Chapter 2: Choices

"Move aside!" boomed the voice of Ettorre as he parted the crowd of guards who had gathered to get a closer look at the wreckage.

Kanna, who found herself on the outside edge of the thick heap, was in shock.

Right after Kanna saw the strange mushroom cloud, the ships alarm started to blare. Knowing that the explosion would put the ship on lock-down, Kanna quickly hide behind some ammunition barrels placed near the middle of the ship. Crouching there she could hear the rustle of the guards as they gathered and tossed anyone on a shift into random corridors and locked the gates. Kanna hoped her brothers were still sound asleep, though she really doubted it.

After the guards settled, and the initial alarm shut off, Kanna quietly stood up and moved away from the barrels, past the main hatch, and towards the bow of the ship. She figured that the guards would be in too much of a ruckus trying to decipher what had just happened to notice anyone out of place.

So here she found herself, stuck behind the sweating shoulder blades of a balding firebender, who was yelling something about a "diversion" to a lanky gunner. Moving her head she brought her attention back to Ettorre. It appeared that he was making the way for a tall individual with jet-black hair, which was tied into a low ponytail. Even though Kanna only had a view of his back, she could recognize that commanding stride in only one person.

When both men reached the ships side railings Ettorre barked out formally, "Sir, it appears to have been an explosion of some sort of small vessel, shall we approach?"

Kanna managed to squeeze her way closer to the two towering men. She herself was rather curious as to what had indeed occurred. She was too far away from the ocean water to tell if the heart beat she had heard was real or not.

After a few moments of calculated thought Corville yelled out for the deckhands to move the ship towards the wreckage. He then yelled for silence in the group of bickering guards surrounding Kanna. Everyone went completely silent.

"Does anyone know what happened here tonight?"

A few men mumbled a few things among themselves, but the majority of the guards remained silent.

Corville mumbled something to Ettorre, and the silver haired bender started to push his way through the guards towards the ship's stern. Kanna guessed Ettorre was going to check with the radio tappers, to see if the United Force's had sent a patrol ship out.

After Ettorre was out of sight, Corville turned his hawk like predatory gaze on the blank faces of his guards one by one. Kanna always noticed this habit of his. One of the guards had mentioned that Corville could tell if someone was lying by just one glance.

When Corville began to scan the faces of the benders in her direction she quickly hide behind a thick-framed earthbender. The bender gave Kanna a curious glance, but then nodded to himself after a moment.

Seeming satisfied with his crew, the Captain turned his back to face the closely approaching wreckage. Kanna moved from behind the earthbender.

Since the sun was about to set completely, the ships lights began to turn on. Suddenly Kanna was shoved to the side of the crowd. Ettorre was returning with two crewmates holding an electrical spotlight.

After a small exchange of words, Ettorre and the two crewmen got the light set up and turned it on. The sudden illumination caused Kanna's eyes to dilate painfully. After a few moments they adjusted to a scene Kanna could only describe as disastrous.

Thanks to the disorganized shoving she suffered, Kanna found herself pressed against the railing a few feet away from Corville. As she scanned the waters below all she saw were pieces of metal and wood in varying states of destruction. Whatever vessel this was, there was not much left. On one of the pieces of metal, not yet claimed by the sea, Kanna thought she saw the logo for Future Industries.

"Look there's someone out there!" someone yelled out.

Kanna felt her heart stop as she heard another in the direction of the voice.

There was a person actually alive out in the water. Someone who needed help.

Upon noticing the body Corville said emotionlessly, "Leave him."

"No!"

Kanna froze, mentally kicking herself in the face. She didn't know what had come upon her all of the sudden, but when she heard the words leave Corville's lips she couldn't think straight. All she could think about was how unbearable it would be to find one of her brothers out in the cold ocean and leave them there to die.

Corville suddenly turned in her direction and locked eyes with Kanna.

Kanna always hated Captain Corville Beothuk. She hated him from the day they met. Corville, however, didn't share Kanna's sentiment. Since kidnapping her and her brothers that fate filled day in the Northern lands, he always had a strange fascination that befuddled Kanna.

Today was no different, once Corville saw that it was Kanna who had spoken against the Captains orders, that same spark of interest blossomed. Corville started forward, intent to close the space between them, pushing a guard out of the way roughly.

As he came closer, Kanna tried to take a step back but ended up banging against the metal armor of Ettorre, who proceeded to take hold of her right forearm. In the back of her mind Kanna wondered how Ettorre had gotten behind her so quickly.

Was Corville expecting this?

Finally reaching her, Corville stated nonchalantly, "and just why, little bender, should I let some stranger on my ship?"

