Baja

Baja is a region in Mexico being settled by the New California Republic.

Background
Separated from the mainland by the Gulf of California and the Colorado River, Baja California is a predominantly arid landmass and has retained this characteristic, even after the Great War, becoming a foreboding, hostile land. This did not stop a group of colonists from the New California Republic from trying to set up a settlement in Baja around 2256-2261. The settlers named their colony Rattletail, which was a shantytown in the middle of nowhere, set up around the only working well in fifty miles. The colonists took to shooting anyone not flying the NCR flag, even when those people were just trying to get water.

By the time the future chief of the NCR Rangers, Hanlon, evacuated the town, the five colonists had shot over two dozen locals in cold blood. Chief Hanlon convinced them to pull out, by lying about a raider war-band, one hundred strong, coming through the area to get at them.The Courier: "There must be something good the rangers have done that you're proud of." Hanlon: "[SUCCEEDED] It's kind of a long one, but all right. About twenty, twenty-five years ago, a group of NCR settlers pushed way south into Baja. I guess it doesn't seem so far now if you look at a map, but back then, they were out a ways. They built this little shanty town around a well in the middle of nowhere. Called it Rattletail." The Courier: "[Continue]" Hanlon: "Word got back to one of our stations that raiders had been attacking the place. I went out with six rangers. We must have been on the trail for a week before we got to Rattletail. We lost one woman to Night Stalkers and another almost died of dehydration. When we reach the place, it's six shacks set up around an old well." The Courier: "[Continue]" Hanlon: "There's over two dozen bodies lying in the dunes way outside of town and five men with .308 rifles crouched behind sandbags. And these bodies, these people out in the sand, they aren't raiders. Aren't even heavily armed. They're just people who were trying to get to the only well in fifty miles. I didn't have to talk to the men to see that they did not care one bit." The Courier: "[Continue]" Hanlon: "They had planted an NCR flag over the well and they would not budge until every last one of them was laid out, dead and cold. So I walked up and told them there was a group of raiders coming, one hundred strong. I made up some cockamamie name for them and everything. The men looked at each other, looked at us, and asked me what we were going to do about it." The Courier: "[Continue]" Hanlon: "I told him we would take them back into NCR territory because we had already lost ten rangers on the way out. Ten rangers, five men with .308 rifles. Well, that was enough for them. They packed up what they could and we took them back north. Last I heard, they settled somewhere in Anza-Borrego. Raised Bighorners. Had some tough times, but it worked out okay for them. So there you go. That's my one bit of good." (Hanlon's dialogue)

In 2281, with Hanlon now the acting chief, he requested an increased NCR Ranger presence in the Mojave Wasteland from President Kimball, who agreed. Unfortunately, the President had decided to order the deployment of veteran NCR Rangers into Baja whilst forcing Hanlon to make do with NCR Patrol Rangers instead, indirectly undermining the NCR's war effort against Caesar's Legion out in the Mojave. Hanlon considered this move to be overkill, particularly since combat veterans were needed in the Mojave, not patrolmen. As a result of executive meddling and miscommunication, the entire situation became a massive waste of time, money and resources with a lengthy, complicated history. The pointlessness of the deployment is referred to by Hanlon as chasing ghosts.

However, as the conflict with the Legion headed towards a final confrontation, the Republic's Veteran Rangers were recalled from Baja and found themselves finally being deployed to the Mojave. Moving through Dayglow, they were to increase the combat potential of NCR forces tremendously with their experience and pre-War gear.

Appearances
Baja appears in Fallout and is mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * Baja is based on the real world location of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico.
 * Joshua Sawyer stated that the line referencing "chasing ghosts in Baja," and the identity of those ghosts is an "intentional mystery."