Briefing Room at

The Castle

General Jones, Colonel Preston Garvey, Lt. Colonel Ronnie Shaw, Elder Maxson, Captain Kells, Paladin Dance, Desdemona, Doctor Carrington, and Deacon were sitting around a large conference table waiting on Shaun to arrive. JJ had told the other two factions that it was the Institute they were waiting for. Elder Maxson was not happy about having the Institute at this strategy session and was fuming.

As a precaution, JJ had donned his power armor, minus the helmet, just in case things went South during the negotiations. He had to make this work if the world had an chance of recovering and rebuilding better than it was.

JJ was trying to calm and reassure him but it wasn't working so well. He decided to switch tactics and go into full blown Military mode.

"Look Elder! I understand your mistrust for the Institute but how many people in the Wasteland feel the same about your Brotherhood of Steel? I WILL NOT tolerate ANY bullshit from ANYONE! The leader of the Institute is my son Shaun. He is older in appearance than I am but I was stuck in cryogenic suspension for over 200 years. He has been out of it for 60 years now."

JJ paused for a bit before continuing. "I have made serious progress in convincing Shaun to use their technology to HELP mankind, not replace it. They have suspended all Synth production at my request. So there will be no fighting between your two factions period."

Captain Kells sat in silence as he had never heard anyone talk to the Elder in the manner he had just heard. He could see that the leader of the Minutemen was used to being in control and was very comfortable with command.

Elder Maxson wasn't used to being talked down too though and it had him angry but also slightly confused. He was mulling over the General's statement in his head when a bright flash filled the room. When the flash faded it left two Coursers and an distinguished looking older gentleman in its place.

At the sight of the Railroad and Brotherhood representatives, the two Coursers quickly drew their issued auto pistols and leveled them at their sworn enemies. JJ didn't hesitate to lunge forward and grab both Coursers by the throats, lifting them high in the air while giving Shaun the stink eye.

"EVERYONE! LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!" He then looked each Courser in the eye. "That includes you two. Don't think, that just because my head is exposed, that you can move your hands fast enough to hit it before I pop your heads clean off. If you do not comply, I will crush your throats." The Coursers knew he wasn't bluffing as a Courser weighed considerably more than an average human yet JJ had lifted them in the air like a leaf. He then looked back at Shaun. "You forgot to tell them WHO you were meeting with?" Shaun shrugged. "I've had a lot on my plate lately. Besides, you seem to have it well in hand." He said with a smirk.

"As I told the others that arrived before you, I will not tolerate any bullshit from anyone. There is a bigger picture here than just your petty problems. We need to unite and put our differences behind us if this world has any chance at survival. Now stand down or die."

The Coursers both moved to holster their weapons as Shaun nodded his head slightly toward them. JJ eased both to the floor and released their throats. They both choked and gasped deeply for air as their faces were deeply flushed from a lack of oxygen.

JJ moved to his spot before exiting his armor directly to the rear of his seat. He looked around the table before slowly lowering himself into his chair. "Now if everyone has all of the crap out of their system, I suggest we get this show on the road."

When no one objected and the Coursers looked deservedly ashamed, JJ continued. "There are several threats to the Commonwealth that all of us are aware of. The super mutants, raiders, feral ghouls, mutated animals, and the Gunners need to be dealt with. But that's not all."

JJ pulled out a holotape and inserted it into the projector on the table. Before turning the projector on, he lowered his head slightly.

"As most of you know, I was born before the bombs fell. I was frozen in a cryogenenic suspension chamber until about six months ago. I have firsthand knowledge of technologies and ideas that most of you have never even dreamt of. I want to work together to bring most of them back to fruition. And to the point, here is one thing that I definitely want to perfect."

With those words, he flipped the projector from standby to active. An image of the alien spacecraft was projected onto the wall. Several more images, to include images of the dead alien, cycled though as well.

"Several weeks ago, one of our satellite monitoring stations recorded a satellite shooting down this craft as it entered Earth's atmosphere. There are apparently several still operational satellites in orbit that are weaponized and are controlled, monitored, and tracked by ground stations. We have repaired and manned all the ones I knew about from before the war and are planning on clearing and manning anymore that we find."

JJ watched the expressions on everyone's faces as he continued. "My best people have been going over the craft learning what we can. It appears to be a short range, armed scout. It has a very limited interstellar capability so I suspect it came to our region of space on a larger interstellar craft or mothership if you will. I believe we can learn even more about it and its technology if we work together."

Every person in the room except those that had already seen the presentation, Elder Maxson, and Shaun, sat there with their mouths hanging open and staring at the images being projected on the wall. JJ noticed the lack of reaction from his son and the leader of the Brotherhood. "Shaun, Elder Maxson, neither of you show much surprise in these images? Is there something we should know?"

Elder Maxson and Shaun looked each other in the eye before Elder Maxson cleared his throat and spoke. "Several years ago, a Zetan mothership was discovered in geosynchronous orbit over the Capital Wasteland. The Lone Wanderer was abducted by it and he destroyed a lot of vital components to disable the ship and escape. As far as I know it is still in the same orbit but only the Lone Wanderer has access to it and he guards its secrets most vigorously."

Shaun nodded in agreement. "We have the same information from our intelligence sources."

JJ thought for a bit. "Well that Mothership can't be the source of the scout ship we have then. There was an actual alien piloting this ship and if this Lone Wanderer is the only one with access, I'm betting there are no aliens on his ship. So with that in mind, we need to find the ship the scout came from. If any of you want to assist in deciphering the rest of the data on the scouts computer, we have it in a secure hanger at Fort Hagen."

