Operation Strix


 * This article is about the Operation called OPERATION STRIX. For information on the episode, see Operation Strix.

Operation "Strix" (オペレーション〈〉) is "Twilight"'s current assignment as a spy for Westalian Intelligence. The overarching goal of the mission is to maintain peaceful relations between Westalis and Ostania by probing Donovan Desmond for any seditious activities.

To get close to his target, Twilight takes on the identity of "Loid Forger" and creates the Forger Family, procuring a wife and a child to infiltrate Eden Academy, an elite private school which Donovan's son attends. Anya Forger, Loid's daughter, also secretly helps her father in carrying out this mission to achieve world peace.

Creation
Over ten years after the end of the war, a Westalian diplomat is killed alongside his driver in a car accident in Ostania. This incident awakened a new conflict between the two countries, and Westalian Intelligence believed Donovan Desmond and his political party were the main suspects and were attempting to instigate a war. To prevent this, they created Operation Strix.

The Forgers
After completing his previous assignment, Agent "Twilight" is tasked with Operation Strix. His orders are to stop Donovan from harming the truce efforts between the Ostanian and Westalian governments by getting close to him and probing for any seditious activities. However, since Donovan's only public appearances are at private events held by the prestigious Eden Academy, Twilight must marry and have a child who can enroll at the school, giving him one week to do so.

To this end, "Twilight" takes on the alias of psychiatrist "Loid Forger," securing himself an apartment in Berlint, Ostania, and adopts Anya from a rundown orphanage with little paperwork. After Anya passes Eden's admission exam, he receives a letter saying both parents must be present for the family interview. During his search for a wife, Loid encounters Yor Briar, an office clerk working at City Hall, at a tailor shop, and the two decide to form a partnership out of convenience and later agree to marry to protect their secret identities.

Eden Enrollment and New Briefing
After Yor joins the family, they prepare for the Eden Academy interview. On the day of the interview, the Forgers make a great impression on housemaster Henry Henderson, who lends a hand in getting Anya into the school. After Anya is successfully enrolled, Loid meets with his Handler, Sylvia Sherwood, who briefs him on the second phase of Operation Strix, with the new goal of making Anya an Imperial Scholar. On Anya's orientation, Loid thinks over his further actions, unaware that his daughter, being a secret telepath, learns about the existence of his new Plan A and Plan B. Inspired by her father's job, the girl also makes this operation her own, deciding to help Loid meet with the "main boss" and achieve world peace. However, on the same day, she hits Damian, thus almost putting the entire operation in jeopardy and forcing Loid to believe that his relationship with the Desmonds had soured before it even started.

First Meeting with Donovan
Sometime after Anya's unsuccessful attempts to establish a relationship with Damian, Loid finds out that Donovan will attend Eden Academy's semi-annual event, the Imperial Scholars mixer. The event is too well-guarded by SSS agents, leaving Twilight's best opportunity to meet Donovan as "Loid Forger." Loid finds another chance to meet his target when he learns that Donovan will be meeting with Damian after the mixer. After Anya inspires Damian to go through with meeting his father, Loid takes the opportunity to meet Donovan.

Loid tries in every possible way to interest Donovan in himself, carefully considering his words and actions, but Desmond politely dismisses any of his attempts to get close to him and get into his manor. Only for a brief moment does Loid manage to get a reaction from his target when the conversation turns to parenting. Donovan reveals that he believes no one can truly understand each other and that he considers even his own children strangers, which shocks Damian. Loid responds by saying that it is important to compromise with others to gain an understanding, then compliments Damian's school assignment on Donovan's work as the party chairman, which he also praises. Donovan decides to wrap up the conversation, but not before remembering Loid's name and saying he enjoyed their colloquy. Loid thanks his target for sharing his time with him, then takes his leave after briefly chatting with Damian. As Loid leaves, he and Donovan quietly glare at each other.

Loid concludes that although he was unable to learn anything worthwhile, he gained a first impression of his target and his relationship with Damian, concluding that the closer the two become, the better the odds of success are for Plan B. He also decides that laying the careful groundwork for the future is his next best strategy.

Theft of Secret Files
For many months, Loid does not have the opportunity to meet his main target again, but Yor is lucky to meet his wife, Melinda Desmond, and thus, Loid creates a Plan C, to Anya's secret displeasure. However, Anya's activity in helping her father begins to prove fruitful. Following the arrest of the Red Circus members after a failed busjacking, she becomes the owner of two Stella Stars, and when it seems that she is getting closer to Damian, she creates her own B Plan. While things seemed to be moving along slowly to Loid, a crushing incident occurred that once again put the entire operation at risk. A report came from Westalis that Winston Wheeler, an Ostanian mole, stole top-secret files regarding WISE's operations in Ostania. Winston manages to cross the border between the countries while evading capture and lays low in Shelburry, where his meeting with SSS agents will occur. Loid and his other co-workers are sent there to detain Winston and retrieve the documents to avoid the collapse of Operation Strix.

