With his hair covering his eyes, Sokka let out a yawn as he stretched out; he had had a fine sleep, but he knew he had to get up, and the sound of birds outside was getting on his nerves. He wanted to go shout at them to shut up so he could continue sleeping, but decided against that, knowing he had to get up at some point. Their campsite was rather secure, so he had little worry that they'd be attacked, but that didn't stop his stomach from grumbling. He would need to eat, and then pack up camp so they could get moving again. They needed to head north once again and return to the coast. They would be able to reach their destination, a Fire Navy base by the coast, a ways north of the great Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, within a day or so of flying, but they had to be cautious, given that they expected to face more bandits, or worse, Fire Nation forces loyal to Ozai, in the area.
He knew that Ba Sing Se had purportedly remained under the control of those loyal to Azula before the Dai Li take over, but that didn't mean that they remained so; he couldn't trust the reports they'd heard, given that there would be an incentive for any traitors to trick Azula into coming to them so she could be captured or worse. So, Sokka wanted to make sure they kept away from any Fire Nation forces they saw, even if they could be of aid against bandits or Dai Li forces they found.
He hadn't seen any evidence that the Dai Li had sent anyone beyond Ba Sing Se, not at least into the mountains, though it was one of the more remote and desolate parts of the Earth Kingdom. The Si Wong Desert would be the only place of less interest to them, though the sandbenders could possibly be used against the Fire Nation; he had only heard stories of them, all of which suggested that they were a force to be reckoned with. Sokka was sure that if they had the opportunity, he would try and see if they could be swayed to help their cause; he doubted they were all that interested in the goings on outside their desert home, like the Northern Water Tribe had been, but he had swayed the North.
Sokka pushed those thoughts aside, knowing they were pointless given he had no intention of heading out into the desert any time soon. He did, however, keep the thought of the Dai Li sending people after them in mind. He did not know what had happened to Long Feng, but imagined that he had been quickly replaced by some other conniving bastard, and guessed he'd have to get rid of him too.
That was why Azula wanted to turn the Dai Li's strength in on itself; the Fire Nation's own conflict had proved one thing to be certain- self-destruction was far more effective than being destroyed by outside forces. He smirked at the thought of the plotting agents, ever so viciously hunting each other down, believing them to be traitors or some other kind of undesirable. It would only take a few to send things tumbling down, if they had their own aspirations or fears about the future of their organisation.
He glanced to his side, where she was sleeping; her hair obscured her face, and she had pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. Azula seemed oddly peaceful lying there, but he couldn't help but notice her slight frown. Her resting face wasn't the nicest, but it said everything that needed to be said about the Princess. She was frustrated, and was constantly thinking about how to fix the situation she'd found herself in; she had done so much over the past few weeks, and yet, she didn't seem any happier for it.
He didn't even touch her, just pulling himself up and grabbing his tunic, "I'll get you breakfast." he whispered, unsure if she was half-asleep or truly in a slumber.
The fact she didn't respond told him it was probably the latter, and Sokka decided he'd still get her some food. She would need it if they were going to get to the base by night; she needed to be able to give a speech, meet with officers and important rebel leaders. That was what was required of her as she claimed her spot as the leader of their coalition, and made her position as the future Fire Lord clear.
He pulled his tunic over his body, fastened his waistband and tied his fabric armguards around his forearms; then he slipped his pants on and stepped out of the tent. It was still early, the sun only just above the horizon, colouring everything a golden hue. Nobody else was about except for a pair of Azula's guards, who were stationed by the campfire, keeping watch. It was Renshu and Yi, who were quietly speaking among themselves, though the latter gave Sokka a wave when he stepped out.
The Water Tribesman stepped into his boots, fastened them, and paced over towards the airship, where the rations awaited him; he would prepare something easy, like some noodles, dried vegetables and meat, and heat it all up over the fire. That would take time, but he wasn't in a great rush. He simply wanted to sate himself before he inevitably had to pack up camp and leave on their next flight.
The airship sat off in the distance, fastened down to the ground with a few ropes, though he doubted it was necessary; the craft was quite heavy, despite the balloon that buoyed it, meaning that without the engines running, it was unlikely to go anywhere, unless some earthbenders decided to attack the hilltop they were staying on. He hoped that nobody would be foolish enough to try that, knowing the field day that Azula and Toph would have wiping out anyone who tried to mess with them.
He approached the first ladder he could find, scaled it, and opened the door into the gondola; it left him in one of the storage holds of the airship, exactly what he was aiming for. He rummaged around briefly, but found what he was looking for; a ration pack, which had all the food he'd need to make Azula and himself breakfast. He had some cutlery and bowls in his bag back at the tent, and was ready to leave when he heard somebody clear their throat.
Sokka turned his head, and was surprised to see it was the Mechanist, who had joined them in travelling on the airship, given it was only him and not his whole group coming to Ba Sing Se. The rest were marching south, and had been promised temporary protection by Major Yu's forces as they moved through on their way to Ba Sing Se. He knew that the man must have been worried about them, his son among them, and he could see the bags under his eyes.
"Good morning." the Mechanist greeted him, and Sokka awkwardly raised a hand to wave in response.
"Hi." he responded, before pacing out of the cargo hold, "Did you just get up?"
"I had a rough sleep." he admitted, "I know I should be happy that Bahen was dealt with, and my people are safe... but I can't be sure of that when I'm not with them."
"I understand." Sokka assured him, "I've been away from my village for months, not knowing if everyone's safe. The Southern Raiders are always breathing down our necks, but I'm sure some of the warriors stayed behind to keep an eye on them." he explained what he was feeling about his own people, "It was my sacrifice to come along and leave them... again."
"For the Princess?"
"I guess you could say that, but Aang coming back changed things. I couldn't just do nothing." he argued, knowing that with the Avatar's return, there was a real hope of balance returning between the Four Nations; the anguish his people had suffered would finally come to a close, and the Southern Raiders would face justice for their crimes against his people.
Sokka had realised that revenge was a fruitless endeavour without a plan, and that's why he appreciated Azula's insights; she knew how the Fire Nation operated, how they supplied themselves, and coordinated their efforts. When the time came, she, of all people, would know how to bring their reign of terror over his people to a swift and brutal end. He knew he wouldn't be the one chopping heads and immolating people, so he wouldn't have any guilt on his conscience, and part of him was happy it was going to happen. However, he had a ringing feeling in the back of his head that all that bloodlust and slaughter would do him no good; his mother was dead- she wasn't going to come back just because they destroyed her killers.
"And it isn't for her... it's for justice." he added, "I will make sure she sits on that burning throne so my people can know peace, and so she can do what she was born to do."
"You think it's her destiny to destroy her father?" he asked, sounding sceptical of that concept; it wasn't what Sokka was getting at in any case.
"No, to rule." he argued, "And she's not just the daughter of the Fire Lord. She's a descendant of Avatar Roku as well." he stressed, and the Mechanist raised a brow.
"That's..." he mumbled, "That's why she has the headpiece... I didn't realise she meant her 'right' so seriously."
"Her uncle knew it was meant to be hers.." he acknowledged, "And I think it fits."
"Makes her seem... more regal." he acknowledged, and the Water Tribesman chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." he agreed, and stepped past him, "I'm going to make myself breakfast, you're welcome to join me."
"Uh... yes, I just need to..." he began, pointing his finger around at the cargo hold, presumably trying to figure out where the food was stored.
"Just over there." Sokka pointed out where he'd gotten the ration pack from; he retrieved one of them, and followed the Water Tribesman back to the campfire, which lay not far from where his and Azula's tent was hoisted up.
Renshu and Yi were still chatting amongst themselves, and the former turned to eye Sokka as he approached.
"Morning, Sokka. Are you acquainting our new companion with the supplies?" he asked, and he nodded.
"Yeah, I don't think he'd looked in there before." he explained his thoughts on the matter, and the Mechanist made a sheepish smile as he sat himself down by the fire.
"I knew there was food in there... I just never had to ask. The courtesy of having food cooked for me when I'm doing little work is appreciated."
"Don't mention it." Yi assured him, "You're here because you're going to be very useful to her majesty's coalition... and the expertise with the giant balloon helps." he gestured at the airship, making the inventor laugh.
"That thing is far beyond my initial designs. I imagined a basket with an engine and a single non-rigid balloon... not this thing. It looks like a flying ship."
"That's why it's the airship and not the aircart." Sokka joked, making Renshu and Yi snicker, though the former covered up his laughing with his hand.
"I would very much like to see the application of these crafts outside of combat." the Mechanist acknowledged, "A cargo vessel would help trade and business across the vast interior of the country." he noted, and Sokka nodded.
"They'd be pretty useful down south as well... the ice makes it hard to get ships around, so flying would be faster." he agreed with the point he was making, and how it could be applied in his own country.
"Airships are the future." he declared, "I just hope we don't have to see all too much wanton destruction before we reach it."
"As do I." he agreed, and Renshu let out a snicker.
"Unfortunately, wars were never won with words alone."
"If the Princess is as capable as she seems, then maybe she just might get that done in Ba Sing Se." the Mechanist noted, his optimism was a little uplifting and a change of pace.
However, Sokka didn't agree with his way of viewing things; words were not going to be enough, even if they were his preferred weapon. He'd had enough fighting for one life, but there was still more to be done; luck was not on his side when it came to his desire to catch a break.
"No, it won't just be words. Words won't overthrow the Dai Li... only people can." he argued, before sighing, "Not that that's our immediate concern. We have to actually get inside the city before anything else."
"It will certainly be a challenge, especially if loyalists still hold the Outer Walls. They'll be stopping anyone and anything that tries to approach the Inner Walls." Renshu gave his own opinion; Sokka agreed, knowing that a direct conflict between the loyalists to Azula and the Dai Li would only make it so much harder to enter the city.
As much as he would appreciate their assistance, if they had been defeated, the Dai Li would be holding the Outer Walls and would obviously struggle to man all of it. Even with the massive population of Ba Sing Se, their security concerns would likely be focused inward. They were designed to protect the status quo of the city before the war, and had done so effectively for hundreds of years.
"Well, for our sake, let's hope they've given up and run for the colonies." Sokka admitted his own thoughts, and Renshu and Yi both cringed.
"I wouldn't wish that upon anyone... not after what we had to do after Yu Dao." Yi spoke frankly, flicking a fireball from his palm into the fire, before drawing more flames out back into his palm, which must have amounted to mere fidgeting for a skilled firebender, "This war isn't kind to anyone... friend or foe."
"Unless you're some war industrialist." Sokka noted, and Renshu's gaze averted his own.
"Takumi." he mumbled the name of the man they'd made bed with to secure armaments and Shengchang; though he was not fighting like any soldier, his actions were always going to lead to somebody getting weapons and somebody getting killed with them.
Sokka couldn't hate on him so much as he benefited from his aid, but he couldn't find honour in making money off of the war that he himself had partially caused. He knew he was only one piece on the Pai Sho board, strung out by the White Lotus and Azula for their own ends, though at least in the latter's case, she was always open about her intentions.
"I have not got a single coin for my efforts." the Mechanist raised his voice, "But, I feel all the shame without a bag of gold in recompense." he admitted, sounding amused by the sad state of his life; Sokka thought that his inventions had been put to terrible use by the Fire Nation, and were still being used for violence, by Sokka himself in any case, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.
"Don't wallow in it, there is nothing we can do about our past deeds... The spirits will judge us all." Renshu acknowledged, before sighing, "If you believe in an afterlife, that is." he added, as if to hedge himself; Sokka didn't know what to think, but he knew that the spirits were real, and that they did pose some danger to people.
In death, perhaps they'd be worse, but he could not know, because he was not dead. The only living person who communed with the dead was the Avatar, and he guessed their spirit was a stark exception to the rule. He thought to ask Aang about it, but he knew the boy was just a boy- he could not know what was truly going on, even if he was taught things by the monks.
"Way to ruin the mood, sir." Yi chided him, before gesturing to the rations Sokka had brought out, "You gonna cook your breakfast, or what?"
"Uh, yeah, that's the plan." he nodded, before opening up the box of rations; it was partitioned into noodles, dried vegetables, meat, and some seasoning.
All he needed to do was cook it in a pot, which was already sitting nearby the fire; he poured some water from the skin he had fastened to his belt, and sat the pot over the embers that were left over from the fire that had been burning the night prior. The Mechanist followed suit, and filled a pot with water from a flask Yi handed him, before placing it down on the fire.
Once the water was set to boil, Sokka sat himself back down, and glanced over at his tent; Azula had yet to wake up, despite them talking nearby, though perhaps she was too groggy and messy to leave the tent just yet. He knew she was a little obsessed with her self-image, especially now that they were leading an alliance to take down the Dai Li. If she wasn't outwardly appearing to be the Fire Lord, then people would find it harder to believe she was truly capable of achieving what she claimed she could.
"So, what's the chance we have to fight some more bandits before we reach the base?" Yi asked the group, and Renshu grimaced, not seeming very confident in their chances.
"This is a lawless land... I'd prefer bandits to fighting some not so friendly rebels, though." Renshu acknowledged.
"What's the difference?" Yi joked, and Sokka grimaced.
"They'd kill you, they wouldn't kill me." he admitted bluntly, and Yi shrugged his shoulders.
"I thought we got pretty good at playing peasants." he argued, and Renshu raised a hand.
"Not when we're protecting our Fire Lord." he reminded him, "And making enemies out of potential allies will only sour her majesty's mood."
"So, you're more concerned about how the Princess feels over how safe she is?" the Mechanist asked, assuming a lot, though Sokka didn't think it was the most inaccurate way of viewing things.
"I wouldn't say that." the Captain firmly responded, though the pause told them that wasn't really what he thought.
"A pissed off Azula is more of a nuisance to you, especially if she decides to enact... justice." he acknowledged, knowing that if Azula's emotions got the better of her, she could cause them more problems that merely just a few antagonistic rebels.
"We are sworn to protect the Fire Lord, not massacre villages." he acknowledged, before narrowing his eyes, "Not that I expect her to order us to do so... not anymore."
"Azula's always been rational." Sokka reminded them, before sighing, "But to say we're not in the best position at the moment would be an understatement... if this plan to defeat the Dai Li and fix the Earth Kingdom fails, then we're facing the full brunt of Ozai's loyalists, and the might of the Fire Nation, basically alone."
"That's why we have the Avatar." Yi argued, "I mean, he's a kid, but he'll protect us, if it comes down to it."
"And he'd prefer not to fight at all." Sokka reminded him, "That's why we need to make a move on the capital at the earliest opportunity. The longer we fight, the more of a chance we have of getting cornered and things... not going our way."
"I can't imagine what he'd do." the Mechanist mumbled, "I've heard stories... but I can't say I'd like to see it."
"No, you wouldn't." Sokka agreed with his assumption, "Let's not worry about that, at least not yet."
He then glanced over at the pot, and saw it was ready for the food; he tossed what was in the ration pack inside, before beginning to stir it, making sure the seasoning was mixed around thoroughly with the meat, vegetables, and noodles.
"Bandits couldn't scare him enough to do something like that." Renshu argued, "The last ones were only a nuisance because he was giving them state of the art weaponry." he gestured to the Mechanist, "The Dai Li, however... the brainwashing alone is something to worry about."
"Perhaps we should figure out a back-up plan." Yi admitted, "How to deal with each other... if- well, you know."
"Spirits willing they take one of us and not her majesty, Ty Lee or Sokka." Renshu admitted his own thoughts on the matter, "A firebender, we can handle, a chi-blocker or master of lightning generation, not so much."
"Yeah, I'd kick your asses." Sokka declared with a smirk, his words a bit of a joke, knowing that Ty Lee would be more dangerous than himself, and Azula more than her; the Princess had no moral qualms about killing, so if she was being brainwashed into thinking they were her foes, then things might go terribly.
He would rather not dwell on it, but he could not deny the possibilities; he guessed that back in Ba Sing Se, that had been the Dai Li's intention all along. Brainwash Sokka, trick Azula into getting captured, and then brainwashing her; that would allow them, with a few extra, simple steps, to take over the Fire Nation. Ozai was one thing, but an army of brainwashed officers, bureaucrats, all led by Azula, who was being forced to do their bidding, was another thing entirely.
"That's why they need to be stopped." he added after a few moments of awkward silence, "If they can do that, they can do anything... as long as they get their hands on us." he acknowledged, and Renshu nodded, clenching a fist.
"So, when we strike, we strike hard. No half measures." he declared, "They die, or we die. We will not let them make us their slaves... that would be a fate worse than death. If I was forced by them to kill my comrades... if you had to kill your own kin... how could you live with yourself?" he asked the Water Tribesman, who sighed.
"I'd struggle." he admitted quietly, "You're right, Captain."
"The spirits know I am." he retorted, "Your inventiveness might help us with this issue." he addressed the Mechanist, who had been silently listening along.
"Gas." he abruptly responded, before realising they were confused by what he was trying to say, "All people need air to breathe... to stay conscious. So, gas them out. They hide underneath the city, from what I understand, but if they cannot breathe, they cannot hide. In the open, they're just like any other army of earthbenders... and I know you firebenders can handle that well enough."
"Depends on the earthbender." Yi conceded, "Anyone like that Toph girl... we cannot. If they can hide and hit us at the same time, we're as good as dead."
"That's where the gas part helps again." Sokka realised, "What would you use?"
"Something that can be procured easily enough, in large quantities. Byproducts of industrial work." he explained, and the two firebenders glanced at each other.
"Fumes?" Yi asked his superior, who nodded.
"That's what I was thinking. The stuff that comes out of ships is bad enough."
"Fire itself works." the Mechanist acknowledged, "It gets rid of air you could otherwise breathe."
"But fire can't get through walls." Sokka realised, and Renshu shook his head.
"Neither can fumes." he added, "What about something that would react with dirt and stone? Like the chemicals they use in mines in the homeland." he suggested, and the Mechanist raised a brow.
"I mean, if you can procure it." he mumbled, "Where would you find that?"
"I am sure the military engineers stock some of it, but not enough for what you're suggesting... and you'd need that, and something that people couldn't breathe in."
"Sounds like a massive job. We could just use earthbenders instead." Sokka argued, and the Mechanist nodded.
"Certainly, but could you beat the Dai Li in a fair fight with this coalition you've gathered?"
"I don't know." the warrior admitted; he didn't want to see the unknowns for the danger they were, but ignoring them was a recipe for disaster, "We can't fight them fair."
"No you cannot." he heard Azula's voice behind himself, and turned to see that she had risen from her slumber.
"How long have you been standing there?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes, striding towards the campfire.
"A few moments, but I could hear you talking from inside." she clarified, sitting herself down beside him, "How much longer for breakfast?"
He glanced at the pot and raised a finger, "Not much longer." he assured her, "I'll pour out the water as soon as it looks good."
