#summit of divisions

[pandaglasses]

Hypnosis Mic - Summit of Divisions Polaroids

[minato-division03]

SUMMIT OF DIVISIONS (R.I.P Märchen & Pixel SyndicateEdition)

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— (All) —

Here we go (here we go), east and west

Connecting divisions (divisions) with this microphone

Old and young, come together and make our voices a chorus

The battle is locals vs. Chuohku

Here we go (here we go), you and me

Right and left, me and you

Overcoming blood relations and troublesome connections

Anyway, this party, let's get it on

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let's get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don't have fun, there's no point

Let's go!

— (Queen Card) —

Don’t be afraid, come closer, Baby

to a land where norms are forgotten, magic happens

They said, "don't you feel a little lonely living in your own world?"

But don't you  feel helpless living in other's worlds?

How can someone who looks like danger and sin

taste so good and holy just like the heavens?

The one that you sought, we’re making it hot

The land of dreams feels good to me

Come on in

— (Black Cat, Reiaki Suzubayashi) —

Sometimes I just need a break from my own thoughts

In my head, my thoughts twist and form into knots

You sleep to dream while I'm awake to live mine

I'm outta my mind, it's a dark and scary mind

— (Hex 13, Miku Shirazuki) —

In the dark two shadows reaching through

their hands meet and light spills in a flood like a

hundred gold urns pouring out the sun

All the way up up up in the air yo

— (Rush Hour, Anika Kiyozaki) —

Uh everyday I'm winnin’

Akihabara's lights never stay dimming

I'm aiming for the thoughts, I got your head spinnin'

Whether it's on the tracks or the clinic where you relax

The world now that you living in

is all just an illusion

Your strings have loosened Uh-huh

All hands on deck, Syndicate, raise your mics

Instincts take over

We swallow you whole,

— (Ready or Not, Shian Meizono) —

I found you gotchu in my line of sight

Are you flirting or trying to start a damn fight

How bad can a good girl get

Be careful with how you tread

Don’t run you will only get caught tired

— (Screen Shot, Makina Setsukura) —

See you yap yap with it Just the opening gambit

I heard you’re a player

Nice to meet you I’m the game

Enemies I keep slaying

Only way to win is to keep playing

— (All) —

Here we go (here we go), east and west

Connecting divisions (divisions) with this microphone

Old and young, come together and make our voices a chorus

The battle is locals vs. Chuohku

Here we go (here we go), you and me

Right and left, me and you

Overcoming blood relations and troublesome connections

Anyway, this party, let's get it on

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let's get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don't have fun, there's no point

Let's go!

Bukuro! (Hey!)

Yokohama! (Ho!)

Minato! (Hey!)

Nagoya! (Ho!)

Shibuya! (Hey!)

Shinjuku! (Ho!)

Akiba! (Hey!)

Osaka! (Ho!)

— (MC B.B, Ichiro Yamada) —

All in all, we're bad motherfuckers

We're seriously unique, so it's a traffic jam of characters

Clashing our hilts against each others', rattle rattle

From learning from each other, to I gotcha again

— (Mr. Hc, Samatoki Aohitsugi) —

A locust leading the underground

Goodbye to the empty-headed kiddy rappers

The bell tolls for me, brass knuckles

Even if you line up a bunch of small fry, it's still 0 points

— (Queen Card) —

You want a battle from me

I'll give you a war, it's like Beauty and Beast

You know I'll be the designer of your catastrophy

Go hard, take the mic,

I'm the Queen, I'm swordlike

— (Rush Hour, Anika Kiyozaki) —

Bet you got your hopes high up, thinking you can beat me

Well think again, everything I oversee

Treat me like a joke, I'll run you over like it's funny

I'll laugh in your face. Bitch, my victory tastes like honey

— (Easy R, Ramuda Amemura) —

From Shibuya, Shinjuku, Hama and Bukuro

With Nagoya, Osaka, Minato, Akiba, we'll cause great fear

The iron rule is to stan while you still can

Today, it seems like around here is where we should run off

— (ill-DOC, Jakurai Jinguji) —

A warped rondo, an elaborate skit

A vaccine panacea overdose, end of examination

With the past, NO WAR

Let's change with the night's crescendo, checkmate

— (Tragic Comedy, Sasara Nurude) —

Final countdown of one thousand days

Held by the beat, this heart is steel

Fated for battle until we burn up

You're not allowed to stop this flow

— (Evil Monk, Kuko Harai) —

The anchor for these complicated guys

If it was a different day, we'd be taking each others' territory

Taking a mic in hand, deciding the last shot

I'll change this place into an energy vortex

— (All) —

Here we go (here we go), east and west

Connecting divisions (divisions) with this microphone

Old and young, come together and make our voices a chorus

The battle is locals vs. Chuohku

Here we go (here we go), you and me

Right and left, me and you

Overcoming blood relations and troublesome connections

Anyway, this party, let's get it on

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let's get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don't have fun, there's no point

[fukuokadivision1]

SUMMIT OF DIVISIONS (MIHANASA & Kiya Kara Ver.)

Bring the Beat!

[All:]

Here we go (here we go), east and west

Connecting divisions (divisions) with this microphone

Old and young, come together and make our voices a chorus

The battle is locals vs. Chuohku

Here we go (here we go), you and me

Right and left, me and you

Overcoming blood relations and troublesome connections

Anyway, this party, let’s get it on

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let’s get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don’t have fun, there’s no point

Let’s go!

