98 A.G
Lin remained where she was for a moment, watching Princess Azula storm away across the training grounds with a speed and anger that caught her off guard. The young royal walked fast, and if it weren't unbecoming of her, she would be spitting fire, as she headed inside the palace, no doubt intent on confronting her father.
Lin did not follow her, although the thought did cross her mind. She had already said her goodbyes and explained the reassignment clearly. From Lin's perspective, the matter had concluded already, but instead of voicing pleasantries or parting words, Azula had questioned the reassignment, furiously.
She did not understand where the anger had come from. There was nothing more, realistically, that she could teach her. The princess had reached a level that surpassed most masters twice her age, and any remaining growth would come from experience rather than through her instruction.
Lin had been as harsh as she could throughout her lessons, forcing the young royal to keep a fast-pace apprenticeship. Anyone else would be glad it was over, but it seemed the princess was not happy at all, which was not something Lin knew how to address.
"I still don't know what is going on inside her head." she muttered.
She turned away from the training grounds and headed for her quarters without a second thought. Her belongings were already packed. She had a small kit assembled with a few essentials, ammunition, and a few of the tools she used for maintenance of her body.
She had no attachment to the capital city, she realized, as she kept walking, exiting the palace. Yes she felt close with the princess and could admit she would miss her, for certain; but she also missed her unit, she couldn't abandon them in their time of need, and there was nothing in the city that made her want to stay.
From there, she passed through the city streets at a steady pace, moving beyond the inner districts and through Azulon's gates toward the harbor. The sounds of the capital faded behind her, replaced by the salt air and the creak of ships preparing to depart.
Soon she would be back to something she was more familiar with, and the stress of the city and politics her father made her play would be left behind at last. Still, she could see the appeal of having connections, and they had proven useful indeed.
Her promotion had been approved by the council of generals and even the Fire Lord himself. In fact, the paperwork had already been in motion before she had formally requested the promotion. Upon reaching the southern peninsula, she would assume command of the entire southern theater.
Her objectives were Gaoling, Shen Guan outpost, and Omashu. It was a big task to look forward to, but bringing more firepower and having the authority extended to naval assets was worth it. She really believed she could achieve them, she just hoped the Red Company was recovered by her return.
She was not worried about it though, even if they needed more time, they had enough to conclude the campaign. Lin could see how having control of the south, the Fire Nation could stabilize its holdings without interference from the Earth Kingdom at all.
The Si Wong Desert remained an effective barrier, and supply lines could be consolidated without risk of large-scale counteroffensives. From there, the path toward Ba Sing Se became clearer, both militarily and logistically.
As she approached the ship, Lin noted the crates being loaded onto the deck, each one marked with her designs. Rifles, ammunition, and the smaller infantry cannons were secured carefully, treated as if they had the words 'Fragile' written all over them.
Nearby, the recruits she had selected stood in formation, already waiting for her arrival. Their posture was disciplined and intimidating, which gave her a nice sense of hope for these recruits. She studied them briefly, satisfied with what she saw.
Without another glance back toward the palace, Lin boarded the ship and prepared to depart, ready to return to the front and go back to where she belonged.
----0000----
The first days at sea passed without incident, the waters were calm enough that Lin almost allowed herself to believe the journey south would be uneventful. The wind was steady, the sky mostly clear, and the ship moved without any issues. So much so that she was able to practice and exercise with her new recruits with no interruptions.
She took advantage of those conditions immediately, keeping the recruits occupied from dawn until dusk, rotating them through weapons handling, squad tactics, and target practice with their new weapons. Of course, they couldn't waste that much ammunition, so the last one was limited.
They were learning quickly. Most had never held a firearm before, yet their discipline translated well to learning, and Lin found that this batch of recruits she had managed to procure had great soldiers.
Commander Lin went looking for copper and found gold. Her lessons consisted of correcting grips, posture, and reload procedures repeatedly. She was trying to ease them into it, those movements needed to be done as if it were muscle memory. She hoped with that training, when it truly mattered, they would be fast but composed when faced with danger.
