- Location
- California
this mission isn't going to take the whole time btw. we'll be doing other things afterwards and before canon too.
Deep Red (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Thread starter kosm
- Start date
- Location
- Oblivion
Tracking down rebels is the work of months.
As noted, Akane's in the position of being Crown Princess which means people will listen to her, if only out of fear that she might become Fire Lord someday and order them reassigned to some miserable post in the middle of the ocean as revenge.
They're threatening the drill project. Which, importantly, is Qin's baby and therefore heading them off will buy favor with one of the most powerful figures in the Fire Nation. The rebels have some apparently competent strategist as well, so if we kill/capture him he might end up being notable enough of a figure to get some recognition as well.
Chapter 8: Never Sets (Part 2)
Sorry, it was another slow night. Just a lot of infodumps, basically. Thanks for reading! I'm trying to get to the more interesting stuff so I can pick up steam. I'm honestly probably just going to skip over this kind of filler and tactical information in the future because I'm not sure it actually adds much to the story as opposed to just having Akane learn it off screen and know relevant information when an actual vote comes up. Sorry! I hope that doesn't cause problems.
-----
You'll need to ask the Mayor about rebel activity in the region, but doing that in the middle of a public dinner would probably come across as if the Capital was harboring some ill will towards him after your last visit. You spend the dinner focusing on lighter topics - like how Kori's earthbending studies have progressed.
"It's been great! I've been making up lots of new moves!" Kori says excitedly. Her expression turns sheepish. "Maybe too many. Mom says I need to learn more about proper earthbending."
If you'd blinked, you would have missed the alarm that flashed across Mrs. Morishita's face.
"Not that we discourage her interest in studying firebending," she says quickly -
"Of course." You give them both a small smile. "Studying the foundations of your natural element is always a worthy pursuit. I'm sure that if you keep an open mind, studying either element will help you to learn more about both."
Sometimes you wonder whether it would be easier or harder to make conversation with people who didn't desperately want to impress you.
"As a matter of fact, there was a question I wanted to ask you both, Kori, Lady Morishita," you continue, struck by sudden inspiration. "I was doing a bit of bending research of my own in the capital, and I came across mention that one of the chakras related to bending has traditionally been known as the 'earth chakra'. I wondered if you might have some insight into its nature?"
Before you even finish your question, you can tell by their expressions they don't know. Kori looks to her mother in confusion, and Mrs. Morishita dabs her face with her napkin to try to hide her uncertainty. Mayor Morishita, still smiling jovially, takes a bite of his food and glances at his wife.
"It's a rather obscure philosophical concept," you offer. "I understand if you haven't encountered it."
"I'm afraid I haven't, your Highness," Mrs. Morishita says. She looks to her husband. "I believe the university has studied some of the beliefs of the Earth Kingdom...?"
It turns into a bit of a drawn-out affair; the president of the University of Yu Dao is actually at the dinner, at a seat way off towards the more unprestigious corner of the room. He ends up equal parts surprised, elated, and terrified when the Mayor introduces him to you after dinner, but unfortunately says that he isn't familiar with any work his scholars might have produced on beliefs related to chakras. He promises to look into it, but you're not especially hopeful.
The rest of the evening passes uneventfully enough; you and Mitsuko stick with Kori and smile at her pleasant rambling about earthbending and schoolwork and Pai Sho, and out of the corner of your eye you watch as the Mayor does his best to ingratiate himself to Hua. And once most of the guests have left, you get to work.
* * * * *
Commander Long is the leader of Yu Dao's garrison; you met briefly, last time you visited. He's a greying man, born in the colonies but firmly Fire Nation in descent. You, Hua, Mitsuko, and he spend most of the night in a meeting room together, poring over maps and records. You're actually rather impressed with him. He doesn't ask questions about where you're going or what your mission is, just provides as much information as you could ask for. Part of you wonders if he's always been this competent, or if everyone here is just doing their best to make your second impression of the city government better than the first.
He provides an insider's perspective on the region's situation. The region's forces are well-trained, and they're decently staffed - a contrast to some of the Fire Nation's other holdings. But Long believes the region doesn't have enough tanks; they only have a handful, but fortunately for you they're all in Gaipan. Long confirms what you know about the region's camps - there's only one, northwest of Gaipan - but he provides you with a bit of new information in the form of a rumor that the governor of Gaipan is starting to crack down on the natives in the town, and the prison camp's population may start to swell somewhat soon.
You ask him about rebel activity in the region, and his first reaction is to frown.
"The rebels here have gone to ground," he says. "We've been gradually rooting them out. There's been bandit activity farther east, though."
