Boss

3 weeks dormant, somewhere in the burning sea, an unknown number of miles from the shore. The tide's been pushing us further and further from the coast. We know the direction it's in, but we don't know how far. We can no longer sea the rock formations that lined the coast. We're completely out of fuel save enough to set us in a certain direction. All besides that to our name, all we have remaining is a half trip's worth of gasoline in the patrol skiff. We've been rationing food and water for the last near month, but it's worse now.

Zek nearly killed Jadoh the other day for stepping on a cracker. We're all on edge, hungry, thirsty. We've tried fishing with little to no success. There's no life as far as this region of the sea goes. Something made me think the last life to ever remain out here was the monks as their ashes littered the ocean floor.

Would that be us soon? Ashes? Corpses lost at sea? And would it be all my fault? Yes. Of course it would. I brought them out here. They're here because I am. Why did I leave the Fire Nation? Why did any of us? We had food, water, shelter, but at what cost? What did we gain by leaving? A feeling of doing the "right thing?" What the hell even was the right thing anymore? What was right about dragging 4 young men, hell, kids, to the middle of the sea to die of exposure? So what? So they wouldn't partake in an unjust war? Damnit! What was I thinking?

I heard a small rasp at the door to the bridge. I had no choice but to compose myself. The last thing they needed was to see me this way. Why should I? Nobody else is making an effort to hide their hate and suffering. Why should I?

"Boss?" Asked Zek from outside. "You in there?"

Because I'm their leader. Or the closest thing they have to one. I raised myself from where I was sulking over the map of the Earth Kingdom we had on display, marking what we thought to be our current position, a small pathetic red blip due north of the Southern Air Temple's ashes. "I'm here," I responded. "Come in."

The wheel of the door turned, releasing the lock and loosening the hinges of the pressurized door, allowing it to swing open with relative ease, Zek soon following suit. "Sir?"

"Come in. I'm glad you're here. I was just going over our next move." That was a bold-faced lie. One I hoped Zek didn't question. I was trying to think of one. A plan, that is. I was, but more and more they just starting seeming more hopeless. Still, hopefully talking with Zek would yield some results. Something was better than nothing.

"You were? Well. That's a relief, because we're pretty damn out of ideas."

Damn. "Well tell me, then. What were you and the others thinking of?" Please. I just needed ideas.

"Well. Gordez says current's taking us south, by the time of the year it is. So that's taking us closer to Whale Tail island and further away for Jadoh's village, so there's no hope going back there with our current fuel. If anything, it seems we're closer to Whale Tail than the Earth Kingdom. We were thinking, or wondering more like, should we take the skiff out there? I mean. It's land. And there's water coming from the mountains. We could stay there for a bit. Do some hunting. Get some rest."

Food, water, rest. The words were almost enough to sell me. Almost. If only if it wasn't for that one memory.

"No. Not whale tail. Fire Nation has an outpost. Communications depot. Southern raiders use it to coordinate with the Fire Nation. Even with the regrouping, I wouldn't doubt it still has a sizable guard."

"But we're in a Fire Nation ship."

"A derelict and outdated Fire Nation ship. If anybody knew just how out of place we were, it would be them. And odds are, the scrapping center we stole this hunk of junk from already reported the theft months ago. If anybody knows, it's that outpost."

"You were a raider though. Raiders still use those outdated models. We can make the flag out of spare material we have lying around. It's a Fire Nation ship. No shortage of red. We can sell it."

"It's a different kind of ship too. Not a destroyer, but, no. It's risky."

"Come on. How many people do you even think they'll have over there? Entire army's regrouping for a new campaign. It'll be a skeleton crew at worse."

I didn't answer right away. I breathed out, turning to face the map, then the blue sky outside. Why did it have to be such a beautiful day? Why did I have to make a decision this horrible on a day as nice as this? But what other choice do I have? Kyoshi Island? They'd kill us on sight. Chin? They'd kill us too, but likely make a show of it. I was a Southern Raider. I was taught about every piece of civilized land on the Earth Kingdom west coast, from the smallest hobble to the largest city. Any options we had were either too far away, even more destitute than we were, or more than prepared to kill anybody bearing Fire nation colors, not to mention in a Fire Nation ship.

"What other choice do we have?" Asked Zek, voicing my own questions I had been asking myself.

What other choice did we have? Sadly, I knew the answer. I took a deep breath, knowing it was the last full breath I'd take for the next few hours. "Get the engines on. Turn us due South, headed towards Whale Tail Island."

"They're your orders, sir. Tell the ship."

I nodded, reaching for the microphone connected to the tube-operated PA system that ran through the ship, and repeated those same orders to all living beings on board from the crew to the roaches in our halls. Soon enough, the ship came to life. And we set on our way. As I anticipated, I had already taken my last full breath for the rest of the day to come.

Zek turned to leave, making his exit from the bridge as he set out to his station. "And sir, should I get to work on that banner?"

I thought on it, remembering something that would work in its stead. "Actually. I think I have something better. Follow me."