Kipmi and Siu were in just as much shock as Gabriel. There was Tanbur, sitting in a cell wearing a grey jumpsuit. Gabriel had mixed feelings about seeing him there, but the fact that he was an Earth Kingdom prisoner was enough proof that he was one of the moles. He could now confirm that there were two moles in the squad, though they still had to extract information from Larsen.
"Never thought I'd see you end up in there," said Kipmi.
"We found him while we were raiding a Fire Nation base," said the Marine commander. "He wore a Fire Nation uniform, but his face was easily recognizable. I mean, we won't forget a face if there were messages sent regarding soldiers who have gone MIA. It was a good thing we recognized him so we could capture him along with the other soldiers that surrendered."
"I'm willing to pay you whatever you need," Kipmi joked. "I'm just kidding. There was no bounty on his capture. On a serious note, do you have any leads on Sergeant Choi? I have a feeling that she could still be alive."
"No, not yet. With our force scattered, we can only do limited operations. The entire unit on this ship is in charge of scouting operations. We do some raids on small Fire Nation bases. We have tried to break into POW camps with little success. If the battle's over, the civilians may return. If the colony doesn't need as many guards, we can send more troops to use offensively."
"I think right now my squad and I just want to stay here and rest. Maybe even help with the interrogations if necessary."
"You may rest in the lounge for now. We'll call you when it's time to start interrogating Tanbur."
"Thank you."
The three of them walked towards one of the lounges. It was a spacious room in one of the upper levels of the ship.
"Lieutenant Williams has told us to focus on our squad right now," said Kipmi. "We aren't going on any missions right now until he gives the order. We will be trying to get information from the two traitors. See if they will reveal what they're doing. It's obvious that they're working for the Fire Nation. It was also a good thing that the Marines had found Tanbur and managed to capture him alive."
"I had a feeling that Tanbur was a mole," said Gabriel. "I just didn't expect two of them."
"I mean, there were very subtle clues," said Siu. "It must've been hard for him and Sergeant Larsen to join the battles without blowing their cover."
"Maybe they had blanks or were missing on purpose," said Gabriel.
"I highly doubt they could smuggle training rounds into a real mission," said Kipmi.
They sat in silence for a bit of time, taking off their armor and the jacket over it, leaving them in tank tops and pants. Gabriel wiped a bit of sweat that was running down his arms.
"I feel like the Fire Nation was just testing the waters after finding the colony and they're just waiting nearby to launch another assault," said Gabriel.
"I'm not sure," said Kipmi. "Even though they're not at our doorstep, they could come back. Either that or they withdrew and waited for their next target. In just a week of fighting, we hit them pretty hard."
Gabriel had a good enough rest before the Marine commander from earlier called them over for the interrogation.
"We'll interrogate Tanbur first," the commander said.
They immediately walked over, storing their gear. They put their jackets back on.
Tanbur was sitting in a room with a table. He was detained with reinforced handcuffs and his legs were restrained as well.
"We're here to ask you a few questions," said the Marine commander. "I hope you work well with us.
The interrogators stood calmly, just taking their time to get information from their prisoner.
"There are only three members left in the squad," said Kipmi. "Johnson was clearly killed by the Fire Nation. You and Larsen are traitors. We're not sure about the nature of both Rodrigo and Ghuvi's deaths. And Choi is MIA. We're not sure where she is, but she got lost during an attack on the colony. You will tell us the truth and help us fight the Fire Nation. I'm quite sure that you killed Rodrigo unless you have something to say about that."
The leader of the military police then loomed over Tanbur. "You're going to tell us who killed Rodrigo."
"Well, the truth is that I didn't kill Rodrigo," said Tanbur without hesitation. His answer was clear and confident.
"Then tell me who did," said Kipmi.
"It was the Fire Nation," Tanbur replied, staring up to meet Kipmi's eyes.
"That doesn't explain the knife wound in his neck," said Kipmi. "That was the only wound on him. Who was with you when you discovered the body?"
