//------------------------------//
// How it came to be (Prologue) 
// Story: The truth behind the Tree of Harmony 
// by May I Cut In 
//------------------------------//

~About 4000 Years ago. ~

Nate sat at the top of his watchtower which overlooked The Citadel. Being the new general of the Commonwealth Minutemen meant that he often had to spent time in the base, be it from training new recruits or responding to pleas of help from the citizens of the Commonwealth. Granted it was difficult and painful to build up the Minutemen to where they were now, most notably having to press the detonator to destroy the Institute and all traces of his son's work. But there were glorious achievements as well like taking on the Brotherhood of Steel and coming on top.

10 years had passed since those events and The Commonwealth is now a much more peaceful place. The number of raiders were dropping as the days go on and more and more synths under the guidance of The Railroad had found new lives among the people whom had finally learnt to accept them. He was now famous among the Commonwealth, the vault survivor whom survived 200 years, brining all the people together and making their world a safer place. Fathers would tell their children the story of how they had stormed the Institute with the general leading them to victory. Really, it seems like he had it all. A comfortable life as far as possible in the wasteland, fame and fortune. However there was a major downside to all these things. Namely one person.

"General! I've just got word of a settlement that needs some help." Came the voice that he had heard for a millionth time. Nate closed his eyes and mumbled the following phrase to himself. Here. I'll mark it on your map. Drink 

"Here. I'll mark it on your map." Finished the person as he climbed the tower. "General, could you maybe move your office onto the ground floor instead of up here. It's dangerous to be up her in plain view of any raider snipers babe."

Nate closed the trunk next to his table after grabbing a bottle of Bourbon. " What can I say Preston. I do like some peace and quiet every now and then." he cooly replied as he snapped open the bottle and drank a gulp. "Also I doubt any of the raiders would dare to approach 600 meters of the Castle."

"Well. I wish that you would consider my suggestion." Preston Garvey finished. He turned to look out the watchtower. "Now about that settlement in need of hel-""

"Yah yah yah." Nate interrupted. " I'm going down there soon. I just don't get why can't we can't just send a group down to take care of the problem." 

"Well, we could but it would be best that as our general that you do it. It would certainly show the Commonwealth people how serious we are of as the protectors of the Commonwealth." Preston replied, shifting the Laser Musket in his hand.

That same reason has been given many times but till now Nate hasn't found a way to be able to rebut that. One day, just one day I'll get you to go down there instead. Reluctantly, he went over to his X-01Mk.3 Power Armour completed with a jetpack module he fabricated himself. But right before he entered it, a bullet zipped right infront of him, the bullet pinging off the helmet of his power armour infront of him. In response, Nate quickly dived for cover.

The sound of a musket being fired broke the stillness of the afternoon air."Raiders!" Preston called out. "Coming from the South West. Some in power armour and are those Deathclaws behind them?" he asked as he cranked his musket again for another shot. "Well. At least it's not raining.". By now, the minutemen in the fort were already running up to their guard posts to defend. Nate got into his power armour, pulled out his Gauss Rifle and began to start taking shots at the Deathclaws. 

This went on for a few minutes, but eventually there was only a few raiders and a Deathclaw left. Nate charged up his rifle to finish the beast off when he heard a very distinct whistle. Oh god. A mini-nuke coming! he thought to himself. Not wanting to headbutt a nuke, he quickly jumped off his sniping perch. The nuke collided with the back wall of his watchtower and went off but surprisingly the flimsy wooden and corroded steel structure remains intact. Hmm... Maybe I should just duck next time instead. Dramatic dodging was pointless.  

The sound of compressed gases being released broke his thoughts. Somehow Preston had managed to get his hands on a flamer and he was now burning a raider to death with it. Nate left him to it and traced the path of the projectile that hit the tower. "There you are. Nice try with the nuke." he mumbled to himself as he saw that raider reload the Fat Man he was carrying. He stowed his Gauss Rifle and brought out his own Fat Man that was brought in Diamond City. He loaded it and took aim. "Yo Dwag. I heard you like nukes. Have 12 of them!" he said as he squeezed the trigger.

Two cluster nukes flew out. They sailed through the air with the very distinct whistle. At the peak of its' flight, they opened up and 6 mini nukes came out from each cluster nuke. The salvo started their descend and Nate anticipated the coming explosions. But then as his eyes followed the nukes down, he saw something that filled him with caused him to flinch. Preston Garvey had apparently decided to charge the raider with his flamer and the raider was aiming his loaded fat man at Preston. "Shi-" that was all he managed to say before the view was obstructed by a mini nuclear blast followed shortly by 12 more.

The smoke finally cleared. Nate ran up, hoping that by some miracle that Preston had managed to survive the carpet nuking. But as he approached the blast site, he could not see any trace of that man. When he finally reached the area, there was nothing there at all save for a crystal shard the size of his hand where Preston had stood. Panic and denial started to set in at the fact that he just killed someone under his command but a second thought came to him. Wait a minute. This means Preston is finally dead! Oh god, it's over! It's finally over!!!. Those initial feeling were quickly overwritten by euphoria...

The minutemen later on at night reportedly had a massive celebration ordered by their general. So much alcohol was brought just for the party that the Diamond City bar had to close down for a few days for them to replenish their stocks.