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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
The settlement they tried to intimidate had survived, and now it was coming back angry.
The next day arrived colder.
Not because the temperature had dropped much.
Because anticipation changed the way people felt weather.
Far Harbor woke beneath another blanket of low gray clouds while thin rain drifted across the harbor in restless sheets, turning every rooftop, barricade, and walkway slick beneath pale morning light. Fog clung heavily beyond the walls again, thick enough to swallow entire sections of coastline whole.
The island looked like it was hiding something.
Maybe it always was.
But today the settlement moved with a different kind of tension underneath the usual routine. Not panic. Not fear exactly.
Expectation.
People knew something was happening tonight.
Not everyone knew details.
But Far Harbor had never been large enough for military movement to stay invisible long.
Soldiers carrying extra ammunition through the streets got noticed.
Mechanics pulling missile racks onto Humvees got noticed.
Two Sentinel Tanks undergoing full combat preparation at dawn definitely got noticed.
The convoy became the center of the settlement long before departure time arrived.
By midday, the armored depot near the western district sounded alive with engines, shouted orders, clanging steel, and hydraulic systems cycling through readiness tests. Floodlights still burned beneath the overcast sky while crews moved constantly around the vehicles with fuel hoses, toolkits, spare track links, and crates of ammunition stacked chest-high along the loading platforms.
The first Sentinel Tank sat near the center of the yard like a waiting monster.
Rainwater streamed down its armored plating while mechanics climbed across the hull tightening external mounts and checking turret rotation systems one final time. The massive cannon pointed toward the sky at an angle sharp enough to make nearby civilians instinctively keep their distance.
The second Sentinel stood several meters behind it beneath drifting steam from its engine vents.
Both vehicles already looked less like machines now and more like pieces of war physically dragged into existence.
Nearby, the three Humvees waited in staggered formation while crews mounted heavy machine guns and missile launchers onto reinforced roof platforms. Mud covered the tires before they had even left the depot.
The trucks sat farther back.
Three large military transports reinforced with welded armor plating and improvised steel barriers bolted along the sides. Their engines idled heavily while soldiers loaded supplies into the rear compartments beneath thick tarps.
Ammo crates.
Medical kits.
Fuel drums.
Replacement weapon parts.
Extra radio equipment.
Everything needed for a fast strike deep into hostile territory.
Far Harbor had stopped pretending this was merely a raid.
This looked like an army preparing to move.
Sico arrived near the depot shortly after noon beneath steady rain and immediately drew attention without trying to.
Not because he spoke loudly.
Because people watched him now.
After the horde attack.
After the funerals.
After the Sentinels saved the walls.
The settlement saw him differently.
Not politician.
Not organizer.
Commander.
The kind that existed only once survival stopped being theoretical.
Ward stood beside the lead Humvee reviewing route notes with Mercer when Sico approached.
"All vehicles fueled?" Sico asked.
Ward nodded once.
"Fully loaded."
"Communications?"
"Tested twice."
Mercer folded the damp route map carefully.
"Fog density's heavier north of the quarry this afternoon."
Sico glanced toward the coastline beyond the walls where pale mist swallowed visibility almost immediately.
"Will it worsen tonight?"
"Probably."
Not ideal.
But also useful.
Fog concealed movement both ways on the island.
That was the problem with it.
And the advantage.
Nearby, Ellis struggled while trying to secure a crate of missiles into the rear compartment of the second Humvee.
The crate shifted sideways again.
Ellis stared at it with exhausted betrayal.
"You are a box," he informed it. "Your responsibilities are extremely limited."
Alice walked past carrying a combat harness over one shoulder.
"Losing an argument to ammunition before deployment feels symbolic somehow."
"I'm having a difficult day."
"You're having a difficult life."
"Fair."
Despite the tension hanging over the depot, a few nearby soldiers laughed quietly at that.
Tiny moments mattered before operations.
People needed reminders they were still human before climbing into armored vehicles and driving into darkness.
