Yancy Westridge is the Chief of Operations of Alpha Protocol. He is a veteran of government service and secrecy as well as a skilled tactician. In the Graybox facility, Westridge is the only agent to hold any true rank above that of the other agents regardless of seniority. While newcomers and veteran agents hold no true power over one another regardless of the length of their service, Westridge holds general authority over the entire facility as Chief of Operations.
Michael Thorton first encounters Westridge upon his first stay at the Graybox. Westridge welcomes him into the agency and introduces him to key on-site personnel and procedure. He also keeps facility personnel aware of present going-ons, including Thorton's entry into the agency and the most recent missile strike on Flight 6133 by Al-Samad, planned and ordered by Sheikh Ali Shaheed.
Dossier[]
A twenty-year veteran of the CIA and a five year veteran of Alpha Protocol, Yancy Westridge has worked in both the counterintelligence and counter-terrorism fields, earning a degree in International Affairs and serving a tour of duty in the armed forces prior to his CIA service. Although rarely promoted, Westridge has a reputation as an exceptional field agent, expert at reading people, and quick at reacting to situations. He has a low tolerance for smartasses and prefers agents who act instead of talk - impatience and blunt opinions are what Westridge respects, more so than smooth talkers or "by-the-book" recruits.
One of Westridge's positive traits is he knows his job - he's not a field agent anymore, he's a supervisor, so he has pursued that role aggressively, recruiting agents to act as his eyes and his hands while he keeps the bigger picture in mind. He is infamous for hazing new recruits to test their endurance and their reaction under pressure, and he often relies on monitoring the results from a distance, gauging each agent's reactions via monitors and sensors.
Westridge's capable field skills and his natural distaste for procedure make him a natural fit for Alpha Protocol. He is fiercely patriotic, almost to a fault, unwilling to question orders from above - provided those on high don't question him on how the job gets done.
Even when his back is against the wall, Westridge always has a backup plan in place - or at least, an easy escape route. This has allowed him to fall back from the worst of missions, regroup, then come back full force to mount another assault. If given the chance to prepare an ambush, however, attackers should be warned - Westridge digs in, and he digs in deep, never letting himself be exposed for a gunshot or grenade.
Westridge is adept at avoiding ambushes as he is at setting them - opponents who've attempted to bomb or trap his position usually find the seasoned veteran is more than skilled at avoiding any booby traps.
Secret Fact: Despite his long marriage, Westridge keeps numerous secrets from his wife. Among his indiscretions, Yancy apparently had an extramarital affair during a mission with someone codenamed "Saffron." He also loves the thrill he gets from the danger of being an operative - keeping this from his wife is one of the hardest parts of doing his job.
Interactions with Michael Thorton[]
- He is the second person (not counting the unnamed soldiers) that Michael Thorton will encounter when he first awakens in The Graybox after Mina Tang. He initially presents himself as a captor threatening Thorton to test his reaction under pressure. He soon welcomes Michael into the agency once Michael makes his way through the facility and past the soldiers.
- He assigns Michael Thorton to Saudi Arabia on Operation Desert Spear. He orders Thorton to retrieve the missiles and to either kill or apprehend terrorist leader Ali Shaheed.
- He acts as the handler for the missions Intercept Nasri the Arms Dealer and Intercept Shaheed and Recover Missiles in Saudi Arabia.
- If the player either spares Shaheed and agrees to his proposal to "betray their country" (go after Alpha Protocol) before returning to the Graybox or agrees to work for Halbech, Westridge is the final enemy standing in the way of Michael's goal. He will be armed with a fully automatic mounted machine gun in the docking bay control room of The Graybox. To beat him and end the final mission, the player must either take cover and shoot him from below, or fight past the soldiers and make it up the stairs to the keypad wired to the control room door and hack/disable it to enter and fight Westridge. If Shaheed is dead and the player refuses Henry Leland's offer, Westridge will escape from the facility before Michael can even see him, making any revenge on him for his part in the conspiracy unobtainable. One can agree with Shaheed in the mission Contact Sheikh Ali Shaheed, then execute him immediately after agreeing with him in order to beat Westridge (and possibly Leland). Choosing Yes when he poses his question of "betraying your country" and then Execute afterwards once the option becomes available makes this possible.
Handler Bonus[]
| Relationship | Bonus | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trusted | By the Book II | 10% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Westridge's careful observations of your mission gives you a boost of confidence and keeps you focused. |
| Neutral to Liked | By the Book | 5% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Knowing that Westridge is watching your back keeps you focused. |
| Disliked | Loose Cannon | Favored Weapon Damage +1 | Westridge isn't exactly your number one fan, and knowing that makes you all the more eager to cause mayhem while he's listening in. |
| Animosity | Loose Cannon II | Favored Weapon Damage +2 | Westridge doesn't like you, and you don't much like Westridge. Listening to his voice over your earpiece fills you with the urge to cause bodily harm. |
Notable Quotes[]
- "I won't lie to you, Mike. It's a big one - and dangerous. But I think you're the man for the job. Make the rounds, I'll see you soon."
- — Yancy Westridge warning and prepare Mike for his first task.
Trivia[]
- Through the first conversation with a Soldier Michael Thorton or through an e-mail sent by Mina Tang to Thorton should the player choose to have her investigate Westridge, it is revealed that Yancy Westridge was a former U.S. Marine.
- The secret fact in Westridge's dossier relating his affair with someone "codenamed 'Saffron'" is a possible reference to the popular TV series Firefly, which features a woman named Saffron who in the past had gotten romantically involved with the captain (the leader) of the main crew just as this Saffron had with Westridge (the Chief of Operations of Alpha Protocol - the effective day-to-day leader/captain).
- Like Michael Thorton and Sean Darcy, both fellow agents of Alpha Protocol, Yancy Westridge also wears a gray-white metal, black-faced watch on his left wrist. Unlike the former two, Westridge's watch appears to be a brighter shade of metal, possibly a white metal (such as platinum or white gold) - which would be more expensive and valuable. This, whether intentional or unintentional, bears a reference to Westridge's role as the sole superior in rank present at the Graybox facility.
| [v] |
|---|
| Graybox Alan Parker, Henry Leland, Michael Thorton, Mina Tang, Sean Darcy, Yancy Westridge |
| Graybox Factions Alpha Protocol, Halbech Corporation, U.S. Military Alpha Protocol |
| Saudi Arabia Ali Shaheed, Omar Mohammed bin Nasri, , Al-Samad Lieutenant, Scarlet Lake |
| Saudi Arabia Factions Al-Samad |
| Rome Conrad Marburg, Gelateria Nico Proprietor, Jibril Al-Bara, Madison Saint James |
| Rome Factions CIA, Deus Vult |
| Moscow Albatross, Championchik, Grigori Pazinhov, Konstantin Brayko, SIE, Sergei Surkov, Sis |
| Moscow Factions G22, Russian Mafia, Surkov's Guards, VCI |
| Taipei Hong Shi, Omen Deng, Ronald Sung, Steven Heck, Wen Shu |
| Taipei Factions Chinese Secret Police, NSB, White Oak Mountain Triad |