Ch13
Republic City Council Chambers
2020
"This can't be good," Opal voiced out. "She's a dictator! Her army is rolling over those who don't see things her way! This election will be rigged!"
Outrage and fears followed in the days following Kuvira's State of the Empire address. While many seemed well onboard with the proposal, there was the minority that were against it.
"People need to wake up!" she continued. "Can't they see what she's doing is blinding them with propaganda?!"
"Now," Tenzin chimed in, "We shouldn't rush to confrontation. People, especially in an election, shouldn't be antagonized. If they are, then suddenly the other side will seem a lot more friendly."
"It's a hard truth!"
"So it may be. But, this is, as far as we can tell, a fair opportunity for the people of the Earth Kingdom to vote for who they feel they should have seated as the head of the government," the Son of Aang addressed.
"Regime is more like it," Opal sulked.
"Fair enough. Anyway, we need to hold hope that the people, in their heart, will do the right thing."
"This is a sham," Lin barked. "The people are so full of the propaganda department's words! Of course they'll vote for her! The power was supposed to go to the Earth Kingdom Prince. That was the deal!"
"Would you say the same thing, if it were Prince Wu that decided to hold an election right when he was put on the throne?"
There wasn't a reply. Tenzin had got them. A universal application was not feasible, as…no one really had a high view of the Prince.
"Well, it seems like you are more and more on her side today, Tenzin," Lin accused.
"Now hold on just a minute, Lin!" Tenzin raised both hands in innocence. "I am not on anybody's side. I'm just trying to be the voice of reason!"
"You are indeed your father's son," she scoffed. "Always trying to play neutral!"
"That is, in essence, a way of life of being an air bender!"
President Raiko leaned against a wall in a far corner of the room, observing the feud with the other airbenders and Korra. He had no part, nor any desire to take part, in this ongoing and escalating feud. "Do they often butt heads like this? Like, even outside of the town hall?" he asked Jinora. Both Korra and her replied, "You have no idea."
"Well, neutrality certainly worked real well for Belgium and Denmark didn't it?!"
"Why does everyone keep bringing up that war?! I keep telling you, I am not so versed in the history of the Mechanized Realm!"
"They are literally Nazi Germany!" Opal returned.
The infighting soon crescendoed into an indiscernible blob of noise, as people began to feud over each other uncontrolled.
"Alright," Korra interjected, "Enough!" Her voice was loud and impactful enough to steal the attention of all those bickering. "Like it or not, this is a choice given to the people. That's not something that's going to be easy to reverse or take away. If we do anything, say anything against it, that'll only make her following stronger. And, to be honest with you, this is..still..a step in the right direction."
"Korra, you can't seriously be taking Kuvira's side. I mean, have you seen the things she's done? Still doing, actually," Opal questioned.
"I'm not taking her side. Not in the slightest bit. But, think about it from the perspective of someone from the Earth Kingdom. Not Zaofu, the middle-of-nowhere starving Earth Kingdom. Even if it was for political gain, they unquestionably are better off now than before." Korra herself felt uneasy defending this, but she did, still, somewhat respect Kuvira for aiding the fight against Zaheer. She had, after all, saved her father's life. She couldn't be all bad…right? "This is an opportunity that they have never ever had. Choosing a leader? Like, none of their previous generations could ever do such a thing."
Opal walked over to a posted map of the Bending World. Essentially, ninety-percent of the Earth Kingdom's land was now shaded a deep forest green. There were only two strongholds left. Zaofu, and the independent territory at the base of the Tai Hua Mountains claimed by the Liu Clan. "What about Zaofu? Or even that last remaining territory? Our people don't want to 'fall in line' with a military republic. They'll be outspoken! What about their opinions?"
"That's the hard truth with any election," President Raiko chimed in. Being a politician, he knew the importance that having the proper message and, more importantly, the proper PR team would have in influencing the masses. "With the right message and the right medium…votes after all are simply numbers…"
"We could sway the election," Opal blurted out amid her high flying emotions.
"Opal! That's very unethical of you! Not just as an ordinary person, but as an airbender especially," Tenzin scolded. "We have no place meddling, and specifically invalidating the results of a democratic process!"
"But there's no way it can possibly be democratic! Those people essentially have no choice! They're likely going to fabricate their own numbers too!"
"Two wrongs, don't make a right," Tenzin continued. "And that relies heavily on conjecture! We have no proof of coercion or fabrication!"
Opal backed down. "I'm sorry. You're right."
Tenzin sighed.
"No, wait," Suyin chimed in.
"You can't seriously be advocating for something like that," Lin spoke up against her sister.
