"What if the debris from the wall blocks the advance of our troops when they try to get to the breach? It's not as if we're going to have a nice, unobstructed path left after this explosion we are planning."
Standing in the war room of the Fire Nation forward staging area, Xisheng listened to the concerns of a number of men that were crucial to the planning of his operation: currently codenamed 'Wallclimber'. A map of Ba Sing Se sat on the square steel table before them all, which allowed everyone to lean in and point when necessary. In the five days since Xisheng had first raised his plan of attack, the map had been marked several times: red x marks denoted the locations of the wall to be assaulted. Small flags on pedestals denoted the various troops that would be participating, and the formations they would take. Black arrows indicated which formations would move where when the time came to advance. All in all, a lot of details had been ironed out.
But there was still a great deal to discuss before the assault could be finalized. To Xisheng's right stood the man who had raised a concern about the debris leftover from the wall, Major Shairo. Black mustache and goatee, slightly graying near the tips as he approached his mid-40s. His hair was bound in an immaculate topknot, but all it did was reveal his constantly severe expression. This was one of the men who had been very vocal about his disagreement with Xisheng's command during the initial meeting, but the young commander had brought him into the ring of advisors for a reason. Shairo was one of the highest ranking officers on the base who still directly led troops into battle regularly. He had decades of combat experience, and the rank and file massively respected him. He was an antagonistic sort, but Xisheng knew his input was valuable.
To Xisheng's left was the chief engineer on the base, a man balding before his time, but making up for it with a full mustache and beard that took up half of his face. Chief Engineer Muzai, who had by now fully endorsed Xisheng's strategy, mostly just out of academic curiosity. Xisheng got the feeling that Muzai, professionally educated as he was, was still willing to try the absurd just for the sake of seeing what would happen. Well, it was the curious types who tended to enter such professions.
Stroking his long and slightly frazzled black beard, Muzai kept his golden gaze on the map before him. "It's also possible that the opposite could occur. If the explosion is too large, it could create a large crater that will be difficult for our troops to traverse at any decent pace. If the walls of that crater are too steep, it may be impossible to get past it at all, aside from our tanks."
Xisheng kept his green and blue gaze on the map as well, ignoring the hustle and bustle of lower-ranked officers in the war room handling other affairs around him. "This is an understandable concern. I'm hoping the Earthbenders we gather to our force will be able to mitigate these potential problems. I have every intention of having them integrated with our assault force, so they should be able to help clear debris out of the way or create an easier path in the case of a crater."
Major Shairo's dull amber eyes narrowed in Xisheng's direction. "You are placing a great deal of weight on the shoulders of Earthbenders for this battle, Commander. In fact, everything here is dependent on some Mudslingers, all of whom have questionable training and loyalty... you're putting the lives of loyal Fire Nation troops in their hands."
Xisheng refrained from immediately belittling Shairo's notion. It was biased and shortsighted, but also understandable. The Major had been fighting against Earthbenders for more than twenty years. He had probably seen many friends and comrades die at their hands. It was unlikely he had ever met an Earthbender that wasn't a foe. So it made sense that he distrusted them.
"I understand your concern, Major. But the reality is, we cannot get through this wall without Earthbenders. At least, not with the means available to our nation now. Any other option would cost far more lives. Besides, I don't plan on blindly trusting every Earthbender that comes our way to allegedly help. We will treat the incoming reinforcements with great scrutiny, and take measures to ensure they are properly prepared to fight alongside us. We're not accepting them as they are, we're accepting them into our ranks to mold them into the force we need."
Shairo did not seem satisfied with this answer, but he didn't say anything else. Maybe he knew there was no point. The entirety of this plan hinged on Earthbender support, and Xisheng did not seem likely to change the strategy now.
Ignoring the discourse about the Earthbenders entirely, Muzai muttered something to himself. "In the case of a crater, perhaps the Earthbenders could just make flat bridges over the gap? That would be quick and efficient..."
Xisheng was about to agree with this assessment, but he was cut off before he could by the approach of a young soldier with close shaved black hair and a small topknot. The approaching young man was Xisheng's adjutant: a fresh-faced recruit named Shinji, who had been assigned to assist Xisheng with any miscellaneous matters, such as the transfer of messages, the acquisition of requested materials, and the like.
When Shinji arrived next to Xisheng, he bowed deeply. "Commander, sir! Logistics Officer Aranai has requested me to inform you that the first wave of Yu Dao's Home Guard Regiment has arrived at camp, sir!"
Honestly, it was a bit awkward having someone bow so reverently to a young officer like Xisheng. He'd tried to tell the boy already that such devout reverence was unnecessary, but apparently, that had not stuck with Shinji. Xisheng could tell that his junior held immense admiration and respect for him, even though they had only recently met. Perhaps a recruit straight out of training camp was mesmerized by the fact that a soldier barely older than he was had been appointed the commander of such an important siege. It probably gave him all sorts of fantastical hopes for his own career. Xisheng didn't have the heart to tell him that nepotism from Azula had played a bigger role in his appointment than any actual merit. Not to say he had no merit, but a few good ideas from a Lieutenant would not have earned him a position commanding this battle without Azula's blessing.
"Thank you, Shinji. Gentlemen, I must go take stock of our new arrivals. I will return soon."
