9 Chapter 9
During their meals Prince Ozai would quiz them about the state of the war, the history of the Fire Nation and a range of other patriotic subjects, as well as offer his own logical and well-reasoned opinions on strategy, philosophy and economics that Tanya often found herself agreeing with.
His wording could be a little extreme at times, but the core of his beliefs was that rewards should only be given to those with the dedication, talent or power to earn them. A true capitalist.
...
The coming years were not kind to Azula or her father. There was one year when they received news that Lu Ten, the son of Prince Iroh, had died in battle, and that the siege of Ba Sing Se had been lifted.
As if that wasn't bad enough Firelord Azulon passed away soon after, wisely proclaiming Ozai to be his successor on his deathbed, and mere days later Princess Ursa's life was claimed by a sudden illness.
This string of tragedy in such short succession would have been enough to sour anyone's coronation, but both Ozai and Azula, dignified royalty to the end, bore their grief with stoicism, never allowing it to show on their faces so as not to worry their subjects.
Tanya was reassured to know that Ozai was the sort of ruler who could remain strong in the face of tragedy, even if she did think it might be healthier for Azula to open up a bit more.
By contrast, Tanya positively flourished during her school years. Knowing most of the subject content just gave her more time to practice her firebending.
And she was unashamed to boast that she was bloody good at it! Her flight technique had been honed to such a level that she could comfortably pull off moves she'd learn in her second life, and whether on the ground or in the sky she could annihilate pretty much anyone below master level in a fight.
When her time to serve in the military finally came, Tanya was confident that she had done all she could to ensure her best chance at surviving.
Which was why, on the day of her 13th birthday, Tanya found herself standing in front of a full-length mirror, staring at the reflection of herself dressed in the black and red armour of the navy.
It was embarrassing that she remained so damn short they'd had to commision a special set of miniature armour just for her, but she held out hope that she'd hit a growth spurt as her teenage years progressed.
At least whoever made this armour for her had accepted her request to include a black and red peaked cap rather than the traditional metal helmet. Tanya had been awfully fond of this style of cap in her second life, and thought that the golden flame insignia printed on the front matched her hair rather nicely.
"Tanny! Don't go!" Ty Lee sobbed melodramatically, somehow managing to wrap Tanya in a hug without impaling herself on the spiked epaulettes of her uniform. "Make sure you write as often as you can, okay? In fact, write every day!"
"Yes, and do try not to get knocked overboard and drown." Azula said cooly, lounging across a nearby sofa. "After all the money father invested in you it'd be such a waste if you went and died too quickly."
Tanya chuckled at Azula's particular brand of dark humour. "I'll be fine. It'll just be a few years at sea, maybe the odd raid or two, and I'll make Admiral before you know it. Then I'll be back here again to draw up strategic plans with the war council, and we'll all be together again."
Mai huffed from where she stood against the wall. "I hope so. Dad's been lobbying to be appointed the governor of a city out in the colonies."
Why in the world Mai's dad would want to leave the safety of the homeland to rule over some dusty, rebel-filled city close to a warzone, Tanya did not understand. But then again Ukano never had been the most intelligent of men. "Let's hope that doesn't happen. At least Ty will still be here to keep you company Azula."
Maybe she was seeing things, but Ty Lee's smile seemed just a little bit tighter for a second. "That's right." She replied cheerfully. "So you better make sure you come home too."
Home, huh? She didn't really consider the high temple her home, but in a broader sense she did feel the love one felt for their homeland here in the Fire Nation. She had people here that she loved and respected, and the thought of stepping foot off her native soil brought with it an unexpected sense of melancholy.
Yes, the Fire Nation was a country she was surprised to find she was a little proud to represent, even if she did think the war it was waging against the rest of the world was a waste of resources.
A knock at the door signalled it was time to go, and after one last hug to each of her friends, Tanya opened it and followed the soldier waiting outside. They led her out of the royal palace and through the maze-like streets of Capital City, until at last they reached the port.
Waiting in one of the wharves was a hulking mass of black metal, expertly shaped into a sleek and seaworthy design by the progress of Fire Nation engineering.