"It's underhanded, I know. And I'm not saying it's the way forward normally. But Opal is right, sitting back and allowing Kuvira and her dictatorship to continue to push forward is dangerous." Suyin, particularly, had a lot on the line. Her people were the most immediately threatened by military domination. "If we sit back, and do nothing they will fall the Liu Clan, and they will topple Zaofu. It will be a hard fight for them, but with their numbers and weapons, they will annex our city. And for the sake of my people, I can't let that happen!" Suyin took a hardline stance. "We are talking about the security of tens of thousands of people otherwise living peacefully and in harmony. Even if they are compared against the desires of millions, does that invalidate them? Especially given that inevitably her armies, tanks, and planes will converge on Zaofu as a result? A neutral territory being annexed by force."
No one said anything. It was a slippery slope to try and counter that. Suyin knew the counter would be 'there was no evidence of a forceful takeover.' She looked to President Raiko and immediately addressed the commonly held thought, "A good PR team right? That's why no one knows of any forceful siege against those that resist."
She looked at Tenzin. "If she wins, and we'd be ignorant to think that she doesn't have a very strong chance at winning, given her following, her propaganda, and her opponent in this election, what about those that will be injured or killed as a result of what follows? Is this not the greater good? We're not assassinating her, and we're not going to war. This idea..would simply be circles and check marks on sheets of paper. And that would be it! She's deposed of power, the Prince is seated at the throne, as agreed initially, and the world moves on. Marks on paper. Against tens of thousands of innocent people that could lose their lives. What's more important to the nomads? Lives or a correct morality?"
Tenzin couldn't answer. He didn't want to. Raiko was very uncomfortable with the idea, but also held his tongue. The 'greater good' argument was a challenging one to fight in this case.
"It could work," Korra commented. "But it's very very risky. Something like that would cause war. It was a very big problem four years ago, and it's a very big point of infighting back in the US. Pretty much every other conversation was one side or the other talking about how the opposite party of theirs took part in some sort of influencing. And to have some kind of influence coming from Zaofu..or Republic City…"
"That's the kind of thing that brings nations to war," President Raiko spoke up, completing Korra's thought.
"We can cover it up. Make it nearly impossible to trace. I can coordinate and form connections with the people handling the count," Suyin suggested. "A harmless covert operation."
"We have an Intelligence Agency," the president added. "And they're really good at these kinds of ops. I could have-"
"No," Lin opposed. "That would not be a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Your department head. He's awfully close with that Empire Army officer. He'll spill it, I guarantee," Lin argued, still having a rather negative view on Junichiro.
"I can handle this myself," Suyin announced, "leave it all to me."
Northern Earth Kingdom, Liu Territory
2020
"So," Jun's partner began, breaking the silence. "How are things with the missus?"
"You know we're not married, right?"
"I know, but still. How are things? Got anything planned when we get back to Republic City?" The car rocked and shook as it bounced along the semi-paved roadway leading into the Tai Hua mountains.
"Try not to scratch the paint," Jun said. "And no, nothing so far. In fact, by the time we get back to Republic City, I think she'll be long gone. Leave's not for ever as you know.
"She give you her whereabouts?"
"Back to the tank unit," Jun replied, sipping his water. "Watch it. WATCH IT!"
The forward wheel dropped into a rather deep pothole and violently jumped as it exited. The rear tire did the same, and the car went airborne on the passenger side. Jun hit his head against the roof and the water from his bottle splashed against his jacket.
"My bad," John called. "You'd think if they wanted to establish their own sovereign territory, complete with a castle and surrounding city, they'd at least invest more in their infrastructure.
Jun, grumbling, as he reformed his hat and dried himself with a handkerchief said, "Infrastructure..usually comes later. And pay attention to the road, damn it! Going to get a damn concussion from you! Mei Liu, understandably, doesn't necessarily have roads at the top of her priority."
"Ah yes, the leader of the most prominent daofei clan… Tell me again," John asked, "Why are we driving eight-plus hours out of Republic City, to a criminal clan that decided it wanted to try walking the straight, and narrow all of a sudden."
"Because I received a rather enticing note. And the address was all the way out here."
"Because you got a note… Do you know how many notes I get?"
"No," Jun answered. "And I don't think I want to."
"What makes this one so special?"
"This one is special because of who I think it comes from."
"We couldn't have atleast taken the bullet train? I know they don't have a station, but at least part of the way?"
"Do you ever not complain about things?" Jun asked. Truthfully he was also getting tired of the ride and preferred going places by train or plane.
"I'm just saying," Agent Masaoka sighed. "And we have to go to the Si Wong after this? What do they have down there?"
"No clue," Jun replied, checking his notepad. Nothing. "Something important, I guess."
"We're taking the train there," John asserted. Parking the car at the Ba Sing Se rail terminal and heading south from there, even if it is a local train."
"Fine with me," Jun replied, checking his notes.
"What do you think the fallout from the sudden election announcement is gonna be? You hear anything from any of the higher ups in the UNR?"
