Reviews:

alanranks7: Yes indeed the traitor has fallen.

EclipsePheniox: Don't fret, I have more.

GuestDB: I love your questions, I don't think the soldiers at Rebirth will be able to restart all of America seeing as how the Midwestern and Texas Brotherhood along with the NCR have control over most of America. They would probably just take control of the entire East Coast once they have more soldiers and a stable government. Unless the Midwest and Texas are willing to forge a new government with Rebirth, it'll be a long time before we see America brought back to life.

boozenpuken333: Thank you my friend. A Merry Christmas to you too.

CyberJordan: Indeed General Babcock underestimated Eric.

shamedwolf34: I'm glad you liked it.

InflatedChimp: I'm glad you liked the mesmetron twist. Here's the next chapter.

hungrykiwi: Welcome to the story :) I'm glad that you liked it.

TheEliteDucky: I was hoping someone would call out that Babcock was the bad guy. Eric will find out it's a Shadow Knight uniform he's wearing. Merry Christmas to you my friend.

StaticBomb93: Hahahaha I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. I just got into coastierks story not too long ago and I got to say I think he's a better author than me.

Dragonbornwanderer: Casdin died by his arrogance, but there will be someone in the story who realized the error of his ways.

THESHN00: Happy Kwanzaa! Sorry, I forgot that.

Chapter 15: Help from the Shadows

Central Command Room: June 11, 2279. 11:59 A.M.

Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief and holstered their sidearms. General Wells and the others all looked to Eric. "Thank you Eric. If it wasn't for you, we'd still be stuck in the fridge or worse…brainwashed and having to follow Babcock's dictatorship." Andrew lowered his head in shame. "It's my fault though."

Eric's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about General?"

"I should've known from the get-go that Babcock snaked his way on the base. I should've known that something was wrong. General Chase has been my closest friend for years. I should've known that he would never choose Babcock as a replacement. You can't put them in a room together without either one trying to kill the oth-."

"General Wells." Eric interrupted. "There's no way you could've known that Babcock was a turncoat. How could anyone have known?" Eric put a reassuring hand on the Lieutenant General's shoulder. "Take my word for it Andrew. There's absolutely no way you could've known."

Andrew nodded and as he was about to reply the door to the C.C.R. was kicked in and several MPs came storming in with R91 Assault Rifles.

The MP leading the charge, Private Colson, looked around at the dead bodies and immediately assumed that Eric and his group were responsible. He was about to place them under arrest when General Wells stepped forward. "Stand down Colson! If it wasn't for this young man and his friends we would all be pawns of General Babcock's psychotic leadership."

Private Colson nodded and lowered his weapon, as did the other MPs in the room. The Private pulled out a radio. "All units stand down! Situation resolved!"

'Roger that Colson.' A voice replied over the radio.

Outside the building were over a hundred MPs who had responded to the distress call of the two guards that were standing outside the C.C.R. As soon as they were given the all clear, they resumed their usual guard duties.

Back in the Central Command Room General Wells looked to Lieutenant Briggs. "Lieutenant I hate to put you in charge of a menial task, but would you and your men dispose of the trash?" He asked pointing at the deceased General Babcock and his men.

Lieutenant Briggs smiled. "For once General, this is one load of trash I don't mind taking out." He looked to Private Colson. "Colson, get a truck for us to load these bodies on!"

"Yes sir!" The Private saluted and left the room while Lieutenant Briggs and the other MPs all grabbed a body and dragged them out the room.

Eric looked to General Wells. "I hate to ask again General, but since you are now the acting commander of Rebirth…will you help us?"

General Wells sighed and thought long and hard for the next couple of minutes. As much as he wanted to help, he and everyone on this base had their orders. They couldn't just blow off their orders to help a bunch of people…could they?

"Eric, I don't know." He said truthfully.

Eric's fears were starting to return. If they didn't help them, he would have to pray to God that Glade and the others managed to enlist the help of the Midwest. He had to persuade them.

"General Wells, I know you have your objectives, I know you've been tasked with bringing America back to life, but the sad truth is it's too late. The United States is gone. The only people who even know what the United States is are those on this base, or those who survived the Great War. Now just because the United States is gone, that doesn't mean you can't start up a new government like that of America's. You can bring back the same laws, same democracy." Eric's eyes widened and he looked like he was struck with inspiration. "Even better. No taxes!" That comment earned a chuckle from almost every soldier in the room. Eric continued. "If you help the people of the Capital Wasteland, and you liberate everybody from General Marshes and his blitzkrieg, you'll be welcomed into the wasteland with open arms. It'd be a great start in creating a new government."

