Doctor Grawhmet Phoz - Republic Medical Corps
Kuat City, Medical Station - Kuat, Kuat Sector, Kuat System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
11:28: 15 ATC / Thursday, November 28th, 1968 - 16:40 / 4:40 PM
"Damn, he got lucky." Doctor Grawhmet Phoz noted as he read the file on the patient currently getting treated in the bacta tank. "In addition to the melee, that lightsaber only pierced his spleen, what damage the burning had done to the surrounding tissue was thankfully not as severe as we feared, but he's definitely gonna be sore after the kind of surgery we had to do on him. Crazy that he managed to take a Sith on hand-to-hand."
"You tell me. And to think we only have to deal with lightsaber wounds in rarer cases, most tend to find out the hard way when engaging Sith Warriors in close quarters."
Doctor Phoz nodded at the Rodian nurse's assessment, still getting used to the straightforward fact that the lack of midichlorians, a literal case of asepsis, negated the complete usage of Force Powers on Earthlings, making telekinesis and sensing their presence by Jedi and Sith alike an exercise in vanity. "I'm still unsure if it makes our job somewhat easier or harder but I suppose it's an advantage when it comes to dealing with wounds by not having to worry about Force-based ailments. No asphyxiation through telekinetically choking, no Force draining, not even causing insanity…. That we know of anyway, just trauma from Lightsabers, Blasterfire, shrapnel, and etcetera."
"That reminds me. Apparently there's a new theory on midichlorians being 'Conduits of the Force'."
Doctor Phoz's ears perked up at the news as it sounded interesting. "Oh?"
"Well, they did inadvertently make the Jedi begin questioning previous notions about the Force afterall once the facts of the complete omission in their galaxy were revealed." The nurse declared as she nudged her shoulder at the tank holding the patient with the given name of Hanzo Elwood Nilsson displayed in Aurebesh, the middle and surname they had learned is interestingly Swedish, a nationality from Earth, while his first name was another known as Japanese, this made Hanzo a rather unique mix of ethnicity.
The Doctor rolled his eyes as it should've been obvious. The millennia old gospel theory that midichlorians were vital for life had been challenged and arguably even was completely invalidated by the open existence of those breathing vigorously without the specific cells in their bloodstream.
"So, I think we can reasonably start surgery on him in two days, give the bacta time to settle." Phoz determined as he brought up the scanner to analyze the internals.
"Doctor?"
"Or maybe not." Grawhmet mused. "The regenerative properties of the bacta healed up his wounds. He might be able to walk around soon in a few days after rest."
Master Roa Tec - Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order
Jedi Council Chambers - Jedi Temple, Tython, Tython System, Deep Core, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
11:28: 15 ATC / Thursday, November 28th, 1968 - 16:40 / 4:40 PM
Jedi Master Roa recently returned from the known gap in the so-called 'Hyperspace Disturbance beyond the Edge of the Galaxy' extracting microorganisms and nanobacterium samples from those closest to Earth, the Asteroid Belt, and meteorites near the gap before venturing back to Tython, a four-month long expedition that was coordinated with the Jedi Exploration Corps and Republic Survey Corps under the veil of charting more efficient hyperlanes for strategic military purposes, which was only part of the truth.
The shockwave of the nonexistent presence of the Force, not a simple void but a complete and total absence was challenging to give credence to, which was why investigating a chance at potential refutation no matter the odds was a gamble the Order was willing to take but the venture Roa partook in was mournfully all in fruitlessness.
All of the council other than the Master Bestros were present, the Miraluka councilmember was currently heading to Earth to discuss a possible non-military cooperation and therefore was attending the conference through holo.
"Barsen'thor Roa, Knight Grell, it has been awhile."
"I'm afraid we don't have much to report." Tec revealed. "There hasn't been anything resembling midichlorians and Nadia discovered two new species of microbes instead of the elusive objective."
There was a slight glimmer of hope, as if the Council expected him to divulge good news after the bad with a revelation of a possible evolutionary split explanation but the Barsen'thor revealed the facts.
"But when we attempted to levitate the microorganisms out of the petri dish, it didn't respond to Force Lift, as if we weren't doing anything to remove them."
"Our arms got sore from trying to telekinetically manipulate all the samples we gathered." Nadia added.
"Well, I suppose we're gonna have to accept reality and not disregard the irrefutable truth." Master Giffus Fane accepted halfheartedly.
"Now that does leave us with the new theory which was recently hypothesized by Master Gehnso." Master Gnost-Dural brought up. "Midichorians being not essential for life but instead are 'Conduits of the Force'."
"Conduits of the Force?"
"Remember how we determined that Earthlings cannot be classified as voids in the Force due to the neighboring galaxy not being connected to it in the first place?" The Barsen'thor evoked before reporting his findings. "Well, after reading Master Gehnso's report on comparing DNA of creatures native to Earth and their known closest counterparts in the galaxy, there has to be a link between possessing Midichlorians and being binded to the Force. While the exclusion of Midichlorians may explain the nonsusceptibility, it doesn't explain why inanimate objects indigenous to the Milky Way cannot be manipulated."
"You mean something or even someone implanted midichlorians in every gentlebeing native to the Galaxy?" Master Wens Aleusis realized. "And for that matter, Earthlings could be a case of parallel evolution when the cosmos materialized or implausibly some civilization conducted mass genetic experimentation on everyone else, only to stop before reaching the Milky Way?"
"As outlandish as it may be compared to the parallel evolution theory, the Rakatans did conquer the entire galaxy eons ago and enslaved about every known species including humanity." Roa considered the likelihood of the civilization somehow being responsible, not willing to entirely dismiss it as a possibility even if it sounded illogical. "But then again, why would they spread midichlorians en masse into non-sentient creatures as well? And for what benefit?"
"That's like saying this holofilm-director, George Lucas, created the entire universe and dreamed up the cells one day for this 'Star Wars' film he's producing." Master Nikil Nobil snorted, skeptical of the new theories that potentially discredited all prior understanding of the manifestation of life in the universe.
"Though it would be funny I suppose if this was in fact a case of breaking the fourth wall." Nadia chuckled, earning a look from Roa and the assembled Council. "What?"
"Perhaps we should move on and discuss the director's and Roddenberry's scheduled visit to Tython a few months from now?" The Grandmaster suggested as the mystery honestly was a confounding headache. "Obviously we can't permit them to access the archives containing forbidden knowledge even if supervised but we could offer to chaperone them around the sites Revan and the Ebon Hawk were known to have journeyed to."
"Agreed. It's better to speculate until Master Gehnso can explain her theory in-person."
Private First Class Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Wars, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / Sunday, December 1st, 1968 - 06:45 / 6:45 AM
Jake was currently sitting on a pew in the makeshift church beside his father and paternal uncle, listening to the Reverend hosting liturgy for those of the Lutheran denomination at the allotted time for an hour and a half of worship.
The farmboy momentarily scratched his head, feeling the dark flaxen strands of his side part with his hand before gazing his attention back at the Pastor preaching to the assembled congregation from the pulpit.
"And as it is written, the Lord Almighty himself is with us in this war against the Empire. Please turn to Deuteronomy Twenty, Verses One through Four."
Being divided interfamilial between Lutheranism affiliated with the Missouri Synod and Roman Catholicism for the Hoosier was an experience to put it lightly.
His mother baptized him at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church downtown in the city of Indianapolis and his father managed to have him alternate worship by having him be present at the Saint John Lutheran Church on Southeastern Avenue during boyhood but until he came of age it was a unabating silent struggle between his parents to decide on exactly when and where to be attending mass.
That's not to mention that Pastor Schröder, the chaplain conducting the current service, was having an ongoing rivalry with Father O'Reilly and his fellow ordained Catholic Priest Father Huber, as well as Rabbi Altschul; the four men representing three sects of Judeo-Christian faiths going so far as to making bets over trifle matters such as keeping a majority of the congregation awake throughout the entire ceremony and how many alms were gathered up.
Just last week, the loser of the previous wager, Huber, walked around publicly with a dunce cap due to missing part of the lyrics from 'My Country Tis of Thee' but inadvertently the 'friendly rivalry' in a way made it even more awkward interfaith wise for Jake.
Nevertheless, the Hoosier flipped his personal King James Version of the Bible to read the passage :
1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4 For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
"The Lord is with us as we confront and push back against those who've attempted to conquer the very world the creator himself has materialized, enslave his children and all the creations, not to mention spreading a path of destruction in the name of their reclusive yet influential idol Vitiate, an Emperor claimed to have lived longer than Noah back when the Lord flooded the Earth yet was merciful to Noah and his family, urging them to build the Ark and house creatures two by two." Schroöder preached. "I myself do not believe this to be the will of some supposed Force as the Jedi claimed nor do I believe, unlike Mister Brokaw of NBC, that this conflict should be entirely labeled as some holy war between them and the Sith, despite justifiably being the root cause of this mess being wrought here in this neighboring galaxy. Instead for us Americans, as part of our contribution, this is a just cause not only in the name of defense, but of spreading hope and freeing subjects wrongfully being chained up in the clutches of tyranny. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. Now let us Pray."
Jacob clasped his palm and bowed his head, silent as he waited for the prayer to commence.
"Oh Almighty God, who is heaven, we here before you today humbly ask for guidance as before us we tackle an adversary willing to create needless suffering, enslave anyone and everyone who doesn't pay homage to their civilization, their leader, and their theocratic institution. We are willing and capable to help stem the tide against the relentless onslaught, stand firm alongside our allies in the grand and noble cause of freedom despite the overwhelming odds. While we may disagree from time to time with the Galactic Republic on procedures, while we are rightfully skeptical of this so-called Force as followed and practiced by the Jedi Order, we also humbly know that despite our tactical might, we cannot neglect faith and we hope to forever remain in your good graces. In Jesus's name, Amen."
"Amen."
"Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Don't forget that if you need anything, if you require someone to confide with, I'm available."
Jacob stood up from the bench and turned to face his father and Uncle Steve as the services concluded.
"You know, there's certainly truth to it." Paul chuckled as he placed the current United States Army standard AG-344 green shaded service cap, part of his Class A Service Uniform, back onto his head. "It gives additional credence over this Farce and it doesn't take a genius to be skeptical."
"Ultimately those space wizards can believe in whatever they want since there are no atheists in foxholes." Stephen shrugged in his Marine Corps forest green and khaki Service Alphas before patting the cover of his bible. "I'll just place my trust in the scripture here."
"Well, unfortunately I got to get back to my side of the barracks and make sure the men don't get overboard with their break." The father glanced at his son with annoyance. "By the way, if Junior plays that damn song 'Starman' one more time, I'll put a pineapple in his jaw and impenitently pull the pin."
The two Leathernecks, E-2 and E-7 respectively, groaned at the reminder of Polonsky's shenanigans.
"I'll take care of it, Paul." The Gunnery Sergeant vowed to his brother. "Because I had enough of listening to that tune incessantly as well."
Raider's Cove - Horizon Island, Rishi, Rishi System, Abrion Sector, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / Saturday, December 1st, 1968- 07:13 / 7:13 AM
"Well, here we are." Theron declared. "Welcome to Rishi."
"The tropical world ruled by pirates?" Lana wondered, her cloak swapped for a forest green 'Zayne Carrick' pattern flight suit while her friend also wore one but colored in ruby red.
"Jakarro knows this world like the back of his hand." The SIS Agent shrugged before taking a moment to gaze at the current attire of his blonde companion. Theron gawked at the way Lana's outfit hugged her willowy curves, never before seeing her without her distinct cloak and cape which, along with the high collar, acted as an optical illusion to hide the nubile physique well. "You know, I never thought you would look beautiful in normal clothes, Lana."
"Do you desire a blaster bolt?" Sara questioned from her position on a nearby crate as she wiped her X-15 with an oily rag. "While it is not necessary, a function check couldn't hurt."
"Errr…"
"Sorry, Theron, but my flirting days are over." Beniko sincerely declared while glaring at the overprotective and quick to the trigger redhead. "You may have better luck with a Jedi even if the stoicism is taxing to grasp at times."
"Very funny, Lana." The SIS Agent snorted.
"Is it just me or did Agent Shan get rejected?" C2-D4 commented.
"Shut up, Droid!"
Sara gave off her 'What? He knows better' glance in response to the scowl from the blonde before changing the subject. "You know, since we're here, I think we should play beach music."
"Beach music?" Lana asked with befuddlement, her gaze metamorphosing into one of confusion instead of the previous 'Seriously? I could've handled it' expression.
"Songs by The Beach Boys, Dick Dale, and The Surftones." Kelrein clarified, grinning. "Earth has songs for every occasion."
Theron groaned at the mention of the world he's beginning to detest over a transculturation that's at an alarming warp speed - damn Star Trek! - rate supplanting traditional music with the notable exception of what the Earthling refer to as 'Jazz' and some other seemingly minor but popular fads such as twinkies and Fanta.
Even Pugs were gradually becoming more popular than some Akk hound puppies in the galaxy but still it was a peril smuggling the dogs off-world without the culprits getting caught due to the zealous enforcement of the 'Quarantine Policy' as pets for the time being were not authorized exports for trade and the spy internally shuddered at remembering news about the recent execution of smugglers in Sierra Leone trying to evade the strict, time-consuming inspection policies for both arrival and departure when a simple code authorization process without the need to inspect every incoming vessel like the Republic military conducted even at black sites would have been more efficient in his opinion.
"Star Trek, Elvis Presley, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi but now apparently there's something known as beach music. What's next? A song about this James Dean that Mister Marine mentioned?"
Sara smirked deviously as she set her freshly cleaned blaster aside and without hesitation tapped on her datapad to play Phil Ochs's 'Jim Dean of Indiana', a eulogy to the late and reputedly famous holostar.
It was on an Indiana farm
In the middle of the country
Growin' in the fields of grain
Jim Dean of Indiana
His mother died when he was a boy
His father was a stranger
Marcus Winslow took him in
Nobody seemed to want him
The hired man sang like a storm
Sometimes he would beat him
'Cause he would never do the chores
He was lost in dreamin'
He never seemed to find a play
With the flatlands and the farmers
So he had to leave one day
He said to be an actor
"That's it. I'm outta here." The Republic spy declared as he stormed out of the room.
Once he'd come back to the farm
With starlets from the stages
They locked themselves inside his room
The people turned their faces
A neighbor run from the movie house
Chickens, they were scattered
He swore he saw upon the screen
Jim Dean of Indiana
He played a boy without a home
Torn with no tomorrow
Reaching out to touch someone
A stranger in the shadow
Sara waited until the irritated spy was out of sight before pausing the tune. "Problem solved."
"Kells? You seriously are something else."
"It's not my fault that the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order is quite a adamant Trekkie or so I have been informed."
Lana shook her head in amusement, denying that she witnessed the circumstantial shenanigans from her friend. "I honestly don't get the appeal of the holodrama but I'm sure Theron will get over it."
Nurse Gindra Sonnu - Republic Medical Corps
Kuat City, Medical Station - Kuat, Kuat Sector, Kuat System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / Saturday, December 1st, 1968- 07:13 / 7:13 AM
"What's the status of the patient's vitals?"
"They're stable, ma'am." The medical droid informed the nurse as the patient was tucked onto the bed. "He should be waking up from the sedative in a moment."
"And just like any soldier, he'll attempt to get back to the front." Grindra groaned as she firmly grasped her holo-chart and headed to the ward, finding the patient's room and stepping in as the doors opened for her. "Mister Nilsson?"
The human male, an Earthling specifically, was already attempting to remove the covers of his bed to escape, a record the Rodian mused. The patient, however, wisely acknowledged the presence and authority of the medical specialist.
"Yes?"
"I advise you to get back underneath the covers unless you want to be sedated. You need to rest until you're cleared." Sonnu reprimanded. "And I would rather not have to sedate anyone."
"Yes, ma'am." He relented reluctantly, laying back in the bed. Nurse Soonu sympathized with him though she was still glad that the young man was listening and showed himself to be polite despite his quietness.
"Good, rest easy, by this rate it shouldn't be too long before you're cleared."
