Chapter 20: Hearts and Minds

Arlington Library (Sons of Liberty Forward Operating Base):

"I can offer you my group's services" Jack said with a confident smile

Arthur did not utter a word, he simply rests his right index finger on his chin

Senora leered at Jack. Out of everyone in the room, she was most suspicious of his motives. "I don't trust him! Talon Company was one of the mercenary groups that brought terror to the wasteland almost 30 years ago! Why should we trust a company of pillagers?"

Jack chuckles as he hears Senora's protests. "I assure you that we want to help the Sons of Liberty. Senora was it? I remember hearing your name from a list of groups that wanted ours dead years ago. If I'm not wrong, it's the Regulators right?"

Senora frowns and clenches her left fist. "So what if I am? My group helped bring law and order to the wasteland! You only brought pain and suffering! You event tried to kill our best soldier!"

"By best soldier, you're talking about 'him'?" the merc leader asked "That was only because someone wanted 'him' dead and you know that a mercenary must complete his end of the contract"

Senora then aims her rifle at the merc leader. "Shut up! You made so many innocent people suffer! You murdered them! Mugged them! You expect me to believe that a scoundrel like you would help bring peace back to the Capital Wasteland!"

"Senora, enough" Arthur said as he places his left hand on top of her rifle and pushes it down. He then looks at the merc leader, who was still smiling, as if trying to show his confidence. "What do you get in all this? You must have an ulterior motive as to why you decided to help us"

The merc leader chuckles again. "Alright fine. Yes, it is true. Me joining your little rebel group will more or less benefit me"

"So what are you after?"

"The NCR is a very strict group of people. Bitches love to tax you to high hell and then enforce harsh rules on you. Generally, they're bad for business and I wish to conduct mine in peace"

Senora steps forward and leers once more at Jack. "So you just want to get rid of them so you can return to your criminal ways!"

"You misunderstand. Our 'criminal' ways were what the previous leader enforced in our group. I'm more… Liberal. Also, since we're already on the topic of business, let's talk about my fee…"

"You think, I'll trust a half-hearted explanation like that?!"

Senora was about to walk closer to the merc leader before Arthur places his left arm in front of her. She then steps back.

"How much do you want to get paid for this?"

"For now, pay me 1000 caps"

Senora, once again, raises her voice. "You can't be serious! You expect us to-"

"It's a deal." Arthur said, interrupting her "Welcome to the Sons of Liberty"

Jack smiles as Senora gives a frustrated look in her face. "Thank you for you patronage. Now I also have another set of info for you. I'll give it for free. Take it as a sign of good faith from me"

Briefing Room:

Meanwhile, the other members of Lyons' Pride wait at the briefing room.

Looking at the map, Ellie stares at the areas around Rivet City, the Citadel and the Purifier. "So what happened after we took the radio station?"

Marina stood up and pointed at the towns of Megaton, Grayditch and Fiore. "Once everyone heard the news that Three Dog was free, these towns revolted and eventually joined us."

"How's Dallas?"

"She's still bed-ridden but she's alive. Doc said she'll be out in a few days"

Ellie then notices a peculiar marker on the map. It was a small picture of a gear and it was crossed out. "What's this?" she said as she points at it.

"Vault 101"

"Why is it crossed out?"

"The Vault's sealed. Looks like they don't want to be part of this"

"Why?"

"From what I know, they used to be isolated from the world until 2277 where they finally decided to open their doors. But when the conflict started, they sealed themselves again"

Ellie stares at the area around Vault 101 as Elysse and Arthur enter the tent

"Let's begin the briefing" Arthur said as the members take their seats. "First off, a new merc group has joined us. They're called Talon Company."

Kodiak's eyes widen as he hears the name. "Talon Company?! But they-"

"I know" Arthur interrupted "Their new leader, Jack, has offered to provide us with supplies, including advanced weaponry. He also gave us intel on Rivet City"

"What's up at Rivet City?" Ellie asked

"The NCR placed the city under lockdown and is forcing the refugees to fight in the war."