[Sanyu:]

In a world that's obsessed with the norm

I spit rhymes in a storm, breakin' the form

"Average," they say, but I won't conform

I'm the queen of the ring, not just another swarm

I shed the label, it's a societal scorn

Normal's a myth, in my truth, I'm reborn

From the ashes of the past, my spirit's torn

In the beat of the streets, a new rebel's sworn

[Tasuku:]

Fate's a gamble, destiny's a lie

I'm the master of my path, under the sky

No dice, no cards, no fate to defy

I carve my own way, never gonna say die

[Ming:]

For the lost souls in Fukuoka's nights

We stand as guardians, igniting their rights

In slums we rise, our bond ignites

MIHANASA's vow, to reach new heights

[All:]

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let’s get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don’t have fun, there’s no point

Let’s go!

[Ryūzō:]

In the shadows of my past, I've danced with death's embrace

A silent whisper in the dark, a ghost without a trace

From ninja to professor, I've found my space

Teaching truth in every verse, in every line I face

The darkness of my history, a canvas for my art

The former life I lived, the pain was off the charts

But in this classroom, I've found a brand new start

Kiya Kara's my redemption, Sendai's where I impart

[Takumi:]

In the gym where spirits soar, I'm the force that never rests

Pushing limits, breaking sweat, putting wills to the test

Life's a challenge, face it head-on, that's my quest

With every drop of sweat, we're becoming our best

[Kotono:]

Medicine and physics, my dual domain

Healing bodies, teaching minds, in the academic lane

For my sister, lost but not in vain

I'll unravel every mystery, break every chain

[All:]

Here we go (here we go), east and west

Connecting divisions (divisions) with this microphone

Old and young, come together and make our voices a chorus

The battle is locals vs. Chuohku

Here we go (here we go), you and me

Right and left, me and you

Overcoming blood relations and troublesome connections

Anyway, this party, let’s get it on

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let’s get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don’t have fun, there’s no point

Let’s go!

Fukuoka! (Hey!)

Sendai! (Ho!)

Edogawa! (Hey!)

Shizuoka! (Ho!)

Kobe! (Hey!)

Kanazawa! (Ho!)

If you stan them, put your hands up! (Ho!)

Boys! (Hey!) Girls! (Ho!)

Gentlemen! (Hey!) Ladies! (Ho!)

Middle aged men! (Hey!) Mature women! (Ho!)

If you're there, raise your voice! (Ho!)

[Sanyu:]

Step to me, you'll learn quick why "normal" ain't my tale

I'll unleash a damn storm, and watch as you all flail!

Try to chain me again, I'll shatter your scale

MC Rogue's wrath, in this fight, I prevail!

[Ryūzō:]

Cross my path, you'll meet shadows where death once tread

An assassin still lingers, my silence, your dread

Dare to challenge my peace, I'll paint your end in red

Kage's blade, leave opposition in shreds!

[Tasuku:]

Life's a gamble, step up, it's time to cash in your chip

My destiny's mine to wield, this rap battle's my grip

Ante up, face the storm, I'll sink your ship

Katame's resolve, watch your footing slip!

[Takumi:]

Think my class is tough? Oppose us and feel the sting

I'll school you in pain, let the real lesson begin

Corporal's my game, with each verse I bring

GUTS on the stage, feel the punishment I sling!

[Ming:]

Monsters roam our land, but none as fierce as I'll be

Threaten my kin, my city, unleash the beast in me

For the children's future, I'll fight, you'll see

Miss Ming's fury, a protector's decree!

[Kotono:]

Dare to harm us, I'll show you Chuohku's dark side

Experiments of horror, a past I won't let slide

My knowledge, believe me, it's a terrifying ride

Shiki's secret weapon, you've nowhere to hide

[All:]

Here we go (here we go), east and west

Connecting divisions (divisions) with this microphone

Old and young, come together and make our voices a chorus

The battle is locals vs. Chuohku

Here we go (here we go), you and me

Right and left, me and you

Overcoming blood relations and troublesome connections

Anyway, this party, let’s get it on

A night where shocking oaths crowd around

The no.1 mic that aims at our days

Let us drink and sing, get wired as we like

A party night limited to only one stage, make love

Hop, skip, and jump, taking the initiative asap

Let’s get started

Reverberating sound and hearts

If we don’t have fun, there’s no point

Let’s go!

[fullmetalgirl98]

30 days Hypnosis Mic challenge

DAY 6: favorite All Stars song

🎤 「Summit of Divisions」

(link)

This was a really hard choice, partly because I really like all the All Stars for different reasons, partly because some of them will be discussed in some of the later days of this challenge.

So...Summit of Division.

I chose this one because, compared to the other, so-called "classic", All Stars, such as Division Battle Anthem or Division Rap Battle, just to name two must-haves, this song has a vibe somewhere between the aggressive style of these ones and the lighter style of others such as Survival of the Illest or Hypnotic Summer, while still retaining in latency that sense of an impending epic battle, with all that "east, west, let's unite!!!" and quoting virtually every social category, from children to the elderly, calling on everyone to take part in this union.

Predominantly, this was the only All Stars that survived undefeated in my playlist for 3 years straight. So I couldn't help but choose it.

The thing I love the most? The chorus, absolutely. The hymn to the union of peoples that it launches (particularly if we take a look to what's happening in the world, these days... let's say a random someone would have a lot to learn from Hypnosis Mic...), a "NO WAR" tribute, and the music that in the last verse acquires that melody that I like so much.

It's beautiful how this sense of togetherness and connection the song wants to convey is constantly evinced.

Case in point: "Otsugi wa Shinjuku pass suru Mic" is the line Dice says to introduce the Matenrou. I, I-. AHHHH, I love it!!! It's wonderful to see with what cordial spirit Dice says this phrase, when he's always been ready to throw blades at that poor guy Doppo in other circumstances.

Also, how can we not mention the link between Sasara's last sentence, which ends with "Dotsuitare" and the beginning of Rosho's, which continues with "Honpo"? Simply brilliant.

And then I cannot fail to mention a verse that literally sends me into raptures: Samatoki's. I remember the first time I heard that "sore de ii" I started squeaking. Because, dammit man, what gives you the right to express yourself so sexily in such a song? UH?

