The morning sun brightly lit a small courtyard within the Fire Nation Royal Palace- uncle and nephew sat by a small pond on a mat, the calm tea in their hands mirroring the water they sat beside. Fire Lord Zuko was stressed from all of the new duties he had to take on with his position, but he thought it would be best to find some time to spend with his uncle away from the war-meetings and intelligence updates that were commonplace for him at the moment- his command for oaths of allegiance meant that new messages were coming in every day with more commanding officers swearing themselves and their men to Fire Lord Zuko, which he then updated to the war-council every afternoon so they could update their own plans in accordance to their understood loyalists. However for this short time, he desired to keep the potential of a civil-war off of his mind and turned to having a somewhat jocular conversation with his uncle.
"Uncle- I'm unsure if your ideas for this tea-venture of yours is madness or genius... Do you really want to spend the rest of your life serving tea to people- you are a prince, remember?" he asked his uncle, Iroh chuckling at Zuko's perception of him.
"Ah nephew- I am not much of a Prince anymore, let alone one who will rule this land- my life isn't about ruling my nation, it's about... tea! I love it!" he exclaimed to his nephew, holding his tea-cup to the air, "You know my tea is good- admit it- I could wander around selling it and people would certainly want some- it is delicious and calming, good for the mind and the soul." he argued.
"Uncle- tea is just hot leaf-juice, it's not some miraculous thing." Zuko admitted bluntly, Iroh's eyes opening in offence.
"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?" he exclaimed, Zuko growling at his uncle in frustration.
"I'm sure Azula would have worse things to say about your tea obsession, never mind me." he told his uncle, who sighed in slight frustration.
"Despite all my teachings- you failed in the greatest one- you disregard tea! Tea!" he exclaimed in near horror.
"Uncle- please just calm down- you're going to make a scene!" Zuko asked of his uncle, who breathed deeply a few times before glaring at his nephew.
"I still can't believe you would say such a thing." Iroh looked at him with disappointment, making Zuko grab his nose bridge with frustration.
"I melt half a man's face off, you forgive me like it's nothing- but I make fun of tea, you think I'm the biggest disappointment in your life." he grumbled in frustration.
Their argument was suddenly interrupted by a guard arriving in the courtyard, kneeling before Zuko, "Your majesty- a personal message has arrived for you, from the colonies."
Zuko took the message from the guards hand, looking at him somewhat awkwardly, "Uh thanks- you can return to your duties now." he told the guard, who stood up and bowed to Zuko before turning around and leaving the courtyard without a word.
"Sometimes I forget how serious everyone is in the palace..." the Fire Lord murmured in thinking of the guards very stoic attitude.
Iroh chuckled at his comment, "Yes- I do prefer the liveliness of the ship- it was fair more bright back there." he admitted, Zuko raising a brow at his words.
"Have you got word from the men, seeing that they no longer have to be in hiding." he asked, Iroh nodding as he drunk from his tea-cup.
"I have heard from Lieutenant Jee that the crew has left the port-town we left them at, I promised that we would send them a ship to the capital so they could go their separate ways- their duties are finished with us safe and sound in the capital." he explained, before raising a finger, "Oh I hope they bring the instruments- I'd like my tsungi horn back, it was an antique."
Zuko rolled his eyes, "Uncle, you got that horn from some shady Earth Kingdom port years ago- I doubt it's really worth much."
"More the sentimental value if anything- it reminds me of my good times at music night, and your beautiful playing of the instrument." Iroh explained, Zuko blushing in embarrassment of his comments.
"Urgh- Uncle, why'd you have to mention that- it was one time." he face palmed, before Iroh tapped his hand, making him uncover his red face.
"What about the letter? He said it was 'personal'- I never knew you as the sociable type nephew." his uncle wondered, his nephew untying the band that held the letter in a roll, before unrolling it, his eyes peeling in realisation of it's sender.
"U-Uncle, it's from Mai." he mumbled, his face in shock.
"That girl you were friendly with- Azula's friend." Iroh commented, trying to clarify if his knowledge was correct, his nephew nodding in response.
"I haven't spoken to her in- well forever really- I- uh-" he stammered, before Iroh comforted him with a pat on the shoulder.
"I'll go make some more tea- you deserve the privacy of reading the letter yourself." he assured him, before picking up the tea-pot sitting on the mat, walking his way out of the courtyard to find a tap, leaving him alone for the moment.
Zuko begun to read the letter silently, "Zuko, I know you might find it a shock to hear from me after all this time, but after hearing the news from the capital, I had to send this. I hope you've been well- I'm sure you have many stories from being at sea for all those years, on the other hand, I have been bored ever since my father became Governor of New Ozai- I've been sitting around here for the past few years; my father wants us to meet in person, I think you could guess why. I hope we can meet again, soon- please respond, from Mai."
He smiled, his eyes running with a few tears- he had spent his past few years alone- only really his Uncle to give him comfort, and now out of the blue, just days after he becomes Fire Lord, one of his only friends actually sends him a letter- she was more than a friend, they both knew that now, but he felt that with so many years apart, it would be more like meeting someone completely different. He could see it in her words, she was still the same girl he knew as a kid, at least in some way- that made him smile, happy that something was left- that his childhood hadn't been completely burnt up and destroyed by his father's machinations and abuse. Iroh returned with his kettle and sat down beside Zuko, smiling at his nephew with a sense of hope.
"Was it a good letter?" he asked, Zuko returning a curt smile.
"As good as it could be- she wants to see me again, after all this time away." he explained, before turning his eyes to the tranquil pond beside them, "Ever since we left on our journey Uncle, it was like all I had was you- everything had been taken from me- and now Mai had sent me this letter, and I feel that a part of me has come back- it was gone for a long time." he smiled, turning back to Iroh with a happier face.
