Interlude: The Battle of Seonan City

Seonan City was on fire. At least, parts of it were and that was something that Commodore Shun of the Waegu Pirates had never believed capable of happening. His predecessors, Scorching Goro and Olikpok of the Black Ice had built up the Waegu Archipelago as a minor regional powerhouse and a stronghold of Piracy, capable of fielding armies and fleets of their own. True, the armies and fleets wouldn't be considered more than a couple of regiments and squadrons by any of the Combatants fighting over the Jade-Gold Throne, but it was a lot more than most would-be independents had.

Of course, that recruitment had been hindered by the outlying islands misreporting a certain number of men and women from the census rolls in order to hide them from conscription and impressment, but Shun had allowed them that much for the simple reason that even with the men they were holding back, the Waegu Pirates still had the advantage. After all, the benders in the archipelago were concentrated in their ranks, which gave them the advantage over any popular uprising and the islanders knew it. So long as forces outside the Archipelago were more concerned with their war in the Earth Kingdom, the Waegu Pirates would remain in power.

And then, some idiots had tried to attack the Ship bearing the Fire Nation's Crown Prince in order to collect the bounty promised by the Earth Kingdom on the Steambender he was rumored to be traveling with. That had caused a chain of events, whereby not only did the Outer Isles rise up in revolt, but several Mercenary Companies had thrown in with the rebels and all of those angry peasants and revolting mercenaries now had the Fire Nation's famed Dragon of the West leading them!

Honestly, if the Captains of the Vessels that had attacked that ship hadn't been slain in the fight, Shun would have had them executed on principle! Idiots like that had no place amongst his men and this was the reason why. They brought nothing but ruin to their endeavors. From the great, towering, edifice of yellow stone that formed the Commodore's Citadel in Seonan City, Commodore Shun could see that the entire City had almost been overrun.

"What of Song Cai, has he answered my summons to send forces?" Questioned Commodore Shun.

"Last reports placed the Hayansaeg Fortress under attack. That was earlier this morning. Gimi Port may have already fallen." Answered his Chancellor, Moto of the Fiery Hand, rubbing his bald head.

Moto had been an apprentice Fire Sage before leaving that priesthood in search of adventure, signing on with a Corsair Crew as he did so. The Old Man had still kept up the habit of shaving his head all these years later. It had been several decades since then, and Moto had visibly aged, his goatee going gray, yet he never let the hair on his head grow much before shaving it, even though he still had hair on his head to shave. It appeared that the invasion had altered his priorities and he needed to shave again.

The Old Firebender was one of four Benders that resided in the Commodore's Fortress, the others being his son, Shun Jing, an Earthbender like Commodore Shun was, and Nini of the Ice Spines, a Waterbender of the Northern Water Tribe who learned combat bending in secret and was banished for it. Both Moto and Nini came to him from pirate crews that he'd absorbed into the Waegu Pirates.

"I see. Where are my son and Nini?" Queried Commodore Shun.

"Nini is holding the gates to the Citadel below. As for your son, you ordered Jing to move out of Seonan City the moment you heard the Dragon of the West was on his way. I have arranged for him to withdraw along with a good portion of the treasury's Ryo to the port of Swel-habeo via Geomjeong Citadel, once at the Northern Port, a ship will take him Northwest to Agna Qel'a. He should be able to purchase a new identity there." Informed Moto.

"Nini won't last long against the Dragon of the West. She's tricky, but not very powerful. Her uncle's tricks with Black Ice won't be of much help there." Mused Commodore Shun.

"What are you thinking?" Asked Moto.

"Bring me my armor and suit up yourself as well. I'm thinking we'll both have to fight before this day is over." Intoned Commodore Shun.

"Of course." Nodded Moto.

As the Old Firebender left to do just that, Commodore Shun watched as the last pockets of resistance against the invaders and rebels in Seonan City Proper, the Barracks for the Seonan City Guard, fell, assaulted by multiple Firebenders. He began to don his armor as the Guard Barracks burned to the ground. The Commodore's Armor was patterned on the Mountain Scale Armor of the Earth Kingdom's Heavy Troops with the added benefit of having bits of jade sewn into the lining so that his signature Earthbending Techniques might be used to enhance his movements. His Jian was likewise studded with jade, allowing for similar maneuvers.

