Zuko wouldn't say he liked school all too much, but given his high marks and general aptitude for problem solving, he could at least enjoy his academic achievements, which when compared to his firebending training, seemed to be a great success. However, Zuko didn't like the idea of a bunch of random people coming into school to tell his class about what jobs they ought to be considering; he thought it was a little stupid, given they would be speaking to a class of eleven-year-olds, who wouldn't be finishing their education for at least five years. Zuko knew he wanted to go to the Academy, and follow in the footsteps of his cousin, who'd only recently graduated and gone off to the front with his uncle; to listen to some people speak about service in the various ministries was rather pointless, given that he was a Prince. He would be serving his nation and protecting it from all the threats that faced it and their great mission to bring prosperity and peace to the world.

So, when it came time for another speech, Zuko sat with his head slumped forward and his hand on his cheek, wondering what it could be now; the next person to address the students was surprisingly enough, a woman, who could have only been a few years older than his cousin. She was dressed plainly with a well-kempt red and grey tunic, alongside pants, like any other civilian, and not like a bureaucrat; they would usually would wear long, flowing robes, not unlike how he and his family would when on official duties. Her odd appearance for a speaker had him interested, and he raised his head up, peeking up so he could see past the boys sitting in front of him.

"Good day, young men." she addressed the students in front of her, "I am Taki, and I am here to represent the Intelligence Service, and explain how you can have a great career serving your country and protecting it, without even having to pick up a weapon, or firebend at anyone." she explained, her confidence a little inspiring, though it was more confusing than anything; she spoke of the Intelligence Service like they didn't fight danger with violence, which begged the question of how they fought.

One of the students stuck his hand up, and she gestured to him, allowing him to speak, "Uh, how do you fight the bad guys then?"

"With knowledge." she clarified, "You see, I know some of you mightn't think too much of all the studying they make you do at school, but that skill certainly is worthwhile in our organisation. We learn as much as we can, through investigation and analysis, to gauge the various threats to our country, and then, we act upon it."

"Without violence?" the same student asked, and she tilted her head for a moment, before smirking.

"Well, you see, we don't have to do any fighting ourselves. The Home Guard or army is alerted to any threats, and they swiftly deal with them, as they should." she explained, and another boy stuck his hand up, Taki gesturing to him so he could speak.

"But shouldn't the army be doing their own searching? Isn't that part of their job?"

"Well, they deal with intelligence on external threats to the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes can attack our country at any moment, and they are ready to respond, but... they are not concerned with the danger posed by our fellow countrymen."

"Who could betray our nation?" another boy asked, rather boisterously; his confident question was agreed upon by the other students, who nodded along, "I can't imagine anyone trying that."

"Some people are driven to make foolish decisions... and they don't always do it alone. We cannot expect everyone to know what the right path for our nation is, or to follow that path when it is provided to them as clear as day." she explained, pacing along the front of the seated group of students, eyeing them as she spoke, "So, the Intelligence Service finds those people, and makes sure they cannot threaten our country."

"Just for thinking badly?" one boy asked, nervous in his tone, inciting a few laughs from the other students.

"No, no, not for thinking badly... for plotting or acting against the Fire Nation and the great prosperity we all enjoy." she clarified, "We do not act against anyone without evidence of treason. To do so... would cause lengthy court battles to ensue, and I assure you, nobody likes dealing with lawyers, not even lawyers."

That comment got a few snickers out of the teachers and other presenters who were listening along, and she cleared her throat, before continuing her speech, "So, the Intelligence Service acts to protect our nation from all internal threats, big and small. With young, inspiring people to join our ranks, we can better ensure that our homeland remains safe for all people living here. Nobody should have to live in fear of terrorists, or spineless traitors." she tried to give an argument for why they should join the Intelligence Service, and Zuko now felt a reason to ask his own question, immediately interested by the mention of the word 'terrorists'.

Everyone's eyes turned around to the Prince, and the presenter slowly came to realise who he was, giving a bow in respect, "Uh, your highness, you have a question?"

"Yes, I do." he confirmed, "You haven't mentioned your successes." he told her bluntly, making her narrow her eyes.

"Well, of course, I was about to-" she assured him, and the Prince raised a hand, stopping her from continuing.

"I didn't ask my question." he calmly addressed her, and she nodded, understanding that she had agreed to let him speak.

"Apologies." she muttered with a curt bow, and he momentarily saw everyone eyeing him, and considered if he really wanted to ask his question; his decision was made final when he remembered the face his cousin had given him that day, when he and his uncle finally got to the bunker that Zuko and Azula were sent to, hiding from the very terrorists she so casually spoke of.

"How can you claim you protect our nation when you cannot even protect your Fire Lord?" he questioned her, "My Grandfather was almost cornered by terrorists, and was safe only thanks to my father and the Imperial Firebenders, and I don't recall anyone mentioning the Intelligence Service after that happened. Where were they? Did they even warn them? Did they even know about the terrorists?"

"The Open Eyes attack... it was a great embarrassment for our organisation, your highness." she conceded, "I apologise greatly, for any... uh, inconveniences that caused you."

"If the guards weren't so good at their jobs, then me and my sister could have been taken hostage." he retorted, narrowing his eyes at her, "Where were the Intelligence Service then?"

"We didn't... we didn't exactly know what the Open Eyes were planning, your highness. We had only just learned of their operations in the capital, and the analysts believed they were going to sabotage the city's water supply, to try and cause mass chaos, to undermine our government."

"And does anyone recall that happening?" Zuko asked the room, and everyone shook their heads, "Well then, maybe you're right. You do need some fresh thinking in the Intelligence Service if things like that happen." he suggested, and Taki nervously nodded.

"Of course, your highness, we need as diverse an organisation as possible. The smartest and best trained operatives in the nation." she assured him, and turned her gaze to the students, "So, do any of you have any other questions for me about the Intelligence Service?"

Silence fell over the room for a few moments, before a student stuck his hand up; she gestured to him, and he then spoke up, "Uh, what do they do with the people they catch?"

"Well, that's up to the Home Guard. Our analysts will inform them of how dangerous they are, and they will deal with it appropriately. Not everyone who is a danger to our country is threatening violence, after all." she acknowledged, narrowing her eyes, "Anything else?"

"Are all the jobs about reading and searching through things?" one of the boys asked, "That doesn't sound that nice."

"Well, there are other things we do in the Intelligence Service. Create educational material to help those in the Home Guard and in other departments of the government to ensure that dangerous people cannot gain power in our country. We make sure everyone is aware of what treason is, and make sure that the rules are followed; if somebody breaks the law, then we will make sure they are brought to justice." she acknowledged, and the boy pouted slightly as he glanced around.

"I- uh, meant fighting. Beating the bad-guys." he narrowed his question to something Zuko imagined the other boys had on their minds, and she let out a huff, seeming amused by his question.

"That's classified." she acknowledged, "We have many operatives undertaking many tasks, but it is not my job to tell you state secrets." she clarified, almost joking about the very serious matter of national security; Zuko was sure she was just trying to seem friendly and approachable, when in fact, it only made her more suspicious.

