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Post by boragan on Jul 24, 2007 17:10:45 GMT -5
The stomping of the ground could be heard from miles. A large cloud of dust surrounded the soldiers as they arrive to their destination. The ground started to crumbled, then rose from their impacted plate as an entire plate of earth rose diagnal from the ground.
"Sir, the plate has been listed as ordered. The earth plate over us will cameoflage us from the incoming Fire Nation," an earthbender reported.
"Excellent" Bora Gan said. He clutched his wound from earlier at the festival. The bleeding stopped, but he could still feel some pain as he moved himself, "make sure the morale is up of the soldiers. I want them ready when the Fire Nation show their faces so we could kick their teeth in."
"Yes sir," The earthbender replied with a salute. As the earthbender left, Bora let out a slight cough. There was a possibility that he might have gotten sick from that fight, but he wasn't sure. He didn't want to tell or present himself off as "sick" or "wounded", for it might possibly lower the morale of the troops when they go fight.
"Alright, half of my battalion is currently here," Bora said to himself as he looked on at his strategic map of the area, "Approximately 2,500 troops are current here. The rest of the 6,000 troops await at Ba Seng Sei in case we fail here, which we won't. Now, what would be a good way to win this fight?"
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Post by boragan on Aug 1, 2007 21:38:38 GMT -5
Bora Gan continued to contemplate his decision on what to do. A frontal assault would be his choice tactic for Bora. The FN wouldn't expect it and probably wouldn't be prepared for it. Then again, the FN have been getting cleaver in their tactics and have been getting some cunning commanding officers in their units.
"Damn," Bora shouted, "How in the hell am I suppose to fight an army that big, especially if they have heavy machinery on their side?"
He pounded his fist into the table. His breathing became heavy. He could feel some of the liquid from his lungs starting to move around.
"If I wasn't so damed injured...." Bora muttered. He sat down next to the table and stared at the battle map, figuring out what to do.
"As the frontal assault goes through, the earthbenders would provide range support. This might jeapordize my troops if we bombard them with stone, but they are strong. They should stand their ground. On top of that, some of the boulders would be covered with flammable oil, set ablaze, then flung at the enemy. Almost like fighting the Fire Nation with fire. A bad joke, but who the hell cares at this point!"
He stood up from his chair and looked at the troops outside. They were preparing themselves with drills that only the Thunderfist Battalion utilizes.
"I just hope that Ba Seng Sei would get our message in time. That damned commanding officer of the Dai Li. What would he know? 'Keep the war out of the capital'. Ha! That jerk wouldn't know how to fight and come crawling and crying to me instead. What a coward."
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Post by suki on Aug 2, 2007 21:44:13 GMT -5
"You're not going to believe what I found!"
Gray-blue eyes, darkened with eyeliner and surrounded by red paint tore themselves away from their reflection to regard the incoming girl. "What is it?" Suki asked quickly, standing up from her crouch by the stream. All around her, the other Kyoshi warriors had paused their packing to give heed to the returning scout.
"Earthbenders!" Kopa proclaimed as she bounded between trees and skidded to a halt within the campsite, "A whole army of them, just through those woods." The girl gestured with both hands behind her.
"Think they were the ones making all that noise a little while ago?" asked Tsuya, the girl standing off to Suki's left. Kopa nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep, it was them all right... They lifted up a whole chunk of the ground to cover their camp. I was standing on it when they did!"
Suki cracked a slight smile, but it fade quickly as she considered the meaning of this news. "We should make contact," she said after a moment of thinking. "An Earth Kingdom army on the move this far any major city means that there's something going on..."
"Yeah," chimed in Aoi as she rolled up her bedroll and fastened it to her travelling pack, "I doubt they're just out taking a stroll." Several mutterings of agreement were echoed throughout the camp, and Suki decided it was time for action.
"Pack up your things quickly," she instructed, "We're out of here in five minutes. Kopa, you remember how to get there?" The slightly younger girl nodded once more. "Good... Looks like we might finally get our chance to fight."
