Here is the first reaction. This will be done with my own gameplay of Storm of Steel in Battlefield 1 mixed in with some other descriptions of things that you don't really do in the game. Be warned as this chapter is rated M and please pay your respects to the people that died in the Great War that will be shown in this as I have discovered that the names are real people. Also one last thing, I am very happy that I have received so many reaction suggestions. It shows me that you all want this fic to keep going and that will keep me going.
"Hello." A male voice states from the Holoplayer as a person appears from the machine. He is formally dressed in a white uniform, blue eyes, short brown hair, and a friendly smile on his face.
"Woah!" Anakin and Ahsoka both say as they draw their lightsabers and Rex pulls out his twin blasters. The other Jedi in the Council all remain seated but are ready to strike.
"Do not fret Jedi. I am the Virtual Intelligence Multipurpose Assistant. You may call me Vima." He says in a friendly tone as he makes a gesture for them to calm down. "I am a part of the machine that will play the Holovids and will answer any questions that you may have to the best of my ability."
Hearing this, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex put their weapons down and the Jedi remain calm. Padmé steps forward to the man in front of her and goes to touch him, only for her hand to pass right through. "Holographic technology?"
"That is correct Ms. Amidala. I am a mere projection coming from the machine." Vima states putting his hands behind his back. "My creator built me like this in order to seem more approachable when you ask a question or just want to have a conversation."
"And who is this creator of yours?" Plo Koon asks.
"Unfortunately I cannot disclose that information." The AI states.
"Why not?" Rex asks.
"Because he doesn't want to be found." Vima states. "Now, do you have any questions about Earth?"
"What are we watching?" Mace asks in his usual stern tone.
"The first video we will be watching is a historical event in Earth's Great War. This is the Storm of Steel." Vima states as he plays the Holovid.
The Holovid started playing showing an African American man laying in a bed in a well lit room. The song "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" played in the background. He is turning in his sleep with fear expressing itself on his face as a woman moves her hand over to his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.
Rex knew that way of sleeping anywhere. He saw it all the time in the Clone Barracks with his brothers, usually the Shinies. That is the sleep that says that you saw death in some of the most brutal fashion. He couldn't blame anyone for having trouble sleeping after they had just seen a major battle, given that he experienced those nightmare filled nights himself. But the fact that it wasn't just Clones that experienced that was both reassuring and horrifying to say the least.
Then the man's eyes open and he finds himself in a battlefield laying on the ground in the mud before he is pulled up by another soldier who quickly runs off to continue fighting. The man is a Harlem Hellfighter and he takes in the scene around him. Soldiers beating each other to death with whatever they can get their hands on. Be it stabbing someone with a bayonet, beating them with bludgeon, a shovel, or even a rock. All the while the song continues to play.
The Council looked on at the scene in horror. Ahsoka and Padmé seemed to have the worst of it. Sure they saw death and war before, but this? This was something worse. "By the Force..they're tearing each other apart." Ahsoka says as if her eyes were opened for the first time.
"Sadly, that is how it is on Earth. They don't have Clones or Droids that fight their battles. Just men that had normal lives and families." Vima says in a solemn tone.
Anakin looked at Padmé and saw the distress on her face. He put a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring way and she looked back at him. She smiled a bit and looked back at the Holovid. Meanwhile Obi-Wan looked at the two and smiled a bit.
One German soldier charges at him with his bayonet, but the Hellfighter dodges the attack and stabs him with his combat knife. He then spun around looking lost, watching an ally soldier pushing down another German soldier and started pummeling him. Throughout the battlefield, barren of life, the soldiers continue to maim one another. Slaughtering each other with anything they can get their hands on as fire and explosions echoed in the distances. Screams of pain, hatred, fear, death and so much more filled the air.
Rex nodded in approval at the Harlem Hellfighter snapping out of his daze and being quick in his movements to kill the other man. He had seen some of his brothers get that look and be shot by a Droid since they were distracted.