In the general direction of Gaipan. "And what would you say is the public perception of the rebels in the region?" you ask.
He doesn't hesitate before answering. You appreciate that.
"Here, and in the cities along the coast, the rebels have limited support. Our natives know better," he says. He traces his finger along the map. "Further east, the situation's different. You pass a line about here -" He points; it's a line to the west of Gaipan. "- and you get into settlements that've gone back and forth for decades, or that got taken for the first time ten years ago or less. Out there, it's safest to assume any native who hasn't worked with rebels before has at least thought about it."
He pauses, then taps on Gaipan. "Near Gaipan they've got this leader, Onyx. I don't want to presume, your Highness..."
"I'd appreciate your insight, Commander," you say. "Please, continue."
Long nods, frowning.
"The first report of him being in the area was about a month ago," he says. "And if it had been up to me, I would've crushed him with everything I had the minute I heard he was there." He looks up from the map, meeting your eyes. "If it's the same Onyx I've heard of, a friend of mine fought him two years back."
Hua's eyebrows go up, but she looks to you rather than interrupting. "Really?" you ask. "Is he an officer here?"
Long shakes his head. "He was killed a year ago," he says shortly. "But I heard about Onyx from him, and his unit. The ones who were left. It wasn't a pleasant story."
"What did they say about him? What makes him so dangerous?"
"It's not him on his own," Long says. "He's not a bender. It's what he does to the natives."
"To the natives?" you ask. "Not to our people?"
"Oh, he kills our people, sure," Long says. "What he does to the natives, though..."
He shakes his head, frowning down at the map.
"This isn't a civilized land, Princess," he tells you. "The people here... there's a savage side to them. You can train them not to show it, but deep down... they've all got it. And the right leader can bring it out. That's what Onyx is. There's something he lets loose in these people. I don't know how he does it - Shen never understood it. But, somehow, he knows how to make even the best natives turn into monsters. By the time he's done with them, they're savages - practically ready to kill and eat whoever looks at them the wrong way. The man has to be stopped."
It's quiet after he finishes. Hua meets your eyes, her expression calculating - you imagine she's trying to decide where tall tales end and reality begins, like you are.
"I'll certainly keep your recommendation in mind," you tell him.
He nods. "Someone's got to stop him. Before it's too late."
Scary stories aside, Long does provide one thing that may prove eminently useful.
"You say she can track anyone?" you ask. "How?"
"She's got this rare animal called a shirshu," Long begins.
"A tame shirshu?" you ask. He gives you a surprised look.
"You've heard of them?"
Well they're only the best hunters in the world, with a sense of smell that's arguably supernatural - scientists have never observed them to lose their prey, even under the most disadvantageous circumstances and the longest imaginable chases - and they have incredibly effective fast-acting paralytic venom and endurance and speed easily comparable to or greater than that of an ostrich horse and intelligence far beyond them - a collection of traits that makes them probably the most desirable mounts and almost certainly the most fantastically-effective predators in existence, to the point where you're frankly surprised they haven't spread across the entire Earth Kingdom and outbred and devoured all competing forms of life, while also making them so ridiculously difficult to capture and tame that there isn't a single one in any of the zoos or circuses in the homeland Fire Nation, at all, anywhere, and there hasn't been since twenty-four years before you were born.
"I believe I read about them once when I was a child," you say. "Please, go on. This June has a tame shirshu?"
"She does." Long hands you a file on the bounty hunter - there's a drawing of the shirshu on the second page. And a portrait of a woman's face - feminine and young, perhaps Hua's age. She has none of the scars you might expect a bounty hunter to have, at least not in the illustration. Her hair is in a topknot - is she from the Fire Nation? "She's expensive, but she's the best tracker I've ever heard of. And she's a local - grew up in the Earth Kingdom, knows the land - including the parts we don't control yet. Mixed, I think, but smart. I know she's worked for the Earth Kingdom before, but from what I've heard she's never been less than professional on a contract for us. If you need a local guide or hunter, she's who I'd recommend."
A shirshu - and a bounty hunter who has one tamed - would be perfect for hunting down Onyx. Maybe Long's guessed what sort of mission you're on. Either way, it could be useful.
You look to Hua and Mitsuko. Mitsuko has a bit of a smile on her face, but Hua doesn't seem to share your enthusiasm. "I'm sorry," Hua says. "I'm not familiar with shirshus."
"They're very good tracking animals," Mitsuko says, still smiling slightly. "Scientists have never observed them to lose their prey, even over incredibly long distances. There aren't any tame shirshus in the entire homeland."
