New Wars are Fought by Old Warriors

by NCRMC

When an unknown faction aids the Outcasts in destroying the Brotherhood of Steel, the Lone Wanderer and his team travel north in hopes of finding a military base rumored to be housing Pre-War soldiers. Will the Wanderer be able to get help before this enemy destroys the rest of the Capital Wasteland? This is a military Fanfiction. EDITING AND REVISING

22. New Beginnings, Progress, and Epilogue

Final Chapter Warning

Hello my awesome readers I am back! I'm also sad. Why? Because this is the final chapter to New Wars are Fought by Old Warriors. I just want to give a huge shout out to all of you who have reviewed, liked, and followed my story since it was first published on here. I want to give a big thanks to authors like FallenAngelAlexander, Oddliver, CyberJordan, eaglescorch, coastierks, J.S.F. Northern Command, and alanranks7 for being some of the greatest friends I have met on FanFiction.

I seriously owe it to all of you readers. Without you I'm pretty sure I would've given up this story. It's because of you guys that I bring you the epic conclusion to the story.

Paladin Bailey: As always my friend, you leave a great review and I hope this final chapter will be to your liking.

FakeDaVinci: I still believe you're a mind reader. Love the review.

J.S.F. Northern Command: Guess we'll have to wait til the sequel to find out.

coastierks: Hope you like the finale.

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Chapter 22: New Beginnings, Progress and Epilogue

4 Days Later. Recon Craft Theta Crater: June 16, 2279. 5:56 P.M.

Eric stood in the center of the crater with a cigarette in his mouth. With him was the commanding Generals along with Butch, Ryan, and Melissa. Everyone had absolutely no idea what was going on except for Butch and Eric. All they knew was that Eric told them they needed to come with him. The group got in couple trucks and drove for almost an hour to their destination. Arriving at a destroyed house, Eric had immediately lead them to a massive crater.

General Wells couldn't hold back the question that was on everyone else's minds. "Eric why are we here?" He asked the younger man.

Eric looked at the clock on his Pip-Boy. '45 seconds.' He thought to himself. Eric finished his cigarette and flicked the remainder to side before looking at the confused commanders. "You'll see." He said stepping a few feet to his left.

General Brookes raised an eyebrow. "All we see is a crater. Come on Eric, what is it?" She asked.

Eric sighed. "If I told you what it was you would think I have lost my sanity. It's better to show you than to tell you. Especially since you're going to see it in about…" He looked at his Pip-Boy. "…5, 4, 3, 2, 1." Eric looked up and everyone followed his gaze. Up in the sky everyone saw something falling down to Earth. The commanders, Ryan, and Melissa scattered to find cover in fear of being hit by the object. Butch and Eric remained where they were with amused grins on their faces. Within seconds it hit in the center of the crater where Eric was originally standing. Everyone peaked their heads out from where they were hiding and were looking at the object with confusion. Their confusion was immediately replaced with curiosity once they saw the object. It wasn't a meteor or a crashed satellite. It looked like a small capsule.

General Foster picked up his beret and put it back on his head before approaching Eric, not taking his eyes off the device. "What is that Eric?" He asked as the others approached.

"It's a homing beacon." Eric informed them.

General Wells looked to Eric. "A homing beacon for what?"

Eric looked at the veteran Army general. "You'll just have to see for yourself." He said activating the beacon. Immediately everyone felt like they were weightless as they began to hover above the ground for a few seconds. The next thing everyone saw was a blue flash of light before landing on a solid metal surface. Everyone felt slightly nauseas and dizzy. Ryan leaned against the closest wall to keep himself on his feet. General Webb groaned, feeling as if he was going to vomit at any moment.

"I think I'm going to puke." Melissa said with a hand to her stomach.

"Give it a minute for the nausea to go away." Eric told them as he and Butch walked down the hallway away from them.

Everyone looked around the strange room they found themselves in. This place was totally unfamiliar to them. Ryan followed after Eric with the others in tow. They saw him and Butch greeting a man in winter combat armor and a young girl.

"Elliot. It's good see you again man." He said shaking the medic's hand.

"Likewise, Eric." He said completely thankful that his friends had made it back in one piece. He turned to Butch and extended his hand. "Butch. Glad you're alright. I know Lucy will be happy to see you." He informed as the former Tunnel Snake shook his hand.

"Thanks Elliot. Where is she now?" Butch asked, not wanting to wait any longer to see his girlfriend.

"I'll go get her!" Sally said springing from her chair to go find Lucy, but not before giving each of her friends a hug. "I'm glad you guys are ok." She told them with a smile of relief as she took off to get the others. "Excuse me." She said as she ran past the commanders.

"Commanders, Ryan, Melissa." Everyone turned to Eric. "Let me introduce you to someone else that's from your time. Elliot Tercorien."

Elliot noticed the ranks on their uniforms and immediately snapped to attention to offer them a salute. "Generals, Admiral." He looked over to Melissa and Ryan. "Captain, Lieutenant." He said giving them the courtesy of addressing their ranks.

They all returned the salute before General Wells spoke. "At ease soldier." Elliot immediately dropped the salute and went to parade rest. (Parade rest is a position that soldiers go to when they speak to or are addressed by an officer or non-commissioned officer. At this position, the soldier's feet are shoulder width apart and their hands are crossed together at the small of their back.) General Wells suddenly had a look of confusion on his face and looked at Eric. "Wait a minute! You said he's from our time?" Eric simply nodded, though it was really hard to keep a grin from forming on his face. "Eric, where the hell are we?"

Eric looked to Elliot. "Open the sun shields." Elliot nodded and walked over to a control panel. When he activated a switch, everyone watched as the sun shields slowly opened up and revealed a site that nobody was expecting. Eric looked back to the American military members. "Welcome to Mothership Zeta everyone."

Their eyes had widened in shock and their jaws dropped as they took in the view before them. They were in such a state of disbelief that it took them a few seconds to remember how to breathe. It was truly a remarkable sight to behold. The sun barely peaking out from behind Earth, the planet itself, and the vast openness of space. Eric looked to the others and he recognized those expressions that were plastered on their faces. He knew exactly what they were feeling. It was the same look, the same feeling he had when he got a good look at everything outside of the alien ship. It was breathtaking.

After what seemed like an eternity General Foster was the first to speak. "Holy. Shit." The Shadow Elite commander spoke in disbelief, voicing everyone's thoughts.

General Wells was next to speak. "Eric," He looked to the younger man that had brought him here. "are we…" The General had a hard time trying to form the words for his question.

"On an alien ship?" Eric finished for him. General Wells simply nodded. "Yes General. You are on an alien ship."

Everyone heard it, but they just couldn't fathom it. It was impossible. It had to be. "This can't be real." Ryan said, still in a state of skepticism.

Eric turned his attention to the Shadow Elite Lieutenant. "It is real Ryan. It's as real as it can get."

Ryan sighed. "I'm just going to sit down. I need a moment to comprehend all of this." He said finding the closest available chair to take a seat in. This whole week had been filled with nothing but craziness. First, he and everyone else gets released from the freezer 100 years after they were originally supposed to. Then they go into an all-out war with an organization that are descendants of their Army. Not to mention during all the rescue and relief efforts all the mutations he's came across. Giant ants, scorpions, spiders…two headed cows. That really disturbed him to no end. Ryan tiredly rubbed at his eyes when he heard a nearby door open. He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw it. It was small, with green scaly skin, giant pitch-black eyes, and a red spacesuit.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" Ryan screamed as he rocketed out of his seat trying to draw his sidearm, but Butch grabbed ahold of his arm.

The others drew their weapons and aimed when Eric shouted at the top of his lungs. "NO DON'T SHOOT!" He ran in front of the frightened alien worker to prevent it from being shot. "They're friendly." Eric informed them.

Melissa lingered for a few seconds before holstering her sidearm while the others still had a tight grip on theirs. They were very leery towards the alien, mainly because they've never dealt with them and didn't know what their intentions were.

"Generals, Admiral. It's alright. They're only the ship workers." Elliot said, coming to the alien's defense.

The alien held a translator to his mouth. [It is true human. We mean you no harm. This warrior,] He said pointing at Eric. [liberated us from the Zetan Renegades. He is now our Captain.]

General Wells glanced between the alien and the U.S. Army Medic and after a few more seconds, put his sidearm back in holster. The rest of the commanders did the same. He looked over to Eric. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a very long story."

Eric let out a breath of relief. "I'll gladly explain everything later. Just know that what you're looking at right now, this ship, its resources. It can all be used at your disposal to help restart and rebuild the country."

When those words left Eric's mouth, General Wells looked around the ship. His eyes lit up at all that could be accomplished with this technology. He gave Eric a thankful smile. "You have no idea how much this will help us Eric."

"Just glad I'm able to help General." Eric said. "So, let's get started."

