Junior Lieutenant Zhao

I had never been demoted before. I committed my life to the Fire Nation armed forces when I was 18, being admitted into the Sozin Naval Academy by grace of my natural abilities and my family's influential role in the capital's administration. I graduated at 22, top of my class, a certified firebending prodigy. I was sectioned aside however before I could join the navy, hand chosen by a master, Jeong Jeong. He taught me for 8 more years while I continued my studies. He encouraged me to not focus only on the material side of war, but the spiritual as well. I listened to him. After those 8 years, when I was 30, having served a tour of duty in the Earth Kingdom in the army, I was a certified firebending master, and because of this, I was told I could have nearly any station I wanted. I could've been in the army, the up and coming air force, Azulon's personal guard even, but I chose the navy. I had always had a natural affinity for naval warfare. While I always aced my tactics exams, stomping over the competition at war games, and had even proved my ability to lead in the Earth Kingdom, it was the Navy where my true talents lied.

When I was 31, I was assigned to the Western Armada. And that was where my luck ran out. I was a career officer, you see. Got to where I was because of education rather than experience like many of the people I served beside. Made them spiteful towards me. Jealous even. I am 39. The longest a navy man can go without being considered for promotion is 8 years. I happened to be serving under an officer that, much like many of my associates, despised how I rose to my position. I was hoping that, by the end of this year of my service, my consideration would finally go through to higher command, and my record would speak to itself. I would be reassigned, transferred, put with a commander who would appreciate my talents. But one day ago, I took the greatest risk of my career. And I was now booted down to Junior Lieutenant.

Now, I was stationed aboard the Ajax, but that didn't mean it had to be the end of me, or for my career. I tried reminding myself of that as I ran inspection on the artillery emplacements lining the deck of my new post, movingly cautiously about the deck of the ship that was engulfed in a heavy fog, reducing visibility to near nothing. It was tedious work, it was a complete and utter waste of my skills, but I had dug my own grave. I was here because of my own lack of caution. Because, while I may have been in the right, I didn't follow proper procedure. And procedure was everything. So I went about my tasks, dutifully, loyally, not cutting corners, inspecting every book and cranny of the artillery emplacements, finding the smallest flaws or errors to log. It wouldn't make me popular among the men. It wouldn't make me their friend. But I had no intention of being such. A day ago, I had been higher ranking than most of them. And I would be again soon. And in due time, I would have my own command.

After around 2 hours, I ascended the command structure of the Ajax, ascending its spiraling staircase until getting to the command deck. One of the greatest improvements of the newer ship models, staircases instead of ladders. In older destroyers, equipment and supplies had to be brought up to higher levels by way of pullies. Meals would have to be prepared in the kitchen in the command structure and eaten in the same room, as it was near impossible to transport meals between levels unless they were packaged.

I stood in front of the door to the bridge, no steward there to meet me and take the report from me to deliver to General Shu. I stood still for a moment, wondering what proper procedure in a time such as this when a steward wasn't present to take a message. My mind scanned over every military protocol I had been forced to memorize, made to recite at my graduation ceremony alongside the rest of my class. 3 had failed, and those same 3 were booted from the academy on the day they were set to graduate, 4 years put to waste.

That had been 17 years ago, and my memory was no longer as sharp as it had used to be. I considered leaving it on the floor by the door for the steward to pick up, but this was considered an important military document, and if it so happened was Shu was next to leave the bridge and was forced to bend over to pick it up himself-No. No. Screw it. I knocked. I waited, feeling sweat building on my forehead until the door finally opened, revealing his steward. I handed the message to him, looking inside the bridge to see the General, and the chief captains of the fleet, standing around the central table, examining a map laid across it. I could overhear what they were just finishing saying, "-being hidden by the fog." As much as I wanted to know what was going on, it wasn't my place, I turned to leave until I heard General Shu say, in a brusk manner, "Let him in."

The steward didn't take a moment to even question letting a subordinate such as me in, but obediently and briskly followed his master's commands, allowing me to enter.

"Junior Lieutenant" General Shu said, acknowledging my presence, relieving me to know he didn't think I was somebody else. Possibly somebody higher ranking much like the command structure in front of me: Captains Zilu, Kazek, Hai'zen, and Kodaz. All the same, despite my lower stature, he motioned me over to the table. I looked at the map. It was of the entirety of the Nip Sea, a row of Fire Nation cruiser figurines indicating the blockade, and multiple pins on the paper, indicating what?

"You were in command of the vessel that pursed the rogue vessel, the Patriot yesterday. Correct?"

