Back from vacation. Please apply the usual disclaimers.

Chapter 8

"What happened?" Sokka asked.

Inara tilted her head in an uneasy gesture as she stood to his right. "Pirates…a possible rival…" she ventured.

"But that much destruction," he pointed out.

They looked at a ship that was left adrift in the middle of the ocean. The ship was about the same size as the Empress but appeared to be armed for either defense or attack. There were scorch marks like a large fire had engulfed the ship along with significant damage to the hull. It was obvious that this was not a small incident. This ship was never meant to sail again.

"It looks like the same make and model as yours," Sokka guessed.

Inara inspected it a bit more closely. "I think it's newer."

Kerak approached them. "Does it matter?"

"No, I guess not," Sokka replied.

"Captain, do you want to board the ship for inspection?" Kerak asked.

"I imagine we should go see if there is anyone left alive," she decided. "It's the least we could do."

"Who is going with you?" Kerak asked.

"I'll take Sokka and Taizo."

"Captain," they heard Taizo's voice from the wheel house. "I see blue sails. I think it's the New Moon."

"Damn," Inara cursed.

Kerak let out a small sigh. "I guess you want Taizo to stay here and possibly take Nayen with you."

"Yes," Inara groaned.

"The New Moon," Sokka muttered aloud. "Is that Captain Kenduk's ship of the Northern Tribe?"

"Unfortunately it is," Inara responded. "Do you know him?"

"He comes to the Southern Tribe every year to trade furs," Sokka answered. He noticed the cool looks on Inara and Kerak's faces and he felt a bit of power for once. "We like him alright at home. He brings in good furs and he pays good money for whatever awe have to trade."

"I'm glad someone likes him," Inara retorted. "Kerak go get Doc so we can get aboard that ship before Kenduk can."

Kerak moved away but Nayen was already coming out from below deck. Sokka saw that she had her bag in anticipation of being sent to the other ship. Kerak intercepted her and Sokka saw a large knife in his hand with its own belt. She looked hesitantly at it but Kerak forced it into her hand before he went on up into the wheel house.

"How do you know Kenduk?" Sokka asked Inara as Nayen approached.

"I've had a few bouts with him over the years. He cheated me out of a lucrative deal two years back."

"So I'm guessing you are not his biggest fan," Sokka guessed hoping that they detested him for his own enjoyment.

"No one really is," Nayen bit at him and his heart leapt in joy. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yup, let's get over there."

Taizo came down from the wheel house with a bit of irritation that he was relegated to stay on the ship. He noisily pushed the gangplank over to the other ship so that they could cross. There was even a small glare at Inara as she passed. Sokka thought it was a bit melodramatic but he held his tongue.

They carefully crossed the gangplank onto the ship. Taizo was forced to pull the gangplank back since the other ship was not stable. They could easily lose their gangplank if they were not careful but unfortunately it left them little alternatives on how to get back onto the Empress if there was a need to cross quickly.

Once the gangplank was completely withdrawn back onto the Empress, Inara turned to Nayen and Sokka. "Let's go."

The deck was completely devoid of life. There were the obvious signs of battle all over the deck. They moved carefully through the debris.

"Watch your step," Inara warned them. "There might be weak spots where you can fall through."

Sokka looked down at the deck. He jumped back when a small explosion sent flames burning through the deck right in front of him. His ears rang and he prayed that he still had his eyebrows. Inara quickly raced over and bent the flames down decreasing their size until all they could hear was a soft sizzle.

"Are you alright?" Nayen asked rushing towards him.

"Please tell me I'm not missing an eyebrow," Sokka pleaded rubbing his face.

Nayen's look of worry quickly fell into bland annoyance. "Yes, you still have two eyebrows."

Sokka let out a long breath of relief. "So, besides the weak spots, we also have to worry about random explosions and possible sudden death."

"It's just another day in the office," Inara drawled. "Let's head below deck. There's no one up here."

Sokka pulled Nayen behind him as they descended the stairs.

