99 A.G
Day 16 - Ba Sing Se Operations
Fire Nation casualties.
Killed: 3,987
Wounded: 8,521
Missing: 463
Total: 12,971
The army has lost 19% of its fighting force. Our Inventory and supplies are stable, and equipment is being replenished faster than we can use it.
Estimated Earth Kingdom casualties by account of spies.
Killed: ~88,000
Wounded: ~106,000
Missing: ~7,000
Total estimated casualties: ~201,000
40% of their forces have been neutralized, but more reserves are coming in. Our generals warned that we need to break through as soon as possible or our army would be forced to retreat.
Quartermaster's field ledger.
----0000----
Aang and his friends reached Hew Sin before noon, following the coastline until the houses and docks came into view. The city was larger than the villages they had passed during the last few days.
Many of the windows were closed, and the people in the streets kept their attention on their own work. Even when Appa landed outside the city limits, no one stopped too long to stare at them. A few turned to look at them for a few seconds, especially at their Water Tribe clothing, but no one shouted for guards and they were quick to move away.
Most people treated them like travelers they did not want to deal with. Most just ignored them when they tried to talk to them. Children stared at Appa from behind a fence until their mother pulled them inside and closed the door.
"They are friendly." Sokka muttered.
"Something is wrong here." Katara said.
Haru glanced around the street. "Everyone seems tired."
"Let's try and talk to someone who listens, maybe we can figure out what's going on." Aang said.
The harbor was busier than the rest of the town. Fishing boats moved in and out, workers carried baskets of shellfish, and a few larger ships sat farther from the docks under Fire Nation inspection.
Soldiers were present, but they did not stop everyone who passed. They stood near the road and the warehouses, checking papers, counting crates, and talking among themselves while the town continued working around them.
The first few people they tried to talk to ignored them or moved away. At least one of them gave them information that a storm was likely hitting the town at night by how the wind was blowing, so they best try and find a place to take shelter.
Near the harbor they saw a crowd gathered, reading from an announcement board. Aang and his friends stopped there as well when they heard Ba Sing Se mentioned. There was a man reading to a few others who clearly didn't know how to read.
"The outer wall has been breached." the man said, voice carrying over the dock. "Fire Nation forces under General Lin and Crown Princess Azula have entered the agrarian zone and are battling Earth Kingdom forces. Official reports state that the liberation campaign continues successfully, and that once Ba Sing Se falls, no large organized opposition will remain on the continent."
Katara's face went pale. "They breached the wall?"
Sokka stepped closer to the crowd. "That can't be right. Ba Sing Se's wall is enormous."
The man reading continued, and his tone made it sound like he had already repeated the announcement several times that morning. "General Renshi's forces continue to advance and they have inflicted heavy losses to the enemy. The Crown Princess is said to be fighting alongside the general, bringing honor to the royal family and courage to the soldiers who will end the war."
A few people near the announcement murmured to one another.
"At least it might be over soon." one fisherman said.
"Finally. My brother decided to join the earthbenders in the army." another man replied. "If the city surrenders, maybe he comes home alive."
"If the Fire Nation wins there, then we might be able to sell our fish to the rest of the kingdom." a woman carrying a basket said. "It would bring more coins for us."
Katara turned toward them, horrified. "How can you talk like that? They are invading your people's capital."
The woman scoffed and looked at her with a tired expression. "My people are right here, not hiding behind big walls. Besides… if they fail, the war keeps going."
Katara opened her mouth, but Sokka touched her arm before she answered too quickly. Aang could see she was angry enough to say something that would only make everyone turn against them. It was better not to draw that kind of attention.
Aang looked back at the announcement, where Lin and Azula's names were painted in bold red characters beneath a Fire Nation seal. It was a big dilemma he would have to face eventually. Especially if he wanted to help the world as the Avatar and keep the nations balanced.
