https://aminoapps.com/c/falloutamino/page/item/caesars-legion/8BYT_XIjZoreQ7eLlE2kpMYMG6MMrRK

(You’ve leveled up. You have 2 Stat Points, and 5 Skill points available to spend.)

But as it was, you weren't willing to risk your life, or hers. Not when you were so close to the end.

Shrugging her arm away, you finally replied, "I am sorry, Isabel, but no." The hurt look in her eyes, reminding you of how young she really was. Not that you were exactly much older, but at least you knew what you were getting yourself into. Or at least you hoped you did.

Given a helping hand by Jernald who had been watching the entire exchange, you hopped back aboard the train. The paladin’s stern face puckered by another fresh scar on his cheeks as he patted you on the arm as you passed him by. "Better this way, rookie. There's no life to be had up there on the surface, not anymore."

But if his words were meant to console you, all it did was put you in a shittier mood as you felt her eyes tingle at the back of your spine, until the sliding doors snapped shut behind you, perhaps separating you for forever.

Shoulders hunched over as you forced yourself to not look back at her through the car door window, you felt the train lurch forward, and took seat on one of the bunk beds, while Loraq and the rest of the crew gathered around a table at the other side to listen to Demarco regale them the with tale of how he had bested the ant queen. “...so there she was, the biggest bitch I’d ever seen, and all I had with me was my rifle, my machete, and a few rounds of ammunition? I told myself fuck it, and blasted away at her legs, ripped her kneecaps up pretty good, when she came at me with her flamethrower. But me being a quick littel fucker, I got out of the way, and plugged her again, this time two for each of her fucking eyes. Damn bug, wouldn’t go down though, and I had run out of bullets, so I rushed in, and carved open her belly. Ripped her up nice and good, till she was leaking and trying to get away, then I finished her off with a bullet to the skull. But that ain’t the best part,” half laughing gleefully as he held up a modified .44 pistol, “I found this at the back of the cave along with a bunch of other shit,” then with a wave of his hand, “also these bums helped me out a little.” Which caused Jernald to shake his head with a wry smile, whereas Wren laughed, and Bull rolled his eyes to the heavens.

And to be honest, you felt even more annoyed at yourself now at having missed out on such an amazing opportunity. Still, as you examined the .44 pistol that Demarco held in his hand, you realized the damn weapon was special as well, and had the ability to fire explosive rounds. Not to mention it had a really cool name. Pop pop, which sort of just clicked together. Though you did wonder if any part of his story was true?

The carriage suddenly quieted as Cassidy looked up from her maps, she looked around at every single member of her crew, her hard green eyes taking in everything in a single glance, before she nodded her head approval, her voice clear enough to be heard over the railroad tracks. “It’s time we all went over our plans. Now that we are getting close to our target, it won’t be long now before we come up against Red and monsters, and you all know what that means. Big Bastard has been given additional weapons and armor, but it’s primary weapon is the battering ram. With it, we’ll smash open her outer defenses, rig explosives in the underground complex, and allow freedom forces to move in behind us to secure the area, and mop up the place. Questions?”

“Expected enemy resistance?” asked Jernald.

“Just about what you would expect from a Warlord, she has an army of raiders, beastlords, and wasteland creatures at her command. But that shouldn’t be too hard to deal with so long as we hit them hard with everything we’ve got.”

“The train? What kind of upgrades did she get?”

“We’ve got c-4 charges attached to the ram, which should give her explosive punch, missile launchers up top, miniguns to clear our flanks, and steel armor thick enough to withstand anything but a behemoth’s charge.”

Half listening as more questions flew around the carriage, you gazed out the window, seeing the rock walls flash by, and felt a sudden weakness in your belly, when a voice spoke into your mind. “So, you have come to me at last. I’ve been hoping to speak to you.”

Head lifted up in shock as you stared wide-eyed around the carriage, you thought for a second that someone had spoken to you, but everyone else was focused on Cassidy, the voice strange and warm as though greeting a friend for the first time in years. Your harsh whisper, coming out almost guttural, “who are you?”

“Why, you know who I am, have known me for quite a time now, but I tell you that the path you’re on is a lie. The so-called freedom movement deceives you. They want nothing but war, they cling to the past like radroaches, and refuse to see the future. They would have a war without end. Under them the world would remain in chaos.”

“And your way would be better?”

Almost able to see Red's smile, she replied, “Yes, wanderer, my way would be better, if you do not believe me, let me show you…”

...Somehow drawn into memories that you were not your own, you stood in front of a small settlement under attack from a group of raiders, gunfire blazing all around you as settlers fought from rooftops, doorways, and barricades. Dozens of raiders poured in from every direction to surround the town with heavy gunfire, men and women falling down dead in the streets as children screamed and ran. The dust cloud that appeared to the left of you, so strange it took you a while to recognize the dust cloud for what it was.

Appearing like a goddess atop a humvee, dressed in yao guai skins was Red, her beautiful face, scarred, and tattooed as she led a swarm of bugs to the rescue, snapping claws, mandibles, and stingers, bringing raiders crashing down as she fired her rifle with deadly accuracy…

...The memory then changed to a few years laters, the town barely recognizable from what it was, as it sprouted out of the wasteland like an oasis in a desert, it’s wall now made of stone. Red’s banners hanging up high from rooftops and walls as people walked the street unarmed, while an army of monsters guarded their perimeter…

...Again the view changed, and you saw maps of Ardea laid out before you with interconnecting lines that showed towns, villages, and cities under Red’s control, along with patrols to protect trade routes, supply depots, garrisons, and strongholds. She had a whole empire laid out before her where she had reorganized the most dangerous forces in the land to subjugate the wasteland, establish rules for their own safety, and took measures to ensure children would be protected...Everything about this seemed so real, you thought you could see her dreams for conquering the entire wasteland coming true…

Still there was one thing that bothered you. “What about the Brotherhood of Steel?”

Anger flashing at the back of your mind, she replied, “a nuisance I will deal with eventually.”

But whether that meant war or eradication of their kind, you did not know, and did not wish to know. The tables being turned as they were, you were still unsure of their motives in the world, and if it was really about technology anymore.

Still, the future she offered to you, would come at a heavy cost, much like Caesar’s Legion which offered safety and security in exchange for the slavery of women, savage barbarism, and executions.

Perhaps it would not be so bad for women under Red’s rulership, but the loss of freedom would sink many into despair, and after Red was dead, and gone from this world, what then? And yet it seemed that the only alternative was a war that would continue on for many centuries allowing other threats to grow stronger in the world. There would even come a time when other raider factions would begin to look at Ardea as an opportunity again for easy plunder.

There was much to think on, and much to think about, but Red, guessing that the seeds had yet to take root inside of you, continued on, “think on this as well if you will. If you do decide to join us, and save the wasteland from these blind arrogant fools, I will offer you the gift that has been bestowed upon my kind for generations. We have the technology, and the means to make you into one of us, a beastlord, with all the abilities that come with it. All you need to do is sabotage the train before it reaches our gates, and I will ensure that you are treated well. I know you will make the right decision, wanderer.”

Staring into open space as the connection was lost, you felt someone shaking you roughly by the arms, and looked up to see Loraq, his eyes full of worry as he pointed a finger at your chest, and held up a hand in question. The obvious question being, were you okay?

And in truth you did not know, either way, people were going to die, and you had no idea what to do.

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