Chapter 45: Invasion

Rivet City Control Tower...

Private Beckett, the newest member of Rivet City's Militia, was standing his final hour of watch inside the old aircraft carrier's control tower. It had been months since his release from the alien Zeta ship, and Corporal Adams had arranged for him to join the militia. While the young private still found it difficult to adjust to this new world, he was also aware that his situation could be a lot worse. As he stood up and began to pace, he happened to look out the port window...and saw something on the horizon that seemed impossible. "This is a...post five calling Commander Hill."

"This is Commander Hill, go ahead post five."

"Ma'am I've got multiple contacts coming from the north-east."

"Did you say north-EAST?"

"Yes ma'am. Multiple ships - at least a couple of dozen, maybe more and they're coming in fast."

"...Chief, did you copy that?"

"I heard it, Commander. Meet me in the control tower asap!"

A few minutes later Chief Harkness and Commander Hill had made it up to the control tower. Beckett handed his binoculars to Hill and pointed towards the fast approaching armada. "I count over fifty ships. Some of them look like they're former military, while others are just junks that were put together."

Harkness used his optics to zoom in on the lead ship. Based on it's shape and the old world files in his data base, he determined that it was an old Coast Guard Legend class cutter, only it was painted black instead of white, and was covered with guns of all types. The armada was steaming by them at a good pace, about five hundred yards off their port side. "We'd better get on the radio and notify the Brotherhood..."

Harkness stopped mid-sentence as he spotted the lead ship's main gun, a 57mm cannon, swing around and was pointing right at them. "GET DOWN!"

The three soldiers ducked down just as the first shell slammed into the tower. Soon every ship in the armada opened fire, and the tower and flight deck of the once mighty aircraft carrier was being pounded by artillery shells, 120mm mortars, 40mm grenades and 20mm cannons. The explosions were so intense Harkness, Hill and Beckett thought the entire ship was going to come apart. "GO!" Harkness screamed. "GET BELOW DECKS!" The trio quickly made their way down below the carrier's main deck, just as more 57mm shells obliterated the control tower; leaving it a burned out husk.

Down below panic ruled as citizens and soldiers alike desperately tried to find safety. A few of the mortars penetrated the carrier's flight deck, and the people on the second deck were either burned alive or crushed to death under tons of steel. Two-hundred years ago this carrier would have been able to take the damage from these weapons, but centuries of rust and decay had made her hull vulnerable, and now 20mm and 57mm shells were slicing through her port side like butter. Down in the market place, Bannon was trying to save what he could of his store when the hull in front of him was blown to pieces. The blast killed him instantly, and Potomac Attire was set ablaze. Vera and her nephew Brian had just made it into the passageway when her beloved hotel was buried under tons of rubble. She never looked back as she carried her nephew further down into the ship.

Angela was fighting her way through the mass of people, desperately trying to reach the Church of Saint Monica. She knew that's where Diego would be. She pushed and made her way inside the doorway of the chapel, and spotted her beloved husband by the alter, praying with a crowd of frightened and wounded people. "DIEGO!"

Diego looked up and spotted his wife, his love standing in the doorway. A moment later, an explosion tore into the wall of the chapel, and the overhead caved in.

The bridge of the Reciprocity...

Ashur was pleased as he watched the bombardment of Rivet City. While some would question the wisdom of wasting precious ordnance on a settlement that wasn't even a target, Ashur knew from his spies that Rivet City had aided the Brotherhood during the Battle of Project Purity, and that was all the reason he needed. He was not going to allow the people of this city, who harbored an android, an abomination of science no less, to interfere with his plans. This bombardment was meant to take them out of the fight early, and from the looks of it, he had succeeded. "Bring the fleet into position and prepare to bombard Project Purity. And prepare the landing party."

Wernher saluted. "It will be done, my Lord."

The Citadel Lab...

By now frantic calls from both Rivet City and Project Purity could be heard coming over the radio. Elder Lyons was inside the lab, along with Rothchild, Tristen and Cross. "Get every Vertibird we have in the air now!" Lyons ordered. "They must not take Project Purity!"

Everyone sprang into action. Tristen and Cross rallied the Brotherhood soldiers to arms, while every pilot they had began to suit up and headed for the makeshift airfield that was next to the Citadel. All fifteen of the Brotherhood's Vertibirds were stationed here, and the first two pilots made it to their aircraft, and approached a member of the ground crew. "We need to lift off asap, soldier!"

