Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

327. Chapter 327: Rescue NAT-Preparations 3

Rescue at the Northern Air Temple/Preparations

3

The heights of the Northern Air Temple saw much activity as the Mechanist and his top aides worked to fuel the new attack systems of the armored airships. Soldiers paced across the open courtyards, constantly wary of any foul play, but unconcerned with what little threats the refugees were bound to pose for them. New airships were bound to arrive shortly, and the gas reserves would continue to provide them with material to build up the power they would unleash upon the Fire Lord's foes.

Everything seemed to be going according to War Minister Qin's plans… until a blasting sound, and a tremor, shook the very foundations of the Northern Air Temple.

"What was…? What was that?!" gasped one of the soldiers near War Minister Qin.

The Mechanist, near him, glanced back in the direction of the noise with uncertainty: could it have come from the workshop? Had someone caused trouble? Had someone started a fight with the guards that had ended badly for the refugees…?

"W-War Minister…" he trembled: Qin glared at him, silencing him effectively.

"Whatever nonsense your son and his friends were up to, they will be certain to regret it now, fool," he hissed, turning towards the forces that had escorted him to the Temple. "Take a squad downstairs and find out what these wretches are up to, will you?"

The soldier answered positively at once, guiding a group inside the temple. The Mechanist trembled violently, face paling.

"Do return to task now, Mechanist…" growled War Minister Qin, forcefully grabbing the nervous man's shoulder. "Or the punishment your troublemakers will suffer shall be ten times worse due to your insolence."

"Y-yes. Yes, I… I understand," the Mechanist nearly whimpered, turning towards the large pump he had created some months ago.

Bitterness tugged at him as he worked with the large tools that secured the large pump, which ensured that none of the younger members of the community could accidentally open the gauge. The system they had implemented was safe and sound, a long pipeline that remained out of the mainly frequented areas by the refugees that dwelled in the temple… at first, the Mechanist had mainly worked on creating a system that would allow them to test further uses of the gas in a more controlled environment. He had meant to test if it could be a more efficient fuel than coal… but he had no choice but to continue using it as a weapon now. A weapon he had to hand over to the Fire Lord, as always. If only he could have done something to fight back, if only he had the power to stand his ground…

He wanted to make it stop. To set everything on fire. To make it so the Fire Nation could no longer destroy anything else… his life was not worth the lives of so many others he condemned with his horrific mistakes. He had done unforgivable things across the past decade… he didn't deserve to keep going, let alone if his path forward was solely as their remorseful provider of weaponry and advancements. He wanted to make it stop. He needed to make it…

The sound of breaking rocks, of something impacting them in another courtyard, lower on the mountain and further to the left, brought everyone to turn their attention in that direction, including War Minister Qin.

"Guards…!" Qin said, frowning as the soldiers prepared themselves for whatever threat might be lurking in that direction. The War Minister, however, stepped up to the nervous, confused Mechanist and clasped his shoulder firmly with a hand. "There are no earthbenders in your group, you said?! Are you quite certain of that?!"

"I am! T-there are no earthbenders, there never have been…!" The Mechanist responded: why would he be so alarmed? What was the strange fear he saw in the War Minister's eyes?

The two different sources of noise, one lower and deeper in the mountain, one dangerously nearby, seemed poised to distract and divert the attention of the Fire Nation's forces, splitting them into committing to different fronts to protect their operation. War Minister Qin shuddered upon realizing that, at the moment, only around twenty soldiers remained with him… many others were aboard the airships instead, while a considerable number of them had headed inside the temple a moment ago, to investigate the earlier explosion.

For a moment, there was nothing but tense silence in the courtyard as the Mechanist and his assistants pumped more gas into the current airship's containers.

Then, the sound of rattling chains, to their left.

It came closer and closer until a large, deadly black tank, bearing the Fire Nation emblem, finally climbed above the courtyard with its grappling hooks, ramming into the nearest soldiers without hesitation.

---

Once everything was ready, once the tanks were already climbing the mountainside carefully, from an angle where the airships would likely fail to notice them, Sokka cut into the workshop's gate, tearing apart its hinges. When the time was right, the lighter explosives they could find in the workshop helped blow up the, and it collapsed down the mountainside. With that noise, the Fire Nation soldiers would be thoroughly taunted to rush down here… allowing the tanks to do their work by the mountainside.

The internal door to the workshop swung open violently: soldiers rushed into the area only to stare in shock at the destroyed, open doorway. Breeze brushed into the building through that considerable gap, blowing with variable strength as they stepped forward, impulsively assuming that the refugees had escaped through the opening, somehow…

"I thought this thing was locked! What the hell is going on?!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, glancing down the mountainside, down the cliff that was no longer hugged by a smooth barrier of white, fluffy clouds.

The answer he received for that question was the loud, whirring sound of a long, wide shelf being pushed in his direction.

Six soldiers stood between the wide-open entryway for the workshop and the shelf their refugees and their allies had effectively pushed towards them: a slight slant in the room, product of some careful earthbending by the Avatar, allowed gravity to do the rest of the work by dragging the shelf towards the open fall it inevitably would be claimed by.

A few of the soldiers escaped the surprise attack, having been distracted by the fact that three new hot-air balloons now rested safely within the workshop: they had no time to truly realize what their presence might mean before the other soldiers were shoved out of the workshop and down the mountainside. By then, their attempt to reason with reality was futile: accompanied by five refugees and four guards, Sokka rushed forward to strike down the remaining Fire Nation soldiers.

As expected, the shock of facing hostile flames took these soldiers by surprise: Rui Shi withheld nothing as he unleashed his fire upon the enemy while Sokka saw to striking them with his club and sword. Within less than half a minute, four Fire Nation soldiers lay unconscious or dead in the workshop, and there had been no losses whatsoever on their side.

"Everyone ready?" Sokka said, glancing at the others. Rui Shi nodded.

"Let's hope the tanks are doing their jobs," Rui Shi said, falling into step behind Sokka and approaching the workshop's door: the soldiers had unlocked it, left it open and, in doing so, cleared the way for their small group to march up the long stairs to the courtyards.

Echoes of chaos loomed ahead as they ran upstairs: far above, by the courtyards, a battle had begun between the three tanks that had climbed over the mountainside and the Fire Nation soldiers accompanying War Minister Qin.

"F-fight! Stop them! These refugees…!" War Minister Qin roared, eyes bulging as the tanks rammed into the first few soldiers. "Mechanist! Tell them to stop this, now!"

"I don't know if they'll hear me, I…!" The Mechanist trembled, gazing at the scene before them in utter shock…

His astonishment increased further when an arm snuck out from the first of the three tanks attacking the soldiers in the courtyard: a blast of fire burst from that fist, striking a non-bending soldier that hadn't expected any manner of fire attacks from the hostile forces inside those tanks.

The victim to the attack, of course, wasn't the only one shaken by the enemy fire: War Minister Qin's hand had gripped the Mechanist's collar briefly, already intending to use him as a hostage, to threaten these refugees in the tanks to stop their rebellion at once… only to freeze in place upon realizing a firebender was aboard one of the vehicles.

"W-wha…?!" War Minister Qin shivered, watching as new bursts of flames poured out of the tanks: more than one firebender… all of them targeting the Fire Nation forces. "N-no! Stop! What do you fools think you're doing?!"

The tanks, naturally, disregarded any demands by the War Minister: flames rained upon the Fire Nation, and their attempts to repeal the attacks with fire of their own went to waste, for they simply bounced off the solid, heavy tanks with little to no consequences. The tanks, in the meantime, marched forward and continued to ram into their enemies without remorse, causing Fire Nation soldiers to scream, to even jump off the courtyard and into nothingness. The confusion in this strange, unexpected battlefield proved to be a factor in the rebels' favor as valuable as the tanks themselves…

That confusion only increased further when shadows of newcomers that flew high above the airships started crossing the landscape: only one soldier caught sight of them before a sudden rain of metal began falling upon the Fire Nation's forces.

"What now?!" shrieked one of the soldiers: his question was answered when a heavy, metallic tool struck his helmet, knocking him off balance.

Tools, bolts, metallic scraps were falling from the sky… soon enough, small bombs stuffed with unpleasant odors did the same thing. The Mechanist gaped in shock, in near horror, immediately recognizing the larger glider that belonged to his son, no matter how distantly he might fly: he was fighting back. That reckless boy… but there were firebenders in those tanks. Had he somehow convinced some soldiers to fight against the War Minister? That seemed unlikely, but perhaps Teo had been that charismatic…

"What is this madness…?!" War Minister Qin roared, shielding his face with his hands, as did the Mechanist and the man's assistants. "Mechanist! Damn you, tell them to stop this!"

"I-I don't know what's happening! I'm sorry, I…!" the Mechanist answered truthfully, anxious immediately…

Far more anxious yet when War Minister Qin's grip found purchase on him anew, wrapping his thin but ruthless fingers around his neck.

He choked all other words out of the Mechanist then, pulling him closer to himself and exposing his face to the flying foes, difficult to identify in the distance as they might be.

"Stop your aggression now!" the War Minister shouted, with far more strength than he knew he had left in him. "Or else I will kill your leader, right where he stands! Desist immediately!"

The Mechanist shivered, struggling to breathe, to so much as stand up: the War Minister kicked at his legs, forcing him to kneel down as he restrained the vulnerable Mechanist before the gliders and the tanks.

"Continue attacking if you dare!" War Minister Qin roared, glaring around himself anxiously: the nearest soldier met his eyes, and Qin gestured at him to join him. "Come here! Threaten him! Your spear will do the trick!"

The soldier obeyed promptly: the Mechanist shuddered, pained by the War Minister's cruel, forceful grip, terrified by the blade that shone so dangerously right under his chin.

"DAD!"

The voice from the sky brought the Mechanist to wince, just as War Minister Qin smirked with wicked satisfaction. This foolish attempt to sabotage their mission would result in failure: he would see to it that the Mechanist's fool of a son stopped those tanks at once. All of them would be made an example of, proving that the Fire Lord's will would be fulfilled, no matter what.

"Cease your aggression at once, you fools, or the Mechanist will pay the price for it!" War Minister Qin roared. "Land again and face the consequences for your –…!"

He ceased talking suddenly: the grip he held upon the Mechanist waned, and the inventor winced before shoving the spear aside impulsively, finding himself with more freedom of movement with no prior warning.

The soldier holding the spear frowned, making to attack the Mechanist for attempting to break his way out of the War Minister's control…

His attempt to threaten the Mechanist a second time was answered by a brutally powerful blow of a blue-white club, crushing his helmet into his face.

The Mechanist gasped, crying out loud in fear as blurs rushed past him: firebenders again… but allies, rather than enemies. They wielded flames, they wore no uniforms… they were familiar, somehow.

He couldn't recognize his saviors before a strong, firm hand gripped his shoulder, hoisting him back to his feet.

"Are you hurt? Did that bastard do anything to you?"

That powerful voice had seldom sounded that serious and stern in his presence, but it had done so a few times… sufficient times for the Mechanist to recognize him even before he turned around to see those blue eyes for himself.

The chaos in the courtyards had provided Sokka's forces with a golden opportunity to rush through the Temple, running undetected to the location where the Mechanist had been kept. Only a few soldiers had stood between Sokka and the War Minister… and his allies had taken care of them as he aimed his boomerang perfectly to chi-block the wretched man before he could bring any further harm to the Mechanist.

"So… Sokka?!" the Mechanist nearly shrieked: his long-time collaborator and ally smirked proudly at him, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"Stay calm. We'll clean up this mess in just a bit," Sokka said: the Mechanist's assistants rushed towards him too, disbelieving, amazed… and suddenly feeling far safer, now that they knew someone familiar stood with their allied forces.

"How…?!" The Mechanist gasped, but Sokka leaned down to pick up his boomerang quickly rather than answering any questions right away.

