NCR-Brotherhood War

The NCR-Brotherhood War was a war between the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel that was waged across the Southwest Wasteland. The War marked a severe downturn in the NCR's economy, and is widely considered to have been avoidable if the NCR had used its diplomatic corps instead of its military. The war was caused due to the Brotherhood's defensive responses to the NCR's increasingly imperialistic methods. The Brotherhood saw them as going down the same path that Pre-War America did, over expansion, and not thinking of the consequences. From the NCR's point of view, it needed resources, and could bring about hope to a dark world. The Brotherhood was not hostile, but instead it was isolationist, and began cancelling road patrols, emptied its embassy in Shady Sands, and began terminating their research and tech partnerships with the Republic, after the Brotherhood's ambassador's warnings were ignored. The NCR's response was severely marred by the administration of President Wendell Peterson and his cabinet were of a differing opinion than the Senate and Diplomats, who thought that they could negotiate a new treaty with the Brotherhood. This stalemate remained in constant until the spring of 2256, when tensions boiled over. While on a scouting mission looking for lost tech near Reno, a Brotherhood team staked a claim to a weapons cache, and was followed by an NCR Ranger squad, with the same goal. The BOS Paladins refused to leave, and shots were fired. With superior technology and training, the Paladins forced the Rangers to retreat, but fuse was lit, and the following week the NCR declared war on the Brotherhood of Steel.
The initial strikes were not in NCR's favor, the Brotherhood inflicted heavy casualties on ranger stations and camps all along the the Rockies and the eastern frontier. Using vertibirds, power armor, and heavy weapons, a singe team of Paladins and Knights could go toe to toe with entire companies. The war had skirmishes throughout California, that racked up casualties for almost twenty years, but several large scale battles taking place all along I-5, the first of which was inside legendary Vault 13.
Battle of Vault 13 (2256) NCR Victory
Vault 13, the site of the Vault Dweller's origins, had long since been a research site for the NCR and Brotherhood. Manned mostly by scribes and protected only by 30 Knights and Paladins. The NCR chose the site due to its scientific value, but also as a site to have its military gain experience with underground warfare, knowing the Brotherhood would have to be fought in their bunkers. The Battle began on August 4th, 2256, as NCR Techs overrode the Vault Door control, and entered the site with 1st Battalion's A Company (~128 Troopers). Immediately they were set upon by heavy energy fire, as the Knights had set up defensive positions throughout the entry room, and suffered 20 casualties instantly. The Company, led by Lieutenant Edward Parker, held their positions in the outer cave, and reattempted with a large-scale grenade volley into the room. Accounts vary as to how many were thrown, but Parker's official report claims about 50 grenades were thrown into the vault in the moment. The Brotherhood defenses were destroyed almost immediately, along with the 5 defenders. From there, the remaining hundred troops began clearing the Vault, relying heavily upon explosives and ordinance launchers the entire way. Using this method, the NCR was able to minimize its casualties, while inflicting heavy deaths on the defenders. When the Head Paladin was killed in the overseer's office, the remaining scribes surrendered, and were taken as POWs. For his actions, Parker would be promoted to Captain of the 1st Battalion, and would see much more combat both in this war, and again in the NCR-Legion War.
Battle of Necropolis (2256) BOS Victory
Following Vault 13, the Brotherhood retaliated by striking at Necropolis and the energy it provided with its reactor. A City of ghouls that had joined the NCR quite early, Necropolis was guarded by the 36th Battalion, as well as a detachment of Rangers who were scouting the desert nearby. When the Brotherhood struck in early September, they did so with over 100 Knights, lead by an unnamed Star Paladin. These troopers moved through the garrison like a wave of metal, killing all within. The final target was the Radiation exhaust control, which they sabotaged, and escaped safely within their Power Armor. Within minutes, the Reactor experienced a non-explosive meltdown, that poured radiation into the surrounding area. While the Ghouls within necropolis could not be killed by this, it did progress their process of becoming feral, exponentially. In the end the NCR deemed all within, even the townsfolk, as casualties, ~550 Military casualties, and and roughly 12,000 civilians gone feral, along with this, the loss of the reactor caused sweeping power shortages across the region, that only increased the NCR's reliance on the power provided by Hoover Dam.
Battle of Bunker Delta (2258) NCR Victory
