Chapter V.

It had not been a pleasant couple of weeks for Zuko. He had been beaten, questioned, and beaten some more. He hadn't fully recovered from his ordeal in the north before they had set to work on him. With each blow he would curse Zhao. It wasn't until they had stopped beating him and had allowed him to heal that he realized the royal inquisitor had arrived.

The Fire Lord did at least claim to treat prisoners humanely. Zuko had never seen a torture chamber, but his uncle assured him they existed. However, such things were not permitted for one of nobility, much less royal blood. If they had left evidence of torture on Zuko, it would have meant Azula's death.

The inquisitor had come to inspect Zuko after he had been allowed to clean himself. Zuko had started to be obstinate, but relented. There were no laws that said you had to keep prisoners clean, after all.

The various officials gathered in the inner chambers of the castle to hear the charges brought against Zuko. He listened stoically while the charges were read. If only he had destroyed the bracelet he could have avoided all of this.

Out of some perverse humor, or perhaps because it signified his guilt, Azula had not permitted anyone to harm the bracelet. She had allowed Zuko to keep it so he could stare at it and think about how easy it would be to end the pain. Zuko merely shrugged off the beatings. He'd already experienced more pain in his life than any torturer could have inflicted.

Zuko and Iroh stood in the center of the room facing the royal inquisitor Dali, along with the port commander Hotan, and the princess. Guards filled the room and his sister had allowed the general public to witness the trial.

The trial was just about to get underway when a messenger burst into the room and ran up to Commander Hotan. The man whispered furiously into the ears of the commander before saluting and departing.

Commander Hotan then turned to the royal inquisitor. "Master Dali, it has come to my attention that someone has come to the port looking for General Iroh."

"Bah!" Azula snorted. "Have them arrested and we'll try them as well as co-conspirators."

"I would your highness except they say he has the Avatar in custody and is bringing him to Iroh." Hotan said helplessly.

The entire chamber seemed to burst with sound as suddenly everyone began trying to talk to each other at the same time. Zuko looked at Iroh in confusion, but his uncle merely kept staring straight forward.

"Silence!" Inquisitor Dali demanded. The room slowly returned to normal, but it still had the occasional murmur. "General Iroh, what is the meaning of this?"

Zuko watched his uncle. He had no idea what was going on, and he knew his uncle didn't either. His uncle hid it well, however. Zuko could tell his uncle was thinking, and thinking fast.

"That would be Captain Gar. As for the meaning, I suggest you let him in." Iroh said finally.

Everyone started talking again, and Zuko leaned over to his uncle. "How do you know it's Captain Gar?"

"He's the only friend I have this close by." Iroh said worriedly.

Everyone watched as the doors opened and Captain Gar was escorted into the chamber. Zuko recognized him as the man his uncle had commandeered the ship from. In front of him, chained and covered with a protective mask, was the Avatar.

"Well done captain, I'll see to it you're handsomely rewarded. Give me the Avatar." Azula said sneering.

"I'm sorry your highness, no." Captain Gar said resolutely.

"What?" Azula said standing.

Captain Gar would not be moved though. "I take orders only from General Iroh. It was at his command that I undertook my mission, and I will deliver the Avatar to him alone."

The murmur that ran through the room was deafening. The inquisitor had to shout for silence for some time before order was restored. "Do you mean captain, that you were operating under General Iroh's orders?"

"Yes sir." Captain Gar insisted. "He took command of my ship and sent me to watch for the Avatar. The general had laid a trap for him and he wanted to see if the Avatar took the bait after he was gone."

"What kind of trap?" The inquisitor asked.

Zuko thought the captain was going to falter when his uncle interrupted. "The Avatar is an airbender." Iroh replied. "I let rumors of an air nomad captive leak out to merchants known for dealing with the Water Tribe. I knew that the Avatar would eventually hear of such rumors and go to investigate. I sent Captain Gar to check the status of my venture while I came here with my nephew. I assume that everything was successful?"

Captain Gar smiled and nodded to the old general. "He came looking just like you suspected general."

The assembly came alive, some cheering Iroh while others were too afraid to speak. Zuko looked at the Avatar. For just a moment, he thought he caught a wink.

Zuko exploded. "Uncle, why didn't you tell me about your plan?" Zuko shouted. His anger seemed to silence the room.

"You had been unsuccessful so far, so I decided to give you some help." Iroh replied calmly with his usual smile.

Zuko could hear chuckles behind him. He knew he was a laughingstock for not having captured the Avatar. He hated the idea of being laughed at, but right now if they were laughing it meant they believed him a failure instead of a traitor.

"Thank you captain; you are dismissed. The record will show that you completed your mission and delivered the Avatar safely to General Iroh. Guards take the Avatar away." The inquisitor commanded. "It would seem, Iroh, that you have some rather compelling proof to show your loyalty at least to Zuko if not to the Fire Lord. There is still however the matter of these allegations leveled at the prince by Admiral Zhao."

"Admiral Zhao was delusional." Zuko snorted. "He unleashed that thing that killed all of our men. He thought he could destroy it by himself. When uncle tried to stop him from unleashing it, he was forced to fight Zhao."