As he finished cinching on his armor, he grabbed his Jian and headed down the stairs from the top floor of the Citadel. In this, he was joined by Moto, who had put on the older Clan Armor he had worn during his youth as a member of the Sukhothai Clan. The Sukhothai were well-known metalsmiths and warriors, descended from Lord Naret of the ancient Sun Warrior Kingdom. In fact, Sukhothai Armor was considered good enough to form the basis of the armor for the Fire Nation Military.

Only the Royal and Noble House Troops kept their own styles of armor as a way to distinguish themselves. The Royal House Troops were armored in the Royal Ryu Clan's Gusoku Lamellar Armor, while other clans had varying styles, from the Lamellar Tunics and Pot-like Helms of the Saowon Clan to the elaborately decorated reinforced leather armor of the Sei'naka Clan. Of course, Vassal and Puppet Troops also wore their own armor, if they were considered loyal enough. The Yonbanjin Warriors of Nagai Island had their long lamellar and hide tunics while the Lingchen Guard had their Cord and Plaque Armor and Painted Shields.

None of that was on display as Commodore Shun made his way down to the gates, Moto in tow. Instead, the vast majority of troops here had Earth Kingdom Style Brigandines, with a few sporting Northern Water Tribe Furs. Nini was among the latter, directing forces to bolster the gates as best she could.

"Thick beams, soaked as much as you can get them! We're facing Firebenders, after all!" Intoned the Scarred, Tatooed, Waterbender.

"I'm not certain that will matter with the Dragon of the West in command of the Enemy." Offered Moto.

"Do you have a better idea?" Demanded Nini.

"Offer negotiations? Perhaps we might yet buy time for reinforcements from Geomjeong Citadel to break through the enemy lines by drawing out potential negotiations?" Suggested Moto.

"When the enemy is already at our doorstep? You're dreaming, Old Man!" Retorted Nini.

A hissing sound drew their attention to the Gates as steam began to sizzle off of the wet wood of the Citadel Gates. That steam was soon followed by smoke, and the smoke was followed by fires as the enemy burned through the thick, thoroughly soaked through, wood of the gates.

"I think it is long past time for any such strategies. Prepare yourselves!" Commanded Commodore Shun.

That brought Nini and Moto up short, falling into step next to Commodore Shun, while the Citadel Guard took up positions on the gallery and in the entrance hall. Some were ready to fire down from the Gallery with crossbows or compound bows, while the others would back up the benders in melee, armed with whatever weapons they favored. Unlike many of his captains, Commodore Shun never saw the need to impose uniformity on his forces. Why bother drilling them all in weapons they'd have to learn from scratch when they already had skills with their own weaponry?

As the gates collapsed inward, burned through entirely by the power of the Dragon of the West, a few crossbow bolts let fly into the smoke. Shun wasn't the best at it, but he had learned the Sense of the Badgermole Technique and could feel things out in darkness or with obscured vision via the minute tremors in the ground and even currents in the air to a far more limited extent. His Tremorsense told him that several of those bolts had been cut out of the air, while others had shattered off heavy armor. Commodore Shun's eyes widened as he felt a quartet of Firebenders step into the smoke-filled area and take a stance.

Commodore Shun barely had time to stomp the ground and raise a small stone wall out of the flagstones of the floor before a massive wave of fire belched forth from the smoke. His wall protected him, Nini, and Moto, along with any of the Citadel Guard behind him, but that was it. Many of the guards to the sides of the wall burned to death, screaming silently in agony as the heat robbed their lungs of air and boiled their flesh.

