Chapter 4- Spooks

At its apex, the Earth Empire ruled almost the entirety of the former Earth Kingdom, and all the major urban areas, except for Ba Sing Se (which was the seat of power of the corrupt and opportunistic "Provisional Republic" that ruled the North until its fall to the forces of the anti-Kuvira Treaty) and Guhai (the financial capital of the Fire Nation-backed royalist Nan State).

Two years ago, however, the fall of Omashu to a popular uprising, backed up with mutinous troops and military academy cadets, heralded the beginning of the end of Kuvira's ambitions of total unification under her own banner. The only remains of the Earth Empire as a formal state, not counting two or three "loyalist" generals-turned-warlords, are the Nusantara Islands to which she retreated with her closest retainers and officers, and rules as dictator. Her once ardent supporters in the Fire Nation Capital and Republic City now offer grudging diplomatic support.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Hello?"

"Whazza…" Korra woke with a start from one of the most restless nights she'd had in months. Her joints popped and crackled as she stretched out like a cat and yawned, rubbing her irritated eyes and smacking her lips at the nasty taste of morning. Korra's first reflexive hazy observation was that the other side of the futon was bare, the blanket having been laid neatly back in place; Tahno usually went to work early, to help old Narook open up and start cooking breakfast.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Hello? This is the police!"

At the word 'police', Korra was jolted fully awake, morning fatigue replaced with bewilderment and shock. "Coming," she uttered in a dazed voice as she rose slowly to her feet and stumbled towards the door. "Crap!" She muttered, noticing her bare arm (and legs, as she looked down) as she reached for the door bolt.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Ma'am, could you please open the door?!"

"Just a second!" She hastily covered up with a bathrobe before unlocking and opening to door, coming face to face with two worried-looking policemen. "Can I help you?"

"Sorry if we woke you up, ma'am," the older of the two cops, a plainclothes detective by the look of it, bowed his head slightly, nudging his uniformed partner to follow suit. "We'll get right down to business." He pulled a badge from the inner pocket of his rumpled brown jacket. "Detective Choi, Republic City Police Department. This is Officer Taktuq," he added, not bothering to physically indicate his partner. "We were wondering if we could come in and take a quick look."

Korra frowned. "There's not much to see," she said, gesturing to her messy apartment, standing aside for the two policemen to enter. "If you're looking for Tahno, he's—"

"At Narook's; we dropped him off a while ago." Choi stopped and bowed his head once more. "Pardon my interruption." He looked at Taktuq and jerked his head in the direction of the apartment's interior, cueing him to walk in and take a cursory look around the cramped dwellings, before walking back out.

"Doesn't look like he's here, sir."

"Great." Choi sighed heavily, his shoulders heaving. "Then we'd better be quick. Get back to the patrol car and give headquarters the bad news. I'll be with you in a minute." Without a word, Taktuq turned on his heel and jogged down the hallway, pulled open the door to the stairwell and disappeared within a split second.

"Sorry, but could you please explain what's going on?" A bad feeling had settled in Korra's gut. Nevertheless, she tried to keep her voice from sounding too worried. "Who's 'he'?" The detective's own clearly concerned expression didn't help matters.

"I don't suppose you've seen a certain Tessho Aoki, anytime between midnight of last night and now?" Choi stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe, steeling himself for the inevitable answer.

"No." Korra shook her head, more worried than ever. "We dropped him off at his hotel last night. Why?" She knew, then, that just like the detective, she was asking a question to which she wouldn't like the answer.

"I'd appreciate it if you came with us to the station, for a while."

"Where is everybody?"

The entry area of the Republic City Police Department's central station was largely abandoned of employees, to Korra's confusion. Not a single cop was present, with or without perps. No perps either; just a handful of fed up citizens, annoyed at the lack of service by the state.

"Huh?" The female officer at the front desk was the sole exception. The young, coiffed officer looked up from whatever form it was she was filling out. Noticing something wrong, she looked around, and finally back at Detective Choi, clearly as stumped as he was. "Oh right!" Her eyebrows raised as she remembered. "Naka came by earlier. He said everybody was hanging out near the Chief's office." She looked up at the ceiling as she racked her memory. "Something about a battle."

"A what?" Choi and Korra, trailing behind her police host, uttered in tandem. The receptionist looked affronted.

"Hey, I'm just repeating what he said," she said indignantly, before huffing as she went back to her work as if the two newcomers had never come.

"This day just keeps getting more interesting, doesn't it?" He gave Korra a weak smile, massaging his temples with his eyes closed in a way that reminded Korra strongly of Ambassador Wen. "Spirits give me strength," he muttered to himself before beckoning for Korra to follow him through to the work area.

"Sorry, but what exactly did she mean by a 'battle'?" Korra followed closely behind, through an office-lined hallway.

"Korra," Choi sounded more tired than the Avatar as he briefly turned his head over his shoulder to address her, "I got no clue." He repeated his now trademarked helpless shrug right as the two passed a door bearing his name on the window and entered the main work area. "What the…" All the desks were bare, having been evidently abandoned unceremoniously; unfinished work and personal effects littered the desktops, and most of the chairs had been shoved aside, with some knocked over. All the officers and detectives were clustered around the doorway to the Chief's office, huddling and shoving each over to hear what was going on better. An odd, muffled noise was in the air, although the police officers themselves were dead silent.

"You." Choi singled out one of the less-fortunate officers who had been forced to circle around the perimeter of the human mass to catch snippets of whatever was unfolding in the Chief's office. "Naka!" No reply. "I've had enough of this," the detective growled. With two swift movements, he reached forward and yanked the officer back by the lapel of his uniform.

"Hey!" Naka cried out in protest. He fell silent once he laid eyes on his superior.

"Mind telling me what in ash is going on here?" Korra watched as Choi straightened Naka up, appraising him, hands impatiently on his hips. "What is this, a matinee? Why's everybody crowded around the Chief's office? And what crap did you feed Mei about a 'battle'?"

"That's what it is." Both Naka's face and voice were awestruck, as if he had just witnessed past Avatars rising from the grave and holding a drinking party. "The battle of the ages. The battle to end all battles."

Cho raised an eyebrow. "What are you yammering about? What battle"

"Twenty years from now, they're gonna still be talking about this." Officer Naka was clearly somewhere else. His eyes had glazed over, staring at nothing in, looking through Choi and the Avatar.

"Can I go in?" Korra asked. "I'm a friend of the Chief." Naka broke out of his reverie.

"You've got guts, Avatar." He glanced at the human pile warily, before looking back to Korra. "Good luck."

"Break it up!" Choi began pushing and pulling officers away from the office. "Avatar coming through!" Korra managed to work her way through the departing officers, before coming face to face with the familiar door. The muffled sound she had heard earlier was becoming clearer; she would have recognized Lin Beifong's voice anywhere, especially when she was aggravated, which she obviously was by the sound of it.

"Wait…" Lin was sounding angrier than Korra had remembered her being in a long time, although the room's partial soundproofing muffled most of her tantrum. Along with the fact that somebody with a deep voice was yelling right back at her.

"They've been going at it for the last half hour," said Naka. "Neither of them show any signs they're gonna let up anytime soon." Both Lin and her visitor yelled over the other's voice, making it that much more difficult for Korra to make out their words. From what she could make out, though, it had ceased to be an argument and become, as Naka phrased it, a battle.

"….Citizen…. Jurisdiction….. Not your country….Won't stand….Ape….Old hag….Arrest….Collaborator…."

