98 A.G
Lin re-read the letter she was sending back to the minister of war. She barely managed not to facepalm in frustration. Good thing too as it would have hurt quite badly.
"How on earth has the minister managed to invent tanks but not thought of adding weapons to it? I mean seriously, how can he be so brilliant one moment and so short-sighted the next?" she asked out loud.
"It makes absolutely no sense! No sense at all!" she screamed in frustration.
Still, it was an amazing development, one that came unexpectedly. She hadn't thought about bringing tanks to life yet. She had given artillery a thought and she was sure they would work best with the kind of animals the Fire Nation could employ.
Tanks wouldn't work well in Omashu as the terrain was mostly mountains, but they would be the biggest boon the Fire Nation had ever had when they marched on Ba Sing Se. The terrain around the great fortress city was mostly plains.
It would essentially be mobile artillery! It would be premature, but Lin was already making plans for their eventual use.
----0000----
The Fire Lord's throne room was packed with generals and ministry officials. Flames danced in the back of the room, controlled by Ozai's breath. He sat at the head, overseeing the war room.
"Minister Qin, I understand you are excited, but we must ask you to explain it in a way we can all understand." General Bujing said.
"Right, right, my mistake. As I was saying, with the help of Lin Renshi we have developed a new weapon capable of firing a cannon from inside a metal carriage capable of withstanding the barrage of whatever earthbenders could throw at it." Qin said.
"Cannons have been used so far with the idea that they could only be operated from a big distance and it requires a lot of calculations to determine range and accuracy. With this, we could get closer without risking their destruction or the soldiers." finished Qin.
"Marvelous, and when can they be sent to the front lines?" asked General Mak.
"The metal carriages capable of self-propulsion have already been developed and we have produced many of them in a short time, but now we have to adapt cannons into them so it might take around a month to have the first units available for shipping to the continent." Qin replied.
"You continue to surprise us minister, continue the good work." Ozai said.
"Right! Thank you, Fire Lord." bowed Qin.
"My lord, regarding the southern theater, Commander Lin reported that Gaoling has fallen." General Shu said, reading from a scroll. "She is now turning her focus towards Omashu. By the end of the year we should be able to occupy the entirety of the south and begin our march toward Ba Sing Se soon after."
"What?! Already?" asked General Mun in disbelief.
Ozai smiled, his decision of promoting the young girl had been the right one. Soon all resistance to the Fire Nation in the region would cease to exist and only Ba Sing Se would remain. Of course, they still had to move in on those territories and mobilize the manpower necessary to hold the territory.
"What were the casualties?" General Mung asked again.
"She reports two hundred and ten casualties, only fifty six of those lost their lives." Shu replied.
There was a chorus of surprise at the low amount. They had attacked the city with only a force of a thousand strong. Even having a technological advantage, most of the generals had assumed in the last meeting that the commander would have to siege the city and starve it, or keep bombarding it until they could thin their numbers.
"Commander Lin reported that more than 5.000 defenders died and around double that number were wounded." Shu paused, making sure he didn't read incorrectly. "She also wrote that approximately 36.000 civilians died in the conflict due to landslides, in-fighting and executions. She expects that number to be higher in the next few days, they don't have a clear number on the injured yet but they assume it to be too high for our logistics to offer medical relief in time."
Many of the present began murmuring among themselves. Ozai didn't care about the civilians to be honest. It was a big number, true, but he was of the mind that the Earth Kingdm just reproduced too much. At times, it seemed that there was no end to their armies.
If they had focused on training, discipline or even unity, the Fire Lord was sure they would be losing this war. But the Earth Kingdom was fragmented into smaller kingdoms. Ba Sing Se being the largest city they had was isolated by their own doing.
The southern region had joined together recently when the Fire Nation had occupied the peninsula, but before that they were just content on keeping their distance. They should count themselves lucky their leadership was terrible.
"We have already sent the 39th battalion of the west army and reserves we could spare to occupy the city properly. They are taking enough supplies with them." commented General Uyanga.
"Excellent news then. General Shu, go ahead with what we had planned. You will reinforce Commander Lin's Red battalion with the 4th army group to attack Omashu and bring down that insufferable King." Ozai said.
"Yes, Fire Lord. It will be done." General Shu bowed.
"Good. Good." The Fire Lord said. "Then moving on to our next topic… Admiral Yan, how goes the progress for the invasion?" Ozai said.
"It is on schedule, Fire Lord. The navy has gathered most of its assets now that the Earth Kingdom and southern water tribe pirates are dealt with, and we are preparing the supplies necessary. The new Renshi-class cruiser is really unstoppable with the power of cannons, and we are trying to convert those that do not have them yet." Yan answered. "We should be ready in four months time. Commander Zhao is overseeing most of the preparations in Katu harbor. Far away from prying eyes." finished the Admiral.
