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They looked at one another, sizing eachother up. Ameritus clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, waiting for the slave to alert the soldiers to the fact that she was still breathing. The call never came. Crouching low, the slave pretended to search the "dead body" while whispering, "Don't move or make a sound. I can help you." Surprise flashed in Ameritus' eyes and she took in the slave's appearance for the first time. She was largely unremarkable, soft brown hair and brown eyes, but there was a hidden fire in those eyes that led her to believe this woman hadn't been completely broken. Unlike the other slaves, she still wore a collar around her neck and had a vicious burn scar on her left arm, possibly due to a failed escape attempt.
The two sized eachother up, judging whether the other could be trusted. The slave spoke first, "Why did you fire on the NCR?"
"Because they are my enemy and I serve the Legion," spoke Ameritus with barely concealed contempt. The slave took a moment to digest this and offered to call her Master over to offer aid.
"No!" growled Ameritus under her breath through clenched teeth, making the slave jump back at the ferocity. "I cannot be taken by the Legion!"
The slaved wondered at this conflicting statement and asked, "If you serve the Legion, why would you not wish their aid?"
Ameritus growled her response with disdain, "Do you really think I want to end up like you?"
Understanding flashed through the slave's eyes. "I haven't always been what you see now. I tried to escape! I..."
"Tried? I would rather die than be a whelp in rags, too meek and humble to raise an objection to poor treatment! I would rather die than get handed around. How can you meekly accept your position as a dog to the Legion, when you could be serving them against their enemy?"
Hurt flashed in the slave's eyes, a brief rekindling of an old fire, then faded as she spoke softly again. "Listen, we don't have time for this, do you want my help or not? It comes with a price."
Ameritus needed no time considering, the alternative wasn't palatable. "What do you want?"
I will help you escape this, and I can help you further your goals of helping the Legion, if you'll do but one thing for me. All I ask is that you take a message to my grandmother's tribe, the Wind Dancers, and let her know I'm alright."
"Agreed," Ameritus growled between clenched teeth, gritted by pain.
"I'll use this Stimpak on you, when I begin dragging the NCR bodies over to the pile, you can make your escape. They wont be looking over here. Find the trader Miles O' Walkin. He's friendly to the Legion and keeps us supplied at Camp Golf. He will faithfully get a message to me, and I can send messages to you through him"
The slave jabbed the Stimpak into Ameritus' leg and then slowly began to drag an NCR body to the pile some ways' off. When Ameritus saw her chance, she slipped off, not drawing any notice from the soldiers.
Aurora hauled the body of the first NCR soldier over to the pile of NCR bodies, her arms were covered in the blood of the dead, her slave dress was similarly covered in patches. she felt dirty, tired, and emotionally wrecked, she didn't know if she could trust that woman she just helped, but she had a good feeling in her gut about her. she turned around and walked back over to the other body, surreptitiously peeking down the alley to see that the woman had disappeared.
She heaved a sigh, the skin under her collar itched horribly, dust, sweat and some blood from the vanquished that she had accidentally put there while trying to scratch that itch, continued to bother her. she picked up the NCR soldier under the arms, Rigor mortis hadn't set in yet, and his body was heavy, even for a dead weight.
Aurora hauled his dead arse backwards towards the pile and finally, with the aid of one of the other slaves, managed to get it up onto the top of the pile. she heaved a sigh, this was dirty, hot and unsatisfying work. she looked over to where the guards were standing, they watched as the slaves worked, drinking water from cups, the bastards.
Aurora rubbed at her nose, taking care of another itch that was caused by her sweat, smearing the blood of the dead across her face. she could smell its iron scent. she was covered in it. the stench of the dead, fecal matter, blood, stomach contents, urine, and sweat all were made worse by the heat of the day. Aurora ignored it as best she could, but her exhaustion for the days events were beginning to wear on her and the other slaves. she hoped for a good rest, and to be able to wash away the days dust, sweat and blood, but knew that the day was still not done until Vegas was taken fully.
She turned back to another section that was to be cleared of NCR corpses, there had been a good sized fighting force here, but nothing compared to what was defending the New Vegas strip. by the time they had finished the NCR pile, and begun the Civilian pile, Aurora was almost asleep on her feet.
It seemed the NCR were not going to let the Legion advance past that block and into the rest of the city. The Legion's officers knew now was the worst time to have to wait them out like at Camp McCarran, but they had no way of breaching that line. Every alternative line of approach was walled off or rubble. The only visible option was to clash head on. Titus knew this. Lanius reveled in it. He loved Caesar, but shared no love for his Legion - he would be happy losing a million men so long as the Bear lost more. Every victory should be honest; purchased with blood.
Titus was less than pleased. After his recent conquests, most of his recruits were now Prime or Veteran, and he would not see HIS men, or their talent wasted. The centuria he worked so hard to build would not be the first into the fray. He approach the recruits of the centuria closest the path to the NCR's line. As head of the cohort, he could give these men orders.
Within a few minutes, the lowliest recruits of that centuria was armed to the teeth with grenades of all sorts, horded from NCR bodies. Those troopers were in for a surprise when they gunned these fine young men down.
Stepping back to his post, Titus left the rest in Mars' hand.
Lanius gave the order: the recruits charged.
Aurora and the other slaves had finished the piling of the bodies, both NCR and Civilian, she sat upon the ground, dusty, dirty and bloody, as were the other slaves. she rested her head on her arms, which in turn rested on her knees, she dozed exhausted in the waning afternoon sunshine.
She was jolted awake by a bucket of cold water being thrown over her and the harsh laughter of the soldiers, the other slaves were treated similarly to a cold shower.
"Get up, you lazy whores." snarled the Decanus who held one of the buckets as his men behind him laughed at the women who now looked like dirt and blood streaked drowned rats,
"The battle is almost over and we are victorious, you will be needed to clear more bodies before our Lord Caesar arrives to claim New Rome." Aurora arose, dripping dirty and bloody water from her face and body. the chill of the water was evident on certain parts of her body, and gooseflesh covered her still dirty arms.
The women were escorted through the gates to the Strip. the stench of burning flesh assaulted her nose again. Gomorrah still burned from the Howitzer's volleys. the forms of burned men and women were seen clearly in the ruins. The Lucky 38 stood to her left, that indomitable symbol of New Vegas, now about to be entered by the men of the Legion. beyond the next gate, which had been torn from its rollers, small pockets of NCR soldiers were still fighting, while others were surrendering, but were given no quarter. Legion soldiers ran about, taking captures, and taking them through to Freeside's Old Mormon Fort for keeping until they were ready to be processed.
Aurora looked around at the bodies of men and women,NCR, Civilians, gamblers, hookers, and people who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She looked down at the road, where the burned body of a young woman, a whore of Gomorrah lay sprawled before her. she was visited by the unwelcome memory of Major Polatli, when Titus had burned him in front of the captured NCR soldiers and his own men at the Fort.
She took a deep breath through her mouth, trying to keep the stench of burned flesh, death and destruction from her nose, but it didn't work, she smelled and tasted war, and it was not pleasant.
She was shoved roughly by a Prime in the direction of some dead NCR soldiers. there were faces twisted in death there that she recognised, people she had marched with when she had arrived in the Mojave. She quietly mourned their loss, despite her newfound dislike of the NCR, but these people, Kids really, for some had not even hit their twenties, didn't deserve to die fighting for Vegas, they should have been defending their own home, not someone else's.
Aurora took the legs of a young female soldier, while one of the other slaves took the girl's arms, and they began to move the bodies to a pile out of the way.