"And your own reported combat with Zhao?" The inquisitor continued.

"I did fight Zhao. Like I said, he was delusional. He thought I was a threat to his plans so he tried to have me killed. Zhao paid pirates to kill me and destroy my ship. I barely survived. He wanted to make sure he captured the Avatar before I did. When I confronted him, he attacked me. I even tried to save him from that monster, but he would not even take my hand." Zuko said as he recounted the battle.

"Lies!" Azula bellowed.

"Actually there are reports from some of the sailors that Prince Zuko tried to save Admiral Zhao." The inquisitor said shuffling through some of his papers. "There are still his allegations that you helped the Avatar escape twice in the guise of the Blue Spirit."

"Like I said, he was delusional. Zhao blamed me for all his failures. The man even burned all of his own boats down while trying to capture the Avatar. He wasn't exactly what I would call competent." Zuko said adding in a short laugh for good measure.

Many people chuckled. The rivalry between Zuko and Zhao was well known and it was very hard to believe that Zhao would blame anyone for his own failures. He hadn't exactly made friends in the military during his rise to power.

"Interesting testimony." The inquisitor said looking around the room. Zuko could feel his gaze boring through him as his eyes passed over him.

"Very well. I will consider this tonight and render my decision in the morning. I will then depart for the capitol with the Avatar." The royal inquisitor announced before standing. Respectfully everyone else stood as well. As members of the royal family Zuko, his sister, and Iroh were the only people here who out ranked the inquisitor, but in such matters the inquisitor still had the final say short of a decree from the Fire Lord.

Sokka waited on the ship until the captain returned. This was the second most dangerous part of the mission. If the captain betrayed them the Fire Nation would have Aang, and there wouldn't be anything he could do about it. He'd be too busy fighting for his own life.

The captain returned to the small ship and went below.

"He's in." Captain Gar reported. "I'm going to go to my ship and see my crew. If it's all the same to you, I'm going to make sure none of them are in the fight you're about to start."

Sokka nodded and continued putting on his war paint. "Gar, why did you agree to do this? I know why I'm here, but you could have turned the Avatar over to Iroh and then betrayed me."

"Then it would have looked like it had been staged to clear Iroh." Captain Gar said simply. "I owe Iroh my life. I'd gladly risk everything for him."

"Iroh sounds like he's a really great man." Sokka said seriously.

"He is. There are many within our nation that would have rather seen Iroh on the throne than Ozai." Captain Gar said seriously. "Besides, Arnook knew I had other reasons for helping."

"Other reasons?" Sokka asked.

Captain Gar pulled up his sleeve to reveal an ivory bracelet. "I lost my son fighting this war, just like Iroh lost his own. There are many even among the Fire Nation who want to see the bloodshed end. Many who think that the Avatar will be the only one who can stop it."

Sokka nodded. "I'm sorry for what I'm going to have to do then."

Gar shrugged. "The soldiers you face tonight will be doing what they have to do, just like you're doing what you have to do. I've learned not to hold grudges."

Sokka nodded and wished the old captain well before settling down and adjusting his equipment. He had a lot to prepare before tonight. He looked up at the evening sky and could just see the moon starting to rise. It was hard to believe that it had been a month since Yue died. Sokka bowed his head for a moment. "Yue, if things don't go well tonight. I hope I awaken to see you."

Later that evening, a Fire Nation soldier heard a catapult fire. He ran to the area, but didn't find anything out of the ordinary except for the arm of the trebuchet that they used to hurl burning pitch at incoming vessels swinging back and forth. The catapult had been turned toward the castle, but there was no ammunition missing.

Grunting, the soldier turned the catapult to point back out to sea. "Probably some kids messing around here again."

The soldier didn't see the dark form of the Blue Spirit as it sailed across the full moon on silent wings.

Sokka landed the glider outside the castle. He had thought about sailing directly in, but decided against it since it might alert the guards, and he couldn't do that until after he had Aang.

Sokka ditched the glider and left the staff Aang carried in a tree above it just as they had planned. Aang would need it for the second part of their plan.

Sokka looked around and then set about scaling the masonry of the outer wall. It was a little known fact that Water Tribe warriors were excellent climbers. After all, when you're accustomed to scaling ice, rough stone is fairly simple by comparison.

Sokka crept patiently along the walls avoiding the sentries. They were very alert and appeared to be nervous. He figured they must be expecting an appearance by the Blue Spirit, and he wasn't about to disappoint them.

Sokka crept along until he found a way down into the inner courtyard. All around him guards paced and he clung to the shadows. He waited impatiently adjusting the mask, broadswords, and his backpack full of surprises, until everything was clear, and then quickly crossed the courtyard. He stopped at the base of one of the inner walls and looked around before beginning to scale the wall. Sokka climbed until he reached a shadowy ledge and then moved along until he found an inner garden.

Sokka slipped into the garden and looked around. High above, a single door opened onto a balcony overlooking the garden. Sokka could hear voices inside.

