Pre A/N: Good day, all.

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. At all.

I have a few irons in the fire, including a few fics. Here's the start of one of them.

Welcome everyone, to Fallout Columbia. A fan re-write of the acclaimed, and heavily criticized, Fallout 3. With this fanfic, I'm hoping to use some of the potential Fallout 3 had, with a new spin on the Capitol Wasteland.

Less Tenpenny Tower, and more Come Fly With Me.

Let's get started, shall we?

Fort Constantine, Maryland

October 20th, 2077

0933 hours

(Why Don't You Do Right? - Peggy Lee)

Personal Journal Entry

Lieutenant Veronica Lewis, 29th Infantry Division

Operation: Soteria. Day Three

Well, this isn't what I expected my welcoming party to be. It's been a while since I last wrote anything down, so let's get up to speed.

Two weeks ago, my unit rotated out of Alaska, and came back to the 'Lower Forty Eight', after three years of pushing and shoving with the Chinese. We finally kicked them out of the Aleutians, and then we were promptly pulled.

Now… here we are. I get to see Connecticut for little more than a week, and it's back in the saddle for me.

Unrest is continuing to mount across the States, but some of the worst is here in DC. I'd tried to keep up with happenings back home in the papers, but I didn't know it was this bad. Before we got here, the Guardies and local PD barely held off a riot at the Super Duper Mart in Grayditch. One cop and one Guardsman were injured. Ten people were arrested. At least nobody got killed.

I still don't know what they expect me and my guys to do about it. We're front line soldiers. Not cops or MPs. We kill Communists. We don't quell civil unrest.

And even if they're labeled Commies, I'm not shooting unarmed civilians. And none of the kids will without MY say so.

Three years dodging PLA artillery, and holding off countless infantry charges. This is my thanks?

What a time to be alive.

I miss Belvoir. The missiles we're sitting on top of make me nervous.

"Lieutenant." Lewis looked up from her terminal. "Sir." She spotted Corporal Donald Sullivan standing in the doorway of her office. He stopped in front of her desk and saluted, a gesture she returned, if more casually. "Orders from Captain Maitland, Sir."

'Donnie' as the boys had taken to calling him, was a typical front line replacement, or FNG, as they were more disparagingly called. A JROTC brat, he only got his NCO stripes from a high school-age program. While reliable and eager, he was very gung-ho, and was probably the only person Veronica knew who was disappointed at the prospect of returning home from Alaska. He'd been with the unit, Bravo Company, 116th Regiment of the 29th Division, for only two months. The only 'action' Donnie had seen was the Battle of Dutch Harbor, which had been part of a short and decisive battle for the Aleutian Islands. The Navy had done most of the heavy lifting, to the extent that nobody had been hurt during the landing. The tiny Chinese garrison was quickly crushed, leaving much to be desired for the new bloods.

Sullivan, a lowly assistant squad leader, had recently claimed an unofficial role as Veronica's message runner, likely in the hopes of being the first to find out about new deployments.

Lewis, who was part of what they called the 'Old Breed', was simply happy that no more of her men, her friends, had been killed.

"Old." She thought. "I just turned twenty five..."

Veronica took the letter from the boy. "You read it?"

"Of course not, Sir." He shook his head. "He said they were for you only."

"The Cap learned quickly with this one…"

With a shrug, she unfolded the letter. It was typed out, and very official, in the Captain's usual way. The man spoke and wrote as if he'd been born with his officer's bars on.

Concluding the note, the Lieutenant looked up. "Pack your essentials, Donnie. And spread the word."

Sullivan perked up. "Sir?"

"We're being mobilized. To Springvale. Cops need their helpers to be more closeby if there's another riot."

The Corporal smiled. "Yes, Sir! Those protesters are traitors to the American way. Police need help putting them down, I'm glad to lend a hand. Or a rifle."

"Tap the brakes on that, Corporal." Lewis warned. "Nobody gets 'put down' without my say-so." Donnie deflated slightly. "Meet in the briefing room. Five minutes."

"Of course, Sir. I'll tell the boys."

With another salute, Sullivan left his Lieutenant's office. She looked down into her mug of lukewarm coffee.

"We're going to need alot more of this…"

With a shake of her head, Veronica finished off her drink and collected her notebook, leaving the room.

Directly outside was the personnel offices foyer. The Lieutenant eyed the door to her office, with the sheet of paper taped to the glass.

