!"
"Sir…the news is about Layla." Oliver was rather surprised to hear that.
"Layla? What about her? She's still locked up in Camp McCarran right?"
"Sir…Layla escaped several weeks ago." Oliver's jaw nearly hit the table at that.
"WHAT?" He roared. Boone didn't react to Oliver's obvious fury in the slightest.
"She and her ally disappeared from Camp McCarran several weeks ago sir, leaving a number of corpses in their wake. A few days later, the Yes Man AI that Campbell retrieved went offline, deactivating every securitron on the strip. NCR forces have been keeping the peace in place of the machines, but it's still a mess down there. In addition, all of Layla's belongings were removed her suite in the casino, implying that she'd been there. Since then, there's been absolutely no sign of Layla on the strip or anywhere else in the Mojave. I've investigated all her old dwellings and hideouts, but there's been no sign of her."
"AND WHY THE FUCK AM I JUST LEARNING THIS NOW?" Veins stood out on Oliver's neck, and he looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.
"Sir, news passes very slowly between Hoover Dam and the Strip, and you've been so busy with your paperwork that you've had no chance to catch up on news and current events."
"DAMMIT!" Oliver slammed the desk angrily, before sweeping his hands across the desk and pushing all the paperwork that had accumulated there to the floor. "GET OUT THERE AND FUCKING FIND HER!"
"Sir, it's not that simple." Boone replied patiently. "Plus…this isn't what I came here to tell you."
"Then tell me your fucking news already! And be quick about it!" Oliver took a long swig from his flask, before motioning for Boone to proceed. No sooner had the sniper opened his mouth however, than Oliver's assistant crept into the office.
"Sir?" She said nervously. She was clearly afraid of earning Oliver's ire. This fear proved to be perfectly justified.
"What the hell is it? I'm busy!" He snapped at her. She recoiled slightly at his words, but seemed to work up enough courage to avoid running out of the room.
"Sir…Colonel Hsu is here to see you." Oliver certainly hadn't been expecting that.
"Hsu?" He asked, calming down a little now. "What does he want?"
"He has some 'bad news' regarding Camp McCarran, sir." Oliver stopped to think for a few seconds, before waving his hand dismissively at his assistant and turning back to Boone.
"Tell him to wait, I'm in a meeting."
"Sir…he says it can't wait." Oliver was about to bite the girl's head off, when Colonel Hsu entered the room. He didn't walk though. Oliver's eyes widened as he saw that Hsu was sitting in a wheelchair. The Colonel looked like hell. Apart from the aforementioned wheelchair, his nose was clearly broken, and his head was bandaged, like he'd taken a hard hit to the skull. Oliver was quite concerned about Hsu's current condition. He didn't give a shit about the Colonel's wellbeing, far from it in fact, as the Colonel had always been a particularly annoying thorn in his side, arguing with his decisions, discrediting him and whatnot. His concern was more practical. He didn't like Hsu, but he knew the man was a skilled soldier. If he'd been injured this badly, then something serious must have happened.
"General, we need to talk." Hsu said seriously as he wheeled himself in. Though he was tempted to have Hsu escorted out, he desired to know what had injured the man, so he decided to let him speak. Besides, the more people that spoke to him, the longer he could avoid having to do any more godforsaken paperwork.
"Leave us." Oliver said sternly to his secretary. She nodded, before backing out of the room, shutting the door behind her as she did so. "Now then, Hsu…what the fuck happened to you?" Oliver knew his question had been blunt, but that was his style. He wasn't one to beat around the bush, instead preferring to confront any issue directly. Hsu's gaze hardened as he replied.
"In the order of occurrence, I got pistol whipped in the back of the head, shot in the kneecap, and smacked in the face with a rifle." The look in Hsu's eye said that the Colonel wasn't in the mood for bullshit. That was good, because neither was Oliver.
"And you felt the need to come all the way here and tell me this…why?" Oliver asked jeeringly, visibly annoying the Colonel. That was good…it was about time he was the one to dish out mockery and insults, instead of being on the receiving end of them like he had been when Kimball was alive.
