Chapter 1: Setting the Stage

2281

War, war never changes. In the year 2281, the remnants of the old world fought a brutal war in the hopes of claiming the Hoover Damn in order to ensure their dominance over the Mohave Wasteland. The blood shed destroyed and empowered many of the civilizations in and around the Mohave, allowing tyrants to rise to new power and corruption to spread to even the most noble of places. The two main combatants in this great war was the New California Republic and Caesars Legion.

The New California Republic, or as it's more commonly known the NCR, is the first successful effort at preserving the spirit and society of the old world America. Their beliefs and policies all heavily influenced by the old world, which in turn allowed them to spread their influence to all corners of the west coast of the former United States, while at the same time maintaining the stability to hold such a large culture. The NCR began rebuilding the world into an echo of the old, a nation where for the first time the individual man or woman can enjoy relative comforts and safety as they try to live out their lives. Order and democracy allowed for a system where the opinions of the people dictated the leadership, thus limiting the possibility of corrupt leaders abusing their power. However as with any country, before or thereafter, the NCR is not without its flaws.

Despite their questionable popularity, the NCR is considered saints next to their greatest rival, Caesars Legion. The Legion was formed in the brutal conquest of 87 tribes, all lead by a single man who proclaimed himself "Caesar". Through his advanced knowledge of old world tactics of war and classical education of classical societies, Caesar formed an empire that he believed would meet the challenges of the post-apocalyptic world. Their male dominated society treated women as nothing more than slaves and breeders, only fit to work and give birth to the soldiers of the Legion. Their tactics are brutal, effective, and displays cruelty that makes even the hardened wasteland shake with fear.

Their battle lasted for years, with the NCR only able to prevent the advance of the legion past the Colorado River. During that time they have made contact and alliances with many of the inhabitants of the Mohave Wasteland.

Although their relationship is rocky at best, Mr. House, who is the soul ruler of the former Las Vegas City, allowed the NCR to create bases and trade agreements around his territory. Mr. House is the owner of the now named New Vegas, and a very intelligent man who managed to survive the nuclear fallout of the great war 200 years prior. Their are few who have ever seen him, but his army of securitron robots ensures the security of New Vegas. Mr. House has dreams of rebuilding the technology of the old world, even to the point of space travel within the next century.

During this time, one man stood above the rest, becoming a sort of messiah and leader to the troubled Mohave. His real name was lost in the desert sands, taken away by two bullets. He's known only by his profession. The Courier, as he's called. A job that was considered fit for young teens in the old world, now one of the most dangerous and important in this new one. The Courier united the Mohave and turned old enemies into the closest of allies.

Prior to the second battle of Hoover Dam, under the orders of Mr. House, the Courier gained the trust and alliance of the Boomers, Brotherhood of Steel (Managing to convince Mr. House of their worth), and the remnants of the Enclave. That, along with Mr. Houses upgraded Securitron army, managed to defeat Caesars Legion and secure the Dam for an independent Vegas, free from the control of the NCR.

However, this was the beginning. With the failure of the Mohave, General Oliver and President Kimbal were removed from their posts, the people feeling that their desire for conquest nearly ruined the NCR. That same year a new President was elected, a woman by the name of Kureopatora. A woman of Japanese ancestry, she saw the wisdom in a peace and alliance with the factions in the Mohave.

2282

The new President began to make an alliance with Mr. House and the other dwellers of the Mohave Wasteland in an effort to create a defensive pact to protect against a future Legion invasion. She met and personally spoke with the Courier to try and convince him to work speak with Mr. House in her place. After a week of negotiations the Courier agreed to the arrangements and began to gather representatives from every major faction in the Mohave.

Representatives from the major factions as well as minor settlements, met in the old Fort McCarran, which was being remade into the center of a transportation hub that would create rail lines throughout the Mohave. In what would be later known as the McCarran Peace Agreement, a new civilization would be born that truly began to model that of the old world.

The main factions consisted of the Boomers, Brotherhood of Steel, Mr. House, and the NCR. Minor factions included the families, Followers of the Apocalypse, the Kings, and every small town and village. Even some factions from the grand canyon, such as Joshua Graham and the local tribes attended the meetings. While hostilities were felt among the factions, the presence of the Courier managed to ensure a peaceful discussion.

The negotiations took months, constant back and forth promises and deals being made, many of the factions not being satisfied with certain proposals, and the general distaste for the past actions of the NCR made it difficult for a satisfying agreement. Had it not been for the Courier it's very possible that wars would have begun right there.