She didn't respond, and just glanced over at the Mechanist, "Are you sure your little gas idea would even work?"
"We had a problem back at the Northern Air Temple. Gases leaked into a lower portion, and we couldn't go in there. It was dark, and flames would set the gas alight... you couldn't breathe well in there, and trying to air it out would endanger everyone inside. So we just left it as it was." he explained what he knew, "If you used something like that in a cave, or a tunnel system... people couldn't do much. No torchlight means no sight, unless you're like the Blind Bandit."
"Did she tell you to call her that?" Azula interrupted him, and he sheepishly smiled.
"Oh, I- uh, she said-"
"Her name's Toph." she clarified, raising a finger, "She's a soldier, not a wrestler."
"Anymore." Sokka added quietly.
"Has she stolen anything?" Azula asked her, and he let out a snicker as a comeback appeared in his mind; the image of a blue dragon, and then Azula beside it- one could never be confused for the other.
"And from what I can tell, you're definitely not a dragon." he retorted, and the Princess winced upon hearing his words; she looked conflicted, probably appreciating the wit of his comeback but was still offended all the same.
"The Blue Dragon is clearly a metaphor." she argued back after a few moments of awkward silence, "Bandits are real."
"Dragons are real, your highness." Yi spoke up, before cringing as he realised it wasn't his place to speak; Azula didn't seem mad, and pointed a finger his way.
"Certainly, but have you ever seen one?"
"Only drawings or statues, your highness." he responded, sounding wholly truthful.
"Precisely, because my uncle killed the last one when you were but a child." she declared, almost sounding proud of her uncle; that pride evaporated quickly, "A stupid move, if you ask me."
"Dragons are better than airships." Renshu agreed with her, before his eyes turned to The Mechanist, "I mean no offence... but a dragon is a dragon."
"And a machine is a machine." he acknowledged, raising a finger to his chin, "Machines are used more than ever, and dragons are dead. People prefer what they can control."
"I think that says more about my grandfather than it says about people in general." Azula observed, "We cannot undo what has been done... so, the airships will have to do."
"For now." Sokka added, "I'm sure there's something even greater someone could create... something that cannot be defeated so easily."
"The only thing I can imagine of the sort is the Avatar... and there's only one of them." she added, before narrowing her eyes, "I do not understand the spirits... but I think we can agree, to trifle with them is a fool's endeavour."
"I won't miss a chance to call Zhao an idiot." Sokka raised a fist, and Renshu thumped his chest.
"Neither will I." he declared, and the Princess almost laughed; she just raised her fist and smiled instead.
"Malicious stupidity, the greatest vice of the greatest leaders." she acknowledged, and Sokka snickered.
"Great is a bit of a stretch."
"Do not sell him short. He knew what he was doing, at least when it came to making my loyalists into his servile dogs... less so when it came to actually making a plan to destroy his enemies. I had to give him one." she acknowledged with a hand on her chest.
"I don't know if that is something to be proud of." The Mechanist acknowledged, and she turned her eyes to face his own, seeming colder than usual.
"Pride has nothing to do with it. I have proved that I can control affairs beyond a common person's reach... and though I will admit there have been struggles along the way, I am not planning to fall over and snap my neck any time soon."
"That's... a bit of a morbid way to put it." Renshu acknowledged, seeming genuinely concerned by her words; perhaps it was because she was suggesting her own death could come so easy, and deprive him of his duty and sense of meaning, through no fault of his own, "Perhaps we ought to give you a helmet, your majesty."
"I could use one while in uniform." she acknowledged, before sighing, "But it does seem to discredit an aura of fearlessness, wouldn't you agree?"
"I wear a helmet most of my waking hours." he reminded her, and Sokka snickered.
"Because it's your uniform." he countered, "I prefer to not wear a helmet. They obscure my vision." he argued his own opinion, and Azula nodded.
"That is true. When you're out in the woods like this, a helmet is more of a danger keeping you unaware than a rock being pelted at your head." she argued, and Sokka cringed, knowing that if they did come face to face with some bandits, or less than friendly Earth Kingdom fighters, then that was more than likely.
"You say that in the Earth Kingdom of all places." Sokka reminded her where they were precisely, and she smirked, raising her hands up.
"Earthbenders aren't all Toph. They aren't fast or ruthless enough to hit me before I know they're onto me." she argued, before eyeing the pot that Sokka was stirring, "Is that done?"
"Probably." he nodded, and poured the water out, leaving the noodles, vegetables, and the few pieces of meat that he had cooked inside.
He scooped some of it up into a bowl, and handed that to Azula, before making his own. Then Sokka sat himself down, and began to eat; he was fast, because he was in dire need of his breakfast. He scoffed down most of the noodles and vegetables; he realised that he had just divided a ration pack with Azula, but he knew he was going to do that in the first place. He would prefer to have more food spread across the day in any case; Sokka always had snacks, so he didn't see much reason in having big meals unless there was an occasion for it.
Azula seemed disgusted by his lack of manners, but she was barely any slower than himself; she just was more elegant about it, using her chopsticks to pick up pieces of vegetables and meat, and eating them piece by piece, before slurping up some noodles. When they were both done, he turned to face her and smiled.
"So, was it good?"
"It was navy rations, Sokka. So... better than half the stuff I ate back in your village."
"Hey!" he exclaimed, now sorely offended, mostly on his Gran-Gran's behalf, "The food wasn't that bad."
"I didn't say it was bad, I'm saying that this stuff is more consistent." she argued, before wiping her lips, "Now stop being such a sook about it. We both know I still like Water Tribe food."
"I can't say the same." Renshu admitted, and Sokka chuckled.
"You were in prison there for a day... I doubt the food was that bad."
"It was strange, that's all I'll say of it." he made himself clear.
Sokka didn't expect any random Fire Nation person to just enjoy his people's cuisine, especially given how different it was, with stewed sea prunes, seaweed instead of rice or wheat noodles, and all manner of meats, like seal and polar bear dog. He personally enjoyed most kinds of food, because that was just the kind of person he was. He loved food, and actually thought Fire Nation food was very good, even if it was a bit too spicy at times.
"I'm interested in what you eat in the Water Tribes." The Mechanist admitted, and Sokka raised a finger.
"Well, when we reach the encampment on the coast, where the warriors will be, be sure to join in one of the communal meals. I'm sure you'll find something you'll like." he explained that he'd be getting an opportunity to eat their food quite soon, "Though given it'll be long-lasting stuff, I doubt it will be as nice as what we eat at home."
"What are you saying? It's probably mostly jerky." the Princess reminded him, and Sokka licked his lips.
"Oh, you've gotten me excited already."
"It takes a special kind of person to get that giddy about food, especially salted meat." Renshu noted, his snide mocking tone was nothing new to Sokka.
Azula seemed unamused by his words, but didn't intervene; she did however, grab Sokka by the arm and force him to stand up with her.
"What are we doing?" he asked her, and she gestured over to the airship.
"We need to clean our dishes." she told him, and he raised a brow.
"Wait, why don't we just ask Katara to bend some water for us. I'm sure we could just reuse the water I tossed out of the pot." he gestured to the ground, and his girlfriend sighed.
"I'm not relying on her to do my dishes of all things." she responded, seeming more frustrated than the situation warranted, "If I were in her shoes, I would be offended by the mere suggestion."
"What are you saying? Katara loves helping out." he argued, and she rolled her eyes.
"How can I see her more clearly than you can?" she rhetorically asked, before turning her heels to pace over towards the airship.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked her, and Renshu snickered.
"Your sister is responsible, that's what she's saying." he explained, "That doesn't mean she's going to enjoy doing a chore you could very well do yourself."
"No, I got that... but I mean, it's not that hard for her to just bend us some water. It's like walking for a non-bender... you're acting like it's a big ask." he tried to make a counterargument, knowing that his sister wouldn't really be that mad at him for asking.
"You can't understand." Yi sighed, "Not that we'd expect you to." he added, "Just go after her majesty before she actually gets mad at you."
"I mean, I should be glad she's defending Katara... that means she likes her!" he proclaimed, still happy to find a positive spin on the turn of events.
"Eh, I think sympathy and liking people are two very different things." Renshu acknowledged, before narrowing his eyes, "Though, you're probably not wrong. The Princess trusts your sister and the others."
"Yeah, well, I'll go... uh, deal with that." Sokka decided, pacing back over towards the airship with his bowl and cutlery.
When he reached the rear, he could see Azula there by one of the water tanks, preparing a bucket of water to wash her dishes in; she had already filled it with water, but was quickly heating it up with her firebending. That almost made him laugh, given how she was reprimanding him for asking Katara to use her bending to help them wash their dishes. The Princess only acknowledged his presence with a glance, and he stepped up beside her, before placing his dishes down beside her own.
"I didn't mean to offend." he gave an apology, hoping that would sate her, and she shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't care that much... but you have little understanding of how a bender thinks." she warned him, "You ought to learn, so you can deal with them in battle."
"I think I deal with them pretty well." he bragged, knowing that with chi-blocking and all his weapons he was a force to be reckoned with, "They always underestimate the non-bender."
"I am as guilty of that as any other bender." she conceded, "Your tenacity has saved our behinds more than once before."
"Huh... I don't know whether I should be happy or worried that you're complimenting me." he mumbled quietly, before turning his gaze down to the bucket, noting how she was using her firebending to heat up the water to the point it started to give off steam, "So, what about your pride?"
"I've done this enough times." she retorted blankly, "And it's not as if you asked me to do this."
"Well, I didn't think how you could apply firebending to cleaning." he admitted honestly, "So... I'm more stupid than kind."
She held back a laugh, and shook her head, "I might call you an idiot, but that's for mistakes... not for any lack of intellect." she assured him, "Now stop being all sad and regretful. It doesn't suit you."
"Yeah, I'm better at being loud and annoying." he agreed with her, before putting the dishes into the now hot water, "Thanks for this."
"I'm just saving myself time. I want to get properly dressed and then get this airship moving." she explained her intentions, "Allies will not gather themselves."
"We're close enough to Ba Sing Se now that they might not want to even try to associate with us." he suggested, knowing that the Dai Li was like an octopus, with far reaching tentacles that got into everything and everyone.
Their power was silent, but he had seen it in action; if they had the chance, they would have them killed, or worse, brainwashed and turned into hidden traitors. He couldn't stomach the thought of betraying Azula, his sister, or any of the others. The Princess seemed to notice his unease, and placed a hand on his side.
"I am taking every precaution to make sure they cannot strike us." she assured him, "Toph will spot a liar in a crowd, and my men know what to look for. The behaviour of the Governor of Ba Sing Se and his lackeys was not obvious when we were among them, but in hindsight, it became obvious that something was wrong."
"I just don't know who we can trust." Sokka admitted, before chuckling, "Despite being a traitor to his own people, I will say the Mechanist is certainly somebody who can be. If the Dai Li had him in their grasp, he would not have had the chance to give the Fire Nation so many great advantages."
Sokka was unsure whether she was right; it would be a challenge to reach, let alone brainwash the Mechanist, but they didn't even need to do that. He could have just as easily made a deal with them, as he had the Fire Nation. However, after the mistreatment he had received from the Fire Nation under Zhao, he doubted he would be so eager to change one master for another.
"He probably wouldn't help them by choice, unless they threatened his community." he noted what really motivated the Mechanist, before narrowing his eyes, "We can't be sure if anyone hasn't been brainwashed by the Dai Li."
"I don't want to start fearing everyone is a potential traitor... but I've already been cautious enough with my own men." she acknowledged, before sighing, "We just have to win."
"Uh... yeah, I guess that's it." he cautiously agreed.
He wasn't feeling very confident with the threat looming over their heads, but he knew that at least the Dai Li's power was far less secure than it might have been before Ba Sing Se was taken by the Fire Nation. If the Fire Nation's present state of affairs was any indication, the Dai Li would crumble as soon as the people rose up against them. Achieving that was the real challenge, given how much everyone would rightly be afraid of them.
"We should probably be more worried about bandits out here." he added, knowing that even if considering another danger wasn't the best thing, it was probably a better use of their time.
"I've had a patrol around the hill at all hours." she assured him, "If they were coming for us... we'd already know."
"Only when they attack." he retorted, before sighing, "Let's hope we're lucky enough that they just try to steal fuel or rations... and not our heads."
"Heh." she snickered, "I'm sure my head would catch a fine price." she acknowledged, running a hand down one of her bangs.
"You really didn't need to say that." he pressed her, "I'm trying to calm down."
"Alright." she nodded, before kissing him on the cheek, "Does that help?"
"You're smart enough to know the answer." he slyly replied, before checking his dishes, seeing that they were now clean enough, having soaked and rumbled about in the bucket of hot water, "Should we wake the others?"
"Certainly." she agreed, before smirking, "But maybe we should take a patrol ourselves first."
"Why?" he asked, and she shrugged.
"I want to get some firebending practice done on the way." she explained herself, stretching her arms before she shot a fireball into the air above them, "I can never be prepared enough for a fight."
"Just don't use me as target practice." he requested, knowing she might try and test him; he appreciated it at times, but he'd only just gotten up and had his breakfast.
"What a brilliant idea." she smirked, Sokka stumbling back.
"At least let me put the dishes away first." he pleaded, and she waved him away.
"Fine... I need to get changed into some better clothes anyway." she explained, picking some of the dishes out of the bucket, before tossing them over to him; Sokka had enough experience with catching his boomerang that a few dishes were no issue.
She seemed impressed, if only slightly, and paced past him back in the direction of their tent, "Are you going to join me?"
"I can't tell how to read that." he conceded, and she laughed, placing a hand over her lips as she looked upon him with an exaggerated look of disgust.
"You probably stink in those already." she told him the blunt truth; he didn't disagree, but found the comment pointless given that they were about to go on patrol.
"But I'm about to exercise." he argued, and she pointed her index finger on his sternum.
"At least put on some armour. You never know... Momo might use you for target practice with some nuts and fruit."
"As stupid as that sounds..." he began, before imagining his head getting pelted by a nut, "I believe you."
"Of course you do, I'm always right."
For better or worse, Toph was more than familiar with walking through forests; once again, she was forced to find her way through a maze of trees and rough terrain, approaching her target, a village that lay at the bottom of the valley she was walking through. She was accompanied by a few of Azula's guards, while the rest split up and went to some other nearby villages, searching for allies they could recruit to their cause. She was to be picked up by the airship later in the day, with a report on whatever was going on in the village she was assigned to.
The three of them were clearly not relaxed, as their heartbeats and tense stances were strong enough indicators for her to judge them afraid. They were Imperial Firebenders, the elite of the elite, yet they were afraid of a little woods. However, that would be unfair of her, as she understood what they were really afraid of; they were not frontline soldiers, and without any knowledge of who or what they might encounter, they had to constantly be on guard. It was only the three of them, but Azula assured the guards that Toph was more than capable of protecting both them and herself. She was prideful of her abilities, but even she was unsure if she could defend them if she was attacked by surprise.
To surprise Toph would be a feat, but if somebody could do that, they could certainly defeat her; that was her great flaw, that if she couldn't sense or hear her opponent, then she was useless in a fight. She knew that a few villagers wouldn't pose such a threat, nor some bandits, but she couldn't be sure what they might face. They weren't there to fight, and Toph was specifically chosen because she was able to talk with Earth Kingdom commoners in the past, and had experience with rebel fighters. While that was all true, she wasn't sure they'd appreciate her bringing a pair of firebenders to their village in any case.
"We must be getting close." Yi mumbled, and Toph raised a hand.
"Be quiet." she whispered back, "I can sense some people ahead."
"Armed?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Some of them, at least." she admitted, before sensing ahead, "There's no defences, so I don't think these are proper soldiers."
"Bandits then." Hai, one of the other guards, concluded, and she shook her head.
"Don't say that until you see them... I'll rely on your judgement for that." she explained her plan, and both guards nodded, and crouched lower.
She paced ahead, and as she drew closer to the edge of the woods, and the village beyond, she could sense that the armed strangers had taken note of their presence, "Who goes there?!" she heard somebody call out, and she raised her hands up.
"We're not thieves!" she assured him, "In case that's what you were thinking."
"You'd certainly be terrible at your job if that was the case." the stranger acknowledged, and she sensed that person stepping forward.
They appeared to be the leader of the group of around a dozen that was already surrounding them; they were a mix of benders, who she guessed from their lack of weapons, and non-benders, who had a variety of polearms and blades. They had been waiting nearby, and she realised they must have noticed their approach earlier than she herself had realised they were waiting for her. That told hers they were trying to gauge their intent; though they weren't in full armour, it would not take a genius to figure out that her companions were firebenders. While Toph stepped into the open, the three guards with her were more cautious, and readied themselves into fighting stances; she raised a hand, not wanting to start a fight when it could be avoided.
"Stay back and just let me do the talking."
"Fine by me." Hai assured her, lowering his hands as she continued to approach.
"Who might you be, girl?" he asked her, "And why are you with firebenders?"
"Uh, I'm Toph." she named herself, placing a hand on her chest, "And those guys are here for my safety." she clarified, "In case you were bandits."
"We're not." he assured her, before glancing back, "Firebenders?" he asked his comrades, who seemed confused, if only by their stances and uneasy glances.
"We're here on behalf of Azula, I'm assuming you know who she is." she explained, and the leader paced forward, offering her a hand.
"My apologies, I didn't realise you worked for her." he admitted, sounding ashamed, "You and your friends have done us all a great service. We were afraid Bahen would come our way next... and I am glad we weren't the ones who had to fight him." he explained why he was so happy, "Please, come into our village... even if people mightn't trust firebenders, they've earned our hospitality from that fight."
She turned to face the guards and gave them a thumbs up of assurance, and with that, they came closer, still walking with an abundance of caution.
"There's no pit traps here, are there?" Hai asked her, and she cringed.
Truthfully, there were a number of them lining the path that led into the village, but she felt that telling him that would make him suspicious of the fighters.
"What would you like to hear?" she countered, and he cringed.
Yi understood what she meant by that, and stepped past his comrade, "They're defending their village, what do you expect?" he asked him, and Hai cringed, realising that his words would not earn him any favour.
The other guard, Kiban, seemed frustrated by the arguing, "Shut up, the both of you." he warned them, before forcing both of them to bow, "We thank you for not attacking us on sight."
"That's- uh, alright." the leader awkwardly acknowledged his words, before stepping closer to Toph, "So, might I ask, who exactly are you?"
"What do you mean?" she asked back, "I'm somebody fighting for my country, like you." she explained her stance on the war, which she thought would tell him what he needed to know about her.
She did not want to have to regale her life story to every interested leader that she came across, even if they might have enjoyed hearing it. It was not everyday that a noblewoman went from being a coddled child to a respected and renowned fighter against the Fire Nation.
"I mean... um, you're blind." he observed her lack of vision, and she rolled her eyes, knowing that was a sign of frustration; she didn't get it, but wanted to get her own feelings across to the stranger.
