Mao Mao

Precipice Of War: The Reboot of a Reboot

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

_{July 12th, 1955}

A NEW MORNING

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_{Big Bend National Park // US-Mexico Border}

"<Run faster!>" a man cried out in pure terror while escorting his co-workers towards safety. There were fleeing from a couple of White Americans driving a custom jeep with the USBP emblem on the front doors. It was clear that they weren't working for Border Patrol because they lacked the uniform. However, it didn't mean they weren't sponsored, given one of their jeeps was being used. All of the white men were carrying some sort of loaded weapon with them. But, they weren't looking for wild animals to hunt.

The cattleman still was running away from them, but it was clear that the threat was catching up. He kept on running even as his legs were slowly giving in. Then, he felt a bullet going through his leg and fell to the ground in excruciating pain. The jeep came to a stop in front of him, and the white men began exiting out with excitement. It did, however, gave his co-workers enough time to possibly hide from the white terrorists. One of the white men got up close to the wounded man and stabbed his lit cigarette into the bullet wound for seemingly no reason. "That's what you get for stealing our cattle."

"No stealin-"

Another white man looked down at the worker and spit at him. "What a dirty liar."

"We should just leave him for the coyotes." An older white man said while holding the rifle that injured the worker.

"Nah, we got to send a message to these thieves..." The young white man stopped himself as he noticed someone, or rather something, approaching them in the distance. "What the-"

Before he had the chance to finish the sentence, a bullet permanently silenced him and left behind a hole in his forehead. The other men started to panic at the sight of their dead friends and randomly opened fire around them. They didn't attempt to flee until another of their colleagues was killed on the spot; however, one of them thought of doing something bold. With his friend's blood on his shirt, the white man placed his foot on the neck of the cattleman and pulled out a pistol. That was when he issued his ultimatum. "Show yourself, or this bean-bandit gets it!"

The man pulled back on the hammer of his pistol. "I mean it!"

In the distance, a figure appeared from a boulder with his hands up in the airs. Then, they made their way towards them with their weapons in holsters. As they got closer towards them, it was clear that they were a cowboy if their attire wasn't clear enough. And holding onto a silver revolver in their right hand. In an instant, a single shot rang out as the ring finger and pinkie of the white man's hand were blown off. Before he had the chance to speak, the cowboy unloaded his handgun at the man while the cattleman watched in horror.

Then, it ran out of bullets.

The cowboy began reloading his revolver while minding their business; however, they glanced over at the cattleman and peeked at the wound. "<Will you be alright?>"

"<Y-yes. I should have enough time to make it back home before it gets worst.>" The cattleman was surprised that the stranger spoke Spanish fluently. But before he had the chance to ask about it, another vehicle was approaching them; and unlike the wannabes lying dead, the goons were actual border patrol agents armed with military-grade weapons and looking for blood. When he looked at the cowboy, he noticed that the individual was holding onto a small black notebook and keys.

"<Take the jeep.>" The cowboy threw the keys at him and then pointed at some rocks in the distance. "<Go and get to your friends hiding behind the boulders there. I will handle them.>"

The cattleman nodded and made his way to the jeep with the keys on hand. There was so much that he wanted to know about his hero. But, it was clear that time was running out. He started the jeep up and stared at the cowboy for possibly the last time. "<Thank you.>"

There was no response other than a simple nod from the cowboy. As the cattleman drove away and heading towards the boulders, his mind was overwhelmed by everything that happened to him today. But before he had the time to process them, a series of gunshots echoed across the desert and then died out in an instant. The cattleman wasn't planning on stopping after that, but he needed to know his hero's fate for that brief gunfight. Instead, he saw something that was astonishing and unbelievable in the distance: the cowboy standing over the wounded border patrol agents with the revolver in his holster.

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Crisis of the Confederacy [Sci-Fi Warlords in a crumbling state]

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SHINING PATH

_{March 15, 2259}

A NEW DAWN

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_{Hidden Location, Frontier Post}

Earth was destroyed. That was what the local media was declaring in a breaking news segment. All across Frontier Post, thousands of people were devastated since they considered Earth to be their second home. In fact, some people had a vacation house on the planet. Even known there were no reports of survivors (at the moment), dozens gathered at the administration building seeking out answers regarding Earth. Some of them had family and friends on the planet, while others were more worried about any property destroyed in the nuclear war. For now, the governing body of Frontier Post is keeping peace in the area with help from the authorities.

