I slowly paced around the tent, my heart racing. I'd been nervous before, but I felt shaky.
"Why am I so nervous? I survived a deathclaw, for fucks sake.." I muttered.
"Are you alright, little dove?"
I turned around as my dad entered the room. "Yeah, dad, Just nervous... it's stupid."
"Everyone gets nervous before their ceremony, little dove."
"Was Cazador nervous?" I asked
"Yes. He was shaking like a leaf. But you didn't hear that from me." My dad said, winking.
I laughed, brushing my hair out of my face, and winced.
My dad frowned. "Are you sure you're ready? The ceremony can wait a few more days..."
"I'm fine, dad." I reassured him." I'm all healed up. I'm just sore. And, I have some cool scars, like you do."
My dad shook his head. "I still can't believe my little girl survived and killed a full grown deathclaw. Daniel won't stop talking about it. He really looks up to you."
"He's nine. He looks up to everyone. I didn't do it alone. If Cazador, Hunter, and Bearclaw weren't with me, I'd be dead. And I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm fifteen, like everyone else who takes their trial."
"I know you had help. That deathclaw was a... surprise, for sure. But you did fire the final shot. That's what matters." My dad told me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "And you'll always be my little girl, my little dove. Even after I'm gone and you lead this tribe."
"I don't want to think about that right now." I said, giving my dad a hug. His thick beard tickled my head.
"You don't have to. Tonight is about you. Now, you're sure about the name you've picked out?"
I nod. "Yes. I just wish mom could be here.."
"She is, little dove. She's always with you. Just as I will be. She loved you with all her heart, like Daniel does. Like I do." My dad smiled at me.
"I love you too, dad."
Dragon sighed. A mix of tired, a little headache, a bit of happiness, and some depression. Some of her memory had been creeping into her mind the past couple of days. It couldn't be in order, no. That would have been too easy. Bits of her childhood, and adulthood, were still missing, but there were enough pieces to make an small story.
She was from a tribe, though she couldn't recall the name. And she'd been fifteen when she completed her Trial, whatever that was. A rite of passage? A coming of age thing? All she could remember was it was a hunt, and there was a deathclaw, and some adults who were blurred images in her mind.
She couldn't remember what the ceremony was. She remembered cheering. People cheering for her. People calling her Dragon.
She talked with Mitchell and Sunny about what she could remember. Talking about it helped ease the burden in her mind some. But she had to go. She had to find the man who shot her. She had to.
She said goodbye to everyone, promising to come back after she'd finished her business. She headed down the road towards Primm, the sun shining into her eyes. She tried to distract herself by listening to the radio on her Pip-Boy. Mr. New Vegas had a nice voice, and the music was relaxing.
She still couldn't remember her real name, or her fathers', or much about her mother. Just beautiful, long red hair and lovely voice, telling her to be a good person. And Dragon was a good person. Wasn't she?
And Daniel. A name without a face. A little boy who looked up to her. He had to be family, from what she could remember.
She'd tried to remember more details,but it hurt her head. And her nightmares were blurred, shadows and voices spinning around her as they tormented her mind. The details were there, somewhere. If she could just..
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" A voice barked at her, making her jump.
An NCR soldier approaches her. "Primm is off limits."
Dragon look around. She'd been so distracted she hadn't realized she'd made it to just outside Primm. This area was a few ruined buildings, and wooden barricades that looked recently made.
"Uh... why?" She asked.
"Trouble with some escaped convicts. They've taken over the town in a manner of days. Anyone who isn't dead is in hiding. You should head back to Goodsprings." The soldier said. He didn't sound very empathetic. Just... done.
Dragon regarded him. He had basic NCR body armour, and some sort of rifle on his back. There was another soldier by the broken bridge into town, and some tents farther back by more ruined buildings. Surely these soldiers could handle some thugs.
"Why aren't you in there securing the town?"
"We don't have the man power or firepower to do so." The soldier said.
"But... you're soldiers! They're just thugs!" Dragon exclaimed.
The soldier looked irritated, and sighed. "Look, lady. Go talk to Lieutenant Hayes. His tent is back there." With a gesture towards the tents, the soldier resumed his post by the road.