Lieutenant Veronica Lewis

ACC

Bravo, 116, 29th

Whoever had pasted the makeshift placard had even doodled the 29th Division's 'Blue and Gray' yin-yang insignia over her name, which was a nice gesture. She let the door close and glanced around.

Bravo Company had been at the base for a few days, so they had had some time to learn the layout. The Personnel Offices were mostly reserved for officers and admin staff. There were a few higher NCOs floating around, in the lounge on the second floor, which is where Lewis headed when she heard a familiar voice. Reaching the top, she found the source, standing in front of the pool table. Her second, First Sergeant James Baker.

"I believe that's a buck fifty, Lee." He said with a smug tone. When Lewis emerged at the top of the stairs, she saw Sergeant Lee, one of the garrison staff, dig into his pocket with a scowl, while Baker shot a sly grin at the one female staff officer. Her 'butter bar' marked her as a Second Looie, and 'Chen' was sewn into her nametape. She arched a brow at him.

Chen was the first one to see Lewis, and the first to acknowledge her presence.

"Lieutenant, Sir." Her heels snapped together and she nodded her head. The smattering of Sergeants acted similarly, to which Veronica simply nodded back.

"As you were." The superior paced towards Baker. "Baker. Need you."

"But I won, Ronnie." The man whined, utilizing his superior's battlefield nickname. "Look. No stripes!" He pointed at the pool table, where a handful of 'solid' balls were sprinkled around. No 'stripes' could be seen, and the Eight Ball was gone as well.

"Congratulations. Now hurry up."

With renewed urgency, Lee handed a wad of cash to Baker, and Lewis promptly took her friend's pool cue away and ushered him out of the lounge.

"And it's 'Lieutenant', or 'Sir', while we're here, First Sergeant." Veronica light heartedly scolded the man while they were in earshot.

"Sorry, Sir. Force of habit. What's goin' on?"

"We're being moved again." She explained once they had gained some distance. "Springvale Elementary School. I want to brief everyone before we go. Find Martinez, Daniels and Lynch. Briefing room in five."

"I imagine Donnie is already there?"

The Lieutenant let out a snort. "Where else would he be?"

"I think he has the hots for you, Sir."

"He's just being an astute and professional NCO. You could learn something from him."

"Like ass-kissing?"

"Precisely." Lewis grinned and elbowed James. "First bit of downtime at Springvale, you're taking his class. 'Sucking Up 101'."

"Hooah." Baker peeled off and headed to the barracks, while Veronica continued to the briefing room. As the pair had predicted, Sullivan was already present, along with the squad he was responsible for under Sergeant Daniels, who were all standing around a bit awkwardly. Donnie smiled and saluted when Lewis entered the room.

"Sir. Privates Tsu, Lawson, Greggor, and Stowe, Third Squad, accounted for."

"Thank you, Corporal." She padded behind the desk at the front of the room, dropping her cover and notebook. Knowing that many in Third squad were new to the game, the Lieutenant looked at them reassuringly. "Have a seat, boys. Once the rest of the company gets here, we'll get into it."

The men and woman all quietly sat down in the elementary school-style chairs, which were each attached to a small desk. Veronica opened her notebook and took out Captain Maitland's message, giving it another quick read, and busied herself by drawing a crude map of Springvale on the chalkboard behind her. She included landmarks like the gas station, the school, the local Vault, a small farm, and the grocery store down the road.

Little by little, Bravo Company filed in. First and Second squad filled out the remaining seats, with Lewis' squad leaders Martinez, Lynch and Daniels taking the front row. Many of the soldiers were toting snacks or beverages, with Simmons and Ricci from First sipping cups of coffee, and Martinez popping snack cakes into her mouth. Baker came in last, closing the door behind him, then standing next to it. Satisfied, the Lieutenant cleared her throat and began.

"Boys and girls of Bravo Company. Welcome. As you've likely heard from Sergeant Baker and Corporal Sullivan, Bravo has new orders. We're being relocated here." She tapped the chalkboard behind her. "Springvale Elementary. Springvale, Germantown, Grayditch and Arlington are hotspots for all this unrest. On Monday, there were riots outside the Super Duper Mart and at the Red Rocket Gas Station. Cops and Vault-Tec are also nervous about that Vault that's up in the hills. Captain Maitland is already at the school and setting up our move. The reason I called you all here is because of the present situation." Veronica began pacing back and forth. "I know we just got recalled from active duty, and now we're being roped in with the National Guard. We don't know the first thing about crowd control. I get that. From my understanding, the local PD just want extra bodies to help out. Some strong, silent types. Bravo might be short handed because of leave rotations, but I think we can still do our part. So everyone pack your gear and muster at the motor pool. Make sure to bring your CBRN gear. Cops have been using teargas for crowd control. I want us mobile within the hour. Baker, get us some transport. Two trucks and a jeep. Simmons, call ahead and tell the Captain we're on our way. Make it happen."

