xXx

Chapter 2:

Eclipse

xXx

"What in the name of the spirits were you thinking?" Commander Bumi's feet hadn't stopped moving since the two ships came close enough to one another for him to bridge the gap, and they weren't likely to stop chasing Shang until he had answers, an apology or both.

Stubbornly refusing to look the marine in the eye, Colonel Shang squared his shoulders and continued sweeping rock from the deck with little flicks of his wrist. "I had sensitive scouting information, and I believed it would be best to act upon it without interference."

Bumi grit his teeth audibly. "Interference? Colonel Shang, I am not here to interfere with you, I'm here to back you up."

"And we would not have needed your help if we had caught the pirates at port. But instead we followed your lead and slowed approaching the Northern Water Tribe, which was a costly mistake." Shang retorted hotly.

Bumi gave a strangled groan of anger and without a second thought he seized Shang by the collar and pulled. "You, me, your office. Now."

Cuffs of hot rock from the deck flew up and clamped around Bumi's wrists. The weight, along with the tug of earth from the bender in front of him broke the grip from Shang's uniform. The Colonel's voice was like running a rake over gravel. "You will get your hands off me, Bumi, or I will break them."

Bumi stared back, unruffled. "Fine." He took a step back, his hands out as if to indicate he would not be lunging for the man again. "I have some words for you; Colonel Shang and I can either say them to you in private or verbally berate you in front of your soldiers. Your choice." He turned on his heels, waiting for Shang's decision.

"That's blackmail." Shang ground through his teeth.

"Not so." Commander Bumi paused just long enough to offer one of those maddening smiles that his father was known for, before he explained, "Blackmail is using an unjustified threat to coerce someone into a course of action. However, since you just broke formation and ordered your ship into an ill-advised fight and you are now cleaning up burning wreckage, blood and body parts from your deck… I feel a tongue lashing, while embarrassing, is entirely justified."

The earthbender was twitching, practically seething with anger. Bumi also noticed that he was quite off balance. The trick would be to keep Colonel Shang off balance enough that he could drive some sense into his skull, without pushing him so far that he either stopped listening all together or let his anger explode. Shang muttered something about 'following' and 'office,' and stalked towards the back of the ship. Bumi hooked his thumbs on his belt, rock cuffs and all, and strolled afterwards, surveying the damage to the Galestorm as he went.

xXx

It took three hours to douse all the flames on the deck. In the meantime, the medical team split the wounded up between those who needed immediate care to be handled by the waterbending healers, those who would receive basic first aid and wait for healing and those who should start dousing fires.

Iroh automatically sorted himself into the third group, winding a strip of bandage around his bloodied arm and then avoiding the medical teams like the plague. He had the sneaking suspicion that Major Jian was keeping an eye on him, but Iroh would be damned if he going to show weakness now. The last thing he needed were rumors that included the words 'spoiled prince.'

Instead he focused on controlling the fires, throwing his concentration into making his movements quick, efficient and productive. Push, pull, douse. Inhale, take the air from the flame, exhale, extinguish. They were some of the very basic firebending techniques he learned as a child, even before the beginning forms. The repetition of the simple movements was comforting enough to block out the chaos of the deck and the pain in his arm.

Set into a cycle of automatic action, Iroh allowed his mind to drift. The beating of the surf against the hull of the Galestorm reminded him of days at the beach on Ember Island spent with his family. The grunting chants of the clean up crews hearkened back to busy carnivals and getting lost in the crowd. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he barely registered Jian's voice.

"Major?" Finally Iroh's eyes snapped free of their foggy fugue and slowly focused on the speaker. "Do you hear me?" Jian wore the exasperated expression of someone who had just repeated the same phrase several times. Iroh tinged faintly red at the realization.

"Yes, Major Jian…" his brows drew close, abashed at his lack of attention.

"I asked if this was the last of the fires?" Jian kept his voice measured as if his temper was on a short leash.

"No, I…" the firebender paused, lifting his head. As he scanned the deck he could see the smoke and taste the ash, but no flickers of fire remained. Drawing in a breath he reached out gently with his chi to sense any flame in the area, coming back with only a dark void. He took a stuttering step backwards, bringing his hands to his temples. "Yes. I believe it is the last."

Instinctively Jian held out a hand, just in case the younger man decided to pitch backwards. He knew firebenders were pale, but were they supposed to be that pale? His voice softened, "are you all right?"

