"To begin with, the security of a certain oasis we all know about. Zhao brought an entire delegation there. While I trust my own men not to do anything foolish, it's much harder to predict what ideas might occur to some of his former subordinates. That's not even considering the fact that we have no way of knowing who the late admiral may have shared information about the fish with while preparing his 'brilliant' plan. I'd rather not have some not-too-bright but fanatically loyal avenger toss a barrel of blasting tar into the pond."
"You really think there's someone suicidal enough to do that?" Zuko asked in surprise.
"There are two infinite things in this world: the universe and human stupidity. And I'm not entirely sure about the universe. It's easier to be cautious now than to find ourselves desperately trying to figure out later how the Fire Nation—a predominantly island nation—is supposed to survive in a world with a deranged ocean.
"General, you have extensive experience both taking fortresses and defending them. I believe that experience will be invaluable. And I'm sure our 'new friends' among the waterbenders will understand the importance of assisting you in establishing defenses around their sanctuary."
And, incidentally, it would remind them exactly whose hands their "sacred animals" were currently in.
"Ho, that will be an interesting experience," Iroh chuckled. "I've never commanded waterbenders before. My first concern, I think, will be figuring out how to defend against the workers themselves."
"I have faith in you," I chuckled in return.
"And what am I supposed to do?" Zuko asked.
"There's no shortage of work. How would you feel about helping sort the spoils and inventory the arsenal? Understanding the principles of Fire Nation military logistics can only benefit you in the long run."
During my little speech, Iroh gave another brief nod. The exile noticed it and, after hesitating for appearance's sake, agreed.
With that settled, I could summon adjutants, assign them to the prince and the general, and get back to the problems of governing an occupied territory.
Let's see... what do we have here? Lists of those who distinguished themselves during the assault? Mm. Recommend them for decorations. Right, that can definitely wait. On the other hand, I still haven't seen the reports from the hospital and the healers.
Finishing the last of my tea in a couple of gulps, I buried myself in work once more.
Gods, I want a vacation again...
***
That night, several of the damned heroes managed to escape after all.
The moment I lay down and closed my eyes for what felt like a minute, I was already being shaken awake with reports that several prisoners had vanished and that one of the guard details had been found frozen into ice statues.
The pursuit sent after them while the trail was still fresh ran straight into cleverly concealed traps worthy of a professional sabotage campaign. Worse still, the bastards hadn't laid deadly traps. That might have caused some casualties, but it also would have infuriated our troops and made the pursuit even more determined. No, those fuckers had been smarter than that. Leg-breakers, cutting snares, and all manner of crippling obstacles.
After all, a corpse can be left behind and recovered later.
A bleeding comrade who can't walk has to be carried all the way back to camp.
To make matters worse, there was the darkness, unfamiliar terrain, and the blizzard that began in the latter half of the night, completely erasing the fugitives' tracks. The result: three dozen fishheads vanished into the darkness, leaving behind a dozen dead and nearly twenty wounded who were no longer combat-effective. You don't do much fighting with shattered legs.
Didn't I recently mention the Germans in Belarus in '42? Well then, congratulations, Chan. You've found yourself in a remarkably similar situation—and very much not on the side of the partisans.
And, naturally, you have no experience fighting partisans either. Even the scraps of "theory" I'd picked up from documentaries and historical films back in my first world were less than useless here.
For one thing, the local "partisans" had no need to maintain contact with the civilian population. The Water Tribe was accustomed to long journeys across the ice and to surviving on fishing expeditions, which meant they were perfectly capable of operating independently for weeks or even months.
Of course, there was always the universal strategy of terror: mass executions for every infraction and something bordering on genocide. But I'd rather avoid measures quite that extreme.
Hm.
All right. Since I didn't know what to do, I could always ask a seasoned general. Maybe he'd have some useful advice.
With those thoughts in mind, I headed off to find Iroh. If nothing else, his head could ache over this problem too.
The rest of the night, the two of us sat over some kind of invigorating brew. Sleep-deprived, exhausted, and very, very angry.
"The escape was clearly organized from outside," Iroh observed. "Our warriors had increased their vigilance where the prisoners were concerned, but an attack from the other direction caught them completely by surprise."
"No kidding. It's difficult to expect an attack from outside when you're sitting in the center of a captured city—especially when your fleet is anchored offshore." I was wound up tight enough that my tongue had become somewhat sharper than usual.
"Unfortunately, we underestimated the determination of the local people," Iroh replied, ignoring my sarcasm. "Besides, the last time we fought the Water Tribe in any serious capacity was back in my youth, and even then, the fighting took place at sea. Difficult in its own way, certainly, but as the saying goes, even walls lend their aid when you're at home... Though," the old man thoughtfully tugged at his beard, "considering that most of the walls here are made of ice, that saying may be true in a rather literal sense."
"Wonderful. So how do we defend ourselves against these 'walkers'?" When a bender is a prisoner, controlling him may be difficult, but it's still possible. But how were we supposed to deal with people who could move freely through an occupied city, completely disregarding cordons and patrols?
(End of Chapter)
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