Chapter 46: Revelations

Marcus was jolted awake by the sound of Butch yelling his name and shaking him violently. "MARCUS! Come on Marcus, we gotta get out of here!"

The Lone Wanderer took a moment to take in his surroundings. The vertibird had crash landed a few yards behind the Citadel. Most of it's right wing had been ripped off from the impact, and live electrical wiring in the overhead crackled and sparked. Blood was trickling down the right side of his forehead, and he was still strapped in the door gunner's seat. "Is everybody...is everybody okay?"

Butch began to cut him free from the starboard gun. "I think the pilots are dead...and Lyons is hurt pretty bad."

Ignoring his own injuries, Marcus practically knocked Butch over once he was cut free. Sarah was still strapped in and slumped over the port side gun unconscious. Dogmeat, who's front right leg was clearly broken, was whimpering by her side. Marcus carefully lifted Sarah's head and checked for signs of life. "She's got a pulse, but it's faint." He turned to Jericho, who had managed to undo his own harness. "Help me get her out of here. I know what to do."

Jericho dusted himself off. "Oh I'm fine, by the way!"

As Butch, Jericho and Marcus struggled to get Sarah free from the gun chair, Charon woke up to find he was lying on the ground with Clover on top of him. "Could you...get off of me, please!"

The Ghost operative struggled to get up. "Funny...no ones ever said that to me before." She playfully mumbled as she helped Charon on his feet.

Once he'd rebooted his systems, RL-3 was functioning once again. "Somebody's going to get their ass kicked for this!"

Once everyone had exited the downed aircraft, Marcus gently laid Sarah on the ground in the sun. "Come on, baby." He whispered. "Come on!"

As her body began to absorb the sun's ultraviolet rays, the cuts on Sarah's head and face began to heal. Marcus could hear a series of snaps and crunches, indicating that her broken bones were being reset. In less than a minute Sarah's wounds had disappeared, and her eyes began to slowly open.

Marcus released the breath he was holding in and smiled. "Thank God." he whispered.

Sarah slowly sat up. "What happened?"

"We crashed behind the Citadel. The pilots didn't make it, but everyone else is okay."

"SARAH!"

Everyone turned to where the scream had come from, and to their shock, ten year old Arthur Maxson was sprinting toward them; with five Brotherhood Knights desperately trying to catch up.

Marcus helped Sarah to her feet. "Arthur?"

The boy ran right into her and threw his arms around the Sentinel. "Are you okay?"

Sarah couldn't help but smirk as she put an arm around the young squire. It was no secret that the last of the Maxson line had a crush on her. "I'm fine, Arthur, but what are you doing out here?"

Arthur released his hold on Sarah and stared up at her. "Elder Lyons told me to leave the Citadel before the battle, but then I saw you shooting the Raiders from the vertibird. That was amazing!"

The young squire's escorts finally caught up to them, and took a moment to catch their breath. "Sorry Sentinel...he's faster than he looks."

Sarah had to contain a laugh. "It's alright, Knight." she stared down at Maxson. "Though you shouldn't have disobeyed orders, I'm glad you're safe."

The young boy began to blush.

Marcus turned to the Knights. "Any word from the Citadel?"

"It just came over the radio that the enemy has retreated to the other side of the river. The Elder and most of the command staff are safe."

"Finally, some good news." Charon said.

Marcus knelled down next to Dogmeat, and injected a stimpak into the K-9's leg. "We'd better get back there as soon as possible."

"You guys go ahead," Jericho began, "Butch and I are heading back to Megaton and call a meeting of all the gangs." He spit on the ground. "If these Pitt fuckers want a war then we'll give'm one!"

Butch agreed with this boss. "He's right, Marcus. You need us for anything, and we're with ya."

The gangsters' declaration surprised everyone, especially Marcus. "Thank you. Good luck."

Butch and Jericho headed out in the direction of Megaton, and the others made their way towards the battered Citadel.