Lin had given them food, safe passage, hay for Appa, and the waterbending scroll. She had been helpful to them, almost kind in her own way, but now her army was inside Ba Sing Se, and the poster spoke of her like she was a hero bringing peace by breaking the last great Earth Kingdom city.
He would have to go against her at some point if his duty demanded him to fight the Fire Nation. If they didn't relinquish their conquered territories the world would be out of balance, something the Avatar was meant to correct.
On the other hand, he wanted the war to end too. It was clear that everyone did. The problem was that more and more people seemed willing to accept the Fire Nation ending it their way, as long as it meant they could live their lives normally, without fear.
Aang did not know how to argue with that without sounding like he was asking them to keep suffering until he figured out what to do. Bumi's words returned to him again, once more, they were difficult to ignore.
He gripped his staff and forced himself to breathe. Whatever the Fire Nation did, and whatever people were willing to believe because they were tired, he still had to master the elements. He needed to learn waterbending, earthbending, and firebending as fast as possible.
Even if the world was back in peace and they accepted a Fire Nation victory, being a master of all elements and a strong Avatar could help him when the nations began talking things through. His people had prepared him for diplomacy after all, and he was sure that being the Avatar could give him a voice in peace negotiations.
They moved away from the crowd and continued along the docks, trying to find someone willing to speak to them without acting suspicious, although he could admit he needed to work better himself. After several refusals, they found an old man sitting near a fishing boat, repairing a net with hands that moved carefully despite the deep lines in his fingers.
He glanced up when Sokka approached. "You kids lost?"
"Not lost." Sokka said. "Just looking for a place to rest for a night."
The old man's eyes moved from Sokka to Katara, then to Aang and Haru. "Water Tribe kids this far north, and traveling with an Earth Kingdom boy. That is new."
"We are traveling to the North Pole, to our sister tribe." Katara said, softly.
"Pheew. Certainly a long way yet to go, but you have indeed come far already."
"We know…" Sokka said. "That is why a place to rest would help, some people mentioned there was a storm coming."
The old man gave a dry laugh. "Bah, what do they know about storms…Well, there is only one local inn in the harbor, and it stopped renting out rooms, so you won't have any luck finding a place unless you head deeper into the city."
Aang eyes him carefully. "Why did they stop? Did something happen?"
"Well, it's clear you are outsiders and quite young so you don't know what this harbor has become. Hew Sin and Daxia Harbor are known as a safe haven for criminals the Fire Nation doesn't want, but are either too dangerous to imprison or kill. The inn owner, Nomi, decided she didn't want any trouble."
Katara frowned. "So everyone here is a dangerous criminal?"
Aang was not liking this city at all.
"Well… I assume not everyone, but most of them. Recently some of them left, they received pardons and joined the Fire Nation military once they started accepting earthbenders in their forces." The man said.
"So not only they are horrible people but also traitors." Haru said with venom in his voice.
"Ha! You have spirit, kid." he replied, laughing. "I would be careful to say things like that in the open though. The Fire Nation is still guarding this city and port, even if they ignore criminal activity. They have let you travel so far, I would try and keep it that way if I were you."
"We are not here because the Fire Nation is letting us travel." Sokka said.
The old man stopped moving the net for a moment, then looked at him again. "Boy, there is no way they don't know you are here."
Sokka just stared at him.
"They watch the roads, the docks, the ships, and the markets. They count crates better than tax men ever did. If you arrived with Water Tribe clothes, and a giant animal, someone surely noticed." The old man pointed with his chin toward the soldiers posted close by. "If they have done nothing to stop you, then they don't mind you traveling, or they just decided you are not interesting enough, which in my opinion is a good thing."
Sokka didn't seem to like that, and if he was honest, Aang did not like it either. However, he remembered Lin's sealed document and how easily guards had let them pass when they showed the scroll.
Maybe the old man was right and the Fire Nation had been allowing them to move because Lin wanted them to. It was a terrifying thought though, if she was planning something for them, Aang didn't want to find out what exactly.
