Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. However, I do own all of the conspirators (Longwei, Shirong, Guiren, etc)

Zhao carefully folded the documents he had finished filling out mere moments before and expertly dripped wax onto where the two halves met. Giving it a second to cool, he pressed his seal into it and then pulled it away. He tied red string around the documents to keep them together and to prevent the delicate wax seal from breaking prematurely, and then stood. He left his office in the Fire Palace and headed down the hall to the head of military affairs, a close friend of Ozai's.

"Sir?" Zhao entered the office. "Might I have a moment of your time?"

"Of course, Zhao," The Head of Military Affairs nodded and gestured to a seat in front of his desk. "What is this?" He accepted the documents and broke the seal, skimming over the contents.

"I am moving the crew under Captain Longwei to my ship, the Passionate Phoenix, where they will also be captained by Captain Zhong." Zhao answered, purposefully keeping his reply short. He was not required by military law to explain to a head of affairs his reasons for lending his personal ship to another captain, unless he was asked.

"Any reason for this change? I wasn't aware Captain Longwei or Zhong needed another ship." The Head of Military Affairs stated suspiciously. Zhao remained impassive.

"They are accompanying Prince Zuko and General Iroh on their journey." He replied. "It is a foolish notion, of course, seeing as how the prince is both banished and on the suburbs of the Fire Lord's favor, but they are young. They believe if they join the prince now, when he is back in the Fire Lord's house and favor, they will be honored for protecting our next Fire Lord." He gave an arrogant sigh, showing his displeasure at the thought of associating with Zuko, merely for the Head of Affairs' benefit.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Captain Zhao." The Head of Military Affairs smirked conceitedly. "Very well, thank you for the documents. I will make note of this. Be on your way." He waved his subordinate officer away, and Zhao left accordingly.

He headed back down the hallway, tempted to check over his shoulder and make sure no one was following him. He was sure he had sufficiently duped the Head of Military Affairs so no more questions would be asked, and this matter would be easily dropped, but there was the chance Fire Lord Ozai would want to know who was serving his brother and son in their exile. With that thought, he quickly returned to his office and set about writing several different letters, and they all contained the same thing.

If asked why, respond thus: possible fame inflames hope in your heart. Leave no trace of any doubt.

He did not sign his name and he put no seal on the letters. He didn't want to incriminate anyone: himself or the recipients of the letters. He hoped the others would understand his message, that if they were asked about the new arrangement, they only wanted to find fame where they could, and that when they understood the letter, they were to destroy it. He went to his door and hailed down a passing servant who seemed without a task.

"You," He pointed lazily. "Send these to Captains Zhong and Longwei. Be on your way, lazy cur." He rolled his eyes as the servant started to protest. "Shall I take this up with the Fire Lord, that his servants are not taking care of one of his beloved advisors who also serves our most high and honored Fire Nation?"

The servant, afraid of Zhao's legendary temper, scurried away to deliver the letters.

Zhao went back into his office and closed the door, collapsing into his chair. He put his head in his hands, sighing heavily. He was getting too old for this conspiracy business. He was well aware of his own reputation as a man, not as a captain, and knew he was the only one to lead such an enterprise, even if Ji was the one to conceive of the idea. Ji was still young, not yet twenty-five years old, and, though well respected, did not have the rank to back up his words.

He knew what he had to do for the Fire Nation. Ozai would never compromise and the advisors would never take the people's needs into consideration. With Zuko as the Fire Lord, he would use his power for the good. He saw his nation as a large group of people with families and children who needed lower taxes and better management of the military. Prince Zuko could see that war, at this point, was necessary because there was no one to bring about an agreeable treaty for all nations involved, but he would not do any more than what was necessary.

It was just one of those things, he supposed. Zhao knew exactly what he needed to do. It wasn't that his options were obscured by childish emotions that he allowed to blind him. The few choices he had were painfully obvious, and he had already chosen his path. He was now dealing with the emotional repercussions. He knew what he needed to do, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with it. However, what he thought he was ready for was meaningless. He had to be ready, because their small group was depending on him to lead them. His biggest concern at the moment was gathering enough information to plan an assassination and then how to explain it to the people. The people loved Ozai for his cruelty. They wouldn't like it, unless it was a slow process.

Zhao didn't even know if Zuko wanted to take the throne.