Avery emerged from the logistics station holding several folded reports beneath one arm while rainwater dripped from her coat sleeves.
"Medical supplies loaded," she reported. "Repair teams assigned to the second truck."
Ward nodded once.
"And casualty evacuation?"
Avery's expression tightened almost invisibly.
"Prepared."
Nobody liked discussing casualty procedures before departure.
But experienced soldiers discussed them anyway.
Because pretending people might not die never saved anyone once bullets started moving.
Sico climbed onto the side step of the lead Humvee and studied the convoy in silence for several long seconds.
Three Humvees.
Three trucks.
Two Sentinel Tanks.
Fifty soldiers.
Far Harbor had committed smaller forces to full invasions before the war.
Now this much strength was being sent merely to frighten the Children of Atom.
That alone said everything about how much the settlement had changed recently.
The soldiers loading the trucks noticed him watching.
Conversations quieted slightly afterward.
Not out of fear.
Focus.
They all knew where they were going.
The Nucleus carried weight on the island even among people who had never seen it.
Stories traveled.
Radiation cultists worshipping beside glowing pools.
The old submarine beneath rusted banners.
Disappearing patrols.
Fanatics walking through the Fog at night chanting Atom's name like prayer and warning at the same time.
And tonight Far Harbor intended to drive armored vehicles directly to their gates.
One of the younger soldiers standing beside the third truck adjusted his rifle strap nervously while staring toward the Fog beyond the walls.
First real operation outside defensive patrols probably.
Mercer noticed immediately.
"You've been outside the walls before?"
The young soldier looked up quickly.
"Yes, sir."
Mercer waited.
The soldier swallowed.
"…Not toward the Nucleus."
Honest answer.
Mercer respected that.
"Nobody's comfortable going there," he said quietly.
The soldier looked mildly relieved hearing that.
Even veterans feared parts of the island.
Pretending otherwise only got people killed.
Nearby, Briggs inspected ammunition belts beside the second Sentinel without speaking much. One of the mechanics attempted small talk while helping secure the heavy anti-material rifle mounted near the truck convoy.
"You think they'll run once the tanks start firing?"
Briggs checked the weapon chamber calmly.
"No."
The mechanic waited for more explanation.
None came.
Eventually he cleared his throat awkwardly and walked away.
Alice watched this happen from across the depot.
"You know," she called toward Briggs, "one day you should try terrifying people less."
Briggs looked at her briefly.
"No."
"…Worth asking."
Rain intensified briefly overhead, drumming harder against the vehicles and turning the depot yard into reflective pools of mud and oil-streaked water. Soldiers pulled hoods tighter while crews continued loading final supply crates into the trucks.
The supplies mattered more than appearance.
This was supposed to look like the beginning of a sustained assault.
If Children of Atom scouts spotted transport trucks carrying ammunition and reinforcement equipment behind armored vehicles, it reinforced the illusion perfectly.
Far Harbor wanted the Nucleus believing something larger had started.
Ward stepped beside Sico near the lead Humvee.
"Scouts report no unusual movement near the outer roads yet."
"Good."
Sico looked toward the convoy again.
"Any signs they noticed our preparations?"
"Impossible to tell."
True enough.
The Children of Atom likely had eyes everywhere across the island already.
Maybe hidden watchers in the Fog.
Maybe sympathizers.
Maybe wandering zealots listening from cliffs beyond rifle range.
The island leaked information like cracked pipes leaked water.
But secrecy mattered less now than speed.
Tonight wasn't about surprise alone.
It was about shock.
Hayes arrived suddenly from beneath the repair awnings carrying a wrench large enough to qualify as anti-personnel equipment.
"You are absolutely not firing the lead Sentinel's main cannon repeatedly without cooling intervals."
Ward blinked once.
"…Hello to you too."
Hayes pointed furiously toward the tank.
"I am serious. The recoil stabilizers already suffered strain during yesterday's defense."
One of the Sentinel crewmen groaned quietly.
Here we go.
