If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
________________________________
(A/N: Also everyone I have a new novel named "From Couch To The Inquisitor", be sure to check it out and give some power stone)
...
And this time, when Sarah Lyons and Preston Garvey moved north again, they would do so knowing that somewhere ahead, Paladin Brandis was waiting for another opportunity.
Then the next day, the two of then went to the radio tent, that was barely large enough for the equipment inside it.
Two communications operators sat at opposite ends of a folding table, headphones pressed against their ears as they monitored the various Republic frequencies. Maps had been spread across the table, weighted down with ammunition magazines and a battered field manual.
Sarah Lyons stepped inside with Preston Garvey behind her.
Neither had slept much.
The previous night had been spent accounting for the damage.
Now they had to tell Sanctuary Hills exactly what had happened.
Sarah took the receiver.
"Sanctuary Command, this is Sanctuary Actual. Secure channel."
There was a brief hiss.
Then Sico answered.
"Sanctuary Actual, go ahead."
Sarah looked at Preston.
He gave a small nod.
"We were ambushed yesterday."
Silence.
Sico's voice became sharper.
"By who?"
"Paladin Brandis."
Another pause.
Sarah continued.
"He prepared the ground before we arrived. Concealed firing positions, overlapping fields of fire, and multiple assault elements. He waited until the regiments had stopped moving and most of the soldiers were resting."
Preston leaned toward the microphone.
"We managed to establish defensive positions and hold the camp for a while, but the situation deteriorated. We were taking too many casualties and losing vehicles. Staying would have risked the destruction of both regiments."
Sico didn't interrupt.
Sarah continued.
"We withdrew under pressure. The withdrawal remained organized, but we suffered substantial losses."
"How substantial?"
Sarah looked down at the casualty sheet.
"Several killed. A larger number wounded. Exact figures are still being confirmed."
"And equipment?"
Preston answered.
"Several Humvees lost. Multiple supply trucks. One Sentinel Tank was disabled and couldn't be recovered."
Sico's breathing could be heard faintly over the radio.
"What happened to the equipment?"
"We destroyed what couldn't be moved," Preston said. "We weren't going to leave functioning vehicles or military equipment for Brandis to capture."
Sico was silent for several seconds.
"Current location?"
"Approximately six kilometers from the camp," Sarah replied. "We've established a temporary regrouping area."
"Command structure?"
"Intact."
"Communications?"
"Operational."
"Ammunition?"
Preston answered this time.
"Reduced, but sufficient for defensive operations. Not enough for the offensive we were planning without resupply."
"Medical supplies?"
"Our medics are stretched. We have enough for immediate treatment, but the wounded have put pressure on our stocks."
"And vehicles?"
Sarah glanced outside.
"Enough operational vehicles to move, but we're below our previous strength."
Sico finally spoke.
"All right."
His voice was controlled.
Too controlled.
Sarah knew him well enough to hear the anger underneath it.
"Stay where you are," he ordered.
Preston frowned.
"Sir?"
"Do not advance until I tell you otherwise."
Sico paused.
"I want both regiments preserved. You have already paid for this mistake."
Sarah lowered her eyes briefly.
"We understand."
"This isn't about blame," Sico said immediately. "I know Brandis is responsible for the attack. I know you were dealing with a carefully prepared position. But we're too close to Boston Airport to keep allowing the Brotherhood to dictate the tempo."
His voice hardened.
"They just inflicted a serious defeat on two of my best field formations."
Neither commander answered.
Sico continued.
"I'm sending reinforcements."
Sarah looked up.
"How many?"
"Two hundred and fifty soldiers."
Preston exchanged a glance with her.
"Additional equipment?"
"Ten Humvees. Ten trucks. Eight Sentinel Tanks."
Sarah's expression changed.
"And air support?"
"Twelve Vertibirds."
For the first time since the ambush, Preston allowed himself to breathe a little easier.
