Lieutenant Zhao

Our ship had been found 3 hours later by the FNS "Pathfinder" that had been sent out to try to discern what had happened to us. They found us dead in the sea, still taking on water, unveiling a new crippled system within the ship by the minute. Whatever the hell that storm had been, it did a number on us. The more I realized just how stranded we were, the more I came to realize how lucky we'd been to get out when we did. No. Not luck. Good leadership. If it had been Zain in charge, we'd be at the bottom of the Nip sea, half of us dead, the rest of us cramped in whatever air pocket we could find before giving up and trying to make a map dash for the surface-a swim we wouldn't live through.

I got us through this. The people on board had to recognize that. They had to. At least, that's what I was praying for in my head as, to our mutual surprise, it wasn't the Captain of the "Pathfinder" that boarded our crippled floating of scrap metal, but rather, the general himself. As acting captain of "The Zodiac," I had been the one to meet him as he strode on deck. I'd been ready to defend my actions to some lowly captain, but this, I hadn't yet synthesized the words on how to explain what had happened. That we'd lost the treasonous skiff, that we'd failed our chase, that we'd been stopped by a spirit. Who in the right mind would believe it? I wouldn't have.

I don't know what I'd been expecting. Perhaps to have been restrained, even detained aboard "The Pathfinder". While Section 3, Article 2 deemed what I'd done to have been lawful until proven guilty by a court, the execution was very much the opposite, and mutinying officers such as I would be detained and treated as a traitor until found innocent. I had thought of that when I made my choice, hoping my actions would speak for themselves. But now, our prey gone, escaped into the Nip Sea, and m only excuse being an attack from a spirit, I didn't much like my odds. I expected many things, but not for General Shu to push his first into my stomach, his steel gauntlet granting his assault extra strength as I fell from a full-attentive position to my knees, gagging on a regurgitating lunch trying to make its way back out, only for me to swallow it against my will in a fool's effort to retain what I could of my dignity in that moment despite having been pummeled by a senior officer.

"What in Raava's name did you think you were doing?"

I was still gagging on my own blood that was now intermingling with the vomit lining my throat, making a second attempt to come out once more. "Speak, damnit!" he said again when I failed to answer. "Explain your actions."

"I was." I coughed, interrupting myself as I attempted to struggle for air, "attempting to apprehend the crew, and possibly Earth Kingdom personnel, of a stolen Fire Nation vessel."

"In the process, running a friendly blockade."

"My ship was in the best position to pursue, already tailing it."

"You know protocol, Lieutenant. In an incident such as this, where a blockade closes in an untimely manner, approaching vessels are to evade the blockade to avoid any risk of friendly casualties. At that point, the nearest Fire Nation vessel will break off of the blockade to engage hostile vessels. It's protocol, soldier. Or do you only remember the ones that allow you to weasel your way to power."

I looked around the deck. All the rest were silent, none daring to speak to my defense. Not Izzo, not Zeera, and especially not Captain Zain who had just been liberated from captivity below by Shu's personal guard.

"I knew that I could make it through, and I didn't want any more ships disengaging from the blockade. Protocol also dictates that if vessels can avoid breaking off from a blockade however possible, they must."

"But not at the cost of Fire Nation lives, lieutenant Zhao."

"He doesn't care about Fire Nation lives!" bellowed Zain from where he was flanked by Shu's guards, who promptly had to restrain him as he tried to lunge forward at me. "He's only in it for his own gain."

"At least I acted while you-"

"Don't speak out of line, Lieutenant!"

"Ha!" laughed Zain from where he was being grabbed under the shoulders by two Fire Nation soldiers, nearly levitating the small man off the ground.

"The same goes for you, Captain. You're not out of the woods yourself. You have something to say, lieutenant? Then speak."

Thank you.

"Sir. I acted because Captain Zain refused to, despite the clear signs of enemy infiltration aboard the destroyer that passed through, intervene. He ignored any and all advising that the crew and I gave that pointed towards the fact that the vessel was stolen."

General Shu looked around now, towards the crew, asking, "Is this true? Did anybody else raise these complaints."

