The day was a clear one, a warm sea breeze moved over the beach as the sun shined down overhead. The roar of the ocean waves echoed, but something else echoed as well, shouts and explosions. Sung stood on a hill over looking the vast beach that made up the Capital Island Northern most point. His arms crossed as he watched the drills being preformed, around him were Officers that made up the command corps of the twelfth Field Army, one Major General, two Lieutenant Generals, five Brigadier General's, twelve Colonels one of which was June, twelve Lieutenant Colonels, eight Majors, and in Sung's opinion one very salty Sergeant Major. Down below him on the beach three Tundra tanks sat as lines of men and women waited for their turn to run the gauntlet.
This was a training exercise but Sung had attempted to make it as realistic as possible. Explosives were buried in the ground around the tanks and connected to random lengths of fuse, the explosion wouldn't be strong enough to kill but it would kick dirt up into the air and make a loud noise. The point of the training was to get Soldiers ready to take on tanks with nothing but will power and a few hand held explosives while there was chaos going on around them.
The explosives they were training with however were nothing more than smoke bombs but they had the same weight and feel as the shrapnel charges that they would soon use in the future. Soldiers would be told to go and once they started they were to get to the tank in front of them as fast as they could and throw their explosives into the Gunner hatch, it wouldn't be accurate to the battle conditions they would be facing when they landed on the beach but this was the best Sung could come up with on short notice without having one of the new tanks here and since he didn't have that he fell back on a soldiers best friend, making do with what was on hand.
In theory having and explosion go off inside the Tank this would knock it out of the fight, and if it didn't it would certainly kill those who had been inside. Either way they would have one less tank to worry about.
A whistle was blown and the next three took off. As they ran the explosives in the ground began to go off around them. Loud bangs that threw sand several feet into the air. As the three ran, the Tundra Tank gunners would shoot short bursts of fire, Sung had specifically picked firebenders who could Control how much fire they used. Anyone hit by it would feel the heat but they wouldn't be burned...at least not too badly. He wasn't here to injure his soldiers but he needed them to learn that actions had consequences, they would remember getting burned and they would work twice as hard not to get hit again.
In the left outmost lane on the gauntlet the soldier running it misstepped and tripped landing face first in the sand on the side lines a man stood even from this distance Sung could hear the man shouting at the Soldier who had fallen to get up and keep moving, though he used more colorful language, no doubt an experienced Non Commissioned Officer who was overseeing the training. "What's that Soldiers name?" Sung asked looking to his Sergeant Major. The man's name was Shio, standing at exactly six feet tall, the man seemed to have muscles on muscles, his armor looking almost tight around his form. His black hair pulled back into s military style top knot like all of the Officers around him. He had served in the Army for most of his adult life serving as the twelfth most senior non commissioned officer for almost half of that time, and from what Sung had seen in his interactions with the troops he was...not an easy man to get along with it seemed.
Sergeant major Shio narrowed his eyes at the beach. "That would be Private Hirawa sir." Shio said instantly, Sung had always been of the opinion that Senior Non Commissioned Officers couldn't call themselves such if they didn't know every Junior Non Com and enlisted men under their command. In the week since the twelfth had been stationed on the coast to prepare for the invasion every time Sung asked Shio about a Soldier who wasn't one of the ones he had brought with him Shio knew who they were almost instantly. Though clearly a man who was tough on his troops Shio seemed to genuinely care for them as if they were his own children though he wasn't above using the proverbial rod. But the troops seems to like him so he couldn't be all bad.
But in his interactions with Shio, it made Sung miss his old Senior Non Commissioned Officer from his time in the Royal Procession, Daichi. He had served with Daichi during the Processions combat deployment to the North Pole, and later during Azula's first attempt to capture her brother and Uncle and again during that fiasco with the drill, sadly the last time the two had seen each other was at the Boiling Rock where Daichi had saved his life...after that Azula had her mental break and Daichi had been one of many banished from the capital. Sung remembered how much Daichi had hated it when he received a Battlefield commission to Lieutenant and then later to Captain. Daichi had been an amazing NCO but he had shined as an Officer, Sung couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the man and others he had fought beside during the war. Sung had attempted to find Daichi after the war recalling he said he lived in harbor city and every trace of him had gone cold years ago...perhaps he and others like him had joined the rebellion.