By the second week though, the sea began to change. The horizon's light dimmed first, dark, heavy clouds were approaching fast covering the sun faster than the speed of their ship. The navigator reported a developing storm moving in from the southeast, its path broad enough that outrunning it would be difficult.
Lin cursed the absence of any reliable technology to predict weather patterns beyond experience and instinct. She really needed a few weather balloons for the future. Lin then ordered the crew to secure loose cargo and brace the rigging.
As the rain began to fall, she redirected the ship further south, hoping to skirt the edge of the storm. She hoped she could keep her crew safe by doing this. The farther they sailed though, the more the waters began to swell, waves rolling in uneven patterns as the Mo Ce Sea gave way to the southern sea currents.
By nightfall, the storm had grown violent; the ship pitched heavily and rain lashed the deck hard enough to hurt. Lin remained on deck despite the conditions, shouting orders over the wind and keeping the crew focused. Panic had no place on a vessel in open water, and she would not allow it to appear on her trained men.
Once everything was secured enough, she ordered everyone below deck and she moved towards the cruiser watchtower. When the waves began to crest high enough to threaten the rails, she turned to the navigator again.
"Find us the closest landmass and plot a course there, now!" she said.
"Right away commander!" he answered as he scrambled to keep the map steady.
"Lieutenant, keep my ship afloat, do not let waves crash into our sides." Lin continued to give orders.
"Commander, I believe Kyoshi Island is the closest landmass we can reach before the storm worsens." the navigator said.
She thought the option through for a few seconds. Kyoshi Island had been a neutral territory for years, it governed itself and avoided entanglement with the wider war. But they had no intel whatsoever to what they could find. Still, if the ship could not outrun the storm, then landfall was the safer option.
"Guide us there then. I will take the wheel." She said, giving no room for discussion.
The Lieutenant gave way for her and she took control of the rudder. They altered course at once, the navigator using a compass and a few other sets of instruments to guide her through the waves toward the island.
The island came into view not long after, through the rain, a dark silhouette against the roiling sea, and Lin felt a brief sense of relief as the distance closed. But clearly she should have expected the worst, because there was always something worse.
The water ahead surged unnaturally, a sudden rise that exposed a serpent- or eel-looking beast standing close to the ship. Lin recognized the danger in a heartbeat; it was clearly a predator and she needed to do something or it could damage the ship.
"Oh god, it's an Unagi!" screamed the navigator, eyes wide with fear.
The Unagi surfaced with terrifying speed, its massive form breaking through the water as if there were no storm at all to defy. The creature's roar cut through the wind and rain, deep and resonant, and a jet of water slammed into the ship's side with enough force to stagger the deck.
Amidst the panic of her crew and the fear she could see in their faces, she hesitated no longer and sprang into action, opening a window and jumping from the watchtower, hitting the deck, slowing her descent with a fireblast.
Commander Lin assessed the threat of the giant eel then launched herself from the deck in a burst of fire, rising above the wave as another jet of water from the Unagi tore through the space she had just occupied.
The rain soaked her instantly, but the heat of her bending kept her airborne long enough to look for a weakness mid-air. The Unagi reared again, its eyes visible even through the storm. But Lin didn't let it throw another jet of water toward her.
Twin bursts of concentrated flame cut through the rain, aimed directly to the creature's eyes. The beast recoiled as the fire connected, a sharp cry echoing across the water. Lin adjusted midair, firing again and again, targeting the eyes until the Unagi thrashed violently and submerged, retreating below the waves rather than pressing the attack on their ship.
Her descent was less controlled than her ascent, the storm making fine adjustments impossible. She fell hard, and she couldn't stop her body from hitting the deck with enough force to knock the air out of her momentarily.
She still managed to catch onto the edge of the deck with one arm before her momentum dragged her down. Two crew members came rushing to help her immediately, as they were witnessing everything through a holed floor-gate, gripping her and hauling her back onto the deck of the ship, then grabbing her by the shoulders and guiding her below deck to recover.
She nodded to them once, acknowledging their quick reaction, then turned her attention back to what she could see through the small gaps. The Unagi creature didn't seem keen to resurface or continue the attack.
