99 A.G
It had taken another two weeks for the railway guns to reach firing range of Ba Sing Se's outer wall. The engineers had finished reinforcing the tracks that morning, and the crews were already positioning the guns where they were needed.
Lin stood at the head of the table inside her command tent. The senior officers of the Fourth Army had gathered around it, joined by Major General Shinu of the Second Army, Azula and Toph. A large map of the surrounding terrain covered most of the table, with markers showing the wall, the railway line and the positions their scouts had identified.
"We begin the advance tomorrow morning." Lin said. "The Fourth Army will move toward the wall until our field artillery is within range. The railway crews, engineers and the Second Army will remain here."
General Shinu looked down at the marked positions. "My entire army is staying in reserve?"
"Yes. I expect the enemy to send a force against us once the bombardment begins. They will likely test our lines before committing more soldiers. The Fourth Army will meet that attack while your men protect the railway and prepare to reinforce any section that requires it."
Lin moved several markers forward through the map for them to visualize.
"We will attack three different sections of the wall, that means we will be dividing our forces. The tanks, infantry and firebenders will form the main line of each group. The two rifle companies will remain behind them and engage first using their range advantage. Colonel Mongke and his rhinos will remain closely watching over our flanks until the wall is breached, and they can move ahead of everyone else."
"The field artillery assigned to each group will stay as the army advances and will begin firing once they are close enough. Their main target will be the wall, although they may support the front line if the Earth Kingdom sends a large force against us."
Azula studied the map. "Why aren't we dropping troops from the gliders behind the wall?"
"Or better yet, why don't you just land people on top of the wall?" Toph commented.
"Because every gun we have will be firing toward it, fighting in that condition would be extremely dangerous." Lin said. "Landing troops inside the walls would also place our soldiers behind enemy lines with no support. The Earth Kingdom has enough men to surround them before we can breach the walls and reinforce them."
"So no jumping onto the wall." Azula said.
"No."
"That probably would have been annoying anyway."
"We will use the gliders, and they will launch at the same time as the advance. Their first task is reconnaissance, but they will also observe the impacts from the railway guns and report any corrections, flying in between the wall and the artillery units. The gliders will confirm where each shell lands, return to signal the corrections, and then fly back toward the wall and so on."
One of the officers frowned. "Would it not be better to wait until the rest of the army is in position before revealing the guns?"
"The enemy already knows we are here." Lin replied. "Several of their scouts have been killed near the railway. They know we brought heavy weapons, even if they do not know their exact range. We gain nothing by delaying the first shots."
She pointed at three marked sections near the base of the wall.
"The guns will fire at these positions. Once the aim is correct, the bombardment will continue until the wall collapses or the ammunition is exhausted."
Lin turned toward the latest report resting beside the map.
"Our estimates place the defending force at approximately five hundred thousand soldiers."
Several officers reacted at once, and Lin raised a hand to quiet them.
"That is more than six times our total strength." General Shinu said.
"Correct." Lin replied. "Ba Sing Se has a population of approximately four million by our calculations, taking into account the refugee situation. Around twelve percent of that population is already serving in some military capacity, and more could be raised after we enter the city."
"Then breaching the wall may be the least of our problems…" Captain Aiku said.
"It will be." Lin agreed. "The wall itself does not concern me. General Sung commands the defense, and every report describes him as an officer promoted through nepotism. He has more soldiers than he knows how to coordinate. If we open several breaches before he can reorganize them, his numbers will make communication harder."
Captain Kaida smiled slightly. "Too many men trying to respond to too many orders."
"Yes. We need to enter before he establishes a proper defense behind the wall."
Lin reached for another marker and placed it beside the railway line.
"Toph, you will remain with the trains."
Toph crossed her arms. "Why do I have to stay all the way back here?"
"Because the railway guns will become their main target once they understand they cannot defeat our forces directly. They may attempt to tunnel beneath the tracks or the artillery positions."
Toph considered that for a moment. "I'll feel them before they get close."
"That is what I am depending on. You have permission to pull them out of the ground and capture them if possible. If they threaten the guns or the engineers, you may use whatever force is necessary."
"Fine. I can do that."
General Shinu continued examining the distances marked on the map.
"How long do you expect my army to remain here before the wall is breached?"
"Between eighteen and twenty-four hours."
"What?!" Shinu shouted. "You can't be serious, General. That wall has resisted attacks for centuries. Even the Dragon of the West failed to enter the city after a siege lasting six-hundred days. You cannot expect it to fall in one."
"I expect all three sections to fall within a day, actually." she said.
Several of the officers looked at her with disbelief, only Azula looked reassured.
"The twelve railway guns are being divided into three batteries of four. Each battery will fire at one of the marked positions. We have more than a hundred and thirty field artillery pieces, some will remain on reserve while the rest will be divided among the same targets. We will have thirty-eight artillery pieces for each group and save the rest in case we need support."
