AN: Alright, so a few things. I got promoted and had to do job training, so that sucked up about a month of my time, and I ended up restructuring this chapter once again, as I had to do more research on the history of war crimes which should wrap up in the Baiyin arc next chapter. But I'm back and should be on a semi-consistent schedule now. As well, I'll probably try cleaning up previous chapters.
Chapter 2 Demilitarized.
Sa Mu and Jin had caught a wagon out of Pine Timbers, east up Salt River, and crossed it at the ferry into New Gaipan province. Another day of travel brought them to the province's capital of the same name. The duo trekked through town to the train station, where they were met with an odd sight to behold.
Soldiers practically spilled out of the train cars and flooded the station in a disorderly mob, though without a hint of aggression or intent to harm anyone. Taking a chance, Jin approached one of the soldiers who had his musket tucked close to his body. "Excuse me, sir. What's going on?"
The mustached soldier looked down at her, then up at Sa Mu. "Guess you ain't heard the news… The War's over. We're all heading home."
Zuko stepped out of the hotel's restaurant, and instantly his attention darted to the man responsible for Hakoda's injuries, the thirty-something-year-old still being restrained by Zuko's Imperial guard down the street. In broad daylight, Zuko marched over to the would-be assassin and grabbed the front of his shirt with his left hand. "Who sent you to kill me!?" He asked.
"I work for no one, my only desire is to avenge the people of the Earth Kingdom that you and your war have murdered!" The man said defiantly, before spitting on Zuko's face.
Enraged, Zuko wiped away the discharge with his right forearm, before cocking his fist back. "I think that's enough, Fire Lord Zuko." Joo Dee said as she approached with a man behind her, likely the local marshal. "It would not do well for the reigning Fire Lord to beat an Earth Kingdom citizen at a conference calling for peace."
"He tried to kill me." Zuko said, letting go of the man's shirt.
"I've heard." Joo Dee said. "And as it seems this man has confessed to his crimes. For the moment, he can sit in the basement holding cell in town hall, and be turned over to Earth Kingdom authorities once the negotiations have concluded."
"So he can mysteriously disappear before his trial?" Zuko asked, narrowing his good eye.
Joo Dee put her hands in her robe sleeves. "You are under the assumption that this man was sent by Hei to kill you."
"It would be an awfully convenient way for Hei to destabilize the Fire Nation without resorting to open conflict." Zuko said.
"I can assure you, Fire Lord Zuko, that the Earth Kingdom stands little to gain from sparking hostilities." Joo Dee said. "Would your armies not desire reprisal upon the Earth Kingdom? It would be foolish of us to be seen as the aggressors now that you've declared a ceasefire."
Zuko closed his eyes. While Joo Dee might have been reasonable in her words, it did not detract from the fact that everything she said had the possibility of being a lie she believed. Worse, the assassin could very well have undergone the same brainwashing as Joo Dee, his confession and motivations being implanted. Hei might wish to see the war continue in a desire for revenge, or in the hopes of conquering the Fire Nation now that its military had been pulled back from the previous frontlines.
Zuko opened his eyes. "I wish to see justice done."
"It will be handed down swiftly." Joo Dee said. "Your attacker will be tried for the attempted assassination of a foreign dignitary, and as he's confessed, I imagine the judge appointed to his case will sentence him to death should he uphold his admission of guilt." Zuko's good eye widened in surprise. "You seem shocked. As I said, the Earth Kingdom is a nation of laws and order. When criminals break the law, allowing them to escape a punishment befitting their crimes makes the law appear weak."
Zuko turned to look at the man who'd attacked him and conceded that the man was a citizen of the Earth Kingdom, under the Earth Kingdom's jurisdiction. "So be it then." Zuko said before his guards handed the man over to the marshal.
"Amputat- You want to cut off my dad's leg?! What is wrong with you?!" Katara asked loudly.
"Nothing is wrong, you're just being stubborn about getting him the best treatment possible." Connor countered.
"He's only been shot. Can't we just do what we did for Zuko?" Katara asked.
"It's not the same kind of injury." Connor sighed. "Look, I'm suggesting that we take a chance and amputate his leg, because we have the ability to control that wound surgically and ensure that it's clean. If your dad picks up an infection in his leg down the road, we'd probably have to do this anyway, and worse, if the infection spreads before we can manage it, it might kill him either way."
