99 A.G
Agent Wu arrived shortly after breakfast, when Lin was reviewing the last intelligence reports before the convoy's departure. He bowed once, then waited until the clerk in the office finished placing the newest maps on her desk and left the room. That meant that whatever information Wu had was sensitive.
"I assume you have brought news about the Water Tribe children, right?" Lin asked.
"Yes, General." Wu unfolded a report and placed it in front of her. "They entered New Ozai under the protection of your document, resupplied, visited the palace district, where they dined with the governor and the princess and then left to find King Bumi."
Lin leaned back in her chair and motioned for him to continue.
"The guards allowed them inside after checking the seal. They spoke with the old king for some time before leaving the city."
The Avatar probably needed an earthbending master as well. But Bumi was still in the city. Lin wondered if they had tried to convince him to join them and failed.
"Do we know what they talked about?" she asked.
"We are not certain of the entire conversation, General. The house guard reported no signs of conflict after the first disturbance." he said.
"First disturbance?"
"Several impacts were heard inside the residence. The old king was apparently either testing them or battling them for fun."
Lin closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Of course he was."
"The visitors left without injury though. They appeared troubled but not hostile. Afterward, they continued north."
"Were they followed?"
"Yes. Two agents and one patrol kept their distance for several hours, and they were undetected." Wu hesitated, which meant the next part of the report was either difficult to believe or embarrassing to say aloud. "Then they departed on the bison and we lost them."
Lin looked at him. "Right, how did that happen? Is the bison too fast?"
"You could say so, General."
"I saw the bison with my own eyes and how they used it to swim away from Kyoshi Island. Although it is a fine beast, I don't see how it could've run fast enough to lose our agents."
Wu's face remained serious. "Well, it doesn't just swim or run, General. The bison can fly."
Lin stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for the explanation to become less ridiculous.
"The bison can fly. A beast the size of a train, that weighs around ten tons if Toph's estimate is correct." she said, incredulously.
"Yes, General. The agents insist they saw it rise from the ground and carry the children into the sky."
Lin had seen enough impossible things in this world to know better than to reject the idea of a flying bison, but still, the idea was just ridiculous. Although, she did find out that spirits existed and already interacted with two of them, so the existence of flying bison wasn't too far off the realm of possibilities.
Even with all of that considered, the idea of a ten-ton bison flying through the sky was still absurd. But it also explained how they had moved so fast from Chin Village to New Ozai.
"Well that answers how they got here so fast." Lin said.
Wu nodded. "That is our conclusion as well."
"If they can fly over everything then they are traveling north faster than expected."
"It seems so."
Lin looked at the map again, now seeing the problem differently. A flying animal changed their plans completely. It could ignore roads, patrols, rivers, and most fortifications. They weren't going to track them down as easily as she had hoped.
Still, she didn't see them as a threat. She felt even less inclined to help him capture the boy after the fight she had with the prince. Besides, one person, no matter how powerful they were, couldn't change the outcome of a war. Lin was sure that they would win before he could have any real impact.
"It seems we have to change our plans, Agent Wu." Lin said.
"Yes, General."
"Send word to my brother. I want Raizo to track them from a distance."
Wu looked up. "You want him to capture them?"
"No, the contrary. I don't want the prince to capture him, as unlikely as that is to happen. Have him follow them. He is to observe them from a distance and help them if they are in trouble, as long as they don't actively go against our nation."
That finally earned a reaction. Wu's brow moved, not quite a frown, but close enough.
"You want us to help the Avatar?"
"I want us to help those children under specific conditions, yes. I don't think he will ever be a real threat, but if helped, I'm sure he would be more cordial to us once we win the war and force a peace deal."
"What if you are wrong? It would be treason."