He knew about the Intelligence Service before she came to tell them about it, but he really was unsure how powerful they were. He did know that his father worked with them, and made sure that they were on the right path, as was his responsibility as Prince, but even then, his father never really spoke about what they did. An organisation that didn't like saying what it's actual job was, and tiptoeing around their mistakes didn't sound like a group of people to be trusted. Zuko was already settled on joining the army, but even then, he couldn't help but feel a little curious about what it would be like to serve in such a secretive organisation.

"Any other questions?" she asked, and another boy raised his hand.

"What do you do?" he asked her, and she raised her hands to gesture to the room around them.

"Well, as you might be able to tell, I am here to explain my organisation to you. I work in the recruitment department. People like myself try to find the best and brightest young men and women to work in our organisation, and seeing where I am right now, this is the right place." she acknowledged, "You are receiving a great, detailed educational experience at this school, as the sons of those who serve our nation to the utmost standards... you should know what your options are, so you can best make your families proud."

"Thank you, Miss Taki." the headmaster, who had been listening to her explanations, acknowledged her kind words about the school; Zuko didn't really think it was that good, being all uptight and serious, though the boys could get away with a lot of things because of who their parents were, "Our school only seeks to better craft a new generation of young men to build our nation to even greater heights." he explained, before clearing his throat, "I believe that concludes your speech, does it not?"

"Yes, it does, Headmaster." she bowed to him for a moment, before returning to an upright posture; he stepped past her, eyeing the boys, before gesturing to the door behind them.

"That concludes our Government Careers seminar. You may all now go on your recess, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask the representatives behind me about those potential paths you may take."

The Prince's eyes turned around, recalling one of the people who had spoken; an older man, by the name of Colonel Wang, with a thick moustache and long hair, almost looking like a slightly gruffer version of his old, wiry grandfather. He was the representative of the Officer's Academy, and said that he was the teacher of the School of Military Engineering, concerned with siege warfare, military infrastructure and the building of defences, both on the battlefield, and for their colonies. Given where his uncle and cousin were at that very moment, he decided that it was rather useful to have somebody like that to talk to. As everyone else got up and started to walk out, a few of the students went to speak with the various speakers, but Zuko made sure to reach Colonel Wang before any of the boys had a chance; he obviously knew who he was, and the Colonel bowed towards him in deference.

"Your highness, you had a question?"

"Well, I want to join the Academy when I'm old enough." he acknowledged, "You've already got me on your side." he assured him, and the Colonel raised his head, chuckling at his confident assurance.

"That's good to hear, your highness." he smiled at him, "But do you have a question?"

"Yes." he confirmed, stepping closer as he didn't feel too confident saying what he was thinking too loudly, "Do you think we will win?" he asked him quietly, and the Colonel raised a brow.

"Win the war?" he raised a brow, "It is a mere battle of attrition now. The enemy is bound to falter sooner or later."

"I meant the siege." he clarified his question, "Do you think my uncle can succeed?

"Can? Certainly, the Dragon of the West is ready for the task at hand... but the risks are high, your highness. We have expended much of our military budget on this siege effort. If things don't go our way, it could set the Fire Nation Army back years, assuming that we try to attack the city again" he warned him, his clear seniority on the topic of sieges making Zuko all the more concerned by hearing that.

"Are they in danger?"

"I'm no expert on Royal Family security matters, though you seemed to be well versed in them. It doesn't seem all that more dangerous than any other extended battle." he acknowledged, before narrowing his eyes, "I wouldn't worry too much, my Prince. There isn't much any of us here can do to sway the outcome of the siege. The supplies will keep running in, and the troops will cycle through... but it is yet to be seen if the Dragon's gamble is all it was made out to be." he explained, his tone sounding almost sceptical of the plan in the first place.

"I... I don't want Uncle to fail." he admitted the honest truth of what he felt, "I know he can win, but... Ba Sing Se has never fallen, that's what they say."

"No, it has not. Even the great Chin the Conqueror, whose exploits rival your great-grandfather's, failed to breach the city's walls." Wang conceded, "But the Fire Nation has the will and means to victory... there is no doubt about that. I hope that you follow in your cousin's footsteps... and help inspire a new generation. The Fire Nation needs more good men leading the fight."

"I-" he mumbled, before blinking a few times, "Thank you, Colonel."

"Don't thank me, Prince Zuko. Your cousin was the one who told me about you... he believes greatly in your abilities, and I hope soon enough I'll see them on full display at the Academy."

"But... but my sister is the better firebender... won't you want her?"

"It can never hurt to have more people working on your great mission." he gave a rather impartial view, which the Prince appreciated, "And I am not thinking about firebending, I'm thinking about the willingness to stand up and act on what you believe. Morale isn't derived from how bright or fast you can shoot a fire stream at some Earth Kingdom general... It's derived from your ability to show the enemy that you will not falter against their own strength."

"I will show them my strength." he assured the Colonel, who let out a huff, seeming slightly amused by his response.

"Well, keep paying attention in class, and stay focused on your aims, my Prince. With enough time and effort, you can achieve your goals." he acknowledged, before raising a hand to his chin, "Any of them." he added, before glancing back, "Do you have other aims, my Prince?"

"To earn the respect of my nation." he admitted, smiling as he thought about how his uncle was lauded wherever he went, "I want to be like Uncle."

"Then you have many years to go." he conceded, before placing his hands behind his back, "Was there anything else you wanted to ask of me, your highness?"

"No, there wasn't." he replied, giving the Colonel a bow that Zuko thought was well earned; he had told him what he needed to hear, not what he wanted, and for that, he was content, "I hope to meet you again someday."

"As do I, your highness."


Upon hearing a knock on the door of the tearoom, Iroh raised his gaze towards it; he had been enjoying a tea and some roast duck, relaxing after he'd met with a number of ministers, discussing the restrictions that would be in place during the state of emergency. Though he hadn't thought being the Fire Lord would be easy, the role had been especially stressful since his close shave with death at the hands of Sanyan; he had responsibilities to his country and its people, and he couldn't forget about that even as he relaxed.

"Yes?" he turned his head, facing the closed doors, "What is it?"

"Prince Zuko has returned, your majesty." one of his Imperial Firebenders clarified the situation, and the Fire Lord narrowed his eyes; he'd almost forgotten about Zuko's absence at breakfast, and he thought that maybe he had been staying at Mai's house, for rather obvious reasons, but he couldn't be sure.

"I assume he wants to see me?" he asked, and the doors were pushed open, without him even getting a response; Zuko and Mai stood before him, both of them dressed in commoner garbs, clearly intended to disguise their identities, and he realised that they may have gone to the address he had given his nephew- that was made more sense than his first assumption, in any case.

"Uncle, something's wrong." he warned him, and the Fire Lord raised a brow.

"Wrong?" he questioned him, unsure what specifically could have happened, "Have you found some leads on your father?"

"No, not that kind of wrong." he acknowledged, "That'd be a good thing." he clarified, before stepping closer, "The place you sent me, it was abandoned... and it looked like there'd been a fight there, and a fire. They were trying to get rid of all their documents, but I don't believe they succeeded." he warned him, and Iroh's eyes widened, realising what he was trying to say; the local White Lotus chapter had been attacked, and its office ransacked- whoever had done it now had all the information they'd need to hunt down members in communication with those members in the Capital chapter.

"That is bad news." he conceded, turning his eyes away, "How bad did it look in there?"