JJ listened to the positive murmurs circulating around the room and had to smile. "I also have a few ideas of my own that I would like to try and develop." He pushed a couple of buttons on his pipboy and the projector changed images.

"I took my concept from several sources. It follows along the same way of thinking that brought about the Prydwen but with much more firepower and versatility. The name used for them in my time was Helicarrier. They were fictitious of course but with what we already know from the Prydwen and what we have learned from the alien scout craft, I believe them to be well within our ability to build now." Elder Maxson and Captain Kells exchanged looks which JJ didn't miss.

"Where the Prydwen can carry troops and vertibirds, these can carry fighter jets as well. Some of you may have seen an example of one in front of Arcjet Systems or on the carrier in D.C. that was converted into Rivet City. We don't have to have them to deal with the Gunners and other threats but for future operations outside of the Commonwealth, they will be an invaluable asset."

While the others studied the carefully drawn blueprints, Shaun leaned forward to converse quietly with his father. "That's some pretty bold ambitions. Those will require a lot of refined metal. The Institute can provide the circuitry and electronics you need but the metal may prove difficult."

The others around the table were nodding their agreement with Shaun's comment. JJ tapped a couple more controls on his pipboy and the images changed again.

"This is Saugus Ironworks. It has the facilities and equipment to refine any grade of metal ore. They should be functional still or hopefully at least easy to repair. With the knowledge we are gaining from the alien craft and the knowledge the Institute has stored in its archives, we should be able to upgrade the furnaces to handle even exotic metals that are lighter and stronger than steel."

Amidst the murmurs, JJ poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the table. "There is a small problem though but I feel it can be easily dealt with. The ironworks is occupied by a raider group calling themselves the Forged. So far they have kept to themselves as my Minutemen have slowly grown in power. At the moment we control a settlement to the North and South of the ironworks. Since we escort our supply caravans with a full squad of Minutemen, they have left us alone. I don't expect that to continue indefinitely."

He took a drink from the glass of water. "Any day now I expect them to grow a set of balls and try one of our caravans. To that point, I suggest a joint operation to clear them out if they won't leave peacefully. I recommend my Minutemen run point with fire support from at least three teams from the Brotherhood. Once we are inside, we can use some relay grenades to bring in either some Institute Coursers or Synth Troopers to hold the ground we take."

JJ could tell neither the Brotherhood nor the Railroad liked the idea of the Institute being involved but both could admit the wisdom of having a holding force to guard their backs. "I know that the Brotherhood and the Railroad are not happy with this but I know my son's heart and I trust him. The synths, be they Coursers or earlier generations, will follow his orders faithfully."

Both Elder Maxson and Desdemona knew that JJ was being truthful and would also not tolerate either of them attacking the Institute so they begrudgingly accepted the joint operation. They both also felt it would be suicide to try and take on the Minutemen AND the Institute.

JJ knew he had scored and decided to try and add to his small victory. "Now to the Gunners. They have the numbers and firepower to cause serious problems. My Minutemen and I have cleared a few of their strongholds but they are still seriously entrenched in vault 95, the GNN station or Gunner's Plaza if you will, and Quincy. There were some small checkpoints on overpasses here and there but I crushed them."

Elder Maxson spoke up then. "My Paladins and Knights have cleared a few places that had from three to four Gunners as checkpoint guards. We have also had to defend our Vertibirds from theft from the Gunners. We would be honored to assist in clearing the rest of their holdouts."

Both Desdemona and Shaun added their voices. "We would be honored as well to help put the Gunners out of business for good." Shaun added something extra.

"I have already sent several scientists, escorted by several Coursers, into the Glowing Sea to gather as much data as possible to begin repairing the damage. We have also welcomed a former scientist, that I believe you know Dad, back into the fold. He has made a major breakthrough in reversing one strain of the F.E.V."

That got everyone's attention. JJ had the grace to look a little embarrassed and knew he would have a talk with Shaun about his role in bringing the serum to Virgil.

Shaun looked JJ in the eye and continued. "He was our lead researcher in Biogenetics and was accidently infected with the strain of F.E.V. that turned him into a Super Mutant. He did retain his intellect and was able to reverse the change though. But it was only one strain and the process needs to be refined for the other strains but it is a significant step forward."

Even Elder Maxson was impressed. "That would save a lot of trouble if we could reverse the change and not have to eliminate the mutations with violence. How is the cure delivered?"

Shaun studied the current leader of the Brotherhood of Steel. "Perhaps it would be better if I had the scientist that discovered it make a copy of his research on a holotape for you. As leader of the Institute, I know of the experiments but usually not the specifics unless it is one I am conducting myself. Currently I believe it is only administered by injection though."

With that he spoke something quietly to one of the Coursers. The Courser stood and excused himself before relaying back to the Institute. JJ was lost in thought for a bit. "I might have an idea on how to weaponize the cure. In the first few months after I accepted command of the Minutemen, one of buildings we cleared was HalluciGen. It was government contractor that was working on aerosol gases for crowd control, among other things."

He keyed the intercom and called the desk Sergeant into the conference room. JJ whispered quick orders to the Sergeant and waited for him to exit, closing the doors behind him. "When we clear a building like HalluciGen, we download any computer terminal we find onto holotapes to go over later for usual information."