Andrew thought about what Eric said. Truth was he did have a point. There was no way they could resurrect the old American Government. If they launched an assault against this rogue Brotherhood General and his men and they saved the people of the Capital Wasteland, people would trust them! Still, he wasn't sure.

That's when a memory of Chase popped into his head. He and Chase were discussing a meeting they had finished with the President and Chase had told him. 'You want to know something Andrew? Sometimes it's best to listen to your heart instead of your orders. Why do you think I've been on thin ice with that bastard politician? Because I refused to give in to his bullshit. I planted my feet firm in the ground and I refused to back down. Once you're given a choice you have to think to yourself. Would you rather choose the orders that benefit no one? Or would you rather choose a path that not only benefits your men but others as well? Make that choice and stand your ground no matter who tries to tell you that you're wrong.'

The Lieutenant General knew what he had to do, but he wasn't going to make the decision himself.

Andrew looked to Eric. "I'm not going to be the one making the decision Eric." He pointed to his commanders. "It's up to them. Before being put into cryo-stasis we all had just finished fighting a war against the Chinese. The last thing I'm going to do is force them back into another war. So before I start sending my men off, I need to make sure everyone on this base is willing to fight."

Eric's nodded in understanding, but his hopes were still diminishing. He understood that everyone on this base had seen enough war to last ten lifetimes, so he was going to respect the Lieutenant General's decision.

"Alright General." Eric conceded.

Andrew looked to all the commanders. "If there is anyone in this room who does not want to fight." He pointed to the door. "There's the door."

Eric and his friends looked at all the commanders and were silently praying that they would help. One of them stepped out of the crowd and approached General Wells. It was Captain Tim Wilder of the 2nd Battalion 121st Mechanized Cavalry. "General I think I speak for everyone in the room when I say, we want to fight!"

As soon as Captain Wilder said that every other commander stepped forward and stood at attention as if they were awaiting orders.

Eric's hopes had risen through the roof. General Wells smiled. This was the reason why Chase had chosen everyone on base. This is who they were; they would die fighting for someone whose life is on the line. He had no doubt in his mind that once everyone on the base knew about the situation going on in the Capital Wasteland, they'd take up arms and go to war.

While General Wells was stuck in his thoughts, General Foster was talking with one of his Shadow Knights.

Andrew looked to all the commanders. "Alright, discuss this with your men and the other commanders and get back to me as soon as they've made a decision!"

"Yes sir!" All the commanders saluted before filing out of the C.C.R. Lieutenant Briggs and the Shadow Knights followed behind. One Shadow Knight however had been given a specific task by his commander.

Andrew looked to Eric. "It's going to take some time Eric."

"How long?" He asked.

Andrew thought about it carefully. "Two maybe three days. We'll have to wait and see what my men decide, have vehicles and aircraft ready to go, come up with tactical strategies and battle plans. You know the drill."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, but you need to know something General."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Before we set off for Rebirth, some of my squad mates traveled to Chicago to see if they could persuade the Midwestern Brotherhood to help us fight. They had all the evidence they needed to prove that the Capital Brotherhood are innocent. The chances that they made it are slim, but just in case you and the Midwest send troops to fight…"

"You don't want us trying to kill each other." Lieutenant General Wells finished for Eric.

Eric nodded. "Yeah."

"Right, for now let's focus on what we can do at the moment." Andrew looked to Lieutenant Hawk. "Lieutenant Hawk can you zoom in on D.C. and it's surrounding areas?"

"Yes General." He said typing in a few sequences.

General Wells looked back to Eric. "While my men discuss what's happening perhaps you can give us any information that we can use for future battle plans?"

Eric nodded. "Yes sir."

Rebirth Army Barracks: June 11, 2279. 12:14 P.M.

On one elevator down to the barracks, was the Shadow Knight that had talked with General Foster.

Lieutenant Ryan Smith, 25 years old, caucasian, six feet tall, brown eyes, short black hair, muscular and always dressed in the standard issue Shadow Knight BDUs and beret. He had a scar that ran from his bottom lip, up the left side of his nose and ended between his eyes. How to describe the Lieutenant's personality? Dedicated, bighearted, tough as nails, and respectable. His weapons of choice were a silenced 9mm pistol and a marksman carbine.

