บท 28: A New Start
The 31st company is waiting outside of the beachhead of the Capital. Macai slowly steps toward his docked ship, when he sees Aiya waiting for him with a feather pen and a notepad. Macai smiles, "Aiya, how are things going?"
Aiya grins back, "They are going well, commander."
Macai asks, "What is the difference with my new title? Typically a commander has a fleet under their control. Even new commanders usually lead a small fleet."
Aiya responds, "You now have authority to direct other ships. I have been informed that several vessels will report to you. However, you will not lead a standard fleet. Admiral Kei has stated that you will periodically lead a small fleet of destroyers, much like the Prompt Adjudicator. As well as light cruisers and corvettes."
Destroyers are slightly smaller and faster cruisers that are used for quick attacks. Light cruisers are usually reserved for smaller battles or to support larger ships in battles. In this case, Macai's fleet would typically fight in smaller battles. While the Prompt Adjudicator is about 60 meters wide and 250 meters long; the average light cruiser is 40 meters wide and 180 meters long. Most Fire Nation corvettes are 20 meters wide and 80 meters long.
Unlike the Prompt Adjudicator, most Fire Nation destroyers and cruisers alike lack the Prompt Adjudicator's range and advanced telescope. The PA also has advanced engines that allow it to move faster than most destroyers and even light cruisers. However, many of the corvettes move faster than the Prompt Adjudicator.
Aiya: "In most cases, the other vessels will go on their own separate missions. In some cases, a captain will direct a small local fleet that will report to you on a smaller mission. Since our ship will usually be able to hold its own without assistance."
The average light cruiser is led by a second lieutenant with a first lieutenant as second-in-command. While the average corvette is led by a second lieutenant. Captain's typically command destroyers.
Aiya continues, "While several captains will be under your authority, you will have one personal captain who will serve with you and your crew at the Prompt Adjudicator. You know Hazo doesn't really count since he's more of an advisor."
Macai: "I know exactly who to choose." The next day, Macai is in the conference room of the Prompt Adjudicator on the stage. Several of his crew members are waiting for an announcement. Macai: "I have now chosen the captain of this vessel and my new right-hand man." Kett smiles, Kanna stares ahead with dreamy eyes, and Asad rests his right hand on his chin.
Macai steps aside and Rosh steps on the stage. Macai: "I present to you, Captain Rosh! My friend who has recently graduated from the Capital." The audience claps and Kett becomes red. Macai and Rosh step down the stage. Macai moves to greet his cronies. Macai walks toward Dade, Kanna, and Samira.
Macai: "I knew Rosh had been working hard at the Capital and I've been waiting for him to graduate. I knew he would make an excellent captain."
Kett confronts Macai, "Don't you think it would be better to pick someone with more experience?"
Macai counters, "I didn't have much experience when I was chosen as a captain and you went along with it."
Kett: "Yeah, but you had advanced training."
Rosh answers, "So did I."
Kett glances at Rosh, "Perhaps, but it would make more sense to choose someone who he has been working with on the battlefield. Who is used to his leadership style. All you've done is train at the Capital."
Rosh darts his eyes at Kett, "I know Macai very well, better than you."
Kett glares at Rosh, "I know him as an officer, not just a friend."
Rosh: "That's good to know, but this wasn't YOUR decision to make."
Kett looks back at Macai, "I thought you were different, but you're just like those other nobles." Kett exits the conference room.
Kanna looks back at Macai, "I'll talk to him." Kanna leaves.
Rosh quips, "Well, it looks like we're off to a great start."
Macai: "He can be difficult sometimes, but he'll come around."
Rosh matter-of-factly states, "He doesn't have much of a choice."
Dade: "You were a cool guy, I wish you the best. But now that I think about it, I've got to go check on my friend." Dade pats Rosh on the back then scurries out of the room.
Macai glances at Rosh, "You can still meet Sonna, Cosal, Rosier, Samira, Aiya, Ronin, and others." Sonna exits and follows Dade.
Samira smiles, "Well, I'm still here."