"Maybe some people got away... but we don't know." Zuko conceded, seeming disheartened, "It had to be Father's men."

"Don't forget the most important bit." Mai snapped at him, and the Prince's posture straightened.

"Oh, sorry... we were attacked by somebody. They were dressed like an assassin, and they threw a bottle of rice wine into the building... on fire." he clarified, and Iroh raised a brow, not surprised that somebody had been waiting around for them, though that didn't say whose side they belonged to.

"Well... that doesn't say much. Was there anything identifiable about this attacker?" he asked, and the Prince nodded.

"Yeah, he had this bright red marking on this headband he was wearing. It was... uh, kind of like the sun... honestly, I'm unsure."

"Perhaps they were hired to deal with whoever came to investigate the place... but you don't know who did it." Iroh acknowledged, before sighing, "No, we all know who ordered it. The question is... what does he know?"

"Enough." Zuko warned him, "Piandao is in danger. You need to send letters to everyone who was in regular contact with that chapter, so they aren't apprehended, or worse."

"And the Intelligence Service can't know about them." Mai added, "They might take the White Lotus the wrong way... I mean, the whole idea of it is antithetical to what our nation supposedly stands for."

"Unity against the other nations." the Prince mumbled, not seeming to be overly confident that they upheld that ideal, "We need unity against my father, more than anything now."

"Well, the White Lotus mightn't be as helpful as I first hoped." Iroh conceded, "But there are still things to do. Your father might have evidence of his investigations into the White Lotus... we can't have those falling into the wrong hands, and more so, we'll need whatever he has on them. That might help explain what happened to the chapter."

"Do you think any of them are alive?"

"If they were there... I'm uncertain. But if they are, you might be able to find them with whatever information your father has left behind. The smallest crumbs might still tell us a story." he suggested, and the Prince smiled, seeming a little more confident that they could actually make something out of the bad outcome they were already faced with.

"And what if that story just leads us right back to the Intelligence Service." Mai suggested, making Zuko gulp, seeming concerned that the very people he was being assigned to lead could have actually perpetrated the very act he sought to uncover.

"Then some more people might need to be stood down, on good conscience." Iroh conceded, and Zuko raised a finger.

"They could have murdered them... I mean, where have they gone?" he warned him, "Will you allow that to just be punished with a mere dismissal?"

"No, Prince Zuko, but I believe in due process. If there is evidence of homicide, then those found responsible will be tried." he assured him, "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure those responsible for misdeeds face punishment."

"Even your friends?" he narrowed his eyes at him, and the Fire Lord remained silent, unsure how to respond to that; his friends in the army had partaken in things that might be retroactively considered crimes, but punishing them for it wouldn't actually undo the harm they had done, only further strain his position within the armed forces.

For all his ideals, Iroh had to admit that he couldn't make everyone happy, and make a perfect world or system; sometimes things had to go unfairly for peace to be achieved, for his victory, which he had sought out for decades at that point.

"I cannot make enemies of everyone, Prince Zuko, I'm sure you understand that."

"Of course... but being inconsistent won't help them either." he warned him, "The White Lotus are your friends... our allies against Father. We need them just as much as anyone else."

"And we need the Intelligence Service too, Nephew. They're the key in our fight here... out at sea or in the Earth Kingdom, it's an open battle, but here, we cannot attack Ozai's men openly, and he cannot do the opposite."

"We're talking hypotheticals here." Mai spoke up, drawing their attention, "I wouldn't have even mentioned it if I realised you'd be arguing over it." she added, rather annoyed by their little spat, before grasping Zuko by the arm, "Well, are we going to go scour his office or what?"

"The Imperial Firebenders have already done that. Maybe there's other places we can look." he suggested, and she narrowed her eyes.

"But, were they looking for anything and everything? Just documents, right?" she asked, and Zuko glanced back at his uncle, seeming unsure if she was correct; the Fire Lord nodded, and smiled at her.

"That is correct. There is still evidence that only you two could discern... or myself, but I do not have the time, unfortunately. There is another meeting I have to have with General Mak concerning recent events in the Earth Kingdom... I'll get back to you both on that when I learn what has happened."

"Alright." Zuko nodded, before glancing at the teapot, "Could we just sit for a bit? We walked all the way here from the port district."

"Oh, so you stayed the night there?" he asked his nephew, who nodded, though he didn't seem very happy about the fact.

"We had to make sure whoever attacked us didn't follow." he clarified, "I cover my tracks better now, Uncle." he assured him, his almost angry glare making Iroh wince, realising that his mind was still set on his prior failure.

"You did the best you could with your spying on Ozai." he assured him, and the Prince sighed, sitting himself down.

"Not well enough." he mumbled, and Iroh poured him a cup of tea; Mai awkwardly stood there for a few moments, eyeing them both, before she sat down.

"And how are you, Lady Mai?"

"Thinking about all the ways this could blow up in our faces." she bluntly admitted, and he gave her a smile, hoping to hear about something other than the intrigue that surrounded them.

"I was thinking more about your state of mind. You've just returned home... have you adjusted well?"

"There's not much adjusting to do. The only difference between now and before we took Zhong's fleet is that the Imperial Firebenders are watching my every move." she explained her thoughts, Iroh noticing that Zuko was eyeing her as he drank his tea.

"And how about you, Nephew? Are you comfortable?"

"As comfortable as I could be." he conceded, "At least while my father is on the loose." he added with a clearly frustrated grumble, "What good does a palace and guards do if he could just send somebody like that mind-explosion assassin after us again?"

"They're not a shield, just cushioning, softening whatever blows come our way. They'll give us time, and hopefully, we can reach him before he can send somebody to deal with us." he acknowledged, narrowing his eyes, "I am as focused on achieving peace and ending this fruitless conflict as you are on protecting us, Zuko."

"I know." he assured him, obviously not wanting to sound doubtful of his determination; Iroh might have been tired of fighting, but he knew it was not the time to give up, or resign himself to whatever fate had been assigned to him by circumstance, "You don't give up, Uncle."

"Not when so much is on the line." he replied, before offering a teacup to Mai, "Do you want some?"

She nodded, her expression calm and unfazed, unlike the solemn, frustrated glare on his nephew's face; he was unsure if she was handling things better, or simply better at hiding her emotions. Once he had poured her tea, she drank it immediately, and Zuko let out a sigh, glancing out towards the window, which peered out into the garden outside.

"I can't get my mind off it." he mumbled, "I want to think about other things... but I can't."

"Perhaps some meditation would help." Iroh suggested, knowing from experience that clearing one's head was the best way to deal with the stresses that he faced as a soldier, and tea was one great part of that, helping him calm down and relax after meetings, or once he'd returned from the battlefield, "A man needs his rest, Prince Zuko."

"I hate meditating. I just think even more."

"You're obviously not doing it right." Mai flatly commented, seeming almost annoyed by his attitude; Iroh held back a laugh, as he'd considered reprimanding him in a similar way.

"How would you know?" he snapped back at her, clearly agitated by her comment, "Do you meditate?"

"Sometimes." she replied, shrugging her shoulders, "You've got to focus on something else first... like the clouds, or the wind, or something else that's mind-boringly simple and uncomplicated." she explained, "Something detached from the complexities and stupidity of life." she added, her succinct explanation drawing Iroh in like a charm.

