Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Prelude to Battle

In 2270, NCR forces under Kimball completed the extirpation of tribes around Bullhead City, located far south of Hoover Dam, as vengeance for the death of 38 NCR citizens by mojave raiders. Kimball becomes a national hero. It would later be known as the pacification of the Mojave. 

The Desert Ranger, originate from Nevada before expanding into Arizona some time before NCR arrival to the Mojave front, is a group of survivalist and vigilante who has made it their mission to make the wasteland a better place, by fighting the various raiders and other such violent tribes using their pre-war legacy training and equipment.  

They soon meet their match with the Caesar's Legion, a large horde of violently disciplined groups of slavers and zealous dogma. Despite inflicting heavy losses to the Legion, the Rangers were eventually pushed out of Arizona and suffered their own heavy casualties. 

Fearing for the people of the Mojave, they quickly entered negotiation with the newly arrived NCR. The result of which would later lead to the 2271 Ranger Unification Treaty, in return for their willing absorption to the NCR, they promised to take on the burden of protecting Hoover Dam and the local Mojave wasteland, this would sow the seed for the eventual confrontation between the two massive post-war factions. 

But what the NCR at the time didn’t know was that the Brotherhood of Steel has their own chapter operating openly within the region. Historic relations between the two factions were fraught with the Brotherhood dogmatic approach of confiscating technology, a point of contention for the NCR when it comes to their own technological advances. This would eventually lead to violent military clashes in the late 2250’s. 

The 2271 treaty and NCR subsequent expansion into the Mojave as well as the occupation of Hoover Dam would eventually bring both factions, ironically unrelated to the purpose of the treaty itself, into expanding their conflict once again. 

The establishment of Camp McCarran in 2275, following the Treaty of New Vegas in the previous year, would serve to ignite that conflict into open warfare between the two. Acting as the NCR military headquarters, logistic base and intelligence centre, this would allow the NCR to deploy their massive armies to the area. Which were then put to immediate test in 2276 by the arrival of Major Tanisi Shtóramin of the 23rd Battalion, with the mission to eliminate the Brotherhood presence in the Mojave

The Commander

Major Tanisi Shtóramin, Commanding NCR Officer 

A former tribal chieftess, first rose to power when she challenged her-then father for tribal leadership during a young age. The reason for the challenge was lost to history as she never made it public, only that it was issued. And very little of how it goes made it back to the public other than pure speculation. 

What is known though was that she won. Her tribe, simply known as Storms, or in their tongue Shtóramin, for their tendency to storm towards their victims. And under her iron-fisted leadership, she forcibly reformed her tribe from being raiders to something more civilized. 

She even entered negotiations with the weaker and subordinate tribes as well as travelling merchants for an equally beneficial relationship, promising safety and stability in return for a small, yet consistent tribute.    

Once news spread of these changes, seemingly by those who disagree with the tribe changing direction and left in protest, the other more antagonistic tribes decided to take these as a sign of weakness and started to expand their own territory and influence.

In a few short years, she made true of her promise of a safer and more stable land by ruthlessly eliminating every other rival tribe by looking weak when they actually aren’t, and forcibly indoctrinated whatever survivors to her own tribe. 

In theory, although she and her tribe did not actually interfere in the affairs of other tribes and formations of settlements aside from matters of security and contract enforcements. In practice, the entirety of the land known as Stormlands was hers by right of conquest and domination, even if done with such a light, diplomatic hand.

The parallel with the rise of Caesar's Legion is especially notable, and there is certain speculation that if the NCR were strangled in their birth, then there is a high possibility that it would be Tanisi’s own Storm that would eventually collide with the Legion.   

Still, the fate of her tribe would soon be challenged once again with the arrival of explorers from the New Californian Republic, with the aims of expanding their territory, with her people having a somewhat amicable contact with the proto-First Recon scouting-expeditionary company. 

Initially, she was surprised by the reports of the new arrivals. But as information started to form and the true size and power of the NCR became known from trusted migrating caravan groups, the people of the Stormlands were unsure how to feel but felt that they would trust their chieftess would find a way to get through it, somehow. 

As for the new arrivals, they were equally bewildered as their decades-old reports from adventurous caravans looking for new trading routes, now known as the Stormlands, they were expecting a land like any other wasteland; a wild, perilous stretch of land filled with tribals obsessed with strengths and chems-addictions with habits of raiding their neighbours, waiting to be re-civilized. It seems ever since then, the situation has changed dramatically, with its people unifying and it seems that a tribal chieftess was responsible for this forming civilization. 

Still though, it wouldn’t have hurt to play nice and answer the questions. That they were let go after they proved their sincerity and intentions was, as one of them later commented, ‘. . . that’s nice.’

As reports started to pour in, the NCR was getting ready to prepare a military expedition into the Stormlands when their chieftess, who introduced herself as ‘Tanisi,’ stole the first initiative by sending back diplomatic letters carried and delivered by volunteer from the NCR scout force address to NCR themselves, stating her intentions, as representative of the land they just visited, to open negotiations for their submission to the greater NCR nation.  

Long-story short, the gist of which, in return for their willing integration to the greater nation, their territory were given certain small privileges such as semi-autonomous rules. The NCR, caught flat-footed by such an acquiescence, were admittedly befuddled yet were sorely tempted considering that they would get free territory at such seemingly negligible cost would be a PR win. After a few quibbles, they accepted the terms and the territory of the formally recognized Stormland, in recognition of their tribal history and eventual dominance, would become a new state for the NCR with the implied responsibility and representation.

Years later, this would prove to be a persistent minor political issue, as their semi-independent state would mean that the NCR was unable to independently increase their tax contribution or conscription numbers without the tedious process of negotiating with the Stormland ruling council each and every time they wanted it to increase. They, in turn, however were able to avoid much of the expected political blowback by willingly, and publicly, contributing in some other ways, usually once or twice a year as they politically needed to, as so ‘advised’ by a letter from Tanisi. 

What matters though was that Tanisi, instead of joining the ruling council she helped create as part of their entry to the NCR, stated that she would be the first of her tribe to join the NCR army, inspiring her fellow tribal warriors to join as well. Justifying that she can trust the new council would do an adequate job replacing her previous rule, now she has a new mission: to help her new country in their mission to tame the wasteland, and to act as a guide for those who joined her new path.

This would prove to be a popular move for the NCR as a whole, as it demonstrated her commitments to her new nation, and to her people. 

Her history during this period was memorable to say the least. Although the NCR initially offered to train her people how to fight like a pre-war modern military, Tanisi accepted in their place. And yet, despite the military training, the joined warriors stubbornly clinged to their raiders heritage and culture, preferring to engage their enemies at very close range.   

Understandably, analysts at the time predicted they would eventually cause friction with the wider military culture due to them being forced by politics to accommodate tribal warriors, ultimately believing that a combination of attritions and time, they would eventually be eroded away to irrelevance. 

This was simply not meant to be as during the first, and many subsequent after, battles she and her warriors were deployed to, Tanisi used their tribe's aggressive experience to develop a pattern of encircling, ambushing, and briskly capturing various enemies and their fortifications with almost casual ease. This casual act of relentless aggression would end up being publicly and militarily acknowledged for saving numerous NCR soldiers, civilians, and the occasional hostages life, either from criminal elements, mutants, raiders or other such foes of the nation alike. 

This, combined with her first interaction with the NCR being portrayed as this noble yet savage tribal queen righteously surrendering her rule for the betterment of her people rather than the usual xenophobic raider-like tribes would prove to be a massive reputation booster. Their adoration for their war heroes was no secret, and their military grudgingly appreciated her efficiency and military promptness. This would serve to catapult her position within the military hierarchy from a necessary political appointee to a practical commanding position, eventually leading to her commanding entire companies of soldiers beyond just her own people.

This rising popularity however did not go unnoticed. Some politicians at the time initially viewed her as a sort of novelty, however they learned to fear her growing fame with the public as it would have an undue impact on current politics, as political crises continue to loom over the political scene due to rising military casualties and growing taxation burden from NCR expansionist policy.

They still remember their failed attempt preventing Kimball from the presidency, that he was far more tractable than expected was more a result of their good fortune rather than any sort of intentions on their part. And Tanisi, by all metrics they can account for, was proving to be far more of a political wild card with a sort of savage intelligence.

And so, they determined to prematurely spoil her eventual political career by assigning her to the most dangerous mission possible, hoping that the immense casualties would sink her prospects with the public. That their military found a still active Brotherhood chapter operating openly in the Mojave would give them their excuse. 