"Schedule him for more drills." Sung said as he watched as the middle and right lanes reached their assigned tanks and threw their smoke bombs inside the gunner hatches, a puff of grey smoke exploding out of them that was soon carried off by the wind there were claps from the ones waiting their turn as the next three moved to get ready to run. "Every Soldier in this unit needs to learn how to do this properly, when we hit the beach we need to take the tanks out quickly."
"Don't worry General." Shio said with a rather sadistic chuckle. "I'll give the boy a little tender loving care."
"So long as you don't kill him. Sung mumbled. He turned his head and further down the beach three company sized formations could be seen marching, the flags they carried showing the twelfths mascot, a Komodo Rhino spitting fire, an animal suited for their Nickname.
Further beyond that Solider's could be seen running mock drills on how to clear out trenches. Another training session of Sung's own design, he had built defenses and had his warrior play the "enemy" to be used as learning aids. The trench system wasn't up to scale as to what would be found on Shozan but it would at least give them the idea on how to do it properly. One thing to note was Sung had made sure every Soldier in the Field Army from the Infantry private down to the quartermaster had been issued a fighting knife ironically that seemed to be one of the few things Zuko had been able to give him a surplus of. Swords and spears were good on open terrain but in the tight confines of a trench a knife was better suited for close quarters fighting.
To add to this further beyond that Yang Warriors were teaching a class on hand to hand combat techniques. When Sung had been a bright eyes Second Lieutenant he had done the very same thing, Sung had always been under the belief that there were some instances where it was more suitable to fight hand to hand than to use firebending, and it always helped to know more than one way to fight.
Sung turned and the group of Officers around him spread out to allow Sung to pass by. In the distance a literal city of red tents could be seen. In the center of this tent city a metal flagpole could be seen, at the tip was s triangular flag the flag of the Fire Nation flapping in the wind.
*
Walking down the hill Sung entered the camp his staff following him. Like with the training drills currently going on the Camp wasn't and less idle. Armored Soldiers stood on guard duty, formations marched, Ostrich Horse and Kamodo Rhino riders moved through the camp. Chatter was in no short supply here, Soldiers with down time standing around camp fires talking and laughing. From one open air tent a makeshift forge could be seen, soldiers moved about the tent slamming hammers onto hot orange colored metal, working to create new weapons. Some sat at grinding stones sliding blades across it sending sparks flying, others still stood around work benches repairing armor.
Sung and his entourage moved further into the camp, Soldiers who saw them as they passed standing to attention and bowing their heads in respect to rank. At the center of the camp was Sung's Field headquarters. A tent more massive than those around it, the tent could hold well over thirty or more comfortably. At the entrance two firebenders wearing the iconic skull face plated helmet stood at attention and each reached over to pull back the flaps of the tent to allow Sung and those with him entry.
Inside the tent there were a series of tables where Soldiers without helmets sat and were busy writing out reports and preforming other tasks. In the center of the "room" was a much larger desk and behind it was a map of Shozan Island enlarged. On the beaches that were around Shozan a more detailed version of the trench's and defenses could be made out. Orange colored push pins being used to mark out where the scouting party from a week ago had seen tank positions. There were five in total spread across the defensive line.
Sung's forces were tasked with taking an area of beach that was two miles in length, From the second the landing craft hit the beach it would be a brutal seventy five yard run to the first line of trenches, in an area with open terrain and against an enemy that had zeroed the area in with artillery. For any soldier new or old it would be a living nightmare. Sung could just tell that casualties would be high. In a sort of macabre fashion it was amusing, the first battle of this war could quite possibly be its bloodiest.
Sung took his position behind the table as the Officers crowded around him. "How are we looking on supplies?" Sung asked. Looking to his Executive Officer, Major General Mase. He was an older man quickly approaching his early fifties streaks of white in his brown hair.
