AN: A little late, but we got here.
Chapter 3 "My dad is a war criminal."
Kozato had made it a habit of rising before Agni blessed the land with his light. While other fire benders rose at dawn, he had quickly learned that before first light was when the worst of attacks would come from Earth Kingdom rebels and partisan fighters in the colonies. He woke up well over an hour and a half before sunrise to shave, put his hair into a top knot, dress in his armor, and personally rouse a few of his more senior soldiers before daybreak. Afterward, Kozato made his way to the train station's sideline, where Zuko's private train sat parked. He stood by the end car, where Zuko, and likely Mai would be sleeping still, intending to wait for the Fire Lord to step out after dawn.
After only a moment, while adjusting the helmet clipped to his belt, Kozato heard a door creak further down the row of cars. He leaned to look around the corner of the train, before marching over to the sound, coming to find Connor standing on the other side of the car's drawbar pissing into the open field. The redhead was seemingly as ready for the day as Kozato was but was without boots or socks. After last night's dinner party, Kozato assumed that the younger man would have stayed in bed, feeling sick with the aftereffects of his overindulgence in rice wine.
"Do you want to hold it for me or something, Kozato?" Connor asked, not turning around to look at him.
"How'd you know it was me?" Kozato asked.
Connor finished relieving himself and buttoned his breaches. "You've got a very distinct seismic signature while in that suit." Connor turned around. "It's like you're one big bag of rattling cutlery. I could feel you walking over."
Kozato hummed at that, taking note Connor could sense people's footsteps. "Is Zuko awake?"
Connor stepped up onto the train and held onto the railing. "Don't know. Probably… What do you want from him?"
Kozato looked over his shoulder for a moment, taking note that a few people from town had begun to open the doors to their establishments. "I…" He looked back up to Connor. "Thought of something regarding the peace discussions. There's been no mention of war crimes since I've sat in on the meeting… I was wondering if the other nations had already pinned us to the wall over them, or if he'd resolved any issues relating to said crimes."
Connor sighed. "Yeah, they were brought up. He deflected the topic though. Said something about an Avatar's war accord he'd send a copy of to the other nations as a point of reference."
"Avatar Szeto's War Accords?" Kozato asked, putting his right hand behind his back.
"Yeah, I think, that's the one." Connor said.
"I had a copy of them in my office aboard the airship you stole from me at The Boiling Rock." Kozato said.
Connor raised an eyebrow, before pointing down the road to the town's small port. "You mean that one?"
Kozato spied the airship bearing the Southern Water Tribe insignia, and his jaw slightly dropped. "Yes, that one." Kozato said, before turning and leaving Connor by himself.
Kozato made his way down the dirt road and passed by the town's hotel. Katara was sitting up on the second-floor balcony, drinking a cup of morning tea outside her room. Taking note of her, Kozato stopped and held up a hand. "Snow Savage." Kozato said to catch her attention.
Katara looked down at who'd called her the racial epithet and scowled when she saw Kozato. "What do you want?" She asked.
Kozato put his hand down, then folded them both behind his back. "I require access to the water tribe marked airship in port. I'm under the impression it belongs to either you or someone you know."
"It's my father's, and he's aboard, but probably still asleep." Katara said, before looking away from Kozato. "And my name is Katara."
"Noted." Kozato said, before continuing on his way.
He arrived at the dock only a few moments later and put his right foot on the landing ramp. "AHOY!" Kozato shouted up to the men posted as guards on the ship. "Permission to come aboard? I've a request for Chief Hakoda." The two guards looked at each other before one turned into the ship to fetch the chief.
Not long after, Hakoda came hopping along from inside the ship, assisted by his crutch, his tunic left untucked, apparently having been hastily thrown on. "What do you want?" Hakoda asked.
"There is something on this ship I believe can aid in speeding up the peace negotiations. In my old office aboard, there is a copy of Avatar Szeto's War Accords. It should be in the top right drawer of the center desk." Kozato looked at where the man's missing leg would have been. "If you'd like I could fetch it myself instead of having you root around for it?" He offered.
Hakoda looked at the guard who'd woke him. "Take Kozato to my office, let him find this accord, but he takes nothing else." Hakoda looked back down to Kozato and nodded.
Kozato smiled, before walking up onto the ship, and then made his way to his old office, the guard walking behind him. Once in the office, he quickly retrieved the rolled paper he was searching for, then stepped out, making his way back to the ship's ramp, passing Hakoda on the way. He unrolled the paper and showed it to the chief, who was able to read the clearly printed title. Kozato rolled the scroll back up and made a short comment. "You didn't expect me to lie to you about my intentions, did you?"
Hakoda frowned a little. "An old habit from the war."
"Well, the war is over, Chief." Kozato put a hand on Hakoda's shoulder as if in comfort before he squeezed the man firmly. "But that doesn't mean we give up fighting for what we believe in." Kozato let go of Hakoda's shoulder. "In my case, the prosperity of my people, by any means." Kozato got a few steps past Hakoda before pausing and turning to face the chief, who pivoted on his crutch to face the man again. "What are you fighting for here?" Kozato asked.
Hakoda didn't need much time to think. "The same as you. The prosperity of my tribe."
Kozato hummed, before turning and walking towards the ship's landing ramp once again.
