Less than an hour passed since the defeat of Caesar's Legion, still the same day of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. The day was still bright with the sun's rays blazing Hoover Dam's surface. The weather was just mild enough to have a nice stroll back to the Dam after such a horrible battle full of death and decay; the walk was that long.

General Wesker stayed close to his dead son's body; four N.C.R. troops had to carry his stretcher, he was wearing a battered power armour at the time of his murder by Legate Lanius, so his corpse was heavy.

There was a lot of traffic on the way back, but Zaac didn't mind, the people wanted to come back to their homes and families that were apparently on everybody's mind at the current moment. Husbands, wives, brothers, sisters and kids all alike were coming home.

Not this man, though, David died in the line of fire against one of the world's biggest tyrants of the Old World, a Horsemen of the Apocalypse not too long ago. Zaac took this moment alone to be with his thoughts of David.

What memories could a father that outlived his entire family come up with before the speech? Yes, he has to make another speech; each battle needed one as a debriefing for all personnel involved.

David was an embodiment of a perfect man at the height of his age and health. A loving family, respectable career and excitement around every corner. What went wrong, you would ask? Umbrella Incorporated. Their greed ended many innocent lives, and David was unfortunately just another casualty like many before him.

The Dam's visitor centre was in sight. Large white tents were set up across the road, courtesy of the Followers of the Apocalypse, a long row took up the entire route all the way. It could take actual minutes to see where it ends.

Colonel Moore was seen setting safe parameters around the Dam, mostly assembling troops to safeguard the area, to protect the injured and the doctors. The Followers were doing a good job bringing in the wounded; it was worth keeping them around, even if most of the wounds were all minor.

Like gunshots, cuts and slight dismemberment, most people were to be sent home with full honours. Then there was the matter of Cass, Lyannah and Agent Six; their wounds were critical or worse.

Thankfully, like a guardian angel, Julie Farkas was there at the scene labelling off the troops as they come through. She seemed to have her eyes focused on healing everyone as quickly as possible; she settled to keeping things orderly. Zaac approached Julie from behind, and over her shoulder, he noticed she hadn't even marked off a third of the troops on her clipboard.

Julie saw how stunning Zaac looked; she had never seen him so healthy before - he was like a new man. Before Julie was about to say something, the four troops carrying David passed by, her wandering eyes then found the body they were moving. Julie's emotions fell south, her lips trembled, and her hands twitched - tears ran down her soft cheeks.

General Oliver directed Zaac away towards the staging area. He made sure that William, Lyannah and Cass got immediate treatment for their wounds from their best physician and moved into a separate tent.

Suddenly swarms of N.C.R. citizens, personnel and troops began to fill the area by the stage; they were here for the speech. This just got in the way of their healing by gathering up in all of the open spaces.

Colonel Moore left some troops to set a parameter around Hoover Dam to section it from the public and took centre stage, General Oliver took two metal folding chairs and set one on each side of Moore. Two microphones were set up on the podium, one was to address the people viewing, and the other was to be broadcast on the N.C.R. radio for the N.C.R. settlements to hear.

The podium wasn't as good as the stocky wooden ones seen in pre-war courts, though this was a good speech about celebration and success and not about law and order dribble.

With slow steps up to the stage all eyes focused on Zaac, it felt as horrible as always, people's views drift into judgemental stares of mixed emotions. Moore was perplexed with Redfield's new appearance, he was as young as herself and not the three-hundred-year-old man she fell for the day before.

With a sigh, Zaac waved off Moore's bewilderment and took the seat opposite Oliver to Moore's left, she took centre stage and was the first to draw a breath on the microphones. After some moderate feedback, she tested the quality and marched on with a long-dreaded speech.

Colonel Moore's voice was as clear as it was up close in person; the microphones did their job. The individuals in the viewing area settled to hear the speech. "Ladies and gentlemen," she addressed, "Boys and girls. Brothers and sisters. I am Colonel Cassandra Moore, of the New California Republic. I wish to be the first member of the N.C.R. Council to congratulate all the fine service you all contributed to the cause of the protection of the Mojave and its ideals."

"What has been done today will never be forgotten as now the people of this exceptional republic can rest easy," Moore continued, clearing her dry throat and licking her lips. "The defeat of Caesar's Legion will bring in a brighter future for the Mojave, and it's up to us to make it last. Now some words from General Red-" She cleared her throat. "From General Wesker."

The entire crowd of the viewing area cheered and clapped as Moore and Zaac swapped seats. Zaac smiled when he saw all the bright faces of the people he serves, that was the appreciation he always desired.

He was their shield, and they are his soul. He cleared his throat and adjusted the microphones to his mouth's level. "Thank you, Colonel Moore. Simmer down everyone, please..." The crowd's applause and praises slowly died and ended with the quiet sounds of murmurs and whispers. Redfield didn't have his helmet on, so there was room for discussion. He picked up on that.

