Ch 10

-Iroh-

Iroh and Jin Lian walked over the gangplank back towards the Golden Dragon. Iroh looked over at Jin, who seemed a little too pleased with herself. A slight, smug grin tugged at the corners of her pink lips, her eyes narrowed slightly in a predatory manner.

"Best you don't bask in your victory too long, Strategist Yang," Iroh commented. "You still have to deal with me."

He watched Jin's carefully from the corner of his eye, seeing a look of concern and worry wipe the smug look off her face. Once back on the Golden Dragon, he ordered Jin Lian to follow him to his quarters. She was silent, her lips pressed into a thin line to hide any emotion from the fellow crew members. The tension between them was even worse than when she had her fight with Toklo.

Iroh opened up the door to his quarters, allowing Jin Lian to enter first. She entered, stood stock still like a deer, and slowly turned to look at him. "Mother always did said I was the kind of person to ask for forgiveness before asking for permission…," she admitted quietly. She jumped slightly when Iroh closed the door a little harder than he should have.

"My forgiveness doesn't come easily, Yang," Iroh said sternly, dropping her title and settling for her surname instead. "You purposefully conducted an organized altercation to publicly punish a subordinate. You spoke about social change, yet you acted in a similar manner to Fire Lord Ozai when he punished Prince Zuko all those years ago."

Jin Lian bit her lip and looked straight at Iroh's chest, unable to maintain eye contact, or even begin asking for forgiveness. Her pale cheeks flushed pink and she trembled. After a heavy silence, she looked back at him, meeting his gaze. "What is my punishment, General?" she asked finally. She sounded resolved to take on anything he gave her.

Iroh was slightly taken aback, convinced that she would use her wiles to convince him to let her off the hook. Finally, he said, "You'll be helping the engineers maintain the guns for the next two weeks in addition to your normal duties."

"Yes sir," Jin Lian replied obediently.

The next morning, Iroh spotted Jin Lian out of uniform. She had discarded her gray officer's jacket and tan dress shirt to reveal what was previously a white, short sleeved undershirt. Her bare arms were covered with soot and the shirt was now sullied with dark grey ash. Streaks of dirt had also found their way onto her pale face, while stray strands of hair escaped her neat bun and cap, sticking to the sweat on her cheeks.

He had hoped that she would learn humility by working with the engineers, but was surprised to find her fitting in perfectly. In fact, the mostly male engineering corps seemed to flock around her a little too much for his liking, like bees to a flower. A pretty smile graced her lips as she laughed and conversed, her bright expression shining through the grime on her face. Iroh moved closer, listening to snippets of conversation.

"I heard you beat the water bending commander? That's amazing!"

"Could you teach us?"

Jin Lian responded with non-committal answers, appearing more interested in cleaning out the barrel of the guns than engaging in conversation. "I'd be happy to teach you all, since we can't bend elements. However, that's up to the General to decide, isn't that right, sir?" Her bronze gaze settled on him, her arms still at work.

The engineers startled, and saluted Iroh immediately. "Engineers are non-combatants," he said. "There's no need to train them in fighting. At ease, men."

"As you wish, sir," Jin Lian answered back. "Am I needed?" She wiped her hands on an oil rag stuffed into one of her back pockets. The young woman clambered down from the gunning platform and landed nimbly in front of Iroh. She saluted him and stood at attention.

"Strategist Yang, come with me. I just received concerning news."

"Yes, General." Jin Lian followed behind him to the communication tower. "What seems to be the issue, sir?"

"It seems my pirates are small fry compared to what's going on in Republic City," Iroh said wryly. He handed Jin Lian a telegraph. Her eyes grew wide as she read the message; the Equalists were taking over Republic City. "I've already agreed to reinforce the Republic City Police," he continued. "We can't allow extremists to take control."

-Jin Lian-

The gears in her head were already turning by the time she laid eyes on the telegraph. How long ago had it been since it was sent? What was the current status of the city? Her current knowledge of the Equalists was potentially obsolete at this point, given the fact that Republic City was now under siege.