"Yes, and that doesn't stop me from earthbending." she argued, shooting a pillar of earth up beside her, and leaning her hand on it, "Can you bend in the dark?" she gave a simple analogy that ought to explain her abilities.
"Uh... my apologies." he bowed to her, seeming embarrassed for even having mentioned it.
"Stop it, everybody gets confused, you're not the first, and you won't be the last." she retorted, not wanting the man's pity, nor to stay on that topic, "I'm here because Azula wants to see if you'll join our forces." she explained her reasons for being in their village as bluntly as possible, "I don't mean like an army, I mean, a coalition."
"Like the civil wars of old." the fighter acknowledged, and she nodded.
"Yes, that's- uh, I didn't expect anyone here to be educated in history." she admitted, a little dumbfounded that a peasant would know about the warfare that plagued their nation before the conflict with the Fire Nation.
"I'm the headman's son." he clarified his own identity, "I was taught to read and write... so I am, well, aware enough of our nation's troubled past."
"Ah, well, that means you can figure out what we're doing."
"I can." he nodded, "Please, come with me. The elders of our village will want to speak with you."
"Even the firebenders?" she gestured to the guards behind her, who were still cautiously standing in form, despite the fighters from the village holding back.
"Yes, I understand why they're with you. These parts aren't safe, which is why our militia was formed to begin with."
She nodded, and followed after the leader; he led them into the village, which was like most Earth Kingdom settlements, built with a square or rectangular fence, with houses lined up inside the walls in a grid, with a single large hall at the opposite end from the gates. However, the outside of the village was filled with tents and makeshift huts, telling her that the population of the village was inflated beyond its usual numbers.
"Are you all from this village?" she asked him, and he shook his head.
"Some of us are from others, and a few are refugees or former soldiers. People who have an axe to grind with both bandits and the Fire Nation." he acknowledged their simple motivations; they wanted to protect their village, but more than that, they wanted their revenge- she could not blame them.
"Has the Fire Nation attacked here?" she asked, "I mean, recently." she added, and the leader shook his head.
"No, we haven't seen any Fire Nation troops since the old Fire Lord was killed... except, well, he wasn't." he explained, "However, they've sent out patrols from the walls in the past few months, so we know they're still rearing to fight us."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Yi spoke up, and the leader glanced over towards him.
"And why would you say that?"
"Our leader, Fire Lord Azula, established the guidelines for the occupation of Ba Sing Se all those months ago. She demanded that they remain only within the confines of the Outer Walls, except to protect Fire Nation trade routes and military bases. There's a few of those nearby. Maybe they were just resupplying them." he explained his own thoughts on the matter; Toph trusted what he had to say, given he and the other guards were there in Ba Sing Se when Azula reorganised things after deposing the previous governor.
By that point they were approaching the village hall, and a few elders walked out of it to greet them; one of them, a hunched over and diminutive woman, raised a hand towards the leader.
"Gan, thank you for bringing the outsiders in without a fight." she addressed him, "What is your business here, girl?" she asked her, and Toph placed a hand on her chest.
"I'm Toph. I was sent here by- uh, Fire Lord Azula, who is gathering a coalition to reunite the Earth Kingdom." she explained exactly why she was there, "I am here to see if you will be willing to join and aid our cause."
"A cause to unite the Earth Kingdom under her rule." one of the elders observed, rather snidely; she understood that suspicion, and hoped to alleviate it.
"I think you should hear her out first." Gan requested, and the elders glanced amongst themselves, before the old woman gestured at him.
"Go gather the other elders. Ying, Chun, and Ye." she requested, "Your father will want to speak with her in the meantime." she acknowledged, and Gan nodded.
"I know." he agreed, and turned his heels, "Make sure they haven't been followed here, I want patrols back the way they came."
"I can assure you, we haven't been." Toph stressed, "I can sense through the ground."
"You can- what kind of earthbender are you?" one of the elders asked with awe, and the old woman raised a hand.
"She's obviously skilled, but any girl can lie to us. So, let the headman speak with her." she reminded them of their intentions, and gestured inside the hall, "Please, Headman Shuo will want to hear what you have to say."
She nodded and paced up the stairs into the hall, which luckily had open doors; she didn't want to have to try and figure out how to work them when she wasn't touching the solid ground. She stepped inside, and heard a man address her.
"You're causing quite the commotion." he noted the result of their arrival, "Please, sit. All of you." he requested, and Toph stepped over until she found what seemed to be a cushion, and sat on it, in front of a hearth, which she could easily feel the warmth of, even in the middle of the day.
"So, you're the Headman?" Yi asked him, and he hummed in a way that told her that was true.
"Then let us get straight to the point." Toph spoke up, "I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't want the people protecting your village to turn on us because they can't trust a word we say."
"You are agents of the girl who calls herself the Fire Lord." the Headman observed, and whistled, "Ceng! Please get our guests some tea. I'm sure they've been walking for quite some time to reach our village."
"Uh... yes, but not as far as you'd think." Kiban acknowledged, "Thank you, sir."
"It is my honour to treat guests with courtesy. I would be a terrible leader if I did not."
Though Toph didn't find Azula to be the most likeable person, she understood that she was genuine in her intent to help fix the Earth Kingdom. Her motivations might have derived from a fear of the threat her nation might pose to the Fire Nation if led by somebody who didn't trust Azula herself, but it was unlikely they would unify without some kind of outside threat. Ozai was one, but at that very moment, he was focused on uniting Fire Nation territories under his control, not furthering their domination over the continent.
"So... what do you think?" she asked Shuo, who hummed with a low tone, still seeming to be considering the nature of their visit.
"I cannot trust those I do not know, so enlighten me, who are you, girl?"
"Urgh." she sighed, but nodded, "I am Toph Beifong, otherwise called the Blind Bandit."
"Beifong?" he questioned her, "I feel that I have heard that family name before."
"We're a noble family from Gaoling. The Beifongs have influence in other parts of the Earth Kingdom as well, both now and in the past."
"And what does a noblewoman have reason to be called the Blind Bandit?"
"It was my name when I was a- uh, wrestler." she admitted, unsure if the man would understand what that meant.
"So, you did earthbending duels for show?" he questioned if that was what she was referring to, and she nodded.
"Yes, that's what wrestling is." she confirmed, and he snickered.
"Ah, what I'd do to be a rebellious youth once again." he admitted with a wistful tone, before clapping his hands, "And I assume you weren't plucked out of some fighting pit by the Fire Lord."
"No, I wasn't." she assured him, "My wrestling career ended after the Fire Nation conquered my home. I was forced to live my ordinary... boring life there, and got sick of it. I wanted to stop the Fire Nation's crimes against my people, and I didn't want to have to deal with my overbearing parents either... so becoming a rebel was a win-win for me."
"You're being surprisingly... frank." Shuo admitted, and Toph raised a hand to her face.
"What did you expect? You want to trust me, so I'll tell you what you want to know. It's not as if I have some great secret to keep about myself."
"In some parts, being a noble might be a secret you'd want to keep. I'm sure you've heard the tales of what happens to maidens on the road." he warned her, and she scoffed.
"I might technically be a maiden, but I am under no threat when travelling. I'd be more worried about a sabre tooth moose lion than a rapacious bandit." she argued, though she kept her tone as soft as she could, not wanting to sound as if she was trying to lambast the old man; she could not blame him for at least being slightly concerned for her safety, given that he had not witnessed her earthbending.
"So then, a noblewoman turned rebel. I assume you've faced battle."
"Many." she assured him, "I travelled northwest from my hometown, fighting bandits and Fire Nation forces wherever I came across them, when their numbers were manageable."
"Manageable?" he raised a brow, "You mean like a squad."
"A squad is easy, especially when they can't see me coming." Toph assured him, though she cringed slightly, realising she was bragging, "I mean to say, my earthbending allows me to handle sneak attacks well. I can sense through the earth."
"An interesting ability." he acknowledged, before the floor creaked, suggesting he was moving closer or further from her, "I didn't want to risk insulting you, but you are blind, are you not?"
"I've been blind since birth." she confirmed, "I use earthbending to sense through the ground... I am unsure how similar it is to sight, but you can imagine it's like the vision you have, except only for things connected to the ground."
"Birds must be weird." he realised, and she snickered.
"I knew what a bird was before I could sense them." she clarified, and the Headman let out a laugh.
"My apologies, birds are- well, everywhere." he conceded his mistake, before clearing his throat, "And where did you serve?"
"In Omashu. New Omashu, to be specific. It was built under the mountains near the old city. Refugees, soldiers, and all sorts of odd people fled there. Everyone wanted to escape the Fire Nation, or their issues. I guess I was both of those." she explained where she had gone, "I fought under the command of the King of Omashu. He's an old man, but a great earthbender."
"I've heard of that man before. Bumi, was it? He defeated the Fire Nation many times... he was already famous when I was just a boy."
"And he keeps winning, though he isn't out commanding at the frontlines anymore." she conceded, knowing that was probably because Bumi preferred strategy to using brute force; he was more than capable of handling himself in a fight, but he preferred subterfuge and trickery to defeat his foes, "He was one the made the first deal with Azula, and many fighters from Omashu have joined our coalition. I came to train the Avatar."
"The Avatar." Shuo quietly uttered the title, "He is just a little boy, isn't he? That's what I've heard, and I can't say I've met anyone who's seen him personally."
"He's twelve... or a hundred and fourteen, depending on how you look at it. He's learning fast... hopefully he'll be able to help us deliver a final blow to Fire Lord Ozai." she explained what she was looking towards, "The Dai Li are the first thing for us to deal with. They have crippled the Earth Kingdom for too long with their political machinations."
"I have only heard rumours of their acts in Ba Sing Se, but nothing sounds very good. The mass murder of Fire Nation occupiers, that- well, I mean no offence, but I can only see that as a victory." he acknowledged, and the guards shuffled around, clearly not approving of the sentiment, "If my people were occupying your capital, I'm sure you'd feel the same way."
"Replacing the rule of foreigners with the rule of... whatever you want to call them? A secret government? A police state. That's what my father called it, whenever he had the guts to speak the truth." she explained what they were facing, and more importantly, what the people of Ba Sing Se had to deal with, "There can be no peace, no real Earth Kingdom, while they continue to play their games."
"You feel strongly on this?"
"No, not really." she admitted, "Ba Sing Se is one city, and I don't really like the place. But that is because of what the Dai Li made it into. The Earth Kingdom is just... rotting. It has been for a long time. Azula can see this, and she wants to make amends for what her ancestors have done."
"And replace the Dai Li with a government of her choosing." Shuo bluntly observed, before sighing, "But I guess if there are so many rebels joining her, they must be able to force her hand. Make it into a government for those who are actually fighting this war."
"Yeah, that's the idea." Toph nodded, "The Northern Water Tribe has sent an expeditionary force as well. They'll be aiding us, and will make sure she keeps her promise."
"And what do you men think? Will your Fire Lord just be the next in a long line of tyrants to use our nation's capital for her own ends?"
"The Fire Lord is no tyrant." Yi bluntly retorted, "I'm not saying that because she would string me up if I'd say otherwise. She has the understanding that we cannot defeat her father, and bring peace to the Four Nations, if we are divided amongst ourselves, always seeking more power. Her dispute with her brother is what caused this chaos, and now, we need to end it."
"So, you think she's had a change of heart?" he asked, and sighed, "Well, if that's really true, then why isn't she here to speak with me?"
"Because she's in another village doing exactly what we're doing right now." Toph clarified, "She cannot be everywhere at once, and we are racing against time. As soon as the Dai Li understands our intentions, they will try and hunt us down, and divide the coalition against itself."
"That won't be very hard." the Headman observed, before snapping his fingers, "Gan! You can come in."
"I have the other elders." he told him what Toph was expecting him to, and Shuo hummed.
"Good, bring everyone inside. They will want to hear what Toph here has to say." he told him, and with that, the elders shuffled inside, their footsteps pattering around her as everyone took their seats.
Once everyone was seated, Shuo cleared his throat, and spoke up, "Welcome. This is Toph Beifong, a fighter from Omashu, and the earthbending master of the Avatar. She has come to us with a proposition."
"As some of us are already aware of." one of the elders noted, "So, spit it out, what do you want from our village?"
"I don't want you to give us something, I want to give you an opportunity." she explained, recalling what Azula had told her to say; she wasn't going to quote her, as she was already educated enough on etiquette and rhetoric.
Despite her parents' fear for her safety, they had no issue teaching her how to put her loud mouth to use. Perhaps that was because, even if they didn't think a blind girl was capable of anything more than the simplest earthbending techniques, they did understand that she wasn't stupid. She could not read, but she had learned much from her tutors, and from her journeys across the Earth Kingdom.
"An opportunity to do what?" another elder asked, "Take our young men and women to go fight in a war they might have no hope of winning?"
"I-" Toph began, before sighing, "I am not asking you to fight the Fire Nation. There's no hope of facing them unless our nation is united, which it isn't." she argued, "But we can unite the Earth Kingdom. I think that will benefit everyone."
"So, you go all over and find everyone who might work with your Fire Lord and then declare yourselves the legitimate rulers of the land." the same elder warned her, "That does not sound like a way to win the hearts of the people."
"Because that is not the plan." Kiban assured them, "The Fire Lord is building a coalition to depose the Dai Li and establish a provisional government in Ba Sing Se. Then, all leaders within the coalition will decide for themselves how your nation will be governed. If you do not seek to partake in that, it will not harm you, but I assume that you want your voices heard." he explained the situation succinctly and fairly; he was obviously the more learned of the guards, and seemed to understand the Princess' plan in great detail.
"So, we should aid you because we will not have a say in things if we do not?" Shuo asked, and Toph cringed.
"No, I am sure that the rebels will all agree that some kind of representative government is necessary. There will be no authoritative voice commanding from Ba Sing Se, but a place for everyone to make their own points. At least, that seems to be what the Fire Lord wants, and what the other rebel leaders approve of."
"And these other rebel leaders, how much has the Fire Lord offered them?" one of the elders asked her, the same old woman from outside, "Bribing a peasant is a lot easier than bribing the nobles in the Inner Walls of Ba Sing Se."
"If you mean offering them self-governance of their own provinces, then yes, she's bribing them. That sounds better than hoping that the Fire Nation, bandits, or some ruthless warlord doesn't take over their lands... which they will, if we don't do anything about it."
"We're not exactly safe here." Gan admitted, "Sending men out to aid you will risk our village... even if Bahen is dealt with. Somebody might just take his place."
"And I promise you, if somebody does, we'll come back here and destroy them." Toph told him, hand on her chest, "I hate bad guys... that's half the reason I fight. If they want to harass your village, or any other village, then they'll face justice."
"Those are some big promises from one girl." the old woman acknowledged, "But you do not seem to be lying... your heart is in your words."
"Because I don't joke around with this stuff. I know that people like to talk high and mighty about politics, but in the end, what happens out here is more important than what is declared in Ba Sing Se, whether we win or not." she admitted, and Shuo sighed.
"And if you fail?" she suggested the worst case outcome.
"Then what can you do, hate us for trying?" she retorted, "I like fighting, but I'm sure you can all agree... this war has gone on for far too long. My whole life, and your whole lives too." she acknowledged, "And if I fail, then at least I would have died fighting for something more than myself. I used to be so... focused on my own petty grievances. I hated my parents for controlling me, but not those who were really causing the injustices that I could see in the world... I might be blind, but I understand this war."
"What is to say that failure is death?" Gan asked, "If that were the case in every battle, then we would have lost this war many years ago. It took the Fire Nation a hundred years to seize Ba Sing Se, and even then, that was with the aid of Sozin's Comet."
"I think you don't understand the Dai Li... and what they can do to any one of us." she acknowledged, and the elders remained silent.
"We've heard rumours. But they sound like the stories you'd tell children to make them behave." one of the elders acknowledged, her tone sounding fearful, "Controlling the minds of anyone they capture... is that really possible?"
"My friends have seen it in action, and it is no story. That is why death is preferable. They can make you their slaves far more easily than the Fire Nation can break the hearts of earthbenders and soldiers alike." she admitted bluntly; she did not take death lightly, but the thought of losing control of her own body, of her life, that terrified her more than anything, "I will die before they take my freedom to think." she declared, before raising a finger to point at the elders, "What do you think will happen if they expand their rule beyond Ba Sing Se? What will happen to you, the leaders of this village?"
"Nothing nice." Shuo acknowledged, "But I am rightly more concerned about the Fire Nation forces, deserters or loyal to one of the Fire Lords, coming here to take our lands and enslave us in a much more direct fashion."
"The Fire Lord has sworn to stop that... no matter if you aid us or not." Kiban declared, "It is what she seeks to stop, by reuniting our nation. Bringing peace among ourselves... that is the one way that we will have peace with the rest of the world."
"I understand that." the Headman acknowledged his point, though he didn't sound too convinced, "As much as she can promise, she cannot do much while she is not actually in power. She has a coalition of forces set on Ba Sing Se... what does that mean for the rest of us?"
"That we will deal with any threats along the way." Toph declared, "If anyone else like Bahen is out there, we'll stop them too." she assured him, and Shuo sighed.
"You are optimistic. I am doubtful that the lapse in power will last long."
"A new government will fill it with somebody more responsible." Toph acknowledged, "And they'll hunt down the rest of the bandits."
"Assuming you win against the Dai Li, and can persuade what remains of the army to help you." he noted the precondition of any assistance.
"We've had good luck so far." she argued, and sighed, "Plus, if I have to run, I'll come back this way anyway."
"So what, you'll run through our valleys and wipe out bandits just for what... the sport of it?"
"No, the principle." she retorted, "I will admit I like fighting, but fighting with purpose is much more fulfilling than just beating up people for show. Trust me, I know what it's like to do both."
"Well then, what exactly is the proposal?" one of the elders asked her.
"That some of your fighters join us in Ba Sing Se. That will give them an opportunity to represent this village, and the other villages they have come from, when a government is formed there." she explained, "The numbers will help against the army of stealthy earthbenders."
"I imagine." Shuo mumbled, "And this will be soon?"
"Azula probably has a complex plan in the works, and as soon as we have everyone together, it will be done."
"Probably?" an elder questioned her, "How can we trust a woman who probably has a plan?"
"I thought you'd be more concerned about her being the Fire Lord rather than not having a solid plan." she observed the sticking point that had been made.
"Well- I, uh..." the elder mumbled, lost for words.
"The Dai Li are tricky." Shuo addressed the elders, "We can't expect a plan to be formed without gauging their strength... which she could not do if she's been on the other side of the Earth Kingdom."
"Well then, I think we shall consider your offer, or your request, whatever what you might phrase it." one of the elders spoke up, indicating that her chance to speak had ended, "But we will decide if, and how many fighters may join you."
