Diplomatic foundations were fully set in Ba Sing Se in little time at all, thanks to earlier agreements Xing had fostered with the Northern Water Tribe and Omashu. A tentative coalition was formed, built on several agreements between the three factions behind closed doors.
None of the representatives gave vague promises. A simple mutual defense pact was agreed upon, but only unofficially, to last only as long as Fire Lord Ozai remained on the throne.
King Bumi sent an order back to Omashu to begin liberating the continent. At the same time, emissaries would be sent out to treat with King Kuei's followers, to distract them away from mustering against Ba Sing Se.
In exchange, Xing gifted the Mad King the ledgers seized from the palace's archives. A good portion of the small mountain of tomes tracked the tribute to the throne, owed by the states and certain high nobility. How many men each state was expected to muster in defense of the throne, how many crates of food, raw materials and luxury goods should enter Ba Sing Se each month, the number of noble scions slated to staff in the palace… The information contained within was terrifyingly comprehensive.
Just as important, the other half of ledgers held the official claims for land and titles throughout the continent. It was (until Xing's conquest anyway) what defined the boundaries, limits, privileges and succession of the Earth Kingdom's landed nobility. The claims could be disputed, but unless amendments were made, Earth Kingdom bureaucracy referred only to those ledgers regardless of what protesting claimants might say.
Iroh understood the value of the ledgers, and he knew that their worth was perhaps being overinflated here. But then again, it wouldn't be surprising to find Xing having already struck a different bargain with Bumi at an earlier date. Probably the direct support of Ba Sing Se should the Mad King end up having to clash with the Deposed King Kuei.
Princess Yue, on behalf of her father Chief Arnook, pledged military aid in the form of naval raiders to strain the Fire Nation's sea lanes. The Agna Q'ela would also lend its healers should Ba Sing Se require it.
For their service, shipwrights from the escaped colonists were dispatched to the north, to try and revive the hulks salvaged from the failed Fire Nation invasion of the North Pole to bolster the Water Tribe's navy. Also, a massive stockpile of wood and metal equipment, both civilian and military, was being prepared to be delivered to Agna Q'ela, as a step towards bringing the tribe's industrial and military capability up to par with the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom.
A similar but scaled down offer of materiel was given to the representatives of the meager force from the Southern Water Tribe, in exchange for nominal recognition of Xing's rule over Ba Sing Se. Chief Hakoda graciously accepted, though from the looks of it, he was happy to simply be present and involved. The Southern Water Tribe had fared far worse than its northern counterpart after decades of Fire Nation depredation, and would require a long road in restoring its power and influence over the southern seas.
Also, the man was clearly distracted at reuniting with his family. It was heartwarming to see Hakoda in tears as he met with Kilin, Katara and Sokka. Iroh kept smiling at the scene as melancholy washed over him, recalling his own lost family; his beautiful wife Hitomi who'd passed far too early from illness, his dear son Lu Ten who fell in combat…even his father, the late Fire Lord Azulon, whose passing was now being regarded with suspicious eyes by Azula.
Iroh dared not give the theory any credence, lest it drag him down a fearful dark path. He'd wait until solid evidence was provided, or on the slim chance Ozai was captured.
The old prince sighed heavily as he thought of his brother's future. Xing had made no promises, and Azula was far blunter about preferring her father dead. Only the fact that Ozai's fate ultimately rested on young Aang facing him gave Iroh some hope for seeing his brother alive…at least for a short while.
How would Zuko take it, Iroh wondered? How would he take all of this, once he's been informed of everything?
It was a question Iroh would find answered soon…hopefully.
With little over a week left, the grand operation began. A small army of Azula's agents boarded Water Tribe ships to infiltrate the home islands. At the same time, Aang went through final preparations before flying with his friends to the Fire Nation's palace.
Xing and Azula would meet up with them later, as the young couple would be at the head of the counter-invasion. They first would have to bring Ozai's army on the continent to heel, which was why they were leaving with the majority of the 11th again, this time accompanied by King Bumi and his band of volunteers.
Iroh pitied his countrymen on the other end of the conflict.
With all the movement out of the city, Iroh was left to serve as Ba Sing Se's steward with a garrison almost entirely composed of men belonging to Generals Yiu and Sung. Both men's loyalty, or at least their obedience, was solid enough by now to be relied upon to keep the city in safe hands. But Azula still had a few of her palace staff keeping a discreet eye on them and their subordinates, just in case.
Things seemed secure enough that Iroh would have to settle for keeping track of the news as they streamed in. He also likely had enough time to attend to the unenviable task of thawing relations with the Village of Hidden Clouds. Iroh didn't complain; earning the trust and forgiveness of the airbender remnants was far from an ignoble thing. He also saw it as a form of penance on behalf of his family's involvement.
If he had to make one complaint though, Iroh perhaps wished that Azula hadn't assigned Su-Wei as his assistant.