The ship pressed on toward the island, a bit battered maybe, but intact. Once Lin managed to recover and go back to the watchtower, she ordered the crew to maintain course and remain alert until landfall was secured.
The storm continued to rage around them. Fortunately, the people who designed the ship had really taken into account such an outcome, for the ship was holding without issues so far.
As Kyoshi Island drew closer, Lin was in control of the rudder once more, directing the ship to dock as close as possible.
----0000----
The rain had settled into a steady downpour by the time Suki reached the western edge of the village, her sandals already soaked through as she helped secure the last of the shutters along the outer homes.
The storm had arrived faster than they anticipated. The southern winds were cold and the rain was pouring angrily. It was not the worst weather Kyoshi Island had seen, but the population of the village consisted mostly of old people now, so they had to help secure their homes.
She moved alongside the other warriors from home to home, tightening rope, reinforcing beams, and checking that every door and window was properly barred. As their newly named leader, she felt responsible for protecting the whole village. Still, every warrior in her village probably felt the same and they wouldn't run from their duties.
Once the last house was secured, she signaled for the group to regroup near the central path of the village, near the Kyoshi wooden statue. The rain blurred the horizon, and the sea beyond the beach churned with restless movement; she could hear the waves crashing against the rocks even from this distance.
They were about to leave and return to the town hall when Suki spotted something moving out in the distance. At first, it was only a silhouette, dark and angular against the grey of the storm, barely visible through the curtain of rain.
As she kept staring at it she realized what it was. A ship sat close to the shoreline, its hull tilted awkwardly as if it had nearly run aground. Suki's breath caught as she realized that the metal vessel could only belong to the Fire Nation. They had seen them on the horizon when fishing, sometimes they would cross the South Sea and never bother to stop at their island before.
"What is that?" muttered one of the other girls beside her, and her warriors turned to look as well.
Suki straightened immediately, her mind racing through what little training she had for a situation like this. They had been unbothered until now, but they knew the Fire Nation could arrive at any time either way.
"That is a Fire Nation ship, this could be an invasion. Gather everyone missing, Hui, let the elders know, quickly!" She raised her voice over the rain.
As Hui ran, she made sure everyone else was prepared to intercept them before the ship's crew could advance inland. They could try and ambush them depending on how many there were, they would have the element of surprise.
"What is the plan, Suki?" asked Hui when she returned.
"We should move quickly and ambush them as they move through the trees. Depends on how many they brought, but if we can ambush them, group by group, it would stop them. If we can capture some of them, we could take them as hostages and leverage them to make them leave."
Her warriors nodded with a determined look on their faces. With a plan already in motion they were about to head out when they spotted a single blank-and-red spot already clearing the trees towards the village.
Just leaving the edge of the forest, a young woman walked, no older than Suki herself by her appearance, her Black and Red armor showing her allegiance. On her arms, the girl seemed to have reinforced metal armor with small spikes on the side.
Suki felt disgusted by her attire, clearly made to intimidate. The girl walked alone, as she seemed to notice them, her hands clasped behind her back. Her black boots kept moving forward. As she kept approaching, Suki could see that her hair was streaked in shades she had never seen before, ashen white and black mingling beneath the storm clouds.
Suki felt an uneasy coil in her chest, the girl looked almost bored, as if they were not a threat at all, she had no fighting stance, clearly already decided that she could just walk in this place and take it without anyone saying anything.
The soldier stopped a short distance away, her expression calm and her gaze steady. The girl began speaking just then. "Greetings. I'm Commander Lin of the Fire Na-"
But Suki was not going to let her finish their demands for surrender. "Attack!" She gave the order and along with her warriors, they surged forward together, fans snapping open as they closed the distance, intending to overwhelm the intruder before she could react. If they were not going to be taken seriously, it was not their fault they didn't expect a surprise attack.
But it seemed that was not the right decision. The soldier's demeanor shifted in an instant, her body moving with a speed that defied logic and Suki had to shield herself as fire erupted from her fist towards her, which she had to block with her fans.