"And what if we just heal the gunshot and he doesn't get an infection?" Katara asked.
To make a point, Connor held his hand out to Hakoda's injury. "Look, you can fix the flesh with your magic water, but you've said it yourself that bones are problematic, and your dad's had at least one turned to splinters and shred every ligament and tendon in his joint. He hasn't got a knee left for you to fix."
Katara clenched her jaw as she looked at the hole in her dad's leg. "So he'd lose his leg one way or another." Katara looked up to Connor. "I don't know… I swore that I'd never hurt anyone again."
Connor sighed and dropped his hand. "One of the lessons my dad gave me when it came to medicine, is that the best procedure you can do is the one that has the highest chance of the patient living their life to the fullest afterward. Your dad might lose a leg, but he'll be able to walk again in a year or two on a wood prosthetic. If we don't do this, he'll need crutches for the rest of his life. What's going to do more harm?"
Katara paused for a moment to consider Connor's words. "You said you've never amputated a limb… How can I trust that you'll do this right?"
"I've seen them done a few times." Connor shrugged. "The surgery itself isn't particularly difficult, it's taking care of the wound afterward."
Katara took one more nervous glance at her unconscious father, before rubbing her right eyebrow. "Alright… What do you need from me?"
Just outside the hotel, Aang was pacing back and forth, holding his right fist over his mouth, tucking his other hand to his side with his elbow. Sokka was sitting on the wooden steps to the building, head in his hands. Toph and Suki sat beside Sokka, his girlfriend rubbing his back. The others had found seats on the building's wooden porch or benches just near the door. Aang was the first to speak. "This is really bad. I mean, what if your dad blames the Earth Kingdom for this? Or if Hei was the one who set this up? Or…"
"Calm down, Twinkle Toes." Toph said, not bothering to look up at him. "Worrying isn't going to do you any good… Besides, the worst that can happen is the chief dying, and he's got the two best healers in the world taking care of him."
"But… Ugh." Aang groaned. "The whole point of the peace conference was to help the four nations come together, but it hasn't even been six hours and someone's been shot."
"Guys…" Sokka said, looking up at them both. "Can we just not talk about it for now… At least until we know if my dad's gonna make it?"
Seeing the discomfort on his friend's face, Aang nodded his head. The sound of jingling metal came from up the street, and everyone turned their attention to Azula returning to the hotel with Connor's marked bag.
Azula closed the door behind her, and approached Connor and Katara, as the young woman was washing away the mud and blood from her father's body, his pant legs having been cut away up to the belt Connor had wrapped tightly around the man's thigh.
Connor wiped away what was left of the filth on his hands with a wet rag, then met Azula halfway across the room, and took the bag from her hands. "Thank you." He said, quickly, before dragging a smaller table in the restaurant near to the table Hakoda was laid out on.
"You said you'd still need My fire bending?" Azula asked, as Connor opened his bag, reached inside, and pulled out a saw.
"I'll need it to sterilize my tools." He said, before handing the blade over to Azula. "I need this to be near red hot before I can use it." Taking the saw, Azula created a ball of blue flames in her palm, then ran the blade through it. "After that…" Connor took out a spool of thread and several needles. "The silk will need to be soaked in boiling water for a few minutes, and the needles have to be heated as well."
"What's the point of all of the boiling and heating?" Katara asked. "Is it some kind of ritualistic other-world thing?"
"You don't know?" Azula asked.
"Yeah, it's actually something I'm not well-versed in. Fire Nation medicine or something. Azula, care to explain?" Connor asked.
Still heating the saw, Azula turned to Katara. "Fire is a purifying force of nature. Its heat and energy cleans away filth and sickness."
"Which is spiritualistic bullshit, but for whatever reason it works. They clean almost everything with fire, trash, shit, you name it." Connor said, before looking at Azula. "Count yourself lucky I listened to Mai and Ty Lee after you got shot."
Katara remembered the small scar she'd seen on Azula's stomach and nearly went wide-eyed. "He healed that without water bending?" She thought.
"That said..." Connor continued, looking at Katara. "Can you go into the kitchen and find a pot with a handle to fill up?"
"On it." Katara said as she ran to the back room. Great healer or not, there was still plenty for her to learn, and if the Fire Nation's method of medicine called for hot water then so be it. She quickly bent water from a barrel in the kitchen into an empty copper pot, then carried the water back into the restaurant.