"I'm happy for you Zuko- this is something good for you- for the both of you." he smiled, before winking at his nephew, "And now you might have a chance with a lady." he encouraged, making him blush and belch in embarrassment.
"Urgh Uncle! Please can you not make it awkward- I'm just going send her a letter back, that's all." he defended himself, Iroh chuckling at his attitude.
"Don't worry Zuko- before you do anything else, we ought to finish this calming tea." he affirmed, pouring each of them a cup of tea, and giving Zuko his one.
"Thanks Uncle, I know I can rely on you- most of the time." he joked, the two royals laughing in the peaceful quiet, their smiles genuine and heartfelt.
Standing by the railing on the bridge, Sokka had a wide view across the evening horizon, the sun just set over the horizon, blossoming the sky a beautiful pink and orange, the scattered clouds above him lit by the sun below. He smiled at the sight that he considered to be quite pretty as well as nostalgic, the orange and pink colouring of the sky reminding him of a late-winter day when the sun would just peer over the horizon back home. He felt that the sunset broke away any sense of dread or fear he had for the coming day, that he was safe in a place he shouldn't expect himself to be- he doubted his past self would have ever believed him to end up on a Fire Navy vessel voluntarily, and not to fight or sabotage his enemies, but to be working and helping the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. He heard the clearing of a throat behind him, and Sokka glanced behind him to see Azula standing by the door of the bridge.
"Enjoying the view?" she asked him, Sokka momentarily blushing in thought of the double-meaning of her question, before clearing his throat and turning back toward the sunset.
"Yes- it's beautiful- I do like it out here on the sea." he explained, Azula stepping up beside him.
"Not too scared of the open sea after you experience on the Royal Barge?" she asked, Sokka chuckling in response.
"I wouldn't say I'm that scared of the sea- my people live on it half the time- fishing, hunting, whaling- I don't think one shipwreck is going to shake me to my core." he affirmed to her.
She nodded in response, "Well, I wouldn't say that I'm particularly enjoying the state of being stuck on water for a good week straight." she explained, placing her hands on the railing, "Soon enough we will get confirmation from Admiral Zhao- and then we go find some nice place on dry land to stay as we make our plans."
"Are you worried though? About the whole uncertainty of loyalty?" he asked her.
Azula sighed, "I can't say that I'm not concerned- but what else can we do but prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
Sokka shrugged his shoulders, looking out to the horizon, "So then- what's next?"
"Next? We ensure that Zhao is a good little puppy- I can't have him trying his hubris on me- I will not stand for any insubordination on his behalf." she explained.
"Oh- I can't wait to see you get real angry- you keep claiming you're intimidating as all hell, but I think I've only glimpsed at the 'real angry Azula'." he jested at Azula, who laughed lightly at his claim, before giving him a smirk.
"The closest I've got to having a fit of anger in your presence was when you distracted me on the ship- that was beyond infuriating." she explained, making Sokka choke up in laughter.
"Ahaha- spirits! My deception is the most anger provoking thing I've seen- oh that's a good one." he laughed, making Azula roll her eyes at him.
"It's not a joke- I didn't expect to be beat by mere distraction- you got me shipwrecked and incidentally saved your own life." she explained, making Sokka look at her with slight frustration.
"So are you still going off the argument that just because I couldn't beat the deserters you saved my life, because I'm pretty sure I saved you." he argued.
"No you misunderstand- even if you actually saved me then, if you had been by yourself you would have been beat." she argued back, before Sokka scratched his chin.
"I was going to kidnap one for interrogation instead of fighting them all- then I could have easily sneaked my way away from their search, unlike what actually happened." he countered, making the Princess nod in respect of his strategy.
"That's not a bad idea, but you miss one key issue- you would have been half-asleep at that time if it weren't for me." she declared, Sokka face palming in realisation of his one great flaw.
"Argh- of all the things that you could out-argue me with, it had to be my love of sleeping in." he pouted with the knowledge his argument had broken down.
Azula smirked triumphantly and patted him on the shoulder, "Better luck next time savage- I'm sure you'll out-debate me some day."
"I am grateful though- for the help that you gave me in the forest- you're right when you say that I probably couldn't have got out of there without your help." he thanked Azula, who looked out to the horizon and nodded.
"You did help me too- I certainly preferred not dying of whatever diseases come from unpotable forest water." she admitted, making Sokka laugh.
"Oh it was nothing really- who would have thought sharing water would have made me an ally out of a former enemy?" he wondered, Azula raising her brows in thought.
"I respect that about you Sokka- you're willing to make the best out of any opportunity or situation." she told him, making him smile back at her.
"Ah- if we're handing out compliments, I'll say you're pretty damn stealthy- remember when you sneaked into that Dai Li safe-house? You out-sneaked the sneaky earthbenders- that's saying something." he explained, his tone becoming more awestruck as he went along.
"I would love to claim that as pure skill, but I think your artful distraction was pretty helpful." she countered, "What was it again? Engaging in a duel with a petty nobleman- ah, it's too realistic for you." she jested, the two of them laughing at the somewhat realistic confrontation Sokka had played with an unsuspecting Upper Ring noble.
"Ahaha- you're not wrong- didn't take much to get me riled up at that guy." the Water Tribesman admitted, knowing all too well he enjoyed picking that fight.
Suddenly their laughter was broken by a knock behind them, the Princess immediately turning to face one of her guards, standing with a message, "Your highness- the Admiral has responded."
She nodded with a face of relief, "Good- read me the message." The guard looked at her and Sokka momentarily, considering whether to question her order, but decided against that idea and begun to read it out.
"Crown Princess Azula- I swear that you are the true and rightful heir of your father Fire Lord Ozai, and I will accept your request of a meeting at sea- my fleet in stationed a day west of the West Lake- I will head eastward to meet you with a smoke signal as is protocol. I look forward to our meeting in person- sincerely, the gracious Admiral Zhao." the guard read out, Azula nodding in understanding.
