Once the soldiers had slept, the attackers pressed on. There had been no attacks from the Fire Nation during that period. The Earth Kingdom's aircraft launched another bombing run, and more portions of the enemy fortress got dented. The ones who just woke up were in the front of the line, as they were the most alert and energetic.

The path upwards wasn't too narrow, and four tanks rolled next to each other, with soldiers in between. Beside them, the slope wasn't too steep. Along the way, there were some steep and vertical cliffs. The path wasn't as heavily defended so far, with lines of Fire Nation soldiers being mowed down, mainly by tank machine guns.

The pace was slower, and the soldiers just walked, as they moved carefully and looked for defenders. The path up the mountain became narrower, but still not too steep for vehicles. Soon the attackers will have to leave their armored vehicles behind. The base of the mountain was secured by the tanks that didn't move up the mountain.

The road got narrower and at some parts, the slopes were steeper, as the path was carved at the edge of the mountain and looped around it. On the other side, the slope wasn't too steep in some places. Gabriel could clearly see the base from where he was standing.

Soon the sound of bullets filled the air, kicking up dust in the ground whenever they missed their target. Soldiers dropped dead as others ran for cover, looking for where the bullets came from. It didn't take long until they saw enemies from above, and they began to exchange bullets. Earth Kingdom soldiers went off the main path to spread out so they wouldn't get crowded.

There were some artillery guns on the path, which the soldiers at the front quickly destroyed after killing the soldiers manning them.

After being held up due to a fierce firefight, the group continued to move, determined to not let their offensive lose energy. They were still walking forward, moving quickly when they pushed past a group of enemies.

Gabriel was near the front of the attackers pushing the main path. They watched enemy after enemy crumble. His gear was starting to feel heavy, but he didn't let himself get tired. He had to keep pressing forward until they reached the enemy base. Though he was sweating and heating up, it didn't take long until he was cooled again. Though as the altitude changed, he could see that it was getting colder. He was thankful that his suit regulated his temperature.

Multiple hours had passed without a firefight. It was possible that the enemy was just taking their time and waiting for reinforcements to arrive. The Earth Kingdom force didn't know if the enemy had other soldiers somewhere outside the mountain. They moved closer and more carefully. The enemy was more familiar with the place and could hide more easily.

As the altitude rose, the temperature dropped. The soldiers decided to rest. The break time was used for groups of soldiers to rotate roles. Gabriel's squad was no longer going to be in front, instead somewhere in the middle, their main role to provide backup rather than be the first to engage the enemy.

Gabriel took a peek at the edge of the cliff before going to the other side of the road to drink and sleep. He could see a lot of the plains, as well as hills and cracks in the ground. There was still a force at the foot of the mountain, though each vehicle now looked tiny from his point of view.

They had a good rest before they continued up the mountain. Most of the soldiers went on the main path, but more groups were ordered to walk up the mountain on other paths. There were paths that were a bit steeper, but still walkable.

As they kept walking up, the ground was filled with snow, the layers thickening as they kept going. The sky was getting cloudier. It had lightly snowed, yet Gabriel didn't feel any colder, though his thermometer said that it was negative 60 degrees Celsius.

"How can it be hot and cold in the same area?" Kipmi asked.

"Must be the altitude," said Gabriel. "It's so high up now, and if you go down, you'll find lava."

"I'm feeling a summer breeze rather than a winter storm thanks to this suit," said Siu.

As the clouds came in, visibility was reduced, and the soldiers slowed their pace, needing to walk in progressively deeper snow.

Soon it was another opportunity for Gabriel and his squad to rest, as the attack was going take many more hours to complete. They were more than halfway up the mountain by now and they had climbed thousands of feet. The temperature range of the moon was quite astonishing.

Gabriel then woke up and they had to continue the push. Soldiers who just woke up were the first ones to lead the group. The path was getting more rugged as they stepped over rocks and fallen buildings. This wasn't a good place for vehicles to follow them.

The area was quite foggy and still cloudy, even though the snow had stopped. Soon, Gabriel could see more clearly.

