Ch9

North Africa, 1943

The roof shook as another bomb dropped by the attacking Royal Air Force exploded in the nearby vicinity. Dust and debris rained down from the earth and stone ceiling, continuing to dirty the maps and charts the Wehrmacht field officers had laid out. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the famed Desert Fox, Germany's poster war hero, was on his last legs. He would soon be returned to Germany in anticipation of an allied landing in France. He had gotten word that he would soon be put in charge of the Atlantic Wall, overseeing the defensive emplacements bolstered up. As such it was his final days heading the Afrika Korps.

The tear of an MG42 outside echoed out as gunners opened fire on incoming aircraft. Around them, the battle raged on. Tanks, including some of Germany's newest Tiger tanks, anti-tank guns, and infantry were locked in an ongoing skirmish with the allied forces. General Montgomery of the British Army and General George S. Patton heading up the US Army were putting an overwhelming amount of pressure on what remained of the once unstoppable Afrika Korps, with German supply lines and reinforcement tracks faltering. Rommel was worn thin, and with every bullet and shell fired, a replacement was not due anytime soon.

A blast and thunderous eruption reverberated at the firing of a Flak 88 AT gun outside. The single hanging lamp swung from its ceiling mounted cord. A squad of troops ran by the small field office, and a panzer IV rumbled by headed toward the fighting line. The Field Marshall was deep in his maps and charts, and fighting a losing battle. Where to send his troops and tanks, how to strike the advancing British and American forces, and how to stop a seemingly never-ending supply of allied tanks and supplies, these questions were what stressed the venerable officer out.

The wooden battered door flew open and a Wehrmacht first lieutenant marched up to meet the Field Marshall. He loudly stomped and clicked the heels of his boots together, raising his right hand in regulated greeting. Rommel returned the salute.

"Generalfeldmarschall," the lieutenant reported, "A new transmission, straight from the Reichstag."

The Field Marshall set down his baton and met the lieutenant to take the documents. "Thank you, oberleutnant." The room shook again as he hurriedly unfolded the papers. Field Marshal Rommel noted the SS insignia that tagged the lower corner of the page in addition to the Reichsadler. The document was, indeed, official.

Field Marshal Rommel:

The North Africa weapons and testing facility for Group 937 is under threat by advancing allied forces. With defensive units and equipment in dire need, the top secret research facility has been designated as a top priority. It is important that their work be completed in order for a swift German victory in Europe, especially in these urgent times. You are thereby ordered to redirect two regiments of troops and two heavy tanks to be dispatched to the defense of the entailed facilities, posthaste.

Group 937; Headquarters, Waffen SS

The roar of a low flying plane zipped overhead and the lamp in the room flickered once again. Rommel crumpled the sheets of paper and slammed it down on the desk, frustrated.

"The allies push our lines back each day," he began to object. "Our men are exhausted, starving, and our tanks lack the fuel needed to run them. We are running out of bullets and shells! And now this!" He removed his cap and set it on the table, glossing over the map and all its unit marking pins. The Afrika Korps was getting squeezed by overwhelming allied forces as they were pushed back towards Tunisia.

"Your orders, Field Marshal?"

"We're running out of panzers as it is, and now I have to discard more, as well as two regiments of infantry," he said, shaking his head. "All the while they expect me to turn back the British and Americans. With dwindling numbers and no reinforcements, I am expected to hold the line, how? I am trying to fight a war and retain our gained territory, and the Reichstag wants to continue to experiment with mythical plants and colossal machines and super weapons. Ever since that Japanese and American fleet disappeared, probably sunk by an explainable cause, high command has seemed obsessed with these notions of energy weapons and the possibility of teleportation. It's all worthless distraction from the immediate issues of the real battlefield."

The lieutenant scoffed a bit. "Soon, Hitler may call for men and tanks to be diverted looking for some other mythical answer. What's next? The Holy Grail? Ark of the Covenant?"

"I'm certain they've already tried that," the Field Marshall scoffed.

"What are your orders, Field Marshal Rommel?" the lieutenant repeated.

"As high command wishes," he conceded,sighing. "Two infantry regiments and two tanks." He paused though. "Give them Tigers 114 and 110."

The lieutenant glanced up at his superior, "But those two have engine damage. They can barely run, nonetheless maneuver in a fight."

"Being assigned to such a large underground bunker? They won't be moving much at all anyway. Besides, they don't need to move! They need to shoot!" Rommel emphasized. "Get those units organized and dispatched immediately."

"At once, Generalfeldmarschal!" The lieutenant clicked his heels together once again and promptly departed, leaving the Field Marshal to return to his maps and charts.

Republic City, 2020

There were two knocks on the wooden door to President Raiko's office. City Hall was bustling with citizens, politicians, and military and police officials, but here on the upper floors it was as if they were isolated from the outside world. It was quiet.

