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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
And tonight inside the police station behind him, the law of the Freemasons Republic was already working to keep that change alive.
The lantern light outside the police station flickered softly as Sico stepped down from the wooden steps and back onto the dirt road.
Sanctuary at night had a rhythm to it.
A quiet one.
The kind of rhythm that didn't exist anywhere else in the Commonwealth.
Dinner conversations drifted through the air. The smell of roasted brahmin mixed with baked mutfruit pies and simmering vegetable stew. A few lanterns hung from posts along the main street, their glow reflecting off the patched metal plates that reinforced many of the rebuilt houses.
Sico paused for a moment outside the station.
He looked back once.
Inside, through the window, he could see the officers still working.
One was pinning new patrol markers onto the regional map.
Another was writing something carefully into a report ledger.
Nick Valentine's silhouette moved briefly across the frosted glass of the back office.
Law.
Order.
Systems.
Things that had once been impossible in the Commonwealth.
Now they were routine.
Sico exhaled quietly and began walking again.
The central square was still alive with people finishing dinner.
Children had finally slowed down after their long games in the street. Some were sitting near their parents now, eating bread and stew while listening to the older settlers tell stories.
Someone strummed a guitar near the fountain.
A soft, wandering tune.
Not polished.
But heartfelt.
A few guards walked their patrol routes along the edges of the square.
When they saw Sico passing through, they gave small nods of respect.
He returned each one.
Not as a president acknowledging soldiers.
But as one person acknowledging another.
Eventually the square began to thin.
Families returned to their homes.
Lanterns dimmed.
The music faded.
And Sanctuary slowly settled into the quiet breathing rhythm of a town preparing for sleep.
Sico headed toward his house.
Tomorrow would be another long day.
Sunlight arrived early in Sanctuary.
Golden light spilled over the hills surrounding the settlement and poured across the rooftops like warm water.
Morning activity began quickly.
Farmers were already walking toward the fields.
Caravans prepared their brahmin for travel.
Guards rotated shifts at the gates.
And the Freemasons Headquarters was waking up as well.
Inside the main meeting room, a large wooden table stood in the center.
Maps were already spread across it.
Naval sketches.
Trade routes.
Coastal survey reports.
Shipyard construction notes.
The first steps of something entirely new.
Sico stood at the edge of the table studying one of the coastal maps when the door opened.
Preston Garvey stepped in first.
He looked more rested than the previous night, though the weight of the last operation hadn't completely left his eyes.
"Morning," Preston said.
Sico glanced up.
"Morning."
A moment later another set of footsteps entered the room.
Sarah walked in, carrying a thin stack of documents under her arm.
She placed them gently on the table.
"Morning, gentlemen."
Preston gave her a nod.
"Morning."
Sico leaned back slightly against the table.
"Glad you're both here."
Sarah glanced at the maps spread across the surface.
Her eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity.
"Looks like we're planning something."
Preston smirked faintly.
"Something big."
Sico folded his arms loosely.
"You both heard the report yesterday."
Sarah nodded.
"The patrol boat."
"First one launched."
Preston added.
"Sturges' team finished sea trials yesterday morning."
Sico tapped one of the maps.
The coastline of the Commonwealth stretched across the paper.
Docks.
Harbors.
Old shipyards.
New patrol routes sketched in red pencil.
"We've officially started something we didn't have before," Sico said.
Sarah leaned slightly closer.
"A navy."
Sico nodded.
"Exactly."
The room grew quiet for a moment.
Because that word carried weight.
Navy.
It meant control of the coast.
Protection of sea trade.
Defense against threats arriving from the ocean.
It meant something bigger than patrol boats.
It meant a new branch of the Freemasons Republic military.
Preston crossed his arms.
"The boat is only the beginning."
Sico nodded.
"More will come."
Sarah glanced between the two men.
"But if we're building a navy…"
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Someone has to lead it."
That was the real reason for the meeting.
Sico walked slowly around the table.
"Exactly."
He stopped near the window where sunlight streamed through the glass.
"The army has Preston and Sarah."
"The intelligence network has Piper."
"The Commandos answer through Robert and MacCready command structure."
