(2 Days before the Armada arrives) [North Pole - Polar Wastes]
"… We're probably the only ones left, aren't we?"
Out of all the sounds around them- the deep crunch of snow under their shoes, the wind whipping at their blue parkas, the vast white tundra stretching endlessly on all sides- it was that single whisper that cut through to Katara. And it did so, because… because it echoed the voice at the back of her mind, the one that sometimes whispered the same thing. The men had covered their retreat. They had left their own warrior-sisters behind to those… honking monsters. But was all that sacrifice enough? Just to be lost and alone in the Polar Wastes? She didn't have the map that Sokka drew.
No. Katara shook her head clear of those thoughts, breaking off strands of her brown hair that had frozen solid.
She was still First Wave.
No matter what happened, it was her duty to get them all out of here, maybe even to finish the mission that had drawn them into this stupid, frozen wasteland in the first place.
Her mittened fists clenched as she turned, meeting the eyes of the brave two hundred girls and women who trudged in her footsteps. Their faces red from the cold and blue hoods heavy with accumulated snow. The injured were lying on ice sleds being pulled by girls, utterly exhausted from hours of running away. Weariness and desperation in their blue eyes as they all looked to her.
"The 10,000 haven't fallen. They can't have," Katara declared, her voice loud, firm, unbroken. She pointed into the distance they had run from and raised her voice louder. "Those Fire Nation soldiers, no matter how well-trained, don't stand a chance against our people. Those ten thousand men- our kin, our Tribe… They'd never lose to a thousand riders and a few barbarians! Yes, we've lost a few- "
Second Wave Nessa's smiling face flashed in her vision, and Katara stiffened her entire body to hide her wince.
"-Many of our sisters, and yes, we're separated from the main force, but we're not out here, wandering alone. We'll regroup with the main army at the shadow of Nanuq's Valley!" she insisted, letting the words ring out, as if sheer force could make them true. "And when we do, they'll see we didn't give up, not once. They'll see that the Radiant Moonflower Warrior-sisters are of the Water Tribe too! That we are just as tough! That we made it!"
Most heads nodded, faintly at first, then with a touch more confidence.
The few that didn't… It didn't matter. Katara knew they'll come around once they saw the rest of the army again. She turned back, trudging over the snow again, focusing on putting the snowshoe in front of the other. All across this sea of endless white, the army stood scattered, but unbroken. She knew it.
The ten thousand will come. Maybe fewer, and maybe a bit bloodied- but they'll come.
"They will," Katara repeated to herself, holding on to her own words. "They will."
[North Pole - Polar Wastes]
From the snowy plains to the jagged crags, the bodies of our enemies lay.
Thousands of them, still half-buried in red-stained snow as the morning sun shone on their frozen, lifeless faces. Some lay in large crowds where they had stood shoulder to shoulder in valorous last stands, stiff frosted hands still gripping snapped whalebone spears. Others were little more than torn open gibbets where hungry ostrich-horses had chased down cowards who had tried to run. And broken [Ice Walls] jutted out from the trodden snow- final, desperate acts of Waterbending. In vain, of course.
It was there that our horde of barbarian allies, standing over their enemies' dead bodies, raised their Fire Nation-forged (Superior) [Steel Water Tribe Spears] up to the rising sun and roared 'Victory!'
A victory that had just vindicated a hundred-year-old vendetta- a sign of the Moon and Ocean Spirits' favour. Clearly, they had sent the 'Hot Landers' to correct the grave injustice- this imbalance in the Norther Water Tribe borne of old treacheries. And for our part, we were doing a spectacular job of doing the Spirits' work. This battle we had won had marked out the right path in history for the Water Tribe- the one where they worked hand-in-hand with the Fire Nation.
However, it was far from over…
"Chief Khan! Where's Chief Khan?! We have wounded!"
… because I faced the question that every victorious military leader had to ask themselves: At what cost?
"Trauma Igloo!" My deep voice boomed from inside the expansive igloo. My red boots crunched softly on the packed snow floor as my armoured, seven-foot-tall frame navigated between rows of fur beds, each occupied by barbarian soldiers in various states of injury. The cold air was thick with the coppery scent of blood and fragrant herbal salves. Ice window panes allowed the yellowish sunlight to stream in, illuminating the barbarian women who moved with me, their blue parkas adorned with long red strips of cloth that fluttered as they tended the injured, their hands glowing with [Ocean's Waters], soothing bruises and mending wounds before they updated the ice tablets hewn with the patients' medical status.
The last part was my edict, because I was going to impart intuitive organization and efficient operations management into this world, even if it killed them.
