June 21st, 1940
Southern Earth Kingdom
Being back in the Earth Kingdom was interesting, Sokka thought as he and the Gaang walked alongside the column of soldiers to their right.
They had missed the liberation of Gaoling. Toph was against returning back home and seeing her parents. She wasn't ready yet, she had argued. They respected her wishes.
But they had joined the British forces in liberating a few villages. The people there had looked at them in both fear and awe. Some had anger.
This anger really showed itself when they entered one village. This village had only recently, within the past three years, been taken by the Fire Nation. The Fire Nation had already retreated from the town leaving it open for new occupation.
The Fire Nation had also told the people that they now had newfound freedom to practice their bending and do whatever they want. They gave the village full autonomy.
Such it is, when the British and Americans entered the village, the people rebelled. Sokka couldn't blame them, they thought they were about to be occupied again. Instead they had come to liberate.
When the tanks rolled in, followed by the troops, the people launched rocks straight at the tanks. Some of the tanks instantly exploded or just stopped since the driver was dead.
Militia men charged the soldiers with swords and spears while the British and Americans fired. The militiamen were killed instantly from machine gun fire from the remaining tanks and soldiers.
The earthbenders changed their focus to the soldiers and began to suffocate them. Soldiers were swallowed up by the earth and the last thing that would ever be seen of them would be the tips of their fingers.
The Gaang had been near the end of the column of soldiers at the time. Upon hearing the battle, Aang and Katara forced their way forward. Toph, when her feet hit the ground, cursed.
"What's wrong?" Haiko asked.
"The people in the village are attacking the soldiers. There are already forty dead."
The rest of their mouths fell agape. Sokka had shook his head and wondered what the world had come to.
Aang had told them that when he had reached the village, he was able to stop the fighting before further people died. He had tried to save some of the soldiers that had been suffocating but was largely unsuccessful. Most were already too far gone.
Aang had told this to them sadly. He lamented his ability to stop the fighting. How did they not realize they were just here to help Katara had wondered naively.
Haiko, being the voice of reason was able to understand the peoples motives. He had told them that the people did not desire another occupation. When they saw these new machines, they had grown fearful and that fear leads to anger. That anger leads to hatred and then the people attacked like they had done with the Fire Nation.
Aang had sniffed and Katara was left speechless at these words. They were being seen in the same light as conquerors. People would still rebel against them, like with the Fire Nation. There was no stopping it.
Aang had vowed that he would go explain things to the village when he next had the chance. Sadly, they would learn the next day that a few soldiers had gone and burned down the town in revenge for their fallen comrades. Tons of innocent people were killed and the soldiers were arrested but the damage was done.
Aang was once again wondering who they were fighting for.
Back to the present, Sokka and the rest of the Gaang were walking alongside a British column. Aang was wary of the new threat of enemy planes or Fire Nation aa guns (which they knew frighteningly little about, only that they were effective) in killing Appa when chasing the Gaang. Things were getting more and more dangerous for the flying situation so they were choosing to walk more and more.
They were currently traveling on a trail that led them from Gaoling to the western edge of the swamp and from there to Omashu. It would travel through a fishing village where Zuko said he got his broadswords from.
They were almost at that fishing village, probably thirty miles away and would be taking a rest soon. It was late afternoon and the sun was getting low in the sky. Sokka thought it was very pleasant out.
Suddenly there was a yell.
"Aang is that you!" Sokka heard someone scream out.
He turned towards the British column of soldiers and saw a redhead and two other British soldiers coming towards him.
Aang turned and smiled. "Hey Will! Hey Charlie! Hey Connor!" He called out with a wave.
Charlie jogged over and smiled at them. The other two weren't far behind.
"Well, how's things been?" Charlie asked joyfully.
Aang shrugged. "Pretty fine. We've been holding up."
That was a lie Sokka thought. They had lost Pierre. They had seen many die and suffer from this war. Things were not fine.
At all.
"That's real good to hear. Hopefully we'll all be able to head home soon. I reckon this war will be over by Christmas." Connor laughed.
"That would be a treat. Maybe not by Christmas but maybe Easter. The Fire Nation after it loses a lot of land will probably surrender." Charlie argued and Will nodded.
"Hopefully the Yanks will be able to push to Omashu by the end of next month." Connor said with a smile.