Everyone was in unison when they said "What?!"

Vyse stands up, shocked at the news. "Wait. So are we gonna attack the Citadel and Purifier knowing we could be fighting refugees and civilians?!"

"Most likely…" Arthur answered

"No way!" Ellie protested "There's no way in hell I'd allow that! I say, we head to Rivet City and kick the NCR out of town!"

Elysse steps forward. "Wait. The NCR is still reeling from the attack on the radio station, last week. If we strike now, it'll be easier for our armies to take both objectives. Side-tracking to Rivet City will only buy the NCR time to fortify their defenses"

"But…"

As Ellie argues to take the town, Arthur stands up. "I'm with her"

Elysse, surprised, stares at the squad leader. "You can't be serious. You know as well as I do that we can't afford to waste any time!"

Arthur, was looking down at the table, as if he was remembering something… He had a melancholic tone in his voice. "I know… But I still want to minimize civilian casualties…"

"Is this about Boston? Arthur! You can't-"

"We're taking that town!" Arthur shouted "And that's final!"

Ellie stares at Arthur as she notices very minute traces of tears… "Arthur…"

Elysse gives a disappointed sigh. "Fine. We'll solve the problem at Rivet City first but I hope you all know of the consequences of this"

Arthur raises his head. His face showing how serious he really was, which was a rare sight. "That concludes the briefing. We move by tomorrow at 3am." He and Ellysse then leave the tent.

Ellie couldn't stop staring at Arthur as he leaves the tent. "What's wrong with him?"

Kodiak rests both his arms on the table, he had a concerned look on his face. "Arthur wasn't always like that…"

"What do you mean?"

"Before any of you joined, he was an elder."

"An elder?" Vyse wondered "But he's a Sentinel. Did he get demoted or something?"

"Back in 2287, he was assigned to Boston, a place north of the Capital Wasteland. He became the Elder of the Brotherhood Chapter there. But he was a different man back then…"

"Different man…?" Ellie muttered

"He didn't really follow Elder Lyons' ideals of helping the people. He believed that anyone outside of the Brotherhood would use the advanced tech for evil. He embraced the isolationist ideology of the Western Brotherhood. Although, he still helped the locals but he used to think that all of them were expendable…"

"No way…"

"Then one day, something happened there… I don't know what but most of our brothers & sisters, including civilians were killed. He returned to the Capital Wasteland by 2289 and decided to step down as elder. The details of what happened were kept secret. I don't know what happened but he seems to be carrying a burden… But because of what happened, he finally saw the light and understood the reasoning behind Elder Lyons' actions and accepted them…"

"So is there still a chapter at Boston?" Ellie asked

"There still is. But we're not as influential there as here…"

Vyse stares at the exit of the tent. "Looks like we all have backstories…"

The next day:

3:00am:

The members of Lyons' Pride meet by the shore.

Vyse checks his gun as he notices Arthur is still showing a serious face. "So what do we do?"

"From what Knight Ellie has told us" Arthur answered "There should be a records room within the ship. Also, there should be a broadcast room too, judging from the speakers placed all over the refugee camp"

"So we're gonna do this like in Girdershade" Marina uttered

"Looks like it" Ellie answered

"Are you sure, 'he' should be here?" Coby asked as he points at Marco

"Dallas trusts him" Marina answered "Besides he's defected already"

"Yeah… But I still don't trust him…"

Marco hangs his face low.

"Cut it out Coby" Kodiak said "Let's just keep an eye on him"

"Ellie." Arthur said "We'll be counting on your Pip-Boy to find the records and broadcast rooms"

"Leave it to me!"

Using a makeshift boat, the members of Lyons' Pride reach the boat's sides. Using grappling hooks, the members infiltrate the Upper District.

"Ok" Arthur whispered "Some of the security personnel here are not from the NCR. Non-lethal takedowns only"

"Right" everyone responded

Entering from the bridge, Ellie spots about 5 NCR troopers, all gathered together. She signals the others of her observation.

