Loyiso Okusanya
The man now known as "Oz" was born in 2003 in the Richtersveld, South Africa. Loyiso looked up - as did the village - to his father Themba, who was a local government officer (There is little known of Loyiso's mother, leading to the assumption that she passed away early in his life). The time would come, however, where the guise of "Themba could do no wrong" would shatter. One entity made this so: Wellspring.
This American mining company began to rip apart South Africa, installing facilities thanks to rights afforded by the government. While there was a surge in the economy for a period of time, the damage inflicted on the region would reach catastrophic for the ecosystem. After nearly a decade, roughly 2030, a whistleblower exposed the devastation. Loyiso knew this all too well; a Wellspring facility had been built nearby his village. The water was toxic, complicating their survival.
The worst of it: Loyiso learned his father enabled Wellspring's destruction.
Wellspring was inflicted with a small fine, upsetting the people of the Richtersveld. Themba and Loyiso were forced to leave their community as the people saw the blatant corruption. As they became situated, Loyiso discovered that his father was helping to open yet another Wellspring facility. Twice had Loyiso's belief in his father's goodness been betrayed. This was a lesson for him, but he would unfortunately learn this for a third and final time.
What could the young man had done other than leave his father behind? Loyiso took to voicing his disdain for Wellspring, often supporting protests. His natural way with words propelled him to become a valued voice in an activist group. This passion attracted Noah Wolff, who saw an opportunity for a false flag operation. Wolff, being a CIA operative, approached Loyiso as a guerrilla recruiter sharing similar ideals. They united forces with the goal to disrupt the South African government that proved to be rampant in corruption.
OKUSANYA: They abandoned my village to American predation. That company, Wellspring – they occupied the river near us, and the mining they did killed everything.
WOLFF: Oh, I don’t doubt your reasons. I just want to make sure you’re ready for what comes next.
OKUSANYA: And that is?
WOLFF: They’ll call you a terrorist. A saboteur. Everyone in the world will be your enemy until we achieve our goals.
OKUSANYA: Undoubtedly. The question is – do your goals align with mine?
WOLFF: I know corruption when I see it, Okusanya. Snuffing it out is what I’m best at.
It was clear that Loyiso struggled to trust Wolff, especially with the thought of his father fresh in his mind. Their partnership came down to expertise, and Wolff provided that. In 2033, Loyiso was guided through a weapons training program.
OKUSANYA: I was going to be a teacher, once. It seems the world decided otherwise.
WOLFF: Just make sure you keep showing up to training. Soon enough, you won’t be playing soldier. You’ll have to be the real deal.
OKUSANYA: This has never been a game to me. This is my land, my people. You would do well not to forget that.
WOLFF: Just make you follow orders, Loyiso. I would hate for this to go wrong at the last minute.
Hearing this recording, you can tell Loyiso was a broken man, hoping that what he was doing could bring about change. Wolff's demeanor suggests he didn't understand how important this was to Loyiso.
Eight months passed, and Loyiso completed the intense preparation. Their plan was to strike at the heart of Wellspring. The main facility would be their target, and they were about to be ready until Loyiso discovered who Wolff really was...
OKUSANYA: You have been recording our conversations. All of them.
WOLFF: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
OKUSANYA: I found a little bug in my bag. Then I found out who owned it.
WOLFF: Loyiso-
OKUSANYA: C-I-A. You’re American. Not a disgraced Recces officer.
WOLFF: The important part is that I’m on your side. We want the same thing.
OKUSANYA: I don’t think so. I interrogated one of your men yesterday. He broke far easier than I expected. Said this unit is a false flag, a sacrificial lamb to pressure the government towards U.S. interests.
WOLFF: Torture isn’t reliable. You know that.
OZ: I know that you want to go for your gun. And you might make it. But the rest of your allies won’t.
What was that poem you liked? "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed. And now nothing beside remains."
This was when Loyiso let in a new persona. Fueled by his father's betrayal and now Wolff's, he became a person who was closed off and ruthless. What would become Loyiso's alias in the following years was always a personal jab to Wolff. Percy Shelley's Ozymandias. A story that encapsulates the simple lesson: power is always temporary. This would ring true for America and Russia - the last two superpowers - as the Non-Patriated entered the global stage.
After what had happened, Oz had to keep on the low. In the late 2030s, Oz began broadcasting transmissions, ushering in a united No-Pat movement. One of his first messages started with: "Don't you ever wonder what's under the surface?" A call to action to not trust what is presented by the media and world leaders. Fitting with his new alias, each transmission ended with him reciting a portion of Ozymandias: "Tell that its sculptor well those passions read, which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, the hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed."
Oz would also start a humanitarian effort in South Africa. With multiple disasters causing yet another refugee crisis in the region, Oz and his team helped countless No-Pats find their place in an ever-changing world. This venture had Oz cross paths with US Marine Kimble "Irish" Graves and would eventually spark a meaningful partnership between the two.
No-Pat Task Forces became commonplace and with Oz being the commander of the largest contingent of Non-Patriated soldiers, he needed vessels. He sourced one ship in particular from what was left of the Royal Navy: the MFS-04 Exodus. Irish would assumed Captain of the Exodus in 2042. The No-Pats also benefitted from makeshift ships from the Alang shipyards. Navin Rao, among others, operated the heist of a container ship named "The Copperfield" - likely a reference to American magician David Copperfield.
The year 2042 marked the start of an unfolding plan. One which would force the hands of the superpowers out of their shadow war.
With a heavy heart, I must tell you the truth. You have no home to return to.
The question we must ask ourselves no is:
Do we accept our fate? Or do we dare to fight for a better world?
No one may force you into battle but I say to all who can hear my voice-
If you can fire a gun, if you can tend a wound, if you can cry havoc–
Those who cannot need you. We need you.
War is the only way home.
The next few missions from Oz went from South Korea to French Guiana. The former involved a data heist of the Daesong data center in Songdo Grand Park and the latter was a favor for the Russians. The No-Pats were tasked with delivering a shipment of what appeared to be Synseco pineapples while in actuality was an assortment of armaments to destabilize the American presence at the Kourou launch site.