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The Iron Sith V2 (SW/MCU AU)

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Modus_Tollens said:
Pretty much. News conferences, interviews, even talking with senators and bigwigs and heads of state... the person you are talking to is the dumbest person in the room. The smart ones, they already know most of what you have to say: They've been briefed until their heads are on the verge of exploding. For them you are just framing the issue and giving nuance.

But there is going to be 'that one guy' who doesn't just have too little understanding, he has the wrong understanding and believes its gospel. You are speaking to defuse that bomb before it goes off and spreads contagious bullshit to the four winds.
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Yes, sooner or later, someone will have to explicitly address this in the story. It might only happen after the Chitauri drop for tea and scones, them mess up the city for fun and profit.

Miestwin said:
Well, for all it's worth, you can count me in for the "prosecute him" camp. I never watched the nutflex show, so for me, MCU Loki is an asshole at best, and a monster at worse.
But then, it would be kinda hypocritical, considering Hela supposedly did 10x worse things than Loki, and she still has her chance of redemption.
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Yes, the actual Aesir child of Odin getting prefferential treatment compared to his adopted Jotun son, who is a known trickster and mage, instead of a porper warrior? That sounds about right.
 
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Miestwin said:
Well, for all it's worth, you can count me in for the "prosecute him" camp. I never watched the nutflex show, so for me, MCU Loki is an asshole at best, and a monster at worse.

But then, it would be kinda hypocritical, considering Hela supposedly did 10x worse things than Loki, and she still has her chance of redemption.
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Thing is - Hela has already "paid her dues", so to speak. A thousand years of prison is not in any way or form a little thing. Now they are checking if "letting her out after therapy" is an option - or if a bullet to the back of the head is the only way to avoid it happening again. Hoping for the first, but realising they themselves can't do it.
 
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Miestwin said:
Well, for all it's worth, you can count me in for the "prosecute him" camp. I never watched the nutflex show, so for me, MCU Loki is an asshole at best, and a monster at worse.
But then, it would be kinda hypocritical, considering Hela supposedly did 10x worse things than Loki, and she still has her chance of redemption.
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Hela was going universal conquest but she was at least fairly competent about it and just had the same failings most powerful conquerors acquire during their exploits. The first being the dictator's trap where you maintain control with force which causes more resentment which requires you use more force which causes more resentment until you have burned down your own power base. The second is Napoleon or Alexander's disease where early successes cause the illusion that you can just keep pushing forever without anything pushing back, resulting in numbskull ideas like trying to plow your unsupported infantry through Russia without proper supply lines and places to encamp.

Those are a little bit more understandable and easy to work with, weaknesses a Sith would know intimately. A conqueror needs to learn to measure their actions, use realpolitik and to build up their base rather than burning it like coal in an engine. Even if she was handed the spear today, well, in this continuity Asgard just isn't ready for universal conquest. It could take a nice bite out of the galaxy but then just find itself with its buttons falling off in the middle of Russia.

A victory here is her internalizing Machiavelli and underlining the part where being loved and feared is substantially better than merely being feared. You are immortal, act like it and take your cumulative victories.
 
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Phase 14 Part 5
  • Threadmarks
    • AN: With everyone in this timeline operating under the same rules, so scientists, geniuses, etc... are much more limited and realistic in what they can do, and this being a MCU timeline, where we can't have good things without people fucking it up, this has implications for Wakanda. Said implications are that they got as far ahead technologically from the rest of the world through a combination of the right scienists born in the right time domestically, vibranium, and as if not more importantly, War Dogs and company stealing and buying scientific knowledge and know how from all over the world, then sabotaging scientific advancements slowing down their rivals. Even if in this timeline they've stopped doing that on regular bassis no latter than the last years of T'Chaka's father's rule, discussing going ahead full bore again, is merely considering pulling out their old playbook for the Tribal Council.

    Disclaimer: I do not own any movies set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies, cartoons, games, books, or comics. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.

