If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
Looks like building a navy was going to involve a lot more paperwork than he'd hoped.
Albert stood there for another moment after Magnolia's last words.
The room had returned to its quiet rhythm.
Pages turning.
Pens scratching across paper.
Someone carefully stamping a document near the back desk.
Outside the window, he could hear Sanctuary moving through its normal afternoon cycle from caravans arriving, workers shouting to each other across the street, the faint hammering from the engineering yard where repairs and construction never seemed to stop.
Magnolia had already picked up another ledger.
Which meant the conversation was, in her mind, finished.
Albert sighed quietly and leaned forward slightly on the desk.
"So… when do we start?"
Magnolia didn't even look up.
"We started the moment you walked in."
Albert groaned softly.
One of the clerks nearby laughed under his breath.
Magnolia flipped a page and then finally glanced up at Albert.
"Sit."
Albert blinked.
"…Right now?"
"Yes, right now."
She gestured toward the chair across from her desk.
"If you want one hundred logistics personnel, Commander Navy, we start screening candidates."
Albert sat down slowly.
He suddenly had the distinct feeling that this part of building a navy might actually be harder than recruiting soldiers.
Magnolia pulled a stack of papers from a nearby folder and slid them across the desk.
"First batch."
Albert stared at the stack.
"Already?"
Magnolia raised an eyebrow.
"You think I waited?"
Albert picked up the first sheet.
It was a personnel profile.
A caravan quartermaster.
Ten years experience managing supply routes between settlements.
Another page.
Dock worker from Bunker Hill.
Another.
Former warehouse manager from Diamond City.
Albert slowly looked up.
"…You've been preparing for naval logistics already, haven't you?"
Magnolia smirked faintly.
"I suspected something like this would happen eventually."
Albert leaned back in the chair.
"Of course you did."
Magnolia crossed her arms.
"You don't build a republic without planning for expansion."
Albert rubbed his temple again.
"Alright."
Magnolia leaned forward slightly.
"Welcome to recruitment."
The week that followed passed faster than Albert expected.
Faster than it had any right to.
The first two days were almost entirely spent inside the administrative building.
Magnolia turned the main office into a constant stream of interviews.
Applicants.
Transfer requests.
Recommendations from settlement leaders.
Albert quickly learned something important.
Logistics personnel weren't soldiers.
They didn't march into an office with loud confidence or battlefield stories.
Instead they arrived carrying notebooks.
Trade records.
Personal references.
Carefully prepared proposals about supply chain management.
Magnolia seemed to thrive in the environment.
Albert quickly realized she had been doing this kind of thing for a year.
She asked questions he never would have thought of.
"How many tons of food can you move across three settlements in a week?"
"What happens if a caravan route becomes unsafe?"
"How do you prioritize shipments when supplies are limited?"
Albert mostly listened.
And occasionally asked,
"Can you work near the harbor?"
By the end of the second day, they had already selected twenty candidates.
By the third day, the number had doubled.
Meanwhile, Sanctuary buzzed with the news spreading through the Republic.
A navy.
Everywhere Albert went, people were talking about it.
In the market.
At the water pumps.
Outside the mess hall.
Some were curious.
Some excited.
Some skeptical.
But no one ignored it.
While Albert and Magnolia worked through the mountain of logistics recruitment, other parts of the plan were already moving forward.
Two days after Albert's visit to the engineering yard, Sturges and his crew left Sanctuary.
The convoy rolled out just after sunrise.
Flatbed trucks loaded with tools.
Generators.
Metal beams.
Construction supplies.
Half the settlement gathered near the gate to watch them leave.
Sturges stood in the back of the lead truck, one hand resting on a crate of welding equipment.
Albert had walked up beside the vehicle just before departure.
"You sure you've got everything?"
Sturges grinned.
"Buddy, we're building a naval headquarters."
He tapped the crate beside him.
"I brought extra everything."
Albert chuckled.
"Fair enough."
Sarah stood nearby with several soldiers providing convoy security.
She nodded toward Sturges.
"Try not to blow anything up."
Sturges grinned wider.
"No promises."
The trucks rolled out toward the coast.
Their destination sat along the stretch of land between the Castle and the shipyards.
It had once been nothing but broken shoreline and ruined docks.
But now…
Now it was about to become something much bigger.
Back in Sanctuary, Albert's other task continued at the training yard.
