2. The Kraken

There was a hush that hung thick in the air, as heavy as the fog that rolled across Castle Island from the harbor. Preston drummed his fingers on the barrel of his laser musket, his eyes distant as he looked beyond the shattered window of an old diner towards the ruins of the Minutemen’s most important stronghold.

He had never had the opportunity to visit the Castle while it was operational, had merely cut his teeth on tales about the fortress as he’d come up the ranks. He’d had no idea how huge the structure really was, or in how terrible a condition the great stone walls were really in. The Castle was the perfect symbol for the Minutemen, he thought as his eyes took in the breached walls that had once been considered so impenetrable. It was a powerful structure, brought low by neglect, hardship, and years of complacency. Yet the old fort, like the Minutemen, somehow had endured.

Yet now, enduring wasn’t enough, not with the threat of the Institute looming ever greater over the Commonwealth. The secretive organization, long content with small-scale experiments on the surface, was beginning to stir. Something big was going to happen, and soon. The Minutemen had to be ready, not just to survive, but to fight back.

A whir of vertibird engines caught Preston’s ear, and he rushed out of the ruined diner, gripping his laser musket tightly in case of attack. When he neared the landing vehicle, however, the Colonel relaxed somewhat. As he’d hoped, Myra was seated on the craft’s small bench, almost unrecognizable under a heavy suit of combat armor.

“General!” Preston exclaimed, slinging his musket over his shoulder. “So good to see you again. I’m glad you got my message.”

Myra beamed back at him from the small aircraft. “Like I’d miss it, Preston. Not every day I get to hunt an actual sea monster.”

The ground shook slightly as Paladin Danse jumped from the vertibird, his power armor striking the earth with a thud. The soldier held his arms out for Myra, who walked to the edge of the vehicle, muttering under her breath. Danse picked the General up, lifting her carefully and gently lowering her to the ground.

Preston rolled his eyes. There was no reason he could see why such an action was necessary. Myra was more than capable of using a ladder. The General walked over to Preston, pulling him into a tight hug. He returned it warmly.

“I missed you, Myra,” Preston said, his eyes connecting with Danse’s over the General’s shoulder. The Paladin’s deep brown eyes had a warning edge to them that made Preston nervous, and he gulped slightly as his arms loosened around Myra’s back.

“I missed you too,” Myra replied softly, pulling away to look at the Colonel. “You’re looking well. How are our settlements doing?”

“I think we finally managed to stop the raider problem we’ve been having,” Preston replied. “Tenpines is still cleaning up after the last scuffle, but it’s going well. Oberland and Starlight have both grown quite a bit, and we’ve been able to establish a few new trade routes. I think we’re close to convincing County Crossing and Greentop Nursery to join us as well. That’s why I realized that we needed to retake the Castle.”

“Sounds like you’ve accomplished quite a lot since the last time we saw each other, Preston,” she replied, smacking him gently on the back. Myra glanced over at the ruined fortress. “I’m happy to help, but, what’s so great about that heap of rubble, anyway?”

Danse cleared his throat. “Knight, that ‘heap of rubble’ is Fort Independence, an important piece of Commonwealth history. Show some respect.”

Preston nodded at the Paladin with a smile. “You know your stuff, Paladin! But it’s not just a piece of history. The Castle is also home to an enormous broadcasting station that we Minutemen once used to communicate with our settlements. It’s how we were able to send teams to anyone who needed our help. I’m hoping that we can get it up and running again so it’s easier for us to coordinate missions over long distances.”

“That would be useful,” Myra replied. “It’d also make it easier for me to come and go as I need to without having to worry you, Preston.”

Preston nodded. “That’s the other reason. I know I can’t ask you to abandon your search for your son, and I don’t want to. But I can’t run the Minutemen all on my own, General. When you agreed to help me, I thought...well, I figured you’d be a bit more available.”

“Don’t worry, Preston,” she said with a reassuring grin. “If we pull this off, I’ll only ever be a broadcast away. Now what’s the...”

Myra’s voice trailed off as a dark shape bounded towards her, barking excitedly. She beamed at the large dog as he collided with her, nearly knocking her off her feet. Danse placed an armored hand on her back, holding her steady.

“You brought Dogmeat to a war zone?” Myra asked Preston. “I thought I asked you to keep him safe.”

“More like I wasn’t able to convince him to stay behind,” Preston replied defensively. “He missed you, you know.”

“I missed you too, buddy!” she cried, scratching the german shepherd behind the ears as his tail thwacked against her leg happily. “Yes I did! Oh, yes I did!”

“Hello again, Dogmeat,” said Paladin Danse, reaching down with an open hand for the dog to sniff. Dogmeat barked once, then circled the Paladin, his tongue lolling in excitement at the sight of yet another friend.

Preston grinned at the armored man. “Looks like Dogmeat’s pretty fond of you, Paladin.”