Azulon's Revenge it was named, and waiting at the top of the gangplank, resplendent in his armour and flanked on either side by two elite troops, was a man that Tanya could not help but smile to see.
But now was the time for formality, and so as she reached the top of the gangplank Tanya struck a perfect salute, only allowing the slight curling at the corners of her mouth to convey her happiness. "Captain Zhao." She greeted him respectfully. "Junior Lieutenant Tanya reporting for duty."
"At ease lieutenant." Zhao replied, giving a short salute and a smile of his own. It really had been good of him to keep his word and have a place on his ship reserved for her after all this time. Keeping in contact with him had definitely paid off.
"What is our first assignment sir?" Tanya asked dutifully.
Zhao chuckled. "Eager for combat? Well you're in luck. Scouts have reported an Earth Kingdom military vessel trespassing in our waters. Orders are to intercept and destroy them with maximum prejudice." A wicked grin crossed his face.
"I think it's the perfect opportunity to show me some of those techniques you've told me so much about."
Tanya couldn't hold back the grin of her own. "As you command, sir."
...
Postings at sea were the worst.
Anson stifled a yawn into his hand, keeping his bleary eyes fixed on the vast expanse of ocean ahead. He missed the feeling of good, solid rock and soil beneath his feet. Earth benders weren't meant to live atop this water nonsense.
Still orders were orders, and everyone had to do their part if they wanted any hope of repelling the Fire Nation from their shores.
The idea that his hard work, however boring it could be sometimes, could save his daughter from growing up in a country owned by firebenders was all the motivation he needed to keep going.
He broke from his musings as a dark shape appeared on the far horizon. Quickly unfurling his spyglass, Anson's pulse began to quicken at what he saw.
"Fire National ship! Port side!" He shouted, and soon heard the alarm bells ringing and troops scurrying around into battle positions behind him. Just one ship? Good, it would be a fair fight then, and everyone knew that the Fire Nation never won in a fair fight. He kept his telescope fixed on the approaching threat as the captain came to stand beside him.
"Report." The captain commanded.
"One ship on the east horizon. Seems to be a cruiser."
"In range of our trebuchets?"
"Not yet, but it's approaching fast… wait, no it's coming to a stop."
Something wasn't right about this. The Fire Nation prized aggression in all things, and normally wouldn't hesitate to attack unless outnumbered. Why then had they stopped so far away when their weapons couldn't hope to reach them from there?
A flicker of bright orange light against the dull darkness of the iron ship caught his attention, and Anson immediately tracked it through his spyglass. "Sir, they've deployed something from the deck. It's rising rapidly.
The captain frowned. "Some kind of weapon?"
"I don't think so sir. It looks more like… a child?"
Yes, it was a child! A little girl, no older than ten judging by the size of her, with unusual golden hair and a military uniform. He'd heard stories about firebenders who could fly, but never so high or so fast. This one looked like she could challenge the airbenders of old.
"Give me that!" The captain muttered, grabbing the spyglass and fixing it on the strange flicker of light heading up into the sky. His frown hardened as he confirmed what Anson saw. "What on earth are they playing at, sending a kid into a warzone? Some kind of reconnaissance?"
"I don't think so. She's too high up for that."
They watched in uneasy silence as the little girl flew ever higher, coming to a stop directly above the ship. From so high up her hair and flames were mere pinpricks, as if one of the distant stars in the night's sky had decided to hang around into the day.
Suddenly that distant pinprick split into two, then three, the four. All of a sudden they were rapidly multiplying, and Anson didn't need to be a genius to figure out what was going on.
"She's firing at us!"
"Defensive positions! Protect our trebuchets!" The captain roared, and all across the deck soldiers raised shields of rocks and stone from strategically positioned pits to protect them from the rain of fire.
Rain was an accurate statement, for each fireball was no bigger than a drop of rain, and would really do no more damage than a painful scorch mark on its own. They would have been nothing but a minor irritation if not for the sheer quantity with which they fell.
"Are the trebuchets unharmed?" Bellowed the captain. Looking around the deck, Anson could see that all of the siege engines remained unscathed. If the girl's intention had been to quickly remove those from the battle then she was naive for thinking it would be so easy.
"Sir! The Fire Nation ship!"