Elder Maxson realized that the Brotherhood did the same thing and that General Jones wasn't that different from himself. "General, I have a feeling we can work together for the good of all concerned. We came to the Commonwealth with a strong strategy to investigate and if necessary, destroy the source of the energy readings which indicated a high technological advancement that could possibly endanger the world again!"

JJ held his hand up. "I agree that we will be able to work together but let me stop you there. Up until this point, the Brotherhood has been all about controlling technology. But to rebuild the world, we need to embrace technology and learn how to live in harmony with it. I know that sounds cheesy but that's how I feel. Technology can take us to the stars and beyond. But it has to be used in a responsible way and not allowed to be misused the way it was before."

Shaun sat looking thoughtful. "You are referring to my Institute are you not Elder Maxson? As are you General. I have assured you that I heard your argument and I have given serious consideration to the points you brought up. I have personally placed a security lock on the Synth production facility and I am the only one that knows the encryption code."

Arthur Maxson sized up Shaun Jones as if he was seeing him in a new light. "Director Jones, I had not expected that of you. I must say that I am mildly surprised. Though I must say that your Father is very persuasive when he has his mind set on something."

All of the leaders in the room laughed and agreed on that very true point. JJ continued to smile as he continued. "I have a plan in mind, for taking back Quincy, that I would like to put forth for consideration. Preston and I have discussed the tactics used by the Gunners when they hit the town. They blew out one of the support columns of the roadway that allowed them to climb onto the overpass thus giving them the high ground. Any military tactician can tell you once the high ground is won, the battle is basically over. I want to use similar tactics against them."

He paused and looked around the room before continuing. "I have had scouts observing their activities for the last two weeks. I believe it is possible for a small team to slip onto the overpass under the cover of darkness and eliminate the few Soldiers they have there on overwatch.. The Gunners have no night vision capability that we are aware of. They do have two suits of power armor but neither have the helmet attached. If they have them at all, none of the scouts have seen them. Even in their raids against the Atom Cats they do not wear the helmets. That gives us a distinct advantage at night. Not only do most of our suits have both thermal and infrared capabilities but several of our sniper rifles also have thermal scopes."

As he finished the last sentence, he keyed the intercom. "Lieutenant Jefferies, please come in." The door opened and the summoned Lieutenant entered carrying a long case. He placed the case on the table and opened it, revealing a beautiful and deadly looking rifle.

"Over the last few weeks, my squad has been training on these rifles. It is the Barrett M-107A5 Custom Sniper Rifle. Several were found in a hermetically sealed vault at Fort Hagen. It is chambered in .50 BMG or fifty caliber Browning Machine Gun. In the hands of a skilled shooter, it can kill from over a mile away. I personally have taken out a Super Mutant from almost two miles."

Elder Maxson started to speak but the Lieutenant held up his hand to silence him. "I know laser weapons have the ability to hit from a much further distance but they also give away the shooters position with the visible flash. These may not have quite the range of the energy weapons but they retain the element of surprise that is vital to this mission."

JJ suppressed a smile at the obvious discomfort Arthur Maxson showed at being dismissed so casually by a mere Lieutenant that then continued on with his briefing. "My team and I will provide sniper support by eliminating lookouts on the rooftops while General Jones and another team take the overpass. Once the overpass is secured, we will move into an overwatch position on the overpass itself. We will switch to suppressed 5.56mm M-4A6 rifles at that point."

JJ nodded to the Lieutenant. "Thank you Lieutenant. Once Jefferies and his team are in place, I would like the Brotherhood to launch the second phase of the operation. If you could bring six birds with four Paladins or Knights per bird, that should suffice. I would ask that your people form a perimeter around Quincy to prevent any Gunners from escaping. After your men have jumped to the ground, Captain Jacobs will bring his Ranger company in. They will be staged in APC's to the West of the Wilson Atomatoy Factory. We cleared the Super Mutants out of it just last week. The size of the building should shield the APC's from being seen from the town. Our scouts have been slipping into the building to make sure the Gunners don't post anyone there or place traps either."

Elder Maxson got a confused look on his face. "How did you clear out the Super Mutants that close to the Gunners without alerting them to your presence?"

JJ smiled and pulled another smaller case from a cabinet. "That was easy Elder, we did it with these. These were also found in the sealed vault along with the other weapons. They are suppressed Walther MP-5's chambered in 10mm. Myself and several Rangers, using Marine Recon suits, night vision goggles, and stealth boys, slipped into the building at night and killed every Mutey there. We targeted each one with two shooters and each shooter fired two shots to the head. Even Super Mutants don't do well with multiple shots to the head. Of course the Super Mutant that Lieutenant Jefferies spoke of earlier, was the lookout on the roof of that building."

Elder Maxson nodded his acceptance but still had a thoughtful look on his face. JJ could see he still had questions though. "Elder, I can see you are still not clear on something. Please feel free to speak your mind so I can clarify anything that may have confused you."

The young Elder smiled. "Was I that obvious? Ok, you keep saying Rangers. I have heard of the Rangers of the NCR but I don't understand your reference."

JJ could see how someone not of his time could be confused so he elaborated. "Ok, let me explain then. I won't go into every job or M.O.S. (Military Occupational Specialty) but I'll give you the basic breakdown. Before the war, the United States had different levels of Soldiers in its Army. I have trained the Minutemen using the same doctrine that myself and hundreds of thousands of Soldiers in my time were trained under ." He took another drink of water before continuing.