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Post by boragan on Aug 5, 2007 10:52:31 GMT -5
The sun blistered on the skins of the warriors as they continued practicing their drills for the upcoming battle. The screeching of the metallic plates of the armor could be heard from a distance. Bora cracked a smile as he continued to watch his warriors. They could never realize how proud he was at each of them.
"That's right warriors," Bora whispered, "Fight for your lives. The upcoming battle will be glorious. Blood will be in our names, for we are the killers of men, and we will avenge our fallen brothers."
He walked back into his tent and looked around. Next to the head of his bed, his kabuto helmet shone. He picked it up with both of his hands and looked it over. On the other side of his bed, his armor hung upright. With an assistant at hand, he donned his armor, then donned his kabuto helmet. Once again, the Major of the Thunderfist is ready to fight.
He walked outside to watch the others once more. He saw a few scouts with horse-boars coming from the forest side of the field.
"Scouts, report," Bora commanded.
"Yes sir, the scout replied, "We scouted the surrounding area, and found a small troupe of soldiers in the forest area."
"Did they spot you?"
"We are unsure sir, but there speculation that they might know where our whereabouts are."
"What colors were they wearing?"
"They were wearing the Earth Kingdom colors, but it could be a trap set by the Fire Nation."
Bora looked toward the ground to think of a plan to retaliate, then looked at the scout.
"Let them come. If they are with us, them we could use their help. If they are with the Fire Nation, we will destroy them. Keep an eye on them. Make yourself obvious."
"Yes sir," the scout said as he galloped away toward the forest.
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Post by suki on Aug 7, 2007 21:37:50 GMT -5
The half-dozen Kyoshi warriors made no secret of their approach as they set off through the lightly wooded forest. Kopa had been certain of the size and identity of the nearby Earth Kingdom force, so sneaking up on them would be impolite and unnecessary. It'd be an easy way to get mistaken for spies and accidentally killed.
Suki walked at the front of their formation, two columns of three walking side by side. Aoru, her unofficial second-in-command walked beside her, and all of them were wearing full battle regalia along with travelling supplies. Kopa, who would occasionally call up words of assurence that they were heading the right direction, was walking in the backrow and keeping her eyes peeled excitedly for some sign of more Earth Kingdom soldiers.
It was several more minutes of quiet before the group finally crossed paths with a soldier patrolling the perimeter of the encampment. "Hold," he called to them, and Suki quickly held up a closed fist that signaled the other Kyoshi Warriors to stop. The soldier was riding atop some sturdy-looking boar creature that Suki was unfamiliar with, and he carried a long spear. He approached them slowly, but he seemed at ease. "State your name and business," he ordered them, and though his voice was gruff, his tone didn't seem too demanding. Apparently he could tell from their appearance that they were likely allies.
"My name is Suki," she replied, speaking with confidence and respect, "We are warriors from Kyoshi Island, and we have come looking for a way to aid the Earth Kingdom in the war against the Fire Nation." The soldiers furrowed his brow slightly, but otherwise didn't seem to react. Suki could see his gaze sweeping over each of her comrades in turn. Perhaps he was sizing them up as potential allies, or even threats.
Whatever his reason, several moments later he said, "Warriors. eh? I won't say I'm not a little skeptical, but we can always use a few extra bodies... Follow me. Maybe the commander will have something in mind for you." The soldier turned his mount around and waved for the Kyoshi warriors to follow him.
Suki shared a momentary glance with her fellow warriors. She saw in their faces the same feelings that were going through her own mind. The soldier's phrasing of the situation was less-than encouraging, and the way he seemed to consider their gender so much was something that all of the girls found frustrating. However, this man seemed like a hardened soldier, and subtle manners were not something she would expect from a long time veteran. Besides, this was their chance to actually lend a hand in battle. There was no chance they were going to miss it.
Suki gave a slight wave with her hand and together the Kyoshi warriors marched toward the Earth Kingdom camp in the soldier's wake.
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Post by boragan on Aug 7, 2007 22:01:47 GMT -5
The warrior didn't much know of the reputation of the Kyoshi Warriors, nor did he care to. He had his orders, and he would carry them out. He sped up his mount as he made haste toward the camp. The other soldiers followed behind him.
