Chapter 6- Voyage of the Turtle-Seal

Three days later, Sokka awoke to discover his sleeping bag covered in a fine coating of gray soot. Gripped in a reflexive panic, he ran toward the cliff. Anchored in the bay below, he saw the source of his fear: a Sozin class cruiser. He almost shouted an alarm when the rational part of his mind re-asserted itself. The ship's conning tower was painted blue. The mid-ship trebuchets were replaced by cargo cranes. A blue swallow-tail pennant flew from the mast in place of the red, triangular Fire Navy jack. This former warship was now a Water Tribe trading ship. Sokka himself had been instrumental in convincing Zuko to give a dozen of these vessels to the Water Tribes as partial reparations for the 100-year war.

Sokka heard the measured, steady footfalls of Master Piandao come up beside him. The older man put a spyglass up to his eye and said, "Our transport has arrived."

Sokka looked at his master. "May I?" indicating the spyglass.

Piandao handed him the instrument. Sokka examined the vessel more closely. About a half-dozen men were milling about on deck. Even with the spyglass, Sokka could barely make out the script near the bow of the ship. He adjusted to focus. He could see it now. Turtle-Seal.

"Damn," he muttered.

"What troubles you, Sokka?" the Master asked.

"I know the captain of that ship. His name is Bato. He's my father's best friend. He's almost an uncle to me."

"You'll have to face your family eventually, Sokka."

"I know," Sokka said, "I just wasn't quite prepared to do it today."

Piandao placed an understanding hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Let's get Lady Toph and pack up the camp. We shouldn't keep Captain Bato waiting."

Toph was awake by the time the men returned to the campsite. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Our ride's here," Sokka answered.

"Great, now I get to spend a week blind and seasick," Toph snarked.

"It's a metal ship," Sokka said. "You'll be able to see."

"It's still a poor substitute for good, solid earth."

…..

The trio packed their supplies on the ostrich-horses, and descended the cliff to the bay on a narrow, rocky path. By the time they'd reached the beach, the Turtle-Seal's launch was awaiting them.

Bato watched the trio from the prow of the launch as they approached. They were just as he was told to expect: two men and a woman with three ostrich horses. What he hadn't expected was that one of them would be a ghost.

Bato jumped from the launch and ran up to the trio. He grabbed Sokka in a bear hug and slapped his back vigorously. "I can't believe it! Is it really you, Sokka? I thought you were dead."

"It really is me, Bato," Sokka said as he broke the embrace. "The young lady here, you might remember, is Toph, and this is Piandao."

After exchanging greetings, Bato remembered the task at hand. "We'll have time to catch up while we're at sea. We need to get everything on the launch and get back on the Seal. The tide goes out in an hour and we sail with it."

….

They boarded the ship through the massive cargo bay. The space that once held komodo-rhinos and tundra tanks was now packed with crates filled with goods from every nation. Among the crates, stalls had been set aside for the ostrich-horses.

Piandao addressed the Captain, "I trust this charter isn't too much out of your way."

Bato laughed, "No worries. Master Pakku made it more than worth our while. I'd have done it for nothing had I known Sokka was coming along."

"In any case," Piandao said, "You can keep the ostrich-horses as part of our fare."

The two men shook hands to seal the agreement. Bato then called to a young woman.

"Kienna, come meet our passengers!"

The tan skinned brunette made her way across the deck.

"Lady Toph, Piandao, Sokka, this Kienna," Bato introduced. "First Mate and medic of the Turtle-Seal."

"Welcome aboard," greeted Kienna.

Bato said, "Kienna, please show our guests to their state rooms. Sokka, once you're settled, come up to the bridge. I want to catch up." It was not a request.

Sokka answered, "Of course."

The trio followed the first mate through the corridors of the vessel. Sokka asked, "So, Kienna, are you a waterbender?"

"I am," she answered. "I mainly use it for healing. I grew up in the Northern Tribe, where girl waterbenders aren't allowed to get combat training. I have picked up a few defensive moves, however."

Sokka then said, "You seem a little young to be first mate on a merchant ship."

Kienna stopped. "I'll have you know I turned 17 last new moon! I'm a full grown adult and Captain Bato has plenty of faith in my abilities."

Sokka held up his hands, "I meant no offense. I was just curious how you came to be on the crew."

"A little over a year ago," she began, "I stowed away the Seal was docked at the Northern Tribe. We were three days out of port when I was discovered. Bato was about to turn around and take me back when a bad storm hit. The crew got banged up pretty badly. I healed them. The skipper decided I could stay on as medic. Not long after I discovered I have a knack for navigation. Bato then accepted me as his apprentice, and promoted me to First Mate."

