1
The Lone Wanderer sat at the conference table in the Citadel. She once again was representing Reilly's Rangers to the Brotherhood of Steel (defenders of the Capitol Wastes or rogue raider gang depending on the sides that were becoming more apparent by the day). Reilly was proving a really good sport about how much leadership she was holding over the team...but considering how many caps the Brotherhood was funneling through her and that Charon and Faukes will always be more loyal to her than their nominal Ranger leader, maybe that was for the best.
"Good job with the antenna.", Sentinal Cross congratulated.
Star Palidan Casadin scoffed. "It would have been a better job had you shot a few on the way out. Or any."
The Lone Wanderer glared. "It sounds like you want this debacle to turn into a full fledged shooting quagmire just as much as you say the General does."
Jameson questioned. "Doesn't she?"
The Lone Wanderer thought. "I don't know. She should if she believes half of what she says about us. She should if she's not bluffing about her forces and is motivated like the other wasteland villains we've dealt with before. On the other hand, what reason do we have to accept the size of her forces?"
"Besides the fact that we don't have the tiniest foot hold in the Commonwealth? Or that she took Rivet City before we could launch a response in order to build infrastructure in it?", Cross replied.
"We could have stopped her. We just weren't thinking of such a scenario.", Casadin interjected. "We will now. With the troops that are mustering at Project Purity, we can storm Rivet City/"
"And kill every single civilian there in the crossfire.", Jameson reminded.
"And every day we don't have Rivet City Security working Aqua Pura is another we're deeper into this mess.", Casadin replied.
"What mess?", the Lone Wanderer asked.
"You want to explain, Star Paladin?", Jameson offered.
Casadin opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "So you are stepping into the role of elder?"
"I didn't say that.", the scribe stated.
"Then stop treating me or my men as if we're still Outcasts.", Casadin warned. "We've been re-integrated since Maxson took command. And I think we've cemented our place here. Unless Sentinel Cross cares to object."
Cross rolled her eyes.
Casadin continued. "So until someone takes command and decides this is somehow my fault, stop acting like you're in a position to make such calls."
The Lone Wanderer tried to interrupt the infighting. "Look, it would be convenient if someone was Elder but it doesn't look like any of you are going to do that. I don't know if it's out of mutual respect or paranoia that the General will come for the Elder first and I don't have to care. So if you want my help, then tell me - What mess?"
The three Brotherhood of Steel commanders glared angrily at each other.
The scholar was the first to turn away. "Food.", Jameson said. "We've never truly grasped how much of the Capitol Wastes food supply was actually scavenged from the Commonwealth. This General, nominally in name of and under the guise of the Commonwealth Council, has started issuing trade licenses. Knuckle under, Commonwealth caravans will trade. Don't - starve. As such, our supplies are dwindling. Things are going to be hard pressed without another food source."
The Lone Wanderer rolled her eyes. "And if this situation continues, when does that mean you'll storm Rivet City in hopes of forcing the General to back down? Before a plan forms or even before everyone comes back from the supermutant suppression missions."
Casadin looked to Cross, who hung her head.
"Let me try something.", the Lone Wanderer said while standing.
Cross turned to her. "Like what?"
She shrugged. "So far, I've been pretty good when lives are on the line. Seems like more of the same now.
"You'll keep footing the bill of the Rangers?"
"Well, your team is two for two in the past month.", Casadin pointed out. "Even recalling the Pride hasn't gone that smooth."
Cross nodded. "If you can get us the time, it would be the right move."
Jameson held out her hands. "I'll defer to our operations managers."
2
The Lone Wanderer was foiled even before she made the attempt. She should have been tipped off when Nadine's steamboat appeared to be in the best repair in years. The Wanderer led the Rangers over some of the dryer land of Point Lookout, towards the Ark & Dove Cathedral. But as it came into sight, the problem was apparent.
The Minutemen were everywhere, swarming over it like ants.
She took a deep breath of the always humid air of Point Lookout. "We're not flying Brotherhood colors.", she reminded Reilly. "Let's just get in and find Jackson."