Ashur and what was left of his force had retreated to the opposite side of the Potomac. The Lord of the Pitt stood on the river bank, staring at the smoldering ruins of his once proud armada. All that remained were the twelve capital ships anchored near Rivet City. One of his messengers quickly approached, and presented him with a steep bow. "My Lord, our forces have taken the Capital Building."

Ashur betrayed no emotion at the news, but continued to stare at his smashed fleet. "Instruct Werhner to leave half of his force at Project Purity, and link up with us at the Capital Building with the rest."

The messenger bowed again. "It will be done, my Lord."

Ashur's gaze left his sunken armada and became fixated on the Citadel. 'All you've done is delay the inevitable, Lyons.' he thought. As his rage and disappointment subsided, a smile crossed Ashur's face. The loss of his fleet was a setback, but only a temporary one. In less then forty-eight hours the main body of his army would arrive in the heart of the Capital, and from there he would crush what was left of the Brotherhood. 'Let Lyons enjoy his temporary victory. In two days, his head will be crushed under my boot.'

Rivet City...

Chief Harkness slowly made his way through the Rivet City Market, which had been turned into a make shift hospital. The cries of the wounded and dying echoed through the carrier's hanger bay, and more patients and corpses were being brought in by the minute. Inside what was left of Garry's Galley, he spotted Angela sitting on the deck. The young woman was covered in dirt, and she had minor cuts and bruises on her face and forehead. Lying next to her was the body of her husband, Diego. Angela sat completely still; a blank and hopeless stare on her face as she gently caressed her husband's hair. Despite the chaos around him, Harkness could hear her humming a song...and nearly broke down when he realized it was the song she and Diego danced to at their wedding.

Though he was trying to look strong for the sake of the city's residences, inside Harkness was numb as he took in the horrific scene in front of him. He'd sworn to protect these people; to shield them from the horrors of this god forsaken world. But despite all of his abilities and powers his creators had granted him, in the end...he was just a useless machine.

"Chief!"

Harkness was snapped out of his train of thought, and turned to find Commander Hill standing behind him. "Commander..." his voice was barely above a whisper. "...what's the butcher's bill?"

Hill had to swallow the lump in her throat. "One-hundred and fifteen confirmed dead, one-hundred eighty-five wounded and sixty people are still unaccounted for."

Harkness' throat went dry. Over half of the city's population was either dead, wounded or missing. "Is the city secure?"

"We've pulled up the land bridge, and everyone not assisting with rescue and recovery is armed but...to be honest Chief, in our current state...we couldn't stop a pack of Brahman from coming in here."

Harkness cursed. "Where are those bastards now?"

"Twelve of their ships are anchored off our bow near Project Purity, but right now they're just sitting there. The rest of the fleet sailed up the Potomac and attacked the Citadel, but from what we've heard on the radio the Brotherhood managed to beat them back."

The thought of the Brotherhood killing hundreds of those bastards gave Harkness some grim satisfaction. "Get the Citadel on the line as soon as possible. Have Flak and Shrapnel take an inventory of our remaining weapons and ammo, and I want your snipers back on deck keeping an eye on those ships. If those bastards so much as launch a dingy in our direction I want it taken out! And have the city council meet me in the conference room."

Hill shifted uncomfortably. "Chief...the council's dead. They were on the second deck when the shelling started. They didn't make it out. You're in charge of the city now."

The revelation hit Harkness like a ton of bricks, and he stood there speechless. No. There was no way he could do this alone. He couldn't even defend the city...now he was expected to run it!

Deciding to break military discipline, Hill stepped closer and gently placed her hand on his cheek. The battle hardened soldier spoke softy to her lover. "Hey, look at me. You can do this...I know you can. I know you feel responsible for what's happened, but right now we need you. I need you."

The synthetic man stared into Hills eyes, and gently placed his hand over hers. In that moment, Harkness knew he wasn't alone...not as long as she was by his side. "Okay...let's get to work."