By the end of the year the Pacific Alliance (PA) was born. Each faction would become its own state, which would be maintained by an elected council that would represent each state. On the 21st of December the final arrangements were made and the Pacific Alliance was born.

2283

In the beginning of 2283, it was decided that a single army would be created in order to protect the PA as a whole from foreign threats. Each state would have to provide aid to the creation of this army. The army was formed by combining the warriors from each faction.

The bulk of the army is the NCR, they had the largest army of any other faction as well as moderate enough training that gave them an edge in any engagement. With aid from MR. House, the NCR began mass producing weapons and equipment that is completely independent from simple scavenging from the Wastes. Each soldier could be outfitted with costume made flack armor, steel bowl like helmets, and upgraded service rifles that were far superior to their older counterparts. The NCR Rangers kept the look of their armor but even that is no longer scavenged remnants of old war riot gear.

The Brotherhood of Steel became a kind of armored unit. In the old world tanks were becoming obsolete thanks to the invention of power armor. With the armor to stop anything short of a rocket launcher and the mobility of an infantry soldier, power armor made tank combat nearly useless. As with the NCR, Mr. House completely updated and aided in the mass production of new power armor. These variants were exact replicas of the old power armor but since they are no longer rusting and aging their armor is stronger than the 200 year old models. They exchanged small fire weapons for larger ones. Most BoS soldiers are equipped with either rocket launchers, Gauss Rifles, or mini-guns.

The old remnants of the Enclave, not wanting to lose their legacy, began training and creating a unit entirely meant for this new army. Under the name "Project: Remnant", they began training and equipping new initiates to become an elite armored unit for the combined army. They became a sort of heavy armored Rangers for this new army and managed to create a small unit of elite power armored soldiers. The Remnants became one of the most fear units in the future wars for the Alliance, becoming as infamous as the NCR Rangers for their brutal effectiveness in combat and their nearly impenetrable armor.

The Boomers, excited at the new factories that MR. House built for them in Nellis, became an artillery unit for the army. Their Howitzers completely revolutionized post-apocalyptic wars and made them to be very similar to the old ways of combat. They even managed to make a handful of bombers, allowing the alliance to dominate the skies for the first time in 200 years.

Mr. Houses Securitrons became protectors for this new army. Mr. House did not want his securitrons to be used as front line fodder, since he was not willing to give the alliance more Securitrons than he felt necessary. They acted only as law enforcers and protectors of Alliance Military bases and property. Although Mr. House began to upgrade his older Securitron model, he did allow the old models to be used by the Alliance.

The other states offered their assistance, either as donations or young men and women for military service. Since most cultures could not offer as much as the big ones, they did what little they could and even had to pay reasonable taxes in order to ensure the strength of this new army could push back any enemy.

2284

By September of 2284, the Alliance finally had a fully developed and trained army, but one final question was left unanswered, who would lead this new army? Most members of the Council insisted it would be the Courier, but not wanting to elevate his position anymore than necessary he politely declined. The Courier wanted to remain unaffiliated to any organization and only ensured that he would remain as a kind of mercenary to the new army. Although he had no official authority for the Alliance, his words and opinions became absolute. Nearly every leader and politician trusted him so much so that he became almost an emperor in many ways. However his presence in politics was almost non-existent, preferring to live out his old life in peace.

As such, the Courier returned to a simple life of delivering messages and mail around the Mohave.

2285

Mr. House announces the production line of the new MB 285, a light vehicle that would be used for use by the Alliance in military affairs. Its design was based heavily on the old JEEPs from the 2nd World War. It used an experimental solar powered engine that would replace the need for gas or nuclear energy. A design House was working on prior to the great war. This prototype model was distributed to the Alliance Military soon there after, with plans for a civilian version in the near future.

Because of the engines experimental design, it could not go nearly as fast as pre-war vehicles. At full throttle it could reach speeds of 30 MPH, nowhere near how it should have been. However, this means that the post-apocalyptic Alliance had transportation far faster than any other society in the entirety of the wastelands.

2286

Augest 26th 2286, Legion forces have been spotted north of Nellis. Thanks to their preparation the Alliance is more than ready and begins dispatching forces out to meet the Legion. Reports claim the Legions numbers are in the tens of thousands with upgraded armor and weapons. This greatly worried the Alliance Military but moral soared as they finally had a foe to fight against. Fearing a failed preemptive strike, the Council asked for the assistance of the Courier.

What followed changed the fate of the Mohave Wasteland forever.

