494. Mountain of Paperwork

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Sico took a deep breath, letting the familiar sounds of Sanctuary wash over him—the hum of generators, the distant chatter of settlers, the clanking sound of metal as repairs and construction continued. Yeah, it was really good to be home.

Sico let out a slow breath as he watched the Minutemen move efficiently, unloading the trucks and organizing the supplies. Sanctuary had come a long way since he first took charge, and moments like this reminded him just how far they'd progressed. The once-vulnerable settlement was now a thriving, fortified community, and a true stronghold for the Minutemen.

But there was still work to do.

Sico pushed himself off the side of the Humvee, stretching his shoulders as he turned toward the heart of the settlement—the Minutemen Headquarters. The old, repurposed house had been transformed into a command center, filled with maps, radio equipment, and files documenting every settlement under Minutemen protection.

He knew exactly what awaited him inside, and it wasn't something he was looking forward to.

Paperwork.

Lots of it.

After being away in Diamond City for so long, he had no doubt that a mountain of reports, requests, and logistical documents had piled up in his absence. The thought alone made his head ache, but he couldn't afford to ignore it.

As he walked through Sanctuary, several Minutemen soldiers saluted him in passing, while settlers gave him friendly nods. It was a strange feeling, being looked up to as a leader, but he'd gotten used to it—mostly.

Finally, he reached the HQ and stepped inside.

The room was exactly as he'd left it—stacks of papers covering his desk, a large map of the Commonwealth pinned to the wall, and a radio operator in the corner monitoring communications from other settlements. The only difference now was the sheer amount of paperwork waiting for him.

He groaned. "Damn it."

Sarah, who had followed him in, smirked as she leaned against the doorframe. "You were expecting something else?"

Sico rubbed his temples. "I was hoping for less."

Sarah chuckled. "Welcome back to command, General."

He shot her a look before reluctantly pulling out his chair and sinking into it. The wooden surface creaked under his weight as he grabbed the first stack of papers. Supply reports, patrol schedules, recruitment logs—it was all necessary, but it didn't make it any less tedious.

Sarah stepped forward, grabbing a few papers from the stack and flipping through them. "Looks like Jenny and Magnolia kept things running while you were gone. The outposts are still holding, and recruitment numbers are steady."

Sico nodded. "Good. At least something's going smoothly."

He skimmed through a report detailing a recent skirmish near Tenpines Bluff. A group of raiders had tried to push into Minutemen territory but were repelled thanks to the new training regimen. Casualties were low, but the settlement had requested additional defenses.

He made a mental note to send reinforcements.

Sico set the raider report aside and reached for the next stack of papers, his fingers running over the slightly crumpled edges. The Minutemen had been growing steadily, and that meant not just more outposts and patrols but also more logistics to manage. Supplies, weapons, training, recruitment—it was all on his shoulders.

As he flipped through the next set of documents, he saw the reports from the weapons, armor, and ammunition factories. These were crucial to keeping the Minutemen well-equipped and able to defend the Commonwealth. He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly as he started reading through them.

The reports were promising. Each factory was running smoothly, producing a steady supply of arms, armor, and bullets. The Minutemen soldiers were well-equipped, no longer reliant on whatever half-rusted weapons they scavenged from raiders or Gunners. Instead, they had proper rifles, reinforced combat armor, and an arsenal that made them a force to be reckoned with.

But what caught his attention was the mention of surplus.

Sico furrowed his brows as he skimmed through the details. The factories had been so efficient that they were producing more than the Minutemen actually needed. The extra weapons, armor, and ammunition were being stored in the supply depot, but it was starting to pile up. If they didn't do something with it, it would just sit there collecting dust.

Each factory head had sent a formal request to Sico, asking if they could sell off the excess gear.

It made sense. Selling the surplus would bring in caps or other supplies that could be used to further improve their production lines. They could buy more raw materials, expand their operations, or even trade for medical supplies and food rations.

Sico tapped his fingers against the wooden desk, thinking it over.

Sarah, who had been reading over her own set of papers, noticed his expression. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Not wrong, just… an opportunity." He held up the report. "Factories are producing more gear than we need. The depot's got extra weapons, armor, and ammo just sitting there."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "And the factory heads want you to sell it off?"

"Yeah. It makes sense—we could use the caps or trade for supplies we can't manufacture ourselves."

She leaned against the edge of his desk, arms crossed. "That could be a good move. Who would we even sell to?"

Sico considered the options. The Minutemen had allies throughout the Commonwealth, from Diamond City to Bunker Hill. Some of the smaller settlements might be willing to trade caps or supplies for better gear.

