“Fox Battalion” Leader Speaks

by Xephronia Warbaum, Steelhead City, WA Territories

In an apparent attempt at clarification of the mysterious Latin bills posted around town declaring the advent of the vigilante group calling itself the “Fox Battalion”, another missive, this time in English, has been circulating amongst the populace. Claiming to represent the cause of “justice and peace that comes from an orderly society free of crime”, the letter, also signed “The Captain” (of the Fox Battalion) clearly states dissatisfaction with Steelhead’s Law Enforcement Officials. In it the town Marshal is accused of “sitting back and waiting” rather than “doing something” about the recent crime wave in Shanghai and elsewhere.

The Marshal’s office has hardly been idle, despite claims to the contrary. Street patrols by the Jaeger contingent continue around the clock, and Marshal Ortegavitch is actively working specific cases.The Steelhead Militia are doing their part as well, the Navy adding routine patrols to increase the watch on the coastline, and the Land arm on constant alert. Intelligence gathered by Col. Huddleston has proven difficult to obtain. What he has discovered from reliable sources is that the Battalion have a wider reach than previously believed, and “have been active along the West Coast from Anchorage to Seattle”. His sources belie the delicacy declared by the Fox Battalion letters, and although they agree that the Battalion had nothing to do with the Chang matter, they have been “hitting criminals hard, capturing and occasionally killing (them) in the name of bringing them to justice.” He goes on to say that they “go after anyone that does major crimes: Drugs, Smuggling, Slavery, you name it…”. Whether they are considered “saints” or “devils”, he says, depends on which Law Enforcement officials or agencies one speaks to.

The ambiguous “something” the Fox Battalion proposes to do is what worries the aforementioned Marshal and other town officials. This newest missive from the “Captain” purports that the Fox Battalion is not responsible for the recently murdered Mr. Cheng (sic), a known criminal and common thug, and goes on to claim an aversion to violence. Still, the Battalion takes credit for “quelling smuggling and drug operations” (no specifics given) and threatens to take “more of an active role in stopping the vile trades that threaten and choke the good citizens of this city.” One might wonder how this could be accomplished without a modicum of violence that has great potential for escalation.