The Fire Nation soldier he had attacked writhed and struggled with the helmet Sokka had crushed into his face. He wasn't keen on feeling sympathy for the man, but he was no monster, even now. He took the shackles that hung on the soldier's belt, quickly wrapping them around the War Minister's wrists before using Space Sword to swiftly tear apart the helmet: the soldier's face was a bloody mess, and he was relieved by the chance to breathe properly right before Sokka knocked him out with another swift punch to the face.

"We'll protect these three!" Wuhan announced, stepping forward to stand with Shuren before the Mechanist and his two assistants. "Go, Sokka!"

The Gladiator nodded appreciatively at them: War Minister Qin, shaken but still conscious, hardly seemed to understand the circumstances as Sokka clasped his shoulder and tossed him forcefully towards the two firebenders of his confidence.

"Make sure this piece of shit stays alive, too," Sokka said, firmly. Wuhan and Shuren nodded at once.

The battles waged by the courtyards were fierce, but the surprise factor had been considerably helpful for Sokka's forces: ten highly trained firebenders were certainly far better at their duties than the group the War Minister had brought with him, no matter how numerous they might be, so the Fire Nation soldiers fell quickly to each of Azula's former guards, whether those in the tanks or those who had just raced up the stairs in the Temple. Teo landed, immediately relieved to learn his father had been saved after all, while the other warriors and refugees continued to attack, whether aboard tanks or flying high on gliders.

Something, however, changed and shifted as Sokka joined the battlefield properly: soldiers gasped and shirked away from him at once, suddenly recognizing not only who they were facing, but the gravity of the situation at hand:

"Retreat!" roared one soldier, and Sokka snarled as the implications of that command dawned on him: the enemy forces would have no trouble running away, but he had no intentions of allowing that to happen.

One of the airships was still docked at the courtyard, and it would likely turn tail and flee, regardless of not being fully loaded with the volatile gas yet. The other two, it seemed, weren't ready to go yet… a few firebenders stood on the airships' catwalks, and they took aim at the battlefield, even at some of the gliding refugees. Sokka breathed deeply, rushing towards the soldier calling for a retreat to slam his club into his stomach, effectively rendering him incapable of speech, before rushing forward to the lower courtyard, where the tanks continued to fight relentlessly.

"Tai Wei!" Sokka exclaimed, making his way in the former guard's direction – he would have attacked Fire Nation soldiers, had they approached him, but it was apparent that they were fleeing from him instead. "Tai Wei… time to grapple the airships! NOW!"

Tai Wei, leading the tanks' charge, didn't need to hear the command twice: he led the other tank pilots towards the higher courtyard, ramming into more Fire Nation soldiers in the process until he stopped at the perfect location… just as the first of the airships began to take off.

Two grappling hooks flew off, then: one, in the direction of an airship. The other, straight into the ground of the Temple's courtyard.

Both grappling hooks buried deeply in their destinations: the airship's metallic envelope was breached dangerously by the grappling hook.

The two other tanks, controlled and piloted by refugees, followed Tai Wei's example: within less than a minute, all three airships had been snared by the tanks in what was now a most inconvenient, dangerous situation for the Fire Nation forces. If they attempted to fly away regardless, the grappling hook might loosen up… and if it did, all the gas within the airships would pour out. The airships would fall… they would crash, they would be destroyed, and all the engineers and soldiers aboard would die with them.

All attempts by the Fire Nation forces to take off ceased over time: initially, a light struggle began between the airships and the tanks, but it wasn't long before the airship captains realized how precarious and dangerous their circumstances were. They stopped fighting back… and once they did, a few members of each airship's crew stepped out into the catwalks, nervous and unsteady… their eyes set on the Gladiator who, in a matter of moments, had turned their seamless operation upside down with a surprisingly small number of allies.

"The airborne airships are to land on the Temple's courtyards, now!" Sokka roared. "Either you comply, or your airships will be taken down! Do not consider any manner of foul play…!"

A beastly roar rang across the sky, behind the airships: Appa, carrying both Aang and Katara, flew up as the Avatar began to push the airships with air currents, directing them to each courtyard, as Sokka had commanded. Only a few soldiers could see them, but their horror upon glimpsing that Air Nomad standing on the bison's neck gave away that the Avatar's identity had been revealed to them already.

"The Avatar will assist you in fulfilling my orders!" Sokka exclaimed next, his club resting on his shoulder, his boomerang firm in his left hand. "There's no need for further warfare unless you resist! We have no need, and no interest, in harming any of you any further! Am I clear?"

His voice rang with powerful authority all across the sky. Their enemies, trapped within their airships, had no choice but to comply: little by little, each airship progressed towards the different courtyards, followed by the tanks they were attached to. Within around ten minutes, all had landed safely and the tanks remained ominously on guard, ready to shoot their ballistae or fire projectiles at anyone who dared act out and rebel against the Gladiator's commands.

Sokka had the guards handle securing and restraining the brand-new prisoners: he turned towards the Mechanist again, once everything was well in hand, to find the nervous man trembling still, even as he gaped at Sokka with grateful amazement. Teo, right beside him, rubbed his father's back as the man crouched on the floor, right behind Shuren and Wuhan.

"Y-you… you're alive, and you… y-you came to save us," the Mechanist said, shivering still. Sokka offered him a smile and a nod in response to those words.

"I actually came to recruit you… but who cares about those sorts of details now, huh?" Sokka said. "Teo said the airships arrived a few weeks ago, that you were commanded to develop a new weapon for the airships to use, with the volatile gas?"

"I… I'm afraid so," the Mechanist said, shrinking in place. "I have… I have already succeeded at building the system into a few of those airships, too. I… I'm so sorry, Sokka, I…"

"Calm down," Sokka said, crouching down to the Mechanist's level. "It's not every airship yet… and we'll make sure you can't do it for the ones left, either. Don't worry: the Fire Nation's days of taking advantage of your genius are officially over."

"Sokka…?" the Mechanist said, trembling as tears flooded his eyes. "I… b-but what I've done… w-what I've already done is bad enough. They have the designs for the weapons, they might be able to build them into the airships without me…!"

"That… will be for me and my forces to deal with. Buddy… you're not the perpetrator here. You never were," Sokka said, squeezing his shoulder gently. "You were coerced… forced into doing what you never would have, under other circumstances. You know I understand that feeling all too well… I went through it too, back in the Amateur Arena. I've been in your shoes… and I'm here now to ensure that you never have to go through this again. You and your people will be free, and I'll take you all to safety… right after we do something about the volatile gas reserve, of course. But I swear it: I will save you and your people. You have my word."

"S-Sokka…" the Mechanist whimpered.

Without further warning, the nervous, sobbing man leaned forward to hug the Gladiator: he had very little understanding of why Sokka was here, same as the rest of the refugees. They hadn't known about the conquests of Omashu or Ba Sing Se… they'd heard nothing, for the Fire Lord would have treated all such information as unnecessary for most anyone under his rule other than his armed forces. Sokka's presence here, that of his guards and of the Avatar… all of them would be utterly confusing for the Mechanist, but he couldn't even bring himself to ask questions yet, caught in his emotions as he was, overcome by the relief of knowing he had finally been rescued… that he and his people would finally be free.

Sokka held the Mechanist only briefly: he had much to preoccupy himself with after the initial stages of their mission had proceeded smoothly. The engineers and soldiers aboard the airships would have to be shackled and restrained, the holes in the airships patched up afterwards… and they would have to remain wary and watchful, for more airships were bound to arrive soon. The Mechanist would have been expected to prepare his weapon for each airship, after all… but they couldn't hope to successfully destroy every airship, not even if they stayed here long enough to intercept the next ones. As soon as Ozai's forces realized some airships had failed to report back, their operation would likely be frozen… so they'd have to take down as many as they could before that moment arrived.

"Well… no casualties on our side," Rui Shi remarked, stepping up to Sokka once the airships had landed safely and the Gladiator began supervising the forced disembarking of the first one: some soldiers had already raised their hands in surrender, threatened by the deadly tanks. "You really do know how to make use of your resources efficiently, don't you?"

"I learned from the best," Sokka said, with a proud smile. Rui Shi grinned as well, nodding in agreement.

"Certainly. You do go about things quite differently… but I'm sure she would be impressed by what you've done," Rui Shi said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Was that some roundabout way of saying you're the one who's impressed, Rui Shi?" he asked.

Predictably, the firebender grimaced, utterly unwilling to say such words to his friend. Sokka snorted, shaking his head and laughing as he clapped Rui Shi's shoulder firmly.

"You don't have to say it, I still know the truth even if you don't accept it. Thank you, Rui Shi," Sokka grinned, turning around just in time for Appa to land near them, too. "And here you are! Care to give me a hand with watching the prisoners until we find a proper way to restrain them?"

"We can build shackles for them quickly enough," said one of the Mechanist's assistants, eyes aglow with rage. "Might take a while to get enough for everyone, true, but still…"

"Isn't it easier to go about it the way we did in Omashu?" Aang asked, glancing at Sokka with a raised eyebrow.

"You mean… you want to bury them to the neck in the ancestral home of your people?" Sokka asked, puzzled. Aang smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

"I don't really want to, no, but it would be more effective," he said. "At least, until we really know what we'll do?"

"Feels like Toph would be very convenient right now, with her metalbending, to restore those," Katara said, eyeing the airships and the grappling hooks still stuck in their sides.

"Well, we can either weld those plates back together or you can freeze the hole once we're ready to go, maybe?" Sokka suggested, with a shrug, turning towards the Mechanist again. "Either way… the airships are ours now. Can your people operate them safely?"

"Oh… yes. Certainly, we would be able to," the Mechanist said, with a nervous smile still. "W-where would we go, though? I thought…"

"Ba Sing Se," Sokka said, simply. The Mechanist blinked blankly. "I'll explain better later… but, in short, me and my allies have been breaking the Fire Lord's control over the Earth Kingdom for the past months. Both Omashu and Ba Sing Se are free right now, and now it was your turn. So…"

"But… wait. Sokka…" the Mechanist said, small eyes widening with chagrin. "The… the rumors said you were in trouble somehow. We didn't know for sure what had happened to you, but we feared the worst… we thought you might be dead. The Princess… is she waiting for you in Ba Sing Se? Are you two working to…?"

Sokka's semblance darkened, and the Mechanist flinched upon seeing it… though it took him a moment to realize it was a matter of sadness, rather than rage.

"She's Ozai's prisoner now," Sokka said, frowning heavily. "We… we were discovered. I'm guessing maybe that was one of the rumors you heard…?"

"It… oh, it was, but we hoped that wouldn't have been the case," the Mechanist said, compassionately. "Oh, Sokka… I'm so sorry. I… n-none of us gave you away, though, did we? We didn't…"

"No, it wasn't any of you," Sokka said, with a pained smile. "I never would have thought it could be you, frankly. But anyway, Ozai's wanted me dead since he found out, I've been making it harder for him to kill me than he ever imagined possible… I've helped build up an army that rebels against the Fire Lord, and we're hoping to end his tyranny over the world as soon as we're able."

The Mechanist and his assistants gaped at Sokka in utmost disbelief and amazement: they had seldom seen him in full battle regalia, let alone had they seen him in action before today. His authority, his leadership, seemed to come naturally to him as he was crowded by the guards and the refugees who had fought against the Fire Nation's forces.

"More airships will come soon… but they're not bound to keep doing that once they realize something's up," Sokka concluded, arms folded over his chest. "I suppose we could give them a good glimpse of what their big weapon can do, once they arrive…"

"Wait… we'll fuel the weapon anyway?" Teo asked, puzzled. Sokka nodded.

"And we'll use it against them."

They would have sufficient time to prepare their defenses, so Sokka set out to organize his allies quickly, sending some of the Mechanist's best people to pilot the main airship and turn it around once the gas reserve was full. Katara and Aang had taken to flying back and forth to bring back some of the refugees so that they'd have more hands on deck, ready to provide support whether with the airships or with restraining their enemies, now that the worst threat posed by the War Minister's forces had been annulled successfully.