"The numbers are still coming in but..." Mase trailed off an began mumbling to himself as he looked up at the tent ceiling, seeming to be doing some sort of calculations in his head. But to Sung and those around him who looked on it seemed like the Major General was in a sort of trance like he was summoning a spirit. A few second passed and Mase looked back to Sung. "I believe we will have enough food and water to last at least a month. If need be we can ration and make it last longer."
Sung looked to the map behind him and pointed to an area just beyond the beach. Here a tan strip had been drawn to represent a road that led all the way to the city of Yanobe on the center of the map. "After the beach is secured our second objective needs to be to make sure we hold that road. An Army of this size will need a constant and secured supply line. What the troops will need more than anything besides water is food, it's going to be hard fighting all the way to the city and they are going to need the calories."
"Do we have any information about enemy troop movements beyond the beach?" June spoke up, getting a few stares from the officers around her. While women had served in the Fire Nation military for over a century at this point this marked the first time that women were serving in the Regular Army and not just the Domestic Forces, such a change would surely take time for the older soldiers to get use to.
"Not a lick." Sung admitted. "We don't even know the exact size of the enemy force on the Island as a whole. From what Admiral Chan thinks he's suspects the rebels are concentrating their defenses on the coast...but we all know how Chan is." Sung said with a smirk. This at least earned him a few laughs. "If it were me I'd have set up Ranger detachments guarding the road towards the city. A light mobile force that could harass us and break away, so it's quite possible we are going to be seeing a lot of ambushes on the way to Yanobe."
"What is the plan for taking the city itself?" One of the Brigadier Generals asked, a man in his mid forties with light brown hair and ember eyes.
"As far as I am aware General Kang is still constructing a plan of attack...but we are looking at the possibility of a siege situation." Sung admitted. This was not a popular answer,Sieges were usually long and drawn out bloody affairs. Of course General Irohs famous six hundred day siege came to the forefront of his and seemingly everyone else's mind judging by the looks on their faces. "But we will cross that bridge when we come to it, for now let's just focus on our fist obstacle, the beach." Sung turned and went over to his table and picked up a writing instrument. He then walked back over to the map and drew two vertical lines on the beach, splitting it. Then by each line he wrote a word down, Apple, Butter, and Charlie. With a beach as large at the one they would be landing on troops would quite literally be spread out over miles and units would independently operate to take the beach by sections. "Butter is the most heavily defended of the three sections." Sung explained as he began using the writing tool to point to artillery emplacements and the tank dugouts. "Colonel June and myself will land there in the Vanguard and I will personally oversee the battle from the ground. If we break through before Apple and Charlie are taken I will reorganize and spread my forces out and hopefully distract the rebels long enough for the army to make headway."
"Sir I must protest against this." General Mase spoke up causing Sung to turn. "You are commander of the Army, you should not take part in direct battle."
"He's right sir." The Brigadier General from before said. "A Generals place is not in the direct line of combat if staying at a safe distance is an option. Without you at the helm the strategy falls apart."
"Are you suggesting I stay on the ship enjoying a nice sip of tea while my troops die not even a stones throw away?" Sung asked with a small smile.
Mase clicked his heels together and bowed slightly. "I mean no offense sir."
Sung raised a hand. "And I took no offense. My decision to land with the first wave is one not born out of recklessness." Sung explained calmly. "I am well aware the field grade officers can oversee things without me lording over them. But if the situation changes and someone sends a messenger Hawk to me by the time I get it and send a reply fifteen to twenty minutes have passed. A lot can happen during that time. But if I am on the beach and I can actually see what is happening I can better prepare for it and response time is sped up."
Mase lifted his head a small smile on his face. "I'd try harder to talk you out of this but I served with your father during the war, it seems you inherited his...knack for getting himself into situations he shouldn't have been in."
Sung smiled widely. "I like to think I inherited the better traits of both my parents." He held that smile a bit longer before straightening up. "Division Commanders I want you all to inform your officers and ncos to study over the map until it becomes second nature." The officers snapped to attention and nodded.