Therefore, recently promoted to major, her newly formed 23rd Battalion were eventually assigned to the Mojave front to deal with the Brotherhood of Steel presence in the area. It would later culminate in what she would later name Operation: Sunburst, a massive large-scale military operation designed to siege a defensive position by a technologically superior opponent.

Elijah, Elder of the Mojave Brotherhood Chapter

Following the conclusion of Operation: Sunburst, very little is known about the reclusive elder, even amongst scattered notes and journals left behind following his defeat at HELIOS One. What is known is that Elder Elijah is obsessed with the technology to the point that he’s actively disliked even amongst the rest of the technologically-dogmatic Brotherhood.  

What is known however was that he once made an attempt to seize control of Hoover Dam, but found that the NCR had already beaten him to the punch. He then turned all of his attention to HELIOS One.

Other than acting as a solar power plant, very little was publicly known why he was so obsessed as to use it as a base for his chapter. Some even say that the facility’s hidden underground automated defences are still active to this day following the brotherhood shattering, but NCR military categorically denied these allegations and started to put the power station to work.

One other peculiar information was that although he was the highest ranking Elder and technically in command of the Brotherhood forces during the battle, in practice he did very little actual commanding during the battle and was more focused on what was in the facility. 

It was only after a long fact-checking, after discovering that Elder Elijah wasn’t the one in command during the operation, it was discovered the likely commanding officer during Operation:Sunburst, the head paladin of the Brotherhood at the time, Nolan McNamara. Other than his name and ranks, very little is known about the Paladin personal history. And his tags weren't found amongst the many Brotherhood bodies that littered the battlefield. Making him one of the few who, likely, managed to escape when HELIOS One fell.  

The Units and their Weapons

New California Republic Army:

For the purpose of this campaign, aside from commanding the 23rd Battalion, Major Tanisi was given temporary command of two additional NCR battalions. One is the 18th Battalion containing the usual NCR common light infantry with their standard rifles, grenades, as well as machine gun teams. The other being First Recon.

18th Battalion:

Equipped with mass-produced weapons and standardised armor by NCR, they’re the more conventional battalion compared to the relatively uniqueness of the 23rd, like so many of its kind they would serve adequately as a blunt instrument for NCR expansionist policy, a force of order, and a source of protection for their people in the wasteland. Fed and paid for by NCR’s impressive industrial might and supported by wasteland-inspired novelties as well as unique technologies scavenged from the old world and their enemies. 

Individually, their diverse range of training meant that on average, they are barely any more dangerous than their more conventional foes they were sent against. To their enemies' misfortune, they are rarely found alone. And in numbers, they can be relentless and inexhaustible in their dogged pursuit of their objectives.

As per standard, they have five companies worth in their name.

NCR 1st Sniper Reconnaissance Battalion:

Raised to a battalion around the same time as the 23rd, this battle would prove to be their formal introduction to their capabilities both as a scouting battalion and as a premier fighting force. Unlike the 18th Battalion, the 1st Sniper Reconnaissance Battalion, or will eventually be known colloquially as First Recon, have an amicable history with the former tribal chieftess. Although they weren’t a battalion at the time, they were the first NCR unit to both formally discover and make peaceful contact with the tribal state. 

Although they were only doing their duty at the time, nonetheless Major Tanisi maintained, even insisting upon, a cordial relationship. To the point of sharing her recent innovations to them, before it even reached mass production or sold in the open market.

Due to their more specialized training and requirements, they are smaller than the average battalion, consisting mostly of three companies. 

23rd Tribal Battalion:

The 23rd Battalion was a recently created and assigned to the then newly promoted major, initially filled by her surviving and veteran tribal warriors and replenished by a combination of her tribal recruits, volunteers as well as conventional NCR soldiers to fill their number up to almost five companies. 

Unlike most other units, however, their major decided to personally intervene for the training of their new recruits, on top of their previous training in their expected combat specialty. The reason being that she’s personally aware that not all NCR training were equal, and fearing that any substandard ability on top of the different skillset would affect their battalion performance. The result of which would prove rather dramatic, as afterwards the new recruits are noticeably more disciplined yet oddly aggressive, more similar to that of a more experienced unit rather than the recruits they were before this. 

Only one was brave enough to ask from the source itself. NCR command later remarked that no additional training will be added to the regular curriculum due to massive investments needed and the lack of personnel that has the essential skill needed to do it without killing their own recruits. 

Secretly, a few companies were reassigned for an experimental training program. 

Stormguard:

Her infamous Stormguards, consisting mostly, but not limited to, of the 1st and 2nd Company of the 23rd Battalion. Unlike most of their NCR counterparts and what their name would suggest, they mostly specialised in close-quarter combat. Loyal to a fault, they followed the example set by their now former chieftess and volunteered for the army after their nation joining 

So named after their now-former tribe, the Stormguards combat specialisation came from their history as a raider tribe. Early analysts predicted that they would be rendered completely obsolete soon and be subsumed by modern NCR military culture.

What those analysts, from the then previous military-dominated school of thought, often forget is that the current post-war era is an age where technology, economy and culture regressed to such an extent that hand-to-hand combat was an unfortunate norm. The NCR military's almost adamant refusal to directly address the issue is partly due to their zealous adherence to recorded pre-war military culture, and other than an additional bayonet and combat knives training, meant that it remained an critical institutional weakness. They forgot that unlike their pre-war counterparts, they do not have the technology that makes melee combat obsolete. 

Although it should be mentioned that while it is true that the NCR wouldn’t become the juggernaut they are if it wasn’t for their military, historians often pointed out it was due to their numbers and massive industrial output that cause them to grow to the size that allows them to dominate their neighbours rather than any exceptional traits in militarism.    

And the wastelands are filled with those with such exceptional traits themselves, ranging from mutated creatures and rampants robots and even drug-addled addicts that would tear apart any individual NCR troopers when they get close enough. It’s not surprising to read the occasional NCR platoons or even the occasionally rare companies, severely underestimating their opponent, were wiped out by any number of groups of those, especially when they were led by a particularly cunning example of their kind.

The tribal raider the Stormguards originated from was once one of those, abusing the chems psycho to move quickly and without fear of death, at the cost of their crippling generational addiction and notable weakness to chems that has reached even to the current days. 

Admitted as such just prior to their annexation, this has its fair share of controversy, and a fair amount of understandable serious concerns by some NCR units and high-ranking officers. That they continue to serve admirably was partly due to the leadership and examples of Tanisi herself, who soon after her coup tried to rehabilitate the generations of substance abuse and reformed her tribe, with mixed results. And the reason why she was so compliant with the NCR in the first place, she was betting that the NCR had the needed advanced medical practice to help treat her warriors' addiction. 

Which the NCR naturally obliges by sending in the Follower of the Apocalypse, thus cementing her loyalty and gratitude to the greater NCR as a whole. It was speculated that, knowing her tribe well, she enticed the most violent of them to join the military, which would allow additional breathing room for the followers to do their work. 

Although the Follower would eventually had a falling out with the main NCR government, it's the Stormlands where not only do they find refuge, their ongoing work was still greatly appreciated by the locals to such an extent that they still retain most, if not all, of their previous influence and authority to the point that they have an permanent advisory seat in the ruling council. Rumours even abound of them turning the position into a new council seat member exclusively for them, but was rejected because they do not want to cause undue political conflict.  

Despite their origin, as the unit rose in prominence so did its recruitment pool as other tribal members within NCR territory, reformed raiders, and other such former ne'er-do-well were attracted by the familiar rough culture, yet compliant to NCR regulation standard, the unit openly practised. It boasts of recruits ranging from various bottom-rung walk-of-lives that have decided to adopt their culture, and fearlessness in melee, as their own. 

Although they do usually wear their NCR armour, they started to add a bit more metal to their uniform to better protect themselves from the enemy occasional bullets and strikes. It helps that it provides better protection than the tribal uniform they had to wear previously at significant cost to the relative upkeep of their units. At the onset of the Mojave campaign, it was standardised to a suit of armour to wear over their standard uniform, that served to primarily deflect bullets yet light enough to not impede their full mobility. An interlocking plate of steel on their torso, arms and legs with a full face plate addon for their NCR issued helmet. Unique only to the Stormguards due to their preferred range and the only unit who can build and maintain such an equipment with minimal logistical support over any period of time on campaign.  

Numerous attempts have been made to rename them to Stormtroopers, as a nod to their tribal origin and their current professions, but has been steadfastly denied, sometimes vehemently, by Tanisi herself. No reason has been given. 