"Chief Khan!" A second group of barbarian women rushed into the trauma igloo.
"I heard the horns." My skull helm turned towards them, "How many this time?"
"Just one, but-"
"Get your hands off me, woman! I don't have time to be coddled with waterbending!" Chief Essin barked as he was helped inside the trauma igloo, his toothless scowl as fixed as the icicle jutting from his shoulder. Blood had frozen into a brittle line down his parka sleeve, but he gave no sign of pain, only irritation, as though he'd merely stubbed his toe rather than had a spear of ice lodged halfway through his shoulder. Likely still high off the Red Bull that I gave him.
One of the healers tried to ease him back onto a bed, only to receive a swat for her trouble as if she were an irritating fly.
"I said leave it to me!" he growled, gesturing dismissively. The glistening icicle bobbed slightly from the movement. "Like I told the women of the other clan, just hand me some bandages and fermented buffalo-yak milk and I'll tend to it myself! I've been wrapping wounds like these since before you were weaned from your mothers' teats!"
He stopped abruptly as he saw me.
"Khan? Why're you here?" he asked, squinting. "You haven't learned to waterbend, have you? With how you handled those city pukes, I wouldn't put it past you."
"No, not waterbending." I shook my head. "But I have something just as useful: the [Surgery] skill."
"Bah, I don't have time for you to sew me up like a torn pair of pants-"
"This will only take a moment," I said, kneeling at his side. "I'm not healing it 'right,' I'm healing it 'now.' The quick and dirty way."
The old man squinted up at me and settled back. "Quick and dirty? Sounds like my kind of treatment," He echoed, his heavily wrinkled brown face clearly considering it, "Alright, show these women how to do it fast."
"Hold still," I said, stepping forward. I pulled out my surgery toolkit… and a chewy puffin-seal steak, which I promptly stuffed into my patient's mouth, "Bite down on that. Scream if you must, but don't forget to breathe."
"Nnnn? Nggghhh!"
With a yank on the icicle, I went to work. The bloodied piece of ice was barely out before my suture needle was already on the muscles. My notable Dexterity went to work, stitching the tissue together at a speed that no licensed medical professional would dare to go. The muscle tissue closed first, followed by the subcutaneous fat layer. Each time, pour [Dew of the Mountain: Frostbite] directly onto the wound, before finally moving onto the wrinkled skin, and closing the wound shut.
Surgery Level 11 Reached!
[Surgery] Lvl 11 - Expert
The skill- and subconscious body of knowledge to perform it- to keep broken bodies working, or at least functional enough to keep going. From battlefield triage to salvaging mobility from crushed limbs, [Surgery] is the gritty, hands-on approach to repairing or altering the messy canvas that is the organic body. Other medical-adjacent skills (e.g. Herbalism) increase XP gain.
At higher levels, [Surgery] transforms the human body from something stabilized and rebuilt into something almost malleable. Reconstructive procedures and cosmetic surgery to circumvent the limitations of the human body. Even prosthetics to restore limbs. Some would even argue that they'd be improvements even- replacing weak flesh with the strength and certainty of steel… If you can find or even fabricate such things.
Level 5 - Apprentice Skill Perk
Sterile Zone (Passive & Active): Washing hands and wearing gloves for surgery is for other, less cool surgeons… Passively reduces infection risk in a radius around yourself. This perk can also be activated to actively sterilize your surroundings, especially around your hands. Intensity, duration and cooldown scales with [Surgery] skill level.
Level 10 - Expert Skill Perk
Fool-proofed Medicine (Passive): Better double the stitches, this one looks like he has a favourite flavour of crayon… Upon successful initial treatment, your patients gain a constitution bonus to their healing rate and to preventing injury relapses (e.g., tearing open stitches, rebreaking a healing bone, etc.). Intensity and duration scale with [Surgery] skill level.
-o-
"And done," I said, tightening a white bandage around the elderly chief's shoulder, who blinked at me.
"That was it?" His old, raspy voice asked.
"Yes, quick and dirty as promised," I replied, stowing my Surgery kit back into my [Inventory]. My skull helm turned, looking at the healer woman. "Healers, Chieftain Essin's stitches are made from puffin-seal intestine and will be absorbed by his body in a few days, just like everyone else's. Keep up nightly treatments with [Ocean's Waters] and his recovery time will be down to a third or a fourth of what it normally would be."
"Yes, Chief Khan." The women nodded, updating the chieftain's ice tablet.
With my [Herbalism] skill to support my [Surgery] skill, potential death sentences turned into manageable injuries under my care. Some injuries were still far too severe, however, as I was still some ways away before I could perform neurosurgery and heart surgery. But for anything less than that? For shattered bones, deep lacerations, and visceral trauma? As long as I reached them while they were still breathing, I could save them. Warriors who might have otherwise filled graves were instead patched up and sent back to fight, saving precious resources and manpower.