Many Fire Nation soldiers shot glares at Sokka, but more yet watched him warily, terrified of his very presence. The Gladiator didn't let that faze him, proving to retain full control over the circumstances, no matter if his foes outnumbered him and his troops considerably. But only one Fire Nation prisoner truly concerned Sokka: the struggling, writhing War Minister, whose body was reawakening after the powerful, full-body chi-blocking he had received through Sokka's boomerang.

"Sokka," called Shuren, noticing the bound man's struggle – Aang had taken to immobilizing their enemies with earthbending by restraining their limbs for now, rather than submerging them in the ground completely.

War Minister Qin whimpered, struggling to move at all, failing to do so due to the tightness of his restraints. His eyes shifted between the hostile firebenders… he might have recognized them as Azula's guards, but he seemed too scared to say anything. Sokka stepped towards him, his eyes frigid as they fell upon the trembling, terrified agent of Ozai's rule.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" Sokka said, injecting as much vitriol into his voice as he could muster. War Minister Qin swallowed hard, inching back and away from him to no avail. "So nice of you to come out here, falling right into my hands when you did. Here I'd been so annoyed over having very few trustworthy sources about what was happening in the Fire Nation these days… and you generously decided to change that for the better, didn't you?"

"D-don't… d-don't kill me. Please don't kill me…" War Minister Qin blurted out: was he even conscious that those had been his words? Where other Fire Nation soldiers seemed ready to die for their Fire Lord, it seemed the opportunistic War Minister would sooner sell out his nation than wind up on a funerary pyre anytime soon…

That was quite convenient for Sokka.

He dared smirk, with no shortage of malice, as he forcefully raised the War Minister's head to make him meet his eyes.

"I won't… provided you earn your survival by giving me exactly what I want," Sokka said, his smile fading as he snarled threateningly now. "For I have more than enough reasons to run my blade through your gut. Prove to me that you're more valuable alive than dead, and I'll hold back my sword."

"Y-yes. Yes. I… I will. Anything you need… A-anything…"

Rui Shi, only a few steps back, eyed War Minister Qin with distaste and disbelief: long ago, he had thought the most loyal of Ozai's subjects would be his closest associates. Clearly, he had been mistaken: the higher in the hierarchy, the more self-absorbed the lackeys would be. All lessons on how worthless their lives were compared to the Fire Lord's victories had clearly gone to waste on War Minister Qin, and while a part of Rui Shi found it callous and pathetic, a much more rational part was certainly thrilled for it. This meant Sokka would have his answers, and Rui Shi would help him obtain them if he needed any assistance.

But they couldn't get to it just yet: a sudden rumor of noise took wind from the direction of the airships. One of the refugees, holding one of the Mechanist's best spyglasses, standing close to the edge of the courtyard, spoke quickly with those near him before roaring:

"They're coming! Two airships, in the distance!"

Sokka's brow furrowed as he heard those words: he stepped up at once, waving a hand in the direction of the airship that had seen its weapon fueled completely by now.

"Time to turn around!" he said. "Is the welding done?"

"Mostly? But not completely!" said the refugee with the spyglass. Sokka snarled before turning towards his sister.

"Mind patching it up yourself for now?" he asked. Katara sighed but smiled, bumping Sokka lightly with a shoulder before rushing towards the landed airship.

"Shouldn't be a problem!" she said, already gathering some of the snow in the courtyard's surroundings and preparing it to freeze the gap fully.

Sokka breathed deeply as he watched the process of preparation – Katara froze the side of the airship successfully, and within another minute, the Mechanist's people had cut the airship's connection to the gas pump. The airship began ascending briefly afterwards, slowly turning in the direction where two more of the armored aircrafts were slowly growing in size as they approached the temple.

"Looks like the second one's further away," Fei Li pointed out to Sokka. The Gladiator frowned.

"They'll wait until both airships are in range. Nothing more to it."

He had instructed the pilots on what to do. The enemy approached gradually, and the poached airship slowly drifted out, as though to meet the Fire Nation's aircrafts…

The Fire Nation's controlled airships attempted to drift to the side, to avoid the airship they wrongfully assumed was taking off, back to their fleet. The airship in question, of course, followed the others, drifting in the same direction they did. A horn blew from the enemy airships, as though warning the other airship of their presence, as though they didn't realize the airship was well aware of it already.

The stolen airship hovered further forward, angling downwards once one of the other airships decided to descend, choosing to do so to avoid the rogue airship that behaved so strangely…

The mechanism at the prow, the metal, golden factions of a fierce beast, an effigy built into all the airships to intimidate the enemy, spread open. The creature's jaws seemed to unhinge, and an orange glow bloomed at the very tips of its fangs before a sudden, swirling inferno poured out of the newly armed airship.

The attack caught the two airships by surprise: a massive cloud of flames spread out, catching the tail of one airship, and the front of the other. The attack caught the men standing on the catwalks of the first airship, too…

Within moments, the excessive heat, the potent burst of fire, caused the airships' material to warp, their structure destabilized and breaking apart under the power of that array of unforgiving flames.

The collapsing airships provided them a most gruesome spectacle to behold: they burned, shattering, falling down through the clouds while the occasional screams and panic could be heard… but soon enough, both shattered airships slipped through the thick layers of clouds, on their way to the bottom of the Northern Air Temple's valley.

Some watched the scene with horror, much like Aang did. Others, with pained understanding, as Katara did.

Sokka stood solemnly, stoic and silent, eyes sharp and glinting with determination: there was a speck of black some distance away, behind the collapsed airships. It turned on its side, revealing to be yet another airship… an airship that was turning tail and fleeing from the Air Temple at once.

"W-we were sighted!" exclaimed the refugee with the spyglass, glancing back at Sokka with desperation. Sokka breathed deeply and nodded.

"Doesn't matter for now. They'll leave, probably look for reinforcements… there's going nothing for them here when they come back, though," Sokka said.

A loud, deafening crashing sound at the foot of the mountain echoed up to the Temple, followed by a second similar noise. The captured Fire Nation soldiers appeared utterly mortified by what had transpired… by the two ships their fleet had lost in the depths of the mountain range. Among the refugees, some appeared terrified, others vindicated. Aang breathed deeply, suppressing shudders as best he could as Katara stepped up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Aang…"

"I know. I know it was… it was our only choice," Aang said, gritting his teeth, fist tight.

Another hand fell upon his shoulder: Sokka squeezed it gently, offering him a sympathetic, mournful gaze before walking past him. His eyes regained the same coldness as before once he did, and he ensured to give out more orders to the guards, ever ready to obey and follow his lead – the Fire Nation's ruthlessness, it seemed, had long prepared them for the violence and the harshness they had to commit to, no matter if they'd inflict it against the soldiers of their nation rather than doing so in service of the Fire Lord.

"Keep watch, make sure to let me know if any other airships show up anytime soon," Sokka said, patting Fei Li's shoulder before turning to the Mechanist. "Do you have any ideas on how to deplete the gas supply? If we get rid of the reserve, they'll be fighting to claim this place for nothing. If you have any bomb canisters to put it into, maybe…"

"I may have… about ten, maybe a few more, in my office?" the Mechanist said. Sokka nodded.

"That will help. We can also fuel the airships in our control, if it's not too much trouble," Sokka said. "Once that's done… hopefully by then it will be safe to set it all on fire and get rid of it that way."

"What…? You could risk serious damage in the temple's structure…!" the Mechanist gasped. Sokka nodded.

"I know. That's why I'll ask Aang to strengthen it first, if he can," Sokka said, turning towards the Avatar again. Aang swallowed hard and sighed.

"I'll try, but I can't pretend I know a lot about how to make sure this place isn't demolished. I'm not really an expert on, well… infrastructures?"

"You're…" the Mechanist said, swallowing hard. "T-this is who you said was the Avatar, Sokka? Truly?"

"Sorry that I didn't have much time for introductions," Sokka said, with a sad smile. "But yeah… that's the Avatar, Aang, and the one with him is my sister, Katara. A waterbender."

"Pleased to meet you," Katara said, with a smile at the slack-jawed Mechanist.

"M-my…! Goodness, Sokka, your allies are… they're quite powerful, aren't they?" the Mechanist said, eyes wide. Sokka nodded.

"And this isn't everyone yet," Sokka said. "A lot of people are waiting in Ba Sing Se and they'll help us win this war, too. So, rest assured, we're not going about things blindly. We'll liberate every nation, step by step, and the Fire Nation will lose its chokehold on the world sooner than they know."

The Mechanist swallowed hard and nodded. He still didn't truly understand how Sokka meant to accomplish that, for it sounded like a task so monumental that it might as well be impossible… but Sokka had outdone impossible odds in the past. His very presence here, his imposing profile as he assessed the situation anew, filled the Mechanist with a strange, deep admiration for a man so young and so brave, capable of taking the stand that nobody else had articulated against the Fire Lord.

"Though, if you guys don't mind… I should talk to someone while you take care of strengthening the building and depleting the gas reserve," Sokka declared: his cold glare fell upon a struggling, writhing man that gazed about himself in sheer panic…

His fear increased further when his eyes met Sokka's. The Gladiator breathed deeply, sheathing his weapons over his shoulders once more before approaching War Minister Qin.

Someone else reached the minister before Sokka did, however: Rui Shi clasped him by the scruff of his outfit, yanking him upright and glaring at the man menacingly too.

"Want some assistance with that?" he asked. Sokka smirked and nodded.

"Gladly."

The War Minister trembled as the former captain dragged him inside the temple, following Sokka. The Gladiator aimed for any available rooms nearby where they might be able to question the nervous man who had been leading this operation thus far. Sokka's heart raced when he finally found an unlocked door: the storage room was mostly empty save for a few crates, so it would suffice.

The War Minister eyed the dusty storage room nervously, as if hoping to find means of escape where there would be none. Rui Shi dropped him heavily on one of the upturned crates, standing near him, arms folded threateningly as Sokka closed the door behind himself. Only one small window provided them with any light, and it fell ominously upon Sokka as he approached War Minister Qin: the man appeared utterly incapable of considering standing his ground at all.

"I… I said I'd talk. I said I'd talk…" Qin whimpered. Sokka scoffed.

"Then talk," he replied, bluntly. "You've been in Ozai's pocket for years, one of his most subservient allies, one of his agents: fail to give me information you should have access to, and I'll make you regret it."

"D-don't…! Y-you don't have to threaten me, I will speak, I will…"

"Start with what brought you here, then," Sokka said. "The Fire Lord wanted the Mechanist's help with weaponizing the airships: were they aiming to use those airships to attack Ba Sing Se from above?"

"N-no…" War Minister Qin said. "Not yet, at least. The first target… was going to be the Northern Water Tribe."

Sokka's eyes widened before he scowled. Rui Shi, too, frowned upon hearing that unwanted revelation.

"The Northern…? You're serious?" Sokka said. "The Fire Lord… he meant to attack the Northern Water Tribe after we took down Ba Sing Se?"

Perhaps he had been underestimating Ozai, perhaps the wretched bastard had a better read of Sokka than he had realized… perhaps his near-two decades of experience in organizing massive warfare meant that he'd predict Sokka's priorities perfectly.

"That… that seems unlikely," Rui Shi said, frowning. "How did the Fire Lord come about this conclusion? Why did the Fire Lord choose to aim for Northern Water Tribe rather than retaking the Earth Kingdom at once?"

"B-because… this way, the Gladiator would have no access to the warriors, waterbenders and naval forces the Water Tribe could provide," the War Minister said, shivering. "That was the next thing you and your forces were likely to target. A-at least… that's what the Princess said."

As unpleasant as his words had been thus far, none could have struck Sokka harder than those did.

He froze on the spot. He stopped breathing.

His eyes lost sight of War Minister Qin even if he sat right before him.

"What?" Rui Shi said, frowning and glaring menacingly at the War Minister. "Do not test our patience, War Minister Qin. The Princess has nothing to do with…"

"She was the one who said we should do this, in the Fire Lord's latest war meeting!" the War Minister whimpered. Rui Shi shook his head.