Equipment:

Although commanders do have the authority to make needed changes to their assigned units to suit their needs. For example, Major Tanisi was able to turn the 23rd Battalion to specialise in close-quarter combat using the NCR own logistics to requisition the necessary close-quarters equipment such as shotguns, .45 auto pistol, and one-handed hatchet at the cost of having less of the standard NCR equipment. 

Anything more than that however is often limited on an individual or small-team basis, the NCR may be the two-headed bear, but even they have to deal with limited resources especially with maintaining a big army. This means that if she wants more, she would have to start writing her own checks.

Which she did, a habit formed back in her tribal days when she used her personal wealth to help fund several sort-of weapon development programmes to help armed her warriors. With the NCR taking minimum responsibility for her new warriors armory following their annexation, she was able to afford to use more of her own funds to transform her tribal workshop weapon grounds to an actually proper, privately-funded, military-focused weapon research and development programme, with access to the NCR own extensive collection of pre-war military documentation as well as written records of their victories and loot over the technological-superior Enclave.

Note that the self-funded programme was never quite meant to be a secret, as Tanisi would later stated in a public interview when rumors begin to spread, as she even personally went to high-command for clarification of its legality. A clerk simply gives it the okay after making sure they didn’t make use of any NCR funds and all her paperworks is in order. When asked at a later NCR military HQ public relationship press conference in Shady Sands about it, they simply stated that they have no comment.  

One of the results, which she and her unit would bring with them to the Mojave, and will use, into the Mojave is their own makeshift mortar. A miniature artillery written smaller, carried and set up by a small specialist team, their main advantages is that they were designed to be mass produced and relatively light on a logistical scale, mobile, and able to use any standard grenades as ammunition as is and at a safer distance unlike the artillery or grenade launcher rounds. Though their accuracy is wildly varied and potentially dangerous for friendly units close to the target, a sudden barrage of explosives tends to be disruptive to most opponents. Especially brutal when used in an ambush or defensive position, or to suppress or disrupt an enemy defensive position. 

It should be noted that due to the material being used, they are far inferior to their pre-war counterparts and the NCR-built mortar in terms of range, damage and accuracy, but on the other hand can easily be clustered together to fire entire devastating volleys of grenades at quick succession, providing they have the grenades or rounds for it, and relatively simple for the average soldier to set it up, use, and to quickly disassemble it.

Another innovation she’s bringing to the field would be aptly-named “chuck-it missiles,” though its origin is a bit more raider-focused than military. Although missile launchers themselves are rarely found in mint condition outside the more military-centric group and very rarely in any numbers, missiles on the other hand can be found in abundance in many abandoned military installations and usually in good conditions. Apparently, back when they were still a raider tribe, some of them thought it would be a good idea for the missiles to have its own means of launching itself towards their enemy.

Safe to say that a combination of raiders' unreliable makeshift engineering, poorly self-educated, and being rarely necessary to everyday raider life, whatever unreliable mechanism it used were eventually forgotten in the tribe arsenal. Until the then-former chieftess eventually rediscovered it, and used her new tribal state, and later her personal weapon development programme, to engineer a more reliable and safer means of launching itself. 

It wasn’t until the start of the Mojave campaign that they were able to build a contraption reliable enough, both technically and economically, to launch where it would be needed without being hazardous to its wielder. Though it does require additional training, the major believed it was worth it for an additional anti-armor capability. And it will be in the Mojave where it's put to the test.  

One other invention she would bring when she found out that she’ll be fighting the Brotherhood is the creatively named pulse-putty, or EM-Putt for short. Unlike the previous innovations, this came almost serendipitously when the engineer was playing around with a pulse grenade and their ingredients with some mud. They are somehow able to insert the functionality of a pulse grenade into a pliable, putty-like substance.

And after some testing, they found out one of the more curious effects is that it magnetically adheres itself with whatever metal object it was applied to and becomes practically impossible to remove via normal means. Afterwards, when hitting another object with the adhered-metal object, it automatically releases the entirety of its pulse-charges onto whatever it hits, rendering the putty permanently inert and detaching itself.

But since the pulse-effect is noticeably weaker than the regular pulse grenade, it would have been regulated to the trash bins if it wasn’t for Major Tanisi intervention, who was privately touring her R&D site at the time and saw its potential be made into a sort of EMP-based bullet. However, by the time she was sent to the Mojave, it wasn’t yet ready, so she and the rest of the 23rd Battalion would just have to make do with just the putty. 

In addition to all those she was bringing along, another retro invention she would bring back is the rifle-grenade. An odd addition is that although the 23rd is the original intended recipient of the weapon, its use eventually became synonymous with another battalion, the First Recon.

A conversion kit that can turn a normal .308 hunting rifle into a rifle that can fire a modified shape-grenade. It would give the First Recon, known then for their scouting, additional armour-piercing capability. Due to the focus on economic affordability and relatively simple maintenance, building them is relatively quick and cheap that Major Tanisi is able to share a significant amount of them to the sniper battalion, enough to equip all of their squad with at least one. It also probably helps that her battalion preferred range is in close-quarters and rarely needed, and the NCR usual equipment is enough for any other engagement range. 

Their main disadvantage is that aside from the tedious method of reloading and the added weight, especially in a prone position, the effective range is far closer than their usual range, though further than what a hand-thrown grenade is able to reach. But if someone knew what they’re doing and with enough material, they would be able to modify any grenade they have, and their effect, so that they can be fired by the converted rifle.

She also made an additional requisition order of NCR logistics, requesting more pulse and smoke grenade, armour-piercing rounds, and whatever else they can afford to give her for the campaign. She also made a similar albeit personal order in the private and black market using her own funds.

The Brotherhood of Steel Force:

The Brotherhood's isolation from the rest of the NCR prior to the Brotherhood-NCR war meant that very little is publicly available about them. What is known however is that their military is divided into two main distinct combat castes with differing priorities, though the distinction very rarely an obvious one to an outside observer.

Paladin

When one thinks of the Brotherhood, they think of the intimidating power armors they wield in combat. That is the Paladin, the primary combat force of the Brotherhood. Responsible for any security related matters and any combat operations beyond their chapter base. Exclusively wearing their iconic power armor and the advanced weapons they wield, they are one of the most experienced and feared professional soldiers of the wasteland to date. 

A pale remnant to their pre-war military heritage.  

Knights

On paper they are more the supporting unit to the paladins. They helped maintain and even produced the Brotherhood technologies with the scribes - the civilian scientist caste and rarely seen outside - providing repairs and maintenance in the field, and was basically responsible for trading goods and replenishing stocks with outsiders. Hence why they are the more well-known of the two to the outsiders.

They also tend to perform the less dangerous combat operations such as patrols and scoutings, while providing fire support to the paladins in the field when necessary. Unlike their more combat-orientated counterparts, a knight’s access to power armor depends on their availability and the chapter priorities, and the more experienced and combat-orientated knight may be eligible to be raised for paladin-hood.  

Due to the Brotherhood's own casualties during the war, NCR soldiers discovered that knights' dog-tags are becoming more regular while paladins’ are becoming rarer to find from Brotherhood power armored corpses. 

Automatons

Although the Brotherhood are not known for fielding automatons in the field. The NCR-Brotherhood war revealed otherwise when NCR soldiers breached a chapter and encountered them. 

According to the data recovered from HELIOS One, Brotherhood chapters began relying on combat automatons like robobrains and protectrons to further supplement their own depleting force, at least for defense.

Equipment

The Brotherhood maintained a very decent stockpile and even small production of mostly pre-war military arms. The most well-known being their power armor, allowing their small numbers to match and even surpassed the combat capability of almost any other wasteland factions saved for that of the now long-gone Enclave. 

Although they do not, in actuality, have a monopoly on pre-war power armor, they maintain and use them in enough quantities to become synonymous with their use in the post-war era. Usually reserved for their paladins though knights are known to wear them, otherwise they would wear combat armors bearing their icon whenever they’re in the field. The quality of which is often in better quality than their post-war, and even pre-war, counterparts. 

As for weapons, although they are known to mostly bear laser weaponries, due to the power armor capability they were able to wield heavy weapons like the heavy machine gun, miniguns and even the gatling laser into combat and in numbers. Their only weakness being their relatively small number preventing them from fully exploiting their advanced technology into dominating the wasteland

Eve of the Battle

Even before her arrival to the Mojave front, Major Tanisi already has made her first move by sending the First Recon forward in advance of her arrival to scout for the Brotherhood operational area and their chapter location. During her travel, she took the opportunity to bring and read along several intelligence briefings, studying the local geography for any advantages she can use as well as various NCR records of fighting against the Brotherhood and even the former-Enclave in preparation for her first clash with a technologically superior, organized foe.