"Capturing him just to send him to prison serves no purpose. The people already do not expect the Avatar anymore, and even if we were to use it as propaganda, the rest of the world wouldn't care, as he is too late anyway. Killing him would just have him reincarnated in the Earth Kingdom. They are stubborn and would hide the Avatar from us until he is ready to challenge our rule and topple our forces even if we win. By having the Avatar officially recognize us as the winner of the war and be present in the peace terms, we will convince the entire world of our victory."
Wu studied her for a moment. "I see…May I ask why you don't want the prince specifically to capture him?"
Lin folded the report and placed it beside the map. "Prince Zuko is ignorant, desperate, and gullible. That makes him dangerous, and could be used against his sister's eventual rule. I'm fully convinced now that he should remain exiled until Azula graciously accepts him back, if it even happens."
"Does the princess think the same way?"
"I don't know, but I will talk to her about this situation. She is already mad at me for leaving her in New Ozai because she missed the Agni Kai. She is apparently very disappointed that she didn't get to see him lose, as per her own words."
Wu seemed to consider that. "I guess the rumors are true then. There really is no real love between them."
"I did try for them to get closer, but the Prince was obsessed with his search, and the princess, although open to the idea of forming a better relationship, didn't seem very fond of him. So instead we will make sure the prince fails to capture the Avatar, thus never earning his way back to the Fire Nation."
Wu nodded slowly. "I understand."
"Good. Make sure Raizo understands as well."
"Yes, General. Although, be aware that he might refuse such a mission."
"Why is that…?" Lin asked, perplexed.
"Uhm… your brother's partner is expecting, and her pregnancy is well underway." Wu said. "I thought you knew."
"I forgot…" Lin sighed. "Right, well, do send the request, but find a replacement in case he rejects it."
"At once." Wu said, exiting her office.
Lin hoped she could rest on the train. She really was too tired if she had completely forgotten that his brother's offspring would arrive in a few months. She hoped the war would be over by then and could enjoy being a weird aunt for once.
----0000----
The convoy stretched through New Ozai like a steel river. Lin stood at one of the larger railway stations built into the city's upper levels, watching soldiers move between platforms, supply carts, artillery wagons, and engines prepared for departure.
The line continued farther than she could see from where she stood, curving along the mountain and running through the city from north to south. Every track carried something necessary for the campaign.
Troop cars, ammunition wagons, coal tenders, field kitchens, medical carts, repair cranes, railway guns, and the reinforced platforms designed to carry tanks and heavier artillery pieces. They even had pen cars for the Rhinos.
It truly was a wonder how the earthbenders made construction so much easier. The combined weight was incalculable but there was not even strain visible on the tracks. Truly a wonder of engineering.
Lin was proud of how much they had accomplished. They had strength, and a huge technological gap against their enemies. All concentrated before her, and she had to admit, it was a great sight.
Now, the Fourth Army was ready to begin their long journey to what Lin believed would be their last campaign. It would travel in its entirety with the train convoy toward the front lines. The railway construction had already advanced through the Great Divide and was nearing the narrow pass.
From there, her engineers and earthbenders would use the mountains through the narrow Serpent's Pass as support to create a new railway bridge toward Ba Sing Se. Once the railway tracks were ready, the convoy would continue forward toward the tallest walls in the world.
The convoy would make use of the construction crews, test the tracks already built, and allow the engineers to correct weaknesses for the heaviest guns to move forward. They also carried more earthbenders to help with the railway lines.
The Second Army, now under the command of newly promoted Major General Shinu, would move through the colonies north of their position. His force would serve as reserve and relief once they breached the outer defenses.
Shinu was not brilliant, but he was pragmatic, obedient, and they had worked well together before, years ago. She was sure he would be even more respectful of her now that she had brought substantial victories to the Fire Nation.
Her intelligence unit had already reported successful infiltration into Ba Sing Se along with a few of the refugees they had let go. They had moved from New Ozai to a hidden harbor and then they were ferried to the great city, across the lake.
