Boss

The last transport had been secured, and the last group of Earth Kingdom soldiers were in binders, being escorted off to the castle they had been set to invade mere moments ago.

The wounded were being escorted away, being driven up the mountain side by Shanzi. Below, the intact were helping to repair the town, both civilian and soldier alike. Luke was extinguishing what fires remained around the city, leading the rescue team to search for survivors amongst the rubble. He was actively talking now. Sending soldiers to one house for another, asking for help, you name it. He had a new purpose now. One that was driving him. And for a change, it was one most welcome.

Gordez was mooring in The Patriot, and the 3-man crew of Gordez, and two technicians that had been provided by Yilie, were already providing relief, transporting by sea those who were too injured to take to the castle by land.

Jadoh's role was to be going through the remaining stranding structures to scour for supplies. Zek was working alongside him, mostly to trying to ascertain the stability of said buildings to see if they were fit for providing temporary shelter.

I was helping Yilie coordinate the efforts, and even managed to see Jadoh catch a moment with Zek and Ka'lira, apologizing for what had occurred the day prior. "Hey. Look. About yesterday. Sorry about that. I was being stupid. I was acting like it was all about me. Like this was my chance to prove myself, but I guess, after just seeing what it's like-"

"You realize it's not about any of us," Zek said.

"Y-yeah. Pretty much. Just. Look. I'm sorry. To both of you. I see now though what it's about. How it's not about any of us, but what we're trying to do. I see that. And. I'm sorry."

The two looked to each other, both Zek and Ka'lira, and promptly burst into laughter, dismissing the entire struggle as though it were some mere childhood dispute that had occurred centuries ago. And for all intents and purposes, it had. "You're fine, Jadoh," said Ka'lira. "Oh yeah. I'm used to dealing with dipshits anyway. Not, like you are one, that is."

His smile was now starting to transfer to Jadoh who had been stunned at first by their initial reaction to his apology. "I kinda was one, wasn't I?"

"More than kinda," corrected Ka'lira.

"But anyway. It's fine. With how much time we're gonna be spending together, I'm sure we'll learn to get along."

"I hope so."

"And it'll also give me more than enough time to get back at you."

I smiled and turned away. The sun was almost set. The smoke that had shrouded the island earlier today was finally beginning to dissipate. The fighting on Jianghe really was over. For now, at least. I wouldn't expect a man like Fong to just sit back and watch a military defeat be dangled in front of him, baiting him on. Then again, I'd been wrong about Fong before. He hadn't even shown his face during the fight. Was he on a later transport? Was he among the countless mangled bodies that we'd buried over the last few hours? There was no way to tell.

We spent that night in the ruins of the town, and I was called up to Yilie's office back in his castle tower the following morning. So Gordez, who he had for some reason asked for in particular, as well as I, made our ways up to said tower at 0900 the following day.

"First thing's first," he said. "Your payment."

He slid over a good number of bags laden with gold and silver pieces. "I would give you more, but our coffers are a bit empty at the moment. But the real payment isn't cash anyway. I've made sure that the Fire Nation has already heard of the shit storm that went down here. They're already en route with more supplies and manpower: soldiers, bows, swords, spears, armor especially, catapults, and even more artillery guns. I looked through out armories, we don't need most of this stuff. Except the troops of course, and frankly, I think this island will be able to hold its own for a while especially with the Fire Lord's latest generous donation. I'd like to offer you everything we have. Our food, all that we won't need to last until the next supply comes, our medicine that we don't need, our water, I think we have a purifier anyway around here we can donate, our swords, bows, spears, armor, all of it. I want to give you our artillery battery as well. The way we saw it tear that ship apart last afternoon, I shudder to think how I'd feel on the opposite end of that barrage. It's yours.

Gordez in particular was rendered completely agape by the donation. "Wh-Wh. Th-Thank you, governor. The edge it'll give us. It's. It's. It's great. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. The way you moved that ship yesterday…you deserve it, which brings me to my second point. What did you think of the engineers I gave to you? Gordez moment of severe flustering had ended in the blink of an eye.

"The engineers." He turned to me. I said nothing. It was his ship, his assessment. He turned back to Yilie and swallowed. "The engineers." He paused. "They're untrained, sloppy, clumsy, and on they're own, I wouldn't trust them to keep the ship afloat."