Sico wasn't replacing their losses.
He was rebuilding the offensive.
"These aren't replacements for the sake of filling empty positions," Sico said. "They're there to restore your ability to fight. You'll need enough strength to protect the three settlements behind you, maintain the supply routes, evacuate casualties, and still push north."
"Yes, sir," Sarah said.
"Don't make the same mistake twice."
"We won't."
Preston leaned closer.
"Brandis won't get another easy opportunity."
"I hope you're right."
Sico's tone softened slightly.
"Reconnaissance comes first. Security comes first. Communication between your units stays continuous. I don't care how close Boston is. We aren't throwing soldiers into another prepared position because we're impatient."
Sarah answered immediately.
"Understood."
"Good. Hold your position. Reinforcements are moving."
The transmission ended.
For a few seconds, the tent remained quiet.
Preston looked at Sarah.
"Well."
She set the receiver down.
"At least he didn't order us home."
"No."
Preston looked toward the wounded being treated outside.
"He still trusts us."
Sarah nodded.
"Then we'd better earn it."
Outside, the work continued.
There was no dramatic pause after the call.
The Republic army had to function.
Medics worked through the afternoon, cleaning wounds, changing dressings, setting splints, and moving the more seriously injured into the rear of the convoy for evacuation.
Some soldiers slept beside vehicles.
Others sat quietly while staring at nothing in particular.
The mechanics had almost no free time.
One Humvee had suffered damage to its steering assembly but could be repaired. Another required replacement electrical components. A truck had taken fragments through its cargo bed and needed welding.
The mechanics worked around the clock.
Quartermasters opened every container.
Ammunition was redistributed according to need.
Fuel was measured and divided between vehicles.
Water was rationed more carefully.
Medical stores were moved closer to the treatment area.
Officers updated personnel lists.
Every name mattered.
Every missing soldier had to be accounted for.
Scouts watched the northern approaches from concealed positions.
Nobody wanted another surprise.
The soldiers knew they had been beaten.
But they also knew they had survived.
That distinction mattered.
By the next morning, the first sound came from the sky.
A low mechanical rumble rolled across the valley.
Soldiers looked upward.
One Vertibird appeared above the eastern ridge.
Then another.
Then another.
Within minutes, twelve aircraft were visible.
Some circled overhead while others began descending toward a cleared landing area prepared by engineers.
The ground shook as the first aircraft settled.
Fresh soldiers climbed out.
Then more.
The reinforcement column stretched along the road behind them.
Humvees.
Trucks.
Armored vehicles.
And finally, the Sentinel Tanks.
Eight of them.
Their crews dismounted, checked weapons systems, and immediately began speaking with the Republic mechanics.
A logistics officer approached Sarah with a clipboard.
"Two hundred and fifty personnel accounted for."
"Equipment?"
"Ten Humvees, ten trucks, eight Sentinels, all present."
"Vertibirds?"
"All twelve accounted for."
Sarah nodded.
"Good."
The fresh troops looked toward the surviving veterans.
There was an immediate difference between them.
The newcomers were rested.
The veterans were not.
But there was no resentment.
The fresh soldiers knew why they had been sent.
They had seen the casualty reports.
They had heard about Brandis.
And they understood that they were joining a campaign already underway.
Sarah and Preston decided not to keep them together.
They split the reinforcement package between the two regiments.
Roughly half the soldiers went to Sanctuary.
The remainder went to Cambridge.
Humvees were distributed among companies rather than held at headquarters.
Trucks were assigned to ammunition, fuel, medical evacuation, and general transport.
The Sentinel Tanks were divided between the two formations.
The objective was simple.
Make both regiments stronger.
Not create another isolated formation that would take days to integrate.
The Vertibirds remained under centralized command.
Their crews received assignments for reconnaissance, troop movement, casualty evacuation, resupply, and combat support.
Briefings began immediately.
New soldiers were shown maps of the Commonwealth.