Cosal pats Rosh on his shoulder, "Nice to meet ya, pal. I teach you a few things about the battlefield and earning the trust of your men. Your friend Macai might also have some relevant advice since he had to earn the trust of his subordinates not so long ago."
While this is happening, Asad enters his office and two second-class lieutenants follow him in the room. Asad's room has maroon walls, a brown floor, and a sand-colored ceiling. The men sit at his table, which is light grey and wooden. Asad: "Can you believe this? Noble privilege at its finest."
Lieutenant one: "I agree. It's a real shame."
Asad: "What should be done about this?"
Lieutenant two: "Nothing, I say we wait and trust Macai. Let's see how he deals with this."
Asad: "Normally I would disagree, but the youngster has proven me wrong time and time again. So we will wait, but if they fail us then what?"
Lieutenant one: "Let's discuss those details if they fail. Because right now, doubting them could be traitorous. But if they turn out to be incompetent, Fire Nation Command will agree that it will be in our nation's best interest."
Asad responds, "Macai has proven himself to be competent. I'm not sure about his friend though."
Lieutenant one: "Depending on the severity of Rosh's blunders, it could also put Macai in jeopardy and compromise our entire unit. Second-in-command is a big position and it's nothing that can be taught in a class. This mistake may cost him dearly."
Asad: "We are no match for Macai in combat."
Lieutenant one: "Perhaps not, but if he fails. We could set them up to perish."
Asad: "It's honestly wishful thinking. If we fail, he will discover us."
Lieutenant two: "We will need to hold out and keep watch. Let's just see how Rosh performs first."
Asad: "I agree. But Macai should have given me that position."
Stationed Duty
The Prompt Adjudicator's next assignment is dull. The unit is stationed at the coastal desert town Hylune. The city has thin and tall sand-colored buildings. Making it different than many desert cities. Macai is standing outside of a building with his guards Ronin and Samira while several of his marines patrol the streets.
Ronin looks at Macai, "This was a former Earthkingdom territory, wasn't it?"
Macai: "Indeed."
Ronin: "Do you think we'll catch any resistance groups here?"
Macai: "There are currently no major signs of opposition in this city, but you never know."
Ronin: "I don't mind a boring mission. It's basically like R&R when we get off shift."
Macai: "Exactly. Dade, Kanna, and Rosh are off right now. But Rosh is getting a tour by Aiya of the ship. So I'd assume he's fairly busy."
Ronin: "I'm sure Aiya enjoys it. She loves showing people stuff and explaining things."
Macai: "I agree. I could see her doing the same stuff she does hereafter she retires."
Ronin: "But you never, sometimes people get sick of what they have done all their lives."
Macai: "Where are you from Ronin?"
Ronin: "A city called Beshall. It's a medium-sized municipality with vast plains and many diverse plants. Flower gardens are very common in Beshall. The entire city smells amazing. I can smell lavender, vanilla, cinnamon, and fruits everywhere I go. It truly is a blessed land."
Macai: "Sounds like it." The ground shakes and Macai hears a loud explosion on his right side. Macai: "What was that!" Samira readies her spear. Macai: "Come on!"
Ronin observes, "It might be a trap."
Macai responds, "It may be, but I won't leave my men at a vulnerable position." Macai and his guards advance. They move right of their position and notice two dead marines as well as one injured marine. Macai notices two marines behind him, "Go call a medic!" The marines search for a medical specialist.
Macai and his protectors meticulously advance toward the wounded marine. Macai looks up at the rooftop and notices one fire Nation marine swordsman over them on his right. Macai looks at his left and doesn't see a marine. Macai turns to as he sees a 31st swordman hiding under a wooden food booth, "What happened to the other guard!"
Marine swordsman, "I wasn't the first person here. I jumped on this rooftop when I heard the explosion. I was on guard duty another roof. I see an unconscious guard here, it was a spearman."
Macai: "Oh, I wonder who was on the other side. I remember having two guards at this position."
The injured marine shouts, "It was an archer! It was an archer, but she swooped on him too fast."