Lin had told high command that attacking the harbor and stopping refugees from reaching Ba Sing Se would strain the Fire Nation. It would incentivize rebels to rise up against them. Taking care of the refugees themselves would force them to spend resources on them that could be used on the front.
On the other hand, Ba Sing Se had to deal with a crisis every time more and more refugees joined them. So leaving them be would be better to achieve the results she wanted. Still, having spies already inside was promising, though she would not trust it until the first useful information arrived.
Cities like that were too big to hide secrets really, but one could never be too sure. If her agents were careful, they would soon have reports on the defending armies, food stores, internal divisions, and the men who truly commanded the city.
Lin turned away from the tracks and looked at the soldiers gathered around the station. There were thousands within sight, and more waiting across other platforms. Fire Nation banners moved above them in the wind.
Officers walked along the rows, checking that units remained in order before boarding. Some soldiers talked among themselves, but most were watching her now. They knew she would speak before they departed.
Lin saw a few of the soldiers giving her nervous looks, and she couldn't blame them. It would be their strongest opponent, one who not long ago had defeated them and killed the son of the Dragon Of The West, General Iroh. Many of them would not come back.
"Form up!" She commanded, her soldiers quickly standing straight and to attention. The station fell into silence immediately.
A private hurried toward her carrying a wooden crate with both arms. He nearly stumbled on the edge of the platform, recovered, then placed it in front of her with a quick salute.
"For you to stand on, General." he said, even his voice seemed too young, but she guessed she was as young as him when she ended up in the front lines this time around.
"Thank you, Private." she nodded at him.
The boy saluted again and stepped back, trying not to smile with pride at having done one useful thing in front of his commander. Lin simply climbed onto the crate and she could see she already had the attention of every single soldier. Even the engineers working near the railway guns stopped what they were doing to listen.
"My brothers and sisters of the Fire Nation."
She stood before thousands of soldiers already formed into marching columns. Supply wagons stretched toward the horizon behind them.
"Today we leave behind another chapter of history. We leave behind a city that resisted us for generations, and now stands beneath our banner. But victory is a dangerous thing, we must not be overconfident in ourselves, for our march continues now that you have rested. We are up against our biggest enemy yet."
"Some of you were born after this war began. Some have never known a world without battle. You have walked through deserts, forests, mountains, and rivers. You have buried friends beside roads whose names history will never remember. And still...you marched."
Her eyes swept across the ranks.
"That is what separates us from every nation that stands against us. We endure, even when the fight seems impossible to win. They are not united. They fight among themselves and when tired surrender at the earliest opportunity. We, on the other hand, march until the work is done."
A ripple of approval moved through the formations.
"The road before us will not be easy. It will be bloody. It will be brutal. It will test every step we take. But our resolve has never been stronger!"
"The Earth Kingdom's jewel believes they are protected. They believe their walls will stop us like they did for almost a century. We will show them how mistaken they are. We will show them that nowhere is safe from us! They will learn that not even the skies are left unconquered."
A faint smile crossed her face.
"Pages in the annals of history will be written about this campaign. With you by my side, I have no doubts we will triumph where others could not!"
She crossed her fist over her chest.
"I ask nothing of you that I will not demand of myself. I will march beside you. I will endure beside you. I will bleed beside you. And I will have victory with you on my side!"
She looked over the countless banners one last time.
"We carry more than our armors and fists. We carry the hope of our nation to finally triumph and bring peace to the world once more. Every step we take brings that future closer." She said, now smiling.
"So straighten your backs, shoulder your packs. Carry your banners proudly. And let the world hear the sound of our war cries."
She struck her fist against her chest, proudly. The rest of her men mimicked her and the chorus roared at the station.
"My life, I give for my country! With my hands I fight for our forefathers! With my mind I seek ways to better my nation. And with my feet, may our march of civilization continue."
"To victory! For the Fire Nation!"
"FOR THE FIRE NATION!"
