Word of Maximus' success in war and raiding parties spread like wild fire. Those that did not know her name knew of the man with the scar of a bisected fox head and their many accomplishments across the Mojave. She no longer hid the shame of her scar as she was no longer in the presence of the man it represented. To anyone unfamiliar with her affiliation with the Frumentarii and its terrifying leader, she was simply a force to be reckoned with, jumping from raiding party to raiding party with no true commander. Normally, this was frowned upon, but her resilience and apparent dedication to the Legion kept her from being called home for rest. In so many words, Caesar was pleased with the man he believed her to be and included his blessings for her continuation on her war path in his orders.

Her hair had grown long over the past few months, since she had left Cotton Wood cove. It was now fashioned as other high ranking members of the legion, flowing loose save for the upper half pulled back away from her face by a small leather tie. At first, the fear of appearing too feminine had deterred her from allowing it to grow, but now that she no longer needed to blend in with the civilians of the Mojave, she braved the style as a status symbol of her accomplishments.

It was still unknown to her why Vulpes had not outted her identity. At first, she let her fear guide her, living each day recklessly as if she would be dragged back to the fort and killed at any moment. This had gone on for weeks; the distraction of conquering and destruction a welcomed reprieve. When the fear subsided, hope had blossomed and she foolishly believed Vulpes possibly had a change of heart and would welcome her back as if nothing had changed. She led a campaign shortly after, eliminating the NCR population of Helios One with the flip of a switch while she commanded her men to remain outside to slaughter those that fled. She felt that Vulpes would be proud of her and would tease her for how many times she had complained as he taught her about computers in secret. She returned to the new Legion outpost at Red Rock Canyon with her contibernium and settled next to a fire once she had placed her things within her tent, not trusting to remove her armor among the Great Khans. As the night went on, she noticed men staring at her, but they would look away when she turned in their direction. At first, she thought she was just being paranoid, but the longer she sat, the more men she noticed. From the corner of her eye, she watched a man standing next to her tent, unmoving for about an hour, never quite looking at her, but never turning from her direction. When she looked up and he was no longer there, she knew he had entered her tent. She carefully looked around, trying not to appear as if she knew something and saw more men diverting their eyes. When she looked back to her tent, a man was walking away from it. Nearby torches illuminated him just enough for her to identify him as Alerio, one of Vulpes most trusted Frumentarii. She no longer had any doubt that she was being watched. The bubble of hope she had been living in had burst, replaced with a cold anger. Vulpes wouldn't bring accusations of her identity without immediate proof. He was methodical and did nothing by half measures. He was tracking her so that he could bring her home and force her before Caesar to admit to her sins, she concluded. She stood, stretched as if she were tired and walked towards the dining tent. She grabbed a small selection of cured meats, wrapped them in a cloth and tucked them into her belt before calmly walking away from the camp. When she felt she had made it far enough, she bolted into the night, hoping to lose anyone that followed. Several more weeks passed as she bounced between camps and parties, her anger fueling her victories until she had become numb. This is how she would live out her life, as a coward, pathetically carrying a torch for a man who despised her, pretending to be something she isn't, alone. Alone. Unlike Vulpes the night she fled. The thought made her ache until she didn't feel anymore. Each raid left her with no sense of accomplishment. Every life she took, even those of the NCR snipers of Novac or the soldiers of Bitter Springs brought her no joy. She went for larger targets, hoping to feel something, but even after leading a successful charge against Camp Forelorn Hope, she only felt pain from a bullet wound in her thigh. With word of their victory, those involved in the fall of the Camp were ordered to return to Red Rock Canyon to be rewarded for their efforts. She could not ignore an order.