"Well, that is quite the observation." he acknowledged, "I'd usually focus on my breathing, or on firebending." he explained, "Perhaps you can do that."

"No." he raised a hand, "I've got an idea." he assured him, making Iroh smile.

"Brilliant. As soon as you're done with figuring out what Ozai's done with the chapter, you can go and meditate. Prepare yourself for tomorrow."

"What comes tomorrow?"

"Your first meeting as head of the Intelligence Service. Setting directions and goals." he clarified, and the Prince sighed.

"I'll enjoy every bit of the tedious meetings they'll drag me through, Uncle." he sarcastically assured him, and Iroh didn't have a good answer to that; to get the holistic understanding of the strategic situation he'd need to stop Ozai, he'd need to listen into those meetings with great attention.

"They won't be all boring. You'll be organising operations, hearing of their outcomes, and piecing together your father's operations." he told him what he'd be doing, before glancing at Mai, "And I presume you may have company."

"It's better than school." she conceded, "And I'm sure it'll look good when I'm applying for the civil service." she noted, with her comment about a future plan earning the Prince's interest.

"You really want to be a civil servant? I thought you liked... More interesting things."

"I enjoy stability, and not ending up in my aunt's flower shop... or the Boiling Rock." she explained her other career options, "Being a prison guard just sounds menial and unnecessarily violent."

"I thought you liked fighting." Zuko noted, and she raised a brow.

"Would you enjoy walking around a place where you could be stabbed at a moment's notice... plus, my uncle's a bore and more than a little obsessed with his job. Being around him all the time is worse than being stuck with my parents for the rest of my life." she acknowledged, Zuko shaking his head.

"I'm not talking about the prison, Mai. I mean, you have a very specific set of skills."

"And?"

"I mean, you'd be a good private investigator. Go around looking for people and things... Beating up criminals if they give you trouble, and getting paid for it all."

She didn't respond immediately, seeming to consider his suggestion, before she glanced at the Fire Lord, "What did you want to be when you were our age?"

"Well... I was at the academy already, but I was always thinking about joining a travelling band. I loved learning how to play new instruments, just as much as I love my tea." he explained, and both Mai and Zuko looked at each other, seeming surprised by that.

"A musician, really?" his nephew asked him, "And you were born to be the Fire Lord. You really don't like destiny, do you?"

"To the contrary, Prince Zuko, I believe in destiny. I just think that it isn't something that you can know, at least not truly... Maybe I could have been a musician, but I never did leave home for something like that. I wasn't even that brave."

"Brave enough to face getting crushed on a daily basis by boulders... But not enough to- well, I guess we have that in common." he acknowledged, before narrowing his eyes, "But neither of us have anything to hold us back now, do we, Uncle?"

"Only our honour and morals." Iroh conceded, "There is no shame in showing restraint, but there is a time and place for action."

"I know." he nodded, before glancing towards the exit, "Do you think we'll find Father soon?"

"Not necessarily... but it is better to try and fail than never try at all." he admitted, wishing that he had more confidence in the Intelligence Service and Home Guard to do their jobs; he knew they were full of capable individuals, but that didn't mean they would easily match up to what had to be years of planning of his brother's behalf.

"Then we will." Mai assured him, "Every moment Ozai spends out there plotting is a moment he has to plan our deaths... and not just us. My parents, the White Lotus, the Imperial Firebenders, the ministers, generals and other officers. Everyone who could help us, or matters to us... they're all in danger."

"I know that." Iroh agreed with her point, with the thought of others now suffering because of his prior inaction filling his heart with disdain- not towards Ozai, but himself, "I will undo my mistakes, Azulon's mistakes, and Sozin's mistakes. I will make sure that all the work our nation has made isn't just for nothing... a hundred years of anguish cannot lead to whatever twisted world Ozai desires."

"A fire." Zuko mumbled, "A fire that burns away everything he hates. The weak, the other nations, and the unworthy. He'll make a world only ruled by the strong and vicious, and those loyal to them."

"And my will is stronger. My love of my nation, of this world, is stronger than anything he has in him... and I have you and Azula to thank for that."

"Why?"

"Because you give me hope of a brighter future."


Mai didn't know what to expect when she and Zuko came to Ozai's former office, but the two doors that led in were busted off of their hinges and singed black in some parts; that told her that the Imperial Firebenders hadn't taken any chances when they tried to pursue the renegade Prince. The office was in tatters, with parchment scattered on the floor, and the various cabinets ransacked, now empty of their contents.

"Looks like the guards did half the job for us." she noted as she stepped inside, glancing around to see if there was any place they didn't look through.

"That doesn't mean they'd see everything." Zuko spoke up, stepping around the desk, and eyeing the pieces of paper that were sitting there, which seemed to just be scribbles of ink, presumably for Ozai to test his brush on before he wrote letters, "They must have taken anything that actually had words on it." he noted, pursing his lips as he showed a rare moment of humour, before he returned his focus to the desk, kneeling down so he could examine it.

Mai instead eyed around the extremities of the room, wondering if there was any place that Ozai could have easily hidden something, but it wouldn't be able to be seen. She noted that the royal banners hanging on the walls had already been burnt away, revealing the plain walls behind, but other portions of walls were still covered by various cabinets, which despite being opened, probably hadn't been moved. She immediately approached the closest cabinet, and grasped it by the front, pulling it forward, away from the wall; it didn't reveal anything, which frustrated her, but she continued, by searching through the cabinet, wondering if the Imperial Firebenders might have left anything behind that mightn't have seemed like obvious evidence.

She wasn't able to find much, however, simply getting a few scraps of paper and some empty folders, marked with various titles, demarcating the cabinet into the various topics Ozai would have had to handle in his official capacities. It was unlikely he would have had a section that had 'conspiracy' or something of the likes marked on it, so she knew that she'd have to keep looking in less obvious positions for evidence. She noted that Zuko had finished up with the desk, turning around to access another cabinet; he pulled it out of the way, revealing what looked like a key-lock in the wall, which was somewhat confusing, given it didn't seem like there was a doorway there.

The Prince sparked a flame in his hand, and shot it into the lock, which made a clunk as he stepped away, watching as the wall opened up, part of it sliding away to reveal a dark passageway behind it, "The hidden passages." he whispered, "Of course. That must have been how he was able to escape."

"Where does that go?"

"Well, to the catacombs, but there's other places it leads to. I never went too far inside... mostly because there are supposedly traps, to stop any would-be assassins who try to use them."

"And who told you about that?" she asked, and the Prince cringed slightly.

"Azula." he admitted, making Mai snicker.

"And you don't think she might have fibbed so she could have kept the secrets to herself?"

"You... you raise a good point there." he conceded, "She did always like keeping secrets."

"You have your fair share." she reminded him, before placing a hand on his shoulder, "We shouldn't go in there just yet, we haven't found anything to do with the White Lotus just yet."

"That's true." he agreed with her, "There can't be much in there do with them... maybe a staging area, if Father really escaped through there, but he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave anything behind."

"Or maybe he is." she second guessed him, mostly for the sake of it, knowing that countering whatever assumptions he had would only help them form a better idea of Ozai's plans.