“The feeling is definitely mutual,” Danse replied. “He’s a good little soldier, and his tracking abilities are second to none.” He pulled a small hunk of radstag meat out of his pack, offering it to Dogmeat. The german shepherd gobbled the treat down greedily, his amber eyes bright with joy as Danse patted him carefully and affectionately on the head. The dog bounded off, returning with a large stick which he offered to the Paladin with pleading eyes. Danse chuckled, throwing the stick for the large dog. “Go get it, boy!” he called as Dogmeat bounded after the projectile.

“So what’s the plan, Preston?” Myra asked as she watched Danse and Dogmeat play, a soft smile setting her face aglow. “I assume you have one.”

“Absolutely,” the Colonel replied. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, ever since you agreed to lead the Minutemen. I wish we had a little more time to prepare, but I think we’ll be able to pull this off.”

Myra frowned slightly. “Why don’t we have time, Preston?”

“There’s…” his voice trailed off as Myra’s eyes met his. He wasn’t ready to give her an answer, not yet. There were too many unknown variables, too many gaps in his information. “I just want to make sure we have a better line of communication set up in case we need to mobilize quickly,” he concluded.

Myra sighed. “You’re hiding something from me, Preston. Why?”

“I don’t want to worry you if I’m wrong, that’s all,” he said. “I promise, as soon as I’m sure, I’ll let you know. For now, please, just trust me.”

The General stared at him, her bright green eyes analyzing his face for any clues. He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. There was something about the look she was giving him that made him feel ashamed. He asked for her trust, for her help. Was it really too much for him to trust her too?

Finally, the silence was too much for him. “Come inside and meet the others,” Preston said, gesturing to the small diner. “They’re all eager to finally get to know their General.”

“It would be good to know what we’re working with,” Myra said simply, her gaze finally leaving him. She whistled, drawing the attention of her other companions. “Danse! Dogmeat! Let’s go inside.”

Danse followed quickly behind her and Preston, Dogmeat at his heels. As they entered the bombed-out diner, Myra frowned, looking around the room with something bordering on disdain.

“What’s wrong, Myra?” asked Preston.

The General gestured around the room to the three minutemen who occupied it. “You said you wanted to take back the fort,” she replied. “Is this really enough people for us to do that with?”

The Colonel sighed. “I gathered who I could. You know how it is, General. We can’t just abandon our settlements and concentrate our full force on one spot. Besides, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in expertise.”

He gestured to a thin blonde man who was fiddling with a small radio much like the one Preston wore on his chest. “Take Jake Forrester, for example,” Preston continued. “Jake’s our resident electronics expert. Ever since he came to Sanctuary, he’s been helping Sturges with a few projects, and it was hard talking Brian into letting him come with us. You know how he can be.”

Myra chuckled. “Oh, man. Sturges is bad enough when it comes to lending out wrenches. I can’t imagine he was happy that you were borrowing his assistant.”

Preston nodded. “Not just borrowed. Jake will be staying here permanently. When we retake the Castle, Jake’s the one who will be running our radio broadcast. He’s also pretty handy with explosives, to hear him tell it.”

“It’s an honor,” the young man said softly, not making eye contact. He continued to fiddle with the radio, his face screwed up in concentration.

“Honor be damned,” cried a gravely female voice. “When do we start killing stuff?” Myra glanced over at a small woman who sat on one of the old tables, a militia hat pulled down at a jaunty angle over half of her forehead. The woman pulled a pearl-handled pistol from her holster, using it to gesture out at the fort. “From what I hear, there’s a hell of a fight waiting for us,” she continued, her pale grey eyes sparkling in amusement.

Preston shook his head with a soft sigh. “General, meet Kestrel Davis. She’s a quick shot, quicker with her tongue, so you two should be right at home with each other. Kes here rolled into Tenpines Bluff with a small gang of...um...raiders last month. I managed to convince her to join us instead. She might be rough around the edges, but she’s very handy in a firefight.”

Kes laughed. “Oh, that’s how we’re playing it, Colonel?” She turned to Myra. “Don’t listen to him. I volunteered for this. The Commonwealth’s got a lot of assholes in it, but you guys seemed to be the least terrible, so I signed up.”

Myra smiled at the other woman. “I’ve heard of worse reasons. Nice to meet you, Kestrel.”

“I bet,” the woman murmured.

“I’m just happy to be here,” another voice piped up from behind the diner’s counter. A young man hopped over the counter, dark curls framing his face like a cherub’s. He held out a hand to Myra, which she shook warmly. “Zev Stern, ma’am. And may I say, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Mr. MacCready speaks very...well, he speaks of you,” the boy added with a nervous smile.

“Zev is from our new settlement at Starlight,” Preston added. “He and his brother Dov moved there together, and have both been great assets to that community. It’s thanks to him we have so many supplies here at our disposal. He’s got a great eye for salvage, and he’s a quick learner.”