They learned where the three Republic settlements were located.
They were told which roads were secure.
Which ones weren't.
Where Brotherhood patrols had been seen.
How Republic communications worked.
Which radio channels belonged to which units.
Most importantly, they were shown the valley where Brandis had attacked.
One of the intelligence officers pointed toward the map.
"This is where we lost the camp."
The room became quiet.
A young infantryman raised his hand.
"What did we miss?"
The officer didn't soften the answer.
"Too much."
He pointed at the surrounding terrain.
"Limited observation. Incomplete nighttime coverage. We underestimated the enemy's ability to conceal a force this size. And we stopped moving without knowing what was watching us."
The soldier nodded.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody looked away.
The lesson was understood.
Two days after the ambush, the Republic began moving again.
But this time, the advance looked different.
The road ahead was never allowed to become empty.
Scouts moved far beyond the main body.
Vertibirds flew reconnaissance patterns above the likely approaches.
Flank teams watched wooded areas and abandoned structures.
Vehicles kept greater intervals.
No cluster of trucks or armored vehicles was allowed to become an easy target.
Radio operators constantly exchanged position reports.
"Scout Three to Sanctuary Actual. No movement ahead."
"Cambridge Two, eastern flank clear."
"Vertibird Four, report."
"Possible vehicle movement two kilometers north. Investigating."
Sarah listened to all of it.
She felt the difference immediately.
They were still moving toward Boston.
But they were no longer assuming the enemy would wait politely for them to arrive.
By afternoon, the terrain began to look familiar.
Sarah recognized the ridge first.
Her Humvee slowed.
She looked through the windshield.
There was the valley.
The same valley where the Republic had lost vehicles, soldiers, and ground.
Preston's column was approaching from the opposite side.
His voice came over the radio.
"Sarah."
"I see it."
"So do I."
Neither commander needed to say more.
Brandis had returned.
The Brotherhood had transformed the battlefield into a defensive position.
Power-armored soldiers occupied the higher ground.
Machine guns were dug into prepared firing points.
Obstacles had been placed across the main road.
Several vehicles had been positioned behind cover.
The Brotherhood had learned from their previous encounter too.
They weren't waiting inside a vulnerable camp.
They were waiting for an advancing army.
Sarah looked upward.
Vertibirds circled overhead.
"That's quite a welcome."
Preston answered.
"They remembered us."
Sarah smiled faintly.
"Let's remind them who came back."
The Republic deployed.
Sanctuary took the western side.
Cambridge took the eastern approach.
Sentinel Tanks moved forward behind infantry.
Humvees spread along the flanks.
Recon teams crawled forward and began identifying firing positions.
Within minutes, the Republic knew where most of the Brotherhood's machine guns were located.
Then the first Brotherhood shot rang out.
A second followed.
Then the entire valley erupted.
Machine guns hammered the forward elements.
Brotherhood rifles cracked from the ridges.
Sarah's radio operator ducked instinctively.
"Contact!"
Sarah didn't raise her voice.
"Sanctuary, execute phase one."
The response came almost immediately.
"Phase one understood."
The Republic moved.
Sentinel Tanks advanced behind cover.
Their guns struck the Brotherhood positions one after another.
Infantry moved between them, using the broken ground to close the distance.
On the opposite flank, Preston's regiment began its own advance.
"Cambridge, don't bunch up," he ordered. "Keep the intervals."
Humvees moved through separate lanes.
One took fire and stopped behind a concrete structure.
Its gunner returned fire while the crew repaired a damaged wheel assembly.
The Vertibirds began reporting movement.
"Brotherhood reinforcements moving toward western ridge."
Sarah answered.
"Mark the route."
A reconnaissance team transmitted coordinates.
A Sentinel fired.
The Brotherhood reinforcement route disappeared beneath a cloud of dust and shattered masonry.
The battle intensified.
But this time, the Republic wasn't trapped.
