After thinking it over for a moment, Mark shook his head. "No, you know what? There is one thing that I need to do first," he said as he walked to the elevator, handing the letter to Amata as he did. "Mark, where are you going?" she asked as she turned to watch him. "I need to go speak with the esteemed Colonel. Read the letter. You'll understand why."

He pressed the "up" button, the door opening instantly. "Have the rest of the council meet in the Penthouse in one hour." He stepped on the elevator and the doors closed. Looking at the paper in her hands, Amata read it, with the King and Cass going on either side of her so they could read it as well:

Missus Franklin et al,

I sincerely apologize for not being able to tell you this in person. I have been ordered by President Kimball to not sign the treaty that was negotiated two days prior. I cannot say for certain why the President changed his mind, but I believe that General Oliver got wind of it and talked the President out of it. I am truly sorry, but my hands are tied. I cannot go against a direct order. I hope you understand.

Colonel James Hsu

"Well, that's disappointing," the King said, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, ya can say that again. No wonder Mark was pissed," Cass responded. She then looked at Amata, who had yet to say anything. She was still staring at the paper, face impassive. "'Mata, ya okay?" Cass said, putting a hand on Amata's shoulder. That was when Amata exploded.

"ARE YOU GODDAMN FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" She exclaimed, ripping the paper in half and tossing the two halves on the ground. She then started to pace around the room, face red, clenching and unclenching her hands, paying no attention to the others. "After everything we did to make this work, all the hours we put into this, it's all gone just because some asshole with an ego the size of the goddamn planet can't get over himself and realize that helping people is more important than some petty grudge?! I swear to God, if I ever get my hands on Oliver I'll…I'll…well, I don't know what I'll do, but I can guarantee that it won't be pleasant!"

Cass cleared her throat, getting Amata's attention. "What?!" she looked up, seeing Cass barely containing laughter, while the King had an eyebrow raised. "Language!" Cass said, finally losing the battle and breaking out in laughter. The King laughed a bit as well. Amata blushed, realizing what she had just done. "Oh, shut up, the both of you," she said in embarrassment as she went back over to them.

Both the King and Cass stopped laughing a couple moments later. "Seriously, what happens now? When I tell my boys about this, they aren't going to be too happy. I'm fearing the attacks will start again, and may be even worse than before, to the point that not even I'll be able to stop them," the King said, concerned.

Amata ran a hand through her hair. "If I know Mark, he's got something cooking in that head of his. So for now, please tell them…tell them there was an emergency at McCarran and Hsu sent a message that he had to delay the signing because of it. Once we know what Mark's planning, then we'll figure out where to go from there." She paused for a moment.

"You know, now that I think about it, we may not actually need the NCR anymore anyways, given recent events and acquisitions," she said to herself, thinking of the Big Empty and all of the technology there, most notably that seed-cloning machine. Thinking further, she realized that that was probably what Mark was now planning to do. Cass smiled, realizing what Amata was talking about. "What are you talking about?" the King asked, feeling like he was missing something, "because two days ago we needed the NCR to help supply food and security, and now you're saying that we don't need them at all. What changed between now and then?"

Amata shook her head. "We can't really get into specifics right now, but we just came into possession of some technology that might be able to help Freeside, most notably with the food and water issue. I promise, we will tell you everything once that we're sure it will." The King sighed. "You know, I really don't like not knowing things, especially when it concerns me and my boys. That being said, you all haven't given me any reason not to trust you, so I will take your word for it for now, on the condition that I get a full explanation of what's going on, hopefully soon."

Amata smiled and gave him a hug. "Thank you, King. I promise, we will tell you everything eventually." She let go and stepped back. "Alright then, I guess I will head back," he said as he headed for the door. He put a handle on the door and then stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Before I go, could you at least tell me what's up with the vertibirds on the roof of this place?" "Some friends of Mark's showed up to help us fight the Legion," Amata said. Realizing that that was all he was going to get, he nodded and stepped outside.