The group of soldiers walked slowly and quietly, rifles raised, and everyone looked in different directions. They had reached an area with deeper snow where they had to continue moving uphill.

A metal canister touched down from the sky at a fast speed, crushing soldiers under its path as it drilled into the ground.

Everyone turned as they saw a big metal object hit the ground with the force of a meteor. Once the dust settled, they could see it more clearly. It had rocket thrusters on the top, with metal doors on all four sides of it. The bottom looked like it had a drill which it used to plant itself onto the ground.

Everyone had their weapons raised. The doors slid open in every direction, and out came robots with metal plating over a skeleton. Each robot was significantly taller than an average human and held a machine gun fed by a belt. They slowly stepped out of the vehicle.

The soldiers began to open fire once they saw the robots, but they were quickly outmatched, as dozens of soldiers were killed as thousands of bullets flew through the air. Everyone else scrambled for cover.

"We must go further up the mountain," said Kipmi. "We can't fall back now."

The squad proceeded to run, while Gabriel provided cover fire. He unloaded an entire magazine in less than a minute and only killed one robot.

Instead of going through the wider path, they took a steeper option. Although there were stacks of rocks, it was no problem for the Myrmidons, who could jump up at least seven feet. Other Myrmidons followed suit, but they would sometimes turn around to shoot the robots. Siu turned so she could shoot a robot with a grenade. In less than a second, she measured the trajectory and hit her target's head, shattering it, and rendering the robot useless.

Their problems didn't end, however. As they joined Marines on the path upwards, more pods dropped down. Thankfully, they didn't hit any soldiers. They continued to move while the doors were still opening so that they could find cover. They were low on resources, as a lot of vehicles couldn't follow them up the mountain. It would be a while before the next opportunity to resupply.

Gabriel and his squad had been pinned down by heavy fire from the robots. Their only hope was to wait for the weapons to overheat, though that probably wouldn't solve anything if the robots' weapons didn't overheat at the same time.

Gabriel aimed at a robot's neck while its back was turned from him. He couldn't peek too well because the rocks near him were getting hammered by bullets. He took three shots and the robot's head separated from the rest of its body. Although the machine didn't deactivate immediately, it was now useless as it rolled on the ground. They killed a few robots within an hour, though it was a costly attack, as the human casualties mounted. They were given orders to limit their engagement with the robots, instead escaping, preferably pushing up the hill.

"We can avoid a fight if the robots can't sense us," said Kipmi. "Let's throw a few smokes."

Gabriel was grateful that he helped free Earth Kingdom prisoners, as they provided intelligence that was crucial in helping them defeat the robots. He was able to exploit weaknesses in the joints and their sensory capabilities. They were temporarily hidden from the robots' sight, though he didn't know if they had other senses that they could use to snuff out their human enemies.

After they managed to escape the robots, they arrived just outside the base. The snow was up to their knees, though vehicles had no trouble moving through, as they saw trucks roll out from the damaged gate, where sections of wall were torn apart by Earth Kingdom missiles and airstrikes.

"We take a break here while we wait to regroup," said Kipmi. "Our mechs have been tasked with fighting the robots."

They took the opportunity to take another nap, as they were exhausted from days of battle. Their commanders' insistence to make the battle quick didn't help matters, as they moved at a faster pace than usual. Although they were tired, they had achieved their goals ahead of schedule despite an unexpected counterattack by robots. They had managed to punch through the first lines of defense.

The pods stopped dropping and there were at least a hundred robots on the mountain. This time, heavy weapons assisted the Earth Kingdom in the form of helicopter rockets and airstrikes, which had made quick work of the robots. With another attack on the base, the infantry was now ready for their push on the base itself. They were still a bit tired, though more rested and a bit sharper thanks to their breaks.

They ran quickly, not taking a step back, as they wiped out enemy soldiers and destroyed their weapons. Their only goal was to destroy the base, crippling the Fire Nation's hold on Polus.