Every afternoon he walked back to Sarah's field to review the growing list of naval volunteers.
Word had spread quickly.
By the third day, the number of interested soldiers had doubled.
Some came from patrol units.
Others from garrison forces protecting settlements.
A few even arrived from distant outposts after hearing rumors through caravan networks.
Preston stood beside Albert during one of the larger volunteer gatherings.
He watched as another group of soldiers stepped forward.
"You know," he said quietly, "this might actually work."
Albert folded his arms.
"You doubted it?"
Preston shrugged.
"I figured you'd get maybe forty."
Albert glanced across the field.
Nearly a hundred soldiers now stood in the temporary volunteer group.
Sarah walked along the line, speaking quietly with several of them.
Assessing.
Observing.
Eventually she returned to Albert and Preston.
"Some of these people will be excellent sailors."
Albert nodded.
"That's the idea."
Sarah glanced toward the Power Armor racks.
Several of the armored soldiers had volunteered as well.
Briggs stood among them again.
Helmet tucked under his arm.
Grinning like someone who had just discovered a new adventure.
Sarah crossed her arms.
"You're getting your twenty-five."
Albert smiled slightly.
"Good."
As the week progressed, the Republic began to feel like it was shifting into a new phase.
Caravans began delivering extra construction supplies toward the coast.
Wood.
Steel plates.
Fuel barrels.
Communication equipment.
Meanwhile, Magnolia's office slowly finalized the logistics department.
By the fifth day, Albert signed the paperwork approving the ninety-third logistics recruit.
Magnolia slid the document into a growing stack.
"Seven more."
Albert leaned back in his chair.
"Feels like we've interviewed half the Commonwealth."
Magnolia smirked.
"That's what building infrastructure looks like."
Albert rubbed his eyes.
"I think I'm starting to understand why you drink so much coffee."
Magnolia gestured toward the pot near the window.
"There's more if you need it."
Albert stood up and poured himself another cup.
Outside, the sun was setting over Sanctuary.
He watched settlers walking through the streets.
Children running past the well.
Farmers returning from the fields.
A normal evening.
But beneath that normality, something big was happening.
The Republic was expanding.
By the end of the sixth day, everything finally came together.
Albert stood once again in the training yard.
This time the line of naval recruits stretched nearly across the entire field.
Two hundred and fifty personnel.
Sailors.
Boarding teams.
Navigation trainees.
Power Armor assault units.
Sarah stood beside him with Preston.
She looked across the assembled group.
"Not bad."
Preston whistled.
"You built a navy in six days."
Albert shook his head.
"Recruitment only."
Sarah smiled slightly.
"Still impressive."
Briggs stood in the front row with the other armored soldiers.
He lifted his helmet slightly and called out,
"So when do we get ships?"
Laughter spread through the formation.
Albert folded his arms.
"Soon."
On the seventh day, a convoy arrived from the shipyard.
Mel stepped out of the lead vehicle as it rolled into Sanctuary.
He spotted Albert almost immediately.
Albert was walking across the central square with Magnolia when Mel jogged toward them.
"Hey!"
Albert turned.
"Mel?"
The scientist looked exhausted.
Dust covered his coat.
But he was smiling.
"Just came from the harbor."
Magnolia raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds promising."
Mel nodded eagerly.
"It is."
Albert stepped closer.
"How's the construction?"
Mel gestured toward the horizon.
"Sturges and his team moved faster than anyone expected."
Albert blinked.
"…How fast?"
Mel grinned.
"The Navy Headquarters structure is already standing."
Magnolia crossed her arms.
"That was supposed to take weeks."
Mel shrugged.
"Turns out when Sturges gets excited, things happen quickly."
Albert chuckled quietly.
"That sounds like him."
Mel continued.
"The main command building is up."
"Dock coordination tower is operational."
"Communication arrays are installed."
Magnolia looked genuinely impressed.
"Damn."
But Mel wasn't finished.
He looked directly at Albert.
"And there's more."
Albert raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
Mel grinned.
"The shipyard team finished built six patrol boats."
Albert froze.
"…Six?"
Mel nodded proudly.
"Fully operational."
"Engines repaired."
"Navigation systems restored."
"Armor plating reinforced."
Magnolia's eyes widened slightly.
"Already?"
Mel nodded.
"They're ready for training runs."
Albert felt something surge in his chest.
Six boats.
Real ships.
