DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NICKELODEON'S AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER OR ITS CHARACTERS. I just sell soft and juicy fruit at the market in Yon Rha's town.

"Changda, do sit down. You're making me even more nervous."

The maid looked distractedly at Lan Chi, who sat by a window in a sitting room in General Fong's fort. The base itself was beautiful, and, had Lan been there for any reason other than the one for which she was there now, she would have appreciated it.

A circular fortress built from a creamy stone, it looked, from a distance, alabaster-white. Nestled in the mountains of the southern Earth Kingdom, a natural ridge brought a road to its front entrance, and man-made walls extended, perpendicularly, for miles from its other sides. It was remarkably secure, and easily defended, and had stood against the Fire Nation for over one hundred years.

Gaining entrance had not been as hard as Lan Chi would have imagined. Yiandao, true to his word, had called upon his brother-in-law, who had, upon hearing part of Lan Chi's plan, agreed to bring her offer to General Fong.

It was General Fong's response that they were awaiting, and Lan Chi, although outwardly composed, was quaking inside. All that she had planned, all that she had risked – it all hinged on the Earth Kingdom general's reaction.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I don't mean to upset you." Changda lowered herself to a cushion.

Lan shushed her maid, and looked around. "Changda! Please! Do not use my title!"

"I'm sorry – Lan. I just can't get used to calling you anything other than," her voice dropped to a whisper, "my lady."

Lan gave a sympathetic nod. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. It's just that..." she trailed off. She was nearly desperate to speak to the general – to see if her scheme would be accepted.

"Yes, my – Lan. I know."

Her mistress smiled at her. "I feel like I can't breathe deeply until I know what the general thinks."

They had been at the base for three days, after a particularly speedy and terrifying ride on an eel hound. After being settled in the civilians' quarters at the fort, they had been left to wait, and wait, and wait for Fong's decision.

Lan Chi was not certain what the waiting meant – it could mean that the general was seriously considering her proposal, or it could mean that he was arranging a hanging.

The door to the sitting room opened, and Lan and Changda jumped to their feet.

Changda's uncle Yiandao entered, followed by his brother-in-law, Jong Wu. Jong Wu, a colonel, was a particularly dour man not prone to smiling. He stopped before the two young women and sketched a bow before clearing his throat.

"Miss Chi, thank you so much for your patience." Chi was the only name that Lan had given him upon her arrival.

Lan's heart dropped. This did not sound promising. "He – he won't see me, will he?" All her dreams started to crack.

Yiandao and Jong Wu exchanged glances again. "On the contrary. He is quite – interested. I am not certain if you will be, however."

Lan's response was unwavering. "Oh, I will be, Colonel. I assure you that I will be."

The colonel nodded. "In that case, he has time to see you now – if it pleases you."

"Yes. Yes, it does. Could I – have a moment to tidy myself, please?"

The colonel gave a nod of his head. "A moment only, I'm afraid. The general has little time."

"Of course." Her smile was placating. "Thank you."

Jong Wu left them, followed by Yiandao, who gave Lan a concerned look.

As the door closed, Lan turned to Changda. "This may be it, Changda." She unlooped the belt of her robe to reveal her underclothes beneath. She reached around, under the loosened robe, to her back, pulled out the scroll that she had concealed there, and handed it to the maid. She then closed the robe and tied the sash. "How is my hair?"

Her hair was completely covered by a kerchief that she had worn since approaching the base. Changda had suggested, prior to leaving her family farm, that her employer keep her hair completely obscured, if at all possible. Red hair, she had reasoned, was so unusual that it might allow someone to identify Lady Lan Chi in the future.

"Not visible." Changda assured her, and straightened Lan's robe.

"Good." Lan held out her hand for the scroll, which Changda returned.

"You will be careful, won't you, my lady?" Changda accidentally slipped and used Lan Chi's title.

Lan nodded. "I'll be fine. Besides, I am very highly trained in martial arts." Despite her nervousness, Lan had a twinkle in her eyes.

Changda gave a small smile. "Oh! I do hope that you won't have to use them."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Lan slipped the scroll into the front of her robe.

Changda opened the door to find Jong Wu standing there. "Are you ready, Miss Chi?"

Lan nodded, gave Changda a quick embrace, and followed Jong Wu.

She found General Fong staring out a long window in his enormous office, his hands clasped behind his back. He was a big man, who wore his uniform well. His shoulders were broad, and his legs and bare feet were thick. A long cape hung down his back, and his uniform boasted shoulder plates that resembled stylized animal heads. It was very disconcerting.