Damn it, Zeera. Speak!

"Sir!" she said. "Permission to speak?"

Finally. Took you long enough. But I guess that makes you the smarter one now, doesn't it?

"Granted."

"Both Lieutenant Zhao and I approached Captain Zain with our objections. Lieutenant Zhao noted that the ship was an outdated model and that there was no officially licensed nameplate aboard the vessel, but rather, merely a painted etch of the name. I made note of the nonstandard armaments aboard."

"Nonstandard armaments?"

"A 105-millimeter artillery gun. Manual by the looks of it."

"And your captain ignored these objections?"

"Not ignore, sir, but certainly not act on them either. He accepted the first explanation that the vessel's crew gave, as though trying to evade conflict."

"You lying whore!" The captain yelled.

"Strike him!" Shu ordered the guards, followed by the one on the right, while maintaining his grip on Zain's right shoulder, twisted his torso to land a good punch in Zain's stomach with an ungloved fist.

I wanted to speak, but this time, I knew better.

"Permission to speak, General?"

"Granted."

"It is captain Zain who should be held accountable for what occurred. If he had intervened, we could have stopped the vessel before it even reached the blockade."

"Captain Zain will be punished for his actions, but you forget, Lieutenant, he wasn't in command for the full duration. That was you. You can't have the freedom to assume command and not be found accountable for your actions. Can't have it both ways, lieutenant."

No. Of course not. That was stupid of me.

"Stand up."

I struggled to get to my feet, but somehow managed, returning to an attentive position.

"Because of the incompetency of this vessel," he continued, "A hostile vessel has worked its way past our blockade and now stands poised to interfere with our operations in the Nip sea. There is no time to return to the Fire Nation for a court martial and I will not waste supplies on prisoners. Invoking Section 1, Article 7, as your commanding officer, I will be assuming judgement of this case. Lieutenant Zhao, for negligence regarding blockade procedure, and inadvertent endangerment of Fire Nation personnel, you are hereby demoted to ensign and relieved from your post aboard 'The FNS Zodiac.' You are hereby stationed aboard the 'FNS Ajax, to report there following conclusion of this court session'"

His own ship. Was this a demotion, or a promotion? Or did he just want to keep an eye on me. Either way, I could use this.

I suppressed a hidden grin, saluting as he dismissed me, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief as he moved on over to Zain.

"Captain Zain, for negligence regarding blockade procedure, inattentiveness to your surroundings, ignorance of your inferior crewmen, and deliberate endangerment of Fire Nation personnel, you are stripped of your command, expelled from the Fire Nation Navy and armed forces, and are subject to immediate death by firing squad.

Wait. What?

The murmurs were going around the crew already and Zain, nothing to lose, was squealing at the top of his lungs. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! 'Deliberate' endangerment of Fire Nation lives? My ass! I'm not a traitor!"

It mattered not. The soldiers who were already practically carrying him, brough him over to the wall of the superstructure, 2 more of Shu's guards approaching with binders, clasping his arms together behind his back and, with more difficulty, his legs to one another, before being cuffed to the maintenance ladder that ran up the superstructure, and the four firebenders moved back into a firing position, the ex-captain in their sights.

"On my mark!"

"You can't do this. I've served my nation loyally for 17 years! You can't do this!"

"Ready!"

The soldiers got into their firing stances, in the proper standing positions to charge up four fatal blasts of fire.

"I swear to you. I wouldn't betray my nation. I'm sorry, just please. Don't kill me!"

"Aim!"

I could feel the change in atmosphere as the men began building the flames in their retracted right hands, ready for the killing blow.

"I'm begging you, please. Damn you! Damn you all to hell!"

"Fire!"

Four quick shots. Four holes in the man's body as his body slumped forward, not allowed to fall to the metal floor on account of the handcuffs binding him to the wall, propping him up like a scarecrow. And that it was. Justice, but also a warning. To the crew of this ship, but mostly to me. I got lucky this time, but this, so I saw, watching the small flames still dancing around within Zain's lifeless corpse, this is what happens to those who fail the Fire Nation.