Neither Muzai nor Shairo bowed in a manner similar to Shinji, though they did salute his exit, simply because military decorum dictated that they should. As Xisheng moved out of the war room, Shinji followed slightly behind him. Being his adjutant and all, he was supposed to be at Xisheng's beck and call. Honestly, having someone like that at his disposal felt immensely odd for Xisheng. He was used to being the subordinate, not having one himself.
"Commander, Major Shairo glared at you as you left."
Xisheng cocked an eyebrow, curious as to why Shinji felt the need to point this out. The young man was very talkative, not at all as reserved as most grunts when in the presence of high-ranking officers. Maybe he believed there was some sort of kindred spirit between him and Xisheng. As far as Xisheng knew, the practically baby-faced boy at his side was only around two years younger than him.
Quietly, Xisheng acknowledged that Azula was around that age too, which really drove home how far beyond her age she was. Azula and Shinji felt nothing alike in terms of maturity. Xisheng could picture Azula on a battlefield easily, but Shinji seemed like someone who should have still been helping his parents with chores, not trying to kill someone else in a war.
"Major Shairo's distaste is known to me, Shinji. He's entitled to his own perceptions."
"Yes, well... I hope you know that a lot of us young guys are behind you, sir! It's a great change of pace to have someone who understands us better leading the charge for once."
Xisheng neglected to mention that age didn't really make them that similar to one another. Although, he supposed he may have been a lot like Shinji in the past. He'd joined the military at a similar age, and was eager to please his superiors too. Only time and battle had changed him into the person he was today.
"I appreciate the support, but don't think too badly of Major Shairo. He's seen far more battles than I, and no matter how disagreeable he may be, he's on our side."
Perhaps fearing that he had offended his new superior, Shinji changed his tune immediately. "Of course, sir, very wise, sir!"
Xisheng smiled ruefully. Maybe he hadn't been quite like this at Shinji's age. Still, enthusiasm was not a bad thing in the slightest. Every army needed passionate people ready to give everything they could for the cause. Without them, things would never get anywhere.
Exiting the command center, Xisheng took a glance around the base. It was the same as before, what with the rows of nearly identical square metal buildings, the walls, and the watchtowers, but it was a lot busier than it had been just a few days ago. Preparations for Wallclimber were in full swing: transports were constantly chugging in and out of the gates, bringing in tools, materials, troops, and munitions. The foundries were going full blast, pumping black smoke into the cloudless sky as a byproduct of the weapons they were pushing out by the dozens. Soldiers with no specific orders were constantly performing exercises at the behest of their immediate superiors. The din of an army at work was an assault on the ears, but oddly comforting as well.
Looking over to the main gate, Xisheng eyed the several Overlord transports, extra cars attached, that had pulled into the base. Irregulars that were clearly not standard Fire Nation military were spilling out of them, clad in greens, reds, and combinations of both. There were lots of people working out kinks and cramps: they probably had no experience in riding in military transports. There were still more transports coming in, so Xisheng couldn't get an accurate read on how many people there were, but they were already numbering in the hundreds. That was reassuring.
The young Lieutenant turned Commander gestured at Shinji. "Go and see if you can find the leader or spokesperson for the division. Bring them to me. If you can't locate them or they don't have one, just come back and tell me."
Shinji bowed without any hesitation. "Right away, Commander!"
The young recruit hustled off immediately, leaving Xisheng alone for a moment to appraise things. The reinforcements from Yu Dao were completely non-uniform. Some were old and graying. Many were as young as himself or younger. There were more than a few that were clearly not in great shape. There were just as many women as there were men. They were the epitome of a militia: people willing to fight, but likely not trained in the art of war. Xisheng had no doubt that very few of them had ever been in a real battle... and now he was about to thrust them directly into one of the biggest of the war. Their lives hung in the balance created by his strategy. He had acknowledged this already, but the more personnel came pouring into the camp every day, the heavier the weight of that knowledge became for Xisheng.
After a few minutes, Shinji began making his way back towards Xisheng with someone entirely unexpected in tow. Xisheng wasn't sure who he had expected to be the representative for the reinforcements from Yu Dao, but it certainly hadn't been an individual like this. When the two arrived before Xisheng, Shinji swiftly bowed before gesturing towards the person he was escorting.
"Commander, this is the representative for the Yu Dao Home Guard Regiment."
Before Xisheng was a young woman that appeared to be around his age. A brunette with short hair, bangs parted to each side and held in a bow at the back by a red ribbon. Warm brown eyes not all that dissimilar to Ty Lee, though far sharper and more serious. That said, there was some other uncanny resemblances to Xisheng's acrobatic friend, not the least of which was the baring of toned midriff, showing unashamedly below a green shirt covered by a red shawl. Her black pants had a hammer and chain type weapon wrapped around her waist.
This peculiar individual immediately struck a traditional Fire Nation salute with a crispness even many soldiers failed to match. "Commander, my name is Kori Morishita. I represent the men and women of Yu Dao who have come to fight for their country. It is our honor to serve!"
Well, Xisheng hadn't been expecting someone like this, but he wasn't disappointed so far. Everyone else directly involved in his plans was a man, so it was a nice change of pace to have an attractive woman as part of the inner circle. Assuming Kori made it that far, of course. All she'd done was introduce herself. Xisheng still had to appraise her before he could figure out what role she'd play in all of this.