Lan stopped before him and waited, silently, for a long minute, until he spoke.

"Have you ever been unable to sleep, young lady?" His voice was deep and smooth, but unyielding.

All the time, she thought.

"Yes." She answered quietly, not certain what the object of his question was.

He continued looking out the window, his fingers flexing.

"And what do you do when you lie there, hour after hour?"

Her silence was lengthy. "I think."

"Yes. And what do you think of?"

Her answer was hesitant. Best not to give away too many details. "Many things. My family, mainly."

There was a long pause, and he turned his head slightly, craning to look at something in the distance. "So do I. But my family – my family – is composed of the soldiers under my command." He turned then, and Lan Chi was given her first glimpse of a stern face. His brown hair was secured in an Earth Kingdom style topknot, and he wore a beard that came halfway down his chest.

He walked towards her, his stride long and confident. "I lie awake at night because of my family." He stopped before her, too close for her liking, but she refused to step back. Instead, she tipped her head to look at him. "Because I worry about them. Because of this war."

He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes piercing and suspicious, then swept past her to his desk on the far side of the giant room, and the edge of his cape brushed her legs.

She turned to follow him, and stopped before the desk as he sat.

He looked at her for a long time, obviously attempting to intimidate her with his gaze, but she was unflinching.

He finally spoke. "I am told that you have a way to help the Earth Kingdom."

Lan, who had been focusing on a spot above his shoulder, looked into his face. "Yes."

He pulled a parchment across his desk towards him without removing his eyes from her face. "Here are some details that I believe you provided to Colonel Wu." He cleared his throat. "General Shu, in command of three thousand men of the Fifth Battalion of the Fire Nation Royal Army, sequestered five miles to the east of Ba Sing Se." He turned the parchment to her, as if to allow her to inspect it, but she felt no need. She had copied out the parchment herself, and knew what it said.

She nodded, and he continued, although he did not look at the parchment either. "General Tran, in command of the thirty-third brigade, which consists of seven hundred men, bivouacked barely two miles to the north of the Fifth. Odd, wouldn't you consider it?"

"The Fire Lord thought so."

His brows shot up. "The Fire Lord? Yes, I can understand that – if it's true."

"It is." She asserted.

"So you are saying that your sources are close enough to the Fire Lord that you knew his reaction."

Don't give anything away, Lan Chi! Be very careful!

"My sources are – myriad."

"Huh." He looked at her, his jaw set. "You travel in high circles, Miss."

"Perhaps I do."

He looked at her with distaste. "Spies are among the most despicable of all human beings." He waited for his words to sink in. "However, they are a necessary evil in war, I'm afraid."

When she did not respond, he turned the parchment back to him, and looked at it speculatively. "All of this information is true, Miss. I'm certain you know that. What you may not know is that our own spies brought us the same information."

Lan's heart skipped. She felt as if she were seeing the dissolution of her plans before her eyes.

He took her silence as an admittance. "You have nothing else, do you?"

Don't tell him yet, she thought to herself. Not quite yet.

She smiled what she hoped was a secretive smile. "Perhaps I do, Sir. The question I have for you is this: what can you offer me?"

He squinted at her, as if trying to judge her veracity. "What do you want?"

This was what she was hoping for. "Will you give me whatever I ask?" Her heart began pounding.

He gave a small laugh. "Not likely. But, then again, I do not know what you want."

"I want freedom."

He spread his hands expansively. "You are not a prisoner here. Not yet, at least." His smile became predatory, and Lan, for one moment, wondered at the wisdom in coming here, virtually alone and unprotected. However, she knew that she could not betray that fear.

She looked at him unwaveringly, which was quite a feat, since she was certain that she was shaking. "You would not do well to decide such a thing, Sir."

"Really?" He asked, incredulously, and Lan could tell that he was not intimidated by her empty threat. "And why do you say that?"

"I have – much to offer." She hoped that he would take the bait that she was offering.

"Indeed? I have not seen such."

Lan's smile now became that of a predator. He was nearly landed. "You have not promised me anything that would compel me to show it to you."

"And so we come back to the unanswered question. What do you want?"

"I told you. Freedom. But not for me."

"For whom, then?"

"A friend."

"A friend? And, who, pray tell, is this friend?"

"A judge in the Fire Nation colonies."

He gave a bark of laughter. "A Fire Nation judge? You wish to buy his freedom? Is he in our custody, then?"

"No. But you and I both know that, when the Earth Kingdom wins the war, every Fire Nation official's freedom is forfeit."

