If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
And for now, to every recruit sweating beneath the afternoon sun, to every veteran correcting a younger soldier's stance, and to every instructor calling another drill, it remained exactly what it appeared to be which an ordinary day of training in a Republic determined never to be caught unprepared.
Then the next three days passed without any dramatic change in Sanctuary.
That, Sico had learned, was often a good thing.
The Republic continued moving forward through the ordinary rhythm of administration. Construction crews reported steady progress. Trade caravans came and went through the gates. Agricultural warehouses continued receiving shipments from the surrounding farms. Military training intensified quietly across the Republic, though to most soldiers it remained indistinguishable from the normal preparation expected of a professional army.
Inside Freemasons Headquarters, Sico returned each morning to the same desk.
And every morning, there was more paperwork.
By the third afternoon, however, the piles had finally become manageable.
Sico was reading the final pages of a logistics report when a quiet knock sounded against his office door.
He glanced toward it.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Sarah Lyons stepped inside.
She closed it behind her with deliberate care.
Sico immediately noticed her expression.
It wasn't alarm.
It wasn't urgency.
But there was a seriousness in her eyes that told him the interruption mattered.
He set his pen down.
"Something happened?"
Sarah nodded.
"The reconnaissance teams are back."
Sico straightened in his chair.
"All of them?"
"All three."
"When?"
"They arrived less than an hour ago."
That was enough to make the remaining paperwork irrelevant.
Sarah continued.
"They've already reported to Operations. They're exhausted, but they're fit enough to brief you."
Sico looked at the completed documents covering his desk.
Then he looked back at her.
"Bring everyone to the conference room."
Sarah nodded.
"Team leaders as well?"
"Everyone who was directly involved."
"They'll provide their own observations."
"I want nothing filtered through someone else's interpretation."
"Understood."
Sarah opened the door.
"I'll have them assembled within fifteen minutes."
Sico stood.
"And Sarah?"
She paused.
"Make sure they've eaten something first."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I already thought of that."
"Good."
She left.
Sico gathered the last few documents and placed them into their appropriate folders before leaving his office.
For the first time in several days, the conference room was being used for something that had nothing to do with budgets, construction schedules, or routine administration.
The intelligence waiting inside those walls could affect the Republic's future.
By the time Sico entered, several reconnaissance personnel were already seated around the large table.
They looked different from the soldiers who normally occupied the room.
There was no polished appearance.
No ceremonial uniforms.
Their clothing was practical and worn.
Dust remained on several boots.
One scout had a bandage wrapped around his forearm, though from the way he carried himself it was clearly minor.
Another looked as though he had slept only a handful of hours during the previous week.
Yet none appeared careless.
They had spent days living close to two hostile armies.
They had returned alive.
That mattered.
Sarah stood near the wall with several folders.
Sico took his usual position at the head of the table.
"Thank you for coming."
The scouts straightened instinctively.
Sico raised a hand.
"Relax."
"You've spent enough time standing."
A few of them allowed themselves to settle back into their chairs.
The senior scout from the first team placed a weathered notebook on the table.
"We'll start with the overall situation."
Sico nodded.
"Go ahead."
The scout opened the notebook.
"The conflict between the Institute and the Brotherhood has settled into a stalemate."
The room became quiet.
"Neither side has achieved a decisive breakthrough."
He unfolded several maps.
"Both factions have gained ground in isolated areas."
"Both have lost positions."
"Neither has been able to convert those local victories into a sustained offensive."
He pointed toward several marked regions.
"The Institute continues launching repeated synth assaults against Brotherhood defensive positions."
"Some attacks last hours."
"Others continue through most of the night."
Sico studied the marks.
"And the Brotherhood?"
"They've adapted."
The scout placed another map on the table.
"They've reinforced nearly every major defensive perimeter we've observed."
Additional symbols had been drawn around Brotherhood-held positions.
"More barricades."
"Additional fortified firing positions."
"Reinforced checkpoints."
"New defensive emplacements."
"Several positions that previously relied on temporary fortifications now appear designed for prolonged defense."
Sico remained silent.
The scout continued.
"They've also increased the number of Power Armor units operating along the front."
That drew more attention around the table.
"How many?"
"We couldn't obtain an exact number."
The scout shook his head.
"Too much movement."
"But the increase is significant."
"Squads rather than individual suits."
"They're deploying heavily armed Power Armor teams directly against synth assaults."