"Nothing," Jun replied. "Nothing from Raiko, Tenzin, the council members…not even Beifong..either of them. It's kind of concerning."
"You don't think they're going to do something, do you?"
"I'd hope to God they run it by me first if they are." Jun looked ahead. "We should be getting there now."
The city they were heading to seemingly rose up the ground as they crested over the embankment. Before them was the outlier of territories in the world; the one whose formation was unheard of. Ahead was a steady slope that ascended to the outskirts of a moderately developed city. There was a densely wooded area that lead up to the edge, but the terrain was relatively smooth; no natural ditches or features where attackers could easily seek cover.
"It's a full on castle-town," John remarked leaning over the steering wheel and taking in the view.
Looking down on the gradual slope that fed into the settlement was the outer fortifications; stone walls with several pill boxes that bristled with machine guns and cannons. The city itself was densely packed with roads and narrow passages, and featured a, albeit shoddily built, canal system which limited the readily available routes to the main fortress. And, rising above all else as a mountain of its own, was the "castle" component of castle-town.
"That is literally a one-to-one copy of Himeji Castle," John remarked.
"Yeah," Jun followed, taking in the marvel in awe as well. It was the first time he was seeing it in person. "But that isn't the UNESCO World Heritage site we know of." He scanned its main keep and the surrounding structures and terraces. "That is a full on fighting fortification."
"Doesn't seem practical."
"If fighting off a modern NATO military force, no. But that'll give any Bending World Army some difficulty. Heck, the Earth Empire has second-generation fighters but this place will still hurt them if they come for her. The castle looks beefier; probably is armored all over. It's also likely concealing all sorts of heavy guns."
"Like, 'kill-a-tiger' guns?"
"Exactly," Jun said.
The pair parked on the side of the thoroughfare and dismounted. They were just a block away from the designated cafe and a few minutes ahead of schedule, just to scope the situation out. Both were plain clothed, but concealed their service weapons within their suit jackets.
"Kind of a quaint place," John remarked, taking in the sights. "First time I've actually taken a real look around."
"It's got its charm," Jun replied. He observed the people who passed them on the streets. The citizens of the clan seemed rather satisfied with their situation. They weren't vagrants by any means, and all were well groomed and well dressed. Were they on the level of Republic City or Ba Sing Se dandies? No. But they still had a much better presentation than those of Silicon Valley, by leaps and bounds. People were rather friendly too, outgoing and open to talk.
Even though most of the roads were still gravel, finding parking wasn't necessarily easy. The city even had its own power! The source was small and local, little more than several generators connected in circuit towards the rearward regions and below the mountains, but it was enough to sufficiently keep lights, communications, and defenses on.
"It's like they forgot they're criminals," John said.
"These people, especially the younger ones might not even know that," Jun said. "The last time they were a rather forceful and rampaging daofei clan, Avatar Korra was still a baby. And their heyday was still at the tail end of Aang. It's been a generation or two now. It's abrupt, and it's shoddy, but they did clean up their image. It seems like they are trying to live honest lives."
"Trying," John commented.
"Trying."
The two of them advanced to the cafe, passing many friendly bystanders. Entering the small corner cafe brought them in front of several more. "People living the day to day," John whispered.
"And ready to die for it too," Jun said.
"Really?"
"Each and every single man, woman, and child, is ready to take up a rifle in the event the city is attacked," Jun quietly informed. "That's the current intel briefing."
"This ruler of theirs, Mei Liu," his partner recalled. "She that great? I mean, we barely know anything about her."
"Well, she's young as far as rulers go. Just about thirty years old. Some say she's benevolent, others say absolute and iron fisted. Some people say she's very emotional. But that's pretty much the most we've got."
"And these people are willing to die for her," John commented.
"I mean look around," Jun suggested. "By metropolis standards, it isn't much. But considering what they do have going on here; protection, power, water, food, and some degree of an economy and law and order; that's pretty good. Being the outcast state, you'd be ready to get on the wall if some force decided to come knocking. You'd better be, at least."
Jun doffed his hat as he went further into the shop. The small brass bell fixed to the wooden door rang as they entered.
"Welcome in, gentlemen" the attendant greeted from behind the counter. "What can I fix ya?"
"I'll take an iced latte, one stick of sugar, please," Jun requested, pulling his wallet out. "Anything for you?" he asked his partner.
"Iced coffee, please," John added.
"Understood gentlemen," the attendant acknowledged. "I'll get on that right away."
Jun looked at the total on the register. "You guys take AMEX?"
"Sorry, sir. Still can't take cards yet. Hopefully the city will figure that out soon."
"No worries," the chief inspector said, pulling out bills and coins. The TV screen nearby was playing the Republic City news about Kuvira's announcement. "Wild news, am I right?"