So ultimately, the cost of defeating ten thousand Water Tribe warriors? Quite small, actually. But I'm certain our enemies feel very differently about the loss of their ten thousand.
Meanwhile, Essin rolled his shoulder, testing the newly stitched flesh, and grunted with satisfaction. "Can heal almost as good as you can fight, Khan."
"Yes. But if that icicle had struck you closer to your heart, not even I could have saved you."
"Bah! You think we don't know the risks of waging war with those sea leeches?" He glanced around at the wounded and then up at me, grumbling. But a toothless grin did spread on his wrinkled face. "It's worth it, though. A hundred years of wrongs definitely can't be righted in one night… but this victory does feel good. Especially when more of us are living to see it. And while we're talking about it… my men and I retrieved something on the eastern flank that you need to see. You definitely deserve it."
… And here it was, the best part of the post-battle process: The looting.
Did the enemy army bring ceremonial scrolls in the hopes that it will confer to them blessings? Maybe some rare artifacts that have special effects? Maybe a Fire Nation relic weapon or armour from their last clash 85 years ago? I was long overdue for one after all!
"Lead the way!" I immediately agreed, rising to my feet.
What rare loot did they find?
"Oh… It's women." My deep voice rumbled disappointed as we strode into my abode.
Not a rare weapon or legendary armour in sight... Just some captives. Brown-skinned girls who were stripped down to the casual blue underclothes that the Water Tribe wore under their parkas. They sat on the dark metal floor of my abode, heads bowed low, their wrists clapped in irons that were chained to the floor. Helpless, defeated and clearly lootless. This entire world suffers from a terminal lack of it, I'd say. Of decent loot.
"Aye, women," Essin grunted, before handing me a piece of pale white whalebone- no larger than a playing card. "They were wearing these whalebone charms. In our clans, those who wear it mean that they're the chosen warriors of their chieftains."
I turned the piece of whalebone over in my armoured hand, seeing the Water Tribe runes etched into it. "So, they fought well?"
"Spirits no! They fought like a otter-penguin droppings!" He gruffly replied, "I don't know what those city pukes were thinking, giving these small fry the Warrior's Sigil! Should've seen that army in action, Khan. When they saw your cavalry stomping their way, they barely managed to push up an [Ice Wall] in between soiling their drawers. Left these girls on our side too- Now, that move took right guts, I'll give them that! …Or it could also just have been an accident with some really sloppy waterbending."
At that last part, the girls collectively hung their heads lower at that.
"Aye, I'd wager a sack of salmon on it." Essin chuckled, apparently hitting the nail on the head, "Anyway, the men remembered that you wanted some 'Northern Water Tribe' women. So, we brought them back- thought they could… amuse you."
With that sly grin and a wink from his cloudy eye, the old chieftain left without another word.
However, I was not, in fact, about to be amused by these girls who were sitting where valuable treasure and loot should actually have been.
I had no use for them, not even as concubines. Between a sobbing, unwilling girl who was going to be a dead fish in bed (Like Azula was)… and six girls who were going to compete in eagerly pleasuring me with every inch of their lithe bodies just for the honour of being the one I creampie, I'd save my sexual appetite for the latter every time. Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors truly set the bar, and now, it was difficult for me to settle for anything less. Besides, the quest [Welcome to the Ice Fields!] demanded the death of all soldiers in the Water Tribe army.
The path forward was clear: interrogate, and then possibly, execute.
My armoured step echoed as I crossed the quiet room. My shadow stretched long, seven feet of it falling over the face of one girl in particular- the one all the others had glanced toward. Their leader, no doubt. Chocolate-brown skin that was darker than Katara's, and black hair with a tint of midnight blue flowing past her shoulders.
"You. What's your name and rank?" My voice was low, almost a growl.
She didn't answer, only looking up at me with her Water Tribe blue eyes. The fight hasn't left her yet.
"This is an interrogation. And depending on your cooperativeness, it will lead to either you getting fed and cared for, or possibly to a drawn-out execution." I calmly explained, but loudly enough for all captives to hear. It has been proven time and time again that the looming possibility of a painful and drawn-out death makes prisoners talk more than the actual torture. My armoured fist creaked as I tightened it. "Name and rank. I will not ask nicely again."
She looked away, clearly intending on staying silent, but her grumbling stomach seemed to sap the fight from her. "… Nessa." She admitted in a soft voice, "Second Wave of the Radiant Moonflower Warrior-sisters- was Second Wave."
