[color=6ecff6][u][b]Head Paladin Edgar Hardin- Hidden Valley, After Midnight[/b][/u][/color] The Head Paladin switched on his his T-51b helmet's headlamp as he stepped out of the bunker into the artificial nighttime sandstorm. Behind him was a procession of fifteen power armored Paladins wielding a variety of weapons, one field scribe, and three duraframe Eyebots. Hardin directed the group onward, trudging through nearly zero visibility even with their headlamps on, relying more on his helmet's HUD, bolstered by the Eyebots' sensors, than what he could actually see. In contrast to the powerful gauss rifle stowed on his back, Hardin led the procession with a humble recharger laser pistol in his hand, in case any of the mutated Bark Scorpions that frequented the valley were out and about tonight. It wasn't common for the Head Paladin to head up to the surface, or for the Brotherhood to send this many troops up at a time. McNamara preferred to err on the side of caution and the Sentinel hadn't been much better. However, this was a very urgent matter and Hardin intended to see it done personally. One of the captured Knights had escaped, and had contacted them using the Black Mountain radio equipment. The escapee didn't know if the NCR was still pursuing them, but if they were, Hardin was prepared to intercept and wipe them out. However, the knight [i]had[/i] managed to reveal a very critical detail, one that demanded prompt attention- the Khans had rescued him. The Brotherhood had largely ignored the Khans. Aside from their knowledge of chemistry, they were a low-tech group of minimal concern to the Brotherhood, and ever since Operation: Sunburst and the Bitter Springs Massacre, they didn't cross paths very much. Some might argue that their role in the chem trade constituted misuse of technology, but given the state of New Vegas, it really wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, however, the Khans' hostility against the NCR made them a windfall to the Brotherhood. Hardin was confident that this rescue was not planned, and was merely a fortuitous side effect of the gang's efforts to throw a wrench into their hated enemy's cogs. Still, savage and uncivilized as they were, the Sentinel believed they could be potentially useful allies of convenience against both the NCR and The Green. The Brotherhood squad made their out of the sandstorm, and up the path to Black Mountain. It was fortunate that most people had made a habit of avoiding it even after the Super Mutants and that loon of a Nightkin had left. If the NCR were to examine the equipment closely enough, they might realize that the equipment was still being used. The Paladins kept a close watch on the surrounding area- even with the eyebots' sensors providing awareness beyond their own senses, they didn't want to risk walking into a trap- and Hardin still wasn't entirely sure this wasn't a trap. As they neared the top, Hardin saw several marks light up on his HUD ahead. The Eyebots had detected something beyond the visual range of their headlamps. He signaled the Paladins to ready their weapons- he would not let himself be caught off-guard. He drew his gauss rifle and peered into its night-vision scope. A man in a tatty prisoner's jumpsuit walked forward. Even beneath the grime, Hardin recognized him. It was Knight Keyes, one of the procurement specialists who had gone missing. Behind him, he could see several Great Khans lingering in the distance, weapons drawn. "Don't shoot, it's me, Keyes," the man spoke. Hardin lowered his guard, and walked up to the approaching Knight. "What was your temporary password, knight?" he asked bluntly. "Give way your suspicions to the wisdom of thine Elder. Where he shows trust, so shall you," the knight whispered, keeping his answer out of the Khans' earshot. "Welcome back, Knight Keyes!" Hardin spoke. "Jackson, Dietrich, take one of the Eyebots and bring Knight Keyes back for medical examination and debriefing. The rest of you, keep watch for any sign of NCR pursuers." He then turned to one of the Eyebots and directed it in the direction of the Khans, who were still up the slope. They had recovered the captive, and Hardin didn't even have to debase himself by interacting with the Khans. This had been a fulfilling mission. --- [color=6ecff6][u][b]Sentinel Derek Irving- Black Mountain, After Midnight[/b][/u][/color] The Eyebot flew slowly towards the Khans, making little sound except for the gentle noise of its propulsion. As it got close, it suddenly began to speak in a surprisingly crisp and clear voice. "I am Sentinel Irving of the Brotherhood of Steel, and I would like to extend my thanks to the Khans for this act. You may not have known it, but this was a high-value prisoner, and his rescue is of great benefit to our organization and a considerable setback for Colonel Abernathy and his superiors. As a token of my appreciation, please accept this Eyebot. It can make deliveries, serve as a highly perceptive sentry, or simply play the radio, and when needed, can serve as a line of communication with us. And feel free to subject it to your gang's initiation rites, because this particular model is quite durable." With the Eyebot's offer, the rest of the Brotherhood squad would depart back to the bunker and disappear beneath the sands, where the captive could give his side of the story, and where the leadership could deliberate just where their current bargaining position stood with regards to Denver and the NCR Ambassador.