Not plans.
Not blueprints.
Actual vessels in the water.
Mel continued.
"They can start patrol rotations soon too."
Albert let out a slow breath.
For the first time since the plan had started, the navy felt real.
Not an idea.
Not paperwork.
Reality.
Magnolia looked at him.
"Well, Commander."
Albert chuckled quietly.
"I guess we have a navy now."
Mel grinned.
"Six boats ready."
Magnolia smirked.
"And two hundred and fifty sailors."
Albert nodded slowly.
Plus the logistics team.
Plus the headquarters.
Plus the harbor operations.
The realization settled over the three of them slowly.
Six boats.
Two hundred and fifty sailors.
One hundred logistics personnel.
A naval headquarters under construction.
For months the Republic had talked about growth, about stability, about building something permanent in the wasteland.
Now, standing in the middle of Sanctuary's square with the afternoon sun casting long shadows between the houses, Albert suddenly felt like the Republic had just taken another massive step forward.
Magnolia watched him quietly for a moment.
She could practically see the calculations running behind his eyes.
Albert always did that when plans finally started becoming real.
Mel crossed his arms, still smiling proudly.
"So," he said, rocking slightly on his heels, "how does it feel?"
Albert exhaled slowly.
"Like we just started something we can't turn back from."
Magnolia smirked faintly.
"That's usually how building institutions works."
Albert nodded once.
Then he straightened slightly.
"Well… now we just wait."
Mel blinked.
"…Wait?"
Albert nodded toward the coastline in the distance.
"Sturges and his team still need to finish the Navy Headquarters."
Magnolia tilted her head slightly.
"That structure might be standing, but I doubt everything inside is operational yet."
"Exactly," Albert said.
"Once Sturges finishes the construction work, we move everyone there."
Mel folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Meaning the sailors and the logistics personnel."
Albert nodded again.
"All two hundred and fifty sailors."
"And all one hundred logistics staff."
Magnolia raised an eyebrow.
"That's going to be quite a relocation."
Albert chuckled softly.
"You're the one who recruited half of them."
"Which means I know exactly how much organization it will take."
Mel scratched the back of his neck.
"So once everyone moves to the headquarters… what happens next?"
Albert answered without hesitation.
"Training."
Magnolia nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Albert continued.
"The sailors need to learn how to operate the patrol boats."
"Navigation."
"Docking."
"Maintenance routines."
"Boarding procedures."
Mel's grin returned.
"Briggs is going to love that part."
Albert smirked slightly.
"He already does."
Magnolia tapped her fingers against her arm thoughtfully.
"And the logistics personnel?"
Albert looked at her.
"They'll need to make sure the navy actually runs."
Mel nodded.
"Fuel allocation."
"Repair schedules."
"Crew rotations."
"Harbor traffic."
Magnolia finished the thought.
"Supply distribution."
Albert pointed at her.
"Exactly."
Then he took a slow breath.
"If we do this right…"
"…the Republic will have a functioning naval branch within weeks."
Mel whistled quietly.
Magnolia gave Albert a sideways glance.
"You do realize you've built this entire thing in less than two weeks."
Albert shrugged slightly.
"War accelerates progress."
Magnolia didn't argue with that.
The following days passed with a different kind of tension.
The frantic recruitment had ended.
The interviews had stopped.
Now the Republic found itself in a waiting period.
And waiting, Albert discovered, was strangely harder than building things.
Every morning he checked in with Sarah at the training yard.
The naval recruits had begun preliminary drills.
Not on water yet.
But basic organization.
Crew assignments.
Chain of command.
Sarah ran them through discipline exercises like any other military unit.
Boots pounding dirt.
Orders echoing across the yard.
Briggs and the other Power Armor soldiers had already formed the core of the boarding teams.
Watching them train was like observing walking tanks preparing for naval combat.
Preston often stood nearby, leaning on his rifle and watching with amusement.
One afternoon he glanced toward Albert and said,
"You realize pirates are going to hate you."
Albert smirked faintly.
"That's the idea."
Meanwhile Magnolia continued preparing the logistics department.
Her office had become quieter now that the recruitment phase was finished.
But quieter didn't mean less busy.
Ledgers were reorganized.
New supply chains were drafted.
Harbor inventory systems were being planned.
Albert stopped by her office one evening to check on progress.
Magnolia didn't even look up when he entered.
"You're early."