"Well that is that- we maintain course until we see the smoke-signal, please carry on the information to the helmsman." Azula affirmed to the guard, who bowed before her before curtly leaving her presence, closing the bridge door as he went.
"Okay- so no more needing to worry about Zhao now?" Sokka asked, Azula looking at him, eyes rolling.
"If only it was that simple- he's going want more- and being the de facto head of the entire navy there isn't much more he can get at this point." she explained, "Whatever he requests of me, I will be sure to deal with him reasonably- I can't have him running off with the ships we need to run amok, but I also can't let the man walk over me- I am going to be Fire Lord, for spirits sake."
Sokka nodded confidently at her, "If you need me to beat the crap out of him for safety reasons, you only need to say the word." he affirmed, Azula chuckling.
"I'm sure it won't come to that- he knows I could kill him with one zap of lightning, so I'm sure he won't try anything in my direct presence." she noted, Sokka grimacing in approval, ever fearful of Azula's very unabashed view on killing.
"Yeah may I re-iterate, I don't ever want to fight you for real again." he stated for clarity, making Azula mocking laugh at him.
"Aha- I could have killed you that first time, but I consider myself merciful at the best of times." she explained with a mocking smirk.
"I'll take that as uh- a compliment?" Sokka grimaced in slight fear but appreciated her approval of his utility, even though he doubted that was all she cared for.
"So I expect that we'll be meeting Zhao within a day- you best go find some sleep; I want you dressed and ready to listen in to all of the strategy- you need to know as much as possible when it comes to Zhao's own forces and his plans- by any means necessary..." she directed to Sokka, who nodded in understanding, looking back in playful suspicion.
"Are you making me out-manoeuvre the Admiral?" he questioned her, Azula turning away from the railing to walk back into the bridge.
"Perhaps- but that would be quite callous and dishonourable of me to do, but not for a Water Tribesman who wants the Fire Nation to act in a way that doesn't just benefit men like him." she explained, Sokka sighing at her plan for him.
"I mean it's not that I don't agree with you, but why is always me doing the dirty tactics- the Captain ought to get something done other than standing around staring at me." he complained, making her chuckle as she opened the door to the bridge.
"That's your job savage- you do the things I don't want to be blamed for, that of course you'd be willing to do without my orders." she simply explained, walking through the door, Sokka nearly chasing after her, grabbing the door before it slammed shut behind her.
"Wait a minute- now as much as an arse this Zhao guy seems to be, I'm not just going to run in there and make a fool of myself- or worse, end up dead, just because you think I should." he argued, Azula raising a brow at him as she turned back.
"Do I have to say it again? It's your job." she told him, who glared back at her in response to her rather uncalled for demand.
"It's not the act- it's the principle- I'm only going to sneak around and sniff out Zhao's plans if I believe him to be a traitorous bastard- because to be honest, all I can see is another Fire Nation prick, no different to any of the other bastards." he argued, before she turned back to him with a thought in mind.
"Fine then- if you really want a motivation- I'll give you one," she begun, "I know something that you desperately want- more than anything else, I would assume- and this is despite you never actually asking me for it- because I understand you Sokka- remember that." she explained, Sokka shifting to halt, his eyes suspicious.
"What do you mean- something I want to know?! What are you saying?" he asked with a rising tone of shock, completely confused by her words- she didn't know something he wanted to know- maybe how to break into the Fire Nation Palace to assassinate her father if need be, but he was supposedly dead, so he crossed that off his mental list.
"You'll find out once you rat out Zhao's plans and tactics that he doesn't tell to my face- I want to know everything. Understand?" she requested, Sokka sighing in frustration.
"Urgh- you really know how to get me on the line like a fish, don't you?" he pouted, admitting to himself that he did want to know whatever Azula could tell him, despite the fact she could probably tell him what he wanted to know then and there.
"Go to bed Sokka- you'll get your reward when you do the work."
Striding through the hallways of the Fire Nation Royal Palace, Zuko felt a sense of pride, one that he had lost so many years ago- to the point at which it was near alien to his being- he was the Fire Lord- not his father, not his grandfather, but him- the banished and disgraced son of a man who many would claim as the most powerful firebender alive, refuting that very claim by defeating him in single combat and taking the throne for himself. He was respected for his ability for once in his life, and feared by those who would seek to undermine him, call him out as a traitor or a kinslayer- they didn't know the half of it- he had finally become the man his uncle wanted him to be- the Fire Lord who would be the harbinger of a new age- of peace and fairness, not one of war and cruelty.
Pushing open the doors of the war-chamber, the officers before him stood and bowed before their now regnant Fire Lord, their faces turned away in a sign of deference to the man who was their master- whom they might have mocked in years past for his cowardice and hubris- all misinterpretations in Zuko's eyes; he had been stupid enough to love and adore his father, as if he was anything to compare to his beloved mother and uncle. He was once weak, his father was right, but in the wrong way- he was too easy to fall in line, to beg before a tyrant- but now he had turned the tables- he was the one with power, the most feared bender alive for having defeated Fire Lord Ozai, someone considered untouchable, even by his own daughter, the greatest firebending prodigy in a generation.
Walking along the walkway through the middle of the room, Zuko looked upon the generals, admirals and other officers with a sign of contempt and pity- they had joined the war probably in hopes of honouring their nation, but achieved the exact opposite- ordering the massacre of innocent Earth Kingdom citizens, wiping out the benders of the Southern Water Tribe, and invading the Northern Tribe- none of these could compare to the absolute annihilation of the Air Nomads, destroying an entire nation because they purportedly housed the latest Avatar, although the men before him would only know of the lost nation as the deeds of their forefathers, somehow construed as an honourable victory for their nation.
