×
Fallout Wiki
Fallout Wiki
93,860Articles
Add new page

Operation: Sunburst

BoS banner 3.webp
FO76 questsprite bosapp01.png  Brotherhood of Steel Overviews  FO76 questsprite bosapp01.png
All  •  Chain That Binds  •  Codex  •  Characters  •  Divisions  •  Equipment  •  Events  •  Exodus  •  First Expeditionary Force  •  Locations  •  Logos  •  Lyons' Pride  •  Outcasts  •  Prydwen  •  Quests  •  Ranks  •  Scourge  •  The Circle
Fallout  •  Fallout 2  •  Fallout Tactics  •  Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel  •  Fallout 3  •  Fallout: New Vegas  •  Fallout 4  •  Fallout 76  •  Fallout TV Series

Operation: Sunburst was a major conflict between the Brotherhood of Steel and the New California Republic taking place at HELIOS One in 2276.[Pub 1]

Background[edit]

Prelude[edit]

>> 
Main article: Brotherhood War

Following a disagreement with his fellow Elders regarding the development of new technology, Father Elijah was dispatched by the Council of Elders to lead a new chapter on an expedition from New California into the Mojave Wasteland with the goal of securing the Hoover Dam.[6][7][Pub 3] While en route, he became distracted by HELIOS One, discovering the existence of the ARCHIMEDES II solar weapon.[7]

In 2274 while the newly formed Mojave chapter remained at the solar plant, the New California Republic entered the Mojave Wasteland in force, and successfully secured and activated the Hoover Dam.[7][Pub 4][8][Pub 3][1] Sporadic fighting between the NCR and Brotherhood in the Mojave began and would continue through 2275.[Pub 5]

Battle[edit]

In 2276 the New California Republic assaulted Helios One, with the intent of taking control of it from the Brotherhood of Steel.[Pub 6] The Brotherhood leaders knew that the location was not defensible and that despite their superior equipment and training, the NCR outnumbered them by a wide margin.[2][9][4][5] Due to these factors, when the NCR began to move in, senior paladins such as Hardin advised the chapter's leader Father Elijah to fight a retreating action, but he refused.[10] The elder ordered forces to defend the facility, insisting that he just needed "more time". Waves of NCR soldiers assaulted the power plant from all sides, possessing more soldiers than the Brotherhood had ammunition.[5]

Despite the efforts to hold the plant, the Brotherhood forces were forced to retreat, suffering a loss of more than half of its paladins and knights, and the disappearance of Elder Elijah. [11][Pub 2]As they retreated, they activated the facility's security system to hinder the NCR's efforts.[4][10] With the disappearance of Elijah, command fell to then Paladin McNamara, who oversaw his people's retreat from the facility and relocation to Hidden Valley, a previously established fallback point.[12] The NCR consolidated their hold on the location and then set out to pursue any remaining Brotherhood forces, but found none, as the group had already escaped to Hidden Valley.[13][Pub 2]

Aftermath[edit]

Now led my Elder McNamara, the Brotherhood of Steel has remained isolated in Hidden Valley on lock-down for several years, only allowing limited patrols and supply runs.[14][15] Resentment towards McNamara for the lockdown has grown within the Brotherhood over the years, with individuals such as Head Paladin Hardin and Veronica voicing their dissatisfaction.[16][17]

Since the battle, the New California Republic has strengthened it's position in the Mojave Wasteland, now possessing five times the manpower in the region compared to the time of Operation: Sunburst.[14] While Helios One's security systems have prevented the Brotherhood from fully taking control of the facility and discovering Archimedes, they have managed to get the solar array's functioning under the leadership of Fantastic.[18] Following the NCR's victory, the Followers of the Apocalypse sent Ignacio Rivas to investigate the facility, as it's ties to Poseidon Energy concerned them. After himself discovering the existence of Archimedes, Ignacio began covering it up, preventing the NCR from learning of the weapon themselves.[19]

Appearances[edit]