[7000f1]

Compilation of screenshots I took from 3DCG Live of Jyushi's eye doing the thing

[4giorno]

why release more music anymore when black journey by fling posse exists?

[zvaigzdelasas]

During a keynote speech in New York on Monday from the managing director of Google's Israel business, an employee in the company's cloud division protested publicly, proclaiming “I refuse to build technology that powers genocide.”

The Google Cloud engineer was subsequently fired, CNBC has learned[...]

There was more internal controversy this week, also tied to the crisis in Gaza.

Ahead of an International Women's Day Summit in Silicon Valley on Thursday, Google's employee message board was hit with an influx of staffer comments about the company's military contracts with Israel. The online forum, which was going to be used to help inform what questions were asked of executives at the event, was shut down for what a spokesperson described to CNBC as "divisive content that is disruptive to our workplace."[...]

In recent weeks, more than 600 Google workers signed a letter addressed to leadership asking that the company drop its sponsorship of the annual Mind the Tech conference promoting the Israeli tech industry. The event on Monday in New York featured an address from Barak Regev, managing director of Google Israel.

A video of the employee protesting during the speech went viral.

“No cloud for apartheid,” the employee yelled. Members of the crowd booed him as he was escorted by security out of the building.

Regev then told the crowd, “Part of the privilege of working in a company, which represents democratic values is giving the stage for different opinions."

A Google spokesperson said the employee was fired for "interfering with an official company-sponsored event" in an email to CNBC on Thursday. "This behavior is not okay, regardless of the issue, and the employee was terminated for violating our policies." The spokesperson didn't specify which policies were violated.[...]

Ahead of Google's International Women's Day summit on Thursday, called Her Power, Her Voice, some women filled the company's internal discussion forum Dory with questions about how the Israeli military contract and Google's AI chatbot Gemini are impacting Palestinian women. Some of the comments had hundreds of "upvotes" from employees, according to internal correspondence viewed by CNBC.[...]

Another highly-rated comment on the forum asked how the company is recognizing Mai Ubeid, a young woman and former Google software engineer who was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza along with her family late last year. (Some employees and advocacy groups gathered to honor Ubeid in New York in December.)

One employee asked, "Given the ongoing International War Crimes against Palestinian women, how can we use the 'Her Power, Her Voice' theme to amplify their daily struggles?" The comment received over 100 upvotes.

"It's essential to question how we can truly support the notion of 'Her Power, Her Voice,' while at the same time, ignoring the cries for help from Palestinian women who have been systematically deprived of their fundamental human rights," another said.

As the number of comments swelled, Google prematurely shut down the forum.

8 Mar 24

[psychomusic]

oc time again! + her town & culture (heavily inspired by pre-roman italic populations)

she is suri sauthon (later suri laran, after her marriage). her story is linked to my swtor imperial agent, but most of her life for like. the one year away where she meets him, is spent in a town in the mountains of mirial.

despite mirial being cold and desert, and many cities developing underground, her town flourishes thanks to a force nexus, venerated in the form of an ancient, sacred, alive crystal. the ecosystem of that mountain depended on what "the horned crystal" was capable of giving them, but mirialans couldn't live off of that alone, so they developed trade and some rudimental technology, even if oftentimes it was bought thanks to the highly profitable trade of a plant used to make medicines that slowed down aging and had overall healing properties.

note: everything that's generated by this nexus has these healing properties BUT they have to be processed, except for those who bathed in the waters of the cavity under the crystal - the "real" nexus, but not the worshipped one. the waters were sacred but they were not thought to be miraculous, unlike the crystal, who instead was thought of as the keystone of the ecosystem: without it, everything would fall apart (and that is partially true: the cavity was the "real" nexus but thanks to the crystal, also strong in the force, the properties were spread all over the mountains). those who bathed in the cavity's waters - so, all of the town, who had a sort of baptism there - could eat the plant, make whatever food with it, and not only that plant, but everything generated by the nexus, that, again, had similar properties. this allowed people to live up to normal life-spans without advanced medicines or, much, really. to those who didn't live there, though, after the processing, had incredible effects, slowing down aging - for those who took it regularly - and making people able to live up to half a century more than the average]

originally, there were four tribes of nomads that lived thanks to horned farm animals that decided to settle down into one bigger town and other smaller settlements, to live off of transhumance. this division of the tribes stayed into the political and social organization: every person belonged to one tribe specifically, and had slightly different rituals and culture. for examples, each tribe had their own priests and healers, with different techniques and traditions. the town, tho, was guided by a group of people in the high priesthood, a position you could reach only by having earned the trust of all tribes. those high priests had many roles: they guided the people into sacred processions common to all the tribes, they managed the trading with outsiders, they did the maintenance of the temple of the summit (the one that functioned as casket to the crystal) and created a special liquid to offer the crystal that helps it grow.

this particular temple was important because 1. it was very visible, from every angle of the town, and it became an important identity symbol; 2. it stored the venerated horned crystal; 3. it had the altar where sacrifices were made for the crystals. that altar had a hole connected to the cavity, that allowed the liquids to reach the underground; 4. it had various symbols: statues representing each tribe + the high priesthood, and typical mirialan tattoos carved into the wood of the trees that served as columns for the temple, symbolizing 8 values that who dared to enter HAD to have; 5. it was on the way to an important lake (called "mother lake" because the lake the town was built around to depended on the waters of that other lake) where they traveled to in important processions; 6. it was said that a the wizard who unified the tribes made it with its magic, making the plant grow to hold the temple's roof. this wizard was, actually, a force user, obv.