"Good evening to all N.C.R. citizens," he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of all the Mojave and the people, it is my pleasure to declare victory over the second and final battle for Hoover Dam. Victory is ours! Unfortunately, we cannot forget the bitter fact that what comes with great victory comes with an even greater defeat; a hefty loss has befallen our forces as the fatalities have increased significantly." Zaac cleared his throat, the speech was going to be a long one, and his throat was already croaking. Young body, old parts.

"There should be a lot of people here today that aren't..." Zaac continued, "This final battle has cost the lives of many young, eager soldiers and citizens alike - even my own flesh and blood has been spilt by the enemy. In turn, the battle has also cost the life of one of our newly assigned members of the N.C.R. Secret Service..." He frowned. "Agent David Wesker died to bring the battle to a close, and his team were lucky to be alive amongst the chaos, but that's war for you. Good men and women doing their jobs for a noble cause, for the benefits of the people, and dying in the name of good and righteous." Tears started to form under his eyes; the talks of his son dying again just never makes it easy for him; he had to stay firm. He wiped the tears with a flourish of his hand and marched on. Then the sound of forced silence ensued.

"In light of the battle," Zaac continued, again, trying his best to stay peppy, "this is a time for celebration, we'll mourn and weep for those we lost in our yearly memorials, and we'll honour their memories in melody. Caesar's Legion was at the peak of their strength when they enlisted the monster of the east as their new legate. Legate Lanius was one of the biggest tyrants of the Old World, and his torment is at long last over! With all of our combined strength and support, we forced the Legion into a full-scale retreat across the Wastelands. As long as our forces hold the Dam, our people will never have to live in fear of terrorism or slavery!" His tone of voice was going husky, needed to wrap it up soon or get a glass of water. Whatever first.

"To honour this feat, I hereby pronounce every March eleventh to be Ultima Equities! A day off for everyone, to commemorate the day Legate Lanius fell!" The crowd began to talk among themselves, and some even began to cheer and whistle. He'd get the occasional cat-whistle from lucky ladies. "In the defeat of Legate Lanius, the future will be a brighter one. My only regret was that the price tag for this victory was unsatisfactory. In the honour of our fallen, I vow to make the Wasteland great again. Next fortnight on Sunday, the twenty-fifth, I declare a staff party at all N.C.R. settlements!" He leant forward closer to the microphone that broadcast over the radio. "And if any fine citizens happen to be at the Dam, they'll have the pleasure of partying with me." He cleared his throat again and stood back straight. "I'll arrange for registered lookouts for every settlement, just to make it fair for everyone." The sounds of the crowd began to fade again; they needed more.

"All expenses will be funded by me, General Wesker. After all, what good is money if you don't spend it." The crowd cheered even more. Howling and tears of joy were seen in the masses. The smiles and beauty of the people's faces reminded Zaac who he fights for and what burdens he carries. He wondered if it was all worth it, but he knew the answer to that.

"This is General Wesker signing off. Have a nice day everyone." Zaac adjusted the microphone for the radio and left the podium and swapped seats with Oliver. Oliver had to calm them down to an orderly sense, it's not every day the N.C.R. gets a staff party at Hoover Dam.

"Just for the record, the N.C.R. don't usually condone staff parties of this magnitude, though there's a first time for everything. But General… Wesker did forget to mention that we require a report and a status update from all the team leaders. Please hand them to him, Colonel Moore or myself within the next twenty-four hours.

"That is all; you are all dismissed." The crowd started to disperse in every direction. Some troops lingered around the staging area; some were still cheering and jumping about overhearing the staff party - probably because it's free.

Zaac left the stage and waved away Moore and Oliver; they went straight back into the Dam. He headed back to Julie, she and the Followers were just disbanding back into their white tents shortly after the speech. Julie wasn't outside; she was personally treating Lyannah, William and Cass because she was one of the best physicians in the Wasteland and a good friend of his - also too busy for pep talk.

He called for two troopers to stand to watch outside; they weren't really doing anything other than staring into open space. After a short breath, he stepped into the tent; immediately, his eyes stared at the horrors of war.

Bloodied, abused, and broken soldiers, Lyannah and William were in critical condition. Cass wasn't too good either. They were tucked into beds and had a machine next to them, showing their current health. The worst was Lyannah, but they were on the road to staying alive.

Julie had her back facing Zaac; she was too focused on the written details on her clipboard. William had broken ribs and other bones with some bullet wounds scattered over his limbs, Cass got lucky with only a few broken ribs. Lyannah had bandages over her broken nose and hands. Her wounds were still bleeding, red bandages were seen in the medicinal bin.

By Julie was a metal table with new surgical tools resting on it, there was a bloody tray of even more of them. The cabinet underneath looked like it was locked. There were no X-rays or proper equipment, the N.C.R. wouldn't have time to make the many trips it would require, and they got what they can get in the time they had. It was barely enough.

"How are they?" Zaac asked.

"Stable…" Julie uttered. "Six and Cass are recovering from the medication I gave them but… Lyannah's wounds were the most severe."