Dragon was confused. How could they not have the man power or weapons to deal with some thugs?
She made her way to the tents, seeing another solider eating at an old wooden table, before entering Hayes' tent. He greeted her in a friendly way, stating himself as a lieutenant of the 5th Battalion, 1st Company. A brief conversation informed her that the convicts, Powder Gangers from the NCR Correctional Facility, got organized and equipped faster and more efficiently than their intel had suggested.
Hayes was attempting to get more supplies and back up, but things were moving slow. He told Dragon it would be best to leave, becoming concerned when she refused.
"Ma'am, you'll be in immediate danger if you cross that bridge. As soon as I can get back up-"
"I can't wait that long, and neither can those people in there!" Dragon snapped. Seeing the lieutenant's expression, Dragon sighed. "I know it's not your fault, Lieutenant. But someone needs to help. I need to get into Primm, one way or another. I can try to understand why you can't send any soldiers in, but I'm going in. I can take care of myself."
Hayes nodded. "I can't do anything but caution you and advise you against it. Good luck, ma'am." He sat back down. "Explosives aren't exclusive to the Powder Gangers." He said in an offhanded way, gesturing with his head towards a metal box in his tent, giving Dragon a brief look before returning to his papers.
Dragon nodded in understanding, going to the box, taking some extra ammo and a few grenades from it. It was the only help Hayes could provide.
She made her way across the bridge, disarming a couple frag mines laid out. She carefully crept through the town, keeping close to buildings. It was quiet, too quiet. No residents, no convicts. She kept hold of the Varmit Rifle Sunny gave her, trying to keep her nerves from getting to her. She clung to the side of a large white building, creeping around it slowly.
She came close to the main street in town, crouching low and looking through the scope she'd fitted to it, purchased from Chet, at a discount insisted by Sunny for her help protecting Goodsprings. She looked through the scope. She could see a hotel, the Bison Steve. A bison sign with the name decorated the front, and a dilapidated roller coaster snaking the building.
Dragon noted two convicts patrolling the main street, ocassionally looking at the building she was hiding behind. She took aim, picking them both off before they could see what hit them. She made her way to the front of the building. A sign read. 'The Vikki and Vance Casino'.
She opened the front door slightly. "Hello? My name is Dragon. I'm not a convict. I want to help. I'm coming in. Don't shoot."
Dragon entered the casino. It was lit up, featuring several slot machines, a couple roulette tables, and a blackjack table. Several people were hold up inside, guns at their sides. A protectron wearing a cowboy hat was roaming around as well. A friendly looking older gentleman approached her.
"You've picked a bad time to visit, youngster. Primm has gone to hell."
"I noticed. Like I said at the door, my name is Dragon. I need to speak to someone in charge of the courier's office."
"That would be me." The older man said. "Name's Johnson Nash."
"Can you tell me anything about this delivery?" Dragon asked, handing him the delivery order.
"Oh, this is one of them packages." Nash said, shaking his head. "This one had weird written all over it, but we couldn't turn down the caps."
"What do you mean by 'weird'?"
"Well, there were multiple couriers needed, each carrying something different. A chess piece, dice, all oversized. Everything was delivered and paid for, except your chip. The first deadbeat we hired before you didn't even bother. Hope a storm from the Divide skins his sorry hide alive."
"Someone else had this job before me?" Dragon asked.
"Yep, but he turned down as soon as he saw you're name on list, said to let you handle it, like you needed sorting out or something. You must've had history."
Dragon frowned, unable to recall anything about this other courier or anything else about the job. Why turn it down if the money was good? She shook her head. That didn't matter right now.
"Someone shot me and took the chip. A man in a checkered suit, and some Great Khans."
Nash thought for a moment. "Well... a few nights back, a city slicker in a daisy suit and some of those Khans came through. Our deputy would know where they went, but the boy got himself nabbed by the Powder Gangsters in the Bison Steve."
"You mean Powder Gangers?"
"Gangers, Gangsters, all the same trouble. Beagle may be as useless as tits on a radscorpion, but he's sadly the closest thing to law we have. His sister, rest her soul, was wife to our sheriff. We'd pay the ransom if we could afford it..."