BACK TO HER THOUGH: she's daughter of one of the high priests, who was in charge of managing the trades with outsiders, and lives in a house on the mountains with her mother and him. her parents are from different tribes (that's one of the things that earned him trust from the 4 tribes): when a child is born from two different tribes, they don't pick one to allign to, but they're usually linked automatically to the one with more relatives in it (in her case, the father's tribe: she had many uncles and aunts on his side while her mom only had one sister).

later, though, she got quite tied to her mother's tribe due to a mysterious illness that only her mother's tribe healer was able to cure. she spent 4 years (from 10 to 14 years old) living with the healer and learned her secrets. to better study, she wrote them down. when she returned home, she studied to become a priestess with her father. at 22 (the average age: you can't become priest before your 20s), she was supposed to take a test and become a priestess, but the healer of her mother's tribe died and the tribe asked her to take her place. she couldn't technically do that, but both tribes estimated both her and her parents and she was allowed to become both. she then decided to try to become a high priestess, and became one at 25 (a quite young age). being part of the council, she tried to convince the various tribe healers to unite their knowledges and write them down, and eventually made it. healers still remained tribe based but they now had an "upper, inter-tribe level" similar to high priesthood.

years later, the sacred horned crystal is stolen from the temple by some Hutt mercenaries looking for a profit. given the trust she has earned from all the tribes and the fact that her father is the high priest that deals with outsiders (and she's been hearing stories and advice about it since she was little), she is the one tasked with getting it back. without the growing crystal, the keystone to their ecosystem, the village would have lasted only a few years. in hrr quest, she meets imperial intelligence agent tar'x laran and, as they "solve the mystery" and fight to have it back, they get closer. they'll get married and have a daughter, Vegoia (who's the only one who actually will get to the plot of my story. this was all background)

[apas-95]

When people go 'this has destroyed any chance of a palestinian state! maybe israel would have eventually decided to stop being a genocidal settler colony, but not now! are you really so stupid to think that you could *possibly* defeat israel?' it's really interesting - in that they very clearly aren't paying any attention at all to the material situation, not just in terms of the oppression of Palestinians, but of the basic dynamics of Palestinian resistance.

The reason 2021 was met with such shock was that it was unprecedented - the occupation recognised it for what it was: proof. The Palestinian resistance forces mounted a counteroffensive against the occupation, a genuine attack into the depth of the occupied territory, bypassing all existing defenses. It was reactive, it was incomplete, but it proved one thing - the balance of power *could* be tipped. The current flood *is* the balance being tipped. It is an outright offensive, precipitated by nothing other than the genuine need for liberation, and launched at a time and place chosen by the Palestinian resistance forces themselves. It may very well not defeat the occupation outright, it may lose steam within a while and reach an unsteady equilibrium. This is how resistance goes. But what was once unthinkable is now reality. The summit has been crested, and slowly, but surely, the path towards the complete defeat of the occupation is underway.

This much is practically obvious to anyone paying any attention at all to the military situation. Israeli commanders have been captured, entire divisions lost, military headquarters occupied. There is no coming back from this, there is no return to a status quo of a Palestinian resistance that can be handled quietly through airstrikes and checkpoints. The occupation recognises this as an existential threat, declaring a state of war - yet somehow its supporters have deluded themselves into the belief that this is a pointless show. My only advice to them is that even rats know to flee a sinking ship.

[hellearth6]

Summer 1942, 1st Mountain Division claims the summit of Mt Elbrus in Russia (tallest point in Europe)

[darkmaga-retard]

Next week, a gaggle of globalists will descend on the UN to rubber stamp the Pact for the Future, a new document from the kleptocrats laying out their goals for global government and universal neofeudal enslavement. What, you didn’t think the UN was an innocent organization devoted to world peace, did you? Well, you certainly won’t after this week’s edition of The Corbett Report podcast. United Nations delenda est.

Video player not working? Use these links to watch it somewhere else!

WATCH ON:  /  /  /  /  /  or DOWNLOAD THE MP4

SHOW NOTES:

Here’s What’s Next on the Globalist Calendar

Interview 1814 – The UN’s Apex Body with Jacob Nordangård

Our Summit For Our Future – #SolutionsWatch

What is the Summit of the Future?

Latest Pact for the Future revision

Episode 087 – The UN Doesn’t Love You,

UN Peacekeepers raping children in Haiti and Liberia

UN Peacekeepers raping children in Ivory Coast and southern Sudan

UN peackeepers involved in gun running and gold smuggling in the Congo

A UNICEF program discourages breastfeeding in Botswana. Infant deaths ensue.

UN complicity in forced sterilizations of rural poor women in Peru

Polio vaccines delivered as part of a UNICEF program in Nigeria were found to be contaminated with sterilizing agents

Wilsonian “New World Order”

The WWI Conspiracy

Cordell Hull, in his 1939 Advisory Committee on Problems of Foreign Relations, drafted a plan for a global government with an “Executive Council” and a “General Assembly”

Hull created a Division of Special Reserach in 1941 to pursue a “future world order” involving a “world assembly”

Just weeks after Pearl Harbor, Hull set up an Advisory Committee on Postwar Foreign Policy—including not just government officials but the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and the editor of the CFR’s Foreign Affairs magazine—to work on the formation of a world governmental organization to birth the New Post-WWII World Order

SDG Goal 16: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”

Target 16.9: By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration

UNESCO: Its Purpose and Its Philosophy – Julian Huxley wants UNESCO to make eugenics “thinkable” again

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Three New Pacts to Be Approved at the UN Summit

The Foreboding UN Convention on Cybercrime

Canadian pandemic bill would regulate meat production, develop contract tracing

Japan Prepares Eighth Round of Vaccinations with Self-amplifying mRNA

Replicon: Big Pharma Preps the Next Bioweapon

[hugmekenobi]

S2: The Bad Batch (15)

Chapter Fifteen: The Summit

Gif by @dreamswithghosts

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Some time has passed since everything that happened at Kamino and you and the Batch are trying to figure out your place in the rapidly changing Imperial galaxy. And you're having to do all this whilst figuring out where your relationship with Hunter fits into it.

