"Three phases," Dr. Calix said, holding up fingers. "Phase one: Apaches fly in and dump incendiaries on the surface plates—light it up. This should soften the armor and agitate the plasma-reactive layer. Phase two: The Warthog makes a gun run and focuses fire on known weak zones from Phillip's recon. Those ridged plate lines you saw near the root base? Target them."
Thomas nodded. "And phase three?"
Calix brought up a final slide. "AC-130. After the surface is breached, hit the exposed inner structure with 105mm rounds. That's where you maximize penetration and damage the regenerative core. You'll only get one clean window before it reacts."
Marcus turned to Thomas. "We can fly that. We've got the pilots. The question is: will the Worm stay still long enough for all three stages?"
