Ch16
Department of Intelligence HQ, Republic City
The holding cells and interrogation rooms were filled beyond capacity. City-wide, in joint efforts with the RCPD, the UFDI had been forcefully kicking in doors and following every single lead, no matter how small or vague, and lassoing anyone with any criminal activity or gang affiliation. Every available man and woman remotely capable was sent out on the streets in force. Buses and patrol cars would leave empty and return full. This was the cycle that had been going on all day, and it definitely caused a stir with the already on-edge general public.
Across the city a mix of uniformed and plain-clothed officers of the UFDI were kicking in doors and hauling off suspects by the collars of their shirts; as much as possible, alive. The Republic City Police Department was also making arrests in droves. It was the first time the two departments were working in perfect coordination, as opposed to antagonizing each other, since the Equalist Movement in 2014.
The detained suspects, numbering over a hundred now, that were brought into the UFDI's headquarters were all in various stages of arrest and interrogation; this is excluding those that put up a fight and went down fighting arrest. The majority, would go on to get cut loose with minor charges or a very, very, firm slap on the wrist. But the department had made sure that there would be hell to go through before they were turned loose.
"What do we have on our explosives expert?" Jun asked as he, John, and a pair of interrogating officers advanced down the flooded corridors. "Has he said anything useful?"
"We've came at him from many different angles," one of the officers reported.
"Like what?"
"We've tried good cop, we've tried bad cop, we let some of the field officers have at him…he's cracking but still holding his tongue."
"I see," Jun took in the man's report. "Let me have a go with him. I think I can be the straw that finally breaks the camel's back."
"How's everything else?" John chimed in. "Looks like you've been busy."
He made reference to the abnormally dressed down Jun was. He had shed his tunic and duty belt was had been roaming between office and interrogation rooms all day shed down to the lightest amounts of uniform. The navy suspenders that supported his trousers were exposed, which also mounted a shoulder holster for his sidearm, the knot in his tie was slightly askew as was the tie-bar that clipped it to his shirt, and the sleeves to his white dress shirt were rolled up to the elbows.
"Other gang members, particularly those of the Triple Threats and other well established Republic City gangs, have admitted, after we were able to strongly convince them, that they had been acquiring weapons, at heavy discounts, from sources in the Earth Empire. They all seem to claim that they have been buying weapons from the groups of Daofei and other sorts of bandits," Jun informed, as he shifted through the briefings and reports he had been given; a stack of several criminal files and statements, "It's solid stuff. But it's missing that key admission that we are looking for."
"We can't hike what we have up the chain of command?" one of the officers asked.
"Not yet. If we can succeed with the guy we were able to get from that crash site, that's the kind of thing that will eventually end up with communications to General Iroh's desk," Jun replied. "Before that though, we don't have a solid case against the Empire." He returned to talking about the captured agent. "Do we atleast have a name?"
One of the accompanying officers produced a file immediately on cue, handing it to John who flipped the manila folder open with a flick. "Teishi, Sung," John read. "Twenty-six, born in either '94 or '95, approximately."
"Don't have an exact date?"
"There's nothing in the system for a 'Sung Teishi'," his partner reported. "Nothing in ours, and nothing in the Empire's given database. He's a ghost."
"So we've yelled at him, tried to appeal with sympathy, and roughed him up…have we tried threatening him?"
"Was part of the 'bad cop' approach, but a trip to the Boiling Rock or the firing squad didn't seem to shake him."
"Damn," Jun exhaled crossing his arms. "Usually the firing squad is the catch-all if the Boiling Rock wasn't scary enough." He briskly continued through the chaotic dashing to battlestations that was widespread through the headquarters, it was like being aboard a battleship about to receive incoming fire and dish some out in return. He could just imagine the klaxon sirens and the blaring lights. More relatable in his past experience, this was similar to the "Incoming, incoming!" alarms that would sound whenever the base or outpost would come under mortar fire, back in the Middle East. Jun was in thought for the rest of the advance to the interrogation room until, just as they had come to a halt before the steel door, he turned around and simply said, "Alright, let me try something with Mr. Teishi."