Hayes climbed directly onto the tank tread while still talking.
"If somebody ignores the thermal cycle recommendations again, the cannon assembly locks under pressure and then congratulations, you now possess a seventy-ton decorative sculpture."
Alice lit another cigarette nearby.
"He talks about tanks like disappointed parenting."
"Because people keep hurting my machines!"
The depot workers largely ignored the argument by now.
Apparently this happened often.
Sico let it continue for a few moments before asking calmly:
"How long between safe firing intervals?"
Hayes stopped immediately.
"Minimum thirty seconds between sustained heavy shots."
Ward nodded once.
"Understood."
That seemed to satisfy Hayes enough temporarily.
Though he still muttered aggressively about "mechanical negligence" while climbing back down from the Sentinel.
Far Harbor continued gathering around the depot throughout the afternoon.
Not formally.
Just naturally.
People slowed near the barricades to watch preparations.
Dockworkers paused carrying supplies.
Children peeked carefully from doorways before parents pulled them back inside.
The convoy felt important.
Because it represented something new.
For years Far Harbor survived by enduring the island.
Holding walls.
Weathering attacks.
Waiting for monsters to leave.
Now the settlement was preparing to carry the fight outward instead.
That changed the way people stood.
The way they looked toward the Fog.
Even the soldiers felt it.
Mercer checked his rifle one final time beside the lead Humvee while Ellis loaded spare magazines into his vest.
"You sleep at all?" Ellis asked quietly.
Mercer shrugged slightly.
"Some."
"Same."
Ellis looked toward the Sentinels.
"I keep thinking about how loud those things are going to sound near the Nucleus."
Mercer glanced toward the tanks.
"Good."
Ellis smirked faintly.
"Yeah."
Good.
That was the point.
The Children of Atom needed to hear Far Harbor coming.
Needed to feel the ground shaking beneath tank tracks before the first shell even landed.
Fear worked best when anticipation arrived first.
By late afternoon the convoy stood fully assembled.
The lead Sentinel positioned front-center near the western gate.
Behind it sat the first Humvee mounted with dual heavy machine guns while soldiers climbed into the transport trucks in disciplined groups beneath the rain.
The second Sentinel remained farther back guarding the rear section alongside the missile-equipped Humvee.
The final Humvee stayed mobile between them as a rapid response unit.
Fifty soldiers loaded aboard the trucks gradually.
Rifles slung across armored coats.
Faces tired but focused.
Some checked gear repeatedly from nerves. Others sat silently against the reinforced truck walls staring toward the Fog outside the settlement.
Veterans tended to talk less before operations.
The younger soldiers talked too much or not at all.
Sico climbed into the passenger seat of the lead Humvee just before dusk fully settled over Far Harbor.
Rain tapped steadily against the windshield while the engine vibrated beneath him with low mechanical growls.
Ward leaned through the open side door briefly.
"Final perimeter reports came in."
Sico looked up.
"Anything?"
"Nothing moving near the walls."
Good.
At least the island wasn't throwing another monster horde at them before departure.
Mercer climbed into the rear section beside Ellis while Briggs took position near the mounted gun platform on top of the vehicle.
Alice approached the Humvee next while adjusting her gloves.
"You know," she said toward Sico, "most people deal with stress through alcohol."
Sico looked toward her calmly.
"And?"
"You're invading a nuclear cult fortress with tanks."
"…Efficient coping mechanism."
That earned the faintest smile from Ward.
Tiny.
Gone quickly.
But there.
Avery stepped up beside the vehicle moments later carrying one final stack of route papers sealed inside waterproof casing.
"Withdrawal routes updated."
She handed them toward Mercer inside the Humvee.
"Fog shifted along the southern ridges an hour ago."
Mercer took the maps immediately.
"Understood."
Avery looked toward Sico afterward.
"You still have time to delay until conditions improve."
Sico's answer came without hesitation.
"No."
She nodded once.
Expected answer.
Still worth asking.
