Chapter 28

Katara had been looking forward to their week-long excursion to Yu Dao in the middle of June. It was a welcome break from the by now established routine of light preparation and weekend speed Pai Sho tournaments. After returning to Ba Sing Se, the throuple would take a few days to sort out their affairs and pack their belongings before traveling all the way to Cape Kuruk where they were scheduled to stay for five long weeks. Katara fully expected the Pai Sho practice to become considerably more serious by that point.

It was more than seventeen long years since Katara had last visited the city of Yu Dao. At the age of fourteen, she had triumphed here by winning a world junior title, against all odds upsetting Azula in the final round. But her victory had been overshadowed by Katara's discovery that Azula's father was viciously punishing her every time when she failed to achieve the kind of impossible perfection that was demanded of her. So, not all of her memories of Yu Dao were sweet, but nevertheless, Katara had been looking forward to this visit, just to see with her own eyes the changes the city had underwent during the past few years.

Yu Dao was certainly a city of odd contrasts. After arriving in a heavily modernized airport just outside the city limits, a shuttle bus had taken them downtown, passing through lovely suburban areas and completely rebuilt residential districts of the city, painting a picture that obscured any evidence of war that had raged here mere eight years ago. Of course, not everything was as lovely as it appeared. Flying in, Katara had caught glimpses from above, revealing several districts of the city that still lay largely in ruins. However, work was clearly under way to restore these districts as well, and Katara felt thoroughly impressed by how much had been achieved already. And most of the credit for this effort had to be laid at the feet of their gracious host, the former two term governor of Yu Dao and accomplished Pai Sho player in her own right, Kori Morishita.

It hadn't taken any effort at all for Azula to arrange this visit, as Kori had been very welcoming to receive them at her estate and put them up for the entire week, just so that they could make up their minds on whether they found it a suitable base of operations to use during the world championship finals. They hadn't even spent a full day at Kori's estate, and Katara was already hugely impressed by it. In some ways, it reminded her of Iroh Nakamura's Serpent Lake estate, only without the access to an actual lake. Obviously, it felt rather extravagant for Kori to have such a large estate all to herself, especially now that she was no longer serving as the governor, but evidently, she was wealthy enough to afford it. She was the only child and with her parents gone, Katara felt a sense of loneliness permeating the estate. There were no signs of Kori having a romantic partner, which was a bit of a surprise that Katara was sure to inquire about at a more opportune time later.

Katara and Yue had both been rather amused by the diligence with which Azula had inspected all the rooms offered to them for the duration of their stay, now and during the fall tournament. At first, Katara had been very confused by Azula's thought process by which she clearly preferred some of the rooms over others. Azula wanted to go with the second-floor rooms, and she had rebuked Yue's choice because the window was apparently too close to the water drain pipe. Katara had laughed at that, before starting to wonder if Azula seriously feared that someone might be able to scale the pipe from the outside.

Now, Katara and Yue had been left alone to settle into the room Azula had found acceptable, with Azula herself departing to further inspect the grounds. Katara and Yue were rather bemused by the whole thing, cracking jokes as they unpacked and waited for Azula to return. It took Azula almost an hour to get back. Katara and Yue had long since unpacked, and they were lounging on the bed, feeling a little sleepy following the almost four-hour flight from Ba Sing Se.

"Well," Azula began as she returned to join her wives. "It's not ideal, but it'll do."

"You'll have to explain just how it's not ideal," Yue snorted. "It's way calmer and quieter than any hotel. And it's like fifteen-minute drive away from the museum. It feels ideal to me." The finals were scheduled to be held in a newly built museum of modern arts. It was an unusual choice for a Pai Sho tournament, but Katara rather liked the unorthodox idea. They were supposed to stop by the museum tomorrow and take stock of the place just to see if they needed to take something specific in account for their preparations. Katara was once again astonished by the level of detail that Azula was paying attention to.

"It's certainly preferable to any hotel, I'll grant you that," Azula nodded. "Calm and quiet can be good, to an extent. A place that's too quiet comes with its own risks." Katara and Yue both gave Azula piercing stares, demanding an explanation. "A place that is too out of the way can be dangerous. But I don't think it's anything we have to fear with this."

"You're making me nervous by all these implications that I'm going to be targeted," Yue chuckled nervously.

