Following Steps
Menifee Battlefront
NCR Forward Command Center:
A NCR general and 2 troopers stand near a helipad as an Enclave vertibird lands.
Ellie was the first to disembark and quickly approaches the general.
"Commander Neumann" the general said, shaking Ellie's hand "General Michael Parker"
"Hello general" Ellie replied "What can you tell me of the area?"
"Straight to the point, I see. Step into my war room. I'll fill you in there"
War Room:
"So what's the situation" Ellie asked
"Legion Forces have set up fortifications in the outskirts of a pre-war suburbs" Parker answered pointing to a location on the map "Just yesterday, our forces were pushed out of those suburbs"
"Vivian" Ellie said
"Not good" Vivian responded looking at her Pip-boy "Our marker is inside those suburbs"
"So what now?" Owen asked
"No other choice…" Ellie replied "General. Will your men be taking that area back any time soon?"
"We're currently planning an assault"
"Well general, if you would allow me, I would like to help you take back the suburbs"
"Well… I'm not one to turn down help… This could be my chance to see how your little revolution defeated our forces 5 years ago"
"Very good. Wolf Pack. Be ready for deployment. I'll be discussing strategy at the moment"
As the other members leave the war room, Ellie begins scanning the map.
"So" she said "What do we have?"
"The Legion's assault yesterday happened in the early morning. Caught our troops by surprise. I ordered a tactical retreat to these 4 major roads. We entrenched in these areas and stopped the Legion's advance. They rained down mortars on us but luckily, there's shelter"
"They have access to mortars then? How many?"
"We estimate at least 4 mortar teams, all entrenched at the suburbs"
"What about NCR vertibirds? Do we have control of the air?"
"No. The Legion's been using missile launchers against us. The missiles seem to follow our vertibirds even if they use flares and evade the missile. We lost too many vertibirds to risk more"
"How many vertibirds do you have left?"
"I have 3 ready"
"They'll have to do. Next problem is this huge stretch of open land we have to cross after taking these derelict buildings from the Legion. Is there any way to flank the Legion?"
"Not a large force at least but in order to do so, they need to traverse a lot of ruined buildings and craters to do so"
"So it takes time to flank… We have effective anti-air and artillery capabilities… Do you have power armor?"
"Power armor? Yes. I have a few but they're not that many. Are you proposing a direct assault?"
"Yes. What kind of power armor?"
"T-51s"
"No customizations?"
"No. Standard pre-war T-51s"
"Ok… How many of these troopers do you have exactly?"
"More or less a few squads worth… So about 16-20 troopers"
"Are the rangers here too?"
"Yes"
"How many?"
"I have around 6 squadrons on standby"
"Right. We'll have to work with what we have…"
Zion Canyon:
"Oh…" Rufus said holding his head "My head… I feel like I drank too much booze yesterday…"
"Easy" Alexander said, holding Rufus up "We're almost to the Sorrow's camp. You can rest there"
"What the hell just happened, Alex?"
"The result of a Vault-Tec experiment"
"What?"
"You know that most vaults experimented on their inhabitants… Well… Back in 2288, the NCR somehow acquired the research data from some vault in D.C. Command wanted us to use a device derived from that research on the Legion at the time. Everyone complied except me"
"What did it do?"
"You saw it, didn't you? It creates hallucinations that can drive people insane"
"How?"
"Radio waves. White noise. Based on the fact that only a certain area is affected, there's probably a small beacon or something transmitting the signal. We destroy it, the white noise stops"
"So the NCR's been playing dirty way before the black suits program, huh?"
"Yeah…"
"So… Was this device the reason why your son died?"
"… Yes…"
"That explains why you were so cooperative at the start"
"Yeah… Those bastards made the mistake of experimenting on my son"
The Narrows:
As the two men slowly walk through the knee deep waters, several tribesmen meet the 2 men, all armed with bows and rifles.
"Stop!" one of the tribals said "You step on Sorrow's territory! Who are you?"
"I am friend" Alexander replied "A friend coming from the land of the two-headed bear!"
The tribal walks closer, his Thompson still raised.
He looks at Alexander and Rufus.
"You may enter"
The two into the camp with Alexander leaving Rufus to the care of a healer before going to meet with the chieftain.
Looking around the camp, the general fondly remembers the times he visited Arroyo.
Soon, he finds himself in the largest tent in the camp.
An elderly woman emerges from the tent. She had a hunchback and carried a cane.