Connor took the pot, then curiously looked at the water. "Katara, quick question, how fast do you think your healing could close up a normal flesh wound?"
"A few minutes, maybe." Katara answered, with a shrug.
"That might just save us time on sewing." Connor said, before setting the pot on the table beside him. "Alright. Just so everyone is aware, the plan is to make an initial cut on the anterior of the thigh, proximal from the injury by about 6 inches, saw through the bone, and then travel distally from there towards the initial wound. There should be enough tissue left over to make a section of padding for the bone, and once done, Katara can use her water, which Azula can boil, to close the surgical wound."
Katara swallowed a lump in her throat, as Connor took the saw from Azula's hand, and inspected it, before waving it in the air to help cool it down before beginning. "Everyone ready?" Not receiving an answer, Connor sighed, then placed his hand on Hakoda's leg, and lowered the blade to his flesh. "ɡɒd ˈstɛdi maɪ hændz." He muttered.
Toph still sat on the steps of the hotel, as Aang continued his pacing, she could feel Connor, Katara, and Azula all inside the building, fuzzy as they appeared through the wooden structure. Hakoda was harder to sense, but that was likely because he was up on a table. Connor had his hands on Hakoda's lower half, and was moving his arm back and forth… Toph couldn't tell what was going on, but whatever it was had Katara's heart racing…
Shifting her foot, Toph felt something different. Beyond the town, having just entered her range of detection, a group of large quadrupeds were traveling towards them from the west. She stood up and addressed everyone nearby. "Uh, guys, there's a herd of something moving towards town."
Aang looked over to Toph before she and Sokka got to their feet. Mei and Ty Lee got off the bench they were sharing, as Suki pushed off the building's wall. On the move, the gang was spotted by Zuko, who came to join them. "Any news?" He asked.
"Something's approaching town." Was all Aang said.
"Oh, just what we needed." Zuko said with an eye roll, before the gang reached the dirt road near the train station, and turned left to face west. Down the trail appeared to be a platoon of men on the backs of horse-hounds, a few drawing carts behind them. Leading the horde of mounted men was none other than Kozato Masashi, in his suit of armor, the metal having been repaired, cleaned, and freshly polished since they'd seen him last.
The platoon came to a stop and Kozato dismounted, handing off the reins of his horse-hound to the platoon's Lieutenant at his side. "Fire Lord Zuko." Kozato said formally. "It's good to see you well."
"Captain…" Zuko replied, attempting to keep a neutral tone, as the thought that Kozato could have hired the assassin crossed his mind. "What are you doing here? I ordered the army to fall back to the border of the colonies. That's a three-day ride from here." Zuko had the entire fourth infantry corps sent to the colonies specifically to keep Kozato away from the capitol, and stop him from meddling with royal affairs.
"Only two days by horse hound…" Kozato corrected. "And My apologies, the messenger hawk must have been delayed. You know how slow news travels to the colonies." Kozato said. Zuko could just tell Kozato was smirking under his helmet. "Either way, I heard that there was to be a peace conference while on the trail with the company's mounted scout platoon. As I understood it, there would be no one to represent the colonies, and being born of them, who better to fulfill that role?"
"The colonies fall under Fire Nation rule until they're officially returned to the Earth Kingdom." Zuko said.
Kozato hummed at that. "And how do you think the colonists are going to feel once word spreads that you cast them aside… And didn't even offer them a say in the matter?" Zuko raised his eyebrow at his cousin's words. "Allow me to speak on their behalf, if anything, it might ease the minds of the citizenry."
Before Zuko could respond, a harsh screaming could be heard coming from the center of town. Aang and Sokka immediately took off towards the hotel, as Kozato pulled his pistol off his belt, and looked towards the noise. "What was that?" He asked.
Toph crossed her arms. "Chief Hakoda, one of the delegates. He got shot… And it sounds like he woke up."
Kozato looked down at Zuko again. "At a peace conference?" He asked, putting his gun away.
"An assassin attempted to kill me in the street." Zuko retorted.
"Ah…" Kozato said. "Yet another reason for my stay. Security surrounding the Fire Lord has been rather lackluster as of late. The Imperial Guard can only do so much. If you'd like, I can have my men posted around town."
Zuko grit his teeth. "That won't be necessary. They can make camp on the outskirts, but no more than four will accompany you while on the streets. I don't want the people of the Earth Kingdom being intimidated by our presence."