Commodore Shun had no time to consider that, however as the enemy charged in, taking advantage of the depleted ranks of the Citadel Guard. His eyes alighted on two combatants, one the grizzled, bearded, form of the Dragon of the West, the other the scarred, young, Dual Dao-wielding, form of Crown Prince Zuko. He only had a split second to choose his target, as Nini was already trading icicles against a pair of Firebenders in the Armor of the Fire Nation Military. He chose to attack the Prince. After all, this whole debacle had begun with an attack on Prince Zuko.

Who was to say it couldn't end with one too?

XXXX

Zuko had been having a fairly easy time of things so far in this battle. Honestly, fighting like this was a lot easier than the administrative and logistics stuff that Uncle had him doing in camp. He'd even managed to lead an assault on two of the strongpoints that had been built into Seonan City around the Seonan City Prison and the Seonan City Armory. He'd fought his way through both without encountering any Benders, but Uncle had assured him that there were a few of those still left in the Pirate Ranks, including their commodore.

Now, they'd finished taking Seonan City and had moved onto the giant tower of yellow stone that served at the Commodore's Citadel. It was effectively a single Keep Tower. Five floors tall made out of yellow stone. Zuko had thought they'd have to fight their way up through each floor like the heroes did in various plays. The main antagonist always waited on the top floor for the heroes' arrival in those. He should have realized that real life was no play. Commodore Shun had brought out his remaining benders to fight as soon as they'd breached the gates.

Fortunately, they had more benders than just he and Uncle to deal with things. Two of the Ship's Marine Sergeants, Sergeant Kyo and Sergeant Gai, had rushed forward to engage the enemy Waterbender. That meant that either Zuko would be fighting the Commodore or fighting the Older Firebender who looked to be Uncle's Age. Zuko just had to pick one. Unfortunately, the enemy wasn't content to wait to let him decide.

Commodore Shun launched himself over the wall he'd made to block their group flamethrower tactic and landed in front of him, striking out with his Jian impossibly fast. Zuko barely put up his Dao blades in time to block and the blow felt like it had been struck by a hammer. Zuko was sent reeling backward as Commodore Shun stomped the ground, throwing up a melon-sized boulder and kicking it at Zuko. Zuko was forced to fall flat on his back to allow the Boulder to sail overhead harmlessly, kipping up to his feet and launching into a jumping spin kick that sent a horizontal arc of flame at Commodore Shun. The Commodore dodged with preternatural speed, though, sliding under the flame arc and lunging at Zuko with an impossibly fast and powerful thrust of his Jian. Zuko was forced to give ground in the face of the assault.

"Heh, not bad for a Kid, but you've still got a ways to go before you can beat me! What, did your royal tutors never stop wiping your ass long enough for you to learn more advanced forms?" Sneered Commodore Shun.

"You're one to talk! You're cheating by using your bending on yourself!" Spat Zuko.

"I'm supposed to cheat, Kid. I'm a Pirate! Didn't they ever teach you about how the world works outside your palace?" Taunted Commodore Shun.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" Snarled Zuko.

"Maybe, maybe not. You certainly aren't experienced enough to tell when I'm bluffing! I'll bet if it weren't for that scar there boiling it away, that topknot would still be wet from the womb!" Pressed Commodore Shun.

That made Zuko's blood boil. To make such insinuations and references to his Mother and then point to his scar like that? He had to know something about the events of Zuko's childhood, though Zuko had no idea how he'd know. Why else would that be the taunt he went with if he weren't taunting Zuko about his family and holding supposedly secret knowledge over his head at the same time? It would be what Azula would have done in this circumstance, and really what was Azula if not a bloodthirsty pirate in a royal princess' body? That thought only made Zuko even angrier.

"Prince Zuko! Get a grip on your anger! He is trying to get a rise out of you! Don't let him use your fire against you!" Snapped Uncle's voice, cutting through the red haze.

"Moto! Deal with the Dragon of the West!" Barked Commodore Shun, annoyed.

From that annoyed tone alone, Zuko knew that Uncle had been right. He took a deep breath and got his breathing under control, banking the fire of yang inside him and controlling it before it burned him up inside enough for him to make a mistake. The Yin energies of Self-Doubt had crept into his internal flame and it would have only been a matter of time before he called on the flame inside him and found it either too much to control or too little to do anything with.