Albert leaned against the doorframe.
"I didn't schedule anything."
"You always show up around this time."
Albert chuckled softly.
"Habit."
Magnolia finished writing something in a ledger before glancing up.
"Everything ready on your end?"
Albert nodded.
"Two hundred and fifty sailors organized into operational crews."
"Boarding teams established."
"Command structure finalized."
Magnolia tapped the ledger.
"Good."
She turned the book slightly so Albert could see it.
Inside were rows and rows of neat entries.
Fuel shipments.
Dock repair materials.
Navigation instruments.
Food allocations.
Albert blinked.
"…You planned all of that already?"
Magnolia raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I did."
Albert laughed quietly.
"I'm starting to think you were ready for a navy before I even proposed it."
Magnolia smirked.
"Someone has to think ahead."
Meanwhile, along the coast between the Castle and the shipyards, Sturges and his crew worked like men possessed.
Generators roared day and night.
Welding torches lit the shoreline with bursts of blue light after sunset.
Metal beams were lifted into place.
Walls reinforced.
Communication towers raised.
Dock cranes installed.
The skeleton of the Navy Headquarters slowly transformed into a fully functioning naval facility.
The command building rose above the shoreline.
Tall enough to overlook the harbor.
Beside it, long docks stretched into the water where the six patrol boats floated quietly in their berths.
Workers moved constantly.
Installing wiring.
Mounting antennas.
Testing power systems.
And overseeing it all, Sturges.
Helmet on.
Tool belt hanging from his waist.
Coffee mug in one hand more often than not.
One evening Mel visited the construction site again.
He found Sturges standing on the balcony of the command building, staring proudly at the docks.
Mel walked up beside him.
"You look like a man who hasn't slept."
Sturges shrugged.
"Sleep is for people who aren't building a navy."
Mel chuckled.
"How close are you?"
Sturges took a long sip from his mug.
"Closer every day."
Back in Sanctuary, Albert's radio remained quiet.
But every time it crackled slightly, he glanced toward it.
Waiting.
Days passed.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Then finally, on the seventh morning.
Albert was in the training yard again watching the sailors run formation drills when the radio clipped to his belt crackled loudly.
Static burst through the speaker.
Then a familiar voice came through.
"Sanctuary command, this is Sturges."
Albert immediately grabbed the radio.
"Sturges?"
Static crackled again.
Then Sturges' voice came through clearer.
"You reading me, Albert?"
Albert smiled.
"Loud and clear."
There was a brief pause.
Then Sturges said the words Albert had been waiting for.
"The Navy Headquarters is finished."
Albert stood completely still for half a second.
Then he lifted the radio again.
"Copy that."
Around him, several nearby soldiers noticed his expression.
Sarah walked over quickly.
"What happened?"
Albert lowered the radio slowly.
"They finished it."
Preston blinked.
"…Finished what?"
Albert looked across the training yard.
"The Navy Headquarters."
For a brief moment there was silence.
Then Preston grinned widely.
"Well damn."
Sarah folded her arms and smiled.
"About time."
Albert clipped the radio back onto his belt.
"Alright."
He turned toward the assembled sailors.
Two hundred and fifty of them stood in formation across the field.
Most of them had no idea what had just happened.
Albert stepped forward.
"Listen up!"
The yard immediately fell silent.
Every head turned toward him.
Albert's voice carried across the training ground.
"I just received confirmation from Sturges."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"The Navy Headquarters is finished."
The reaction was immediate.
Cheers erupted across the formation.
Some soldiers clapped.
Others pumped their fists into the air.
Briggs shouted from the front line,
"About time!"
Albert allowed the excitement to run for a moment.
Then he raised his hand.
The noise slowly settled.
Albert continued.
"That means we're moving."
The sailors straightened again.
Albert's tone shifted from announcement to command.
"All naval personnel will prepare for relocation to the coastal headquarters."
"Two hundred and fifty sailors."
"One hundred logistics personnel."
Sarah stepped beside him, already understanding what was coming next.
Preston grinned like a man about to witness a massive operation.
Albert continued.
"We depart tomorrow morning."
The soldiers exchanged excited looks.
Moving out.
To the coast.
To the ships.
Albert turned toward Sarah.
"I'll start organizing the convoy."
She nodded.
"Already on it."
The next morning Sanctuary looked like a military staging ground.
Engines rumbled across the central road.