"Right, they're gone," the old widow said once Xing and Azula marched out the breach-turned-gates, and turned to Iroh with a mild glare. "Come along, Prince Iroh. We've got a lot of work to do. Blame your niece and nephew-in-law for being too competent that there's probably a room full of reports for you to go through by now. If we're lucky, we'll manage to halve it before the next round of paperwork comes flooding in. And then we'll get to enjoy lunch…or an early dinner, depending on our luck."
It was hard not to sigh. "As you say, Lady Su-Wei."
*****
Sokka assured himself that the bittersweet farewell at the docks would be the last time he'd be parted from his family. Yue included.
"Take care, dad," he muttered as he took his turn hugging his father.
"You too, Sokka. I'm proud of you."
Hakoda's beaming smile earnestly relayed that notion, rather than the half-smile, half-grin he was wearing ever since Katara all-too-happily told him about Sokka's engagement to Yue.
Speaking of, Yue received a wry grin. "Thank you once again for taking in my son, Princess Yue."
The light blush dusting Yue's cheeks gave her a pretty glow. "Please, just call me Yue," she corrected for the nth time. "We will be family soon."
Family. The word still struck Sokka as he heard it from Yue's lips, or as it left his own. They'd be married soon, be a family…
"Katara, is your brother drooling?" Toph's voice suddenly intruded, and before Sokka could react his sister responded.
"No, but his jaw's hanging a little."
"Thought so."
"H-Hey, I was just…thinking," Sokka weakly defended as she turned towards the giggling Katara and Toph. "Anyway, where's Aang?" he asked Toph, who had initially been in the palace.
She gave a shrug, and with a hand wrapped in metal bands stabbed a thumb over her shoulder. "He's with Teo getting Appa ready." Her words were mildly accentuated by the creaking of metal as the bands around her limbs creaked to conform to her movement.
Metalbending should be impossible, from what Sokka understood from the earthbenders gasping in shock at the time, but somehow Toph had managed it by doing some funky bending juju that no one else had considered before. Bumi was clapping his hands and cackling gleefully, while the cranky badgermole Yama was grumbling up a storm of disbelief at having a blind girl of all people pioneer the new bending.
Toph had invented metalbending, but Sokka had to remind himself that it was Xing who came up with the idea of shoving her into a metal box to overcome her weakness. After all he's learned from the Scorpion, that cannot possibly be a coincidence. The guy knew way more than he was letting on, and was bloody annoying because of it, but at least he was doing it for the benefit of the good guys, and his record for vague hints and unfathomable actions still hasn't led anyone astray yet.
Which was why Sokka took Xing's words very seriously when the prince came up one day for a private chat. "You're likely going to have to kill someone to get to Ozai."
"I know," Sokka had replied with a grim and resolute nod. "That's why I'm bringing my sword along, after all."
They shared small grins at the poor humor before Xing continued. "You're going with your friends, your sister. How far will you go to protect them?"
Sokka frowned at Xing as his heart hardened at that familiar topic. "Very."
The Scorpion nodded at that, and then loudly snapped his fingers. Sokka watched as a couple of servants entered the room, pushing in a rack with a thick blue-colored attire hanging off it.
The servants carefully extracted the clothing, revealing it to be a blue-dyed variant of the brigandine armor Xing and his soldiers wore. There were noticeable differences, like the white fur lining and a beautiful steel wolf helm. Judging from the metallic jingling as the armor plates clinked off each other, it probably was a little lighter as well.
"We might not be friends, but please accept this gift, from an adopted little brother who'd do anything to protect his family, to an older brother who wishes to do the same."
"I…" Sokka stared dumbly as he took the suit of armor in his hands and felt the comforting weight of metal and padded cloth. He stared at the wolf helmet, its quality clearly far superior than anything owned by the warriors of his tribe. Then he turned to Xing. "Thanks, Xing."
The prince gave a rare, snark-less smile. "You're welcome. If Katara complains, feel free to say I did it out of political considerations."
"Pft. Right." It was probably half-true, knowing Xing. It'd be bad for his diplomacy with the Water Tribes if Sokka fell in battle, and Xing would earn cheap goodwill on the chance that the armor did save Sokka from a mortal blow. Still, Sokka appreciated the gesture, whatever the true intentions.
"For a Scorpion, you're not too bad a guy."
"For a Water Tribesman, you're not too shit a warrior," the prince retorted with a grin. They exchanged friendly insults as Sokka gave the armor a try, and once the weight settled on his body and he moved about in it for a bit, Sokka found himself immediately enamored by his present.
Maybe not as much as the meteor sword, but only by a small margin.
Xing, the swell guy, offered pointers on what vulnerabilities to look out for, and what moves worked or didn't work. Sokka spent the rest of the day in the armor, earning Aang's compliment and Katara's mild annoyance. Toph was…indifferent, since she was basically a walking metal statue already and was still riding the high from everyone's amazement.
Returning to the present, Sokka watched as his father took off in an Earth Kingdom merchant junk carrying food, tools and more to begin rebuilding the South Pole.
After that, it was a nice, warm hug and a slightly embarrassing but much savored kiss in front of everyone to see Yue off. "I'll see you soon," she promised.
"Yeah," was all Sokka managed to mumble as he stared at his fiance's beautiful face.
