The Wrecked... [Hotaru]

The war was going well. The Fire Nation was retreating on all fronts. Their navy was being crushed under the overwhelming force of the Earth Kingdom's new fleet and their armies were no match for the Alliance combined ground force already sweeping through the southern fire islands. Few attempts were made to run the Alliance blockades protecting the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Air Temples. The commanders of the Fire Nation fleet learned quickly that the ships on the surface were no concern compared to the shadows lurking in the depths. The Water Tribe's submersible fleet was sinking Fire Nation ships at an alarming rate...

Still, there was always a cloud in every silver lining and this week it just happened to be engine trouble aboard the Seawolf. Whatever it was messing with her machinery, it wasn't being co-operative despite the best engineers in the fleet working on it tirelessly. Kano's schedule had finally caught up with him and he didn't have the luxury of waiting for his flagship to see its repair through. A convention of the Alliance leadership in Ba Sing Se had been called and there was no time to waste. Thankfully, one of the blockade runners, surface vessels retrofitted with the steam engines the sub fleet enjoyed, was able to divert from the front at Admiral Koda's command and its commanding officer, Captain Karac graciously offered his services to Kano as transport...

"I'm glad we can be of service to you, Chief Kanoei." Captain Karac was saying as they sat at the table in his quarters, enjoying tea and some well-made and received lunch. It was three days since they'd set out from the Northern Water Tribe. They were already nearing the coast of the Earth Kingdom where they'd take advantage of the inland-bound rivers and the several massive lakes (or small seas depending on your preference) which would connect them to the port of Ba Sing Se.

"I'd like to thank you again, Captain." Kano said, nodding. "You've been an incredibly gracious host. And I have to say that this is my first time aboard a blockade runner. She's quite a fine ship."

"Well, until the Seawolf is back on the waves, I can't imagine a more appropriate assignment for this ship than to be your transport." Karac chuckled. "It's quite an honor for my ship and crew to have had the chief of the tribe rely on us to--."

Kano and Karac were thrown from their seats to the deck. Plates and all manner of things crashed down all around the cabin. Something had hit the ship. Outside, Kano caught the sound of shouting and the sudden sounds of battle.

"We're under attack!" yelled a voice from above.

Captain Karac seized a weapon from nearby and charged out the door, Kano on his heels, saber ready for battle.

The deck was chaos. Pirates surged over the bow of the ship from their own, weapons held aloft and foul cries on their lips. They cut down warriors left and right. The ship's compliment of waterbenders was faring a bit better, but not much. It wasn't long before Kano himself fell under attack.

The fight was furious. He cut down one or two quickly, but his comrades were growing few in number. Captain Karac himself was killed along with a number of other warriors who were trying to hold the pirates back to give Kano the chance to escape. Unfortunately, he didn't have anywhere to escape to. He was pretty much surrounded. The pirates fought him up the stairs to the bridge and then fell back a bit. Kano was just wondering why when he caught sight of an arrow flying directly at his face.

He barely managed to deflect the projectile with his blade, but more followed. He ducked behind the large steering wheel as a few more arrows planted themselves firmly in the wood. A moment later, a gnarled beast of a man appeared on the bridge, a broad saber in his hand...

"Last one!" he growled, chuckling darkly as Kano moved around to keep his distance. The man advanced on him. "Give up, boy!"

"You've never fought me before, have you?" Kano smirked. He did not give up... ever.

"You're beaten!" the man growled, advancing further. Kano circled around him, taking care to keep his distance from that blade... "Just admit it!"

He took a swing at Kano with that blade of his and was stunned when a massive burst of water blasted him right in the face. Kano leaped at the man, bringing around a powerful strike with his own saber. All seemed to be in his favor, until...

TING!

Kano's weapon flew through the open air and lodged itself in the wooden railing. Without thinking twice, Kano brought up enough water to blast the pirate captain back over the rail of the bridge onto the deck below. A flurry of arrows greeted him. One, two, three, four... He intercepted, blocked, or redirected each in turn with his bending. The furious barrage pushed him back until he was literally up against the rail at the rear of the bridge. Left arrow, dodge, high arrow, deflect, two more left, block, right arrow...

The sharp steel head of the arrow punctured Kano's shoulder forcefully, spinning him where he stood. Next moment, he was over the rail.

SPLASH!

"Outta the way!" came a growl of a voice as the man who had fought Kano pushed pirate after pirate out of his path. He climbed back up onto the bridge, all the way astern to the rail and peered over the edge. Far below, in the water, no trace of the boy could be seen.

"I hit him, Captain Oni." said a voice from behind. The man turned to see a wiry sort of man holding a bow standing there. It was his second, a Yu Yan flunky called Bulls-eye.

"Good." Captain Oni said slowly, his gaze falling on the fine blade stuck in the railing. He walked over slowly and pulled the regal weapon from the rail.

"What now?" Bulls-eye asked him as he watched him admire his new acquisition.

"Now we pack this boat up and get back to the hide-out." Oni growled, smirking. "Tell the boys to dump the bodies. These Water Tribe types bury their dead at sea anyway..."

He chuckled darkly as Bulls-eye headed back down to the deck. Before long, the sounds of bodies being dropped into the water below filled the air...

Sano moved through the forest silently, bow held lightly in his hand. He was running an obstacle course he'd set up for himself years ago. This was his little retreat in the wild, the perfect place to train. Somewhere nearby, Hotaru was doing something similar. Shot, shot, shot! Three shots, three precise hits on the wooden targets hanging about the place. He was just about to move on when he heard a faint moan in the distance, coming from the direction of the sea. He slowly headed toward the sounds, peering ahead for any sign of who or what was making the noise. As he broke through the trees onto the very edge of the beach, he spotted a figure laying in the surf. Even from this distance, he could tell it was a young man. He wasn't moving.

"There's something you don't see every day..." Sano muttered to himself, looking at the figure. It took him all of ten seconds to decide to bring the young man back to the cabin. If only he knew he'd be stuck with an unconscious northerner for a good four days straight...