Overview
The BR-002 Blockade Operation was an FAC operation to construct a counter-Mania defense network around the renewed BR-002, similar to the Broken Frontline. Its objective was to limit the spread of contamination from BR-002 and stabilize the environment in Syndicate. Implementation of the Blockade Operation was the catalyst for a series of major battles between the various authorities of DisCity and the Underground, sometimes referred to as the August War. The Blockade Operation was a nominal victory for DisCity, as it succeeded in all its stated aims, but it resulted in a serious blow to Paradeisos's operational capacity as the Observatorium was destroyed and the HUSH system was temporarily suspended.
Prelude
In March of N.F. 113, the outbreak of a new conflict with Rustfire in Drifter Camp caused authorities in Paradeisos to fear that a second Black Ring would appear in Syndicate in the space of a single year. In order to avoid this, they intended to enact a Purge Order in the district. Unwilling to accept the scale of civilian loss that would entail, Shalom persuaded Paradeisos to adopt a different approach: allow BR-002 to reappear and use it as bait to attract, and then annihilate, the Underground Shepherd. On April 1, the Black Ring reappeared through a fusion of its Corpseborne and Rustfire's leader, Julien. The situation quickly became a chaotic three-way conflict between the FAC, Rustfire rioters, and the forces of the Underground for control of the Ring, which came to a stalemate by June of that year. With the battlefield stabilized, Shalom was personally dispatched to recover the comatose Chief from Syndicate, but Paradeisos's aims were again foiled as their body was instead stolen away by Donald.
Seeking to break the stalemate, the Underground drew The Garden into the conflict. By exploiting Garofano's grief over the loss of the Chief, Segal persuaded her to attack Shalom at her home in Erica Villa. Although the assassination attempt failed, the operation succeeded at persuading Coquelic to take the Garden's side in the ongoing war.
Operation Proposal
In the first week of August, FAC monitoring showed that BR-002 displayed no signs of an outbreak expansion period, creating ideal circumstances for more extensive contamination control work. On August 8, at a memorial service dedicated to the FAC soldiers who had died in the ongoing conflict, the FAC Commander-In-Chief announced that he had submitted a proposal for the Blockade Operation (initially codenamed K1) to the City Council. The goal of the operation would be to establish a defensive perimeter around BR-002, completely sealing off the Black Ring and surrounding contaminated areas from the rest of DisCity. Immediately following the Commander's announcement, Coquelic began an assassination campaign against a list of targets connected to FAC cover-ups after the failed Eclipse Operation of N.F. 103. Her widely-publicized murders succeeded at exposing the organization's corruption and turning public opinion against the FAC. As a result, many in Nirvana and the City Council withheld their support for the plan, causing it to fail its preliminary evaluation. In response, Shalom, Rahu and Christina were assigned with investigating the assassinations and eliminating all threats to the Blockade Operation.
On August 14, the Commander-In-Chief issued an official letter to the city stressing the importance of isolating the Black Ring, expressing his firm intention to implement the operation, and requesting the re-evaluation of the propopsal. The following day, he personally traveled from Syndicate to Eastside to attend the Council's reevaluation meeting. While en route through the Rust, Coquelic attacked and hijacked the Commander-in-Chief's armored vehicle, intending to detonate it with powerful contamination bombs once the vehicle reached the heavily populated edge of Eastside. Paradeisos deployed the Hush unit to regain control of the vehicle; though the elite soldiers were repelled by Coquelic, Shalom forced her to retreat by destroying the vehicle with her Schorl. The Commander-in-Chief was severely injured, but a proxy attended the reevaluation meeting in his stead and the Blockade Operation was unanimously approved.
Operation Underway
With the Blockade Operation officially begun, the FAC, PSB, 9th Agency, and Hush unit conducted a joint investigation between August 15-17 to eliminate all threats to the Blockade Operation. This team succeeded at unearthing large numbers of intelligence agents within their own ranks who had been either compromised or implanted by the Underground. Through these uncovered agents, the DisCity authorities learned much about the Underground's operations and captured many of its members. Notably, they were able to identify Segal, a high-ranking ("senior executive") Underground field agent and forced her into hiding.
From August 18-26, the FAC fought continuous battles against invading Rustfire remnants and outgoing threats from within the Black Ring targeting facility construction points. These engagements resulted in increased casualty rates, but the incursions were repelled due to the use of decoy construction points, and the Blockade defense line steadily expanded. Covert conflicts also continued between DisCity special forces and the Garden; Sumire assassinated many members of Rustfire, the Reconstruction Executive Committee, and Nirvana as revenge for the Chief, but ultimately the Hush unit succeeded at locating the Underground's headquarters thanks to information gathered during the first phase of the Operation. The remaining Garden assassins were taken into custody with the intent that they would be subjected to the Mark and used as operatives by Shalom, while the scene was made to appear as though they had been murdered in order to provoke Coquelic.
The Blockade Operation was declared complete on August 26, as the Black Ring defense line became fully operational. However, during the final day of the operation, Coquelic succeeded at breaking through the base facility's defenses to assassinate Shalom. In their ensuing battle, Shalom revealed that her actions since the beginning of the Ten Days of Rustfire (including recommending the Blockade Operation) had been a form of "silent rebellion", deliberately undermining Paradeisos's aims with the goal of preventing unnecessary civilian sacrifices, protecting the Chief from Paradeisos's dominion, and freeing herself and Rebel from the servitude of the HUSH system. Paradeisos was forced to suspend usage of the Hush system, and Coquelic (alongside Thistle) was able to track down and reunite the scattered remnants of the Garden.
Aftermath
Over the next three months after the Operation's completion, the Blockade succeeded at preventing any large-scale contamination from leaking into the West District. Without more being made or escaping from the Ring, wandering Corruptors were cleaned up throughout Syndicate, and the 9th Agency successfully lured out large numbers of insurgent groups in battles against the defense network, where they were routinely defeated. However, the loss of the HUSH System during the operation's final battle made it impossible for Paradeisos to further monitor events within the Black Ring. Thus, the Operation's hard-won stability lasted only until November before Parma was able to infiltrate BR-002 and catalyze the expansion of the Ring beyond the Blockade's perimeter.