Six looks over to ever faithful Boone, who was, as always, covering his back. “God that’s an idea isn’t it Boone, I wish we had had time to put Caesar on the cross instead of having to retreat. Fucker died too easily.”

”The strength of the NCR, sir? The robots are mine. You all didn’t really do anything to help me get them. And without my forces the NCR would have had a pyrrhic victory at best. Most of the troops are under-equipped and underfed, is a parade really the best use of resources?” Six is intimately well acquainted with the NCR’s supply issues, having spent the last six months on and off as a messenger and negotiator to various vendors around the wasteland trying to make sure the troops in the camps had supplies.

Oliver was taken aback for a moment, but only for a moment. "Oh, of course, the robots were yours. And I'm glad they were here to give the Legion hell." He glanced at Six, at Boone's rifle, and at the power-armoured figure a short distance away, who hadn't completely lowered his minigun.

"But with the NCR assuming control of the area, we'll have plenty of resources. It only makes sense to bring the Vegas police under our command structure. And with a few Securitrons on the Dam, we'll be able to focus our efforts on securing the interior. Listen, you've done us a world of good, and I'm sure we could find some more work for you. But you've done more than enough already. I can offer you a nice military pension. We can take it from here." 

Did... did this guy not know who he was? "A military pension?" He has to laugh out loud at that hilarious offer.

"Sir while I have always supported the NCR effort to push back the Legion and protect the towns of the Mojave, I'm not in your military, I'm not even a citizen. Even if I was I wouldn't need a pension. I own the Lucky 38 casino. I'm fairly certain I'm richer than half the strip at this point." Hell, the other casinos would sell their collective right arms for all the pristine pre war furniture and slot machines just in the lobby.

And don't think he didn't pick up on that implication. "The securitrons are mine, sir. The AI who runs them is hard coded to listen to me after I took over from House. I have, because of my ongoing work with the NCR against the legion, used them to win this war for you, but they are mine. If you want to borrow them, I'm sure something can be worked out." You know what, this idiot obviously had no idea what was going on.

"Why don't you go and get someone who actually knows what's going on. Like Colonel Moore. They probably have been sufficiently briefed for this." He would normally be much more patient with someone who wasn't informed, but Six had just gotten done killing an awful lot of people, and it wears on a guy.

NCR leadership was usually less clueless. Not... always competent, but less clueless. Everyone he had worked with so far knew to point him at problems and get out of the way.

Oh God, not Colonel Moore. No way am I letting her take credit for my victory today. Oliver's eyes narrowed. "Listen, friend, I don't think you realize what you're doing. The Bear is here to stay, now, and no large, well-equipped military formations are remaining outside our control. That ain't me, that's straight from the Council. I get it, you're riding high on the victory, but you gotta realize there's no winning if you stand against NCR. Don't throw all you've accomplished away for a pile of TVs-on-wheels you won't be able to keep." 

His tone switches from threatening to conciliatory. "Lucky 38 you can hold onto. If it's protection you're worried about, I'm sure we can work something out. Rangers, or we could even assign a couple of the tin cans to you if you're attached to them. I'll even write a letter recommending that Kimball award you the Golden Branch." The sincerity oozing from Oliver's voice doesn't quite hide his rising nerves.

"Oh you will let me keep my casino will you?" He looks like he is about to laugh again before his eyes go deadly serious.

"Are you threatening me? Sir? Do you know how much fucking work I have put into making sure the NCR could win this fight? and now you are threatening me?" Six's cybernetic optics glow as he glares at this absolute brahmin shit for brains. 

"I didn't just reinforce you with a fucking ARMY of robots armed more heavily than god damn sentry bots. I got you those bomber plane runs from the Boomers. I talked down the Great Khans from suicide charging your positions. That vertibird providing air support? That belongs to my power armored buddies here who I convinced to help you. I spent almost the last year of my life fixing your supply tangles from camp Mcarran to Fort Golph to the Ranger outpost. I defused the monorail bomb and revealed a legion infiltrator. I negotiated the release of your men at boulder city. I stopped the legion from wiping out the ranger stations and breaking your coms encryption. I trained your troops, fed them, armed them, even personally tended to their wounds. I took Nelson for you without NCR backup and rescued your men! I stopped legion assasins from killing the god damn president when he visited the dam! I paddled across the river and CRUSHED CAESARS HEAD IN MY POWER FIST IN HIS OWN WAR CAMP!" He pauses to catch his breath.

 "And you threaten me? now? after all that?"

Boone doesn't like the look of this situation one bit. His power armour clanks as he takes a step back and brings his rifle into a low-ready position. Two muttered words are heard through his helmet: "I helped."

"Yes, you've done a lot of good work for us. I don't diminish that." The general's tone does, in fact, diminish that. "But we need to civilize this place. You understand that, I'm sure. Do you really want every bunch of jacked-up yokels from every tribe that can scrape two guns together to have their own little goddamned fief? You fought for the New California Republic, and in the Republic, nobody controls a private robot army, allied mercenary or not."

"Yokel huh?" Six paces with barely restrained anger as he explains just how much this inbred californian failson just fucked up.

"I have control over everything House did, the robots, the strip, the money. And you want to order me like I'm some conscript? When you came to Vegas you had to BEG House for PERMISSION to station soldiers here. You had to ASK for your embassy. NCR troops aren't even allowed to walk down the strip with weapons. All the factors that made you deal with House like an equal? I control them. And my robots are further upgraded from the ones House had. This isn't the republic yet, I am the new house so you better treat me with some god damn respect." There is no calling him sir this time. Not anymore. Six looks like he is about to storm off, turning to leave, before thinking of something else to say and turning back to face Oliver.