The Yanks were heading along the east edge of the swamp towards Omashu. They would be right up against the mountains in a small valley from what Sokka had heard.
"You really think so?" Aang asked hopefully. His desire for the end of the war was as strong as always Sokka noted. He also probably wanted to see Bumi's city liberated.
"Yeah, like why wouldn't they. There's nothing stopping us. The Fire Nation hasn't stopped us at all. Plus on the Japanese front, they've pushed through the Fire Nation lines and are now marching straight for a vital supply hub. If that falls then all the Fire Nation soldiers in the area are gonna lose all their bloody supplies." Connor smirked ever so slightly.
Will still remained his ever quiet self. Barely uttering a word in regards to the conversation. Simply nodding or shaking his head.
"Have the Japs really done that Connor?" Charlie asked in surprise, not having heard of this development.
"That's what I heard a few officers saying. They were able to push six thousand men through a mountain pass. Now all that stands in their way are two thousand Fire Nation soldiers. They don't stand a chance. And to think that the person leading the Fire Nation there is one of the Fire Nation's best."
"Who are they?" Zuko asked in curiosity, desiring to know if he knew this person called the Fire Nations best. "Are they a firebender?"
Connor shook his head. "Not from what I've heard. He's a non-bender that has risen through the ranks for his brilliant tactics against the Northern Water Tribe in the taking of their capital."
"This guy took the Northern Water Tribe fortress?" Sokka's eyes widened.
"I'm sure he was just sitting at a desk and watching from afar." Katara grumbled.
"No, word has it he fought with his men in the attack. He even landed with them and took the throne with them." Charlie remarked in some sort of expression of awe.
"Wait guys hold up." Toph said, raising a hand.
They continued to talk.
"Guys?" Toph grit her teeth and she had Sokka's undivided attention. He knew what was coming next.
"GUYS!" She stomped her foot and rocks hit the talking people.
"Ow, that hurt." Charlie muttered. "Why did you do that?"
"Because we're surrounded!" Toph screamed at them.
"What do you me-" Zuko began to ask before suddenly there was a whistling sound. The tank in the lead exploded in a shower of flames as something impacted it.
"FOR THE FIRE NATION!" Someone in the woods screamed before all hell broke loose.
Fire Nation tanks rolled out of the woods as machine fire began all around them.
"They're in the trees!" Someone yelled before falling to the ground, dead with a bullet hole in his chest
Toph and Aang raised earthen walls to defend them from the hail of bullets. Sokka glanced behind him to see a ditch in the middle of the road.
"Aang, Haiko, take Appa and get out of here. We'll try and help the soldiers here. But you and Appa are most important!" Sokka roared over the bullets.
Aang glanced to see Sokka, determined, nodded grimly. He hopped on Appa and blew Haiko up onto the saddle.
Aang began sweeping his arms around in wide circles. The air around them swirled and swirled until a little protective cyclone was protecting Appa.
"Appa, yip yip!" Sokka just heard Aang over the cyclone. The cyclone flew up into the air until it was almost out of sight.
Once Sokka was sure Aang was gone, he turned to Toph. "Toph try and make this ditch a little bit bigger for the soldiers to head into."
"But then the walls will drop." She argued.
"At some point they'll destroy the walls and we'll be out in the open. Right now, it's our best bet to escape this hell storm!"
Toph took a breath before she dropped the walls and widened the ditch. "Hop in!" She called to them. They did so without hesitation.
A multitude of other British soldiers, those that were still alive at least, also entered the ditch for protection.
Most of the British tanks had been destroyed by then with the very few still left beginning to pull out. Sokka realized that once the tanks were gone, the infantry would most likely push forward. If this happened, they would likely be burned alive by firebenders.
"Start crawling back!" Sokka yelled at the group with him becoming the rearguard.
They were the people that were the furthest up of anyone. Everyone else ahead of them, which wasn't too many, was already dead.
As they were crawling, they could feel the bullets passing over them. They could hear the whistling wind and could tell that they were under heavy fire.
Suddenly the unthinkable happened. A grenade landed between Charlie and Will, who were in the middle of the group. The two looked at it and each other in horror until Will grimaced. Here it was where they wasted valuable time where they could have thrown it back.