Jin shook her head, clearing the thoughts spinning through her brain. "We need more information to make a plan of attack," she said. "They must have someone with enough resources to supply them with the power to overcome Chief Bei Fong."

"My thoughts exactly," Iroh agreed. "However, we arrive in three days, Strategist Yang. What do you propose we do?"

"Prepare for the worst," she answered grimly. "The Avatar sent the message, but she isn't familiar with the military encryption methods. I can only assume that Amon has intercepted the message and is now preparing to meet us in battle." Jin Lian paced the communication room, tousling her hair as she continued to think. It was a nervous tic of hers. She hated dealing with an unknown and unseen enemy. It made her feel powerless. "We can only enter through Yue Bay. That limits our maneuverability. They will have the advantage of defending their position from the sides and the front. We also have no idea where their center of operations is located, so that eliminates the possibility of distraction and infiltration."

Her prattling and pacing would have continued, if not for Iroh's hands on her shoulders stopping her. "You're making me dizzy, Strategist Yang, and wearing a hole into the floor," he said. "Take a breath. We have heavy artillery, ballistics, and water benders for offense and defense. Based on our intel, Amon only has mecha-tanks. Formulate your strategy on what we can do, not on what we do not know."

"R-right," she replied, stepping away from him. His proximity and intense gaze made her more nervous. She let out a breath to gather herself. "Our only option is to enter using the goose formation. It will optimize the ranged attacks and defense of our ships, given the geography of the bay. That leaves us with a few options for the actual battle."

Iroh nodded. "We have a choice of attacking first or waiting for Amon to make the first move." His strong brows furrowed as he placed a hand on his chin. "You met with an Equalist propagandist once, did you not? Did he not hint at anything?"

"It was in a park, General. They implied of ways to 'defend' oneself against benders, which I can only conclude to mean chi-blocking." She scoffed. As if a handful of novice chi-blockers could take over a city. It took years to master the art. There was more at hand, but she didn't know what.

"We should make the first move," she said, biting her nail. Jin was never fond of that strategy, it required more quick thinking than preparation. However, it seemed like their only option. "Startle the snake by beating the grass. We don't know what his strategy is, so we'll make him show us."

The next two days were spent in a flurry of communication between ship commanders and Jin Lian. She received questionable looks from Iroh when she presented multiple contingency plans. "You can never be too careful," Jin said in response. "We're going in blind, I'd rather have multiple escape routes if something were to happen."

Mist surrounded the fleet as they approached Republic City. In any other situation, Jin Lian would have been thankful for the cover. However, the enemy knew they were coming, and she became nervous as she stared through the spyglass. She stood at Iroh's side at the command deck, looking out the large windows. The buildings of Republic City stood high above the fog, growing larger as they closed in.

It was quiet. Iroh hummed suspiciously. "Amon had to know we were coming," he said, glaring at the city. "So why isn't there any resistance?" Jin Lian felt a lump grow in her throat, her chest tightening. The halberd strapped to her back felt heavier than normal. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to retreat, that they were sailing straight into a trap. But where? There were no air ships, she could not see any disturbances in the water below. There was nothing. Suddenly, a rumble reverberated through the air, directing Iroh and her attention to the right most ships. A column of water shot up, forcing the ships to rock. "Sea mines!" Jin gasped.

Iroh ran to the microphone and shouted orders. "Earth benders, water benders, detonate those mines!"

Jin Lian watched as the water benders and earth benders started working, focusing their attention at the water to spot the bombs. This was bad. She turned her attention away from the water, scanning the horizon for other ships when an unusual sound alerted her to the sky. It was like the droning of bees, but many times louder.

"What's that sound?" Iroh asked, walking outside the control tower. Jin Lian moved to follow him, but he put a hand out to stop her. "Stay in here, Strategist Yang."