"I'm…" Iroh started. Truth be told he hadn't been thinking about it. He had been decidedly avoiding any attention to the creeping exhaustion and nagging ache. Having it forcibly called to mind was a bit like being hit with a battering ram. He found himself leaning on Jian's offered arm.

"That's what I thought." The older officer shook his head, his mouth drawn in a line that fell somewhere in between chastising and amused. "Come on, I need to check on my cousin. You can just lean along for the ride."

The firebender offered a wry smile. "I'll accept."

xXx

Bumi waited until Shang had entered and settled himself before he held up wrists that were still encased in heavy cuffs of stone. "Your rocks. Would you like them back?"

Colonel Shang turned back with a look that could have withered a cactus, and Bumi had to fight the urge not to snicker. With a flick of his wrist the earthbender released the cuffs. Bumi contented himself with kicking the bits of rock under the colonel's rug while the earthbender silently roped in in his temper.

As the room grew calm Commander Bumi offered a diplomatic smile. "Ready to talk now?"

"To you, no. But I don't have a choice, so say your peace." Shang collapsed into his chair with a huff.

Bumi waved off the offer, choosing to pace for a while, bits of stone cuff crunching under his boots. "Colonel Shang, we had a plan; one that took containment and the possibility of multiple ships into account. One that you signed off on. Tell me why you decided to drop that plan and go chasing into port alone and ill-prepared."

Try as he might, the earthbender was struggling to keep the flush from his cheeks. "I had confirmed scouting information that the pirates kept a predictable schedule of docking at Amoge Bay. It would be a month until they returned there, and it's difficult to hide a fleet of ships in the capital. We had the element of surprise with us; we could have snuck in, done a quick land raid and collected the leaders. It should have worked."

"You should have consulted me." Bumi snapped back. "You got stuck in a trap and because nobody else knew what in creation was going on your ship was caught in the line of fire."

When Shang didn't give him any resistance, he took in the Colonel's face. Noting the older man's drawn brows and insecure frown Bumi took a gentler tone. "Look, Colonel… Yes. It should have worked. Maybe from here we look into how to fight the numbers they brought to the table."

"They're pirates!" Shang cried tossing his hands into the air, "why would they work in syndicate?"

Bumi rocked on his heels a bit and this time he did choose to sit. He had to admit that Shang had a point. While pirate fleets were not unheard of, the majority of his experience was against solitary ships. "I'm not sure," he conceded, settling his chin on his fist. "Pirates usually band together for higher stakes theft or because they are fighting a common enemy."

"Common enemy? How did they know we were coming?" Paranoia drained into Shang's eyes.

The sound of the water lapping against the hull filled the air for several long moments as both men thought of the implications. Bumi finally spoke. "The most likely solution is they weren't planning on fighting us."

"If it wasn't us, then who?"

Leaning forward, he felt a deep frown draw down his face. "I'm not sure, but it's something we should ask the Northern Water Tribe."

xXx

The sickbay was dark, filled with the sounds of raspy breathing and troubled sleep. A young medic ghosted past the beds, checking on those who had not been sent back to their cabins while several more were sitting in various states of exhaustion preparing medicinal herbs or writing down notes. Iroh clung to the door frame as he entered, feeling the sway of the boat wreak havoc with his already tenuous balance. His eyes focused on a familiar face.

Sakia looked up from a large chart where she was recording the information on her patients "You look terrible." The medic's voice held notes of sarcasm and genuine concern.

Iroh perked a brow and replied automatically, "Thanks. So do you." Upon second thought, that may not have been the best opening for someone from whom he was seeking medical assistance.

But she laughed, a low sound escaping her dry lips as if it desperately needed to get free. "I suppose I do." She stood, offering a hand. "Come on, sit down." Drawing him over to a small work area she gazed over the bloody left arm and crude field bandage, biting her tongue. "I'm guessing Jian sent you?"

"The fires are out; Jian came to check on his cousin." Iroh replied, catching her gaze. His shoulders tensed, waiting for the rebuke.

"Next time see me before the fires are out." The waterbender turned, spooning a mass of dark green herbs that smelled of soil and rotting cabbage into a teacup and covering them with hot water. "It might get you out of drinking this." She thumbed towards the steeping concoction.

His nose wrinkled as the sharp odor wafted over. "I can always hope it tastes better than it smells."