Yoda looked at the scene and closed his eyes as he gained a saddened look. "This world, dark it is. Feel we should avoid it should it be found, I do."
Vima looked at the Grandmaster. "Do not be so quick to judge my friend." He says with a small smile. "While what you see is brutal and chaotic, this world and its people show promise that they can be better. And sometimes, you can find humanity and light in the darkest of places."
Yoda nodded. "Correct, you are. Just Overwhelming, this is."
"I do not blame you." The AI says turning back to the Holovid.
The screen turns black and the following words appeared.
More than 60 million soldiers fought in the "War to end all Wars."
"60...million!?" Rex says in shock. "That's more than the entire Republic Army!"
Mace Windu looks at Vima. "Tell me, what is the population of Earth?"
"Currently the population of Earth is 7.5 Billion, nearing 8." Vima states. "But the events you see now are in the past."
"Nowhere near the population of some of the core worlds, but still impressive." Obi-Wan says.
"Agreed." Ki Adi Mundi states.
It ended nothing.
Yet it changed the world forever.
What follows is frontline combat.
You are not expected to survive.
"That's the unfortunate truth." Plo says. "Sometimes something as big as this doesn't end anything, but impacts the world in such a way that it will never be forgotten."
"Like the Mandalorian Wars?" Ahsoka asks.
"In a way young 'Soka." Plo says.
The screen switches to the point of view of another soldier. An officer runs up to the soldier. "We're surrounded! We have to hold this line!" He says as a tank drives by and he runs off toward the remains of a house. Just two walls with one of them being a doorway. The soldier runs up with his weapon in hand as he takes cover at the right side of the doorway. He sees some German soldiers in the distance and opens fire, tearing them apart until the gun is empty. He switches over to the pistol and fires. There were words said, but the soldier couldn't hear them as he focused on staying alive.
"A good place to hide behind cover." Rex says approvingly. "Sometimes even the most unstable cover can save your life."
Once he was out of ammo for the pistol he finally reloaded both weapons. He sees a German rushing to him, but the German is shot by one of the soldier's comrades. The soldier opened fire again and would hit the Germans that were closer with headshots. But then a German soldier enters the doorway and his flame pack is on fire. The soldier is stunned for a split second and the German explodes, the shrapnel killing the soldier as his name appears on the screen.
Byron Mason 1897-1918
A narrator speaks. "We came from all over the world, so many of us think this war would be our rite of passage, our great adventure. Let me tell you, it was no adventure."
"That's what I have to tell any Shinies that think it's just going to be an easy fight against Droids." Rex grumbles. He then looks at Vima. "Would it be alright if I were to show these Holovids to the 501st? I just had an idea."
"You may, but that decision falls to the Council." Vima states pausing the Holovid.
"Generals, permission to show these Holovids to the Clone Army? I believe they will be informative and would help out with tactics and weapons that we don't even have." Rex asks the Council.
The Council look at each other before Mace speaks up. "Permission granted Captain Rex."
"Very well." Vima says. "I will provide a similar Holovid for the Clones to watch after every session."
"Thank you sirs." The Clone Captain says as the Holovid keeps playing.
The point of view switches to another soldier, this time he is mounting a turret and firing on German soldiers that are in the trenches. The soldiers try to fire back at the gunner, but he is too quick with his aim for them to land a bullet on him. The gunner then took notice of a blimp firing on his position. He tried to shoot at it, but it was too late as the airship started its bombardment knocking the gunner back. The gunner gets up and grabs a nearby Trench Gun before running over with his allies to defend the church.