A ripple of 'Yes, Sir!'s swept the room, and within seconds the room cleared out. Lewis went last, veering away from the rest of the Company and to the Officer's Quarters. Inside was another staff officer of equal rank, lounging next to a radio and reading a newspaper. Veronica caught a glimpse of the front page.

STOCK CRISIS! Garrahan Mining On Verge Of Shutdown

Mineral Stocks 'Rocky' After Hornwright Defeats Garrahan In "Man vs Machine" Battle

(Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters- Vict'ry Polka)

"Lieutenant Lewis." The man said in a polite but level tone. Veronica nodded at him as she headed for her rack.

"Lieutenant Williams." She returned the greeting, scooping up her sea bag and opening her foot locker.

"Leaving us so soon? Did Major Greenland scare you off?"

"No. Of course not. She only yelled at me once during our last conversation."

"Where's your lot off to?"

"Springvale." Lewis began packing her few belongings, many of which hadn't been unpacked from her return to the World. "Local forces want a few more pairs of hands. They want folks who look tough from their time in combat."

"Huh. I almost asked why they didn't ask for Delta 7-3, but then you mentioned looking tough." Williams chuckled to himself. "Those kids are softer than snack cakes."

"What I won't miss is those silos in the basement." The other officer tilted his head, while Lewis quickly strapped on pieces of her combat armor.

"Why's that? Anyone tries anything within three thousand miles, we can blast their asses to Kingdom Come."

"Which makes this fort a prime target." Veronica pointed out, pointing a knee pad at the man. "I also know what those bombs do to people. My dad was in Tel Aviv… barely escaped with his life. He told me the stories when I told him I had enlisted in OCS. I just hope I never have to see it first hand."

Williams offered a shrug. "I can understand that. But I doubt it'll come to that. You've seen the papers. Hell… you were there! The Chinese are turning tail. So are the Russians. The war's over."

"Here's hoping it stays over." She muttered, stuffing her books into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Take it easy, Ted."

"You too, Veronica. Stay safe out there."

Next stop would be the base's rather large armory to check out her weapons. One was a .45 Auto that her father had given her before leaving for Alaska. The other being an XM4, commonly called a Marksman Carbine. Reaching the Armorer's window, she handed over her credentials.

The man, a Staff Sergeant, nodded and retrieved both guns. He slid the .45 through the window, but paused while holding the XM4.

"Haven't seen one of these since I was at Nellis." He commented, peering through the scope. "How'd you get one?"

"Traded my R91 for it to a paratrooper in Anchorage. I saved him from getting gunned down while he was snagged in a tree." The Sergeant glanced at her. "Hella accurate, but ammo's hard to come by."

"I used to work with those guys. 82nd?" At Veronica's nod, he snatched two boxes of 5mm rounds from a shelf and passed them through. "On the house. For what it's worth, I hope the muzzle was the last thing a few of them Chinese ever saw."

The Lieutenant accepted the extra ammunition gratefully, but didn't respond to the quip. Instead heading out to the motor pool.

Outside, she found that Sergeant Baker had in fact come through. Two deuce-and-a-half trucks were being loaded with all three squads of her company. Lewis headed to the front, where Private Gomez of Second Squad was waiting in a Jeep.

"Señora." He mumbled politely around a cigarette, holding out the pack to her. She politely declined, tossing her duffel into the back.

Federico, or Freddie as he insisted on, had been with Bravo Company since before Lewis was made the ACC. He'd been at Lynch's side in Second Squad since the 29th arrived in Alaska on New Year's Day 2072. He was an excellent shot and rock solid in a fight, but his soft spoken nature had led to him frequently being passed over for promotion. Veronica had thought of that as a ridiculous reason, since an NCO shouldn't have to be loud and brash in order to get his soldiers to listen to him.

Then again, Martinez had seemingly created a trend with the way she acted.