2 Months Later. Outskirts of the Capital Wasteland. August 23, 2279. 11:23 P.M.

Tired, fatigued, exhausted, weary, drained. Those words were not enough to describe how tired Eric was. He was drenched in sweat, covered in mud and his uniform was torn up. Small cuts were littered across his face, his body was aching with every movement, and he felt like his legs were about to give out on him. Yet Eric kept running. He had constantly been on the run with little to no sleep. He was using everything he could to his advantage to keep moving, stay hidden, and remain awake. He looked over his shoulders to see if anyone was behind him. Not seeing anyone trying to pursue him he found a nearby ditch to hide in. Panting heavily, he collapsed to his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Beads of sweat trickled down his face while he tried to regain what strength he had left. He was going off of an adrenaline rush, but it was only a matter of time before it went away.

Looking up at the night sky, the moon was at its brightest. "Fuck." He whispered to himself. Trying to remain hidden in the dark was going to be much more difficult.

"He went this way!" A voice shouted in the distance. The sounds of barking quickly followed. Eric grit his teeth as he poked his head out. Several men armed with assault rifles, some of them holding dogs back on their leashes. They were converging on his position, fast! He was debating on what to do. Stay and fight or continue to run and hide. He quickly looked back over the ditch and counted how many there were.

"13 plus 6 dogs. Not a chance." He said, still panting. The odds were against him so he took off as fast as he could away from the approaching gunmen. He was hoping that none of them noticed when he ran out of the ditch. Luck wasn't on his side this time.

"THERE HE IS!" One of them shouted and they all quickly chased after him, still keeping their dogs on the leashes. "STOP!" They were ordering him, but Eric refused. He wasn't going to stop until he had no fight left in him.

Eric looked over his shoulder to see how far they were away from him. Immediately he picked up the pace and ran as fast as he could. Three of them were less than five feet away and still catching up.

"Fuck!" Eric hissed as he kept running, trying to go faster, but the exhaustion had already taken its toll. He turned his attention back to the direction he ran in and slid to a sudden halt when he saw he was about to fall into a crater. "Oh shit!" He shouted before being tackled by the three gunmen into the crater. As soon as they reached the bottom, Eric quickly got to his feet and kicked one gunmen in the face. One of the gunmen put Eric in a headlock and tried to choke him out. Thinking quick, Eric slammed his head back into the man's face before ramming his elbow into his stomach. He spun around and delivered a mean right hook that knocked the gunmen off his feet. Eric turned to fight the third gunmen and was immediately met with the barrel of an M16 being aimed at him. He heard several assault rifles ride their bolts forward, signaling they all had a round in the chamber. Eric looked around the edge of the crater where dozens of gunmen had him surrounded. He looked down and saw the red laser dots that were roaming his torso.

Eric sighed in defeat. He was surrounded, outnumbered, and was without a weapon. He had no other option but to raise his hands above his head. He looked at the man that still had his M16 trained on him. "You got me Ryan. I surrender." Eric admitted in acceptance.

Ryan, pulling his face mask off, lowered his rifle and waved his hand to the others. "Target detained! All clear." He shouted. The other Shadow Knights lowered their weapons and proceeded down into the crater.

Eric helped the two Shadow Knights he had knocked down back onto their feet. One of them gave him a friendly pat on the back. The other congratulated him and told him good job. Eric was still beyond exhausted, he felt his knees suddenly give out when Ryan and another Shadow Knight caught him by the shoulders. The two gently helped him sit down.

A medic came up to check Eric for any injuries. Aside from the small cuts across his face, he had minor bruises and small blisters on his left foot. Eric had slight dehydration with his fatigue. The medic gave him small sips of water and wrapped his foot in bandages for his blisters. He then injected a stimpak in his arm for any pain that he had. Ryan and the medic helped Eric onto his good foot and they helped him up the hill out of the crater. The other Shadow Knights were congratulating him as they made it to top.

A Humvee stopped in front of them and General Foster got out of the passenger side. He looked at his watch before approaching Eric with a smile on his face. Eric gave the Shadow Knight General a small courtesy salute which Foster dismissed. "At ease Lieutenant. You look like you've gone through hell."

Eric chuckled a bit. "I feel like it sir." He said not feeling this tired since his training with the Brotherhood.

"Well I've got good news for you Eric. All of your efforts have paid off. You passed." General Foster said, his smile still firm on his face. Eric's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Every soldier that makes it to the final phase of their training must evade capture for 72 hours. You managed to evade capture for 5 days 14 hours," He looked back at his watch. "and 29 minutes." Eric's eyes almost bulged out of his head. He had been on the run for over five days?! "Out of every Shadow Knight that has made it through their training, you have the second longest time for evading enemy forces. Congrats Lieutenant." He extended his hand to the younger man. "You are officially a Shadow Knight."

Eric shook the man's hand in appreciation. "Thank you, sir."

General Foster looked to Ryan. "Take him back to base! He's earned some R&R."

"Yes sir." Ryan said as he and the medic helped him to the General's humvee.

When the truck drove off Eric slowly started to fall asleep. He was tired, but he was happy. A month ago, he had been approached by General Foster and was asked if he wanted to become a Shadow Knight. According to the General; Melissa, Ryan, and Carter put in a lot of good words for Eric and practically twisted his arm to allow him to become a Shadow Knight. He was already given the rank of Lieutenant and acting as General Wells' advisor. Now he was a member of America's most elite Special Forces group that was ever created.

The last thought that ran through his mind before he passed out from exhaustion was…now what?

4 Months later. Adams Air Force Base. December 23, 2279. 1:19 P.M.

"How's she coming along Phillips?" Eric asked standing inside the hangar as he looked over the damaged Huey.

Sergeant Marcus Phillips was Eric's vehicle expert/mechanic. 25 years old, tall with an athletic build, and short blonde hair with a shade of brown. Marcus was a chief mechanic for the Midwestern Brotherhood before deciding to do something more with his skills. His piloting skills surpassed those of veteran fighter pilots and his mechanical skills were better than most. Eric asked if Marcus wanted to become a member of Shadow Elite after he piloted a vertibird and took out over three dozen raiders that had pinned down a National Guard patrol. Marcus, seeing this as an opportunity to do more, accepted Eric's offer.

Phillips hopped off the top of the helicopter after fixing the engine. He grabbed a rag to wipe the grease off his hand. "Well, the rotor still needs some work, the engine needs a couple parts replaced and we need to patch the bullet holes on the belly. Other than that, she's still operational. If I can get the parts I need and the holes patched, she'll be good to take to the skies by dinner."

Eric nodded and looked to his pilot. "You did a good job Phillips. You got to us just in the nick of time."

The operation they were on earlier was supposed to be a quick in and out. Liberate a town under the rule of a tyrannical madman, but they didn't expect an overwhelming force of raiders to be working for him. Over 100 raiders against 6 Shadow Knights. Phillips flew in to evacuate them out, but then decided to put his skills to the true test and used his chopper's miniguns and rocket pods to decimate the wasteland marauders. After losing all of his henchman, the leader surrendered the town over to the American Military.

"Before I forget…" Eric pulled a bottle of scotch out of his bag and handed it to Phillips. "Merry Christmas and I got approval to give the squad a week off. Once you've finished up here, have fun back in D.C. brother!"

"'Preciate it LT." Marcus said leaning against the helicopter. Suddenly without warning the side door of the chopper fell to the ground. Marcus, staring at the door, growled internally and looked to the bottle of Scotch. "This is definitely going to be empty before tomorrow."

Eric chuckled and gave his pilot an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Hang in there man." He said leaving the pilot to his work. When Eric left the hanger, he threw on his winter overcoat and beanie. This year's nuclear winter was looking much more worse than the last one. The snow wasn't bad, but there was a blizzard coming in from the north and the temperatures were reaching as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Eric hitched a ride back to D.C. The drive there wasn't long and it was much better than the trams.

Eric hopped off the truck when he reached his destination. The remains of the Super-Duper Mart had been torn down and cleared to build a new compound for Shadow Elite. The building was built to be the same size as the pre-war grocery store but was also two stories tall. There was a chain-link fence that surrounded the compound with military police officers patrolling and the parking lot had been freshly paved. The south side of the compound had a small building that was constructed to house a platoon for QRF (Quick Reaction Force) with humvees lined up outside.

Eric approached the MP standing guard to the compound entrance and handed him his ID. The MP looked it over before handing it back. "You're good to go Lieutenant." He said saluting Eric.

Eric returned the salute and proceeded inside the compound. It was quiet which indicated most of the units had already started their holiday leave. Eric walked inside the main entrance, the first floor on the left side of the room was the common area where most of the Shadow Knights played pool and watched working TVs with holotape players. The oppostite side of the room lead to the cafeteria. The med bay was also located at the far side of the room. The stairs were to the left of him that led upstairs to the barracks. There were hallways that lead to separate rooms that housed two Shadow Knights a room. The engineers also constructed a basement where the shower room and armory were located. Eric made his way over to the med bay to see his squad medic and to check on Carter.

As he was about to enter the med bay, Carter had walked out. He took a round in the shoulder during their botched op today. Carter had also been transferred to Eric's squad as his radio operator after Ryan's recent promotion to Captain.

"How's the shoulder doing?" Eric asked.

"Sore, but I'll live." Carter shrugged.

