"We thought that with the Enclave gone, we could finally settle back to our lives. Sure a few of us expected to fend off some raiders at our outposts, but that was it. It's one thing to fight an disorganized enemy on your border outposts, but the last thing NCR was prepared for was an insurgency by the Brotherhood in our own backyard." – General Francis Durken, 16th Mechanized Division

First Strike

Shady Sands, NCR Capital, 7:30am the next day

President Joanna Tibbett scanned the various reports that had come through the region following the annexation announcement of the Hub. Several reports came from the border towns of increased Brotherhood activity, sightings of platoons of armored soldiers moving into their bunkers and bypassing NCR authority. Joanna rubbed her aching eyes as she took it all in. Tandi was never fully trustful of the Brotherhood of Steel, but nonetheless maintained a relationship of mutual respect. It seems the new High Elder in Lost Hills had a very different opinion from his predecessor. Several weeks ago, High Elder Maxson had cut off most diplomatic channels with Shady Sands while sending a delegation to the Capital, delivering a very stern warning for the NCR to cease its unchecked expansion, calling it 'imperialistic behavior that is a threat to other powers in the wasteland.' They would not allow the status quo to be destabilized, the envoy had said, just before they packed up and left before Joanna could offer any response.

What did they expect me to do? Even as president, I can't order our populations to stop growing. If we don't expand, we'll simply use up with precious little resources we have and starve.

General Polin of the Eastern Army Group also submitted his report, of increased Brotherhood military by the border outposts over the next few months. Joanna knew it would have to come to a confrontation sometime, but with the Hub annexation, her hands were tied, NCR forces were stretched thin enough as it is. Once the business with the Hub was settled, she vowed to finally confront Elder Maxson over his list of demands, the NCR and Brotherhood have no reason to be enemies, especially since they both fought and died against a common foe just recently. Ultimately, a diplomatic compromise had to be negotiated.

Shuffling through the paperwork again, she took the time to review the application for annexation by the recent communities of Baja, where already more NCR battalions were moving in to occupy. Though Baja was a desolate area, there were still two small communities there. A report from Dr. Hildern also suggested that cultivating crops in the area could help with the impending food crises that come with overexpansion. The few people inhabiting the region too, didn't seem to have the will to resist joining the NCR, quite the contrary, they were sending delegates to meet her.

The flurry of news, both good and bad were enough to keep anyone's mind occupied, weighing heavily on Joanna's thoughts. Once again, she looked out the window of her office towards the Vault Dweller's statue, wondering again how President Tandi managed to do this job for fifty years.

"Madame President?" The door opened, revealing another NCR soldier in sunglasses, this one wearing advanced green combat armor, the helmet barely covering the red hair that flowed behind her. "Bear Force One is prepped and ready to go." Chief Elise, leader of the NCR Rangers, saluted professionally, living up to her reputation as a no-nonsense soldier.

Joanna had to roll her eyes at that one, it was one of President Tandi's idea, to have a presidential aircraft like the republic had in the old days. With all the world's large commercial scale aircraft blown to dust or grounded, she settled for a captured Enclave Vertibird, painted with the colors of the Bear of the New California Republic of course. Still, despite how ridiculous it was, she admitted it was convenient to travel through the air on the way to the Hub ceremonies.

"Thanks Elise, tell the guards I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Yes Ma'am." Chief Elise saluted, silently wondering just how much longer the president was going to occupy her rangers on this bodyguard duty.

The Power Plant of Shady Sands was not like any installation seen in the wastes, having been recently reactivated from a salvaged pre-war facility that the NCR had finally managed to get running after decades of work and repair. For one thing, it was huge, consisting of four linked buildings, which provided free power to the majority of the core region power stations. Being one of the few fusion plants in existence, the NCR took great pains to keep it intact, providing each of the four plants with a security detail of 160 personnel. While guard units on land ensured 1.2-kilometre "protective bubble" around the facility, outside the city. Similar to pre-war counter terrorist measures, the structures themselves were designed to be strong enough to withstand the impact of a large commercial aircraft - an engineering feat that required nearly a million cubic meters of concrete.

Knight Captain Aiden watched all this quietly through his binoculars., having separated his shadow squad into several groups. A large portion making their way to the hall of congress and executive offices and rendezvousing with the downtown chapter. The task before him however, was just as important, even with only two platoons with operatives.

