SIDragon: In Fallout 3, Project Purity run by the Brotherhood of Steel after taking it over from the Enclave. The distribution of Aqua Pura, the water from it was done by Rivet City Security. In this fic at this point in the story, Rivet City Security has been held from duty under the Minutemen occupation on the condition of getting a not-coerced vote to join the Commonwealth from their local council, see Rivet City Blues chapters. Since the Minutemen are occupying Rivet City and placing their local security forces on house arrest, cutting off travel for civilians, and the like...well, one sees the difficulty of getting an uncoerced vote.

1

"Now that we all can admit the so-called Wasteland Savior failed, can we finally move on to killing the enemy at our gate?", Cassidan asked. "I don't see why you made that woman an 'honorary' knight to begin with. What even is that? 'Honorary?'"

Scribe Jameson answered evenly. "Without that woman, there would be no Project Purity. Without that woman, the Enclave would still be everywhere. Without that woman, the past 10 years of being able to claim equipment would not have taken place. So that is why she is an 'honorary' knight and why you should trust her still.

"She's not going to give this up. The intelligence she may have brought us may have been unexpected to say the least. But the Enclave we fought were from here and barely a piece of the Capital Wastes. From what we know, the General is the largest threat we've faced on the East Coast, period."

"And that's why I'm supporting the Star Paladin.", Cross announced. "Unless we move on the General, then she's going to move on us. She's already walked all over civilian settlements. Eventually she's going to come for our installations whether we attack her or not. I, for one, would much be attacking that attacked."

Jameson crossed her arms. "So you're agreed in the principle of the thing. Have you a plan of the thing?"

"Freeing Rivet City.", Cassadin answered.

"Looking out for the interests of civilians rather than doctrine, Cassadin.", Cross exclaimed. "I didn't think you had it in you. How positively lyonic of you."

Cassidan frowned. "The distribution of Aqua Pura from Project Purity allowed us access to tech that was absolutely mandatory to keep out of the hands of civilians. Allowing its flow will allow us a...peer review of your champion's intel, through the ever so thankful Rivet City Security.

"The Minutemen are also mustering there. Inevitably they will use the ship to strike at Project Purity.

"Besides, the aircraft carrier itself is a treasure trove that should not have ever been left in the hands of civilians. It's reactor may have been he crown jewel, but there are pre-war radomes, integrated computers, even the metal it's made from is refined beyond/"

Jameson stopped him, holding up a hand as if too push back the flood. "You already have us convinced. You don't need to assure us of your nature.

"Bowditch is still in command at Project Purity, correct?"

Cross nodded. "It was supposed to be a cushy job for the Proctor of the Shield in his old age. But the way it's looking, he's going to have to show one last great defense."

"At least someone qualified for understanding a siege, how to survive, and how to break it is there.", Jameson added. "We'll issue the order with all of our signatures. Every unit move on Project Purity by foot. Those who make it before the Minutemen make their attack will be what Bowditch has to work with."

2

Preston headed up the meeting, not even pretending he had the gravitas of the General. Many of the community representatives at the table would disagree. Not Colonel Bridget though. And the Institute representative assessed that her programming dare not be acquiescent to a surface dweller.

"You will all notice that the General is not here.", the Colonel of Personnel began. "She's attempting a leadership multiplier that the Institute came up with. A..."

"Vacation.", the suit encased synth provided, reinforcing the Institute's reputation for omniscience and innovation.

Garvey nodded. "Vacation, thank you. This gives us seven days to show her that we can do something without mother looking over our shoulder."

"Is this a prep speech?", Bridget asked aghast. "I have people to kill, not time for this bullshit. I'm flying back to the Capital Wastes."

"It's about time.", Faranhiet agreed. "I'm coming with."

Preston placed his hand on the Goodneighbor mayor's shoulder and shoved her back into her seat. Faranheit realized he must have forgotten who she was and drew a knife from her boot. "You too.", Preston commanded Bridget as he pointed a finger in the other woman's face, warning her to keep still. Bridget however decided Preston must have forgotten who she was and strode up to him in front of everybody.

"Colonel of the Marine Corps, we all have to work together - as in co-operate. We cannot operate in tandem if no one's on the same page. So before you blow out of here, you will inform Vault 81 that's filling your troops' bellies and Vault 114 that's kissing it's ouchies that you aren't engaging in whole sale slaughter but that your murdering prowess is pointed at actionable objectives decided by the General.", he informed.

"And Mayor Faranheit. You have already agreed to keep Goodnieghbor in tidy order and represent its state to the council just like every other political official at this table. So if you would like some personal time with me, to express anything else, then I will come to Goodneighbor in a few days before the General's vacation is up where my authority as a Minutemen vanishes at your wall and I will visit both you and your knife then.

"Am I understood?", he finished.

Bridget ground her teeth and folded her arms. "Fine.", she called out before turning to the room at large.

Preston did not miss Faranheit laying a kiss on the blade of her knife and blowing it to him then a whispered, "It's a date then, cowboy."

Bridget continued. "Several paths from Underworld to Rivet City have been secured. It might be spooky with some of the ways being old subway tunnels or plowed through rubble, but a loaded brahmin or an APC can make their way from one end to the other completely in Minutemen controlled territory.

"What I'd like to have done before the General is back is pull those steel bastards in Jefferson Memorial out of their shells like a good Mirelurk steak. Once we move our reinforcements down through the way we cleared, it's show time." The Colonel of the Marines gave Garvey a look daring him to say something.

He did. "We've received recruits from Point lookout, the Pitt, Underworld, and the Republic of Rosie. Veteran Minutemen are already stationed at these communities borders to provide external protection until their locals can be apprenticed.

"Also, we've prepped people to work in close proximity with Institute personnel. As Project Purity will likely come from Marine to Minutemen control with possible consultation with Institute scientists.