"Actually, fuck that. I supported the NCR because I thought you would help the 'jacked-up yokels'. That you were the only hope against the legion and that it would, on the whole, be good for the region. I had my misgivings, and it feels like everyone from Goodsprings to Westside warned me about the NCR and it's need for control. But I honestly thought the NCR was the best option. That the Mojave needed the NCR. After this war was over I was going to help you integrate Vegas. I was going to help you, because we were allies. But seeing how you treat your allies has made me realise something." He pokes a finger into Olivers chest. "I. don't. need. you."

"I don't need the NCR to protect the Mojave, not anymore. I didn't even need you to protect the dam, not really. My robots could have done it by themselves if they had to. I was so used to thinking you were my only option that even with all this power I was going to let you take over. But now I do have the power I need, the power to protect my city. I am the new house and I can protect my people without you." He steps right into Olivers face. knowing there is nothing this weasel of a man can do about it. "You can keep the embassy, but the NCR otherwise has to get the fuck out of my city, give me my airport back. You can discuss further terms for the future of the NCR in the Mojave when you send me a real diplomat, instead of someone so blindingly stupid that they would piss off the one person who could have given them Vegas. Get the fuck outta my sight before I have the robots throw you off the dam." Now he storms off.

General Oliver stands there in shock. He almost snaps back, but his eyes go to Boone's rifle and the mysterious soldier with the minigun behind him, and he closes his mouth.

The walk off the dam is a long one, and he's escorted by Securitrons the whole way.

Boone relaxes fractionally, scanning the area in silence. He'll have to think about what just happened eventually, but for now, he has a job to do.

A Securitron rolls up to Six. The cartoon soldier's face on the screen blinks out, replaced with a blithe grin.

"You did a super job wrapping things up! And I'm not just saying that because I have to!"

"The Dam's computers are linked with the Securitron network, and it can all be accessed from any Securitron unit! Unless you want to do some major reprogramming, you can control the entire army from right here!"

"I just heard you tell the NCR to fuck off. That was such a brave thing to do! Being diplomatic isn't important before you've consolidated power! Not at all! So, what are we doing now?"

"If I am going to be the new house, I should do it properly at least. Send a securitron to each of the casino's to tell them whatever deals they had with House are still valid for the time being. But that I will be assuming control of the strip and a renegotiation of terms will be required, but they can be assured that Vegas will stay independent and profitable. Send one to the NCR embassy to tell them that due to new management, the strip will be renegotiating the terms under wich the NCR stay in Vegas." That should keep the strip stable for now. He was still going to kick the NCR out of the airport, but he wasn't going to demand it through a securitron and not right now just after the battle. He can get around to it when things calm down a little.

"Send some copies of Victor to go help guard Goodsprings and Novac. Novac's Victor will be under the command of Manny Vargas.The one headed to Goodsprings can report to Sunny smiles. Also send one to each Westside gate too just to help guard from fiends and gangers, don't spook anyone by having them patrol inside the neighbourhood. Don't send any bots into Freeside further than the strip gate. Lower the caps amount required to enter the strip by half, tell visitors its a special new management deal." Gotta get people used to the fact someone else ran the bots now, and help out his favourite towns in the process.

He turns to Johnson. "I Guess talking you all into helping the NCR was a waste of time huh? You guys want to help me run Vegas instead?"

He doesn't need to ask Boone if he wants to help, he knows Boone has his back no matter what. and he knows Boone will wait to talk about what happened once they are in private if he has problems with any of what just happened. 

"Of course! Right away! Orders transmitted!"

Johnson speaks briefly over his suit's radio before responding to Six.

"I would, I think, and I'll talk to the others about it too. Vertibird's not got much fuel left, so we're heading back to base. Come get us when it's safe to come out." A sad smile emerges, unseen behind his helmet. "Minigun's not so good for riot control. Enclave tried that, for a while." His face may be concealed, but the hurt is not completely hidden from his voice.

The Vertibird swings down, and Johnson slings his minigun and prepares to board. "Arcade's back treating the injured, isn't he? Tell him he's done us proud." Reaching out a gauntleted hand, Johnson grabs a handle and pulls himself up into an exterior jumpseat. As soon as he's sitting down, the Vertibird gains altitude and begins heading west.

"Thanks for the help!" He yells to all of them as they fly off. God the vertibird is so cool. Six wants one for himself one day. Imagine the deliveries he could make with something like that.

He turns to Boone and the securitrons. "Anyone know where Veronica is? I last saw her pulping a Centurion just before we hit the Legates tent. We probably should be getting back to Vegas soon, now that I can't count on the NCR to be rational. Let's pack up the last of the loot and head back soon yeah?" He was sure she was fine, she was in power armor, but losing track of her was still inconvenient. He should probably get his friends some radios... or better yet, pip-boys. long range communication between them just hasn't really been needed until now, but if they are going to be getting into larger scale battles more often it seems useful to have. 

He makes sure to nab the nicer weapons and gear from the fallen Legionaires. He doesn't need the money but it is a hard habit to break. Looting has never been so convenient as when you have robots to carry it all home for you.

"Oh, it's one of these guys!" Veronica is trying on a displacer glove taken from a dead Praetorian guard. She makes a few quick attacks against the air with it, and then goes for a strong punch as she activates the hidden interior button. A wave of energy flies from the gauntlet, collapsing a nearby tent. "Neat." She waves at Six, visible through the empty space where the tent used to be.