Yes, exactly. "Quite," you say, nodding. "It's a potential asset we'll need to keep in mind. Thank you, Commander Long."
"It is an honor to serve, your Highness."
Is there anything else you should ask about?
-----
Okay, I opened up a write-in box for questions after that, but honestly I probably won't do much with most questions in there because these sections where I offer write-ins for like random questions to ask usually end up dragging on much longer than just me giving the info I consider relevant when and where I want to give it. Sorry DX Just something that I think might work better in the future, because I don't really like these filler sections and I'm sure they're boring to read too. Thanks for reading anyways! We'll move forward more next week.
-----
You'll need to ask the Mayor about rebel activity in the region, but doing that in the middle of a public dinner would probably come across as if the Capital was harboring some ill will towards him after your last visit. You spend the dinner focusing on lighter topics - like how Kori's earthbending studies have progressed.
"It's been great! I've been making up lots of new moves!" Kori says excitedly. Her expression turns sheepish. "Maybe too many. Mom says I need to learn more about proper earthbending."
If you'd blinked, you would have missed the alarm that flashed across Mrs. Morishita's face.
"Not that we discourage her interest in studying firebending," she says quickly -
"Of course." You give them both a small smile. "Studying the foundations of your natural element is always a worthy pursuit. I'm sure that if you keep an open mind, studying either element will help you to learn more about both."
Sometimes you wonder whether it would be easier or harder to make conversation with people who didn't desperately want to impress you.
"As a matter of fact, there was a question I wanted to ask you both, Kori, Lady Morishita," you continue, struck by sudden inspiration. "I was doing a bit of bending research of my own in the capital, and I came across mention that one of the chakras related to bending has traditionally been known as the 'earth chakra'. I wondered if you might have some insight into its nature?"
Before you even finish your question, you can tell by their expressions they don't know. Kori looks to her mother in confusion, and Mrs. Morishita dabs her face with her napkin to try to hide her uncertainty. Mayor Morishita, still smiling jovially, takes a bite of his food and glances at his wife.
"It's a rather obscure philosophical concept," you offer. "I understand if you haven't encountered it."
"I'm afraid I haven't, your Highness," Mrs. Morishita says. She looks to her husband. "I believe the university has studied some of the beliefs of the Earth Kingdom...?"
It turns into a bit of a drawn-out affair; the president of the University of Yu Dao is actually at the dinner, at a seat way off towards the more unprestigious corner of the room. He ends up equal parts surprised, elated, and terrified when the Mayor introduces him to you after dinner, but unfortunately says that he isn't familiar with any work his scholars might have produced on beliefs related to chakras. He promises to look into it, but you're not especially hopeful.
The rest of the evening passes uneventfully enough; you and Mitsuko stick with Kori and smile at her pleasant rambling about earthbending and schoolwork and Pai Sho, and out of the corner of your eye you watch as the Mayor does his best to ingratiate himself to Hua. And once most of the guests have left, you get to work.
* * * * *
Commander Long is the leader of Yu Dao's garrison; you met briefly, last time you visited. He's a greying man, born in the colonies but firmly Fire Nation in descent. You, Hua, Mitsuko, and he spend most of the night in a meeting room together, poring over maps and records. You're actually rather impressed with him. He doesn't ask questions about where you're going or what your mission is, just provides as much information as you could ask for. Part of you wonders if he's always been this competent, or if everyone here is just doing their best to make your second impression of the city government better than the first.
He provides an insider's perspective on the region's situation. The region's forces are well-trained, and they're decently staffed - a contrast to some of the Fire Nation's other holdings. But Long believes the region doesn't have enough tanks; they only have a handful, but fortunately for you they're all in Gaipan. Long confirms what you know about the region's camps - there's only one, northwest of Gaipan - but he provides you with a bit of new information in the form of a rumor that the governor of Gaipan is starting to crack down on the natives in the town, and the prison camp's population may start to swell somewhat soon.
You ask him about rebel activity in the region, and his first reaction is to frown.
"The rebels here have gone to ground," he says. "We've been gradually rooting them out. There's been bandit activity farther east, though."
In the general direction of Gaipan. "And what would you say is the public perception of the rebels in the region?" you ask.
He doesn't hesitate before answering. You appreciate that.
"Here, and in the cities along the coast, the rebels have limited support. Our natives know better," he says. He traces his finger along the map. "Further east, the situation's different. You pass a line about here -" He points; it's a line to the west of Gaipan. "- and you get into settlements that've gone back and forth for decades, or that got taken for the first time ten years ago or less. Out there, it's safest to assume any native who hasn't worked with rebels before has at least thought about it."