"That's enough gawking, loverboy." Katara just had to make a scene by yanking him away. "Take care Yue. I promise we'll look after Sokka for you."
That was a cheap shot. "Hey! I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"
They watched the Northern Water Tribe ships leave and Yue's waving figure become an indistinct speck in the distance before the three of them headed back to the palace. Aang and Teo were waiting for them with a rather impressively outfitted Appa.
The fluffy air bison wore barding that consisted of mail that covered most of him, and several metal plates protecting various vital points. A massive chanfron protected Appa's head, leaving only his mouth clear as his eyes were protected by swirling grills. Teo was just folding away what seemed like glider wings into Appa's flanks. Probably to help him fly farther or something? Still, the overall look made Appa look menacing indeed.
"Appa looks…different." Of course Katara with her girly sensibilities would not see the awesomeness that way.
"He's a bit heavier, that's for sure," Toph commented.
"That's what the wings are for," Teo explained as he patted on the folded wings, confirming Sokka's initial impression. "Dad says once deployed, they'd help take nearly half the weight. Should help during long flights. There's latches near the saddle that'll help drop the whole thing - or reattach it - quickly if you need to." The boy's face scrunched up a bit. "Xing wanted to attach a metal barrel filled with blasting jelly to…uh, help Appa move faster, but everyone agreed it was a stupid idea."
"Appa's not a firework," Aang agreed with a stern nod. "Though…I guess it's worth trying out if I can help speed up the flying by firebending like the soldiers."
"I can't wait to find out," Toph commented dryly.
They took to the skies later, and as they saw the soldiers leaving Ba Sing Se shrink into a barely visible trail of dots, Sokka idly began to wonder how lucky he and his friends were to miss out on all the carnage that was about to come.
Or almost all, if Xing managed to make it to the palace in time.Bujing kept the advance of his army at a cautious pace, being thorough in crushing any resistance he encountered. He was taking his time to ensure that his supply lines were robust. Practically half the army was on foraging duty at any time to bolster the rations coming in from the ports, on the off chance that they might get cut off temporarily.
After the last incident with an abandoned village's seemingly barely touched granary, Bujing's punitive expedition would burn down any village or town stores they found.
The usual looting from the enlisted soldiers resulted in a rash of poisonings as they shared the meats and buns they'd pilfered with their comrades well before the physicians and apothecaries could verify the purity of the food. Worse, some of the clay jars of dried food contained false bottoms, which hid trapped vermin that happily infested the army's stores after they were inadvertently freed.
It forced the whole advance to stall for three days as the troops purged the starved rodents and insects, and it came at the cost of almost a quarter of their fresh supplies. During that time, they had the misfortune of falling prey to rebel partisans, who managed to set fire to a further fifth of the food. A smaller but not insignificant amount of water was also lost during that raid.
Compared to that, foraging for poisonous mushrooms and unidentified fruits seemed a much safer alternative.
By the time the raiders were all hunted down, morale had plummeted, and Bujing was in no mood to tolerate any further setback. The army remained camped for a further two anxious days for resupply before they continued their advance.
It was a most inauspicious sign of things to come, from Bujing's perspective.
The high general's concerns were further proven true when they encountered a mob of fleeing, half-naked men. They were survivors from High General Wulong's combined army, and the dread tales they brought with them made Bujing regret being out in the continent.
Wulong was dead by the Scorpion's hand, and his combined force shattered and scattered in all directions to spread the news. The rebel princess was also in the field, apparently slaughtering her own tally of loyalist commanders. Worse, Wulong's army of twenty thousand was routed by an enemy force of not even a third of that. And this was a battle on open grasslands, not a siege where such a disparity in numbers made more sense.
To top it all off, the prince and princess now had dragons under their command, to go along with tanks that spat fire, and soldiers that could somehow fly.
A lesser commander might write off the tales as mostly hyperbole. That Wulong was indeed illed, but battlefield hysteria caused the men to justify their cowardice with tall tales.
Bujing was not a lesser commander. He'd read what Xing could do. He'd personally heard of what happened to Zhao.
It was too late to stop the spread of the disastrous defeat, especially with more fleeing survivors potentially running into other groups. So Bujing acted immediately to slow the fear's growth instead. "Send one hawk back to deliver the news back to the capital. Then send the rest to all commanders on the continent. Have their armies gather at the shores of the West Lake, and then we'll march as one to take on Ba Sing Se. Avoid the Scorpion's forces if possible. If not, send messages of the enemy's locations before martyring themselves for the Fire Nation. Tell them that."
With the inter-army communication dealt with, the high general then moved on to dealing with the infected communication within his own army. Morale had dropped to a point where there was already a trickle of deserters beginning. Capturing the cowards and executing them before their former comrades was a temporary balm to the problem, but Bujing had to get to the root of the issue.
The men needed something tangible to raise their spirits. Wine and increased rations would not be enough. Bujing needed victories. Any victories.
He set his army loose on the next group of partisans they encountered. Their underground hideout was fully burnt to ash and turned into an open grave for the rebels. Bujing let his men vent their fears on the fanatical peasants who died with their prince's and princess' names on their lips. He overlooked the desecration of the corpses and the slow, torturous execution of the few unlucky survivors.