THUD!

The room shook with the sound of loud thuds from within, almost rhythmically with the yelling.

CRASH!

The officers recoiled from the sound of something expensive breaking in the office. "I think I'd better go have a look," Korra declared uneasily, glancing to Choi and the other cops; all looked relieved for themselves.

"Good idea." The others nodded vigorously at Naka's statement. "Bring a little balance to the station."

With trembling hands, Korra opened the office door and flinched as the yelling reached full volume and clarity, blasting out like wind at everyone. Inside, Chief Lin Beifong stood behind her desk, pounding on it with all her might, her eyes blazing with rage, spittle flying from her mouth as she screamed abuse at…

"Oh no." Korra did a double take, hoping she was dreaming. It was Muunokhoi, towering over his opponent, bellowing at the top of his lungs at her. Although he stood still, his fists were balled up at his sides, the knuckles pale white, and veins were bulging out of his thick neck. Flanking him were the two creepy characters Korra had seen back at the Federation embassy, both looking slightly frightened by their associate. Sitting in a chair by the window, Ambassador Wen was rocking back in forth in his seat, his pale face soaked with sweat, his hands wringing a handkerchief. In the background of the shouting, Korra could make out a tiny voice muttering something incoherently.

"I've never seen anybody yell at the Chief like that," Choi whispered into Korra's ear from behind. "I don't know whether to be terrified or inspired." Korra felt a touch of pride in her long-time friend. The Altan bodyguard was young enough to be Lin's son, but easily twice her body mass, and loomed over her like a mountain. He looked like he tied street lamps into bows as a hobby, but toughness wasn't a matter of being big; Lin Beifong was tough, as Korra had ample proof, in ways that mattered far more, and she wasn't about to let anybody bully her. To her alarm, Korra glanced at Muunokhoi's face and caught the same murderous look she had seen on him before he struck the owner of Kwong's. It was time for a time-out.

Korra stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out the shrillest whistle she could muster. Everyone in the room jumped in surprise before turning to her. Wen was the first to greet her. "Avatar!" He sounded and looked relieved as he hurried over. "Thank goodness you came!"

"What's he doing here?" Korra looked pointedly at Muunokhoi. "I thought you said you were transferring him?"

"Effective as of a month from now," Muunokhoi spoke for his boss before turning his attention to Korra, rounding on her. "Where's the Doctor?" he demanded. "Have you found him yet? Are you looking?"

"Ease up." Korra held her hands up placatingly. "No, we haven't found him yet."

"We damn well might have, though," snapped Lin, glaring at the Altan with a burning look. "If this overgrown hog monkey wasn't—"

"I'll give you 'hog monkey,' you shriveled up piece of—"

"Enough!" Korra's second outburst restored silence once again. "Out." She pointed to the door while returning Muunokhoi's glare. "We'll deal with this." Muunokhoi turned questioningly to Wen, who sternly shook his head. He bared his teeth angrily at the three united against him. Muunokhoi snapped his fingers and began to walk out, followed closely by his two flunkies, who looked relieved to be leaving. Pausing at the doorway, he threw one last angry look at Lin before slamming the door as hard as he could behind him. After waiting in embarrassment, Wen faced Korra and Lin.

"I can't apologize enough for my associate's behavior."

"Well that's a start," Lin grunted angrily, sliding down into her seat before jabbing a finger at the ambassador. "You tell that thug he'd better watch his step in my city. I'd lock him up on principle; his diplomatic immunity won't save him if he pisses me off again."

"Please understand, Ms. Beifong." Wen put his hands together for a moment to choose his words. "To Mr. Muunokhoi, this is a personal matter. He considers the Doctor a friend, and is eager to find him."

"You think I'm not?!" Lin leaned forward, insulted. "A foreigner, an acquaintance of the Avatar is snatched in my city, and you think I don't care enough?"

"He didn't say that, and you know it, Lin," Korra pointed out reproachfully. No matter her resentment of Muunokhoi's ham-fisted nature and methods, that was no excuse for Lin to snap at the Ambassador for defending him reasonably. Begrudgingly ashamed, Lin leaned back in her seat.

"In any case, now I know what dealing with me felt like back when I was a rookie," she muttered. "It's a wonder he's on embassy security detail instead of whatever police force you've got back in Renjing."

"He does have a law enforcement background, in a way," Wen admitted graciously. "Up until a few months ago, he was in the Public Security Secretariat's Fifth Department. I think…" he trailed off, looking hesitant, and loosening his suit collar before continuing. "I think he either quit or was fired after that business with the emigres."

"No kidding?" Lin raised an eyebrow, a rare concession of respect. "No wonder he's a hardcase."

"Don't let it worry you, Ma'am." Wen got up from his chair, gathering his briefcase. "As you probably gathered, he'll be out of this city before long. And on that note, I should probably get going. I need to let Renjing know about this." He bowed to Lin and Korra. "I'll keep you both posted."

"Likewise," Lin returned the bow before her guest left.

"So," Korra said, sitting down for the first time since entering the station. Being able to finally sit calmed her sense of concern slightly. "Nice to see you again, Lin." Chief Beifong's hard expression softened.

"You too, kid. I just wish it could be for a happier occasion." She sounded old. She certainly was old, from Korra's perspective. From a distance, the only outward changes in sixteen years was a slightly lighter shade of grey her hair had turned. Straining her eyes, though, Korra could see more and deeper lines on Lin's face. But at sixty-six, Lin Beifong was as tough, quick and sprightly as ever. Popular gossip had it that the recent hike in official retirement age was a ploy to keep her on as Chief of Police for a while longer.

"I hear you," Korra said, nodding grimly. Of all the things that might have gone wrong with this business, she would never have expected a kidnapping. It had taken a while for Detective Choi's bad news to register, but when it did, Korra was unable to think of anything else. At the root of it, she reasoned that somebody must have spied Aoki on the junk, during last night's demonstration. She remembered her feelings of responsibility towards Tahno, how whatever happened, for better or worse, would be on her own head for pursuing the matter. In a way she felt shared the same responsibility for the Doctor; after all, she had come to him about restoring Tahno's bending. However, she had managed to calm herself, and prevent panic from setting in. "If you don't mind my asking, Lin…" Korra paused, considering the best way the phrase her question without making her older friend get worked up even more than she already had been. "What was all that about?" Beifong's eyes narrowed, but she retained her calm.

"He came with the Ambassador. Barged right in here like he was the Chief, instead of me!" The very idea caused Lin to pucker her mouth in disgust as she poured herself a cup of tea. "He started making demands all over the place. I told him he had no right to direct my investigation, and then he blew up at me." She poured another cup, carrying it over to Korra and returning to her desk. "Cheers." She lifted her cup and sipped.

"What demands?" Korra slurped her own tea slowly, her eyes still on the Chief.

"Among other things, he wanted a full investigation of the Earth State embassy, and an arrest and interrogation of its staff."

"He thinks Kuvira took Dr. Aoki?" Korra thought for a moment. It definitely made sense; the dictator his government had spent years fighting would definitely be interested in a scientific discovery as radical as Aoki's serum.

"All we know so far," said Lin, "is that the Doctor wasn't in his room at the Mandarin Hotel this morning when the maid checked in. As far as we know, it could be the Three Seasons looking for a ransom opportunity. Kuvira my foot," she spat contemptuously. "If they think I'm gonna let those opportunists use this as an excuse to score political points against the Earth State, they've got another think coming!"

