ADVENT | History
The Destruction of Busan
"It might have been a dream, but I had hoped that Busan would be the one city that never fell. Let alone be razed to nothing."
- Commander Laura Christiaens
Runianarch Recording of Incursion into Contaminated Busan Zones
CODEX Log ETH029228 | Transcribed by CODEX Network
[Designated Incursion Team breaches the contamination threshold. Andromedon Contamination Operatives begin analysis of immediate surroundings. Architecture formerly consisting of small multi-story buildings has been fully destroyed, and only half-melted stone and other weaker components remain. Raw corium deposits are visible and congealing in depressions and holes, natural and artificial.]
[INCURSION LEAD]: "How contaminated?"
[CONTAMINATION OPERATIVE LEAD]: "The Reinarm Cannon has significantly contaminated the entire region to various degrees. We are standing in one of the sites of near-direct impact. Radiation levels are extremely high. You will not be able to stay long."
[INCURSION LEAD]: "Understood. We're just here to make sure everything is secure."
[INCURSION MEDIC]: "Radiation levels here are beyond survival. Anyone caught in the blast is dead or dying. Transfer radiation readings, these will go back to the Harbinger."
[CONTAMINATION OPERATIVE LEAD]: "Acknowledged. Sending now."
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "Are there any life signs at all?"
[INCURSION LEAD]: "Negative, though that doesn't mean much. The radiation is affecting our equipment. It isn't reliable. Keeps your eyes open, unlikely as it is."
[Incursion team proceeds. Contamination Operatives pause to collect samples for analysis and data gathering. Landscape remains consistent with direct bombardment by Reinarm Cannon. Multiple ADVENT bodies are seen in the background, a majority of which appeared to die from debris, liquid nuclear lava, or radiation poisoning.]
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "Hey! I found someone alive!"
[A portion of the Incursion team proceeds to the point, showcasing an ADVENT soldier propped against the debris. His armor has suffered significant damage. His helmet is removed and there are nearby puddles of vomit mixed with blood. His skin is pale and slick; he is judged to be suffering from severe radiation poisoning.]
[INCURSION MEDIC]: "I can't believe he's alive."
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "What are we going to do?"
[INCURSION MEDIC]: "Nothing we can do for him. I am going to take some scans, and then we can euthanize him. He'll expire in less than an hour judging from his condition."
[Medic approaches, and begins taking scans.]
[INCURSION MEDIC]: "Incredible that-"
[Sound of gunshot; video turns to see the Medic on the ground, his helmet penetrated and judged to have been immediately killed at close range.]
[INCURSION LEAD]: "What was that?"
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "He's armed!"
[Additional gunshots fire.]
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "Put him down! Now!"
[Runianarch soldiers and Mutons open fire. ADVENT soldier is killed.]
[INCURSION LEAD]: "How was he able to do that?"
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "No idea. He may have been waiting."
[INCURSION LEAD]: "Harbinger Command, this is Incursion Team fifteen. We just encountered a wounded ADVENT soldier who opened fire and took out our medic. Be advised that there may be surviving ADVENT forces in the area and they are hostile. Repeat, hostile ADVENT-"
[Incursion Team is interrupted by a series of loud shouts, and a dozen severely wounded ADVENT soldiers appear out of debris and standing building chunks. Their armor appears in similar condition; badly damaged. All spotted ADVENT personnel have removed helmets. Their skin shows varying degrees of fever and radiation sickness. Blood is spotted on the corners of lips, eyes, and ears.]
[INCURSION LEAD]: "Open fire now!"
[Incursion Team engages ADVENT survivors. Most ADVENT soldiers are significantly hindered and miss a majority of their shots. Several have to pause to vomit, and are eliminated by allied fire. One Runianarch soldier is shot and falls to the ground.]
[RUNIANARCH SOLDIER]: "Soldier down!"
[More ADVENT soldiers are eliminated. A nearby scream sounds immediately to the right of the video, and it turns to see another ADVENT soldier jumping off some debris into a position of Runianarch. There appears to be an explosive in her hand. Runianarch soldiers immediately fire and terminate the soldier. The explosive she was holding detonates, and immediately kills two Runianarch.]
[Video terminates after this point. After-action report indicates that the wearer survived, but was wounded in the explosion. All ADVENT hostiles were terminated with minimal casualties.]
Zar'Chon
This is to provide you with a situation update on the Korea invasion, which can be passed along to applicable bodies and individuals, including the Battlemaster. We have thus far encountered minimal resistance due to the usage of the Reinarm Cannon, and have yet to make a concerted push deeper into the country.