Meanwhile, in the corporate world, the Confederation Stock Exchange collapsed in a matter of seconds after the news spread. Frontier Post was hit especially hard given that several dozen companies had offices on Earth along with workers and high-ranking personnel. But, there were a lucky few companies that received little to no blowback from the devastating news. For example, Airwave still had its CEO and CFO because their offices were here rather than on Earth. Unfortunately, they weren't spare the adverse effects of the stock exchange collapse. Currently, the Financial District is in a state of panic, with authorities dispatched to prevent any more suicides from taking place.

Then, there were the protestors at Elliot Square. News of the short nuclear annihilation and the stock market's total collapse spread like wildfire across the square. And then, it made its way to members of the Shining Path, specifically the leader, Zhan Yijun. Zhan, realizing that this was their moment to strike, ordered an emergency meeting with his comrades to address the apparent crisis facing the Federation and Frontier Post. Without Earth and the Solar System, the major trading planet would face hardship for a long time economically and politically. And while the authorities were distracted with other matters, Zhan had plans to occupy Elliot Square and the surrounding areas.

It included the headquarters of Airwave, a corporation responsible for producing drones of different varieties. Rumors spread for months that a private underground factory existed and producing military-grade drones for the Federation. But, the only way to find out if the rumors were true was to storm the headquarters and find access. Meanwhile, Amalia Hart and her group of fighters planned on seizing control of the nearby police station to use as a base of operation for the Shining Path. Only when the area around Elliot Square was safe and secured is when Zhan will be able to process with the next phase involving establishing contact with General Jugan Lao.

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Mao Mao's Test & Stash Zone

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WONDER WOMAN

^{"FATE OF THEMISCYRA"}

_{January 1st, 1968}

First Day

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_{Themiscyra, Samsun Province}

It took a few minutes to carry all of the equipment to the acropolis, which was still remarkably intact compared to the others (with the expectation of the Acropolis of Athens). If it wasn't for Diana, it would've taken a whole day, and a sizable moving crew, to set up a base of operations without ruining the ancient site. The Acropolis of Themiscyra was the highest citadel built, but it was smaller than the ones in Assos and Pergamon. And not to mention, much of the structures were left undisturbed including a fairly large temple that caught Diana's attention. A foreign, yet familiar, smell was luring her towards the decrepit structure.

"This way."

---

Mao Mao's Test & Stash Zone

---

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

_{July 12th, 1955}

A NEW MORNING

---

_{Big Bend National Park // US-Mexico Border}

"<Run faster!>" a man cried out in pure terror while escorting his co-workers towards safety. There were fleeing from a couple of White Americans driving a custom jeep with the USBP emblem on the front doors. It was clear that they weren't working for Border Patrol because they lacked the uniform. However, it didn't mean they weren't sponsored, given one of their jeeps was being used. All of the white men were carrying some sort of loaded weapon with them. But, they weren't looking for wild animals to hunt.

The cattleman still was running away from them, but it was clear that the threat was catching up. He kept on running even as his legs were slowly giving in. Then, he felt a bullet going through his leg and fell to the ground in excruciating pain. The jeep came to a stop in front of him, and the white men began exiting out with excitement. It did, however, gave his co-workers enough time to possibly hide from the white terrorists. One of the white men got up close to the wounded man and stabbed his lit cigarette into the bullet wound for seemingly no reason. "That's what you get for stealing our cattle."

"No stealin-"

Another white man looked down at the worker and spit at him. "What a dirty liar."

"We should just leave him for the coyotes." An older white man said while holding the rifle that injured the worker.

"Nah, we got to send a message to these thieves..." The young white man stopped himself as he noticed someone, or rather something, approaching them in the distance. "What the-"

Before he had the chance to finish the sentence, a bullet permanently silenced him and left behind a hole in his forehead. The other men started to panic at the sight of their dead friends and randomly opened fire around them. They didn't attempt to flee until another of their colleagues was killed on the spot; however, one of them thought of doing something bold. With his friend's blood on his shirt, the white man placed his foot on the neck of the cattleman and pulled out a pistol. That was when he issued his ultimatum. "Show yourself, or this bean-bandit gets it!"

The man pulled back on the hammer of his pistol. "I mean it!"

In the distance, a figure appeared from a boulder with his hands up in the airs. Then, they made their way towards them with their weapons in holsters. As they got closer towards them, it was clear that they were a cowboy if their attire wasn't clear enough. And holding onto a silver revolver in their right hand. In an instant, a single shot rang out as the ring finger and pinkie of the white man's hand were blown off. Before he had the chance to speak, the cowboy unloaded his handgun at the man while the cattleman watched in horror.