"But given the nature of Aoki's work," Korra protested, "don't you think Kuvira would have been interested?" Lin raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side in disbelief

"'Work?' What 'work'? C'mon, Korra, don't be stupid!" she exclaimed, tapping the side of her head vigorously. "The guy's a professor, he's here to lecture at Republic City U and go to some fancy convention about theoretical physics. Wen told me so himself. He's just an academic!"

"He's—" Korra felt a rock drop to the bottom of her stomach, stopping her words. There must have been a mistake. Maybe Lin had misheard…

Impossible. She's a detective; she can remember the smallest, most insignificant facts.

Maybe Wen had misspoke…

Without correcting such a big mistake?

Maybe Korra was just hearing things…

Really?

Then why?

"Korra?"

"Huh?" Korra looked up. Lin was staring at her with a combination of concern and confusion.

"You all there, kid? You seem out of it."

"I'm fine, thanks," Korra said quickly, forcing a smile. "Detective Choi said in the car that Tahno had been here for questioning."

"He wasn't much help. No offense." Korra nodded. "If it helps, he's as worried as you are," Lin offered.

"Speaking of that," Korra leaned forward attentively, "is there anything you wanted to ask me?" She didn't know whether or not to regret her question. Whoever had kidnapped Dr. Aoki, the Earth State or the Three Seasons Triad, Korra was certain they had known about the serum. Telling Lin about it might help drive the investigation in the right direction, and end the disaster before it had a chance to get any worse.

The key to unlocking human potential.

On the other hand, everyone involved in this matter was dealing with forces not to be played with lightly, both in terms of the serum and all that came with it. Korra shuddered at the thought of the reaction of a good friend like Lin, or Iroh, to such game-changer's existence being kept secret by the world's newest and least-trusted nation. As much as she wanted to choose one or the other, and simply Avatar State the fallout away, Korra knew it wasn't an option. Now was the time for caution, as much it may have chafed her in the past.

"Nothing really," Lin admitted, setting her empty cup aside and pushing aside papers on her desk. "Unless you'd like to corroborate or deny Tahno's story."

"Which was?" Korra's heart stood still.

"That the three of you had dinner at Narook's, and went for a night cruise before dropping the Doctor off at the hotel."

Taking care not to sigh too loudly, Korra relaxed in her seat, relieved. "That's…" Korra hesitated, gulping back an ugly sensation of guilt. "Yeah, that's right." She nodded. Lin looked Korra up and down before slowly returning the nod.

"That's all I wanted, kid." The Chief smiled tightly at her younger friend. "That, and it's nice to see you again." More guilt built up inside Korra. Logic told her that the lie she had told was harmless, to prevent conflict, and eventually she would make up for it and help Aoki introduce his discovery to the world after this matter was settled. But she couldn't help it. "But before you go…"

Korra paused in the process of getting up. "Yeah?"

"I don't know about the hog monkey in the suit," Lin said seriously, her eyes urgent and suspicious, "but I know spooks when I see them."

"Spooks?"

"You know, spies, government agents." Lin spat the words out with contempt. "Those two jokers hanging around Muunokhoi. Have you seen them around?"

"At the embassy," Korra answered. She recalled the uncomfortable sensation she had felt seeing them as she had left with Tahno and the Doctor. "After what happened at Kwong's. Why?" Lin's expression grew graver. Her voice dropped.

"One of my officers said he saw them outside, cornering Tahno in an alley a couple of blocks down after he left."

Korra felt a chill down her spine, and instinctively glanced left and right. Suddenly, even Lin Beifong's office didn't seem like such a safe place. Even for the Avatar, the context of a matter as volatile and dangerous as this made the idea of being spied on more unnerving. "You think they're Department Five?" She tried to keep her voice as clinical as possible, even though she felt like jumping out of the chair and running to Tahno.

"Could be." Lin's own concern was evident, but typically blunt. "Or intelligence, or counterintelligence. The thing to keep in mind, though, kid," she pointed to Korra, "is that there's one thing I'm damn certain of: they're keeping tabs on you."

Among all the reforms, social changes and experiments supporters of the Federation of Democratic States like to talk about, there are darker stories. The most cited among the Federation's critics is that of Department Five, and the Emigre Affair.

'The Fifth Department of the Secretariat for Public Security,' as it is formally classified, began existence soon after the founding of the Federation. It was not, however, a continuation of the civil war-era intelligence service of the Treaty forces, as with the Federal Intelligence Service. In the year after the occupation of Ba Sing Se (now Renjing), the new government invested time into investigation and prosecution of officials, military officers and wealthy supporters of the former Provisional Republic. The Higher Investigations Department was founded, headed by Kang Juntong, to uncover and seize their hidden and protected assets. Afterwards, the Bureau was given a broader mandate for 'higher investigations' which targeted organized crime, 'socioeconomic' criminals (tax evaders, price manipulators and speculators, underpaying employers, abusive landlords, etc.), corrupt officials, suspects of past collaboration with the Provisional Republic and Earth State, and others.

Critics of the Federation fail to note that the broader mandate came as the result of discussion and debate within the democratically elected government. Many citizens and revolutionaries warned against the creation of an agency with the capacity to essentially spy on Federal citizens, citing the Dai Li and Kuvira's secret police. The coincidence of a high-profile corruption case swung the Federal Peoples' Congress vote in favor of the Department's creation, the rationale being was that the Federation's egalitarian mission could not afford to be compromised by economic troubles or organized crime. As a compromise, the government placed the new agency under jurisdiction of the Secretariat for Public Security, subject to supervision by the secretariat's Internal Affairs Department. In two years following, critical citizens within the Federation voiced opposition to the Higher Investigations Department for numerous suspected offenses; among others, use of extralegal methods (torture, indefinite detainment), attempts to spy on the population at large, and personal corruption (shielding mob figures, murder, embezzlement, extortion and appropriation of confiscated property) on the part of Department head Kang.

Only earlier this year, the Emigre Affair cemented Higher Investigation's reputation as the sinister and unaccountable 'Department Five.' Several high-ranking agents were fired and arrested for conspiring to rob aristocratic families attempting to cross the border into the United Republic of Nations (using decoys posing as bandits). To the relief of committed democrats, the Premier's office has ordered an investigation into the Department's other misdeeds, which many predict will lead to long prison terms for Kang and several of his associates, and either reorganization or abolition of Department Five.

"You lied."

Wen didn't move, except to pour himself more tea and sip at it. His eyes were fastened to the paperwork on his desk, but Korra could tell he wasn't reading anything there. The childish shame, for want of a better descriptor, bothered Korra; he was the one who had sent his driver back to the police station to fetch her, after her lunch with Lin. She hadn't wanted to mince words, so she decided to come right out with her question. Now, though, it seemed she might have been better off with the more diplomatic approach. "Why did you lie?"

"I think you probably already have a good idea." Wen finally looked up at Korra, his face ashen. Korra calmed herself.

"Yeah." Korra felt disappointed at the idea of someone as responsible as Wen lying to her old friend. With regards to Dr. Aoki, it felt more personal, like making sure his work didn't cause any diplomatic trouble was more important than his safety. Korra couldn't stop her logic from kicking in. After all, hadn't both she and Tahno (albeit for different reasons) aided in his deception by covering for him? "I'm not mad at you, or anything. I do think I know why you did it, and if it's true, I understand. But I want to hear it from you. And," she folded her arms, looking Wen in the eye seriously, "how you plan on getting the Doctor out of this mess."