"The Vertibirds answer through Callahan"
"The Police has Nick Valentine"
"And the settlement defense forces operate through local officers."
He turned back toward them.
"But the navy…"
He tapped the table lightly.
"…doesn't have leadership yet."
Preston nodded slowly.
"That's the question."
Sarah folded her arms thoughtfully.
"So who runs it?"
For a moment no one spoke.
The question lingered in the air.
Not because there were no capable people.
But because leadership positions like that mattered.
The wrong choice could cause problems for years.
Preston leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table.
"Well…"
He said slowly.
"I might have someone in mind."
Sico looked at him.
"Oh?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"Let's hear it."
Preston scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"You both know we'll need someone who understands logistics."
"Someone who can manage crews."
"Someone who's calm under pressure."
"Someone who can learn naval tactics quickly."
He paused briefly.
"And someone who can lead people."
Sarah nodded slightly.
"Sounds about right."
Sico studied Preston carefully.
"And you already have someone in mind."
Preston smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
He leaned back slightly.
"Albert."
For a brief moment the room went completely quiet.
Sarah blinked once.
Then twice.
Then she let out a small laugh of surprise.
"My husband?"
Preston nodded.
"Your husband."
Sarah tilted her head slightly.
"Well… that's unexpected."
Sico didn't speak immediately.
He was thinking.
Because Preston wasn't the type to suggest something lightly.
"Explain," Sico said.
Preston nodded.
"Albert's one of the most capable people we have."
He began counting on his fingers.
"He's organized."
"He's disciplined."
"He understands trade logistics."
"He's worked with Magnolia's caravans long enough to understand supply chains."
"And he's good with people."
Sarah leaned lightly against the table.
"That's true."
Preston continued.
"And let's be honest…"
He smirked slightly.
"…he's getting bored."
Sarah laughed again.
That part was absolutely true.
Albert had spent the past year working closely with Magnolia helping coordinate trade caravans, especially the purified water shipments that had become one of the Republic's biggest economic strengths.
Magnolia handled negotiations.
Albert handled logistics.
Routes.
Caravan schedules.
Storage management.
Inventory tracking.
But recently…
There had been fewer challenges.
Trade routes were stable.
Supply lines were efficient.
Everything ran smoothly.
Too smoothly.
And Albert was the kind of man who thrived on solving problems.
Sarah shook her head slightly with an amused smile.
"You're not wrong."
Sico looked between them.
"He's that bored?"
Sarah chuckled softly.
"Last week he reorganized Magnolia's entire water distribution system."
Preston raised an eyebrow.
"Again?"
Sarah nodded.
"Third time."
Preston laughed.
"Yeah… he needs a new challenge."
Sico walked slowly back toward the table.
He studied the naval sketches for a moment.
Then he looked back up.
"Does Albert have any naval experience?"
Sarah shrugged lightly.
"Not directly."
"But he grew up around battle."
Preston nodded.
"And he's a fast learner."
Sico thought about that.
Leadership wasn't always about experience.
Sometimes it was about adaptability.
About intelligence.
About judgment.
Albert had proven those qualities many times.
Sarah folded her arms thoughtfully.
"Honestly…"
She said slowly.
"I think he'd enjoy it."
Preston grinned.
"I thought you might."
Sarah nodded.
"He's always liked building things."
"Systems."
"Organizations."
Sico leaned forward slightly.
"A navy would be exactly that."
Sarah smiled faintly.
"A system that doesn't exist yet."
Preston added.
"And someone needs to build it from the ground up."
Another silence followed.
But this one felt different.
More focused.
More decisive.
Sico finally nodded.
"Albert might actually be the right choice."
Sarah tilted her head slightly.
"You're serious?"
Sico smiled faintly.
"Very."
He tapped one of the shipyard sketches.
"We're not just building boats."
"We're building doctrine."
"Training programs."
"Patrol strategies."
"Supply chains."
"Port infrastructure."
Preston nodded.
"And Albert's good at building systems like that."
Sico looked at Sarah again.
"Would he accept?"
Sarah smirked slightly.
"Oh he'd pretend to think about it."
Preston laughed.
