●　● Bogota, Colombia

Bogota residents of the Santa Fe district downtown were out walking their morning commute as any other day. Many of the buildings were high rises with shops and businesses on the first few floors with offices or apartments above. The architecture had taken a departure from its traditional appearances as the reconstruction that followed the first Earth-Space War over twenty years ago gave it more of a Modern Western European look.

A few younger men and women watched this scene from their 3rd floor view from one of the apartment buildings while drinking coffee, all chatting quietly amongst themselves in their native tongue. One of the males who looked to be in his upper twenties with short cropped, dark brown hair and a rough goatee spoke to the female in her upper twenties who shared many of the same facial features: [OK, I think we’ve watched over these ‘rolos’* long enough. We can’t keep Bas waiting, especially not with that newest recruit. I don’t like the idea of those two being stuck alone together out there.]

[We are staying put until the Rocha’s clear us,] she replied curtly.

[They will wait until we fall off dead from this balcony, no? I think it’s clear they don’t want us near their barrio, regardless of the deal.] He was visibly nervous, unlike his accomplice who seemed to be unfazed by the tension that thickened the air.

[Just give it five more minutes. Traffic is slow.]

Why doesn’t anyone else in the room have any sense of urgency? He knew that the last time they had worked jobs in this part of town, the parliament building nearby was almost incinerated by a stolen Allied A-7 mech. He set his coffee down, lighting a cigarette. [Man, fuck the Rocha’s. We already watched the exchange! They all got on their buses safely and drove off! Fuck this wait, I’m calling Bas.]

[Stubborn idiot.] She then turned around to shout [Hey, no smoke yet?] to a man behind them who had been staring out another window with a viewfinder, keeping a sniper rifle to his side just out of view.

[No smoke, but we got about a hundred gathering at New Park 3. No phone call?] he shouted from across the room.

Just then, the girl’s mobile lit up as she answered and listened. Moments later, she hung up and grabbed her bag. [Rocha’s said they got what they want and that they will call off the demo. Tell Bas to pack up his “Caballero”.]

[Guys, I don’t think they got any words from their boss] the man across the room said as he looked through his viewfinder to lock in on what looked to be men setting up barricades across the main street running alongside the park. The park ran alongside a large police station, which seemed to be the real topic of concern. [I’d better check on Bas,] he continued, loading his rifle.

Down the street by a few blocks, a slightly younger man with the same features as the man and women talking earlier was sitting on a hover scooter next as he watched the same developing demonstration group from his viewfinder. Another man who looked to be barely twenty was on a similar scooter just beside him. [Bas, what is this whole thing again?]

[Don’t call me Bas, you don’t know me,] he chided with a shake of his head.

[Sorry, Sebastian,] he quickly apologized.

[Anyway, Renzo and Dani just got the word, but I think they got lied to. Something seems different this time, and I don’t like the feeling.] He zoomed back out, and moments later let his arm rest on the handlebars. [Rich ass rolos from Usaquen think they can pay off other Familias from other Barrios to do their dirty work. They are the ones who somehow keep finding ways to, under the table, get all those people armed and set them loose here and there. It’s like they really think things will change because they start fires and blow up the police.]

[But you got the call. We can go now, right?]

[You can go ahead,] Sebastian answered as he got off of his scooter, motioning him to hop on. [I will take the Caballero back once things look safe.]

[No, no. That’s not a good idea,] he responded with a suspicious hint of concern. [Let me cover for you. I will stand watch from it while you return to your brother and them.]

[I said what I meant. Go back to the others.] Something is off about this guy. No one mentioned to me he could pilot, especially knowing LTAC pilots in particular are so few and far between.

[You leave me no choice, then,] the young man said as he stood up from the scooter with a pistol drawn, seeing Sebastian stop to raise his hands. [Your cooperation will let us win over the seats for the SAU, ‘cachaco’*, but you could’ve lived if you just handed the LTAC over.]

[Really?!] Sebastian let out a sigh, lowered his head. A silenced shot rang out from a balcony not too far away and sent a bullet through the man’s head. Sebastian stood back up with a look at the man’s face, grabbing his communicator. [That was too close. Thanks, our boy was a plant after all.] He didn’t hesitate to reach into the man’s pockets to find his wallet, took out his ID, and tossed the wallet back on him before hopping back on his scooter. [Keep finding new ways to piss us off. See how much more we let you think you can keep up this shitshow.]