Wen's eyes lowered once again, at the mention of Dr. Aoki. He idly shuffled some papers on his desk and took a sip of tea, anything to avoid looking at the Avatar for at least a few moments. After taking a deep breath, he finally spoke. "I called you here at the request of somebody else." Picking up the telephone, he quickly punched in a long string of buttons. "Somebody who can explain better than me." Wen put the receiver to his ear and waited patiently. "Sir? Yes, it's Wen… yes, she's here… yes, I'll put her on right now."

"Who is it?" Korra asked, frowning but too confused to be annoyed. Wen finally handed her the receiver. "Hello?" Korra addressed the mysterious 'someone.'

"Avatar Korra?"

A wave of nausea washed over Korra's body as a familiar gravelly voice spoke into her ear. She had had the same feeling when she had seen a picture of who she suspected the voice belonged to in the papers. "Can I help you?" Korra fought the urge to kick herself for her squeaky voice, took a breath and cleared her throat.

"Yes, you can. This is Liu Mengyao. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me on such short notice."

Korra's suspicions were confirmed, but they had strangely caused no more anxiety. In fact, she was experiencing a feeling of calm; not a particularly pleasant calm, but a diffusion of her worries. "You're welcome. It… it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It certainly has." The voice on the other end chuckled. "No offense, but you sound older."

"None taken. So do you." Korra couldn't help but laugh a little, with one of the few people in the world she'd ever thought possible. "No offense."

"None taken." The line was silent for a few moments. "So, I'd like to speak to you about this business with Dr. Aoki and his serum."

"I'm guessing you kept it secret to avoid international backlash." It was time to get down to business, not reminisce. "Was that your idea?"

"It was," Liu admitted. "For now. In the long run, no matter what we do, the jig is up, so we won't try to keep it a secret permanently. For now, though, we have more important matters." Straining her ear, Korra thought she could hear a slow breath in the silence. "And I was wondering if you would be willing to discuss them with me. In person." Korra froze.

"You mean, in Renjing?" she said, looking right at the ambassador. A sense of alarm and foreboding washed over Korra's body, and she felt the urge to slam the phone down and run home to her apartment. She shook her head; it had been her own choice to be involved, and that her involvement may have drawn Kuvira's agents made it final. There was no backing down or going home until the Doctor was safe, and his discovery dealt with. She gulped before continuing. "I guess you'll want to discuss the rescue?"

"Eventually. First, there's a more pressing and delicate matter you can help with."

HONK! HONK!

Korra eased off the Satomobile horn and watched as a lean figure drudged towards the her, across the darkened street, past shadowy figures of pedestrians and cyclists on their way home.

"What's going on?" was all Tahno could manage when he got to the vehicle. Korra almost recoiled at the sight of his pale face and bagged eyes as he leaned over the door and looked at her imploringly. "Please, Korra, just give me a hint…" He trailed off as his eyes wandered to the suitcases strapped to the back of the car. "What's all that?"

"Our luggage." There was no time for pleasantries; their flight was in less than an hour. Korra prepared herself, imagining the reaction to her next words: "I'll explain everything on the airship." Tahno stared at her, looking blank. No outward signs of shock. Just slowly processing what he had seen and heard, in the context of all the other incidents of the day.

"The airship," Tahno repeated, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "The airship." His expression remained blank. Eventually, he began to slowly shake his head. "I… what…" It was all too much.

"I said I'll explain everything, I promise. Just, please get in," Korra said, opening the passenger door. With a resigned sigh, Tahno sat down and shut the door.

"Slush!" he yelped in shock as Korra slammed the gas pedal down and the Satomobile shot down the road, and left onto Councilman Sokka Boulevard, just barely missing a truck. "Let's get there alive, if that's OK with you!"

"Sorry." Korra glared down at the road intensely. Her voice was strained. "The flight's in less than an hour. Is anyone following us?" Tahno glanced behind and to the sides of the car and shook his head.

"Don't think so. I hope not." He shuddered, and glanced one more time, looking worried. Within twenty minutes, they were on the highway, passing through wooded suburbs. Fewer and fewer cars were alongside them on the road, a fact which only served to increase Korra and Tahno's sense of paranoia, along with the sparse light provided by lamps and the crescent moon

"So." Korra decided to break the silence. "Narook told me where to find you; he gave you the day off?"

"Yeah." Tahno was still looking out the window, watching each shadowy tree as it passed by. "Those two creeps from the embassy came looking for me at Narook's, while I was in the kitchen. He told them I was home sick and let me out the back way. I was damn lucky that Shaozu let me stay in his apartment, no questions asked."

"Lin-" Korra stopped to correct herself, and calm herself for her the question. "Chief Beifong told me those guys cornered you in an alley. What did they want?" Tahno looked back at her, his face flushed of color, his eyes frightened.

"They asked if I told the cops about the serum," he said in a blank, slow voice. His eyes darted to the window periodically. "I told them the truth—that I hadn't—and they said they were watching me, that they would 'deal with me' later." He took a breath, lowering his voice further. "And that I'd be sorry if I told anyone or tried to leave Republic City. Korra…" he asked, "who were they?"

"Lin said they might be government agents," Korra responded. 'Department Five' was on her lips, but she bit her tongue; no secret police were going to take Tahno if she had anything to say about it, and the last thing he needed was more anxiety.

"No slush," Tahno said, looking back out the window before turning back. "Korra," he said, looking at her imploringly, "you said we're flying out. We're not going to…" he trailed off.

"Yes. Renjing." Korra thanked the spirits inwardly as she finally saw the road sign for Republic International Airport. Korra looked at her in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "We've got Federation secret agents out to get us, and you us to go to the Federation?" His voice was steadily rising. "Here, at least Beifong can watch out for us; we'll be sitting turtleducks in Renjing! Korra, those two agents were at the embassy, they probably know we're going. Go back!" In his fear, he began to shake Korra's shoulder. "We've gotta—"

"I explained our situation to the Premier," Korra said, straining to keep her own voice calm. "He promised us an escort at the airport, and a handpicked security detail for as long as we're there." Tahno feebly shook his head, turning back to the window once more, his eyes jumping at every shadow the trees and houses projected. "Tahno, it's going to be fine!" Korra tried to re-assure him. She hated his fear, but his sense of resignation alarmed her. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You know that!" Despite her determination, the re-assurance was for both of them. Although she didn't dare let on, Korra shared Tahno's trepidation and sense of foreboding. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had chosen the wrong time to try and make a difference in the world. Tahno spoke for them both, as he leaned back in his seat and stared ahead.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Three hours earlier…

"Mr. Premier."

…..

"No sir. We still don't know."

…..

"Yes, sir. Our field operatives in Republic City caught the kidnappers before they could leave, and interrogated them. We're positive that they aren't important enough among Kuvira's people to know where the Doctor is."

…..

"Yes, I have asked our people in Nusantara; they're sure he's not there either. Our guess is that he's being held somewhere Kuvira has friends who will cover for her. Maybe one of the Fire Nation's smaller outlying islands. We'll find him."

….

"I understand completely. We'll be as discrete as possible in our investigations. Will that be all?"

…..

"I see. When will she be arriving, and where will she be staying? I'll arrange for surveillance."

….

"Is that so? Kang would be interested, wouldn't he? So he's probably already got someone tailing her as we speak."