"Sorry, no luck." Sakia brought an oil lamp over as well as a mess of tools thrust into a pot of boiling water.

He watched with a detached fascination, murmuring distractedly, "How is Lieutenant Keran?"

"Stable." She replied frankly. "The bleeding stopped, which is good progress. His lungs took some punishment; it's something another healing session will improve. Right now he's sleeping, which is exactly what he should be doing."

Major Iroh gave a slow nod, "Jian is worrying."

The medic gave an exasperated little huff, "Tell Jian to sleep, even if you have to smack him over the head to do it, and when he wakes up he can see his cousin."

"I heard that." Jian's voice came from the doorway.

"Good. Go to bed." The lieutenant settled her hands on her hips and stared the older earthbender down, adding lightly, "don't make me declare you medically unfit for duty."

Jian shook his head and gave a wry glance towards Iroh. "I'm warning you Major, she doesn't play nice. Get out while you still can."

"I'm working on it." Iroh offered back with a smirk.

"Not yet. Stay put." Sakia wagged a finger towards her patient and cast a glance back towards Jian. His face was drawn, still looking off into the darkness where his cousin lay. She took in a breath and when she spoke again her tone was soft, "I meant what I said when you were eavesdropping, Major. It was bad, but it could have been much worse. He'll be awake tomorrow, I promise."

Jian swallowed dryly and rasped a quiet "thank you."

The medic shot him back a grin. "Don't thank me yet. I'm counting on you to convince him he needs to get heavy bed rest for the next several days."

In the darkness Jian offered a weak smile, but his expression was accepting. He bid them both good night, slipping off while Sakia gathered the last of her tools and shifted her focus to Iroh. She took a breath in through her teeth as she peeled the makeshift bandage off. "Shrapnel hit?" He offered a nod as she drew the lamp closer. "I've never seen a weapon like that before."

"I thought you worked several years of rescue at the poles?"

"I did." She gestured for him to stand and take his coat off, helping peel back the sleeve on the injured arm. "We faced down pirates a few times. Got attacked by spears, arrows, even hails of ice shards. But I never saw anything like this."

He winced as the cloth was drawn off, sitting heavily. "Major Jian said he faced down brigands using something similar by the Nan Shan River."

"Yeah, I heard about that. A group of starving citizens turned outlaws by a psychopathic ex-general and his gang of bullies. I bet Jian still has nightmares." With a quick flick of scissors she pulled the sleeve of the shirt off exposing the torn flesh beneath. "Point being they were desperate. They were all told they were going to be executed as traitors and they started throwing anything and everything they had at the United Forces."

"You're saying the pirates are desperate?" He held his body very still, eyes tracking the medic's movements.

"I'm saying that the weaponry isn't consistent for simply jacking Earth Kingdom trade barges." She gathered the steaming cup, straining out the wad of foul smelling herbs and pressing the dark green water into his hand. "Drink that." He tasted, grimaced. "All of it." She added. Waiting until a satisfactory amount was consumed she went on, "I don't even think it's consistent for a planned attack on us."

He drained the last and set the cup down, feeling a warm numbness creep into his throat. His next words came out foggy, "they did attack us."

"After we nearly plowed our bow into their side. Shang was asking for that one." Sakia gently lifted the injured arm on top of the table and into the light, securing the forearm. Green eyes focused on the young firebender for a few seconds, "stay still or I will tie you down, and that's not an idle threat."

"Noted." He replied blearily. Whatever was in the foul tasting tea was making his head swim.

She picked up the tools that were waiting and settled herself, using her voice as just another diversion for the pain of extraction. "Quite a bit of this crew has fought pirates before; I get the same stories over and over. They're waterbenders, who know the seas like the back of their hand. Why turn around and fight when you can make your enemy chase you, lose him or smash him against some rocks? That saves resources. You use your enemy's strength against him."

Clenching his teeth together, he was determined not to cry out as she pulled a deeply embedded shard away from bloody flesh. As the relief of the foggy numbness seeped back in, he murmured a counter, "what if they were planning on facing us?"

"First off, coming after us and taking the offensive is a fire tactic, not a water tactic. Also, how would they know, unless they have a way of intercepting messenger hawks mid flight or someone is double-crossing the Colonel?" The medic pressed her cool fingers along the edges of the shrapnel wound; water soaking into the flesh, feeling out the last remaining shards of metal. "Neither one is impossible, but both are improbable."