"There was your basic Grunt or Infantryman. They of course were the bulk of the ground fighting force. Next were the Airborne Infantry. They parachuted out of airplanes onto the battlefield, usually to take and control strategic points behind enemy lines. Then you had your Elite Soldiers like the Rangers, Special Forces, and then we had the unit that I was a part of, Delta Force. Delta Force was the best of the best of the best."

Shaun spoke up then. "I have read in the archives about Delta Force. They were extremely good and very dangerous. It was said that once a Delta Force Operator was set on your trail, you might as well sit down and swallow a bullet yourself because your death was inevitable anyway. Father, I had no idea you were in Delta Force."

JJ blushed a little bit. "I actually became Commander of Delta Force after the Battle of Anchorage. We were moved to Fort Hagen under top secret orders since our original headquarters was public knowledge. It seems that was a very smart decision as Fort Hagen survived the war and our original headquarters is a glowing crater. A lot of the tech you have been dealing with from the Enclave was designed by my successor and best friend. He took over command of Delta after I retired."

Before Elder Maxson could get mad, JJ cut him off. "Also from the records I have found, your distant ancestor, Roger Maxson, the founder of the Brotherhood of Steel, was one of my operators. Captain Maxson and several Delta Force Operators were assigned to Colonel Robert Spindel to monitor and protect a West-Tek facility in California. I assume you know the rest of the story from there. I didn't know him well as I was going through the retirement process when he was assigned to the unit."

JJ looked around the room before settling his gaze on the great, great, great, or how many ever greats there were, Grandson of his former Soldier. "But we've gotten off the subject. This is a story for another time. I know we have not discussed participation by either the Railroad or the Institute. But I do not do that as a slight, I just feel that the Minutemen should be the ones to take back Quincy as a way to regain face for the betrayal of one of their own."

JJ looked around at the people seated around the conference table. "Well, this has been a productive meeting if I do say so myself. I suggest we finalize the assault plan for the ironworks so we can start the cleanup and rebuilding of the smelting furnaces if needed."

He brought up the next screen. "These are aerial shots of the ironworks and the area around it. The plan I have tentatively drawn up utilizes snipers here on the overpass formerly controlled by the Gunners and here on upper roof of the Slog. They eliminate the lookouts on the roof and the guard post out front. Once the lookouts and guards have been taken out, vertibirds can insert teams onto the roof while several teams of Rangers infiltrate through the front door. We aren't completely sure of the numbers we will be facing. At least one furnace is active and its heat plume is interfering with our thermal scans."

Desdemona spoke up then. "Our intelligence suggests that there should be anywhere from ten to twenty of the Forged in the building at any given point. That includes their leader, Slag who has a suit of refurbished power armor."

Shaun spoke up as well. "Our intelligence suggests the same thing Father. And they are VERY fond of flame throwers and molotov cocktails. A swift moving covert attack force as you have described should have no difficulty clearing the ironworks. I can have some of my scientists and engineers standing by to assist with the evaluation of the smelters condition."

Not to be left out, Elder Maxson voiced his support. "The Brotherhood can supply several scribes as well, along with Paladins for the rooftop assault force."

Desdemona wanted to help as well. "We can supply whatever assistance you may need from the Railroad. We don't have much in the way of engineers or scientists but we do have an ample supply of shooters. We also have a lot of experience with covert and clandestine operations."

JJ thought about the offers. "Desdemona, we would truly appreciate Glory and a platoon size element of heavies as a reactionary force to cover our backs and secure the ground we take. Deacon would be a good fit on one of the front door assault teams. Lieutenant Jefferies has agreed to run him through a series of training exercises to get him familiar with our tactics so everyone is on the same sheet of music."

Everyone sat around talking softly until JJ stood up. "Ok, I think we have everything ironed out. I want to launch the attack on Quincy at 0500 hours tomorrow. That gives us the cover of darkness to eliminate the sentries before moving on to phase two."

Elder Maxson nodded his head. "My Paladins and Knights will be ready at the appointed time."

"As will my Heavies." Desdemona said.

"The Coursers will be awaiting your order to relay in with Trooper reinforcements." Shaun chimed in.

Neither Elder Maxson or Desdemona were happy with Shaun's announcement but they kept their thoughts to themselves. JJ knew what they were thinking but he said nothing as well but he did lock eyes with Shaun who couldn't quite hide a small smirk.

"I guess that wraps it up for now. There are refreshments being served in the messhall if any of you would like some. Colonel Garvey will show you the way and I'll join you in a few minutes."

Preston stood and escorted the members of the fledgling alliance, except Shaun, out of the conference room and to the messhall.

"They are not at all happy with the involvement of the Institute Father." JJ couldn't help but laugh. "No Son, they are not happy at all. But they will come around as long as we can show them you have truly seen the light and will not be creating more Synths."

He could tell his son was still having problems coming to terms with throwing away over a century of hard research and developments in creating Synths in the first place. "I see it is still difficult for you. I assure you I can find enough projects to keep your scientists fully occupied for many years to come."

Shaun thought that over before getting to his feet. "Shall we join the others? I am actually kind of hungry."

JJ chuckled softly. "That sounds great to me, I'm a little hungry myself. One quick thing though before we get there. How would you like to proceed with the alien scout ship? Should I keep it in its hanger at Fort Hagen or do you want to move it to a secure lab in the Institute?"

