Sunset stood in the dim room with her arms crossed, glaring down at the accused. The rest of the Rainbooms were standing around the edges of the room: A silent jury waiting to give their verdict.

In the middle of the room, sitting in her wheelchair and looking thoroughly bewildered, was Twilight. "Uh, girls? What exactly is going on here?"

"We want answers, Twilight, and we're going to get them," Sunset said ominously.

Twilight winced. "Um, is this about Liberty Prime?" Sunset just gave her a flat glare. "Right. So… you figured out that it was me?"

"We figured that you had somethin' to do with it," Applejack put in. "You spend more time with that robot than you do with anything else. There's no way in heck you didn't notice him gettin' full of magic."

"The only thing we weren't sure of was whether or not magic got to him and you just didn't tell us, or whether you put it there yourself." Sunset leaned forward slightly as she hissed, "But you just answered that for us."

"Why did you do it, Twi?" Rainbow added. "Don't get me wrong, Liberty Prime with magic is fucking awesome, but that could have really gone tits-up in a hurry."

Twilight squirmed under the combined stares of the others. "True, but it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Only after Liberty put us all on the spot by asking Sentinel Lyons what was going to happen after the treaty was signed," Sunset countered. "I get the feeling that he could have easily turned if he didn't like what he heard."

"I had faith that he wouldn't," Twilight replied. She held a hand up as Sunset tried to argue. "I know, it was risky, but him following the Brotherhood had to be his choice. If I had just programmed him to follow orders blindly, there's every likelihood that magic would have eventually given him a choice anyway. And I don't think he would have been happy about being treated as a slave for so long. I figured letting Liberty choose for himself at such a critical moment was less dangerous than risking him rebelling against his masters at a later date."

Sunset kept up the glare as she mulled over Twilight's words, but finally relented with a sigh. "I see what you're saying, but keeping us in the dark was not cool. Liberty Prime is way too powerful to just spring that kind of shit on us out of nowhere. Hell, you're lucky that Sentinel Lyons isn't looking too deeply into this."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Twilight had the good grace to look remorseful. "I just… you have all been out there risking your lives and I've been stuck at the Citadel unable to help."

"We understand where you're coming from, darling, truly," Rarity insisted. "Just, keep us in the loop next time."

Sunset nodded. "As for the wheelchair; the Enclave is prepping surgery already, so hopefully that's about to get sorted. AJ, can you take her?" Applejack quickly agreed, so Sunset turned to Pinkie, "You should get back to your recovery room, too. I doubt the medics are happy about you being up and about so soon after surgery, no matter how well it went. I'll come and see you all once the treaty has been signed."

The girls all shared good luck wishes and parted ways. Sunset made her way towards the conference room in a nearby building, wishing she felt anywhere near as confident as she had sounded. Both the Brotherhood and the Enclave had been preparing for this treaty for some time, but that didn't mean it was a done deal, especially given the demands that the Brotherhood, and likely the Exodus team, too, had.

A squad each of Enclave soldiers and Brotherhood Paladins stood guard outside the conference building. Technically, the Paladins outranked Sunset, given that she was only a Knight-Sergeant, but they still saluted her as she approached, before one of them offered to show her to the meeting room.

The building was surprisingly well-lit. Ever since the battle had ended and she had gotten a good look at the Air Force Base, Sunset had been impressed by how clean and well-maintained the Enclave facility was. Even the Citadel, as scrupulous as the Brotherhood maintenance teams were, couldn't compare. Sunset supposed that was just how much of a difference greater resources and bleeding-edge technology made.

Finally, the Paladin led Sunset one last corner and into the corridor outside the conference room. Elder Lyons, Sentinel Lyons, Scribe Rothchild and Squire Maxson were already waiting for her.

"It's about time," Sentinel Lyons huffed. "We were wondering whether or not you were going to show up."

"Am I late?" Sunset asked.

"No, you are just barely on time," Elder Lyons replied. He nodded to the conference room door. "Now, let us make history."

The Paladin opened the door and stood aside for them to enter. The group filed in one after the other, Elder Lyons first, and the Paladin closed the door behind them.

Five members of the Exodus team were already inside, sitting at a large circular table. Sunset recognized some of them, but others were new to her. They stood as the Brotherhood entered.

"Welcome to the Adams Air Force Base, Elder Lyons. It's good to finally meet you." Becky greeted him with a nod. "My name is Rebecca Shoichet, I'm the new President of the Enclave." Sunset's eyes nearly popped out of her head in surprise, and she had to force herself to listen as Becky gestured to her fellows. "These are our head of sciences, Doctor Tara Strong, her brother and our military commander, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Strong, our civilian representative, Senator Trevor Devall, and my bodyguard, Agent Bonnie Drops."