Sico leaned forward slightly.
"Effectiveness?"
"Very high."
The answer came without hesitation.
"When synth units reach exposed positions, Power Armor teams can destroy them rapidly."
"But the Institute replaces losses."
"That's the problem."
The scout looked toward the map.
"Human soldiers become tired."
"Synths don't."
He paused.
"They don't need sleep in the way Brotherhood soldiers do."
"They don't become physically exhausted after hours of continuous movement."
"They can remain operational far longer."
Another scout added quietly,
"We watched one engagement continue through most of the night."
"The Brotherhood rotated personnel."
"The synths didn't."
Sico's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"So the Institute possesses the endurance advantage."
"Yes."
"But the Brotherhood possesses the defensive advantage."
The team leader nodded.
"That's how it looks."
He pointed toward the fortified positions.
"The Brotherhood knows it can't simply chase synths across open ground."
"So they've built positions designed to absorb repeated attacks."
"Every time the Institute finds a weakness…"
"…the Brotherhood reinforces it."
Sico sat back.
"And every time the Brotherhood strengthens a position?"
"The Institute attacks somewhere else."
A faint, grim smile passed between two of the scouts.
"Exactly."
Another team leader took over.
"We also observed Institute forces attempting to bypass several heavily defended areas."
"Through tunnels?"
"In some cases."
"Other times they used less predictable routes."
"Some attacks appeared designed simply to force the Brotherhood to move its Power Armor units."
Sico considered that carefully.
"So they're testing reactions."
"Yes."
"Looking for gaps."
"Yes."
He looked around the table.
"And the Brotherhood?"
"They're learning too."
The scout's finger moved across the map.
"That's why neither side is breaking."
Sico remained silent.
For several moments the only sound inside the conference room was the faint rustle of paper.
He studied the maps again.
The Institute had an advantage.
But it wasn't enough.
The synth forces could operate longer.
They could maintain pressure without suffering the same physical limitations as human troops.
Yet the Brotherhood had compensated.
Stronger defenses.
More fortified positions.
Greater Power Armor deployment.
Better preparation.
Every advantage was being answered by another advantage.
The battlefield had become a balance that neither side could easily break.
Sico finally spoke.
"So despite the Institute's endurance…"
"…nothing fundamental has changed."
The team leaders exchanged glances.
"That would be our assessment."
Sico nodded slowly.
It was frustrating.
But it was also useful.
He would rather know the truth than hear a more exciting report.
The Republic could work with reality.
It could not work with wishful thinking.
His thoughts inevitably moved toward Robert.
MacCready.
The Commandos.
They had already destroyed camps.
Disrupted supply routes.
Forced the Brotherhood to rebuild.
If those operations continued, perhaps the balance could gradually shift.
Not overnight.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
If the Brotherhood's logistics were weakened systematically…
If communications became unreliable…
If defensive positions had to be rebuilt repeatedly…
If supplies arrived late…
If commanders lost access to accurate information…
Then eventually the Brotherhood might struggle to maintain the defensive network currently preventing the Institute from achieving a breakthrough.
That could become the opening the Institute needed.
But it was still only a possibility.
Sico would not send Republic soldiers into a war zone based upon possibilities.
He had spent too many years watching leaders make that mistake.
He looked around the table.
"You've done exactly what I asked."
The scouts listened.
"You observed."
"You stayed concealed."
"You didn't engage."
"You came home with useful information."
"That makes this mission successful."
The senior scout nodded.
"We can continue."
Sico raised a hand.
"Not today."
The scouts looked slightly surprised.
"You're standing down."
"For the remainder of the day."
He looked at each of them.
"Eat."
"Sleep."
"See the medical staff if you need them."
"If anyone has injuries, however minor, report them."
Nobody objected.
"You've spent enough time living beside two armies."
"You don't return from that and immediately disappear again without resting."
One scout gave a tired smile.
"That might be the first order I've received in weeks that doesn't involve hiding somewhere uncomfortable."
A quiet laugh moved around the table.
Sico smiled.
"Take advantage of it."
He waited until the room settled again.
"Tonight, however, you'll leave again."
The humor disappeared, replaced by professional attention.
"After dark."
"We need continued observation."
Sico pointed toward the maps.
"I want updated information on troop movements."
"Defensive changes."
"Power Armor deployments."
"Synth activity."