"Enter," Raiko called. He was seated at his desk and accompanied by both Lin and Tenzin.

The door opened and in stepped agents Junichiro Stevenson and John Masaoka. Jun was still uniformed, while John wore one of his ordinary suits. Both were fresh from the execution scene.

"Shut the door behind you," Raiko followed up, to which John obliged.

They stood side by side at attention front and center from Raiko's desk. "May we take a seat," Jun asked.

"Go ahead," Lin interjected, her arms crossed.

The two of them quietly took their seats in the two chairs that stood idly in the middle of the room, far away from the table; an intentional and distinct distance.

Here we go, John thought to himself.

Raiko slammed a fist on the table. "What in the hell were you two thinking?!"

Jun opened his mouth, but held back any words from coming out. He knew better. Now was not the time to explain his actions.

"We already have enough people uneasy enough as it is with everything going on in both worlds. And now this?!" Raiko burst out.

"I told you! He's a loose cannon and far overstepping his jurisdiction! At this rate, someone is going to get killed! An innocent bystander!" Lin added.

"Sir," John defended, "With all due respect, the target today was a an alleged murderer with known equalist ties. And when we got him, he put up a fight too. It all adds-"

"Zip it!" Lin shut him down.

"Yes, ma'am," he simply replied, piping down.

"You two, ad you're entire department handle things to the extreme!" Lin tore into the two of them. "There is due process! Proper procedure with how things are done! And executing criminals in the street isn't the right way!"

"My father built this city with the image and ideal that it would be a safe haven for everyone seeking sanctity! A place where people could thrive without fear and danger!" Tenzin now spoke up, being one of the senior members of the council. "We don't need your underhanded tactics of vigilante justice! This isn't a wild west John Wayne film! This isn't the place and time for nineteen…errr.. Sixties-"

"1920s," Jun corrected.

"Right! 1920s-style car chases and machine gun shootouts! Even if they are criminals, things should be handled as peacefully as possible, before resorting to complete and utter violence!" Tenzin finished.

"Agent Masaoka," Lin called out, "In the reports it notes that you were the one that both stopped Dang's car, and killed him?"

John looked, without moving his head, to Jun, who subtly nodded as if to tell him 'yes, idiot, remember your role.'

"Uhh yes, chief," he asserted, "That was me."

"But you're not that good of a metal bender. I specifically remember you failing the metalbending academy. That's why you still carry that gun of yours!"

"Well, ma'am I don't know what you want me to say," he simply continued, "That was all me. I guess in the heat of the moment-.."

"What are you insinuating?" Jun finally spoke up.

"What I am getting at is, I think your Earth Empire girlfriend killed him, and you two are just trying to cover! Do you know how much of a problem this would cause!?"

"First," Jun countered, with a sharper tone, "She's not my girlfriend. Second, I don't see how this is founded. Both our officers, and yours, reported that it was Agent Masaoka here that did those feats. Third, this matters how? He's a murdering revolutionist dead beat, taken off the street. If we threw him through a running jet turbine and eviscerated him, why would it matter?"

Tenzin, who hated planes enough as it was, gagged a little at that image playing in his head.

"It's law and order," Lin scolded. "That's why! People need to remember that we are looking out for them! That the Earth Empire isn't going around executing people in territory that isn't theirs!"

Jun crossed his arms. "Well, even if that was an issue. She didn't do anything now, did she? Your own officers noted that in their reports afterall." He had a smug taunting look on his face, raising his chin and leaning back in the chair as he spoke. He had all his bases covered, and Lin knew it.

"Yeah," she scoffed, "And I'm sure those officers are going to go on shortly and nail some kind of high profile case, worthy of commendation."

"You know what? Maybe they will," Jun played on, "They know, after all, how to get real results." He could practically see the steam rising from her head. Tenzin, although he didn't approve of Jun's actions and methods either, placed himself more and more at the rearward ranks of engagement as he too could see Lin getting more and more irked.

"Junichiro," Raiko interrupted, "I'd have hoped you would show more respect and sincerity to Chief Beifong. We are addressing a serious issue in regards to your methodology and actions! In any other department, anywhere else in the worlds, I'd have your badge and you'd be on the streets!"

Jun sat back up to a proper seated form of attention. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

Three knocks on the door.

"Come in," President Raiko called.

In came one of his aids, carrying a printed out email in his arms. He quickly read over its contents and then passed the paper to both Lin and Tenzin.

President Raiko:

Avatar Korra has returned to the Bending World and has arrived in Ba Sing Se. She will promptly be returned to Republic City with her friends: Asami Sato, Mako, and Jinora via a Sky Bison flight. Tenzin and Chief Beifong have been notified by email and reportedly by text as well.