"Because I was one of the lucky ones." Oliver raised his eyebrow, his curiosity now piqued. Hsu took this as a signal to continue. "Six days ago, Camp McCarran suffered a devastating terrorist attack. The guard towers, the concourse, the terminal building, the monorail station; the entirety of the base was blown to rubble, and the encampment in front of the base was set ablaze. Most of the soldiers stationed at the base were killed; only myself, Major Dhatri, and approximately thirteen other soldiers survived that attack. The others were killed." Great, as if I don't have enough fucking problems on my hands. Oliver thought angrily as he heard Hsu's words. This kind of disaster seemed impossible. He had to know who was to blame.
"Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?" Oliver asked as calmly as he could, while taking a drink from his hip flask. Hsu didn't seem pleased about Oliver drinking on the job, but he didn't let that stop his explanation.
"Yes sir, I do. During the attack, I was confronted by none other than Campbell, the mercenary who was previously in your employ. He all but admitted to planting the bombs, before killing nine men under my command and bestowing upon me the injuries that I currently possess." Oliver damn near dropped his flask as he heard Campbell's name. As it stood, he managed to hold on to the flask, though he spat up a small amount of liquor as he did so. He coughed and spluttered for a few seconds, before unleashing his anger for the second time that day.
"CAMPBELL?" He shouted at Hsu. If the Colonel was taking any enjoyment from the general's dishevelled state, he didn't show it, instead calmly answering Oliver's question without any obvious emotion.
"Yes sir." Oliver couldn't believe what he was hearing. That traitorous little prick!
"WHY WOULD CAMPBELL BLOW UP CAMP MCCARRAN?" He shouted to nobody in particular. Boone looked like he was about to answer, when Hsu cut in.
"Before he attacked me, we spoke briefly. He asked me the whereabouts of Lieutenant Carrie Boyd."
"Boyd?" Oliver asked, now calming down slightly.
"Yes sir. She's the head MP at Camp McCarran and our main interrogation expert."
"I know who the fuck she is!" Oliver snapped, before pausing for a few seconds as he regained his composure. Once he was calm again, he asked the obvious question. "What's Campbell's interest in Boyd?"
"I believe I can answer that sir." Boone interjected. Oliver turned to the sniper expectantly, and he proceeded to elaborate. "A week ago, Campbell spoke with Lenny the Nose, an information broker who is notorious in and around Vegas. An NCR spy happened to be present at the time, and I soon found out about it. I spoke to Lenny the Nose, and learnt some disturbing information. It seems that Campbell may be working with Layla." Oliver damn near had a stroke.
"WHAT?" He roared, all composure once again lost.
"Campbell was speaking to the Nose on Layla's behalf, and mentioned that he was helping her with something. I also have reason to believe that Campbell assisted in Layla's escape from Camp McCarran." Hsu's eyes betrayed a hint of worry at hearing this news. Oliver's eyes only betrayed anger, and he firmly grabbed his flask, before getting to his feet and taking a long drink. Once he was satisfied, he threw the flask onto his desk, before leaning forward over the desk and looking the two men dead in the eye.
"Why?" He asked after a long pause. "Why is Campbell helping Layla?"
"Campbell isn't exactly the most predictable individual sir." Boone said, with recognisable contempt in his voice. It was no secret that Boone disliked Campbell, but if there was ever any doubt, one could tell just how much Boone disliked Campbell by listening to him talk about the merc. "With that damn coin of his, he can change sides at the drop of a hat. We're just lucky he didn't join her while he was working for us." Oliver sighed a frustrated sigh, before turning his back to Hsu and Boone, and focusing on the wall behind his desk. On that wall sat Layla's sword, a trophy of her defeat and a monument to his victory. Back then he'd thought the bitch was done for and he'd never have to worry about her again. How quickly things changed.
"This is serious." Oliver said as he turned to face the two men again. There was no anger in his voice, and he was now 100% focused. "In the few months since her appearance, Layla has become even more of a threat than the Legion. Her kill count makes the Legion's look pitiful by comparison, and she's just one woman. Campbell meanwhile is probably the deadliest man in the entirety of the Mojave. His massive array of skills, combined with his insanity and his cunning intelligence make him a force to be reckoned with. These two have the potential to destroy armies, to topple governments…and now they're on the same side. Forget the Legion; those dress wearing faggots are two busy preparing for their upcoming attack on Hoover Dam to be a serious threat. Layla and her little cabal are the ones we need to be concerned about now."
"I'm afraid it gets worse sir." Boone said as soon as Oliver finished. Oliver motioned at the sniper to continue, before picking up his flask. "Lenny the Nose told me more. Apparently…Campbell asked him about the Enclave Remnants." This time, Oliver did drop his flask.