Elder Lyons nodded back. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I am Elder Owyn Lyons of the East Coast Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. This is my daughter, Sentinel Sarah Lyons, my assistant, Squire Arthur Maxson, our lead scientist, Head Scribe Reginald Rothchild, and our head of magical research and defense, Knight-Sergeant Sunset Shimmer."

Becky's eyebrow twitched, but she gestured to the seats around the table. "Please, sit."

The assembled leaders all took their seats. Still reeling from the revelation that her counterpart was the new President of the Enclave, Sunset almost forgot to sit down herself, and quickly dropped into a seat.

"If it's alright with everyone, I'll note down everything we agree on, then write out an official treaty document once everything is done, plus a copy for the Brotherhood to keep," Devall offered, holding up a wad of papers and a pen.

"That is acceptable," Elder Lyons said with a nod.

Becky clasped her hands on top of the table. "Alright, first things first: Both sides agree that we want a permanent end to the fighting between our factions, correct?" Everyone present nodded or voiced their agreement. "Good. To that end, I think the first point should be an agreement that our troops will not raise arms against each other, either in the field or elsewhere. And that we won't interfere with each other's operations in the Capital Wasteland."

"So long as said operations don't threaten the function or safety of either side, or the peace of the Capital Wasteland," Sentinel Lyons added.

Both Becky and Elder Lyons nodded. "I'll add in 'directly or indirectly' to that," Devall noted as he wrote it down.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that that will be the end if it?" Tara asked.

"Regrettably, yes," Elder Lyons replied. "There is also the matter of recompense for the damage caused by the Enclave's unprovoked assault on the Brotherhood of Steel and the assets of its allies."

Lieutenant Colonel Strong frowned at him. "The Brotherhood of Steel had no presence at Project Purity during the first assault. And if we're talking recompense, how abo-"

"We're not going down this road," Becky cut in quickly. "The Brotherhood and the Enclave have been at each other's throats for decades: Trying to balance the books and rectify every slight is going to be impossible. This treaty isn't about who did what, it's about wiping the slate clean and having a fresh start, together."

Sentinel Lyons snorted, but Elder Lyons held up a hand to quell her. "That's an admirable sentiment, Madame President, but the fact remains that the Brotherhood of Steel provided protection and support for the settlements of the Capital Wasteland for years, both of which were stripped away as a result of Enclave aggression. That problem was then exacerbated to an incalculable degree by the proliferation of Equestrian magic across the wastes, again as a direct result of Enclave interference. Reparations must be made."

The Exodus members didn't look happy about that, but none of them tried to gainsay him. "What did you have in mind?" Becky asked cautiously.

Elder Lyons crossed his arms and straightened up in his chair. "The Brotherhood of Steel wants control of the Mobile Base Crawler and all of the research and resources stored on board."

"Don't be absurd," Devall said flatly.

"You're out of your fucking mind if you think we'd agree to that," Lieutenant Colonel Strong shot.

"Given the amount of damage that rampant magic has caused across the wastes, I hardly think it's much to ask at all," Rothchild countered. "If the Brotherhood is to clean up the Enclave's mess, the least you can do is provide the technology, resources and magical research we need to do that."

Lieutenant Colonel Strong scoffed. "Or we could use said resources to clean up our own mess. We hardly need your help for that."

"And let the Enclave pretend that it's swooping in to save the wastelanders where the Brotherhood can't? Not a chance," Elder Lyons shot.

"There is a third option," Sunset cut in loudly, stalling the argument. She felt a flutter of panic as all eyes turned to her, but she swallowed her nerves and said calmly, "Elder Lyons is right that the Enclave is going to have to make some concessions, but full control of the Base Crawler is a huge ask. Aside from that, dealing with the magic loose in the wastes is way too big for either side to manage alone."

Sunset paused to take a breath before continuing, "So, here's my compromise: Make the Base Crawler a joint operation. Pool your resources, share everything we've all learned about magic, and collaborate on all magical research conducted going forward. It's a win-win situation, especially given that we've recently discovered something about magic that is very pertinent to Project Exodus’ original mission."

Tara and Becky both pricked their ears up at that, but Lieutenant Colonel Strong still looked skeptical. "You seriously expect us to just hand over-"

"You're not handing anything over, you're sharing," Sunset retorted. "And yes, I do expect the Enclave to make some level of compromise here. Spin it however you want, but the biggest problems facing the wastes at the moment can all be traced right back to the Enclave."

Lieutenant Colonel Strong glared at her. "The Exodus team, my sister, risked their lives to help you escape-"

*Which they wouldn't have had to do if the Enclave hadn't attacked us in the first place," Sunset countered. "The original Exodus team does not make up the entirety of the Enclave, so don't pretend that their actions make up for the misdeeds of the rest of it. You may be in charge now, but the only people here who have proven that they're looking out for humanity's best interests are Doctor Strong and President Shoichet. If you want the wasteland to trust the rest of you, this is how."

