Operation MEGIDDO

Operation MEGIDDO was the ultimate way for the Word of Blake of saving Terra from barbarian invasion or treachery by allies... destroying all the planets themselves.

Description[edit]

MEGIDDO was named after the biblical Armageddon, and was an extension of Terran SDS Defense systems. It was a preprogrammed launching of nuclear weaponry, utilizing Megiddo-class launch orbital platforms.

Some of the nukes were warheads with cobalt jackets meant to enhance the fallout. Most of modern nuclear weapons of the era contain no radioactive material and would only produce short-lived fallout unless so deliberately "salted". The military forces were able to operate in the contaminated areas with NBC protective gear, so the cobalt-enhanced weapons were meant to kill Terran civilians.

History[edit]

The Operation systems took several years to be built and deployed, probably after the year 3069, ironically, when the Jihad was more successful.

MEGIDDO was ready to be launched in the later stages of Word of Blake Jihad if not before, and was partially launched... but, luckily for the Terran systems' inhabitants, with very little success.

The final bombardment on Terra fell very short of its expectations, in part for practical reasons (the Terran SDS was far short of its planned deployment, and there were fewer MEGIDDO launchers to bombard all major residential areas on Terra and Mars, and none in the Belt) as morals.

The Blakist launching were very limited: an unknown number of missiles were launched from and around the command center of the Word, Hilton Head.[1]

But, despite the fact a hundred million people died, the Operation was largely aborted: most of the launchers were found and disarmed alter in unused state.

The fact than Hilton Head was destroyed just after the launching begin, without any known outside bombing, stopped the launching, and it is said that the destruction, caused by several warheads detonated inside the island, have been self-inflicted.[2]

It may be assumed, then, that some of the most fanatical Blakists ordered the launching, and others self-destructed several warheads to stop them. The first faction, led by The Master, apparently believed in "purifying" the Earth and Mars by destroying them.

However, it remains unknown if that was the main purpose of MEGIDDO, or the launchers were mainly built as part of the defense systems or a way to ensure their Terran allies' loyalty.

References[edit]

  1. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 112
  2. Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 136

Bibliography[edit]