Before becoming a Shadow Knight, Lieutenant Smith enlisted in the Army at 18 and served as an Army Ranger from 2070-2074. During his time in Anchorage he had killed over 150 Chinese soldiers and had gone above and beyond the call of duty countless times when it came to rescuing fellow American soldiers.

The scar that made him the pretty man he is now was earned when a group of Chinese Dragoons ambushed him and his men near the Yangtze River. They were able to hold them off, but Ryan had to fight three Dragoons in hand-to-hand combat where one of them had slashed him in the face with a combat knife.

The elevator doors opened and he stepped out to meet with his squad. Originally he was in command of a platoon of 35, but most of his men died before being called back to America. As he walked through the barracks he heard talk amongst commanders and their men. He heard the 1st Recon Marines talking about how they could attack Marshes forces in D.C. He also heard members of SEAL Team 5 talk about sneaking their way through the Potomac.

That's why he had respect for these Marines and Navy boys. Sure he may have been Army, but being a Shadow Knight had taught him to respect every branch of service. Every other commander and soldier in the room could be heard talking about the situation in D.C. He was already very certain that everyone on the base had made their decision and were willing to fight.

Lieutenant Smith continued walking through the barracks until he came across his squad. These Shadow Knights were different from the rest.

Radio Officer: Sergeant Carter Weston, 27 years old, caucasian, six feet tall, buzzed haircut, brown eyes, and strong enough to rip a phonebook in half. Instead of the usual beret he wore a black patrol cap with Shadow Elite's insignia on it and aviator glasses. He served as an Army infantryman from 2068-2072 before he became a Green Beret from 2072-2074. After that Chase had recruited him into Shadow Elite. Carter's guerilla warfare tactics exceed those of any other Shadow Knight. His weapons of choice were an AK-47 with a bayonet, two 9mm pistols, and a combat knife.

Demolition Expert: Specialist Parker Daniels, 25 years old, Caucasian, six feet tall, short blonde hair, blue eyes, strong and bulky. Instead of the beret and BDU he wore a riot helmet and black combat armor. He served as a support gunner in the Army from 2070-2073 before being recruited. His weapons of choice were a riot shotgun, combat knife, and a grenade launcher.

Combat Medic: Chief Petty Officer Steven Mills, 30 years old, African-American, six foot three inches tall, buzzed haircut, blue eyes, and very strong. Instead of Shadow Elite's insignia on the beret it's a Navy SEAL Trident. He served as a SEAL Corpsman from 2065-2075 after which he was recruited into Shadow Elite. His weapons of choice were a silenced marksman carbine, a silenced 1911, and a trench knife.

Counter Sniper: Gunnery Sergeant Mason Miles, 25 years old, caucasian, six feet two inches tall, buzzed haircut, brown eyes, and skinny, but strong. Instead of the beret he wore a black sniper boonie and the sleeves on his jacket were rolled up past his elbows. Mason joined the Marine Corps in 2070 were he became a Marine Scout Sniper. After that he was drafted into Shadow Elite, but he did it on one condition, his twin brother Grayson had to be accepted as well. His weapons of choice were a scoped M-14 (Fallout Tactics weapon) with a suppressor, a trench knife, and a 1911 pistol.

Sniper: Staff Sergeant Grayson Miles, 25 years old, has the same description as his brother and wore a black sniper boonie. The only difference is the eye patch over his left eye. He lost his eye when a Chinese sniper got the drop on him. Though he only had one eye, that was more than enough for him to aim down a scope and kill a target. Grayson joined the Army in 2069 at the age of 17, a year before his brother joined the Corps. He spent the first four years as a Ranger before becoming a Delta Force sniper. Like his brother his weapons of choice are a scoped M-14 with a suppressor, a trench knife, and a 1911.

The main thing these brothers really had in common was their tendencies to be heavy pranksters.

Heavy Weapon's Specialist: Corporal Dallas Walcott, 25 years old, caucasian, seven feet three inches tall, short brown hair, brown eyes, and strong enough to throw a super mutant over his shoulders and run a mile without breaking a sweat. He wore a black combat helmet instead of the beret. Dallas joined the Army in 2070 as a heavy weapons specialist. For three years straight he mowed down Chinese soldiers and tanks before going into Shadow Elite. His weapons of choice were a minigun, a Red Glare launcher, and an M249 SAW.

