Chapter 83: Consolations
Jimmy Bishop lounged around the makeshift garage as Lt. Hutsgy prepped the spare suit of power armor. Having taken a rare casualty storming Circle Junction, the loss of a pilot, as power-suit wearers were wont to be called, was a bittersweet blessing for the returned Lt. Baxter. After losing her own suit on her independent patrol, Baxter was grateful to have a spare suit ready to be issued, even though losing Sgt. Brooks stung the already understrength unit.
As the sparks began bouncing off of Hutsgy's mask, Jimmy sat in pensive thought. Rosa seemed to be recovering ok from her bout with the new Caesar, even if she was continually insisted that she take it easy. Not that she ever understood what the notion meant, even when she was a little girl. Every vent had to be crawled through, every backstreet explored, every fight fought and every dirtbag "secretly" snuck to her room. He loved her, but it really had to be said; Rosa did not make good decisions. And it also had to be said; Jimmy wasn't very good at correcting them.
He ran his hand down his face as Hutsgy lifted her mask to admire her handiwork. "…I tell ya, I should have been a tailor in my next life."
Jimmy looked to her. "…Taylor Hutsgy the tailor, it's cute."
Hutsgy giggled. "…I guess I like sparks too much, though. Baxter likes her suits a little customized, and she only trusts three people to handle the modifications. And the other two ain't here."
"Ever thought of taking one of those suits for yourself?" Jimmy asked.
Hutsgy pretended to think about it. "Nah. I like my body to breathe, thank you. Baxter says a good suit of power armor can only make what you have better, but to me, they also attract a little too much fire for my liking."
Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, that's what my father always said. Everything has a drawback. Power armor is something we'd never sell even if we got our hands on it. Takes up too much space, expensive as hell, and too big a target on your back. I heard that during the Mojave War, a squad of paladins tried to get the jump on the Governor before he was the Governor, and he used a nuka-grenade to boil them in their own armor."
Hutsgy shuddered. "That sounds like an awful way to go."
"One of them," Jimmy nodded. "Getting your head beaten open isn't much more appealing," he muttered to himself.
Hutsgy took off her mask as she climbed off her stool. "…Something bugging you?"
"…Of course, the moment that blind bastard gets himself crippled, the one thing he could have done to help comes up…" Jimmy grumbled.
"…That Joe guy?" Taylor asked.
Jimmy snapped out of his trance. "…You met him?"
"Mh, normally I don't give those religious folks the time of day. I grew up near a Hubology recruitment center, after all. But that Joe guy seemed… different," Hutsgy admitted.
"Weird, more like," Jimmy scoffed. "When what was left of the Mormons settled in Vegas, him and his sister went door to door in Freeside. Freeside," he emphasized. "At least the girl was smart enough to take the hint, but not him, no. When he got older, he went to the places where none of the other Mormons went. Drug dens, gang hideouts, even Gomorrah, fucking Gomorrah," he relayed with disbelief. "…And yet, on a regular basis, he had at least someone following him back to North Vegas. Didn't matter how strung out or desperate they were, everyone respected Blind Joe. And last I heard, one out of every five folk he brought back became full-fledged members of the church," he laughed.
"And how close was he to getting Rosa to convert?" Hutsgy had to ask.
Jimmy's smile faded. "…Not even close. He was a… good influence, don't get me wrong, that's why I'm so pissed he wasn't here to nip the whole "duel" thing in the bud, but Rosa's just… wired differently. Not to mention the whole issue between the Governor and the Bishop. The Mormon one, not my dad. Although…" he drifted off in thought.
"Something came up between them?" Hutsgy asked.
"Nothing I saw, but I heard some rumors that there was a conflict up north that the Governor went to resolve. Apparently, it came down to a bit of a spat between the Bishop and some tribal war chief over how to handle a turf war, and the Governor sided with the war chief. Although things were kind of smoothed over with the whole "Mormons get North Vegas" thing, the Bishop is still really critical of how the Governor handles his business. Obviously, they don't get along too well, and I doubt even the Mormons are especially eager to welcome the man's daughter in with open arms."