The crewman turned, and without saying a word, shot both pilots dead with a laser pistol. Another member of the ground crew went for his gun, but was shot in the back by another Pitt agent. By now more Brotherhood pilots and soldiers arrived on the scene, their guns raised at the two traitors. "PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" One of the Paladins yelled.

The two agents calmly raised their hands...revealing their detonators. "HAIL ASHUR!" They both yelled as they pushed the buttons.

The entire airfield was lite up as every Vertibird exploded in a fireball, killing the Pitt agents and most of the Brotherhood pilots in the process. In one stroke, Ashur's spies had neutralized the Brotherhood's air power. Project Purity was on it's own.

Penn. Ave Metro, underneath the Mall...

For six months they prepared for this. First it was a dozen man advanced team to clear out the mirelurks in Rock Creek Caverns; the perfect hiding place, since no one in their right mind would dare explore it. After that it was four and five man teams, trickling in from the Pitt and caring the supplies they needed on their backs. It was an infiltration technique used by the Chinese two and a half centuries earlier during the Korean war, when tens of thousands of their troops made their way through the mountains behind the American lines. They carried everything they would need on their backs: ammo, guns, rations, even the parts to artillery guns that they reassembled right under the American's noses. In this case, it was three-hundred and fifty of Ashur's crack troops, his personnel guard who spent these last few months preparing for this day. Once the Brotherhood's communications had been jammed, they made their way through the metro tunnels, and were now within reach of their target. Though it was not being held by their sworn enemy, it was as their Lord stated, the main prize in this campaign. It was the seat of power to a once great nation, and it would be the seat of power for Ashur's new nation.

Their leader broke open the metro gate leading to the surface, and quickly they ascended the stone steps, until their target came into few. A huge section of it's dome had long ago been blown away, but the once grand Capital Building was still largely intact, and the four Super Mutants guarding it's main entrance were shocked at the sight of so many humans pouring out of the nearby metro and heading straight for them. Before either of the creatures could comprehend what was happening, the human leader shouldered a fatman and launched a mini nuke. The explosion atomized the four mutants, and blew the massive doors off their hinges.

Inside the building's central chamber, the two Meta-humans Fawkes and Uncle Leo, heard the massive explosion. A moment later, the last of the Overlords stormed inside, his tri-beam rifle in his hands. "HUMANS BREAK TREATY! WE FIGHT NOW!"

Both Fawkes and Uncle Leo stared at each other in disbelief. Fawkes could not believe that the humans had broken the truce. The Brotherhood had promised them. More importantly, Marcus had promised them. Deciding that now was not the time for debate, Fawkes grabbed his Precision Gatling Laser and Uncle Leo picked up his minigun, and the the Meta-Humans headed into the fight.

The Pitt Raiders had made it to the bottom of the stairs when the Super Mutants began pouring out of the building. The first few were cut down almost as soon as they had appeared, but soon more of the mutants, accompanied by Brutes and Masters, were now standing at the top of the stairs unleashing hell on the humans. The Overlord, Fawkes and Uncle Leo soon joined their brothers and added their own fire. The first wave of Pitt Raiders were mowed down before they had even taken ten steps, but the humans kept pushing forward. A few RPG's were fired up the steps, killing several of the mutants, but the creatures held firm, and were determined to defend their home.

The Overlord screamed in rage as he fired his tri-beam, turning several of the invaders to ash. "WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE!"

Several of the humans turned their weapons on the Overlord and began peppering him with bullets and laser fire. The Overlord screamed in pain, but continued to fire, and killed another of the invaders. Uncle Leo reloaded his minigun and tried to provide him with cover fire, but an RPG scored a direct hit on the Overlord's chest, blowing apart the upper half of his torso. The humans surged forward, their numbers overwhelming the Super Mutant's fire. Uncle Leo unleashed the last of his 5mm rounds, shredding over a dozen of the Pitt Raiders. When his gun went dry, the Meta-Human drew his super sledge and charged at the invaders. The usually passive mutant was now consumed with rage, and was killing humans all around him. But soon he was being riddled with bullets and bayonet wounds, and Fawkes desperately tried to reload his Gatling Laser to help his friend. He could see one of the humans holding an odd looking weapon that resembled a giant saw, running towards Uncle Leo, who was still screaming and swinging his super sledge. The human waited for his opening and shoved the weapon into Uncle Leo's side. The Meta-human screamed in agony as chunks of muscle and tissue were being chewed away by the horrible weapon.

