Mission 63 (
Summary[]
A news report discusses Jonas Wellman, a renowned former opera singer in Ostania who plans on traveling to Westalis for a cultural exchange event. Because of his popularity, which reaches even Westalis, people hope his performance will improve East-West relations. However, tabloids publish scandalous reports about Jonas, accusing him of numerous extramarital affairs and leaks of information through them to the West, organized crime connections, insults to Ostanians, disparaging disabled veterans, threats toward new castmates, etc. Jonas gets swarmed by reporters about these stories, which he declares are untrue.
Sylvia orders the rookie to stop the news from reaching the West
At WISE Safe House D, a rookie is in disbelief over the allegations. Sylvia orders him to take whatever steps necessary to ensure the news of the scandals does not reach Westalis, but the rookie refuses. Sylvia walks up to him and slams on the wall, reiterating her order. While they work, Sylvia asks the rookie why he is so upset about the situation. The rookie explains that people in both the East and West fought hard to make the cultural exchange happen, and he believes it will amount to nothing with the scandals.
Sylvia remembers her trainings with Twilight
Sylvia asks the rookie if he hates Jonas, which he affirms and cites the tabloids. Sylvia explains that the tabloids were mouthpieces for the National Unity Party during the war and that the people claiming to be the sources of the stories are all suspect. Regardless, the rookie dislikes Jonas, and Sylvia tells him to act based on objective reasoning, reminding him that lives may hinge on any little scrap of information. A WISE agent reports to Sylvia about a death threat sent to Jonas. Sylvia orders an investigation into everything the police know before leaving for the embassy to change plans for the event. On the way there, Sylvia is exhausted from training the recruits. She flashes back to when she instructed Twilight and wonders if she was being soft then.
A while later, the rookie shows Sylvia a new tabloid rebutting all of Jonas's scandals, which she is already aware of. The rookie arrogantly changes his stance on Jonas, and Sylvia punches his head. The WISE Agent says they do not have to worry about the death threat anymore, but Sylvia denies this, believing that the person who made the threat will go through with it. Watching the live news footage of people gathered at Jonas's office, Sylvia notices a guard who looks out of place. She calls a kebab store near the office and orders the kebab man to watch the suspicious guard. Sylvia and the other agents move out to interfere. The rookie asks if they should call in Twilight, but she says he needs to rest after he keeled over in his home.
Sylvia strikes the attacker with her belt
Inside Jonas's office, his associates tell him that the police asked them not to leave the office. However, as they have a party tonight, they plan on taking the back door to avoid the media. Outside, the kebab man sees the guard revealing a silenced pistol and starts to worry. As Sylvia and the other agents arrive, he reports that the guard is preparing to shoot. Sylvia orders the kebab man to keep Jonas away from the guard, which he does by approaching him and his guards with kebabs. Sylvia runs up to the guard and strikes his hand with her belt, making him drop his gun. The man tells Sylvia not to get in the way of his justice and reveals a knife, but Sylvia strikes under his jaw, knocking him out. While the kebab man apologizes to the guards, Sylvia and the other agents run off with the unconscious man.
At the airport, Jonas departs for Westalis in high spirits after being cleared of his scandals. Meanwhile, Sylvia's shoulder aches from the day before, for which she makes an excuse. Returning to the Safe House, Sylvia discusses the guard with the agents. Confirmed to have sent the death threat, Pance Karmer is a former soldier who bounced from job to job after the war, racking up multiple arrests for assault. Still affected by the war, he was obsessed with "punishing the corrupt" for the sake of the people. Sylvia says he took too much pride in having fought for peace, something they themselves must watch out for.
"Stop waiting for easy answers to fall into your lap, Rookie."
The rookie vows never to be deceived by his ignorance. He plans to see one of Jonas's performances as an apology, but the WISE Agent tells him that Jonas may be defecting to Westalis. He explains that one of Jonas's mistresses was the wife of an organized crime boss who might go after his life if he returns. The rookie is confused, recalling the article rebutting Jonas's scandals, while the Agent and Sylvia move on from the topic. The rookie asks for the truth, so Sylvia tells him to find the answers himself.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- Kebab's character may be a reference to the Turkish immigration that took place in West Germany as part of the nation's guest workers' program, including how they introduced Doner (or Döner) Kebab into German cuisine.
References[]