Patience
"A Spectre?" I said as the commander took my hand and helped me to my feet with ease; she was really strong. I'd heard the term once or twice, I didn't think it was a real department in the United Forces; guess I should check my facts more.
"Yeah that's the nickname, pretty good one if you ask me." She commented as she turned to go help Arika with her restraints, "So are you two all right, any immediate injuries?" I was a little shaken up but fine.
"A bit rattled, but I'm good." I responded as I rubbed my freed wrists.
"Y-you killed them." Arika stuttered out, her eyes glued to the dead guards; it would seem that she'd never seen people killed right in front of her, I'd seen a few in the Equalist uprising. It was, unnerving. The commander let out a sigh as she gently placed a nervous hand on Arika's shoulder; I guess she wasn't used to dealing with civilians.
"Y-yeah, I did," this drew Arika's sheepish gaze to meet Sheppard's, "And what did you think they'd do to you two if I hadn't?" Arika looked down, her eyes just wondering as her mind went over the rhetorical question and its implications. Sheppard let out another sigh before continuing, "Sometimes, it's... necessary, you going to be okay till we get out of here?" Arika responded with a sniff, a swallow and a nod; leading the commander to undo her restraints and helping her up.
"So, names?" Sheppard asked as she looked back and forth between me and Arika.
"I-I'm Arika Yumemiya." Stammered out the still scared girl, to which the commander responded by extending her hand which Arika shakily shook; I walked over to the two as they chatted
"Nice to meet you, Arika." I came up besides them and offered my own hand to the commander.
"Asami Sato." She had a good strong hand shake and deep green eyes; I was more of a fan of blue myself.
"Well, if introductions are done," Sheppard began as she started trying to unlock one of the cells along the wall, trying the different keys the guard had "We should really hide these guys." She managed to get the door opened as I grabbed hold of one of the dead guards and started dragging him inside, right to the back of the cell. When I turned around I noticed Sheppard bringing in the second one, lugged over her shoulder with one arm; damn she was strong. The commander relocked the cell door; the low light obscuring the dead guards hidden at the back cell.
"Now we should get going." Sheppard said as set off the down the corridor, mentioning for us to follow whilst her eyes were downcast at something she was holding.
"Where? Why are you even here?" It may have been a bit rude but there was no way either me or Arika could've been reported missing by now and I doubt a Spectre would be sent in.
"I'm afraid my mission's classified," That's to be expected, "And I need to get you two out of here first." Huh?
"What? You're aware it's miles of aimless desert out their right?" Did she have some form of transport outside or something.
"I know, I just need to focus on my mission," What was her mission anyway; probably had something to do with what that fake 'Prince Azulon' had said. "And I can't really get it done whilst having to worry about a pair of untrained civilians." If she was here to do what I think she was here to do, I had to try and help.
"Hardly untrained-" I was about to give the credentials of my martial arts training when I was interrupted.
"Untrained!" Arika shrieked in indignation, crossing her arms with a pout; she pulled off a pretty impressive move earlier, I had to wonder what sort of training she did have.
"Yeah, untrained, unless I misread you two and one you has some military train-This isn't right." The commander suddenly stopped at the mouth a darkened hallway, her voice gaining a tone of seriousness. "This should be the way out, why isn't it lit?" I noticed what it was that she was holding as she took one of the lanterns off the wall, a compass; oh just perfect. "What is that?"
Sheppard leaned toward to some type of hole in the wall, the lantern's light illuminated some form of large black slab of stone in the wall; what was that? Black rock seemed familiar... Okay now my scientific curiosity was getting the better of me, the relevant thing was getting out of the hideout of the insane firebending terrorists; and the commander's compass was not going to help.
"Please don't tell you're using a compass, here in the Si Wong desert." I wondered what type of selection process there was for Spectres; or at least the quality of information they're given. "I guess you didn't know that the entire desert has an overpowering magnetic field, centred around this very rock we're standing in," I gave a quick gesture to the tunnel we were standing in. "Which renders compasses quite useless." Sheppard just blinked at me; evidently she hadn't known.
"You know a lot about this stuff?" The commander raised an eye brow; I gave a nod to her question. "Can you fix this?" She asked whilst holding up the compass; my turn to give her a blank blink.
"We're in a cave, and I don't even have a box of scraps to work with." It was surprising what a smart person could do with a box of scraps.
