The Other Side

Operation Cormorant: Phase 1

Primary objective: eradicate the Atlas remnant force

Secondary objective: Capture any command forces for interrogation, rescue any slaves/hostages

Units assigned: Majority of NO army forces on Remnant, all strategic bomber wings, majority of the CAS bomber wings, half of the fighter wings, all NO naval units in Remnant, all NONR fleets in Remnant's reality, entire Shock Corp, all paratrooper units. In short anything not immediately needed for another operation and is able to be moved is here.

Phase 1 objectives:

Eliminate enemy logistics and any observable fortifications - complete

Secure roadways and any other logistics routes - underway

Eliminate any Atlas airstrips and aircraft - underway

A convoy of NO units drove down a dirt road, leading the charge was the 66th Armor. CAS had bombed the entire road he day the 12 was holding out, as a result the road was lined with destroyed trucks. As the New Orderians passed corpses of Atlas soldiers could be seen. 

The soldiers on the 50 cals looked for anything that could indicate a hostile. Atlas had resorted to unconventional strategies to keep New Orderia out, namely IEDs. Now IEDs had already become the norm for New Orderia, it already fighting a civil war against insurgents, but in Remnant it was nearly unheard of. The WF insurgency tried it repeatedly, but it was only them. Atlas itself had minimal knowledge beforehand, only learning of their existence when Firefly first began.

Jets passed over to airstrike a supposedly Atlas position as bursts of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Atlas forces hoped to bog down the NO advance, by simply ambushing NO convoys the spearhead had to slow or risk being cut off. This would have worked, except Atlas forgot who was put in command.

Meet Field Marshal Fulcrum, NO Recon Division. His entire policy for waging war was "superior firepower". If he could not incinerate anyone who lifted a finger to New Orderian operations someone was getting fired. Fulcrum learned from Ventuas and took heavy inspiration from what soldiers said during long battles. 

If a soldier would complain about having to assault something that could be bombed why waste the resources? The target would be bombed instead of charged. Using this system Fulcrum succeeded at not only winning battles, but winning the hearts of the army. A rare feat for a commander miles behind the rear lines and from an Air Force official.

With Fulcrum's battle plan Atlas counter attacks had been taken out before they could fire a shot. The entire forest was covered in craters and smoldering wrecks of Atlesian vehicles. The bombers didn't stop there, a road full of vehicles was spotted by NO scouts. The scouts waited and followed the massive convoy giving updates while bombers approached.

The soldiers fired a rocket into the front Atlas MRAP and a second team took out the rear vehicle. The convoy came to a halt and began to try and turn around, this was difficult because of how many Atlesians there were. The convoy was massive and having every truck turn around was nearly impossible, especially since whenever they did make progress another rocket would take out the vehicle. The Atlesians eventually decided to wait it out, engage the NO soldiers nearby, and get the convoy moving afterwards. There was no afterwards.

CAS bombers flew over and dropped JDAMs and napalm across the entire line of stopped vehicles. As the smoke rose one of the newer bombers came around and strafed the entire thing with the 30mm. The two older bombers began to strafe anything still alive while the new bomber dropped more bombs on larger targets.

On the ground the 12, temporarily merged with the 2nd F-D, advanced through the battlefield. Now what is the 2nd F-D and why are they merged with the 12th? The 2nd was formed for operation Fractured Dawn and their company motto became "revenge at all costs" after their first combat mission. After killing every single person they wanted revenge on and dealing with the R-3 Daybreak quarantine they had become experts at avenging fallen comrades. Of course the 2nd F-D didn't have much to do with Fractured Dawn completed, now only doing the occasional counter terror op with the local police, as such they were sent to Remnant to help the 12th get revenge. 

Uyghur: Captain Pavel, some of my men believe they have found a bunker still intact underground. No idea how large yet though.

Pavel: Hellfire team! Move with Uyghur and clear that bunker. 2-3, 2-4, go with them.

Hellfire teams, a 2 man unit attached to some companies where one soldier is equipped with a flamethrower. The other soldier carries extra fuel and protects the flamethrower operation. Hellfire and Alcos from the chapter "We Just Want To Talk" would be the best example. All F-D companies have a hellfire team to make sure assaulting a building will be easy. Unsurprisingly fire is hard to resist for the average person. Although on many official statements hellfire units are called "anti bunker personnel" giving the implication they are not dumping napalm on people.

20 soldiers followed Uyghur over to the bunker entrance where the remains of the 12 stood. The hellfire crew was the first to begin the attack. The soldier wielding the flamethrower unleashed fire into he structure and smoke began to billow out of the entrance. The hellfire operator launched more napalm in twice before moving aside. The soldiers waited for the flames to die down before tossing a frag grenade in. After the grenade detonated they entered.

Charred corpses laid across the ground still burning. The soldiers just walked in and began to sweep the bunker for enemies. A few Atlesians managed to survive the fire by hiding in a separate room, they opened fire on the New Orderian soldiers the moment they got in their line of fire. The soldiers stacked up on the door and waited for the hellfire crew. The soldier escorting the flamethrower operator tossed a grenade in. This grenade was specific to hellfire crews and unleashed napalm across the Atlesian line. When the fire started the hellfire crew entered and screams could be heard moments later as the flamethrower was used on the Atlas soldiers.

Soldiers continued to clear the bunker using the hellfire crew against any Atlesians who were putting up an actual fight. In most cases the normal soldiers just gunned down the Atlas troops and moved on. When the bunker was clear the soldiers all emerged with smoke still pouring out of the entrance. More jets passed over as another CAS squadron began their runs. Moments after the jets passed helicopters landed and the soldiers boarded them to be repositioned.

As the helicopters took off Frasel, Ikeman, and Kromer all dangled their legs out. Below them fires burned through forests and NO armored columns rolled down roads hunting any Atlas forces still hiding. The helicopters passed over a few bases, or what was left of them. CAS and strategic bombers had leveled any building that was identified as Atlas military. He rubble burned and troops on the ground moved in to clear bunkers in the same way the 2nd and 12th had.

Kromer: That is what you fucking get! L L N O baby!