Macai: "Who swooped on him?!"
The injured marine shakes his head, "I don't know."
Macai: "What did she look like?" Two spinning blades fly into the chest of the rooftop marine.
Marine: "Ack!" Macai opens his mouth.
Ronin: "That's not good." One smoke grenade falls between the group. Smoke immediately flows around the trio.
Samira and Ronin get in their battle stances. Macai: "Assassins!" A woman with a mask hops two feet in front of Samira. Samira cannot clearly see the woman with the smoke. The woman quickly tosses two spinning blades at Samira. Samira rotates her blade and moves her hands as she swats the blades aside.
The woman lunges and kicks Samira in her chest. The female marine falls backward and slides in the sand. Ronin turns and faces the assassin. Another female assassin leaps behind Ronin. Ronin turns his head and the female assassin roundhouse kicks him in the face. Ronin falls unconscious, "Oof."
Macai raises an eyebrow as the smoke clears. The two female assassins slowly approach him. They both have tan skin and are built the same. They appear to be twins but are not identical. The one on the right has light green eyes and the one on the left has brown eyes. Macai also notices that the one on the right has dark brown hair and the one on the left has black hair.
Macai smiles, "Well, it was an impressive display, but it will get you nowhere. You both are about to be ambushed by a team of my warriors."
Assassin (left): "I'm afraid not."
Assassin (right): "A horde of goundo pigs is running across the side of your team. I don't know if you're familiar with those pigs but they are large brown pigs that are very aggressive and they constantly burp when threatened or startled. Their burps make troopers nauseous and cause them to pass out. Your Fire Nation forces are terrible at dealing with them and will have their hands tied."
Macai: "What about my officers and rooftop forces?"
Assassin (left): "We hired a few mercenaries to keep them busy."
Macai: "You really wanted to waste your money like that? They won't stop my marines."
Assassin (right) laughs, "They only need to buy us time to capture you."
Macai: "Capture? You'd be better off killing me while you can."
Assassin (left): "Someone has use of you under his custody."
Macai: "Well, tell him I said no thanks. I'm fine here."
Assassin (right): "That wasn't an offer."
Macai laughs, "Neither of you are a match for me. By the way, what are your names?" The assassins look at each other then look back at Macai. They enter their battle stances. The assassin on the left swiftly tosses a spinning blade at Macai's neck. Macai ducks then quickly rises.
Macai turns his arms and punches two volleys of white flames at the young woman. The assassin rolls forward and the assassin right of Macai leaps toward him. Macai looks right and sees the assassin across from him pull out a whip. The assassin diagonally swings her whip at Macai's face. The whip travels much faster than a sword, arrow, or spear.
Macai dips and can hear a crack in the wind as the whip flies over his head. The assassin right of Macai tosses two spinning blades at his body. Macai dives on the ground, "I thought you wanted me alive!" The assassin right of Macai extends her left hand and causes sand to wrap around Macai to suffocate him.
Macai thinks, She's a sandbender. Macai presses his hands on the ground then ignites his arms. Macai launches himself eight feet in the air through the sand then produces white fire from his feet to keep himself airborne. The assassin looks up.
Assassin (left): "Now what? I didn't know he could do that."
Assassin (right): "Just shut up and get him." The assassin on the right extends her right hand and fires a stream of sand at Macai. Macai presses both of his hands backward and launches himself five feet forward. Macai starts to descend then reactivates the flames from his feet to keep himself hovering above ground. Now Macai is a mere eight feet over his enemies.
Macai extends his left arm and fires three rapid white flames at the left assassin. The hunter dashes and evades the flames. The assassin on the right directs another beam of sand at Macai. Macai doses his flames and lands two feet left of the sandbender's position. The sandbender turns and fires a ray of sand at the marine officer.
Macai jumps ahead then the assassin swings her whip at Macai's neck. Macai spins left. The left assassin dives behind Macai and tosses two spinning blades at his back. Macai backflips behind the bounty hunter and the spinning blades fly towards her sister. The sister does a right cartwheel away from the spinning blades.
