Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. I apologize for taking longer than I first said for this. A lot of things happened over the last week or so with school, work, and my social life, and I couldn't write. But, I'm back with another chapter. Also, things are getting much busier in my life, and I'm not likely to be able to update any of my fanfictions as often as you are used to. But I will still update.

Let's get to it.

The pig: The Navy is going to keep the Wisconsin on duty in Arda for a while yet, as she is still needed for another amphibious landing. AFter that, she'll be kept in service in case she's needed in Arda again, and mostly just take part in exercises, goodwill cruises, and deployments in the Middle East and Far East. However, she may come back to Arda at some point near the end of the war. As for distance, I'm not sure. I'm still trying to figure out how far the distances are on maps of Beleriand. As for your third question, the US' attitude is not without precedent. THey did the same thing when planning the invasion of Japan in WWII, in that they allowed the British and other Allies to contribute ships and aircraft, but didnt want any troops from those countries taking part. Mainly because they want to be the one to emerge with the main claim to victory against Morgoth, and therefore the greatest stake in Middle-Earth. However, Allied troops will take part in the ground campaign, including the final battle with Morgoth.

Ke-Pa: Probably not, just because I have so much going on in my life.

Chapter 13- First Strike

(January 15, 2019, Nevrast)

General Tod Wolter squints his eyes as the sun shines brightly in his eyes as he turns around. Feeling done with the sun shining in his eyes so brightly so early, he pulls out a pair of sunglasses and puts them on.

Wolter hears a rumble of construction equipment and turns to see an asphault compactor driving past, flattening some newly laid asphalt. A number of construction workers are milling around, either watching the compactor or doing other tasks.

Wolter is the Air Force general assigned as the commander of United States Air Forces in Arda (ARDAF). The place he is currently visiting is the recently named Turgon Air Force Base.

Prior to the invasion, General Wolter and other officers had planned out how the USAF and other allied air forces would conduct the war. That included the construction of air bases around Beleriand. Wolters and his staff, with the approval of the Joint Chiefs, had set a plan for six air bases to be built in Nevrast, with six more to be built in other areas of Beleriand after their capture, with the final goal of having 12 air bases in operation by the time the Allies engaged Morgoth's forces in the final battle in Anfauglith and Angband, together capable of operating over 2,000 aircraft.

The six air bases planned in Nevrast were mostly named for Elven or Mannish figures in the War of the Jewels, except for one named for a Marine who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during the landings, including killing almost 40 Orcs in hand to hand combat with his sword. The Marine had been discharged due to injuries, but was being honored through the name of one of the air bases.

Of the bases planned, two have been completed and are ready to begin operations: Fingolfin Air Force Base and Thingol Air Force Base. Turgon Air Force Base is scheduled to be the next base to be completed.

Combat operations have already begun from Fingolfin and Thingol Air Force Bases. The Air Force have so far deployed the 4th Fighter Wing and 20th Fighter Wing, with B-52s from the 2d Bomb Wing now redeployed to Fingolfin Air Force Base from their previous base in Valinor.

"General!"

Wolter turns to the sound of the voice, and sees a Major that is part of his staff approaching. "Yes, Major?" he asks.

"Sir, we received word from Colonel Harper. They report their aircraft are ready for combat again and that the strike will proceed tonight as planned," the Major responds.

"Good," Wolter responds with a slight smile. Morgoth has no idea what is about to be unleashed on him tonight.

(USARCOM HQ, Valinor)

In his headquarters, General Abrams looks over the latest report on the status of forces in Beleriand.

A few weeks after the landings, the Marines had begun to be pulled out of Nevrast after the Host of Valinor had been landed, and began to be taken back to Valinor to prepare for their second landing in a few months time. By this point, all 5 Marine divisions had been pulled out of Nevrast and returned to Valinor. However, in their place, the Army divisions meant for Operation Illuvatar were coming through the breach into Nevrast. So far, the 6 divisions that make up the VIII and XI Corps have come through the breach into Beleriand, and the 4 divisions making up the I Armored Corps are due to come through the portal over the next few days.

The plans call for the Allied forces to begin their advance out of Nevrast on March 1, in just over 6 weeks. There are still almost 40 divisions, along with other smaller units, from not only the US Army but also allied armies, due to come through the portal between then and today. The plan calls for two divisions a day to come through the portal into Nevrast, giving all the troops meant to advance out of Nevrast a chance to familiarize themselves with the geography and prepare for the campaign before the advance out of Nevrast begins.

As the Marines and Army have been shifting duties, the Navy has shifted its attention to distracting attacks all along Beleriand. Five of the six carriers in Arda have been launching airstrikes all along southern Beleriand, as the Wisconsin has sailed along the coast, shelling enemy positions ashore along with other warships. Both surface ships and submarines have also been launching Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets across Beleriand.

Abrams looks at another screen as a message arrives from Fingolfin Air Force Base, and smiles as he sees that the plans for that evening are moving forward and on schedule. The air campaign is about to begin in earnest.

(Fingolfin Air Force Base, sunset)

On the tarmac of Fingolfin Air Force Base, it's a hive of activity. Ground crews race to finish prepping a dozen B-52s and 60 F-16 Fighting Falcons.

Tonight is the start of the Air Force's massive air campaign to whittle down Morgoth's forces. The first attack this evening will be comprised of three different strikes.

The first attack will be launched by most of the aircraft being prepped at Fingolfin AFB. Fifty six F-16s and all but one B-52 are to launch a general bombing attack against Morgoth's forces in and near the pass of Tol Sirion.

The second attack will be launched for 66 F-15Es from the 4th Fighter Wing. The Strike Eagles will be launching an attack on the fortress of Himring, which had been taken over Morgoth's forces in the last few years. The Strike Eagles were to do their best to level the fortress and hit any of Morgoth's forces in the area that they could.