Yilie signed, rendering me confused as to whether his disappointment resided with Gordez, me, himself, or his engineers, but Gordez wasn't done. "However, with the right training, with the right person keeping his eyes on them at all times, showing them the ropes, I think they would become real assets. Because as it stands now, and no offense, Boss, I'd trust them with the ship more than anybody else I know."

Yilie smiled. "Good then. They like you, and they've asked to serve under you."

"I figured as much."

"It seems you did. So is that a 'yes'?"

"Yes."

"Then they're yours. Treat 'em well."

Gordez nodded. "Thank you, sir, should I? Should I-"

"You can go. I need to talk with your 'Boss' anyway."

Gordez nodded, turning to leave the unguarded office, past the point where two guards would have been guarding the door, spears crossed, on any other occasion.

"Which leaves the third matter," continued Yilie the moment after the door closed.

"Which is," I asked.

Yilie readjusted his weight in the seat, breathed in, and out, finally saying, "As a Fire Nation governor, I have clearance to distribute contracts of prolonged service to mercenary units. I was wondering if you would take it. You'd receive a consistent flow of income, of funds. You'd be given full flexibility to act to serve the Fire Nation however you see fit, but you will be asked to attach to units and follow orders from commanders. But your safety will be secure, and your fortune just as much. Just looking at you, I can already tell you'd be more than fair competition for the Rough Rhinos. So what do you say?"

And so the offer, the choice, the same one I'd been running through my head so many times. To return to the Fire Nation, but to make choices as I saw fit. It had been my dream ever since I'd decided to leave the Southern Raiders. To serve my country my way. The right way, but whenever I had considered this in my head, the same counterargument had always stood in my way. And that was why I'd done this in the first place. In Ba Sing Se, after the leadership had collapsed, I watched my own allies becomes savages, rapists, murderers, all wearing the colors I bore. It was the reason I had decided to leave. Not to make an enemy of all, but to not put restrictions on those I could help. If I took Yilie's offer here, any and all people who happened to not fall under the Fire Nation's jurisdiction would be lost to us, left to rot, and suffer on their own. That wasn't why I had done this. That's not why I had left everything else behind.

"Thank you, Governor, but I'm afraid I have to refuse. I didn't leave the Fire Nation to return to it, and I don't want to run the risk of becoming the kind of people I'd watched too many people in the past become."

"People like your firebender?"

I supposed he had seen enough of the kid to know. I nodded.

"I figured. War, sadly, will do that. You have a unique ability of managing to pull these kinds of people up from the ground. You know he didn't sleep last night? Spent the whole night searching for more survivors. Found 32 all in different buildings. Not all made it, sadly, but you've got a good one there. Hold on to him tight or I might make him an offer he can't refuse."

"I plan to. He's a good man."

"He's a good kid. And as much as it saddens me to see children raised by war, I've a good feeling about him, and I can see that you do too. And I trust your judgement. So keep your kid, and don't return to us as a soldier yet again. I understand."

"Even if it means we may cross paths?"

"Even if so. And I pray if we meet on the field, you go easy on me. You're a good warrior, but you're a better soldier. And thankfully, I don't think we'll be crossing paths."

"It's a big war and a small world. I wouldn't be too sure."

"But I would. Because as much as you say the contrary, you love your country and the people it defends. You may cross paths with some Fire Nation from time to time, but I know. No matter how hard you try to find it, you'll never fully alienate yourself from your country"

And sadly, he was correct. To deny it would be fruitless. I nodded, and he smiled. A calm smile. A tired one. "Then get going 'Boss', your people need you."

"Thank you, governor Yilie. For everything." I turned to leave, heading straight for the door.

"And before you go," he called out, stopping me as I began to open the door, "A lead for your next job. A nearby Earth Kingdom town, Jingping, south of the Nip sea, just got caught in a battle between Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Both sides have pulled back, leaving the town an essential crater. If you want to do some good, then that's your place. And thank you. For saving my island, my people, and my family. You're good people."

"And so are you. Thank you, governor Yilie. It's been a pleasure."

And with that, our payment in my arms, I returned to The Patriot just as it finished being loaded for its next voyage.

And so, that evening, we left with the sitting sun to our stern, one day behind us, and another straight ahead, and I knew that, as we left one war behind, a new one had just begun, and for once, I knew that we knew our place in this new world for which we sailed.