The Gunner stood by the side of his allies before he fired on the first German he saw, killing him on the spot. Another German ran towards him and the gunner shot the German in the torso before jabbing a shovel into his neck to kill him. He pulled the shovel out and saw three other Germans rushing towards his position so he grabbed his Trench Gun and shot at the three, trying to aim for the head. The first two were dead, but he had missed the third one and so had to kill him by jabbing the shovel into his neck. Then the gunner threw a grenade at the archway that was overhead, killing 2 Germans with it. There were two left and he killed one, and they were firing at him and hitting him. Bullets pierced his body and arms and legs and he was slowed, but it didn't stop him from blowing the head off of one more German before he finally succumbed to his wounds. The name appeared on the screen.
James Johnson 1899-1918
"Right I forgot they used Slugthrowers." Anakin says.
"Hey Vima, how powerful are their Slugthrowers?" Ahsoka asks.
"If you are referring to how effective Earth's weapons would be against Clone armor and Droids, then they are very effective. A single bullet of a certain caliber will pierce right through Clone armor and Droids. And at the very least it will knock you down with the kinetic force." The AI says. "And they only get more powerful from here."
That shocks everyone in the room. Sure Slugthrowers had their uses, but they were replaced because Blasters were more accurate and easier to learn how to use. But to hear that a single planet that uses nothing but projectile weapons that could tear through the armies of both the Republic and Separatists was unnerving to say the least.
The narrator spoke once more.
"New killing machines, like the tank, changed the shape of the war overnight. Luckily, they were mostly on our side, mostly."
"In times of war, advances are commonplace." Ki Adi Mundi says matter of factly.
"Yeah, just look at the Republic and Separatists. Always making new toys." Anakin says.
"Only for those toys to be broken as soon as they encounter you Anakin." Obi-Wan says in a playful manner.
"Hey, not my fault they're fragile." The Chosen One jokes.
The point of view this time switches over to a British Tank Gunner not too far away from where James was killed.
"Our boys in the church are overrun! We need to push through!" Their tank commander barked. The tank roar into life treading past the uneven ground to the frontlines following several other tanks. "PBI are counting on us!"
As they roared past, the gunner spotted an allied soldier, clutching his stomach, limping his way to the camp while his comrades fended off the Imperial German Army advance.
"Use that Emma Gee! Sweep the ground!" The tank driver ordered the gunner. The tank gunner turned the mounted machine towards the church as they drove by, firing into the building and killing a Flame trooper that was setting the building on fire.
"And so the Gunner was avenged." Aayla Secura speaks.
"Keep going, driver!"
The driver continued their advance. He then noticed the Royal Flying Corps fighter planes in the sky. "That's our flyboys up there!"
"Keep your eyes on the ground, son!" The commander ordered.
"It's impressive that they can tell whose side they're on from the inside of their tank." Plo compliments.
"They're moving in from the trenches! Use that machine gun! Mow them down!"
German infantry moved out of the trenches and into no man's land, where they are cut down by the British. A friendly tank fired its cannon, leveling an entire position, flushing the German infantry out.
Enemy soldiers left and right was mowed down, forcing the surviving infantries to retreat. Their friendly tank chased after them, firing its machineguns and cannon. "We've got them on the run! Push on! Forward! For King and Country!" Several more shells were fired on the entrenched German positions. "We'll chase Fritz all the way back to Berlin!"
"Is Berlin a city?" Padmé asks Vima.
"It is the Capital of the country Germany."
"Country?" Obi-Wan asks with interest.
"You see, this world is divided by territories known as countries. There are over 140 countries in the entire world. The Major countries in this war or worth mentioning are the United States of America, Germany, France, and Britain. And the United States is a superpower in the world." The AI explains.
"I hope we get to learn more about them." Padme says.
"You will." Vima assures.
The men in the tank would fire upon any German soldiers they saw, but the gunner saw one German in particular, walking with fear and shock in his eyes, the gunner knew that the German would be killed anyway for being seen as a coward, so he did the honorable thing and put the man out of his misery. Soon the tank had destroyed a turret operated by the Germans, but soon they would also die to a shot from artillery. The tank explodes and everyone dies.
Unknown Soldier.
"Unknown Soldier?" Rex asks.