"So that's a no?"
"That's a no." I confirmed with a slight nod
"Okay then," Sheppard let out a sigh as she slipped her compass back in to her pocket. "I guess we'll have to retrace our, and then my, steps." The commander started walking back the way we came, mentioning for us to follow her; I found it hard to believe that founding out she was lost aimlessly in enemy territory and was only mildly annoyed, or was she just that used to danger?
"Umm, Asami?" Arika asked as we started back, trailing behind Sheppard. "Who are these 'Fist of the Phoenix' guys anyway?" I guess it made sense, they weren't exactly widely known as they used to be.
"Well, after the end of the hundred years war, then firelord Zuko called back all the Fire Nation troops and declared peace." I stopped for moment to let Arika nod in confirmation that she knew this part, so I continued, "Well considering that they'd been taught that they were the greatest civilization in history, it would have been foolish to think that they would've all followed Zuko right away."
"So these guys are..." It seemed that Arika had figured it out.
"The people of the Fire Nation who held the belief that they were better than everyone else, and have kept trying to fight the war that ended seventy years ago." I confirmed for the younger girl, "They hate anyone who isn't Fire Nation and have been resonsible for quite a few rather bad things over the years." I looked over at Arika to see how she was handling this, she seemed to have taken everything in and seemed lost in thought for the meanwhile
"Anyway," I figured I could try to fill the empty silence a little, it was starting to drag on, "As I was saying before, I'm hardly untrained, I've been in self defence classes since I was little and judging that move Arika pulled earlier I'd say she's got some pretty good training too, right Arika?" I left the comment open for Arika to establish the source of her skills.
"Y-yeah, I was trained at-" Arika started before being cut off by Sheppard, as we came to an intersection.
"Shh." The commander mentioned to get up against the wall, "Stay quiet until I say so." She whispered as she gave a quick look back to us. I noticed she had drawn her knife just I heard footsteps approaching; I hope Arika didn't take what was about to happen too badly.
Just as a guard came around the corner across the intersecting passages, and in an instant Sheppard was behind him, reaching around with her free hand hold one of his arms in such a way that she could restrain both of his arms; her knife wielding hand was pressing the blade against his throat.
Dragging her captive out of the line of site of the crossing tunnel before she began to question him. I couldn't make out anything they were saying since Sheppard was whispering, I imagine to seem more intimidating (which seemed rather redundant with a knife at his throat), and the guard was facing away.
It only seemed to take a minute or two before she was choking him out, leaving him unconscious; at least Arika shouldn't be upset by it.
"I-i-is he..." The younger girl stuttered in fear as Sheppard dragged the unconscious man down the hall a little with one arm as she sheathed her knife.
"He's alive, knocked out, but alive." The commander reassured Arika, it seemed that she was putting a less effort in hiding him than she was the two dead guards, "We have a problem and need to get moving now." Sheppard started jogging off, mentioning us to follow her; I guess she knew which way to go know.
"That guy was heading back to raise the alarm after finding those two guards from earlier, I was hoping it would take them a bit longer to find them." And we he didn't report back they figure out we were loose. Sheppard called back to us as we followed her through the twists and turns of the underground base. "Luckily he was also forthcoming with directions, hopefully I should be able to finish my mission and we can all get out before the whole complex is on to us." The commander suddenly slowed to a stop at a door; I was surprised to see a proper door in, considering all the earthbending used to make this place.
Sheppard held up a fist to make us stop as she took hold of the handle and slowly opened the door peeking in thought the crack. "It's clear." She affirmed as she beckoned us through the open door quickly before closing it.
As I took in the surroundings, a few lines of tables and numerous small amounts of storage along the walls with stoves and ovens, and the smell of fresh tea it didn't take much to realise that we were in the base's kitchen, somehow I didn't think that Sheppard was sent to find something in here.
As Arika was looking through the al the storage containers, cupboards and the like for some reason, and I turned to look at Sheppard with a questioning eye, "I doubt what your after is in here."
"Nope." At least the commander was honest, "It's a few corridors over, you two should be able to hide here till I'm done." Sheppard was checking her weapons as she informed us of her plan, "Just need to take out the guards and find what I'm after quickly, then we make an escape." Not the greatest plan.