"Ah" the chieftain said with a smile "Mr. Alexander. It is nice to see you again"
"Good to see you too, Chief Waking Cloud"
"It has been a long time since your last visit but tell me. How did you manage to reach our camp? Over the past few months, a terrible curse befell upon the land"
"Yes I experienced that 'curse'. I suggest steering clear of the areas surrounding Morning glory cave and the ranger stations"
"Yes we know but have you encountered the mist?"
"What mist?"
"Sometimes a thick mist falls upon the valley. Inside that mist are demons that kill anything that wanders deep into the mist"
"That's disturbing… Anyway, I have another question"
"Ask away"
"Do you know anything about someone called 'the courier'?"
"The courier? I am not familiar with such a figure"
"Ah wait. Let me rephrase that. Do you know anything about the warrior who helped defend these lands 30 years ago?"
"Ah I believe you speak of 'the guardian'"
"Uh… yes. Do you know where she could be?"
"She came here days ago. Like you, she survived the curse so we entrusted her to help rescue some of our tribesmen who went missing when the mist first came to this valley. She has yet to return"
"Where did she go?"
"The Eastern Virgin where the dead horses were"
August 2117
San Diego ruins
10:30pm:
A pack of feral ghouls slowly walk around the ruined city, stalking a squad of 5 commandos.
They snarl, walking ever so closer to their prey.
Minutes later, they emerge from the ruined buildings, snarling and running.
"More zombies!" the captain shouted firing his rifle "Formation!"
The commandos quickly form a circle and begin shooting at the horde of ghouls that surrounded them.
They easily gun down the horde.
"Damn" Charles said "There sure are a lot of them"
"So how do we get to our destination?" Jane asked "We don't exactly have boats"
"There should be a military base nearby" Paul answered "Hopefully, they still have a working boat inside"
"You think after all these years, anything could still work without maintenance?" Kira wondered
"We won't know until we find out" the Captain answered "Now move"
After hours of walking, the squad reaches the old military base near the harbor.
The commandos enter the base, being greeted by the usual sights of the ruins around them.
They soon find themselves in front of a door in what looks like a large warehouse.
"Locked" Charles said trying to open the door
"Cover me" the Captain said bringing out a bobby pin
As the captain attempts to pick the lock while the other commandos stand guard.
Although, Kira wanders into a nearby shed.
Inside, she finds 2 beds and a lit lamp.
Charles also wandered a bit, ending up inside another shed.
He finds piles upon piles of junk.
The 2 commandos return to the Captain.
Nothing out of the ordinary except…
"Hey" Charles said "Where's Paul?"
The commandos look around but Paul was nowhere to be found.
"He was just here a minute ago…" Jane said
"Paul" the Captain said over the radio "Where are you?"
No response.
Suspicious, the captain turns to Jane. "Find Paul. Charles. Kira. Stay alert"
The commandos comply.
Jane moves towards the entrance of the base, moving through the sheds and buildings.
Eventually, she spots Paul's silhouette.
She moves towards him.
"Psst" she said "Paul. What are you-"
She stops mid-sentence, noticing a body near Paul.
Paul signals her to stay quiet. The commando complies as Paul directs her to a guard tower.
She notices movement in and around the tower.
Paul positions his DMR, ready to fire on the guard tower as Jane readies herself for a fight.
She uses morse code to signal the other commandos. "Hostiles"
The other commandos understood the warning.
Within minutes, a figure emerges from the tower.
He aims his rifle towards the captain.
Paul quickly adjusts his aim.
Meanwhile, Charles notices a red laser on Jane's forehead.
Before he could speak a word, a single shot was fired.
The commandos all look at the guard tower as a body falls onto the ground.
"CONTACT!" the Captain shouted as hostiles emerge from the ruins, opening fire upon them.
"Is this Vault-Tec again?!" Kira asked
"No" the Captain responded "They're too sporadic! They don't feel like an organized squad. Must be raiders!"
"You sure?" Charles responded
The captain brings out a frag grenade and throws it.
The hostiles quickly jump in all directions.
One jumps right into open ground.
The captain quickly opens fire, neutralizing the foe.
"Yes. I'm sure. Vault-Tec Troopers don't make rookie mistakes like that!"
The bandits were no match against the highly trained commandos as they are eliminated within a few minutes.
"Goddamn…" Charles said "What's the world coming to?"
