Operation: Sunburst

Operation: Sunburst, also known as the battle for HELIOS One, was a decisive battle fought between the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and the New California Republic. The two sides engaged over the control of the pre-War Poseidon Energy solar plant HELIOS One in 2276 during the Brotherhood War.
==Background==
The occupation of HELIOS One was a decision made by Elder Elijah, who intended to unlock the secrets of the power plant. The Mojave chapter operated freely within the Vegas wastes for several years, carrying out many reclamation missions without serious opposition. In 2274, a large contingent of NCR troops entered the region and occupied Hoover Dam, coming into conflict with the chapter.The Courier: "I'd like to know more about the NCR."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. Rangers and army scouts had confirmed that the dam was basically unoccupied and could be restored to an operable condition. Upon arriving at the dam, however, they discovered that a large force of tribals and robots had occupied it. This was our introduction to the Three Families, the Securitrons, and, of course, Mr. House. Using his Securitrons as intermediaries, Mr. House called for parlay. He claimed his forces had occupied Hoover Dam in order to safeguard it for our arrival. And that he was ready to turn it over to us, so long as we could agree to terms. Those terms became the Treaty of New Vegas."(Dennis Crocker's dialogue)Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p. 458: "Important Dates" "2274 NCR forces move east and occupy Hoover Dam. The NCR reluctantly signs the Treaty of New Vegas recognizing Mr. House and his stewards, the Three Families, as the rightful owners of the Strip. The Strip opens for business."(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City) Elder Elijah concentrated on bringing HELIOS into operation while the Brotherhood contingent engaged in guerilla skirmishes with the NCR for nearly two years.The Courier: "Yes, what is the task?"Edgar Hardin: "Back when we were stationed at HELIOS, our scouts reported that a group was establishing itself in the area as a distributor of Pre-War weapons. Our Elder at the time, Elijah, was too concerned with getting HELIOS running and fending off the NCR, so he ordered us to leave them alone. It's time that we correct that oversight, and show this region that the Brotherhood is still a force to be reckoned with. I want you to visit these weapons dealers, this Van Graff family, and make an example of them. Leave no one alive. When the job is done, report back and I'll arrange for a team to clean up the site and retrieve the weapons."(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
==Battle==
Many in the Brotherhood believed that the solar plant was not defensible and considered the NCR approach inevitable, but Elder Elijah decided to remain, dooming the chapter. The NCR began "Operation: Sunburst," the offensive to drive the Brotherhood out and take control of the facility.The Courier: "Shouldn't there be more people than this defending a power plant?"Haggerty: "There should. But we're not getting much power out of it so none of our enemies have a big interest in it either. Not like Hoover Dam, anyway. We had a real fighting force here just long enough to take it from the Brotherhood of Steel. Then they got sent east to the dam like everybody else. Caesar's Legion sends skirmishers every so often. Prodding for weaknesses, mostly. The reality is, if they really wanted it, we'd all be dead."(Haggerty's dialogue) Troopers attacked the Brotherhood in waves, concentrating a force that outnumbered the defenders by a factor of between 15The Courier: "Why do you hate the Brotherhood so much?"Robert 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?"(Robert House's dialogue) and 20 to 1. Then-Senior Paladin Hardin recommended fighting a retreating action, but Elder Elijah ordered the troops to dig in and protect the facility, reporting to Hardin that he almost "had it working" but never clarified what was almost working.The Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."Edgar 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."(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Linda Schuler's terminal, Journal Entry 01 Brotherhood soldiers repulsed repeated NCR infantry assaults, but began running low on munitions. With an already limited fighting force, and now dwindling ammunition, their positions began to collapse. Head Paladin McNamara was forced to rally the remaining forces and launch a counter attack. This action allowed them to break through NCR lines and retreat towards Hidden Valley, while Elder Elijah had disappeared during the fighting. During their retreat, the Brotherhood quickly re-activated HELIOS One's ARCHIMEDES I security measures as a trap to the first NCR soldiers to enter the primary control area. This denied the NCR access to the facility's control center for years, as by 2281, the traps were still armed and preventing entry.The Courier: "What are you trying to accomplish?"Fantastic: "Well, see, we're getting power, because the guy running this place is Fantastic. But the mirrors outside aren't aimed right, so we're running at one percent efficiency. And I guess that just isn't good enough for some assholes. Trouble is, most of the controls for this place aren't here - they're in the tower. And that place has some crazy Pre-War security system that the dumbshit NCR set off when they took over. Killed two guys. Now they won't go near it. They want me to make an omelet, but I can't break any of their eggs, know what I'm saying?"(Fantastic's dialogue)The Courier: "Why was the Brotherhood of Steel here?"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."(Haggerty's dialogue)
==Aftermath==
The Brotherhood was routed, losing significant numbers including over half of its knights and paladins.Nolan McNamara: "Veronica. I hope-"Veronica: "I brought you a present. We unlocked the secret of HELIOS One."Nolan 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."Nolan 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 Nolan McNamara's dialogue) With Elijah's disappearance, McNamara assumed command and led survivors in a retreat eastward towards Hidden Valley. Once the Brotherhood survivors reached the Hidden Valley bunker, a strict lockdown was enacted. Many in the NCR wrote the Brotherhood off as a spent force in the Mojave, attempting to dismiss their threat level to the republic. Cassandra Moore still considered them a dangerous threat, noting that multiple NCR scouts had gone missing West of HELIOS One to presumed Brotherhood activity.The Courier: "Mr. House won't be a problem. He's been disconnected from his system."Cassandra Moore: "But he's still alive? I'll have to remember to send someone to follow up on that later. Anyway, at least he's out of the picture for the time being. You might be happy to know that your efforts haven't gone unnoticed, either. The brass have been throwing around the idea of having the president visit the dam for a while now. To rally the troops and boost morale and such. With our recent achievements, they finally feel secure enough to stage the damn thing. But while it's being planned, I have one last mission for you. Several years ago, we managed to wrest the HELIOS One solar power station from the Brotherhood of Steel chapter local to this area. It was a crushing victory, but no one's heard a peep from the Brotherhood since. Most people assume the Brotherhood is scattered and not a threat. Recently we've had scouts go missing in an area west of HELIOS, and I'm concerned that the Brotherhood is involved. I want you to find them, and once you do, finish them for good. Any questions?"(Cassandra Moore's dialogue)The Courier: "Tell me about what happened at HELIOS."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. 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."(Ramos' dialogue) 