It got some of the dread out of the troops' system. That was what was important.
The expeditionary force kept their morale afloat by pouncing on several more civilian resistance groups. Bujing's only rule was that the rebel women be executed along with the men, instead of being captured as playthings. Allowing the latter would only end up as a distraction to his men, and potentially serve as a security vulnerability. The soldiers were free to have whatever way they wanted with any rebels they captured, but no prisoners would remain after they broke camp on the following day.
The simple tactic kept the army marching all the way to the West Lake, where they met up with and assimilated other punitive forces. Some of the expedition groups suffered significant losses. Two had lost almost a third of their forces, particularly their cavalry, in trying to stop the rebels from harassing their march. Others suffered losses from traps and suicidal raids. Mutiny saw at least two armies losing about a quarter of their strength.
One unlucky group was half-starved and lost more than half their numbers, including their general and most of the command staff, to poisoned food and water. Desertion further brought their ranks down to barely a quarter of their original strength. Bujing immediately promoted the lieutenant commanding the battered survivors to general. Such talent, especially in the face of adversity, should not be overlooked.
Despite the ordeal they all face, after waiting for nine days for the rest of the punitive forces to catch up, the combined might of the muster still amounted to a mighty four hundred thousand men, with nearly ten thousand tanks and double that number in cavalry. In any other situation, it would be an awe-inspiring force.
Bujing doubted it'd be enough to replicate Prince Iroh's siege on Ba Sing Se. Not with Princess Azula rousing the evacuated colonists to man the defenses. Not with Prince Iroh's cunning and wisdom providing counters to the Fire Nation doctrines he was keenly familiar with.
Not with the Scorpion Dragon Xing who broke the very same city he was now defending by himself.
It was relief of sorts then, when Bujing received exhausted scouts that told of the rebels marching out of the city in force of around thirty thousand men. It was certain that both Xing and Azula were leading it, and they were headed west, just missing Bujing's force by.a few miles if they did not deviate from the roads.
On the one hand, it meant that the biggest worries to sieging Ba Sing Se was now gone, though it was a meager consolation as Prince Iroh was likely still in the city manning the defenses. But at least now the siege now actually had a chance of succeeding. It might also force the Xing to turn back, ruining whatever reason he was marching out in the first place.
Yet, there was also the fact that even with a minimal garrison, Ba Sing Se's walls and breaches would take weeks, if not months, to actually be overwhelmed. Bujing was sure that Xing employed turncoat earthbenders, who could, as a last resort, collapse the walls to bury entire regiments under an avalanche of brick and earth. And then there'd still be mountains of rubble-turned-ammunition for the surviving attackers to climb through.
Even if they endured all of that, there'd still be a second wall to endure. By that time, Xing could have already accomplished whatever goals he set out to do if he simply opted to ignore the loyalist army. Worse, the Scorpion might be heading westwards to begin razing the ports that fed supplies and reinforcements to Bujing's army. Not only would it starve them out, it'd also strand them on the continent.
And if Xing managed to capture a few ships, they could realistically fool or convert the naval patrols and aim for the home islands.
"Damn that boy," Bujing cursed as he stared at the map in his command tent, and then glanced up to the assembled generals. "We've no choice but to intercept the rebel army."
And it was likely Xing knew it as well, the scheming little bastard. Which meant that he'll be prepared.
"Should we aim to envelop them?" one commander proposed, not unreasonably. With such a numerical advantage, standard doctrine called for a complete encirclement before tightening the noose and thoroughly destroying the trapped target.
Bujing sighed as he pondered over the possibilities for a few seconds. "Against predictable earthbenders and their levy fodder, I'd agree with you. However, we're dealing with Xing and his band of traitors here. They've knowledge of Fire Nation strategies and ploys, and have likely taken our usual approaches into consideration."
Another general, one of the newer ones promoted by the Fire Lord spoke up with some indignation. "What then? We cannot just cower from them! We hold the advantage of numbers against these rebels, spirits-touched Scorpion or not. With some maneuvering, we can bring them to battle in favorable terrain as well."
That was, unfortunately, true. Bujing stared at the map again, and then heaved out another sigh before fixing a glare at the assembled commanders. "We'll send out our greener infantry formations first to try and intercept the rebels. Their one and only job is to keep the enemy pinned and worn while the rest of the army catches up." The high general ignored the sour looks on some of his subordinates. "The tanks and cavalry will guard the flanks of the main force until we're ready to engage the rebels, and then they'll conduct flanking and encirclement maneuvers as appropriate."
"With all due respect, High General," a general said, "Might we be overestimating the rebels' capabilities?"
Bujing snorted audibly at that idea. "Fool. You're talking about a boy who's made a reputation for stringing victories while outnumbered. One mere boy leading a regiment, however battle-hardened, does not break armies and cities with simple 'intimidation tactics'. And considering how easily he declared his rebellion, the accuracy of his more recent battle reports might be suspect. Right now, I would rather overestimate his reputation and trample him swiftly, than underestimate him and suffer High General Wulong's fate."