The left assassin rotates her body and swings a horizontal kick at the left side of Macai's face. Macai ducks and kicks the girl in her chest. The assassin slides five feet backward and her sister darts her eyes at Macai. Macai looks back at his opponent. The hit woman extends her left hand and fires a beam of sand at the commander's chest.
Macai extends his hands and hurls a white storm of fire into the stream of sand. The collective of flames begins to overpower the assassin's sand wave, so she leaps right to avoid being vaporized. Macai smacks his wrists together and creates a fire flare to blind his opponents. Both of the assassins look down to avoid being blinded and white smoke emits around Macai.
Macai leaps behind the assassin on the left and slams her head into the sand. The assassin on the right turns and notices him. She raises both of her hands and tosses a wave of sand at Macai. Macai charges and pulls both of his hands back. A steam of white fire flows behind the noble. As the stream moves closer, the extraordinary firebender presses his hands and generates a shield of flames around himself.
Macai sprints through the wave of sand with his shield of white fire before dousing it. The assassin swings her whip horizontally at Macai's neck. Macai ducks then the assassin swings vertically. Macai rolls right and sprints toward the assassin and tackles her. Macai slams his right fist into the young woman's face, knocking her out.
Kanna, Arret, and Cosal quickly sprint to Macai's position. Kanna: "Sorry we're late Macai. Some weird pigs got in our way and they knocked Cosal out."
Cosal gets defensive, "They didn't knock me out, they just made me uneasy."
Macai smiles, "It's ok Cosal. I've dealt with the assassins."
Meanwhile, Dade, Sonna, and a Firebender are walking outside across an alley. Dade notices several men in black uniforms running across a rooftop. Dade pokes Sonna, "Look, assassins!"
Sonna: "Let's follow them. Quickly get on a rooftop."
Firebender: "Isn't that the job of the rooftop guards?" Sonna ignores the firebender and starts climbing a later. The firebender reluctantly follows them. Sonna notices three mercenaries running. The archer takes aim and launches an arrow into the back of two of them. The last mercenary turns around and points an arrow at Sonna.
Sonna fires her arrow through the archer's neck. The firebender looks left of his position and notices another archer aiming at Sonna. Firebender: "Look out!" The firebender dives and pushes Sonna out of the way as an arrow is shot through his neck.
Dade: "Aww, well I'm glad he came along." The archer bolts another arrow at Dade's face. Dade swats the arrow aside with his sword. Sonna gets back on her feet and the archer retreats. Dade: "We have to find him!"
Sonna dismisses his request, "We have other forces that will intercept him. We need to move ahead and not run into a trap. Wait and prepare for his ambush. If he attacks, swat his arrows away. I'll check ahead and my right flank. So you watch my left and rear flank." Dade shakes his head.
Dade and Sonna leap on another rooftop and notice a team of marines fighting a team of mercenaries on a rootop a few buildings right of them. Sonna: "I think they are just a distinction."
Dade: "For what?"
Sonna: "Some sort of attack."
Dade: "Well, you can pick of the enemies from behind and support our enemies." Sonna prepares to take aim, but Dade notices three mercenaries leap behind them. The one on the left has a long sword, the one in the center has dual short swords, and the one on the right has a spear. Dade: "Sonna, we've got company."
Sonna tilts her head and notices the mercenaries. The spearman charges at Dade and lunges at his nose. Dade tilts his blade left and knocks the spear away from him. Dade charges at the assassin and the bounty hunter leaps backward then readjusts his staff.
The merc with a long sword charges toward Sonna and she rapidly unloads an arrow at his right leg. The mercenary swats the arrow aside. Sonna fires another arrow at the man's left shoulder, but the mercenary tilts his blade diagonally and deflects it. The merc moves closer and Sonna fires another arrow at the man's chest.
The merc deflects the arrow then vertically lunges at Sonna. The she rolls left, avoiding a near slash. Sonna swiftly rotates her bow and fires an arrow into the man's stomach. The swordsman falls off the building. Meanwhile, the swordsman with dual blades charges at Dade's left flank. The swordsman swings at Dade with two horizontal strikes.
