[color=6ecff6][u][b]Sentinel Derek Irving- Hidden Valley Bunker[/b][/u][/color]

Irving stood at the McNamara's side, watching as the door to the elder's office opened and Head Paladin Hardin entered.  The Head Paladin stood at attention next to Senior Knight Lorenzo and Head Scribe Taggart, dwarfing the two in his T-51b power armor.  The Elder pressed a button on his desk, causing the door to close behind Hardin.  This was not to be a conversation to be shared with the lower echelons of the Brotherhood, not yet.

"Not that we are all here," the Elder begun, "We can get down to business.  There has been an incident that threatens our mission in the Mojave Wasteland.  Sentinel?" he asked, gesturing at Irving.  The Sentinel stepped forward, the servos in his power armor making a muffled whirring.  It was clear from the Elder's voice that his health was declining.  Whether it was from years of breathing bunker air, the stress of the position, or simply the ravages of age, McNamara clearly did not have quite the energy that he used to.

"Last night, two of our procurement specialists were arrested by the NCR," he began to explain.  "While Abernathy's forces have earned a reputation for making arrests on flimsy pretenses, this was not one of their NCRCF workforce recruitment drives.  Shortly after our specialists missed a rendezvous, a recon team operating out of the northeastern safehouse spotted NCR Rangers escorting two prisoners to Fort Golf.  We must assume that the NCR has arrested them on suspicion of being Brotherhood of Steel, and intends to interrogate them as to our whereabouts."

The Sentinel paused to give the assembled subordinates an opportunity to process this information.

"While the NCR has laws regarding treatment of prisoners of war, they do not always follow these laws even when with the shadow of Shady Sands hanging over them.  Colonel Abernathy, being largely free of NCR oversight, will almost certainly not heed these laws.  They will try to break our brother and sister."

"It won't matter," Hardin spoke up.  "Even if our brother and sister prove unbreakable, the NCR still has proof of our presence in the Mojave.  Now that they know we are here, they will scour the Mojave until they find us.  We must go on the offensive and strike while we still have the element of surprise."

"There is another problem that this presents," Lorenzo added.  "We needed the food and supplies that they procured.  It was difficult enough for Veronica keep this chapter fed when it was at under half strength.  With our current numbers, our stockpile of provisions will not last if we remain hidden in the bunker."

"...I'm afraid you are both correct, we cannot remain hidden," Irving conceded.  While the Brotherhood was no longer under a lockdown, they had made great efforts to avoid drawing the attention of the NCR.  They only sent small patrols out at night, avoided roads and towns, and kept to the largely depopulated western regions of the Mojave.  With the arrest of their agents, the façade was crumbling.  They could no longer fly under the radar.

"There is no better time to strike than now," Hardin asserted.  "Abernathy's forces are stretched thin, unsupported, and much of their strength is bogged down maintaining their occupation.  Give me a few targets, and I will blind and cripple the NCR before they can make a move against us."

"Or you'll bring another ruinous battle to us," Taggart interjected.  "Our reports state that even with most of their men tied up maintaining their grip, they will still outnumber our own forces at least ten to one, and many of them are hardened veterans.  The VR scenarios based on these parameters paint a grim picture of our chances..."

"Your simulations tell us nothing, Taggart," Hardin shouted, angered.  "The last time we took tactical advice from a scribe, we lost over half the chapter."

"Enough!" Irving rebuked them both.  "While the NCR is a considerable obstacle that will assuredly need to be dealt with, defeating them is not the primary objective of our mission.  If there is a way to sidestep them without weakening our ability to oppose The Green, I will take it.  However, Hardin is right that we must act quickly and decisively, and all of us must do our part."

The Sentinel walked up to the three Brotherhood members.  "Head Paladin, you will get our Knights and Paladins combat-ready.  Send a few Eyebot teams out to give us eyes on the surface.  Senior Knight, your orders are to ensure our warriors have the equipment that they need.  Lastly," he paused, standing over Taggart, "Boot up Black Mountain's radio transmitter, and tell Scribe Santangelo to fetch two eyebots and meet me in the war room in an hour.  You are all dismissed.  Ad Victoriam!"

The three subordinates immediately headed out to carry out their tasks.  After the last of them left, Irving turned around to face McNamara.  The Sentinel's mask of stoic professionalism faded, making way for an expression of weariness.

"I knew this would happen eventually.  Tell me, Elder, do you think that the NCR could be persuaded to a ceasefire for the sake of stopping the growing threat of The Green?"

"Not with Abernathy," the Elder answered.  "Our ambitions and mission are not at a cross purpose to theirs, and there are some in the NCR that would agree to a truce, but the Colonel is not one of them."

"No, I guess not," Irving replied.  "Perhaps, however, his subordinates and subjects will think differently..."