Chapter Summary: The mission to find Crosshair doesn't quite go to plan.

Masterlist for S1

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical violence, swearing, a single kiss, brief fluff and angst, I project my feelings (sorry, I can't help it)

Word Count: 3.4K

Author's notes: Hope you enjoy! Again, keeping it pretty chill because Ch16 is going to be quite emotionally taxing :(

“Echo and I have scoured through Imperial and Republic files, but intel about the Advanced Science Division is limited.” Tech revealed as he tapped through the information.

“Do we know where they’re detaining Crosshair and the other clones?” Hunter asked.

“Negative. Their base of operations is unknown.”

“Well, what about their chief scientist?”

“There’s even less on Dr. Hemlock, and I was very thorough. He is a ghost.”

“Not quite.” Echo interjected as he came down from the cockpit. “According to a contact of mine, Hemlock’s set to attend a high-level Imperial summit in two rotations.” He walked over to the other control panel and inputted the information.

“Where?” You queried as you all stepped across to look at the screen.

“Tarkin’s compound on Eriadu.” He pulled up an image of the location. “If we do a covert infiltration, we can plant a homing beacon on Hemlock’s ship and track him to his base.”

“And to Crosshair.” Omega added.

“Hmmm, it won’t be that simple.” Hunter disputed. “We’d be at a tactical disadvantage, and I’m not sure it’s worth the risk.”

“Hunter, I know why you’re saying that but if what I was sensing was actually Crosshair, he was in a lot of pain, and this is real. He needs us.” You said as gently as you could manage.

“I agree.” Tech concurred with you. “I understand your hesitation. We have not always agreed with Crosshair, but he is still our brother. We do not leave our own behind.”

“If there’s a chance to get him back, we have to take it.” Omega piled on.

“Definitely.” Wrecker said.

In his heart, he agreed with what you all were saying but he had the responsibility of looking at the bigger picture and what he saw worried him. “What about reinforcements?”

“Well, Rex is on a separate mission, so it’s just us.” Echo answered. “A small enough team to get in and out without alerting them. But we’ll need to move quickly.”

Hunter needed a minute to really think about this. This wasn’t a decision that he could make lightly. He walked over to the door and went outside.

“Hold on.” You said to the others before you walked out the ship and sat on the steps.

“This isn’t a good idea.” Hunter said as he paced in front of you. Every survival and leadership instinct he possessed was telling him that this was a bad idea, yet this was his brother. He couldn’t turn his back on him, not when there was a chance that he could’ve changed yet he couldn’t shake that doubt.

“I understand your reluctance, I really do, but-”

“Do you think it’s worth risking everything we’ve built here?”

“It’s not it, Hunter. It’s him. And I know if there was the smallest chance that we could get Crosshair back with us and you didn’t take it, it would haunt you.”

Hunter didn’t reply immediately but he knew you were right.

You spoke into the silence. “That being said, if you truly can’t sanction this, I will walk back in there with you and back you up.”

Hunter paused his pacing and exhaled deeply. He turned to face you. “We’re finally somewhere safe. I don’t want to lose that. But...” He swallowed thickly, “I don’t want to lose him either, not if there’s a possibility that he’s made a different choice.”

You stood and stepped towards him. You took his hands in yours “It’s just one more mission. One more and we can call it.” You whispered.

“One more.” Hunter repeated quietly. “One more to get our brother back.”

You nodded and placed a delicate kiss on his lips. “Come on.” The two of you walked back aboard the Marauder to the awaiting faces of your team.

“Let’s get started.” Hunter said and you all began to get preparation officially underway.

--

Phee watched as you and the others were getting ready to leave. “So, where you all headed?” She asked as you and Omega wandered over to her.

“It’s a covert mission.” Omega said in a hushed tone.

“Oh, I see. Well, I expect details when you get back.” Phee instructed the young girl.

“Bye, Phee.” Omega said cheerily before she ran back to the ship.

“He never said anything.” Phee mused as she looked past you over to Tech.

You followed her stare and rested a friendly hand on her shoulder. He’s the smartest yet sometimes the dumbest person I know. Just be patient with him and you’ll get there eventually.

“Yeah, I guess.” Phee acknowledged with a nod. “Be safe out there.”

See you later. You started to make your way back to the Marauder.

“Hey, wait a minute!” Phee shouted after you. “You never opened your mouth to say all this! Does this mean I’m in?”

“Call it a belated ‘thank you for bringing us here’ gift!” You called back before you hopped up the steps, but you didn’t go all the way in yet, you loitered by the doorway to wait for Tech, and you couldn’t help but be a little bit nosy as you saw Phee now making her way over to him.

Tech glanced up from his datapad and saw that Phee was heading towards him. He quickly focused his eyes back on the screen.

“So, you were just going to leave without saying goodbye.” Phee queried.

“That is correct.” Tech replied bluntly, thinking that would be sufficient but he felt Phee’s gaze become more pointed. He shifted his eyes to look at her. “Did you require a briefing?”

“You know, when two friends are talking, it’s called a conversation.” His lack of response did not surprise her. “Well, don’t go running off with any pirates or smugglers while you’re gone.”

“Yes. This mission should not involve either.”

Phee pushed the datapad down and took a step closer to him. “That’s not exactly what I was getting at.” She couldn’t help but release a soft chuckle at the clueless expression on his face. “See you around, brown eyes.” She gave him one last smile before she turned on her heels and walked away.

You noticed the way Tech watched her go and although you couldn’t see his face, you could sense the deeper feelings that were there even if he couldn’t quite acknowledge them yet. I’m sorry.

“For what?” Tech cocked his head at you as he paused at the bottom of the steps.