"If anyone joins us, they'll have to head overland to our forward base, or the walls themselves." she explained, rising to her feet, "So, if you want to help us, make the decision fast. Sooner or later, we're going to have to enter the city, or else fight the Dai Li on their terms, which- uh, I don't think anyone will like."
"Certainly not." Gan agreed with her, before clearing his throat, "I'll show the outsiders to the garden while you deliberate."
"Not without your tea." Shuo spoke up, snapping his fingers, "Ceng, is the tea ready?!" he called out, and a woman called back.
"Sorry Headman! It'll just be a moment!" she apologised, and a few moments later, Toph could heard her pattering footsteps approaching with a tray of cups that rattled.
She placed the tray down, and then Toph guessed she was pouring tea, offering cups to the strangers first; they accepted them, and Toph sipped from the cup preemptively, not wanting to spill the tea when she walked to the garden.
"Thank you." she acknowledged the courtesy, before turning her heels, pacing back the way she had come; when she got outside, Gan grasped her by the shoulder.
"This way, Toph." he clarified, and she turned her heels to the right, following his footsteps ahead across the deck that lay on the exterior of the hall.
Then she paced down some other stairs, and with her feet solidly on the ground, she could sense where she was. The garden wasn't all that big, but it was well maintained, with stones and well-trimmed trees dotting it, as well as a small pond, seemingly fed by a diversion from the nearby stream. Toph sat herself down on one of the rocks, and began to drink from her teacup.
"The tea is good." she acknowledged, and Gan chuckled.
"Ceng always makes it herself... tea is a fine art that is underappreciated by many."
"Heh." Yi snickered, and Gan seemed confused.
"Did I say something funny?" he asked, and the guard shook his head.
"No, it's just that you remind me of somebody."
"It's not just somebody." Kiban retorted, "You're thinking about him."
"The great Dragon of the West was the palace's tea connoisseur. I remember having to guard him as he went to the city market just because there was some trader bringing rare teas. A whole squad of guards for something that trivial." Yi explained his experience, and Toph put two and two together.
"Iroh." she mumbled, recalling that he did in fact spend a lot of time drinking tea while in New Omashu, "He does like his tea."
"So, you've met General Iroh." Gan realised, "I mean, I understand the guards, but how did you meet him?"
"He came to Omashu to try and settle the conflict there by returning the city to King Bumi. Things went... well, sideways, and then we found out that Zuko had been overthrown." she explained what happened then, and cringed, "He had to stay with us in the new city because Ozai's men would have tried to kill him on the way back to the colonies. He was- well, a welcome guest."
"Huh... well, I have no great love for the Dragon of the West, but... you describe him like he was actually liked by the people there."
"Well, some people. His guards and the soldiers he brought along didn't make many friends amongst the locals. I just hope they all left peacefully." she acknowledged, knowing that they had yet to depart when she left New Omashu herself.
"Unsurprising." Yi acknowledged, "We have not got the warmest welcomes when travelling around these parts either."
"I think my village has been fair." Gan spoke for his own case, which Toph was inclined to agree on; the villagers themselves looked suspicious, as did the fighters, but they were willing to hear them out, "Do like the tea?" he asked the guards, who all nodded, indicating that they were in agreement.
"Well, it's not every day that you meet people from the Fire Nation out here... I will admit I have a few questions, but I think I'll hold my tongue. I guess you've travelled some distance just to speak with our elders."
"That's true." Toph admitted, "But not as much as you'd think... we have an airship that flies us around."
"We haven't seen it here." the fighter noted, "Did you land in another valley?"
"Yeah, somewhere we wouldn't be seen... Azula didn't want anybody preemptively attacking it while we were unloading people off." she explained, before gesturing towards him, "I mean no offence, but a big thing landing near your village wouldn't make you very happy, would it?"
"No, it wouldn't." he conceded, before sighing, "I hope they accept your request... I don't like the Fire Nation, I dislike it as much as any of our countrymen would, but I know that we need to act, sooner or later, especially now that the Fire Nation is in such chaos. It's our one chance to reorganise and prepare for another fight, if that's what they'll bring." he explained his thoughts on the matter, "We don't have enough fighters here to protect against a proper attack. Most of us are just peasants who've got a little training and some weapons to protect our villages. Bandits are one thing, but a Fire Nation division is another."
"Have they attacked before?" Toph pressed him, and Gan shook his head.
"Not for a long time. Before the... whatever you want to call this mess, they did send some patrols to our village, but they were just looking for what was left of an old Earth Kingdom army hiding in the mountains. Once they got rid of it, they left us be."
"I guess this place was not important enough to occupy. No mines, no fertile land, no strategic passes." Kiban noted the lack of value in the village, and Gan sighed.
"Well, you're probably right, but that's in the eyes of the Fire Nation that had absolute domination over our land. Now that they're falling apart I'm guessing they will eventually send an army to break us."
"Ozai won't have a chance at this rate." Hai argued, "I'm confident our Fire Lord will push west and stop him before there's any chance of a division reaching this village, or any villages around here."
"If she can take Ba Sing Se." Gan reminded them, before slapping his leg, "Which is why I know we should at least try and help. I believe you, Toph. I think that bringing people together is smarter than hoping we'll just win on our own. That never really works unless everyone is fighting for themselves."
"They might be for now... but that won't last." Toph warned him, before rising to her feet, "Have any of you three spotted Appa while we've been here?"
"Nope, they must still be dealing with another village." Yi clarified, "I'm sure the Avatar will have a much easier time... being the Avatar helps with that."
"Katara's good with people too." she added, and sighed, "Maybe they should be doing all the talking... It would work, even if it loses us time."
"I thought you were all quite civil." Gan complimented them, "But I don't think civility will persuade anyone more than actual outcomes." he argued, "Most of the elders are less learned than myself... but they know the world. They've seen the war pass over their lives, and they must be as sick of it as anybody else."
"It's our world... I'm just glad some people actually think change is possible."
"If you've gotten a Princess of the Fire Nation to turn against her people's war, then anything is possible." Gan admitted the absurdity of what had happened.
"Sokka." she clarified, "Give him credit where it's due."
"I'm sorry, who's Sokka?"
"The Water Tribesman. People keep calling him that." she clarified, thinking that it was funny, but understood his frustration; everybody knew who he was, but nobody knew his name.
"The boy who struck the Fire Lord... that's the rumour I heard spreading from merchants." he acknowledged, seeming a little amused, "I assume that he's figured to choose his fights better now." he presumed, and she snickered; he was saying that like Sokka hadn't actually beaten Zuko unconscious- if that wasn't victory, then Toph was unsure what was.
"Sokka knocked him unconscious... and carried Azula away while Iroh stood there and did nothing. I think he chose that fight pretty well."
Being so high up, Katara had a good view of the horizon whenever they were riding on Appa's saddle; after weeks of mountains, hills, valleys, and the short dips back to the coastline, she was surprised to see something new for a change. At first, she thought she had just spotted some more hills on the horizon, but after a few moments of eyeing them, she realised they weren't hills at all. It was the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. After all the time they'd spent talking about the city, now, she could finally see it.
Aang hadn't noticed, having had his hands on the reins, looking down into the valley below them; they had already spoken with two villages that day, though only one of them had any people willing or able to leave their villages to aid their efforts to gather a coalition of willing Earth Kingdom fighters. She understood why most people were hesitant to leave their homes, when they had to protect them.
The one thing she'd heard that seemed to concern her was that the villagers had barely seen any Fire Nation troops since the Dai Li took over. The only reason they knew that the Fire Nation forces had been defeated was because some merchants from the city came passing through a week or two after the fact. She and Aang had tried to get more information out of them, but the peasants were just as confused as they had been. The merchants weren't very specific, just saying that the Fire Nation was gone, and the Dai Li had restored order; now, she had to wonder what exactly was going on inside the city, and beyond that, if the Fire Nation soldiers there were still loyal to Azula, or even manning the walls at all.
"Aang, look." she got his attention, and his eyes darted over to her, and then, he spotted the walls as well; he beamed with wonder, before his expression became more uneasy.
"It's just there... and that means it's nearly time." he realised, and she nodded.
"I know you're... well, afraid. So am I. As much as I joke about Sokka's stories about the place, it does seem pretty terrifying, and now that the Dai Li are in control, it could only be more dangerous." she explained her own thoughts on the matter, "Azula said we should head towards the port, before she gets there. Make sure everything's going as planned, but I think we should still check things out. Maybe we can figure out what happened."
"I mean, all the stories sound the same." Aang reminded her, "The Dai Li won, and the Fire Nation lost. But where are the Fire Nation. We haven't seen... well, anyone. Didn't Azula say there was a base?"
"We're too far north." she clarified, recalling what Sokka had told her when she was questioning him about the directions they'd need to take while travelling for the day, "If we wanted to check that place out, we'd have to head the other way."
"Maybe Azula can send somebody there." he suggested, and she nodded.
"Well, they'll probably have some mongoose lizards at the new base. They're fast... so, we'll know soon." she assured him, and turned her eyes back towards the ground.
The thick woods began to clear away as they flew closer to the walls, and past the last ridge of hills; mountains rose up to their left, and the walls to their right, though both were quite some distance away. She couldn't see anyone down below them, though she spotted a herd of cat deer by the edge of the woods; beyond that, she couldn't see anyone around. The land wasn't that desolate, at least in that there was grass on the ground, and eventually, she did spot a sign of civilisation, however meagre.
Aang hummed a tune softly, before turning to face her, "This is the closest I've been to Ba Sing Se before."
"You never came this way before?" she asked, and Aang shook his head.
"No, there's really not much here, at least, that's what I was told." he noted what he knew, "Other than the city... and it's not a place Air Nomads went."
"I wonder if it was a nice place once." she mumbled, knowing that from what Azula, Sokka, and Toph had said of the place, it was an unusual place; the capital of the Earth Kingdom, but a city shrouded in lies and false platitudes, before and after the Fire Nation took over.
"Maybe... but that must have been a long time ago. None of the monks had ever said anything nice about it." he admitted, "Maybe before the Dai Li, but they were created a long time ago."
"Yeah, wasn't it... three hundred years ago?" she asked, unsure of the numbers as she wasn't familiar with the history herself.
"Avatar Kyoshi." he mumbled, "I didn't really know about that until Azula started... uh, ranting about it." he added, sounding almost ashamed.
"She might be your past life, but you're not the same person." she acknowledged, "I don't know much about the Avatars, but they must all be different, right?"
"Y-yeah." he nodded nervously, "I don't think I'm like Roku or Kyoshi." he added, "And I feel... I don't know... like everything they did is catching up with me."
"I mean, it's not all bad. Azula's here to help you." she reminded him, "And she turned without even knowing that Roku was her ancestor."
"It must be weird." he mumbled, "Her brother was sent to hunt me down, and then... she found me. She told me that the day we met, but it's... I feel bad for her."
"What? Because she didn't actually get the glory of capturing you?" Katara asked, amused by that idea, and the young Air Nomad shook his head.
"N-no, not that. Azula was born a Princess. She had a lot of expectations put on her. Like the monks did with me. She had to go and fight her brother, because that's what she had to do. She was expected to." he explained his reasoning, and her amused face shattered; she was making fun of Azula's 'fall from grace', but Aang was really just thinking about how she had been forced down a path in life, and now she actually had a chance to make her own decisions.
However, Katara was unsure if that was even the case; the Princess was really just going with the easiest path to defeat her father, and resolve the matter of the war, all in one. She could admit it was impressive, the whole plan coming together, though they had yet to have a real victory. She was afraid that all their hard work in Shengchang would be undone when another army was sent over and the city was retaken by Ozai's loyalists.
Aang similarly lacked a choice, even if he was trying to do what he personally thought was right. For him, it was even worse; at the very least, Azula had the choice to give up and go to the South Pole and live a life with Sokka. Aang couldn't just give up, because he was the Avatar; he was shouldered with the responsibility of being a force of peace and balance in the world.
"I'm sorry, Aang." she mumbled, "You have to fight... and I know it isn't what you want to do. Being the Avatar must be hard."
"I think you'd be better at it than me." he smiled back at her, "But... I'm trying my best. I want to be able to be a kid... have a normal life, but- well, that's not going to happen for a while." he admitted sheepishly, "There's so much I have to do- to fix."
"And we'll do it together." she assured him, "I've always wanted to do something... but I was never a warrior like Sokka. I could see the way our lives could be better, if only we took matters into our own hands."
"You want to make your own destiny." Aang realised, and he snickered, "I don't know if destiny is a real thing."
She just laughed at that, "Destiny can be real if you want it to be... I don't want to think about that too much. I like having control of my fate." she explained her thoughts on the matter, "What do you want?"
"I'd like to have a choice." he agreed with her sentiment, "But... I don't really know what I can choose. The right thing, I guess. Is this the right thing?"
"The Earth Kingdom has not been a nice place for anyone for a long time. I think that we're trying to give the people hope. That's what counts. If they can't see a path out of this situation, then they'll give up. Giving up just doesn't sit right with me."
"I guess you and Azula have that in common." he observed, and Katara made a sheepish smile; as much as she felt she was so different to the Fire Nation Princess, she couldn't deny that Aang was right.
"We do." she nodded, "I just hope she doesn't change her mind about all of this. I think she's done a lot of good in the time we'd spent out here." she added her thoughts, before turning her gaze back out to the ground below them.
Plains stretched out ahead as far as the eye could see, dotted by rolling hills and the stray few trees. Forested hills lined to the west, and the Outer Walls lay to the east. They were too low to actually spot any of the city behind the walls, though she could just barely make out the Inner Walls, far off in the distance, behind the much closer and intimidating Outer Walls. However, they peered out of view as Appa flew closer to the ground, giving her a better view of what lay directly below them.
Katara could see what looked to be a campsite, though as they flew closer, she realised that it had been abandoned for a while, and was burnt out. Tents were burnt and in tatters, though a few of them remained intact; part of the camp was completely destroyed, the ground blackened from fire, though grass had started to sprout out from underneath the ash. Whoever had been there, must have been chased away, or had some very bad luck with starting a campfire; she guessed it was the former, given how close they were to the walls. That campsite sat on a bluff, overlooking the flats that lined the edge of the Outer Wall. Once they crossed past, she noticed something more interesting, which was the ruins of tundra tanks, the dark frames of which stuck out sorely in the lightly coloured plains There was at least a dozen of them, not too far from the campsite, and her gut told her they had something to do with each other.
"Aang." she got her friend's attention, "Maybe we should stop and check this out." she suggested, and Aang peered over Appa to look down, seeming confused.
"The Fire Nation's been here." he realised, and he pulled on Appa's reins, "Down, boy." he told his sky-bison, who let out a low grumble he began to circle down, slowing as they approached one of the wrecks.
When Appa landed, Katara immediately jumped from the saddle, and glanced around, trying to figure out what happened; the first thing she noticed, which was more obvious when eyeing them from the ground, was that some of the tanks were facing the opposite direction from each other. It took her a few moments to realise that they must have been fighting each other. She wondered if those loyal to Ozai and Azula had decided to duke it out in the plains, but that made less sense if they were occupying the walls. She'd expect the signs of fighting to be up there, but she couldn't see any damage or debris on the towering walls.
"They were fighting each other." she spoke her mind, and turned to Aang, who was inspecting the closest tank.
He hummed in thought, "This fight must have happened a while ago. The grass has grown around them." he gave his own observation, "Maybe this happened when Ozai took power."
"I thought the same thing." she signalled her agreement, before sighing, "Let's look around some more, maybe there's actually something to tell us who's who."
"Like a flag?" he questioned, and she nodded; Aang smiled and opened his glider, "I've got it." he assured her, before launching himself up into the air.
As Aang flew around, Katara paced from tank to tank, trying to find evidence about who was fighting who. She could see bits of armour and some weapons laying about, but none of those were unique. The Fire Nation had their standard issue of weapons, and most didn't vary from it. One thing she did notice was the tattered remains of some banner by one of the tanks that was heading away from the camp; it was blackened from fire, but she could still make out the blue trimmings that she knew belonged to Azula's supporters.
"It's blue!" she called out, picking up the ragged banner, before raising it up to show Aang as he flew around.
Then Katara then paced over to the nearest tank that was facing the other way, wondering if there'd be something there that would equally indicate the loyalty of those driving the vehicles. She glanced around, finding more debris, remains of weapons and even a few scraps that seemed to be what was left of somebody's armour. Close by, she noticed what looked like a shallow trench, which seemed to have collapsed due to being struck by some kind of explosive, which she could tell from a small crater and blackened ground that ringed it. She climbed down into the trench, which was no deeper than her waist, though she guessed it might have been deeper before it was damaged, and she found even more signs of the fighting.
Something immediately caught her eye; a conical hat, damaged and stuck into the dirt, but still clearly visible; she pulled it out, and took note of its design, knowing for a fact no Fire Nation soldiers wore anything like that. They wore steel helmets, if anything at all. It took her a few moments before she understood what it was- a Dai Li agent's hat. She only knew what they looked like from the drawings that Azula had shown them, in case they were to run into any undercover agents on their journey. They had distinctive hairstyles, common in Ba Sing Se but not elsewhere, and all agents wore the same kinds of robes and conical hats, and tended to wear something similar even when not in uniform, so they could identify each other.
It was possible that a Fire Nation soldier had picked it up and was wearing it, but she could not understand why he would. However, things became more clear, yet more confusing, where she pulled out another ragged banner, this one torn rather than burnt. It did not have any Fire Nation insignia, but instead bore the golden coin of the Earth Kingdom, and was coloured green, gold, and red. That was not something she had seen before, and now that she looked around, she wondered if the Dai Li were involved in the battle themselves. However, that contradicted what she had been hearing; they were behind the walls, safe from the outside world and the Fire Nation forces that surrounded them.
"This makes no sense." she mumbled to herself, before she dusted off the banner.
Though she could not understand the value of the banner, in terms of what it signified, she was sure that Azula would; she decided to tie it to her waist, so she could keep a hold of it while searching around. Katara glanced around, trying to see anything else that had the same colours or insignia, but she couldn't see anything, at least not immediately. So, she climbed out of the trench and continued forward, making her way towards the furthermost ruined tanks.
Katara approached one of the tanks, and checked for any more signs of insignia, but found nothing. All she spotted was another small trench, which lined the area behind the tank, telling her that some soldiers were covering behind it. There she could see what looked like the snapped shaft of a pike, and noticed something gleaming in the dirt. She reached to pick it out, but her attention was drawn away by a shout.
"Katara!" she heard Aang call out, and her eyes darted up, seeing the Air Nomad gliding down towards her with a frantic look on his face, before he closed his glider, landing right beside her.
"What is it?" she asked, and Aang turned around, pointing the way he had just come, over a small crest.
"There's some Earth Kingdom soldiers coming this way, and they do not seem friendly." he warned her, and she eyed his outfit, noting that he was obviously an Air Nomad, with his orange and yellow robes, and if anyone knew anything, they could identify him as the Avatar.
