View source for Chapter I: Dawn of Division

== The First Paleto Crisis ==
In early 2024, [[Jim]] alerted his syndicate associates about a new competitor emerging in Paleto Bay. To be a step ahead Jim, [[Edward McHaggis|Edward]], and [[Tony]] travelled to Paleto Bay to investigate who this new competitor would be. In Paleto Bay where they discovered [[Damian Morrison]] as the source of competition. Damian, however, appeared inexperienced and insecure, with blond perm hair and a black with orange lightning bolt denim jackets. Damian also was stuttering as he did not expect that anyone would show up for him. This was here where Jim, Edward and Tony were unimpressed with this new competitor. In their minds it was like: “Is this the new competition?” The three, especially Edward found that they had to send a message to the competition. They held Damian on gunpoint and escorted him into the van and decided to kidnap him to Los Santos. During the ride, Damian was visibly scared and shocked while he was screamed at by Edward and Tony. Jim was reluctant, however, when Damian wanted to speak Jim shuttled him down immediately and Damian was later gagged to stop the screaming. After a long ride they decided to stop on Munity Road near La Puerta in Los Santos and decided to beat Damian with a baseball bat and kicking him repeatedly until it did not satisfy them no more. Aside from hitting with a baseball bat, Edward proceeded into waterboarding Damian, to make a statement not to mess with him. It was again Edward and Tony who felt great satisfaction torturing Damian, while Jim was more lenient. 

Afterwards they took Damian to the LS Docks to see how they “really dealt” with competition. Edward executed a Merryweather competitor with a headshot. He made a coldly statement to Damian: “If you want to end up like him, you got to work with us.” After their escapade they again beat Damian up and left him in Strawberry. It was after they left Damian in Strawberry where Jim felt guilty for beating up Damian as it lined against his code. Following the assault, Damian was hospitalized to recover from his injuries. 

Two days, [[Big Four|the syndicates]] held a meeting where Edward explained what they found in Paleto Bay. During the meeting, Edward seemed visibly amused which got weird looks from Jim. Edward explained that they found Damian in Paleto Bay and tortured him and showed him what they did to competitors. Upon hearing this, [[Alexa Morrison|Alexa]] looks visibly stunned by the fact that they tortured him. Alexa suddenly revealed that Damian was her brother, stunning the rest at the meeting. The meeting turned silent for a short while with everybody not knowing what to say. Alexa insisted that Damian was not to be killed. Alexa also mentioned that she would not work against Damian, further angering Edward and Tony who saw this as a betrayal from Alexa. Edward found that Alexa should have informed them earlier that Alexa’s brother was in Paleto Bay. The meeting was concluded with everyone having double feelings about the situation and a feeling that tensions were rising in the Big Four.

Some days later, Damian was recovered and back in Paleto Bay and was still in shock from what happened. Damian had bruises over his body and his joints hurt from the beating. When [[Dave Morrison|Uncle Dave]] heard that Damian was tortured, he was concerned and realised that the syndicates were not to be trusted. Uncle Dave introduced his long-time friend [[Gerwin Cash]] to Damian. Gerwin Cash was a former Navy Captain and had military ties and experience into making “boys into men”. Damian was left with no options to defend on his own, so he accepted the teaching of Cash. It was around this moment that the [[Bay Rebels]] officially became a thing. With Damian as its leader and Cash being the second-in-command and Uncle Dave unofficially supporting them. With the help from Cash who had experienced contacts. In the following weeks, the Bay Rebels militarized with new equipment, including a bunker in Raton Canyon to increase their portion in the weapon market. It was here that Damian’s appearance also changed significantly from the perm hair into the blond curtain hairstyle, from beardless into a neat stubble and a new militarized and rugged clothing style. Damian also slowly lost his stutter thanks to Cash’s drills lessons. With these changes, Damian felt appreciated after a long time and felt like they had a fighting change. 

However, not everyone was happy with the addition of Captain Cash to the Bay Rebels. The Big Four immediately noticed that Damian’s stance changed, and the Bay Rebels militarization threated their authority, and this did not sit well with them. Alexa found that she could not influence Cash as he was staunch in his resolve. They all recognised that Cash was perhaps a bigger threat than Damian. However, Edward saw an opportunity, chose to leverage Damian for his own personal gain. After intercepting Damian who was enroute to Cash, he was forced onto a submarine where Edward and Tony told them of their plan. Tony informed Damian that Alexa had betrayed them and that they needed his help into “backstabbing” Alexa. Edward promised Damian that he could keep his territory if he them backstab Alexa. Damian, already uncomfortable to be in the presence of Edward felt a weird feeling creeping over him upon hearing. Damian did not immediately decide what he was going to do and left the submarine with mixed feelings. Upon hearing the revelation, he immediately went to Cash to explain him what happened and was said. Cash was not surprised by Edward and Tony’s move. Cash mention that was a “coward’s move” and that Damian should not fall for it. Damian knew that if he did not do anything they would betray Alexa. Damian, feeling some concern for his sister called her and told her about the plot by Edward and Tony. Upon hearing this, Alexa scheduled a meeting for the next day to discuss important developments.

