FNS Ember
13:00 (local time)
Southwest of Kyoshi Island
The ship's hold was filled with prisoners of war being taken to work camps in the fire nation from the front. A heavy fog had rolled in at 1100 that morning making visibility horrific.
Below decks in one of the few cabins given to the POWs, a young boy sat in a chair, crying.
"I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home," he thought over and over and over again. He was only 14 at the time. His name was Aang. He had been taken from his home when he was only 12 and was forced into the earth kingdom army as cannon fodder. Aang's thoughts were interrupted by a commotion on the upper decks. It sounds like shouting, gunfire then silence. The doors to the main deck were opened. When all the prisoners were on the deck their rescuers revealed themselves as the Kyoshi Warriors, an elite special forces unit from the Island of Kyoshi that specialized in supply raiding. They said they were taking the ship back to the earth kingdom and from there, back to the front.
17:00 (local time)
City of Hǎigǎng chéng
Hǎigǎng chéng was the main port the Southern water tribe troops were gathered sent to the front, it was a city all soldiers hated. Aang had just gotten off the boat when he was herded onto a troop train and they were moving. He sat down next to another boy, a Southern warrior, obviously straight out of boot camp. The boy spoke to Aang
"What's your name?" the boy asked.
"Aang." He said.
"Cool, I'm Sokka." the boy said
Sokka was a skinny boy with blue eyes and dark hair. He was wearing a dark blue tunic with a grey undershirt and pants, in his hands were his rifle and a blue M2 standard ballistic helmet, his entire outfit was brand new and clean. Aang by contrast was wearing a worn-out yellow tunic and pants with an orange undershirt and carrying his new rifle and dented M1 "Monk" ballistic Helmet.
"So, where are you from?" Sokka asked.
Aang answered "I'm from the Southern Air Nomad Temple"
"Did you live there before it was destroyed?" Sokka said with confusion.
"WHAT!" Aang yelled
The other soldiers turned their heads to look at the young soldier, Aang noticed this and quieted down.
"What do you mean destroyed?" Aang said furiously.
"Oh, you didn't hear about that? Sokka said even more confused.
"No, the last time I was there was 2 years ago," Aang said
"About a year ago the fire nation laid siege to it, they burned the temple to the ground and killed the monks living there" Sokka explained
"Why did they do that?" Aang asked.
"Don't know maybe they owed the fire nation money or something," Sokka said nonchalantly
"Anyway, where are you from Sokka?" Aang asked
"The southern water tribe, a small fishing village to be exact," Sokka said
"Do you have a family?" Aang said
"Of course, my mother and sister are still in the south pole, and my father is an admiral in the southern fleet," Sokka said eagerly
"I think I've heard about your father, he was the one to destroy 250 fire nation battleships with only 13 cruisers," Aang stated.
"Yeah he di…" Sokka was cut off by the captain
"ALRIGHT LISTEN UP MEN, WE ARE GOING TO THE FRONT." The captain boomed "GRAB YOU GEAR AND WAIT FOR MORE ORDERS, NO TALKING."
Every man started to move and grab their guns, ammo, food, and med packs. Aang and Sokka looked at each other and nodded. This was going to be a long day.
The Front
21:00 (local time)
Southern Trench
The Southern Trench was horrible for all soldiers who endured its battles. Diseases like trench foot, tuberculosis, and influenza were rampant in the trench. When Aang and Sokka arrived at the trench, they saw men standing in the trench as if there wasn't even a war going on. Then another captain started yelling loudly "ALRIGHT, REINFORCEMENTS STAND READY AT THE LADDERS EVERYONE ELSE STAND READY BEHIND THEM, WHEN YOU HEAR THE WHISTLE, CHARGE, GOT THAT MEN!" the rest of the battalion stood at attention and in unison said "SIR, YES SIR!". Cannons started firing at the enemy trench, and Aang was scared, he had been in battle just like this one but now he had a friend. His last friend died when a dud artillery shell blew up severely wounding Aang and killing his friend instantly. He was worried that would happen to Sokka. 15 minutes later he heard the thing he dreaded. That damn whistle.