"Oh yeah, that's something," the worker said as he worked the coffee machines. "Definitely going to make some waves."
"How's things here on the home front?"
"People are worried, you know. At this point, I think everyone understands that the chances of the Empire coming after us is pretty likely. Just gotta live life, though. One day at a time." The worker seemed a little low in enthusiasm as he said those words. "We'll definitely give them a run for their money though. Not going to lay down and just accept it."
Jun noticed the 12-gauge Remington hanging on the wall behind the counter. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that," he said.
"Amen to that, brother." The attendant set one finished drink on the counter. "What brings you two out here from Republic City?"
Jun was surprised. "How'd you figure that?"
"The Crown Vic you guys drove in that you parked about a block down, and those pistols you two are packing, of course," he answered. "What've you got? A forty-five on you and a nine on your partner."
"Ninteen-eleven," Jun clarified.
"Hi-power," John admitted too.
"Quite the eye you got there," Jun complimented.
The attendant laughed, "Don't take it the wrong way. You two are more than welcome here. But we've had a few run-ins with covert Empire folk before."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. Like I said, everyone here is vigilant."
"Can you hold out?" John asked. "Against an invading force?"
The man sucked his teeth. His eyes looked like they were deep in thought, imagining the play-by-play of an attack. "Probably, realistically won't be able to repel something like that. Hopefully just enough to hold out until friends show up."
"Friends?"
"Anyone willing to help. There has to be some power out there that stands in solidarity, right?"
Jun felt guilty, but successfully hid it. "I'm sure there is." In reality, the likelihood of something like that happening was very low. And he was convinced the citizen of this independent state knew that too.
"You take care of yourself, man," he said in closing.
"You two. Enjoy that coffee!"
"Thank, bud," John said, following his superior. "Who exactly are we looking for?" he asked now that they had wandered into the cafe and away from the workers.
"That," Jun said pointing with his drink hand, "is the person we are looking for."
Seated in a rather isolated area of the room, beneath all the 50's Americana stamped steel signs and vintage posters was someone who anyone would describe as forgettable. He wore the same gray three-piece suit as he had the day he had bumped into Jun, and the day he had visited the Hotel Sei'naka.
"Rather shady guy, isn't he," John observed.
"He really isn't, come on."
The lean-figured contact stood up to greet them. "Chief Stevenson. An honor to make your acquaintance."
"Xiaoli Chen," Jun called out. "It is interesting."
"Ah, I see you knew. And please, Xiao is fine."
"You know him?" John asked.
"A bit," Jun answered, returning his attention to his counterpart and taking a seat.
"How are things with Yasu-chan?" he asked.
"Things are good," Jun cleared his throat, "How are things with Mei?"
"Fine, I suppose. I try to be a rock for her in a storm," he said.
"The fact that your clan hasn't done anything rash or violent as of recent, I guess I have you to thank for that."
Xiao grinned a bit, adjusting his watch and fixing his tie. "No at all. I don't deserve that kind of credit. Mei is a very reasonable person, easily understood."
Jun began to take out his notebook and pen. "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you're the anchor that holds her back in rationality." Jun's eyes wandered to an old Earth Kingdom Army unit pennant that hung on the wall behind his contact. It belonged to a well regarded and decorated unit, if Jun recalled correctly. The town, indeed was a mix of many different backgrounds. "What brings us here today, Xiao?" He produced the small note from his jacket. "What exactly do we need to talk about? Why couldn't you just tell your childhood friend?"
Xiao crossed his arms. He felt a bit uneasy and guilty; hiding things from his best friend. "There are certain things, as you can imagine, I can't tell Yasuho. Just like, I am very sure there are many things she can't tell me…or doesn't want to."
"It-" Xiao, out of habit, checked his surroundings and lowered his voice. "It would put her in a tough position if she knew that I-..we..know."
"So, you're trying to screw her over, is what you're saying" John interjected.
"What? No! Of course not. But it's no secret us and the Earth Empire are one string away from a full armed conflict," Xiao argued. In a quiet voice he informed, "Agent Stevenson, we have reason to believe the Earth Empire is working on some kind of super weapon."
"You aren't the first people to say that," Jun informed, sipping his latte. He dusted off his shoes, uninterested so far. "You're going to need to give me more than that. What is it? A super-heavy tank? Cool."
"No," Xiaoli stated. "Worse." He pulled the vintage map of the Bending World down off the wall and placed the framed document on the table. "So, we're here, " he said, pointing to where their city was. And somewhere further north, in the mountains, their military has been working on one is likely the most powerful gun ever to be made."
"I don't know," Jun doubted. "The Type 94's on the Yamato are pretty freaking big. The Dora Railway gun in World War Two was huge too."
"Give us more," John prodded.
