Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Avatar franchise.


Chapter 2

The ship made port at the Fire Navy piers in the Capital City five days later. Lieutenant Lee avoided the mass exodus of personnel flooding off the ship to invade the local taverns by staying in his office to try to catch up on all the paperwork that had flooded his office the night before the ship pulled in. He didn't particularly care about being in the city one way or another. He'd seen plenty of the capital and the rest of the home islands before being assigned to the North Sea fleet.

He was signing another request, this one to work on the steam training mechanism for the number three cannon, when the candle on his desk flickered. He looked up to see none other than Captain Yuan standing in the doorway.

"Captain, sir," he said, standing up as quickly as the cramped space would allow him to. The captain stepped over the threshold of the watertight door, into the tiny cabin that Lee called home.

"You'd think that the Navy would have designed better quarters for the man who's second in command of the ship," the old man said, more to himself than to Lee, "Lieutenant! Get your best clothes on and meet me on the pier."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"Indeed you may. We're going to visit with the Fire Lord."

"Why me, sir?"

"Well, there is no real reason for you to be coming with me. At least in the Fire Lord's eyes there isn't. You will be there as my advisor on the state of affairs in the colony. My 'hearts and minds' expert, so to speak."

"Aye captain."

"Hurry hurry. The Fire Lord does not like to be kept waiting."

With that, Yuan stepped out and walked away. Lee immediately turned to the wardrobe and fished out his best dress uniform. He changed quickly, stopping only at the end to wonder if he should bring his helmet. He decided against it, as he didn't recall seeing whether the captain had his own with him.

The day was hot and muggy, with the sun shining murderously down on them to boot. Lee looked around at the various citizens, each wearing clothing that cut off in various locations, making the attire more comfortable to wear. He cursed every one of them, but cursed the Navy more for the uniform he was forced to wear. Every inch of his body was covered in black or dark red, some of that boiling under metal armor, except for his hands and his head. In a bitter irony, the Burning Sea was actually quite temperate, and it never got so hot on North Island.

The streets near the palace bustled with activity. Citizens shopped at various stalls, picking up various things they needed or thought they needed. A few home guard soldiers noticed the pair of Navy officers walking through, and saluted as they passed. Several more, to Lee's minor irritation, weren't paying enough attention to bother.

Bunch of complacent fools, he thought.

They were greeted at the palace entrance by a pair of Imperial Firebenders. Lee eyed both of them with suspicion, wondering whether these men were the same that had been loyal to Fire Lord Ozai, or new men. Mostly, however, it was just distrust in general. He'd been in several fights with men like them in bars over the years, a couple ending in Agni Kai's.

Inside, they were met by one of the most strangely dressed young women Lee had ever seen. She wore a green kimono, decorated with red and gold in various places. He noticed idly that it was armored. Thrust into a sash at her waist were a pair of golden fans. What stood out the most, however, was the heavy makeup she wore.

"You must be one of the great Kyoshi Warriors that I've heard so much about," Captain Yuan said, offering a salute and a respectful bow.

"Yes sir. My name is Suki, and I'm in charge of the special security team responsible for the safety of the Fire Lord," she said, returning the captain's bow.

"I am Captain Yuan, master of the Fire Navy ship Azulon, and commander of the North Sea Islands fleet. This," he gestured to Lee, who bowed and saluted, "is Lieutenant Lee, my First Lieutenant."

"A pleasure to meet you both. If you'll follow me, the Fire Lord is expecting you."

She turned around and began leading the way. As they made their way through the maze of the palace interior, Lee wondered idly why a group of warriors from the Earth Kingdom had been brought in to protect the Fire Lord. Paranoia? Or had the Imperial Firebenders that were held in such high esteem done such a poor job protecting their leader that the work had to be outsourced? Lee smiled at the thought, glad the elitist fools had been brought down a peg or two either way.

The Kyoshi Warrior stopped at a small curtain emblazoned with the Fire Nation symbol. If his limited knowledge was correct, the room they were at wasn't the throne room, which struck him as odd. All the previous Fire Lords had insisted on holding audiences or important war meetings in the cavernous space, separated from those they ruled by a wall of flame.

"The Fire Lord is inside, Captain," she said, pulling the curtain back to allow him entrance.

"Thank you, Suki," Yuan said, stepping through. Lee followed close behind. The two of them entered a small office with a large map of the world affixed to the wall behind a desk. The Fire Lord sat at the desk, a brush poised in one hand over some document that Lee figured would be highly important. He fixed the pair of Navy officers with a stare that seemed angry, but Lee wondered whether it really was. The scar, while to most would have been horrifying, he didn't give a second glance. He'd seen similar wounds throughout his career, often fresh from whoever inflicted them.

Yuan and Lee fell to their knees in unison, bowing respectfully.

"Rise, gentlemen," the boy behind the desk said, his voice sounding remarkably calm, "please have a seat."