"Then enlighten me, what's more probable?" Iroh's voice had a fuzzy, patient quality to it as his eyes fluttered closed.

She worked swiftly, drawing the last fragments out. "Educated guess? They're already at war with someone else, already have taken heavy losses and are sailing paranoid."

He made an 'hmm' sound, groggily mulling it over in his brain. "So we were in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"Something like that." Cool water washed over the damage, knitting the torn flesh together as the healer fell silent.

As the pain eased Iroh forced his eyes open and back into focus, still mulling the conversation over as a question nagged at him. "The pirates – where do they come from? I mean, if they have waterbenders in their ranks?" he shook his head a little, trying to clear the gathering cobwebs.

"You mean why aren't they connected to the Northern Water Tribe?" He gave her a grateful nod of assent as she filled in the question for him. Sakia leaned back, dropping the healing water into a bowl and reaching for clean bandages. "The capital city isn't the only dwelling in the North Pole. Before the hundred years war there was dozens of small pockets of dwellings, usually built around family lines. A lot of them fell or fled when the attacks started, taking shelter in the capital. But we've had sixty-five years of peace. Those niggling little family feuds and never-forgotten insults probably started to crop up soon after the outside threat was clear. People moved back to where they used to live, and started building again. They're still water tribe, but you have to get tribe mentality. It really is 'me against my brother, me and my brother against my cousin; me, my brother and my cousin against the world.'"

"So you make allies with the people more like you…" he trailed off, casting his mind back to the stories of the invasion. None of them were flattering.

"To go kill people less like you. Yes. Until the outsiders are dealt with and then you go back to killing each other." She smirked a bit, finishing her bandaging and standing up, offering a hand. "Food for thought when we meet them again."

Iroh picked up his coat and gave a small nod. "Not a meeting I am looking forward to."

xXx

Daylight flooded over the ice as the united forces ships sailed into the bay that led to the capital of the Northern Water Tribe. Galestorm was tightly packed between Bumi's escort ships, in much the same way he would have brought in the pirates had they taken any prisoners. Save that Galestorm was limping, her exhausted crew just trying to endure until port and repairs could be made.

Colonel Shang folded his arms across his chest and tried to ignore the growing feeling of being pushed aside. He had earned this commission, part of his mind growled. He had climbed up the ranks on his own merit, sweat and tears. The thought that the United Forces might turn into a mockery of what the Earth Kingdom army had fallen to – with petty lords and noble fools giving orders – it galled him.

"Good morning, Colonel." For all its politeness, that was the last voice Shang wanted to hear this morning.

"I thought you would be sleeping, Major." Shang leveled his gaze on Iroh trying to sound neutral.

Iroh gave a slight shrug. "Firebenders rise with the dawn."

"That may be, but soldiers need rest. I can't use anybody whose senses have been dulled by exhaustion." The Colonel's tone hung somewhere between fatherly and reprimanding.

The major indulged in a knowing smile. "Under all accounts you have not gone to bed yet, Colonel."

"That's Bumi's fault." Shang shot back, his eyes narrowing defensively. "Besides fire may rise with the dawn, but earth endures. It takes more than a little lost sleep to kill me, Major."

"I trust so. Your crew needs you." Iroh's words were soft and earnest, but they still prompted Shang to snap his head around.

His jaw slowly dropped, shock filtering in when he didn't see the expected sarcasm on the young firebender's face, only a gaze of concern. "I take care of myself and my crew," he sputtered.

Major Iroh simply nodded, letting the issue drop. But the words were not lost on Colonel Shang. They stuck in his brain like burrs in the fur of a polar bear dog, both irritating and worrying him.

He was still stuck thinking about it as he met up with Commander Bumi, heading into the capital city.

xXx

The council chamber was posh by tribal standards, spacious enough for a dozen people to sit comfortably and built from stone rather than pure ice. Fire crackled in a fireplace, warming the room to a tolerable level, and still Colonel Shang shivered. Standing beside Commander Bumi he waited for the council to recognize them, taking in the faces that were across from him: seven elderly men and women and one teenage boy. His brow furrowed. "Where is the chief?" he asked under his breath.

Bumi eyed him. "Next time don't skim the reports." He kept his voice lower than the rest of the conversations in the room. "The Northern Water Tribe contacted us when the body of Chief Norruk washed up on the shore. He gathered a party; they went out searching for the pirates and disappeared. Only his body came back."

