Vicky let out a frustrating sigh as she sat in the back of the Mojave outpost bar. "Fucking Deathclaws" She muttered to herself. She was usually happy being left alone but today she felt like company. She had arrived about an hour ago. Visiting Primm first. She let out a tired sigh. Apparently the NCR had screwed up royally and a whole prison had planned a successful rebellion. Now the Long 15 wasn't only blocked by deathclaws you also had to look out for escaped prisoners with dynamite sticks.
Vicky shaked her head and muttered "Goddamn amateur hour all over the Mojave." under her breath. She was lucky enough that Primm was guarded by retired couriers that had settled down. Vicky chuckled at the thought of the useless deputy having to dig ditches for all the prisoners.
She had put the bag on chair next to her, her sheathed sword on the table itself and left her gun in her holster. She was in the mood for company, but unfortunately for her she had her package to look after. While she doubted anyone was stupid enough to try something, she didn't want to take any chances.
She looked around the bar. It was a typical frontier bar. Dirty, full of soldiers, occasional trader and smelt of sweat and dirt. She loved it. Vicky saw a soldier hitting up a woman that was playing hard to get, but Vicky could see she was interested. Behind the woman, on the other end of the bar his buddies were making lewd gestures. She saw a trader moaning to his guards about something, the guard obviously not really caring. Another group of soldiers were drinking and sharing stories. On one of the of the bar there were a couple of people just drinking to forget, two men and a woman. The all looked like caravan traders.
She nursed her whiskey in her hand, considering all the information Benny gave her. The information was worth some money, but she wondered if she couldn't angle the information into something more. She strengthened her grip on the glass at the thought of getting into Flagstaffs, the Legion capital. If she was in striking distance she could fight her way through Octavian's guard and murder him.
She smiled at the thought of getting revenge in a glorious charge of divine retribution. She let out a wishful sigh. She would send a letter to her family before hand of course. Her father would be proud how she died and her younger brothers and sisters would resent her for dying that gloriously.
She was shaken out of her daydreaming by the door be thrown shut. She looked up at the bang and saw Major Knight standing in front of the door. He looked around the bar until they made eye contact and he approached her.
"So Vicky, what you drinking tonight?" She gave him a pleasant smile. "Whiskey, as usual." Knight smiled back at her and sat down on the empty chair and put up two fingers while pointing at her drink. The bartender was with them with them in a minute, knowing full well they were both good tippers.
After their first sip of their whiskey's Knight spoke up. "So where you going this time?" She gave a shrug. "Where ever they pay me to go, Knight." He shook his head. Knight lowered his voice as he said" New Vegas by any chance? I have a package for my sweetheart in Vegas." She smiled a little at the codename Knight had come up with for Colonel Hsu.
Knight was the quartermaster of the Mojave outpost, but he was also an NCR intelligence officer. He hadn't told her that of course, but she had delivered enough packages to Knight's 'Sweetheart' and other 'friends' to get the real picture. Besides, Hsu didn't have as good a poker face as Knight did.
She looked around the bar looking for anyone watching them. She knew for a fact the Legion wouldn't attack her directly. The Legion used and valued the couriers way too much to do that. But 'encouraging' raiders and other groups to do so? That they would do if the package was interesting enough.
Vicky tsked at him. "You know that I'm way too discreet to tell you anything." Knight gave a smile. "That's why I love using you, Vicky. Your fast and discreet." He gave a look at her bag. "Though I wonder how fast you are with that big load on your back." Vicky just gave him a shrug. "Being fast isn't the problem with you two. Discreet, now that is you two's issue."
Knight laughed. "Only because you yell at his secretary that you have a love letter from me."
Vicky shrugged. "Not my fault if his secretary gossips about her boss." Knight gave another chuckle. "Anyway, usual fee for one package to New Vegas?" She considered it for a moment, looking at her bag. She could always use the extra caps, but company policy was to not take two jobs at once from opposing forces. She smiled a little, but she also was supposed to be discreet, not giving away who she worked for. Not accepting the job implied too much.
