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Phase 9: Halcyon Days
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Part 3
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We have something special for you this time! Stark Industries' new entertainment division just released a short teaser hinting at the direction Mr. Stark tends to take Star Wars. For those of you who still need to watch it, please skip forward in the video. The rest of us, we're in for a treat!
Contrary to what many feared, Tony Stark doesn't intend to reinvent the wheel or throw away beloved characters and their stories. The Clone Wars show will continue, that's a direct promise from Mr. Stark, yet there will be changes. One of them is reining in the Expanded Universe of Star Wars. If you watch this, you're likely familiar with it. If not, the EU is a continuation and expansion of the Star Wars stories in book format, comics, and through certain games, like the famous Knights of the Old Republic.
The primary change Mr. Stark will make is the introduction of a Star Was tech bible, his words, not mine. That would explain how tech is supposed to work in this universe we love and, more importantly, what its limitations are. Considering what Super-Nerd he is, this shouldn't come as a surprise!
New content will be required to keep things in line with said tech bible, whether it's mainline movies, shows like the Clone Wars, books, or games. In the short term, this means that while the season of the Clone Wars currently in production will continue as envisioned, the next one and beyond will feature technology and capabilities that will be a canon from now on. We will likely see a soft retcon on things we saw on screen in the show and read about in the books. Mr. Stark claimed that any contradictions could be explained in-universe generally as unreliable narrators, which for me, at least shows respect for all the content creators who worked for decades to build the Star Wars universe! We can hope for the best on this one!
Finally, the teaser! We might get KOTOR III at this rate, folks! The narration and few awesome images we saw outright tell us that Mr. Stark intents to let our familiar characters rest on their lau
rels and explore the distant past of the Star Wars universe! We will see a conflict between the Old Republic and an ancient Sith Empire for galactic dominance!
Now, let us watch the teaser again!
From Luke Vader's Star Wars dedicated Youtube channel
Summer is back in vogue in California, and we have a hell of a time! The sun is fit to bake you if you show yourself outside, and we have a heat warning across the Eastern Seaboard! Meanwhile, in New Orleans, people are preparing to fend off yet another hurricane; yay for Mother Nature!
Pepe Rodriguez, from Californian Dreams radio station
We are settling in for a long, hot, and dry summer, one of the driest on record. I don't know about global warming, folks, but climate change? That's here to stay, and with a vengeance! Those who don't believe in objective facts might go to the beach in LA and try their luck. As we saw earlier today, the beaches there are almost all empty, with only a few people brave enough to endure the unprecedented heat wave!
What can we do about it, you might ask? Well, throwing away fossil fuels into the garbage bin of history is a good start. The mass introduction of fusion reactors many governments are working on might just be what we need to save the planet. Facts didn't help; fear for the future wasn't enough to get our politicians moving. Yet, fusion did? I'm honestly not sure how that happened, but I'm going to be forever thankful!"
The Daily Show with Mitch Vauban
Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar pledged to develop fusion and power-grid infrastructure jointly. They are also in talks with Jordan to join in on the project. With oil set up to become obsolete as a fuel source in a few short years, the governments of those states have decided they need to chart a new path while it's still possible. The promise of plentiful and cheap fusion energy makes desalination at a large scale viable, which could turn those small Middle Eastern countries into veritable paradises focused on tourism.
Al-Jazeera News
Iranian diplomats are in talks with EU representatives in a surprising turn of events. We just learned they are discussing giving up on further development of fission nuclear power plants and pursuing nuclear weapons in exchange for restriction of sanctions and aid in developing fusion technology for civilian use. This came after months of protests and alleged clashes between moderate and conservative elements within the Iranian government. Rumors of a relatively liberal faction on the rise might prove true, considering that Iranian authorities have refused to unleash the military or Revolutionary Guard on the protesters. This is especially important because so far, the Iranian government has held back its military and paramilitary forces despite weeks of prominent Guard Officers promising swift retribution against subversive elements – something that fortunately hasn't happened yet.