[Bas, this is Renzo, get out of there! They got more than just tanks rolling in – I think they are aiming to take down central police headquarters!]

Sebastian started his scooter up and quickly took off down the narrow street. [Dani, tell the Vera’s to handle this. We need to get back to compound – we only got two “Caballeros” here and no armor. I got the man’s ID- we need to see if he’s tied to Secada or if he’s just another Rocha.]

[Agreed. They got their politicians and of course we get stabbed in the back in the end. But we can’t let them win it all,] Renzo came over the line. [Everyone, fall back to Kennedy so we can plan our next move.]

▽　▽　▽

Sebastian rode through a few packed alleys where he was surrounded by lo-rise apartments, passing through larger intersections in between. Something has got to change, here. He was not accustomed to always moving with haste, looking over his shoulder at every turn. Memories flashed back from their encounter with the hijacked A-7 incident weeks prior. He remembered the rocking explosions, the stomach-wrenching chaos, the smell of burning buildings, and the panic and terror he saw in the eyes of those that he helped rescue during the aftermath. It all then paled in comparison to the anger he felt when the SAU military refused to intervene or assist in clean-up. I see it happening all over again at this rate. Everything always coming from both sides and never ends.

He then found the entrance to a heavily guarded set of houses. He passed the security forces and rode up to a large, open garage where he saw Renzo and Dani waiting alongside about ten others. [Who were those men we let go? The rookie knew, said they were going to be used for taking the government, assuming he meant the upper house.]

[Exactly, and that’s why we need to talk to the Boss,] Renzo replied, still visibly irritated from earlier. [They demolished about half of the central HQ which means even the police will be scared now, most likely. They really think we are to just lay down and let them run the show.]

[Shit,] Sebastian shook his head in response. [And only two ‘Caballeros,’ one carrier, no tanks left. What the hell do they expect us to accomplish, now?] He refrained from mentioning the numbers of other Familia’s, never one to assume help from anyone else.

[Our boss will suck it up and spend money. I think it’s time he gave Infinity a call. Fight fire with fire, right?]

[Sounds like a Rocha thing to do, using foreigners,] Dani interjected in staunch disapproval. The name “Rocha” had long been accused of bringing in foreign muscle, leading the men and women of this loosely organized paramilitary to strongly believe that the A-7 incident was funded if not orchestrated by them. What methods were being used were never clear, but it was publicly well-known they had ties to politicians who aimed to oust the sitting SAU Parliament members with the upcoming election.

[I will talk to him,] Sebastian said as he laid his equipment on the table and headed for the door. [If we don’t get help soon, we may as well just lay down, right? Should we just die like good cachacos?] He could sense Dani holding back her retort. [Don’t forget that A-7 we barely took down after almost losing some of our brothers, or how much we lost after the last fight with the Rochas. I refuse to cross out any better options. Now unless you have something better in mind, I am going upstairs to talk.]

Dani wasted no time walking up on Renzo the second Sebastian disappeared. [What are you thinking by giving him hope?!] she fussed with her hands over her head in disappointment. [No one gives a shit about our country! If that Hexa company does in fact send us help, it would either be half-assed, incompetent, or both!] Seeing Renzo roll his eyes fueled her frustration as she continued: [You know we don’t have Rocha-level money so don’t get Rocha-level expectations in his head!]

He breathed out a sigh that faded into a laugh as he looked away, pulling out a cigarette from a pouch he took from his shirt pocket. [You get so worked up over us actually trying to do something, you know?] As he lit it and paced the opposite direction towards the still-open garage door he looked to his mobile that began vibrating with the incoming call. [It’s Boss,] he mumbled as he continued to the switch to close the door as he picked up the call.

Dani shook her head in acceptance, knowing she had nothing else to add to the discussion even though the whole situation sat sourly with her. She remembered the promises from other local Familia’s that ran empty during attacks following the A-7 incident, further draining any trust she held in anyone but her own people. Eyeing the rest of the crowd up the way from her and seeing how none of them had taken issue to the direction of the conversation, she retired her concerns and leaned herself against the side of the truck she was next to. She took out her mobile as well, pulling up a link she had left open from earlier, showing a social media app’s post related to Colombia’s situation from Space’s viewpoint. Of course, to no surprise to her, it was heavily satirical in nature, furthering her curiosity enough to read its contents despite her sickened spirit. [To think how great life was when we were children. When is this years-long nightmare going to end?]

