26. Solider: Paladin Danse introduces himself to the General and the Mayor
Nora glanced at her Pip-boy. Half past noon. She took a deep breath and returned to a rest position, her hands clasped behind her back, chest high, and head level. Hancock blew out smoke next to her. For once, irradiated tobacco was a reassuring scent. Preston shifted from foot to foot on her other side.
"Think they remember?" He asked.
Nora looked at her second-in-command. "They remember." She nodded, reassuring herself.
The three stood in the middle of The Castle's courtyard with their backs to the radio tower. Earlier that week Nora and Hancock had been stopped by a Brotherhood Knight who requested a meeting between one of the Brotherhood's high ranking Paladin's and the General of the Minutemen. Nora had disappeared for a day to talk to Desdemona and her people. Hancock had given her a few odd glances when she returned, and she knew he suspected The Railroad was involved, but she refused to say anything on the matter. She wouldn't drag him into their mess of spies and secrets. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she should be getting involved in their mess. Minutes ticked by, but Nora did not relax. She didn't pace or shift from foot to foot. Instead, she stared at the people busying around The Castle. Shaw stood guard outside the armory, a younger officer was sitting at the radio tower controls, several regular citizens were tending to the crops or brahmin.
"General!" Nora glanced up towards the old entrance wall. One of her patrolmen was standing on the edge looking down at her. "Brotherhood Vertibird just landed by the park." She nodded to the young man.
Hancock pushed himself off the radio tower, "Alright. Let's get this out of the way." He began to pace back and forth.
"General." Preston stood beside Nora, now mimicking her stance. "Not that I have any say in what kind of company you keep, but you do know that the Brotherhood,"
Nora rolled her eyes, "Preston," She waited until Hancock had paced away from them, "I am very aware of the Brotherhood's stance on ghouls. Feral or otherwise." It burned her that the Brotherhood and Diamond City treated ghouls like they were lesser beings simply for looking different. That kind of racism was exactly why she had gotten into law in the first place.
The heavy clunking of power armor attracted Nora's attention to the old entrance. Several settlers stopped to watch the doors. For a moment, everything was still, then one of her lieutenants opened the door and stepped inside.
"General." She announced to the entire courtyard, Nora saw Hancock stand closer to her in her peripheral. "Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel has arrived seeking a meeting with your presence." Nora nodded at the young woman who turned back and pulled the heavy barricaded doors open. "Paladin Danse." She motioned to the man in a nearly full suit of power armor, "General Nora, of the Minutemen."
Paladin Danse approached, his power armor clunking on the cobblestone ground and dirt underfoot. He was alone. "The rest of his party is probably outside." Nora thought, not moving from her spot. The only thing exposed on Paladin Danse was his head, and even that was mostly covered by some sort of skin tight suit.
Paladin Danse stopped a few feet away, not masking his disgust for Hancock's presence. "General." He nodded, "Thank you for meeting with me." He held out his hand.
Nora could tell the courtyard was awaiting her reaction. She internally smirked. She had met Paladin Danse's type before. She wanted to make him sweat. She looked down at her feet and took a deliberate, graceful step forward. She made a show of looking Paladin Danse up, sure enough, by the time she got to his eyes he was tense and swallowed hard.
"Nice to meet you, Paladin." She took his giant power armor hand in hers and gave him one good shake. The settlers in the courtyard went back to their business, paying the four in the middle no attention. Paladin Danse seemed shocked she could move his armor and cleared his throat.
"Shall we converse somewhere more private?" He asked.
Nora nodded, "Right this way." She turned on her heel and walked towards their meeting room.