"I'll go help your deputy." Dragon said.
"Be careful, kid. They probably have more lead then we got bodies in here. Don't know why those NCR fellas haven't come and helped."
"Don't worry about them. Keep guard here in case... just keep guard."
With that, Dragon went outside. She scanned the area she was in, making sure she wasn't about to get ambushed. She saw the Mojave Express office, and decided to pop inside, looking for anything useful.
Inside was a combination of the office and an house, nothing much of note, except a strange looking robot laying motionless on the counter. It was circular, made of a durable looking metal frame, with several antenna protruding from it. A faded marking reads 'ED-E'.
A strange sense of pity overcame Dragon, seeing the poor little thing in this state. She took time to examine it. It needed a few minor replacement parts and calibrations, which Dragon easily took care off. The little robot jolted to life, floating up. It turned to her, beeping.
"Uh... follow me?" She said.
"Companion protocols beginning. A robotic voice said.
"Can you talk, ED-E?" She asked.
ED-E beeped in response.
"I see. Well, at least I won't be dealing with the Powder Gangers alone." She remarked, receiving another beep in response.
Talking to a robot like this probably seemed crazy, but it was better than talking to herself and getting lost in thoughts she'd rather not entertain. This way, she had someone else, sort of, to talk to. ED-E was a least company.
She approached the Bison Steve, robot in tow. She looked back at the robot. "Can you be stealthy?"
"Beep beep."
"I'll assume that means 'yes'."
Dragon slowly opened one of the door, tensing at the creaking hinges and wood. She held in open wide enough to let ED-E in, and look a quick look with the light. Dust was settling in the air. There was a check in desk to the right with a couple door behind and beside it.
A small doorway was on the left, and there was a big entryway at the end of the hall. A few tables had been turned over, and set end to end as a barricade.
Dragon shut the door quietly and crouched down. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the low light. She looked back at ED-E. The little robot floated above her.
"Are you any good in a fight?" She asked.
"Beep."
"Okay.. um... shit, how do you command a robot like this to fight? Um.. battle?"
"beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep..."
"Ssshhh! Silence! Log off!" Dragon whispered loudly in a panic. The sound was echoing in the lobby.
"beepbeepbe..." ED-E quit beeping, the sound fading out.
Dragon thought for a second. "So, saying... that did something. I guess I need to do better at your calibrations."
"Beep."
"Don't patronize me. Let's try again. Battle?"
"Battle protocol begin." The robot voice said. A faint red glow started emitting from ED-E.
Dragon heard a voice, and saw a figure appear in the large entryway. Before she could react. ED-E fired three lasers at the figure, which quickly fell to the floor. Two more appear, and Dragon fired in their direction, ducking to avoid being shot.
She heard a few bullets dinging against metal, and laser sounds, and then silence. She stood up, shaking a little, and walked down to the entryway. She turned on her Pip-Boy light and examined the bodies. One of her shot struck a convict in the head. She shot the other in the shoulder. That one and the first figure to appear had laser burns on their faces, the smell of burnt flesh making Dragon gag.
"At least you can fight." She muttered as she held her gloved hand to her mouth and nose.
"Beep."
Dragon followed the hallway until she reached another large entryway. Taking a quick peak, she saw at least six, maybe seven convicts. Handy as she and her new friend were, this was a bit much.
She sat against the wall, and pulled one the grenades from her bag. She only had three. She stood up, gripping the pin, and leaned against the wall. She let out a sharp, short whistle.
"The fuck was that?" A convict asked.
"I don't fucking know." Another replied.
"Well go check it out!"
"You check it out!"
"In case you forgot, I'm the one in fucking charge! So check it out."
Dragon heard a grumble and footsteps. She pulled the pin, and tossed the grenade into the room. Panic followed the delay, and more panic followed the explosion.
ED-E immediately charged into the room. Dragon grabbed her pistol from her bag, and leaned in, firing. With the explosion messing up the barricades the convicts had made, and the panic and confusion they were in, it was easy for Dragon and ED-E to pick them off.
Dragon stepped over the bodies, checking each on for caps, ammo, and supplies. She made her way into a room with a checker pattern floor and empty shelves. A man in black leather armour sat against the wall, arms tied together.