She placed her finger against the lowest section of the wall.
"The guns are powerful enough, we just have to aim low. The railway shells carry enough explosives to reduce the stone around the impact to dust. Earthbenders cannot repair the damage if there are no large pieces left for them to move."
"I expect that once we have made a big enough hole around fifteen meters deep, the weight above it will cause the section to collapse and create a slope. We will continue firing until that collapses which would be fairly soon at that point."
One of the artillery commanders studied the figures written beside each battery. "Four railway guns can fire thirty-two shells into each target every hour."
"Indeed. The supporting artillery can add more than a thousand smaller shells per hour across the three positions without forcing the crews to overheat the barrels. The defenders will not be able to approach the damaged sections long enough to repair them even if they did bring more rock to the wall."
"I would even say with those numbers the wall would be destroyed sooner." Azula asked.
"Yes, but we have to take into consideration that visibility to adjust the aim as we continue to fire might be a challenge." Lin replied. "Every impact will throw dust and broken stone into the air. The glider scouts may have difficulty confirming whether the shells are still striking the correct point. Even with the new light signals, communication will take time. They must fly close enough to observe the wall, signal their report and return to a position where the artillery crews can see them."
The system was definitely faster than what they had so far, but it still depended on the scouts being able to see through the dust and reproduce the correct signals while controlling their gliders. Lin hoped the telegraph, or even better, a radio, would be invented fairly soon.
General Shinu looked toward the rear of the tent, in the direction of the railway guns outside.
"You are certain they can bring down something that large?"
"We tested the same shells against a mountain, General." Lin said. "The section we targeted collapsed entirely. I am confident the firepower is more than enough. It will fall within a day."
The officers were quieter now. Some remained doubtful, although none offered another objection. Lin moved three groups of markers through the planned breaches.
"Once all three sections are open, the Fourth Army will assault immediately. First the Rhinos would storm the front and middle section. The rubble would make it difficult for our tanks to advance, but Rhinos would climb the debris without issues. The rest of each group will follow. Each force will secure its entrance and then move inward. The center will advance directly while both flanks turn toward one another and begin a pincer movement."
"You intend to isolate the defenders between the breaches." Azula said.
"Yes. General Sung will have to decide which opening to reinforce while receiving reports from all three. We will give him no time to mount a strong enough defense to keep us out. Once we secure a frontline inside, the second army will move in to push through and give my soldiers a moment to prepare defenses and rest after the initial battle."
Shinu nodded. "Sounds good. I brought the Yuyan archers with me, I believe they would hold a similar position to your two companies of rifles."
"That's good, yes." Lin said. Everyone understood the plan now, it was time to storm the walls.
"Review your assignments with your officers tonight. The first railway gun will fire at sunrise. It's time to teach Ba Sing Se that they are not invincible."
----0000----
The operation began with the rising sun. Lin advanced at the head of the lead battalion with Azula beside her. Behind them, the Fourth Army moved in three large groups toward the sections of the wall assigned to them.
Tanks led the central formation, followed by columns of infantry and firebenders, while the rhino cavalry remained along the flanks. Only Colonel Mongke was riding beside them, just in case they needed to change their plans.
The railway guns had been firing for more than an hour already. Their detonations could be heard across the ground at regular intervals, louder and deeper than the field artillery following behind the army.
Lin felt each discharge through the ground, followed a minute later by the distant impact against Ba Sing Se's wall. The sound was the same as she remembered from her own world and memories flooded her mind.
During her deployment, there had rarely been a time when artillery, mortars or bombs could not be heard. Sometimes distant, sometimes closer than anyone would want. Even when her unit was away from the front, the noise had continued through the day and into the night.
She had learned to sleep through it then, but now she couldn't help but shake a little bit. It was a bit embarrassing but she did her best to stay in control, calmed and collected. They had left their field artillery to prepare for their barrage as well now that they were within range and they had kept advancing at a steady pace.
The wall was clearly visible now. Movement had appeared along the wall now that they were close enough, though the growing dust cloud made it difficult to see what the defenders were doing.
The lower half of the structure had already disappeared behind a fog of dirt and dust thrown into the air by the bombardment. Only the top remained clearly visible. Lin took her telescope and observed them.
Earthbenders stood along the battlements, launching rocks high into the sky toward the gliders circling above them. Most of the projectiles fell short, while a few of them passed close enough to force the pilots to turn sharply away.
Taking a look at the gliders, one of them was heading back toward them. She pointed the telescope its way and decoded the message they were sending below them with a light lamp.
"It seems they have spotted enemy forces one kilometer ahead of us." Lin said.
Lin looked across the plain. She could see no formations between them and the wall.
"They are entrenched, otherwise we would be able to see them." Azula narrowed her eyes toward the ground ahead.
