Jesset City

“

They'd taught him how to open the doors that he might repair them. Instead, he decided, he'd blow them the fuck open.”

– Episode intro, "Deception in the Canyon City"

Jesset City is an expert technician, hollow pilot, and revolutionary with a Cipher Certification from Stel Nideo. He is a prominent member of the Oxblood Clan, Millennium Break, and Grey Pond.

Appearance

Jesset is a lanky young man with brown skin and loose, curly dark hair. His facecast is the actor Archie Madekwe.

He uses prostheses on his right arm, switching between different models depending on the situation: mech piloting, field work, engineering work, or social situations.^[1] These include an affordable myoelectric model with grip hooks, a custom arm designed for piloting his mech, and an arm with a built-in hand computer that chirps like R2D2 when he fistpumps with it. He purchases the piloting arm with his payday money from the mission in Obelle,^[1] and the arm with the hand computer after he is promoted to commander status; the chirp upgrade is an extra little treat to himself.^[2]

Personality

Jesset is young—about 23 years old in the early days of Millennium Break^[3]—and eager to make friends.^[4] Having grown up among orphans, he has big brother energy, seeking out new Millennium Break recruits so that he can take them under his wing.^[5] His radical politics are rooted in his working class background, and he fights for a new social order.

History and Involvement

Origins

Jesset spent years studying Nidean literature in order to obtain a Cipher Certification.^[1] He was once employed by Adamant Arms and Manufacturing, which landed him a job doing support and on-site repairs for Oxblood in Obelle.^[6]

PARTIZAN

After the mission in Obelle, Jesset becomes a full-time lieutenant and rising star in the Oxblood Clan. In Orzen, he briefly poses as "Jeremiah Cateye" before admitting his true identity to Gucci Garantine. While he engages in mock battle with Broun during the joint Oxblood/HORIZON operation, Gucci uses a recording of Jesset's mind to infiltrate the Palace facility with his Cipher knowledge. The mission solidifies his status as a leader.^[3]

He carries his experience into Millennium Break as a radical voice, where he often clashes with Gucci. He loses the first election for Millennium Break's leader, though Gur Sevraq suggests this is less because people dislike his ideas than because they distrust his youth, his inexperience, and the grandiosity of his plans.^[3]^{[note 1]}

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 34: Guests, Invited and Otherwise.
Click here to reveal.

After Valence's death in the disastrous Nooncrown mission, Jesset blames himself for failing to win them more material support. This leads to him becoming a staunch member of the Party of the Wolf.^[7]

PALISADE

Jesset maintains his allegiance to the Party of the Wolf even after the party divisions of Millennium Break have faded. In the years between PARTIZAN and PALISADE he spends time as part of Millennium Break’s leadership council. In PALISADE, he joins the Cause as the (likely) leader of Grey Pond.^[8]^{[note 2]}

This section contains spoilers for PALISADE 20: In Their Fear Pt. 1.
Click here to reveal.

In "In Their Fear Pt. 1", the Stargrave demands that Jesset (along with the Cause faction leaders) turn himself into the Pact to prevent the detonation of the stellar combustor.^[9]

Inspired by Brnine's example, when Crusade besieges Carhaix, Jesset defends a Grey Pond supply line in a Jury model. When Clawed brings a bridge down on him, he nearly dies and is rescued at the last possible second by Elle Evensong. It is implied he has not yet recovered from his injuries by "Honesty and Integrity Pt. 2".^[10] In "Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 2", Jesset attends the Cause's celebrations in the Bontive Valley, but is struggling with coming so close to death.^[11]

During the "A Mechanical Whine" arc, Jesset goes undercover in his Jury at the Lone Marble tournament. The mech is mysteriously functioning even though it had been nearly destroyed in his last sortie. When things first start to go south during the event, he's able to fulfill his objective to sabotage the prototypes on show. He then tries to throw his life away against Ebullience to allow Brnine and the crew of the Blue Channel to escape, but Brnine stops him. In the immediate aftermath, he stays aboard the Blue Channel. He is increasingly affected by Motion to the point of having "a compulsion" that makes him feel like he's "never going to get to stop moving".^[12]

Relationships

Gucci Garantine

Jesset has frequently worked with Gucci, and he often clashes with her. In the early days of Millennium Break he leads the Party of the Wolf, which is directly opposed to Gucci's Party of the Masque. Later, as Cause leaders, Jesset and Gucci may work closely together, though it's unclear how much enmity, if any, still exists between them in the PALISADE era.

