So far, skies clean. Aang scanned the horizon, making out nothing but a small herd of sky bison to the south. No pirates. None for over a week in fact. Aang was glad of that. Despite Rou Li's skepticism over the council's strategy, Aang trusted the daily patrols were working to discourage the pirates.
Rou Li's voice sounded in over the plane's radio, "Oi! Aang! Are you blind or something? Got a black sail to the northwest! Over."
Aang sighed and started to angle over. Maybe too trusting. Time to fly.
Aang swept his eyes across the skyline and checked the map he kept pinned in his cockpit, assessing the situation and mentally reminding himself to use proper radio syntax. "Ships headed for the Gyan province. They've probably spotted us, but we can run an intercept and disable before they get within firing range of the nearest settlement. Intercept and disable only, Li, over."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'no excessive force is to be used except when faced with excessively deadly force' I get it Aang, over," Rou Li snarled back as they flew in for the approach.
"Good, and remember, we're not even going for a disable unless they demonstrate a-" Aang cut himself off as he flew into a sloppy roll, narrowly avoiding a flaming canonball.
"a probable intent of violence? I think we've got that one covered Aang, over."
Aang took a few deep breaths. He hated close misses (though he preferred them greatly when compared to being, well, hit). He could see six planes on the ship's deck, three of them prepping for takeoff.
"Li, disable the canons, I'll take the planes on deck, over."
"Ten-four, over."
The pirates obviously hadn't been expecting to encounter a patrol. The pilots were scrambling to get their planes in the air. Aang readied himself for the flyby, taking note of the positions of a handful of firebenders on deck. Aang sensed the air shift slightly as Rou Li angled south a bit to be in a better position to disable the canons.
Aang flew by the ship, taking aim at the engines of the planes starting to take off. He didn't have much ammo with him (he had forgotten to reload, like Rou Li often teased him about) and needed to make these count.
Fwoosh-ding! First plane's engine out, boiler leaking out onto the deck courtesy of a pressurized air-gun.
One down. Take aim, line up the sights, fire. Fwoosh-ding! Next plane out. Aang registered the sounds of canons being given a similar treatment at Rou Li's hands.
Last plane. Take aim, line up the sights, fire.
Fwoosh-thunk.
"Monkeyfeathers..." he muttered under his breath, rolling to avoid a fireball sent off by a firebender on deck.
Aang glanced back. The plane he'd failed to take out was taking off. Meanwhile, Rou Li was right behind him, he'd taken out at least three of the six canons on that side of the deck. The pirates had started prepping the other three planes on deck.
"Li, loop around and disable the plane once it takes off. Disable only, over."
"Tsk, ten-four, over."
Aang looped around with Rou Li, then separated, looping around the back of the plane to fly by the northeast side. If he could take out the planes on deck, they could then hobble the ship enough so it had to turn around without taking a life.
The captain was on deck now, shouting orders and pointing angrily. He hadn't see him on deck before, he'd probably been busy belowdeck.
Aang sped up. It would be easiest to hit the planes before the pirates started the taxi down the runway. Take aim, line up the sights, fire.
Fwoosh-ding!
One down. Stay focused. Take aim, line up the sights-
The captain shoved one of his men between Aang and the second plane's engine, and quickly shoved a second in front of the last plane. Aang hesitated and the moment was gone. He pulled away, scanning the skies for Rou Li while muttering a few of his friend's choice curses. Gyatso would have been shocked to hear them, from Aang at least, but this situation 'warrented a few disapproving skinheads' as Rou Li would say.
Aang caught sight of Rou Li occupied with the first fighter, but faring distincty better than Aang. He could spot a few holes in the pirate's wing from here. One of the pirates' planes was taking flight now. Aang pulled up, rolling as he did, to turn and face the new threat as quickly as possible. The captain, identifyable by his pose of authority and floppy, feathered hat, yelled orders on deck near the last working plane. Crew members rushed to and fro, some working near the canons, a handful busying themselves about the plane, and some prepped flaming canonballs. He made a mental note to watch out for the latter as he aimed for the new plane's tail.
