Some months prior to October 2281,[3] the frumentariusVulpes Inculta secretly met with Big Sal and Nero, the co-leaders of the Omertas, owners and operators of the Gomorrah casino on the Strip.[4] There, he played on their cultural tendency towards betrayal (a holdover of their tribal past) as well as their festering resentment toward their employer Mr. House and his tyrannical rule of New Vegas, convincing them to orchestrate a plan to destabilize the Strip and cut off House's response to the impending Second Battle of Hoover Dam between the Legion and the New California Republic.[2] Despite Legate Lanius' belief that the Omertas' attack was unnecessary and would, in his eyes, sully the glory gained with the Legion's victory at Hoover Dam, Caesar carried on with the plan.[4]
Preparations[]
While being fed a steady line of bribes to support the Legion's efforts to sow chaos behind enemy lines, the Omerta leaders began gathering necessary pieces of the plan, including hiring specialists to devise a plan of attack that would cause the most damage in one strategic strike. Their search led them to Clanden, a brutally sadistic but highly skilled chemist and bomb maker.[5] The Omertas kept him in the loop with promises of a cozy stay in the hotel suites and access to many of their high-value prostitutes, whom Clanden would rape, torture and murder for his own pleasure.[6][7]
To build up their armory in preparation, the Omertas blackmailed the smuggler Troike with a dead prostitute (possibly one killed by Clanden), staging the scene to make it seem like Troike was responsible.[8][9] In exchange for covering up his "crime," Troike would be obligated to work for the Omertas, using his connections in the NCR to smuggle guns into the Strip by disguising them as NCR supply shipments.[10][11][12] Since Troike could smuggle weapons at a lower cost, the Omertas also stopped buying guns from local suppliers such as Mick & Ralph's.[13][14] These local suppliers were not given any explanation, leaving them confused by the Omertas' sudden change.[15]
In conjunction with the Omertas' armament, the frumentarius Picus exploited his deep-cover infiltration of the New California Republic Army command structure to plan a sabotage of the pre-War monorail connecting Camp McCarran to the Strip in order to cut off the NCR's ability to respond quickly to either position. While not specifically intended to support the Omertas' attack, it would indeed be useful for them if Curtis succeeds.[16]
Setbacks and suspicion[]
Despite all these preparations, the plan had run into difficulties by late 2281. Clanden came up against a lack of materials to construct a bomb deadly enough for the massacre the Omertas desired, and Troike was stuck dealing with the loss of a weapons shipment that was intercepted by the Fiends.[17]
Meanwhile, the other regional powers also began to suspect the Omertas were plotting something. The NCR obtained intelligence reports of the Omerta leaders' secret meetings, but could not confirm who they were meeting with; they suspected that the Omertas were working with Caesar's Legion, but did not want to act officially without confirmation that NCR interests were at risk.[18] They were also alerted by the Omertas' sudden cessation of business with the weapons merchants in Freeside.[13]Mr. House was also alerted, but for a wholly different reason: knowing the Omertas to be "reliably underhanded," their recent cooperativeness with his plans suggested to him that they were plotting against him.[19]
The Courier's involvement[]
The following is based on player-dependent gameplay events with no known canon outcome.
Around late October 2281, the Courier reaches the New Vegas Strip during their hunt for the Chairmen leader Benny, where they are offered the chance to assist the major powers of the Mojave Wasteland in vying for control. If the Courier eventually decides to cast their allegiance with either the NCR, Mr. House himself, or make their own path by helping Yes Man, they are eventually sent to investigate rumors of a conspiracy by the Omertas within Gomorrah,[18][19][20] or simply to evaluate the Omertas.[21] Alternatively, they may stumble onto the conspiracy themselves after helping a Gomorrah prostitute, Joana, escape from the Omertas' clutches with her boyfriend Carlitos Wayne and a few fellow hookers, after which she tips the Courier off to the mobsters' dirty dealings as a reward.[22]
Even if tasked to do so, the Courier may avoid dealing with the Omertas, whether by making enemies of the Omertas before having the chance to investigate their plans (for the NCR or Mr. House), or simply choosing to disregard them (for Yes Man). Otherwise, the Courier would proceed to enter Gomorrah to investigate. Inside, the Courier makes enough of a commotion to gain an audience with the Omerta lieutenant Cachino, one of the men involved with Racket. After Cachino proves less than open to discussion, the Courier gets around his obstinance by secretly acquiring his journal, detailing a litany of activities he has been doing outside of the Omertas' purview -- which would be enough to get him killed if the Omerta bosses were ever to find out.[23]
Ending the Racket[]
The Courier comes back to Cachino with his journal and blackmails him with the threat of taking it to Big Sal and Nero to get his cooperation. Cachino capitulates and agrees to help them dismantle the Omertas' scheme by pointing them in the direction of Clanden and Troike as the crucial pillars for Racket's potential success.