Private First Class Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Wars, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / Saturday, December 1st, 1968- 08:29 / 8:29 AM
"Hey, Jake, not sure if ya heard but Goldwater won in a landslide!"
"I already heard, pal, and I'm proud that my absentee ballot counted to his landslide but I'm also grateful that a majority of Middle America, the Silent Majority, including the Hard Hats, realized that the Great Society will be the next great con." Jake smiled at the Ohio native.
"By the way, isn't one of your cousins at the Pentagon?" The Ohioan wondered. "I overheard it when you were talking with your uncle earlier."
"It's a long, complicated story, Neil." Jake admitted. "But don't ask me to request for favors as she's by the book and I mean by the book."
"She?" Even with the deterrent, Neil sounded even more intrigued after the revelation.
'Welcome to my world with eight insane maternal cousins.' Jake mused, wishing for a stiff drink as the Marine knew it was another instance of a poor soul believing he could try to request special favors while under the pretense of dating Ashley without realizing what he was exactly getting himself into, not to mention that as of last year she was already engaged to someone who wouldn't take advantage of her. "Well, my mother's side of the family is of both Scottish and Irish origins, though Mom from time to time jokingly says that there's Welsh somewhere as well. Uncle Jack and Aunt Shannon have four sons and fours daughters, my cousins and expect for Amy they're all in uniform. In fact, Pat's unit recently got their M48s replaced with Chieftains."
"On second thought, I kinda forgot about your other uncle. He wouldn't appreciate me dating one of his daughters so I'll forget about it."
"That would be wise, Anderson." The aforementioned man gruffly uttered from behind the Buckeye, announcing his protective presence. "She's engaged to some West Pointer that she met at the Pentagon and was stationed there until recently anyways."
"Should've kept my mouth shut as well then."
"What's that, Private?"
"Nothing, Staff Sergeant."
The NCO glared at the subordinate proclaiming false innocence, snarling like a starving Bull Shark about to rip flesh off of a poor minnow if it was by fate the only available meal for the pitiful predator. "Get out of my sight before you're on latrine duty and I don't think you want to do latrine duty on a Sunday, boyo!"
"A-a-aye, S-Staff S-Sergeant!" Anderson acknowledged before scurrying away, not willing to endure the wrath of the evidently overly-protective father.
"Surprised Uncle Steve wasn't with you." Jake commented cautiously to the still-scowling E-6 who was observing the pace of departure. "No offense but you always had the rivalry."
The Staff Sergeant about-faced and chuckled at his nephew's assessment. "No need for the Kraut in this matter, especially involving one of my daughters." Jack grinned. "But to tell you the truth, Polonsky played that damn song again and it was either him or Roebuck to throw the book at him."
Jake kept a poker face as he wasn't sure if this was the planned disciplinary action Uncle Steve vowed to conduct after church or if Polonsky decided to test the E-7's patience after the scolding but it might be likely the latter case judging by the tone of irritation on the matter. "Oh boy."
"Still, Stephen and I also just learned about a certain occurrence that you failed to mention at Thanksgiving or to him after Church." Cameron revealed, the infuriated scowl returning as he confronted the PFC over the details. "Now who in the hell would try to whack my nephew by scuttling the goddamn building into the ocean!?"
"It's a long story and you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Jake muttered yet the irkly disappointed Staff Sergeant was unconvinced.
"In this case, I have plenty of time to hear you out as no one messes with our family and gets away with the misdeed unscathed." The E-6 retorted, waiting for the full-on explanation over some world called Manaan.
First Sergeant Tom Sullivan - C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Wars, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / Sunday, December 1st, 1968 - 09:05 / 9:05 AM
"I still say the entire Company should have a blanket party on his ass." Roebuck suggested to the Company CO as part of the after-church poker game and 'unofficial meeting'. "Stephen can get his point across if need be but due to Jacob's prior attempt with Heine martial music, it probably will fall on deaf ears."
"I was already one step ahead of you and it has been taken care of, Roebuck." Minoso grinned, using the wit to hide the quality of his deck. "Starting today, Junior is prohibited from having access to any record players and radios for three months time and he better get used to the Christmas music."
"Thank God as otherwise somehow we would have to raise Polonsky from the dead and have him ground his boy." Sullivan muttered, not expecting that his son turned out to be a handful. The First Sergeant took a quick glance at his cards and noted that for Texas Hold'em he was decent but hoped that neither Frank nor Roe had a superior hand. "But speaking of Jacob, what about the matter with PFC Meyer, sir?"
"While I don't know the full details as of yet, I'm leaning towards the corrupt SIS agent theory." Frank sighed. "Maybe I should've forced Agent Shan to look elsewhere for patsies or threaten to shoot him on the spot."
"Well, what happened happened and we can only plan for the future, sir." Roebuck reasoned as he drew one from the deck.
"True yet it's precarious and this matter wouldn't be good for unit morale."
"Thankfully everyone in this room is disciplined enough to prevent word from leaking out about this incident." Sullivan upheld as only a few personnel have been debriefed about and made aware of the occurrence: namely Frank, Stephen, Jack, Roebuck, and Tom himself. "I don't like keeping this under wraps myself, especially from the men, but justice will be coming to those responsible once they're discovered and I'm sure the men would be eager for it if they knew what occurred."
"Of course, you're forgetting about me." The Captain growled. "No one messes with a fellow Marine and escapes unscathed."
"Damn fucking straight." Roebuck agreed sentimentally. "Mess with one Devil Dog, you mess with the entire Corps." The Gunnery Sergeant laid down his deck and grinned victoriously "Royal Flush by the way."
"Dammit!" The Captain cursed at the E-7. "And I thought my Full House was going to teach you humility, Roe."
"How did you manage to get a Royal Flush? Frank beat you twice before this."
"Guess I was lucky today." Roebuck shrugged at the E-8 and his old brother-in-arms from back on Makin, Pelieu, Tarawa, and even Okinawa. "Doesn't hurt that Frank was with Willy, Jimmy, and Tommy on the other side of Makin."
"Very funny, Roe." Minoso deadpanned at the humor which pretended that he wasn't within literal earshot. "But we're all in the same Company now, not to mention that you're speaking to the commanding officer of the company or have you forgotten?"
"And Tom happens to be the Company First Sergeant, sir." Roebuck fired back.
"Fair point. I'll give you that, Roe." Frank relented, the former Gunnery Sergeant and Mustang officer knew that NCOs were the backbone of the armed forces.
Shaking his head in disbelief at the entire occurrence, Tom retrieved his wallet to pay the winner as did Frank.
U Thant - 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations
Headquarters of the United Nations - 760 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / Sunday, December 1st, 1968 - 10:00 / 10:00 AM
The Burmese pacifist still wished that it didn't came to this, that the nations of the world wouldn't have to suffer another war on a global scale and despite his misgivings the situation was out of his hands but thankfully, at least for now, the planet wasn't a battleground.
Still, Thant, despite being an enthusiastic follower of the flying saucer craze, yearned for the days when Earth just only speculated that life could theoretically exist elsewhere in the universe instead of having it confirmed to them during First Contact as the world seemed better off being ignorant of the known galactic civilizations warring with one another nearby.
Throughout this Cold War a majority of people across the globe believed that the great questions of humanity were ideological in nature. Both sides stressed international cooperation and agreed that humanity should be united under a single ideology, but disagreed what the ideology should be.
While it wasn't perfect antebellum of course, before the Sith Empire circumstantially forced them to join the intergalactic conflict as an ally of the Galactic Republic's, a detente was arguably close even if publicly the citizens were not aware of it. Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev and President of the United States John Kennedy were covertly on the path of peaceful coexistence between Capitalism and Communism despite the proxy wars between them.
Arguably if the push was stronger still, world peace would have been secured without needless bloodshed and the transformation to having a practicable united global government with no boundaries could have been feasible.
But then the 'Reawakening War', unofficially known internationally as the Second Chinese Civil War, erupted four years ago due to some of Mao's followers believing his death was not a heart condition as claimed by state media and it wasn't concluded until when coincidentally on the same day the Army of the Republic of Vietnam raised the yellow and red South Vietnamese banner on top of the Presidential Palace in what was then Hanoi before being renamed Diem City.
And further complicating matters was that during both the Reawakening War and Second Indochina War, the Soviet counter-intelligence agency SMERSH went rogue to support the Hanoi government and the Maoists forces in China due to believing war with the west was inemiant, not to mention in their mind Khrushchev was a non-believer in Communism, the rogues even went so far as to coordinate with the National Liberation Front of Southern Vietnam to instigate trouble within the American state of California, recruiting insurgents from Hippie communes and the campus of Berkeley to fight under the banner of the Weather Underground Organization, just to further their agenda of sparking World War Three so Communism could rule the world.
It was a mess to put it lightly and Thant still was shocked that live on-air Kennedy was the one who ceremoniously turned the key of the bulldozer which demolished People's Park instead of Governor Reagan before officially announcing the complete disaccreditation of the institution and all scholarships having to be completely restituted by former students of the university. Even former faculty were hard pressed to find employment from what the Secretary-General remembered about the whole occurrence.
But now, thanks to the geopolitical shift and new opportunities presented on a universal level, the war against the Sith Empire was inadvertently and unofficially becoming a test and competition of who will be known throughout the neighboring galaxy as the exemplar of hope when the Republic faltered and hence a continuation of the Cold War on Earth despite the common enemy.
"If only I could turn back the clock. World Peace seemed to have been within reach only for these occurrences to take it away from us." Thant lamented when he heard a knock.
"Sir? Master Bestros of the Jedi Order is here." An aide announced.
Thant smiled as he remembered his first exposure to the telekinetic abilities of the Jedi during a trip to Tython and being a devout follower of Buddhism, he found the Force to be fascinatingly similar to his faith, nevermind the Shaolin Monks that accompanied him and Chairman Liu Shaoqi as their official bodyguards during the diplomatic visit, becoming a symbolic moment which demonstrated the possible closer friendship between Earth and the Jedi Order.
"It's good to see you again, Master Bestros."
"Please call me, Shol." The Jedi politely insisted. "There's no need for formalities among friends."
"Well, Shol, would you like any refreshments? Tea perhaps? Ever since I first arrived here in New York, I occasionally drink raspberry iced tea but it's not the same as brewed herbal from home."
"Perhaps another time." Bestros refused politely. "So, U, as much as I wish this to be a social visit, the Order was thinking about a joint venture between the AgriCorps and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations."
Thant nodded, believing it to be an excellent proposition based on the similar objectives between the two organizations, particularly ending hunger. "The proposal sounds like an excellent opportunity after the war."
"Ending hunger everywhere is a noble cause afterall." Bestros agreed.
"There's also something you should be made aware of, Shol." The Secretary-General was about to mention the neoteric irritation when the Jedi cut him off.
"If it's about the recruitment matter, the Grandmaster has already advised the Chancellor to halt it immediately even though she and the Supreme Commander weren't aware that this was occurring behind their backs." Shol mollified. "This world isn't a member of the Galactic Republic and there are a few court martials on Coruscant to be held over this affair."
"That is appreciated as I was getting hounded about it for months and so was the Ambassador."
"Speaking of the Ambassador, where is Krasul? I'd thought he would be here." The Miraluka wondered, being the one of the only prescence on this world he could 'see' other than other beings from Republic space and the ships, which caused the Jedi to rely on following his escort and adapt, it was therefore easy for him to quickly notice that the Cathar wasn't here.
"In Mexico, he's on vacation." Thant revealed as he began fidgeting nervously, remembering the outlandish gaffes the talking catlike Senator made from time to time. "He's, well, having a great time and I think he earned it after the hard work for bringing us together diplomatically."
"Right." Shol kept his face calm but it was unfortunately a hit or miss when it came to Krasul intermingling with the geopolitical atmosphere on the complex world known as Earth yet the Supreme Chancellor herself believed he was competent for the position. "Well I'll contact him by holo later tonight in that case."
Zorin Krasul - Senator of Anaxes and Galactic Republic Ambassador to Earth
Cancún, Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo, United Mexican States, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / Sunday, December 1st, 1968 - 10:00 / 10:00 AM
"Ah, you know, dear, margaritas are not so bad." Ondia purr at her husband affectionately after setting down the drink.
"Yeah, it's almost as if it's natural for the climate and atmosphere."
Nearby, a mariachi band struck up 'La Cucaracha' as the couple and other beachgoers enjoyed the clear, sunny day to enjoy the oceanfront waves or simply tan under the radiance.
"Ah, remind me to see if we can import mariachi music after the war." Zorin sighed, feeling content with the discovery and even daily findings about this world.
"Riv and Valdon also enjoy their time here, even if from time to time our rascals get mistaken for house cats."
"Remember the trip to The Indianapolis Zoo?" Zorin mentioned with a snicker."The felinologists and zookeepers were flabbergasted by our presence."
"Oh, I remember and you got jealous of that tiger."
The Ambassador snarled at the reminder of the exhibit male trying to attract his mate. "It's justifiable to be protective in all fairness."
"I wasn't interested anyways. Cathar mate for life afterall."
"That we do." The husband and father of two boys laughed before gripping at a different matter.
"The only thing though is that those Chilaquiles are too greasy for my taste buds and they need to lighten up on the beans."
The mariachi band immediately halted their brass instruments and any locals who just happened to be walking nearby paused mid-step to glare at the foreign feline who derided one of the traditional dishes, even young children were crying in response to the criticism by the outsider from another planet.
"You might've spoken too loud, hon." Ondia whispered.
Zorin sat up from his beach towel and removed his sunglasses to glance around before noticing the dirty looks amongst the bystanders were being specifically directed at him. "Kriff. Actually, I might've outdone myself this time."
Zay Sneralda - Galactic News Network
Galactic News Network Building - Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / Sunday, December 1st, 1968 - 10:00 / 10:00 AM
"Good morning, this is Zay Sneralda with GNN." The brown-haired celebrity anchorwoman greeted the viewers tuning in for the broadcast. "Our top story today is the recent transfer of Polar Bears to the Galactic Zoo after significant negotiations between Canada, the United Nations, and representatives of the zoo to permit the exportation of the non-sentient beings to Coruscant, becoming the first species from Earth to be hosted in the Galaxy."
Footage of the fearsome white-furred carnivorous creatures being placed into the enclosure was shown with one of the bears lunging at a Nautolan keeper but the boar was sedated before he was able to do harm.
"Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau of Canada was outvoted overwhelmingly on the matter by parliament as his defense of preserving Canadian wildlife was seen as hypocritical when he accepted Pandas from China." The hostess reported.
"And what's being referred to as the 'Sahel Drought' inflicting a few nation-states of Earth on the African continent is being managed as we speak. The Jedi Order and Republic military personnel have distributed aid packages and there are ongoing talks with local leaders about potential solutions to prevent another such drought from occurring." Zay noted. "In other news, Chancellor Saresh turned down giving Colonel Gaddafi of Libya a medal after learning about the complete occurrence behind the disaster."
"Finally, later tonight our panel will be discussing the question of whether the Sith Empire is gradually showing signs of inemiant collapse or if we are on the verge of another stalemate."
Lance Corporal Nicole "Nikki" Cameron - Communications Analyst, Women's Marines, United States Marine Corps
National Mall, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 11:45 / 11:45 AM
"There certainly have been a few changes these past few months." Nicole sighed as she, Natalie, Ashley, and Amy walked around the square, the four sisters deciding to use their ration books at the shopping center due to the uncertainty of wartime preference and to also visit the Smithsonian. "It's too quiet with most of the men gone."
"Well, Nikki, at least the brightside is that we're not fighting World War Three." Natalie shrugged as if the threat of nuclear holocaust wasn't worrisome. "But I agree that it feels quiet without dad, our brothers, Uncle Paul, and even our Kraut cousin around."
"I never thought Jake would volunteer for the Raiders yet dad and Uncle Steve did the same thing after getting strafed by Japanese Zeros at Pearl Harbor." Nicole stated. "Still, it's obviously not normal."
"It's not the same without Tony here either." Amy lamented at her husband being far away.
"James as well." Ash agreed, her Women's Army Corps uniform being a sharp contrast to Nicole's and Natalie's WM uniforms. "The only young men left really are just those assigned to the Military District of Washington. DC hasn't been this fortified since the American Civil War."