It was actually a pretty standard tactic for fighting Firebenders. Rile them up so that they defeat themselves. A competent Firebender should have enough control over his inner flame to avoid it, but it had always managed to work on Zuko. Likely the reason that Azula had kept taunting him back when he still had his honor and was living in the Palace. She always knew the right levers to pull for that. This Pirate was no Azula, though, and Zuko saw now that the man had struck out blindly for anything that might work and found a few of the right levers completely by accident.

"Nice try. You're not as good at that sort of thing as my sister." Growled Zuko.

"Negative Jing in a Firebending Royal? I suppose the Spirits must have a sense of humor sometimes." Snorted Commodore Shun.

"Still, you might have touched a nerve there, so now I'm going to make you pay for it." Challenged Prince Zuko.

"All right, Little Prince. Show me what you've got!" Smirked Commodore Shun.

Zuko charged forward Dao out and striking and forcing Commodore Shun to dodge backward. The Commodore used his bending to enhance the speed of his movements, sure that Zuko couldn't match him. Commodore Shun even barked out a laugh as he sped backward. When Zuko ignited a Flamecharge behind him to keep pace, however, Commodore Shun wasn't laughing anymore. A bit of superheating of his Dao that Zuko had cribbed off of Bikki during training even managed to carve through the milder steel of Commodore Shun's Jian, riddled as it was with jade dust imperfections.

Commodore Shun's laugh turned fully into a scowl then, as the fight continued in earnest. . .

XXXX

General Iroh frowned as the other Firebender squared off against him. He couldn't quite place it, but he swore he'd seen this man somewhere before. The name was vaguely familiar, but Iroh couldn't quite place it or the face. He puzzled on the conundrum before him as they tested each other's defenses. It was driving him crazy and not in a good way, either, like the kind that certain ladies sometimes still did, even at his age. He was going to need to figure this out before this bout ended or it would continue to bug him for weeks.

Iroh ducked a Flame Jet that had been punched out at him and shoulder rolled under an arc of fire that had been lashed out at him with a roundhouse kick. He got to his feet as his opponent shoved two fingers lined in fire at his throat, parrying the Flame Knife at the wrist before striking out with an open palm thrust to the breastplate of his Opponent's Armor that slammed his Opponent backward.

Iroh gazed over at his downed Opponent. That was Sukhothai Clan Armor, and not the mass-produced, modified, stuff they used for the Military. Actual Sukhothai Clan Armor. Iroh recalled the last time he was on Song Khwae Island. It had been a few years back when he'd been acting as River Navy Commissioner. It had been one of the various jobs that Ozai had given him after his retirement from front-line service, something to keep him busy away from the Capital. He'd been there to inspect the River Gunships on the two rivers that gave Song Kwhae Island its name. The Sukhothai had their capital on Song Khwae and he'd met them all, but he didn't remember anyone named Moto on that visit.

As he reminisced, his opponent clamored back to his feet. He growled low in his throat and fired off another Jet of flame that forced Iroh out of his musing, but only for a brief moment. Just enough to dodge the Jet of Flame and leap over the Flame Lash that his Opponent created and then swiped through the area where Iroh had previously been standing with a spinning backfist motion. Iroh touched down near his Opponent, who cut off his flame lash and struck at Iroh with a blazing punch, fist enveloped in flames. Iroh dodged the punch by a hair's breadth, literally, the heat from the flaming punch passed by close enough to curl some of his whiskers. A powerful elbow strike to his Opponent's exposed armpit was enough to put paid to that, however, sending the Man crashing to the ground.

The flaming fist jogged something in Iroh's memory, however. Hadn't there been a novice Fire Sage a little over forty years back who had left the Order just before graduating to the position of Sage and won several Agni Kais with that specific technique? His opponent had clearly been shaving his head, even though he had obviously not had the opportunity to continue doing so with the invasion on. That was a habit he could have picked up during his time in the Temple. That Ex-Novice had been from Song Khwae as well, hadn't he? Iroh thought he had been, at any rate.