Although the base had been subject to relentless bombing, multiple places still stood, and the enemy was providing quite a resistance. Soon the attackers scattered, looking for enemies in each corner.

After a long period of fighting, Marines began to push their way inside the buildings. Gabriel's squad followed the Myrmidons but were interrupted by the arrival of a mech that began to shoot at them.

Gabriel saw a familiar face piloting the mech. He briefly looked the traitor in the eye.

"It's time to finish this," said Larsen.

The mech was holding a big gun in its robotic hands. The squad scrambled for cover. They kept shooting at the small glass window, but there was almost no effect other than small marks in the glass that looked like scars. Siu shot a grenade, which staggered the mech, and the squad opened fire at the glass and joints. Siu managed to damage a leg with a grenade, though Larsen responded by spraying again. Kipmi yelled as a bullet struck him in his chest. Gabriel turned to him. It looked like he was hit at the bottom of his left lung.

"Take him somewhere safe," said Siu. "I still have a few grenades."

Gabriel carried Kipmi to the inside of a building. Siu kept firing grenades whenever she could. She managed to render the mech useless, forcing Larsen to abandon it. Siu then shot at Larsen, who managed to avoid fire. Soon other enemy soldiers turned their attention to Siu, and Larsen led them forward, forcing Siu to retreat despite having killed just over a dozen enemies.

Gabriel was still protecting Kipmi while he tried to stem the bleeding. The bullet was bigger than the bullets used by the most powerful rifles. It was no surprise, coming from a huge gun designed for bullets with a huge caliber. Kipmi was unable to walk or move much, though he still posed a threat to the enemies charging toward them. Gabriel dragged Kipmi while he was holding his weapon.

Soon they were rejoined by Siu, though that moment was short-lived as groups of soldiers forced them to separate again less than a minute later. Larsen chose to pursue Kipmi and Gabriel.

Gabriel and Kipmi continued to shoot at the enemies, though they were unable to hit Larsen. Kipmi had to reload when Larsen came from around the corner and disarmed him with a kick. Gabriel raised his rifle, which he was holding with one hand. Larsen also grabbed it, though he managed to hit her twice with bullets. Larsen was slightly staggered, though recovered more quickly, as the bullets weren't as big as the one that struck Kipmi. Larsen was attacking Gabriel, and both of them were too occupied to grab their pistols. Gabriel was able to grab his knife once he found an opening, though. He managed to land hits on Larsen. Although he was tired and he guessed Larsen had recently rested, his enemy had been injured by bullets. He was focusing on wearing her out. He slashed with his knife, though he missed.

Kipmi summoned the strength to draw his pistol. Larsen kicked it out of his hands, and he took a shot, hitting a wall. He grabbed Larsen's leg. While Larsen was struggling to keep her balance, Gabriel kicked her stomach, then made multiple stabs, trying to puncture her armor or find a weakness.

Larsen was holding off the combined attacks of Kipmi and Gabriel, though Gabriel was doing most of the work, as Kipmi was bleeding and still weak. Kipmi landed a few punches, giving Gabriel an opening to unleash a flurry of attacks. Gabriel was in the front, trying to protect Kipmi. Larsen wanted to get rid of Kipmi so she could focus on Gabriel. With hours of fighting and quick movements, Gabriel was starting to tire again. Larsen threw a kick that stunned Gabriel before throwing another kick that sent him flying.

Gabriel scrambled to get up, even though his senses made it hard for him to move, and he was still stunned from the impact. He saw Larsen draw a knife and attack the retreating Kipmi. She stabbed his thigh, dropping him to one knee. She then stabbed the hole in his armor where her bullet hit him. She pulled the knife out. Kipmi was too weak to counterattack. She was going to finish him off when Gabriel tackled her to the ground.