[Dani!] Renzo called from across the garage. [La Familia Saravia sent some of their men here before we arrived, did you know that?!] He tucked away his mobile, wearing his trademark glowing expression of hope that caused Dani’s lips to curl in disgust as it always did. [They said they are going to pitch in some money to make a move as soon as tomorrow! Bas picked a good time to bring up the talk, huh?]

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●　● Akkadia One, Eden Space Territories

At the top of Hexa International’s main office building, CEO and Founder Vincent Vrey’s office was clean and orderly, decorations from his lifelong accomplishments hung on each wall. Several pictures of old war MBI were also hung up, each adorning parts from his previous corporation Vrey Robotics. At the center was a framed technical piece that featured an MBI labeled as the “Vrey B8/VR5 ‘Clarent’” and an artistic approach that seemed to convey this machine had won a war. But on the corner of his desk was a picture of a young man in an old Confederate uniform that read “Lance Vrey, 2140-2163” on the placard. The CEO was famous for his creations, but he might be even more famous for being the father of the late heralded hero of the 2nd Earth-Space War, posthumously awarded the title of “Harbinger” as treaties were drawn.

From his seat, Vincent, who himself was in his early sixties, was sitting back, awaiting a call to connect on screen he had up in projection mode. The screen then read “Connected – N62 Carrera 80, Bogota, Colombia”. A stoutly built older man with swept back hair and a clean cut beard came up in view. “I see you have a particular special request, Mr. Galeano. How may I help?”

“Mr. Vrey, I apologize for the inconvenience, but you must know I only speak to those who run a business, not the ones who run around putting more things in the middle. I am a very direct businessman,” the Colombian businessman spoke with surprising fluency.

“Understood, Mr. Galeano. Please, go ahead,” Vincent continued with his soft, welcoming tone.

Mr. Galeano returned the smile as he continued: “We are having difficulties with, how should I say, foreign interests and our city. I learned from cooperation with others here in power that the service requests made to Infinity will not be enough. We are facing much more than expected, and we only have the bare minimum left in the cabinet before we are overrun by demonstrators and the foreign firepower they bring. We will be able to pay, but we need more than the requested security two outfits. We need at least ten."

“Of course, we can gladly assist,” Vincent said as he sat up. “As as matter of fact, our own intel saw some dangerous encounters occur over the last week and we have already arranged emergency preparations for larger scale security dispatch to your city. All I need for you to do is to wait until we send an envoy on Wednesday. From there your city’s governor will sign and we can let everything develop from there.”

“Sorry, sir, but that won’t work,” Mr. Galeano replied, quickly dropping the softer approach.

“Oh? Why not?” Vincent replied as his brow raised in curiosity.

“The government is powerless. If we are to fight the source of the problem, we need to do it directly and without delay. And if we are going to sign over so much of our money, I want a trial. Proof that your men can do the job and we aren’t being sold short.”

Vincent took a moment to ponder the request before continuing, still calm. “Alright, I cannot breach policy that I have created, but I can send a squadron to air drop over your location tomorrow morning first thing. I will send my best scoring reserve pilots, but it will have to suffice, seeing as anything beyond that will cause… problems… for everyone, but they should prove our effectiveness regardless.”

“I do not understand. How will one security package help us?”

“Strike some fear into their hearts. It’s just our, let’s say, trial package, but watch and see. Let the aggressors rethink their position for a while, and in that meantime, we will have enough time to take care of the contract fully and legally. Can we agree to that, Mr. Galeano?”

He waited a moment as he hesitated to accept, but ultimately nodded. “Very well, thank you, Mr. CEO. I expect the group here to rendezvous at the coordinates I will provide. We will see how effective they are.”

Moments later, after hanging up, Vincent let out a troubled sigh, pulling up a list of pilots. “Call in these pilots for emergency response, please,” he ordered as he hit a button on his communicator. “It’s a 6-6-18 package. Get it done on the double.” He then leaned back, letting out a troubled sigh. Of course the man is going to be stubborn. He’s the one who helped create their problems.

On the screen, six Ai-20 LTACs pilots and six Av-25 were listed amongst eighteen support crew members. One of the names read “Samantha A. Knight.”