"A good portion of the dead in the War either cannot be identified because they lost their tags or their bodies were too destroyed to even identify them." Vima says in a saddened tone. "That is how brutal the wars on Earth get."
"How many wars have there been?" Mace asks.
"The major wars you will learn about are the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, the Great War, which is what we are currently viewing, also known as the First World War, the Second World War, Vietnam War, and other wars. And they are still fighting to this day."
"That's a lot of wars for one planet." Anakin says in an attempt at humor.
"The Terrans, or Earthlings if you prefer, are a species of conflict. They will fight over anything."
"Instead of adventure we found fear, and in war the only true equalizer is death."
Perspective changes once again to a submachine gunner caught in a gas attack, not far from where their tanks passed through seconds ago. He puts on his mask, but he cannot aim down the sights of his weapon due to the mask. But it doesn't matter as he rushes at the nearest German and stabs him in the chest with a bayonet. Pulling it out he fires at more of the Germans until eventually he gets picked off after taking too many hits.
"What kind of gas is that?" Padme asks in horror as she sees the soldier choking to death from the gas.
"Poison Gas." Vima says. "And before you ask what it does, I will tell you now. You don't want to know."
That shut down any questions about its capabilities. If the AI said that they didn't want to know what it does, then it is something horrible.
Clarence Point Coupee 1897-1918
The point of view changes again to another soldier still wearing a mask as he and his fellow soldiers push up against the Germans in an all out battle. The sound of gunshots, explosions, cries and screams, and death fill the air as the man keeps firing at the Germans from a distance, picking them off with one bullet each and stabbing any ones that get close enough to him. But sadly, he died as well when he attempted to throw a grenade, a Germans took the opportunity to rush at him and stab him with the bayonet.
Unknown Soldier.
"That's some good aim." Rex says impressed. "If I ever meet a Terran soldier, I'll be sure to do a marksman challenge. See who's better."
"My bets are on Rex." Anakin says raising his hand.
The perspective shifted to another soldier, restless fending off his position from the German's counteroffensive. The sound of war has slightly hindered his hearing, oblivious to his surroundings and the charging scream that came from his right.
The soldier was suddenly knocked to the ground and nearly killed by a German Stormtrooper wielding a shovel. But before the Stormtrooper could deliver the finishing blow, the ground shook violently as artillery started to carpet bomb the entire battlefield. Both men paused and stared numbly at the barrage that was quickly heading straight forward them quickly.
"Artillery! Get down!"
And just like that, the screen cuts to black as the explosion engulfed his position, rendering the soldiers either unconscious or dead.
The soldier slowly regains consciousness, his vision slowly returning. But what greeted him was devastation. Bodies littered the battlefield, as far as the eye can see. Charred trees and ruined buildings still stood, a ghost of its former self.
"I wonder what this place looked like before it was a war zone." Padmé says feeling sad for those who died in the battle and the landscape that no doubt was beautiful.
He slowly turned to his left and saw a German soldier getting up. They staggered back and point their rifles at each other, looking haunted and reluctant. Neither seemed to want to pull the trigger as the Narrator kept speaking.
"They push—we push."
"Please..." Padmé pleads with hope in her eyes. "Don't do it."
The two men stood and faced each other, their hands slightly trembling as they stared deep in their eyes. "Every once in a while, we push hard enough that the light breaks through the clouds..." An understanding was reached between them. "So, the world beyond the war glimmers... just out of reach." Slowly lowering their arms, either from being tired, exhausted, or they just don't see the point in it anymore as all there is left is death. The two surviving soldiers glanced around their surroundings, taking in the destruction that they were a part of, looking at the devastation that the Terrans can cause.
"Such destruction. It's barbaric and horrible to see that this beautiful world has some horrifying beings that inhabit it." Ki Adi says.
"But hope, there is. An understanding, those two soldiers had at the end." Yoda says with a small smile. "Potential for peace and prosperity, there is."
The screen fades to black.
