Editing Edward McHaggis (section)

=== The Second Paleto Crisis ===
During Edward’s absence in Japan, things began to unravel. Giuseppe, who had been overseeing Paleto Bay, was suddenly deported for lacking a valid visa. With the [[Marcano Crime Family|Marcano Mob]] leader removed, a power vacuum formed in the north—just as Edward was beginning to resettle in Los Santos.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Damian Morrison, thought to be out of the picture, was sighted back in the city. The Big Four quickly called an emergency meeting. Tensions were immediate. Edward, still reeling from loss but focused on protecting what remained of his empire, accused Alexa of being involved in Damian’s return. Billy joined in, backing the claim that Alexa was once again covering for her brother.

Alexa, visibly frustrated, denied any involvement. She told Edward to stop blaming her for Damian’s every move and reminded him of the autonomy Damian had always demonstrated. The accusations fell flat, and the meeting ended unresolved.

Billy and Jim took it upon themselves to act. While Edward continued to stabilize his affairs, they tracked Damian to the Los Santos graveyard—he was seen mourning his uncle, [[Dave Morrison|Uncle Dave]]. Billy approached him directly, while Jim watched the area with a surveillance drone. The situation escalated quickly. Damian, sensing a threat, pulled a pistol and fired four shots at Billy before fleeing the scene, who got injured in the process. This made a way for Damian to escape to Paleto Bay.

The failure to neutralize Damian was a blow. Edward was frustrated but didn’t lay blame, as Billy was hospitalized for the bullets. The damage, however, was only just beginning. Word spread quickly that Captain Cash had returned—alive and very much prepared to rejoin Damian. The Bay Rebels were reformed.

But this time, they had an edge. Damian’s Russian cousin, Alexei, entered the picture. A cold and calculating financier, Alexei offered support to the Bay Rebels—for a price. Backed by Russian capital and Cash’s strategic mind, the Bay Rebels became a serious threat once again.

For Edward, the return of Damian, the reformation of the Bay Rebels, and the rise of Alexei marked a turning point. The peace of the Interbellum was over. The north was lost again—and this time, Edward intended to settle it for good.

Seeing an opening, Edward decided to approach the problem strategically. He knew Alexei’s loyalty came at a cost. With more financial power than the Bay Rebels, Edward offered Alexei 200.000$ to covertly sabotage them from within. At first, it seemed promising—Alexei agreed. But as weeks passed, Edward saw little progress.

To make matters worse, Damian soon outbids him. The Bay Rebels funnelled even more money to Alexei, eventually bringing his total take to nearly 490.000$ . The betrayal stung. Edward had tried to play the game cleanly and had been burned. Both sides were frustrated with Alexei’s lack of results, and it became clear that he had played them both. Alexei escaped from San Andreas, bringing him in a lot of money and doing little.

Tensions hit a boiling point when the Bay Rebels launched [[Bardigael Farm Raid|an assault on Billy’s farm]], located south of Bolingbroke Prison. Billy, injured and furious, called an emergency meeting of the Big Four—this time excluding Alexa. Enough was enough. Edward, Billy, and Jim agreed: it was time to end the Bay Rebels. They launched an [[The Battle of Paleto Bay|all-out assault on Paleto Bay]]. Edward and Billy brought in a modern anti-air system—the Chernobog—to eliminate Damian’s air support. As the skies erupted, Jim took position as sniper, targeting the ground troops from a ridge overlooking the town.

The battle was brutal and explosive, drawing national attention. Buildings burned, vehicles exploded, and bodies dropped on both sides. Damian’s plane (Rogue) was struck and spiraled down in flames. Yet even with their best effort, the fight didn’t end in victory. It ended in a draw with in total 28 men killed.

The Bay Rebels, weakened and outgunned, realized their position was no longer sustainable. They fled Los Santos and formally disbanded, marking the end of the Second Paleto Crisis. The war didn’t end in triumph, but it ended. And that was enough for now.