"I was with Choi and Larsen. We saw Hoodman with the body and I immediately assumed the worst."
"No surprise you framed me," said Gabriel, keeping himself cool and collected. "I just happened to stumble upon the body."
"I would've framed anyone," Tanbur confessed, laughing a bit. "I didn't kill anyone."
"Well, there's a lack of evidence pointing to Gabriel as the killer," said Kipmi. "I had Siu watch him, but I released him after I thought I was overreacting, and then he ended up being quite helpful during the next battles."
There was silence for a bit. Gabriel was still a bit surprised that Tanbur apparently didn't kill anyone. He didn't think Tanbur would snitch or pin the blame on someone else. As far as he knew, he was either telling the truth or saying a rehearsed line that he delivered confidently. He must've had an elaborate lie. Kipmi was already suspicious of Larsen, so he would still suspect her even if Tanbur didn't expose her.
"Now, what do you know about the Fire Nation's next plan?" said the Marine commander.
"I know nothing," Tanbur said blankly.
"You were in uniform when we raided the base," said the commander. "I know you were in disguise, and you must be feeding them information about us."
"You're lucky you captured me alive," said Tanbur.
"Your face was easy to recognize since the whole Marine force was looking for you. It was quite an intense fight trying to wrestle the gun out of your hand."
"Well, thank you for your cooperation," said Kipmi. "We'll come back for more information."
"I'll never talk," said Tanbur. "I have no information left."
The military police officer doing the questioning glared at Tanbur. "You're going to give us that information one way or another."
The Marines grabbed Tanbur and walked him back to his cell. Everyone else walked nearby. The squad went back to the lounge, which was a bit empty, with few people scattered around the room.
The interrogation didn't provide much information, but Tanbur kept admitting that he wasn't behind the killings. He still didn't crack when asked about who did them. If he wasn't lying, Tanbur was fiercely loyal to whoever the killer was, as he hadn't exposed them yet.
After that, the squad went back to the lounge. It was time for bed, though they had nowhere to go, so they settled for the couches.
Gabriel was slightly dreading the next day, though he convinced himself that he didn't need to worry, even though he had been framed once. It was a good thing that Kipmi felt like he overreacted, so he removed his punishment and apologized to Gabriel profusely. They were going to interrogate Larsen next. If Tanbur wasn't lying, then it could only be Larsen who was behind the murders.
Gabriel awoke and he was feeling a bit tired. Though he didn't have much of a headache, he felt his brain wish that it could stay turned off a little longer. The Marine commander showed up and walked quickly with a few of his soldiers behind him. They were all armed. The commander was holding a pistol in his hand. Military police then moved forward.
"Private Hoodman, you are under arrest," said the officer.
It was then that he realized that Siu was missing. Maybe they think he was the one responsible. He was about to panic as he was framed again.
"What am I being arrested for?" Gabriel asked, still confused.
"Multiple Marines are dead. There was also an attempt on Private Siu's life," said the officer. "We will keep you detained while we show the camera footage."
"Officer, please, we must take it slow," said Kipmi. "I don't want us to jump to conclusions."
Gabriel didn't resist as he was being handcuffed. All the energy that he had left him. They all went to the interrogation room and Gabriel was seated on a chair where Tanbur sat the day before. His legs were also cuffed together.
The officer pulled out a tablet showing camera footage of a Myrmidon in full gear. He or she was armed. Gabriel immediately suspected that Tanbur or Larsen was the one impersonating him.
The camera showed them walking through the hallway. They then paused and turned to the camera, hiding their face, but turning enough for the camera to see that Gabriel's last name was on the uniform.
That was all the footage, though.
"Hoodman clearly disrupted all the other cameras, but surviving Marines had also made their own reports," said the officer. "They count 10 dead and 5 wounded. He was so quick, and the survivors said they were surprised that they could retreat quickly enough. Most places were dimly lit, and they could barely see his face from afar."
"And what about Siu?" Kipmi asked.
"She's in the med bay," said the Marine commander. "She was struck once with a bullet, but it won't be a fatal wound, and she'll be fine. You may all visit her. She can probably provide a testimony."