"The safest bet would be Diamond City," he mused. "Their security force is always looking to upgrade. Bunker Hill's another option, and we could even set up deals with some of the more independent traders."

Sarah nodded. "That'd bring in a steady stream of caps. And if we trade for medical supplies, food, or building materials, it'd help keep Sanctuary and the other settlements stocked."

Sico smirked. "Exactly. We'd be turning our strength into another resource."

He pulled out a blank sheet of paper and started drafting an official response to the factory heads, approving the plan. He made it clear that all sales would be monitored—he didn't want Minutemen weapons ending up in the wrong hands.

Sico carefully folded the official response and handed it to a nearby Minuteman soldier. "Make sure this gets delivered to each factory head," he instructed. "I want them to start working on deals with Diamond City, Bunker Hill, and any trusted traders. And tell them I'll personally approve any major transactions."

The soldier saluted. "Yes, sir."

As the door shut behind him, Sico turned back to his desk, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension settling in. It was a small relief to have the surplus issue handled, but he wasn't done yet.

Another report sat on the desk, this one stamped with the insignia of the Minutemen's Transport and Sentinel Divisions.

Sico exhaled, rubbing his temples before picking it up. These two divisions were just as vital as weapons production. Without reliable transportation, supply lines would slow to a crawl. Without armor support, their troops would be exposed to enemy ambushes.

He flipped the first page open, scanning the detailed notes from the Transport Factory.

Production of Trucks and Humvees remained steady and on schedule, with new vehicles rolling off the line regularly to meet the Minutemen's demands. The factory had even managed to produce a slight surplus, which was occasionally redirected to the Sentinel Factory when tank production required extra supplies.

Sico nodded to himself. That was good news. Reliable transport meant they could keep troops and supplies moving efficiently across the Commonwealth. More trucks meant faster resupply runs. More Humvees meant better-equipped patrols.

He flipped to the next section, detailing the performance of their armored division—the Sentinel Factory.

Sico's eyes narrowed as he read through the numbers.

Unlike the transport factory, the Sentinel Factory struggled to meet production schedules. The report explained the delays: T-34 Sentinels required a massive amount of resources, from reinforced steel plating to complex turret assemblies. Even with a steady influx of materials, production bottlenecks meant they weren't rolling out as many tanks as originally projected.

Still, the numbers weren't bad.

Currently, the Minutemen had twelve operational Sentinels, a mix of older models and newly built ones. Their deployment was strategically spread out:

• Four stationed in Sanctuary, acting as a last line of defense should the settlement come under attack.

• Four in the Castle, protecting the heart of Minutemen operations on the lower half of Minutemen Territory on Commonwealth.

• Four actively patrolling the Commonwealth, escorted by soldiers in trucks and Humvees to maintain security across Minutemen territory.

Sico rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A dozen Sentinels were a formidable force—especially considering where they had started—but it wasn't enough.

Not when the Gunners were lurking. Not when raider gangs were growing bolder.

And especially not when Quincy was still out there.

He set the report down and looked up at Sarah. "The Sentinel Factory's falling behind schedule."

She nodded. "Yeah, I figured. Tanks aren't exactly easy to build."

"They're still pushing out units, but we've only got twelve total. I was hoping for more by now."

Sarah folded her arms, tilting her head as she gave Sico a pointed look. "What do you expect? Sometimes supplies are scarce even though we have the talent to keep it up."

Sico exhaled through his nose, drumming his fingers against the desk. She wasn't wrong. Talent was one thing, but without enough materials, even the best engineers in the Commonwealth couldn't build a damn thing. Steel, electronics, ceramic plating—hell, even the fusion cores for the tanks' power systems—everything needed a steady flow.

And that flow wasn't always reliable.

"I know," he admitted. "But we can't afford to slow down. The Institute are preparing to strike us, raider gangs are getting bolder, and we're still spreading ourselves thin keeping settlements safe. Twelve tanks isn't enough. We need more—faster."

Sarah let out a sigh, pushing away from the desk. "Alright, so how do we fix it? Because unless we've got a secret stockpile of tank parts somewhere, I don't see how we magically boost production overnight."

Sico grabbed the report again, flipping back to the supply breakdown. There had to be something they could adjust—some bottleneck they could unclog. His eyes skimmed the page until he found what he was looking for.

The primary issue wasn't manpower. It wasn't even a lack of technical skill. It was raw material shortages.

Steel shipments were delayed. Circuitry was being rationed. The transport factory's surplus was helping, but it wasn't enough to offset the fact that the Commonwealth wasn't exactly overflowing with pre-war tank parts.