"And if somebody finds those guards, or just notices their absence?" I was still giving Sheppard an incredulous look as I asked, hoping that she'd thought of some way around that little problem.
"I know, the plan isn't foolproof, but we don't have much time before that guard I knocked out is missed." It was good point, time was likely short so we had to act quickly; still wish there was another plan.
"Umm..." Sheppard and I both turned towards Arika as she suddenly joined the discussion. "I, have a plan..." she trailed off as she held up a... maid's uniform...
Waiting, must be patient, wait and listen for moment to strike.
Getting impatient, want to strike now, strike soon.
Find reason for pain, find 'Beifong'.
"I've been on missions with some wacky plans in my career." Sheppard and I were both leaning against one of the kitchen's tables, Arika behind us getting ready for her part of the plan. "Fist fight in an antique store, infiltrating a group of mercenaries to rescue the guy they were trying to kill; even once had to infiltrate a cocktail party in a little black dress with a master thief backing me up." And my mind suddenly conjured up that rather intriguing mental picture; then forced myself to think of Korra, and then she was in a little black dress...
"And this, no offence Arika-" Sheppard called over her shoulder with a slight nod and was cut off by-
"No peeking!" Arika's shrill voice as she was getting changed snapped me out of my Korra based daydream; pity, I liked that dress on Korra.
"This one is defiantly in the top five." the commander let out a sigh and shook her head. "Having a rescued prisoner masquerade as a maid to distract the guards with drugged tea, I may be leaving this out of my report." Understandable, it did rely on an assumption, said assumption was based on what we had heard guards talking about, but it was still risky.
"Higher ups frown on getting civilians involved?" I asked with a sideways glance.
"Yep, much frowning indeed."
"Okay, I'm ready." Arika announced as she strode over to check the brewing tea, needed it to make the deception convincing. I was pretty surprised they had all the ingredients for the sedative that Arika made; apparently her grandmother used it to help herself sleep.
The outfit also looked quite natural, if a bit tight, I guess hoping for a perfect fit would've been fool hardy; plus considering she was trying to distract guards, it might even help, if the guards are male. Or females with such an inclination... I had to admit Arika was quite pretty and seemed to have a sort upbeat and cheerful personality; probably more apparent when not in an underground base full of fanatical firebending terrorists.
"All right, all set."Arika announced as she put the full teapot along with several cups on a tray; she really did look like a real maid, this might actually work.
"Okay, then let's get moving." The commander commanded as she moved to open the door, checking again just as before. We had to be fast, there was no telling how long we had till the alarm was raised.
After a few more twists and turns down the passages we came to Sheppard's mission objective. Peeking around the corner for a moment the commander quickly told us that there were two guards and a table on the far side of the door for Arika to put the tray on; made sense, if this place was really as undermanned as it seemed they properly had long shifts.
The idea was for Arika to offer them tea then and draw their attention away from the door so that Sheppard could sneak in and find what she was after; I had a few ideas as to what that was and if I was right it couldn't be left in the hands of these terrorists.
"Okay, go." Sheppard gave Arika the go ahead and she went, the commander ready to jump into action if the guards didn't fall for it and me just as ready to help; I'd rather nothing bad happen to Arika, she was nice girl after all.
"They took the bait." Sheppard informed me as she quickly rounded the corner, allowing me to move up to corner myself and see the commander slowly sneak up to the, I now noticed, ornate double doors unseen opening one door slowly as she had earlier to remain undetected as the two guards tapped their teacups together, toasting it seemed, and Arika seem to be trying to distract them further with small talk.
And she was in, Sheppard was in.
The minutes dragged on as Arika continued to keep the guards attention, hopefully the tea would start making them drowsy soon. Arika seemed to doing pretty well, she had her hands clasped together in front of herself so her arms had the effect of emphasising her chest; I couldn't if it was accidental or on purpose.
Well all I could do now was try to have patience, whilst it was only a matter of time till every xenophobic firebender knew we had escaped. Not the easiest time to have patience.
AN: Okay so this is done, just one more chapter for the climax and then I can finally think about moving on with the other ideas for my little continuity. Anyway I hope everyone like this chapter, or at least thankful it's finally done; so please leave a review.
AN2: Okay some may have noticed that this chapter was taken down, that's because I deleted the previous one that was accidently uploaded unfinished, this is the finished version of this chapter.