Empire Central War-tent: Sunset

General Maximus was having a decent time him his tent, allowing his servants to wash his body from the long march to the location of the Gate. He was ecstatic to be one of the many nobles to lead an expedition into the gate, Even more so, he was made commanding general of all forces for this little conquest. Being a man of intelligence he chose to send out scouts prior to sending forces into the gate. Their report was a barren desert with small tribal settlements in the area. He was glad that it would become an easy victory, but a bit sad that he wouldn't be able to properly test his new leadership position against a decent adversary.

His beautiful maids eagerly cleansed him from the dirt and grime he gathered these past few months, treating him as the royal he is. Although he always remains faithful to his wife he does enjoy having beautiful women around him. With practiced precision they began to put on his steel colored armor and blood red cape. He needed to look fresh prior to his entrance into the gate. His initial forces would secure the immediate area prior to his arrival.

He attached his straight sword to his belt and grabbed his shield, preparing to leave the tent in preparation for the arrival. He carried himself with elegance befitting a senior noble, showing nothing but absolute confidence and precision.

He began loading his gear on his horse, ready for a battle if need be. Although his main force entered the gate days ago, he wanted to make sure he was ready for anything. He doubt he would be fighting early on, or at all if they are nothing but barbarians and tribals, but he liked to be prepared for any scenario.

"My Lord." Came the sound of one of his many messages. A common man in light armor approached him at a light jog. Stopping just prior to the old general he took a breath to regain control of his breathing.

"What is it messenger?" The Noble asked in a commanding but inviting voice. Both displaying his rank and dominance, while also inviting a reply from the young soldier.

"We have word from the other side of the gate, My Lord." He said a bit fearfully, which the General noted as being strange.

"Are they ready for my arrival?" Maximus asked. The messenger froze up in fear, not sure how to respond. His face became pale and his palms began to sweat, unsure of how to relay this information to a man of such rank.

"Only a single man has returned, gravely injured, My Lord." The messenger said simply, unsure of how to word it properly.

"What do you mean?" The General asked forcefully, confusion clear on his face.

"The initial force was wiped out this morning, only a single survivor returned, My Lord." The messenger said again in a similar tone to his fearful one previously.

"Impossible, last night they reported to have not engaged anyone, how could 30,000 men get wiped out in a single morning?" The General asked but did not wait for a reply. Instead he went over to the medical tent in order to get the answers he needed. What he found shocked him to the core.

The survivor was barely holding on to life, he had burns all over his body and was missing both his legs and his shield arm. His hair was in patches, as if it had fallen out, and his remaining hand, which had 3 fingers, where missing their nails. His left face was swollen and covered his eye, while his other eye looked as if dirt had been rubbed into it for days. It gave off an unnatural red color that looked sickly. The General knew this man did not have long to live so he needed to get that information immediately.

"What has happened to you brave soldier?" He asked in a calming tone, hoping to sooth the dying man before his death. The man reached out and the general clasped his hand in a warriors gesture.

"They came out of the sand." The dying man weakly replied. "Men made of sand and rock, they came out of the sands themselves. Armed with strange staffs that destroyed out shields and armor. trolls of pure iron that shot lighting at us. Dragons of steel that rained fire." The man struggled to comprehend what he saw. "They destroyed all of us, their weapons burned and men began to disappear into dust."

"What did these men look like?" The general asked.

"They were not men." The man cracked out. "That world, a hellish place. Men became sick of strange diseases, we couldn't even drink the water. There were demons, flying, claws, giant bugs. Demons, hell. Hell. It is hell, that land. The sky is so dead, very little blue. The ground is poison, the food is poison, the water is poison. The demons thrive, they eat, and kill, and kill." The man began rambling.

"How many?" The General gently squeezed the mans hand, enough to reassure but not cause pain.

"Trees of fire, trees of fire, trees of fire." The General knew the man was lost at this point.

"Put him out of his misery, do it painlessly. And ensure he is given proper tribute for his actions.

These things he spoke of, demons, Hell, trees of fire. Could this be hell, did the empire open a gate to hell itself. Will the denizens of this world consume them and rain fire upon the empire. The General seriously considered this and new that the gate must be closed. If what this man said is true then the gate will need to be destroyed. The General knew he would be put on trial but that pales in comparison to what these beasts are capable of doing.

"I want all hands to aid me in the destruction of this cursed gate, these beasts must not enter our world." The General said. He and all his men got whatever they could use to destroy this gate, even the orks and their beasts.