Fawkes screamed in rage and opened fire, cutting the attacking human in half. He continued to fire, killing or driving away the humans that had surrounded his friend. "Uncle Leo!" he yelled as he ran to his friend. A large chunk of flesh was missing from his right side, and his was spitting up green blood. Fawkes managed to help him to his feet, and headed back inside. "RETREAT!" He yelled to the remaining Super Mutants. "FALL BACK INSIDE!"

The remaining Mutants obeyed and ran back inside the Capital building, as the tidal wave of Pitt Raiders ascended the steps.

Project Purity...

With Rivet City now pacified, Ashur's armada focused their attention on Project Purity. For this target his larger ships had saved their main weapons: batteries of katyusha rockets. They were an old weapon, developed by the Soviet Union during World War II, but they had been used right up to the Third World War. These batteries were crudely made, but they had the desired effect. Over a dozen of his larger ships had these batteries, and each contained sixteen tubes, and could be reloaded multiple times. These rockets had a range of over twenty-five miles; more then adequate for what was needed. The Reciprocity's battery was mounted on the cutter's flight deck, and they were the first to be unleashed on Project Purity. Rockets and mortars pounded the machine gun nest and fortifications outside the Jefferson Memorial, and the bombardment all but obliterated them.

But the Brotherhood was not going out without a fight. Several of the Enclave's 75mm artillery guns had survived the war, and the Brotherhood used these to return fire. One of Ashur's larger ships, a navy 175 foot coastal patrol ship, received several direct hits and was sent to the bottom. Two more of Ashur's smaller craft were blown to pieces, but once his mortar and rocket crews had the range, they began picking off the artillery pieces one by one.

"When the last of their artillery is silenced, land our troops. And Wernher...you lead them."

Wernher simply nodded his head.

Inside the memorial's Rotunda, Scribe Bigsley was inside the purifier's main control room, frantically typing on the console. One of the Knights sent to guard him approached. "Sir, we can get you out of we leave now!"

"We can't leave! I have to lock out the controls, don't you understand! We can't let them have it! Give me whatever time you can, Knight. Do you understand?"

The Knight stared at the Scribe through his power armor helmet, and gave a slow nod. "For the Brotherhood." he whispered.

Outside, the last of the artillery guns had been neutralized, and three-hundred of Ashur's soldiers stormed the beach of the small island. What was left of the eighty man Brotherhood of Steel and Rivet City garrison fought bravely, but they were overwhelmed and were soon driven back into the memorial. The Pitt Raiders, armed with Infiltrator class assault rifles that had been manufactured only a few months ago, and armor piercing rounds, annihilated the garrison to the last man. Scribe Bigsley had just finished locking out the purifier's controls when he was shot twice in the back. The Scribe fell to the ground, and tried to crawl away on his belly. With his left hand shaking, he managed to pull out his radio and sent a final message. "Purity has fallen! Purity has fallen!"

He stopped his futile crawling, and he could hear one of the Raiders standing over him. Bigsley gritted his teeth, pulled out his laser pistol, and rolled on his back. "FUCK YOU!" He fired into the Raider's face, killing him instantly. Two other Raiders peppered him with bullets, and the Scribe breathed his last.

The Citadel...

Silence filled the lab as Scribe Bigsley's last transmission was heard. In less then an hour, these invaders, these savages, had crippled Rivet City, destroyed the Brotherhood's air power, and taken Project Purity. Everyone looked to Elder Lyons, and for the first time since the battle of Project Purity, their leader had a look of fear and dread on his face.

"What do we do?" Rothchild asked, his voice shaking.

Lyons shook his head. "I don't know, Rothchild. I don't know..."

He was interrupted as an explosion rocked the laboratory. The Citadel was now being bombarded.

Bridge of the Reciprocity...

Ashur smiled as his soldiers raised his flag over the Jefferson Memorial. His ships had already begun firing their katyusha rockets at his main objective: the Citadel. The very heart of his enemy. "Excellent! Have the Reciprocity and the other capital ships drop anchor here. Send the rest of the fleet up the Potomac. And ready my launch. I will lead the attack on the Citadel myself."

Inside the Capital Building...

Though they were making the invading humans pay for every inch of ground they were taking, the remaining Super Mutants had been pushed back into the Capital Building's central chamber. Fawkes fired the last of his Gatling Laser rounds into the horde of fanatical humans, but they just kept coming. He felt a tug on his leg, and knelled down next to his dying friend, Uncle Leo.

"Fawkes...you are the leader now. You must get the others...to safety."