He sat on the seat of his father- as if he was the same man even- a feared man who came to the throne unexpectedly- they weren't so different in many ways, but Zuko had the insight and empathy to understand the wrongs of the world and his nation- his uncle may have guided him, but Zuko believed he had the heart to better his nation and the world, taking them away from the horrible deeds they had inflicted on the rest of the nations.
Zuko begun, "What is the update on the loyalty of our nation's men?" he asked the officers, one of which stood up before his Fire Lord.
"I am sorry to tell you your highness, we do not have good news." he explained, holding up a piece of parchment, "To all ranking officers of the Fire Nation, you are being commanded by your Crown Princess Azula to make an oath of allegiance to her highness as the legal heir of Fire Lord Ozai, outranking her-" the officer stopped, coughing in realising that he would be speaking words of defamation toward the Fire Lord before him, "-banished and disgraced brother, Prince Zuko. She demands that all swear upon her, and if they do not she will send her forces to defeat them and force their submission- this is the will of the Crown Princess, and to oppose her divine will is treason against the honour of the Fire Nation." he finished, coughing once more in realisation of the defaming words, one of the generals standing up before the chamber.
"This is a disgraceful and dishonest message of propaganda my lord- it cannot be tolerated." he exclaimed, Zuko nodding at the general's point of view.
"General- you are correct, but we must be certain that all traitors are revealed- my sister's declaration offers us an understanding of those who would betray my honourable ascension to the throne- that is good news." Zuko explained, nodding to the officer who had read the message, making the man sigh in relief that his words hadn't aggravated the Fire Lord.
"Is there anything else?" he asked, a navy officer standing up before him.
"Your majesty- I have received unsettling reports from the Colonies- there are protests against your ascension- claims that you will undermine the sovereignty of our territories and citizens." he explained, Zuko nodding at the officers information.
"Commander- they are not entirely wrong to make that assumption- I assure you all, the newest colonies will be dealt with as peaceably as possible- a tactical withdraw if you will." Zuko explained, one of the generals standing up to question his plan.
"My lord- do you believe that we can give land back to the natives without them trying to hunt our men down?" he asked, trying to seem as peaceable as possible, knowing full well to oppose the Fire Lord directly would be an act of disrespect.
"That is why these potential rebels must be dealt with quickly- if the people of our nation oppose my unifying rule, the Earth Kingdom's defiant citizens will likely seize the opportunity to destroy us- I understand this." Zuko affirmed, his uncle who was sitting beside him speaking up to confirm Zuko's plan.
"The Fire Lord is right in his judgement- if we do not contain this revolt, the entire military situation will unravel and countless innocents will die in the crossfire- against each other and any opportunists that try their mettle against our armies." the retired general argued, "We must remain strong together- if our nation is divided, the world cannot find peace."
"Your highnesses, what of Ba Sing Se? It is under the Crown Princesses rule due to the malignant conspiracy that was found that- how can we ensure that the Earth King doesn't seize the opportunity to reclaim his city." an officer asked, Iroh nodding at his worries.
"The Fire Nation cannot hold onto that city forever- it couldn't be colonised due to it's size and it drains the military resources of our nation that could otherwise be dealing with the more present issue of mutiny, so I recommend we ignore it unless the Earth King tries to face our forces directly." Iroh advised, his nephew nodding at his uncle's words of strategy.
"Thank you Uncle- as you have just heard, Ba Sing Se is not our priority- if it was we would have sent a force to reclaim the city already, but that is a waste of the lives of our men who would waste their deaths killing their countrymen over a foreign city. I think that we can all agree- we should focus on the threat my sister holds over our authority." Zuko explained to the men, emphasising the plurality of the military command as being together with the Fire Lord- Zuko wanted them to understand their roles as part of the glue that would bind their nation together again, not simply as instruments of war against the enemies of their nation.
"Well your highness, if the updates are out of the way, shall we commence our planning for future operations?" one of the officers asked Zuko, who nodded curtly at the man's question.
"Yes- we are here for no greater reason than to plan the future of our nation." Zuko simply commanded, giving his subordinates free reign to discuss their own plans and strategies in their common space.
The newly crowned Fire Lord hoped to gain as much understanding of the men before him and their plans as to better himself as a student of strategy, something that his Uncle hadn't given much focus to on their long journey about the world. He would need as much understanding as possible if he wanted to lead his nation on a path of peace and unity, something that he feared wouldn't come easy in these times of division and suspicion.
Standing on the deck of the ship, Azula was surrounded by her guards, all in formation and uniform, dressed for the occasion of meeting such a high ranking official in the Fire Navy, that being it's nominal head, Admiral Zhao. Sokka stood side by side with the Captain and the Princess, dressed in his officer's armour and wearing a helmet to disguise his ethnic background, the Princess being wary of letting the Admiral know of her Water Tribe assistant, knowing too well of his distaste toward his people- so today, he was to play the part of a navy captain attached to her ship, which would earn him the privileges and access he would need to scout out Zhao's unspoken plans and intentions with the coming conflict and the future of the world.
As the Admiral's flagship vessel moved closer to their own, Sokka made out it's massive size, even it comparison to Azula's original Royal Barge, which he thought to be one of the biggest ships he had seen- this vessel was decked out with a towering metal bridge, trebuchets and what seemed to be a number of detachable landing crafts- he assumed these were for use in coastal assaults, such as the advances Zhao had purportedly been making against his northern cousins. A mechanical plank was drawn down from the flagship onto their own deck, putting the Admiral and Princess in direct sight of each other, the former walking across the metal plank to bow before his Princess.
"Crown Princess Azula, I have heard of your great exploits in Ba Sing Se- you must be proud of your victory against the enemies of our nation." he acknowledged her as he bowed, Azula nodding with a smirk at his keen deference.
"Yes of course, Admiral- it was a great defeat for those who would seek to undermine our great empire, just like my brother, who has the audacity to proclaim himself Fire Lord." she remarked, Zhao glancing back up to Azula with interest.