"That's not possible…"

"T-the Fire Lord, he revealed the Gladiator's conquest of Omashu and Ba Sing Se, and he invited her to the war meeting to… t-to shame her for her role in the Gladiator's survival, I suppose, and he certainly tried, but…!"

"Wait," Sokka's voice was deep and dark. The Mechanist winced, as Sokka's heavily drawn brow showed in him a much more terrifying foe than he already had been before. "He… he brought her to a war meeting. You're saying, after everything he's put her through, everything he's done to her, he somehow decided to bring her to a war meeting… to shame her further?"

"He… he tried, but the Princess, w-well…"

"She said what she had to say in order to survive," Sokka finished, startling both the War Minister and Rui Shi with his certainty. "Or… or are you going to tell me that she's been part of his government constantly, with proper dignity and respect, even after everything that's happened?"

"Well… no. She was… pushed out. Shunned, you could say?" the War Minister admitted. "The Princess's fall from grace wasn't subtle, so… w-well, she couldn't be part of anything important until that day? The Fire Lord was… was very upset, so…"

"Oh, was he now? The fucking piece of shit…" Sokka growled, lowering his arms – his hands were firmly drawn into fists. "After everything he's done to her, after all the lives he's destroyed knowingly, not just now but all throughout his rule, he thinks he has a right to throw a tantrum over a single thing that didn't go his way…?"

"He's facing the consequences for that tantrum even now, by your hand," Rui Shi said, firmly. "Don't lose sight of what matters, Sokka. I know this is difficult, but…"

"I know, I know. It's just…" he said, snarling. "I should've thought about this. I should've known he'd push her this way, or some way. But… no, never mind, damn it, just keep talking, War Minister. Tell me more, now."

"R-right, I… well, I haven't had much direct contact with the Princess," the War Minister continued. "She has mostly been… in her room, I believe. At least, that was the case at the start. She would take walks more often lately, but she generally doesn't leave the Palace often, i-if this is what you want to hear…"

"What I want to hear is… everything. Everything you know about her," Sokka said firmly, his heart churning and racing inside her chest. "From the moment she got there to the last day you were in the Fire Nation, to the last message you received from the Fire Lord… you're giving me every smidge of information you have about Azula."

"I…" War Minister Qin swallowed hard, eyeing Sokka apprehensively. "You would, uh, you would rather hear of her than of the Fire Lord's plans?"

"I suppose that's very surprising, isn't it?" Sokka said, harshly. "Did Ozai keep the truth from you too? I doubt he did."

"I… w-well, no, I do know that she and you, well…" War Minister Qin said, eyeing Sokka apprehensively. "Though I can't presume I understand the exact nature of this bond. Do not misunderstand my questions for insolence, but it's merely… a common warlord would focus on the battlefield and obtaining information about his enemy."

"Then maybe I'm not a common warlord," Sokka growled, folding his arms over his chest. "If Ozai somehow convinced you or anyone that our connection was a fickle, careless matter, then rest assured by knowing he's mistaken. I was and remain committed to her in every sense, and I intend to honor my every vow to her by setting her free from the Fire Lord's grasp. The easier you make it for me to succeed at my goal, the better your treatment at my forces' hands will be."

"R-right. Right…" the War Minister said, nodding quickly. "Well, then… t-the Princess arrived, she was retrieved at sea by Admiral Zhao and taken back to the Capital on an airship. Once there, the Fire Lord made his demands, and the Princess complied…"

"What demands are we talking about?" Sokka asked, scowling.

"W-well, that she married the Admiral," War Minister Qin said. "The Fire Lord simply wanted an heir he could trust better, I believe that's why he set up that match…"

"And she just… complied?" Sokka said, glaring at Qin in utmost disbelief. "Not a chance. That's not how Ozai does… anything, actually. He threatened her… or threatened someone she cared about, maybe something she cared about. The Enforcers?"

"Oh, I don't think it was… ah," the War Minister grimaced, before nodding at Sokka. "Forgive me for forgetting. It was… it was her dragon."

Sokka's eyes widened. Rui Shi's breath caught in his throat. The War Minister spoke without any concern… without any understanding of what it meant for Ozai to do anything at all to Azula's lively, reckless, powerful draconic partner.

"What… what the hell did he do to him?!" Sokka roared: Qin whimpered, inching back, as though he could shield himself from Sokka's wrath that way.

"H-he's his prisoner!" Qin said. Sokka's chagrin increased, his chest constricted by that revelation. "The Fire Lord… set up a trap for the dragon. The dragon was kept chained and under threat of death, I believe, though I think the restraints have been more lax lately… it can't fly, though. It is… it is to remain in its refuge."

"He chained him and…?" Sokka said, his chest aching painfully: it almost felt as though he could feel a connection with Xin Long now, the sorrow and despair over knowing himself unable to move, unable to fight back… unable to aid Azula when she needed it most.

That was it, then. That was the way Ozai had played his hand this time… and it had worked perfectly in his favor.

"Fuck him. Fuck him to hell and back!" Sokka roared.

A burst of that anger saw him throwing a punch to one of the piled crates by the wall, and the wood shattered in just about every direction. Qin winced, Rui Shi grimaced, and Sokka didn't even flinch over the pain in his knuckles.

"This is how he's always acted… the way he loves to push people around and make them do his bidding!" Sokka growled, turning towards Rui Shi and gesturing at War Minister Qin. "It's what this piece of shit did to the Mechanist too… what he did to me when he first sent me here. 'Design the perfect bombs to destroy your sister tribe, or I'll kill you and ruin my daughter's life for all I care!' Piece of fucking shit, I…! I've always wanted him dead, but with every new thing I know he's done, every damn thing he does to Azula, I just…!"

"Calm down, Sokka…" Rui Shi said, clasping the Gladiator's shoulders firmly as Sokka breathed heavily, shaking his head in outrage. "I… I understand your fury. I share it, too. But we… we need to hear more still. This is barely the beginning, isn't it?"

"It is, but honestly? Now I get it. Now I see exactly why she's told him what she did about my future moves. And I warned her, I told her this was exactly what would happen if she went back but…"

Sokka snarled, furiously pressing a fist to the wall as he tried to reel in the surging, dark emotions in his heart. He had to calm down… Rui Shi was right to say so. He had to breathe in, to take things slowly... to process everything before deciding what to do about it.

"What… what happened, then?" Sokka growled, turning towards Qin once more. "She… married Zhao, she didn't protest, didn't fight back?"

"N-not that I'm aware of. She stayed in her room on the most part, as far as I understand," War Minister Qin said, shivering now – Sokka's volatile reaction had certainly terrified him just now. "Nothing noteworthy happened in the wedding. The Fire Lord braced himself for foul play, but there was none. She… she was compliant the whole time."

"She… she was," Sokka said, gritting his teeth and tightening his fists again. "She wasn't fine with it, though, was she? She wasn't… pretending to be cheerful or anything of the sort, was she?"

"Well, no. I don't believe anyone has seen a more… a more frigid, unresponsive side of the Princess than we did that day," War Minister Qin said. Sokka gritted his teeth. "I had much work to do afterwards, so I cannot say much other than… t-than that I was shocked when I heard she was with child. The official announcement was made about… a-about two months after the wedding, I believe? But I heard of it sooner, myself. The Fire Lord confided the information to his closest associates. So…"

"When did you hear of it?" Rui Shi asked, frowning. "When was it revealed?"

"About a month after the wedding, I believe. She was diagnosed and the Head Sage confirmed her pregnancy," the War Minister said. Sokka's brow drew together.

"The Head Sage…?" he said. "He… was Azula ever in contact with him before this? Did she…?"

"I… cannot say I know," War Minister Qin said. "She would have likely met him in preparations for the wedding, if that's what you would like to confirm?"

"She would have… wouldn't she?" Sokka said, frowning.

"The child is… w-well, it's supposed to have been conceived quite quickly," War Minister Qin said. "S-so… there's always been suspicions of foul play in that regard. T-that, perhaps, the child is not the Admiral's but…"

Sokka winced: he didn't want to hear that, not even from the War Minister… and yet a selfish, foolish part of him clung to those words, coveting them with mindless greed. That even Ozai's people would suspect the baby might be his… but that wasn't a good thing. Not for Azula. If that was the case, if the child was Sokka's, then Ozai's reaction upon its birth would be…

"That can't be," Sokka said, shaking his head, a surge of fear in his heart shooting mindlessly to his mind, to his suddenly cold limbs. "It… it can't be mine. It can't…"

"What do you mean, it can't?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka snarled.

"If… if this guy thought it was, if anyone else thought it might be…" Sokka said, looking at Rui Shi with despair. "Just what do you think would happen if that child were born and it looked anything like me?"

"I… I suppose you have a point, but perhaps it won't look like you. Perhaps…"

"She's better off… if the child isn't mine," Sokka said.

That he had the strength to utter those words was hard to fathom, but his fear for Azula's safety, his need to ensure her survival, was flooring him into discarding every possible hope to be the father of her child. Otherwise… how would Azula handle this situation? How would she keep Ozai from murdering their baby if Sokka was the father? With all the pain she had already suffered, with all the anguish she had been through… losing a child upon birthing it would be too cruel, and yet Sokka wasn't stupid enough to think Ozai would be above doing that. Ozai knew no boundaries and lacked all sense: he was an impulsive, prideful bastard without a conscience. He'd do anything to break Azula…

Sokka could only hope he hadn't succeeded at it yet.

"How far along is she?" Sokka asked, closing his eyes tightly.

"I don't know for certain… but I believe about seven or eight months?"

He couldn't hold back a gasp of despair: if so, it was possible that the child was his. If that was the time frame… if the Head Sage had somehow helped Azula convince Ozai that the baby had been conceived as early as possible in her marriage to Zhao…

He didn't want to think of the implications of that possibility. Of the pain his beloved Princess had faced, if she had no choice but to save their child through an unwanted marriage to Zhao. She had been through too much, so much… and the truth was that they had been reckless and careless in countless regards ever since everything had fallen apart.

"Is it… possible?" Rui Shi asked, eyeing Sokka warily. "As far as I remember… there was a tea? She drank it to…"

"She did, but… I don't know when she drank it last," Sokka said, shaking his head. "At least… I know I don't remember her doing it at any point on those days on her Barge. So, if it happened then…"

"Then… it could be," Qin said, eyes wide. "The child could be…!"

"Shut up!" Sokka growled, glaring at the War Minister who shrank in place, as shaken by the Gladiator's authority as he was by Ozai's. "Shut… the hell up. I don't… I don't even know what to think, damn it. It… it can't matter. It doesn't even matter, the point is she's about to give birth and I'm still here! I can't protect her, I can't save her from him, I…!"

"You're on your way to doing so, once you have the chance. And the Princess is strong, Sokka," Rui Shi said, firmly. "You know it better than anyone. If she's had all these months to navigate her new circumstances, she may have already envisioned a way to keep the child safe…"

"The Fire Lord… might choose to use it as a hostage instead of killing it, too."

Qin's unwelcome addition brought Sokka to flinch as he glared at the man. The War Minister swallowed hard and shrugged.

"If the child is yours… he could use it that way. Much as he has used the dragon. Like you said… it is how the Fire Lord succeeds at his ventures, how he rules, and he taught others like myself how to do such things. Now… now that I can see for myself that you are strongly attached to the Princess, that you would wish to protect her and the child, I think… I think he would assume you'll be easier to neutralize this way. By holding onto both the child and the Princess…"

Sokka snarled: the War Minister was surprisingly honest by saying that. Perhaps, then, the child wouldn't be sentenced to die immediately if Sokka happened to be its father… his fear had yet to recede, but he allowed himself to breathe a few times, calming himself and rubbing his brow as Rui Shi turned towards Qin once again.

"What was the Fire Lord's reaction to the child?" Rui Shi asked, bluntly. "Has he treated it and regarded it as his future heir, or is he distrustful and wary of the Princess?"

"I know very little about such details," Qin said. "Though I do believe that he has attempted to follow the usual proceedings for pregnancies in high society. He summoned a midwife, at the very least…"

"That's the least he could do," Rui Shi frowned. Sokka blinked blankly.