If Hunter and I were anything like the way you two are, I understand why you all had so many plans in place and the time you two have been around each other has been far less than what you had to put up with.

“I do not understand what-” Tech darted up the stairs.

You caught his shoulder to stop him from getting past you. “I’m also sorry because I told Hunter I’d leave you to your own devices, but I need to just offer you a little familial advice.”

“Advice?”

“With regards to you and Phee.”

“I hardly think there is a me and Phee. We-”

“I know. I’m not going to dive into all that yet. I’m only going to say when we’re back, maybe take her somewhere quiet, have a nice walk and just talk. Let yourself feel that slightly uncomfortable and awkward but at the same time content and happy feeling that comes from being around her because it could lead to something that nice that you both deserve.”

“I still do not know exactly what you’re referring to.” Tech deflected.

He could say that he all he wanted but you saw the way his eyes drifted downward as he said that. “Just feel. That’s all.” You affectionately squeezed the top of his arm before you let him go and you got the rest of your armour on as the ship powered up and left the island.

--

“I have identified a suitable location to land outside their sensor range.” Tech said as the ship got ready to exit hyperspace.

“How are we bypassing those cruisers?” You questioned as you saw the red warnings on the dash.

“Using a clearance code Rex and I acquired from one of our contacts.” Echo answered.

“Good to have you back, Echo.” Wrecker said merrily. “Just like old times.”

The ship came out of hyperspace.

“Wrecker, man the tail gun. Just in case.” Hunter directed as he saw the cruisers ahead.

“You got it.” Wrecker affirmed as he got up from his seat.

Echo transmitted the clearance codes and you all waited with bated breath.

“If this doesn’t work, be ready to fly out of here.” Hunter said as you all awaited confirmation that you were in the clear.

After a few more seconds of silence, the ship’s commlink beeped and an officer’s voice came through. “Vessel 1143, you are clear for approach.”

You made sure your armour and weapons were secure before you pulled your hood and mask up as the others put on their helmets. You were officially doing it now. You only hoped getting this intel about Crosshair would indeed be worth what was being risked.

--

“Let’s make this quick before they realise we didn’t land at the base.” Echo advised as he stepped off the ship first and the group of you got underway.

--

“What kind of approach are we making? A side-wind breach?” Omega asked inquisitively as you all stealthily made your way through the tree-covered mountain path.

“It worked on Raxus.” Tech said in reply.

“It won’t work here.” Echo corrected him. “The Empire’s protocols have changed since then.”

Wrecker let out a smug scoff. “Thanks to us.”

“No tanks and no explosions this time, Wrecker.” Echo reminded him as he walked past him.

Wrecker let out a disappointed groan. “Fine.”

Having reached the edge of the perimeter, you glanced up to see the sky rail system in place that crossed the abyss below and inwardly groaned. We were supposed to be avoiding heights.

Hunter half turned his helmet in acknowledgement before he looked through his macrobinoculars at the building on top of one of the mountain peaks. “Hmm. The compound is heavily fortified.”

“But there’s a weak point in the rail line that we can exploit.” Echo pointed out as he peered investigated the terrain through his own pair. “We’ll sneak past the sensor and hitch a ride under one of the cars.”

“You mean hang? Over that?” Omega said nervously.

You didn’t blame her attitude. This plan didn’t thrill you either.

“Well, it’s the only way to access the compound unnoticed.” Echo replied simply.

“Tech, disable the sensor.” Hunter ordered.

“That would trigger an alert. I can temporarily disrupt the feed, but I estimate only 30 seconds for us to clear the zone before it reactivates. We must be precise.”

You felt bad but you couldn’t help it, the way you all turned to glance back at Wrecker was pretty instinctual.

Wrecker protested in an affronted fashion. “What? I can handle it!”

Echo handed Tech one of the cable attachments for his blaster whilst Hunter monitored the sensor.

Hunter signalled for Tech to go and for now the only thing the rest of you could do was wait for his word.

“Stand by.” Tech advised into his comm as he got to work.

You heard the screech of metal on metal and looked ahead to see another railcar in the distance. You tapped your comm, “Another railcar is approaching. Are we set?”

“Not… yet.” Tech replied as he waited for official confirmation that the sensor had powered down. When he had that, he spoke into his comm, “The sensor is down. Move in!”

You all ran to the edge of the cliff and fired your cables to the side of the car.

You joined the others in grabbing a hold of whatever structure was available on the outside and eagerly awaited this particular part of the mission to be over.

--

“Halfway there.” Echo called back to the rest of you.

Wrecker calmly chuckled. “This isn’t so bad.” But he then made the mistake of looking down to the empty space below and groaned. “Never mind.” He started counting down the minutes.

--

When the car was arriving at the terminal, you all hopped off onto the outside platform before moved too far in.

Hunter landed a punch to the first trooper and tossed him over the rail before he pressed himself against the side of the building as you fired a shot past him that took care of the second trooper that was getting their blaster ready. He halted Omega from advancing past him as the door to the outside opened to reveal another soldier coming out. Without hesitation, he fired his own shot that sent the trooper flailing over the side and he led the way inside.

--

Your way in had brought you into the main landing bay and you took cover behind one of the many vast storage containers.

Hunter pulled out his macrobinoculars and scanned the various ships.

“Which ship is Hemlock’s?” Omega whispered.

“We need to access the hangar manifest from the control room.” Echo said.

“Echo, Tech, and (Y/N) with me.” Hunter ordered before he spoke to Wrecker and Omega. “You two, plant the homing beacon.”

You split up and got your missions jobs underway.

--

The four of you managed to make it up to the control room and stun the officers inside with little trouble.

“I’ll monitor their security channels.” Echo said whilst you and Hunter moved the unconscious bodies and Tech got to work on getting the manifest.

“Found it. Hemlock’s shuttle is at docking lane four.” Tech informed Wrecker and Omega through his comm.

