Nearing the Edge

by Eagle


Ripped From The Headlines

The following are front-page excerpts from the newspaper The Baltimore Star chronicling the events of five years.


The lines are drawn; new countries spring onto the map-January 10th, 2000

With the initial shock of the new continent’s landfall starting to wear off, the world begins looking for answers involving the new aliens. One of the most asked, especially among politicians and military leaders, is how the continent is divided. Various maps have made their way to the outside world, but the most common seems to designate at least five major nations on the continent, and a plethora of smaller ones.

The largest, and closest to the U.S., is the Kingdom of Equestria, taking up most of the eastern part of the continent. The Crystal Empire lies next to it, wedged in the middle of the continent and surrounded by smaller states. The last three lie on the Western end and run north to south, respectively. Those are the Griffon Empire, the Shadow Empire, and the Changeling Empire.

In another fascinating separation, many of the nations seemed to be based around specific species. The most populous species on the continent seem to go by the name ponies, and different kinds inhabit several nations. But many others seem to be based around a dominant species, such as small republics made up of Zebras and Minotaurs. Information is still being gathered, but this is what is known to be true as of now.

All of these belong to the new continent that has come to be known as ‘Arcaia’, sitting in the Central Pacific, and is closest in size to the continent of Europe. From what is seen, the continent seems to be rich in a variety of resources and different species spread out across the land, many of which have never existed on Earth before. Scientists are still attempting to meet and study these new species, but it is proving difficult.



No new neighbors? Equestria opts for isolation-January 12th, 2000

Earlier today, the ruler of the Kingdom of Equestria, Princess Celestia, stated that her nation is to be isolated from the rest of the world, save for other nations on the Arcaian continent. No talks will be held with other figures, and no trade or other forms of contact with outside nations. The same seems to apply to the nation’s inhabitants, as they are not allowed to leave the continent and travel, or even contact, human nations.

When asked why she decided to take this route, the Princess only stated that it was ‘for (humanity’s) own good’.

“We are fighting a war that does not involve you, or your world,” Celestia said during the announcement. “This is for your own good. Please do not become involved, and we will try our best to resolve this situation on our own.”



Western nations open talks-January 29th, 2000

Contrary to Equestria’s choice of isolation, the western nations on the map, the same ones that are at war with Equestria and her allies, are taking a more social approach to the situation. The Shadow, Griffon, and Changeling Empires have all attempted to interact with the outside world, to varying degrees.

The northernmost empire, the Griffons, have been the most cooperative, beginning talks with several nations and offering trade deals. Many of the visiting officials have commented positively on the Empire’s outgoing nature in contrast to Equestria’s cold shoulder; though the empire below them, The Shadow Empire, has been slightly less welcoming, and the southern Changeling Empire is even worse, all three have agreed to open relations with nations of the world. Despite having sunk a Griffon naval ship during the first week of contact, the Griffon Empire has reached out a friendly hand to the United States, forgiving the tragic incident.

“It was a confusing situation, and it was unfortunate that it led to the worst possible outcome, but we are willing to put such horrible misunderstandings behind us, and look to a brighter, more cooperative future,” The Griffon King stated during a speech welcoming the new American ambassador. “In fact, we should have suspected it, as we had knowledge that Equestria had planned such an event to deceive us, turning us against each-other.”

What the King was speaking of, and one of the more interesting aspects, is that all three of these nations are currently in a state of war with Equestria and their allies, and all three nations state that it is necessary. According to them, the Equestrians originally intended to invade and conquer Earth, which is why they were teleported here. But the three western empires disagreed with the warmongering stance, and are attempting to stop them.

“The Princess is right about one thing, this is not your war,” the Griffon King continued. “There is no need for you to become involved in it. Save your resources and lives; we will handle these invaders.”

No retort was received from the Equestrian side.



United Nations refuse new continent’s membership; states go unrecognized- February 8th, 2000

After weeks of debating, the United Nations has reached the decision that none of the nations on the new continent will be recognized as official political entities. The main argument against their joining is that, because the continent is not of Earth, and that it entered randomly and without any kind of forewarning, it does not inherit the same rights as already existing lands on Earth. Though the U.N. stated that, over time, the nations could be admitted, it would take a long period of work to complete.

Both the U.S. and Chinese governments, both of which lobbied to admit the new countries, remain quiet and have not made any kind of response to this. Nor has any statement come from any of the nations on the continent. Public reaction seems to be mixed to negative.



Is a new Great Depression coming? Economy begins to drop-March 28th, 2000

GDP growth fell sharply today as a long-predicted downturn hit the U.S. economy. The sharp drop has led to many people to begin to worry about the state of the economy and how to get it back on track. Several fear that the job loss rate could possibly worsen; if not now, then late in the decades. However, many state that this is simply paranoia, and that an economic depression is not likely to occur, and that the U.S., and world, economy will be righted given enough time.



Spruance to be decommissioned; tensions with China rise-June 11th, 2000

Despite the Navy revealing intentions to increase the lifespan of some of their older vessels, it was announced late yesterday that the destroyer U.S.S. Spruance is set to be decommissioned and scrapped immediately. The destroyer, and its second-in-command, have become infamous for enticing the Zhuhai incident, has been undergoing test to determine what went wrong that day. There was no general agreement among the inspectors, though the overall problem seems to have come from human error. Even though she passed a target practice exercise earlier in the month, the destroyer is set to be scrapped. The remaining ships of the class of the same name are to be decommissioned as well, and will be placed in reserve.