Shaun pondered on that for a moment. "I believe it is best we leave it where it is at and I'll send a couple of scientists to work on deciphering the mystery of the alien craft. I doubt the Brotherhood or the Railroad would feel comfortable sending researchers to the Institute to study it there. I am also not comfortable with having their representatives in our facility just yet. Like you said, they will come around but that street goes both ways."

JJ nodded and clapped his son on the back as they headed to the messhall to join the others. They entered the messhall to find the others seated around one of the tables eating and chatting. JJ stood back for a moment and watched the gathering while Shaun made his way to the serving table and accepted a plate from a Private. He then helped himself to the some of the dishes arrayed on the table.

The scene in front of him reminded JJ of some of the lunches he used to have after Staff Meetings before the bombs fell. After a moment's reflection of times gone by, JJ grabbed himself a plate and sat down across from Shaun.

"This reminds me of the days before the bombs fell. We used to have staff lunches after the weekly Staff Meetings. It was always a competition over something between Fort Strong and Fort Hagen. General Brock was the commander of the research garrison at Fort Strong and I was the commander of Fort Hagen. He of course had no idea we were actually Delta Force Command."

JJ couldn't help but laugh at the memories. "We used to have a monthly Physical Training contest and we always smoked his guys asses. They were egg heads and not very physical. But that didn't stop General Brock from talking trash about how his guys were going to win that months competition. They never did though, he just liked talking smack."

He laughed a bit before getting a sad look in his eyes. Shaun noticed and asked him about it. JJ sighed and told the story of finding General Brock's skeletal remains in his office when he and the Minutemen cleaned the Super Mutants out of Fort Strong.

"I'm sorry for your loss Father. You have had more than your fair share of loss it seems. From Mom to your friends in the Army."

JJ looked his son in the eye, smiled and clamped a hand on his shoulder. "He was an arrogant asshole and an ass kisser to the brass in Washington but he didn't deserve to die at his desk like that without being able to put up a fight. At least his research teams perfected the projects they were working on but it didn't save the world from nearly being wiped out."

Shaun thought a bit while toying with some of the food on his plate. JJ noticed and commented about it. "Not fond of our food?" Shaun looked up. "Well, I believe our vegetables are less mutated. And I'm not sure about what kind of meat this is."

JJ took a huge bite of the meat before answering. "Well the vegetables are not the normal ones found all over the Wasteland. There is actually zero mutation in them. I found them in a seed vault in the shelter built for the Mayor of Boston. They were hermetically sealed and there was a wide variety of them. I still have several of each variety if you would like some for you Bioscience guys."

Shaun's face lit up at the thought. "So it was you that beat my Synths to the seed vault? We had no idea what happened to the team we sent to collect the seeds. I sent a second team to find out what happened and found the entire squad had been wiped out and the vault emptied. We assumed the Gunners had caught them unawares and in force."

JJ looked his son in the eye. "Sorry Shaun. It wasn't the Gunners and it wasn't a large force. It was just me and me alone. I didn't even break a sweat doing it. I'm not trying to brag or hurt your feelings, I am just being honest. I am simply a badass." He couldn't quite keep the twinkle from his eye as he said it.

"I'm beginning to see that Father. There were eight Gen 2 Synths and a Courser on that team." That got everyone's attention in the room. JJ smiled. "I still have the holotape of the helmet cam footage if you would like to see it. Even a Courser goes down quickly from a head shot with armor piercing rounds."

JJ held up his hands as he could see Shaun was starting to get a bit agitated. "Ok, just to be clear, this was all done before I knew you were leader of the Institute and before we talked. It was for survival and if there is one thing I do know, it is how to survive. We have a country and a world to rebuild and I still believe we can do it together."

Elder Maxson agreed. "Here Here! I am in complete agreement. You have the full support of my chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. I can't speak for the West coast chapter or any splinter factions that may have sprung up between here and there. But the East coast chapter stands behind you one hundred percent."

Desdemona spoke up as well. "You also have the full support of the Railroad. With your leadership and knowledge of the prewar world, I believe you are our best hope at restoring our world."

Shaun nodded his head in agreement. "I too believe you are our best hope at regaining what we have lost and even surpassing the prewar world. That is why I plan on dismantling the Synth production facility and repurposing its scientists to studying the alien technology. I believe that is our most productive path."

That statement took the whole messhall by surprise and caused some of the people present to reassess their way of thinking. JJ smiled encouragingly to his son. "Well I think that is an excellent idea. If everyone is finished eating, I suggest we call it an evening and that all of us get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow and I wouldn't want anyone groggy and sluggish from lack of sleep. Goodnight everyone and I'll see you bright and early in the morning."

With that he escorted the leaders of his new alliance to their departure points and said goodbye. Shaun was the last to leave and he relayed back to the Institute after embracing his Father in a huge hug.

0500 hours the next morning

One word was spoken over the radio. "Execute." Was all JJ said and Six Gunners died simultaneously. One on a guard post near the Atomatoy Factory, one in the bell tower of the church, three on the overpass, and one on the roof of a house near the Quincy Police Station. The one in the bell tower was in combat armor and had a fat man launcher.

General Jones and a squad of Rangers quickly rushed onto the overpass overlooking Quincy. They moved quickly but quietly to secure the high ground. With the three lookouts eliminated on the overpass, that left four sleeping on dirty mattresses. JJ indicated to take out three of them which the Rangers did without question. The fourth was woken and captured silently. Preston had pointed out the traitor Clint to JJ on a previous recon. Since he was asleep, he was not wearing his power armor. That left one set of power armor unaccounted for.