"The Enclave?" He asked, not quite believing what he was hearing. "Are you sure?"
"Yes sir."
"Jesus." Hsu said, more to himself than anyone, before turning to Oliver. "Sir, the Enclave are the greatest threat the NCR has ever faced. I'd face the Legion over the Enclave any day. If Layla and Campbell are seeking the Enclave's aid…"
"They're not." Oliver interrupted firmly. "The Enclave has been completely obliterated. The NCR saw to that years ago."
"They didn't do a thorough enough job." Boone spoke up. "According to the Nose, the Enclave Remnants are a small group of Enclave personnel who fled shortly before the NCR purged the organization. Apparently they split up, and have been living incognito in the Mojave for decades."
"Wait...a small group of people are no threat to the NCR...so what does Layla want with them?" Hsu asked, stroking his chin as he did so.
"I asked the Nose that. According to him, Campbell didn't mention why Layla was looking for the Remnants. However, the Nose had heard that the Remnants buried a massive stockpile of equipment in a hidden bunker before going their separate ways. It's likely that Layla wants this equipment, and she's seeking out the Remnants so they can lead her to it."
"What kind of equipment are we talking about here?" Hsu asked.
"According to the Nose, enough energy weapons to equip an army, numerous suits of Enclave power armour, and even a few vertibirds." Boone answered gravely.
"Shit." Oliver said sharply. He had been drinking from his flask while Hsu and Campbell had been talking, but he slammed the flask down at the mention of the weapons. "We can't allow Layla to get her hands on that kind of artillery. Is there any way we can track down the Remnants before her, and obtain the equipment stockpile for ourselves?" He asked Boone. The sniper was quick to reply.
"The Nose had told Campbell where to find an expert on the subject of the Remnants, but informed me that the expert had skipped town earlier that day. I haven't had any luck finding the man since then."
"Who is this expert?" Hsu asked.
"A member of the Followers. He goes by the name of Arcade Gannon."
"A Follower? This just keeps getting better and better." Oliver muttered, practically seething with rage. "I've never trusted the Followers. They always offered things without asking for payment; it was obvious they were up to something. If they're allied with the remnants of the Enclave…"
"Sir, there's no evidence to suggest that the Followers are in league with the Enclave." Hsu said quickly, trying to calm Oliver down before he did something stupid like order the obliteration of the Followers of the Apocalypse. Such an event wouldn't end well for anyone.
"He's right." Boone added. "There's not even any evidence to suggest that Arcade Gannon is in league with the Enclave. We won't know if he has any ties with them until we find him and question him."
"Very well." Oliver said, putting as much authority as he could muster into his voice. "Obliterating Layla is now our top priority, and stopping her from acquiring the Enclave stockpile will be a big help towards achieving that goal. Boone, I'm putting you in charge of this operation. Find the stockpile, and if possible, eliminate Layla and her entire group. As the highest ranking member of the NCR in the Mojave, I'll grant you any resources you need to complete this task."
"Yes sir." Boone said loyally as he saluted the general. "I won't let you down sir."
"For your sake, you'd better not." Oliver replied stonily as he saluted back. Hsu was the only one who didn't salute.
"Sir…should we inform Chief Hanlon about this?" Hsu asked uncertainly. "While he's not technically as powerful as you, he is one of the most influential members of the NCR in the Mojave and…"
"I don't give two shits about that prick Hanlon." Oliver growled. "He IS NOT to find out about this operation…is that understood?" While Oliver just managed to keep his voice down, the anger behind his voice was obvious.
"…Yes sir." Hsu said after a brief pause.
"Good." Oliver replied calmly, before returning to his commanding tone of voice. "Get back on your feet as soon as possible, then put all your efforts into finding Layla. And get Colonel Moore up to speed too; we'll need her resources."
"Moore, sir?" Hsu asked, clearly displeased about the decision. It was well known that Hsu and Moore didn't see eye to eye, but Oliver had never been one to care about the petty concerns of his men. All he cared about was that they got the job done.
"Yes, Moore. She's a good soldier, and she always gets the job done. She's one of the few idiots in this military that I can rely on."