(Camp McCarran, fifteen minutes later)

"Thank you, Lieutenant, that'll be all," Colonel Hsu said to Lieutenant Boyd. "Of course, sir," she said as she left his office, closing the door behind her. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, groaning as he did. 'I could really use a nap right now,' he thought right before he felt a prick in his neck, his world going dark moments later.

(Starship Zeta, 20 minutes later)

Colonel Hsu groaned. He realized that he was slumped over, his head on a hard surface. He sat up straight and opened his eyes. Once his vision cleared, he saw that he was no longer in his office, or anywhere at McCarran. He looked around, taking stock of the situation. He was alone in an oval-shaped white room with a metallic table and two metallic chairs, the other one on the other side of the table from where he was sitting. Looking to his left, he saw a circular doorway that looked to be blocked by an energy field.

'Ok, I'm obviously not in McCarran anymore, so someone was able to bypass security, knock me out, and somehow smuggle me out. Given the look and feel of this place, it probably wasn't the Legion.' He looked himself over. 'I haven't been restrained or harmed, and it appears that my weapons have been stripped from me.'

Getting up, he approached the doorway, thinking about trying to disable the energy field. He looked to either side, but could not find any panels he could use to try and turn it off. He then reached out to touch it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll get a very nasty shock," came a voice from behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

There was something familiar about that voice. He turned around slowly, and when he saw who it was, his mouth dropped open in shock. It was Mr.-no, Captain Franklin, according to that missive he got from Crocker. He was was leaning back against the wall opposite the door with his arms crossed over his chest, face neutral, and was wearing a black skin-tight suit with grey pouches and linings.

"Captain Franklin? What's going on? Where are we? How did you get in here? Are you being held prisoner too?" Mark chuckled. "Well, as for where we are, you don't really need to know that. Before we go any further, however, let me just reassure you that you are in no danger, and once we're done here, you will be returned to McCarran safely. Now, have a seat," Mark said as he sat down.

"Wait, you were the one who kidnapped me?" Hsu asked incredulously. "Uh, well…ok, yes, I guess I technically did kidnap you. There really isn't another way to put it, is there? Oh, and if you're worried about being reported missing, don't. You left a note on your computer saying that you were taking a walk to clear your head. Now, I insist that you have a seat. We have something to discuss."

Weighing the options in his head, he realized that he wasn't getting out of here on his own, so he sat down. "How exactly did you get me out of McCarran without being seen? If you wanted to talk, we could've easily done this in my office," Hsu said. "Again, you really don't need to know how I got you out, and your office isn't exactly secure. Here, however, is," Mark said. "Now," he continued after a moment, "I would like to get your personal opinion on General Oliver."

That threw Hsu off. "Wait, what? What about the treaty? Isn't that what you wanted to talk about?" He asked in confusion. Mark shook his head. "Nope. While I am angry-not at you, by the way-I understand that you can't disobey a direct order from your superior. What I would like to know is your own personal opinion on General Lee Oliver. From what I understand, when the previous General retired, you were next in line for the position, but were passed over in favor of Oliver, who at the time was a Lieutenant Colonel, simply because he was friends with Kimball. Surely there had to be a bit of resentment there, am I right?"

Hsu opened his mouth, but closed it before a word came out. Truth be told, he had been jealous. He had worked his way up the ranks, doing was he was told, as a good soldier should. He had received numerous commendations and was well-respected. When Oliver had been appointed General, he couldn't help but feel slighted. Oliver was much less experienced than he was, and not as well-liked.

However, it was not in his nature to raise a stink about it, so he continued to do what he had always done: taking it in stride and doing the best he could from his position, both for himself and for those under his command. "Look," Hsu said eventually, "my personal opinion of Oliver is irrelevant. He is the General, and I have to respect that."

Mark drummed the fingers of his right hand on the table. "Well, Colonel, I have something for you to listen to. Let's see if you still respect him afterwards." Mark took off his pip-boy, pressed a button, and placed it in front of Hsu. The conversation that had been recorded in Hsu's office began to play.

