deWulf Naval High Command, 90th Floor
SPM Rollen’s Office
Capital City of Lowell
Planet Fenris
deWulf Corporate Democracy
Emission spectra testing (cont)
Further sampling of fallout was done on site once Southgate District was secured. Particulate matter recovered showed expected emission spectra compatible with standard deWulf Fenren-portable squeeze fission devices (see Appendix R, Annex 2). In particular, decay rates and isotope counts are 98.4% compatible with standard fallout emissions, when adjusted for time of initiation. Isotopic fractions of Protactinium and Actinium are specific indications of a deWulf-built warhead.
Testing and inspection of similar Elysian units has allowed a general “fingerprint” to be constructed to identify Elysian munitions. Later usage by EAF forces (Cleansing of Eisenmauer, see Appendix F) also provides real-world tracking of fallout components, especially due to similar initiation timeframes. It is worth noting that Elysian laser-pinch warheads in particular make use of a different isotopic mix for their primary, which subsequently leads to different fallout profiles. Significant challenges were encountered with managing fallout from multiple initiations, as repeated airbursts have left substantial environmental contamination across multiple sites and have resulted in a lower confidence interval with regard to timing. However, given certain physical underpinnings it is still conclusively possible to identify the device manufacturers.
Section X: Executive Summary
After a careful examination of all available resources, it is the conclusion of this report that the initial nuclear attack on the city of Finn’s Massif was the result of a deWulf squeeze fission device that initiated in a cargo transport tunnel beneath Southgate.
Given the nature of the final evacuation of resources from the planetary downport, it is hard to reconstruct the exact chain of events, but after careful consideration, Scenario 4 is judged to be the most likely occurrence. Several cargo terminals had already fallen, and Elysian forces had access to several major junctions in the city’s cargo transportation grid. It is most likely that a deWulf Army logistic train was intercepted, at which point the device was activated. Fragmentary data from the train management system suggests that multiple trains were running on manual and/or were being routed around damaged or tunnels suspected to be compromised, but this could not be confirmed.
The reader should understand that a completely satisfactory answer to this is likely impossible given the lack of resources and verifiable evidence. The selection of Scenario 4 is based on a “balance of probability”, and no other scenario can be conclusively ruled out. Further evidence recovered in the future may eliminate some scenarios and suggest ones rejected from this report. In particular, the efficiency of the EAF forces in purging their own records and evidence means that their own deployments and orders are largely unknown; even accepted actions are best understood as provisionally accepted.
An Analysis of the Nuclear Attack on District of Southgate
Finn’s Massif
deWulf Navy Intelligence – Analysis Division
DWNI-13-53391
Restricted Internal Distribution Only
Top Secret Peterson-12
SPM Rollen closed the document and sank back into his seat, an icy ball seeming to form in his stomach as he processed the report. One of the cornerstones of this entire war was the unprovoked genocidal attack of the Elysians on Finn’s Massif, the first pebble in what became an orgy of bloodletting. And now, that cornerstone had turned into wet sand beneath him. Beneath everyone.
“Who knows about this?”
Erwin Donnal remained ramrod straight, having delivered the report as soon as it had been completed. “A few analysts have the whole picture. Most of the report, the supporting appendixes and the like, were built out of compartmentalized studies. Nobody outside of the final authors should be able to piece the whole thing together. In particular we made sure that the isotope analysis were split apart so that sampling and testing were handled by entirely different teams. Most of the analysis of Elysian weapons was handled by a few select third party research teams. They’re already hip deep in Elysian technology, so this was just one more project.” It was a rarely seen sign from Donnal. He only rambled when he was under severe stress, and it was clear that he had read the report in its entirety.
Rollen looked at the data chip slid into the port on his desktop. It stuck out, reminding him of a monolith as it cast its shadow across the bare top. Or a tombstone. “I want this buried. Buried deep, concreted over and with a parking tower on top of it. This…” he gestured to the data chip “This report does not exist.”
“Sir?”
“I don’t know why you brought this empty chip to my attention, Erwin. Dispose of it. Bury it.”
Donnal looked at him, eyes closing fractionally as he understood. “Of course, Sir. Not sure why I brought it to your attention in the first place. It will take a little bit to get this all cleaned up; don’t want the rest of this wasted work just lying around.”
Rollen leaned back into his chair some, eyes half-closed, no longer looking at Donnal. Or anything at all. Donnal leaned over, pulling the data chip free of its socket before drawing himself back upright, nodding once and then turning sharply to exit through the office doors behind him.
Rollen didn’t see him depart.
deWulf Naval High Command
Sub-Basement 4, Archive room 13.
It didn’t take Donnal long to clean the report from the Naval Intelligence branch. A quick order to one of the research managers was all that was required. Already, hard drives were being mirrored with the data in question left behind. By the turn of the watch the drives would have been replaced, the old drives being fed into a plasma incinerator. There was no way to recover anything from that kind of formatting.
But there was always going to be once copy of the final report, with all of the backup and appendixes and supporting material. Kept out of sight, out of mind, but not out of reach. The armoured hatch to archive room 13 opened after Donnal slid his access card into the reader. A blast of cold, stale air rolled over his face as he walked in, lights flickering on as he walked down the rows of secure cabinets. He stopped in front of drawer 8-6-2, keying in the random keycode for the hour. It slid open, empty save for a small incendiary pack built into the inside front of the drawer. Inside the drawer went the data chip, paper notes, and a few samples.
The drawer clicked closed, letting out a single beep that it was secure. Already the access code was scrambling, and in an hour nobody at all would be able to unlock it. The lights went out as Donnal left the archive room, and the hatch rolled back shut with a heavy thud.
Another secret left to die.
Dollarton Proxima Shipyards 