Rifleman: Sergeant Marshal Jensen, 25 years old, caucasian, 6 feet tall, short brown hair, blue eyes, and lean, but strong. His most distinguishing characteristic was his cowboy personality. Instead of the beret he wore a Cavalry Stetson. Marshal joined the National Guard in 2070 as a Cav Scout. He served as a Cav Scout with the Idaho Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team. He was recruited by Shadow Elite in 2075. Being a cowboy type, his weapons of choice were two .357 magnums, a scoped trail-carbine, plus a trench knife.

These ragtag Shadow Knights were known as the Alpha Dogs.

Lieutenant Smith saw that Marshal was sound asleep on his cot with his Stetson covering his face. Ryan kicked his cot. "WAKE UP COWBOY!" He shouted.

Marshal jolted up and moved the hat back on his head. He looked up at Lieutenant Smith. "Christ LT five more minutes wouldn't've hurt." He said with a yawn.

"Early bird gets the worm Marshal." Ryan replied with a smirk.

Corporal Walcott got up from his cot and looked to his Lieutenant. "So, what's happening upstairs LT?" He asked as the rest of the Alpha Dogs assembled.

"I'll give you guys the lowdown." Ryan said as he began to explain everything that's happened. He told them how long they were in cryo, General Babcock's treachery, the Brotherhood of Steel, General Marshes, his incursion of the Capital Wasteland, and Eric. He told them about how he's a Brotherhood soldier and how he and his companions traveled all the way from D.C. to enlist their help.

While Ryan was talking none of them noticed the female Army Firefighter who was sitting on her cot not too far from the group. She looked to be deep in thought, but the truth was she was listening to every word the Lieutenant was saying.

When he finished, Lieutenant Smith looked around to see the reactions of his men. They were all blank faces. Ryan thought for a moment that they were going to be against this.

Until Sergeant Jensen spoke. "Well what are we doing sitting around? Let's mosey on down to D.C. and kick this General's ass back to hell where he belongs!"

"I wouldn't mind taking these fuckers down!" Specialist Daniels said.

"Let's do this! The Miles brothers said simultaneously.

Corporal Walcott tied Red Glare to his Minigun's pack, strapped the minigun to the pack and grabbed his light machine gun. "I'm down!"

Ryan smiled. "Alright boys, since we're dealing with Power Armored forces, we have to stock up on armored piercing bullets." He stated.

The Alpha Dogs all grabbed their weapons and assault packs and left for the elevator. The female Captain who was listening to Lieutenant Smith looked at the departing Shadow Knights. She sighed thinking about her Captain she was in.

"Captain."

The Army Firefighter was brought out of her thoughts by one soldier who called out to her. She turned her attention to the soldier. "What is it Private?"

"Captain Snarr needs to talk to you." The soldier informed her. "He's waiting by Hanger 1."

"Thank you Private." She said as the Private left. She thought about her current position as an Army firefighting Captain. She remembered who she was before switching to firefighting. The Captain missed who she was before. She was a warrior at heart and she was going to fight.

With determination, she got up off the cot, knelt down and pulled one of her footlockers out. She opened the locker and pulled out a familiar black beret.

Armory: June 11, 2279. 12:44 P.M.

Down in the armory the Alpha Dogs were loading their weapons with armored piercing bullets.

"I need 7.62 rounds over here." Sergeant Miles said.

"Coming your way!" Corporal Walcott said sliding an ammo can full of the designated rounds to the Gunny.

Lieutenant Smith approached his men with a box of grenades. He set the box on the table. "Pass those out! Three grenades each."

"I got it!" Mills said as he grabbed the box.

"Everyone needs to grab a silenced 1911 or Beretta, that includes you Cowboy!" He said pointing at Sergeant Jensen and giving him a knowing look. Jensen flipped Ryan off in response. "If you already have a sidearm then grab a suppressor."

"I need C-4." Specialist Daniels told the others.

"Here." Sergeant Jensen said handing the demolition expert a duffle bag full of C-4 charges and a detonator.

The metal door opened and in came a female Shadow Knight.

"Any room for me to fight?" She asked.

The Shadow Knights all turned to see the female Captain. Lieutenant Smith raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Melissa?"

Central Command Room: June 11, 2279. 12:53 P.M.

"Marshes is currently at Fort Independence. That's his HQ." Eric informed the Generals. They were all standing in front of the big screen. The image on the screen was D.C. and its surrounding areas.

