2- Machinations and Preparations.
A few hours later, when sunrise was beginning, in the Royal Palace of the Fire Nation, another important and secret meeting seemed to be happening. A young teenage girl that was wearing some royal outfit came through the great doors that leaded to the chambers of the Fire Lord. She was beautiful, having gold-colored eyes, long dark brown hair down, light skin and wearing a crown with the shape of a flame. She was nervous, as she had been requested to meet with Fire Lord Azulon, the father of his future husband, Prince Ozai, and his supposed father-in-law. Once she stood in his imposing presence and figure behind a great wall of fire flames, she knelt before him.
"Did you call me, Your Highness?" The future princess finally asked.
"Indeed, Princess Ursa." Fire Lord Azulon answered with a matured and deep voice. "When I chose you to become a part of this family I did it because of your qualities, which seemed promising. I think it's time for you to prove yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"I have a task for you. Some disturbing news have reached my ears. Our spies had discovered that the Earth Kingdom and both Water Tribes from north and south are preparing some invasion plan for our nation. It seems they are planning a great assault to our capital."
"That doesn't sound possible. They wouldn't dare to try such thing."
"Maybe, but after years of continuous battles this war is forcing our enemies to become more daring and reckless, which makes them more unpredictable and dangerous. I want you to infiltrate in their secret meeting place, join the fleet and report every movement and choice of them to our strike fleet, which will be leaded by Prince Iroh and Colonel Packard."
"So…you want me to be a spy?"
"Exactly. Once the battle begins, Prince Iroh will extract you from there while the enemy is crushed. And then you will have done a great deed for your nation."
Ursa knew that she had no choice but to do it. "Yes, Your Highness. I won't fail you."
"I hope so. That's all. Now you must prepare yourself for your mission. Dismissed." Fire Lord Azulon declared, allowing Princess Ursa to leave the chamber.
A few hours later, someone was in front of the same doors walking from one side of the room to another restless. He was a teenage boy with light skin, amber eyes, long black hair and wearing both a royal armor and some fire crown too. He seemed to be waiting for someone to come out from those doors. Then, the doors opened and a man with facts similar to the other one came out, but this one had shorter black hair, sideburns, beard and was taller.
"What are you doing here, Ozai? Father only requested me to see him and talk." The older prince said to his supposed younger brother.
"Well, it must concern me as well if he also requested to see Ursa without me to be informed about it." Prince Ozai declared with a serious face and voice.
The older prince giggled a little. "You just love to be aware of everything that happens in this palace, don't you?"
"Only everything about our father's decisions that nobody else tells me about. You know that, Iroh." The younger prince answered without changing his face a bit.
"Whatever. Come on, I'll tell you all of it."
As the royal brothers walked in direction to the royal garden Iroh told Ozai about the important mission their father had assigned him: he should command a great strike fleet alongside Colonel Packard and his battalion to intercept an enemy fleet composed by forces of the Northern Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom and the Southern Water Tribe to prevent a great invasion force to attack the capital city, but they would need to know where to intercept them exactly. And that would be Ursa's job; she would have to infiltrate in the fleet by joining them as a disguised person, figure out their plans and report to Iroh and Packard about it before they could prepare the offensive.
"And that's all what I know about." Iroh finished telling.
"I don't understand why father have decided this. That man, Packard, isn't the right one for this, he's not worthy." Ozai said frowning.
"Maybe he doesn't act like the rest of our warriors and I know as both of you don't go well with each other, but his methods, skills and resources stand out quite a bit, the same as his men and their achievements, which are worthy to be admired."
"He's so proud, bossy and do things only by his own way. Who knows what's going on around his head?"
"Well, actually it reminds me of someone that I know too. It's curious how similar you two are. I think both of you could become good partners if you give it a chance." Iroh provoked, and Ozai didn't like that, as he looked irritated.
Next thing Ozai did was looking directly at his brother face to face. "Just…make sure that nothing happens to Ursa. She is too important for the Fire Nation, as so as you." He warned before going back inside the palace.
