We stood on the bridge of the Prydwen looking out at the view before us. We had remained stationary for too long and it was finally time to start moving west. Some of the forces that had been with us for the past few years were sent ahead to inform the local Legion forces of the change of command, new laws, and new opportunities for the citizens in Legion territories. Slaves were to be freed and compensated with land, food, and the means to grow crops. Dedicated security forces were outfitted with the necessary equipment. And, of course, every citizen was slowly given a health check scan. The scans helped us get new information on the Enclave who had infiltrated the territories to manipulate the people and hinder Legion forces.
I turned to look at Serena, "I believe we can move further north. The Prydwen will be able to be seen from a wide enough distance that we don't need to patrol territory that's already under our control."
"You think we should begin making our presence known along our border, Caesar?" Serena asked as she looked down at me.
I nodded, "Indeed. Best not to waste our time. The forces we sent out to spread the word should be enough to get everything in line without us. We need to expand as we go, not cover ground already tread."
Serena nodded in agreement, "As you wish, Caesar." She turned and barked at the helmsman, "Turn to heading 315 degrees. Increase speed to sixty miles per hour."
The helmsmen echoed the command and affirmed his understanding. Slowly, the world beneath the Prydwen turned as our course was redirected.
"How long till we reach our border?" I asked.
"Not long," Serena replied. "Half an hour or so? The Legion didn't so much expand the territory and it claimed a line of territory as it marched."
I nodded and turned to march off the bridge, "Let me know when we arrive. And inform the ground forces of our new trajectory."
"We're already on it, Caesar," Serena said as she and the rest of the bridge crew saluted me as I left.
Eric and the other Praetorian Guards followed my way through the Prydwen as I made my way to the chapel. The door to the chapel had been decorated with banners and symbols of Atom, and lit with nuclear candles which glowed green with soft radiation. It was the one place on the ship that was dedicated to something other than warfare. I stepped inside quietly.
T'Preea stood at a podium, illuminated by green and yellow light that flowed caustically across the stage. She was preaching to a group of soldiers who had taken some of their down time to come and worship at the chapel.
"It is His light that guides us," she said enthusiastically. "But be wary, for just as His light can the way, so too can it be used to burn those who do not hold its power sacred. Atom saw our folly and failure, and burned away our predecessors, making way for a new generation of humanity. And in our darkest our, He has sent us His daughter to lead us. Wielding His light, She unites our people once again. Using His fury, She smites our enemies. Using His love, She gathers the poisonous remnants of His divine punishment into herself, taking on the burden of generations past. We are-"
She stopped and smiled as she noticed me at the back of the chapel and raised a hand to motion towards me, "We are blessed by Her presence, and ask that She guide us true. While She works tirelessly for our future, its is for us to lay down our presents to see Her work done. Meditate how you can best serve Her, and reflect on how you can be of best use to Atom in the future."
T'Preea stepped down from the podium and crossed through the aisles to smile at me, "What brings you here?"
"Nice sermon," I said quietly, not wanting to interrupt the contemplations of the soldiers.
She motioned for me to follow her and led me to a small office to the side of the chapel. Once we were inside, she sat down and looked at me, "I have to keep spreading the word."
"That's precisely why I'm here," I replied as I took a seat. "We're moving north to start expanding. I want to make sure we have enough zealots to proselytize to the people there. I know moving from area tends to run us thin sometimes."
"I was wondering about that myself," T'Preea admitted. "But some of the newer converts mentioned that there were Church of Atom settlements that they'd heard of. I think if we can broadcast the messages over the radio, we'll have volunteers come to us. The real problem will be heading west where they haven't been heard from."
"Do you think pulling members from churches in the east might help to shore up our numbers?" I asked as I considered options.
T'Preea mulled over the suggestion, "That could work. Every church has its hierarchy, and after a few years, there have been some requests from deacons who wish to open their own churches. I could send messages to the churches that any members of a certain rank are welcome to travel west and be granted charge of churches in newly claimed territory."
I nodded, liking the idea, "That sounds like it could work to shore up the numbers. But have them travel north to the Ala Miraculorum, instead. They've been using teleportation technology for years now to get in and out. We can see about setting up a system on the Prydwen, or make a mobile ground system that can be set up whenever we need it. That way travel isn't as big of a deterrent for those who will answer the call."
"You think you can make that happen?" T'Preea asked. "If they can't manage it, then the deacons will have traveled north for no reason."
"I thought you were supposed to be my High Confessor?" I smirked playfully. "Have a little faith."
"Oh, that was a low blow!" T'Preea laughed.
I laughed and stood up, "You walked right into it, though. I'm going to speak with the Ala Miraculorum now and have them start working on the details now."
"Alright," T'Preea replied. "I'll get to work preparing the request and have it sent as soon as possible."
"Thank you, T'Preea," I said as I left the office. I left the chapel and moved further down the Prydwen closer to the engines where the Ala Miraculorum scientists had their laboratory.
It took nearly an hour to go over the details of the teleportation system I wanted to set up and figure out what the best process would be. With their priority access to materials and technology we encountered, as well as the materials they had on hand, they assured me they could work something out. A long range transmission was the primary thing required for the process to work. That meant we would need to find and scrap old radio towers.
My next stop was taking a vertibird down to meet with Meirune. Meirune had taken to remaining groundside with the other deathclaws. The clan had been growing over time and his ability to keep them in line while on the Prydwen was limited. The deathclaws were just as intelligent as he was, but their instincts were still there. Deathclaws were naturally aggressive and seclusive, preferring to live in isolation if they could help it, but extremely aggressive about their territory.
The problem, however, was that they couldn't claim territory since we were constantly on the move. They had adapted to claiming territory within the massive caravan of the Legion's forces. This wasn't a problem since the Legion would simply give them a wide berth and leave it at that. The only problem was that while Meirune was the alpha, he reported to me. This meant that in order to keep the deathclaw's collective aggression in hand, I had to make the occasional visit to 'assert dominance'.
It was a tedious ritual, but one that was important to Meirune's clan. Meirune and I would spar with all the weapons and abilities available to us. A deathclaw in power armor with mounted weapons was an extremely dangerous threat in the wasteland. But I was far more dangerous with my power to dominate the will of creatures born from the wastes. Each time, the moment the fight began, I asserted my will over Meirune and the entire clan at once.
Once the sparring was over with, I announced that we were changing direction. I informed the clan that I needed them to begin making nightly scouting missions, seeking out settlements, dangerous terrain, and bringing back any prey they might find that could endanger the caravan. The deathclaws made excellent night time scouts, and even better natural deterrents. They were apex predators, and with their enhanced intelligence and armor, they became the most dangerous hunters in the wasteland. These directives allowed them to vent their aggression, sate their natural desire to hunt, keep the Legion safe, and bring meat back for everyone to eat.
After the visit with Meirune and his clan I had to meet with the Legates, whose jobs were to direct and train the men. This was probably the most mundane part of my day. Each day I would be informed that the training was going well, how many would be joining the Legion in full, how many would be dropped, and what they expected our forces to look like by the time we reached our next destination.
As we headed west, we would need to constantly update the same things over and over. This was the repetition, the day to day monotony of the Legion, the gears of war that had to constantly grind in order for us to proceed. And with that daily repetition including more and more information on the Enclave, we were now on track to head towards their new headquarters.