Around the power station, several outposts and fortifications in varying states of repair were manned by NCR soldiers, both conscripts and volunteers. Each one armed with a standard service issue rifles and carbines. He was half surprised to see 'scratch' battalions posted to the city as well, NCR's Ghoul regiments, having spotted several troopers with their half rotting faces in the distance. Ghouls or not, Aiden was slightly impressed by the layout of the fortifications, the clear lines of fire and fallback positions into the station itself.

He admitted, security was tight, and the set up may have worked two hundred years ago if not for the invention of stealth boys and He Guai stealth suits.

"Knight Synder, report." Aiden tapped the comm. Link inside his power armored helmet.

"Fifth and sixth squads are at the perimeter. I've assigned the rest to head to Elder Hail's downtown chapter."

Good. Aiden thought, that left them perhaps twenty knights and initiates to assault the power station. Against four hundred unprepared NCR troopers who had no idea what was coming. He grinned, they had no chance.

"In the name of Maxson, begin the operation. I want the 45ds to proceed with the attack."

"Your will, Knight Captain." Synder replied.

Most of the night and early morning were spent issuing orders to 5th battalion and cleaning up the wreckage that was the Maltese Falcon. Five NCR troopers had tied in the assault, with several more wounded, but on the other side of the ledger, were at least thirty dead mercenaries and criminals. Colonel Ellis watched quietly as he surveyed the wreckage of the bar, bodies lay sprawled in the corner, tarps covering the grisly remains, while dried blood, broken glass, and splintered wood and plaster littered the floor.

Westin would be happy, he reckoned. The Hub underground wouldn't be conducting anything in the future, that was for sure. The icing on the cake was the body of Kane that his first recon men had brought to him, gunned down in the room to room fighting that had dragged on in the evening. By dawn, the NCR troopers found themselves discovering a warehouse's worth of stolen weapons and supplies. Most disturbing to Ellis however, were the large quantities of laser rifles and plasma weaponry that were within the crates.

"Think Westin will want to know about this." Ellis muttered under his breath. Anything that shot lasers or plasma had one of two things in common. Brotherhood or Enclave, he doubted the latter, since they had been effectively removed from the wastelands as a viable faction, and there would be no reason why the Brotherhood would willingly give away such large caches of pre-war tech.

Then who?

This disturbed Ellis greatly, and he made a mental note to report this to Westin and General Polin in the debrief.

At the other end of the room, he spied the members of first recon casually lighting cigarettes, all of them wearing the red beret that made the elite unit stand out. Next to him was an NCR ranger in patrol armor.

He had known the reputation of the rangers for some time. They began as a secret society within the NCR, a paramilitary force that swore to bring an end to slavery and tyranny throughout the wastelands. That part didn't surprise him, there are many in the Wastelands who hated slavery, having felt it's bitter touch in one way or another. Perhaps a loved one was taken away by the slavers or they themselves were once slaves who later escaped the savage lash and forced labor camps. Either way, these people form a ready pool of recruits for the Rangers who operate in secret across the Wastelands, though mainly in the western areas. In recent years, It became less of a secret that the Rangers had strong ties with New California Republic. Some even said that the late President Tandi's regular addresses to the NCR Assembly on the evils of slavery and how it must be stamped out were perhaps the beginnings of the military integration of the Rangers in the NCR. Though they still maintained an independent streak in the army chain of command, he respected these people who were audacious enough to raid slaver camps, attack slaver parties and wreck whole guilds.

"Ranger Hanlon." Colonel Ellis extended his hand to the soldier in greeting.

"Ah," Ranger Hanlon, taking out the lit cigarette in his mouth and throwing it on the ground, saluted, then took Ellis' hand. "Yes, and you must be Colonel Ellis, a pleasure to meet the commander of the Fighting 5th. Heard you did good work at Navarro."

"The feeling's mutual Ranger." Ellis' said respectfully.

"You boys did quite a number on them last night, especially the first recon." Hanlon noted, admiring the handy work and accomplishments from the previous raid.

"They were unprepared mercenaries at best Hanlon, nothing worth noting." Ellis said rather impatiently.

Hanlon seemed to sense the tension in the air, "Wondering who put these thugs up to this, that got you thinking?"

Colonel Ellis nodded. "I've sent a report to Councilman Westin, but I'm still uneasy."

"Thinks it's Enclave?" Hanlon asked. "They do seem to have a history of supplying scum with these new-fangled laser weapons."

