Nick's descent into the Sierra Madre vault was maddening. He fought through the cloud and the withdrawals to reach his goal. When he finally came face to face with Elijah, it was the sobering moment Ulysses knew it would be. Nick was staring into the eyes of a man who had not quelled his addiction; in it's wake was unchecked insanity.
The entire journey through the Sierra Madre with a bomb collar latched around his neck had all been the result of a man driven to madness. Nick vowed to close the door on his demons so that the path to depravity would not be his destiny.
- Dead Money ends:
After defeating Elijah, Nick returned to the Mojave with the gold from the vault. He stored it in the Lucky 38 and met with Ulysses.
They discussed Boone, the sniper. They needed Boone for the battle to come, but how would they convince him to allow the Legion and NCR's war to run its course? Nick had to win Boone's trust. Having played the Legion to gain their confidence earlier in these war games, Boone was skeptical of Nick and the two had nearly split.
Nick was able to take Boone to Bitter Springs and convince him to open up about his internal scars. Boone resented the orders he was given and the actions for which it made him guilty. He had, after all, gunned down innocent women and children as would a mindless robot--as would a soldier of the legion.
During their time in Bitter Springs, Boone and Nick intercepted a Legion raiding party. It was the first time Nick had openly killed members of the Legion, though his blood boiled against them. In the aftermath of their victory, Boone and Nick spoke once more.
Nick was able to convince Boone that an independent Vegas--a city with its eyes open and a leadership that listens to the people--would be superior to an army that follows orders. If the NCR took control, there would just be another Bitter Springs... then another, and another.
In the end, Boone pledged to stand by Nick's side to liberate Vegas from the Legion
and NCR control.
- Bitter Springs:
With Boone firmly on Nick's side, Ulysses and Nick spoke of their next steps. What would be their move to stoke the flames of war? They determined that an assault on the Fort and the death of Caesar would serve to move the Legion against the NCR. However, before they could launch a successful attack, they needed more soldiers.
Nick had in his camp a rag-tag group of friends. There was Raul, Veronica, and Harland who had all been faithful companions, but open assault on The Fort would be too much for them. It would be a suicide mission.
Of course there was Lily, but that was too great a risk. If she fell in battle, it could compromise Nick's relationship with Marcus and Jacobstown. He needed their partnership for the Vegas to come.
Nick knew he could count on Ulysses, Boone, and Daryl. They would all hold their own, but would it be enough?
Ulysses then told Nick of a mercenary group he had heard about in his travels. It was a group called The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Russell, whom Nick had met at the 188, had been one of these mercenaries once upon a time. They had taken on high-risk, high-paying jobs for a time, but then had split to less risky vocations. Ash was a mercenary working for the Westside Militia, Cruz worked out of Freeside, and Miles worked as a guard in the Thorn.
There was only one thing to do, Nick determined. The gold from the Sierra Madre vault would be used to reassemble and hire the Four Horsemen. He drafted the contract he would present to them to fight by his side until New Vegas had gained its independence. Together, these eight men could launch an attack on The Fort and set Nick's end-game into motion.
- Nick and The Four Horsemen:
EDIT:
No posts since my last so I will continue to the story here...With his assault team assembled, Nick and company departed the Lucky 38 through Freeside and made their way down to Cottonwood Cove. It was familiar territory to many of Nick's squad.
After launching a successful surprise attack on the Cottonwood Cove legionaires, Nick reviewed the plan of attack with everyone one final time. Using Legion disguises, they would sneak into striking distance of the Fort and then make their way to Caesar in a hail of gunfire.
Boone was particularly unhappy about his new outfit--most of all because he had to forego the beret for a short while.
Once Nick's team began combat, it was as if they were made for no other purpose. Legion heads rolled as gunfire rang through the mountains on the east side of the river. Without hesitating, Nick stormed Caesar's tent and found him ready to stand his ground with his praetorian guard. It was over in a flash. When the shots subsided, Caesar lay on the ground without a head on his shoulders.