Because once the convoy left Far Harbor tonight, events would start moving very quickly.
And fast operations inside the Fog had a habit of becoming disasters before people realized anything went wrong.
The western gate mechanisms groaned loudly nearby.
Opening.
Not fully yet.
Just enough for departure staging.
Cold Fog immediately rolled through the widening gap into the settlement streets like pale smoke invading the harbor.
Beyond it waited the island.
Dark forests.
Broken roads.
Cliffs.
The Nucleus somewhere hidden beneath rain and radiation farther south.
The soldiers inside the trucks quieted almost completely after the gates opened.
Reality settling in now.
One of the truck drivers made the sign of the cross quickly before gripping the wheel tighter.
Another soldier checked the safety on his rifle six separate times in under a minute.
Nobody mocked either behavior.
People prepared for fear differently.
Ward stepped back from the Humvee door and looked toward the convoy.
Then toward Sico.
"All units ready."
The rain kept falling across Far Harbor beneath floodlights and steel-gray skies while the engines of eight military vehicles rumbled through the settlement hard enough to vibrate windows nearby.
People watched from doorways.
From barricades.
From workshop entrances glowing orange with welding sparks.
Nobody cheered.
This wasn't celebration.
It felt closer to watching a storm leave harbor knowing it might come back worse.
Sico rested one arm lightly against the Humvee window frame while staring out through drifting Fog beyond the gates.
The convoy rolled out of Far Harbor just after full darkness settled across the island.
Not fast.
Not dramatic.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
The lead Sentinel Tank moved through the western gate first beneath sheets of cold rain, its tracks crushing mud and loose gravel with mechanical certainty while floodlights carved pale tunnels through the Fog ahead. The massive cannon rotated slowly left and right as if the machine itself distrusted the darkness around it.
Then came the lead Humvee.
Sico sat in the passenger seat with one arm resting near the open window frame while rainwater hissed softly against the armored hood. Briggs remained above them behind the mounted gun platform, barely visible beneath a soaked hood and drifting mist.
Behind them, the convoy stretched through the gate in staggered formation.
Three Humvees.
Three armored trucks loaded with soldiers and supplies.
Two Sentinel Tanks.
Enough firepower to start a war.
Or convince the Children of Atom one already had.
The gates groaned shut behind them once the final vehicle crossed beyond the walls, sealing Far Harbor back behind reinforced steel and floodlights.
And just like that, the island swallowed the convoy whole.
The Fog thickened almost immediately beyond the settlement perimeter.
Headlights became pale blurs.
Trees emerged suddenly beside the road before disappearing again into gray nothingness. Rain tapped steadily against armor plating and windshields while engines echoed strangely through the forested hills around them.
Inside the trucks, soldiers sat shoulder-to-shoulder beneath dim red interior lamps.
Some checked rifles repeatedly.
Others stared silently at the vibrating metal floor beneath their boots.
Nobody slept.
Not tonight.
Mercer leaned slightly forward inside the lead Humvee while studying the route map beneath a small flashlight clipped near the dashboard.
"Road curves east ahead," he said over the engine noise. "Bridge crossing after that."
The driver nodded once.
The convoy adjusted speed carefully.
The Sentinels couldn't risk unstable terrain in visibility this poor. One bad collapse near the cliffs and seventy tons of armored machinery disappeared into the island permanently.
Outside, the world felt dead.
Not peaceful.
Waiting.
Fog drifted between ruined trees while old pre-war wrecks appeared beside the road occasionally like corpses left to rot decades earlier. At one point the convoy passed the skeletal remains of an old fishing station partially collapsed into the marshlands.
Something moved inside the Fog nearby.
Several soldiers immediately raised rifles through the truck slits.
But nothing attacked.
The island watched.
That almost felt worse.
Hours passed in fragments of engine noise, drifting rain, and tense silence.
Sometimes the convoy slowed almost to a crawl through narrow sections of broken roadway. Other times the Sentinels accelerated briefly across open stretches where visibility improved enough to risk speed.
