I couldn't find any fan fic about what would happen realistically if the Courier just died in Goodsprings, plus I was bored and so I bring to you a new story. This one will be many chapters long and not a short story like my last.

The Battle of Novac

By Bob Tom

Chapter one- Man of the East, Man of the West

Legate strode across the observation deck of the Hoover Dam allowing the full stench of the decaying mounds of corpses to fill every inch of his being.

Now if only we could take Vegas

Legate stopped walking at the base of Caesar's new eternal image where an anti air gun once stood as the Legion's blacksmiths hammered together the feet that would serve as the foundation.

After a minute or so of careful observation Legate turned only to be greeted by Vulpes.

“Ae Legate, I have finished creating a overview of the Mojave.”
“O? So it would seem your woman like tactics have some use for the Legion. Tell me what you have found.” Legate said disapprovingly while folding his arms.

Legate began walking back towards his camp while Vulpes followed close behind.

“For start your greatness, the Omerta's have faile-.”
“Of course they have, they had the same manner as you, how could they expect any different result than failure and dishonor? What has become of the Strip?”

“House, The Tops and the White Glove Society have killed the Omertas. From what I understand all three have lost massive amounts of force.”

“Excellent, what of McCarran?”
“Every last NCR soldier posted at McCarran were killed by the Fiends, but the Fiends lost almost every member as well. Our scouts noted only 12 members of the Fiends remain at best but they were wearing NCR power armor and had some pretty advanced weaponry, they're also sitting on a pile of leftover munitions from McCarran. If they decided to attack the Strip, which given the explosives they have is possible, they could bring down House, although it would be a suicide mission like McCarran.”

“What happened to those pathetic Khans?”
“Most died here on the Dam but a few remain at Red Rock.”
“After we take Vegas, all of them will be in chains. What else do you have to report?”


By this point they left the Dam and were in the small canyon on the road to Legate's camp.
“What else do you know?”
“The Veteran Rangers, quite a few Rangers, First Recon and even a few of the NCR's power armored units all survived the Battle. From my estimation 2/3^rd of the NCR's regular troopers have been slain but many of the more skilled members have retreated and are now based out of Nipton.”
“Nipton the ruins? The NCR is now based out of the ruins of [censored] houses?”
“Indeed your highness, but the NCR's elite troops have barely lost any force and pose a great threat to a continuation of this campaign.”

Legate thought for a moment.

“We have truly lost many Centurions, in frankness we are barely able to hold the line. Cottonwood has almost no Legionaries to it's post, there must surely be recruits from the east we can use in this affair.”

“The Centurions back east have made it clear they have no recruits to bea-”
“The Centurions back east will yield to what I say or have their heads on a pike!”

Legate calmed himself.

“Vulpes, what other opposition stands in our way of controlling the Mojave?”
“The town of Novac has continued to remain independent due to a team of snipers, the BoS have taken Helios One from the NCR but have lost a few of their members doing so. Lastly because of the death of Oliver, Hsu and Moore an officer from the former Camp of Forlorn a man named Polatli, is the new General for NCR forces.”

“Excellent, well Vulpes your services will no longer be required.”
“What was that your hig-”

Before Vulpes could finish his thought Legate swiftly turned around and backhanded Vulpes to the ground. Before Vulpes could react Legate crushed his chest with his foot and ended his life. Legate thought nothing more about Vulpes and entered into his camp to think of what he had learned.

- - - -

General Polatli wasn't sure what to make of his new assignment but he didn't have much time to ponder that now.

“Mike pin that map of over here on this wall!”
“Sir yes sir!” Mike screamed

Mike pinned up the map and quickly left the room to his next task. As soon as he left two Veteran Rangers entered through the old door frame.

“General Polatli Chief Hanlon is sorry he couldn't make it here today but has informed us to give you his full intelligence report until the radio network is set up.”

“Tell me the report then, I don't have much time.”
“Yes sir.”