"I know Zuko is the Blue Spirit, he has to be!" A young girl was shouting.

"There simply isn't enough evidence to prove it your highness." Another voice was saying.

Sokka listened intently as he climbed the wall to the door and slipped inside. He stepped behind a changing wall and peered through the cracks. A cute young black haired girl paced in front of an older man in official robes.

"I'll find the proof!" The young woman ranted.

"Princess Azula, I'm sorry. There simply isn't enough proof that your brother Zuko is the Blue Spirit. While his actions are questionable, we simply cannot convict him of treason based on the testimony of a dead man whose… ahem… stability is in question." The older man said placating the young firebrand.

"I WILL find the proof I'm looking for." Azula insisted.

"Very well highness, but if you have nothing else, I think I shall turn in and I suggest you do the same. We must set out tomorrow for the capitol with the Avatar." The older man said as he yawned and left the young woman.

Sokka nearly gasped as the young woman came toward the changing wall. He quickly slipped around to the front as she stepped behind the wall to change. Sokka stood there mortified as he watched armor and the clothing get draped over the wall. He then stepped back around to the back as she stepped to the front wearing nothing but a towel.

Sokka wasn't normally a pervert, but she was cute and this was one of those stories you could tell your grandkids about. He watched as the girl dipped her hand into a metal tub. The water instantly became steaming hot. She then removed the towel and Sokka got a first hand look at the royal assets as it were. He grinned in amusement and then waited. Finally the girl finished bathing and then toweled off before getting ready for bed. He waited for what seemed like an eternity before creeping across the room to the door into the hallway.

The princess was now asleep and Sokka knew that there weren't any guards posted outside the door after seeing the old man leave. Apparently, all available men were either waiting for the Blue Spirit or guarding the Avatar.

Sokka crept around looking for the stairs that would lead down to the dungeons where they would certainly be holding Aang. Finally locating them, Sokka slipped down, moving through the shadows when necessary, but by now there weren't any people around other than guards on patrol.

When Sokka finally arrived at the dungeons, he found a rather large number of guards there. Apparently the princess wasn't taking any chances. Sokka looked around trying to find some way to distract them without having to fight. Unable to find anything, and hoping that the noise wouldn't reach the upper floors, Sokka stepped out of the shadows.

There were ten of them. Sokka didn't believe they were firebenders, at least he hoped they weren't. These men had the uniforms of enlisted guardsmen. Three of them lowered their spears and shouted as they charged. Sokka lunged under their attack and managed to grab one of the spears. He quickly disarmed the first guard and spun bringing the spear into the stomach of the second.

Blood spattered from the guard's mouth as he fell gurgling and Sokka tried to pretend that it was only a seal he had speared. The third guard raced toward Sokka with his spear out stretched.

Sokka had to admit his charge was as clumsy as his own had been the first time he had ever faced Zuko. Sokka quickly snapped the spear twice just as Zuko had done to him and then grabbed what was left before bonking the guard in the head three times for good measure.

The remaining seven guards raced forward and Sokka pulled the two broadswords out to meet them. He parried the first stab and again spun on his heels bringing his full momentum to bear on the second sword. He had expected the guard to parry the blade, but apparently he wasn't that skilled and Sokka was moving too fast. He would always remember after that day how easily the blade had sliced through the man's neck. Sokka was thankful that the mask obscured his vision enough to keep him from seeing the soldier's head as it rolled off his shoulders. He was thankful that the only warmth he felt on his face was his own sweat instead of the spray of warm blood.

The rest of the guards hesitated seeing two of their number fall so quickly, and in that instant Sokka was among them. Sokka sheathed the two swords into the bodies of the first two guards he encountered as he reached behind his back for the two Fire Nation daggers he carried. In close quarters the guards couldn't bring their larger weapons to bear as easily for fear of striking their comrades while Sokka sliced around him indiscriminately.

By the time Sokka was done, eight of the ten guards lay dead or dying. The remaining two who he had disarmed before hand turned to run. Sokka threw his daggers at the backs of the retreating men to silence them before they could raise the alarm.

Sokka was panting. He had a few cuts from the fight himself, but none of them were major. The young warrior looked around him to make sure all the men were dead before he tore off the mask. He was extremely glad he had opted not to eat anything for a while before starting his mission. Now he heaved as if trying to empty his stomach. The smell of blood assaulted him.

That, little children, is how you defend a country without spilling the blood of its young. Sokka could hear Arnook's words echoing in his mind. Those boys wouldn't be prepared for this, and on the battlefield it would mean their death when they hesitated in front of a soldier. Suddenly, Sokka's playing at war when he was younger sickened him. He had to stop this war. Aang had to succeed. Sokka resolved to keep those boys from having to fight.

Finally, he managed to get a grip on himself and put the mask back on. These men wouldn't be the only ones that had to die tonight. He started this to keep Katara from feeling guilty about getting Zuko killed. He decided that he was going to finish it so that he could help Arnook put his plan in motion and stop the bloodshed. Sokka quickly searched the bodies for the keys to the cells.