The first order of business was making a good impression on her. Right now, she was the face of the Yu Dao Earthbenders, whom were absolutely vital to Wallclimber. Xisheng needed them on his side in more ways than one. That was why he returned the representative's salute, which did seem to catch her off guard: she likely hadn't expected her gesture to be reciprocated. That usually didn't happen from superior to subordinate.
"The honor is mine, Kori Morishita. You and all of your comrades have my sincere gratitude for answering this call to arms, and on such short notice."
Having clearly expected a more taciturn and stoic exchange with an older commander, Kori's serious expression grew mildly more confused. "It's no problem at all, sir. We're happy to be here."
"That said, I hope you don't take offense to this, but you're the representative for the Yu Dao Home Guard Regiment? You're quite young."
Kori cocked an eyebrow at him, donning an amused smirk before stopping to consider if she was breaching decorum. "No offense, but so are you, sir."
Beside Xisheng, Shinji opened his mouth to likely accost Kori for speaking disrespectfully to a superior officer, but Xisheng cut him off with a raised arm in front of the recruit. He got the feeling that Shinji was the type to jump to the defense of his heroes, even if said heroes didn't need it.
"I can't deny that. But generally speaking, there are special circumstances that allow people our age to enter such positions despite it. So, I'm going to need to know more about you, Kori. Why do the warriors of Yu Dao trust you to speak on their behalf? I doubt there's no particular reason for it."
To this, Kori's expression grew a little sheepish. "Well, I am the daughter of Yu Dao's mayor, sir. I'm sure that plays some role in everyone's trust in me. But I swear it's more than that, Commander! I've been training to fight since I was a little girl. I've bested many of the members of the regiment in sparring, even the older ones. I was also one of the first citizens to push for a larger militia, and a proponent for more equal representation of earth and firebenders in our defense forces... I'm sorry, I'm not trying to brag. I just..."
Xisheng spoke up as Kori petered off. "Don't want me to look down on you and your comrades?"
Kori didn't directly respond to this, but the way she glanced at the ground was answer enough, which prompted Xisheng to continue.
"Don't worry. I understand your trepidation: this is the first time in decades a colonial element has been summoned to fight on the front lines of a major battle. Maybe even the first time since the war began. And even though Yu Dao is a well-established colony that is Fire Nation in every way that matters, there are still those from the homeland that see colonials as second-class citizens. And that's to say nothing about the disdain many Fire Nation citizens hold for Earthbenders in general. There are many misconceptions stacked against you and your friends, and you want to prove them all wrong. Right, Kori?"
Surprised that the young commander before her would put all of that into words, not to mention actually acknowledge any of it, Kori answered quietly. It was a little embarrassing to have all of that spelled out. Now she felt overeager.
"Yes, sir. That's all true."
Xisheng smiled, donning a reassuring air. He still didn't really know that much about this young woman, but if her motivations were to carve a place of respect and acknowledgment for the Earthbenders of Yu Dao in Fire Nation society, that was a good sign. They were motivated to prove themselves, meaning they'd be willing to do whatever it took. At least, to an extent.
"Don't feel ashamed of your motivations, Kori. I'm glad to have a fellow colonial with such drive at my side during times as trying as these. It's clear to me that you are deeply passionate about your home, and earning it the respect it deserves. I'm sure that's one of the biggest reasons your comrades follow your lead."
The mention of being a colonial himself seemed to ease Kori's trepidation a little, though Xisheng's other reassurances probably helped a lot as well. "Y-yes, sir, maybe that is so. The people of Yu Dao will give everything we have to prove our worth as Fire Nation citizens!"
"Excellent. And while we are discussing your comrades, I feel inclined to ask: are they all Earthbenders?"
Kori glanced back at her people. "No, sir. A great many of them are, myself included. But there are also many Firebenders and non-benders in the ranks of the Home Guard Regiment. But we're all willing to fight! Everyone will do the best they can!"
"Very well. For now, return to your comrades and help them get organized. I need an accurate measure of their strength: how many benders of each element there are, as well the number of non-benders. I will send an officer to help get your people situated here at the base and take note of your head count soon."
The young leader from Yu Dao made another salute, though she also bowed as well compared to the first time. It seemed that her respect for Xisheng had grown to some extent during this conversation.
"Right away, Commander! And thank you for giving us this chance. We won't let you down!"
With that, Kori turned on her heel and hustled back towards the continuously growing group of Yu Dao citizens, courtesy of more transports. Personality notwithstanding, she really did bear a striking resemblance to Ty Lee. Even as she left, Xisheng recalled the time he had watched his acrobat friend walking away from him and towards some Overlords. Kori had a similar figure, down to... well, down to what Xisheng had appreciated about Ty Lee at that time in the past.
...it would probably be best if he didn't think that way of the troops under his command.
"You're from the colonies, Commander?"
Xisheng returned his focus to the world around him thanks to Shinji's question. The young recruit was leveling a curious expression at him.
"Yes. West Heiatu, to be precise. Not quite as long established as Yu Dao, but a very old colony besides. How about you, Shinji?"
"M-me? Commander, surely you don't care where I'm from..."
Xisheng raised an eyebrow at him. "I asked, didn't I?"