He recentered his peaked cap, the shadow from the visor casting a small dark veil over his eyes and pried open the door to the dark room; John and the other officers moved to the observation chamber and observed from behind the two way mirror. The heavy door shut with a startling metal bang and the room once again settled into silence. There was a long moment as Jun simply stood in the door frame imposingly, quietly looking at his prisoner. He needed to incite the fear of God into this young punk, but with what approach. All he needed was a confession. Unlike the last time, suspending this man from the underside of the Kyoshi Bay Bridge might not work as well as it did before.
The room was dark all around spare for the single hanging lamp that shone its illumination on the single wooden table at the center of the small space. Leaning against the wall by the door was the dented, scratched, and beaten AKM rifle that had been recovered at the crash site, its banana-shaped magazine seperated and placed by the side. Sitting on the opposite end of the small wooden square platform was Teishi, a young rebellious-looking young adult who still had a defiant and contemptuous expression despite the notable bruising all around; the shooter of the aforementioned rifle. Although he tried to hide it, Jun could notice the subtle lean to his left side; leaning towards his initial gunshot wound. Thirty-caliber Springfield, would take a massive chunk out of him, Jun thought. He was surely going to feel that for months.
"Sung Teishi," Jun called as he approached the table, picking up the Soviet-era firearm. "You look like garbage."
"No thanks to you and your men," the arrested suspect shot back, spitting out a blot of blood.
Jun set the rifle down on the table and calmly pulled out his chair to take a seat. His white shirt glowed intensely as the light from the overhead lamp hit it.
"You the next suit to try they send to elicit a coerced confession from?" Teishi taunted. "I already told you! Every single one of you, I don't have ties to the Earth Empire! Where do you guys even come up with this stuff?"
"Relax, buddy," Jun returned in a calm and steady voice. "This will be over shortly for you." He layed out the components of the Kalashnikov rifle on the table; gun and magazine. "How long have you been a daofei?"
"Years," Teishi answered. His eyes locked on to Jun's as he recited his answer. It was clear and concise. "I was born poor and have been scalped by those in power my entire life. Eventually one grows tired and decides to fight back."
Jun leaned back in his chair, a look of disinterest clearly plastered across his face. "I don't recall asking, Teishi." He pulled the cap from his head an dropped it on the table. He didn't show it, but Jun knew his answers were rehearsed. That was the story this guy was trained to say if he ever wound up in this situation.
"So…" Jun droned on, "You decided you were going to blow up a heavily trafficked railroad bridge with your other gang members, and consequently lead to the deaths of four railroad men, the crew aboard those locomotives; and the shooting deaths of a few of my agents."
"Precisely," he said with an accomplished expression.
"That's a bit off of the playbook for a bunch of daofei, isn't it, sergeant?"
"Excuse me?" Teishi sat up a little straighter.
"It's a little bit outside of what actual daofei do, isn't it, sergeant?" Jun repeated himself with emphasis. He had noticed the man sit up ever so slightly. Jun himself was making a gamble, he was the last line before they would just ship him off to prison, or have him disposed of. But Jun wanted answers. He wanted the answers that he knew, without a doubt, on gut-feeling, that this man - this military man - possessed.
"I'm not-"
"Explosives," Jun cut off, not allowing Teishi any ability to try to correct him. "Daofei know explosives, but they don't know demolitions, sergeant. Bringing down that bridge, that's something that field engineers or seabees do. Daofei would have simply either stopped that train on flatland, maybe a forest, or derailed on literally anywhere but over a cliff. You wanted something dramatic. Something deadly." Jun produced an additional AK-style magazine to supplement the one on the table.
"We operate differently," Teishi defensively said.
"To your detriment. Real daofei, want what's inside those containers. That's the value for them," Jun continued to push, explaining the typical M.O. of train robberies. "Can't make use of, or sell, items and product of its been smashed inside a twenty-car railroad dog-pile. Can they, sergeant?"