Kozato gave a short bow. "As you wish, My lord." He said, then turned to his men to issue orders.
As Aang and Sokka reached the porch of the hotel, Azula had come outside, looking unusually pale. Hakoda's screaming had stopped.
"What's going on!? Is my dad alright?!" Sokka asked.
Azula rubbed the side of her head. "He'll live, or so Connor says. And as you heard, he's awake. You can see him if you wish, but I'm warning you, it's a mess." She stepped aside, and let the two into the building.
"Dad?" Sokka asked, seeing his father, now awake and alert, sitting on the table. The man's severed leg was left in a bucket nearby. Katara was healing what remained of their dad's thigh with water. Healthy skin covered where agitated muscle should have been exposed. Connor had taken a seat, and with still bloody hands, sipped from a bottle of wine he'd taken from the kitchen.
"Hey, Sokka…" Hakoda said as Katara continued to use her healing water on the wound to reduce scarring.
"You cut off his leg!?" Sokka asked, both Connor and his sister.
"Surgical amputation was his best chance of surviving, and being able to walk again." Connor took another sip. "Gangrene would have likely taken the leg as it was."
"It's ok, Sokka." Hakoda said. "I might need a wheelchair, or crutches for a while, but I'll be fine."
"He's going to need enough opium to knock out a horse though." Connor said. "Blessed water healing's keeping him from biting his tongue off right now."
"Water healing is also the only reason he's not being sewn back together." Katara commented.
"So that's it then? He gets a wooden leg, and some drugs?" Sokka asked.
"Might not even need the drugs, once Katara's done." Hakoda said.
"How does it feel?" Sokka asked, looking at the limb left in the bucket.
Hakoda looked down at his stump, and slightly frowned. "Strange… I'm wiggling my toes right now. My body thinks they're still there, but I know they aren't."
"Your flesh might be gone, but the spirit remains." Connor said. "A soul can't be cut by mortal means, Chief."
Hakoda chuckled at that. "I'm just happy the rest of my spirit decided to stick around too."
"Speaking of…" Aang said, trying not to look at the man's stump. "Chief Hakoda, I have to ask, will you be able to continue speaking at the conference."
Hakoda frowned at the question. "I don't think it would be appropriate. I'm going to need assistance just getting off this table… It might be best to just take the next few days to recover."
"He really does need all the rest he can get." Katara said. "A good meal too, you're going to be hungry after this much healing."
"I'll speak in his place." Sokka said, drawing the room's attention. "What? This peace deal is probably the single most important meeting the nations have held in over a hundred years, we can't just pause the negotiation. This way Dad gets his rest, and the Southern Tribe is still represented for the conference."
"Sokka, you don't have to. We can reschedule, or…" Aang started before Hakoda held his hand up.
"No no, Sokka's right. This meeting is too important to the world. The news that it ended over one of the delegates being shot would taint the relations between the nations… Besides, you've handled worse on your own." Hakoda said with a small smile. "You have permission to speak in my place."
"I'll do my best." Sokka said with a nod.
"I know you will, son." Hakoda said as Aang turned to leave and gather the representatives. Sokka followed shortly behind him.
The delegates returned to town hall, their entourages significantly reduced in number. Standing behind Zuko, arms crossed, with his helmet clipped to his belt, was Kozato. Master Pakku was still accompanying Joo Dee. Aang was now alone. Sokka hesitated for a second, before taking his seat last, making eye contact with Suki from across the table.
Chief Arnook cleared his throat. "I see that Chief Hakoda will not be joining us."
"My father has entrusted me to speak on his and our nation's behalf." Sokka said.
Arnook nodded. "As you are the chief's son, I find this appropriate… If no other delegates object?"
"The decision of who represents the Water Tribes is entirely theirs." Zuko said, sitting up straighter.
Joo Dee remained silent, and Aang nodded, before speaking. "Uhh… Picking up where we left off…"
"The naval border dispute?" Arnook asked.
"Right…" Aang said. "Well, that particular issue was one we were all having trouble with because each nation can't actually measure their maritime borders… I think that for the moment, it would be best if everyone agreed that the seas belong to all of us, and only bodies of water encircled at least halfway by land, like bays and rivers, should be considered as part of a nation's territory."
