So I've done a few MM quests and have three of their locations unlocked. Now I have the option to unlock another or recapture an old MM headquarters.

BUT, I also set up a base at Red Rocket. I was doing great but when I started raising crops for glue stew I realized that they don't grow unless I have a settler assigned to them. So I build a generator, and radio tower, connected them and left. I came back later and there are squatters all over the place. They have plenty of food, water (I made some hand pumps), beds and defense and are very happy. I even asked one what they needed and they said they were fine. So I assigned a couple to the crops and all's good.

My question is how does this new 'settlement' factor into the MM settlements? Do they join? Is it just a forever a isolated settlement? Can I 'link' it's resources to the other MM settlements (using the perk)?

Lastly ... how do I keep the dang squatters from sleeping in my bed? I have my bed in the office space in the garage, the others are set up where the pumps were (I did add walls). Is there a way to flag a bed as 'MINE' so they stop using it? I'm also a little concerned about them just walking around with all my stuff in unlocked cabinets and chest around the shop. Do they 'borrow' some of my magazines? Take some weapons?

Lastly Lastly ... when trading with these settlers there doesn't seem to be any caps transferring. It looks like I basically just take whatever I want from them, generally leaving them with a pipe-gun. Is that true, they just give me stuff? Also could I use this feature to deck them out if full combat gear and automatic weapons?

Thanks!

You can create shops but you need perks for it. Then you can buy/sell there good stuff and also get some cut for yourself (placed in workshop)

I don't think that settlement becomes a MM one but the others will. RR is your settlement pretty much. The Settler "trade" is so you can outfit them the way you would like. You can put what clothes you want them to wear and what weapons your want the to use. use T to make them equip it. They wont grab stuff out of boxes and you can assign them to beds. If you see someone sleeping in your bed assign them to an empty one.

Yes! That's actually the point of it.

But do these settlers stay or are they randomly swapped out? I don't want to equip half with good gear, then come back two days later and see half have been swapped out with 'Random Settler' 27 or something. The fact that they have no names or anything doesn't give me the opinion that they are very permanent.

They don't have names because they're infinite, not because they switch out randomly with different settlers. They dont.