So this was it, Caesar had her by the balls – or rather he would have had her by the balls if she had any. Her friends who had also been her companions were all there, bound hands and feet, although Lilly was chained as well with six strong legionaries holding her.

Boone looked like he was ready to explode into a First Recon Sniper mushroom cloud of doom; she knew how much he hated the Legion, and it was her fault now that they had him.

Cass just looked grim and hung over, the rosy cheeks showing that they'd caught her while she was in her shot glass. Veronica kept her head down, and lest they really know she was Brotherhood or she'd be in some real trouble.

Raul was silent, he was used to being a captive of Tabitha, having only gained his freedom in the last few weeks, and she knew his thoughts were with his sister, Rafaela. He obviously didn't expect to live through this, despite his positive opinion of their captors.

Arcade looked concerned, but calm. It seemed that nothing short of another nuclear war or a bad breakup with a nice guy could worry the guy. And Lilly, Lilly just stood there, the hulking bulk of Nightkin breathing heavily, which was natural for her. She was placid for a soldier from the master's army, who suffered from Schizophrenia. She had been taking her medicine in half doses, as the Courier had recommended while Dr Henry searched for the cure. The only two missing were Rex and ED-E.

The Legion squad had caught Ella sleeping at the El Dorado gas station, Boone was keeping watch but they caught him off guard with a flash-bang grenade. They had both been rendered senseless from the noise and bright flash of the stun grenades. They had their hands bound and sacks were thrown over their heads.

She dimly remembered struggling against them and being struck, she heard Boone fighting them as well, but heard a thud as they knocked him out.

"Boone!" she had cried and She pushed against her captors trying to get to his side, she was treated to the same bump on the head and blessed darkness.

When Ella came to, she was still covered, but felt the ground moving under her, she was being carried roughly, her feet dragging upon the ground. She heard voices muffled by the sack. She groaned and shifted in their grip slightly. She could feel and smell dried blood upon her face where they had struck her out for the count.

Through the sack she could hear the sound of men training, dogs barking and orders being given. They had brought her back to The Fort.

"Crap." She thought to herself, "He's going to be one pissed of dictator" she heaved a sigh and waited for them to drag her sorry ass into Caesar's tent.

She heard the tent flap being lifted and she felt them move her in, she stumbled with her sluggish feet, the guards who held her didn't give her any assistance, they pushed her through the tent to the open air throne room and forced her to her knees. They lifted the sack from her head and she was momentarily blinded by the noonday sunshine, bringing tears to her eyes.

Caesar sat upon his throne before her. With the look of 'I'm-not-too-happy-with-a-certain-Courier' on his face. She looked up at him. He took a deep breath and addressed her.

"There were certain things that I expected from you, Courier. You knew there would be consequences if these things were not achieved." He clicked his fingers.

Two praetorian guards opened the curtain to the side, revealing the other captives. Her shock was evident, that his reach was so far throughout the Mojave that she could capture each of her companions. Lucius moved forward and dropped ED-E onto the ground. The little Eyebot was no longer functioning.

She began to feel the anger and panic set in, her heart rate rose and her breathing began to come shallow and fast.

"There's worse to come." Caesar said standing and approaching his line of captives. He walked behind each one, before pointing to Boone.

"This NCR dog is the one whom to took on your little forays against three of my camps, correct?" he asked her.

"Actually," she began, "it was more like five and a skirmish against an attack your men attempted on the Bitter Springs refugee camp, Nelson, Cottonwood Cove, Techatticup mine, the Legion Raid camp near Nipton and the camp near Ranger Station Charlie." She replied, with an air of smugness. "Didn't know about the other two did you Vulpes? You must be getting soft." She sneered at the leader of the Frumentarii who scowled dangerously at her.

She received a knee to the face for that little jibe. She shook away the stars in her eyes from the blow and heard Boone cry out and struggle against his bonds in a failing attempt to come to her aid. She looked up at Lucius and scowled, licking at the blood that had formed in the corner of her mouth, where her teeth had nipped into the skin of her lips, the taste of her own blood steeled her.

Caesar moved back to sit in front of her. He smiled unpleasantly. "So, it's your choice, who shall I crucify first? My choice would be the Brotherhood whore, or perhaps the drunken caravaneer without a caravan to her name. The Nightkin might provide some long term entertainment, or even that Follower's fop. But I'm sure that the Sniper would prove more than adequate. The Ghoul would probably fall apart before we lashed him to the cross."