Sico looked up. "We need to secure more salvage operations."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Salvage? Where?"

"Wherever we can." He stood up, grabbing a nearby map of the Commonwealth and unrolling it across the desk. "Look—most of our scavenging teams focus on general supplies. Food, medicine, ammo—stuff the settlements need to survive. That's good, but we need dedicated teams for industrial salvage. Places that have the kind of material we need for tank production."

Sarah leaned in, eyes scanning the map. "Like old military sites?"

"Exactly." Sico traced his finger over the locations they already controlled. "We've cleared out Fort Hagen, but we haven't done a deep search of its storage depots. Then there's the old robotics disposal ground northeast of Sanctuary—full of scrap metal and parts. The National Guard training yard probably has pre-war armor plating we can use."

Sarah nodded slowly. "That's a start. But those places aren't exactly unguarded, even though we already cleared it but there will be someone or something occupied it againt. Of course, except the old robotic disposal, that are under the guards of the soldiers that we station there because we use it to build our robot army. Raiders, super mutants, even the occasional deathclaw—you're talking about sending scavenger teams into hot zones."

Sico met her gaze. "Then we send escorts. Trucks, Humvees, maybe even one of the Sentinels if needed. If we want more tanks, we need to commit to getting the parts."

Sarah studied him for a long moment before shaking her head with a smirk. "You're relentless, you know that?"

"Comes with the job."

She sighed, rolling her shoulders. "Alright, I'll talk to Preston and Ronnie. We'll organize a salvage division—get teams together, plan routes, and coordinate security."

Sico nodded. "Good. And while we're at it, let's check with our traders. Bunker Hill has connections—maybe they can point us toward some supply caches we haven't tapped into yet."

Sarah mock-saluted. "Yes, sir, General Sico."

He smirked but didn't respond. Instead, he turned his attention back to the Sentinel Factory report, mind already working through the next problem.

Twelve tanks weren't enough. But they'd change that.

No matter what it took.

Sico sighed, rolling his shoulders before settling back into his chair. The weight of responsibility pressed against him, but he couldn't afford to slow down. If anything, this was just another problem that needed solving. He picked up his pen and turned his attention back to the mountain of paperwork that still needed his signature.

The first stack was a series of supply requisitions—ammunition, medical supplies, and rations for the outposts. While most settlements could sustain themselves to some degree, the Minutemen still had to distribute resources strategically to ensure no one was left vulnerable. He flipped through the reports, making notes where necessary before signing off on the requests.

Next was a security assessment from the outposts along the western Commonwealth. Ever since the Minutemen had expanded their influence, they'd been dealing with an increase in raider activity.

Sico tapped his fingers against the desk, deep in thought. They needed more scouts in the field, people who could gather intelligence before the enemy had a chance to strike. He made a note to speak with Preston about sending out recon teams—ideally, small, fast-moving squads that could gather intel without drawing too much attention.

Then there was the issue of the Institute.

Sico flipped open another report, this one marked with a red insignia—the symbol his intelligence officers used when flagging potential threats. The Institute had been quiet, too quiet. That was never a good sign. Since their last confrontation, the Minutemen had bolstered their defenses, reinforcing settlements with automated turrets, watchtowers, and stationed patrols. But the reality was that the Institute didn't fight like raiders or super mutants. They didn't send war parties or ambush supply lines. They infiltrated. They kidnapped. They struck in the dead of night and left entire families wondering if their loved ones had been replaced by synthetic impostors.

Sico sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He needed a way to counteract that kind of warfare.

Perhaps it was time to establish an internal security division—people specifically trained to identify and root out synth infiltrators. The Brotherhood of Steel had their ways, but their paranoia often led to unnecessary executions. Sico didn't want that. What he needed was a methodical, evidence-based approach.

He made another note to bring this up with Sturges. If anyone could come up with a way to detect synths more effectively, it was him.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Come in," Sico called, setting down his pen.

The door creaked open, and a Minuteman officer stepped inside, giving a respectful nod. "Sir, the first salvage team has checked in. They've reached Fort Hagen and are beginning their search. So far, no hostiles."

Sico nodded. "Good. Tell them to keep their radios on and report back every hour. If they run into anything, I want to know immediately."

"Yes, sir." The officer saluted before stepping out.

Sico leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. Things were moving forward, but there was still so much left to do. The Minutemen were growing, securing more territory, strengthening their forces—but the threats against them weren't diminishing. If anything, they were evolving, that made still more work to be done.

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• 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:-