KOI Dossier: Sora "Hotaru" Kobayashi

[Zephyranthes]

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S. Kobayashi captured on public CCTV, circa 815 AS

CASE ID: PT-BD-L-3201

NAME: Sora Kobayashi

ALIASES: "Hotaru", Yoshitsune Hideyoshi, Robin Ishikawa, Ryu Matsuda

DATE OF BIRTH: Circa 787-789 AS

PLACE OF BIRTH: Unknown

AFFILIATION: Kusari Liberation Army (Blood Dragons subgroup)

PREVIOUS AFFILIATIONS: Shimazu clan (Defunct Blood Dragons subgroup), Taiheiyo Consortium ( Defunct Gas Miners Guild subsidiary), Orion Corps (Defunct private military company), Frühlingswache (Defunct Bundschuh cell), Free Canarian Militia (Defunct Zoner Militant sect), New Dawn Movement (Zoner Militant sect)

SUSPECTED OF: Treason, insurrection, sedition, assassination of a government official, assassination of a protected keiretsu employee, first degree murder, grand larceny, arson, destruction of government property, destruction of keiretsu property, armed robbery of a keiretsu bank, incitement to violence, aggravated assault, vandalism, fraud, money laundering, distributing restricted or banned propaganda materiel, smuggling illicit goods, grand...[...]

CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: Empire of Kusari and surrounding space

BACKGROUND: Information of Kobayashi's early life prior to his life as a Blood Dragon militant are scarce. Accounts vary, but all place him as an orphan of dubious parentage adopted by the progressive-right Shimazu clan faction of the Dragons. From the age of seventeen, hewas taken on as a trainee with a Commando unit in preparation for future operations, eventually becoming a fully-fledged operative in the terrorist paramilitary. He distinguished himself from others as an adept strategist and political mind, navigating the then-conservative Dragons with ease.

Using suspect proof of descent, Kobayashi claimed to be a Hideyoshi and used the legitimacy of the name to claim the title of "shogun" among the Dragons. He is known as an orchestrator of the attack on a KSP prison liner that saw Golden Chrysanthemum terrorist Hana Ken escape custody. He also shot down the personal fighter of Hitomi Sakuma, then-Vice Admiral of the exiled 343rd Naval Space Group, during an atmospheric dogfight in [REDACTED]. Despite his success in military arenas, his attempt to use the leverage of such victories to enact progressive reform among his camp resulted in his ousting from power by hardliners.

Exiled from the Dragons, Kobayashi (no longer using the Hideyoshi identity) became involved in the nationalist Gas Miners Guild subsidiary Taiheiyo Consortium, rapidly ascending to the board of the company. Observers mark his tenure as one of prosperity and of an increase in combative rhetoric regarding GMG sovereignty in the Sigmas, especially in opposition to the Houses. Reports of Kobayashi's activities begin to thin out around this period of time. It is suspected he went into hiding, coincidentally around the same time as Hitomi Sakuma of prior mention fell into disgrace and disappeared. After some time, Kobayashi is reported to have fled Kusari and the Sigmas.

Reports are especially sparse after this point. Kobayashi was reported in the company of Bundschuh fighters, as well as leading a mercenary group against Rheinland in the Sigma War. Select reports make mention of a young girl present with him, possibly a daughter. Her identity is unknown at this time. After the Sigma War, the only other reported sightings of Kobayashi are among Zoner Militant groups in Pennsylvania, Omega-49, and Roussillon. Over the course of a decade and under various aliases, Kobayashi published numerous political texts that indicated an extreme leftward shift in his ideology. These texts, published under his original name, "Robin Ishikawa," and "Ryu Matsuda," reflect an embracing of socialist and communist theory, gaining a following in the Kusari political underground and establishing an ideological current within the Blood Dragons.

In 830 AS, Kobayashi returned to Kusari, along with a cadre of wanted terrorists from other Houses and minor regions. His return is marked by the rapid rallying of veterans and radical elements to his leadership, culminating in the formation of the Kusari Liberation Army, a new left-wing faction within the Blood Dragon insurrection, in 836 AS. Several attacks have already been attributed to the KLA, including the Fujiyoshida Shrine bombing.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: Sora Kobayashi's personality has shifted over the years. Initially described in reports as a jovial, boisterous, and sanguine man, he was famed for his charisma and ability to connect with others, even rivals and enemies. He has employed this disarming charm in the past to neutralize bounty hunters and military personnel. This described persona, however, is at odds with other accounts surfacing with his return to Kusari. Unverified eyewitness reports indicate a growing zeal for ideological beliefs, as well as a colder tone and manner. His political acumen has improved with the development of a more cutthroat style of politicking he has employed to purge political rivals in the KLA and root out informants.

Throughout all reports, however, Kobayashi keeps his mind for strategy and analysis, varying between monitoring battlefields from afar or leading troops in the field on missions. Some of his old habits suggest exploitable weaknesses. He prefers to lead by example and inspire personnel under him with his actions, leading at times to overextension and vulnerability. He retains restraint for unnecessary collateral damage, but recently has conducted attacks that put civilians at risk of death, suggesting a change in his views of warfare. However, notably, he eschews notions of honorable conduct in warfare and openly decries chivalrous or prideful codes present among many Blood Dragons, with whom he has become more openly combative in rhetoric. This has even led to incidents of hostility between the KLA and other Dragon groups.

KNOWN ASSETS: Kobayashi utilizes a number of Blood Dragon strikecraft and has been seen commanding capital vessels in the past. The exact nature of personal assets at his disposal, as well as sources of income, cannot be ascertained at this time.

KNOWN ASSOCIATES: [WIP]

RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION: Sora Kobayashi presents a unique problem for the Empire. His foreign connections give him an edge unique among Blood Dragon leaders, one that he has leveraged to great effect in the past to escape surveillance before. The spread of his ideology and adjacent schools of thought among disaffected portions of society (especially among select working class populations and radical student organizations) threaten to destabilize an already tense political situation in the aftermath of the 836 Parliamentary elections.

Recommend elimination of Kobayashi by any means necessary. Potential weakpoints are the rumored daughter, tensions with other Dragon groups, connections to foreign groups, and threats to organizational integrity that push him into a more public role.

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