United Republic Embassy in Ba Sing Se, Consulate General

"Korra's back in the Bending World and has arrived in Ba Sing Se, safely," Lin reported aloud.

"She is?" Tenzin exclaimed, "That's wonderful! A relief! Is she alright?"

"You should know," Lin fired back, "They texted you!"

"They texted you too!" Tenzin returned the remark, now getting a good read of the message's contents.

Lin backed off, "I..never carry that phone on me. It's sitting at my desk back at headquarters. I make it a point, to my officers, to be free of distractions while out on patrol and on duty. What about you!?"

Tenzin awkwardly produced the smartphone he carried in his robes. He was likely the poorest when it came to technology in general.

"Ikki usually does this kind of stuff for me," he grumbled. "Why isn't it working?"

"It's off," Raiko hopelessly observed, putting his hand to his face.

"Darned things," the airbender struggled, "Anyway, we need to get in contact with Jinora."

"I'll phone Republic City Airport. If they don't give us the landing slot, I can have police headquarters give up the helicopter or airship pad for Pepper to use temporarily. We'll need to process her at the station."

"She's in trouble?"

"Well…Not anything that'll stick. But we need to get the formalities out of the way for the Boys in Blue over in Los Angeles. She had a little bit of a run in with the LAPD…"

"I'll have a stern talking-to for her when she gets back to Air Temple Island," Tenzin trailed off as the two of them promptly exited the room.

Lin popped her head back in to scold the two UFDI one last time. "And show some respect! Both of you! Remove your covers when inside!" With that she stormed off.

They left Junichiro and John alone with President Raiko. The two UFDI officers quietly removed their hats and placed them on their laps.

"That will be all," Raiko said to his aid. "Please close the door on the way out."

He bowed and swiftly moved to close the door on departure leaving the three men in privacy. Once it was shut and still once more, both Jun and President Raiko stood up from their chairs, more relaxed now that that was over with. John merely sat and wondered.

"Relax," Jun assured, patting his partner on the shoulders. He walked over to the decanter set by the book case which carried Japanese whiskey. "Drink for you, President Raiko?"

"Yes. On the rocks, please," Raiko answered.

"And you, John?"

"Neat's fine," his partner answered.

Jun set out three glasses. He placed two cubes of ice in one, then poured out three glasses for them. Setting the three glasses on the desk, he moved his chair closer to Raiko's desk and motioned John to bring his own over too.

The president took a sip and settled back into his chair, Jun followed suit. "So, what's the real report?"

"The dead beat?" Jun refocused. "This would have been his second time in cuffs, sir. Known equalist sympathizer, and from what our boys are picking up in his apartment, looks like he was stockpiling weapons?"

"Who were the other two?"

Jun looked over at John who still was dazed at how much more relaxed the situation had suddenly become. He was still sitting there, awkwardly, wide-eyed, idly holding his drink in his hand. "Come on, Matsuoka, tell the man!"

"Uh, oh yeah," he snapped out of his daze. "The other two in the apartment. We don't know who they are. There are no records that match them. None of the other nations' databases have anything on them either. For all intents and purposes, they're ghosts."

"I see," Raiko commented. "That's concerning. Are we dealing with a terror organization? Radicals? Anarchists?"

"Regrettably, we don't have those kinds of answers for you yet, sir. But we're working on it. So far no leads," Jun reported. "And…well…the main guy is..well, dead."

"Yes, so he is," Raiko commented. "Jun, I have the greatest respect for your work. By all means, off the record, do what you need to do to keep the streets of this city safe. But Beifong has a point in that you can't interrogate a corpse, you know?"

"I do, sir," Jun admitted.

"Well," John tried to join in, "That's one DB off the streets, am I right?"

"Yes. And a big one at that," Raiko, surprisingly, to John, agreed. "One less thing to worry about in the long run." John was surprised at the reaction. Raiko's tone was a full shift different from earlier. "But this gun you found on him…"

"A Walther P1 pistol," Jun specified. "9mm, same one used in the murder."

"Yes..that one." Raiko himself kept a gun in his desk, albeit a 9mm Browning Hi-Power. "It's.. as you call it..a 'ghost gun?'"

"It's the official sidearm of the Earth Empire's armed forces..but what made it intriguing was the lack of the serial numbers anywhere on the weapon."

"Were they etched out?"

"No," Jun elaborated further. "It was as though the components were manufactured having the numbers omitted."

"Do you think it was the Earth Empire?" Raiko was concerned.

"I wouldn't rule that yet. That's a pretty serious round to chamber for potentially a one-off case. It just coincidentally happened to be one of their guns. Mainly what I want to focus on is how they're coming into the city," Jun outlined. "It's, as we all know, not easy for firearms and weapons to move in and out of Republic City. I want to know if this was a small time thing or if there is a stream of these coming in that we're unaware about."