Realizing Corville was giving her a chance to speak up, Kanna gathered her jumbled thoughts and looked him in the eyes, "Because he's obviously someone important. I don't believe that just anyone would get their boat rigged to explode so catastrophically if they weren't. And important people can be useful."

Corville raised his eyebrows at this.

Bingo.

If there was something Kanna knew about Corville, it was his love of the bottom line.

Putting his hands on his chin thoughtfully he responded, "But the man's clearly injured. I can't be taking on a hospital case, no matter how important he might be. There's no room."

"I'll take care of him. I'll keep him my room. I'll do it all, please," Kanna said breathlessly. She was desperate to help this man, and Corville could see it.

With a sudden wave of his hand Kanna felt Ettorre release his tight grip on her arm. Rubbing it, Kanna looked up at Corville's face. His expression was that of bemusement.

Turning to face his crew, Corville boomed "You all heard her, the little bender will do it all herself." A few guards chuckled, while others looked on in awe.

Kanna just felt sick. Corville was making a joke of this.

Getting the response he desired, Corville turned to Kanna and leaned over until he reached her ear. Kanna wanted to flinch, but she held her ground.

"I'll let you humor me today, my little bender, but if this man turns out to be of no importance, I will not hesitate to throw him back were he came from. And if you attempt anything to threaten my ships balance, you and your brothers will join him."

Corville leaned back and chuckled lightly. Kanna was frozen were she stood, contemplating his words and rethinking her choice. Seemingly satisfied with Kanna's response, Corville ordered everyone back to work. He himself began to walk away, Ettorre in tow.

The earthbender Kanna had hide behind earlier in the crowd stayed behind looking out into the sea. Noticing Kanna still stood where she was he turned towards her, "I would hurry and bend that man onboard girl, we'll be back on course soon. I get another to finish your shift"

Kanna snapped out of her tumultuous thoughts and stared at the man. After a moment he gave her a small smile and began to walk away.

Bend him? How do I bend a full-grown man onto a ship when he's at least fifteen feet below the rails?

Feeling the precious seconds ticking away, Kanna got into the stance she saw Arika in earlier that day. While she wasn't washing floors, this stance might work for generating a large wave to lift the man up. Worse comes to worse, Kanna thought, she would just have to dive in and grab the man.

"Breath. Feel the water's push and pull. Follow the path it gives and encourage it."

Kanna kept replaying the words her Northern watertribe master had told his students on their first day of lessons. Kanna felt a pang of nostalgia and regret. How she wished she had been able to stay longer…

Remembering herself Kanna stared out to where the man was floating. He was draped upon a piece of wood with his face turned in the other direction. If she wasn't careful, she could end up throwing him off the wood and into the ocean.

Shaking her head, Kanna began to bring her arms forward and back, back and forward. She kept her focus on the waves hitting the man. Back and forth, over and over Kanna kept increasing her tempo. With a pang of satisfaction Kanna saw the wave get larger. With each oscillation the man rose higher and higher.

Unbeknownst to Kanna, another was watching her progress with keen interest.

After a few moments, Kanna had the wave up around two feet from her eye level. All of the sudden the ship's whistle rang out.

Times up.

With a thrust of adrenaline Kanna thrust herself forward and then back in a powerful arching movement. Suddenly Kanna found herself on the floor breathless, with a large pressure on her chest.

The ship began to lurch into motion. The sudden movement caused Kanna to opened her eyes to a pair of closed one's. With the time that had remained, Kanna had projected the man off of the piece of wood and directly onto herself. While not exactly what she wanted, Kanna closed her eyes and thanked the spirits that she had succeeded.

Opening them once again, Kanna felt realization hit her. Blushing profusely, Kanna gently pushed the unconscious man off of her body. After squeezing the water out of her hair, Kanna turned to survey the man she had just rescued.

He appeared to be in his early thirties or late twenties. Even though his face was riddled with slashes and bruises from the explosion, Kanna could tell that he was quite handsome. He had a strong facial structure and dark hair that reached his chin.

Something about the way he looked unsettled Kanna, however. Even in sleep, he appeared to be in some deep pain.

Getting up off the floor Kanna mumbled, "Well whoever you are, I better get you my room for the healers visit. She'll know what to do."

Adjusting her soaked boots, Kanna reached down and put her arm underneath the man's strange shoulder armor. After a few pulls, Kanna managed to get the man off the ground. He was pretty tall, from what Kanna could tell, probably around the height of Ettorre. That, and muscular. Kanna could feel the man's firm muscles just beneath his shirt. Kanna found herself blushing yet again.

Focus Kanna.

Collecting herself, Kanna began to walk and drag the handsome man to her quarters. While making her slow progression Kanna wondered what her brothers would think come sunrise.

Though whatever they said wouldn't matter, Kanna had made her choice.