"Those two? Yes, I know of them. Unfortunately. But don't worry; they're not the only ones who'll be watching Korra on that flight."

"Of course, sir. Nobody but the best… by the way, I assume the Avatar knows of the project already?"

"No, it's fine. I agree with the Doctor: this is too important and delicate a discovery for her not to be involved in. I'll inform Colonel Shinohara that he should prepare the unit for an inspection."

"Hello everyone, this is your captain speaking. We are on course, with a projected flight time of six hours; we should be arriving safely at Renjing International Airport, barring any negative wind or weather changes, at about a quarter past noon. Until then, please feel free to make use of the airship's facilities, and do not hesitate to seek help from the crew if you need it. We would like to take this opportunity to convey to you the Capital Public Security Department's reminder that, due to security concerns relating to the ongoing civil war, all foreign visitors will be required to declare any controlled items, listed on forms that will be shortly handed out. Failure to comply will be treated as active attempts to smuggle contraband in, and will result in arrest and interrogation.

On the other hand, the Federal Tourism Administration extends its greetings to you for your visit. Tour groups will be waiting beyond passport control for those of you who have already signed up for them; guides will be displaying the group numbers. For those of you not yet signed up, the Administration encourages you to visit its kiosk near the duty free shops and learn of the numerous options open to you. Thank you for your cooperation, and have a pleasant flight."

"Tahno, I'm going for a drink. Coming?" No sooner had the captain's announcement ended than Korra unstrapped herself from her bunk and climbed out.

"I think I'll pass, thanks." On the top bunk, Tahno lay on his back, staring nervously up at the ceiling of the cramped, white-walled cabin. "I've had enough excitement for a while."

"Tahno," Korra said wearily in the middle of pulling her boots on, "what did I tell you back in Republic City?" Her boyfriend groaned in reply, childishly turning to face the wall in a fetal position. "I said nothing would happen to you while I'm around! Come on, what could possibly happen to you up here?"

"Don't know, don't want to find out."

Korra sighed, looking up longingly at Tahno's back. As protective as she felt towards Tahno, and as dependent as he was on her for his safety here, she felt a dependence on him. His presence, in this volatile, confusing situation was a constant, a reminder that she didn't have to face it alone, that one thing hadn't radically changed; for the sake of his peace of mind, however, she would never let on.

As long as he's safe. Korra shook her head and began towards the door. "I'm just going for a quick drink, and then I'll be back to get you for dinner. I'm not taking no for an answer!" Another groan sounded as she walked out and closed the door. Korra heard the door's lock click just as she exited the complex of cabins that made up the airship's first level. She climbed up a flight of metal stairs to the second level, whistling in appreciation at the sight of the massive common area. As luxurious as any hotel lounge, the wood-floored area was divided into a number of tables for dining, tended by white-tuxedoed waiters, a number of couches near the side promenades turned outwards so guests could look out the airship's glass windows, and a cocktail bar. More than half the passengers, by the look of it, were already up and about, most having already sat down for dinner or drinks, strolling or chatting. The sound system played a soft, relaxing instrumental jazz number. Looking around, Korra recognized a mover star couple chatting with elegantly-dressed hangers-on near the starboard promenade.

"Not a bad showing from them in Romance Among the Dragons," Korra heard a lazy-sounding voice drawl next to her ear. "But between you and me, nothing can top the chemistry they had in Passions of the Faithful." With a quick gasp of surprise, she turned around to see a younger, dark-haired man in a grey three-piece suit standing at her shoulder. "Pardon my intrusion. It's not every day I see the Avatar on my flight."

"First time for everything, I guess," Korra replied with a raised eyebrow, too puzzled to think about her manners. "Good to meet you, Mister…"

"Mamoru Tenma," her new acquaintance said, holding out his right hand with a polite smile. "Likewise. Listen…" he nodded his head over to the bar. "Before too long that bar over there is going to be packed, so I've decided on a pre-dinner cocktail. I don't suppose you'd let me buy you just one?"

"I'm actually travelling with my boyfriend," Korra said. She knew she had no reason to believe Tenma knew she was with someone, but it still rankled her that a complete stranger would try to pick her up. Suddenly a drink was sounding like a bad idea; maybe she would stay with Tahno. "And I should probably getting back to—"

"Oh it doesn't have to be a date!" Tenma laughed. "Just one drink and some brief conversation." He looked her dead in the eye. "And I think you would be very interested to hear what I've got to tell you. It involves some mutual friends at our destination." His voice lowered to almost a whisper, completely serious. Korra looked back at him in confusion until…

"You're not…" She began, stopping as Tenma nodded after looking around for eavesdroppers. "OK, I guess one drink wouldn't hurt," Korra said loud enough for those immediately nearby to hear. "Like you said, it's not like it's a date or anything!"

"That's the ticket, ma'am!" Tenma raised his own voice, and the two exchanged a conspiratorial smirk before walking over to the bar.

"Two lychee sparklers, please," Korra's new friend told the barman. They watched as the barman got out a jar of fresh lychee-nut puree and mixed scoops of it in with two flutes of sparkling rice wine. Tenma led the Avatar to the bar table closest to the corner of the room, out of the earshot of most patrons.

"Thanks. Cheers." Korra clinked her glass against Tenma's and sipped in time with him. She sighed in satisfaction, enjoying the rice wine's fresh umami flavor, blended with the lychee puree's soft sweetness. After the events of that day, a drink was just what she needed. She reminded herself to order one for Tahno, after dinner.

"And now to business." Looking all around again, Tenma leaned in and lowered his voice. "Thank you for taking the time to touch base with me, Avatar. My superiors will be most appreciative."

"My pleasure," Korra whispered back. "I'll be sure to thank the Premier for taking my concerns seriously."

"Your safety in our country is our duty, ma'am." The spy nodded. "But we're not in the clear quite yet." His eyes wandered behind Korra, scanning the assembled passengers as casually as possible. He produced a pen from his jacket pocket, 'accidentally' dropping it so that it rolled behind Korra's seat. "Bother!" he exclaimed before jerking his head to Korra.

"I'll get it," she replied, turning around slowly to get a good look at whatever Tenma had spotted before bending down for the pen. She froze solid at the sight of a very familiar man and woman sitting in the promenade area opposite the one she had met him.

"Think nothing of it, my friend!" Tenma rushed in front of her to pick the pen up, and returned to his seat. Unfrozen, Korra turned back around to face him with a look of panic.

"Those two…" Her heart was pounding, her breath coming out quick and shallow. "From the…"

"Embassy." Tenma nodded grimly, taking a sip of his cocktail. Korra followed suit at his nonverbal instruction. "Yoo Nam-il and Saori Handa. At least, those are the names my agency knows them by." He shook his head mockingly and laughed. "Department Five goons have an odd obsession with pseudonyms."

"Department Five?" Korra asked. If she was frightened before, it was nothing compared to the adrenaline pumping through her veins now. She started to get up. "I've got to get back to—"

"No!" Tenma whispered loudly, grabbing on to Korra's arm, stopping her. He glanced worriedly at the unwelcome passengers. "They're the only ones on the flight, I guarantee you. Tahno is quite safe. But we can't let on we know they're here," he implored Korra desperately. She fought the urge to turn around, instead breathing deeply and settling back down uneasily. Impulsively, Korra took a gulp of her cocktail.

"Chief Lin Beifong back in Republic City told me they tried to interrogate T—my boyfriend." Better as few people as possible know as little as possible about Tahno, Korra reasoned. "I think they were planning to kidnap and interrogate him. About Dr. Aoki."