"I think the probability of that is very low," Azula said confidently. "But I want to reduce it down to next to nothing. That means taking precautions."

"This place is a fortress, Azula," Katara sighed. She was sure that Azula was overreacting just a tad, even if Zhao was known to hire groups of thugs to do his bidding. The idea that he would do that in Yu Dao, outside of the Fire Nation, just seemed too brazenly outrageous.

"It's not a particularly hard to breach fortress, though," Azula replied. "The fence is sturdy, but there's no barbed wire, so it's still quite easy to scale. Believe me, I tried." Katara gave Azula another scrutinizing stare. Azula was wearing stiletto heels and a flared skirt that ended just above the knee. The idea that she was climbing fences while dressed like that felt absolutely ridiculous, and yet completely Azula at the same time.

"Okay, so… what does that prove?" Yue shrugged. "It's still safer than any hotel, right?"

"And there's also that slightly monosyllabic gentleman at the gate," Katara reminded her wives. Kori hadn't retained all of her security detail because she considered it too expensive and unnecessary, but the rotation of gate guards was still there, providing some light extra security.

"Well, he's not going to be aware of someone scaling the fence," Azula shrugged. "But it's true that him just sitting there might be a deterrent. In the end, I actually agree with you both. Because of all of these factors, I think it's highly unlikely that we could be targeted here at the estate. So, it means we're good to stay. I'll let Kori know later that we're accepting her offer."

"Awesome!" Yue exclaimed happily, high-fiving Katara. Katara also was glad for the decision. These were definitely way more relaxing conditions than the best hotel suite they could afford. "Wait, but do you think there is a serious possibility that I'm going to be targeted elsewhere?" Yue asked suddenly, having realized the full implications of Azula's reply.

"We've had a lot of crazy shit happen to us ever since you came back to competition, right?" Azula asked. "It is telling me to expect the unexpected. I'm definitely going to keep my guard up for any surprises coming from Zhao, and I'm doing that so that you don't have to. I'm putting certain measures in place so that you can focus on Pai Sho, and Pai Sho alone."

"Well, now that I know that I might possibly be targeted, how do you expect me not to think about it the whole time!" Yue protested. "This is definitely going to detract from my focus."

"Hmm, tricky," Katara mused. "Remember what happened when Azula didn't tell us about providing us with security. You noticed them anyway and became paranoid and completely unfocused. So, I think it's a lot better that Azula is being honest and upfront about what's going on behind the scenes."

"You both literally insisted that I do that," Azula said, looking rather frustrated. "Now you're making me feel like that was a mistake? Make up your damned minds, girls."

"Hey, let's not argue about this, okay?" Katara said hurriedly, having noticed that Yue looked very upset by now. "You are doing the right thing by being open about this, Azula, I just wanted to make that clear. Maybe it will help Yue to relax if we both know what else you're planning to counter the threat of Zhao's thugs. Because you're planning something, right?"

"Of course," Azula immediately relaxed at the soft flattery. "I'm glad you're being reasonable about this. I'm constantly keeping an eye on Zhao. You can be sure of that. I've retained the services of two detective agencies to spy on Zhao and they report all of his activities to me."

"Alright, I can see you're taking nothing for granted, hiring two agencies instead of just one," Yue also relaxed, managing a smile. "That already reassures me."

"Yes, I agree," Katara nodded. "What has Zhao been up to?"

"Not much," Azula shrugged. "He's back in the Fire Fountain City, busy with his own prep for the finals. He's also spending some big money to hire the best sparring partners money can buy, so rest assured he's being serious about the finals. And even though he hasn't been in contact with his group of thugs for several months, I have a feeling that he'll try to bring them to Yu Dao anyway. But once again, there's no reason to worry. I know who they are, and I'm keeping an eye on them as well."

"Who are they?" Yue asked. "Are they the ones who attacked me in Caldera City?"

"I can't prove it, but I'm certain of it," Azula shrugged. "As to who they are? Well, they're being led by my father's former chief of security, Mongke. That's how Zhao knows him. He's ex-military, so not someone to trifle with, but also, not someone you should be concerned about. I'll know the moment he arrives in Yu Dao, and I'll make sure to take the necessary steps to neutralize him."