▽　▽　▽

Sam had a dazed and confused look mixed in with her flustered expression as she hauled her bags downstairs and tossed them on the floor by the front door. She quickly and awkwardly approached Al, who had made his first stop by her house in person for the first time in over a year. “Thanks for coming to get me. And yes, mom is still out and about, but I really think this is the only way I make it out of this door in one piece.”

“Are you still sure this is what you want to do?” Al asked, still concerned about her decision.

“Well, yes, this is how it feels, I guess, but this is what I have been wanting to do. I won’t stay gone long with the huge bonus they pay they are giving us for the rushed orders. I said a year, but I think with this kind of pay, I could do less. I also get two weeks off after this security run.”

“Don’t bake down there, wear sun block,” he said with a smile, trying to ease his own fears.

“Dad, we are stuck in an LTAC all day.”

“Look, don’t let anything get to you. You said you already talked to Saff, right?”

“She’s supposed to be here later today since she couldn’t make it this morning. But maybe it’s best to tell her ‘nevermind’?”

“That’s probably best. This is something your mother and I have to come to an agreement on. But yes, we can’t have you in the middle all the time.”

“Thanks,” she replied with a bit of relief. But then again, this is the first time you’ve been this level of supportive for me. What’s the catch?

“Sam, are you sure you won’t be seeing anything besides riot control? I heard there was an old A-7 that came crashing down over there the other week. Those are what I used to fight against, and those are monsters compared to what you are going to run around town with.”

Maybe it’s reverse psychology, again? It’s not going to work. “Dad, that was a one-off; the only time an MBI was ever spotted since decommission orders. But Hexa already trained me on that, and we have anti-MBI outfits that would cut right through them in the event we need them.” She then saw signs that her father’s concerns might be genuine. “It’s going to be alright. They are very thorough with everything.”

“Vrey was always very thorough, indeed,” Al said as he tried to relax. “Alright. Go ahead. Call as soon as you get a chance after touchdown, alright?”

“Love you, dad,” she said with a tight hug before grabbing her things and rushing out the door to catch the cab they called for her. ‘Love you’? Where’d that come from?

.

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●　● Bogota, Colombia

Sebastian descended from upstairs to find everyone else lounging around. [I got a response. He sent for ten security packages from Infinity, but we only get one tomorrow.] Knowing Dani would not approve, he already had the ID he took from the turncoat recruit earlier in hand to show her. [They ran this guy. Turns out he was Rocha. Had almost a year in pilot training with some foreign outfit. Things are getting way out of hand, now.]

Just then, Renzo burst into the room from outside. [Bas! Either you or someone was tapped during our ride this morning; armed rioters are headed this way up Carrera 80 as we speak! Get the Caballeros ready! Dani, take the rest up top and don’t let anyone sneak through!]

Everyone scrambled without hesitation or question. One might express concern or doubt considering what type of people were in charge of their paramilitary operations, but when it came to acting quickly and with solidarity, all it took was a word from Renzo.

Sebastian and Renzo quickly headed down the access tunnel which led to a small garage with an overhead door. As they passed through, the two threw off the tarps of two mechs that stood under twenty feet tall from the top of their catwalk, hurried downstairs, then climbed up the access ladder attached to the open cockpit area. They made their way up alongside legs that came down to points for feet, jointed in reverse compared to previous MBI designs with a third balancing point that resembled a tail, appearing much sleeker in build but questionable in armor stability. The two sat in an ergonomic position that had them in a posture that resembled one floating – the pilot was seated at a forward leaning angle of about thirty five degrees and the arms were propped up on angled forearm rests that allowed all controls to be handled by wrist and finger movements only. This kept the pilot’s profile low and taking up as little space as possible within the already tight cockpit space. When the top and bottom folding doors closed, only basic illumination was present as the two put lightweight helmets on and slid visors over their faces through which they would see the world around them.

[Open the roof!] Renzo barked over his headset, strapping himself in.

The nitrolysis boosters ignited, making noise levels far lower than those of more traditional fuel cells. There was a distinct reddish brown tinted trail left behind as the units “jumped” out of the garage and allowed themselves to glide to a halt at the nearest major intersection, watching all traffic lights around them go red from local traffic control getting the signal from the Galeano’s.

Sebastian and Renzo stood up back to back as they armed their tear gas-filled polymer rounds for crowd dispersal. But on each MI-r LTAC’s launcher tube was a mounted anti-vehicle-classed shotgun attachment at the ready if needed.