He knew this already, but I wondered how he'd learned the name of the ship. Probably questioning the crew after I was reassigned to his ship. All the same, I answered in the manner that was expected of me. "Yes, sir."

"The report of the events indicates that, amidst the middle of your pursuit, you were thrown off course by what can only be identified as a 'freak weather event,' correct?"

I didn't mention my belief int the spirits being to blame, and solely responded with, "Yes, sir."

"And it was because of this that the report indicates the Patriot was able to escape. Correct?" This time, he didn't leave me time to answer, instead continuing by saying, "How can you be sure that the patriot as well wasn't caught in the same disaster as you and possibly even destroyed?"

"The Patriot, while we were slowly gaining ground on it, was out of the direct radius of the whirlpool that entrapped us. By the time we were able to escape, the rogue vessel was gone."

"How suddenly did this event occur?" asked captain Zilu. "Was there any way to anticipate that this storm would occur?"

"None, sir. It was a clear day. Our ship meteorologist hadn't anticipated anything along these lines."

There was a wave of silence that then passed over the room, culminating with Shu turning to his steward, saying, "Shut the door." The silence then continued until the metal door clanged shut, its locking mechanism securing it in place. I was beginning to feel tense all over again, but I kept my posture. Something important was going on here. And I had no intention of acting unaccordingly. Something that was especially hard to do when the room turned to me, and General Shu asked, "When you were bombarded by this supernatural event, did you observe anything abnormal, ethereal by any chance?"

I thought back to the face I observed in the center of that whirlpool just after my crew managed to steer us to safety. I thought back to how I swore never to talk about this until the time was right, for fear of being considered insane, but I had been asked a direct question, and the eyes of the war council were on me. And so I spoke, "When the FNS Zodiac had been caught by the whirlpool, we barely managed to escape. The event had taken us by so much surprise that we didn't know what was happening until it was almost too late. Fortunately, we managed to escape, and when we did, I managed to look into the eye of the maelstrom, and-" I was hesitant still to talk about what I saw. Talk about the other spirits that were not those relating to the sun or fire, or to Raava, was negatively looked upon in the Fire Nation. But this wasn't heresy that was at stake. This was about the enemy. And enemy we had to destroy. "And I believe I saw a face within the maelstrom."

The silence pervaded across the room as the member of the war council turned to each other, nodding, some murmuring in agreement.

"Junior Lieutenant," began General Shu. "We ask that whatever you hear in this room stays in this room. A failure to maintain anonymity could mean disastrous complications for the morale of the Western Armada. Do you understand what we are saying?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You are already aware of the rebels that have been harassing our operations in the northern Nip Sea, correct?"

"Yes, sir. They call themselves The Separatists of the Nip Sea."

Captain Kodaz scoffed, "They think giving themselves a fancy name will what? Legitimize their cause? Rally the masses?"

"No," General Shu said. "Victories, no matter how small, showing they can question our rule, is enough to do just that. An official name just comes with the territory?"

I was not quite sure what this had to do with their asking of me about the maelstrom from yesterday, but I knew the general, and that he never did anything without reason, so I let him answer my question uninterrupted before I could even ask it.

"You might be wondering why we haven't wiped them out yet. And why we're talking about some insurgents instead of what we called you in here for. The truth is, we believe these insurgents and recent atmospheric events to be connected in some way, shape, or form."

Jeong Jeong's words came back to me. All he used to tell me about the interconnectedness of our worlds. How the Fire Nation's actions have offended many of the spirits, and that, much like people, some spirits were more quick to action than others, and would punish those who offended them. "You believe the spirits to be aiding our enemy?"

General Shu looked at me, eyes squinting, "Who ever mentioned spirits?" No. No. It couldn't be that. There was no way that this entire thing was a god damn act to catch me in an act of heresy. I gulped, motionless, pausing. Then general Shu pointed to the map.

"Two weeks ago, SNS insurgents raided a weapons storehouse on the outskirts of Shibi. Our troops were able to catch them in the act. We pursued, but our men were enveloped in a strange fog that incapacitated them. When they awoke, the assailants had escaped." He moved his finger to a new spot. "10 days ago, one of our patrol skiffs identified a transport smuggling supplies across the sea. Once again, we pursued, but a rogue wave struck the patrol, leaving them marooned on the coast." He pointed to a new spot. 2 days ago, on the outskirts of Beisu, they ambushed one of our caravans and fled into the swamps. When we attempted to pursue, the vines and greenery engulfed our troops and our machinery. They barely escaped with their lives. And now just yesterday, a shock maelstrom out of nowhere, allowing you prey to escape." There was a pause in the room, just waiting for him to continue as the general scanned my face. "You weren't wrong to assume spirits, junior lieutenant. These events are too tied in. Too connected. Each and every time, they impair our operations, and aid in the escape of our enemies. Just today, as I sent our patrols to scan the coast, a heavy fog decided to wash over the entire sea. Visibility has been reduced to nothing. We do not believe these to be isolated events. You were correct in your outburst which I will forgive. We believe the spirit world to be acting contrary to our interests in the Nip sea, and we want to stop that."