"Apart from Joseph," Hutsgy completed.
"Yep," Jimmy nodded. "I've never met a man who loved strays as much as that man."
"Except you," Taylor replied. Jimmy looked over at her. "…All I've seen you do since joining up with us is fret over Rosa. I've never seen a guy so concerned over a girl he wasn't related to or sleeping with."
"Well, she's like a little sister or a cousin to me," Jimmy responded without a hint of irony. "Our dads had me looking after her once when she was little, and I watched her get her head stuck under a stairway banister. I pried her out and she yelled at me that she didn't need any help getting out of it, so I left her alone for the next two hours until she finally admitted she needed help the second time. We've been inseparable ever since," Jimmy relayed.
Hutsgy smiled. "…I think she's grown up since then."
"Yeah, now she has all sorts of things she gets stuck in," Jimmy scoffed.
"Even so, it shouldn't have to be your duty to babysit her forever," Taylor replied as she walked over to her drawer. "Maybe you can give yourself an afternoon off to just… be with yourself?"
"And what am I supposed to do with myself?" Jimmy asked, rhetorically.
Hutsgy fished out a flask. "Share this with me, maybe?"
Lt. Baxter stood at attention as Lt. Mullens wrote her report while Major Wallace paced. "…And I believe that does it for our debriefing," Mullens replied as she put her clipboard before Wallace. "Thank you, Sandra," Wallace nodded. "You are dismissed."
Saluting smartly, Mullens clicked her heels together as the turned about-face and marched out of the HQ tent, leaving only Baxter and Wallace. The Major's face began to darken as Baxter maintained her stance. "…You know you effectively went AWOL on us, right?"
"…Sir, my intention was only on prisoner retrieval…"
"You're an officer, Kimberly. That is a task you delegate, Lieutenant. De-le-gate," Wallace emphasized. "The last thing we need is more one-woman commando bullshit. We're supposed to set an example for the men, and the example we need to set is to stick together and let the task forces do their tasks."
"…Understood, sir," Baxter conceded. Her mission with Carla and Frost had been a liberty she had generously used beyond a reasonable extrapolation. In her mind, the mission wouldn't have taken more than an afternoon. Getting jumped by the Legion riders wasn't something she could have predicted, but she never should have discounted any unknown difficulties the moment she suited up.
"Good, now that we are in agreement," Wallace sighed as he reached into his front jacket pocket. Fishing around, he pulled out his old double-bars. "…Congratulations, Captain, you've been promoted."
"Sir?!" Kim balked.
"There's been an opening recently on the position of immediate subordinate to the commanding officer, and you're the only one qualified for the position," Wallace relented.
"But, sir, what about-" Kim started.
"Your previous predecessor is now in charge of security, and his duties will see him too occupied to commit to his previous responsibilities," Wallace hastily interrupted, barely hiding his derision.
"…Ethan, what the hell happened?" Kim finally got out.
Ethan exploded. "I SEND THAT DECREPIT OLD HAS-BEEN OUT TO SEAL A LEAK AND IT TURNS OUT HE WAS THE ONLY CRACK WE HAD! OF ALL THE BULLSHIT I'M WILLING TO PUT UP WITH, HE COMPROMISES OPSEC 101 ALL BECAUSE HE HAD AN ITCH TO SCRATCH?! I SHOULD HAVE HIM STRUNG UP, NOT HANDLING SECURITY, OF ALL THE ABSOLUTE TRAVESTIES I HAVE TO-" he stopped and calmed himself.
"…Rathmore is the most experienced soldier we have. As much as I want to punish him, and I REALLY do, I simply cannot afford to undermine him while we inch closer to Dallas. Therefore, he's guarding the perimeter in perpetuity, and you are now my new adjutant commander. Is that all understood?" Wallace asked.
"…Understood, sir," Baxter nodded.