After a successful ambush, Agent Nightfall (also known as Fiona Frost) and her teammates capture Winston and retrieve their files. However, Winston, who is also a source of valuable information, escapes into the sewers, where he finds and beats Loid and almost unmasks him. The enraged Fiona defeats Winston but injures herself while doing so. Loid stops Fiona from killing Winston, after which he and the arriving WISE Agent exit the sewers and leave Shellbury while evading the SSS. The captured Winston is then sent to WISE HQ for interrogation, thus avoiding the leakage of information about Operation Strix through him.

Overview

 * Objective: Make Anya Forger a member of the Imperial Scholars
 * Performers: Anya, Loid Forger, Yor Forger (supporting)
 * Interferences: Anya (unwillingly; periodically), School Rivals, Donna Schlag

Shortly before Anya's orientation at school, Loid receives a new order from Sylvia, which becomes known as Plan A. This is the first and main plan to achieve the goal of Operation Strix. Loid is instructed to ensure Anya becomes one of the special Eden students known as the Imperial Scholars. This elite group is part of the narrow circle of communication of Donovan Desmond, who periodically attends school events with his first son, Demetrius. For a student to become an Imperial Scholar, they must earn eight merits called Stella Stars and avoid getting eight demerits called Tonitrus Bolts.

According to WISE's planning, Anya is expected to earn eight merits within four months. Aware of Anya's lack of great talents, Loid does not believe in the success of this plan but continues to help and support his daughter in achieving this elite status, rejoicing and being proud of her school achievements. With the help of her telepathic abilities, Anya also finds out about Plan A and actively tries to fulfill it. However, the plan becomes jeopardized twice after Anya receives two Tonitruses, and even she begins believing she cannot accomplish this goal. After some motivation from Henry, Anya resumes her efforts to work hard to one day become an Imperial Scholar.

Interclass Dodgeball Match
This match is Anya's first attempt to get a Stella. After hearing a rumor circulating within the first years that the MVP of the game would get a Stella, Anya trains hard with Yor to improve her skills. However, a rival from Wald Hall, known as "Bazooka Bill," gets in her way. Thanks to her telepathy and Damian's self-sacrifice, Anya goes against Bill one-on-one. Despite all the training she did with her mother, Anya delivers a weak throw, and she loses the game to Bill. However, it is revealed that the rumors were false, and no one would have received an award in the first place. Meanwhile, Henry contemplates the idea that Anya and Damian deserve a Stella Star for their joint work during the game, but when he watches them have their next quarrel, he changes his mind.

First Stella
Loid tries to help Anya find any hidden talents but comes to the sad conclusion that she is not very good at academics, arts, and sports. They decide to try another way to implement their Plan A and get a Stella Star by volunteering and helping in the hospital. However, Anya's actions only spoil everything, and the nurses eventually lose patience and ask them to leave the hospital. On the way to the exit, the girl telepathically hears a call for help and finds a boy drowning in the pool. Together with Loid, she manages to save the drowning kid, and this heroic act receives her first Stella Star.

The Pastry of Knowledge
After hearing more school rumors, Anya and Damian become rivals in an attempt to get the last macaron set, a legendary pastry that supposedly contributes to becoming an Imperial Scholar. Because of her charm and sad appearance, the girl manages to get the last macaron and eat it, which, to the surprise of others, charges her with energy for many hours and gives her motivation to write the quizzes with a fiery passion. However, Anya's results turned out to be as bad as ever. Upset, she returns home and goes to mope in her room, leaving her quiz results to her parents. In her absence, Loid makes an unexpected discovery that, despite spelling mistakes, Anya has a good knowledge of the classical language, but decides to postpone thinking about how it can be used for his mission for later.

Second Stella
On the way to a field trip, Anya and her classmates are taken hostage by the Red Circus, who seek to free their political allies. Using her telepathic power as well as her wits and strength of spirit, she prevents the situation from climaxing into their bus exploding and manages to persuade the leader of the group, Billy Squire, to surrender to the police. After the incident, she receives her second Stella Star for her heroic actions.

Overview

 * Objective: Make Anya Forger become friends with Damian Desmond
 * Performers: Anya, Loid Forger (supporting)
 * Interferences: Anya and Damian

Believing that there will be problems with the implementation of WISE's Plan A, Loid creates a Plan B: "The Friendship Scheme." Shortly before Anya's orientation, he tampers with the school papers so that she ends up in the same class as Damian, Donovan's second son. Loid believes that the friendship between the two kids will ensure close contact with Donovan.

Through her telepathy, Anya finds out about this plan and initially tries to make friends with Damian, but his arrogant behavior pushes her away, and on the same day, angry at his bullying, she punches him in the face. Despite her attempt to apologize to him, Anya could not establish relations with Damian for a long time because of his behavior, their school rivalry, and his secret crush on her, which he aggressively tries to deny.