At the very thought, he growled and cracked his knuckles as he stood up. Someone would have to take the throne, and Iroh would, if he had to. He appeared to be a doddering old fool, but he was still the Dragon of the West. He was still one of the most powerful Firebenders alive. He had once been groomed to be the Fire Lord. He was the best possible candidate, aside from Zuko.

Zuko was young and he still had hope. He had always showed signs of the chance to be a great Fire Lord. Zhao had known Zuko's mother and had spoken to her on several occasions. She had been gracious and a lady in every sense of the word. He had become quite fond of her and looked for her face in the crowd at stuffy social functions that he usually did not enjoy. She had taken all of her best qualities and put them in the tender body of her son, sealing his future. He would choose the best path. That brought Zhao hope, and he quietly thanked the Fire Lady's spirit.

Zhao shook his head and walked out of the door. He needed to go home and prepare for the dinner he would be having with his fellow conspirators in the evening. He had given the order several hours ago that the cooks prepare the meal, but he had not returned to his estate yet.

"Do you yet take your leave, Zhao?" A forbidding, dark voice asked.

Zhao turned to face the owner of the voice, Fire Lord Ozai. He bowed deeply. "Yes, Fire Lord. I am hosting a dinner party for a few of my friends and I must check on the progress of my staff. If it pleases you, I must be absent from tonight's war council."

The Fire Lord arched an eyebrow and clasped his hands behind his back. "And what is this dinner party for?"

Zhao, of course, had planned a lie, and remained composed. "Captains Zhong and Longwei and I plan to mentor several young soldiers, along with grooming Lieutenant Ji for a higher rank. We have seen great potential for glory for the Fire Nation in these young men." He bowed once more. "If it pleases his majesty."

The Fire Lord nodded. "Very well, Zhao. I trust your judgment. Come to me tomorrow, for I have many questions I need answered."

"On matters of strategy, I presume?" Zhao asked mildly.

"That, and many other things that vex me. I have several thorns in my side that irritate me." The Fire Lord turned around and walked away. "I have great hope for you… Captain Zhao."

Zhao bowed to the Fire Lord's back and then turned, his steps slightly quicker than before. He had no idea what Ozai wanted, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He had to make sure their alibis were believable, and that no one would hear of their plans. His stomach was suddenly filled with more worry for Zuko and Iroh. What the Fire Lord had planned for them if they did not leave soon… he closed his eyes. It was too frightening to imagine.

XXX

"Captain Zhao, we are fully prepared to serve you and your guests tonight." The Head Chef reported proudly, a small smirk on his mousy face as he stood in front of his uniformed staff.

Zhao couldn't help but chuckle at the Chef's antics. He nodded. "Yes, thank you, sir. Please, into your places, our guests should be here any moment. We have important business to speak of, so we are not to be disturbed at any time." He told the small crowd in front of him sternly. "Unless someone is dying or one of my sisters desires my presence. Only then." He said firmly, and they nodded. "Good."

"Captain, the first of your guests has arrived." A young man reported, throwing a salute smartly. "It is Captain Longwei and he bid me to tell you he has a proposition, regarding his sister, Lady Peizhi."

Zhao raised an eyebrow. He had met Lady Peizhi on many occasions and found her most pleasant. She was intelligent, witty and had a certain edge that was difficult to find in the female sex, due to the oppression from their fathers, brothers and husbands. She had not been prompted to be quiet; instead, she had been asked to speak up. It was common knowledge that she and Longwei jointly owned the land passed to them by their father, and she had the same say as he in matters concerning their estate. She was truly a woman to behold, and he had found himself drawn to her.

It was no mystery to him what the proposition would be. Longwei would offer Peizhi's hand to him in marriage. Zhao did trust Longwei, and knew it would benefit them in all areas. Zhao would have a competent companion who he was familiar with and could get along with. Longwei would know his sister was taken care of while he was off at sea for an undeterminable amount of time, and both families would benefit from the political standing their union would bring. It was the best match anyone could make. He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Sir, are you alright?" A serving girl asked.

He opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes, yes, I am fine. Allow Captain Longwei in. I will speak to him in the dining hall. Direct all of our guests there. Bring in the tea. I think we will need it."