Xiaoli was visually troubled, there was little more he could disclose. "As far as what specifically it's like, and the extent of destruction it can deal…sorry to say, I don't know much more."
"You made us drive all the way out here…for a teaser," Jun summarized.
"But! I can tell you this! I warn you, Agent Stevenson. The Empire, likely, isn't going to stop with us and Zaofu. They'll go after Republic City too!"
"Uh huh. Sure," Jun stated, lacking any interest. He gulped down the rest of his drink and motioned to leave. This was an act. "Look Xiao, I appreciate your willingness to reach out, even though you gave us pretty much nothing of value after quite possibly the roughest eight hour drive over to your little castle sanctuary. But, I think it's time we get going."
"Wait!" he blurted out.
"Got something more?" John questioned, leaning on the table.
"Yes," Xiao further dealt. "In addition to many things, we believe they are instigating war."
He had now gotten Jun's attention. "Instigating? How?"
"The criminal clans they engage with, the one's their army rolls over and decimates..they're usually small time, aren't they?" the contact explained. "Small guns, usually disorganized. Marauders, sure, but not really militants anymore. In reality, most of the larger, better armed gangs have already been exterminated. Many of them fell either during the final years of the Earth Kingdom, or in the first few years of the Earth Empire."
"Bull," John called. "There was that incident just a few weeks ago. Bunch of daofei fried a tank, and took out a few mecha-suits too. 2nd Armor Div lost some men too, I heard. Ambush."
"I heard 'bout that one too," Jun supplemented.
"See," Xiao said. "About that one. Take it from me, a member of a formerly active daofei clan. Usually these gangs are very uncoordinated. Can they take out tanks? Sure, even the Taliban could knock out a main battle tank. But, they aren't usually that coordinated, are they? Ambush? Several shooting positions? Multiple RPG and machine gun teams, and an AT gun to boot?"
"You guys have tanks, do you not?" Jun challenged. "You guys have anti tank guns too, probably even AA batteries and rockets as well up in Himeji Castle over there," he said, rocking his head in the direction of the castle grounds. "So they had a 76-mil mounted on a cabbage corps utility truck. Big deal. What are you saying?"
"I'm saying," Xiao finalized. "The Earth Empire is a master at inciting things. I don't believe all of it is 100% true. Something is going on under-the-table or behind-the-curtain, and people are dying because of it. Uniformed and not. Left unchecked, it could escalate into a heightened world war!"
"What's your proof?" Jun leaned against the backrest of his chair, getting out his pen and paper.
The server came by. "Sir, would you like another latte?"
"Black coffee is fine this time, thanks," he said. Time to focus in.
"I should preface," Xiao began, becoming more uneasy. The heel of his shoes tapped against the floor repeatedly and he fumbled with his watch. "I would like to work cooperatively with the Department of Intelligence. I want to put us, the Liu-Clan, on alliance terms with the United Republic."
John slammed a fist on the table. The glasses rattled and heads turned. The two partners often took turns at playing good-cop-bad-cop. He was a bit better at being the aggressive imposing one. Jun was more…cold..sometimes scary; one who didn't need to raise his voice. "You're in no position to bargain! Remember your place, felon."
"That's a pretty big ask, Xiao," Jun said. "As you know, the UNR is on decent terms with the Earth Empire. Alliancing in any way, is a pretty big finger to their movement."
"Maybe not on paper. Not publicly, but some assistance would be nice. Please," he pleaded. "I'm sure you know, when the Empire moves on this stronghold, it is only a matter of time before everyone is killed."
"I'll have to run that by my superiors," Jun replied, taking the coffee that the server had just returned with. "No guarantees. But if you give us something valuable. That may help your case."
Xiaoli reached behind him. His hand gripped something. John's hand was positioned near the button of his suit jacket, ready to draw his pistol should things suddenly turn south.
"Can I have your word, you won't pass this on to the Earth Empire?"
"Sure," Jun answered.
"Specifically, you," Xiao repeated. "You can't tell Yasuho about this."
"Why? Too dutiful?"
"If she knows, she likely won't tell. But she'll be conflicted, and that is what will compromise her," Xiao said. "When's she has an internal conflict is when she's the most vulnerable."
"Noted. Let's say for now, you've captured my sympathies," Jun acknowledged. "What have you got?"
The Liu-Clan's top advisor produced a leather portfolio. Inside were numerous pages detailing maps, rosters, and personnel files. There were several red dots around in the areas surrounding their location as well as scattered throughout the Central Earth Kingdom. In contrast, in green, were the current known locations of several Earth Empire army units.
"This is a map of where all of our deployed militant units are, and where we currently know their units generally are," Xiaoli explained. "This is how we know, roughly, what the Empire is up to. Though they can fight, our forces are mostly observation. We haven't instigated a fight in years."