Nobody relaxed.
Not even slightly.
The Nucleus pulled closer with every kilometer.
And everyone in the convoy knew what waited there.
Fanatics.
Fortifications.
Radiation.
A submarine treated like scripture.
Ellis sat inside the rear compartment of the lead Humvee beside Mercer while cleaning moisture from his rifle optics for what felt like the hundredth time.
"You ever notice," he muttered quietly, "how every road on this island feels cursed?"
Mercer didn't look up from the map.
"That's because most of them are."
"Fair."
Another few minutes passed before Ellis spoke again.
"You think they're expecting us tonight?"
Sico answered before Mercer could.
"Yes."
The Humvee quieted slightly after that.
Because the answer mattered.
This wasn't stealth anymore.
The Children of Atom knew Far Harbor survived the horde.
They probably knew the Sentinels existed now too.
Maybe scouts already watched the convoy from distant ridges through the Fog.
Maybe runners had already reached the Nucleus hours earlier.
Didn't matter.
Fear worked even when people saw it coming.
Especially then.
The convoy crossed the old quarry road shortly before midnight.
From there the terrain changed.
The roads narrowed.
Cliffs rose higher beside them while jagged rock formations loomed through the mist like broken teeth. Radiation pockets flickered intermittently across dashboard detectors while the Fog itself seemed denser here, almost oily beneath the headlights.
The Nucleus was close now.
Everyone felt it.
Even the soldiers in the trucks straightened subtly.
Rifles tightened in gloved hands.
Safety straps checked again.
No more conversation.
Only anticipation.
Mercer finally looked up from the map.
"Outskirts ahead."
Sico nodded once.
"Slow the convoy."
The radio crackled immediately as the order passed backward through the vehicles.
Engines lowered.
Tracks ground carefully over wet stone.
Then finally the first distant lights appeared through the Fog.
Faint.
Greenish.
Artificial.
The Nucleus.
The old submarine base emerged slowly from the darkness as the convoy reached higher terrain overlooking the surrounding cliffs.
Even from a distance it looked wrong.
Rusting naval structures rose beside jagged rock walls wrapped in floodlights and radiation haze while improvised barricades lined the outer perimeter like scars carved into the island itself. Elevated watchtowers overlooked the northern approach beneath flickering spotlights, and somewhere deeper inside the compound faint green illumination pulsed around the submarine hull itself.
The Children of Atom's holy ground.
And tonight Far Harbor had brought tanks to it.
The convoy halted among rocky terrain overlooking the outer defensive perimeter.
Engines continued rumbling beneath the rain while soldiers immediately dismounted from the trucks in disciplined groups, boots splashing through mud and loose gravel as they spread into defensive positions around the vehicles.
Sico stepped out of the lead Humvee into cold rain and drifting Fog.
The air smelled different here.
Saltwater.
Radiation.
Wet rust.
Something chemical beneath it all.
He pulled binoculars from a pouch near the vehicle door and moved toward the ridgeline overlooking the Nucleus while Ward followed close behind.
Below them, the Children of Atom compound remained active despite the hour.
Patrols moved along the barricades carrying lanterns and rifles while armed guards rotated near the outer walls beneath mounted floodlights. Priests in dark robes drifted between structures near glowing radiation pools farther inside the compound.
The submarine towered over all of it.
Ancient.
Rusting.
Sacred.
Sico raised the binoculars slowly.
The northern defenses looked exactly like Mercer described.
Layered scrap barricades.
Mounted gun nests.
Heavy patrol concentration.
But tonight something else stood out too.
Movement.
More defenders than before.
The Children of Atom had reinforced their perimeter after the horde attack.
Fear already working.
Good.
Ward crouched beside him near the rocks.
"How many visible?"
"Thirty outer defenders minimum."
"More inside?"
"Yes."
That answer barely mattered now.
This operation wasn't about body counts.
It was about pressure.
Sico adjusted the binoculars toward the western barricades.