Eric took a bottle of whiskey out of his bag and handed it over to Carter. "In that case, this is a celebration and a Christmas present. Merry Christmas man. Did you pass the word along to the rest of the squad? I already told Phillips."

Carter nodded. "Yeah everyone's tracking man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get fucked up and sleep. Thanks for the whisky Eric." He said leaving for his barracks. Eric smiled and stepped in the med bay to find just the man he was looking for.

Specialist Ignacio Marin. 26, normal build, slightly shorter than Eric, Hispanic, short raven hair, and always wore reading glasses. Ignacio was Eric's most recent addition to the squad. Eric was also the only one that was willing to accept him to the team. It wasn't because Ignacio was disobedient or bad at his job. Quite the contrary, he was one of the best medics and most obedient member of his team. No, the other lieutenants distrusted Ignacio because he is a former Legionnaire. Everyone in the U.S. Military was well informed about Caesar's Legion thanks to the Midwestern Brotherhood. They knew what their intentions were and what they did to people that didn't agree to their way of life. That made them enemies. The Midwest and Texas has been planning on going to war with them for a long time.

When Eric found out about Ignacio's past he approached him. He asked the former Legionnaire why he should let him be on his team. Why he should give him a chance at being a Shadow Knight. Ignacio gave Eric the most honest opinion in response.

"I'm surprised you'd actually consider me to be in your team. To answer your question…I don't know. You know where I came from and what I was a part of. In all honesty I can't believe you haven't shot me for being a former Legionnaire. When I was still with them, all I did was tend to wounded. I never dealt with slaves, I only killed those that were threatening the injured, and I just lived in my own world. That all changed when they brought back prisoners from the Battle at Hoover Damn. The Centurion in charge of us put a gun in my hand and told me to execute an NCR Ranger that was captured. I refused. I told him that I would not take his life. I found it unnecessary to do so and I was willing to die for it. Instead of killing me, they took the most important thing in my life. My daughter. They crucified her for my disobedience. After that…after that I refused to be a part of it anymore."

When his daughter was slayed at the hands of the Centurion, Ignacio swore that he would burn in hell before living another day as a Legion soldier. He packed up and travelled east that night, out of Legion territory. Eventually he made his way to the Capital Wasteland hoping to start a new life away from all the nightmares he was a part of.

Ignacio told Eric that he wanted to do some good for all the wrong that he had pledged allegiance to. To make up for the death of his daughter. Eric was still a little hesitant, but in the end was willing to give the medic a chance.

"How are you doing Marin?" Eric asked getting the Medic's attention.

Ignacio finished cleaning his part of the aid station before turning to his commanding officer. "I'm doing alright. Just finishing up here before taking off."

"Any plans for holiday leave?" Eric asked folding his arms.

Ignacio shook his head. "Nothing ecstatic to be honest. Just going to sit back, relax, probably read. I still have a collection of books that I haven't even started on yet."

Eric pulled a somewhat tattered book out of his bag and tossed it to the medic who caught it with one hand. Ignacio looked at the cover. "The Great Gatsby?"

Eric shrugged. "I know you don't drink and you like to read so…merry Christmas." He smiled.

Ignacio smiled. "Thanks LT."

Eric nodded and left the room only to bump into the tallest man on his team. "Oof! Oh, there you are Spreng."

Private First-Class Richard Spreng. 25 years old. Standing at six feet five inches tall, skinny with a muscular build, brown hair with a high fade haircut. Spreng was the squad's sniper. His weapon of choice was a suppressed M110 sniper rifle. Spreng was the always positive and happy-go-lucky member of the team. No matter what, he always kept a positive attitude and never let the negatives of life get the better of him. Spreng was a former Talon Company mercenary. It was a job he only held for one day. He was assigned to a fireteam to wipe out a small settlement to the northwest long before Eric left Vault 101. When Spreng found out what his mission was he killed the other three mercs before fleeing the Capital Wasteland with his wife and son.

After the liberation of the Capital Wasteland, he returned wanting to start a new life for his family. Scavenging wasn't much of an option since the region was being rebuilt so he decided to join the U.S. Military. During his training, Eric was overseeing the marksmanship ranges and noted that Spreng was the best shot out of everyone else. Wanting to see how good his skills were, Eric placed a bottle cap on a wooden plank 300 yards away and had Spreng shoot it using only iron sights. Spreng hit the bottle cap on his first shot, earning him his position in Eric's squad.

"Sorry Lieutenant. Didn't see you there." Spreng said looking down at his shorter commanding officer.

Eric waved him off. "It's all good man. How's the family?"

"They're doing good sir. Wife's looking forward to spending the week with just me and the kiddo. I know I am." Spreng said ready to enjoy his holiday leave.

"Speaking of," Eric pulled a bottle of whiskey with a paper taped around it and a baseball out of his bag. "Whiskey is for you, that note is a recipe for a nice brahmin steak and the baseball is for your son. Merry Christmas and enjoy your week off."

"Thanks Lieutenant." Spreng said appreciatively.

"One more thing. Have you seen Williams or Reynolds?" Eric asked.

"Yeah they're down in the armory. Use caution though. They're tinkering with explosives." Spreng warned.

Eric groaned. "That's never good." He said taking off downstairs to the armory. He made his way past a few guys until he was in the explosives area. He saw his scout and demo expert tinkering with what looked like rockets and…nuka-cola quantum? That was unnerving to say the least. "What the hell are you guys doing?"

Williams just raised his hands up in defense. "I'm just making sure he doesn't blow himself up…along with the rest of the building."

Reynolds looked up from the explosives with a feigned look of hurt. "Oh, gee thanks! O ye of little faith."

Sergeant Jake Reynolds, 26 years old, slightly dark skinned, very muscular build, average height with a neatly trimmed mustache. (Imagine a younger looking Danny Glover) Jake was the team Demolition Expert. His weapon of choice was an M16 with an M203 grenade launcher. Jake was the most interesting member in the squad. He was a Ranger in the NCR, fought in the Battle for Hoover Dam and was one of the most gifted explosives experts that Eric had ever seen. Reynolds left the NCR after they beat back the Legion at the dam. He had lost so many friends that day and though they achieved victory, the NCR was still at war and still losing troops. All because the leadership had a lack of oversight and they no longer had any real strategies. Not wanting to be part of a nation that has gotten so many soldiers killed over little progress he packed his bags and deserted the army.

What made him the most interesting was while during his travels east he stumbled across a still standing whiskey distillery. Unbeknownst to him there were high radiation levels in the building and a lot of the whiskey was irradiated. He took a few bottles with him before continuing his trek east. Stopping at a town to stay for the night, he was still suffering from advanced radiation sickness and had gotten drunk off the bottles of whiskey he took. The irradiated contents, coupled with his radiation sickness caused a weird mutation within him. It was weird, because whenever he didn't have alcohol in his system he became violently ill. Which led to why he was always drinking…including on the job.

Though Reynolds was always intoxicated, it never shown, especially when he was working. He always performed his duties in a professional military manner. His discipline from being an NCR Ranger was still with him. The only time he didn't act professional was whenever he was around Marin. Since both of them were enemies at one point, there was still hostilities which Spreng and Williams would intervene in before things got out of hand.

With him was Specialist Tanner Williams. 26 years old, average height with muscles that almost rivaled Reynolds. His weapon of choice was an M14 with a night vision scope. Williams was a reconnaissance operator for the Texas Brotherhood for seven years before being medically discharged. He engaged in a small firefight with a Legion patrol that wandered behind the Texas lines and caught a .308 to the left kneecap. Williams now has a permanent limp, but is still to this day, one of the best recon operators that Eric has even seen in action. He reminded Eric of Gallows.

"I'm going to ask one more time. What the hell are you doing?" Eric said, his patience running thin because of Reynolds toying with missiles.

Reynold put the screwdriver down and pulled his flask out, taking a swig of whiskey to calm his shaking hand. He turned to Eric. "Well sir, since you showed me your designs for the nuka-grenade, I thought I would improvise. Instead of nuka grenades, how about nuka missiles?" He said with a massive grin on his face. He picked up one of the completed missiles. "Missile launchers now have the same effect as mini nukes. Better range, better projectile," Reynolds chuckled. "bigger boom!"

Eric slowly shook his head in disbelief. "You are certifiably insane. I hope you realize that Reynold's."

Reynold's snapped his finger and pointed at Eric as he took another drink before putting the flask away. "Probably, but these things will come in handy. Trust me."

"You gotta admit LT that no one knows explosives like he does." Williams said.

Reynolds scoffed and narrowed his eyes at Williams. "Say's the man who thinks I can't be trusted with them."

"Yeeeah." Eric pulled out two bottles of whiskey and handed them to his two Shadow Knights. "Merry Christmas. I'm out before you blow the building apart. See you guys in a week." He said as he hastily retreated from the room.

Eric left the compound right as the snow started to pick up. He threw on his coat and decided to jog back to his house in Springvale to stay warm. As he ran he thought about what he was going to do for his holiday leave. Truth be told he had no idea what to do. It was just him and Dogmeat and Dogmeat wasn't a huge fan of the cold.