While it played, Mark stood up and walked behind Hsu. Once it was done playing, Hsu looked to be in disbelief. "Well, that's, um…that's a bit unsettling. Where was this recorded?" Hsu got no answer, instead feeling another prick in his neck before things went dark once more.

(20 minutes later, Camp McCarran)

Hsu once again opened his eyes, finding himself back in his office. He put a hand to his head. "What the hell? Was that all a dream?" His answer came when he saw something on his desk. It was a holotape with a note on top of it. He picked up the note:

No, that was not a dream. This is a copy of the recording. Do with it what you will.

Hsu put the note down and picked up the holotape, just staring at it, deciding what he should do with it. Thoughts rattled around his head before he put the note and holotape in the top drawer of his desk. He then closed it and opened the bottom drawer, searching for something. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled it out.

It was a small book, colored dark blue, with the words, "New California Republic Code of Military Justice" embossed on the cover, along with the NCR seal. It was well-worn, having been given to him when he first joined the military many years ago. It had been a while since he read it, but it seems it was time to crack it open again.

(Same time, Lucky 38)

Mark stepped out of the stairwell and into the Penthouse, seeing the rest of the council there. "Good. Everyone's here," he said, drawing attention to himself. "Yes Man, lock down the floor," he said to the AI on the monitor. "Of course, sir." He walked down the stairs and stood in front of the monitor. He looked over at Amata.

"How'd the King take it?" he asked her. "Well, he obviously wasn't pleased, but we convinced him to tell the other Kings that Hsu had an emergency to take care of at McCarran and that the signing needed to be delayed for a few days. I also told him that we may be able to supply Freeside with the food ourselves, you know, with that seed cloning machine thing. And don't worry, I didn't specifically say anything about the machine."

He nodded. "Thank you, babe. And yeah, I had the same thought, although we might have to do it discreetly so as to not arouse suspicion. Arcade, is Julie good at keeping secrets?" Arcade nodded. "Yeah, she is. She knows about my association with the Enclave." "She does?" Veronica asked, surprised. She wasn't the only one.

Arcade shrugged. "Yeah. I figured that she should know. She was surprised, but the thing about the Followers is that they don't care about your past as long as you're willing to help. She swore not to tell anyone, and as far as I know, she hasn't. Why is it relevant, though?"

"It's relevant," Mark said, "because we might need to coordinate with the Followers and the Kings to distribute the food and water, but keep quiet about where it's actually coming from, and I already know that the King can keep his mouth shut. Can you arrange a meeting with her?"

Arcade nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. Just let me know when and where and we should be able to get something done." "Thank you, Arcade," Mark replied. He then looked around the room. "I'm assuming that everyone here was filled in on what happened a short while ago?" "Yes," Amata said, "and John and Christina were filled in on what was supposed to have happened."

"Good. So, reactions?" He asked. Veronica spoke. "I mean, I understand the whole "chain-of-command" thing, and that Hsu didn't have a choice in the matter. What I don't understand is what Kimball is thinking here. There's no way that he doesn't know that you're the Courier, and that you have "House's" ear. Is he an idiot, or is Oliver just that good at convincing people of things?"

"Competent politicians are few and far between, Veronica," John said, "and this Kimball guy sounds like a Grade-A idiot. I'll tell you, if this had been done under Tandi, you could've taken it to the bank that she would not have let anyone sway her once she made a decision." That was followed a by a few moments of silence.

"Ok," Mark said eventually, "we need to talk about what happens now. That note is the second time that the NCR, General Oliver in particular, has tried to screw me over. The first time is actually related to why Christina is here, which if I remember correctly, has not been exactly explained."

"You see, Christina here overheard a late-night conversation at McCarran a couple days ago between General Oliver and a mercenary. It appears that General Oliver is trying to have me killed." Everyone except for Christina and Amata, who already knew, bore shocked faces, including Boone.

"Yes. There have been two attempts on my life by thugs hired by Oliver. Obviously neither succeeded. Christina overheard this, and decided to come here at great personal risk to warn me, although I wasn't here when she came. What Christina wasn't actually aware of is that the room where this conversation took place, Colonel Hsu's office, has been bugged, so I would've found out about it regardless."

