Months passed and expansion went faster than it had before we'd linked up with the Legion proper. The swath of territory that the Legion had taken as they pushed east was brought into compliance with the standards we'd set in the territories we had taken over the past several years quickly.

At the same time, the Church of Atom and the Ala Miraculorum was busy catching up with bringing television signals back online. While television wasn't able to be used to entertainment for at least a few generations, it could be used to keep our territories informed on our progress and to spread word of new laws, expectations, and requests for aid if needed. I had begun making weekly television appearances, going over the progress we were making, congratulating individual territories for certain milestones, or even praising local heroes for acts of bravery, kindness, or their considerable efforts. While every home didn't have a working television in them yet, every Church of Atom did.

My weekly addresses brought everyone in the area that the church serviced to the church each week. I did this on Sunday as a way of paying homage to the old American tradition of going to church on Sunday. It also emphasized the point that they could become local celebrities if tey put in enough effort. This encouraged comradery, made the church a gathering point for social and communal events, and kept everyone focused on the general effort to rebuild the country and take it back from the wastes. The Ala Miraculorum had done a tremendous job shoring up the signal towers all over the reclaimed states and had converted the radio room of the Prydwen into a station capable of sending radio and television signals.

There were, however, a few governors who balked against the new way of things, complaining about the loss of efficiency by freeing slaves, allowing women into positions of authority, or even being held personally responsible for the well being of their citizens. Unfortunately for these few governors, my standards weren't a request. I invited those governors to a small council meeting where I would hear their grievances and see how I could work with them to get the best results.

I'd decided to meet with them on a Sunday and televise the discussion for all of our territory to watch. The Ala Miraculorum had done a wonderful job of creating an entire armor system for one of Meirune's deathclaws so that it could carry mounted cameras and a small, but extremely heavy, portal signal carrier. I waited aboard the Prydwen as we went live to the territories.

I smiled at the camera as the wind billowed through my hair, "Hello everyone! I'd like to thank you all for tuning in this week. I have something important to show you. Even as I speak, there is a vertibird coming to the Prydwen with three governors aboard who do not wish to conform to our way of doing things. They believe the brutal method of subjecting others is the best way to go about things, and think that they're coming to here to discuss a compromise."

I shook my head and put on a stern expression, "Let me be clear when I say that I do not compromise in such matters. You and I are working to get America back on its feet again. And I will not let anyone, be they a common citizen or a governor, jeopardize what we are building so they can cling to outdated, brutal methods of governing. These men will be made an example of."

I turned and faced the docking area as the vertibird approached. The vertibird's wings rotated so the propellers acted like a pair of helicopter to keep the craft aloft while the docking arm extended out and its clamp locked onto the vertibird. Once the clamp was securely in place, the veritbird's propellers were turned off and the docking arm pulled the ship to the jetway. After a minute of locking everything in place, the vertibird's side hatch slid open.

The three governors stepped out, followed by their lieutenant governors, our Legionenvoys, and then the vertibird's pilots. The group walked the jetway to the center pathway where I was waiting alongside T'Preea, Serena, Meirune, and Malpaius.

Malpaius stepped forward, glaring at the men who stood before me, "You stand before your Caesar. Salute and show your respect."

The governors looked at Malpaius, then to me. Their skepticism and contempt were plain to see. Still, they offered half hearted salutes so as not to anger Mapaius or Meirune. They didn't realize I was the one they shouldn't anger. Still, I smiled and offered them a bow of my head in return.

"Governors," I said as I placed my hands behind my back, "I want to thank you for taking the time to travel here to discuss our differences."

"Our differences are perfectly clear," one of the governors said with a taciturn tone. "We do not believe these methods will work to keep the populace under control."

"Nor do we think that such… soft methods will result in a thriving population," another governor said.

I looked up at them, the congenial smile I'd been wearing turning to a dangerous stare, "I see you either ignored the reports my envoys sent or simply don't believe them. And your tones suggest that you're not open to compromise in the slightest."