Flying machines, smaller than airships but ten times as fast, flew overhead. Bombs fell from the sky, rocking the ships or detonating on the decks. "Earth benders and fire benders!" she commanded through the microphone. "Take down those machines! Water benders, continue defense!" She grunted as a torpedo struck the hull of the ship. Smoke and fire rose up, the grand and powerful keels of the United Forces sinking into the water. She could see soldiers abandoning their ships in droves. Out of the corner of her eye, Iroh started climbing up the crow's nest. She could see a water spout rise up, but not from a bomb. A lone figure could be seen at the top of the water spout, stopping one of the bi-planes from launching another attack.

Her heart clenched painfully in distress. Mind racing a mile a minute, she assessed the damage. All the ships in the fleet were damaged beyond repair, unable to move and stranded at the opening of the bay. This battle was lost, but she had to at least save as many people as she could. "Tell Commander Bumi of the Second Division to send a rescue ship to our location," she barked at the telegrapher. "Tell him it's an emergency request from Snaggle Tooth."

She returned to the microphone. Before she could continue giving orders, an explosion destroyed the crow's nest that Iroh was attacking from. The force of the explosion shattered the glass in front of Jin Lian, to which she swiftly turned her face away, but was blown back onto the floor. Her body stung, and blood ran into her eyes. "General!" she yelled, clambering back up and ignoring the pain. "Shit!" Her eyes scanned the water, hoping to find him, but to no avail. Jin Lian clenched her fist tightly as she shouted into the microphone, "All soldiers! Commence operation Cicada! Water benders, provide cover! Fire benders, continue assault and scatter them!"

Under the cover of heavy fire and mist, surviving soldiers made their way towards the Golden Dragon. The fire benders of the outermost ships set off a volley of explosions, keeping the planes at bay until the last minute. Not knowing that the ships had been abandoned, the pilots believed the lack of fire to be an opening, to which they released the full brunt of their own firepower. Seemingly triumphant, the planes retreated back to land.

Below deck, the medics were rushing around. Burns, dismemberment, concussions, and more surrounded Jin as she surveyed those who had made it back. A medic removed the glass shards from her arms and torso, and started to heal the cuts on her head and body. Jin Lian waved him off, settling for bandages instead.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"22:00 hours, ma'am," the medic replied. "Those bombs stopped dropping a few hours ago, are you sure we'll be alright?"

"It's dark now, they won't be able to fly safely without proper visibility." Her hands clenched together as she stared at the floor. "They think they've won, but as long as we play possum, we'll live to fight another day." She stood up. "I need to see if Commander Bumi has arrived, we can't alert the enemy with signal flares."

"Allow me to accompany you," a male voice spoke up. It was Commander Toklo, his arms bandaged with burn dressing. "A second set of eyes can help, especially on the water."

Jin Lian paused and stared at the water bender. "That would be helpful, thank you, Commander."

Up on the deck, the lights of Republic City shone dimly, but allowed enough visibility to see into the distance. Jin Lian and Toklo stood at aft, looking out into the black water, flashlights in their hands. They were silent, until Toklo asked, "why operation cicada?"

"Cicadas leave their shells behind, and can be mistaken for the actual insect," Jin Lian answered. "I needed to give the enemy something to attack so we could save as many people as possible."

Toklo nodded, and then changed the subject. "I'm going to patrol the starboard, you patrol port," he instructed. "Whistle if you see anything.

"Right."

The two split up, keeping their eyes on the horizon for a large ship. Jin Lian wandered the deck, her mind imagining Iroh falling into the water, drowning, and sinking to the depths. She bit back a choked sob, and took deep, shaky breaths. She did what she had to do. Iroh would not have wanted her to risk the soldiers' lives in order to save him. She did what she had to do, but she still felt guilty. A whistle pierced the air, but it was cut short.

Jin Lian sprinted over to the opposite end of the ship. 3 dark figures stood over Toklo's limp body. "So they were hiding out here, huh? The rest are probably below deck." an unknown voice said. It sounded muffled, like it was speaking through a mask. "Best let the captain know. Amon was right, they gave up a little too easily." Another figure pulled out a radio, ready to transmit a message.

