6 Chapter 6

It wasn't often that Tanya allowed herself to act like the little girl she had the body of, but right now she was just so pleased with herself that she couldn't help but indulge in the desire to skip.

It must have been a strange sight for anyone she passed by: a five year old covered in bruises and scorch marks skipping merrily down the halls with a smile on her face.

Perhaps that was why everyone hurried to get out of her way when they saw her? Whatever. Tanya couldn't bring herself to care right now. It had been a long time since she'd felt the satisfaction of accomplishing a difficult mission.

Azula had been tougher than her brief reconnaissance had suggested. She'd cleverly kept that blue fire trick hidden up her sleeve throughout her previous matches, and had the stubbornness of a wild cat when boxed into a corner.

If Tanya hadn't had two extra years of practice on her she might have lost. Fortunately her last wall-colliding gambit had paid off, and a perfectly feigned wobble of the knee at just the right moment had concluded the match with a perfect draw.

High Sage Ignis wasn't happy that she hadn't won, but had been mollified by her demonstration of her mastery of the flight technique. He'd be able to crow on about the benefits of spirituality for years to come and, more importantly, Tanya hadn't painted a large target for the royal family on her back.

In fact she might go so far as to say that she and Azula had connected during their little bout. Maybe she was imagining things, but felt like there was a spirit of friendly competition between them.

"An excellent display, little lady. You have quite the talent."

Tanya looked to the side, where a young man with impressive sideburns and a face that made her think of a monkey was slowly clapping his hands. He wore the armour of the fire nation navy, and to have gained access to an event like this Tanya knew he must have achieved at least an officer rank.

The man walked forward and offered a hand, which Tanya shook without hesitation; noting his weathered and fiercely tanned skin. She'd shaken hands like this before during her second life when meeting soldiers fresh out serving in desert campaigns.

Now why would a member of the navy have been serving in the desert? Perhaps he'd been in the army, and the experience had given him such an appreciation for water that he'd transferred straight after?

"Junior Lieutenant Zhao." The man introduced himself with a charming smile. "Or wait, I suppose it's just Lieutenant Zhao now. Sorry, I'm still getting used to the idea of holding a serious rank."

A rising star in the military? How interesting. Zhao didn't speak like a man of noble birth, and to have achieved the rank of lieutenant at his age suggested that he must have made quite the meritorious achievement.

"Tanya." She replied courteously, offering a respectful nod.

"And thank you. I've been studying hard in the hopes of becoming a master." She may not have wanted to be discovered as a firebender at first, but once the secret was out and her future conscription all but guaranteed it was only logical to become as skilled as she could.

Mastery of firebending could very well mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

Zhao's smile grew. "So I see. You studied under the fire sages, correct? It's rare to see a traditional style like theirs these days, but you certainly made good use of it."

Unlike the royal style, which was better suited to duelling, or the military style, which emphasised simple movements that could be used in conjunction alongside other soldiers, the fire sages style was more ceremonial.

Its forms were designed for more precise shaping and control of flames rather than speed or power: better for putting on a show rather than inflicting damage.

After nearly a hundred years of war the style had fallen out of use among the public, but with some experimentation Tanya had found a way to cut some of the more superfluous moves, and adapt others into move useful techniques for a warzone.

Her variations of the traditional flight technique was just one such example.

Modesty was the better part of valour though, and nobody liked to hear a braggart. Tanya smiled gratefully. "Thank you sir. I had good teachers."

"Regardless, you must be a quick study." Zhao continued. "Tell me, have you given much thought to which branch of the military you intend to join when you're older?"

"I don't know. Is there a branch filled with cushy office jobs far behind enemy lines?"

Zhao laughed heartily, doubtlessly having assumed she was joking. "Ha! Not a fan of marching are you? Well, why not consider joining the navy? It's a damn sight easier living on a ship than it is walking across the Earth Kingdom on foot."

That… was actually a very good idea! Of the other nations the Air Nomads had already been wiped out, and the Southern Water Tribes pillaged to the point that they no longer presented a serious threat bar a couple of primitive raiding ships.

The main competitors left in this war were the Earth Kingdom, whose presence at sea was nearly non-existent, and the Northern Water Tribe, who remained staunchly secure in their fortress at the north pole and only acted to directly defend themselves.

The Fire Nation ruled the sea these days, and the navy's main job was to escort supply ships and raid port towns. It wasn't risk free by any stretch of the imagination, but it would definitely be safer than the meat grinder that was the front lines!

In an ideal world Tanya would have avoided military service altogether, or at the very least taken a posting in a logistics-based job that kept her as far away from the people who could throw boulders with their minds as possible.

Sadly firebenders were just too useful of an asset to not be used as much as possible. In order to get a safe posting, Tanya's only option was to climb to a rank high enough that she'd have to remain away from the front lines in order to issue strategic commands.

If her knowledge of the navy's hierarchy was correct she'd need to obtain the rank of admiral in order to be able to duck out of any form of direct combat, and the handful of admirals in the Firelord's war council were all older men with many years of experience under their belts.

Just below an admiral however came the ranks of captains: commanders who could stay safely within the decks of their huge metal ships and deploy their crew to do the most dangerous work for them.

That was probably as close to an administrative job as Tanya could reasonably hope to get in the next decade or so before the war was finally won.

"Suppose that I was interested," Tanya began, "how would I go about securing my place? I wasn't aware that conscripts were offered a choice of where to serve."

Zhao's grin grew wider. "It's just a matter of knowing the right people. Perhaps we should stay in touch? It's important that talent gets the recognition it deserves, don't you think? I'd be happy to have a position under my command reserved for you when you're old enough for service."

What a nice fellow. Tanya found she didn't need to force the smile that came across her face as she nodded respectfully. "That would be most kind. Thank you lieutenant."

Zhao chuckled. "Think nothing of it. I always keep an eye out for the firebending masters of the future."