The full council was assembled in the Castle.
"I didn't call this meeting.", the General stated when she walked into the room.
"Of course we know you did not.", Faraday offered. "We did."
The General had reached the front and turned around. The Institute's rep shook its head and Trish shrugged. "And what does Acadia want to put to the floor."
"Not Acadia 'we'.", Rolonda countered. "We, the council, we."
The General folded her arms. "I see. Alright, what are the Commonwealth's concerns."
"There was a disaster at one of the POW camps.", Geneva offered. "Your people had interrogated Talon Company mercenaries for their crimes and moved them to separate units. The ones held that were suspected of the Arefu massacre went to bed as healthy as captured prisoners can be and woke up without blood."
"Was that the unit with the fresh recruits guarding it?", the General asked.
"Yeppers.", Roxxy affirmed.
"Did they see anything? Any of them get hurt?", the General continued.
"Not according to Piper's article in Publick Occurrences.", Rachel replied.
"Hmm...well, if there's no evidence of anything coming from the outside and they were all missing their blood. Vance.", the General called out. "You're probably the best expert we've got on blood in the room, unless the Institute knows something from synth production that you don't. Is it plausible that a blood bug infestation could drain people to death? The ariel assault would explain why the rookies didn't catch it."
The Family representative narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, General. That is a possible explanation for what has occurred."
The General turned to the Institute representative. "Do you agree with my assessment that this could have been blood bugs?"
The Institute representative looked around the room and then back at the woman. "I am not disagreeing with your idea."
"Understood.", the General stated. "We'll mix the rookies in with more experienced people and distribute that experience across the POW camps. Even see about setting up a few more automated turrets, battlefield resources allowing. So is that settled? Or does anyone have more sympathy for the mercenaries I've protected them from? No?"
"Was that it?"
"Michael Masters. Ten Penny Tower.", the ghoul re-introduced himself. "When the Minutemen first contacted us on behalf of the Commonwealth, you weren't in the party."
"You're quite correct in that, Mr. Masters."
"But recently, you've been on the front lines in the assault on Talon Company headquarters.", he continued.
The General shrugged. "I wouldn't say 'lines'. But I was present at the battle, yes. I had promised that I would destroy a threat to Meresti Station's community, after all. Just like I'm pledged to protect all of you."
Roxxy raised her hand. "Rowdy said the Mr. Handy she's working on, Codsworth, says that you were on the front lines when the Lone Wanderer's home town was taken."
The woman shook her head. "I did not take Megaton. If anyone noticed on the way in, their mayor Moira Brown is literally being shown around the Castle by my Colonel of Supplies' attache Anne Hargraves as we speak."
"I was wondering why the author of the Wasteland Survival Guide was around.", Quinn gurgled.
"That having been said.", the General continued. "I did capture members of a mercenary group - because we all know that mercenary work is illegal in the Commonwealth. And yes, the arranging and holding the initial meeting with the town's government was way more controntational than I would like. But I only oversaw the confiscation of the criminal's effects."
Calvin stood. "Overseer McNamar say that you were leading a search party for Lil' Miss Bad Ass in an unexplored, occupied vault. Guns out, surrounded by hostiles, ordering members of the Marine corps and robots to take breaks while you were still down inside who knows where."
"I was coordinating with Special Forces.", the Generals stated. "Okay. What is this actually about?"
Calvin looked at Darcy Pembroke. Then she stared at Darcy. "Fine.", the representative from Diamond City said.
"All of this started after your kind-of-niece was attacked."
"Excuse me?", the General warned.
"Step-daughter to be? Whatever.", Pembroke continued. "There have been Minutemen casualties ever since the start of this council. Sometimes those situations were light but they were still deaths - the Forged, the Rust Devils. And sometimes heavy like in the Gunner Civil War. But you've kept a cool head those times.
"But you also tore the wasteland apart looking for your son and trying to avenge your husband. Raider gangs, supermutant hives, robots that were centuries more advanced than you had in your time, mutated creatures - you didn't care. You were kicking ass and taking the names of survivors. Now as those survivors, thank you.
"However, the Lone Wanderer has been cavorting with the Brotherhood of Steel for as long as you've know about her. She's been attempting to thwart the greater good of the Commonwealth for just as long. Many of the communities present were undermined by her, trying to keep them out of trade and protection and the government itself. But only after she attacked the ambassador/"
"Oh, brother.", the General cursed.
"Only after she attacked Natalie Wright did you go on this tear. You're the head of government and responsible for all of us.", Darcy continued. "You can't keep putting yourself in harms way like this."
The red head breathed out. "If the worst was to happen, I've/"
Sierra spoke up. "I understand what you can do, General. The people of Nuka-World still tell campfire tales of the day you shot your way through three raider gangs of slavers by yourself with no back up. But the reason you need to keep yourself safe is the because you're so special. You're a last resort."
"Preston Garvey is a cutie.", Farenheit stated. "He is not you. Sure, I'll measure him up any day of the week. But Goodneighbor respects you. And as long as Hancock's killers are out there, you aren't allowed to go down.
"I know about ruling by kicking a bit of ass now and again. But the government has got to be for the people. He said that. It's got to be. You work for us.
"Remember when I was going to go down and slit each and every Brotherhood paladin myself? What you told me. How you sent me back to where I was needed."
The Institute representative raised its hand. A feminine voice stated, "The Institute requires your personal services as well."
The General put her hands on her hips. "I am not entertaining this."
Trish gurgled. "Colonel Bridget is the head of the Marine corps because she fought you on the battlefiedl and defied Colonel Cypress. She's so rough and tumble that she started a mercenary rebellion for peaceful governance. Has she ever told you that you were taking to big a risk?"
"What my colonels advise me is not up for public review.", the General stated. "I am not going to hide from my responsibility to lead my people as best as I see fit. Particularly at the behest of the people who have been kept safe by my actions. When I wasn't leading from the front, the Rains came. I am not going to see that happen again just out of a need to protect myself."
The General took a breath. "Look alive. If you want a status report, I have one for you. Every known community and vault in the Capitol Wastes has been accounted for. Every member community and settlement has had Minutemen defenses integrated. Our expeditionary forces are coalesced and set for the removal of Brotherhood of Steel assets from the map.
"And I intend to ensure they are. If it makes you feel better, I will pilot my personal X-01 Mark VI power armor in the remainder of this campaign despite I was stuck in that tin can for a week hunting Colonel Cypress. I will assign Mark II.V synths as my personal body guards. I will even mark Edwards Air Force base as our next target to turn our air superiority into air supremacy. I will even seek out the feedback of my Colonel of Personnel. But I will be continuing to exert total command of all tactical resources including my own placement on the battlefield. Just as I have not compromised the integrity of Piper Wrights journalism, Natalie Wright's experience has not compromised my judgement. And the sooner the Brotherhood of Steel is recycled into biomass and raw materials, safer we all will be.
"Am I, as General, understood?", the General asked the council she regularly advertised that she answered to.
"Yes, ma'am." "The power armor's going to help." "At least the Institute can keep her safe." "If we're the only things in the sky, she'll be able to stay away from the enemy."