"Stop calling me that-"
"Weapons!" Jun interjected further. "Daofei, just like every resistance, insurgent, or terrorist group out there occasionally carry AK's. They are after all, cheap, reliable, and very easy to maintain. But a whole squad of them? Uniformly armed? Not so likely. Daofei, typically use all sorts of weapon - whatever they can get their hands on - rarely ever is there a pattern of uniformity among the team." He picked up the AKM rifle, unfolded it's stock and shouldered the weapons, standing above his suspect. Jun pulled the trigger. Click. Empty. As expected. "And your manual of arms? That was very interesting to see in the firefight." He took up the spare magazine with his support arm and in a swift motion hit the magazine release and kicked the old magazine out with the new one before rocking it into battery. A popular emergency reload with Ak-style rifles. "You thought I wouldn't notice? Daofei don't have proficiency like that."
"Some of us served in the Earth Kingdom Army, prior," Teishi justified. He was on the defensive now.
"That's not in the Earth Kingdom Army's manual of arms," Jun called out. He was familiar with the training booklets from the previous army organization. "Yet, you exhibit proficiency with the AK platform of assault rifles, a rifle based on the familiar STG-44 that the Empire fields, and are familiar in squad maneuvers under fire, sergeant. I must say, your fallback execution was pretty good." Jun snapped the barrel down, the gun aimed right at Teishi's face and pulled the trigger. Click! His prisoner didn't even flinch beyond a blink. He set the rifle down on the table.
"Is that all?"
"Oh of course not, Sergeant Sung Teishi. We've already got all we need to know," Jun bluffed.
"That's impossible," the suspect lashed back. A crack! There it is, Jun thought. He had found an open wound, and now he was going to jab a thumb into it.
"We know you are agents of the Earth Empire's military posing as criminals to conduct sabotage under the guise of being criminals. I know your rank, and your unit, sergeant. The gig is up," Jun accused. He was walking a very narrow tight rope, and truly had nothing. It was rather his facade that really sold the idea that he did. He pulled out his box of cigarettes and set his portable ashtray on the table. "The Earth Empire believes you to be dead by the way," he informed as the signature clink of a Zippo lighter being flicked open sounded, "Shot and buried beneath tons of railway equipment. Pulverized beyond recognition and recovery." He blew a cloud of smoke. "You smoke?"
Teishi nodded. Jun leaned over the table and produced one cigarette. Another click of the lighter, helping a fellow soldier out. The prisoner looked at the M1911 handgun Jun carried in his holster. Was he going to execute him? No. Not like this, and not in Republic City.
"Our use for you is pretty much up," Jun stated flatly.
"What are you gonna do?" the prisoner calmly asked, a hint of contempt in his voice. "Send me to the state penitentiary? Max security, I'll never see the sunlight again, kind of place? Or, you gonna pull strings and send me to the Boiling Rock?"
"Neither," Jun noted. "Rather," he paused, "I'm going to give you back!"
Teishi straightened up suddenly. "What?"
"Yup," Jun repeated, tossing his lighter onto the table. It clanged loudly, metal on metal, as it hit the flat top. "The Empire thinks you have died. I'm sure they would be very happy to learn that you are alive! And captured! And interrogated!" Jun noted how his prisoner became uneasy. He was going to further stab at this open wound, and hope for something. "You've told us some very interesting things, sergeant. I'll be sure to note that in the transfer papers, clear and obvious."
"Stop calling me that!" Teishi shouted, referring to the title of 'sergeant.' He flinched in his chair. "I haven't told you anything!"
"Yeah, but how would they be sure of that?" Jun stood up and began to walk around the table. "In your case, I believe you would actually be better off dead or imprisoned for eternity here. While that would be great, I think the greatest amount of torture and punishment awaits for you back with your army. Especially you, belonging to this secret unit, that attacks its own and causes havoc in foreign countries." He slammed his hands on the table. Bang! His prisoner's attention was forcefully grabbed by the suddenly loud noise blast in the quiet room. Jun began scrolling through his smartphone. "I know just the lady to hand you over to. I have contacts too. I'll hand you over to Captain Yasuho Aoshima of the 2nd Armored Division. I'm sure she'd loooveeee to learn about you, targeting your own army and people. And on top of that being a military-grade criminal."