At this, Christina visibly deflated and hung her head, which Mark took note of. "Christina, what's wrong?" he asked. Now all the attention was on her. She spoke without looking up. "If…if you would've found out on your own, then there was no real reason for me to come here, was there? Why am I even still here? I'm not brave, or smart, or even a good fighter."

"Christina, stop," Amata said, standing in front of the former soldier. "Look at me Christina." She raised her head up slightly. "We've already had this conversation about whether you needed to come here or not. You informed us before we were aware of the recording. Yes, we would've heard it eventually, but that does not nullify the intent of what you did after you heard what Oliver was planning."

"She's right, Christina," Mark added. "You were only working with what you knew at the time. What you did, deserting the army, risking capture and possible execution, that took courage and bravery. And if there are two things I value in my friends, it's courage and bravery. Just because you have different skills does not mean you don't belong. You are one of us. You do belong here, and do not let anyone tell you different. Right, everyone?"

There were nods of agreement, and Cass gave her a slap on the back. "That took some balls, doin' what ya did." Amata put her hands on Christina's shoulder. "Christina, you want to make Esteban proud of you, right?" "Yes, of course," Christina answered. "Then make him proud by holding your head up high and being who you are."

Christina got a bit choked up. "Thank you. All of you. Thank you for believing in me. I won't let you down." 'I won't let you down either, Esteban,' she added mentally. "All good now, Christina?" Mark asked. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Alright then," Mark said. "Yes Man, play the recording please." The recoding played, and it was exactly as Christina remembered. "So" Mark said after it finished, "as you just heard, Oliver wanted me dead because he believed that Boone would take my place as House's lieutenant. Which, I still have no idea how he arrived at that conclusion, since I doubt House would've wanted someone with close ties to the NCR as his second-in-command. Uh, no offense, Boone. I'm sure you would've done a splendid job."

"None taken. I wouldn't have done it, anyway," Boone said. Mark continued. "I gave a copy of that to Colonel Hsu, and left it up to him what he wants to do with it. Honestly, I don't even know if there is anything that he can do with it." "There actually might be something that he could do with it," Christina said

Everyone looked at her. "Like what?" Mark asked. "There's this book that they give all the new recruits. It's basically the NCR military's rules and regulations. They expect us to know it front to back, but I don't remember them ever testing us on it, so it's not like they can prove if we know them or not. Uh, anyway, I would read it occasionally when I had some down time and Esteban was busy. There's something in there about removing a General from his position. I don't remember what it said, exactly, but if anyone knows the rules, it's Colonel Hsu."

Mark looked thoughtful. "Well, if you still have that book I'd like to read it, but like I said, I left it up to Hsu what he wants to do with it." He paused for a moment. "So obviously, things have changed. The course of action we intended on pursuing is no longer viable. Except for at Hoover Dam, I point-blank refuse to cooperate with the NCR anymore. What I am about to propose may seem radical, but I believe that it is the best way forward, and in a way, mirrors what House wanted to happen."

His eyes swept the room. "I propose that, once the Legion is defeated, we kick the NCR military out of the Mojave as well." There was a stunned silence and looks of shock on a few faces. "Wait," Amata said, breaking the silence, "you wanna do what now?" "Mark, do you realize how insane that sounds?" Veronica asked. "As much as I don't like them, they're the only ones keeping the Mojave from descending into chaos. How exactly would you do that, anyway? Why would you want to do that?"

Mark leaned back against the console. "Let me answer that last question first. When I left the vault, among the many things that I learned was what the United States government was like right before the bombs fell. They were greedy. Corrupt. Politicians didn't give a damn about the little guy, only about the rich who would give to their bank accounts. Annexed whatever lands they wanted, with no regard for or input from those that lived there."

"This all sounding familiar? The NCR is emulating more than just America's governmental structure. The citizens of the Mojave do not need to get involved with that mess, and the military having any presence here would do just that."