Activity outside the bunker was drastically restricted. Only supply runs, occasional reconnaissance missions, and patrols were allowed to leave the underground installation and even then, only at night. By 2281, the lockdown persisted in response to the NCR increasing its presence in the Mojave fivefold. The Mojave chapter, according to Elder McNamara, had time to fully recuperate from their losses, although the isolation meant a portion of their new knights and paladins were not battle experienced. However, their first scouting missions revealed that the NCR's presence in the region had only increased in their absence, so the lockdown was extended. The Brotherhood used the time in lockdown to re-strategize and come up with a new plan to face the NCR.The Courier: "Tell me about the lockdown."Nolan 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."(Nolan McNamara's dialogue)
Following the loss, the Brotherhood analyzed their defeat at HELIOS One. They came to the conclusion that ex-Elder Elijah was largely responsible, considering that his actions and choices leading up to the battle had endangered the lives of his fellow brethren and caused the defeat. They further concluded that his unwillingness to leave the facility despite pleads from his subordinates left Brotherhood positions non-defensible. This was clear to many other members of the Brotherhood. By 2281, the now-Head Paladin Hardin stated, "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." Paladin Ramos, another survivor of the conflict, shares this opinion, noting that "that place was hardly defensible, and we knew the NCR was moving in on us, but the Elder refused to budge." Additionally, for abandoning his chapter during Operation: Sunburst and going rogue, Elijah was marked for execution by the Brotherhood and their special operations and internal affairs branch, known as the Circle of Steel.Patient log: Y-17
The NCR successfully captured HELIOS One and consolidated their forces to secure the power plant. When HELIOS One was deemed fully captured, the NCR then attempted to pursue the Brotherhood's forces, but it was too late as the Brotherhood of Steel had vanished without a trace.The Courier: "I thought the Brotherhood were all wiped out at HELIOS One. How could they have survived?"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?"(Cassandra Moore's dialogue) The NCR were quick in their attempt to harness the power plant as a potential source of energy. However, in their haste, they had triggered the Brotherhood's trap and activated ARCHIMEDES I (HELIOS One's plant security system), resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and effectively cutting off the primary controls in the tower of the plant.
Although the bulk of the NCR fighting force was almost immediately redeployed to secure Hoover Dam in preparation for the war with Caesar's Legion, the NCR established a garrison to remain at HELIOS One while their technician attempts to get the plant functionally efficient.The Courier: "Shouldn't there be more people than this defending a power plant?"Haggerty: "There should. But we're not getting much power out of it so none of our enemies have a big interest in it either. Not like Hoover Dam, anyway. We had a real fighting force here just long enough to take it from the Brotherhood of Steel. Then they got sent east to the dam like everybody else. Caesar's Legion sends skirmishers every so often. Prodding for weaknesses, mostly. The reality is, if they really wanted it, we'd all be dead."(Haggerty's dialogue) Due to the NCR's non-rigorous hiring standards, an incompetent con artist was hired to act as the facility's principal engineer. He has coasted on this job for an easy paycheck and has been unable to bring the facility to even moderate operational status, leaving it stuck at 1% efficiency. Ignacio Rivas was posted by the Followers of the Apocalypse to research the facility independently and ensure that Fantastic would not figure out a way to discover and unlock the facility's true purpose. As he puts it, "Some things are best left buried with the old world."The Courier: "I just do what's necessary to keep the peace."Ignacio Rivas: "That's reassuring, although many who've made that claim to the Followers of the Apocalypse over the years have had less than pure intentions. But if it's really as you say, then take my advice. This installation carries with it dangers that no one here has realized. Take care what you do here, and who you listen to. Some things are best left buried with the old world."(Ignacio Rivas' dialogue)
==Appearances==
Operation: Sunburst is mentioned only in Fallout: New Vegas, its name listed in the game guide.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.43: "Brotherhood of SteelThe Brotherhood of Steel is a militant organization devoted to the preservation of pre-war technology and human knowledge. Their professed mission is to preserve pre-war technology and human knowledge for the benefit of future generations. In practice, its definition of technology is strangely selective, ignoring basic but potentially useful technologies (genetic modification of crops and civil engineering, for example) in favor of combat technology such as energy weapons and power armor: and even now, nearly two centuries after the Great War, the Brotherhood zealously restricts the use and knowledge of such technologies to its own membership.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). 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.Since that defeat, the chapter's leader, Elder McNamara, has restricted activity outside the bunker to occasional reconnaissance missions and high-value raids. All operations take place at night, and engagement of NCR forces is strictly forbidden. Though the Brotherhood's ascetic lifestyle has prepared its members for a sequestered existence better than most, the passivity of their current situation has proved highly stressful."(Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)
==References==
Non-game
Category:Brotherhood of Steel conflicts
Category:New California Republic conflicts
Category:HELIOS One
es:Operación Estallido
ko:선버스트 작전
pl:Operacja: Sunburst
pt:Operação: Sunburst
ru:Операция: Солнечный луч
uk:Операція: Сонячний промінь
zh:旭日行动