He pauses, then taps on Gaipan. "Near Gaipan they've got this leader, Onyx. I don't want to presume, your Highness..."
"I'd appreciate your insight, Commander," you say. "Please, continue."
Long nods, frowning.
"The first report of him being in the area was about a month ago," he says. "And if it had been up to me, I would've crushed him with everything I had the minute I heard he was there." He looks up from the map, meeting your eyes. "If it's the same Onyx I've heard of, a friend of mine fought him two years back."
Hua's eyebrows go up, but she looks to you rather than interrupting. "Really?" you ask. "Is he an officer here?"
Long shakes his head. "He was killed a year ago," he says shortly. "But I heard about Onyx from him, and his unit. The ones who were left. It wasn't a pleasant story."
"What did they say about him? What makes him so dangerous?"
"It's not him on his own," Long says. "He's not a bender. It's what he does to the natives."
"To the natives?" you ask. "Not to our people?"
"Oh, he kills our people, sure," Long says. "What he does to the natives, though..."
He shakes his head, frowning down at the map.
"This isn't a civilized land, Princess," he tells you. "The people here... there's a savage side to them. You can train them not to show it, but deep down... they've all got it. And the right leader can bring it out. That's what Onyx is. There's something he lets loose in these people. I don't know how he does it - Shen never understood it. But, somehow, he knows how to make even the best natives turn into monsters. By the time he's done with them, they're savages - practically ready to kill and eat whoever looks at them the wrong way. The man has to be stopped."
It's quiet after he finishes. Hua meets your eyes, her expression calculating - you imagine she's trying to decide where tall tales end and reality begins, like you are.
"I'll certainly keep your recommendation in mind," you tell him.
He nods. "Someone's got to stop him. Before it's too late."
Scary stories aside, Long does provide one thing that may prove eminently useful.
"You say she can track anyone?" you ask. "How?"
"She's got this rare animal called a shirshu," Long begins.
"A tame shirshu?" you ask. He gives you a surprised look.
"You've heard of them?"
Well they're only the best hunters in the world, with a sense of smell that's arguably supernatural - scientists have never observed them to lose their prey, even under the most disadvantageous circumstances and the longest imaginable chases - and they have incredibly effective fast-acting paralytic venom and endurance and speed easily comparable to or greater than that of an ostrich horse and intelligence far beyond them - a collection of traits that makes them probably the most desirable mounts and almost certainly the most fantastically-effective predators in existence, to the point where you're frankly surprised they haven't spread across the entire Earth Kingdom and outbred and devoured all competing forms of life, while also making them so ridiculously difficult to capture and tame that there isn't a single one in any of the zoos or circuses in the homeland Fire Nation, at all, anywhere, and there hasn't been since twenty-four years before you were born.
"I believe I read about them once when I was a child," you say. "Please, go on. This June has a tame shirshu?"
"She does." Long hands you a file on the bounty hunter - there's a drawing of the shirshu on the second page. And a portrait of a woman's face - feminine and young, perhaps Hua's age. She has none of the scars you might expect a bounty hunter to have, at least not in the illustration. Her hair is in a topknot - is she from the Fire Nation? "She's expensive, but she's the best tracker I've ever heard of. And she's a local - grew up in the Earth Kingdom, knows the land - including the parts we don't control yet. Mixed, I think, but smart. I know she's worked for the Earth Kingdom before, but from what I've heard she's never been less than professional on a contract for us. If you need a local guide or hunter, she's who I'd recommend."
A shirshu - and a bounty hunter who has one tamed - would be perfect for hunting down Onyx. Maybe Long's guessed what sort of mission you're on. Either way, it could be useful.
You look to Hua and Mitsuko. Mitsuko has a bit of a smile on her face, but Hua doesn't seem to share your enthusiasm. "I'm sorry," Hua says. "I'm not familiar with shirshus."
"They're very good tracking animals," Mitsuko says, still smiling slightly. "Scientists have never observed them to lose their prey, even over incredibly long distances. There aren't any tame shirshus in the entire homeland."
Yes, exactly. "Quite," you say, nodding. "It's a potential asset we'll need to keep in mind. Thank you, Commander Long."
"It is an honor to serve, your Highness."
Is there anything else you should ask about?
-----
Okay, I opened up a write-in box for questions after that, but honestly I probably won't do much with most questions in there because these sections where I offer write-ins for like random questions to ask usually end up dragging on much longer than just me giving the info I consider relevant when and where I want to give it. Sorry DX Just something that I think might work better in the future, because I don't really like these filler sections and I'm sure they're boring to read too. Thanks for reading anyways! We'll move forward more next week.