"Then we're lucky you're here now, and not back in Republic City. My superiors were wise to keep Kang and his people as far away from the project as possible." Korra nodded in agreement. Despite Korra's fear of another Noatak getting his hands on the serum, from what she had read in the newspapers (especially of the Émigré Affair) Department Five's chief was no better.

"He's that bad, huh?" Korra tried to make light of it.

"Let me put it this way," Tenma said. "All the nasty things you've heard about Kang Juntong? Nowhere near as bad as the real deal." He shivered in his seat, taking another sip of his cocktail. Korra followed suit, eager to keep appearances up. It was a small sip, though; apparently she was more of a lightweight than she thought.

"So." Korra propped her elbow up on the tabletop for support. "If this… if this Kang is Department Five…" she tried to jerk her head gently in the direction of Yoo and Tamura, but had to catch herself from faceplanting. She jerked herself back up, looking down at herself in confusion. "What's in this?" she muttered, looking at the glass. "Man is thissssstrong!"

"Korra? Korra what's wrong? Are you Ok?" In a panic, Tenma jumped to his feet and ran to her side of the table to grab her by the shoulder.

"J-just a little…" Korra lurched forward again. Her thoughts seemed to melt in her mind, jumbling and melding together. She could put one and two together, but couldn't begin to think of what to say or what to think. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Yoo, the short stocky male agent from the embassy, get up and walk quickly but discretely towards the stairway to the lower levels. Around her, the sounds of concerned voices came closer, offering help. Finally, words came to her before she blacked out. "Help… Tahno…"

"…doctor…"

The first sensation Korra could perceive, after hours of oblivion, was blurred voices, like the ones from before. They hummed above (she couldn't perceive a direction) and around her. Some of words suddenly became clear.

"…luggage…"

"…catch them…"

"…-tact the Premier…"

"…other one…"

The first bodily sensation Korra could register was a dry, acidic taste in her mouth. Following closely, she felt a hard surface below her, supporting the back of her body. Below her bare arms, she felt some kind of soft, but firm material, reminding her of the futon at…

"Tahno."

Korra's thoughts and memories finally began to re-arrange themselves. With a jolt of instinctive urgency, she tested her dry, cracked voice again, causing her to cough violently. She struggled to open her eyes, which felt glued shut, although she could 'see' a source of light nearby. Her aching, stiff limbs resisted her will.

"I think she's coming to!"

The voices were now completely clear. The one that had just spoken was male.

"Gan, get the Premier's guys. Tell him his guest is up. And get the Avatar's bunkmate… Korra? Can you hear me?"

The second voice was older, female, more controlled.

"Tah-"

Korra tried again, resulting in another coughing fit. Her mouth felt like it was on fire. She lurched up in whatever she was lying in, rolling on her side, her eyes still shut.

"Korra, just relax. Don't talk or try to move too quickly. You're going to be fine. Tahno's fine, he's on his way right now."

With one final effort, Korra forced her eyes open, only to shut them immediately to block out the glare of light.

"Gravel!"

With a click, the source of light overhead shut off.

"It's off now. You can open your eyes."

Slowly, Korra did so. The first thing she noticed was an overhead lamp, switched off, between her and a white ceiling, in a dimly lit room. A dark figure was over by the door, fiddling with something.

*Click*

Ceiling light fixtures switched on, causing Korra to recoil, albeit briefly. It took a few moments for her eyes to become accustomed to the light. The room was mostly undecorated, except for a calendar and a posters warning employees to keep their hands clean.

"There now." The owner of the second voice, a middle-aged woman in a doctor's coat, looked at Korra with a professionally calm, but concerned expression. "How are you feeling? Can you remember the flight?"

Korra nodded. "My mouth and throat feel dry, my stomach aches a little…" She tested her right arm, hand and fingers. They moved weakly, joints crackling and popping. "And my body feels weak. But other than that I'm fine. And I do remember the flight."

The woman let out of sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." She wiped sweat off of her forehead before looking back at Korra. "We tested your blood when airport security brought you in," the doctor explained, picking up a clipboard from a counter, next to the sink. She handed it to Korra. "The results indicate that you were drugged on the flight."

"Drugged?" The word shocked her to her core. She took the clipboard, scanning the indecipherable medical jargon and figures.

"Whoever did it used a very powerful, highly controlled sedative, restricted to state psychiatric institutions." Korra handed back the clipboard to the doctor, before she continued. "In high doses, it's known to cause brain damage, often indicated by short-term memory loss." She pulled a small metal chair over from the wall and sat down facing Korra. "That's why I asked if you remembered anything. Can you tell me exactly what happened on the flight, before blacking out?"

Korra nodded her head slowly, grimacing as her neck muscles loosened up. "Yeah, I do. I remember getting on at about midnight, and I remember getting settled into our bunk before the airship took off. I went up to get a drink before dinner, and that Tahno didn't wan…" her voice trailed off as an ugly, cold sensation rose in her stomach. Korra looked at the doctor with urgency. "You said Tahno was coming, right?"

"He's fine, Korra," the doctor re-assured her, putting a calming hand on her shoulder. "He's out waiting with some of the Premier's security people. My colleague just went out to get him."

"So they didn't take him." Korra felt her body go weak as she sank back into the soft medical bed.

"Who's 'they'?" Korra's answer was interrupted as the doors burst open. Tahno rushed in, followed by a pair of tall men in matching dark tunic suits, and another older man in a grey uniform and cap with a sea-green police armband.

"Korra!" Tahno ran to Korra's side. "Are you Ok?"

"Take it easy!" Korra caught his hand as he reached for her face to brush hair away, holding it gently. "I'm fine." Tahno's pale, clammy skin and bagged eyes remained unchanged, although she was glad to see that his anxiety had abated somewhat. All present were distracted by the sound of the police officer clearing his throat.

"If it's all the same to you gentlemen," he said, nervously eyeing the black-suited men, "I've got to get back to the station to file a report on this."

"And the passengers?" the taller suited man asked. The officer nodded.

"As you requested, we've got them all in the security area."

"Wait." Korra struggled off the bed, resisting Tahno's efforts to coax her back down. "The other passengers…" She hobbled in the direction of the suits. "What are you doing with them?"

"Interrogation," the shorter suited man said bluntly.

"There's no need," Korra blurted out, drawing curious looks from Tahno and his two escorts. They looked at each other with raised eyebrows before turning back.

"Ma'am." The taller man spoke slowly, almost patronizingly. "Somebody on that flight drugged you, possibly in order to kidnap you or worse. For all we know, they might be terrorists, maybe foreign agents. This is a matter of national security."

Korra shook her head. "You don't understand. There's no need for you to interrogate anyone, because I know who did it."

The two men exchanged another look of surprise. The shorter man nodded and looked at a clipboard. "Can you name them?" Korra thought hard, trying to remember the names Tenma had given her.

"Yoo Nam-il and Saori Handa." She waited as the shorter man perused the names on the manifest, frowned, and handed it to his taller partner, whispering something in his ear as he looked at it.

"They're not here."

"That's impossible," Korra shook her head. "I saw them there on the airship."

"Here, take a look," the shorter man said, handing her the manifest. Korra's eyes traveled up and down the list of names, to no avail.

"Wait a minute." She handed the manifest back. "They might be listed here, under different names."