Ah, yes, the proud, first-ever, all-female unit of Northern Water Tribe warriors. But before I could even begin my line of questioning, the door behind me abruptly swung open, followed by a girl's familiar voice.
"Khan, I came as soon as I heard that you had captives!" Princess Yue panted breathlessly, her ice blue eyes immediately resting on the bound girls who sat in my shadow. "Oh, thank the Spirits, I made it in time!"
Meanwhile, the group of women gaped in disbelief. "Princess Yue! You're alive!" the waterbender leader, Nessa, gasped. Previous interrogation reports claimed that the Northern Army believed propaganda painting me as evil, abusing the poor princess. So, it must have been a shock to see her now, neither harmed nor starved, a prisoner of 'The Fire Nation Giant'.
"Yes, as you can all see: she's unharmed." My rumbling voice continued, before placing a hand on the Princess' shoulder, "More than that, the Princess is in charge of Water Tribe Prisoners-of-War. She oversees food distribution, shelter, medicine and other concerns. She's proven invaluable to us."
At that, there were some bitter, glaring looks from the women, likely a feeling of betrayal at seeing Princess Yue without shackles or bruises. In fact, she was practically glowing. Her snow-white hair soft and silky, her royal purple dress clean and freshly laundered, and her brown skin flawlessly smooth. As if Yue had never left the Royal Palace. Certainly, it wasn't only because she practically insisted that I 'permit her to attempt to convince me' (i.e. creampie all of her holes) at least twice a day. No, as the days crept closer to the possible disaster at the Spirit Oasis, her importance as the backup life energy for the Moon Spirit only grew, along with the need to keep her close and safe.
"May they at least have the antidote?" asked Yue.
Nessa tilted her head in confusion. "An antidote? But what-" Her blue eyes widened, "The meat at that abandoned base!"
"Deliberately abandoned, because the quality of the bait is irrelevant when the prey is starving," I grunted, taking four [Antidote] vials from my [Inventory] and handing them to them, "You should all consider yourself very fortunate that I did not have enough ingredients to make it concentrated enough to be lethal."
Vials in hand, the Water Tribe girls looked at the starchy white liquid before popping off the cork and downing it in one gulp. I did not miss the suspicious glances that they sent my and Yue's way, though. And I decided to nip the prisoners' defiance in the bud. "Yue, they need to hear the reason why you and the chiefs surrendered, and they need to hear it from you."
Yue's ice blue eyes widened in surprise. "… I can tell them?"
"Consider it practice if we manage to find the Avatar's location early."
"Thank you." She whispered, then turned back to the still-bound prisoners and told them. About the Armada. About the forty thousand. About what awaited Agna Qel'a, should they not surrender? It was barely a few sentences, but they carried with them a world of implications and a world of consequences. The uncaring fact of the Northern Water Tribe's inevitable defeat washed away whatever bitterness these 'warrior-sisters' held for the princess. Their expressions paled everywhere that the frostbite hadn't already nipped at.
"Why?" Nessa's blue eyes squeezed shut. Her voice raw with anger as she wrestled with the information, "Why didn't you just tell us about your Armada?! If we knew… if we thought, we… we wouldn't-"
"You wouldn't have come here?" My voice rumbled in contempt.
She nodded as they all realized that it was all for nothing. Almost all for nothing.
Exhaling, I knelt down and began untying their binds. "We did not share this classified information because the admiral leading the Armada is a man with a great temper." I said, omitting Zhao's name, "If the Agna Qel'a Resistance reinforces their coastal defences, and if your people's continued resistance drives the admiral to a rage, it's going to be nigh impossible to convince him to stay his great fleet's trebuchets, or other unwise things that he'll try to do which could spell the end of the Water Tribe. Or at least, the Water Tribe that lives in Agna Qel'a."
... Like killing the Moon Spirit- which may be the worst case scenario out of them all, as it'll doom the entire world.
If Zhao becomes unreasonable, I'll be forced to fight and stop him from killing that fish. It was an unlikely possibility, yes, but the worst possible consequence that could sprout from that action was astronomically bad: Being labelled a traitor to the Fire Nation.
It meant that I would lose everything, including my rank and even the command of the 41st Division, just to save the world. It happened to Iroh in canon Avatar. And did he get anything in trying to prevent the Moon Spirit's demise? The man was responsible for telling Yue how to save the Moon Spirit after all. So, did Aang, Sokka or Katara look at him with trust? Did Fire Lord Ozai care that the world that he wanted to claim was saved by Iroh's wisdom? Did the Water Tribe itself shelter him for betraying his Nation to save their precious Moon Spirit? Was he given even a single 'thank you for saving us all from a chaotic, moonless existence'? No, this ungrateful world would give its saviour nothing.
