In the Shadow of the Valley: Main Series

by Desert Ranger Caracal

The main series of the AU. For those who have wanted to see what the main series of my work involves, do enjoy. It's been ten years since the Desert Rangers have been disbanded, and one of them is tired of the NCR failing to destroy Caesar's Legion. Taking things into his own hands, he forges a militia and dives into the task of making the Mojave free. How will it go? Read up.

12. Chapter twelve

CHAPTER 12: NEVADA SAVIOR. BY DESERT RANGER CARACAL.

LOCATION: LUCKY 38 PENTHOUSE SUITE.

DATE: APRIL 7TH 2282.

TIME: 7:45 AM.

TEMPERATURE: 76°F OR 25°C.

Waking up early in the morning to meet with Yes Man wasn't what Joseph or Six envisioned for an ideal Friday morning. Irregardless, they'd gotten to every faction they could think of and had to discuss things with him. So after rinsing their mouths out with purified water and eating a quick breakfast, they reported to the penthouse suite and got to him. They walked up to the towering console and stopped a few meters away, looking up to the smiling face on the monitor.

"Why hello there! It's so good to see you, I hope you've slept well! So, how has the mission gone?"

"We're done with the factions of the wasteland. We've dealt with them accordingly."

Joseph stated, catching Yes Man off guard.

"Oh goodness! I'm impressed, really that you were able to handle them so quickly and without issue too! Tell me everything, I'm dying to know what's happened over the past few weeks!"

Six looked up at Joseph, leaning backwards to pop her back as she spoke.

"Let's talk in turns, and only about each faction we dealt with."

"Fine by me, who goes first?"

"I'll go. I got out of the Gommorah before you got out of the Ultra-Luxe."

Nodding in agreement, the caracal took a step away from his comrade and let her tell the AI running Vegas what happened.

"The heads of the Omertas were planning a complete massacre on the Strip so they could run the place. They were gathering arms and explosives, but I killed those responsible for it and destroyed their weapons. The Omertas ain't likely to support us, but they're not a threat right now."

"Wow! I didn't expect that to be brewing under our noses, thank you so much for taking care of that!"

Six smiled gently at the praise, before looking at Joseph as he got to the other half of the solved issues on the Strip.

"The White Gloves had a cannibal problem, with rogue members wanting to return to their old ways. I killed the head of the problem, and the Ultra Luxe is investigating to see how deep the issue is. They're on our side because of it."

"A cannibal problem? Why that's just disgusting! Thank you so very much for taking care of that nasty stain on the Strip's reputation. Even if it didn't become a major problem, if word came out we would lose a lot of money because of a soiled reputation."

Nodding in agreement, Joseph remained silent, as Six continued.

"I managed to get the Kings working for us too, turned out to be as easy as solving a few key issues in Freeside."

"So you managed to get the head honchos of dirty ole Freeside to work with us? Good on you! According to House's data they're pretty good peacekeepers, maybe they'll prevent a riot or two when we really need the help!"

Joseph's turn was next, as he threw in a more medicinal venue.

"I've convinced the Followers of the Apocalypse to listen to any offers that I may provide them, after helping them out quite a bit."

"So you've convinced the humanitarians to potentially work with us? Now that's just delightful, hopefully they'll be content with whatever violent things you and your warriors do in the name of freedom."

Six stepped up as Joseph stepped back, letting her sling the explosive news.

"The Boomers are on our side, they've got a massive bomber now and want to use it during the second battle of Hoover Dam."

"Really now? Well thank you for making sure that they'll be bombing the right people from now on. I hope they've got some big bombs ready for the Legion, that would be a really exciting and booming show!"

Joseph got to the pitch once more, and this time with a real curveball for Yes Man to try and hit.

"I managed to convince the Great Khans and Vault 19 Powder Gangers to come to our side. The Khans are no longer peddling Chems, they're making stimpaks and other useful chems for us to use. The Vault 19 Powder Gangers are already getting to enhancing our knowledge of explosives too, and there's a good chance the regular Powder Gangers could end up joining along."

Yes Man clearly needed those good few seconds of silence that he took to process the info Joseph had tossed him.

"That's, that's quite the move there sir! I wouldn't have expected you to be capable of taking outlaw scum and making them into good men. That's an amazing idea on your part! I think they'll be extra grateful for your kindness, and it won't backfire at all!"