The tent flap opened then and a lieutenant not much younger than Sung with dark brown hair and ember eyes stepped into the tent and bowed. "General you have a visitor." This was First Lieutenant Mikan, Sung's Aide. Sung didn't really think he had needed an Aide but Kang had said it was expected of him. From what Sung had seen if Mikan over the week since Sung had been given command of the twelfth, from what he had seen of Mikan he was an officer who was eager to prove himself, though at times he seemed unsure of himself. But most of all like many of the officers in the twelfth he was surprised to learn that his new commander was a man in his early twenties. The same age as Mikan.
Sung eyed the man with a neutral expression. "Did they say who they were?" Sung asked.
Mikan straightened up and shook his head. "Uh no sir, he just said you'd know who he was."
Sung frowned as if Mikan had told him a bad joke and he didn't even have the energy to give a fake laugh. "You realize that narrows it down very little for me Lieutenant?" He asked.
Mikan now looked like he had stepped on a land mine as he furiously shook his head. "Y-yes sir I know, b-but he wouldn't give me his name."
Mase turned now to look at Mikan. "So he wouldn't give you his name and you just let him waltz into camp like he owned the place?"
Mikan's eyes went wide. "No sir I didn't let him in!" He said as if his very life hung in the balance of the question he had been asked. "The outlying sentries must have let him in, I found him when I was coming back from the mess tent, he said he was looking for General Yang!"
Mase looked back at Sung and winked before looking back to the Lieutenant. "For Agnis sake boy you may have just let an assassin in here!" Mase said raising his voice.
Mikan now looked as if he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole for the mess he believed he had just stepped in. "I-I-I-I." He stammered unable to find his words now.
"Send the mysterious man in." Sung said with a shake of the head.
Mikan now looked relieved to have a way out of this conversation that he had quickly become on the losing side was, he had left the tent so quickly he had forgotten to do the customary bow. That was fine Sung had never been a stickler for that particular rule. Sung glanced over at General Mase. "You almost gave the poor man a heart attack you know that right?"
Mase gave a very prideful smirk. "It'll teach him to confirm people's identities next time. I believe we can all agree the last thing we want is a spy given free reign of the camp."
Speaking of spies...the tent flap opened again and in the entry way stood Duru of all people, gone was his Ember Island attire, now he wore grey pants tucked into black boots, a grey shirt over which he wore red colored Fire Nation firebender armor. Around his wrists and up to his elbow were leather sleeves the same color as his armor. "Hello there Yang, you've been a busy little bee haven't you?" He asked with a smirk.
*
Sung had to admit, the last person he had expected to walk into camp had been Duru of all people. He didn't know who he had expected but it certainly hadn't been him. Not that he wasn't happy to see him, or maybe he wasn't happy to see him. Sung didn't quite know, their relationship was a confusing one. He turned to look to his Officers. "I want all combat readiness reports on my desk by tomorrow morning." Sung told them. "Dismissed." The officers clicked their heels together and bowed, leaving the tent soon after. Aside from the few attendants that worked from desks at the other side of the tent the two men were relatively alone. "Duru, you sign back up?" He asked, pointing to the man's armor.
Duru looked down at his outfit and chuckled as he walked across the tent and held out a hand to Sung. "Not officially, just thought I'd dust off my old uniform and looked the part before I saw you." Duru said as the two men locked wrists and shook. "I've come to offer my wide array of expertise to you General." After breaking the handshake Sung walked across the tent to a smaller table that held two glasses and a pitcher of water, filling the two up and offering one to Duru. He took the glass and sniffed it before taking a sip. "You look better than the last time I saw you." He said. "Less...how do I put it?" Duru looked Sung up and down for a moment before nodding to himself. "Less sickly."
"I've been practicing clean living." Sung joked as he took a sip of his own water. "Heard it makes you live longer."
Duru let out a laugh. "You're in the wrong profession if you want to live clean General." Story of Sung's life. "Heard you've been floating around lately, you caused quite a stir on Ember Island when you blasted a hole out of the Veterans Hall. Everyone who had been going there for meetings vanished soon after, I suspect it's the same with other Halls across the Fire Islands. Me thinks they fight for Kurn openly now." Duru took a longer sip of his water, letting out a rather annoying slurping sound as he did so, no doubt on purpose. Once he was finished he set the cup down on the table. "Then there was that little adventure I heard you were apart of on Ma'inka...." He said trailing off.