Nervous even to have this much attention paid to him, Shinji took a deep breath. Really, Xisheng wondered how the young recruit could have taken such a shine to him already. He supposed his circumstances were particularly exceptional, but they didn't even really know each other. Than again, Xisheng acknowledged that most people didn't actually know their heroes.
"It's nothing special, sir. I'm from the capital back in the homeland."
"Lots of soldiers are. It's nothing to be ashamed about. Why'd you enlist? You're young enough that conscription wasn't mandatory yet, meaning you volunteered."
Shinji's nervous expression grew moderately more serious as he glanced in the direction Kori had gone. "I've got a little sister. Her name's On Ji. She's twelve, and still in school. That Morishita woman kind of reminds me of her, actually. Well, On Ji is nowhere near that cool, but they kind of look a little similar. A-anyway, On Ji is always talking about how she's going to enlist when she'd old enough and become a hero. I... would like the war to be over before that ever has a chance of happening. I know I barely make a difference, but if I can help the war end even one day sooner, that would be enough for me. I don't want my little sister to ever set foot on a battlefield."
Taking in the motivations of his adjutant, Xisheng placed a reassuring hand on Shinji's soldier. "There's no cause more admirable than protecting your loved ones, Shinji. I too want this war to be over as soon as possible. That's why I need everyone's help to make it happen. We'll end all of this long before your sister ever has to worry about it: even if she will be a little disappointed. Come, there's still a lot to attend to today."
With a smile that proved how awestruck he was to be reassured by his superior officer in such a way, Shinji fell in behind Xisheng as the newly minted Commander began walking back towards the commander center.
"Yes, sir!"
---
Many hours later, Xisheng sat in a new room that had been provided for him after his sudden promotion to Acting Commander. The new quarters were far nicer than his previous one, with candlelit tapestries, a floor with actual rugs, a far comfier bed, and real windows to the outside. It was a room at the very top of the command center: one that probably belonged to Qin up until his recent eviction.
Gone were all of the War Minister's old belongings, but Xisheng hadn't possessed a whole lot to replace them with. Honestly, the whole concept of personal belongings had been a bit foreign to him since embarking on this quest with Azula all that time ago. Aside from his armor and a few clothes, he had nothing really to his name at this moment. But he had found some items to fill the space with: currently, a lot of maps and reports that covered the wooden table in the center of the room. As for the chairs, they were occupied by two of his friends, whom he'd invited. Azula was absent, supposedly because she had some matters to take care of. Like Xisheng, she was often busy, which was promptly pointed out by Mai, whom had an arm over the back of her chair and one leg over the other.
"So, this is the only time you really have to yourself these days, huh? I'm surprised that new flunky of yours doesn't keep you company even in here."
Though he had invited Mai and Ty Lee to the room to talk, Xisheng still had his gaze fixed on the maps and reports on the table before him, lit by some candles on said table. Besides, he was still listening to them.
"Shinji's a bit starry-eyed, but he's got a good spirit. He's been very helpful."
Mai scoffed. "A bit? The way that kid looks at you, it's like you've taken Ba Sing Se already. You'd think he was admiring a hero from a fairy tale."
On the other end of the table, head resting in her arms, Ty Lee smiled. "Maybe he's just the first of many to realize how amazing Gohan really is. I mean, you're younger than almost every other officer on the base, and you get to tell them all what to do. I bet Azula's very proud."
With a rueful smile of his own, Xisheng traded one scrap of paper before him for another. "I appreciate the support, Ty Lee. But everyone should probably wait to praise me until after Wallclimber works. If it works..."
Seeing a small amount of doubt creep into Xisheng's features, Ty Lee tried to reassure him. "It'll totally work. You've put a lot of thought into it. And you even said that all of the other people you talked to agreed that it was possible. By the way, why is it called 'Wallclimber' anyway? Isn't that like, the exact opposite of what you're trying to do?"
"Just in case the enemy gets wind of it. Short of any specific details, the name of the operation could hint at what we are planning to do. Better to give it a misleading name rather than an accurate one, just in case rumors reach the ears of the enemy."
Mai folded her arms as she contemplated this answer. "How would they even hear a rumor? It's not like we have people moving between this base and Ba Sing Se. Unless you're worried about spies?"
Xisheng raised his gaze from the table to look directly at the girl to his side. "We've brought in hundreds of new people from across the continent today, and there are still more to come. It's true that census records and paperwork have identified most of our reinforcements before they were brought here, but that doesn't mean too much. Someone who has lived a completely ordinary life in Yu Dao could be an Earth Kingdom sympathizer. Someone from a different colony could be an embedded agent. Or, for all we know, some Earth Kingdom agents infiltrated the convoy while it was on its way here. Hundreds to thousands of people are being moved. Even with records, the presence of one more could easily go unnoticed. All I'm saying is, the presence of spies is a distinct possibility that cannot be ruled out. That's why explicit details about the strategy are being kept to select individuals. If the enemy knows what we are up to before we begin, casualties will be enormous. In fact, I'm thinking of allowing some misleading rumors about the battle plan to circulate around the camp. Just to throw off any prying ears."
Ty Lee glanced down at the reports on the table in front of her, but most of it made no sense to her. "You're so smart, Gohan. You really think of everything."