"Admittedly, though," John chimed in, "The field agents and the few RCPD officers we have on our insiders list are stumped as to if and where to look."

"Yes, indeed," Raiko remarked. "Where to look?"

Jun sat up and leaned closer to the desk. "I have an idea where to start," he proposed. "But…" he lowered his voice, "Let's say..my sources might be a little bit..less-than-honorable."

"Go on," Raiko dug further. "We both know I know that you have certain less-than-honorable sources."

"Well," Jun continued. "Then you know the game is give and take…To get valuable information, there might be certain things I might need to…look the other way on."

Raiko sat up straight, downing the rest of his glass. "This is essential?"

"If you'll allow it, sir. We might get some very valuable information."

"Okay," he began, "Nothing to do with weapon smuggling, drugs, or anything else that directly would pose a threat to the citizens."

"Aye, sir," Jun acknowledged. "If I don't turn up with the port of entry for these guns, I'll atleast have another force looking out for them on the ground." He also downed his glass of whiskey, getting ready to depart.

"One more thing," Raiko chimed in. "What's your reading on the Earth Empire?"

"Right now, sir…honestly, I'm not sure yet. Some of what I hear is concerning, but there's no official backing or witnesses to testify..On one hand, one could think of them as the next Nazi Germany, and on the other, they are purging a long-time corrupted kingdom and building a proper and more mutually beneficial world power. One that is safe for its people."

"Do you think Kuvira will cede power to Prince Wu? The time is coming, you know."

"As much as I, personally, wouldn't want that to happen. I think, right now, she has no choice," Jun answered.

"But will she?" Raiko reiterated.

Jun took a deep breath, and subtly shook his head. He didn't think so.

"I see," Raiko reflected.

"If it were me, I'd weaponize her following. That buffoon they recognize as a prince isn't making it any easier for himself either. No one, including me, wants to see him put on a throne. Especially after these past six years," Jun answered with resolve.

"That's what I fear," Raiko admitted. "I think Kuvira is going to pull off a political power move during her coming address. What's more, I think it will be largely uncontested."

"Maybe it's for the best," Jun quietly answered.

"I'm more concerned as to what will happen to Zhaofu. The Liu-Clan's independent state, and later Republic City and the United Republic. All of them are sitting on what was once Earth Kingdom land," Raiko voiced. "Anyone who seriously cracked open a world history book can draw some serious parallels with what is allegedly already going on."

Jun nodded quietly. He did remember history class. "Well, that assumes she would go after the republic in the grand scheme of things," Jun tried to defend, placing his cap on and pushing his chair in.

"Be careful around that girlfriend of yours, Jun," President Raiko cautioned. "Don't let her get into your head."

Jun held back any words of opposition. "Sincerely, sir, you needn't worry. And she wouldn't support that kind of thing either."

"I hope not. You're my best intelligence officer, Jun. Don't get compromised. And don't just focus on low level petty crime in the city. Remember, you head the Intelligence Department. You have a much broader and more serious role than walking the beat here in the city. Do some work beyond the borders," Raiko called after the pair of them as they left the room.

Northern Earth Kingdom

Trailing third in the column, Tiger 118 rumbled along across the vast expanse of the Earth Empire as the combined fighting group of tanks, mecha-suits, and motorized infantry of the 2nd Armored Division made the return journey from Beisup after securing the city and state. They had a long journey ahead of them, and Yasuho's crew was operating without their commander as well, one person short.

The 2nd Armored Division was headquartered at the Great Divide Earth Empire Army Base. There, a majority of its tanks, trucks, artillery guns, mecha-suits, half tracks, missile carriers, mobile AA, and other heavy equipment as well as crews and soldiers were kept. Their division was the second largest armored division within the entirety of the Earth Empire's armed forces, being surpassed only by the 1st Armored Division headquartered near Ba Sing Se. There was an ongoing rivalry between the two divisions though, as well as some disagreements over methodology and planning, but regardless they both functioned well as a cohesive unit whenever they were tasked together in joint cooperative operations.

Fortunately, the railroad hub of Taku was where they could mount up and be transported the rest of the way by rail, but the land in between Beisup and Taku, like a majority of the Empire, was vast and barren. Technically, it was sovereign territory, but the roads were still considered hostile and dangerous as roaming daofei were many and widely spread.

There were two different radios playing two completely different kinds of music , from two totally different singers, simultaneously in addition to the sounds of marching troops and mecha-suits, the rumble of engines, and the clanking of steel tracks. Outside, haphazardly tied to the engine deck a radio blasted "Promised Land" sung by none other than the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley; who maintained a huge cult following in the Bending World even in the twenty-first century stemming from his streaming of his 1973 concert in Hawaii. Inside the heavy tank, their driver, Corporal Hanako Fujioka, the most mellow and gentle-spirited of the crew of Tiger 118, was listening to "Kawa no Nagare no Youni" sung by Asia's own Queen of Pop, Teresa Teng; a majestic and gentle ballad in stark contrast to the American rock and roll played outside.