Stop? The spirit world? But our realms. We lived in two different worlds.

"You have a question, junior lieutenant?"

I spoke, now being asked directly. "Sir. I don't exactly know how we could go about doing such a thing. Our worlds: the spiritual and the material. The whole idea is that we can't affect them, and-"

"And they can't affect us. But here they are breaking the rules. So why can't we?"

"General, why am I here?"

"We were going to send for you anyway, but luckily you came on your own volition. Thank you for the inspection by the way. I'll review it later."

"But why-"

"You were trained by Master Jeong Jeong in firebending, correct?"

"Yes, sir. He took me as his apprentice after I graduated from the Sozin naval academy."

"At the top of your class. Yes, we know all about that. Did Jeong Jeong ever teach you, instruct you in the ways of the spirit world. He had a reputation for being more spiritual than some other of our more 'zealous' teachers in that regard."

"Only some surface level teachings. Very minor things. He had a unique fascination with the power of water bending. Particularly its ability to heal wounds." One of his teachings I was less fond of. While waterbending could have been something that would have greatly aided our soldiers in the line of duty and saved many a Fire Nation life, the water tribes had turned against us when we attempted to civilize the Earth Kingdom. From that point, they had become the enemy, and I saw no need to entertain the culture of an enemy state. Something Jeong Jeong was more open to.

"Yes. That would explain a few things."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter. You were taught more about these manners, particularly in the spirit realm and the art of waterbending, than any of us sitting at this table. On normal occasion under The Ozai Initiative, what knowledge you'd possess would be considered heresy, but thankfully, we require this knowledge, making you the most qualified for what we have in mind."

"What is it that you have in mind?"

"We need you to find out how disengage the spirits from our affairs so we can finally occupy this sector."

He was serious. And I couldn't help but stutter at the implication I was the most qualified. I wasn't one to back down from an opportunity to prove myself, but that's because I knew my abilities. I was an expert soldier, a brilliant tactician, strategist, logistician, but a spirit guru? I'd only make a fool of myself. "Sirs, I can hardly consider myself the most qualified for this. This body makes up the leading council of the Western Armada. Surely, you can call to service whoever you need. One more qualified-"

"There are none more qualified. The Fire Sages are prohibited by law from engaging in military affairs. Something we can only hope Ozai will change, but for now, they're out of the picture."

"The Dragon of the West then. Iroh. I know he abandoned the Siege of Ba Sing Se, but he would jump on the chance to prove himself to his nation again."

"General Iroh has not been spotted for over 2 months. He returned to the Fire Nation with his men, swore fealty to his brother, then vanished. Ozai's scouts followed him, but none seem to have been able to pick up his trail."

"Then my old teacher. Jeong Jeong. You said it yourself that he was the one with these teachings. If you think I'm qualified, then he should be more than enough for this."

"We don't think that will be possible."

I paused. "Why not?"

Yet another excruciating silence filled the room. Was he dead? Had he died? Then General Shu finally spoke, "1 year ago, in preparation for the siege of Ba Sing Se, Jeong Jeong was dispatched to guide the 15th Armored Division to the occupied Earth Kingdom city known as Citadel. He did just that. That same night, he vanished. Nobody knew what to expect until, 1 and a half months ago, a Fire Nation convoy carrying munitions was destroyed by a group of assailants. A survivor confirmed the identity of its leader—your former master."

No. The word caught in my throat. No, he-he couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Jeong Jeong is to be marked as a deserter and a traitor to the state. He chose not to serve his nation, but to betray it. What will you choose?"

So many emotions broiled inside of me. Confusion, sadness, betrayal, but from them, one emotion, stronger than the rest burned hot. Hotter than the brightest flame. I remembered Jeong Jeong's teachings to me, of the power of fire, and its ability to corrupt he who used it. That power terrified him, and he betrayed his country out of his fear. But I wasn't a coward. I wasn't a traitor.

"Junior Lieutenant Zhao," General Shu asked. "Is there something you would like to ask?"

I had made up my mind. "Yes, sir." I turned to him. "How may I serve the Fire Nation?"