"You don't have that kind of connection," Teishi taunted.
"Oh I don't?" Jun flipped his phone around. A couple's picture of the two of them. "I'll tell her you were part of the resistance that attacked her unit while she was here in Republic City. Doesn't have to be true or not." Jun sat down once more across from him. "I don't think you'll make the journey back to base if that was it, I'm sure you know she's known to be ruthless at times. Cooperate now, sarge, last chance. Do that, and I'll rather inform Kuvira directly, get you a bit more of a merciful transfer."
"DON'T!" Teishi blurted out, to Junichiro's surprise. Out it came.
There was a moment of silence between the two of them, different reasons of course, but they shared the same shock. It took Jun a few moments to piece together this revelation.
"Kuvira doesn't know about any of this," he said, "Does she?" The silence was all he needed to confirm his new suspicions. "You're carrying out this op without the approval or knowledge of the high command. Because even she wouldn't approve of falsely killing martyrs to drive militarization. You're undermining the authority of the Great Uniter!"
"She may be fierce, capable, and inspiring, but she's no army commander. Sometimes we need to do a few underhanded things to push her hand," Teishi spoke through gritted teeth.
"You better spill it, sergeant! I want to know everything!"
"I don't know everything!" he shot back. "Orders come in and I follow them. But I'm just at the very bottom of the scheme. For the longest time the documents were made out as if they came from Ba Sing Se."
"Well, I want to know everything you know! Or you'll be on a direct military flight to Ba Sing Se, tonight!" Jun threatened.
"I want some assurances," Teishi gritted. "And it's not sergeant. It's corporal. Corporal Sung Teishi."
"Captain Junichiro Stevenson, former US Marine Corps," Jun reintroduced. "Alright, what do you want?" Back to the negotiation table.
"No," Teishi stopped, "Not just you. I want a UNR representative here. Someone with power who isn't in the intelligence department. I want to make sure what I agree to is carried through."
Jun sighed, frustrated with another delay. Now they were going to bring in some bureaucrat. Great. He looked to the two-way mirror and motioned his partner behind the glass to call City Hall.
"So they're purposely staging hits and supplying resistance with weapons and training to further their military growth," John summarized.
"Pretty much," Jun confirmed. "That's pretty much what he said."
"But it seems like they already have strong support and will," Korra, the third wheel and ride-along member chimed in. "Why would they need to go that far."
"Probably a way to cause destabilization in certain regions," John inferred, as he drove the car through the left turn at the intersection.
"I'd be lying I said that I'm unfamiliar with such a ploy," Jun added. "The exact reason though, is the mystery. What are they trying to accomplish? And who, specifically?"
"He didn't tell you that?" John asked.
"No," Jun sighed. "I genuinely think that's beyond his paygrade."
"Did you try to force it out of him? Like, did you try water-...?"
Jun turned to look at Korra in the backseat, who had just became slightly wide eyed at what she was hearing. John looked at the avatar in the rearview mirror.
"The UFDI does not condone the use of coercive interrogation tactics," Jun loudly stated. "But no, to answer your question, nothing further from him." His eyebrows furrowed as he mentally rewound the entire interaction. "Something odd is going on over there. Something. But I don't know what - yet."
"What did you end up doing with him?" Korra asked.
"Max security detention to the UNR's state penitentiary. Practically a vacation sentence, in my opinion. Bureaucrat was in the room and part of the deal so..couldn't route him over to a more fitting punishment, unfortunately. He essentially remains as if dead to the Earth Empire, and his family can correspond with him via mail in secret. Eventually they are to be brought into the UNR for safety."
"How'd you know he was in the army?" John asked. "I've been wondering that since. Like his rank and unit and everything?"
