Twenty minutes later, Sally arrives back at the dojo, returns her borrowed bike to the vehicle depot, then makes her way directly to the bunker. Outside however, she pauses, a spike of adrenaline surging through her bloodstream when she remembers the Shang Tu aircraft. I should have contacted Hideyoshi before coming back, just in case. Oh well, too late now. Sally takes a deep, relaxing breath, and enters the bunker.
"Freeze, traitor!" Neera demands, firing an arctic blast from her staff, encasing Sally in solid ice before Sally can react.
"Neera, unfreeze her!" Hideyoshi demands.
"No," Neera refuses. "She is a fugitive, and a traitor to Shang Tu. She will be transported back to face trial in front of His Excellency, the Royal Magister. Given the severity of the charges, being frozen would be a light punishment."
"Shang Tu has no jurisdiction here," Hideyoshi reminds. "In fact, I could have you arrested for assault."
"If you stand in our way, Shang Tu will be forced to act," Neera informs.
"Even if that means violating asylum?" Hideyoshi challenges.
Neera levels her staff at Hideyoshi. "I am taking her with me to face justice."
Hideyoshi unsheathes his naginata. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that."
"Neera, stand down," Gong commands. "I don't want us to cause a major diplomatic incident. Also, we don't yet have Maria and Danny."
"This is pathetic!" Chika suddenly interrupts. "She was helping end a war, for kitsune's sake! And now you're going to turn this command bunker into a battlefield?"
"I know it's pathetic," Hideyoshi acknowledges. "But if Neera insists on fighting, I have no choice but to defend."
"Then I'll fight with you," Chika decides, unsheathing her sansetsukon and standing beside her fellow Grand Master.
"Neera‑" Gong starts to protest, but it's too late.
Neera swings her staff, firing an icy arc at the two Grand Masters. Hideyoshi deflects the arc with the blade of his naginata, then charges the panda, leading with the opposite end of the shaft. Neera counters the attack, using her staff like a bo to deflect the swing to one side, However, as she pivots the staff in counter‑attack, Chika blocks the swing with her sansetsukon. Taking advantage of the flexibility and reach of her weapon, Chika unleashes a vicious counter‑attack of her own, sweeping Neera's legs from under her. The panda hits the ground hard, loosening her grip on her staff.
With one deft swing, Hideyoshi swipes the staff from Neera's hands, sending it across the bunker. He completes his sweep by placing the tip of the blade on Neera's neck. "Stand down," he commands calmly.
"You'll regret this," Neera sneers.
"No, I won't," Hideyoshi corrects. "Gong‑san, would you mind helping me and Ueno‑san ensure Li‑san stays out of trouble?"
"Anything to end this asinine bickering," Gong agrees.
A few minutes later, a frustrated Neera is securely bound to a chair, unable to free herself.
"How do we unfreeze Sally?" Chika asks, Neera's staff in her hands.
"Free me and 'll show you," Neera offers.
"Nice try," Chika refuses. "How does this work?"
Neera stops struggling and sighs in defeat. "The crystal in the tip channels elemental energy."
"I thought there were only five Elemental Crystals?" Chika asks.
"There are," Neera confirms. "That crystal is just a normal sapphire that's been cut and polished into a locus for energy manipulation. I'd be surprised if you can use it."
"I'll try my best." Chika points the staff at the block of ice encasing Sally, closes her eyes, and focusses all her willpower on freeing the entombed hedgehog. This is so much harder than using that fake Crystal Aquila made, and that was harder to use than the real Crystal. Within moments, sweat starts pouring down Chika's brow, the effort of untrained energy manipulation taking its toll. Fortunately, just before fatigue kills her concentration, a spark flies from the crystal and strikes the ice encasing Sally.
Chika collapses to her knees as the ice collapses around Sally, the hedgehog gasping for air and shivering violently. Hideyoshi and Gong spring into action, wrapping Sally in a couple of thick towels.
"Th‑Th‑Th‑Thanks," Sally stammers, her teeth chattering.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Hideyoshi asks.
"T‑T-Two," Sally answers correctly.
"Good." Hideyoshi turns to Neera. "Be honest with me: how much danger was Flynn‑san in?"
"I have arrested many criminals by freezing them, and they have always made full recoveries," Neera informs. "They just feel a bit cold, that's all."
"A‑A b‑bit c‑cold?" Sally exclaims. "I‑I'm f‑freezing m‑my f‑fucking s‑spines off!"
"You'll be fine," Neera assures. "Now, can someone untie me?"
"No," Sally, Hideyoshi, Chika, and Gong chorus.
"It's hard to sleep when you lot are arguing and fighting!" Ryoichi Nakano yells from the interrogation room.
"Is it bad I keep forgetting he's here?" Chika thinks aloud.
"Not really," Hideyoshi assures. "I keep forgetting too. At least he's not getting in our way."
"Can we have that room?" Gong asks. "I need to speak with Sally."
"I d‑did what I th‑thought was r‑right," Sally affirms.
"Treason is never right," Neera states with finality.
"Neera will not be joining us," Gong assures Sally.
"G‑Good," Sally agrees.
Ten minutes later, Gong and Sally are in the interrogation room, Ryoichi having been forced to vacate it temporarily.
"…and that's why I committed treason," Sally finishes.
Gong leans on the table, clearly deep in thought. Sally waits several moments, but her patience doesn't last long.
"Level with me: how much trouble am I in?" Sally asks.
"If we take you back to Shang Tu, the lightest sentence you could hope for is twenty‑five years in the Palace dungeon," Gong informs. "However, I fear the Magister wouldn't be lenient, especially since you were one of only four people to ever have access to the Elemental Crystals."
Sally slumps on the table. "I'll be executed, won't I?"
"That is a very real possibility," Gong confirms. "If we take you back to Shang Tu."
"At least I'll die knowing I did the right thing," Sally sighs. "Just… let me be the one to break the news to Dan."
"He'll find out the same time as you: all three of you will be on trial together," Gong informs. "If we take you back to Shang Tu."
"That makes se‑" Sally pauses. "Wait… Why do you keep saying 'If we take you back to Shang Tu'?"
"Well," Gong begins, "Hideyoshi has offered you asylum, and he is right in that Shang Tu has no jurisdiction here. It's not unreasonable to assume he'll also offer the same to Maria and Danny. Since it would be impossible to get you back without causing a major diplomatic incident, you would be tried in absentia."
"And we'd only have to serve the sentence if we voluntarily went to Shang Tu," Sally concludes.
"That's correct," Gong confirms.
"I guarantee both Dan and Maria will want to return to Jade Creek," Sally informs. "And that does fall under the jurisdiction of Shang Tu."
"You would have to lay very low," Gong acknowledges.
"I have a better idea: report us dead," Sally suggests.
"You mean, lie to the Magister?" Gong asks, a little surprised.
"Yes," Sally confirms. "If we're legally dead, then we can't be put on trial."
"And there wouldn't be an order to arrest you if you suddenly appeared," Gong concludes.
"Exactly."
"This is a very unusual plea bargain. In fact, it's technically adding to your list of charges."
"Forget what's legal!" Sally demands. "Do what's right!"
Gong raises an eyebrow.
"Sorry," Sally apologises. "I uh… I got frustrated."
"Understandable." Gong pauses to think a few moments. "Since we cannot return without the Elemental Crystals, we'll have to remain until the Five Scarves return with them. At that point, me and Neera will decide what to do."
Sally remains silent.