Author's Note: A heads up, I added quotes to every chapter up to this point! Mostly as flavor text, but some of them are actually fictional quotes. More on this below!

Disclaimer: This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Chapter 9 - The Times, They Are Changing

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

Andy Warhol, Legendary Pop Artist.

"If your time to you is worth savin',

Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'."

- Bob Dylan, American Singer

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."

Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic Saint.

Two weeks after the excitement of Commonwealth Day, the great army that the Sole Survivor had spent a month assembling was finally all together.

For the sake of keeping the peace, the majority of the Super Mutants had already been dispatched down south, to await the rest of the army at Murkwater, once an unfinished construction site and now a large settlement of former refugees with a sizable Minutemen garrison, as the necessity of patrolling the southern border demanded a strong presence.

A number of them had remained behind though, along with Stronk, and would participate in the procession to showcase their involvement in the campaign. Similarly, a honor guard of Brotherhood Outcasts, under Paladin Carter's command, had joined the procession at the General's request. He had refused at first, but once Protector Ingram insisted on it, the Paladin agreed to it. They certainly had to do something to generate good will and put the past behind them, or so the Protector reasoned.

Captain Eamon Hollis, cutting a bold figure in his dusters, stepped out in the middle of the road, drew a sword from his scabbard, a ceremonial weapon recently crafted by the best blacksmiths the Commonwealth had to offer.

He stared back at the host arrayed before him, going over what the marching order would be. They had been over this most of the night before, him and Danse and the General.

The Minutemen had all been divided into ten companies of a hundred men each. And in between every company, the remainder of the army had been split up. Volunteer units up front, the Brotherhood Outcasts in the center, the mercenaries taking up positions behind them, and the Super Mutants at the very rear, where the majority of the Minutemen veterans had been placed.

And for the campaign ahead, they would follow the 'rule of ten', as the General had put it. By taking a tenth of every faction that comprised the army, they would have ten full companies of two hundred and forty men each.

Furthermore, there was the hope that their numbers would grow with every territory they liberated, especially in the Capital Wasteland.

With the flag bearers in front of him, the young Captain gave them a nod. "On my mark," Captain Hollis announced then, holding his sword up high.

"Forward, march!"

Amidst thunderous cheering, they marched. To the sound of trumpets and the beat of drums, they marched. Under a cloudless blue sky, they marched. As patriotic music seldom heard in two centuries blared out of loudspeakers, they marched. For duty's sake, they marched. For liberty's sake, they marched. For freedom's sake, they marched. For the peace and the defense of a free Commonwealth, they marched.

For the fragile hopes of a fledgling nation, the army marched.

In the days to come, a reporter working for the Lexington Ledger would give these men and women fighting for the Commonwealth on distant battlefields a new name, one that would come to be heard all over the Commonwealth as the people chattered and wondered at how their fighting sons and daughters were faring.

"On the fifteenth of September, the New Commonwealth Army has finally set off on their great campaign to defend our homes from foreign threats abroad. A source within the Minutemen has said that the Army will be making its way throughout the Commonwealth, intending to march through all of the cities that count themselves among the permanent members of the alliance, including Bunker Hill, Goodneighbor, Quincy, and Diamond City, before arriving at the southern border, where General Nathaniel Howard and the New Commonwealth Army will venture into the unknown in order to put an end to the Gunners and liberate a region that has long suffered under their misrule. Further news regarding the Presidential election is also expected to come shortly!"

As the army continued its march, Nathaniel took one last look around Lexington before stepping into the M1025 Hummer, joining Colonel Preston Garvey and Major Danse, recently promoted to his position as chief of staff.

"How are we doing?" Nate asked right off the bat, impatient as hell and wishing things were moving faster already.

Major Danse cleared his throat. "Your army should be somewhere between Mystic Pines and Wildwood Cemetery by now. The rest of them are already standing by at Murkwater."

Preston sighed. "Super Mutants..." It was still amazing to think about, even a month later.

The Sole Survivor chuckled. "Should have seen it coming, really. Bastards love fighting and we promised them the biggest fight ever... What are they up to anyway? I doubt they're sitting around, whistling Dixie."

The former Paladin shook his head. "No. They've been hunting, I think. Captain Barnes said they mentioned something about getting fresh meat."

Nate chuckled. "Guess they're getting ready, after all. Can't march off to war on an empty stomach. Mirelurks, I'm guessing?"

"Among others." Danse answered.