"Would her highness wish to discuss the matters at hand in my bridge- we have strategic maps, intelligence and all the things you will need in your preparations to ensure you are the only Fire Lord?" he asked, Azula nodding back at him.
"Indeed Admiral- would you mind if my men come along? I prefer to have them at hand while we have our... discussions." Azula stopped herself before finishing, considering what she had told Sokka to do as she thought out her plans with the Admiral.
He understood Azula's intent with her words, and thought out how he would get away from the group once they were safely inside the Admiral's ship; in the moments following he paid close attention to Admiral Zhao's face, noting the rough, reddened skin around his eye- a burn mark, one which he assumed he had gotten in the Agni Kai duel with Azula's brother Zuko, who now called himself the Fire Lord. Sokka thought it was a bit disturbing that a man would be maimed in such a fashion- he considered that the Admiral might be blinded in his left eye because of it- and all of this was supposedly 'to prove a point' on her brothers behalf, as Azula had worded to him once offhandedly. The Water Tribe warrior turned to the Captain beside him, and whispered quietly as the Admiral and Princess walked across the plank.
"So- uh- what's the deal with this guy?" he asked, the Captain throwing him a glare, although Sokka couldn't be certain because of his mask.
"Sometimes the wrong people get given the big promotions kid- that's all I'm gonna say." the Captain mumbled under his breath so only Sokka could make out his words, as the two of them walked across the plank behind Azula and Zhao.
The group moved onto Zhao's deck before entering one by one into the brig of the ship, moving along the narrow hallway toward the centre stairwell of the bridge, as to access Zhao's 'war-chamber'. Sokka followed directly behind the Captain, until they reached a turn in the hallway, where he quickly sidestepped and walked the other way, slipping into a doorway from sight, the Captain purposefully tripping himself to distract anyone from noticing Sokka's disappearance- the similar appearance of each of the guards and Sokka's own armour made it quite easy for him to step out of line without anyone on Zhao's ship noticing- one less guard of the Princess wasn't a worry for anyone on such a heavily manned ship.
Standing in the doorway for a minute, Sokka leaned forward and noted that the squad of guards had moved through, leaving him alone in the hall, and immediately considered what he ought to look for and where; he acknowledged that he wouldn't be able to go onto the deck, meaning that his access would be only in the brig of the ship, and on top of that he would have to avoid all patrolling guards, which he thought there would be a few considering the massive size of the Fire Nation vessel. He sneaked along the hallway, making his footsteps as light as possible given his heavy armour that he donned as a disguise, although he didn't doubt it would protect him if worst came to worst.
Checking around a corner, Sokka noted that he was on the first floor of the bridge and there wasn't probably going to be much in that part of the ship; he glanced through any doorway he could find just to be certain he wasn't walking past anything that would give him the 'hidden intelligence' Azula so sorely desired. The Water Tribesman walked down a stairwell and made his way through a long hallway which he believed would lead him to the private quarters of the Admiral himself, making him even more cautious- this was proved correct when a guard came walking down the hallway, Sokka preemptively hiding himself in a storeroom before the guard could spot him.
"That was a close one..." he muttered before continuing to sneak along the hallway, checking each room momentarily before he finally made his way to a part of the ship where he could hear voices.
"The Admiral wants his lunch prepared in ten minutes- he wants a serving for the Princess as well- got it?" a voice commanded, another shrilling in deference.
"Of course sir- right on it." the other voice responded, before a door slammed in the distance.
Sokka noted footsteps leaving the area and heading right toward him, making the warrior quickly react by stepping his way into a room and closing the door; he listened in carefully as the footsteps came by, assuming them to be from whoever was commanding that cook- he realised he had come to the kitchen of the ship, not the quarters of the Admiral, and turned around the other way as soon as the footsteps were out of earshot. Walking then through the hallway back to the stairwell, Sokka considered his options- he was unsure of where the war-chamber would be- nor the Admiral's personal quarters for that matter; he decided to go up the bridge, and try his luck with higher floors- hoping that there was something there. Climbing his way up the stairs as quickly as he could to avoid being spotted by patrolling guards, Sokka made his way up two floors, to the point at which he could audibly hear discussion in the distance- he walked down a hallway toward the conversation, and made it out to be the war-chamber, having distinctively made out Zhao and Azula's voices.
Stepping away from the chamber's doors, he checked the surrounding doors, finally opening one that seemed rewarding- a room filled with scrolls and maps- the Admiral's personal study, which made him grin with hope- the things Azula wanted him to know ought to be in the place the Admiral keeps all his written knowledge; Sokka softly closed the door behind him before scanning over the scrolls he could see in the shelves before him- he glanced over and noticed most of them to have the mark of the Fire Nation's emblem- probably military reports and documents related to his administrative work, which he presumed there would be a lot of with such a high rank. He looked over the maps he had laid out momentarily, noting the intelligence that he had was little different to Azula's, albeit having more detailed knowledge of the specific location and layouts of fleets in the Fire Navy, something that probably wasn't of much interest to the Princess; he noted that the Eastern Fleet, which was explicitly loyal to Azula, combined with Zhao's fleet, surmised a force that certainly outweighed the potential naval forces of her brother, making Sokka smirk- the odds were already in their favour, assuming that Zhao wasn't going to try anything shifty with the Princess.
"What are you hiding big bad Admiral?" Sokka mumbled to himself, crouching down to look at the lower shelves that contained even more scrolls- he checked a few of them quickly to make sure he wasn't missing out on anything, and wasn't surprised to find them simply being either direct orders from the capital, or military reports from Zhao's own subordinates, nothing of real note in his eyes.
