Chapter 1: The Girl with No Name

The corroded wooden fence of the Elementary School swayed gently in the irradiated wind of Searchlight, its creaking sound only accompanied by the occasional footsteps of a wondering trooper ghoul. Once a town inhabited by NCR Troopers and Citizens, it was attacked by the Legion and left to rot along with its unlucky "survivors".

A Glowing One paused briefly by the gate, puzzled by the noise, when its head splattered and became a permanent decoration of the front door. About a hundred yards away, a figure rose up by the water tower, reloaded her rifle, then secured it behind her back.

"Poor sod," she mumbled, before turning east and resuming her trek towards Cottonwood Cove. Finally, she was on her way into the very heart of the Legion's den, a journey she knew from the start that she would have to brave some day. A journey she dreaded to even think of. Nellis Air Force Base was a walk in the park compared to what she was about to do. One slip, just one, and she would be strung up on a cross with barbed wire amidst a mountain of burning tyres. At least at Nellis she would have had a quick death...

The thought sent shudders through her body. Trying to distract herself, she ran over the reasons of going there and her cover story.

House. His Securitron army lay dormant beneath Caesar's very own.

How unfortunate for everyone, she though, grinning. Then her mind went back to a question which has been itching ever since she discovered Yes Man. Should she continue following House's agenda of Old World values, or start her own inspired by the Followers?

After another turning of the road, she approached the cove entrance. Pausing, she straightened her bonnet and adjusted her blue dress before raising her chin up and strode into the camp proudly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two Legionaries flank her, their weapons drawn.

"What business have you, Dissolute?" one barked at her.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace given to her by Vulpes on the Strip.

"My business is with Caesar, not you, recruit."

"How dare you talk to me like that, bitch!" shouted the Legion as he raised his Machete and launched at her. She darted out of the way and reached for her lever-action at her hip, but before she could do anything, he was impaled by a spear and fell to the ground, cold. She looked up and saw a Decanus in the distance calmly strolling closer, a second spear already in hand.

"You, Dissolute," he barked. "Bearing the Mark of Caesar does not give you right to overstep your worth. Know your place, woman!"

She clenched her teeth and stopped herself from lunging at him in rage.

"If it weren't for that Mark, woman," he continued, "I would've had you gutted and strung up on a cross! Now go! Get out of my sight! Caesar awaits."

He grabbed her dress by the collar, yanking her up, before shoving her in the direction of the pier with a well aimed slap and squeeze at her buttocks. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth in anger and turned her head back to face him.

"Go," he uttered, before strolling back to his post.

Wretched barbarian, she thought as she straightened her collar and made her way down to the pier where Cursor Lucullus was waiting for her by a makeshift barge.

"What do you want?" he asked as she approached. His voice was strangely calm and soothing, different from any Legionaries she had ever met.

Well, perhaps Vulpes was an exception, she mused. But that was the creepy type of "calm".

She once again pulled out the necklace from her pocket and held it in front of the Legion man.

"I see. Please step onto the barge, and we will begin our journey. Caesar awaits."

She nodded and stepped lightly onto the raft as it bobbed unsteadily.

"Are you sure this is safe?" she asked as she crouched down in the middle, trying to balance.

"Yes," he murmured as he stepped on and pushed the raft away from the pier with one swift movement. He picked up a long wooden pole and slowly guided the barge out of the cove, then upriver along the Colorado.

"This may take a few hours," he muttered as he inspected her.

"So what does the mighty Caesar want with me?"

"I don't know but I don't expect much," he said, giving her a condescending look before turning away staring unto the horizon. "Still, it's an honour to be summoned by him, let alone receiving that mark. Even more so for a woman."

"What's your problem with women? The lot of you?" she asked, her voice full of bitterness.

"Women are for breeding and slaves. Hardly worth an ounce of honour when compared to a mighty warrior of the Legion, don't you think?"

She was stunned. She always knew the Legion weren't to be trifled with if you were a woman... Or anyone for that matter. But to be objectified to such an extent? This was outrageous! Suddenly the corruption of the NCR seemed nothing compared to the ideology of the Legion. At least the NCR were mostly decent folk.

She spent the rest of the trip silent by the front of the raft, trying to be as far away as she could from her only companion behind her. She could feel his judgemental stares on her back from time to time and occasionally shivered from both fear and rage.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, the dam came into view ahead and the raft slowly banked towards the right and finally coming to a rest on the riverbank.

"Let's go," spoke the Legionary as he ushered her off the raft and through a network of small canyons until they finally arrived at the Fort.

"Halt! Relinquish your weapons and banned items with me. They will be returned to you when you leave. That also includes the Platinum Chip you carry."

Ugh, not one of these again. Sighing, she unsecured her sniper rifle and shotgun and handed them over to the guard, along with the Platinum Chip.

"Your chems too, please."

"You can't be serious..."

"No banned items are allowed in the Fort. Hand them over."

"I... have a heart condition. I need my meds."

The guard eyed her for a moment, before nodding at the two recruits behind her clutching their weapons. "Alright, let her through. I don't know what the mighty Caesar would want with a little weakling like you though. That way, up the hill, and past the fortbridge. Caesar's tent is in the centre."

She made her way alone across the barren landscape that was Fortification Hill towards the peak. She passed a few slave girls on the way who beckoned an apology whenever they passed. She wanted to reach out to them and comfort them, offer them help and show them that there is a life outside servitude, but she knew that this would end up badly for them. Guiltily, she moved on and finally entered the main area of the Fort.

All the Legion men she walked past stopped what they were doing and eyed her suspiciously whilst muttering inaudible insults at her. She quickened her pace and soon found herself at the entrance to Caesar's tent.

"Hold it!" ordered the Praetorian guarding the entrance. "Hold your arms out and don't move."

Well these bastards really are paranoid aren't they? she mused as the Praetorian quickly frisked her.

"Alright, in you go," he muttered as he lifted up the tent flap and pushed her inside with a firm hand on her butt.