Bunker Delta was the first BOS bunker that the NCR attempted to clear. Located just north of Vault 13, Delta was thus a very dangerous threat to Shady Sands, the capital of NCR. With good momentum and a new Captain, 1st Battalion and Captain Parker struck the bunker with heavy, shoulder-mounted nuclear ordinance, eventually breaching the top level on May 2nd, 2258. Learning from his experience at Vault 13, Parker ordered C4 to be lowered into the breach, and called for reinforcements. Eventually, on May 11th, the 7th and 19th Battalions arrived under the command of General Olsen, who absorbed the 1st under his wing. The Regiment began the slow and methodical process of clearing the levels. The Delta Chapter, about 2,000 strong, put up heavy resistance, but eventually the levels started to be lost to them. When the NCR breached 3 out 7 levels, the defenders knew they were losing, and activated the self destruct. In a flash of light, and the deafening thunder of the earth rupturing, the NCR lost 300 casualties, mostly from the 1st and 19th Battalions. Including Major Theons, the 19th's CO. The end result was immense casualties from the NCR, and the entire destruction of the Delta Chapter. General Olsen would eventually integrate the remaining 19th Battalion into the 1st, and the 19th would be deactivated from then on. Captain Parker was promoted to major for his actions throughout the battle.
Raid on the Gold Standard (2260) BOS Victory
After the loss of the Delta Chapter, the Council of Elders and the High Elder Maxson realized that the Brotherhood was going to lose the war if they could not inflict some sort of lasting problem on the NCR as a whole. The strike on Necropolis did a good job, but the NCR was able to mitigate the power loss with Hoover Dam. They needed something that the Republic could not mitigate, or recover easily from. The answer was the NCR's new currency, backed by gold. In two simultaneous strikes, one on Fort Aradesh, and the other on the mining town of Redding. On the morning of March 22nd, the Brotherhood used Gauss Cannons on the walls and fortifications on Fort Aradesh, the Fort that held the NCR's entire gold reserve. When the walls collapsed, 150 Knights stormed into the fort and demolished the defenders and systems. By nightfall the attackers disappeared into the desert, with hundreds of millions worth of gold bars. At the same time, roughly 100 Knights, lead by Jonathon Maxson, stormed the gold mines of Redding, the largest and most reliable site of gold production in the nation, and planted plasma mines and explosives throughout the entire mines and equipment yards, and completely disintegrated miles of tunnels, and precious pre-war equipment needed to operate those mines. This is considered the Brotherhood's peak within the war, they suffered no casualties, and while they succeeded in plunging the NCR into an economic crisis, the military fought back vehemently, as now the war was no longer some fringe war in the desert, but threatening their very livelihoods.
Battle of Marberg (2260) NCR Victory
The Battle of Marberg was the immediate response to the Brotherhood's actions in the Gold Raids. NCR Rangers found the detachment that raided Redding at camp in the ruins of the Pre-War town of Marberg. The closest troops was the 1st Battalion that was on leave in Hub at the time of the raids. Reacting quickly, Major Parker rearmed the 1st and struck out towards Marberg, which was 25 miles east. Using mortars and shoulder-mounted ordinance, the 1st rained explosives down on the encamped knights while they slept, and then entered the ruins in force. Intense fighting took place throughout the ruined urban area, as the Knights lost ground they eventually were forced to the outskirts, before the 1st Battalion, aided by Rangers, forced the Remaining Brotherhood forces into the desert. Unfortunately, none of the stolen gold was with them. Despite this, Parker's quick thinking resulted in a victory for the papers, further earning him national renown, a stark contrast to the failing faith in the concurrent Mojave Campaign. This victory galvanized the war effort, and the NCR started hitting BOS Bunkers in force.
Battle of Sierra Depot (2262) NCR Victory
The Sierra Army Depot was one of the few above-ground installations belonging to the BOS. A Pre-War Military Depot, Sierra was home to massive amounts of ordinance. Once again under the command of General Olsen, the 1st Battalion, along with the 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 15th, and 19th Battalions surrounded the Base, and began firing artillery on April 6th. The Battle was a tough one, the Brotherhood knew the value of what they were defending, and dug in deep, refusing to give in. Rather than the fast paced sieges or battles, Olsen's army was forced to settle into trench warfare doctrine, with a full 6 rings of trenches built around the walls. On April 14th, the Brotherhood attempted to evacuate personnel and valuable equipment via air, but NCR AA Fire was too thick, and the BOS lost two vertibirds in the attempt. The stalemate finally broke on May 18th, when an artillery shell ripped a portion of the defensive walls down. Seeing his chance, and recognizing the need to act before the Brotherhood recovered, Majors Parker radioed the General his decision to move, and charged into the breach with 1st Battalion. Seeing the charge, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions followed behind, as Olsen watched his army move without him. Major Parker lead the charge, seizing the armory before the Brotherhood could react, and hitting the Command Post once the 2nd and 3rd caught up with him. The defenders fought to the last, and after nine hours of intense fighting the flag of the Bear was raised over the walls.
Battle of Lost Hills (2265) NCR Victory