The Grand Hall, like the rest of the Citadel, was in shambles. A few Scribes had hastenly cleared away the dust and debris, and placed the chairs back in their proper places. The large tactical screen had a few cracks, but the images could still be seen once power was restored. Elder Lyons, Star Paladin Cross, Paladins Tristen and McGraw, were joined by Marcus, Sarah, Charon and Clover. Though the ghoul and Ghost operative were not members of the council, Marcus insisted that they be allowed to attend; and given the current state of things, no one was going to put up much resistance. Just as the meeting was about to start, they were joined by Rothchild. Despite his injuries, the Head Scribe insisted (rather bluntly) that he attend the meeting. After Elder Lyons delivered a quick invocation, the meeting began.

"Casualty reports are still coming in," Tristen grimly stated, "but I think it's safe to say that nearly half of our order has been either killed or wounded."

The statement hit Elder Lyons square in the gut. "Is the Citadel secured?"

Tristen nodded. "Yes, sir." He approached the tactical monitor, and an image of the Capital appeared. "The enemy has retreated to the other side of the river. We estimate more then half of the force that hit us was decimated in the counter attack." He glanced at Marcus and Sarah. "You arrived just in time."

Marcus stared down at the ground. "I just wish we could've gotten here sooner."

Silence filled the room for a moment before Tristen continued. "As everyone knows we lost Project Purity. We've reestablished communications with Rivet City...they were hit hard but they're still in this thing. They report that the remaining twelve enemy ships are anchored hear, between Rivet City and Project Purity. They also report that nearly one-hundred Raiders have left the Memorial, and are heading north - most likely to link up with the force that hit us.

"In downtown D.C., our garrison at the Washington Monument reported that another assault force, numbering between two and three-hundred Raiders, captured the Capital Building from the Super Mutants."

Marcus and Charon looked at each other with shock and disbelief. "Is there any word on Fawkes or Uncle Leo?" Charon asked.

Tristen shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. The remaining Super Mutants have consolidated here...inside the 'no man's land' between the Capital and the Washington Monument."

"We need to reach out to them." Marcus said; concern evident in his voice. "If Fawkes and Uncle Leo are still alive, they can persuade the other Super Mutants to help us."

"Help us with what?" McGraw asked.

"To reinforce the Washington Monument. For all we know, that could be the next target, and we don't have enough Knights to defend it alone."

McGraw looked at the Lone Wanderer as if he were crazy. "You want our brothers to stand shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield with Super Mutants? That's insane! Treaty or no treaty, how do we know they won't turn on us?"

Marcus looked the Paladin dead in the eye. "Because I trust Fawkes with my life...and besides, you've heard the old saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'."

Before McGraw could offer a rebuttal, Elder Lyons stepped in. "Enough! We will radio the garrison and instruct them to make contact with the Super Mutants. I only pray you're friend is still alive, Marcus."

'So do I,' Marcus thought.

With the debate over, Tristen continued with his briefing. "Now it's safe to say that these two forces, the one that hit us and the one leaving Project Purity, will link up with the force occupying the Capital Building, and wait for the main body of their army to arrive from the north." The image zoomed in on an area to the north-east of downtown D.C. "We have no idea where this army is, or it's exact size. Paladin Sanchez estimated it to be a thousand, but it could be more."

Rothchild, who was sporting a blood stained bandage on his forehead, spoke for the first time. "Once these two forces link up at the Capital, they will be in a perfect position to crush all remaining opposition...starting with us."

One could've heard a pin drop inside the room as the full extent of the crisis was laid out in front them. The silence was finally broken by Cross, who placed her powerful hands on the table and shook her head. "How could...how could a force this big, this well armed come from the Pitt?! And their fanaticism! We slaughtered dozens of their comrades, and still they kept coming!"

