It has been 16 months.
We all remember that day, when the Prydwyn came gliding into our backyard, announcing our protection. Protection no one asked for. But that wasn’t the point, they were here to provide it. The giant zeppelin floated over our heads, with their leader’s voice blurting over the speaker phones that they were here to provide peace, not war.
Almost as soon as they anchored to The Boston Airport, they sent out soldiers. Did they send them out to get a sense of the layout of the Commonwealth for mapmaking and strategy purposes? Did they talk to the residents to get a sense of our culture and help ease any fears we may have? Did they send out peaceful diplomatic groups to help work with our local government to find out how best to protect us?
No! 16 months ago, they sent out people to attack anything they deemed hostile. They refused to speak with anyone who was not a member of the Brotherhood of Steel unless they were demanding food or other supplies from our hard-working settlers as if they were a band of raiders in power armor.
What choice did our citizens have? If there was any protest, they could decide we were all hostile and systematically destroy every settlement in the Commonwealth. Instead, we watched as Nate, the sole survivor of Vault 101, rose to the occasion.
Through diplomacy, he was able to become the leader of the Institute. The very entity that the Brotherhood of Steel claimed to be protecting us from. He was able to bring the Minutemen back from obscurity. And using resources of both factions, he was able to destroy the Prydwyn and free us from our “protectors”.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
That all started 16 months ago. We have moved on, we have recovered from the bullying they inflicted on us, and we have rebuilt anything they had destroyed. But we have not forgotten.
Now, in the shadow of Elder Maxson, we have a new army from the Brotherhood of Steel invading our home. They are not being shy about their intentions either.
They had barely set foot in the Commonwealth when they announced their protection to us again. Who are they protecting us from this time? Other members of the Brotherhood of course.
This Battalion makes the one from 16 months ago look peaceful. Rumors of them demanding supplies are already circling the Commonwealth. Instead of threatening to ignore a settlement which doesn’t pay up, they are now attacking anyone who would even deem question their demands.
Just three days ago, a platoon was in County Crossing, demanding mutfruit. Witnesses claim that when it was explained to the leader of the group that the amount demanded would mean that three members of the settlement would be unable to eat, the leader shot and killed the person who told him and two nearby citizens.
A third citizen started screaming. Before anyone could silence him, he was also killed by another soldier claiming that he was “going feral”.
The leader of the battalion, Sentinel Richard Monroe, declined to comment on the issue.
It has been 16 months, and we thought our lives have gone back to the way they were. The Prydwyn had ultimately fulfilled its promise of peace. The Institute went from being our worst fear, to our benevolent protectors. We can only hope that they will be able to protect us from the Brotherhood of Steel once again.