As he thought some more on it, his Opponent once more stood up, and once more lashed out at Iroh, this time creating a pressurize fire bomb in the palm of his hand and leaping for the Dragon of the West. This, Iroh dodged to the side away from at the last second, allowing the fire bomb to smash through the exterior wall of the Citadel, breaking through a stone wall that was close to three Earth Kingdom Zhang thick. That was some impressive power and skill, but it wasn't used well enough to beat Iroh, who rushed back into melee range, ducked another blazing fist, and snatched up his Opponent's arm in a joint lock, bending it back till it snapped before tossing his Opponent to the ground.

As his Opponent lay there, clutching his arm, General Iroh resolved to ask him the question that had been percolating in the back of his mind for the entire bout.

"Are you the same Moto who made a name for himself fighting Agni Kais after leaving the Fire Sages? Moto of the Fiery Hand?" Questioned Iroh.

"I am. I am honored the Dragon of the West remembers me." Huffed Iroh's Opponent, Moto.

"It is hard to forget the only man of my Generation to leave the Fire Sages' Temple in search of glory and not find it on the Front Lines." Mused General Iroh.

As he said that, however, the Enemy Waterbender seemed to have finally run out of steam. She had managed to punch through Sergeant Kyo's shoulder with an icicle after tripping him up with a hidden patch of Ice on the Floor, but Sergeant Gai had managed to pin her down in a corner and blast through the wall of ice she'd put between then. Sergeant Gai's blade was now at the Enemy Waterbender's Throat as she tried to stab him with an icicle. He turned to take the icicle on his breastplate, shattering the makeshift dagger against the steel and cutting the Enemy Waterbender's throat at the same time. Then he moved to help Sergeant Kyo.

Looking down at Moto, Iroh said, "You fought well, but it appears that your side is losing. You should surrender. A Firebender of your caliber will be needed to teach the next generation."

"What could I teach the youth that they would listen to? I've spent too long as an aide to the Commodore." Huffed Moto.

"I think you will find that the majority of Islanders are more willing to accept those whose faces were shown publicly as the perpetrators and leave others alone. I am told that Sialuk of Mokjang made a similar deal for any Waterbenders, once she regained consciousness after taking arrows to the legs and arms, in exchange for being healed of her wounds." Informed Iroh.

"Sialuk did so?" Queried Moto.

"That was what the reports indicated." Nodded Iroh.

"Then I surrender on those same terms." Agreed Moto.

And just like that, only the Commodore remained. Iroh beckoned Sergeant Gai over to keep watch over Moto while Sergeant Kyo returned to the rear and the Red Banner Roughnecks helped the Sun Warriors in pushing the remaining Citadel Guards up the stairs onto the second level. For his part, Iroh would watch his Nephew's bout against the Commodore. He would intervene if it became necessary, but he didn't think it would.

Prince Zuko looked to be winning at the moment, after all, and once the initiative was seized, it was not in a Firebender's nature to give it up. . .

XXXX

Zuko dashed forward once again, ducking another flying boulder and dodged the spike of rock that Commodore Shun forced out of the ground at an angle in front of him. He spun around the spike of stone, avoiding being impaled, and slashed out with his Superheated Dao at the same time, slicing through another boulder that Commodore Shun had sent at him. Zuko leaped up, avoiding the sudden pit that opened up underneath him, launching a lash of flame that trailed down from his axe kick at Commodore Shun.

The Commodore was forced to put up a rock dome around himself to block the flame lash, raising his shield out of the flagstones of the Citadel's Floor. As Zuko landed, Shun kicked out in a front thrust kick, launching part of the Dome at him and forcing Zuko to once again leap up and over the projectile. He landed next to Commodore Shun, who lashed out with a fist enhanced by the jade in his bracer and smashed Zuko right in the face.