"A midwife?" he repeated. "Why would she need one already…?"

"When there's a royal pregnancy, a midwife is to accompany the pregnant woman from as early on as possible," Rui Shi explained. "Lo and Li were the midwives for… for the Princess's mother. Though I suppose the Fire Lord picked someone else this time, considering the bad blood involved…"

"As far as I understand, Lo and Li were summoned, actually, but they declined for some reason. Perhaps old age?" said Qin, with a shrug. "I believe the girl they sent… was their niece?"

The remark could have been easily ignored, but Rui Shi frowned in deep thought and utmost perplexity upon hearing it. Sokka, on the other hand, failed to understand what Rui Shi had.

"Is it someone Azula gets along with?" Sokka asked, frowning. Qin raised his eyebrows.

"O-oh, yes. The Princess… she isn't quite so lonesome, if you thought so," he said. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "She has two constant companions: her maid, Rei, and Lady Wen, her midwife."

"Wen…?"

Rui Shi repeated the name, and only then did Sokka realize that, for once, it was Rui Shi rather than himself reacting emotionally to Qin's revelations. The War Minister was startled by that realization too, as Rui Shi's lips parted even if no more sounds escaped them.

"Rui Shi?" Sokka said, clasping his shoulder. "What is…?"

"It's Song."

Sokka froze, his hand gripping Rui Shi's shoulder tightly still. The firebender's amber eyes seemed to glow with hope and fear at once as his chest tightened, as the world seemed to shake and quiver around him…

"Wait… what?" Sokka said. "You're… you're sure of that? Rui Shi…"

"Lo and Li don't have a niece," Rui Shi said, with certainty. "They never…"

"I beg your pardon?" said War Minister Qin, eyeing them warily. "The Lady Wen was investigated when Lo and Li first told the Fire Lord that they would send her instead. From what I was told, she was a student in the Sanatorium, daughter of their brother Tao…"

"She…?" Rui Shi said… a smile spread suddenly across his face as he stared at Qin in derisive dismissiveness. "Right. Do describe her for me, then, if you would be so kind."

"Oh…? I don't know how, I… I mean, she is a young woman, perhaps close to the Princess's age?" said Qin, with uncertainty.

"Large eyes?" Sokka asked. Qin shrugged.

"Perhaps…"

"Does she have a braid?" Sokka asked.

"Oh, certainly not. She wears her hair in a top-knot…"

"Her hair's no sign of anything," Rui Shi said, with a wild grin. "She… she's living under a different identity. She would have changed it purposefully to ensure that no one will recognize her. There were people in the Palace who could have remembered her from…"

"What is this…? What are you two talking about?" Qin said, with a grimace. "Is this some sort of trap you set for the Fire Lord…?"

"Of course it's not," Sokka growled, though he glanced at Rui Shi with unease. "Look, I'm not saying I don't think it could be her, but if it's not… won't you set yourself up for high expectations and then be underwhelmed if that's not the case?"

"Why? If she's not Song, then it means she's still safe and sound with those two," Rui Shi said. Sokka raised an eyebrow, nodding in acknowledgement. "But Sokka… it has to be her. It has to be."

"Rui Shi…"

"Didn't you hear? She's… she's their niece. Sokka, she's Niece Wen!"

Somehow, that seemed to do it. The Gladiator, distraught and troubled, hadn't reached that conclusion as quickly as his friend did. It still was a conclusion War Minister Qin couldn't possibly hope to understand, however: he eyed both men with confusion as Sokka's uncertainty shifted into conviction.

"Oh, shit," he said. Rui Shi breathed deeply, his smile fading.

"Which means… she's in danger. In far more danger than I ever wanted her to be in," Rui Shi said, with gritted teeth. "But…"

"But Azula isn't alone," Sokka said.

"And neither is Song," Rui Shi said.

The two men exchanged a strange smile – how they could smile at all when their chests felt so constrained, when they had so many mixed feelings to sort through, they barely knew. But if Azula and Song were together, it meant they could support each other. It meant Azula and her child were in the best, safest possible hands.

"I… do not follow."

War Minister Qin's remark defused the relief the two friends were indulging in. They turned their scowls on the man who writhed on his upturned crate, uncertain and wary still.

"You don't have to," Sokka said. "But as conflicted as we may be about some information you've given us, you gave us something far more valuable than you knew just now."

"Who is… Lady Wen?" Qin said, staring at Rui Shi now. The former captain glared scathingly at him, and Qin winced. "I… I suppose it's not up to me to ask but to answer questions, yes, of course."

"Among them… answer why the Princess has one maid only, or if this maid is someone who has been singled out for her personal assistance at the moment," Rui Shi said. Sokka frowned. "The Princess was never particularly close to her maids, so…"

"She wasn't," Sokka said, frowning. "But that didn't sound like the name of the main one I remember. Zhilan, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Rui Shi confirmed. Qin winced. "What do you have to say about her?"

"I… I fear the main staff that served the Princess has been, uh, dismissed."

"Dismissed?" Sokka repeated. "Ozai fired them?"

"I… believe so?" Qin said. Sokka's eyes widened.

"You believe so? You don't know it for sure?" he asked. "Or are you trying to say that… that he may have done something other than firing them?"

"I… I think some have been demoted to slavery?" Qin said, lowering his gaze: Sokka and Rui Shi gasped. "And, well, I don't know if… i-if he actually killed any, but…"

"Killed?!" Sokka roared.

"It happened while you were at sea!" Qin said, inching back still. "He was… in a very dangerous mood. I'm sorry! N-nobody could have restrained him, and I'm sure he didn't kill many…!"

"Oh, so he didn't kill many! That's so nice of him: he only murdered a few people rather than a lot of them!" Sokka growled. "As if that would make things any better. That he killed any of them because of this is…! Ugh, the piece of shit! So this, too, is something he holds over her! He's controlling her through guilt, and that's part of what he holds as a threat against her too. If she so much as looks at him funny, he's going to kill Xin Long, and who knows if he'll try to kill everyone else he has within reach…! Curse him. Curse him, damn it…!"

"But then… is this the case with everyone who served her?" Rui Shi asked anew, staring at Qin in chagrin. "Or just… just her maids?"

"I believe it is everyone, yes…" said Qin. Rui Shi snarled.

"Including… the only guard who didn't come with us?"

War Minister Qin frowned: Sokka froze on the spot at Rui Shi's unexpected question. For a moment, no one spoke until Qin shook his head.

"Captain Renkai has been assigned as the captain of the Third Squad."

Rui Shi froze. Sokka snarled. Qin breathed deeply before explaining further.

"In… in all of your absence, he was promoted to the role. His duties, I believe, were primarily to keep watch over the Princess, and he has done so dutifully for as long as the Princess has been home…"

"So Renkai is…" Sokka started, only for Rui Shi's relieved sigh to stop his frustrated rant on its tracks. Sokka blinked blankly, glancing at his friend in confusion. "Rui Shi? You're… you're happy about this?"

"Yes," Rui Shi answered earnestly, with a slow smile. "I… I wanted Renkai to stay. I told him to stay and watch over the Princess, should she come home, and…"

"What? He was serving you?!" Qin gasped, horrified.

"Not serving me: we were on the same level. It was a request I made in case things didn't get the result I hoped they would," Rui Shi said, breathing out in relief again. "I can only hope that he has been a good ally to the Princess… and to Song as well."

"That…" Sokka said, shaking his head and staring at Rui Shi in confusion. "You have a lot of explaining to do about that guy. The others… back on the ship, they told me he had chosen not to join the rest of you, but that he had somehow saved all of you from Ozai's wrath. I had no idea what to think of him, and to this moment I can't pretend I would know how to trust him…"

"Unfortunately, I can't do a lot to convince you to do that other than say that he knew about you and the Princess since Whaletail Island, without a doubt," Rui Shi said, firmly. Sokka's eyes widened. "And instead of ratting you out… he came to me. He wanted my help with… something. With a private investigation, and actually? Come to think of it, perhaps War Minister Qin could give us a hand with that."

"Me?" the War Minister winced. "I… I don't know how, I… Captain Renkai is a traitor? Is that what you've just said?"

"Depends on whoever you think he should be loyal to," Rui Shi said. "Though I can't even pretend to be sure that he's on our side, but I would assume he is. I mean, he'd have recognized Song…"

"Who is this Song?!" Qin squealed, and Rui Shi rolled his eyes.

"If he hasn't given her away, as proven by this one's desperation when he asks that question… it means that Renkai might be helping the Princess after all," Rui Shi said, matter-of-factly. Sokka breathed deeply, jaw squared.

"I suppose so. I… hope so," he said. "Then she'd have Renkai, and Song and… the maid? This singular maid?"

"Uh, indeed… though I suppose that's not all that accurate to describe her anymore," said War Minister Qin. "I mean, I would suspect she continues to serve the Princess in that capacity, but Fire Lord Ozai has told me that, well… that the Princess has adopted the girl."

"She… what?" Sokka blinked blankly. "Adopted? How old is she?"

"I can't say for sure, but surely underage, or at least she was when the Princess adopted her," said War Minister Qin, with a shrug. "I believe the Head Sage is the one who handled that matter too, so…"

"He has to be another of her allies, right?" Rui Shi told Sokka, who breathed deeply and shrugged.

"We can only hope," he said. "How did Azula wind up being served by this girl she adopted, though? What did you say her name was?"

"As far as I can remember… Rei?" said War Minister Qin, with a shrug. "I don't know, the Fire Lord has only mentioned her a few times in my presence, so…"

"Rei," Sokka said, frowning. "Sounds familiar but… I have no idea why. And… it's hard to believe Azula would adopt someone. I suppose maybe she's up to something that I can't really unravel, but… that's really surprising."

"I have no recollection of hearing that name before," Rui Shi said. "Nowhere in relation to the Princess anyway. Why would it be familiar for you?"

"I don't know," Sokka admitted. "Feels like it's something… from a while ago, at least. A maid, you said? A maid…"

A maid who ran away.

Sokka's eyes widened. A sudden blast of clarity struck him… and his heart both churned and eased upon realizing why, exactly, Azula had adopted the girl…

"Zhao's daughter."

Both Qin and Rui Shi stared at him in utter perplexity. Sokka swallowed hard, holding in the conflicted feelings in his heart as best he could – Zhao was Azula's legal husband, so it stood to reason that the girl would become her daughter. Though Rei was an illegitimate daughter, wasn't she? Thus why she served as a maid… perhaps Azula had simply decided to give the girl a better life than that. It wasn't beyond her to try, at least…

"Zhao has an illegitimate daughter. Remember that time when Azula had to deal with that asshole from the Northern Water Tribe, Hahn?" Sokka asked Rui Shi. The former guard nodded. "He'd been… harassing Rei, I believe, until Rei ran away. Zhao was so upset about it that he kicked Hahn out of his estate because of it. That's how Azula grew to suspect that she might be his daughter…"

"Then…" Rui Shi frowned. "That's why she did it? Because…"

"Because she… she's married to him," Sokka said, bitterly. "She's taking responsibility for as much as she can shoulder. It's bound to be a good choice… the right choice."

"You don't have to force yourself to believe that if you don't, Sokka," Rui Shi said, clasping his shoulder again. "We both know that you… you were the man who was supposed to stand by her side. Her true husband, regardless of whatever the Fire Lord wants to believe."

"Maybe," Sokka said, throat tight with tears. "But… but maybe that girl needs her. Maybe she needs someone to protect her from sleazebags like Hahn, and she'll find no one better suited to do so than Azula. So, whatever I may feel, ultimately… Azula may just have saved her life by taking her in. I won't know for sure until we get there, but… this doesn't have to mean that she accepted Zhao as her true husband, does it? It shouldn't… but then, maybe she did. M-maybe she…"

The powerful moment they had shared, when that spiritual connection had bridged, urged him to think otherwise: she had been desperate, clinging to him, relieved to know he still lived, sharing the news of her pregnancy with him. He hadn't doubted her love, her affection, back then. He had no reason to… for she had given him no reason to doubt it at all. She loved him as earnestly on that day as she had at every other moment…

Their anniversary, the opportunity to communicate with her, even if it was a complicated bridge, far more difficult to interpret until he had drifted to unconsciousness and found himself waking up with the certainty of having seen her, of having been with her. Would she have honored their wedding rite that way if she had grown to genuinely love Zhao?

