The admiral was unlikely to be thrilled about having a "watchdog" assigned to his operation, especially one who had started his career in a rival branch and happened to be the son of one of that branch's senior officers.
Should I play the role of the eager student seeking to bask in the wisdom of a great master?
First, there was no guarantee he'd believe it. Second, I'd have to hand command of my squadron over to him, and that was out of the question for reasons that should be obvious. A concession like that would destroy my reputation and leave me with the image of a sycophant who had acquired all his honors through means best left unstated.
That left only the neutral jing—the art of doing nothing.
The squadron would keep its distance from the main force, either screening the rear or operating ahead of it. As for me, I'd have to invite myself aboard the esteemed admiral's flagship and, with every proper courtesy, subtly suggest that the Fire Lord was so invested in the success of this operation that he had sent his own watchdog to the Pole.
Once the key issues had been settled, we moved on to the details and practical concerns: who would follow whom, reporting structures, supply routes, inventory counts, reserve calculations.
By the time I finally returned to the quarters assigned to me, it was already night. Mentally drained and utterly exhausted, I collapsed face-first into my pillow and immediately passed out.
For the first time in a long while during our travels together, Suki stayed in the common barracks with the other Kyoshi Warriors instead of joining me. At that particular moment, however, I simply didn't have the energy to care.
Sleeeep.
***
Two days later, the Western Fleet admiral's squadron arrived.
Fifty cruisers, a hundred frigates, several dozen transport barges and landing ships. The only thing present in relatively small numbers were reconnaissance raiders, though nobody ever bothered counting those. In any case, the newly arrived vessels completely filled the harbor of Yu Dao and the surrounding waters.
The admiral himself arrived aboard a massive battleship with an enormous command tower. Personally, I didn't think it was a particularly successful design, but if everyone else was happy with it, who was I to complain?
The leader of the operation disembarked and headed toward the harbor master, and beside him...
"Admiral Zhao, General Iroh." I bowed respectfully. "A pleasure to meet you in person."
"Commodore," the fleet commander replied, emphasizing my rank without even bothering with a nod. Iroh, meanwhile, gave a slight bow and waved amiably. "Chan... I've heard about you."
"Really? I hope only good things?" Yeah, there was absolutely no chance of friendship or mutual understanding between us.
"They say you've devoted considerable effort to fighting pirates. Unfortunately, experience shows there are still far too many of them in our waters. General Iroh's ship was destroyed by one such gang. The prince Zuko perished along with it."
What?! Zuko was dead? How? Where had I interfered with the canon enough for that to happen? And the ship had been destroyed...
Something wasn't right here.
Besides, the grin on Zhao's face looked a little too satisfied. Granted, he might simply have been enjoying a golden opportunity to rub my nose in shit, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
"You have my condolences, General. But... despite this loss, may I ask how exactly that happened?"
"They infiltrated the ship during the night and planted blasting resin charges near the powder magazine," the Dragon replied sadly.
That was the moment my brain came to a screeching halt.
"So let me get this straight. A group of pirates managed to sneak aboard unnoticed. They were skilled enough to smuggle at least a barrel's worth of explosives onto the ship. And instead of capturing the vessel or taking the crew hostage and stealing it, they simply... blew it up?"
"We..." Iroh hesitated slightly. "Had occasion to work with them in the past, and we did not part on particularly friendly terms. It was revenge."
"With all due respect, General," I said carefully, keeping my voice under control, "I've seen enough of that breed. They'll sell their own mothers for an extra copper piece. As for giving up a raider that had practically fallen into their hands... they would only do that if someone paid them more for destroying it than it was worth intact."
"Now, now, Commodore, you overestimate that rabble." Zhao dismissed the notion with a contemptuous wave. "I've dealt with them far longer than you have. Believe me, if they feel insulted, there's nothing they won't do."
His tone remained dismissive, yet to my ears he sounded just a little too insistent.
"Even so, I would ask you, General Iroh, to provide a description of these pirates. Perhaps I'll be able to track them down and determine whether this was truly their own initiative, or whether someone decided to arrange an assassination attempt against a member of the royal family."
"You see conspiracies everywhere, Commodore?" Zhao drawled, his lips curling into a patronizing smile.
"That is the duty of a Herald, Admiral," I replied, deliberately emphasizing the rank. "To see conspiracies and ensure that even the Fire Lord's most loyal and exemplary servants... do not stumble."
Zhao immediately bristled.
The implication had been anything but subtle, and whatever else the admiral might have been, he was not an idiot. Arrogant? Certainly. Possessed of an oversized ego? Without question. But not an idiot.
"Gentlemen, perhaps we should go have some tea?" Iroh suggested. "The journey was tiring, and the wait clearly caused its share of trouble. Tea, on the other hand, is excellent for relieving fatigue."
Just like that, he defused the situation in his own inimitable manner—that of a slightly eccentric connoisseur of herbal infusions.
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