Part Five: Prince of Fire
Kyoshi Island is "graced" with a visit from Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, who seeks to take the Avatar into his custody. Meanwhile, Colonel Mackenzie and the 74th are called upon to defend Kyoshi Island from the Fire Nation.
Mackenzie and some of his staff officers hurried up to the village hall, to meet with the Kyoshi, as the message from Suki sounded very urgent. Entering the hall, Mackenzie cut directly to the chase: "What's the situation?"
"Those ships your man spotted on the horizon? It's a Fire Nation warship." Suki replied gravely.
Mackenzie swore under his breath. "Is it just the one? And do you know if it's heading here?"
"Our warriors have confirmed positive answers to both of those, Colonel." One of the elders told him.
Mackenzie turned to his command staff, "Go and tell Donners that the Fire Nation is approaching with one ship, evade detection, and, for the love of God, do not engage." He told one, and to another said "Tell Captain Tollay to put his men on stand-by to disembark to shore."
The two staff, young men in their prime, sprinted off to carry out their orders. Mackenzie, mind still working ways on defending the village in case of an attack, turned back to the elders and warriors. "I'm going to need some information on what I can expect in order to prepare a sufficient defence." He told them.
The elders shared a look, and nodded in consensus. "What do you need to know, Colonel?" One asked.
Mackenzie spent the better part of half an hour quizzing the Kyoshi on what he could expect from the Fire Nation vessel, marine contingent, firepower, ratio of firebenders to non-bender infantry, and where the Fire Nation's skills and weaknesses lie.
As soon as he had the best picture he could of the enemy, he sent commands to Captain Holland and Lieutenant Garllie to bring their companies into Kyoshi village, and to be ready for combat. Firelocks were to be loaded and bayonets fixed. Tollay brought brought his men ashore, and they set up protections for the camp. The Kyoshi Warriors set up scout positions across the area where it was predicted the ship would land, and sent hourly reports back to Suki, who shared them with Mackenzie.
As soon as it was obvious that the Fire Nation would land north of the village, and would have to either go around the entire island or through the village to get to the camp, Tollay was ordered to have his men on stand-by to move, rather than defend. Mackenzie's own company was brought to the north, a hundred yards from the village itself. Holland's company was to remain in the village, ready to provide reinforcement if necessary.
Once in position, the men were ordered to "order arms", allowing them to set the butts of their muskets on the ground, but maintaining attention and a generally solderly look. There they waited in a line about four men deep, about as wide as the path would allow, for the Fire Nation to make their appearance. Mackenzie was mounted upon Queen, sword at the ready and pistol loaded.
A Kyoshi warrior appeared from the thicket minutes later to inform Mackenzie that a column of Fire Nation marines were advancing, but she couldn't tell how many there were. Mackenzie sent her back to inform Holland and Suki, and he prepared to meet the body of troops.
The sound of marching approached the body of soldiers, and before long, the Fire Nation marines turned a bend about two hundred yards out, clearly into the view of the 74th. At the head of the Fire Nation troops were three men, one looked like an officer, a younger man who could have been about Mackenzie's age, one was a boy who was on the cusp of manhood, and the last an old man who looked past his prime but had an aura of command that demanded respect, which Mackenzie could sense all the way from his position just behind the 74th.
At about a hundred yards out, Mackenzie could hear the boy loudly protesting, "We should just attack now, and smash these peasants!"
A grumble swept through the ranks, but Mackenzie's warning of "Easy, lads." held their tempers for now. It appeared as the old man was trying to pacify the boy and the officer was torn on listening to the boy or maintaining order.
The column halted about fifty yards from the Scots, and the three leaders moved up, clearly wanting to meet the leaders of their opponents. Mackenzie obliged, and rode out to meet them halfway, several infantrymen following, one to grab Queen's reins and the others to provide protection for Mackenzie in case he needed it. A similar amount of Fire Nation men moved up as well, seeing their counterparts that close to their leaders.
"Now, allow me to handle this, Prince Zuko." The old man was telling the now-named prince as Mackenzie dismounted Queen. As soon as he spotted her, the old man commented, "My! What a magnificent beast!"