"Keep your hand on your knife," he told her.

He had his sword at the ready and Inara had both of her swords out. Their footsteps echoed loudly through the silent ship. Sokka sniffed the air and immediately regretted it. A crippling odor burned the inside of his nose. His eyes began to water and then he noticed that Inara seemed to have hit a wall.

"What in the world is that?" Sokka demanded holding his hand over his face.

"Doc, hand them out," Inara immediately said. "Only one thing can smell that bad."

Nayen handed out masks to put over their nose and mouths. Sokka sheathed his sword to tie his around his head. The masks helped some but he could still taste the stench in his mouth.

"This ship must have been here longer than we thought," Nayen said.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"Bodies," Inara stated. "You're smelling rotting bodies."

"Bodies?" Sokka gasped as Inara started to press on. "As in dead bodies?"

"It is kind of hard to rot while one is still living," Nayen remarked.

Sokka closed his mouth at that point. He was feeling foolish once again but it also helped keep the taste out of his mouth. They slowly made their way through the ship. All of the corridors were empty. There was no sign of any bodies. It was strange and haunting. There were obviously bodies somewhere in the ship but they could not find them.

Sokka let out an uncomfortable cough from the smell and the lack of fortitude to want to be amongst the dead in their present situation. "Well, I'll say that there is no on home. Let's get out."

"Captain, I have to admit that for once I am siding with him. How much longer will we be here?" Nayen asked.

"We have to find out what happened," Inara said.

"Look, we have already covered the point that there is no one left alive. Even if we do find the bodies, what do you plan on doing with them? I'm a doctor, not a mortician."

"You are whatever I say you are," Inara returned.

"That might work on Taizo but it doesn't work on me."

"Wait," Inara hissed. "Look."

Sokka and Nayen peered around Inara. They saw a door that had three padded locks on it with barred windows. There was also dried blood splattered on the floor and the deathly odor seemed to be the strongest at this point. And strangely, there were a set of keys hanging on a solitary nail on the wall. It was almost beckoning them to come and open the door.

"Please don't," Nayen pleaded.

"Yeah, I'm with her," Sokka agreed.

Inara did not listen. Sokka's stomach turned over a dozen times as she quietly walked up to the keys. She slowly removed the keys from the nail and slid one of the keys into the first lock. She turned the key and the click of the lock pierced Sokka's ears. Then she went to the second lock. The key went in and Sokka's heart raced as she began to turn the key. Nothing happened; it was the wrong key. Inara then tried the other key and Sokka nearly cried when it worked and the second lock unlocked easily. When she went to the third lock, he turned his head. He couldn't watch. All he heard was the familiar click and then the slow, stomach churning grinding noise of the door opening.

"The spirits have mercy on them," Nayen gasped.

Sokka willed himself to turn around. His body turned but his heart kept his eyes closed. His hears heard Inara and Nayen's footsteps as they walked away. His mind yelled at him to look. He had to look. There was some kind of dark truth that he had to know for some unknown reason. So, his eyes slowly opened and his heart nearly stopped.

"How could the spirits let this happen?" he breathed.

Sokka slowly walked into the vast open room. There were shackles hanging from the walls and attached to the floor. The shackles barely registered with him. All he saw were the bodies hanging along the walls from the chains. He smelled the blood and the rot of death.

"It's a slave ship," Inara said darkly.

"Are these the slaves?" Sokka asked.

Inara shook her head as she carefully walked amongst the carnage. "These are the sailors."

Nayen had what appeared to be a registry in her hand. "It looks like they had just made a drop off about two weeks ago. They probably haven't had a chance for another run."

Sokka looked around at all of the bodies. It appeared that each man had been killed by the sword but he could not look closer to distinguish how the final blow was performed. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to run up on deck and leap back onto the Empress.

"Who could have done this?" he asked.

"Dragons!" someone yelled manically. "Dragons!"