"Sir, she's a psychopath!" Hsu replied. Oliver was surprised. Hsu had never been one to speak back to him. "She's the kind of person who'd use a nuke to solve a civil dispute. She's almost as unstable as Layla. She…"
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Hsu was suddenly cut off as Oliver slammed his fist down on his desk, before shouting right in the Colonel's face. "The barbarians are at the gate Hsu, and we need everyone we can get. I know that you don't like Moore, and I DON'T FUCKING CARE! As it stands, she's more useful to me than you. I like soldiers that can get things done Hsu, not soldiers who hide behind desks all day and never do anything that helps us in winning this fucking war. Now that I'm in charge of the NCR, and now that the Mojave is mine to do with as I see fit, you'd do well to remember your fucking place. Before, I couldn't do anything, but now, if you annoy me, I can have you thrown off this fucking dam in the blink of an eye. If you EVER question me again, you'll be court-martialled and dishonourably discharged from the NCR in the blink of an eye, and you'll be lucky if you survive with one pitiful SHRED of dignity intact. DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME COLONEL?" There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Hsu replied.
"Yes…General." Hsu's voice didn't betray any emotion, but Oliver could tell that the man had had to swallow every last ounce of his pride to respond. Good. The sooner the little shit learns to step in line, the better. Oliver thought as he sat back down.
"Good." Oliver leaned forward in his chair, before looking straight at Hsu. "You have your orders Colonel, you're dismissed. Make sure you inform Moore of the situation, otherwise I will have to take…disciplinary measures."
"I will, sir."
"Good. Now, do me a favour...get the fuck out of my office." Hsu scowled, but didn't respond. He cleaned up his expression so that it was neutral once more, briefly saluted the general, then wheeled himself out of the office. As soon as the office door shut, Oliver turned to Boone. "I don't trust Hsu. Have a squad of men follow him, tell them that if he goes to speak to Chief Hanlon, they have my permission to shoot him on sight."
"Yes sir."
"This assignment is very important. I won't tolerate failure."
"I won't let you down sir."
"See to it that you don't." With that, Oliver stood up, before heading to the door. "You'll need resources. Come with me and we'll get the requisition forms filled out." Boone nodded, and followed the general as he left the office. Oliver walked slowly and confidently down the corridor, all the while thinking about the situation with Layla, Campbell and the Enclave. He was so deep in thought, that he didn't see the soldier in front of him until it was too late, and the man bumped into him. Oliver scowled, and snapped his fingers. Boone immediately grabbed the man by the shoulders, before pushing him face first against the nearest wall.
"Forgive me sir! I'm sorry I bumped into you!" The man said desperately. Oliver ignored him, and adjusted his jacket as Boone pressed the man against the wall, while pressing an elbow into his back.
"Tell me your name and rank soldier, and I will consider not having you dishonourably discharged." Oliver said calmly, but coldly. The soldier's reply was quick and panicked.
"Private William Fox sir! I just transferred here this morning. I'm sorry sir, please don't have me kicked out of the NCR!" There was a brief silence, during which Private Fox sweated profusely, and Oliver tortured the man by saying absolutely nothing. After a full minute of silence, he finally spoke.
"Since you're new on the dam, I'll let you off with a warning. Annoy me again, and discharge will be the least of your worries." With that, he snapped his fingers, and Boone released the terrified private.
"Oh thank you General, thank you so much!" The man said gratefully as he saluted, before moving aside to let the general pass. As Oliver passed the private, he could've sworn that he saw an animalistic grin cover the man's face. He quickly dismissed it as his imagination however; the private was far too terrified of him to grin. He quickly pushed the insignificant private from his mind, and continued down the corridor with Boone in tow, leaving the man named Fox alone. What Oliver had forgotten, was that that corridor only led to his office, and there was no reason for a common private to be there. The general would return to his office later, and would be filled with anger as he saw that Layla's sword was no longer on his wall, replaced by a Legion banner.
Private Fox eh? I'm sure I don't need to tell you who that is. What? No I'm not going to tell you! Figure it out for yourselves! Anyway...yeah, short chapter here. Sorry about that. The next chapter will be much longer though, and Layla will finally be back on her feet. Plus, we'll be reintroducing an old friend. If you want to send me hate mail regarding this chapter's length and my obvious idiocy, you know where the review button is. What...you don't? Really? Oh for the love of...it's there...no, not there, there...yes, underneath this blob of text. Do you see it? Okay, good. You handle the rest.
