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The Rangers at Echo have been keeping an eye on that place. It's relatively new, but those bastards have already dug in. They appear to be running a slave-trading operation and it also seems to be one of the primary crossing points for Legion raiding parties.Astor

Eye for an Eye is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: Eye for an Eye 
Discover Cottonwood Cove
Talk to First Sergeant Astor at Camp Searchlight about Cottonwood Cove. 
Agree to help him plant a bug and find Legion intel. 
Return to Cottonwood Cove HQ
Siding with the NCR: 
Siding with Caesar's Legion: 
Plant the NCR bug
Turn the bug over to Aurelius of Phoenix.
(grants Legion fame) 
Find the Legion raid plans and Legion patrol notes
Accept the old Legion paperwork, old Legion patrol notes and old Legion raid plans
Bring back the real intel to First Sergeant Astor
Bring back the outdated intel to First Sergeant Astor. 
Reward: 200/250 caps
500/1,000 XP
NCR fame 
Reward: 150/200/250 caps
500/1,000 XP
Legion fame
Bad Karma 

Detailed walkthrough[]

After discovering Cottonwood Cove, go visit First Sergeant Astor (who patrols around Camp Searchlight). One can initiate dialogue about Cottonwood Cove and Astor asks the player character to travel to Cottonwood Cove, collect some intelligence on Legion troop movements, raids, and plant a bug in their radio.

  • The Legion raid intel is in a filing cabinet to the left of the buggable radio (left while looking at the radio) on the first floor command HQ building. The intel on Legion troop movements is in the desk on the second floor. Because taking both intel documents is considered stealing, this will give the Courier negative Karma.
  • Alternatively, the Courier can expose the plot to Aurelius of Phoenix, and give him the NCR bug (this will give Legion fame). Aurelius will in turn give them the old Legion paperwork, old Legion patrol notes, and old Legion raid plans. If these pieces of false intelligence are given to Astor, he thanks the Courier, and the quest concludes, with them receiving 500 XP, 150 caps, and Legion fame.

If the Courier returns to Astor with the real intelligence and plants the bug, 500 XP will be gained and the Courier gains an additional option to wipe out all Legion forces from Cottonwood Cove. This provides NCR fame, 250 caps, Legion infamy (if they spot the Courier in the act) and 1,000 XP. When one receives the option to wipe out the Legion camp, Astor calls them "crazy" but believes they can pull it off.

To get the most fame with the NCR, locate the red truck hanging precariously off the cliff at Cottonwood overlook over the Legion camp. The Courier's Geiger counter will show radiation leaking from the truck when they get close. Go to the back of the truck, and select the door. The option to open the door becomes available (50 Lockpick required), dropping several radioactive barrels into the camp, effectively killing the Legion the same way they killed the NCR forces at Camp Searchlight. Astor will be quite pleased with this outcome.

It is best to wait for all the barrels to fall into the camp before fast traveling to talk to Astor. If one opens up the truck but fast travels to Astor too soon, then the game doesn't realize the legionaries were killed using the radioactive waste.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Find general intel on Legion troop movement.
20 Find Intel on Legion raids.
30 Plant the NCR bug.
40 Return to First Sergeant Astor with the intel.
45 (Optional) Tell Aurelius of Phoenix about NCR plans.
50 (Optional) Give First Sergeant Astor the old intel.
75 Return to First Sergeant Astor if interested in Cottonwood Cove.
90 Kill all Legionaries in Cottonwood Cove.
95 (Optional) Find a way to block off Cottonwood Cove.
100Quest finishedReturn to First Sergeant Astor.

Notes[]

  • The dialogue option to start the quest, "I found a Legion camp at Cottonwood Cove," will only be available once Cottonwood Cove is discovered on the map.
  • Completing the quest with Craig Boone as a follower will earn history points towards triggering his companion quest, I Forgot to Remember to Forget.
  • If the legionaries in Cottonwood Cove are already dead, the quest will automatically complete after telling Astor about it. The Courier will receive NCR fame, 200 caps, 1,000 XP, and Astor will also call them a "beast." If the Courier is a woman, he will comment on how a lone woman wiping out the entire camp is "priceless" and that it will make Caesar's troops reconsider how they treat women. There is no option to plant a bug and steal the intel afterwards.
  • If the radioactive barrels are released into Cottonwood Cove before freeing the slaves, the quest Left My Heart will fail. The Weathers can be found in a locked pen behind the storage building. They are wearing slave collars that need to either be safely removed, maliciously detonated or provided with the key, in which case they will unlock themselves and escape. However, Anders, who needs to be freed as part of Aba Daba Honeymoon, is far enough away not to be harmed by the radiation.
  • It is possible to complete this quest and eradicate the entire camp without incurring Legion infamy; if the Courier wears Caesar's Legion armor, makes Boone wait at Ranger Station Echo nearby, and utilizes the radioactive barrels to eliminate the Legion soldiers. The Courier will incur no reputation loss for dropping the barrels into Cottonwood Cove when [HIDDEN].
  • If the Courier stays after dropping the barrels, they can observe most of the non-unique Legion troops running up to the barrels and dying in a group. The named ones will simply die on the spot.
  • Killing the legionaries in Cottonwood Cove, and then releasing the barrels will still give the extra NCR fame.
  • If the radioactive barrels have been released, the ferry can still be used to reach Caesar's camp. The Legion ferryman, Cursor Lucullus, will now be wearing a radiation suit and will still grant access to the Fort.

Behind the scenes[]

  • "Eye for an eye" is a phrase dating back to the Babylonian Empire which expanded and thrived under the rule of Hammurabi. Hammurabi created a set of laws called Hammurabi's Code which stated that any crime would be punished equal to the crime perpetrated, though graded depending on social status.
  • The principle is also found in the Bible, in Exodus 21:24: "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."
    • One interpretation of the Bible quote is frequently attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, though there is no documented evidence of him ever saying it. He supposedly said, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind," reflecting his staunch pacifism and indicating a belief that seeking equivalent retribution will only incur further consequences, both for the victim and society.

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, dropping the radioactive barrels will not kill all the legionaries. They will remain standing in front of the barrels without ever succumbing to the radiation. Four legionaries line up at the base of the cliff while the barrels roll right through them. However, the objective is still marked as complete in spite of the fact that the survivors can still be killed, targeted through V.A.T.S., and otherwise interacted with.[verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The truck door isn't always locked, making the quest much easier.[verified]
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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