[Here they come, Bas, all on foot. Expect some armored trucks to follow. Dani, be our eyes. Snipers, watch the back. Only use the gas rounds on the active crowd. Anyone else that decides to ‘slip’ through? Silence them, full authorization from Boss.] He refrained from any useless side-chatter, although normally he would be tempted to question the gall of the impending attackers. Here comes the mouth that bites the hand that feeds.

[Renzo,] Sebastian responded back as he zoomed in on something that had him nervous. His camera found explosives detected from a balcony overlooking their position from a 2nd floor house a bit up farther the hillside. [Renzo! Rockets, 2 o’clock! Permission to fire?!]

[No, change positions! Traffic intersection behind us, fall back one sector!] Renzo shouted over what was now the sound of ricochets and small caliber impacts ringing off of their armor.

The two MI-r’s leaned back, firing their boosters as they reversed course, now opening pellet fire on the oncoming crowd who had begun opening small arms fire on them. Immediate dispersal of the crowd began as gas poured out. Renzo kept an eye on the main street which was getting difficult amongst the white smoke filling the area. [Switching to mass momentum sensors. Anything big coming through, let me know!]

[Rockets clear. No sign. I bet your ass they move closer, though!] Sebastian shouted back as he took a few more lob shots into the opposite side of the crowd. He took the bought minute to read the signs a few held, calling for the head of their boss as well as the threat they would burn all his compounds down. Other said to free their loved ones. Free their loved ones?! Are they talking about the politicians we just set free this morning?! But without a second more in passing, the same explosives detector alarm went off again as not only the rocket crew before showed back up but another to their left showed up on a five-story building rooftop. [Damn it, that’s two! We’re sandwiched!]

[Radio the boss! We need help from the west! Bas, hide to the left side shadows – hit that 2 o’clock rocket!]

With that, Sebastian switched magazines as he darted to the left, hurrying before the one group could start tracking a shot. [Come on, come on,] he nervously spoke to himself as he finally got the reloading sequence finished. He aimed the barrel right towards the open window, eyeing down the attackers in question. Please, put the damn rockets down... Please... The lock-warning alarm set off his already nervous trigger finger, sending a grenade into the building, silencing both threats. [Damn it all!] he seethed in frustration.

[Dani! New order!] Renzo barked as the two stood up against the high-rise that protected them from the other rocket threat all the while watching the crowd activity. [Clean up on Calle 798 just off of Carrera 80 by one block. Bas just hit a fucking house.]

[No time! Vehicles approaching! They’re loaded! Stay here and watch that other rocket, I got this!] Sebastian’s MI-r jumped high as he used up almost all of his jump boost reserve, landing in the street parallel to them, pointed feet dragging finely shredded concrete and asphalt with them. As he descended, he heard a rocket pass him. Instinctively he looked to his right as it slammed into another apartment building. [Dani that’s two cleanups! Carrera 80 is about to get lit the hell up!] He then peeked around the corner, hugging a commercial building that was just tall enough to hide him. He took aim, waiting for the mass-momentum sensors to reveal their approach, took aim, and hit the center of the intersection which had by now been cleared of traffic. It sent an armored carrier onto its side, screeching to a halt. With the same timing, he took another shot to the left of it where the next vehicle tried to move towards so that it could dodge the obstruction, sending it spiraling out of control into the nearest building. He walked his MI-r up to the first wreckage, scanning for others incoming, only to find the smoldering mess and dozens of fleeing rioters. Moments later, the injured carrier passengers slowly and painfully made their way out. [Streets are clearing up over on this end.] These are Rocha hires. The real locals wouldn’t run away like this, much less lead a baseless attack blindly like this.. [Hey, Renzo?]

[Backup from Kennedy West just arrived, took out the other rockets. I’m cleaning up here- you worry about your end!]

With that, he continued to run scans, finding nothing. He marked the armored carrier wreckages for cleanup as he made his way one more intersection down the same street. As he approached what might have been positive for high density rounds for a weapon, he then saw friendly tag markers were showing up on screen. That can’t be good. He turned the corner at the intersection and saw a Galeano-marked secure transit vehicle wrecked into the side of a building and all occupants lined up outside along the next to nearest wall, all shot in the head as if they were executed. [Shit, this wasn’t a riot aimed for us after all. They caught us looking. Renzo, any clue why a package delivery was filled up with Family members?]

[ID’s?]