Instead, Will placed his helmet on the grenade and then his body. He gave a short nod to Charlie before the grenade exploded. Charlie only saw the little bits and pieces that were left of Will.
It was well known that just helmets wouldn't just protect people from grenades. If it were needed, British soldiers were taught that they should place the helmet on the grenade and then themselves. There was always the chance that a few pieces of shrapnel would penetrate the helmet and kill the person. Here, it happened.
The others only looked in horror at the body with the now gaping hole in the center. It was a horrific site, like the scene of a murder. Only it wasn't murder, but war.
After crawling for another few minutes, now with Toph's earthen walls also protecting them, the Blind Bandit had realized she could do something. She used the earth to push the surviving British soldiers in the ditch forward. They were able to go a mile in five minutes and go way past the ambush zone.
After about thirty minutes of grueling work, Toph stopped. They had gotten very far from the Fire Nation soldiers and were safe. In the next hour, the remaking two tanks out of twenty that had been joined them.
The remaining soldiers trudged along the path back to the forward base. It was a fifteen mile walk. They walked through the night, guided only by the lights on the tanks, until at last they found the forward base. It was about two o'clock in the morning.
They entered through the doors and were met by Aang and a few officers.
"I told them what happened." Aang told the group, his face illuminated by the flashlight from one of the guards. You could clearly see the signs of tiredness on his face. He most likely had waited and worried all night for them.
"How about we wait till morning for you guys to describe your event. You must all be extremely tired." One of the British officers suggested.
Sokka and the rest nodded.
"I'll show you the tents where you'll be staying." Aang said gesturing for them to follow.
They had been sent out to create another base and had only a few miles left before they had been attacked. All their tents had been on the transport trucks that had been destroyed.
Due to Aang arriving earlier, they had been able to have spare tents created for the returning soldiers. They were expecting to have the majority of the force return however. Instead, out of the one thousand, five hundred men sent out, only about four hundred returned. The rest were either dying on a dirt path, captured, or dead.
As Aang led the remaining soldiers away, one of the British soldiers shook his head.
"It feels like Teutoburg forest." One of the British officers commented.
"Not necessarily, if it was Teutoburg, no one would've come back." The other officer replied.
"I have a feeling it was only because of the benders that anyone came back however."
"We'll find out in the morning either way."
June 22nd, 1940
Toph woke up with a start when Sokka shook her. "Toph, it's 11 o'clock, high command is requesting mine and your presence."
"Give me a few more minutes." Toph grumbled back.
"No can do Toph, a good soldier follows orders." Sokka replied with a chuckle.
Toph growled and threw a pillow at Sokka.
"What was that for!" Sokka exclaimed.
"For waking me up." Toph growled before she stood up. She was still in her clothes from yesterday. "Lead the way, oh perfect soldier." She told him sarcastically.
"I'm glad you think I'm the perfect soldier Toph. I'll gladly lead the way." Sokka replied with a sincere smile, not even noticing Toph's sarcasm.
Toph, if she could, would have rolled her eyes.
She followed Sokka through the camp until they reached a large building that had once been a farmhouse. The two walked in and Sokka saluted the officer at the desk while Toph nodded.
The officer took off his glasses and placed them on the side at this. He sighed and grabbed a mug.
"Tea?" He asked them.
Toph shrugged, "Why not?"
Sokka meanwhile shook his head.
The officer poured some tea into a cup and handed it to Toph.
"Sokka grab that for me would you."
Sokka rolled his eyes and grabbed it for her and handed it back. Toph grabbed it and took a tentative sip. She then smiled. It was almost as good as Iroh's tea. Almost.
"Well," the officer began. "I would like to thank you two for saving our men out there. Without you two, I fear many more would've died. Thanks to your quick thinking Sokka and your skill Mrs. Beifong, many men may return home."
"Thank you officer." Sokka and Toph chorused.
"So it is with pleasure that I would like to give to you the Distinguished Conduct Medal." The officer presented to them two silver medals with a single figure in the middle that held a spear and shield. On either side of the figure were two other figures and a variety of weapons. Sokka took both gently and handed one to Toph before pinning it to his left breast.
"Thank you officer." Sokka thanked the officer for the both of them seeing as Toph was still silent as she ran her thumb over the medal.