"But?"
Sarah grinned.
"But inside he'd already be planning fleet logistics."
Sico chuckled quietly.
"That sounds about right."
Sarah walked around the table, studying the naval sketches.
"How many boats are we planning to build?"
Sico gestured to the documents.
"Nine more patrol boats."
"Eventually… larger vessels, if we can have the capabilities."
Preston added.
"And coastal defense platforms."
Sarah whistled softly.
"That's not a small project."
Sico shook his head.
"No."
"But it's necessary."
Sarah nodded.
"The coast has always been vulnerable."
Preston crossed his arms.
"Raiders."
"Smugglers."
"Who knows what else could arrive by sea."
Sico looked back at the map.
"That changes now."
Sarah studied the patrol routes drawn in red.
"Albert would definitely enjoy this."
Preston smiled.
"Then we should ask him."
Sico nodded.
"Agreed."
Sarah tapped the table lightly.
"You want me to talk to him first?"
Preston shrugged.
"Probably a good idea."
Sico smiled slightly.
"Yeah."
Sarah chuckled.
"Otherwise he'll think you two are drafting him into the navy."
Preston grinned.
"Technically we are."
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Let me handle it."
Sico raised his hands slightly.
"Fair enough."
Another quiet moment passed as they looked over the maps.
The Freemasons Republic had come a long way.
From a struggling settlement trying to survive.
To a nation planning fleets and coastal defense.
Preston finally broke the silence.
"You realize what this means."
Sico looked up.
"What?"
Preston gestured toward the map.
"We're becoming a real country."
Sarah nodded quietly.
"Army."
"Police."
"Trade network."
"Now a navy."
Sico studied the coastline on the map.
Then he nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
The morning sunlight inside the Freemasons Headquarters had grown brighter by the minute.
Dust motes drifted slowly through the beams of gold light that streamed in through the tall windows, swirling lazily above the wide wooden table where the maps of the Commonwealth coastline still lay spread out.
For a while none of them spoke.
Not because the conversation was finished.
But because all three of them were looking at the same thing.
The coastline.
Boston Harbor.
The ruined docks.
The open Atlantic stretching beyond the broken skyline of the old world.
For two hundred years after the war, the sea had mostly been ignored by the people of the Commonwealth.
It had been there, of course.
Always there.
But no one controlled it.
No one protected it.
And no one really used it beyond the occasional scavenger boat or smuggler skimming the shoreline.
Now that was changing.
And they could all feel it.
Preston shifted slightly, folding his arms across his chest as he studied the red lines marking future patrol routes.
"You realize what this means."
Sico looked up from the map.
"What?"
Preston tapped the coastline with one finger.
"We're becoming a real country."
Sarah nodded quietly beside him.
"Army."
She lifted one finger.
"Police."
Another.
"Trade network."
Then she tapped the map.
"And now a navy."
Sico leaned forward, resting both hands on the edge of the table.
He stared at the coastline for several seconds.
Not just looking at the map.
Seeing everything behind it.
The shipyards Sturges had begun restoring.
The first patrol boat that had already completed sea trials the previous morning.
The fishermen from coastal settlements who had already approached Sanctuary asking if the Republic would help protect the waters from raiders.
And the trade potential.
God, the trade potential.
Sea routes could reach places caravans never could.
Settlements down the coast.
Islands.
Even cities farther south.
Slowly, Sico nodded.
"Yeah."
The word came out quieter than expected.
But it carried weight.
Because they all understood what it meant.
A country needed structure.
And structure required people.
Leaders.
Commanders.
Systems.
Sico straightened and turned slightly toward Sarah.
"Call Albert."
Sarah blinked once.
"Right now?"
Sico nodded without hesitation.
"Right now."
Preston smirked slightly.
"Oh this I want to see."
Sarah crossed her arms with a small amused sigh.
"You two are enjoying this way too much."
Preston grinned.
"We're about to recruit your husband into the navy."
"That's exactly my point."
Still, she walked over to the communication desk in the corner of the room.
It wasn't a fancy system.
Just a field radio wired into the internal communication network that connected several major buildings across Sanctuary.
She picked up the receiver.