Then, it ran out of bullets.

The cowboy began reloading his revolver while minding their business; however, they glanced over at the cattleman and peeked at the wound. "<Will you be alright?>"

"<Y-yes. I should have enough time to make it back home before it gets worst.>" The cattleman was surprised that the stranger spoke Spanish fluently. But before he had the chance to ask about it, another vehicle was approaching them; and unlike the wannabes lying dead, the goons were actual border patrol agents armed with military-grade weapons and looking for blood. When he looked at the cowboy, he noticed that the individual was holding onto a small black notebook and keys.

"<Take the jeep.>" The cowboy threw the keys at him and then pointed at some rocks in the distance. "<Go and get to your friends hiding behind the boulders there. I will handle them.>"

The cattleman nodded and made his way to the jeep with the keys on hand. There was so much that he wanted to know about his hero. But, it was clear that time was running out. He started the jeep up and stared at the cowboy for possibly the last time. "<Thank you.>"

There was no response other than a simple nod from the cowboy. As the cattleman drove away and heading towards the boulders, his mind was overwhelmed by everything that happened to him today. But before he had the time to process them, a series of gunshots echoed across the desert and then died out in an instant. The cattleman wasn't planning on stopping after that, but he needed to know his hero's fate for that brief gunfight. Instead, he saw something that was astonishing and unbelievable in the distance: the cowboy standing over the wounded border patrol agents.

---

Mao Mao's Test & Stash Zone

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PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

_{January 15th, 1991}

EMPRESS OF KOREA

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_{Classified Location, Taipei}

The occasional screams of desperation kept Shao Kun awake for hours. He heard the sounds all around him

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Mao Mao's Test & Stash Zone

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SHINING PATH

_{March 15, 2259}

A NEW DAWN

---

_{Hidden Location, Frontier Post}

Earth was destroyed. That was what the local media was declaring in a breaking news segment. All across Frontier Post, thousands of people were devastated since they considered Earth to be their second home. In fact, some people had a vacation house on the planet. Even known there were no reports of survivors (at the moment), dozens gathered at the administration building seeking out answers regarding Earth. Some of them had family and friends on the planet, while others were more worried about any property destroyed in the nuclear war. For now, the governing body of Frontier Post is keeping peace in the area with help from the authorities.

Meanwhile, in the corporate world, the Confederation Stock Exchange collapsed in a matter of seconds after the news spread. Frontier Post was hit especially hard given that several dozen companies had offices on Earth along with workers and high-ranking personnel. But, there were a lucky few companies that received little to no blowback from the devastating news. For example, Airwave still had its CEO and CFO because their offices were here rather than on Earth. Unfortunately, they weren't spare the adverse effects of the stock exchange collapse. Currently, the Financial District is in a state of panic, with authorities dispatched to prevent any more suicides from taking place.

Then, there were the protestors at Elliot Square. News of the short nuclear annihilation and the stock market's total collapse spread like wildfire across the square. And then, it made its way to members of the Shining Path, specifically the leader, Zhan Yijun. Zhan, realizing that this was their moment to strike, ordered an emergency meeting with his comrades to address the apparent crisis facing the Federation and Frontier Post. Without Earth and the Solar System, the major trading planet would face hardship for a long time economically and politically. And while the authorities were distracted with other matters, Zhan had plans to occupy Elliot Square and the surrounding areas.

It included the headquarters of Airwave, a corporation responsible for producing drones of different varieties. Rumors spread for months that a private underground factory existed and producing military-grade drones for the Federation. But, the only way to find out if the rumors were true was to storm the headquarters and find access. Meanwhile, Amalia Hart and her group of fighters planned on seizing control of the nearby police station to use as a base of operation for the Shining Path. Only when the area around Elliot Square was safe and secured is when Zhan will be able to process with the next phase involving establishing contact with General Jugan Lao.

---

①⑨⑥⑧

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WONDER WOMAN

^{"FATE OF THEMISCYRA"}

_{January 1st, 1968}

First Day

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_{Themiscyra, Samsun Province}

Winter's cold wasn't going to stop recent graduate Barbara Minerva from arriving early to make first impressions with the world-renowned archeologist, Julia Kapatelis. She spent her time inside the warm jeep, trying to sketch out the ancient ruins of a city gate. Or, that's what she thought based on initial inspection of it. In particular, there was a nearly preserved sculpture above the arch that depicted two deers standing guard. It could have a similar purpose to the sculpture on the Lion Gate in Mycenae, the animals used to represent a god/goddess or showing some sort of hierarchy in power to outsiders. While the answers weren't there, Barbara hoped that they would be found sooner or later. And without having to worry about school or working for an income, she had plenty of time to focus on her dream career.