"You must be Beagle." Dragon said as she approached him.
He nodded. "Deputy Beagle, at you service, ma'am. Or I would be, if I wasn't in this predicament. May I ask kindly for your name?"
"Dragon. Nash told me you would know where to find the man in the checkered suit went."
"Ah, he a... gentlemen friend of yours?" Beagle ask, raising an eyebrow. "He break your heart or something?"
Dragon glared, feeling irritated by the crass assumption. "He shot me, and stole something of mine."
"Oh... um.. well.. I'd be more that happy to tell you everything I know. If you'll kindly untie me." Beagle lifted up his arms.
Dragon narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "Tell me or rot in here." She wouldn't really leave him. She was just still mad at the insinuation about her attacker.
"Sorry, ma'am. You're , uh... not-friend came through not to long before these convicts did. I was skul..er, performing recon when I seen him. Said something to his Khan friends about Novac. You wanna get there, you gotta go through Nipton."
"Thank you." Dragon knelt, and began to untie Beagles hands.
He explained to her what happened to the Sheriff and his sister, and how he got caught. After freeing him, Dragon gave him one of the pistols from a convicts body, and she made him help her clear out the rest of the hotel.
After getting outside, Dragon learned that Beagle was even more useless than she thought. Rather than take over as sheriff, he wanted her to help him find a new sheriff. The only options were the NCR, a former sheriff who was currently incarcerated at the NCRCF, or reprogramming Primm Slim, the cowboy protectron.
Dragon wasn't the best with science stuff, as far as she knew. And if the NCR couldn't even get the back up to take on the convicts, she wasn't sure about trusting them with the town, so she went to the NCRCF building.
She knew she'd be very outnumbered, so she put on the clothing from one of the dead convicts, hiding her hair under a baseball cap.
After reaching the place, she kept her head down as she approached the door guard. She shoved a switchblade into his throat, killing him and taking the keycard from his body. She went in.
"Meyers! Come here." She shouted.
Several people looked at her curiously, keeping their hands on their weapons. One man wearing a sheriffs' hat and the plain convicts clothes approached her, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Run. Now."
Dragon grabbed the grenade she had from her belt, and pulled the pin, tossing it ,and grabbing Meyers, dragging him out the door.
She held a firm grip on his arm as they ran, the didn't stop on until they'd passed the hills, and neared Primm. She looked behind her to make sure they were safe, then turned to Meyers. He looked at her with an expression that showed confusion, and being impressed.
"I don't mean to seem ungrateful, ma'am, but I would appreciate an explanation as to why you... did what you just did." He said to her.
Dragon introduced herself, and explained the situation in Primm, from the convicts taking over, to needed help bringing law back. She explained that she didn't have faith in the NCR, considering they couldn't even secure the town initially.
She also explained that while Primm Slim was a possibility, she wasn't sure she had the skills to program him properly. And he might not be able to understand that there's a lot of grey when it comes to law. Nothing is black or white.
"I'd be more than happy to take on the job." Meyers told her. "But I need assurance that I won't just end up back in prison. I need to handle things my way, as much as I can. I also need an official NCR pardon."
"Where can I get that?"
"There's an NCR outpost out that way. It's a bit of a trek, but you can talk to someone there about the situation."
Dragon checked her map. It was indeed a trek, a few days at least. If she kept a steady pace, and limited her breaks to rest only when absolutely needed, eat and drink on the move, and only sleep a few hours, she could shorten that time a little bit.
"Alright, deal."
Meyers nodded. "Alright. I'll make my way to Primm."
"I'd lose the NCRCF shirt. Don't want you mistaken for a convict."
Meyers tip his hat to her, and headed of to Primm, and she started on her way to the Outpost.
A/N: I am so sorry for the long hiatus. My mental health hasn't been doing to good, and I was bad off for a while. I'm still not feeling the best, but I am feeling better. I am back to writing this story, and I will be continuing Dragon's Game soon as well. Thanks to everyone following this story and for being patient with me. Also, I hope you all like the new cover art. Now you can visualize Dragon a bit better. Chapter one has been edited to match the picture.