“Copy that.” Came Omega’s reply.

“Hmm. Something’s not right.” Echo mused as he stared at the screen. “Many of the surveillance systems have had cycled deactivations in various corridors.”

“That is highly irregular considering the number of top-ranking Imperial officers present.” Tech agreed.

Hunter signalled to you and Tech, “The three of us will check in out and Echo, you keep an eye on things.”

The three of you drew your blasters and left the room.

--

You’d heard over the comms that Omega had successfully planted the beacon, but you were dealing with a more urgent matter. Your investigation of the cameras had led you to find a thermal explosive primed for activation.

“Someone is targeting this base.” You said warily as a bad feeling started to settle in your gut and you started to feel into the Force around you.

“One charge will not cause much damage.” Tech theorised.

You and Hunter reacted simultaneously and drew your blasters as you heard footsteps just round the corner of the corridor.

“Good thing we have more.”

You and Hunter kept your arms steady as two people disguised as Stormtroopers stepped in front of you. You were not reassured by their actions of raising their blasters in surrender.

“Didn’t expect to find you three here.”

“Saw Gerrera.” You breathed as the man removed his helmet, but you didn’t relax your stance since you knew his intentions here could not possibly fit in with yours.

“I told you on Onderon you had a choice to make. Looks like you’ve chosen. Keep an eye out.” He instructed his partner before he walked closer. “Did you make yours?” He asked you directly.

You gave a curt nod before you asked, “What exactly is your plan here?” You weren’t quite able to keep the suspicious out of your voice.

“I’m levelling this compound, along with all the Imperials inside it.”

You finally lowered your blaster and scoffed. “You can’t be serious?”

“Can’t let you do that.” Hunter added. “We’re tracking one of the officers. We need to find his base where clones are being imprisoned, including one of our own.”

“You expect me to call this off to save a few prisoners? We are trying to fight an Empire.”

You couldn’t help but take a protective step to the right as he advanced towards Hunter. You held Saw’s pointed glare and matched it.

“Have you considered that by destroying this facility you are wiping out any chance to gather intel that could help your cause?” Tech interjected logically.

“That would require the bigger picture thinking that he’s not all that great at.” You couldn’t help but snap.

Saw’s jaw clenched at your words, but he replied to the clone, “Taking out several of their commanders is a good start.”

“Well, that victory will be short-lived as their ranks will quickly be replenished.” Tech debated.

“Maybe so. But sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”

As he spoke, you felt a hot wave of rage rise in your veins and it took a considerable moment of effort to tamper it back down. “You’d be destroying any shot we have at-”

“I would’ve thought you would understand. They murdered your people and you’re letting them get away with it. If you truly cared about what happened, you would be doing more. You survived and instead you’re playing happy families and-”

This time, it was Hunter who got protective as he saw the flash of grief and anger behind your eyes and the way Saw had started to crowd your space. “That’s enough.” He said sharply.

Saw glanced between you both with a knowing look in his eyes but before he could say anything else, his companion came back.

“We have to go now. A security team’s been alerted.”

You had to check in with yourself again. Something felt very different. You were usually far more level-headed with your emotions but if Hunter hadn’t interrupted when he had, you knew you would’ve acted in a way that you’d only done once before and had vowed to never repeat. It was like the Force was preparing you for something else, but you didn’t know what.

The doors suddenly opened behind you and a team of troopers walked through the door and it became a shootout as you all retreated to up the corridor. The exit the three of you needed was being occupied by the Imperials so you took cover to deal with them, but Gerrera and his now wounded partner were able to get clear.

Tech rolled a stun grenade down the corridor, and it took out two more troopers and you shot the other exposed soldier which gave you all the chance to advance.

As you rounded the corner, you pushed the remaining trooper’s blaster out the way and let Hunter use his body as a shield from the other soldiers lining the next corridor whilst you and Tech shot at them.

When it was finally clear, Hunter discarded the body and tapped his comm, “We’ve been compromised. Get back to the rail line.” He said urgently as the three of you sprinted down the hall.

--

Navigating the maze of corridors was hard enough but it was only made more difficult with the onslaught of Imperial fire as the many squads of Stormtroopers continued their pursuit. All the three of you could do was provide sporadic rounds of cover fire as you retreated but it wouldn’t be sustainable for long. Thankfully, the others intercepted you and so you all were able to find your way back to the railcar, but you knew the soldiers wouldn’t be far behind.

“We need an access code.” Tech said as he tried to get the car to start.

“I’ll override it.” Echo said as he plugged in.

Whilst Echo worked on that, the rest of you took aim at the troopers that were now making their way into the railcar. Unfortunately, it powered up with some Imperials in the second car, but you had the numbers, you just needed to hold out and get away from the compound.

--

Suddenly, the lights in the car flickered and you could feel the speed start to slow down.  

“We’re losing power!” Echo announced with frustration as he knew there was nothing, he could do to prevent it.

You shot the last trooper before you joined the others in

As you stared out into the clouds and saw the enemy railcar a few metres ahead with a squad to Stormtroopers already setting their sights on you, you found yourself wishing you’d shot Gerrera when you’d had the chance. He’d followed through on his plan, but the Imperials were still standing, and it was the six of you who were going to pay for it instead.

“This is going to be a problem.”

Which you knew was Tech’s way of saying you were absolutely fucked.

Next Chapter>

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[mariacallous]

The U.S. presidential election is less than 50 days away, and this week served up some grim reminders of how high the stakes are—and how intent Washington’s adversaries are on swaying or disrupting the vote. 

New details have emerged of cyberattacks and election interference efforts by China, Russia, and Iran, with U.S. officials and technology executives sounding the alarm about the countries’ intent to sow chaos in the weeks leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5. 

