Brotherhood Civil War

The Capital Wasteland BoS-Outcast Civil War was a conflict between the Brotherhood of Steel and the Brotherhood Outcasts beginning in 2276, and is still ongoing as of the end of the events of Fallout 3

Prelude
After founding a base in the Capital Wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel chapter began drifting away from their original mission, prioritizing protecting people over technology, leading the other chapters to cut off communication with the Capital Wasteland chapter. Angered by this, Paladin Henry Casdin lead other members as they deserted from the Brotherhood of Steel and formed the Brotherhood Outcasts, to fulfill the official mission of recovering technology and to try to regain contact with the western chapters. The Brotherhood were wary an attack may take place, and many Brotherhood soldiers wanted the Outcasts shot or arrested for desertion.

Action
While there were no official battles in this war, whenever members of the two groups encountered each other, which was rare, fighting would break out, only ending when one or the other group was dead. The frequency of their encounters increased after Project Purity went online in 2278 and the Brotherhood of Steel began assisting with aqua pura deliveries across the Capital Wasteland, thus taking them into territory occupied (or patrolled) by the Outcasts.

Legacy
Though the outcome of this war is unknown, it was notable enough to gain the attention of the Western Brotherhood chapters, though they, themselves, took no action. Veronica Santangelo, a scribe in the Mojave chapter, will make a comment to the Courier about the conflict four years later.