"We currently have the slightest sliver of breathing room.", the General reminded. "We've got more people than any in recent memory, the Brotherhood of Steel has been repelled and the Institute isn't causing mysteries.

"We need to take a place for Colonel Brandis to get to real work. There's only so much he can do without a true base of operations. And we're going to end up relying on the mechanized units more and more as rovers are phased out into them.

"But I'm concerned that the men have are reactionary. The Minutemen volunteers has been forced to respond to crisis after crisis. An organized taking of an installation may be very different. But I have a solution:

"There's also another place we'll have to secure to take best advantage of what Admiral Zao provides. There is a lock between Oberland Station and Somerville Place."

"What's a lock?", Ronnie asked. "I assume you aren't talking about a safe lying in the ground somewhere."

The General nodded. "You know those big doors in the river way west? Those are part of a lock - an area where boats are raised or lowered to the water level of the river on the other side. Once the lock is under permanent Minutemen control, we'll be able to reinforceand supply by water from Somerville Place all the way back up to the Slog.

"And the best part is that it's unoccupied. It mostly has to be dug out in places, like our armory here in the Castle. Just no expectation of giant monsters."

The woman turned to Zao. "Accept firstly that the men guarding the Yangtze now are the first volunteers for naval training. Here's a list of potential ship locations reachable on the coast. If they can follow your orders and repair your submarine to a shape that you can respect, get them to take the most seaworthy one you can find. Promote only your best suited graduate to be the first captain though. When that crew has shown they can operate on their own, they might just end up being the captains of our future."

"As for you Brandis. I'm ordering nearly half of our roving repsonders to the effort of taking the lock. It's a gamble, we win when the remaining forces hold now that the Brotherhood isn't intimidating farmers to feed them and they show they can take a target by getting us the lock.

"At that point, we'll have to devise a campaign to take Saugus Ironworks."

Brandis shook his head. "Why there first? Isn't it held by the Forged."

"And the Forged must be pacified.", the General replied. "They're a direct danger to about three settlements. Furthermore, the Ironworks will allow us to actual manufacture new parts for things larger than a plate for a power armor frame. Isn't this the first thing you need to build motorpool?"

"I have a different course I'd like to propose.", the old man stated. "In your taking down the Mechanist, you also defeated the Rust Devils."

The General interrupted. "That reminds me. Did Radio Freedom ever announce the defeat of either?"

Garvey and Shaw both shook their heads. "I don't think so, General."

"Good. Don't.", the General stated. "Morale and some other things are good right now. Spending that good news immediately won't get us anything. But it will prove useful in leaner times.

"Now, as you were saying, Brandis?"

Colonel Brandis started again. "Well, in your campaign there, didn't you liberate Fort Hagen Hangar?"

"Of course.", the General agreed. "There's a vertiable cornucopia of APCs down there. The hangar doors just need to be dug out and power restored. Any resistance would be the remaining Rust Devils and not an entrenched Forged that's coped with Gunners on one side and super mutants on the other.

"Alright. So Zao, you've got your orders. Brandis - free the lock, then move on Fort Hagen Hangar. I'll try to meet up with you by then, so wait for me before you march out from the lock."

"Ronnie. The rest of the rover's are going to cycle through here for their re-issue. If they have too many rifles or armor, requisition their least favorite according to the accounting we've already set out."

"And what about other things?", Ronnie said. "I don't think we should ask a woman to give up her knife."

The General nodded. "There's going to be a host of gear these guys have that has gotten them to survive on the road. I'm not interested in taking any of that from them, only making sure everyone has at least what we can give towards what they need. The distribution will go quick by having the roving bands deliver ordinance to those embedded in settlements. It'll go double time once we can get a crew sailing and more APCs on the road."

"Preston. You're going to meet me outside Fort Hangen Hangar to go over to Vault 81. We have some public relations that'll be the next step in building the Commonwealth.

"In the meantime, I'm going to the Institute."