Miss. Aang sighed and wished, not for the last time, that their radios worked at longer range. Reinforcements would be very handy right now. When they knew pirates were coming, they normally prepared a team of at least four planes, and maybe even a combat bison, to take it on. Two fighters really wasn't enough.
He spotted the plane Rou Li was facing go down, the pilot bailing and releasing his parachute, which was promptly snagged and reeled in by the pirate ship.
Roll to avoid fire, reorient, target, fire. Repeat.
"Aang, check the deck," Rou Li's voice crackled in over the radio. They generally tried to avoid using radio so close to the enemy, who could pick up their signals easily enough if they tuned into the right frequency, but neither of them were in the right line of sight for hand signals.
"The captain's taking the last plane, over."
Aang turned his head and his plane away from his opponent. Sure enough, the captain had traded his large hat for a flight cap and goggles and was midway through taking off with the last plane.
Aang took the moment to check the horizon. The ship had drawn them closer to the outermost settlement. He ground his teeth together. They needed to keep the village safe, above all else.
The captain was in the air. Aang sent him a mock salute, then looked closer. The captain had yet to pull down his goggles, golden eyes glinting in contrast to the blue sky on a... decidedly feminine face.
The captain grinned at him predatorily, her teeth flashing in the sunlight giving her red lips the hue of blood. She pulled her goggles down and the grin disappeared.
Aang's just widened in return. Time to fly.
x x x
"Okay, apply some more pressure Katara, the engine should be producing enough power to have us at 15 knots soon."
She grunted and shot a slight glare his way, but obeyed. "You know, this isn't as easy as you pretend it is when you're handing out orders, Chief."
Sokka ignored her and scribbled down numbers as the dial pointed to steadily higher markings on the gauge in his hand. It would have been far easier to do this research back in the North Pole, with trained university waterbenders at his disposal for the tests, but while he was stuck here, he'd have to make do with Katara and her-
"Sokka! Are you even listening?" She was definitely annoyed, but there was an element of excitement that laced her tone enough to make him look up.
"Look Katara, if you're getting tired we can-"
"Its not that," she cut him off, excitement edging in over her irritation, "just look!" She pointed excitedly off the starboard bow.
Sokka sighed shortly. This was really important research he was doing and she didn't understand that he needed to be writing down the... readings... that only confirmed exactly how fast they were going! His eyes widened and he didn't even attempt to hold back a wide grin. They were practically gliding across the waves! Normal speed on the Kannerk, his ship, was about ten or twelve knots, but she must be sailing at, he tore his eyes away from the sight of the open sea to check the reading for a moment.
"Twenty knots! Katara! We're going at twenty knots!" He jumped up and punched the air. He'd travelled faster before, back during some other experiments at the university, but never with just one waterbender.
"This is going to change everything Katara!" He ran over and hugged her tightly. "You're officially the best little sister ever!"
She smiled back at him tiredly. "That's great Sokka. So your engine design worked?"
He noticed a few beads of sweat on her forehead and let go of his platapus bear grip on her. "It worked perfectly. You okay?" He frowned. Maybe he'd been pushing her too hard. Today was the summer solstice after all, and they'd sailed a few leagues away from the village to stay away from ice floes, so no icebergs blocked the summer sun from beating down on them.
Katara nodded, but started slipping her outer parka off. The chill wind that had her insist they both bring their heavy outer coats along that morning had abated, replaced by the non-cold not-quite-heat of summer. He felt a bead of sweat make its way down his back and followed suit, sitting down next to her and resting his head against the Kannerk's rail.
A few moments passed before he glanced at her again. "Are you su-"
"I'm fine Sokka," she insisted. Another pause, then, "Besides, you're done with your testing for today anyway, right? We have plenty of time to go home at a non-waterbender assisted pace, right?"