"We'll see how true that is as things progress. But thank you."
The room grew quiet for a moment, as the trio of friends found themselves unsure of what to talk about next. The truth was, they hadn't gotten a lot of time together lately, thanks to Xisheng's new responsibilities. And the things that Xisheng had to deal with now were often out of Mai and Ty Lee's wheelhouse. It certainly wasn't anything that they could relate to. It was a real shame that he had grown so busy: they hadn't been able to do any of the things they normally did, like eat together or train, for the past few days. Both girls found themselves displeased with that notion.
That was why they were eager to try and find something to talk about, even if they weren't that well-versed in it. Mai took a shot with it first.
"I heard that most of the Earthbenders coming into camp are colonials. Any of them from your hometown, Gohan?"
"West Heiatu? I don't think so. It's a colony only a little smaller than Yu Dao, but it's also farther away from our position. We probably won't see any reinforcements from there for a few more days."
Mai sighed in response to this. "A few more days? Just how long is this all going to take? It sounds like we'll be spending months just getting ready to attack the wall."
Xisheng merely shrugged. "Sorry, Mai. But thorough preparations is the most important aspect of our success. Honestly, if this headcount from Kori is to be believed, Wallclimber could probably be pulled off with just the Earthbenders who came from Yu Dao, but I'd rather not take the risk."
As for Ty Lee, she focused on the least relevant detail of that entire assessment. "Who's Kori?"
"Oh, she's the leader of the Yu Dao Home Regiment that came in today. Or at least, their representative. A lot younger than I expected. Mayor's daughter. Reminds me a lot of you, actually."
The brunette at the table donned a curious expression. "How so?"
"A couple of ways. Her hair and eye color isn't too far off from yours. And she's got an athletic build too. Tall, slim... she looks like the type of person who might be pretty acrobatic herself. She also shares your penchant for baring the stomach."
Ty Lee frowned for a moment. "Sounds like you were paying a lot of attention to her body, Gohan."
The young Acting Commander looked at Ty Lee with a rueful gaze. "People tend to take in a person's full appearance when they first meet them, Ty Lee."
"Pssh, OK. I'm prettier than her though, right?"
"Of course you are."
"You said that so quickly that I'm not inclined to believe you."
Amused that she was so bothered by this, Xisheng put down the report he was reading. "Seriously, Ty Lee. You're-"
Xisheng was interrupted before he could finish by a knocking on the door to the room. In the past, the young officer would have been curious, but with his new position, he was becoming accustomed to people visiting him at odd hours. After all, there were plenty of reasons someone might have needed to speak to him.
"Enter."
With permission granted, a masked soldier stepped into the room and saluted. "Forgive my intrusion, sir. There's a matter that needs your attention."
Xisheng lowered the report he had been looking at. "Could I get a bit more detail on what this matter entails?"
"There's been a confrontation between some of the soldiers on the base and the colonial reinforcements in the mess hall. A sergeant in the immediate vicinity tried to get it sorted, but it seems like the colonials are unhappy with the resolution. They're demanding to speak to someone higher up."
With a sigh, Xisheng rose from the table. He had expected some friction between these two groups, but he hadn't expected it to escalate to this level on the first day. "Very well."
He glanced over at Mai and Ty Lee. "You two want to come with me?"
To this, Mai shrugged. "Well, it's more interesting than just sitting here, I suppose..."
Ty Lee decided to take Mai's lead, so the two girls followed Xisheng out of the room, who was likewise led to the mess hall by the soldier that had come to summon him. Really, mediating this dispute should have fallen to someone else, but Xisheng imagined that the conflict resolution going on wasn't exactly impartial. He had a good guess as to what he would stumble upon when he arrived.
The mess hall was one of many rectangular structures on the base, though a bit more elongated than the others. The inside was basically one big room, serving little purpose but to hold as many tables and chairs as possible, to feed as many troops in one place as it could. Only a kitchen area in the back broke up the uniformity. That said, there was plenty to pay attention to in regards to the people around.
A large group of people were gathered in the center of the hall, though roughly divided. On the left side, an obvious group of Fire Nation soldiers, all in uniform or at least in the clothes often worn under the armor. On the right, a significantly smaller group of people that were obviously from Yu Dao, made clear by their combination of green and red clothing. There was a lot of glaring going on between the two groups, along with a few nasty words getting thrown around. There were a few soldiers scattered around the hall, clearly attempting to mind their own business.
As Xisheng approached, a sergeant with a finely trimmed mustache stepped forward to meet him. "Am I right in assuming that you are an officer, sir?"
Xisheng was not surprised to go unidentified by the man: even though he had been appointed Acting Commander by Azula, only high-ranking officers had been present for that announcement. Most of the rank and file were unaware of their new leadership. Only direct subordinates of the higher-ranking officers had already picked up on the identity of their overarching commander at this point. There was probably going to be a big speech to the troops at some point to cement his authority, but Xisheng hadn't gotten around to it yet.
"I am the Acting Commander for all forces on this base. What's going on here?"