"Not only that," McGraw said as he reach down next to him, and placed one of the Pitt assault rifles on the table. ",but look at this assault rifle - and this ammo. They both look like they rolled off an assembly line last week!"

Tristen was visible seething. "Someone must be helping these savages. Remnants of the Enclave, maybe?"

Marcus decided to jump in. "Just before one of them died, he said 'hail Ashur'."

No one could miss the sudden looks of shock on the faces of the Brotherhood's veterans. Cross slowly stood up, her legs shaking. "You're...you're absolutely certain...that was the name he said?"

Marcus studied their faces. All of them looked like they'd seen a ghost. "Yes. I'm certain."

Cross, Tristen and McGraw looked towards Elder Lyons - who was hanging his head.

"No!" Rothchild blurted out. "It...it can't be him!"

Elder Lyons' voice was barley above a whisper. Deep down, he knew the truth. "It is."

Rothchild nearly leaped across the table. "No! He's dead! We saw him, Owyn! We saw him die!"

Elder Lyons continued to hang his head and closed his eyes. "It is him, Rothchild. It's the only thing that makes sense."

As she watched the exchange, alarm bells went off in Sarah's head. "Wait a minute! Father you...you know this Ashur?"

The veterans remained silent as they shared looks of guilt, and shifted uncomfortably. The sound of Marcus' fist slamming down on the table made everyone jump. "Enough of the secrets!" he shouted, his patients clearly worn out. "Months ago I tried to warn you of the Raiders coming down from the Pitt, but all I got was stonewalled! Now what the hell happened up there!"

"You're out of line, Knight Commander!" Rothchild yelled.

Marcus turned and faced the Head Scribe. "It's quite clear now they weren't just raiding parties, but recon patrols - mapping out the area and scouting our defenses."

"He's right, honey." Clover chimed in from the corner of the room. "I've been tracking these guys for months, and they were doing more then just site see'in."

Rothchild appeared to loose some of his bluster, and slunk back in his seat. Sarah turned to Owyn. "Father please, tell us. Who is Ashur, and how do you know him?"

Elder Lyons looked up at Rothchild, and the Head Scribe was shaking his head; silently pleading for Owyn not to do this. Lyons closed his eyes once more and took a deep breath. For more than twenty years he dreaded this moment. Finally, he forced himself to look at the people gathered in the room. "His name is Ishmael Ashur...and he was one of us."

Fawkes and the last of the Super Mutants were hold up in an abandoned bunker in the middle of the Mall's no-man's land. Thankfully, the human's had not followed them, and they were able to rest and lick their wounds. The Meta-human had to break up more then a few fights between his brothers, as many of them argued on what to do next.

"WE KILL THEM! ALL HUMANS! NOW!"

"NO! FAWKES IS LEADER! HE SAYS STAY, WE STAY!"

Fawkes could only mourn the loss of his friend in silence. He hadn't known Uncle Leo very long, but he was the only other Meta-human that he could relate too. For months it had been a challenge to keep the treaty they had brokered with the humans, but the two of them had always been able to make it work.

Now, sitting here alone, and with his brothers filled with blood lust, Fawkes began to fear it would only be a matter of time before they turned on him, just like they'd done in Vault 87 all those years ago.

"HUMANS COMING!" One of the lookouts screamed.

All of the mutants grabbed their weapons, and Fawkes was no exception. "Are they coming from the Capital Building?"

"NO...THEY METAL MEN FROM...TALL BUILDING!"

Metal men. The Brotherhood. "Do not fire! I will talk to them." Fawkes cautiously made his way outside the bunker. Several armed Brotherhood Knights were cautiously making their way through the trenches, and Fawkes could see that the leader was caring a white flag.

"Are the mutants Fawkes and Uncle Leo with you?" The leader asked.

Fawkes could tell the man was nervous, and he lowered his Gatling laser. "I am Fawkes. Uncle Leo was killed in battle."