"We are happy to receive the resources you have pledged to each territory," the last governor said. "We will use them to build and repair what is needed. But we see no reason in giving up our slaves, receiving your church or its acolytes, and we see no value in allowing women to do anything more than they are meant to do by their very nature."

I looked at T'Preea to my right and Serena to my left, then up at the governor, "It's three women who currently lead the Legion, the Church, and the Angeli De Steel, governor. Are you saying we aren't capable of performing our duty?"

"Not as well as a man in your position could have," he spat.

Meirune emitted a low, rumbling growl, but I held a hand up to reign him in.

"A man did run things before I took over," I pointed out. "My grandfather could barely make it here in almost ten years while I conquered and grew the entire eastern seaboard. If you believe his accomplishments are equal to mine, then I have to believe your judgement is flawed, Governor."

He was about to protest, but I pressed on, "And you don't need the Church? The Church of Atom is the single largest provider of aid in this country. It provides food, shelter, medical care, and labor to those who need it. Even now, hundreds of thousands of people are in the churches watching this very conversation while the enjoy fellowship and good food."

"You were brought here by technology that was developed by the Angeli De Steel and improved by the Ala Miraculorum," I continued undeterred. "You want the resources provided by women while claiming a man who couldn't provide any of it could have done it better, even though he had been ruling the Legion for over thirty years."

I looked up at Meirune, "Prostrate them."

Meirune moved remarkably fast, faster than the governors could react. In a blur of motion he had two of them in one armored hand, and a third in the other. He forced them down to their knees and put his maw between them, growling and daring them to resist.

I looked up at the lieutenant governors as Eric and his Praetorian Guard surrounded them, "Watch closely. You should witness the fate of those who would defy me and promote slavery and barbarity."

The men stood there confused, not sure what, if anything, they should do. The governors had gone pale with the threat of Meirune and the realization that I had no intention of discussing terms with them.

"Caesar… please… we can come to some agreement," one of the governors sputtered.

"Be silent!" I barked, using magic to enhance my voice for the first time since I'd been reborn into this world. The words washed over them like a hurricane and they flinched away from them in fear. "I am you Caesar, Merida Orodum, daughter of Atom. Unlike my pretender of a grandfather, I am a true goddess who has come to this word to guide it."

I used some of the stored up radiation within me to create a set of glowing wings and cast a simple levitation spell to raise myself off the ground. I allowed some blue and violet magic to swirl around my hands to add to the effect, "I have come to ensure that all those within my realm are given the best life I can manage to give them, and the three of you have chosen to forsake my desire. Now the people will see how furious their god can be when you choose to defy her will!"

I placed a hand on the forehead of the first governor, my tone damning, "May Atom cleanse you from this world so that you can no longer harm his children or under his will."

I summoned nuclear fire into my hand and in moments the governor was burned to ash in a radiant green flash.

I moved to the next governor and placed my hand on his forehead even as he pleaded for mercy, "You would enslave your fellow man and keep your fellow citizens from being everything they could be based solely on their sex. For your barbarity and short sightedness, I ask Atom to cleanse you from this world."

Another flash of nuclear fire and the man was turned to ash.

The third governor was protesting now, screaming and struggling in Meirune's grip.

"Silence," I said with a cold, authoritative tone. I stared at him and used a simple mind controlling spell to keep him calm and still. He went motionless and stared up at me.

"You would deny your Caesar, refute the good I have done for hundreds of thousands of people, and wish to keep them enslaved," I said to the nearly mindless governor. "By Atom's will, I cleanse you from this world."

Nuclear fire leapt from my hand and scoured the man to ash.

I stared at the three ashen corpses then nodded to Meirune who swiped a massive hand through them, scattering them to winds.

Turning to look up at the lieutenant governors, I put on a dangerous air, "You men were their second-in-command. And now you are inheriting their responsibilities. I trust that I won't be hearing about any more resistance now that you know how I will deal with governors who don't push for the well being of those I have dedicated my life to uplifting. Do we have an understanding?"