Drivers climbed into seats.
Mechanics checked fuel levels.
Soldiers loaded crates.
Albert stood near the gate watching the convoy take shape.
Fifteen large transport trucks lined the road.
Their flatbeds reinforced with steel plates and seating rails for personnel.
Beside them sat five heavy supply trucks packed with fuel barrels, spare parts, tools, and provisions.
Ten Humvees waited nearby, engines idling.
Mounted machine guns glinted in the morning sunlight.
And behind them, six Sentinel Tanks.
Massive armored vehicles.
Their thick plating scarred from past battles.
Their cannons pointed forward like silent guardians.
Albert folded his arms as he watched the final preparations.
Mel walked up beside him.
"You're bringing the whole army."
Albert shook his head slightly.
"Just making sure we arrive safely."
Mel nodded toward the armor racks nearby.
"And those?"
Albert followed his gaze.
Twenty-five T-60 Power Armor suits stood in a row.
Polished.
Repaired.
Ready.
Each one had been officially approved for naval operations.
Albert nodded.
"Sico authorized them personally."
Mel raised his eyebrows.
"The President himself."
Albert smiled slightly.
"Boarding teams."
Mel chuckled.
"Pirates are really going to hate you."
Nearby, Briggs stepped into one of the suits.
The heavy metal frame sealed around him with a loud clank.
He rolled his shoulders inside the armor.
"Alright!"
His voice echoed through the helmet speakers.
"Now this feels like a navy."
Sarah approached from the convoy line.
"All personnel accounted for."
Albert nodded.
"Good."
He climbed onto the hood of one of the Humvees and looked across the assembled forces.
Three hundred personnel.
Soldiers.
Sailors.
Logistics staff.
Drivers.
Mechanics.
And armored boarding teams.
Albert took a deep breath.
Then he spoke loudly.
"Today we move to the coast."
The entire convoy fell silent.
Albert continued.
"The Republic Navy begins its operations."
He pointed toward the distant shoreline.
"Mount up."
Engines roared louder.
Truck doors slammed.
Soldiers climbed aboard.
The convoy slowly began to move.
And the long column of vehicles rolled out of Sanctuary's gate.
The convoy rolled out of Sanctuary slowly at first.
Fifteen transport trucks.
Five heavy supply trucks.
Ten Humvees.
Six Sentinel Tanks.
Three hundred personnel.
And twenty-five T-60 Power Armor units secured inside armored carriers.
It was the largest organized movement of forces the Republic had ever conducted outside of wartime deployment.
People lined the roads as the vehicles passed.
Settlers stood beside fences.
Farmers paused in their fields.
Children ran alongside the trucks for a few moments before falling behind.
Some waved.
Others simply watched with quiet curiosity.
The sight of such a large force moving together was something most of them had never seen before.
Preston rode in one of the Humvees near the front of the convoy, looking out the window at the passing settlement.
He chuckled softly to himself.
"What?" the driver asked.
Preston shook his head.
"Just thinking."
"About what?"
Preston glanced toward the long column of trucks stretching behind them.
"A year ago we were barely holding a few settlements together."
The driver nodded slowly.
"And now?"
Preston smiled faintly.
"Now we're sending a navy to the ocean."
Up ahead, Albert sat in the lead Humvee beside Sarah.
The road stretched through forests and broken highways toward the distant coastline.
He watched the convoy through the side mirror occasionally.
Truck after truck followed behind them in a long armored line.
Sarah broke the silence first.
"You nervous?"
Albert considered the question.
"A little."
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"You just built a navy in two weeks."
Albert smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
She laughed quietly.
Fair point.
Behind them, Briggs sat inside the troop compartment of one of the armored carriers with the other Power Armor soldiers.
The T-60 suits were secured upright along the walls.
Briggs leaned back against the metal interior and stretched his arms.
"You guys realize," he said to the others, "we're about to become the first naval power armor unit in Commonwealth history."
One of the other soldiers snorted.
"Pretty sure nobody ever thought power armor would end up on boats."
Briggs grinned.
"Hey, if pirates board our ships…"
He tapped the helmet of the nearest suit.
"…they're gonna regret it."
Laughter echoed through the compartment.
The convoy continued moving south.
The road eventually turned rougher.
Old highways crumbled into cracked pavement and broken asphalt.
Several times the Sentinel Tanks had to move ahead to clear debris blocking the route.