Preston waved that aside. "Anyway, you really think you've got enough people for this? I still think you should have taken more."

"Any more and we'd have left the Commonwealth guarded by a skeleton crew." Nate smiled. "Rest easy, Preston. Ten companies, plus a thousand extra guns on the side, that's more than enough. Besides, I'm confident we're going to pick up even more volunteers on the way, those Gunners have done a hell of a job oppressing an entire region. They'll have plenty of men, yeah. But Monroe's people say they've been drafting as many people as possible, brutalizing them and getting them ready for a war. Those people are gonna hate the Gunners for all of that... More likely than not, they're going to turn on the Gunners. The persecuted always do when their oppressors are in a bad spot."

"And we're aiming to put them into that spot," Major Danse added, nodding his agreement. "Plus, we won't be alone."

The General and his second in command looked at Danse then. If this was what he thought it was... "You're saying..."

Danse held up a letter. "Hull Town answered"

Nate grinned as he took the letter. This was definitely good news. For decades now, Hull Town had been a trading partner with southern Commonwealth, mostly Quincy. Following the Quincy Massacre, little had been heard regarding them. But as soon as the Minutemen had come back into the picture and sent the Gunners running, Hull Town was more than happy to to resume trading with the Commonwealth. It was only after the Brotherhood War that relationships between the Commonwealth and Hull Town had cooled somewhat, as Hull Town had not appreciated being extorted by the Brotherhood of Steel and coming under attack by the Gunners.

Despite the Commonwealth's offer of assistance in fending off the Gunners, Hull Town had flatly refused, saying they would see to their own defenses.

But things had obviously changed since then. For one, Nate knew the isolationist faction in Hull Town, headed by that insufferable jackass Harry Hutchinson, had been just overthrown by another faction, one that was made up of mostly merchants, people who wanted to bring even more opportunities to Hull Town. He had only met their leader once. But one time was all it took for Nate to know that Tony Amonte was a good man.

Preston watched him in silence, waiting to hear what they had said. The General looked up at him then. "Hull Town says since we're sending an army to finish off the Gunners, they'll support the move and send in their own forces."

"So we've got some support already?" Preston asked, surprised. "How did they even know we were moving against the Gunners anyway?"

"Oh, I told them." Nate smiled. "Thought they'd like to get in on the fight. Especially since we've been at impasse with them for years. They've been having a rough time with the Gunners lately, ever since we pushed them out of the Commonwealth."

And Danse added. "And now that you've decided to take the fight to the Gunners, with Hull Town applying pressure as well, they'll be split on two fronts."

Preston nodded, smiling now that he was seeing what the General had in mind the entire time. "It's a smart move, man."

"It gets better." Danse answered.

Nate chuckled, handing Preston the letter. "They're also sending someone to meet with our people. A representative."

That surprised the Colonel. "What for?" He asked, before opening the letter and taking a look at it. "This... They want to talk about joining the Commonwealth? But... Why? We approached them about this before, right before the Brotherhood War."

"My guess is they figured the Brotherhood was going to wipe the floor with us. I mean, bastards came with an army, a giant fucking robot, and a goddamn airship. Maxson must have intimidated them into not starting any fights with the Brotherhood. Seven years is a long time. Plenty of time for things to change. The Brotherhood's gone, but we're still here."

And Preston was beginning to understand now. "And we're stronger now."

"Bigger too," Nate agreed. "Plus seven years of dealing with the Gunners? I'm thinking they probably realized they don't have the numbers they need to take on the Gunners. Probably realized if the Commonwealth goes down this time, there'll be nothing to stop the Gunners from overrunning Hull Town."

Danse crossed his arms then. "So it's their way of ensuring their continued survival."

The General nodded. "I don't blame them. That's politics for you." Then he grinned. "Heh. Nothing new there, huh?"

"So, what do we do about this?" Preston asked.

Nate smiled. "Radio Fort Revere. Have them send over some of their boys to meet up with the representative. And tap the Commodore, make sure he send one of his ships to pick up them up from Andrews Island."

Preston stared at him. "... And?"

The General looked out the window then. "Hancock can handle the rest, I'm sure. Or Gwen or Kessler. Just let the candidates we got know, it'll be a major boost for their campaigns, I'm sure."

His second in command nodded. "All right then, you got it."

Nathaniel looked over at Danse. "Anything else?"

The former Paladin held up a paper for the General, who took it. "Doctor Li made a discovery."