“Not bad, Preston,” Myra murmured to her second-in-command. “It seems like you put a good team together.” She turned to the minutemen, smiling kindly at them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. As I’m sure you already know, I’m General Myra Larimer.”

“Who’s the guy in the power armor?” Zev asked, his voice hushed with awe. “And would he mind if I touched it? I’ve never actually seen a set up close before.”

Danse cleared his throat. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t, civilian.”

Myra chuckled. “This is my good friend, Senior Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel.”

Kestrel’s eyes narrowed. “And here I thought the Minutemen were all about freedom. At least that’s the line Garvey sold me when I took this gig. Why are we working with the fucking Brotherhood of Steel?”

Danse opened his mouth to reply, but Myra stepped in front of him, her smile wavering slightly. “Miss Davis,” she said gently, a hint of warning to her voice, “a man I respect greatly once told me that you can never have too many friends in the Commonwealth. I know you’re used to a...certain way of life that probably doesn’t allow much for trust. But Paladin Danse has sure as hell earned my trust, and as long as you serve under me, you will respect my judgement on such matters. Is that clear?”

Kestrel mumbled something under her breath, but nodded. “Yes, boss.”

“That’s better,” Myra replied with a nod. “I know it will be difficult for most of you to get used to this, but if we’re going to survive out here, we’re going to need to learn from the other organizations in the Commonwealth. If the Institute is even half the threat everyone I’ve met believes they are, we have to be prepared to fight them by any means necessary. If you’re unwilling to do that, you should leave now, go back to your farms, and hope the boogeyman doesn’t find you. But if we fail in our mission, know that the monster in the Commonwealth’s closet will be coming for you next. And if the Minutemen are gone, there won’t be anyone left to protect you.”

Preston stared at her, slack-jawed. When had Myra Larimer, the brash survivor who didn’t depend on anyone, become so commanding? “Where’d that come from?” he whispered to her.

Myra’s eyes danced with amusement. “Oh, just something a friend of mine suggested,” she whispered back. “He said it’s always good to remind people why they follow you. Did it sound ok?”

The Colonel chuckled. “We’ll make a real general of you yet.” He spoke up so the others could hear his next words. “General, what do you think? Can we pull this off?”

Myra nodded. “I mean, I’m certainly willing to try. I assume you already gave them the ‘hey, you’re volunteers so you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to’ speech?”

“Why do you think there’s just the three of them?” Preston replied. “I left Sanctuary with over a dozen. The closer we got to the Castle...well, you know how it is.”

Myra sighed. “I’m sure you did your best. Hey, at least the people who stayed seem capable.”

“I would still rather have numbers,” muttered Danse, looking around. “No offense, but these minutemen are under-armored and under-trained. Do you really think that we can besiege a fort with just six people and a dog?”

Preston rolled his eyes. “I understand that, Paladin. But unlike the Brotherhood of Steel, my men have lives outside of battle. Many of them have families. I can’t force them to come and fight for us whenever we want them to. We only use volunteers, and these are the people who volunteered.”

Myra frowned. “What about MacCready?”

“I sent him a letter by courier,” Preston replied, “but I haven’t heard anything back. Hopefully he’ll join us soon, but we can’t wait around for him.”

“So at best, that’s seven people and a dog,” Danse replied with a frown. “Outstanding.”

“Danse, please,” replied Myra, placing a hand on his arm. “I know it’s a risk, but I think we might be able to win this thing. I mean, it’s just a bunch of mirelurks. How bad can it be?”

:::

Nearly three hours later, the Castle was as good as won. The mirelurks who had inhabited the fort had been killed, their bodies piled in a corner to be processed for food later. The foul sea creatures had turned the ruined structure into a nesting ground, which the Minutemen had found out the hard way when Zev ran screaming from one of the rooms, three hatchlings scuttling behind him menacingly. They’d put the baby mirelurks down with relative ease, but Myra had ordered Preston and the others to destroy the remaining eggs, just in case a larger swarm emerged all at once.

As the Minutemen and Danse continued destroying the mirelurk egg clutches, the ground shook violently.

“What the hell?” cried Kestrel, clinging to the metal railing on the stairs. “I didn’t know you got earthquakes this far east!”

“We don’t,” Preston replied as he glanced around in panic, searching for an explanation. It didn’t take long for him to get one. A geyser of water erupted from the nearby pond, accompanied by a furious, inhuman scream.

Preston watched in horror as a huge creature emerged from the lake. It stood taller than the intact walls of the fort, all legs and massive claws and armored shell. The beast slammed against the crumbling western wall, sending large chunks of stone flying into the courtyard.

Jake Forrester screamed in agony as a large, jagged slab of grey rock rolled over him, pinning his lower body under its weight. Myra ran to him, a stimpack already in her hand.