The old man tied off a knot in the net and sighed. "I'm going fishing. If a couple of you want to work the boat for the day, I can pay with food and a place to stay until morning. Nothing fancy, but it will save you from getting wet."
Sokka straightened at once. "I can help."
Haru stepped forward too. "Me too."
The old man looked between them and grinned. "Good. Strong backs are always needed and I'm not getting any younger. The rest of you can wait near the house, you cannot miss it, you go straight down that path to the right, follow the wooden planks then up the small hill. You should be able to use the shed where I store my boat for your big friend. Unless he eats fish by the barrel he is welcomed."
Aang glanced toward Appa, who was sniffing at a stack of empty crates.
"He is a vegetarian, he likes hay the most."
"Oh good, then. At least he will give less trouble than some men I've hired. Rude the lot of 'em." the old man said, standing with a pleased grunt. "Come on, boys. Tide won't wait for nobody."
----0000----
Azula found Lin's exasperation satisfying, especially because she was trying very hard not to show too much of it in front of the other officers. The princess also found that it was an entertaining pastime.
They were gathered around the command table inside one of the forward bunkers the earthbenders had made for them, which was easier to set up than setting up the tent over and over again.
Outside, the battle continued, and the artillery was making dust fall from the ceiling every time they fired, now closer to the front to hit their rear. Messengers moved in and out of the room, bringing updates from the scouts, the tank crews and the frontline officers.
The newest scout report had changed the plan for the day, their gliders had located the enemy headquarters and Lin had quickly called for a meeting with all the lead officers. They had discussed the news to come up with a plan and how best to hit the enemy.
Their headquarters was hidden behind several defensive lines, farther south than expected, connected to trenches and tunnels that allowed the Earth Kingdom commanders to send orders without exposing themselves too often.
Lin had suspected that the enemy was using a central command position instead of separate field posts, because their counterattacks had become too coordinated to be improvised by isolated officers. Now they had confirmation and she was eager to eliminate them and push the lines.
Lin had already prepared a plan of attack even before Azula arrived. The Fire Nation would concentrate tanks, rhinos, infantry, and field guns along the central and southern sections. With a coordinated attack, the tanks would break through the pressured line while the rhinos and infantry followed to widen the gap.
Having taken their headquarters out, their officers wouldn't be able to respond in time to reinforce key positions in the line. After that, the armored units would turn south, circle the enemy position, and destroy half of their line before the Earth Kingdom could reorganize.
If it worked, the rest of their defenses would either collapse or be overwhelmed by the next push. Azula could admit it was a good plan. It was aggressive, efficient, and most of all aimed at destroying their forces instead of just gaining ground.
The problem was that Lin had not included her in the small strike team that would be sent to para-drop from the gliders and attack the headquarters directly. And Azula wanted to be part of it desperately.
"No." Lin said once more.
Azula raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"You leading the strike team is out of the question, princess."
"I said I wanted to be part of it, I don't need to lead it."
"That is the same thing, you outrank anyone in any team."
Azula smiled at her. "It's good you understand it then."
Lin rested both metal hands on the table. "The headquarters is deep behind their lines. We do not know how many guards they have, how many tunnels connect to it, or how quickly their reserves can react. The mission is risky even with experienced soldiers."
"Then it is fortunate that I am not inexperienced."
"You are also the Crown Princess."
"I know."
"That means I am expected to keep you alive."
"And yet, no one here can stop me from going if I decide to go."
The officers around the table were looking everywhere but at them. Azula enjoyed that as well. General Shinu stood across from them with the face of a man who wished he had been ordered somewhere else or to bolt away back to the frontlines.
Lin gave her a tired expression. "Azula, please see reason."
The use of her name instead of her title made something warm pass through her chest, but she kept her face composed. "Lin, I can do this."
"Why do you want to do this so badly?"
"It would be a great boost to our soldiers morale."
