Following her brief interaction with the Ruskians and helping the other men of her tribe escort the two officers into separate cabins, Katara returned to check on Aang, taking a small tray of tea and seaweed soup to aid his recovery. Upon entering the room, she found the boy sitting on the bed in a meditative pose. "Oh, hi Katara," he said once he opened his eyes.
"Hey, Aang," she replied as she walked over. "I brought you lunch. I know it's not much, but you need to recover your strength."
The Avatar nodded as he took the tray. "Thanks," he replied, his voice not sounding as hoarse as previously. However, his posture still displayed weakness, and his tone sounded insecure. "So, what happened after Sokka called you? And what guests did we have?"
Katara sighed. "Just some Ruskian Officers," she replied, much to Aang's shock. "Don't worry, we took care of them. Two of them are our prisoners."
"Okay, so what now?" He asked.
The Waterbender shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. There were two Ruskian ships, and now three other foreign ships entered the lake, which seemed to worry the Ruskians. We think they might be enemies."
The boy sighed. "So, we'll just have to wait?" Katara nodded. "Alright. But you should probably get back to your Dad."
The girl's expression grew concerned. "Will you be alright?"
Aang nodded. "Yeah, I... I want to be alone," he expressed. Katara seemed ready to protest but hugged him before leaving out the door and heading for the bridge.
"Surely the Captain would have noticed by now," complained Lieutenant Vsevolod (Se-vo-lod) Rudnev as he watched the enemy squadron approach through his sextant, which showed the enemy would soon be in range. As Gorlovka steamed to join Lataka, the turret ship had already begun opening fire, signalling the start of the engagement. He watched with interest as the large shells flew toward the lead Genish ship, only to go wide of their target. Sighing, he lowered his instrument and turned to others on the bridge, including the Captain's daughter, whose expression appeared worried. "Lieutenant, do you think we will win?" The girl asked.
Rudnev sighed deeply. "To be honest, I am not sure. But we will fight as best we can," he replied before turning to the crew. "In honour of our Fatherland, in honour of our Tsar! We will not surrender to the enemy!" He shouted, his tone firm and unyielding.
"URAAA!" The men cheered as sailors with rifles made for the mast tops while those below deck prepared the ship's cannon.
Azula watched from the rampart of the Bulwark with rapt attention following the first salvo from the small Ruskian ship. To her shock, she realized it must have outranged the Fire Nation trebuchets by a significant distance. "What sort of weapons are on that thing?" She questioned aloud.
"Most likely 12-inch guns," Ivan replied. "They are the most common heavy guns we install in turrets."
The Fire Princess lowered her spyglass and turned to the young Grand Duke. "And how big is that?"
He put a hand to his chin. "I think it would be roughly equivalent to one Chi," he explained.
Azula scrunched her brows. "That small? How could it reach that far if it's the size of 12-11 cun?"
Ivan shook his head. "No, you misunderstand, that's how wide the bore is," he explained before pointing at the field guns to either side of them. "For example, these are 3.5 Inches or cuns."
Ty Lee whistled from the side. "That's pretty big," she said as Azula thought the same.
"What is?" Mai interjected as she walked closer.
"Oh, the size of the Ruskian weapons," Ty Lee replied as the dower girl shook her head.
"Oh, I see," she replied in a monotone before returning to Antonov, who was still watching and not paying attention to their conversation.
"What's her problem?" Ivan asked. "I know you two have a history, but she's certainly not making it better."
The Princess rolled her eyes. "She's always been like that. And I still do not understand why," she replied, shaking her head before taking her spyglass and looking at the ships, only to feel shocked at how close they'd gotten while she was distracted.