Six waves back. "Veronica! The NCR might be a teensy bit mad at me pretty soon. One of their generals threatened me so I threatened him back. Other stuff happened too that I'll tell you about later. So we should wrap it up and go home now okay? You can put any neat stuff you can't carry onto the bots."

"Ooh, do you think that means I'll get to punch a ranger?" Veronica's cheerful voice then drops, as if she's afraid of being overheard breaking her persona. "I hope it doesn't come to that. The war with NCR was really bad for my family. I don't want it to happen again." Veronica obligingly begins filling a Securitron's trunk with some choice bits of loot, including a bandoleer of EMP grenades that could have been a much bigger problem if she hadn't immediately punched the centurion wearing it.

Those Securitron wheels can handle an awful lot of weight... Maybe Six should tinker around and make a Securitron cargo mule version or something... Wait, he can just make a cargo truck with securitron wheels and motors. Why reinvent the proverbial wheel. He has more robots and parts than he knows what to do with, using them to up the post battle loot potential even further is apealing to Six.

He gets back in his power armor and stomps back to the freeside gate with Veronica and Boone and his escort of robots. With the servo assist he isn't even tired when he gets there, but god damn do his thighs hurt, the stance for walking in power armor is super weird and makes you very sore if it's done all day.

He takes off his helmet when he gets there so the gate gaurds know it's him. Though honestly who else could 3 people in power armor and a bunch of securitrons be. Still, it is polite.

"We're back! We won!" The news might have gotten there before him, but just in case it didn't, he reassures anyone around the gate of their victory against the Legion.

The area outside of the Old Mormon Fort has become a triage area. Dozens of NCR troopers and more than a few civilians lay on makeshift cots. The great wooden doors are propped open; inside the courtyard are more casualties. It seems that every Follower in Freeside is here, treating those with survivable injuries and declaring some beyond saving. Freeside locals, evidently volunteers, are carrying medical supplies this way and that. The boxes of Stimpaks and Med-X are valuable indeed, but nobody seems to think of stealing any. Not right now.

A ragged cheer emerges as Six announces victory. Arcade looks up briefly from his patient, gives a quick nod, and immediately returns to trying to save her life. He may not be much of a medical doctor, but given the situation, the Followers need every set of hands they have.

Pace is standing a little ways to the side, watching the Followers work. A couple of Kings are ferrying purified water from the pump to the Fort under his watchful eye. He gestures for Six to come closer, and speaks in a low voice. 

"Them soldier boys are actin' funny. Some of them have barricaded themselves, like they expect to be attacked, or maybe to shoot their way outta town. The King thinks they might not be so happy with our deal after all."

“That uhhhh… might be partly my fault. After the battle some general type demanded me to roll over and give them all my robots, and by extension all of New Vegas. Threatened me for it too. I didn’t take that so well so I told them Vegas stays free and that their presence in the city would have to be renegotiated… Guess I’m the new House now? If the King want’s some Securitrons to help keep the peace or for if the NCR tries anything stupid, he can have them. I’ll go talk with the NCR ambassador after this and hopefully things will calm down. Tell the King I’m sorry it’s made Freeside tense.”

Six orders some of his Securitron escorts to drop off the looted healing remedies taken from the Legion corpses. Every bit helps. He can talk to Arcade later, he seems busy.

"Is that so?" Pacer looks at Six with something approximating respect, though still shaded with suspicion. "The Kings can keep Freeside peaceful. House always stayed out of here, and I hope you'll be the same."

A pause, a glance towards the NCR area of Freeside. "Although... if you could send a few to watch them soldier boys over there, we'd be quite grateful. As long as they clear on outta here when things get sorted out."

"For now I want to keep the rules for NCR basically the same as the old treaty. As long as they play nice I don't see a reason to evict the NCR folks sheltering here. The bots are ONLY for if they attack you, understood? I don't want to find out you antogonized them into attacking either, and I will find out if that happens." Why the King kept Pacer around after Six revealed Pacer beat that NCR envoy behind the Kings back, Six will never know.

He uses his escort bots to tell Yes Man to send two bots to the Kings school of impersonation.

"Well, we have to get back to the Lucky 38, drop off our gear, and go talk to the NCR. So behave yourself Pacer." The 'or else' is implied pretty heavily.

"I'll have my eye on those bots of yours." Did he say something so obvious because he thought Six wouldn't know otherwise? Or was it part of a deep aversion to ending a conversation without being in a dominant position?

"Robots dispatched! By the way, my sensors indicate that the monorail just left McCarran Airfield. It should reach the Las Vegas station in a few minutes. Maybe it has something to do with you speaking your mind to General Oliver! That was such an honest and brave thing to do!"

"Yeah well, It is what it is. Would you prefer I handed New Vegas over to the NCR? Something you were rather negative about the prospect of, in your own sarcastic way. It should be fine, things will hold until we get to the embassy."

Stompy stomp goes the power armored pals on the way to the Strip's gate.

Ambassador Dennis Crocker is standing on the steps to the Lucky 38. He's clearly a little nervous to see three power-armoured figures stomp into the strip, but he looks Six in the armoured eyeslits.

"Well, Mister House, I believe you've been saying you are? I suppose I'm not officially supposed to be calling you that yet, but it's only a matter of time. There's something I need to tell you."

He takes off his helmet to talk to Crocker. "I've taken over from Mr House since his unfortunate passing after a labor related dispute." Six's smile at that is all teeth. 