Brushing aside the candy coated insult, Joseph stepped aside, letting Six drop the last bombshell for the meeting.

"I've convinced the NCR and the Brotherhood of Steel to forge a truce, ending the years long war they've been waging. They'll be supporting us too."

"What? Well that's just... one of the most surprising things I've heard from you. There's a good chance they'll want to blow me to smithereens and cripple your intelligence systems, but what do I know? Hell, that might be a good thing for this dumb robot to experience!"

Gently clearing his throat, the ranger quickly spoke up.

"Well that's all the factions we gotta deal with right now. So what else has to be done?"

"I'm glad you asked! President Kimball is going to visit Hoover Dam soon, most likely tomorrow. Mr House's data all points to his death being a bad thing, and saving him would further enhance the militia's reputation in the wasteland. There's also the matter of the Followers of the Apocalypse. According to House's data they'd be invaluable to keeping the peace in Freeside during say, another battle over Hoover Dam."

"I'll handle the Followers. I have an agreement with them already, and they respect what I have to offer."

Joseph butted in immediately, catching Six by surprise and Yes Man off guard.

"Okay! That's one issue down right away, good! But someone still has to keep Kimball safe, the data I have implies disaster if that doesn't happen."

Stepping in front of the Ranger, Six nodded gently at the terminal.

"I'll go. I can handle a Legion assassin without too much problem."

"Well that's wonderful! Of course, it's Joseph's word if you'll be going, not mine."

Joseph chuckled gently, before intercepting verbally.

"Six, you've never failed to handle a mission, go ahead and get going when you can."

"I won't let you down."

Six began to walk away, only taking a few steps to the stairs before she was interrupted.

"Wait! There's something else that needs to be addressed!"

Yes man nearly yelled out, making Six turn around as she faced the towering terminal again.

"And that is?"

"Well there's a little substation in the Mojave that's under NCR control. I need you to go there and install this gadget House made. It's called an override chip, it can send a jolt to the Lucky 38's generators and get Vegas nice and self sufficient."

An arm began to extend from the terminal, holding a box containing the override chip. Six walked over to it and took it out of the arm, looking it over before putting it into her backpack.

"It will be installed after I've ensured Kimball has gotten out of Hoover Dam safe and sound.

"Perfect! Also, allow me to mark where you need to go on your Pip-Boy, just to help you from getting lost!"

Another arm extended from the terminal, plugging into the Pip Boy and putting a map marker onto the location of the substation, and Hoover Dam. When done, it pulled back into the terminal mainframe, while the unchanging smile of Yes Man's terminal screen still smiled down on the two of them.

"Thanks, I'll be off to Hoover Dam now."

"Stay safe, you're invaluable to helping the Mojave gain its freedom."

"Happy Travels!"

Joseph and Yes Man's goodbyes were enough for Six, who soon walked to the elevator and went down, beginning to take the journey to the NCR's mojave stronghold. About ten minutes later, Joseph also left the Lucky 38 and began to make his way to the Followers.

Passing through Vegas, and Freeside felt routine at this point, even the scanning of the streets for any thugs who wanted to mug him. He didn't need to shoot anyone tonight at least, that was a positive. Though the welcome nods of the Kings who passed him by still was new, but welcome.

It wasn't too long before he had gotten into the Old Mormon Fort, where he got to see the Followers operating faster, more lively and with new resources. Bill Ronte and Jacob Hoff were hard at work to improve the situation in Freeside. With Bill recalibrating his skills and shaking off the last of his addiction to alcohol on a section of spare piping. Jacob was out of the woods himself and working on a batch of Fixer with some high end equipment.

The Followers also seemed to have a few more guards, though that was probably because they'd gotten somewhat better equipment, namely lever action and pump action shotguns along with good armor. Joseph wasn't here to inspect the equipment of his allies though, he was here for negotiations.

Luckily, he saw Julie Farkas nearby, talking to a Follower who had just come in a week ago. The ranger slowly approached the pair, taking care to not tread on anything precious by mistake. His slow approach was noticed immediately by the new Follower, who looked at Joseph with bewilderment immediately, and pointed at him.

"Julie, why is there an NCR Ranger in the fort?"

Turning her head, Julie soon shook it as she saw Joseph approaching them.

"He's not NCR, he's the leader of the Free Mojave Forces."

