02/20/20
What a date!
I asked in my last Reading Review videos for a favor. I'd like a list of Xenoblade X NPCs that could be useful in the story and are also alive following the events of X. Everyone featured in "Hello Xenos" will be on Mira obviously but beyond that, there are NPCs I definitely forgot about that could be handy to have around. If you loyal readers can make a list of like...5 or 10 that you like with their names, species and a sentence about who they are, that'd be a big help! Feel free to DM it to me on twitter / tumblr or on my youtube discussion tab, all linked in my profile. I'm asking now so I can be ready when we reach Mira.
Until then, here is more of Ivan Birtwhistle questioning our heroes.
File 02: Commander Kentaro Nagi
Sitting in his room, Nagi remained still, eyes closed. The last three months following the Lawless Incident were particularly harsh. Much more so than he expected them to be. Lao sought to bring the Coalition into a full on battle and after his people assaulted Elma's complex, he succeeded. The full weight of the Coalition came down on him, giving him exactly what he wanted. Every loss was a victory for that man, this Nagi knew.
Upon hearing the door open, Nagi opened his eyes, the lead investigator stepping inside.
"Kentaro Nagi, I do wish our encounter would be a bit more...pleasant."
"Birtwhistle."
The man placed his binders and other such documents on the table, a smile on his face.
"So you do know me."
"Who doesn't? You're a man well known for sniffing out the truth...when it comes to internal investigations there is no one better than you."
Sitting down, Birtwhistle nodded.
"You give me more praise than my own son."
"Your son hates you."
The investigator chuckled.
"So much so he moved to another city and hasn't spoken to me since…"
The pair remained silent for a moment, Birtwhistle letting out a heavy sigh.
"I don't suppose you can understand the hatred he has for me...can you?
The transcriber entered next, taking their seat in silence as Nagi spoke.
"I'm afraid not, Birtwhistle. I have no children of my own. I'll admit to forging bonds with some of those I work closest to but I don't know what it's like to be hated. I'd suggest speaking with him but I imagine that's not an easy thing to do."
The investigator shrugged.
"Not like it matters. Our paths diverged. So be it."
Clearing his throat, Birtwhistle opened his main binder and retrieved a pen.
"First thing, relevant personal information."
"Kentaro Nagi. 57. Commander of the Coalition's Armed Forces."
Birtwhistle locked eyes with the older man. Making note of how calm he was. Internal investigations tended to unnerve most people. Unlike Elma who was in a poor mood the entire discussion due to her personal bond with Jaynix, Nagi was stoic.
"When did you first meet, Lao Huang?"
Nagi thought for a moment.
"That would be July 2025. Lao was 20 years old when he enrolled at the Aeacus Academy. I supervised the enrollment ceremony that year and he was among the crowd. It wasn't long after that when he began making quite the name for himself and impressed most of the proctors and instructors at the time. It was a week or so after the enrollment when I personally spoke with him on the training field. Simply asking how he got so good at shooting."
Birtwhistle tilted his head.
"What did he say?"
"He grew up wanting to serve and protect...he focused on sharpshooting because from afar not only could he see threats, but he could keep his eyes on those he swore to safeguard. It was quite an answer...I told him that he would eventually find himself in a situation where he could do nothing but watch as a comrade of his died...no one gets through a military career without losses. He accepted that."
Birtwhistle wrote something down before moving on.
"After meeting him in 2025 and by the time he betrayed us in 2041. Did you notice anything about him that changed?"
Nagi thought briefly, bringing a hand to his chin.
"No. He was a model, honorable and loyal soldier. A man I believed I could trust. He changed his focus from combat to teaching around 2037 I think it was...he seemed even happier in that field...perhaps cause it allowed him more time with his wife but he could never resist the urge to serve."
Nagi watched Birtwhistle continue to write.
"Where were you during the events of the massacre?"
Nagi closed his eyes. How he wished he could've been at the Academy that day.
"I had heard about the Devoted coming to Rhadamanthus for a session...I wanted to see them training the next generation of protectors. I was at the Coalition headquarters following reports of some unrest in the Uncontrolled Districts. The surveillance team and I were monitoring key sites beyond the wall, looking for signs of movement...then there were the explosions."
Ivan nodded.
"Those reports. Do you believe that was a distraction orchestrated by Lao's people?"
Nagi shrugged.
"It very well could have been...because I was keeping an eye on it I wasn't at the Academy when the attack occurred. When I did get there I joined the rescue effort, trying to see if we could find survivors among the rubble. We just found bodies."
Ivan nodded once again, slowly. A frown on his face as he turned the page on his notes and spoke.
"When did you meet Jaynix Copeland?"
"Jaynix?"
"Yes. The Corporal is vital to our investigation."
Nagi leaned back in his seat, he doubted that but he answered anyway.
"May 2020, two months after she was born. Hideo and I go a long way back and he wanted me to meet her, the daughter of his closest friends. I doubt even Jaynix knows that was the first time I laid eyes on her."
"How about when she started serving?"
"2038. The year she entered into the Rhadamanthus Academy. That was when I interacted with her in a more notable sense. She was spirited, eager, proud, strong...I had hope in her, that she could accomplish whatever she aimed for."
Birtwhistle nodded.
"The 2041 Massacre...were you aware of the effect it had on Jaynix?"
Thinking of that event again, Nagi sighed.
"...yes...she did not attend the Academy for quite some time after the deaths of her parents. Instead she and her sister, Flame moved in with Hideo. I don't have all the details on their time there...but I saw both of them return to the Academy. What happened in 2041 left its scars as I'm sure we all know but it also pushed them...they wanted to succeed and prove themselves to their parents. Even then."
Nagi trailed off, thinking of Jaynix and Flame's return to the Academy. Falling back into their places and continuing to ace their exams and impress the people around them.
