Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The last Airbender

Chapter Eleven: Take Backsies

The Prince thought to himself silently, so silently that Amber was afraid he had left her to her doom until he finally spoke up.

"We need to distract them. I know the ship better than you do, so I'll lead them into a room and take care of them." Amber heard him digging around under his armour and then a metallic clinking of keys. She felt him grab her hand and put the keys in them, closing her fingers around them.

"You go and find my uncle first. Lock the door behind you, and try and get him to help us with the counter-attack." Zuko chuckled softly. "Trust me, he will already have an idea." She nodded, whether she could see him or not. The Prince opened the door carefully, and they went back down the halls. He stopped before they rounded the corner and took her shoulder.

"Just know that if we don't make it out..." he paused, then struggled on. "You are truly the most amazing woman I have had the privelege to meet." She smiled and blushed, letting out a surprised gasp when he captured her lips with his and planted a gentle but passionate kiss on them.

"I promise, we'll win." she whispered softly. "Now go! We don't have much time!"

He nodded and rounded the corner, standing tall as he blasted fire at the soldiers. She stayed at the corner as he lured the gaurds away. Only when she was positive they were all gone did she round the corner and peak into the cells. The first one held the cook, four other soldiers, and two other crew members. The second she scanned and found no sign of Iroh. When she went to the third, she found Uncle Iroh being nursed by Lietenant Jee and she quickly unlocked the door and went inside. Once inside she locked the door and quietly approached the grinning Iroh.
"So where is my nephew?" he asked. Amber smiled at him.

"He's distracting the gaurds while you think up a plan to take the ship back. We have the Avatar and his two friends on our side, for now." she said. Uncle Iroh thought for a moment.

"Do you know what bending skills he has?" He asked.

"Basic firebending, learning earthbending, master at air and water bending. The girl is also a waterbending master." she answered quickly. Uncle Iroh was already formulating a soluble plan. He glanced at the door and instructed her to be sure nobody was out there listening. She checked and gave the all-clear, then huddled with Iroh and Jee.

Katara and Aang where both squirming uncomfortably as Sokka shifted to make things more comfortable.

"Why are we here?" he mumbled.

"Do you think they are telling the truth, Aang?" she asked. Aang looked at her thoughtfully.

"I don't know. But I really think Roku wants me to help her. I talked with him just before we went on the mission, and he says she from a whole other world!" he exclaimed.

"I'm hungry." Sokka muttered. Both Aang and Katara shushed him, hearing the sound of boots draw near. They clomped softly toward their hiding spot, stopping right where they had left the supplies of the crate they were using. Katara felt stiff as she leaned over to peek out of the small hole in the side of the crate at the stranger, and let out a sigh of releif when she recognized them. She hissed at the intruder. He noticed and looked around before kneeling down and opening the crate.

"Hey." he hissed. "Is Amber here?" Katara shook her head. The Prince looked satisfied.

"I'll be back. When I come back, you need to follow me." He said, turning away. Katara, Sokka and Aang exchanged suspicious glances.

"Where?" Aang asked. He glanced over his shoulder has he finished.

"Into battle." he answered.

Amber unlocked the chains to all the soldiers and instructed them to stay as they were.

"Don't move!" she warned. "Be sure that nobody notices things have changed."

Once all of them were free she went back to the cell holding General Iroh. He sat as he had before she unlocked the chains.

"Now go get Zhao. Remember, if you are not as seductive as you can be without being suspicious, Zhao will not follow you." he warned. Amber nodded, but still cringed at the thought of herself in the Admiral's arms.

"I will do my best." she said. She gave the old General a hug before running down the halls. She rammed into Prince Zuko as she went out of the cell.

"What's the gameplan?" he asked quickly. A guilty looked flashed through her eyes, but she quickly removed it and directed him to General Iroh.

"He'll tell you." she answered quickly. "Be ready to fight when I get back. And get Aang, Katara and Sokka ready."

Admiral Zhao was so angry that he had already singed the hems of his garments along with three different soldiers from his own crew.

"I want the girl back!" he shouted. "And I want a lock on the Avatar!" He slammed his fist against the table. Realizing he was loosing his Admiral sauve, he straightened and smoothed the top of his tightly drawn black hair.

"By the time I get back here, you better have gotten a good lock on the Avatar's path. I will be residing in my quaters for the rest of the night." he growled menacingly. He stormed out and down the hall toward's Prince Zuko's former quaters and opened the door. When he turned, he found the dark haired girl sitting on Zuko's bed. She was glaring at the pillow. Still a little startled by her sudden appearance, he kept a coolness about him.

"How did you get back on the ship?" he asked quietly. She shot him a glare.

"Zuko decided I was too much of a risk. He wants to give me to you and get his ship back, that backstabbing coniving little demon." she spat angrily. She rose and snatched the sword hanging at his side and stabbed the bed. She sat hard.

"Here I am your majesty." she said sardonically. "Take me."

Admiral Zhao looked at her with cruel intent in his eyes. He loved her spirit. Moving beside her he wrenched her up by her arm. She struggled momentarily but stopped when Zhao threatened her with the fire dagger. She would be broken indeed.

"You'll be deposited in the cells, just as soon as I am sure you're not lying," he hissed softly in her ear, "and when I am assured of that, then I'll break that lucious behaviour into something more palatable. Maybe after I'm finished with you, the Fire Lord would take you." The Admiral felt her shudder and laughed. He shoved her into the door.