Lewis pulled her field cap on and sat down next to Gomez, who had already started the engine to the Jeep.

"You're from Springvale, right, Private? What's it like there?"

Gomez shrugged. "There's not much to tell, Sir. It's a quiet little neighborhood. It's more of a 'mini town'. It relies on Grayditch for jurisdictional relations. Only a handful of houses around the school, which is right on the river. Not like your big city hustle and bustle. Maybe a nice place to retire to after this is all said and done."

"Heh. Yeah. We could be neighbors. White picket fences and all that."

"I lived there my whole life, and I think I turned out okay."

"Not from what I've seen." Lewis teased.

"So, you caught me on a bad day once. I don't think that outweighs my nearly six years of exemplary service to this esteemed company."

"Not at all, Freddie."

The convoy received the go-ahead to leave the base, and was greeted by a trio of Arlington County Police Corvegas, who would act as an escort. As they got underway, Veronica spoke again.

"Since you're local, you probably know about that Vault they built."

"Yeah. It got built in winter of '68, practically down the street from my parents house. They got accepted into it, too."

"Good for you." Lewis said whole heartedly. "Prepare For The Future, right?"

"Yeah. But… that means…" The Lieutenant tilted her head.

"What?"

"If things go down…"

Veronica eyed Freddie with a serious expression.

"If things get serious, and your folks get called in, I won't stop you from going."

"I wasn't going to ask."

"You don't have to, because I just gave you permission. Family comes first."

Freddie nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

"Don't mention it."

"How about you?" Gomez turned the conversation to his superior, maintaining an appropriate distance from the police car in front of him. "You say family comes first, but don't talk about your's much." Lewis looked out at the passing autumn scenery, watching as the convoy crossed the Potomac River into Virginia.

"There isn't much to share." She said with a shrug. "My parents are still around. They live in New Haven. Growing up, I was always closer to my mother. No siblings. A couple cousins that I haven't seen in a while. That's about it."

"They know you're here? In DC?"

"My folks do, yeah. That's why I say 'Family comes first'. Because I don't have much of one."

"Hmm. My sisters and I got accepted into the Vault, too."

"Exactly. You're doing better than me."

"I don't know about that, Sir." Gomez spoke modestly as their convoy reached Springvale Elementary. He stopped the Jeep near the front entrance, where the Company's Captain was already standing, along with a high ranking police officer, and someone who appeared to be a business representative.

"Sure you are." Veronica began to climb out and collect her belongings. "You don't have admin crap to deal with, or a bunch of oversized toddlers to babysit." She glanced around. "Looks like we can take over the playground as a makeshift motor pool. Take the Jeep over there and inform the drivers."

"On my way, Sir."

Veronica slung her bag and rifle over her shoulder and approached the Captain, while her squad dismounted their vehicles. She took a quick moment to look around while her superior spoke to the men with him.

Springvale was just like how Gomez had described it. A quiet suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of the Capitol. Small ranch-style houses dotted the roads, and the Red Rocket station at the end of the street effectively marked the edge of the town. If Lewis looked closely at the houses, she could occasionally see the occupants peeking through their blinds and watching the soldiers mill around. Nobody was outside. No kids playing in their yards, nobody out running errands, nobody heading out to work. Near the school's entrance, she spotted a placard message board. 'OCT 11 NO SCHOOL FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE. CHECK LOCAL NEWS FOR UPDATES' According to said news outlets, schools across the DC area were closed due to civil unrest. It all filled Veronica with a feeling of eeriness, which was enhanced by the cool October breeze brushing her face. It was too quiet for a town this close to the city.

Shaking off the feelings, she spotted a gap in the conversation in front of her, and she politely interrupted.

"Captain, Sir." Lewis saluted sharply, a gesture Maitland returned.

"Lieutenant. Glad you're here."

Captain Charles Maitland had been in command of Bravo Company since before Lewis had even joined the Army. While subordinates and superiors had come and gone, he had stayed. He was lovingly called 'Mustang' by the boys, which was a term for enlisted men who stay in long enough to reach a commissioned officer rank. A rarity, especially in wartime.

"This is Lieutenant Taylor Glover, Arlington Police." Maitland introduced his second to the men he was speaking to. "And Mr Clarence Lawton, a representative for Vault-Tec." Veronica shook the men's hands as they were named. "They're our liaisons for the general area, telling us what's needed where. I still need to go through some things with them, so take charge of the company. You know my preferences for Urban Warfare, right, Lewis?"