The men nodded and bowed their heads, each of them declaring that they would do their best to adhere to my desires.

"Good," I said with finality. "Then you should get back on that vertibird and return to your territories. Get them back in line, and work in accordance with the system we are putting in place."

As the men were escorted back to the vertibird, I turned to address the camera, my face and tone both stern, "What you saw here today was not just the execution of governors who refused to comply with our government, but also the execution of three traitors. Those men have been working with the Enclave, an organization of men and women who want all of us dead. They are hold overs of politicians who saved themselves in bunkers and left their citizens to die during the Great War."

"The Enclave has constantly been working against our efforts and have had a presence in nearly every territory we've brought into the Legion,"I continued. "But with every new territory we take, we gain more and more information of them. They fled from us in Washington, and we've been hunting them ever since. Now, however, thanks to information we gathered from the three former governors, we know where they are and plan on attacking their new headquarters soon."

I softened my expression into a smile and took on a brighter tone, "I will not rest until threats to you, the citizens of this great country, are safe from their threat. Soon, I will be able to announce victory over the Enclave and we will push to western shores of America, reuniting our people from sea to shining sea. I hope you will all continue to do your part so that we can once again be a united people working for the good of our children and generations yet to come!"

"And to the Enclave who, I have no doubt, are watching this broadcast as we speak," I smiled dangerously, "I will say this. You can't run and hide anymore. I know where you are. I could crush you this very moment and be done with you. But your disappearance could only inspire whispers that you were never truly destroyed. However, I will know if you've run. You cannot escape. All you have left to to you now is to decide how you fall."

I walked over and stood with T'Preea, Serena, Malpaius, and Meirune once again, "We are coming for you. I suggest you gather your forces and prepared, because the combine might of the Legion will soon be brought down on you, and the people will be able to watch as we crush you underfoot. We will take our country back from the boogeymen who have hindered its progress, corrupted its leaders, and threatened the very lives of its citizens. You cannot win. We are Legion. And we are many."

With that, the broadcast was over and I looked to the others, "Start preparing for the fight. I want us ready within a week to strike their headquarters."

The others acknowledged the command and set out to see it done.

As I walked back to my quarters with the Praetorian Guard in tow, Eric moved to my side.

"Caesar? May I ask a question?" he said curiously.

I smiled up at him, "Of course."

"I wasn't aware that we'd gotten any information from the governors," he began diplomatically, "but even if we did, can we be sure the information is accurate?"

I chuckled and nodded. I hadn't told anyone beyond T'Preea and Malpaius about what the Ala Miraculorum had actually been doing during the required medical scans for the people we gained control over. I kept the information closely guarded so that I would know who leaked the information if it ever got out.

"Oh, it's accurate," I assured him confidently. "I know precisely where they are and how many are there."

"You're certain you can track them if they run?" he asked curiously.

I smiled up at him, "By the time the Legion first arrived in Boston, I could sense everything in contact with the ground all the way down to New Jersey. My sense seem to compound in their range every year. Now I can essentially sense everything that goes on around the world. Once I know where something is, I can track it. They can't run if they wanted to. My ability to sense things through the ground is directly equal to the range of influence I have to control the stone and ground. I could summon a wall and pen them in if I desired."

"Why don't you?" Eric asked. "If it would keep them from fleeing, why not just trap them and allow our forces to take advantage of that?"

"Because I want to see where any reinforcements come from," I replied. "If they receive aid, or if they receive communications of any kind from out forces, I'll find out about it. The Ala Miraculorum is tracking every signal that leaves our territory now. If there are any traitors still within the Legion, we'll soon know who they are. We can root them out and eliminate the Enclave in one fell swoop."

Eric went quiet for several moments before smiling down at me, "You really do know how to time your moves, Caesar. I feel pity for anyone willing to betray you."

I chuckled up at him, "They won't be betraying me. They'll be betraying our people, and proving themselves a threat. Soon, however, that danger will be behind us."