"I'm listening," Jun said, drawing what he saw as fast as he possibly could in his own notebook.
"Here," Xiaoli emphasized, pointing to a moderately sized town south of their location. "You passed through it on the way here."
"Shanguchi," John recalled. "Quaint, but too many roundabouts."
"Yes, that town." Xiao confirmed. "In order to get to us, they'll have to move their tanks through that city. As you know its also full of civillians."
"Mhm," Jun acknowledged.
"It's a target for the Earth Empire. Likely they will try to align that city through normal olive-branch means, like usual. I don't anticipate any fighting there, but it would be a perfect spot to see what we are up against. I fear they will use us as a test target before they move on to Zaofu." He continued to elaborate. Xiao looked to Jun, making eye contact. "If possible, for our mutual benefit. I'd like your assistance there. It will be dangerous to try and act on their military, especially when they're out in force. At the very least, I want to gather intel. At the most optimistic, I want to try and disable whatever they are fielding."
Jun and his partner shared a look with each other. "We'll see, Xiao. I'll consider it."
Si Wong Desert
"Did I ever tell you how much I hate sand," John complained. "I hate sand."
"I have to agree with you on that one," Jun acknowledged.
"Why are we walking? Why'd we have to get trucked out here? It's so damn hot," his partner continued to groan.
"I think I don't need to tell you that there aren't train tracks that just lead out into the middle of the desert. Be thankful the US Army picked us up from the Misty Palms Oasis," replied.
"I'm regretting not getting one of their overpriced ice smoothies."
"I told you, you'd regret it."
"So the guy can get rather crafty with a twin pair of swords. I'd be paying for a show more than a drink!"
"We're almost there, quit you're crying. By midnight we'll be standing on the platform at Ba Sing Se waiting for the last bullet train back to Republic City," Junichiro emphasized.
"Thought we needed to drive back."
"I'm having that car shipped back to Republic City. I'm done with crawling across massive land expanses today."
The mid-afternoon sun was baking the two men as they trekked across the large expanse of the Si Wong Desert. Accompanying them were a few soldiers of the US Army's Field Engineers as well as a few Earth Empire mechanized troops. Sand was filling the cuffs of both of their trousers, and their feet sunk ankle-deep with each step in the soft sand. Coupled together with the intense year-round dessert heat, this added to the exhaustion of this trek.
"We couldn't fly out here from Misty Palms?" Jun asked, looking to one of the US soldiers.
"Sandstorm below threw yesterday, sir" he answered. "Mechanics are still brushing sand out of the Blackhawk's engine and intake.
"That's great isn't it."
"Tell me about it," the soldier replied.
"Run it by me again," Jun switched subjects, "You guys found a plane out here? Buried in the sand?"
"Yes, sir," the specialist answered. "Representative of all relevant agencies have been summoned.
"That big, huh?"
"It's huuuuuugggggeeee," one of the Empire soldiers joked, referring to the previous president.
"How much longer? I feel like we've been walking for over an hour," John asked. "You picked us up in a truck, couldn't we have driven the whole way?" There came a point where the sand became too fine and soft and vehicles that didn't have tank treads became all but useless.
"Just over this dune, sir."
"Thank God," Jun exhaled, finally removing his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves.
"How are you only now removing that?" John asked. "I'm burning up."
"Style is pain," Jun said.
As the group of men passed over the peak of the dune, the two Intelligence agents couldn't help but gasp at the sight before them. There, surrounded at the basin of a large-scale excavation effort, was the remains of what was easily made out to be a 747 jetliner. There was notable damage to the tail and it was missing an engine; the plane was also broken in two right at the middle, but otherwise it was largely intact. The sand must have cushioned the crash to an extent.
"Pan Am," Jun read, looking at the hull of the jet. He could read the faded, battered, and scratched up lettering from the distance still.
"Pan Am sixty-two," the same Empire soldier informed.
"She went missing nearly fifty-years ago. 1972," John recalled. The plane was never found.
"Til today," the soldier added.
Eventually they had gotten much closer to the wreckage. Uniformed earth and sand benders were shifting truck loads of sand to uncover the large pieces of the downed bird. Metal benders, working in tandem with specialized cranes, were lifting sections and components onto trucks; engines and entire panel sections of the fuselage.
"Fifty years ago," Jun observed, "But this thing looks like it's been here for centuries."
The metal frame was breaking apart, not just from impact damage, but seemingly from age as well. The seats were coming apart, even the ones that had survived the crash. It may have been one of the first iterations of the Queen of the Skies, but this plane seemed more akin to ancient ruins than a plane crash.
There were multiple agencies involved. The US Army's Corps of Engineers and the Earth Empire's own equivalents were managing the excavation, but in addition there were representatives from both the Fire Nation and Water Tribes' aviation authorities, investigators from the FAA, several US military officers; most notably from the Air Force, as well as what Jun assumed to be other suits from the DoD.