“Jake!” she cried. “Are you ok?”

“I...I think my leg’s shattered,” the young man gasped. “General, please, I…”

The creature’s eyestalks turned at the sound of Myra’s voice, and the hulking monstrocity barreled towards them, snapping its claws.

“What the hell is that thing?” shrieked Myra, taking aim at the hulking armored crustacean with her laser rifle.

“We’ve got a Mirelurk Queen incoming!” Danse shouted in reply. “Everyone, fall back into the keep! Don’t let her spit on you! We’ll take turns wounding her from cover! Move!”

The Minutemen scattered, rushing to find shelter as the Mirelurk Queen scuttled slowly over the ruined west wall of the Castle, her eyestalks focused directly on Myra and the trapped minuteman.

“General!” Preston screamed as the creature rounded on her. “Get out of there!”

“Like hell!” Myra shot back. “I can’t just leave Jake to die! We need him!”

“General…” rasped the man, “no. I’m...dead already. My leg’s...crushed. Save yourself.”

Before she had a chance to protest further, the Queen reared her head, claws snapping within inches of Myra’s face. Her eyes ablaze with fear and rage, the General ran backwards with a primal scream, firing her laser rifle as she retreated towards the Castle’s walls.

Preston did his best to cover her retreat, but the Queen’s massive limbs made the monster much faster than Myra. It was gaining on her, and quickly. Suddenly, Myra tripped over one of the destroyed mirelurk nests, falling backwards with a cry of horror and pain. A dark stain spread across the right side of her torso as she struggled to stand. The creature hadn’t touched her. When had she been injured?

“Myra!” cried Preston, leaping from cover and dashing towards her as laser musket fire screamed past him. But he was too far away. He’d never get to her in time.

Preston’s view of the terrifying scene in front of him was suddenly cut off by a bolt of steel as Paladin Danse tore past him. “I’ve got her, Colonel!” yelled the Paladin. “Get Forrester to safety.”

Danse scooped Myra up with one arm, depositing her safely behind him as the Mirelurk Queen swooped downward with her cruel claws. The Paladin caught the attack with his right arm as he fired several laser rounds into the beast with his left, crying out in pain as the claws sheared through the protective metal of his power armor.

“Larimer,” groaned Danse, dropping his gun in favor of bracing his wounded arm with his stronger, dominant one, protecting his face as best as he could. His voice was almost imperceptible under the scraping screech of chitin on steel as the Queen slashed down at him again. “Exterminate that damned thing! Just fire past me. I’ll hold her attacks back as long as I can.”

Preston couldn’t hear her reply, but he saw the Paladin nod as Myra readied her gun once more. Hot, red bursts of laser fire pierced the air as the General fired into the Queen’s torso and head repeatedly. Preston didn’t hesitate a moment longer, rushing for the crumbled wall and the trapped minuteman.

“Jake! I’ve got you, come on…” he muttered, pulling the debris from the man’s shattered leg. He wouldn’t be running for a while, but if they could make it back to the safety of the keep and get a splint on him, he’d live.

As Preston and Jake hobbled back to safety, Myra continued firing at the Mirelurk Queen. Her shots were echoed by laser and gunfire from the two minutemen who remained in the fight, though their shots were less powerful, less precise, and less frequent. Kes had damaged her dominant arm in the initial assault, so the savage young woman was shooting southpaw, screaming obscenities the entire time. Zev had never even held a laser musket before, but he was holding his own. They were doing their best, but Preston couldn’t shake the feeling that Danse had been right all along. They never should have attempted to retake the Castle with only six people.

Six people and a dog. Where the hell was Dogmeat? Preston scanned the battlefield for him, hoping that the large dog was ok. Finally, he spotted him, a flash of brown and black fur on top of one of the Castle’s remaining ramparts. With a howl of rage, Dogmeat leapt from the fort’s wall onto the back of the Mirelurk Queen, sinking his teeth into the creature’s neck. The monster screamed in agony, rearing back once more on its hind legs. It jerked from side to side, shaking the german shepherd loose. He smacked into the wall with a whine, struggling for a moment before lying still.

“God damn it, you stupid dog!” Myra screamed as he landed near her and Danse. “What the hell were you thinking?”

She didn’t even have time to move towards her furry companion before the Queen resumed her assault on Myra and the Paladin. The creature pulled its massive arm back before swinging its snapping claw at Danse’s torso, tearing large slashes across his chest as though his power armor were made of aluminum foil. The Paladin cried out in pain as blood coated the ground in front of them, faltering slightly as his body shuddered. Myra braced herself against his back, struggling to keep him stable.

“Danse, come on!” she screamed. “You have to retreat!”

“Absolutely not!” he bellowed. “I’m not leaving until you do!”

