File: JTAEC-OPS/ARCH-9021-B

Title: Incident Report – Operation Antlerfall II

Classification: LEVEL BLACK – JTAEC INTERNAL USE ONLY

Distribution: Committee Directors, Senior Operatives, Counter-Anomalous Division

 

Executive Summary:

Operation Antlerfall II was a continuation of the failed Antlerfall I initiative, originally aimed at dismantling C.A.T.S. influence over high-priority anomalous wildlife corridors in the [REDACTED] mountain range. Intelligence suggested the presence of Alpha Cervid Entities (ACE-class anomalous deer) under partial control of C.A.T.S field commander Sheepy.

The operation sought to destroy ACE leadership nodes, disrupt C.A.T.S logistical chains in the sector, and recover samples of anomalous antler growth for study.

Status: The mission was an operational and psychological disaster.

 

Background:

Following the Antlerfall I debacle, JTAEC analysts believed Sheepy’s influence over the ACE herd was diminished due to seasonal migration. However, surveillance drones captured images of spiral-horned wool constructs herding the ACE-class deer in perfect formation — confirming Sheepy had weaponized the cervids rather than abandoned them.

 

Operational Timeline:

H+00:00 – Insertion

Strike Teams “Huntsman” and “Wapiti” deployed via stealth VTOL. Conditions were cold, visibility low. The plan was to encircle the valley and converge on the central herd.

H+00:08 – First Contact

Thermal imaging revealed multiple heat signatures resembling standard deer. However, upon approach, operatives noted unnatural stillness — later confirmed to be Wool Decoys woven to mimic ACE-class cervids. Decoys emitted a subsonic hum identical to Sheepy’s Wool Barricade from Operation Wooly, causing mild vertigo.

H+00:11 – Ambush Trigger

True ACE units emerged from treeline — antlers visibly laced with metallic threading. They charged with impossible acceleration, deflecting rifle fire via pre-angled antler geometry. Huntman-3 sustained multiple fractures from a glancing blow.

H+00:14 – Sheepy Enters Theater

Bipedal, white wool immaculate despite blizzard conditions, spiral horns glinting under moonlight. Witness accounts describe him holding a crude shepherd’s crook in one hand and a bundle of sharpened antler fragments in the other. He communicated with the ACE herd via an unidentifiable vocalization — described in reports as “half whistle, half deranged laugh.”

H+00:18 – Total Disruption

C.A.T.S reinforcements (identified: Quinnz, YUKI, RIDLY) deployed from the ridgeline, cutting off exfil routes. YUKI’s fiber traps blended into the snow, snaring two Huntsman operatives. Quinnz used improvised explosives disguised as salt licks.

H+00:25 – Forced Withdrawal

Command authorized retreat. However, ACE herd encirclement funneled operatives toward a ravine. Sheepy triggered a wool-based avalanche, herding survivors down the only escape path. Huntsman team lost all retrieved antler samples during egress.

 

Outcome:

  • Primary Objective: FAILED – ACE herd leadership intact, Sheepy’s control over cervids stronger than before.

  • Secondary Objective: FAILED – No antler samples retrieved.

  • Casualties: 4 critical injuries, 12 non-critical, 0 fatalities (miraculously).

  • Morale Impact: Severe. Multiple operatives have expressed refusal to deploy in Sheepy-controlled biomes again without “heavy anti-wool screening.”

 

Committee Assessment:

Sheepy’s ability to merge anomalous wildlife command with psychological warfare continues to be underestimated. The C.A.T.S network now controls at least three ACE herds and uses them for both reconnaissance and shock assaults.

Future operations in Sheepy-controlled wilderness zones must account for environmental hazards, disguised wool constructs, and the possibility of sudden herd-based encirclement. Countermeasure development for subsonic wool resonance remains in priority testing phase.

 

Status:

Ongoing. Surveillance assets continue to track ACE herds via drone. C.A.T.S has deployed decoy herds and false heat signatures to confuse tracking. Committee will continue to monitor for a viable opening.

End of Report
 

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