Dogs
When Anya fails to impress Damian with her first Stella Star, she makes a new attempt to make friends with him. Having telepathically learned that the second son has a dog, she believes that if she too gets a dog, it will ensure her friendship with Damian and allow their fathers to meet and "achieve world peace." When she returns home, she asks her parents about getting a dog, to which they agree. While looking for a dog, the Forgers become involved in a terrorist plot to assassinate a Westalian foreign minister in order to start a war between the two countries. The criminals are arrested, and the Forgers get a new family member, Bond. When Anya tries to tell Damian about this news, she ends up wasting his time since she had yet to give Bond a name, and the boy felt that Anya was unfit to own a pet.

Art Project
When Anya's attempt to impress Damian with Bond fails, the second son again attempts to get a Stella Star for an art contest. He decides to make a griffin craft, imagining that his father will be very proud of him if he manages to create a masterpiece. Anya reads Damian's thoughts and develops her hew scheme: if she helps him make the griffin, she will impress "the boss," which, in turn, will encourage him to meet with her father so that peace will come. Despite her diligence and efforts, Anya only hinders Damian, and, as a result, they lose time and materials to create even decent art. As an apology, Anya gives Damian her paper model to use as another griffin. To their surprise, Henry informs them that their griffins won the contest, but the second son refuses to show it to his father or even tell him about it, making Anya's "Operation Griffin" a failure, to her chagrin.

Progress
Damian's opinion about Anya gradually begins to change for the better when she helps him avoid a Tonitrus Bolt from Donna Schlag for forgetting a handkerchief, taking it in his place. After experiencing the shocks associated with the bus hijacking and the arrest of the Red Circus, Damian briefly admitted that he and Anya are friends, although he immediately took back his words when she again began asking to visit his house. Later, on returning to school, despite the fact that Damian continues to periodically mock Anya, his friends and Becky notice that he has been "going sweet" on her lately, which he denies.

Intending to repay Anya for her help in the previously mentioned incidents, Damian prepares expensive tea cakes to give her but stubbornly tries to do it in private. Anya reads Damian's mind and decides to help, inviting him to meet at the school courtyard. After Damian gets help from Henry in giving Anya the tea cakes, it is revealed that his mother, Melinda, helped obtain the sweets in the hopes that he and Anya will become closer. After Anya has her tea cakes, she tells Damian they can be good friends. Damian misunderstands why she invited him to meet earlier and imagines an exaggerated version of her wanting to be friends with him. Anya gets creeped out when she sees this mental image and takes back her words about being friends.

Plan C

 * Objective: Develop Yor Forger's friendship with Melinda Desmond
 * Performers: Yor (unknowingly)
 * Interferences: Anya, the Shopkeeper (potentially)

Continuing to comprehend the role of a mother and wife, Yor goes to a department store to buy Anya's cakes and saves a rich woman from falling down the stairs. The lady is very grateful to Yor and invites her to a volleyball game and later to a gathering with her narrow circle of friends in the Lady Patriots Society. During their conversation, it is revealed that Yor saved the former first lady of Ostania and Donovan's wife, Melinda Desmond. When Yor returns home, she mentions this acquaintance to Loid and Anya, which activates a stormy activity in their heads. Loid and WISE knew about Melinda but thought she had little information value due to Melinda distancing herself from her husband and children.

However, now Loid feels that Yor could be his key to a new path to Donovan and lets Yor continue meeting with Melinda when she asks him, after which he devises a Plan C: "The Mommy-Friends Scheme," which is along the same vein as Plan B. Anya, meanwhile, begins to regard her mother as a rival for her Plan B. While the girl does not voice this displeasure, this prompts her to develop her new battle plan of the friendship schemes where she was going to pull ahead of her mother.

Yor secretly asks permission from her employer, the Shopkeeper, to be friends with Melinda. He good-naturedly gives Yor the go-ahead but warns her that she may have problems with her husband because of Melinda's conservative alignment. However, he suddenly becomes gloomy when he learns from Yor that Loid has already met with Donovan and expressed interest in his party.

B Plan

 * Objective: Make Damian Desmond become friends with Anya Forger
 * Performers: Anya
 * Interferences: Anya (unwillingly), Becky Blackbell (unknowingly)

Having become popular after the Red Circus incident, Anya realizes her mistake in Plan B. She understands that earlier, she tried too hard to get into Damian's house, whereas it was necessary to invite him to her house. Anya develops a new plan to impress Damian with her "strong" life as a commoner, which she believes will bring Donovan to her home when Damian comes over to learn more about her family. However, Anya goes too far in bragging to her classmates as she begins lying to get their approval and becomes envious of her mother's strength when Becky brings it up. Suspecting Becky an enemy spy and a threat to her scheme, as well as being offended by Damian for his rude statements, Anya gets angry and loses sight of her goal as she enters into a new skirmish with Damian.

Trivia

 * The name of the operation, Strix, is of an owl. In Greek and Roman mythology, a strix was a bird of ill omen that fed on human flesh and blood. In ancient Greek, strix means "owl."
 * It is noteworthy that the main target of the operation, Donovan, has the same huge eyes as an owl.
 * At the moment, Demetrius is the only Desmond who has not been designated as a target by either Twilight or WISE.