Ozai nodded. Although, strategically speaking, the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe was not worth the trouble after their isolation for the past few decades, the Fire Lord knew that it was only a matter of time when waterbenders would begin venturing out again, dragging the war further.
War exhaustion for the Fire Nation was a serious problem. No nation could continue fighting a war for a hundred years and remain unscathed. There was a grave issue with the decline of births and able men to work the industries and man his army.
The economy was heavily focused on producing means of war and exploiting the resources of the colonies to sustain itself. But the situation could only go for so long before it broke and his people suffered even more the effects of the war.
Which is why Ozai initially intended to burn half the continent to the ground to alleviate the resources occupying those territories would bring. Sozin's comet was less than two years away and the power needed to carry such a task would be there for them.
But he had to admit that carrying out such a plan would reduce the amount of wealth the Fire Nation could ultimately have and ruling over ashes was useless in the end. Could you really say you rule the world if half the world is gone?
Now though, if they could continue with the current pace and control the right territories, resources could flow to the capital, the war could end sometime soon and the Fire Nation could focus on rebuilding, transitioning their economy to a post-war one.
As the rest of the war room continued detailing plans and reports, Ozai's mind went elsewhere.
He wanted to lay the foundations of a great dynasty that would keep the Fire Nation above all others for centuries. The only concerns would be the succession problem. At the moment the court's politics were stable, no noble family held enough power to threaten his position. But that could change depending on the future alliances and political marriages.
He would have to think hard about who would be deserving of the union with him as the Phoenix King. There was no better bloodline than his children already, but he would need a queen to rule with him, and he had no clue who could be deserving of that place yet.
Ozai was glad he still had plenty of time on his hands to solve the problem.
----0000----
Azula was back to training and sparring with Lin which brought a huge smile to her face. She had been busy lately handling the takeover of Gaoling, but the relief units had arrived and now she had more time on her hands.
The princess was happy the commander had chosen to spend her free time with her, even if she was as demanding as ever. Azula liked being perfect and Lin somehow would always find something to improve upon. Her fighting style was always unconventional yet effective.
Even when the princess found a way to defeat her, the next spar Lin would change her approach and surprise her again and Azula had to come up with a new strategy. She also had to admit she liked the presence of the blind earthbender.
Toph was sassy, vindictive and fearless. All qualities she found great to have. Of course, there was the problem that the young girl would never back down from teasing her and disrespecting her, without caring for any of her threats.
In fact, threats quickly were removed from her default approach altogether, it would devolve in a fight that would end in an angry spar until both were injured and exhausted, something that Lin reprimanded them for.
Still, the princess was happy, and it must have been noticeable somehow to the insufferable girl, as she turned to her right, there was Toph smirking in her direction.
"What's up, Princess Platypus? You were with Lin just now, huh? Looking radiant." she said mockingly.
Azula scowled instantly. "How would you know? You are blind."
"Your heart beats just a little faster when Lin is around, the same as now. I noticed." Toph said.
"So what? My heartbeat can be elevated for many different reasons." Azula retorted.
"Wow… even I know what it means… And I'm 11." Toph said with a smug smile on her face.
"What you assume you know, you mean. If you must know, we were training together. I am just winded from that." Azula said in frustration.
"Mmm… I wonder." Toph mused. "Look, it's Lin!" she said all of a sudden.
"Nice try." Azula replied, smirking. "But I have been teasing my brother with the girl he likes since I was seven, you have to be more creative."
Now it was the turn of the blind girl to scowl.
"Whatever." Toph scoffed, finally relenting.
Regardless of Toph's pathetic attempts at teasing her, Azula was not oblivious to her own feelings, even if she denied it to the blind girl, it was pretty obvious for the princess that she was infatuated with Lin.
Whenever they would spar at close range, her heart would beat faster, and there was this weird sensation in her stomach that would intensify depending on how close she would get to the commander.
The princess was still not sure what to do with those feelings and although, she didn't think Lin would dismiss her, she was still apprehensive of actually telling her about it. Ignoring it was not her style, so she planned to first talk to her about marriage or future partners, to discover what she thought about it.
It would give her a small picture on what to expect from her.
----0000----
Prince Zuko felt the cold air hitting hard against his face. As he glanced downward, he could see the ruins of the southern air temple. Lieutenant Jee was powering the glider while he was in the middle seat of the aircraft, handling the flight controls from time to time to circle around at anything that would catch his eye.
He really wanted to land, but jumping from the glider into an already high mountain that could collapse didn't look like the safest plan. Even if he managed to do that without issues, from the close passes they made, the prince didn't see anything worth investigating beyond more ruins.
Zuko told the Lieutenant to turn around and go back to the ship. He wouldn't give up, but he needed another option if he wanted to discover anything from the temple. The glider wouldn't be able to land there at all.