"How severe are we talking?"

Julie took a quick read from her clipboard. "The bones and ligament in her right hand are destroyed, eight fractured ribs in her chest, an open wound in her stomach and her heart and liver are dangerously close to rupturing from their damage."

"Sorry I asked…"

"A bullet had torn through her liver, and when she was brought to me, she had a bladed weapon thrust into through her chest. I thought she was dead on arrival, but I kept her blade where it was before I performed the surgery. I don't know how she's even still alive."

"Will she make it?"

"She's in a coma for the time being… I did everything I can for her to live but only time will tell if she'll pull through. Six and Cass, on the other hand, will make a full recovery when the medication wears off. They need their rest."

Zaac placed his hands on Julie's shoulders and stood firmly. "You're a fantastic doctor, perhaps one of the best in this entire country."

"That's a tall compliment."

"You deserve it, Julie, you, and the Followers earned all my praise."

"You're too kind."

"I'm going to present the Followers a personal gift of mine, and you a personal favour."

"What is the gift?"

"My one of a kind Auto-Doc. Fresh and brand new, completely free for Follower use." Julie stood in silence. She tried to smile but withdrew. "No words, Doctor?"

"I should be excited right now, but..." she sighed, moving away Zaac's hands from her shoulder. She turned around to see him better, awkwardly staring at his features.

"What? Have I got shit on my face?"

"No… Up close your face is just…"

"Yeah… It's as beautiful as my voice. Guess you noticed before the speech. Right?"

"I did, but I only caught bits and pieces of your speech before I got to work. There was one part I caught though, about you being General Wesker and not Redfield. Who are you, really?"

"Redfield was my wife's maiden name; I used it because of... religious reasons. My real name is Zachariah Wesker."

Julie's eyes rolled away from Zaac's and down to her clipboard. Her lip was quivering still. "It's nice to see you're healthy, General..."

"Is something bothering you?"

Julie looked up. "What?"

"Something's bothering you, I can sense it. What's wrong?" Julie said nothing. She looked like she was going to, but there was no audio from her. Something was on her mind. "Julie..." Zaac rested his hand softly on Julie's shoulder. "If there's something on your mind, please tell me."

Julie's silence ended "Some troops carrying someone in power armour concerned me when they passed by me earlier. I heard you mention... well… I know it's none of my business as a Follower but…" She frowned. "Was the man in power armour David Wesker?"

Zaac lost his grin, and his shoulders dragged. "Yes." He sighed. "Agent Wesker was one of the casualties."

"Was he a relative of yours?"

"Son."

Julie froze from the surprise of hearing Zaac's confession, understanding that the dead man was actually his offspring was impossible. There was barely a year between them. "How is that possible?"

"Don't even go there, it's complicated as fuck."

"I will take your word for it. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss."

"As my therapist, you certainly know that I lost a lot more than my own son." Zaac shrugged, keeping his best smile. "Thanks for your sympathies, Doctor, they mean a lot to me."

"What happened to him?"

Zaac sighed again. "Agent Wesker led a team towards the Legate's Camp. They managed to kill Legate Lanius and force the Legion into a glorious retreat, but it cost my son his life. Agent Six, Lyannah, Mr Boone, Miss Santiego and Mrs Wesker were lucky to be alive after David's sacrifice."

"Mrs Wesker?"

"Cass and David were married last Wednesday or Thursday - I dunno when."

"Good for them, it's nice to love blossoming but damn... So these three were part of his team then."

"Yes, they were. If it weren't for their support, David wouldn't have softened the legate for them to finish off. They're all heroes."

"I hope David's death was quick." Julie had no idea how wrong she was on that one. Zaac retracted his arm and started to tear up slightly, thinking of David's murder.

"I take it you knew him?"

"He showed his face a few times at the Mormon Fort; he made a good impression. David asked around if we needed help for no reward, just to help - can you believe it?"

"I can, that's how Claire and I raised him; she'd be so proud."

Julie wandered to a nearby table and left her clipboard on it next to a tray of surgical equipment. She rubbed her eyes. "He was Follower material… I was going to ask him to join… now he's gone. Such a waste of human life. He didn't deserve to die so soon." She turned around and leant on the table and folded her arms tightly. "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

"Only the better to test and evolve the nature of people, Julie. Listen I got schedules and rotas to make for the staff party and then I'm sure the N.C.R. Council has mountains of paperwork for me to file… I gotta go."

"It's time I get around to reviving the patients anyway. It was good talking to you, Wesker."

It wasn't easy being called that. Wesker was a child-murdering psychopath that wanted nothing but to have the rights to become a God, much like Dorian to David. They were close, though, they were father and son, no matter how much he didn't want it to be - much like Zaac and his own father.

Wesker's name was an insult, but it was easier to go by. Better to use the birth name than the name of a woman he once loved, to be reminded of ancient history. To be reminded of her murder…

"You too, Julie. I won't keep you. Good day."