Citadel Laboratory
It would have been nice, Ellen thought, to get out of her armor and clean up a bit. She and Fawkes had made the journey south from Olney on foot without stopping- well, unless you counted intervening in what turned out to be a battle between an Enclave patrol and several Brotherhood Outcasts. The way Ellen saw it, though, if you came out of a situation with more blood, sweat, smoke, and pain to show for it than when you went into it, it didn't count as stopping. So, yes, she would have liked very much to at least tidy up a little. But she'd brought the Tesla coil straight to Paladin Tristan, as ordered, and he'd thanked her and then issued new orders. And they did not include enough time to stop and clean up.
Well, hopefully Elder Lyons wouldn't mind too much.
Assuming they could find him. The Citadel was a big place, and no one seemed to know exactly where Elder Lyons was just now. They'd checked the Bailey and the sickbay and his private quarters in B Ring. They'd been to his offices in A Ring. Nothing. They'd even been down to the armory, just in case, but no joy there; the only place left was the laboratory where the repairs were proceeding on what had been recovered of Liberty Prime. If Elder Lyons wasn't there-
But he was, thankfully. The instant Fawkes opened the door to the labs, Ellen caught sight of the blue of his robe, in amongst a crowd of people in-
Wait. Those weren't Brotherhood. In fact, some of them looked... very familiar.
"Ah! You're back," came Elder Lyons' voice; Ellen drew herself up as straight as she could to offer a salute. The people around him stepped aside to let him come forward. "I'd heard you might be on your way."
"Paladin Tristan told me to report to you as soon as physically possible," Ellen replied. "I hope this counts."
"I think it does." Lyons' bearded face wrinkled with his smile. "You've recovered the Tesla coil, then?"
"Yes, sir. Fawkes here put it in the Order of the Sword's hands himself."
"Thank you, Fawkes," Lyons said gravely. "Thank you both. You've done the Brotherhood a great service- and perhaps these people as well." He gestured to the small crowd around him. "I believe introductions are in order. Knight, this is Lana Danvers, second-in-command of Rivet City security-"
A middle-aged woman with short dark brown hair inclined her head.
"Lucas Simms, the mayor of Megaton-"
"We've met," said Simms. "Good to see you, Ellen."
Lyons nodded. "Dominic D'Ellsadro, of Canterbury Commons," he continued, indicating a fair-haired, tan-skinned fellow in dented metal body armor. "And Dave, president of the Republic of Dave."
"Charmed, I'm sure," said the last man, who bore a disturbing resemblance to the pictures of Vladimir Lenin Ellen remembered from her history texts.
"Madam and sirs, this is Ellen Park, one of our newest recruits," Lyons then said. "I believe you may be more familiar with her from Three Dog's radio broadcasts. To the Brotherhood, she's known as Knight 101."
More than a few eyebrows went up at that, but Sheriff Simms merely nodded, and maybe smiled a little. Dave turned to Elder Lyons and said, "Interesting. So who's the mutant?"
"My name," came the rumbling reply, "is Fawkes. I may not be of the Brotherhood, but we serve the same ends."
That sent up a murmur of surprise. Lyons folded his hands and visibly suppressed a chuckle. "Thank you, Fawkes," he said. "Your service is invaluable. Both of your service. You have the Brotherhood's thanks- and, I think, the thanks of the good people of this Wasteland, whether they know it or not."
"Um," said Ellen. "Thank you, sir. I think."
Lyons nodded, and Ellen thought an explanation was forthcoming. Alas, it was not to be. "That will be all, I think," he said. "Go and see to your armor, Knight 101. You're dismissed."
She had enough sense not to open her mouth until after she'd saluted again and headed back towards the barracks. "Fawkes?" she said, once she was sure they were out of earshot. "Do you have any idea what that was about?"
"I wish I could say I did."
"That's what I was afraid of," said Ellen. She sighed, remembering a conversation with Commander Shepard at Milliways. "Maybe someone will tell us later."
"Answers have a habit of making themselves known in their own time," the mutant murmured.
"I hope you're right," Ellen said. "Right now, I just want to get out of this-"
Well, hopefully Elder Lyons wouldn't mind too much.
Assuming they could find him. The Citadel was a big place, and no one seemed to know exactly where Elder Lyons was just now. They'd checked the Bailey and the sickbay and his private quarters in B Ring. They'd been to his offices in A Ring. Nothing. They'd even been down to the armory, just in case, but no joy there; the only place left was the laboratory where the repairs were proceeding on what had been recovered of Liberty Prime. If Elder Lyons wasn't there-
But he was, thankfully. The instant Fawkes opened the door to the labs, Ellen caught sight of the blue of his robe, in amongst a crowd of people in-
Wait. Those weren't Brotherhood. In fact, some of them looked... very familiar.
"Ah! You're back," came Elder Lyons' voice; Ellen drew herself up as straight as she could to offer a salute. The people around him stepped aside to let him come forward. "I'd heard you might be on your way."
"Paladin Tristan told me to report to you as soon as physically possible," Ellen replied. "I hope this counts."
"I think it does." Lyons' bearded face wrinkled with his smile. "You've recovered the Tesla coil, then?"
"Yes, sir. Fawkes here put it in the Order of the Sword's hands himself."
"Thank you, Fawkes," Lyons said gravely. "Thank you both. You've done the Brotherhood a great service- and perhaps these people as well." He gestured to the small crowd around him. "I believe introductions are in order. Knight, this is Lana Danvers, second-in-command of Rivet City security-"
A middle-aged woman with short dark brown hair inclined her head.
"Lucas Simms, the mayor of Megaton-"
"We've met," said Simms. "Good to see you, Ellen."
Lyons nodded. "Dominic D'Ellsadro, of Canterbury Commons," he continued, indicating a fair-haired, tan-skinned fellow in dented metal body armor. "And Dave, president of the Republic of Dave."
"Charmed, I'm sure," said the last man, who bore a disturbing resemblance to the pictures of Vladimir Lenin Ellen remembered from her history texts.
"Madam and sirs, this is Ellen Park, one of our newest recruits," Lyons then said. "I believe you may be more familiar with her from Three Dog's radio broadcasts. To the Brotherhood, she's known as Knight 101."
More than a few eyebrows went up at that, but Sheriff Simms merely nodded, and maybe smiled a little. Dave turned to Elder Lyons and said, "Interesting. So who's the mutant?"
"My name," came the rumbling reply, "is Fawkes. I may not be of the Brotherhood, but we serve the same ends."
That sent up a murmur of surprise. Lyons folded his hands and visibly suppressed a chuckle. "Thank you, Fawkes," he said. "Your service is invaluable. Both of your service. You have the Brotherhood's thanks- and, I think, the thanks of the good people of this Wasteland, whether they know it or not."
"Um," said Ellen. "Thank you, sir. I think."
Lyons nodded, and Ellen thought an explanation was forthcoming. Alas, it was not to be. "That will be all, I think," he said. "Go and see to your armor, Knight 101. You're dismissed."
She had enough sense not to open her mouth until after she'd saluted again and headed back towards the barracks. "Fawkes?" she said, once she was sure they were out of earshot. "Do you have any idea what that was about?"
"I wish I could say I did."
"That's what I was afraid of," said Ellen. She sighed, remembering a conversation with Commander Shepard at Milliways. "Maybe someone will tell us later."
"Answers have a habit of making themselves known in their own time," the mutant murmured.
"I hope you're right," Ellen said. "Right now, I just want to get out of this-"