Inara and Sokka drew their swords. Sokka ran over to Nayen to stand in any attacker's way. They scanned the dark dungeon for the source of the screams.

"Dragons…dragons…dragons!" they heard the voice continue to scream.

They stood still and waited. They could hear someone dart about the tomb. Inara levitated a flame over her hand and they caught a glimpse of a white face which then quickly disappeared. Nayen walked over to the wall and pulled a torch from its place. Inara lit it and they went after whoever was left alive.

"Sir, are you there?" Nayen called out into the dark.

"Dragons, dragons," they heard him whimper.

They followed his pitiful calls. In the corner of the cargo bay, they found a man huddled against the wall. His hair was dirty and in disarray. Nayen approached him but he withdrew. He jerked and flinched like a mad man.

"We need to get him above deck so I can properly examine him," Nayen said.

Sokka was more than happy to leave. He sheathed his sword and picked up the scared man and put him over his shoulders. Sokka was not going to wait for Inara to contradict them and so he marched straight towards the light. There was fresh air and sunshine waiting for him. He would carry the man 1,000 miles if he had to.

The door that led to the deck had partially fallen closed. He kicked the door opened and squinted in the sunlight. He found a spot that seemed descent enough to put the man down and then moved out of the way for Nayen to come treat him.

"Dragons, it was the dragons," the man kept muttering.

"You're safe now," Sokka said.

"Demons attacked this man," Nayen breathed.

"What?" Sokka asked with Inara rushing towards them.

"His eyes, they've been burned out," Nayen answered.

Sokka looked into the man's blank eyes. Nayen was right. The man had been blinded. They could see the burn marks across his face where a hot iron had been applied.

"The Blue Dragon," Inara muttered.

Sokka turned to her and narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"The Blue Dragon attacked this ship," she said. "The Blue Dragon is known to leave one member of the crew alive but blinded. I'm willing to bet that he was the captain."

"This is the work of the Three Dragons?" Sokka asked still trying to put all of the pieces together.

"This is retribution for the slave trade," Inara said. "A slave trading pirate who went by Black Beard was attacked five years ago. They say it was the first attack. His entire crew was killed and Black Beard left to die with his own gold melted and poured down his throat." Inara's speech was rapid and staccato. "It is believed that was the Red Dragon. There was a pirate named Yaku, he attacked and destroyed a floating Hana House. His ship was then attacked. They found him and his crew drowned in a large cage being dragged by the ship that was left adrift. That would be the Green Dragon."

"That was unnecessary, cruel, and unusual," Sokka nearly shouted while he pointed to the blinded captain.

"And what is the slave trade? If you ask me, he got what was coming to him."

"This is not for three rogue pirates to decide on their own," Sokka said frantically. "Remember Kerak; he was afraid that they would come after you because of Azula. This is what could happen to you and your crew."

"This is far from slavery and attacking defenseless women. And if they decide it is my time, then let them come," Inara spat.

"Ahoy there!" they heard someone yell interrupting their argument.

Inara rolled her eyes and clinched her fists. Sokka looked over and saw Kenduk wearing his arrogant smile. He bent a large wave that carried him and some members of his crew from the New Moon over to the beaten ship.

"Captain Kenduk," Sokka called out forcing a pleasant tone. "It's good to see you again."

"Sokka is that really you?" he asked as he walked over towards them. He squinted at Sokka for a moment and his smile broadened. "The spirits do have a sense of humor. Never in my lifetime would I think that you would take up the esteemed company of Captain Inara."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Inara said. She then looked past Kenduk to the motley set of people he had brought aboard. "Aika, Kagado," she greeted them shortly.

Sokka recognized Aika. She always accompanied Kenduk to the Southern Water Tribe. She was a young healer who he had married several years back. She was quiet and astute. Her rather more passive personality had caused Katara some irritation in the past.

Kagado was someone Sokka had never seen before. He looked nothing of a tribesman like Kenduk and the rest of the crew that Sokka had met in the past. He looked like a businessman instead. He wore blue robes but they were not cut in the traditional sense of the tribes. It was more of a jacket than the robes and there was a Kaizen-like air about him.

