"The targets are sighted in coordinate N13.32 E56.73. Prepare to engage."
Radio babbled. Then, a biplane flew on low altitude. The sound was deafening. Then, an explosion was heard and the plane crashed.
"Take cover!"
Sergeant Tae-won shouted.
It's the combustion men again. Private Sukho thought.
"Kyoshi Six to Yuyan. Need fire support here. Red Lotus air benders are blocking our advance." Kyoshi warriors asked for help in the Radio.
"Private Sukho and specialist JaeJoon. Load your MB-3 with EEA. Fire EEA at the tornado formation and break the air benders." The Sergeant ordered. "The rest prepare to charge after they break the tornado formation. Red Lotus Air benders would be waiting for us."
Sukho detached Standard Explosive Arrow magazine from Mechanized Bow-3 and replaced with Enhanced Explosive Arrow. MB-3 also known as Thrower looked weird. It looked like a steam beam with a small box attached to it, but anyone who had worked it in the Fire Nation military knew the lethality of the weapon. 10 semi-automatic shots less than 10 seconds. Quick and easy reload. Able to fire almost all form of ammunition from standard projectile arrows to enhanced explosive arrows. Longer range than bending. It's one of few non-bending weapons effective against benders in the battlefield.
"Yuyan to Kyoshi Six. We are coming. Where is the target?" Radio operator Liu shouted to the radio. "And how many?"
"About half a dozen airbenders making tornadoes. We cannot go closer. Oh, there is two flying air benders and..." Radio went dead. It's clear that the flying air benders hit the Kyoshi radio operator. Sukho thought the mission became a complete disaster. The intelligence they were given was completely wrong. It said there would only few dozens of non-benders guarding the warehouse. But, what they are facing is air benders and combustion benders. He started to think his team might not be able to retrieve the enriched spirit vine rod stolen from Earth Empire Research Center.
"The most destructive weapon Red Lotus guarded by a few non-benders. It was too good to true." Specialist JaeJoon sighed.
The squad marched and went over a ridge. Then, they spotted a huge tornado. "what the... When the reinforcement coming?" Private Eoni despaired.
Radio rang again and the operator called the sergeant. "Sir, It's commander Kuzu."
The Sergeant quickly picked up the radio and had a conversation with the commander. After having the conversation, he gathered his troops.
"The commander told that reinforcement coming soon. It seems the first attempt by Kyoshi warriors to capture the device failed. Our mission here would be containing Red Lotus and even capturing the device if possible." The Sergeant explained. "We would have full access to air support from FN Eastern carrier group. Also. an EU bomber squadron from Omashu would arrive soon. We can and have to stop them..."
A blast of wind knocked down a tree nearby. It was the flying men again.
"Move! Move! Move! Our position is exposed." The sergeant ordered as he climbed down the mountain.
10 Yuyan archers rushed down the mountain while taking cover in deep forested area. Fortunately, it seems the flying men did not spotted the soldiers. Then, the sergeant held his right hand up to signal everyone to stop. He signaled everyone to take cover.
Everyone hid behind trees or rocks and prepared their weapons. Private Hun and specialist Sae-un prepared AMB-2 automatic thrower. Its drum magazine would rain down over 60 projectile arrows on the enemies.
Several people in black robe walked into range. The black robes has red strips in it. It was Red Lotus. Sukho aimed at a Red Lotus fighter. He closely looked at the target. It was a small innocent-looking girl in her late teens. But he knew better. He remembered how one Earth bending teenager tried to kill Suyin Beifong, the Secretary General of Earth Union. Everyone said that if Suyin had not been a skilled metal bender herself, she would have been killed that day. Young Red Lotus were as dangerous as adults.
He only saw the color of the uniform. He remembered how many people they brutally killed by Red Lotus. Zaheer escaped from his prison 2 years ago and re-established connection with Red Lotus sleeper cells. He recruited many air benders who did not join Air Nomad and launched a devastating campaign of terror. They suffocated the speaker of United Republic of Nations Congress to death. There was also an indiscriminate shooting incident using fire bending near Fire Nation royal palace, which was orchestrated by Red Lotus and killed over 100 people. Sukho believed that anyone this armed insurgency need to be killed.