Eric sighed. "This is going to be a slow boring week off." He muttered to himself as he got closer to home.

Eric's house had been rebuilt with bricks instead of wood and had carpet floors. The living room was to the right once when you walked in. It had a couch, working TV and holotape player, and a working heater. Down the hall to the right was the kitchen with a fridge and stove. The cellar door was removed and resized so stairs could be built on the left side of the room. Upstairs, his bedroom was over the living room, and bathroom over the kitchen. The house wasn't as crowded since Eric had Wadsworth move in with Butch to help a pregnant Lucy.

Entering his home, Eric set his bag by the door, fed Dogmeat and dropped down on his couch with a relaxed sigh. His heater had been left on so the room was nice and warm. Today had been a long and busy day and exhaustion was starting to kick in. Eric closed his eyes hoping a quick nap would help.

'Knock' 'Knock' 'Knock'

Eric's eyes shot open. "So much for that." He grumbled as he got up to answer the door. "Coming!" Eric opened the door and was surprised to see who it was. "Melissa?" Melissa had been gone for a week to oversee security at a settlement they liberated to the south. The U.S. Military was pushing into Virginia to eradicate any existing super mutant threats.

Melissa was shivering and rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. She smiled at Eric. "Hey. You going to let me in or am I going to keep freezing my ass off?"

"Oh sorry, come in." Eric stepped to the side to allow Melissa inside. "When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago," She made her way into the living room, setting down on the couch close to the heater. "I just got done briefing General Foster." Melissa looked to Eric. "How have you been?"

Eric sat down next to her. "I've been alright. Our op got botched today, but Phillips pulled through for us. Another town has our full support."

Melissa nodded. "That's good. Any plans for your holiday leave?"

Eric just shrugged. "Honestly I'm at a loss for what to do."

Melissa smiled and patted his shoulder. "Yeah I figured that would be the case. So, what I'm going to do is run to Megaton and pick up some stuff. When I get back you can help me cook a nice dinner. Sound like a good start?" She asked.

Eric was thrown off by the offer but was grateful for it. "Sounds like a good start." He said with a growing smile.

Later that night

Eric had to give Melissa credit. The woman could make a killer brahmin stew. He had just finished setting the dishes in the sink before settling himself back down on the couch.

"Thank you. I haven't had a meal that good in a long time." Eric said putting a hand on his full stomach.

"You're welcome Eric." She said stretching her arms out.

Melissa had been there for him since Amata's death. She was the one that swore him into Shadow Elite on the day of his graduation. Most importantly, she was there to help keep him occupied when he was bored to death. She truly was an amazing woman and Eric couldn't have asked for a better friend.

Eric's train of thought derailed at that moment. She was his friend yes, but Eric couldn't help but feel more attracted to her. She was a tough, no bullshit woman who never backed down from a fight and had a caring personality that rivaled his. He took a quick glance at her to take in how beautiful she was. Her smile was so captivating and her shining blue eyes were enthralling. It was at that very moment Eric realized that he had fallen in love with Melissa Broadhead. If he was being honest with himself, Eric had fallen for Melissa a long time ago, but never admitted it to himself until now. Eric looked away and fought back a small blush that formed on his face. Despite being a battle-hardened soldier, Eric always managed to get flustered when it came to women.

Melissa snapped her fingers in front Eric's face when she noticed that he looked to be deep in thought. Eric turned to Melissa. "What you thinking about?" She asked him.

Eric shook his head. "Nothing."

"It must not be nothing if its got you so distracted." Melissa stated matter-of-factly.

"Seriously its nothing." Eric denied as the blush started to return in full effect.

This didn't go unnoticed by Melissa. "Oh my god are you blushing Eric?" She gasped. "You like someone don't you!" Instantaneously Eric's face became as red as a tomato. "You do! Alright spill! Who is it?" She demanded sounding like a teenage girl.

Eric shook his head faster. "Nobody! It's nobody!" He said praying she wouldn't prod him any further. There was no such luck.

"You can't lie Eric! It's written all over your face. Come on Eric just tell me!" Eric pursed his lips, signaling that he wasn't going to say anything. Melissa just nodded and crossed her arms together. "Alright. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me."

Eric gave her an amused smile. "Then you're going to be here for a while."

"Oh no no no! You'll tell me before the night's over." Eric's lips remained sealed. Melissa gave an exasperated sigh. "Come on Eric. Give me something, throw me a bone!"

"You can grab one of Dogmeat's if you'd like." Eric chuckled and Melissa slugged his arm in response. "Alright," Eric slowly nodded. "alright." He turned to face Melissa fully, though his eyes were looking down. Melissa eagerly waited for Eric to start talking. Finally, he found the courage to say what he needed to say. "She's someone that I think would be difficult to tell how I feel."

"Is she someone that plays hard to get?"

"More like hard to forget." Melissa smiled at that. "No, she's a very beautiful woman, she's kind hearted, but she's also someone that doesn't take shit from anyone. She's an experienced fighter and without a doubt one of the best soldiers I have ever met." Eric's heart was racing as he looked at Melissa. Her eyebrows had shot up in surprise. She was already getting a clear indication as to who he was talking about. Eric discarded all his fears at that moment and decided to just say it. "She's also a really good friend of mine. This woman has been there for me when I was at my lowest point. She helped me through all my struggles so that I would come out stronger in the end. I couldn't imagine my life without her." Melissa was completely at a loss for words. Was he really...?" "It's you Melissa."

Melissa was tearing up. She had to replay everything in her head to make sure she didn't misinterpret anything he said. She hadn't. Eric had fallen in love with her. Melissa was excited and timid at the same time. Excited, because Melissa couldn't deny that she also had strong feelings for him, but she was also timid because a huge part of her felt that Eric could do better than her. Beads of sweat started to form on Eric's forehead as Melissa's silence started to worry him. He was beginning to wonder if he should've just kept his mouth shut.

Melissa licked her dry lips and choked back a lump in her throat. "You don't want me Eric."

Eric frowned. "Yes, I do Melissa." He told her.

"No." Melissa stood up from the couch and started to pace back and forth before focusing on Eric. "You don't want me Eric. I'm not this amazing girl that you think I am. I'm…so fucked up. I've got so many scars that I carry around. I'm not someone you want Eric. You want someone that isn't broken and damaged like me. You deserve better than that."

Eric stood up. "Melissa. You're not the only who has a lot of scars to live with. So be honest and tell me what the real reason is!" Melissa just turned her head so she wasn't looking into his eyes. "You feel the same way about me…don't you." It was more of an observation than a question. He took a step closer to her. "Melissa look at me." When she didn't he took another step forward. "Melissa." Eric took one more step so he was standing in front of her. He reached up to gently cup her cheek with his hand. Finally, she turned to look at him with watery eyes. Realization dawned on him. "You're afraid."

The tears began to spill down her face. "I've already lost someone that I loved more anything. I don't want to go through that all over again if something happened to you."

Eric caressed his thumb against her cheek to wipe away her tears. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

"You don't know that!" Melissa protested.

Eric nodded. "You're right I don't, but someone once told me to never pass up a chance at a good thing. I refuse to pass up the chance of being yours."

"Eric…" Melissa's words got caught in her throat.

"I want you to tell me right here right now. Do you feel the same way about me?" Eric asked her.

Melissa swallowed hard and nodded in his hand. "Yes."

"I'm yours Melissa, but only if you want me to be." Eric told her.

Neither of them hadn't realized until now close their lips were. They were just a few inches apart. Melissa leaned in closer until her forehead was against Eric's. She closed her eyes and whispered. "I'm yours Eric."

With that declaration, they both leaned in and sealed their love with a passionate kiss. Eric wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her close. Melissa responded by wrapping her arms around his neck. They both had suffered severe loss and hardships that had torn them down. Now both of them had each other and they couldn't be any happier. After what felt like an eternity, they broke the kiss for air. Melissa's eyes fluttered open and she let a soft smile grace her face. Fresh tears had fallen from her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy.

Eric wiped away her tears. "I love you Melissa."

Melissa's smile grew brighter. "I love you too Eric." She said as she kissed him again, this time with fiery passion. The two of them spent their week of R&R getting lost in each other.

2 Months later. Shadow Elite Compound. February 19, 2280. 8:51 P.M.
24 Hours after the failed Minnesota Operation

Eric stood at attention in General Foster's office as the Shadow Knight Commander himself was reviewing footage that was taken from a failed search and rescue operation. Eric had been busted up pretty badly. He had gauze wrapped around the left side of his face and his right wrist had a cast on it.

During a council meeting in Chicago between the U.S. and Joint Brotherhood a settlement in northern Minnesota had gone dark. The settlement was in Midwestern Brotherhood territory and had suffered radio blackouts from the harsh winters before, but after sending a patrol to investigate they didn't report back. Eric and Melissa had volunteered to take a team to link up with the settlement as well as find the missing patrol. Eric's squad was still in D.C. so General Foster had assigned him his personal detachment. The Shadow Knights and a squad of Brotherhood scouts had made it to the settlement…none of them were prepared with what they were up against. By the end of the operation, Eric and Melissa had been evacuated with one survivor from the settlement, but the losses were grievous. The Brotherhood team and the Shadow Knights assigned to Eric had been killed. The settlement was nothing but a ghost town now, its inhabitants claimed by the harsh nuclear winter, buried in the snow out there.