Every advance had another unit supporting it.
Every exposed flank had observers.
Every damaged vehicle had alternatives nearby.
When one company stalled, another moved around it.
When Brotherhood fire concentrated on the tanks, infantry advanced.
When Brotherhood infantry attempted to counterattack, the Humvees shifted position.
The valley slowly began changing hands.
Brandis watched from a command position near the ridge.
He saw the difference.
The Republic was not making the same mistakes.
His officers brought him report after report.
"Western position under pressure."
"Eastern machine gun has been destroyed."
"Republic armor advancing."
"Vertibirds are tracking our movement."
Brandis looked toward the southern road.
"Reinforce it."
"Sir, we need those men on the ridge."
"Move them anyway."
The Brotherhood attempted to shift its defensive line.
But Sarah saw the movement.
"Preston."
"I see it."
"They're trying to reinforce the center."
"Then we'll hit the sides."
The two regiments increased their pressure simultaneously.
Sanctuary pushed against the western ridge.
Cambridge drove toward the eastern defensive line.
The Sentinel Tanks advanced in staggered groups, never allowing all of the armor to become exposed at once.
Brotherhood positions began collapsing.
One bunker was abandoned.
Another was overrun after its machine gun was knocked out.
Several Brotherhood soldiers attempted to retreat toward the rear road.
Republic scouts were already there.
The route was closed.
Brandis realized the situation had changed from defense to survival.
"Fall back to the secondary position," he ordered.
His officer hesitated.
"Sir—"
"Now."
But Sarah saw the withdrawal.
"Preston, they're moving."
"Understood."
"Don't let them reset."
Preston answered immediately.
"Cambridge, push."
The Republic accelerated.
Humvees moved around the flanks.
Infantry advanced through the spaces between ruined structures.
Sentinel Tanks hammered the remaining defensive positions.
Vertibirds tracked Brotherhood vehicles attempting to escape.
The retreat became disorderly.
Brandis tried to restore cohesion.
"Keep your units together!"
A Brotherhood soldier ran past him.
Another dropped his rifle.
Brandis grabbed one man by the shoulder.
"Get back to your position!"
The soldier looked terrified.
"They're everywhere."
Brandis released him.
He looked across the battlefield.
The Republic had learned.
And now the numerical and material advantage had become impossible to ignore.
Still, he stayed.
He moved between positions, directing fire, ordering men toward threatened areas, trying to keep the remaining Brotherhood soldiers from breaking completely.
A Republic tank fired toward his position.
Brandis was thrown against a concrete wall by the impact.
He staggered upright.
"Move!"
His radio operator shouted something.
Brandis couldn't hear it.
The battlefield had become noise.
Smoke.
Dust.
Gunfire.
He raised his weapon and fired toward advancing Republic infantry.
Then a burst of rifle fire struck the position.
Brandis collapsed.
For several seconds, the soldiers around him continued fighting.
Then one Brotherhood soldier looked down.
"Paladin!"
There was no response.
A Republic unit pushed through the position moments later.
The confirmation reached Sarah over the radio.
"Sanctuary Actual, enemy command element down."
Sarah frowned.
"Identify."
The transmission came back.
"Paladin Brandis confirmed dead."
Sarah stopped for half a second.
She looked toward the ridge.
"Understood."
Preston heard the transmission.
"Brandis?"
"Confirmed."
Preston was silent.
Then he said,
"That changes things."
The fighting continued.
The Brotherhood had lost the man holding its defense together.
Some units attempted to flee.
Others surrendered.
Several continued fighting until their positions were overrun.
There was no clean withdrawal.
The defensive network had been broken too quickly.
By late afternoon, the valley belonged to the Republic again.
The same road where Sarah and Preston had been forced to retreat was now filled with Republic soldiers.
Engineers moved forward.
Weapons were collected.
Captured equipment was catalogued.
Damaged vehicles were marked.