    Phase 14: Disclosure

    =SI=

    Part 5

    =SI=    ​

    Tony Stark's hearings before Congress and the Senate stir up even more controversy! Mr. Stark is painting a bleak picture, but is it true? What do experts say?

    CNN

    French Carrier Battle Group arrived off the coast of Somalia. It began conducting air and missile strikes at known and suspected pirate, warlord, and terrorist strongholds in retaliation for the missile strike on the French Frigate a few months ago. The increased presence of Marine Nationale in the region has temporarily raised merchant marine traffic through those dangerous waters.

    Euronews

    FBI and Homeland Security raids on cults end up with bloody mixed results. In Washington State, SWAT teams affiliated with both agencies struck the compound of the Golden Path, led by Preacher Steven "Set" Stevens, interrupting a ritual suicide. Emergency services managed to save the lives of a third of Stevens' followers. They all ingested poison, including their leader, preparing for ascension so they would avoid the end of days.

    Nearly at the same time in Georgia, a raid against the Disciples of the Seventh Prophet ended up in a firefight and tragedy. Released camera footage from SWAT teams allows us to see her proclamation that the Devil's forces are coming for them, and they must fight to the bitter end. The firefight ended when Reverent Jeremiah Jones, the self-proclaimed Seventh Prophet, detonated explosives within the cult's compound, killing everyone inside and gravely injuring eight Federal Agents.

    In the aftermath of those tragic incidents, Federal and State Law Enforcement are now keeping a much closer eye on all known cults and their conduct.

    USA Today

    Crowds are gathering in Las Vegas, preparing to march to Area 51 and demand to see the Roswell aliens and the remains of their crashed ship! With Disclosure underway, UFO enthusiasts across America are hungry for answers and ready to get them.

    The Pentagon commented Area 51 is an active military base at a time when the US military is in a state of high alert. Attempting to breach the perimeter might be answered with deadly force. Nevada National Guard units are converging on Las Vegas and Area 51 as a precaution.

    CNN

    =SI=​

    The Golden City
    Wakanda

    The Tribal Council met once again, and the primary topic they were about to discuss had caused King T'Chaka constant headaches over the past year. Ultimately, all he could push for was limiting the intervention of the War Dogs by aiming them against the prototype fusion reactor while trying to find more and better ways to conceal their people.

    That was a failure; even from where the King stood, it was the most moderate position he could push through the Council. Consequently, he lost respect among both significant sides of the debate. Those who wanted to continue hiding and focus on better ways to do it saw T'Chaka as insufficiently invested in their cause. T'Baku and T'Kathu saw him as someone who was losing his ability to take and see through decisive action, even if they were divided on how they wanted to proceed.

    The Jabari's leader was all for closer ties with the past and nature, about hiding and looking inward. He didn't care about how Wakanda would achieve that. New technologies to better conceal them would serve as well as unleash their might to cripple the rest of the world.

    There were times T'Chaka believed that only he, his family, and his closest advisers were aware of how much the rest of the world had changed in the past century. It didn't help that there were many within Wakanda dismissive of the 'colonizers,' even though many technologies they enjoyed were built upon principles that the War Dogs recovered from scientists worldwide. Back in his father's day, until the long-gone man mellowed out in his old age, the War Dogs also often arranged 'accidents' for the scientists they took ideas and principles from.

    This was basically what some of his people wanted to do now, even if the world outside Wakanda's borders was radically different. T'Chaka knew that even if he fully committed the War Dogs and the parts of the military that would be suited for such tasks, they would be able to, at best, slow down the way the rest of the world was advancing. Operating on such a scale would get them caught and eventually traced back.

    That would have been bad in the long run, even before Stark stood up to reshape the world.

    Of course, now that they knew more about that man and what had happened to him, the knowledge in question exceptionally complicated matters. Elements within the War Dogs believed that for now and years to come, Tony Stark was invaluable to the outside world. Removing him, combined with wide enough sabotage, actually had a theoretical chance of working.

    T'Chaka wasn't about to bet the future of his people on such a long shot. However, some among his people were more than happy to do so without a second thought.