"No thank you for saving those British lives out there. But I am in fact curious, how do you perform your bending feats Mrs. Beifong?"
Toph for the first time looked up from the medal. "I coined the term seismic sense for my unique ability officer. It's when I feel the vibrations through the ground through my feet. I've perfected this since I was really young and am pretty good at it."
The officer nodded, "Can anyone else learn to do this seismic sense?"
"I tried to teach Aang but I'm still better at it. It would be hard for earthbenders considering I have something they don't, which is the fact that I'm blind!" Toph pointed at her eyes with a devilish smile on her face.
The officer chuckled, "Sometimes, what people see as a defunct can actually be a blessing. You two are dismissed." After Toph nodded and Sokka saluted, the two left.
As they were walking back, Toph began to chuckle.
"What?" Sokka asked in surprise thinking it was him.
Toph shook her head, "I just realized we'd have so many medals if we were only in their world. We've saved so many people before and we'd get a medal for each."
Sokka paused before he chuckled. "I suppose that's true."
"Of course it is. I was the one that realized it." Toph responded with a sly smile causing Sokka to laugh once more.
Western Earth Kingdom
June 22nd, 1940
The Fire Nation soldier gazed through his scope and analyzed the soldiers below. The masses of men marching and tanks rolling down the path was insane to the young scout.
"I need you to telegraph command and tell them that there seems to be about three hundred tanks and six thousand men."
His partner whistled loudly.
"That's a whole load of troops. That's twice the amount that we have." His partner exclaimed.
"Just send the message." The scout cried out in exasperation.
"You know I would but I'm getting a message from high command." This partner replied in her chirp voice.
"Well why didn't you say that first?" The scout moved his head from the scope and looked at his partner with a half glare. She smiled cheekily.
She grabbed the message that was printed out. She quickly read it and her face became grim.
"They're asking you to kill any commanders or officers in the troop line." She said with a frown.
"Alright." The scout nuzzled his rifle up against his cheek and began to search for a target. "Did the other scouts get this message?"
"It's addressed to 'all scouts' so I'd assume so."
"Good, then can you send our intel report."
"Already did so."
The scout nodded and found a target. It was an officer talking to another soldier.
"Let Agni guide my shot." The scout breathed to himself before he pulled the trigger.
The bullet impacted the man in the head and they slumped forward into the other soldier's arms. The soldier seemed to freak out before his head jerked back as another resounding bang echoed through the small valley.
In a consecutive fashion, a dozen more bangs echoed through the valleys as all the scouts took turns firing. Panic reigned suprême in the Japanese column as soldiers freaked out as their commanding officers fell to the ground dead.
One of the tanks, a tan colored one, turned and fired right above the scout. The rocks tumbled down and the scout was just able to get out of the way.
He took aim again for an officer cowering behind a tank. He pulled the trigger again and the man hit the ground hard.
He turned to his partner. "I think we've done enough." He told her with a slight smile.
"Yeah probably. I don't like near death experiences." She shrugged her shoulders. The scout decided to take one last glance back and fired a final shot, this one hitting a tank commander.
He smiled wickedly. "First try." He said as he pumped his fists and retreated down the mountain side.
Back at the command center, Han Zou was putting the final touches to his plan when suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Han Zou shouted.
Captain Ruke walked in with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Sir, the scouts report that they've each taken three targets down. Since that's twelve scouts, that means the Japs lost thirty six commanders."
"Good good. Captain, come over here and tell me of this plan." Han Zou replied, gesturing for the old captain to come around the desk.
Captain Ruke did so and looked at the map with multiple red markings on it.
"Here's the plan, we're gonna ambush them here." Han Zou pointed to an extremely thin pass that was surrounded by tall mountains and a thick forest.
"The path that they're taking gets extremely thin here, about only two tanks across. We're going to position ourselves in the trees, especially the tanks, and shoot them from all sides. I've already sent out a few fortifications experts to start building stuff in the forest for the tanks and troops."
Captain Ruke nodded, just able to keep up with the Colonel's tactical mindset.
"Now the way we'll make them stop is a trench line here when the path begins to widen up again. I'll send out about five hundred troops here." Han Zou paused to ponder something.