Sokka glanced over as he crouched and saw that there were draws under Zhao's desk, which intrigued him enough that he quickly shuffled over and opened them up, gazing upon a variety of dirty old scrolls, which seemed to describe old Fire Nation military tactics as well as firebending theory- things that he assumed any good strategist would get his hands on- the age of the parchments however interested him- compared to everything else he had seen, these parchments were certainly aged, probably older than the war, before any of the evils of the Fire Nation. The Water Tribe warrior wondered where the Fire Nation Admiral would get such things, seeing that the Fire Nation was well known for their dissemination of propaganda and destruction of older knowledge that would counter their world-view- Sokka's own father had remarked how brainwashed their soldiers were that they would rather throw themselves to the sword rather than surrender in loss because it would be 'to disgrace their nation with weakness'.
As he pulled the parchments out of the drawer he felt an unusual shift in the position of the wooden board at the base of the drawer- he placed the papers on the desk before tugging at the wooden board with interest- it moved out of the way to reveal another old scroll- specifically hidden under the other ones, making Sokka believe it was probably far more important to the Admiral than anything else in the room. Reading the parchment, his face turned from one of intrigue to one of confusion, now understanding the Admiral's murderous intentions at the North Pole; according to the parchment, the moon and ocean spirits- 'Tui' and 'La'- have corporeal forms in a spirit glade at the North Pole, meaning that a man such as himself could physically effect the world by messing with those spirits. Sokka was not by any accounts a spiritual man, but he had heard his sister grumbling to him about the moon and ocean, how her bending felt connected to these forces, and specifically that their Gran-Gran had mentioned the importance of these two counterbalancing spirits to the art of waterbending; Sokka's presumptions gave him a worst possible scenario- that Admiral Zhao would make his way to the spirit glade, and by physically disabling or killing one of the spirits, which one he couldn't know for certain, would prevent waterbenders from using their abilities, making the Northern Water Tribe as weak and vulnerable as his own people, lacking any bending whatsoever. Part of Sokka found this potential fate somewhat poetic, for the North to lose their bending in a night while the South lost it over decades of agonising raids, with no help on the North's behalf, their sister tribe they ought to protect; but he knew this was bigger than his petty grievances towards the North- the fate of the world was in the balance, he had no idea what would happen if one or both of the spirits was to be lost. He smirked with a sense of relief- he had something Azula certainly ought to know, and she would likely make great use of the information if need be- the Admiral was a spirit-hating buffoon who would doom the world if given the chance, just for his own vanity. Sokka rolled the up the scroll and tucked it under his chest-plate, before re-tightening the armour, glancing out the bar window of the door, noting there was no one in sight- the Water Tribe warrior breathed deeply before exiting the room, hoping that his stealth and searching hadn't been for nothing- he was sure if he was found out, that would make him as incompetent as Azula would like to believe him.
Sitting along a table with a number of Zhao's lieutenants, Azula watched as the Admiral spouted his military tactics with great detail- he spoke of ambitious plans, such as unifying the colonial divisions to raise a force to take the capital, to dismantle the threat posed by Zuko and his cronies by exposing each supporter and systemically wiping them out, as to ensure absolute loyalty to Azula as Fire Lord, but most importantly in both of the Princess and the Admiral's eyes was trying her brother for treason once they could capture him.
"Your highness- I assure you, we have the manpower and military resources to ensure any future plans on your behalf will be achievable- no questions asked." the Admiral claimed, the Princess almost rolling her eyes after hearing the Admiral's long exposition.
"Yes- I believe you do have the resources to defeat my brother, but not the unity- would I be wrong to assume that many would insubordinate from your command upon knowing your betrayal of Zuko, the man who defeated and scarred you in an Agni Kai?" she asked bluntly, Zhao's brows and eyes raising in contortion to her bold question.
"W-what? I have the explicit loyalty of my men, they proclaimed as so after my Agni Kai-" he explained, being interrupted by Azula raising her hand in objection.
"After- as I may recall from reports- my father making my brother an enemy of the state and explicitly denying the result of your Agni Kai- I'm sure many a man will treat this little gathering differently with my brother on the throne- all it takes is one man." she noted to Zhao, whose rage begun to fester, his tone growing furious.
"I-I will not have such a thing happen- I am loyal to you, and you only- my men will follow because it is their obligation to follow the true Fire Lord." he proclaimed, trying to back himself up, to no avail when Azula shook her head in disappointment.
"I want results Zhao- find the insubordinate men before they decide to have us both killed- in which scenario I'll make sure you die before me, I hope that you trust my word for that." she simply explained to Zhao, whose face had gone from one of offence and anger to that of fear, Azula smirking at him, standing at the table, "My father is dead- you ought to consider who is here because he told them to be, and not because they were loyal to you."
Zhao looked on in fear, before dropping his head in a sense of frustrated defeat, "Of course- I will not stop until every traitor is found."
"Good- now what else is there to discuss?" Azula asked, her Captain standing forward, signalling the Princess he had relevant information, "Yes Captain?"
"Your highness- we received word that General Shinu has accepted your rightful claim as heir and offers his forces in support." he stated, Zhao nodding with a small smirk, his ego slightly reduced from Azula's berating.
"That is great news Princess- you will be glad to know that the General has under his command the legendary Yuyan Archers- they will be a great asset to your consolidation plans, and they are located at Pohuai Stronghold, in the centre of the oldest colonies." he explained to her with a rising confidence in his tone.
"Yes- I have too heard of their elite skill- not infallible though- I heard from my father personally that he had to dismiss one for failing miserably in a task;" she explained, as if to undermine the Admiral's confidence, before smirking herself, "that was but one man- that whole force will stand no chance against the feeble garrisons that would even dare to oppose my claim." her smirk growing from cheek to cheek as she understood the advantage they had immediately found.
Suddenly her smirk was broken by a knocking on the door, and Azula raised a brow, glancing at Zhao, "Were we expecting someone?" she asked him, simply responding with the same confused face.