"So they haven't chosen a new chief yet?" Shang surmised.

A nod. "The boy is Haruko, Norruk's son. He's unproven, but out of respect to his father he's sitting in on this. The others are all tribal elders." Bumi finished quietly as the conversation in the room lulled. Stepping forward he offered a nod of respect to the tribal council. "Greetings, I am Commander Bumi of the United Forces Navy, we arrived this morning to answer your request for help with the Le-San pirates. This is Colonel Shang."

An older man stood, graying hair drawn back into a long braid. His skin was wizened and deeply tanned resting in stark contrast to the white fur lining his hood. "We are pleased to welcome you to the Northern Water Tribe. I am Hanvo, tribal elder." As he spoke the entire council inclined their heads to their guests. "We received a message this morning that one of your ships was attacked and requires aid?"

Colonel Shang cleared his throat. "Yes, my ship engaged the pirates and suffered damage." He left it at that, stepping back with his jaw clenched.

"The attack was unusually vicious" Bumi stepped forward, watching the council keenly. "We wanted to know if the pirates were already engaged in fighting another enemy."

"Another enemy?" Hanvo perked a graying brow. "I would not know. They have never come near the capital city. But they do attack any who venture outside of our protection."

"Such as Chief Norruk." Grey eyes were unusually pained as Bumi watched the council fidget. Young Haruko stared despondently at the floor, his shoulders shaking slightly.

The elder cleared his throat. "Yes, my son-in-law was the last victim, but not the first. Our trade ships and those coming from the Earth Kingdom were attacked. The attacks always happened well outside our waters."

Colonel Shang and Commander Bumi shared a faint moment of surprise before Bumi spoke. "Your son-in-law? I am deeply sorry Elder Hanvo. But any information you have on these pirates could greatly impact the success of this mission to bring them to justice."

Hanvo took in a deep breath and watched the two officers with a look of slowly waning suspicion. "Perhaps if you could tell me more about the way they fought I could give some insights on where they could have come from."

As Shang dissected the weapons tactics with the council of elders, Bumi drifted towards the back of the room where elaborate star charts were mapped out. The bottom of the large display had a calendar filled with unusual symbols and sketches of the moon. He furrowed his brow, dragging his finger along the bottom line. "Am I reading this correctly?"

The rest of the room looked up, staring at him. "Reading what correctly, Commander?" Shang's voice was riddled with irritation.

Rapping the star charts with his knuckle Bumi drew Shang's attention away from his gritty discussion on the cannon shot and to the back of the moon. "Star charts."

"So? This is war with pirates, who cares?"

Bumi drew in a deep breath and calmly turned towards the elders. "This is an accurate chart of the moon's position?"

"Yes," Hanvo nodded. "We started keeping track of the movement of the moon and celestial bodies several decades ago."

"I fail to see why this has anything to do-"

Walking forward, Bumi held up a hand to cut Shang off. He fixed his eyes on the elders. "What does this dark symbol mean, where the moon is blotted out?"

"That is an eclipse." the eldest of the council spoke. The tiny, grizzled old woman was barely visible above the top of the table. "The movement of our world will block out the light of Agni and throw Tui into shadow."

"Is it dangerous?" Bumi rocked on his heels, watching the council.

Only Haruko fidgeted. Bumi noticed that the youth bit his lip while his elders spoke. "No. It is simply a cycle. Some say it renews the power of Yue as she goes from full to darkness and back to full."

Shang narrowed his eyes and cast a glance towards Bumi. He clearly thought the elders were hiding something. "Would the pirates use this to their advantage?"

Hanvo leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table. "From the reports we know they have a number of waterbenders on their ships. However we have ten times that number, and all are better trained. They would not attack us on a full moon."

"Even with an eclipse?" Bumi pressed, watching the group carefully.

The council leaned back, their expressions were closed. "That should not make a difference," Hanvo finished, folding his hands back in his lap. "Colonel, perhaps you should tell me more about this cannon weapon."

xXx

"What is so important about a damn eclipse?" The words left Shang's mouth the second they were out of earshot.

Bumi raised a hand to his mouth in the ages old sign for 'shut up.' He pulled Shang down a back alley heading towards the docks and spoke in low tones. "You remember your history about the Hundred Years war?"

"A little."

"A major raid was made on the Fire Nation on a day of a solar eclipse. Firebenders are connected to the sun. Take away the sun, firebenders lose their bending." Bumi stuck to the facts, keeping his voice clipped.