Barbara spent a few more minutes inside before deciding to get a closer look at the sculpture. She ventured out of her jeep and walked up to the gate. It was made out of stone that remained mostly untouched by humans since it was left abandoned. But, besides time and weather chipping away at it, the walls and gate were surprisingly in decent condition. Then, there was the unusual sculpture made of limestone above the entrance. Upon a closer look, the deers' antlers were missing for one or another. However, her eyes saw faded carvings on a pillar and realized it was words of the ancient language. Barbara pulled out her notebook and examined the page that she kept a copy of the Ancient Greek alphabet in the back.

Then, after a minute, she had a decent translation despite it being nearly unreadable:

"THEMISCYRA HAS BEEN CURSED BY THE GODS. LEAVE NOW OR FACE THEIR WRATH."

"You must be the graduate student that Professor Craft recommended?" Barbara nearly got a heart attack when Julia Kapatelis asked that question. She looked at the notebook and then back at the young woman before chuckling. "I see you've already started working on your first day. What did you find so far?"

Barbara nervously flipped through the pages until she found the translation and handed it to Julia. Then, she started explaining it. "W-well, um... I was inspecting the sculpture when I saw the carvings on one of the pillars. It was written in Ancient Greek, so obviously I translated what was there and wrote it down in my notebook..."

There was an awkward pause as Julia was still in the middle of examining the translation. Then, she handed the notebook back to Barbara and went to the pillar. She stared at the carving and then looked up at the sculpture. "What do you know of the Amazons?"

"The race of highly skilled women warriors and hunters? Nothing more than what was portrayed in numerous epic poems and legends." Barbara approached Julia with a confused expression. "But I don't see how a myth has to do with the carving? It could've been a warning after a plague forced the remaining survivors to flee for their safety."

"Perhaps you're right." Julia nodded as if she appreciated the graduate student's answer and then pointed at the sculpture. "But then, why did the architects of the period used deer as the village's symbol?"

"One of the ways for them to show appreciation to the Gods? Maybe the local population was in a cult that relied upon... pleasing Artemis." It was when Barbara realized that she might've been wrong and immediately got out her journal. She flipped to a blank page and began looking at her notes while mumbling to herself about the Amazons and their devotion to the goddess. Julia couldn't contain her smile at the sight of someone else being as excited about learning the past as she still was. Then, she saw her friends arriving from the sky as Diana was carrying Etta Candy, who was squeezing her out of fear of heights. Julia waved at her friends and then looked at Diana. "You had fun in the states?"

"Besides dealing with the same old nonsense, the party was fun enough." Diana touched the ground and then looked at her friend, whose eyes were still shut, and got her attention. "Hey, we're on solid ground now; you can open your eyes."

Etta Candy was relieved that little ordeal was over. "Remind me to leave with Julia next time."

"Noted." Diana chuckled and then saw the young woman examining the ancient gate. She turned to Julia and asked curiously, "Might I ask who she is?"

"Oh, yes!" Julia felt embarrassed that she forgot to tell Diana about the graduate student before she left for the New Year celebrations. Both of them made their way towards Barbara, who was still mumbling to herself and focused on finding any more information. Julia didn't want to interrupt her, so she gestured at and introduced her to Diana. "This is the graduate student that I told you about a few days ago, Barbara."

Upon hearing her name, Barbara turned around and was caught entirely off-guard by Wonder Woman's presence. She never thought that working here would've involved talking to the superhero. Realizing that she looked awful in front of the hero, Barbara quickly cleaned off any visible dirt from her clothes and stood up to introduce herself while her face was still red from embarrassment. "Barbara Minerva. Recently got my majors in geology and archaeology. Nice to meet you... in person... Hope I can help out in whatever possible!"

"Nice to meet you, Barbara." Diana replied with a gentle smile, which caused Barbara's face to redden even more. Then, she started to examine the ancient ruins herself while asking Julia a simple question. "You sure this is the place?"

"Based on the surviving records and that symbol above the entrance, I am positive. The only thing left to do is to find the palace and see if anything remains." Julia answered honestly, which left Diana feeling confident that they were standing at the former home of her mother, Queen Hippolyta. Her mother always told the story of how the Amazons were driven out of Man's World by men themselves. However, even at a young age, Diana sensed that she was hiding something else from her. Something much more sinister. But, the only way to find the truth was to venture inwards to the ancient city of Themiscyra and find any evidence that had been left to be forgotten from history.