"Or those from the Republic." Natalie groaned. "They're surprisingly rude for aliens." The light blonde-haired Second Lieutenant then corrected herself as it wasn't equitable to label all the travelers as know-it-alls and not everyone from the Republic had been the same, if anything there had been cases where they had been the ones coming off as rude. "Well, the ones with the big mouths and bluster anyways."
"Yeah… Because they think they're enlightened or are superior while we're somehow ignorant savages." Amy 'analyzed' while rolling her eyes at the bigot's egoistical arrogance. "Don't get me started on some of those ridiculous hairstyles and to think that I had a low opinion of the beehives."
"Not to mention that I thought Hippies were bad with hair but what's with the half-shaved heads and bewildering, knotty cinnamon rolls?" Ash wondered. "It's a little peculiar."
"I still remember one of them was hounding me relentlessly and trying to recruit me into the Republic Army for a few days." Nicole snorted, still denying the occurrence. "Commandant Puller himself led him away and had a chat."
"You saw Chesty Puller in person? The Chesty Puller?"
"For a few seconds before he chewed the pestering Zabrak out." The carrot top shrugged as if it wasn't something to brag about despite meeting an icon just as legendary and renown as his second cousin George S. Patton. "To date, the Republic has been unsuccessful in recruiting on Earth, at least as far as I know. The only recourse I can think of, and obviously the recruiters are not that stupid, would be using press-gangs."
"Heh, I see the Commandant occasionally at the office." Ash chuckled, attempting to change the subject away from the uncomfortably irreconcilable values dissonance between the Galactic Republic and parts of Earth, chiefly the Western World when it came to the accepted consensus perpetuated by even the Silent Majority despite in recent memory the upheaval inflicted nationally from the now petering counterculture with even the residual hippies openly day by day abjuring their incongruous crusade and capitulating to the mainstream.
"Of course, we all call you 'Miss Pentagon' for a reason, Ash." Natalie teased. "You literally work next to the Army Chief of Staff's office afterall."
"When will you stop making fun of me working at the Pentagon or me literally being near General Westmoreland?" Ash wondered. "I've been posted there for over three years now and until I receive official transfer orders, four."
"As soon as you stop working there and transfer to a new post."
Ash moaned in agony. "It's not funny! I risked my career because of Jake when he asked for that small favor of his and before then I only accepted the spot because it was the one handed to me by the Army."
"Yeah, we know. That's exactly why we don't ask you for favors, Miss Pentagon."
Ashley gave her three sisters ice cold daggers from her brown eyes. "Will you please stop?"
"Nope and that's because we care about you, sis."
"Well, moving on, I never thought Goldwater was going to pull through." Natalie admitted. "Of course, we all wanted him in the Oval Office over Johnson."
"The New Deal was a sham and so is Kennedy's New Frontier. I'm just grateful that the majority of the American people finally woke up and rejected the proposed Great Society scheme outright, a literal case of 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me'."
"Not to mention corruption. He and Lady Bird, even George Parr, the so-called Duke of Duval, will probably all be caged up for the rest of their lives courtesy of the repugnant scandal with Bobby Baker."
"Still, Thanksgiving was depressing and so will Christmas."
"By the way, remember the day when Kennedy and Reagan announced the closure of Berkeley as a public university?" Amy mentioned, her tone was trying to change the subject to something slightly more pleasant.
"Oh, that was a blast!" Natalie laughed, reminiscing the glorious day. "Rumor has it when Krasul watched the news last year showing the President turning the key, his fur sprang up in shock but regardless Fort Yates is a fitting name for the repurposed complex."
"I would be more curious about how many Hippies decided to bathe and head to the nearest barbershop for a proper trim afterwards." Nicole snickered, still amused by the short yet spectacularly entertaining event. "Though perhaps Tailgunner nailed some fellow travelers en route as well."
University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley, Alameda County, California, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
September 14th, 1967 - 4:05 PM
"Good evening, my fellow Americans." The former actor and current Governor of California, Ronald Wilson Reagan, greeted those who decided to tune in for the historic ceremony. "It is my honor to announce that the Campus of Berkeley will be shuttered and the defunct public university will be transferred to the Department of the Army as a research facility with the former dorms being repurposed as barracks and the so-called People's Park will be demolished for the placement of Nike missiles. Mister President?"
Kennedy nodded at Reagan cordially as he stepped up to the podium in preparation of addressing the entire nation on the fate of the now infamous public institution known as the University of California, Berkeley.
"It is with remorse that by unforeseen and unforgivable circumstances I'll be participating in the decommissioning of a previously fine campus. What has transpired here within the past three years have been repugnant and unbecoming of youth who were on the path of having bright futures ahead of them. They've wasted fine opportunities of employment, they've ruined chances of finding adventure in potentially aiding our newfound friends with research if they so-choose, but evidently instead of focusing on their studies, they saw their birthplace, the United States of America, as somehow complacent in the ills of Earth. I say no more!"
With the cameras following his steps on cue, the current President of the United States shook the hand of the foreman standing beside a bulldozer that will demolish People's Park and the palm of the operator.
With the driver focusing on the clutch, Kennedy then turned the key on the ignition and started the bulldozer, grinning as the destruction of the pathetic park littered with garbage around the trees and shrubs was inemiant.
Still grinning satisfactory, Jack glanced back at the cameras as the demolition commenced, uprooting the littered jungle to make way for better usage as a site of anti-air missiles to fend off Soviet strategic bombers carrying nuclear weapons.
"I would like to thank Mister Reagan once more for his kind invitation and the Patriots across this land for standing firm against those who abhor our flag of liberty. Seven years ago, when I utter the words 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country', I meant it sincerely from my heart but as we've regrettably seen, these brats that were previously throwing bricks at Law Enforcement in the name of disorderly and violent protest here on this very ground had before us escalated into openly colluding with the Communists of Hanoi. As defined by the Constitution: 'Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort', which these morons and bums ignorantly forgot to read before hosting enemy guerrillas on American soil." John then cracked a smile though knowing that the parents of the former students will be enraged by the announcement. "By the way, folks, the scholarships for those formerly attending this campus will have to be restituted with no exemptions being granted. Afterall, no one is above the law."
Present...
"That's probably one of the good things Kennedy has done for this nation." Amy noted. "Other than making sure skin-color isn't a barrier and getting us to the moon of course."
"To be fair, it was the California State Legislature who voted to officially transfer the complex to the Department of Defense with Reagan signing the measure." Ash grinned proudly, not remorseful for the eminent domain in this specific circumstance. "Justice was served."
Nicole instinctively sighed in relief, feeling that despite the current conflict in outer space, the insanity of the past four years was finally turning around. "Bye bye Hippies. The world is better off without your ne'er-do-well annoyances and therefore won't be mourned."
Roger H. Sterling, Junior - Chief Executive Officer of the advertising firm Sterling Cooper & Partners
Sterling Cooper & Partners - Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 11:45 / 11:45 AM
The head of the advertising firm sighed at the offer, not because of the compensation he was willing to pay but the content he wished to have showcased on billboards, in newspapers, a page in magazines, and the television screens.
"Respectfully, Mister Sacni, I don't think it would be wise to have this be advertised."
"Why not?"
"Well, you see, for one. there's an unspoken rule on decency, especially if it's showing a product. For another, we don't openly advertise the use of narcotics, especially if they're illicit and the FDA hasn't ruled on spice as of yet. Hell, even when I made that anti-legalization of marijuana poster when Lowell Eggemeier began protesting against the Controlled Substances Act of 1965, folks mistakenly thought that it was for it due to showing the damn weed."
"Yet there's advertising with scantily clad women and openly smoking cigarettes." The potential client from Rendili countered. "How are they different?"
"You probably have a fair point there." Sterling muttered, not denying the contradiction. "Still, the morality committee would be screaming for my neck in the verbal sense before advocating for my head to be placed on a pike if I don't recant. I'm sorry but I got to reject this for the sake of remaining in business."
"I understand." The client tone, however, painted to one of exasperation, as if this wasn't his first rejection by an agency in this very locality, makes only sense with the thousands of different worlds out there in the now known galaxy. "Still was pleasure doing business with you regardless."
"You as well, sir but the door is open once the Food and Drug Administration determines medical use."
Doctor Glenn Horowitz - Psychiatrist
Oakwood Psychiatric Hospital - Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 11:45 / 11: 45 AM
"Whose this?" The psychiatrist glanced at his board and gasped when he saw the name of the occupant for Room 1968. "Robert Strange McNamara!? The President of Ford!? Wasn't he also Johnson's running mate?"
"The very same." A nurse nearby acknowledged. "He was brought in just a week ago after suffering a mental breakdown at the office and for some reason he can't stop incessantly making mathematical calculations. The patient even counts how much food he eats, how much water he drinks, and how many pills he takes. Everything he sees currently is just a number to him."
Glenn glanced wearily into the ward to check on the patient's welfare and the professional overheard McNamara making random, incoherent calculations, causing him to realize that the orderly wasn't joking about the statistician's current mental state.
"Two plus two equal four." The President of the Ford Motor Company rambled while clothed in a straight jacket as a precaution to prevent self harm, intentional or otherwise. "E equals MC squared, ha-ha-ha, we could've won the election, ha-ha-ha, the computer proved Johnson had the votes! Statistics don't lie, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! We would have won Vietnam sooner as well if, as much I hate to admit it, the damn Commie Oswald nailed Jack with three rounds that fine November day, and it's feasible to shoot three bullets in eight seconds or less with a Carcano per the math, but regardless Johnson would've won it, he would've! Hell, no one can withstand the might of the American military as statistics don't lie, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! STATISTICS DON'T LIE!"
'As much as I hate diagnosing conditions early, he seems to be a lost cause.' Horowitz surmised based on prior experience. 'Still, the chaos from the Flower Children and whatnot have stressed us all so I can understand why he snapped yet then again he's still suffering a fate worse than death.'
John Fitzgerald Kennedy - 36th President of the United States [Outgoing]
The Oval Office - The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 11:45 / 11:45 AM
"Well, at least the brightside is that one of my good close friends emerged victorious over my enemy." John quipped lightheartedly to his Secretary of State about Goldwater winning the race over Lyndon and despite their ideological differences, it wasn't uncommon for the Brahmin and Arizonian to be seen together cracking quips or even seeking each other for advice, not to mention three years ago, Jack even managed to ride in a plane flown personally by Barry over the Secret Service's objections due to memories of President Dewey's fatal flight in Feburary of 1953 and the incident caused a stir in the press but the two friends laughed it off since it wasn't as if the President was escaping from Washington per se, he and the Senator who enjoyed flying aircraft as a hobby just needed a break from politics for a time, hence the impronto excursion. "The bad news is of course Barry is more Conservative than I and the media just enjoys portraying me as the man, the moderate who failed to control wild adolescents breaking curfew, not to mention refusing to bathe and shave. I'm not a Liberal like Hubert Humphrey nor am I George McGovern."
"It still has been a pleasure serving you for your two terms even if it became chaotic in the past four, sir."
"I just hate being associated with those ungrateful brats who refused to trim their hair, carried signs just to spite the unity of the nation, and openly smoked marijuana in full defiance of every principle Americans stand for." Kennedy lamented as he gazed out of the Oval Office window, disappointed by what he felt was a complete betrayal on a personal level and by now the former skipper of the PT-109 was absolutely disgusted that he even believed that the future would have been bright courtesy of those bongos-banging ilk, almost as if he inadvertently led them astray or his words were taken completely out of context. Either way, Hippies were not what he envisioned for the nation when he gave his inaugural address during his first term and his second term somehow went straight to hell domestically, making him wish that he could just go back to that fateful day in Dallas five years ago and let the nation mourn him for who he was as an individual, not some closeted mastermind of spreading socialism that the John Birch Society accused him of being. "They took my words completely out of context such as Vietnam. Ask not what their country can do for them fell on deaf ears."
Dean Rusk saw the depressed mood of the outgoing President and decided to list the notable accomplishments of his time in office as a counterweight. "Well, at least those brats were demographically in the minority anyway and their supposed movement is about extinct yet you still got the Civil Rights Act of '64 signed into law, you oversaw the final end of segregation across the nation, and even got men to the moon as you vowed in your Address at Rice University only for us to encounter extraterrestrials."
"But now because of First Contact our nation is embroiled in a new conflict, the likes of which makes the two world wars seemingly miniscule in scale. I have no doubt about Barry when it comes to military decision making but I wonder if his idealism of chipping away Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal measures will succeed or how he would cooperate with the United Nations. To be fair, the Galactic Republic could be labelled as a bloated bureaucratic supergovernment if he so chooses."
"That question remains to be seen." Dean admitted. "And speaking of the United Nations, I'm not sure what to think about Goldwater's proposed appointment of Ronald Reagan as the next Ambassador to the United Nations. No doubt North Korea would hypocritically point at him over his actions at Berkeley but so far the Gipper is content with being Governor of the Golden State."
"You really want me to have a headache for my last Christmas as President, especially with the whole Weathermen affair on my mind, don't you?" Kennedy groaned as he maneuvered the swivel chair and reached for his glass of whiskey which was sitting on the desk, the Brahmin was still agitated with the entire fiasco committed by those filthy traitors who were also openly aided by the enemy guerrillas from Indochina.
Kennedy still couldn't believe that the Viet Cong were daring enough to risk being on American soil and it turned out that per the FBI investigation report compiled by Director John Edgar Hoover they had assistance from a certain Soviet counterintelligence agency which went rogue, SMERSH, in smuggling the suicidal Communist diehards onto shore, not to mention acting behind the scenes, but as far as the public knew, officially it was those damn Viet-Cong bastards themselves who managed to bring the war home to the streets of America and them alone, becoming the first enemy combatants on American soil since the War of 1812 and even the Japanese incursion of the Aleutian Islands back in 1942 though Alaska was only a territory and not a state at the time in regards to the latter.
"No, Jack, it wasn't my intention."
John glared at the Secretary of State, not sure if to believe him or not despite his loyalty and service in the administration. "Eight years behind this desk, Dean, eight long years. And I'm rated only slightly better than both Herbert Hoover and Harry Truman due to those lazy-assed naive bums and their riots in my hellish second-term. It's true with the old saying: 'Being President is a thankless job'."
Walter Leland Cronkite, Junior - CBS News
CBS Broadcast Center - 524 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 18:30 / 6:30 PM
"Good evening, this is Walter Cronkite reporting." The news anchor introduced the nightly program he hosted as it aired across the nation. "To start off, it has been officially determined by the Food and Drug Administration that what the rest of the galaxy refers to as spice is as dangerous as marijuana and heroin, and therefore serves no medical purpose. The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs will be enforcing the Controlled Substance Act and those smuggling spice will be prosecuted per the internationally agreed Quarantine Policy."
"On the war front, while it still is locked in an vicious stalemate, the Republic has reported that the situation is stabilizing and the Empire is gradually being pushed onto the defensive."
Cronkite recently was getting curious about the exact situation on the ground which was why after some convincing, CBS will be sending the acclaimed newscaster to report in-person once the planned trip to the galaxy and thus report on the conflict firsthand when it was approved by both the United States military and the Galactic Republic bureaucracy.
"In related news, word has been received that Libyan forces under the command of vocal Anti-American advocate Colonel Muammar Gaddafi were slaughtered after information forwarded to him by our Defense Intelligence Agency was ignored even when it was verified by the Republic's Strategic Information Service and Soviet's Main Intelligence Directorate. Gaddafi himself was personally decapitated by the Sith leading the attack, one who was interviewed on this very program: Darth Avarice."
Cronkite was expressionless when he reported the Libyan's demise but mentally he was still stunned by the graphic details around it, at least the bits that weren't blotted out in the name of National Security. Gaddafi was the person who seemed likely to launch a coup d'etat if he was capable but evidently the assumption was wrong if he just dismissed warnings and through hubris got himself killed.
