Author's Notes: Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews. Well here we finish up the Earth book. As always I don't own the show.
"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival."- Winston Churchill
Lady Ty Lee stared at him for a moment, a look of expectancy on her face. Then it changed to one of confusion and then recognition. With a happy cry she threw her arms around his waist and dragged him into the room.
"Mai, Azula! Look who is here!"
"Ty Lee, don't go yelling our names to all creation." Lady Mai scolded her as she came in the room. Like Lady Ty Lee she wore a simple green robe and had the remains of makeup on her face. When she saw Zokar she stiffened but otherwise did not react.
"So, you are not dead." She said simply.
"No, I am not." He replied in an equally flat tone.
"What's going on here?" Demanded a familiar voice. Azula stormed into the room and stopped when she saw Zokar. Her face took on an unreadable expression and she slowly walked up to him. When she came within arm's reach of him she paused for a moment.
Then her hand shot out and slapped as hard as she could across the face.
'What were you thinking?!" She demanded, her face becoming angry. "You left without saying a word! No one knew what had happened to you, some said you were dead, others that you had deserted! You did not even say anything to me!" For a moment she looked as if she might cry but then she mastered herself.
"Explain yourself General."
Zokar nodded in acknowledgement and gave an account of his actions since they had parted. He glossed over his killing of the thugs and how exactly he had gotten the disguises so as not to upset them. When he had finished he looked at them intently.
"At the University there was talk of something big happening. Do you know what they were talking about?" Azula nodded, her face becoming serious.
"I do. I do not know how exactly but the Avatar and his companions learned something of great significance. This summer there will be a solar eclipse. While that happens no firebending will be possible. The Avatar, with the aid of the Earth King's army, plans to launch an invasion of the Fire Nation."
Zokar's face remained impassive. Inwardly his mind was working fast. So this was what the Council of Five was working on. It was audacious and risky but they would not have another chance like this. The eclipse would not last long enough for a complete invasion of the Fire Nation, of course, but it would be long enough for them to secure a beach-head once ashore their bends could easily erect fortifications and with the Fire Nation Navy in the state it was in there existed the very real possibility that the Earth Kingdom could maintain control of the seas. Especially if this bold move brought down the Northern Water Tribe bent on revenge.
The Fire Nation waged war the same way it bent its element; which could be summarized in four words: attack, attack, attack, attack. They placed little emphasis on defense, even in the officer training schools it was only given scant attention. This was due to more than just arrogance; it was a matter of practicality. While the propaganda machine back home trumpeted the endless victories of the Fire Nation the nobles and generals knew the truth.
Since the beginning of the war they had been outnumbered heavily by the rest of the world. While their soldiers were better trained and armed they would never be as numerous as their foes. The great fear of the higher-ups was the prospect of a true war of attrition. While there were periods of inactivity now and then the Earth Kingdom did little to regain lost territory during these times.
If they ever did and truly pressed the Fire Nation the Fire Nation would be doomed. They simply could not absorb the kind of casualties that kind of war would result in. Fortunately, the Earth Kingdom for the most part also fought like they bent; absorb the enemy's attacks and then counter-attack. So far they had been less than successful at absorbing the Fire Nation's attacks. If that ever changed, however, and they went on the offensive it was highly doubtful the Fire Nation would ever again be able to regain the initiative.
Worse still; if this invasion was meant to be against the homeland then they had a way to bypass the army which was now besieging the city. If that happened and they were able to wrest control of the seas from the Fire Nation then the army as well as all the forces in the occupied territories, the overwhelming bulk of the entire Fire Nation military would be cut off. Even if they managed to cut their way through and return home the casualties would likely be staggering, there was no way the Fire Nation could recover from such a disaster.
All this went through his mind in a flash while he continued to watch Azula's face. Her expression had remained calm even as she discussed what could be the doom of their nation.
"You do not seem very upset by this." He stated. In response she gave him the cunning smile he knew so well.
"Because we are going to take this city before the invasion can happen." At his arched eyebrow she continued. "The drill may have failed but now we are inside and in perfect position to bring down Ba Sing Se from the inside. The key is the Dai Li, whoever controls them controls the city."
Zokar snorted. "Their leader has been arrested and they are apparently keeping a low profile. They do not appear to be in a position to take over anything. For that matter why would they betray their country?"