His heart ached, confusion and uncertainty tearing him apart as he feared something he never thought he would: could he lose her? Was it possible that she could move on, choosing someone else after everything…?

He couldn't quite fathom that notion. Had his choices to go to war against the Fire Nation pushed her to want nothing to do with him? Was that, too, part of the reason why she had told Ozai what he'd do? Was that why she hadn't tried to sabotage her father? Or was it all because of the coercion…?

"Sokka…" Rui Shi's hand squeezed his shoulder gently, and Sokka breathed deeply as he shook his head.

"Doesn't… change anything. Doesn't matter if that's what's going on, I… I have to set her free. And once I do… once I do, she'll make whatever choices she wants to make. That's what matters," he said. Rui Shi gritted his teeth.

"You're going to force yourself to believe that?"

"I don't really have a better idea at the moment," Sokka said, with a sad, pained smile. "So…"

"Well, if… if I may?" War Minister Qin said. "I don't know if this will mean anything to you or not, but uh, I believe there has been trouble in the Palace in many regards."

"In many regards?" Sokka repeated, with a jaded scowl. "Look… just say whatever you need to say. I may even need to take a break because… well, thank you for telling us everything you have, but this is… it's not easy to deal with. Damn it, I…"

"Well, if you insist," Qin sighed, eyeing Sokka with uncertainty. "Considering what concerns you, well, the Princess's marriage to Crown Prince Zhao has been chaotic. Crown Prince Zhao has been, uh, sighted frequently in brothels and taverns, so…"

"Wait, what?!" Sokka gasped, staring at Qin in disbelief. "He… what the hell? Why?"

"It would appear that he simply… did not wish to be home?" Qin said, with a shrug. "He's caused some trouble, enough that the Fire Lord once had to send for him to be found in a district of Harbor City, Hong Qu…"

"Hong Qu?" Rui Shi repeated. Sokka eyed him questioningly. "It's… well, the closest thing to a crime den without outright being one, in the Capital's vicinity. Most the lowlier brothels are there."

"And… that's where he's off to?" Sokka said, frowning. "Why the hell is he…? Is he trying to shame her? To dishonor Azula?"

"I suspect the Fire Lord was… distressed by that possibility as well," said War Minister Qin, and Sokka snarled: as if it hadn't been Ozai's fault that Zhao could be in any position to disgrace Azula in the first place… "Either way, the Crown Prince even has moved out from the Princess's bedroom, it happened several months ago. He now dwells in his own room, or he would, but…"

"But?" Sokka raised his eyebrows, urging the man to keep talking.

"He has been assigned to the warfront in the Northern Water Tribe once more."

Sokka's lips parted.

Zhao was going to be in the North Pole. The very location he had intended to attack next.

That had always been Zhao's warfront. It had always been his project, and he had been expected to return to it eventually… but Sokka somehow had assumed that wouldn't happen anymore. He was Crown Prince now… didn't that change matters for the Fire Lord when it came to his decisions to fight the war?

"Why?" Sokka asked, frowning heavily. "How is Zhao assigned to fight in the North Pole? He's Ozai's heir right now, he can't sacrifice him to…"

"Well, he does not believe it would be a sacrifice," Qin said, grimacing. "Now that we are not likely to complete the modifications to the airships on time, however, he may change his mind. That being said, Admiral Zhao has always been the officer in command of that particular warfront…"

"I know that, but that's madness," Sokka said, shaking his head. "Still… heh. I suppose I'll get a chance to capture Zhao up north as well, get him to talk about what's actually going on with Azula, beyond anything you know…"

"Well, I suppose he might refuse to give you what you want, but…" Qin said, biting his lip. "Gladiator, like I said, the marriage has been turbulent and complicated. So much so that… well, Admiral Zhao's behavior in the war meeting, even before it, seemed rather strange to most of us in attendance. He seems to deeply distrust the Princess, and it was a sentiment shared by the Fire Lord, at first… but once the Princess offered actual, believable information about your next moves, the Fire Lord seemed to change his mind about her while Crown Prince Zhao grew even more apprehensive. The Princess was very quiet at the end of the meeting, and then everyone left once the meeting was adjourned, as usual…"

"And?" Sokka said, glaring at Qin intently – he could tell there was more to this story, for the man's growing nervousness was a clear indicator of it, but his refusal to get to the point alarmed Sokka at once. "What aren't you saying, Qin? Spit it out."

"I… very well. I did not witness this myself," the War Minister shuddered. "S-so I do not know how accurate this information may be, b-but it seems Crown Prince Zhao and Princess Azula had… an altercation."

"An… altercation?" Sokka asked. "Do you mean… a loud argument? A… a disagreement?"

"Yes… and no," said Qin, eyeing Sokka apprehensively. "I do not know what brought it about, if it was the war meeting or anything else, but… Crown Prince Zhao was said to have been… violent."

That Qin would suddenly venture this information right after Sokka's previous heartache seemed to be the arrival of a storm upon an erupting volcano: suddenly, the sadness and loneliness he had felt upon fearing Azula might move on faded to the background as a surge of very different emotions took hold of his heart.

"What… what the fuck?" Sokka said, trembling with pure ire as he stared at Qin in disbelief. "What the hell do you mean, he… he got violent with her? Did he hurt her?!"

He raised his voice higher than before. Qin winced and shrunk in place.

"I don't know…!" Qin said. "She… she was taken to the physicians' wing. She…"

"No. No, she… fuck. Fucking…! What the blazes is Zhao…?!" Sokka roared, tears of charged rage rising in his eyes as his hands rose to his head. "She's with child! She's his wife! Piece of shit, son of a bitch, how could he…?! How could he hurt her?!"

"I do not know, but I do know the Princess is supposed to have sustained no serious damage, according to what the Fire Lord said when I asked the next day, r-right before I set out on this mission…!" Qin spoke rapidly, swallowing hard. "I suppose I should have asked for more details, but…"

"How could he ever reach the point of…?" Rui Shi said, fists tight as he wrestled with the wrath in his own heart. "Where was Renkai?"

"Oh… Captain Renkai was the one who put a stop to it, I believe," said Qin. Sokka and Rui Shi frowned. "He got the rest of the Third Squad to drag Crown Prince Zhao into… into the Palace dungeons."

"Fuck…" Sokka snarled, pacing as he covered his face with his hands. "That son of a bitch, he… he attacked her. He attacked my…!"

He couldn't even say the word, even though he knew it belonged to him in ways it would never belong to Zhao. His outrage was so powerful he felt moments away from losing himself to anguish entirely, his heart and chest screaming with utmost despair.

It was a pain, deep, aching and profound, that resonated with that which he had experienced weeks ago.

"When… when did this happen?" Sokka asked, looking at War Minister Qin with chagrin, a hand gripping his chest as though his heart was ready to fail him. "When did this meeting happen?!"

"A-about two weeks ago?" Qin said, his voice hitching with fear – somehow, this far more emotional façade of the Gladiator's was even more terrifying than the authoritarian side.

Sokka winced – two weeks ago. Rui Shi had arrived in Ba Sing Se two weeks ago… and Sokka had endured a restless, painful, confusing night afterwards. He had known the pain did not belong to himself… he had known it was hers: this was the reason for it.

"Ozai… dragged her into a war meeting. She's pregnant… hell fucking knows if she's in any condition to deal with any stressful shit anyone throws her way," Sokka said, trembling violently with poorly contained fury. "And he had no better idea than to force her to go to a war meeting to… to test her. To find out if she'd stay loyal to him when he's holding her dragon and everyone she cares about in the Fire Nation for ransom! Of course she'd side with him, of course she'd help him…! Otherwise, everyone would die. Everyone else would pay the price. He wouldn't do it to her, no… he'd just force her to endure everything as punishment. He'd make her watch as every life she wishes she could protect is destroyed before her eyes…

"And after all that, Zhao fucking loses his mind and assaults her?! After everything she's been through, after everything she's faced… and she's seven, eight months along? What the hell was he doing? Was he trying to cause her to abort the child?! It could be his, couldn't it?!"

"I… I suppose so. If the child could have only ever been yours, w-well… I'm sure Crown Prince Zhao would have spoken out about it all along," said Qin.

"Then…" Sokka said, snarling as he tried his best to disregard the implications of those words. "Then it really could be his. It could be his child… and he hurt her. He tried to hurt her, at the very least, could have caused her to lose the child…! And I bet he wanted that. I bet… fuck. Fuck him! I told him…! He swore to me he'd watch over her! That he'd give her time, space, chances to heal and to get over me after I was gone! He swore…! I said everything I did, and this is what he thinks will fulfill his promise?! Attacking my wife?!"

The word did escape now, impulsively so. Rui Shi's compassionate gaze couldn't temper the fury Sokka was feeling… Qin's utter astonishment, confusion and perhaps even disgust went lost for the Gladiator.

"She… she needs me," he said, shaking his head. "I don't… I don't know what she's going to think of me, of everything I've done since we've been apart, but I don't care. Even if she doesn't want me anymore… it doesn't matter. She… she has to be free. Whatever happens… I have to set her free."

Rui Shi gazed at him with remorse, with deep empathy: War Minister Qin seemed even more terrified than before. Sokka's chest heaved as he glared at the man again.

"Do you know anything… anything else about her?" Sokka asked, almost pleadingly. "Anything that happened afterwards, just… anything. Is she… is she alright? Whatever Zhao did… did Renkai get there on time? Or did she… did she defend herself, maybe? Wouldn't be the first time she fights back when the odds are against her, but…"

"I'm afraid I… I don't have more details on the subject," said the War Minister, uncertain. "But I do believe that… that the Fire Lord was quite displeased with the Crown Prince for his actions. He has already traveled north, so…"

"And he won't lay a finger on her while he's there," Sokka snarled. "Good."

"Pardon my… my boldness, Gladiator, but… is this, everything you've done, for her sake?" War Minister Qin asked, perplexed. Sokka scowled at him. "I… well, you must understand what all this has looked like from the Fire Nation's perspective. You were close, too close to the Fire Lord and to the highest circles of power in the Fire Nation… and now you take advantage of that position of privilege to defeat the Fire Lord's forces, where no one else ever could. So…"

"So… I suppose you still think I seduced Azula somehow, took advantage of her, lied without restraint and pretended to care for her when all I was looking for was a way to end the war?" Sokka asked, frowning heavily. War Minister Qin flinched. "Well… I do want the war to end. Yes, I am taking advantage of all the knowledge I have of how your Fire Lord operates, what his choices are likely to be, his temper, his recklessness, his resources. I've known how to bait and deceive him, I've done it without fail for the past months and I'll gladly continue doing it going forward. But I suspect what you want to know is… is if I simply saw Azula as means to an end?"

"I… w-well, it's only…"

"It's what Ozai has been telling himself, and his allies, no doubt," Sokka said, with a dry, bitter smirk. "Makes him sleep better at night, doesn't it? Helps him convince himself that Azula made the wrong choice when she chose me. If you really must know, War Minister Qin… I wanted to help Azula. I wanted to stand by her side as she changed this world for the better. I wanted to be her right-hand man, her protector: anything she asked of me, I would do. Anything she needed from me, I'd provide. She… she was everything to me. She still is. The answer to your question? I love her. I love her and I always will. And I won't rest, not for a second, until I've made sure she's free. Whatever she chooses to do with that freedom is up to her… but I will see to it that she can make that choice one day. And whatever monster I have to become, whatever nightmare I have to inflict upon your people to see to it that she's free… all of it is a small price to pay to save the woman I love."

"But…" the War Minister blurted out, shaking his head. "Y-you… after all this, all the strategies you've enacted, the privileged position you could take advantage of, y-you're truly guided by… love?"