"I've never been NCR, I'm a former Desert Ranger through and through."

Joseph added as he stood a mere meter away from the pair, immediately making the new guy feel all the smaller. He was around Julie's height, with light, though tanned skin and dirty blonde hair.

"I'm pleased to see that my help has not been for nothing."

"Not in the least! With your help, Freeside's been getting the care it needs and is even beginning to bloom. I can't thank you enough for getting Bill and Jacob to ask for help."

Joseph couldn't help but smile at knowing that everything had worked out, but it wasn't long before it stiffened again to the usual poker face.

"Thank you. But I have to talk to you in private, how about we talk in your office?"

"Oh? Alright, follow me. Randy, please help Bill with whatever he needs, and don't bug Arcade, he needs to focus on his work."

The new Follower nodded in agreement before he began walking to Bill, as Joseph followed Julie to her office in the Western Guardhouse. Entering it, Julie entered the small medical center that was in essence her office. Leaning against a wall, she looked over at the ranger and stretched her arms slowly.

"Well what did you want to speak about? I've got a lot of people to help."

Joseph took a slow breath, exhaling gently before looking her in the eyes.

"It's an inevitability that Hoover Dam is going to have another battle. When that happens, I will need the Followers in two ways. First as medics for those fighting the Legion, and second as help for keeping the peace in Freeside if violence breaks out. I also am going to need the Followers to help with my goal of freeing the Mojave. Are you willing to help?"

What Joseph had to say stunned Julie, making her take a double take as she took in that he was serious.

"And why would I help you with that? I never would help House in my life, what makes you any different?"

"I have no aspirations for domination. I want to help the Mojave gain its freedom and keep it. I want those who live in it to be free to make something of themselves without the tyranny of the NCR or Legion towering above them. Freedom not just for the individual, but for the broader communities of the Mojave. Isn't that the desire of the Followers? To move beyond the methods and ideals of the past? This is a chance for you to help make it a reality, and not a mere dream."

The ranger argued in his favor, as Julie listened intimately to everything. Silence filled the room after Joseph finished up, as Julie racked everything in her head. Looking back up at him, she looked the caracal in the eyes and nodded.

"You've never done anything to harm the Followers, and you are correct about our goals. We'll help your militia."

"Thank you Julie, for listening and accepting my offer."

Hands extended and were firmly shook in agreement, with the ranger smiling down pleasantly at the Follower's leader. He left an hour later to see how things were going back at headquarters, and without a clue that he was going to have to give his boyfriend an answer to an inevitable question.

LOCATION: SOUTH VEGAS AUTONOMOUS ZONE.

DATE: APRIL 7TH 2282.

TIME: 11:21 AM.

TEMPERATURE: 92°F OR 33°C.

The apartments that Joseph hadn't paid much mind to since the last time he left the Vault for Vegas were now complete. Made out of brick, mortar and wood, the old fashioned looking building was simple in nature but did one hell of a job at proving that the militia's efforts had been well placed.

Four stories tall, it filled the gap that came after the rubble had been cleared out and did it wonderfully. Joseph couldn't help but admire it for a bit, before turning and beginning to walk to the vault. Before he could get too far however, a voice came from behind.

"Joseph! We need to talk right now!"

Turning around, he saw Gabriel rushing from behind, the cheetah nearly running right into the caracal as he stopped running just in time. Skidding in the dirt, he stopped moving a mere six inches away from his lover. The cheetah was dressed in his worker's clothes, which seemed a bit more frayed compared to the last time the caracal saw them on. Taking a step back for comfort, Joseph nodded gently.

"As you wish, where would you like to talk?"

"Follow me, I know the place."

Gabriel nearly grabbed Joseph's hand, but restrained himself as he lead the ranger into the apartment building. The inside was surprisingly clean, and full too. Furniture, pictures, a fully set up front desk and more all filled the entrance. The pair didn't marvel over it though, as Gabriel made a beeline to an empty storage room. The cheetah entered it with a pep in his step, ushering the ranger in as he followed at a similar pace. Leaning up against a wall,

Joseph prevented the door from closing so they could see each others faces at least. The silence was almost lethal as Joseph waited for Gabriel to speak, while Gabriel waited for Joseph to ask his question. A simple throat clearing from Joseph about two minutes later was enough for Gabriel, as he threw the awkward silence into the sand.