His face became stone. "Yes. We'll see justice done."

She nodded. "Yes. Justice is important, but not more important that the lives of your family. Lives that very well might be lost if the war drags on. Lives that the information that I can provide may save."

"How can I be certain that your – information is valid?"

"You already know that what I have given you so far is – you've said so yourself."

His eyes narrowed further. "And this – judge is important to you?"

"As much as your own family is to you."

He looked her over speculatively. "All right. The information that you have – provided it is proven truthful – for this judge's life." He extended his hand. "Show me what you have. I assume that you have it in your possession."

"While I appreciate your word, Sir, I would prefer to have your vow in writing."

A reluctant admiration came into his eyes. "Fine." He stood and walked to a gong, which he rang with a mallet. After a few seconds, a secretary entered, carrying a portable writing desk.

"Ah, Chu. You've brought your writing materials. Good. We have a – contract to draw up. This young lady is selling us some property, shall we say, in exchange for the freedom of a Fire Nation Occupied Territories judge."

The secretary looked at Lan Chi with interest, but the look she returned was devoid of expression. She still had a role to play, and she would play it.

"Now, if you please, the information." Fong extended his hand again.

"The contract, first. You can always rescind it, should the information not prove to your satisfaction."

He looked annoyed. "Very well." He turned to his secretary. "Write this down." He began to recite the terms of the contract.

"Be it all known," he said, standing and beginning to pace, "on this seventeenth day of the second moon in the twelfth year of the reign of our most sovereign lord, Earth King Kuei, the following terms: one, that the freedom of Fire Nation Occupied Territories Judge," he stopped and turned to Lan Chi.

"What is his name?" He asked.

"Fai Liang, of Lao Hai, Most High Judge of the Fire Nation Southern Colonies."

He looked at her with disgust, but he continued. "Fai Liang, of Lao Hai, Most High Judge of the Fire Nation Southern Occupied Territories be granted, at the cessation of hostilities between the sovereign Earth Kingdom and the tyranny of the Fire Nation. And, two, that Judge Liang not be held responsible, in perpetuity, for his war crimes."

"Judge Liang has never been guilty of war crimes. He has been quite just."

He gave her a disbelieving look. "I am sure that he is a paragon. That language, however, will prevent any charges connected with his activities during the war from being leveled. I assume that is what your ultimate goal is."

She inclined her head, as if that were an obvious detail, when, in reality, she had not considered that.

"Now," he gave a stern look, "the information, if you please."

She withdrew it, and handed it to him.

He grabbed it from her, uncorked the tube and withdrew the parchment. He walked to his desk as he unrolled the paper, spreading it on the surface. He was silent for several long moments, and, then gestured to his secretary. "Send for Colonels Wu, Zhang, Liu, and Huang. Immediately."

"The contract, please." She held out her own hand.

He looked at her distractedly. "Give it to her." He ordered his secretary, who complied before he left.

She turned to leave.

"Wait." It was the general, who seemed to tear his eyes from the parchment. "This has the Fire Lord's seal on it."

"Yes." Her pulse jumped.

His look was calculating. "You do travel in the highest circles."

"I did not lie."

"Can you get access to more documents like this?"

She took a moment to survey him. He stood stiffly, but there was an air of eagerness about him. "Perhaps."

A small smile came over his face. "Then perhaps we have more to discuss."

"You want more information like this."

"If you can get it."

"I may be able to – for the right price."

His smile grew wider, and, inside, Lan Chi was smiling, as well.

"Money is no object for information such as this."

"Well, since I do not want money, that is not an issue."

His face fell. "Wh – what do you want, then? Property? Position?"

"There are – a few more people for whom I would like immunity."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, well, then, I suppose that is something that we might be able to arrange. Another judge, perhaps?"

"Not quite. There are two that I have in mind who are rather higher up in Fire Nation society."

"Yes?" He was suspicious. "A territorial governor, perhaps? A military commander?"

"In a manner of speaking."

He turned his head slightly, and his eyes narrowed. "Well, go on, then. Who is the recipient of your largesse?"

"I want your guarantee that you will give me what I ask."

"How can I guarantee anything if you will not tell what it is you ask, and if I do not know what you will bring me."

"Troop strength, location, leaders, strategy." All of the things she had had access to over the past year and a half, welcomed, as she had been, into Fire Nation garrisons and the like.

"You can gain access to all of this?"

"Yes."

"That is considerable."

"It is. I can provide details for all of the southern Fire Nation forces." A bit of a lie, to be sure, but necessary.