Medics treated the wounded.
The Sentinel Tanks remained positioned along the approaches.
Vertibirds continued circling overhead.
The Republic had won.
But nobody celebrated loudly.
The casualty reports were already arriving.
Several soldiers had been wounded.
Some vehicles had suffered damage.
A few infantrymen were missing and still being located.
The victory had cost them.
Sarah and Preston eventually met near the center of the secured valley.
Sarah looked toward the remains of the old defensive positions.
"Same ground."
Preston nodded.
"Different army."
Sarah looked at the road.
"Brandis nearly broke our advance here."
"He understood how to hurt us."
"And now he's dead."
Preston watched soldiers moving among the wreckage.
"The Brotherhood will feel that."
Sarah nodded.
"An experienced commander gone. Someone who knew how we moved."
Preston looked north.
"But killing Brandis doesn't end this."
"No."
The radio crackled.
Another report came in.
"Three settlements remain secure. Supply traffic is continuing."
Sarah closed her eyes briefly.
That mattered.
Behind them, the Republic network still functioned.
The settlements were still connected.
The wounded could be evacuated.
Fuel could move.
Ammunition could be replaced.
Robert and MacCready were still somewhere beyond the Brotherhood's remaining lines.
And ahead waited Boston.
Sarah looked over the surviving soldiers.
Some were sitting against vehicles.
Others were helping the wounded.
Mechanics were already examining damaged engines.
Fresh troops stood beside veterans.
Nobody looked untouched.
But nobody looked defeated either.
Preston stepped beside her.
"We're going to need another plan."
Sarah nodded.
"A better one."
They stood together for a while longer.
The battlefield around them was quieting.
The smoke was thinning.
The road was open again.
But neither commander mistook the victory for the end of the war.
Brandis had nearly stopped them.
Now his death had removed one of the Brotherhood's most capable field commanders.
Then the news or Brandis death reached Boston Airport shortly before dusk.
It did not arrive by radio.
It arrived on foot.
A Brotherhood soldier emerged from the ruins several kilometers south of the airport perimeter, exhausted, bloodied, and barely able to stand. His armor was damaged, his rifle was nearly empty, and one side of his helmet had been torn away.
The sentries initially raised their weapons.
"Identify yourself!"
The soldier dropped to one knee.
"Brotherhood. Third Defensive Group."
The guards moved toward him.
"Where's your unit?"
The soldier looked behind him.
"Gone."
He was taken inside immediately.
Within minutes, word reached the command center.
Elder Arthur Maxson was standing over a large operational map when the doors opened.
Paladin Danse entered first.
"Elder."
Maxson looked up.
"What is it?"
"We have a survivor that said from Brandis's force."
Maxson's expression changed.
"Bring him in."
The soldier was escorted into the room.
He looked exhausted.
Maxson studied him.
"Report."
The soldier swallowed.
"Paladin Brandis established the defensive position in the valley after succesfully ambush the Republic. We expected the Republic to return eventually, but they came with reinforcements."
"How many?"
"I don't know exactly. More than before. Much more armor."
Maxson's jaw tightened.
"Continue."
"They advanced from both sides. Their tanks kept moving while infantry covered them. Vertibirds were overhead. They knew where our positions were."
Danse remained completely still.
The soldier continued.
"Paladin Brandis tried to reposition the line. We lost the western ridge. Then the eastern position."
"What happened to Brandis?"
The soldier lowered his eyes.
"He stayed behind."
Maxson said nothing.
"He was directing the defense when the Republic reached the command position. There was an explosion. We thought he was down, but he got back up. He kept giving orders."
The soldier's voice cracked.
"Then Republic infantry reached the position."
"And?"
"He was killed."
Silence filled the command room.
Nobody moved.
Brandis had not been an ordinary officer.
He had made mistakes.
He had also demonstrated exactly what the Brotherhood needed from a field commander during a deteriorating war: patience, observation, adaptability, and the ability to recognize weaknesses in an enemy before striking them.