We are expecting that future conflicts will invite stiffer resistance due to the likelihood of increased ADVENT and XCOM reinforcement, along with likely Ethereal deployment to counteract my own efforts to lead the Collective. There are several additional unexpected concerns which arose during the initial taking of Busan.
However, one fact which can't be erased is the fact that one of the longest-standing bastions of ADVENT has fallen, and it will nonetheless deal a significant blow to morale for ADVENT all across the world.
REINARM CANNON EFFECTIVENESS: There were several potential concerns that existed during the positioning and firing of the Reinarm Cannon, largest of which was the possibility of ground-to-space weaponry, which has made the ADVENT Flak Towers extremely dangerous to air attacks against hardened targets, as well as the intervention of defense-oriented psions or Ethereals, specifically Aegis.
The fact that there was no organized response to this indicates that neither ADVENT nor XCOM were aware of the Reinarm Cannon, or that it was planned to be utilized against Earth. This likely indicates that there are other weapons and technology which ADVENT and XCOM remain unaware of, which should be determined.
Despite the Reinarm Cannon being primarily designed for anti-capital ship purposes, it was more than capable of eliminating specific targets through controlled shots, which had the added effect of neutralizing any surviving forces through radiation. While this means we will not be able to properly occupy the territory for some time, it has doubtless eliminated any form of resistance, and validated this strategy for use against other hardened targets.
ATTEMPTED COUNTERATTACK: It should be noted that the first volley of the Reinarm Cannon, which successfully eliminated all major defense infrastructure, was unsuccessful in eliminating all resistance itself. This was not anticipated, but it was also estimated that the radiation would be enough to quickly incapacitate any survivors.
This was not accurate. To the surprise of our specialized forces entering the territory to confirm, numerous pockets of ADVENT soldiers directly engaged Collective forces. These were not limited to ranged attacks. ADVENT soldiers utilized suicidal tactics, and were, in many cases, incoherent, and their overall threat severely degraded.
This has had a negative impact on Runianarch which took part, especially when seeing the state of the soldiers who were attacking, who were suffering from severe radiation poisoning, which included severe orifice bleeding, compulsive vomiting, as well as burns over their bodies and armor. This has unnerved many Runianarch, and we can likely assume that this would be a similar event should this tactic be repeated. Either forces should be briefed on this phenomenon, or only mechanical units or Mutons should be utilized for territory securing operations. The last thing we need now is Vitakara talking about attacks of dead men.
BUSAN TERRITORY SECURING: The entirety of Busan territory has been secured, and heavy industrial machines are being moved to begin the process of rebuilding Busan into a strong foothold against the inevitable ADVENT counterattack. This has been accomplished through teleportation, and it will take several weeks to fully prepare the territory, and another few to establish a permanent stronghold.
Due to the considerable number of military forces and temporary emplacements, it is unlikely that ADVENT will be able to retake the territory. We should nonetheless be vigilant as when future operations against Korea begin, they will see it as a vulnerability. I can confirm that all resistance and ADVENT holdouts have been defeated. Busan is solely ours.
FUTURE MOVEMENT INTO KOREA: Seoul stands as the ultimate objective of the campaign, with Pyongyang as a secondary objective. Using the Reinarm Cannon against Gwangju would mitigate the closest threat to this campaign, as there are only smaller and scattered bases throughout the country. However, the closer we get to Seoul, the more heavily defended it will be.
It is expected that Seoul will be just as heavily defended as Busan, if not more so, and we will need to carefully consider what is likely to be expected, as well as what is best suited to defeat it. As a result of Busan's fall, it is likely that ADVENT will be organizing evacuations from Seoul deeper into North Korea or potentially outside the country entirely.
It is worth considering a separate major campaign managed by a Sargon or Praetorian solely focused on the occupation of Pyongyang to tie up North Korean and Chinese assets, and apply pressure to Seoul against multiple fronts.
FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS: ADVENT will be developing a response to the Reinarm Cannon. What form this will take is currently unknown, but judging from their previous responses and technological limitations, it is likely it will be offensive in nature; likely a dedicated fighter team, a close-range psion, or even unveiling a project of their own prematurely. It is also likely that they will consider using the Atomic Lance against the Reinarm Cannon as well.
It is unknown if they will retaliate for Busan directly, as they may see this as a proportional response to their destroying Lagos with the Atomic Lance. There is the possibility that ADVENT will escalate, but based on signaling, they will not militarily escalate – though they will be willing to continue using Atomic Lances.