    "We can be in a powerful position if we act now!" The River Tribe Elder spoke with conviction. "We can help the outsiders prepare better for another alien attack! What we can offer them will make them close their eyes to what our ancestors did to gain and maintain our superiority! It is not like their pasts are clean; on the contrary!"

    "Trust the outsiders? You've seen the reports of the War Dogs! No matter how hard they pretend, they consider us inferior! The outside world will never accept us as equal partners, much less superior ones! They will use us for our technology and vibranium, then discard us!" M'Baku barked. "I told you all before, revealing ourselves will be madness! And what did you do? Did your precious technology supply us with new ways to conceal ourselves? Did you let our War Dogs and Warriors solve the problem? No! You paid lip service to the problem, then used a fool as a distraction! Your technology failed us once, and I fully believe it will fail us again!"

    "Then you must be supporting the idea that we should reveal ourselves, M'Baku," Zawavari, the Mining Tribe's Elder, mocked him. The large, boisterous woman smiled at him. "If our technology fails us, then it doesn't matter if we trust the outsiders. If you are right, if vibranium fails us, then dealing with the outsiders is inevitable," she scoffed. "The Mining Tribe might provisionally approve opening to the outside world and cooperating, however, sharing Vibranium? No! Vibranium is ours! It is the source of our technology and prosperity! Without it, we will be nothing more than the people in the countries around us! If we offer vibranium, we will be exploited until it is gone! Then when we are no longer useful, they will throw us away!"

    "I agree we shouldn't trust them! We all know they never do more than exploit people, while the few who might be better make empty gestures to assure their guilty conscience!" M'Baku added. "We now know how important Tony Stark is! Kill him! Burn down his work and salt the ground! Unleash the War Dogs against those who follow in his footsteps, and the outsiders' technology will fail them just as ours can and will fail us!"

    "I am reluctant to agree, at least in part, with both of you. We either reveal ourselves and hope for the best or hit hard and fast like panthers while we still can. I think the nations around us, the whole of Africa, won't appreciate that we hid and did nothing while the colonizers exploited them. If we wait, all we will win ourselves are enemies and mistrustful people who would be wary of us with a good reason. We must either go to them now, and aid them in their hour of need, blaming any unfortunate happenings in the past on our ancestors, or walk the path of blood and carnage to its bitter end, whatever it might be!"

    "Revealing ourselves might be acceptable. My people can swallow sharing technology as well. But vibranium?! That is a step too far! The Merchant Tribe won't condone selling or, worse, giving away vibranium! The outsiders have nothing of comparable value to offer us! Why should we sell away our advantage then?!" The Merchant Tribe Elder shook his head in denial. "Nay, I say! Vibranium is ours and must remain ours!

    The arguments for and against raged late into the night. Do nothing and hide; trust in their vibranium-based technology to keep things as they are no matter what. Many within Wakanda were for this option, not believing that the outsiders might advance enough to discover them soon.

    Everyone was wary of the changes that revealing themselves to the world at large would bring. Even now, Europeans, Americans, and Chinese exploited Africa. Why would that change? Why wouldn't they use Wakanda and discard it as soon as it was convenient? Why aid those outsiders who didn't earn or deserve it? In the end, while many could be persuaded to support revealing Wakanda's fundamental nature and even that sharing technology might be a good idea, doing so with vibranium was a step too far, even for many of the more open-minded within the country. And without vibranium, their technology will be useless to the outsiders, making that essentially a moot point. This also meant that revealing themselves would solve nothing. What would be the point if Wakanda refused to share technology and vibranium?

    Finally, they could strike fast and hard, using the element of surprise and the fact that no one suspected their true nature so far. Hundreds, if not thousands, would die. The rest of the world would not forgive such betrayal when preparing to face an alien invasion. Would a crippling covert strike be enough? Could that be enough? Could secrecy be maintained? M'Kathu believed it possible, though far from certain. M'Baku was against revealing Wakanda and didn't believe that technology could reliably hide them because he didn't trust it not to fail. This, in practice, meant the Jabari Tribe favored unleashing what would be a war of unprecedented scope in Wakanda's history.