There was only silence now as Nathaniel went over the document, going over what he was reading in his head. He smiled then. "Madison and her people have found a satellite up there, and they think they can gain control of it."

Preston cocked his head. "A satellite? What are we going to do with a satellite, General? Drop bombs on the Gunners? I thought that was out of the question."

Nate snorted. "Not that kind of satellite, Preston. This one is geared toward long-distance communications. Madison says they just need to find a way to amplify their communications array in order to be able to link up with Hermes."

"Hermes?" The Colonel inquired.

"That's the name, apparently." Nate shrugged.

Danse, though, had something in mind. "Sir. The deep range transmitter we recovered from ArcJet before Elder Maxson's arrival... It could be useful in accomplishing just that."

Nate nodded. "I was thinking the same, yeah. I'll have to talk to Ingram about borrowing the transmitter. We'll probably have to establish some sort of joint Commonwealth-Brotherhood venture-"

Preston held up his hand. "Sorry to interrupt, General... But what's the point of all this? What is Hermes going to do for us?"

Nathaniel smiled. "Danse?"

The Major turned to Preston then. "If we can bring Hermes under Minutemen control, it will enable us to communicate with each other, even over long distances."

Preston caught the gist of it now, nodding along with the synth's explanation. "Meaning we can stay in touch even with you guys away."

Danse nodded. "Control of Hermes will allow us to remain in communication range, up to a certain point." He gestured toward the document in Nathaniel's hands. "Doctor Li has gone over the specifications on Hermes and she has determined that the Capital Wasteland is still well within Hermes' range."

Nate looked up at Danse, a smile on his lips. "Well within range is an understatement. According to this, with Hermes' help, the Capital Wasteland would be only about halfway within our overall range. We'd be able to stay in touch as far as West Virginia."

Preston raised an eyebrow at that. "West Virginia. Not to sound rude or anything, General... But what would be the point in going as far as West Virginia? Is there even anything there?"

The General shrugged. "I dunno. Probably a vault, at least? In any case, I got no doubt that the Commonwealth is gonna spread even further. At the very least, it'll stretch from Salem to... Danse?"

"Girdershade. It's a small settlement on the southwestern end of the Capital Wasteland." The Major supplied in response.

"Whatever." Nate smiled, shrugging. "And I've been to Far Harbor with Nick. The people living up there, they're a good people. Hard people, but good all the same. I'm hoping we'll be able to establish a safe route from the Commonwealth to Far Harbor, sea travel being what it is these days. Shouldn't take much to bring Maine into the fold."

Danse tilted his head then. "You're serious about rebuilding commonwealths then?"

Preston was lost for a moment, but Nate nodded. "Of course, I am. I said we'd rebuild the Commonwealth. And as far as I'm concerned, the Commonwealth includes Maine."

The Major chuckled, a rarity for those that knew him. "Along with Rhode Island and Connecticult... Right?"

Nate simply smiled.

Preston shook his head. "So that's why you insisted on that route. This was all part of the plan?"

The General nodded. No point in hiding it any further. "That's right. Once we crush the Gunners and liberate southern Massachusetts, Rhode Island's next. And since she's the smallest state in what used to be America, securing her won't take long. Then a straight shot through Connecticut to New York, and we'll have most of the original New England Commonwealth under our control."

And Danse prodded his superior on, "And once we're finished with our campaign in the Capital Wasteland...?"

Nate chuckled. "By then, we should have our President. It'll take the Commonwealth some time to get a government up and running. Until then, any and all territories we capture will remain under martial law. Like I said to Ingram, the Brotherhood's an army without a country. An occupying force. I'm going to strip the Brotherhood of all territorial gains they've made since..." He snapped a finger at Danse then.

Danse knew what the General was getting at. "Since 2284. A year after being made Elder by the West Coast Brotherhood."

"2284. That'd have made him... Sixteen?" The Sole Survivor wondered aloud.

"Yes sir." Danse agreed.

"Seems pretty premature to me, putting a kid in charge of an entire chapter, but whatever. Even if he was a hell of a kid." Nathaniel shrugged before continuing. "But yeah, Maxson's Brotherhood isn't going to be drawing on the resources of an entire wasteland anymore. Without his Brotherhood maintaining stability, though... I have no doubt the Capital Wasteland is going to degenerate into a warzone for a while. That's why it'll be up to our people to maintain order. That's the essential difference between us. We're peacekeepers, not an occupying force."