Once Clint is taken captive he is handcuffed, gagged, and lead to the Atom Cat's garage for safe keeping. JJ then walks to the edge of the overpass and looks down before keying his mike. "Go for phase 2."

The roar of vertibirds and APC's could be heard in the air of the chilly morning. The Brotherhood vertibirds encircled the town as they disgorged their cargo of Knights and Paladins. The Minutemen APC's crashed through the gate to the North of the Quincy chapel. The noise definitely drew out more Gunners only for them to be dropped by Lieutenant Jefferies and his team of snipers now posted on the overpass.

As squads of Minutemen poured from their APC's, more Gunners died in the streets. The Gunners had installed a few machinegun turrets during their stay in Quincy that were destroyed quickly as well.

The second suit of power armor was found near the police station when the wearer smashed a Minuteman's head with the custom fist of her power armor. Before she could turn her rage to another Minuteman, the other members of the dead man's squad opened up on her with their laser muskets. Her power armor absorbed most of the blasts but the Diamond City Guard helmet she was wearing shattered under the impact of multiple rounds from the snipers in overwatch.

Within thirty minutes of the first shots being fired, the battle for Quincy was over. Casualties were light for the Minutemen with two dead and five wounded but very heavy for the Gunners. Of the fifty odd Gunners garrisoning Quincy, Clint was the only one to survive and that was by design.

JJ stood on the overpass with Preston, Elder Maxson, Shaun, and Desdemona. JJ took Preston by the shoulder and looked him in the eye. "This is for you Preston. The Minutemen have redeemed themselves by taking back Quincy. The Atom Cats are sitting on Clint for now but we will take him to the Castle in a few moments. I plan to execute him for treason and broadcast it to the entire Commonwealth. This battle was a piece of cake because we had total surprise. The Gunners won't make it as easy the next time. They still have two major strongholds that we need to eliminate, GNN (Gunner's Plaza) and vault 95."

Elder Maxson hummed lightly to himself before speaking up. "GNN will be fairly easy to take down. You won't be able to use high ground as we did here but the results still should be the same. Vault 95 will be a different story especially if they manage to close the vault door."

Shaun nodded as well. "We have scouted the location thoroughly and our intelligence confirms that the vault door is malfunctioning and not able to be closed. That is the reason for the extensive fortifications and guards at the entrance. But even if the Gunners manage to repair the door, you can use our molecular relay to transport inside the main entrance and use you pipboy to override their systems."

JJ was impressed with the plan and said so before addressing Lieutenant Jefferies. "Lieutenant, load your men up and get them back to base. Make sure they get plenty of food and rest. You and your men will be needed for the assault on the Ironworks tomorrow."He then turned to Shaun.

"You are welcome to observe again or I can radio you the minute we have the Ironworks secure so you can send in engineers to help assess and repair if necessary. But right now, I need to be getting back to the Castle. I have an execution to broadcast." JJ said with a wide smile.

With that he donned his helmet, turned, and jumped from the overpass, firing the thrusters in his suit. It didn't take him long to fly to the Atom Cat garage. JJ was really enjoying the neural interface Jeremy designed. It literally read his thoughts and began tapering back the power of the thrusters until he touched the ground with a feather light touch.

Zeke and Rowdy were watching as the Minuteman leader touched down. "Wow Jack, that's some far out mods on your armor!" JJ couldn't help but laugh as memories of old school TV shows came to mind. He had worked with the Atom Cats several times but they still cracked him up.

"Well, if you play your cards right, I might be persuaded into letting Rowdy take a peek at the software that controls the neural interface."

Rowdy's eyes lit up with joy at the mention of a neural interface. "You actually got a neural interface to work? I've been busting my hump for years to get a neural interface to work."

JJ chuckled again. "Actually it was my best friend before the war. He was a certified genius when it came to technology and gadgets. But right now I have an execution to oversee and broadcast."

He reached out and grabbed Clint by the hair and began dragging him toward a waiting Vertibird he had summoned before landing. Clint began squirming and fighting to get away but it was all to no avail. JJ simply slid his had from the hair to the neck and squeezed lightly causing Clint's eyes to bulge in terror. General Jones held the pressure while slowly removing his helmet to be able to look Clint directly in the eye.

"You betrayed the Minutemen and cost good men and women their lives. If it wasn't for my intervention, the Minutemen would have died out with Preston. What you did is an act of treason and completely unforgiveable. Once we get back to the Castle, I will make an example of you to the whole Commonwealth. I am giving Colonel Garvey the privilege of executing you live on Radio Freedom."

He bodily threw Clint into the open door of the Vertibird and climbed in behind him. "Take us back to the Castle Chief. We have an hard lesson to teach the Gunners." JJ had assigned the ranking system used by the U.S. Army before the war. Most Vertibird pilots were now Warrant Officers with only a few actually carrying the Commissioned ranks like Lieutenant, Captain, and Major.

The flight to the Castle didn't take very long. Within ten minutes of lifting off from the Atom Cat's garage, the Vertibird carrying JJ, Preston, and Clint was circling the Castle to come in for a landing. Clint was beyond terrified and had wet himself on the short flight.

JJ ignored Clint's pleading through his gag for mercy. He grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him out of the Vertibird and toward the desk where Radio Freedom was broadcast from. JJ signaled for two Minutemen to hold Clint while he headed to the Castle catacombs. A few minutes later he returned carrying a stone block with a rounded U shaped notch on it. Also in his other hand he was carrying a shiny Revolutionary Era sword.