----0000----
Lin had arranged for her carriage to be a private one. It was smaller than most of the others in the convoy, and it had been used so far to transport officers and officials through New Ozai through the different stations.
Now, it had been stripped of anything unnecessary and turned into her personal moving quarters for the journey. It had been made luxurious but she had requested those additions be removed and added to the one prepared for Princess Azula.
There was a narrow bed fixed against one wall, a desk bolted to the floor, a cabinet for documents, and enough space for her to work on a few of the logistics going forward. The windows were narrow, reinforced, and easy to cover if the convoy came under attack. She had also arranged for the princess' carriage to be connected directly to hers.
That carriage was larger and more comfortable, which was appropriate enough. Azula, Toph, and a servant would ride there, with enough room for their belongings and the guards stationed at each end of the connection.
It was a practical arrangement. The Crown Princess needed to remain close to the commanding general, and Toph was still under Lin's supervision. Still, Lin expected Azula to spend most of the day in her carriage as she had promised her.
The problem was that it would be a very awkward ride ahead. Lin had made the offer to test a suspicion, and Azula's reaction had given her more of an answer than she had wanted. Now there would be long hours inside a moving train with nowhere to go if things turned south.
Lin stood beside her desk while the convoy prepared to depart, listening to the noise outside. Boots moved along the platform, metal doors opened and closed, and somewhere farther down the line several engines began rumbling.
She felt a knot in her chest and hoped things would turn out alright.
----0000----
Azula entered Lin's carriage feeling content with herself. The train had not even departed yet, and the arrangement was already better than she had expected. Her own carriage was connected directly to Lin's, which meant she could move between them without needing guards to escort her across platforms or wagons.
Toph was still in the other carriage, probably bothering the servant while pretending she was only exploring, and for once no one had any reason to interrupt her time with Lin, who was near the desk when Azula entered, drinking a cup of tea.
The carriage was smaller than Azula's, but it suited Lin better. Everything inside had been arranged neatly. There was a bunk against one side, a desk fixed near the window, document cabinets, a rack for her coat, and a set of two chairs.
"Hello, Princess."
"Lin, a passionate speech as always." Azula mocked, playfully.
"Well, they looked a bit too nervous to my liking." Lin said.
"You spoke well." Azula said, closing the door behind her. "Our soldiers seem to respond well to that sort of thing."
"Indeed, although I don't like them myself." Lin replied, placing the cup down.
"Although, I see the logic behind them once they seem to be inspired enough."
"Quite, let's hope that inspiration carries them forward for a long time."
Azula smiled, amused despite herself. Still, after a moment, she noticed something was off. Lin's face was calm, but she was being and looked uncertain instead of the confidence and calm she was used to.
She didn't seem angry, nor did she seem tired, so there was something else going on, and her behaviour made Azula suspicious at once.
"Is something wrong?" Azula asked.
"No, nothing is wrong." Lin answered, though she took a moment too long to say it. "Come sit with me for a moment." she said, while sitting down at the bunk bed. Then patted the place beside her.
Azula looked unsure for a moment, but agreed nonetheless. "Uhm, sure." To try and lighten the mood she tried teasing her about it. "You could have simply said that you wanted me beside you."
Lin gave her a look, and Azula felt pleased with herself when she saw the general had no immediate answer. She crossed the carriage and sat beside her anyway, keeping her posture proper even though the request made her curious.
Lin reached beneath the bunk and pulled out a polished metal case, handling it with enough care to make Azula's suspicion turn into interest.
"Happy birthday, Azula." Lin said.
Azula blinked at her, genuinely taken off guard for a moment. They had already celebrated her birthday before having to depart, and she had not expected Lin to prepare a gift during the campaign preparations.
She took the case with both hands and opened it carefully. Inside rested a handgun, smaller and more refined than the standard officer models she had seen. The metal had a dark finish, the frame was engraved without making it look uselessly ornate.