"You know, you probably could have been some kind of a super spy, Azula," Yue giggled. "Anyway, all of this sounds pretty scary, I can't deny that. But also, your confidence together with the trust I have in you, is making me feel reassured. So, thank you for telling the whole truth to us. It's good to know the real reasons why you're always looking under the bed in any hotel we're staying."

"I do no such thing," Azula huffed, looking a little red in the face.

"I'm sure you don't," Katara laughed. "Oh, can Yue and I get a food taster? Can't leave anything to chance."

"You can be Yue's food taster," Azula stuck her tongue out at Katara. "That should work out perfectly."

"Meanie," Katara pouted as their bickering was finally brought to an end by a knock on the door, and moments later Kori stepped inside, giving them a slightly bemused stare.

"Dinner will be served in ten minutes," Kori informed them. "If you would care to join me downstairs?"

"Of course," Katara said, quickly getting up from the bed to follow their host. "Once again, I can't stop thanking you for your hospitality, Kori."

"Please, you're doing me a favor," Kori replied as they proceeded downstairs to be seated at the dinner table. "This estate needs a bit of life injected into it."

"I suppose it's been like this ever since you and Haru split up?" Katara asked, sensing that the conversation was moving into a favorable direction that might allow her to snoop around and discover some details about Kori's private life. "Although, I guess with him playing almost every tournament, he wasn't back in Yu Dao all that often anyway."

"You're not wrong about that," Kori nodded in agreement as they sat down to be served by Kori's small but efficient estate staff. "Also, I guess that was your roundabout way of asking me if I'm currently seeing someone."

"I wouldn't dream to pry," Katara replied, trying to ignore the way Yue and Azula exchanged amused stares, rolling their eyes hard.

"Oh yes, she would never pry," Azula eventually failed to contain her laughter and even Katara's attempted glare was not enough to stop her.

"That's fine," Kori said. "On this occasion, Katara's curiosity is very welcome. I actually meant to speak to you about that."

"Really?" Yue wondered. "Why?"

"Because I am currently seeing someone," Kori replied. "Someone all three of you know."

Katara exchanged confused glances with both Yue and Azula, at first unsure of what Kori could be talking about. Finally, Azula spoke up, but she still looked a little confused as she did so. "I think the only person all three of us know who is currently in Yu Dao would be… Jet?" Azula guessed. "Are you seeing Jet Patel?" Kori nodded, blushing lightly. "Seriously?" Azula shook her head.

"Yes, by now quite seriously," Kori nodded again.

"But he's not staying with you at the estate?" Katara sought to clarify. Running into Jet at the estate would feel strange to say the least.

"No," Kori shook her head. "Look, it's kind of serious, but also complicated. I don't do well with commitment. He understands not to try and tie me down. I don't want to ruin what we have by trying to somehow, I don't know, make it formal. Sometimes I'll spend a night or two at his place, sometimes he'll spend a few days here, but I feel better when I have a lot of space for myself, and I think Jet is just like me in that regard."

"I suppose so," Katara replied uncertainly. Jet had been with Suki for a very long time and that seemed to go against Kori's assumptions. But even then, there had been some comments about how Jet was not cut out for a serious commitment, so Katara wasn't sure what to think.

"Do you think we could see Jet?" Azula asked. "I assume I'm speaking for the three of us when I say that we've missed him." Katara and Yue both nodded to that.

"That's one of the reasons why I wanted to talk about Jet," Kori replied. "He wants to see you too, of course. But he's also worried about how you will react. Poor fool is afraid that you're still mad at him. I've been made to understand that he left without explaining himself, and also, the way he left his girlfriend was not great?"

"I think we are still a little mad at him, at least I am," Yue sighed. "But I miss Jet more than I'm angry at him, so… I promise not to slap him or throw a drink in his face."

"I'm right there with Yue," Katara nodded in agreement.

"I guess I am as well, although slapping that ingrate would feel satisfying," Azula sighed. "But fine, I promise not to."

"By the way, Kori," Katara said, a little worriedly. "You do know who Jet's girlfriend in Ba Sing Se was, right? And you probably know for how long they were together."

"I know," Kori sighed. "That's the tricky party about it. I really like Suki Arya. She's awesome. But I'm not so sure if she's going to like me much once she learns that I'm now with Jet."

"Well, it might not go so poorly," Azula said. "Suki has since found an amazing girl and she has moved on from Jet. I don't think she would be very upset with you."

