Chapter 7: News From Back Home.
The Citadel. September 14th. 2283. 10:22
When Elder Owyn Lyons first heard that representatives from the New California Republic were coming to discuss a sort of alliance between the Brotherhood and the NCR, he didn't know what to believe. The NCR had always been sort of a problem for the Brotherhood in the past, but at the same time they did help them defeat the Enclave. But the Elder didn't worry about them. What he worried about was his own Chapter being split in two once again. It all stemmed from one person: Arthur Maxson. Over the past five years, Arthur had changed from the almost timid little boy, to someone with an uncontrolled sense of grandeur and arrogance. Because of his lineage, Arthur believed that he was entitled to having the best equipment, the best weapons, and best soldiers with him at all times. At first, Lyons chalked it up to typical teenage rebellious behavior. But it wasn't until Arthur picked a fight with Logan Sullivan that Lyons saw Arthur for what he was.
As Lyons was lost in thought, he heard a knock at his door. But before he could respond, Travis Smith, leader of the Cazadores, entered the room, "I'm sorry Elder, if this is a bad time I'll wait."
Lyons cleared his throat, "Mr. Smith. It's alright. I just have a lot of things on my mind. But come in, sit! I'm sure there are things you want to ask about the Capital."
Travis smiled and walked towards the table that Lyons was occupying and sat across from him, "Thank you. And I know that there is a lot of things that you wish to know."
Lyons nodded, "It's been a while since I've heard anything from the West Coast. The last I heard was there was a war in the Mojave."
Travis chuckled, "Yeah that ended about a year ago. The NCR was battling a group of slavers who modelled themselves after the Roman Empire. Their leader even called himself Caesar. It ended at Hoover Dam. Where we were able to finally end them."
"That must have been something," Lyons tried to hold in his contempt for the NCR, "Did you participate in the battle?"
Travis shook his head, "I wasn't there personally, but my second in command, Sam was. He told me that the NCR got a lot of help from some Courier who formed an alliance with some of the tribes to fight on the NCR's side. He got the Boomers, Great Khans, even the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel to save our asses. Actually it was because of the Mojave Chapter that we found out about you guys. We are just trying to get a feel for the Capital Waste. And hopefully set up some kind of trade relationship."
Lyons scratched his beard, "I don't know if you know anything, but have you heard anything about the Mojave Chapter or anything from our base in Lost Hills?"
Travis let out a sigh, "After Hoover Dam, we were asked by Elder McNamara to go to Lost Hills to see what happened. I'm sorry but the base was completely destroyed."
Lyons was shocked, "Are you positive?! Were there any survivors?"
Travis shook his head, "My men were part of the group that searched the base. It was already deserted for years when we got there. I don't know what exactly happened but there was nothing left. No survivors, at least none that we know. As far as we know, you and the Mojave Chapter are the last remaining Brotherhood presence in the Wasteland."
Lyons slipped back into his chair and took a deep breath, "First I want to thank you for your honesty and the courage that it took to tell me."
Travis said, "I am sorry about your loss."
Lyons nodded, "I left many people back home. Some I considered friends. But I don't have time to mourn. I don't have much time left."
Travis looked at him, "You're dying?! Is there anything I can do to help?"
Lyons smiled but shook his head, "There is nothing you can do Mr. Smith. What I need to do is announce my successor. And that is driving me insane."
"Who are your options? If that is okay for me to ask?"
Lyons smiled, "It's alright, my choices are common knowledge to the rest of the Chapter. The first and most obvious is my daughter Sarah. She is one of the most experienced members and leader of the Lyons' Pride, our elite unit. But she is more like me than I wish to admit. She'll probably go crazy from all the paper work. The second choice is Arthur Maxson, though he is just a squire, he is the last descendent of the Brotherhood's founder. But he is far too inexperienced and arrogant. The third choice is Logan Sullivan, the Lone Wanderer."
Travis' ears perked when he heard Sullivan's name, "So the Lone Wanderer is a choice to be an Elder? But I thought that he was an Outsider."
Lyons shrugged, "Kind of. His aunt, Star Paladin Jennifer Cross was my bodyguard for many years. His mother Catherine, Cross's sister, technically left the Brotherhood when she married his father. But his action did more than bloodlines did."