When the footage ended General Foster turned to Eric with a grim look on his face. "You're absolutely sure that there aren't any survivors?"

"Yes sir. I'm sure." Eric said wishing he wasn't.

Foster nodded and rubbed a hand against his tired eyes. "The guys that were assigned to you. Are they confirmed?"

Eric looked down and nodded. "All seven of them are K.I.A."

The Shadow Knight Commander felt ten years older. "Is that sector of the region secure?" Foster asked, running a hand through his hair.

"…Negative sir." Eric responded. "The sector is still a danger to anyone that enters. We don't know how many more there are."

General Foster looked to Eric. "What do you suggest we do?"

"The only thing we can do is keep it locked down. Make sure no one goes anywhere near it ever again." Eric stated seriously.

That answer didn't bode well with the General. "Lieutenant you do understand that General Monroe won't go for that. He's lost an entire town, plus a lot of troops. Sitting back and doing nothing but sealing off part of Minnesota isn't something they're willing to do."

Eric shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah well they don't have a choice, unless they're willing to send more guys to the graves."

"Don't you think you're being irrational Eric?" General Foster asked leaning back in his chair.

Eric's face instantly turned red with anger and he pointed at the terminal screen. "That right there. What you just saw wasn't even a glimpse of the hell we went through out there. Over 300 people, plus the Brotherhood garrison there, plus our guys and two Brotherhood patrols are dead, because of that!" He half shouted jabbing a finger towards the screen for emphasis. He leaned down against Foster's desk. "With all due respect General, don't you ever fucking tell me I'm being irrational! I have never been more rational in my goddamn life until now!" He growled. Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath to reel in his temper before it got the better of him. "If General Monroe sends anymore troops to that region, none of them will come back."

Tensions were high in the room. General Foster was glaring daggers at Eric for his snide remark, however, he couldn't blame Eric. His Lieutenant had gone into a situation with no intel, no back up, and had lost all of his men by the end of it. Eric had every right to be angry, because what he went through…Foster looked back at the screen and shuddered. He couldn't even begin to imagine what him and Captain Broadhead went through.

General Foster's expression softened. "I'll send this to General Wells and let him know he needs to make sure General Monroe listens to your advice." He got up from his chair and walked around the desk. "Are you alright Eric?" Eric opened his mouth, but Foster spoke before he could. "Don't address me as your superior, I'm your friend at the moment." He told him.

Eric was clenching and unclenching his fist. "I don't know Mike. I don't even know how or why I'm alive right now." He sighed. "We lost everyone out there."

Mike was silent. He could see the look of anguish in Eric's eyes. He reached out and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Take some time off, you and Melissa. Get your heads cleared. Captain Smith will take command of your guys until you get back."

Eric nodded and turned to leave the room. The ride back to his house was quiet. When he arrived Reynolds and Phillips were outside smoking a cigarette. They discarded them when Eric approached.

"Are you alright LT?" Phillips asked trying to hide his concern.

Eric just nodded and walked inside with the others following after. The rest of his squad was inside waiting for him. All of them had looks of worry on their faces. "Where's Melissa?"

"She's upstairs sir. Captain Smith and Butch are with her." Ignacio answered.

"Ok…go home guys. I'll be alright." Eric told his squad.

"You sure sir?" Spreng asked. Eric looked like he had been through the ringer.

"Yeah." Eric nodded. "Go ahead guys. Don't worry about us." He said trying to ease their concerns.

"What about AJ?" Reynolds asked pointing to the survivor sitting on Eric's couch.

"He can stay with me for the night." Eric said. "Now go on guys."

The others were hesitant, but reluctantly filed out of the house. Each one of them let Eric know they were there if he needed them. Eric walked into the living room and sat down next to the only survivor from the Minnesota settlement. "How are you holding up AJ?"

The man looked up at Eric. Pain embedded in his unfocused blue eyes. His short, brown, hair was disheveled on the top of his head. Though he bore no scars on his body his mind was in a lot of pain. His clothes were still stained with mud and spatters of dried blood. Around his neck was a simple silver locket. Eric never once saw what was inside but he never saw it leave his possession.

"I've dealt with worse." His voice scratched out of his throat as a faint smile formed on his face. The pain never left his eyes. Eric put his hand on his shoulder. AJ looked down. "I don't know what to do."

Eric sighed. "I know you've been through a lot AJ. You're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need. You know when the winter season is over there are plenty of opportunities to start farming again."

"I would, however, the soil really isn't what corn wants." AJ replied.

Eric snorted at AJ's sarcastic remark. No doubt he was trying to mask the pain he was going through. "There are other things you can do out here…anything that comes to mind?"

AJ pondered his question for a few minutes. "Well you guys seem to have a good way of doing things with your squad." He said looking at Eric. "Any slots open?"

Eric's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You sure? The training is difficult man."

"Have you ever dealt with a raging bear? I mean I haven't, but I know with that training I could." AJ said with a sarcastic smirk.

Eric chuckled at that. He nodded. "Ok…ok. I'll see what I can do." Eric pat the man's shoulder. "Get some rest man. There's blankets in the closet."

Eric left to head upstairs to check on Melissa. He walked into the bedroom and saw Butch leaning against the wall while Ryan sat next to his sister with an arm wrapped around her shoulder. Eric could tell she had been crying. Her cheeks were red and puffy.

Butch walked over to Eric. "What the hell happened out there man?" He asked in a whispered tone.

Eric just shook his head. "I'll tell you tomorrow bro. Just go home and be with Lucy. Don't worry about us." Butch opened his mouth to protest. "Please Butch. I don't have it in me tonight."

Not wanting to beat a dead horse Butch nodded and left to be home with his wife. Ryan kissed his sister on the forehead and got up to talk to Eric. "I don't know what happened and I'm not going to ask. Just…let me know if you need anything. I'll stop by in the morning to check on you guys."

Eric nodded as Ryan left the house. He turned over to Melissa and she was looking herself over. Her hands hand some minor cuts and were covered in blood. Specks of mud and blood of other people were all over her face and uniform. She looked to Eric with watery eyes.

He walked over to his girlfriend and gently pulled her to her feet. "Let's get cleaned up and try and get some sleep." Melissa nodded.

They both stripped out their uniforms and spent a long time washing themselves off in the tub. The warm water was a blessing in disguise, removing all the blood and muck, and it helped calm their frayed nerves. They stayed in the tub until the water ran cold. Drying each other off, the two of them changed into comfy clothes and slid under the covers of the bed, but not before Eric turned on his pip-boy light and played a holotape on loop to give the room some ambience. Eric and Melissa had their arms wrapped around each other to give that sense of security they were both desperately needing right now.

Everything that they had gone through these past few days had taken its toll both physically and emotionally. Neither one of them understood how or why they survived when so many others had died. Eric pulled Melissa closer and closed his eyes, praying that a quiet night of sleep would overcome them.

8 Months later. Unmarked Settlement, Ohio. October 29, 2280. 5:41 P.M.

There were no words that could even begin to describe this anarchic and lawless town. It looked like the post-apocalyptic version of Dodge City. The buildings were run down, a lot of windows were broken, there was trash in the streets, and the stench of death was always present in the air. A lot of the people who lived here were afraid to leave their homes in fear of being gunned down or snatched by the thugs who "protected" the town. Unsuspecting travelers always met an unfortunate fate when they wandered into the settlement. The thugs would make them pay a fee if they wanted in. Anyone that refused would be publicly executed.

There were over two hundred thugs that controlled the town. On top of that, there were automated turrets set up all over. Almost every building rooftop had a guard looking over the town. The leader of these ruthless bandits, who had dubbed himself the town mayor, was a fat and disgusting man who ordered his men to bring him a woman everyday to fulfill his "needs." If this man had any belief that the townsfolk had committed a crime against him, they'd be ripped from their homes and disemboweled publicly.

Today was the day he would be removed from power.

At the entrance of the town, three guys were standing there to "welcome" anyone that entered. Four figures wearing wasteland clothing with large overcoats were making their way towards the entrance. They wore hoods and face wraps to conceal their appearance.

One of the men stopped the group. "Hold up! What's your business strangers?"

The leader of the group stepped forward and spoke in a raspy voice. "We're just wandering travelers. Looking for a place to lay low for the night. We're not looking for any trouble."

Another one of the guards was looking the travelers over before turning to the leader. "Yeah we'll see about that. Most people that come here always cause trouble."

The first guard nodded. "That's right. Anyone that wants in the town has to pay an admission fee. 100 caps," He looked to each traveler. "per person. We also need to check your bags"

The group leader nodded. "That's reasonable." He unslung his bag, digging around, he pulled out four bags off caps. He handed the heaviest one as well as one small one to the guard leader and the other two to the other guards. "1,000 caps for admittance, plus a show of good faith that we aren't here to cause trouble. Another hundred caps for each of you to let us go without a bag check."