"Redundancies maybe. Extra things, clothes, weapons, passports, whatever he'd need... but that doesn't say they'll be easy to find." he conceded, watching as the door slid shut, making it look like an ordinary wall again.

"We ought to try... or at least delegate it to somebody good at searching. The Intelligence Service agents would work well, right?"

"If they've improved since the Open Eyes attack, and not stocked full of my father's double-crossing allies... then, yes." he acknowledged, before clenching his fist, "What good will they do if he's already three steps ahead of us?"

"Something." she argued, before turning her gaze back to the other cabinets.

She began moving them ajar, one by one, checking each cabinet's contents as well as behind them, just to make sure things hadn't been stashed there. She didn't find anything too interesting, until she came across a box, which from the weight it had, clearly was filled with things; opening it up, she saw various trinkets, such as daggers, jewellery and what looked like a whole Pai Sho set.

"Did your father and uncle ever play Pai Sho together?" she asked Zuko, actually curious if the two royals had ever played the game together; the Prince didn't seem to think her question was worthwhile, scoffing as he looked her way.

"My father doesn't play Pai Sho. He finds it boring and a waste of time." he retorted, and she picked up the box, taking it over to the table.

"Then what's this?" she indicated inside, the Prince raising a brow, picking up the folded Pai Sho board, examining it for a few seconds before he put it back in.

"That's... uh, a bit odd. I swear he didn't play." he reassured her of his claim, reaching into the box to pull out a bag of pieces, before he opened it up, glancing inside, "Huh, and there's actual pieces in here." he noted, before Mai turned her attention to the other things in the box.

"Where do you think he got all this from?" she asked the Prince, sure that he'd have a better idea of why Ozai had a box of random things like that.

"It doesn't look like things he'd like to own." Zuko conceded, before pulling out some of the Pai Sho pieces, "They're trophies." he declared, placing the pieces down on the table, revealing them to all be white lotus tiles, which had an association that they were looking for.

"You're saying he got these from the hideout?" she asked, eyeing the pieces, noting that they were scratched up, and in some cases singed by flames; clearly, they'd been through some wear and tear, and the story fit well enough, telling them for certain that he'd caught some White Lotus members, though if they were the ones at the hideout, she couldn't be certain.

"Maybe." he mumbled, "I don't really know." he admitted, before glancing at the other various objects in the box, "But maybe..." he whispered, reaching in, pulling out each item to eye them for a few moments, before placing them back.

"We should take these to the Intelligence Service for examination." he decided, "If they can get some idea where they came from, then maybe we'll know where Father's been, and where he might have gone."

"Well, I'd expect him to have a hideout if he's put so much effort into his crazy plans." she agreed with his point, knowing that they might be able to narrow his location down a little, which would certainly be easier than waiting for the Home Guard to come across his cronies somewhere and start a fight.

"So..." he mumbled, eyeing the lock that had opened the hidden doorway, "Are we going to check that out?"

"It's not like he's still in there." she argued, striding over to the mechanism, "We don't have all day." she gestured to it, and Zuko just raised his right hand, clenching it into a fist as he created a small fireball.

He launched it into the mechanism, which sounded off again, before the door opened, allowing her to step inside; she immediately realised that it would be too dark to walk around without some fire, so she snapped her fingers, hoping Zuko would get the message. He lit a small flame above his fist, using it to light up the passage as he stepped inside; the passageway went on for some distance, before it forked off in multiple directions, which didn't help them figure out where exactly it went, or what Ozai might have used it for.

The pair strode further in, Mai taking the lead as she eyed the walls, checking if there were any more mechanisms that might lead into other rooms, perhaps those hidden entirely otherwise. That was what she was expecting, knowing that the Royal Family must have had bunkers and similar things to use in the case of emergencies. Fire Lord Sozin struck her as being a rather paranoid man, given what he ended up doing to the Air Nomads, and seeing that he had been the main architect behind the palace's design, it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if there were a bounty of hidden rooms and places to hide anything he liked, including himself. When they reached the first fork, Zuko turned to face the passage, shooting his fireball down its length, lighting it up in the process; she noted another mechanism at the end of it, telling her that there had to be a room behind it.

"Should we check it?" she asked him, and the Prince simply nodded, pacing down the passageway as he lit up another torch for them.

When they reached the end, he shot the flames into the mechanism, causing the door to shunt open, revealing an unlit room, which he quickly lit up by sending flames into the various candles around the room. It was some kind of small armoury, set up with various pieces of armour, weapons, as well as robes that she'd expect soldiers and Imperial Firebenders to wear; importantly, there was no ordinary exit, as the room could only be accessed by a few of the firebending activated doors.

"This room must have been used recently." Zuko deduced, pointing to the floor, which was covered in dust, except for a few clear footprints, which must have appeared within the past few days, "I think this was the kind of thing we were looking for." he acknowledged with a smirk, clearly pleased with their finding.

"But will it tell us where he's gone?"

"Not really... but we know how." he explained, pointing at the armour, "He obviously dressed himself as an Imperial Firebender, or maybe a servant. Whatever it was, that has to be how he got out of here without going through the catacombs or something of the likes."

"Because that's the first place the Imperial Firebenders would have looked?" she asked, and Zuko nodded.

"Precisely." he confirmed, "They'd think that if my father was to flee, he'd go through the most direct route, and try to reach the outskirts that way, instead of just walking out in disguise."

"How can you be sure?" she asked, and Zuko knelt over, picking up what was unmistakably a razor blade, before he lit a flame in his hand, lighting it up to reveal that there were specks of black hair on the floor.

"Awfully suspicious, isn't it?" he asked her, clearly confident that they'd found their lead.

"So your father cut off his beard... and maybe his hair too, just to get away."

"I mean, he's vain, but not that vain. He could tolerate it." Zuko argued, before rising back to his feet, "We should tell uncle about this, and the Intelligence Service too. These passages could use a thorough search."

"And I thought you weren't so eager to trust them."

"I'm not, but we have to start somewhere."


With sweat dripping down her forehead, Princess Azula opened her eyes, realising that she couldn't sleep; it was the most basic activity, or rather, the only state where she didn't have to be active, think or do anything other than let her body recharge, yet she found herself unable to. It couldn't be due to the heat, and she proved this rather easily by pulling her sheets off and standing up; in her nightgowns, she found it rather cool, with the slightest draft coming from the ship's air conditioning system. She knew at once that she was just thinking too much, and was restless after a rather inactive day; despite her training with the Imperial Firebenders, she didn't exhaust herself in the slightest, but then again, she had no need to.

Azula sighed, wishing she could just climb back into bed, but decided that she would do something else; if her body didn't want to sleep in such a comfortable environment, she would put herself in an uncomfortable one to make it all the more enjoyable to lay in bed. So, without a moment's delay, she picked up her tunic, leggings and pants, exchanged them for her nightgown, drew her hair into a topknot, and planted her feet firmly in her boots. She had no need to wear anything else when she wasn't going out on her official duties, or any in danger; armour and fancy robes might have looked nice, but they were clunky and unnecessary for the most part.

Her mind momentarily flickered back to her uncle's regaling of what had happened on his own ship, and she tensed up, hoping that nothing like that happened on her own vessel. Ozai's ships might have been out at sea, plotting their next moves, ready to attack their next foe, but she and Commander Zhao had given them a righteous thrashing, and she was ready to do it again, even if she really didn't feel like returning to the danger of an encounter at sea.