Preston nodded in agreement. "And once we got a President and the government's up and running? What then?"

"By then, it won't be up to us anymore. The President will decide what to do with all the territory we've secured. Hopefully, they'll take the chance we've given them to make them equal members of the Commonwealth instead of treating them as conquered territories. Massachusetts. Rhode Island. Connecticut. New York. New Jersey. Delaware. Maryland. Virginia. That's eight states... Plus the District of Columbia. From another perspective, we'll control lands belonging to three, that's right, three different Commonwealths. Furthermore... If we focus on bringing all of their territories under our control, that gives us fourteen states."

The Colonel whistled at that. "That's a lot of real estate to be looking after, General."

Danse nodded in agreement, before volunteering another way of looking at it. "Plenty of land, to be sure. But it also gives us plenty of resources to draw on and plenty of manpower. Enough to continue the good fight."

Nate cocked his head at that. "The good fight?"

Danse smiled. "Just something I heard on the radio back in the Capital Wasteland. All the same, sir... I see what you're getting at. With the New England Commonwealth, the Eastern Commonwealth, and the Columbia Commonwealth behind us, that gives us a strong foundation."

The Sole Survivor smiled. "Exactly. It'll be a springboard into the future. From there, we'll march into the South East Commonwealth, all the way to Florida. Then, westward, into the East Central and the Gulf Commonwealths. Those three alone will more than double our territory... And give us control of a third of the country. That's six out of thirteen Commonwealths already."

And Preston couldn't help but smile as well, finding himself inexplicably caught up in his savior's plans for the future. "And from there?"

Nate grinned. "The Great Midwest Commonwealth. I used to visit Chicago a lot before the bombs dropped. Beautiful city. I'm looking forward to rebuilding her. And after that... The Plains Commonwealth. Then Texas. Another three Commonwealths... More than half the country by that point.

Danse stared at Nathaniel. "It won't be easy, though. There'll be plenty of people who'll refuse to join. Plenty who won't want any part of it. And there'll be some who are gonna want to be the one to make that future a reality... in their image. If you intend to take it that far, you're going to run into other nations."

The General raised his eyebrow then. "Nations, eh? Are there really other nations out there in the wasteland? Because I haven't heard of any so far."

Danse chuckled. "There's at least one. The New California Republic."

The name struck a chord in Nate then. He looked at Danse, his expression clouded all of a sudden, as if he was lost in thought. Or rather, lost in memories. "Hang on... I remember that name. It was in one of Kellogg's memories. I just figured they were just some small-time... eh, faction? I didn't realize they were an actual country as well."

Major Danse nodded. "The New California Republic, also known as the NCR, controls the entirety of what was once the state of California. Originally established in the year 2189, the NCR was comprised of five states, New California, the Hub, Maxson, the Boneyard, and Dayglow. And according to the last report we received from Lost Hills, the NCR is comprised of fourteen states now. In addition to the aforementioned five, there is also Darkwater, New Reno, Modoc, Klamath, Navarro, Frisco, Lompoc, Bullhead, and Baja."

Nate absorbed all this in silence. He was clearly thinking, perhaps evolving whatever plan he had in his head. Preston and Danse remained silent, knowing their leader would need the silence in which to consider his future options. Whatever he might be, they knew Nate was a man who was always looking at the bigger picture.

"Well..." The General began, sighing as he broke the silence, "We'll just have to deal with that once we're that far down the road. Danse, I want you to compile a report on this New California Republic. Everything you know, everything you remember about them, I want it on file. I got a hunch that these guys are going to be one of the few that'll be able to rival us. So... Once the Republic and the Commonwealth meet up, I want to make sure we're in a position of strength."

"Yes, sir." Danse replied. At the very least, he would be able to update his report on the NCR once Maxson was taken care of and the Citadel's data banks were available for him to tap into. He would have to put together a report on every major power in between the Republic and the Commonwealth as well.

For starters, the Legion, the one faction that had given the NCR such a hard time. From the reports they received from Lost Hills a few years back, it sounded as if the Republic and the Legion were at a stalemate, having clashed over the Mojave Wasteland.

Apparently, there had been no real winner, as the man responsible for routing the NCR and breaking the Legion had simply vanished.

There was also the Republic of Texas, occupying most of the former state of Texas and parts of Louisiana and Mexico. Last he had heard, the Texas Brotherhood of Steel was currently fighting to keep the Republic of Texas in check but the Elder there expressed concerns regarding the Federalists' growing military and industrial might.