Each of the guards looked at the money in the bags. The guard leader smiled in approval. "I don't think we have to worry about them causing problems." He looked to the travelers. "Go on in!"

The travelers nodded and walked into the town. Looking for the local hotel, they came across another traveler in similar clothing. "Lion's." The group leader said.

"Pride." Replied the other traveler.

The travelers immediately went to a more discreet place to not attract any unwanted attention. "What have you got for me Toshi?" Eric asked removing his hood.

Specialist Toshiro Sonda, he preferred being called Toshi, was the squad tech expert. 27 years old, bald, tanned skin. He went from wandering the wasteland, finding new technology to tinker with to a Shadow Knight. He's more skilled than any brotherhood scribe in the entire order. This was a man who outsmarted anyone when it came to technology and energy weapons.

"These guys have killed multiple travelers and traders in the past three days. At least a dozen settlers have been killed for "committing crimes" and the self-proclaimed mayor has ordered his guards to kill anyone that is caught outside after 1800. (6 P.M. Military Time) So within the next…" Toshi looked at his watch… "10 minutes, they'll start gunning people down. I've spread the word to all civilians to stay indoors so they won't get caught in the crossfire. I know where the automated turret control room is. I can hack their systems and turn their defenses against them. Fat fuck himself is sitting on his throne in the mayor's office, several guards are getting wasted at the bar and several more are in the barracks."

"Ok." Eric turned to the rest of the group. "Williams take up shop in the hotel, Carter, take up overwatch of the town square, Reynolds, find yourself a place that gives you a good view of the mayor's office. I'll be waiting in the bar. Move!" He ordered his squad.

Everyone moved into position to launch their raid against the town thugs. Eric made his way to the bar and saw a lot of the thugs were getting piss drunk. The only one that was innocent was the bartender, who looked like she'd rather be dead than in this hellhole. 'Perfect opportunity.'

Eric made his way over to the bartender. Leaning forward, he asked in a whisper. "Do you have a place you can hide?"

The bartender raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Do you have a place to hide?" He asked the woman again.

The woman was clearly thrown off by the question. "Um yeah…there's a cellar in the back room. Why?"

"Go hide…now!" Eric told the woman sternly. The woman immediately left for the back room. Everyone else in the room was so drunk they didn't notice Eric pull a walkie talkie out of his coat. "Everyone in position?"

"Roger. Set up in the turret control room." Toshio said.

"I'm in the hotel LT." Williams answered up.

"I have eyes on the town center." Carter replied.

"The mayor's office is in my sites." Reynolds said while taking a drink from his flask.

"Spreng, AJ what's your status?"

Up on a ridge that overlooked the town, Spreng had his sights set on the guards at the town entrance. He flicked his safety off and grabbed his radio. "Set up and ready sir."

On the opposite side of town, AJ, now a Private First Class and support gunner, and their newest edition to the team was set up on the roof of a burned-out building outside the settlement. He had his M249 SAW aimed at the guard barracks. He turned to his spotter. "Ready?"

Private Amanda Myers. The only female in Eric's squad. She was the designated marksman of the group and AJ's assistant gunner. Her weapon was a scoped SR-25 with a suppressor. Amanda was short, slim, had long brown hair wrapped in a bun, and a scar that covered the left side of her face. It was a clear indication she had suffered severe burns.

Amanda put her binoculars away and aimed down the sights of her rifle. "Ready."

AJ grabbed his radio. "This is AJ, Myers and I are ready."

Back in the bar Eric walked over to the entrance and looked outside at one of the turrets on the building. "Alright Toshi. Do it." He ordered.

Inside the turret control room, two thugs were lying dead in a pool of blood with their throats slit. Toshi finished hacking the terminal and input the command sequence to change the turrets IFF sensors. The turrets immediately locked on to all of the thugs outside and opened fire. Instantly, several guards were cut down by volleys of machine gun fire. The remaining thugs that hadn't been killed by the turrets scattered for cover and started taking them out.

Inside the bar, Eric threw his wasteland coat off revealing him in his uniform and tactical vest. He had swapped out his M16 with a fully automatic M4. The drunken thugs were scrambling to get their weapons, none of them realizing that Eric had primed a frag and tossed it at their feet. The Shadow Knight Lieutenant vacated the building and took cover outside as the explosive went off, killing most of the thugs, blowing off some of their limbs along with the bar door. Eric drew his sidearm and walked inside. There were a few survivors who were moaning in agony, some of them holding the bloody stumps that used to be their legs. Eric took pity on these men and put a 9mm round in each one of their skulls. Holstering the sidearm, Eric quickly ran up stairs to the second floor, killing one thug in the process. Making his way to a window that overlooked the streets and gave him a good view of the rooftops, Eric aimed down his rifle. He moved his switch from full to semi-automatic and fired at a sniper on the roof of the building adjacent to him. The round pierced the thug in the neck, making him drop dead before he hit the ground.

On the ridge, Spreng aimed down the scope of his rifle and fired at the first thug guarding the entrance. The round penetrated his skull and killed him instantly. He fired at the second guard and the round impacted his right eye, his brains ejecting out othe back of his head. The third guard tried to run, but Spreng fired a round that took out his kneecap. The sniper wasn't done. He aimed down his scope and fired as the thug tried to drag himself away, finishing him off. Spreng immediately turned to the snipers on the building rooftops.

AJ was firing bursts of rounds from his SAW into a group of thugs that were running out of a building not too far from his position. The bullets had torn apart their flesh and armor alike. He focused his fire back on the barracks next to the mayor's office, keeping the raiders inside pinned down. Myers was taking potshots at the snipers and any thug that was in view behind building windows. One sniper ditched his rifle for a missile launcher and aimed it at AJ and Myers. The missile soared across the sky and flew over the two Shadow Knights, forcing AJ to take cover, but Myers remained steady as she took aim and fired. The round hit the missile that the raider was reloading into the launcher, blowing him apart to dust. AJ poked his head up to catch a glimpse of the aftermath before manning his gun and firing on the raiders that poured out of the barracks.

From the third floor of the hotel, Williams was firing at three raiders who had set up a machine gun nest. The machine gunners spotted him and opened up a barrage of lead that pelted his position, making Williams dive behind a couch. On the ground the gunners were in the middle of reloading when a 40mm grenade slammed into their position, killing all three of them. Reynold's, from his building, reloaded another 40mm grenade into his launcher and fired at a lone raider who was running. The explosive hit him in the back, blowing him apart and leaving nothing left of him. Reynold's opened fire on full auto with his M16 at a group of raiders behind a burned-out car.

Carter was loading a fresh mag into his AK when he heard someone on the radio. He grabbed his hand mic. "Last calling station say again last!"

"Insurgent this Spearhead One Five, we are inbound with Ranger Task Force Echo. ETA is five mikes. What's your status, over?" Phillips voice came over the radio.

Several raiders fired upon Carter's position to keep him bogged down while several more filed out into the streets. "Goddamn!" The radio operator shouted. "Spearhead One Five be advised we're taking heavy resistance from enemy forces."

"Roger that Insurgent. Can you hold them off?" Phillips asked.

Carter aimed his rifle over the windowsill and blind fired at full auto. "Yeah as long as they don't bring out a tank." He replied.

Over at the burned-out building, AJ and Myers were finishing off the remaining snipers when they heard a loud monstrous rumble coming down the street to the left of them. Both of them looked over and saw an old, but operational M60 Patton tank making its way towards the town. Following behind were two pickup trucks with light machine guns and several raider reinforcements.

AJ's eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh, come the fuck on!" He grabbed his radio. "This is AJ, we have a problem."

"What is it?" Eric asked.

"They've got a tank." AJ replied. The tank came to a halt and the tube rotated until it was aiming at their building. Panic surged through both of them. "OH SHIT! GET UP!" AJ shot up, grabbing Myers by the collar of her jacket and pulled her to her feet. They grabbed their weapons and tried to make a run for the ladder on the opposite side of the building as the tank fired. The shell impacted where the two Shadow Knights were set up, blowing apart that side of the structure and sending them flying over the edge. Myers hit the ground with a hard thud while AJ fell into a dumpster, the lid closing on top of him.

Myers groaned in pain as she pushed herself out of the dirt. Unable to locate her rifle, she drew her 10mm pistol. She limped her way over to the dumpster and helped AJ lift the lid open. AJ had a nasty gash along the right side of his face.

"Are you alright AJ?" She asked concernedly.

AJ nodded as he grabbed his SAW from the dumpster. "If I wanted to go airborne I would've taken the course." He muttered angrily.

Reynold's took off in a dead sprint from his position with a missile launcher over his shoulder. Dodging through hails of bullets, he maneuvered his way through the settlement before sliding to his knees. He aimed the missile launcher at the tank and fired. Reynolds watched with anticipation as the missile flew past two raiders into the center of the tank. The outcome was exactly what he was hoping for, because the missile he had fired was his custom nuka missile. The resulting explosion had the equivalent of a mini nuke, completely destroying the tank and vaporizing all the raiders in the blast radius.