    Unfortunately, T'Chaka's voice had much less weight in front of the Council than a year ago. His support for either meeting the outside world as equals or continued isolation didn't endear the King's position to anyone. Yes, he would be willing to risk revelation, yet as a King, he had to give more than lip service to the majority of people who were content to hide.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • The hilarity of the Wakandans complaining about the colonisers being hypocritical thieves with a superiority complex who exploit everybody else makes one's jaw drop harder than the Twin Towers. You could cut through that irony with a 1000° knife.

    Speaking of, who do you think did 9/11 in this universe? Place your bets!
    Was it:
    A) Al Qaeda?
    B) The US government?
    C) The Ten Rings ?
    D) HYDRA?
    E) HYDRA?
    F) The Illuminati?
    G) HYDRA?
    H) Aliens?
    I) HYDRA?
     
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    Being that protective of vibranium isn't unreasonable but... they are thinking about this in the wrong way. They get to set the price... any price... and the world is desperate enough they would pay it if it gives them an advantage, knowing that hostile action to seize it would risk crashing production for decades. They could lease it if they wanted to. A usurious enough cost and it would allow Wakanda to go from a regional power to a super power overnight.

    Trust is not necessary. It is perfectly possible for two people to successfully negotiate while keeping the safeties off of their pistols.
     
    Modus_Tollens said:
    Being that protective of vibranium isn't unreasonable but... they are thinking about this in the wrong way. They get to set the price... any price... and the world is desperate enough they would pay it if it gives them an advantage, knowing that hostile action to seize it would risk crashing production for decades. They could lease it if they wanted to. A usurious enough cost and it would allow Wakanda to go from a regional power to a super power overnight.

    Trust is not necessary. It is perfectly possible for two people to successfully negotiate while keeping the safeties off of their pistols.
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    Oh, yes, if Wakanda opens, shares tech and vibranium, they're going to be able to set their price as long as it is vaguelly within reason, which in this case means a price that can be actually paid by the people who need the stuff. However, for many in Wakanda, vibranium practicaly has religious connotations. The very thought of selling or giving it away to outsiders is anathema.
     
    Illuviar said:
    Oh, yes, if Wakanda opens, shares tech and vibranium, they're going to be able to set their price as long as it is vaguelly within reason, which in this case means a price that can be actually paid by the people who need the stuff. However, for many in Wakanda, vibranium practicaly has religious connotations. The very thought of selling or giving it away to outsiders is anathema.
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    Going to be honest, I'm REALLY hoping Wakanda gets what they are obviously asking for in the near future...
     
    Personally I'm glad too see people looking at that thing that claims to be a "civilised" civilization with all the disgust that it deserves.

    Killing promising scientists and engineers after stealing all of the hard work that went into it and going out of their way to hold back humanity as a species is one of the few things that deserve to be classified as crimes against humanity.

    That's not even getting into what Wakanda is like in the comic books. They have cures for most of the world's diseases if not all of them and they refused to share them because "You're not advanced enough".

    I really hope that they're classed as Hostis humani generis.
     
    it honestly astounds me how people can look at any Wakanda weather comics or MCU and think that they are in any way victims or people who were effected by colonization. the fact that they go around calling people colonizers and having a holier then thou attitude to the rest of the world when they stood back and did nothing just always rubbed me the wrong way especially when they have so much world changing tech and since they seem to have always been a hundred or so years ahead tech wise they could have easily governed most of Africa and protected it from outside influences or the warlord eras after ww2 instead of letting people die en mass while sitting back and bitching.

    I really hope that Wakanda falls into some civil war so that the old wood and ultra traditionalists can be done away with and people more in line with TChallas ideals can take the helm
     
    Ooh. We could see the siege of Wakanda pretty soon. Maybe even some nukes to take down their barriers.