"How would I do that? Well…John, Christina, the first task that I performed for House was to reactivate a large number of Securitrons in a bunker underneath Fortification Hill." "That's that Legion encampment you mentioned yesterday, right?" John asked. Mark nodded. "Yeah. They're still there." "And you were able to get on and off their base?" John continued. "Well, I didn't get away clean, but I got the job done, and I doubt they figured out what I was there for." John laughed. "Sneaking onto a heavily-guarded base. Ah, that really takes me back. So how may of these suckers are we talking about?"

"Oh yeah, you never told us how many Securitrons were there," Veronica said. "I didn't?" Mark said, thinking back to that day. She shook her head. "No, you had that argument with Cass, and with everything else that happened afterwards, it never came up." "Ah yes, you're right, I remember now. Well, allow me to rectify that situation. Yes Man, please inform the people of how many Securitrons are underneath Fortification Hill."

"Of course, sir. There are currently one thousand and twenty-two Securitrons located underneath Fortification Hill, fully upgraded and ready to go. In addition, there are two hundred Securitrons in reserve underneath the Strip," the AI said. "Plus," Mark immediately added, "the place I got teleported to, the Big Empty, has a building called a "Securitron Deconstruction Plant," which, based on what I've read in their files, could be used to build Securitrons instead of taking them apart."

"A Deconstruction Plant? Why would they make a building to take Securitrons apart?" Amata asked. "One of the doctors there had a vendetta against House, so that might've been his way of sticking it to him or something. I don't really know. Trying to apply logic to that place will just give you a headache, so I've given up."

"Well," Cass said, grinning, "the NCR an' Legion have no idea what's in store for 'em, an' I say good riddance." "Wait," Veronica said, "if these Securitrons underneath Fortification Hill are all set to go, why not just send them after the Legion now? Why are we waiting?" "Slaves," Arcade said. Mark nodded and pointed to him.

"What he said. There are a lot of slaves, and as of right now, we don't have the supplies or manpower to care for them. I have some ideas, but they're in the beginning stages. Otherwise, yes, I would've already unleashed the Securitrons on the Legion." Veronica nodded in understanding. "Uh, Mark," Arcade said, "I just remembered something. I don't know if you're aware, but the NCR military currently operates two refugee camps here in the Mojave, and if they were to leave, the refugees would be left out in the cold, so to speak."

That gave Mark pause. He was not aware of those. "Where are they?" He asked the Followers doctor. "Well, there's one nearby at the old Aerotech Office Park, while the other one is at Bitter Springs," Arcade answered. Mark saw Boone flinch at the mention of Bitter Springs. Mark's eyes narrowed. That was the second time Boone had reacted at the mention of Bitter Springs. Something must have happened there to make Boone react like that. He would have to ask Yes Man later.

"Arcade's right, Mark," Amata said, "we can't just leave those people to fend for themselves." Mark sighed. "I know, babe." Mark pursed his lips, and the room went silent. Mark looked around, eyes resting on Arcade and the Followers symbol on his doctor's coat. "Arcade, would the Followers be able to take over administration of these camps?" "Well, theoretically, yes, but the Followers are also lacking manpower and supplies, at least here in the Mojave."

"Well, we can cover supplies, so that just leaves manpower. Could they get more people out here from California?" Mark asked. "Again, theoretically, yes, but I never really dealt with assignments and all that. Julie would be the one to ask about that. Plus, there are costs-" Mark cut him off. "We'll cover whatever costs there are. That's not a problem." He made a mental note to talk to Julie about that as well.

"Mark," Amata said, "when you gave that holotape to the Colonel, were you hoping that he would use it to get Oliver removed and have Hsu installed as General?" Mark looked at her curiously. "That's what I'm hoping for, yes. I know for a fact that he is the second-highest ranking officer and would most likely assume command, at least temporarily. Am I right on that, Christina, according to that book?" "Uh, yeah, I…I believe so, yes," she said. Mark nodded and continued. "He doesn't seem like the type of person to just let something like that slide. But again, I left it up to him to do what he wants to do with the holotape. I did not tell him in any way, shape, or form what I wanted him to do with it. Why are you asking, anyway?"

