Heart of Steel
Chapter 5: Steel Yourself, Initiate
The dust of the courtyard used for training initiates and apprentices was kicked up into the air as the vertibird landed on the center hatchway that was the entrance for the decommissioned Liberty Prime. The apprentices attired in recon armor, the next progression for Brotherhood of Steel members prior to power armor, covered their eyes and took a break from their shooting practice of hand-to-hand combat. The back hatch of the vertibird opened and a Paladin with blown back long chestnut hair motioned for the other occupants to exit the flying machine. The disheveled and exhausted initiates from the Battle of Dupont Circle exited with their weapons holstered.
The apprentices, knights, and paladins were surprised and stood up as they walked by to the doors leading to Circle A. The two knights guarding the door saluted, one exclaiming in a metallic voice from his power armor helmet: Steel be with you. The courtyard erupted in cheers and clapping, rejoicing that there wasn't another major loss to the Brotherhood. However, the Initiates barely heard any of this, they were exhausted and wanted nothing more than a semi comfortable bed and a warmed meal. Danial Roe pushed the door to Circle A open.
"Good to see you made it," greeted a bald Paladin with a plasma rifle on his back, "shame about Bruce though, he'll be remembered in the Great Codex."
"Enough of the pleasantries, Tristan," said Paladin Bael, "this lot need to debrief with Elder Lyons."
"They don't seem to be too talkative," remarked Tristan as he pointed to the conference room that all operational briefings take place in.
"They still need to explain some things to the old man," replied Bael as he nodded to the direction the initiates should take.
They silently moved to the room, sitting down without barely making a noise. Zach held his head in his palms; Lolli leaned back in his chair, holding the arm rests. Alvarado and Schieber rested their heads in their arms, while LaCroix looked straight onward with an empty stare. Dan rubbed the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes tight. He felt a hand on his shoulder plate, rubbing him and jostling him lightly. He looked up to see Newton looking down at him.
"We made it," she said with a smile, "because of you."
"We did it together," he replied dismissively, "but now what; will this be how our lives are in the future?"
"It's what we signed up for," grumbled Zach.
"I see no problem with this life," commented J.R. from corner where he leaned and smoked.
"Wouldn't expect you too," replied Zach with a smirk, "you're all for the rough-and-tumble..."
"Better than expecting waterfalls and daisies," commented J.R. as he puffed on his cigarette.
"Will you two cut it out," asked Newton, "we made it out a live and in relative good shape..."
"My leg still hurts," sighed Alvarado.
"Like I said, relative," rejoined Newton, "lets be thankful for that at least."
"What are you now, a preacher?" Asked J.R. with a sarcastic attitude.
"Let's just stay off of each other's throats," butted in LaCroix, "we have enough things out there looking to take a bite out of them let alone each other."
"You are quite astute, Initiate LaCroix," commented the elder man in a blue robes similar to that of a scribe.
The Initiates stood at attention as Elder Lyons took his seat at the head of the semicircle tables. To his right was Paladin Bael and to his left was another Brotherhood member, a scribe from her looks with short sandy blonde hair. They all took a seat and motioned for the others to sit. The initiates, minus J.R. took their seats. J.R. on the other hand stood in the corner and continued smoking his 200 year old cigarette.
"Initiate LaCroix is correct, there is much out there that is looking to tear a chunk out of your throat," said Lyons flatly, his tone a mix of parental authoritarianism and military dogma, "the beings out there that wish to tear out your throat wish to do the same to the Brotherhood and the people of the Capital Wasteland. We must not allow this to occur and that is why we, the Brotherhood of Steel, are the first and last line of defense against the damages of the wasteland."
"Sire, can we proceed," asked Paladin Bael with a slight hint of consternation.
"Yes, we shall," replied Lyons catching Bael's tone and silently rebuking the man, "the events at Dupont Circle were thought to have been well known. The Brotherhood feared it was a complete loss of life and energy. But there is something out there that has protected all of you."
"It was more like dumb luck," said J.R. from the corner.
"Roe's leadership got us through," defended Newton.
"No, J.R. is right," agreed Roe, "it was dumb luck, and luck favored us."
"Regardless of the power at hand," continued Lyons, "you have survived an encounter we all thought you had perished. We searched the remains and found nothing but a few blood stains and some burnt out Convegas. May I ask what occurred?"
The Initiates recounted their two day ordeal. From the super mutant attack that utilized the deathclaw, to the escape through the sewer system. They included the attack by the ghouls in the metro tunnels and the encounter with Friendship Heights Settlement. They talked about how accommodating the raider encampment had been, especially after the settlement. Roe produced a copy of their contract and handed it to Elder Lyons, who simply turned it over to the scribe at his left.
"So you promised them water without authority to do so?" Asked Elder Lyons, his face not giving away his emotion, his old age making the wrinkles form frown lines from years of bad news.
"Uh, yes, uhm sir," replied Dan uncertainly.
"We had to, sir," replied Newton, "we were outgunned, out manned, and in need of assistance."
"How are we to know if these raiders form a legitimate settlement?" Asked the scribe from Lyons left.
"We put in the paper work that they are responsible for the salvage of the northern DC Ruins," commented LaCroix.
"Did you know there was an Army National Guard Depot in the north of the DC Ruins?" Asked Elder Lyons, his frustration beginning to emanate on his voice, "and that now these raiders have a legitimate claim to scavenge it for advance weaponry."
"We, I did not know," replied Roe earnestly.