General Wells had a hand on his chin. "What kind of firepower do they have in their arsenal?"

Eric thought about it for a few seconds. "The soldiers wear all types of power armor, from T-51b to salvaged Enclave Amor. Enclave armor is just as strong as a T-51b." He told the Lieutenant General. Andrew nodded and let Eric continue. "They're armed with everything from laser rifles, plasma rifles, gauss rifles, gatling lasers, missile launchers, and Tesla cannons. A Tesla cannon can take down a Vertibird in one shot. They have fixed up Humvees, Sherman Tanks, and Howitzers."

"Any aircraft?" Air Force General Webb asked.

Eric shook his head. "Negative."

General Michaelson spoke up. "What are some key areas they have?"

"The Mall is the main area they're focusing on. They're leveling every building except the Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Museum of Technology, the National Archives, and the Washington Monument. They've set up AA guns at the Capital Building and Lincoln Memorial."

"What kind of AA guns?" Major General Webb asked.

"Old style flak cannons." Eric answered.

Webb looked to Wells. "We can't send any choppers in and I'm not going to risk the C-130 if we drop troops in, we'll need the fighters take them out."

Andrew nodded and looked back at Eric. "Is there anything else that you can tell us?" He asked.

Eric thought about it real hard before shaking his head. "Nope, that's everything I was able to find out before leaving."

Andrew nodded. "Alright." He looked to his fellow Generals. "We'll have to send in SF teams to scout out the area and see what else this guy has in his arsenal and where we need to attack."

The door to the C.C.R. opened up and Lieutenant Smith walked in the room with his men following behind.

Ryan and the others saluted General Wells before speaking. "Lieutenant Smith and the Alpha Dogs reporting for duty General!"

Andrew frowned in confusion, but General Foster decided to answer the questions he was about to ask. "I asked Lieutenant Smith if he and his men were willing to go to D.C. and see if they can help while the rest of the base comes to a decision.

The Lieutenant General nodded, liking the idea when one of the Shadow Knights caught his attention. He cocked his head to the right. "Captain Broadhead? What are you doing in doing here?"

General Foster stepped forward. "She used to be a Shadow Knight Andrew." He told his superior.

"That wasn't on her files." Andrew said recalling all the Shadow Knights on the roster.

"She asked me to scrub that from the database Andrew." Foster informed.

Now that befuddled the Lieutenant General. "Why?"

Melissa was about to answer when Foster shook his head no as if saying he'd answer for her. Mike led Andrew aside so he could speak with him in private.

While the two Generals were conversing, Eric took a good look at each of the Shadow Knights in the room. He noticed their different clothing styles, their different choices in weaponry. But the one thing he did notice was the berets that some of them wore. They were the same ones that he wore. He then turned his attention to the female Shadow Knight that Lieutenant General Wells was referring to. Melissa Broadhead.

Eric took one good look at her and was completely captivated by how beautiful she was. She had to be in her mid-twenties, five feet nine inches tall, slim, beautiful brown hair in a bun, sparkling blue eyes, and pale smooth skin. Her sleeves were rolled up and he could see on her left arm from her wrist to her elbow the tribal art tattoo that covered her skin. He also noticed the small scar underneath her left eye. Even with the scar she was beautiful. Her weapons of choice were an MP5 (Fallout Tactics Weapon) with a flashlight and scope, two silenced 1911s, and she had a belt around her waist with several throwing knives.

Then Eric remembered that he was in a relationship with Amata. He mentally scolded himself before focusing his attention back to the Generals.

Eric thanked God no one noticed that he was gawking at her; however, even though Melissa was staring straight ahead, she caught him. She used her peripheral vision to get a good look at him. She couldn't deny the fact of how handsome he was, his short brown hair, tanned skin, and his physique. Since Eric always rolled up the sleeves on his jacket, she got a nice view of his biceps. Melissa returned her full attention to the front of the room.

General Wells and General Foster approached the group. Andrew looked to Captain Broadhead. "I understand you haven't seen any combat in over a year…err I mean 200 years, err, ugh, this is going to take some getting used to."

Eric chuckled. "Just go with the time before you were frozen." He told the Lieutenant General.

"Right." Andrew said and looked back to Melissa. "You haven't seen any combat in over a year. Are you sure you want to go?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

Melissa didn't hesitate. "Absolutely General."

"Why do you want to go?" He asked.

"For the same reasons they want to go." She answered pointing to her fellow Shadow Knights.