Fixing a glare fuelled with all the authority of his rank, Bujing's voice lowered to a steely order. "We move out tomorrow morning. Either six generals will volunteer to head the vanguard by the end of today, or I will nominate them once the marching orders are given tomorrow."
For all the haste Bujing's orders were carried out, the sacrificial vanguard of 120,000 barely created a lead from the main army by the end of their first day of their forced march. The banners of the tail end of the infantry martyrs could still be seen down the road even as the main force set up camp.
In the meantime, Bujing kept busy through the night trying to piece together Xing's likely moves. The high general held no illusion that the vanguard he sent out would be broken, he just wasn't sure how quickly or how worn the rebel force would be after that. He'd have to plan his attrition rates carefully. Orders were given to prioritize taking out the enemy vehicles first, to provide some advantage in mobility. After that, it'd be down to a bloody grind.
By the third day of intercepting, Bujing had to amend his calculations when he noticed that nearly half of the scouts he sent out to keep track of the rebels had not reported back.
On the fourth day, barely a fifth of them either showed up or sent their updates via messenger hawks. However, desperate runners from the vanguard brought news of Xing's force being sighted. Battle was expected to commence the following day.
Bujing had his main army hasten their march on the fifth day to catch up with and reinforce the vanguard, only to encounter more messengers bringing bewildering news that the enemy was nowhere to be seen, likely having relocated at night. By now, the only scouts the army had left were those that remained keeping watch of its perimeter.
The main army caught up with the confused and frustrated vanguard on the seventh day. All 120,000 soldiers were spread around where the rebels were last seen encamped, poking about cautiously but futilely for any sign of the enemy. With their vision hobbled, Bujing had his army set up camp with the vanguard, and prepared to sacrifice some of the light cavalry to serve as eyes and ears for the army. They had the mobility, but not the training to keep a discreet eye out for enemy movement. The high general resigned himself to writing off maybe a division's worth of ostrich horses to give his army some ability to see ahead.
It proved to be a moot idea, as late into the seventh night, as the soldiers recuperated from the weary marching and Bujing was busy refining his battlefield plans, half of his tent to sank underground with barely a warning. The high general had all of three seconds to be confused before the command tent's heavy fabric fell over him and the furniture…and the braziers and candles.
Bujing hastily burned his way free from the smothering blanket, and as the silk and leather covering fell clear of his head, he found himself in the middle of bloody mayhem.
Neat holes dotted the ground, half-swallowing tents and palisade sections. Armored figures were casually climbing out of them with weapons or flames in hand, their outlines highlighted in baleful orange from the fires breaking out as tents and braziers and torches toppled atop of one another.
"Kill for the Scorpion Prince! Kill for the Phoenix Princess!"
Most of the confused loyalists were still recovering from the sudden appearances of sinkholes around them, and fell easy prey to the enemy ambushers. Spears stabbed into men still in their nightwear as they crawled out of their tents in a daze. Officers barely managed to get their hands on their weapons when they were pounced on by warcleavers and daggers.
The earth rose up to crush or impale soldiers trying to rally around their sergeants or captains. Flames incinerated groups of barely armed soldiers as they sought to organize into their squads as deep-drilled training urged. The whinny and grunts of startled ostrich horses and komodo rhinos cut across the din of flames and screams as tanks trundled up from larger pits and began spitting streams of fire.
"Spirits…"
Bujing would've remained rooted to the spot if not for the noise behind him triggering his instincts to quickly leap aside. He fell into a roll despite his age, and quickly got up into a firebending stance…and found himself facing off against a grinning, muscled figure that was the Mad King.
"Hey, looks like I got lucky and bagged myself a high general!"
Bujing barely managed to channel his chi when Bumi casually stomped his feet and crushed him almost to death in a neck-high prison of earth. The high general gasped as the tightly packed dirt slammed into his body from all directions. That nothing broke was a minor miracle.
Through tears of pain staining his vision, Bujing saw King Bumi walking up to offer a humiliating grin. "Now don't move a muscle. We'll come get you right after the fun's over."
And the Mad King turned away without acknowledging Bujing's furious indignation, and with another stomp of his foot, the earth cracked outwards and a rift opened up to swallow up an officer and his rallying men. Another stomp and a push of his arms, and a tsunami of dirt rose up and tore through men and tents, leaving a long trail of churned earth and pulped corpses. The Mad King stalked off with a cackle, churning spikes up to shred anyone in his way, or more waves of earth to bury any significant groups that caught his attention.
"Kneel if you wish to live!" Bujing strained to turn his head when flashes and roars from one side caught his helpless attention, and he saw the rebel prince and princess joining in the chaotic melee. Princess Azula led a group of soldiers, ruthlessly cutting down any who stood in their way. Bolts of fire and walls of earth rendered any resistance against them impotent.
Azula stopped as she came across a gathering mob of firebenders, her earthbenders' walls protecting her group from the barrage that followed. Bujing felt cold dread wash down his straining spine as the princess fell into a familiar stance, index and middle fingers of both hands pointed out as her arms moved in circular motions. Blue-white light sparked from her fingertips, and when she finally lanced one arm out at the mob, a blinding bolt of lightning blasted through the earthen wall between them and forked out throughout the firebenders that dared stand against her.