Captain Ivan Trokiev watched in horror as the Genish ships sailed into range. "Brace for impact!" He bellowed from behind his small cabin as the lead ship opened its gunports, revealing at least twenty cannon, most located on the lower deck and six on the upper deck. The first puffs of smoke began at the bow, followed by the deafening sound of cannon fire as solid shot screamed toward them. The next thing he knew, his ship was battered as Lataka took multiple direct hits to its bow. Most glanced off, but a few struck home, creating indents on the bow and knocking one of the anchors loose as it plunged into the water. Moments later, Lataka steered violently to port once the anchor made contact with the floor and presumably got stuck on something as the second ship in the formation came about and began hammering Lataka's exposed broadside. Thanks to the thick armour, most cannonballs glanced off or got stuck, but some pierced through, and the Captain could hear the screams of his men through the speaking tube. However, in the meantime, the main guns had reloaded as the men manning the Lataka's revolving cannons let loose a hail of fire against the large Genish frigate. However, due to their small calibre, they had little to no effect as one was thrown from its mounting by a cannonball, and the man behind it lost his head as his body began disintegrating in a whirl of violet flames.
"The guns are reloaded, Sir!" Came an echo from the speaking tube.
The Captain, his blood filled with adrenaline, rushed to the speaking tube as cannon fire echoed from the Gorlovka. "For heaven's sake, fire!" With the command given, the deafening thunder of the heavy guns echoed once the turret was in position to fire at the outline of the nearest Genish warship, which happened to be the second in the line. Unlike the previous salvo, they were under a verst away, and both projectiles hit home, with the first pushing through the cloud of smoke and causing the violet hue on the side of the ship to vanish as it exploded, doing minimal damage. The second, however, landed close to the first impact and blew a massive hole in the side of the frigate, and soon after, the mainmast began leaning before falling into the sea, along with a swarm of body parts and debris. "URA-" He shouted, only for the final ship in the formation to bypass them, firing as it did. The next thing Captain Tokiev knew, his left arm flew off as a cannonball struck the bridge, blowing a hole through the thin walls meant to protect against small arms as the ship began listing violently to starboard. The Captain screamed in pain as bright purple flames began consuming his body, and his last moments he spent in purest agony as his beloved ship began filling with water.
Anastasia watched in horror as Lataka's deck began sinking below the gentle waves of the lake. "NO!" She screamed as she reached out from the railing of Gorlovka's bridge, but, of course, to no avail. He'd fired several salvos already. But they hadn't had the dramatic effect of Lataka's first and only hits from his main battery due to the significantly smaller guns Gorlovka carried. On each broadside, there were four 5.9-inch guns and two 9.4-inch guns in separate casemates.
At the same time, the Genish ships began turning in, and a dithering hail of fire hit the Gorlovka, with most shots hitting her stern as she'd turned to broadside to open fire with her primary weapons. Of course, unlike Lataka, the Gorlovka lacked his heavy armour, and it showed as several hits below the waterline caused flooding astern. At the same time, the officers on the bridge felt the ship rock violently as more impacts struck his broadside, and the echoing screams of the men below decks rose through the speaking tube. "Damn it!" Shouted Lieutenant Rudnev as the ship began to tilt, and the bow rose slightly out of the water, revealing the ship's ram. Realizing Gorlovka likely didn't have much time, he took off his cocked hat, made the sign of the cross, and put it back on before leaning into the speaking tube. "HARD TO PORT! ENGINES TO FLANK! RAM THE BASTARDS!" He bellowed. As it turned out, these would be his final words as the nearest Kordish ship raked the deck with canister. Those on the deck and mast tops were blown to smithereens as their bodies were rended and torn. The Lieutenant had his face decimated as a ball impacted on his right side, while the rest of the officers were either killed or severely injured, including Anastasia.
Following a moment of unconsciousness, she awoke to find everyone else dead or rolling on the ground in severe pain as their bodies burned with violet fire or merely the force of the impact. Getting up, she realized she'd lost half her right arm, but she had little time to care as blood echoed in her ears. As though possessed, she stood up with difficulty and turned to find the helmsman reduced to a pile of magic dust. Looking over the bow, she realized the ship would miss the ram if she didn't do something, so she did. With adrenaline pumping in her veins, she pressed herself to the wheel and pushed with all her might, forcing the wheel to turn the ship toward the lead Genish warship. "U-UUUURRRRRAAAAA!" She screamed as the ship picked up speed once it was in position, and she could only watch in deranged glee as Gorlovka powered toward his target.
