[color=aba000][u][b]Kedi  - North of Black Mountain - After Midnight October 18th[/b][/u][/color] 

Kedi crawled low and slow along the ridgeline as he followed the path of Khan in front of him. He was the second of eight and together they snaked their way closer to the NCR camp ahead. It was an auspicious night. The waxing moon above was covered by dense clouds that had rolled off Black Mountain, blanketing the Khans in the steely black of night. The lead Khan, Angel, felt his way forward and those behind followed his exact path. It was a terribly slow process and it had taken them hours to go only two hundred meters. They had started shortly after the NCR troops had rotated their guards and when the clouds started to cover the sky. The first shift had been veteran rangers. Though they had kept themselves well concealed the distinctive glimmer of moonlight on their wide-visored helmets gave their identity away. The Khans had been tracking the squad of NCR infantry troops for almost three days and saw them pick up the rangers at For Gulf.  

In total there were sixteen of them. Eleven troopers, four rangers and one prisoner. The infantry troops had been part of an escort protecting an NCR big-shot to Vegas just the day before. Today they had met up with rangers and doubled back escorting a prisoner to the correctional facility. It had been easy for Kedi and the Khans to track them as they made little attempt to conceal their movements. The difficulty came in keeping a low profile. Since the Omertas took control of New Vegas the Khans couldn’t risk openly crossing into their territory without paying in caps or blood. Still the Khans had found a way, through informants and debtors Angel had got the intel they needed and were able to catch up with the squad just before dusk. The rest of the Khan hunting party was waiting with the horses near the east end of the Green’s growth on Black Mountain. Kedi and the Khans with him were to rendezvous with them at Novac after the raid. There, Angel would lead them south through the hills till they reached their campsite just north of Searchlight. 

The NCR escort made a tempting target, despite having four rangers among them they were well armed and had with them four horses and a seemingly valuable prisoner. The man had been kept bound and blinded throughout the march. Whoever he was, he was no friend of the NCR. While that didn’t make him a friend of the Khans, it made him a worthwhile prize. The horses and weapons and gear they could take would be a bonus. Angel had organized the raid and was willing to suffer whatever repercussions he might. 

Angel rounded a large angled rock and slid quietly up to his elbows then back down. Kedi did the same. Ahead of them the two troopers on guard duty were sharing a cigarette. It confirmed a suspicion, they were recruits, young and inexperienced. They would be easy prey. Kedi swallowed what remorse he had over the actions to come and followed after the Khan ahead. As the rest of them coiled their way around the rock, Angel pulled a knife from the folds of his vest. Kedi did the same. The blades were as long and wide as a man’s forearm and blackened with soot so as not to catch the light. Angel tapped Kedi lightly on the shoulder.

Three taps. 

Two taps. 

One.

 They sprang from around the rock. Angel grabbed the helmet of the first soldier, yanked his head back and plunged his blade into the open throat. Kedi fell upon the other using his full body weight to drive his knee into the man’s gut knocking the air from his lungs. He stuffed his left hand into the man’s open mouth and plunged his knife into the soft flesh above the collarbone. He forced it deep and ripped it out quickly stabbing again and again until the man stopped twitching. Kedi looked around then jerked his head, giving the signal for the other Khans to make their move. Four moved towards where the horses had been tied together and set about stealing them. The other two linked with Kedi and Angel and moved in on the other troopers. They slept with no coverings or paddings, just bodies under the open sky. With vicious haste the Khans fell upon them. Two, three, four at a time. They stabbed and hacked and smashed. The carnage lasted mere seconds before the first shot went off. One of the troopers had grabbed their rifle and fired into the night. Then pandemonium as the other soldiers raised the alarm and began to fire as well. The Khans fought and looted as they went. Slinging rifles across their backs and stuff thing pockets with ammunition, grenades and what other supplies they could grab in the darkness and chaos. 