"While I agree with The Avatar…" Joo Dee said. "Fire Lord Zuko's previous proposal to recognize the seas surrounding the polls as Water Tribe territory would provide special privileges to the Water Tribes. It's a noble suggestion, but imperfect."
"Then…" Sokka started. "H-how about this? A nation's naval borders can be defined as the water from the shore to the edge of the horizon."
"Still a temporary solution, but a solution all the same." Joo Dee said. "All in agreement with both The Avatar and… Representative Sokka's suggestions?" Everyone seated raised their hands. "Excellent."
Aang glanced around the room before speaking. "The naval dispute also brings up something that I believe is a major issue for all nations involved. The war is officially over, and it's for that reason, that I think the Fire Nation, Water Tribes, and Earth Kingdom should all begin demilitarization."
"To what extent?" Joo Dee asked. "The Earth Kingdom is massive. It would be impossible to maintain control over the entire kingdom without a standing army."
"And the Water Tribe's existence during the war depended on our navy, small as it might be." Arnook said.
"Even the Fire Nation requires a home guard, Aang." Zuko said.
"I'm not saying that each nation can't have a military." Aang quickly amended. "I know that not everyone is like the Air Nomads, and I understand that the other nations have a use for an army and a Navy, but I… Look, The Air Nomads were effectively wiped off the face of the earth, and the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom have been fractured by this war, and it's because Sozin created a huge military to invade them all. I'm just saying that it wouldn't be a bad thing if each nation reduced their military power down to only what is absolutely necessary for defense from things like pirates, bandits, and insurrections."
Zuko lowered his head. "The Avatar is right… The difference in each nation's military size during the war was one of the reasons it became so lopsided towards the end. I'm fully willing to reduce the size of the Fire Nation Navy, limit the current Air Corpse, and disband the Active Army."
From behind Zuko, Kozato's shoulders tensed. "My Lord." He said, leaning his head down beside Zuko's. "In case you've forgotten, the only form of defense and policing in the colonies comes from the army. The home guard has no presence there. You'd be leaving the entire region to fend for themselves until the Earth Kingdom becomes their ruler once more."
Zuko closed his eyes and sighed. "And this wouldn't have anything to do with this decision's effect on your commission would it?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at Kozato.
"If it did, I'd simply join the home guard and… Well, return to the capital." Kozato said, standing straight once more. There was a thought that Zuko didn't like. "The colonies need the army."
Zuko grit his teeth, before facing the room again. "The only component of the army that will remain in service of course will be the Fourth Infantry Corps, for the protection of the colonial territories until they are turned over to the Earth Kingdom. No more than forty thousand men will occupy the region, that I can promise."
"If that's to be the case." Joo Dee said, putting her hands together on the table. "The Earth Kingdom will also reduce our pool of soldiers. We can send those with injuries, and the conscripted soldiers home. I would also like to propose an expansion on demilitarization. In the last year of the war the Fire Nation developed the musket, and in that time battlefield fatality rates nearly tripled. I suggest that the Fire Nation cease all production of firearms, and destroy what exists in the inventory of the army corps that will be holding the colonies."
"Absolutely not." Zuko said, dropping his hand to the table. "If the Fire Army is going to be reduced to just the Fourth Infantry Corp, then they will need to leverage any advantage they can in the event the colonies are attacked. Of course, I assume that the Earth Kingdom would still be allowed to produce unlicensed copies of these firearms?" Zuko asked.
Joo Dee shrugged. "We do have a far greater number of non-benders compared to benders, the advantage of firearms for our nation would be necessary, as compared to the Fire Nation."
"Even more so for smaller independent states like Kyoshi Island and the Foggy Swamp Tribe." Suki said.
Arnook looked between the three. "It would be just as necessary for the Fire Nation then if such a weapon was to be possessed by every other nation."
Aang looked up to the ceiling for a moment. "I know this isn't going to change anyone's mind, but why doesn't everyone agree to stop making and using muskets?"
"Specifically because without them, or any real amount of technology for that matter, each nation would hold some kind of unfair advantage over the others." Master Pakku said. "The Fire Nation has a far greater number of benders for its population. The Earth kingdom has far more people than the others. And since The Siege of The North, the Water Tribes own the sea."
"That's not entirely true." Suki spoke up. "Kyoshi Island as an independent state has no benders, no formal military, and no geographic advantages. Even with my warriors, the entire island could have been claimed by any of the other nations if we had anything worth occupying us over."