So, it was in this unenviable position that I found myself: saving the world. But only so that I could conquer it for myself.
"Which is why I cannot waste time." I glowered down at the squad of Water Tribe girls, "All of you have a time limit to make yourselves very cooperative and useful before I discard you altogether."
The snowy-haired princess was quick to defend them, gripping my arm as she pleaded, "They're already at your mercy, Khan! There's no need for more cruelty- please!"
"And yet," I replied, glancing down at her, "they have not formally surrendered."
"...They haven't surrendered?" Yue blinked, her hands falling to her sides. She knew better than anyone how this whole bitter ordeal had been rooted in this dogged defiance.
"No, they have not."
The Water Tribe prisoners looked away as the princess cast them a disappointed look. And despite understanding their princess's reasoning, they still didn't look entirely convinced of the wisdom of surrendering to me.
So, I presented Nessa and the other captives with an ultimatum.
I unfurled a scroll. The faint rustle of parchment cut through the arctic air, and my red gauntlet smoothed the scroll out before them. "This is your formal declaration of surrender, accompanied by a few… requirements." I slid the document closer, ensuring it was within their reach. "The first demand is that you relinquish- effective immediately- all ranks, titles, and privileges you held within the Water Tribe military, up to any authority or standing among informal entities like your so-called 'Radiant Moonflower Warriors-sisters.' Second, you will make a binding statement here, in writing, renouncing the authority in Agna Qel'a as illegitimate and severing all ties of loyalty. Sign it, and only then will I even begin to consider leniency. The princess will serve as your witness."
Or, in other words, Yue's pleading was enough to merit an effort at least to circumvent the conditions of [Welcome to the Ice Fields!]. But if a surrender that comprehensive wasn't enough, then their executions were guaranteed. Of course, I wasn't about to inform them of that fact.
Nessa's fingers flexed around the brush as she stared at the document. However, before she could put brush to parchment, a hurried banging echoed from my metal door, interrupting us.
"Chief Khan!" A woman's voice soon followed, one of the younger Barbarian healers. "We have many wounded coming in from the Eastern reaches! Please, Hot Lander Chief, it's my clan!"
"Go prepare them for surgery! I'll be there in a minute!" I immediately shouted back. I wasn't about to refuse a chance to level up my [Surgery] back at the prisoners, and I left them with one last warning. "I'll let Yue be the one to feed you. However, you- all of you- had better have signed and be ready to talk by the time I return; or else this interrogation will not be as gentle as it has been thus far."
"Thank you, Khan," Yue replied.
Normally, I'd leave such a task to the Lieutenant or the Kyoshi Warriors, but the former was still sweeping for survivors, and the latter was off to kill the Avatar. However, Princess Yue was not a bad choice. Her loyalty was unquestionable, and Suki had been training her to be a Kyoshi Warrior. If there was anyone in camp who could convince the prisoners to be more cooperative, it would be her.
With that, my armoured form turned and left for the trauma igloo- leaving the princess with the prisoners.
(A little while later)
Nessa cupped her hands around the steaming teacup, savouring its warmth and the lingering scent of unfamiliar Fire Nation spices. Only yesterday, her fingertips had been too stiff with cold to feel anything but pain; now, inside this strange, metal-walled shelter, she could at least pretend she wasn't still out in the Polar Wastes… even if it constantly reminded her that they all sat in the enemy's hands.
"Nessa…"
Nessa's eyes found Yue. Seated across a low table, the princess still wore the purple parka that Nessa had last seen her in during the princess's coming of age celebrations. She looked so out of place here, in this abode with its rigid lines, sharp corners, and dark metal that the Warm Landers obsessed over. And on the table right by her elbow, lay the parchment of surrender- the sharp calligraphy clear, and very final. But… what else was left?
"You don't have to push me, Princess Yue," Nessa looked away, drawing her lips into a bloodless line, "I'll sign the stupid paper, even if I don't like it."
"That wasn't what I was going to say…" Her princess's voice was gentle. The firelight caught her ice-blue eyes and reflected a sympathy that Nessa didn't know how to accept. "I know it has been rough waters. I don't blame you for it- any of you. I just want to understand why, or what, has you so angry?"
"Try 'who.' Katara. She did this." Nessa grunted before her mind could even catch up. The name tasted foul on her tongue now. "You wanted to understand why I'm so angry? Well, it's because I trusted someone who turned her back the instant it mattered!"
Princess Yue only asked softly, "What did she do?"
