After we had safely backed the train across the Hell Gate Bridge and back to the main line, I took a vertibird up to the Prydwen to debrief Elder Maxson.
"So the Enclave has re-emerged," the Elder said as we stood together on the observation deck. I could hear the concern in his voice. It was unlike Arthur to show any worry. "This is a problem."
"How is this a problem," I asked, hoping to reassure him. "The Brotherhood is more than capable of defeating them."
Maxson did not seem convinced. "Ten years ago, the Brotherhood defeated the Enclave with the help of Liberty Prime. While he is a very potent weapon, you've seen how the Enclave has continued to build up their forces despite their defeat in the Capital Wasteland. They're now in possession of a battleship. With such a weapon at their disposal, no shore anywhere on Earth is safe. And if they can build a battleship, who knows what else they can unleash?"
I cleared my throat. "Elder, the Enclave may have a battleship, but ships can be sunk. And it's likely that the Navy Yard in Brooklyn is not their main base of operations. From what I've read in the briefs, the Enclave favored operating in hidden bunkers, often deep underground. Raven Rock was such a bunker."
"Indeed. But from what you saw at the Navy Yard, it's clear that they are no longer staying exclusively inside their bunkers. They're now openly operating on the surface. And to build and maintain a shipyard, they need a lot of labor."
"Hence why they are using mind-controlled super mutants as laborers," I agreed. "I've no doubt they're resorting to slavery as well. From what I understand, when the Enclave resorts to using outside help, they keep them on a very short leash."
"We are in agreement, Sentinel. However, if we are to wage a campaign against the Enclave, we must take the time to regroup at Adams Air Force Base. Your mission remains unchanged - deliver your train safely to the Capital Wasteland. The Prydwen will continue to provide air support."
"Understood, Elder. But what of the battleship?"
For a moment, Maxson scanned the horizon, as if hoping to spot the enormous ship. "It's out of range of our scanners. We'll deal with the warship when it reappears. You are dismissed. Return groundside, Sentinel."
"Ad Victorium, Elder," I said with a Brotherhood salute.
Maxson returned the salute. "Ad Victorium."
The Capital Limited made its way to the northeast, taking an extended route around New York City and across the Hudson River before returning to the coast. Taking a direct route through the city would have involved clearing a lot of debris. We simply did not have time for that. Lingering anywhere near the Navy Yard meant risking detection by the Enclave. We passed through the Pine Barrens, clearing fallen trees from the rails as we went. We were just several miles away from crossing the Delaware River that we were hailed by Lancer-Captain Kells. I took the call personally.
"Sentinel, we have urgent need of your team," came Kells' voice over the radio. "Recon Squad Falchion. has gone missing in this area. They were patrolling the area around Trenton when they went missing. Your job is to lead a team and find out what happened to them."
"Understood, sir," I replied. "Where should I begin my search?"
"Their insertion point was in the outskirts of Trenton, to the north. Our last communication with their leader, Paladin Trask, mentioned that they were being followed."
"Followed, sir? By who?"
"He didn't say, but it's likely that their stalkers were associated with one of the gangs that operates out of Trenton. It's a hub of criminal activity."
"Thank you for the information, Elder. We'll investigate this disappearance right away."
"See that you do, Sentinel. Kells out."
We brought the Capital Limited to a stop in the woodlands north of Trenton. The trees would provide cover for the train, even if many of them were dead or dying. It was after sunset when we arrived, so the plume from 3162's smokestack would be largely hidden. That provided us with a tactical advantage. I put Paladin Theron in charge of the train, leading the search party myself.
My squad consisted of Knight Rhys, Initiate MacCready, Knight Pelzar, and Dogmeat. I had specifically selected Pelzar for this mission because of her personal history. She had been a raider before joining the Brotherhood. She knew their culture better than anyone else aboard our train.
All of us except MacCready wore suits of T-60 power armor. The former mercenary had his duster and cap on. I carried Righteous Authority and my 10mm pistol as my sidearm. MacCready carried his signature sniper rifle, Rhys carried a laser rifle, and Knight Pelzar carried a minigun, with a backup laser pistol.
We set out from the train at 1900 hours, making our way through the dark woods by the light of our headlamps. Dogmeat and his nose led the way. It didn't take us long before we found our first trace of Recon Squad Falchion. We found the ruins of a police precinct with the Brotherhood insignia marked on the door.
"Looks like we found their base," MacCready remarked.
"Better be careful looking inside," said Rhys. "We don't know what kind of traps might have been laid."
"Agreed," I said. "Still, we need to search the building. I'll take point. Be ready for anything."
As the squad formed up behind me, I stepped up to the door. Turning the knob, I found it unlocked, and threw the door open and leveled my laser rifle at whomever might be inside. My headlamp illuminated an empty entrance room.
"Clear," I said, and stepped inside, staying alert.
A sweep of the building revealed that there had been some kind of a skirmish. The squad and I found dried pools of blood, a number of spent bullet casings, but no bodies. I guessed that whomever had been involved in this engagement had removed the bodies and any weapons that were dropped. Were they trying to cover their trail?
"Nate, I found something," I heard MacCready say. He was hunched over a rusty desk, looking at the screen of a functioning terminal.
I walked over to him, my armored boots thudding on the wooden floor. "What've you got, MacCready?"
"Looks like some kind of log. If I push this key... wait! There's an audio message."
"Play it back," I ordered.
MacCready pressed 'play.'