The two Rangers stepped forward, their all black armor slightly intimidating Polatli but they were on his side so he quickly quailed those internal notions.

“Here's a paper copy of the report but a verbal overview will be much faster sir.”

“Go ahead then.” Polatli said turning around to fix the pinned up map Mike incorrectly put upside down.

“The Legion has destroyed the operational capability of the Hoover Dam and the BoS has taken Helios One offline leaving Vegas and it's surrounding areas without power, except for the Lucky 38 which is running off of backup generators. As you know the NCR was massacred at McCarran and now about 10 or so Fiends in our power armor have taken up resident there, along with our ammo. In truth a squad of Rangers could dispatch them sense they're going to run out of drugs and suffer withdrawal, but they're a greater threat to House. It's Hanlon's opinion that we should allow those Fiends to keep pressure on House.”

“Good good.” Polatli said while fumbling over the book cabinet under the map, “Continue”

“All Ranger Stations in the Mojave have been evacuated and in many cases our Logistics corps were able to retrieve our equipment, as you know Hanlon is leading the Rangers out of Sloan but we have a major operation coming up in the Southern Mojave.”

“What operation?”

“The Legion currently has almost no forces in the area south of Novac, most were killed taking Ranger Station Echo, because of that Cottonwood is in a very weak position. Tonight a squad of Rangers will be releasing radioactive containers on the encampment leaving room for the NCR to reenter the Southern Front using Nipton as the launching point.”

“Good good.” Polatli looked at the destroyed map in his hands, and saw the former Ranger Station Charlie.

“Tell Hanlon after that operation I'll have two squads of troopers make camp at the former Ranger Station Charlie and I'll need a squad of Rangers posted there also. If the Legion dare attack it our rail lines could have this whole base mobilized and there within an hour to repel such an attack. Is that all you have to report?”

“Yes sir.”
“Then leave the report on my desk, you can be on your way.”

The Rangers left the room after placing the report on Polatli desk as he finally got the map posted on the wall. For the next few minutes Polatli just looked at it, thinking.

Really good, a few spelling errors but nothing major, other than that it was great.

Very good start.

Thanks to both of you, I'll go back through it to find them. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 2- Thieves of Honor, Heroes of Disgrace

Come on Jerry you can do this, there just a bunch of Fiends and you have what they've been waiting on.

Jerry stepped over the metal hull of McCarran's former gate and gazed around the empty base. It was almost high noon and the sun was covering the base with heavy rays of heat which were then absorbed into the decaying naked corpses whose smells soon reached Jerry's nose in full force. He could already smell the stench a mile away but now it was overwhelming.

As Jerry moved forward the knots in his stomach became more pronounced as the stench almost made him vomit.

Stop Jerry, you've got to deliver this shipment, you've got to look strong

In the middle of the courtyard where NCR tents once lay, was a massive pile of bodies, both NCR and Fiend. The tents themselves were largely collapsed and few looked burnt from laser weapons. Jerry was about to inspect the burns when a bullet ripped into his leg.

“DAMN IT THE [censored]?!”

Jerry fell to the ground in thud, while the contents of his stomach arose onto his previously white shirt. Jerry swarmed in pain gripping onto his wound. The Fiend who shot Jerry ran to him and stood over him in his bulky Power Armor.

“Who are you?! NCR?!”

“NO NO I'M A KHAN!”

The Fiend looked at Jerry from head to toe then gave him a swift kick in his wound, breaking his hand which was holding it.

“LIAR! YOU LOOK TO SOFT TO BE A KHAN.”

The Fiend kicked Jerry in the teeth with the power armor breaking his jaw. Jerry passed out from the pain and the Fiend picked up his backpack full of Jet.

“Jet? Score!” The Fiend went back into the terminal with the drugs while Jerry lost more and more blood from his mouth and leg.

The Fiend entered the terminal to be greeted by Cook Cook who was rejusting his flamethrower.

“What you got there Adam?” Cook Cook asked glancing up in the dim light of the terminal building.

