Switching focus for a minute to the defendability of Hawthorne - it's frankly in a pretty perfect position for us to hold, at least until significant numbers arrive. A mountain range holds the west for a good distance north and south, with only a road passing basically through true north (past a lake which blocks most other entry from the north) to true south past the town. If the NCR is sending anything via truck or rail, it'll becoming along this road, though admittedly if they approach on foot the mountains are not totally unassailable, it would still take a lot of time to cross safely.

If defensive positions could be made covering this road, equipped with heavy weapons from the bunkers and landmines ideally, they could quite comfortably stall an assault for quite some time - the heavy firepower potentially convincing the NCR they are facing a far more sizable force than they actually are.


Even if that wasn't possible, ambushes with heavy weapons could see any first wave of reinforcements taken totally by surprise and eliminated near totally with low losses. Downside is manning any such defensive positions would mean reducing the workforce operating the extraction of gear from the bunkers / NCR stockpiles. That is where the Legion's reputation and skill as slave-takers would be most useful - cajoling civilians or NCR prisoners that survive our attack to haul the cargo for us. When we're done, we can just kill them to prevent any information getting out.