"I promise you we will interrogate Larsen before doing anything else with Hoodman," said the officer. "Does that sound fair?"
"That's fair," said Kipmi. "Now let's visit Siu."
They then went to the med bay, where they saw Siu lying down on one of the beds. She had a bandage on her right shoulder. She was just wearing her tank top. Her armor and jacket was laid out on the floor nearby. She had been hit just above her breast. Injured Marines were also being treated.
"How are you holding up?" Kipmi asked.
"I'm quite fine, though I need to rest a bit more while the wound heals," said Siu. "I need to take it easy for a while. The doctor said that the bullet didn't hit any vital areas like my lungs or neck because my armor managed to block it. And why is Hoodman in cuffs?"
"The camera got a glimpse of his name on his uniform and apparently that's enough evidence to prove that Hoodman is behind the murder of multiple Marines and a string of attempted murders. What can you tell us?"
"I had gotten up to use the bathroom, but the room was too dark, and I wasn't able to check if Hoodman was still in the room," said Siu. I put on my jacket and vest, equipped a pistol, and walked there. I think it was out of habits, paranoia, or both, and it ended up saving me.
"A Myrmidon was shooting multiple Marines. I couldn't see the nametag as it was covered by a vest. It was quite dark, and I couldn't recognize the face. There was just enough lighting to safely walk through the halls.
"Once I knew they were hostile, I attacked with my pistol, managing to hit the vest three times, though it didn't slow them down. I myself was hit in the shoulder and had to retreat when I ran out of ammo. I managed to run until I was sure they were no longer chasing me, and that was when I went to the med bay to get my wound checked. My evidence is inconclusive, but I personally don't believe it could be Hoodman, even though you could tell me that you can't trust anyone. If he gets blamed a lot, why would he plant evidence pointing to himself. I highly doubt he's taking revenge. If he was, he would be killing the other members of the squad. That's all I know."
"We'll take your testimony into consideration," said the officer. "Thank you. We will interrogate Larsen next."
They then walked out. "We can rest now if you wish, Hoodman. We must keep you detained for safety. It sounds like Siu was vouching for you. If you don't want to proceed with interrogating Larsen right now, we can wait a few hours."
"We can do it now," said Gabriel.
"Sounds good," said the officer.
A few officers went to the holding cells while Gabriel was taken to the interrogation room, still handcuffed.
After a while, Larsen was there as well. Both her and Gabriel were handcuffed, and their arms were kept to the front. Kipmi dialed Siu so that she can hear everything.
"What do you know about the murders?" an officer asked Larsen.
"We've established that Rodrigo was killed by a knife. It was one wound in the neck," said Larsen. "Tanbur and I saw that Hoodman stood over the body, and we were immediately suspicious, but Staff Sergeant Kipmi decided not to detain Hoodman because he though that he was going too far. I was told about the footage and the massacre from last night. It's clear that Hoodman didn't find one of the cameras. That was good enough proof, though it took a few hours for people to catch on. That could link the murders."
Gabriel did his best to restrain himself, not even making a facial expression, as he listened helplessly as Larsen talked.
"And what about Ghuvi?" Kipmi asked. "It couldn't have been Tanbur, as he had gone missing. We already have concrete evidence that he's working with the Fire Nation. How that happened isn't important. Now, where were you when Ghuvi was killed?"
"I was walking with her when the Fire Nation attacked. I had been separated by enemies. That must've been the same way Siu was separated from Choi, though Ghuvi wasn't as fortunate," said Larsen.
"He couldn't have been the killer," said Kipmi. "I was with him when the power went out in the colony and the attack began."
"If Tanbur didn't commit any murders, then the only explanation was that Hoodman killed Rodrigo and the Marines," said the officer.
"He also injured five of them," said the Marine commander. "We can also ask them."
The Marine commander dialed a Marine on his communicator. "We need a testimony."