Operation: Sunburst is mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Courier: "Tell me about what happened at HELIOS."
    Senior Paladin Ramos: "I'm sure someone's told you all this before. Several years back, we were running our chapter out the HELIOS One solar power station. Our Elder at the time, Elijah, had some kind of obsession with the place. Which is the only reason we stayed as long as we did. "
    (Senior Paladin Ramos' dialogue)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fallout: New Vegas loading screens: "Due to disagreements over how technology should be controlled in the wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel waged a long and bloody war against the NCR. Despite superior equipment and training, the Brotherhood eventually went into retreat."
  3. ↑ Courier: "Why do you hate the Brotherhood so much?"
    Mr. House: "Because they're ridiculous! Because they galavant around the Mojave pretending to be Knights of Yore. Or did, until the NCR showed them that ideological purity and shiny power armor don't count for much when you're outnumbered 15:1. The world has no use for emotionally unstable techno-fetishists. Just wipe them out, will you?"
    (Mr. House's dialogue)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Courier: "Why was the Brotherhood of Steel here?"
    Lt. Haggerty: "Damned if I know. Put up a hell of a fight, though. We had them outnumbered, I don't know, twenty to one, maybe. They held out as long as they could. Lost most of their force before they retreated. Gave us a little parting gift, too. They had some of the plant running, but they shut it all down. Enabled an old security system, too, to keep us away from the controls. Jerkoffs."
    (Lt. Haggerty's dialogue)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Senior Paladin Ramos: "That place was hardly defensible, and we knew the NCR was moving in on us, but the Elder refused to budge, insisting that he just needed "more time". We never found out what he needed the time for. Wave upon wave of NCR troopers hit us from all directions. We held out for a time, but we were grossly outnumbered, and they had more men than we had ammo. Eventually our positions collapsed. Elder Elijah was nowhere to be found, so McNamara took charge and led what remained of us on a counter-offensive west. We lost a lot of men and women, but we broke through and made it here. Make no mistake, McNamara saved this chapter that day."
    (Senior Paladin Ramos' dialogue)
  6. ↑ Courier: "Who is Father Elijah?"
    Veronica: "He was our Elder when we came East. A wizard with technology, really. His mind just worked that way naturally. Learned a lot from him. But he started having disagreements with the Council. The Brotherhood's interest is in old technology. He wanted to explore developing new tech. And there were other ways he wanted to push. Other weapons. Ones with ethics questions attached. Rather than deal with him, they sent him East."
    (Veronica's dialogue)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Courier: "Why is the Brotherhood interested in Nevada?"
    Veronica: "It was the Dam, really. We'd heard rumors it was working. Figured we could claim it, put it to use. And... it may also have been partly that our Elder at the time had worn out his welcome. Didn't end up mattering. We got sidetracked at HELIOS One and the NCR took the Dam in the meantime. We're still after it, though. In theory."
    (Veronica's dialogue)
  8. ↑ Courier: "I'd like to know more about the NCR."
    Ambassador Dennis Crocker: "I can provide a quick history lesson, if that's what you're looking for. In 2274, President Kimball sent the NCR army into the Mojave in force, with the objective of occupying and repairing Hoover Dam."
    (Dennis Crocker's dialogue)
  9. ↑ Courier: "Why do you hate the Brotherhood so much?"
    Mr. House: "Because they're ridiculous! Because they galavant around the Mojave pretending to be Knights of Yore. Or did, until the NCR showed them that ideological purity and shiny power armor don't count for much when you're outnumbered 15:1. The world has no use for emotionally unstable techno-fetishists. Just wipe them out, will you?"
    (Mr. House's dialogue)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."
    Head Paladin Hardin: "Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."
    (Head Paladin Hardin's dialogue)
  11. ↑ Elder McNamara: "Veronica. I hope-"
    Veronica: "I brought you a present. We unlocked the secret of HELIOS One."
    Elder McNamara: "What? Wonderful news!"
    Veronica: "No. It's not. ARCHIMEDES II is an orbital laser. Effective only outdoors in a limited radius and requiring a long recharge."
    Elder McNamara: "In the hands of the enemy-"
    Veronica: "They'd be marginally more effective. We lost most of the chapter defending glorified artillery."
    (Veronica and Elder McNamara's dialogue)
  12. ↑ Courier: "Tell me about what happened at HELIOS."
    Elder McNamara: "We were overrun, plain and simple. My Brothers fought with great courage, but in the end the enemy was just too many. When the tide of the battle turned for the worse, our Elder was nowhere to be found, and everything was chaos. Fully half of our forces had already fallen. I gathered up those I could find and we fought our way here. This place had been briefly discussed as a fallback point, though at the time none really believed that could possibly become necessary. That's it, really. There was nothing glorious about the battle, just a nightmare of screams, blood, and death."
    (Elder McNamara's dialogue)
  13. ↑ Courier: "I thought the Brotherhood were all wiped out at HELIOS One. How could they have survived?"
