Author's Notes: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. Like the last chapter, this chapter will be split in half. The first half will focus on Mark, while the second half will focus on the subplot between the Institute and the Enclave. Regarding the Enclave, I will tell you that part of this story will involve some major Fallout 2 flashbacks. Thanks for reading.

Mark Andrews, General of the Minutemen

Cambridge Police Station

October 31, 2277

1500 hours

When we arrived back at the police station, we ran up to the roof. As soon as we got there, Hollis went to a console connected to an antenna.

"Is that the transmitter?" Hollis asked Sheriff Jones.

"Yep. So once I program in my message, it will send out a 'distress signal' of sorts out into the wasteland. This will draw in Gunners, so that we can lure them in and kill them? Understand?" Jones explained to us.

"We do. So how long should it take for the Gunners to arrive once the signal goes out?" I asked the sheriff.

"Well thinking about the distance of the transmission and how long it takes to get here, the Gunners will arrive in five days. So that means I have five days to prepare. And based on hearing what you guys have been talking about, you need to go to Diamond City to find your son, right?" Jones responded.

"Yeah, Jones. What about it?" I countered.

"Well, I want to help. I know some people in Diamond City. Especially one person in particular: Nick Valentine. He's a detective that specializes in missing person cases. So here's what I'll do for you since you helped me get the transmitter, I'll introduce you to Valentine and see if he can help you?" the Sheriff explained to us.

"Thanks, man. That's really kind of you. But what about the Gunners?" Hollis asked him.

"Well, the automated turrets and traps should take off while I'm gone. And anyway, Diamond City is just across the Charles, so it shouldn't take long. Now let's go get some food!" he answered. As we walked back downstairs, I was happy that we now had more help in finding Shaun and maybe even a new lead.

Colonel Augustus Autumn

Raven Rock, MD

November 1, 2277

1700 hours

Earlier today, I had received the Gen 3 synth schematics from Major Johnson, who was our personnel asset in the Commonwealth. This had me thinking about the Major and how'd we met. He was one of the original Enclave members, one of the ones who had fled the Oil Rig and Navarro back in '41. I first thought about the very first time that I had met the man, and what was done that day.

Flashback

Private Augustus Autumn

Near Bakersfield, CA

Entrance to Vault-Tec Vault

Designation Number: 13

May 16, 2241

2000 hours

Me and my squad exited the vertibird with a thump and a jolt. We were all wearing advanced power armor suits, Enclave standard issue and armed with P94 plasma rifles. I was sitting next to my friend and squad-mate, Private Edward Johnson.

"Well, Eddie, ready for our next mission?" I asked my friend as we began to walk to the rest of our squad.

"Hell yeah, I am." he responded as we regrouped with the rest of our squad. When we arrived, our squad leader, Col. Orion Moreno, briefed us.

"Men, Army Command has ordered that we take the people in this vault for scientific study. So, what this means in regard to our mission is that we need to preserve all life inside that vault. That means do not fire your weapons unless you are attacked or under extreme circumstances? Is that understood?" Colonel Moreno shouted.

"Sir, yes sir!" we all shouted in unison.

"Now, move in!" he told us as we moved in towards the vault door. We then formed in a line as one of the Enclave troopers hit the vault door control.

"Get ready!" Moreno shouted as he raised his plasma rifle. At that moment, we heard klaxon sirens as we heard steel moving against steel, as the vault door began to open. It took a second, but eventually I was able to see people from behind the door.

From what I was able to see, there were three people there. A man, woman and young child. But when the young child waved, everything changed. The body language of everyone near me seemed to change. And before I knew it, the troopers had aimed their rifles and started firing.

I...opened fire...with everyone else. I guess it was instinct or my training, but the shooting was over as soon as it started. And from what I could see, all three of the vault dwellers were dead. But before I knew, I was following my squad into the vault, rifle at the ready.

Colonel Augustus Autumn

Raven Rock, MD

November 1, 2277

1700 hours

I...still don't know why I opened fire. It was wrong, it was murder! But I still did it. I mean...I just don't know. However, my mind then drifted to the second time I met Eddie: the time where he saved my life.