A ripple of anger passed through the warrior-sisters, their voices rising in quiet agreement. "She left us," one murmured, a dark look in her blue eyes. "She ran," another echoed, her tone seething.
"She promised us so much. That's what she did." Nessa said with a bittersweet tone for all the grand, lofty things that had seemed so real- so close- only to melt away like a dream. "She taught us, inspired us, and made us believe we could have it all. So we marched into the Wastes, trusting her. Freezing winds, hollow stomachs, endless miles of polar wastes- we endured it all with a smile because we believed in her words. And then, when the Fire Nation came, when we needed her most, she raised an [Ice Wall]- with us on the wrong side. A sacrifice so she could run away. That's how we ended up in this metal box, staring down a surrender I never thought I'd have to sign!"
By the time her story finished, her teacup had gone ice cold, and her lips felt dry.
"But you're still alive," Yue quietly pointed out, briefly glancing at the scroll between them, "And all we need is your signature on that scroll, and the information that could help me stop the Armada- help stop the war for all of us."
"Information? You mean where Avatar Aang is staying?" Nessa's eyes met her princess's head on, sharp and accusatory. "You want to help that Fire Nation commander find the bridge between the mortal and spirit world, and kill him."
But even when they were all staring at Yue directly, she didn't flinch. "Yes," their princess admitted, quietly but unashamedly, "To stop the Armada. To save Agna Qel'a. To stop the fighting."
Nessa found it hard- so hard- to stay angry when the Avatar's life weighed on the opposite side of the scale from the lives of her entire people... it made things a lot more complicated for her, and Nessa's voice dropped to a suspicious whisper, "You make it sound like this Commander Khan is working against the Fire Nation. That same Warm Lander leader who killed our people by the droves."
Their snowy-haired princess's lips tugged into another sad smile. "In my time with being his captive, I've been made to realize something," she said, "We're all part of this War, and each of us tangled in it in our own different way. Even Khan. He's done so much for us already, and without him, things would have been so much worse. I… I truly believe that I can bring out the good in him."
However, Nessa's warrior-sisters weren't as conflicted, glancing at the door the Fire Nation commander had left through. "Him? The bloodthirsty warmonger who's been killing our people? Even now, he's probably looking for a reason to execute us all." Another continued, "The Fire Nation are killers who don't think twice about burning down villages or cutting down anyone in their way. And this is the Fire Nation Giant, we're talking about. The Fire Nation's biggest butcher in fancy armour-"
"Don't you dare!" Table scraped against metal as their princess shot to her feet, her snow-white hair framing an expression of rare indignation. "You don't understand what he's done for us!"
The warrior-sisters fell silent, stunned. None of them had ever seen or heard their princess angry.
Yue's ice-blue eyes continued to bore down on them. "He has done more than anyone to try to end this war peacefully. Without him, none of us- my father, the chieftains, or even you- would still be alive. And if he had his say, no one would have had to die out here in the Polar Wastes either! So, by the Moon and Ocean, don't you dare speak of him that way! With him is our only chance of saving our home!"
'Home.' The word struck a chord, and they looked away, quiet and ashamed.
After all, how many times had they whispered for it during those long, hopeless marches? To turn around and just… go back home? To their warm beds and stocked pantries? And now, it seemed as if Yue were calling them out for those traitorous thoughts. They tried to find the words to respond. But the silence stretched on, filling the torchlit, metal room, they realized that none of them could prove Yue's words wrong.
"… I want to believe we'll see Agna Qel'a again," Nessa finally admitted, gripping her teacup tighter, the warmth barely registering. "Katara promised us that we'd come home. That all the women of the Northern Water Tribe and I would see a new dawn over Agna Qel'a after we win against the Fire Nation. But between that Commander Khan and the Armada… it was never possible, was it?"
Yue shook her head, her sad smile faint on her pink lips. "No."
Nessa's eyes fell back to the scroll on the table, its sharp lettering demanding their surrender. "Figures. And now this piece of Warm Lander paper is promising the same thing as she did." She paused, then drew a breath. "But right now, I'd trust the Fire Nation more than I'd trust that lying sack of Southern Water Tribe snow-rat droppings. Give me that brush."
Their own princess slid the inkwell to her and offered a brush.
Nessa took it from the princess's hand, admiring the smooth finish of the Fire Nation brush before dipping it in ink and writing her name as prettily as she could on the scroll. Her warrior-sisters followed suit, all under the slightly approving blue of their princess's eyes. And with a wooden click of the brush being set down, she was no longer a 'Radiant Moonflower Warrior-sister' serving in the Northern Water Tribe Army.
Princess Yue looked at her expectantly. Signing that surrender was only half of what was being asked of them.