In Yasuho's absence, radio operator and bow machine gunner, Sergeant Maho Koizumi, was competent enough to fulfill a passable commanding role. She worked with her the longest and had been with Yasuho essentially since the very beginning of her army career, back when they served the Earth Kingdom as opposed to the Empire. Though she was responsible mainly for communications and helped greatly with navigation, she was competent enough with spotting targets and directing both gun and drive operations.

Junko Kobayashi, their loader, who spent the majority of her time shoving round after round into the gun breach enjoyed a ride outside in the open air when situations would allow, like today. Unlike her partner Eunji, who didn't mind being inside the turret, as she found it to be spacious, Corporal Kobayashi found it to be cramped, hot, and uncomfortable. And forcefully and repeatedly shuffling shells from ammo rack to gun breach, despite being the shortest of their five-man crew, was not helping.

"So what's it like riding in one of these things?" A soldier, bearing the rank of private first class, sat on the squared edge of the tank as they rocked and rolled along the semi-paved country roads.

"Hot, chaotic, in a controlled way, and tiring," Junko replied, slouching and leaning against the back of the turret. She stretched both legs ahead of her. "Ahhh, this is nice to not be cramped up in there!"

"Wanna trade?" the man laughed. "You can march along with the infantry and I'll sling shells for you."

Junko pointed to him, "Can I hold that for a second?" She pointed at his Type-43 rifle.

"What? This?" The PFC unslung his Gewehr-43 and passed the rifle to her, making sure its safety was engaged.

Junko cradled the battle rifle in her hands. At just under ten-pounds, it was lighter than the fifteen-pound 88mm shells the main gun fired, but that didn't include additional ammo and magazines, helmet and armor, grenades, field kits, and other armor that the mechanized infantryman carried on their persons; the reason why they loved being able to mount up and ride along in or on anything with wheels or tracks.

"I'll pass," she answered. "That's going to be a solid pass from me."

The PFC placed his stahlhelm-identical helmet on the petite tank gun loader. It was comically oversized for her small head halfway covered her eyes. "I think it'd grow on ya," he chuckled.

Corporal Jang popped her head out of the second turret roof hatch, a design element that differed from the original Tiger I tank.

"Oi!" she gruffly called out. "PFC! Quit harassing our loader!" She saw Junko cradling the rifle and being all but covered up by the steel helmet. "And it would never work. Junko's a terrible shot and too frail to be a boot on the ground," she teased, "And you would be a terrible loader substitute!"

"You doubt my ability to load a gun over and over again? I'm stronger than she is, you know," the PFC called back. Junko tossed aside the helmet, shouting back in retaliation, "I'm not frail! And I'm not that bad of a shot!"

Eunji leaned back and crossed her arms, ignoring her partner all together. "You're probably right about the strength. But it's not just strength. Junko has finesse." The word seemed to roll off her tongue. "Corporal Kobayashi has rhythm and pacing. And as a result, you won't find a faster firing, manual loading, tank crew in the worlds!...Coupled with my amazing shooting abilities of course," she boasted, patting herself on the back.

"Doesn't the tank's optics and computers figure out most of the shooting? All you have to do is pull the trigger right?"

"Oi! Don't downplay my work! I don't rely on the computer! Alright? The computer will target a wall of a house, I on the other hand, will put the shell through the window, just so you know!" Eunji was quick to defend her work.

"What she says is true, you know," Maho added, perched in the commander's cupola and not turning her attention away from keeping an eye out for any threats. "Corporal Jang doesn't use the computer too often. She shoots manually by eye, and it hits home nine-out-of-ten times…And…technically..it's not a trigger to pull but rather a pedal to step on technically to fire the gun," Maho digressed. "Really any kind of gun, Eunji scores the best marks on. Pistol, rifle, general purpose machine gun, and cannon, she is a master of her craft. Like an archer, but with shells."

Eunji shivered, rubbing both of her arms together. "Geez it's cold out here," she blurted out, disappearing into the turret and shutting the hatch over her. She, rather, greatly liked the neverending warmth of the crew compartment provided by the large engines.

Maho lowered her binoculars and briefly turned to the PFC. "She's terrifyingly accurate sometimes. We've had to remind her multiple times that the left trigger pedal is the machine gun and the right one is the cannon. Sometimes we wonder if she 'mistakes' them on purpose," the sergeant shrugged. "She swears she does in the heat of battle but…that girl never makes mistakes when it comes to weapon handling." Maho raised her binoculars again to scan the upcoming ridgeline, "Things other than weapons, sure she makes a lot of mistakes, but guns..none."

"Sounds like you guys have one heck of a cast here," the PFC remarked, taking back his rifle from Junko.