"Supply movements."
"Command positions."
"Anything that tells us where this conflict is heading."
He looked directly at the team leaders.
"Don't chase information."
"If something is too dangerous to observe…"
"…you don't observe it."
"If you believe you've been detected…"
"…withdraw."
"If an opportunity presents itself safely…"
"…take it."
"If it doesn't…"
"…leave it."
He folded his hands on the table.
"The Republic doesn't need another army marching into that battlefield."
Nobody spoke.
"We need time."
His eyes moved across the scouts.
"We need accurate intelligence."
"And we need to recognize the moment when the balance finally begins to shift."
The senior scout closed his notebook.
"Understood."
Sico nodded.
"You'll report whenever necessary."
"But don't compromise yourselves simply to make the report sooner."
"Yes, sir."
Sarah stepped forward and began collecting the maps.
"The medical team has already been informed."
"Food is waiting in the canteen."
"Quarters have been prepared."
One scout smiled.
"Someone actually thought ahead."
Sarah gave him a dry look.
"That's generally what I'm paid for."
A few quiet laughs followed.
The meeting gradually broke apart.
Chairs moved backward.
Folders were gathered.
The exhausted scouts stood slowly, stretching stiff shoulders and legs that had spent too many days moving cautiously through ruined terrain.
Sico remained near the table as they filed out.
He watched them disappear through the doorway.
They were tired.
But they were alive.
And they had brought back exactly what he needed.
Not certainty.
Not victory.
Information.
Once the last scout had left, Sarah remained behind.
She looked at Sico.
"Your assessment?"
He stared down at the maps.
"The Institute has an advantage."
"But not enough."
"Not yet."
Sarah nodded.
"The Brotherhood's defenses are stronger than we expected."
"They're learning."
"So is the Institute."
Sico's expression remained thoughtful.
"Which means neither side is likely to collapse soon."
Sarah understood the implication.
"And the Commandos?"
"Let them work."
"They may eventually create an opening."
"But we're not counting on it."
"Understood."
Sico rolled one of the maps carefully.
"Patience."
Sarah gave a faint smile.
"Again."
"It keeps working."
She laughed softly.
"Sometimes."
They left the conference room together.
Outside, Sanctuary continued as though nothing significant had happened.
That was the strange thing about intelligence work.
Some of the most important decisions affecting the Republic could happen in a quiet room while children played outside and merchants argued over prices in the marketplace.
There were no cheering crowds.
No flags raised.
No dramatic announcements.
Only people doing difficult work because somebody had to.
The reconnaissance teams spent the remainder of the afternoon recovering.
Some ate in the canteen until their plates were empty.
Others accepted medical examinations before finally disappearing toward their quarters.
By evening, the strain of the previous days had begun to leave their faces.
After sunset, the teams gathered again.
Equipment was checked.
Water containers filled.
Optics inspected.
Medical supplies counted.
Weapons secured.
No one talked unnecessarily.
The mission had become familiar.
The dangers had not.
Before departure, Sarah approached the group.
"Remember the President's orders."
One scout nodded.
"Observe."
"Document."
"Withdraw if necessary."
"Return alive."
Sarah looked at them for another moment.
"Good."
The gates opened quietly.
One by one, the scouts disappeared into the darkness beyond Sanctuary.
Sico watched from a distance as their silhouettes gradually vanished into the night.
He remained there for several seconds after they were gone.
The Commonwealth was quiet.
Stars appeared above the rooftops.
Somewhere in the distance, an engine started.
A dog barked.
A door closed.
Ordinary sounds.
Peaceful sounds.
Sico finally turned back toward the headquarters.
The Republic would wait.
The Institute would continue attacking.
The Brotherhood would continue defending.
Robert and MacCready would continue disrupting whatever they could without exposing themselves.
And the reconnaissance teams would watch from the shadows.
No one knew exactly when the balance would change.
Perhaps it would take weeks.
Perhaps months.
Perhaps something unexpected would happen tomorrow.
Sico couldn't control that.
What he could control was how the Republic responded.
No reckless intervention.
No unnecessary casualties.
No marching blindly into somebody else's war.
For now, patience was not weakness.
It was strategy.
Then the darkness had already settled over Sanctuary by the time the last reconnaissance team disappeared beyond the outer gate.
For several seconds, Sico remained where he was.