“Well, I can’t leave until we kill this thing, or it’ll wipe out my men,” Myra replied. “So hang in there.”

“Affirmative!”

No sooner had the two of them regained their footing when the Mirelurk Queen spewed green, viscous slime from her mouth, coating Danse and the ground around them.

The Paladin roared in agony, dropping to one knee with a shudder. “Knight!” he yelled, “Stay back! This creature’s saliva is highly corrosive! I can’t...please, get out of here!”

“Danse!” shrieked Myra, pulling at his arm, “No! You have to get up! I’m not leaving you!”

He shook his head. “Go while you...still can.” he gasped, collapsing to his hands and knees. “Ad...victoriam, Myra. It’s...been an...I wish...”

“Damn it, don’t you dare! Don’t you fucking die on me, ok?” she screamed in reply, pulling herself up with a grimace, her face pale with fear. “Hang in there, Danse!”

Myra quickly limped towards the ruined northern wall, waving her arms frantically. “Come here, you bitch!” she yelled at the Mirelurk Queen. “You want to finish me off like I finished off your babies?”

The Queen broke off its assault on Danse, skittering angrily towards the General. Myra whimpered in pain as she hobbled away on her twisted ankle, trying to get as far from the others as she could. Once the two reached the edge of the Castle’s walls, Myra stopped running. She loosened her backpack, holding it in her right hand.

“Well, I’m glad I keep picking up explosives,” Myra hissed, throwing the pack at the approaching monster. She gasped in pain as the movement caused even more blood to ooze from her wounded side. “I really hope I don’t have anything valuable in there.” She pulled the trigger of her laser rifle, aiming for her pack as it collided with the massive crustacean’s torso.

The bag exploded in an enormous firestorm, as did a good chunk of the Mirelurk Queen. The beast’s remaining limbs thrashed as it fell, still chasing after the woman who had finally downed it.

Myra stood over the creature’s head, watching as its jaws opened and shut in a last desperate attempt to wound the General. Her face screwed up with disgust, pain, and the last remnants of fear as she pressed the rifle against the creature’s neck. She whispered something to the creature before pulling the trigger, blowing the monstrous mirelurk’s head off in a burst of red light and green blood. She dropped her weapon, rocking back and forth on unsteady feet.

Preston ran to the General’s side as she collapsed, exhausted, catching her in his arms. “General, are you all right?” he asked, bracing her head against his arm. Large amounts of bright blood seeped from beneath her combat armor, staining her torso, but he saw no evidence of a recent injury to the area. Had she been wounded before the battle?

Myra nodded. “I’m fine. Just overwhelmed. Where...how’s Danse? Dogmeat…?”

“I don’t know,” Preston replied.

“Well, go check on them! What are you wasting time with me for? I just need a moment to rest.”

Preston thought about objecting, about pointing out the blood loss she’d sustained, but the terror in her eyes as she asked about her fallen companions told him that it would be better for him to listen to her. He eased her down by the massive mirelurk corpse before racing across the courtyard towards the broken wall. Kestrel knelt over Dogmeat, carefully administering a stimpack to the battered dog.

“How is he, Davis?” he asked softly.

The westerner looked up at him with tired eyes. “He’ll live, Colonel. Damn crazy dog. He’s a lucky fellow. If he’d hit the wall any harder, we’d all be eating dog instead of crab tonight. He won’t be chasing squirrels for a while, but he’ll live.”

“Not exactly what I wanted to hear, Kes, but I’ll take it,” Preston replied. He made his way carefully around the pooling acid to where the Paladin lay face-down in the dirt. Preston removed the fusion core from the suit and it eased open, the metal armor hissing angrily as it released the soldier’s body.

Danse was a fairly muscular man, so it took Preston quite a bit of effort and Zev’s help to extract him from his power armor. As they turned him over, Preston gasped at the sight of the Paladin’s torn, burned flesh and ravaged uniform. The armor had managed to protect Danse quite a bit, but the Queen’s assault had still wounded him grievously. They removed his flight suit down to the waist, hoping to better assess the damage.

Danse’s right arm bore a massive cut that ran bone-deep from wrist to elbow. That was worrying enough, but his torso had taken the brunt of the damage. The Paladin’s chest and abdomen marred by multiple thick lacerations and quite a few acid burns as well as what Preston suspected were several broken ribs. Mercifully, his face was mostly intact, save for a painful-looking acid burn across his left cheek and chin. Only time would tell if the damage would scar.

Preston and Zev carefully hauled the unconscious Paladin into the relative security of the keep, laying him out on a large bed in the main hall. Myra staggered in, wheezing as she leaned against the doorframe. Her eyes, bloodshot and battleworn, were focused on Danse’s still, pale body.

“Is he going to be ok?” she asked softly.

Preston shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s hurt pretty bad, General. Frankly, he’s lucky that he’s not already dead. We’ll do what we can for him here, but we don’t have a doctor with us. There’s only so much that stimpacks can fix on their own.”