"I want to convert to Judaism. I've engrossed myself into that Torah you gave me, I've read it front to back for the past month and frankly, Christianity never really fit me all too well. You know how to begin, right?"

Joseph blinked gently, before nodding quite slowly.

"Before I tell you, know this. The process of converting is not a quick one. It takes a minimum of a year for an outsider to convert to Judaism in my town. That's a special case situation too, so you better be ready for it."

"How do you know that it takes that long?"

"While studying for my bar mitzvah, an outsider came to town to convert. During that time I asked the rabbi about how long it usually took outsiders to convert, and he told me that it took between one and three years. The outsider became a Jew, but it took him about two years if I remember right. The point is, you're not taking a stroll, you're going on a long and arduous journey."

Gabriel just nodded along, the anticipation still swelling inside of him as Joseph couldn't help but sigh a little in disappointment.

"Alright. I'll tell you. Go to Gan Shalom and visit with the Rabbi. If my memory serves me right he's a vulpine named Ya'akov who's done this before. Regardless, whoever Gan Shalom's Rabbi is will be able to tell you what the full process is. A caravan is going to go there tomorrow, so get on it. And if you can't stay at the hotel, ask the Rabbi for help. When the war is over I'll be returning to Gan Shalom, it's been too long and I need to find my footing to help the Mojave find peace."

Gabriel nodded gently, and watched Joseph begin to get off of the wall. Taking his chance, he leapt right onto the caracal and nearly pinned him there. Grunting in shock, Joseph nearly hit his boyfriend out of surprise and looked down at him with some confusion.

"WHAT THE-"

"Thank you! I'll be sure to study as much as I can, so I can be the best Jew I can be!"

Joseph slowly relaxed, before hugging Gabriel back. Leaning his head down, he kissed the cheetah slowly, leaning his head down to his right ear.

"Please don't risk yourself during the journey, you'll be safe if you just let the caravan drivers and guards do their jobs."

He whispered into his lover's ear as a final warning before letting go of the cheetah. Eventually he released his much taller lover, and nodded in agreement, running off to get his things packed as Joseph contemplated what he'd said. Was it wise to send him off to an unfamiliar town so he could convert to the faith he considered best, or was this a mistake that could break their relationship?

Gabriel was going to have to understand the books he'd been taught in church from a completely different point of view after all, and from a different translation no less. What was done was done, all Joseph could do was hope for the best. Walking out of the building, he saw Gabriel enter the workers housing excitedly. Smiling gently at the cheetah's excitement, he turned back to the vault and walked right in, ready to resume his duties while Six was busy keeping the NCR happy.

LOCATION: HOOVER DAM.

DATE: APRIL 7TH 2282.

TIME: 7:01 PM.

TEMPERATURE: 70°F OR 21°C.

Hoover Dam was an intimidating concrete mass covered in NCR army and rangers that had been there for a while. The first battle of Hoover Dam was their victory, rightly claimed a little under four years ago from Caesar's Legion. The bloody victory was won by a mix of General Lee Oliver's tactics and NCR Rangers creating a diversion from the dam, which proved to be a successful trap.

Since then, an uneasy peace had come forth, as all the Legion had done with the dam since then was observe, and occasionally send light harassment to. Though things had undeniably heated up with the news of President Oliver's sudden speech that was going to take place, and the NCR was desperate for any/all help they could get for keeping him safe, from trusted sources of course.

The Free Mojave Forces were one of them, so Six had no fear about going to the dam. While she wasn't a former NCR soldier or anything of the sort, she'd taken a few packages to Hoover Dam before, though she wasn't let inside for obvious reasons. Now though, she had the chance to see the center of the Mojave's conflicts in detail, and it excited her a little. Walking up the broken up road of the dam, Six could barely see the dam in the darkness until the lights of the dam appeared.

The nearly bone white concrete looked bleached underneath the lights, and blinded her for a good few seconds as she continued to walk to the visitor's center. She got about ten meters to the door when she heard a nearby voice to her left.

"Halt! Identify yourself."

Turning to her left, she saw a female NCR ranger wearing patrol armor, holding a leashed dog who was beginning to growl softly as a warning. Her eyes were hidden by sunglasses but they clearly were nailed on Six, suspicious of her.

"The name is Six, I'm a member of the Free Mojave Forces and I'm here to help with security tomorrow."