An unknown to all of this is T'Leth. One reason that the pacification of the Busan pockets took longer than expected was that T'Leth was actively shielding their minds from easy domination. Each time we stumbled upon one of his Sovereign Orbs, it shattered, rendering us unable to recover them.
It is very likely that T'Leth will continue to be a passive force worldwide, limiting the effectiveness of telepathy and psionics, and potentially acting more openly, such as protecting a city. That would be a direct escalation on his part, and it is not yet determined if T'Leth will take that step, or remain a roadblock to our attacks.
We should prepare for that likelihood.
- Patricia Trask, Harbinger of the Imperator of the Ethereal Collective
XCOM Technological Overview 0522
Designation: "The Reinarm Cannon"
Category: Weapon | Anti-Capital Ship
Manufacturer: Union Reinarm
Author(s): A'Darrah, Union Apear
Overview: Union Reinarm is known for developing the most advanced weaponry in the entire Collective. While this is not often universally adopted, it can be said without reservation that the minds within Union Reinarm are equal to any of the Ethereals themselves, including Fectorian. One of these weapons is the Reinarm Cannon.
The Reinarm Cannon has undergone a significant period of development which extends even back to the Union Wars, when Reinarm was attempting to develop a superweapon to destroy any ship in one shot. This underwent many iterations, together with some of their subordinate Union allies, before a prototype was developed that was effective – but highly inaccurate, extremely prone to failure, and simply attending to it would poison and kill a majority of the operators.
The weapon was shelved for years, until the Kett'Tasira threatened our species. The project was revived when the Kett'Tasira Archons began assembling warfleets, composed of Jardaan Dreadnoughts, which were more advanced than ours in all categories, and notably distinct, compared to standard Kett'Tasira warcrafts.
This forced us to develop some type of effective weapon, as failure to adapt would see the Jardaan Dreadnoughts overwhelm our fleets. It is difficult to describe just how outmatched we were in comparison. Only the Reinarm Cannon was capable of destroying one – and after that the Kett'Tasira made such ships the immediate priority.
This was a ship which was capable of withstanding barrages of hundreds of missiles with intricate missile defense systems, shields which absorbed all energy weapons, drone swarms which prevented any kind of boarding, and was designed to be unkillable by almost all metrics. The Reinarm Cannon managed to completely destroy one. That should tell you how dangerous it is.
Capabilities: The Reinarm Cannon, in essence, fires what your species calls radioactive lava. More specifically, it contains elerium-laced corium. The Cannon is designed to be able to contain any kind of radioactive material or melted metal. Plutonium and uranium have both been used as the primary element in the cannon, though the aforementioned elerium-laced corium has become the preferred munition.
The weapon simply fires a bolt or stream of this material at a target, and the nature of the superheated, radioactive lava is enough to melt through the toughest metal or stone, no exceptions.
If the raw destructive power of the Reinarm Cannon wasn't enough, the fact that the primary component is radioactive also means that any place which is targeted is subject to radiation poisoning. Not as extensively as a direct nuclear blast, but enough to be lethal to species which do not have protection. In this essence, it can prevent recovery or rescue, and effectively dooms any and all survivors, or the unprepared who come to rescue such.
Effective Usage: The Reinarm Cannon is most effective against only one type of target – a large one. Capital ships are what it was designed for, but it can be properly utilized against any large stationary target. Space stations, cities, capital ships, so long as the target is stationary or slow-moving, it will be sure to completely destroy it.
And even against smaller targets, it will utterly destroy any it comes in contact with, despite the difficulty in targeting smaller enemies. While not especially applicable for its intended purpose, the radiation it emits is also lethal enough to kill. With this said, it is not an effective nuclear weapon, but will leave behind spots of heavy radiation that will be difficult to operate in without extensive decontamination procedures, performed with trained clean-up teams.
Strengths: There exists no material, molecular composition, or design which is capable of withstanding the full blast of the Reinarm Cannon. The engineers were utterly thorough in their tests of the weapon. Metal; stone; natural, artificial, all of these types of substances were tested and every single one proved to be ineffective.
Entire mountain ranges were melted during testing. Dreadnoughts and capital ships were destroyed in the war against the Kett'Tasira. Since joining the Ethereal Collective, the power of the weapon has only increased. Reinarm pays very close attention to material development, and the moment a breakthrough is discovered, the first thing they do is test it against the Reinarm Cannon.
Thus far, nothing has been able to even potentially stand against it. Only psionic shields have shown any effectiveness, and, outside of Ethereals, there exist no psions which could sustain one for long.