"Why would you think that?" the taller man asked, raising his eyebrow curiously. Korra silenced herself, considering the best way to move forward without compromising Tenma. If it was Department Five looking for her, she had to be careful who to trust.

"I'm just saying they might," Korra said as calmly as possible. "Logically, if they're terrorists or criminals, they wouldn't just go around telling everyone their real names."

"That makes sense. Fine," the shorter man nodded, eyeing her suspiciously nonetheless. "In that case, could you describe these characters? We'll look for them when we inspect the passengers."

"The man's a Minjung." Korra closed her eyes and summoned a mental image of Yoo and Handa. "Short, stocky. Hair in a crewcut, skin slightly tanned, broad face. He was wearing a brown suit. The woman is a Kyoshi. A bit taller than Yoo, but thinner. Thin face, pointy features. Dark blue suit."

"Got it," the shorter man said, jotting down notes on a pad of paper. "If they're here, we'll find them. In the mean time," he put the pad and pen back in his pocket, "we'd like to bring you to the Palace as soon as possible. Are you both ready to go?" He gestured out the door.

Korra hesitated, looking at Tahno for permission; he slowly nodded his head. "We'll come."

"On the Premier's orders, we're obliged to advise you not to speak too much about the matters surrounding the incident on the airship in our presence," the shorter man said from the passenger seat, in front of Tahno. "Wait until you meet him to discuss it."

"But you're investigating it, aren't you?" Korra asked. "Shouldn't you know, or question me about it?"

"We're neither Public Security nor Intelligence, ma'am," the taller driver said. "Just palace security. Anyway, it's a specific order from the Premier." He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him. "Whatever it is whoever it is is out to get you for, it's too sensitive for us to know about it. For all you know, we could be spies, terrorists or assassins."

"I see." Korra and Tahno exchanged tight smiles stifling giggles. It wasn't so much what the tall man had said, but the seriousness and absolute lack of irony or sarcasm he had said it with. It was a nice feeling, finding something funny for the first time since the start of this business.

"Fuck," the driver muttered as traffic congestion forced them to slow down and stop. In front, to the left and right, a traffic intersection was crammed with cars, trucks, motorcycles and auto-rickshaws. The silence of the car's secure interior was intruded by the sound of a hundred car horns all honking together, their drivers leaning out of windows to curse and harangue each other.

"What's up?" Tahno asked, reaching for the window control.

"Better not." The short man looked back the passengers, shaking his head. "Unless you want to lose your hearing for a few hours. How long are you two here for?"

Korra and Tahno exchanged a puzzled look. "We're not really sure. Why?" Korra asked.

"If it's for a while, you'll eventually get used to this," the driver replied, waving his hand to the congestion before them. "No worries. We've got all the time in the world." Korra saw his knuckles momentarily whiten as he gripped the steering wheel, and his teeth clench. The shorter man shot a dark look at the car in front of them and muttered under his breath.

The next ten minutes went on interminably. As the two minders had let on, the traffic moved at a speed slower than Korra had ever thought imaginable. She felt like thanking the short man for his advice; outside, even muffled, the sound of car horns and voices screaming at each other was becoming louder and louder. All the same, from the looks on the two men's faces, neither she nor Tahno felt then was the right time to engage them in small talk, nor to bother them in any way. As the congestion gradually loosened up and the line began to move, Korra looked out the window. The last time she had been in Ba Sing Se had been about a year after the Water Tribe Civil War, in an official visit to the deposed Queen Hou-Ting to help negotiate for aid in the ultimately doomed reconstruction efforts. Back then, she remembered how jarring it was traveling between the rings that separated the huge capital city's social classes. Now though, the lasting effects of the battle for Ba Sing Se between the local revolutionaries allied with the Treaty and Kuvira's forces were present everywhere.

From the Lower Ring, and up through the Middle Ring, the city was in a state of maintenance. Construction crews were everywhere, either tearing down damaged structures or in the process of building new ones. Noticeably omnipresent were large, tall apartment blocks (or efforts to construct them) made of light grey concrete, far plainer than the residential buildings Korra was used to in Republic City. Another jarring contrast was the presence of these square, grey, cube-like buildings in many instances right next to undamaged older buildings of the more traditional architectural style.

In general, construction and demolition efforts seemed to be consciously pursuing absorption of the Lower and Middle Rings into each other, the most obvious hint being the point the government had made in refusing to repair the separation wall. In fact, it had gone further and paved roads and crossings from the glaring gaps Kuvira's artillery had made in it. What had been the Lower Ring was in the process of transformation into a huge industrial district, filled with private and publicly-owned factories, plants and businesses, and facilities dedicated to public services and welfare. The government had replaced what buildings in the Middle Ring were damaged with similar constructs; public schools and housing projects often stood side-by-side with smaller traditional houses and bustling markets. Alongside the citizens dressed in more characteristic Middle and Lower Ring clothes, many wore looser versions of the four-pocketed tunic suit Korra had seen on the Federation's embassy staff back in Republic City, and her two escorts. Many walls and older buildings, as well, had been marked by political graffiti, both independent and 'commissioned': the former often cruder and simpler (the phrase 'Down With' was often used in conjunction with the monarchy, the fallen Provisional Republic's late President Tian Yu, Kuvira, and to Korra's unease a few with bending), the latter of higher quality and often propagandistic.

"Finally!" The tall man leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh of relief as the few remaining cars in front of them at last drove down the road, before following suit, speeding up in fear of the red light. Further on down, past a radio station building, the car joined the light stream of traffic swiftly passing into the Upper Ring. Korra was once again jarred by contrast. While change in the two lower rings had involved building anew upon what had been destroyed or was outmoded, change in the Upper Ring had involved scaling down and reduction in splendor. The upper ring had suffered practically no damage during the Battle of Ba Sing Se, so there was little to tear down or build. While it was obvious that what remained of the city's disproportionately wealthy nobility and upper non-nobility continued to live there, many residential mansions and town houses had been stripped of cosmetic decorations and converted into government buildings, or dormitories for state employees.

Of all the buildings, only one caught the Korra and Tahno's attention. Just off the central square, with shockthrower wielding guards standing at every opening, the building stood out from the rest owing to both it's massive size and relatively modern architecture, made of slate, with both columns in the doorways and a traditional roof. As she caught sight of the plaque near the main gate, Korra felt her heart jump and then beat quicker as she shrunk away into Tahno.

"Whoah!" he exclaimed as she pushed him into the door. The shorter escort looked back in mild alarm. "Nothing, nothing!" Tahno waved him back with an unconvincing smile. "What was that all about? What happened?" he whispered to Korra, holding her shoulders. "What's wrong?" Korra looked back at him, and saw his expression grow concerned.

"Public Security," she whispered back. "That was the Public Security Secretariat building."

"Hu used to work there, you know." Both passengers jumped as the short guard spoke in a casual tone. "Isn't that right?" he addressed the driver. Hu nodded slowly.

"Internal Affairs. I quit after the Émigré Affair."

"Oh that," Tahno said casually, trying to spare his visibly-uncomfortable girlfriend having to participate in such a conversation. "Yeah, we heard all about that one. It was big news back in Republic City."

"I should hope so." Korra watched as Hu's hands clutched the steering wheel harder. The car became silent for the next few minutes.