"No- one of you, get the damn door." he immediately ordered, one of the petty officers getting of their chair and opening the door for the knocking individual.
Azula immediately recognised the man before her, but she knew the Admiral and his men didn't, by Zhao's first ignorant comment, "I'm sorry Princess, I don't recognise this man; is he one of yours?"
Sokka stood forward and started to speak, his tone considerably lower and heavier than his actual voice, surprising Azula somewhat, "Your highness- a message has arrived- discretion has been advised for it's reading." he explained, trying to give a bullshit reason for his sudden arrival in the war-chamber.
"A message for your highness- you'll have to regale all the interesting details once you've had a read." the Admiral indirectly requested, Azula raising at brow at his near mocking attitude toward Sokka.
"I take my intelligence very seriously Admiral- as should you." she derided him, before nodding at Sokka, who handed her a scroll of parchment, standing back up by the Captain and the other guards who lined the walls behind her, "As I was saying, we should move immediately to use General Shinu's assets- my goals will be much closer to reach with elite forces at my hands, and I assure you, we will not let any of it go to waste." Azula affirmed to Zhao and his officers, who nodded respectfully at her commands.
"That is understandable Princess- but I believe that my former duties should not be completely ignored- the Northern Water Tribe is weak- their military capabilities have been worn down by my attacks over the past few years, and they have been forced to consolidate their forces in their capital city- I believe that a quick and efficient strike will end any resistance and ensure another nation cannot oppose the will of our nation." he tried to argue for himself, Sokka coughing lightly, masking his retching of disgust at his knowledge of Zhao's plans.
"Admiral, for the last time- your invasion, no matter how efficient it will be, is not the priority while my traitor brother commands the home-land under his authority- as long as he sits on the throne of Fire Lord, the naval forces required cannot be spared unless you desire for my brother to assume control over the feeble territories we have little control over while we speak." she commanded, her tone growing frustrated with the Admiral's demands of her.
She understood the necessity to neutralise the North, but after three years of fighting, she thought the Admiral incapable of taking the place no matter the number of men he commanded- he was however quite capable of delegating out the powers at be to Azula's benefit- he would be a good administrator for her forces, and better yet, a more reasonable target for would-be assassins- Azula would not have her face in the limelight while the Order of the White Lotus remained a threat to her own life.
"I believe that has accorded all of our issues at this current moment," she concluded before glancing right at Admiral Zhao, "your fleet will move westward to the Mo Ce Sea and set it's sights on Pohuai Stronghold- I will direct my subordinate forces from the Eastern Territories moving overland to head toward there immediately." Azula stood up before the men and slightly bowed in respect, "This has been a productive meeting- enjoy your day." she stoically stated, no sense of care or deference in her words- she was simply fulfilling protocol.
Zhao stood along with his subordinate officers and bowed before the Princess, who moved from her seat and filed out of the room with her guards, Sokka glancing instinctively back at Zhao with the sense of dread he had- knowledge was not just power, but the fear that came from it; Zhao noticed his momentary staring, eyeing the disguised Water Tribesman before he sat back down in his seat, the respectful attitude he had been holding toward the Princess dissipating back into his usual hubristic self.
Sokka kept quiet as he walked in formation with the rest of Azula's guards, making their way down the staircase and out onto the deck of the massive ship- Sokka momentarily appreciated the huge expanse of the vessel for a moment, but dreaded the threat it held to his Northern cousins if Zhao was given the chance- the entire fleet was originally organised for that specific purpose, which he already knew, but with the new information acquired on Zhao's intentions, it made the threat to the Northern Water Tribe ever so more real. Standing alongside the Captain he waited behind for Azula and the rest of the guards to cross the deck, before the Captain glanced at him and whispered.
"You could have been a little more subtle." he admitted to Sokka before crossing the plank himself, the Water Tribe warrior tailing behind, certainly not wanting to stay on Zhao's ship any longer than he had to.
As the rest of Azula's personal guard left her side and entered the brig of their ship, he and the Captain approached her cautiously, well aware of the men who might be watching them from the other ship; Azula glanced at the both of them with slight frustration, before questioning the disguised Water Tribesman.
"Please tell me you actually were able to find something." she asked Sokka, who simply cleared his throat and acknowledged the message that Azula held in her hand.
The Princess opened it up and read it with a few glances, before nodding at him, who followed her into the bridge- she glanced back at her subordinate guard and waved him off, "You best wait for anything, Zhao might want to speak to me before we depart." she commanded, the Captain bowing before her momentarily before turning around and facing Zhao's ship, awaiting anyone who might try to come over.
Walking into the bridge of the ship, the two of them immediately sidestepped into a storage room where Azula glared at him with intent, "What does 'we can't risk talking about this in public' mean to you savage? This better be the kind of intel I was hoping for." she grumbled at him, Sokka sighing in slight disappointment.
"Well I certainly have important information, but it's not the kind that you might expect, nor care about personally." he simply stated, Azula stepping closer to him, staring the warrior down.
"What is it then?" she questioned him, her tone clearly showing that she was fed up with Sokka's avoidance of answering her directly.
"It's Admiral Zhao- I found a bunch of old manuscripts in his office," Sokka begun, Azula raising her eyebrows in immediate disillusionment, "there was one text that stood out, it was specifically hidden under a false base of a drawer- the text described specifically the details of the place and form of the physical incarnations of the Moon and Ocean Spirits at the North Pole." he explained, Azula raising a brow in interest.
"I assume that this has to do with his invasion plans- but why is this important- spirits are beyond the realm of the war against the other nations." she questioned, Sokka gulping in dread of the knowledge he had.
"The death or removal of these spirits from their location may inadvertently prevent waterbending, and more importantly bring chaos and devastation to the world." he explained in fear, Azula looking at him with a stoic face.
"Zhao wants to kill some spirits so he can invade the Northern Water Tribe- and killing these spirits will bring chaos and destruction to the world itself?" she questioned Sokka, who fell onto a crate, placing his jaw in his hands.