"The reinforcements that we got today I'll put in the woods. I'll use them to expand the line for multiple miles creating a pretty large kill zone. On the ridges up here I'll place a few machine gun emplacements along with the scouts."
"The firebenders will be spread out through the edges of the forest. I know how many have been disregarding them in plans but I won't do so. They will be extremely important in this battle."
Han Zou looked up at Captain Ruke who in return blinked slowly. "It sounds like a masterful plan sir." He finally was able to formulate.
Colonel Han Zou shook his head. "They will be upon us by tomorrow if there speed is anything to be taken seriously. Most likely in the early afternoon. We have to be prepared."
He grabbed a piece of paper on the side of his desk. Han Zou looked at it as he finalized his plan. Then he handed it to the aging captain.
"Hang this up for all to see. It's position assignments. I need everyone to head to their stations pronto and begin working on fortifications. They'll be sleeping at their stations too with a watch being needed for every three hours. I trust you can tell this to them?" Han Zou stared directly at Ruke.
He saluted the Colonel. "Yes sir. Right away sir."
After the kind captain left, Han Zou ran his hand through his hair. What a long day this would be.
In this valley however would be the place where men would become legends.
June 23rd 1940
A young soldier stared out in the brisk morning air. Summer was coming to the pass but with it, so was the rising sun. They came marching without warning and they were all that stood in its way.
His outpost in the woods would be the first contact. But right now all was quiet in these woods.
His outpost was draped in dirt and grass, perfectly blending in with the woods. The machine gun laid beside him away from the thin opening.
Suddenly the radio blaired to life. He leaned forward and shook his two friends who also woke. They had been told they would be getting a speech from the Colonel this morning.
The Colonel was true to his words.
"Good morning brave soldiers of fire." Were the first words that the three men, two machine gunners and one firebender heard. "Today will be your proving grounds. Your jobs today are just as honorable as the jobs soldiers did when they served with the first Fire Lord to unite our glorious homeland."
"This defense will characterize how the war goes. This may be the true deciding factor in the war. If the Japanese push past this position, most of the south and west will fall to enemy hands."
"Our nation had always strived to be the best. We have united the world under our honorable reach. Now however, enemy invaders threaten to ruin all we and our forefathers have worked for. Will we let this happen? I think not!"
"Today will be a glorious day for our nation. It will be the day where the Fire Nation comes on top of the Japanese army. Since our invasion, we have consistently lost battle after battle to these invaders. Will you be part of the group that finally wins a battle?"
"Behind us lie innocent civilians. People we all should strive to protect. They are men, women, and children who have joined ranks with us and realized our eternal glory. I think it is time then that we show them that we are worthy of that glory."
"So I tell you soldiers, there will be no surrender to these invaders. We will hold strong and firm against these invaders. We will not falter. We fight to the last man and if that is not enough, then so be it!"
"Today is your proving ground. Today will be the day where you prove to your nation taht you are capable people. Capable of defending our eternal hearth. Agni will smile upon you today. He will bless your shots. He will save your souls but only if you fight with everything you have."
"There can never be a surrender to these imbeciles. We must forever be tall in the face of opposition. You are part of the greatest army on this planet. Show it and fight. I will be there with you on the front lines so that you can show your worth. So I say glory to Ozai and the eternal throne and to Agni, our special protectorate. Let him save us all."
The radio stopped and the three were left in solemn silence. Then one of the soldiers whistled.
"That was a good speech." The firebender remarked.
"I'm still too tired." The young soldier's partner, who was in charge of feeding the gun, remarked.
Suddenly there was the sound of gears moving and men marching and singing.
"Well I hope you wake up soon, because I'm pretty sure they're upon us." The young soldier told his feeder with a stony gaze.
Their little hideout was camouflaged by a drape of vines. The Japanese wouldn't be able to see them at all. They were completely hidden from their eyes.
"Remember to remove the drapes." The firebender warned.
"We're not stupid." The feeder replied.
Closer to the base, a Fire Nation tank crew was beginning to hear the first sounds of the oncoming advance. Their bated breathing was the only sound within the tank.
The loader checked to make sure the turret was loaded. The gunner double checked his aim. The driver took a breath.
They all remembered to keep silent. They all remembered to wait for the first gunshots. They all remembered to do whatever they must do to not get spotted.
