Finally story number 3. New territory, new characters, new plot...with an old enemy. I don't think anyone's tried to continue this branch of the Fallout story yet so please R&R and let me know if this appeals and how I'm doing. As ever feel free to drop in ideas as I'm still building this up. For now just a small scene setting part to see if this appeals. Before we start, to make this clear, this is a sequel fic. If you haven't read Steel Vengeance and Tides of Change do so first or a lot of this will make no sense at all.

Intro sequence

War...war never changes. In 2282 the Capital Wasteland was a very different place compared to what it had been when the Lone Wanderer had taken his first steps into it. Fresh water is now available, the Enclave has been reduced to a distant memory and a small working government has been established in Rivet City. Following the defeat of the cyborg menace on the west coast the Lone Wanderer is returning home to help build on these successes. But, while he's been away, another of his old adversaries has been at work in the wasteland and they are about to strike very close to his heart...

Capital Wasteland-March 2282

Leon, Dan Kerrigan and Yuna teleported down from the mothership to the Capital Wasteland. They ended up arriving in the very same spot that the wrecked Zeta recon craft had crashed four and a half years ago.

"Never thought I'd say I missed this wasteland," Leon smiled. "But it's good to be back."

"I know what you mean," Dan agreed. "The Mojave wasn't a bad place but this is where the roots are."

"Speaking of which," Leon reached for the radio on his belt. "Paladin Commander Kallan to Citadel."

"Leon?!" Scribe Jameson's voice answered immediately. "How did you get back so fast? We were expecting to retrieve you from the west coast."

"Thought I'd save you a trip," Leon joked. "Can you send a Vertibird over to Minefield?"

"On its way. ETA 5 minutes."

The Citadel

A mere ten minutes later they were disembarking the Vertibird in the Citadel's courtyard to a cheering welcome from the crowd of Initiates and Knights gathered there.

Elder Rothchild was also waiting eagerly for their arrival. "It's good to see you all again and in one piece no less."

"Now comes the lengthy debriefing I suppose," Leon sighed.

"I'm afraid so. But don't worry, I'll make it as quick and as a relaxed affair as I can," Rothchild promised. "And the company should be good for one of you at least."

Rothchild didn't have to explain. The sight of a grinning Jake Corey, Yuna's childhood friend and now much more, stepping out of the crowd sent Yuna's jaw almost crashing into the floor.

"Jake!?"

"They both woke up a week ago," Rothchild explained as the two embraced.

It was news that sent a wave of relief flooding through Leon. Events had forced him to leave Jake and his love Amata Almodovar behind in a radiation coma similar to what he'd suffered after Project Purity. Both had fallen into a trap meant for him set by Mr Burke. Needless to say Burke didn't survive the mistake but that was a tale for another time.

Dan smiled broadly. "That's some homecoming gift eh Leon?"

"No kidding!" Leon agreed. "So if she woke up then..."

"She's out on patrol with the Sentinel," Rothchild finished. "We weren't expecting you back at such short notice so it's been a regular day for us up to now. I'll let Scribe Jameson tell them the good news the next time they check in."

Little Lamplight- same time

Amata, Sarah Lyons, Knight Captain Kayla Thomson and their patrol were well out of their usual routes in the DC ruins. Instead of tech scavenging they were following up on an inquiry from the trade caravans who'd become concerned when no one had come out to trade with them here for the last two days. Sarah knew they could be overreacting but, given recent events in the Capital Wasteland, she understood their concern and why they hadn't gone in themselves; Lamplight was built on the only viable entrances to Vault 87 after all. That was why she had 15 Knights with her as well as the Pride.

"Alright, stay sharp everyone!" Sarah ordered as they approached the cave entrance.

"No sign of any bent girders or gut bags, that's encouraging," Vargas observed.

"Don't assume anything," Sarah cautioned.

"Should our scout go in first?" Glade asked. "If there is an ambush..."

"She's the only one dressed for it after all," Sarah agreed. Everyone was in various models of power armour except for Amata who was in recon armour.

"Amazing how I always get that job," Amata rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't have kept volunteering for it then," Kayla shot back with a grin which Amata matched. The ex-Enclave soldier and Sarah had almost become like sisters to her in the last four years.

"Same drill as usual," Amata said. "Give me five minutes."

As it turned out she barely needed three. She'd never been in Little Lamplight before but it didn't take much to see something was wrong; the kids' front gate was wide open. Her pip-boy was detecting no hostile movement. In fact, aside from the settlement's dogs that were whining and pleased to see Amata, there was no life or movement at all. It was like the Marie Celeste; every human in Little Lamplight had vanished.

Finding no one to question she radioed Sarah and soon the whole platoon was joining the search.

"Small wonder the traders called us in," Sarah mused as she fed the settlement's starving dogs from her rations.

"It's as if the whole town just upped and left," Kodiak was at a loss.

"That could be it," Vargas ventured.

"But why leave these poor guys behind?" Sarah countered as she petted the dogs.

