Fallout New Vegas: Lucky Dragon Epilogue

New Vegas: While the Second Battle of Hoover Dam announced the Mojave as a nation, the Battle of the Southern Mojave, along with the collapse and surrender of the Glorious Cause, solidified it. Over the coming months, Lars would announce a new government to lead his people to what would hopefully be a bright new future. The Vegas City Council, a committee of elected officials, would run the legislature, while the Judicial Marshals would enforce the laws and safety of those in and outside the city. The position of Governor would be heavily deconsolidated, reduced typically to a ceremonial position except in an event of a crisis. Lars figured it would suit him just fine.

Shi-town: After an extensive reconstruction, Shi-town found itself in the position to elect its first-ever representative in the NCR Senate. The early front-runner turned out to be Lady Feng Ziyi, an extremely popular figure within the community. Ziyi reluctantly accepted the early nomination, and soon became Shi-town's first ever senator. She continues to work hard and enjoys a close relationship with the Governor of New Vegas, to which she typically enjoys bi-yearly vacations for a little R&R.

NCR: With the recent expansion of Shi-town within their borders as well as the recent ceding of Legion territory, the NCR ratified new bills focusing less on expanding its borders and more on consolidating its territories. Though some hard-liners in the military still dream of absorbing the Mojave Nation, they were easily drowned out by others in the NCR Senate who focused more on domestic and economic issues. To date, the NCR enjoys a partnership with the Mojave Nation, having signed an alliance spurred about by recent developments.

Legion: As promised, Lanius ceded large swaths of Arizona and Utah to the Mojave Nation as tribute for his release and survival. With his Oracle, Lanius easily brought the Legion civil war to a close before it began. From that point, it didn't take long for the Legion to entirely abandon Flagstaff, disappearing to parts unknown in the east. Months later, word would reach the west that the legendary Fort Wrath had fallen without firing a shot, and the great city of Dallas would fall later. The Legion had conquered its Rome.

Unclaimed Wastes: The territory abandoned by the Legion brought about something of a land rush, harkening back to the days of manifest destiny. Various prospectors, merchants, outlaws, tribes, and even some governments gave interest in claiming this wild new frontier for itself. The Mojave Nation was still small and didn't have the power to claim and hold its new neighboring territories, but it still made a fortune by selling access to the bridge, while serving as a port and safe haven for all sorts of adventurers.

Judicial Marshals: Founded to enforce the new laws and protect vulnerable settlements, the remaining Desert Rangers reformed themselves into an acting police force. New members are routinely parsed and evaluated into joining their ranks, and those that pass the rigorous standards head to be trained by the founding members. Craig Boone and Benjamin "Gaunt" Montgomery tend to handle fire-arms and martial training, Ulysses focuses on wilderness survival and tribal dialects, Floyd Wilson teaches unit tactics and cohesion, and Natalie Boone instructs conflict resolution and proportional force. Working together, the Judicial Marshals are looking to be the police force the NCR Army and Securitrons could not be.

Big MT: The Think Tank is hard at work trying to re-gravitate the Big MT back to their original placement on planet Earth. Though the Moon has proven an adequate shelter, Dr. Borous is adamant that certain test conditions can only be met in an atmospheric environment. Re-centering the Think Tank could take years, but they are determined to reclaim their space from space and to locate the handful of escaped experiments that have yet to be accounted for.

Johnny Guitar's Pack: Official reports are unable to verify the existence of the deathclaw known as "Johnny Guitar." Believed to be another example of wasteland folklore outpacing fact, Johnny is supposedly somewhere in Arizona, fittingly in the Unclaimed Wastes. Numerous hunters have reportedly taken shots at a deathclaw matching his description, but nothing fatal enough to leave a body. Some claims indicate that Johnny has been witnessed walking off getting shot in the head, cursing out his attackers all while his ravenous pack drives away any corroborating witnesses. Side-note; Shi-town Senator Feng Ziyi has reportedly entertained placing a million dollar bounty on shooting Johnny in the mouth, saying she has "no interest in killing him, but wouldn't mind shutting him up for a little bit."