The scouts got back at the camp and sees the Major with his full armor donned. He dismounted and bent a knee to the ground. The other scouts followed suit.
"My lord, we found what appears to be new blood for the upcoming battle," the lead scout reported.
"Earth Kingdom soldiers eh?" Bora Gan said as he stood above the scouts," Did they mention what division they were from?"
"They said they were Kyoshi Warriors," the scout replied, "A bunch of women with bows. They would just get in the way of our progress if they joined us."
"ARE YOU MAD!?" Bora Gan yelled. His voice boomed in the air like thunder during a storm. The surrounding troops halted what they were doing and watched in awe, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF REPUTATION THEY HAVE?"
The lead scout was quivering, but stood his ground as he spoke, "I'm sorry my lord. I didn't realize that they hold such a high reputation in the Earth Kingdom ranks."
"They were around before I was even born," Bora Gan continued, "Get back on post before I make an example out of you."
The scout quickly followed his command and left to scout the area with the other scouts. Bora looked toward the horizon toward the forest for the Kyoshi Warriors.
"The Kyoshi Warriors huh?" Bora said to himself, "This should make the fight more interesting. A tradition as old as they should give us a cutting edge against the Fire Nation scum."
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Post by suki on Aug 9, 2007 20:06:51 GMT -5
As they followed the scout they'd met in the woods at an easy pace, the older soldier ordered one of the other men they'd passed to run ahead and announce them to the commaning officer. Suki kept her posture tall and her stride graceful as she and the other Kyoshi Warriors began passing by rows of tents and crowds of Earth Kingdom soldiers.
They weren't on their own anymore. No longer could they cut a few corners in their daily routines. Suki was well aware that the majority of the men watching them had noticed their age and gender and were already skeptical of their abilities. The very reputation of Kyoshi Island rested on the group's shoulders.
So with a stoic face, Suki kept her eyes ahead as they approached what appeared to be the largest dwelling in the encampment. It went without saying that it belonged to the leader of this batallion. Even from the distance, Suki could hear the authoritative shouts of the commander chastising one of his men. Surprisingly, he sounded like he was defending their credibility. The young warrior smiled and glanced sideways at Aoru walking beside her. The other warrior returned it with a slight, encouraging nod.
Moment later, the mounted scout reached the commander's tent and stepped aside. "Major, Sir," he said, saluting the heavily armored man who was waiting for them, "These are the Kyoshi Warriors." The scout gestured toward the group of girls, bowed slightly, and then back his mount further out of the way.
Suki bowed respectfully, as did the rest of the Kyoshi warriors. She remained silent, though, knowing that her position on the field of battle would not permit her to speak before the leader of an entire batallion. She would let the commander have the first word.
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Post by boragan on Aug 9, 2007 22:18:46 GMT -5
The dust continued to kick as the men around Bora continued with their routine. After the severe yelling that he gave to that scout, he felt a little better about the day. The sun beamed down onto the Earth without a cloud in the sky. Behind his helmet, he could feel the sweat roll off of his cheeks. He never felt better about it.
One of the scouts came forward with the presence of the Kyoshi Warriors.
"Major, sir," the scout said while bowing, "These are the Kyoshi Warriors."
Bora nodded and waved him off. As the scout left, he bowed to the group, but not as low as they. Even with his hatred toward proper etiquette, he knew the reputation of the Kyoshi Warriors.
"Fellow warriors," Bora said, "I am Major Bora Gan, the leader of the Thunderfist Batallion. As you can see, we are ready to face the Fire Nation army that is preceeding this way toward our position."
He walked over to Suki and stood at least three feet from her at all times.
"The famous Kyoshi Warriors. What do I owe the honor of meeting you? Tell me, why were you here? I thought you would be guarding, I think it was an island? Anyways, enough small talk. What is your purpose here?"
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Post by suki on Aug 9, 2007 22:50:57 GMT -5
Suki straightened up after the Major returned the bow, and then waited for him to finish speaking. Apparently he wasn't wasting any time in ascertaining their goals. "Sir," Suki replied, giving the Major his due respect, "Kyoshi has managed to stay out of the war for the last hundred years, but some months ago we suffered a painful brush with the Fire Nation. Myself and the rest of the warriors you see decided that we could not stand idly by while other people are suffering far worse than we did at the hands of the Fire Nation."