Vyse, Kodiak, Coby and Arthur crept slowly towards the troopers. With a nod from Arthur, Ellie fires her Dart gun at one of the guards, knocking him out. Before the other guards could react, the 4 Brotherhood soldiers rise up. Vyse sucker punches one in the face, Kodiak puts another on a choke hold, Coby punches another in the stomach and Arthur unleashes a combo of punches & kicks on the last one.

With the threats neutralized, the members now move down towards the records room. Neutralizing guards on the way, they eventually reach their destination. Once they neared the records room, Ellie notices 2 NCR rangers guarding the door. Ellie quickly neutralizes both with her Dart gun.

"Clear" she said as the other members converge on the door.

Entering the room, Lyons' Pride finds a computer and a safe.

"Ellie. Check the Computer. Vyse. The safe." Arthur commanded

"Right!" both replied

"Damn!" Ellie whispered "They changed the password. Gonna take me some time for me to hack this"

"Copy…" Arthur replied "Vyse, how's the safe?"

"This thing's gonna be tricky" he answered "Give me a few minutes"

Coby then takes his helmet off. "My neck is killing me…"

Marco then notices a red laser aimed at Coby's head. Acting quickly, the former NCR trooper fires his rifle at the source of the laser, killing the NCR ranger that was about to shoot Coby.

"God Damn…" Coby said "Didn't expect you to save me…"

Suddenly, the lights come alive and the alarm sounds.

"We've been spotted?!" Vyse muttered

"No…" Arthur said "More like they were expecting us!"

"Look alive!" Marina said as she begins to open fire by the door "NCR Rangers straight ahead!"

"Damn it! It's a trap! Ellie, Vyse work fast!"

"Arthur!" Elysse said "Should we go lethal?"

Arthur did not respond. He was weighing his options.

"Arthur? Arthur? ARTHUR!"

Elysse's voice snaps the Sentinel back into reality.

"Arthur! Should we go lethal?"

"Only if necessary…" he responded "Otherwise, just injure them!"

"Easier said than done…" Marina muttered as she aims at a Ranger's right leg.

Coby and Kodiak then stand up and begin firing their minguns at the choke point. Halting the Ranger's advance.

"Ellie, Vyse. Any time now!" Marina uttered

"Almost there…" Vyse muttered as he slowly turns the lock on the safe "And…. Got it!"

The safe opens and the knight sergeant grabs whatever documents he could find inside. "How's your end, Ellie?"

"Working on it… Damn it! Last try before I'm locked out! 5 out of 10 letters right, gonna be one huge gamble…"

"Just do it!" Vyse said as Ellie goes for one last attempt.

"Got it!" she muttered as she extracts the files, including an audio recording, which plays automatically.

"The rebels will overrun the Citadel and Purifier soon! They could even be targeting Rivet City right now"

"What about the refugees?"

"Some have already volunteered but the others choose not to take part in the conflict"

"Then make them!"

"What?"

"I said force them! I cannot afford those rebel barbarians to come in and wrest control of this power from me! I worked too long and too hard to get here!"

"But Mr. Bannon-"

"Do it! Or I'll find someone else who would!"

"… Alright"

"Son of a bitch…" Ellie muttered "Want to maintain your power so you'll resort to this kind of shit eh… Not on my watch! With these 2 recordings, you're going down you bastard! Guys! I got the files!"

"Good!" Arthur uttered "Pride! We move to the broadcast room now!"

With that, Lyons' Pride moves out. Using Ellie's Pip-Boy, they discover the location of the broadcast room and head towards it but the waves of enemy forces just won't end.

3rd Floor Hallway, a few meters from the Broadcast room:

The hallway was packed with NCR troops, using several tables as cover.

"There's no way around them!" Vyse said as he fires his rifle from cover "What do we do?"