"No time to feel sad" the Captain asid picking the lock "This is just proof that Oppenheim must be brought to justice"
He successfully picks the lock.
The commandos enter and find a small boat.
"Jane" the captain ordered "Check the boat"
"Circuitry needs a bit of work… But this boat will run after I tinker with it a bit" Jane reported
"Get it done"
After a few minutes of tinkering, Jane manages to get the boat started and the commandos waste no time to leave the base on the boat.
They travel 16 miles from San Diego, ending up in what appears to be a small abandoned island.
"So…" Charles asked as the commandos disembark "Is this the place?"
"It should be" the Captain replied, checking his Pip-boy-like device
They soon end up in front of an old shack.
Inside is a table and a terminal.
"Nothing in here" Kira said checking the terminal "Terminal's blank"
The captain moves closer and inserts a holotape into the terminal.
After a few minutes, a single item appears on screen 'res ipsa loquitur'.
He clicks it and a single message appears on screen. 'ignorantia juris non excusat'.
A hidden hatch then opens.
The commandos climb down the ladder.
It was dark and the commandos could barely see 2 feet in front of them.
"Flashlights" the captain commanded
From what they could illuminate, the area looked like a large metallic pre-war military storage facility.
Cautious, the commandos slowly move further in.
The captain spots a terminal.
It was on.
He accesses the terminal, finding only 1 line. 'fiat justitia ruat caelum.
He clicks it.
The lights turn on, illuminating the facility.
It was far larger than they thought…
Directly in front of the commandos were rows of ships.
Battleships, cruisers, and even an aircraft carrier.
The commandos chuckle and smile.
"So this is what Sanderson was hiding…" Charles said
"We can definitely take the fight to Vault-Tec now…" Kira added
"True that. About time too. But how about training the crews?" Paul asked
"That's the Brotherhood's job now" Jane answered as she approaches the Captain "We did it, Raven…"
She taps the Captain's back.
"Yes… Yes we did…" Raven said removing his mask, revealing a ghoulish face "We're coming for you, Oppenheim"
2312
Menifee Battlefront
NCR forward Command Center:
"All units in position sir" a radio operator reported as Parker looks at his watch.
"Send the command" the general commanded "Mobilize all units!"
"Acknowledged!" the operator replied relaying the orders
Frontlines:
"We have the go!" Ellie shouted "Send them in!"
NCR troopers fire missile launchers on the entrenched legionaries as the rest move in, attempting to secure the derelict buildings.
Ellie and her Wolf pack head the charge as they burst through the windows, gunning down the Legion soldiers in their way.
Within minutes, the buildings were secured but a huge stretch of open land stood between them and the next Legion entrenchment.
"Mortars!" a NCR trooper shouted as the soldiers take cover inside the buildings
The buildings shook as mortars rained around the NCR, some parts of it even fell onto the ground.
"Rangers!" Ellie commanded as the mortar barrage stops
Several NCR Rangers, armed with M14 EBRs, get to their positions.
"In position" they reported
"Copy! Send the vertibirds!"
At Ellie's command, NCR vertibirds fly in as Legion troopers take aim with their missile launchers.
The rangers act quickly, sniping all threats.
The vertibirds take position just above the NCR entrenchments.
"Stabilized" the NCR pilots reported as the NCR Rangers in the vertibitds begin picking off Legion mortar teams.
"Mortar teams neutralized" the snipers reported
"Acknowledged!" Ellie reported "Missiles!"
Several NCR troopers then fire a barrage of missiles onto the enemy as NCR heavy troopers take to the front.
With miniguns on hand, the troopers head the long charge on open land with the other troopers close behind.
The vertibirds fly closer but several Legion soldiers pop from the ruins.
The rangers act fast, sniping a few but the others manage to fire their missiles.
The vertibitds quickly attempt to evade, deploying flares in the process.
One goes down as NCR troops enter the suburbs.
Heavy fighting continued as NCR troops take positions around the area.
Meanwhile, Talon was moving towards a couple of sandbags laid on the street when he notices several Legionnaires slowly creeping towards Ellie and the other NCR troopers.
The tribal acts quickly, charging towards the enemy soldiers with a 10mm SMG on one hand.
He sprays, hitting one enemy in the leg.
He then lunges at the rest with his mutated claw, brutally eliminating his adversaries.
He then sets his sights on the last legionnaire.
The enemy soldier tries to crawl away as Talon slowly walk s towards him.
The tribal prepares to kill his target as Ellie steps in.