The Sergeant signaled his comrades to fire. Sokho fired EEA. The whole squad fired at the same time.
The mechanical sound of throwers and explosive sound of EEA thundered across the valley. Smoke from exploding EEA himdered the sight. Few seconds later smoke disappeared. About a dozen fighters were lying dead. But, his target dodged. Sukho thought she hid behind a rock nearby and reloaded to shoot again. He heard a blast of wind and cracking sound. A tree fell and he have to move to avoid being squashed below. He heard a scream. An explosion shook the ground. It was combustion bender. Sukho realized that he needed to reload Standar Projectile Arrow. EEA might be powerful it was too slow. Sukho thought SPA would be fast enough to take down the combustion bender. He took cover in a pit and looked for the combustion bender.
"Enemy your 6 o'clock!" Specialist JaeJoon yelled. Then Suhko looked back and realized that the combustion bender was aiming at him. He tried to avoid the fire but it was too late. He managed to avoid the explosion itself. But, a tree truck nearby got smashed and a sharp sticks broken from there hit his side. He could feel the blood spilling. JaeJoon quickly fired back and another soldier dragged him out of the pit.
"Are you okay?" JaeJoon asked.
"I'm okay. It didn't hit me directly." Sukho said as he tided himself over. He picked up his thrower again and looked for the target. Several thrower shots were heard and the ground was shaking with the explosions made by the combustion bender. Then, green figures showed. He saw the combustion bender down. It was Kyoshi warriors. A strike by a fan of Kyoshi warrior took down the combustion bender. It seemed some Kyoshi warriors survived the first attempt. Kyoshi warriors started to take down several Red Lotus fighters who survived the initial suppressing fire from the Yuyan archers. Then, the Kyoshi warrior who took down the combustion bender got hit by a blast of wind. He quickly looked for the air bender who shot her. It was his first target. The air bender took down one or two Kyoshi warriors and hindering the advance of his squad with her air bending. He aimed at the girl. He told to himself.
"I will not miss this time."
He didn't miss this time. The arrow hit her on her shoulder and she stopped the wind. She reached out to take out the arrow, but few seconds were enough for Kyoshi warriors to take down her. Yuyan Archers came out of their cover and approached Kyoshi warriors.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sergeant Tae-won." The Sergeant greeted the warriors.
"Good to see you too. I'm senior warrior Doyo. It's good that you arrived." The kyoshi warrior who seemed to be the leader replied.
"Where is everyone else? I heard that a platoon of Kyoshi warrior was deployed to retrieve the device but there is only 6 of you." The Sergeant asked.
"12 dead 10 missing 2 badly injured. The whole platoon collapsed." The tired warrior answered. "We were on retreat and saw you fighting those Red Lotus fighters."
"How is the situation in the warehouse?" The concerned Sergeant asked.
"Bad. Air benders in Red Lotus are dangerous warriors. Their tornado formation is quite dangerous. They not only hinder our advance but also seems to suffocate people approaching the formation."
"How many Red Lotus fighters were present in the warehouse?" Tae-won inquired.
"9 air benders, 3 combustion benders and few dozens of non-benders. We took down most of non-benders but failed to take out the benders." Doyo answered.
"It seems some air strikes are needed." Tae-won suggested. "Earth Union bomber airships are coming to destroy their formation. Also, biplanes from Fire Nation Eastern carriers would be coming soon."
"But we cannot bomb the warehouse itself . The device might blow up and several villages are within blast radius." Doyo countered. "We need to attack when your whole platoon arrives."
"Then, I will call surgical strikes not carpet bombing." The sergeant answered.
He picked up the radio and called to bombers. "We need surgical strikes on the fortifications near the warehouse. But, do not bomb the warehouse itself."
High up in the sky, several airships showed up. They quickly approached the target and started dropping bombs. But, the bombs failed to reach the ground.