"Open it." he commanded. She spat at his feet. Zhao gave her a firm back hand that knocked her to the ground.

"Open it!" he roared. She glared murderously at him, but eventually followed orders. He grabbed her wrists and twisted them behind her back.

Amber was doing a fantastic job, if she did say so herself. She was still very uncomfortable with his closeness as he escorted her down the halls, but didn't mind that fact. It only made her act even more believable. The Admiral wouldn't be surprised when he did find out she was lying, and that if she weren't from another world, she would happily marry the stubborn, but handsome Prince. When they turned the right corner to enter the cell bloc, she noted he unlocked an unoccupied cell for her. She pulled away sharply, only to be brought back into Zhao's locked arms.

"I can't wait to train you." Zhao whispered darkly as he brought her in for a kiss. She allowed herself to be captive for a moment, but the minute he loosened she twisted her head away and he laughed as she gave a loud cry when he moved toward her neck. Unfortunately, it was his last moment of pleasure, because a familiar voice spun him around and made him release his hold on the girl.

"Let her go, you disgusting animal!" Prince Zuko shouted, drilling a hard firey punch right in the outraged yet surprised Admiral. Zhao went down harder than a sack of potatos and rammed into the far wall. The Prince rushed past Amber and chained him to the wall before the Admiral could react in any way. He grabbed Amber's arm and threw her outside the cell just as a blast of hot fire engulfed the doorway. The Prince closed it quickly and locked it tight. Amber was still shaking from the near rape. The Prince helped her up and held her for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly. She turned her head away and shivered.

"I'm a little shook up, but I'll survive." she answered softly, removing herself from his arms. "We have to unlock these doors and hurry up."

Prince Zuko nodded and opened the doors to let the captives free. Once everyone was free, he seperated the twelve firebender soldiers into four different groups, adding to each another three men from each cell that could not firebend. He then made one more group consisting of five other men.

"Alright. I want you," he said, pointing to the first crew, "to head to the South east corner of the ship. Take out any soldier that comes across you path, and try to leave as many as possible alive. Go!" He then motioned for the crew behind that to step forward. "You get the South West corner. The same orders to you. You'll be taking this warrior with you. He'll be the general of your crew." He pushed Sokka and the crew sprinted down the hall after him. "You take the North East. I'll be going with you. Amber, the other girl and the Avatar will be going to the North West portion of the deck. I want the N W crew to heed my instruction carefully." he turned to them. "Once you get on deck, Avatar, you and your waterbending friend need to clear the deck of any unwanted crew members and detach our ship from Admiral Zhao's so his soldiers won't have access to the deck. I want the fifth group to get unconcious traitors in the brig. You'll have the toughest job. If they refuse to cooperate, kill them." He handed each of the cleanup crew a sword. He sent his own crew ahead of them and had the Avatar wait around the corner. Amber almost knew what he meant to do and smiled up at the Prince's tightly drawn face. His expression softened a little as he took the girl into his arms.

"Promise me you'll be safe? Don't do anything stupid." he requested softly, holding back a laugh when she grinned.

"You know me." she answered. He sighed.

"If we live through this, which I'm pretty sure we will, I'm going to marry you." he said suddenly. She blinked and looked at him in sardonic confusion.

"I beg pardon?" she said with disbelief brimming her soft voice.

"You heard me." he said against her lips, and he kissed her gently. "Now go. Be safe!" he called as broke away and he ran ahead to catch his crew.

Amber touched her lips, which were still tingling from the kiss.

"C'mon!" She heard Aang's playful voice from around the corner. "We have some firebenders to ... uh..."

Amber raced around the corner with determination fresh in her eyes.

"We have firebender butt to kick!" she said, darting ahead.

Zuko fought through wave after wave of soldiers.

Amber fireblasted a stubborn soldier as Aang gaurded her side and Katara iced the deck around them so enemy footing wasn't assured.

Iroh led his crew ruthlessly through the hallways.

In a matter of minutes, the ship had been cleared of traitors, most depositted in the brig and some whose bodies were thrown overboard.

"So now what?" Amber asked as Uncle Iroh stepped up beside her. Aang was leaning on her left side over the bow. He looked like he wanted to say something. Before he could, Iroh spoke first.

"Please Avatar, would you and your friends join us in a banquet of celebration?" Iroh asked, looking beyond Amber and at Aang. He blinked, contimplating what that might mean, then decided quickly.

"On one or two conditions." he said, holding his finger up and looking seriously at the retired General.

"You can't attack me or my friends until noon tommorrow. Only then are you allowed to attempt to capture me." he paused, being sure he stated it clearly enough. "I also want sleeping accomodations for me and my friends, and a promise that Zuko won't try anything fishy until tommorrow."

Uncle Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"You have a deal, Avatar...?" he paused.

"Aang." Aang finished.

Author's note: Okay. I bear sad news. There will only be one or two more chapters. I promise to stretch it out as long as I can. I will, however, finish with a spankin epilogue, which I designed myself(duh). I promise it will be explosively good! Until then, Read and Review(R&R).Okay, dude, Eye of the Wolf, you are FEROCIUSLY funny(Ispelled that wrong didn't I?)! I love your reviews! Kudos and cookies to EyeoftheWolf! and Vangaurd Ziggy, WHAT HAPPENED? Dude, I have been looking for your reveiws, I think my story is gonna die in a few here! Thankfully I have other fans to encourage me! Hey, by the way, check out the homepage because my blog is the closest thing to comedy you're gonna get from me. Toodles! Godsspiker!