Azula just smiled sadly at him. "Oh Zokar, at times you are almost as blind to political realities as Zuzu. Just be ready to move when I tell you to. Leave the scheming and plotting to me."
He spent the next two days hidden in their quarters. His news came only from the girls when they returned. He learned how Azula had made contact with Long Feng and forged an alliance. Or at least the appearance of one. Long Feng clearly meant to betray them the moment he felt he did not need them anymore. Unbeknownst to him, however, Azula was working to win the Dai Li over to her.
Azula brought surprising news the second day when she informed Zokar that they had taken Zuko into custody. He had not even known that his brother was in the city but apparently not only was Zuko here but also their uncle, though he had escaped capture.
"What do you intend to do with him?" Zokar asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "For the moment I just want him out of the way while we take the Avatar down. Afterwards, I don't know. Father wants him and Uncle returned to the Fire Nation to be locked up. Bring him back would certainly please Father."
Zokar snorted; "I doubt it. He was angry when he gave that order, I doubt he cares much one way or another. We have more important matters to deal with right now."
"You are right." She agreed and her face became speculative. "Who knows, we may even find some use for him."
Later that day she informed him that the coup had been a complete success; the Earth King, Long Feng and the Council of Five were all in custody. Soon Dai Li agents would bring down the walls and the Fire Nation army would enter and after a hundred years the city of Ba Sing Se would be theirs.
"It seems my presence here proved to be rather superfluous." Zokar commented when Azula informed him of the news.
"Not quite," she told him; "One of the reasons everything went so well is because the Avatar has apparently left the city. He has now returned to the city and needs to be dealt with or he might undo everything we have done. Fortunately, I think I know where he is going."
Leaving the room and accompanied by two Dai Li agents she led the way to the tunnels leading to a series of caverns. As they descended they heard two voices. Zokar recognized both at once it was; Zuko and his uncle. From what he could hear Uncle was trying to convince Zuko to give up his hunt for the Avatar.
At a signal from Azula the Dai Li agents encased Uncle in crystal. As they approached Zuko turned and dropped into a fighting stance.
"Azula, Zokar! Let him go, now!"
"No, I don't think so." Azula said. At a sign from her the Dai Li agents returned the way they had come. "Uncle is a traitor but you're not. The city is in our hands; all we have to do is defeat the Avatar, what you have been trying to do for the last three years. We could use your help; join us and you can return home, with all your honor returned to you."
"Don't listen to her!" Iroh called to Zuko. "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you!"
"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."
"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want!" Iroh said.
Azula walked past them with Zokar at her side. "You are free to choose." She said over her shoulder as they walked on.
Further down they came to a large cavern. There were more of the crystals here and a channel with water running through it. These Zokar paid scant attention to, he was focused on the two figures ahead of them. It was the Avatar and the Water Tribe girl!
Azula sent a bolt of lightning at the Avatar; it responded by raising an earthen barrier to block the attack.
"Take the girl!" Zokar shouted at Azula. "The Avatar is mine!"
He ran towards the Avatar in an effort to separate it from the Water Tribe girl. It raised a column of earth in front of Zokar to block his advance. Unfortunately for the Avatar it raised it to close to Zokar. Zokar saw it coming up and ran towards it; as it rose he jumped up and planted his right foot on it. He used it to push himself up and over it and used the increased height to bring his sword down in a two-handed blow with all his strength and weight behind it.
The Avatar had obviously expected the barrier to stop him and had failed to move. It gave a cry of alarm and raised a shield of earth to cover itself. Zokar's blow struck the barrier with all the power he could muster; the blade breaking through the shield to scrape along the Avatar's forehead drawing blood.
The Avatar made a gesture and the shield was launched into the air taking Zokar with it. As it sailed into the air he jerked his blade free and rolled off the shield and fell to the ground. Getting up he saw rocks launched by the Avatar flying towards him. Seeing he could not get out of the way in time he braced himself and prepared for the onslaught. He swung his sword about trying to knock away the larger rocks and absorb the strikes of the smaller ones.
He grunted as they impacted against him and he was soon bruised and bleeding but he remained on his feet and resumed his advance. The Avatar responded by sending a blast of air at Zokar. He responded by throwing himself flat on the ground and leapt up and charged forward when it had passed.