"Not sure about me taking his name though... I've said I was the new House because I control the robots the same way he did, that would make me in control of the Strip. I didn't actually mean to imply it was my name. But If the Strip needs to be controlled by someone called House..." He shrugs.

"I was actually about to visit the embassy just after I got all this armor off. But if you want to save me the trip... Come in, have something to drink. You'll be one of the few to see the inside." He waves the ambassador inside.

Six does in fact like Crocker well enough, for a politician type. Crocker was always polite to him even when Six was just a well equipped merc with only a few NCR jobs under his belt.

"Thank you." Crocker takes a 9mm pistol from under his suitjacket and hands it to a Securitron that seems to be on guard before walking inside. He allows himself to be sat down before beginning to speak.

"About half an hour ago, the MPs on the Strip were ordered to place you under arrest as soon as you arrived. Charges of treason, rebellion, and incitement to same." He shakes his head.

"The MPs said no. They said that without an arrest warrant, the most they could do is request that you surrender yourself. I've been led to understand that they got some very colourful and threatening orders, but they held their ground." There seems to be a note of admiration in the ambassador's voice.

"So now, Oliv-uh, the one who gave those orders, has sent some troops he personally considers reliable over here by monorail. I don't know what their orders are, but I can guess." Crocker has been an ambassador to the Strip for almost eight years. He would be very unlikely indeed to unintentionally reveal a name he wanted to keep secret.

"I don't know exactly what happened, but I know it would be impossible for you to commit treason: you're not a citizen of the NCR. I also know you enough to know that if some soldiers try to arrest you here, and they don't back down, there will be blood in the streets."

"And you know me. You know me well enough to know that violence here is the last thing I want. Will you let me help you prevent it?"

“How about you tell me what Olivers side of the story is first. I did have an argument with the man after the battle. But you know I’ve been a longtime ally of the NCR. I just helped you win the war after all. If I have to, I can hide out in the Lucky 38 until saner heads are giving the orders.” Six is stepping out of the power armor and divesting himself of the heavier gear. He would have liked to get into some regular clothes instead of being stuck in the power armor undersuit, but the NCR decided to visit instead of waiting for him to talk to them. Making them wait while he takes the elevator up to his penthouse to change clothes would be rude.

Crocker raises his hands. "I don't know Oliver's side of the story. All I know is what he told the MPs, which is that you're a traitor to the Republic and must be arrested immediately. I don't think that's likely, and for the MPs to arrest someone on the Strip, they'd need a warrant -- which he didn't give them."

"You could hide in here for a good long while, and the next commander might be a little less combative. I am worried about those troops, though. Do you have a message, for them or for my superiors?"

“Well, the treaty of Vegas still stands, correct? I’d hope that the NCR wouldn’t just throw it out because House died. They can’t come onto the strip armed. As much as I like the NCR I think the rules as they are, are there for a reason. I won’t make the Securitrons stand down if they try to forcefully break into the Strip while illegally armed.”

He gestures to a Securitron. “Have the gate security remind any NCR soldiers, that try to enter while armed, about the treaty.”

He turns back to Crocker. “That is more warning than anyone else gets.” He is real out of patience with General Oliver and anyone stupid enough to follow him. And if he is running an independent Vegas he can’t be a pushover or nobody will take him seriously. “If they want to camp outside the Lucky 38 with nothing but security batons, they can be my guest. But they don’t get to bring guns just because someone is throwing a tantrum at not getting their way.”

“Would you like to see what happened? My Securitrons can replay what their cameras picked up. I may have lost my temper, said things more agressively than I should have. But I stand by my decisions. You could maaaaaybe at a stretch charge me for threatening someone. If you really really want you can fine me for that. But other than that I’ve done nothing you can charge me for.”

Crocker nods. "Feel free to show me. Although I'm not a judge or a police officer. Can't arrest you if you're guilty, can't dismiss the charges if you aren't." He pauses. "It is theoretically within my purview to issue pardons, but only towards those under the jurisdiction of the NCR. If I pardonned you for any crimes you may have committed recently, and you accepted the pardon, you'd also be accepting that you are subject to the laws of the Republic."

A voice over the Lucky 38's public address system. "Hey! I feel really rude interrupting your conversation, but the monorail is pulling into the station. I thought you might want to know!"

“Make sure they know not to enter the strip armed. Warn them about the treaty. Tell them ‘do you really want to break it? Does your boss have the authority to do that?’. If they insist, well, you know the rules.” He tells Yes Man.

Six slaps the chassis of one of the escort bots. “Show the Ambassador the confrontation on the bridge.” What happened doesn’t paint him in the best light. But it shows just how far the General fucked up. Crocker seemed relatively honest a guy, and outside of Oliver Six has always had good relations with the NCR. He does have to think about politics but honesty feels like a good option here. 

The Securitron drives in front of the two, and its face blinks out, replaced with the recording. The video quality isn't that great, but it's easy enough to see what's happening.

The Ambassador begins watching with a neutral, interested expression, which becomes steadily more pinched as the recording plays. When Oliver starts making threats, he holds the bridge of his nose. By the time Oliver is describing the people of Nevada as "jacked-up yokels", all Crocker can do is sigh. Finally, the recording ends with Oliver being led away by Securitrons.

"Jesus." Crocker says nothing for several long seconds.

"Alright, I have to ask. If Oliver gets fired in disgrace, and you get an official apology from President Kimball for the way his officer treated you, would you consider allowing the city of New Vegas to be integrated into the NCR? It would be its own state, representation in the Senate. And all existing property rights would be respected."

“Nope” Six pops the p when he says that.