"Well, say for instance he takes over prior to the fight with the Legion, and then what you've been telling us what you want to happen does happen. Wouldn't he be the one held responsible for the NCR losing the dam? He seems like a very nice man, and he's been very helpful, especially with Cass and the Crimson Caravan and all that. Wouldn't his career be ruined?"

Mark went silent for a few moments and then turned to the computer. "Yes Man, I need you to run some simulations please." "Of course, sir. Go ahead." Mark cleared his throat. "If Colonel Hsu were to replace General Oliver prior to the imminent conflict at Hoover Dam, and we then force the NCR out, what is the likelihood that Hsu would be held responsible and be forced to resign?"

"It is highly unlikely, sir. My calculations predict only a two-point-three percent chance of Hsu being forced to resign. General Oliver is one of the main architects of the NCR's Mojave Campaign, and thusly would still bear most of the blame, along with President Kimball, even if he were to be removed from his position prior to the fighting at Hoover Dam."

Mark turned back to the group. "There you go, babe. His career will survive, it seems. You know, now that I think about it, if I were Hsu I would destroy the tape. Oliver's going to be held responsible either way, Kimball as well, who will likely get thrown out of office. Right, Yes Man?" "Correct, sir," the AI said. "Mr. House even predicted a thirty-six-point-five percent chance of Oliver committing suicide!"

There was a bit of an awkward silence in the room after that bit of news. "Uh, well, anyway," Mark said eventually, "as for the dam itself, Yes Man would be installed on its servers. He can run it much more efficiently than the NCR can, and the Securitrons can handle any repairs that it needs. In addition, I want to charge the NCR one cap per year to keep the electricity flowing from the dam."

"Only a cap?" Cass asked. "Seems like ya could charge 'em whatever ya wanted." "That is true, Cass, but I don't want to. We already make plenty from the casinos. Besides, it's not the amount." "It's symbolic," Amata said, reading Mark's mind. "They have to pay us, therefore acknowledging that we have power over them. It's actually pretty clever."

"Thank you, babe. I thought so too," Mark said, smiling at his wife. "Mark," Christina said, "you said that you were going to charge them a cap for electricity. Are you going to cut off the water supply?" Mark didn't answer right away, instead looking upwards. "Yes Man, put the Revelations quote on the screen please." The passage appeared.

"John, Christina, I need to give you two a bit of a history lesson. Everyone else already knows this. Back where Amata and I are originally from, Washington, DC, up until a few months ago, clean water was not even close to being as widely available as it is out here. It was downright rare. Twenty-some odd years ago, before I was born, my parents had a dream to build a massive purifier at the Jefferson Memorial to purify the water in the DC tidal basin and deliver it to all communities in the Capital Wasteland, as the area is called. The project was called Project Purity."

"With help, they built it, but could never get it to work on the scale they needed. As time went on, the lack of success, coupled with the threats in the area were slowly making the project untenable. Then my mother died giving birth to me. That was the last straw, for my dad, at least. He abandoned the project, and he took me and we eventually ended up at Vault 101. With their chief scientist gone, the others abandoned it as well."

"The vault, it was meant to be an experiment by Vault-Tec to study the role of the Overseer if a Vault never reopened after it was closed. I was told that I had been born in the vault, and we were all told that the vault had never been opened. Under the Overseer at the time, Amata's father, leaving the vault was strictly forbidden. Anyway, fast forward nineteen years, my dad decided to escape after figuring out what he needed to make Project Purity work, intending on finishing it."

"Him leaving, coupled with a radroach infestation, made things chaotic. Whole bunch of people died. Aided by Amata, I left shortly afterwards, intending on finding him. Eventually I found him, but-" he paused, suppressing tears "-he died at the project as a result of interference from the Enclave, who subsequently took control of it. Some time later, with the help of the Brotherhood of Steel and the Rangers, it was taken back and we were able to get it working, although I nearly died as a result. Now, water is plentiful."

"That," he said, pointing to the screen behind him, "is my mother's favorite Bible verse, and it was one of the driving forces behind mine and my father's actions. It is also the reason that I will never charge for water. "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely."" He emphasized that last word. "You should not have to pay for something that is necessary to live. You can live without electricity. You can't live without water."