Zuko's nose was smashed flat against his face from the hammer blow, even as his good eye suffered a bruised orbital bone. This didn't happen before Zuko cut out with his Superheated Dao, cutting the leather of Commodore Shun's Bracers and laying open his arm to the bone, though. Zuko may have taken a crushing wound that he would need to see Doctor Sesi to heal up, and that would be unpleasant, but he grinned at the fact that he'd hurt his opponent much more.

With a shout, Commodore Shun lashed out with his remaining arm along with his legs, going through a whirling series of punches and kicks, stomps and elbows. He ripped stone after stone out of the ceiling, floor, and walls throwing them at Zuko in a barrage more reminiscent of a battery of siege weapons than a lone bender. As Zuko dodged, ducked, dipped, and dove for all he was worth, it seemed almost as if the Commodore was willing to bring the entire Citadel crumbling down just to have enough ammunition to smash him!

Eventually, Zuko did get clipped by a stone. A melon-sized rock pulled out of one of the exterior walls caught Zuko in the pauldron, denting the steel and dislocating his left shoulder. Zuko lost his grip on his left hand Dao accordingly but used the momentum of being spun around by the rock to launch a blazing lash of flame at Commodore Shun. The lash of flame was as thick around as the mast of a Water Tribe Cutter ship and burned with a white-hot intensity toward Commodore Shun. For his part, Commodore Shun had gotten tunnel vision and was in the middle of pulling another boulder out of the exterior wall and whipping it at Zuko.

Both attacks hit at the same time. Commodore Shun's stone slammed into Zuko's Breastplate, cracking a few of his Ribs but only wounding him. Zuko's flame lash, on the other hand, melted through Commodore Shun's armor and burned its way through his torso, literally sawing the Commodore in half. Commodore Shun fell, top half going in one direction, bottom half collapsing in another. Zuko, meanwhile, grimaced as he forced himself to sit up. Uncle was suddenly right there next to him.

"Prince Zuko, don't move. We must take you to see Doctor Sesi right away!" Insisted Uncle.

"Got him, though." Grunted Zuko.

"Yes, you did. Rest now, Prince Zuko. When you wake, the battle will be over." Intoned Uncle before pressing the Chi Point in the middle of Zuko's Forehead.

Zuko was out like a light, knocked unconscious by the Chi-blocking technique his Uncle had used to knock him out. His last thought was that Uncle hadn't had to do that to him since the night after his mother had disappeared. When he woke up hours later, he found his wounds were bandaged and the battle was indeed over.

They had, of course, won. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's how the Invasion ended. Zuko gets the credit for the defeat of Commodore Shun and the Waegu Pirates and gets a bunch of the credit for conquering the Waegu Archipelago. He also picks up a bunch of skills necessary for managing an army and planning a campaign, two things Iroh was trying to teach him during all this.

At the same time, the Waegu Archipelago, now the Waegu Protectorate, is going to swear fealty directly to Zuko. They also have been just starting to see newbie Earthbenders, Firebenders, and Waterbenders crop up amongst the population after around a hundred years of population mixing. You tend to see that happen in places that have established mixed populations after a few generations. Fortunately, between Moto, Song Wei, and the recently mentioned Sialuk, the Protectorate has some teaching capacity.

There are some Colonies of the Fire Nation that have had that happen with Earthbenders and Firebenders cropping up amongst the colonial populations in the last few years. In those cases, the Firebenders tend to get conscripted, while the Earthbenders tend to flee to various rebel groups or, if the colony is close enough to Earth Kingdom Held Territory, flee across the lines. Not always, though, and in some of the Older Colonies, like the ones that would eventually become Republic City, there's a small number of Earthbenders who work for the Fire Nation Colonial Authority. They don't tend to get used on the front lines, because they aren't viewed as reliable, but do get used in building and infrastructure projects.

You don't see any Airbenders, though, even though there's a non-bending population of them in certain Colonies and Protectorates. The reason for that is simple. The Spirits won't allow it until the Balance is restored. The Spirits don't want to take the chance that the Fire Nation can grab a loyal force of Airbenders in their older Colonies like they did with Earthbenders.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the aftermath of the invasion.

Stay tuned. . .