"Hey" she said grabbing Talon's claw "That's excessive"
"Why?" the tribal replied "he is the enemy, yes?"
"Yes but we don't have to be this brutal. Besides, he may be more useful alive than dead"
Suddenly, the legionnaire stands up and grabs Ellie's arm.
She instinctively stabs the enemy soldiers in the neck with her hidden blade.
Slowly dying, the legionnaire presses a detonator.
"Goddamn it!" she exclaims as Talon shields her from the C4 explosion.
The force pushes the two back as more legionnaires emerge from hidden positions amongst the ruins, catching the NCR forces off-guard.
Most soldiers engage one another in melee combat, enabling the Legion forces on the other side of the suburbs to slowly regain ground.
"Marta!" Ellie commanded "Let's clear this area of the Legion! The rest of you, focus on the advancing legionnaires!"
"Copy!"
Marta and Ellie quickly make their way to the nearest legionnaires.
They lunge at them.
Using her hidden blades, Ellie quickly neutralizes several enemy soldiers while Marta skillfully engages the spear-wielding legionnaires with her bare fists.
"Concentrate on the Legion in the front!" Ellie commanded "We'll take care of the enemies here!"
The NCR troopers follow orders resuming their assault while Marta and Ellie eliminate the remaining Legion forces.
By nightfall, the Legion was finally forced out of the suburbs and the fighting had stopped albeit for the time being…
Wasting no time, Wolf pack moves into one of the houses in the suburbs.
The second floor had collapsed onto the 1st floor…
"Vivian…" Ellie said "You sure it's here?"
"Yep" Vivian replied, looking at her Pip-boy "Marker's here"
"Alright. Point out where exactly"
Vivian points to a corner in the house. The first floor was more intact here when compared with the other parts of the house.
Wolf pack checks the corner, even the small part buried by the 2nd floor.
"Nothing, chief" Owen responded
"No hatches. No hidden doorways…" Jonas added
Ellie approaches the corner.
Using her eagle vision, she spots a circular object in a hidden part in the wall.
She stabs the wall with her hidden blade.
She nudges her right arm.
A hidden compartment open in front of her.
It was the size of a medicine cabinet.
Inside was the Assassin's insignia and a keyhole under it.
Ellie inserts her right hidden blade onto the keyhole and turns it like a key.
A hidden compartment opens next to her.
"Heh…" Owen said "… So this Raven character was an assassin…"
"Let's go" Ellie said climbing down.
Underground, Wolf pack is greeted with the sight of 2 makeshift barricades.
Spent bullet casings litter the floor and burn marks on the walls, floors, and barricades.
Walking deeper into the facility, Wolf pack sees a number of skeletons, some still wearing their Assassin robes.
All terminals the squad found were destroyed. All papers burnt.
They eventually end up in a room with a lone skeleton resting on a wall behind another set of destroyed terminals.
It was still wearing a Master Assassin robe and a 10mm pistol on its left hand.
Ellie approaches the skeleton, finding a holotape in its feet.
She plays the holotape, hearing a deep male voice.
Raven… They managed to find us here. We underestimated Vault-Tec's determination to eliminate all opposition to their plans… We'll fight until the last man but I know we can't defeat these bastards. All havens are safe except for one. They managed to find out about the Coronado Island haven. I pray that you find this in time. Prepare for a Vault-Tec assault on those islands!
"Coronado Islands?" Jonas wondered "Where's that?"
"They're down south" Vivian answered
"How do you know?" Talon asked
"I studied a lot of pre-war maps in the past. The islands were part of the old Mexican territories"
"So… we're not done with the Legion" Marta remarked
"Yeah…" Ellie responded with a worried sigh.
Fort Covington, New York
2 vertibirds fly across the ruins of an old suburb.
Inside one of the vertibirds are several armed men, all equipped with tactical gear and gas masks.
"So" one of the men said "What exactly are we looking for here again?"
"Weren't you listening at the briefing? An underground base" a woman on the radio responded "two underground bases. We're not looking for anything specific just search them and report if you find anything interesting. The vertibirds will drop us close to the entrances but we'll still need to walk a bit"
"Roger. So any threats?"
"Based on what we gathered, expect hostiles to be waiting for us"
"On both sites? What kind of hostiles?"
"Possibly. The same ones that attacked vital Union territories weeks ago but we don't have much info on them. All we know is that they have access to advanced weapons. Keep your guard up either way"
"Right. You be careful too"
"Acknowledged"
One vertibird lands near a park while the other continues on its own path.