Gabriel held an electrified knife in one hand. Larsen was still struggling under him. Larsen kicked him off. Gabriel stood and backed up a few steps. Larsen then continued her attacks, though she was moving more slowly. Gabriel then threw a few kicks. Her moves were sloppy as she was getting weak from her bullet wounds. Gabriel grabbed one of her arms when she tried to punch him. She then used her other arm to stab him in the thigh, Gabriel yelped, but he used the opening to plunge his knife into the side of her neck. Her body convulsed with electricity as Gabriel walked away, her knife still in his thigh. Larsen then fell to the ground. Once she was completely fried and the electricity stopped coursing, Gabriel retrieved the knife.

Gabriel then grabbed his weapons and dragged Kipmi. He could hear his commander's faint breathing.

"Leave me," Kipmi said weakly. "I'm going to die anyway. I can barely see things now."

"No, there must be a way," said Gabriel. He was starting to get tearful as he looked into his dying commander's eyes.

Gabriel was doing his best to drag Kipmi to the other side. His left leg wasn't as functional as a knife was in it. He could feel the metal embedded into the muscle and it was weighing him down. He was putting more weight on his right leg.

Enemy soldiers came. Kipmi was too weak to fight back. Gabriel kept shooting with his pistol. He ran out of bullets and only had a handful of electric knives still with him.

"Take care, Hoodman," said Kipmi. "It was an honor leading you."

"It was great knowing and fighting alongside you," said Gabriel.

Three robots walked into the hallway. Gabriel set Kipmi down, then threw his knives. While under heavy fire, he managed to hit each robot in the neck, shocking them, though he had been hit once on his left arm and once on his left shoulder.

Gabriel sat down in exhaustion. He saw that Kipmi's body was limp, and he knew that he had died.

Eventually, Siu came running in. Gabriel hadn't moved from the spot, still fighting off the few enemies that came, while spending a bit of time to mourn.

"We've taken the base," said Siu. "It's over. We wiped out the Fire Nation's force."

Siu then saw Kipmi's lifeless body. A wave of sadness washed over her as she saw Gabriel sitting down, with his head bowed, tears and sweat collecting at the bottom of his helmet, with bullet wounds on him, and a knife sticking out of his thigh.

"He's really gone," said Siu quietly.

"He is," said Gabriel. "He fought bravely, and we managed to take down Larsen together."

"You're wounded!" Siu said in concern.

"I know. Are you hurt?"

"Thankfully no."

"Let's get you out of here."

Siu carried Gabriel on her shoulders. They then went outside, waiting for an available airlift.

"It's down to the last two of us, Hoodman," said Siu.

"Gabriel," Gabriel replied. "My name's Gabriel."

"Charlize."

Gabriel pulled her into a hug, and a few moments later, a helicopter landed, and Gabriel was carried in and immediately given treatment.

By 2163, the Earth Kingdom's hold on Polus only strengthened, as more troops arrived, and now there was over a quarter of a million soldiers. The colony of Amlin had expanded, and new settlements were also being built.

Gabriel and Charlize weren't assigned any combat or exploration duties and were staying at the colony. By then, Gabriel had completely healed. With the extra free time, they mostly spent it together, sometimes meeting with Sokka and Suki as well. They hadn't received any news about any new units they were going to be put in, but Lieutenant Williams had told them that they could receive promotions soon.

They weren't doing any expeditions, so life was less hectic for them. Both did advanced training with other Myrmidons. Gabriel continued on his training to be a mechanic, learning the way around different types of vehicles, while Charlize was training to become a medic. They had time for leisure, which was used to try moving forward. They were moving at a more relaxed pace with their physical exercise, especially for the first week after the battle.

Those members of the colony that conspired with the Fire Nation had either been killed when they fought against the Earth Kingdom or arrested. There was a long talk with the heads of the SSC, who took responsibility and admitted that they were trying to snuff out traitors in their ranks. They were meant to be a civilian organization, not a company that created weapons. After making a few changes, they were ready to build more extrasolar colonies.

Gabriel went to one of the viewpoints in the colony. He had taken pictures with Charlize. Eventually, they just looked at the stars in the sky. His heart raced in excitement as Charlize scooted closer to him, just silently enjoying his presence. He used the opportunity to be brave and put his arm around her waist. She leaned onto his shoulder while he leaned his head on hers. He was guessing that a relationship would soon come out of this, as his feelings for her only grew stronger. He remembered that Kipmi thought that they would get together, and Gabriel was guessing that his commander wasn't wrong.

