Quest Story: White Collar Affair

• Quest #34
• Lasts from May 14, 2012 - June 2, 2012

This is a national emergency that must remain under wraps. Only a handful of government officials know what we're truly dealing with. To the rest of the team, it's a very important painting that must be found.

You can progress down both paths at once. The top path will earn you the Secret Service Vulture Copter and the bottom, the Secret Service Rhino AFV.

Quest Hook: A mysterious painting has been stolen from your largest, most fortified museum. This is no ordinary piece of art. A secret hidden within it puts the entire government at risk.

Quest Pop-up: Commander, I never thought this day would come but it has. The piece has been stolen from the Stellencolt Museum. You know what we have hiding in there, if that ever gets out we might have to watch as the government collapses before us.

1 - Don't Cross the Line

The first step is to contain the situation. We'll need to close off the museum till we get a better understanding of a group of newbies managed to get past our most advanced custom created security system.

Back up resources never did anybody any hard. Go get that ore.

• Get {total} Crime Scene Tape to keep the public out.
• Gather {total} {Ore} to produce ammo in case things get ugly.
• Deploy {total} Tanks to surround and protect the area surrounding the Stellencolt.

The press is having a field day with this but the situation is still manageable. Now, onto step 2: find the bothers and make them pay.

TOP PATH

2a - Getting ID'd

We need to get our investigation team into the museum and fast. I will go brief an elite team on the situation. We must be very careful, however. We need to make sure nobody but our own people can get into the museum at all times.

A group from a foreign empire is a high possibility. Fight your way through Battle Blitz to send a message.

• Get {total} ID Badges to keep tabs on who is working in the Museum at all times.
• Collect coins from {total} Houses to fund the investigation.
• Win {total} Battle Blitz Battles to make sure no foreign empire is responsible for this.

Commander, the investigation doesn't show us much. Whoever this group is, they're good. They were in and out without so much as a scratch or a boot mark on the floor. We have to dig a little deeper.

3a1 - Expert Opinions

I've assembled a group of Art Thievery Experts to consult with us on this. Yes, there is such a thing as an Art Thievery Expert, Commander. Now stay awake! They might be able to give us something extremely useful.

He who helps his neighbor receives help twice fold.

• Gather {total} Art Thievery Specialists to consult with you.
• Harvest {total} {nrare2} to build more units. If things get ugly, you'll need them.
• Speed up {total} Neighbors' Barracks. You'll need their help if this gets out of hand.

Okay, this is what we've got. The group might or might not have known about the government's purpose for the painting but either way, they would have seen the document. Their main concern right now, however is to sell that piece for some big bucks.

3a2 - Steak and Stake-Outs

Commander, intel has a lead on a possible location of the group. We should watch them through the night to find out how dangerous they are.

Our hopeful buyers should be able to give us something. If not, we'll arrest them for something else.

• Obtain {total} Stake Out Vans to watch the group through the night.
• Follow some of the potential buyers and threaten them violently to find out more.
• Deploy {x} Gunboats to arrest any buyer movement through the waters.

The group looks armed and dangerous, we need to tread carefully. I think we need to dress an agent up as a buyer and send him in the strike a deal.

4a - Dirty Disguise

Our guy is ready to go, Commander. He knows the plan. He's got to go in, make a deal and wait while they procure the piece for him. Moments before the handover, he'll give us a signal and that's when we storm in.

Pillaging isn't nice but we gotta do what we gotta do sometimes.

• Get {total} Two-Way bugs to make sure your agent is connected to you at all times.
• Add {total} Space in the Army Depot for your new toys.
• Pillage {total} times from Neighbors to get information out of them.

Well that was a smooth mission! I've made sure the piece isn't damaged at all. Our agent's breath signals were perfect! Remind me to speak to someone about a promotion. Now that we've got the group in our custody, what shall we do with them?

5a - All Night Long

We've got all our interrogation rooms set up and stocked for an entire night of long hard interrogation. We're going to get all the answers out of them and we're going to do it tonight.

Don't have too much fun, interrogation gets addictive.

• Harvest {total} Wood. It comes in handy if you prefer traditional methods of torture.
• Deploy {total} grunt soldiers to maintain the calm and peace in the empire.
• Win {total} World Dominance Fights. Your thieves will start talking faster.

Okay Commander, we managed to get all of them talking as different points in the night. They all memorized the digit on the back of the painting but none of them know what it's for. They can spend all their jail time figuring it out.

Final Rewards

You earned 5x Secret Service Vulture Copter!

BOTTOM PATH

2b - Ready to Resist

The public must not know about theft. We need to hire spokespersons to tell the public that there was a security breach and the museum is closed today for maintenance. We have one day to replace that painting and reopen the museum.

Distraction is your best method right now.

• Hire {total} Spokespersons to inform the public of the goings on.
• Harvest {total} Chili Peppers to make it seem like nothing is going on.
• Deal {total} Damage in battle to divert public attention away from the museum.

Alright the public is taken care of and the museum is closed for the day. We need to get that piece replaced immediately.

3b - Copy Cats

I've brought in our best candidates; they're all excited to be getting paid to forge an original. Let's hope it's motivation enough.

Their time starts now, let's hope Art School has taught these kids a thing or two.

• Hire {total} Art Forgers to create a perfect replica of the stolen piece.
• Harvest {total} Oil to keep your Empire running, unperturbed.
• Earn {total} Red Hearts to ensure people trust you.

Not bad at all, out of 10 top class forgers, we've managed to get 2 exact replicas. Let's hang it up!

4b1 - The Phones have Ears

Now that the piece is back up in the museum and the public isn't even aware that it was stolen, our little group of thieves is going to get antsy. Buyers won't believe that they have the original piece. Let's set up a fully tracked set of phone lines.

Why don't you get some popcorn and pop in a movie while you're at it?

• Get {total} Crossword Puzzles to do while you wait.
• Repel {total} Invasions on neighbors' empires to stay on top of things.
• Complete {total} Waves in Survival Mode. The things you can do with all this free time.

Alright, the phone lines are almost up and running. Pass me a crossword puzzle, will you?

4b2 - The Call

The phone lines have been tried and tested, everything is working well. Let's have everybody on standby and wait for the call.

Just be patient, they will call. They always do.

• Hire {total} Phone Operators to handle the tapped-into phone lines.
• Harvest {total} Pineapples. It makes for a good waiting snack.
• Build {total} Experimental Shipyard Units to stay on your guard.

I hate to say this, Commander - actually I'm glad to be saying this - I told you so. Criminals are getting so predictable these days. Alright, suit up, we've got a ransom payment to fake.

5b - Catch of the Day

Our agents are mid-mission as we speak. So far, so good. All they have to do is go in, pay the ransom, storm the location and get the piece back completely undamaged.

We're almost there, let's stick it through.

• Collect {total} Donuts for a little police celebration.
• Earn {total} Black Hearts. Reputation is everything.
• Use {total} Power-Ups in Battle. That'll scare them.

Commander, we've brought in the group. They are a small division of a foreign group. Unfortunately their laws insist that they be tried as criminals within their own country. I'm sure they'll be found guilty without a doubt.

Final Rewards

You earned 5x Secret Service Rhino AFV!