Speaking of the Brotherhood...

Danse remembered that there had been a renegade branch of the Brotherhood of Steel based in the Midwest, one that had diverged from the core teachings of the Brotherhood, had opened their arms to new recruits, even Ghouls and Super Mutants, and had proclaimed themselves the one true Brotherhood. They had, according to Elder Maxson, turned their back on the ideals bestowed upon them by the great founder himself.

Such heresy, unfortunately, had resulted in a powerful and deadly Brotherhood of Steel, one that stretched all the way from Chicago to the very gates of Denver itself.

Danse had no doubt that any of these groups would pose a danger to the Commonwealth. But there were other dangers as well, more immediate ones.

"Sir." The Major spoke then.

Nate glanced at him. "Yeah?"

"The Eastern Brotherhood of Steel will likely be supported by others in the upcoming conflict," said Danse.

The General of the Minutemen gave his chief of staff all of his attention. "Who can we expect to join the Eastern Brotherhood?"

"The Appalachian Brotherhood of Steel, at the very least. They were one of the original chapters following the Great War. In 2087, Roger Maxson established the Brotherhood of Steel, with his chapter based in Lost Hills. He recruited several other remnants of the United States Army into his Brotherhood. One of them was Elizabeth Taggerdy and her Appalachian chapter. They were... Eventually wiped out by some sort of biological weapon in 2107." Danse shrugged. It still bothered many within the Brotherhood that they had never discovered the true origins of this Scorched Plague. "Elder Maxson, in 2286, led an expedition into West Virginia and cleansed most of the region. Once it was cleansed, he re-established the Appalachian chapter."

Nate nodded then. "So, at the very least, we'll be facing two chapters."

"Yes, sir." The Major crossed his arms. "There is also the possibility that there will be additional reinforcements in the form of groups sanctioned by the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel, such as Reilly's Rangers and Talon Company."

"Any opportunities to convince friendlies to join our side?" The Sole Survivor asked, pulling out a cigarette from his pack and flipping open a lighter.

Danse nodded. "There are several. The Regulators of the Frontier have never been part of the Brotherhood's chain of command. There have been friction between the two factions for years now. The Potomac Alliance is also another potential ally, as their leading member, Rivet City, has had a history of problems with the Brotherhood. There is also New Liberty, an autonomous state under the Brotherhood's protection but... Maxson has never trusted their promises of cooperation."

"Where's New Liberty?" Nate asked next.

"New Liberty lies between the Capital Wasteland and the New York Wasteland. The leading cities of New Liberty are Philly, Great Lanta, and Dover. It used to be a warzone, full of slavers and raiders. In the last decade or so, the Mummers of Philly and Dover's Fraternity joined forces with the Adherents of Great Lanta, and they turned... What used to be hell on Earth into a free state."

Nate chuckled then. All these new places, all these new factions. Things were really different now, and he was beginning to realize just how small his scope had been before. "Just like a frog in the well, huh?"

Preston cleared his throat. "Sir?"

The General waved it off. "Don't mind me. Just thinking how everything's different now. I'm just struck by the difference between the past and the present, really." He looked at the two of them then. "In any case... It looks like we got plenty of work cut out for us."

Three days later, the procession was finally finished as the New Commonwealth Army marched down the old road, halting just beside Murkwater. Not far from the settlement, an enormous staging ground had been prepared by people under the direction of both Ronnie and Teagan.

Captain Hollis reported straight to the huge command tent, knowing his superior would be there with his lieutenants, men and women he had personally handpicked for the campaign ahead of them.

The rest of the army began falling in, reporting to their own commanders and ready to take a long good rest from all that marching. It had certainly been exhilarating for many of them, to be sure... The cheering crowds, the celebrations, the raucous shouts of support and adoration.

All of it just served to embolden the rank and file for the hard campaign ahead, convincing them that it was all definitely worth it.

The Brotherhood Outcasts, naturally, filed into their own encampment just beside the Minutemen's staging ground, while the Super Mutants joined their brethren on the other side of the staging ground. The volunteer corps and the mercenaries took up camping grounds designated for them and started setting up tents of their own, chattering and discussing the upcoming campaign. The volunteers, especially, were dreading the training ahead of them.

The young Captain entered the command tent, looked around and caught sight of Danse. He approached the synth then. "Sir, reporting for duty."

