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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
And somewhere beyond the settlement, two Republic convoys were already moving through the darkness, carrying not only supplies and experienced soldiers, but the trust of everyone who called Vim! home.
The following morning arrived beneath a sky washed in pale blue, with only a few lingering clouds drifting lazily out toward the Atlantic.
The sun had barely cleared the horizon when the familiar sounds of Vim! began once more.
The factory whistle echoed across the settlement.
Generators hummed to life.
The smell of fresh bread drifted from the mess hall, mixing with the salty breeze that rolled in from the sea.
Workers filed toward the factory carrying their lunch tins while soldiers rotated off the night watch and headed for breakfast.
Children hurried toward the temporary classroom, some waving excitedly to guards they recognized along the streets.
For everyone inside the walls, it looked like another ordinary day.
Only the operations room inside the command building carried a different atmosphere.
The two expeditionary convoys were now somewhere beyond the safety of Vim!'s defenses.
Until they reported in, nobody inside the command staff would truly relax.
Sico arrived at his office shortly after breakfast carrying a mug of coffee that had already begun to cool.
Harris was studying the large operations map spread across the central table while Rebecca quietly updated another ledger beside the window.
Lewis leaned against the wall with folded arms.
"You think we'll hear from them today?" he asked.
Sico nodded.
"If everything went according to schedule."
"They should."
Outside the open window came the distant clang of steel from the factory.
Somewhere beyond the command building, welding torches had already begun flashing again.
The Republic never stopped moving.
Neither, it seemed, did its soldiers.
Almost as if on cue, the radio operator sitting at the communications desk adjusted his headset.
His posture immediately straightened.
"I've got something."
Everyone in the room looked over.
The operator turned one of the tuning knobs carefully.
Static crackled across the speaker before gradually giving way to a familiar voice.
"…Convoy One to Vim! Command."
The transmission faded for a second before returning.
"…Do you copy?"
The operator looked toward Sico.
"Signal's weak, but readable."
Sico stepped beside the radio.
"This is Commander Sico."
"I read you."
"Go ahead."
Several seconds of static followed before Captain Walker's calm voice returned.
"Commander…"
"We've arrived at Rayburn Point."
Sico immediately glanced toward the map.
Harris placed one finger on the marked location.
Walker continued.
"The journey was uneventful."
"No vehicle problems."
"No casualties during movement."
"So far, everyone's in good condition."
"Good," Sico replied.
"What's your situation?"
There was a brief pause before Walker answered.
"Our original objective remains unchanged."
"However…"
"…Rayburn Point itself isn't empty."
Lewis quietly muttered,
"I had a feeling."
Walker continued.
"The area is occupied."
"Trappers."
The room fell silent.
Sico waited.
"Estimated numbers?"
"We've confirmed multiple patrols."
"Several fortified positions."
"They appear to have converted portions of the old buildings into defensive strongpoints."
Walker paused as another distant sound echoed across his radio.
"They're better organized than we expected."
Harris frowned slightly.
"How many?"
"Still counting."
"But enough that walking around them isn't practical."
The radio hissed briefly.
Walker spoke again.
"If we ignore them and continue toward the shoreline…"
"…they'll be behind us."
"And that's not acceptable."
Sico nodded despite knowing Walker couldn't see him.
"No."
"It isn't."
Captain Walker continued explaining his assessment.
"The small island northwest of Rayburn Point is still our objective."
"According to the intelligence, that's where the cache should be buried."
"But reaching it presents another problem."
He unfolded another map on his end before speaking.
"There isn't a usable bridge."
"The water crossing is too wide to swim safely with equipment."
"The current is stronger than expected."
Harris quietly pointed toward the coastline.
"We expected that."
Walker continued.
"We'll need a boat."
"Can you recover one?"
"We've searched the shoreline."
"Nothing usable."
"Most of the old fishing boats have either rotted away or sunk."
"So?"
Walker answered without hesitation.
"We'll build one."
Lewis couldn't help smiling.
"That's practical."
Walker continued.
"Our engineers believe we can construct a sturdy wooden boat using local timber and salvaged materials."
"It won't be pretty."
"But it'll carry a small team across safely."
Sico nodded.
"Sounds reasonable."
"There's one more thing, Commander."
"I'm listening."
"We don't want to build it under constant threat."
Walker looked toward the occupied settlement surrounding Rayburn Point.
"So before we move toward the island…"
"…we intend to secure Rayburn Point first."