Xisheng earned a cocked eyebrow for his troubles. That too, was not surprising. He was at least a decade younger than the sergeant he was talking to. He was younger than even many of the grunts around here. It was likely difficult for people to accept his statement of authority at face value. That said, Xisheng did bear a golden right shoulder pauldron that identified him as a rank of at least Colonel or higher, courtesy of the young man's gradual wardrobe change over the past few days. He was mostly still wearing his old armor, but he was slowly getting new additions to help identify him in situations like these. Plus, a lot of his old armor had been damaged and in need of replacement anyway.
Point being, whether or not the sergeant was incredulous, the much younger man before him had the right identification to warrant answering to. Whether or not he was the acting commander of the whole base, he was at least a high enough rank to defer to in this situation. That was all he had to worry about.
"Just a small altercation between our men and the newcomers, sir. I tried to handle the situation, but the colonials aren't happy with my decision. Unfortunately, I'm unsure if I have authority over them, so I can't deal with their insubordination directly."
Someone with pretty good hearing stepped out from the Yu Dao group: a somewhat portly young man with black hair down to his shoulders and topped by a messy bun. He had round eyes, and large lips to go along with a pretty huge nose. His green clothes were topped off with some sort of red fur scarf. Whoever he was, he was shouting angrily before anyone could stop him. "That's because your solution was for us to just shut up and accept this! That ashmaker over there attacked my girlfriend! She's been hurt! We oughta-!"
Before he could continue, a hand appeared on his arm from behind, and Kori Morishita stepped up next to him, looking very worried. "Sneers, enough! Don't make a scene!"
Xisheng cocked an eyebrow, unsure if he had heard the name of this man correctly. Maybe it was just a nickname. At any rate, Xisheng wasn't able to get a word in edgewise before a soldier with a square jaw from the other side of the group spoke up.
"That's her fault for getting in the way. I was aiming for you, fatso!"
Sneers glared towards the man, clearly about to say something back, but Xisheng raised his voice to silence everyone. "Enough! Where is this injured girl?"
No one was forthcoming. Instead, Kori bowed deeply to him. "Please, Commander, don't trouble yourself with this. I'll accept responsibility for this altercation. The suffered injury is minor..."
Sneers didn't seem to agree with this at all. "You don't know if it's minor, Kori! You haven't had anyone who knows what they are talking about look at it!"
Xisheng got the feeling that Sneers was identifying Kori as the injured individual, but that didn't seem right...
"Kori, you're the one who was injured?"
The brunette girl clutched at her forearm, which Xisheng now noticed as having a cloth wrapped around it somewhat haphazardly. "Y-yes, but as I said, it's nothing. Pay no mind to Sneers, he's blowing it out of proportion."
Sneers started saying something to Kori about how she shouldn't have been trying to accept blame for anything, but Xisheng didn't hear it. He was too busy looking back and forth between the two of them. Sneers had said that his girlfriend had been the one injured, right? Kori was the one who was injured. So Kori was his girlfriend, right? That was kind of hard to believe, at first. Kori was very good-looking, tall, and fit. Sneers was... well, even being kind, he was a far cry from what one would consider conventionally attractive.
But, well, there was a lot more to relationships than looks, even though those were important. Maybe they had shared passions, or a similar sense of humor, or a common dream. Or maybe it was something less romantic. Sometimes people got together for money or just good sex. Really, it wasn't any of Xisheng's business, even if he did find himself curious.
At any rate, he had to get a handle on this situation. Relations between the people from Yu Dao and the regular army was absolutely vital to Xisheng's strategy.
"I'll be the judge of how serious this situation is. I want to hear what happened from you, Kori."
Naturally, Xisheng would take more than one perspective in, since it was better to get multiple sides presented to him before making a judgment call. But based on his perception of Kori so far, including her willingness to accept all blame for this incident to shield anyone else from consequence, Xisheng believed she would tell him the genuine truth.
"W-well, sir... we were directed here by the officer you sent earlier for meals. When we arrived, there weren't many other people here, so we got in line for the kitchen. Some soldiers filed into the hall shortly after us, and..."
Kori petered off, glancing at the strong-jawed soldier who had presumably hurt her. Xisheng quietly wondered why. She didn't seem scared of him. Rather, he imagined that Kori was concerned about portraying the fighters from Yu Dao in a bad light. This was their first day here. They were already disliked, as made evident by this entire situation. She probably didn't want to give a the commander of the entire base any reason to see them as a problem. Understanding this, Xisheng made to reassure her.
"Speak the truth. I will act fairly."
Perhaps due to her own experience with Xisheng thus far, Kori believed his assurance. "...the soldiers accosted us, claiming that we didn't deserve to be here and had no right to eat alongside them, let alone dig into their food before they got a chance to do so. There were some... other uncouth things said, but I won't repeat them. Sneers got angry and said some things in return. I tried to calm them down, but they started fighting. I couldn't Earthbend in here, so I stepped in front of Sneers to protect him. That's all that happened before the sergeant intervened."
Kori fell silent after this, rubbing her arm under the cloth as she did so. Frankly, Xisheng believed her story. He'd fully expected tensions to be high between some members of the two groups. The reasons varied, but they were there. Even so, Xisheng turned to the strong-jawed soldier that had allegedly lost his temper.
"Is this true?"
The soldier jabbed a finger in the direction of Sneers. "Hardly. This earthworm girl conveniently glossed over what was really said. This fatass said our troops deserved what they got at the wall during the last assault! My cousin was in one of those tanks!"