“Well, where’s the nearest doctor?” she replied. “Can’t we go and bring one back?”

Preston nodded. “That’s honestly our best option right now. I’ll go.”

“I’m coming too, Preston,” Myra replied.

He shook his head. “Have you seen yourself? You might not be as torn up as Paladin Danse, but you can barely stand up right now. How much blood have you lost?”

“Not enough to force me to stay behind when Danse’s life is in danger,” she growled. “Give me a fucking stim and some med-x, and let’s go. We don’t have time to argue. I’m not sending you out there alone. What if something happens and you don’t come back?”

Preston sighed. Of all the times for her to be stubborn...“Fine. Zev, can you keep an eye on Danse?”

The minuteman nodded as he did his best to bandage the Paladin’s arm. “Mr. MacCready taught me some basic first aid, sir. I’ll do what I can. But please hurry. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

Myra scowled. “Blood packs. Fuck. I knew I left something useful in my bag!”

“We can’t worry about that now, General,” soothed Preston. “You did what you had to do. Now, take your chems so we can get on the road.” There was a phrase he never thought he’d find himself uttering, but these were desperate times, he supposed. If Myra wouldn’t stay behind, he at least wanted her to be comfortable.

As they left the keep, Preston checked in with Davis and Forrester. The crippled man was doing his best to direct Kestrel as she fiddled with one of the generators, trying to get the radio up and running.

"Jake, do you think you two will be able to make this thing work?" Preston asked.

"We'll do our best, Colonel," Forrester replied, his splinted leg propped up on the broadcasting table. "I wish I could get my hands on the wiring myself, but it's better than nothing."

Preston looked over at Kes. "Davis, as soon as you two get things working, I want you to call Ignatius. We never should have let him head up that operation near Lynn Woods."

"Hey," the slight woman replied softly, "you couldn't have known that we needed a doctor on this mission, and we definitely needed him up there. The others listen to him."

"All the same, please get him here as soon as you can. The General and I are going to try and find another solution, but it would really help if we had a dedicated physician here."

Kestrel nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"That's all I ask," Preston replied with a nod. He turned back to Myra only to see her kneeling beside Danse’s obliterated power armor, extracting something from his bag.

“Thank God I asked you to carry these, Danse,” she muttered, grabbing a handful of small cylinders.

“What are they?” asked Preston curiously.

“Signal grenades to call a Brotherhood vertibird,” Myra replied. “A gift from Elder Maxson. Let’s see if these actually work. If they do, we can get Danse back to the Prydwen. The Brotherhood has an awesome medic, though he’s probably pretty pissed off with me right now,” she added sheepishly.

Preston frowned. “Does that have something to do with your injury, General?”

Myra grinned. “Yeah, maybe. I was kind of supposed to be on bed rest for another week, but I talked Danse into smuggling me off the ship.” Her smile faded. “Damn it, maybe I should have listened to Cade. Then Danse wouldn’t be…” The General sighed as she pulled a pin on the device, dropping the grenade on the ground. She stared at it for a long moment, but nothing happened. “Shit,” she hissed. “A dud.” She tried another, then another in quick succession. Nothing.

As he tried to figure out what was supposed to happen, Preston noticed that Myra’s gloves seemed to be corroding rapidly. “General, quick!” he cried, “Your hands!”

Myra swore under her breath, pulling the cloth from her hands as the Mirelurk Queen’s acid saliva ate through them. “Well, that explains why the grenades aren’t working,” she muttered. “Maxson warned me that they had a lot of delicate components, and acid probably isn’t good for any of them. So, back to Plan A. Any idea where there might be a doctor nearby?”

“I heard that Bunker Hill has one,” Preston remarked. “If not, there are plenty of traders who pass through there. Surely one of them has a doctor with them.”

“That’s so far, though!” Myra replied. “It could take days to get there and back. Do you think we’d make it in time?”

“We have to,” said Preston simply. “So we will.”

Myra thought for a moment, then shook her head with a sigh. “There’s a doctor closer to us. I’m not sure he’ll be willing to help, but it would save us a few hours.”

“Where?” asked Preston. “There’s no settlements large enough to have a doctor between here and Bunker Hill.”

“He’s… well, Preston, I’m not really supposed to…”

The minuteman sighed. “Look, Myra, I know you’re with the Railroad. Are we going to see their doctor?”

She stared at him, her eyes wide. “How could you possibly… I’ve been so careful!”

Preston chuckled. “Oh, General. Do you really think the Railroad’s the only group with informants in the Commonwealth? How do you think we’ve operated without a radio network for this long?”

“So you were spying on me?”

