Searchlight Sabotage

The Searchlight Sabotage was the irradiation of the New California Republic Army's Camp Searchlight by Caesar's Legion Frumentarii in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.
==Prelude==
A convoy of flatbed trucks transporting nuclear waste from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station to a burial site was passing through Searchlight when the Great War began. The local police re-directed the drivers to temporarily park their trucks in the town's fire station, two of the trucks parked in the fire station while another continued on its path to Cottonwood Cove. Locked within the fire station, the barrels would sit in their sturdy containers going undisturbed for 200 years.Camp Searchlight terminal entries; Chief Fire Officer Terminal, Chief Fire Officer Report No. F1-218Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 421: "Camp SearchlightAs an unfortunate twist of fate would have it, a convoy of flatbed trucks transporting nuclear waste from San Onofre was passing through Searchlight when the Great War broke out. Local police directed the drivers to temporarily park their vehicles in the fire department, but no one ever came back to retrieve them. There they sat in their extremely sturdy solid steel spent fuel flasks for over 200 years. The NCR recently set up a sizable base here; but this was a major obstacle for Caesar's Legion due to its size and clear view of the surrounding desert. When it became obvious that a direct assault would not prove fruitful, Vulpes Inculta sent in some spies to learn more about the situation. After he learned about the radioactive waste being stored in the fire station, he ordered some unwitting legionaries to open the containers. The legionaries died near instantly, their sacrifice producing a massive wave of death and ghoulification among NCR troops that effectively destroyed Camp Searchlight as a viable military base."(Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition Tour of the Mojave Wasteland)
==Disaster==
The New California Republic had recently stationed a sizable garrison in the ruins of Searchlight and this was a major obstacle for Caesar's Legion due to its size and view of the surrounding area and proximity to Cottonwood Cove. When it became obvious that a direct assault would not prove fruitful, Vulpes Inculta sent in frumentarii to learn more about the situation. They reported back to him about the pre-War radioactive waste being stored in the town fire station. Knowing that releasing the radioactive waste would render the camp completely radioactive and unusable to the NCR, Vulpes ordered two legionaries on a covert mission to infiltrate the camp's fire station to "open as many containers as possible" and "report back."Legion orders The legionaries, ignoring what was in the containers, died instantaneously, having only opened two of the containers. Their action produced a massive wave of death and ghoulification amongst the NCR troops, effectively destroying Camp Searchlight as a military outpost.The Courier: "What happened at Searchlight?"Chief Hanlon: "Searchlight was worse. One of Caesar's must have found something in there, flooded the whole camp with radiation."(Hanlon's dialogue)
==Aftermath==
The area has become highly radioactive as a result of the opening of the waste containers. This action also resulted in the city having a thick, green haze hanging over it. All troops in Searchlight at the time of the disaster either died or were ghoulified from the massive radiation dose, and most who succumbed to ghoulification went feral within hours. The radiation also attracted radscorpions which have taken the opportunity to nest with the corpses of dead troopers, providing easy food to raise a queen. Not all of the NCR's troops were irradiated by the disaster, however: a handful of troopers led by First Sergeant Astor were on patrol before the containers were opened and were spared death or ghoulificationThe Courier: "How did you survive?"First Sergeant Astor: "I was out on patrol at the time so I wasn't in the camp when it happened. There were a few others with me after it happened, including some of my superiors. Between radiation poisoning and attacks by the Legion they all died out."(Astor's dialogue) and now warn off passers from entering Searchlight.First Sergeant Astor: "Hang on there, traveler. You'll want to steer clear of this place - the whole town is irradiated to high hell."(Astor's dialogue)The Courier: "If the area is filled with radiation, why are you still here?"First Sergeant Astor: "I was stationed at Camp Searchlight before the incident. I've since taken it upon myself to keep travelers away from the area."(Astor's dialogue)
While not all the troops had succumbed to radiation, there were too few left in the area to pose any serious threat to Caesar's Legion, and thus Caesar ordered Centurion Aurelius of Phoenix to erect a camp at Cottonwood Cove.The Courier: "You must be the one in charge here."Aurelius of Phoenix: " When drove the NCR from Searchlight by clever means, himself ordered me to set up this camp and harass the Profligates! It's a modest presence, a single finger of the Legion reaching across the river's narrows. But with me here, it has an iron knuckle."(Aurelius of Phoenix's dialogue) Searchlight's loss opened the way for the Legion to raid further, taking Nipton and also assaulting the NCR base of Nelson. Even Alice McLafferty of the Crimson CaravanThe Courier: "Who is your employer?"Logan: "Some caravan company, Crimson something or other. Some old broad said they're looking to expand their business, be more competitive or some shit."Logan's dialogue has taken the opportunity to gain from the NCR army's loss by hiring a party of mercenary prospectors to loot the ruins of weapons, computer parts, and other technical equipment from Searchlight.Wheel of Fortune
==Appearances==
The Searchlight Sabotage occurred prior to the events of and is mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.
==Gallery==
FNV Searchlight barrels.jpg|Intact radioactive waste barrels
==References==
Non-game
Category:New California Republic conflicts
Category:Caesar's Legion conflicts
Category:Camp Searchlight
ru:Сёрчлайтская диверсия
uk:Серчлайтська диверсія