She approached the door, unlocking it with the key she had sitting nearby, before glancing out; she knew that the Imperial Firebenders would still be patrolling about, albeit sluggishly and without much caution, given the time of day. She didn't want to have to deal with them, or explain what she was doing, or why she was up, so she elected to take as reclusive a path as possible to the deck. She took a quick turn down another hallway once she left her room, approaching a staircase that would lead up to an exit. It would place her right by the stern of the ship, forcing her to walk past the exposed engine of the vessel towards the main deck.

She heard footsteps outside, and stopped herself, wondering if she could be bothered talking to the guards just yet, and decided against it, instead turning back around, thinking of another place to go; she instead took herself down the main hallway, keeping her pacing slow as she approached the stairwell, not wanting to accidentally wake Ty Lee when she walked past her room. She was confident her friend wouldn't resist having a look if she heard somebody walking by that late at night. Once she reached the stairs, she quickly paced her way up, and reached what she had hoped to- the door out to the main deck.

When she got to that door, she pushed it ajar, momentarily glancing out to check if there were any guards on the deck, but to her luck, nobody was out at the moment; to keep to herself, Azula chose to sit herself down by the superstructure, below the bridge, where nobody would be able to see her unless they were at the bow. She knew that the patrols were necessary, in case somebody tried exactly what Sanyan and his assassins had, which meant the exterior of the ship had to be patrolled at night time especially, given that was the most opportune time to approach with a steamer or any other similarly small vessel.

She crossed her legs, and closed her eyes, listening to the wind as it whipped up the air around her, and the light rumbling of the ship underneath her; it was surprisingly calming, which wasn't her intention when she came outside; she wanted the chill of the evening wind to make her body want to go back inside and sleep in her warm bed. A warm Fire Nation night was what she was most comfortable with, after all, and she let herself smile as she sat there, just enjoying the moment of tranquillity she had found.

After a few minutes, she felt almost as if she could fall asleep sitting there, and her eyes flickered open, knowing she shouldn't, and she looked up towards the stars above her, eyeing them as they sparkling before her, their diversity enthralling her gaze. She didn't really know what stars were, and she was sure some people had ideas, but she would like to imagine they were something more than specks of light in the night sky. Her attention was drawn away from them when she heard some footsteps to her left, and she quickly turned to face the sound, her eyes meeting those of a servant girl, who had stepped out onto the deck from one of the lower exits. Though it took her a few moments, she recognised her face as belonging to Ning, the servant who had got caught up in her spat with Lo and Li.

"What are you doing here?" she asked the servant, whose shocked, uneasy face told her she was still afraid of her; Ning's eyes turned down, and she tried to look away, darting her gaze to the deck.

"I wanted some fresh air." she clarified, "I apologise for interrupting your meditation, your highness."

"Meditation?" she raised a brow, unsure if that was the best way to describe her intentions sitting outside, "This isn't meditation." she retorted, and instead of leaving, or apologising further, Ning just stood there, looking out towards the sea.

"Are we safe, Princess?" she asked her after a lull of silence between them, and Azula's gaze turned back up towards the stars, knowing that she couldn't be certain of much anymore, especially her safety.

"We are safer here than in port." she clarified, "But there are safer places... and times." she conceded the blunt truth, before eyeing Ning, "You're afraid." she gave her basic observation of the girl's attitude; she might have been a few years older than the Princess, but she lacked the same confidence and self-assurance, and after the dangers they had faced, she couldn't blame her for feeling that way.

Her father would call it weakness, but Azula couldn't believe that everyone was capable of facing danger with the same attitude that he did; that was the reason he was such a dangerous foe for her uncle, and why she might stand a chance against him. She wasn't afraid of him, not in the same way her brother probably was; she had feared his disapproval once, but that fear had been overcome by the unyielding rage she felt towards him and his treacherous, dishonourable actions. That anger had subsided, replaced by a frustrated acceptance of the new status quo, as it had become; the world had changed so much just because of one man's desires for power, the kind of power he was quite certain to inherit if he hadn't moved an inch against his brother.

"I-I'm sorry." Ning apologised once again, "I didn't mean to intrude."

"I didn't need to have this conversation." she retorted, before sighing, "Well, it's not much of a conversation... you obviously don't want to be here, and neither do I."

"I-" she mumbled, before glancing back to the water, "Well... I did want to sit somewhere." she conceded, indicating she had similar intentions to Azula, though what she sought out of staying outside was less clear; Ning seemed like she was either going to wait until she was tired, or to try and sleep outside, something rather crude and unseemly, but given her own experience sleeping, she found it hard to chide the girl for thinking about that.

"Sleeping out here wouldn't be comfortable." she warned her, and Ning nodded, before she paced along the deck slowly, moving a bit further away from the Princess.

"The wind is nice." she commented, before she sat herself down on the deck; Azula's mind turned back to when she had first purposefully spoken with Ning, and she couldn't help but feel that anger return.

She was so frustrated with Lo and Li, and their dogged loyalty to her father; she doubted they'd be of much use to him since they lost their trust with her, but she could imagine that they'd go and try to swear their loyalty back to him, probably just so they could have a little security; old women didn't have much of a place in society without any other family, and she guessed that if they could get out of the colonies, they'd head back to Ember Island, which was their home away from home.

That anger turned to unease when she remembered the fearful look on Ning's face; she had always been told by her uncle that harming innocents was wrong, and that fighting between two warriors was only fair when they were both entering with the intention to hurt each other. Though her interrogation of Ning had been nothing like a fight, it certainly wasn't fair of her to treat somebody who was clearly just an innocent commoner with such contempt and spite, all for some rather trivial inanimate object.

More than that, Ning had been the one to give her evidence of the twin's guilt; if she hadn't been completely honest, and caved to the Princess' interrogation to give a false confession out of fear, then Azula mightn't have ever found out that Lo and Li were actively doing her father's bidding and presumably, reporting back to him. They could have gotten Iroh killed if they were still around when she went to go save her uncle, and that made her realise that she needed to say something; she had barely spoken to Ning, or any of the other servants for that matter, for the whole time she had been on the ship, yet now she felt obliged.

"Ning." she spoke up, clearing her throat as she realised she had almost mumbled; the servant girl's head perked up as she realised she had just said her name, and she turned around, seeming slightly concerned.

"Did you want me to leave?" she asked, and Azula shook her head, rising to her feet; she approached her, and though she seemed uneasy with the Princess' eyes on her, she didn't move, like she was stunned.

"I owe you an apology." she admitted honestly; begrudging as she was to do so, she knew she couldn't lie to her and act like she was impartial after what happened with Lo and Li, "I interrogated you... and you told the truth. You did not mince your words, or try deflect blame somebody who wasn't actually deserving of it. Lo and Li were kicked off my ship because of you, and though you mightn't realise it... that may have just saved my uncle's life... all our lives, potentially." she admitted the truth as she saw it, Ning's expression shifting to one of shock as she listened to Azula.

"Wh-what... I didn't- I was afraid." she tried to reply, clearly just trying to express how she had felt at the time, "I thought- sorry... I'll just stay quiet." she forced herself to stop speaking, obviously thinking she would unintentionally say something out of turn now that the Princess had been frank with her.