"Yes, they are probably waiting to ambush us."
"We could deal with them easily."
"Yes, but we are not sure how many there are. Let's flush them out."
Lin approached the closest tank and climbed onto its upper hull. She opened the small top hatch and lowered herself until her legs rested inside, leaving her upper body above the armor.
"Signal the tanks to advance in a spread line." she ordered. "The infantry and firebenders will follow in tight columns behind them, and get the riflemen to position themselves between us."
The orders were sent, as the messengers raised the signal flags. Azula climbed onto the tank immediately to Lin's right, taking the same position behind its upper hatch. Colonel Mongke rode forward on his rhino and stopped beside Lin's vehicle.
"My company can charge ahead and clear them out easily." he said.
"While I'm sure you would be successful, there is no need to risk your troops, colonel." Lin replied. "We do not know how close their trenches are to the range of the wall defenses. We will engage them from a distance first."
"My rhinos can cross the ground faster than the tanks."
"That would only place you ahead without support. Remain on the flank until I order otherwise."
Mongke looked toward the hidden enemy position, but nodded and returned to his company. The tanks began moving. Their tracks pressed deep paths into the earth while the columns behind them kept pace.
Lin remained standing above the hatch, scanning the ground through her telescope. For a few minutes, she saw nothing, then she finally spotted the first patch of green armor inside what looked like big squared trenches.
It had been dug too big for their forces in her opinion, but they had not encountered shrapnel yet so he couldn't blame their knowledge. More trenches appeared to either side as the formation continued forward.
"Halt the advance." Lin said.
The tank crews stopped across the line. The infantry and firebenders came to a halt behind them, waiting for the next order.
"We will fire one volley directly ahead, aim for the first green spot you see, gunner." Lin said. "Do not advance."
The tanks adjusted their cannons as the signal flags were waved again. "Fire." Lin said simply. A moment later, the entire line fired.
The shells struck the earth around the trenches, throwing dirt and stone into the air. Lin had not expected the volley to destroy the positions but some of them did. She only needed the defenders to believe that their cover had been found to flush them out but killing a few of them already was great.
Earthbenders rose from the trenches across the plain, like she expected them to. Stone platforms formed beneath their feet, carrying them forward at high speed while others launched slabs and boulders toward the tanks.
"Rifles open fire! Firebenders forward!" Lin ordered. "Engage them before they reach the line."
The two companies of riflemen opened fire between the columns and immediately dropped a few of the earthbenders.
The front ranks moved around the tanks and released streams of fire across the open ground. Several earthbenders raised walls while still moving, but the attacks forced them to slow and defend themselves.
Lin pulled her handgun from its holster and rested her arm against the edge of the hatch. The distance was long, though the approaching earthbenders gave her clear targets. She fired at one of them, striking his shoulder and throwing him from the sliding rocks.
To her right, Azula raised two fingers and lightning illuminated the battlefield, crossing the field at high speed and striking an earthbender who had been preparing to launch a large section of ground beneath one of the tanks. He collapsed before completing the movement, and the stone broke apart around him.
With the earthbenders stopped on their tracks, the tanks fired again, now with clearer targets. Their shells pierced through the advancing line, breaking the rocks apart and throwing several earthbenders to the ground. The firebenders followed, burning their way through the now disorganized unit of earthbenders.
Within a couple of minutes, they had been defeated. Some of the surviving earthbenders retreated toward the wall, using stone to carry themselves away. The rest of them were killed on the spot.
"Listen up!" Lin shouted. "We are forming a defensive line here. Take defensive positions, we will meet whatever they decide to send next."
As the men started taking defensive positions, another railway shell struck Ba Sing Se. The impacts were louder here, Lin was sure that it would bring desperation to the Earth Kingdom forces.
They would be ready for another attack. Still, the enemy's first attempt to slow their advance had achieved nothing. They were off to a good start.
----0000----
The explosions had not stopped since sunrise. Major Lee felt every impact through the stone beneath his feet. The floor trembled, dust was getting everywhere, and the sound of the explosions striking the walls was deafening.
Close to where the attack was happening, orders had to be shouted directly into the ears of the soldiers beside him, and even then he could not be certain they had understood. The corridor behind the battlements had become crowded with wounded men, healers and crews carrying bodies away from the damaged sections.
Some were covered in dust until their uniforms could barely be identified. Others had been struck by fragments of stone thrown loose by the explosions. There were already more bodies than the recovery teams could manage, and the bombardment showed no sign of slowing.
Lee had spent the first hour trying to coordinate repairs. Earthbenders had raised fresh stone toward the damaged sections, only for the next shells to break their work apart and bury several of them beneath it. After that failed, they attempted to tunnel through the wall and approach the damage from within.
