#infantry guild

AFTER ACTION REPORT - OPERATION FALLEN EAGLE 

23 April 628 

All intelligence having been coordinated with the Ebon Blade, the time of their attempted infiltration of Torghast in order to rescue AEF VIP’s was coordinated with the Council of Harvester’s assault on Castle Nathria. 

Elements of the AEF joined the Council’s assault with the specific job of either securing or destroying the enemy’s anima stores in their entirety.  Given the disruption to their supply chain caused by both the AEF raid on the Halls of Atonement and the AEF occupation of Darkhaven, the loss of their stored anima was judged to be an optimal target. 

It should be noted that planning for this operation was made possible by PVT Davenport, who managed to secure the anima-storage details regarding our AOP during our initial seizure of OP Darkhaven. 

The AEF entered Castle Nathria and, after eliminating a small guard force, proceeded to the anima storage area. 

Outside the entrance to the anima storage area, SGM Brightmaul halted the column and searched the doorway.  This proved to be fruitful, as he discovered that the doorway had been rigged with a quick-release mechanism to deploy the portcullis.  He also discovered that the enemy had copied KNT Farnal’s warding design, presumably as a method of blocking Azerothian-style portals in addition to anima-based ones. MSG Goldmane disabled the booby trap on the door, and I altered the wards in order to seize control of them, effectively operating the enemy’s efforts against them.  The AEF then proceeded into the anima storage area, at which point they were confronted by enemy forces in the form of three venthyr who appear to have used local anima reserves as a force-multiplier. 

Those venthyr attempted to mirror-teleport an unknown force in to assist their assault.  However, due to SGM Brightmaul’s planning, they were unable to do so, and their failure to do so combined with Goldmane’s securing of our exit left the enemy venthyr without reinforcement, effectively counter-ambushing their ambush. 

During the combat, it was discovered that Puckmuck, our liaison from the Council, was in fact a spy as he’d claimed.  However, more specifically, he was a spy for Denathrian forces, which explains many of the recent occurrences and security lapses, as well as the ambush into which we would almost surely have walked but for SGM Brightmaul’s keen eyes. 

CDR Felmourne ensured that Puckmuck would cease to represent a security threat using direct methods that hardly need be belabored.[1:47 PM]AEF Forces prevailed easily in their counter-ambush, securing the anima storage area.  Explosives were affixed to all anima storage devices by CDR Felmourne, taking advantage of his ability to do so aerially.  At this point, a decision had to be made. 

All available intel at the moment indicated that Denathrian forces had, in fact, been prepared to ambush our assault.  Given Puckmuck’s status, I assumed that Denathrian forces had been alerted not simply to our goals, but also to the Council’s assault as a whole.  Given the attempt to portal, I also assumed that a significant Denathrian force was on its way via more conventional means to challenge us, leaving us with a minimal-time window.

The Council of Harvesters had previously expressed to the AEF its desire to seize the anima storage containers intact.  It may be that this was possible—I am unsure.  However, it is also possible, given the information available to me, that a massive counterassault was imminent and that Council reinforcements would not be forthcoming, having been ambushed similarly to the one planned for us. 

As a result, on my own authority, I determined to destroy the anima reserves rather than attempt to preserve them, and to evacuate the AEF to Oribos rather than face the counterattack.  This action fulfilled all AEF mission goals completely—but may have left the Council of Harvesters less than enthusiastic about further cooperation with the AEF.  On the other hand, risking AEF lives for the purpose of possibly improving diplomatic relations with the Council on the off-chance that they prevailed against their ambush seemed, in the calculus of death, to be inadvisable.  Responsibility for this decision is entirely mine, and I am prepared to answer for it. I will reach out to the Council in the coming week to attempt to repair at least some of the diplomatic damage, though I do not know how successful I will be.  Revendreth, like Maldraxxus, should NOT be considered a safe zone for AEF troops off-duty.  Off-duty troops seeking leisure shall restrict themselves to Bastion or Ardenweald, which has previously been secured by Horde AEF members. 

We await reports from the Ebon Blade as to the success or failure of our primary mission.