"Well, I managed to get a glimpse of his face," said the Marine. A woman was speaking. "It closely resembles the picture that you sent me. I know the person's skin was dark, though I wasn't entirely sure if the lighting masked the attacker's skin color.
"I also know that bullets used by the M2.1K rifle were used to kill the Marines. That's a standard issue Myrmidon rifle. I hope that it's a good enough clue."
"Thank you for the information," said the Marine commander. "Officer, the floor is yours."
The Marine commander stepped aside for the military police officer to question Larsen. He walked back and forth in front of Larsen. He was quiet, though the blank expression on his face told Larsen that he wasn't going to play around.
"Now, tell me everything about the Fire Nation's plan," said the officer. "We will extract that information, and you're going to talk."
There was a pause.
"I have nothing," Larsen said firmly.
"If you're hiding something, we'll find it," the officer said threateningly.
"I seriously have nothing," said Larsen. "Hoodman's close quarters weapon is a knife, which he used to kill Rodrigo. Ghuvi was gunned down by the Fire Nation, and Hoodman killed the Marines with an M2.1K rifle."
"Thank you for your cooperation," the Marine commander walked in front of Larsen. His face was the friendliest out of them all. "All the information you provided is useful to us."
"It's no problem," said Larsen, sitting more relaxed in the chair. "I just like to cooperate."
"Well, I'm sure you'll look forward to the next meeting if necessary."
They then moved her back to her cell.
The Marine commander then turned towards Kipmi. "We'll gather the evidence, then we'll court martial Hoodman."
Gabriel felt nothing. He was now only focused on fighting for his life.
He was found guilty.
The evidence and testimonies were enough proof that Gabriel killed the Marines. Although the cameras were disrupted, the Marines guarding the cells reported that neither Tanbur nor Larsen ever escaped.
"Private Gabriel Hoodman, you are sentenced to be executed by firing squad."
The day after the last interrogation, he had been sentenced.
The words repeated in his mind as we was being walked to one of the decks of the ship, where there was a view of space. A pole standing on a platform was placed on the floor.
Tanbur and Larsen walked him towards the pole, while Kipmi and Siu trailed behind.
Gabriel wore nothing but a tank top and pants. He was then tied to the pole. A long rope coiled around his body.
"Do you wish to be blindfolded?" Tanbur asked.
"No," said Gabriel.
"As you wish," Tanbur said, and he walked backwards.
"You will pay for framing me," Gabriel said threateningly.
The four Myrmidons raised their rifles. Gabriel did nothing but glare, mainly at Tanbur and Larsen, who stood on the edges. He could see the regretful looks of Kipmi and Siu, and he could tell that they wished they weren't executing him. Their expressions seemed to tell him that they were sorry. They had been silent ever since they walked him to his execution.
Gabriel forced himself to keep his eyes open, as a sign of defiance, insisting that he was innocent this whole time.
He could imagine them pulling the trigger all at once. They only needed one shot. These were elite soldiers who could peek and take a shot before the enemy knew what hit them. It would all be over soon.
Except the fatal shot never came.
In the blink of an eye, Siu and Kipmi turned towards Tanbur and Larsen respectively. Siu managed to push Tanbur's rifle until it was no longer aimed towards Gabriel, while Kipmi did the same. Tanbur and Larsen fired a few shots, each bullet hitting the metal above the windows. Siu kicked Tanbur, pushing him a few feet away. She didn't give him any time to recover as she squeezed the trigger. The bullets penetrated his armor, and he dropped dead after he was hit by at least five bullets.
Kipmi also managed to kick Larsen, though she managed to aim at his leg, though the bullets had no effect. Seizing his opportunity, he shot at Larsen, though his bullets had no effect either. Larsen then threw multiple smoke bombs, filling the room, while Siu took multiple shots until she emptied her magazine.
"It seems like I was the only one who was given real bullets," said Siu. "I just hope we don't get punished for killing Tanbur. We already know that he's working for the Fire Nation."
"Well, we still need to deal with Larsen," said Kipmi.
They then untied Gabriel.