"Black box?" Jun inquired to a passing investigator.
"Found, but long since been out of service. I don't think we're going to get much from it," the stout man said carrying on immediately after finishing the line.
John reported back what he had found from questioning other workers. "They're saying, likely a decent number of the crew and passengers were able to survive the crash. But where they went and what became of them is unknown. Whether they disappeared into the desert, or made it out at all, that's unknown. The remains found inside the plane, likely those that died in the crash…they're long decomposed. Skeletons still buckled in. Fasten seatbelt sign never turned off for them."
Jun looked up at the tail of the plane, cut almost clear in half. "Must have been some storm," he remarked. "Where'd she come from?"
"Investigators are theorizing this bird flew in from the west, could have flashed-in somewhere over Kyoshi Island. Maybe got caught in a serious typhoon or something. You know how the weather over there can be. Even with that damage, they're confident that the plane would have still been able to make it over here."
Junichiro shook sand from his trousers, aired out the narrow sections beneath his suspenders, where sweat had gathered. "Who found the site?"
"Some sand bender trader and his gigantic beetle and sled walking through the desert," John retold. "Apparently the beetle kicked the tip of what remains of the tail hard enough that it sustained injury. The more he dug, the more it became clear he needed to inform someone. And the first and most easily accessed agency was the Earth Empire's army. 1st Armored Division's Mechanized Infantry dug up the plane first."
"And the Rift Device?"
"It's old and outdated, but it's been handed over to the FAA," Agent Masaoka informed.
"Well," Jun sighed, "That's…good." He had uneasy feelings about that now, after his talk with Xiaoli that morning. He needed to follow up on the lead about guns coming into Republic City by rail as soon as possible. Even he was starting to suspect something.
North Africa
2017
Cutting deep into an uncharted cavern, a column of Earth Empire tanks, half-tracks, and trucks of the 2nd Armored Division filled the canyon with the noise of combustion engines and clanking tracks. The expedition unit was sent here on direct orders from the Ministry of the Army from Ba Sing Se, with orders to investigate a supposed site of interest left over from the Second World War. Through extensive research and digging through old records, the Empire had learned of a potential secret facility hidden in the deserts of North Africa.
Captain Yasuho Aoshima, gaining a name for herself within the ranks of the army, as well as among the top brass, was selected specifically to head this operation. Pushing open the cupola door, she sat out in the fresh air and observed the surrounding rock formations. The column of tanks and support vehicles were several stories beneath the ground, looking up at the high cliffs that were the surface. Down at this depth, it was dim with the only source of light coming from the sun.
"Commandant," her radio operator called. "Is what we're looking for even confirmed to exist? Or is this going to be another bust?" It hadn't been the first time they had been flown and deployed to look for something that ended up turning out to be myth and fiction.
Yasuho pressed the button on her headset, "To tell you the truth, Maho-chan. I don't know. But as you know," she said.
"Orders are orders," the radio operator replied.
The ruffling and crinkling sounds of paper could be heard from inside the steel box; even above the droning of the engine. Junko was practically suffocating. It was hot enough inside, to her, under normal circumstances, but being in the desert made things even worse. "I can't take it anymore! Scoot over Eunji!" She stepped roughly around the gun and breach and practically stood in her gunner's own section to push through and stand out the second roof hatch.
"OUCH!" Eunji exclaimed. "Watch where you're stepping!" The gunner pulled her hand from beneath Junko's shoes and strongly punched her shin. Junko paid no attention to the pain. She threw open the second hatch and slumped over the roof of the turret, weakly saluting Yasuho before gasping for outside air.
"We should be getting near the target area," Maho called out on the radio.
"Bout time," Yasuho said under her breath. She turned about to signal to the following tanks that they were now nearing the search zone target.
She drew her binoculars to look ahead. The path was wide enough for an entire army to pass through, but had sufficient cover in the form of rock formations here and there. Of course, being that this facility was nearly a century old, they weren't expecting any threats.
"Lieutenant Choi," Yasuho instructed over the radio, "How are things looking at the rear of the column?"
Jiho Choi, a young and rising officer under Yasuho mentorship, replied, "Our tail is clear, Ma'am. No issues."
"Good," Yasuho confirmed. "Should be no issues. But just in case, never let your guard down. You never know when an RPG will come flying from some ridge, or an enemy presents themse-"
"Enemy tank! Immediate front!" Eunji blasted on the radio. She was looking ahead through her gunsite! "Starboard side, just off the bow! Hull-down behind that rock up ahead!"