"Impressive, if it is true."

"It is."

"And how will you gain access to this treasure trove of information?"

Good question. She had not actually gotten that far in her planning. "I shan't tell you, General. You wouldn't believe me, anyway, and it's safer, for me, if you do not know."

He looked at her with great consideration. "Very well. Keep your own counsel, then. But I must ask you, again: for whose life are you bargaining?"

She drew in a deep breath. "General Iroh and Crown Prince Zuko."

Fong's eyes grew wide and he burst into laughter.

Lan's face darkened as the laughter carried on for thirty seconds or more. "I fail to see the comedy, Sir."

Fong wiped tears from his eyes. "Miss, you would have to provide me with a blueprint of the Fire Nation palace to earn clemency for the Dragon of the West! And The Fire Lord's son!" He began laughing again at the absurdity.

Lan's mind raced. At least he was considering it – he did not dismiss it summarily.

"A map of the palace would do you little good, although I could provide it." Let him see that she was in earnest.

He stopped laughing. "Wh – wha?"

"It's not hard. I can draw it up now, if you like, as a show of good faith."

He squinted at her. "You know the palace well enough that you can draw it from memory?"

She realized that she had given away too much, and decided to be more circumspect. "There is quite a bit that I know, you will find."

"What I find, Miss, is that it is hard to believe that you are privy, at your young age, to any intelligence at all."

"Then how do you explain my possession of the information you now have spread on your desk?"

He glanced at the parchment briefly, which had rolled itself back up. He shrugged. "Chance. You found that, and are trying to capitalize on it."

"I will not deny that I found it. I can also find quite a bit more information."

"Well, now is the time to more specific, then."

I have already told you. Troop strength, names of leaders, strategy."

"All very nebulous, unless you can name the regions."

She sighed. Did he want an itemized list of the information? Which cities? Which could she offer up to him? Which could she betray in the name of saving Iroh and Zuko? "Nanzhou. Daejeon Ju. Xin Xian De. Tian Sheng Shi. Tao Xing. Do those mean anything to you, General?" They were all names of large cities that Lan had visited with Fai, with the exception of the last, which was the city where her fiancé was governor. She had no way, at this point, of obtaining information from Tao Xing, but, as the governor's wife, she would probably have access to everything that Fong wanted.

"Of course. They are the names of occupied territories. Are you saying you can provide information on the garrisons there?"

"Yes."

He looked away, thinking, and turned to her. "Troop numbers? Leaders? Locations? Strategy? Supply routes?"

"Yes. All of that." Hopefully.

He was long in responding. "I cannot make this decision on my own. I must – consult with my superiors. But, if you can truly supply all of that information for those territories, I think that we can trade the Dragon of the West and the Fire Lord's son." He spat their titles.

She ignored his reaction. "When will you have authorization?"

"I will send an eel hound. Perhaps within two days."

"Time if of the utmost importance, General. I am due home, and cannot wait forever."

"Yes, yes."

He looked at her for a long moment. "I don't know, Miss, who you are, but I suspect, by your accent, that you're Fire Nation nobility." She did not answer, so he continued. "What makes someone – someone so young, want to betray her country?"

"I won't say, Sir, who I am, or where I'm from, but I will tell you that I have lived and traveled in the Earth Kingdom, and I've seen the effects of the war – perhaps not on the soldiers, as you have, but on the people, and on the land. And although I think that the Fire Nation is not only to blame for the atrocities that I've seen, by being here, it is, ultimately, their fault. And I know, or at least I think, that, once Ba Sing Se enters the war, the Earth Kingdom will win."

"That is not widely known knowledge, Miss." The general's eyes narrowed.

"See how good I am at ferreting out secrets?"

He reluctantly acknowledged her point. "Be advised, though, that whatever you think will be enough to buy their freedom, it will probably need to be more."

"But if I provide to you what you have asked of me – all the information for those colonies, it will be enough?"

"Yes. If I can get permission from the Council of Five."

"The Council of Five?"

"The assembly that decides Earth Kingdom strategy."

"Well, tell them, Sir, what I have provided you with, and tell them that there is more where that came from."

Within two days, Lan Chi had her answer. The Council of Five, apparently, agreed with her audacious plan: she would steal and trade Fire Nation military secrets to the Earth Kingdom in exchange for the freedom of both Iroh and Zuko after the war.

So, with this knowledge, she met once more with General Fong to go over details of the plan.

"Once you have gotten the information in whatever way you may, Miss," he asked, "how will you get it to me?"