In front of the tank was a bush covering the entire tank. They had glued it on the night before. They had also created a little trench for it as well.
The scouts on the ridges stared below into the valley. They too waited for the first shots.
They had returned back only to be ordered back up into the mountains with machine gun crews behind them. Now, here they were watching the Japanese march.
They were close, very close to first approaching the trench line up front. It would only be a little while now.
A firebender laid himself flat on his stomach as the tanks passed in front of him a few soldiers stepped on the soft muddy ground ahead of him. Thank Agni for this bush!
The machine gunners at the trench line awaited silently as they continued to get reports of the approaching Japanese forces.
10 miles out.
9 miles out.
The grips on guns got significantly tighter.
8 miles out.
7 miles out.
Colonel Han Zou jumped into the trenches with them. He grabbed a rifle and aimed down the sights, straight for the path.
6 miles out.
5 miles out.
Along the path was a curve. The first Japanese soldiers would see them and then get pummeled by machine gun fire.
4 miles out.
Soldiers began to hyperventilate.
3 miles out.
This would most likely be the last few minutes of silence for the soldiers in the trench.
2 miles out.
They first began to hear the tanks.
1 mile out.
They began to hear the marching boots. Grimly the soldiers double checked their guns and fixed up their machine guns.
Han Zou's knuckles turned white as he recalled his days as a spearman. Those days were bloody. But nothing would compare to this day.
When the Japanese rounded the bend, the Fire Nation soldiers hid in the trench. They waited for a minute before Han Zou gave the go ahead.
They poked their heads over the trench line and took the first shots. The machine gunners took up their positions and began to shoot. Han Zou, for the first time, was able to meet the gaze of his enemy.
The first line of Japanese soldiers instantly fell to the ground. The second line stepped forward and began to shoot at the few men entrenched. It was here where the trap was sprung.
The scouts and machine gunners up top fired below. Officers and soldiers fell as they were attacked from all sides.
One of the soldiers grabbed an anti-tank weapon and aimed for a tank. She fired and the missile flew straight down on a direct path for the Japanese tank. It exploded in a shower of flames.
The firebender who had been hidden in the bushes found himself next to a tank. He quickly stood, performed a kata, and launched a fire blast at the tank which was engulfed instantly.
The firebender lit his two hands on fire before springing into action. He sprayed the soldiers around him with blasts of flame. Bullets flared about.
Finally a Japanese soldier took out a katana and tried to whip it across the firebenders chest. But all the firebender had to do was take a step backwards and the soldier completely fumbled.
The firebender promptly blasted him with fire. Then, unluckily, he was shot in the back by a rifleman. However the woman refused to go down.
She took off her mask, realizing this may be her last few moments of precious air before life left her. She unleashed an ultra blast of fire in all directions until another bullet came and hit her in the chest.
She slumped forward to the ground with a thump.
The soldiers hidden in the woods opened fire with all they had on the Japanese troop line. Machine gun fire annihilated them Japs, like a lawn mower against blades of grass.
Firebenders and soldiers with anti-tank guns were easily defeating the lightly armored Japanese tanks.
"No surrender!" The senior Japanese officer yelled out at all the soldiers, before a scout got him in the nape.
The Fire Nation tank began shooting both machine gun fire and HE shells at the tanks. The gunner was experienced in tense situations. He aimed and fired with deadly accuracy. All in a matter of moments.
After the commander was satisfied that all the tanks in the area were destroyed, he ordered the driver to move the tank forward which she did without question.
They rolled out of the woods and continued to fire at the Japanese soldiers that they now found themselves in the midst of. The machine guns on both sides of the tank were good at dealing with infantry. All the driver had to do was spin them around.
Meanwhile, the gunner had a clear view of a Japanese tanks' engine. He couldn't resist such a juicy target. He asked for confirmation and once he got it, destroyed the tank.
The three soldiers, the firebender and the machine gunner crew, were mowing down the rearguard that was attempting to reinforce the front lines. Instead they found themselves in a desperate battle against machine guns and firebenders.
About twelve miles away from the trench line, ten tanks rolled out of the woods and began to squeeze the Japanese forces.
The Japanese were slowly becoming desperate as their forces were very rapidly shrinking. Finally one soldier had a brilliant idea.