She stated boldly, keeping her resolve in check as she looked the ranger in the eyes. The ranger kept quiet for a bit, before nodding in acceptance as she resumed her patrol, leaving Six to enter the visitor's center. As she walked in, she immediately saw a man standing at the front desk, who saw her in turn.

Wearing the same Patrol armor of most rangers, he stood proudly in his position. His battle scarred body was an average height, and that was the most normal thing about him. He'd been a ranger for a hefty amount of his life, and only stopped serving in primary missions due to losing his right eye to a Legion Veteran. Amazingly, he stopped just because he felt he needed time to learn how to aim with his left eye, and wanted to get back to the front as soon as he could.

Reckless perhaps, but undeniably dedicated. That was probably the reason he'd ended up as the man in charge of keeping the NCR's president alive, he asked no questions and had plenty of shots to offer for would-be assassins. Approaching him felt at least a little intimidating as she tried not to stare at a man who had stared war in the face and blew a kiss at it. Stopping about a meter and a half away from him, she tried to open her mouth but was quickly interrupted.

"Let me guess, you're the helper that the Free Mojave Forces sent as assistance?"

The courier nodded gently, before going further.

"Yes sir, if you don't mind I'd like to perform a brief inspection before I go to bed."

"Fine by me. Just don't expect luxury quarters and a perfectly curated bedtime, you'll be sleeping like everyone else here. That means bedtime at Eleven when it's lights out, and you'll be waking up at Five. Got it?"

"Fine by me. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Just don't interfere with the troopers or the engineers and keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. You see anything suspect, you report it to me first. That's all."

Six nodded, and made her way to the elevators to the offices. Entering it, she looked around the elevator, getting the vibe of concrete and wood paneling that echoed of pre-war monotony. Pressing the down button, the elevator moved smoothly, and it wasn't long before it opened back up to reveal the bland walls of concrete and metal that filled Hoover Dam's internals.

The brief inspection felt like it took hours, but an alarm she'd set on her pip-boy for 10:30 PM jolted her back to consciousness and reminded her of where she had to be soon. It only took her a few minutes for her to find the bed that had been set aside for her, which was in a corner of the room that was at least dry, though pretty lonely. The footlocker was nice though.

She pulled off her armor quickly, putting her backpack and armor away, locking it up before tucking in for the night while a few soldiers played cards in the middle of the room. As she was on the verge of sleep, she heard soldiers aplenty walk right into the room, looking up, she saw that the clock was just about to hit eleven.

She didn't dare try to get any sleep before the lights out alarm rung through the loudspeaker on the wall, and after that she found it surprisingly easy to drift asleep. It might not have seemed like much but it would help immensely with the madness to come.

LOCATION: HOOVER DAM.

DATE: APRIL 8TH 2282.

TIME: 10:51 AM.

TEMPERATURE: 96°F OR 35°C.

Six woke up at about the same time as the other soldiers, the piercing trumpet call made much worse due to the tinny intercom speakers in the sleeping quarters. Still, she got up with a groan and shook herself awake. A quick breakfast and a several hour long scouring of the place later and she'd found some clues to what might be going on.

A report of a missing worker from a concerned worker and a suspiciously large bloodstain were enough for her perception to be heightened dramatically, though nothing concrete could be found about the intruder. Setting it in the back of her mind, she went back to the main desk of the visitor center where she saw Ranger Grant looking down at the entrance. She circled around the desk and got in front of him, clearing her throat as she looked him in the eyes.

"I've finished my inspection and I'm ready to go outside and keep my eyes peeled for trouble."

"Excellent work. The president should be arriving soon so let's not waste time."

Getting out from the desk, he signaled Six to follow him as he approached the door to his side. Six followed close behind hastily, the rifle on her back seeming to shudder a little in anticipation of another kill to its name. As he opened the doors and walked outside, Six got to see precisely how important this was for the NCR. Literally every soldier that was in the Hoover Dam was there, alongside a good few engineers who seemed far more excited for the occasion.

Put simply, the entire place's fighting force could have been wiped out in an instant by a Fat Man with a clear shot. The snipers on the various towers and rooftops did indicate that this wasn't going to happen so easily though, which put that theoretical to rest. Sighing gently, Six walked over to some railing to oversee the crowd while also getting a better look at Hoover Dam.