"It's just nice," said Charlize. "We haven't had to travel in a while."

"Yeah, it's a good thing we haven't been sent on any exploration missions right now," said Gabriel. "We've been given more than enough time to recover from everything we've been through."

It was a few minutes later when Lieutenant Williams had called them over for a meeting. The platoon had suffered many losses from battles, but no replacements had been made yet.

"I want to give you information in advance," said Williams. "Six months from now, we will be reassigned to Pandora, one of the nearby moons."

A spaceship had just arrived in a flash. Hovering over Polus, it slowed its movement. It was modeled after Fire Nation spaceships. It was shaped like a massive rocket with countless solar panels and windows, though there was no Fire Nation insignia. Instead, there was a logo of a white lotus flower surrounded by a circle. A fleet of ships with the same logo was not far behind.

In the highest level, in the room next to the bridge, a group of pods stacked together like capsules lit up and the gas cleared. One by one, the sleepers began to wake.

The first one up was a man with shaggy hair covering most of his forehead. He had a burn scar over his left eye. He had light skin and was wearing a maroon tank top and shorts.

He was followed by an older man with a receding hairline. Some of his greying hair was tied in a bun.

The next one was a tan-skinned woman with black hair that was let down, though there were hair loops on the sides of her head.

She was followed by another woman in a lighter skin tone, whose hair was tied in a bun.

The woman was followed by a man with hair that was black and grey.

The last person was a young man sporting a buzz cut. He had a skin tone that was a bit light.

Each sleeper stood silently to let their senses come back to them. They were all dressed in a tank top and shorts.

They put their uniforms on. The uniforms looked similar to Fire Nation uniforms, though the insignias were removed in favor of the white lotus.

Entering the bridge, the group took their positions. The middle-aged man had been a decorated general. The man slightly younger than him had moved to his place and began announcements, as he was the captain.

"This is Captain Jee speaking," said the announcer. "We have arrived on Polus. Stay put. We are going to be living on this ship for a while."

"How was your sleep, Aang?" the scarred man asked the taller, shaved man.

"Great, I'm older but not wiser," said the man with the buzz cut. "I haven't done any growing while asleep, Zuko."

"I wanna get a workout in," said the woman whose hair was in a bun.

"Your muscles haven't moved in 6 years, Toph," said the other woman, who was significantly taller. "Take it easy."

"No worries, Sugar Queen," said Toph. "But I think we will all be adjusted in an hour or so."

"I just wanna chill and enjoy the view," said the dark-skinned woman.

"Have fun doing that, Katara," said Aang.

Zuko then approached the elderly man. "Hey, Uncle Iroh. Did you need something from me?"

"I just want to give you an update, Prince Zuko," said the man. "We must contact the Earth Kingdom. They should be aware of our rebellion. We need to work together if we're going to stop Admiral Zhao."

"Then we should start tomorrow," said Zuko. "In the meantime, we should learn everything that we missed in the past 6 years. It's April 17, 2163."

The next day came and Zuko had contacted Earth Kingdom forces. Once he explained himself, he and his uncle were referred to the Earth Kingdom's most senior commander on Polus. General Alvarez was a tall man who was shaved with the slightest bit of grey hairs on his face. He had explained that he wanted Iroh's rebellion to train alongside Earth Kingdom soldiers so that they could work together more effectively.

The meeting had ended and Zuko was looking outside. "Wow, about a year ago the Fire Nation had been kicked off Polus. It's quite unbelievable."

"Yeah, but don't celebrate just yet," said Iroh. "If the news from 6 years ago is accurate, then we should be anticipating a battle soon, and this time, on a foreign planet. Both sides have been wanting to dominate the Proxima Centauri star system. Maybe this is where we defeat Zhao and deal a crippling blow to the Fire Nation's Space Force."

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