Searchlights swept constantly across the cliffs now.
Faster than before.
Nervous.
One watchtower even carried additional heavy weapons that Mercer hadn't observed during reconnaissance.
The Children were adapting quickly.
Which meant the raid needed to hurt immediately.
Rain slid from Sico's hood while he lowered the binoculars and turned toward the convoy behind him.
The two Sentinel Tanks waited in silence among the rocks like restrained predators beneath drifting Fog.
Floodlights dimmed.
Cannons ready.
Crews waiting for orders.
Sico pointed toward the ridgeline overlooking the northern perimeter.
"Sentinels into firing position."
The radio operators relayed the order instantly.
Both tanks rumbled forward through mud and loose stone while soldiers cleared space around the elevated firing lanes. Their tracks crushed rock beneath impossible weight as the machines maneuvered carefully toward prepared artillery positions overlooking the Nucleus defenses.
The sound alone carried through the Fog.
Deep.
Mechanical.
Unmistakable.
Down below, movement immediately erupted along the Children of Atom walls.
Searchlights shifted wildly toward the northern ridges.
Voices shouted faintly through the rain.
One alarm bell began ringing inside the compound.
They heard them coming.
Perfect.
Sico climbed higher along the rocky overlook and raised the binoculars again.
The reaction spread fast now.
Guards rushed toward defensive positions while armed patrols moved between barricades pointing rifles into the Fog. Several figures near the submarine stopped entirely, staring toward the northern cliffs as Sentinel engines echoed across the island.
Fear arriving before the shells did.
Ward moved beside the lead tank commander while rain streamed from both their coats.
"Range confirmed?"
The commander checked targeting coordinates through the hatch optics.
"Confirmed."
"Primary targets?"
"Outer barricades. Watchtowers. Defensive guns."
Good.
Exactly what Sico wanted.
Not conquest.
Shock.
Below, the Nucleus continued waking violently.
Floodlights brightened.
More bells rang.
Children of Atom soldiers flooded toward the walls beneath green radiation glow while priests shouted frantic orders across the compound.
And still the Sentinels kept moving into position above them.
The psychological effect hit almost instantly.
Even through binoculars Sico could see hesitation spreading along the defenses.
Because this wasn't what the Children expected.
Not this fast.
Not after the horde.
They expected Far Harbor to recover.
Mourn.
Hide behind damaged walls.
Instead armored war machines had arrived at their doorstep less than two days later.
Mercer crouched beside the rocks nearby while studying the perimeter.
"They're panicking."
Not fully.
Not yet.
But close enough.
Searchlights crossed over each other erratically now while defenders scrambled between firing positions unsure where the real assault would come from.
Good.
Keep them guessing.
Sico lowered the binoculars.
"Open fire."
The order rolled across the ridge through radios and shouted confirmations.
Then the night exploded.
The lead Sentinel fired first.
Its cannon blast shattered the darkness with a thunderclap so violent the surrounding cliffs echoed back like artillery storms rolling across the island. Fire erupted from the barrel while the shell screamed downward through rain and Fog before slamming directly into the northern barricade of the Nucleus.
The explosion tore the defensive wall apart instantly.
Scrap metal, burning debris, and shattered wooden supports launched into the air as shockwaves rolled through the compound below.
Screams followed half a second later.
Then the second Sentinel fired.
Another shell detonated against a watchtower near the eastern wall, vaporizing the upper platform in a burst of fire and collapsing steel.
Searchlights died instantly.
Panic spread visibly now.
Children of Atom defenders scattered through smoke and falling debris while alarms rang wildly across the base.
And the Sentinels kept firing.
Boom.
Another barricade vanished beneath explosive force.
Boom.
A mounted gun nest erupted into flames.
Boom.
Concrete shattered beside the northern trench line while defenders dove for cover beneath flying debris.
The Nucleus looked stunned.
Not defeated.
But shocked hard enough to stagger.
Exactly the reaction Sico wanted.
