Chapter 1:

Part 1:

Colonel Jeong-Jeong. It sounded strange. Suddenly, those who had used him as their slave, bowed to him and executed whatever he asked. They were ready to do the most annoying tasks for him, only to get noticed. But he didn't accept such a behavior. He hated people that crawl before every high graded officer, even if he was a total jerk. He was somebody who cared a lot about honor and justice and seeing these behaviors made him feel sick.

A new uniform, a new tent, the right to be present at the war meetings on the front, having his own squadrons, his own servants...Jeong-Jeong didn't really believe all that was happening to him. But he quickly got used to it without abusing it. He was still kind with the others, helpful and didn't expect too much. He was loved by his men, respected by the higher ranked. Everything was going smoothly.

But it couldn't last for a long time. The war was still on, and the people of the Earth Kingdom were proud and strong. They would endure anything as long as they had hope. And their hope was Ba Sing Se and the Avatar.

Even as the news about the broken Avatar cycle spread over the whole world, Jeong-Jeong wasn't so sure about the disappearance of the last air bender. It was rumored that a monk had been missing at the southern air temple the day the air nomads were defeated.

"Sir?"

Jeong-Jeong looked up at the soldier that bowed to him. He stood up.

"What can I do for you, Baojia?"

"My wife is sick and she needs my help. I wonder if I can go back to the home land for a while..."

Jeong-Jeong smiled. He loved stories about united families. And Baojia was a good soldier who deserved a vacation. Jeong-Jeong settled down at his writing table and wrote a letter for the soldier.

He handed him the parchment.

"Here, you have a permission of a month. Is it long enough?"

"More than necessary, Sir! Thank you very much!"

He bowed and ran out of the tent. Jeong-Jeong shook his head and began to think. Baojia was a lucky guy. In two days, they would attack Bao Yu, the city of the jade mines.

The great Bao Yu, ruled by the great queen Ishi. She was admired as a clever woman and as a great Pai Sho player. If they had not been enemies, he would ask her to play a game... A crazy idea came in his head. And why would he not ask to play a Pai Sho game? At stake, Bao Yu itself...

That evening, Jeong-Jeong and the other flag officers had a war meeting. They were all middle and old aged persons. They were very diversified. Colonel Ryoku and Jeong-Jeong were the youngest of them all and didn't have much experience in war strategies.

Colonel Ryoku was a respectful and honorable man who had a calm mind. But he wasn't very clever and sometimes not really tactful. He was some 30 years old and had a small mustache and a Fire Nation knot. His hair was black as raven feathers and his eyes gray as a rainy day.

Jeong-Jeong had white hair, with brown almond shaped eyes. He had a beautiful smile and was good mannered. He was wise, quick thinking, smart, bright and helpful. He didn't speak much and when he said a word, it was always for a good reason. Because of that, he was appreciated by a lot of persons in the army. Also he was one of the best fire benders of the Fire Nation.

He was the youngest of the twenty officers. But he was as worthy as the other high graded. He worked hard to be appointed as colonel. He didn't think about a so high ranked status, but it was his friend Iroh, son of Fire Lord Azulon, who gave him the place of colonel. And you can't refuse such an offer...

What do you have as strategy to attack and conquer Bao Yu?" asked the oldest general.

Nobody answered.

"But Bao Yu is unreachable by a whole army. There is only one road that can take you there, but Earth Kingdom soldiers are everywhere to stop us."

Nobody answered. Colonel Ryoku was right, they wouldn't make it.

Suddenly a young voice broke the silence.

"I propose a Pai Sho game."

Part 2:

"Who said that?"

Everybody turned to the young colonel. Jeong-Jeong looked fiercely to them one by one. The general looked at him severely.

"Approach colonel."

Jeong-Jeong obeyed and bowed.

"You're the one who proposed that we should play a Pai Sho game?"

"Yes."

"But that's crazy!" exclaimed Ryoku.

"Why would you play a game when we have a city to conquer? That is unacceptable.", said another officer.

"Except that the game I propose is to conquer the city..."

The general sat on a seat and crossed his legs. It was the first time that Jeong-Jeong saw him so close. He was very old. Amber eyes that pierced to the most remote parts of your soul, a lot of wrinkles. No scars on his hands or on his face. That man had never fought on the battle field. It was the kind of person who was always behind the lines, in a tent, talking about strategy. Jeong-Jeong could tell it at a glance. He had been there the day that the Air Nomads were wiped from the world's map. Jeong-Jeong didn't really know what he thought about his past actions, but the general didn't like to talk about it.

He seemed to think while he was observing the young man. But there was nothing to see, except a straight face.

"Explain yourself colonel Jeong-Jeong."

He cleared his throat and began to explain.

"Bao Yu is a fortified city, with no doors that we, as fire benders, can open. And instead of sending thousands of men to battle, trying to climb and destroy the walls, of which only half will come back, we can play Pai Sho with the queen of the city. I'm sure she wants to keep all her soldiers alive. She can't refuse. If we win, Bao Yu will be ours and we will win the city without having to rebuild it. If we loose, we promise to leave camp."

"And we can come back later when the let their guard down", added a captain.

"Well, I wouldn't have done that..."

"Brilliant" cut the general him off. "Just brilliant! And who do you recommend to play with the queen?"

"Myself, Sir."

"You have my permission to send a message to the queen of Bao Yu...Just brilliant!"

As continued to talk to the other officers, Jeong-Jeong didn't listen anymore. He felt guilty. He knew that if he lost the game, his fellow fire nation people wouldn't keep their word. They would ambush the city like they had done with the air nomads. An attack without honor and justice.

Quote of the day

Fire Lord Ozaï: Hmm…Prince Zuko, you've been among the Earth Kingdom commoners. Do you think that adding more troops will stop these rebellions?