"Yessir." All too well…

"Good. I've taken the liberty of establishing an Admin in the Principal's Office on the third floor. Have the company establish a presence, then wait for me there. And send me First Sergeant Baker, please?"

"Roger that, Sir."

The pair parted with another salute, and Veronica headed off to find her First Sergeant. She eventually did, in his usual place with his fellow sergeants, chattering away behind one of the trucks.

"Incoming." She heard Lynch mumble, causing Baker to turn around.

"What's that supposed to mean, Dave?" Lewis asked teasingly.

"You know exactly what it means, Sir."

"Whatever it means, stow it. Baker, the Captain needs you."

"But what about Donnie's class?"

"What?" Martinez eyed her friend.

"Later." Lewis said. "Maitland. Now, please."

"Yes, Mom." As James started to leave, Veronica reared back to kick him, but he jumped out of the way too quickly, chuckling as he went.

"Wiseass…" She muttered.

"I still don't get why you put up with him, Sir." Mused Daniels as he stepped all the way out of the truck. "I know he's been company First Sergeant for a long time, but…"

"It's all in gest. And it isn't hurting anybody. As long as you're professional when you need to be, I'll let the little stuff slide."

"Doesn't make it any less annoying." Sergeant Martinez grumbled. Though younger than most in the squad, she was still a hardened veteran who took her role as First Squad's leader quite seriously.

"I hear you, Ash. But you'll just have to make do." Veronica said, in an attempt at reassurance. "Besides… I have to hear it just as much as you do."

"I know that, Sir. I'm just saying." Lewis eyed the young Sergeant for a moment.

Being from Southern California, Martinez was easily the farthest from home out of the Company. Her squadmates Simmons and Ricci were from Rhode Island and New York respectively, with Upham being from Maine and Greene hailing from Tennessee. Ashly, or 'Ash' as she preferred, had likened the riots and general unrest in DC to a similar event in her home city of Los Angeles in the early 90's. Things back then had been far more violent, however, with people being beaten to death by incensed rioters and hundreds of buildings being burned to the ground.

Hopefully, things in the Capitol would be less chaotic.

"I hear you, Martinez." Lewis reiterated. She glanced around at Lynch and Daniels. "Now. Have everyone head inside. Let's have a look around."

The soldiers filed into the Elementary School, with Gomez having an incredibly nostalgic experience. According to him, the school had hardly changed since he had been a student, and he promptly claimed his old fifth grade classroom on the second floor to be where Second Squad bunkered down.

Lewis, as she had stated, clearly remembered the Captain's Urban Warfare practices from their time in Fairbanks.

One: Commandeer a moderately sized and structurally sound multi story building. A landmark if possible, like a school or a municipal building.

Two: Keep the first floor empty. Use only for medical triage or supply storage. Seal off all entrances except for one. Keep a tight watch over it.

Three: Utilize the upper floors for all other purposes. Secure an exit for emergencies.

Four: If the building has a basement, use it to treat wounded and house civilians.

This school had all of the above. During a short tour, Freddie had shown the team the gymnasium in the basement, as well as the abundance of classrooms. Lewis chose a larger one, labeled as 'Miss Cunningham 1st Grade Math', as a muster point.

Some time later, as the rest of the men figured out a watch rotation and claimed different areas of classrooms, Lieutenant Lewis found herself in the principal's office. She'd been in this environment many times in the past, for one reason or another, but today's visit thankfully wouldn't involve discipline.

"So Miss Lewis…" A voice echoed in Veronica's ears as she paced past the desk again. "You say that Miss Kowalski… stole your bottle of chocolate milk?"

"Yes, Mr Cyr." She pictured herself standing in front of her middle school principal, and next to a girl with a bloody nose and split lip.

"And you felt that the best response would be… to punch her in the face, breaking her nose and chipping a tooth."

The ten year old Veronica glanced at the school nurse, who shot a look at her while cleaning Gianna's face.

"Yes." She replied after a few moments, rubbing her finger over the bandage on her knuckle. Breaking the girl's tooth had resulted in a cut on Veronica's fist. The principal looked at her for a time.

"You're aware of this school's policies on fighting. Right, Miss Lewis?"

"Yes, sir. But I wouldn't call this a fight. More…" The girl bobbed her head in thought. "...dealing with a thief."