Suki paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she went on, "We were recently escorting a Water Tribe ambassador toward Ba Sing Se, but for the last few days we have been searching for some other way to contribute to the war effort. Now that we've found a iece of the army and, according to you, an actual force of the enemy to fight, we offer our services to you, Sir." The Kyoshi leader bowed her head forward once more.
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Post by boragan on Aug 12, 2007 23:33:59 GMT -5
Bora scratched his chin as he heard Suki explained why she was out here.
"I see," Bora said, "Perhaps we could use more help with the fight ahead."
He looked over at Suki's unit. He pointed at one of the assistants nearby. He ran over as quick as he could.
"I want you to ready them a tent for them that they could use. Tell the cooks to get something ready in the next half hour. There might be a possibility that we might die tomorrow, so we must enjoy ourselves. Get it done in thirty minutes," Bora ordered the assistant.
He complied and saluted Bora as he left to send the messages. Bora turns over to the other men who were sparring with each other with the the actual weapons that they use everyday.
"Warriors, what is you reason in this battalion?" Bora yelled out fiercely.
With a mighty shout, every soldier stopped what they were doing and turned to the Major.
"TO FIGHT AND TO DIE!"
Behind the mask, Bora smiled as he heard the expected response.
"As you were," Bora commanded, then turned toward the girls, "As you can see, we are ready to die at a regular basis. Tell me, what is the name of the ambassador you sent to Ba Seng Sei, why are they there, and do they realize the danger that they are getting into going there?"
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Post by suki on Aug 16, 2007 17:58:05 GMT -5
Suki offered a second bow and uttered a small thanks when Bora Gan offered them lodging and food. though the Kyoshi warrior was hard pressed to maintain a straight face after what followed. The Major's unexpected rally to the troops made Suki suddenly question the sanity of the battallion they'd happened to find, and behind her the other Kyoshi warriors were also sharing odd looks with each other.
These men didn't just seem prepared to die... they seemed eager.
However, Suki managed to put that unnerving thought aside when the Major asked her about her previous charge. "His name was Hoji," she answered, "Someone of importance from the Water Tribe. He was apparently sent to make contact with the Earth King and inform him that the Water Tribe is willing to aid their struggle... Why? What has happened to Ba Sing Se?"
The leader of the Kyoshi warriors managed to keep her voice even and devoid of concern, though she couldn't help a small bit of her mind from wondering whether the arrogant man she'd helped escort was all right.
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Post by boragan on Aug 23, 2007 19:49:47 GMT -5
Bora continued to stand tall to Suki as she questioned what was going on. Without a second thought, he looked into her eyes with seriousness.
"Nothing is wrong with Ba Seng Sei, yet," Bora said to her, "Within an estimate of a few days travel, the Fire Nation will be at the doorsteps of Ba Seng Sei. They wish to lay seige to it, to gain the Earth Kingdom capital. We, the Thunderfist Battalion, will not allow that to happen. We may be one of the most boorish of our army, but we will gladly give our lives in the name of the Earth Kingdom and honor."
He turned around to look at the horizon that the Fire nation is expected to be approaching by. Before a second noticed, he was briefed by one of the privates.
"Major, the tents are ready and the meals are prepared. We are ready whenever you are sir," the private spoke.
"Thank you private," the Major spoke, "You are dismissed."
The private bowed in repect to the Major and left to the chow tent. Bora then turned to the other Kyoshi Warriors as well as Suki.
"Well fellow warriors," Bora said with a whole hearted spirit to his voice, "Shall we feast like kings before the batlle ahead?"
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Post by suki on Aug 29, 2007 19:41:36 GMT -5
Truth be told, Suki was suddenly finding herself very uncomfortable around these soldiers. They seemed radical in their devotion, which was surprisingly unnerving to the Kyoshi warrior who was ready to put her life on the line to help the Earth Kingdom win the war. However, after hearing the news that the Fire Nation was preparing to assault the Earth Kingdom capital, she decided that discomfort was not a good enough reason to leave these men.