Danse looked up at him. "Captain Hollis. I wasn't expecting you for another two hours."

Eamon grinned. "Ah, things got a bit dull toward the end, so we picked up pace." He looked around again. There were certainly a lot of people here. In one corner, he could see Stronk who was enjoying a hunk of meat. Nearby, Ingram was talking with one of her few remaining Paladins. Teagan and Ronnie were also present, discussing something with Preston Garvey, while Isabella was just beside them, working at a computer she had brought along with her. He also took notice of Robert J. MacCready leaning against a table, smoking a cigarette.

The rest, he saw, were men and women he knew well, those he had trained alongside and ate with, the finest the Minutemen had to offer. No doubt they had been picked as company leaders. He looked back at Danse then, who shrugged. "Ahead of schedule then. Outstanding. The General should be in soon, so be at ease. Coffee's over there, if you want some." The synth gestured toward a nearby table before leaving to inform Nate that Eamon was back.

Captain Hollis grinned and saluted, looking forward to something to pick himself up after a long week.

It wasn't long before Nathaniel Howard joined them all.

He clapped for attention. "All right, ladies and gentlemen! We've got everything worked out. There's ten companies here, and they all need company leaders, so... I'm going to call out your name and assign you a company." He held up a list then. "Eamon Hollis." The young Captain stepped forward and Nate nodded. "You'll be taking command of the 1st Commonwealth Company."

The General looked back at the list, moving on to the next name and company. "Marcus Alvarez." Another man, one in his mid thirties, stepped forward. He looked to be of Hispanic descent, with broad shoulders and his hair slicked back. "Alvarez, the 2nd Commonwealth Company is yours to command. Congratulations... Captain." He added, with a smile.

Pleased with the command and the promotion, Marc stepped back into the crowd. Nate called out another name quickly. "Jamie Bryant." A woman came up next, someone who had only joined three years ago. Nate looked at her then. He had gone over her file earlier, and her record spoke quite well of her. A talented marksman and an exceptional scout. She had a gift for being a soldier and quickly excelled. "3rd Commonwealth Company. You're also being promoted to Captain as well."

And so, it went on and on, names being called, someone stepping up to claim their assignment and their promotion.

Rafael McCormick for the 4th Commonwealth, Kristen Hayes for the 5th Commonwealth, Brad Collington for the 6th Commonwealth, Clark John Richards for the 7th Commonwealth, Marie Chavez for the 8th Commonwealth, Tony Savoldi for the 9th Commonwealth, and finally Renee Montoya for the 10th Commonwealth.

After congratulating the nine new Captains once again, the General saluted all of them before moving on to the next piece of business. "Major Shaw will be going over the troop composition of your companies shortly after this meeting. After that, see Major Teagan about rations and supplies. He'll make sure every man and woman under your commands are outfitted properly. Tomorrow, we'll be conducting live fire training with the Brotherhood Outcasts," he gestured toward Protector Ingram, "in order to establish rapport with our allies. You'll learn their tactics and they'll learn yours." Nate pointed at MacCready next, motioning him forward. "The day after that, you'll be taking your companies and learning from the best the Free Militia have to offer, as Robert's people have generously volunteered to serve as our scouts and snipers. In exchange, we're going to learn how to acclimate to their presence on the battlefield and ensure that we don't leave them exposed to enemy fire."

Then he turned his attention to Stronk. "... The Super Mutants will be hunting for more food." He cleared his throat. "That's... That's all." How the fuck do you even train with Super Mutants anyway? Stronk, though, seemed satisfied with that.

"While you're all undergoing training, we'll be drilling the volunteer corps in order to get them up to our usual standards. It will take time and it will take a great deal of effort, but once they're ready, they'll be earning dusters of their own and joining our ranks as proper Minutemen. Until that day, look after the volunteers under your command, get them accustomed to how we do things, and don't put their lives in danger. They're still untrained civilians, so use them for tasks that won't get them killed." The General dismissed them all then. "And remember, we're heading south in four days' time!"

With that, everyone left to carry out their latest orders, while Nate remained behind with Preston, Danse, Ingram, and a few others to begin planning for the attack on Brockton.

Author's Note: Greetings!

I realize it's been about a month since my last chapter, and I apologize for that. This chapter in particular gave me some trouble. Actually, I had to rewrite it six times. And even then, I wasn't satisfied. Then a minor writer's block popped up and that just complicated things further. So on a friend's advice, I took some time off to clear my head.