“One of the more recent issues investigations have found is that parts of the ship's targeting computer can go haywire. It is not acceptable to allow a ship with a flawed and dangerous targeting system to continue its service,” the Department of the Navy explained in their announcement.

This decision was met with scathing responses from China’s government, who claim that this was done only to cover up the incident and destroy evidence. Despite the U.S. government issuing several apologies and offered a full compensations for the families of the victims, which was fully accepted, the Chinese government demanded the Spruance and the second-in-command responsible for giving the orders to launch, who is already set for a trial, and the rest of the crew, to be handed over to Chinese authorities. This was immediately denied by the U.S. government, despite multiple Chinese threats and aggressive moves in the Pacific directed at U.S. bases and units in Japan and South Korea.



James takes majority! Republican dark horse to become the 43rd President-November 8th, 2000

With ballots closed and counting complete, the polls confirmed that Republican Party candidate David James will be the winner of the 2000 Presidential Election, winning by nearly 10% of the vote. James, who was largely an unknown in the political arena, quickly gained popularity following the Zhuhai incident. His first large ‘jump’ came from his response to the Chinese demands to turn over the destroyer and crew responsible so that they could enact the justice themselves. James made a passionate speech defending the U.S.’s justice system, and trusting them to make the best choice, while sharply criticizing China for their threats and warmongering actions.

James has since based his platform around standing against China’s aggression while also creating allies out of nations in Arcaia. One of his largest pushes is for defense increase against China and other ‘aggressor’ nations, including a massive expansion proposal for each of the military’s branches, which will more than likely pass.

Upon receiving word of his victory, Mr. James tiredly stated: “I suppose I’ve got a lot of work to do; better get to it.”



Western nations unite; military union known as ‘Arcaian Defense Bloc’ forms-July 18th, 2001

As the war on the continent continues to rage, the spokesman for The Shadow Empire, Prince Boca, announced that the Shadow, Griffon, and Changeling Empires would unite into a military grouping known simply as The Bloc, which is to be based around ‘better military cooperation’. This new Bloc is expected to focus greatly in coordinating the three nation’s war against Equestria.



Terrorist plot foiled!-September 12th, 2001

Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that they successfully thwarted a major terrorist attack aimed for U.S. soil. Few detail have been released, but what is known is that, two days earlier on September 10th, a group of friends met in a town in Maine. The group reported a man acting rather suspiciously, and called the police. Once they arrived, they found currently undisclosed evidence that led to both being arrested, and interrogated; further searching of their residence discovered, what was stated as ‘sketchy hints pointing towards an attack of some sort in the very near future’. As more details were uncovered, the FBI and other agencies sent out an alert and began an immediate operation to discover any other terrorists.

“There is no need to panic, our people are on high alert across the country and several other terrorist suspects have been apprehended,” the Bureau’s Chairman stated. “We are still searching, but any attack has been stopped.”

President James also released what details are known of the attack itself, which state that there was to be a wave of airliner hijackings, and usage of those airliners in attacking unknown targets.

Regardless, the announcement seems to have unleashed a wave of public paranoia over the attack. Despite both the President and several security agencies stating that it was to be carried out by ‘an extremist organization based in the Middle East’, many have come forward with theories that go far deeper. The most popular seem to state that the organization is funded and trained by China, seeking revenge for the loss of its naval vessel, while other’s claim it is a plan of isolationist Equestria’s attempts at conquest, as it still has not broken its silence. All of these theories have been immediately dismissed by the president.

“This is nothing more than fear flying out of control,” he stated. “There is no need for these, as no official evidence states any kind of outside connection. Tragedy has been averted, and for that we can be grateful.”



Industrial Revolutions. Western empires modernize alongside a wave of immigration- October 9th, 2001

As the Bloc advance east begins to slow to a crawl, all three of the empires have begun major state moves to modernize their military, and society in general, in every way possible. Over the past several months, factories and other modern buildings have begun to appear. Long highways are beginning to stretch over the nations, and even some commercial planes are being landed at airports. Though it is expected to be some time before this can translate in military modernization, it is an important first step in getting to that point.

Along with this comes a large wave of immigrants entering the countries, mostly in the Griffon Empire. Though the majority of the immigrants come from Asian nations, it is a very mixed bag, with people from all over the world traveling for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons are searching for new opportunity, wishes to start over, looking for something new, and any other reasons these immigrants can think of. The empires have noted this as a crucial element in the push to industrialize.

Indeed, the speed of the modernization has come as a surprise to many, being far faster than any have predicted, or even seemingly possible. Yet, at the same time, this is being kept a complete secret; construction sites, factories, and other industrial areas are being kept out of the public eye, and are run by tight state security. The reason for this has been stated to preserve the Bloc nation's 'military and economic abilities; which make us unique and provides (us) with excellent possibilities for profit.' This speed has left the whole world astonished.



President James cuts trade with China; opens talks with Bloc-January 2nd, 2002

Following the large economic scare and China heftily increasing the prices on their exported goods, particularly towards the U.S.A. and our allies, President James has announced today that he will drop virtually all trade deals with the People’s Republic of China in search of a more ‘economical and efficient’ partner to supply cheap goods. Though many seem to criticize James for this semi-sudden move, their claims seem to be rather dulled by the announcement that followed shortly afterwards that many of the dropped deals with China have been reached with the three nations of the Bloc.

