In For The Long Haul

"So what the hell are we doing here exactly?" Jaden asked to Reece and Cole. "Command wants us to check out some pre-war facility, they think that it could have some technology that could give the NCR an edge over any enemies." Reece replied. "But that's what I'm sayin, if this technology is SO important why send only three Rangers to do the job?" Jaden asked. "Minimize casualties maybe?" Cole chimed in. "And what exactly are you expecting to happen to cause casualties?" Jaden questioned. "Fuck man, I don't know it's just a guess. What's got you so riled up anyway?" Cole kept walking while awaiting a response from his squadmate. "Look, I've been on edge about commands intentions since Bitter Springs happe-." Jaden stopped talking as Reece stopped walking and turned around to face him. "Now you listen here and you listen good, we don't talk about what happened at Bitter Springs I was there as well but there's not a damn thing we can do about it now except try to right our wrongs but being paranoid all the time won't get you anywhere, understood." Reece finished his lecture. "Understood." Jaden replied and chose not to speak. The group continued their trek through the desert wasteland known as the Mojave getting closer to their objective.

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Paladin Davila wondered to himself what kind of technology could possibly be at this vault-tec facility that it required seven Paladins to retrieve but he thought it best not to dwell on such things as to not be distracted from the task at hand. His bulky T-45 power armor made him look menacing and deadly, it wasn't just armor it was a symbol, a symbol of the Brotherhood of Steel. The residents of the Mojave were aware of the famed Brotherhood but in recent years many had never seen the mighty warriors of the Brotherhood due to the war with the NCR, but everyone recognized the power armor its soldiers utilized. This made the patrol a high profile target to the NCR and average raiders alike. Paladin Davila knew this and decided that the best course of action to take was to keep to buildings or desert and avoid highways and railway tracks if at all possible, this strategy has kept the patrol away from many possible threats and in turn sped up the total time elapsed on the way to the facility. "What do you think is going to be in there." Davila heard Paladin Maples say from the back of the group. "I have no idea Paladin I guess we'll find out when we get there, speaking of which we should be coming up on it in just a few minutes." Davila responded. A series of yes's and finallies echoed across the platoon as they walked onward.

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When the Rangers came upon the facility they decided to put Cole on top of the building with an Anti-Material Rifle to watch for and pick off any oncoming threats while Reece and Jaden cleared the building. After clearing several rooms the pair came across a research terminal and began trying to hack it for any potential information. That's when the comms crackled to life. "Guys we have a problem." Cole said shakily over the radio. "What kind of problem?" Reece asked. "Brotherhood patrol approaching fast I count about seven so far." Cole reported. "Cole you pick off as many as you can and get your ass down here, we're gonna hold this building wether the Brotherhood likes it or not." Reece ordered as he started setting up makeshift barricades out of old desks and work lockers. The two heard the loud thunderous sound of an Anti-Material Rifle firing above them and could only hope that the bullets met their mark. "Lock and load Jaden." Reece ordered while tossing him a Combat Rifle, a few magazines and two pulse grenades. "With pleasure." He responded with a wide grin under his helmet. Cole came back into the building using the ladder in one of the nearby rooms and took his place at the barricade. "How many did you get?" Reece asked. "One confirmed dead and one injured." He replied. "So in short, we only have to deal with five of these assholes now." He added with glee. The room fell silent as they waited for the Brotherhood Paladins to breach the door and all hell break loose.

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Paladin Davila was well and truly pissed at this point. First the NCR had beaten them to the facility, Second a sniper killed one of his men and wounded another and thirdly he had no idea how many Rangers were inside of the facility he needed to take his anger out on something and that something was going to be those Rangers. "What's our strategy sir?" Paladin Garvin asked. "Form up on the doors, two on each side I'll take the middle." He said. "Yes sir." The patrol responded. "On my mark three, two, one, Mark!" He yelled as he kicked in the door and began firing his laser rifle.

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"Three, two, one, Mark!" That was the only thing the Rangers heard before the door breached. Jaden began firing his Combat Rifle filled with armor piercing rounds at the Brotherhood Paladins relentlessly while Cole stuck with his Ranger Sequoia and Reece began rapidly firing his Brush Gun only stopping to reload and dodge laser rounds. The tight hallway became a mess of scorch marks and spent brass casings within minutes with neither side gaining any ground. This went on for several minutes and with no end in sight the Rangers decided to keep fighting and realized that they were in for the long haul.

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"Sir I have an Idea!" Paladin Garvin yelled to Paladin Davila. "Well let's hear it!" He yelled back. "If I can land a pulse grenade behind them it may cause a long enough distraction for us to move forward and kill the Rangers!" Paladin Garvin yelled over the gunfire. "At this point I'll take anything, go for it Paladin." He replied. Paladin Garvin nodded and primed his pulse grenade and threw it, but it didn't hit its intended mark instead it hit the doorframe of one of the rooms and rolled in.

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The Rangers saw the pulse grenade coming and ducked before it hit one of them and instead rolled into the room with the research terminal. "Wasn't that the room with the terminal and wasn't there some sort of chambers in there?" Jaden asked. "Yeah, what about it?" Reece replied. "My point is that we have no idea what the hell might happen if that pulse grenade goes off arou-" Jaden was cut off by the pulse grenade exploding and a bright light with what looked like particles filled their vision before blacking out.

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As Luna  watched over the night she felt several disturbances of unkown origin made themselves apparent across equistria and even one outside of the southern border. She decided to investigate the closest one first appearing to be just outside of Canterlot. She felt the disturbance appear about a mile outside of the Canterlot city limit, as she got closer to the source of the disturbance she did not know what to expect but she certainly never would have never thought of something like this. There on the mountain side there were two creatures, one of which had a brown coat of sorts, glowing red eyes and a strange type of armor she had never seen and another creature similar in overall shape but appeared to be made entirely of steel.