Dade backpedals as he struggles to block the blows. The swordsman skips forward with a spinning diagonal attack. Dade slides right, away from the attack. Sonna readjusts her bow and pops an arrow at the swordsman's neck. The swordsman crosses his blades and blocks the projectile.
The merc spearman moves across the left flank toward Sonna. Sonna turns her bow and aims at the spearman. The swordsman with dual blades swings at Dade with another two diagonal attacks. Dade blocks the strikes by spinning his sword counterclockwise. Dade rotates his blade and lunges it into the swordsman's stomach. The male marine pulls his blade back and his enemy falls.
The spearman chucks his weapon at Sonna's chest. Sonna freezes but Dade tosses his sword into the spear, knocking both weapons off the rooftop. The spearman draws a dagger and Sonna propels an arrow into his neck. Sonna looks at Dade, "Thanks, Dade." Sonna hugs her friend.
The archer who retreated earlier emerges on Dade and Sonna's left flank. The archer immediately takes aim at them. Sonna pushes Dade aside and the archer points his bow at her. Kedo shoots a blazing arrow into the archer's neck from a distant rooftop.
Kedo salutes Dade and Sonna. Sonna gasps, knowing she almost got killed twice. The 31st regroups at the Capital and both of the assassins are tied up.
Kett stands between the assassins with two Fire Nation marines around him as they transport them to a cell. A few of the mercenary survivors are also rounded up and placed in separate cells.
A Fire Nation army captain docks at the city and enters the port. His name is Captain Zaire. Zaire has dark brown curly hair. yellow skin, dark brown eyes, thin shoulders, and pointy ears. Zaire meets Macai in his office. Macai is sitting in a seat on the right side of his desk and Rosh is sitting left of him. Captain Zaire: "Well done, Mr. Macai. Your unit has done a great job mopping up enemy forces."
Macai: "No, it was the doing of my new captain Rosh. He was in command of my forces, while I was busy fighting assassins and was cut off from the rest of my unit."
Captain Zaire: "Well done, Rosh. You have proved yourself."
Rosh grins, "Thanks Zaire. I'm just doing my job."
Zaire nods, "Yes, but I will take it from here. My unit and ship will patrol this area."
Macai: "Very well, do you know if command has another assignment for me?"
Captain Zaire: "I believe it does. I've heard they have a new big one for you and the forces under your command."
Macai asks, "By the way, do you know who those assassins were that I fought?"
Captain Zaire: "Yes, they are two infamous Earth Kingdom bounty hunters. They take several bounties from assassinations to capturing targets. One is a sandbender named Yula. Yula also likes to use a whip in combat."
Macai: "I noticed."
Captain Zaire explains, "The other throws spinning blades at her opponents and uses smoke grenades. Her name is Panteen and they are twins. I'm sure you also noticed that."
Macai: "I asked them their names and they wouldn't tell me."
Captain Zaire: "I don't blame them."
Macai: "Is there a name for the duo?"
Captain Zaire: "They call themselves, the Silent Sisters."
Macai: "Silent Sisters... I like that."
Captain Zaire nods, "Me too, it sounds catchy."
Macai smiles, "Goodbye, Captain Zaire. It has been a pleasure meeting you." Macai and Rosh shake Zaire's hand.
Captain Ziare: "Indeed it was. Safe travels."
Macai enters the Prompt Adjudicator and sets sail again with his unit. Captain Hazo enters Macai's chamber, "We have a new mission Macai."
Macai smiles, "What sort of mission this time?"
Captain Hazo: "Our forces want us to clear a beachhead. This one should be fun."
Macai nods, "That sounds like fun to me."
Captain Hazo: "It's the shores of Rongor. A vital Earth Kingdom military city and port. It will be heavily guarded. This is going to be a tough one."
Macai nods his head, "Well, it's just another challenge for the 31st. One that we will not shy away from." The Prompt Adjudicator sails off in the sunset.
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