Author's Notes:Firstly, this chapter was supposed to be published as #104. Oops.

Secondly, Rcollpc. Consensus, as far as I can determine, holds that in Fallout canon Lyons the younger was killed in whatever struggles the 'unification' between the Lyons loyal Brotherhood and the Outcasts had. Presumably, again-as far as I can tell from my looking into it, Lyons the elder died and the Outcasts fell into step under Maxson OR Maxson killed Lyons the elder with Outcast aid to assume command; despite whatever 'crush' he had on Lyons the younger from Fallout 3. I would appreciate a fan-fic of that time: Maxson's rise to command and balancing that with his feelings toward Lyons the younger, ending with him killing her personally or some other appropriately tragic ending.

Third, CeaserKrest. Please understand the populations we're dealing with. If the Pitt can output one or two metric tons of usable metal a week by scavenging the ruins around them then it would be a nigh miracle. In Fallout 3's DLC that introduces the Pitt, they border a river where Pittsburgh has three. Given that we 'know' that the bombs have changed the physical borders (Far Harbour in Fallout 4's DLC corresponding to the not-island Bar Harbour, Maine for example), I had the idea that the Minutemen's brown water navy could afford a boat or three (dependent on security issues) to make a once a week trip to the Pitt and exchange a literal boatload of food for a boatload of metal. That's the arrangement in the General's mind, even if she later intends to integrate it into the private sector economy.

1

Nadine told her, "I wasn't expecting you for a few more runs with the way you were talking."

The Lone Wanderer stopped to converse with her as the rest of Reilly's Rangers came on board the boat pretending to be from a bygone era. Although, nowadays in the post apocalypse, everything that still functioned was from a bygone era.

The Lone Wanderer replied. "I thought we had a shot here. But MacCready was right. The General doesn't just command her marines, she's got slews of different corps. Point Lookout is already over run."

"And nobody wants to lift a finger against this...what did you call her? 'Warlord'?", Nadine questioned.

The other woman shrugged. "The only people left to do anything is Ark & Cove Cathedral. And the tribals there are looking at her entrenchments like it's somehow a free meal."

"So how are you gonna put a stop to her?", the riverboat owner continued.

The Lone Wanderer sat down at that. "I don't know. The Brotherhood of Steel has fortresses all across the Capitol Wastes, so they could hold out forever if it wasn't for the food situation. Any defeat of a Commonwealth force could fix that in a hurry, so using those fortresses as fallback positions is really what's going to happen once this fight turns hot. Plus, while the General may have a lot of so-called corps, the Brotherhood of Steel furnishes nearly every soldier with power armor because of its source in the Pitt."

And then the woman realized. "Alright, Nadine. You have to step on it. I need to get the Rangers back to the Capitol Wastes as quick as you can."

"Why?"

"So I can warn the Pitt about the General.", the Lone Wanderer explained. "If the General's smart enough to try to corner the Brotherhood of Steel out of food, she's certainly smart enough to try to cut them off from weapon and armor production."

2

The look on the Lone Wanderer's face told Reilly everything she needed to know about their self-appointed mission to the Pitt. It leapt to her face as soon as the girl told her, "Wow, you're here again. Great timing - you have to come meet her."

Reilly's Rangers had kept a hard pace all the way to the Pitt. From Nadine's river boat drop off, directly to their own headquarters to resupply, straight over as open terrain as they could find to the tunnel system the Lone Wanderer assured them would get them there. They couldn't have traveled faster without vehicles than they had. But...vehicles, like what the Minutemen seem to have in plenty nowadays.

"Calm down, Marie.", the Lone Wanderer told her. "Not everything that looks good is true."

The girl didn't seem to want to calm down. Or change her opinion. That might have been a side effect of being called a savior, due to Beth's finally coming up with a vaccination against Troglitic Degeneration Contagion from Marie's own flesh. Even the Lone Wanderer had at times reflected on whether her actions had been out of unwarranted self-assurance with Three Dog praising her the entire time. But she could just switch her radio to Agatha's Station (or at least for a few more years). Marie had no such escape from a community that owed its existence to her.

"But the General seems to be.", the girl stated somewhat chastened. "She brought food by boat and landed in her very own bertivird."

"Vertibird.", the Lone Wanderer corrected.

"Vertibird.", the child said. "Oh, like verticle for straight up like into the sky and a bird!

"Anyway, you should come meet her. She's meeting with Midea and Wherner now."

"She's still here?", the woman questioned. At the child's nod, she turned back to Reilly. "We need to double time it."

3

After coming from the tunnel that popped into the...well, habitable was not the word to describe what was left of Pittsburgh. The most survivable part of the Pitt? Marie led Reilly's Rangers out of the train yard and across the bridge to the entrance of the Pitt's occupied areas.

At the gate, there was nearly a problem that turned into an issue. Minutemen troops were sharing Nuka-Cola with the Pitt guards. And it seemed that the Minutemen had started recognizing what Reilly's Rangers colors meant. But that did not mean that the Pitt guards reaction to Marie went unnoticed. The Minutemen chose to inform the rest of their party rather than object to admitting the Rangers.

"Where's the meeting?", the Lone Wanderer asked Marie.

"At Midea's room and mine.", she answered.

The Lone Wanderer took off at a run that no one matched.