Alekseï Gavrani

Alekseï Gavrani (died 2 August 1964) was a former Soviet hitman recruited by the CIA during the Vietnam War. He was also a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, operating first under the leadership of the rogue Assassin Boris Pash, before turning on Pash in an effort to prevent his corruption of the Creed.
==Biography==
===First mission===
After his life as a hitman, Gavrani joined the ranks of the Assassins. In 1957 he began operating under the orders of Boris Pash. On 8 February, both men traveled to Walter Reed Medical Center, where John von Neumann was. Although the colonel did not give many details, Gavrani knew he needed privacy and so deemed it necessary to get rid of the guards.Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone – Book 1
After successfully not killing the guards, Gavrani left them unconscious instead. Meanwhile, Pash exited the chamber with an Apple of Eden in hand. Von Neumann had died, apparently by his years in Los Alamos. Gavrani left with Pash but felt uneasy, knowing that something wasn't right.
===Bloodstone Unit===
On 2 January 1963, a group of Assassins boarded a helicopter at the Tân Hiệp US military base. Their mission was to take part in a communication operation involving the CIA, United States Army and South Vietnamese Army. Despite the expertise of their pilot, Zenia, the cell was forced to perform an emergency landing when troops of the Viet Cong began firing. While Julia Gorm dispatched soldiers outside, Gavrani and others were interrogating Cooper, a Templar who had infiltrated the US military. However, the door suddenly opened and Julia threw a straight knife at the neck of Muller, one of Cooper's fellow soldiers. The unnecessary violence angered Gavrani.
Later, back at homebase, while Gavrani and Zenia walked together, the cries of Cooper resonated the base. Gavrani could not tolerate Pash's methods of interrogation, since it made them no better than their enemies. Worse still, even they knew what he did with the Colonel, and was at a loss comprehending Julia's brutal acts of violence despite being only twenty years-old with no prior experience.
For him there was only one thing clear, they were disrespecting and corrupting the Creed. Suddenly, Pash interrupted Gavrani and ordered him to go home because he would not tolerate men of little faith. According to him, they could only liberate humanity leaving aside the dogmas of the brotherhood itself.
===Arresting Pash===
On 22 November 1963, despite being discharged from Bloodstone Unit, Alekseï refused to abandon the Brotherhood. He vowed to stop the rogue unit from corrupting the Creed any further than it had. In Dallas, Texas, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Gavrani confronted William Greer after the latter had retrieved the president's Apple of Eden.
His former teammate stated that he was taking the Apple to a secure location. Gavrani, clearly not believing him, slammed his head into Greer's nose, breaking it. Taking the Apple, Alekseï demanded to know why Pash was collecting so many Apples and for what purpose. An enraged Greer tried to attack Gavrani with his Hidden Blade, but Alekseï effortlessly broke his arm. However, Greer remained silent still, insulting Alekseï instead.
Some time later, at a cafe, Gavrani handed the Piece of Eden over to a hooded associate, Bill. Surmising that Pash was up to something, Gavrani planned his next move. However, each cell was independent and only the Mentor could order an internal punishment. However, the actions of Pash and his unit were waving the international climate, much more after the death of Ngô Đình Diệm. Therefore, he let them act even without the permission of Brotherhood, and in direct violation of their Creed's tenants. Bill then told Gavrani he must take up the mantle of the "QJ/WIN" agent again.
===Hunting Down Pash===
By 30 July, 1964, Gavrani tracked down the Bloodstone Unit back to their base on the northern side of Hòn Mê. After a distraction from the USS Maddox, Gavrani made his way towards the base but found it being destroyed by former teammate, Dhogura. Gavrani asked for Pash's location, but Dhogura attacked him immediately. However, in a small window, he stabbed Dhogura in the neck and then the abdomen before his former teammate fell over dead. Within four days, he tracked Pash, Zenia, and Doni rowing on the .Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone – Book 2
Once the boats rowed to a narrower part, Alekseï attacked one of the boats and killed half of Pash's crew. While Doni fired at the wind, he soon held both Pash and his crew at gunpoint. Knocking down Pash, Gavrani attempted to kill him but Zenia pleaded their lives on the sake of the Apple and her unborn baby with Pash. Seeing Zenia pregnant, he soon was at standstill with a focused Doni. However, tempers lowered once Pash revealed a mentally unstable Julia was after them. Working together, they all soon found a hut to sleep the night.
====Death====
At the hut, Alekseï spoke with Zenia, who divulged of how Julia became insane as well as her pregnancy situation. Before they could continue, Gavrani was attacked by Pash from behind while Zenia protested the assault. However, a semi-conscious Alekseï noticed Julia approaching. After Doni was killed and Zenia was injured, he soon engaged Julia in a fight while he told Pash to take care of Zenia. Although wounding Julia, he was soon stabbed fatally by Julia, who fell over due to her wounds.
===Legacy===
Before his mission in North Vietnam, Gavrani married and fathered a son. However, in the 1980s, his son was kidnapped by Warren Vidic as part of the early phases of the Animus Project.
==Behind the scenes==
Alekseï Gavrani is a character introduced in the 2019 graphic novel Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone. In it, he is revealed to be the QJ/WIN agent working for the CIA. Historically, the identity of the QJ/WIN agent remains subject to debate, though the most likely candidate was Jose Marie Andre Mankel.TPAAK - Who Was QJ/WIN?
Alekseï is the Russian form of Alexios, an Ancient Greek name meaning 'defender', while Gavrani is derived from the Slavic word for 'raven'.
==Gallery==
ACBs_-_Aleksei_Gavrani_render.png|Alekseï Gavrani
ACBs Pash Took the Apple, Gavrani Waited.jpg|Gavrani sees Pash leave with an Apple of Eden
ACBs - Pash dismissing Aleksei.png|Gavrani dismissed by Pash
ACBs Alekseï Confronts Dhogura.jpg|Alekseï faces Dhogura at the former base
ACBs Alekseï Kills Dhogura.jpg|Alekseï kills Dhogura
ACBs Gavrani Holds Pash at Gunpoint.jpg|Alekseï holds Pash and his unit at gunpoint
ACBs Julia Kills Gavrani.jpg|Alekseï is killed by Julia Gorm
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone
==References==
es:Alekseï Gavrani
Category:Individuals
Category:Russians
Category:Assassins
Category:American Assassins
Category:Bloodstone Unit members
Category:Templar puppets
Category:1964 deaths
Category:Animus hosts