He hesitated. The solstice festival tonight required his presence as the Tishen, temporary chief. He held back a sigh. Today was a perfect day for testing too... perhaps they could do a bit more testing. If Katara helped speed their way home, they'd make it in time for him to help with the solstice preparations...
"No."
He started slightly. "What?"
She frowned at him. "I know what you're thinking, Sokka, and you're not going to do it."
He looked away evasively, even though he knew she could see right through him. "Uh, I'm not going to do what?"
Her eyebrow twitched in irritation and he resisted the urge to hold onto his wolf tail and cover his head and ears from the explosion to come.
"What you're going to do, Tishen," she practically spat the word, "is convince me to do testing with you for another hour until we're so pressed for time that I have to kill myself to overhaul your stupid boat engine, which you care about more than our tribe, which, unfortunately for us, is your responsibility til dad gets back, so we can make it in time for the preparations for the solstice festival." She'd risen to her feet while yelling at him and Sokka reluctantly dragged himself upwards. He knew she was right and the least he could do is stand up and take her... misgivings like a man. He'd seen twenty winters for the moon's sake.
Her hand gestures got wilder and wilder, causing small shifts in the water around the Kannerk but she was exerting enough control, he noted thankfully, to keep herself from affecting the engine.
"Everyone knows you don't want to be here Sokka! But right now you're the chief until dad completes his term, and its your duty as his son to stand in as the Tishen til he's done! We're going to be the laughingstock of the south pole, the way you manage our village!"
He winced and raised his arms placatingly, debating whether or not grabbing her almost-flailing hands would calm her down. A half-familiar hum danced on the edges of his hearing. "K-katara, I-"
She cut him off with a slice of her hand. "No! No excuses! I know your reasons, but I don't care Sokka! Its a great honor for dad to be voted as overarching Chief, but you don't even act like you're happy for him! You're only ever concerned about yourself and how this tore you away from your Oh-so-important research at the university! And don't even get me started on your ice-ridden girlfriend!"
The humming noise grew, adding to his headache. There was something important about that noise, he should know what it meant. If she would just shut up, he'd be able to concentrate.
"Katara! Will you give me a second?"
"No! You don't even give the tribe the time of day, Sokka! Instead of even pretending to care about the solstice festival or... or the patrol schedule or anything important to the tribe, you drag me out here to... to..." Her eyes widened as she trailed off, refocusing on a point behind him above his right shoulder.
Mid-way through turning around he realized what the noise was. He let loose a mental stream of curses in his head, blasting everything between the poles, himself included, as his eyes focused on a lone ship with a black sail streaking across the sky. Southbound or, as the sinking pit that (several seconds ago) had been Sokka's stomach was telling him, village-bound.
He turned to Katara. She looked back up at him and, in that moment, he felt like the chief. Her eyes searched his for a plan. They needed to get back to their village, his village.
He hesitated slightly, then swallowed his fear. He was a man now, the chief of his tribe (albiet a temporary one). His father had entrusted him with this responsibility, and he'd be frozen before he let a ship of filthy pirates get to his village.
"Katara!" he barked, "I need you to gather all your strength and get this engine running at full capacity. Start by adding fuel, we need that fire hot." He dashed up to the wheel and started turning the Kannerk around. She was a small ship and turned fairly easily, thank the moon. While she got the fire running hotter, he made the last few adjustments around the boat. It wasn't until he loosed the main triangular sail that Katara noticed he wasn't setting the ship up for a power run through the southern sea.
"Sokka...?"
He didn't have time to explain fully really. He'd been here a few months, but he couldn't recall explaining exactly what was so experimental about his ship beyond the engine design.
"If we go through the water, it'll slow us down too much, we won't get back in time. We need to follow them in the air." He continued making the necessary adjustments, vaulting over the railing and landing mostly-on his feet so he could make the last few changes to the steam engine.