"It was inspiring…"
"...did you think the choice to allow Jaynix to engage in this mission against the Lawless was the right one? Were you not concerned how her temperament and mental state might affect the mission?"
Nagi shook his head.
"Jaynix is not crazy."
Birtwhistle pulled out several autopsy reports and slid them across the table.
"These are the bodies of the Lawless who attacked the ECP apartment complex. The brutality of their deaths were all attributed to the Corporal. Many say she adopted her mother's alias but without any self control...do you look at this and think she's of sound mind?"
Nagi observed the reports before eyeing Birtwhistle.
"If your goal was to disturb me you may have missed the part where I was on scene as these bodies were cleaned up. These very reports were written while I was present."
Birtwhistle remained silent as Nagi continued.
"When it comes to our advanced forces and the Lawless Sectors...violence is expected. It happens."
"No one else of the many units operating beyond our walls has the record that Jaynix has when it comes to the state of the bodies she leaves behind. Even more were found in the ruins of the Lawless' base of operations along with Lao and Torrez's corpses. In addition, twelve years ago there were bodies carved up in similar grotesque fashion."
Nagi watched as Birtwhistle drew out more reports from the 2041 massacre.
"Not just Devoted soldiers...but several Academy officers were reported to have been torn apart."
"Those reports never identified the person who killed them. There was no evidence on the field."
"...maybe not but you can't deny the similarities."
Nagi nodded.
"I recall the Archer being on site and he disabled all the firearms in the hopes to prevent more deaths. At that point everyone turned to their blades to defend themselves. Of course the bodies would be torn up following that."
Birtwhistle nodded.
"Of course. Back to Jaynix, she executed Lao despite direct orders. Fueled by vengeance no doubt. I'm sure you know that those in power are considering her dismissal from service. What do you say to that?"
"If Jaynix, a woman who's dedicated so many years of her life to the protection of our people, is dismissed from service over the death of a single traitor who committed many atrocities in the name of vengeance...then I would hand in my resignation as well."
Birtwhistle stopped writing.
"You don't mean that."
"Who's to say those in power would be satisfied after dismissing Jaynix? After she's gone they'll turn their attention on Elma, Kumon and Lyla who were also present at the time of Lao's death. They'd all be held accountable for being unable to stop Jaynix from killing a man who deserved it."
Birtwhistle nodded.
"I see…if I may ask Nagi. Why did you not head into the battle? Deal with the Lawless yourself? With Lao?"
Nagi sighed.
"If we could do this again...I'd be a part of it...but I trusted Elma and Kumon to handle it. The plan we formed should've gone off without a hitch but in our rush to bring Lao to justice we overlooked his years of service and his knowledge of our strategies and so we were forced into combat...if things had gone our way, I would have been there."
"Would you have killed Lao?"
Nagi thought of the man for a moment.
"No...I don't think I would've been able to...I know I would have wanted to, but I doubt I could pull the trigger."
Birtwhistle crossed his arms.
"So. In your mind and from your estimation as Commander..everything involving Jaynix's role in this operation, the fact that she was even allowed to take part and her killing Lao...you accept all that?"
Nagi smiled.
"How could I not? Jaynix is decorated and strong. Having her on site was a boon to everyone who knew her and knew of her. Her support system was with her...as for Lao. I understand the desire to bring him in...but it was never going to happen."
"You say that, yet you also said that if you were there you wouldn't have shot him."
Nagi shrugged.
"Elma didn't shoot him either...Jaynix took the initiative. I imagine the same would have happened if I was there. You can rewrite the scenario, recast the parts, but the ending is always the same, Ivan. Surely you can see that?"
Birtwhistle nodded before standing up.
"I think we can call it here."
"Nothing else?"
"I believe any more questions I ask you would be better served if asked to General Kumon. That's all."
Standing the investigator opened the door allowing the transcriber to depart.
"Are you okay with this, Ivan?"
The man looked back at Nagi.
"It's like you said. Internal investigations are my forte, I've ended the careers of many who have taken the power granted to them and abused it."
"What if the ones abusing their power are not us but the ones at the top?"
Birtwhistle shrugged.
"Get me proof and I can act on it. Until then, have a good day, Nagi."
With that the man departed and moved onto the next room.
A few moments later, Nagi stood and stepped outside, seeing Elma staring at her datapad.
"Colonel."
"Nagi. How'd it go?"
"Birtwhistle may have to watch himself with Kumon, Lyla and Flame...his questions about Jaynix will not sit right with them."
Elma nodded.
"They didn't sit right with me...I know he's just doing his job but-"
The woman shook her head and turned away as Nagi sat down.
"So. We wait."
The pair sat there, Nagi noting that Elma wanted to ask something.
"Birtwhistle didn't wear me out that much. What is it, Elma?"
"Do you really think they'll dismiss Jaynix?"
Nagi sighed.
"I don't know...while I disagree with Ivan's view on events he's right to question our thought process. We let Jaynix join the mission knowing what happened back in 2041."
Elma nodded.
"Maybe so...but we both know that if we benched her, she'd just find her way to the battle on her own. She needed to be there and at least this way we were with her…"
Nagi recalled the report he read regarding Elma, Lyla and Kumon's battle with Lao and Torrez before Jaynix arrived.
"Were you desperate to finish the fight before…"
Elma looked to the man.
"Yes...if I could take all the blame for killing Lao, I would. But I also couldn't justify doing it with Jaynix present so when she appeared I…"
Elma's gaze fell to her datapad. Nagi reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We all made our choices. Let's not question it. That's Ivan's job."
Elma nodded, a small smile on her face as she thought once more of the message on her datapad. As much as she wanted to follow it through and take care of Benton she knew she had to be here for Kumon, Lyla and Flame.