One dog is just warming up, two dogs are nearly ready to show but it takes me, Three Dog, to truly howl out loud in the wasteland!

News for the day - Rivet City has gone dark. Yes, all of Rivet City is locked up tight...or at least no news or free as the day it was made Aqua Fortis is coming out of there. Has the Rivet City guard finally run out of manpower to make deliveries? Or is this a push back against the Brotherhood of Steel making them do the leg work while they do the brain work? Back when Maxson was in the Capital Wastes you wouldn't think they'd dare but nowadays, you never know.

But more than me is curious about this circumstance, boys and girls. Ole Three Dog has been told to put the word out: If you see the Lone Wanderer, the Wasteland Superhero, this man's personal savior...let her know that the Brotherhood of Steel wants a word with her. She knows the place.

1

A svelte woman walked toward the guards at the gate to the Citadel. She held her mask in one hand and the other empty in the air. Those that recognized her knew what the Asian woman in a CHINESE STEALTH SUIT meant. But a lot of the experienced Brotherhood had gone to seek out technology in areas north of the Capital Wastes. The newer recruits couldn't be counted on to not be jumpy, even if they recognized her after the fact.

Which it seems they did. "It's you. Uh, just use the intercom. But you already knew that. Ma'am."

The Lone Wanderer did just that. Gaining clearance and the gate opening to allow her in, she walked through a hole torn through several layers of the building once known as the Pentagon. Inside the courtyard, she met up with a long time companion: Cross.

"Star Paladin.", the Lone Wanderer greeted.

"Acting Sentinel.", Cross corrected with a deep frown on her face. "Possibly elder if I can't convince Jameson in a day or two."

"What?", the vault dweller exclaimed.

"I know.", Cross admitted. "Let me take you down to the situation room. Then when you faint because of how bad it's gotten, you'll at least have a chair to fall back in."

The Lone Wanderer was taken underground to the conference room. Splayed out on the table were hundreds of holotags. Holotags that had been used to identify Brotherhood of Steel members. Every single one meant another story with only one outcome, the death of a soldier in the wastelands. Scribe Elizabeth Jameson looked up when the two women entered the room. "I'd say we need your help. But the pile of metal on the table speaks for itself."

"What is going on?", the Lone Wanderer questioned. "Three Dog's going on and on about how Rivet City isn't. Then I get here and it's not Maxson or even Danse but Cross that's in command. What happened?"

Cross sighed...or at least as much as her cybernetic organs inside her power armor let her. "A warlord. A warlord happened. She goes by the name of 'the General'.

"I can only tell you what I know from our information.

"Elder Maxson had been determined to continue the Brotherhood of Steel's primary mission: securing dangerous technology so that it wouldn't put the survival of the human race in jeopardy like it did during the Great War. So after the Prydwyn showed her air worthiness, our best and brightest set out for one of the less hot areas north of here that we had been scouting for half a decade. They encountered a new threat - machines that were attempting to pass for human. The Brotherhood set up a base and set about making plans to combat this threat.

"Then, without warning, the General's militia apparently shot down the Prydwyn itself. It was a near total loss. Or at least according to Danse. Danse led the survivors he could back here to regroup into something that could search out any others. On foot."

The Lone Wanderer raised and eyebrow. "What do you mean, at least according to Danse. When Danse says, that's what happened."

"Probably because his cover was to do so and it was programmed into him.", Jameson answered. "It turns out that our beloved survivor was one of these synthetic people Maxson had aimed to combat. According to the survivors, he led their vertibirds straight into an ambush. When surrounded by the General's army, Danse was deactivated by an access code and the ranking officer had to capitulate to her militia operating here in the Capital Wastes."

"What qualified the survivors accounts?", the vault dweller asked.

"The General claimed that our forces had been infiltrated by synths for years.", Cross replied. "We're tied down trying to figure out how to test our own people for being inhuman.

"But that's not the only threat the General has posed to the Capital Wastes. As you may have heard, Rivet City has been taken."

"Three Dog is saying it went dark.", the honorary knight stated.

"Not, dark - taken.", Cross corrected. "The last Brotherhood patrol to make it back said that the mercenaries holding the access stairs claimed that we were in violation of terms. We sent another team to push through. Too often some raider gang sets themselves up on the steps and wants to charge a 'toll', so we clear them off. That team hasn't been heard from again."

The Lone Wanderer questioned, "You said that the knights that went with Danse 'capitulated'. How exactly?"

"They had to state that the General's forces could operate in the Capital Wastelands like ours do.", Jameson answered. "Or at least that's what I got out of it.

"Why? Do you think that has something to do with Rivet City? What do you know?"

"Only what I'm hearing from you." The Lone Wanderer thought a moment. "So you want me to find out what I can about Rivet City without putting more knights at risk?"

Cross qualified. "It's only because we'll need every knight we can for a push if Rivet City has to be taken back. We're mustering outside Project Purity."

"So if I get in, it's not going to be under your colors.", the woman clarified. "Hmm...Okay, I'm going to try to find out what's going on. But it's going to be my way and on my schedule. Can you hold back Brotherhood of Steel troops until I report back? I mean, for as long as it takes. Not days or weeks."

Cross sat back and folded her arms. "It's the decision an Elder should make." The cyborg stared at Scribe Jameson.

"The fighting men and women respect you way more than I, Cross. Such a hold order would mean way more from you than it would from me.", Elizabeth replied.

Cross scoffed. "Fine. We agree to your terms. We'll try to scrape up something for you by the time you get back."