“We greatly welcome the chance to enact such lucrative trade with the western nations,” Prince Boca, spokesman for the Shadow Empire stated. “We will happily provide America’s material needs, and welcome the opportunity to fully test and apply our fledgling industry; as well as an excellent chance to build our treasury.”

Others have greatly supported the President’s decisions to choose the Bloc over Chinese-made goods. They have pointed out that, in addition to Bloc-made goods being far cheaper, they are also of greater quality. And the greatest positive for the U.S. is that, since these nations have not existed until recently, America owes them no kind of debt, allowing the States to ‘start over’ from zero again.



The One-Year Bust-February 16th, 2002

It has been known that the Changeling Empire had the least amount of technologically advanced industry when President James signed the specific trade agreements with the Bloc, and consequently received the least in terms of deals. Months back, the Changeling Queen announced a massive nation-wide advancement program, spending much of the country’s talents and resources to achieve the goal of catching up with its two higher-up cohorts to their north.

Economist Casey White spent a month touring the country, looking over and examining the Changeling’s efforts. Apparently, despite the heavy push focused exactly on the subject of greater modernization, the effect seems to do little more than waste the Empire’s time and resources.

“It was the oddest thing I’ve ever seen; almost like a whole country was put into slavery for no real purpose, not unlike the Great Leap Forward,” she stated during an interview. “They did not bother to send anyone out to study economics or technology in the human world, nor does it seem they did any real research on it. Rather than use factories encompassing a few skilled workers, each sort of… community, or grouping, has their own set of minimal tools to attempt to create products, cheap or otherwise.

The military checks on them three times a week, making sure that the requested amount of a product has been produced; in addition, the town’s police force will oversee that work is being done diligently. Most of the time production is being met, but no one wants to buy it. Across the whole country there are these odd communities of ghost towns filled with nothing more than abandoned equipment and useless pig iron.”



Bloc accused of war crimes-February 20th, 2002

The Arcaian nation of Saddle Arabia has, for one month now, been under the occupation of the Griffon Empire. Recently, reports of various crimes, such as looting and vandalism, though few have actually been accused. The most shocking are claims of mass executions of political prisoners and other specified targets.

The biggest evidence in support of this is the release of photos of what appear to be a large group of about twelve corpses, with Griffon troops looking over them. However, it is impossible to determine if it is artificial or accurate, though tests so far are slightly leaning in the faked side. The Griffons have stated that this is nothing more than a deception campaign concocted by the Equestrians to turn public opinion against them, though many are beginning to have their doubts.



The Equestrian Black Market and the truth about the Bloc-May 5th, 2002

Despite Princess Celestia’s stern stance on total isolation, there are many ponies in her kingdom that attempt to escape into the human world, and many humans who wish to enter Equestria. Though it is difficult to do so, a few have succeeded. This paper actually got the chance to interview an escapee that just recently finalized her papers to become a U.S. citizen.

“The biggest reason I wanted to move here was… well, all the stuff there was to see,” the undisclosed pony stated on life in her former homeland. “Here and there I’d see ponies go by with something odd from the Human world, like a phone or some books, and it was always interesting. Every time I saw somepony with something from the outside, it was different and amazing.”

Because of this, the Equestrian black market has become one of the largest, and most profitable, underground sellers in the world, particularly due to the high prices set on common goods. Books, as our guest stated, could range into a monetary worth of hundreds in dollars, while common phones can range in the thousands based in Equestria’s monetary gold. Other extremely popular and rare items, such as human music and cinema, as well as anything able to play these, can range between the thousands and millions, while the rarest artifacts, computers, are usually well into the millions.

The interview continued into what life was like in Equestria for her.

“It’s not at all bad, really; not as good as around here, but it’s not horrible,” the undisclosed pony stated on life in her former homeland. “It really isn’t this terrible monarchy or dictatorship, things were very fair, and most everypony I knew was content, at least before the war started. Things were normal until Sombra came and began invading our allies, and our military went off to fight him.”

This was the most interesting part of the interview, as she stated that Sombra was not the kind, welcoming ruler he was presented as, while Equestria was the true victim. Though this is nothing new, as many of the Equestrians that have escaped have made this same claim, it is another attack in the mounting list against the Bloc as the public begins to sway towards Equestria’s favor.



Changeling Empire conquers The United Republic; experts question Bloc’s motives-December 2nd, 2002

After three months of hard fighting, the Union of the Two Lands, usually shortened to ‘The United Republic’ or ‘The Union’ has fallen to the Changeling Empire, with the last of its military, government, and thousands of refugees fleeing east. What makes this conquest peculiar is the amount of eyebrows it seems to have raised.

The Union, from what can be gathered, was a very isolated nation on the southern coast of Arcaia, and tended to keep to themselves, and had nothing to do with either side in the conflict, yet all the same, the Changeling Empire invaded. Many in the military have called this an unnecessary act of aggression by the Changeling Empire, with the consensus being that it was nothing more than a land grab. Though the Empire has stated that The Union was planning a pre-emptive strike, almost no evidence for this has been provided, and the claim has been met with jeers. Conversely, following the invasion, Equestrian military units were sent over to assist the Union, further showing that Equestria seems to be on the just end of war.