An explosion caused Fawkes to cover his head. "I will not leave you..."

"You must! {cough} You must ensure...the survival of our...of our race! {cough} Find Marcus. He will...help us!" The Meta-Human reached down and picked up his Super Sledge. He placed his other hand on Fawkes' shoulder, and looked into his friend's eyes. "Goodbye, my brother." Before Fawkes could stop him, Uncle Leo let out a roar of defiance, leaped over the barricade and charged at the humans. Several bullets hit his arms and torso, but the Meta-Human kept coming, and knocked two Pitt Raiders into the next word with one mighty swing of his sledge. He swung it again, and crushed another Raider's skull.

As the humans swarmed over his friend, Fawkes ordered the remaining Super Mutants to retreat out of the East Wing; surrendering their last home to the Pitt Raiders.

The Citadel...

Ashur's remaining katyusha rockets rained down on the Citadel, shaking the mighty fortress to it's foundation. Whole sections of the upper walls had been blown out, and many Brotherhood soldiers had already been killed. As the bulk of the armada made it's way up the Potomac, they added to the onslaught by opening up with their 120mm mortars. Cross, Tristen, McGraw and Gunny were in the mist of the chaos, trying to rally their remaining troops. The veterans knew it wouldn't be long before the enemy was knocking on their door, and they were determined to hold this fortress.

Inside the Citadel's A wing, ten year old Arthur Maxson,the last descendant of the Brotherhood's founder Roger Maxson, tried to look brave as he stood in front of Elder Lyons and five Knights of the Brotherhood. "Arthur, these Knights will take you to safety." Lyons began. "Follow their instructions as you would mine."

Maxson was fighting to hold back his tears. "I don't want to run away! I want to stay and fight!"

Lyons smiled at the child and got down to his level. "You will fight...when you are ready. You are the Brotherhood's future, and so you must survive. When the battle is over, I will send for you. Now go." Lyons tried to sound as confident as he could on the last part of his statement. Maxson reluctantly nodded his head, and threw his arms around the Elder. Lyons returned the embrace, and had to fight back his own tears. He gently pried the child from him, and stood up. "Good luck, young Maxson. Steel be with you."

With tears in his eyes, Maxson returned the salute. "Steel be with you, Elder."

As Arthur Maxson made his escape, Elder Lyons drew his plasma pistol and calmly stepped out into the courtyard. The shelling had finally stopped, and his soldiers were quickly trying to evacuate the wounded and set up makeshift defenses out of tables, sandbags, rubble...anything they could find to use as cover. He spotted his Head Scribe and oldest friend Rothchild being carried away on a stretcher; his head bandaged and bloody.

Star Paladin Cross spotted the Elder and quickly made her way over to him. "Elder Lyons, you must get to safety, sir!"

Lyons calmly waved her off. "My place is here, Star Paladin. I will not hide while my men are fighting for their lives. If our chapter is destined to fall on this day, then I will share in it's fate...and die on my feet."

Cross wanted to protest - hell she wanted to pick the Elder up and drag him out of the Citadel, but one look at her leaders face and she knew she could not. When her voice failed her, all Cross could do was nod at the man who had been like a father to her and so many others. She stood by his side, drew the coveted Brotherhood ARM, and waited for the inevitable.

Brotherhood Vertibird VB-26, somewhere over the Capital...

"Can't this thing go any faster!" Sarah Lyons snapped.

The pilot shook his head. "I've got her at maximum throttle, Sentinel. We'll be there in a few minutes."

Sarah had to stop herself from jumping out of her seat and strangling the pilot. "Have you heard what's been coming over the radio?! They may not have a few minutes!"

The pilot ignored her. Due to mechanical problems the Vertibird had lost precious time bringing Marcus, Sarah and the rest of their squad, plus Clover back to the Citadel. The entire afternoon they listened to the frantic calls over the radio, from the shelling of Rivet City, to the taking of Project Purity, and now the Citadel was under attack. The loss of Project Purity hit everyone hard, but Marcus took it personally. Just like the Enclave before him, this Ashur planned to use his father's work to conquer the Capital...as just like the Enclave, Marcus planned on burying them.

The banks of the Potomac, near the Citadel...

Ashur watched from his small boat as his remaining troops, over four-hundred of them, disembarked from their landing craft and charged the walls of the Citadel. Almost immediately they were met by machine gun and laser fire from the walls. Having anticipated this, his boats returned fire with .50 caliber machine guns and 20mm cannons. This gave his men the cover they needed to reach the Citadel's massive steel gate. Brotherhood snipers from the walls above began picking the Raiders off, trying to stop them from rigging explosives on the gate, but there were just too many of them, and soon a large shape charge was placed on the massive gate.

