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From The Personal Recollection Of Leanne Walker

Stubbornness in defense of one's (presumed) friends is admirable.  Usually.  Right then, after some minutes of arguing, I wanted to ram Midea face down into her desk.  " ... Midea, 'The Cure' has a NAME.  It's Marie.  One of many small details you never shared with me ... "

"WE WEREN'T GOING TO HURT HER!!!!  Just - just force Ashur to-"

"I'd have had to kill her parents to get her.  Hard to force Ashur to do much if he's dead.  But your hands would stay clean, I'm sure.  Only, that'd leave Wernher in charge ... "

She leaned away from me in her chair, looking hunted.  "Wernher's always been on our side.  H-He'll do what's right ... "

I leaned in, got in her face.  "Wernher's always been on WERNHER'S side.  How many slaves died when he blew up the railyard?  AND he's buddied up with  @#$%^ Talon Company!  If THEY take over The Pitt, you'll be remembering Ashur's time as 'The Good Old Days'.  I must find Wernher, so WHERE IS HE?"

Midea kind of sagged in defeat.  "His main hideout is in the Steelyard.  South-west corner, third level, near the Wildman camp .... "

"Thank you."  I headed to the door.

Midea's voice stopped me, she evidently found one last vestige of defiance.  "Ashur offered you the better deal, I guess.  How nice for you ... "

A last look around her room, better living space than any six other Slaves in Downtown had.  Probably better than what most Guards had.  Midea sat tensely upright at her desk, obviously expecting retaliation.  She wanted to provoke me, prove something to herself perhaps, but all I now felt for her was indifferance.  "Choices, Midea.  Isn't that the one thing Slaves are NEVER given?  How many choices did you and Wernher give me?  Or Marie?  Or those railyard workers?"

I didn't wait for an answer, even shutting the door gently instead of slamming.  Right outside was a knot of a dozen or so scared people.   Several I recognized from my Workgroup - Millie, Adan and Nola amongst them, who must have seen me going in.  The plaza was clear for now, there were bodies scattered around, Slave and Guard, and I could hear plenty of shooting not so far away.

I found a new choice to make right then.  Unlike most of the ones I'd been stuck with lately, this was extremely easy.

Millie spoke first, she seemed much more aware than before.  "Beth?  What's going on?"

"It's not Beth, it's Lee to my friends.  Very long story, but no time."  I raised my voice.  "Simple question, people.  Who wants out?"

General disbelief, a smidgen of hope, certainly no outright refusals.

"Here's the thing.  In about ... "  I checked my Pip-Boy,  " .... forty-seven minutes, Ashur starts retaking The Pitt.  You can all guess what that means.  I'll get you out of the city, and then we will TRY to get you all the way to DC.  As free people.  I promise you that much only, no guarantees otherwise.  Tell your friends, and grab whatever supplies you can, but the clock is running ... "

"Um, WE?"  That was Nola, looking like she desperately WANTED to believe.

Exactly on cue, there was the sound of heavy running footsteps, and everyone else looked ready to flee or take cover.  From around the corner jogged two soldiers in full, if battered, Enclave Power Armor.  I admit to a momentary fight or flight reaction myself, despite knowing what I did.  Both of them immediately halted and lowered weapons upon seeing us, then removed their helmets.

I am PROUD of how calm my voice was right then, because I felt anything but calm inside.  " ... Let me introduce your escorts, Jasmine Twotrees and her partner, Doctor 'Cutter' Brent... "  I waded through the group towards them and ...

Look, they always say hugging friendlies when you're in PA is a BAD idea, but all three of us were in PA then and, well, so our suits got some extra scratches and dings.  No biggie.

"DAMN glad to see you, kid," Jas eventually said.  She blinked at the grey plastic card I held out to her.  "What's this?"

I scrubbed at my face with my other hand.  "Our exit strategy.  Special pass from Ashur - bearer can go anywhere, requisition whoever or whatever is needed, etcetera.  You take these people and anyone they okay with you ... "  The hopefully-soon-to-be-EX Slaves were staring at us, with a few grins starting.  " .... to the south-west gate ...  "  I pointed, " ...  THAT way, and LEAVE.  Watch for snipers and mines.  Wait in the ruins on the other side of the river.  Small railway yard further south, if I DON'T show up ... " 

"Whew!  Why'd the big boss GIVE you that?"  Cutter.

"Ashur sent me after Wernher, ... "  I smiled, a little.  It felt good.  " ... A-n-d, just MAYBE, I gave him the impression that Wernher's hiding outside the city .... "

******

Don't worry, this is the last time I'll be using 'Broken Moon' and nightsky mods in my pics for a while.  :)

Midea never impressed me much, have to say.  Whilst her hatred of Ashur seems genuine, she also comes across (to me, at least) as something of a hypocrite.

Another thing that got me about The Pitt.  Why couldn't the LW at least help a few slaves to escape somewhere in the endgame?  Can't tell me that this wouldn't be on a few minds - not everybody would want to hang around and slug it out with Ashur and Co.  OK, maybe Bethesda thought this would detract from the entire 'moral dilemma' thing.

No, the Ghosts will not be liberating an entire army of slaves from The Pitt.  Far too much going on for that to be any kind of possibility.  But there will be some.