The Wanderer led her band up to the gates of cathedral turned farming monastery. She did not find Jackson. She did find two parked APCs, two vertibirds that had taken to the air, troops in a different uniform than the green of the Minutemen Marines, and a man that wore a COLONIAL DUSTER like Colonel Bridget had. And her.
Always her.
"I think we're spotted, 101.", Reilly said.
The Lone Wanderer agreed. "Well, might as well make the most of it. I don't think they'll take kindly to all of us approaching considering our bout with MacCready."
"They let us in Rivet City.", the mercenary leader reminded.
"They let me in Rivet City.", the other woman reminded. "And that's because I have a residence there and they seem to want to make a show of legal privileges. I'm beginning to think the General actually believes she was a pre-war lawyer.
"You want to be the one to parley?"
Reilly shook her head. "You're the one with the pre-existing relationship. And besides, you'd have a better chance at cutting her down if you have the opportunity."
The Lone Wanderer tried to cover her laugh with a scoff. Failing, she strode up to the General while Reilly's Rangers kept a considerable distance. Not an 'out of firing range' distance...more like a 'let's pretend this is out of ear shot' distance.
The General turned to the man. "This is Little Miss Bad-Ass, as Bridget labeled her. Between going on adventures around the Capitol Wastes, she pals around with the totally-not-a-mercenary team of explorers, Reilly's Rangers: also going on adventures around the Capitol Wastes."
The man looked back and forth between the two akwardly. "Um, Preston Garvey, ma'am. Colonel of Personnel, Commonwealth Minutemen.", he greeted holding out a gloved hand.
The Lone Wanderer looked at him as if wondering if he was for real. She ended up shaking his hand. "Pleasure.
"I'm here to talk to your boss about a food situation."
"Oh?", Preston asked.
The General nodded. "Of course. Your team came to Rivet City for supplies and this is a long way away, taking into account your little side trip. Colonel Garvey, would you be so kind to check our supplies and see if we can come up with a meal for Reilly's Rangers. I'm sure those two big fellows can pack it away."
"Yes, ma'am.", Preston acknowledged as he slunk away. Every Minuteman there understood the flash in his eye as an order to protect the General at the expense of the mission and especially at the expense of the Lone Wanderer and this ranger team.
"That's not what I meant and you know it.", the Lone Wanderer accused.
The General regarded her. "If you would like to hand your weapons over to the Ark & Dove's residents - not even any of our Minutemen - then perhaps you can explain to me what I *ahem* 'know'."
The Lone Wanderer reassessed the people facing her. Yes, most were Minutemen. But there was a tribal at the gate to the estate surrounding the cathedral. Inside the gate, it even appeared that Minutemen and tribals were working together to bring up what would become a windmill. And then she spotted a particular tribal.
"Woodrose!", the Lone Wanderer called out. The Minutemen made some movements at the call, but no one made a mistake.
The tribal she called out to came rushing up. "Hey, I haven't seen you in some time. There's a lot of changes going on."
"So I've heard.", the Lone Wanderer agreed. "One of which is that Jackson needs me to hand over my sword if I want to come in. Just keep it close." And with that the Lone Wanderer offered the blade to Woodrose.
The tribal turned to the General with questions in her eyes. "Only until things settle down.", the Minutemen leader explained. "The Commonwealth is generally pro-right to bear arms, with the only exception being nuclear weapons. But Point Lookout won't really be 'tamed' for a few weeks by our estimates, so some precautions need to be in order. I've assured her that your security will return all of the weapons she hands over as soon as she seeks to leave the community.
"Every last one of them.", the General stated for emphasis.
The Lone Wanderer turned all the way around. Her CHINESE STEALTH SUIT didn't really leave much room for concealing a hidden rifle.
Woodrose lifted the sword that she was already handed.
The General nodded. "We were going to turn this possible security breach into a lunch break. Please, Woodrose: I'm sure your friend would love for you to join us. This way, we can talk about all the new and exciting things happening to Point Lookout.
"Now that it is under Commonwealth control."