"Wait, Suki moved on with a girl?" Kori laughed. "Wow, I didn't expect that. I can't wait to see how Jet is going to react to that." She then paused, thinking about something. "Well, I think I should be able to convince Jet that you're not going to hunt him down with pitchforks, so he should be amenable to meeting you. Anyway, it's the meeting with Suki that he's terrified about. She's going to be here for the finals, obviously. I think it's essential for us to meet and talk everything out, but Jet is still having cold feet."

"Well, if he agrees to meet with us, then we'll make sure to convince him that he and Suki need to talk," Katara said. "I know that with him settling down in Yu Dao the distance will make it hard, but I would still like to have Jet back in our group of friends. If Aang and Mai can coexist peacefully, then so can Suki and Jet, I'm sure of it," Katara stated confidently, pleased when she saw her wives smiling at her and nodding approvingly.

"You're seriously going through with it?" Jet Patel asked. He was currently restocking the ice bins with fresh ice for the day, before moving on to refill some of the fridges behind the bar counter at The Last Straw.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kori asked in return. She'd been busy playing a host to Azula, Katara and Yue for the past few days, so Jet hadn't seen her as much as he would have loved to. She had shown up at the pub around lunchtime, however, bringing news that surprised Jet.

"Nothing against my old friends, they're all perfectly charming, but I still find it strange that you would put them up for five weeks," Jet shrugged. "That seems like a lot."

"They're fun to hang out with," Kori replied. "Also, I figured it might come in handy to see how they handle everything during the world championship finals. I don't want to presume too much, but who knows, these observations might prove useful in the future."

"Nice, ulterior motives," Jet chuckled. Kori merely grinned and shrugged. Jet wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Kori's renewed and apparently very serious interest in Pai Sho. Jet was all about having a chill relationship without placing too many restrictions and commitments on his partner, but still, Kori being gone for two or three weeks had felt a little painful. The career of a pro player would make her travel a lot, which meant that they wouldn't see each other for long stretches. It was something that had made Kori and her by now ex-husband drift apart, so Jet couldn't help but feel a little concerned.

"More like killing two birds with one stone," Kori replied. "I'm having fun showing them around Yu Dao." Jet didn't say anything to that, continuing to work on restocking the fridges. "Don't tell me you're worried that I won't have any time for you come the fall," Kori said. "You're always welcome at the estate, you know that."

"You keep saying that, but I'm still not sure whether I should show my face, especially with Azula around. It's no secret that she can be vicious," Jet snorted.

"Hey, can I just dump these here?" Jet jumped at the sound of Pipsqueak's voice, slamming his head against the top of the fridge. Cursing, Jet withdrew from the fridge and looked up to see Pipsqueak standing by the bar counter with a crate of lemons and limes for him to cut for service later.

"Sure," Jet said, giving his friend the thumbs up. "Thanks, Pip," he added. Pipsqueak carefully placed the crate on the bar counter and stomped off, back to his job of handling inventory. Longshot was also present, doing some general maintenance. Currently, that involved fixing the condom dispenser in the men's toilets after someone had done unspeakable things to it. Also, the machine badly needed refilling. The condoms in the colors of the flag of Yu Dao were always in high demand among the patriotic patrons of the pub. Smellerbee and Duke were apparently sleeping in this morning, which was a small blessing in disguise. Bee just couldn't help giving Kori the anti-establishment, eat the rich attitude every time their paths crossed.

"Well, you don't have to worry about Azula's vicious streak, because apparently she hasn't been reserving her ire for you," Kori laughed. "Azula was actually the first to say that she's been missing you."

"Well, that's good, I suppose," Jet replied, feeling relieved. "It's not Azula, Katara or Yue I'm really concerned about, though. You know who else will be here for the finals, right?"

"For crying out loud, you can say Suki's name, you bloody idiot," Kori groaned, sounding frustrated.

"Sure, Suki," Jet sighed. "Maybe Azula, Katara and Yue are no longer mad at me, but I'm pretty sure that Suki still wants my head on a plate. Ugh, just thinking about that makes me want to have a drink," Jet groaned, looking around and spotting some of the open wine bottles. He then proceeded to examine them, setting some of the bottles aside and pouring himself a glass of merlot from one of them. "Do you want some? These have been open for a week, so I have to toss them anyway," he looked at Kori.