"Here we are," the short man said as they finally reached Revolution Square. Before them, beyond the wide open space filled with citizens passing by or looking on, the royal palace loomed overhead. It was ironic, Korra thought, that this, of all building's should have been the one to change the least, still every bit as imposing and pompous. The only changes she could tell were the guards' uniforms, and the banners and tapestries; from the gold seal-on-deep-green background royal standard, to the Federation's white nine-pointed star on a lighter sea green background. The car went around the main square, to a section off the side of the palace walled off by a tall steel covered-roof divider, manned by even more guards. As the car approached and stopped, a guard with a shockthrower slung from his shoulder by a strap marched over.

"Identification please," he demanded. The short man passed his identification card over to Hu, who showed both it and his to the guard.

"Hu and Nakata. We're here with a guest for the Premier." The guard looked in the back at Korra and Tahno, his eyes widening before he turned back to Hu and nodded.

"Right. We were informed ahead of time." He turned back to Korra, nodding his head in respect. "It's a great honor, ma'am. Welcome to the Palace." The guard turned to another guard standing by the divider and waved his hand. Nodding, the guard assumed an earthbending stance and created an opening in the divider. As the car passed through, Korra felt a touch of warmth as she saw what might have been a small smile on the metalbender's face.

"Right this way," Nakata called behind him at Korra and Tahno, who followed behind closely.

"What happened to everything?" Korra looked around with dismay. Since her last visit to the palace, over fifteen years ago, every hall, corridor and room had been stripped of the various pieces of priceless artwork, tapestries, and precious metal or gemstone fixtures that once decorated them. The jewels, intricately-made weapons of gold and platinum, vases, hand-carved furniture of rare wood, everything of value was gone. Korra remembered once thinking it was all a waste, and a sign of how out of touch the monarchy was. Now it was all gone, she was having second thoughts.

"The royals took most of it with them when they ran away to Nan," said Hu. "And a lot of the stuff in the treasury, too. What's left is on display in the central bank. You can see it later, if you want."

"I might do that," Korra said noncommittally as she looked around while following. As with the Palace's exterior, the interior goings-on looked much the same as before. People still hurried down the corridors, and in and out of the different rooms, and guards still manned all the doorways and thresholds. Instead of changshan-wearing nobles and servants, officials and functionaries in tunic suits and military uniforms filled the palace. The Palace's nonbending guards on the inside, however, rarely held shockthrowers. These guards dressed in darker close-fitting combat fatigues, their faces covered with black balacavas and goggles, their boots replaced with thick socks under lightweight sandals and hardy puttees. Instead of shockthrowers, crescent metal rods with leather handles hung from hip holsters, with similar metal cuffs around the guards' wrists.

"They're trained in the Shadow arts," Nakata explained with a proud smile, noting Korra's fascination. "My people's greatest contribution to the Federation's defense." Tahno whistled as they passed a pair of them, standing still and silently.

"Most folks back home know them only from movers or radio shows like The Adventures of Daring Du." he laughed. "They always work for the bad guy as assassins or henchmen."

"A common misconception," Nakata said, smiling good-naturedly. "The Shadows were traditionally spies, not assassins. But we also teach their arts to elite infantry, especially our paratroopers.

The walk lasted ten more minutes as the party bypassed the throne room, various royal chambers converted into offices, a heavily guarded koi garden and the mess hall. Finally, they reached the doors to what Korra remembered as the Queen's study, with both a metalbender and a kage guard standing watch.

"Guests for the Premier," Hu said. The metalbender shook his head.

"Not right now," he replied, nodding his head ruefully at the door. "Godan's back, and Liu brought a bigwig from the Political Board to help talk him down; they're gonna be at it for hours, so come back later." Unintelligible voices came from within the room, two angry but not yelling, the other quieter.

"It's the 'special' guest," Nakata said. The metalbender and kage guard looked at each other, conflicted, before turning back in resignation.

"Fine, go on in," the kage guard said in a muffled voice, waving dismissively. "Don't blame us if you catch slag." The metalbender knocked hard on the door before opening it and sticking his face in.

"Sir, the Avatar and her friend are here." He turned back to the guests. "You two can come in," he said to Korra and Tahno, before waving Hu and Nakata off.

"Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye," Korra said with a half-smile.

"Not quite," Nakata said, shaking his head with a smile. "We're assigned to your protection for the duration of your stay in the city. We'll take you to your hotel after your meeting." Korra didn't know whether or not to be pleased. As the two escorts leaned against the wall next to the guards, Korra and Tahno walked into the study. Keeping with the rest of the Palace interior, the huge room was devoid of the paintings and busts which had once filled it, replaced with framed photographs and maps. The elaborate carpet Korra remembered from her visit had been replaced with plainer carpets. The bookshelves lining the walls were filled with newer volumes, to replace the older and more valuable ones that had been stolen or moved for safekeeping. Finally, the Queen's carved marble desk had been replaced by a larger one made of wood, covered with papers. At the end of the room, against a large reinforced glass window overlooking the koi garden, were three men. A grey haired man in a black tunic suit sat behind the desk, flanked by a younger bespectacled man with a crew cut in a blue-gray tunic suit, his chair turned to the side so he could face the third occupant. Next to a globe of the world in the room's corner, a larger red-faced man with a buzz cut in a tan uniform stood looking angry. As Korra and Tahno approached, all three men turned their gazes to them.

"Avatar," the Premier said. "I'm glad you made it here safe." He stood and slowly walked around his desk towards his guests. Korra felt a sense of calm, now that she had finally seen Liu, despite expecting anxiety or anger. He looked much the same as he had looked the first time she had seen his face unmasked, despite his grayed hair and the absence of his long thin moustache.

"Thanks. I'm glad I'm here." As she accepted Liu's outreached hand, Korra felt her sense of calm turn into comfort and a feeling of closure, like she had achieved something important. She remembered hearing a psychologist on the radio once talk about exposure, neutralizing the fear one held of something by confronting it. After years of fearful, ugly memories of the Equalists and what they had almost done to her, shaking one by the hand made her feel relieved. Korra could tell it had the same effect on Tahno, when Liu shook his hand.

"Godan," he turned to the uniformed man. "Our business here is done for the day. I have business with my guests." Korra watched with a kind of morbid fascination as the famous Altan revolutionary looked down, away from his Premier's hard gaze, before shooting a resentful look her way.

"I'll see you later," Godan said over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him; Korra couldn't tell who he had spoken to. Liu's shoulders heaved in relief.

"This is Yan Chi-ying of the Defense Secretariat's Political Board," he said, gesturing to the young man. Yan stepped forward towards Korra with a polite smile.

"It's good to finally meet you, Avatar," he said, shaking Korra by the hand. "On behalf of my department, I'd like to thank you for agreeing to help us with this matter."

After fifteen years, it was time for Korra to be the Avatar again. She only hoped it wasn't too little too late. "We'd better not waste any time on this, gentlemen," she said seriously. "World peace, and Dr. Aoki's life are hanging by a thread here."

Cast:

Korra- Janet Varney

Tahno- Rami Malek

Lin- Mindy Sterling

Wen- Corey Burton

Choi- Mike Pollock

Tenma- Yuri Lowenthal

Hu- Steven Blum

Nakata- Spike Spencer

Liu- Lance Henriksen

Yan- J. Michael Tatum

Godan- Justin Cook

A/N-

This is the semi-final chapter of what I've written so far. Next week, some focus on a couple of OCs, to help acquaint everyone.

Thanks for reading, and I would like to re-iterate that I would very much appreciate feedback of any kind in the reviews page, to help me with fleshing out the rest of the story.

Until then...