Wallace exhaled. "…How are you feeling, Captain?"
"Horrified, sir," Baxter answered, bluntly and honestly. Wallace patted her on the shoulder. "Good answer."
Baxter made her way back to the mobile repair garage. As she did, soldiers nearby were all quick to pick up on her new rank and saluted. Nodding in response, Baxter's mind was already awash in what her new responsibilities were. She was now no longer in charge of just the 5th Heavy Armor, but now in command of each and every contingent of the AEG. Except perhaps their new Liberty Clan allies and probably not the Legion riders.
She had been briefed a little on their current condition with Major Wallace, but as per her "do-it-herself" attitude, she figured it wouldn't hurt to personally speak with her allies. Larain was the obvious first guy to speak to, he was likely either holed up with that Daphne girl who was acting like his own lieutenant or the Boone twins. She hoped it was the former, as the latter promised to be a mess she had no interest in cleaning.
Next would be confiding with the riders, all nine of them. Hopefully, Falco would be on hand to give something professional, otherwise, she had to go about thinking of ways to seduce Barabbas. He had seen her body before, and while he obviously respected greatness, Kim preferred for Caesar to be using his correct head when discussing important matters.
First things first, though, she had to go and brief the new acting commander of the 5th Heavy Armor. Entering the garage, Baxter looked around at the empty racks and opened equipment boxes. "…Lieutenant?" Baxter announced. She approached down the "hallway" as the wind blew against the flaps of the canvased walls. "…Hutsgy?" As she approached where her new replacement suit was being serviced, she was her new commander sitting on a bed as she began holding her partner tight, the two locked in their kiss as they caressed one another. Kim turned to look away from the awkwardness, gulping as she pursed her lips together. "…TAYLOR!"
Taylor shot right to her feet, sending Jimmy sprawling onto the floor. "MA'AM!" Hutsgy saluted. Kim waited a few seconds for Jimmy to re-button his shirt and then zip up Hutsgy's jacket while she maintained her salute. "You are dismissed, Mr. Bishop."
"I don't take orders from you," Jimmy replied. Kim turned to briefly scowl at him. "…Yes, ma'am," he acquiesced as he left the officers to their business. As he left through the entryway, Kim turned to her de facto second in command. "…I've been promoted."
"Congratulations, ma'am!" Hutsgy smiled.
"And so have you," Kim replied. "The 5th Heavy Armor is now yours to command."
"…That's…" Hutsgy began to gulp.
"Just think about your new commissioned status and how much bigger your paycheck is going to be when this mission is over," Kim placated. "You're still doing what you've been doing, just more of it and with less blame to kick upstairs."
"…Yes, ma'am," Hutsgy relented.
"…How're you feeling?" Baxter asked.
"…Wishing I got laid earlier," Hutsgy answered. Baxter patted her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit."
The two continued their patrol. So far, her recovery was going along quite well as far as anyone could be certain, but her father had insisted that she wear shades and a sunhat if she absolutely insisted on going for a walk, which she did. Nonetheless, with her probation still in effect, she was forbidden to leave camp without an escort, and much to her displeasure, there was only one volunteer.
"I just don't see what you saw in him, is what I'm trying to say," Lars said.
"I didn't! It was just a hook-up, nothing more," Rosa pressed back.
"Well, seeing as he's "royalty" and all, you thinking about milking this thing to your advantage?" Lars asked.
"Milking? Gross. A relationship between us is not going to go anywhere pleasant," Rosa scoffed.
"Solid. What about Tobey?" Lars asked.
"What about him?" Rosa asked.
"I mean, considering the last time I saw you two together he had a mouthful of-"
"A FLING! Just… a fling," Rosa interrupted.
"Ok. Does he know that?" Lars asked.
Rosa glared at her father behind her glasses. "You are awfully interested in my private life all of a sudden, you know that?"
Lars smiled. "Just trying to make up for some lost time with my little girl. I just want to know she's safe and happy while I can still give her a guiding hand."