"Well Ozai, that's quite an answer. I knew you really cared about her." Iroh talked next with a smile on his face, but his younger brother just continued walking without any reaction. No looking back and not saying a thing. That made Iroh to fade away his smile and looked down with closed eyes as he shook disappointed. "You still have so much to learn, brother."
At that moment Princess Ursa approached him from behind. She came from feeding the turtle ducks that lived in the pond of the garden, one of her favorite places of the palace.
"What's wrong with Ozai?" Ursa asked confused. "What was all that about?"
"Well, he seems very worried about you after knowing your role in what seems to be the most crucial operation to date." Iroh responded sincerely.
That really surprised Ursa. "Hum, that doesn't sounds like him."
"So, are you sure you're prepared for this? You'll have to be ready for anything once it begins."
"I know what I must do." Ursa answered with a determined face and voice.
"Remember, once we began the assault, I will come to get you out of there as fast as I can. Until that moment comes you will be on your own and among the enemy. So…please, don't let yourself to be discovered."
"Don't worry, Iroh. That won't happen." Ursa reassured smiling at him.
But some other people from the other side also had their plans for recruiting good skilled individuals for their 'expedition'. A few days later, on some very raining night, Randa and Brooks traveled to some small town of the Earth Kingdom named Gaoling. They looked like being searching for someone while they used umbrella like tools to keep themselves dry as possible of course.
"Randa, I don't get it. You already got us military escort from both the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe, waterbenders and earthbenders included. Why do we need a tracker? And why Ba Sing Se Special Forces?" Brooks complained confused following Randa under the rain through the streets of the town in direction to some tavern.
"Former Special Forces. No allegiance to anyone. And he rescued all Earth Kingdom prisoners from a Fire Nation prison near the colonies, three years ago. And he's very distrustful with the Dai Li too, as he is by far the only person that they weren't never able to catch." Randa said back with a serious voice. "Besides, he has a lot of experience fighting rogue earthbenders and firebenders. Isn't that enough for you?" Randa said turning at him before turning back front and continuing walking.
"But your source says that he spends most of his waking hours in some back alley watering hole."
"Is your Yale degree from the Ba Sing Se university supposed to lead us through the jungle, Brooks? Besides, my father told me never to judge a person by who seems to be, only what it really does. You on board with me here?" Randa asked convinced of his own motives as the pair arrived at their destination.
Once they were in front of the door, they gave a good amount of money to the goalkeeper of the place.
"You go." The goalkeeper said allowing them to enter inside the tavern.
The insides were lighted up by some green stony lanterns. That was a place where earthbenders from the earthbending wrestling arena from the town went to relax, play and pass some time, besides other people from town. Some of those looked very rude and unfriendly people and others barely talked. Brooks started to get nervous, wondering if they went to the wrong place perhaps, unlike Randa, who was ensured that the man they were looking for the job had to be there.
"Well, okay. So, uh, how much do we tell him?" Brooks asked.
"Just enough to get him to say yes." Randa answered trying to find the aforementioned one.
After a while searching, Randa looked like he found him: a man wearing some Earth Kingdom outfit but in blue and with dark blonde hair, playing a Pai Sho game which he seemed to be winning fair and square. He was going to pick his earned money, but then a rude looking man grabbed him by the hand with force and made him to look at him with a challenging face. It had to be some sore loser, but he wasn't alone as another one was approaching from behind the one who won with a rock fist ready to strike. However this didn't worked, as the winner took out a stick and hit the first opponent and next the one from behind very fast with no time to counter before knocking down the first one with the stick. The second one began throwing some rocks at him with his earthbending but he dodged them easily before throwing a tile to the bully that hit him on the head, knocking him down at the act. All this was witnessed by Randa and Brooks, who exhaled impressed. Both of them became impressed by his fighting performance.
"Now there's a man worth talking to." Randa declared, confirming that they found their man.
