Happy Armed Forces day to all my fellow British readers!

Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM4196867: I'm not enough of a martial arts expert to really say.

Zigzagdoublezee: That means it's even more important for Zhao to essentially win or die trying.

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They were far out over the open sea, Kyoshi Island far away to their north and no sign of land in any direction, before Yue finally managed to relax. She had found their experience flying over the fire navy to be hair-raising, to say the least. But it was over now. The Fire Nation would no doubt be following them, but sky-bison were faster than their ships.

Once again, Team Avatar found themselves alone with the boundless ocean. Yue sighed and lay back in the saddle, as low as she could manage without taking up far too much room. Opposite her, Sokka and Katara did the same. Rinzen was sat up ahead holding the reins, looking straight ahead and seemingly concentrating hard on flying Gembul. Only Jeong Jeong remained sitting bolt upright.

"You're probably right to want to get some rest," he said. "My former colleagues will see to it that you don't get much of it over the next few days."

"Won't they target your family?" Yue asked as she sat up, the worrying thought occurring to her. "Or whoever you've left behind in the Fire Nation."

"There's nobody for them to target," Jeong Jeong told her, sadly. "My family... well, suffice it to say that I live life on my own."

"I'm sorry," Yue told him, genuinely.

"You have nothing to apologise for. As you say, if they were alive Ozai would surely target them."

Yue didn't say anything, not knowing what to say, until a worrying thought occurred to her, prompted by the thought of Ozai targeting family members.

"Zhao said they were going to attack the South Pole," Yue remembered.

"That's the plan," Jeong Jeong nodded.

"What specifically can you tell us about the Fire Nation plans?" Sokka asked, curiously.

"They're not complicated," Jeong Jeong shrugged. "The idea was basically to sail straight in, burn any ships sent to stop us and then melt through any city defences we might encounter. Then occupy the city, take their rulers and nobles captive, and use them to force the surrender of any tribesmen who still insist on resistance. Kyoshi Island was never anything more than a staging point."

He looked at Yue.

"The plan did not call for the use of human shields, you'll be pleased to know."

"That's something at least," Yue said without enthusiasm.

Sokka and Katara, meanwhile, had both sat up quickly as Jeong Jeong had been speaking.

"If they're not going to use the nobles they take prisoner as human shields, what else are they going to use them for?" Katara demanded.

"bargaining chips, mostly," Jeong Jeong replied.

Sokka went pale, while Katara began shaking. Yue knew perfectly well why. Their father was the Chief of the South, making them the Prince and Princess- and their mother and grandmother, who Sokka had mentioned were waiting for them, targets.

"We can stop them," she said hurriedly. "We know their plans now. This won't be like the North, where our hospitality was abused and betrayed. You can be ready for them."

Neither of them said anything, but from the way they looked at her, she could see they were both desperately hoping that she was right.

"You likely only have a couple of days," Jeong Jeong warned. "Enough time for the fleet to make final preparations, raise steam and make the journey to the South Pole. So that does depend on how much preparation the southerners have already been doing."

"Mum's been left in charge," Sokka said, slowly, uncertainty and hope in his voice. "She'll have been preparing. Won't she?"

"I'm sure she will," Yue reassured him.

"How many ships do the Fire Nation have?" Sokka asked. "I lost count."

Jeong Jeong thought for a moment.

"Including troop transports," he said, "Ninety."

"Ninety?" Sokka's jaw dropped. "We don't even have half that many warships!"

"Don't tell him that!" Katara hissed.

"Your secret is safe with me," Jeong Jeong assured her. "I don't even intend to go to the South Pole at all."

"You don't?" Yue asked. "What will you do instead then?"

"My plan is not well developed, I admit," the Admiral shrugged. "When we get to the Air Temple, I'll catch a lift north again and vanish into the interior of the Earth Kingdom."

"How do you know they'll take you?" Sokka asked. "I can't imagine Firebenders are too popular in the Air Temples at the moment, particularly high-ranking officers in the navy."

Jeong Jeong frowned at the reproach.

"Then it is fortunate indeed that I am no longer a high ranking officer in the navy," he said. "I cannot imagine that Firelord Ozai will be terribly amused when he finds out what happened."

"So long as you can convince the monks," Yue pointed out.

"The fact I come to them peacefully on the back of a sky-bison alongside the Avatar, an officially-named Enemy of the Fire Nation, should do that," Jeong Jeong said serenely. "I do not share your worry."

"As long as you know what you're doing," Sokka shrugged.

"I've had dealings with Air Nomads before," Jeong Jeong said. "Before the war, when the Fire Nation was still respected. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"What about you?" Katara asked, and Yue realised with a start that she was talking to her. "Do you know what you have to do?"

"Speak to Aang," Yue said, unsure. "I'm not sure how yet."

She had spoken to Aang once, in the spirit world, but that had been an accident. She had no idea how to do it on command.

"That seems like a problem for when we get there," Sokka said. "You can't be the first Avatar who needs to do it, I'm sure the Monks know how."

Yue looked over at Rinzen, who had still stayed out of the conversation.

He went to lay down again.

"I'm tired," he complained. "I need to sleep."

"On the back of a sky-bison?" Yue asked. "What if you fall off?"

"You'll be there to catch me, won't you? Just as I would catch you."

He closed his eyes.

An evil grin spread across Katara's face as she leaned in.

"Are you missing Suki yet?" She asked.

Sokka's eyes flew open, and he started spluttering incoherently. Katara fell about laughing, and even Yue managed a smile.