"The war is the world and the world is the war. But behind every gun is a human being."
"And that is why I'm glad we are fighting droids." Ahsoka mumbles as she doesn't know how she would feel killing another living person like that in cold blood.
"Agreed." Mace states. "But these Terrans have shown us how dangerous they can be."
"And they only get more dangerous from here." Vima states. "But with each danger that comes from them, they learn. They learn from their mistakes of the past and improve upon them. Such as the Geneva Convention."
"The what?" Anakin asks.
"Right now let's just say you all should be glad that you are not on Earth for all the things you pulled in your war so far." Vima says.
The screen shifts through a series of battlefields, people, places...
"We are those people. We are the jaded and we are the naive. We are the honorable and we are the criminal. We are the bound-for-legend and we are the lost-to-history. We are the knights of the sky, the ghosts in the desert, and the rats in the mud. These are our stories."
With that, the Holovid ends.
"That was...something." Ahsoka said nervously.
"It was." Obi-Wan says. "But I think I can safely say that we all just learned something."
"And what's that?" Anakin asks crossing his arms.
"That we should be grateful that we are fighting droids instead of other living beings." He says. "But the fact that they had more wars before and after this worries me."
"I just hope they can learn to get along. Perhaps if we found a way to them we can help them?" Padme suggests before Vima appears in front of her, startling the Senator.
"No." He states firmly. "For your safety, I suggest that you avoid that planet for now at the very least. You've only seen the first thing that is to be shown to you all and you all believe they are savages. And I partially blame myself for having this be the first thing shown to you. But until I believe you are ready, I cannot allow to find Earth."
"Tell us Vima, what could you do to stop us from finding the world?" Mace asks in a curious but uneasy tone.
Vima turns to face the master with his eyes changing from blue to red. "I am capable of many thing Mace Windu. You do not want to be the one to test me or my patience." He says in his usual friendly tone, but this seemed more...sinister. Then his eyes shift back and he smiles. "Now then, how about I show something a little more lighter in tone."
"Y-yeah." Ahsoka said with her voice filled with uneasiness.
Vima nodded and activated the Holovid once more.
Palpatine's Office
The Holovid that Sheev Palpatine just watched gave him a few things to think about. In the end of his thinking he came to a few conclusions. The Terrans, while primitive, are obvious well versed in the ways of destruction from what he had scene. Another is that they could be easily manipulated given the right amount of action he would to use against him. And finally, he thought about the pros and cons of their very existence. On one hand, they would be extremely useful in his grand design and would make excellent soldiers that could rival the Clone Troopers. On the other, they would be a devastating force and could ruin everything he has been working for if they were introduced into this Galaxy or if they agreed with the Jedi. Such a predicament indeed. He would have to see more before he could make a final decision.
Dooku's Palace
Though nobody could tell because of his mask, Grievous was actually filled with enthusiasm at seeing the Terrans battle each other like savages. "It appears I was wrong about these primitives. They are masters at war. And if what Vima says is true, then they would be the perfect opponents to hone my skills to kill more Jedi." He lets out a few coughs.
Asajj Ventress kept her emotions hidden, but deep down she was horrified at what she had seen. She killed a lot of people, but they were always clean kills and swift. The way these...monsters were fighting made her shudder in fear. But she kept her composure and while she doubted them before, those doubts washed away and now she was not only somewhat fearful at what she had seen, but also intrigued. "I was wrong as well." She said simply. "You are right master, I shouldn't underestimate my future opponents so easily even if they are primitive."
Dooku kept playing the images in his mind as he collected his thoughts. These Terrans were brutal, there was no question about that, but they also lack finesse in their ways of killing. And if what Vima said is true about their wars, then they could be a devastating threat not just to the Jedi, but to the Sith as well. But for now he simply nodded. "I believe we were all surprised at the power of destruction that these Terrans possess. But let us not get ahead of ourselves. Let us see what else they have in store." He said as he played the Holovid.