Divide and Conquer

An in-depth discussion of the Action Force narrative

Introduction

I am a huge fan of the Action Force comics and figures produced by Valaverse, so naturally I am fascinated by the story behind it.

Bobby Vala has created a very interesting mythos for these characters, that in many ways has an eerily familiar parallel to modern day events.

The catalyst for the narrative is an event called “the Divide”, in which the United States of America is dissolved, with each state becoming its own sovereign republic.

In spite of reading the comics from the series, I find myself left with more questions than answers. How exactly did the United States cease to be? What caused it? What happens to the U.S. military, its assets, and infrastructure?

These are just a few of the immediate questions that one would be faced with in such a crisis of this magnitude. So, in this post I am endeavoring to fill in some of the unanswered aspects of the Action Force narrative, that may help casual readers as well as hard core fans to better understand the mythos.

I will preface this by stating that I am not endorsed nor have I received permission from Valaverse to write this post; I’m simply a fan having fun by delving into this exciting universe from my own experience and research.

Catalyst for crisis

In the Action Force mythos, a series of events leads to the dissolution of the United States of America. In its place are fifty independent states. Sovereign and fractured by the Divide, they now stand alone to pick up the pieces. The first question is, could this really occur, and if so, how?

In theory yes, the United States could be dissolved as a Republic, but it would not occur overnight. One possibility would be a series of catastrophic events that occur in succession.

An example would look like this: Economic collapse occurs, followed by riots, violence, natural disasters (like the earthquake of 2028 in the Action Force mythos), and even domestic conflict.

Whatever the events that begin the chain reaction, they must all lead to the same outcome: multiple states become fed up with the state of affairs in the federal government.

From there, two-thirds of the state legislatures could then call for a constitutional convention under Article V.

The only way that the republic could be dissolved then, is that two-thirds vote determines that the dissolution of the union is in the best interests of the American people.

At this point an amendment to dissolve the Union is drafted, and sent to each state for ratification under Article V. If three fourths majority sign it, then it would become accepted as a legally binding document and become law.

At that point on that day, the United States of America would cease to exist as a unified republic of fifty states. This would then require and begin the process of disposition in each state of federal assets and liabilities.

This would include any and all United States military assets and infrastructure within each state. The process would be daunting, as each state would most likely activate their National Guard and use it as a temporary command to carry out this process in a controlled and safe manner.

At the top of this list would be the United States nuclear arsenal. Based on International law, The U.S. could theoretically request international assistance from NATO partners prior to the dissolution, in order to provide time for these weapons to be secured, dismantled, and taken into the custody of allied partners.

They may even assign NATO forces to oversee this at current decommissioning sites stateside. This process would take months, if not years to complete, and would be the most high-risk aspect of the dissolution of the union.

The second and third tiers of responsibility for the states would be Air and naval assets, respectively. By all accounts, the bulk of these would cease to be utilized due to the fact that their operation requires tens of thousands of certified personnel across the country to do so.

Of greatest concern would be the security risk they pose to foreign enemies seeking to take advantage of the fallen union. Internally, there would be an unprecedented amount of chaos and lawlessness in most states.

Disease, hunger, and violent crime would skyrocket. There would food shortages, power outages, uncontrollable reactions from the worst in society. These events would most likely result in localized armed conflicts of themselves.

Local first responders and the national guard would be outnumbered and overwhlemed by the sheer number of incidents. Medical emergencies would overwhelm local emergency rooms, and the death toll would rise.

The world would watch America tear itself apart, while it too felt the effects across the oceans. Without the commanding presence of the United States and its leadership to guide the free world, other nations would also suffer.

There would be untold economic repercussions, while the wild cards like China and Russia would seize the moment for their own agendas.

Wars would ensue that would require the entire free world to band together in a way that they never thought possible. It would be a trying time for everyone.

In the midst of the chaos, some states in the union may seek safety in numbers and propose regional alliances with each other. State governors would undoubtedly seek to maintain stable economic ties, while ensuring continuity of commerce across borders.

Laws would be amended, or at least temporarily so, in order to reflect the state of the fallen Republic.While there may be a conservative effort to restore the Republic, there would most likely be resistance from liberal states and their leaders.

They may enjoy their newfound independence, and begin making laws which benefit the ultra-elite, rather than the common good of everyday citizens. It is from these crevices in society that the greatest threat may emerge.

Leaders from every sector of society banding together in what would formerly be criminal enterprise, sowing discord within, while forming allegiances with external enemies of the former United States of America.

Evil people who would do anything to capitalize on open access to the land of the free, with unrestrained ambition driving their every move. The only way to counter such a threat would be a clandestine and unified military organization on land, derived from former military personnel who could be vetted.

They would have to have a single objective, with unequivocal support. Their missions would be clandestine by necessity and would require unparallel cooperation across state lines.

It would be a daunting task, but not an impossible one. The key to success would be unity and the use of surgical operations aimed at exploiting intelligence.

Months if not years would be required, but there would come a point in the near future where if enough states unified under a single banner, they could reclaim what was lost.

This then, is an extremely hypothetical yet realistic scenario for what we have been made privy to in the Action Force mythos.

Through the use of multiple factions playing different angles, we are being given a glimpse into corruption fully conceived in this nation.

The answer then, is a response as unconventional and unanticipated as the evil that demands we respond to it.