”Look I might have changed my mind right there in the middle of the argument, but the realization I had didn’t just go away when I calmed down. Vegas doesn’t actually need the NCR anymore to be safe. It has the power to protect itself now, to be its own independent polity. That was the way it essentially had been treated under House, but I expect I’ll be doing more than just recreate the old world in the strip like he did.”

”The NCR and Vegas can still be closely tied. I personally like a lot of the NCR folk here and you make great customers for the Strip. But you don’t get to own us. And I’m going to want to renegotiate the treaty slightly in light of what happened with the General and the fact that Robert House is dead and I took over.” Like the airport, he still does want the airport.

Crocker nods. "I figured as much. It was my job to ask, though." He stands up.

"If independence it is, then, you and I will probably be seeing each other a lot more." He holds out his hand for a handshake. "At least it's independent under you. Renegotiating the treaty with, say, Benny, would have been a nightmare."

He shakes the ambassadors hand “I should start charging the NCR for all its problems that I end up killing. Benny, Vulpes, Caesar, Lanius, the Fiend leaders I did actually get payed for at least.” He grins. “Kidding! And I doubt any bounties involved would affect me much. Going to need to get used to being this rich.”

"You know what, you have a point." Ambassador Crocker gives a droll smile. "What about a military pension?"

After the two say their goodbyes, Crocker walks out of the Lucky 38. As he walks into the NCR embassy, when he's pretty sure no-one is watching him, his amiable mask cracks.

"Fuck!" he mutters, slamming a fist into his thigh. "Seven damned years here trying to integrate this fucking city, and then General Brahmin-Shit Oliver has to throw it all away in seven fucking minutes! Fuck!"

Six heads up to the presidential suite so he can finally get into some normal clothes. That power armor undersuit gets so sweaty. “Yes Man, did the troops sent by Oliver try to get into the strip while still armed?”

Yes Man speaks from a Securitron inside the deep red of the high-roller suite. "They did! They said that they needed their guns to perform an arrest. The guard didn't make an exception, so now they're just staring at each other. I've directed four more Securitrons to the monorail station. If they try to go through, do you want them scared off, or detained?"

Boone finally gets out of his power armour. He sits in a wondrously plush armchair and begins disassembling and cleaning his anti-materiel rifle.

“Try scaring them off first, if they try to bullrush past the securitrons, treat them like any other person trying to break into the strip. They made their choices.” 

Six looks over at Boone. He’s spent the last year helping the NCR with Boone and now he has to play politics and hardball with the NCR. The guy doesn’t talk much but surely this has to affect him. “Boone, you okay? If I’ve massively fucked up somehow you’d tell me, right?” 

Boone looks up as his hands continue loosening screws. "I don't know." Holding the bolt in his hands, Boone begins running it over with a cloth. The clean bolt lands on the table and he continues stripping the rifle.

"NCR has its problems. Don't even know if it's the best choice for Vegas. But I fought alongside those men." He starts laying out springs on the table, lining them up carefully, and there's a long pause. "I'll be damned if I have to fight against them."

“I was right there with you fighting alongside them for the past year, Boone. Hopefully we don’t have to? I’d like for things to stay pretty similar to how they were before between the NCR and Vegas. Crocker seems reasonable. We know Moore is competent. Once they reign in what has to be a nepotism pick things should be alright…. I hope.” Six doesn’t sound nearly as confident about his decision as when talking to Crocker. No need to project confidence with Boone. “But with guys like Oliver in charge… what would they do to our home… our people, you know? I’m pretty sure I was born here. I can sorta remember who I grew up with. I don’t want those people to be steamrolled by the NCR machine now I have another option…” They both saw how the NCR handled taking control of Primm, and it was… not ideal. 

With all the components clean, Boone begins reassembling the oversized rifle. "Alright."

He taps the last pin in and puts the gun to the side. "I'll stay with you. Not like I have anything waiting for me back home. And maybe we can build something better here. Something worth all of this." He stands up and carries the gun to the weapons locker. Taking a pair of looted Legion trail carbines, he begins disassembling them, cannibalizing one for parts to repair the other.

"If the NCR doesn't back down, though, and I've got troopers in my sights... I'm not taking the shot. That is never happening again."

“If it really looks like a serious war, I’ll probably just surrender and let them have the city. Even if we won we’d end up too weak to protect it afterwards. Can’t let them know that though. You can’t let bullies like Oliver ever think they have power over you.

But I think we can do better than the NCR. I’ll never let a Bitter Springs happen on my watch. If I end up that far gone that I order something like that? You have to put a bullet in me Boone.” Six wrings his hands. He doesn’t even really want to be in charge of Vegas. But he has the power to protect it now, and the letting NCR have Vegas just seems like a worse option than what he thought he could do himself.

"Yeah." Boone sets one complete carbine to the side, with a few parts of the other sitting in a neat pile, to be used as spare parts for other guns. Still stressed, he grabs a pistol and begins cleaning it.

"I don't think I'll have to. I think you can do this well, if anyone can." With that, Boone's head drops back to his guns, as his hands continue the repetitive cleaning motions.

That’s really high praise from Boone. “Thanks, man.” He watches Boone fix guns for a while. Boone is like a little factory that turns salvage into working guns and gun parts. The gun stash grows ever larger.  

”You know… I’m gonna need more than just the Securitrons now…Gonna need people, and I’m gonna need to arm them. So that huge stash of guns we’ve repaired in the last year? Guess it wasn’t hoarding after all. It’s now the national armory.” Six looks very smug. After all that teasing Veronica and Cass gave him and Boone about hoarding guns. Well now it comes in useful! Who’s a dumb boy pointlessly hoarding shiny toys now huh?