I ended up playing Fallout 1 some. Along with Fallout New Vegas... and Destiny 2. Destiny 2 took up most of my time, actually. I got pretty damn focused on getting my Light as high up as I could, and I wanted to finish the goddamn Festival of the Lost crap. If I ever see the Haunted Forest again, it will be too damn soon. But yeah, I started considering some ideas for a Destiny 2 fanfic. Not anytime soon, though. Got BRAVE NEW WORLD to focus on first. :P I also played a bit of Skyrim as well, so you may eventually see a fanfic about a Breton Necromancer at some point, ah haha... -sweatdrops-

That said, I sat down three days ago and started rewriting this chapter... for the seventh time... The original version was supposed to be a procession that'd take us through the major cities of the Commonwealth. But no matter how I wrote it, I wasn't satisfied with it. Instead, with this seventh version, I decided to put the procession in the background and focus on a bit more world building and exposition, hence the addition of Hull Town to the story. There'll be a bit more on Hull Town later down the road, along with southern Mass.

Additionally, keep an eye open for another one-shot set in the Fallout universe, this one centered in southern Mass and starring a gang of bikers as they battle the Gunners, just before the Minutemen begin their campaign against the Gunners. It's basically a story meant to introduce another central character to BRAVE NEW WORLD, and personally, I really enjoyed writing him. :D

Next, that bit about the quotes... Like I said, it's pretty much flavor text and meant to set the mood of the chapters, so they'll be basically focused on a common theme that'll be prevalent throughout the chapter. Furthermore, most of the quotes will be from historical figures and all, but some of them will be fictional. For example, there's a quote by Donald Trump, who still becomes the 45th President of the United States, but instead of demonizing Mexicians or terrorists, he's demonizing the Chinese and the Communists. It's my take on the Fallout universe and it's also to show the difference between our timelines. Some things will remain the same, but they'll also be different in other ways.

I'll also be working on incorporating all sources of Fallout, even those deemed non-canonical such as Fallout Tactics and Brotherhood of Steel, and I'll also be using any shred of information I can find on canceled games such as Van Buren and Extreme. Also, obviously, I'm already using lore from Fallout 76 as well. One of my goals for this story is to produce a Fallout universe that's essentially nothing more than headcanon but at the same time, hopefully it'll make sense and it'll be as realistic as possible. Like I said, liberties will be taken. Like horses. There's gonna be horses, dammit.

Mostly because horses are cool. And convenient. But mostly because they're cool. Yeah.

On to the reviews!

Rexxxar, thank you for the kind compliment!

Regarding the Commonwealth Army Rangers, you and me both. :P Probably won't be the Gunners, but maybe Maxson's Brotherhood may be a better challenge for them Rangers.

As for an elite group within the Minutemen, I've been mulling over a few options. There are the Gunners themselves, of course, for which I considered having Nate establish a penal company or two, but... Times being what they are and having no way of ensuring cooperation, why put guns back into the hands of raiders? I did also consider putting together a mixed force from various factions. But at the same time, Nate doesn't quite have that many men yet. Only enough men for ten full companies. Any additional men, he's going to need to establish new companies in order to improve his chances of winning against a professional and disciplined army like the Brotherhood. After all, he knows the Minutemen only won the Brotherhood War because the entire Commonwealth was on their side. And this time around, the Commonwealth is going to be, what? 400 miles away? It'd be like 150 hours on foot, normally. Throw in broken roads, debris and ruins, pockets of radiation, all the dangers of the wasteland, and I'd say closer to 200 hours, 250 hours is probably more realistic.

In the end, I figured once Nate's freed up a couple of territories from enemy control and recruited more volunteers and mercenaries and locked down some allies, and once he's finally beaten Maxson and his Brotherhood, he'll have plenty of turf from the Commonwealth to the Capital Wasteland to recruit from. With a new President and some Manifest Destiny kinda thinking going on, Nate's gonna be given an opportunity to build a real Commonwealth Army while the Minutemen return to the Commonwealth and take up their duties there. With that kind of mandate, Nate's definitely gonna start establishing different groups within the Commonwealth Army. Rangers. Marines. An Air Force, maybe. Plenty of room for an elite force as well. It'll just take a bit of time to get us to that point, but probably sooner than you'd think. ;)

To the eager guest, my apologies for taking so long! I hope this one makes up for it. :)

And to the other guest... True to Caesar, amicus.