"It is the newest handgun made for officers." Lin explained. "The first finished piece from the improved batch. It is called the Type 04 Byeol. It's a semi-automatic handgun using caseless ammunition. You can fire it continuously instead of having to reload after every shot. It has a capacity of eight bullets."
Lin lifted it from the case, then slowly pointed at something on the grip. "This is how you load it, you basically unclip the bottom here… this is called a bullet box, you load them one by one in here, then insert it back into the gun. Then once it's locked, you pull on the top here and it loads the bullet into the chamber. You then flip this on the side down and the safety is off and the gun is ready to shoot." she explained.
Lin then pulled the switch back to the 'safe' position and handed the gun to Azula. She took it carefully, testing the weight in her hand. It was beautiful, and a clear improvement from the one she had been using for almost a year now.
"I will practice with it as soon as I can." Azula said, smiling.
"Not inside the train, please."
Azula glanced at her. "I know that."
"Something told me it needed to be said."
Azula smiled at her and returned the handgun to its case, already imagining Mai's face when she saw it. She would complain about the noise again, then ask to test it anyway.
"Thank you, Lin. This is a wonderful gift."
"I'm sure you will put it to good use eventually." Lin said.
"I will show it to Mai once we return, she was really good with guns."
Lin didn't reply and the silence and close proximity between each other made Azula's suspicion return. Lin kept watching her, and for once Azula was not sure what she was trying to find. It was not the same attention she was used to.
"What is it?" Azula asked.
Lin rested her hands over her knees. "I wanted to ask about your plans."
"My plans?"
"Going forward."
Azula kept her fingers on the edge of the case. "That is a very broad question."
"I know." Lin said. "You asked me something similar at the beach, about what I wanted for myself after the war. I want to know the same from you."
Azula kept her expression composed, although her mind became cautious at once. She did have plans, more now than ever before. Her father's letter had clarified many things for her, and the more she thought about the Fire Nation's future, the more she was certain that Ozai had become an obstacle to her own vision.
But Lin was too loyal for Azula to reveal everything carelessly. She needed to bring the idea to her with patience, prove the necessity of it, and make sure Lin understood that replacing Ozai was not betrayal of the Fire Nation, but the best way of bettering the nation.
"I intend to continue preparing for my future responsibilities." Azula said. "The war will not last forever, and I intend to make the best of it once it's over with."
"Do you have any practical plans underway?" Lin asked, prodding further.
"I have some, yes… but they require a hand in politics, which is something I can only work once I return to the capital."
"Do you intend to help your father rule?" Lin asked.
"Mmm, not really. It's for my own future."
Lin nodded. "And what role do you expect me to have in that future?"
"You are already one of the most important generals in the Fire Nation."
"That is not what I'm asking, and as you said, the war would be over."
Azula's suspicion grew stronger. Lin was fishing for something, but she did not know what. Lin was rarely indirect without a reason, and the fact that she was doing it now made the whole conversation feel more dangerous.
Lin looked at her steadily. "What do you think of me, Azula? What do you want our relationship to be in the future?"
Azula felt heat rise to her face before she could stop it. The question was too blunt to dodge, and the meaning behind it became clear enough that pretending confusion would only insult them both. She looked down for a moment, angry at herself for reacting so openly.
She was the Crown Princess, and she had faced rebels, officers, nobles, assassins, and her father's judgment without losing control. Yet now she was hesitating like a child. She took a breath and raised her head again.
If Lin wanted an answer, then Azula would give her one properly. She had known what she wanted for some time, even if saying it aloud made her heart beat faster than she liked. Lin deserved conviction, not some cowardly half-answer that could be mistaken for uncertainty.
"I want you beside me." Azula said.
Lin remained silent, so Azula continued before doubt could weaken the words.
"I want your counsel, your loyalty, your strength, and your presence when I rule. I want you at my side where everyone can see that you belong there." Azula kept her eyes on Lin even as her face burned.
"I want you as my consort once I'm Fire Lord."