Chapter 8 – Desperate Actions

Author's note/warning. This chapter depicts the threat of physical harm against an unborn child.

The Shaman reached Mai's quarters, to find her pacing, with a midwife imploring her to return to her bed. The Shaman raced to her side and said, "Child, I must insist that you return to your bed. You'll need your rest for what is ahead."

"How dare you presume what I need?" Mai snarled. As she spoke, she reached into her hair and retrieved a four inch long, dagger-like hair pin and brought it's point to her own abdomen. The Shaman and midwife backed away in shock.

"My Lady," the Shaman began, "You couldn't possibly, you own baby..."

Mai's gray eyes narrowed, "I'd rather see this child die than become whatever monstrous pawn you plan on turning him in to. Now, here is what you are going to do: first, you're going to send a hawk to my husband, and tell him where you are holding me. Then you are going to take me to a boat, and you will release me."

"You can't possibly think you'll succeed," the Shaman sneered. "You don't even know where you are,"

Mai quirked her eyebrow and deadpanned, "I'm on Iwo Plata, 21 leagues East-Northeast of Ember Islan.."

Pain racked Mai's body, and she dropped the hairpin as she fainted to the floor. Two attendants rushed in and placed her in the bed. The midwife examined her.

"Holiness," the midwife announced, "There's no dilation. The Firelady is experiencing an unusually strong bout of false labor."

"What is her prognosis?" the Shaman asked.

"The baby will come sooner than expected, Holiness. It could only be a matter of days. Her exertions have weakened her. Mother and child may both be lost if we are not careful."

…...

Azula and Sokka exited the Sage's Temple, carrying scrolls, maps of Iwo Plata and blueprints of the monastery provided by High Sage Shyru, to find a palanquin awaiting. As Azula entered the vehicle, Sokka noticed a lanky man wearing a beat-up straw conical hat pulled low over his eyes standing across the street. The man raised his chin, almost imperceptibly, and made eye contact with Sokka. To Azula's dismay, Sokka shoved the scrolls into the palanquin with her and said, "I'll meet you at the palace,"

Dismayed, Azula asked, "What's going on?" Then she noticed the man Sokka made eye contact with. "Who is that?" she demanded.

Sokka gave her a lopsided grin, "A gentleman with an interest in Pai Sho." He winked. "I won't be long."

…...

Sokka returned, bearing another scroll, to the Royal Palace to find a grim faced Zuko, with Azula sitting at his right hand, presiding over a contentious Defense Council. The chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Fleet were gathered around a large map of Iwo Plata. The island itself resembled a tadpole, the body of which dominated by an active volcano. The monastery itself was situated on the end of the peninsular "tail" of the island, a near vertical sheer wall of weathered volcanic rock that rose 30 feet above the surrounding sea at high tide. From what Sokka could make out from the ancient drawings of the monastery, it was a diamond shaped fortress, with its corners aligned with the cardinal directions of the compass. The massive walls surrounded a central courtyard, and met in four turreted towers at the corners.

Admiral Chan, the Navy Chief, was speaking, "My Lord, it will take at least three days to redeploy the fleet for an assault. In any case we'll need a combination of high tide and full moon to move into effective range of our trebuchets for effective bombardment and stealth, which won't occur for another week."

Zuko, visibly struggling to maintain his temper and an even voice, said, "Admiral, I'm not waiting three days, and I'm certainly not waiting a week. And there will be no further discussion of bombardment of that structure while my wife is inside."

Air Marshal Kwan spoke up, "My Lord, with respect to my colleagues, allow the Air Fleet to take up the honor of this rescue. Airships aren't restricted by tides, and I can launch a credible force within 12 hours."

"But they are restricted by prevailing winds, Air Marshal," Azula interrupted. "You'll have to turn your drive and steering engines almost to failure point to navigate against the winds around that island. The cultists will hear you coming when you're ten leagues out. We know they have access to military equipment and weaponry. Assuming they have anti-airship ballistae, your airships will be shot out of the sky before you can deploy your air assault troops." She addressed Zuko, "My Lord, what is needed, what will have the most chance of success, is a small, specialized team that can move and act with speed and stealth."