Ashur picked up his radio and gave the order. "Do it."

The shape charge exploded, and the lower half of the gate disintegrated. The remaining Brotherhood soldiers readied their weapons.

"Stand fast, my brothers!" Tristen yelled. "They will not take this fortress!"

A loud roar preceded the Pitt raiders as they stormed inside, and slammed right into a wall of lead and laser fire. The first wave was cut to pieces, but the fanatical soldiers continued to pour through, not one of them caring if they lived or died. The Brotherhood soldiers were just as determined and stood their ground. Soon there were so many bodies that the Pitt Raiders had to struggle to climb over them, and for every Brotherhood soldier killed, ten of their number would fall. But with so many of their brothers already dead or wounded, the Knights knew they could not win a war of attrition.

The Pitt Raiders pushed forward, and soon the two sides clashed in brutal hand to hand fighting. This was where Cross was at her finest, and she threw herself into the fray, taking out Raiders left and right with the Brotherhood ARM. Tristen and McGraw, who last year were bitter enemies, were now standing with their backs to each other, fighting for their lives against the horde of enemies. Elder Lyons was behind one of the barricades firing away with his plasma pistol. Though many things had failed due to old age, Owyn's eye sight and aim were still top notch, and he proved this as he picked off the Raiders one by one.

Despite this, the Raiders continued to push forward, and soon they had taken half of the courtyard. Ashur smiled, and he was once again on his radio. "Remember, no one is to kill the Elder but me. Everyone else...kill them all."

Brotherhood Vertibird VB-26...

The inside of the aircraft was silent except for the hum of the engines as everyone took in the sight below them. Over thirty small boats of all kinds were parked in the Potomac next to the battered Citadel. Hundred of Raiders were pouring into the main gate, and just out over the horizon they could see the smoke from Project Purity and Rivet City.

Jericho summed it up for everyone. "Holy shit!"

Marcus immediately went to speak to the pilots. "Bring us in low and take out as many of those boats as possible! Sarah and I are going to man the door guns!"

"Yes sir. Let's give'm hell!"

Marcus opened the Vertibird's starboard side door and readied the gatling laser cannon. On the port side, Sarah did the same.

"Everyone strap yourself's in!" Marcus told the others. "We're going in!"

Jericho let out a groan as he tightened his harness. "I knew teaming up with you was going to be the death of me!"

Clover flashed the ex-Raider a smile. "Honey, when you travel with Marcus, all you can do is sit back and enjoy the ride."

Before Jericho could utter a response, the Vertibird went into a dive and headed straight for the parked armada. The pilots unleashed a barrage of missiles and laser fire, and one by one the ships were blown sky high. As soon as he was in range, Marcus took aim at the Raiders pouring into the Citadel and strafed them with laser fire, cutting dozens of them to pieces.

The strafing run had caught the Raiders completely off guard, and their advanced was stopped. The Brotherhood soldiers, who just a moment before had grimly excepted their fate, where now filled with confidence, and began steadily pushing the invaders back.

Ashur was furious as he had to abandon his small boat and take cover on the river bank. He could see the Vertibird turn, and was coming around for another strafing run. "TAKE OUT THAT AIRCRAFT NOW!" he screamed into this radio.

The Brotherhood pilots flew in low. By now all the remaining boats had their guns targeting them, and the Vertibird was jolted as it began taking fire. But the pilots pressed the attack, and fired the last of their rockets into the line of ships,turning them into flaming husks. As they passed by the Citadel, Sarah unleashed hell on the invasion force, killing dozens more with her gatling laser cannon.

Cross was ecstatic as she and the rest of the Brotherhood chased the remaining Raiders out of their home. "SHOW THEM NO MERCY, BROTHERS!" she screamed as she smashed the skull of a retreating Raider.

Ashur threw down his radio, and grabbed a rocket launcher from one of his men. As the Vertibird came around for a third run, he took aim and fired the weapon. Inside the cockpit, alarms began to go off, indicating that they were being targeted. Before the pilots could release the aircraft's countermeasures, the missile struck the tail, and the Vertibird began spinning out of control.

"HOLD ON EVERYBODY!" the pilot screamed.

As the ground below them was getting closer and closer, Marcus held onto his laser cannon for dear life and said a prayer.