As Gorlovka drew closer, Anastasia could hear the panicked voices of the Genish crew, and she watched as the officers hastily lowered the Genish flag with the letters GIC in the center:
"Maak je klaar voor de impact!" (Get ready for impact!) One cried.
"Die gekke mannen!" (Those mad men!) Screamed another as he ditched his musket and prepared to jump ship.
"Verlaat het schip!" (Abandon ship!) The frightened cry of an officer as the ship's bell began ringing.
All the while, musket balls and shots from the swivel guns on the forecastle hit around the Ruskian girl as she waited for the moment of impact, and when it came, she wasn't disappointed. The ram cleaved into the Genish ship as men leapt into the sea, tearing a massive hole below the waterline, which only got wider as Gorlovka tilted further upward, its stern halfway underwater. Eventually, however, the bow got stuck, and Gorlovka continued to sink with the wooden frigate dragged down with it while the pair of vessels continued their devastating dance. Anastasia caught sight of the name of the Genish warship, the words printed in gold on its stern: Gonvesten. At first, she merely grinned, but then she began to laugh. Quietly at first, but getting louder and louder. Of course, many would expect a girl's laugh to be gentle or soft. Hers was anything but that as she stood, blood continuing to drip from her wound.
As Gregori watched from his prison window, he felt his heart shatter as he watched his beloved ship slowly slip below the waves, dragging one of the Genish frigates down with him. He felt helpless, knowing he'd probably lost his dearest daughter also, and with that thought, he cried as he stood. Of course, he was proud that Gorlovka had at least sunk one of them, and his colours still flew from the tips of the masts. But as that thought came to mind, those dreaded words began echoing in his head.
"A Captain goes down with his ship."
He heard the voice of his commander and his beloved friend, making him feel more of a failure. What would his wife say? What of his other children? How could he look them in the eye after today? With this in mind, he began desperately pushing on the window, trying to open it. But, as he should've guessed, they'd locked it. "Damn it!" He pounded futilely on the glass before curling up on his side, his fate uncertain. But, suddenly, as the ship sunk lower, he noticed a tiny glimpse of white sticking out above the bridge, and he knew of only one person who wore white among his crew: His seventeen-year-old daughter. No one else on the bridge was standing but her. Her frame pressed against the wheel. He didn't understand how he'd spotted her at this distance, yet he did. But then, fear came into his heart as he remembered what the older sailors said of the Genish: They had a mind only for money, status, and power and cared for little else. Of course, most may have been decent people, but those who served her fleets may as well have been pirates, especially anyone associated with the GIC, which he suspected these ships to be from. "Please, don't let them take you," he whispered as he stood, vainly hoping he could reach out to her somehow. He could only pray she remembered what he'd said of them. But, as his eyes focused on the colours of his nation and fleet, he took out the writing pouch he kept in his pocket and a piece of paper, using the ledge as a brace as he began to write:
"Up, ye comrades, all hands on deck!
The last parade is coming!
Our brave Gorlovka will not surrender to the enemy,
No one wants mercy!"
Anastasia watched as the second ship in the Genish squadron approached the two sinking vessels. She felt drained following her outburst, a pool of blood gathering beneath her stained dress as she remembered her Father's words before joining this trip:
"If anything happens to me or the ship, and our enemies attempt to take you, prisoner, never forget what I am about to tell you: The Kordish are risky, but they will usually treat you well enough and hold you for ransom. The Vusonians will try to woo you, though if you refuse, they will likely leave you alone until they figure out what to do with you. But if the Genish or the Ostish try to capture you, you cannot let them."
