The Minutemen: United We Stand

Chapter 25

"That's a whole lot of firepower..." Deacon muttered.

The Cambridge Police Station was swarming with Brotherhood soldiers, a fair amount of them in power armour. A vertibird sat on the roof of the station.

Nora ducked back down behind the guard rail they were hiding behind and sighed. "Do you want to wait here while I go in?"

"And what if they take off with you in that vertibird? What am I supposed to say to Hancock?! No, no way-"

"What if they take us both prisoner, and there's no one to go tell Hancock?" Nora countered.

"Come on, Nora. You really want to walk up to that on your own?" Deacon motioned to the police station, his eyebrows dancing over the rim of his sunglasses.

"I can take Dogmeat with me if that makes you feel better?" Nora said, stifling a chuckle.

"But then I'm out here by myself..." he groaned.

After she finished laughing, Nora turned on the radio on her chest. "That settles it. I'll let the Castle know what's going on, just to be careful." She turned away from Deacon and pressed the button. "General Addy to the Castle, come in. Over."

"The Castle to the General, we read you, over." Garvey's voice crackled from the speaker.

"Hey, Preston. I wanted to let you know that I'm about to contact the Brotherhood of Steel to discuss their intentions with the Commonwealth. If this meeting goes sideways, I want you to do what needs to be done to protect the settlements from the Brotherhood. Do you understand? Over."

"Where are you meeting with them? Over."

"At the Cambridge Police Station, but I'm hoping they'll take me to their airship to speak to the man in charge. Over."

"I don't like this, General. Maybe I should go instead? We need you. Over."

"I need to use my station as leverage. Otherwise, I can't see this meeting having any chance of success. And there's more to it than that. I need you to trust me and be prepared to take over should the worst happen. Over."

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. "All right. But just so we're clear, if there's any chance to get you back, I will take it. Over."

"I knew I could count on you, Preston. Over and out."

"That Garvey is one loyal old dog-" Deacon said and glanced at Dogmeat. "Not as loyal as you, boy. But damn... I'm impressed."

"He's the best, Deacon. Never doubt it," Nora said, handing Deacon her duffle and radio. "Wait as long as you can before you decide that... that this went badly. Okay?"

"Good luck." Deacon gave her a small salute.

With that, Nora crawled along the guard rail, snuck along the alley, rose and walked toward the station. It wasn't long before one soldier spotted her.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

"General Nora Addy of the Minutemen. I'm looking for Paladin Danse," Nora called, her hands raised.

She watched the man gesture to someone inside the fence and waited as the gate swung open, revealing two men in power armour.

They walked up to her, their rifles lowered, but ready. "What business do you have with the Paladin?"

"Political," Nora said, glaring at them. "Look, go tell him I'm here, and he can decide whether to come out here or bring me inside."

"Let her in, soldiers," Danse's voice called from the gate.