Shang slowed just a little bit and gave a short whistle. "So take away the moon and waterbenders lose their bending?"

It earned him a nod from the commander. "For a short while, yes. Only a few minutes. However, it could be just the window we need to incapacitate the pirates before too much blood is shed."

The earthbender mulled that over, putting his arms behind his back. "So if we can take down their problem in the window the eclipse gives us, why wouldn't the council tell us that?"

"Would you tell an outsider about one of your weaknesses?" Bumi eyed him sharply.

"Are we outsiders?"

"I don't know." Taking in a breath Bumi mulled it over. "Seems like we might be"

Shang turned towards his ship, his grating voice was pessimistic. "I wonder what other weaknesses they didn't tell us about."

xXx

Two days passed almost before they began. With the flurry of work done on the Galestorm to make sure she was in fit shape for fighting, the crew had no time to dwell upon the plans. When the final checks were made and the cannons loaded, any crew still suffering from grievous injuries were transferred to the capital city. With all that completed, Galestorm pulled out of dock, joined by the Spirit of Omashu and two containment vessels.

Iroh stood at the edge of the deck, watching as the last supplies were loaded on board. His languid posture spoke of an officer who was bored with the never-ending preparations; only his eyes reflected a deeply haunted gaze. He had not slept well the past two nights.

Ever since Bumi laid out the plan for tracking the pirates under the full moon and engaging under the darkness of the eclipse he felt a cold sense of dread settle into his skin. Deep in the night he heard ghostly sounds of a battle sixty five years past, complete with the echoing screams of his countrymen as they were cast to their deaths in the arctic waters. He tried to ignore it, and then pass it off as an overactive imagination. Finally he forced himself cast these fears aside. But in the quiet moments such as this he wondered if the spirits weren't trying to tell him something.

"Four against three ought to make for better odds this time." Jian strolled up to the railing, leaning casually beside Iroh.

The firebender stared out over the cold ocean, absorbed in his thoughts. When he finally spoke it was like a diver coming up for air. "Am I the only one with misgivings about this plan?"

Standing up, shuffling his position to something a bit less relaxed, Jian eyed his companion. "Misgivings? About what? The attack?"

Iroh's brows furrowed. "The eclipse." He gave a thin nod. "But not the bending part. I just…" he trailed off. "I have a bad feeling about these waters and the memories sunk below them."

"Everybody's a bit nervous," the older earthbender started, his voice taking on a fatherly tone, "But Commander Bumi came up with this plan and Colonel Shang backed him up. I don't need to remind you who Bumi's father is. And Shang? He may seem like a blockheaded cow-pig, but he's committed to seeing this ship pull through safely."

Slowly, Iroh lifted his head from its resting place on his palm and drew himself up to full height. "It's not Shang I'm worried about."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think Bumi realizes what happened here sixty five years ago," he started in the same way one would tell a tale of intrigue. "His father was hailed as a hero and I don't deny that, but the ocean was enraged when it lost the moon. I just…" he fumbled a bit with the words adding lamely, "have a bad feeling."

Jian put a hand on Iroh's shoulder, leaving it there for several seconds. "The eclipse only lasts a few minutes. The moon and the ocean have endured for centuries. Let's just focus on doing our jobs and getting out of there." He folded his arms across his chest and resumed his lean. "Besides, Commander Bumi is no Admiral Zhao."

A short snort of dark laughter later, Iroh shook his head. "I should hope not."

xXx

The ships slipped silently through the dark ocean, bathed in Yue's full splendor as she reflected off the water. While the rest of the crew had settled into the tense waiting of pre-battle, Iroh lingered by the edge of the ship gripping the railing until his knuckles turned white.

He had been only a child when he slipped out of his bed one night, awakened by the heated sounds of a debate. Innately curious, Iroh stole out of his room and slipped into an alcove across from the room where his grandfather was arguing with a water tribe woman (the Avatar's daughter, if he remembered correctly). It was then that his grandfather lowered his voice to a raspy whisper and recounted the tale of sailing past the wreckage. Floating past the hundreds…no, thousands… of corpses floating in the arctic waters. They had been frozen in a state of shock and terror, doomed to remain un-burned and un-buried.

A shiver had run up his spine. When he later asked his grandfather about it, the Fire Lord had refused to repeat the tale for a child. Even now, whether by youthful imagination or firebender paranoia, whenever he looked into the dark waters, he couldn't help but imagine the ghostly faces of the dead.