This is Paladin Trask, Brotherhood of Steel. We've been on recon for a month now. So far we've learned that Trenton is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Raiders, slavers, the lot. All the gangs in the city pay tribute to a warlord called Brikus. Brikus has an army of raiders at his command, and if the rumors we've overheard are true, he's in possession of several suits of power armor. We can't allow a criminal to have power armor. We're going to locate Brikus, and destroy those suits of power armor. We'll set out first thing in the morning.
The sounds of gunfire and laser fire.
Defend the police station! Blast, they found us!
The recording ended.
By now the rest of my squad had gathered around the desk.
"We know they made it this far," said Rhys.
"You think they were killed in the firefight?" MacCready wondered out loud.
Pelzar shook her armored head. "Negative, Initiate. I know criminals well. If this Brikus knows anything about the Brotherhood of Steel, then he knows that Trask and his squad would be worth a hefty ransom, or fetch a very high price at the slave markets."
"The thought of any of our brothers and sisters being sold into slavery makes me sick to my stomach," Rhys remarked.
"It seems that if we find this Brikus character, we'll find our missing brethren," I said. "So let's move out. We'll push into the city. With our power armor, we're bound to draw Brikus and his thugs out."
Dogmeat began to growl, facing the window.
Then I heard it. Footsteps on the shattered asphalt outside the building.
"Ready up, team!" I ordered, removing the safety on my laser rifle. "Looks like Brikus has found us."
Gunfire erupted outside mere seconds later. Bullets darted in through the windows and thin walls, punching holes and ricocheting off our suits of power armor. MacCready ran to the second floor to get a better vantage point, his sniper rifle unslung. Rhys and I moved to the first floor windows to return fire. Pelzar stood in the main doorway and spun up her minigun.
"Counting at least fifteen hostiles across the street," came Rhys' voice through my helmet's raido. "Most are taking cover behind wreckage and structures."
"Copy that, Knight!" I replied. "Pelzar, lay down cover fire! Rhys and I are crossing the street. We'll clear them out building to building!"
"Roger that! Laying down fire!"
Pelzar strode out into the street, with Rhys and I close behind. She spun up her minigun and opened fire, her weapon laying down an impressive amount of fire. One raider, who had been caught out in the open, went down, his weapon clattering to the ground. An old car that caught too much fire exploded in a mushroom cloud. Rhys and I sprinted across the open ground, bullets ricocheting off our armor. Behind us, Pelzar steadily advanced on the buildings, drawing lots of fire. MacCready, from the second floor of the police station, began picking off raiders.
The hostiles were in three dilapidated buildings across the road. I went into the left building, Rhys went right, and Pelzar took the middle structure. The building I entered had once been a small hotel, judging by it's layout. Three raiders in improvised armor lay down fire at me as I entered the lobby.
"Your armor is mine!" one roared, leveling his combat rifle at me.
"I don't think so," I said through my helmet's speaker and fired on him. The beams from my laser rifle melted through his armor, and he went down with deadly burns.
The next raider dropper her pistol and charged me with a super sledge. I fired on her, but missed, and she swung. The force of the impact caused me to stagger, but I quickly recovered, and grabbed her sledge with one hand, and shot her in the gut with my weapon. She went down screaming in pain.
The third raider unpinned and tossed a grenade at me. I caught the grenade in midair and threw it back at him. It exploded next to his head. Specks of blood and flesh landed on my visor.
"Downstairs!" I heard a gruff voice yell, then footsteps on the stairs. More raiders coming.
I tucked myself into a corner just out of sight of the stairwell. As a group of five raiders came sprinting down the stairs, I opened fire on them. One went down, a burn in his back. The other four turned to face me, and leveled their weapons.
"You're going down!" One raider yelled.
I opened fire, and they returned fire. All four went down in a blaze of gunfire, blood, and laser beams.
Less than a minute later, all was quiet.
"Knight Rhys reporting in. All hostiles terminated here."
"Knight Pelzar here. My area is clear."
"This is MacCready. No hostiles in si- wait! One survivor, in the hotel, second floor. She's waiving a white handkerchief. Orders?"
"Hold fire. Regroup in the police station. I'll deal with the survivor."
I readied Righteous Authority and began to carefully make my way up to the second floor. I searched the rooms one by one until I found the survivor MacCready had mentioned. She had dark skin and heir fashioned into cornrows. She wore leather armor over a torn tunic that exposed her navel. Ragged pants and ankle-high boots covered her legs. A discarded assault rifle lay across from her. Sure enough, a white handkerchief was in her right hand.
"Please, don't shoot!" she pleaded, "I never really wanted to be a raider in the first place!"
I lowered my weapon. "What's your name, friend?" I asked, putting my charisma to use.
"My name?" she asked nervously.
"Yes."
My name is... Gina."
"Hello Gina. My name is Nate. I am with the Brotherhood of Steel. My squad and I came here looking for our brethren. We believe that the crime lord Brikus may have them."
"Yeah, he has them," Gina confirmed. "But you're not gonna be able to get them out. Brikus has them locked up tight."
"I have no doubt about that. Are you in Brikus' gang?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Can you lead us to your boss?"
"Maybe," Gina said, slowly regaining her courage. "Will you keep me alive if I get you a meeting with him?"
"You have my word, Gina. On my honor."
Gina was silent for a moment. "Okay." She stood up.
"That's the spirit. Pick up your weapon and lead the way. The squad and I will follow you."