The next day during the meeting, Alexa announced that she knew what Edward and Tony were up to. With the words: “I know” the meeting room went silent with Edward and Tony looking at each other. Alexa said that they knew that Edward and Tony wanted to backstab her. Upon hearing this Edward and Tony left the meeting room in silence without saying a word. Tensions between Alexa and Edward/Tony escalated into severing ties. With the current state Edward and Tony knew that both Alexa and the Bay Rebels could not be trusted. So, they put forward a plan to get the Bay Rebels out of there. During a meetup between Edward, Tony and Jim they discussed the position of Cash with the Bay Rebels and came to the conclusion that he needed to be gone. Jim pointed out that they first needed to know where Cash was. Jim would locate Cash and Tony and Edward would infiltrate and assassinate Cash. 

Three days after the meeting, Jim located Cash at the Raton Canyon Bunker and told this to Tony and Edward who geared up in tactical gear and drove to the bunker to put listening devices in the ground to get information. They positioned themselves behind the bunker on the other side of the Raton Pass. However, when Cash got out the bunker a luxury helicopter arrived with Alexa in it. Edward wanted to take the shot at Cash ultimately decided not to as he wanted to hear why. Alexa mentioned about a $15.000.000 loan that Damian, that was not paid off and that they should hurry up. Cash was not impressed by Alexa and the debt called her an “ice queen” and told her that it would be alright. Alexa left in her helicopter and Cash got away in a Dune Buggy back to Paleto Bay. 

After the operation, Edward and Tony told Jim about the deal that Alexa and Cash had and the large debt that the Bay Rebels had to pay off and that Cash was not dead yet. Jim called Alexa about the situation. Alexa knew deep down that she could not save Damian and that if she kept him around that a war would engulf San Andreas. During the phone call Alexa explained herself and gave Jim against her own will greenlight to remove Damian from San Andreas. With this information, the syndicates (excluding Alexa) devised a plan to get rid of the Bay Rebels. Jim would sent mercenaries to kill Captain Cash at his bunker while the trio would kidnap Damian once again and get him on a plane. They agreed and the plan would be set in motion four days later.

This also came at a fortunate time for the syndicates, as Uncle Dave who had been diagnosed with an STD had passed away after a long fight. In reality, he faked his death and moved to Vice City, as he thought that he was getting into hot waters with criminality. Damian’s grief over Uncle Dave’s death was profound, but it quickly spiralled into self-destructive behaviour. His reliance on meth grew, a temporary escape from the pain of loss and betrayal.  Damian relocated to 0115 Bay City Avenue in Los Santos to mourn Uncle Dave at Hill Haven Church Graveyard in Rockford Hills. Two days after visiting the graveyard of Uncle Dave, Damian left his home when he was ambushed by Edward who tasered him and put him into an Albany Washington, a car with blinded windows. Jim was a bit shocked at the state of Damian, uncouth hair and a pale face. During the ride, Edward pacified Damian when Jim told what was about to happen. Jim said that they had killed Cash and that Damian was going to leave forever, otherwise he would be killed. When they arrived at the airport, they forced him onto a plane destined for Winnipeg, Canada after Tony bribed the pilot to getting him into the cargo hold. At 16:00, the plane flew into the air effectively dismantling the Bay Rebels.

These events marked the beginning of rising conflicts and shifting alliances among the syndicates, with Damian's presence in Paleto Bay intensifying internal disputes and power plays. Further problems arose for the syndicates when Gerwin Cash, a former navy captain joined the Bay Rebels and began their militarization. The final straw was a secret meeting between Cash and Alexa about a $15,000,000 loan to Damian. Enough was enough; a hit was put out on Captain Cash, and Damian was kidnapped and put on a plane to Canada, marking the end of the Bay Rebels, for now.

== Interbellum ==
After the end of the First Paleto Crisis (around May 2024), the Big Four met at Alexa’s office to discuss the issues. At the meeting, Edward berated Alexa for her business dealings behind their back, although Jim and [[Billy McBardigael|Billy]] refrained from stating their opinions on the matter. Edward found it betrayal that Alexa worked behind their backs without consulting them. In Alexa mind, Edward was not any different than what she did. She thought Edward was a hypocrite. It was clear that the business relationship between Edward and Alexa was very strained. However, due to mutual interests, the Big Four was reset, though with obstacles on the horizon. Their first action was to "rehabilitate" Paleto Bay as this was the primary reason they were on bad foot. Alexa suggested that no-one should control Paleto Bay as this would put them in a too powerful position. After the meeting, Tony who controlled Billy’s construction business mysteriously left San Andreas. 