"I didn't," Jun revealed. "All bluff." For Jun, repeating the same nonsense over and over and over again with full conviction and increasing intensity, would sometimes shake something loose. Other times he would just sound like an idiot.
"Kinda thought you were just gonna shoot him or something," John said below his breath.
"Yeah, I thought so too," Jun answered. "We are inching closer and closer to war. I can just feel it."
"I feel it too," John added, as he brought the car to a stop behind the trolley ahead of them.
"This city is just a magnet for destruction and trouble," Jun said, rolling down the window. The sound of bustling traffic, jet engines overhead, trolley bells, and car horns quickly filtered in. "Equalist take over, a gigantic freak spirit fight in the bay, threat by radical terrorists, and now we may get to reenact the German offensive on Stalingrad."
"Wait," Korra interrupted, "Am I hearing that right? War?"
"War." Jun restated. "Definitely in the Earth Empire. Zaofu is undeniably in their sights."
"Suyin won't give up Zaofu," Korra said. "She's adamant."
"Oh I know she's headstrong and won't concede. And I also know Zaofu is armed to the teeth as well for defense." The department head looked out the window at the diner across the street from him. There were several sailors from the USS Ronald Regan and USS Leyte Gulf filling "Nimitz", the diner that was particularly popular with US Navy sailors. "They'd be risking inter-worldly intervention though."
"How so?"
"Zaofu is of particular interest to the US. Big exporter of precious metal and technology."
"And unlike any other previously conquered territories," John chimed in, traffic starting to move with another green light, "Zaofu is actually a US-allied state. Not a rogue criminal-origin settlement like whatever castle city the Liu's got going on."
"It'd potentially be a war on the mainland. Fortunately, it means Republic City would probably be fine," Jun commented. "War between Zaofu and maybe the United Forces. Maybe… From the US, intervention will likely mean economic sanctions against the Empire. But I don't know how long that would last, realistically. It may simply be a slap on the wrist. For all intents and purposes, the Earth Empire under Kuvira has been a more valuable regional partner than Zaofu."
"We have to do something," Korra exclaimed. "You two have such a laid back tone talking about this!"
"We've both been in the service, lady," John responded. "Besides, it's the folks in the high offices that march men to war. We're just along for the ride, usually."
"But you're not soldiers anymore," Korra corrected. "You can influence this kind of thing, right?"
"She's got a point, you know," Jun said. "Besides that," he switched topics and suddenly turned to Korra. "Avatar state. What the heck's wrong with you?"
"What do you-"
"Why can't you turn it on?" Jun pressed on.
"Pretty sure the phrasing is 'why can't you enter the avatar state?'" John corrected.
"Same shit!" Jun quickly fired on his partner before snapping back to Korra. "The most powerful weapon short of a nuclear warhead and you can't use it?"
"I thought you were hyper-critical of the avatar and the unstrained power that a single person wields?" Korra questioned.
"I am," Jun affirmed, "But all is fair in love and war."
"Can't you pull strings with the US? Maybe their intervention can stop any invasion plans of Zaofu."
"The US won't directly intervene. We just pulled out of a freakishly long term in Afghanistan. Whatever intervention the US and the Mechanized World will bring would come in the form of weapon supply. And that kind of thing needs to pass over the desks of hundreds of congressmen and senators before the DoD will start shipping MBTs and anything more advanced than bullets and shells over," Jun relayed. "Anything short of the Earth Empire posing a threat to, specifically the joint naval base here in Republic City, the Mechanized World won't put boots on the ground or jets in the air. Though that also means, that base is the main reason the Earth Empire likely won't come for Republic City."
"So what can we do? We can't just let it happen! Maybe we could..I don't know, mobilize the United Forces," Korra continued to pull at straws.
"Probably wouldn't happen either, unfortunately. Similar reasons," Jun sighed. "We'd have to act quietly. Not with regiments, but with small maneuverable teams. Meaning us, the UFDI, would have to act and blend in."
