The Arts of War and Pai Sho
a Story Based on Avatar: The Last AirBender
Disclaimer: The characters herein are the property of the creators of the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. I claim nothing.
The old tea shop owner sat across from the young Water Tribe warrior, both staring at the stone game board in intense concentration. With a lopsided grin, Sokka moved a tile. "Ha! I finally have you now, Old Man," he gleefully exclaimed.
Iroh tugged thoughtfully at his beard. "I would not be so sure, my young friend. True your Red Orchid gambit is a bold and unconventional strategy, but I knew 10 moves ago you would try it, and have planned my endgame accordingly." With that, Iroh moved his Gold Panda tile to the center of the board. "Now I command the rest of the board," Iroh said smugly.
Sokka gaped in disbelief, "Wha...how did you...theres no way!?"
Iroh chuckled, "Calm down, Sokka. You play an excellent game and your unconventional tactics did throw me off at first. Keep thinking and playing that way and one day you will defeat me."
"You said that you knew 10 moves ago that I would try the Red Orichid gambit, but I didn't even know I was going to do it until right before I moved the tile. How can you prepare a counter to a strategy when your opponent doesn't even know he's going to use that tactic?"
Iroh smiled knowingly, "I knew you would try something bold and unconventional because that's who you are, Sokka of the Water Tribe. Understanding the true nature of your opponent is key to victory in Pai-Sho. You are able to predict what he is going to do before even he himself knows he is going to do it."
Sokka's brow furrowed as he stroked his chin in thought. "And in battle as well."
"That is true enough," Iroh agreed.
"So that's how you won so many battles," Sokka surmised. "You knew how the Earth Kingdom generals thought. What I still don't get is how that helped you breach the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. I mean, understanding how your opposite number thinks isn't going to bring down a half-mile high stone wall defended by earthbenders."
Iroh sighed deeply. This was part of his life he was not comfortable discussing. However, Sokka was the most promising White Lotus acolyte he'd met in a generation. This knowledge should be passed on. Iroh summoned a waiter, "Bring us more jasmine, please."
To Sokka, Iroh began, "To bring down the walls of Ba Sing Se, knowing my opponent was not nearly as important as understanding the nature of the Earth Kingdom itself. You see the Earth Kingdom is not, and never has been a unified entity. The Earth King's control has never reached much further than the Outer Wall. The rest of the continent is divided among various fiefdoms controlled by nobles, warlords, and other potentates that are as likely to fight each other as band together to repel an invader. While they all claim fealty to the Earth King and even send him annual tribute, in truth they are laws unto themselves."
"As you have observed, the outer wall is a formidable obstacle. Even with a hundred of the most powerful firebenders in the army concentrating all of their power on one point in the wall, without the power of Sozin's Comet, the earthbenders would just as quickly repair the breach. I knew the only way to take it down would be from the inside, with earthbenders. So I recruited some."
Sokka stared wide-eyed in disbelief, "Wait, wait, you got earthbenders to breach the wall? How did you recruit them? And why bother, Sozin's comet was only a few years away. Why not wait?"
Iroh sighed. "I'll answer the second question first. You see, I was very ambitious when I was younger. My father, Fire Lord Azulon recognized this. He also recognized that he was growing weaker. He wanted to retire, and let me take the throne but that was unprecedented and he knew the Fire Nation nobility would not accept it. But if I could take Ba Sing Se, then I would return with enough acclaim and credibility to take his place."
"OK, so your path to the Dragon Throne went through Ba Sing Se, but how were you able to get Earthbenders to work for you?" Sokka asked.
Iroh got up from his seat. "Let us retire to a more private setting. I will tell the tale, but you must promise never to repeat it outside the Order, even to the Avatar and especially not to your friend Toph."