A Necromancer in New Vegas
Chapter VIII: Plans, or The Short Journey to Primm
Sergeant Lee and his men had been only too generous in giving Arrelus a look inside the NCR's current situation. The rank of the man might've meant very little to him before but being able to peer into the minds of his Horde and know everything they once knew was useful for more than just becoming a polyglot. Lee's underlings were all privates, and as such their memories were mostly just useful for gaining some insight into the state of things back in the Californian Empire. Manpower in this Empire seemed to be lacking in much the same way it was in the one back in Tamriel. Recruitment had very little requirement and overextension was high.
Much more important was what Lee could impart to him. He was a low-ranking officer, but still an officer. The Californian forces were stretched extremely thin. A single squad was all they could muster to make a token effort on the prison, and the idea was more to force the Powder Gangers to scatter as a hole was blown in the wall than to actually eliminate them or take it back. They'd wanted to scorch the earth and ensure that if they couldn't have it, no one could.
Well, to that end, their supplies would be useful to him at least. Angela would take what she wished from them first, of course. She was more familiar with firearms and explosives than he was. Practically speaking, anyways. He'd absorbed all the experience of well over fifty men used to living and dying by their skill with various kinds of weaponry he'd never once touched in his life. That was all in his head until he could get his body used to swinging and shooting though.
Aside from the supplies, there were other things that the Sergeant had provided Arrelus with; information on the Californian Empire's chain of command, their modes of operation, their tactics, some of their plans for the area, their weaknesses, one of their communication stations, the state of troop morale, the Mojave Outpost, all of the exploits he'd taken part of in the Mojave for the past two years and more.
There was one thing in particular that Arrelus was most interested in: the NCR outpost near Primm. The outpost wasn't of immediate concern, per se. The soldiers there could be taken by surprise and dispatched without any issue. More pertinent was that there were even more Powder Gangers in Primm, and they'd apparently occupied the city, taking residence in some sort of hotel there.
Arrelus didn't like leaving loose ends untied. Especially as they might get the wrong ideas about taking the prison back if they caught wind that he'd killed off their leader and secured it for himself. Considering the propensity these convicts had for tossing around dynamite, it might be in his best interest to take care of things before they became his problem. A wall was only good until a hole was blown through it, after all. Additionally, freeing up another settlement from raiders would probably help his image, as well as allowing trade between Goodsprings and Primm which would also be favorable for him.
It was with that in mind that he'd left the prison for Primm with a small party consisting of Angela, himself, and a few of his invisible and muffled hunters. Obviously, Angela and he were also under similar effects so as to not draw any unwanted attention to themselves. There were attempts by the local wildlife – geckos and bloatflies, in particular – to try and attack them anyways. It was likely due to their smell, rather than them being capable of seeing or hearing them though. That was something he'd have to look into later. He did take the opportunity to raise them though, they would provide a nice distraction for his plan of action.
Unfortunately, the way to Primm was longer than the distance between his new base and Goodsprings. Thanks to his earlier scouting operations, he'd already known that though. While the undead – and that likely included Angela – had a limitless well of stamina to draw upon, being a necromancer did not confer such an advantage onto him without utilizing magic. Though he could see the so-called roller coaster attached to the Bison Steve Hotel and Casino in the distance, which was the surest landmark to recognize Primm by, it was still a better bet to rest for the night and continue their journey in the morning.
He had plotted out the best place to camp for the night and a group of undead had already been dispatched to the rendezvous point to get things ready for him. That consisted of killing or scaring away all the wildlife and ruffians within a mile, then setting up the tents, bedrolls and campfire for Angela and himself.
"Just when I was starting to get used to having a comfortable bed and electricity." His unique Thrall did like complaining though. As far as Arrelus was concerned, this desert was much preferable to the wilds of Skyrim, so full of magically resistant beasts and murderous nature spirits. They had partially been responsible for his insistence to not sleep during the six weeks before he was sent to this world. Bandits and overgrown insects were much easier to deal with.
"There will be plenty of that tomorrow once we take Primm." The necromancer assured her as he was handed a bowl of stew from one of his Horde. As part of preparations, they had also prepared a meal for them ahead of time. "Eat your food. Even if your body cannot feel fatigue anymore, a hot meal should still calm your nerves."