A plan started to form, but it required additional information regarding her enemy whereabouts and her arrival to the Mojave. 

Upon her arrival to the Mojave, and to Camp McCarran, she immediately put her 23rd on alert to support First Recon with their reconnaissance mission if called upon while testing and improving on the 18th capability, on the side she also familiarised them with their new equipment.  

The First Recon started to prove their worth relatively soon, as they began marking areas where the Brotherhood patrols are known to wander and harass the locals and merchants for any technology they might have possessed as well as familiarising how their scouts operated. After some weeks of scouting and local gossip, they were able to identify their apparent enemy base location, HELIOS One. 

A pre-war infrastructure relic, what is known about the former solar-power plant was that it was a subsidiary of Poseidon Energy responsible for contributing renewable energy to the pre-war Las Vegas strip. Now, it was turned into an impromptu military base for the Brotherhood in the region. 

Which is an oddity in and of itself. The Brotherhood, for all their advanced technology and capability, historically tends to be quite rigid and predictable in their pursuit of technology and following their procedure. In previous cases, they mostly tend to scavenge such a site for any advanced technology to bring into their chapter base for safekeeping. That they permanently occupy what is mostly surface area, civilian pre-war infrastructure as a chapter base, which isn't known for their security in the first place, is a peculiar decision. 

They usually prefer them in a covert underground pre-war military base. Even in the aftermath of Operation: Sunbirst, very little is known for why they make the decision that they did, even to themselves. According to records left behind, it was a decision made solely by their Elder, Elijah. 

Anyway, with the target area identified and the training for new equipment for her attached battalion reached to a standard she found ‘adequate,’ she gathered her commanding officers to finalise her battle plan and to inform them of their part in the coming siege. She named the coming siege “Operation: Sunburst,” and ordered her entire force to move out. 

It should be noted that at the time, the 1st and 2nd Company from the 23rd Battalion as well as a few First Recon teams will not be joining her march to HELIOS One. They have a very different order in mind, with a unique package.

Battle Begin:

Phase 1: The Approach

From the very beginning the major was fully aware that, despite whatever effort or plans she concocted, the Mojave Brotherhood chapter will not be mistaken that a large force will be coming their way. Therefore, she planned to delay them knowing for as much as possible by taking out their eyes in the region. At the very least, she planned to hide her true numbers until they are within reach of HELIOS One.  

Therefore, the vanguard would have the added responsibility of at least ensuring no Brotherhood scouts or patrols would have eyes on them or survive long enough to report to their chapter. Major Tanisi will personally command the vanguard platoon, with the intent to ambush any Brotherhood forces, while being supported by a First Recon squad, and their scouting and overwatch capability.

In addition, another company of First Recon was also sent elsewhere to harass other Brotherhood forces, to further obfuscate where the real threat would be coming from.

Before long, entire patrols soon stop reporting back to their chapter and, as predicted, Brotherhood forces were alerted to potential enemy incursions.

On the other side, the Brotherhood, though wary of NCR presence within the region, haven’t encountered any serious organized opposition to their technology-acquisition team and eventually cease worrying about their interference. The prevailing belief at the time was the New Vegas region is far from their usual territory, with primitive technology they’re unable to muster the needed numbers to overwhelm them while dealing with the locals' nuisance.

With Elder Elijah busy within the facility for days at a time, the Brotherhood was unable to respond quite as quickly as they should have when several patrol teams from the northern sector failed to report in at their allocated time. After nearly a day of needless delay, a frustrated Paladin, presumably McNamara himself, in the absence of their Elder at the time decided to take command and order an investigation of the disappearing patrol with a heavy force. They assigned several full power armored knight teams, led by an additional senior Knight, to the last known location of each of the missing patrols.  

It was only by pure chance that the sole team led by a Paladin is sent on a clashing course to where Major Tanisi is leading the vanguard.

After the first few successful ambushes of Brotherhood patrols, the major knew that eventually her enemies would escalate in force to discover what happened. What she didn’t expect though, as the scouts reported that a full 5-men power armor team was coming their way, was the sudden spike in force a fair distance away from their base.

And although she did have the equipment to, theoretically, bring down power armor, she didn’t expect to need many of them this soon. She only has a single-used EM-putt on her hand and a rifle grenade from their First Recon squad support, and by the time she went back to get more, it would be too late and they likely wouldn't be in position to be ambushed.    

Even so, careless as it was to be caught like this so early, she couldn’t afford to allow them to discover her main force so easily as well. With great reluctance, she gave the order.

As the Brotherhood team slowly approaches the area where their patrols were disappearing, laser rifles and even a gatling laser at the ready position. Even with the large power armor, their body was visibly tense, weary of the potential threat. 

When they unwittingly crossed an invisible spot, the ambush began with an almost silent whoomp, as a shaped-grenade flowed through the air and impacted the point-man in the chest. The knight unceremoniously fell and intense gunfire immediately poured onto the remaining knights and paladin.    

To their credit, they instinctively responded with equal alacrity and answered with aimed shots to where it originated. The Paladin meanwhile, immediately understood that they stumbled on a prepared ambush by an unknown enemy, ordered his team to push through it and move towards their enemy position, apparently putting his trust in the solid integrity of their power armor. Evidently, he believes that whatever killed his pointman probably wouldn’t risk using it near their friends.

With gunfires hitting them and them seemingly ignoring it, they began to move towards where the gunfire was the heaviest. Intent clear. But from even further away at their flank, sniper fire started to hit them. But instead of aiming for the center, their bullets are concentrated on the power armour joint where the armor was at its weakest. 

By pure luck, one of the sniper rounds managed to hit one of the knight eye lenses, penetrating the protective glass in a lucky shot and killing the knight instantly. Recognising the threat they were in and down to two knights, the paladin ordered them to immediately rush the enemy position before they would get another lucky shot off while he provided covering fire with heavy laser fire.

The major, after firing off the rifle grenade that unexpectedly killed the knight in one shot, took the opportunity. Initially, she was waiting for another opportunity to fire again but rushing forward like that meant that she didn't have the angle to fire without hitting her own men. And so, left with almost no other options, and with her em-putted hatchet at the ready, charged at the one power armor soldier that was providing cover fire with their heavy gatling laser. Fully aware she’s putting herself into friendly fire territory, and hoping her men were disciplined enough not to hit her.   

The paladin, whether or not he actually noticed or something else, immediately struck behind him with a backhand while he was turning. The major reacted almost instinctively and managed to duck as the gauntlet hand barely missed her. 

This close, she was able to swing with her own unassuming weapon while the paladin's hands were occupied and unable to respond. The surprise was immediate even through the armor when the paladin was hit and his power armor immediately shut down from a short energy pulse, instinctively putting him on his knee to prevent himself from completely collapsing.    

This however put himself in a vulnerable state. Dropping the now useless hatcher, she grabbed the protective helmet and pulled it backwards slightly while on the other hand, she reached for her knife. Exposed by his unintentional kneeling and taking full advantage, she immediately stabbed him deep in the neck where the armor didn’t cover lest it suffocate its user. He died instantly. 

The surviving knight almost reached where the gunfire was, a concealed cover hiding their attacker, before one of them noticed the missing cover fire. They looked back and immediately froze, witnessing their leader's last moment. Tanisi troopers on the other hand, aware that their gunfire was not effective, noticed this.   

They may be soldiers now, but before this they were proud raiders once and sometimes, despite Tanisi and the NCR's military best effort, it stays with someone long after they left that life behind them. In the aftermath, all of the surviving members reported that, somehow, this was an opportunity. With only one of them firing, laser rifles are powerful but they’re not known for their rapid-fire capability, so they took this opportunity to charge forward.   

The knight tried to avenged the fallen paladin, but with the armor locked in its user dying position due to em-putt, Tanisi was able to use the dead body as an impromptu cover from laser fire. Focused as he was on retribution, he didn’t notice that an entire group was charging towards his rear until it was too late. They jumped and latched on the power armor back. The knight tried to swing them off, but one of them managed to continue latching on while others were thrown off, and in a desperate move, tried to remove the fusion core powering the armor however he could. They unexpectedly succeeded. Powering the knight down and leaving him invulnerable.   

Inspired, the surviving troopers turned ferals switched their attention to the remaining knight and tried to do the same trick while he was busy dealing with the remaining soldiers. They eventually succeeded.