Zhao had only taken his seat when the doors opened once more and Longwei was escorted in. Zhao inclined his head respectfully and bid his guest to sit.

"What is this proposition?" Zhao asked immediately, wishing to get the matter over quickly so their minds could turn to more important matters.

Longwei thanked the server who poured him a cup of tea. "I need someone to care for my sister, and I do not trust any of her many suitors. I offer my sister to you, along with the dowry that has been put aside for her since her birth." He spoke seriously, but inside his dark eyes laid the concern of a brother for his sister. Zhao knew that concern well.

"I know your sister, and I find her… agreeable…" He stumbled around his words in a fashion most uncharacteristic of him, the proud and arrogant scourge of the seas. "Yes, we shall be married. Does she find the match tolerable?" He asked casually, attempting to mask his own concern. He was not heartless. He would not put a woman through a marriage in which she would feel trapped. He needed a companion, a friend, a wife. He had no need for a slave. He had many of those. He would only have one wife.

"Yes," Longwei nodded as he sipped his hot tea. "She would have no other." He commented softly, sending a sly look to Zhao who promptly ignored him.

"Captain Zhong, and General Iroh, sir." A guard announced as the two walked in. "And word just arrived that Lieutenant Ji will not be able to attend tonight."

Zhao and Longwei stood up, bowing respectfully. "Why is this?" Zhao asked, suddenly worried for his friend.

The guard bowed. "Lieutenant Ji asked to be forgiven, for he needed to be with his wife."

Zhao's heartstrings were tugged as he thought of his young friend. Ji had not been married for more than a year, and he was desperately in love with his wife; he was one of the few lucky ones to experience love. He could understand how difficult this would be on him, and judging from what he knew of Ji and his commitment to the Fire Nation, either he or Xiang had to be absolutely heartbroken and beyond hope for him not to join. He would not ask Ji, and would not fault him one night with his wife.

"Sit down, Zhao," Iroh waved a hand, bringing Zhao back to the present. "We are all friends here. No need for such exhaustive formalities. I find standing up and down so much is hard on my old joints." He quipped in a friendly manner. The retired General lowered himself onto a comfortable cushion on the floor, in front of the delicious food Zhao's staff had prepared. "It all looks so delicious."

"I will pass on the compliments." Zhao smiled as several more of the company, Guiren, Fang and Chenglei, arrived. He greeted them warmly and showed them to their seats. "Are the others here?" He asked them, somewhat anxiously. He was trying to put the fact he would soon be married from his mind, but it had unbalanced him.

"Shirong was held up at the palace, I believe." Iroh commented. "He should be along soon."

"Zhong was overseeing the movement of his crew and their supplies to your ship, Zhao." Longwei explained. He paused, and then continued. "Did I hear word that the Fire Lord himself was giving you a harbor in the Earth Kingdom?" He asked curiously.

Zhao couldn't help the somewhat arrogant look that passed over his face. He bowed his head, regaining some semblance of humility. "Ah, yes. It comes with an impending promotion to Commander."

Iroh beamed. "I thought I heard the rumors correctly. How good for you, Zhao!" He praised.

"Thank you, General." Zhao bowed. "Ah, here they are!" He welcomed the last two members of their enterprise, Zhong and Shirong, into his home and to his table.

The Fire Nation Captain took his seat at the head of the table, and bid them all to eat and converse, as was custom before getting to business. Even so, he nodded to his guards to close the doors and leave them in peace. The faction set to eating of the food and drinking deeply of the tea. Zhao, while an upstanding and wealthy military officer in the illustrious Fire Nation, did not keep alcohol in his home because he found that when he became drunk, he spilled secrets. In such a precarious situation, the situation being within close quarters to the Fire Lord, it would not do to be blubbering out drunkenly how he wished to slaughter Ozai and all of his disgusting minions.

"To business, Captain Zhao?" Iroh asked as silence settled over the group uncomfortably.

"Yes." Zhao turned to his friends. "We have a great responsibility in front of us, gentlemen. We must protect the rightful heir to the throne, Prince Zuko. Those of you who have volunteered yourselves have a very real duty in front of you; you must act the part of loyal Fire Nation soldiers, while protecting the prince, no matter the cost. You know this, and I know you know this." He took a deep breath.