"Finally, tonight, it is rumored but not yet confirmed that executives of The Walt Disney Company are frantic by the potential success of this film being developed by Gene Roddenberry and an upcoming director by the name of George Lucas. To quote the supposed utterance by Mister Tatum, the current President of the Company: 'While it is too early to tell, if Star Wars will be a hit, and a box-office shattering hit that it could very well be, we might have to shutter our doors for the final time as kids would rather see lasers and space wizards they're hearing about than animated animals these days."
"And that's the way it is."
Donn B. Tatum - President of The Walt Disney Company
Tatum Residence - Pacific Palisades, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 18:45 / 6:45 PM
"How in the hell did Walter Cronkite get that rant, Card!?" Donn hollered in the phone, incensed by the broadcast. "That was during a private board meeting and no one interrupted us."
"Obviously there has been a leak." Esmond Cardon 'Card' Walker theorized from the other end of the line. "So how are we going to deal with this?"
"After the press conference I scheduled to dispute this 'rumor' I'll be meeting with our dear friend Al and see if he can aid us in finding this ungrateful mole, perhaps see if he can whack Roddenberry and Lucas while at it just to make the potential problem disappear."
"Scarface? You can't be serious, Donn! Is that what Walt would want?"
"I'm usually not the paranoid type but if that son-of-a-bitch is willing to forward unauthorized quotes to the media, then surely that rat is also giving away trade secrets." Tatum reasoned. "So, yes, I'm bargaining with Scarface and the Syndicate."
"I'll keep my mouth shut this once and only this once but I still think you're making a deal with the devil. Hell, if the Untouchables and Feds couldn't end his reign back during Prohibition, if the Federal Government was embarrassed after Al and his lawyer proved that he in fact actually did pay his taxes only for Uncle Sam to not accept the returns in court, if he to this very day managed to avoid the slammer, then obviously he'll outwit you and give you the garbage end of the deal."
"That's all I ask, Card. Have a nice night." The head of the company hung up the landline and reflected on the upcoming meeting with the infamous mobster, the once ruthless boss of the Chicago Outfit who has evolved into becoming the de facto head of 'The Commission' and therefore the undisputed Godfather of the entire Italian-American Mafia.
'At least it's not Bugs Moron, those two goodfellas have been feuding for years even if it's more covert and less of the brazen bravado from the Twenties nowadays.' Donn reflected nervously, now holding regrets but there was no backing out from the arrangements. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures after all.'
Sergeant Samuel David "Sam" Westbrook - First Squad, Third Platoon, D/Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Wars, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 18:45 / 6:45 PM
"I'll be darn, there are 'High Galactic' editions of books about Revan." Sam declared as he sat the plastic shopping bag down. "Jake? You there? Earth to Jake?"
"Huh?" The Marine gazed up from his book and noticed the store-bought goods. "Oh, sorry, you needed something, Sam?"
"You are fixated on that book, aren't you?"
"They still are more awesome than puny Templars." Jake grinned.
"Alright, alright, the Teutonic Order could've mauled and completely annihilated the Knights Templars on the battlefield, I get it as they clearly were the superior militaristic order during the Crusades. Now, please kindly bookmark that page you're on and start reading these biographies about Revan."
"Killjoy." Jake muttered as he dogeared his current page about the exploits of Martin von Golin, an individual who made Simo Hähya, Mad Jack Churchill, Peter Ortiz, and Larry Thorne combined all appear to be only mere amateurs, thereby making the Pagan Hunter one of the most feared men in history. After closing his book, Meyer reluctantly hopped off of his rack and retrieved one of the six biographies on Revan.
"Okay, this is a little confusing." Sam brought up as he read the background. "The Republic told us that they haven't fought the Sith in over one thousand years."
"The 'True' Sith, the Purebloods with the redskin they haven't seen since the Great Hyperspace War, until up around when the Great Galactic War broke out." Jake corrected. "I guess this Empire is supposed to be an imitation of sorts?"
"That's probably it." The paratrooper conceded before seeing the clarification. "In fact, this paragraph mentioned Revan's order being inspired by the teachings of the actual Sith and there's also this Star Forge that mass produced thousands of warships, battle droids, and... Wait a minute, wasn't that was the stuff being put into those 'volunteers' for the so-called 'Infinite Army'?"
"A little crazy and mind-boggling but they're cultists to be fair. Still, that's like putting pieces from a tractor, combine, and pick-up inside you. No sane person would put machinery inside their bodies."
"The rest of the universe doesn't make logical sense at times." Westbrook groaned as he continued reading and his eyes widened in surprise. "Heh, the Republic Military used to be competent on the battlefield even if they still stood out wearing rainbowish uniforms of yellow, red, and black plus utilized walkers though not the only type of vehicle they used."
"Didn't you buy a book about warfare by chance?"
"You know I did."
"Not only we'll learn about Revan, we'll also see why warfare regressed among our allies." Jake smiled. "I'm getting sick and tired of having conflicting orders being issued as the chain of command concept somehow got broken down."
"Their entire military could use an overhaul in addition to reforms."
"By the way, I gave the rundown to Uncle Jack and Steve."
Sam knew that it was about the occurrences courtesy of the cult, causing the paratrooper to press for additional information about the exact rundown. "And…?"
"They're understandably skeptical. Uncle Jack thinks it was actually Imperials who tried to silence us while Uncle Steve thought we ran into some new group of space mobsters. They were debating it after I left."
"That sounds like them alright." Samuel groaned. "And of course your old man is leaning towards the rotten, corrupt spy tale as handed down to him. This is going to be much harder than I thought."
"Maybe, maybe not but with the downtime due to Patton planning a strategy, just like with Thanksgiving I'm sure this Christmas might be interesting."
George Walton Lucas, Junior - Taking the gradual steps of producing "Star Wars"
Roddenberry residence - Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 18:45 / 6:45 PM
"You know, at times I wished the Indiana Jones interview would've panned out." George lamented as he began harboring some doubts over the entire concept, wondering if this venture would even be profitable. "Archeology at times sounds more exciting than space wizards."
"I have confidence in this venture as otherwise I wouldn't have invested in it." Gene asserted reassuringly as it was from his opinion the truth.
"Gee, thanks."
"Look, we're in this together and I have confidence that this will be a hit at the box office, George." The creator of Star Trek reiterated. "Okay, maybe the Force is at times derided as the 'Farce', especially by Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell, but we shouldn't let that hold us back. People are superstitious by nature and if we finally have confirmation of life existing beyond Earth, then reasonably Sasquatch could be confirmed next."
"Hey, now that doesn't sound like a bad idea!" Lucas beamed as he heard a suggestion. "Maybe after this, we can find Sasquatch."
"One step at a time, George." Sailer advised, butting in. "One step at a time. We barely even started formatting Star Wars."
Lucas nodded at the advice as creating a film, especially a successful one, couldn't be rushed. "Well, that's funny as we won the bid with the Department of Defense." The aspiring actor waved the Western Union telegram showing the contract for 'Lucasfilms'.
"William Shatner is doing the voiceover of course." Gene grinned.
"Contract for what, exactly?" Sailer wondered. "I didn't hear anything about it."
"Some propaganda film to exaggerate the capabilities of the F-104 Starfighter." Gene summarized with a shrug.
"But those aren't space capable, not to mention the name was a coincidence before we even knew anything about our neighbors." The scriptwriter pointed out.
"I believe that the United States Air Force is aware." George muttered as he read the contents and handed it to Sailer.
"Ha! A rather fitting red herring! No wonder Shatner is doing his opening monologue to introduce the coincidentally named 'Starfighter'."
"In order for the charade to be successful, you need a 'Starfighter' afterall and the F-104 is available." Lucas smirked, still enjoying the humorous coincidences he has been discovering about the rest of the known universe with each passing day. "Say, just out of curiosity, Sailer, what you think about that statement by Cronkite?"
"If true, then it sounds like Disney might fall like a deck of cards." The script-writer chuckled. "Though perhaps we could buy them out as it would be a shameful waste otherwise."
"Buy Disney? Own the entire Kingdom of Magic?" Roddenberry snorted. "That sounds preposterous to put it lightly."
"I said could, not that it would necessarily happen."
"Touchè."
Corporal Hanzo Nilsson- Weapons Section, Second Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia Light Infantry, 1st Commonwealth Division
Kuat City, Medical Station - Kuat, Kuat Sector, Kuat System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 18:45 / 6:45 PM
'As much as I hate to admit it, the nurse is probably right.'
Hanzo figured after reflecting on the memories of his fight that had led him to be here. The injuries inflicted as a result of his brawl against the Sith were horrendous, to say the least, with not only just broken ribs but permanent scorching from the vibrant blade, he was lucky to have survived the encounter with the Sith brute and it had given him much to think about facing Sith in combat, making him think back to the Sith he had fought and killed during the Empire's attack on Tython, resulting in the scar he now bared on his left eye.
'I wonder how much of it has recovered by now?' Hanzo can swear that he could almost still hear the deafening ringing from the Empire's bombardment on the surface. Remembering how massive some of the explosions were, completely leveling landscapes around Tython, recalling that the Empire had apparently used a very rare mineral energy source called Isotope-5 in their bombing, it had explained the results he had seen for himself, it had felt and sounded like the world was gonna end as they did their best to stay in cover while there were other positions that had not been as lucky to have escaped the bombing.
Even as the Imperials were assaulting through the Republic's/Commonwealth's defenses and destroying their artillery targeting arrays, the Commonwealth/Republic soldiers/Jedi still continued to fight with everything they had, Hanzo was proud to have fought alongside with the brave men and women he had met on Tython. But he had seen just as many of those said brave soldiers killed during the ensuing battle.
Such as when his company had been tasked in trying to defend Kalikori Village from the Imperial Troopers advancement after they had taken out the artillery arrays. The Twi'leks had begun to evacuate, they had been lucky that the previous bombardment hadn't hit their village but it had been damn close to when they saw for themselves the craters and damages left behind in the surrounding area. Many of the adults had decided to take up arms to defend their home alongside the Canadians.
Just as they did against the horrid Flesh Raiders that had been the Commonwealth's main focus of an enemy throughout their stay on the Tython before the Sith Empire had shown up.
The Flesh Raiders had taken the opportunity to exact vengeance on their division by attacking remaining outposts that had been set up with Republic forces and Jedi to keep the Flesh Raiders at bay in their territories. They overran some while others desperately held the defense despite being severely outnumbered by the ferocious monsters, those that did pierce through had gone almost as far to the Jedi Temple, but the Imperials had ironically taken care of the threat for them when their forces crossed into each other's paths, intercepting the battle for Kalikori Village when the Imperials attention was drawn to the Flesh Raider hordes, it had given them just enough to recover for when the Empire's attention returned to them.
'Bought us some time but still… Too many died in that retreat.' Thought Hanzo grimly.
Alpha Company and the accompanying Jedi/Republic Troopers with Twi'lek volunteers, had held out as long as they could in their makeshift defensive positions, making the Empire pay for every step they took to reach them but the Imps had eventually overrun their positions through a vicious determination of their own and inflicting casualties as they got closer. They had been forced to pull back once Imperial Walkers had started tearing through their defenses, at this critical moment they didn't have the means to properly deal with them as a majority of the tanks were spread thin attempting to plug gaps across the line and the few air support were occupied with aerial threats, even munitions for the Recoilless Rifles were expended long before the final drive, the final relentless push by the enemy, if only they stockpiled more shells beforehand...
Being under heavy fire, Alpha Company and their allies with the volunteers had begun a fighting retreat, each taking their turn to give others the chance to pull back, and it had been just in time too for those that had made it out when they escaped.
Kalikori village was hit by the restarting orbital bombardment, destroying it almost completely and much of the rest of the once beautiful land. He can still remember just how heartbroken the Twi'lek survivors had looked as they watched their home burning and everything they had built for themselves, destroyed. But their spirit still had remained strong, they had been left inspired by the Canadians and their Republic/Jedi allies who gave their lives to ensure that many of them escaped and from what Hanzo was hearing, the retellings of their sacrifices were spreading across the galaxy.
He only hoped that the Twi'lek Pilgrims were doing alright but he had every bit of confidence that their new Matriarch, Ranna Tao'Ven, whom he recalled fondly as she really displayed her bravery and dedication to her people that day, he knew she will lead them well through their recovery like the rest of Tython.
Seeing that there weren't many other options to do besides watching the news on the holonet that he had already done, or gaze out in the window that showed the busy activity in Kuat City, it had been quite shocking to the Canadian to see the massive size of the city and the skies covered of hover cars or ships flying by, the sounds of the city ringing in his head, making him remembered how some of the bigger cities he had visited in America after Vietnam had been like when he traveled through, touring the sites on the way home.
'Or when I could, always was somebody looking for an opportunity to fight or stir up some shit.'
Still, he needed a way to tune out the busy noises from outside.
Hanzo grabbed his finicky datapad on the stand beside his bed, pressing the 'on' button to turn it on and waiting till the screen came up, typing in his password, and finally, he began reading where he had left off on the book about Revan he had found prior from the Battle that had taken above in the Kuat shipyards.
Hanzo hadn't needed to worry about reading Aurebesh anymore… Not as much anyway, while he still preferred to get his hands on the English copies he had been hearing about, he'd still had plenty of enough time back on Tython to pick up the learning and studying of it, and thankfully getting assistance from some Jedi he had befriended.
Like that of a stoic quiet Kaleesh Jedi Master named Cin Tykan, after the two had spar and started to gain some respect in each other, Hanzo didn't win it but he had still surprised Cin a few times during their spar by hand to hand. The two would later after getting the chance, had both started exchanging some knowledge of survival skills and tactics when they had started talking about their separated experiences in surviving and adapting in jungle/forest environments. Cin Tykan is considered to be the Jedi Order's best survivalist expert and the type of environments he would tell him had left Hanzo in astonishment of the kind of worlds there are out in the galaxy and what lay within their harsh environments, there had been plenty he warned Hanzo about should he ever found himself on any of those worlds Cin had visited. In the end, the two had found a quiet understanding with each other.
There was a female Rodian Jedi student named Krista who had taken up always following Hanzo around when he was at the Temple or when she kept trying to visit the barracks in her mass curiosity with the Earthlings and he had to admit Krista was much alike to what he figured of what having an energetic little sister must be like.
Serena the Twi'lek Jedi Knight he had fought alongside during the battle, had also befriended him though others like Alex had kept insisting it was more than just friendship between them to which it hadn't been, far as he knew anyway. While he couldn't deny that Serena was quite attractive and he had developed a strong respect for her, and he had found peace in talking with her as she showed him that she understood all too well about the hardships soldiers like him go through in war, sharing some details of what the Sacking of Coruscant had been like. But, he's with Marala now and he was perfectly happy with her as he hoped she is as well, he hoped to see her soon.
There had been others he met and befriended or at least he had respect with but it was the three who stood out the most.
Either way, he is now able to read and somewhat fairly write in Aurebesh though he wasn't perfect at it still. Though it had helped that he held a natural interest in learning languages, just as he does for history, philosophy, culture, and geography.
So far he can speak Ryl or Huttese fairly well since there were plenty of speakers of the languages on Tython that were alright with teaching him. He can somewhat understand Binary as he saw the necessity of it but he didn't consider himself an expert or fluent. Some Mando'a from what he could find on the Holonet and some words that Marala had told him but he was still learning and there was only so much that was available on the net, she had also taught him a little of Catharese. He had learned some Rodese from Krista, and Cin Tykan had taught him a bit of the Kaleesh's language but it was quite difficult as he found out how rare it is for outsiders to know the language.
From his current reading, the more Hanzo read on about the Prodigal Knight, the more that Hanzo was growing intrigued by him and even grew to have a respect for the complex Jedi.
It was clear to the Canadian that Revan was an orphan like himself, since there were barely any records of where he had come from, besides the fact he was found as a child in the Outer Rim, being born sometime around 341 BTC or three hundred forty-one years before the Treaty of Coruscant, he was eventually found and brought into the Jedi Order, leaving a mystery behind his true origins. When Revan became older, he grew interested in learning everything that he could, whatever it was history, knowledge, Force forms, Lightsaber combat, Revan had a thirst for knowledge and Hanzo was surprised to learn that Revan had several teachers that had made him wonder just how much of a prodigy he must have had been in his youth, given there were records detailing that he had even been studying rather uncommon Force powers during his time even as a Padawan.
