Chap. 19

Council

It took about two hours for the group to assemble the council. Iroh had to be brought in from the troops' training, as did Toph, Tierra, Bosque, and Desierto. Aang and Guru Pathnik also had to be located to bring Aang in on the session. The Earth Kingdom representatives were informed of the arrivals, and the situation with Jet and Jin. They were also informed that Jeong-Jeong and Shyu would join them to represent the new Fire Nation soldiers. They were somewhat hesitant at the idea of working with Fire Nation, but agreed to trust the judgment of the Council. In the meantime, the Council had assembled inside the main tent to decide what to do about Jet and Jin.

"Council of the Army is now is session." Oscuridad said from his place upon the dais. The wooden dais had been a gift from Bosque after he'd received his seat; he had said that a council needed to look the part. He had made sure the dais stretched enough to give the other members their respective seats, as well as make it look rather imposing.

"The Council meets today to decide on the recruitment of Jet and Jin into the Army." Oscuridad began. "Will both please step forward?"

There was a brief pause as Jet and Jin stepped forward, while Suki, Zuko, and Trueno looked on from the side. The Council had already made offers to Trueno, Agua, and Zuko to be on the Council, but given their recent personal involvement with the two defendants, it had been decided to hold Trueno and Zuko's involvement until after the trial had commenced. Neither had been happy, but they had agreed.

"Normally, we would be happy to invite you both into the Army." Oscuridad said. "But unfortunately, the Architects did not instruct us to retrieve either of you. There is also the matter of your past exploits to consider. Jet, you are an able fighter, and you have proven yourself a capable leader and strategist. But you have also shown yourself to be ruthless and bloodthirsty in regards to the Fire Nation. Jin, you have proven yourself clever and resourceful in the past. But you have impersonated an Earth Kingdom soldier and willfully lied your way into the Army, despite instruction not to."

"But we want to be fair." Aang said. "And we're going to let you speak in your defense, or let someone else speak on your behalf."

"Is there anyone here willing to speak for either of you?" Iroh asked kindly.

At that, Trueno and Suki stepped forward. "We would let to speak for Jet."

"Very well." Oscuridad said. "True, you brought Jet here willingly, knowing about his past. Why did you do this?"

The ram took a deep breath, then said, "Well, for one thing, Suki wouldn't let the warriors leave without him. I admit, I didn't trust him at first either. I thought that if I brought him here, that he would go after the Fire Nation himself and ruin our operation, as well as be ineffective working with Firebenders."

"That's a shock." Katara muttered.

"So what changed your mind?" Agua asked.

"I had to spend time at the ferry before I could bring them all here." Trueno explained. "I took part in a few missions helping Suki and the others bring people across."

"And something happened there to change your mind?"

"Not exactly." The ram answered. "But the Jet I saw on those missions was not the Jet I remembered. He was dedicated to getting his charges to the city safe and sound. He spent time with the people, getting to know them and doing whatever he could to help them."

"Admirable, but that's not enough to show he's changed." Tierra said.

"I know. But there was one thing that truly made me think differently about him. There was one time; we were leading a group across the Serpent's Pass when the ferries were all out. We made it across, but then a Fire Nation ship attacked us. I managed to take out their ship, but they got to our position and began to attack. We began to fight them off, while the Freedom Fighters moved the charges towards safety. Suki and the warriors moved to close off the gap, while Jet and I kept fighting. Jet was taking on a solider, when one of the warriors slipped off the path and started to fall into the lake. I moved to help, but Jet was faster. He instantly stopped fighting and ran over, catching her just before she fell in. We managed to get past the soldiers and get the group to safety, but I was struck by Jet's action. The Jet I met at first would not have done that. That Jet would've taken out Fire Nation before helping anyone. That's when I started to think that Suki was right about him."

The Council was silent a moment, as they absorbed the ram's testimony. Then Oscuridad said, "Thank you True. Suki, do you have anything to say?"

The Kyoshi warrior nodded, and stepped forward. "I know that many of you have a bad impression of Jet. And I can't blame you. When I first heard about what Jet had done, I was horrified. But I also got see a Jet different from what you did. You saw a Jet that was blinded by his hate, not seeing past what his actions could do. I saw a Jet that was humbled by his actions. I saw a Jet that was trying to make up for what he had done. I saw him falter while trying to atone. And I saw him try to pull himself back up. He's become a better person from what you knew, and he's still trying to improve himself. I believe that he could become an even better person under the Army's guidance sooner then he could without it."

"Do you really believe that?" Sokka asked suddenly, looking directly at Suki.

"I wouldn't be here saying so if I didn't." Suki replied, looking right back at Sokka.

Sokka was silent, and leaned back in his seat, as Oscuridad asked if Jet had anything to say for himself.

"Only that I'm sorry for what you have seen me do." Jet replied. "And that if you give me a second chance, I will try to make up for it."

"Thank you Jet. We appreciate your candor, and we will consider everything that you and your defense have said." The bat said. Jet nodded, and then stepped back, as Toph called for Jin to come forth. The young girl came forward slowly, as Zuko crossed his arms over his chest and watched intently.