She heard the click-click of claws upon the ground as Rex came and sat beside Caesar, his tail wagging and tongue lolling as he panted happily. Caesar moved a hand and patted the Cyberdog on the back.

"At least one of your friends has the good sense to side with me." Caesar rubbed the dog's ears affectionately. "Maybe I should give Vulpes a new hat, Hmm? Do you think this boy's head would look good as a hat? We'll keep the brain in there for show of course." Rex wined and rubbed his head against Caesar's hand, his tail wagging happily.

"What exactly do you want, Caesar?" Ella said, peevishly. Today was not going to end well, and she knew it.

Caesar stood angrily, "I want you to finish what I ordered you to start. You have been more than a thorn in my side; you've been a whole fucking cactus. Destroying well laid plans that took months, even years to set up. Rendering camps unusable by dropping radioactive waste onto Cottonwood cove after you killed every Legion soldier there, and then coming back to rescue a Khan degenerate who was caught trying to smuggle narcotics into my territory." He began to pace.

"But you couldn't stop there, oh fuck no. You had to just go and ruin more of the hard work that my men and I had put into the Mojave. Silus, for example, oh he got what was coming to him in the end, but not before you got him to sing like the little bird he was. Not to mention stopping the bomb that was planted upon the Monorail and having one of my more dedicated operatives captured, and let's not forget the Khan incident, thank you very much for that, by the way."

"You're welcome." she said sarcastically.

Caesar's face was now very red, and his veins were showing on his neck. He flew at her, his hands reaching around her neck. "I could kill you right now, while your friends watch, but I'd rather have your friends killed, while you watch. Perhaps then, you can feel some of the anguish that I have felt at the destruction of my plans that you have wrought."

Ella's throat tightened and she struggled to breathe; he saw the fear in her eyes as he tightened his grip.

'Good' he thought, 'let her feel fear' form the side, he could hear the Nightkin growl and struggle against her chains, he heard the others in her group struggling as well, it was obvious that she was well liked amongst the group, this was something he could play on. He released his grip on her neck and sat back down. He could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on.

When he was settled back in his throne, he watched her get back to her knees, her bound hands rubbed at her throat and tears rimmed her eyes from the strain.

Ella's throat burned from the treatment, she coughed and took in several rasping breaths before she looked up at the tyrant before her. He watched her as she watched him, his gaze calculating the ways he could manipulate her, her eyes showing her contempt and hatred for him.

"Lucius, take them all outside and execute them." He ordered, Lucius and his men moved quickly to the struggling group of captives. Ella looked to the scene in horror, Veronica's face said it all, and she was pale and drawn, fear coursed across her face as she struggled with the men.

Cass was ready to put up a fight, shouting at the men who held her, spitting and fighting like a wildcat, she received a few strikes but valiantly kept up the fight.

Boone struggled in his bonds to no avail, while Lilly roared her displeasure and tried to break the chains that the soldiers held with little success.

Arcade and Raul were the only two who seemed resigned to their fate.

Ella took a deep breath and looked back at Caesar, her eyes imploring him

"Caesar, wait please. I give myself to you in their place, please let them go and I will serve you, I will be your slave, please just let them all go I'll do anything!" she said, throwing herself to the base of the throne. For her to throw herself to his mercy was one of the most debasing things, short of offering to become the sole whore for the entire legion's soldiery, that she could have done.

Caesar looked at her, and held his hand up, indicating that his men should hold their places with the captives.

"Anything?" he said to her, standing up. Ella nodded. Caesar went down on bended knee to her prone form. "Say it aloud for everyone to hear you." He whispered with a tone of danger within his voice.

"I pledge myself to your service as your slave, in exchange for the lives and freedom of my companions and friends who stand as your prisoners here today." Ella said aloud, she was defeated and he knew it. He basked in his victory.

"Very well, I accept, but should any of your friends take action against any of my men from this day forward, you will be adorning a cross." Caesar looked to Lucius, "Take them to the Docks and send them back to the Mojave. He turned to Ella, her eyes downcast and body slumped in defeat.

"Go and say your goodbyes." He smiled at her.