"Your friend Arcade is talking to a Securitron. He seems to want to talk to you! Should I put him on?"

“You can do that? Awesome! Yes please!”

Ohhh it’s like a radio call. But through robots! Wich does automatically make it cooler.

Yes Man's face is replaced with the stylized image of a '20s telephone operator. "We're too far for video. Connecting you to Arcade now."

Arcade's tinny voice emerges from the Securitron's speakers. "I'm sure you're very busy exulting in victory right now, but we have a little problem here."

Pacer's voice interrupts: he must be standing close by. "Vegas on the other end? Swell. A bunch of soldier boys have come over and are watching their own. That's fine as far as it goes, but they're starting to put some heat on the Kings. Sayin' something about being under orders to 'secure Freeside'. You know the Kings can handle themselves, but your little friend here talked me into callin' you."

“You need backup? I can come with the big guns. Or lend you some robots. Seriously the NCR should not be fucking with you. The Kings have my support, you won’t owe me for it or anything. Also for fucks sakes the NCR needs to put general Oliver on a fucking leash. How can one man’s petty tantrum keep risking war! If It was anyone else they were treating like this it’d have escalated. Even House would have killed somebody by now.” Six slams his fist against the coffee table. And he had JUST gotten out of his power armor undersuit! He doesn’t want to gear up AGAIN today.

”Can you do two calls at once and connect them Yes Man? Can you get Crocker on the line too? There’s probably a bot near the embassy right? Or any Securitrons within a short distance of the dam still? Find anyone important looking there. Colonel Moore if you can find her. Or Colonel Hsu at McCarran. See if we can’t get someone to countermand Olivers orders.

"We already have some of your robots here. What we really needed was for the soldier boys next to us to hear what you just said." Pacer sounds very smug.

"The Kings might be real men who will gladly face an army with light armour and small arms, but I'm a soft, defenceless doctor. We would very much appreciate more robots, thank you."

"I'm dispatching messengers wherever I can! It might be challenging for a colonel to countermand a general's orders, but I'm sure she'll do it if you're asking!"

Yes Man is just being sassy where they can. Moore is known by the local troops. She’s been relatively competent and in charge of the dam defence for a while. And every NCR soldier in Vegas would have come through McCarran and know about Colonel Hsu by reputation at least. Oliver is some new asshole Six had never met before, and would bet most of the troops hadn’t either. Even just some confusion in orders would give people plausible deniability to be able to not follow Olivers. He doubts any of the NCR on the ground want a battle in freeside.

”Can we get two bots for Arcade? And so you can feel like a real manly man all safe and snug in plated reinforced titanium, want your power armor sent over?”

"I had hoped not to wear it again. But if they're going to be shooting at each other, it would be very nice."

"The NCR isn't letting the Securitrons into the Dam, and I didn't think you'd want them to force their way in. But it looks like Colonel Moore is coming outside to talk now! Which face do you want to show her?"

"The uhhhh regular one? Doubt Victors home down country charm would help here? Can you tell her I want to talk urgently and put me through like you did with Arcade?" Finally! someone sane to talk to in the NCR! Hopefully they can get their people to calm the fuck down and stop risking a war nobody even wants!

Colonel Moore steps out of the door of the visitors' centre. Although there are certainly snipers on the roof, she has no personal guard. She walks towards the line of Securitrons slowly and deliberately, not raising her hands but keeping them where they are clearly visible to the cameras.

"I've received multiple conflicting reports. What is going on?" She speaks to a Securitron with her typical efficient tone of voice, but she's clearly been a bit frazzled by recent events.

"General Oliver has repeatedly been skirting around the treaty of Vegas with stupid fucking brinksmanship games. He threatens me at the dam. He tried to send armed troops into the strip to arrest me for treason. and now he wants to play more stupid power games and start a fight with the Kings in freeside literally hours after I told him Vegas does not belong to him. I have been exceedingly nice because of my previous relations with the NCR but if you keep letting that man give orders then the treaty will end up broken! What am I supposed to do here? I have inhereted the power and I suppose the responsibility of House after his passing and your idiot keeps pushing me! What am I supposed to tell the Vegas families If I get walked all over? If the fucking idiots goons starts shooting I have to shoot back!" He starts pacing as he says this. Six needs to move when he gets angry.

"I've already talked to Ambassador Crocker about this, but apparently nothing has made its way up the chain. I am trying so hard to keep everything calm and things from escalating past the point of no return, but for gods sakes the NCR is making that very difficult. I have killed too many people today and I'll be damned if I have to kill any more. This isnt a fight you can win, its not even a fight I want to win. SO MUZZLE YOUR BRAIN DEAD FERAL GHOUL OF A GENERAL BEFORE SOMEONE DIES." Six yells directly at the Securitron camera before sitting back down and catching his breath.

"Sorry. you didn't deserve that. But we just crushed the legion, I just wanted a week, just one god damn week, of calm after all that fighting. Instead I have to deal with your rabid idiot dog Oliver trying to start a war with Vegas that nobody even wants."

"A war with Vegas. A war with... so it is true." Colonel Moore's voice becomes cold. "You're declaring independence, then. After all we've done together, you're taking Vegas out from under our noses." With some effort of will, she stops herself from continuing. "You're correct though, neither of us want a war. I need three minutes to think about this."

Colonel Cassandra Moore stops talking for three minutes, never taking her eyes from the Securitron as she calculates.