"The crew will leave with Prince Zuko and General Iroh in a week, and we must be relentless in keeping contact. Mask your words in code in case someone has the audacity to open our mail. We may not have a plan for several long months, because of ever-changing orders from the Fire Lord, and my planned missions out in the field." He mulled over the situation, eyes half-closed for a long moment. "This will be difficult, my friends, but we can only focus on what we know." He turned to Shirong. "What are the Fire Lord's plans?"

The High Scholar and advisor nodded to Zhao, and in his high, reedy voice, began. "The Fire Lord plans to press the Earth Kingdom even further. He will send Princess Azula to bring Ba Sing Se underneath our feet, along with Lady Mai and Ty Lee, as Prince Zuko exhausts himself with finding the Avatar." He looked sternly at Chenglei who appeared about to speak. "Yes?"

Chenglei was taken aback by the look Shirong gave him, it was one all Fire Nation schoolboys remembered: the death glare, the glare of can't-you-see-I'm-attempting-to-teach-you-something. He cleared his throat. "High Scholar, isn't the Avatar…?"

"Rumored to be dead?" Shirong asked sharply. Chenglei nodded. "Of course he is rumored to be dead. That is the point. The Fire Lord wants his son out of the way so he might accomplish all of his goals. The Prince reminds him far too much of Lady Ursa, who stood in his cruel ways far too often for his tastes."

Zhao watched Iroh wince, almost imperceptibly. "High Scholar, please. Continue."

Shirong nodded. "Very well." He coughed. "Before Ba Sing Se is in his command, he plans to send someone to the Northern Water Tribe and decimate them. He is considering you, Zhao, because he sees great potential in your bloodthirsty ways."

Zhao bowed his head and sighed. "I see."

"You will do what you must, and that is something we all understand and must accept for ourselves." Guiren spoke up, uncharacteristically somber and calm. "We will all do our duties."

Fang nodded slightly. "Good words, brother."

Zhong set down his teacup gently and turned his attention back to the conversation. "But what of Prince Zuko? Will he be informed of our plan, or has he been already?"

Iroh shook his head. "No, my nephew has been sleeping deeply these past days, and has locked himself in my quarters for the rest of the time. He has hardly spoken a word, and I did not think it was prudent to tell him."

"That was good judgment, General." Longwei said. "He shouldn't be told. He clings to the ideal that the Fire Nation is about honor and loyalty, and he will not react well if we tell him we are planning to kill his father."

"Unfortunately so, Captain." Iroh sighed. "We will keep this a secret from him until he needs to know."

"Agreed." The affirmative was murmured throughout the room.

"What are we to do about the princess?" Fang wondered aloud.

Guiren's eyes flashed. "We will deal with her accordingly." He whispered cruelly.

"Yes, but we will deal with her in a timely manner. She must be killed. She is too much like her father, and it is not a question of if she will attack. It is a question of when." Shirong spoke up. Not usually a man for violence, he had spent many hours with the princess in her youth, and already, though she was merely twelve, she was evil. A father himself, he still wished to believe she could be saved, and did not want to be the one striking the killing blow, for he did not think he could do it, but her life had to be ended. She was a danger to the future of the world.

"Captain Zhao," Zhong brought attention back to the leader of their enterprise. "How will the Fire Lord be killed? And when? These unanswered questions do not sit well with me."

Zhao nodded. "Nor with me, Zhong." He sighed. "I do not know when or how. We will need to wait at least a few months for any true planning to be done. Then, I will have higher rank and more authority. When my promotion comes and all of my other plans settle, then, I will send letters." He stood up, noticing the time.

"I believe that is all that we can do for now, gentlemen. I will see you all when General Iroh and Prince Zuko are sent off. Until then, take note of all you can and tell me if anything of note comes up. Remember to code whatever you write to each other." He reminded them as they stood and left his home.

Zhao bowed once more as the carriages rolled off into the distance. He turned around and entered his mansion, sighing.

Within a week… their plans would be set into motion. Indeed, it bothered him as well that they had no true plan to follow at the moment. It was too difficult to put anything into stone, and useless, as well. They would be scattered across the world, and it is hard to kill a Fire Lord when the members of the rebellion against him are too far away from each other to be in contact. He rubbed his eyes. And within a few months, he would be a Commander, and married!

Oh, Agni. He was too old for these matters.