He allowed those words to settle.
"Once the Trappers are removed…"
"…we'll establish the area as our temporary operating base."
"From there we can build the boat."
"Cross to the island."
"Recover the cache."
"And return without worrying about enemies attacking our rear."
The plan made immediate sense.
Harris looked toward Sico.
"It's the safest option."
Lewis nodded.
"They're thinking ahead."
Exactly what Sico had asked them to do.
Sico pressed the transmit button once more.
"Copy that, Captain."
"Secure Rayburn Point first."
"Establish your temporary base."
"Take your time."
"I don't want unnecessary casualties."
Walker answered immediately.
"Understood."
"We'll begin reconnaissance before launching the assault."
"Report again once the position is secure."
"Will do."
The transmission dissolved back into static before disappearing completely.
The radio operator slowly removed one ear from his headset.
"Signal lost."
Sico looked toward the map.
"They're making good decisions."
Harris nodded.
"They're treating it like a military operation."
"Not a race."
Rebecca quietly made several notes inside one of her ledgers.
Lewis noticed.
"There's a ledger for expedition reports too?"
Without looking up she replied,
"Of course."
Lewis sighed.
"I really need to stop asking."
That earned a few quiet laughs around the room.
The tension eased slightly.
Not because the mission had become easier.
But because everyone now knew Convoy One had reached its destination safely and had a clear, disciplined plan.
Barely fifteen minutes later, the radio crackled again.
The operator immediately straightened.
"Another transmission."
He adjusted the frequency.
"This one's stronger."
A different voice emerged through the speaker.
"Convoy Two to Vim! Command."
Sico stepped forward again.
"This is Commander Sico."
"I read you."
Captain Brooks answered almost immediately.
"Good morning, Commander."
"We've arrived at the outskirts of Harbor Grand Hotel."
Sico exchanged a quick glance with Harris.
"So far?"
"The convoy is intact."
"No mechanical failures."
"No casualties."
"We established a concealed observation point overlooking the hotel before sunrise."
"Excellent."
"What have you found?"
Unlike Walker, Brooks didn't answer immediately.
Instead there was a long pause.
When he finally spoke, his tone had grown more serious.
"The hotel isn't abandoned."
Lewis quietly muttered,
"Of course it isn't."
Brooks continued.
"It's occupied."
"By who?"
"Super Mutants."
The room immediately became attentive.
"Numbers?"
"Still estimating."
"But enough to call it a permanent base."
He continued describing what his scouts had observed.
"We've counted multiple armed Super Mutants patrolling the grounds."
"Several watch positions."
"Barricades."
"Signs of long-term occupation."
Another pause.
"And they're not alone."
"Mutant Hounds."
Harris folded his arms tighter.
"How many?"
"At least half a dozen confirmed."
"Possibly more inside the hotel."
Lewis quietly exhaled.
"That explains why nobody else settled there."
Brooks continued.
"The hotel itself is structurally better than expected."
"Several upper floors remain intact."
"The roofline appears stable."
"There are multiple defensible positions."
He smiled faintly through the radio.
"If we clear it…"
"…it could become an excellent Republic outpost."
Sico appreciated that even while facing a dangerous situation, Brooks was still completing the reconnaissance part of his assignment.
"What are your intentions?"
Brooks answered confidently.
"We're not rushing."
"We've spent the morning observing patrol routes."
"They're predictable."
"But attacking today would force us into a frontal engagement."
"And?"
"I'd rather not."
Harris smiled slightly.
"Good answer."
Brooks continued.
"We're preparing a deliberate assault."
"We'll isolate patrols."
"Remove their outer positions."
"Gradually tighten the perimeter."
He paused.
"I estimate one…"
"…possibly two days to fully secure the area."
Lewis nodded approvingly.
"They're being patient."
"So are the Super Mutants," Harris replied.
"They've probably lived there for years."
"Another day won't matter."
Brooks continued.
"Once the hotel is secure…"
"…we'll begin searching for the launch codes."
"And simultaneously complete a full structural survey."
"If the building proves suitable…"
"…we'll submit recommendations for converting it into another Republic base."
Exactly what Sico had hoped to hear.
No reckless heroics.
No rushing into unknown buildings.
Only careful planning.
Sico keyed the microphone.
"Copy that, Captain."
"Proceed carefully."
"The launch codes are important."
"But your people are more important."
Brooks answered immediately.
"Understood."