Reynold's smiled in satisfaction before one of the two trucks pulled up around the tank. His smile faltered. "Oh shit." He dropped the missile launcher and took off before the truck fired at him. Diving behind a sandbag barrier, Reynolds loaded his last grenade into the launcher attached to his rifle. He quickly aimed and let the grenade fly. Unfortunately for him, the grenade fell short and hit the ground ten feet away from the technical. The machine gunner opened fire on the demo expert, forcing him to duck down. The second technical pulled up and slowly pushed forward down the street, moving closer to Reynold's.

The gunner racked the handle back to load a round into the chamber when a bullet flew into his throat. Blood started spurting from his wound and he fell off the side of the truck. He grabbed ahold of the injury in an act of desperation to stop the flow of blood. A second round went through the windshield of the truck and hit the driver between the eyes. He slumped forward while the truck continued to move.

Over at the hotel Williams reloaded his M14 and fired at one raider that tried to hop on the machine gun of the still mobile truck. The round hit him in the left temple, effectively killing him.

On the roof of a building behind the still fully manned technical, Toshi aimed his gauss rifle at the ammo crate in the bed of the truck. The energy projectile hit its mark and caused an explosion that blew the truck apart, killing its occupants as well as a few raiders that were taking cover next to hit. One raider looked up and saw Toshi as he was loading a new microfusion cell into his energy rifle. He took aim and fired one round that scored a hit in Toshi's stomach.

Toshi fell to the ground and grunted in extreme discomfort. Thankfully, his vest had managed to take the brunt of the bullet. "Sonuvabitch!" He shouted before pulling a plasma grenade out of a pouch on his vest. Toshi pulled the pin, "One, two, fuck you!" and lobbed it over the edge of the building. It exploded as it hit the ground, turning everyone in the immediate area into a pile of goo.

More and more raiders started piling into the streets and were keeping the American attackers pinned down. Spreng was doing his best to force the raiders behind cover but was beginning to run low on ammo.

"Ranger Task Force Echo rolling on scene now!" Phillips announced over the radio.

At the town entrance, four humvees with .50 caliber machine guns stormed down the roads, running over a few raiders that were in their way. The gunners opened a volley of tracer fire that engulfed the streets while the passengers exited the vehicles. Phillips had installed some modifications on his humvee, namely the two miniguns on each side of the hood. His miniguns tore apart whole teams of raiders that were firing on the U.S. reinforcements. Marin hopped out of the last humvee and stayed behind it for cover, keeping his rifle ready. Captain Thompson was the one leading the task force. One of his men was Butch Deloria, who was now a Staff Sergeant for the Rangers.

"First squad push forward! Marching fire!" He ordered as he fired his marksman carbine at a raider that tried to run for cover. The other Rangers all pressed their attack and moved forward with the humvees while firing at any raiders that came into their crosshairs.

With the arrival of the Rangers, the raiders were being mowed down without mercy. More than 90% of their forces had been killed while what remained had thrown down their weapons and stepped out onto the streets with their hands in the air.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Captain Thompson ordered his men. The Rangers stopped firing, but kept their weapons trained on the raiders. "ALL OF YOU LINE UP AND GET ON YOUR KNEES WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD! DO IT NOW!" The Ranger Captain ordered the raiders which they all fearfully complied.

Eric left the bar and made his way over to the Rangers. "Thought I heard a little noise out here." He said with a smile, quickly saluting Captain Thompson. "Glad you guys could make it sir."

"Glad we got here in time." Captain Thompson replied. All of Eric's squad had rejoined him from their positions. "Let's finish this Lieutenant."

"Yes sir! Lion's Pride let's move! We have a mayor to oust." Eric ordered his squad.

The Shadow Knights along with Butch's squad made their way to the mayor's office. Entering the building, they came across two scared civilians that they quickly led outside. The Rangers and Shadow Knights began clearing the rooms one by one, killing any opposition that got in their way. Upon arrival to the mayor's office, several bullets flew through the door, forcing them to remain by the doorway. One round hit a Ranger in the leg and another ricocheted off Williams' helmet, knocking him out. AJ dragged Williams out of the line of fire while Butch pulled his wounded Ranger away. Marin went to work with treating the Ranger's injuries.

"IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, YOU'LL STAY BACK!" A man shouted from inside the office.

Eric pulled a small mirror out of his pocket and moved it towards one of the holes in the door. Adjusting the angle, he could see three men in the office. Two of them were raiders with assault rifles aimed at the door and the third was the mayor, who had a woman with a knife against her throat. "I hate to break it to you Mr. mayor, but you're finished. Your army is dead, the building is surrounded, and you've got no where to run. So just put your weapons down and surrender." In response to Eric's demands, more bullets flew through the door, making him recoil back. Eric pursed his lips and nodded. "Ok. You wanna play those games. I'll play." He pulled out his radio. "Tell me you've got a shot Spreng."

On the roof of a building across the street, Spreng had loaded an armored piercing round into the chamber of his rifle and aimed it at the window of the mayor's office. "Got his two lackies LT."

"Take them." Ordered Eric.

Spreng fired and the glass from the window exploded along with both the heads of the raiders. Eric and Butch kicked the door in and they aimed their weapons at the mayor. True to what Toshi said, he was a fat disgusting excuse of a man.

"Let her go!" Butch ordered the leader.

The mayor pressed the knife against the woman's throat a lot harder, making her whimper in pain. "I'm not doing anything until you let me leave!"

"Let her go and we'll let you live." Eric told the man.

"You're lying." The man growled.

"If you kill her, you will die, if you don't I promise you we'll let you go free." Butch said.

The man weighed his options for a few seconds. Looking out the window, he saw his men were lined up and being held prisoner. They had him surrounded. He looked back to Eric. "What assurances can you give me that you'll keep your word?"

Eric and Butch exchanged looks before putting their weapons on the ground. The man let out a deep breath before relinquishing his hold and shoving the woman towards them. Butch grabbed the woman to prevent her from falling and she cried into his shoulder.

"Alright, now I'm walki-" The mayor was cut off as a bullet went through his head, sending his brains flying.

Eric lowered his pistol and sighed in relief. He looked to Butch. "Another town liberated."

Butch nodded. "Time to mop up and go celebrate."

Shadow Elite Compound: November 29, 2281. 1:18 P.M.

Eric was sitting in General Foster's office twirling a gold coin in his hand. "Impressive. So, this was one of the steps to start a new country?" He asked as he handed the gold coin back to Foster. They had received the gold coins from Fort Knox.

General Foster nodded. "Yep," he put the coin back in a crate. "Before the bombs fell, the U.S. Government had taken all of its gold reserves and melted them down to coins as a new form of currency. General Wells hopes to start shipping out the currency to the local stores amongst the populace. It'll take a while before people can fully switch from bottle caps to coins. We know people have been used to bottle caps as their currency for a long time, so we'll still allow them for purchases and trade. It'll be nice to have a backup currency, other than trade."

Eric nodded. "It's another huge step in restarting the country Mike. Now, I'm sure you didn't call me here just to talk about new currency plans."

"You're right. I just got finished with a meeting amongst the rest of the brass. The United Alliance is ready to begin our campaign against the Legion." General Foster informed Eric.

The Lieutenant's eyebrows shot up. "When?"

"When the Legion launches its attack against the NCR to try and take Hoover Damn and New Vegas. While Caesar has most of his army focused on the Mojave, the United Alliance will send its armored units into Legion territory. Majority of Shadow Elite and Delta force will launch sabotage and search and destroy missions within the Legion to help pave the way for our main force."

"Where do you want me?" Eric asked.

Foster leaned forward in his seat. "I need Lion's Pride to be an advanced party in New Vegas. You'll scout out the region, keep your heads down. Offer any help if you can, but," The Shadow Elite commander raised his index finger up. "stick. To. The shadows."

"Understood." Eric noticed that Mike had something else on his mind. "Something else isn't there?"

"Yeah. There's two things. First, when we've beaten back the Legion, Shadow Elite will move in to finish off Lost Hills for their crimes against the people of D.C." Eric nodded and allowed Mike to continue. "Second, the Alliance is hoping to open up to the NCR."

Eric immediately didn't like that plan. "They can't be serious."

"They are. The Brotherhood is willing to overlook their grudge with the NCR. They understand that the future is more important than the past they had with each other."

"That may be, however, the NCR isn't. The NCR doesn't care if the Brotherhood is willing to lay down their weapons for total peace. They'll still have them shot because they don't want any loose ends in the way. Plus, the NCR isn't willing to give up their government and everything they've built in exchange for something else." Eric stated logically.

Mike nodded in understanding. "I've brought that up with the others, but they're somewhat confident that the NCR is willing to be reasonable. Should they refuse this alliance, then oh well. We'll be giving them a chance to be a part of something greater, to help better the nation. If they refuse then we will accept their answer. We won't force them to join, we won't have anything to do with each other. We'll let them live their lives the way they want."

"I still don't like it Mike. From everything Reynolds told me, they claim to be a democracy, yet their leadership is corrupt, they're greedy, and they take whatever they want." Eric told Mike.