"Yes, Papa, I'll do it," she whispered. With what strength she had left, she removed herself from the wheel. Even with the continually rising water and the steeper angle of the deck, she made for the closest officer, using the chains of the handrails as a brace. When she reached a man, who was still alive, if barely, they stared at each other for a moment.
"W-Well, if it isn't the hero of the hour," he croaked, his body and those of the other officers stuck on the rear handrail of the bridge, a tangled web of limbs, flesh, and blood intertwined between the chains. She noted his nose and a chunk of his jaw were missing. "What can I do for you?"
"M-May I have your revolver?" the girl asked timidly, her body quaking as she began to feel lightheaded. She was losing too much blood.
"Why certainly," the man replied as eloquently as possible before doing as she requested. When he found it, he handed it to her, his eyes watching her knowingly as she took it. "It has six shots. So I'll ask that you end me first. I have no intention to live a life of slavery."
Tears began to form as she used her stump of an arm to wrap around the rail while she used her hand to take the revolver from the man's trembling grip. Taking the weapon, she fumbled to flip it the right way up until eventually she succeeded. "I-I'm sorry."
The man shook his head, wincing in pain as he did. "There's no need. This is what I want," he said, his gaze unwavering. "Goodbye, hero."
She cocked the hammer, not daring to look away lest she miss and hit one of the other bodies stuck beneath him. She knew this man, not very well, but Anastasia had seen his face enough times at the officers' mess. She stared at him and prepared to pull the trigger. The girl never imagined this would be her fate. Yet here she was. "Goodbye, Viktor..." She pulled the trigger, putting a round between his eyes, killing him instantly. Then, she tried to put the weapon in her mouth, only to lose her balance as water rushed over the bridge, and she lost it as she grabbed hold of the rail. Realizing she could potentially escape, she tore a piece of her dress and used it to stem the bleeding, using the last of her strength to tie it taut before her eyes drifted closed, and she lost all stability.
Azula watched as the Ruskians removed their headdress and crossed their chests with their fingers. Some were openly crying, while others remained stoic, their faces grim. She almost couldn't believe they had lost. However, there was no denying the evidence: Two Ruskian ships had sunk for the loss of a single enemy, and another still had smoke rising from where it'd taken a hit from the massive weapons on the smaller Ruskian ship. But, suddenly, a song arose, quiet at first but getting ever louder as more joined in:
"Моряки, старики, не бойтесь грядущей битвы. Ибо если нам суждено умереть:" (Sailors, old men, do not fear the coming battle. For if we are destined to die:)
The first stanza, Azula noted, was sung only by the officers, including Ivan. She'd never heard him sing before, but she found he was better than expected, as his deep voice (for his age) stood out from the others due to their proximity. But, as she thought, the regulars replied:
"Бог, несомненно, с нами, он даст нам быстрый конец, и мы вернемся в свой дом!" (God is certainly with us, he will give us a quick end, and we will return to our home!)
They sang solemnly in a way the Fire Princess had never heard before, and while she couldn't understand what they said, the mood and tone, while alien, stirred something in her breast. It was faint, yet she found herself trembling slightly as the Officers continued:
"Теперь иди, мой храбрый сын, который так храбро сражался! Теперь ты должен отплыть:" (Now go, my brave son, who has fought so bravely! Now you must sail away:)
By this point, the small Ruskian ship disappeared below the waves, while the only thing visible on either of the other two sinking vessels were their masts. However, while the Ruskians continued to sing, Azula realized the foreign ships had continued on their path, which wasn't worrying in itself, as she knew they wouldn't dare approach the Bulwark, or at least, she hoped not. But, to her horror, she noticed the Fire Nation ship, which had thus far remained out of the fight, began steaming toward them. "W-What are they doing?" She asked aloud, which was enough for at least Ivan to stop singing.
"What do you-" He said before evidently noticing as she had. "What!?" He shouted, his eyes wide as he watched the Fire Nation cruiser sail toward the other ships.