He was advancing at an alarming rate, along with a great eagerness to learn if the old records were anything to go by.
And his masters were quite notable, judging from what he had read of them or what he could find on them as some of the records were apparently still missing, due to the Jedi Purge after the Jedi Civil War.
There was the Twi'lek Jedi Master Zhar Lestin, who was responsible for training some of the greatest Jedi duelists of their time like that of Revan and Malak, even serving as a Council member on the Dantooine Enclave during the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War.
The Jedi Master Dorak, serving as one of the Order's historians or as he had learned back during his time wandering through the Jedi Temple on Tython, Jedi Chroniclers, who were dedicated in researching and preserving history, a goal that Hanzo respected and from what he had found on Master Dorak, it showed that he was among the most wise of the Jedi Order during his time considering who his students were besides that of Revan.
The Jedi Master Vandar Tokare, he was one of those little goblin-like aliens he had yet to find out their name, they always seem to be Force Wielders, he hasn't met one yet but from what he had heard from others who did, the conversation would be like the times he had to talk with the old Chinese man named Chong Cong. He ran a fishing shop in his hometown back in Vancouver Island, his thick accent and often mixing Mandarin in his broken English that made him hard to understand or easy to miss something, and sometimes, Hanzo had a feeling that Chong liked to confuse people with his riddles since it allowed him to scam some of his customers that would be very rude to him. But from what he had read on Vandar, he played quite the key role in the Jedi Civil War and his teachings are still being taught for a reason.
The Jedi Master Vrook Lamar, he had found a lot of notes and records by others on his brusque manner, stern demeanor, and appearing to be quite the hardliner Jedi but Hanzo could see why from his apparent experiences like that of his fallen students and there was plenty detailed about on his accomplishments that showed why he had sat on the High Jedi Council, though it didn't stop him from developing heavy criticisms against Vrook's view towards the Revanchists decision to enter in the Mandalorian Wars.
The Jedi Master Arren Kae, she certainly made his eyebrow raised at her history, like the affair she had with the famed Echani General Yusanis. He'll certainly say, finding one of the few images of her displayed her very beautiful appearance, he could see among the reasons why Yusanis fell for her and apparently even having a daughter together, Brianna who would play her own vital role in the rebuilding of the Jedi Order after the Dark Wars. Still, from what everything else he had found on Arren Kae, it showed she was an outstanding Jedi Master of her time despite being apparently among those blamed for the fall of Revan and Malak.
But there was someone else that had caught Hanzo's attention. For some reason, he could almost find nothing else about her besides some of her record notable actions and a handful of details, her apparent role in Revan's fall in the Mandalorian Wars as recorded by the High Jedi Council, her exile from the Jedi Order, her challenging views on the Force against the held views of the Jedi Order and even the Sith, and her role in a scheme that had almost saw the Jedi Order decimated.
But nothing else, nothing about her past or where she had come from, almost as if someone had intended on wiping her from history but he did know her name.
'Kreia...' Or at least that was what she had called herself, she had also been known as Darth Traya.
Whoever she had been... She was dangerous.
'Who are you Kriea?'
Still, going back to Revan, Hanzo couldn't help but grow intrigued with the more he stumbled onto Revan. The more he learned, the more questions he had about him and that of his connections. Whatever it was his origins, whoever his Master Kreia had been, his friendship with Alek who would later on become the feared and utter brutal Darth Malak, and the Jedi General known as Meetra Surik who would later go on and become more famously known as the Jedi Exile, whose tale just as interested and intrigued him as Revan's, given Meetra's role within the Mandalorian Wars that had been vital to the war effort and her astonishing ability to inspire her men to fight even at the impossible odds they had fought through, and even with great sacrifice, it had gained them great victories.
Some of them had shocked Hanzo of how she was able to accomplish this, much less survive them. He had started to see why the Mandalorians had grown to respect and even fear her for her leadership ability.
There was just so much he had stumbled on what began with him wanting answers and questions about where this whole war with the Sith began, he had instead found himself searching through record upon record that he could access in order to find what answers he could, some being like the adventures of the Jedi Padawan fugitive Zayne Carrick that honestly sounded like it could fill a whole series of novels.
"And yet still so little remains." He quietly mutters to himself.
It would seem much there was still much that had been unfortunately forgotten in the chaos of war. Though there was still much for Hanzo to find and what he did had allowed him to grow to have respect and fascination about Revan, such as his surprisingly military intelligence that bordered on a genius level that rivaled some of the greatest from Earth's own history. Despite the odds, Revan was at given what had remained of the Republic military that survived against the Mandalorian Neo-Crusader onslaught, was battled and tired and weary from the bloodshed. But it didn't stop him from doing the impossible by turning the tide of the war back to their favor by turning what had remained into a real fighting force that had finally driven the Mandalorians out from their conquered systems.
Hanzo would learn however about how Revan and Malak were able to accomplish this when he dived deeper into the details of the battles.
They had matched the Neo-Crusaders ruthlessness, brutality, and with a viciousness of their own, the tactics and the decisions that his Revanchists or as Hanzo preferred to call them, the 'Jedi Crusaders', that they were willing to do in order to accomplish victory had greatly surprised the Canadian, it was almost completely different compared to what he had come to learn and understand about most of the Jedi Order he has now become familiar with or at least heard of, beyond that of some others who have taken harder steps to achieve victory in these last few galactic wars he had also heard of like the deceased Jedi Battlemaster Jun Seros and Jedi Master Belth Allusis who died defending Bothawui, just to name some examples.
The extent of the casualties that had mounted on both the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorians was horrifying. Such as the Battle of Serroco, Battle of Duro, the Battle of Jaga's Cluster that ended in complete disaster, the Second Battle of Althir that saw an almost complete annihilation of Mandalorian ground forces. And the Battle of Onderon and Dxun that had very heavy casualties and as Hanzo dug further, he grimily discovered like in the other battles or actions taken during the Mandalorian Wars, several war-crimes were being committed during this campaign and it wasn't just Mandalorians who were committing some of these acts of killing unarmed prisoners, torture, rape, or so on of brutal acts, even being committed by Republic soldiers who had grown to truly hate the Mandalorians for everything they had done to them and the galaxy.
It had eerily reminded him of some of the worse battles that took part during World War II like the Pacific War or the Western Front, and many other wars that went further back in humanity's darker parts of history.
Or to what he had seen for himself during the Vietnam War.
Hanzo tried not to think of the memories as he focused onto back despite having the flashes of a burned village and the dug-out holes that were full of corpses of villagers went through his mind or the sounds of echoing bullets and shouting in the night that still rang in his mind. Recalling the details of what the fighting in the jungles was described as on Dxun by the Republic and few accounts by even Mandalorians that were either recovered in datapads or in few rare cases, Mandalorian veterans getting interviewed by brave few journalists that had to earn permission and had arrangements done to hear these veterans explained their perspective, it was from these accounts and others that showed just how truly astonishing it was that the Republic was able to pull off a victory. Those who'd survive the Mandalorians fierce ferocity and brutality, the hidden minefields, booby-traps that sounded all too familiar to the Canadian veteran, the anti-air turrets that shot down the Republic's transports, and many of those who had survived were half wiped out by the ferocious beasts that roamed the infamous 'Demon Moon'.
Though Revan's plan was complex as the losses continued to increase, it got the job done but had forced the requirement of sending hundreds of small-unit feints with the aim of probing the Mandalorian emplacements while deploying battle droids to try to take out the anti-air turrets that had continued to hammer and pin the Republic soldiers for days. Cut off from the main command and their numbers depleted to a quarter of their former strength, the responsibility of leading these units had fallen to Jedi General Meetra Surik who despite the terrible odds, had led a valiant yet desperate charge through enemy minefields to strike at the emplacements, but despite the bravery of the soldiers that had followed Meetra through the bloodshed. It had ultimately failed and the Mandalorians continued to refuse to give ground while the fighting would go on to take several months of continuous bloody assaults to dig the Mandalorians out of their fortifications.
Both sides were giving into true vicious behavior and his blood ran cold and a stirring rage built in when he read on some disturbing about the said war crimes being committed by both sides, the stumbling on a report of how Revan executed two ill-disciplined Republic soldiers for attempting to rape a injured Mandalorian scout, snapping their necks with the Force and the writing in the report clearly showed just how startled the Republic soldier must have been when he was witnessing this.
That was something truly unlike most Jedi he knew but looking at what the two soldiers did, it would've enraged any sane person and the anger he felt through him was bringing back a rush of memories from Vietnam, he tried his best to repress back.
Long before returning home, before this new war caused him to be among the first Canadians to enlist, Hanzo decided to cross the border to prove himself as at the time the Canadian Army was not engaged in the conflict but the United States Army on the other hand was gradually getting embroiled in a far off land in Southeast Asia hardly anyone knew about, a divided country known as 'Vietnam'.
Initially, he had been a part of an American infantry platoon of the United States Army when he first came to Vietnam and it wouldn't be until around New Year's Eve of 1964, in the midst of being mustered out in the northwest state of Washington due to his two-year enlistment expiring, that he had made the decision to go into the internationally renowned United States Marine Corps instead of continuing with the U.S. Army.
After an intensive grueling thirteen weeks of recruit training, what Leathernecks referred to as 'Boot Camp', at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego to earn the prestigious Eagle Globe and Anchor, Hanzo ended up with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, better known infamously as 'The Walking Dead' due to the horrific casualty rate the unit suffered during the fighting in Vietnam.
But as to why the memories came back, some of the reasons being due to what he had seen and experienced in his time with the platoon. Like when the platoon was on a subsequent patrol but instead had ended up finding three American Seabees of a Naval Construction Battalion that had been killed by booby traps, the sailors probably not knowing it was infested with them when they ditched the abandoned and rusting Bulldozer, their bodies were crudely just left to rot by the enemy.
The Marines had been set on edge and enraged at the state of the bodies, he felt the rage as everyone else did and they knew they would make the bastards responsible pay, tracing it all back to a village they suspected was a Viet Cong hideout.
But what soon happened in that village after they had found the weapons and supply cache and when they were given the order to torch the place...
''Hanzo ya gook! The fuck you doing? Ruining our fu-'' Hanzo hadn't let the older private finish his sentence when his fist had met the Private's nose, he set on the four with most rage he had ever felt in his life since the day he had learned his father was killed in Kapyong during the Korean War. He'd fought and beaten them even as they tried to gang up on him and landed in their hits, he still let his rage out on them and each hit they got in only made him more angrily while the Vietnamese farm girl was being tended by another Private who had been just as disgusted as Hanzo was.
He remembered how satisfying it felt when he kneed the most annoying member of his unit in the crotch, Junior, who would always complain and blame someone else for his problems, like when he had tried to fall asleep on watch duty before Hanzo decided to wake him up… By grabbing a large snake and dropping it on him that made him scream and curse out loudly that'd awoke everyone else up, he's Sergeant wasn't particularly happy about that.
After Junior fell to his knees in pain, Hanzo had elbowed him in the face for good measure but he was stopped by a different Sergeant who pulled him back hard and Hanzo can still remember how his head rang when he felt the parkerized aluminum buttplate of an M14 rifle striking his helmet.
"PRIVATE NILSSON! If you don't settle your ass down, I'll personally send you off to Hell myself with a bullet through your brain! Tayor, get them out of here. As for you 'animals', pick yourselves up!" He never did quite get along with him but then again, neither did he with his own Sergeant, not after what he had seen him do in that village.
'Let it go, let it go, don't go into those memories now!' But no matter how much he had tried chanting it, it couldn't stop the images of his memories going through his mind, memories that he had kept buried, but now being triggered awake.
"Damnit!" He placed the datapad down on his bed as he fought to try to ease his heart-rate as he did not want to alert the medical droids of his stress.
"Breath in and out, breath in and out." He quietly muttered as he kept his eyes closed and slowly he repeated his Karate breathing techniques, everything he had been taught by Sensei Aiba, the closest grandfather figure he ever had to back in his childhood. Exhaling in through his nose, letting the air build in his stomach before he slowly exhaled out and repeated, it took a few minutes before at last he was feeling more at ease with himself.
But he couldn't stop the words from appearing in his mind.
"You know, if we lost here in Vietnam... I think it might've driven us crazier. As a country I mean hehe, but we did win and we're going home victorious, get a hero's home welcome with parades like what I'm guessing that your father encountered after World War Two, I sure as hell did, not to mention join the national bashing of ungrateful Hippies alongside the Police and Brennan's Hard Hats to much applause, all thanks to men like us. Thank God for Uncle Sam and American pride." Hanzo still cursed his teammate's name after what he had prevented him from doing in that bar, after the war had been won.
He grabbed his datapad, thankful there wasn't any damage to it he went back into reading, but his thoughts still remained on Dxun.
The battle had ultimately been a Republic victory but it was with a great cost.
The Republic's casualties were horrifically ten times worse than the Mandalorian losses, apparently Mandalore the Ultimate had made the decision to order his forces to abandon the fortress but the walls continued to be mannered by few volunteers that had fought to the very end until at last, the Republic had overrun the headquarters with everything they had left, ruthlessly the Republic soldiers under Revan and Malak's command took no prisoners but in ways Hanzo frankly didn't blame them, it was an all too familiar story that many soldiers bare knowing or having done it themselves in middle of war.
In the Mandalorians case, they at least didn't try to pretend they didn't shoot at anybody or raise their hands in surrender just moments after killing their friends and expected to get off scot-free of their actions, they didn't. The Mandalorians that had remained alive took their executions with what pride and honor they had left, as they were either in line to be shot by firing squads or they were beheaded by Revan and Malak themselves, that would go unrevealed to the public until after the war, causing quite the outrage within the Galactic Senate and the Jedi Order.
But still, with the victory on Dxun and the later retaking of Onderon with the help of the Onderon resistance fighters and Iziz Royal Guardsmen led by General Vaklu, it had sent forward the next phase of the war.
There had been a great deal of hard decisions to even some immoral decisions that continued being committed throughout the rest of Mandalorian Wars as the war effort got more desperate, there were ones Hanzo didn't agree with on the moral level but he can still see why others were being made in the first place when he noted the death counts for the Republic were in the millions, they had needed every victory to survive and to keep their morale up but they had been done so with sacrifices, such as abandoning worlds to their doom fates if it meant deploying their defenders to important battlefronts.
He didn't like it, but he saw the ruthless practicality of it and he had seen for himself that on the battlefield, there wasn't much place for morals when you're doing your best to try to follow your training and instincts, plus avoiding getting shot or worse. But still, it didn't justify them knowing they were leaving those innocents to suffer cruel fates where their defenders could've made the difference, though the war would have still been continuing on much as he hated to admit it.
But then, the war had come to its end conclusion in the Battle of Malachor V.
There were still details that had been left blank due to what Hanzo could only imagine had been the secrecy around the secret weapon they had intended to use but from what he did gather was that Revan had chosen to split his forces into two fleets, one fleet given to General Surik that would lure and delay the Mandalorian fleet while Revan's fleet would ambush them outside the system. Revan knew the Mandalorians wouldn't resist the challenge and even when Malachor V was apparently forbidden to them, something that made him rather curious as he wondered of the world's largely unknown history. Still the Mandalorians came and unfortunately for the Republic, things didn't go as planned, however.
A Mandalorian scouting fleet under Cassus Fett's command had ambushed Revan's fleet outside the system and kept them delayed as Meetra's fleet was torn apart by the Mandalorians, their fleet had already been battled and it was only of what they could gathered, damaged, weakened from other battles. By the time Revan's fleet had arrived, there had been barely enough vessels left, thus came the decision to use a superweapon to end the conflict at last, it had reminded Hanzo of America's decision to use the Atomic Bombs to end the war with Japan and during the same war, most of his extended Japanese family from his mother's side were killed during one of the American firebombing campaigns as far as he knew when they were dropped in Nagasaki.
But only in this case, the Mass Shadow Generator had killed countless thousands of Republic soldiers and Jedi on the surface too while the ships that remained on both sides were caught in its gravity field that soon everyone within it had died.