Economy pulls up-April 8th, 2003

After three years, the world’s economy has begun to grow again. Many economists point to the arrival of the Arcaian continent and the opening of trade with some of the nations as being an important piece to the economy’s rebound, while others stated that the economy righted itself. Regardless of what fixed it, this has led to worry over the economic state in the future, and many in the government are seeking ways to stave off possible collapse in the near future. One of the larger steps being taken is an attempt to better regulate the housing market, with some congressmen pushing to ensure homes are sold to those who can afford them.



Arcaia’s War continues; Bloc seeks victory via Russian technology-January 3rd, 2003

Despite several Bloc victories over the past years, the group’s advances have slowed to a crawl, particularly in the Crystal Empire, where Crystal and Equestrian troops have managed to halt the Shadow armies just outside the capital city. Though this may not last long, as the Shadow Empire spokesman Prince Boca announced that the armed forces of the Bloc will be fully modernized soon.

In an announcement in Russia’s capital city of Moscow, he stated that, with the Bloc nation’s monetary savings rather large from the trading over the course of the past years, the three nations would equip themselves with Russian weaponry, including some of the most modern designs that have been built. In addition, it was stated that several product license deals had been made, allowing the Bloc to manufacture their own stock of these weapons.

“I am confident this will finally give us the edge required to defeat these invaders and end this war,” the Prince stated.

The Russian President seemed rather pleased with the sale, as he spoke in an interview with a Russian news agency afterwards.

“Our economy is in horrid condition. But, we are no longer in a Cold War with the west, and we have no need to keep such a massive amount of weapons. What better way to solve these problems than selling it off to a nation that actually needs them,” he stated. “I think it is an excellent example of a Russia that is moving towards capitalism and democracy.”



Bloc war crimes revealed; President cuts trade ties-March 15th, 2003

With the new military technology, the Bloc seems to have taken the upper hand in the war, but that may not be a good thing. Yesterday, late at night, a video was released of Shadow Empire soldiers gunning down at least five prisoners of war on the Crystal Empire front. This seems to confirm the claims of war crimes that have been launched against the Bloc, and they have received heavy backlash for it from the international community. Though they claim to only be executing ‘soldiers who have been of great trouble, in not only attacking our troops, but civilians,’ this has only garnered them heavier criticism.

The worst has come from the United States where President James has cut virtually all trade agreements after a reportedly heated private conference between the President and the Shadow Empire’s Prince Boca. The President stated that he would turn his search for such goods to South America, and that repeated atrocities would lead to sanctions against the bloc.

“We will not do business with murderers and belligerents!” James stated angrily later in the day. “Such slaughter will be met with justice!”

Many of the President’s opponents have criticized him for the crimes. Because of the President’s agreement to open trade, he also built up the Bloc’s wealth to the point of modernizing their military, which in turn caused the killings to happen. Had the President looked further into the Bloc’s motives, it is possible this could have been avoided.



Bloc purchases Russian battlecruiser and aircraft carrier-March 18th, 2003

The latest and largest buy for the Bloc in their shopping spree of modern military technology has been made by the Shadow Empire, which purchased an Ex-Russian battlecruiser of the Kirov class and an Ex-Russian aircraft carrier of the Kiev class. It is stated that engineers of the Empire will modernize and modify both vessels to meet their standards. Though this greatly enhances the Bloc’s seapower, it is still lackluster in comparison to the United States Navy, which is already hard at work designing a brand new class of carriers.



China works alongside Bloc, nations unite into military league-April 9th, 2003

The shocking announcement was made mid-day today that China and the Bloc have entered into a military agreement based on ‘mutual defense of interests in the Pacific Ocean’ and allowing them to base units in each-other’s territory. These came about from the now virtually frozen U.S.-Chinese relations and the souring of the relations with the Bloc over the past years. The joining of these two presents a major problem for the United States and her allies.

As many political and military analysts have pointed out, this would give China a hand in the continent, should Equestria and the other nations fall to the Bloc. Such a power play would not only give China control of the Central Pacific and heavy influence around the entire sphere, but it would also provide a jump-off point for an attack against America, or even a possible invasion.

The James Administration has yet to comment on this, but another increase on defense spending is expected. News of this has sparked a large amount of discontent with the American people, and the public, so far, seems to be urging the President to do something to respond to this move, and keep the continental U.S. safe from attack.



Bloc reveals home-built warships-April 11th, 2003

Two days ago, the Bloc released a propaganda picture showing their latest capital ships sailing out of harbor together, the aircraft carriers Tornado and Twister, both of which seem to be of the Kuznetsov class, more advanced than the previous Kiev class that was purchased earlier in the year. But the most frightening part of this is that both seem to have been built in the Shadow Empire, rather than purchased or built elsewhere.

The reasoning behind this is that Russia has built two carriers of the Kuznetsov class, one they retain and one that has been sold to China. Both of these have been confirmed to be under their respective owners, meaning none have been sold to the Bloc. This was confirmed by the Shadow Empire, which stated that both were based on the Kuznetsov design, and classified as ‘medium aircraft carriers’. Though the U.S. Navy has claimed these to be false, video seems to prove that the Bloc is capable of building capital ships.

“It would be foolish to believe that we are handcuffed to Russia as a supplier. We can create weapons ourselves,” the official report stated on the end.