Swiftly, Jin Lian grabbed a fragmented stone and flung it at the infiltrator's hand. He let out a curse and dropped the radio on the ground. Their hands flashed green and the familiar buzz of electricity filled the air. "Get her!" one of them shouted.

Jin charged at them, ducking and twirling away from the electrical gloves. With the knuckle of her index finger, she struck their chi meridians with well placed punches, taking out two of the three. The final man scrambled for the radio, but Jin Lian was faster. She grabbed the device and threw it overboard. Suddenly, a lancing pain erupted at her back, her arm retracting and spasming. She screamed, unable to move. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Suddenly, the pain stopped, and she dropped down to the ground panting. She could feel blood leaking out of her bandages, soaking her shirt and jacket.

The gloved had reached down and grabbed a fistful of her shirt. A strong arm lifted her slight body up easily. Jin Lian groaned, her limbs limp and shaky. "Why would a non-bender even consider joining the United Forces?" the Equalist sneered. He pulled his fist back, electricity crackling around the glove.

"Because I can!" Jin Lian ground out, striking the arm holding her. She dropped to the floor, now freed, and struck at the meridian points on the Equalist's body, immobilizing him. "Commander Toklo!" Jin exclaimed, returning to the water bender's side. Thankfully, he was alive, but unable to bend. The young strategist expertly pressed the correct acupuncture points, and Toklo immediately scrambled away from her.

"You're a chi-blocker!" he exclaimed. "You're one of them!"

"Not all chi-blockers are Equalists," she responded weakly, piling the three intruders together. She had knocked them all unconscious and removed their gloves while Toklo hog tied their hands and feet together. In the distance, she saw a light flashing. Long, short, short, shot (b); short, short, long (u); long, long (m); short, short (i). Bumi had arrived. Jin Lian flashed her own initials in return.

Out of the darkness came Bumi's ship, identical to the ruined vessels floating in the bay. "Hey Snags!" a jovial voice shouted from across the water. "Need a lift?"

-Iroh-

General Iroh was normally a calm, collected man. However, when he heard that a majority of his fleet had survived the Equalist ambush, he ran through the hospital hallways so quickly that he had nearly tripped on his own feet. His soldiers were ecstatic to see him alive and well, just as he was for them. Commander Toklo was among the less injured, and had recounted the events that had led to the rescue of the survivors. "We would've been discovered and attacked again if it weren't for Strategist Yang," Toklo concluded.

"Where is the strategist, anyway?" Iroh asked, looking around. He couldn't find the small, slight woman in the crowd.

"She is being treated for her severe injuries, General," Toklo answered. His tanned face frowned, unusually concerned. "I'm not positive on the details, but they were worse than we had initially thought."

Iroh felt his heart jump, alarmed. How injured was she? He nodded to the commander, then set off to find his strategist. Approaching the nurse's station, Iroh asked, "Excuse me, I'm looking for Jin Lian Yang? She's a subordinate of mine."

"Her room is down the hall, General," an older nurse answered. "But I'm afraid you can't go in right now, she's being treated."

All Iroh heard was 'down the hall', and down the hall he sprinted. "General!" the nurse shouted from behind him. He flung open the door to a disturbing sight. Jin Lian was prone on the bed, face turned to the side, her shirt ripped open from the back. She was unconscious, but he could see she was still in pain as her fine eyebrows furrowed and her face contorted in a grimace.

There were two healers working on her, one for the large, narrow gashes that were scattered over her lower back and shoulder, and another addressing a burn on her right shoulder blade. It was bright red, and fanned out in a lightning pattern. In a metal pan, chunks of blood stained glass rested next to a pair of forceps. He watched fearfully as glowing blue water passed over the wounds. The cuts slowly but surely closed up, but the burn refused to disappear.

"General, you can't be here," a nurse's voice said from behind him. "Please leave, we will let you know when we are done."