There was a shout, and he snapped back to the job at hand. The crow's nest spotted something and the crew drew into ready positions. Iroh moved with them, instinctually falling into his place on deck as Colonel Shang appeared. "Pirates on the port side, Colonel." The crow's nest called, "running northwards along the coast." The report was punctuated by the gentle sound of a telescope being pulled to length and then collapsing again.

Shang stepped towards the port, his green eyes narrowing into the moonlit seas. "Increase speed. We need to catch them before they get to the rocks."

Iroh could feel the ship lurch as the ordered speed was gained. The cold ocean water hissed against the hull, sending a salt spray onto the deck. In the distance the outline of the pirate ships became visible to the naked eye. The crew held a collective breath as the pirate ships turned their sails. Were they running or turning to fight?

In the darkness a massive wave reached up and crested the edge of the Galestorm's rail, drenching the deck and making the ship roll precariously to the starboard side. The screams of the younger crew punctuated the air as they lost their balance and footing in one fell swoop. Iroh latched his arm around one of the support posts, feeling his legs sweep out from under him. As he was able to dig his heels into the deck and gain back a solid footing, he reached out to grab and pull one of the young officers back from the edge of the deck.

Again the waves rose, the commanding presence of the moon in her fullest splendor gave power to the crashing blows. Above the deck, the crow's nest gave a short scream and a body tumbled down. Just before the telltale crack of bones hitting deck, there was a creaking scream of metal and the railing from the crow's nest unwrapped itself, snagging the lookout in mid flight. As the ship righted itself again, Iroh released his own panicked youth and looked around for the metalbender.

Shock filtered into Major Iroh's face as he watched Colonel Shang gently flick his fingers along the pylon of the ship, and the lookout was gently lowered onto the deck. Once done, Shang turned on his heels and caught the young firebender's gaze. "I told you, I take care of my crew!"

There was no argument offered back. There wasn't time for it. Bumi's ship had pulled up close, cutting the battering waves down. As the rocking of the ship stabilized, the ocean surged. The waterbenders against them forced the waves to rise up into the dark night and crash down upon the Galestorm's deck. The water was pockmarked with hail, chi hardening the small stones into thousands of icy needles.

Iroh rushed forward, a crackling shield of fire sprang from his fingertips turning ice to steam before the sharpened tips could penetrate the defense. He could hear ice hitting the deck and sides of the ship, as well as shield of fire and stone. His eyes rose to the sky, watching the first hint of a black shadow creep across the bloated silver moon. He felt a wave of both relief and fear edge into his mind, his grandfather's whispered tales echoing in his ears.

The ship lurched again as a massive spike of ice appeared less than a hand's breadth away from their bow, knocking Iroh to his knees. He sprang up, inwardly cursing himself for losing his focus as he broke into a sprint across the deck. Lancing out with a whip of fire, he cut the ice as it formed. The next spike crumbled into slush before it could break against the hull.

As a further hail of ice shards crashed down upon the deck, the crew leaned back, feeling Galestorm bank and pick up speed. The pirates were widening the gap between them, fleeing towards the dangerous coastline only they were familiar with. The smell of smoke and the crack of cannon fire filled the air as Bumi's ships let out a warning shot. "We need to breach the gap!" Shang's voice cut through the air of battle and the Galestorm rocked with the ocean as it cut through ice and steam.

Overhead the shadow on the moon grew to a large black dot covering half the surface. The pirates flagged in their escape as the power of their waterbenders was drained away. Sensing impending victory, Colonel Shang stood up on the edge of the railing ordering his crew to prepare for boarding. Shields of rock were already up and at the ready, memories of the incoming shrapnel fire hot on the crew's mind.

All but one. Lingering in the back lines not from fear of the charge or any trepidation of battle, Iroh cast his eyes to the water. Yue's white glow seemed to have sunk deeply beneath the waves, as if the ocean was lit from within. No matter how many times he told himself it was all in his mind, he still swore he could see the shadows of gaunt hands just beneath the surface. He shook his head and they disappeared again, as ghostly as they had appeared.

"Iroh, get your head together!" Jian's voice was curt and brotherly all at the same time, pulling the firebender beside him. "Come on; let's make this quick and as bloodless as we can manage."