"Jin, when we left Ba Sing Se, our understanding was that you were going to stay behind." Oscuridad began. "Zuko even thought that was the case, mainly because you had said as much to him. What changed your mind?"

Jin looked up at the Council, took a deep breath, and said, "I did what I did….. because I made a promise that I couldn't keep."

"What do you mean?" Luz asked.

"When Zuko told me what was happening, I thought that I could make things easier on him if I stayed behind. I mean, this was a huge army that was going to the most dangerous place in the world. He'd have enough to worry about without me. So I promised him that I would stay. But the night before you left, I-I kept thinking about what was going to happen. I kept thinking about what might go wrong. I kept thinking about Zuko not coming back. Or if he did, coming back as a corpse. I didn't sleep at all; I just lay awake, wrestling with my promise and my fears."

"But no matter what, I always kept thinking about how much Zuko meant to me. I thought about what I might do if he didn't come back." Jin continued, as she turned to look right at Zuko. "I knew that he might hate me for this. I knew he might think that I didn't believe in him. But I would rather have him hate me then die because I couldn't be there to help."

"Jin, I can't say you did the right thing." Iroh said. "But I do know that you did this out of love. And nothing done for love is ever completely wrong."

"No. No it isn't." Oscuridad said softly. "Thank you Jin. We appreciate what you've said, and I am sorry that it had to come to this. Now, we're going to have to deliberate for a while and make our decisions. We will call you back when we're ready."

The two defendants nodded, bowed, and then left the tent, Trueno, Suki, and Zuko following. Once they were gone, the council turned to each other and began to talk.

"Well, any thoughts?" Tierra asked.

"I think Jet's a good liar." Katara muttered angrily.

"He wasn't lying, Katara." Toph said.

"Toph's right." Oscuridad said. "I didn't sense any lies from him when he was talking. And I think we all trust Suki and Trueno?"

"So you didn't sense anything. Big deal." Katara sniffed. "Jet knows how to act when he needs to."

"It's more then that Katara." Toph answered again. "When people lie, there's a physical reaction. I can sense that reaction. And I didn't sense it from him."

"Yeah….well….. I…."

"Katara, just accept it. Jet actually means what he says." Toph said. "Jeez, why are you so against him? Did you two used to date or something?"

"What? No, of course not! Don't be ridiculous!"

"Katara.."

"What?"

"I can tell you're ly-ing."

"Past relationships aside," Bosque said, as Katara's face began to turn red. "I think we all agree that Jet could be a big asset to us, if he truly means what he says."

"And it seems that he does." Luz added. "So maybe we should focus on Jin now."

"I don't know about her." Iroh said. "She is a clever fighter, I must admit, but she has had no real military training. She is not ready for a battle like the one we are facing."

"If training is the problem, we can give her that." Desierto said. "We put her in with the troops, she'll be ready in a week."

"Maybe, but Jin isn't the only one affected by our decision." Sokka said. "What about Zuko? If she stays, it might affect him. He has enough to deal with already; he's home for the first time in years, he has a huge battle to prepare for. The last thing he needs right now is his girlfriend around to distract him."

"Or to motivate him." Oscuridad said. "Look, we all heard their defense, and both of them are pretty clear. So, I think we should just take a vote and let whatever happens, happen. Two people are not going to make a big difference, and if we can deal with an army, we can deal with Jet."

"All right then." Tierra said. "Then let's do it. All who think Jet should stay, raise your hand." A flurry of hands went up.

"OK, all against?" Again, a flurry of hands, as a decision was reached.

"All for Jin?" Once more, the votes were taken and tallied, and the questions before the council were answered. Oscuridad sighed and said, "OK, that's that then. Let's get them back in here and tell them."

"Do you think they'll let us in?" Jin asked Jet, as they waited outside the tent.

"I don't know." the young Freedom Fighter answered. "I've got a lot of beef with them, and you…. Well, you don't seem like you're ready to be a solider."

"No, not really." Jin replied. "But I was getting training."

"Lemme guess, from him?" Jet asked, gesturing towards Zuko.

"How'd you guess?"

"I saw the way he was looking at you." Jet answered. "I've looked at Suki the same way."

"I don't know if he will anymore." Jin said. "He seems so…."

"He might be angry with you now." Jet said. "But he seems like someone who's been through a lot. If he was able to care for you despite all that, then he'll get over it."

Jin looked over at Jet, but before she could say anything, Bosque poked his head out of the tent, and said, "Guys, we're ready."

The two teenagers nodded, and then walked back in, with Trueno and the others following.

"Jet, Jin, we have thought about what you've told us." Oscuridad said. "And though there are some of us who feel otherwise, the majority rules. You will be allowed to stay."