"We'll report again once the hotel is secure."
"And Commander…"
"Yes?"
"We'll bring everyone home."
A small smile appeared on Sico's face.
"I know you will."
The transmission ended.
Silence settled across the operations room once again.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
Outside, the sounds of Vim! continued uninterrupted.
The factory whistles.
Children laughing.
The distant rumble of trucks moving supplies.
Life carried on.
Finally Harris broke the silence.
"They're both making the right calls."
Sico nodded.
"They are."
Lewis walked over to the large wall map.
One marker rested over Rayburn Point.
Another sat near Harbor Grand Hotel.
"So."
"One group's about to clear out Trappers."
"The other's preparing to evict Super Mutants."
He looked toward Sico.
"Busy week."
"It will be."
Rebecca carefully updated both expedition records.
"Estimated return dates?"
Sico considered it.
"If everything goes well…"
"Not before several more days."
"No point rushing."
"They've already shown they understand the mission."
Harris agreed.
"I'd rather receive delayed reports than casualty reports."
"So would I."
Outside the office window, Sico could see workers crossing the factory yard as another overhead crane slowly lifted a newly fabricated truck frame into position.
Nearby, construction crews continued measuring the future school grounds while children peeked curiously over temporary fencing to watch the builders at work.
The settlement hadn't paused simply because two military expeditions were underway.
If anything, it reminded Sico why those expeditions mattered.
One team was preventing dangerous knowledge from ever falling into the wrong hands.
The other was evaluating a position that could someday protect more families across the Island.
Neither mission was about conquest.
Both were about ensuring that the peaceful scenes unfolding outside his window could continue for years to come.
He rested one hand lightly on the edge of the operations table and looked once more at the two markers pinned to the map.
Two convoys.
Two difficult objectives.
One facing entrenched Trappers before they could even begin building the wooden boat needed to reach the small island northwest of Rayburn Point.
The other preparing for what promised to be a hard fight against a fortified band of Super Mutants and their Mutant Hounds before they could search Harbor Grand Hotel for the launch codes or determine whether the building could become another Republic stronghold.
Neither mission would be easy.
But after hearing both reports, Sico felt something stronger than optimism.
He felt confidence.
Not because the Island had suddenly become safer.
But because the men and women he had entrusted with those missions had already demonstrated the qualities he valued most.
Patience.
Discipline.
Careful planning.
And the wisdom to know that completing the objective meant nothing if they failed to bring their people home.
The radio room gradually returned to its normal rhythm after both transmissions ended.
Rebecca gathered her notes.
Harris rolled up the operations maps.
Lewis wandered toward the window overlooking the factory, watching workers continue assembling the Republic's first Humvees and trucks.
Outside, Vim! continued living another peaceful day.
Inside the command building, however, everyone's thoughts had drifted toward two very different battlefields.
Far beyond the settlement walls, sixty Republic soldiers were already preparing to fight.
Rayburn Point
The wind coming off the Atlantic carried the sharp scent of salt and seaweed as Captain Walker lowered his binoculars.
Rayburn Point stretched out before him.
Once it had been little more than a quiet coastal settlement.
Now it belonged to the Trappers.
Makeshift barricades blocked the narrow road leading into the area.
Fishing shacks had been reinforced with scavenged sheet metal.
Watch platforms overlooked the approach from the hills, while crude spikes lined portions of the road.
Smoke drifted lazily from several campfires inside the settlement.
The Trappers looked comfortable.
Too comfortable.
Walker lay behind a rocky outcrop studying every movement.
Beside him, Sergeant Ellis quietly finished another page inside his reconnaissance notebook.
"I've counted twenty-three."
Walker kept watching through the binoculars.
"I've got another four near the docks."
Ellis nodded.
"So at least twenty-seven."
"And probably more inside the buildings."
Another scout crawled back from farther down the ridge.
"They've got lookouts facing inland."
"None watching the shoreline."
Walker smiled faintly.
"They're expecting people."
"They're not expecting soldiers."
He folded the binoculars and looked toward the tree line behind them.
Hidden beneath camouflage netting sat the Republic convoy.
Two Humvees.
One supply truck.
Every engine remained silent.
Every soldier waited.
Walker gathered his squad leaders around a rough map scratched into the dirt.
"We're doing this slowly."
Nobody argued.
He pointed toward the western edge of Rayburn Point.
"First Squad pushes along these rocks."
"Use the trees for cover."
He moved his finger toward the eastern side.