"Sure, I'll have a drink," Kori nodded, accepting a glass of wine. "Also, you are having a chat with Suki when she arrives here for the finals."

"Do I really have to?" Jet whined, even if he knew perfectly well that yes, he had to speak with Suki. He owed her that much.

"Look, I like Suki," Kori sighed. "She always had my back when I was trying to raise funds and awareness for the cause of Yu Dao independence. Some of her takes in The Harmony Ring could have landed her in trouble, but fortunately the Dai Li didn't seem to care about a niche Pai Sho magazine. Anyway, the takeaway from all of that is the following - I consider Suki a friend. I don't want her to be mad at me when she finds out that we're together."

"She's going to find out from Azula and her girlfriends, anyway," Jet pointed out.

"I think I can get them to promise not to tell, at least until you've spoken with Suki," Kori replied. "After all, they owe me a pretty big favor."

"Right, I guess you probably don't know that Katara is a terrible gossip," Jet laughed. "As a result of working together with Ty Lee at the same hospital, I've been told." Kori gave him a blank stare. "Another good friend," Jet explained hastily.

"Okay, she's a little gossipy, but I wouldn't call her horrible," Kori shrugged. "Besides, she'll be too busy helping Yue in order to gossip. Suki's not going to hear about us from Katara, I'm sure of it. And I think you overestimate Suki's anger if you were to explain yourself to her."

"Really," Jet snorted, rolling his eyes. "She once held off a bear that had escaped from the Ba Sing Se Zoo, using nothing but a butterknife. Imagine what she's going to do to the guy who broke up with her."

"Well, she might not be that upset if she's moved on with a new sweetheart," Kori winked at him. Jet gave his girlfriend a particularly insistent stare, demanding her to explain. "Azula let it slip that she's living together with a steady girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Jet gasped. His first reaction was being shocked by this major surprise. "That's… okay, I was going to say impossible, but that's clearly not true. I know Suki had had some flings with girls, including Yue, but that was in her mid-teens, so I always thought it was just her experimenting and finding out what she liked."

"I guess she's been experimenting some more," Kori laughed. "Wait, is this a blow to your ego? That she's moved on with a girl?"

"What? No, of course not," Jet protested, well aware that he wasn't being completely honest.

"It totally is, isn't it," Kori chuckled, shaking her head. "You can expect to be mercilessly teased about that for the next few months." Jet made a face. "Anyway, if you want to worry about someone being mad at you, then don't worry about Suki. Worry about Haru, instead. You know that our separation was anything but smooth."

Jet burst into laughter at that. "Look, I don't know the guy myself, but from what I've heard about him, it's clear that he's a bit spineless," Jet snorted. "He probably spends so much time sitting at the Pai Sho board that his spine slipped out through his asshole."

"Well, that's a mental image I didn't need," Kori rolled her eyes, letting Jet pour her some more wine. He was reaching for another one of the opened bottles when at that very moment the front door of the supposedly locked pub was thrown open and a group of stylishly dressed and beautiful women entered the establishment. The elegant looking lady in a red pantsuit immediately faced Jet with a rather familiar fierce glare.

"There's the scumbag we've been looking for!" Azula Nakamura exclaimed. "Get him, girls!" she ordered, with Katara and Yue looking ready to leap into action.

Jet barely managed to overcome the immediate instinct to drop everything and flee, at the last moment reminding himself that it would be too undignified. "You told me they were not mad!" he gave Kori an accusing stare.

"We're not really mad," Azula said, breaking into a grin as the threesome walked up to them. "We were just trying to make you shit your pants. And I think we almost succeeded."

"You were supposed to wait in the car until I smoothed everything over," Kori sighed at the trio.

"I'm sorry, but for how long?" Azula scoffed as together with her girlfriends they took seats at the bar. "I'm not going to spend more than fifteen minutes waiting in a hot car, thank you very much."

"Also, instead of bringing Jet up to speed it looks like you two have been partying it up in here," Yue remarked, looking at their wine glasses.

"Yes, and where is our wine?" Katara added demandingly. "You want to keep us happy, Jet. Need I remind you that you're on a very short leash for running off without explaining yourself?"

"Guilty as charged," Jet sighed, quickly pouring the fearsome threesome wine that would hopefully soothe them.