    Colonel Cassandra Moore: "After the battle, we consolidated our hold on the plant before pursuing our enemies. It was a mistake, to be sure, but there wasn't really any place for them to go. When we finally gave chase, however, they had simply vanished. Some of our people think they had some means of conveyance, like the vertibirds the Enclave used, and hightailed it out of here. I think that they found someplace to hide close to HELIOS, and never went that far at all. Any other questions?"
    (Colonel Cassandra Moore's dialogue)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Courier: "Tell me about the lockdown."
    Elder McNamara: "It's a protective measure that was enacted after our defeat at HELIOS. The NCR was hot on our heels, and we wouldn't have survived another encounter. It was decided that we would stay quiet for a time, heal the wounded, and try to come up with a new strategy. However, after we had fully recuperated, our first scouting measures showed that the NCR's presence in this region had only increased in our absence. There are now more than five times the number of NCR troops in the area as when we fought them, and we have half the number we did at HELIOS. And so the lockdown has been extended. To go outside would be the death of us all."
    (Elder McNamara's dialogue)
  15. ↑ Courier: "What do you do for them?"
    Veronica: "I'm a procurement specialist. Like I said, it's basically grocery shopping. Except sometimes the groceries are scavenged parts and arcane technology. The elder who brought us to the Mojave, Father Elijah, usually had me looking for these old memory units. But he'd never tell me what they were for. Nowadays I'm usually sent to do business with traders at places like the 188. But sometimes I think it's just to keep me out of everyone's hair."
    (Veronica/Dialogue)
  16. ↑ Courier: "What do you think of the lockdown?"
    Head Paladin Hardin: "It's a travesty, is what it is. Every second we sit on our hands down here is another second that we're not fulfilling our sworn duty."
    (Head Paladin Hardin/Dialogue)
  17. ↑ Courier: "What's their purpose?"
    Veronica: "Ha! Good question. These days it's hard to say. Once upon a time it was about technology. Controlling it so it couldn't destroy us again. Energy weapons and power armor are usually tops on our list, although I appreciate anything that's vintage. But that all seems so limited now. We haven't grown or adapted. And now we're stuck in a hole, not carrying out our mission."
    (Veronica's dialogue)
  18. ↑ Courier: "How did you get this job?"
    Fantastic: "It was easy, man. They were going door to door asking if anyone knew any scientists. I said look no further. They asked me if I knew anything about power plants. I said as much as anyone I'd ever met. They asked me how well I understood theoretical physics. I said I had a theoretical degree in physics. They said welcome aboard."
    (Fantastic's dialogue)
  19. ↑ Courier: "Why are you here?"
    Ignacio Rivas: "I was sent here when we saw that the NCR had taken it. We have no record of the facility, but its original builders were cause for concern. I'm to determine the threat level of this place and do everything in my power to prevent the revival of any dangerous Pre-War technology. The NCR let me stay because they are desperate for answers about this place, but I've kept them in the dark."
    (Ignacio Rivas' dialogue)
Publications
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: 2276 Conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel escalates, culminating in decisive victory at HELIOS One. The Mojave Brotherhood is considered "neutralized."
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 43: "Brotherhood of Steel": "The battle for HELIOS One (Operation: Sunburst) proved a disaster for the Mojave Brotherhood. More than half its Paladins and Knights were killed. The chapter's leader, Elder Elijah, disappeared without a trace. The Brotherhood was driven from the facility, which suffered extensive damage. Survivors retreated to Hidden Valley."
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 43: "Brotherhood of Steel": "The Mojave Brotherhood operated freely amid the Vegas wastes for several years, carrying out many reclamation missions without serious opposition. The balance of power shifted in 2251, when a large contingent of NCR troops entered the region and occupied Hoover Dam. Conflict was inevitable. Nearly two years of guerilla skirmishes culminated in a pitched battle at HELIOS One, a solar energy plant the Brotherhood had been refurbishing for several months with the goals of bringing it back online and activating its hidden offensive capabilities (the ARCHIMEDES II death ray).
  4. ↑ Behind the Bright Lights & Big City: Camp McCarran established. Hoover Dam restarted. "
  5. ↑ Behind the Bright Lights & Big City p. 458: "2275 Camp McCarran is established as NCR Headquarters in the Mojave. Sporadic fighting begins with the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel. The NCR government withdraws official support from the Followers of the Apocalypse and founds The Office of Science and Industry."
  6. ↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 458: "2276 Conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel escalates, culminating in decisive victory at HELIOS One. The Mojave Brotherhood is considered "neutralized."
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png New California Republic Icon vaulttec.png
FNV NCR Flag.png
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png Brotherhood of Steel Icon vaulttec.png
Retrieved from "https://fallout.wiki/index.php?title=Operation:_Sunburst&oldid=5504177"