Canada to purchase aircraft carrier-April 25th, 2003

With heavy militarization in terms of the navy on both sides, and the northern Pacific becoming increasingly hazardous, Canada has decided to purchase a capital ship of its own in the form of an Aircraft Carrier. This carrier, which is set to be christened H.M.C.S Presence, will be based on Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth Class of aircraft carriers, of which the U.K. is planning two. This will make the Canadian Navy much more powerful, and giving it far more reach and ability to protect its vessels and sovereign waters. This will also be the first Canadian carrier since 1970.



Russian and Chinese leaders meet to discuss electronics; trade deal with Russia set to be reached-May 6th, 2003

Russian and Chinese leaders met yesterday to discuss ‘economic and resource factors’ and have reached a conclusion for a massive new trade deal, which is set to commence soon. The agreement will take advantage of China’s massive ability to produce smaller electronics and other cheap products, which Russia is looking to exploit. The size of the deal will see a large amount of Russia’s new-found wealth go towards this deal, and in turn giving China a fair amount of income.

This has come as a major scare to many in congress, as the money that Russia has made selling weapons to the Bloc will now go to China, fueling their weapons programs. It was initially predicted and hoped that most of it would be spent on the Russian infrastructure, but it seems that interior renovation will only take up part of the bank. Hopes that Russia would also use it to replace their sold weapons systems with more advanced units were also largely unfound.



Australia to build new battleship-May 11th, 2003

In an odd turn of events, the Australian Navy revealed that it had reached a deal with the Navy of the United States to build a new battleship. Despite the battleship now being outdated by aircraft carriers, the two Navies have decided to move forward on the plan, and it has been agreed that the vessel would be based on the famed Iowa class, and would be built from the keel up in a specialized harbor facility that has been kept from the public for some time. The reason for building this seems to be based around the knowledge that the Bloc, now growing more hostile towards America and its allies, has been building a large number of battlecruisers of their own, to the point where it is feared they will charge through aircraft, while their own air force gives cover, in attempts to engage targets in surface warfare.

“It’s still unclear exactly how many heavy ships the Bloc has, or how they are able to construct them so fast, but their numbers seem to indicate that they will be sufficient to close the range, while our aircraft are distracted,” the Australian Admiral of the Fleet explained. “We’re largely worried about heavy enemy vessels raiding the sea lanes between Australia and the Americas. And since Australia has no Aircraft Carriers, and our budget is too restrained to afford a major one, this would be our best option. Regardless, we are looking forward to having a powerful ship at our disposal.”

It was also stated that the battleship would utilize modern defense and missile systems to better defend itself from aircraft and missiles, as well as to increase its attack range. Still, several in the Australian navy have criticized this move, stating it would be better to spend the money on smaller, more numerous cruisers or destroyers with equal strike range, or simply more aircraft that can be placed on the continent.

The Australian government has stated that the battleship would be ideal for escort and guarding the sea lanes between Australia and the United States. The H.M.A.S. Sydney, which is slated for launch some time in 2010-2015, will be the first ‘battlewagon’ under Australian command since 1927, and the first to be built in the world overall since the Russian Kirovs in 1977.



Are the ‘big guns’ making a comeback? U.S. Navy announces new class of battleships-June 19th, 2003

Only a few months after the Australian Navy announced their plans for construction, the United States Navy has announced that it will be building an entirely new class of its own. According to the Navy, the Australian deal was done partially as an experiment to see if bringing back battleships in a meaningful position was feasible. Now that the Australian’ construction is going ahead full, and with the reveal of yet another Bloc battlecruiser, bringing the total up to six known vessels, the Navy has decided to begin construction early, and release the news to the public.

“It’s clear to us that the days of long lines of battleships with massive guns firing away have long passed, we’re looking for them to take on a role as an escort now; a massive weapons platform to help defend our aircraft carriers from surface and air attack, as well as to provide the traditional heavy gunfire support to our ground forces” The Secretary of the Navy stated during a press conference. “We are not making these in massive numbers, only in the amount we believe we will need to help escort our carriers.”

Details of the class were released shortly after the conference, stating that the battleships will be built as a brand new class from the keel up, and based largely on the last class of battleships the navy planned, known as the Montana. Unlike the Montana, which was designed during World War Two, these are explained to be far more modern with up-to-date technology and systems, including nuclear power and long range missiles that increase the ship’s range, defense, and lifespan, among other things.

The release went on to explain that only six of these vessels will be built, three for the Pacific Fleet and the remaining three for the Atlantic Fleet, as the vessels will be too large to pass through the Panama Canal. According to the Navy, the class itself and three of its units have already been named, with the overall class being named for the state of Washington, and the first three named Washington, Colorado, and New York; the remaining three have yet to be announced. Along with these new names comes a new classification; as the battleships employ large amounts of long-range strike missiles, they will be given the designation ‘Guided Missile Battleship’ and the hull lettering of ‘BBG’, the first in U.S. Naval history.



China militarizes; spending on defense increases-August 29th, 2003

China has announced that it will begin to increase its military spending, particularly in the Navy, to counter that of the United States. Though this was not unexpected, it comes with heavy fallout against President James, as much of the money that Russia has sent to China came from the Bloc nations, which in turn was used by the U.S.