In 2265, the NCR made a decisive strike against the Brotherhood at Lost Hills Bunker, the site of the BOS's central command. The Redwood Regiment (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 15th, and 19th Battalions) now led by Colonel Parker, reinforced at Vault City with the 22nd and 30th Battalions, and then marched north to the bunker. With over 4,000 troops, and a detachment of 200 Rangers under command of Ranger Chief Hanlon, the NCR struck Lost Hills like a Super Sledge, but the defenders held like Titanium. On June 1st, Parker ordered large scale artillery strikes and tactical infantry-mounted nuclear ordinance against the above ground defenses. One of the heaviest barrages of the Post-Apocalypse, Lost Hills itself survived, but above it was reduced to a smoldering wastes, even glassed in some places. The Rangers led the way into the the bunker proper, with the Regulars close behind, and the fight was brutal, for a full 72 hours, the NCR had not cleared the top floor. When they did on the morning of the 4th day, the brotherhood started falling back deeper in, Parker, having dealt with this before, knew what was coming, and ordered an immediate withdrawal. He was right, as the last Rangers left the Bunker, the earth shook, and dust filled the air, Lost Hills had self destructed. Killing all within, including the entire central leadership of the Brotherhood. The destruction of Lost Hills was a major turning point in the war, from then on the BOS never went on any offensives, and instead began defending their own bunkers, with the Maxson Bunker commanding as best it could, with the young Jonathon Maxson now in command of what was left of his family's legacy.
Battle of Maxson (2268) NCR Victory
After Lost Hills, the NCR did not find many major battles, smaller bunkers and chapters, now held themselves down, at the directions of Elder Maxson, not leaving, but able to tell who would most likely be next, with the Maxson Bunker keeping intel flowing. This was prolonging the war drastically, and Colonel Parker knew that this needed to end. With permission from President Peterson, Parker led the Redwood Regiment into the outskirts of Maxson, and began the offensive. Maxson was not just a bunker like other installation, it was also a city, so before the NCR could even reach the bunker's entrance, they had a long, urban fight ahead of them. Attached to the Regiment now was the newly formed 5th Artillery Battalion, and the 1st Armored Battalion, which was formed using salvaged power armor. In total The Redwood Regiment bore down on Maxson with over 8,000 troops, against only 1,000 defenders. Opening up with a massive artillery barrage, this offensive marked the first time that a post-war built city was subjected to warfare. The barrage allowed the NCR a great deal of cover, rolling forward in front of the line, decimating enemy troops on their way. The NCR Troopers that entered Maxson quickly learned that entering buildings with Knights or Paladins was foolish, and instead started using artillery strikes and fire superiority against their enemies. As a result, the BOS began losing more troops to artillery than actual troopers, and it began to demoralize the defenders quickly. After ten days of urban warfare, the NCR finally broke through into the city center, but knew better than to siege the bunker proper. Tearing open the central elevator shaft, the NCR began launching small scale tactical Nuclear Devices into the bunker. When they were sure they had done enough damage, the Troopers entered, and began sweeping clear the survivors. After clearing two floors, the Self Destruct Alarm began blaring throughout the Bunker, the NCR retreated out, and the Bunker blew, killing the defenders, and Jonathon Maxson. This was the final major battle inside California, after Maxson fell, all that was left were isolated bunkers, waiting for the inevitable, and the inevitable eventually did happen, for everyone.
Battle for Helios One (2275) NCR Victory
The Battle for Helios One was the final battle of the war. After almost seven years of small bunkers being cleared throughout the Southwest. Helios One was a solar power plant that could be used to supply even more power to the NCR, and the Brotherhood knew it. Defending the plant vehemently, the NCR, lead by Colonel Hsu and then-Lieutenant Nathan Parker, son of the famous Colonel Parker, broke through the Brotherhood's lines, and sent them running into the desert. With this, the war was over, there were no more known bunkers, and if they were out there, they no longer mattered. President Aaron Kimball declared an overall victory, and celebrations erupted across the Republic.
the NCR-Brotherhood War was a crucible for the NCR, depsite an overall victory, and repeated victories, the brotherhood inflicted defeats of a crippling nature. The Republic's economy never recovered from their Gold Raids, and the NCR was focusing on two enemies, and two fronts, which allowed Caesar's Legion to inflict substantial losses and defeats across the beleaguered Mojave Wasteland. All in all, the Brotherhood is considered solely responsible for the downturn the Republic suffered in the latter half of the 23rd Century.

The Conflict

Outcome

• Brotherhood permanently decimated
• Near financial collapse within NCR

Aftermath

• Brotherhood reduced to small isolated chapters, will most likely never fully recover
• Looting of NCR Gold Reserves
• End of the Gold Standard, beginning of Fiat Standard
• Severe devaluing of NCR Dollar
• Destruction of the Redding Gold Mines

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

2256

Ending Date

2275 (19 Years)

Conflict Result

NCR Pyrrhic Victory

Location

Southwest

Belligerents

• New California Republic

Led by

• Aaron Kimball
• Edward Parker
• Hanlon
• Wendell Peterson

• Brotherhood of Steel

Led by

• Jonathon Maxson

Strength

300,000 Troopers 900 NCR Rangers

~30,000

Casualties

~8,000 Killed or wounded

• ~29,000 Deaths
• ~600 MIA

Objectives

• Remove Brotherhood dominance in the sciences and technology sector
• Force the Brotherhood into a renegotiated peace, with the BOS as a subsidiary

• Defend BOS Bunkers
• Force the NCR into a ceasefire
• Protect dangerous technology from falling into NCR's hands