The distant silhouettes of the scouts had vanished among the trees and ruined structures beyond the settlement, swallowed by the night almost as soon as they left the reach of the Republic's lights.
There was nothing dramatic about their departure.
No speeches.
No ceremony.
Only a quiet gate closing behind them and the soft mechanical clunk of the locking mechanism settling into place.
Sico watched the darkness for another moment before finally turning away.
The evening air had grown cooler.
A breeze moved through Sanctuary, carrying the faint smell of wood smoke from nearby chimneys. Warm yellow light spilled from the windows of restored houses, illuminating portions of the streets where families were finishing dinner and children were being called indoors.
Somewhere near the marketplace, someone was still laughing.
A caravan brahmin grunted from behind a nearby building.
A sentry exchanged a few quiet words with another guard at the gate.
Life continued.
Sico walked back toward Freemasons Headquarters.
The building was quieter than it had been during the day, but it was far from asleep. Night-shift clerks occupied several offices. Radio operators remained at their stations. A pair of officers stood near the operations room reviewing a map beneath a shaded lamp.
As Sico passed, they straightened.
"Good evening, President."
"Evening."
He continued without stopping.
His thoughts remained with the reconnaissance briefing.
The Institute.
The Brotherhood.
The stalemate.
The reinforced defensive positions.
The Power Armor squads.
The synths that could keep operating long after ordinary soldiers would have been exhausted.
Nothing about the situation had offered an immediate solution.
But neither had it closed every possibility.
Robert's operations were still unfolding somewhere beyond the safety of Sanctuary.
The Commandos had already damaged Brotherhood camps and disrupted supply routes.
Perhaps those attacks would eventually become something more.
Perhaps they would not.
Sico knew better than to build strategy around hope.
Still, the possibility remained.
He reached his office.
The door opened with a familiar creak.
He stepped inside and closed it behind him.
The room was quiet.
His desk lamp cast a warm circle of light across the papers he had left earlier. The Commonwealth map remained mounted on the opposite wall, its numerous markings showing settlements, roads, Brotherhood positions, Institute activity, trade routes, and areas of ongoing military concern.
Sico removed his jacket and placed it over the back of his chair.
He did not sit.
Instead, his attention went immediately to the long-range radio positioned beside his desk.
Robert.
If the Commandos were still operating, there was a chance he could establish contact.
Sico pulled the chair closer and sat down.
He adjusted the receiver.
Checked the frequency.
Made a small correction.
Then he pressed the transmission control.
"This is Sico calling Robert."
Static answered.
He waited.
Nothing.
He tried again.
"Robert, this is Sico. Do you copy?"
A burst of interference came through the speaker.
Then silence.
Sico leaned back slightly.
The long-range equipment was never predictable.
Distance, terrain, atmospheric conditions, and whatever interference existed across the Commonwealth could turn a simple conversation into an exercise in patience.
He waited.
Another minute passed.
Then another.
Static filled the office.
Sometimes it sounded like distant rain.
Sometimes like a badly tuned radio station from a world that no longer existed.
Sico checked the frequency again.
He was about to transmit another call when the speaker suddenly crackled.
A voice emerged beneath the interference.
"…Sico?"
Sico immediately leaned forward.
"Robert."
The signal wavered.
Then strengthened.
"Got you."
Robert's voice sounded tired, but steady.
Sico allowed himself a small smile.
"Good. How's the mission?"
There was a pause.
Then Robert answered.
"Progressing."
That single word carried more weight than it normally would have.
Sico waited.
"We've had several successful operations since our last transmission."
"How many?"
"Several Brotherhood outposts."
Robert spoke carefully.
"We destroyed them without exposing the Commandos."
"Another camp was eliminated."
"And we hit a larger Brotherhood base."
Sico's expression became more attentive.
"A larger base?"
"Yes."
"More heavily defended than the others."
Robert paused as another burst of static passed through the transmission.
"We had to spend more time observing it before moving."
"But the operation worked."
"Casualties?"
"None."
Sico exhaled quietly.
"Good."
Robert continued.
"There's something else."
Sico waited.
"We recovered documents."
That caught his attention immediately.
"What kind?"
"A lot of them."
Robert's voice carried the faintest trace of satisfaction.
"Operational material."
"Maps."
"Patrol schedules."
"Logistics records."
"Deployment information."
"Defensive planning."
"Some communications records."
"There were also orders and internal reports."
Sico sat forward.
