POV Kellogg
I stumble through a back alley and finally manage to get away from my pursuers. The entire plan had gone to crap. The destruction of the Raider army was not that big an issue for me. I could escape the Minutemen easily enough. Even with their helicopter patrolling the area. However, my plan to rest in Lexington failed miserably when the ferals started acting up. My safehouse was overwhelmed, and I had to run.
My next plan was to meet up with the Synths at the nearby Slocum's Joe. That wasn't the only reason things got bad. I had lost contact with the Institute. That in and of itself isn't that outrageous; they have done so in the past, but this was different. My instincts told me so, and you don't live as long as I have without trusting your instincts.
I arrived at Slocum's Joe with some injuries, and the synths welcomed me and even sent me downstairs to the underground base. I was aware that Slocum's Joe often had secret facilities below it, but what I wasn't expecting was that this used to be the Railroad's HQ. I was never sent on missions to eliminate Railroad Agents in the past as to keep me for more high-risk operations. Always thought it was because they wanted to keep me at a distance from their weaknesses.
Once inside, I tried to see if I was able to contact the institute via the terminals set up down here, but it was the same thing. No response. Not long after I checked that, I decided to leave this place, but I found that I wasn't allowed to. The topside had become overrun with ferals, and all surface units had been eliminated. I kept my calm and moved towards the rest of the facility. These bases always have a back entrance or escape tunnel. I found the escape tunnel, but it was locked down and I couldn't access it from this side.
"Damn it!" I say while punching the door.
I usually can deal with these kinds of issues, but this was different. My employers were silent, and I was now trapped in an old spy facility with only enough food to last a month if I rationed it. There were only about 30 or so Synths in this base, and most were Gen-1s, which were practically useless. I wasn't a Computer Expert, so I couldn't bypass the security. And I could blast my way out for several reasons. One was that I didn't have the explosives, and two was that these facilities were meant to survive an enemy attack, meaning they were heavily reinforced.
'Which means I am trapped down here until the ferals move away.'
I sat down and waited. I just had to rely on my luck to get out of this prison cell.
POV Mags Black
I was sitting in a dark room waiting for my guest to arrive. If this meeting went well, the Operators would increase their share of Nuka-World's treasure and territory. But it relied on getting help from a rival.
'Speak of the Devil.'
"I'm here now, let's talk business. What do you fancy pants wimps want?" says Mason, the leader of the Pack Raiders.
"I will ignore your insults and assume that you are actually interested in the deal I proposed to you," I reply.
"Hmm. Yeah, I guess I am. But I am not sure it's really worth it," Mason replies.
"Nisha and her blood-obsessed Psychos are bad for business. We both know that they can't be trusted and are the ones who have breached the alliance the most. The Disciples are weakened; they have fewer than 100 members left. If we work together, we can wipe them out and split the loot between us," I offer.
"Sigh. Yeah, Nisha's a problem, I won't deny that. But I want to make sure that we will get a good share. Not to mention, if we wipe them out, how will that affect us going forward? With three of us, no one group could cause issues without bringing in the others. We balanced each other. I may be a brute, but even I question what this will do to our future profits. What's to stop us from going to war with each other after Nisha is dead?" Mason asks.
"Gage. We may not like him, but we can count on him doing his job. If we have a dispute, we have him or that useless idiot Colter mediate for us. Neither of us wants a war. We would lose too much and risk the Slaves rebelling. So if we both agree to mediation, we can avoid any future conflicts. And before you ask, we know that Gage and Colter don't want any one Gang being too strong, so they will constantly try to balance each of us to maintain their control," I reply.
"I don't like Colter, but I agree that coward wouldn't favor one of us over the other. But what about Rio? Most of our men are fighting together to break into his home and take it for ourselves. If word gets out that we wiped out the Disciples leader and base, they will go berserk," Mason responds.
"They won't find out. My brother is the current second in command of the Raider army. I told him to ensure that as few as possible Disciples escape the siege. At most, we might have a small gang of survivors that can be eliminated easily. And it also means we have one less group to split the rewards with. And if we use all our people, I am sure that we can kill every last Disciple in Fizztop Mountain," I reply.
"Hmm, I guess that works. What will be the distribution of troops?" Mason asks.
"You send 75 and I send 50 to Fizztop. Then you send 50 more, and I send 25 to ensure no one escapes. I would send more, but I don't have the numbers of the Pack, and neither can I recruit as fast as the Pack," I respond.
"I assume the Pack will take the front then?" Mason asks.
"Yes, but in exchange, you get 60% of the loot, but the territory will be 45% for both of us, and the last 10% is for the Overboss," I respond.
"70% of the loot and 50% of the territory," Mason demands.
"No, I can give you 65% loot, but the territory is final. And don't think that I don't have a say. My brother is the one who is determining how many Disciples come back. You also can't do this without us," I respond.
Mason stares me down, trying to intimidate me, but after seeing that it doesn't work, he relents and accepts the 65% loot. Once that is done, we leave and start getting our people together to strike the same day. The longer we wait, the greater risk that this plan gets out or fails.
POV Colonel Winter
After overseeing the ambush against the target and seeing that it failed, I left the command room and went to the Grand Admiral's office. I knock, and I am permitted entry.
"How was your time out?" I ask.