Sokka leaned forward a little. "So the only thing keeping the playing field level is the fact that every nation has guns…"
"And our island has none." Suki said. "Which is somewhat concerning given the Earth Kingdom's stance on reintegration of its occupied territory."
Joo Dee blinked. "Ba Sing Se since Avatar Kyoshi's time has respected your people's sovereignty, and that's not about to change."
"So long as Hei remains in charge. These are uncertain times, and I'd rather take precautions in the event that someone more ambitious rises to power." Suki said.
"Well…" Aang trailed off. "Yeah, keeping guns makes sense in that way, but nobody should need to make more of them if everyone's going to be reducing their military."
"But we can't just destroy them all." Zuko said.
"And the Earth Kingdom hardly has enough to begin with." Joo Dee said, holding a hand up to Zuko. "Kyoshi island has none."
"What if you just sold them?" Sokka asked, earning the attention of the room. "Uh, what I meant is, why doesn't the Fire Nation just sell off what guns it's going to have a surplus of until everyone who needs one has one?"
"I'm not opposed to the idea." Zuko said. "Weapons are technically still technology, and I've already promised to share our advances with whoever requests it."
"I'm still against making more guns." Aang said.
Zuko sighed. "Realistically, the knowledge of how to make them exists, and there is a market for civilian ownership. Private enterprises are inevitably going to start making them."
"And that's fine. I'm not going to stop anyone from owning weapons." Aang said. "But can we all agree that the militaries of the world will only have as many guns as they do soldiers?"
"That's reasonable." Arnook said. "What of larger implements of war?"
"Like cannons and ships?" Joo Dee asked. "I believe that such things would also be shared as well, under the Fire Lord's previous promise."
"They will be." Zuko said shortly.
"Now, onto the next issue…" Joo Dee said. "War reparations."
As the delegation continued with their meeting, on the other side of town in the hotel restaurant, Hakoda was being assisted by Connor off of the table he'd been amputated on, then took a more comfortable seat in one of the chairs littering the room. Katara was doing her best to clean up after the bloody procedure, and a few of her friends had trickled in. Azula had come back in with Mai and Ty Lee, while Toph kept near the door.
"Well, this has been an eventful day." Mai said.
"You're telling me." Hakoda said, as he kicked out his remaining leg to get comfortable in the chair he sat in. "Six hours of negotiations and we're probably not even halfway through everything that Joo Dee lady wants to bring up."
"You think we're going to have to stay overnight?" Connor asked.
"Aang's going to want to get as much peacemaking done as he can." Toph shrugged. "We could be here for another hour, or for another year before that happens."
"I wouldn't mind another day or two away from the capital." Azula said, standing beside Connor.
"It's not like sleeping arrangements haven't already been taken care of." Katara said as she dunked a bloody rag into a bucket of water.
"Yeah but still. Political meetings like these always drag on longer than they need too." Toph said as she came away from the door to find a seat. "And it's not like they do much either."
"Oh come on, you're saying you don't believe in Aang? He's one of your bestest friends." Ty Lee said.
"I don't think that's a word, Ty Lee." Mai said flatly.
Toph shrugged. "I don't believe that government figureheads can do much co-operating unless there's mutual interest."
"What do you mean by that?" Ty Lee asked.
"It means that nations who were at war a month ago aren't going to be agreeing on much unless there's a bigger problem the two have to deal with." Hakoda said.
"Like the Earth Kingdom suddenly becoming a thorn in everyone's side?" Connor asked.
"More specifically Joo Dee as Hei's emissary." Azula said with an eye roll.
Katara huffed as she got to her feet. "She really has been a pain."
"On the upside, everyone else seems to be standing with the Fire Nation." Mai said. "I do thank you for being so forgiving towards my home nation, Chief." Mai said to Hakoda.
"Zuko's much of the reason for that forgiveness. He's not his father, that much is for certain." Hakoda said.
"Still." Azula shrugged. "Hei's clear intent of strengthening the Earth Kingdom and weakening the others is forcing us closer."
"Technically everything Hei's having Joo Dee do is making Ba Sing Se stronger, and by a lot." Toph said, picking a dried booger from her right nostril with her pinky.
"And so strengthening the entire kingdom?" Hakoda asked.