“The President’s decisions have led to funding our enemy!” one of James’ most vocal opponents, Senator Ulrich Gulliver of Massachusetts stated. “He bought products from these warmongers, who used that money to buy guns. And now that money is also going to America’s biggest threat, so that they too can buy guns to point at America!”



Ghosts come back to haunt; original designs from the Bloc are launched-April 6th, 2004

Some frightening photographs were released last week, showing an aircraft carrier and battlecruiser of the Shadow Empire, but these seem to be far more unique as they did not match the ship identification of any known classes of these vessels. This has led many to believe that the Bloc has constructed a new class of warships that appear to be an even larger threat than the previous designs. Despite the Bloc’s attempts to keep them under wraps, details have leaked out showing that they are indeed formidable foes.

“From what we can tell, the battlecruiser seems to be based partially on the Stalingrad class, a Soviet design that was planned at the start of the Cold War, but was never built. The Carrier looks to be taking after the Soviet Ulyanovsk design, which was started towards the end,” the Secretary of the Navy explained thoroughly in an announcement concerning the vessels that took place yesterday. “Closer analysis shows that they are equipped with missiles, close-in defense systems, and all the other necessitates of modern naval warfare, including some we’ve been unable to identify yet. These are the greatest threats against the Navy right now.”

Further information that was leaked out earlier today seems to classify them as the most advanced capital ships in the Bloc’s arsenal. This continues to fuel a fear in the United States of an abnormally fast-growing Bloc navy. These new vessels, along with the dozens of smaller destroyers, frigates, and cruisers that are being noticed, are continuing to baffle intelligence gatherers. It is not known how these nations, especially ones that have just recently discovered the potential of modern technology, are able to build warships at such a fast pace. The military has been looking into this for some time, but the secret seems to be well-hidden.



The ‘600-ship Navy’ makes another push-July 6th, 2004

Three month after the discovery of the Bloc’s new warship classes, and one month after the death of former President Ronald Reagan, the U.S. Navy has announced a massive program designed to expand and advance the navy, by ordering several new warships; a virtual re-start of Reagan’s 600-ship navy. Many older ships, including the Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates, will undergo overhauls to extend their lifelines; the original ‘flight’ of the Ticonderoga AEGIS cruisers, which were built without the Vertical Launch System and were scheduled to be decommissioned this year, will also continue their service.

In addition, the older Forrestal and Kitty Hawk Class aircraft carriers, rather than going ahead on their planned decommissioning, will be placed in reserve, meaning that they will not conduct operations currently, but will be on hand in case they are needed. Along with these older vessels will be the two Iowa Class battleships the navy has been ordered to keep in reserve under the National Defense Authorization Act of 1999, which forced the navy to maintain the Iowa and one of her sisters, the Wisconsin, in case they were needed. However, it has been stated that these reserve units may not be used at all, due to the mass of new vessels coming in to take their place, which the President described as ‘the meat of the program’.

The ‘meat’ has been designed around building newer ships to complement the older ones. Several new Ticonderoga Class cruisers and Arleigh Burke Class destroyers, which comprise the majority of the vessels in the Navy, are set to be built. In addition to this, construction of the Washington Class battleships and the Gerald R. Ford Class carriers will be stepped up, with the lead ships of both predicted to be in launched in 2010. The last piece comes in the form of the Zumwalt Class destroyers, which are envisioned to become the new backbone of the navy within the next one or two decades. This comes alongside the advances of other programs, such as Aircraft Company Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter program, which will be vital to the Ford’s air wing.

“We’re doing this to show that America, and the world, has no need to fear from these new conquerors,” the Secretary of Defense stated in his speech on the announcement of the project. “The United States Navy is still the most powerful force on the planet, and we will show our enemies that it is a mistake to challenge us.”

This announcement has brought both calls of praise and criticism on a massive scale. Many state that the economy cannot handle such an endeavor, especially with the expected rise in production costs of the Washington and Ford. They state that, in attempting to beat China and the Bloc, the United States will suffer the same fate of the U.S.S.R. , in that it will be unable to afford such massive military spending with the debt skyrocketing and the economy collapsing.

However, supporters of the program state that the size is necessary to deter both China, which has continued to build up its military steadily, and the Bloc, which continues to launch new ships at a fraction of their regular building time, using still unknown techniques and/or technology. They state that, if the military does not improve, the United States will look weak, and become susceptible to outside pressure and subsequent attacks, stating that if it does not fall to the economy, it will fall to foreign imperialism.

Regardless, President James has stated that he will continue on with the program.



Allies advance; other nations join The States in military spending-July 14th, 2004

With the United States and the People’s Republic of China locked in what seems to be a growing Cold War, two of America’s closest allies, Australia and Canada, are following its lead of militarization, though to a far less back-breaking degree. For while the American economy has begun to suffer from the constant spending, both of the after mentioned nations have attempted to reach limits within their boundaries. Other nations close to China, such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, have also begun arming themselves against aggressive Chinese actions.

The United Kingdom is now following these actions as the Royal Navy has stated that they will increase the production of the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers to have them available for the year 2010, alongside the American Navy’s new carriers, while the current decommissioning dates Invincible Class carriers have been pushed back. Along with this, the Navy has ordered a handful more cruiser and destroyers for escort.

