Supplemental Report To Warehouse Compound A5 Incident

Superintendent,

This Supplemental Report has been urgently prepared in light of the subsequent discoveries made by SOPO investigators at the site and after further interviewing the guards currently in our custody. In light of the new evidence that has come to light, we are reassessing the significance of this event and will provide our updated conclusions at the end of this Supplemental Report.

After the clean up of the site and the retrieval of all casualties, forensics began review and documentation of all the corpses collected for eventual release to family. During the course of this review, three corpses identified as guards drew the attention of the forensics team because they bore wounds that were inconsistent with the battle and the weapons deployed by ourselves and RAU. These three guards were each killed cleanly with a single strike, two were decapitated and the remaining one was stabbed through the chest. In light of these findings, the three corpses were sent to the General Hospital for further examination by the coroner.

After completing the examination, the coroner has reverted with the following findings:

The coroner confirms that each of the three guards were killed in a single strike. Wound analysis suggests that the weapon used was likely a long blade. From examining the angles of the wounds, the coroner is confident that the killer approached the guards from the front in full view. There are no signs of struggle on the corpses. The guards were in a relaxed state just before they were killed. Examination of magical residue left on the guards reveals a generic low grade enchantment applied with little care. This implies that the weapon used was likely stamped in a factory instead of forged by a mage smith. There are no traces of the killer's spirituality left on the corpses.

As you are aware, SOPO units only wield weapons that have been forged by mage smiths from the College. This fact, coupled with the complete lack of bullet or blast wounds on the corpses, prove that there was a third party active at the site when the warehouse exploded.

In light of this discovery, SOPO investigators returned to the site to perform a follow up search. While the Pyroil destroyed the warehouse in question, investigators managed to find minute traces of Chemtex explosives in the wreckage. The reason why the Chemtex was missed during the first sweep of the site was because Chemtex despite its explosive power, is a thoroughly mundane item. The heavy presence of magic from the burning Pyroil effectively prevented investigators from detecting the Chemtex at the time.

Further interviews with the surviving guards the confirm the theory that there was a third party present during the material time. The survivors state that before our arrival, the three corpses had been discovered just after the warehouse exploded. This gave the guards the impression that they were under attack when SOPO arrived at the scene. Contrary to appearances, the guards were hired not to protect the warehouse itself, but a certain item that was hidden within it. This was the reason for their furious resistance against us.

When asked what was so important in the warehouse that required such a large protective detachment, the survivors claimed ignorance, saying only that their captain informed them that this object was worth more than all their lives put together. The survivors also admitted that their captain had ordered them to delay us for as long as they could so that whatever they were guarding could be moved to safety. Unfortunately, the captain was killed while leading the resistance against us, closing off one avenue of questioning.

Once some of the survivors had admitted to the true nature of their job, they became far more forthcoming to the investigators. These survivors stated that they were part of the Judecca Militia, a Private Military Consultancy group that was originally formed in Berlin during the Iron Octopus Crisis. The survivors were adamant that their employer was not the Legion itself, but rather a wealthy group of investors that had recently revived the Judecca Militia after the group fell apart several decades ago following the defeat of the Iron Octopus. As to who these investors were, the survivors, once again, claimed ignorance.

Investigators ran a trace on the bank accounts of the survivors and discovered that the ultimate source of their salaries is a company registered in Panama. It is there the trail goes cold with regard to the identities of whomever was funding them.

From the additional information investigators have obtained, we have come to the following conclusions:

The explosion at the warehouse was no accident. It was a deliberate attack. The attacker had taken great pains to conceal his identity. The weapon he used is likely a mass produced blade, indistinguishable from any of its factory forged counterparts. The attacker has deliberately suppressed his spiritual signature, preventing anyone from using it as a means of identification. The attacker used Chemtex as the means of the destroying the warehouse and obfuscating his identity. Chemtex is produced in a number of factories located throughout UN P5 territory. Attempting to trace the attacker through the explosives will be highly challenging. Whatever was hidden at the warehouse was clearly of great value. Reviving a PMC just to protect this item speaks volumes of the value the owner attaches to it. The resistance mounted by the PMC also speaks of its strength. The choice to revive the Judecca Militia implies that one of the parties connected to this incident may also be involved with the Iron Octopus even though that organization has long fallen dormant. The attacker is probably very skilled in combat. Evidence leads us to believe that the attacker is capable of openly approaching and overwhelming his opponents with a single precise strike before they can react. Furthermore, these blows were dealt by someone who was repressing their spirituality.

As we cannot identify either the attacker or whichever organization that is standing behind him, our efforts shall be concentrated on following up on the Iron Octopus connection. More worryingly, it has come to our attention that the Person of Interest as well as his sister have a familial connection to the now defunct Iron Octopus. We have informed the SOPO officers tasked with keeping watch over the Person of Interest of our concerns. Inspector Scott assures us that she and Constable Naiberg are aware of this connection and that the Person of Interest is not in any way involved with this matter.

We further recommend that the true nature of the strike on the warehouse be concealed until we can ascertain the identities of at least one of the parties involved the matter. This is to ensure that speculation does not go out of control and further exacerbate the already fraught political situation in The City.

Report concludes.

signed

Senior Inspector Hartley

For the Special Operations Police Investigation Team Beta