Flashback

Sergeant Augustus Autumn

Enclave Base Navarro

July 4, 2243

1300 hours

"Sergeant! There's NCR and Brotherhood attacking the base! We need to repel them! I need to get Major Gannon's wife and kid out of here, so you need to lead the defense! Is that understood?" Major Moreno shouted to me as he fired his P94 plasma rifle at incoming NCR troopers and Brotherhood paladins.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I told him as I ran out my barracks door.

The sight that I saw was a mess. Enclave troopers and officers were holding a perimeter in front of the main command building. I soon decided that I was where I needed to go, but there were obstacles that faced me. NCR troopers, with Brotherhood knights and paladins in support, had surrounded the base and had started swarming us by the hundreds. I could also see NCR 105mm howitzers shooting down the only vertibirds we could get up in the air, so we couldn't evacuate by air. But then I came up with a plan. If I was able to get to the main command building, I could coordinate a defense long enough so that we could get any nonessential personnel out via tunnels in the basement of the command building. So now that I had my plan, I just had to execute it.

I first ran to some crates, so I could get ready to move to the command building, From what I could see, there were around 40 NCR troopers with service rifles and 10 Brotherhood paladins with gatling lasers and mini-guns attacking the command building. I knew I couldn't take them all on my own, but I knew I could do it if I had help. If I could only get to one of the guard towers around Navarro, they had an automatic 40mm grenade launcher which I could use to take out the troopers attacking the command building.

Being sure to stay undetected and using the chaos to my advantage, I was able to reach the guard tower with little to no difficulty. As I started to climb the ladder on the tower, I heard the cocking of two rifles behind me.

"Turn around and put your hands up! Now!" a deep male voice said as I turned around, my hands up. I saw two NCR troopers standing in front of me, aiming their service rifles at me.

"Get on your knees now, you Enclave bastard!" the other NCR trooper yelled as he holstered his service rifle and pulled out an 9mm pistol and aimed it at me. I then got on my knees, hoping I could get out of this.

"Prepare to die!" The pistol-wielding trooper told me as he prepared to fire, but he never could as him and his comrade were both shot in the head from behind. I looked up and saw Eddie holding a smoking N99 pistol as the two NCR troopers fell to the ground, dead.

"Jeez man, thanks! I probably would've died out there if you didn't come along?" I asked Eddie.

"Well, I was on patrol when the attack came, which allowed me to avoid the main assault. So what's the plan?" he asked me.

"So we need to take out the troopers attacking the command building, so we're gonna use the 40mm automatic grenade launcher in the tower to take them out. Got it?" I told him quickly.

"Yeah, so let's go!" Eddie responded as we both climbed the ladder to the tower.

The tower was spared much, except for the mounted 40mm grenade launcher, ammo and a DKS-501 sniper rifle.

"Eddie, I'll get on the 40mm while you can use the sniper rifle to spot me. Move!" I shouted as we got into position. I then grabbed a drum of 40mm grenades and loaded it into the launcher as I got ready to fire.

"Firing! Firing!" I yelled as I opened fire with the grenade launcher. My grenades fell in just the right spot, destroying the NCR and Brotherhood positions. I didn't stop firing until the area was completely flattened.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" I shouted.

"Well, that went well." Eddie responded, then left the tower and started to run towards the command building. When we arrived, Major Kreger(Judah Kreger), met us.

"Hey, thanks for that. We probably would've died if you hadn't come in and saved us, Sergeant Autumn." the major told us.

"So what now?" I asked him.

"Come inside. We have a plan to use the underground tunnels to escape. Now come on!" he told us as we immediately ran inside.

Author's Notes: Hey guys, I hope you guys liked my interpretation on the raid of Vault 13 and part of the Battle or Sacking of Navarro. I did some research on the Fallout Wiki before writing this chapter. But before I sign out, just a couple of notes.

1. Eddie is Major Edward Johnson, who attacked the relay tower in the last tower.

2. Colonel Autumn and Eddie have a close relationship, as I tried to show in this chapter. This will make it very difficult when Mark shows up, which will happen much later.