Weaknesses: If there is a weakness of the Reinarm Cannon, it is that it is only useful for a limited number of bursts before it must be replenished, as well as requiring a dedicated ship to utilize. It has no inherent major exterior weaponry, but will always be accompanied by an escort fleet, mitigating this weakness.
This weapon lacks the precision to be used against anything but a capital ship or terrestrial area , as it is relatively easy for smaller craft to maneuver out of the way well before the Reinarm Cannon fires, and, despite the danger, this is not a weapon that is going to be destroying even medium-sized spacecraft, let alone smaller ships or fighters. It is not a sniping weapon, and not nearly as precise against ground targets as Cleanser Ships, though it ultimately does not need to be, considering the lethal amounts of radiation it leaves behind.
Countermeasures: Very few.
Psionic shields remain the only true viable defense against the Reinarm Cannon, and these simply do not even stop the Cannon, only mitigate the effects, and potentially make the destruction worse since the lava will disperse over the shield, which does not take into account the passive radiation poisoning which will be emitted.
The best countermeasure is to simply not engage the Reinarm Cannon with any ship or fleet larger than a capital ship. Engaging with a fleet composed of smaller ships would mitigate the usefulness of the Reinarm Cannon, if not completely eliminating the danger. The best defense against the Reinarm Cannon, ultimately, is working to destroy it as soon as possible.
Practically, true defenses against it are non-existent.
Runianarch Medical Report KC006
Report Type: Autopsy; Internal
Applicable Species: Human; Vitakara
Causes of Death: Severe burns; radiation poisoning; plasma corrosion; blunt trauma
Causes of Internal Review: Mental Trauma
OVERVIEW: Upon orders from Harbinger Patricia Trask, a full medical report following the destruction and subsequent capture of ADVENT city identified as Busan was commissioned due to the unexpected number of Human soldiers who resisted the significant radiation poisoning as the result of the utilized Reinarm Cannon.
The Reinarm Cannon is not intended to fire against ground targets, though it can be utilized in this capacity, if necessary. It was intended to destroy major pieces of infrastructure, with the prevailing theory being that the resulting radiation produced by the cannon would quickly eliminate any survivors.
This showed initial success, and the external ADVENT defenses were destroyed or mitigated. Collective forces consisting of Andromedon Contamination Operatives, Runianarch, and Muton Legions moved to confirm the ADVENT presence had been eliminated. Instead of a majority of ADVENT personnel being dead, there were a large number of holdouts, cut off from any command authority, but willing and able to continue fighting.
It should be stressed that all ADVENT soldiers were suffering from some degree of radiation poisoning, which would have claimed all of them within hours or perhaps a scant couple days without immediate treatment. More detailed observations are below.
ADVENT CORPSE NOTATIONS: All recovered ADVENT corpses showed various degrees of radiation poisoning; all thresholds were fatal if untreated, but some were more severe than others, which degraded their already-diminished combat capabilities. ADVENT armor provides no protection against radiation, and it is likely that they were affected immediately after the Cannon hit Busan.
While a majority of recovered corpses suffered more common battle wounds, such as plasma corrosion, blunt trauma, and psionic injury, each of them were also clearly affected and degraded by the radiation poisoning. The skin is watery and frail and internal organs have largely liquified and disintegrate when subjected to any force.
There is strong evidence to suggest that every soldier affected was suffering reduced vision, multiple organ failures, and delusions. Their internal temperatures were also well above the Human average. Under normal circumstances, this would be debilitating for any living being to undergo. What is also notable is that none of these individuals were genetically modified. Baseline Humans were able to temporarily push through the poisoning to continue fighting, which is a level of resilience which has not been observed in Humans before.
ADVENT'S FINAL STAND: It is worth documenting several important facts about the last stand of ADVENT in Busan. It is atypical and unprecedented in the war thus far, and is perhaps indicative of how Humans will react should they be faced with similar situations. It is unclear what the primary psychological drive was for continuing to fight. Harbinger Trask has described this not being a wholly unknown phenomena, as she notes that "Humans will usually fight if they have nothing left to lose', but also noted that this has rarely ever happened on such a scale, if at all.
Multiple Runianarch soldiers initially reported that the soldiers who were attacking seemed to be dead men puppeted by something else. Their skin was pallid and watery, and blood ran from their eyes, nose, and mouth in some cases. These are effects of severe radiation poisoning, but it gives the impression of death to someone not expecting them.