"It was... Informative. I can conclude that using third parties to eliminate or cause issues for Rio and the Minutemen is not effective. Even with effective leadership, the Raiders' issues led to a decline in efficiency. They are too undisciplined and uncoordinated to accomplish the mission. And more importantly, the Minutemen have advanced far enough that Raiders are no longer a serious threat. Even for more Guerrilla Tactics, they cannot be counted on for any level of effectiveness to justify the investment," the Grand Admiral concludes.
"Sigh. I feared as much. Was the Second Skin Project to your liking?" I ask.
"Yes, I have nothing but praise for the Science Team. I had no issues being in three places at once and felt no lag in my control. I will request that they add more defensive measures to the Synthetic Bodies. I believe that adding these additions should not pose too much of a challenge for them. I must admit the Institute has created quite a marvelous invention. A shame they lack the vision for how to wield it," The Grand Admiral responds.
"Indeed. But perhaps not a massive shame for us, as it means one less obstacle for us. And speaking of enemies, what shall we do about Rio? He has survived our trap?" I ask.
"For now, nothing. We have already used many resources. Continuing to pressure the objective at this point will only increase the odds that we are discovered. So for now, we will switch to strictly recon. This was a failure, but we have learned much from this. Such as it is now clear that Rio has some form of Time Manipulation Powers. We might not be able to say if he can time-travel, but we can say he has the ability to stop time or accelerate his time massively," The Grand Admiral responds.
"Ah, you refer to the point where he seemingly vanished and a bomb appeared?" I reply.
"Precisely. However, I have had the Science Team slow the footage down as much as they could, and it still shows that he simply appeared somewhere else instantaneously. However, it isn't teleportation. He can teleport, but it has clear limitations; it also shows when it happens," The Grand Admiral responds.
"I see. Then perhaps we can use this to formulate a better elimination strategy," I respond.
"No. I believe that continuing down this route is a waste of resources. I believe that to defeat him, we must use what he cares for most. I think it is clear that we can't eliminate him using traditional methods. But for it to work, we must create a way to contain him. He must willingly give up. And for that, we must learn more about who he is as a person. To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their History, Philosophy, Art, and Culture. Only by understanding these things can we counter Rio," The Grand Admiral responds.
"Art, Ma'am?" I ask with a sceptical tone.
"Learn about art, Colonel. When you understand a species' art, you understand that species," The Grand Admiral responds.
"Um, yes ma'am," I reply.
"I forgot, not everyone is able to appreciate Art as I do. But that is okay. A varied perspective can lead to greater efficiency," The Grand Admiral responds.
"Yes, ma'am. Now what about Agent 111?" I ask.
"Hmm, I believe his effectiveness in the field was adequate, but he made several errors. The largest was when he didn't kill Rio with his revolver from range. Execution was entirely unnecessary. I also believed he took more risks than necessary. While I acknowledge that he gains power the more he is injured, that does not mean he needs to take unnecessary damage. His equipment can also be improved. His divulging of information to the target was also a breach of OPSEC. While it is thankfully information that leads towards the Enclave, we cannot allow such risks again. I also think some additional improvements to his armor and cybernetic enhancements will increase his effectiveness. Perhaps we should reassess the validity of the Exo-Suit Program. Even if we only produce a single model, it would improve Agent 111's effectiveness," The Grand Admiral analyses.
"Yes, ma'am, I will see to it that it is done. What about Agent Barry?" I ask.
"Hmm, Agent Barry performed excellently. It was thanks to him that Agent 111 was able to be retrieved alive. I believe he should get a promotion and some additional training. I also don't think we have explored his abilities to the fullest. Some enhancements should help him greatly. I also think his equipment can be improved," The Grand Admiral says with a slight smile, which is quite something for her.
"I will let him know your words of praise. I am sure that will improve his mood after this defeat," I reply with a smile.
"Make sure he gets our best treatment. Also, make sure Alpha and Bravo's families are well taken care of. They died in the line of duty, and they should be honored as such," The Grand Admiral responds.
"Of course, ma'am," I reply with a slight frown, as I knew many of the members personally.
We talked about a few more things before I took my leave.
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Author's Note:
In case it wasn't clear, the Grand Admiral was Warrior. And she was using a remote-controlled Synthetic Body Double to be in three places at once. They were also the ones who helped form the Raider army; they just didn't form it completely, more just gave people the idea and added a little supplies here and there.
As Nuka World, I am of the opinion that the Disciples don't make much sense in the 3 Gang Alliance. I suppose they are meant to represent one of the three main ways a Raider would operate. But logically, they are a bunch of blood and murder obsessed psychopaths and sociopaths that gladly torture others. They don't seem like the type to get along with others, let alone ally with them. But even if they did, the fact that they don't stop would make anyone nervous. And make a lot of enemies.
Lastly, for Kellogg, I think a merc with his experience wouldn't be caught during the counterattack at Concord. I also imagine he would have safehouses all over the place. So to me it makes sense that he would retreat to Lexington first, as he is still technically on a mission. Then he would assess what to do and likely sneak back over to Sanctuary/Vault 111 and try to get in. Or he would go to a more well-equipped Safehouse and come back with more equipment. As for getting locked in the Old Railroad HQ when he has to flee his Safehouse, the first instinct is to find somewhere safe to treat his wounds and regroup. As for killing all the Feral Ghouls, that's not happening. He would have to use Melee Weapons, as using guns would attract more, and even with Melee Weapons, he would still attract more, and there are thousands of Feral Ghouls. That and he can get unlucky. Until next time, Ciao.