Iroh acquiesced and made his way back to the waiting room. He had lost track of time, sitting, standing, and pacing, waiting for permission to see his Strategist. "You'll fall through the floor if you keep that up, General," an older voice commented.

Iroh turned. "Commander Bumi," he greeted with a respectful bow. "Thank you for rescuing my fleet. I'm in your debt."

Bumi laughed jovially, his large smile making light blue eyes squint. "It's really nothing. I'm actually repaying Snags. She's always gotten me out of binds. Little tiger finally called in all the favors."

Iroh tilted his head, confused. "Snags?"

"Yeah, Snags! Snaggy, Snaggy Waggy, Snaggle Tooth?" The older commander continued to list off variations of the name. He stopped, noticing Iroh's increasing confusion. "Jin Lian Yang," he finally said. "Daughter of ex-Commander Ji Won Yang of the 4th division of the United Forces? Currently Lord Ji Wong Yang, Foreign Affairs Minister of the Fire Nation?"

"I know her father," Iroh said, putting up a hand. "But why the nickname? And how do you know her so familiarly?"

"Well, for that funny tooth of hers, of course! Always snags her lip when she's smiling. As for your other questions, I'm close with her old man. Not to mention she was the only chi-blocking lieutenant of the second division back in her mandatory service days."

Iroh blinked slowly, his mind reeling at the new information. She had been in the United Forces before? Under Bumi's command? Chi-blocking?

"Maybe you need to sit, General," Bumi said, noticing Iroh's blank stare. Bumi plopped onto the seat next to Iroh, carefully watching his face. "She never told you?" he asked.

"She…she never said anything about prior military service…," Iroh stuttered.

"You thought she was like all the other noble kids, huh? Finding ways to weasel out of service or asking daddy to get them desk jobs? Ji Won would never let his kid do such a thing."

"but…chi-blocking?"

"Courtesy of Ji Won as well. He told me the minute he realized Jin wasn't a bender, he arranged for Master Ty Lee to live at his home to teach her chi-blocking. His wife, Suda, also trained Jin in the Lotus Sword Style." Bumi leaned back nonchalantly. "That girl is stronger than you think. I've seen her take out three skilled benders with nothing but an umbrella."

Iroh remained silent. Jin had kept her past a secret from him, not that it would have made any difference to him. He was simply shocked at how many different sides she had to her. It made it difficult for him to understand her completely. Which was the true Jin Lian? Was it the quiet, demure noble woman? Or the cunning strategist? Or was it the fierce warrior that Bumi described, a woman who was shaped by famous non-benders of the past?

The General of the United Forces continued to sit in the waiting room, deep in thought. He did not know how much time had passed, only that Bumi had left to return to Air Temple Island. The older commander promised to return in the morning, and suggested Iroh do the same.

The nurse that had removed him from Jin Lian's room came to him, notifying him that she was now stable, and he would be able to see her now. She led him to Jin Lian's room and opened the door for him. Jin was still lying face down in order to reduce the pressure on her wounds, but was now clothed in a hospital gown. A blanket was drawn up to keep her warm. Her face was peaceful, and her breathing was even.

"She's still sleeping," the nurse warned him. "This poor girl went through the wringer. 6 large shards of glass embedded deep in the muscle. She probably had more, but the visible ones were removed before she got here. That electrical burn was pretty nasty as well. It'll leave a scar, but no lasting damage."

"I got off lucky by comparison," Iroh muttered mournfully, touching his upper arm where he had been burned. It had long been healed by Avatar Korra, no traces of the reddened and blistered skin remaining. He reached out to tuck a strand of black hair that fell over Jin Lian's pale face.

"It isn't my place to judge, General," the nurse replied. "Just don't disturb her. She needs her rest."

"I won't," he promised. Iroh sat back into one of the visitors' chairs and watched Jin Lian sleep. He was disappointed in himself. While he knew that his fleet was well equipped with multiple contingency plans, it didn't help to know that they were sitting ducks, waiting for reinforcements to arrive. And where was he, their General? Running off to the mountains, trying to take down Hiroshi Sato with a couple of teenagers.

