"Well?" James asked Preston as he exited one of the houses that had been converted into a makeshift prison.
"One guy's still being cut out of his frame and the other is kinda uncooperative." Preston sighed, they walked together to the center common house. The prison had been outfitted with same steel cell doors that had been bolted straight onto the doorframes. Not overly secure, but good enough to serve its purpose. At least two Enclave troopers stood by the cell doors at all times, with another two officers stationed in the living room at all times. All of them live in the prison house 24/7. A heavy machinegun turret chugged and whirred at its post by the hallway and lastly two heavy laser turrets just outside the front door. By Preston's standards, this was more than secure, but Preston is also cautious. "I say we move them to the Castle. A few more days, and they'll talk."
"Well, I'm not so sure we have a few more days." James responded. They entered the center house also known to the settlers and soldiers of Sanctuary Hills as the settlements tactical ops center. Katherine stood over a kitchen table that held countless maps, pens, folders and documents. MacCready stood in the corner, putting on the Enclave fatigues and pieces of combat armor.
"Where'd you get all this kit?" MacCready asked. "I remember hearing that Enclave a lot of shit, but damn. Brotherhood fatigues? Polymer combat armor? All the energy weapons a merc could ever dream of?"
"Well, with some help, we took back Addams. The Brotherhood got a lot of old manufacturing equipment working and hauled there for building the Prydwyn." James responded as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Prydwyn?" MacCready asked.
"Huge airship?" James asked before taking a sip. "Blaring voice of peace of Brotherhood propaganda?"
"Oh that eyesore." MacCready responded before heading to the kitchen area.
"What's up?" Preston asked.
"I didn't realize exactly what the Enclave's plans were for the Commonwealth." Katherine said.
"Oh that's not Enclave. That's some old Minutemen plans."
"You're kidding."
"Nope. Some old stuff from back before you took over. I found them in a box in the basement of the Castle. This is just one box. Haven't gotten to checking some of the others yet."
"They planned on gaining control of all of the settlements through force."
"Yeah, didn't get the memo on that, did we?"
"To say the least." Katherine chuckled.
"Nevertheless, these maps and data will help the Enclave greatly. The Mobile crawler is almost here." James commented. "When it gets here, we'll have some serious ordinance on our side."
"We already do." Preston interjected. "I've made sure the Minutemen have installed and manned at least one artillery gun at every one of our settlements."
"Excellent. But imagine some firepower from the sky." James responded.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, back when I helped the Brotherhood fight the Enclave, they had an orbital gun that rained fire from orbit."
"You're kidding."
"Not at all."
"We're not going to use that are we?" Katherine asked. James looked at her strangely.
"Why not?" he asked.
"That kind of firepower is what's made the Brotherhood like this." Katherine responded. "Overconfident in their military strength. It's what made the US so overconfident."
"But we need to bring down the Brotherhood quickly and efficiently."
"But what happens if the weapon falls into the wrong hands."
"It won't."
"It did before." James paused and thought for a moment.
"Fine, what do you suggest?"
"We get some help from more of the local resistance."
"Like who? We've already got you."
"Ever hear of the Railroad?"
"No." Preston interjected. "No way."
"What? Why not?" Katherine protested.
"They operate underground and only help themselves."
"But they help synths. Free them from slavery." Katherine argued. "It says so here on this holotape"
"Heard that one before." James commented.
"Me too." MacCready said as well from the kitchen. Katherine looked at all of them.
"They have resrouces that we don't."
"Like what?" Preston asked.
"Better knowledge and more experience with Institute than anyone in this room for one." She responded.
"And the other?" Preston demanded.
"If they are pretty much operating undetected in the Commonwealth, then what means they have some experience with espionage, right?" Katherine asked.
"And why's that important?"
"Information, Preston. We have information we can hit the Brotherhood with small strikes." Katherine said. "Until the mobile crawler arrives, we don't have the manpower or the firepower to engage them in direct combat. We have only have extremely limited air support. Four P-80s at the Naval base just south of Boston and a small fleet of vertibirds aren't enough."
The room stood in silence. Preston stared hard at Katherine. Katherine looked at him for a moment and looked at James. He looked back at her, arms crossed and his signature smug smirk worn on his face. MacCready walked into the main room, munching on a mutfruit. He nodded and placed his hat on top of his hair.
"Way I see it, you all know what you're doing in your respective skills." MacCready commented. "Sounds like Kat's got a lot more know-how than James. Surprising really."
"Fuck off." James muttered as he leaned back against the wall.
"But James knows more about combat than anyone in this room except maybe Preston. Hell, if anything's James just has experience and limitless resources." MacCready bit another chunk from the Mutgruit. "Preston knows the area and he knows a lot of people."
"Get to the point, MacCready." Preston growled. MacCready stood next to Katherine as he finished the Mutfruit and tossed the core aside.
"You guys are too used to making your own decisions and living with the consequences. You guys need to figure out a way to discuss all this… shit." MacCready gestured at the maps and at all of them. "Unless y'all want to keep fighting each other."
"Okay then." James cut in after a small pause. "Kat, what's the plan?"