ADVENT soldiers likely removed their helmets due to the poisoning, as it would have induced severe vomiting at intermittent periods, the frequency of which would have depended on the severity of the poisoning. Multiple times it was observed that a soldier would suddenly pause and vomit mid-combat, before returning to combat.
During these multiple last stands, ADVENT employed multiple suicidal methods to eliminate as many Collective soldiers as possible; from suicidal charges, to suicide bombs, to using improvised weapons including chunks of concrete and radioactive debris. The success of these methods fluctuated significantly, with all methods losing potency as the city was cleared out.
INTERNAL VOLUNTARY REPORTING: This has, understandably, had an effect on our Runianarch soldiers, who have not experienced scenarios in which this is usually possible. A notable number of them have reported increased anxiety, insomnia, and paranoia, especially around Busan. A number who have been rotated out have reported that these feelings have not abated.
A minority of these cases have been classified as severe, defined as vivid nightmares, waking flashbacks, and battlefield paralysis, which renders them incapable in combat operations, and they have been moved to the Mars Observation Station for treatment. This has affected a high number of Vitakarians, a low number of Cobrarians and Oyariah, and no Borelians.
PROPOSED RUNIANARCH TRAINING ALTERATION: This is not the first time that unprecedented or visually irregular events have induced mental trauma in the Runianarch, and it is unlikely that this will be the last such experience. It is clear that there is a clear gap in Runianarch training which is not properly preparing our soldiers for conflict.
A full ten percent of our fighting force has reported mental conditions, ranging from moderate to severe. Another seventeen percent have reported minor mental conditions such as increased anxiety and paranoia. These are not conditions conducive to a reliable fighting force, and comprises nearly a third of personnel which have been deployed to Earth. These numbers are unacceptable and serious revisions need to be considered.
It should be noted that these conditions exist in Human militaries as well, many of them falling under the umbrella of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. What is different about Human numbers is that they are far below Runianarch equivalents. Comparisons in training regimes point to enhanced desensitization training which relies on instinct and a strong chain of command.
Cross-checking Runianarch training with Borelian camps, there are clear parallels, as the Authoritative Council manages desensitization programs which were rejected by the Aui'Vitakar for implementation into the wider Runianarch. This explains why Borelians are far less affected by various factors of this conflict than other races. It is recommended that the Aui'Vitakar immediately review this provision for implementation.
A final factor which must be considered is that Humans are better suited for stressful and violent situations than other races, which is not something which can be replicated successfully by other races. There is evidence to suggest this, as Human history alone showcases an aptitude for innovative violence and warfare.
However, this alone is not likely to explain the discrepancies in how the Runianarch on average handles wartime stress compared to ADVENT. We must become better, and there will come a point where we cannot keep rotating soldiers off-world when they become debilitated. More of these events will come, and our preparation for them starts back on Vitakar.
Forwarded to Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary for immediate dissimination to the Aui'Vitakar
ADVENT Military After-Action Report 2102
Event: Loss of Busan
Author: Commander Laura Christiaens
Recipients: Chancellor Saudia Vyandar; Chief of Lancer Operations Helion Weekes; Chief of ADVENT Engineering and Development Feng Mercado; Chief Diplomat Firdaus Hassan; Director of ADVENT Intelligence Ian Powell
Over the course of the war, Busan had become one of the symbols of Human resistance. It had been assaulted multiple times by the Collective, and each time we had emerged victorious. The Collective was doubtless aware of the symbology and importance of Busan, and it is not surprising that they decided to target it once more.
In a way, it speaks to the desperation on the part of the Collective that they resorted to not capturing the city as it stood, but determined that obliterating it entirely was the only feasible solution. It is a significant blow to morale, as well as to our efforts to defend Korea, and by extension, China and Russia, and that should not be understated.
There are several factors to consider when reviewing this event, and what it means for us moving forward.
Detection of the Collective Weapon: The unknown Collective spacecraft which had been identified as Andromedon in origin was detected shortly before usage. Due to it never being deployed before, nor acquiring intelligence indicating that such a weapon existed or was being moved, there was initial confusion as to what it was.
The consolidation of Collective forces led by Patricia Trask near Busan, correlated by movements by the unknown spacecraft indicated that it was likely to be utilized in a new Busan offensive. This assessment was accurate, though we severely underestimated the range and power of the weapon.
It was capable of remaining out of the effective range of ground-to-air defenses on the ground and installed into Busan Flak Towers, and we can confirm that it has an effective range beyond Cleanser Ships. When this was detected, a general retreat order was issued, though only a fraction of forces were able to evacuate via Gateway before bombardment.
