Avatar:Battle of the river village
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"I joined a crew of pirates, who turned out to be pretty okay people, you know, for pirates, and together we broke through a Fire Nation blockade."
— Katara retelling her experience to the rest of Team Avatar.[1]
Template:Battle infoboxThe battle of the river village was a minor confrontation during the late Hundred Year War, fought between Jiang's pirates and the Fire Nation garrison of a Earth Kingdom village. The clash erupted as the pirates attempted to smuggle out stolen medicine while posing as Earth Kingdom collaborators, but their cover was blown when a Fire Army officer recognized them as criminals. Thanks to the pirate crew's temporary member, Katara, the group managed to overcome the Fire Nation forces despite losing their ship, the Flying Wolfbat.
Prelude
In the late Hundred Year War, the river pirates of Captain Jiang decided to end their long neutrality and take up arms against the Fire Nation as the latter occupied their turf. The group began to steal from both the Fire Nation military as well as the Earth Kingdom military, using seized goods to organize their own resistance and support local communities. Early in 100 AG, Jiang's pirates captured medicine from the Earth Kingdom Army, but could not transport it to a community that needed it as the Fire Nation patrolled the rivers.
The criminals secretly stored the goods at a occupied river village, searching for a waterbender who could help them to get the medicine to safety. In spring, they encountered Katara who had been separated from Team Avatar. After recruiting her, the pirates disguised themselves as collaborators and brought the medicine to the Flying Wolfbat. They initially fooled a low-ranking officer who led the harbor guards, and prepared the ship to take off. However, another officer soon arrived, and quickly recognized the Flying Wolfbat as a result of having participated in a previous clash with the river pirates. He ordered the criminals' arrest. At this point, Jiang and Katara were o the pier, while the rest of the pirates was on the the Flying Wolfbat.[1]
Battle
Jiang promptly ordered her crew to get the ship ready, while Katara used her waterbending to flood the pier, driving off the Fire Nation guards who stormed after them. The Fire Army soldiers continued to attack, but Katara held them off long enough for the pirates to get their ship ready. However, some cargo went overboard, causing Jiang to delay their flight to fish it from the water. This gave a spear-wielding soldier an opportunity to board the Flying Wolfbat. Jiang and Katara easily defeated him, throwing him from the ship, but the pirates recognized that they had to leave. While two soldiers on the pier firebent at the escaping criminals, a patrol ship moved to block the harbor entrance. Using a catapult, the ship launched a missile that hit the Flying Wolfbat, causing it to sink.
As the pirates attempted to save the medicine, Katara jumped into the water and attacked the Fire Nation ship on her own. After a short fight, she cleared it of its crew. As this was happening, soldiers with bows had arrived on the pier. The army officer urged Jiang and her men to surrender, as the Flying Wolfbat was barely floating and the pirates were seemingly left without escape. Before the soldiers could arrest their opponents, Katara rammed the pier with the commandeered patrol vessel. Most of the soldiers were thrown into the harbor, no longer a threat, allowing Jiang and her men to get the cargo onto Katara's ship. They then steered toward the harbor's exit.
Just then, a Fire Nation soldier got out of the nearby woods and immediately attacked the pirates. As he was trying to board their ship, however, he was frozen by Katara. Meanwhile, the Fire Nation troops got a second patrol vessel ready and moved to pursue Jiang's group. The pirates responded by launching their newly acquired catapult, successfully sinking the enemy vessel.[1]
Aftermath
After escaping from the village, Jiang's crew got the medicine to the nearby community. Later, Katara was able to impress the rest of Team Avatar by retelling her short pirate career, including the battle.[1]