Disclaimer: the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion
Author's Note: This work story represents the fourth 'episode' in my speculative version of the next season of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender', so if you have not yet read "The War Barge", "The Battle of Chameleon Bay", and "The Trial", you may wish to do so now or this might not make much sense. A more comprehensive explanation of the intent, format, and focus for my stories can be found in the Author's Note at the end of "The Battle of Chameleon Bay" (chapter 8).
Thank you for reading. Please review and enjoy!
Sunlight filtered lazily into the massive chamber where the Council of Five gathered. Around the expansive map, which filled the center of the room, sat the Council, along with the Earth King, the Avatar and his companions, the exiled royalty of the Fire Nation, and several Kyoshi Warriors. At the moment, Katara was the only one talking, her penitent voice reverberating in an ominous echo throughout the room.
"I was on my way to deliver the war plans when Azula captured me. She took them, so it's safe to assume that she knows the entire attack plan for the day of the eclipse."
"Which means that Ozai knows of it as well," Iroh added darkly.
"Well, that's just perfect," grumbled Sokka.
"But won't the Fire Nation Army still be weakened by the eclipse?" ventured Suki hopefully. "They won't be able to fire bend after all."
"They will be far from helpless," countered the retired Fire Nation general, "now that they know of their disadvantage, they will be sure to compensate with weapons, artillery, and war machines." He sighed heavily. "I'm afraid a direct attack would be pointless."
"General Iroh is right," intoned How, "the element of surprise was a crucial part of this strategy, and now that it is lost, a frontal assault would be suicide."
"So that's it then" frowned Sokka helplessly, "we don't have a chance of beating the Fire Nation and when the comet arrives at the end of the summer, they're going to obliterate us." His shoulders sagged in defeat.
"Don't give so easily," said Iroh enigmatically, "There are other ways of ending this war."
"Oh sure! We can just walk up to the Fire Lord and demand that he surrender," ranted the young warrior sarcastically. "Somehow I don't think it's going to be that simple."
"But…what if it is?"
The sudden sound of Aang's tiny question fell into the air like a hammer on a gong, and all eyes suddenly turned to focus on the young Avatar. He looked around the room and swallowed hard, then took a steadying breath before continuing.
"Avatar Roku said I had to defeat Fire Lord Ozai before summers end; not the Fire Nation, but Ozai." He took another deep breath as everyone stared at him in various degrees of shock.
"Ever since we had to face the Fire Navy ships in Chameleon Bay, I've started to wonder if a direct attack on the Fire Nation is the right way to go about this."
"How else do you expect to get to the Fire Lord to defeat him, Aang?" Sokka asked impatiently.
"I don't know, but charging in at the head of an invading army just…doesn't feel right. Is it really necessary to attack whole cities, villages, families, just to get to the Fire Lord? What is that going to accomplish except more hatred and conflict…and more death," he ended in a whisper. With a stern shake of his head, he continued confidently.
"I won't be part of that. The knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong, said that no war was justified, and I believe him. Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because the Fire Nation started all of this a century ago, doesn't mean that further aggression is the way to end it. Killing more people won't solve anything. There has to be another approach."
Everyone was stunned into silence, and after several long moments, it was King Kuei who finally broke it.
"Well, if three teenage girls could take control of Ba Sing Se in a single day without any bloodshed, then I don't see why there wouldn't be some other method to get to the Fire Lord," he stated calmly.
"He's right," Katara blinked, "We originally went to the Library to find some means to navigate through the Fire Nation, but now we have a way to do that," she said, waving her hand to indicate Iroh and Zuko.
"Even so," mused Iroh as he stroked his beard, "getting in will be tricky at best. And once we are there, it will be very difficult to avoid the military."
"Then we will draw them out," suggested General How, and everyone turned to look at him while he started formulating his plan out loud and pointing to various locations on the map as he spoke.
"We can start by retaking Omashu. Now that Long Feng is no longer needlessly tying up military resources, we can send aid to the resistance hiding in the mountains. Once we've secured the city we can launch a small fleet of ships to distract the southern edge of the Fire Navy Blockade, and give you some cover while you slip into the Fire Nation. We can force them to mobilize the rest of the military by setting up a series of decoy strikes on their bases here, here, and here. As long as you travel inconspicuously, we should be able to keep their attention focused on us and they'll never even know you're there."
Iroh looked carefully over the map as he listened, nodding his head with approval.
"That might actually work," he affirmed.
"We need to send word to the Omashu resistance," How stated, "but I don't trust a pigeon-hawk to carry it; they're too easily intercepted."
"We'll go," said Suki firmly, "The Kyoshi Warriors will deliver the message while you prepare your forces."
Sokka opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp look from Suki and an equally sharp jab in the ribs from his sister stifled it before he could utter a sound.
"How long will it take to get your men to Omashu?" Suki continued.
"We can be there in 10 days."
Suki nodded, "Then we'll set out at dawn."
The defeated Fire Nation fleet was still making repairs at a small naval base along the northern rim of Chameleon Bay when Princess Azula had shown up a few days ago, and Commander Huo's life had been pure misery ever since. He knew she had purposely held off this meeting, letting him stew in his own trepidation, and now that she finally saw fit to meet with him, he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of seeing him cower.
"So if I understand correctly, Commander Huo, you surrendered a fleet of thirty ships to some Water Tribe rabble, an old man, and a bunch of children?" Her eyebrows arched in dangerous disappointment.
"With all due respect, Your Highness," he replied coldly, "that 'old man' was none other than your uncle, The Dragon of the West, and those 'children' have managed to elude even you on more than one occasion."
He winced inwardly as he said this last bit, knowing he would likely pay for his insolence, but since he was most likely a doomed man anyway, he figured he might as well give the princess a taste of her own defeat. He wasn't the only one who had failed after all.
"Perhaps if you hadn't let the Avatar escape from Ba Sing Se in the first place…," he added with a sneer.
Azula stood up with menacing grace, her eyes no more that glimmering slits in a deadly mask of fury. She fully intended to strike the man down, but his life was spared by the sudden arrival of another soldier entering the room.
"My apologies for interrupting, Highness," he said as he bowed low, holding up a scroll of paper, "but a message just arrived from the Fire Lord."
She snatched the page away from him with a scathing glance and he quickly hurried back out the door. She all but ripped the seal apart as she opened the missive, and Huo was gratified to see that her hands were shaking slightly. Huo watched smugly as the color drained from her already pale complexion, and he didn't even blink when she finally spoke.
"Prepare your ship to set sail, Commander," she stated serenely as she regained her composure, "The Fire Lord would like to have a word with us both…in person."
Huo said nothing, only bowed and turned to leave, but he couldn't help but smirk when he noticed from the corner of his eye that the Princess nearly collapsed back into her seat as the page in her hand erupted in a swift blaze and crumbled away to ash.