Smiles spread across both teenagers' faces as the bat continued. "Now, there are a few things we are going to have to request from you both. Jin, you are going to be placed with the troops and you will be expected to train with them to better your skills. Jet, you will also train with the army, but there are still a few here that do not completely trust you. Despite your promises, we all know about your hatred of the Fire Nation. So, until you have proven to us that you have gotten past that, you will be assigned an escort, to make sure that you don't do anything rash or destructive against the Fire Nation or the soldiers here. Are those terms acceptable to both of you?"

Jet and Jin both nodded, as Suki and Trueno let out a sigh of relief, and Zuko shook his head.

"Good. Now then, Tierra and Bosque will show you all to your new barracks. You and the rest of your friends will start your training tomorrow. Welcome aboard." Oscuridad finished.

With that, Tierra and Bosque stepped down from the podium and moved to escort the new recruits to their bunks. Once they had left, the rest of the Council let out a collective sigh and leaned back in their seats.

"Thank Darya that's over." Iroh said.

"I hope we won't be seeing any other recruits like that for a while." Desierto said.

"Hey speaking of recruits," Katara said. "Agua, what happened at the poles? Didn't you find the Water Tribes?"

At that, the cat's eyes went wide, and he leapt up from his chair. "Oh crap! I almost forgot. C'mon, I gotta let them out!"

"'Let them out?'" Katara asked, as Agua grabbed his trident and leapt towards the exit.

"I think I know. Let's follow him." Luz said, as she got up from her own seat. The others followed suit, as they quickly exited the tent. Outside, they found Agua standing in front of a large open space outside of the camp. The cat was holding his trident up to the sky, and the stone in the center was glowing brightly.

"What is he doing?" Sokka asked.

"Watch and see." Luz answered. As she spoke those words, the glow from the stone began to increase in intensity, glowing until it was finally so bright everyone had to avert their eyes. But after a moment, the light finally faded away, and when they were able to see again, Agua stood in front of at least a hundred Water Tribe warriors. And standing at their front were two figures, one of which was…

"Master Pakku!" Katara yelled, as she raced up to see her old teacher.

"Katara, it's good to see you again." Pakku said, as he embraced his former pupil.

"How's everything at the South Pole?" Katara asked.

"Very good. Your Gran-Gran sends her love." Pakku said. Looking over at Agua, the Waterbending Master said, "You know Seaking, we may have agreed to help, but I was hoping that it wouldn't take three days inside that stone of yours."

"Heh, sorry Pakku." Agua said sheepishly. "We kinda got held up."

"I can imagine."

"So, who's this?" Katara asked, pointing to the tall, bearded man next to Pakku.

"Ah, I apologize." The man said, as the others began to approach. "My name is Ozena. My father is Chief Arnook. He sent me here to lead the warriors along with Master Pakku."

"It's good to have you aboard." Oscuridad said.

"It is an honor to be here." Ozena replied. "I'm sorry that I couldn't meet you earlier, but I was away helping the Earth Kingdom when you came last. Speaking of that, would one of you happen to be Sokka?"

"I am." Sokka replied. He walked up to Ozena, though not without a slight tremor in his step.

"My father told me that he put you in charge of protecting my sister Yue." Ozena said. "Is that true?"

Sokka nodded.

"And you were there when Yue….. left us?"

"Yes."

"Tell me something Sokka. What happened that night?"

"The moon spirit was dying. Yue wanted to give up her life to revive it. I-I tried to stop her, but she was so determined. She…. She became the moon spirit."

"I see." Ozena said. "If you could've stopped her, would you have?"

"If there had been some way, any way, I would have done it." Sokka replied.

Ozena was quiet a moment, then said, "I loved my sister very much. When I heard she was gone, I had to know exactly what happened. I heard many different stories, but all said that you were there when it happened, and that you and she cared for each other very much. And I always trusted my sister's judgment. I wanted to believe that you would've saved her if you could. I am glad to hear that that was the case."

"Despite rumors to the contrary." Ozena said, as he turned and looked into the ranks of the army. Sokka and the others followed his gaze, and saw a very familiar face within the army, which was followed by groans and a gasp of shock from Sokka.

"Hahn?" Sokka gaped, as he stared at his old rival. Looking back at Ozena, he demanded, "What's he doing here?"

"I take you two had some issues?" Pakku said dryly.

"Apparently, I didn't like that fact that he was arrogant, pompous, jerk!" Sokka snapped.

"Calm yourself Sokka." Ozena said. Leaning down, he whispered, "Truthfully, I despise Hahn as well. He has always cared about himself above all. But unfortunately, he is fifth in line for the throne after me. His marriage to Yue was only supposed to solidify his seat. But since it did not happen, Hahn has been stuck in his position and he has been none too happy about it. His parents convinced my father to send him here to regain his honor and prove himself on the battlefield. But I promise you, I will keep him under control."

"Just keep him away from me." Sokka muttered.

"I will." Ozena replied.

"Fine."

"Eh, well then, why don't we show you guys around?" Agua said suddenly, hoping to break up the tension.

"That sounds good." Ozena said.

"I'll show you." Oscuridad said, gesturing for the group to follow him. As the Water Tribesmen began to follow, the bat muttered to himself, "It will never end."