Nick's team exited the tent and briefly met with one another. Ulysses, struck by the irony and magnitude of his part in the death of Caesar, chose to return to the Lucky 38 alone. Nick dismissed the Four Horsemen--their duties fulfilled and their payments met in full. If they were needed again, Nick knew where to find them.
In the end, it was Nick, Boone, and Daryl who made the journey back to Vegas to make their final preparations with Yes Man in anticipation of the Legate's retaliation.
- Assault on The Fort and the Death of Caesar:
EDIT 2: ENDGAME... or is it?
Upon returning to Yes Man after his successful attack against Caesar's Fort, Nick saw the securitrons upgraded and readied for war.
Nick was certain the Legate would make his move during Kimball's speech, but all was quiet--save an easily foiled assassination plot.
After powering the El Dorado Substation, Nick learned that Vegas was now fully powered even without the energy from the Dam. This gave him all the leverage he needed over the NCR. It was time to end the events set in motion in Goodsprings at a time that felt forever ago.
After the defeat of the Legate, Nick let the NCR know they were no longer welcome in New Vegas--at least not as an authoritative presence.
Before Nick could leave the Mojave (to travels taking him east to the capital of the Old World), there was yet one event that needed to take place. One that would secure the future of New Vegas for the foreseeable future.
...to be concluded- The Second Battle for Hoover Dam:
EDIT 3: A Chapter ClosesWith the fate of the NCR and Legion sealed at the Dam, Nick was able to set the course for the future of New Vegas. The bonds he had forged throughout his journey with various groups came together in one penultimate moment -- the signing of the Mojave Alliance.
In this agreement, Nick turned over control of an independent Vegas to the governing body of the Mojave Alliance consisting of representatives for each of its main groups.
Marcus represented the super mutant population and the inhabitants of Jacobstown. In joining the Alliance, the mutants would be allowed peaceful residence in the areas around New Vegas. In exchange, they would help protect the various settlements from any raider presence that might try to emerge from the power vacuum left by the NCR.
Mother Pearl represented the Boomers who remained the autonomous group they longed to be, but who also offered use of their airfield for recon and intelligence gathering for the Alliance.
The Khans were restored to greatness and offered a place on the Strip. Though many Khans chose to remain in their homes at Red Rock Canyon, a large presence moved onto the Strip and took over control of Gomorrah after the Omertas were removed from power.
The Kings, represented by none other than the King himself, integrated Freeside into the Strip. This allowed the Securitron army to clean up Freeside's mean streets and improve the quality of hundreds of lives. Though the smaller casinos of Freeside would always be distinct from the higher end casinos on the Strip, it was nice to not be sectioned off like an unwanted disease. There was no doubt that business would boom. The King was given access to the Lucky 38 and watched over it in Nick's absence.
Elder McNamara changed his vision for the Brotherhood of Steel allowing restless souls like Veronica to breath easier. The Hidden Valley chapter had truly splintered off from the fundamentalist policies of East Coast BoS groups. For their part, the Brotherhood was charged with guarding Helios One, the Fort, and the El Dorado Substation to ensure the technologies of the old world were suitably managed on behalf of the Alliance.
Many of Nick's other companions chose to go their own ways. Ulysses, his time as Nick's war adviser having come to a conclusion, returned to watch over the Divide. He would also keep an eye on the Legion still in Arizona and watch over the affairs of New Vegas to ensure general stability.
Daryl and Boone, without anything tethering them to New Vegas, vowed to follow Nick wherever he chose to travel.
As Nick left behind the Mojave (though not forever), he set his eyes on the capital of the Old World in Washington DC. He had heard rumors that his mother, Madison, might be alive. He swore to find her.
- The Mojave Alliance:
The first month and a half of this playthrough has been a blast. Though the majority of Nick's time in the Mojave is complete, I will continue his journeys in DC as he searches for his mother (replacing the father character from the vanilla game). I may tie off loose ends with side missions in NV as well, but the main narrative of how Nick's character would develop and resolve the Hoover Dam conflict is over. I hope some of you enjoyed Nick's journey and I hope you have stories left to tell of your own.
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