"You want to throw yourself at the most dangerous operation yet for a morale boost?"
Azula's smile thinned a little. "Do not insult me. I understand risk better than most of the officers in this room, and I also understand what my presence means. If I strike the enemy command directly while our army breaks their line, every soldier here will hear of it before nightfall. So will every soldier in the city. The Fire Nation's victory would be all but assured if we succeed."
"But we could win either way without endangering our crown princess."
"Probably."
Lin remained silent for a moment, and Azula could see that she had no more arguments. Lin trusted her in battle, trained her, and praised her in combat multiple times. There was no doubt in her mind that she would come around.
"The mission will be prepared with me in mind. I'm going, and that's an order." Azula said at last.
Lin's jaw tightened. "Is there no way you will let us handle it?"
"No."
Shinu stared at Azula, then at Lin, and seemed to regret both choices immediately. Lin held Azula's gaze for several seconds before releasing a slow breath through her nose.
"Fine." Lin said, between her teeth. Azula almost smiled.
"Then I am going with you." Lin continued.
That was even better than what Azula had wanted, although she had enough sense not to say so in front of the entire command staff.
"Oh good, they have no chance then."
"Right." Lin sighed.
She turned toward Major General Shinu, who seemed so stunned by the change in command that for a moment he did not react at all. His mouth opened once before he closed it again. Watching grown officers lose their composure never truly got old.
"General Shinu." Lin said. "You will take command of the main assault while the princess and I eliminate the head of the enemy."
Shinu straightened quickly. "A-are you certain?"
"I would not be handing you command if I was not."
Lin took a folded paper from the table and handed it to him. "These are your orders for the next twenty-four hours. If there are any changes in the schedule of our attack I will send a messenger. There are reports of our reserves, artillery ammunition, tanks' combat readiness, fallback points, and what to do if we are not able to return. Do not improvise unless the situation forces you. If communication is lost, follow the written plan."
Shinu accepted the paper with both hands. "Understood, General."
It was funny to Azula how even if they were both the same rank, Lin could just order Shinu around. A year back maybe that wouldn't have happened, but her reputation had skyrocketed since then. The rumors about her being an evil spirit frightened even a few on their own side.
"You will be in command of both armies, I'm trusting my men to you. Do not waste their lives. Captain Aiku will remain with the forward staff to assist you. Colonel Zhou keeps the central line stable at this moment. If breaking their lines succeeds, you push immediately before the Earth Kingdom can recover."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Azula could see the concern in the room, but no one challenged her. Having the power to order Lin around felt enticing. The princess was also eager to hunt General Sung and the rest of the Earth Kingdom officers. It all made her feel giddy inside.
Lin gathered her things and ordered a corporal to gather the selected soldiers for the strike, giving him a list. Then she glanced at Azula with resignation, Azula finally allowed herself to smirk.
"We will crush them, we'll be fine." Azula said.
"You enjoy making my work difficult, don't you?" Lin sighed.
"Admit it, you admire initiative."
"If only your initiative wouldn't risk your life."
"What's life without a little danger?"
Lin laughed. 'Mission accomplished.'
----0000----
The storm hit Daxia harbor before Sokka and Haru returned from fishing. At first, Aang tried not to worry. The old fisherman had seemed experienced enough, and Sokka had been excited to prove that Water Tribe people obviously understood boats better than anyone else.
Haru had been less confident, but he had agreed to help anyway, mostly because the old man had promised he could cook great food for all of them if the work went well. Then the rain began falling harder, and the wind from the sea pushed against the harbor hard enough that several people started tying down crates and pulling nets away from the docks.
Katara stood near the old man's house with her arms crossed, her attention fixed on the water.
"Do you think they are alright? Maybe we should check if they are in trouble."
Aang nodded, trying to see through the rain. "I'll go check."
Katara turned toward him at once. "Be careful."
"I will. I'll just look from above."