"Shoot!" Hanako reacted through gritted teeth. She'd have seconds to react, even without her commander's orders. Her driving and maneuvering would be the difference between a shell penetrating their armor and liquifying her and the crew, or bouncing the incoming shot. Like a machine, Hanako shifted through the gears. The engine spurred and immediately its pitch shifted, reacting to her inputs. Her hand fell to the tiller and immediately pulled sharply on the lever. The Tiger made a pivot to the left, its right corner now oriented toward the enemy tank's gun; ideal angling to deflect an incoming shot.
The turret traversed right simultaneously. The gun mantlet was the thickest armor piece of the turret assembly. "Armor piercing!" Eunji called, her eyes not leaving the gunsight. She was already thinking of whatever fine adjustments she needed to make in relation to where the tank was and where it was going. Junko had snapped back to her position and was already ramming the shell into battery just as her gunner finished the call.
"Enemy tank," Yasuho called out to the column. "Defensive positions."
"Standing by!" Eunji called.
"Up!" Junko called, announcing the gun was loaded.
"Hold!" Yasuho yelled. Junko already had her ears covered and was bracing for when the canon would go off. Eunji's foot bounced on the footplate just before the floor trigger, anxious to fire at the order. The second and third tanks in the column were similarly settling on target.
"Stand down," Yasuho called, relieved. "That thing is no threat."
Eunji was the next to sigh in relief. "You're right. That thing is beat to hell."
"Has been for nearly a century, likely," Maho commented.
Driving around the rock that covered the hull and lower glacis plate of the ancient steel box that started them down revealed extensive damage to the sides and top. It was a Tiger I, an original German one left over to rot from the war. It looked as though it was knocked from action then abandoned. The balkenkreuz that marked the sides of the hull were faded and battered, but still clearly marked. Although the Empire's Type 1 heavy tanks were near-identical copies of the original German tank, the original was notably smaller with a shorter gun barrel. As they drove around the rear of the downed tank, there on the rear of the turret was the number 114.
"Tiger one-one-four," Yasuho read out.
"Little jumpy today, aren't we, Captain?"
"Things long dead!"
"I thought it was one of ours…"
The other tank commanders all chimed in as they passed the wreckage.
"Wasn't thinking I was going to be staring down the barrel of a tank today," Yasuho admitted.
"Lay off the Captain," Lieutenant Choi called from the rearmost tank. "Any one of you would have done the same. And the time you don't is the time where the threat is real."
"New guy wants to weigh in!"
"Yeah, you defend her, bud."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Choi," Yasuho commented. She redirected to the rest of the column. "That is a good sign though. Looks like today won't be a bust afterall."
Just a few more kilometers through the canyon and they came to a halt before some large bunker doors in the cliff face. The huge steel and concrete blast doors towered above the expeditionary force. For the size, this facility was well concealed.
"The Germans probably scuttled this facility when and if they were overrun by allied forces. Likely there isn't going to be many tangible things left, but let's see what turns uo," Yasuho instructed.
"Let's start by cracking this can open," one of the sergeants suggested.
"Yes," Yasuho affirmed. "Earth and metal benders, take up positions by the doors. We're fortunate it's a mix of concrete and steel, so all benders can get leverage."
With great amounts of synchronized effort, the men of the task force slowly were able to force the large doors to open wide enough to allow the vehicles to drive in. Sure enough, the inside was gutted. But what was remarkable was how huge the space was. There was collapsed scaffolding strewn about; enough that it must have gone up several stories. Whatever the Germans were working on in here, had to be of massive scale. As the men spread out and explored the facility, more objects of interest were found. It was like trying to piece together, mentally, whatever was being built here; that was, afterall, their job.
They found the corresponding teleporter for the one that was initially discovered in the Nazi Base that was found in the Tai Hua Mountains. The troops and tanks that were phased over to the Bending Realm must have come from here! Hanging on the wall, suspended in a rusting metal frame was what appeared to be a battleship gun! It rose from the floor to near the roof of this place.
"Found something!" one of the soldiers called. "These look like spirit vines."
"A lot of them too," Yasuho commented. The remains of the vines were long shriveled up and fossilized. "Wonder what interest they had in these."
"What the heck were they trying to build in here?" Lieutenant Jiho Choi asked his superior. "A battleship? On the land? We're pretty far from any water."
"Unlikely," Yasuho said, taking in her surroundings.
"Something, would have to carry that gun," the young officer said.
Yasuho scanned around. Off in the corner was a single tank track link; hard to discern what it was while it was alone and disconnected, but she recognized the general shape of the piece of metal. Remarkable, was the enormous size of the component. A sergeant reported to her, dutifully handing over scraps of paper he had procured. Blueprints and schematics.
The two officers opened the rolled sheets and their eyes looked over what was left and what could be read.
"On second thought, Lieutenant Choi," she commented. "That may be exactly what they were trying to build here. A cruiser for the land."