Sung shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about.
Duru narrowed his eyes. "I think you do, a certain factory suddenly went bang, survivors reported a lightningbender with burned hands was there." As Duru spoke he looked down at Sung's hands and smirked knowingly.
Sung swirled his glass. "You are certainly well informed for a neutral party. You know more about what the rebels are up to than we do." Sung said in an almost accusatory tone of voice.
Duru looked mockingly insulted by what Sung had said. "I'm not in bed with the traitors if that's what you're implying. I told you once I keep my ear to the ground, that's how I was able to find you. Though that wasn't hard, an entire Field Army can't go to the latrine without someone seeing it. Congratulations on your new command by the way, the twelfth has a long and honored history."
"Why are you here Duru?" Sung asked, getting down to the root of the matter.
"I told you General." Duru said, his tone soft. "I want to join you. You've done an excellent job on your own so far gathering intelligence, but let's face it Army Intelligence you are not." Duru said and he leaned on the table and looked at Sung. "I was trained for that sort of work, you need a man like me in your ranks, it's easier for one man to sneak about than it is for eighty thousand. I promise you that you won't regret it."
Sung had to admit that Duru did have a point. The man had long since proven himself competent when he had help Sung, Azula, and Ty Lee infiltrate Ba Sing Se, and again years later when he had tracked down Azula for Sung, and not to mention Duru had ended up being right about the Veteran Halls being used as recruiting centers. A track record like that quite literally spoke for itself. "Very well." Sung said and he looked over his desk and took a fresh sheet of writing paper and began writing out a order. The basics of it were simple, giving Duru a Commission as a Captain and giving him the right to requisition a new black uniform and black armor. It of course had all the official wordings and language that the Army bureaucracy loved oh so much. Once finished he put his signature on the bottom of the page and handed it to Duru.
He looked over the words and squinted. "What's wrong with what I have on?" He asked.
"You'll be the only man in this Army who is wearing that." Sung explained with a chuckle. "You should of course know only honored units have earned the right to wear black, you want to serve under me then you have to look like every other man and woman does."
"Fair enough." Duru said as he stood at attention. "I'll be a good boy and play by the rules."
"Once you're kitted out I want you to familiarize yourself with the map behind me, I imagine you will be doing a lot of scout work in the near future."
The tent flap opened rapidly as First Lieutenant Mikan came running in holding up a slip of paper, moving in such a rapid motion that he had almost tackled Duru if he hadn't moved out of the way when he had. "G-General!" Mikan said gasping as if he had been running for awhile.
"Calm down Lieutenant." Sung said softly. "Take a deep breath and tell me where the fire is?"
Mikan inhaled sharply. "T-this!" He said waving the hand with the paper in it like it was about to burst into flames. "Just came in by messenger hawk, it's from General Kang!"
Sung walked over and took the paper, it was a simple message. "I hope you are a quick study Captain." Sung said as he lowered the slip and looked at Duru. The fleet will be here to pick us up in three days, we are deploying to Shozan."
Duru seemed unfazed by this bit of information. "Haven't met a time crunch I couldn't over come yet." Duru said with confidence. For his sake Sung hoped so. With that Duru had seen himself out, no doubt to get himself kitted out.
Sung then looked to Mikan. "Inform the command staff of this development." Sung said simply.
"Y-yes sir!" Mikan said darting off again, and once again forgetting the traditional parting bow.
Sung let out a long sigh to himself. Sung knew that in a short while some or many of the faces in this camp would not walk among the living for much longer, such was war. Some died and some survived. But he couldn't think about that now. For now he needed to focus on the battle to come...and write a letter to Nikkō like he had promised he would do. Sung may not have another moment to sit down in comfort and write for a very long time. In that moment a prayer came to his mind, a simple yet effective one. "Goddess watch over us."