“I could have been, but to be honest, I didn’t have to. If you haven’t figured it out by now, you’re pretty famous. Everyone knows you walked the Freedom Trail. I just happen to know what that actually means. Protecting the people means keeping an eye on every other major player in the Commonwealth, and I’ve been curious about the Railroad for a long time.”

Myra sighed heavily. “Well, I guess there’s no point in denying it, then. Yes, we’re going to go see the Railroad. If we’re lucky, Dr. Carrington will be willing to help. If not, well, I guess we’ll just have to risk going all the way to Bunker Hill.”

Preston smiled gently at her. “Was that so hard?”

“It was. Agonizingly so.”

“Well, General, if you’re in agony, maybe you need another stimpack.”

She rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Preston.”

::::

“You want me to do what, exactly?” Dr. Carrington asked, staring daggers at Myra as she leaned on one of the columns in the catacombs, wincing in pain. He peeled back her flannel shirt, revealing a large gash down her left side. The wound had been stitched up, but the sutures had torn sometime during the battle, leaving it gaping open once more.

“Please, doctor,” Myra begged. “We don’t have any other options. If you don’t agree to help us, Danse will probably die.”

“So you expect me to waste our limited medical supplies on an enemy of the Railroad, just because he got himself hurt protecting you?” The man muttered, looking at her torn stitches with disdain as he prepared a suturing needle. “Are you insane? No, don’t answer that. No sane person would ask me to help the Brotherhood of Steel.”

“I’m not asking you to help the Brotherhood, doctor. I’m--ow! Fuck!,” she screamed as the needle pierced her raw flesh. “I’m asking you to help someone important to me. Isn’t that reason enough?”

“Your foolish sentiment is touching, Whisper,” Carrington said, stitching her together meticulously, “but it doesn’t change the fact that…”

“Then what about the fucking Hippocratic Oath?” Myra bellowed in agony and rage. “Isn’t that still a thing? You’re a doctor. It’s your job to help people who need you, no matter who they are. Look, I know the Railroad and the Brotherhood are at odds. But please, look past that and think about what I’m asking you. I don’t care how you feel about the Brotherhood. A good, kind, brave man is dying, and you have the ability to save him.”

Carrington shook his head. “I’ve read Deacon’s reports on your friend. He’s killed so many synths...he’s not the good person you seem to think he is.”

“And I’m telling you he’s not the horrible person you think he is!” Myra hissed. “Listen to me, Carrington. If you don’t come with me and do everything in your power to help Danse, I’m leaving. I will walk right out that door, and I will never come back. If the Railroad is willing to let him die, then it sure as hell isn’t an organization I want to be a part of.”

Carrington snorted. “How naive can you really be? You know he’d turn on you in a heartbeat if he knew you worked for us.”

Myra shook her head. “No. I don’t believe he would. That’s why I have to save him.”

The doctor sighed, his eyes softening slightly. “I can’t believe I’m letting you talk me into this. Fine. I’ll come with you. But if this Paladin of yours ever tries to bring harm to our organization, I’m going to make you be the one to explain to Dez why I helped keep a member of the Brotherhood alive.”

“Thank you, Carrington.”

The doctor sighed, tying off the suture and helping her lower her shirt. “Please don’t. I’m not doing you any favors here, Whisper. Trust me, the merciful thing for me to do would be to let him die and save you the sting of betrayal later.”

Preston watched in surprise as the doctor packed up a small field kit. It shouldn’t have shocked him that Myra was able to convince Carrington to help her. After all, the General was extremely persuasive when she wanted to be. There was something about her that just inspired people’s confidence, whether she’d earned it or not. It had certainly been that way for Preston.

But there was something different this time. He’d seen her talk down raiders, watched her recruit settlers to follow her, witnessed her win the loyalties of a diverse group of people. But he had never seen her argue as passionately for anyone or anything before.

As Preston, Myra, and Carrington started the journey back to the Castle, Preston’s curiosity got the better of him. He matched pace with the General, offering her his arm. Myra accepted it graciously, smiling up at him as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

“Just like old times, huh?” she asked. “One of these days, you’ll get tired of helping me walk, Preston.”

“Only if you ever get tired of getting yourself hurt,” he replied. “Someone’s got to be there to keep you on your feet. Might as well be me.”

They walked on in silence for a moment as Preston tried to find the right words. Myra didn’t seem to mind, humming gently to herself as she leaned against his torso, his arm coiled around her like a brace. She was cool to the touch, though whether it was from all the blood loss or merely from exposure to the cold winter air Preston couldn’t be certain.

“Hey, General?” he asked finally.

“What is it, Preston?” she replied, her anxious eyes fixed on the road ahead.

“I know it’s none of my business, but I’m just curious. Is there something going on between you and Paladin Danse?”

Myra stopped walking for a second, pulling away from his protective embrace. Her piercing green eyes flashed with curiosity behind her glasses as she stared at him. “That definitely isn’t your business. Why do you want to know?”