More lightning followed after that, as her soldiers stood guard around her and gave her the time she needed to deliver the devastating attacks.
Despite the terror that filled Bujing, it somehow got worse as he heard uncanny roars from the skies. Something darted past his constricted view, something snake-like and winged and trailing flames. The high general heard armor and bones breaking from where the figure darted towards, as well as the gurgling screams of men being brought down by predators. One of the figures flew by, slower this time, claws latched onto a hapless lieutenant as its elongated maw chomped out chunks of his neck and shoulders. Bujing saw a dragon for the first time, burning what's left of its victim before flying off, and he felt the crushing pressure around his waist ease a bit as his bladder slackened.
High General Bujing remained a captive audience for spirits know how long, forced to experience his army crumbling around him. At some point, he saw Xing's white flames somewhere nearby, and shortly after, ash fell from the sky like snow. Bujing also watched several doomed attempts by varying officers to rally their forces, but it only created easier targets for the rebels to focus on, particularly the cackling Mad King.
Bujing's eyes ached as Princess Azula let loose lighting to any and all who dared point a weapon or raise a flame her way. Her guards were especially ruthless in keeping any challengers from getting too close, particularly a girl garbed in a green battledress and red armor. It was only when the distinctive war fan slashed out to slit throats or loosen jaws that Bujing realized that the exiled princess had somehow gotten the famed Kyoshi Warriors on her side.
How much of the Earth Kingdom supported the rebels?
If only Bujing had the luxury of being free from this bloody slaughter to figure out the answer.
Come dawn, the flames had mostly died out, as did the screaming. Moans of the wounded floated along the stench of burnt and ruptured bodies. Whimpers squeaked out from the soot-stained survivors of the punitive expeditions as the surrendered soldiers kept their knees, hands and foreheads pressed against the burnt and bloodied dirt in a bid to preserve their lives. Rebel soldiers stalked among the smoking tents and mangled bodies, either to pull out or mercifully end any breathing form they came across.
"Ah, high general." Xing's voice called out from one side, and then seconds later the Scorpion Dragon came into view, smirking triumphantly as two dragons almost as long as he was tall floated behind him. "Good to see you're still with us."
Seconds later, Princess Azula appeared at Xing's side, her wrathful glare fixed on Bujing. "Xing."
"Yes, my princess?"
"We only accept the surrender of those who kneel before us, is that right?"
Bujing found fresh terror rushing through his strained heart as Xing nodded.
"True, but that was during the fighting." He inclined his head towards the high general. "And it's not like he has a choice in that matter yet…" The Scorpion then gave a vicious grin. "So, High General Bujing," the boy's voice rang out clearly across the ruined campgrounds, "what choice will you make?"
The earthen prison suddenly slackened, and Bujing fell in a heap of aching muscles. He glanced over his shoulder briefly to find King Bumi smiling too warmly at him. Bujing glanced back to the prince and princess before him, and too exhausted to even sigh, he let himself fully crumple to the ground as he lowered his head. "High General Bujing offers his unconditional surrender.""The First Continental Army is overjoyed to be of service to her highness, Princess Azula." Hwa and Sho knelt and saluted in unison on the grasslands just off the main trade road, and the rest of their army behind them echoed the gesture. Before them, Princess Azula stood with a satisfied smile, while Prince Xing behind her wore a knowing smirk. It was like a ceremonial parade meeting between two army groups, like the changing of the guard or the induction of a new batch of recruits.
"Rise. It is I who should be grateful to have the loyalty of such loyal warriors." To the soft gasps of many soldiers, the princess bowed deeply before them. Even as a performance, it was a powerful gesture. Even Prince Iroh, back in his days as a gregarious and much beloved general, kept some royal distance from the common soldier. Here, the princess brought her head lower than her salute, diminishing her status before the army.
Then again, Hwa probably didn't have her family's lives drastically improved as some of the troops had experienced. She'd not witnessed her family fortunes reversed from impoverished obscurity, nor was she a colonist or refugee whose life was raised to rival the comforts of the home islands.
The soldiers were concerned because they owed their lives to her, quite literally in many cases. To these people, loyalty to the princess was a given thing, taken as much as granted as breathing.
For everyone else, Hwa included, Princess Azula's accomplishments and conduct was enough to keep them with the First Continental Army. Or they were simply loyal to Xing, like Sho. It amounted to the same thing.
"And on that note," Xing neatly cut in and stepped forwards. "It's come to our attention that the invaders from home islands have been far from compassionate in their so-called mission to restore order in the colonies."
Hwa's eyes widened as the bedraggled and bound figure of High General Bujing was pushed up to the front, similarly bound men following after him.
Princess Azula immediately fell into a scowl as she turned to the prisoners, while Xing raised his voice to address the First Continental Army. "High General Bujing has led his armies on a heartless march through many villages and towns. From the confessions we've taken so far, Wuzhai, Sei-Ro, Naorang, and other such settlements along the West Lake were sacked, the civilians that fled too late were tortured for cruel amusement before being massacred."