The U.K. seems to be the only European nation following the United States’ lead, with the general consensus for the rest of the continent largely being the opposite, in that one half-century of paranoia and M.A.D. is enough. Most seem to see the Arcaian War as a Pacific affair, and do not wish to get involved, with the nations of Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, and other NATO nations stating they will only join the U.S. in war if the U.S. itself is attacked, in accordance with prior NATO ruling. In the meanwhile, most of Western Europe seems to be content with their de-militarization proceeding on schedule; especially in light of Russia’s selling of a large amount of their military equipment to the Bloc.



President James reaches out to Equestria; denied summit with leaders-August 14th, 2004

As Equestria’s military position grows grimmer by the day, their leader continues to refuse any proposals for outside assistance. Despite the American President’s continued offers, Equestria continues to try and face the Bloc virtually alone in its near-impossible struggle. Yesterday, President James sent forth another suggestion; this one, unlike the others, directly implied military assistance.

“I would like to offer my hand in support of Equestria’s noble cause,” he stated. “I understand that the challenges of this new world may be difficult, but we want to help you. Whatever trouble you are having, we will assist you in finding a solution. Your nation is in deep danger of coming under the iron hand of tyrants, but my nation was founded against that. Together, we can prevent this, and make our world safer.”

Despite the capitol of the Crystal Empire falling to Shadow Empire armies the day before, Princess Celestia still refused, replying simply with “Thank you, but we cannot.”

The President has attempted to ally with Equestria for some time now, attempting to break their isolation, and ensure they remain independent. Beyond the most obvious reasons of keeping a nation free from hostile rule, an independent Equestria, especially one allied with the United States, would create a buffer zone on the continent, and a counter to the union of the Sino-Arcaian Security Pact. It is hoped that, once Equestria itself comes under attack, the Princess will agree to accept the United States’ proposal.



U.S. Military continues to build up strength as the Bloc makes aggressive moves-September 3rd, 2004

At the unveiling of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 ‘Lightning II’ fighter jet, the aircraft delivered for the Joint Strike Fighter program, President James stated that, despite having to cut back on several of the planned projects, the military’s advancement program is ‘on course’ and ‘doing very well’. Already, several units in the Army, Air Force, and Marines have been re-activated, or being raised newly; and in the navy, several new vessels are being constructed and launched. Despite the costs for the building of these new ships being high, especially in terms of the new Ford Class carriers and Washington Class missile battleships, the planned launch date for their class leaders is still set to be sometime in the year 2010.

At the same time, the economy has begun to feel the effects of the massive mobilization, and the President seems to be taking the heat for it. Despite recent Bloc incursions into American air space and waters near Alaska and Hawaii, and the deployment of most of the newly raised units to these states, as well as the west coast, most of the public seems to view the advancements as going too far. In spite of several impressive American military displays of power, the popular opinion of the President has now dropped to under half, and is nearing 40%. A large number of analysts and politicians predict that he will not win re-election in 2004.



Bloc attacks American ship!-October 20th, 2004

Late last night, at 5:44 AM, Hawaiian-Aleutian Time, the U.S. Navy container ship M.V. Cape Ray was attacked by aircraft of the Shadow Empire’s Navy while sailing in international water not far from Hawaii. As the vessel was sailing, she was attacked by aircraft that seem to have come from an aircraft carrier of the shadow navy, and was left disabled after a missile hit. The American carrier U.S.S Enterprise quickly moved to assist the vessel, launching its own aircraft to defend it. This did lead to a confrontation which, after an American fighter was shot down without warning, the U.S. pilots fought back, and shot down four MiG fighters for no further losses. The crew of the first American plane shot down, one of the famed F-14 ‘Tomcat’ fighters, was successfully rescued; as was the Cape Ray. Onboard, 15 sailors were killed from the attack.

The Shadow Empire claimed that the Ray had entered Equestrian waters, and was moving to give supplies to the Kingdom. It was further stated that a blockade would now be in place against any vessels attempting to leave or enter the nation. As the Ray was officially in international waters, the international backlash has been harsh against the Bloc. Along with this is the public’s view of the Bloc dropping to the lowest stages yet, while support for the military’s expansion has increased. President James gave a speech later, urging Americans to stand together behind the military.

“We will not allow our countrymen, our brothers and sisters, to be murdered by dictators! We may have suffered loss, but we have also shown that we are willing and able to fight back!” the President stated in a press conference concerning the event. “I am here to ask you, the people of the United States of America, to stand with one another in these hard times, and to support our brave men in the line, our family at arms; we must stand united, and in that unity we shall emerge victorious, in a safer, freer world.”



Name controversy hits Navy; cheaper alternatives come to board-November 1st, 2004

A volley of criticism was aimed at the Navy recently after the announcement was made on the names of the final three planned battleships. Two are slated to be named Arizona and Oklahoma, after the two battleships that were sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, while the third is set to be named California. The Navy has claimed that it is in tribute to the lost ships and the men who died with them, while opponents have claimed that it is actually disrespectful, and have only been chosen due to a wave of jingoism that seems to have swept over the nation following the attack on the MV Cape Ray.

But these may never even be able to launch at all. The costs of building the battleships has risen sharply, and discussion has begun on possibly cutting a number of the ordered vessels. Some members of the Navy have come forward with plans for a cheaper, less heavily armed and armored battlecruiser design to take the place of the last battleships.