After eliminating Clanden and/or Troike's involvement in the scheme, whether fatally or otherwise, the Courier meets with Cachino again and learns that the Omerta bosses want to speak with them. Big Sal and Nero reveal they are well aware that the Courier is the one responsible for crippling Racket and intend to kill them and start up again. The Courier and Cachino are forced to kill both bosses, either directly or through manipulating them into turning on each other. Cachino subsequently assumes the vacant position as Gomorrah's manager, promising to "run a tight ship" from now on, with the knock-on effect of severing ties with the Legion and putting an end to Racket.[24]
Aiding the Racket[]
Instead of working with Cachino, the Courier takes the evidence of his double-dealings straight to Big Sal, who arranges a meeting with Cachino and has a button man take him out, subsequently electing the Courier to the vacant position as the fixer and working to finalize preparations to pull off Racket when the time comes. The Courier is then sent to assist Clanden and Troike with their recent setbacks.
Once the Courier successfully acquires the chlorine supplies for Clanden and brings back Troike's weapons shipment stolen by the Fiends, Big Sal thanks them for their help completing the plan, promising a future of riches once the Legion bumps off the NCR and takes control.[24] The Courier could do this even if they were working for the NCR or Mr. House and were tasked with stopping the Omertas' plans; their ties with the NCR would not be harmed, but Mr. House may sever ties and consider them an enemy if the Courier could not convince him otherwise.
Aftermath[]
The outcome of Racket (if one did not prevent it by siding with Cachino) is not directly shown nor mentioned during the ending, but if the player character selects the NCR Emergency Radio on the Pip-Boy while participating in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam near the end of the game, a unique report will be delivered depending on certain choices made during How Little We Know:
“What the fuck is happening on the Strip? I'm getting reports that someone just bombed the embassy. The attack is coming from the Omertas. They are using some kind of gas to kill everyone in the casinos on the Strip. How is this possible?”— How Little We Know completed by siding with Big Sal and Nero.
“It sounds like the Omertas are mounting some sort of attack on the Strip. They are receiving heavy casualties from the Securitrons and other casinos.”— How Little We Know incomplete.
↑The Courier: "Tell me about the plan." Big Sal: "The plan is called Racket, but that's all the info you're going to get out of me right now." (Big Sal's dialogue)
↑ 2.02.1The Courier: "Tell me about the plan." Nero: "We call it Racket, and it is going to show Not-At-Home and every other fucker in our business just what the Family can do." (Nero's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I killed the Omertas who were scheming to attack the Strip." Caesar: "Months spent feeding the Omertas bribes, nursing their betrayal - all for nothing. Any other crimes?" (Caesar's dialogue)
↑ 4.04.1The Courier: "Good, because the Omertas' plan was stopped, Vegas is as strong as ever." Lanius: "A plan by Vulpes... treachery is a weapon that one should never rely on. I can only hope that the Omertas died when their treachery was exposed, to have the plan succeed only would have sullied the Legion. It does not matter, victory shall be ours, it shall be swift, and it will be honest, purchased with blood." (Lanius' dialogue)
↑The Courier: "What do you need the bombs for?" Clanden: "Blowing shit up, of course. Thing is, they don't need things to blow up, they need people to die in a fairly large area in a fairly small timeframe. There are other ways to kill people with bombs aside from explosions, if you know what I mean." (Clanden's dialogue)
↑Snuff tapes: "These tapes contain horrific sounds of murder and violence. You hear Clanden engaging in violent sex with women, and then hear the sounds of visceral and violent murder being carried out."