Therefore, this wasn't just some case of them thinking him a Fire Nation spy, but actively trying to attack him. She tensed up, nodded, and began to run towards Appa. Before she reached the sky-bison she heard Aang shout out again.
"Get down!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, and she fell flat on the ground, realising a few moments later what had gotten him so worked up.
A massive boulder struck the ground right in front of them, obliterating one of the damaged tanks; the debris luckily missed both of them as Aang had quickly pulled up a sheet of earth, but it immediately broke apart from being impacted. She wiped the dirt from her face, and turned around, seeing that there were in fact a number of Earth Kingdom soldiers, rushing towards them on foot. She glanced back, and realised Appa was in the sky, trying to dodge the boulders that were being tossed in their direction. Aang stood firm however, and began to use his staff to direct his own earthbending, shooting out pillars of earth to strike the boulders before they got near them, shattering them apart.
"Wow." she gasped, not having realised that he had gotten that good at earthbending, "Maybe you are ready to learn firebending." she complimented him, and Aang grinned.
"Really?" he asked, and she pointed back towards the soldiers.
"Don't get distracted." she warned him, before drawing some water out of her skin, "I'm unsure how useful I can be with this much water." she admitted, and he gestured to a nearby tank.
"They have water inside them! Remember the fight in Shengchang?" he reminded her, and Katara's eyes lit up.
"Alright!" she grinned, and drew out whatever water she could sense while Aang pulled up some defensive walls in front of them.
Once she had enough water in her grip, she moved into a fighting stance, "Okay, are we going to try and talk them out of this, or what?" she asked him, and Aang cringed.
"I don't know." he mumbled, "I have to try something." he decided, breaking the walls apart.
Aang then strode forward, with his staff on his back and his hands open for all to see; he kept his pace slow, while the Earth Kingdom soldiers drew closer, having come over the crest of the hill into sight.
"We're not trying to fight you!" he called out to them, "I'm the Avatar!" he identified himself, and the soldiers stopped, all moving into a line formation.
"Ready!" Katara could hear somebody shout out behind them, and she cringed.
"They're not going to stop." she warned him, before she saw them move into an earthbending form; she didn't recognise it, but didn't want to wait and find out what they were doing.
She bent the water in her grip into a stream, before launching it at the soldiers; the water splattered and formed a fine mist as boulders crashed through it, careening in their direction. Aang stomped a foot down, and shot out multiple pillars of earth, each of them rather thin, but they were moving fast enough to break up the boulders, making them crumble before they hit either the ground or Aang and Katara.
The sky-bison, who had been agitated by the earthbending, flew at the soldiers and slammed his tail into the ground, the gust of wind throwing them off their feet. Aang cheered a little for Appa, but seemed more concerned when he was forced to fly away, rocks being tossed at him rapidly, too much for him to handle by simply bending the air around himself.
While the soldiers were distracted, Katara reached out to try and gather back the water, only having a little left over after the rest was thrown into the wind; she coiled it around herself, before she formed it into a shield, blocking a smaller boulder that had been thrown their way as Appa flew over them, causing it to bounce off the water, which splashed both her and Aang. The Avatar wiped the water from his face, seeming a little amused, though his expression hardened. He shot up another defensive wall, and turned to face her.
"What do we do?" he asked her for guidance, and Katara understood that they weren't going to have a fair fight if they faced them head on.
"I'll try and get Appa's attention, and you hold them off." she explained, and he narrowed his eyes.
"Alright." he nodded, and broke off parts of the wall to bend it at the projectiles being sent their way, firing one of the boulders back at the soldiers who tossed it.
He then turned back around, tossing her his bison whistle, "Run back to the camp, Appa will be able to land there!" he told her, and she began running as fast as she could in that direction.
She gathered what water she could from the ground, what was left over after they had been splashed by her shield, and drew it into her waterskin. With so little water, she knew she would be less useful in a fight, but she knew that if she could locate some source of water along the way. The tanks didn't have nearly enough water to hold off a lot of soldiers, and it would take her time and effort to bend water out of them when she really just needed to get away.
However, a larger source of water, like a spring, or a creek would suit her purposes wonderfully. In that case, she would have a good chance of going against the soldiers without being drowned in earth. She was under no assumption she could fight and beat them, given it was just the two of them, but they didn't need to win. They only needed to hold them off for long enough that they could fly away. She didn't want Appa getting hurt either, so she would hold off calling him until she thought it was safe.
Her feet began to ache as she ran up the shallow slope, the forcefulness of her run more detrimental than the incline. Katara could hear Aang's earthbending behind her, shattering boulders apart as they flew in her direction. She didn't turn around, not until she found herself tripping over. She nearly fell flat on her face, and was about to chide herself before she realised that her foot was ensnared in the ground itself. She glanced back, and realised that one of the earthbenders had rushed forward, dodging Aang's attacks so he could reach her.
She grit her teeth, quickly drawing out some water from her skin, before shoving it down into the earth around her feet. She couldn't bend earth, but mud was pliable enough to her gestures. With a sharp tug, she ripped the earthen shackle apart, before preemptively shouting at Aang.
"Knock that guy out!" she pleaded, before breaking into a sprint once more.
Katara ran as fast as she could, running in a zigzagging, sporadic pattern, in a hope that it would confuse the earthbender enough that he couldn't land a hit on her feet. However, she was disappointed to realise he just changed tactics, instead shooting up pillars, hoping to simply trip her up, instead of trying to catch her. The sound of earth shattering, rumbling, and striking itself was all she could hear behind herself, and she cringed, hoping that Aang was up for the challenge. If she was closer to their opponents, she knew she might have a better chance at knocking them out, but she could not waterbend at the range required. Getting close was a bad idea in any case, so she elected to keep running for the camp.
The pillars were frustrating, but they did eventually stop, presumably because Aang had knocked her pursuer out. Once she had a clear path, she ran even faster, heading straight for the encampment; the place was in the open, but the debris by itself would provide her with cover, and she hoped that they had set it up with a source of freshwater in mind. Fire Nation soldiers didn't strike her as being that dim, despite their overconfidence in their abilities. Once she entered the camp, she turned back, noticing Aang was slowly following behind, struggling to hold off the earthbenders as they attacked all at once. They weren't holding back in the slightest, even against a child, but she understood why; they knew he was the Avatar, so they weren't going to give him a chance to counterattack with all the elements he knew.
Though she wanted to help Aang, without a decent source of water, she would be about as useful as Momo. The flying lemur had scurried off somewhere, though she did eventually spot him, scurrying around in the campsite, looking for some food. She clicked at him, hoping to get his attention; leaving him behind was not on her agenda. She ran into the camp, trying to find any sign of water; all she could see were ruined tents, some burnt out campfires, and some tracks that ran through the campsite, both from animals and the tundra tanks.
She did eventually find what she was looking for. There was a makeshift pump set up near the centre of the camp, by a larger tent that she assumed housed some of the tanks. She reached towards it, and drew out water, first using it to splash herself so she could clean her skin and clothes. With her bending, it was a non-issue to dry herself, and so once she had done that, she began to draw out more water. She couldn't even sense how much water was lying below, only that it kept coming, no matter how much she drew out. Katara couldn't help but smile, almost gleefully, knowing that she could actually do something with that much water. She turned her heels once she had massed a thick coil of water around herself, forming a shield of sorts, and opened it at the front so she could see properly, and began running back the way she had come.
Momo noticed her, and followed after her, sneaking his way under the shield to climb onto her back. Once she reached the edge of the camp, she lowered the water slightly so she could have a better view of the battlefield in front of her. Katara saw that Aang was gliding around, dodging boulders and keeping the earthbenders occupied; he was fast enough that they had little chance of hitting him, but like anyone he would ultimately get tired, no matter how powerful a bender he was.
She drew out the whistle, and blew hard into it; it made a high pitched noise, barely audible to her own ears, but she knew that Appa would hear it and come to her with haste; she couldn't even see the sky-bison, and assumed he had flown off to safety, or had gone the other way, probably trying to attack the earthbenders from the rear. With all the dust in the air, whipped up by Aang's airbending into a small but powerful dust storm, she couldn't even see behind the closest of the earthbenders, who were still running forward, despite the terrible conditions.
Aang must have seen what she had done, and flew down to her side, closing the glider before he readied it, "Good timing." he acknowledged her help, "I'm already puffed out."
"I don't blame you." she assured him, knowing that anyone would find what he had just done exhausting, "Now, let me handle them." she declared, breaking her coil of water into a single stream, which she shot down the slope.
It took only a few moments to reach the fast approaching earthbenders, striking them off their feet in quick succession; the ones who were standing behind had enough time to raise walls to protect themselves, but she doubted they were saved from being splashed. Once she had gone through them all, she spun the water around, before throwing it back at them, trying to hit them all at once. When she saw it collide, she clenched her fists, freezing all the water and the earthbenders inside.
The sight of them all stuck in place, looking confused and frightened, made her laugh, before she raised her hands up, "Take that!" she exclaimed, before her eyes darted up to Appa.
The sky-bison flew around them a few times as he approached the ground, before coming to a halt right in front of them; Katara was helped by Aang up onto the saddle, and she made sure Momo was still on her back before pointing to the reins, "Let's get out of here!" she requested eagerly, and he jumped onto the front of the saddle, grasping the reins and tugging on them tightly.
"You heard her, buddy, yip-yip!" he called on the flying bison, who let out a deep roar, before leaping up into the air, and soaring up with haste.
Her eyes darted back down, and she saw that a few men had come up from behind the frozen earthbenders, now looking up at the sky-bison with frustration; the thing that struck out, and didn't surprise her, was that there were Dai Li agents among them, and their leader certainly was one of them. He pointed up towards them, and she smirked, knowing they were too far away to be hit by any boulder. Her smirk was shattered when she saw a blindingly bright stream of fire shoot up from the dust storm.
Katara gasped out in fear, and screamed, "Aang!" she called out, and the Avatar spun around, throwing his staff down, creating a powerful gust of wind that bifurcated the fire stream.
The flames coursed to either side of the sky-bison, and she turned her face down to the saddle, feeling the heat from the flames from what felt like every direction. Once it had dissipated, she turned her gaze back down to the battlefield, shocked by what had just happened.
"That was the Dai Li, wasn't it?" she asked, and Aang cringed.
"I'm unsure... but that was a really strong firebender." he argued, and she shook her head, gesturing down to the battlefield.
There were at least a dozen firebenders, all standing in form behind the Earth Kingdom soldiers, and she had no idea why they were there. She thought that the Dai Li was fighting the Fire Nation, but that didn't fit with what she just saw; firebenders serving the Earth Kingdom wasn't something she thought was possible.
"Not just one, a lot of them. If the Dai Li has firebenders... then who is really in control of the walls?" she asked him, and Aang glanced in that direction.
"Do you want to find out?" he asked her, and she cringed, knowing that putting themselves willfully in danger was stupid, especially with no backup to speak of.
She shook her head, "Not without Azula and the airship. Maybe once we get into the city, we'll be able to figure out what's really going on."
"They were pretty sneaky... I didn't see the army until they came out from behind a hill." Aang explained what he had seen, "Maybe they wanted to catch us."
"We can't let them do that." she stressed, "We have to be more careful next time."
"Appa." he addressed his sky-bison, patting him on the head, "You did good today, buddy. I thought we were toast there."
She glanced down, and realised she still had the banner tied to her waist; she untied it and showed it to Aang, "Hopefully, somebody can make some sense of this thing."
"Huh... it's got red on it." he noted, "That's not very Earth Kingdom."
"That's what I thought." she agreed with the observation.
She turned her gaze over to the walls, and wondered if they were being watched. If Fire Nation soldiers were working for the Earth Kingdom, who were outside the clearly intact Outer Walls, then she realised that the walls were almost certainly under the control of the Dai Li. So, that told her they would have to sneak through; there was no hope of finding Azula's supposed allies. If they remained, then they had probably either fled or joined their enemies.
That was disappointing, though the more she thought about it, the less surprising it felt; the people ordered to defend the city would have felt hopeless with Azula disappeared, and a civil war starting in the Fire Nation. They were there for months, and because the Dai Li was still in hiding, something was going to happen eventually, and not in the favour of the occupiers. She had felt the same about her tribe's own situation; as long as they remained, they would fight against the Southern Raiders, and if possible, destroy them. She hoped that with Azula's fleet on their side, it would finally be a possibility.
That didn't mean she agreed with the Dai Li, even if she understood that they were fighting for their nation. They only fought for self-gain and empowerment, and not for the betterment of the Earth Kingdom. She wanted the right people in charge, to make the decisions that would benefit their people. People like Jianren, or any of the other rebel leaders they had met; some were kinder and more honourable than others, but all were better than the Dai Li. If the Dai Li had really wanted what was best for their nation, they would have tried to actually work with the rest of their countrymen. She could not understand how a group like that could be so self-interested, but she guessed it was just like how the Fire Nation fought only for themselves, with no care for the rest of the world, just on a much smaller scale.
"Why would they recruit firebenders?" she asked, and Aang hummed in thought.
"Maybe they were brainwashed." he proposed, "Azula kept saying how they brainwashed soldiers and the Governor to plot against her, but there could have been a lot more of them." he suggested, and Katara tilted her head.
"But it seems like they've been fighting against other Fire Nation forces... in proper battles. That must mean there's a lot of them. If they were all brainwashed, then why didn't they just pretend that nothing had changed, that the Fire Nation was still in charge, so that the Dai Li could keep Ozai and Azula from coming to retake the city?" she explained her own thoughts, before sighing, "I don't think I understand this at all. Hopefully Azula will make some sense of it."
"I hope so." Aang nodded, "I feel like we could fly into a trap."
"If that was the trap, it wasn't a very good one."
"Heh." he snickered, "I think they just underestimate me... I'm a kid, but I'm a master airbender." he declared with a smirk; that made her giggle, thinking perhaps Toph was rubbing off on him a little too much, "I'm more worried that somebody's going to get caught. What they were planning to do with Sokka... what if that actually happens?"
"We don't really know what they wanted with him." Katara assured him, "But... I mean, it makes sense. Maybe they wouldn't have needed to brainwash him. He still wanted to fight the Fire Nation back then."
"Sokka doesn't seem like the kind of guy to get bossed around." Aang admitted, "I mean, other than by Azula."
She laughed at that, and shrugged, "My brother doesn't like getting bossed around... but he loves a good plan. If somebody's smarter than him and gives him an idea to win, I don't think he'll refuse."
"That can't happen now, can it?" he asked with a timid voice, and she cringed.
"Sokka might like a good plan, but he hates people who abuse their power. You remember what happened when Pakku tried to put his 'values' in front of what was necessary... he beat the lights out of him!" she exclaimed, still proud of Sokka for doing that for her; she felt almost ashamed that he had had to do it, but she knew that her brother only wanted to make sure she got what she had always wanted, and what was fair, for the good of their tribe.
"Trust me, nobody with any guts would help the Dai Li." she assured him, and Aang smiled back at her.
"Sokka has more guts than any non-bender I've ever met."
When they had gotten in sight of the port, Jet was relieved to finally have the journey over and done with. As much as he had gotten used to it, he was still getting mildly seasick whenever they were out in the rougher waters, which given they were in the northern seas, was basically everywhere except a few bays and estuaries they crossed through. The journey had taken a while, mostly because they had to keep stopping to pick up more rebels who were going to aid in their cause. Their numbers were swelling, and he knew that this was a good sign of things to come.
However, he was far less concerned about the coming fight and more about getting his feet on dry land and sleeping there. He had missed the warmth of a campfire, and the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet. Wood was a poor substitute. The others had not fared any better than he had, and most were feeling nervous now that they were fast approaching Ba Sing Se. They had left the city the last time during the changing of the guard, when new Fire Nation forces came to replenish the garrison. It was easy to sneak out of the walls then, but he didn't imagine it would be anywhere as easy to sneak back in.
He wondered if the place was any different to when he left; the Fire Nation occupiers were just replaced by what had stood before. He had known of the Dai Li, like most refugees, warned by the locals to stick in line, but he hadn't interacted with them all that much. It wasn't until Smellerbee and Longshot saved Sokka's hide that he realised the real danger they posed; they were kidnapping people for their nefarious purposes. Now that he thought about it, there could be countless people bent to their will, or merely paid off and intimidated into doing their bidding. Now that they ruled in the open, intimidation was probably a little harder as they were the ones gathering the taxes and enforcing the law. He imagined those in the Outer Ring were even angrier, now that the occupiers were expelled but their city still belonged to a faceless government.
He had climbed up onto the deck before they came to the docks, which were now lined with dozens of Water Tribe ships, some bigger than the others, the pride of the Northern Water Tribes' fleet of ships. They had volunteered to aid the coalition in defeating the Dai Li, but from his conversations with the Southerners, he understood the Northerners were not easy to trust. Some saw them like the Dai Li themselves, abusing the situation for their own ends, and not out of a genuine desire to aid the other nations. The warriors seemed impressed though by the gathering of force, and all were in cheery moods, as least as much as they could be after spending all that time on the water. They were much more used to it than he was, after all.
"Are you alright, kid?" Bato asked him, and Jet perked his head up, and he shook his head.
"Seasick, again." he clarified, "I'm happy we're here. I need to wash... and a few other things."
"Kiss your beloved land once more?" he asked in jest, and Jet laughed his comment off; he had missed the land, but not out of any patriotic sentiment.
The lands before him were completely strange; he had never been that far north, past Ba Sing Se, in what was the end of the world as he knew it. There were more lands further east, but they were of little concern to the coalition, unless they could gather allies there; all he had heard of that territory was that there were still organised Earth Kingdom forces, loyal to their king, ready to retake Ba Sing Se. The fact that nothing had come of those rumours told him they were either a lot less organised or a lot less powerful than the rumours suggested.
"No, I've never been here before." he admitted, "I am interested to see what we face out here. The Fire Nation garrison is supposedly still on the walls... and I don't know if they're going to take us kindly."
"For all our sake's, I hope they do." he acknowledged, "But... we cannot be sure. Hakoda told me that they had very little intelligence on what was actually going on in Ba Sing Se, or in this general area. Trade has run to a standstill, and Fire Nation ships are more concerned with controlling the seas than trying to peer behind whatever they're hiding in there." he acknowledged, gesturing southward towards where the walls must have been; he could not see them yet, but he imagined if he found a high enough vantage point, he might be able to spot them.
"Yeah... so, we're going to need to go and find out." Jet concluded, and the warrior nodded.
"Yes, but I prefer that we send some people that are actually capable of hiding from the Dai Li."
"So, Toph." he declared, knowing she was more than suitable for the job, "As well as the earthbenders she helped train up in New Omashu. Some of them have come with us." he reminded him, "They're all pretty good at what they do."