The third strike will be carried out by a single B-52, with the last four F-16s being prepped at Fingolfin AFB flying escort. The B-52 is carrying a single B-83 nuclear bomb in its bomb bay, the first time a nuclear bomb has been carried on a B-52 in almost 9 years since B-52s were delegated to only carry nuclear cruise missiles in 2010. Given the lack of air defenses in Arda, the Air Force had cleared the B-52 to carry nuclear bombs again so long as it was in Arda. And now, this B-52 will carry out the first nuclear strike of Operation Illuvatar.

At long last, the preparations are finished, and the aircrews are racing towards their aircraft.

In the nuclear armed B-52, Colonel Harper, the wing commander, climbs into his seat and starts strapping in. Harper had insisted on being the one to fly with the nuke on this mission.

"Colonel. Weapon is secured. We're ready to begin takeoff checklist," his co pilot says.

"Good," Harper responds.

All of the pilots across the base start their pre-flight checks and begin prepping for takeoff. In about half an hour, everyone is ready to go.

Colonel Harper releases the brakes and pushes the throttles forward a bit, and the B-52 begins moving slowly down the taxiway towards the runway. The remaining B-52s follow behind him, with the F-16s following behind the B-52s.

Harper pulls onto the runway. Within seconds, the tower calls down and gives them clearance for takeoff.

Across the field, ground personnel watch as Harper's B-52 slowly begins to roll down the runway, accelerating until it reaches takeoff speed, and it slightly noses up and lifts off the runway. There are some cheers as the B-52 climbs into the darkening sky and the next B-52 starts its takeoff roll.

Within a few minutes, all twelve B-52s are in the air. As the bombers form up, the F-16s start their takeoff rolls, taking off two at a time, about one pair taking off about every 15-20 seconds. After about 7.5 minutes, all of the F-16s are in the air. At the same time the F-16s are taking off, the F-15Es at Thingol AFB are also taking to the sky.

Finally, the strike forces have assembled and formed up over their bases. The bomber and fighters from Fingolfin AFB separate into their two groups, and then the three strikes forces set off.

Colonel Harper sets a course of 020, heading north-north-east towards Hithlum. After consideration, the Air Force had decided to drop the first nuke on an army of Orcs in the northern part of Hithlum. This was chosen because of the lack of wildlife in the area, and because American forces assigned to go into Hithlum would not need to go near this place.

Travelling at a cruising speed of about 500 mph, the B-52 and its four escorts cruise north at 30,000 feet, the pilots chatting with each other to pass the time.

After almost 20 minutes in flight, an E-3 Sentry flying over Dor-Lomin contacts Colonel Harper. A controller calls over the radio, "Saber 1, this is Sentry Alpha. You are cleared to begin your bomb run."

"Copy that," Colonel Haprer responds. He then looks back at his crew and says, "It's go time!"

Harper and his co pilot start the aircraft on its bombing run, while the weapons systems officer opens the bomb bay and preps the bomb for dropping.

Down below, the vast army of Orcs is camping, preparing to head south the following day. Looking up at the sky, Orcs glare at the stars they can see. One Orc thinks he sees several starts temporarily blotted out before returning to view. He dismisses it, not realizing it's from Harper's B-52 passing between them.

Finally, the weapons systems officer sees that the bomber is in place, and he releases the bomb. "Weapon away!" he calls out.

Immediately, the B-52 turns hard, along with its fighter escorts. After turning a complete 180, Harper shoves the throttles to full power, and the B-52 flies away at about 650 mph, the F-16s easily keeping up.

The B83 bomb slowly begins to fall towards the ground, picking up speed as it noses down and dives towards the ground. As the B-52 and its escorts are miles away from the blast point, the bomb's firing mechanism activates.

The nuke detonates about 200 feet off the ground, it's 200 kiloton thermonuclear warhead unleashing its power. About 70,000 Orcs and several thousand other dark creatures are vaporized in an instant. A mushroom cloud rises into the sky as the shockwave races out. About 20,000 more Orcs are killed by the shockwave or sustain devastating injuries that will eventually claim their lives.

Of the original 100,000 Orcs and other creatures in the army, only about 9,000 are alive after the first minute following the detonation. However, while the Orcs first think they have survived this terrifying weapon, they don't realize that the immediate blast is not the only danger. Within hours, the Orcs begin to fill the dreadful symptoms of radiation sickness, each of the Orcs having been saturated with radiation as a result of the explosion. The surviving Orcs will suffer in agony over the next few days before they begin to die. Eventually, radiation sickness will claim all of the remaining Orcs, the longest lasting managing to survive 10 days before dying.

(USARCOM HQ)

General Abrams looks carefully over the reports sent in to his office within the last hour. The airstrikes had been a complete success.

The one he was most excited to hear the results of was the nuclear strike in Hithlum, and this was the report he received first. It reported that the entire Orc army targeted had been devastated by the nuke.

The reports on the other two strikes had just come in within the last hour. The B-52s and F-16s sent against the forces in the pass of Tol Sirion had caused massive devastation, with estimates of casualties on the part of the enemy ranging between 27 and 36 thousand. The report from the Strike Eagles sent against Himring stated that the fortress had been completely destroyed and as many as 20,000 Orcs had been killed.

Morgoth has taken a hit, but Abrams knows that it's only a dent in the overall size of his forces. The war is only just beginning, and it's going to be a massive undertaking.

And, I'll end there. Hope this was a good chapter.

Next chapter will show forces starting to mobilize out of Nevrast. Until it's up, please leave a review, and stay tuned!