He had nearly broken two Republic regiments.
Now he was dead.
Maxson dismissed the survivor after the medical staff arrived to take him away.
The door closed.
For several seconds, the council remained silent.
Kells finally spoke.
"How many men did he have left?"
"Not enough," Danse answered.
Quinlan looked at the map.
"The Republic has regained the valley."
Maxson stared at the markings.
"They'll keep coming."
Nobody disagreed.
The Republic's front had moved steadily north.
The three settlements behind Sarah and Preston remained connected to their supply network.
Their roads were functioning.
Their wounded could be evacuated.
Their reinforcements had restored their combat strength.
And now Brandis was gone.
Maxson moved a marker across the map.
"Distance to the airport?"
Quinlan checked the latest reconnaissance.
"Closer every day."
Maxson's eyes remained fixed on Boston Airport.
Sooner or later, the Republic would reach the perimeter.
Unless the Brotherhood stopped them.
Or delayed them.
Or destroyed enough of their strength to make the advance impossible.
Then another officer entered.
"Elder."
Maxson turned.
"What now?"
The officer carried a fresh report.
"Intelligence has detected additional movement."
"Republic?"
"No."
The room became quiet again.
"The Institute."
Danse's expression hardened.
"Where?"
"Several signs of movement in the approaches toward Boston. Nothing large enough to confirm an assault force yet, but their activity is increasing."
Maxson looked back at the map.
For the first time, the problem became painfully simple.
The Brotherhood was being squeezed.
The Republic was approaching from one direction.
The Institute was moving from another.
Boston Airport sat between them.
Kells spoke first.
"If both forces converge here…"
"We become the battlefield," Maxson finished.
"And our forces are already stretched."
Maxson looked around the room.
"Aircraft?"
"Limited."
"Ammunition?"
"Being rationed."
"Infantry?"
"Committed across the perimeter."
"Heavy weapons?"
"Most are positioned here."
Maxson's hand settled against the edge of the table.
"How long?"
Nobody needed to ask what he meant.
Liberty Prime.
Maxson turned toward Proctor Ingram.
"Ingram."
She stepped forward.
"Elder."
"How long until Prime can actually move?"
Ingram hesitated.
Maxson's expression hardened.
"Don't give me an estimate designed to make me feel better."
"I won't."
She glanced toward Madison Li.
"Madison is still integrating the final data into Prime's software. Navigation, targeting parameters, command routines, and system synchronization all have to be tested together."
"How long?"
Ingram answered.
"Two days."
Maxson stared at her.
"Two days?"
"That's the honest answer."
"Can you shorten it?"
"No."
The answer was immediate.
"If we rush the integration and something goes wrong, Prime could become a very expensive statue."
Nobody smiled.
Maxson looked toward Madison.
She remained at the terminal, surrounded by cables, screens, and technical equipment.
Her expression was calm.
Focused.
Professional.
Nothing about her face revealed what she was truly thinking.
She continued entering data.
Maxson looked back to Ingram.
"Two days."
"Yes."
Maxson nodded once.
"Then we have two days."
His voice remained controlled.
No shouting.
No panic.
But everyone in the room understood what those words meant.
Two days for the Republic to keep advancing.
Two days for the Institute to get closer.
Two days for the Brotherhood to hold Boston Airport.
"Everyone working on Prime stays on schedule," Maxson ordered. "No distractions. No unnecessary demonstrations. No wasted manpower."
Ingram nodded.
"I'll make sure of it."
Maxson turned toward Danse and Kells.
"Defensive network."
Danse straightened.
"Sir."
"Strengthen everything."
"Yes, Elder."
"Inspect every vulnerable approach. Roads, buildings, fields, tunnels, anything that could be used to approach the airport."
Kells immediately began taking notes.
"Patrol rotations?"
"Triple them."
Kells looked up.