"Good idea." he smiled back at him, "I'll be sure to bring that up with the Princess."
"Yeah, isn't she coming in on one of the ships right now?" he asked, glancing around to look at the Fire Navy ships behind them, still approaching the docks.
"That's what Hakoda told me... then again, I haven't seen her since we last were in port." he conceded, before whistling, "Get the ropes out!" he called on the warriors, "Let's tie her down!"
The warriors pulled out ropes and swung them over to the dock, where some other warriors were already waiting for them. They grabbed the rope, and tied it down to a few posts, before pulling the boat closer with a few heaves. Once they were close enough, another man on the ship dropped a stone anchor down into the water, fixing the boat in place. Jet felt confident enough to step over to the side of the vessel, and drop down a plank. It was heavy enough to just stay in place where it was, and he climbed over, before whistling out.
"Come on, we have to get ashore!" he called on the Freedom Fighters; they climbed out of the hull with their bags in hand, and awkwardly climbed over the plank, joining him on the dock.
The warriors remained onboard, tying things down before they would get off the boat and bring their things onto land. With his friends behind him, Jet gestured down the dock.
"There's Chief Hakoda." he observed, "We should ask him what work there will be for us to do here."
"We're going to Ba Sing Se, aren't we, Jet?" The Duke asked him, and he nodded.
"Yeah, but that will take a while. There's still more boats coming into the bay, and the airship doesn't seem to be here either." he reminded them that they would have to wait for the whole coalition to assemble before they acted.
He did expect that they would be scouting out the walls sooner rather than later, but that said nothing of entering Ba Sing Se proper. So, he approached the Chief, knowing he was more knowledgeable on Azula's plans than anyone else around. Hakoda noticed his approach, and waved off the Fire Nation officials he was speaking with.
"So, what is next?" he asked him, and the warrior stroked his beard in thought.
"Those men were just telling me that they had scouts sent out to ensure that the Dai Li wasn't planning an attack." he clarified, "Hopefully we'll know by nightfall whether we're going to have to leave again."
"Can't we stand here and fight?" he asked, and Hakoda cringed.
"There's only so much supplies here for everyone to rely on, and I doubt many ships will be able to come into port to resupply us if boulders are being tossed at them. If we can't be resupplied, we have to leave for one of the other ports, or try to scavenge the land for supplies. You know as well as I do there won't be enough food in the wilds out here for us all to subsist on." he explained his train of thought, and Jet nodded; he had lived long enough on the land to know how it took a large amount of space just to feed a few dozen children, subsisting on gathering, hunting, and theft.
"No, you're right there." he agreed, "So, if we fight, we need to win."
"I wasn't trying to say that... but you're right." Hakoda conceded, "That's why the Fire Lord is sending forward parties underneath the walls as soon as we have everyone assembled. We need to know what we're fighting, and spread our forces around."
"You seem to know a lot about strategy." he observed, "Is she really telling you all her plans?"
"Not all of them... because I doubt all of them would stand against a council of advisers." he clarified, "Azula is not infallible, and she's relying on us all to work together. That's why nothing's been decided just yet. She wants a consensus."
"I've heard that some of your men aren't happy that we're working with the North."
"Well, I've heard the whispers." Hakoda acknowledged, "It's hard not to. The idea that they'd betray us to the Dai Li... it's plausible, but unnecessary. The Dai Li might have been able to beat us if they had just not come to aid us anyways... so I can't see the point of endangering themselves for such cowards."
"Cowards?" he raised an eyebrow, and Hakoda scoffed.
"Bato's my best friend. He told me what they were doing while he was in the city... and I cannot say I have much respect for those unwilling to face their enemies with any dignity." he explained his thoughts on the Dai Li, "Not that I'm a stranger to underhanded tactics, it's... well, their entire way of working is hiding in the shadows, being dishonest and ruthless towards their foes."
"We might need some ruthlessness when it comes to the Dai Li." Jet admitted his own feelings on the matter.
"Yeah, it's about time they taste some of their own medicine." Smellerbee piped up, and Hakoda cautiously nodded.
"I think they will." he agreed with the sentiment, before turning around, "I have to make sure everything's in shape with my men. You're free to go set up camp in the grounds of the base."
"Oh, so there's no barracks for us?" Jet asked him, and the Chief shook his head.
"It would be unfair to try and split what little space there is between us. We all have gear to camp with in any case." he clarified, his rationale sound to Jet.
With that, the Freedom Fighters made their way down the dock, heading towards the base proper. Jet could see a few buildings around the centre, with a steel-walled compound similar to the one at Azula's base of operations back west, though this one was far smaller and less impressive. The walls of the base itself were just apparently a rampart of earth, though he couldn't see the exterior portion, which he imagined might have been lined with metal to hold off earthbenders.
By the landward end of the dock were two Fire Navy ships, both of which had the blue flag of Azula's fleet, and there were a number of soldiers already assembled in an encampment by the end of the dock, as if they were awaiting someone's command. As they approached, Jet came across some of the rebels they had rescued, led by Tyro; he was speaking with his comrades, and when he spotted the leader of the Freedom Fighters, he raised a hand.
"Good day, Jet." he addressed him, "Are you going to set up camp as well?"
"Yeah, that's the idea." he confirmed, and gestured towards the soldiers, "Who are those guys?"
"Our protection." he answered sternly, before snickering; his comrades laughed, and Tyro just smiled back at him, "I kid, they're for the Fire Lord... 'her majesty', as they call her." he gave the actual answer, before gesturing behind them, "See there's her ship."
"What about the airship?" The Duke asked them, "I thought she was flying on that thing."
"Not right now." he corrected him, "She wanted to come and oversee the landing herself. Supposedly the Avatar's already here."
"Aang's here?" Smellerbee questioned him, "But where's the airship then?"
"He has a flying bison." Jet reminded her, "He probably took it here." he concluded, before scrunching his lips, "I better go see how he's going. He might have some info on who's coming to help us." he argued why they should speak to the Avatar; that was a genuine reason, though Jet did want to speak with him to try and persuade him on how they ought to deal with the Dai Li.
Azula probably thought him a dangerous idiot after how he had treated Sokka, so she would likely ignore anything he said; the Avatar, on the other hand, was not as maligned in his opinion of him. As a plus, Toph was teaching him, and Toph and Jet were good friends; with any luck, she might have told him about their escapades together. Jet was no politician, but he understood that getting to the ears of powerful people was the easiest way to get things done, and he had plans. The masses of Ba Sing Se were ready to break their shackles, but all they needed was a little push.
Jet continued pacing down the dock, heading towards the massing of soldiers, and they silently eyed him and his friends down. They didn't say a thing, even as he drew closer and closer, and he came to a halt as one of them raised a hand.
"You're approved to enter." the soldier told him, "But I cannot let anyone enter yet." he admitted.
"Wait, why?" he asked, before narrowing his eyes, "Do you not trust us?"
"It is not a matter of who you are." he retorted, "The Fire Lord's express orders were to hold the dock until she arrives."
"She's coming right now." Smellerbee assured him, pointing down the dock, "I bet you'll be able to see her any second now."
As she said it, Jet turned around, and did in fact make sight of Azula, who was accompanied by her Imperial Firebenders, and by a number of Water Tribesmen, including Chief Hakoda. Sokka was not among them, which confused him, though he guessed that he might have still been with the airship. The soldier clicked to get his attention, and the Freedom Fighter turned around.
"Get out of their way." he ordered them, "You may enter as soon as she allows it."
Jet, despite not wanting to take orders from ash-makers, obliged the soldier, if only to not start a fight and allow everything to run along smoothly. He wanted to set up his camp, cook a meal with his friends, and appreciate the simplest thing in life: enjoying the solid ground and a night under the stars. He could see the sky was clear, and was hoping they would have a nice time stargazing; while they were crossing the Earth Kingdom, he had grown accustomed to it, and found it a nice way to distract himself from whatever else was on his mind.
He watched as the Fire Lord and her entourage approached, and Jet cautiously eyed them; the Fire Lord caught eyes with him, but she didn't seem to hold any contempt in her gaze. She was surprisingly apathetic and nonchalant in her appearance; he was expecting a lot more bluster and prideful smirking out of her, given that they were quickly approaching the apex of her grand plan: the destruction of the Dai Li and reconstruction of his nation. However, none of that was apparent, and she approached the soldiers calmly; they all knelt in respect, except the officers among them, who instead saluted her while standing.
"Rise." she commanded them; Jet felt that she was almost a little too soft spoken, but perhaps she was just tired, "Now, I want to inspect this base." she told them, and the leading officer gestured towards the compound.
"Of course, your majesty. As requested, we have ensured that the garrison here has not been able to access the docks."
"Have you received the reports from the commanding officer?" she asked, and he nodded.
"I have, your majesty... however, there seems to be some discrepancies." he warned her, "I had my men here run over them a few times, but it seems that their reporting has gotten lax since the Dai Li seized Ba Sing Se."
"That is unfortunate." Azula acknowledged with a snide look, "My men will now search this place... top to bottom. There is no place for traitors in our ranks." she explained, her voice a little quiet; she corrected that by raising her hand, "Move out!" she ordered them, and the soldiers who had been holding the end of the dock moved out of the way.
Jet glanced over, and could see that there were some men on the walls of the compound looking out over them. They seemed to be saying something, but they were far too distant to be heard, let alone understood. He turned to face Longshot, knowing he could and would do what Jet required of him.
"I don't trust this." he admitted, before narrowing his eyes, "I know this might sound really stupid... but shoot at the compound."
Longshot's eyes widened, and he glanced back towards the compound momentarily, seeming concerned. Once he turned back to Jet, he leaned a little closer, telling him to clarify.
"No, I don't want you to kill anymore." he reassured him, "Just to test them."
He nodded and drew out an arrow; one of the soldiers who had been at the end of the docks saw that, and paced towards them, "What are you doing?" he asked, and Jet raised a hand.
"Trust me, this might save all our lives." he assured him, and Longshot pulled back the bowstring; he eyed his friend, and Jet nodded.
With that, the arrow was loosened, sent right towards the compound, narrowly missing one of the men standing guard; he stumbled back, and shouted, probably screaming out obscenities. And, as expected, that followed with some more shouting, some glances from the Fire Lord's party, and then the sight of somebody dashing by the gates of the compound. The soldier hit something, and Jet understood what he was doing; that was only because he had done it himself. Though he might have once wanted to see the Fire Lord dead, along with the rest of her ilk, he couldn't just let an assassination transpire, especially when it would possibly ruin the entire plan the coalition had.
So, Jet shouted at the top of his lungs, "Get back to the docks! They're going to attack!" he told them, and the guards grabbed the Fire Lord, and rushed back in their direction.
A few moments later, an explosion rocked the ground underneath the field, followed by a dozen more, in quick succession, heading closer and closer to their position. When the last one went off, it was almost right in front of them, right at the end of the docks. The soldiers there had been cognizant enough to run back towards the Freedom Fighters, and missed getting blown to bits. When the dust settled, he could see that the party of guards and Water Tribesmen were relatively uninjured, scattered to either side of where the explosives had gone off. They were covered in dust and dirt, and he could see that the Fire Lord had her face down in the dirt, covered by a pair of guards.
"Shit." Smellerbee gasped, "Are we gonna- What do we do?" she asked Jet, who sighed, before gesturing to the compound.
"Well, they just tried to kill the leader of the coalition." he observed, "I think that's enough of a reason to fight." he argued, and Longshot immediately fired an arrow at the compound, striking the person who he guessed had set off the explosives.
That soldier fell flat on his face, and Jet pulled out his hook blades; he turned his eyes over to the warriors and guards, noticing that Azula was apparently unconscious, or at the very least, seriously disoriented. That was a shame, as he expected she would want to fight the people who tried to kill her; he felt bad not out of sympathy, but because he wanted to see their mutual enemies annihilated.
Hakoda rose up to his feet and shouted out, "Listen to me!" he called out to everyone, "I have been given authority by the Fire Lord to command you all." he declared, revealing a piece of paper with what looked to be the Fire Lord's seal, "Find the traitors, and apprehend them, now!" he ordered them, and Jet smirked.
"You don't need to ask me twice!" he assured him, dashing past the confused soldiers, "Time to dance!" he called on his comrades, and they readied their weapons as they ran in the direction of the base.
The Freedom Fighters were joined by the warriors, and quickly after, the soldiers and a few of the guards who had accompanied Azula. Longshot was able to strike two more men who were holding the walls, preventing them from showering the group with flames. The rest wisely took cover, allowing them to get close enough to rush the gates, which were locked; however, that didn't worry Jet, who turned and waited for the Imperial Firebenders to approach.
"Take a line!" one of them shouted out, pointing at the Freedom Fighters, "Stand back!" he ordered them, and Jet obliged, not wanting to stand between them and their target.
His eyes darted back up to the walls, and he got a glimpse of some of the cowering soldiers; they shot down some fireballs, but the soldiers who had accompanied them were quick enough to bend the flames apart before making their own counterattack. There were only four of Azula's guards, but standing in line, they were able to conjure up a massive fire blast which ripped the gates open, breaking the metal sheets off of the hinges upon which they were fixed to the walls. With that, Jet and his friends were able to rush inside.
He glanced around, trying to get a count on the number of defenders they would have to deal with. He spotted only a dozen men on the exterior, at least in their vicinity, but he assumed there were a few more inside. As he leapt at one of the guards by the gate, he spun his hook swords around, catching his opponent by the shoulder, allowing him to force him down face first into the ground. He groaned, and Jet smirked, before spinning around, narrowly dodging a fireball from one of the soldiers.
Jet saw him get tackled by Smellerbee, and he almost laughed, before readying his swords once more as he was surrounded by a pair of soldiers, who wielded pikes instead of flames. They lunged at the Freedom Fighter, who ducked under the weapons, before hooking the tips of both pikes, and flicking them down into the ground. That gave him ample opportunity to kick them square in the chest, before the other found himself tripped by the Duke, who was using a chain as a weapon.
"Idiot!" he mocked his opponent, before flicking the chain into the face of another soldier who was trying to attack them.
That was when Hakoda stepped onto the scene with his club, and struck down three soldiers at once, who were then knocked out by the three of them simultaneously; the Chief nodded approvingly, before he pointed to the doors.
"We need to get inside." he decided, and Pipsqueak had a perfect answer.
He grabbed a soldier he had been toying with and tossed him into the doors of the compound, throwing them open; there was nobody hiding there, but he imagined somebody would come out quickly enough. Jet knew that he would be better in close quarters.
"With me!" he called on the Freedom Fighters.
The group made their way down the central hallway, approaching a large hall that lay in the centre of the building; when they got inside, Jet was surprised to see that the room was splattered with patches of ice and the ground was soaked with water. Unconscious soldiers were strewn about, some of them in uniform while others seemed to be wearing what would have been their casual attires, telling him that they'd been attacked while on break. He saw in the corner of the room the source of all the mess; Katara, with shards of ice hovering above herself, had an officer cornered, and was clearly agitated.
"Where is Aang?!" she questioned him, "What is going on?!"
"Like I'd-" he began, before he took notice of the strangers, "Fuck." he gasped out.
That got her attention, and she turned around, giving him a chance to act; he shoved her over, and tried his best to get away, making a bee-line for one of the other doors out of the hall. That ended poorly for him, as he found himself shot in the leg by Longshot, before he fell flat on his face, splashing a puddle that had formed on the floor. The Water Tribe girl noticed their presence, and smiled approvingly.
"It's about time somebody showed up." she acknowledged their presence, "The officer in charge of this base has Aang somewhere... and seeing what they just tried to do to me, I think they're going to catch him, or worse."
"Do you know why they tried to kill the Fire Lord?" Smellerbee asked her, and her eyes widened.
"Wait... what?" she mumbled, seeming confused that Azula was even involved, before scrunching her lips, "Uh... that's another thing. We need to find Aang... and whoever decided to attack us."
Jet nodded, and pointed to the various doors, "If this is anything like that other compound, the big boss will have his office upstairs. Do you know where to go?"
"Uh... I think so." she nodded in confirmation, and rushed over to the door opposite to the one they had entered through, pushing it open, before running down the hallway it led into.
Jet followed her down there, and reached a stairwell, which he quickly ran up. The next floor was going to be no easy task, he had realised, seeing a few soldiers already standing there at the ready.
"Where is he?!" Katara shouted at them, and they frantically pulled up their hands, conjuring a wall of fire between themselves and the waterbender.
She immediately doused the flames with the water she had gathered around herself, before Jet, Smellerbee and Pipsqueak beat the firebenders down to the ground. They grunted and groaned, throwing up fireballs frantically in an attempt to defend themselves. It only lasted a few moments, but Jet was already frustrated, having been pelted in the face by a fireball. He cringed from the burning sensation, but was relieved that their firebending was dampened because they had put their efforts, quite pointlessly, into a wall of flames that Katara could snuff out with a flick of her wrist. He shook his head, and glanced down the hallway, wondering where exactly Aang was; that was answered, at least on technically, when he heard some shouting, and the unmistakable sound of a gust of wind blowing down the hallway.
Katara's expressions shifted to one of relief, "At least he's defending himself." she realised, before eyeing the Freedom Fighters, "I'll help with your burns as soon as we help Aang."
"It's just a-" Jet tried to reassure her, before Pipsqueak elbowed him.
"Come on, I know that face... but we'll keep on fighting anyway. Isn't that right?" he asked his friends, who cheered, before everyone ran down the hallway in the direction they heard the wind blowing from.
Once they turned a corner, Jet could see a few more soldiers, but they weren't facing his way, but towards something else; he then watched as they were thrown off their feet by a blast of wind. Left behind them was Aang, who was standing ready with both hands out, his glider staff nowhere to be seen. He noticed Jet's presence and smiled.
"Oh, somebody's come to help!" he realised, and his smile widened as he saw Katara, "You're safe." he realised, "Major Hui was being all polite until something happened outside." he explained, "I don't know-" he began to say something else, but a soldier leapt up to try and burn him with a hand full of flames.
Aang was quick enough to grab the soldier's wrist, and suddenly, the firebender's flames burst out far brighter than before.
"W-wait!" he gasped out in fear, before he was tossed down the hallway, right past Jet, by a sudden blast of air from Aang's other hand.
"These guys act all tough until I mess with their firebending." he joked, placing his hands on his hips; Jet tilted his head.
"Since when can you firebend?" he asked, and Aang waved off his comment.
"I can't really. I can just breathe properly... that's all." he explained, which explained nothing.
"I- I don't get it." he admitted, turning to Katara for guidance.
She seemed more amused than anything, though her expression hardened quickly enough, using her water to whip another soldier as he tried to get away, "Where is the Major?"
"You won't-" the soldier began, before Smellerbee stomped down on his leg, making him cry out in pain, "You won't fucking win!" he cried out, clearly hurt by the sudden strike.
