1

"I promise you.", Scribe Jameson repeated. "The Brotherhood of Steel has never launched a nuclear missile at any target in the Commonwealth."

The Lone Wanderer stood between the two tables in the conference room in the Citadel. Her flailing arms threw large shadows on the walls from the lamps at her back. "Well, the General of the Minutemen and the various armies at her command certainly believe you did. They're even proud of how much evidence has been provided to an independent journalist."

Sentinel Cross picked up the stack of papers announcing themselves as Publick Occurences. "This is not a newspaper."

"And this isn't the Pentagon, and you're not the army.", the Lone Wanderer responded. "But the General's men themselves told me that Ms. Wright has been writing facts for years."

Scribe Jameson spoke up. "What about our missing team sent to retake the gangway."

"Are you familiar with the term 'perfidy'?", the standing woman replied.

Most of the elder Brotherhood members looked down.

"So I guess you do.", she continued. "The General is holding the position that the Brotherhood even existing after surrendering to her in the Commonwealth with the condition of disbanding is a war crime. Her 'Colonel of Marines' Bridget has been instructed to treat anyone sporting BOS colors as a terrorist."

"Who is this Bridget? The General's second.", Cross asked.

"You need to stop asking about individual people.", the Lone Wanderer stated. "The Commonwealth and its Minutemen are too big. They have a civilian government where cities send representatives. The General's forces are so large that her colonels serve by category, not command. And then on top of that, they have separate settlements stretched where ever people can settle.

"And they know it. They've been delivering rations door to door in Rivet City ever since they say you cut them off. But they've also been trying to talk to the Rivet City Council about how to repair the market after people go a while not buying food or water due to the curfew."

Jameson harped on that. "Curfew?"

Finally the Lone Wanderer took a seat. "Bannon is thinking the same thing you are. That the Minutemen are just a trumped up raider gang and the Brotherhood of Steel will liberate them at any moment. Lana Danvers isn't so confident considering you needed her people to move Aqua Fortis to begin with. By the way, every member of Rivet City Security is under house arrest until the council holds and election for their seats with everyone who runs giving the campaign promise to sign the Commonwealth constitution, then doing so."

"You were instructed/"

The Lone Wanderer gave Scribe Jameson a hard gazed that Cross knew all too well.

Jameson corrected herself. "Requested. to gather information on this threat. So? Can the Brotherhood of Steel take them and set Rivet City back to normal?"

"Depends on how much they're bluffing.", the Lone Wanderer pointed out. "Brandis' and Maxson's and Danse' people that have gone to the Commonwealth have all been crushed with some few of Danse' surviving the trip back home. On the other hand, with the Outcasts having been...what was the term you were using?"

"Reconciled at the direction of the Maxson line heir.", Star Paladin Casadin answered.

She continued. "You now have the Outcast Outpost, Fort Independence, Edwards Air Force Base, the Pentagon, Project Purity and everyone who is still in the field taking on what remains of the frankensteins. If the General was nothing but hot air about her nuclear submarine support, then sure. And considering the power armor advantage, casualties will only be crippling instead of pyrrhic. If she's not, and this is just their opening salvo to make good on her threat to take over the entire Capital Wastes, then you need to get ready for that. It's not a fight I can just win for you."

"What can you do for us, Honorary Knight.", Cross reminded her of the title.

The Lone Wanderer huffed and puffed. "I may have an idea. Or two. But it will take some convincing and keeping Reilly's people in caps."

2

The Castle was much farther away from Rivet City than the Citadel was. However, the General had open water to travel across and vehicles instead of Reilly's Rangers boots. So she got to see Preston's mixed emotions first hand once she made it back to her office to meet with her Colonels.

"You left Bridget in charge?", he exclaimed. "I'm glad you're back, ma'am. But really, the ex-Gunner?"

"Do you object to me leaving the ex-Brotherhood of Steel Member in charge of Fort Hagen as well?", the woman countered. "After all, that's who were going to end up fighting."

Shaw scoffed. "I knew one of your surrenders wouldn't turn out all SUGAR BOMBS and tarberries."

"I ended armed conflicts with the Children of the Atom, the Gunners and the Triggermen with those surrenders.", the General defended. "Who knew that a group that claims so much military pride and a tradition from the armed forces I served in would commit such...perfidy as to not honor that."

"If you keep going like this, it'll mean war. Some more.", the ASSAULT GAS-MASK clad Desdemona warned.