    Or we could see stark setting up a trade deal with the Asgardians for tech and resources in exchange for Taking care of and tuitoring their prince and princess.
     
    jkjkodath said:
    Ooh. We could see the siege of Wakanda pretty soon. Maybe even some nukes to take down their barriers.

    Or we could see stark setting up a trade deal with the Asgardians for tech and resources in exchange for Taking care of and tuitoring their prince and princess.
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    Our primary export would probably be luxury foodstuffs and entertainment media, honestly. I can't see much else we could offer so, yeah, lets keep the pancakes and maple syrup coming.
     
    Phase 14 Part 6
  • Threadmarks
    • AN: I couldn't make up my mind so I threw a dice. Wakanda won Coup of the Year award.

    AN2: I re-watched clips on youtube about the Wakandian aircraft in action. Those thigns are surprisingly fragile considering that Wakanda loves to use vibranium for everything. This is especially important, because their energy weapons don't appear to pack up that much of a punch, yet are perfectly able to blow up most of their fliers. So now vibranium has a plot armor too that makes it as awesome as needed, and easy to blow up when required, or what?

    Disclaimer: I do not own any movies set up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars movies, cartoons, games, books, or comics. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with a commercial aim. It is not for sale or rent.

    Phase 14: Disclosure

    =SI=

    Part 6

    =SI=    ​

    Royal Palace
    The Golden City
    Wakanda

    T'Challa jumped in surprise, tangling himself in his sheets when his bedroom door burst open.

    "My Prince, you need to come with us!" Ayo of the Dora Milaje wasted no time in pleasantries. Her small callused hand grabbed him by the shoulder as he was still trying to untangle himself and dragged him off the bed with the help of one of her sisters in arms.

    "What is happening, Ayo?!"

    "There is a coup underway!"

    As if to confirm her words, an explosion shook the palace, followed by the immediate wail of alarm.

    "Such things don't happen in Wakanda!" T'Challa shook his head, though he let the Dora Milaje drag him out of his room. The metal floor felt freezing to his bare feet. He could hear shouts and sounds of fighting now.

    "This way!" The Royal Bodyguards pushed him toward the landing pad.

    Within moments, Shuri joined them, literally carried by two larger Dora Milaje.

    "The King feared that he might be killed over his policies as of late, and so did we, but not this," Ayo shook her head in disgust. "Either way, we have contingency orders in case something unfortunate happens," they were now all but running toward the landing pad.

    T'Challa could hear the distinct sounds of Dragon Flyers buzzing outside and firing on the place and its defenses.

    Ayo tilted her head to the side and briefly stiffened, then moved even faster.

    "I got a word from Okoye. I am sorry, my Prince. The King has been poisoned, and the Dora Milaje with him don't believe they can hold against the enemy for long. I have final orders from the King, my Prince."

    Beside him, Shuri gasped and shook her head in disbelief at those words.

    "The King believes the purpose of this coup is to remove his and the Golden Tribe's opposition to crippling the outsider's development efforts by targeting Tony Stark and everyone working on his technologies."

    "We ran simulations!" Shuri protested. "They all end us with us discovered and overwhelmed!"

    "This coup is proof that enough people in power disagree, Princess," Ayo countered.

    They could hear fighting ahead, and after turning around the next corner, T'Challa saw Dora Milaje and Border Guards in full gear fighting it out in the hall.

    "Protect the Prince and Princess!" Ayo shouted, and most of their retinue charged into the fray. Energy blasts and vibranium blades flashed through the night, killing people with deadly precision. The surprise attack allowed the remaining members of the Royal Guard to push T'Challa and Shuri through the battle, even if two of the Dora Milaje fell, shot in the back.

    Ayo shoved the Prince into it through an open ramp, then Shuri followed. Warriors of the Border Tribe and black forms that could only be War Dogs poured into the landing pad. Two Dora Milaje ran to slow them down while Ayo jumped into the craft.

    "Lift off now, or we are all dead!" she shouted.

    T'Challa wasted no time and activated the Royal Talon Fighter's systems, going for emergency liftoff. He closed the ramp with a press of a button and winced when energy blasts hit the hull. Vibranium alloys were tough, and the craft was made of almost pure vibranium, making it tougher. Despite that, it was far from invincible.