All told, despite the disparity in firepower, the ambush was a success. Although it would discourage any more scouting or investigative force, she’s also fully aware that the Brotherhood would be preparing for a siege. Nothing else would explain a missing power armor team with a paladin in their ranks other than a serious enemy action.

And of her men, half was dead and the other half was injured. The Brotherhood disciplined counterfire was as accurate as it was deadly, even when ambushed. Few of them managed to escape any injuries altogether like Tanisi did.

But the technology she looted from the dead power armor team is a significant prize all on its own, considering the overall lack of damage they took before its pilot expired, and she sends a sample back for further reverse engineering and potential weak point for her to exploit. 

Acknowledging that the vanguard would no longer need her personal attention and would be left to First Recon, she reluctantly left the position to return to the main force.

At the end of the day, when the report from the other First Recon company she sent to harass the other patrols, they’re also experiencing similar escalation as teams of power armor descend on their location. Although they had more success in ambushing them due to the greater concentration of rifle grenade, eventually ammunition for it ran out, and they began to harass the Brotherhood team conventionally. But at least their casualties are relatively light, and only due to the occasional lucky stray shot. They even managed to bring back almost a platoon worth of slightly used power armor they scavenged from the dead brotherhood members.    

They also reported that few of the brotherhood teams survived to make it back to HELIOS One, and none of them returned intact as they were forced to abandon their dead. Though they’re confident that none of the survivors was close enough to identify their affiliations.

Still, the several day march was unfortunately uneventful. Other than a few enemy scouts, neither the vanguards nor First Recon team was able to spot any more attempts by the enemy to investigate their missing patrols or what killed them.  

It was only until she and her army was just about to reach sight at HELIOS One, that the First Recon scouting report of the area only confirmed the major's supposition. They reported that the Brotherhood is busy fortifying HELIOS One.

Phase 2: The Siege

For the Brotherhood, the sight of what looks like an endless hordes of NCR troopers marching into view in the afternoon, even from a long distance, was a sign of a coming grim time. It only confirms their own suspicions on whose responsible for their missing patrols and scouts, that their enemy from so far away was able to reach them and in numbers was a disquieting comfort. Even the technologically superior pre-war military might of the Brotherhood of Steel seems small in comparison to the endless tides of body that was gonna thrown their way. 

Still, they have their order from the elder. Defend HELIOS One at all cost. 

For Major Tanisi, in one of her journal entry, stated that the imposing might of a pre-war civilian structure turned to an intimidating military fortress, and garrisoned by an entire chapter worth of soldiers wielding pristine pre-war laser weaponry and untainted steel of power armor almost make her wavered and canceled the attack. Almost. 

Still, she had her orders. Steeling herself, she ordered her armies into position. She knows it’s gonna be a long day tomorrow.

Although not quite as defensible as the primary bulwarks, and knowing that it would have eventually fallen, the perimeter defenses were manned with tons of simple protectrons. While a force consisting mostly of unarmored knights, and two power armor knights leading them, positioned at the rear end for an easy retreat under cover from the main defense. And when it did fall, they designed it in such a way it would leave the attackers with very little usable cover and make them vulnerable to counterattack. 

The plan is to grind the NCR assault to dust using their superior firepower and positioning, while designing and planning their defences in such a way as to herd their superior numbers to carefully concealed killing grounds, denying them the advantages of sheer numbers.

Unfortunately for them, the major has a long tendency to ignore all other scripts in favor of her own. 

The first sign of an NCR attack came just as the dawn fades away into the morning light, with sudden sniper rounds relentlessly slammed into the main defense, eliminating several unarmored knights manning the various turrets and prepared positions, practically ignoring the outer defenses outright with their long-range fire. 

And in the chaos of Brotherhood soldiers taking cover, barely none of them noticed the sounds of grenades, fired from mortars, falling into the vicinity of their outer defenses before it was too late, releasing heavy white smoke and engulfing the entire area.  

That’s when an entire 3rd Company, from the 23rd, slowly creeping their way as near as possible without being detected, stormed the outer defenses while the smoke cover was still there.

The protectrons tried their best, but their cheap sensors can’t see through the smoke very well. At best, they were able to fire a shot or two off before being overwhelmed. For what seems like moments, they manage to break through the protectrons cordon, and reach the perimeter knight position, still engulfed by the smoke and weapon firing blindly into the smoke. In comparison, the 23rd are used to fighting blind in the cover of nights and smoke grenades, it was their major favourite trick. 

Being blinded and overwhelmed like that, by the time the knights decided to retreat only a few managed to reach safety. 

Although the smoke only engulfed their border area, the defender, suppressed as they were by sniper fire, was still able to accurately fire on those few who made the mistake of leaving the safety of the NCR thrown smoke.

More smoke grenades were suddenly thrown from within the first smoke, engulfing the area that divided the outer perimeter with the main defense with another smoke close to their lines, even the snipers stopped firing. Sensing their enemies would charge again, and free from being suppressed by their snipers, they increased the intensity of their fire hoping at the very least to suppress whomever was charging their position enough for the smoke to fade. 

What they wouldn’t have known at the time was that days prior to the battle, Major Tanisi had a thought about what to do with the glut of power armor they scavenged from their initial skirmish. She interrogated her engineers of its feasibility, and with a few volunteers they were able to use the power armor as she had intended. 

Not enough to send them into battle, as their movement was extremely awkward and their handling was abysmal to the point that the Brotherhood are more likely to die laughing at them rather than be threatened by their poor piloting. 

But enough for her plans. She ordered the dismantling of the long-abandoned and rusted vehicles that strewn about in the dilapidated pre-war roads and used the materials to create a makeshift, durable cover with enough appropriately sized holes for people to aim and shoot through it without unduly risking themselves. Enough space for a squad worth of men to take cover, yet with enough modification to be carried on a power armor backs.  

And so, while the Brotherhood defender and the 3rd Company, from the 23rd Battalion, was busy firing into the new smoke the latter dropped, she timed it enough that by the time the first smoke slowly dissipates and revealed the area, the captured power armor clumsily arrived carrying the makeshift large cover on their back. Due to their armor, they were able to ignore any unconcentrated stray shot and putting their focus on inelegantly putting the cover where they were needed to or as dictated by their lead combat engineer, and sometimes even outright rearranging the fallen enemy fortification and intact fallen protectrons to provide greater cover for their allies after they were done. And due to the second smoke and loud gun-and laser-fire, their rearrangement of the outer defenses went unnoticed by the defenders. By the time they finish and their allocated time runs out, they sloppily withdraw from the field. Unskillful as they may be with it, their major has more tasks ahead of them that need their strength, away from the battle.   

A company from the 18th Battalion arrived soon after to both reinforce the assault and helped manned the makeshift defenses, bringing with them the various several new weapons courtesy of the major's private contribution.

As soon as the smoke faded from view, for the entire Brotherhood firing line, the sight they saw was genuinely unbelievable to the point that for one glorious schadenfreude moment, they stopped firing and to just stared in disbelief. After all, what other sane reaction can be had when they saw an entire improvised fortress just spontaneously appear out of the smoke?

Alongside the various standard NCR service rifle and standard NCR machine gun team, rows of rifle grenade and the self-propel chuck-it missile on the ready, and even entire platoons worth of clumped up makeshift mortars, both conventional and pulse, set up and eagerly waiting for the call, supplies overflowing courtesy of being carried by power armors. And with the smoke cleared, the entire combined company from the 18th and 23rd finally able to unleash their full and reckless concentrated might onto just one front. 

The Brotherhood’s entire defenses were practically obliterated from the sheer numbers of shells being thrown their way. Fortifications, hardpoints and even sandbag pillboxes were demolished with excessive volatile firepower. Even power armored soldiers have to take cover like common infantry wherever they can lest they be outright annihilated. Casualties for the Brotherhood were mounting rapidly. 

Even the snipers, which resumed their fire when the smoke was cleared, was barely an afterthought for the defenders. 

With the frontlines on the brink of breaking and losing cover fast, their options were severely limiting. With no other choice, they activated the facility's sentry bots. 

The reason why the facility contained them was never really understood. The accepted prevailing theory was that the Brotherhood somehow brought it with them even though it was debunked by later interrogations of captured Brotherhood members and writings. Even for an vital energy infrastructure, having an advanced sentry bot was excessively expensive and dangerous even for pre-war America, much less three of them. 

