The chair beneath me is far too soft and the room around me is too bright. I haven't been able to stop scratching my wrist since I got here. I'm aware I can't punch my way out of the NCR's embassy, but I'd still be more at ease if I was allowed to keep my pneumatic gauntlet. Cass shifts in the seat beside me and I know she must be feeling as uneasy as I am. It's not particularly rare for the NCR to ask for assistance outside of their organization; it's just the fact they've never asked for help from me. Cass casually stretches and accidentally taps my elbow when she swings her arm downwards.

Was that a signal? A warning? I quickly scan the room and look for threats to either of us. The spacious room has windows lining the wall in front of us to give a clear view of the entrance to this area of the strip; the wall to my right is lined with nothing besides filing cabinets that're crammed to their limits; the wall to my left has pictures of propaganda covering it; and the wall behind me only has a single filing cabinet and the door. In front of me (and the only thing not shoved against a wall for this meeting) is a tremendous oaken desk.

Paperweights and pictures line the desk, but I have the common sense not to move them. Dennis Crocker led me in here almost an hour ago. Cass was led in only five minutes ago. Considering the fact there are only two chairs on this side of the desk, I'm going to assume Dennis will return soon.

I'm lost in thought when Cass speaks. Her voice breaks the complete silence I've been shrouded in for almost an hour, so I nearly jump out of my skin at her question.

"Why do you figure we're here?". I know why I'm here. Hell, everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows why I'm here. The Courier who's become famous across all of Vegas always had me and her robotic dog as companions. Only, things changed. She sent me away when she braved The Divide, then she never came back for me. Now I'm here because the Courier has gone absolutely insane. She's attacked anyone and everyone who isn't a member of the NCR; although, sometimes even they aren't safe from her fury.

If they've shamed the NCR or haven't lived up to the NCR standard, then they'll get attacked the same as anyone else. The NCR has contacted me most likely for the same reason everyone else in the west has. To ask me where the Courier is and why she's become an insane murderer. I'll just have to tell the NCR what I tell everyone else. 'I don't know.'. I don't know why Cass is here. I've only been around her on one occasion, and I was barely able to learn her name before the Courier and I left the outpost where Cass was. I'm about to weakly tell Cass 'I don't know' when the door behind us opens. I straighten up in my seat and stare directly ahead of me.

Dennis Crocker arrives with a woman and another man behind him. Dennis takes his seat on the opposite side of his desk while the woman stands to his right and the man stands to his left. Dennis dips his head towards us and does quick introductions. First, he points to Cass. "Rose of Sharon Cassidy.". Cass grunts and corrects him.

"Cass.". He repeats her name.

"Cass.". He points towards me.

"Veronica.". I remain silent. He points at the man that came with him.

"Lee Oliver.". He points to the woman.

"Cassandra Moore.". Neither Cassandra nor Lee react in the slightest as they're introduced. Instead, Dennis begins speaking.

"Thank you both for coming here today.". I wasn't really given a choice (an NCR trooper who shows up at the Lucky 38 and 'offers' to escort you to the NCR embassy isn't something you turn down), but I remain silent and allow him to continue his introduction.

"As both of you are aware, the Courier has become a thorn in the side of most of the Mojave.". I nod when he meets my eyes. Dennis looks like he wants to continue, but Moore placing a hand on his shoulder stops him. Silently, everyone turns their attention to Moore as she begins to speak.

"We'll be honest with you both. We didn't give a shit about what the Courier was doing when she first starting killing. She only targeted those who were Khan and Legion.". Dennis nods in agreement and allows Moore to keep going.

"However, she started attacking Bomers. Then, Followers of the Apocalypse. Finally, citizens of the Strip. Now anyone who isn't NCR is fair game.". Oliver grunts to show he wants to speak and Moore falls silent.

"Even our own personnel aren't safe anymore. Anyone who isn't performing their duties properly or is considered an 'embarrassment' is killed.". Cass quickly interrupts him.

"Isn't she just doing what you'd do? Last I heard, the NCR doesn't take kindly to traitors in its ranks.". Dennis frowns deeply and shakes his head.

"Not like this. This is vigilante justice. Slit throats with tongues hanging out of the cut; skinned bodies left dangling from trees; and slow, torturous deaths.". Moore adds to his examples.

"And those are the ones lucky enough to die. She's recently taken to crippling her opponents by hacking off their limbs, permanently taking away their hearing by firing her shotgun off beside their ears, or making them into drooling idiots by shooting them in the head. All of those crippled tell the same story. Went to bed and woke up with a missing limb or busted ear. Drugged or knocked out is what we can't tell.". Unfortunately, that sounds like something my friend would do.

She was mildly prone to violence ever since we met, and her injury (the fact she'll occasionally get headaches bad enough to bring her to the ground and make her a crying wreck) has haunted her forever. Hurting other people feeds her need for violence and her screwed mental state regarding her wound. Oliver is the next of the three to speak.

"We can no longer have the Courier fighting in the name of the NCR. She's strained relations with allies, terrified innocents, and wounded the NCR's morale and physical attributes.". Moore is the first person to move anything besides her head during the conversation. She leans forward onto the desk and lays her hands on the oak.

"We've disavowed her, but it's not enough. She's running around with a jacket with the NCR bear on it, has a pistol usually reserved for our twenty-year veterans, and will rarely scream the president's name as she fights the Legion's men.". Moore pushes herself up and motions towards Dennis. The man takes a deep breath and speaks to both Cass and I.