"What is that Captain thinking!? Didn't he see what just happened!?" Azula shouted, and more and more began to realize what was happening.
"Сумасшедшие ребята!" (Crazy guys!) Shouted Pyotr.
"Кажется, они у нас чему-то научились!" (It seems they learned from us!) Cheered another soldier.
Hakoda watched in silence as the foreign ships got closer through his spyglass. During the battle, not one of those with him said a word as the events played out, and he no longer questioned if the Ruskians were as fearsome as his children had said. They could have surrendered, yet they had fought in a manner not even he would've considered. It was one thing to exchange fire, but to ram an enemy directly? "Okay, Dad. How are we going to contact them without them killing us?"
The Chief snapped out of his internal monologue and turned to his son and second in command before glancing at the Fire Nation ensign waving proudly behind them. "Sokka, take down that rag. Bato, find me a large white cloth," both nodded before rushing to fulfill their tasks as he turned back to the foreign ships. "Just what are those things made of?"
"What!?" Azula shouted as she watched the Fire Nation colours be unceremoniously ripped off and quickly replaced with a white cloth. "T-Those cowards!" She bellowed angrily as she lowered her spyglass and turned to see Ivan shaking his head. At the same time, the other Ruskians who, moments ago, were cheering them fell silent, their expressions disappointed and shocked.
"I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't that," Ty Lee chimed. "At least they won't have to die, though."
Azula glared at her chipper friend but sighed and rolled her eyes instead, knowing it was sometimes better to leave her in her world than explain the harsh reality to her. However, as she turned away, she realized Nikolai was nowhere to be found. Walking over to Mai and Antonov, who were the closest to the elder Grand Duke, she wondered if they might know where he'd gone. "Sorry to interrupt anything, but have either of you seen Grand Duke Nikolai?"
To her surprise, when the pair turned to her, Mai stood visibly shaking while Antonov held her close, her eyes blank, at least more than usual. "W-W-Why w-w-would I-I k-know?"
Azula felt stunned. She'd never seen the dower girl like this, and her typical monotone sounded broken. Turning to the Ruskian at her side, the man presented her with a pained grimace. "What's wrong with her?"
Antonov shook his head. "She's gone into shock. I think seeing how the battle played out wasn't good," he explained before turning to the still-shivering young woman. "Come, let's go inside," he said, and she nodded before the pair headed for the stairs leading to the fort's interior.
"What happened?" Asked Ty Lee once she'd caught up, along with Petr and Ivan.
Azula shook her head. "I don't know, to be honest. Mai's not feeling well, but I would suggest giving her some space," she replied, only for her to see the Fire Nation warship continue on its course toward the enemy.
Once the Gorlovka rammed the enemy, Nikolai made for his old headquarters inside the fortress, which his men hooked up to the telegraph network during the Ba Sing Se campaign. "Ah, Sir!" Shouted the Lieutenant as he shot out of his seat by the emitter to greet him. "I imagine you wish to make a report?"
The Grand Duke shut the door behind him before nodding. "Yes, I would," he replied. "Inform the Stavka the Genish have discovered our position, and they have destroyed two of our ships in exchange for one of theirs and another severely damaged."
The young officer's expression turned grave. "Oh dear," he stated. "What about losses?"
The Grand Duke sighed. "Considering the refusal to strike colours and deploy lifeboats, for now we can only assume they went down with all hands."
Hello everyone! So, first of all, I should begin by stating that I now intend to publish a chapter every weekend! Secondly, next chapter will begin the next arc, and thirdly, we've finally reached our goal! So, to celebrate... Uh... I'm actually not sure what to do, to be honest, so I think I'll let you guys decide! (Or at least help me come up with an idea) Anyway, please don't forget to tell me how this one made you feel and what you think will happen next? (And for anyone who hasn't already, please consider leaving a follow and fave! I stayed up until midnight several times trying to finish this)
Also, tune in next time to see the introduction of the second major Nitherian faction in this series: The Genish GIC!