The girl spun, her metal limbs striking with deadly accuracy and force, sending two of her warriors flying backward through the rain before Suki had even registered the motion. They hit the ground hard, sliding across the wet surface and lying still clutching their stomach.
Suki charged furiously at her, attacking with all of her might, the rest of the warriors were coming to help her as well. She aimed for her neck, blades flashing as she pressed the attack with everything she had. But the strikes didn't land where they were supposed to.
The sound that echoed was wrong, metal ringing against metal rather than flesh. The girl absorbed the blows with her armor, her arms catching each strike as if they weighed nothing. She had hoped the armor on her arms would slow her down but they were moving like regular limbs without issues.
Before Suki could adjust, a series of blows drove into her ribs and shoulders, knocking the breath from her lungs and sending her crashing to the ground. Pain flared as she tried to rise, her limbs slow to respond.
She looked around and saw two more warriors were left on the ground, only Hui remained standing, panting heavily. Suki looked up just as the rain around them seemed to glow with an eerie orange hue.
The soldier stood beside her now with one of her hands raised. A small sphere of fire formed in her palm and it burned intensely bright, it was even emitting a sharp whistling sound that cut through the storm. The metal limb holding it glowed red, heat radiating outward as steam rose where rain was evaporated by it.
The soldier spoke again, her voice cold and collected. "Stand down now or die."
Suki's heart pounded as she looked at her face. Golden eyes looked at her with anger and indifference, and in that moment she knew that the girl was not bluffing, she would kill her without a second thought.
Her body shivered in fear.
----0000----
Lin stood amid the rain with her arm still raised, the fireball in her palm still feeding off her chi, as steam curled around her metal limb and drifted outward in a low haze. The storm continued to pound the village, but she could ignore it easily as the adrenaline of the fight still lingered in her body.
She could hear the uneven breathing of the warriors on the ground and the shallow gasps of the one still standing. They really were not prepared for war; they were sloppy, the only real danger being their coordination, but even that had tumbled once the first few started to fall.
Lin was furious beneath her composure and she was having trouble controlling herself. She had not come to Kyoshi Island seeking conflict, it was not even her intention to arrive at this destination in the first place.
The storm had forced her hand, and the attack that followed had removed any remaining patience she had left. Neutral territory or not, there was no excuse for striking first without even attempting to listen! And the worst thing about it was that she should have expected it to come from the Earth Kingdom's stubbornness to see reason.
Maybe what set her off more than anything was these wannabees who thought they could really take her on dressed like samurai of old using weapons not fit for combat. A fan? Really? Assaulted by a bunch of painted clowns; she felt insulted above all.
She extended her arm to the sky and released the compressed chi to the air. A roar of flames erupted from her arm swallowing the rain and forming a small fog around her as it evaporated the rain on top of her.
Finally, the flames vanished, having consumed the charged chi, and she took a moment to assess their reaction. Her gaze moved over the fallen warriors, and they were frightened by the display alright. She quickly assessed their injuries and confirmed that none of them were dead or heavily injured which was great for negotiating.
She turned her attention to the girl in front of her, now kneeling and recovering her breath. She had given the order to attack; this was clearly the leader as all other soldiers were looking to her, expecting the next set of orders. She had fire behind her eyes despite her fear, but it was clear she didn't think she could win this fight, it was time to press on.
"This was supposed to be a neutral island. I did not come here to fight…" she paused for a second for dramatic effect "...But if you do not surrender, I will burn the entire place to the ground." Lin said, her voice dripping with venom, heard clearly despite the rain.
The girl seemed to be gathering herself and catching her breath. Lin waited, though she really wanted her to try anything so that she would have an outlet for her fury and frustration.
"We will surrender." she finally said, throwing her fans to the ground. The remaining warrior flinched, and the sound of metal fans hitting wet ground followed moments later as the others obeyed the silent order to disarm.
"Good. Next time, please let the other party talk before attacking someone you are not prepared to deal with." Lin said. "Now… introductions are in order. I'm Commander Lin of the Fire Nation, who are you?"
"I'm Suki… Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors of this village." Suki replied.
"Do you answer for your whole village, Warrior Suki?" Lin asked.