"It's good to see you again," Aika said pleasantly.

"Yes, good day to you too," Kagado lazily replied.

"So, what do we have here?" Kenduk immediately asked stepping closer to Nayen.

Nayen threw an irritated look over her shoulder at Kenduk. "He appears to be severly dehydrated, malnourished, and he has been blinded. It's a fine bit of work," she said in dark sarcasm.

"Indeed," Kagado muttered. "I'd say it was the Blue Dragon if you ask me."

"No one did," Inara curtly stated.

"But Kagado is right," Aika said softly. "Here, let me help," she said to Nayen and gently pushed her away. "I can do nothing about the eyes but I can give him some comfort."

"If this is a slave ship, the only comfort he deserves if the grave," Kagado said.

Sokka's ears burned to hear a member of Kenduk's crew utter such words. He walked over towards Kagado and took a good look into his blue eyes. Unfortunately, they were blank and unreadable.

"Well, if you like, we can take him to the nearest village," Kenduk suggested. "Aika can do what she can for him. In fact, Kagado, Aika, why don't you go ahead and take him back to the New Moon. I want to have a bit of alone time with Sokka and Inara. It has been awhile since I have seen either of them."

"Great!" Sokka said.

"Oh joy," Inara groaned to Sokka's small delight.

Before she could officially object, Kenduk formed an ice bridge between the ship and the Empress. Aika and Kagado were already headed back to the New Moon as Kenduk grandly gestured for Inara to go ahead and cross to the Empress. She reluctantly went ahead and crossed being followed by everyone else.

When Kenduk set foot on the Empress, it was like a silent alarm had gone off throughout the ship. Kerak and Taizo rushed down from the wheel house and Genji immediately appeared from below deck. Their eyes were wide with dismay and fury.

"Are you mad?" Kerak demanded.

"Not now," Inara replied.

"Why is he even near the ship?" Genji asked.

"Not now," Inara repeated through gritted teeth.

"Can I hurt him?"

"Not now!" she yelled and took in three deep breaths. "Go back to your stations or whatever you were doing. If you want to know what is going on just ask Doc. You two…my quarters."

Sokka and Kenduk did not argue. Sokka led the way quickly through the ship to Inara's rooms. They walked swiftly and quietly. It was like they were trying to evade her as they could clearly hear her heels hitting the floor. Sokka reached her quarters and threw the door opened to let Kenduk in. However, he felt it would be in his best interest to not slam the door closed on Inara's face.

Inara walked in with the fury of the ages in her eyes. She glared at Kenduk and then at Sokka. "Beer?" she asked tersely.

"What kind?" Kenduk asked pleasantly.

"Asahi."

Kenduk's eyes lit up. "Of course."

Inara had a large jug of beer in her cabinet. She poured three cups of beer and sat them down on the table that they sat around. She took a chair and leaned back as Sokka and Kenduk shared a settee.

"So, Sokka, what brings you out here?" Kenduk asked.

"You know me," Sokka answered. "I'm always trying to broaden my horizons. I wanted to see the world in a whole new light."

Kenduk chuckled at that. "Well, you will definitely get that with this lady."

Inara raised her cup at the mocking compliment.

"Has she taken you to a Hana House yet?" Kenduk asked.

"We ran into the Floating Lotus not too long ago," Sokka answered.

"I guessed that much with the freshness of this beer. Inara, do you have a spare barrel I could possibly purchase from you?"

"No," she lied.

"You bought two," Sokka blurted out and received a swift kick from Inara.

Kenduk laughed at the display.

"You two don't mind me," she said. "I'm just here for the beer."

"Well, then how's your sister?" Kenduk asked Sokka taking Inara's advice.

"She hates you as usual."

"And your father?"

"He tolerates you as usual."

"Excellent," Kenduk said. "You know, my offer is still on the table."