It ended the war yes, along with Revan dueling and defeating Mandalore the Ultimate in single combat onboard his own flagship before executing him in front of the Mandalorian survivors, having all their weapons, armors, Basilisk War Droids, and etcetera be destroyed, leaving them to then scatter across the galaxy or returning to the Mandalore Sector.
It was a ruthless display and one that can bear much criticism for the unnecessary deaths of their own soldiers in Malachor IV, but still, Revan had needed to send a message to the remaining Clans that their Crusading days were over, in a way Hanzo couldn't disagree fully that Mandalorians had a lot coming for them with the number of atrocities they had committed. But still, genocide is genocide, one atrocity doesn't excuse for another, and he still heavily questioned much of the implications of his decisions in that battle, it had all spoke of a man who was willing to do anything to achieve victory.
But Hanzo acknowledged the grim truth all the same that there were some things that needed to be done, in a way, he looked at some of it alike when looking at his Japanese heritage. Despite all of the discrimination and the stares he had to endure since he was a child trying to survive mostly by himself on Vancouver Island, only because of who his mother was and the looks he inherited from her.
His Japanese inherited features had not helped to have to deal with when he was getting stared at, the scowls as he walked by, the whispers or muttering behind his back when they thought he wasn't listening, the taunts, punks trying to bully or challenge him, and the countless times he had been called a 'Gook' or 'Jap' during his service in Vietnam. He knew it wasn't fair and of course, he had grown up hating it, which was part of why he had chosen to volunteer to go to Vietnam, to finally prove everyone wrong that ever thought lesser of him. He had wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, when he had been a young man volunteering to fight in the Canadian Army during World War II, even though this had meant Hanzo would have to instead serve in the American Military due to Canada not being at war, he signed on regardless, he wasn't gonna let discrimination get in his way.
But instead, Hanzo had found more of the same with those that saw him nothing more but a gook in their eyes, more challenges being presented to him, but even with all that he still earned at least a begrudging respect from those who doubted him at first.
And even so, Hanzo's true resentment for everything that he and of his deceased family had been forced to endure, was all still pinned towards against what the Imperial Army of Japan had done and what leaders like Hideki Tojo had either ordered or allowed to be committed by their soldiers, or the treatment of war prisoners, starting a war that was only gonna bring more death, and what the things they did despite their claims of honor.
It was all by far in Hanzo's mind, some of the worst atrocities that were ever committed in that World War and because of their actions, it had tarnished the reputation and hard work of Japanese American/Canadians like that of his grandparents, had put into to earn so they could call themselves proud Canadian or Americans, to make North America their home just as others did.
Hanzo's own grandfather had fought in the First World War to show he was willing to fight for Canada because he had loved his new home, but like everyone else of Japanese descent, they were thrown into the internment camps, treated as enemy aliens and outcasts despite everything they had done to fit in and respected, to be treated as an equal. But he wasn't ignorant to assume it was any worse compared to what Imperial Japan had done to war prisoners or civilians under their occupation, he knows about the truth there.
Still, his grandparents had died in those camps when a bad fever swept through the camp, and with the kind of conditions they had to live in during winters while being cramped together, it resulted in a number of deaths, it had almost claimed his mother but in the end, after the war had finally ended, she was still alive and had nothing else left to return to, with the belongings and the land that her family had worked for being sold off by the government without their permission.
'Mom never did like to talk much about what it was like trying to manage herself after the war, before she had met Dad.'
It was something he had learned for himself as well, he's had to deal with such discrimination for most of his life, but from those who did as such to him, it had shown him what he needed to do to be a better man.
He felt that way would be honoring his deceased family more and living by their example. He learned how to ignore the stares, he learned how to keep his emotions in check, even when he felt the urge to. He would work harder than anyone else did, he would dive into whatever work he could get into, doing what was needed of him, he had done the same in Vietnam and while it still wasn't easy, his attitude still earned him the recognition that saw his potential like the Sergeant he had directly answered to in his unit. While they didn't always agree or necessarily liked each other but he had seen for who Hanzo was and he had always appreciated that he always gave him the opportunity to prove himself.
He wasn't gonna wallow or complain while petty racism or judgments continued to annoy him, he instead went to prove that he is a proud Canadian and that he will Stand Guard For Thee, just as his family did.
But going back to his analysis of the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorians, Hanzo had found a level of disturbing comparisons to the Imperial Japanese Army from the Neo-Crusaders own zealotry and brutal actions that they were committing in the Mandalorian Wars for their thirst for conquest and glory. Cassus Fett while he would not deny had been a great military leader and his prowess as a tactician goes without question, finding it intriguing that the man was apparently known for his stone-cold will and his unflinching calm composure regardless of what was happening, but his mindset and the actions he would commit had reminded him of Tojo, though Cassus Fett was by far not ignorant or dismissive as Hideki was of foreigners. Cassus's actions on Cathar however still painted a darker picture of him and from what he had stumbled on, Cassus was also involved in the slavery the Neo Crusaders were conducting during that war.
It had become no wonder to him as to why there was so much resentment and hatred by many to this day in the galaxy towards the Mandalorians.
Add to some of the Mandos more recent actions like their involvement in the Great Galactic War, the Hydian Blockade, the Cold War, and their ongoing actions now in this current war. It has not helped with their 'warmonger' reputation that most of the galaxy sees them as and already he was hearing that certain officials back on Earth that were condemning the Clans aggression on the galaxy, some that had been obvious as to why given the reputation of Mandalorian Raiders like that of Clan Varad, or the actions of Mandalorian mercs or bounty hunters that often worked for the Sith Empire like that of the famed Great Hunt Champion who currently stands as the galaxy's best hunter, or so he'd heard.
But there were others who were largely laying their criticisms about the Mandalorian culture itself or just simply spreading propaganda against them like the Galactic Republic.
The matter made him wonder where Marala stood on the subject?
But still, that hasn't meant improvements hadn't happened with them, as with newer ideals emerging and leadership after the Crusades that had changed much of their direction, and the Mandalorians from what he has gathered still hold to a strong sense of honor even if it was rugged, it was still worthy of respect, there had been plenty of similarities he found with their culture that of ancient Earth warrior cultures, some of which he could trace to his own heritage, like the Vikings and the Samurai, thus despite what many will claim, the Mandalorians are not savages, brute yes and there were definitely bloodthirsty killers within their society, but others are still proud warriors or soldiers that held to a noble code, they had their reasons for fighting and they are committed to self-improvement be it by conflict but he still couldn't deny that about them was growing appealing to him with the more he was learning of them.
But that doesn't mean the Mandalorians are their friends and he had no doubts there's be a day where he may have to fight them, their allegiances to the Sith Empire has cost the Republic greatly, something the Warsaw Pact has been finding out for themselves the hard way from what he had heard of the Korriban invasion. The more he knew about them, the more he could try to prepare himself for the day that he may end up encountering them.
His thoughts drifted to Revan's tactics in countering against the Mandalorians' viciousness and brutality. 'I wonder if Revan's actions that day on Malachor was one of his first decisions that had led onto the Dark Side's path? Or was it bloodbaths like Dxun had awoken something within him?' Or did Revan ever truly fall at all? Was what he had done during the Mandalorian Wars was merely revealing who he was truly? Were his choices always his own?
He did notice that a great deal of the Republic and Jedi forces that had died on Malachor IV's surface or caught in the gravity field when the Mass Shadow Generator was active, were not among Revan's biggest supporters and looking at the bulk of the Republic/Jedi deserters/armies/fleets that would join Revan's Sith Empire, it had made him wonder just when was it that had truly tipped Revan over into becoming a Sith when he and Malak returned from the Unknown Regions as Dark Lords of the Sith.
Even as the Dark Lord, Revan's actions in the conflict would still continue to catch Hanzo's attention of how just much he went into ensuring of the worlds that he conquered, were left largely undamaged or how he ensured resources were being used in the conflict despite the limitless possibilities they had with the Star Forge. The assassinations of several political figures across the galaxy that had been traced to him like Senator Mimas Yoon of Corellia, Senator Lelin-Dor, and a popular Echani Senator that drew General Yusanis's attention onto him and it resulted in a duel that Revan won by killing Yusanis, but despite having caused much in destabilizing to the Echani government, it also prevented them from seceding from the Galactic Republic.
That's what led Hanzo into finding other similar actions he had dug up finding that Revan did that it made him realize something, he wasn't sure if it was fully true or not but it seemed to him that Revan was keeping the Republic's political and economic infrastructure intact instead of destroying it.
He slowly started to believe that Revan's main goal maybe wasn't to destroy the Galactic Republic, unlike what the old Sith Empires had tried in the past or what the current Sith Empire is now trying to do now.
Instead, it seemed as if that he was trying to unite the galaxy and reform the Galactic Republic through conquest and total domination, his decisions, and tactics in conquering worlds honestly reminded him in ways alike to Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar but with modern tactics and modern knowledge involved, just as shown in his actions in the Mandalorian Wars, but they were all still what could be described as modernizations to leaders like what Alexander and Caesar would've done if they had the technology.
Mass deceptions, feints, counterattacks, covert assassinations, Revan's training of elite Commando/Assassin units for black-ops operations or the like that had required stealth, dealings with corporations such as Czerka to fuel the Empire's economy, and so on that to Hanzo it became obvious on how Revan was able to turn and convert so many to his cause. The respect he had commanded of those who willingly followed him even if it was betraying their original oaths, these were men and women that would've followed Revan straight into Hell and back.
But something else that also caught Hanzo's eye, it had taken rereading articles and going over other notes but he had kept noticing until it was clear to him, the massive death count or MIA list of reports of Jedi during the conflict. The numbers on the list were truly shocking to him, there were barely a hundred Jedi left after the Jedi Civil War, and even then, that hundred would soon disappear, eventually leading to the belief spreading across the galaxy that the Jedi Order was extinct, until the return of Meetra Surik from exile five years later that is.
There were also even reports of grim to horrific discoveries that were being made by Republic Soldiers or Jedi of the state of prisoners that had been left in Sith Prisons, they were raided during and after the war and Hanzo noticed how few of these said prisoners rescued were even Jedi compared to other Republic personnel, it had bared similarities to the current Sith Empire's treatment of war-prisoners and torturing methods. It was a ring of patterns that Hanzo was finding that pointed to that Revan's focus seemed to be on the destruction of the Jedi Order than the Republic's, being through converting captured Jedi into Dark Jedi by whatever disturbing means of breaking them, those that couldn't be or wouldn't be killed, once again showing Hanzo there was far more to about the Force and what it is to feel with it and what this apparent Dark Side can do to a person, the questions he was growing to have about the Force was making him think back to some of his own strange experiences with it back on Tython.
One, in particular, stood out, he had found a Force-imbued blade within the Ruins of Kaleath when his Company was helping to escort a group of Jedi researchers through the ruins while they dug up or researched what they could find but all of it halted when Hanzo had found the katana-like blade beside a skeleton corpse. When he had picked it up, it had a strange reaction to him and he felt that almost as if the green energy that rolled off it was somehow trying to reach into him but couldn't.
It seemed so as when Hanzo had given it to the Iktotchi Jedi Master assigned with them, it had put him into a trance and he wouldn't respond to them till one of Padawans snapped him out of it at last. The last he would see of the sword was when it had been handed over to the Kel Dor Jedi Master, Gnost-Dural, after they all had returned to the Temple.
He shook the memories off and went back to focusing on reading.
Barring from the flaws Revan that one may or can point out about him or his morally questionable decisions and actions, he was still a rather complex figure that drew Hanzo's attention. Along with his actions as the Prodigal Knight when Revan was apparently reverted back to the Light Side through questionable means as he frowned on the idea that the Council had somehow convinced Revan to side with them again, there was far too many blanks about the truth of the details that was bugging him and what little of the truth he could find didn't left a good implication, the idea that the Jedi Council would brainwash and memory wiped him didn't set well with him just by the seer thought of power like that, it had made him glad of his immunities to the Force but he wondered if there were limits to it.
Still, Revan would still ironically go on save the galaxy from the man who betrayed him, Darth Malak, who had gone on a senseless rampage of bloodshed and destruction on the galaxy with the Sith Empire now under his command, the number of atrocities he would both commit or order or had allowed to go unpunished, it was truly beyond atrocious.
Where Darth Revan had been a tactical genius that had foresight and subtlety in his strategies and conquests, Darth Malak wasn't as subtle and was more painfully obvious on his intent in seeing the Republic destroyed and crushing all resistance in the galaxy that opposed him, by whatever means necessary in his eyes. Malak didn't care at all if the galaxy burned and its innocents crushed under his feet.
It's apparently often remarked or debated by some galactic historians that between the two, the galaxy would've been far better off with Darth Revan as ruler of the galaxy than Darth Malak.
The adventures that Revan would have with the Ebon Hawk crew honestly makes him hope that the apparent plans for the 'Star Wars' movies by George Lucas will do their best in capturing the adventures accurately as possible while still having fun with all the new possibilities to use in making films for entertainment, much so for the members of the Ebon Hawk crew as there was so much he felt they could explore with them.
Like the famed Republic expert-pilot and decorated War Hero from the Mandalorian Wars, Carth Onasi. The man had a very impressive record of service in the Mandalorian Wars and Hanzo felt sympathy to the fact his own mentor, Admiral Saul Karath, had betrayed him and would even bomb his homeworld of Telos IV that would not only kill millions of Telosians but among them were also his wife and presuming his son, it was discovered that he was actually alive during the Jedi Civil War. Thus, while there may have been a few things Hanzo had found himself disagreeing on with Carth, he did not fault his anger towards the Sith or the Republic deserters that had betrayed their oaths, for he had fair justified reasons in why he did and the amount of war-crimes committed by them in the war doesn't help. Far as he can tell, whatever issues Carth Onasi had resolved itself after the Jedi Civil War and would continue to serve the Galactic Republic as a highly respected Admiral, five years later he would be presented to defend his homeworld of Telos IV from the Sith Triumvirate when they attacked and were finally defeated there.
The proud Jedi Padawan, Bastila Shan. Playing a key role in the Jedi Civil War with not only her great potential in Battle Meditation but of her accomplishment in bringing down Darth Revan 'officially' when she lead a Jedi strike force to board his flagship and attempted to bring him down but had actually chosen to save Revan when Darth Malak used the opportunity to betray his master and ordered his ship to be destroyed but the two made it off safety, Bastila's decision made him wondered if perhaps Bastila and Revan had shared a past together? Whatever the case, she had been the one responsible bringing him to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine and had since then been involved with his progress in his alias as a Republic privateer, from the Endar Spire above Taris to their capture on Darth Malak's flagship the Leviathan. And to much irony to the Canadian, it would be Revan that would help bring Bastila back to the light when she had fallen to the Dark Side and become the apprentice of Darth Malak. After what he had read up before on the converting and torture the Sith do to their victims, he could only imagine of what Darth Malak did to her that had ultimately made her swear loyalty to him, still she was convinced to return to the Light Side and back to Revan, assissting in the destruction of the Star Forge with her battle meditation to assist the Republic fleet. She had even after the war would become Revan's wife, that surprised him considering the Jedi's view on love, something that he didn't agree with, though it seemed the marriage was unpopular by members of the Jedi Order after the war, judging from some of the old records on the matter.
The feared Mandalorian Mercenary, Canderous Ordo who would go on to later become Mandalore the Preserver. He really very much intrigued Hanzo and helped gave him more knowledge about the Mandalorians, he had found it to be a great shame that his legacy as Mandalore has now gained conflicts given the Mandalorian Clans are now allied with the Sith Empire currently and the Civil War that was fought over several years ago about his ideals hasn't helped as well, with Mandalore the Vindicated crushing the rebel clans, still, Hanzo respected the Rebel Chieftain Jicoln Cadera for defending Canderous Ordo's legacy, it revealed to him that there is much conflict of ideals that's going on between the Mandalorian Clans.