"That's not an answer." Smellerbee warned him, "I'm guessing the Fire Lord is gonna enjoy watching him get strung up."
"When she gets here." Aang clarified, and Jet gestured behind him.
"She's here... she just got knocked out by the explosion. Hakoda's handling things outside." he explained, and Katara's face brightened.
"Oh, good." she commented with an almost gleeful expression, before pacing down the hallway the guard was trying to escape down, "Major Hui? We want a word."
"You won't take me alive!" Jet heard a muffled voice behind a door, and Jet furrowed a brow.
"Is he bluffing?" he asked Aang quietly, and the Avatar cringed, seeming unsure.
"Well, there's only one way to find out."
"Major!" he heard somebody shout out, and Jet turned around, watching as some more soldiers came up the stairs after them; Longshot had already loosened an arrow at one of them, giving a glancing strike to his shoulder, and throwing him down to the floor.
Jet gestured to a nearby cabinet, "Pipsqueak!" he called on his friend, who grasped the cabinet and threw it down for cover; he was less concerned about the soldiers as an actual threat, but more about them interfering.
Smellerbee, The Duke, and Longshot all had that covered, and Pipsqueak could certainly handle any soldier if they got too close, leaving him with the task at hand; Katara's mood told him that she would join in. He kicked the door, finding it to be solidly shut, probably with some furniture behind it. He gestured to Aang, who threw a hand forward, a shockwave making its way through the air, seemingly instantaneously. The door was thrown open, and the furniture that had been blocking it went flying, striking somebody behind it. That must have been the Major, he concluded, and Jet stepped inside, seeing the man lying on the ground with a desk on top of himself.
"Do you need a hand?" Katara asked, though if it wasn't for the situation, one might have thought she was being wholly serious in her kind gesture.
He looked at her contemptuously, his snide glare saying more than he could with words; he reached for a blade on the floor, and pointed it at himself.
"Don't you step any closer!" he warned them, and Jet rolled his eyes.
"Seriously?" he asked, "You do realise they're going to interrogate everyone else, right? You won't die for anything useful."
"No, but I have my pride. I have sacrificed enough for my nation... all I want is to not have my men die for me." he declared, seemingly genuine in his intent; whyever he had betrayed Azula, it must have been for something he truly thought was righteous.
Katara sighed, and reached forward, her water already pooled around the ground near the Major; she grabbed the dagger, and flung it away.
"Why do you think Ozai would do any better for you than her?" she asked, and Major Hui laughed.
"I just wanted to save my men. The Princess certainly didn't when she vanished." he argued, making a serious point, rather than trying to mock either of them.
"You know, I am interested now." Jet admitted, "I did just want to hurt you until you told us everything we wanted to know... but you seem to have an actual point."
"The only reason he has a point is because he thinks he's doing the right thing." Katara argued, and narrowed her eyes upon the Major, "He betrayed his old master for a worse one." she declared with a cold glare, stepping closer and bending the water around his body to keep him in place, "Where are they hiding?!" she shouted at him.
Her shrill voice seemed to frighten Aang, and after Hui didn't respond, Katara tightened her grip, pulling him off of the ground.
"Katara!" Aang cried out in fear, "Don't kill him!"
"Who just tried to kill us, Aang?" she asked him in return, and his face shifted to one of fear, "The Dai Li!" she shouted the name of their mutual enemy, "He's working for them! It's just like with that Governor before."
"I'm not their slave." he retorted, "I am doing what is necessary to keep the peace."
"The peace?" Jet asked him, amused by the idea that the Dai Li ruling Ba Sing Se was 'peace', before he turned his attention to the actual issue.
The Dai Li might have been the ones who planted the explosives, and laid out the plan for Hui to follow. That meant that they might have been in the base itself, waiting to strike. Jet was already uneasy about the whole situation, and he realised that was why Katara was so frantic and agitated; the Dai Li were like badger moles, hiding beneath the ground, while everyone else was left none the wiser.
"I get it." he assured Katara, before stabbing his hook sword into the man's leg, "So, we are gonna have to hurt you." he conceded.
Hui screamed out in pain, and Jet tugged on his leg, dragging him across the floor, "Just you wait for the Fire Lord's guards. Those guys are gonna burn your skin off after what you did to her." he warned him, "So, why don't we just cut to the chase. Tell me where the Dai Li agents are hiding, and I'll kill you myself. Save you the whole torture part." he suggested, knowing that the Fire Lord would not be merciful to somebody who tried to assassinate her; he had heard that it had happened more than once so far.
"Don't-" Aang tried to warn him against his idea.
"This man is dead either way." Jet argued, before twisting his hook sword, "So, what will it be? Fast death, or slow death?"
"They're not here." he told him with grit teeth, "Why would they endanger themselves? As everyone says... they're cowards... but they're smart cowards."
"But they'll come here, won't they?" Katara prodded him, tightening the grip she had on him.
"I am not privy to every plan... but I think you know what they want. You've already figured half of it out." he argued, and Katara sighed, before pulling him away from Jet's sword, pulling the hook out of his leg, before tossing him into the wall, knocking him unconscious.
"I've had enough of this." she responded with grit teeth, "They've tried to kill us more than once today. Azula was right." she declared, storming away with clenched fists.
"Right about what?" Jet asked her, but she didn't give an answer; he could hear some grunts and cries as she finished off the soldiers who were trying to reach the Major, and Jet turned to face Aang, "Do you know?"
"I- I think she means that Azula should have killed them," he admitted with an uneasy look, "I don't know... because I wasn't there."
"Is he here?" he heard Hakoda's voice outside of the room, and Jet stepped out, seeing that he and a few of Azula's guards were already there.
"Yeah." he confirmed, before cringing, "Supposedly this guy works for the Dai Li, they all do."
"That... that makes more sense than Ozai. If they worked for him, then they'd try to assassinate Azula alone... they want all of the coalition dealt with." he made some observations, before sighing, "Katara stormed off... she's not happy about this."
"I know." Aang spoke up, "Should I-"
"Yes, go and make sure she's alright. I'm sure Azula will know what to do with this information, and the Major."
Jet awkwardly laughed, "So... he's gonna be executed, right?"
"For falling into our trap? Maybe." he acknowledged, and Jet looked at the Chief with confusion, before eyeing the guards.
"You wanted this to happen?" he asked, the question directed at anyone who was privy to Azula's machinations; Jet, despite being respected as the leader of his group, was far too unimportant to be informed about such matters.
Perhaps, he was not trusted, and that made sense, given how he had treated Azula and the Fire Nation in the past. Hakoda placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled.
"This was a test." he reassured him, "The Fire Lord was expecting something like this... from what kind of traitor, she was unsure."
"Is she- uh, hurt?" Smellerbee spoke up, "The explosion looked pretty bad." she admitted, and Hakoda shook his head.
"No, she wasn't even here." he corrected her, and Jet's jaw dropped.
"Wait... that wasn't the Fire Lord?"
"She's still on the airship with the others, gathering more allies for the coalition." he gave the information they had all been lacking, "She could not endanger herself by entering the base without knowing the loyalties of those inside... hence the test."
"It worked."
"It did more than work. It's given us time."
The airship was a large, looming vessel, and Hakoda understood how it could be used to induce fear in the enemies of Azula. On a cloudy or foggy day, one could fly right above one's opponents, and rain down fire and explosives upon them with little warning. However, that day was not one of those days; the airship was merely a means of transportation, allowing word to spread of their coalition, and for it to be built up further by the words of those who were trusted to speak on their behalf. Hakoda was honoured to find himself among that select few, though he was not on the airship, but on the ground beneath it.
He had been the enforcer of Azula's will, commanding the fleet of allied ships, and playing the part of her loyal ally, all while Azula's role was taken by a fake, a servant who looked similar enough to fool the coalition and traitors alike. For better or worse her deceit had borne a poisonous fruit; treason was a common expectation in her ranks, which was itself concerning, but made sense given the chaotic nature of the Fire Nation's internal conflict.
At first there had been only Azula and her brother, and various military and civilian figures would have staked out loyalty towards one side or the other. The only reason that the war had begun was because Zuko had legally seized power, at least in the eyes of those who believed in the right of Agni Kais, something Hakoda personally had little knowledge of. In the eyes of the law, however, Azula was the legitimate heir of Ozai, who was, for quite some time, believed to have died at the hands of his own son.
Now things had turned on their head again, Zuko was the one claimed dead, and Ozai had reclaimed the palace and his position as Fire Lord. Azula had been thought missing, if not dead, since she fought Zuko in Yu Dao, and few remained to openly support her. Zhao had supposedly been loyal, but that appeared to have been a ploy to draw in the Princess so she could be captured and sent to Ozai. That would assure Zhao a great power in the restored Ozai regime, but now, he was merely one of a number of failed betrayers. Others betrayed her out of fear of her father, rather than opportunism, and now, he saw the first to betray her for a wholly different cause.
The Dai Li had seemed to have made common ground with the Fire Nation defenders left by Azula, or at least, part of them; that was hard to believe, but it would explain why Major Hui had tried to kill the body double, as well as the guards, and Hakoda himself. He could not trust his words, not without more evidence; Katara seemed eager to force an answer out of him, fearing that the Dai Li would try and capture or kill them, as they had tried with Sokka when he was in Ba Sing Se last. The Major was just one of many men in the base, and others were more willing to talk, at least once they were restrained.
They said they had not betrayed the Fire Nation, and were simply trying to keep control over Ba Sing Se without endangering the fragile peace established by Azula in the wake of the Governor's betrayal. Bato was quick to dispute that, having first hand witnessed the chaos in Ba Sing Se when the Dai Li tried to seize power from the Fire Nation the first time. They were clearly enemies, so to work with them, even in trying to prevent further conflict, was breaking the peace Azula established. Hakoda couldn't say he approved of Fire Nation occupation, but he understood that a garrison loyal to her would be far easier to remove from the city than the Dai Li.
However, he knew that they would be punished for their actions, not matter what anyone said on their behalf; treason was treason, and though the lower ranking soldiers would likely be spared much suffering for their compliance, those officers who had sided with the Dai Li could not be trusted to be brought back to their side. That didn't say what they might think of the coalition, though their willingness to work with the Dai Li suggested that they weren't opposed to working with foreigners.
Now, the airship was landing, hooks being thrown down to fasten it to the ground; the soldiers who were setting up the site were fast and precise, telling Hakoda they had had a decent amount of practice with the job. That meant that the airship was able land and be set in place very quickly. By the time it was on the ground, the doors were already opened, and the guards began to climb out.
They eyed Hakoda, his men, and the guards who were waiting to greet them; Renshu, the Captain of Azula's party of guards, stepped off of the craft and gestured towards the Chief, "Where is she?"
He was referring to the body double, who had been hurt in the explosion; she was recuperating on the ship, though she was healthy. He had to keep up the ploy that she was Azula, which was harder to do while she was actually conscious and having to interact with the various leaders within the coalition.
"She's on the ship. She was hurt in an explosion... nothing too serious." he clarified, and Renshu nodded, before glancing at the members of the coalition presence.
"I apologise for our deceit, but the Fire Lord you saw today was not her majesty." he admitted, "This was our doing... for we feared for her safety if she was to come here without discerning the loyalty of the men here."
Those Earth Kingdom fighters listening seemed confused, or at least, some of them did; others might have figured it out themselves, or had heard from those who were aware of the plan, like Katara and Aang. Hakoda tried not to tell too many of his friends what was going on, knowing they had to keep up the farce for the trap to work.
"The leadership here was in league with the Dai Li." Hakoda told him what he had learned, and Renshu huffed, seeming amused.
"I am not surprised." he admitted, "I was expecting something like this after what we dealt with last time in Ba Sing Se." he added, before Hakoda heard a laugh behind him.
"You and me both." Sokka spoke up, stepping down the ladder before waving to his father, "Thank you for dealing with all that... I would have preferred that we were all here, but we had more people to recruit."
"From your tone, I assume you were successful." one of the Northerners who was among them asked.
Sokka nodded, and cleared his throat, "Uh, but here's the person you've actually been waiting for... the Fire Lord." he gestured behind himself; the guards dropped to their knees, and out strode Azula.
She was wearing her glinting armour, black with gold trimmings, all made of steel; she seemed to have been prepared to speak and look as proper as she could, but that didn't surprise Hakoda. The Fire Lord raised her hands up, and eyed those who had come all that way to enact her plans. She was followed by her friend and confidant Ty Lee, who Hakoda hadn't interacted with, though she gave off a very different feel, with an upbeat look and smile on her lips, and her attire, though relatively formal, was no where near as ornate.
"I thank you all for your assistance." she acknowledged, before narrowing her eyes, "Where's the Avatar?"
"He's out scouting... again." Hakoda clarified, "He decided that would be best now that we're dealing with the threat of a Dai Li counter attack at any moment."
"We could hear what you were saying to Captain Renshu." Azula clarified, crossing her arms, "This demands a discussion. All leaders will gather in my tent at once. If you do not come, you will not have a say. Inform those you believe are necessary at the table." she addressed the crowd, and immediately, whispers erupted, turning quickly into a loud rabble.
Everyone wanted to have their say in what was to come, and Azula needed their support for whatever she decided on; nominally, it would be a consensus, but Hakoda knew that she would have the final say. He held no issue with that, trusting her judgement more than some random rebels or the Northerners, who had never been to Ba Sing Se in their lives. Hakoda turned to Bato, who was standing behind him.
"You should come along."
"Because I've been to Ba Sing Se?" he asked, and he nodded.
"Yes, that's why... but I can appreciate my best friend's wisdom at any time." he assured him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Bato!" he heard his son address the older warrior, who turned to face Sokka; the two of them briefly hugged.
"It's good to see you again, Sokka. But, it really hasn't been that long."
"I know, but I haven't really had a chance to talk with you in a while. Was it an easy trip here?"
"As easy as it could be with the Fire Navy watching our backs. No more surprise attacks... not counting what happened here." he acknowledged, "Your father took command of the situation well."
"I was just doing what Azula asked of me."
"And I am thankful for it." the Fire Lord spoke up; she had stepped past the guards, and offered him a hand, "Were there many casualties?" she asked, and he shook her hand.
"Not many. It was mostly in the fighting itself. We couldn't find any Dai Li agents, though Katara was set on finding them." he explained, and Sokka seemed interested by the mention of his sister.
"Katara?" he asked, sounding surprised, "Did she figure it out?"
"From what I gather... yes." he nodded, "She encountered a force of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation soldiers... together, out near the walls south of here."
"That tracks with the whole plotting with the Dai Li thing." Sokka mumbled, and Azula raised a finger to her chin, humming with thought.
"I was imagining them coercing the soldiers... but actually working together, that's surprising." she admitted, before sighing, "I will have to speak with whoever was in command here." she decided, and Hakoda nodded.
"Major Hui. We've already... well, got some information out of him. What Katara assumed was correct, but he didn't tell us any of their plans."
"As expected." the Fire Lord quietly commented, before smiling, "But he will tell us what he knows."
"And how are you going to force anything out of him?" Sokka asked her, and before Azula could respond, a boisterous voice interrupted.
"By using them as human shields!" he heard the voice of Toph; Hakoda turned, seeing the blind girl standing with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face, "Was I right?"
"Close enough." Azula conceded, "If he and his men don't tell us everything, I'll make sure he dies alongside us... because without that intelligence, we might as well be dead already."
"Hey, come on." Ty Lee placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "We're not gonna die."
"And dead already? You're forgetting who you're talking to." Toph spoke up with a cocky look on her face.
"You're not Aang." Azula retorted, "I cannot fathom you fighting off the entire Dai Li."
"I didn't say I'd fight them, I mean, I can see if they're trying to sneak up on us. They can never beat me at my best trick." she argued, making Sokka snicker.
"What, pretending to be a badgermole?"
"There's little pretending to be done." the Fire Lord corrected him.
Both Ty Lee and Sokka laughed at that, while Hakoda himself was barely holding one back. Containing himself, he stepped forward, not wanting them to get distracted by a petty argument.
"Maybe you can talk about this later? The meeting is urgent, isn't it?" he asked her.
Her smile disappeared at once, and she straightened her posture, "Thank you, once again. I should not argue like this in public." she conceded her lack of formality, given that they were still surrounded by people; they were mostly her guards or various soldiers loyal to her, but those were the people whose respect she probably valued most.
"Let's get over to the tent then." Sokka decided, before turning to his father, "Where is it?"
"I know the way. Just follow me." he gestured for him, and by extension, the rest of them, to follow.
The guards surrounded them, and Hakoda took as direct a path as he could towards the tent, which lay out in the grounds of the base, alongside the rest of the tents that had been propped up. Hundreds of tents, all set up in a matter of hours, and soon, he expected they would have to vacate the base and move into Ba Sing Se. He imagined that Azula would order as such, given they were now aware of the Dai Li's own plot to kill her, and presumably, take down the entire coalition with her.
He knew they would probably have enough supplies to last them a week at best before they'd have to start stealing or scavenging; he would prefer not to, and guessed that while they were infiltrating the city, that they would try and find some work to do on the side, so they wouldn't be forced to contend with the authorities just for stealing, not even considering their plot to overthrow the Dai Li. That was assuming that they couldn't remain hidden, and he was sure that was true; hiding from them was a challenge, given that they were all supposedly earthbenders, and it wouldn't take a Toph to figure out that they were hiding in some cavern or chamber beneath the city.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, what comes next?" he asked Azula, who hummed in thought; she seemed almost amused by the question.
"Many things. We cannot be so predictable... that worked this time, but I don't expect it to work again."
"The Dai Li can't be everywhere at once." Hakoda argued, and Sokka and Azula both cringed at his words.
"Not everywhere." his son agreed with him, though his face told him he thought that his claim was flawed, "But if they're in enough places, we can't just rely on really... I don't know, theatrical stuff."
"Like bombing the Earth King's palace with the airship." Toph guessed, and Hakoda cringed at the thought of that.
"I don't think that will help. A massive distraction is only as useful as it keeps them from catching us."
"Massive distractions are useful, but we have the public to worry about. Their opinions and understanding of the situation are what will make or break our plans." Azula gave her own opinion on the matter.
"So, what, you want to out-propagandise the Dai Li?" Toph asked her, and the Fire Lord tapped her chin.
"I don't know if that's possible, so that's why we need to divide and conquer." she explained her thoughts on that idea, though she was still being vague, as it was unclear what could be done to divide an organisation like the Dai Li, "I don't want to have to repeat myself, so I'll save it for the meeting."
"I'm dying from the anticipation." Toph declared, though from her tone, it was clear she was being sarcastic.
"You're finally here." he heard somebody speak up, and he turned his head, seeing that it was Katara; she seemed to still be in a terrible mood.
"Katara, are you-" Ty Lee began to ask about her state, before Toph butt in.