Overseeing the crowd was a fascinating, and yet slightly mind-numbing experience. People of all sorts with a jumble of emotions all laid out in one location, some on the edge of screaming themselves out of boredom, others lamenting lost rest over the president's speech, others excited for the honor of seeing the chief of their nation and some just happy to be off work.

The dam itself looked even more intimidating in person, with at least two towers holding snipers, an absolutely massive pre-war artilery piece that had to be aiming at Arizona and more that demonstrated the industrial capacity of pre-war America.

Above all else though, nobody in the crowd seemed outwardly shifty or dangerous to the president, even the extraordinarily bored ones who seemed to be more likely to throw themselves over the Hoover Dam than attack the president. This observation went on for a few minutes, before Six turned her head to Grant to see what he was up to.

He was talking on a HAM radio set up on a table, while a nearby guard kept people away from the ladder to the helipad on top of the Visitor's Center. Crossing the walkway that separated them, Six got near the ranger as she looked to the sky.

"When's Kimball scheduled to arrive?"

Graham was just about to open his mouth when the sounds of rotors began to cut through the ambiance. The crowd quieted and also looked up at the sky, as Kimball's vertibird took shape in the horizon.

"That's his vertibird, keep your eyes on the crowd and don't be afraid to blast whoever makes a move on the president."

Graham said when he'd found the words, Six nodded in agreement and stepped out of the walkway. She began to walk down the front steps of the visitors center as the vertibird began closing in on the landing pad, looking at the crowd still. The whines of landing gear extending from the bird began as she walked off the steps and began to approach the crowd from the side.

Looking over to the ridge, she soon heard the sounds of old, tinny speakers beginning to play and she turned back to the visitor's center. Guarded on both sides by a pair of Veteran NCR Rangers doing guard duty was none other than the man she had to keep safe tonight. Brandishing assault carbines with extended magazines, it was clear they were serious about keeping Kimball safe above all else.

Her blood pressure began to rise as the chances of someone trying something begun climbing. While Kimball was escorted to the stage, Six's eyes darted about the area as she looked for whoever might try something, when she saw something unusual.

An engineer was climbing down the ladder for some reason, and when he got off it was clear he was acting suspicious. Avoiding the eyes of the guard blocking the ladder off, half rushing to the crowd and getting right in the middle of the crowd. That, alongside his slightly panicked expression told her that there was indeed something going on.

So she took a risk, and entered the crowd slowly. Avoiding bumping into people like a pre-war Midwesterner, Six took a bit to find him, but when she did it proved to be a rather good moment. Kimball was just beginning his speech, so all she had to do was squat out of sight, and begin to inspect the sketchy engineer's pockets.

It did not take her long to find a detonator, which she pulled right out of his right pocket and hid in her pockets. Getting out of the crowd more rapidly, she ran up the stairs while Kimball continued on with his speech. His droning words of saccharine patriotism and the continued fight against Caesar's Legion slid past her mind as she ran up to Grant.

"Grant, we've got a problem."

"You better have, otherwise you're wasting my damn time."

Six silently pulled out the detonator and gently set it beside the HAM radio he was using, causing Grant's eyes to suddenly glow red in anger. Pointing to the crowd, she spoke quickly.

"One of the engineers is an impostor, I know just who it is, let me handle it."

"Like hell you will! A single man could overpower you, I'll send a pair of rangers to handle the issue, you just lead them there."

He stated in a blunt and unapologetic tone of voice. Before Six could protest, a pair of rangers approached her and stated their intents plainly.

"Lead us to the sonovabitch, we'll make sure he isn't an issue."

Nodding gently, she began to lead them alongside the crowd, before helping them get through the mass of people who unknowingly blocked the way of someone who was trying to kill Kimball. He stood there much like before, his hands on his side as if he had no nefarious intents and was just there for a speech. His right hand seemingly itched for the end though, as he just stared at Kimball unblinkingly, like there was a lot of bubbling hate inside.

Regardless, when he caught sight of Six leading the rangers to him he went berserk upon realizing his cover was blown. Reaching into his right pocket he realized that he couldn't even try to blow the vertibird to bits, so instead he reached into his pants and pulled out a chef's knife. As he tried to swing it at the nearest trooper he could see, his arm was grabbed by one of the two rangers who began to wrestle him.