The Avatar was preparing another attack when a stream of blue fire shot towards it forcing it back. Zokar looked to the source and saw Azula charging towards them.
"What about the girl?" Zokar shouted at her.
"Don't worry," she replied; "Zuko and the Dai Li are dealing with her!"
"Zuko?"
"It seems he made his choice."
Zokar did not have time to comment on this as the Avatar had recovered and was once again going on the offensive. It had used earthbending to encase itself in crystal armor. It began to slide forward using some earthbending technique. Zokar took up a guard position and prepared to move in but Azula beat him to it.
Using firebending to glide along the ground towards the Avatar. As they closed she shot a blast of fire at it. When it connected with the Avatar its armor was shattered and it was thrown back into some old buildings.
With the Avatar at least temporarily out of the fight they turned back to face the now heavily outnumbered Water Tribe girl. They moved to stand in front of the Dai Li, with Azula on his left and Zuko on his right. Zokar signaled the Dai Li to spread out and surround the girl.
As they closed in something caught their attention. Looking back they saw that the Avatar had returned and had encased himself in a crystal cocoon. The cocoon was glowing with a bright light. Zokar's breath caught in his throat as he recognized that light. The Avatar was summoning its full power as it had at the North Pole.
Just then the cocoon split open and the Avatar, its eyes and tattoos glowing, emerged from it on a pillar of light. The light grew almost blinding bright forcing many to look away. Zokar however looked directly at its eyes, they were just as hard and cold as they had been at the North Pole.
Then he saw he a familiar flash of light and the familiar boom of his sister's summoned lightning. She had somehow maneuvered behind the Avatar and struck it with a bolt of lightning. It convulsed, the glow vanished and it fell towards the ground.
Before it could hit the ground the Water Tribe girl, Katara he now recalled, created a wave from the water which took her towards it and caught it before it could hit the ground. The way have had knocked some of the Dai Li down but they now got to their feet and they all advanced on the girl and the Avatar. She looked at them with tear-streaked eyes and made no effort to resist them.
Before anyone could do or say anything a blast of fire came between the two groups separating them. Zokar saw that the source of the fire was his uncle. His uncle turned to look at Katara.
"You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" He then fired several blasts of fire at the siblings and their Dai Li allies. Katara took the Avatar and bent the waterfall to carry them up it. Iroh continued to fight till it was clear they were gone. He then ceased to fight and allowed the Dai Li to encase him in crystals.
Zokar just stared at his uncle. His uncle was a traitor, not just a deserter, the man had activity helped the enemies of the Fire Nation! He doubted that the man would believe him if Zokar told him that the Avatar was the enemy of the whole world, even if it was, but it could not be disputed that it was the enemy of their country and he had helped it!
For the first time in his life he felt powerful emotions beating through the walls of his self-control. Waves of rage and hate rippled through him causing his whole body to quiver and his breath to come in ragged gasps. He registered that all those around him, even Azula, were backing away from him and even Iroh was looking at him without his usual calm. Zokar took a step towards Iroh.
"Zokar stop!" Azula called. Her voice held a tone of command that cut through Zokar's rage and caused him to halt. Slowly his control reasserted itself and the emotions faded back into the recesses of his mind till only one emotion remained; shame at the loss of control.
"This traitor is not worth it. We'll take him back to the Fire Nation to face justice. On the way he can contemplate all he threw away and know it was all for nothing. Ba Sing Se has fallen and the Avatar is dead! The Fire Nation has won!" Zuko and Iroh looked at one another and then Iroh closed his eyes and looked away.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone I hope you liked it. Well we are done with Books One and Two. How did you like it? When describing the war situation I thought back to the war between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. With Germany, at least in the beginning, have better quality troops but outnumbered and unable to win a war of attrition. The Battle for Ba Sing Se could be compared to the Battle of Stalingrad, the loss of an entire army would spell disaster for the Fire Nation as it did for Germany. Don't worry if you think Zokar has been too tame he will be seeing a lot more action soon. Till next time please keep praying for all who need it including a young woman who was shot here by her boyfriend who also killed her father. Please pray also for Treasa Ramirez a teenager who ran away and for the Americans held abroad, those countries hit by natural disaster and everyone else who needs prayer. Thanks, Happy New Year and may Jesus bless you all.