Rosa let out a laugh. "Guiding hand? You?! You were every bit the skank everyone thinks I am!"
"HEY!" Lars snapped. "…I don't want to hear anyone talk about you like that."
"I don't care what they think about me," Rosa sniffed.
"And that's what you want them to think," Lars pressed. "Trust me, I know how this works. You're still young and sensitive about this stuff."
"Yeah," Rosa rolled her eyes. "It's not like I need a mom anymore."
Lars came to a stop. "…Tell me what happened with Ariel."
"Dad, it's not a big deal…" Rosa tried to change the subject, regretting having accidentally brought it up.
"It is. What happened?" Lars pressed.
Rosa exhaled. "…Well, you're up to speed about how I tried to castrate Larain after he slept with Carla, right?"
"I am," Lars nodded.
"Well, when I went to confront him, he was meeting with one of his clan-buddies, Asshat. We got into a fight and then Asshat pulled a gun on me. Larain offered to go with him to get him to back off, and then Cass and Carla showed up which caused Asshat to pull his gun on them."
"And that's how Carla lost her eye," Lars thought aloud. "I am not looking forward to explaining that to Boone."
"After that everything just went kind of red," Rosa admitted. "Next thing I know Asshat is trying to strangle me with a wire, but I get out and we have each other at our lack of mercy. After that, someone shoots me in the head, and I black out. When I come to, I finally met Mom."
Rosa paused for a moment. "Hey, Dad, I know I gave you a lot of shit about not talking about my mom, but I just want to say… I get it."
"I knew she wasn't exactly maternal, but taking you hostage for a ransom…" Lars growled. "…I'm going to have a long and serious talk with her the next time I get within a hundred miles of that woman."
"Don't bother," Rosa said. "Asshat saved you the trouble. Put a bullet in her at the mines."
Lars thought back to his brief time with Ariel. He remembered the first jobs he hired her and her crew for, taking a liking to the roguish little gunslinger with a cute face. Then came the fight against the Tunnelers, the intricate battle plan traumatizing the horde so thoroughly that no further incursions east were reported since, and he and Ariel ended up partying well into the next afternoon. Nine months later, he thought as he looked at the young woman walking next to him, and the most important gift he'd ever been given came into his life. Ariel and her gang were exiled not long afterward after a bunch of hits against the NCR rail-lines started getting linked to them, and Lars was left with a little girl he barely had any idea how to raise. Still, the notion of the woman who gave birth to his daughter rattled him more than even he expected.
"And this Asshat, his name is…" Lars tried to remember.
"Joe said his real name is Duncan," Rosa replied.
"And how does he know?" Lars asked, skeptical.
"He says he recognized him from years ago. Everyone heard him admit it was his real name, right, and he got real pissed when I brought up New Canaan. That's our guy. Ol' Duncan "Cade" Schmitt."
Lars thought back to Cade- to Duncan's performance during the Sovereign Election. He remembered how livid he looked when Larain mentioned his first name, before going as far as to confess it in full when he tried to completely discredit the now-Sovereign. Duncan Schmitt. He almost felt sorry for the poor bastard.
"Schmitt," he shuddered.
"I know, and Duncan, too? His parents must have had it out for him. That guy never really had a chance," Rosa giggled.
"There can't be too many Schmitt's, anyway," Lars thought aloud. "Back in the day, after I set out on my own…"
Rosa groaned. "Is this going to be one of those "when I was your age" stories?"
"First, yes. Second, shut up, and third, the first time I went to the Montanan Wastes, I did some jobs for this rancher named Schmitt. I say rancher when, looking back, he was more like a warlord and was trying to drive his competitors from the area. Well, I did some basic gunman stuff while working for him, but after the "wars" ended early he tried to stiff my pay. He was a prick."
"So, you just took your loss like a gentleman and left quietly, huh?" Rosa scoffed as she laughed.