“Like I said,” he replied, “I’m just curious. You’ve done a lot of good for a lot of people since I’ve known you, but I’ve never seen you act like this before. I suppose I just wanted to know why.”

The General sighed, continuing her hike. “Is it really that strange that I’d do everything I could to help one of my allies? You know I’d do the same for you if you’d been the one injured, right?”

Preston thought for a moment as he walked beside her, choosing his next words carefully. “I know you probably believe that. And please don’t take this the wrong way. But Myra, when I need you, you send Mac. When Danse needs you...well, you walk halfway across the Commonwealth and bully your friends.”

Myra snorted. “Geez, Preston. To be fair, you weren’t on death’s door when I sent Mac to help you.”

“I could have been, though. How would you have known?” The minuteman sighed, shaking his head. “That’s not the point. I guess what I’m trying to say is that things are different with you where Danse is concerned. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, just that you’re really important to me and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“That’s sweet, Preston. But seriously, there’s no reason to be worried. Danse is...well, he’s my friend, I suppose. He’s always been there for me, supporting me, keeping me sane. Hell, I owe him my life a few times over now.”

“I’m your friend too, Myra. So trust me when I say this. No matter what you’ve done to convince yourself, Danse is not just your friend.”

Myra scowled. “Why are you acting like this? I figured you’d be happy I cared about anyone after what I’ve been through.”

Preston nodded, trying to ignore the gnawing in his gut. Was it really possible that Myra didn’t know how he felt about her? He had to find out for sure, before they returned to the Castle. “General, I...there’s something you should probably know. I know the circumstances aren’t great, but I figured I should tell you. I’m...interested in you. You know, romantically. So, yeah, I’ll admit it bugs me a little to see you so worked up over another man, even if you insist you’re just friends.”

Myra stopped walking again, her eyes wide as she stared back at him. “Are you...are you serious, Preston?”

He nodded. “I honestly thought you knew.”

“So you’re not...you know...of the other persuasion?”

Preston stared at her. “Huh?”

“You know...a confirmed bachelor? A man’s man, so to speak?”

He froze. “You thought I was gay? No. Not at all! What gave you that impression?”

She blushed beet red. “I...oh, God, I’m sorry. I thought you and MacCready were --”

The Colonel sputtered. “What? You were trying to set us up? Is that why...oh, damn, Myra. No, no, we’re just friends. Really.”

“And...and you’re actually...interested in me?” she replied, her emerald eyes wide. “Holy shit. I really misread that.”

“I’ll say,” he muttered. “I guess it’s a good thing I told you how I felt, huh? I realize that given our working relationship --”

The General sighed, patting his shoulder affectionately. “Look, Preston. I’m incredibly flattered. You’re a really great guy, and I’m sure there’s someone out there in this crazy world who’s perfect for you. Not MacCready, I guess, since you like women and all. But I also don’t think that’s me, at least not right now.”

“Because there’s someone else,” Preston added.

“Yes,” Myra replied. “Well, no. I…” She thought for a moment, gently playing with the wedding ring she wore around her neck. “I know it happened a decade ago, but to me, my husband’s death is still fresh. I’m not…I’m not looking for a romantic relationship right now, not with anyone. I just want to get my son back, and then maybe figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.”

Preston nodded. “I had a feeling you’d say something like that. That’s why I didn’t bring it up before.”

“I’m really sorry, Preston,” Myra added.

“I know,” he sighed. “Don’t worry about it. Just, if you ever do find yourself ready to move on, I mean…”

“Preston,” Myra interjected. “No. Don’t you dare wait for me. I don’t want that for you, or anyone I care about. Look, I’m a mess. I’m going to be a mess for a long time. It would break my heart if I knew you were putting your life on hold for me to get my shit together. I want you to find happiness for yourself, ok? If you really care for me, that’s what will make me the happiest. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” he replied sullenly. “I understand. Thanks for being honest with me, Myra.”

“Of course, Preston. Like I said, you really do deserve all the happiness in the world. I really hope you find it.”

Preston smiled sadly at his General. “You too, Myra. In the meantime, I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

Myra pulled him into a tight hug. “Thanks, Preston. You really are one hell of a friend.”

Preston hugged her back, doing his best to ignore the aching in his chest. Part of him had always known that this was how things would work out, but all the same, he had hoped...No. He wasn’t going to let this rejection change their relationship. They still needed each other. They were still friends. And if all he could give her was his friendship and his support, then that was exactly what he would do.

They walked on in silence, Myra’s eyes ever-trained on the horizon, worry drawing her mouth into a tight line as she rubbed her hand over the stock of her laser rifle, tracing the letters that were etched on it over and over with anxious fingers. Preston hiked beside her, keeping an eye out for danger or anything that might slow them down. He hoped with all his might that they’d make it back to the Castle in time.