Conclusion

What we see in the Action Force mythos is if anything, an eerie parallel to current global events. This isn’t our favorite action cartoon of yesteryear; it is rather a wake-up call to the reality around us.

If anything, playing with these action figures or reading the comics should motivate us to live lives that are above reproach, abiding by an ethical, legal, and moral code no matter the conditions around us.

It’s time for Action!

Incursion: An inside look into a Rebel SpecForces mission.

The extreme height of the forest canopy provided cover from above, while dense undergrowth provided cover on the ground. In fact, the team had been using the extensive micro terrain to their advantage, moving in its shadows all the way to their objective.

They had been dropped off dirtside seventy-two hours prior, being inserted by a sixty at night during a rainstorm.

The mission planners had timed the insertion down to the second, calculating phases of the moons, along with predicted weather patterns to cover their infil.

They used the intense lightning as cover, knowing that it would wreak havoc on the Imperial outposts sensor array.

The pilots in turn jumped in system over the southern pole, and flew below sensor range all the way into the LZ.

They had to mount external drop tanks to the ventral engine pylons just to get the team in and hoped they had enough fuel to make it back to the RV with the fleet.

Two systems away was a Mon Cal cruiser on alert ten, with the QRF and air support ready to go if needed.

Three days of crawling and humping through the forest, and the four-man SpecForces team was nearing their objective.

They had been sent in to take out a Weequay communications specialist who had defected to the Empire. General Madine had given the green light to Captain Maven Therrell, and he picked three of the best shooters in the unit to go along for the ride.

Now, they were nearing the outer perimeter of the Imperial outpost. The facility itself was built into the side of a ridge, with a large plateau to the rear that had been converted into an elevated landing platform.

The armored structure had several turbolaser batteries scattered around the perimeter for air defense, along with ground to air missile batteries.

Outside of the turbolaster batteries was a twenty meter tall ferrocrete armored wall that encapsulated the entire facility.

The team paused, and took a knee behind a fallen tree on the edge of the forest. Captain Therrell signaled for the team to hold, while he moved up to conduct recce.

He used a small pair of macrobinoculars to observe and record the base. He took great care to inspect the guard towers atop the wall, noting that they were spaced every three hundred meters.

He could see Imperial army officers augmented by Stormtrooper patrols, as well as heavy blaster cannons mounted on pintels in each tower.

He also noted the small comlink antennas atop each tower, that would serve as repeater relays for the security element.

Further back at the main complex, he could make out larger aerial antenna arrays pointed up at the sky.

“Blast this” He thought to himself, shaking his head. Captain Therrell moved back to the team and briefed them on what he had observed.

They all knew that the odds were against them before they ever left the briefing for this op, and they volunteered anyway.

“Alright ” Captain Therrell whispered, “switch to our alternate FFP” he stated, referring to their final firing point.

The team slowly moved away from the edge of the forest and selected a route that would allow them to handrail the perimeter of the base from five hundred meters away.

It took them all evening and into the night to make their way around to the back side of the plateau. There, they found a ridge line with a line of sight to the landing pad.

Once they set-up shop, the combat controller extended the large antennas from his backpack mounted ground to air comlink.

He began coordinating with the Alliance Prowler in orbit, setting up the air package for the strike. The other three members of the team set up their Blastech A392R designated marksmen rifles.

Careful not to break noise discipline, they deliberately extended the bipods on the rifles, and moved into prone positions side by side.

They waited and watched all night, until zero three forty five hours when the platform lights switched on at the landing pad.

Then, high up above the team could hear a high pitched whine as a Lambda-Class shuttle dropped out of the sky. The Imperial transport quickly flared, then dropped down onto the pad.

“Stand by” Captain Therrell whispered, “I have control.” The team watched through their rifle scopes as the ramp lowered, and an Imperial security team rushed down the boarding ramp.

They formed a semi-circle at the base of the ramp and then signaled someone the team couldn’t see. Captain Therrell watched as a shadow preceded a short Weequay in black traditional garb, slowly making his way down the ramp.

“Execute, Execute, Execute” Captain Therrell called out. In unison the three SpecForces snipers took the slack out of their triggers, their rifles recoiling from the blast of each round.

Captain Therrell watched as his round raced across the five hundred meters to the landing platform, and split the Weequay’s chest apart with hot plasma. The other rounds hit him as well, sealing the deal.

The Imps immediately reacted, but it was too late. The Alliance shooters were already picking off targets on the landing platform, buying time for the combat controller to their rear.

Suddenly a series of red lances raced down through the cloud bank, striking the Imperial base’ communications and targeting arrays.

The missile batteries came to life, but they were playing catch up. Rebel X-Wings raced by overhead, pummeling each one with micro proton torpedoes and concussion missiles.

As the X-Wings peeled away, the combat controller continued to direct fire onto the base from the orbiting prowler.

The stealth corvette raked the Imperial base with salvo after salvo from its turbo laser batteries, leveling the facility while detonating its power generators.

The SpecForces team remained in position, conducting damage assessment, before being ordered to exfil the area.

As quietly as they had arrived, they stepped away one at a time, back into the forest. As the sun began to rise, the team made their LZ and boarded the sixty for the ride out.

Captain Therrell looked out of the armored viewport, watching the Empire’s science experiment burn to cinders in the morning sun.