Chapter 3

Warn Sarah about Arthur Maxson

"I overheard your talk with Arthur Maxson and I need to warn you about something. Please listen to me carefully and believe me."

"Please indulge me", Sarah responded with a hint of sarcasm.

"Arthur Maxson is not all that he seems to be. He has many supporters in your ranks and he will try to pull a coup to overthrow your reign. He will convince the West Chapter to join forces and he will make his way to Boston to look for the institute once he is of age. He will kill you, trust me on this one. He may respect your father, but he does not respect you. His Maxson bloodline is probably all proof the West Chapter need to establish him as the new Elder. Don't let yourself be caught off-guard. Better yet don't show your face at all when the battle begins."

Sarah snorted and then let out a hearty laugh which made the Wanderer flinch.

"You expect me to believe that Paladin? He's barely an adult and I like to think that the men trust me enough as an Elder. Otherwise they would have tried something by now. This meeting is over, you can go now."

And with that the Wanderer left the Citadel with a heavy heart.

"At least I tried…" she thought bitterly.

xxx

(Recording Start)

"Scout Report 30. We have made camp in a town called Big Town. If you can call it that. Big Town is a collection of shacks that barely offer any protection and its residents consist of mostly young adults. Many of them seem to be teenager. Surprisingly most of them can shoot well, if the shooting range is any indication. A few high grade military robots roam around and scan the perimeter all the time. I advise caution when passing the area. From the conversations around here I gathered that they are readying themselves for evacuation. Maybe our presence is not as unknown as we have thought. Have to go, a savage named "Bittercup" which strangely took a likening to me, is approaching. Can't blow my cover."

(Recording End)

xxx

"We are under attack!" a frantic NCR woman shouted.The explosion threw most off the gathered soldiers in disarray. A drunk Katherine stumbled between the chaotic soldiers, trying to find her rifle.

"Oderint dum metuant!" a Legion centurion shouted amidst the chaos. Katherine frantically searched for the source of the enemies. Dozens of bleeding NCR soldiers lay on the ground, no one to help them thanks to the ensuing chaos. Oh no that was going all wrong! The Lone Wanderer hyperaware of her surroundings spotted a potential assailant, dressed in NCR clothing as he stabbed another NCR soldiers multiple times in the stomach. Before she could reach them a hand grabbed her foot and she looked down to see Boone holding his bleeding stomach. A sharp piece of shrapnel embodied itself in his stomach. "Help…me…" "I'll…I'll fix this I promise!" the Wanderer assured him and put her pistol to her head. "No what the hell are y-!" BANG xxx The Lone Wanderer woke up with a gasp. Her head felt like it was ready to explode. Another weird dream. "Sorry about that, I dropped the barrel you asked for." Amata stood next to her bed and held a small metal barrel in her hands. Oil for her weapons. "Are you feeling alright? You don't look so good." "I've got a headache, but it's nothing to worry about." assured the Lone Wanderer, "But thanks for asking." Amata put the barrel on the work bench that stood next to her bed and excused herself. She had a lot of things to do this morning and had no time to chat with her friend, no matter how much she wanted to. The Lone Wanderer didn't mind though, as she had her own things to finish first. She needed to repair her weapons and made sure that her Power Armor was working correctly. The Chinese stealth suit would not be of much use in a big scale battle. (Recording Start) "Scout Report 35. We are making good time. By tomorrow we will reach Megaton and soon after I will reach the Citadel. The Caravan I am traveling is delivering a massive amount if weapons. Looks like they are really preparing for war. Our coming is not unforeseen. Will have more reports by tomorrow. (Recording End) xxx In the early evening the Wanderer was finishing up her repairs and looked over her Power Armor one last time. She made sure the joints were working properly and the hydraulic system was properly sealed. The visor was clean and should provide adequate protection, though she assumed she'd need to remove it at some points. Helmets always tend to mess up her peripheral vision and she didn't want to take any chances this time around. Before she could go to the diner to get something to eat, Sarah Lyons surprised her. She stood in her doorway with crossed arms and a questioning look. "Are you busy right now?" "No, I was just finishing up, what's up?" "I thought about what you said to about Arthur Maxson. I will trust your judgment, since you have proven yourself to the Brotherhood more than enough times. I will use a double when giving the speech. But I still will be fighting alongside my men, I'm not a coward. If he thinks he can bring my own people against me, he better make sure he is prepared." "It's all I ask Sarah. I know what I heard when I eavesdropped on some of his conversations. He did not really threaten you, but he implied he would do more than to sit around and lead the Brotherhood to glory. You may not like it Sarah, but some people are hardcore Isolationists and they will help Maxson." Sarah just nodded and handed her an envelope. "What is it?" "Open it." The Lone Wanderer did as she was tolled and pulled out a stack of papers. She recognized it immediately. The defense plans for the upcoming battle were explained on the papers. Sarah chose… A) The Citadel Defense Plan (Chapter 4) B) The Metro Defense Plan (Chapter 5)