"You've got a point," Vargas admitted. "But what else could it be? We've checked both the 'Murder Pass' entrance and the secret entrance to Vault 87; both are locked down."

Kodiak was just as baffled. "Not only that just take a look around! There's no blood, no bodies, no booby traps, no damage and no signs of battle at all."

"That's not all," Glade rejoined them after searching the trading post. "If they were Raiders or Slavers they forgot to rob the place! The shop's caps and its stock are all still there, nothing's missing."

"I don't think it was them or the Super Mutants," Sarah said firmly. "Not enough carnage for that. I don't know what to think but I sure as hell don't like it. Call it in to the Citadel."

Nor did Amata or any of the others. There was just something so wrong and spooky about this whole situation.

Citadel-Elder's quarters

By now Leon's returning group had just finished their debriefing to Rothchild whilst Paladin Tristan and a very interested Olwyn Lyons listened in. Whilst Sarah's father had officially retired Rothchild still kept his old friend close as his most trusted advisor.

"So the cyborg threat is finally over," Rothchild said with a great deal of relief.

"For now at least, yeah," Leon replied. "I know we took a risk with Epsilon but Jaden thought it was worth the risk and so did I."

Rothchild seemed to accept that. "This Jaden Storm sounds intriguing. Could you have made our first serious ally outside the Capital Wasteland?"

Leon nodded. "I'd say so. He's a lot like how I...used to be a few years ago. You'd like him."

"Having him as a friend over there will count for a lot," Dan chimed in. "He's a member of the Mojave Brotherhood and controls his own nation. If we can stay friends with them we won't need Lost Hills ever again."

Rothchild could easily see the benefit in that. He'd been disgusted to learn that the Brotherhood there hadn't lifted a finger to help Leon or Jaden against the cyborgs. Their learning curve was a flatline as far as he was concerned.

"So how's things been here in our absence?" Leon asked.

"Overall much the same as when you left but improving," Rothchild replied. "Talon Company seems to be descending into factions and civil war. We've had three reports of their mercenaries fighting each other in different parts of the wasteland."

"Good and not before time," Leon grunted. The deaths of Burke and Littlehorn were having just the effect he'd hoped for. With their main bankrollers gone along with their leadership the Talons' ruthless and power hungry nature were now liabilities rather than assets. Add to that a hostile new government based in Rivet City with a powerful Brotherhood and several other up and coming mercenary outfits like Reilly's Rangers backing it, all of which were hostile to the Talons, and they had a very big problem.

"The Super Mutants are still our biggest threat," Rothchild went on. "We've prevented them increasing their numbers since your foray into Vault 87 but they've been mutating people for 2 centuries so they still have considerable forces and, try as we might, we've not been able to get a demolitions team inside Vault 87. They always encounter too much resistance. Whatever else those beasts might be they are very protective of their home. They've managed to lock down the secret way into Vault 87 through Lamplight lake cavern and the other entrance is now always heavily guarded."

"No kidding," Tristan grunted. "We keep trying to get in but those Overlords are tough and they keep beating us back."

Leon sighed. "I knew this was going to come up again sooner or later. Sounds like a job for me, not that I really want to return there."

Rothchild nodded in understanding. "No sane man would. However before you contemplate that there's another issue that's recently come up and it's...disturbing."

"How so?" Leon's interest had been piqued.

"We've heard reports of people vanishing across the wasteland..."

Dan and Yuna paled as they heard that. "Don't tell me it's the cyborgs again!" Dan managed to get out.

"Doubtful," Leon said. "I killed Alpha 4 years ago, there's no doubt about that. There's also no doubt Yuna nailed Delta and Iota plus I doubt any of the others could have survived a nuke going off in their faces."

"Not only that," Rothchild added. "It's mainly children that are going missing. What use would children be to cyborgs or anyone in combat?"

Leon had to agree. The cyborgs could transform kids now; he'd seen Epsilon do it in the Mojave with his nanites. But all that was to help build a new and more humanised cyborg society. Leon knew the likes of Alpha or Delta wouldn't even have considered something like this.

"How many have been taken and where from?" Leon eventually asked.

"A lot from all over the wasteland," Rothchild revealed grimly. "At first we thought little of it. As cold as it sounds people vanish across the wasteland all the time so one or two wasteland children vanishing wasn't thought out of the ordinary. But then settlement children began vanishing in just the same way."

"Anyone I know?" Leon asked.

"Maggie; one of your neighbours in Megaton I believe, several from Rivet City including Bryan Wilks, the boy you rescued from Grayditch and the list goes on," Tristan replied. "Several adults have gone as well from the same places but whether that's by design or accident I couldn't say."

"Sounds like we don't know much," Yuna broke in.

"Unfortunately true," Tristan admitted. "All we know for sure is that someone or something is taking them but we've no eyewitnesses, descriptions or anything to go on."

"Do we have anything at all?" Leon asked in an exasperated tone.

"Some...vague reports," Tristan seemed exasperated too but for different reasons. "Some parents were nearby when their kids were taken. They could hear their kids screaming for help but they never found them; when we asked them about it they said it was almost like the screams were coming from over their heads."