General Hwa immediately felt the cold hostility from her soldiers behind her washing past her. How many of these people might have friends or family in those regions? Probably not a lot, as the regiments and grand battalions under the First Continental Army mostly drew any colonial manpower from the proper colonies up until the civil war. Still, it was another slap to the face for any colonist from the callous fools of the home islands.
"Now, under the law set by Princess Azula, while she served as Colonial Minister, such wanton carnage would be punished most heavily, whether the perpetrators be noble or commoner, colonist or from the home islands. But with her removal from said post by the Fire Lord, the colonial territories have reverted back to its old laws."
The old laws meant nobles could, with varying degrees of spending, suffer at worst royal chastisement and some fines, just like what they'd face back in the home islands. Except that the lives of colonists and conquered Earth Kingdom natives were likely much cheaper to earn a slap on the wrist.
"Now, while Princess Azula holds no official authority-"
"No!" some soldiers immediately protested in outrage. "Princess Azula rules the colonies! The territories of the continent belong to Princess Azula!"
Xing let the protest carry on for a few seconds before casually waving a hand to regain silence. He gave a lazy turn of his head towards the princess, who took a step forwards to stand beside him and address the agitated crowd. "I am moved by your loyalty, but I cannot call myself ruler of the colonies. The colonies as we know it are mostly gone, its people now under the protection of Ba Sing Se. Those that remain are shackled by the home island invaders. Even after all this is done, after I've brought my father and his lackeys to justice, there might be little reason to rebuild the ruins as the Earth Kingdom comes to retake what they see as theirs."
The soldiers seemed ready to protest again, but Princess Azula raised both hands placatingly. "However! However, I am soon to be the Princess of Ba Sing Se. My most loyal prince, Xing, has already promised to resettle the refugees and offer them a new home. Offer me a new home. It is an offer I have accepted, so that I can continue ensuring the wellbeing of those who place their trust in me. There is still much room in that great city. It is my hope that we can all create a new home in Ba Sing Se, together."
Relocating to Ba Sing Se? That sounded…well, not exactly ambitious, but bold. Settling in the conquered capital city state sent a strong message to both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom.
Hwa found she rather liked the idea of moving there with Sho. Maybe they could get some dispensation from the young prince and princess to be removed from Ba Sing Se's political scene, so they could enjoy a peaceful retirement away from family and court life.
Many officers and common soldiers alike seemed to share the sentiment, as they cheered their approval at the princess.
Said princess silenced the crowd with a laconic wave of her hands. "Prince Xing has most kindly granted me now the responsibilities and powers I will soon gain. I might not be colonial minister, nor wield the full authority of the Fire Nation, but I can charge these…pillagers, these raiders, as princess of Ba Sing Se. What say you?"
The cheers were a roaring din this time, further solidifying Princess Azula's legitimacy as princess of Ba Sing Se. It was a masterful stroke, as the princess' usual standard.
Princess Azula waited for the roars to quiet down before turning to the prisoners. "Well then, with the powers vested to me as ruler of Ba Sing Se, for the crimes of encouraging raiding and preying on the innocent, I hereby sentence you lot-"
"You promised leniency!" one of the prisoners interrupted, which was a cry quickly echoed by his fellows. "We've done as you asked! Have you no honor?"
"That is true," Xing spoke up, drawing their desperate attention to him. "I did promise that Ba Sing Se will not harm you in exchange for your cooperation…" Hwa saw the flicker of hope flare to life in the prisoners, except for High General Bujing. At the same time, annoyance bubbled from the men behind her.
Xing made a show of turning to her and Sho.
"General Sho, General Hwa. Your army isn't pledged to me, is it?"
"No, Prince Xing," Sho immediately answered. "We've rebelled to support the princess, but that doesn't mean the First Continental Army is aligned with Ba Sing Se. Yet."
The flames of hope were cruelly snuffed as the bound commanders realized what would follow.
"Well then, is there anything I can do to persuade you to join me, as your princess has done?"
Sho played along and glanced over his shoulder to his troops for a second, and then glanced back at Xing. "Perhaps we might be convinced if we were allowed to dispense justice…"
Xing turned to Princess Azula with a lazy smile. "What say you, my princess?"
Her smile matched his. "As princess of Ba Sing Se, I hereby extradite you prisoners to the care of the rebels of the First Continental Army."
Defeat tinged the captured commanders' pleas for mercy, but Dao led a few men to drag them back.
"Colonel Dao?"
"Yeah?" The oaf paused and turned to Xing with a puzzled frown just as the prisoners were exchanged.
The prince wore a surprisingly somber expression. "That serving girl that you…sponsored? Siu-Fang? She was with her family in Wuzhai when Bujing's army hit. We found…her." He walked up and offered a small pouch to Dao, whose eyes were now wide with shock. His hands actually trembled as they gingerly received Xing's item, and heavy silence filled the air as the massive man, normally a loud and bloodthirsty brute, quietly opened the pouch to peer at the contents within.