Yuan took the chair on the left. Lee sat in the one available to him and looked up at the wall. Various pins had been stuck to various places throughout the world. He quickly found his home, marked by a series of five pins, and stared at them for a while. He could hear the captain making the same introduction that he had made to the Kyoshi Warrior, and decided it was a good time to tune in on the conversation as he reached the end of it.

"Welcome to my palace. I trust the voyage over was uneventful?"

"It was, sir. Azulon is starting to near the end of her lifespan, but Lieutenant Lee tells me that she'll hold together for a while longer."

"As you're aware, Captain, I have recalled you here for a purpose. As the senior officer in your theater of operations, you are in command of the North Sea fleet. How many ships do you currently have in operational condition?"

"Twelve, sir. One Empire Class battleship, Azulon, and a mix of cruisers and scout ships."

"What time frame do you think you would be able to bring home the Fire Nation colonists and all their relevant equipment by?"

Yuan frowned at the question. Lee could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as he thought through the question.

"We're looking at two years, potentially. The colonists are well established, due largely in part to how long the colony has been there, but that isn't my main concern. The North Island research complex will prove to be the most troublesome, sir. Dismantling the retrofitting yard alone will take at least six months, and you also have the logistical problem of transporting the research projects back to the home islands without information getting leaked."

"Yes, I had forgotten about the research facilities. Have operations within them ceased in compliance with my decree?"

"I couldn't tell you, sir. I'm under the jurisdiction of the War Ministry, but I'm not allowed to know what goes on within the walls of the research center."
I could tell you, Lee thought to himself. Those eggheads haven't stopped working. They're still churning away in there, working on new and better ways to kill ourselves. He kept silent, however, knowing that his opinion would be asked for when it was desired.

"How are the colonists reacting to the Harmony Restoration Movement, Captain?"

"Sir, I've brought along Lieutenant Lee. He's a colonist himself, and he's better in touch with the situation than I am."

The Fire Lord turned to look at Lee.

"You're a colonist, second in command of a Fire Navy warship?"

"Yes sir," Lee replied, fighting down a surge of anger. To think that a man, banished by his own father, would have the nerve to try to look down on a colonist that had done something successful with his life was almost more than he could handle.

"Yes, I can see it in your eyes. Impressive. My father's reign was filled with injustice, but it's good to know that even amongst all that, there are men in my nation that could rise above it."

Lee's ears began to burn as the anger was replaced with foolishness for having been angry in the first place. He silently hoped that the Fire Lord couldn't see it in the dim light of the candle on his desk.

"So, Lieutenant," the young man continued, "What is your opinion on the Harmony Restoration Movement, and do your fellow colonists share it?"

Lee swallowed. His thoughts on the movement could have been considered treasonous during the previous regime. He wasn't sure, even now, of whether they would still be considered so. He desperately wanted to look to his commander for approval, but knew he couldn't afford a display of weakness like that if he was to convince the Fire Lord of his argument.

"Sir," he began, hesitant, "My personal opinion on the Movement is that I don't agree with it. My colony has been around for a long time, since the time of your grandfather. We've learned to live in harmony with those around us, some from the Earth Kingdom, others from the Water Tribes. While our existence may be an affront to the Earth Kingdom, we do not feel that it is. Further, we don't have any connections with the home islands anymore. Our history, our culture, is with the North Sea Islands now."

Zuko said nothing as Lee finished. His face remained a mask, and Lee wondered what could be going through the young Fire Lord's mind.

"Are you confident that your fellow colonists are of the same opinion?" he asked after a brief moment of silence."

"I am sir. Maybe not all of them, but the vast majority."

"I understand your sentiment, Lieutenant. However, the world is scarred and divided. The other nations hate our nation, as I'm sure you're aware, and the only way to fix that is to make concessions. Captain, the governors of the islands you protect have received my plans detailing the dismantling of their colonies. Ensure that they follow through with them."

"Yes sir."

"Now, they sent word ahead that you had an important document for me?"

"I have it here, sir."

Yuan produced the scroll that had been entrusted to his care from some hidden pocket in his uniform and handed it across the desk to the Fire Lord. Silence engulfed the room as he broke the seal and opened the scroll. Several minutes passed, and with each passing moment Lee grew more nervous. Something nagged at his mind, telling him that anywhere but here was a better place to be.

"Have you read this document, Captain?" the Fire Lord asked. Lee picked up on anger in the young man's tone, confirming his suspicion that the document was bad news.

"No sir. It was sealed when it was given to me."

Zuko nodded and returned his attention to the paper he was reading. Lee chanced a look at the captain, who looked unconcerned at the developing situation. He wished that he could maintain the veneer of calm that the captain had mastered so well.

"What is the meaning of this treason!" the Fire Lord shouted suddenly, the candle on his desk flaring up into a good sized fireball. Lee resisted the urge to flinch from the display.

"Captain, return this document to the governors of your islands. Tell them that they will begin dismantling the colonies or face military intervention. I expect you to be in position to enforce my decree by the end of the month."