But the convoy never stopped.
Hour after hour the vehicles pushed forward.
The smell of salt eventually began drifting through the air.
A faint breeze carried the distant sound of waves.
Albert noticed it first.
He leaned forward slightly in his seat.
"Smell that?"
Sarah inhaled slowly.
"…Ocean."
Albert nodded.
"We're getting close."
The coastline finally came into view as the road curved around a rocky ridge.
Below them, the Atlantic stretched wide and endless.
Gray water rolling under a pale sky.
But what caught everyone's attention wasn't the ocean.
It was the structure standing along the shoreline.
The Navy Headquarters.
Even from a distance it looked impressive.
Sturges and his team had transformed the ruined harbor into a fully functioning naval base.
Long reinforced docks stretched into the water.
The six patrol boats sat anchored beside them.
Their repaired hulls gleamed faintly under the sunlight.
The command building rose above the harbor like a fortress.
Metal walls reinforced with welded plating.
Observation towers mounted with communication arrays.
Cranes and cargo lifts positioned along the dockyard.
Preston whistled quietly from inside his vehicle.
"Well damn…"
The convoy began descending the road toward the base.
Workers noticed them first.
Several of Sturges' construction crew paused mid-task and looked toward the approaching vehicles.
Dust rose behind the convoy like a long gray cloud.
Within minutes the entire dockyard knew the navy had arrived.
At the main gate of the facility, Sturges stood waiting with several members of his engineering crew.
His helmet was pushed back onto his head and his tool belt hung loosely around his waist.
He had a wrench in one hand and a coffee mug in the other.
Typical Sturges.
As the lead Humvee rolled through the gate, Sturges grinned.
"Well look who finally showed up."
The convoy slowly came to a halt inside the wide staging yard.
Engines shut down one by one.
Truck doors opened.
Soldiers began climbing out.
Albert stepped out of the lead Humvee and immediately spotted Sturges walking toward him.
The engineer lifted his mug slightly in greeting.
"Commander Navy."
Albert chuckled.
"Still getting used to that title."
Sturges looked past him toward the massive convoy filling the yard.
"Holy hell, you brought half the Republic with you."
Albert shrugged.
"Just being careful."
Sturges nodded approvingly.
"Can't argue with that."
Albert turned slightly, taking in the full view of the facility for the first time.
The base was enormous compared to what he had imagined.
The command building stood three stories tall.
Steel walkways connected observation platforms overlooking the harbor.
Dock cranes loomed above stacks of cargo containers.
Generators hummed somewhere deeper in the compound.
And beyond it all, the ocean.
Albert let out a slow breath.
"You actually did it."
Sturges grinned proudly.
"Told you we would."
Mel had climbed out of one of the supply trucks and joined them.
He looked around the base with wide eyes.
"You guys weren't kidding."
Sturges gestured broadly toward the harbor.
"Welcome to Republic Naval Headquarters."
Albert turned toward him.
"How long did it take to finish everything?"
Sturges scratched his beard.
"Barely slept for a week."
Mel laughed.
"That explains the bags under your eyes."
Sturges shrugged.
"Worth it."
He nodded toward the docks.
"Boats are ready too."
Albert followed his gaze.
The six patrol vessels sat quietly beside the dock.
Up close they looked even more impressive.
Each one had been reinforced with heavy armor plating along the hull.
Mounted machine guns sat on rotating turrets.
Navigation antennas rose above the small command bridges.
Fuel lines ran from the dock pumps into the ships.
Albert felt the same surge of excitement he had felt when Mel first told him about them.
Real ships.
A real navy.
But there was no time to stand around admiring them.
Albert straightened.
"Alright."
His voice carried across the staging yard.
Several of the sailors immediately turned toward him.
Three hundred personnel waited for instructions.
Albert raised his voice.
"Logistics personnel!"
The one hundred logistics staff quickly stepped forward from the gathered crowd.
Magnolia wasn't present, but her influence was obvious.
They stood in neat organized rows.
Not soldiers.
But professionals.
Quartermasters.
Supply coordinators.
Harbor managers.
Albert pointed toward the command building.
"You all know your assignments."
Several of them nodded immediately.
He continued.
"Dock management."
"Fuel allocation."
"Inventory tracking."
"Harbor coordination."
"Supply distribution."
He gestured toward the base behind him.
"This facility only works if you do your jobs."
