1
The General turned to her other side. Piper placed her hand on her shoulder but before she could her back over, the elder (by nearly two hundred years) shrugged her off. "I think I need to hear this."
The radio barely glew in the dark. "Travis 'Lonely' Miles, interrupting the nights musical interludes with a surprising interview. Tonight I happen to have a self-identified representative of Vault 114. Ms. Trish?"
"Representative Trish.", the ghoul's voice rasped out of the radio. "Now that the Commonwealth has an actual government, Vault 114 is looking forward to joining the greater community."
"Oh hell no.", the General cursed. The woman got off the bed in Piper Wright's loft above her sister's at Public Occurrences and immediately started checking her pistols.
"Blue.", Piper was ignored. "Blue!"
"What?", the General challenged.
"You wanna cover up before you shoot up half the town?"
The General fumed as she pulled her overcoat on while uncaringly waking up Nat on the way out.
"Wha? What's happening."
"Fire up the press.", her sister told her while hobbling down the stairs and pulling on a boot. "We're about to have news."
2
"Triggermen are a dangerous criminal organization and it is the duty of the Minutemen to eliminate threats to the Commonwealth wherever they are found.", the General told Trish. Over the barrel of the .44 pressed against the ghoul's forehead.
The General cocked the hammer with one hand as she held the over coat to her uniform closed with the other. Now that it wasn't over combat armor fit to wear over clothing, as well as her lack of boots, the woman nearly faded away in the coat.
"This is turning into quite a night.", Travis told his audience. "Everyone's favorite vault dweller has also presented herself."
"Yes.", Trish gasped out. "What does the General, who obviously stands for unity in the Commonwealth as well as peace, think of Vault 114 holding the same status that she's granted the Institute? I mean, I'd really hate for her to think that killing is the only thing on her mind."
The General looked at Travis, trying his best to keep his confidence. Back to Trish and her tempting her trigger finger again. The woman pulled the overcoat around herself tighter.
She uncocked the hammer to her pistol.
"You're not Vault 114. You're Triggermen. If you actually want to stop being a threat to the Commonwealth are aren't just trying to pull the greatest confidence scam in all of Commonwealth history, then you'll gather a party. We'll meet in Goodneighbor to discuss the terms of your surrender."
"Why Goodneighbor?", Trish asked. "Doesn't openness demand radio coverage?"
"If there's someone you should trust to keep me from killing all of you, it should be Mayor Hancock. I can arrange media coverage all you like. And I don't think Diamond City has the facilities to hold the people you need in conference for the Minutemen to accept your surrender under proper terms."
The General stormed out of what passed for a radio station in this wasteland. She nearly ran Wright over on her way out.
"Blue.", the reporter began. "What happened in their? What are you feeling?"
The other woman spun in the dirt 'street'. "I'm feeling that you need to publish about my zero casualty victory over the Forged. That's why I could afford the time to come back to Diamond City for."
"Gee, Blue. Sorry for being concerned.", Piper complained while following her back into the newspaper's office.
When the door closed, the General turned on her. "No, you weren't. You were chasing information.
"Wait, that came out wrong.", she said before Piper could even change her expression in reaction.
"Yes, you were concerned for me and my feelings and I thank you for that.", the General began. "But you're also a reporter and you love sticking your nose in anything that might pan out to be interesting. No matter our...us, anything I do could be considered part of history with the state of things. And you, not only being you but having your job and being good at it means you're never going to be able to want the secrecy I shared with my husband. After all, we were a soldier with classified intel and a lawyer with confidentialities."
Piper wrapped her arms around herself. "I have a duty to the truth."
"And that's credibility I need as General of the Minutemen.", came the statement of fact.
She took Piper into her arms. "Not just I, but the people, know you'll never try to print a lie. Even if I tried my very best to convince you in all the ways open to me. And that's what makes you the greatest news source in the Commonwealth right now. Radio Freedom is government run, Travis unhesitantly broadcasts rumors and every other signal is only interested in one specific thing.
"But you also know in full and well that the press can change things. That's why you started this career, with your original settlement, with the Great Wall.
"Now I ask you. What is going to be better for the Commonwealth and the people that live in it? The headlines of 'Minutemen Defeat Another Threat Without Casualty' followed by 'Minutemen React to Surprise Opportunity for Peace'. Or 'General Caught Off Guard By Triggermen'?"
The reporter eyed her suspiciously. "And if I make some other judgement. Does Public Occurrences still go out on the next brahmin to the Minutemen settlements?"
The General rolled her eyes even as she hugged Piper with more strength. "Of course. I got the idea from Benjamin Franklin. He made sure that the mail service was constitutionally enshrined as a post office because nothing can hold together a disparate country like the flow of information. It's also the best way to ensure to the people that the government is working for them.
"I hope we're both professional enough to do our jobs despite...my being here and not at Home Run tonight. As General, I would lose one of the very things I'm trying to get if I tried to censor anything you had to print: a unified Commonwealth.
"Oh great.", the General sarcastically said as she watched the reporter's mind flip back into question mode through her eyes.
"So what else are you hoping to gain?", Piper asked.
"You already know. A safe Commonwealth. A prosperous Commonwealth. If I can squeeze it out of certain people, an educated Commonwealth too.", was the answer.
The reporter nodded. "Fine. But I want unfettered access. Same as with the Constitution of the Commonwealth. Hell, people are still buying prints of the constitution. Just to hand up on their wall."
The General smiled. "I kind of already promised Trish that you'd be there in the negotiations. How do you feel about a trip to Goodneihbor?"
Piper touched her lips with a finger. "Hmm...I'd have to see what I could take. Maybe we should go back upstairs?"
"Yes!", Nat agreed emphatically. "Take all this and bring it back upstairs to your room and not our office, sis."