"Triple?"
"I want eyes everywhere."
He pointed toward the airport perimeter.
"Reconnaissance teams. Checkpoints. mobile response units. Perimeter guards. I want suspicious movement reported before it reaches weapons range."
"Yes, Elder."
Danse nodded.
"We'll reorganize the defensive sectors."
"And ammunition?"
"Redistribute according to the most likely approaches."
"Do it."
The council dispersed.
Danse and Kells immediately began working.
Within hours, Boston Airport changed.
Patrols became constant.
Checkpoints appeared along roads.
Ruined buildings were searched.
Observation posts were reinforced.
Power-armored troops were rotated through exposed positions.
Machine guns were checked.
Ammunition was moved into protected storage.
Every aircraft landing zone was inspected.
Every road leading toward the airport became a potential battlefield.
The Brotherhood was preparing for two enemies.
And only two days remained.
Far to the south, the Republic continued moving.
Sarah and Preston had no intention of wasting the opportunity Brandis's death had created.
But they also weren't rushing.
Their formations moved carefully through the territory beyond the valley.
Scouts searched abandoned houses before the main body passed.
Vertibirds examined roads from above.
Humvees moved in dispersed groups.
Sentinel Tanks remained close enough to support infantry but far enough apart that a single ambush could not cripple several vehicles at once.
Every halt required security.
Every road crossing was examined.
Every suspicious structure was checked.
Sarah received a report from a scout team.
"Small Brotherhood position ahead. Appears abandoned."
"Confirm."
The scouts moved closer.
"Confirmed. Empty."
"Search it."
A few minutes later:
"Found ammunition crates. Some documents. No personnel."
"Recover what we can."
The Republic moved on.
Further north, Preston's soldiers encountered five Brotherhood troops hiding inside an old maintenance building.
They surrendered after a short exchange.
Preston ordered them disarmed and taken to the rear.
No unnecessary shooting.
No celebration.
The war was moving too quickly for either regiment to become careless.
The three settlements remained active behind them.
Supply trucks traveled between them.
Medical teams rotated forward.
Radio operators passed reports from one settlement to another.
The Republic's territory was becoming a functioning military corridor rather than a string of isolated victories.
Sarah knew the importance of that.
So did Preston.
They couldn't simply advance.
They had to leave something behind that could survive without them.
By the second afternoon after Brandis's death, the two regiments encountered another sign that the Brotherhood was still capable of resistance.
A convoy route had been sabotaged.
A small bridge had been blocked.
A communications relay had been damaged.
The work wasn't enough to stop the Republic.
But it slowed them.
Sarah looked at the debris.
"They're still organized in places."
Preston answered over the radio.
"Brandis is dead. The Brotherhood isn't."
Sarah nodded.
"Exactly."
They continued.
Late that day, scouts reported something unexpected.
"Sanctuary Actual, we've got friendly movement ahead."
Sarah frowned.
"Identify."
"Commandos."
She looked at Preston.
"Robert?"
"Could be."
A few minutes later, several figures emerged from the trees.
Robert walked at the front.
MacCready followed, rifle slung over his shoulder.
The rest of the commandos moved quietly behind them.
Sarah stepped from her vehicle.
"Didn't expect to see you this far forward."
Robert gave her a tired grin.
"Neither did we."
MacCready glanced at Preston.
"Nice armor."
Preston looked at him.
"Nice timing."
Robert nodded toward the north.
"We just finished with a Brotherhood supply team."
Sarah's expression became serious.
"Result?"
"They aren't delivering anything."
Robert pointed behind him.
Farther down the road, several Brotherhood vehicles sat disabled.
Crates had been scattered across the roadside.
A communications unit lay smashed beside one of the transports.
The convoy had clearly been stopped before reaching its destination.
"They were carrying supplies toward one of the northern positions," Robert explained. "We intercepted them before they reached it."
"How many?"
"Enough to matter."