Russian cyber groups have pivoted in the last two months to attacking the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a new report Microsoft released Tuesday. The groups have spread several fake videos, including one purportedly showing a Harris supporter attacking an attendee at a rally for former President Donald Trump, another (through a fake San Francisco news site) that falsely claimed Harris was involved in a hit-and-run incident, and a third showing a fake billboard in New York City listing false claims about Harris’s policies. 

“As we inch closer to the election, we should expect Russian actors to continue to use cyber proxies and hacktivist groups to amplify their messages through media websites and social channels geared to spread divisive political content, staged videos, and AI-enhanced propaganda,” Microsoft wrote. 

President Joe Biden’s administration has stepped up its efforts to combat Russia’s disinformation and influence operations, imposing a series of sanctions earlier this month on state-run media outlets including Russia Today (RT) for acting on behalf of the Kremlin to “undermine confidence in the United States’ election processes and institutions.” RT has also developed cyber capabilities with direct ties to Russian intelligence services and is involved in a crowdfunding effort to procure military equipment for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters last week while announcing additional sanctions on the network. 

“We urge every ally, every partner to start by treating RT’s activities as they do other intelligence activities by Russia within their borders,” Blinken said. Tech companies Meta and Google responded to the sanctions by restricting RT content and accounts from their social media platforms this week. 

On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray announced that the agency had successfully hit back against another formidable cyber adversary: China. FBI teams took down a botnet—a network of compromised computers controlled by hackers who were “working at the direction of the Chinese government,” Wray told an audience at the Aspen Cyber Summit in Washington. Wray said the hackers allegedly took over hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices, including cameras and storage devices—half of which were in the United States—to conduct espionage and disrupt critical systems. “We think the bad guys finally realized it was the FBI and our partners that they were up against, and with that realization they essentially burned down their new infrastructure and abandoned their botnet,” he added.

The U.S. government takedown of the botnet, allegedly run by a hacking group called Flax Typhoon, is the second such offensive cyber operation against China in less than a year. It follows a December 2023 operation against another group known as Volt Typhoon. Officials expect it won’t be the last. 

“We’d like to see more of these and more frequently,” a senior administration official said of the takedown, speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening following Wray’s announcement. “What we’ve really been discussing here from the White House is what can be done to accelerate and do these regularly, so that we make it riskier, costlier, and harder for China to conduct their large-scale cyber operations.” 

And then there’s Washington’s third—and increasingly brazen—cyber adversary. On Wednesday, three U.S. agencies issued a joint statement on Iran’s efforts to target Trump’s 2024 campaign. Iranian hackers who breached the Trump campaign in recent months sent “stolen, non-public” material from the campaign via email to individuals associated with Biden’s reelection campaign before he dropped out and was replaced by Harris, according to the statement by the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). “There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied,” the agencies added.

Iran has stepped up its efforts to interfere in the 2024 race amid an escalating proxy conflict with key U.S. ally Israel and has targeted the Trump campaign in particular in what experts see as retaliation for his administration’s 2020 assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Suleimani. 

Despite some key public victories this week, the consensus in the cyberdefense community is that the battle is only just beginning—and is only likely to get more intense as Election Day draws closer, with the United States facing three highly capable adversaries who, if not directly working together, share similar goals. 

“Arguably, the 2024 election cycle is facing the most complex threat landscape yet,” Cait Conley, a senior advisor for CISA, said at the Politico AI and Tech Summit this week. “We do see a growing and diverse array of foreign actors who are trying to influence our American democratic process. … Regardless of the actor, their objectives are the same—they want to undermine the American people’s confidence in our democratic institutions, and they want to sow partisan discord.”

Senior industry leaders visiting Washington this week echoed that sentiment. “We know that there is a presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, but this has also become an election of Iran versus Trump and Russia versus Harris,” Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, told the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing about election threats on Wednesday. “And it is an election where Russia, Iran, and China are united with a common interest in discrediting democracy in the eyes of our own voters and even more so in the eyes of the world.”

[empirearchives]

Discipline in the army of Napoleon during the French Revolution:

Indeed disorder and chaos were a constant problem with the republican armies. In Italy, General Bonaparte had the same kind of troubles when he began his campaign in spring 1796. On 22 April he issued an order that condemned looting on the part of officers and civilian commissaries. He gave division commanders the authority to arrest and remove officers who allowed pillage, and to have officers and men shot who were caught in the act of pillaging. On 26 April he wrote to the directors: “There is less looting than there was. The first thirst of a famishing army is being satisfied. There are excuses for the guilty men; they have arrived in the Promised Land, which they have seen for three years from the summit of the Alps, and they want to enjoy it. A few have been shot, more put to hard labor behind the lines.” On 9 May Bonaparte again wrote to Paris: “Discipline is improving every day, though we still have to shoot a good many men, for there are some intractable characters incapable of self-restraint.” The problems with looting and pillaging in the armies in Germany differed little from those in Italy.

— John G. Gallaher, Napoleon’s Enfant Terrible

[leveloneandup]

Tobin Heath | Inspiration Summit 2023

If someone is fired up by this conversation and they want to learn more, they want to follow you, they want to follow re-inc, where should people go?

I think supporting women’s sports is a big one. Supporting women's sports, demanding more for the athletes.

You can find us at re-website.com. We use our collections, our story telling to really uplift marginalized voices and stories. That's part of this idea, we have a platform and we want to give the platform to other people, we want to amplify conversations like this over and over again.

Going into this big thing called the World Cup this summer, we're starting a media division that's going to change the way women are seen and experienced in sports, which is really exciting and kind of tackling a whole other issue that we've seen and experienced through our careers and we're ready to start carving out a space for what women's sports culture should look and feel like by the people that have done it themselves.

So big things to come, but I'm just really inspired by conversations like this that are being had with so many women that are in the workplace, that are trying to create change.

I think reimagining the world is one step but it's also one step with everyone.