Robert Cyr let out a sigh. Even this early in the school year, he was already aware of this particular student's reputation. "Call it what you like, Miss Lewis, but you still should have gone to a teacher or cafeteria attendant first. It's part of their job to handle things like this."

"I just didn't want Kowalski spinning some story about what really happened."

"Nobody would believe you anyway, Lewith." Gianna snarked, her voice now carrying a nasal twinge and an even worse lisp. "That wath MY chocolate milk!"

"Bitch, you saw me buy it!"

"Miss Lewis!" By now, Principal Cyr was also aware of the long standing rivalry between Veronica and Gianna, which apparently went all the way back to preschool. For reasons known only to the girls, they had despised each other since the day they had met. Arguments, petty pushing and shoving, and small fights weren't frequent, but they weren't uncommon either. "By now, you two should be well aware of the consequences of this behavior. I will inquire as to which one of you purchased this… bottle of milk." The man almost couldn't believe the ridiculousness of this particular fight's catalyst, but then again, he was the principal of a middle school. "In the meantime, the both of you shall return to class."

"But theethe in my neckths clath." Gianna whined. Veronica snickered at the sound of her voice, which made her rival even angrier.

"Well, you should have thought of that before all of this happened, Miss Kowalski." The girl deflated, still holding a napkin over her lip. "After school, I expect to see both of you here with your parents, so we can discuss this further." Cyr looked up at the nurse. "Mrs Kent, would you please escort these young ladies to their next class?"

"Yes, sir." The older woman ushered the pair of tweens out of the office and off to Language Arts.

In the end, one of the lunch ladies confirmed that Veronica had purchased the milk with the rest of her meal, meaning that Gianna had to have stolen it. Lewis' dad didn't find his daughter's retaliation reasonable and ended up grounding her for two weeks. Her mother, however, sneakily took her out for ice cream the next day.

Part of Veronica cringed when she thought of that time of her life. She and Gianna had seemingly gone out of each other's way to find things to fight about. At some point, a mutual acquaintance had claimed that the two would likely be good friends if they weren't constantly bickering, a notion that Lewis had scoffed at. Looking back, she thought about how truly trivial and dumb the rivalry was. She found herself thinking about Gianna Kowalski, and where she might be now. She could be anywhere in the New England Commonwealth, or anywhere in the world, come to think of it.

"...Lieutenant?"

Lewis snapped her head towards the door and saw Captain Maitland. She didn't know how long he'd been standing there.

"Oh! S-sorry, Sir. Just… lost in thought."

"I understand. There's quite alot going on. Now then…" Maitland sat down behind the desk, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of it. Lewis accepted the invitation. "I've taken the liberty of having Private Gomez, Corporal Sullivan and Sergeant Baker spread the word to the population of Springvale. In the event of any drills, or any type of public emergency, the basement of the school will be utilized as a shelter for anyone who isn't in the Vault Program." Veronica nodded. She had been hoping the Captain would make such a decree. "Lieutenant Glover informed me of his officer's needs with us. We're largely here to assist with crowd control, mostly with our very presence. His men will be handling the actual civilian interaction."

"What's on today's agenda, Sir?"

"Waiting. Mostly. We don't have any students to worry about, as school has been canceled for the Metro Area for the near future. The biggest trouble area is the Super Duper Mart in Grayditch. I'd like to have First Squad act as a QRF, with Second remaining here on stand by. Third will be remaining here permanently, handling patrols and community outreach."

"Would that be because of inexperience?"

"Correct." Maitland leaned back slightly in the office chair. "I wouldn't trust them with crowd pacification. I trust Sergeant Daniels with his position, but the squad under him…"

"I agree, Sir. Out of everyone, First has the most field experience, and Martinez knows how to handle her boys."

"True, but that doesn't mean they get free reign." The Captain stated. "If Sergeant Martinez and her squad are sent out, they don't immediately receive seniority over the local forces who call them."

Veronica nodded. "Understood, Sir. Where am I in all of this?"

"Whenever the QRF is sent out, I want you with them." While this was a bit of a surprise, Lewis didn't offer much of a reaction. "You'll report on things as they happen to me personally. In the meantime, reassume your normal XO duties." He pointed to a smaller desk in the room, likely once used by a secretary. "You may use that desk if you wish. We'll need a supply run from Fort Constantine for anything we couldn't take in the initial move."

"Consider it done, Sir." Lewis stood up and offered a salute, which Maitland returned, before leaving the office.