Nessa ran a hand along the blue of her hair. "Before we left Agna Qel'a," She began with a sigh, "I helped that Southern Water Tribe slime with her things at Master Pakku's spare cottage. The one just west of the palace. I caught a peek of Avatar Aang and Sokka through the gap in the fur door as she left."
Yue clasped her slender fingers together, bowing her head in a brief prayer. "Thank the Moon and Ocean Spirits… May they forgive us for what we have to do next, but with this, the Northern Water Tribe will at least survive to make amends to the next Avatar." She stood up, brushing the creases out of her purple parka, "Excuse me for a moment, I need to ensure this information reaches the right hands."
She was in a hurry, more than she wanted to show, Nessa noticed. But as a brief gust of cold air rushed inside before the door clanged shut behind her. They were all reminding them that they were still in the middle of the enemy's camp, and their only real ally had just left them. Just went to show how much they relied on their princess.
Some of her warrior-sisters exchanged hesitant looks. "Maybe this really is the end of it," one of them said softly, filling the long silence. "Maybe we're going to make it."
"We'll see home again," another added, her tone still wilfully hopeful.
"We are," Nessa murmured in sudden realization, her tone sharpening, "but what about the rest of the Radiant Moonflower warrior-sisters?"
Her squad winced just as the door swung open again. And Yue- having heard her question- answered for them. "Khan's forces are searching for them. And from everything I've heard, there's a good chance they'll surrender once they're found. Don't worry, we have the supplies to feed and care for them. Everyone will make it home."
"And Katara?" Nessa pressed, her voice cold. "She should still be leading them. Will she be given the same offer?"
Yue had a thoughtful look as she settled down at the table. "I'd imagine so. Khan believes that Katara is important."
Anger bubbled up from where Nessa had tried to bury deep. Not deep enough. "After everything she's done?!" Nessa couldn't help but shout. "You were there, Princess Yue! If it hadn't been for her speech, none of this would have happened! You can't just let her get away with everything!"
"No matter what she's done. It's still up to Khan to decide."
"But he listens to you, Princess Yue." Nessa insisted.
"He does, doesn't he?" Yue said with a small smile, but it was only briefly, "But, Nessa… you have to understand that I can't push for too much. Going forward, the Northern Water Tribe will need every bit of goodwill from Khan to ensure our people will be treated well in this occupation."
"Fine." Nessa exhaled, her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms. "If you won't push for it, then I will. Someone has to. Someone has to keep her from fleecing stupid, gullible girls into fighting and dying for her lies. And someone has to hold her accountable for the girls that she already did! But… if it's up to the Warm Lander commander to dispense justice, what will it take to convince him?"
"Convince Khan?" her princess asked.
"Yes, I'll do anything. Even if it means serving in the Warm Lander army like the Kyoshi Warriors or you."
Princess Yue fell silent at that, just looking at her with those ice-blue eyes. Some of the warrior-sisters exchanged uneasy glances, their earlier relief giving way to uncertainty. One of them whispered, "Second Wave Nessa…"
"You can't stop me," Nessa glanced over her shoulder at them.
"No, we meant that we're with you. The others still need us," another said firmly. And a murmur of agreement rippled through the group. "We followed you into the tundra. And when Katara left us behind, you didn't."
"We trusted you then, and we trust you now." Another warrior-sister rested a hand, still red and raw from frostnip, on Nessa's shoulder. "Whatever this is, wherever it takes us, we're not about to back down now."
Nessa straightened. "Then we'll do this together. For them. For all of us." She glanced back at her princess, "Please help us."
Their snowy-haired princess gave a difficult smile, but her expression softened as she averted her eyes. "That's… really admirable of you all," she said, "But it's also much harder than you think. Trust isn't something Khan gives easily. I had to put in a lot of effort to… convince him to put me in charge of this much. And from what Suki has told me, even they had to work for it. Aiming to change his mind about Katara would take just as much effort, maybe even more."
"Then we'll do what you and the Kyoshi Warriors did," Nessa leaned forward, her hands pressing against the table.
Yue met her gaze, crossing her arms in her thick purple parka. "Whatever it takes?"
"Whatever it takes."
"… Well, it would certainly help if there were more of us reminding him of Water Tribe interests." Their princess murmured. "Actually… This might actually be what we need, considering how much I've been able to accomplish on my own."
"Exactly!" Nessa nodded eagerly.
The silence stretched again, except for the princess drumming her dark fingers on the table lightly, and a strange feeling twisting in Nessa's gut as she watched Yue.