"Honesty is a rare sight in our world." Azula gave her opinion, glancing out towards the water, as the other girl had been doing, "So, I am sorry for treating you as I did. You deserve more thanks than being ignored." she admitted, "Do the other servants know what happened?"

"Word spreads." she whispered, "It's a pretty small ship." she added, which amused the Princess; the ship wasn't physically small, even compared to battleships, but it was a small community in and of itself, and she was at the helm of it, aloof and uncaring of her lessers; at least, that was what she tried make herself into, wanting to be the kind of leader that they could fear and distantly respect.

"And do they think you're a traitor?" she asked her, "A thief?" she added, Ning's eyes showing a sense of apathy.

"They were afraid that somebody else might be caught out. Afraid... afraid of you."

"That was intentional." she assured her, and Ning cringed slightly, before nodding.

"Yes, but... not anymore."

"Not anymore?" she asked, "What do you mean?"

"You've stuck your neck out for the crew... for your guards... for your friend." Ning explained what she had seen over the course of the past few months while on the ship, making the Princess blink a few times, unsure if she was hearing her words correctly.

"I didn't do anything of the sort. I did my job, and kept my promises."

"And that makes you a good leader." Ning gave her opinion, "We trust you, Princess."

"Everyone on this ship could be killed if I am not careful... if we are all not careful. That's what you were asking me about. We're not safe, not really." she warned her, before sighing, "That's why I'm out here."

Ning just looked at her, seeming concerned, but whether about the Princess or her own safety was unclear; she turned her gaze back to the water and smiled, "Thank you. I don't like being lied to."

"Neither do I." she agreed with the sentiment, "We only have a few more days, and we will be back in the capital. You won't have to worry about being stuck in a cage on water." she assured her of their impending arrival, "There, you'll be safe. We'll all be safe."

"What about the conspiracy? I don't... I don't even want to act like I know anything about what's going on, but it sounds dangerous, from what the guards have been saying."

"It is... but I'm the target, Ning." she pointed at her own face, "I'm the one he wants."

Ning nodded, and rose back up to her feet, "I... I'm sorry."

"You're not the one sending people to kill your own children." she retorted, and the girl cringed.

"Of course, your highness, I'm not... but you don't deserve this weight on your shoulders. Nobody does."

"It is my honour and burden to serve my country... I only hope that others can do the same instead of serving their own greed."


The chamber chosen for the first meeting of the National Intelligence Council was rather small, and that surprised Zuko, expecting it to be a large gathering, though it became clear as he watched people file in that they were only the leading members of the Intelligence Service and Military Intelligence. Those people who could obviously be trusted to discuss matters of national security, with Zuko and General Mak the arbitrators of the discussions at hand, and the Prince personally representing the Fire Lord at the meeting, given that he did not have the time to go and sit through the deliberations.

Zuko didn't blame him, sure he would be in for a long, arduous discussion, with bouts of drawn out exposition, concerning various recent events in their nation, and once the formalities were out of the way, that was certainly what it seemed to be as each Director clarified exactly what intelligence was to be discussed at the meeting. The Prince already knew this, as the directives were given by his uncle to immediately begin planning intelligence-gathering operations concerning his father's plans and operations, even those in hindsight after the events at the capital over a week prior.

"Firstly, we are to discuss everything of interest concerning the first assassination attempt of the Fire Lord." the Director of Military Intelligence, Colonel Yujin, spoke up, and General Mak furrowed a brow, placing his hands together.

"Do we know how the Fire Lord's ship was able to be boarded without the navy spotting the assailants?"

"Intelligence suggests that Commanders Kinshu and Houken purposefully kept the path of the Fire Lord's ship unguarded, and documents gathered by Commander Zhong's men in the aftermath of the Houken's defeat indicate that there was an request to divert ships away from the area the Fire Lord's vessel was attacked due to the threat posed by pirates." one of the officers clarified, furrowing a brow, "It's probable that was a fabrication... and all later reports indicate there were no pirates found hiding in the Outer Islands, only some scant reports of a band of thieves robbing some stores in a port town."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me." Zuko admitted, placing his hands below his chin, "My father has tried to keep his operations as disguised as possible... he could be orchestrating things we will never connect to his conspiracy, at least before it's too late." he explained his thoughts on the danger of all that they didn't know, "Well... next was the attack at the port. Concerning my sister and the Avatar at Shazui." Zuko clarified what they needed to discuss next, and another officer flipped through some pages, before clearing his throat.

"The circumstances suggest, given Colonel Bao's treachery, that his men may have purposefully been drawn away from the base's southern flank so the assassins could reach it unimpeded."

"But the Fire Lord wasn't there at the time." Mak reminded him of a now well-known fact; Iroh had spent days following their arrival in the Earth Kingdom wandering through the woods, before he was rescued by Azula, if getting all that attention on him could be called a 'rescue' to begin with.

"Princess Azula was." the officer countered, a few whispers going between those on the table while Zuko just sat there, unsure if attacking his own daughter would do Ozai's plans any good at that point, "She was the highest ranked, most important individual in the region at the time... the assassins must have known she was going to come to assist the Fire Lord. Your Father would have known that, am I right, Prince Zuko?" he asked, the Prince sighing as he realised the officer had a good point; Ozai's knowledge about his children was quite up to speed, and his agents could use that to their advantage by targeting them when they stood as obstacles to his plans.

"Yes, he would have." he agreed, "So, Bao must have known my sister was going to arrive."

"I don't have any direct evidence, but it is probable that they were in correspondence before she arrived at Shazui." the officer noted, before furrowing a brow, "But they could not have anticipated the Avatar assisting your sister."

"No... I don't think anyone could have." he conceded, still surprised by the story he got from his uncle; Azula had effectively made friends with their nation's greatest enemy, and had been able to earn his trust within only the span of a few days, despite her rather lacklustre social skills.

"And then, there was what the Prince faced himself." Mak acknowledged, "What can be said of this, in relation to what happened to the Fire Lord?"

"The Home Guard investigated the site of the explosion as soon as news reached the barracks." another man spoke up, this one clearly a member of the intelligence service given his plain clothes, "We were given purview over their reports, and they suggested a plot against Prince Ozai's life. That presumption was clearly wrong, and perhaps intended by the Prince, given his body-double was killed in the explosion. This obviously was a distraction to the Intelligence Service, and once we learned of your supposed death, we immediately began investigating, and though we were barred from reading the Imperial Firebenders' reports on the movements of the royal family, we tried our best to reconstruct what had happened to you."

"That doesn't mean much anymore." Zuko retorted, "As you can clearly see, I am alive, and my father's men were the ones who tried to kill me."

"That is not all, your highness. We... well, we had our feelings about the Director being implicated in the attempt on your life, as he refused to allow us to open an investigation into the sinking of the ship you were purported to be travelling on. We only had fears for the safety of the Royal Family, and it wasn't even clear your father was involved at that point, but in hindsight, it is obvious that he was blocking our efforts by giving the Director and Imperial Firebenders orders." he explained further what the Intelligence Service had thought about the plot before it had been revealed, telling him that it may have only been a matter of time before they uncovered Ozai's role in the assassination attempts.