Mark rubbed his eyes. "Before we formally vote to go ahead with my plan or not, you need to realize that I didn't just decide all of this on a whim. As I stated earlier, this had been House's plan, well, mostly, from the get-go. He didn't exactly tell me, but I inferred it from our conversations, and eventually Yes Man confirmed it. The more I thought about it, the better it sounded."

"Someone once told me that the NCR and Legion were rehashes of a failed world. Even though he was a lunatic, he was right." Veronica guessed that he was talking about Elijah. That seemed like something her ex-mentor would've said. Mark continued. "The people of the Mojave have a right to determine their own future, unburdened by foreign influences. I actually wanted to put this plan in motion right after House was killed, but, you know, the treaty and all that."

"Mark." He looked over at Amata, who was giving him a soft smile. "It was sweet of you to work with people you don't like just to make me happy." He smiled back. "You know that I'd do anything for you, babe." "I know," Amata replied, "and that's why I count my lucky stars that you're mine." She walked over to him, pulled his head down and touched her forehead to his. It was clear to all watching just how deeply the two loved one another.

Both John and Christina smiled sadly as they watched, each of them remembering their respective deceased spouses and the similar moments they shared with them. A solitary tear escaped from John's eye, but he wiped it away before anyone saw it. A few moments later Mark and Amata turned back to the group, Mark's arm around Amata's waist.

"So, um, does anyone else have any questions, comments, concerns, et cetera?" There were none. "Very well. All in favor of moving ahead with my plan?" All hands were raised. "It's unanimous. We will move forward with the plan as is. With that out of the way, there is just one more thing that I need to discuss with you all."

He paused for a moment. "I think that it's time for us to formally adopt a name for our group." "Um, a name Mark?" Arcade asked, face scrunched in confusion. "I mean, we've been fine operating as we are. History has proven time and time again that names and symbols are things that people rally against."

"Or around," Mark countered. "Look, Arcade, I understand where you're coming from. I've studied history, and I've seen firsthand that what you say is true, but I still think that a name could serve us well." "How?"

"Legitimacy, for one," John said. "If we have to meet with other groups as a group, they'll take us more seriously if we have a name rather than coming in as just a random group of people." "Exactly," Mark said. Veronica jumped in. "Well, since you brought it up, I'm guessing that you have something in mind, so let's hear it, Captain."

Mark grinned. "Good call, Veronica. In fact I do. Each and every one of you has shown, in one way or another, that you are willing to protect people. All of you," he said, looking at Christina at that last part. "Therefore, I propose we adopt "Guardians" as our official name." Mark went silent as the others thought about it.

"I like it," Amata said first. "It does roll nicely off tha tongue," Cass added. "Well, I agree with my baby girl," John said. "I'm in," Veronica said next. Boone just nodded. "Uh, yeah, yeah, it sounds good to me," Christina answered. The rest of the group looked at Arcade. He sighed. "Look, I still don't think this is necessary, but it's not…terrible. I'm in." Mark nodded and removed his arm from around Amata. He then stuck it out in front him, making a fist. "Everyone bring it in." Amata, realizing what he was doing, stuck out a fist as well. Everyone else soon followed, making a haphazard circle.

"From this point forward, we are the Guardians. We fight to protect the innocent. We fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Not for reward, or recognition, but simply because it is the right thing to do. The Mojave is our home, and we must protect our home from those who would take it from us. To do this, we must always…stand on guard."

The room went silent. Mark lowered his arm, the others following. Everyone looked at each other, the full weight of what had happened that afternoon hitting them: They were planning to kick out not one, but two massive armies, both of whom had cast their shadow over the region for quite some time. It would be a move that would shake the Mojave to its very foundations and change it forever.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. There was originally going to be more to this chapter, but after thinking it over, I decided to end it where I did. Also, for those of you wondering, the name "Guardians" was taken from the "Guardians of the Galaxy." Until next time, and reviews are welcomed and appreciated.