Glorious Cause: The invasion was almost a complete failure. The loss of the War Engines and Unit 592 nearly crippled the Stronghold's ability to assemble a martial host against the Shanghai Triad Kingdom. Were it not for the formula Jiasheng hastily received before his return, the Emperor would have ordered the extermination of the Feng family line. Jiasheng alone would return to the Stronghold, the rest of the Cause having either died in "battle" or mutinied on the journey over to join the Mountain King. Jiasheng never went into battle again, instead looking to serve as an instructor to the Emperor's upcoming daughter, looking not to repeat past mistakes.

Bishop Crime Family: Having finally relocated away from the New Reno turf wars, Mr. Bishop eventually set up shop in the Silver Rush, where he achieved the ultimate dream of many an organized crime syndicate; going legit. He oversees the revenue of the Three Families and other casinos and facilities in the city, taking up the position of the Governor's chief lieutenant. Though this position frequently causes him to butt heads with the Governor, it also allows him to spend plenty of quality time with his family, to which he is grateful.

Van Graffs: Thanks to their prodigal son, the Van Graff family was offered territories just outside of Shi-town, brokering an end to the conflict. In Oakland, the Van Graff continue their arms-dealing in addition to running security for Senator Feng, who continues her efforts to try and keep the Van Graffs on some kind of straight and narrow. She does not hold her breath, keeping the wild family at arms length with various contracts and blackmail.

New Canaan: In gratitude for their assistance with relieving the refugee camp, the Governor issued them permission to settle in North Vegas, essentially returning the Mormons to the city they founded. Able to settle and start anew, the New Canaanites began organizing new trade routes, putting them on the path of once again becoming the dominant trading power they had been before. Though living a strained relationship with the den of vice just inside the walls, the New Canaanites have not forgotten their holy charge, continuing to preach and do good works whenever they can. Many locals consider them a welcome if sometimes irritating presence.

Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel: Barnaky got everything she wanted. She received Project Purity, filling the Mississippi with fresh clean water, which was now hers to control. She got the Mojave Chapter to supplement her own force. She put the NCR, Lost Hills elders, Enclave, Mojave Nation, and especially her own Military Council on notice. The adulation she received upon returning home was such that even her commanders could not punish her. Over the coming years, she would act evermore aggressively against her leaders, culminating in her overthrowing the Military Council and establishing herself as the Paramount Elder of the Steel Kingdom. This action pushed the Mojave Nation and the NCR into forming an alliance and setting the stage for a new conflict.

Robert House: The program that answered to that name has yet to be detected upon its final crash. Whether it is merely biding its time to reconstruct itself or is truly dead, none can say for sure. House leaves behind a complicated legacy. Many just wish it has finally ended for good. Few are sure of it.

Melanie Rictoberg: She watched the conflict unfold over Vegas with great interest. Satisfied, if a little nonplussed at House's final fate, Melanie continues her duty pulling the strings of Europe in the shadows. The Governor of New Vegas turned out to be a key focal point of her interest, and a part of her considered bringing him into the fold of her own new organization. However, her own immediate games drew her own attention, so she had little choice but to leave him to his business. For now.

Madame Xiao Zhang: Defeated, humiliated, and spirit broken, Zhang Xiao has been transferred to the Sierra Madre to live out the rest of her days. Caught in twenty-four-hour surveillance in the deepest part of the crypt, Xiao is left to wallow in her hate and curse all she blamed for her predicament. She holds on to these few things; ALEXANDRIA must be found, it is the only way she can return home, and her enemies must all suffer. Should she escape, the threat she will demonstrate to whoever opposes her should be unprecedented.

And that, as they say, is that. I've been chipping away at this personal project for five years. It feels great to finally click that complete button and say it is finally done. It feels like forever ago when I was reading New California Dreaming and thinking; I like the cut of your jib, Hotpoint, I wonder how I could handle something like that? I'll still chip away at my other fic, the semi-prequel The New Europe, but don't expect anything remotely this large. Also, if you aren't reading/reviewing Solace in Sand or Fallout: Montana, why the f*** aren't you?

Now, was this ending a little too open for your liking? Good. I dare you to do something about it. If you aren't using fan fiction to expand and extrapolate and create and add and alter, what the hell are you doing here? If you like anything I've done or added and want to continue, go ahead, pick up the baton, and continue the timeline! You have my blessings!