Admittedly, Xisheng could understand the anger stemming from a comment like that. To insult the death of a fellow soldier was already a high crime. Doubly so if that fellow soldier was also literal family. Still...
"And what did you say to Sneers here before he said that to you?"
The soldier in question fell silent at this. Sneers, on the other hand, had no issue repeating it. "That we were all going to be used as fodder, thrown at the walls so the real soldiers could use our bodies as stepping stones to climb it. And he called Kori-!"
Kori raised an arm in front of Sneers to cut him off before he could repeat the next part. Xisheng could only wonder why, as well as wonder what had been said. Soldiers often had quite uncouth vocabulary. At any rate, judging by the way Sneers tried to glare holes through the soldier's skull, Xisheng could imagine that the mystery word was pretty insulting.
At any rate, he had to find a way to resolve this. Moreover, he had to find a way to resolve it while trying to improve relations between the two groups that would be fighting side by side someday soon. To start, he turned to the soldier who had attacked Sneers and Kori.
"You have my condolences for your cousin. He never should have been put in that situation. And I can understand why you would be angry to hear his sacrifice besmirched. At the same time, you did the same thing to these people, demeaning their lives and their drive to be here. You really have no grounds to get angry at them for reciprocating your vitriol."
The soldier grit his teeth, narrowing dull yellowish-brown eyes at Sneers and Kori. He held his tongue, but he certainly didn't seem happy with Xisheng's assessment, which continued on.
"Moreover, attacking a comrade is unacceptable. You would not have lashed out to harm a fellow Fire Nation soldier, I hope?"
"O-of course not! But they're not-"
Xisheng raised a hand to cut off the protest. Then, he pointed at one of the soldiers a bit behind the aggressor. "You. Why didn't you stop him from attacking a comrade?"
The soldier in the back had clearly not expected to be called out. After all, he hadn't done anything. "M-me? Sir, I wasn't involved..."
"I see. And what about you?"
Xisheng pointed to another of the Fire Nation soldiers nearby, who was likewise caught off-guard. "It, uh... didn't seem to be any of my business..."
The young officer turned commander fell silent as his gaze swept over the assembled troops before him. Now that he had started asking this question of bystanders, they all seemed uncomfortable, perhaps wondering if there would be some punishment for their inaction.
This wouldn't do. This was not the type of army Xisheng needed. He needed more. More than a rank, more than someone who followed their orders and minded their business. So, now was the time to make a gamble. His face was stony, but in his mind, he was nervous: mostly because he was really, really hoping that he had a good read on Kori as a person. If he didn't, this little stunt was going to backfire horrifically, and he'd have to find some other way to play it off that was not at all what he was going for.
Xisheng turned his gaze back on the square chin of the soldier who had started the altercation. The man's expression was uncertain, wondering where Xisheng was going to ultimately go with this. He probably didn't expect what happened next.
Xisheng whipped his arm back, and conjured a powerful flame while glaring at the soldier who had sinned. The next moment in time was a tumultuous one: the soldier about to be incinerated recoiled out of reflex, too shocked to try and defend himself. Several of the soldiers and colonials around them all jumped or flinched. Mai and Ty Lee, whom Xisheng had almost forgotten about by now, gasped in utter surprise as Xisheng prepared to seemingly kill the man before him on the spot. And Kori...
"Commander, wait!"
Kori jumped in front of Xisheng before he could bring his arm back down, shielding the soldier that had harmed her behind her slender frame. Her injured arm was held up in front of her, trying to stop Xisheng from carrying out his strike.
"Please don't exact such a harsh punishment just for my sake! Our slight is not worth the life of a fellow Fire Nation citizen!"
Seeing this, Xisheng smiled slightly. His very risky gamble had paid off. Allowing his conjured flame to dissipate and his expression to grow serious again, Xisheng lowered his arm before motioning for Kori to move aside. She looked wary to do so, but ultimately followed his instruction. Behind her, the soldier Xisheng had allegedly been about to smite had fallen on his ass in fear, though he was staring gobsmacked at Kori. Well, until Xisheng took a step forward to be in front of him, that was. Then the soldier picked up his jaw and stared up at him fearfully.
Of course, Xisheng had no intention of hurting him. He motioned towards the woman who had just risked her life to save the soldier on the ground. "Despite what insults you've spoken against this woman, she has just risked her life for you. Solely because you are her countryman. That is the ideal a soldier of this nation should strive towards. To be willing to sacrifice their own life to protect their fellows. Even if they don't know them personally. Even if they don't particularly like them. A soldier's honor should transcend all of that: a soldier lays down his life for his comrades, and his comrades do the same for him. That is the brotherhood of men at arms, who risk their lives together for their country's sake."
The room had fallen mostly silent as Xisheng spoke to the soldier beneath him. Everyone was watching him with bated breath. This was the perfect time to address the group as a whole, so Xisheng raised his voice and moved his gaze across the gathered crown.
"Listen well, all of you. There will come a day very soon, in which you will all fight side by side on the field of battle. You will face the same foes. You will face the same trials and dangers. You will all be afraid of dying. But most importantly, you will all hope that the people you fight alongside would risk their lives for you. That they would fight hard to protect you. That they would not leave you if you were injured. That they may even go so far as to give their lives for you. Because that's what it means to fight among comrades. That's what separates us, honorable soldiers and warriors, from a band of mercenaries or brigands. We fight for our country, but even more than that, we fight for each other, for our brothers and sisters in arms."