The Knights cautiously moved closer to them. "I'm sorry. We've received word from the Citadel. The Raiders that attacked you are the same ones who slaughtered our brothers at Project Purity. With the Elder's permission, Knight Commander Lincoln wishes to offer you and the rest of your...mutants, sanctuary at the Washington Monument. In return, you help us defend it from attack."

One of the mutants, a Super Mutant Master, stormed out of the bunker, and his sudden movement caused the Knights to raise their weapons. "NO! HUMANS LIE! HUMANS BREAK TREATY!"

Fawkes quickly stepped between him and humans. "NO! These are not the same humans. These are enemies of those humans, and they will help us."

The Master growled. "NO! ALL HUMANS SAME! ALL HUMANS LIE!"

Fawkes tightened the grip on his weapon, and quietly prayed it wouldn't come to violence. "We have no home, no where left to go. If we are to survive, we must join with the Brotherhood. That is what Uncle Leo would have wanted."

Before the Master could reply, one of the surviving Super Mutant Brutes intervened. "Fawkes right. Uncle Leo says metal men are good. He says, trust metal men."

The other mutants within ear shot nodded in agreement. The Master snarled, but stood down, and the Knights lowered their weapons. Fawkes let out a sigh of relief, and turned to the BOS soldiers. "We accept your offer. All I ask is that my brothers be treated well, and that I be allowed to contact Marcus."

The Paladin nodded. "That shouldn't be a problem. Follow us."

"What I'm about to tell you," Lyons somberly began, "is something that myself and all of the veterans who made the journey from Lost Hills swore never to discuss. There are no official records of it; not even in the sacred codex."

Sarah could not contain the shock in her voice. "Father!"

A sigh escaped from the Elder. "I know: to keep things from the codex is one of the most egregious offenses a commanding officer can commit. But when I tell you what happened, you'll understand why I did it.

"Twenty four years ago our chapter left Lost Hills and began the treacherous journey across what was left of North America. Before we reached the Capital Wasteland we stopped in Old Pittsburgh to search for tech. Our historical records told us that when World War III erupted, Pittsburgh once again became the center of America's industrial might. Factories that laid dormant for decades were retooled, and began supplying weapons for the war effort." Owyn took a deep breath. "But instead, all we found was hell on earth. As horrible as the Capital Wasteland could be, at least here there are settlements where people have a chance at a normal life. But all there was in the Pitt was slavery, misery and death. And...we found something else even more terrifying." Lyons turned to Tristen. "Show them, Paladin."

Tristen visibly tensed. He knew what it was the Elder wanted them all to see, and the memory made the battle hardened Paladin sick to his stomach. Without saying a word, he turned to the tactical screen and began typing on the computer. It took a few moments because the file was encrypted, but once he'd gained access, the Paladin opened the file...and everyone's jaw hit the floor.

"Damn!" Charon blurted out. "Now that's ugly...and coming from me, that says a lot."

Marcus, Sarah and Clover's eyes were practically glued to the image on the screen. The creature had dark reddish skin, and though it was humanoid, appeared to walk on all fours like an ape. It had no hair, and appeared to be very muscular and powerful. Combined with it's claws and fangs, and the creature looked like it could rip a human apart with ease.

Sarah could not hide her revulsion. "What...is that?"

Tristen cleared his throat. "They're called Trogs. They're as strong as Super Mutants...but not nearly as smart."

Clover let out a chuckle. "Never thought I'd hear the words smart and Super Mutant in the same sentence."

The visibly annoyed Tristen continued. "Super Mutants can communicate on a basic level and are organized, but these things are just mindless killers. When we arrived at the Pitt, it was infested with these abominations."

Marcus studied the image. "Were they created by the FEV?"

Elder Lyons shook his head. "No...that was ruled out early on. Our scribes worked around the clock to try and figure out what was causing the residences of the Pitt to turn into these creatures. Dubbed the Troglodyte Mutation, every human being in the Pitt was infected with it. Every. Single. One. The best theory was the lead and industrial waste in the Pitt's soil, combined with the radiation, was the cause of the mutation." Owyn turned to Marcus, and for the first time presented a slight smile. "At least...that was your father's theory."