"You think we should charge in?" Marina responded as she returns fire

"Not a good idea…" Elysse responded "With Dallas not with us, we don't have a proper medic. We can't be reckless"

"But we have no choice" Ellie replied "Coby and Kodiak are wearing power armor. Why don't we use them as cover?"

"We're not sure if the power armor can withstand a hail of bullets from the NCR"

"Well, it's better than sitting here doing nothing!"

"Its fine" Coby said "Me and Kodiak will provide cover!"

Just that, the two men break cover and begin to slowly walk towards the NCR troops, while firing their miniguns, at the same time ensuring they don't kill anyone.

Ellie and the others quickly advance towards the troops. She then notices several Rangers wielding Chinese Assault Rifles instead of the standard Service Rifle.

"They have armor-piercing bullets…" she muttered as she quickly slides under Coby's feet and dashes towards the NCR troops, completely ignoring the hail of bullets that came her way.

Reaching the soldiers, the mercenary quickly fires her Dart gun on one and kicks another in the face. She then proceeded to punch one ranger in the face.

At the same time, a Ranger pulls out a knife and attempts to stab the mercenary. Ellie quickly evades the swing and grabs on the man's arm. She then pulls him towards her as she does a headbutt. "All clear!"

The others then quickly converge on the door. Ellie, Arthur and Marco enter the room.

Using the broadcast equipment, they managed to quickly broadcast the incriminating recording on the city's speakers.

Rivet City; Lower District Refugee Camp:

The broadcast was playing clearly at the speakers. The refugees simply stood there, listening at the broadcast. Their faces show how angry they are…

"Bitches… Greedy bitches!" a refugee shouted as he and many others begin to attack NCR soldiers "Take their guns! Let's show these NCR bastards what we can really do!"

Rivet City; Upper District Broadcast Room:

"I can see the activity down there…" Arthur muttered "We've got a full-on uprising"

"But… several of the refugees are getting gunned down…" Ellie muttered

Arthur gives a pained look. "At least WE'RE not the ones killing them…"

On that day, about a few hundred refugees were gunned down by responding NCR troops. But in the end, they flooded the Upper District. Even some of Rivet City's Security Force defected after hearing the broadcast… Soon, the refugees managed to capture the NCR-backed council leaders. With new leaders in place and Marco deciding to head the security force, Rivet City has now officially joined the Sons of Liberty.

Rivet City; Upper District; Flight Deck:

2:30pm:

Arthur stares at the sea as he begins to think deeply. He then brings out a burnt bracelet.

Elysse then walks closer to the Sentinel. "Still thinking about 'her'?"

"Yeah… Mary… Only 10 years old and she had to die like that…"

"What happened at Boston is in the past now… You gotta move on"

"I know… I'm really grateful to those two men…"

"You talking about the Wanderer and the survivor?"

"Yeah… I strayed from the right path and became a self-righteous prick… Tell me, Elysse was this attack the right thing to do? The upcoming battle's gonna be harder now..."

Elysse smiles as she embraces Arthur "Well that just means we're gonna have to work harder! Besides, you're not alone Arthur. As you always said to us"

"Elysse…"

Arthur then clenches his right hand, still holding the bracelet as he throws the item into the sea. "Mary… I'm sorry… Rest in Peace"

The Citadel; Courtyard:

Meanwhile at the Citadel, NCR soldiers are scurrying to improve their defenses.

"Get those barricades in place already! Move! Move!"

A middle-aged NCR soldier, wearing a coat and smoking a cigarette, emerges from Ring A.

"General Alexander! The power armor is prepared!"

"Good… Deploy them now. Not every day we're lucky enough to be able to divert the rebels"

"Yes sir!"

He smiles as he stares at the gray sky and puffs a smoke. "Lieutenant. Weather's beautiful today, isn't it?"

"Sir?"

"Nothing… Just noting the weather. Get back to your duties, lieutenant"

At the same time, NCR soldiers, donning different kinds of power armor, emerge from Ring A as they go to their respective positions.