"War Never Changes"
With the Battle of the Citadel ended, Operation Knightfall came to a close. Brother had been turned against brother, and hundreds lay dead amid the rubble of the once proud fortress. Nevertheless, the fighting was over, and the Capital Wasteland was forever changed.
The Brotherhood of Steel (Sarah Lyons)
Following Operation Knightfall, the East Coast Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was left as little more than a shadow of its former self. The Citadel was left in ruins by the battle, and over half of the Brotherhood's personnel were lost in combat, or to desertion.
Sarah Lyons, infamous for her hotheaded aggression, was finally tempered by her experiences, and her new position as Elder. Although she did spend perhaps a little bit more time than she should have with Peter, she was always there to lead the Brotherhood when needed. She quickly proved herself to be a capable leader, and gradually earned the respect of the Scribes, Knights, and Paladins under her command.
Elder Lyons' work in reforming and rebuilding the Brotherhood would ultimately restore it as the leading power in the Capital Wasteland. Although most of the Wastelanders had fled from Elder Maxson's rule, the promise of clean water and safety swiftly brought them back. There was hope for the future, and no matter what new foes emerged, the reforged Brotherhood of Steel would be there to safeguard the Capital Wasteland and its people.
The Lyons' Pride (Paladin Tristain)
Once the spearhead of the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel, the Lyons' Pride fought with great courage and devotion against their brothers and sisters. By the end of the conflict however, they had paid a dear price for their success, and only Paladin Tristain remained to serve as one of Elder Lyons' most trusted confidants.
Many of the Wastelanders that had joined forces with them, such as Reilly, Sydney, and Harkness, would survive the conflict, but many more would fall in battle fighting against those they once called saviors. Most of those who survived became new members of the Brotherhood of Steel, but others did not, and returned to lives of relative peace.
Elder Arthur Maxson (Himself)
Elder Arthur Maxson, defiant to the end, was slain by his old mentor in the trial by combat. Twisted and corrupted by the ideals of the Brotherhood Outcasts and a hunger for power, he had ceased to be the child who had once held so much promise.
With his death, the remaining Brotherhood of Steel traditionalists fled the Capital Wasteland, hoping to find a Chapter that more closely conformed to their beliefs. Many were killed outright for their crimes against the innocent people of the Wasteland, of those who fled, some were consumed by the Wasteland, leaving the survivors broken and scattered.
The Tunnel Snakes (Butch Deloria)
Butch and the Tunnel Snakes, although weakened by their losses, became legendary throughout the wastes as one of the baddest gangs in the Wasteland, often accompanied by exaggerated tales of how they singlehandedly defeated an entire Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel.
Butch would eventually decide to lead the Tunnel Snakes further North, hoping to find a better place to rebuild his gang. They would eventually make their way to the ruins of New York City, becoming a major power in the region.
As recompense for their service as part of the Alliance, Peter ultimately allowed them to keep his former belongings, and wished his old friend well.
Mothership Zeta (Sally)
Although the entire crew of Mothership Zeta never set foot on the ground, they were all in one way or another seasoned by the battle. For the first time, they had definitively proven that they could manage the defense of Earth without the Lone Wanderer's assistance, an accomplishment that lifted their spirits substantially. Sally in particular felt especially proud, finally getting to temporarily take on the role of Captain. She was tempered, however, by the loss of Fawkes, somewhat diminishing her optimistic outlook on the world.
The Ashville Enclave (Colonel Augustus Autumn)
Colonel Autumn's Enclave Remnants felt content with their victory over the Brotherhood of Steel, and for finally getting a chance to score a victory in defense of the citizens of the United States.
They returned to Ashville as heroes, and although the people of the Capital Wasteland could never forgive them, they did, at the very least, hate them a little bit less. Ashville would continue to blossom as one of the Wasteland's most successful new settlements.
Although Colonel Autumn and Peter had once called one another enemies, the two leaders ultimately found peace with one another. They would remain in contact with Mothership Zeta, ready to be called to Earth's defense should the Zetans ever return.