"I've thought about it." Ellis replied, remembering all too well the gang wars that broke out in New Reno when the Enclave armed the Salvadore family with laser pistols. "But I don't think they have the resources to attempt something on this scale.

"Then that leaves only one option." The Ranger replied gruffly.

"Yes, although we shouldn't get too worked up, I think this is the councilman's area. The last thing we need is to knock on the Brotherhood's doorstep with a battalion."

"Can't say I agree to that, if those arrogant sons of bitches are behind this, then I say we hit 'em with everything we got." Hanlon said.

Ellis nodded, "I'll advise General Polin to put the troops on full alert. Supplying insurgents with advanced weaponry, increasing military behavior around our bunkers and border outposts, just days before the inauguration ceremony. I don't like it one bit."

The colonel took out a radio next, calling his second in command at Camp Zeta.

"Major Barnes."

"Sir." The man on the radio replied back, slightly muffled by static.

Ellis gave the radio a small flick to get it back in order then spoke again.

"I want the battalion on standby, have four companies keep watch on the downtown area. I want a full recon sweep of the city edges as well. 1st recon and two companies are to focus on the Brotherhood bunker for any sign of activity."

With the defeat of the Enclave, NCR had degraded the alertness of its armed forces to minimal, which meant that at the precise moment shadow squad infiltrated the power station compound, fully half of the four hundred member battalion assigned with guarding the facility was off duty. Those that were on duty barely had time to comprehend the situation in front of them as they saw two platoons of power armored troopers charging the main entrance. Those that had the wherewithal to shout a warning were quickly silenced by well placed gauss rifles. The first shots shredded the frontline garrisons, the thin metal breastplates that were standard issue to NCR infantry providing little to no protection as mass accelerator rounds pummeled the front line. One soldier tried to shout a warning, but found his lungs liquefied as heated sniper rounds pierced through his breastplate like a piece of paper, tearing a neat hole in his torso. Several other troopers met the same fates, losing limbs, and heads. A dozen lifeless bodies fell just as the Brotherhood Knights charge made its way past the first barricade.

Two platoons of Brotherhood Knights and Initiates, equipped with heavy T45d and laser and plasma rifles, quickly made their way into the compound. The sentries on duty were silenced by the He Guai stealth squad, several men and women falling from silenced infiltrator rifles while the less fortunate found themselves impaled by Chinese shock swords. Though outnumbered, they quickly spread chaos and confusion across the entire base, dropping sentries with quiet efficiency and skill.

The first warning many in the compound had of an impending attack was the battle cry of several dozen charging Brotherhood knights. The doors to the soldier's quarters were kicked open with power armored boots, and before the off duty troopers had time to respond, they were quickly scythed down with automatic gatling laser fire, severing limbs, heads, and incinerating those that were lucky. A fireteam of five troopers were quick enough to catch one of the Knights, spraying the warrior with several bursts of 5.56mm rounds, but their rifles proved ineffective, the power armor simply bouncing off shots from the light rifles like pellets, the small resistance did not last long as they immediately came under concentrated plasma and laser fire, reducing the small band to a pile of ash and goo. Screams and shouts echoed the compound as unarmed men and women of the Bear were gunned down in their beds and lounges.

Initiate Holt was in the midst of battle, sporting T45d armor that was reserved for the newies. His Knight Captain quickly ordering the platoons to spread out across the base. The lethargy of the NCR troopers was amazing, as the soldiers in the other facilities showed little signs of mounting a counter attack. Resistance was minimal, as shocked NCR troopers barely had time to raise their weapons at the power armored newcomers before being gunned down. The Paladins and Knights rushed headlong into the ineffectual fire, ignoring the bullets that ricocheted off their power armor and gunning down the troopers mercilessly. The smell of burnt flesh and ash filled the air as more bodies piled throughout the facility.

The alarms finally sounded ten minutes into the attack, and by then over sixty percent of the garrison had been annihilated, the survivors mounting a clumsy, ineffectual resistance as the invincible masses of armored infantry plowed through each room with merciless efficiency. Even then, the NCR troopers were still struggling to mount a counterattack, with their colonel and officers killed in the initial surprise attack. Explosions started sounding as NCR troopers resorted to frag grenades to penetrate the armor that their bullets couldn't but the Brotherhood shrugged this off, ignoring any shrapnel that had pierced their armor and fighting on with a grim tenacity.