"Yeah," the short-haired loader answered. "It's dynamic in there." She fixed and patted down her skirt.

"Give me the insider's perspective," the young man pleaded. "What's everyone like?"

Junko rested her head back against the turret, "ow," she whispered, having hit the metal too hard. Rubbing the back of her head she began, "Well…You've already met two of them so I'll start with one of the remaining two." She briefly paused. "Our driver, Corporal Fujioka, or, Hana-chan-"

"Hana-chan?"

"Nick-name!" Junko answered sharply. "Short for Hanako..at least that's what Captain called her, and we all started calling her that. Where Eunji is a little rough around the edges, Hana-chan is the total opposite. She's very light hearted, and gentle, and caring, and..well..driven, I guess is the best word, ironically."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Sometimes she can come off as a bit of an airhead though. But she'd make you believe driving this oversized metal box is as easy as driving a car!"

The private nodded, diligently listening.

"Eunji, as you've heard, is a crack shot with any kind of gun of any size. She's practically fused to that thing." Junko started to gripe a bit. "And even though its cramped enough as it is in there, and we each have a submachine gun issued for defense, that's not enough for her! There is a scoped K98 Mauser set on a rack inside! And she's the only person apart from our commander to carry a pistol too."

"She a little hot-headed?"

"She can be," Junko admitted. "Commandant can be too, but Eunji sometimes becomes a little too aggressive. What we were saying earlier about confusing the different triggers. She's hit soft-body targets straight on with the cannon on multiple occasions."

"Jesus!"

"Yeah, fortunately I don't get to see any of it, which is fine." When it came to diverting responsibility, Junko was the most known for it. "There's just a really loud 'BAAAAAA' sound and that's it. And sometimes the commander mentions pink mist and scolds Eunji for wasting a shell."

"Commander, her?" The PFC gestured to Maho, who continued to scan the ridges and tree lines.

"She's not the commander. Sergeant Koizumi is our radio operator," she answered. "She's the closest to our commander, though. Maho is kind of like…the voice of reason. They consult a lot."

"Uh huh. And you?"

Maho turned about to answer the soldier's question. "Junko is the quietest. Appreciate this, young man. This is the most talkative she's ever been." The stand-in commander smirked at Junko's disappointment in her given description. "Like you, she's the youngest crew member of this tank. A bit squeamish. But mainly, she's the most obedient. Any order, she'll follow."

"Ah yeah, I know she's squeamish to violence," the soldier responded. He turned to Junko once more. "But you load the shells."

"Orders are orders," Junko shrugged. "The target, the ammunition type, where we go, what we do, that's none of my concern. Captain says, 'that target,' then it's that target, whatever it is. Eunji says, 'high explosive,' then it's going to be high explosive, whatever it's being shot against."

"That's fair," the PFC agreed. "It's the same, essentially, for me too. So what's your commander like?"

"Captain Aoshima? Apart from being a super-cool metal bender, and a great and a great leader with the modest humble looks of a lady? She's…kinda..a mixture of all of us. She's reasonable, compassionate, driven, understanding, follows orders to a T, and can be really aggressive when the situation calls for it."

"Sounds like my kind of girl," the private joked.

Junko kicked him sharply at his remarks, pouting.

"Joking! Joking!" He called for mercy, nearly getting kicked off the moving tank.

Crossing her arms, Junko finally ceased assaulting the young man. "Besides, she's got someone she likes too, you know. There's no way for you to compete with him?"

"You've met him?" he asked, massaging his sides.

"No." Junko answered abruptly. "But he's gotta be something for her to be interested in."

Maho could no longer drown out the chatter. "What is your relation to each other anyway?" She had snapped around to bear down on the two of them.

Junko looked up at Maho. "Oh, Kyung and I are dating." She said this so nonchalantly, even though she never told anyone about it.

"Kyung?"

"Private First-Class Kyung Cho, at your service, sergeant," the young man answered.

Maho snapped towards Junko. "When were you planning on telling us this?!"

"You guys never asked," the keeps-to-herself crewmate simply shrugged.

Maho forcefully leaned down and took Junko in an playful choke-hold, grinding the crown of the loader's head with her knuckles, to Junko's dismay. "What else are you keeping from us huh?"

"Mercy!" Junko cried, "Mercy!" Her arms frantically reached up desperately trying to push Maho away.

PFC Cho, laughed at the two.

"INCOMING!"

A sharp whistle! Bang! An explosion! The soldiers dropped low, looking around! Where had the shot come from!

Flames and sharp chunks of steel erupted about. The leading Panther tank was hit! Fire poured out from the commander's hatch and smoke erupted from its gun. There was a gaping hole in its side armor where an armor piercing warhead had bored through and injected its charge of molten metal into the crew compartments. The destroyed tank veered towards the ditch on the right embankment of the road, its crew all killed in the blast. Soldiers scrambled out of the way of the coasting tank as it headed into the ditch, violently ablaze.