She had thought on this. "I would prefer, General, to return to you with all of it – at one time if possible. I don't trust that sending you any intelligence piecemeal, or through other channels, is in my best interest."

He nodded. "I tend to agree with you. But we need to have a time frame for all of this. It cannot, I'm afraid, be open ended."

"By the end of the year for some of it. Some details may take – longer."

"As long as you understand that your – payoff – will be delayed until you have fulfilled your portion of the bargain."

"I understand."

"Very well. So you think to return here with the intelligence?"

"I do think it best."

"And how will you get here?"

"I – I'm not certain." That she had not figured out – like much of her plan.

"Well, then, allow me to make this a bit easier for you. Get to any Earth Kingdom garrison, and tell them you are one of mine. They'll see that you are brought to me."

"Forgive me my skepticism, Sir, but simply telling them that I am in your employ seems a bit – chancy."

"Quite true. Tell the garrison commander that you are one of mine, and give them my password. It's lion turtle."

"Lion turtle?"

"Yes. That will see you safe to this fortress. But, mind you," he pointed at her, "no tricks. Don't think to outsmart me, or double cross me. You'll get no secrets out of me."

"No. This is far too important to me, Sir. I promise you."

"Good."

"Just one other thing: I want documents guaranteeing General Iroh's and Prince Zuko's safety in my possession when I leave here after delivering the intelligence. With your signature on it – as well as the signature of this Council of Five you mentioned."

"I hardly think that necessary."

"With all due respect, Sir, I say that it is. If that is the commanding body of the Earth Kingdom military, I will have all their signatures. I do not want anyone on the Council to say that they were uninformed of our – arrangement."

He looked peeved, but acquiesced. "Of course."

"I also want your word, as a man on honor, that you will see to it, once the war is over, that the General and the Prince are granted clemency."

He looked at her seriously. "If you do as you have promised – bring me the information, as you have said, then, yes, you have my word."

"I admit that I am afraid for you." Changda's face was worried as she packed Lan Chi's meager luggage. They were readying themselves to leave General Fong's base after Lan Chi had returned from her meeting with the general.

"No need, Changda. I know what I'm doing." Lan wished she was really as confident as she sounded.

Changda looked at her mistress with concern. It was an extremely dangerous bargain that the younger woman had made. "If you say so, my, er – Lan."

Lan Chi gave her a reassuring smile. "I do." The truth was that she really had no good idea of how to carry out the plan she had made.

"Is part of your plan marrying that old man?"

Lan's face fell. "If – if it can help me accomplish my goal."

"No! My lady! You must not!" She slipped, again, and used Lan's title. "Whatever could that accomplish?"

Lan took her hands. "There are things that you do not know, Changda, and it should remain that way. In fact, the less that you know about what I'm doing, the better for you. And for me."

Changda's face was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that, if you know nothing, you can't tell anyone anything. It means less risk for you. It means that you can go home and be – safe."

"But I thought that I was going with you to Tao Xing."

Lan shook her head. "No. You're going home – to your family's farm. That's the best place for you – somewhere the Fire Nation can't easily find you. When I leave for Tao Xing, you must go home. Besides, you don't want to go with me. You want to marry Li, don't you?"

The maid took on a petulant look. "I want to go with you."

"No, you don't. You're saying that because you're my friend, and I appreciate it, so much, but I won't let you come with me."

"But –"

Lan held up her hand. "We don't need to discuss this now. Let's just get back to Lao Hai. There will be plenty of time to talk about it then."

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading; I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. It had little action, but a lot of exposition - Lan Chi's plan to save Iroh and Zuko is laid out. We'll see, in the coming chapters, exactly how she intends to implement that plan, and the effect it might have on her life, and on the lives of Iroh and Zuko.

I promise, dear reader, that we are not far from Lan Chi's reunion with Zuko. Be patient; it's coming soon!

Thanks go out to my betareaders - bowow0708 convinced me that this chapter was too skimpy to properly reveal Lan's Machiavellian plan. I hope that I have resolved that problem. Sunflower13, as usual, supplies me with helpful comments that make me a better writer, so I say, to the two of them, again - THANK YOU!

Also, to those new readers, I want to let you know that I update both this and my Young Justice fanfic on Sundays - I try to update every week, and, for the most part, I am successful. However, sometimes I post a bonus chapter during the week, so it's best to be following my fics so that you will always know when a new chapter comes out!

Please review so I can be in the top of the most reviewed Avatar fanfics - that's my goal!

: )