Mackenzie smiled, and replied, "That she is, that there is the Queen of Scots, named such as she is the queen of all horses, and for a monarch of my nation's past who bore the same title." He grabbed the reins and brought Queen over to the old man, who caressed her snout after carefully ensuring she wouldn't try to harm him.
"It certainly seems she deserves such a title!"
"That she does, and she's served me faithfully in battle ever since she was given to me, isn't that right, girl?" Mackenzie pats Queen's side, remembering the hell they went through together.
Mackenzie enjoyed the attempt at lessening tensions before the true business began.
Iroh got on to the formalities: "My name is General Iroh, a Prince of the Fire Nation. This is my nephew, Prince Zuko and my subordinate, Lieutenant Jee."
"I am Colonel Alexander Mackenzie, of His Majesty's Seventy-Fourth Highland Regiment of Foot." Mackenzie replied in kind, and held out his hand.
Iroh shook it, and then let go after a short moment. "I must say, colonel, I have never seen troops equipped in such fashion as yours." He said as he looked over Mackenzie's shoulder at the 74th. "Do you serve the Earth King?"
"I serve His Royal Majesty, King George III." Mackenzie told him. He held back from telling Iroh more than that, as this meeting was for the gauging of troops and knowledge, under the farce of diplomacy. While the diplomatic talks were indeed real, both commanders knew quite well that battle was more likely than a diplomatic solution, since each knew that Mackenzie's men were blocking Iroh's on purpose.
The Scotsman knew that Iroh wanted to know what his men were capable of, while Mackenzie wanted to learn, from the source, exactly why the Fire Nation was here. While it was far more likely that they were after the Avatar, Mackenzie could not dismiss the slight possibility that they were here for another purpose.
"Hmm, very well." Mackenzie could see Iroh storing away the name for later.
They stood in silence for a moment before Zuko lost his patience, "Stupid peasant! Move your pathetic troops this instant so we can search this village for the Avatar!"
Mackenzie looked at Zuko like a boy who had spoken out against his parents in public, and feigned offence at being called a peasant (the truth was that he was used to ignoring such barbs from English officers, but he was not going to let this arrogant kid get a precedent of insulting him). "Listen, boy, my men will not be going anywhere. I suggest you hold your tongue while the adults are speaking." General Iroh and Lt. Jee had the decency to look embarrassed.
"How dare you-!" The boy raged before being cut off.
"I believe that is enough, Prince Zuko." Iroh reprimanded his nephew.
He continued, "Prince Zuko does have a point though, we are here to apprehend the Avatar. I would request that you bring him from the village, where he is known to be hiding and into our custody, Colonel Mackenzie."
Iroh had brought up the true reason of their presence, just as was fairly obvious, but put him into a slight disadvantage, as he was bringing up the Avatar, instead of Mackenzie, who was holding off on doing the same for this reason. He was making a demand, one which Mackenzie was in a strong position to refuse. And he did;
"I can't do that, General Iroh. The Avatar, as well as his companions have taken refuge in Kyoshi village, which is under my protection. They have made it plain that they want nothing to do with you, and insist upon your Nation's hostile intentions towards them. Unless you plan on forcing the way to the village, I think you should leave."
"Very well, and I see I am in no position to force the issue. Come, Prince Zuko, let us leave these gentlemen to their business." Iroh conceded, a bit too easily for Mackenzie's liking. Did Iroh take him for a fool? Or was their objective of the Avatar not as important as it may have seemed?
"It was a pleasure speaking with you, General." Mackenzie told him, and offered his hand again. Despite being on opposite sides, and knowing virtually nothing about him, Mackenzie felt a modicum of respect growing for the old general. He seemed a respectable man, and it was a shame whenever one was on the opposite side.
"As it was with you Colonel. I'm sorry we couldn't see eye-to-eye on this matter." Iroh replied as they shook. Mackenzie just nodded in response.
Zuko was just gaining the courage to speak again, it seemed, as while Iroh and Jee were returning to their men, Zuko outburst, "But-! How are we supposed to get the Avatar?!"
Mackenzie suppressed a snicker, and mounted up again. Returning to his men, he pulled a messenger aside, "Tell Tollay to have his men watch their ship, I have a feeling that a nation as 'mighty' as I've heard the Fire Nation is would not give up so easily on a prize such as the Avatar. They'll be back."
Now that's more like it!
The next chapter will be out next week, since it's already finished.