Marcus' eyes shot wide open. "My...my father!"

Owyn nodded. "I am aware that there were many secrets your father kept from you, Marcus, and after he died I struggled with whether or not I should tell you. I decided to honor his wishes and kept silent, but now...all of that is irrelevant. Your father, and your mother, accompanied us on our journey from Lost Hills. They were members of an organization called the Followers of the Apocalypse; a group of scientist and doctors dedicated to helping the downtrodden. Though our two organizations didn't always agree, we would, from time to time, come together for the common good. Still, it was unusual for civilians to accompany us on such an expedition, but your father had a lot of...pull with the NCR."

Marcus leaned in closer. "What sort of pull?"

Lyons couldn't help but smirk. "James' father, your grandfather, was the President of the New California Republic."

The revelation left Marcus speechless. Charon on the other hand, let out a whistle. "Now that's a lot of pull."

Lyons continued. "It was your grandfather, Maximilian Lincoln, who lead the assault on the Posiden oil rig that crippled the western Enclave. At the time his mother Tandi, your great-grandmother and co-founder of the NCR, was President."

"Damn suga, you're practically royalty!"

Marcus sat there with his mouth gaped open. All of this was a lot to take in, and it took him a moment to find his voice. "So you're saying that...my family founded the NCR?"

Lyons nodded. "Yes. It all began with your great-grand father Thomas Lincoln. He was a resident of Vault 13, and in the year 2180 he was sent out into the wasteland to find a water chip for the Vault's failing purification system. It was during his quest that he met Tandi, his future wife, and rescued her from a group of Raiders called the Khans. From that day on he became known as The Vault Dweller."

Charon could not contain his amusement. "So a young man leaves the comfort of his Vault, and heads out into the wasteland where he battles evil and saves the innocent. Now where have I heard that before?"

Marcus rolled his eyes, and Lyons continued. "Anyway after he saved the Vault, the Overseer believed that his time out in the wasteland had made your great-grandfather...dangerous, and he was exiled from the home that he'd risked so much to save."

Marcus let out a bitter chuckle. The irony was not lost on him. "Sounds familiar."

"As I said, you're father tried to find a cure for the Troglodyte mutation but...we did not have the resources for the undertaking. And time...time was not on our side. In addition to the constant Trog and Raider attacks, the longer we stayed in the Pitt only increased our chances of being exposed to the mutation. Plus...there was real concern that the Trogs would escape from the Pitt, and find their way to the Capital. When I asked your father if that was a possibility, he said yes.

"So, based on all of that information..." Lyons struggled to keep his voice from cracking, "...I made the decision to purge the Pitt."

All of the color drained from Sarah's face. "Father are you saying that you..." She couldn't finish the question - it was just too much to accept.

Elder Lyons looked at her with sad eyes. "Yes. We killed every Trog, Raider...and civilian we could find."

Silence filled the room once more. Sarah looked to be on the brink of tears. Marcus balled his fist and wanted to say something...but given his past sins, how could he pass judgment on the Elder whom had given him a second chance.

"You must understand...we couldn't save those people. Turning into one of those monsters was a fate worse than death. At least," Lyons swallowed the lump forming in his throat, "that's what I told myself. There was one glimmer of hope, however. Your father informed me that young children not infected with the mutation, could be saved if removed from the Pitt. During the Scourge, twenty children were rescued, and brought here to the Citadel. Most of them grew up and became members of our order. In fact, you're very close to one of them: Paladin Kodiak."

Sarah's eyes shot wide open. "Greg Bear, he's...from the Pitt?"

Owyn nodded. "Yes - one of the last."

Charon leaned in closer; disgust clearly in his eyes. "Do you think that makes up for what you did?"