The eccentric old Grey Jedi hermit and veteran of the Great Sith War, Jolee Bindo. His own list of adventures in his youth too caught his eye, quite a bit of it honestly reminded him of what he had read on Zayne Carrick's own adventures, especially the fact the two had largely remained as Pawadans throughout their adventures and both would even later on go on to serve on the High Jedi Council though in Jolee's case, it was an absentee role and he had stumble upon quite few records of him voicing complaints and criticisms on the Jedi Order's actions in the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War, from what Hanzo had learned Jolee Bindo would disappear around when the hundred remaining Jedi scattered and his final fate, unfortunately, remains a great mystery.
The Cathar Jedi Knight, Juhani. She certainly made his eyebrow raise as he read on her record, telling of her hard life from escaping her homeworld of Cathar during the Mandalorian invasion, the struggling childhood on Taris, the murder of her father, and the death of her mother that had hit close to home with Hanzo. Her inner- conflicts in trying to be a Jedi Knight, and despite her brief fall to the Dark Side, he had respect for her resolve and determination after Revan helped brought her back to reason in the groves of Dantooine, she was not without her flaws but those were not of her fault as they were a result of her hard life and she still went on to become an outstanding Jedi Knight that was heavily inspired by Revan's example, both from her childhood when she was rescued by him on Taris and as an adult traveling with him on the Ebon Hawk. Apparently she would even go on to serve as a member of the High Jedi Council years later after surviving the Jedi Civil War and even the Great Purge that had forced her into hiding until remerging after the Dark Wars had ended.
The Twi'lek street urchin, Mission Vao and her Wookie companion Zaalbar. They were a duo that fascinated him and even chuckling a little at some of their shenanigans, Mission Vao despite her young age of fourteen was quite gifted with skills and showed herself to be a natural survivor, and a true loyal friend to the crew and her Wookie companion Zaalbar, he was quite angered about the small mention of her deadbeat older brother had abandoned her on Taris and he had briefly wondered if anyone gave Grif a well-deserved smack for his irresponsibilities. Her companion Zaalbar also caught his eye, he had felt himself enraging at the thought of what his brother Chuundar was doing to their own people with the Czerka Corporation, he felt sympathy he was exiled for rightly confronting his brother though he made note to look into the meaning of 'Madclaw' for future reference. The friendship/loyalty between the duo was admirable and it quite showed in the Crew's adventure on Kashyyyk that proved to be quite something else, he felt a lot of satisfaction reading how Chuundar met his fitting end and how the Wookiees with the Crew's assistance had driven Czerka off of Kashyyyk. The two after the war would even go on to create an import/export business that would expand greatly and even play a contributing role in the galaxy's recovery from the horrific devastations of the Jedi Civil War.
The utility droid, T3-M4. A simple droid by one's glance but one that had proven itself both loyal and reliable, always doing it's very best to help the Ebon Hawk crew since having helped them escape Taris before Malak's bombing. Despite doubts by others in the crew, T3-M4 had always pulled through, even traveling with the Jedi Exile five years later after the Jedi Civil War, though unfortunately disappearing into the Unknown Regions along with the Exile after the Sith Triumvirate was defeated, never to be heard or seen again by the galaxy.
And the bloodthirsty Assassin Droid, HK-47 whose made it a habit of reappearing and disappearing to even current events, that had surprised him despite being reportedly destroyed at the Battle of Ilum. After what he had read on the droid, he came to the conclusion that HK-47 was quite possibly one of the most dangerous and deadliest of assassin droids that had ever walked across the galaxy.
His attention on his datapad was intercepted however when he heard the doors opening and a familiar face appeared through the doorway that brought a smile on his face.
"Hey Marala, you were able to get past through Nurse Sonnu I see..."
Joe Pyne - Host of The Joe Pyne Show
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 20:00 / 8:00 PM
"Now folks, I'm sure you're wondering about the surprise guest appearance on the show tonight and here's two hints for you: One, he's not some poor Pinko getting lambasted and two, he also happens to be an average Joe such as yours truly." Pyne waited patiently for the cue before he revealed the identity of the guest when he began walking on stage. "Tonight's honor goes to the one and only Senator Joseph McCarthy!"
The crowd began enthusiastically applauding and cheering at the announcement with those able standing upright to roar approvingly at the surprise yet welcomed esteemed guest of honor.
"Glad to be on." The crusading anti-communist politician from Wisconsin smiled as he sat down on the 'hot seat'.
"Well, Senator, it still has been years since Representative Samuel Dickstein was discovered to be a paid agent of the NKVD and therefore the Kremlin."
"It's ironic how my former colleague was the one who established the House Committee on Un-American Activities in the first place." McCarthy growled. "When I made that list and publicly announced the said list of names in congress one by one, he was at the very top of it. As much as I wish to hold a benefit of a doubt, all ties should be thoroughly vetted and the paper trail led to the Rosenbergs then straight to Moscow."
"Moving on, you also discovered that Jerry Rubin was collaborating with that traitorous, well, rhymes with itch, and Hanoi, finding where his real loyalties shamefully lied."
"As long as I'm able to, not one agent, be it a Communist or those of the Sith Empire, will dare infiltrate the United States government and its institutions." Tailgunner vowed. "It is the unspoken solemn duty of every American to remain vigilant of traitors and spies in this beloved nation of ours. If something seems out of place, it most likely is."
"There's also the fact that Doctor King denounced you back in '64 despite voting for the Civil Rights Act."
"I'm honestly still surprised by the Reverend's condemnation as I have always stood up for the rights of blacks. In fact, back when I first campaigned for the United States Senate, I was the only candidate to visit the neighborhoods and to be labelled as a bigot despite using every opportunity in the legislature to stand against the Segregationists in Congress is perplexing to say the least."
"Which is unfortunate as I'm a good friend of Maulana Karenga, who two years ago created the holiday Kwanzaa. While we may disagree at times, it shouldn't preclude us from collaborating and finding common ground."
"No wonder why he's a frequent guest on your show." McCarthy cracked, causing the host to chuckle.
"You're welcome here anytime as well, Senator." Pyne proposed.
"You know, I think I'll accept your kind invitation, Mister Pyne." The Wisconsinite took up. "Having Pinkos, Commies, Hippies, and Neo-Nazi stooges on the show to be castigated does arguably get boring after awhile."
"They all believe in socialism afterall." The shock jock snorted, despising all variations of Socialism, from the 'Great Society' initiative proposed by that now jailbird Lyndon Baines Johnson to National Socialism of the Third Reich and Marxism with a passion.
Captain, First Rank Sergei Rustem Vadimovich - Proyekt Zvezdnaya Pyl / "Project Star Dust"
Hangar One - Kaliningrad Chkalovsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, the United Soviet States of Russia
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 -
The Captain watched the 'holo recording' from beginning to end for the fifth time after it was discovered aboard the derelict vessel, the significance of which couldn't be understated.
It was literally the only known example of actual Medieval Era knights and their sergeants - possibly even their levies - being captured on film, recorded on extraterrestrial footage at that, and while Vadimovich knew that this hologram wasn't the priority of the project, instead its fate was inevitably either being locked up securely by the KGB to gather dust or even destroyed to leave no trace of its existence, the Soviet couldn't help but to marvel at this evidence of a unique event in history dating to the Middle Ages.
"Gott mit uns!" One of the Teutonic Knights shouted as he swung his sword to hack a red-skinned beast.
"What is that monstrosity?"
"Apparently, they're called Massassi." His aide divulged after checking the chart on the Sith species. "A spinoff species of Purebloods."
"Make sure to forward all known details about them to command as a precaution. We might encounter some eventually."
"Da, Comrade Captain." The orderly acknowledged. "Still, it's amazing how those damn German Knights fought against Sith during the Northern Crusades."
"And it was years after Lake Peipus."
"How do you know that this was sometime after the Battle on the Ice?"
"Judging by the armor and the swords, which are of no later than Fourteenth Century design and the location compared with the known surviving historical record, it is in my opinion that this confrontation occurred at least in the Summer of 1274 in the aftermath of the Great Prussian Uprising at the earliest but no later than the Summer of 1314 yet the evidence is scant and circumstantial."
"So all we know for certain is that sometime in the late Thirteenth or early Fourteenth Century, a Sith warship with cryogenically frozen passengers crashlanded in East Prussia, presumably fleeing from the Republic's genocide on Korriban, intermarried with a local pagan tribe that managed to survive the retaliation after the failed fourteen-year rebellion led by Herkus Monte, then the Teutonic Order discovered their presence, believed the Purebloods to be demons and annihilated them all, leaving no survivors?"
"Pretty much. Still, it is a golden opportunity to create our own space fleet independent of purchasing them from the Republic."
"Which is a good goal to have, especially with suspicions on Chancellor Saresh by comrade Zhukov." The KGB supervisor smiled, revealing a tidbit on current matters of state security and why this endeavor in the facility must succeed. "Let's finish this recording."
"Gott mit uns!" Another knight bellowed as he decapitated one of the Purebloods as he brazenly confronted the Teuton. Another Pureblood came up from behind the warrior monk, ready to impale him with the recognizable red blade but before the space wizard was able to, a crossbow bolt struck the alien's right eye and killed the, for the lack of a better word, backstabber instantly.
"Dankeschöön, Meyer." The Ritterbrüder appreciated in Middle Low German, revealing that the knight hailed from somewhere in Northern Germany, not Central or Southern Germany. As a matter of fact most of the contingent that confronted the Sith sounded like they originated from one of the states of the Holy Roman Empire that made up the present-day northern parts of West Germany such as Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia as well as of course obvious to the Soviets: East Germany with only a handful being native speakers of Middle High German.
"Fast forward a few minutes. I'm curious about what happened aboard this ship."
Christopher Meyer - Crossbowman, DiendeBrudern, Teutonic Order
Lithuania Minor - State of the Teutonic Order, Europe, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
July 28th, 1278
"So, this ist where the Demonic rats were fleeing to." Jörg von Giesbrecht of Westphalia growled as he led twenty of his brother knights and sixty of the Order's foot soldiers in pursuit of their quarry. "To their castle thinking they would be safe from us. They sure are cowardly, having to conspire with the Sudovians to even gain a foothold but no matter, just like their pagan allies who somehow evaded us for four years they will be cleansed from the Earth."
"Not to mention that ist a monstrosity." A peer agreed. "Only Satan himself would create such an ugly fortress."
Jörg nodded at the assessment as the castle was of an odd but presumably unholy design with the architecture being befitting for the followers and spawns of Satan. "Meyer? Ik need you and your crossbowmen to find an advantageous perch to support the assault."
"Jawohl." The DiendeBrüdern acknowledged, wielding his windlass crossbow.
"You trust that peasant?"
"With my life." von Giesbrecht declared. "Peasant birth or Noble birth, he proved his loyalty here in the Baltics and the Holy Land."
"If you say so, Broder." The fellow RitterBrüder relented as the catapults were brought forward near the woodline, the crews preparing to bombard the structure from Hell.
"We'll show Lucifer that his presence isn't welcome." von Giesbrecht declared, waiting for the catapults to set up before leading a charge on those on the outside.
"GOTT MIT UNS!" The RitterBrüder cried as they pointed their lances directly at the red-skinned enemy with tentacles underneath their chins.
"Balistas!" One of the knights warned as red bolts streaked toward them, forcing the Teutons to scatter.
Von Giesbrecht's steed was hit by one of the infernal flaming missiles but the Westphalian watched the Demons manning the artillery being struck by well-aimed crossbow bolts.
"It seems like fate had this be the second time."
"They were bolder at Notre-Dame-de-la-Boissière but here they're cowardly, though they were a different spawn with heads of goats and wings of bats to be fair." Christopher shrugged. "Looks like there's few of us left."
"Unfortunately but we'll have to make do." Jörg lamented. "Come on Broders! It is time to finish them!"
"GOTT MIT UNS!" The Germans cried as they charged down the hall inside the enemy 'castle', attacking any of the demons on sight.
Two of the Sergeants part of the assault cried out in pain as they felt the odd lightning from strange fire-weapons striking their chainmail before completely disintegrating to ash.
"There's the Swein!"
Meyer aimed his bolt at one of his demonic equivalents, inflicting vengeance on the red-skinned humanoid devil spawns for the demise of his Kameraden.
"Gah!"
"Why do they sound like de Waliesch?" One of the Knights wondered after hearing the similarities of the accents shared between the Dämonen and the Welsh.
"Ik do not know, Broder. Perhaps Satan ist trying to confound us?"
"That may be so. Now Ik wouldn't be surprised if Herkus Monte bargained his soul with the dark prince though his damn reinforcements were late." A third reasoned before a great thud was heard.
Seeing the monstrosity, Meyer knelt down and aimed his crossbow toward the enemy beast, much bigger than the previously encountered humanoids, firing his bolt and striking the being's snout but it still kept charging.
"Ik got him!" von Giesbrecht vowed as he used his longsword against the Devil Spawn. "Find where they're coming from and seal it off!"
"Ne!" Not willing to allow his friend to sacrifice himself just to bide time, Meyer picked up one of the strange weapons and aimed it at the beast, cautiously squeezing the unfamiliar firing mechanism rearward with his index finger out of a mixture of uncertainty and not wanting to accidentally kill the Knight.
The commoner from the Prince-Bishopric of Minden watched as the lighting streaked out like a bolt and struck the beast's back, instantly vaporizing the monster just mere seconds later, causing the Knight to glimpse at the resulting dust with curiosity.
"Perhaps Ik should use this for awhile." The humble crossbowman grinned at the nobleman.
"You better cleanse yourself afterwards, mein Fründ. That ist a heretical device afterall."
Christopher nodded reluctantly, almost as if he wasn't permitted to end the incursion in the most efficient way available.
'Du ar nicht lustig (You are no fun).'
Present Day...
"From there, the crossbowman with the Disruptor known as 'Meyer' and the other attackers found the engine room, believing it to be another 'Portal to Hell', messed with it including by firing the Disruptor directly at the machine, and blew half the ship up, escaping from the resulting implosion in time before they themselves could be incinerated within the inferno." The KGB supervisor shrugged after reviewing the recording and roughly translating the Middle Low German, still processing the entire unique historical occurrence. "Of course, I highly doubt that they encounter anything similar to this before."
The Captain, First Rank rolled his eyes at the preposterous mention of a waning superstition in the Soviet Union. To Sergei it was as if the handler instead revealed to him that the renown American archeologist by the name of Indiana Jones found either the mythical Ark of the Covenant or even the Holy Grail, which was on the same level of absurdity. "Portal to Hell my ass. While they were crazy and zealous, it was a trait expected of the Teutonic Order."
"That does also explain why it's taking time to reverse engineer the engine, nevermind the scorching. Their damn Medieval Era superstition and lack of technical knowledge for engines made our job slightly more difficult."
"Da but even with this unexpected and inconvenient delay to our efforts of replicating the engine, at least we're making progress regardless, comrade."
"Say, I just realized something."
"What?"
"It's very ironic how current individual Sith decide to add decorative horns on their armor while the stranded ones here were being put to the sword by a strikingly ruthless order of crusaders who wear them as unique identifiers and purposely intimidating crests."
The Soviets chuckled at yet another discovered coincidence, only this time one which was conspicuously unexpected, but at the same time it was almost if in some strange ways history was repeating itself.
Private First Class Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Wars, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 19:45 / 7:45 PM
"I can't believe that I'm saying this but I was wrong calling Revan an asshole." Jake muttered after finishing the last page. "It's actually Carth Onasi who was the fucking asshole."
"What?"
"Quoting this passage, he believed that some were above the law: 'While Carth despised Malak and the Sith for turning to the dark side and betraying the Republic, he especially hated the non-Force-sensitive soldiers who defected. He viewed them as even worse than the Sith and undeserving of mercy because the dark side had nothing to do with their choices.' In other words, he thought the Force was a legitimate get out of jail free card and thereby ignoring the principle of everyone is equally held accountable to the law, hence asshole. You either a traitor or you're not, no exceptions."
"That's actually a fair point, pal." Sam concurred. "Just because one is a space wizard, it shouldn't mean that they can't be prosecuted."
"The best comparison to Revan is obviously the ever-to-be condemned Benedict Arnold. Both were revered and respected generals until they decided to betray their country." The Marine sneered. "I can respect the battle prowess, I can respect him being a master tactician in his day but I can never excuse him for getting off scot free from getting hung for his treason and war crimes. Redeemed my ass."