Still, the presence of the sentry bots proves to be the deciding factor of the battle, their internal firing system was so advanced to the point that they are able to provide mobile and heavy fire support with its own active protection system, protecting its allies from incoming missiles and grenades while killing their enemies with its twin minigun chambered with armor-piercing rounds mounted on their arms, armor thick and hardened with unknown pre-war military construction technique, and they even have their own built-in mortar system which proves far more accurate and devastating than an entire platoon worth of the makeshift mortar. Combining all that with their advanced military AI able to automatically coordinate with other allied automatons and military units would prove devastatingly unfair.  

In just moments after they reached the frontlines, entire swaths of missiles and grenades were instantly shot out of the sky. And in the moments after, their miniguns suppressed and even outright annihilated multiple positions at once while their mortar shells their position with almost mechanical precision and timing, shattering both their cover and even squads at a time. 

Recognizing a lost cause, both companies immediately called for a retreat. And the improvised cover that was stacked together and transformed into a jury-rigged fortress that befuddled the Brotherhood previously was gone just as fast as their sudden appearance was, destroyed by the sentry bots superior pre-war technology firepower. 

And so, the NCR assault for the day ended in their rout.

There is one constant that would aptly describe the entire history of humanity warfare, and that is war never changes. 

A close second contender is that victories are addicting. But that penultimate moment is often when one relaxed their guard. A most dangerous moment. And Brotherhood commanders are intimately aware of this human phenomena, because there are many recorded moments in their history when they lost due to underestimating their foes at the last minute and didn’t go far enough to eliminate their enemies just as there are instances when they were able to eliminate entire battalions worth of men and material simply because the NCR commander thought they were winning.

After the NCR forces retreated from the battlefield, they finally were able to catch their breath for the moment to contemplate. They are used to NCR tactics of using probing attacks to make them reveal all their cards in their hands, before overwhelming them with numbers while specialized teams, under the cover of bodies, get close enough to dismantle whatever those defences. 

This first assault was unlike anything they have on records of NCR usual behaviours, that it came almost perilously close to succeeding if it wasn’t for the sentry bots was no comfort. And the weapons they used, rifles designed to fire shaped-explosives and self-propelled missiles without its launchers, came dangerously close to being novel aside from their mortars. If it wasn’t dangerous and designed specifically for them. The use of such purposeful novelties was a discomforting thought.  

McNamara presumably was aware that they can’t afford to give NCR’s force time to recover for a second attack. The first was devastating enough already, they know they can’t survive another like it anytime soon.

Soon after scattering the NCR assault, they gave the order for an immediate counterattack while calling up all remaining reserves, unarmored or otherwise. And with fire support from the sentry bot, they have a better chance of inflicting massive casualties to force even the callous NCR to abandon their assault on HELIOS One. Before they have an answer for the sentry bots. 

As for Major Tanisi, as initial reports indicate that they were winning, was fully cognizant of the possibility of the assault failure despite cashing in and stacking the deck in their favor. It was fully mentioned and referenced in many NCR military records where their commanders thought that they were winning and eventually lost in the end, and that state of affairs wasn't just limited to the Brotherhood. She personally participated in many similar battles where defeat was almost certain if it wasn’t for her unit to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and even then the long list of casualties was, as she would later put in a journal, disappointingly wasteful even if the NCR would afford it.  

And so, at least in the initial assault, she gave their commanders the freedom to retreat when they deemed it necessary as well as what potential routes they should take while doing so regardless of the strategic situation. Just because she was taking a bet blindly sending in an assault without an initial probing attack doesn’t mean she can’t be realistic about their chances.

Still, even for all of her flexibility, she would not have predicted the sheer destructive capability of the Brotherhood sentry bots as both First Recon scouts' frantic report, and her own view with a binocular, saw them slowly rumbling their way towards her position, trailing in the wake of her people retreating and finishing off those unlucky enough to fall behind. It doesn’t help matters much that they were supported by formations of armored troops with additional small arm fire support by their more unarmored unit bringing up the rear. Even the company she sent before this to guard her retreating force wouldn’t last long. 

A sombering reminder that for all the Brotherhood faults, being meek wasn't one of them. 

Of the remaining force she has available, she has six companies left and one of them was a First Recon company. An additional First Recon company she hid and scattered them around the area between where her main force was camped at and HELIOS One to report any potential enemy movement, and ambush them when necessary.  

Still, even what forces she had left would not overwhelm them, she visibly paused at the sheer scale of firepower coming her way before sending an amended order to the trenches. At the very least, she’s succeeded in provoking the Brotherhood into a counterattack. Now she needs to survive it.

At least her trenches were mostly complete thanks to the salvaged power armors.

As the Brotherhood forces slowly approached where the NCR main camp was in the afternoon sun, the numbers of their resistances and retreating soldiers was suspiciously dwindling.

But before they could ponder more on this, they were suddenly ambushed by a long range fire, almost beyond their conventional range and in large numbers. Enough for them to at least halt their approach and wait for the sentry bot to uncaringly lobbed their mortar shells to their position, they are not underestimating their enemies this time.  

When the supporting knight came forward to reload the sentry bots mortar shells, a large number of grenades fired by their mortars counterfire their position from somewhere further in front of them. The sentry bot dutifully intercepted most of them, but not even their automated fire was enough to intercept them all. Fortunately, most of the grenades that did make it through landed just in front of their position. 

Those however started spewing out smoke, engulfing their vision once again. But before they would react, more smoke grenades started to bombard their position again. But unlike before, the sentry bots APS only managed to intercept a few of them. The combination of smokes with the numbers and size of the grenades makes it difficult even for their advanced sensors to help identify hostile munitions except in close range, and the smoke helps disguise the mortar position and at least temporarily prevent the sentry bots' computers from aiming for them with their own shells. 

Fearing another clever plan by their enemy commanders the last time this happened to them, they immediately ordered a push forward, towards where the mortars had been firing at them, hidden by the smoke. Emboldened by the belief that the smoke would cover for the sentry bots from their enemies' new toys, they ordered the bots to act as their vanguards. 

That was when they finally discovered they'd been digging trenches, built in such a way to blend into the environment that the naked eyes can’t see them until they were right in front of them. The smoke helped further hide their existence until it was too late, and one of the bots partially fell and was stuck dangling in the middle of it, both legs hanging while both the main body and third leg were lying prone on both sides of the banks. It was declared mission killed.  

That was when the grenade barrage turned to conventional explosives. With no other choices, the Brotherhood soldiers reluctantly enter the trenches to both take cover from the falling grenade shell, to clear it out, and to advance deeper into enemy lines while they’re protected by their enemies' earthworks. And to their fortune, the trenches was wide enough for a single file of power armors to be moved comfortably.    

Still under barrage by a relentless mortar team, they left behind a small force to cover for the remaining sentry bots and, if they can, engineered a solution for the sentry bots to move over it. The trench system, now they’re in it, seems to be intensive enough that it would take a while for them to move the long way around. Not to mention that would only buy time for the NCR to do something about their bot. Meanwhile, the rest of the Brotherhood force would advance deeper into the trench system to somehow reach their main camp.  

It only took a small few steps for their vanguard to step into a landmine, stumbling over into a more anti-armor trap, before their position being harassed by mortars firing and fires from specially dug in murder holes. They pressed forward anyway and intense close-quarters combat ensued with the embattled 4th Company from the 23rd Battalion. 

But even a force like the Brotherhood would eventually abide by the human condition, specifically fatigue. They’ve been fighting for almost an entire day and into the afternoon, with very little rest between them and marching, and now they are in a dirty, sand-covered trench, while being hounded by relentless guerilla tactics and traps. Eventually, they will make a mistake. 

That mistake came in the form of their commander, frustrated by the harassment, took a step too close to the frontlines and was hit by a random missile for his trouble.

As for the other side, the major improvised plans weren't going to where she wanted them to go. She was hoping the Brotherhood wouldn't risk going into the smoke so quickly, allowing her own extensive mortar to pound their position by adjusting her mortar's aiming position according to the observation by several camouflaged First Recon squads positioned in their rear.

But at least she was able to confirm her theory that smoke grenades have some measure of effect on the sentry bots. Still, with them swarming the trenches, she knows that her soldier's chances against them, unaugmented and in close range, isn’t viable. Hoping that the traps and ambushes would be enough to delay them, she ordered the last of the mortars to finish firing before they would relocate to another prepared position further back. 

But before she would give the order, she noticed something particularly curious before the reports would even come in. The entire Brotherhood forces were seemingly in full retreat, she wasn’t sure what the inciting incident would be but she also knew full well that, assuming her men were paying attention, she would not afford for them to return this quickly until they gave her their mission status. 

And so, she gave the order to all of her available battalions to give chase and delay the retreating forces, before she charged forward herself.