Scribe Veronica Santangelo (Herself)
Although disturbed by the major loss of life that the Brotherhood of Steel's Civil War had brought about, Veronica was given a sense of resolution by its end. With the knowledge that at least one Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was willing to change, she rested far easier at night.
Her restored position as a Scribe was a largely symbolic gesture, as her duties at Big Mountain ensured she couldn't remain present, but Veronica still carried her head just a little bit higher all the same. Christine would frequently poke fun at her for this, but ultimately, they were both happy, and that's what really mattered.
Eventually, she would marry her longtime lover in a small ceremony with some of their closest friends, with Peter serving as the Chaplain.
Fawkes (Himself)
In Fawkes' last moments, he reflected on all that had led him up until his destiny, and concluded that, although he did not want to die, he did not regret the decisions he had made. His only true regret was that he had not met the Lone Wanderer sooner, and realized where it was that he truly belonged.
Fawkes' death came as a terrible shock to his friends, who would mourn him like the brother that he had been. Peter especially was heartbroken, and would never stop grieving for his closest friend, nor ever truly recover.
Vault 101 (Stanley Armstrong)
Following the defeat of Elder Maxon, Vault 101 was liberated, although most of the residents were no longer around to witness it. The few residents that did return were led by the newly-appointed Overseer Stanley Armstrong, who opened the Vault up to the Wasteland once more. Desperate for any kind of safety, many Wastelanders would end up as new residents of Vault 101, and it would eventually become a somewhat functional wasteland community.
Overseer Amata Almodovar remained missing, in spite of a concentrated effort from the Vault's residents to find her. Her eventual fate remained a mystery.
Peter, The Lone Wanderer, Captain of Mothership Zeta (Himself)
Peter was deeply distressed by the conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel, but emerged as a much stronger, if reluctant, leader. He was content with the knowledge that he had been able to save at least a part of the Brotherhood of Steel, as well as the new allies he had made.
He would never again leave Earth for long periods of time, partly because of his fear of what would happen in his absence, but more as a result of his new romantic relationship with Sarah Lyons. Although they were both very busy people, they were always able to make time for each other.
He would continue to mentor Sally into eventually taking over his role as the Captain of Mothership Zeta. With her experience and talents however, his work was largely already done for him.
Lucy, Courier Six, The Paladin-Ranger, Holder of the Golden Branch, Lord Death of Murder Mountain, Administrator of the Big Mountain Research Facility (Herself)
The Courier of many titles, now with yet another adventure under her belt and a few new friends, returned to Big Mountain with advanced technologies that would take the brains of the Think Tank decades to understand. With Christine having proven herself an able Administrator, Lucy would begin to go on adventures again, frequently alongside Veronica, Peter, Boone, Arcade Gannon, and a few other old companions.
Together they would tear wide trails of carnage throughout what was left of Caesar's Legion, liberating slaves and dispacthing their barbaric captors over the next couple of years, only furthering her legend as "The Courier," a title that never ceased to annoy her when so many better alternatives were avalible.
Closing Statements (The Narrator)
And so the war came to an end. Once the dead were buried and the ruins rebuilt, the Capital Wasteland let out a collective sigh of relief, hopeful for a peaceful future. But no matter how many battles were fought and won, blood continued to be shed in the Capital Wasteland…
Because war, war never changes.
Author's Notes: Thank you for reading my incredibly self-indulgent Fix-It Fic. It should probably come as no surprise that I've got my fair share of gripes about the direction that Fallout has gone, many of which are directly responsible for this story's existence.
I've accepted that the series I fell in love with simply won't be continued, and to be honest, I'm okay with that. Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, the classic games, that's all enough for me. For what it's worth, I do like Fallout 4 for what it is, but it doesn't really feel like what I think a Fallout game should be. The less said about 76, the better.
Also, Veronica and Christine deserved to be happy, and that's the real reason I wrote this.
It's been fun, I hope we get the chance to do it again.
-Kpmh2001