He placed the stone in front of Clint then pressed the traitors throat over the U shaped notch. He turned toward Preston and offered the sword, hilt first. "Preston, it was you he betrayed, it should be you to execute him."

Preston looked at the sword while his eyes filled with tears. "General, I don't know if I can do this. I know he betrayed me and my men but I just don't feel right about it."

JJ placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I understand Preston, I really do but it has to be done. Fine, I'll do it. I've had to do far worse and I have a feeling that I will have to do even worse before this world gets better." He turned and walked over to the desk to pick up the microphone.

He paused to take a breath before keying the mike and addressing the people of the Commonwealth.

"Attention people of the Commonwealth. My name is Jonathan Jones. I am the new General and leader of the Minutemen. Several months ago, before I took command of the Minutemen, one of our members turned traitor. He secretly joined the Gunners and helped set a trap for a group of Minutemen in Quincy. That betrayal cost the lives of many good men and women and I consider an action like that treason."

He turned to look Preston in the eye. "In my day, before the bombs fell, treason was punishable by death. I wish I could actually do more than just broadcast it over radio waves. It would be so much more effective if it was shown on television. In the future if more executions are required, I will do my best to do just that. So my next words are for Captain Wes, the current local leader of the Gunners."

He paused for effect. "Your reign of terror is over. You and the rest of the Gunners are living on borrowed time. I have formed a coalition of forces, an Alliance of unlikely factions. We are dedicated to rebuilding this once great country to be even better than it was before the bombs fell. We want a new world where people can live in peace without fear of Raiders, Super Mutants, Feral Ghouls, and unscrupulous mercenaries like you. There is no place in our new world for the likes of you. I am coming for you…. and there is no escape."

He turned to the two Minutemen guarding Clint. "Remove his gag. I want them to hear him beg for his life." Which is exactly what Clint did the instant his gag was removed.

"OH GOD PLEASE NO! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'M SORRY AND PROMISE I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN!"

JJ never raised his voice but the venom it carried could be heard by all that listened to Radio Freedom. "How many of the innocent people of the Commonwealth have said almost those exact same words to you before you slaughtered them?"

With that, he raised the sword over his head and brought it down across the back of Clint's neck with all the strength the servos in his power armor could generate. The blade sliced cleanly, all the way through Clint's neck, severing his head completely. Before the Sergeant at the desk released the button on the microphone, JJ motioned to the two Minutemen guards. "Take that trash out to the burn pit and incinerate it."

He used the back of Clint's jacket to clean the blood off of the sword before turning toward his quarters to replace it on the sword rack. "Also, let's find a different place for the executioner's block." He looked around. "How about over there by the North wall?"

Preston had stood nearly frozen during the entire execution (even though it took less than five minutes). He turned to quietly follow JJ into the Castle. Once they reached the General's quarters, Preston closed the doors behind them. But before Preston could say anything, JJ cut him off.

"I know you have a problem with what I just did but I was serious when I said I consider what he did to be treason. Even in my time, capital punishment was a highly controversial subject. But we are going to do things different this time. Prisons were severely overcrowded with multiple repeat offenders. The system was broken and didn't work anymore. Too many bleeding heart liberals thought the criminals had more rights than their victims. Executing traitors, murderers, rapists, and violent criminals will let everyone know that we mean business. We will not tolerate bullshit like that anymore."

JJ could tell Preston was starting to waver so he pressed on. "Remember the day we met? You told me a brief story of your flight from Quincy. You told me how many you started with and then how many of you were left. Then later you told me that you felt like you were actually looking for a way to die. But then you told me how you felt I had given you a second chance. This world is a brutal place and to make it better, good men will have to do bad things."

Preston pursed his lips together but extended his hand toward his boss. "You're right General. I apologize for my behavior. I knew Clint personally and had worked with him for quite awhile before he betrayed us at Quincy. But you are right, it should have been me. I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

JJ took the offered hand and shook it heartily. "It's ok Preston. We were both raised and trained differently. I was raised with strict rules and trained to show absolutely no mercy to my enemies. Tomorrow is a new day. And while Captain Jacobs and his Rangers take the Ironworks, I will be planning our assault on Gunner's Plaza and Vault 95. I have also assigned another garrison to Somerville Place just in case the Gunners in Vault 95 try to retaliate because of the execution."

Preston blinked in surprise while JJ continued. "I've also asked Sturgis to get several Eyebots repaired and assigned to surveillance to keep an eye on Gunner's Plaza as well. I just called out Captain Wes and told him I was coming for him. If he has any brains at all, he will start making preparations for a preemptive strike or at least send out several covert strike teams. I know that's what I would do if it were me."

Preston looked JJ straight in the eye. "You would send out strike teams or prepare a preemptive strike against even the impossible odds you laid out for him? If so, you're even crazier that I thought." JJ could see a twinkle in Preston's eye.

"Preston, I have fought against impossible odds most of my career. When we went into Anchorage, it was me and five men against 15,000 Chinese. Me and my team were using the new T-51B Power Armor suits that General Brock's team perfected. Our mission was to cut the Chinese supply lines and cut off their main force. We did it and it led to the liberation of Anchorage. I brought all five of my men home alive even though I had to carry two of them on my shoulders for nearly one hundred miles. I got the Medal of Honor for that mission as did my entire team."

Preston looked to his friend with new respect. "You carried two men in power armor for nearly one hundred miles? What about your other two men?"