"What is this?" Azula protested, having taken a sip. "When was this opened? Why are you making us drink vinegar? Is this how much you value our friendship, Jet?"

"I only opened it five days ago and it's been stored properly," Jet groaned. "There's nothing wrong with that wine."

"It tastes right to me," Yue said, Katara nodding emphatically.

"Why am I not surprised?" Azula sighed. "Jet is trying to poison you, and you're none the wiser."

"There's nothing wrong with the wine, and I know my drinks," Kori insisted. "But you might as well open a new bottle, Jet. I had no idea we'd be having a bona fide princess with us today."

"I guess there's something wrong with me if I don't enjoy drinking vinegar," Azula rolled her eyes. Jet realized that there wasn't much he could do but to open another bottle. After all, it was in his own interests to keep Azula happy and avoid her ire.

"So, this is what lured you back to Yu Dao," Katara remarked, looking around the pub as she idly sipped her wine. " It's certainly… an unusual place," she said, likely referring to some of the war memorabilia on display. Those with no personal experience with the war tended to be a little surprised by the pub's decor.

"Well, it was mostly the bonds I forged during the war that pulled me back," Jet replied. He noticed Longshot emerging from the toilets, following his struggle with the condom dispenser. "Friends like this guy," Jet waved at Longshot.

Longshot walked up to them, smiling awkwardly as his eyes lingered on Azula, Katara and Yue. "How do you have the stamina for four girlfriends?" he signed at Jet.

"The secret is having a lot of spinach in your diet, my friend," Jet smirked braggingly, making finger guns at Longshot. If Longshot wanted to assume that he was sleeping with Azula, Katara and Yue, Jet wasn't going to dissuade him from that notion. Everything that contributed to the legend of Jet's sexual prowess was to be encouraged.

Longshot rolled his eyes. "The condom machine is working again. I guess you might need it," he signed before shrugging and walking away.

"That seemed like a lewd gesture," Yue remarked after Longshot had departed.

"He was fixing the condom dispenser," Jet explained to the merriment of his female friends. "The fun never stops around here."

"Clearly," Azula snorted. She faced Jet with a firm stare. "And you're really happier here than you were in Ba Sing Se?"

"Azula!" Katara exclaimed, looking a little shocked. Jet wasn't sure why after so much time together, Katara still acted as if Azula's bluntness and lack of tact was surprising to her.

At first, Jet wanted to go for one of his trademark flippant answers, but he quickly decided against it. Azula in particular seemed like the kind of person who took her friends walking away from her very personally. Jet immediately realized that he had to be honest. "I wasn't unhappy in Ba Sing Se, but something was missing from my life, something I could only find here. It wasn't something either Suki or my friends could give me," Jet replied. "And yes, I am happy here, but I would be even happier if my old friends from Ba Sing Se were here with me. I doubt you're interested in making a permanent move, though."

"Probably not," Yue smiled sadly.

"I can't claim to understand your motives, but I can tell that this wasn't a bullshit answer," Azula said.

Katara nodded in agreement with her girlfriend. "And I'm sure that Kori has made your stay in Yu Dao that much sweeter," she grinned, motioning for Jet to refill her glass. He did so, and over the course of the next hour or so, they kept emptying one opened bottle after another, meaning that Jet wouldn't have to toss any of the wine.

"Anyway, now that we're good and friendly again," Jet eventually said once the ladies all looked rather tipsy. "You've got to tell me about Suki's new girlfriend."

Azula, Katara and Yue exchanged stares and burst into tipsy giggling. "Wait, as I understand you don't want us to tell Suki that you're dating Kori," Azula said. Jet nodded uncertainly. "Yeah, in that case, we're also not telling you who Suki is dating."

"I think that's fair," Katara agreed. "Tit for tat."

"I don't see how this is fair at all," Jet whined pathetically. "I need to know or else it will drive me crazy all summer!"

"If Suki doesn't know who you're involved with, then it's totally fair that you don't know about her girlfriend," Yue pointed out.

"You are so frustrating," Jet sighed. "Surely I can bribe you with more wine, or perhaps something stronger."

"I seriously doubt that," Azula shook her head. "I think it's fair to leave you suffering for a little bit. After all, it's what you deserve for running out on us," she finished with a pointed stare that left it impossible for Jet to argue back.