Silence fell in the wake of her speech. Sunset thought she caught Agent Drops and Senator Devall eyeing her with respect, but she was distracted as Becky spoke up, "The magical research is one thing, but what about the Bradley-Hercules Missile Platform? The control terminal for it is in the Base Crawler."

"That's easy," Sunset replied. "When Twilight gets out of surgery, I'll have her reprogram the terminal so that it needs two command codes before an orbital strike can be launched. One code will be given to the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel, the other will be given to the President of the Enclave."

"So the only way to use it will be if we both agree on a target," Elder Lyons concluded. "A wise decision," he murmured appreciatively.

Becky frowned and crossed her arms, tapping a finger on her bicep as she considered. "I'll agree to the compromise on one condition. Give the Enclave an equal stake in Project Purity, and joint responsibility for water distribution."

Sunset could see what she was after. Distributing the clean water across the wastes would go a long way towards repairing the Enclave's reputation among the wastelanders, which in turn would strengthen their position and open up new possibilities for recruitment, among other things.

Half-expecting the Brotherhood leaders to put up some form of argument, Sunset was surprised to see Elder Lyons and Rothchild whispering quietly to each other. After a swift discussion, Elder Lyons turned and nodded to Becky. "That will be acceptable."

Sunset fought the urge to sag with relief. The biggest hurdle was dealt with. At least, she hoped that that had been the biggest one.

"On the subject of magic, we should discuss Raven Rock," Sentinel Lyons said.

"If we're going to be pooling our magical research, we should probably set up a joint operation dedicated to mining the crystals from the mountain," Becky suggested. "However, I'd recommend that we leave that until things have settled a little."

"I couldn't agree more," Rothchild put in.

Sunset allowed herself to relax as the discussions moved on to less tense matters. Most of it revolved around logistical issues and the minutiae of sharing custody of assets, though the Enclave did agree to provide the Brotherhood of Steel with reliable communications technology in exchange for accurate geographical information on the many settlements and danger spots of the Capital Wasteland.

Eventually, when the meeting began to draw to a close, Senator Devall swiftly drew up two copies of the treaty between the Enclave and Brotherhood. Everyone present checked each copy over for good measure, then signed at the bottom. One copy was given to Becky, one to Elder Lyons, and just like that, the meeting was finished. After decades of intermittent warfare, a definite peace had finally been reached between the Enclave, and the Brotherhood of Steel.

Now, they just had to make it last.

With everything finished, Sunset filed out of the room with the rest of the Brotherhood leaders, then heaved a great sigh once the door had been closed behind them.

"Nice work there, Sunset," Sentinel Lyons said brightly. "I didn't expect that to go anywhere near as smoothly as it did."

"Indeed." Elder Lyons held his arms up and stretched, then let out a contented sigh as he relaxed. "The Brotherhood is going to be very busy from here on out, but we have made a step in the right direction, today. One of the first things we need to do when we get back to the Citadel is arrange rewards for those who have gone above and beyond over the course of this war."

Sentinel Lyons nodded and smiled. "I'll leave that to you. Right now, I'm going to go and see if there's anywhere I can go to have a warm bath. My muscles have been aching ever since I got out of that damned coma."

Elder Lyons chuckled as his daughter left, swiftly followed by Scribe Rothchild, who muttered something about checking on Liberty Prime. Taking a deep breath, Lyons turned to Sunset. "Speaking of rewards, I believe I'll be dishing out some promotions when we get back to the Citadel. Rainbow Dash's recent heroics are more than enough to earn her a promotion to Knight-Sergeant. Please inform her to be ready for the ceremony when we get back."

"Of course, Elder," Sunset replied.

Lyons smiled softly at her. "I've also heard that you did a very good job of directing our troops yourself during yesterday's battle. In light of this, I'd like to give you something."

Squire Maxson produced a small box from his robes and handed it to the Elder. Lyons opened the box and held it out to Sunset. Inside was a plasma pistol tucked into a simple holster. It was lit from within by a distinctive orange glow. There was no doubt that it was the same devastating weapon that had once belonged to Major Owens.

Sunset hesitated, but Lyons just nudged the box towards her until she reached in and tentatively took the pistol out. Satisfied, Elder Lyons handed the box back to Maxson, then reached out and clasped Sunset's shoulder with a hand. "The Brotherhood rewards those who deserve it, and few have done as much for the Brotherhood in recent years than you. You have earned my respect, and you have more than earned my trust. Excellent work, Knight-Captain."

Got another awesome artwork from Night-Quill, this one of Fawkes as a Knight!