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 Ceaser 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 nipton 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 CEASERS 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 heavy 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.