Takareer
Words and feathers
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Perhaps I missed June's original mention, but it seems like this "she" came out of nowhere (in relation to the preceding conversation)?
- Location
- Oblivion
Stripped of the propaganda this means he's highly competent, good at training his men, and inspiring enough that his people are willing to die for him.
- Location
- Somewhere with a Thousand Watchful Eyes
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Surprisingly adorable. Does she have a stuffed shirshu?
Or that he brainwashes them into unstable berserkers to throw at the For Nation. Or breaks them into psychotic messes and pretty much suicidally lashes out at everything and everyone, just being barely aimed. Or just goes for a heavy desensitization course and get them ready to commit atrocities against the FN.
Part of the problem with the prejudice is exactly that it becomes harder to actually judge the situation and any report collected is inevitably biased.
Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
We don't quite know if he can do so to anyone just yet, that part could just be rumor distorting the truth. Although we can assume that he is skilled at locating individuals who are susceptible to his methods, likely people like Jet and his group, whom he can radicalize into more troops for hims group. This is likely not helped by things like our Father's policies that make easy sources of material for Onyx to use in his processes.
Still with the Bounty Hunter as a possible asset we should probably focus on acquiring his scent so that we might make use of her to lead us to wherever he is based and cut the head off of the beast. Once that is done the rebel cells would likely scatter and go to ground, but without their leader they'll be divided allowing us to mop them up piecemeal.
Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
Haha, lol.
The Earth chakra is in the nethers, just so you know. I wonder: how will the scholar present this information to the princess if he figures it out before she leaves Yu Dao.
Edit: oops
My bad. Earth Chakra is the base of spine
Water is in the nethers
The journey of amazing discovery and new insights about anatomy is still ahead.
The Earth chakra is in the nethers, just so you know. I wonder: how will the scholar present this information to the princess if he figures it out before she leaves Yu Dao.
Edit: oops
My bad. Earth Chakra is the base of spine
Water is in the nethers
The journey of amazing discovery and new insights about anatomy is still ahead.
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WinterLantern
Smoked bird
- Location
- North England
Woot June would be a really useful retainer, and we should certainly have the dollar to keep her on the payroll. Hunting down rebels just got way easier
- Location
- California
A prison camp for civvies, where the governor is "cracking down" on the residents. I'll wait for more details I guess, but this is a bit more evil than was described in canon.
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WinterLantern
Smoked bird
- Location
- North England
Think it's more government than the governor.
- Location
- Oblivion
I doubt Akane has the personal funds necessary to keep June on retainer for any significant length of time given how high her prices were suggested to be.
Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
That depends.
Some mercenaries would prefer to form a long-standing contract with one employer, on the account of earning more money over time while doing comparably less.
Of course, in the war-torn Earth Kingdom it could in fact be a seller's market and June racks up dough like it's going out of style.
What I'm saying is there's some room for negotiation depending on how often June finds a contract and how often it meets her price.
RoninSword
Sky God
- Location
- Canada
When Zuko and Uncle were negotiating with her, there opening bid was her weight in gold. her response was to make it Uncle's weight. Now, I think she upped the price because she wanted to mess with Zuko, but that is the ball park she charges at. If she knows its royalty who wants to hire her, she may even up the price more as well, because why not.
Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
How many people would be able to pay her weight in gold, much less Iroh's?
Fire Royal family
Maybe a couple of Earth kings
And that's all
So yeah, she's probably milked it for all it's worth and this was not in fact her usual fee. Otherwise, she would have gone out of business long time before meeting Zuko.
And if she's unreasonable, well it's not like Akane really needs her anyway.
Inb4 she charges Akane's weight in gold implying she weighs more than June does and Akane has to restrain Mitsuko from brutally murdering her for calling her girlfriend fat.
- Location
- Oblivion
Given the existence of Earthbenders, gold is going to be a lot more common in the Earth Kingdom then it is in the Fire Nation.
Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
But Toph is the first metalbender though?
Tyran
Blatant Product Placement (pro bono)
It is much easier to mine something when you can simply will the earth apart.
This is true, but there are problems that arise - namely that not all Earthbenders can be mining all the time, most benders are actually much weaker than what we imagine - i.e our main experience with earthbenders is toph, aang, bumi, dai li - and that overreliance on bending will hurt their ability to use what they get out of the ground. By which I mean that they won't learn how to properly refine/purify.
And consequently, worth less due to inflation.
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- Location
- Apocrypha
Is that a hint of Heart of Darkness that I see there?
"The horror... the horror..."
- Location
- Site 19A4
"Do you feel like a hero yet?"