"...No…" She answered slowly. "The elders are the ones who decide for the entire village."
"Great, now we can head somewhere. Please inform your elders that my ship will remain close to the shore until the storm passes. We require repairs, and we are willing to trade for water if you have a functioning well. That is the extent of my interest in this island." Lin said with disdain.
"Suffice to say, I really hope you don't try anything funny here." Lin said, gesturing toward the shoreline with a slight tilt of her head, "I obviously did not come alone, but I did not expect a confrontation. Still, I have fifty armed soldiers waiting at the beach. They are trained, equipped, and prepared to act. Do not force me to make your village disappear."
The rain intensified briefly, drumming against rooftops and pooling at their feet. Lin wondered for a few seconds what their responses would be.
Their leader finally spoke, her voice strained but steady enough. "I understand, we apologize." she said.
Lin watched them carefully then nodded and settled into a relaxed stance again, which prompted both girls who were still standing to scramble to assist the injured.
"In the eyes of the Fire Nation, you are civilians." she said, her tone shifting to a more calm and composed one. "You do not belong in this war, and we still recognize your claim of neutrality. At dawn, and if the storm has passed, I expect to meet with your elders. We will negotiate terms for supplies and repairs. If anyone interferes before then, or attempts to provoke my crew again, I will assume that neutrality has been forfeited."
With that, Lin turned away from them without waiting for a response. She walked back toward the beach, feeling tired. The storm still raged overhead, but it helped her cool her anger slowly. The situation had been mishandled from the start, but at least it was contained now.
Behind her, the Kyoshi Warriors tended to their wounded in silence, and Lin did not look back.
----0000----
By morning the storm had eased into a steady drizzle, the violent winds gone and the sea reduced to a restless but manageable state. Lin stood near the shoreline as her forces assembled behind her. Despite the weather and the events of the night before, her soldiers remained disciplined, and they were all equipped with their rifles, looking intimidating.
She allowed herself a brief moment of approval at how well they looked in such little time. Training during the voyage had paid off. They looked ready, and more importantly, they behaved as a unit; they would be a great addition to the Red Company.
The elders arrived shortly after, accompanied by much of the village. They moved cautiously, as they eyed the ship and the armed line waiting near the water, but Lin doubted they would try anything, mostly because there were old people and children present.
Weariness marked their faces more than fear, and the children looked at the soldiers and the ship with curiosity. Lin noticed how thin many of them looked, so maybe there was something good that would come from this exchange, probably because the storm had damaged their supplies in the end.
As the negotiations started, the villagers told them about their ongoing problems. Kyoshi Island had suffered from reduced fishing yields for months; the Unagi was both a deterrent against outsiders and a danger to their own livelihood at the same time.
Their main exports were Elephant Koi fish meat, which meant that there were times when the presence of the Unagi was a huge detriment.
In exchange for fresh water drawn from their wells, Lin agreed to distribute preserved rations and medical supplies from her ship's stores. The truth was that their water reserves were low, as they had expected to arrive at Chin Village's dock three days ago, so they needed that desperately.
While repairs were underway, Lin agreed to a sparring demonstration at the warriors' request. It was a noble goal to try and understand what they did wrong at their assault. Still, that didn't mean she would make the effort to soften the lesson.
She disarmed them quickly without using her firebending, forcing them to confront the gap between old training and real combat. At one point, she pulled her knife out, but when she did, she realized that was when the last of them struggled to rise back up. She stepped back without comment and signaled the end with a smile on her face.
By midday, the ship was seaworthy once more, her crew having worked quickly. Lin gave the order to prepare for departure, her mind already wanting to forget about the isolated island. As the vessel pushed away from the shore, the last thing she saw was the Kyoshi warriors watching them from afar. She waved innocently with a smirk on her face.
By evening they were already almost at Chin Village, which was when she noticed another ship anchored farther out in the bay beside the cliffside. The ornate hull and unmistakable markings left no room for doubt. It was a royal-class vessel, with its ridiculous sloop at the front of the ship.
Lin exhaled slowly, her expression tightening with despair. Of course Princess Azula had followed her.
"Why? Why does this happen to me?"