The crash of the waves was overpowered by the crash of Galestorm impacting with the hull of the back pirate vessel. In the distance the other two pirate ships slowed and turned. Chains cranked on deck as boarding bridges were lowered and a rush of battle-ready soldiers poured forward.

Pulling the water from the ocean, the waterbenders took the front lines of defense on the pirate ship. A ragtag bunch, they were dressed in a cacophony of matted furs and tribal coats resembling refugees more than hardened buccaneers. While there was still moonlight left the waterbenders pulled the ocean into thick whips, hardening the ends into razor sharp blades that bit at the onrush of soldiers.

Water was fought with fire and battered back with steel. Colonel Shang bashed a hole through the ice with discs of rock, pushing his men forward. The bridges locked in place and the soldiers surged forward, beating the waning waterbenders back to the center of the deck.

At the edges of the pirate ship, crouched into the growing shadows, archers nocked their arrows once again. As Shang led the charge forward onto the deck, the telltale whistle sounded.

Iroh's blood ran cold at the first hint of the sound. Without thinking he solidified his stance, hands upward, a wall of flame bursting out from the deck and running alongside the boarding bridge. Arrows twisted as they hit the flames, the fletching burning off as they skidded harmlessly downwards. He held the wall there; the memory of bloody fletching blossoming in Keran's chest was more than enough to fuel his burning chi.

In the distance cannon fire flared, as Bumi's ships engaged in the two fleeing pirate vessels. Shang barked an order for the earthbenders to concentrate on taking out the archers, pointing teams towards either side. More soldiers surged forward as the shadow slowly overtook the bulk of the moon. Under steel and earth the line of waterbenders crumbled, falling to their knees with cries of agony and surrender.

One pirate dashed forward, giving an unusually high pitched shriek as two earthbenders pushed a younger man to the deck under crushing rocks. As the boy rolled back to the line, blood draining from his mouth the older pirate rushed forward to cradle his head. "You monsters!" her voice was filled with so much agony it gave the soldiers pause.

"Women?" Jian's head snapped forward, clearly voicing the same question all the others had. "What are women doing on deck?"

"Fighting for their children." Iroh said in a low tone, feeling a deep sickness lodge into his chest.

Colonel Shang stepped forward, past the mother weeping over her fallen son and spoke in a commanding tone. "Everyone lay down your weapons and you will not be harmed."

As his words rang out over the darkened sky the tension on the ship was palpable. Iroh could smell sweat and blood; and he could almost taste the fear in the air.

A tall man with graying hair and a thick fur coat stepped forward, casting his spear to the ground in front of him. Following his lead, the archers and spearmen laid their weapons down in kind. Shang was about to indulge in a triumphant smile as the final bits of Yue's light were completely blotted out.

In the distance another round of cannon fire echoes through the darkness, highlighting the engagement between Bumi's ships and the pirates. In the shadows Iroh could see the mast of the larger ship waver, punctuated by the horrific creaking and rending of wood. No one from the Galestorm could see the bodies fall, but they could hear the screams and the morose splashes. Iroh felt his body go tense and a cold shiver ran up his spine.

"Tui and La, we are doomed!" The female pirate cried in a voice that sounded like her heart was breaking. She held her son close to her chest as the young man groaned. The crew of the Galestorm held a breath in confused anticipation.

Under the water between the two groups of ships a harsh white light started to rise to the surface, like a terrible parody of the moonlight. In the sky the moon's corona burned with a blackened splendor. From the water the first hand emerged.

Iroh felt his throat seize up, as if the air had been cruelly stolen from his chest. When he did pull in a ragged breath it stung as if his throat was being embedded with needles of ice. "Spirits, no…" He was the first to move, immediately taking a fighting stance as a second hand emerged. And a third. Like a cascade, the numbers grew exponentially until the whole ocean appeared to be crawling with the gaunt hands swimming to the boats.

"What are those things?" Jian asked, stepping back defensively.

"The hungry dead." The firebender intoned gravely.

The pirates on the deck gasped as a collective, each of them straining to stay where they were, while watching the ocean with a pained familiarity. Colonel Shang stared, slack-jawed. "What in the spirits name are dead doing swimming around the North Pole?" he demanded.

He never got an answer. The first monster burst from the water, clawed hands digging into the sides of the hull as if wood and metal were merely soft clay, opening an abyss of fangs as it searched for something to feed upon. It opened the doorway for dozens more to follow up the side.

On the deck of the ships all hell broke loose.