One of the senior logistics officers stepped forward.
A former Bunker Hill dock manager Albert remembered from the interviews.
"We'll handle it."
Albert nodded.
"Good."
Then he gave the order.
"Begin operations."
The logistics personnel immediately dispersed across the base.
Some headed toward the command building.
Others moved toward the dock control stations.
Several began unloading crates from the supply trucks.
Within minutes the quiet dockyard transformed into organized activity.
Clipboards appeared.
Radios crackled.
Inventory crates were cataloged and moved into storage.
Fuel tanks were inspected.
Dock traffic signals were activated.
Sturges watched the sudden burst of organization with a grin.
"Magnolia trained them well."
Albert nodded.
"She always does."
Then he turned toward the sailors.
Two hundred and fifty men and women waited across the staging yard.
Excited.
Curious.
Some staring toward the ocean like children seeing it for the first time.
Albert raised his voice again.
"Sailors!"
They snapped to attention.
Albert pointed toward the harbor.
"You see those six boats?"
Every head turned toward the water.
Albert continued.
"Those are now Republic naval vessels."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the formation.
Albert held up a hand to quiet them.
"Training begins immediately."
He gestured toward the docks.
"Crews will rotate through the boats."
"Navigation training."
"Docking drills."
"Maintenance procedures."
"Boarding operations."
Sarah stepped beside him.
"We'll run six crews at a time."
Albert nodded.
"Exactly."
He pointed toward the first group.
"Crew One!"
About forty sailors stepped forward.
Albert gestured toward the docks.
"You're first."
The sailors broke into a jog toward the harbor.
Several of them could barely hide their excitement as they approached the ships.
Briggs and the Power Armor team followed behind them.
The massive metal suits clanked heavily across the concrete dock.
One of the sailors whispered to another,
"Those things are getting on the boats too?"
Briggs heard him and laughed.
"Oh yeah."
He tapped the armor plating of his suit.
"Boarding team."
They reached the first patrol boat.
Up close it looked even more formidable.
The hull had been patched and reinforced with thick metal plates.
The deck was narrow but functional.
Machine gun mounts sat at both the bow and stern.
The engine compartment hummed softly.
One of the engineers from Sturges' team stood waiting on the dock.
He waved them forward.
"Welcome aboard!"
The first sailors climbed onto the deck cautiously.
Some ran their hands along the railing.
Others looked inside the small command bridge.
For many of them, it was their first time stepping onto a working ship.
Albert watched from the dock with a quiet smile.
Sturges stood beside him.
"Think they'll handle it?"
Albert nodded.
"They'll learn."
Sarah crossed her arms.
"And if they don't…"
She nodded toward the ocean.
"…they'll learn fast."
The first engine roared to life.
The patrol boat vibrated slightly as the motor engaged.
Sailors scrambled to their assigned positions.
A navigation trainee stood beside the helm while an instructor pointed out controls.
Another pair checked fuel gauges.
Two more inspected the turret mount.
Slowly the ropes were untied from the dock.
The boat drifted slightly away from the pier.
Then the engine pushed forward.
The patrol boat moved into open water for the first time under Republic command.
Cheers erupted from several sailors standing on the docks.
Albert folded his arms.
"Well."
Sturges grinned.
"Looks like your navy just launched its first training run."
The boat moved slowly across the harbor.
Turning carefully.
Testing the steering.
Practicing basic maneuvers.
Meanwhile, the next crew prepared to board the second vessel.
And the third crew waited behind them.
Albert watched the operation unfold.
Rotations forming.
Training cycles beginning.
Logistics personnel moving supplies across the dockyard.
Crates being organized.
Fuel inventories logged.
Communication towers sending signals back toward the Republic.
Everything was beginning to move.
Like a machine coming to life.
Mel walked up beside Albert again.
"You realize something?"
Albert glanced at him.
"What?"
Mel gestured toward the harbor.
"You didn't just build a navy."
Albert raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Mel nodded toward the command building, the dockyard, the patrol boats, and the hundreds of personnel working together.
"You built an entire naval base."
Albert looked out across the watet. and smiled slightly.
"Yeah."
He watched the ships moving across the water, as the first patrol boat completed a slow turn and headed back toward the dock.
Another vessel prepared to leave.
Power Armor soldiers stood ready for boarding drills, with logistics staff that tracked every movement with precise organization.
______________________________________________
• 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:-