Another shot! A deep boom. A cannon! Another! One of the mecha suits took a direct hit. The shell drilled straight through the robot's chest plate and cut clean through, sending the suit and its eviscerated operator flying back towards the tree line. The second shell impacted and tossed a flurry of exposed troops aside.

"There!" Maho called out, pointing at the small village that overlooked the road from the right side. "It comes from there! The village!" She saw a small figure stand up on one of the house roofs, holding what she could make out as a long tube on his shoulder. "RPG!"

A distant thud, the rocket firing, followed by a terrific whizz and an explosion just beside their tank. Maho ducked to avoid the blast and shrapnel. The rocket, intended for them, had missed its mark. Behind, the panther tank that followed had traversed its turret and fired at the structure with its main gun, taking away a large chunk of the roof the shooter was previously standing in. Another rocket inbound, another miss!

Resistance combatives poured out by the droves. Gunfire seemed to erupt from every window of every building. They held the advantage of cover and height. Bursts of thirty-caliber machine gun fire tore into the still-dispersing formations of Earth Empire soldiers.

"DISMOUNT!" Maho shouted at the soldiers that still rode on their tank. "DISMOUNT!'

"You heard her! Everyone off! Lock and load!"

Kyung flinched as bullets plinked against the sturdy armor of the Tiger I, quickly strapping down his helmet and taking up his rifle.

Junko quickly took hold of his sleeve, grabbing his attention. "Be safe," she called, with concerned eyes.

"Of course," he reassured, sliding off the tank.

"AT Gun!" Maho called. "Hanako!"

"I'm on it!" Shifting into reverse, the engines roared as the imposing steel box reversed. Hanako then yanked hard on the left tiller stick, starting the tank on a sharp reversing left turn almost like a traverse; angling the tank so its forward right corner faced the enemy gun straight on.

"Careful, we have infantry in cover just behind us," Maho called down over the radio. She turned back to wave the soldiers back to clear space behind the tank. The sound of someone getting slowly run over by a sixty-ton tracked box of steel was ear piercing to say the least. "Left a little more!"

Hanako rapidly switched from looking out the narrow viewport and the small, fuzzy and grainy, camera screen that currently was somewhat showing the reverse path.

"That's good! Halt!" Maho ordered. "Eunji!"

The gunner sucked her teeth as she stomped down on the traverse pedals. Steadily the main gun and turret started to swing about. "What's loaded in here? Junko!"

Junko, still crouched behind the turret, straightened out as she heard her name through the steel walls. "Get in here!"

"Incoming!" Maho cried, ducking into the turret. The enemy AT gun fired. The shortest whizz and whistle was followed by the eardrum-bursting sound of a 75mm shell bouncing and scraping off the side armor of their tank. Sparks and smoke flew as metal grinded against metal, the shell then exploding some distance behind. Junko dove for the engine deck. Everyone inside shouted and groaned at the deafening experience. Eunji maintained her aggressive hyper focus, not once pulling her eyes away from the optics or her hand away from the trigger.

"Five hundred meters," Maho called out, now peaking her eyes over the cupola ring, keeping her head down. "Seventy-five millimeter gun, on the bed of a utility truck."

"Yeah I see it." Eunji frantically spun the elevation wheel to angle the gun up slightly.

The enemy gun crew fired again. Maho ducked as the shell now zipped over the top of the tank, coming dangerously close to the commander's hatch. She swore it zipped just over head.

"Any time, Eunji!"

"Goodbye," she whispered, slamming her foot down on the trigger. The main gun erupted. The barrel recoiling back into its cradle tube and put strain on the large dampeners within.

The small unarmored gun carrier detonated violently. A direct hit with a high explosive shell! Flames and shrapnel erupted as the fuel and exposed ammunition were detonated.

"Score another," Eunji noted. The spent shell casing ejected itself and landed in the inside catch, ringing against the other spent casings they had yet to discard.

Another RPG flew by, striking a transport truck as it drove for safety.

"All units, advance!"

"Understood," Maho acknowledged on radio. She ducked down below. "Driver, advance!"

The engine roared again as the tank began to push forward, coming off the road and dipping down the embankment into the sloping plains that led to the village.

"We can't let one of those RPG's hit us. They'll tear straight through the armor and are hard to bounce!"

"I know that!" Eunji barked. "JUNKO!" she shouted. "GET YOUR BUTT IN HERE!"

Bullets peppered the tank, clanging off the metal, forcing them to button-up. It was hard for their loader to safely enter the top hatches.

"Where are they?!" Eunji cried out.

"Traverse left! Infantry in the open!" Maho called out.