Xisheng gestured towards both groups with each arm.
"You all come from different backgrounds. Even among fellow natives or fellow colonials, each of you is more different from one another than you are similar. What does connect you is what you fight for. Whether you're a politician's son from the capital or a farmer from a small town, whether you've led a life of comfort or hardship, you've all come together to fight for a nation that you love. A nation of your countrymen, many of whom stand here right now, because they too are here to fight for you. I want each of you to remember that when you look at each other. Homeland native or colonial, Firebender or Earthbender, bender or non-bender, these are the people you are both fighting alongside and fighting for. Your comrades who will, if truly honorable, fight for you as hard as you fight for them. Because ultimately, we will all shed our blood and sweat together in pursuit of the same dream. We are the Fire Nation Army. We protect our own, no matter where they are born or what life they lead. Because no matter what else you achieve in this war, even if you fell a thousand enemies... if you betray your comrades, you will have only shame. Decades from now, when you lie in your beds as old men and women, you won't fondly recall what you destroyed. Only what you protected."
Falling silent, Xisheng found that he still had everyone's undivided attention. That was a little awkward, because that was the end of his speech. He didn't know what else to say.
"Er... be aware that aggression against your comrades will bear consequence in the future. Be sure to share that with your other comrades who weren't here today to hear it. As well as the other things I've said. So... as you all were."
Turning on his heel, Xisheng began to walk away from the large group of soldiers and colonials. As soon as his back was turned, he heard the muttering of all those behind. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed the pensive and questioning gazes being exchanged between soldiers and colonials, as well as Kori offering a hand to the fallen soldier who had harmed her. A hand that, albeit begrudgingly, was taken, much to Xisheng's pleasure.
As for Mai and Ty Lee, they exchanged stunned looks for a moment before scrambling to catch up to Xisheng. When she caught up, Ty Lee leaned in close to whisper excitedly to him.
"Holy hippo-cow, Gohan! Did you come up with all of that on the spot?!"
Though he had been the image of stoic commander while speaking to the assembled troops, Xisheng couldn't help but feel sheepish now. "Uh, yeah..."
On his other side, Mai was smirking at him, though it wasn't without appreciation. She seemed genuinely impressed. "I always knew you were born to be a poet, but damn, that was something else. Even I felt a bit of swelling pride. I never thought I'd see the day."
"You know me, I do talk a lot. Although, speaking of things that need to be said..."
Xisheng turned his attention back towards the group he had left behind. Glad to find that, though a little awkward, the hostile and tense air had seemed to clear. Not that everyone was dishing out hugs and laughing now, but there definitely wasn't a hostile standoff like before. Some of the soldiers and colonials had even started to talk to each other. One person who still seemed pretty upset, however, was Sneers. His arms were folded and he was still glaring at the soldiers. Well, Xisheng supposed that was understandable: someone he cared about had been hurt, and technically, no justice had been meted out. Still, Xisheng had a few words to say to him away from the entirety of the amassed group.
Thankfully, Xisheng caught Sneers' gaze while the latter was looking around, which allowed him to motion for the man to come over to him. It was definitely begrudging, but Sneers did come his way. He was definitely disgruntled upon arrival.
"What?"
Any other officer probably would have been enraged to be addressed so bluntly and disrespectfully, but Xisheng ignored it. He had more important things to worry about than petty issues like that.
"Sneers, was it?"
"Yeah. What do you want?"
Despite Xisheng's own acceptance of the situation, Sneers' attitude did put frowns and displeased looks on both Mai and Ty Lee's faces. It felt kind of nice to have people that would get upset over things like that.
"I understand that a soldier spoke ill of your neighbors and friends unprovoked. I understand that he even injured someone you care about. Your anger is justified and I understand why you would retaliate. However..."
Xisheng's expression grew deathly serious. He couldn't help it: this was something that bothered him greatly.
"...don't speak ill of our fallen again. In the future, I won't stand idly by while those who sacrificed their lives for this country and their comrades are slandered. Is that understood?"
Xisheng probably didn't realize that he was glaring, but Sneers glared back. "Yeah. Can I go now?"
"Yes."
With no reason to stay, Sneers left the mess hall entirely, which surprised Xisheng. He had expected him to return to Kori, but the young man seemed even more disgruntled than he realized. Hopefully it wouldn't become an issue later.
Once they were alone again, Ty Lee quietly squealed a bit at his side. "Wow, Gohan! You've become so noble and commanding! Oh, the things you could get a girl to do..."
To his other side, Mai folded her arms. "Ew. Don't say stuff like that so happily."
Though she said this, Xisheng didn't miss a slight blush on Mai's cheeks. Maybe she quietly agreed with Ty Lee's sentiment.
At any rate, Xisheng breathed a sigh of relief. So far, it seemed like he was at least able to fill the new role placed upon him admirably, as far as everyone looking in from the outside was concerned. In reality, he was a nervous wreck having to deal with things like this for the first time. But at least he had gotten slightly more used to these new responsibilities over the past few days. Now he just had to keep the trend on an upswing.