"Brandis?"

The old man nodded. "While we have air superiority over the Capital Wastes, we have yet to engage enemy vertibirds. On the other hand, I have issued a shoot down or surrender order that extends beyond combat range from the Republic of Rosie down through the Jefferson Memorial. Anything that isn't ours is traveling on foot. Our draw down on Saugus Ironworks has been replacement parts for the scavenged fighter jets from Rivet City. Colonel Bridget can count on two jets in the air at all times over the Capital Wastes and a two hour pounding of our full force when she wants to press the Memorial."

Bridget scoffed. "Two hours of fighter jet attacks and there won't be anything left of the Project Purity held inside."

"And if the Brotherhood of Steel fields another Liberty Prime or force field fencing?", the Colonel of Motorpool asked?

Bridget sneered. "Thank you, Brandis."

The old man nodded.

"Admiral?", Garvey asked.

The ghoul tried to sit straighter. "The CMS Yangtze and CMS Democracy convoys have ferried the Marine Corps successfully to the Capital Wastes. Supplies are now being transported one convoy at a time, with either convoy offshore of the Capital Wastes at any given time. Vessels not assigned in a support capacity are continuing to make their ports in the Pitt, Far Harbor, Point Lookout and within the Commonwealth itself.

"Also, I have been reviewing the reports that Intelligence has given us on waterways in the Capital Wastes. Even with Project Purity, it is much more dry than the Commonwealth proper - nearly on par with Nuka World. As the front advances, the fleet will become less useful to immediate support."

"Faranheit?", Preston prompted.

"Goodneighbor has been behaving itself. The Watchmen say that all's quiet. And no drifter's told me any different, even when I shake 'em down for it.", the woman stated.

Calvin nearly exploded. "That's Goodneighbor's contribution to the war effort?" Mayor Geneva laid a calming hand on his. "Vault 81 has managed to ramp up production of food another seven percent and Goodneighbor's promised to play nice?"

Geneva started speaking to interrupt him. "After the rains, the upper stands residents have taken the war seriously. With the law we signed for, how did Trish put it - passing the hat, the richest citizens of the Commonwealth held a fund raiser." The woman stood and set a duffel bag full of caps on the table.

Trish's eyes lit up and licked her burned out hole of a mouth where a person's lips would be. She turned to Mayor Kessler. "Bunker Hill's nearly as rich a community.", she heavily implied with her tone.

Kessler gave her an immense side-eye. She turned to Colonel Garvey. "Bunker Hill will present before the General's vacation is up."

Preston turned it back on Trish. "What about Vault 114?"

Trish folded her hands and tried to smile. "Why, we've been providing medical chems at the most reasonable rates and are set to surely do so in the future as the marines will begin casualty heavy assignments. As for those rates, and their coming due..."

Preston shook his head. "Talk to Doc Anderson. She'll sort Vault 114 out."

Trish's maw became thin and spread across her face as she bowed.

"I'm copping a squat on Colonel Bridget's flap back to the Capital Wastes.", Roxxy rasped.

Bridget yelled, "The hell you are!"

Preston held up a hand. "I don't think that's a good idea, Roxxy."

Roxxy's pupiless ghouled eyes stared him down. "First, Atom Cat's Garage has spit and licked every single metal to strut in the Minutemen's arsenal. And minus the jimjam of the Triggermen.

"Second, and let me shoot straight: the General herself keeps saying that the Minutemen answer to the council, not roundabout. So I'm gonna hold a sockhop in Mr. Smithsville, and you're tolling. I've got my x-ray specs on, we're layovering at the garage and collecting kit. But the skeddadle's what's happening."

Preston folded his arms.

Bridget was no where near as quiet. Storming up to the ghoul, she started ranting. "I'm not bringing a dead senator to the General when she comes back from vacation! You're leaving any stupidity at home, in a box, locked and buried under a deathclaw egg. You're going to keep both eyes open. You're not so much as going to take a dump alone, I'm gonna have so many marines on you. You hear me!"

Roxxy leaned away from her more and more in the chair, ending looking like a burned school girl as her hood fell away to reveal a distinct lack of hair loss as even her regular hairdo still held. "Yes, ma'am."

"Then hurry your ass up. You just tacked on time to my meet with some tunnel rats.", Bridget bossed. "Unless Acting General Garvey's got some other bug up his ass."

Preston mostly ignored her. "Olympia?"

Avery nodded. "Supplies are flowing through the port from your Minutemen communities at a pretty good clip.

"I'm not going to speak for Tektus or the synth, but the island's been pretty quiet."

"The Institute's monitoring of the Acadia experiment concurs with those findings.", the Institute representative stated.

Faranheit snapped at the synth. "You're monitoring a Commonwealth community? Still?"

The synth turned to her. "With their full knowledge and permission, and only to the extent that they allow.

"However, since the floor seems to have been granted to the Institute: production of combat application Mark II.5 synths continues. Colonel Bridget's forces have already been bolstered by the newly engineered line. The Institute anticipates the data from the battlefield of their performance as well as the General's victory over the Brotherhood of Steel."

Preston nodded. "Nuka World's still producing supplies as well. They're preparing to petition for community status."

"Ahead of Sanctuary?", Kessler asked.

Preston looked down. "The rains pushed everyone's plans back."

"Anyone hear from the Hubologists?", Ginerva asked.

Kessler answered. "They're buying supplies for electromagnetics. They say that they're attempting to supplement their recovered saucer's, centrifugal force drive or something."

Trish scoffed. "They need to pay attention to what's happening on the ground. There's no reason to go chasing little green men."

"One more thing.", Preston said to Bridget. "Tell MacCready that while he's on his own recognizance, he should be keeping busy. He's a local down there and should know what can be done."