In no time, the three of them were sat down in front of a table away from the rest of the people in order to talk about their proposal, with Randa and Brooks offering him a large amount of gold.
"An uncharted island? Let me list all the ways you're gonna die. Rain, heat, mud, disease carrying flies and mosquitos. Sure, you could load up on some kind of medicine that could work for that, but what about the other germs? We haven't even started on the things that want to eat you alive." The man warned seriously. "Besides of the always worrying possible fact of the Fire Nation making its presence there by surprise."
"We'll double that." Randa responded.
"You have no idea how dangerous this is. I want five times that. Plus, a bonus if we make it back."
"If?" Brooks asked confused, which caused the man to look at him without changing his face expression, something that made him a little intimidated and change his opinion. "Pay him. I think Mr. Conrad should be fairly compensated."
"Here's to profit during wartime." Randa proclaimed before drinking from his glass.
"One question." Conrad started. "You came here looking for a tracker. Who or what am I tracking? The Avatar perhaps?" He asked curious, before chuckling. "Because if it really is that, I'm telling that is not gonna happen, and much less on an island like the one you want to go. Believe me, I can't even count how many trackers had been paid for such task and no one managed to fulfill it."
"No, is not that." Brooks answered. "This is all the information that we have. Okay? The only map that we have is very ancient. It only shows us how to reach there and nothing more. So we need someone like you, with your skill, your unique expertise in uncharted jungle terrain, to lead us on our ground expedition."
"We're just scholars and scientists. We need someone with experience. In case things go sideways. Men go to war in search of something, Mr. Conrad. If you'd found it, you'd be home by now." Randa explained.
Conrad chuckled a little at this. "Well, I can ensure you one thing: I like the Fire Nation much as you and everyone else on these days. But then it always comes the time when you decide to stop fighting them and just getting yourself far from the war as possible as you can, and let everything else goes it way, while you try to live peacefully how you can. I've started to think about it."
"And you think the Fire Nation cares about that?" Randa asked next, which caught Conrad without what to say about it. "I'll tell you a secret, Mr. Conrad: this is not just a merely expedition. Whatever is on that island, it can be the key to finish this war, once and for all. Hope is a very powerful thing; we must hold on to that. Otherwise, what else we have?"
Conrad thought about what Randa said for a little while, as it seemed to make him to reconsider his own words.
"Alright. You have your guide." Conrad said as his final decision. "But…I have one condition." He suddenly revealed, surprising the two scientists. "Two more people will also come with me in this expedition: two friends of mine. I promise them one last journey before them to be retired of this."
Brooks and Randa shared a glance to each other confused. Shortly later, the three men were in front of some big and luxurious looking house, one that seemed made for nobility. It even had some emblem, one of a winged boar.
Brooks hissed surprised. "What a house. I beat someone important lives here."
"It makes sense. I heard some young noble couple stationed here shortly before we arrived." Randa added. "It's here where your companions live? They're servants of the nobles?"
Conrad smirked at that question and shook with his head. "Oh no. They are the couple of nobles. I already know them from a few years ago."
Conrad knocked on the door a few times. Then the main doors opened a little as a servant stuck his head out and saw the visitors.
"Ah, Mr. Conrad. It's been a while since you came the last time." The servant expressed recognizing him, with him bowing at him.
"I know. These two gentlemen come with me. I have a proposal for my friends, Lao and Poppy." Conrad answered.
"Of course. I'm sure the young masters will be so glad to see you." The servant agreed as he opened the door for them. "Please, follow me."
The three men followed the servant passed the doors, walked through the garden path and entered the fancy house. There, in the living room, were a young teenage like couple sat on the floor. The boy had brown eyes, light skin, short black hair and wore light green clothes typical of Earth Kingdom nobility. The girl had green eyes, light skin, long black hair tied in a big bun from behind with some similar outfit. He was giving her a massage with some kind of special oil on her shoulders, neck and back when the guests arrived.
"My masters, you have the honor to have an old friend coming for a visit here. With some other important guests of course." The servant announced as he introduced Conrad, Randa and Brooks. The young ones' reaction was very positive as they looked excited, very much.