"My condolences."
The pouch dropped from Dao's meaty hand, spilling out a simple silver necklace and a small string bracelet, more like an oversized ring actually.
"Siu-Fang…" Dao looked up to stare emptily at Xing, who gave a slow, regretful shake of his head.
Hwa knew things were taking a dark turn when Sho subtly nudged her back a few steps. The other officers also shuffled back, making space between Dao and the prisoners even as the troops escorting the prisoners hastily ran off and abandoned escorting the bound men. Even Xing's side were uncomfortably making some space, with only the Scorpion remaining rooted on the spot.
"SIU-FANG!" Dao's thunderous roar startled Hwa and many others. Flames burst out from the colonel as he turned to the closest prisoner. The hapless commander didn't get a chance to scream as Dao's hands quickly wrapped around his neck and pulled. With a sickening crack and squelch, the man's head was ripped free from his neck, and Dao kept roaring even as the fountain of blood sprayed him right in the face.
"Siu-Fang!" He charged at another prisoner, and the new victim fell over as he tried to flee with his ankles still bound. Dao stomped on the man's back, visibly deforming the poor man's chest as spine and ribs broke. And the great Thunder continued stomping, roaring in insensate rage as blood stained the prisoner's silk robes, and bones tore through the attire.
Sho placed a comforting hand on Hwa, drawing her attention from the grisly scene. "Best to let him grieve. I'll have the army reorganize with Xing's people."
Hwa could only nod and watch as her husband gave the orders to the colonels, who were all doing their best to ignore the sorrowful roars and the sick cracking of bone and flesh. She too tried not to glance at Dao's way, nor the screaming prisoners who were trying to drag themselves out of his reach. A gesture from Sho had some men gingerly pushing back the prisoners towards the storm of rage.
Whatever justice Princess Azula or the troops might have had in mind, the prisoners' fates now likely far exceeded their imagination.
Leaving Dao to wreck bloody vengeance, Hwa followed Sho to meet with Xing and Princess Azula at a more comfortable and distant location.
This time, the salute Sho offered was far less formal. "Sad business, that."
Xing gave a single nod. "Dao will be blaming himself for not taking her in, or sending her to Ba Sing Se."
"I'll have to see that he doesn't drown himself in drink," her husband sighed. "Probably best to keep him from the front lines unless you don't want prisoners…"
"This is not the first time, I take it?" the princess asked with a half-worried look.
Xing shook his head ruefully. "Fourth, though it's the first to suffer from the Fire Nation. Dao might be too free in giving in to his passions, but he truly does care for those that catch his eye."
Sho nodded gravely. "It's quite a while ago since he lost a mistress. Koda had to throw his cavalry in to stop Dao from rampaging by himself the last time it happened. We didn't manage to keep many prisoners in that battle."
"And the stores of wine were emptied out in the course of three nights after that," Xing added. "We had to burn his tent and some of his belongings because of how…stained they ended up being."
"If he falls into such a state, why tell him now?" Princess Azula asked, looking truly appalled.
Both Xing and Sho shrugged. "He'll find out eventually," the prince answered. "He writes to his mistresses frequently. All of them. And sometimes he forgets to remind them he's on campaign, and their replies return to his estate, to be read by his wife." Hence Lady Dao's constant state of wrath at her husband.
"Better to tell him now than to have him find out later," Sho added. "Who knows where he'll be when that happens, and what kind of carnage he'll leave in his wake. Trying to stop him will only make you a target. Even Lidai kept clear of Dao rather than trying to calm him down the second time it happened."
It felt a little…dirty weaponizing Dao's grief, but Hwa had to agree with her husband. If this sort of rage was unleashed at the wrong time - in a town on the home islands, for example - the damage might be horrendous.
"If it cannot be helped…" Princess Azula began to say, waiting for earnest nods from Xing and Sho before continuing, "then we have no choice but to leave Colonel Dao to get it out of his system, and move on to other matters."
"Agreed, your highness," Hwa said, just a fraction of a second before her husband.
The young royals and the married generals assembled their subordinates to plan the next stages of the counterattack, hashing out the objectives they needed to hit. With the bulk of the punitive force broken, they could afford splitting up to retake the coast and pushing back the foothold from the home island loyalists. The first priority however was to hit the nearest enemy port to capture some ships, which allowed Xing and the princess to launch a counter invasion. It had to be done in a hurry, and Hwa found herself shuddering with distaste along with many others as Xing briefed them on the Day of Black Sun.
Further details were hashed out, as well as the reorganization from the reintegration of the First Continental Army into Ba Sing Se. All officers from both parties kept fully focused on the planning, ignoring the muted roars in the background.
Once the task was done, Hwa took her husband aside for a brief private talk. "I think it's best you tell me what other latent…issues your friends might have. So I can prepare myself."
Sho gave a chuckle. "I think Dao about covers it. Unless you have a pretty brother, then best to keep him away from Koda."
"What?"
Sho placed a gentle hand on her shoulders as he led her back to their camp. "Right, I forgot to tell you. You know how Koda is a bit overindulgent with his messenger boys?"