Kal'mera Broun / Kalvin Brnine

Jesset and Broun meet several times on missions; they both become part of Millennium Break because of their acquaintance with Valence.

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 39: Escape Velocity.
Click here to reveal.

Jesset is upset by Broun blaming him for Valence's death and attempts to support them as best he can, even joining them in the Blue Channel's first launch off Partizan.

In PALISADE, they have become good friends who often text back and forth with lots of emoji. Brnine texts him for backup when they encounter Refrain,^[13] and Jesset looks to Brnine for support after Stargrave Elcessor delivers her ultimatum.^[9]

This section contains spoilers for PALISADE 29: Honesty and Integrity Pt. 2.
Click here to reveal.

Brnine's success in turning off the stellar combustors is personally inspiring to Jesset. Upon their return, he tells them he "always believed" in them, accompanying this message with ambiguously flirty emoji.^[10]

This section contains spoilers for PALISADE 38: Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 2.
Click here to reveal.

When Brnine meets Jesset during the Bontive Valley barbeque, he admits to being shaken by his recent near-death experience. He alludes to thinking about the forgotten deaths of Gur and Valence and wondering if "anyone will even remember us". Finally, Jesset asks if he can join the Blue Channel crew, but takes it back before Brnine can answer and blames his depression on having too much to drink.^[11]

Mech

In PARTIZAN, Jesset piloted a Cloud unit in his first appearance and a Yoke thereafter. In PALISADE, he pilots a Jury.

Gallery

Art by rosehipsister

Appears in

PARTIZAN

PALISADE

Footnotes

↑ Gur, for their part, hoped Jesset would win.
↑ In "In Their Fear Pt. 1", Jesset is listed along with the leaders of other Cause factions in Stargrave Elcessor's ultimatum. However, in "Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 2", Austin named ⸢Wine⸣ as Grey Pond's council representative. This could suggest that Jesset never led Grey Pond, that he does lead Grey Pond but is busy or indisposed during the council meeting, or that he stepped down from his position as Grey Pond's leader at some point after "In Their Fear Pt. 1".

References

[7] Gur, for their part, hoped Jesset would win.

[10] In "In Their Fear Pt. 1", Jesset is listed along with the leaders of other Cause factions in Stargrave Elcessor's ultimatum. However, in "Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 2", Austin named ⸢Wine⸣ as Grey Pond's council representative. This could suggest that Jesset never led Grey Pond, that he does lead Grey Pond but is busy or indisposed during the council meeting, or that he stepped down from his position as Grey Pond's leader at some point after "In Their Fear Pt. 1".

[:1-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 PARTIZAN 14: Deception in the Canyon City

[2] PARTIZAN 35: The Witch in the Glass Pt. 1

[:0-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 PARTIZAN 23: Millennium Break: Who Will Lead Millennium Break?

[4] Episode description, PARTIZAN 01: The Seaside Town of Obelle

[5] PALISADE 44: Where They Are Pt. 2

[6] PARTIZAN 01: The Seaside Town of Obelle

[pzn34-8] PARTIZAN 34: Guests, Invited and Otherwise

[9] PALISADE 09: The Canvas of Dreams Pt. 4

[pal20-11] 9.0 ^9.1 PALISADE 20: In Their Fear Pt. 1

[pal29-12] 10.0 ^10.1 PALISADE 29: Honesty and Integrity Pt. 2

[pal38-13] 11.0 ^11.1 PALISADE 38: Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 2

[14] PALISADE 43: Where They Are Pt. 1

[15] PALISADE 07: The Canvas of Dreams Pt. 2

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