The First Recon company scattered and had to watch as the Brotherhood movement was finally given the order they’ve been waiting for. They opened fire on the retreating enemy force from long-range, concentrating their fire on those with power armor to disable or delay their return to HELIOS One. 

The sentry bots took the rearmost guard position of the retreating force and just as they were aiming their mortar, the major suddenly appeared from their flanks and immediately chucked a missile to one of the bot and hit its head, disrupting its sensors and temporarily stunning it. Quickly switching to her rifle, she was able to somehow predict when the other bot would fire their mortar and the shell as it exited with her accurate shots, causing a chain reaction of explosions and killing the bot instantly. Before anyone could react, she immediately dove to a nearby outcrop and seemingly disappeared just as she appeared. 

As unbelievable as that was, it can be attested to by the Desert Rangers testimonies who were observing the battle from afar, curious and astonished at what a bunch of NCR was doing in their backyard. As for the major, she stated in her journal that she wasn’t actually intended on killing the sentry bot with that last shot, she just wanted at least one of their mortars gone and to get their attention away from the snipers. 

Still, soon after the rest of her frontlines unit soon arrived and they were able to destroy the stunned robot before it could recover by overwhelming number of missiles and grenades. The Brotherhood was too far ahead to stop them. 

As the last of the bots was destroyed, led by their major, they continued the chase into the final phase of the plan.

Phase 3: The Knockout

Even before her arrival on the Mojave, Major Tanisi knows that she needs to deprive the Brotherhood of their chapter base before she can eliminate their presence in the region. Which isn’t an easy feat to begin with, as the Brotherhood prefer self-destructing their own base before allowing the NCR to occupy them. She’s also well aware that there would be no hiding her large force. 

Studying previous records of the battles that were fought between the NCR and the Brotherhood, she concluded early on that the success of the mission required two main components to succeed. The first is the distraction, and not only do they need to occupy their full attention, they also need to provoke them enough for them to send their main force away from the base. Which, accordingly, should be relatively easy to do. After all, they have a tendency to commit entirely to a counterattack after exhausting their enemy.

The difficult part would be surviving the inevitable counterpunch. Due to the sheer complexity and needed flexibility, the major was the one that needed to lead the distraction. And her plan was, aside from committing a strong force in the opening battle, to simply build simple fortifications like a trench system and harass their force whenever possible. Otherwise, she was expecting a multiple day siege before she predicted they would be provoked enough to attack.  

The second needed component is the invasion of the base itself. Unlike the first one, they would have the more difficult part of taking over the base and its automated defenses before their main force realized it was under threat. Therefore, predicting that the distractions would take all of her attention, she gave the responsibility to her 1st and 2nd Company with a very broad order that essentially allowed them to act, aside from their main orders, as the situation demanded. It also helps that they were with her the longest, trained them, and can trust them enough to do the right thing on their own.

And just in case and for maintaining secrecy, she gave them specific orders not to contact the main force for any reason until they manage, or failed, to take HELIOS One, though they will be listening on the NCR radio frequency so that they can stay updated on the main force situation. 

And as part of this, Major Tanisi somehow was able to obtain a holotape that when inserted into any terminal would scrambled all security systems it was connected to, including turrets, robots, turrets, security doors and could even reset all access, turning it against its defenders. She gave it to them so that they would only need to reach at least the main security room and inserted it to the main terminal. It wouldn’t give them full access, but it also revokes Brotherhood access and reclassifies them as intruders, basically turning their technologies against them.

And with the help of a map, they roughly know where to go once they enter the facility. Ironically, the map was based on a tourist map that survived the long centuries since and was bought from Novac by a First Recon member's wife. She stayed there while her husband was busy being deployed when she saw one of them being sold in the dino store, recognising the name has something to do with her husband's work and bought it as a memorabilia.  

Major Tanisi generously overcompensated them for the cost, and forgave the lack of infosec. 

And along with the holotape, a company from the First Recon would help guide them to the right place discreetly while taking out any enemies that might have spotted them. Two companies may be a bit big to hide but she was hoping that a menacing, inscrutable threat would be more than sufficient cover for them. 

And as all eyes were on the NCR forces in the far distance as they made their camp, just a day before they initiated the first assault, she was right as none of them noticed their enemies near their rear, keeping a watchful eye and radio silence over them in return. 

With their main force away in hot pursuit and soon would be getting into the main fight. They knew that this would be their only chance. Unlike those under Tanisi, they have a bird's eye view of the first battle and can accurately guess the real devastation they inflicted onto the Brotherhood. And they also knew that as soon as they returned, they would be desperate enough to set the facility into self-destruct and escape in the destruction.

And so, as soon as the Brotherhood main force was far enough away to reach their main camp, they made their moves. 

Unlike the previous battles, the assault on HELIOS One went nearly flawless from both start to finish. As both veterans of Tanisi and their shared histories as raiders, they were very adept at getting into places they weren’t meant to, quietly. And with their main force away, leaving behind a skeleton crew for defense and their reserves empty, they can afford to rush and overwhelm the greatly diminished defenders and infiltrate the base almost undetected.

As raiders tend to do, by the time the defenders realized they were under attack, it was too late. They have already penetrated deep into the building and reached what looks like the communication centre and took the risk to cut the wires, and their communication with the main force. 

And before they could mount any more effective resistance or even direct the automatons to their position, they managed to reach what should have been their main security room and before long, inserted the datapads into the main terminal before they realised their systems were compromised. 

By the time the holotape programme did its work, the remaining automatons and turrets immediately turned on the Brotherhood and battles immediately raged throughout HELIOS One. Security doors automatically locked and divided entire squads into vulnerable piecemeals. 

Their casualties were light. 

With the battle for HELIOS One all but won, the 1st Company went to the facility main defense and manned the partially restored fortifications with overwatched from the accompanying First Recon company, while the 2nd Company went deeper into the facility to eliminate or capture the surviving Brotherhood forces.  

There is one unchangeable fact regardless of whence they were in history, and that is war never changes. 

A close second competition is that victories are exhilarating. At the final moment before victory was declared is also when they are most vulnerable. And never was that moment exemplified in real life as to when the Brotherhood's remaining force, having lost contact with HELIOS One sometimes in the trenches, finally arrived back to HELIOS One just to see NCR flags flowing over it. 

With enemy light infantry closing rapidly, with morales cratered, unarmored men dead, ammunition reaching the bottom of the barrel, and harassed constantly by snipers. Conventional wisdom should dictate that they’d acknowledge they lost.

Unfortunately, the Brotherhood of Steel have a different approach to the conventional. With what’s left of their forces, and before the rest of their enemies would encircle them completely, they immediately charged towards Helios One.  

Expecting to see the Brotherhood stumble at the very least, yet seemingly without hesitation, they charged. The First Recon simply opened fire from their flanks while the 1st froze for just a moment, mirroring the previous battle in the same location. A moment no one would have possibly noticed until after the fact and report collated. Even for a unit that mostly specialized in seizing the initiative, they are not quite as used to being on the other side of it. 

But that one moment was more than enough. Despite being received by rains of explosives and armored knights and paladins falling, they finally reached the captured defenses. Despite having the advantages in close-range however, and to the 1st company credit, they do not hesitate closing the distance even further into melee and answering their steel gauntlet with their own hatchet. A few more armored soldiers were added to the EM-put tally and their armor drained of power. But it wasn’t enough.    

According to the reports, only about a squad worth of Brotherhood soldiers managed to break through the cordons and disappeared into the hills behind them safely, while the remainder was killed when they failed to escape the encirclement in time. 1st Company as a result lost almost a quarter of their numbers in a short amount of time despite the novelties and capabilities of their equipment.  

Unfortunately for the major, this wasn’t the only grim news they received. The 2nd Company found a hidden entrance that extended the facility underground. Not wanting to take any chances, they divided into two groups. The largest would finish sweeping the surface area and buildings, while two platoons worth would go and check the underground.

All radio communication with the underground teams was lost. When an additional force led by the major to find them, they only found their bodies along with some Brotherhood members that died fighting the compromised securities. In one of the security terminals, one of their cameras manages to capture the only possible perpetrator who was caught leaving the area where they were killed, before the old man opened fire on the camera with his laser pistol. The one and only recorded image of the illusive Elder Elijah. They scoured the entire facility top to bottom to find him, but to no avail. 

The elder vanished as suddenly as he appeared. And with that, the battle came to a close with NCR victory.