↑The Courier: "I found these tapes in Clanden's room, can you verify this is him?" Cachino: "Yeah this is Clanden, this guy is one sick motherfucker. The way I see it you have a few options. Maybe you could use what's on these tapes to get him by himself, or maybe you could use them to leverage him out of the casino." (Cachino's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Tell me what happened with the prostitute." Troike: "Oh man, I don't even like to think about it. All that goddamn blood. It was just in the hotel like any other night. I took some chems with the girl I was with, but I never black out. I did this time though. Next thing I knew I woke up and she was lying next to me stabbed dead. There was a knife next to the bed and I was covered in her blood." (Troike's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Where do the guns come from?" Troike: "I've made lots of contacts over the years. I have some friends back in California that can get their hands on just about anything. Mostly I've been calling in every last favor I have." (Troike's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "How are you getting the weapons into the strip?" Troike: "I'm pretty proud of myself. It's a stroke of genius, if I can be so modest. The whole arrangement starts with an old buddy of mine in the Republic. He's responsible for packing and shipping supplies to the NCR on the Strip. He marks some containers as food and medical and packs them with guns and other shit. From there it just took a couple greased palms to get someone to let me cherry pick a container or two out of every shipment. Easy as pie." (Troike's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Okay, so what can you tell me about the guns the Omertas have?" Troike: "They're keeping them in a little utility section down off the basement. I don't know what they're arming themselves for, but I know it isn't for the good of mankind." (Troike's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I think I figured out why the Omertas stopped buying." Mick: "Really? What did you learn?" The Courier: "They found a way to smuggle guns in at a lower price." Mick: "Well, that would explain why they stopped buying. Them not telling me why leads me to think I'd rather not know the particulars. Thanks for digging that up for me. If there is any way you could convince them to reestablish, I have a few extra special items you can have. They're too pricey for anyone around here to afford, but getting the Omerta's sales back would be a worthy trade." (Mick's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "I know who you are. I'm working for the Legion, too." Capt. Ronald Curtis: "Christ, keep it down! You want to blow the whole thing? We've worked years for this. But maybe it's good you're here. Hsu knows about the leaks, and I'm supposed to find the spy for him. At first I couldn't believe my luck. But since I haven't produced results - for obvious reasons - I feel him looking at me differently now. Maybe he's just thinking about putting someone else in charge, maybe he's starting to suspect. Either way it's bad for me. Especially once this next part goes down." The Courier: "What next part?" Capt. Ronald Curtis: "If you haven't noticed, the NCR bolsters its presence on the Strip from here. Sends troopers on the monorail in shifts. The monorail lets them occupy two positions for the price of one. It's a supply line that's immune to raiders and other hindrances on the ground. If someone were to cut that line, both positions would be much weaker. Fragile. They know this, and they watch it like hawks. But I've been here a long time, and I've learned everything there is to know about it. And I'm going to blow up that train." The Courier: "And you have something in mind for me?" Capt. Ronald Curtis: "I told you I think they're starting to suspect me. You're going to help me cast away those suspicions. You're going to put the bomb on that train. I'll be sure to be in the presence of several reliable eyewitnesses when it happens. Then we're going to pin this on a scapegoat. I'd planned on disappearing after this operation. It'd be a matter of time before they traced it to me. Figured out I was a frumentarius. But with your help, maybe I can stay on after all. Make plans for something... grander." The Courier: "Tell me what I need to do." Capt. Ronald Curtis: "I have the explosives stashed in a trash can next to the ticketing counter along with some incriminating documents. You'll pick them up and make your way upstairs to the monorail terminal. They change the guard there at 0900 and 1800 hours. There'll be a small window where there's no one guarding the train." The Courier: "What do I do when I'm at the train?" Capt. Ronald Curtis: "Put the bomb in one of the vents inside the train on the back wall, towards the joint that connects the cars. Arm it, and get out of there. I've also left some bomb ingredients in with the explosives. You are to take those to the footlocker of a Private Crenshaw. Crenshaw's a problem child. Lots of run-ins with his superiors. It'll be easy for them to believe he's working for the Legion." The Courier: "Is that everything?" Capt. Ronald Curtis: "Report him to Colonel Hsu. Do all that and we should be free and clear. Oh, and Crenshaw should be dead before you report him. Don't leave any chance for him to deny the bombings. Let's say he pulled a gun on you. I've got him on guard duty patrolling the tarmac just inside the south gate. And I reassigned the other guard, so he should be alone." The Courier: "Understood. I'll go and pick up the explosives." Capt. Ronald Curtis: "Good. Try to plant the explosives quietly if you can - you'll make both our lives easier. But first things first. Go offer your services to Colonel Hsu. Tell him you'll work independently to find the leak. He's running out of options. He'll accept as long as you don't give him a reason not to. If he doesn't, then don't be surprised if you're the new scapegoat. So don't fuck this up." (Ronald Curtis' dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Tell me about the problem with the last shipment." Troike: "The Fiends, a group of raiders freaked out on chems, stole my last shipment before I could get it into Vegas. I could sure use some help getting it from them." (Troike's dialogue)
↑ 18.018.1Colonel Cassandra Moore: "We've had some disturbing reports recently concerning the Omertas, one of the Three Families that run the Strip. Our intelligence has discovered that high ranking members of the Omertas have been having clandestine meetings for the past several months. We haven't been able to determine whom they've been meeting with, but if it's Caesar's men, we'll need to act. I need you to uncover what they're up to, and stop it if it threatens the NCR. Any questions?" (Cassandra Moore's dialogue)
↑ 19.019.1Mr. House: "Your next assignment won't take you far. It concerns the Omertas and their den of vice, Gomorrah. As the decisive encounter between the bull and the bear looms close, my concerns about the Omertas have grown. I've never expected loyalty, mind you. A reliably underhanded tribe is just as constant to deal with as one that always run true. But that's just it - lately the Omertas' cooperative silence has been deafening. Not a single complaint? They're up to something." (Robert House's dialogue)