"While the Brotherhood has made it's modus operandi the safety and protection for the people of the wasteland," began Elder Lyons, "the recovering of technology remains our utmost concern. Technology helps our organization complete the goal of providing safety and protection, your actions have hindered this ability of ours. We're going to have to mobilize a special team for that area. I will honor this agreement for as long as it benefits the wasteland; the second there is any intention or malicious action by these raiders we will raze them to the ground."
"That's a bit much," scoffed LaCroix.
"It's incredibly harsh," concurred the old man, "but unless we act sooner, rather than later, we'll have another Paradise Falls on our hands. A settlement of such an odious founding and maintenance that can perpetuate it's existence that destroying it would bring a brief good, but ultimately is still a cornerstone of the Capital Wasteland."
"Are you saying the Brotherhood could take out Paradise Falls?" Asked Lolli Pop, "and you haven't yet?"
"He is saying he can't," replied Schieber with a looked jaw, "the slave trade is integral to repopulating the wastes."
"Paradise Falls is not the issue, at the moment," conceded Lyons, "Friendship Heights Settlement is an issue that will have close attention paid to it. Well set a caravan with Aqua Pura to Canterbury Commons with an extra supply for this settlement. From there, the Brotherhood will determine what must be done. And that it was this settlement that helped you all return to us. Now it is time to put you back into action, initiates."
"What about Paladin Bruce and the other initiates," demanded LaCroix, "if we're alive, they can be too!"
"That would be highly suspect," the old man replied.
"We received intelligence, sir," began Roe, "that the super mutants took their victims away alive...to produce new super mutants."
Owyn Lyons looked at the scribe to his left, who was writing furiously, and Bael to his right, who had a frown on his face. He stroked his beard with his long gnarled fingers. Recalling what the Lone Wanderer had told him, he slowly worked an idea out in his head. That must be where they are taken, he thought, and it must be their main base in the Capital Wasteland.
"Where did you receive this intelligence from?" Asked the Elder Lyons.
"From a … super mutant," replied Roe, the leadership around the table were clearly put off by the source, "he couldn't remember were, just that it was cold and metal."
"I think I know where," offered the Elder, "Vault 87."
"We must go there and save them," replied Roe, Newton's hand was on his shoulder.
"Initiate, watch your tone," scolded Paladin Bael.
"We are the Brotherhood of Steel," replied Elder Lyons, "we do not leave anyone behind; however, we do not commit suicide as well. Vault 87 is highly irradiated from the surface entrance."
"We need to still see if their alive or dead," continued Roe.
"Steel yourself, Initiate Roe!" Demanded Bael as he leaned forward, slamming a power armored fist on the table.
"He's right sir, we need to find them, they can be alive," continued Newton.
"Paladin Bruce and the other initiates will be listed as missing," rejoined Lyons, "but there will be no investigation of Vault 87, it is currently too dangerous for the Brotherhood to tackle. However, we do have another mission that is vital and accessible."
"What is it, sir," asked J.R. with indifference.
"Chevy Chase North must be secured, the path to GNR has gutted middle school as the biggest hold out of super mutant," replied Lyons, "the Brotherhood of Steel will enter to clear out the school and the area as you set up the barricades to curtail super mutant incursions, understood."
"Sir, yes, sir," replied the initiates.
"Roe, to my office please," said Lyons as he stood, "the rest of you our dismissed for a brief rest and relaxation. Check your ammo supplies, get more if need be, and practice with Paladin Gunny."
Roe took off his combat helmet and followed Lyons to his office and living quarters. The old man pointed to one of the pre-War tangerine chairs for Roe to sit in. He went to the back room for a second, before returning. He threw a heavy piece of metal on the table in the shape of bent line.
"Consider yourself promoted to Initiate First Class," said the old man as he sat in the other tangerine chair across from Roe, the door was closed with the Knight guard pretending not to hear what was going on; "but you must stop your demands to rescue Paladin Bruce. We nearly lost you and all the other initiates because we lost control of the situation. An attack at Vault 87 is too early, we are not prepared. The radiation levels there are overwhelming, even in power armor our best paladins, Lyons Pride, will succumb to lethal radiation poisoning.
"Please, I have to ask you to stop pushing for this suicide mission," continued Lyons as Dan fiddled the promotion in hand hands, "I've been thinking of something else for you and the group that survived Dupont Circle since your communications report. However, I wish to wait until after this mission before moving forward with anything."
"May I ask your plans, sir," asked Roe in concern as he held the promotion still in his hand, signing up for the Brotherhood has been forfeit of my life, for their control.
"Initiate First Class, sounds fitting, I reserve advisement from senior members of the Brotherhood," he said with a slight smile, "you will have a few more missions to complete before obtaining that privilege."
"Understood, sir," replied Roe as he began to stand, "are we done for now?"
"Mission begins at 0700 tomorrow," said Lyons, "you will inform the other initiates."
Roe nodded and walked out of the Elder Lyons office. The guard knights intoned their common saying: Steel be with you, as Roe held his helmet in one hand, the promotion in the other. He continued to walk into Circle A, some of the initiates were loitering there eating up in the small cafeteria. His grip continued around the promotion, Elder Lyons thinks he can buy my compliance with some metal, not the man I was raised to be by Uncle Ernest.
"What's that in your hand?" Asked Juan Alvarado as he ate some Salisbury steak.
Roe shoved the promotion into his pocket, "nothing Alvarado, how's your leg doing?"
"Good enough not to see Sawbones," replied Alvarado making the others laugh around him.
What does Lyons have planned for us, thought Danial Roe, I hope we'll able be able laugh again after this mission. He sat down at the table and took some cram before informing them about the mission.