"Second Squad swings around here."
"Cut off anyone trying to escape toward the docks."
He looked toward the convoy.
"The Humvees stay behind the infantry."
One of the vehicle commanders nodded.
"We only fire when you call."
"Exactly."
"We don't want civilians caught in crossfire."
Another sergeant asked,
"What if they rush us?"
Walker smiled.
"Then the machine guns earn their keep."
Several quiet chuckles passed through the group.
The tension eased.
Only slightly.
Walker stood.
"Final radio check."
One by one, every squad confirmed.
"First Squad ready."
"Second Squad ready."
"Third Squad ready."
"Humvee One ready."
"Humvee Two ready."
"Truck standing by."
Walker looked across the faces surrounding him.
Veterans.
Disciplined.
Calm.
Not one appeared eager for a fight.
That was exactly how he preferred it.
He raised one hand.
"Let's move."
The advance began almost silently.
Boots stepped carefully through damp grass.
Rifles remained shouldered.
Nobody spoke louder than a whisper.
The Republic soldiers moved with practiced spacing, each person watching a different direction.
Ahead, the Trappers remained completely unaware.
One stood lazily beside a campfire sharpening a knife.
Another leaned against a fence talking with two companions.
Someone laughed somewhere inside the settlement.
Walker raised a closed fist.
The entire column stopped instantly.
Through the trees he could now clearly see the nearest barricade.
Two armed Trappers stood guard.
Neither was paying much attention.
Walker quietly spoke into his radio.
"Humvee One."
"Stand by."
A calm voice answered.
"Standing by."
"Target."
"The barricade."
"Machine gun."
"On my command."
The Humvee commander acknowledged.
Walker took one slow breath.
He lowered his hand.
"Execute."
The quiet morning shattered.
The heavy machine gun mounted atop the lead Humvee erupted with a deafening roar.
The burst tore through the wooden barricade in seconds.
Planks exploded into splinters.
Sandbags burst apart.
The two startled guards barely had time to react before diving desperately for cover.
"Move!"
Walker shouted.
Republic soldiers surged forward.
Not running wildly.
Advancing.
Disciplined.
Rifle fire echoed through the settlement as Trappers scrambled from buildings, shouting confused warnings to one another.
"They're attacking!"
"Take cover!"
"Get to the road!"
Humvee Two rolled forward just enough to gain a clear firing lane.
Its machine gun joined the first.
The heavy weapons hammered another defensive position overlooking the road.
A sniper's platform collapsed in a shower of timber.
Trappers who had expected frightened settlers instead found themselves facing organized infantry supported by armored vehicles.
Sergeant Ellis waved his squad toward a stone wall.
"Left side!"
Two soldiers immediately covered while the others advanced.
Then they switched.
Covering each other.
Closing the distance steadily.
One Trapper attempted to rush across the open road carrying a hunting rifle.
A Republic marksman calmly fired once.
The attacker disappeared behind an overturned cart.
Walker continued directing the battle through short, precise radio commands.
"First Squad."
"Keep pressure."
"Second Squad."
"Watch the shoreline."
"Humvee One."
"Suppress rooftop."
The mounted gun immediately shifted upward.
Its next burst forced several Trappers to abandon an elevated firing position they'd been trying to organize.
Smoke drifted between the buildings.
Broken wood littered the streets.
Despite the growing firefight, the Republic advance never became chaotic.
Every movement had purpose.
Every squad knew its assignment.
Farther toward the docks, several Trappers attempted to regroup behind stacks of fishing crates.
One raised an old missile launcher.
Before he could shoulder it properly, the gunner atop Humvee Two spotted him.
"Rocket!"
The warning echoed across the radio.
The machine gun instantly roared.
The barrage shattered the cover surrounding the launcher.
The remaining Trappers scattered in every direction.
Walker nodded toward the gunner.
"Nice eyes."
The answer came with quiet professionalism.
"Just doing my job."
The soldiers continued advancing.
House by house.
Barricade by barricade.
Patiently tightening their control over Rayburn Point.
Several miles away, another battle also begun at Harbor Grand Hotel
Captain Brooks remained crouched behind the remains of an old stone wall overlooking the enormous hotel.
The building dominated the coastline.
Even after two centuries of neglect it still looked imposing.
Broken windows stared out across the sea.
Collapsed balconies hung precariously from several upper floors.
Rusted vehicles littered the parking area below.
And everywhere…
Super Mutants.