Toph chuckled a little. "Right, political intricacies of the kingdom are really complicated to outsiders." She flicked her booger away before speaking again. "The Earth Kingdoms would be a more accurate title for our country. All the states and provinces have their own government structures and some have princes from Ba Sing Se's royal family, or actual kings separate from the city, but everyone bows to Ba Sing Se as the seat of power, because they've got all the money, the largest concentrated population to raise an army from, and the leader of the city has historically maintained a godly status and was related to much of the land owners in the rest of the continent."
"But with the king dead and no heir, there was a vacuum of power." Azula said, having facilitated the city's breakdown.
"Yeah, and for the first time in history, a commoner has effectively declared himself king." Toph said, crossing her arms. "And if he wants to keep that power he needs to show the rest of the states, provinces, and principalities that he's a strong leader worth bowing to, or else they'll stop paying tithes, or just outright claim that their leader is the rightful king."
"So all this about strengthening the kingdom's army to police their territory is just the central government enforcing its will on the rest of the nation?" Connor asked.
"Pretty much." Toph shrugged. "And if Hei goes to war with the Fire Nation it'll just give him an enemy to rally his people behind."
"Ugh…" Mai groaned. "And I thought Fire Nation politics were bad."
"Then…" Ty Lee started. "Maybe that assassin who shot Hakoda really was sent by Hei."
"We shouldn't jump to any conclusions like that." Hakoda said, turning to Ty Lee. "The last thing we need is to intentionally spark conflict with the Earth Kingdom now that the war is over."
"Still, word is going to get out eventually that you were shot in a botched assassination attempt on my brother." Azula said. "The citizens of the Fire Nation are bound to be upset, and the Tribes might be as well."
"Well…" Katara shrugged with both hands at shoulder level. "What if we can turn that into a good thing?"
"How so?" Connor asked.
"I mean, what if we just… Lied a little." Katara said, with a small smirk.
"Katara." Hakoda said, sounding disappointed.
"No no. I want to hear this." Toph said, growing a grin.
Katara looked at her father. "Everyone's already going to know that the man who shot you was from the Earth Kingdom, but other than that the only people who saw what happened were you, Zuko, and his guards. All we have to do is spread a story that you were shot saving Zuko, and all the sudden you become a hero, and the nationality of the assassin gets forgotten about."
"That's deviously clever of you." Azula said, raising an eyebrow.
Hakoda sighed. "I suppose that technically catching the bullet meant for Zuko would equate to saving him from it."
"I can write a letter to a colonial newspaper, and get ahead of any rumors spreading." Mai said, glancing towards the door.
"With any luck, by the end of tomorrow, the four nations will have made peace, and the story goes to waste." Connor said as he stood up. "Now then Chief, let's get you a crutch."
"And for the third time, I'm making the argument that it would be too expensive!" Zuko had raised his voice to nearly a shout now, as he and Joo Dee went back and forth on the matter of reparations for almost an hour.
"And for the fourth time, I'm reminding you, your nation nearly bankrupted mine. Trade and technology only go so far in recovery from war, hard currency is what the Earth Kingdom needs." Joo Dee said.
Sokka was rubbing the side of his eyebrow, glancing at Suki, who looked confused by all the talk of economics. Aang had his head in between his hands, and Arnook held his hands together in front of his mouth. Pakku was the only one among them who looked even remotely composed.
Kozato grunted from over Zuko's shoulder, growing irritated at the bickering. "If I might offer an argument?" He asked. Zuko huffed, before holding out his hand for Kozato to speak. "Tied to the sheer price of currency reparations, after all these years of war, the amount of gold required to pay for the lives lost alone would cripple the Fire Nation's economy, and then it would not be able to do anything else on the docket Lord Zuko has set. No trade, no technological assistance, nothing for the Earth Kingdom. Additionally, a crash in the Fire Nation would result in civil unrest both on the mainland and in the colonies. That is of course if the taxes needed to aid in funding such an extortive amount of money don't plunge your soon-to-be-returned territory into a depression which you would then need to clean up."
At Kozato's words, Joo Dee recoiled slightly.
"It would be in everyone's best interest then if money was not on the negotiating table." Master Pakku said.
"Evidently." Sokka said shortly.