"Trade office, this is Sarah."
A crackle of static followed.
Then a familiar voice answered.
"Trade office here."
Sarah smiled slightly.
"Is Albert there?"
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"Yeah, he's here. Want me to get him?"
"Please."
She glanced back over her shoulder toward Sico and Preston.
Both men were watching with open curiosity.
The line rustled briefly.
Then another voice came through.
Calm.
Slightly distracted.
"Sarah? Everything alright?"
Sarah leaned casually against the desk.
"Everything's fine."
"Good," Albert replied.
"Because Magnolia just told me we might have a problem with the western caravan schedule."
Preston chuckled quietly under his breath.
Even over the radio.
Albert was already thinking about logistics.
Sarah rolled her eyes slightly.
"That's actually why I'm calling."
"Oh?"
Sico could almost hear Albert straightening up on the other end of the line.
"Yes," Sarah continued calmly.
"Sico would like to speak with you."
There was a pause.
A longer one this time.
"…Sico?"
Sico smiled faintly.
Even without seeing him, he could imagine Albert's expression perfectly.
Confused.
Curious.
Slightly suspicious.
Sarah nodded even though Albert couldn't see it.
"Yep."
Another small pause.
"…Did I do something wrong?"
Preston burst out laughing.
Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose.
"No."
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"Then why does Sico want to see me?"
Sico finally stepped forward and gently took the receiver from Sarah.
"Because we have a job for you."
Albert recognized the voice instantly.
"Sico?"
"Morning."
"…Okay now I'm really confused."
Sico chuckled softly.
"Come to Headquarters."
"For what?"
"For a meeting."
Albert hesitated.
"I'm kind of in the middle of something here."
Sico glanced at Preston, who was now leaning against the table trying not to laugh again.
"I promise it'll be worth your time."
Albert sighed through the radio.
"Give me ten minutes."
"Take fifteen."
"Ten."
The line clicked off.
Sico placed the receiver back on the desk.
Sarah folded her arms again.
"Well."
Preston grinned.
"That went smoother than expected."
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"You say that now."
"Oh come on," Preston said. "You know he's going to love it."
Sarah shrugged.
"Probably."
But there was a small smile on her face now.
Because she knew Preston was right.
Albert had always been the kind of man who needed a challenge.
And organizing caravans had stopped being one a while ago.
Twenty minutes later the door to the meeting room opened.
Albert stepped inside.
He still had the faint dust of the trade yard on his coat, and a rolled-up logistics sheet tucked under one arm.
His eyes immediately moved between the three people standing around the map table.
"…Okay."
He set the rolled paper down.
"Either something very good is happening…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…or something very bad."
Preston grinned.
"Good morning to you too."
Albert ignored him.
Instead he looked directly at Sico.
"You called me in the middle of caravan scheduling."
Sico nodded.
"I did."
"So I assume this isn't about water shipments."
"No."
Albert sighed and walked closer to the table.
"Alright."
"What's going on?"
Sico gestured toward the maps.
Albert followed the motion.
His eyes dropped to the coastline drawings.
The shipyard sketches.
The patrol routes.
The naval planning documents.
For a moment he just stared.
Then his brow furrowed slightly.
"…Are those boats?"
Preston crossed his arms proudly.
"Patrol boats."
Albert looked up slowly.
"…We have patrol boats now?"
Sico nodded.
"The first one completed sea trials yesterday."
Albert blinked.
Then he looked back down at the map.
"…You're building a navy."
Sico smiled faintly.
"That's the idea."
Albert leaned closer, examining the shipyard notes.
"How many vessels?"
"Nine patrol boats for now," Sico said.
Albert's mind was already moving.
Sico could see it happening in real time.
The gears turning.
Routes.
Fuel supplies.
Crew rotations.
Dock infrastructure.
Repair schedules.
Albert rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Interesting."
Then he paused.
Looked up.
And narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Why am I here?"
Preston couldn't hold it anymore.
He stepped forward and clapped Albert on the shoulder.
"Because we want you to run it."
Albert froze.
"…Run what?"
Preston gestured broadly at the map.
"The navy."