“JET! Some spy for the NCR was carrying it!”

“Jet..wait spy? What [censored] spy?”
“Out in the courtyard he claimed to be a Khan, I put a good bullet in him.”
“YOU [censored] IDIOT THAT WAS A KHAN!”
“WAAA?! HOW DO YOU KNOW?!”

“Because Adam! A week ago some Khans came and said they had a final shipment for us!” Cook Cook stood up and Adam became aware of how large Cook Cook was even without his Power Armor on.

Cook Cook raised the back of his hand and hit Adam to the ground, Adam knew better than to respond and Cook Cook walked outside into the heat. After a moment or so of silence he was back with Jerry over his shoulder.

“Well nothing to do about him now, except fry him up and eat him of course, get up Adam he'll make a good sew. We're going to need all the food we can get if we're to survive the Strip.”

“Yeah that's for sure.” Adam said getting off the floor while rubbing his face.

Cook Cook and Adam walked to the common area were the rest of the group was, it was going to be a long tomorrow but this new hot meal and bag of jet will make today go by so much better.


- - -

House hadn't projected himself into a securiton since the founding of Vegas and he certainly didn't enjoy having to talk to the White Glove Society and Tops.

Great here come the tribals

House thought to himself while Swank and Marjorie entered the Lucky 38, right on time. Marjorie was relieved to feel the air conditioning of the 38 and looked as if she hadn't bathed since the battle, which considering that's when the power and water went out is likely. Swank was in no better condition and he even looked a little thin for food.

They both quickly took a seat at the table House had set up for them and he began speaking.

“I feel no need to waste time, and I want to conclude this meeting as quickly as possible. We have a series of problems that must be dealt with or this could be the end of Vegas.”

“Problems is right House!” Marjorie interjected, “We don't have any food House! We're out of water! When you took over Vegas you promised us these things and now things are worse than when you came! The Legion are at our doorstep and the only hope we had, the NCR probably doesn't even want the city anymore!”

“YOU WILL NOT TALK TO ME IN THAT WAY! For years I've dealt with you pathetic tribals and your small problems, I brought you civilization and you now your just as insolent as I imagined. This is MY CITY! It will always be my city and if anyone here today has a problem with that, then speak now.”

Marjorie was silent but Swank wasn't going to simply comply.
“Nah Mr. House, ghost of the strip, Mr. Never-at-Home. The Strip will be run by the Tops, Marjorie my dear I'll get you all the water and food you need, and House you'll be a part in this but consider this a hostile takeover.”
Swank put up both of his feet on the table and removed a lighter from his coat jacket along with a cigarette.

“You fool,” House begun, “You realize what those words may of very well cost you your life?”
“House, I'm doubtful.” Swank retorted, blowing a large plume of smoke House's way.

2 of House's securiton rolled up to the table with their weapons ready but Swank released two semi automatics from his jacket and unleashed the full clips on the machines. In front of House's eyes his robots became unresponsive and their screens slowly faded.

Just as House was about to send the rest of his machines down to deal with Swank, he only had 5 left, the surviving Tops members waltzed into the Tops like they owned the place and House knew it was over. Even if he killed them, which his securitons had a 68 percent chance of doing so by his own projections, that would only leave Vegas in an weaker state from the unruly mobs of Freeside or that encampment of Fiends right outside the Strip.

“What are your terms Swank?” House asked realizing he would have to rectify this situation at a latter date.

“The Tops now controls Vegas, and once we free the region of the Legion, we'll get 51 percent of Vegas' revenue.”

“Free the region of the Legion? And just how do you plan to do that?”

Swank sat back while taking out another cigarette, one of his subordinates lit it for him as he thought about what House said. He blew another puff at House's robots and then spoke.

“You know Robert I don't know yet, but your going to help me find out.”

you spelled "gazed" wrong in the first sentence.

Thank you for pointing that out, I'll be adding another chapter soon, I'm just caught up in the Mojave Convention right now.