"Still, Jake, I'm starting to wonder if this Force is at least probable and there's science here that vindicates it."
Meyer gazed at him awkwardly, not expecting his friend to defend the nonsense. "Scientific research with flaws is still flawed."
"I'm not denying it but at the same time I can't just shrug and say that it's just magic either like an arbitrary skeptic." Westbrook reasoned. "For all I could know, even Earth used to have these so-called 'Force Adepts' until they were persecuted for witchcraft yet that doesn't explain the lack of these midichlorians or why telekinesis doesn't work on anything originating from our galaxy. I'm sorry but I'm still agnostic and unsure over this."
"As Voltaire once declared 'While I may not agree with what you say, I will still defend it until my dying breath'. However, I'm sticking to my guns and we just have to agree to disagree."
"Not to mention that it's getting ever closer to Christmas." The Paratrooper grinned. "By the way, when you're done with it, is it alright I borrow your book about those German knights?"
Jake shrugged as he picked up the book and reached it over to Sam. "Actually I've read it four times already. Merry Christmas."
Sam snorted and flipped to a random page but as he read the passage he couldn't help but to admit that the claim by his friend was surprisingly not outrageous and narrow minded but actual historic fact. "Hey, you're right! The Teutonic Order were more badass than the puny Templars!" Sam chuckled as he stared at the illustrations of the Knights fighting Ayyubids, Mamluks, and Saracens in the Levant, Cumens in Hungary, Baltic Pagans, Polish-Lithuanians, and Russians of the historic city-state known as the Novgorod Republic, not to mention that the Teutons were even brave enough to stand firm against the infamous Mongols when the nomadic horse archers attempted to sack all of Europe.
From the sands of the Middle East to the snowy forests and frozen tundra of the Baltics, the Deutscher Orden were in the literal sense ruthless zealots and coldblooded combatants who took not even a single prisoner unless ordered to and even then, the enemy that hunkered behind their shields more often than not prayed for salvation upon sight of the recognizable horns on the helmets and black crosses on white mantles charging at their line, wishing for whatever deity they worship would intervene on their behalf as the Teutonic Order were indisputably the best equipped and organized faction of Knights in all of Christendom, the Order not allowing mere wooden shields stand between them and destroying the heretics who foolishly decide on confronting them instead of waiting for their already sealed fate.
"I can't believe these guys were underrated as they fought more battles and participated in more campaigns but then again the Templars only became popular due to the persecution and rumors of riches, over glorified bankers in other words."
"I told you." Jake grinned with understandable smugness, glad that Sam got the picture."The extremely pathetic and pitiful Templars have nothing over the Teutonic Knights. Those overrated red cross wearers would have turned tail or begged to be burned at the stake as heretics after seeing the helmets adorned with horns and black crosses on the white surcoats."
"Not to mention that unlike the Templars whose reign as a status symbol ended short, the Teutonic Knights created their own goddamned nation, the State of the Teutonic Order, which later evolved into Prussia." Sam snickered as he remembered tales about the exploits of Frederick the Great, his friend's Great-Great-Grandfather regale to them back in boyhood. "Voltaire wasn't wrong in proclaiming Prussia to be an Army with a state."
"Even Napoleon himself admitted that Prussia was hatched from a cannonball." Jake shrugged while still amused by the change of opinion after a reading of history. To him, the Templars as an institution truly would have been relegated as a mere footnote if the rumors were never circulated as the Teutons were justifiably the superior Order when it came to might on the battlefields of the Middle Ages. "Funnily enough, the Teutonic Order still exists as a charity and that also is thanks to Napoleon. Though while Prussia may be forever gone, its legacy and impact on the world is still felt today."
Dark Council Chambers - The Imperial Citadel, Kaas City, Dromund Kaas, Dromund System, Sith Worlds, Imperial Space, Outer Rim Territories, "The Galaxy"
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 19:45 / 7:45 PM
Marr didn't expect a perplexity for the debriefing when Kovach requested a meeting with the Dark Lords. Ever since the revelation that his trusted advisor was in fact a conniving traitor, the Dark Lord who held the Sphere of Defense of the Empire was on the edge to commit another shake-up and replace Intelligence for a third time but when Kovach stepped up and even took measures to discover the depth of the treachery by his now discredited superior, Marr determined that it was more pragmatic to not hinder all information-gathering efforts and risk giving the Republic another opportunity to exploit the Empire's weakness but to also see if it might be wiser to reform the current organization instead of complete dissolution.
"Are you certain that the information is correct, Agent Kovach?" Marr queried, not desiring a waste of time.
The impact of the joint 'International'/SIS misinformation campaign 'Operation: Misdirection' was still being felt in Sith Intelligence and combined with the so-called 'Quarantine Policy' implemented as a security measure, validated information about Earth was a luxury.
Gradually with each disaster, not to mention the thwarted annexation through both luck and cunning, it made Marr consider the incontrovertible truth of Earth being a legitimate menace instead of simple-minded troglodytes requiring enforced civilization.
In a way, whether ironically the darkside withered his peers sense of judgment or some sort of infliction somehow caused by the Jedi, Marr and his fellow Councilor Vowrawn were using what influence they hold to not only make certain that the course was thrust back in the Empire's favor but to also have the Wrath be a crucial spearhead of the turnaround.
"We have checked the validity thrice, Lord Marr." The second-in-command of Sith Intelligence and now acting Minister reported, though it was sensed by the Councilors that it wasn't the full picture despite the verification of the findings. "Cipher Nine reported in her findings that Earth has at least three orders we should be on the watch for: The Shaolin Monks namely of course but there's also the Knights Hospitallers and the Teutonic Order. The latter two Medieval Era institutions, unfortunately, still exist."
"It's most peculiar that we haven't faced them in battle yet."
"Perhaps they're waiting for the right moment?" Ravage speculated. "Weaken us first before fully committing the Orders?"
"How useful will they be on the battlefield when they're all completely devoid of the Force though?" Vowrawn mused as it was quite puzzling. "They would be no better than their grunts and their grunts are already doing a nice job as it is."
"It wouldn't make sense to hold them back and even if they are in reserve, Patton would be wasting a valuable source." Marr concurred even if he himself was baffled by the matter yet the de facto leader of the Empire could not afford to disregard anything in the slightest unless the evidence dictated otherwise. "What are they up to and why haven't we encountered them alongside the Jedi?"
"That's what we're unraveling, My Lord, but it will take time."
"Time which we do not have, Kovach." Marr reminded the acting Minister.
"Of course, Lord Marr. I'll personally see to it that it's a priority."
Thijs Visser - Ballick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Order
Utrecht, Province of Utrecht, Netherlands, Europe, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
12:01: 15 ATC / December 1st, 1968 - 19:45 / 7:45 PM
"Hallo. We were wondering if you're interested in donating to the Republic's War Orphans Fund?"
"Of course. They're our allies after all."
"Bedankt." Brother Visser appreciated the generosity of the donor before departing but the monk remembered the upcoming celebration and decided to wish the mother and her family good health. "And Merry Christmas!"
"You as well!"
"You know, I still can't believe that the Jedi thought that we were exactly like them back during First Contact and the resulting diplomacy." Brother Janssen smirked. "We are not Shaolin Monks."
"Yes but in all fairness Napoleon Bonaparte forced us to never be a militaristic order again back in 1809. However, I believe we do better service to God as a charity and purely religious institution instead of being combatants. We did evolve with the times afterall."
"Helfen, Wehren, Heilen." Janssen smiled as he quoted the Order's centuries old motto. "Help, Defend, Heal. We'll live to those vows until the Holy Spirit calls us."
"Amen, broeder." Thijs agreed. "And may the Lord continue to guide us evermore."
It seems Hanzo has made a recovery from his injuries, combining the experience of doctors from the hellish Korean War and ongoing galactic conflict with Star Wars technology and the result is a return to active duty once fully healed.
And while I have debated including the church scene as portrayed due to people i.e. SJWs getting easily offended nowadays, I ultimately decided to include it not just to show additional background but to also help clarify the reasoning behind the dramatic irony of doubting the Force plot-wise and to be fair, if you think about it logically, the concept does make sense.
If one day aliens show up with peaceful intentions and declare openly on camera that they have proof that their deity exists and everything from Islam to Christianity and Hinduism to Shintoism is either flawed or entirely false, would everyone immediately begin worshipping their religion due to said evidence?
One of the biggest clichè here on when it comes to Earth in Star Wars stories is having the Force be accepted wholeheartedly with no questions asked, which realistically wouldn't happen.
Though it doesn't mean that everyone is close-minded about it.
For instance: Sam is agnostic to it (for those who don't know, it means he can't either confirm its existence nor prove it's a falsehood), Hanzo is curious and intrigued by it, even the Secretary-General of the United Nations is embracing it.
Now hopefully this helps clear up the reasoning around it in case anyone was wondering if I was nuts or something and while you don't have to agree with my reasoning, it to me at least seems sensible, especially with arbitrary skepticism and philosophical disputes in mind.
Jake and Sam have also started adapting to the situation as they quickly realized that while Revan might be, well, out-of-touch I suppose, it's better to know who you're exactly dealing with than just blindly confront him.
And some of Goldwater's, well, unique eccentricities just got revealed. He was quite the person after all.
Plus it turns out that both Al Capone and Bugs Moran are still influential in the criminal underworld and I will confirm that they will inevitably be making their debut in the near future...
Yes, THE one and only Alphonse Gabriel "Al / Scarface" Capone and George Clarence "Bugs" Moran respectively. Your eyes were not deceiving you :P
As another bonus, the one and only Joseph McCarthy is back! And it is planned that he'll be now striking against the Sith Empire in addition to his Anti-Communist crusade! :D
Now before you start accusing me of being a racist, anti-freedom witch-hunter: After reading in-depth about the whole affair, it can be best summarized that McCarthy greatly exaggerated the extent of the infiltration and went overboard in his moment of fame, leading to his downfall, hence quote on quote 'McCarthyism'.
Again, I'm being completely apolitical here but it's pretty interesting to discover after digging for information about the whole circumstances behind the whole hunt for Communists within the government that had support from both political parties and base off what I read, I decided to retcon the story from having McCarthy still dying of alcoholism as in actual history to having him be an unlikely hero as it kinda fitted in with the plot to be honest.
While it is a misconception that no Communists were found and he was a racist, does that mean that I agree with how he conducted himself?
No, I don't at all. But his actions was during the Second Red Scare (1947 - 1957) in the United States and Anti-Communist panadonium was mainstream in society so the atmosphere was brewing for something like it to occur and fate had it for Joe to take up the cause.
Again, to reiterate, I don't agree with how he handled it in actual history and he went overboard to put it lightly but it is confirmed in the declassified Venona papers that at least four of the names on McCarthy's infamous lists were agents of the Soviet Union.
FOUR! And they are: Lauchlin Currie, Harold Glasser, David Karr, and Mary Jane Keeney.
Four names out of ninety or two hundred or how many exact names in total he actually listed, it's hard to tell and Tailgunner certainly was one for exaggerations.
Unbeknownst to Senator McCarthy though, over next door in the House of Representatives, Democratic Representative Samuel Dickstein of New York and IRONICALLY the VERY politician who ESTABLISHED the House UnAmerican Activities Committee in the first place, was being paid by the NKVD (the Interwar and World War Two predecessor of the infamous KGB) for classified information!
I'm shocked myself when I read about the revelation but the founder of the very committee wrongly associated with McCarthy was a Soviet agent.
Instead, McCarthy was a Senator and Tail Gunner (McCarthy's nickname) was the chairman of the Government Operations Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the United States Senate.
It is not a conspiracy theory and you can fact check everything here yourself if you so choose but safe to say McCarthy was somewhat right, he just mishandled it.
In fact, we probably will never know the complete truth due to conflicting information over the years and the first hand witnesses, as far as I'm aware of, are now long since deceased.
To reiterate and in short: It turns out that it's completely wrong to say one Joseph Raymond McCarthy didn't find any actual spies at all and therefore conducted a nonsensical, unnecessary, unlawful, unconstitutional, and immoral witch hunt that was more of a wild goose chase with everyone on his lists being totally innocent of the finger-pointing charges although indisputably McCarthy did decide to caused a political firestorm which in the end cost him.
And I don't think anyone will ever know what would've happened if McCarthy didn't go overeager on it for the sake of attention but I'm convinced that he should be vindicated and be labeled as a hero despite also being a bully.
Oh and by the way, in addition to Joseph McCarthy being a supporter of Civil Rights for minorities, the Kennedy family were great friends with Joseph McCarthy despite the different political party affiliations.
In fact, a certain Robert Francis Kennedy, brother of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was an aide to Tail Gunner Joe before becoming a Senator himself.
Yes, none other than THE Kennedy's. The ones with a supposed family curse. It's on the historical record if you want to double check for yourselves and in fact here are two credible links in case you're interested about the specific circumstances:
www . smithsonianmag (type dot here) com (type slash here) history / how-robert-kennedy-transformed-from-conservative-into-liberal-champion-civil-rights - 180969242 /
mcadams . posc . mu . edu / progjfk2 . h t m
It's a shame everything is completely partisan nowadays.
Moving on from McCarthyism, the mystery deepens around the crashed warship as it again got hinted at that SOMETHING occured before the fateful encounter between the Teutonic Order and stranded Sith, almost as if it was just a hapless case of mistaken identity.
But anyway, foreshadowing aside, it's also apparently foretold that nations will not be giving away sovereignty despite the state of affairs. There's too much distrust and discomfort along geopolitical lines and a wave of Patriotism by citizens to submit to supranationalism.
Therefore a coalition is just a temporary alliance as defined and who knows what happens post-war.
Plus a character from the hit series Mad Men has officially appeared as a cameo, not to mention four more of Jake's relatives including one revealed to be stationed at the Pentagon.
Rest assured readers, more of the comical background and complete familial situation will be showcased here in this story and the two planned prequels as well. It will be interesting to say the least and you haven't even read the good parts, eccentricities and all, quite yet. :D
McNamera is suffering a fate worse than death but to be fair he was part of the whole FUBAR catastrophe of decisions that made the Vietnam War what it was for the United States Military doctrinally, not to mention while being Secretary of Defense he saw even the servicemen, people with families, only as another number that can be disposable to save the government a cent (unfortunately I'm being completely truthful about it), and therefore it's poetic justice, though you can interpret the scene however you wish.
Whither the fate of one Robert Strange McNamera is fitting or too dark, it's officially part of the story as one of the alternate history aspects.
Oh and I just remembered, while they were only referenced so far, the famed Shaolin Monks will be making an appearance fighting Sith soon.
To clarify: Not in the next few chapters but soon enough.
Yes, THE Kung-Fu fighting, orange-cloth robe wearing, adherents of Buddhist virtues Shaolin Monks of the Shaolin Temple. Who would've guessed? :P
And heck, I might as well have a little amusing scene at the end as with quote unquote "coincidences" being part of the plot, it isn't entirely unreasonable to have some mistranslations occurring from time to time as a result and therefore the conclusions could be justifiably erroneous with the limited vague information on hand in that very scene not helping matters :D
P.S. As of when this chapter was published, I'm honestly blown away that no other Earth in Star Wars fanfic here on this site had used the Shaolin Monks yet despite being arguably fitting for such a plot, just saying, and therefore a wasted opportunity.
So I guess this counts as another instance of E:ARD being a first in going where no other such tale has gone before! :)
P.S.S. The Teutonic Order was the superior militaristic order during the Medieval Era and they would have triumphed over the Templars if hypothetically the organizations fought one another.
Despite the presumably unpopular opinion I hold, I base my opinion off of the historical record and therefore thanks to the credibility of the sources about the different militaristic orders which fought in the Crusades against the Saracens and other groups labeled as heretics by the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages, nothing will convince me otherwise.
And believe it or not, the Teutonic Order does still exist but as a mere charity.
You can blame Napoleon Bonaparte I of France one hundred percent on disestablishing it as an Militaristic Order in 1809.
In fact, here's their official website:
www . imperial teutonic order . com
Oh and remnants of the Hospitallers also still exist as well apparently but of course everyone knows the fate of the Templars.