Cross stared daggers at the ghoul. "You weren't there!"

The Ranger shrugged. "I guess that's a good thing. I probably would've had a bullet put into my head."

"So how does Ashur fit into all of this?" Marcus asked, desperate to change the subject.

The Elder found it difficult to speak, and Rothchild jumped in. "Ashur was one of our Paladins. He...objected to the decision to purge the Pitt, but he carried out his orders regardless. On the last day of the Scourge we were clearing out the only working steel Mill in the city, when an explosion buried Ashur under rubble. We...tried to find him but...time had run out, and we believed that no one could've survived that."

"Only he did survive," Marcus deadpanned. ",and now he wants payback."

A sigh escaped from the Elder. "Now you see why that is not part of the official history of our order. It is a decision that has haunted me for years, and I thought we had buried the evil we had done in that hell - along with Ashur. But now...that very evil has risen...and it is at our door step."

Marcus sat back in his chair and let out a breath. "So for the last twenty-four years a rouge Brotherhood Paladin, with vast technical knowledge and a grudge, has had access to a functioning industrial center, and an army of slaves who think he's a god."

"It still doesn't explain how he managed to build that armada of warships." McGraw said.

Tristen touched the key pad on the tactical display, and an over view of what was once Pennsylvania appeared. "The Port of Pittsburgh was linked to a network of major rivers, including the Ohio, which led out to sea. From there he could've salvaged ships from the old Philadelphia shipyard, the Coast Guard Yard at Baltimore, hell...maybe even as far north as New York. As you said, he's had twenty-four years to prepare for this."

The mention of Baltimore reminded Marcus of Reilly's Rangers, and he turned to Charon. "Have you managed to get in touch with the Rangers yet?"

Charon shook his head. "No. It's safe to say they've probably gone dark. I'm sorry, but they won't be back for a few days."

"Hold on a second." Sarah chimed in. "You said that everyone from the Pitt is infected with this mutation, but none of these Raiders we've seen have any symptoms."

Rothchild nodded. "You are correct, Sentinel, and that could only mean one thing: Ashur has found a cure."

"No wonder these Raiders are so fanatical." Cross said. "They truly believe him to be some kind of god...a savior."

"It also gives him the means to control the Pitt's entire population." Tristen added. "If you appose him, your condemned to become a Trog."

"Regardless," the Elder began, "we must come up with a battle plan to defeat this enemy. Suggestions?"

Silence was all that greeted the Elder for a few moments, until at last Marcus spoke up. "We have to take the fight to the Pitt."

The idea was so incredible that Paladin Tristen could barely find his voice. "Attack...them?!"

One look at Marcus, and everyone in the room could tell he was serious. "The Pitt is his seat of power, and it's the war machine that feeds and supplies his army. If we can take the fight to him, and destroy those factories, we just might cripple his army and force him to leave the Capital."

Cross slammed her fist down on the table. "Then I say we use the Hercules weapons platform, and raze that place to the ground!"

The mention of the weapons satellite caused a knot to form in the pit of Marcus' stomach, and he hung his head.

"NO!" Elder Lyons vehemently stated. "I will not use a weapon of mass destruction on a population center!"

Cross was seething. "But Elder..."

"Enough! I will not bring further dishonor to this order by committing another atrocity! That is my final word on the matter!"

Cross wanted to continue to argue the point, but she reluctantly backed down.

McGraw sighed in defeat. "It's a solid plan...but I'm afraid we don't have enough forces to carry it out. We barley have enough to defend what we have left."

Marcus shook his head. "We don't need to launch a full scale attack. Sarah and I can lead a small team and infiltrate the Pitt. We'll destroy the Mill and capture the cure Ashur's using to control everyone there."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "Without that cure, I doubt his followers will be so eager to die for him."

"We can't afford to send anyone on this...this suicide mission!" Tristen bluntly stated. "Ashur has us outnumbered, out flanked and out gunned, and on top of all of that he has the Purifier! He doesn't have to crush us, all he has to do is sit back and bleed us dry!"