"You recovered all of that?"
"As much as we could carry."
Robert gave a quiet laugh.
"MacCready complained about the weight."
"That sounds like MacCready."
"He said if the Brotherhood wanted to write this much paperwork, they could at least carry it themselves."
Sico smiled.
Even in the middle of a dangerous covert operation, MacCready apparently remained MacCready.
"Where are the documents now?"
"Secure."
"We've separated them from the rest of our equipment."
"Nothing leaves the team unless we're certain it can be moved safely."
"Good."
Sico looked toward the Commonwealth map.
"What do they tell us?"
Robert hesitated.
"We're still going through everything."
"But there's enough material to give us a better picture."
He continued carefully.
"The Brotherhood is moving supplies through several routes we hadn't identified."
"They've adjusted patrol schedules around their stronger defensive positions."
"Some units are being shifted depending on where the Institute applies pressure."
"We also found information about reinforcement plans."
Sico's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That could be useful."
"It is."
"We're still cross-checking everything."
"I don't want us acting on a document until we know it's genuine."
Sico nodded instinctively, despite knowing Robert couldn't see him.
"Good."
The difference between useful intelligence and dangerous misinformation could be nothing more than a forged signature or an outdated map.
Robert continued.
"But the documents aren't the most interesting part."
Sico's attention sharpened.
"What is?"
"The Brotherhood hasn't rebuilt everything."
Silence.
Sico glanced toward the map again.
"Explain."
"After the last attacks, we expected them to start reconstruction immediately."
"They didn't."
"They sent search teams."
Sico remained still.
"Search teams?"
"They're looking for us."
Robert's voice became quieter.
"They're searching the surrounding areas."
"Ruined buildings."
"Forest approaches."
"Old roads."
"Abandoned settlements."
"Anything they think we might have used to enter or withdraw."
Sico slowly leaned back in his chair.
That was different.
Very different.
"They're prioritizing the search over reconstruction?"
"Apparently."
Robert continued.
"They've left some damaged positions partially unusable."
"They've reinforced a few areas, but they aren't rebuilding everything yet."
"They're putting personnel into the search."
Sico said nothing for several seconds.
The implications began arranging themselves in his mind.
Every soldier sent to search for the Commandos was a soldier not standing on the frontline.
Every patrol redirected toward ruined buildings was another patrol unavailable to reinforce a defensive position.
Every officer coordinating the search was spending time and attention hunting an enemy whose identity remained unknown.
The Commandos weren't merely destroying physical structures anymore.
They were creating uncertainty.
Sico finally spoke.
"How many personnel?"
"We don't have an exact number."
"Enough to notice."
Robert's voice hardened slightly.
"They're taking this seriously."
"They should."
"They've lost enough equipment that they can't ignore it."
Sico looked at the map again.
For weeks, the Republic had been trying to understand how the Brotherhood might be weakened without committing openly to the conflict.
Now there was the beginning of an answer.
Not victory.
Not yet.
But pressure.
The Brotherhood was being forced to make choices.
And choices created weaknesses.
Sico slowly stood and walked toward the map.
"Robert."
"Yes?"
"How much of their frontline strength do you think this is pulling away?"
"Hard to say."
"We've seen fewer patrols in some areas."
"More movement behind their lines."
"Some units are clearly searching rather than reinforcing."
Sico placed one hand against the edge of the map.
"That matters."
Robert remained quiet.
Sico continued.
"Every unit they divert away from the Institute gives the Institute something it didn't have yesterday."
"An opportunity."
"Exactly."
Robert's voice became more cautious.
"You think we're changing the balance?"
"I think you're beginning to."
He paused.
"But don't mistake that for permission to become aggressive."
Robert immediately understood.
"We won't."
"The search means they're becoming suspicious."
"Not of us specifically."
"Not yet."
"But if they identify the Commandos…"
Sico didn't finish the sentence.
Robert did.
"The campaign ends badly."
"Exactly."
There was a long pause.
The radio hissed softly between them.
Sico returned to his chair but did not sit.
His eyes remained fixed on the map.
For the first time, the covert campaign seemed capable of influencing the larger conflict without a single Republic soldier openly entering the battlefield.
That was precisely why it was dangerous.
The entire strategy depended on uncertainty.
The Brotherhood couldn't know who was attacking them.
They couldn't know where the Commandos would strike next.
They couldn't know whether the attacks were connected to a larger military organization.