"I have neither the authority nor the desire to negotiate with you. But if our troopers and your robots start shooting at each other, everyone loses." It's clearly grating on Moore to acknowledge that, but she did not make a career out of lying to herself. 

"NCR isn't abandoning any of our garrisons. If you have a problem with us staying where we currently are, you can be the one to start the war."

"I'll send a message to LVB station reminding them to respect the treaty. No troopers on the Strip with weapons."

She pauses, speaking the next sentence carefully. "Freeside... is a mess. But if it's not ours, it's sure as hell not under the Treaty either. How about this: it can remain neutral for now. I'll tell the troopers to stand down and stay out of the Kings' way, if you get all your robots out of Freeside."

"Don't act like this is a betrayal." Six wants to pout, but that would be undignified.

"I didn't owe you a city. It wasn't even mine to give until recently. Vegas was already indepedent, it just happens to be under new management now. And every single second since that meeting on the dam has convinced me that not handing over Vegas was a good idea. I still like the NCR, I'm still happy to help you mop up the legion and gangs. If I wanted the NCR as an enemy I would have stabbed you in the back at the Dam and not put so much effort into helping you get ready for the battle. You know how much work I've done for you." Seriously! hes supported the NCR to the hilt up until now! Can he get some credit for that please!

"I put a lot of effort into defusing the tensions between the Kings and the NCR, I think the King does a fine job in Freeside and am happy to let him deal with it. I'll pull the robots out, they were only there to protect the Kings if they asked me to. Can I however leave two Securitrons at the followers fort? To help gaurd my personal friend Dr Ganon? Im sorry if I don't fully trust the NCR to act rationally right now, and I'd rather have something there to protect the followers at least if things escalate."

"I think in light of everything that has happened. The treaty does need to eventually be renegotiated. But that can wait, at least a week. Can we all just calm down and celebrate the victory against the Legion instead please?"

"Fine. NCR soldiers will regularly walk through Freeside to make sure the deal is being respected. We can ask the Kings to escort our patrols, if you want. We'll agree to maintain the status quo until negotiations, which will begin-" she checks her watch - "November 9th at 9 AM, seven days and fourteen hours from now."

I'll get in touch with General Oliver. He's a good man, whatever you think, and with a deal in place I'm sure he'll listen to reason."

“A good man?? Reason? If House was still alive there would be bodies in the streets! HE TRIED TO SEND ARMED TROOPS ONTO THE STRIP TO ARREST THE PERSON WITH CONTROL OF THE ROBOT ARMY FOR TREASON. I am surprised the man remembers how to breathe!” He has lost SO much respect for Moore. Six never really liked her, but he respected her until now.

“I told both Crocker and Oliver this. But I was going to help you assimilate Vegas after the battle, the battle that I won for you. I was fully on board thinking the NCR was the best option for Vegas. Instead I get insulted and threatened. Then the man tries to break the treaty of Vegas to arrest a non NCR citizen for treason. Me, the person with a robot army who crushed the legion for you with it and controls Vegas. The person who would otherwise have helped you integrate Vegas. Then he sends his goons to antagonise the Kings and ‘secure’ Freeside and risk open conflict between them. Tell me how those are the actions of anyone with an ounce of reason. With people like that in charge how could I ever trust you with the safety of my people. 

I will see you, or whoever else they send. On the 9th. At the embassy.” He gestures to hang up the call.

He has never been so pissed off. He really should have been more diplomatic. But seriously what the actual fuck is wrong with the NCR. Was he just too naive to see it before? They never would have treated House like this. Maybe he needs to play into being more scary like House did. Being nice and helping out everyone you meet apparently doesn’t translate into being treated like a equal when it matters.

He can use these NCR fuckups to get concessions during the negotiations perhaps. But his own outbursts probably lost him some major diplomacy points.

"Connection terminated. You did a super job showing her who's boss!" Yes Man doesn't sound sarcastic this time, but you can never really know with him.

Reports start coming in about five minutes later. The MPs in a standoff at Las Vegas Boulevard station are returning to Camp McCarran. The troopers in Freeside have ceased their encroachment, although a few have taken it upon themselves to bring some medical supplies to the Followers. At the Dam, troopers are walking uneasily past the Securitrons, but neither side makes any hostile moves.

Novac's Victor has just arrived. It reports a small group of dead Legion raiders in the dinosaur's kill zone, and reports to Manny Vargas.

“You don’t have to station any more bots at the dam I don’t think. The NCR should be able to handle any crazy legionnaire stragglers that want to suicide by charging fortified positions.” The NCR can feel better about losing Vegas with the significant consolation prize of keeping the dam. The bots hanging around the dam probably make some worry they wont get to have either.

Six slumps in his chair. He shouldn’t be having to deal with all this after crushing the legion. They should be celebrating instead. He’s spent almost the last year working on making this happen. It should be a happy occasion. “Ughhhh. Fuck it, I need a drink. Many drinks. Anyone know where Cass is holed up? Let’s go celebrate together properly and ignore all the politics bullshit at least until tomorrow. I am going to drink enough atomic cocktails to kill a super mutant.”

Veronica steps out of the bathroom, having spent some time removing a stubborn bloodstain from her power armour. "Probably at the Wrangler. She doesn't like the more upscale bars in Vegas."

She looks at the Securitron heretofore acting as video monitor. "How's the situation in Freeside? I'd rather not wear power armour if I can wear this instead!" She holds up one of the dresses that Six got her from a pre-war ruin.