Marcus sat there in silence as he considered the Paladin's words. It was true that the situation looked bleak...worse then it had been during the Enclave war. The memory of their old nemesis gave him an idea. "We'll make our way to GNR and appeal to the people of the Capital to join us - just like they did against the Enclave."

Rothchild scoffed at the idea. "Speeches are not going to win this war, Marcus."

Clover shrugged her shoulders and smirked. "I don't know, suga...Marcus' speeches always get me fired up."

Trying his best to ignore her, (and the death stare Sarah shot his way), Marcus continued to press. "Once the people know what Ashur has planned for them, they will fight back. As for the water situation, I'll contact Vault 101 and ask them to increase production from their own water purifier. That should buy us some time."

Tristen pointed to the tactical display. "We have no idea what's up there, and we still have little to no intel on the army that's heading our way."

Marcus and Sarah looked to each other. They each knew what the other was thinking, and after a few moments Marcus seemed to reluctantly nod his head. Sarah turned to the rest of the council. "Marcus and I know where we can get the intel we need...and where we can get some extra firepower to even the odds."

Tristen's eyes narrowed. "Where?"

Sarah looked to her father. It took the Elder a few seconds, but soon he could see what she was alluding to. Aside from his daughter and Marcus, Owyn Lyons was the only other person in the Brothehood who knew of Mothership Zeta. He turned to the Paladin. "You may want to sit down for this..."

With the meeting adjourned, Marcus, Sarah, Charon and Clover made there way into the Citadel's courtyard. The BOS soldiers were still in the process of clearing out all of the bodies...and too many of them were Brotherhood. The four companions were joined by RL-3 and Dogmeat.

"So," Charon began, "you think your alien friends will be able to help us?"

Marcus sighed as he looked out at the devastation. "They'd better."

Clover let out a chuckle. "So you two were actually abducted by aliens? Damn, I miss all the fun! Tell me, suga were there any...probes involved?"

Sarah had had enough. "Now you listen to me you..."

Marcus stepped between them with his hands raised. "Easy, Sarah! She doesn't mean anything by it, it's just...her sense of humor, that's all."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Oh...so I guess that kiss back at the relay was just a joke?"

Before Marcus could utter a response, Sarah stormed off. The Lone Wanderer was about to go after her, but Charon stopped him. "Marcus! Let her go. Trust me, this is one battle even you won't be able to win. She'll be fine...it's just been a bad day, that's all."

Marcus snorted. 'No shit,' he thought.

Clover meekly made her way over to him. "I'm sorry, suga...I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

Despite everything, Marcus couldn't help but grin at his former lover. "It's alright, Clover."

The Ghost operative crossed her arms and presented her trade mark grin. "You really like her, don't you?"

Marcus didn't hesitate. "I love her."

Clover nodded, and though she was smiling, there was just a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "I'm very happy for you. If anyone deserved to find some happiness it's you."

Marcus briefly placed his hand on her arm. "I appreciate that. So, will you be heading back to the Lincoln Memorial?"

Clover shook her head. "No, I'm coming with you, suga."

Marcus shook his head. "Clover no! You heard them in there. This is probably a suicide mission."

"I know - and that's why I have to go. I've been in places like the one you're going into. I know how these slavers operate, and I can help you to blend in so that you can get in and out without them even knowing you were there. The way I see, suga, I'm you're lucky charm."

Before Marcus could argue further, Clover removed a holotape from her suit. "I've wanted to show you this for a long time but...I figure now's as good a time as any. It's what I'm fighting for."

Marcus took the holotape and placed it inside his PIPBOY. It contained a single image of Clover, proudly standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial with a three month old baby in her arms. Marcus was frozen in place as he became fixated on the child...a child who's eyes seemed very familiar.

Clover took a deep breath. "His name is Max...and he's our son, Marcus."