The struggle was brief, but fierce as the ranger tried to take the assassin down without causing any deaths. It nearly went awry as the assassin pulled out of the ranger's grip, and was just about to plunge into the ranger's skull with it when Six hit him in the skull with the buttstock of her rifle, knocking the attempted murderer out fast.

The knife dropped quickly, and as troopers realized what was going on the rangers quickly picked his unconscious body up and began carrying him out. Six picked up the knife, and quickly followed the rangers. While Kimball didn't see what was going on, his guards did, and quickly proceeded to grab him off the stage and rush him back to the vertibird.

In the rush and excitement, Six got to look Kimball briefly in the eyes just before she handed the knife to Grant, while the rangers under his command explained what happened in the crowd. The next few minutes were a mess of actions, as Six witnessed Kimball's vertibird leaving, the crowd dispersing in light confusion as rumors began brewing, and lastly with the Rangers taking away the would-be assassin for interrogation purposes.

Six was left alone after Grant gave her a handshake to congratulate her, with him following the other two rangers not long after. She looked around, witnessing the once again mostly empty area that had been set up for a speech from the NCR's president. As the cleanup crews began to gather, Six made her leave via the same shattered road that been her entrance the night before.

Her next stop was a random substation that would prove to be another important point in the Mojave's fight for freedom.

LOCATION: A RIDGE IN THE MOJAVE DESERT.

DATE: APRIL 8TH 2282.

TIME: 6:13 PM.

TEMPERATURE: 75°F OR 23°C.

Her actions at Hoover Dam to keep Aaron Kimball alive from a Legion assassin had given Six a good bit more positive reputation with the NCR and FMF, which proved handy when it came time to install the override chip. A spare stealth boy in her bag was enough to sneak past the guards and take the chip to its destination. Afterwards, she met with a Securitron nearby, and was lead to a nearby ridge.

Hours later, Six was sitting beside the Securitron bearing Yes Man's face, staring at the bright lights of New Vegas. They were waiting for two things. For Joseph to arrive, and for the chip to activate. While they were waiting, Six's eyes had focused on the general look of the Mojave, and tried to figure out where specific towns were.

Funnily enough, she hadn't tried on the spot town hunting before, she'd usually spend spare time between courier jobs with a game of Caravan, a book if she was lucky or perhaps conversation with another courier who wasn't drinking themselves out of boredom. Sure, she had a pip-boy but she desperately needed just about all the entertainment she could get, the logs on her pip-boy would come in another hour.

Or they would have, if Yes Man didn't suddenly begin chirping about a familiar silhouette.

"I think that's Joseph! I bet he's super excited for what's about to happen!"

Six got up slowly, and began looking about till she spotted just who Yes Man was talking about. It was clearly Joseph, even in the darkness that was settling in it was clear that the man approaching was him. His size, the short tail and general look only got clearer as he got closer. By the time that he was there in full it was absolutely him. The caracal looked over at the two as he spoke.

"Now that we're all here, what exactly did you want us to see?"

"Just look at Vegas, you'll see soon!"

His excited voice betrayed some of what was to come, as it showed sincere anticipation. Whatever the case, Joseph and Six set their eyes on Vegas and waited. It felt like a few minutes had passed before Yes Man began counting down. Their hearts slowly began to beat faster, and faster as he reached the ten second mark.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, TWO, ONE!"

Vegas looked the same, and yet Yes Man was cheering. Joseph and Six couldn't help but feel confused, until the bot began to explain what had happened.

"The Lucky 38's reactors are now online and can now sustain all of New Vegas! Think about it, we don't need the dam's power to survive, and we can push securitrons out all over the Mojave as we please. Vegas will be protected, and that's if we want to be conservative about it!"

The realization of just what that meant plunged into Joseph's mind, as Six imagined Securitrons sweeping all over the Mojave wasteland. Before either of them could be caught up in their minds, Yes Man gently tapped them with the blunt ends of his securitron's claws.

"I really hope that things go well because of this. Tomorrow, or whenever you want we'll have ourselves a talk about what to do. I'll see you there!"

Suddenly, before either of them could blink Yes Man's face left the securitron, as the soldier's face it previously had returned. Joseph couldn't help but blink in confusion, before beginning to walk off in some form of acceptance. Six gently tapped the securitron's screen to see if anything was going on.

"This unit is transmitting map data back to New Vegas. Please do not interfere."

Six nodded, and walked away, heading back to the vault.