James pulls through, holds position in office-November 3rd, 2004

Despite the heavy criticism received over his term, David James has successfully defeated the opposition, though by a small amount, to be re-elected as President of the United States. Many cite the attack on the MV Cape Ray, and his response to the event, as the biggest benefactor to this. James has stated that he is thankful of the American people for giving him a second chance, and will continue to build the U.S. military and defend American rights and interests in the face of growing opposition.



Large fireballs seen over Bloc skies. Many suggest possible super weapon-December 20th, 2004

For the past several weeks, there have been reports of rumbling and flashes of light from the airspace of the Shadow Empire. Though this was initially believed to be Shadow troops manipulating the weather, and causing massive lightning storms in practice for their supposed use against Equestrian troops, it seems that this is not the case. A few cameras that are in Equestria, which have certainly made their way there through the growing black market, have documented strange balls of fire, in what looks to be a massive, yet contained, explosion in mid-air. Some have predicted this to be an Bloc superweapon in testing, designed to clear the skies of pegasi, but there is little evidence available.



Crystal Empire falls to Bloc; Equestria retreats forces and stands alone-February 17th, 2004

With the modern armies of the Bloc striking critical blows and now advancing at rapid rates, the Crystal Empire, Equestria’s most powerful ally, has been completely overrun, with its officials and military units retreating to Equestria. Following the decisive victory by the Shadow Army at the Battle of Beryl Field, the Crystal armies have been broken, and are unable to mount any kind of defensive operation. This leaves Equestria as the only major nation to stand against the Bloc.

The Equestrian military seems to recognize this, as after the battle all Equestrian military units were pulled back into Equestria, leaving the few remaining nations left standing to their fate. Already reports have been received of defenses appearing along the Equestrian border and civil drills being run behind the lines. In addition to the Equestrian military, the remnants of several other nations’ militaries, including the Crystal Empire and the Karilian Republic, are present in the country and are reported to be under Equestrian command.



Equestria takes in exodus of refugees-February 28th, 2004

Following the Princess’s decision to pull all Equestrian military contingents back to the Kingdom, there has been a massive exodus of citizens or all kinds, both refugee and military, east towards Equestria. These come from every nation, save for the three that are part of the Bloc. Crystal ponies, Zebras and Karilians are just three nationalities that make up part of the millions that are running east however they can with whatever they can carry, trying to escape the Bloc’s forces. Several photographs and videos from illegal cameras inside Equestria have surface, with some of the more aweing coming from pegasi high up in the air, taking pictures of massive groups and lines that stretch on for miles. Despite Equestria’s apparent struggle to provide for all of these refugees, Princess Celestia has, unsurprisingly, denied international aid from the U.S., the Red Cross, and several other groups. Despite the difficulty, it does seem as though many of the refugees that are healthy will enlist in the exiled forces of their respective nations, giving Equestria some form of reinforcement.



U.S. Economy suffers from military’s advancement program-June 19th, 2004

As both the Sino-Arcaian Pact and the United States continue to build up their militaries in expectation of a confrontation, the American economy begins to come in danger from the constant spending of the administration. The predicted collapse of the economy that many have predicted seems to be arriving far sooner than expected. Despite this, with the recent conquests by the Bloc and China’s continued militarization and cooperation with the them, many also agree that the U.S. has little choice in the matter, being caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Nuclear weapons would be the only way we could wipe out our enemies in one swoop, but I would rather not resort directly to that,” President James stated during a press conference. “Furthermore, we should not only be able to win a nuclear battle, but a conventional one, as well.”

When asked what he planned to do to ease the pressure on the economy, the President stated that he would bring an end to the most expensive and most problematic of the navy’s three programs, the Zumwalt Class destroyers; this reduces the planned amount from 32 to only 3 to be delivered in 2010 alongside the larger programs. In addition, the Navy will sell off all Spruance Class destroyers that are not currently equipped with the Vertical Launch System for their missiles. Even with this, economists still believe that it will not be enough to stave off possible collapse in but a few short years. To make things worse, no nation has expressed interest in purchasing these vessels yet.



Their Finest Hour or Their Final Hour? Bloc begins bombing Equestrian cities-August 1st, 2005

With the Bloc’s armies begin to gather on the border, the Air Forces of the three nations have launched a massive bombing campaign aimed at defeating Equestria via bombardment before the ground war even truly begins. Large waves of bombers have begun targeting cities such as Baltimare, Manehatten, and the capital city of Canterlot, aiming to break the moral of the Equestrian population. Many cities have suffered great damage, and some civilian casualties, with fire outbreaks being common.

The Bloc’s tactics may succeed, as the Equestrian Air Force has been unable to effectively counter even one of the raids. Many are made up of ex-Russian bombers, escorted by MiG or Sukhoi fighter aircraft with modern missiles, which seem to be able to easily defeat pegasi in battle. On the other side, the pegasi that are fighting them are still only equipped with spears and arrows, and have only been able to defeat a handful of aircraft. President James has warned the Bloc not to enter Equestrian air space or territory; but, beyond increasing the number of patrols near Equestria’s borders, there is little that can truly be done.

With Equestria’s cities being destroyed, the enemy’s armies massing at the gates, and the Princess’s continued denial of outside support, things truly look grim for everyone. It should only be a matter of time before the Bloc’s armies re-organize and invade the Kingdom of Equestria. And, should it fall, the Sino-Arcaian Pact will have a clear window to attack the United States. It can only be hoped that they are repulsed in some way.