Kedi swung wide and ducked a punch from one of the rangers. He dropped his shoulder and fell into the man, brought himself up and dropped his elbow into the man’s chest. He heard a pained grunt and scrambled to his keet, kicking the man as he rose. Angel whistled loud signaling the end of the raid and Kedi set off towards him. Angel had secured the prisoner and freed the man from his bonds. Around Kedi the other Khans peeled themselves off the NCR soldiers and sprinted full speed back down the ridgeline. The snap of gunfire hot on their heels they maneuvered through the rocks aiming towards the Green ahead of them. Kedi’s heart was racing, he tripped, fell into a roll and jumped back to his feet. Ahead of him Angel dropped to the ground and tried to rise but fell again. Kedi grabbed him by the right arm and dragged him into the undergrowth. The prisoner grabbed the other arm and they moved up into the thick coverage of the Green. Kedi couldn't make out the features of the man in the dark but he looked young and strong. His head was shaved and he wore a rough looking jumpsuit and boots. 

Once they were out of range, Kedi dropped Angel and checked the man over. The Khan had been shot through the chest. His breathing was labored and bubbles of blood splattered at his lips. He gurgled and drowned in his blood before Kedi. A tang of disbelief bit at his heart but there wasn’t time to waste. Kedi called to the other Khan and they worked together to drag their dead leader further up the mountain. They only made it a few dozen meters before they were forced to abandon the corpse. They propped him against the trunk of a gnarled juniper and Kedi took the pistol at his hip stuffed into his waistband and kissed him on the forehead. Angel had been part of Kedi’s initiation and had taught him many valuable and painful lessons. He had died a warrior's death, one worthy of the Great Khans. Kedi would tell stories about him. 


They ran further into the Green, skirted the side of the mountain the excitement was high among them but the adrenaline was beginning to drop. Kedi noticed he had been shot, it was graze on the shoulder but enough to be concerned about. Two of the other Khans had been shot as well, one in the leg another in the gut. It would be slow going till they rendezvoused with the rest of their party and Kedi wasn't certain they would all make it. Together they stopped and caught their breath, Kedi squatted and wiped the sweat from his face. Daniel held his belly and sat against a stump. 

"I just need a quick rest." He said, his breath labored. Even in the darkness Kedi could see his face growing pale. Gut wounds took hours to die from, it was a slow awful way to die. Kedi knew from experience.  

"We need shelter. Daniel can't go no further."

The gut-shot Khan tried to wave off the concern but only groaned. 

“We’ll head up till we can find a vantage point where we can signal the rest of the party.” Said Kedi. He had never led a war-party on his own but his close personal relationship to Angel made him feel that it was his responsibility to take charge. 

“Any signal that we send is just as likely to be seen by them rangers as by our own folks.” Grimaced Daniel. “Just go on yourselves.” 

“Khans don’t leave each other behind.” Kedi repeated one of the codes of honor their people lived by. “We go together or we don’t go at all.” 

"I know where we can find shelter.” The prisoner's voice was low and soft and very much unlike his appearance. "Top of the mountain, its safe there.” 

Kedi eyed the man carefully. He had heard rumors Black Mountain was still haunted by rogue mutants and he didn’t want to find out in there present condition. But they were running out of options.

“How do you know?” 

“I know people there.”

“Bullshit. Ain’t no one stays up there. Between the muties and the radiation there ain’t much in the way of living.”

“My people manage.”

“Just who are they anyway?”

“They aren’t friends of the NCR if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Well I figured as much. Still ain’t exactly illuminate who they are.” 

The prisoner looked about the Khans around him, he rubbed his shaved head and exhaled slowly. “We should keep moving. Once those rangers recover they’ll be after us.”

Kedi knew he was right. He had only had one previous run-in with a ranger and it hadn’t been pretty. Still it was dark and the Khans had a head start. “What’s your name?”

The man didn’t respond, he looked behind them back down the slope of the mountain. “There’s no time for formalities. We need to go.”

“Fine.” Kedi barked, the pain from the graze was beginning to settle on his mind. “You lead the way.” 

With a little help from the others Daniel was brought to his feet and they slowly made their way through the foliage towards the summit. The Khans kept quiet and their guide spoke little aside from advising which path to take. Kedi could see the man was familiar with the area. That much was beneficial but he wondered who exactly they were being led to. He looked at Daniel, slick with his own blood. He guessed it didn’t matter much now. Kedi would take the hand of anyone who offered if it meant he didn’t have to watch another Khan die this night. He jogged up closer to the prisoner.

“We’re putting a lot of faith in you right now. Tell me who you’re bringing us to.”  

"My people.” The man’s reply was curt.

“Who are they?”

"The Brotherhood."