For three full seconds Albert didn't move.
Then he looked at Sarah.
She gave him an innocent little shrug.
Then he looked back at Sico.
"You're serious."
Sico nodded.
"Completely."
Albert blinked again.
"You want me to lead the Freemasons Navy."
"Yes."
He looked down at the map again.
Then back up.
"I don't even know how to sail."
Preston laughed.
"You know how to organize people."
Sico nodded.
"And systems."
Albert rubbed his forehead slowly.
"This is insane."
Sarah walked over and leaned lightly beside him.
"You reorganized Magnolia's water distribution network three times last week."
Albert frowned.
"That was different."
"How?"
"That involved spreadsheets."
Preston grinned.
"This involves ships."
Albert sighed deeply.
Then he looked back down at the patrol routes.
And something in his expression changed.
Just slightly.
Curiosity.
Interest.
The same look he got whenever someone handed him a complex problem.
Sico saw it immediately.
He stepped forward.
"We're not asking you to be a sailor."
Albert raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"We're asking you to build the structure."
Albert crossed his arms slowly.
"The command system."
Sico nodded.
"The training programs."
Preston added.
"The logistics network."
Sarah smiled faintly.
"The part you're actually good at."
Albert glanced at her.
"…You're all ganging up on me."
"Absolutely," Preston said.
Albert looked back down at the map again.
His finger traced the harbor.
The patrol lines.
The shipyard locations.
Then he asked the question they had been waiting for.
"How big?"
Sico didn't hesitate.
"For the initial formation…"
He rested one hand on the table.
"I want you to recruit two hundred and fifty soldiers."
Albert looked up immediately.
"For crews?"
"Yes."
"Deck hands, gunners, navigation trainees, patrol officers."
Albert nodded slowly.
"That's… workable."
Sico continued.
"And another one hundred personnel for logistics."
Albert's brain kicked fully into motion now.
"One hundred logistics staff…"
He began pacing slowly around the table.
"Dock workers."
"Repair crews."
"Supply management."
"Fuel distribution."
"Inventory officers."
"Harbor scheduling."
He stopped walking.
Looked back at Sico.
"You're serious about this."
Sico met his gaze.
"Completely."
Albert let out a slow breath.
"Two hundred and fifty navy personnel."
"Plus one hundred logistics staff."
Preston added casually.
"Just to start."
Albert laughed under his breath.
"Of course."
He looked back down at the map.
His eyes followed the coastline again.
Then he said quietly.
"…I'd need a headquarters near the docks."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
They weren't hesitant.
They weren't even really a question.
It was the kind of statement a man made when his brain had already accepted the task and moved directly to solving the next problem.
Preston noticed it immediately.
He glanced at Sarah with a quiet grin.
Sarah saw it too.
Her husband had already crossed the invisible line between considering the idea and planning the system.
Sico leaned his weight lightly against the edge of the table.
"That's already possible."
Albert looked up.
"Oh?"
Sico nodded toward the map.
"You can speak with Sturges about it."
Albert raised an eyebrow.
"Sturges?"
"Yes."
Sico stepped forward and placed a finger near the southern edge of Boston Harbor on the map.
"The shipyard Sturges' team has been construct."
Albert leaned closer.
"And?"
"And the Castle."
Albert's eyes flicked upward again.
"The Castle?"
Preston crossed his arms.
"Best fortified position on the coast."
Sarah added quietly,
"And already under Republic control."
Albert studied the map again.
The Castle sat on the southeastern side of the harbor like an anchor point.
Old stone walls.
Artillery platforms.
Natural harbor access.
And not far from the shipyard Sturges had recently begun bringing back to life.
Albert slowly nodded.
"That would work."
He traced the shoreline between the two points.
"A naval headquarters near the shipyard…"
He tapped the paper.
"…with the Castle acting as defensive command."
Sico smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
Albert leaned back slightly.
"That gives us immediate dock access, repair infrastructure, and artillery coverage."
Preston smirked.
"See?"
"You're already doing the job."
Albert ignored him, but there was a tiny hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
Then he looked down again.
But another thought had clearly appeared.
His finger drifted across the coastline again until it reached a different point.