One lumbered across the entrance carrying a massive board reinforced with scrap metal.
Another stood watch atop a ruined bus.
Mutant Hounds wandered between abandoned cars, sniffing constantly.
Brooks lowered his binoculars.
"They're spread out."
His executive officer nodded.
"Too spread out."
"Good."
"They'll support each other slowly."
He looked toward both Humvees hidden behind a line of overgrown trees.
"Everyone ready?"
The vehicle commanders answered almost together.
"Ready."
Brooks turned toward his infantry.
"We stick to the plan."
"No rushing."
"We eliminate the outer patrols first."
The soldiers nodded.
A sniper quietly chambered a round.
Brooks raised one hand.
The sniper fired.
The shot echoed across the valley.
One Super Mutant collapsed from the ruined bus before anyone else understood what had happened.
For two seconds…
Nothing moved.
Then chaos erupted.
"Human!"
The roar echoed across the hotel grounds.
"They're here!"
More rifle fire followed.
Republic soldiers struck from multiple concealed positions.
Outer patrols suddenly found themselves caught in carefully prepared crossfires.
Several Mutant Hounds immediately began barking furiously.
Then charging.
"They've spotted us!"
One of the beasts sprinted directly toward the tree line.
"Humvee One."
"Open fire."
The mounted machine gun thundered to life.
The charging Mutant Hounds disappeared beneath the storm of heavy rounds before reaching the infantry line.
Another pack emerged from between abandoned vehicles.
Humvee Two immediately shifted its aim.
Its gunner fired controlled bursts rather than spraying wildly.
The roadway filled with dust and shattered asphalt.
The remaining hounds broke formation, confused by the overwhelming fire.
Then the Super Mutants answered.
Several enormous figures stormed out from the hotel entrance, roaring in fury.
One carried a minigun.
Another hefted a massive sledgehammer.
A third simply charged.
Brooks stayed calm.
"Second Squad."
"Left flank."
"Humvees."
"Focus on the chargers."
The heavy machine guns immediately concentrated on the advancing Super Mutants.
The sheer weight of sustained fire slowed the first mutant's charge before finally forcing him to collapse onto the cracked pavement.
The second continued forward despite multiple hits.
Only after another concentrated burst from both Humvees did the giant finally fall.
The third reached an abandoned truck before ducking behind cover.
"Minigun!"
Someone shouted.
The Super Mutant answered with a deafening burst.
Bullets ripped through nearby trees.
Wood splintered into the air.
Brooks calmly pointed toward the right flank.
"Marksmen."
"Suppress."
Three Republic riflemen immediately shifted positions.
Their accurate fire forced the mutant gunner to duck repeatedly, interrupting his own attack.
Meanwhile another squad quietly advanced along the hotel's eastern side exactly as planned.
Rather than attacking the strongest position directly, they began clearing smaller defensive pockets one by one.
The battle spread across the grounds.
Gunfire echoed against the hotel's crumbling walls.
The Humvees continued providing disciplined covering fire whenever Super Mutants or Mutant Hounds attempted open charges.
Brooks watched everything unfold through his binoculars.
No unnecessary heroics.
No reckless charges.
Exactly the battle he wanted.
Slow.
Measured.
Deliberate.
Every meter gained was held before advancing another.
Every cleared position became another foothold around the hotel.
As afternoon shadows slowly lengthened across the Island, both battles continued.
At Rayburn Point, Republic soldiers were steadily driving the Trappers back toward the waterfront, tightening their control over the settlement one building at a time.
At Harbor Grand Hotel, Brooks' force continued isolating the Super Mutants, cutting off patrol routes and denying them the freedom to organize a coordinated counterattack.
Neither objective had been completed.
Neither commander expected it to be.
They had promised Sico they would not rush.
And they intended to keep that promise.
Back in Vim!, life continued almost normally.
The factory whistle announced another shift change.
Children finished their lessons before racing home.
Builders continued marking the foundations of the future school.
Most of the settlement knew only that two convoys were away on important missions.
They did not know that, at that very moment, disciplined Republic soldiers were advancing through gunfire beneath the cover of Humvee-mounted machine guns as one force fighting to secure Rayburn Point so they could build a wooden boat to reach a forgotten island, the other methodically surrounding Harbor Grand Hotel as they battled determined Super Mutants and charging Mutant Hounds in the hope that, within a few days, another safe outpost could be added to the Republic's growing future.
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• 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:-