However, without consulting the Big Four, Edward asked the experienced Italian mob boss and his personal friend [[Giuseppe Marcano]] to take control of Paleto Bay and “babysit” it. Giuseppe Marcano travelled to the United States from Italy and within two days he was in Los Santos. Edward introduced him at the next meeting where Giuseppe told the Big Four of his experience and ideas for Paleto Bay and the criminal underworld of San Andreas. Giuseppe also proposed a new system called the Commission; it was based on the how the American Mafia communicated with each other to solve issues. Giuseppe knew what had happened from Edward and he knew he had to mend the cracks before it was broken. Giuseppe told at the meeting that arguments would be resolve without egos coming in the way. The idea of the Commission looked appealing, but it was met with scepticism by the syndicates. To the syndicates and surprisingly Edward, it was unclear what Giuseppe’s plans and motives why he came to Los Santos and why he wanted to introduce this system. Despite the scepticism, the syndicates agreed to Commission plan. However, in practise nothing changed. For Alexa and Jim, it became even more unclear what Giuseppe was planning, and it was met with doubt by Alexa and by Jim with confusion. 

A few days later after Giuseppe introduced himself, Giuseppe invited Edward to catch up, since they had not spoken informally for some time. When Giuseppe came out of the apartment building to meet Edward on the sidewalk. It was here a Bravado Youga Classic just parked besides them and there a young individual came out. Giuseppe immediately recognised him with slightly, but disappointed tone said: “Marty?!”. The young individual was [[Marty Marcano]], Giuseppe’s youngest son. Marty and Giuseppe had not spoken for years ever since Marty broke off contact with his father. Marty, a young man with black uncouth hair and looked questioning at Giuseppe as why he was here. Before Marty could ask, Giuseppe invited Edward and Marty into his apartment. In the apartment, Inside Giuseppe’s apartment, Giuseppe asked what Marty was doing in Los Santos. Marty went from a happy mood turn into an ungrateful sentiment and said: “You never even cared for me and now you ask how and what I’m doing?!” Giuseppe became annoyed by Marty and before Giuseppe could say anything Edward interrupted for the better asking how life in Italy was. The three continued conversing in a positive way. Marty unblocked his father phone number and added Edwards number and left for his van. Giuseppe expressed his concern for Marty and asked Edward if he could mentor him until Giuseppe set up his businesses in Paleto Bay. Edward insisted that Billy mentor Marty as he had businesses to run. Giuseppe reluctantly agreed and they went their separate ways. However, Billy took on this role instead, marking the beginning of Marty’s business dealings at Billy's Construction Company.

While Giuseppe managed his new territory in Paleto Bay, he frequently invited Marty to work with him. This, however, did not sit well with Marty, who wanted to carve out his own destiny. After an intense argument, they fell out with each other.

Three weeks later, Giuseppe was arrested and deported back to Italy due to visa issues. Giuseppe felt betrayed (though he never made this public), marking the end of his influence in Paleto Bay, which was once again left vacant. In the meantime, Tony left the Big Four without a trace. Jim, Edward, and Alexa wanted Billy back and contacted a Haitian witch who was rumoured to resurrect people. Eventually, Billy was resurrected, and the Big Four were reunited.

== Yakuza Interference ==
Around the beginning of June 2024, Edward received a message from the Yakuza informing him that his wife, [[Luciana McHaggis|Luciana]], had been kidnapped in Italy by the Yakuza. They demanded that Edward come to Japan to deal with various “business matters,” threatening to kill Luciana otherwise. Edward temporarily left Los Santos to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, despite Edward's efforts, his wife was murdered by trainees.

Later a man named [[Haruto]], a former friend and bully of Edward's, arrived in Los Santos to inform Edward that he still owed a large sum of money. Edward informed the Big Four about this, and they dealt with Haruto together. They kidnapped Haruto onto a submarine. This marked the end of the Yakuza, for now.

== Second Paleto Crisis ==
With the Yakuza dealt with, an old threat returned. Around the end of July, Damian was sighted at the Hill Haven Church Graveyard in Rockford Hills, prompting an emergency meeting between the Big Four. Alexa denied any involvement with Damian's return to Los Santos. To resolve the issue quickly, Billy and Jim went to the graveyard, where Damian was mourning his uncle, Dave. Billy confronted Damian and demanded that he leave Los Santos. When Damian refused, he fled the scene, firing four shots at Billy as he escaped.

Damian later returned to Paleto Bay and restored the Bay Rebels. The situation escalated further when [[Gerwin Cash|Captain Cash]], having cheated death, returned to support the Bay Rebels. They requested assistance from Damian’s cousin, [[Alexei]], a Russian. They successfully defended against an air attack by the syndicates, orchestrated by Billy. In retaliation, they destroyed Billy's farm, enraging him and forcing him out of retirement.

Jim, Billy, and Edward later met to put an end to the situation. They planned an assassination: Edward positioned himself to shoot Damian, Jim observed via drone, and Billy handled negotiations. Damian, sensing the danger, escaped to Raton Canyon.

The syndicates (excluding Alexa), tired of the ongoing conflict, launched an all-out assault on the Bay Rebels' holdings in Paleto Bay. Both sides suffered heavy losses, with 28 men killed, yet neither side emerged victorious. Recognizing their disadvantage, Cash and Damian agreed to disband the Bay Rebels, marking the end of the group. They both flew away in their Rogue fighter planes and left for pastures anew. The Bay Rebels were back for a total of 1.5 months.