A smaller mark on the map.
Something older.
"…What about the old harbor?"
The room grew slightly quieter.
Albert looked up again.
"The one we built before."
His eyes shifted briefly between them.
"For Captain Zao's submarine."
Sarah's expression softened slightly.
Preston glanced toward Sico.
Albert continued.
"And the old boat factory nearby."
He gestured lightly.
"You remember. The small dockyard we set up when we were experimenting with early watercraft repairs."
Sico nodded slowly.
"I remember."
Albert waited.
Because if that harbor was still operational, it could be used immediately as a secondary dock.
Or even a training ground.
But Sico's expression changed just a little.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to signal something unfortunate.
"It's gone."
Albert blinked once.
"…Gone?"
Sico nodded again.
"Destroyed."
Albert's brow furrowed.
"What happened?"
Preston sighed.
"Mirelurks."
Albert closed his eyes briefly.
Of course.
Mirelurks had always been one of the biggest problems along the coast.
Those armored, crab-like monsters nested anywhere near water.
Harbors.
Beaches.
Ruined docks.
And if left alone long enough, they grew in terrifying numbers.
Sico explained quietly.
"A large colony moved in a few months ago."
"We sent a patrol to clear them out."
Preston added,
"But by the time we arrived, they had already wrecked most of the structures."
Albert exhaled slowly.
"How bad?"
Sico answered bluntly.
"The harbor's wrecked."
"The factory collapsed."
"Dock supports snapped."
"Most of the shoreline infrastructure was torn apart."
Albert rubbed the back of his neck.
"Mirelurk queens?"
Preston nodded.
"Two."
Albert let out a quiet whistle.
"Well that explains it."
Mirelurk queens were massive creatures.
Huge.
Terrifying.
And when two of them nested together, entire coastlines could become death zones.
Albert looked back down at the map again.
That old harbor had once been a promising project.
A modest dock.
A small boat repair facility.
And the hidden submarine berth where Captain Zao had quietly stationed his vessel.
Now it was just another ruined coastal site reclaimed by the Commonwealth's brutal ecosystem.
Albert sighed softly.
"Shame."
Then he straightened again.
But the disappointment lasted only a moment.
Because his mind had already moved forward.
"Alright."
He tapped the Castle location again.
"Shipyard headquarters it is."
Sico nodded approvingly.
"You'll have Sturges' full cooperation."
Albert gave a small half-smile.
"That man loves building things."
Preston laughed.
"You're about to give him the biggest construction project he's ever seen."
Albert folded his arms again.
"Good."
Then another thought crossed his mind.
"If the old harbor is destroyed…"
He looked back at Sico.
"…what about Captain Zao?"
The room quieted slightly again.
Because Captain Zao's submarine was still one of the most unusual assets the Republic possessed.
A relic from the old world.
A functioning Chinese ballistic missile submarine that had survived two centuries beneath the waves.
Sico answered calmly.
"Still operational."
Albert nodded.
"And still anchored near the ruins of that harbor?"
"For now."
Albert tapped the table lightly.
"That's not ideal."
"No," Sico agreed.
"Especially now that we're expanding naval activity."
Albert thought for a moment.
Then he said,
"He should relocate."
Sico nodded.
"I agree."
Albert glanced up again.
"Where?"
Sico pointed toward the map again.
"Near the old boat factory site."
Albert blinked.
"…Near the ruins?"
"Yes."
Albert tilted his head slightly.
"Why there?"
Sico explained calmly.
"The seabed is deep enough."
"The terrain creates natural concealment."
"And it's still close enough to the shipyard and Castle for coordination."
Albert thought about that.
It made sense.
Submarines required depth.
And concealment.
And if the surface structures were destroyed, that might actually help hide the vessel from unwanted attention.
He nodded slowly.
"Alright."
Sico looked directly at him.
"You'll need to contact Captain Zao."
Albert gave a short nod.
"I can do that."
"Inform him that the Republic Navy is being established."
"And that we're requesting he reposition the submarine closer to the old boat factory site."
Albert answered without hesitation.
"Copy that."
The words came naturally.
Like a man already settling into command responsibilities.
