[color=6ecff6][u][b]Sentinel Derek Irving- Hidden Valley Bunker[/b][/u][/color]

Irving and Hardin stood near the exit door of the firing range and watched the Knights and Paladins practicing.  A veritable light show of red lasers lit up from a variety of energy weapons pummeling the targets.  With the promise of combat coming soon, the Brotherhood had to be ready.  Even though the output of the weapons had been greatly reduced to slow ammunition consumption and put less strain on the targets, it was clear that these targets would need replacing soon.

"That's not an AER9, the cell is on the drum," Hardin berated a Knight who was struggling with reloading a Laser RCW.  "You fumble a reload like that on the battlefield, and you're dead.  And Paladin, don't concentrate all your fire on the chest piece, shift your aim for unarmored spots like the head and gut," he corrected a Paladin using a Gatling Laser."

Irving watched silently as the Head Paladin corrected them.  They were just about out of time to prepare these boys and girls for battle, this was their last chance to get these mistakes fixed before real combat.

The door to the firing range opened as a scribe burst in.  "Sentinel, Scribe Hoss has just radioed in from Freeside, it's about the NCR VIP."

Derek was relieved- ever since their grocers had been arrested by the NCR, they had been maintaining radio silence with their undercover man in New Vegas.  Fortunately, it sounded like Hoss' cover- a humble radio repairman operating out of a small Radiation King store in Freeside- had not been blown.  No real surprise- Irving knew Hoss as a cautious fellow who didn't like taking unnecessary risks or doing anything that might compromise his cover.  It was also evident that Hoss was staying on top of things, since due to the radio silence, the Brotherhood had not been able to alert him to the incoming VIP.

"Head Paladin, keep an eye on things here, I'll look into this." The Sentinel followed the scribe back to the comms room, where a robed radio operator was awaiting them.

"Ah, Sentinel, Hoss just finished his message a few minutes ago.  This is what he sent." He reached over to a holotape player and pressed play.

[i]Dad, do you hear me?  You receiving this?  It's your son in Freeside.

Business is.zzzt...good.  Had to make a few trips to the Strip since those folks don't like setting foot in Freeside unless they really have to.

Things have been interesting in Freeside today.  A bigwig from California showed up in Freeside today.  An ambassador, if you can believe it.  NCR isn't too popular around here, and I hear talk that some local roughneck mercs tried to make trouble for him.  No worries, though, the ambassador had escort with him, and one of the mercs got his head blown up for his trouble.  Those Van Graffs and their plasma weapons...zzzt...sure aren't something you want to end up on the wrong side of.

I...err...probably shouldn't have told you that, I know how you worry about me.  Relax, I'm doing well in Freeside- no trouble with the locals or NCR.  Speaking of which, I got some radios that need fixing, so I'll sign off.  Give mom my regards![/i]

Irving pondered this news.  From what he could gather from Hoss' message, the VIP was an NCR ambassador, making his way to the embassy on the Strip, escorted by Van Graff subordinates.

"We also picked up something else," the scribe revealed.  "A signal on a frequency that could be picked upon any home radio, but the contents are...I don't know how to describe it, best if you hear it for yourself."  The scribe seemed slightly spooked at the mention of it.

"Very well, scribe, put it on," Irving replied, somewhat confused.  The scribe pressed a button, replaying the message.

Irving listened to the audio, his face slightly discomforted as it went on.  As it stopped, he silently pondered for a minute, before relying.

"Keep tabs on that frequency, let me know if there's any more of these messages.  In the meantime, we have other business to attend to."

With the revelation that an NCR ambassador had come to New Vegas, Irving saw an opportunity to propose a ceasefire- or at least convey the Brotherhood's willingness for peace- to the NCR.  For all the warring against the NCR that he had participated in, for all the scars and marks that the war with the NCR left on Irving, he was in the Mojave to deal with a far more dire foe.

And if the NCR wasn't going to agree?  Irving had plans ready for that possibility.