Toph asked, "Why'd you stow away in the first place?"

"That's really none of your business," the First Mate said defensively. "Here are your rooms. Try to stay out of the crew's way. The mess hall is one deck below, next meal is in four hours. Hope you like sea prunes. If you'll excuse me, I have to help get this tub underway." She then marched briskly down the corridor.

"Sheesh, what's her problem, anyway?" Toph asked no one in particular.

Sokka made the connection. "She probably ran away for the same reason you did, Toph."

"Oh," Toph said, as she realized that she may have a kindred spirit in the young waterbender.

…

Sokka made his way to the bridge. Kienna was standing at the helm with an older crewman he didn't recognize while Bato was hunched over a table, studying the charts intently.

"Your course is 2-3-8, best speed," the Captain ordered.

"2-3-8, best speed, aye," acknowledged the mate.

"Permission to come on the bridge?" Sokka requested.

"Granted!" Bato smiled. "What do you think of my little boat?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it little. Tell me about the crew. Are they all water tribe?"

Bato chuckled, "No, only 5 out of 20. Kienna's the only waterbender. We're a pretty cosmopolitan bunch. I have a set of 7 brothers from Whale Tail Island and the rest are ex-Fire Navy like Tan Lo over there."

The helmsman gave Sokka a mock salute. "Fire Navy?" Sokka questioned.

"They know best how to run this kind of boat," Bato shrugged. This was the kind of pragmatism that Sokka had learned to appreciate.

"What's the itinerary?" asked the young warrior.

"We'll reach port in the Fire Nation in 5 days, perhaps 4 if we catch a favorable current," Bato explained. "We'll unload our cargo and passengers there. Then we'll continue on to Whale Tail Island and rig the ship for hippo-whale season."

"We could drop you off on Whale Tail, from there it wouldn't be too hard for you to find a transport home," Bato said hopefully.

"I'm not going home. Not just yet. I have a mission to complete with Toph and Piandao. I don't know if I can ever go back."

Bato considered Sokka's words. "If you're worried about how Hakoda will react, don't. He was never angry with you. He understands better than most why you left. He just needs to know his son is alive."

"Thanks, Bato. Maybe I could give you a letter for him?"

"I'll deliver it personally," Bato smiled.

…

Sokka was awakened by a shudder and the sound of klaxons wailing. He looked out the hatch to his quarters to see Kienna and another crewman running by. He caught the First Mate's eye. "Stay in quarters, we have this under control!" she ordered.

Toph stepped into the corridor holding her hands over her ears. "What the hell is with all this noise?"

"Something's wrong with the boat," Sokka answered.

"No shit, Captain Obvious! Why don't you go find out what's wrong with the boat." Sokka silently agreed. He made his way down to the engine room. Through the steam and smoke, he could make out ship's engineer Lee having a heated discussion with Bato and Kienna.

"I don't know, Cap'n. It just broke," Lee tried to explain.

"How does a 500 pound steel connecting rod just break?" Kienna demanded.

"Stress, metal fatigue. It happens sometimes." Lee answered.

"Can you use your firebending and weld it back together," Bato asked.

"That'd just weaken the metal further, Sir. Cause us more problems later on."

Sokka interjected, "What if it was bent back together?"

They all looked at him in surprise. "I just happen to know where to find a master metalbender."

….

Sokka sprinted up the ladder and down the corridor to the state rooms. He tripped over something soft. Master Piandao was crumpled up on the deck with a dart in his neck.

"Oh, Spirits," Sokka breathed. Piandao was breathing steadily. "Toph!" Sokka yelled.

He sprinted out to the main deck. A war balloon was tied to one of the deck cranes. Snake was walking purposefully toward the balloon with a bound and gagged Toph over his shoulder.

Sokka drew his sword and ran toward the bald bounty hunter.

"Put. Her. Down." He ordered.

Snake turned and smiled. "If that's the way you want it, Wolf," as he dropped Toph unceremoniously to the deck and shot a rock glove at Sokka.

Sokka swung his sword and smashed the rock glove. He charged Snake with a downward blow that Snake parried with a katana. Sokka shoved the katana blade away, unbalancing his opponent. Sokka took his advantage and kicked Snake in the solar plexus. The bald bounty hunter doubled over, exposing his neck. Sokka brought his blade down and cleanly severed the head from Snake's neck.

"My name is Sokka."

Sokka sheathed his blade and attempted to calm his bloodlust. He went to check on Toph.

As he removed Toph's bonds, she threw her arms around his neck. "Is he…" she asked between sobs.

"Yes. It's all right," he assured her. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah. Can you hold me a while?"

"Sure thing."