The communications officer, before being bisected by a laser beam, had managed to send a distress call to the NCR garrison in shady sands.

Explosions roared and the ground shook as several pre-placed explosives went off in the Hub. Buildings, both civilian and military, crumbled in a sea of flame that threw the civilian populace into a panic. Screaming men, women and children cleared the streets, while Colonel Ellis' radio suddenly went alive with distress calls.

"We're under attack! Brotherhood forces have launched an attack!"

"We can't hold them back!" *gunfire in background* "Requesting permission to – UGH"

Before Ellis could even react, a fresh explosion occurred outside of Camp Zeta, and through the smoke, several spears of red light shot through, cutting apart unprepared platoons and individual troopers.

"Disperse! We're under attack!" Ellis barely had time to react, diving for cover behind the nearest sandbag wall while the rest of 5th battalion trained their guns on the new comers.

"Report! Major!" Ellis shouted into his communications radio.

"Sir!" Major Barnes shouted above the cacophony of gunshots and explosions in the background. "We've lost contact with our two companies two minutes ago, last report was an entire Brotherhood platoon emerging from the Hub bunker, in full power armor, they reported more coming just before we lost contact."

Ellis slammed his fist, not daring to take a peek above the sandbag as grenades, bullets and laser fire filled the air, along with the screams of his troopers. So that solved the mystery of the arms shipments, but it was too late. Way too late. The Colonel paled as he realized what this meant. The Brotherhood of Steel, the most advanced and militarized faction in the wasteland had just declared war with the NCR, the very Brotherhood that boasted a military bunker and presence inside every major NCR city in the core region.

"Mother of mercy…." Ellis muttered silently.

This was going to get ugly. Grabbing a rifle, Ellis then got on the radio with Barnes, hoping to organize what was left of his surprised and battered battalion.

Joanna Tibbett felt the floor shake violently as several explosions erupted outside the main street. Screams and gunfire soon filled the voice, as Ranger Elise burst through the door, flanked by two NCR troopers in heavy combat armor.

"What's going on?" The President barely had time to speak as more rangers and presidential guards surrounded her.

"Ma'am." Chief Elise, her green ranger armor covered in dust and soot, seemed out of breath."We're under attack...Brotherhood of Steel. We have to evacuate you. now!"

"Good lord..." Joanna whispered quietly, even as she saw the fleeing civilians and the armored husks of Brotherhood platoons gunning their way past the NCR trooper barricades towards her office.

"Madame president, i suggest we move now!" Elise shouted the last bit as a semi order, and the masked rangers around her nodded their heads in agreement, leading the president away even as the presidential guards in the street set up a makeshift barricade in preparation for the steel storm.

Shady Sands Power Station

"Captain Rene is holding facility 4 with his company, but we've lost the 1st and 2nd reactors. Communications room has blacked out." The NCR corporal replied as he gathered reports from all over the station, shouting above the wailing of the alert sirens/

Major Olin, now commander of the facility with the death of Colonel Eins, cursed under his breath. "How many troopers are left?"

"Can't say sir, I can't get in touch with most of our companies, they could be fighting or are already dead."

"Well get me in touch with the companies we have contact with! I want a cordon around this command center, we keep this we can at least maintain a defense."

"Sir, the troopers are reporting that their bullets can't penetrate the power armor." Another panicked officer shouted.

"Then use frags, I don't care what you do, but we can't let the Brotherhood get access to this-"

An explosion of light filled the room, dropped from the stealth knights that had infiltrated the room before the attack. Words and orders were drowned out as the dozen men in the room fell victim to the flash bang. Several more flashes filled the room, service rifles and trail carbines emptying clips at the unseen enemy, even as the NCR troopers in the room began dropping one by one, their heads exploding as laser and gauss rounds fired from the corners of the room. Major Olin felt warmth in his mouth as blood filled from his lung shot.

By the time the flash was gone, he was on the floor, the NCR staff already dead on the ground, while above him, half a dozen Brotherhood operatives in He Guai stealth armor revealed themselves, the sleek, black stealth armor hugging their bodies tightly, giving them the appearance of a sci-fi ninja.

Olin gurgled his last few words, cursing even as the Brotherhood operative brought his laser pistol to the Major's forehead.