"Yes," Sokka said, firmly. Qin's eyes widened.

"How…?" he said. "You and the Princess, you… there's no chance, you realize that? You could never… never be with her openly, even if she wanted you back. The Fire Lord means to kill you, he has been trying to do it for almost a year now! The Fire Nation… it would never accept you as her consort, not truly. So…"

"I don't give a damn. The only one who gets to make that call is Azula," Sokka said, bitterly. "Whatever we choose to do after this war is over, it's up to us, not to you or anyone else."

"Not to mention… a nation as given to warfare probably should welcome a warrior and leader of his quality with open arms," Rui Shi said, firmly. "If he defeats the Fire Lord, how could he ever be unworthy of the Princess? And he has already defeated the Fire Lord at least… four times? Perhaps?"

"And I'll continue to do so until… until I've destroyed him, or he surrenders," Sokka said, with a huff. "The Fire Nation won't accept me…? The Fire Nation isn't going to stay the same forevermore, though. What we're doing will change it… it will change the world at large. And I'm sure you'll be skeptical, but don't worry, you won't need to see any of those changes for yourself."

"W-what? No! I told you everything you asked! Everything I could about her, I…! Don't kill me, don't…!"

"I won't kill you, damn it," Sokka growled, stepping forward.

The War Minister had regained the feeling in his body, but a sharp strike by Sokka on the nape of his neck, right where the boomerang had hit him before, once more resulted in a full-body chi-block for the War Minister. The man yelped as he collapsed on the floor, unable to feel his body at all.

"Well, then. He knows too much after everything we said in this interrogation, so we'll be keeping him locked up in Ba Sing Se for good measure," Sokka said. "I have the feeling he's going to see a few familiar faces in the neighboring cells anyway…"

"Tiang?" asked Rui Shi. Sokka shook his head.

"I was thinking of Long Feng, actually," Sokka said. Rui Shi raised his eyebrows. "Everything I know about that bastard is that he kept tip-toeing and dancing around how to betray the Earth Kingdom for his benefit. And I have the feeling the Fire Nation negotiator in charge of dealing with Long Feng was none other than the War Minister, so…"

"Hmm," Rui Shi nodded, leaning down to pick up the whimpering War Minister. "There's still more, though. We may be able to learn more about the Fire Lord's latest movements with his help. If he came up with any other plans, whether in the war meeting or before…"

"Yeah, we'll question him more later," Sokka said, breathing out slowly. "Though… Qin. One last thing."

"Y-you didn't need to chi-block me… I'm complying, aren't I?" the man whimpered. Sokka shot him a deadpan glare.

"And we were careless and talked too much with you, so clearly, you're a hazard for us now," he said. Qin winced as Rui Shi draped him over his shoulder. "But you've been very helpful. Your willingness to survive at all costs has been great, I have to say. Still… what happened in the South Pole?"

"The… south? I would assume that you'd know that better than us," he said. Sokka frowned sternly.

"You didn't send more troops, then?" he asked. "No one else is attacking the South?"

"No… for the Fire Lord's attention has been centered on Omashu," Qin responded. "And now, on Ba Sing Se and the Northern Water Tribe as well."

"So… no reinforcements were sent," Sokka said. War Minister Qin winced.

"We thought to… but the idea only came to mind after the Omashu situation complicated matters. The Fire Lord began suspecting the message about your death might not be true, you see, so… so we considered it, but the situation in the Earth Kingdom was far more dire. So, no… troops haven't been dispatched to the South again, not for as long as I've been War Minister."

"Good," Sokka said, breathing deeply: it was possible that Qin was lying regardless, but he certainly hoped to have caused a big enough commotion up north so Ozai would commit to fighting him there instead.

Even after that small relief, he had too much to process. Too much to ponder, too much pain to sift through: Rui Shi marched away with their prisoner, looking for a more effective method to restrain the War Minister, and Sokka left the room while a twisting, unpleasant sensation seemed to squeeze the inside of his body.

Azula's situation, he knew, would always be precarious and dangerous. He had warned her, he had told her to stay with him, but she had chosen otherwise. She was carrying a child… she had adopted another one, too. She had been attacked by Zhao, no less, and Ozai had tormented her with very little respite for a long time.

She continued to endure Ozai's punishments… but she needed his help. She was running out of time, and so was Sokka: he had pushed forward as fast and as far as he could go, but he knew he had to go further still. Azula needed him… and as much as he grieved for all the pain she had experienced, his determination was reforged in the fires of his outrage. She needed him. He didn't know what would happen afterwards, but he would save her from the Fire Lord's murderous grip. He wouldn't allow this war effort, his victories, to amount to nothing… for that was how he would feel, he knew, if he failed her. If he couldn't rescue her from the sentence she had accepted fully, even while knowing she'd done nothing worth punishing so mercilessly.

He'd save her. He had to save her. Ozai's cruelty would relinquish its grip… and the rising star of the Fire Nation, the extraordinary Princess who had changed her own heart and those of countless others, would reclaim everything her father had taken from her.

He breathed heavily as he returned to the courtyard as well: Aang was gone now, strengthening the earth in the mountain, leaving the refugees with numerous earthbending-trapped soldiers who couldn't move at all. Katara and other refugees worked to amend the damage on the airships, and the guards kept watch over the numerous prisoners, most of whom held no tangible value for Sokka's purposes…

They'd have time to finish repairs, to deplete the basement's gas, to create a few bombs – and the Mechanist was already bringing some of his empty canisters, larger than the bombs he had given Sokka, to do so. Ozai would organize his troops to strike back, perhaps far more effectively than before this time… but Sokka would make sure to destroy the core resource the Fire Lord was seeking before he arrived.

Two days later, all airships were in fit conditions to fly once more. The refugees populated the airships and some hot-air balloons as well: the Mechanist trembled aboard one of the airships, riding it alongside his son and his many friends as they drifted away from the place they had called his home for over a decade, slowly putting distance between themselves and that tall mountain.

"Ready?" Sokka, aboard a hot-air balloon, spoke to the Avatar, who rode his sky bison next to him. Aang sighed and nodded.

"I really hope this works," he said. "You're sure the building shouldn't collapse…?"

"I'm not sure of anything," Sokka admitted. "But you strengthened the foundations. I can only hope it was enough…"

"Yeah," Aang swallowed hard.

"Be careful, alright?" Sokka said. The Avatar nodded: he didn't often ride Appa alone, but for safety's sake, Katara would ride on the hot-air balloon with Sokka, Rui Shi… and the gagged and bound War Minister Qin.

Katara watched Aang anxiously as the Avatar flew down to the mountain, to the courtyard from where he'd make his next move: the Fire Nation soldiers and engineers there trembled, knowing that whatever came next would be deeply hazardous for them… but Aang's determination didn't waver.

The pipeline had been removed. In its place stood a long rope, and Aang set it on fire with a single spark.

He waited only for a moment before extending the earth, closing the small hole and ensuring the explosion wouldn't pour out, into the courtyard. He sighed, gazing at the restrained soldiers remorsefully before jumping back to Appa: his bison led him away moments before a thunderous sound shook the mountain deeply.

He didn't even want to look… didn't want to know if he had destroyed far more infrastructure or lives than he had intended to.

But Sokka did watch the explosion intently, and he sighed with relief upon seeing the building atop the mountain appeared sturdy enough to withstand the destruction and exhaustion of the deadly resource underground. Aang had sealed the room in which they could access the volatile gas through the Temple, too… and now, the air burned within the constraints of that tall peak, stealing away the Fire Lord's chance to lay waste and flame upon the whole world.

"It's done," Sokka said, as Aang approached them anew. He grimaced and nodded. "No need to make that face, Aang…"

"Did they survive?" he asked. "Or did the whole building collapse and all those soldiers…?"

"They're still there," Katara smiled reassuringly, reaching out to pat his knee gently. Aang's breath caught as he turned quickly, confirming her words with utmost nervousness, and then releasing a relieved breath. "You did it, Aang. And everyone's okay… at least, they will be until the Fire Lord's forces arrive."

Ozai's airships would arrive to find there was no volatile gas to take advantage of anymore, that they had lost control of three airships… that the Mechanist was no longer Ozai's to boss around. Even if it wasn't the perfect victory, it was another victory over the Fire Lord, nonetheless.

"You can let everyone know we're ready to go, full speed ahead," Sokka told Aang, who sighed and nodded, smiling a little.

"I'm glad it worked out. I really am… though, the Fire Nation people we left there? Will the Fire Lord's forces reach them on time? T-they won't freeze or starve to death there, will they?"

"They're bound to have been sending occasional scouts to confirm our airships were still there," Rui Shi said. "Now that they're not, they'll surely come to check the Air Temple at once. Everyone will be retrieved safely by then."

Everyone but War Minister Qin, of course, who sat unwillingly in their hot-air balloon, eyeing them with unrestrained displeasure. Rui Shi hadn't left him alone over the past two days, ensuring that he wouldn't have any opportunities to leave behind any messages conveying any of the information he and Sokka had carelessly revealed to the man when they questioned him.

Aang nodded before taking off to fulfill Sokka's request: the Gladiator poured coal in the engine of the hot-air balloon as well, intent on floating as quickly as possible to the safety of Ba Sing Se.

"We have a lot to deal with once we go back," Sokka said, closing the engine's door with a heavy scowl. "A lot of important decisions to make. We'll need to call for a meeting soon… and we'll have to decide what our next steps will be by then."

"Indeed," Rui Shi said, stepping up to him and nodding firmly. "In the meantime, we have a lot to ponder regarding everything we've learned from the War Minister."

Sokka nodded, gazing at Rui Shi compassionately. It seemed their circumstances were terribly similar in the end: Song's presence at Azula's side was both a curse and a blessing, robbing Rui Shi from what little tranquility he had found by sending his lover to Lo and Li. Returning to her, ensuring that she could be safe and sound, was as pivotal to him as it was for Sokka.

"We'll waste no time," Sokka said, frowning heavily. "As soon as we're able, once all resources are in place, we'll go forward. I know it sounds reckless, I get that I have to be patient, Master Piandao taught me as much long ago… but I feel like I can't stop. Not until…"

He gritted his teeth, hand firmly gripping the railing of his hot-air balloon. Katara, behind him, offered him a reassuring hug that brought Sokka to sigh.

"You still haven't really told me everything he said to you," she said. "But you know I'm with you to the end, don't you?"

"I do," Sokka said, with a weak smile. "Thanks, Katara. I… I'll try to keep my head on straight, I just… I know I'm being too impulsive and yet I know that, if I'm not, I could lose her. I can't let that happen."

"You can't," Rui Shi agreed. "But as much as my conviction probably won't mean much… I earnestly believe you won't be losing her at all, Sokka."

"You… you do?" Sokka said, glancing at Rui Shi in surprise: his friend smiled proudly at him.

"You defended the South Pole against the Fire Nation while severely outnumbered. You stole control of Omashu without the Fire Nation even realizing what had happened… you reconquered Ba Sing Se and freed it from the Fire Lord's control. And now? In a single hit, you've set these refugees free and delivered a serious blow against the Fire Lord's resources. Most leaders would have only achieved one of these victories in a lifetime, at best, and you've already packed four to your name. Moreover… you've done it quite quickly, too."

"That's a good point… not a lot of battles I've heard of take place across a single day of fighting, but yours apparently do," Katara said, with a slight smirk at her brother. Sokka blinked blankly.

"Are you two… trying to boost my ego, or something?" he asked. Rui Shi smiled and Katara laughed. "Can't say I'm really feeling all that encouraged yet, but, uh, thanks for the sentiment?"

"I think what Katara and I are trying to say is… we're impressed," Rui Shi said. Sokka's eyes widened. "And we believe in you. If someone's bound to see this war to the end with a triumph against the Fire Lord… it's you."

"Yep," Katara grinned. "I can understand that this wasn't quite what we were expecting to find here… but this was another step forward, Sokka. You were brilliant in the Northern Air Temple."