They still had supplies to be able to remain nearby for at least three months, but maybe he could visit Chin Village again for advice. He didn't want to see his sister, but he couldn't deny that the southern peninsula had been quite welcoming for him and his crew.
As the glider continued to descend toward his ship he weighed his options from here onward. Trying to find the Avatar had been so far a total waste of time and resources. The banished Prince wanted to think that there was still hope to regain his honor and go back home, but with each passing week it was harder to continue.
Visiting the port at Chin Village had given Zuko the motivation to continue his search, but also it had made him reconsider if it was even worth it. It was clear that there were still people that respected him and treated him with honor, despite the banishment, so why go through all this trouble when he was not really wanted back at the palace.
Years ago he wouldn't even consider it, but as the years went by, Zuko had grown tired of the blind search for a being that had not interfered at all for almost a hundred years. He was still banished from the Fire Nation, but all colonies didn't fall under that restriction. He could actually make a living in the Southern peninsula.
At the same time, he would never have the life he had always known to be his. Was it worth giving that up? He also wouldn't see his father again. If this couple of years had made him realize anything though, was that his uncle was more of a father to him than Ozai had ever been.
As they landed the glider close to the ship, his crew helped him moor the aircraft. They also helped lift it to the side of the cruiser. As the prince came aboard his ship, his uncle welcomed him.
"Ah, Zuko, how was the view up there?" he asked.
"I don't know if we will find anything up there, uncle, but we couldn't find a good place to land the plane."
"So, what is the plan, nephew?" Iroh asked.
"I am not sure yet." Zuko replied.
"My prince, there is a fire-hawk for you. It's a miracle it found us here." the helmsman said.
As Zuko took the small scroll from the old man, he realized why the Fire-hawk found them easily. It was coming from Chin Village, relatively close and those animals were intelligent enough to scout in a wide range looking for anything their master directed them to. Being the only ship in the region meant it couldn't miss them.
Your highness,
I felt it prudent to inform you of any changes around this region after promising the port to always welcome you in.
We have taken the city of Gaoling and will move north to attack Omashu and its periphery in two weeks' time. If you need assistance and I'm currently not in Chin Village, please know that I have instructed my soldiers and whoever I leave in charge of the city to offer you every courtesy I previously offered.
I hope your hunt is successful.
Lieutenant Colonel Lin Renshi.
Zuko took a moment to read the short letter again and finally made a decision on his next course of action.
"We should head back to Chin Village, uncle, before Commander Lin gets busy. She could have an idea on how to land on the temple when there is no space for the glider." he said.
His uncle smiled at him. "Great news then, nephew. It means I can get more tea!" he said, laughing.
"You already have three months worth of tea stored." Zuko answered, perplexed.
"Zuko…" Iroh said, disappointment decorating his face. "You can never have enough tea."
----0000----
Raizo walked the last stretch of road toward the Hu Xin provinces, the coastline wind carrying salt and dust across the packed earth beneath his boots. The journey back from the southern region of the continent had taken longer than expected.
The terrain was uneven and apparently, through the mountain range between the south and Hu Xin region, there was still an Earth Kingdom base actively harassing the roads. So he was extra careful not to get caught on the road.
He would deal with that base if someone paid for the job, but so far, no one had shown any interest in it, almost as if they were not even bothered with it. It was not enough of a threat probably.
Regarding his last job, he had done what was required of him. Lin was back in the region and fully capable of keeping her soldiers safe. He had stuck around for a few weeks close by just in case she needed him still, but she had just sent another fire-hawk thanking him.
It was fine by him, the truth was that he never wanted to charge his sister anything, he had always felt that he owed her his life for inflicting so much hardship upon her. But Lin obviously never saw it that way and would often pay with a new invention or advice for his job.
Raizo had always been impressed by his sister's brilliance and he would never forgive himself for denying her the potential of complementing that genius mind with a prodigious skill in firebending. He was sure she would be one of the deadliest masters had it not been for him and his naivety.
She had demonstrated talent beyond her years and a work ethic so strong nothing could make her break her focus and training when she was little. Raizo had heard his father say that she could have been the next Dragon of the West.
He hoped she could find a way to not depend so much on her chi to be able to move so that she could reach her true potential someday. A thought that would often find place in his mind, but those were cut short when he finally could see the city of Hew Sin in the distance.
The Hu Xin provinces lay along the western coast of the Earth Kingdom continent. When the Fire Nation took control they became colonies, and had grown beyond just outposts. Thanks to their rich land with plenty of resources that the Fire Nation could use, many of them now had docks, rail infrastructure and even industries.
Hew Sin stood at their center, the provincial capital rising from the shoreline in layers of red-tiled roofs and stone. Smoke from forges and industries rose in the outskirts. Daxia Harbor was built close to the capital and it had grown considerably through the years.