The General folded her arms and nodded. "But it'll be a foreign war. As long as we strike fast enough to prevent another nuclear strike, we can keep the civilian populace safe. Or at least, wasteland safe.

"Dammit! Every time I want to turn to infrastructure, there's another threat keeping me from doing so."

"Well, at least the civilian government's on your side.", Preston told her.

The General regarded him. "Really? They are as war weary as we are?"

"They haven't been fighting it. For once.", Preston reminded. "Besides, they don't want to be nuked any more than anyone else."

The General qualified his statement. "But that's only because we're also securing here at home. So that leaves the marine corps as the only force I can truly fully mobilize. And MacCready's men...fortunately, he's from the Capital Wastes so he knows the territory."

Brandis interrupted. "Don't forget that everyone of our air crews can fly out of the Commonwealth to operate in the Capitol Wastes. They can support any APC crew you send down. And with the parts you sent up from Rivet City, we'll be able to expand our air superiority."

The red head regarded him. "I thought you agreed that those planes were much older than the vertibirds the Brotherhood had access to."

"Yes.", Brandis nodded. "However, an older model jet fighter is still air superiority compared to general purpose propeller driven craft. So bringing up those planes, even in pieces was still the right idea."

"Speaking of supply transport.", the General turned to the quiet ghoul. "Admiral Zao, I've let the information 'leak' to a Brotherhood...reliable source...that Rivet City's occupation is supported by a nuclear submarine. Can the Discovery be present in the Capitol Wastes theater when the Yangtze is not?"

The ghoul shook his head. "The men have done an admirable job not allowing it to sink into the depths of the ocean on her voyage from Far Harbor Island. But considering that the limitations of our dry dock, I would very much hesitate any attempt to move it from Commonwealth waters for some time."

"And what about the possibility of re-arming the Yangtze?", she continued.

The ghoul pressed his lips together. "You have asked me for honesty. I would not place either directly within reach of the enemy. Consider that the rest of the navy are brown water vessels and need full support to make the trip to the Capitol Wastes. And that the Yangtze is the only vessel that can carry that support. Also, even when the Discovery joins her in the water, there are no other replacements. I would keep both submerged except when loading or off loading cargo and not use either for any other purpose at this time."

Brandis leaned forward. "Look, I might be able to pull some people/"

"No.", Desdemona informed. "There's no reason to believe that the Brotherhood of Steel have any naval capacity beyond walking their power armor into the water. I advise keeping everyone that can make a difference on putting those planes back together and maintaining any air superiority we have. Just the idea that we can attack any Brotherhood installation at any time more than makes up for whatever mythical capabilities they may imagine to the words 'nuclear submarine'."

"I agree.", the General declared.

"Look alive. If Bridget does her job then Rivet City will have a deck full of artillery, the walls of an aircraft carrier and manned by veteran mercenaries. Our beach head won't break and no matter what posturing the remaining Brotherhood put forward. Even if the citizenry and Bridget herself have their loyalty bought with our supply runs, even though I seem to be the only one with confidence in our other colonel."

Preston still objected. "But trying to take the Capitol Wastes by force from them is bound to start turning our comrades into corpses."

"Which is why I need to limit how much needs to be taken by warfare.", the General announced.

"Preston, keep up recruitment efforts. For the Minutemen and the settlements themselves. More people for the settlements means a higher population for the Commonwealth. And the more we can make into Minutemen, the more we can send Minutemen who've seen action to secure places the marines have taken. And then we have re-mobilized marine forces.

"Brandis, you already know what to do. Planes, planes, planes with a side of 'if we've missed an APC'. When I'm ready to pull more APC crews to the Capitol Wastes, I'll let you know.

"Shaw, you too. Production stays up. The Brotherhood has not ever cared for these people. Any backlog we have right now will disappear into the stomachs of the soon-to-be-free people of the Capitol Wastes.

"Zao, work with her. And have the Yangtze leave without me as soon as it's loaded. If I need to get back to the Capitol Wastes, I'll find another ride. And have the crew listen sharp, in case I need anything brought back.

"Desdemona. When I was down there, there was a DJ...three dogs, I think...that praised a wasteland savior more than Piper hypes me. That and everything you can find about Reilly's Rangers, their team bad ass, and any other mercenary group we might find ourselves in the line of fire of."

The General sighed. "I think that takes care of that. When you leave, tell the guards to send in the civilian government. And after that, I'll have the distinct pleasure of informing the Institute that their most dangerous enemy refuses to abide by their own deals and have to be destroyed. As sarcastically as I possibly can, 'yay'."