Sokka swallowed hard and sighed: he could only hope both Katara and Rui Shi were right… though that notion brought him to frown slightly.

"Wait, though. Did you two just… say out loud that you found me impressive?" he said, with a slight smirk. Rui Shi smiled, and Katara laughed. "What on earth has the world come to? That makes no sense…"

"Makes enough sense, stubborn goofball, you…" Katara laughed, clapping his back gently. "You're our leader, and I'm here to torment you for it, as expected from your little sister, right?"

"Right," Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"And if Rui Shi is like a brother to you… same principle applies?" Katara smirked. Rui Shi chuckled.

"I suppose so," he said. "May your achievement today prove to the Fire Lord that he cannot lower his guard at all… and may it prove to the White Lotus that we're a decent team, all in all."

"Oh, that's true. I forgot they don't really trust you guys yet," Katara said, with a weak smile.

"That's going to change for sure, whether now or in the future," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "For I'm sticking with all of you guys, for as long as you're willing to bear with me."

He exchanged quick smiles with both Rui Shi and Katara as they watched Appa flying higher, joining some of the hot-air balloons and the armored airships: Sokka took a deep breath, glancing over his shoulder: the Air Temple, still standing in the distance, vanished behind a layer of thick clouds.

---

Mai breathed deeply as she stepped through the doorway: it was odd, perhaps even unprofessional, to be summoned to the Fire Lord's study rather than his Throne Room, but it appeared that she wasn't here for another of her reports.

"Lady Mai," Ozai said, rising to his feet as she entered the room.

"My Lord," she said, curtsying as respectfully and reverently as possible.

"I would tell you to take your seat… but our business today will be brief," Ozai said. Mai swallowed hard – he didn't appear confrontational, not even close to being in the dark mood he had often been in when she had needed to report to him in the past.

"If… if this is about the report I have failed to offer, I apologize. I should have come back to the Palace rather than waiting for you to summon me after so many weeks…"

"That… no," Ozai said. Once again, Mai was rendered speechless. "I… I merely meant to inform you that your services are no longer required."

Mai, impassive as she often showed herself, couldn't fully conceal her surprise. Ozai disregarded her reaction, however.

"I… I see. If… if that's the case, then… I won't be expected to visit the Princess again?"

"You may come when it suits you. When she wishes to see you," Ozai said. "For all your digging and intent to discover the truth of what she hid… you found too little evidence of deception, did you not?"

"Indeed…"

"Which lends to the interpretation that there was no deception, in the end," Ozai said. Mai gritted her teeth. "Surely you have thought of that as well. At any rate, I… I appreciate the services you offered me. You are free to go home now."

"Yes… yes, my Lord. Thank you for informing me of your choice personally," she said – why did her heart tighten in such a strange way upon losing her role as a spy? Why was there something about it that brought her to fear she wouldn't be able to help and shield Azula anymore? "Though, if you require anything still, I will always be at your service. Should you gain any reason to suspect Azula isn't being truthful or forthright, I…"

"I will speak with her about it myself," Ozai said. Mai struggled to contain her astonishment. "If you must know, I… I have reconnected with my daughter. I believe… well, I don't believe I need to resort to such investigations and subterfuge any longer. Should I change my mind, yes, I shall reach out to you, but for the time being, there is no need for you to spy on Azula."

"I see. I understand," Mai said, bowing her head towards Ozai anew. "I shall take my leave, then."

"Good day to you, Lady Mai."

His strange politeness startled and confused Mai, no matter if she knew of the dark complications that had shaken the Fire Lord to his very core. She glanced at him briefly over her shoulder as she made for the door, finding no sign of deception… no sign of the cruelty he ever showcased plainly. Had he truly changed… or was it just an act?

She wouldn't be likely to find out, though, not anymore. Who knew the day would come when she would even wish to serve as a spy for Azula? When she wouldn't want to lose her role as the Fire Lord's informant…?

She progressed silently through the Palace on her way back home, and she cast one more wistful glance in the direction of Azula's room… hoping, deeply, that all these changes would represent improvements for her friend, rather than the opposite.

The Fire Lord remained in his study, assessing the documents before him keenly. The numbers of his forces, their distribution across the world… the situation was complicated, and while he could hope the Gladiator would leave this as a stalemate for now, he knew the chances for that were sparse. The momentum was on the enemy's side… and the main thing he had to do was not underestimate him. He had made that mistake far too many times in the past, and if he had known better, perhaps nothing would have escalated this way.

It was unnerving to realize that the Gladiator, of all people, had become a darker, larger threat to the Fire Lord's rule than most rebels could hope to be. Had he been born to the Fire Nation… if only he had been, if only they had his prowess and skills on the Fire Nation's side, the war might have long ended in their favor. Were that the case, he would even have the way clear to be his daughter's groom… for that strategic thinking, the abilities in warfare, the charisma with which he had swept so many into his cause, made him a formidable foe, just as it would make him a remarkable ally. A suitable partner for Azula, no less…

Ozai breathed deeply, hoping to stop his thoughts on that track. It was impossible, pointless, and he would have never consented or agreed to that notion… he couldn't. A Water Tribesman, a non-bender… his daughter's extraordinary power couldn't be married off to someone like that. And yet a part of his heart, treacherous and cruel, reminded him of an extraordinary non-bender who had become his wife. Had she been born to another nation, he might have never known her… but if such had been the case and he, somehow, had met her in those circumstances, wouldn't he have fought for her the same way Azula had fought for the Gladiator?

It made no matter, though. He had to focus on reality, on the task at hand, on gaining ground on the enemy… Zhao had arrived in the North Pole by now, Ozai had received word of it. He would prove himself while he was there, obtaining the victory they required to push the Gladiator into a proper stalemate…

The door to the study opened anew, and a tense Shaofeng entered the room without announcing himself. Ozai frowned.

"I did not call for…"

"A message has arrived. An urgent message," the General of the Guards said. Ozai's blood seemed to slow in his body as Shaofeng extended the opened missive in his direction. "The Northern Air Temple… the strategy paid off only long enough for five airships to be prepared with the new weapon."

"What?" Ozai growled, pulling the message open immediately.

"It seems… it seems the Gladiator showed up," Shaofeng said, gravely.

Ozai froze. He raised his gaze to Shaofeng, and the man breathed deeply before announcing the very worst of the blows they had received through their enemy's latest operation:

"The Mechanist has certainly joined him. Who knows if they were allies all along. But moreover… I fear the enemy has captured War Minister Qin."

---

Ba Sing Se was a vast city. It spread as far as the eye could see, and it was daunting and terrifying because of it, in ways Omashu hadn't been. The pyramids of that city had felt contained, somehow… but nothing appeared to hold back in Ba Sing Se.

The signs of warfare were still visible, more so when they approached the Palace. She didn't dare ask questions regarding how some of the worst damage had happened, choosing to keep her curiosity contained. Her companion, sitting by her on the train, held his silence as well until it was time to climb off the vehicle she had never ridden before.

"The last stations have yet to be rebuilt," Piandao explained. "But a short walk won't do you any harm. You've been on your feet on the most part for the last weeks, haven't you, Ursa?"

"A chance to take my seat was quite welcome because of that," was her response, offering Piandao a sad, tight grin.

"You were reckless to join the trade route's group," Piandao said, shaking his head as they rose to their feet, on their way to the vehicle's door. "I can't pretend I'm not relieved that I could see you safe and sound to Ba Sing Se… but you were safe in Omashu just as well."

"King Bumi has done well in restoring the city to prosperity," Ursa said. "Though I cannot presume to understand how his mind works, but…"

"Nobody can," Piandao said. Ursa smiled a little. "Many have tried, myself included, to no avail."

"I suppose that's what makes him formidable… his unpredictability. Much like your student," Ursa said. Piandao smiled as well.

"That can be quite an asset, yes," the sword master said. "I fear you won't be likely to see Sokka again just yet, I don't know when he'll return from the Northern Air Temple… but Zuko will be available. I'm sure he'll have much to share with you."

"And I look forward to hearing all of it," Ursa said, with a heartfelt smile at the thought of her son.

Her enthusiasm would accompany her all the way to the Palace, even if her legs ached after too much walking. She followed Piandao constantly, glancing about herself at the squads of earthbenders, busy restoring the damage in the streets and buildings of the Upper Ring, until they finally came across the red wall that kept the Palace hidden.

Piandao spoke with the guards, who allowed them passage at once. Ursa walked nervously into the Palace, feeling it much more similar to the Fire Nation's own oppressive Palace than to Omashu's decidedly strange Palace, midway to its full restoration. She remembered all too well how tense and nervous she had been upon first entering the building that eventually became her home… Ba Sing Se's Palace wouldn't become a home for her, but knowing that she'd see her son soon sufficed to push her forward and disregard the oppressive atmosphere of the place.

The first familiar person they came across wasn't Zuko: Kino gasped happily, rushing to greet them down a long corridor.

"Master Piandao! Lady Ursa!" he grinned brightly, bowing clumsily and rising to his full height once more. Momo, having kept him company while Aang wasn't around, fluttered off his shoulder, flying a lap around the two newcomers before landing on the ground, right by Kino's leg. "Why… I had no idea she was coming! B-but welcome back! Or, uh, welcome for the first time, in your case, Lady Ursa!"

"Thank you," Ursa smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad to be here. I hope all your friends are doing well, Kino."

"Oh, I think they are. I hope so, anyway?" Kino smiled awkwardly. "No idea what's going on in the Northern Air Temple, but heh, it's Sokka. He's going to be back here in no time, I say…"

"Have you been practicing your forms while I was gone?" Piandao asked. Kino nodded promptly.

"Yes, sir! And, uh, also some tsungi horn," he said, with a guilty smile. Piandao nodded, though.

"Art certainly can help you wield your sword better in a battlefield," he said. "We may need to begin considering crafting your sword soon… but perhaps we should speak of that later. Will there be a council meeting today, or…?"

"Yeah, no, they're waiting for Sokka to come back for those…" said Kino.

"Then I suppose I shall inform Jeong Jeong personally of the success we had in establishing the trade route," Piandao said. Kino looked taken aback by such a simple intent, though. "Is something the matter?"

"U-uh… you might have to wait. I don't really know how these, uh ceremonies tend to go?" he said, scratching the back of his neck. "But he's, um, initiating someone into the White Lotus right now, so I guess you'll tell him later?"

"Initiating someone?" Piandao asked, frowning. "Who?"

Kino's eyes drifted towards Ursa, his smile waning. She scrutinized his silence, brow drawing together slowly as a confusing, unwanted possibility came to her mind to answer Piandao's question…

Within a darkened room in the Palace, a small fire had been crafted. A pool of pure water stood at its other side. The newest candidate for the White Lotus sat between them both with a small stone in his hand, eyes closed as he breathed deeply.

His meditation had been successful. The peace of his countenance, the serenity of his scarred face, seemed to go against everything the once-furious banished Prince had stood for. Even if his uncle watched him apprehensively, he didn't falter at all through any of the processes of the induction ceremony.

"Through deep introspection, philosophy, beauty and truth, shall this world regain the balance it has long lost. Become a channel of these truths… a balanced individual who shall spread our message, our beliefs, through the wisdom of your choices and the strength of your mind and heart. For only once we gain balance within ourselves shall we become capable of bringing balance to the world."

The words Jeong Jeong spoke were quite ironic, even Iroh couldn't help but admit that to himself – none of them knew of true balance…

But perhaps Zuko did.

Perhaps the young Prince was a better fit for the Order, a breath of fresh air it had direly needed, for he had certainly been on a path to find true balance for himself long before this moment.

Jeong Jeong stepped forward, and Zuko opened his eyes. The older man bowed to him, and Zuko did the same: he knelt before Jeong Jeong, allowing him then to offer him the symbol of the commitment Zuko had made today:

"Prince Zuko," Jeong Jeong said, placing the White Lotus tile solemnly upon the young firebender's free hand. "We are honored and humbled to accept you in the ranks of our Order of the White Lotus."