And, most importantly, they couldn't know that the Republic was watching.
Sico finally spoke.
"Continue."
Robert waited.
"Strike additional positions when safe opportunities present themselves."
"Understood."
"But destroying targets is secondary."
Robert immediately knew what he meant.
"Keeping the teams intact."
"Yes."
"I don't want you chasing another camp because it looks valuable."
"If the opportunity isn't clean…"
"…walk away."
Robert answered firmly.
"We will."
"If you're detected, withdraw."
"Understood."
"If you encounter a force too large to avoid…"
"Disengage."
"Yes, sir."
Sico's voice became quieter.
"And whatever happens, they cannot identify the Republic as the force behind this."
Robert didn't hesitate.
"They won't."
"The uncertainty is part of the operation."
"I know."
"Good."
Sico looked once more at the map.
"If they spend their time hunting something they can't identify…"
"…they're already losing something."
Robert understood.
"Time."
"Manpower."
"Attention."
"Exactly."
The radio crackled heavily.
Robert's voice suddenly became faint.
"We're starting to lose the window."
Sico checked the receiver.
The signal strength had fallen noticeably.
"All right."
"We'll establish contact again when possible."
"Before you go…"
Sico paused.
His tone changed slightly.
"Keep your people safe."
Robert answered immediately.
"We will."
"No unnecessary risks."
"Understood."
"And tell MacCready I said the same."
A faint laugh came through the static.
"He'll probably complain that you're taking all the fun out of the job."
"Good."
"That means he's listening."
Robert laughed quietly.
"Fair enough."
The transmission weakened again.
"President…"
"Yes?"
"We'll keep pushing."
Sico looked toward the Commonwealth map.
"Carefully."
"Always."
The signal broke apart.
Static filled the room.
Then silence.
Sico slowly lowered his hand from the receiver.
He remained standing for a while.
The office seemed unusually quiet.
Beyond the walls, Sanctuary continued its nighttime routine.
The headquarters staff worked beneath lamps.
Radio operators monitored distant frequencies.
Guards walked their assigned routes.
Somewhere below, a clerk probably complained about another stack of paperwork.
Ordinary things.
Safe things.
Yet beyond those walls, Robert and the Commandos were moving through a landscape where one wrong step could erase everything they had accomplished.
Sico walked toward the map.
He studied the Brotherhood positions again.
Before tonight, the attacks had been useful because they destroyed camps, damaged supply routes, and forced the Brotherhood to spend resources rebuilding.
Now there was something more.
The Brotherhood was hunting.
Not fighting.
Hunting.
They were diverting manpower into forests, ruins, abandoned roads, and settlements in search of an enemy they couldn't identify.
That changed the equation.
A commander could replace destroyed equipment.
A damaged camp could be rebuilt.
A supply route could be repaired.
But time could not be recovered.
Neither could the manpower spent searching empty buildings.
Sico folded his arms.
The Institute still possessed its endurance advantage.
The Brotherhood still had fortified defenses and increasingly heavy Power Armor deployment.
The stalemate remained.
But perhaps it wasn't quite as stable as it had been yesterday.
The Commandos were applying pressure from an entirely different direction.
Small pressure.
Invisible pressure.
The kind that might not appear on a battlefield map until its effects had already accumulated.
Sico knew better than to celebrate.
One successful operation could be followed by one mistake.
One recovered document could be misleading.
One careless movement could expose the entire campaign.
And if the Brotherhood ever discovered the Republic's involvement, the situation would change immediately.
The covert war would become an open one.
Sico had no intention of allowing that to happen.
Not yet.
He returned to his desk and sat down.
The Commonwealth map remained visible from where he was.
He reached for the small stack of documents he had left unfinished earlier in the evening.
For a moment, he considered ignoring them.
Then he smiled faintly.
The Republic still needed its President.
Whatever Robert was doing tonight, Sico's responsibility remained here.
He picked up the first report.
The ink of the previous signature had already dried.
Outside, another sentry passed beneath the window.
A radio operator's voice carried faintly through the corridor.
Sico lowered his eyes to the report.
The covert campaign had begun to change something.
Not enough to decide the war.
Not enough to justify intervention.
But enough to matter.
For the first time, the balance between the Institute and Brotherhood was beginning to feel less like an immovable wall and more like something standing on uneven ground.
______________________________________________
• 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:-