The princess's birthday felt like an eternity ago now, and the girl then seemed so different from the one sitting across the table now. More confident and more mature, as if she were a woman grown now. Her ice-blue eyes flicked to a stack of Fire Nation books in the corner as she muttered something under her breath- as if testing an idea before saying it out loud. Their gentle princess of the snow… she clearly still loved her tribe, but she had also clearly changed. Nessa could only imagine what those Kyoshi Warriors had put her through as their Fire Nation captive, and what Yue had learned from it. From them.
"Say that I agree to this…." Yue finally said, her tone light but curious-sounding, "… Are you the right girls for the job?"
"We are," Nessa readily replied despite her confusion, and the warrior-sisters around her murmured in agreement. "We had marched to war to try and save you and the others. We'll march to war to get justice for the others, even if it's against the Earth Kingdom."
Yue said nothing; instead, her ice blue eyes brushed over them, slow and deliberate. It stayed for a while on their faces, their hands, over their bodies as if taking their measure. The others straightened under their princess's assessment as if to silently prove their resolve. But eventually, the princess murmured, "Suki is usually the one to make these kinds of decisions. She was kind enough to help me get this far with Khan. And now, as an official Honorary Kyoshi Warrior, I suppose it's my turn."
A few of the warrior-sisters exchanged more puzzled glances, but again, Nessa didn't flinch. "And that means what exactly, Princess Yue?"
"It means I'll help you convince Khan to listen. And it'll only take a…" Yue paused to think of the right words before smiling serenely at them. "… creative approach."
"Creative?" another sister repeated.
"A mix of diplomacy and theatrics," Yue said lightly, brushing a strand of snow-white hair behind her ear. "Or 'Fire Nation etiquette,' as Suki calls it."
"That doesn't sound so… Are you sure it'll work, Princess Yue?" Nessa said with a hint of doubt.
"Oh, it works," Yue reassured with her calm confidence. "I've gotten very good at it these past few days, in fact, especially with Suki's help. But don't worry- unlike her, I won't be leading you on a wild arctic hen chase. We'll get straight to the important part."
The murmurs among the sisters grew louder, some of them shifting uneasily. "If you say so, Princess Yue…"
"It will be alright, Nessa." Yue reassured with a gentle tone, "You'll come to love it. I promise. Please follow me."
Before anyone could ask what she meant by 'come to love it,' Nessa and the others watched Yue rise gracefully from the table, the soft rustle of her purple parka filling the quiet room. Despite the confusion, Nessa pushed herself to her feet and followed. The others stood as well, brushing crumbs off their tunics as they trailed behind, their steps uncertain until they all found themselves in the centre of the metal abode.
Her eyes focused back to Yue, who now stood watching them with a serene expression like the face of a full moon. And for a brief moment, Nessa believed that she hadn't made a terrible mistake…
And then, with that same calm, unbothered smile, Princess Yue issued her next command.
"Good. Now strip."
[Agna Qel'a]
Suki glanced out the window of their hideout, a recently abandoned ice cottage, and proudly murmured, "…That's my girl."
"What was that, Suki?" one of her sisters-in-arms asked, leaning against the window in her 'borrowed' Water Tribe parka.
"Nothing," Suki replied over the crispy crunch of some cold seaweed rations they'd pilfered. "I just got a feeling that Yue was putting our lessons to good use. Maybe on some of those 'Sisters with the Dumb Long Name.' "
Around her, the Kyoshi Warriors worked on their duties in the small hideout. One kept watch at the upper window, scanning the frozen streets for the telltale flutter of yellow-and-orange airbender robes. Another sat by the fire, carefully tending to their blades with oil and rags. Two more hunched over a map of the city, charcoal sticks whispering against paper as they crossed out the locations they'd searched earlier that night and the ones that they figured that they could and should search for the rest of the day.
Their unpainted faces all looked up from their work to offer their comments.
"I wonder how many of those three hundred girls they managed to capture."
"With how they looked, they hadn't thrown a single punch in their entire life? Probably all of them."
"Hah! That is, if they hadn't keeled over marching there."
"And depends on how dedicated Yue's been with her 'duties.' "
Suki rolled her eyes. "Please, we all know that Yue's not enough to satisfy Khan." She licked her lips, "Poor guy, all backed up like that without our expert skills and world-class bodies- being forced to settle for those second-rate Water Tribe girls instead."
"I'm kind of jealous of them anyway. He's going to be taking it out on them."
"You mean he'll be giving it 'in' them." Suki pointed out with an evil smile, "If our first time was too much even for us trained Kyoshi Warriors, then those Water Tribe girls are definitely done for."
Laughter rippled softly through the room. Khan was definitely going to appreciate their efforts to throw local girls his way.