Ad Astra - The Alagore War

AA V1 Alagore, Chapter 2

"In Presidents Michael Humphrey's first address to Congress after winning the 2068 Presidential Election, the President announced a major transition in America's long-running campaign against cartel forces, confirming that the 1st Cavalry Division has formally begun its withdrawal from occupation duties in Mexico City. Administration officials framed the move as evidence of sustained stabilization across central regions, while emphasizing that U.S. Stabilization Forces will remain positioned throughout northern territories to support regional governments and preserve the buffer-state framework established under the previous administration. The President acknowledged ongoing debate over the future political status of these northern regions, noting that several major metropolitan areas have expressed interest in eventual U.S. annexation, while rural and interior communities continue to favor autonomous development.

Turning to global security, the President reaffirmed Washington's strategic commitment to the Iranian nation, describing the partnership as a cornerstone of American influence across a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. In remarks that drew significant attention from defense analysts, he referenced the growing alignment among Turkish blocs, Monist Chinese leadership, and the emerging Indian–Russian partnership, warning that the United States must remain positioned to counterbalance competing spheres of influence. He also briefly mentioned rising non-state maritime and orbital threats, including intelligence-linked piracy incidents targeting aligned infrastructure — a development officials say underscores the evolving nature of hybrid conflict in both terrestrial and space domains.

Space security featured prominently throughout the address, with the administration pledging continued investment in orbital defense networks, convoy escort fleets, and anti-piracy enforcement along interplanetary shipping lanes. With civilian and commercial travel between Earth and Mars now routine — ranging from several weeks during optimal orbital alignment to a few months at standard intervals — the President stressed that safeguarding transport corridors is essential to economic stability. He described Mars as "increasingly self-sustaining," while reiterating that American and allied settlements will be defended against any hostile interference, whether criminal, corporate, or state-sponsored.

In a move aimed at strengthening long-term economic governance beyond Earth, the President formally called on Congress to designate Artemis Base and its surrounding outpost network as an official U.S. territorial jurisdiction. Administration economists argue the measure would stabilize investment, standardize regulatory authority, and anchor the rapidly expanding astro-economy under clear legal frameworks. Markets responded positively to the proposal, with aerospace, transport security, and off-world infrastructure sectors seeing immediate gains in late trading.

Closing the address, the President invoked what he called America's "Second Manifest Destiny" — a national calling to lead humanity's expansion beyond Earth. Framing the current era as comparable to the nation's emergence as a great power in the early industrial age, he emphasized unity, optimism, and forward momentum. Yet he tempered expansionist rhetoric with a message of restraint, stating that America's role among the stars must be defined not by conquest, but by diplomacy, cooperation, and the projection of national values. As launch traffic continues to climb and new frontiers open across the solar system, tonight's address signals an administration determined to ensure that American leadership — economic, military, and ideological — extends wherever humanity travels next." - New Age Digital

March 1st, 2069 (Military Calendar)

"The Bunker" Bar

Fort Carson, Colorado, United States