"You can't do that!" Zuko shouted, standing, "That's like cutting off a man's legs and leaving him in the middle of the forest. You can't just say- oh, look at that, he died. Not our fault though, we didn't make those woodland creatures eat him. Too bad."

Zuko realized then that all the warriors around him were pointing their rather pointy weapons at him. The Chief was still sitting but he was definitely gripping something. The second was halfway out of his chair. Zuko felt mildly offended. Did they really think he'd break parley?

Uncle was… pouring more tea. But he was pouring it in such a way that he was in front of Zuko, slightly, and his feet were set, rooted in a way that would make lightning easily accessible. Maybe parleys broke more often than he'd thought.

Zuko blinked, glancing at them. Their intentions were very clear at least. Zuko hesitated for a long moment, then closed his mouth and sat back down. His tea hadn't even spilled. He picked it back up and sipped some. Wrong.

Uncle rested a hand on his shoulder. "You lasted very admirably nephew," he said softly, and his voice was almost mild. There was a warning in it somewhere, and Zuko wasn't quite sure who the warning was for.

The Chief looked… well Zuko wasn't quite sure how he looked. It wasn't a nice face, but it also wasn't a cold face.

"How old are you?" The chief asked.

Zuko glanced at Uncle who nodded. "Fifteen." He said, not soft and not shouting. He wasn't sulking either.

Hakoda looked at Uncle. "Why is a fifteen-year-old part of the parley?" His voice held the same mild-but-warning tone Uncle's had.

Zuko felt himself bristling but managed to keep his tongue. Barely.

Uncle smiled, pouring more tea. How does he keep finding space in the cups? "I think you misunderstand the situation. You see, this is Captain Zuko, the commander of the Wani. I am a mere advisor on the ship."

Zuko was a prince, not a captain, but he did think Uncle was being smart by not telling the Water Tribe that. They'd probably have to attack a prince on principal.

Hakoda looked surprised for the first time since they'd started talking. "You command the vessel?" he asked.

Zuko didn't yell. He was very calm. "That's what Uncle just said."

Hakoda sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Fifteen and in command of a war ship." He muttered.

"The Wani is not a war ship!" Zuko almost-yelled. "She's a noncombatant." So there.

"Well then," Hakoda said, "If you are captain of this ship why haven't you been handling the negotiations?"

Zuko looked at him for a moment, then at Uncle. He folded his arms across his chest, but he wasn't sulking. "Uncle is better at holding his tempter." If he even has one anymore.

It'd been years since he'd seen Uncle angry. The last time- that'd been right after the bandages came off for the last time and Zuko had realized his face wouldn't be getting better. And even then, Uncle hadn't looked so much angry as grim.

The second in command looked like he was just barely smothering laughter. Zuko glared at him on principle.

Hakoda's expression still hadn't shifted. "Well then, Captain Zuko, why would dropping you off at a neutral port be a near death sentence?"

Zuko just kind of stared at him for a moment. "We have an Avatar-hunting salary that we can't collect if we don't have our ship. We're not allowed in the Fire Nation without him and the Earth Kingdom would probably be rather unhappy about us moving there. Neutral ports are just that- ports. Places to pick up and drop off stuff- not places to start up a life. Unless we all become real convincing Earth Kingdom refugees, we have a low likelihood of surviving long. And even if we did manage to become real convincing Earth Kingdom refugees what are we supposed to do? Serve tea? Join the Earth Kingdom army? Or maybe we should sneak into the Fire Nation and reenlist under assumed names?"

That last one wasn't really an option- the scar made him rather conspicuous- and if Father figured out he was back in the Fire Nation without the Avatar- Father would kill him for real.

Hakoda remained unconvinced. Uncle broke into their staring contest gently. "We cannot allow you to take and sink our ship. My nephew is right- that would likely end in all our deaths. We would like to avoid conflict with you are yours- we wish to preserve the lives of our crew, just as you no doubt wish to preserve yours. Is there no way we could part peaceably? Is there something we could do for you in exchange for your letting us go? Something unrelated to the war effort? We travel great distances in our search for the Avatar."

The Chief seemed to be considering. "Do you think you can win this fight?" he asked.

Uncle sighed. "Not without significant loss of life on both sides."

"My goal right now is to keep my crew alive." Zuko found himself saying. "We would really prefer not to fight."

Hakoda didn't seem to believe in their fighting prowess. He glanced at Uncle, at Zuko, then back again.

Hakoda sighed. "We will have an answer for you within the hour. We will tell you our decision then."

Uncle nodded genially. He smiled, taking the teacups away and tucking the teapot somewhere. Zuko couldn't quite tell where it had gone.

They rowed back to the Wani. They waited.

…-…

"We can't just let them go." Hakoda said, softly. "They would rather fight than give up that ship. So- the question is do we fight, or do we try to get them to do something for us?"

The men didn't want to let them go. Most didn't believe that the Wani was nearly as recognizable as the Fire Nation man had made it out to be. They were Fire Nation- liars and murderers all.

It was decided- these men might not be soldiers now, but they could be recalled at any time. Any ship could cause damage to innocents. So Hakoda would attack. They would take the ship- and they would see how much use they could get out of a ship that would be detained by any other vessel in Fire Nation waters. If that was even true.

…-…

Iroh watched to flag go up and barely kept himself from growling. He'd known this would probably be the outcome- but peace would have been nice.

