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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 33555 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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- 166
Chapter 162
They had traveled a short distance when part of the advance guard from the unit who had been fighting signaled for permission to approach them. Zuko kept an eye turned towards Katara as the newcomers explained they’d been ambushed by a group of Water Tribesmen and Earth Kingdom soldiers. They had seen the convoy from the Ursa as they were retreating so they decided to regroup and herd their opponents in their direction. They were giving their regimental identity and offering to provide an escort to their base when a second group arrived. They came bearing an order from their commanding officer demanding three platoons to provide support and chase the rebels. Admiral Chu-hua read the request and politely declined.
“You do not understand. This is not a request. It is an order. You will turn over the troops to my command immediately. That is on the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Wen of the 122^nd division. He has authorized me to take control of your entire command with the use of force if necessary” the major bearing the order said pompously. He was off his rhino and on his back with Chu-hua’s blade placed at his carotid before he knew what happened.
She placed her foot on his chest and called the soldiers he arrived with over. “You have 30 minutes to return with your commanding officer or this idiot will be the proud recipient of a field martial.”
Some of the newer soldiers had not heard that term but the veterans immediately responded to that terminology. A field martial was coined by the subordinates of a younger, impatient and eager to prove himself Prince Iroh. It had all the consequences of a court martial without the hassle of a trial and paperwork. As he was a fair man who didn’t abuse his royal status to advance his career he made it a part of military law that the option be available to anyone who had achieved his current ranking or another division’s equivalent.

Katara regained consciousness while they waited. Zuko requested that Amayu tend to her. The doctor bowed curtly and entered the compartment that held Sokka and Katara. Amayu rolled her eyes, sucked her teeth, and shook her head in disappointment as she kneeled beside the Waterbender.
Sokka mistook her actions and attempted to headbutt her, “Get away from my sister.”
Amayu placed her hand on his forehead and gently pushed backwards, “Katara is injured. I am a doctor. You are healthy but if you continue to interfere I predict there will be a change in your health status.”
Sokka opened his mouth to protest when Katara squeezed his fingers. He looked down at sister recognizing the signal from their childhood, “So it’s not just Zuko now? You go around trusting random Firebenders.”
Amayu straightened her glasses and corrected him, “I am not a Firebender.”
She lowered her voice, “Aforementioned prince none withstanding you should trust your sister’s judgment.”
Sokka watched as the woman took out a canteen and allowed a small amount of water to trickle onto the gash on Katara’s temple. She disguised the action by pretending to cleanse it with a sterile cloth. Once the gash was nothing more than a small cut she pulled the towel away, “Head injuries always look worse than they are. There isn’t very much flesh to protect the blood vessels so they bleed freely.”
Amayu continued her examination, letting Katara work on the worst of her injuries then loudly proclaimed, “You were lucky. The majority of the blows were all delivered to fleshy areas. I’ll get a sling for your arm. You wrenched your shoulder while attempting to escape. You will be sore and have extensive bruising but in a few days you’ll be fine.”
Amayu shook her head in disgust as she exited the cage, “Such a foolish action. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected better from a Water Tribe female. The prince clearly does not want you for your intellect.”
Katara closed her eyes. Her head was hurting. Zuko had beaten her. Zuko had beaten her because she warned her people. Katara winced as she pushed herself upwards. She laid her head on Sokka’s shoulder. He lowered his head and nuzzled her forehead with his cheek and chin. The Fire Nation soldiers and Dai Li were still watching them so they didn’t dare say anything.

Zuko’s stomach clenched as Amayu detailed Katara’s injuries - the injuries he’d given her. He bit the inside of his jaw when she coolly stated, “Apparently you learned your lesson last time. The wounds are not critical or in locations that will prevent you from bedding her.”

Mai had smiled as she watched Zuko attacking the Waterbender. She left Azula’s side and went over to him. She stood right in front of him and placed her hand on his forearm, “I’m proud of you Zuko, a real man knows when to discard his whore. She can be publicly executed at the next town as befitting a rebel and Avatar supporter.”
He knocked her hand away, “Katara is not a whore. If I hear you say that again I will have you executed at the next town for speaking against her.”