Angela gave him a look, and seemed like she wanted to say something, but merely sighed and took her own bowl from another of the Horde. "Fine, fine. So, what's your plan for Primm anyways? Whoever sent Lee to the prison has to have figured out by now that he was killed considering they aren't even bothering to call in anymore." She emphasized this by patting the portable radio clipped to her belt loop twice with her free hand before finally taking a spoonful of what the undead had prepared for them and eating it.
"Whether in this world or mine, Empires tend to hold a distaste for necromancy. I see no scenario in which the Californian Empire would allow me to go unharmed if they understood what I was capable of. Looking in the minds of all of my Horde thus far only cements that idea in my head. It is best that they do not find out exactly who I am or what I can do for as long as possible. Believing that I can evade their perception indefinitely is a fool's errand, but the outpost at Primm is small and understaffed."
"Especially since you went and killed off that strike force." Angela pointed out. "I remember the Mojave Outpost being particularly short on manpower when I had to pass through it on my way out of the Long 15. Speaking of, if you really wanted to cripple the NCR's ability to do anything about you, that'd be the place to start."
"The thought has occurred to me." Arrelus took a bite of his own food to gather his thoughts. "I have already taken an officer of their army into the Horde. I feel as if such an act will be impossible to overlook. My plan in Primm is to take the knowledge of the man running the Primm outpost to give me a clearer picture of exactly what is going on in this area. If there are any dangers, any issues and anything we should worry about, then he will likely know."
"Yeah, there's no way that we won't be enemies of the NCR if they find out about that, or whatever else you're gonna do to them. Not like we really had a choice though, what with them trying to blow a hole in the walls and everything. So you're just gonna go all the way in on fucking them over then? Any love lost between you and the NCR will probably be favors earned with the Legion. Dunno if those are the kind of guys you want to look kindly on you though."
Arrelus mulled over the Courier's words for a moment as he finished what he was chewing. "I do not know enough about them to ascertain whether some sort of beneficial arrangement could be made. What I could gather from Lee implies that they are still on the other side of this Colorado River. So long as they are not in a position to interfere with my work, then I have no qualms with them."
"Well, I guess you don't really have to worry about being captured in their slave raids. Even if you were, you could just kill everyone in the slaver camp and make your way back here. Well, either way, not like I've got a say in the matter." It seemed that Angela was finally starting to understand exactly what her position as Thrall meant. "As long as I got a nice place to lay my head most nights and a nice, air-conditioned room you could try and run for President of the NCR and take Caesar's place at the head of the Legion at the same time for all I care."
"Your thoughts are fanciful as any I've ever heard, but I do not think leadership over the living is quite up to my tastes. I do still need to find a way to get back home as well. There is no telling how long that will take, however. Or if I even can. In the meantime, securing some measure of power and security in this world is the best way to ensure I have the time and resources to look into the matter."
"Well, the only thing I want to look into right now is the back of my eyelids." Angela announced as she finished her food and stood, stretching a bit. Two essentially identical tents were assembled already, and she chose one at seemingly random. That woman slept more than anyone else Arrelus had ever met, despite her new, undead nature removing it as a necessity. She was at least reliable in a gunfight, when needed. He still needed to get to the bottom of exactly how she existed the way she did, but that was of lesser importance than many other priorities he had.
In the silence of the desert night he ate his own food. The lights of New Vegas shone in the far distance. Yet, none of his Horde had ever been to the city, only heard tales of it. For the lights of such a place to reach as far south from it as he was, and for the great tower that watched over the city to be visible even during the day, it must be quite an impressive marvel of a city. It was impossible not to be curious about it, about what wonders lay within its walls and whether something important to his journey might lay in New Vegas.
At the moment, however, it was far more important to worry about his current situation. Tomorrow he would enter Primm and take care of things. Others of his Horde would traverse the distance as he slept and lie in wait just out of sight. Thanks to Lee and his underlings, he knew the layout of the outpost. He knew where the explosive traps were. He knew where the guard towers manned by snipers were. He knew where the commander's tent would be located. Arrelus had already won the encounter, it was just a matter of allowing time to catch up to his victory at this point.