"We are honored by your hospitality," Suki responded to Bora's suggestion that they relocate to a private tent for a meal. She offered a low bow, and the other warriors followed suit. Standing up straight, the leader of the Kyoshi warriors galnced around momentarily and then took a sep back with her left foot. She gestured slightly with her hand on that side, signaling the Major to lead the way.
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Post by boragan on Sept 2, 2007 23:57:57 GMT -5
With an appreciative nod, Bora moved forward before Suki to the chow tent. The chow tent was full of excited and eager soldiers, waiting for their meal. As Bora reached the officer's table, the soldiers stood from their chairs and fell silent. The echo of the Major's footsteps could be heard throughout the tent. With the Kyoshi Warriors close at hand, he sat at his usual spot on the table.
"Sit," Bora commanded the troops. The soldiers happily obeyed and sat. Shortly after, their feast began.
Over to the western part of the tent, a pig was getting roasted whole on top of an open firepit. The aroma of the roasted meat could be smelt from within.
Bora took off his helmet and started eating. With a large bowl of rice and a side plate of roast pig, he stoicly ate his meal. He could hear the conversations the other warriors told each other. He just ignored them as he ate.
After about twenty minutes of eating, a few scouts entered the tent and walked straight for Bora.
"Sir, we bring an update," the lead scout spoke.
"Explain," Bora said.
"We have just found an enemy unit closing in from the Fire Nation."
"Did you get a count?"
"Negative sir, but we did see at least six tanks coming this way with the division."
Bora stood from his chair, dismissing the scouts.
"Men, the time for battle is here," Bora said to his troops, "Finish what you are eating and prepare for battle immedietly."
A unison grunt left the lips of the warriors as they moved out. As they left, Bora then turned to the Kyoshi Warriors.
"Well, looks like our fun will be starting sooner than we thought," Bora said with a smile as he put on his helmet, "Are you prepared for the fight ahead?"
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Post by suki on Sept 3, 2007 19:31:15 GMT -5
Suki bowed her head as the Major passed her on the way to the mess tent, and as she turned to follow she caught the glances of her own fellow warriors. "Are you sure we should stay with these guys?" came the hushed whisper from Tsuya.
"We came here to fight," was Suki's response as she darted her eyes toward Bora to make sure he hadn't held up, "And it would be unwise not to accept their hospitality." Her words didn't seem to bury the concerns of her fellow warriors entirely, but it was enough to get them moving and together the six young women followed the Earth Kingdom commander to the feast.
The Kyoshi warriors had just eaten a light breakfast before encountering the soldiers, so their appetites were not quite as large as the soldiers of the camp. Yet, at Suki's urging they ate their fair share and were sure to thank the Major.
However, things changed drastically when the word came in that there were Fire Nation troops heading their way. Immediately Suki felt a tingling sensation crawling up her spine; a mix of adrenaline, excitement, and admittedly... fear. The Kyoshi leader could see similar looks on several of her companions. So far they'd seen combat, but this was their first real battle between armies. There was something much more real about that kind of fighting than a handful of ruffians or a few scouts. When Bora asked them if they were ready to fight, Suki had to think for a moment about her reply.
"Yes... Sir," she answered standing from her seat as the other Kyoshi warriors did likewise, "But..." Suki's brow furrowed in thought for a moment as her eyes shifted around to take in the blur of movement that had envolped the camp, "But I would like to request that my unit be allowed to operate of our own free will in the coming battle." For a moment she inwardly grimmaced, thinking she might have sounded a little pompous or even cowardly in her request. After all, Bora might have viewed her wish to operate outside of his command as a show of disloyalty or disrespect. Suki was quick to follow up with an explanation.
"That is to say, Sir, that we are willing to fight for your cause, but we are not familiar with your particular unit or style of command. We are most effective as a small strike force, working from the element of surprise and taking down handfuls of opponents with precision. In a battle of this magnitude, fighting en masse, I fear we would be more of a handicap to your efforts." Suki took a deep breath, realizing that she'd been speaking very quickly. She only had one more thing to add. "Allow us to work as we always have, and I promise that the enemy will feel our presence, Sir."
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