---

Crisis of the Confederacy [Sci-Fi Warlords in a crumbling state]

SHINING PATH Shining Path, a socialist revolutionary movement, took inspiration from the Old World's revolutionary movements to protest the Stellar Confederacy. At the start of its foundation, their goal was to get the attention of the Confederate Parliament and accept the Six Demands. The first, and most important, demand called for the restoration of selected laws and bills scrapped by corporations. The second demand called for anti-monopoly and corporate tax laws to be enacted. The third called for the resignation and arrest of wealthy individuals and politicians that played a part in the transfer of powers to corporations. The fourth requested an independent committee investigate alleged brutality against protesters (and bystanders) from the police, military forces, and PMCs bought over by corporations. The fifth ordered an amnesty for arrested protesters and the sixth, and final, demand called for the abolishment of the Confederacy in favor of independence. Unsurprisingly, their demands were avoided and resulted in a surprising attack that killed twenty-two people. Shining Path kept on protesting for months while doing whatever peaceful options were available that brought attention from the media. While in the background, several members started talking about stockpiling supplies and weaponry for a possible attack against Airwave, a drone company responsible for producing drones for the Confederacy and PMCs. Leadership knew of the matter and decided against stopping them but did condemn the idea of attacking Airwave. Then, the news reached Frontier Post. Earth ended in a nuclear war, bringing the Stellar Confederacy down with them. Everyone on Frontier Post was horrified and sadden by the news even the Shining Path. But, several members saw this moment as their only chance to strike while everyone was still caught off-guard. That triggered the leadership into an emergency session, where they voted whether to strike or not. Four of the two leading members voted in favor of attacking, starting with Airwave to find out if their Frontier Post headquarters secretly housed an underground factory used to produce military-grade drones for the former Confederacy. Persons of Interest Zhan Yijun - Leader of the Shining Path. Marie-Hélène Leloup - Lead Correspondent of Pandora's Lantern and spokepwerson for Shining Path. Sadiki Saliba - Organizer of the Elliot Square protest and its upcoming occupation. Amalia Hart - General of Shining Path forces and owner of Amalia's Armory. Isabel Barceló - Director of Intelligence and active agent for Shining Path. Carol Morris - Chief Engineer and Technical of the Shining Path Resources Much of their supplies come in the form of donations from other protesters, anonymous sources, or supportive citizens.

Strengths Hardened Protestors - Shining Path has always been fighting the hard fight since their creation. Their members had been pepper sprayed, tear gassed, and brtually beaten by counterprotesters, the authorities, and PMCs hired by corporations. Yet, that has never stopped them for protesting their demands. Those within leadership also had their fair share of scars from the protests and riots. Liberation Square - Known as Elliot Square by the locals, Liberation Square is planned to become the starting grounds of the resistance due to its strategic location. It's close to the several high-rising buildings that overlook the downtown district. And in addition, the Airwave headquarters is next to the square along with a police station. Blinding Light - A secret weapon that has been worked on for months by Amalia in her armory. It was a powerful flashbang and thermite capable of melting through metals while blinding anyone nearby. Weaknesses Frontier Post - The first trading post established when humanity ventured out beyond the Solar System. Frontier Post was their first attempt at establishing a colony far away from Earth and it worked. Eventually, it became the most populated megacity in the Confederacy making them influential within the political and corporate world. Despite the Confederate being wiped out and several major corporations hurt economically, their presence is still stronger than anywhere else within the galaxy—that also includes their military. Vilified - The media in Frontier Post was already brought out by corporations with right-leaning biases. It should come as no surprise that they are going to vilify the Shining Path even more as the liberation movement begins. That's why Pandora's Lantern has been established: to fight back against any false information about them. Surrounded on All Sides - Once the resistance begins, there's no doubt in mind that the military will respond accordingly. It would depend on the strength that the movement manages to gain during the confusion especially if the Airwave is successfully occupied. Otherwise, the might of the former Confederacy military are more than ready to take on resistance fighters.

①⑨⑥⑧

Not sure, but he's not going to be on the Vietcong side.

@BangoSkank

To be fair, he wasn't on the Vietcong side. He was just protecting villagers that those American troops were going to kill.

Hider

①⑨⑥⑧

I didn't mean to discourage.