Preston looked at the wreckage.
"Casualties?"
"On our side?"
Robert shook his head.
"None."
MacCready smiled.
"We're getting good at leaving before the unpleasant part."
Sarah looked toward the disabled vehicles.
"What was the destination?"
Robert unfolded a small map.
"Somewhere closer to Boston. We didn't get the exact final destination, but judging by the equipment, they were probably supporting one of the defensive sectors."
Preston studied the markings.
"Then you've just made their resupply problem worse."
Robert shrugged.
"That was the idea."
Sarah looked at him.
"Brandis is dead."
Robert's expression changed.
"Really?"
"Confirmed."
MacCready looked at Preston.
"So the valley wasn't a waste of time."
"No," Preston replied.
"It cost us plenty," Sarah said. "But we took it back."
Robert nodded slowly.
"That'll hurt them."
"It will," Sarah said. "But they're still capable of fighting."
Robert folded the map.
"We've seen that."
The commandos had noticed something else.
"There's increased movement closer to Boston," Robert said. "More patrols. More checkpoints. They're nervous."
Preston looked toward Sarah.
"Maxson knows we're coming."
"Probably."
Robert glanced north.
"And something else."
Sarah waited.
"The Brotherhood isn't the only thing moving."
Her expression hardened.
"The Institute?"
Robert nodded.
"Not enough to call it an army yet. But they're moving closer."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The same realization that had reached Boston Airport had now reached the Republic front.
Two enemies were converging on the same place.
Sarah looked at Preston.
"So it begins."
Preston nodded.
"Not yet."
He looked toward the road.
"But soon."
The commandos prepared to move again.
Robert stopped beside Sarah.
"Where do you want us?"
"Behind them."
He smiled.
"That's where we work best."
MacCready climbed into the Humvee.
"Try not to get ambushed while we're gone."
Sarah gave him a look.
"No promises."
Robert laughed quietly.
Then the commandos disappeared back into the trees.
The Republic columns continued north.
Above them, Vertibirds moved through the evening sky.
Below, the roads carried soldiers, ammunition, fuel, food, medical supplies, and spare parts toward the advancing formations.
Behind them, the three settlements remained connected.
Ahead waited Boston Airport.
Inside the airport, Maxson watched the clock.
One day had already passed.
One remained.
Madison Li continued working beside Liberty Prime.
Danse and Kells expanded the defensive network.
Patrols multiplied across the perimeter.
And somewhere beyond the Brotherhood lines, Republic scouts were already studying the roads leading toward the airport.
Sarah and Preston moved steadily forward.
Robert and MacCready slipped through the rear.
The Institute was approaching from another direction, and this made Brotherhood was trapped between them.
______________________________________________
• Name: Sico
• Stats :
S: 8,44
P: 7,44
E: 8,44
C: 8,44
I: 9,44
A: 7,45
L: 7
• Skills: advance Mechanic, Science, and Shooting skills, intermediate Medical, Hand to Hand Combat, Lockpicking, Hacking, Persuasion, and Drawing Skills
• Inventory: 53.280 caps, 10mm Pistol, 1500 10mm rounds, 22 mole rats meat, 17 mole rats teeth, 1 fragmentation grenade, 6 stimpak, 1 rad x, 6 fusion core, computer blueprint, modern TV blueprint, camera recorder blueprint, 1 set of combat armor, Automatic Assault Rifle, 1.500 5.56mm rounds, power armor T51 blueprint, Electric Motorcycle blueprint, T-45 power armor, Minigun, 1.000 5mm rounds, Cryolator, 200 cryo cell, Machine Gun Turret Mk1 blueprint, electric car blueprint, Kellogg gun, Righteous Authority, Ashmaker, Furious Power Fist, Full set combat armor blueprint, M240 7.62mm machine guns blueprint, Automatic Assault Rifle blueprint, and Humvee blueprint.
• Active Quest:-