"BANZAI!" He screamed desperately. The soldiers around him understood what he was saying.
"BANZAI!" They yelled out until the entire line was screaming that horrid world.
One Japanese soldier picked up the flag of the rising sun and began to swing it up in the air. Soldiers charged into the woods, katanas and bayonets drawn. A white ribbon with a red dot on the front of their helmet with two symbols on either side.
The Japanese and Fire Nation soldiers were now at even numbers. However all the tanks were already destroyed while the Fire Nation still had every tank.
Soldiers clashed in the forest with bayonets against bayonets. A few even chose to go sword on katana.
The firebender in the outpost with the machine gunner crew cursed. He exited the hidden spot and began to hit everyone around him.
The few soldiers that chose to try and attack him found themselves incinerated. The machine gunner crew continue to fire with the feeder occasionally firing a pistol shot at the Japanese soldier who tried to enter.
The Japanese were on a slow decline. Their forces were quickly depleting. Colonel Han Zou realized this with some sort of grim satisfaction.
"Charge them!" He ordered the five hundred soldiers in the trench with him.
"Ahhhhh!" Every soldier in the trench ran forward at the Japanese forces engaged with their fellow comrades.
"No surrender!" A Japanese soldier screamed.
"No surrender!" Han Zou yelled encouragedly. He took out a saber and led the charge of the trench men.
He was met with an officer who stared calmly at him. The officer unsheathed a katana and said something in Japanese. Han Zou just had a feeling it was something about his lack of honor.
"Honor will smile upon us both today." Han Zou replied, even though he doubted the officer would understand him. To his surprise the officer chuckled at him.
The two raised their sword/katana in front of them before they locked themselves into battle. They both swung and parried.
Han Zou parried a blow toward his right shoulder whilst kicking the officer. The officer stumbled before rolling around him and attempting a back strike.
Han Zou dodged this and spun around and locked swords again. They exchanged blows once again, each attempting to land the fatal blow. If it hadn't been a deadly dance, Han Zou may have paused to enjoy the show. But there was never a pause in war. It was a forever constant of death.
Further parries and attempted blows let the duel continue. Finally the Japanese officer attempted to charge. The officer swung while Han Zou ducked and swung backwards, slicing the man's back.
Han Zou caught the officer and let him fall gently. "Let your honor help you rest in peace." He told the man as he gently took his final breaths.
The man smiled at him, a toothy grin but a grin nonetheless. The man laid himself back and succumbed to death.
There were screams across the entire battlefield as men and women died from wounds. Han Zou rushed off to kill a man who was locked in battle with Captain Ruke.
"Thank you sir! I'm getting too old for this!" Captain Riku said with a light laugh.
"It's alright old man." Han Zou told him jokingly.
Han Zou grabbed a pistol from the ground and with a pistol in one hand and a Sabre in the other, plunged into the battle. He fired at each soldier he came across until eventually reverting back to the old fashioned way of combat.
Very soon, the battle was clearly a Fire Nation victory. Japanese soldiers littered the ground while tank carcasses stood like gravestones. A single Japanese flag remained standing.
A few soldiers attempted a few suicide charges with grenades until they were shot in the face. Only about thirteen surrendered to them. The rest of the force was dead.
Later that day, after the celebration was over, Han Zou personally sent a telegram to high command. It read.
Good evening General,
I would like to tell you that the defense of the valley was an exceeding success. The Japanese soldiers, save thirteen, were all killed. The entire force was wiped from the face of the Earth.
We ambushed them near a turn and had overwhelming success. I am still working on the action report but you will most likely receive it within the next few days.
As of now, I must organize my troops to beat back the few Japanese that are also in the valley, about one thousand that weren't with the main force, and link up with some of my other troops.
As in regards to the surviving Japanese soldiers, we are holding them prisoner. But I would suggest telling everyone that the entire Japanese force was eliminated to boost morale. This will only be a secret between me, my force, you, and the High Council of the Fire Lord.
Sincerely, Colonel Han Zou
Han Zou paused. He realized something with a start. He had led the most stunning victory for the Fire Nation in many centuries. He had won in battle where he was outnumbered three to one. He was now, arguably, one of the most tactically sound colonels in the entire nation. It was as if Agni now smiled down upon him.