It didn't take long after the fall of the power station for the next series of blasts to ensue. Pre-planted C4 explosives ripped through the power stations, sending shrapnel and clouds of dust flying through the air, throwing up bodies and vehicles. By the time the smoke cleared, the gaping holes in the facility walls became apparent, and the structures groaned under the weight of the damage inflicted upon it, before collapsing into a cloud of dust and rubble reminiscent of a controlled demolition, burying dozens of NCR troopers alive.

"Long live the Brotherhood!" Knight Captain Aiden shouted as he pumped his laser rifle in the air, followed by the exhausted yet passionate cheers of the knights and initiates around the facility.

With the power station destroyed, any hope of coordinating defenses or activating auto-turrets around Shady Sands had vanished. Within moments, the bunkers would be sending out jamming frequencies to interfere with the NCR's pre-war radios and short range comms. Anything that delayed the mobilization of NCR's army would make a big difference while the Brotherhood cells worked to surgically tear the NCR units apart in detail.

"All Knights, advance."

High Elder Jeremy Maxson watched as the first steps of the operation proceeded. The report from the Hub chapter that the NCR had uncovered one of their weapons caches was an annoyance at best. He had accelerated the time table of attack, by the time NCR had figured out a response, it would be too late for them.

He watched quietly as the markers on the holographic map of the Core region began lighting up, denoting the multiple chapters across the land as they moved onto the offensive.

He muttered a silent prayer in the name of Steel, knowing that many brothers and sisters would die before this would be over.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Shady Sands, several Brotherhood scouts watched the carnage and destruction fall upon the capital of the hated republic with satisfaction. They had been sent out to the wastes weeks in advance by the High Elder Maxson, who had anticipated the need for their work before even informing the other elders.

"That's the signal. You are good to begin the operation." The scout said tonelessly through his power helmet. "Remember the deal. Destroy any NCR forces you can, salvage what you want, but any tech you find is ours."

Bekter, leader of one of the tribes of Khans in East, smiled a toothless grin as he watched the carnage and divine punishment being inflicted upon his traditional enemy. He had consulted the elders, and the time was ripe. NCR, with its huge sprawling territory and outstretched army, was the defender in most cases. Holding territory for long periods of time. Unlike the Brotherhood, they forgot the one creed of a great pre-war general. He who defends everything, defends nothing.

"No problem, my boys will see that the job is done. Ain't that right my boys?" His roar was met with the throaty cheers and battle cries of the caravan of Khans behind him. Hundreds of raiders, khans and vipers gathered together in this one spot to exact vengeance a common enemy. Most of them were on pre-war motorcycles and buggies, armed to the teeth with shotguns, rifles and primitive sledges, but a good portion of the Khans were in stolen trucks. A great cloud of dust gathered as dozens of vehicles engines roared to life, screaming vengeance on the community that dared burned their homes and kill their ancestors.

It was to be like the old glory days again, with the NCR on the defense, cowering in their homes in fear of the mighty raids of the great Khans.

"Let's roll."

With that, dozens of motorcycles and trucks sped out of their pre-arranged hiding places, throwing up a storm of clouds as the great raid swept across the California Wastelands to the vulnerable cities of the NCR, which were already burning under giant pillars of smoke.

Several things in this chapter.

Khans/Raiders: In the context of the story, this is a subfaction i invented to represent the remnants of the various raider tribes that the Dweller/Chosen destroyed, and that the Brotherhood spent weeks gathering. Tribes that probably have no love lost for the NCR and may be the genesis of the Great Khans we see in NV. Plus, when outnumbered, the BoS could use all the cannon fodder they could, to put it bluntly.

Vehicles: Something i've always wanted to see more of in the FO universe. This is mainly from my knowledge of FO:Tactics, where the Brotherhood managed to get humvees and tanks to work! Of course i don't expect Khans to come up with tanks, but we can say that these bikes and trucks probably came from areas of America that weren't nuked as heavily (such as the midwest and great plains) outside the core region. Besides, the sight of Khan 'cavalry' on motorbikes was something i've always wanted to add hehe. (*changed hundreds of vehicles, to dozens)

Sure they aren't in the best condition, but i think ground vehicles are an overdue addition to Fallout and I'm planning on having them play a bigger role in this story since i'm writing one of a war that takes place over an area the size of California :) The quote at the beginning of the chapter is by a general in a mechanized division for a reason :)

Next chappy may be a while since I got exams coming up, but i'll aim to make it a much larger one.

Thanks all for reading!