Travis chuckled, "If I can speak freely sir, but this Chapter is nothing like the Mojave."
Lyons cocked his brow, "Mr. Smith, tell me what you really think of the Brotherhood. With all honesty."
Travis took a deep breath, "Alright. To be perfectly honest, the Brotherhood's priorities are screwed up. All they do is search for Power Armor and Energy Weapons. To 'protect humanity'. But let's be real, they just want the best weapons for themselves. They prioritize technology over preserving life. And the technology that they want to find only benefit them. They completely skip things like irrigation systems, medical supplies and things that could better human society."
Lyons smiled, "I couldn't agree with you more."
Rivet City. September 14th. 2283. 15:05
It was one of the few times that Butch was able to relax. Logan didn't drag him into some death-trap, he didn't have to deal with Scribe Bigsley's constant bitching, and Harkness wasn't riding his ass. It was just him, eating slightly undercooked and overpriced Mirelurk Cakes, curtesy of Gary's Galley. But he really couldn't blame Gary, he had overheard that his daughter Angela is expecting and trying to prepare for the little bundle of joy. But just as he was eating, Harkness walked up to him and sat down.
"Is there something wrong Chief?" Butch said with a mouth full of food.
Harkness just shook his head, "DeLoria, why didn't you report in when you returned?"
Butch swallowed, "Sorry, but me and the Brotherhood were attacked by a group of Power Armored Ghouls and Super Mutants trying to kill us."
"That's no excuse. You needed to report to me as soon as you returned." Butch gave Harkness a sneer and continued eating. After four years of working as Rivet City Security, Harkness had lost most of his tolerance for Butch's excuses, saying that it was the price that he had to pay being friends with the Lone Wanderer.
Butch looked up and continued to see Harkness staring at him, "What happened now?"
Harkness took a deep breath, "James Hargrave stole one of our uniforms and an Assault Rifle."
"How do you know it was James?"
Harkness gave Butch a look that said I am not in the mood. "Look Butch, I know you like him, but he stole from Security and has to be punished."
Butch put his food down, "I know where he is. Let me talk to him before you arrest him." Harkness merely nodded. Butch was a little angry at James, but understood. When he first came to Rivet City after leaving the Vault, James had pickpocketed his Switchblade. From then on, Butch kind of looked after James because he saw himself in him. They were both raised by an alcoholic mother, they don't know who their father is, and acted out to get attention. But Butch knew that he was a good kid, just a little rough around the edges.
Butch found James outside on the Flight Deck, near the Baseball Field. Butch walked up to the teenager and said, "You know Jimmy, if you are going to steal from someone, don't steal from the Chief of Security."
James just looked at Butch and looked down, "I was going to give it back."
"But why did you steal it in the first place?" Butch put his hand on James's shoulder, "Did you and C.J. have a fight or something?"
James brushed Butch's hand off, "I don't know. She's my best friend, but things have been weird."
Butch cocked his eyebrow, "Weird how?"
James just shrugged, "She has been spending a lot of time with Bryan Wilks and I've been feeling a little jealous. But I don't know if that's jealous because she's my best friend or jealous because I want something more."
Butch chuckled a little, "Did you tell her about this?"
James scratched the back of his head, "That would have been a better idea than stealing."
Butch nodded, "Jimmy, believe me when I say that I know a guy who is going through exactly the same thing. How you differ from him is that you actually have the guts to tell her."
James looked down, "I'm still going to be punished am I?"
"Oh yeah big time," Butch smiled, "you're on cleaning duty for the next five months."
James shook his head, "At least it's better than jail."
Hey sorry it took a little while to update. I have been extremely busy with work. But also this chapter gave me a little bit of a hard time because I wanted to convey that the people of the Wasteland have lives, relationships, and its not just trying to keep yourselves alive from Super Mutants. The next series of chapters will return us to Vault 101, where Amata will confront Logan about the events of Fallout 3 and his overall distant attitude. I also apologize for the quality of the chapter, but I felt like I had to put something up. Also if there is anything that you want to see, ideas for enemies, and stuff like that, I take your suggestions into consideration.