Sokka had not yet been noticed, and he decided to speak up, "I agree with the Princess, you Fireyness!"

The assembled military brass turned in shock at the interloper. Azula smirked. Zuko just gave Sokka a glare that simultaneously said I can't believe you just said that, and Seriously not the time.

Admiral Chan spoke up, "My Lord, I must protest. We are discussing sensitive military and national security matters here. It is simply not appropriate to have a foreigner, no matter how highly ranked, present in these ..."

Zuko held up his hand. "Ambassador Sokka is my personal friend, and a friend to the Fire Nation. His views are... unorthodox... but I believe his insights will be of help, and I will hear his counsel."

"Besides," Azula interjected, "The Ambassador just happens to be an expert on stealth infiltration and invasion of Fire Nation islands. His insight will be invaluable."

"If we want the mission to fail," General Han, the Army Chief, harrumphed.

"The Black Sun invasion failed not because of and weakness in Ambassador Sokka's plan," Azula countered, "but because I learned of the plan from the Earth King, and we thus were able to prepare. Ambassador Sokka my ally now. So that circumstance won't repeat itself." She glanced to Zuko, who gave her an approving nod. She continued, "But you're right to be concerned about security. You're all dismissed. Return to your respective headquarters and stand by for orders from the palace."

The Chiefs, along with their various aides and staff officers, filed out of the throne room. As the last one left, Zuko turned to Sokka and asked, "Alright, what's your plan?

Sokka began, "I take my skiff, along with a small team of White Lotus operatives to the island under cover of darkness. It has a shallow draft and sails, so I can get close, quietly. Initially we reconnoiter, get eyes on. If we can affect a rescue, we do. If not, at least we'll have the intelligence your stuffed shirt military guys will need to put together a rescue team that doesn't involve shooting catapults at the place while Mai is in there."

Zuko was skeptical, "Who's on this team of yours?"

Sokka answered, "Well, there's myself, and a pair I first met while you were chasing us through the Earth Kingdom all those years ago. One's an archer that can make a Yu-Yan look like a first day novice, and his girlfriend, a tiny slip of a woman who is an expert at getting into places that are impossible to get into, and making things go 'boom'."

"Just three of you?! And none of you are benders- plan on infiltrating an impregnable fortress filled with firebenders to rescue my wife. You're just going to get yourself killed, Sokka," the Firelord argued.

"I agree with Zuko," Azula said. "You need to add at least one firebender if you want this plan to have any chance to succeed."

"Agreed," said Zuko. "I'm coming with you."

Azula cocked her eyebrow. "No, you're not. I forbid it."

Zuko glared at his sister. "You can't forbid me from doing anything. Have you forgotten who is Firelord?"

"No, but apparently you have, Brother." Azula answered. "This cult is bent on your destruction, and you would walk into their very lair. Should this plan fail, and you were captured, or worse, what then?"

"Then I guess you'd finally get your fondest wish, Azula: you'd become Firelord."

"And we'd be no better off," Azula declared. "Zuko, however much I once coveted that throne, I have come to realize that whatever mad powers are in charge of this universe have fated you to hold it. It was never meant to be mine. The people need Zuko to be their Firelord, even if many of them don't know it. You are not expendable. I am."

"It's my family at stake," Zuko argued.

"That's irrelevant," Azula countered. "Tell me this, if Mai were here, would she allow you to put yourself at this kind of risk? Would Uncle? Would Mother?"

Zuko sighed. "You're right. Go with Sokka. But what am I supposed to do?"

Sokka spoke up, "Be the Firelord. Get your troops ready, we may need them yet. And you might also want to do something about this," and he handed Zuko the scroll he'd been holding.

"What's this?" Zuko asked.

"Information the White Lotus has dug up about the Sons of Fire: names of various nobles, military officers, and government officials that have provided equipment or financial support to the cult. Interesting reading," Sokka commented.

Zuko opened the scroll. Nodding at the first few names on the list, he rolled it up and looked to Sokka and Azula. "OK then. Go bring my family home."