The Officer and the Princess: The Flames Of War

Chapter 44

Sung and Mikan left Kim's office after that, Sung walking with a bit of extra enthusiasm as he moved back through the mansion to its front section. By then the massive Airship had touched down, it's crew securing lines to the ground to keep the massive machine from toppling over in the wind. A gang plank had been placed on the Airship's left side and other members of the crew worked to unload crates. It was then that Sung realized that the ship hadn't brought him reinforcements, they had brought supplies.

Supplies especially of the medical nature he could never have enough of, but what he truly needed were fresh combat ready troops to help make up for the losses he received here and on Ember Island. Sung understood that lines were streched thin but right now his army was the only thing keeping the Rebels from performing a flanking action on the Capital, he should be getting priority for fresh bodies if Zuko wanted him to hold the Island. "Who is in command of this vessel?" Sung asked trying to keep his annoyance under control as he watched the pile of crates begin to stack up.

"I am." A woman in light red armor and grey under clothes said as she walked down the gangplank, her hair was a light brown, the bangs flaring out a bit, her eyes ember. "I am Captain Togoshi." She stopped in front of Sung and bowed. "I have come to resupply you General."

"Supplies are well and good Captain but I was hoping you brought me some reinforcements." Sung said with a bit more force than he had intended to.

Togoshi straightend up and gave an expression meant to convey sympathy. "I'm sorry General Yang, Kang has been given priority on reinforcements."

"Why?" Sung asked bluntly. "Last I heard the Ma'inka front is stabilized. I'm staring down Goddess only knows how many Rebels that assault my position day and night, they know this Island is just as important as I do." He sighed hard, composing himself. "Is the Fire Lord aware of how vital this area is?"

Captain Togoshi twiddled her thumbs, apparently she wasn't use to General Officers giving her the third degree, or it might have just been Sung was being harder on her than he had intended to be and she was caught in the crossfire and didn't know what to do. "Yes sir he is aware, but General Kang broke through the Rebel lines early this morning and the Fire Lord feels Kang will need as much manpower as he can get to keep the momentum going."

Sung waved a hand in the air like he was conducting an orchestra, in a way he was because he had heard this song she was singing more than once. "He has broken through before only to get pushed back again." He lowered his hand now, pointing at the very ground beneath his feet. "I am here holding this position I have not moved from this position because I do not have the manpower needed to advance any further than this city, this area needs to be secured before anywhere else!"

"General, you don't understand." Togoshi said. "He broke through, General Kang knew exactly when the Rebels were going to attack and he turned their attack into a full blown retreat, his army is sixty miles inland and holding!"

That gave Sung pause. Kang had known when the Rebels were going to attack him? In the years Sung had served under Kang he had a knack for anticipating what the enemy would do next, that was the mark of a good commander, he wasn't always right in his guesses though. But to know exactly without a shadow of a doubt how and where your enemy was going to attack was something that commanders dreamed about, to have your enemies entire playbook. Sung had an idea of how Kang knew but for curiosity sake he decided to ask. After all Sung had used a similar system to get into Ba Sing Se. "How did he manage that, did a little bird fall from the sky to tell him what the rebels were going to do?" He asked with a grin.

Togoshi didn't see the humor in his response. "No sir, someone told him, Last night Kang received a messenger Hawk from an unknown source and the message told Kang exactly how that morning's battle was supposed to play out."