JJ chuckled. "They were better shots than I was and I wanted them guarding my flanks. The new T-51B's were great armor at that time and had good servo hydraulics. It's nothing compared to that beautiful suit Jeremy designed though. I think I could carry a Vertibird with that armor."

Just then there was a loud knock at the door and the aide could be heard yelling through the door. "General! General you need to come to the Command Center right away. There is word of multiple attacks on several settlements!"

JJ and Preston looked each other in the eye. "Looks like that asshole has some tactical sense after all." Preston looked confused then his face lit up. "You don't think these attacks are the Gunners already do you?"

JJ opened the door and sprinted toward the Command Center while calling back over his shoulder. "I would bet a month's pay that it is!"

New Command Center

of The Castle

"Report!" Was all JJ said as he entered the Command Center. He had set up a new command center in the catacombs of the Castle when the bunks and storeroom had been moved to the North Wing. When the Minutemen had cleared the Castle of the Mirelurks and their Queen, the North Wing had been completely collapsed. Using fresh stone cut brought from Thickets Excavations, JJ had supervised the clearing and rebuilding of the North Wing and other collapsed portions of the wall.

The current Watch Officer snapped to attention and fired off a sharp salute to his commanding General. "Sir, we're getting reports of at least five settlements currently under attack by fire teams of Gunners. Each fire team is utilizing one missile launcher, one fat man, and three light machineguns."

JJ's head snapped up. "Which settlements? And get the Q.R.F. (Quick Reactionary Force) airborne now! Also radio the Brotherhood and Shaun to see if they can help out."

The Watch Officer nodded toward the S.O.G. (Sergeant of the Guard) before answering. At the nod from his Watch Officer, the S.O.G. dispatched the Q.R.F. to the closest settlement under attack. He then radioed The Brotherhood, who also dispatched their own version of a Q.R.F., and Shaun at the Institute. Shaun immediately sent strike teams of Coursers to the other three settlements using the Molecular Relay.

"Somerville Place, Egret Tours Marina, Jamaica Plain, Murkwater Construction, and Warwick Homestead are the five that have been hit. It looks like the Gunners had a patrol out when we hit Quincy and they somehow got orders to hit Warwick Homestead. The other fire teams appear to have been dispatched from Gunner's Plaza and Vault 95. Casualty reports are coming in now."

JJ nodded as he took in the numbers. "Alright, that does it! Not you Captain, I mean this whole situation. It REALLY pisses me off! Keep the reports coming in but you'll need to relay them to me. I'm gearing up and taking the fight to the Gunners now."

Preston turned to protest but one look into his General's eye told him to keep his mouth shut. "Be careful Sir. Please?"

JJ clapped him on the shoulder as he passed but said nothing, his eyes said all that needed to be said. He had a surprise in mind for the Gunners. It was something he had been working on in his very sparse free time. He just hoped it was ready for what he needed. His power armor had the strength to do what was needed he was just unsure about the bulk of the ammunition storage backpack.

JJ sprinted out of the Command Center and headed toward his quarters. He had sealed in the small alcove to the right of his quarters, if you were looking out, and installed a hidden door from his quarters into it. He jumped (literally) into his power armor then slapped the correct stone to open the panel into the alcove. Once inside, he backed up against the pack hanging on the wall. He quickly fastened the clasps, locking the pack containing one thousand rounds of 20mm H.E. (High Explosive) rounds to his armor. He then stepped to the newly customized M-61 Vulcan Gatling Cannon resting in the custom cradle. Lifting the auto cannon, that had been the gun mounted on fighter jets used in the war, JJ activated the Courser chip in his pipboy and relayed to the Institute.

Seconds Later in the

Institute

The operator of the relay was a bit shocked when he saw the massive gun the power armor wearing General was carrying. Shaun was standing slightly behind him as he knew his Father would want to be sent somewhere to help fight off the attack.

JJ turned toward his son. "Give me two Coursers to cover my back then relay me directly to Gunner's Plaza."

Shaun was a bit taken back by his Dad's tone. "Father, please think this through more carefully. I know yo-"

JJ cut him off before he could finish his sentence. But he didn't yell or raise his voice in any way. The same venom that could be heard in his voice just before he executed Clint could be heard now. "I will only say this once. Give me two Coursers and relay me to Gunner's Plaza now or I will go alone and do what needs to be done."

Without speaking, the two Coursers that JJ had lifted from the ground the day before, actually walked passed their Director and stood behind JJ. Both had night vision equipped Institute laser rifles. Each had also loaded the pockets of their armored coats with spare fusion cells. JJ had introduced ballistic weave, from a former D.I.A. (Defense Intelligence Agency) cache, to the Institute and they had already learned to replicate it.

Each Courser turned away from JJ so their backs were to him. Shaun was impressed but a little perturbed they had acted without his orders. He also knew that JJ had earned the two Coursers undying respect. He nodded to the relay operator who then set the coordinates on the Molecular Relay to deposit JJ and the Coursers in the main foray of GNN (Gunner's Plaza). With a bright flash, they were gone…..

Another chapter down. SO SORRY for the long delay. Real life has thrown too many curve balls lately. Also I rushed through the proof reading because I really wanted to get this out. So there may be some grammatical mistakes I missed. But on the plus side, I think my writer's block has finally broken. For now anyway. A quick nod to the Modern Weapons mod I have been playing and loving lately. I hope to get following chapters out much faster in the future. I hope the wait was worth it and until next time, enjoy and please keep reading.