Euronews
Israel's Air Force struck more targets within Gaza and Lebanon as a part of their military's escalating retaliation over the Jericho missile strike that caused hundreds of casualties. The IDF executed limited raids aimed at terrorist bases and safe houses in the Beit Laha area. So far, the Israeli government has refused to launch a full-scale invasion, despite the demands of hardliners.
Two US Air Force jets were shot down above Afghanistan while providing air support to Coalition forces fighting a Taliban resurgence in Kandahar. It happened five days after massed missile strike hit the compound of local strongman Ishmail Shah, Afghan military and militia barracks, as the opening move of an insurgent offensive. We keep hearing that the Taliban are increasingly using advanced weapons – either stolen or bought on the black. They are primarily Stark Industries and Russian in origin. What's worse, it appears that the Taliban took the time and purchased the know-how to learn how to operate and utilize their new assets to good effect. As of early this evening, half of Kandahar province is contested or outright in insurgent hands. Coalition forces in the region are in for an unpleasant night.
CNN
The US military is scrambling to rush reinforcements to Kandahar. At the same time, the Taliban keep striking all over the country, causing chaos and disrupting logistics. Two relief convoys from Bagrain have been stopped cold by ambushes, and here's a big surprise – missile-deployed minefields. One thing is crystal clear now; there are critical and systematic intelligence failures in Afghanistan.
Washington Post
The French Navy will deploy its single aircraft carrier off the Somali coast as a part of a new piracy suppression operation. After losing the Frigate Floreal to a missile strike earlier in the year, the French parliament authorized the naval deployment to restore regional security.
Euronews
Breaking news! We have unique images from War Reporter Richard Takeda. He was with a US Army Combat Engineers platoon in Kandahar when the Taliban unleashed their assault. Richard was presumed dead or captured after the unit he was with and the company of Canadian infantry they were attached to were cut off in the early hours of the battle.
Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Coalition forces managed to hold out until relief forces broke the siege of Kandahar.
Here you can see some unique pictures that will win Takeda a reward or ten! First, we have a US Combat Engineer wearing an unpowered exoskeleton carrying wounded to one of the last safe places the cut-off unit could protect. You can see tracer fire strike Sergeant Martin Morales' side and back, yet fail to penetrate the experimental Stark Industries armor issued to the whole platoon.
Next, we have Lance Corporal Julia Simmons utilizing the support of her exoskeleton to fire a SAW she picked up from a killed Canadian soldier during a fighting retreat…
Finally, this was what the Coalition soldiers thought was their last stand – you can see the only ones still standing are Combat Engineers, thanks to their advanced armor. They are firing all kinds of weapons removed from damaged or destroyed vehicles, using their exoskeletons as support frames to carry the weight and absorb the recoil. It's something straight out of a science fiction movie! Like Aliens or something!
CNN Evening News
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Part 4
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The diplomatic coup of the decade, if not the century, or an incredible geo-strategic blunder?
After weeks of negotiations, EU, US, and Iranian diplomats finally reached an agreement. Iran will dismantle its nuclear power program in exchange and cease supporting terrorists worldwide! In exchange, the Iranians will receive aid from the EU in building fusion power infrastructure, upgrading their power grid, and building large desalination plant complexes to begin pushing back the deserts within the country.
Optimists call this a great victory for liberty and stability in the region, while detractors accuse the West as a whole of capitulation against Iranian radicalism!
Euronews
This past June was the darkest month in US military history since World War 2.
In hindsight, it's almost simple to conclude the heavy fighting in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan was a distraction by an enemy we didn't believe had the capacity for more. As bad as those initial clashes were, everyone thought we saw the Taliban's maximum effort.
Now we know we were wrong. Originally, Herat and Jalalabad were written off as diversions. Initial reports of Afghani military garrisons and reinforcements by the government holding and pushing the Taliban back helped us accept that picture as the truth. That was why we sent light reinforcements alongside at least a battalion worth of ANA forces to each city. Those were the two most reliable battalions in the Afghan military outside Kabul. These units distinguished themselves during the surge in the past few years, fighting hard and with surprising ability compared to the average Afghan unit.
A company of Marines went to Herat, supported by a platoon of German Mountain Infantry. The British sent a company from their rapid reaction force in Kandahar province to Jalalabad, augmented by two platoons of the US military – Combat Engineers and Mechanized Infantry. Those Coalition units were backed by an ANA battalion each.