"I-I don't know- that's the worst thing that can happen- guessing the pride of this bastard, I wouldn't be surprised if he already knows what I have figured out, and wants to go through with it anyway." he explained, Azula sighing with a sense of relief.
"You think this isn't a big deal?" he questioned her, some what offended that she wouldn't take the information seriously.
"No- it is a threat, undeniably so, but as long as Zhao remains here in the Earth Kingdom, being my underling that will follow in the best interests of reunifying my nation, he poses no threat to your relatives in the Northern Tribe- as you once told me, they have nothing to fear but their own complacency." she simply stated, Sokka nodding with some of his fears tempered.
"I'm actually somewhat thankful of this whole civil war situation now- if it hadn't happened, Zhao would have got away with his plans, and the world would have been screwed, to put it bluntly." Sokka stated in a sense of realisation, making Azula chuckle at his idealisation.
"Well, I personally don't prefer having to fight my brother for the throne- but then again, if he hadn't been banished I would still do the same, in a somewhat less complicated fashion." she explained, Sokka raising his head, looking at her with intrigue.
"You'd do one of those 'Agni Kais', that's what they're called right?" he asked, Azula rolling her eyes at his need to clarify.
"Yes idiot- an Agni Kai is an honour-bound duel against an opponent, claimants to the throne can participate in one to claim the throne, which is exactly what my brother did, and succeeded in, surprisingly enough- I don't doubt that my fat, tea-loving Uncle had something to with that striking victory." she explained, before shaking her head upon realising she had gone off track.
"Anyway- I meant to give you your reward, as promised." she acknowledged, before he raised himself from the crate.
"What exactly do you know that you think is so important to me?" he asked her, Azula stepping up to Sokka, staring right at his face, intimidating him even as he towered over her in height.
"I know what keeps you up at night- or more accurately, gives you nightmares." she simply stated, Sokka reeling back in shock and fear.
"W-wait what- wait- after that night- I mentioned-" he stuttered, Azula interrupting his fumbled speech.
"Your mother- I want to know how old you were when she died." she asked, the Water Tribesman coughing before correcting her.
"When she was murdered- I was ten years old." he stated with a more cold and stoic voice than usual.
"That would be eight years ago, correct?" she asked, Sokka nodding but shaking his head after, his face feeling a sense of dread about the ordeal he had suffered.
"I know who killed your mother, or at least ordered her death-" he explained, Sokka's mouth agape in shock.
"What?!" he nearly screamed, "You know- you knew? Why didn't you say anything?!" he shouted at her, Azula stepping back, crossing her arms.
"I already told you, I didn't know for certain, but I believe I have a good enough basis to claim it as fact." she defended herself, Sokka glaring her down.
"So who was it? Tell me- now." he demanded, Azula complying with a stoic and somewhat forced face of antipathy.
"Yon Rha- commander of the Southern Raiders, killed the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe 8 years ago, he retired and is living in a village in the homeland- I can't remember the exact name, but I can find the records for you." she explained, Sokka smirking at her words, his eyes opened wide in realisation, and for the first time in their meetings together, Azula first saw an uncanny feeling of pure, unadulterated hate in Sokka's eyes- he was filled with hate fighting her and the Fire Nation when they first met, but it was nothing compared to this face as she saw it.
"Y-yes, I want to find this man, and make sure that he knows the warrior he created- I wanted him to be my blooded kill, but life can never be perfect," he proclaimed, before looking back at Azula, who had unfocused from her upon learning of the man who murdered his mother, "and I'll mock him as he dies- because he failed in the one thing he had been tasked to do... he didn't kill the last waterbender." he told her, who raised a brow at his claim.
"What do you mean Sokka- Commander Yon Rha was given full commendations by the Fire Lord for his great victory over your people- you're telling me another waterbender lives?" she asked Sokka, who simply smirked back at her.
"Maybe she ought to have a chance kill him- she was her mother too." he simply thought aloud, Azula realising the scope of Sokka's situation; his sister was the last waterbender of his tribe, and their mother had taken her place as the waterbender, meaning that she was executed by Yon Rha because of this claim.
"So- she's the last waterbender?" she asked, Sokka gulping in realisation of what he had just told her.
"I assume you're not going to go out of your way to exchange me for my sister so you can throw her in some hole?" he asked her, almost mocking the potential of Azula doing something so evil in his own eyes.
"You're right, I wouldn't make her do that- I'd get you to make her more palatable to my people- that's the best way to neutralise a threat." she explained to Sokka, who rolled his eyes.
"Showering my sister with your awe and wisdom instead of throwing her in some metal box is good news to me." he shrugged in agreement, catching Azula slightly off-guard- she understood he saw through her tactics, but he acknowledged that they actually had use- making her think Sokka saw her less as a tyrant and more as a leader worthy of respect and adoration; that sentiment was worth more to Azula than any sycophants unbased praise.
"So do believe that was a fair reward, or are you greedy for more information?" she questioned him with a glare, who chuckled at her presumption, side stepping Azula and standing at the door.
"I think there's nothing else you could tell me that could beat that- don't worry, I'm going to be following you blindly from here on out." he sarcastically told her, before opening the door for her, "Your highness..." Sokka bowed, making her scoff at his mockery.
"At least you can pretend to be a lap-dog, and not the deviant and intrigued savage you are." she sighed, before advising Sokka "Lying isn't your strong suit, but you're good enough to fool Zhao and his cronies."
"Hey that's good enough- I already despise the man for his insane goals- the first chance you get, he ought to get the boot." Sokka affirmed to Azula, who glanced at back at him with interest.
"How would you do it?" she asked him with a smirk of fatal desire.
Sokka grinned and chuckled in affirmation, "Now- this is the kind of strategic advice I'd like to be giving..."