"Thank you for saving me," said Gabriel.
"I'm so glad it worked," said Siu.
"I think we're fugitives now," said Kipmi.
"We can't hide forever," said Siu. "But we still need to clear Hoodman's name."
Two days had passed. They had to explain everything to the military police, and the fact that Larsen had escaped, though they were now more determined to find more suspects. They weren't reprimanded, as they revealed that Tanbur was sentenced to be executed anyway. He had been found guilty the second the Marines found him working alongside the Fire Nation.
After walking in the hallway outside their room, they ran into a group of Marines they never saw before.
"You're not going to believe what we saw," said one of them. "It's a good thing the execution failed."
The three of them followed the Marines back towards the holding cells. There were captives wearing only a dark blue tank top and pants.
"We fought some of them, until we disarmed them and captured them," said the Marines. "We were glad we could take them alive."
A Marine pointed to one of the captives whose skin color was close to Gabriel's. "That one has three bruises, which match up with your story, Siu. Word gets around quickly on this ship. It means that you, Hoodman, are not the killer."
In that moment, Gabriel felt a weight come off his chest. He had been scared as his life was close to ending. He said no words, and he couldn't explain what he was feeling.
The doors then slid open, and Gabriel saw a familiar group of Marines, specifically the ones that helped with the interrogations.
"Hoodman, I'm glad you're still here, as you have been found innocent," the Marine commander explained. "You obviously had to have been scared for your life, though I must let you know that I rigged the execution."
"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked.
"Lieutenant Williams contacted Staff Sergeant Kipmi and told him that he doubted that you were the killer, though you had already been sentenced. We all had to risk being punished for saving your life. Normally, the executors aren't told who gets blank cartridges, but I only gave real ammo to Siu, knowing that she vouches for you. I told her and Kipmi about the plan, and they came up with a strategy. Now that you're not guilty, it means we're not getting punished."
"I could thank you, but that would be an understatement. I get to live to fight another day."
"I'll give you time to take that all in."
The doors opened again, revealing multiple Marines standing with civilian captives. Gabriel recognized them as some of the colony leaders.
"I know some of those people," said Kipmi. "They are heads of this colony, some of the people in charge of the mining operations."
"We caught them trying to infiltrate using the uniforms of dead Marines, hiding the fact that the real ones were KIA," said one of the Marines. "We had to fight them, but we managed to capture them alive. We have information that we can present, but right know I want to let you know that they're giving some of the polium shipments to the Fire Nation."
Everyone was silent, trying to process what the Marine had just revealed.
As the squad went back to their sleeping area, they sat silently for a few minutes.
"There was a conspiracy this whole time," said Kipmi.
"I'm still quite shocked," said Gabriel. "However, it's a bit believable and now we know that we're not dealing with just a handful of traitors."
"What does that mean for the company?" Siu asked.
"They broke a rule," said Kipmi. "The SSC is supposed to be independent from the military, though they only asked us to accompany them for security reasons. They build colonies for civilians, but there's a department for resource extraction and development. I'm guessing they broke a rule once they started creating weapons with the Fire Nation. They're technically not supposed to take sides during the war. The only reason this company is calling on us for help is because they're based in the US."
"Yeah, I remember when Sokka and I found out that polium was used in creating the robot that impersonated Sergeant Choi," said Gabriel.
"What do we do now?" Siu asked.
"Maybe Lieutenant Williams will give us another task to help us get away from our conflict with the accusations and all the detective work," said Kipmi.
"We've uncovered the conspiracy now," said Gabriel. "I guess a lot of arrests will be made within the company. Oh, and don't forget to thank him for vouching for me."
"We'll make sure of that," said Kipmi.
"I think that if he was wrong, he'd face a great punishment," said Siu. "I imagine I would too. It turned out I was the one with the real bullets."
"I think for now, we don't have much to worry about," said Kipmi. "Other than Larsen, who escaped. It makes sense now. She escaped with some people pretending to be Marines. I'm not sure if they're Fire Nation soldiers or SSC workers."