[Hold on.] He walked up until he was about two meters away from the first body, running a bio scan. This is Boss’s money runner. Where the hell was he headed!? It then just hit him the direction they were headed was for the clearing by the airport. [Shit, they got the payment Boss had ordered for the Infinity packages! They are on to us! They knew exactly what we were up to and where the money was going!]

[What do you mean?!] he heard Renzo over his radio.

Dani then shouted over the channel: [This was a trap! They weren’t headed for Boss or the compound! They knew what we were going to buy! No one return! Stay away from the compound!]

Another of the crew came over the radio: [Cleanup dispatched, staying away, rerouting all returns to compound four! I think Bosa will be a safer place than here for now.]

Sebastian felt uneasy about the backup plan, remembering precisely what it was that wiped out the LTAC reserves the Vera’s had last week. [Negative. Scratch that. Someone’s been watching us. Fall back to ‘Casa Morada.’]

The two MI-r’s went separate directions, and the cleanup trucks continued their business as things fell quiet once more as people started to emerge, assessing the damage and the overall situation. Ambulance and fire response sirens by now were heard from all directions.

From the nearest hilltop looking down on the area, three LTACs with cloaks draped over them stood amongst the trees. One had what looked to be advanced detection equipment sticking out just beyond the heavy cloak material rustling in the wind.

“They switched destinations. Unless that’s a deflection code for compound four? Or anyone know what a Casa Morada is?” a man’s voice spoke from one of the LTACs. “At least they won’t be able to buy their packages Wednesday.”

“I hope your translation out isn’t going haywire for your sake,” a second man chimed in.

“Just sit and wait,” the third replied in a colder tone. “They have to return here tomorrow morning regardless. Let them do what they want. We will get them all taken care of in time. Until then, we wait here, so unpack and set up camp while we wait for Cable to get back in touch with us. Hexa makes their first drop at 5AM.”

“Stay sharp for wanderers.”

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.

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Preface Part 2 (OPTIONAL)

Colombia happens to be of the hardest hit by unrest as of late. After the collapsing of the global confederacy, it only took a year for the vacuum of power at the capital to be filled by several highly economically influential and well-armed mobs, or “Familias”, to take control of most of each major city’s basic services. The government was only a front as any elected politician simply represented one of the five main Familias of Bogota: the Vera’s of Santa Fe (or downtown), the Galeano’s of Kennedy (the largest populations), the Benitez of Usme (the poorest), the Saravia’s of Teusaquillo (most foreigner-born population), and the Rocha’s of Usaquen (the richest).

For most of the time since the Familias took power, shaky but sustained cooperation between them helped them economically rule Bogota, including control of the police and the justice system. Freedoms and rights were at all time lows since pre-confederacy times, and recently the Rocha’s began to change their tune as they utilized their much larger tax base to fund the protestors and funnel them weapons and vehicles. Unidentified foreign aid also provided the first MBI which led a raid on the Parliament as they tried to take control of the district as well. This started an inter-Familia war as the Rocha’s were accused of trying to take control of Bogota and in turn insert their politicians into the SAU Council who can promote pro-confederacy sentiment across the continent. The Familias staunchly fought back as they would lose everything if such a governing body were to take back over. But with the military and police horribly underfunded over the decades, there are only what forces the Familias have to try and prevent such changes. But as of late, the Rochas are assumed to be coming with more and more firepower, overwhelming the opposition week by week. This also encourages the public to resort to their own protests and violence directed at the Familias and their establishments. The only thing holding back any Familia from responding all out is the fear of destroying their own city over their in-fighting. But that might have to change, soon, as well.

Sebastian is the youngest of the three Navarre siblings who work for the Galeano’s of Kennedy. He along with his older brother Renzo and older sister Dani were of a dozen original pilots for the purchased Bernaud MI-r LTACs from a source kept private from them, but nonetheless made good use of them against the more heavily equipped acts of violence and also served even more effectively against any protest that went out of control. While the three Navarre’s were reluctant to fight for a corrupt power, they were held in check by their fear of a complete take-over who would allow the city to eat itself alive in violence and turmoil.

But as of a week ago, all but two of their LTACs, which Renzo had dubbed their “Caballeros”, were destroyed in their first clash with a wave of Hexa AiX knock-offs from an unidentified political interest. As a result, the Galeanos and Veras attempted to make temporary peace with the Rochas to buy time for rearming and regrouping by releasing several political prisoners to them. However, it seems that won’t go to plan as they had hoped.