The General stood at the center of the gate, ready to begin his work. His men, all ready to work with speed and efficiency prepared to destroy this dark object of unholy creation. He stood admiring the gate in a new light, a way that was different from before. His actions driven by pure fear and instinct he knew that if anything escaped it would wreak greater havoc than a dragon ever could.

Before they began however they saw something approach from the other side. A demon, with green eyes and strange carvings on its armored forehead. A single one that stared at them with those horrible green eyes. It had no face, only a mask that concealed a hideous face that must surely be hidden. It's body was concealed by a long robe that reached to its ankles. A single object in its sword arm raised and appearing to point at the General himself.

Instantly his body shook violently, followed by a loud explosion. His chest burst in blood and pain, unable to maintain his balance he fell to the ground. The last sounds he heard was a war cry that only an army of demons could bring. He prayed to God to deliver his family from this horrid fate, these demons that the empire so casually released.

Imperial Palace

"Your Majesty, we expected 100,000 casualties in total from the nations. The defeated armies have been left without leadership and are returning home." The adviser to Emperor Molt delivered the information about the failed allied attack on Arnus Hill.

"All according to plan." The scheming emperor said in a relaxed voice. "Our neighbors can no longer threaten the Empire." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Burn every town and village between here and Arnus Hill, poison the wells and take the food and live stock. That should halt the advance of any army." He said in a monotone voice.

"Scorched Earth tactics?" His adviser said. "I worry about the defectors and loss of tax revenue from this course of action." He voiced his reasoning.

"Defectors?" Molt said in mild surprise. "There are motions in the Senate to have you recalled, beginning with Duke Casel." He warned.

This is a good opportunity to take care of the entire Senate in one swoop." The Emperor laughed to himself. "Let us order the Council to investigate." He smiled.

"Your Majesty." Came a voice from the back of the room. Pinya, the 5th child to the Emperor and 10th in line for the throne. A young red headed woman who carried herself with elegance and class, even in the armor that she now currently wore.

"My daughter." The Emperor said with slight distaste in his voice. "What do you need?" He said, wanting to get this little matter over with quickly.

"It's about Arnus of course." She gave a slight bow to her father. "I have learned that an allied army has faced miserable defeat, and that the empires holy ground, Arnus Hill, has been captured and occupied by the enemy. What are you going to do at a time like this?" She said with slight worry in her voice.

"We will use this opportunity to take back Arnus Hill." The adviser said sternly, holding his arms outward to try and visually get his point across.

"What complacency!" Pinya turned and yelled at him. "This will not help us stop the enemy invasion!" She reasoned forcefully.

"Pinya, you are correct." The Emperor said lazily. "But we are far too ignorant of the enemy on Arnus Hill." He smiled deviously. "This is perfect, could I ask you and your order to scout their position?" He asked, knowing she would jump at this opportunity.

"Me? With my Order?" Pinya said in complete shock.

"Indeed." The Emperor smirked, knowingly playing a cruel trick on his own daughter in order to get her out of his way. "If your Order is more than your plaything of course."

Pinya's eyes swelled up with surprise, then determination. She felt a sense of relief, fear, and excitement run through her at finally having the opportunity to become a warrior outside of just an Honor Guard.

"I understand, Your Majesty." She bowed to one knee, hardly able to contain the joy in her voice. She turned around and exited the room with haste in order to prepare her Order.

"Your Majesty." The Adviser got his attention.

"Yes?" Molt asked impatiently.

"About the second Gate..." He trailed off, trying to find a way to explain what happened. "Recent reports says that there is another army that exited, that wiped out the remaining 60,000 Legionaries that we posted there." He said with slight hesitation.

"I see." Molt said, with minor fear in his voice. "Our army is barely able to maintain our own borders at this point, we'll have to find a way to take care of this situation." He said.

"There's more." He said, taking the Emperors attention once again. "Survivors have called it a demon army, there are tales that on the other side is the land of Hell, that demons have begun exiting the gate. It's said that the entire world is poisoned. That the trees are made of fire and the sky is devoid of any blue colors."

"We will handle this situation when it comes, hopefully these demons will attack Arnus hill and weaken this new enemy. Perhaps they will weaken each other so that we can push them back." The Emperor began plotting. "Leave now." He commanded and the Adviser left with haste.

The Emperor did not allow fear to get the better of him, he knew there is a way to defeat this enemy, either through war or deception. But these demons, if the stories are true... he pushed it to the back of his mind for later. For now he would deal with Arnus.

End Chapter 1

And that's it so far. Please review.