    Rear cameras showed how the heavily Dora Milaje left outside fell, cut to pieces by overwhelming numbers. They stabbed two traitors each before the others fell upon them like a pack of rabid dogs. T'Challa forced the engines, and the Royal Talon shot forward. Its exhaust slammed into the treacherous snakes, slamming some of them against walls and throwing a few off the landing pad to their deaths.

    "This isn't happening," Shuri mumbled. "This can't be happening! We are Wakanda! We don't get coups!"

    "We do now, my Princess."

    T'Challa activated the cloak and accelerated away from the city when the Talon's systems told him there were many Dragon Fliers converging on his position.

    "What are we going to do now? What about father and mother!?" Shuri demanded.

    "They are either dead, or my sisters managed to spirit them to safety against all odds," Ayo quietly suggested. "We have our final orders from the King. Will you honor them, my Prince?"

    "I've seen the same simulations. If you are right about what those fools are about to do, we have no choice but to warn the outside world. We can't allow them to believe the whole of Wakanda is behind what might be happening even as we speak! One of you, get satellite access and find me the closest safe place to make contact."

    =SI=​

    Bridge
    Juan Carlos I /Spanish Navy Amphibious Assault Ship/
    Mediterranean

    Commander Jorge Esteban had the night shift on the bridge, enjoying a quiet and reasonably cool evening. He sipped from a cup of good Navy coffee and kept an eye on the junior officer at the radar station. If there were any mistakes to happen on his watch, it would be from the youngster still getting his bearing. The rest of the night shift was experienced enough, as it befitted those chosen to crew the newest and arguably most important ship in the navy.

    In practice, the Juan Carlos I was Spain's discount carrier, carrying British Harriers and helicopters as its strike arm. In the future, she would have fixed-wing fighters when the budget allowed. Fusion took precedence, and the Commander couldn't disagree.

    Esteban put down his cup and slowly walked around the bridge, glancing over the shoulders of his people. This was the Juan Carlos I's second cruise, and he wasn't about to have any avoidable incidents at his hands. Everything looked as it should, and everyone appeared wide awake and alert. So far, so good. The Commander lingered at the radar station, ensuring everything was all right there. He found no surprises, with the closest ships to the carrier being her escorts sailing in a triangular formation.

    "Spanish boat, do you copy! Spanish boat, can you hear me?!" A loud voice asked in English with an accent Esteban wasn't familiar with. And a boat? They were a warship! A powerful carrier at that, even if one that couldn't compete with the monster the Americans built! The question crackled over the radio so loud it made the Lieutenant stationed there wince before answering.

    "This is Juan Carlos I; identify yourself! This is a restricted military frequency!"

    "I am Prince T'Challa from Wakanda and have come to warn you! Look through your window!"

    Esteban's head snapped from the Lieutenant to the front of the bridge. A futuristic-looking black craft simply materialized, hovering in front of them. He could see the tired face of a young black man with a fantastic beard… and no shirt? The Commander blinked a few times, trying to process what his eyes were telling him.

    "Action Stations! Awake the Admiral! Lieutenant request that the Prince lands on the deck and explains his warning," Later, Esteban would be proud when he heard a recording of his voice for how calm and professional he sounded because at that moment he felt anything but.

    "We will land. We come in peace, bringing a warning! There was a coup in our country, and as you can see, we are more advanced than anyone believed us to be," The T'Challa fellow rapidly explained. "We believe the traitors will aim to cripple scientific efforts aimed at advancing the outside world by assassinating people like Tony Stark and hitting vital infrastructure in development like fusion reactors!"

    What? Just what kind of insanity was this? Esteban could hear the words of the warning. He could understand them, but the meaning just didn't compute. It was that insane sounding.
     
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    • Wakandan's gunships explode when needed I guess. I think Vibranium is similar to Beskar and their technology would be stronger defensively, battles between Wakandans should be slugging matches.
     
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