Lately it had become a haven for criminals, but Raizo preferred it. He was smart enough to know that the Fire Isles were not safe for him. With many political factions hiring his skills, he had made many enemies.
It was known by many already that Fire Lord Ozai had killed off most of his political enemies, but that didn't mean that every single one of them were eliminated. Some were silenced and they could easily retaliate against him.
Besides, there was something else that he was able to have in the colonies besides anonymity. A partner. And waiting for him in Hew Sin, was Zy.
Finding her had been a stroke of luck. In Hew Sin, Zy ran a modest apothecary, known for her healing draughts, poultices, and mostly the herbs that women sought quietly when they wished to delay children.
He had been injured after a job and he had to purchase from her to tend to his wounds. Things just worked out. He never hid what he did for a job but Zy never seemed to care. Content with knowing little of who he was tasked with eliminating at times, she still sought him out.
When things began to be serious between them, he had made it clear that it would be dangerous, but instead of cowering from that, she had confidently said she would help him somehow and that they would complement each other well.
Zy had then developed through her herbalist training and constant experimenting, sets of poisons and paralyzing agents for him to take on his bounty hunting. It had been a surprise for sure, but a welcomed one. His firebending technique was too chaotic at times and discretion was often preferred.
With his beloved in mind, Raizo entered the outer gate of the city. The guards watched him as they always did, with a bit of wariness and indifference. He never smiled or even attempted a conversation with them.
He never offered explanation for his comings and goings and they had never asked, but they sure knew of him. The harbor had too many criminals already and he had never caused trouble so they left him well alone.
Zy once told him that the mystery amused her, that the questions directed toward her were met with equal vagueness, and that she enjoyed, with satisfaction, that their curiosity was never sated.
The streets of Hew Sin were filled with people, but they all made way for him, his strides were not interrupted. Vendors were closing for the evening, their lanterns were lit in sequence as dusk lowered across the rooftops.
He turned into a quieter quarter where medicinal herbs hung drying from wooden beams outside narrow storefronts. Zy's shop stood as it always had, modest and orderly.
He could smell a faint fragrance of crushed leaves and boiled roots escaping through the open shutters. He entered and had to duck slightly at the door, he would be happy the day they made doors big enough for him.
Zy was already moving toward him before the door finished closing. She embraced him passionately, lunging towards him and wrapping her arms firmly around his torso.
She was tall for a woman of the colonies, though Raizo's height made it irrelevant, forcing him to hunch slightly to return the gesture. He circled his arms around her shoulders and he felt that warm fuzzy sensation once more.
She did not release him for a few minutes. When she finally leaned back, she drew him down and kissed him deeply. Raizo could smell the scent of herbs and smoke clinging to her hair, as he returned the kiss.
For the first time in weeks, Raizo allowed himself to relax. The kiss deepened and Zy's long fingers caressed his hair gently.
"Love, I've missed you so much." Zy said, between breaths.
"I've missed you too." Raizo replied.
"Come, tell me all about it."
Zy took his hand and guided him upstairs, where she lived comfortably. She sat Raizo on her couch and helped him remove his prosthetic arm. Removing it felt liberating at times, like removing one's boots after a long trek.
"I did the favor my sister asked. It was a long journey and a bit tiring to keep engaging Earth Kingdom forces. I think I even saw the crazy monarch from Omashu. But I managed to stay undetected and close to her soldiers for some time. Once she was back I watched them from a distance for a few days, and when I was sure there was no more danger I started the long way back. Nothing truly interesting happened." Raizo summarized.
"You know… for being gone for months you would think you would have more to tell." Zy commented.
"Ha! Not really, hunting animals for food was alright and sleeping under the stars is fine by me. I thought of you often, though." he said.
"Mmm, I thought of you every day as well…" Zy said, then she sat on top of his lap seductively and kissed him.
"It has been in my mind a lot, but with you gone for a long time for each job, I want to have something that is yours with me at all times…" she whispered.
"You mean…?" Raizo asked, perplexed.
"I want a baby, I want your son or daughter. I can easily take care of a child and you have given me enough money to live comfortably for years. You will have the excuse to be here longer as well, I'm sure they would love you just as much as I do." Zy finished.
Raizo was overwhelmed with emotions, never in his life had he thought he would even have a partner. Lin was the one who actually told him to try anyway, at least once. If it didn't work out, he could improve it for next time or decide it was not for him. He had tried and fallen deeply in love with the woman in front of him.
Now she was asking to go further than he had ever thought possible. Recovering from his surprise, he grabbed her by the hip with his good hand and pushed her against his body. Then she kissed her again, this time pushing his tongue in her mouth and playing with hers. She moaned between kisses and when they separated, Raizo could see the lust in her eyes.
"We better start trying now then, before I get a job again." he said.
"Oh, you are on!" Zy laughed.