The artillery flashes illuminated the entire ridgeline around the convoy while Far Harbor soldiers moved quickly into perimeter security positions around the vehicles.
Rifles raised.
Eyes on the Fog.
Watching for counterattacks.
Sico turned sharply toward the infantry teams.
"Perimeter security now."
The soldiers moved instantly.
Training and adrenaline taking over.
Squads spread around the convoy formation in overlapping defensive circles while heavy weapon teams established firing positions overlooking nearby trails and cliff approaches.
If the Children of Atom attempted to flank through the Fog, Far Harbor would be waiting.
Ward pointed toward the eastern ridges.
"Machine gun team there."
Then toward the rear cliffs.
"Missile crew cover the southern trail."
Orders echoed quickly through the rain.
Soldiers dropped into cover behind rocks and broken terrain while Humvee gunners rotated mounted weapons outward away from the Nucleus itself.
Because artillery wasn't the only danger tonight.
The island loved surprises.
And fanatics cornered inside fortifications tended to attempt desperate things.
Down below, the Children of Atom finally began returning fire.
Muzzle flashes burst from the compound walls while tracer rounds streaked upward blindly through the Fog toward the ridge positions.
Most missed completely.
The Sentinels sat too high above them.
Too well armored.
But the response mattered anyway.
It meant the Children were rattled enough to waste ammunition firing at shapes in the mist.
Another Sentinel shell struck near the northern gate.
The explosion blasted part of the barricade inward while defenders scattered away from the impact zone in visible panic.
Mercer watched through binoculars nearby.
"They're pulling reinforcements from the western side."
"Good," Sico replied.
Exactly what he wanted.
Pressure everywhere.
Confusion everywhere.
Make them believe the invasion had started already.
One Children of Atom truck suddenly burst from deeper inside the compound carrying armed defenders toward the northern wall.
The second Sentinel tracked it calmly.
Fired once.
The truck disappeared inside a bloom of fire and shattered metal.
The explosion lit the entire compound orange for a heartbeat.
Then darkness returned beneath rain and screaming alarms.
Ellis stared from behind a defensive rock position nearby.
"…That was excessive."
Briggs lay prone behind the mounted gun platform above him.
"No," he said calmly.
"That was messaging."
Fair point.
The Nucleus looked fully awake now.
Sirens echoed through the compound while armed defenders flooded toward damaged barricades carrying floodlights, heavy weapons, and ammunition crates.
But there was no organization to it anymore.
Too much noise.
Too much smoke.
Too much sudden violence.
Far Harbor had achieved exactly what Sico intended.
Fear.
Real fear.
Not rumors.
Not distant threats whispered through the Fog.
Artillery slamming directly into their walls.
Sico raised the binoculars again toward the submarine section deeper inside the compound.
And there some movement.
Higher-ranking Children of Atom officials were emerging now near the submarine platform surrounded by armed escorts.
Even at this distance they looked frantic.
Pointing toward the ridges.
Shouting.
Trying to understand whether this was merely a raid or the beginning of total assault.
Good.
Let uncertainty poison the rest.
Behind Sico, the perimeter soldiers remained tense around the convoy.
Every shadow in the Fog looked dangerous now.
Every shifting sound beyond the cliffs pulled attention instantly.
One soldier near the rear trucks whispered suddenly into his radio.
"Movement southwest."
Rifles turned immediately.
A squad advanced cautiously toward the rocks overlooking the southern trail while mounted Humvee guns rotated with hydraulic growls.
For a few long seconds nobody breathed comfortably.
Then a pair of wild mongrels burst from the Fog and sprinted away from the artillery noise downhill toward the coast.
The tension broke slightly afterward.
Slightly.
Nobody laughed.
Not yet.
Another Sentinel shell struck the outer defenses below.
Another tower collapsed.
Another section of the Nucleus burned.
And through the rain and drifting Fog, the Children of Atom finally understood something terrible as Far Harbor was no longer hiding behind walls waiting to survive and now coming for them.
______________________________________________
• 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:-