I've tried getting in their first and killing everything, but I just can't move fast enough. Besides, the Behemoth attack is largely scripted, requiring the actors be all in their places. It seems as if the Behemoth attack kills more than just the newbie, Initiate Jennings, although that is the only death everyone seems upset about.
Then again, it could be that my sloppy Fat Man work killed all non-essential NPCs....
Thanks!