Sarah watched him quietly.
There it was again.
That shift.
That moment where Albert stopped being a logistics officer and started becoming something else.
A commander.
Preston noticed it too.
He leaned over slightly toward Sico and muttered under his breath,
"Told you he'd like it."
Sico chuckled quietly.
Albert ignored them both.
Because now he was staring at the map again.
His brain was moving faster.
"Two hundred and fifty naval personnel…"
He began murmuring to himself.
"Spread across nine patrol boats…"
"Command crews."
"Deck rotations."
"Maintenance teams."
Then he looked up again.
"And one hundred logistics staff."
Sico nodded.
Albert continued thinking aloud.
"Dockyard crews."
"Repair specialists."
"Warehouse officers."
"Fuel and ammunition distribution."
"Harbor control."
Preston scratched his chin.
"You're already building the whole chain of command in your head, aren't you?"
Albert looked at him.
"…Yes."
Preston laughed.
"Good."
Albert pointed at the map again.
"I'll need recruitment authority."
"You have it," Sico replied immediately.
Albert nodded.
"Training facilities."
Preston answered that one.
"Castle courtyard works for initial drills."
Albert nodded again.
"Naval training will take time."
Sico said calmly,
"That's why we're starting now."
Albert looked at him for a moment.
Then slowly smiled.
"Alright."
For the first time since he walked into the room, the hesitation was completely gone.
In its place was something else.
Purpose.
Challenge.
The same spark that appeared whenever Albert was handed a complicated system to build.
He rolled up the map copy he had been studying.
"When do you want the recruitment to begin?"
Sico answered without missing a beat.
"Immediately."
Albert nodded once.
"Understood."
Sarah watched him carefully.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Albert glanced at her.
"You mean becoming the Republic's first naval commander?"
"Yes."
Albert thought about it for exactly two seconds.
Then he smiled slightly.
"…It sounds fun."
Preston burst out laughing.
"That's the spirit."
Sico pushed himself upright from the table.
"Then it's settled."
He extended his hand.
Albert looked at it.
Then took it.
The handshake was firm.
Not ceremonial.
Just two men acknowledging responsibility.
"Commander Albert," Sico said quietly.
Albert shook his head.
"That's going to take some getting used to."
Preston clapped him on the back again.
"You'll survive."
Sarah smirked.
"Barely."
Albert rolled his eyes.
But he was smiling now.
Sico stepped back slightly.
"Start assembling your command structure."
Albert nodded.
"I'll speak with Sturges first."
"Then recruitment."
"And I'll contact Captain Zao about the submarine relocation."
"Good."
Sico looked around the room one more time.
The maps.
The notes.
The plans for something that hadn't existed in the Commonwealth for two centuries.
Then he nodded once.
"Meeting adjourned."
Chairs shifted.
Papers rustled.
Preston grabbed his coat from the back of a chair.
Sarah gathered the remaining documents from the table.
Albert rolled the coastline map carefully under his arm.
They moved toward the door together.
Outside the headquarters building, Sanctuary was fully alive with morning activity.
Farmers walking toward the fields.
Caravans preparing for the road.
Guards rotating positions at the gates.
The Republic moving through another normal day.
But something new had just been born inside that meeting room.
Albert stepped out onto the wooden porch and paused for a moment.
He looked toward the distant direction of the coast.
Toward Boston Harbor.
Toward the shipyards.
Toward the future fleet that didn't exist yet.
Two hundred and fifty sailors.
One hundred logistics personnel.
A headquarters near the Castle.
Nine patrol boats.
And somewhere beneath the ocean…
Captain Zao's submarine.
Albert exhaled slowly.
Then he smiled.
"Well."
Preston glanced at him.
"What?"
Albert adjusted the rolled map under his arm.
"I guess I should go build a navy."
Sarah laughed.
Preston slapped him on the back again.
"Better get started, Commander."
Albert shook his head with a quiet chuckle.
Then he stepped off the porch and began walking toward the engineering district.
Toward Sturges.
Toward the shipyards.
Toward the first day of his new duty as Naval Commander of the Freemasons Republic.
______________________________________________
• 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:-