He climbed onto Appa and guided him toward the harbor before the rain worsened. The waves were already higher than Aang liked, and the boats near the docks were hitting the water hard as their ropes pulled tight. It took him several minutes to find the fishing boat through the rain, and when he finally spotted it, he could see that something was not right.
The boat was still floating, but it was moving poorly. Sokka was trying to control one of the ropes near the front while Haru held onto the side, both of them drenched and shouting over the wind. The old man was down near the center of the boat, unmoving beside the mast.
Aang brought Appa lower. "Sokka!"
Sokka's head snapped up. "Aang! Great timing! The mast hit him and now he is out, and I am starting to think these boats are more complicated than I said!"
"We need to return to land, we don't know how hurt he is!" Haru shouted.
"Right!"
Aang lowered Appa carefully until he could drop onto the boat. The waves made the landing difficult, and he had to use airbending to keep himself from falling over the side. The old man was breathing, which made Aang feel better, but he did not wake when Haru slapped him gently. There was a red mark on the side of his head where part of the mast had struck him.
"We need to find a way to move it to shore then." Aang said.
He tied a rope from the fishing boat to Appa's saddle while Sokka helped secure the old man in place so he would not roll with the movement of the waves. Haru used earthbending on the few stones they had carried as weights, trying to help balance the boat, while Aang climbed back onto Appa and told him to pull.
"Yip yip, come on, buddy!"
Appa groaned and flew forward with effort, dragging the boat through the waves while Aang used airbending to push water away whenever it rose too high. It was messy and frightening, and more than once the rope pulled so hard that Aang thought it might snap, but they finally reached the harbor.
They managed to secure the boat into the wooden docks, when they yelled for help people didn't even look in their direction, each securing their things without caring about the rest of the world. It was a sad sight for Aang.
Still, they needed to take shelter, so they tied it down as best they could and Aang helped Haru and Sokka to carry the old man back. By the time they got the old man back to his house, Katara had already prepared blankets and warm water.
They cleaned his injury and waited until he woke up, while the storm raged outside. Katara also helped the Sokka and Haru dry up. Aang had already used his airbending to do that.
With a grunt the old man finally got up. "How… how did we get to safety?"
"Ah well… you could say teamwork and a bit of luck." Sokka lied, quickly.
"My boat?" he asked, fearful.
"It's safe, we left it safely tucked in the harbor." Haru answered.
He breathed in relief and he laid down again.
"Are you feeling alright, sir?" Aang asked.
"Just a headache, I'll be fine, kid. You both have my thanks for bringing me back, even if we didn't end up bringing fish as I wanted to, you are welcome to stay the night."
"We do have some food prepared, we can share." Katara said softly.
"I think I just want some tea, but thanks for the offer." he said simply.
----0000----
The next morning, they left after thanking him, and heading northeast instead of flying directly north. The old man had warned them that in that direction they would find Pohuai, a Fire Nation military base and prison, and none of them wanted to fly close to a place like that.
They did not get far before Sokka started coughing and feeling down. At first, he insisted he was fine, and Haru tried to say the same when his own voice became rough. By midday, both of them were shaking under their blankets in Appa's saddle, their faces flushed and sweaty despite the cool air.
Katara checked them again and again, but her worry only grew.
"We need to stop and have them rest." she said.
Aang nodded and he began searching for anywhere to go down. They landed near ruins of what he believed had once been Taku. The city looked like it had been destroyed a long time ago, and even from above, there was not much else than ruins and collapsed stone.
They found a place in the ruins that still had enough roof left to block the wind, and Katara made Sokka and Haru lie down while Aang gathered water and tried to make them comfortable. As the hours passed, they only got worse.
Sokka mumbled nonsense about fishing warriors and giant soup bowls, while Haru kept calling for his father even though he knew his father was not there. Their skin felt too hot, and both of them were sweating through their clothes. Katara tried to stay calm, but Aang could see her hands trembling a bit.