Aftermath

NCR:

As far as the rest of the country is concerned, Operation: Sunburst shouldn’t have mattered at all. Due to their sheer size and the world they were living in, intense combat operations were becoming distressingly common and public sentiment was becoming increasingly sour with the concept due to the ever increasing casualties. But it was politics that brought what should have been an obscure battle among many into the spotlight. 

When news regarding the conclusion of the operation reached NCR political elite, a coalition of loosely connected news organizations worked in concert for the first time since its inception and started to both air and print all the exclusive facts of the operation and, more importantly for them, its main architect. Believing that the high casualties of the operation would sink the major reputation as another callous commander, without checking what they were airing and printing.

This proves to be extremely premature and their intention of spoiling Major Tanisi's potential long-term political career backfired. 

Ironically enough, of all the politicians, it was the then president Kimball whose own military experience would tell him that ‘this doesn’t make sense,’ and ‘why?’ according to his biography. He’s vaguely aware that certain news outlets were owned by them, and that his ‘political allies’ have some animosity he didn’t understand towards the poor tribal major; although he’s personally thankful that she doesn’t seem to have reciprocated that hatred. 

Personally, he doesn’t even see her as a problem and even preferred having her as a political ally due to their shared military experience, unlike his political colleagues. Yet this seemingly contradictory positive portrayal of someone they didn’t like, by them even, was wildly uncharacteristic to him.

When the news broke, the people, used to seeing the long list of casualties being hidden somewhere in the papers, were initially confused. They were so used to the government masking them they didn’t register them being printed plain sight and in the front page of most newspapers in the first readthrough; afterwards they thought it was some sort of cruel political joke at the expense of the public. It didn't help their perception much when they saw that it was against the Brotherhood of Steel, they knew from experience that those sort operations tend to create a very long list of names before they started hiding them. 

Yet, when they continue reading, they become increasingly bewildered. Yes, it’s a long, gloomy list as expected, but not quite as lengthy as others and definitely not as many as they usually feared. Frankly, it was even gravely optimistic. And it helps that most of the names usually belong to tribals and criminals rather than the usual popular pre-war based name.

As more details started to leak, thanks to the initial burst of seemingly uncensored news making it seem like it was legally permissible, the sheer devastation that was smited upon, and the scale of advanced materials they took from, the Brotherhood was euphoric to say the least. They still remembered the opening days of the Brotherhood war, and getting some measures of payback even now was satisfying. 

To say that Tanisi's name being associated with it raised her popularity to the stratosphere was an understatement. Even the most fiercely independent media started to run similar news, mocking the Brotherhood whenever the chance came up and praising her military acumen. Accusations of her positivity being used to somehow hide further other misdeeds or mistakes will eventually circulate, but it would not dent her reputation with the public. 

The only region not affected was seemingly her homeland, the Stormlands. Not really understanding the sheer animosity the rest of NCR have towards the Brotherhood yet understand the sheer value their former-chieftess was able to loot from her enemies, but their reactions to the casualties was more of a muted solemnity. Most of the names belong to them, yes, yet due to not being that far away from their warrior/raider root culture and being a relatively new state meant that they have yet to reach the same level of war weariness as the other NCR nation states.  

By the time the politicians realised the public wasn’t acting like they supposed to, it was too late. Public sentiments towards the news were entirely positive, an increasingly rare occurrence ever since President Tandi passing. 

Mojave:

As for the Mojave, it was simply like any other day. Aside from the scavengers who were thankful, but not grateful, they don’t have to deal with them anymore. Most of the locals barely noticed. The NCR military contingent meanwhile was elated that someone from their side just “ … kicked some serious ass,” while the tourists and settlers were happy that one more threat was gone from the wasteland. 

As for General Oliver, he was initially sceptical of Major Tanisi's ability to expel the Brotherhood with merely three untested battalions but was glad that they at least sent someone to deal with them. Their continued presence meant that he had to worry about them when he had more pressing matters to deal with. And as per orders, he did prepare to send her reinforcement in the form of Colonel Moore’s battalions and even the Rangers in the event she failed, though the wordings seems to strongly imply that her failure was certain yet insist on not assisting her until she did. Although he did authorise a Desert Ranger squad to shadow them, just in case the Brotherhood proved themselves to be too formidable. 

Ultimately, he was glad that the major proved herself competent enough not to need his help, he needed all the manpower he could get if he wanted to face the Legion. And when he received the orders to allow Major Tanisi’s battalions to recuperate and recover for as long as they needed to in the Mojave, he’s more than happy to accommodate them in Camp Golf. 

It helps that the major herself requested similar r&r for her battalions and in return, she’s willing to help train any new recruits for him - not just her own - coming to reinforce New Vegas. This training would later prove to be the needed conditioning to fight the Legion and the sudden outbreaks of fiends and raiders in the outskirts of Camp McCarran. 

For Major Tanisi herself, although it wasn’t mentioned by her journal, her soldiers meanwhile gossiped that when news came she was assigned to Camp Golf, she was noticeably more positive in her attitudes. Her soldiers meanwhile were very glad that they didn’t have to go to the same training as the new recruits.

They were unfortunately presumptuous. 

Aside from that, due to them being able to take HELIOS One earlier than anyone expected, NCR hackers were able to recover various vital military data the Brotherhood was unable to delete in time. The most pertinent of which was the data that contained how to build power armors and all its needed parts, including the frame and fusion core. Due to her force being able to recover this data, she was able to argue that her homeland should receive a copy of the data and be allowed to build their own power armor factory with their own dimes, diversifying their own economy while further adding into and strengthening NCR logistics. Jubilant as they are with the data, they acquiesce.  

Surprisingly enough, the major privately owned business company wasn’t directly involved in their manufacturing, only acting as independent third-party support - to all power armor manufacturing and not just limited to Stormland industry - with analysing the data they receive and reverse-engineering along with suggesting areas to improve. 

After a few months studying the data, and due to their already extensive experience in wasteland industrializing, they were able to handcraft a power armor that was weaker than the T-45. A few years later, they were able to enter limited mass production. But the effect was far more immediate than that as with the data, homebrew power armor production was inevitable with the needed logistics to support it, existing power armor stocks in storage were free to use for general military deployment. 

Power armored soldiers, referred as Heavy Troopers, were soon deployed to other fronts or privileged NCR military formations.

Not to mention that certain units were allowed to make full use of the power armors they salvaged during the war with the Brotherhood, pulling them out of storage and into refurbishments and later, military deployment. The first to profit from such allowance was the 23rd, as with their full salvage they were able to immediately train and deploy a maximum of two platoons of heavy troopers to a competent enough state, which is the maximum they were able to logistically support from the spare parts they salvaged until the NCR was able to add power armor parts and supplies into their logistics lines.   

For HELIOS One, after taking full control and scavenging all the none-essentials and sending them back to either the Stormlands or Shady Sands; not wanting to waste the facility that took so many of her troops, she took an unusual step to personally request the Followers of the Apocalypse for their help immediately manning and restoring the facility to its intended purpose. They obliged. 

NCR unfortunately, or at least part of those who found them objectionable, was too late to protest against this decision, lacking both the political will to make it a bigger issue and specialized manpower to replace them if the Followers were told to leave.   

Despite the First Recon attempts, they were unable to track where the last few remaining Brotherhood soldiers were. All they managed to find is a destroyed power armor, but with no bodies and no witnesses to what had happened, the major eventually called off the search.

Closing:

The Mojave wasteland meanwhile, continues as it always has been. For all the major had accomplished during her early presence in the Mojave, and the political discourse it ensued in Shady Sands, her struggle was merely a prelude to the war to come. Because war, war never changes.  

Reference:

Kimball, A. (2282). Carrying the Nation: Making the Hard Decision. The New Californian Publishers.

New Vegas Exhibition Wing (2280). Captured writing from fleeing Brotherhood of Steel force during Operation:Sunburst. [Exhibition Catalogue]. Stormlands Histories Society. 

New Vegas Exhibition Wing (2280). Interviews with the Soldiers of Operation:Sunburst. [Exhibition Catalogue]. Stormlands Histories Society.

New Vegas Exhibition Wing (2279). Copied radio transcripts with Tanisi Stormguard interviews with the Californian FM. [Exhibition Catalogue]. Stormlands Histories Society.

New Vegas Exhibition Wing (2280) Interrogation records and transcripts of captured Brotherhood soldiers. [Exhibition Catalogue]. Stormlands Histories Society.

Oliver, L. (2283). A General Battle: Biography of NCR General Lee Oliver. The New Californian Publishers.

Stormguard, T. (2282). A Journal of a Soldier. The New Californian Publishers