General Foster shrugged. "It's not our business to get involved in their affairs Eric. You also forget that all governments have their own corruption. Look at how ours was before the bombs fell. Right now, our focus is our nation and its goals. If the NCR tries to get in our way then we'll have a problem with them. Until then, the NCR is a potential ally."

Eric sighed and nodded. "Alright. When do we head out for New Vegas?"

"Tonight Eric." Mike informed the younger man. "Gather your squad. You'll be flying out with Captain Thompson and his men."

"What will the Rangers be doing out there?" Eric asked with a frown.

Mike leaned back in his seat. "It's time our troops were reunited with their families. There's a compound close to Area 51 where our families were sent to be placed in cryo stasis. They've been their long enough. We're bringing them home."

Eric smiled. The U.S. Military had been freed from their ice boxes for two years now. They deserved to have their families back a long time ago.

He stood up from his seat. "Alright. I'll get ready. Quick question though. Who's going to be my commanding officer on this?"

General Foster just smiled.

Adams Air Force Base. November 29, 2281. 9:00 P.M.

Eric and his squad were sitting in a C-130 as it took off down the runway. Sitting next to him was Melissa, who had been assigned as his commanding officer for the New Vegas Op. Their objective was to parachute into the Mojave Desert, about twelve miles north. Butch was sitting on the opposite side of him already fast asleep. Ever since Butch left the vault with him, he had been proud of his friend. He went from a cocky wanna-be tough guy to a well-trained soldier, loving husband to Lucy, and amazing father to his daughter. They had named her Amata, in memory of their lost friend and loved one. Eric had Lucy watch over Dogmeat while he was away. He was sad he couldn't bring his K-9 friend with him but was glad Melissa was here.

The woman in question reached over and intertwined her fingers with Eric's. He looked over and they smiled at each other. No matter how tough things may get, he was glad that she was always there with him. With Melissa, Butch, Ryan, and his squad at his side, the future was always brighter.

Narrator's Sequence

And so ends the tale of how the Lone Wanderer managed to beat back another threat against not only the Capital Wasteland, but the rest of post-apocalyptic America. The downfall of Drake Marshes and Lost Hills helped bring about the start of a new nation. A new beginning for all. The U.S. Military's rise from the ashes would carry peace across many lands.

After the destruction of Lyons' Brotherhood, many wastelanders paid tribute to the fallen order. The people were saddened at the loss of their wasteland protectors, especially those who gave their lives to save them during the Capital Siege. To commemorate the Brotherhood Chapter for making the ultimate sacrifice, General Wells had his men tear down the Anchorage War Memorial in order to build a new one. The statue that now stood revealed three soldiers in power armor with their weapons raised. Behind the soldiers was a wastelander who was kneeling down in fear. A symbol that the Brotherhood stood in defense of the innocent. The base of the statue had the holotags of every member of Lyons' Brotherhood with an engraving above it. It read 'Ad Victorium'. To Victory.

The reconstruction of Megaton, Rivet City and many other settlements had been a great start for the U.S. Military's rebuilding of a nation. At first people were skeptical of the new coming faction, but eventually welcomed them with open arms after all the help they had provided. Eventually the rebuilding of D.C. and it's outlining cities and towns would be complete, allowing more people to live there and the U.S. to expand its borders.

The remnants of Vault 101 appointed Susie Mack as their new leader and they moved to the city of Bethesda to begin their lives again.

Harkness remained the chief of Rivet City Security. The old aircraft carrier/city was reopened and ready to do business with anyone that needed a place to stay or supplies for the road.

Lucas Simms, with the help of the MPs, were able to train wastelanders to become deputies for the newly created Capital Police. These men and women would help uphold law and order across the Capital Wasteland so the U.S. Military could focus on much more important matters, such as raiders and mutants.

With the help of the Midwestern and Texas Brotherhood the United Alliance had been formed. The U.S. Military was able to secure Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to open supply lines between the three factions. Indiana and Ohio, though had Alliance troops in their regions, was still an ongoing fight to regain. With raider factions still strong in the larger cities, it would take some time before they would be liberated.

The U.S. Military set up a small base next to Washingtonville to keep its settlers safe. Alan Maverick was grateful that he was able to help Eric resurrect the military that he had once proudly served for years. With the help of his troops, the military was able to secure more parts of New York as well as Pennsylvania.

In order to bring a more stable infrastructure to the wasteland, Delta Force and Shadow Elite spent a lot of time securing power plants, hydroelectric plants, and other locations of importance. The technology from Mothership Zeta was also a big help in restoring the soil and agriculture across the barren landscapes that had plagued the wasteland for centuries. Farmers were able to plant crops and bring a steady food supply to the region.

Though it was hard for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces to come to terms with the destruction of their country, their sense of purpose was renewed when they were given a chance at starting over afresh. The losses that they had suffered in the aftermath of the Capital Siege, fueled their drive to restore peace and order.

Paladin McGraw had made a full recovery from his injuries and was given a prosthetic leg to help him maneuver again. Though his days of combat were over, he became a Drill Sergeant to help train new recruits that wanted to become soldiers to help the wasteland. The loss of the Brotherhood and his comrades was difficult for him to accept, but eventually he let go of the past and continued to honor their memories by driving on.

Butch and Lucy were living a happy life together. Though Butch became busier after joining the Rangers, he always made time to be there for his wife and daughter. It was something his father had failed to do for him and his mother and he promised himself that he would never follow his footsteps. Even though Eric still believes Butch became a better man on his own, it didn't stop the former Tunnel Snake from giving him thanks.

As for the Lone Wanderer, he continued to help Shadow Elite bring peace across the Northwest. Now with Melissa and his friends at his side, they were ready to take the next step in bringing light through the darkness of war.

Because war…War never changes.

Epilogue. Legion Outpost: January 5, 2282. 11:37 P.M.

It was a very dark night tonight. A Legion scout was standing on a guard tower overlooking the East in case the Brotherhood sent a patrol in their area. The Legionnaire reached down for a bottle of water when an arrow soared into his throat. He gasped for air before falling to the ground. Another Legionnaire at a tower farther away suffered the same fate.

A Veteran Legionary was patrolling the outskirts of the post when his throat was suddenly slit open. It was hard to see, but a shimmering silhouette was prowling through the camp, silently killing all Legionnaires that were in its path. A Decanus was leaving the main building when he stopped dead in his tracks, a sharp pain coursing through his stomach. He looked down and saw a knife imbedded in his gut. He looked up just in time to see a man in black camo and black face paint. The man removed the knife and jammed it into the Decanus's throat before he could scream for help.

Across the outpost, Legion soldiers were dropping like flies. The Centurion in charge was sound asleep in his room. He had no idea what was transpiring outside of his base. There was a knock on the door, forcing him awake.

The Centurion got out of bed. "This had better be important!" He growled as he opened the door. "What is-" He stopped midsentence when he saw the barrel of a silenced pistol aiming at him. The gun fired and the only thing that made a sound was the Centurion's lifeless body hitting the floor with the shell casing.

Several Shadow Knights charged into the room and began searching for any important documents or reports they could use against the Legion. One Shadow Knight found the Centurion's slave wife locked in a closet. He helped disarm her bomb collar and got her out of the building. Lieutenant Reed, commander of Ghost Squad, made his way over to the Legion Radio.

"Anyone listening? This is Legion Outpost Rome! We're under attack! We need help!" Lieutenant Reed said in a tone of fear.

"Understood Rome, what's your status?"

Lieutenant Ghost smiled while removing the silencer from his pistol. 'Hook, line, and sinker.' He gave himself a panicked voice as he spoke next. "No! NO! STAY AWAY!" He fired a couple shots into the radio to cut the frequency. He looked over to his men. "Explosives set?"

"The outpost is a powder keg waiting to blow." One replied.

"Let's move!"

The Shadow Knights all evacuated the base and waited in the tree line that was further away. After about 30 minutes, a whole company of Legion reinforcements arrived. Lieutenant Reed waited until they were all in the outpost before detonating the explosives. The entire Legion outpost along with the Legionnaires were blasted apart, leaving nothing but destroyed buildings and body parts in its wake.

Similar events were happening across the Legion border to other outposts and radio stations. When the smoke had cleared, the Shadow Knights disappeared into the darkness. Not long after, thousands of power armored troops, tanks, and gun trucks were pouring into Colorado and New Mexico.

The war against the Legion had begun.

---

Alright guys...Fuck I'm going to cry! It's still hard for me to believe that the story, after five long years, has officially come to an end. I love all you guys for motivating me to keep going, to keep writing this story. Thank you all so much for making this a wonderful experience. You all are amazing. Again thank you all! :,)

Please do me a favor guys and just leave one final review for the story. It would mean so much to me if you let me know how I did, what you liked most about the story, or if there's something you didn't like then by all means hit me with that constructive criticism one last time. Just fire away and let me know anything at all.

Eric's journey isn't over yet though folks. There's still the bright lights of Vegas off in the distance.

This is NCRMC signing off for now!