"We need to do something, you are starting with the coughing now, they are not getting better either, even if you said some rest would be all they needed." Aang said.
"Yes, maybe you can go and find some ginger root, it's a medicinal herb and it will help make tea that will help us."
Katara then gave him a description of the plant she needed.
"Alright, I will fly around and see if I can find it."
"I'll look after them." Katara said, weakly.
Aang did not want to leave her, but he knew waiting would not help. He took his glider and searched through the ruins of Taku, flying low over broken streets, and buildings that had been left to rot.
He did not find the herbs Katara had described. What he did find, after landing near a cracked stone noticeboard, was an old map of the city with several important buildings marked on it. One of them was a medical institute.
Aang pulled the map free as carefully as he could and flew back to tell the others. He was already planning the fastest route through the ruins when he landed near the broken house they had chosen for shelter.
The words died in his throat before he could call Katara's name. A huge man was standing near his friends, looking over them. They were all bundled together over Appa who surprisingly hadn't made a move even with the man there. Even Momo was just randomly playing with a crown he no doubt found in the ruins, ignoring him.
He was broad, tall, and intimidating, with a face that did not look friendly at all and metal prosthetics that reminded Aang of Lin's arms and legs. The man turned his head when Aang entered, and Aang tightened his grip on his staff, swallowing hard while failing at not showing how scared he suddenly felt.
Aang was ready to defend himself and move to protect his friends. Katara was the only fully awake one and she was breathing heavily. Aang was not sure he would be able to get to them before the man made a move, he might end up hurting his friends if he moved too fast.
"Stay away from them!" Aang said, trying to sound braver than he felt.
The man turned fully toward him, and Aang raised his staff. But to his surprise the man spoke with gentle words.
"Calm down, young Avatar. I'm here to help you." he said.
"You are?" Aang said, now hopeful.
"Yes, and I should warn you that flying off like you did is careless. You are lucky that most of the zone was abandoned to lend support to Ba Sing Se's invasion. Otherwise you would have angry archers after you already." The man said.
"Er.. sorry?"
"Either way, your friends will be fine. There is a valley nearby with almost freezing water. Inside there are these frozen frogs that will help in this situation."
"How can frozen frogs help?"
"They hibernate that way. That thin layer that freezes has many nutrients that keeps them alive, it can be used to cure this sickness. You just have to let them melt that layer in a cup and have them drink it. You could also suck on them but the taste is horrible, I don't recommend it." the man explained.
"How do you know this?" Aang asked.
"The mother of my child, Zy, runs an apothecary. She has been healing people in Hew Sin for years now. You learn a thing or two."
"Oh…err, great!" he answered, awkwardly.
The man threw a satchel at him and he almost didn't catch it. "Go fetch them, without flying this time. I will be here when you come back to help you prepare the medicine."
"Alright, thanks!" Aang said, bolting toward the valley at full speed, relieved that they had found another friendly face, even in the ruins of a forgotten town.
Once back with the frozen frogs, he handed them to the man who was now sitting down and had started a small fire. He expertly extracted the liquid from the frozen frogs, carefully placing them back in the satchel.
"Once we are done you can take them back, they will just freeze right back in a couple of hours, they won't mind." he said.
Aang nodded. The man prepared the tea and with his help, they carefully helped their friends drink it down. It calmed his heart to see their faces regain normal color and their breathing even out. They relaxed almost straight away.
"It worked!"
"Of course, for what reason would I lie?" the man asked.
"Well… you do look a bit intimidating." Aang said, sheepishly.
"Ah, I can't argue with that." he said neutrally.
"Who- who are you?" Katara asked.
"My name is Raizo."
"Did they ever tell you that you look just like a certain Fire Nation General?" Sokka said, still not fully recovered.
Aang saw the man's face turn sad instantly.
"That would be my sister."
'Oh no…'
----0000----
Art by Aurora