Azula sat fuming as she surveyed the situation around her. They were waiting for a commanding officer who’d just lost to rebels then had the nerve to demand troops from the Ursa. Zuko had accidentally rendered the Waterbender unconscious. She was the one who had brought out her brother and threatened him to make her talk but all anyone was saying that he’d done an excellent job putting the his whore in her place. They were just as bad as her father.
She strode over to Chu Hua. She still had her foot on the man’s chest; her sword rested casually against his neck. She didn’t often seek out her mother’s cousin but in spite of her tendency to rely on weaponry other than Firebending Chu-hua was someone she respected. She would use her father’s wish for her to learn from Chu-hua to destroy him and Zuko. Azula’s voice was clear as she spoke, “It’s disgraceful; wielding a sword like that when you have true Firebending talent and no need for another weapon.”
The older woman smiled behind her plain unmarked mask. She knew the real reason for Azula’s barb. The girl had not changed much since she was five years old and learned the art of making herself feel better by shredding the self-esteem of others. She knew the words weren’t directed at her but was to remind everyone of her brother’s shortcomings. “Yes, that is true, Princess, but it is more disgraceful to waste Agni’s gift on swine that does not deserve to die by means of a superior element. A blade is best when dealing with animals.”
Azula was about to refute her claim when they saw the dust approaching. Chu Hua’s voice hardened, “Put on your helmet if you desire amusement. My duty to your father as an officer in his navy comes first. I do not have time to play with you little cousin.”
Azula frowned at the rebuff but did as she was told. She had long ago realized that if the spirits truly were as benevolent as the masses claimed them to be Chu-hua would have been her mother instead of the sniveling weakling who’d birthed her.
“Which of you is in charge?” a large man demanded jumping from his Komodo rhino and striding forward. “I am Lieutenant Colonel Wen of the Fire Nation Army. I demand an explanation as to why you dare joke about field martialing my second in command while committing this act of insubordination.”
The disdain could be her in Chu-Hua’s voice as she responded, “It is not insubordination. It is an insult. I and my soldiers are members of his majesty’s navy. You have no jurisdiction over me or my troops. I merely waited here so I could see what type of idiot would promote this fool. I am guessing he is your wife’s nephew?”
Azula bit back a smile as the man sputtered. “You insolent wench. Different divisions or not I outrank you,” he said looking at the Admiral’s unembellished armor. “In hostile territory the Fire Nation military code says that there will be no separation of divisions. Everyone is to defer to the higher ranking officer. If anything I should field martial you. Not even a bender claiming the rights of General Iroh,” he said assuming she was a non-bender solely because she carried a sword.
Chu-hua had stopped focusing on him and looked to the state of his troops. Just as she expected they were haggard. So were their animals. “Lieutenant Colonel Wen of the Fire Nation army you appear to be very well fed, a tab bit pudgy even; when was the last time your men had good meal?”
“What?” the man asked incredulously.
“You heard me. When was the last time your troops had a good meal? Or those animals had a grooming? None of your outfit could pass even the most basic inspection. Their boots are worn and some of those beasts have open sores on them,” she removed her sword from his junior officer’s neck. “You may keep him. I’m taking everyone and everything else. I will make a request to have a more suitable officer placed in charge of this land. No wonder the rebels escaped. Your men are in no condition to fight non-bending schoolchildren.”
“You bitch!” Lieutenant Colonel Wen screamed sending a large and uncontrolled burst of fire at her.
She caught it with her left hand turned it into a whip and reversed it so that it struck him before dissipating. His eyes bulged at how easily the supposed non-bender had taken control of his element.
Chu-hua removed the face plate of her helmet and spoke loud enough for his soldiers to hear her. “As you have just heard this man say during times of conflict all members of the Fire Nation military are to defer to the highest ranking officer regardless of division.”
“I am hereby seizing your unit. All of you will accompany me to the nearest outpost to be placed under a new leader and not this clown,” she said nudging the major with her foot, “Your current condition as well as his is proof he is unsuitable for leadership. Not only that he attacked a superior officer. We will camp here tonight and move out tomorrow.”
“You can’t take my troops! It’s illegal. Do you know who my father is? He will have your rank for humiliating me in this manner,” Wen said blubbering.
“No I have no idea who you are and therefore I have no knowledge of the identity of your father,” Chu-hua lied. She knew exactly who his father was. It was part of the reason this particular land route had been selected. “Tell me which idiot spawned such a careless son?”
“My father is Colonel Hideo,” he said proudly.
“I am Admiral Chu-hua of the Fire Nation Navy. I outrank you and your father. In fact at the next meeting of the military council I will be sure to send a runner to find him so I can tell him exactly how you met your end.”
“What do you mean tell him ‘how I met my end’?” he said panicking.
“Lietenant Colonel Wen by the power vested in me by Fire Lord Ozai you are hereby field martialed for misappropriation of funds and treason. You have been using the money meant to support your troops and suppress the rebellion to line your own pockets. Do you have anything to say before I execute you?”
His eyes darted from side to side searching for the proper response to a field martial. The Fire Nation had a very complex legal system in which everyone was granted the right of review even if justice itself may have been unequal. He smiled, “I invoke my right to plead my case before a higher authority. As you are an admiral and heir to one of our nation’s most well known clans the only one above you would be a member of the royal family. I demand to plead my case to a member of the royal family. Clearly the presence of ovaries has affected your ability to reason.”
“I really had hoped you would say that,” Chu-hua intoned. She nodded to the slighter female figure at her right, “Remove your mask and pronounce your judgment.”
The look of terror on the man’s face as Azula revealed herself was well worth letting Zuko gain a bit of popularity for disciplining the Waterbender. “I would spare your miserable life but clearly the presence of ovaries has affected my ability to reason.”
“Princess Azula. Forgive me. I did not know,” he groveled.
The princess regarded him the way one would something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. She shrugged, “Proceed with the field martial.”
The princess paled as Chu-hua expertly disconnected his head from his neck. The smiling admiral flung the blood from her blade not caring that it fell on her and the man whose chest she was standing on in tiny droplets. Azula’s eyes remained trained on the dead man’s long after her cousin announced they would be moving ahead five miles to set up camp as it would be unpleasant to remain so close to a corpse left to rot.
Chu Hua kicked the major in the groin after stepping off of him. She gestured to the lieutenant colonel’s head on the ground staring up at them his open mouth frozen in protest. She explained to Azula “That little cousin is another benefit of the sword. You get to savor that final expression.”
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Borealis: A Zutara Story