The woman laying before him was the true hero. She had fought to ensure the remaining crew's survival. Suffered with the soldiers, refusing medical care to allow those with worse injuries to be treated first. Iroh scoffed. Agni, she was perfect. It made him feel inadequate, jealous even. "Is there nothing you can't do, Lady Yang?" he asked softly. His only answer was a breathy sigh and an incoherent mumble. The young General leaned back in his chair and made himself comfortable. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke early as usual, but with a sore back and neck. He yawned, knowing he didn't get enough sleep, but he got up and stretched anyway. A low groan floated up from the bed in front of him, and Jin Lian's bronze eyes fluttered open as well. She braced her forearms on the bed, and tried to sit up, hissing in pain and flopping back down onto the mattress.

"You shouldn't get up yet," Iroh said, sitting back down at her bedside.

Jin Lian looked up to identify the voice, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him. "General!" she exclaimed. "You're alive!"

"I'll explain everything later, let me get the nurse first," Iroh reassured her. "Stay still."

He alerted the nurse, and was quickly ushered out of the room while they performed their routine checks. Satisfied that Jin Lian was medically stable, they left and allowed Iroh back in. Now, Jin Lian was sitting up in bed, pillows placed behind her back for support. She smiled at him warmly as he entered the room and sat down.

"How did you survive?" she asked immediately. "That blast completely took out the crow's nest, but you're practically unharmed!"

"I landed in the water," Iroh explained. "The Avatar saved my life."

"Thank goodness," Jin Lian sighed, placing a hand on her chest. "I'll have to thank her for her assistance once I get better. The nurses say I should be discharged tomorrow morning." She lightly touched her right shoulder, flinching slightly as her fingers brushed the burn dressing.

"Jin Lian," Iroh said. He noticed Jin Lian's face flush as she turned towards him, but avoided eye contact. "I…can call you Jin Lian, right?" Her hands buried themselves into the bed sheets, gathering and crumpling them nervously.

"Jin is fine with me," she murmured shyly. "Just not in front of others."

Iroh's hand gently slid over hers, disentangling the fingers from the covers. "Jin, I may owe the Avatar my thanks for saving my life, but to you, I owe my honor and gratitude."

Her face reddened even more, her wide eyes glued to their hands. "Buh…huh…wha…" she stammered incoherently. He placed a hand on her cheek, guiding her face upwards so that her eyes met his.

"You saved the fleet," he said solemnly. "You saved so many lives that I was responsible for. And for that, I am in your debt."

"Ju…just doing my job…sir," she stuttered, turning away quickly.

"Iroh," he corrected her.

"…Iroh," she repeated softly.

The door flung open with a slam, making the two officers jump. Bumi barged into the room, all smiles as he loudly greeted Jin. She quickly snatched her hand away from Iroh, the two of them coughing awkwardly to hide their flushed faces.

"Snaaaaaaggyyyyy!" Bumi bellowed. "How're ya feeling!?"

"Commander, keep your voice down!" Jin Lian hissed. "You're disturbing the other patients."

"Classic Snags," Bumi laughed. "Here, I bought some snacks for you. Spicy dried seaweed, fire flakes, red hot hippo cow jerky! Your favorites!"

"Those are your favorites. I hate spicy food…," Jin protested. Iroh nearly broke his neck swiveling it back towards Jin Lian. What Fire Nation citizen hated spicy food? He watched, baffled as Jin and Bumi bickered, the elder Commander insisting that Jin did, in fact, eat spicy foods, while the younger pushed the snacks away.

This was a whole new, funnier side of Jin Lian that Iroh discovered. He laughed, making Jin Lian's face turn red again from embarrassment.

Oh jeez this took a while to write! Sorry for the inconsistent updates, I only do this as a hobby. Hope you enjoyed it!