Chapter 22: Boss
That day, the Patriot embarked on her maiden voyage. Her true maiden voyage. She left Whale Tail island a new ship, fully stocked, fully equipped, but not quite fully manned, but we would have to do, for now.
We set north, through the Whale Tail Sea, the straits, naturally avoiding the Kyoshi Sea for fears of not only a clan of militarist fanatics, but a plethora of water-born menaces. Jadoh swore he saw an unagi off the starboard side of our ship, but I was hesitant to say the least. All the same, I wasn't one to tempt fate, so I steered west as a mere precaution.
Once more, and hopefully for the last time in a while, we entered the Burning Sea. That had been after a week of our voyage, what I called the honeymoon period. At the end of that period, the crew was no longer rendered awestruck and, as Zek put it, living their best lives, in response to the kind donation we received. It just so happened that the honeymoon period ended at around the time Gordez fully recovered, coming up to the command bridge at around noon that day, much to my surprise, and, in his usual style, immediately voicing his concerns. To put it in his words, "We can't let ourselves become a charity boat. If we're going to feed these people, they have to work for it. The new girl especially."
So Zek took it in his hands to train her. It had been interesting to watch them over the last few days. Zek, being his usual "chivalrous" self, gave up his dorm to her as he migrated to the actual troops' barracks. He sold it off as her "needing the private space after what she's been through", but I suspected both a double agenda of him wanting to win her favor, and him not quite trusting her alone in the barracks with Jadoh, especially after he heard about the Whale Tail tavern incident.
Despite the clear way Zek felt about her, housing an all-but indisputable crush on her, he didn't push himself. He gave her space and didn't smother her with himself. He seemed to have a good idea of how to go about this. I suspected either an old relationship in the colonies, or perhaps from watching Hizo with his own relationship with Shanzi, the namesake of our armored beauty down below decks. But he kept himself from her, perhaps from a fear of scaring her off coupled with a fear of going to far and perhaps confessing something he didn't yet feel comfortable saying. It was, however, humorous to see how he'd shoot to attention whenever she approached him, never missing the change to engage with conversation with her.
For 2 weeks we traversed the Burning Sea northbound, that phase of the voyage conveniently beginning at the honeymoon's end. So as we traversed the site of one of the 'greatest fishing competitions in history', as Zek liked to call it much to the annoyance of the crew over him making light of a genocide, we trained.
The days would go on rather casually at first. We'd wake up sporadically, no defined wake-up time nor curfew, waking between 0700 and 0900. While I hadn't set a strict schedule, I did insist on us using standard Fire Nation military time. To stay consistent at the very least. Funny enough, Ka'lira had the easiest time getting used to it. While the rest of us had been military men, for the last 2 years besieging Ba Sing Se, time had lost almost all meaning. Days blended with each other or even ceased to exist what with the soot and smog of the battle and the artillery. Ka'lira, I imagined, travelling with sailors who lived by the hour for currents and winds, must've gotten to know it with quite the experience. After waking, we'd all eat at around 0930. Those who woke up before 0900, namely me, Luke, and Gordez, we'd occupy our mornings in other ways. Gordez would check on the engines, doing some early morning routines, ensuring they were still running, shoveling in the coal. On occasion, Luke would help him out. On other days, Luke would spend his mornings reading. He mostly did so in his room, but from time to time, on darker, cloudier days, I'd find him outdoors. He seemed to have become quite fond of such weather, embracing the cold breeze of winter, reveling in the lack of sun. It was odd, I remembered some side comments he used to make back in Ba Sing Se. About how he hated the rain. Hated the cold. All comments one would expect from a fire bender, but much like with many other things when it came to Luke, something changed.
I, however, would spend my mornings locked on the bridge. I couldn't complain. The lighting was great, very open, not cramped with a full command crew, just open, free, my own little den where I'd consult my maps, check the weather, all these usual command duties. I'd consult Gordez more than 'from time to time,' relying on his expertise not only when it came to the ship, he now considered a child of his, but with more tactical and vital decisions. Every commander needed a number two. Zek was easily distracted and not exactly a "tactical mastermind." Jadoh was too new, as was Luke to an extent, and besides, I needed a number two, not some quiet kid who watched me from a corner. And of course, Ka'lira had the same issue as Jadoh. No. Gordez was the only logical choice right now.
After breakfast, still feasting on the rations and dried goods we got from Whale Tail, we would set out for our days. Gordez would not often participate in the training. He'd spend his days below decks, managing the ship beneath our feet, ensuring we were still in one piece and still as operational as possible with a crew of 6. While I had no doubt, he was keeping himself busy, a part of me felt that Gordez just naturally felt at home amidst all the machinery. Hell, even back in Ba Sing Se, Gordez would sleep by the motor pool, or, for Raava's sake, even by the artillery batteries just because the sound of the machinery put him to sleep. Guy was quite unusual in that regard.
After ensuring we were on course, I'd see to it personally to teach Jadoh as best as I could. When we first recruited him, we were practically starving and dying of thirst, so we didn't exactly have the time to concern ourselves over training. Now though, now that we had the time, I was going to make sure he got the experience he needed. The first 3 or 4 days, I'd get myself acquainted in the fighting styles of my crew. Ba Sing Se was almost a lifetime ago and I had to see for myself just what I was working with. For those first few days, I'd train directly with Luke, Jadoh, and Zek. The first day was simple sword fighting. I'd have loved to train them in hand-to-hand combat, yet I found that, as of late, my own abilities in that field were quite lacking. So I stuck to what I knew.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone