The Art of Defense

"Aang, are you absolutely certain Zuko is not responsible for the attack?"

"Yes, Roku. Zuko would never do something like that. And why would he call a meeting about it if he were? The only thing that would do is alert us to the issue."

"Hakoda did send a message. It could be that he realized he could not keep it from you any further."

"No. He is my friend and my teacher. He wouldn't do that."

"Very well, Aang. I trust your judgment. Just remember, Sozin was my friend once too. I thought I knew him, but he betrayed me. He betrayed the world. Be careful how you proceed with this incident."

"Yes, Master. What do you recommend?"

"If Zuko really is innocent of this order, then you must act carefully. You do not know who may be acting against his power. In addition, I suggest you keep your eye on Zuko himself. He may not be responsible, but his decisions must be made in pursuit of peace. He cannot allow himself to lose sight of balance in this matter. He needs your guidance, Aang. Stay with him and be a voice of reason."

"Master … If you had stayed with Sozin …"

"He may have listened to me. I might have stopped the war. Do not let yourself carry the same regrets I carry, Aang. Do not lose sight of what is important."

"Thank you, Roku. I will heed your advice."

Aang broke the connection and clasped the meditation beads back around his neck. Looking up at the sun, he could tell the time for the meeting was almost there. He jumped down from the roof of his room onto the balcony and came inside through the opened window. Grabbing some clean robes, he slipped into the adjacent bathroom, shaved his head, as he did every morning, and changed. Then, feeling anxious, he grabbed his glider and left the room.

*/*/*

"The White Lotus members have been informed of the attack," Iroh stated, "They have been alerted to bring any possible information regarding this incident directly to me. With any luck, we can investigate this quietly, without word of the attack spreading too far."

The meeting had been going on for a while at this point, and Aang was getting frustrated. Iroh, Suki, Sokka, Katara, and Toph all sat around the war table in the throne room with him. The flames of the stage were lit, and on the other side of the fire, Zuko sat on the dais.

Aang sighed. He knew this was important, and he would do anything to help protect the Southern Tribe from harm, but still, his body itched to get out of the stuffy, hot room and out into the open air. Despite the fact that it was nearing the beginning of winter, the Fire Nation didn't get very cold, and the flames in the room made it hotter than he felt comfortable with. He had no idea how Zuko could sit immediately behind them in his heavy robes.

Toph shrugged, "The attack was on the Water Tribe. Why would it matter if word got out here? It's not like people would panic."

"No," Zuko replied from his throne, "But it could undermine my authority. If these ships didn't obey orders, why would anyone else? There have been small groups of resistance popping up who oppose the idea of helping the other nations; they believe the Fire Nation is inherently superior and that the other nations don't deserve help from us. However, so far, none of them have caused any significant issues."

"But if word got out … ?" Sokka's question hung in the air.

"Let's just say we don't want to give them any ammunition."

Zuko looked deep in thought, "We can't lose what little trust we have already built with the Water Tribes. Chief Hakoda trusts me because he trusts you two, but the rest of the Tribe may not be so forgiving. If you were to advocate for the Fire Nation, it would minimize the damage of these attacks."

Sokka glanced at Katara, a silent question being passed between them. She nodded, "I agree with Zuko, Sokka. Right now, the best thing we can do to help is go home and try to stop rumors spreading."

Sokka nodded, "Ok. We'll both go then."

Suki sat next to Sokka, her hand in his, "I need to go home too."

Sokka seemed hurt at the prospect of being separated from her again, "Are you sure? You could come to the South with me?"

'No, Sokka", Suki said gently, "The Kyoshi Warriors are the only protection my village has. I, Ty-Lee, and the other girls are honor bound to serve Kyoshi Island. Even the Unagi might not be able to stop three Fire Nation warships" She glanced at Zuko, "No offense, Zuko, but you of all people know how devastating even one ship full of Fire Nation men could be to Kyoshi."

Zuko didn't look very comfortable about being reminded of his past actions, but he nodded, "Suki's right, Sokka. If Aang hadn't been there when my men attacked, we would have burned that village to the ground. If even one ship gets through, Suki and the Warriors need to be there."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Sokka sighed. He kissed Suki on the cheek, "Just promise me you'll send a hawk on occasion to let me know you're ok."

"I promise." Suki kissed his cheek back.

Aang's heart twinged. He remembered his conversation with Roku, "Stay with him and be a voice of reason." If Katara and Sokka were going home, did that mean he couldn't go with them? He'd have to be away from Katara, and she could be in danger if another attack happened.

"Ok, ok, lovebirds." Toph piped up, "So Sokka and Katara are going to the South, and Suki's going to Kyoshi. What about the rest of us?"

Aang made his decision. He turned to Katara, "I can come with you. Appa will be much faster than any ship."

"Actually," Zuko countered, "I was thinking about that. This would be a bit of a gamble, but I would be able to send a small fleet with Fire Nation soldiers to help defend the Tribe. Hakoda and his men were barely able to hold them off, even with the Northern waterbenders' help. I thought it might be a step towards proving the Fire Nation is still supporting the effort for peace."

"Um … Zuko," Katara said gently, "A fleet of warships arriving at the South after an attack like this? Might not be the best idea."

Sokka nodded, "The village fleets have a combined total of about one hundred and twenty men, and with the Northern Waterbenders who moved down to help out, there are about one hundred and forty people defending the South. The goal of the attack must have been to cause panic, because even with the territorial advantage, it's a miracle the South survived. A show of force like that would cause more distrust and fear."

"I know, I know." Zuko said, holding up his hand, "But a show of force could be the only way to defend the South from further attacks. The ships can stay out of sight, but provide a protective barrier against the enemy ships. A traditional cruiser holds about fifty soldiers, in addition to the crew. Five ships would be enough to outnumber the enemy, and hold off any additional surprises they might be hiding. If you arrive on one of them, it will also reduce fear. Besides, Aang, I may need your help here with the Earth Kingdom if this does become common knowledge. King Kuei and I are still negotiating the terms regarding the colonies."

Aang sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. If they arrived on Appa, the ships might be seen as another invasion. If we're going to do this, it needs to appear as friendly as possible."

Iroh cleared his throat, "I agree, Nephew, it is a risk, but it is a calculated one. If this is going to work, you must be careful about whom you place in command of the men on board. Their conduct will be very important to the success of this plan."

Zuko smiled, "Uncle, I think Lieutenant Jee has more than earned a promotion for his services during our banishment. How does Commander Jee sound to you?"

Iroh laughed, "That sounds perfect, Nephew."

"Dad has to know. If we do this, the ships should stay hidden. They're less likely to cause panic that way." Sokka seemed to be deep in thought.

Zuko returned his focus to Katara and Sokka, "If you think this is a bad idea, I won't send the ships. But I want to help however I can. These people attacked my friends. I can't stand by and do nothing."

Was it Aang's imagination, or was that last part directed more towards Katara? He was guessing the two had talked sometime this morning. Katara was good at talking to people. Honestly, the ship idea wasn't bad, but deep down, Aang wished the two siblings would say no. He would stay with Zuko if he needed to, but at least it would give him a few days more with Katara before they left.

Katara glanced at Sokka, who shrugged and said, "I'm on board if you are … Uh, no pun intended."

She turned to face Aang, but he looked away. He didn't want to influence her decision. This was entirely up to her.

Katara took a deep breath, "Ok, Zuko. We'll try it. But Dad has to be told the entire plan."

He smiled readily, "Agreed."

Aang slumped in his seat. Katara seemed to understand. She patted his hand gently and mouthed Later.

"Aw, cheer up, Twinkle-Toes!" Toph must've sensed his body language. "You'll have me and Sparky to keep you company!"

"You're staying?"

"Well yeah. Ice … doesn't do much for my eyesight, if you catch my drift. Here, I can help."

"Toph?" Iroh questioned, "What do you mean, help?"

"Oh right." She said off-handedly, "I forgot you didn't know. My earthbending doesn't just let me see. I can also sense other people's heartbeat and breathing patterns. It isn't one-hundred percent accurate, but it's a good indicator of if they're telling the truth or not."

"I guess I could help with that too." Aang said.

Toph snorted, "No offense, Twinkle-Toes, but your seismic senses aren't exactly fine-tuned. But if you want to, I guess I can tolerate an amateur tagging along."

Aang chuckled, "I appreciate that, Toph."

Iroh chuckled too, "Well, Master Toph, I would most certainly appreciate any help you can provide."

Zuko smiled before lifting his hand, "So Sokka and Katara will take a fleet to the South, and drop off Suki at Kyoshi along the way. Aang, Toph, Uncle, and I will deal with the investigation here. We'll do what we can to track down the traitors. Does anyone have anything else to add?"

Everyone shook their heads. Aang held back his concerns regarding Katara leaving. This wasn't the time or place. Their plan was risky, but it made strategic sense, and Aang couldn't argue that it was flawed. He just didn't want to put Katara in danger like that.

"Ok then." Zuko rose from the dais, "I will make the necessary arrangements. You should be able to leave the day after tomorrow. You should pack your things."

As he stepped down off of the dais, everyone else rose and began to leave. Aang grabbed Katara softly by the hand, "Hey, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Sweetie." She smiled.

Aang led her out of the room and down the hall.

*/*/*

Katara followed Aang until they were in a relatively out-of-the-way corridor. She had noticed how he reacted to the plan in the meeting, and she guessed that he was upset about the two of them being separated. Since the war ended, they had completed every mission together. There had never been a need for them to split up.

Once they were alone, Aang faced her and took a deep breath, "Katara, I don't want you to go to the South Pole."

She had expected as much, "Aang, I have to go. My family needs me, and if any suspicions against Zuko start to surface, we need to help get rid of them."

Aang looked nervous, "I know, but can't Sokka do that without you?"

"He could, but I want to go. And both of us being there will be better than just Sokka."

"Katara … It's dangerous. You could get hurt and I won't be there to protect you."

Katara's eyebrows shot up. She leaned back and put her hands on her hips, "Protect me? I'm a waterbending master, Aang. I can protect myself."

Aang blushed. He rubbed his head anxiously, "That's not what I meant. I just … worry about you."

Katara hadn't meant to sound so defensive. She knew Aang didn't mean to, but she was used to being underestimated. She sighed and forced herself to relax, "Aang, I have to go. Last night … last night was one of the worst nights I've ever had. I couldn't stop thinking about what could've happened. I need to see them. I need to know they're ok."

Aang sighed, "I understand. I just don't like not being with you."

Katara hugged him, "You could come with us? You don't have to stay."

He returned the hug, "I do. You heard Zuko. King Kuei hasn't made negotiations regarding the colonies easy, and I'm needed here. Besides," he pulled away, "I talked to Roku this morning."

"What did he say?" Katara asked.

Aang sighed, "He said he thinks Zuko needs someone to help him stay balanced. A voice of reason. I tend to agree. Seeing him last night … well, it'd be easy for him to give in to his emotions and make a mistake."

Katara nodded. After the conversation she had with Zuko, she could see where Roku was coming from. He tended to blame himself and sometimes he could be impulsive. At the wrong moment, that could end up making the situation worse.

"Katara, I really don't like this."

"Aang, we fought an entire war together. I'll be ok."

"I know. I just thought now that the war is over we could live normal lives. I thought I wouldn't have to watch you go into danger like this again. I … I can't lose you." He looked away from her.

Katara sighed. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder, she turned him back towards her. "Hey, you're not going to lose me. I can take care of myself." She smiled.

Aang sighed in resignation, "I know."

Katara kissed him lightly, "Thanks, Aang."

He returned the kiss with a deeper one. When it ended, a playful smile lit up his face, "Hey, do you wanna go to the gardens with me?"

"Why?"

"I thought maybe we could … um … eat sooooome … peaches?"

Katara laughed, but in her stomach, a stone dropped. The smile didn't reach his eyes. "Sure. Let's go."

As the two of them headed off together, Katara felt like the issue hadn't been dealt with, merely pushed under the rug. But for now, she thought, it would be better to leave it there.

Hi everyone!

So sorry about the long delay! August and September were crazy with school starting up and everything. I will try to keep a steady schedule going now that things have calmed down a little!

Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story! It really means a lot to me! I do intend to get through this story, and I don't think I could let it go dead because my head keeps coming back to it.

Thanks again,

See you next chapter!