Collective Capture of Busan: Satellite images and reconnaissance has confirmed that the Ethereal Collective has assumed full control over non-contaminated Busan territory, and are in the process of razing the remains of the city, and constructing a new installation, which is likely a military base. The Collective is likely planning to use Busan territory as a foothold for a wider Korean invasion, which could extend to another China front, as well as Russia.
Harbinger Trask appears to be liberally employing teleportation to immediately supply the region with soldiers, supplies, and other resources. While this has allowed the Collective to quickly build and reinforce the area, it also indicates that there are no tangible supply lines outside of Patricia, which has the effect of keeping her in place, as well as severely degrading their means of resupply should she be incapacitated or unavailable. This is a vulnerability which should be exploited before supply lines are established.
Likelihood of Additional Usage: It is almost certain that the Collective will attempt to employ this tactic again worldwide against multiple cities. This is almost certainly an equivalent reaction in response to the deployment of the Atomic Lance, and signals that the Collective does not want continued escalatory action, only equivalent.
It is very likely that the Collective has more than one of these weapons, though it does not appear likely they are mass-produced. Following this attack, we expect more to be deployed and utilized worldwide. We do not know the next likely targets, but they will likely be contingent on if the Collective wishes to capture a city or destroy it. Busan was devoid of a civilian presence, and this may have been part of the calculus for targeting, though recent actions by the Collective signal that the presence or lack of civilians is not a deciding factor.
Indications of Collective Strategy Change: The usage of this weapon and abandonment of the Battlemaster's "Conquer and Expand" strategy indicates that the Battlemaster has lost overall strategic and command authority over the direction of the war. We consider it unlikely that the Battlemaster has approved this course of action, as there have been no indications of a significant psychological shift, and, in fact, the exact opposite has been observed.
Combined with the targeted assassinations worldwide of civilian and military figures, which the Battlemaster is largely opposed to, it is likely that the Battlemaster now only retains a portion of the control he wielded in the beginning of the conflict. All indications are that he is still managing multiple fronts, but the strategy has been taken over by staunch Imperator loyalists, most notably Patricia Trask and, we presume, the Zar'Chon. Other Ethereals such as Sicarius, and the Guardians may also be advising. Quisilia is a possibility, but we are not certain where he stands with the Imperator currently.
The reasons for this shift in leadership could depend on several factors. It is most likely a combination of the Battlemaster's strategy being deemed ineffective, which was more methodical and conservative than current Collective posture, as well as his outspoken disagreement with decisions being undertaken by the Imperator, most notably Paradise Station.
It is not inconceivable that the Battlemaster will be more and more divorced from the war, though the Imperator will likely keep it gradual to avoid antagonizing the wider Collective military which continues to hold the Battlemaster in extremely high regard.
Anticipated Collective Operations: The attack on Busan represents the start of a new Korean campaign, with Seoul as the likely target. It is possible this attack will be augmented with attacks against China and Russia, to weaken a focused response and to take advantage of the numerical advantage the Collective enjoys.
As noted above, the weapon used against Busan will likely be employed against other cities, and the tactic of orbital obliteration of targets deemed non-important may increase. In conjunction with Collective troop buildup across the world, it is also likely the start of a new coordinated wave of attacks, of which Busan is the first.
We are monitoring the situation closely.
Countermeasures and Mitigation Strategies: Our first priority is determining the exact specifications of this weapon. We can determine it is nuclear to some degree, though the output matches no known nuclear weapon that we have found. We have reached out to XCOM as they may be in possession of knowledge relating to this Andromedon weapon.
Beyond learning the specifications, we must be prepared to immediately respond to the sighting and movement of this weapon again. As of now it has withdrawn from the orbit, and is out of range of all terrestrial craft. However, for additional usage, it is potentially capable of being targeted by certain aircraft. Preliminary simulations reveal that the Thunderbird could potentially be deployed against it, and considering the implications, a pre-emptive deployment may be justified. A shorter-term solution is utilizing the Atomic Lance against the weapon, though it is not clear if it contains measures to shoot down or otherwise defend against missiles.
As Seoul is likely to be targeted next, it is prudent to begin preparing defenses, as well as the activation of Daedalus. Despite testing not being completely finished, there is enough positive data to ensure that it will largely function as intended. Civilian evacuation must begin immediately, either to North Korea, China, or Russia.
We must ensure that what happened at Busan is not repeated elsewhere, else this war will end far sooner than we feared.