The door behind Aang opened and everyone briefly paid their attention to one of Kozato's sergeants coming up and whispering in his ear, the much taller Captain leaning down to listen. "Hmm?" Kozato asked, before shaking his head. "Right, I'd almost forgotten." He cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen of the delegation, in honor of the peace between our nations, on behalf of the 4th Special Infantry Test Battalion, and Shock Company's mounted scout platoon, I would like to offer all of you dinner, prepared by our culinary expert, Private Suru."
"I could eat." Sokka said, getting up from his seat.
"You can always eat." Suki said with a smirk.
Joo Dee sighed. "I suppose that a banquette would be appropriate for a meeting of such importance."
Aang shrugged. "I don't see why we can't bring food into the meeting hall."
"Oh." Kozato said. "You're mistaken Avatar, the men have prepared the feast to be held in the field."
"How… Rustic." Joo Dee said.
"I believe that's befitting of the town." Chief Arnook said as he stood.
Aang looked at Zuko, who nodded his head. "We can pause the negation until tomorrow. For tonight, let's celebrate what progress we've made." Zuko said, stand up.
The delegation followed Kozato outside, and to the western outskirts of town, where his men had finished setting out low wooden tables and cushions, plates of food being brought over from the back of the horse-hound drawn cart, where Private Suru, the cook, was working.
"Did you really come all this way just for a picnic?" Zuko asked Kozato out of the corner of his mouth, as the two came to the head of the low table.
Zuko sat, as Kozato remained standing. "While conflict might have ended, we are waging a war for the hearts of the people of the Earth Kingdom and beyond in this conference. How can the people of the Earth Kingdom believe that this peace will last if they aren't being shown just how kind and hospitable we can be?"
"You want them on our side." Zuko surmised as Kozato finally sat beside and behind him.
"Better our side, than Ba Sing Se's." Kozato said, as Chief Hakoda, with the assistance of a hastily made wooden crutch, hobbled towards the feast. Azula, Connor, Mai, Ty Lee, Toph, and Katara had also arrived, having been invited in equal. "Besides, it's always nice to spend time with family and friends, separate as our visions for the nation might be."
At this, Zuko turned to look away from Kozato, as Mai sat on his other side. Glancing out to the table he saw what Kozato was talking about. Even with all the tension surrounding the discussions, those surrounding the low table were all in some way, family, either found or by blood, Joo Dee being the only outlier.
As Katara took her seat beside Aang, the two exchanged a smile, before Aang blushed, and the two averted eye contact. The war was over, and they were ready to have that conversation they'd put off on Ember Island, but the dinner table wasn't the right place, and with so many people surrounding them, it wasn't the right time. Looking across the table, Katara watched as her father sat down on his cushion, or really fell onto it. Connor dropped into the seat to the left of her father, and Azula was by his side. She whispered something in his ear, and he giggled, before quickly turning his head to kiss her cheek, the two both picking up their hashi to start eating.
Katara smiled, happy for the couple, before her attention returned to her father, and his missing leg. Its absence was the reason he was able to join them for dinner. There was a logical contradiction if Katara had ever heard one, but perhaps she was being too stubborn. Connor's healing was new and strange, but then so too were muskets to her not even a year ago, and water healing alone had its limits… But together with Connor's knowledge, Fire Nation sanitation, and her water bending combined, her dad had recovered from a wound that would have taken months to heal otherwise. It might as well have been a sign from the spirits themselves.
"Connor?" Katara asked to catch his attention. He hummed, turning to look at her. "I've been wondering, would you… Be willing to teach me what you know of medicine?"
Connor finished chewing what was in his mouth, before speaking. "Of course, I'd be willing to teach you… But in return, I ask a favor." Katara raised an eyebrow. "I want you to teach me everything you know about spiritual healing."
"Hey, that's a great idea." Aang said. "You'd be like, duel masters and pupils."
"If we ever find the time between all this peace-making." Connor said, picking up a porcelain cup, containing a bitter rice wine.
The sun began to set in the west, as a passenger train chugged east on the Colonial Rail Line. Sitting side by side in the wooden seat, Jin lounged back, trying to get as comfortable as she could, while Sa Mu slouched forward, arms crossed. "Still want to kill the Fire Lord?" Jin asked. Sa Mu forced a breath through his nose. "Let's just get to Ba Sing Se and see what Hei wants first."
Jin yawned. "Alright, but we should probably stop in Baiyin to rest. Coach tickets suck compared to sleeping with a cook."
"Fine… But only for one day." Sa Mu conceded.