"Alright boys" the leader said grabbing his H&K G36c "You know the drill. Let's show what the Talon Company can do!"
"Yes sir!"
The troopers then disembark as the vertibird flies off.
They quickly make their way through the park, gathering near an old bakery.
Pre-war skeletons, discarded junk…
The same old pre-war ruins sight greeted the soldiers.
They head towards a large fridge in the kitchen.
Inside, they open a hidden elevator door.
The 5 soldiers descend to the lower levels, finding themselves inside what looks like an abandoned military installation
They cautiously gather by the door.
Jack nods before opening the door.
The soldiers quickly enter the room, guns drawn.
No hostiles.
But the furniture looks like it was arranged to anticipate an attack.
Tables and sofas turned to the side, 2 ammo boxes behind the makeshift barricade, and a single skeleton still holding onto a M16A4.
"Keep moving" Jack commanded
The soldiers scour every room.
Each looking eerily the same. Makeshift barricades, weapons & bullet casings littering the floor, and burn marks on the floor and walls…
"Hey Audrey" Jack said over the radio "Did the Brotherhood cleanse this base in the past?"
"None that I've heard of" Audrey replied
"Well someone attacked this base… The Enclave made enemies out of everyone but the Brotherhood is the only one I know that can pull off a slaughter like this…"
"Yeah… This is weird… My team's going deeper into the bunker now. Radio may not reach this far down so I'll go silent"
"Copy. Be careful"
"You too"
As Jack continues the search, his attention is drawn to a slight movement in the dark hallway ahead.
The Talon leader signals his men and the soldiers slowly made their way to the hallway, going straight until the end.
At the end of the hallway is an open door.
Jack heads inside first, into a large room.
The others follow suit.
"Clear" Jack said as they look around.
There was hardly anything noteworthy other than several large cages in the room.
"Where have I seen these before…?" Jack muttered inspecting one of the cages.
He notices claw marks and several bones inside.
"Hmm…" he mutters, searching the cage "… Empty"
Jack stops and ponders for a moment.
"Has anyone found any deathclaw skeletons?" Jack asked
"No sir" the soldiers respond
Jack closes his eyes and inhales.
He then notices the distinct sight of a stealth field.
He quickly throws a pulse grenade and goes towards the figure.
"You thought you could outsmart me?" Jack said aiming his rifle "I suggest you cooperate if you want to get out of here in one piece"
The figure turns around and roars.
The ear-piercing roar stuns Jack and his men before the figure lunges at Jack.
He uses his large back-hand to swat the other soldiers while grabbing the Talon leader.
The grip was tight as Jack struggles to break free.
"What the fuck?!" Jack uttered noticing a large inhuman hand grabbing him. It actually looked more like a claw than a hand.
The other soldiers recover and point their weapons.
The figure then rests his other claw over Jack's neck.
"Don't do anything stupid" the figure said in a raspy tone
The figure slowly moves back.
The soldiers slowly move forward, guns still drawn.
'"Stop!" the figure shouted "One more step and he chokes in his own blood!"
The soldiers stop but still aim their guns.
"Hey. Hey. Easy. Easy" Jack said "There's no need for any deaths today. We can talk this over"
"Quiet!"
"Now. Now. Let's be civil here. You're not a savage killer especially since you tried escaping first. So let's find a peaceful way to address all this"
"Why should I trust you?"
"Look. We're not here to hunt anyone, ok? We're just looking for something in this base"
"This base once belonged to the Enclave. Only their venomous kin know of this place!"
"Not a fan of the Enclave, eh? I get it but trust me. The Enclave that terrorized the wasteland decades ago is gone. We just need something they hid here, alright?"
"What could you possibly need here?"
"That's an excellent question… But it's kind of confidential and a long story so you just gotta trust me on this"
The figure doesn't respond.
"I can't tell you everything" Jack continued "That would endanger thousands of lives"
The figure is still silent.
"Hello?"
Jack then looks at his men, noticing several stealth fields behind them.
"Oh shit…" he uttered as several deathclaws uncloak behind the soldiers, quickly grabbing their guns.
The figure then puts his hood down.
"Sweet mother of mercy…" Jack muttered seeing the face of a deathclaw staring down at him.
"We have plenty of time" the deathclaw answered "Besides, I do love hearing stories from you humans anyway"