“Should be fine? Probably? I don’t want to get back in the armor either. I get so damn sweaty in that undersuit. Though we could go out on the strip this time. That dress would be wasted at the wrangler. I’m liking the idea of upscale bars and nicer food than canned pork and beans stewed with gecko meat.” Not that that was a bad meal, it’s a Mojave classic dish. But he deserves some fresh food and quality meat for once. They beat the legion! “We are rich now, lets act like tourists for once! we deserve it don’t we?”

He turns to one of the ever present Securitrons. “Yes Man, can you ask Ganon to tell us when he thinks he would be free to celebrate with us? And when hes free to check the wrangler for Cass and ask her if she wants to come celebrate with the rest of us too?”

He turns to Boone. “Come on buddy, wanna come celebrate? The guns can wait, and I bet theres gonna be a lot of guys we’ve fought with also celebrating out there right now.”

"Alright. Been a long time since I had something to celebrate." Boone must be happy: he's averaging more than three words per sentence, and his tone has gone from dour to merely sullen. He leaves the anti-materiel rifle behind, but takes his old hunting rifle. Just in case.

Veronica, properly clothed, moves to the elevator with a skip in her step. "I've never actually played tourist on the Strip before! Should we go to the Tops? Or maybe Vault 21? No, Sarah will be run off her feet tonight, the poor girl. What with her lack of staff, and I'm sure there are plenty of troopers who want a cheaper place to drink. Oh, but we should make sure to check in on her soon. You know, she might be the only owner here who loves the Strip for its own sake, instead of just the profit it brings her." Veronica keeps up a near-constant commentary until the trio steps out of the Lucky 38.

The Strip is awash with celebrating soldiers, and the Tops is raking in caps. From essentially the moment that Six steps out of the Lucky 38, he is greeted with cheers and slaps on the back. Some people are vaguely aware that some politics is happening, but that's essentially meaningless following the victory, in the presence of the heroes of Hoover Dam.

This, this is why he helped all those NCR people. Maybe the command staff have their brains rotted out, but the troopers have been fighting the legion and doing their best this whole war. “WE KICKED THEIR ASS! CAESAR IS DEAD! LANIUS IS DEAD! THE LEGION IS CRUSHED! FREE DRINKS ON HOUSE’S DIME FOR ALL ENLISTED NCR SOLDIERS!” The commissioned officers can afford their own drinks. But the grunts deserve to party without the crazy strip drink prices. He can just afford to do stuff like that now. It’s awesome.

He makes sure to later wave down a Securitron to tell the casinos what he just promised and for them to send him the bill.

The cheer that goes up at that is, if possible, even bigger than earlier cheers for victory. For the next few hours, Six is the single most popular person in Nevada, at least as far as the troopers are concerned. One lieutenant elbows his way to Six to thank him for "saving me from having to pay for the platoon's drinks like I promised".

Many toasts are proposed: To the Courier, the Securitrons, and the Boomers; to fallen comrades and the Followers who prevented more from being lost; to the Rangers, First Recon, and Boone specifically. Ranger Hanlon gets a toast, as does Colonel Moore ("She's a bitch, but she's OUR bitch!"). Really, it's just an excuse to cheer and drink -- but still, mentions of General Oliver are conspicuous in their absence.

Arcade Gannon is wearing his nicest clothes: that is to say, he put on a clean labcoat. He walks into the Tops a little uncertain, but manages to find a corner reasonably close to Six and orders a drink.

Boone finds a table with a few members of First Recon, who are swapping tall tales with the easy invincibility of youth. He sits and listens, remembering a time, not too long ago, when he would have been telling stories with the best of them.

Rose of Sharon Cassidy staggers into the Tops and immediately sidles up to the bar. She seems to have concluded that she's close enough to an enlisted NCR soldier, if her purchases are anything to go by.

Exuberant celebration does not come naturally to Arcade, but he is, in fact, feeling quite elated. Not only was the Legion driven off, but it looks to him like Vegas might actually gain independence. There's much work to be done, but for now he's happy to simply enjoy the victory.

There is one celebratory action he wants to do. Which he's wanted to do for some time, now, truth be told. Unsure of himself, he mentally weighs the probable outcomes as he sips his drink.

Swank takes a moment from the interminable chaos of managing the event to come up to Six. "Hey, boss. I hear some things are getting a bit hot with the NCR. Free drinks is a smooth move. Long as the House is good for it, and I know you are, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." Suddenly summoned by a waving bartender, he quickly escapes to fix the latest logistical snafu.

With enough beer in him, and enough nostalgia for what he once was, Boone decides to tell First Recon his own story. Certainly not a serious one, not a story of the brutal reality of war. A story of the banal nonsense that is also, in many cases, the reality of war. The other snipers, curious at what the "old man" has to tell, listen closely as he begins.

"No shit, there I was..."

Veronica is having a great time. Approaching Cass, she more or less drags her bodily to the dance floor. Once there, though, Cass begins dancing up a storm, her gentle inebriated sway only adding some extra charm to her movements.

Still trying to settle the cost-benefit analysis, Arcade sees Veronica and Cass dancing with joyful abandon, and he suddenly makes a decision.

It's not that he's determined what the best outcome is, noticed some extra benefit, or convinced himself that the downside risk isn't all that bad. He simply finds that he no longer cares which action is optimal.

Turning to Six, Arcade kisses him, hard, on the lips.

Oh… This was new. He probably should have guessed Arcade wasn’t straight. Their friendship was always a little flirty. 

Six decides he likes this development and kisses Arcade back just as hard.

This is probably an inappropriate amount of amount of PDA for a public bar. But tonight of all nights they certainly aren’t the only pair making out in celebration.