Many assumptions and long-held truths were proven wrong in the following days.
Enduring the Storm: The Second Afghanistan War, a memoir of General George Roberts, US Army, retired
"We have an exclusive and explosive video from Herat, dear viewers! Be advised viewer discretion is advised. What we are about to see can is graphic in nature and include people dying! This is from our War Correspondent Frank Santos, attached to First Battalion, Eight Marines."
The video began playing.
A dirt-caked face appeared; a pair of wide brown eyes stared wildly into the camera while deafening rapid fire and explosions swallowed whatever the man was trying to say.
"It's hell out here! I don't know if anyone will ever see this, but" the intensity of the firefight waned for a bit, allowing Santos to be heard. "We were ambushed and betrayed! The leading elements of the ANA battalion and one platoon of Marines went ahead to reinforce and help hold the government complex in Herat. At the same time, the rest of the reinforcements moved in to find and engage the insurgent forces in the city. From what we heard, the complex had already fallen. The advance party that met our soldiers was the Taliban in disguise. The same is true for at least one company of the battalion we came in with! They led us into a prepared ambush and tore apart the loyal Afghani! It was a massacre!"
"Hold the damn flank! I have no reinforcements to send!"
"Where is our damned air support! The Germans are about to get cut off, and then the bastards will roll up our right flank!"
At those shouts, Frank turned the camera away from his face to show a dimly lit room with a low ceiling. A handful of marines were inside, looking at a map spread on a wooden table and shouting in communication equipment.
Deafening explosions shook the room, and dust fell from the ceiling.
"Fuckers just hit the left flank hard! They're breaking through!"
"With me! We're the only ones left to plug the gap! Have Henderson pull back and rotate fire teams to cover his left flank just in case!" One of the soldiers turned his head to the side, showing a face half-covered in bloody bandages. "You better stay here," He shouted at the reporter, picked up his rifle from the table, and ran out of the room.
Santos didn't listen. His hands shook as they held the camera, yet he followed the Marines out of the building. Smoke rose from all around the city outside – Santos was obviously in a slightly elevated area, giving him a decent view of Herat. What little could be seen from the sky was painted red by a nearly set sun.
Blood erupted from the neck of a marine moving low and fast. He fell and clutched his throat, writhing on the ground. The man behind him didn't pause but grabbed the wounded soldier by the harness and dragged him toward a nearby tree line. A second shot hit, slamming into the side of the shoulder of the marine who shouted at Santos. He staggered, then suddenly collapsed. The reporter couldn't stop his dash fast enough and tripped over the wounded man.
The camera went wild and then fell on the ground at an angle showing the nearby trees. US Marines in their distinct desert camouflage could be seen falling backfiring all the way, followed in by their attackers. The insurgents were not wearing the typical Taliban outfits you could often see on TV. Instead, they had dark armor, insect-like night vision goggles, and advanced-looking weapons, not old AK variants.
Before a stray bullet broke the camera, it caught a brutal close-range exchange of fire between the retreating marines and what would later be revealed to be Taliban shock troopers. Shots hitting center mass at near point-blank range staggered and even brought combatants to the ground, but often weren't fatal. They kept firing until more bullets or aimed fire finally took them out.
The recording ended at that point.
"The Coalition and ANA forces deployed to reinforce Herat suffered over ninety percent casualties, with only over twenty wounded US, and German soldiers confirmed as captured. Fifteen coalition soldiers, including four walking wounded and Frank, managed to break contact and retreat, later linking up with a handful of surviving loyalists from the destroyed ANA battalion. I honestly haven't done my homework on this one yet, but this is perhaps the gravest US military defeat in combat since Vietnam…."
CNN
"Stunned disbelief, anger, and outrage are the consequences of the catastrophic military blunders in Afghanistan! As you can see behind me, there are thousands of people protesting the mishandling of the War in Afghanistan in front of the White House. At the same time, you can see a small group of veterans holding vigil for the dead and captured American and allied forces during the fall of Herat and Jalalabad…."