He stood from his place on the deck, eyes going to Zuko immediately. The boy was angry. Anger was good- it meant he wasn't despairing. Iroh would help him save all that could be saved. Then he'd have to help Zuko get over the loss of what couldn't be saved. He would not lose another son.

…-…

Boarding was easier and harder than expected. Ropes and wooden ships burned, but enough water made getting things to burn difficult.

But the men hadn't even tried to burn through the ropes, instead, they waited for lighting to begin striking the Water Tribe warriors. Lightning, which was supposed to be something only the Fire Nation royal family knew how to use, a family that hadn't been directly fighting in the war since the Dragon of the West was defeated in Ba Sing Se.

Fire took time to kill people, which is why most fire benders would go for the ropes first. Lightning didn't have the same problem. Men died, far many more than should have died this early in the fight.

They had been counting on numbers being on their side. This- wasn't good. But even still, his men didn't retreat, and they didn't falter. They pushed onboard. They fought.

Hakoda didn't have benders. The Fire Nation ship did, and in greater numbers proportionally than any other fire nation ship Hakoda had even seen. Still, men fell on both sides. The old man had, apparently, been right. Significant loss of life indeed.

…-…

Zuko gave the signal and the men curled out, spreading, then in, pulling the Water Tribe men away from their ship, further onto the deck of the Wani. The helmsman was already in position for when they burned the Water tribe ship off- he'd get them out.

…-…

The ship was moving… oddly. Hakoda didn't notice at first. Then he glanced up, to see their helmsmen maneuvering their ship closer and closer to other, surrounding ships in the fleet, then drawing back. Taunting. All with Hakoda's ship attached. It was a rather impressive maneuver really.

The ships responded, some pulling out of formation as if to try to join the fight, others staying in formation as ordered. This created a gap in the line, a place for the Wani to escape through. With the wind they'd been having for the last few days, the Wani would get away if they made it through.

Hakoda couldn't let that happen. He jumped forward, dodging around fights and drawing closer to the Helmsman. Someone noticed.

…-…

Iroh flung fire at the lines that attached the Water Tribe vessel to their own. Burning through anything this waterlogged was difficult- but they didn't call him the Dragon of the West for nothing.

Some of the Water Tribe men noticed what he was doing, tried to stop him- they slowed him, but he fought on. He glanced up, once. Zuko was fighting- one on one. They were well matched but Zuko had the upper hand.

Iroh turned back to his own fight. Zuko would die, all of them would die if they didn't get this Water Tribe ship off. Iroh would be there as fast as he could.

…-…

A captain with a rather strange sort of ponytail on his head and a livid red scar branded to the left side of his face stepped in front of Hakoda- keeping him away from the helmsman.

They fought, one with flames and one without. They were well matched, but Hakoda couldn't get around the Captain to the helmsman. The captain was winning.

Hakoda felt frustration begin to bubble inside of him before inspiration hit. The Captain didn't really want to kill him. He was just trying to keep Hakoda away from the helmsman. Just like Hakoda wasn't really trying to kill the captain- he was trying to get to the helmsman. He was fighting the captain, but having a goal made him predictable. Just as the captain was predictable.

His focus, even in negotiations, had been to keep his crew alive. Which was what he was trying to do now, by keeping Hakoda away from the helmsman. That gave Hakoda an opening.

He sprang forward, drawing a dagger and throwing it in the general direction of the helmsman. He was a terrible aim, but the captain didn't know that. The Captain's right eye widened as he twitched towards the helmsman. Hakoda took advantage of the momentary surprise, swinging his club into the captain's ribs. Fire bending comes from the breath. Something cracked in there, Hakoda could hear it. Kill their breath, kill their fire, kill them. The captain gasped in pain and Hakoda shifted, pulling his leg under one of the Captain's, bringing him to the ground.

He raised himself up again, ready to swing his club down into the Captain's face and end him before moving on to the helmsman. And- hesitated. The Captain was a fifteen-year-old boy. Sokka's age.

Hakoda heard someone roar and spun, club at the ready. He realized, then, why he'd gotten the impression that the old man was a soldier.

…-…

Iroh held a dagger of flame to the Chief's throat. The remaining Water Tribe warriors were surrounded. Fighting, but surrounded. It took more willpower than it should have not to kill the Chief now. Zuko was on the ground, but he was getting to his feet even now. He was alive.

Iroh nodded to Jee, who signaled the rest of the men. They took a step back, letting the Water Tribe members stop fighting so they could listen. "Water Tribe," Iroh shouted, "We are out of the ring of your ships. Surrender now and you and your Chief will live. If you swear to never again raise arms against the Wani we will drop you off at a neutral port, and your fleet can retrieve you. If you agree to our terms, drop your weapons. We give you our word of honor none of you will be harmed after your surrender unless you seek to fight again."

It was a much better deal than they'd given Zuko. Zuko didn't have a fleet, and he wouldn't be getting another ship if the Wani was lost.

One of the men, the Second, dropped his weapons. The others followed.

The uninjured of the Wani's crew used the good rope to tie the remaining warrior's hands behind them before leading them to the brig. There really wasn't enough room for all of them, but they squished together quite admirably.

Iroh might have offered them tea for their cooperation- but his next stop was the infirmary, where he'd have to tell his nephew that four of the people he'd been trying to protect had died. Iroh walked on.