"The report from Rivet City is just as outlandish," Rothchild went on. "Some wild tales of lightning on the upper decks when it happened."

Leon's brow knotted in concern. "Lightning?"

"Yes and there was no storm at the time," Rothchild said. "But I believe the exact words were 'blue or green light coming from the sky'. Ridiculous!"

Leon didn't share that opinion. In fact those words had turned his blood to solid ice.

"Leon? What's wrong?" Jake had caught Leon's alarmed expression.

"Let's just say I've got a theory," Leon finally said. "If it becomes fact I'll tell you about it."

Leon sure as hell hoped he wasn't right but something told him he wasn't going to be that lucky...

Little Lamplight entrance

By now Sarah's team had given up searching the cave and had returned to the surface so they could send a clear transmission back to the Citadel.

"I've got some good news Amata!" Glade told them after she'd sent their report. "Guess who's just got back at the Citadel now?"

"Oh I've got a good guess!" Kayla smiled at Amata with raised eyebrows.

"Cut it out!" Amata squirmed uncomfortably although she was thrilled that Leon was back in the Capital Wasteland.

"All joking apart I'm glad he's back too," Sarah smiled. "We could really use his help finding out what the hell is going on around here. I know kids have been going missing lately but this takes the cake! Who the hell can kidnap a whole settlement of them without a shot being fired and leaving no trace behind? Even the cyborgs couldn't pull that off."

"I'll go and see if there are any trails," Amata's tone indicated she didn't expect to find any but she knew it was better than doing nothing. She walked past the entrance hut and out onto the road.

"Hey Vasquez, something wrong with your Tesla Cannon or something?" Kodiak suddenly asked.

"No, I haven't even armed it, what's wrong?" Knight Vasquez replied in confusion but then realised what Kodiak had been getting at. The air seemed to have a static charged feeling about it like a heavy thunderstorm had just been through.

"What's this?" Kayla didn't like the feel of the air; it felt like it was alive with electric energy.

"A-Amata?!" Sarah's eyes went wide as she saw that Amata had frozen up where she was standing. Not unusual in itself except for the fact that she also seemed to be glowing green! As if that wasn't enough she was now starting to float off the ground into the air.

"SARAH!" Amata was flailing about trying to get loose of whatever force held her but all to no avail as she floated away high into the sky.

The surprises weren't to end there. The source of the 'electric air' soon became apparent as the sky above seemed to ripple and then revealed the source of the tractor beam reeling in Amata: a large saucer shaped alien vessel...

Sarah, Kayla and the rest of the squad could only watch in horror as the ship sucked Amata inside and then sped away to the west.

The Citadel

"An alien ship?!" Scribe Jameson couldn't believe what she was hearing over the radio. If it had been anyone else but Sarah on the other end she'd have dismissed this as delusion outright. Even now she had doubts. "Sentinel, are you sure you're not imagining this?"

"I wish she were," Leon muttered as he entered the radio room with the others just in time to hear his suspicions become dead and dread certainty. "I'd hoped never to see these bastards again."

"Again?" Rothchild raised his eyebrows. "You know of these abductors?"

"Believe me when I say I wish I didn't," Leon spat. "But given they've taken Amata and god knows who else we don't have time for this. We need to get after them now! Does Sarah have Vertibird transport?"

"Yes. She took a large patrol out to the west," Jameson informed him.

"Then tell her to meet me north of Minefield where I was picked up," Leon asked. "Before anyone asks I've got a way to go after them, I just hope it's ready to go after what it's already been through on the west coast!"

Rothchild sighed. He was far from happy about being left out of the loop but given it was obvious Leon had a plan, he was totally in the dark and he wasn't going to get the time to get filled in. "Go Leon, you can brief me later. Assuming we get a later!"

"I'll bring them back, count on it. Come on!"

With that Leon, Dan, Jake and Yuna ran for the courtyard and an awaiting Vertibird.

Zeta ship

Amata had blacked out before she'd been sucked into the ship and now she was coming round. At first all she'd heard were some...odd sounds. It just sounded like gibberish but as she listened more she realised it wasn't mindless gabble but a very odd language. She opened her eyes and soon wished she hadn't. She was strapped down on some kind of operating table but what was standing over her, namely four white suited green skinned aliens, was the real horror.

As her mouth fell open in shock and alarm the nearest alien operated a control and brought a nasty looking probe down near the side of her head. Before she knew what was happening the probe's needle had punched into her neck sending a sharp stinging sensation through her and causing her to cry out in pain.

{...unit is online and operational.}

Amata shook off the pain just in time to 'hear' the alien's report in her head. They were still speaking the same gibberish but she could understand them now!

{So I can see from the primitive's reaction,} another of the four said in derision. {It does make them easier to manage...and it makes this process more entertaining!}

Another probe descended from the ceiling into Amata's stomach and suddenly Amata's innards felt like they were on fire. She had enough time to scream in agony before darkness claimed her again...