Katara had paused in feeding the engine fire, but continued when he made his way over to the engine. "The air? Sokka, in case you haven't noticed, your ship is a water-bound ship. Not a skyship. I get that your engine is great and more waterbender-efficient and all, but its not going to fly!" An edge of panic worked its way into her voice and he could tell she was seriously concerned for his sanity, especially at such a crucial time.
He couldn't help his grin widening as he grabbed the last lever and forced it up.
"Yes it will."
x x x
Aang grimaced as Rou Li took out the plane that had escaped him. His friend hadn't shot to disable. The pilot bailed as his plane started spiraling downward, out of his control. Aang glanced back at the settlement. He needed to draw the captain away from the village. If he got her away, her plane was sure to follow.
He angled towards the captain, sparing time for a quick look down at the downed plane's pilot.
He wished he hadn't: the pilot's parachute hadn't opened right, he was tangled in the material, falling out of the sky and out of control.
Aang sent up a quick prayer and refocused at the fight at hand. The golden-eyed captain piloted her plane far more precisely than the other pirates had, flying with an expert hand that, while not as natural as an air nomad's, had just as much skill, backed by determination and ruthlessness.
Aang pulled up as she drew near, hoping to lure her up and away from the still-too-close settlement. He signaled Rou Li that he would handle the captain himself as she angled upwards, joining him in the deadly dance as each plane rolled and looped over itself in an effort to avoid their opponent's bullets.
He grit his teeth as she avoided yet another volley of bullets aimed to disable. It was moments like this where Aang found himself envying Rou Li's more careless, agressive style and how he could go all out. No restraints against an opponent willling to take his life. He wouldn't abandon his morals on a whim though. This fight would be fought in a way that would make Gyatso proud.
He resisted the urge to yelp in alarm after another close call. Those bullets came so close Aang could have sworn they'd hit his port wing. He cast a quick glance at his wing. A thin scratch. Aang felt his eyes widen as adrenaline rushed through his system; a bullet had grazed his wing.
At least they were some distance away from the settement now. Aang checked his mirror. The ship was turning around! Rou Li continued to harrass it, landing small, fairly superficial damages. Actually following the code for once. Aang smiled faintly as he fired once more at the pirate captain and she, once more evaded.
Aang grit his teeth. He needed to end this soon; they were drawing nearer and nearer to Earth Kingdom airspace.
He hesitated a moment, then turned into a steep dive, not firing. She mirrored him, gunning her engines even faster. They raced downward, through the clouds, flying headlong towards the harsh waters below.
Pirate planes weren't as manuverable as Air Nomad planes. The captain was obviously a proud person. Once drawn into this deadly race, she'd do all she could to not pull up first. Aang flashed his opponent a grin. All he had to do was pull up in time so she'd only have enough time to try and avoid crashing headfirst into the ocean, from there he could easily pull off a disabling shot. It would require precision timing and-
Lightning!
He yelled in alarm, but that did little to halt his headlong, now flaming, plunge towards the ocean's surface. He looked towards the captain, who gave him a mocking salute in imitation of the one he'd done before. Intuition told him to grab his glider, always fastened to the side of his cockpit, and unfasten his harness.
The next blast of lightning knocked him out of the cockpit and out of the realm of the conscious.
This chapter has been brought to you by Reduced Fat White Cheddar Cheez-Its and my wonderful beta Zekey.
This fic, which is a personal exercise in writing, started June 21, the Summer Solstice. Its a summer story, following the same summer the characters are living through. Think of it as a season of Avatar, which would make this Book One: Fire.
After this Monday solstice update, new chapters will be posted every Friday until the final chapter, which will be posted on the Autumn Equinox, Wednesday, September 21.
Chapter Notes: "Skinhead" has a very different connotation in the AU than in real life, merely referring to an Air Nomad whose head is shaved. And Rou Li is pretty much the only OC I have planned, and he won't but in often, so fear not.
See you Friday~
Kia out.