"Where do we start?"
"Well, we start with figuring out what's wrong with you," Jun circled back sharply. "Why can't you access the avatar state? Aang was able to stop the two prominent enemies of World War Two, with a lot of beef with one another, to stop shooting each other with it."
"I'm not going to decimate Kuvira's forces, and massacre thousands of soldiers with it if that's what you're getting at."
"Of course not!"
"More of a show of force," John chimed in. They had now pulled onto the highway heading eastbound. Just ahead and below of them, to the left, as they ascended to cross the eastern suspension bridge was Future Industries. "Like, a nuclear deterrent."
"If we wanted to blatantly massacre thousands of soldiers in battle, a tactical nuclear warhead would have a lot less verbal complaining compared to asking that of the avatar," Jun sarcastically prodded. "What's holding you back? Are you scared of something? Level with me avatar. Help me understand."
"Back a few weeks," Korra began, "Your friend, Captain Aoshima-"
"She's a bit more than just a friend, lady," John teased. Jun struck his partner on the arm. "Okay! I'll shut up!"
"Right," Korra continued, "She said she felt as though there was metal inside me. Still."
"Metal?" Jun questioned. "Ah right, the mercury!" Jun recalled that day. "But Suyin got it out, I recall."
"I guess there's still some of it left," Korra admitted. "That day still traumatizes me, I'll be honest."
"Trauma, you say…"
John gave him a quiet side look. "Shell shock, maybe."
"Tashi ka ni," Jun replied in Japanese. Probably, indeed. The two of them were familiar with the issue.
"Well he's dead," Jun replied. "Zaheer…and pretty much every other member of the Red Lotus..can't hurt you anymore."
"That's the thing," Korra pointed out. She watched as the southern inlet of Republic City seemed to slowly pass beneath them. The car rocked and the bridge rattled after every joining section in the roadway. "He had me in such a…terrifying and vulnerable situation. It was..scary, and even with the avatar state I couldn't do anything. If I could just face him again, it could maybe..I don't know, help me get over it and leave it in the past!" Korra turned to Jun with an accusatory glare. "Oh wait, I can't do that."
"Guilty as charged," Jun sat back in his seat. "Zaheer is probably buried in some mass unmarked grave in the far reaches of the People's Republic of China."
"So yeah," Korra conceded. "I can't even access the Spirit World."
"We can," Jun answered, with a matter-of-fact tone. "Is that what you need? We can be there within the next few hours. Just charter a jet to the Northern Spirit Portal." There were military air strips erected near the sites of both the Northern and Southern portals.
"It's not like that. I can't get their spiritually! I know I can enter, physically. But my connection is damaged! Same reason I can't enter the avatar state," Korra explained.
"So we need to get this metal out of you," the Chief Inspector theorized aloud. "Then you're connection to the Avatar State can be mended." It was as if a light bulb turned on. He snapped his fingers and holstered his sidearm. "John, we're altering course."
"Where to?" He immediately flicked the turn signal instantaneously and began shifting to the right most lanes, preparing to turn off at a moment's notice.
"Swamp," Jun ordered.
"As in, the swamp, sir?"
"Yes, that swamp," Jun said, flipping through his notebook, as if checking something. He tapped his pen against the page. "Yes, the swamp."
"You're not thinking of going in, are you?"
"That's exactly what we're doing," Jun answered.
"You couldn't have given me a heads up?" John complained. "I just had this suit pressed."
"Complain complain," Jun groaned. "Suck it up. I just polished these shoes too, you don't hear me complaining." He reached up and flicked a switch overhead. The flashing light bar mounted on the roof of the patrol car came to life. Another switch started the air raid-style police siren. "Post haste, please."
"You got it," his partner acknowledged, pulling into the fast lane and grounding the accelerator. The v8 engine roared as the car thundered down the highway, turning off on the southbound lanes toward the Banyan Grove Forest Highway.
"Where are we going?" Korra asked.
"We're going to have a little chat with someone who might be able to help you," Jun answered.