"…Yep," Lars nodded. After I cut a bunch of holes in his fences. And set his manure pit on fire. And stole an heirloom or six. And laid some pipe in his daughter. He had to laugh at the memories. Poor girl had a crush on him, so it didn't take long for the smitten young thing to come back with him to the barn and-
Lars came to a stop as another memory came to him.
The Lonesome Drifter sat by the fire and continued strumming his guitar while Lars, Veronica and Boone continued eating their dinner as ED-E hovered. "Well, I was born in a little town out Montana way," the Drifter explained. "Me and Ma didn't have much, ever since my pa up and left."
"Your father abandoned you?" Veronica asked as Lars choked down some noodles.
"That he did. Never did know why. Ma always said he was a real mysterious feller, even when he was with her. Like he was a stranger sometimes."
"I'm sure he had a reason for leaving," Veronica stated as Lars began downing the juices.
"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but that don't change the fact that it wasn't right," the Drifter replied.
"Must have been hard growing up without a father," Boone said as he wiped his mouth with his arm.
"It sure wasn't easy. Ma worked her fingers to the bone to make sure we had enough to survive, and I worked the coal mines from when I was fifteen. After Ma died, I guess I wanted to find my Pa and get some answers from him. Been looking for him ever since, but he ain't an easy man to find."
"What will you do when you find him?" Veronica asked.
"Can't say I really know. Maybe I'll just ask him why. Maybe I'll punch him right in the mouth. Hell, the more I talk about it, the more the whole damn thing sounds like a dumb idea," the Drifter relented.
Lars suddenly felt dread form from the bottom of his stomach. "I'm… sorry, did you say you came from Montana?"
"Yes, why?" the Drifter asked.
Lars did the mental math. "…Are you about… seventeen?"
"No, I'm twenty-eight. Why?" the Drifter asked.
"Oh, no reason," Lars sighed in relief while Boone and Veronica gave him some stink-eye.
Lars stood in shock and dread as the possible epiphany finally hit him. "…You Ok, Old Man?" Rosa turned to ask him.
"…Hey, Rosa," Lars began. "I just want you to know that I love you."
"Oh!" Rosa said in surprise. "…Cool, thanks."
"No, you don't get it," Lars grabbed her by the arm. "I love you. I should have told you that more when you were younger, but I love you."
"…What's going on," Rosa asked, growing uncomfortable and nervous.
"…If I don't tell you now, some guy like I used to be is going to come around, look at you, and say they love you when they don't, and you won't be able to tell the difference. That's on me, so… I love you," Lars explained. "I figure I was overdue to remind you that, so… yeah."
He released his daughter. "…Oh. Ok. Uh, thanks Dad. That… that really means a lot," Rosa said as she turned away. The sincerity behind her words even caught her off guard. "…I guess… I should say-"
"Please don't," Lars shook his head. "I don't think either of us can survive this much sappiness this quickly."
"Oh, thank you," Rosa exhaled in relief. The two then took a moment to share a laugh together, the first time in the longest time either could remember.
In the distance, the faintest sound of a horn echoed through the air. Both the father and daughter caught it. Taking his binoculars, Lars took them up to see whatever was approaching. After a few minutes of searching, he saw a ragged column of soldiers approaching. Most of them looked like they were ready to keel over, but standing right behind the front were some soldiers holding up their banners. The banner of a golden bull on a red canvas.
"Rosa, run back and get ahold of Boone, Wallace, or Falco," Lars told his daughter.
"What about you?" Rosa asked.
"I'm going to go down and say hello," Lars said as he made his approach toward the oncoming column.
On his way down, he was passed by Falco, Quintas, Damocles, Drago, and Dan, who offered the Governor a ride on the way down. As the riders made their way before the oncoming army, Lars got a better look at the soldiers and could scarcely believe his eyes.
The leader held out their hand as the rest of the battered troop came to a stop. Drawing out their gladius, Bea held her blade before her as she saluted the riders before her. "…Ave… true to… true to Caesar… and his Oracle…" she got out before finally collapsing before the Falco and the rest.