The first team had barely reached the outer section before an explosion collapsed the tunnel. A second group had tried from another direction and suffered the same result. The few men who returned reported that the stone near the impacts had been reduced to loose fragments and dust. There was little left for them to bend into place, and remaining there for more than a few moments meant waiting for the next explosion to strike.
Lee had ordered the repair crews farther back after the third attempt. He hated giving up ground inside the wall, but continuing would only waste more men. The Fire Nation weapons were striking the same areas repeatedly, and each impact widened the damage before the earthbenders could stabilize it.
The corridor shook violently as another explosion hit the walls. Several soldiers braced themselves against the walls while a section of the ceiling cracked and fell across the floor. Lee covered his head until the debris stopped, then forced himself upright.
He would have revenge for this. Whatever evil spirits had given the Fire Nation such weapons would be made to answer for the lives lost here. No honorable army should possess such a cruel and terrible power.
Still, that anger would not help him now. Lee took a slow breath, calming himself, even as the loud impacts shook the grounds. He needed to remain calm and decide what could still be done. He knew they still outnumbered the Fire Nation several times over. Their enemy could not be allowed to control the pace of the battle.
A soldier entered the chamber, covered in dirt and breathing heavily. Lee recognized the markings of the Terra Team on what remained of his uniform.
"Major… we had to retreat, we couldn't ambush them, they were too strong." he said. "Our team was crushed within minutes. They are using long range weapons in metal machines. We were no match. Only a handful of us returned, everyone else is dead."
'These are bad news.'
"Get to the healing room, I will inform the general." Lee said.
If the Terra Team had failed that meant that their elite force was gone. They needed a larger attack, one strong enough to reach the weapons wherever those may be. If they continued using them without resistance, there would soon be nothing left to repair.
Lee quickly left the chamber to find General Sung atop the wall. He ran his way up, the general was pacing back and forth, when Lee approached he quickly made his way to him.
"Major, any news about the ambush? We cannot see the battlefield with the amount of dust clouds that are now blocking our view from up here."
"General, the Terra Team has been utterly defeated." Lee said.
"Impossible. All of them?"
"Only a few returned, and in a bad shape at that."
"Then attacking is doomed to fail." General Sung said, and as if waiting for that same phrase, another loud impact shook the walls.
"We have to do something, if we don't figure out what is hitting our walls soon, they will collapse." Lee said.
But what could they actually do? The Fire Nation was clearly using a new technology, something they hadn't seen so far and it was completely destroying their walls. Even using their strongest telescope they couldn't see what was attacking them.
The men who had been closer and survived described hearing a whistle before the explosions hit. At first it was one big one every few minutes, then it was smaller every second. It was terrifying and the damage was mounting up.
"The evil spirit rumor was true, they are aiding the Fire Nation. We must fortify our defenses more than ever." General Sung said.
And to top it all, his general was behaving like a crying child. "General, we already did as you ordered, we are getting more stone up the wall so that we can distribute it and repair it, but we need to attack them, discover what their weapons are, and destroy them." Lee said.
"If we are not safe behind these walls, then we are not safe out there, do you want me to send more men to their death?!"
Lee wondered how on earth Sung came to have command of the entire defense of the city walls, he was totally incompetent. Sending the Terra Team had been the right idea, but now it was clear they needed a bigger force and he was just crying, scared.
"If we wait, the walls will be destroyed, General!" Lee said.
"We will keep repairing them, we have no hope of sending a bigger force, the Terra Team was our best unit." Sung said.
"General, please reconsider, too many will die at this rate and the walls may collapse." Lee implored.
"Then we find a way of strengthening the walls. Send word to the city, we need better materials and the hardest stone they can bring." Sung said.
This was the worst situation they could be in, their commanding officer was refusing to attack, refusing to see that the walls wouldn't stand forever. Lee had never seen or felt something so destructive, but even being close to where the impacts were landing was enough to shake his very bones.
He was sure that the wall wouldn't stand against such powerful explosions. Through the years, the Fire Nation had used blasting jelly against their forces to create explosions, but never before had they seen something like that.
Lee thought that if they fired those weapons towards them, they would be having even more casualties than what they already had. They needed to do something, urgently, he dreaded to think what those weapons could do if they targeted the city instead of the walls.
He gritted his teeth and saluted the general. He turned around and walked quickly away from the general. Captain Ro joined him as he walked away.
"We will do as he ordered, captain, but get as many troops as you can muster to be ready for an assault." Lee said, as soon as they were out of the general's ears.
"You will go behind his back?" Ro asked, concerned.
"We cannot stay behind our walls and do nothing, they will collapse sooner than he thinks. The holes are too big and repairing the damage is impossible with the amount of explosions happening. We need to push forward now." Lee said.
"I understand, I will get everyone ready." Ro said.
"Tell everyone we will tunnel our way out and ambush their forces."
"Yes sir!"