CNN
US Army General Jorge Roberts is to assume command of the Coalition forces in Afghanistan. President Obama, with full backing from the Pentagon, removed General Trent from command soon after the full scope of the unfolding disaster in Afghanistan became clear.
Washington Post
The recent fighting in Afghanistan points towards an evolution of infantry warfare brought about by advancements in various technologies. In this case, materials science and robotics - passive, also known as unpowered exoskeletons. Experimental armor developed by Stark Industries and the ever-increased use of exoskeletons in logistics and among Combat Engineers combined to unintentionally point at a paradigm shift. We all saw the pictures from Kandahar. The After Action Report puts a strong emphasis on how the Combat Engineers outfitted with advanced armor and exoskeletons were vital in mitigating casualties, rescuing wounded, and even holding the line at critical moments by deploying heavy direct firepower in a way that should have been suicidal if not for their experimental equipment. The Combat Engineers proved highly resistant to small arms fire, in a few cases, all but immune during certain firefights during the engagement.
As a direct consequence, the US Army revealed outstanding contracts with Stark Industries to develop combat exoskeletons, including fully armored ones, first passive, then powered as precursors for potential power armor development when the technology allows for it.
US Army Magazine
President Obama approves a second troops Surge for Afghanistan. After the fall of three critical provinces to Taliban and Ten Rings insurgents, the ongoing conflict is now classified as the Second Afghan War. We are no longer fighting a 'simple' nation-building and anti-insurgency operation.
USA Today
After being quiet for a few months, Stark Industries have more news for us, fellow fans! I am Luke Vader; let's roll!
First, we have a confirmation that the Star Wars tech bible, the Anaxes Guide to Stellar Warfare and Technology, is now ready and sent for editing. Barring any unforeseen problems, it should hit paperback stores in late September, and it will be available for purchase in digital format as well. In just a month and a half, we will see for ourselves for sure what Tony Stark's vision for Star Wars really is!
Next, we have an announcement that KOTOR III will be a thing. The game is still in the planning stages. SI will be working with Bioware and Obsidian Entertainment to create the largest open-world RPG to date. We've got hints that if the technology allows it, we will see large parts of multiple planets, including some we have only heard of in the EU until now, real-time combat, more like the Jedi Knight series, and much more SI is for now keeping under wraps!
If that wasn't exciting enough, SI announced their overall plans for the core of the Star Wars franchise – a new movie trilogy, at least one more TV show, either animated or even live action, the last is not decided as of yet, and an MMORPG all taking place in the Old Republic era. The movies, shows, potential books, comics, and the MMORPG would complement each other in fleshing up the Star Wars universe four thousand years before the Clone Wars era.
In that regard, KOTOR III will act as a prequel to the events in the promised movies and other media!
Star Wars being Star Wars, we will be getting a new series of toys and all kinds of supplemental materials. SI is in negotiations with Hasbro for the production of such materials…
Luke Vader's Star Wars dedicated youtube channel
"We have been betrayed! They sold us to the American devils and their European servants!"
"The Revolutionary Guard is ready to do your bidding! We are all brothers in the light of Allah and ready to die as martyrs if that is what it takes!"
"We must show the whole world our strength and determination! Iran won't fall to decadence and depravity! I will not have it! Tell me, old friend, what do you suggest?"
"Our own turned against us. If Allah wills it, we will prevail. It is time for strength, Ayatollah. We should dispose of those who stand against us and are willing to sell their souls for the comforts of the flesh! We've been together from the start and will stand as brothers until the end!"
"Hail Hydra! General, the Great Satan will be moving against us. Those who pull their strings wouldn't let this chance to purge us pass. We will make them all bleed! A stunning display of strength is needed to paralyze them! We will wait until they fully commit to Afghanistan, then hit them where we can and use their distraction to dispose of the subversive elements poisoning our society!"
"By your command! Hail Hydra and praise Allah!"
"Hail Hydra! Allah is great! We will prove ourselves worthy of his grace!"
A conversation between Iran's Supreme Leader, the Commanding General of the Revolutionary Guard, and a close ally of the Ayatollah, who was a key figure in making the revolution a resounding success