"And what about your detachment?" He asked again.

"Captain Snarr can take command of them."

General Wells nodded and looked to Lieutenant Hawk. "Lieutenant, get Major Richens up here! Tell him to bring four of his pilots with him!" He ordered.

"Yes sir!" The Lieutenant said as he got on the base phone to contact the 160th SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment) commander.

Andrew looked to Eric. "I'll have some of my best pilots' fly you guys back to the Capital Wasteland." He held out a hand to Eric. "Best of luck to you and your friends. And thank you for getting us out the fridge."

Eric smiled and shook the General's hand. "Thank you for your help General."

The Lieutenant General shook his head. "Don't thank us now Eric. We haven't done anything yet, but rest assured, we will" He said determinedly.

Raven Rock: June 11, 2279. 1:19 P.M.

There were many random wastelanders wandering around a makeshift refugee camp set up outside the destroyed Enclave Headquarters. Several Brotherhood soldiers under the command of Paladin Richards were their only security. Paladin Richards and his platoon were the last surviving Capital Brotherhood soldiers that weren't at the Purifier. Yesterday he and his men had launched an assault against Lost Hills forces stationed at Arefu. When Marshes sent reinforcements they were forced to retreat to the Roosevelt Academy to link up with Paladin Alexander and his fireteam, who had launched a similar attack against Big Town. They waited a good thirty minutes before realizing that Paladin Alexander and his team had died in their assault.

Richards and his men came across a caravan of refugees on their way to Raven Rock. Now here they were looking over a map of the Capital Wasteland discussing ways they could give Marshes hell.

"We could launch an assault against Paradise Falls from the East." One of Richard's Knights said. "While the Lost Hills soldiers focus their attention on our guys, we could insert a small team from the West and give them a helluva sucker punch."

Paladin Richards nodded in approval of the idea, but he still had doubts. "If we do attack Paradise Falls, we only have a ten minute window before nearby reinforcements show up. We need a better strategy that can deal more damage."

"I have a suggestion." A voice said from behind the group.

Richards and his men turned to find a familiar group of Brotherhood soldiers.

Richards smiled. "Paladin Glade."

Rebirth Army Base: June 11, 2279. 6:31 P.M.

The base was bustling with activity once again. MPs were patrolling the fences and guard towers and humvees and trucks were driving around. All the base security bots had been recalled back to the Robot Storage. There was a group of engineers fixing the door that Fawkes and Uncle Leo smashed down at Hanger 1. On Runway Two were a Huey, a CH-47 Chinook, and two Vertibirds. All four aircraft were powered up and fully operational and the pilots were waiting for Eric and the others. There was a door gunner armed with a light machine gun on each side of the Huey and a gunner at the back of the Chinook. Minutes later Eric and his group came running out of the air traffic control tower with Lieutenant Smith and the Alpha Dogs following behind. They decided to wait until the sun started going down so they could return undetected at night. Eric, Amata, Butch, Lieutenant Smith, and Captain Broadhead had boarded the Huey, while everyone else boarded the Chinook.

The two Vertibirds were to escort the two transport helicopters and provide cover should they come under attack by enemy troops. Each Vertibird also contained a squad of Power Armored Marines in case Eric and the others needed backup.

Lieutenant Smith tapped the pilot on the shoulder to get his attention. "We're ready Major!" Ryan said loud enough for the pilot to hear him over the roar of the helicopter's rudders.

The pilot nodded and activated the radio on his helmet. "Night Stalker 6 to Night Stalker 1!" He said contacting the pilot in the Chinook.

"Go ahead Night Stalker 6." The other pilot replied over the radio.

"Ready to take to the skies?" The Major asked with a smile. He hadn't flown his helicopter for over 200 years and he wasn't going to waste another second with his feet on the ground.

"You know it!"

"Alright, follow my lead and travel at a steady speed of 100 knots." The Captain instructed his fellow pilot.

"Roger that. 100 knots, ready when you are!"

The Captain pulled back the collective pitch control to make the helicopter ascend in the air, adjusted the throttle and pushed the cyclic stick forward. The Chinook and Vertibird pilots followed suit and took off from Rebirth.

Once they were in the air, Eric was confident that things had finally taken a turn for the better.

Washingtonville: June 11, 2279. 6:43 P.M.