The turret swung left. "There you are," Eunji gritted her teeth. The coaxial MG34 opened up, spewing a deadly hail of lead and tracers at the enemy combatants, cutting them down. It was enough overwhelming firepower to convince the non-military fighters to turn and retreat back into the town's area. Eunji had torn apart one of the machine gun crews as well as a few RPG carriers. This gave just enough of a pause for Junko to clamber back into the hatch.

"About time!" the gunner called as her loader plopped back down into her position. The rip of the machine gun not ceasing.

"Sorry," was all Junko said, now returning back into her warfighting mode.

"New targets," Maho called. "Two story building just off our port-bow! MG crews on the second floor, rocket crews up top!"

"No visual," Eunji called.

"Follow my tracers!" Maho jumped on the top mounted MG42.

"High explosive!" Eunji called over to Junko.

"Up!" Junko shouted after ramming the shell into the breach.

Topside, Maho tore through belts of ammo with the MG42, pointing out where to shoot as well as suppressing the enemy. Through the gunner's sights, Eunji followed the stream of 7.92 tracers, watching them tear into the windows of a building matching the description.

"On the way!" The main gun erupted once more. A powerful explosion blew away chunks of the second floor. The machine gun fire stopped in the explosion. Eunji mowed down another rocket crew that remained on the roof with the coaxial machine gun. "Smoke!" she called out.

Junko reached over and shuffled another 88mm shell into battery. "Up," she confirmed.

Gunfire continued after the dust settled and the rock stomped falling away. Futile attacks by both earth bending and fire bending came forth as well. For all intents and purposes, the building was still loaded with active combatants.

"Again," Maho called.

"Already on it," Eunji assured. "On the way!"

The shell flew through a small window on the second story and exploded deep within the room. A thick, voluminous, cloud of white smoke burst out every window and opened in the room. There was a brief moment of silence. The fighting had stopped, atleast between tank and building. The shell had exploded and fragmented large chunks of white phosphorus onto the walls and the inhabitants.

"Hanako, halt here," Maho ordered.

Outside, the infantry continued to advance as the fight was now in their favor. The enemy were now on the retreat in the face of overwhelming odds and firepower. The volleys of rifle fire and machine gun fire carried on past the stopped armor line as the soldiers pushed into the village in pursuit of the fleeing enemy forces. The mecha suits set buildings alight with their flamethrowers and beat down walls with heavier 20mm chain guns. Metalbenders dueled with remaining earthbenders, and arrested the surrendering with their plates and cables.

"Who were they?" Daofei?" Hanako asked from the driver's seat, now loosening up from being on edge.

"Probably. Good riddance," Eunji answered.

"No," Maho interrupted. "It isn't likely. Daofei don't put up too much of a fight. Usually they are prey that we hunt. This time they were the hunters. They shot at us first."

"Good point," Eunji called back, learning against the main gun breach. "They were decently armed too. Too bad, for them, their organization and training was terrible. Pitiful even."

"Yes. I think they were resistance," Maho pointed out.

"Resistance?" Junko finally spoke.

"Pests," Eunji answered. "Just as much as the criminals and gangs. The other force in the Earth Empire aside from us, the daofei, and the remaining holdouts in Zaofu and the Liu-Clan… They want to resist progress. As if things were really better before. If anything they're just as much of a threat to everyone as the Daofei. They're fundamentalists, no different than ISIS over in Iraq and Syria-"

"Okkayyyy, that's where you lost me," Maho stopped. "They're not exactly fundamentalists, but they resist change. They..probably..liked things the way they were and want to keep it that way, and as a result they don't want to join this 'big, scary, and powerful,' military empire that is here to absorb them into what they think is a gigantic machine. Even if they are horribly misguided."

"Still," Eunji continued, "Down with 'em all. We lost good people today. This was supposed to be a simple operation."

"Yeah…" Maho paused, she could hear screams in agony in the distance. She poked her out of the top of the turret. The soldiers around were just watching the smoke coming from he building they had battered. The resistance fighters, men and women, were frantically limping, running, and rolling about. It was the white phosphorus! The fragments of pieces of rock and metal burned at fifteen-hundred degrees fahrenheit, and would burn to the bone if someone got it on them. It wasn't impossible to get it off with earthbending, but extremely painful and required a highly skilled earthbender to do it quick enough with the least damage.

Maho watched with horror seeing the enemy suffer so. It was obvious quickly that the nearby soldiers weren't going to end this anytime soon either. She jumped on the MG42 once more and fired into the remaining crowd of surviving resistance. The stream of tracers, like lasers, cut down the remaining resistance and shred through the already gutted former house. She swept left and right with the gun until they were all finally put out of their misery.

Secured to the engine deck, still playing, the lyrics, "Burning burning burning and nothing to cool me," played out from the radio with rhythm as Elvis's "Burning Love" had began playing amid the battle.