"Was there any other suspicions you had within the organisation itself?" he asked the operative, who furrowed a brow.

"Everyone in this meeting has been vetted to the highest degree. Those who aren't here don't know what we're discussing, or whatever decisions you and the General come to." he acknowledged, "The rest of the Intelligence Service is... well, frankly, there is no telling who may be part of the conspiracy against the Fire Lord."

"That is the problem I need you to solve." Zuko stressed, wanting to make clear that he required movement in that area if they were to stand a chance against Ozai, and that was just in the area of intelligence gathering.

"The Home Guard has already made a number of arrests, your highness." another spoke up, this time the Director of the Intelligence Service itself, Tandang, "The former Director included, obviously. They will all be properly interrogated, and the traitors will be rooted out... or perhaps, they may be scared into revealing themselves and their comrades."

The Prince raised a brow, finding such a plan to be striking, but reasonable, given their circumstances. Director Tandang was a middle aged man, with a mild-mannered and almost bookish look to him, not like the soldiers in the room, but despite that, he couldn't help but feel uneasy with his glare. He was a man who had objectives, just like Zuko, and he clearly was ready to use unconventional, if not ruthless means to ensure their enemy was defeated.

"Tandang... you don't suggest that we actually start stringing them up, do you?" Yujin asked him, "There needs to be some trials, at the very least."

"That is true. We don't run under martial law... we are civilians." Tandang acknowledged, before narrowing his eyes, "But treason is treason, there are no two ways about it."

"They have no reason to be afraid if they're not yet imprisoned... given all they have to fear is a lengthy trial where we may or may not be able to convict them of their crimes." Zuko conceded, "Intimidating those who might yet otherwise help my father, that ought to be our real aim."

"And will executing traitors do that?" Yujin asked him, "I mean to say, it may not play well with the public, especially if we're talking about civil servants, not deserters."

"There's no need to execute those we already have detained." Tandang suggested, before raising a brow, "Prince Zuko, you were thinking of spies and assassins, those who the public won't even know about, correct?"

"Yes." he confirmed, "They could be silenced, just like they tried to silence me... and the others would know. They'd be the only ones to know." the Prince argued, knowing that their enemies could be dealt with, and that might make them reconsider their own treachery; he knew that if so few were punished for their treason, none could fear retribution.

"Then there was the incident outside of Omashu." Yujin spoke up, placing his hands together as he narrowed his eyes, obviously not wanting to continue their perhaps disturbing conversation about ordering the deaths of any random person working for his father, "What is the latest assessment of how that debacle could occur?"

"In General Zhiying's defence, the Fire Lord was purportedly in hiding at the time, fearing for his safety." General Mak acknowledged, "But I am unsure on the specifics of how they were able to track the Fire Lord."

"My sister, obviously." Zuko retorted, "She was travelling in a state-of-the-art transport, a tank-train, which to their disadvantage, is probably more noticeable than a sky-bison or dragon flying across the horizon. It's a massive machine- if somebody couldn't track it, I'd be surprised."

"Your highness, such a vehicle was designed for speed and defence. How could the assailants even reach it?"

"Because they stopped." Zuko clarified, before holding his tongue, "My Uncle had to still go and have his negotiations with the King of Omashu... to ensure his peaceful surrender." he clarified, his words a complete farce, as he was more than well-aware, even before he understood the scope of the Order of the White Lotus, that his uncle was not there for negotiating the city's surrender; he couldn't tell the Council about the Order, not until it was wise to do so, or if he had no other choice.

"Well, we all heard that from the Fire Lord's debriefing." Yujin conceded, "The fact remains that the enemy were able to reach the camp itself without any reaction from the defenders. What are the possibilities we face here?"

"There are a number, sir." an officer spoke up, "The War Council were the ones who orchestrated the siege, and set out our defensive strategy, including the placement of camps. Traitors, probably more than just the Prince, sat among them; they could inform the assailants of a strategy to avoid patrols and make their way into the camp. There is also... the possibility that General Zhiying let them do it."

"That's impossible. If he really was in league with my father, he would have had his men attack my uncle while he was injured after the battle with Sanyan." Zuko retorted, sure that Zhiying would have seized the opportunity to attack Iroh once Azula was out of the picture, as Commander Kinshu and Colonel Bao certainly had.

"The Prince raises a good point." Mak conceded, "The General would have acted when he had the chance... but from what we know, he did not impede the Fire Lord's return to the homeland in the slightest."

"So, if there was anything, it was likely a co-conspirator within Zhiying's army. Nobody with enough authority to act on the Fire Lord himself, but enough to know how to prevent the assassins from being spotted." one of the officers concluded, "Should we request a vetting of Zhiying's subordinates, Director?"

"Yes. I will table that order as soon as possible... with the Fire Lord's approval, of course." he clarified, and Zuko raised a hand.

"Consider it approved. My uncle would not want those who nearly killed him to go unpunished, including those who aided them." Zuko stated his opinions, knowing his uncle well enough to believe that Yujin's request would be given assent.

"And then, what of the navy-" Yujin began, before the doors burst open, catching everyone's attention; before them stood an Imperial Firebender, holding a scroll in his hand, obviously with news from the front, or some move made by Ozai.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?!" the Colonel demanded an answer out of the guard, who just turned his attention to Prince Zuko.

"A detachment of Home Guard troops, accompanied by members of the Intelligence Service, were attacked in Kakouko." he explained, referring to a town Zuko had heard of not too far from the caldera, "They were pinned down, and the Home Guard has been sent to capture the attackers... General Hikari believes them to be Ozai's agents."

"It may be a trap." Mak spoke up first, "We don't know why they attacked." he warned the table, turning his gaze to the guard, "What does this letter say about the circumstances?"

"I am not privy to the information shared at this meeting, or the operations of the Intelligence Service, but I assume one of you has spoken with the General about this." the guard replied, clearly knowing that the meeting and whatever operations were going on in Kakouko were above his clearance level; he placed the letter down on the table, "I will leave the rest to you."

As he left the room, the men and women chatted amongst themselves, clearly interested by the news, which was probably better in their eyes than discussing old matters, trying to piece together the conspiracy when they had a new attack at hand. Zuko cleared his throat, glancing around, deciding that if somebody was going to ask, it was going to be him.

"As the Fire Lord's representative here, I demand to know what exactly these men were sent to do."

"Well... we were going to get to it, your highness." Tandang spoke up, trying to defend his lack of details when it came to actually discussing the Intelligence Service's operations; from Zuko's own experiences, that seemed to be a common thing in the organisation, "They were sent to follow any leads about the escaping spies, Imperial Firebenders and assassins. This is only one of many leads, and the fact those sent were attacked tells us whoever they found must be important."

"It's close by." Mak noted, "Perhaps Hikari will be able to apprehend them before they can escape again."

"No, he won't." Zuko retorted, "I will." he declared, before rising to his feet, "As the most dangerous assassin my father could muster is already dead, I don't see any issue taking a squad of Imperial Firebenders and a tank-train to Kakouko." he made his intentions clear, earning a few shocked faces.

"You're... you're going to go... with no further intelligence? We don't even know if our people are still alive." Tandang warned him, and the Prince narrowed his eyes.

"If they're alive, I'll make sure they get back home. I am not just here to order you around, Director... I am here to protect my country."