"James!" Both he and she exclaimed happy, getting up and running at him, who received them with open arms, a smile on his face and some laughs as they almost made him to lose balance and fall to the ground.
"Lao! Poppy!" Conrad said happy to see them too before undoing the hug. "It's so good to see both of you again. Congratulations for your engagement. I'm sorry I couldn't be there; I was busy with some operation against some firebenders."
"Don't worry, James. It's okay." Lao reassured.
"We know you, and we understand it." Poppy added with her husband.
"Who would be able to see it coming? Husband and wife so soon." Conrad said looking at them. "You must be the youngest married couple ever."
That comment made them three to laugh again before Conrad turned at the (Monarch) scientists.
"Mr. Randa, Mr. Brooks, these are Lao and Poppy Beifong, the nobles of Gaoling and the Flying Boar. They are the ones I was referring to." Conrad said introducing his friends to them.
Many days later, back in the Southern Water Tribe at the morning, the small fleet that was going to join the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe was almost ready to go, but there were still two members that still didn't embark yet. Bato was starting to get nervous as Hakoda seemed to be getting late or staying behind by the fleet.
"Hakoda! Hurry up! They're going to depart without us!" Bato yelled to warn his best friend so they could not miss their boat for their very first mission for real.
Then finally Hakoda came running at him and stopped in front of him trying to catch his breath while putting his hands on his knees. "I'm here…don't worry…I'm here. I'm here Bato."
"About time you came at last. It's already time to leave. What took you so long?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to my mother and Kya." Hakoda said looking at his mother Kanna and a teenage Water Tribe girl at the distance and waving his hand at them, an action that they also did in return.
"You two look very bonded. It seems like you finally found the love of your life." Bato complimented his friend putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling. He was happy for him.
"Yes. She is the one. I feel it." Hakoda said with his face all blushed in red.
The woman and girl saw the two boys joining the other warriors of the fleet and departing to their destination while waving their arms saying goodbye to them like the rest of the tribe did. That same night, very far from there, on the outskirts of some Fire Nation city was a blonde woman inside a secret tent camouflaged by some bushes and some near tree checking out her paintings. But these weren't normal paintings, these were anti-war paintings. And that was her job and purpose, to show the people of the Fire Nation what their nation was truly doing and all the suffering, harm and disgrace that the world was passing through because of their own leader. Until now she managed to evade all encounters with Fire Nation soldiers. This wasn't an easy job and of course was risky, not to mention very dangerous, especially on such times and territory. But she wasn't one of those who give up so easily at the complications. She was convinced of her work and her duty. Suddenly she heard the door being knocked and went to check who it was. It was a man wearing a huge cloak, so big that he didn't even show his face.
"So here you are, Weaver." The cloaked man saluted her.
"Glad to see you managed to find my secret workplace, Jerry." Weaver saluted him back and shaking her hand with his. "So, tell me, did I get it?"
"That secret Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom thing? You got it." Jerry confirmed. "The rumors are true."
"Really?" Weaver said enthusiastic before laughing happy, but she recovered her composure when she saw him looking at her confused or even annoyed. "So, where is going to happen?"
"It's the Athena, docked in Kyoshi Island. Pier 14, 6:00 in three days at night."
"18:00 at night in three days. Thank you, I really owe you one." Weaver repeated for herself as she took all the details writing them on a scroll.
"I don't get it. Why do you want a gig documenting a mapping mission when you're up for the cover of time with a better job in Ba Sing Se?" Jerry asked confused.
"Jerry, when three sources tell you the same thing word for word, you know they're lying. That's the case of the Fire Nation, and that's why I do this thing. There's something going on here, something that nobody is talking about, not even the Fire Lord." Weaver responded as she stood looking at the night sky, knowing that this could be what she was waiting for: a way to proof the people of the Fire Nation of the savagery their army was really doing and the true face of their so adorated and respected leader.