"Let me see, I'll be under your command and skirting responsibility and duty," Sokka summed up. "No, I don't think I'll join your little crew. I have enough adventure with the tiger-seals. Besides, I think working for you would be a bit of a downgrade from what I've already done with my life."

Kenduk, as usual, did not take any offense to these words. Katara had said much more stinging words to him and he never flinched at them.

"I didn't want to mention this before," Kenduk began, "but I heard a bit of hearsay that said that the Empress has been contracted to bring in Princess Azula."

"And where did you hear that?" Inara asked but did not sound concerned.

"My usual sources," Kenduk replied.

"Well, it seems that everyone in the world knows. But I guess it doesn't matter since Azula knows too."

"That explains your presence here," Kenduk said to Sokka. "You do love a bit of adventure in your life."

"I just can't sit still," Sokka remarked.

"Then in exchange for that barrel of beer, I do have a bit of information that might be of some use to you."

Sokka looked at Inara and tried to imply to give up the beer. She had a resistant look on her face but she finally nodded.

"I knew you would give up the beer eventually," Kenduk smiled. "But I hear that there is some strange activity in the mountains around the Northern Air Temple."

"As in Azula activity or unknown activity?" Inara inquired.

"Unknown," Kenduk replied.

"Then I do not think that information is worthy of my beer," Inara responded.

"We had a deal," Kenduk reminded her dropping his playful mood.

"Deals tend to not mean much to you in the first place," she reminded him.

Kenduk shook his head. "Is this about the silk? That was years ago."

"Along with a whole list of grievances," Inara snapped. "Sokka, escort him off of the ship and don't think of giving him the beer."

Sokka looked to his right at Inara and then to his left at Kenduk. Loyalty begged him to side with a fellow tribesman even though he was from the north. However, caution made him lean towards siding with Inara considering it was her ship he was sleeping in. So, listening to caution, Sokka stood up and pulled Kenduk up by the arm.

"Sorry captain, but I kind of want to make it through this alive," Sokka said.

Kenduk glanced past Sokka towards Inara. "I completely understand.

Sokka then led Kenduk through the ship and up onto the deck. Kerak and Taizo were in the wheel house glaring down on them. Sokka hurried Kenduk towards the New Moon to avoid any other kind of confrontation.

"I can't believe she's kicking you off of the Empress because of beer."

"Well, there's that silk deal from a few years ago. I also kidnapped Kerak for a few days, stole her anchor, spread some scandalous rumors about her, and changed the name of her ship from the Empress to The…well let's just say it shouldn't be repeated."

Sokka looked at him in disbelief. "And you're still alive?"

Kenduk chuckled in good humor. "Every time I see the Empress at sea I marvel about that too. She has a soft spot for me or she just doesn't think I'm worth her time."

"I'd say the latter."

"That is quite possible," Kenduk agreed. "However, as one Water Tribesman to another," he said dropping his voice to a low rumble, "I must say that your part in this little scheme is somewhat damning for you and your tribe if this all goes south, pardon the expression."

"With or without my involvement my tribe is still in danger," Sokka said. "We stood by Aang during the war and she will not forget it."

Kenduk thought about it for a moment and casually shrugged. "You are probably right on that. Do try to stay out of trouble and keep your head. You're mainly the reason why I can keep my little business venture in the south. I would hate for that profit margin to go cold."

"Well, I'm glad to always be of help in financing your schemes," Sokka remarked as he tried to keep pace with Kenduk's changing tones. "Where are you headed to now?"

"We're heading back around north," Kenduk replied.

He then jumped over the railing of the ship and plummeted towards the water. Sokka rushed over to watch as a water spout caught him and then flattened into a piece of ice.

"You know me," Kenduk called up. "I can't stay put for too long. Follow my lead, marry that girl or yours and travel for a while."

"Yeah, you're exactly who I should be taking advice from."

Kenduk laughed at his statement and then sped away on his sheet of ice towards the New Moon. Sokka watched for awhile and then walked away back below deck.