Vicky shrugged. "Not that i'm admitting where i'm going, but I could deliver it for you." Knight smiled. "Pick it up when you leave and i'll throw in some ammo" Knight said. He stood up and left the bar with his usual casualness. She admired Knight. Honorable man, good to his men from what she's heard and a quiet confidence.
She downed her drink in one to prevent her from taking those thoughts any further. That chapter had closed and she wouldn't open it again.
She raised her hand to signal the bartender, but before he could bring her a drink a fight broke out. The woman she had spotted earlier was fighting the two men that sat next to her. The woman was surrounded from both sides and the NCR soldiers, in typical fashion, didn't do anything. The man behind the woman tried to put his arms around her and the man in front of her acted at the same time going in for a punch in the face. She was quick enough to dodge the punch, but she failed to stop the other one.
Vicky let out a tired sign. She grabbed her empty glas and threw it at the man holding the woman. It hit him square in the face and he let the woman go as he fell to the ground. Vicky locked eyes with the woman for a second seeing a confused look in her eyes. The woman averted her gaze when the man still standing tried to punch her again. This time she parried the punch and countered with a punch straight on the jaw with a right mean hook. The man fel in an instant. She then turned to the man who Vicky had thrown a glass at and kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious as well.
The woman, calm as cucumber, gathered her hat and other belongs talked to the bartender, who was quick to give the woman a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, with no caps exchanged. The woman calmly walked to her table, put down the glasses and poured whiskey into the two glasses and pushed one glas in her direction and sat down. "Thanks" The woman muttered under her breath.
"Your welcome" Vicky said with a coy smile. "Your lucky my glass was empty otherwise I wouldn't have thrown it." The woman gave a smile in return. "Oh please, if you had done that I would have beaten you up just for wastin good whiskey." They both chuckled and clinked glasses and drank their whiskey in silence.
"The names Vicky by the way." Vicky said after the third glass. The woman drank up her glass then started pouring a fourth for the both of them. "The name's Rose of Sharon Cassidy, but everybody calls me Cassidy." Vicky nodded in acknowledgement. Cassidy gave her a look. "What's a courier doing in a NCR outpost anyway? I thought you had your own little town just up the road." Vicky gave a snort.
"Primm is guarded by the couriers, but we don't own it. We just have a good relationship with the citizens of the fine city." Cassidy gave a snort of her own. "Yeah sure. The fact that it doesn't have to pay NCR taxes is just an added benefit." Vicky shrugged. "It's mutually beneficial relationship, can't complain really, except there isn't a proper bar." Cass chuckled at that.
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Ordering a new bottle and continuing drinking. After a while Cass asked "Where are you heading?" Vicky considered her words for a second before answering. Finally she just shrugged and said "Free Side."
Cassidy nodded at that. "I'm going there too. Want to travel together?" Vicky shook her head. "Caravan's are too slow for me. I like the safety in numbers and all that, but my employers are expecting me to travel as fast as possible."
Vicky saw a pain in Cassidy's eyes, but she didn't comment on it. "That isn't a problem." Cassidy said with a hollow pain in the breath and she looked down at her drink. "I'm not a caravan trader anymore." She said with an obvious hole in her heart.
She could sympathise. She had half a mind to ask, but if Cassidy didn't want to talk she wouldn't push it. "You're more than welcome to travel with me, but don't expect a free ride. Despite knowing better, raiders still attack couriers." She took a drink of her whiskey. "We could also be surrounded by Legion boys but if that happens shut up and let me do the talking."
Cassidy nodded. "Raiders can attack and Legion boys might harass us. Got it check."
Vicky looked at the clock. "I'm going to bed, I'll be awake at six, be awake or i'll leave you." Cassidy visibly winced at the time. "Really?" Cassidy whined, but Vicky ignored her. She gathered her stuff and moved to the barracks. She locked the bag of chips with a couple of locks and put it under her pillow. She secured the rest of her stuff and laid down on the bed.
Before she closed her eyes she grabbed her sword. She looked at it. Remembering better times. She kissed the sword and put it on her chest, but not letting it go. She let out a sigh praying to the gods she wouldn't dream tonight.