Captain Maverick was sitting down at a park bench thinking about the day that he'd had. After sending Eric and his friends off with one of his most trusted men to Rebirth, he along with some of his men retrieved General Chase so that he could be given a proper military burial. They folded an American Flag, did a 21-gun salute and one of his men did Taps on his bugle. Because of the respect General Chase had earned from the American Armed Forces many of Captain Maverick's men had shed some tears over the General's death.

Andrew was wondering whether or not Eric was successful in finding the man responsible for Chase's death and acquiring the help of the soldiers at Rebirth. He got the answer to his questions when he heard the familiar sound of multiple helicopter rotors in the sky. He looked up and saw four helicopters fly over the town on their way to D.C.

Captain Andrews smiled. "Good hunting boys! Good luck Eric!" He said getting up off the park bench and walking back to the Town Hall with the intentions of establishing a form of communication with Rebirth.

Central Command Room: June 11, 2279. 7:32 P.M.

The Generals were all standing in front of the big screen discussing a plan of attack.

"We could have Rangers and Shadow Elite recon the area deep inside enemy territory." General Ashley Brooks suggested.

General Michaelson was next to speak. "While the Rangers and Shadow Elite do some recon, Navy SEALS and Recon Marines can scout around the water front. Eric did say that they have control of one of our old air craft carriers. If we launch an assault, the first thing we'll need to do is gain control of certain key locations."

General Wells nodded in agreement. "The SEALS and Marines can silently sweep the ship of all hostiles then set up shop and wait for the main assault."

"What will be our main assault Andrew?" General Foster asked.

"After we take out their main defenses, mainly anti-aircraft and minefields if they have any, we send every fighter, bomber and helicopter we have. The fighters will take out all key weapons like tanks, humvees, howitzers, and small outposts. The bombers will carpet bomb all heavily controlled areas, and the helicopters can provide cover for ground forces. I'd also like to send the C-130 in over Calverton and drop our paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st." The Lieutenant General pointed at the top of the big screen towards Old Olney. "We send all of our armored units in from the north, our tanks, humvees, and Power Armored soldiers will sweep across the Capital Wasteland, taking out what's left of General Marshes' forces. While our armored units attack from the North, I want the Rangers and other light infantry units to flank the enemy from the East of the Mall and we'll also send in Marine landing parties to strike from the Potomac."

"Didn't Eric also say they've got patrol boats?" Admiral Howard asked.

"That's correct." Andrew answered the two-star Admiral.

"I could have one of my SEAL Teams take out the soldiers on the boats and take their place. If we do launch an assault, Lost Hills would probably have soldiers guarding the waters around the Jefferson Memorial and that could cause a problem for the Marine landing force. If our guys are in those boats, we can lay down a suppressing fire that will keep enemy troops pinned so the Marines can get a fighting chance."

General Wells nodded in admiration of the Admiral's strategy. "Good idea. If all of this goes according to plan we can force that murdering motherfucker into retreat or surrender within an hour and not suffer severe casualties."

"What about the west?" General Brooks asked.

"When the Midwest sends troops to fight, then Lost Hills will be completely boxed in." Andrew answered the female Officer.

"How do you know the Midwest is sending troops to fight?" General Webb asked.

Lieutenant General Wells smiled and turned to Lieutenant Hawk. "Lieutenant."

Lieutenant Hawk punched in a few sequences and hit enter. The C.C.R.'s big screen showed a large movement of soldiers about 450 miles to the west of D.C. "There's the answer to your question. While you were talking with some of your commanders I had Lieutenant Hawk look and see whether or not troops were being sent." Andrew told them. He looked to General Webb. "I'm going to need you to send a team of Combat Controllers to intercept them and let them know we are allies."

The Air Force General nodded. "Yes sir."

Andrew looked to the rest of his fellow Generals. "In the meantime, we need to get the rest of our tanks from the train tunnel, the aircraft from Bravo Airfield, and our ships from Newport."

The door to the C.C.R. opened up and in came almost every division and battalion commander. They all saluted the Generals. Many of them had smiles on their faces. "Generals, Admiral, we have some good news."

Well what did you guys think? What's your opinion of Lieutenant Smith and his group of Shadow Knights. Plus, what do you think Bravo Airfield and Newport is and what kind of significance do they have? Anyway, I hope that you guys liked this chapter. Remember this is my last chapter update of the year and I'll be back with a new chapter January 1st. Remember to leave a like, review, or both. Ideas/constructive criticism are welcome.

Everybody have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year.

NCRMC signing off for now.