"Who shat in your lunch?" Toph asked her, Hakoda finding her words a little disrespectful, though at least his daughter took the words as what they were- a joke.
"The whole Dai Li." she retorted dryly, before sighing, "Your majesty." she addressed Azula with a rather non-serious bow, "Are we going to find out what the plan is?"
"As much of a plan as there can be, yes." she answered her question, though her way of phrasing it made clear that she, like the rest of them, was as unsure of how they could defeat the Dai Li.
"Great." Katara sarcastically responded, clearly unhappy with their present situation, "When do we send Toph to go teach them a lesson?"
"Oh, trust me, it's already crossed my mind." Azula reassured her, and Toph grinned.
"You flatter me, your majesty." she applauded her words with a bow that was just as mocking as Katara's had been; it was clear that they were all in agreement- the Dai Li would have to be put in its place, and Azula would need to set the matters straight with those who had betrayed her.
"Did you end up finding anyone who was actually loyal to you?" Katara asked her, and as they started walking once more, the Princess nodded.
"I went to the base I mentioned this morning." she clarified, "The men there were loyal to my cause, and immediately reswore their oaths." she acknowledged with a smirk, "They also informed me of the danger the men here posed, given that the Dai Li had split my men against themselves. They said they could not be sure who was loyal to me, as everyone outwardly professed loyalty. Only those in the walls had shown their true colours, as the Dai Li could not keep up the farce any longer there."
"We saw the site of a battle between those two sides. I was unsure if there was anyone left." Katara admitted, and the Princess sighed.
"That battle occurred a month or so ago. My loyalists say they won, but I imagine that was more to save face. The traitors have been shooting down messenger hawks from the base for months now, and the walls before that. Nobody had any knowledge about Shengchang out here, or even that my brother is dead."
"Oh, that must be... disconcerting." Hakoda gave his own opinion on that situation, "I am sure they were surprised to see you."
"They knew I was alive... but that was about all they knew. Perhaps learning about my return pushed the traitors to openly betray me, instead of pretending to be loyal to a Fire Lord they thought was dead." she gave her own theory on what had happened, though that would not be confirmed until they actually interrogated those responsible for the attack; even then, they might not have even been responsible for that initial treachery, and may have just joined along, seeing which way the wind was blowing.
"Well, did you get them to help us?" Katara asked her, and the Fire Lord sighed.
"They lack the manpower to do much, all they could give me was their most up to date maps indicating where the enemy has concentrated their troops." she clarified, not seeming impressed, "I hope that they join me when I return west, but I didn't demand they join us now. This is not going to be their fight any longer... it belongs to these people." she gestured to the encampment around them.
"We could use all the help we can get." Toph spoke up, "But I get it. This is the Earth Kingdom's fight, not the Fire Nation's... even if they've decided to team up here."
"The same problem led to the same solution." Hakoda observed with a hand on his beard, "I would say it was a sign of good things to come if it weren't for our conflicting goals."
As they approached the command tent, Azula's guards fanned out to take up their posts, and Renshu opened up the flaps of the tent to let them all inside. Inside there were a few servants waiting to attend Azula, as well as a few leaders who had beaten them to the tent. Hakoda didn't know all their names, as some were new recruits that they had gathered on the journey east, but he did immediately recognise a few of them: Jianren, Tyro, and Di, who he had fought with in one way or another in defending the base. It had been a few weeks, but it felt like yesterday that they were holed up behind the walls of the compound, fearing that the next shelling would be the one that would splatter them into the wind.
"Your majesty." Jianren was the first to address her, "I am glad to see you again." he acknowledged her presence, and Azula smiled, seemingly genuinely appreciative of the man's presence; she usually was not so open to express positive emotions, especially towards people that were not Sokka.
"Now that the traitors have been dealt with, we ought to get to the matter of our plans." she acknowledged why they were in the tent, "I apologise for my deceit, if you have an issue with my methods."
"No, that made a lot of sense." Di spoke up, "We're more familiar with guerrilla warfare... so, tricking our enemies, that's nothing new. A whole fake Fire Lord as bait... that was impressive, honestly."
"I am pleased that somebody can appreciate my strategy." Azula responded approvingly, before sitting herself at the head of the table; Hakoda, Sokka, and the rest all sat themselves down on the table, except Toph, who remained standing, perhaps because she preferred having her feet planted on the ground.
He did not have the best grasp of how her abilities worked, but he understood that her feet were required for her to make any sense of the world, like how eyes were to a seeing person.
"I thought we could start discussing things." Hakoda admitted, "I mean, we don't need to wait for everyone, do we?"
"They won't be long." Tyro assured him, "The camp is not as big as it looks."
"I think we can start." Azula decided, "Does anyone have any suggestions on how we may protect ourselves here?"
"Do we intend to stay here?" Jianren asked her, and she cringed.
"After my experiences with the base back west, I realise that remaining here is not in our best interests. This is merely a place for us to land and receive resupplies." she explained the purpose of the base, "Our immediate interests are within the walls, but I lack the intelligence to confidently start sending fighters inside the city."
"A scouting party then." Di suggested, "Earthbenders are no strangers to digging beneath enemy lines. There's probably even tunnels under the walls for us to use, knowing that the Royal Army used to have to defend them from the Fire Nation." he explained his own ideas on what they could do.
"How long do you imagine that would take?" Azula asked, "To reach the city, that is?"
"Too long." he conceded, "If the Dai Li were already attacking the Avatar, before he even reached the walls, they'll be on us by daybreak tomorrow, at the latest." he acknowledged, and Bato cleared his throat.
"Getting through the walls won't be an issue if we have small parties go through, but we'll need to figure out where the tunnels are. I used one when I left Ba Sing Se last, but it was on the southern side of the walls." he explained his own knowledge on the matter.
"The map I have has some tunnels on it. Not all of them, and I imagine new ones are built all the time by the Dai Li." Azula clarified, pulling said map out and laying it out on the table, "This is probably out of date in many details... but I say we avoid the tunnels."
"The earthbenders can dig through." Jianren stated an obvious fact, "I imagine the tunnels will be located right where the garrisoned troops on the walls are."
"According to my source, that is in fact the case." Azula confirmed, and Di cleared his throat.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but we have the issue of where we will go in the meantime."
"Digging ourselves a new hideout might help." Toph suggested, "But that will be hard to supply... and I think the Dai Li aren't stupid enough to miss it."
"What if it's deep?" Ty Lee proposed, "Like, really deep. So far down the Dai Li won't even notice it."
"I mean, it won't have to be that deep for them not to notice a cavern. The problem is ventilation. New Omashu had that problem... but it was easier to hide a few holes in the mountains than it would be out in a place as flat as this."
"What's this about vents?" he heard Jet speak up, having just entered the tent, "Oh, are we digging tunnels again?" he asked, sounding eager about the idea.
"No, I'm just telling them that making a new hideout underground is... well, not a good idea." she admitted, "At least in New Omashu, we had the earth to defend ourselves against the Fire Nation. Here the ground is more a danger than anything."
"The best case scenario is that they don't notice our ventilation or entrances." Azula turned the conversation back to the topic at hand, "I don't believe it will work, as much as I would prefer it to being sitting turtle ducks out here."
"Then we just have to go straight into the city." Hakoda spoke his mind, saying the conclusion that was obvious with the facts laid before him.
His son raised a hand, and began to lay out his own idea.
"The enemy will be based on the walls, at those tunnels, we just need to distract those men while we get through with our own tunnels." he explained, those at the table nodding along.
"So, we fire on the walls?" Toph guessed, and he snapped a finger.
"Yep, that was my first thought. It's obnoxiously obvious and will get everyone's attention. Firebenders might try and shoot the airship down, so we'd have to be careful." he explained the dangers posed by such a plan, "But, I think that's going to help."
"It's safer than doing a diversionary attack." Hakoda agreed with his son's idea, "That would cost us good men and women, for little gain other than getting some of us into the city."
"I promised victory, not death." Azula reminded them, "That is why abandoning the base is a necessity."
"Are there other places we can receive supplies from?" Jianren asked, and Azula scrunched her lips.
"There are no bases that have responded to my messenger hawks east of here. I imagine they're all either overrun or loyal to my father." she responded, "My fleet will be scoping out the loyalties of those bases by flying my flag and seeking responses from the garrisons. I imagine some will cooperate for their own safety, but that does not mean we can be assured they will aid the coalition, even in my name."
"Given what we now know, the Dai Li must be breathing down their necks. Unless Ozai plans to resupply those bases, they will have to choose a side eventually." Hakoda gave his own observations, before turning his gaze back to the Fire Lord, "What will you do with them?"
"I cannot force them to my side without the full support of my fleet, which is itself occupied with the Eastern Fleet. My plans to dispense with Admiral Chan might come to fruition, but I cannot rely on the hope that the Admiral will fall for any trap that my men set." she explained her thoughts on the matter, "So, once the Eastern Fleet is defeated or recruited to my side, the bases in the east will fold without question."
"That's not really the main issue, is it?" Jianren turned their attention back to their present goals, "We need to be sure we can receive supplies to arm ourselves and any potential allies against the Dai Li."
"That is not necessarily true." Azula countered, "If the Fire Nation forces in the city are still there, with their original armaments and gear, then those can be... appropriated for our own cause." she explained, "The Dai Li might have seized much of it, and those supplies will be even easier to steal, assuming we can find them."
"The Dai Li will catch onto that quickly." Jet warned her, "There are Fire Nation factories in the city. Why don't we steal the materials from them to make weapons and armour? I'm sure if the owners are still there, they'll bow right down to their Fire Lord." he acknowledged, his reference to Azula sounding rather mocking, though she appeared to ignore than and focus on the content of his words.
"That will take too much time, even if it would be easier to do under their noses." she gave her own opinion on the matter, "I believe the only effective way we can arm any allies in the city and defeat the Dai Li is to do both things at the same time."
"You mean, we rouse everyone up into a revolt... and just rush the Dai Li before they can even do anything?" Sokka asked her, sounding a little concerned by the forwardness of such an idea.
"The Dai Li must be preoccupied before we can act. That is why I want to try and undermine their newest weapon... the Fire Nation deserters themselves."
"They abandoned your cause, how can you trust that they would rejoin you?" Jianren asked her, and she scrunched her lips, muling over his words for a few moments before giving an answer.
"They abandoned me when they believed there was no hope of returning to their homeland." she argued, "I imagine many of them will want to go back to the Fire Nation but prefer the safety of Ba Sing Se."
"So, you think you can persuade them into aiding your plans... out of homesickness?"
"Perhaps." Azula quietly responded, not sounding too confident in her own idea; a few more people walked into the tent, and she gestured for them to sit down, "I was just discussing the matter of the Fire Nation deserters in Ba Sing Se, who must now be in the service of the Dai Li, as Katara has seen with her own eyes." she gestured to Hakoda's daughter, who nodded, her steely glare remaining; she was not going to be any happier until they were sure they were safe, "If we cannot persuade them to join us for a way home, all we need to do is merely have the Dai Li believe that they will betray them for Ozai."
The rebel leaders all looked confused, though Jet smirked, immediately understanding her intent, "We don't have to kill or persuade anyone to help us... they just have to kill each other."
"Precisely." Azula acknowledged, before gesturing to one of the Northern fighters who had come to the meeting, "What do you think of this plan?"
His name was Tulok, and he was Chief Arnook's nephew, a great waterbender, and the de facto leader of their forces, even if they were technically led by a council of warriors and waterbenders, who would decide what course of action to take for their entire expeditionary force. He had been fighting off Zhao's fleet for years, and had earned the respect of the North's men; therefore, it was without question that he would command them, even if publicly, he was just one man among many. Being the Chief's own blood just confirmed that fact. Despite his youth, being barely older than Sokka, Tulok was an imposingly tall man, with scars and a look of cold confidence. He worehan impressive set of armour, similar to Hakoda's own in design, though a bit more ornate, given he could be afforded such as a nobleman.
"I was expecting a fight." he admitted, before sighing, "But it would be preferable to see our enemies kill each other than be forced to spill that blood ourselves." he acknowledged, "My tribesmen have yet to see how we might enter the city... we are still under the assumption we are to fight the Dai Li."
"You will." she assured him, "A head-to-head fight will only mean certain defeat for us all, unless we could draw them all out to the sea... but they aren't stupid enough to go fight us where we'd win."
"Perhaps then that's what we should do." he suggested, and Hakoda took a few moments to realise he was offering his own men up as bait, "You wanted a distraction. We can do more than distract them if you can draw them out... then we'll have their attention here, while the others can infiltrate the city."
"I think that's a sound plan... assuming you know how to escape." Jianren gave his own opinion; given he had been around when many of the rebels had been recruited thus far, his word held weight, and all listened.
"The battle will not be easy, even if you have the sea on your side. Earthbenders can destroy ships, and much more when we're still close to shore." he warned him, before smirking, "Trust me, I've tested my mettle against the Fire Navy, and my fighters won out."
"We need everyone in agreement before anything is decided." Hakoda reminded them, "It does not have to be an immediate decision, but we are running out of time. The Dai Li will send somebody here to deal with us, sooner or later." he reminded them of the urgency they faced, but wanted to make clear that the deliberation was required; Azula could not hope to coordinate efforts without everyone standing behind a plan, "So, I say we should vote on it. Who is willing to defend this base, even if we are to withdraw?" Hakoda asked the table, and those fighters present seemed undecided; Tulok and a few of the Northerners that were there raised their hands, and then, Di and a few of the rebels they had recruited did the same.
"Should we send the airship first?" Sokka asked them, before pointing down to the map, "It will be able to distract the men on the walls, and force them to attack the place where it resupplies from... here. They won't have a choice in the matter." he argued, "That's when the waterbenders can make their move by using the seawater. This is what the Dai Li will expect, that we will defend ourselves, and try to use everything here we can to our advantage."
"But even then, we would have to withdraw." Hakoda noted, "So, that means we would have to split our forces up."
"Yes." Sokka agreed, "As many people as possible will go to the walls, hidden by the earthbenders, but some people have to stay and defend the base. That's the only way to keep their attention here."
"And how do we make sure we survive that battle?" Tulok asked him, "I have great confidence in my fellow warriors, but I can't say that we will be able to quickly withdraw, if what this man says is true." he gestured to Jianren, making Toph laugh.
"Oh, he's right." she assured him, before scrunching her lips, "I'd show you how, but I don't want to sink one of your boats by accident."
"Please don't." Katara begged her, quietly, but sternly, and Toph didn't say another word.
"We'll do exactly what we're best at. The earthbenders will lay the entire base with mines." Sokka eagerly declared, before raising his hands up, "They will wish that they were fighting firebenders instead."
"And what if firebenders are among them? They can handle explosions, can't they?" Tyro asked, and Sokka tilted his head.
"Not as well as you'd think, especially if they're coming from every direction." he argued for his case; Azula nodded along approvingly, and the table seemed to approve of the idea as well.
"I assume we have these explosives already?" one of the rebel leaders asked, and the Fire Lord smirked.
"We have more than enough on the Fire Navy vessels. They're usually ready to be tossed at enemy ships or fortifications, but they can be planted in the ground."
"Farmers of death." Hakoda whispered under his breath, before Jet raised a hand.
"I've got something to add." he admitted, sounding a little nervous."
"Yes?" the Fire Lord permitted him to speak, and he stood up.
"We should dig a trench around the walls of the base as well." he explained, and everyone looked at him intently, unsure what he was planning with that.
"Did you wanna do spike traps or something?" Toph questioned his idea, and Jet shook his head.
"No... it goes with the explosives... and the waterbenders." he clarified, before picking up a pointer that lay on the table in front of them, "Imagine you've got a trench around the base, that's useful as a defensive line no matter what, but if you line each end that's near the beach with explosives, you make it into a moat." he explained, before raising a finger, "But if the base is collapsing into the ground as well, and you have waterbenders all round, then all it takes is them sending the water the right way, at the right speed, and everyone's gone. Especially if the trench is deep enough... the water will be so heavy it will be like a rockslide of water, crushing everything in its path."
"That's... that's a strategy we've employed before." Tulok admitted, "Collapsing a glacier on a battleship does... it does work."
Katara seemed unnerved by that suggestion, but nodded at her father, seeming to approve of the plan, at least in principle; Ty Lee too seemed a little concerned by the idea, and was eyeing the Fire Lord, hoping for some kind of alternative. The others around the table were far more enthuiastic, and raised their hands in support.
"Then that settles it." Azula acknowledged, "Who agrees to this plan? It will take us at least a day to prepare, but this base is much smaller than my old one." she noted the timeframe they were dealing with; almost every single hand went up, and the decision was made, "In the meantime, we need a scouting party to get to the walls at once, and lay out tunnels where possible."
"Doesn't sound that hard." Toph agreed to the idea, "But we kinda need to sleep. It's already getting late... and we've got to lay the trap as well."
"Rotations should make it possible." Jianren acknowledged, before scrunching his lips, "We only have so many earthbenders... so we'll need to place them strategically."
"The trap only needs to be good enough." Jet gave his opinion, "I say you get as many people as possible making a safe path to the walls, and the tunnels we'll need to get underneath."
"He's right." Hakoda agreed with him, "Getting inside is a higher priority than inflicting massive casualties on the enemy, even if that will help us when the real fight comes."
"Yes, that's why they have to fight each other." Azula argued, "So, who will volunteer their men for the scouting parties, and who will stay here to prepare the trap?"
Tulok raised his hand, "I say we can spare most of our men to scout. They won't be needed here until the actual battle... and we can't earthbend." he acknowledged, and then Ty Lee scrunched her lips.
"I think I will be able to help with that... in case we come across anyone. I could bring along my trainees... see if they've learned anything about chi-blocking." she suggested, the Fire Lord smirking, giving her tacit approval.
Hakoda decided he ought to volunteer, knowing his men had the same problem as the Northerners, "My warriors can do the same. If we find any forward bases, we can do what we do best." Hakoda argued, and Sokka smirked.
"Sabotage." he acknowledged, before turning his eyes to Azula, "Your ship, do you still miss it?" he asked her, referring to how the warriors had sunk it.
Azula shook her head with frustration, before rising to her feet, "So, that is it, is it? I cannot say what we will do inside the city... as we'll need to find allies. But we must swear now, we are fighting for our cause, not for ourselves. We cannot let the Dai Li's sweet words turn anyone away from our true goals." she spoke up, the table all rising to their feet.
Sokka raised a fist into the air, "Long live the Earth Nation!" he proclaimed, and everyone shouted it in unison.
Even if they were defeated in battle, the idea they were standing for could not be defeated, for the people of the Earth Kingdom had remained strong, without a kingdom, without a king. They were not a land, but a people, and now, just like his own tribe, would finally have a chance to rebuild themselves on their own terms; without the threat of being enslaved by one enemy or another. All it took was a push, and all those in the room agreed: the time for arguing was over, it was time to act.