"I know we're asking a lot of you, but we need your help.". He turns towards Cass.

"You knew the Courier well and traveled with her for a time. You're also loyal to the NCR.". He turns to me.

"You've traveled with the Courier more recently, and you have no love for the Legion.". He goes back to speaking to both of us as one.

"We need both of your help if we're going to find the Courier.". Oliver nods in agreement.

"We've sent out multiple patrols and mercenary bands to comb the Mojave for her. The closest we've ever come is finding a wounded Khan who claimed to have heard a dog barking as his entire band was shot down.". Cass answers a question that just crossed my mind.

"Why didn't the Khan lead you in the direction he heard the bark?". Moore sighs and answers.

"Because an unseen sniper blew his head off almost as soon as he finished his sentence.". Oliver interrupts and cuts to the chase.

"You two working together are the only possible team capable of finding the Courier.". Dennis raises his hand and takes over.

"We would prefer you execute the Courier on sight, but how you deal with her is your business.". Cass and I both answer at the same time.

"Execution.". I expect Cass to say the same. She doesn't.

"Arrest.". Both of us look at each other with a shared expression of confusion. The Courier was one of my best friends. She helped me try to join the Followers of Apocalypse, told me about Elijah's betrayal, and assisted me in finding a life for myself in the Mojave without the Brotherhood to rely on. I knew she was a good woman. An idiot, but a good woman. I also know the monster haunting the Mojave isn't her. Whatever happened at The Divide changed and warped her so much that she's like a corrupted mirror of who she was. I'm sure the woman she once was would like this monster to be put down. A quick bullet to the head is all I can do for my old friend. If I'm lucky, I'll even be able to comfort her as she dies. Cass, for whatever reason, sees things differently.

I'm about to ask for Cass's reasoning when Moore whistles to get everyone's attention. The woman pulls two slips of paper from her uniform and passes one to each of us. I take the wrinkled and yellowed piece of paper carefully and quickly scan it. It's a long treaty, but I realize the main points.

My branch of the Brotherhood of Steel would enter a formal alliance with the NCR. My entire family would have the bunker restored to withstand even nuclear strikes, NCR troopers would patrol the area around the bunker, and everyone would know the two organizations lived and died together. I'm no longer a Brotherhood scribe, but I still want the best for my family. Putting down my friend so she can die in peace is another thing I would like to do. Getting my family taken care of is just a bonus. I hand the paper back to Moore and nod.

"I'll hunt her with Cass if Cass agrees.". Cass passes her own paper back and nods.

"I'll do it, but I'll try bringing her in if I can.". I stay silent for now because I don't want to get into an argument or start anything with Cass, but I still intend to do what Benny couldn't when I catch up with the Courier. Moore tucks the paper back in her uniform and nods to both of us. Now Dennis takes charge once again.

"Both of you are now officially working for President Kimball in his quest to rid the Mojave of the Courier.". Moore and Oliver both leave as Dennis continues telling us what we need to do.

"The Courier was last spotted coming out of Jacobstown, but that was almost a year ago. However, a mutant at the town was able to give us useful information without any trouble. He claimed the Courier had to carry her robotic dog into the town, and the hound was limping when they were leaving. At the time, the mutants didn't know about her crimes. Now, however, they've been warned. So, the Courier won't be returning to Jacobstown.". Cass scoffs.

"Why even tell us, then?". He brushes off her remark and explains quickly.

"A human doctor in Jacobstown told us her dog is dying. She needs a replacement brain. Badly. He gave us a list of possible dogs to choose from. A suitable dog might be found in the Legion encampment, but I doubt she would charge into an armored fort when other options are open.". He hands us a map with three areas marked off. He points at one area to show the Legion main camp, then points at a mark near the Khan encampment.

"Another dog could be found among the Fiends. Again, unlikely. Fiends aren't as bad as Legion, but they'd still be a pain to go through.". He points towards the final mark near Novac.

"The most likely dog is in a scrapyard run by an elderly woman. The Courier most likely has the brain by now. The doctor we found promised he wouldn't perform the surgery, but caps or a gun to the skull are enough to persuade most men.". Cass takes the map and offers it to me. I shake my head and she folds it up before putting it in her pocket.

"I don't know what happened, but I know that Jacobstown will have the slightest clue. 'Slight' is better than 'nothing'. Jacobstown is also close to where the Khan soldier was wounded and killed, so it'd make sense for the Courier to kill Khan on the way to her get her dog his brain transplant.". The door opens again as Oliver and Moore return. Oliver hands me my gauntlet as Moore hands Cass her shotgun. Cass checks her ammo while I strap my weapon onto my hand. Finally, Dennis hands us a few bags from beneath his desk.

"Some clean food, purified water, ammunition for a shotgun and pistol, and a mix of NCR money and caps that comes out to roughly two thousand.". Moore and Oliver quickly make their exit as Dennis wraps it up.

"You'll have the full support of the NCR. Stop by any NCR controlled settlement for more supplies anytime you want. Usually, we'd make you do paperwork.". He motions to the window behind him.

"However, there's more at stake than usual, so you'll be able to bypass it for the time being.". He heaves himself up and salutes both of us.

"You both are doing a huge favor for President Kimball. The NCR won't forget this.". He turns towards his window. An obvious dismissal. Cass and I leave the room as quickly as we can.