Zuko had slipped out of both his bed and Mai's embrace once the sun had risen, before preparing for the day. After washing his face, dressing, and putting his hair into a knot, the Fire Lord's hairpiece seated firmly in place, he woke Mai gently with a kiss on the cheek. Shortly after, the two exited the train car, prepared to get breakfast at the hotel with their friends, only to find Kozato standing on the ground just off of the car's steps.
"Good morning, Lord Zuko." Kozato said, bowing his head.
"Kozato… How long have you been waiting for me?" Zuko asked.
"Not long." Kozato lied. "In preparation for today's course of negotiations, I took the liberty of acquiring a copy of Avatar Szeto's War Accords for you. I figured they might come in handy if we need to defend ourselves from any accusations of personal wrongdoing during the war." He said, pulling the scroll from the helmet still strapped to his belt.
Zuko stepped down from the train, and took the scroll from Kozato, unrolling it enough to read the title. "I… I don't know what to say."
"Then say nothing." Kozato said. "I'm simply doing my duty to both the throne and My nation." He gave a small smile to Zuko, before stepping out of the way for both him and Mai.
Zuko nodded before he and Mai both passed Kozato by and made way for the town's hotel. Kozato was still smiling as his eyes followed the two.
After breakfast, the members of the delegation, and the meeting's stenographer all took their seats. Hakoda promptly returned to his place at the table, Sokka and Katara standing behind him. Behind Zuko were Mai, Azula, Ty Lee, and Kozato. Toph and Connor stood to Aang's right at the table, filling what little space remained in the meeting room.
Master Pakku spoke first. "Everyone is present. We may continue our negotiations."
Zuko cleared his throat. "I'd like to get ahead of the curve and reintroduce a topic we had to drop yesterday. The discussion of war crimes."
"What's changed since yesterday?" Joo Dee asked.
"A copy of Avatar Szeto's War Accords has been delivered to me, and I wish to read to you its contents so I might convince the other nations of its adoption." Zuko said, taking the scroll out from his robe, and unrolling it.
"That sounds like a great idea." Aang said.
"Any objections?" Pakku asked, not receiving any, he held a hand out to Zuko to continue.
"I will be paraphrasing here, some of the language used is moderately outdated." Zuko said.
Kozato rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Almost six hundred years outdated." He thought.
Zuko cleared his throat. "Owing to the recent conflict of the war between clans within the Fire Nation, it is prudent that the central government under the Fire Lord, and the separate clans now follow these codified laws of war to abide by in matters of both domestic struggle and struggle abroad. Warfighting should then be surmised by three basic rules.
Wars should be limited to achieving the goals that started the war and should not include unnecessary destruction.
Wars should be brought to an end as quickly as possible.
People not bearing arms or participating in the war effort should be protected.
To this end, the laws of war as written below are intended to mitigate the hardships of war by sparing combatants from unnecessary suffering. Safeguarding fundamental rights of protected persons such as prisoners of war, the wounded, sick, women, children, and the elderly. All while facilitating the restoration of peace.
Defining war.
To understand these rules, war must first be properly defined. War is armed conflict, limited in space, limited in time, and objectives. War begins with a declaration, and ends with a treaty or surrender agreement. Anything else is not war, but conquest, and domination.
Further, there must be an understanding of what constitutes the right to declare war, and when a declaration need not be made. War is an act of loyalty to one's nation, and declaring it to warn an adversary is an act of high honor. War may be declared when the threat of danger to a nation or state is great enough to justify a violent response, (as an example, rival nations amassing soldiers, or idling fleets at sea,) or for reprisal to hostile actions made against the nation. (As an example, excessively sanctioning, or blockading to deprive a nation of essential trade resources, constitutes hostile actions.) Declarations of war, should as well include ultimatums that if met will cease hostilities. War need not be declared when in defense of an immediate attack.
Principles.
Necessity: When waging war only what is necessary should be done unto the enemy. Attacks must be on legitimate military objectives, and the harm caused to civilians must not be excessive.
Distinction: Distinction is therefore paramount. Warring parties must distinguish between their combatants and civilians.
Humanity: Using arms made to cause suffering or injury disproportionate to the military advantage created by the use of the weapon, such as poisoned arrows, is dishonorable. Weapons should be reviewed prior to their use in combat to determine if they are or are not designed to cause unnecessary suffering when used in their intended manner.
Honor: There must be a certain amount of respect while at war. Warring parties must refrain from taking advantage of their adversary's adherence to these laws by falsely claiming the law's protections.
The Laws.
Captured or surrendering men and parties should be treated fairly, (as one would treat their own) provided that combatants are;
Commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates.
Wearing a distinctive uniform recognizable at a distance, denoting their affiliation.
Carrying arms openly, or have been identified as a bender through witnessing their bending, by their wearing a distinctive uniform variation or their profession of the ability.
Conducting their operations in accordance with the laws of war set forth.
Taking hostages is not the same as taking prisoners. Taking hostages, defined as capturing civilians or lawful combatants with the intent to ransom them, or use them as protection from attack, is dishonorable cowardice, and is forbidden.
Combatants must be commanded by a responsible officer. An officer can be held liable in a court for the improper actions of their subordinates. There is an exception to this if conflict is so abrupt that there is no time for an officer to organize his men. (Example if ambushed by night.) Officers of units larger than a company should then not be targeted, as units without leadership are likely to violate these laws unknowingly.
Impersonating enemy combatants by wearing the enemy's uniform, while fighting, is dishonorable perfidy, and is forbidden.
Spies and saboteurs, either impersonating civilians or men at war, are not provided the protections other prisoners would be, due to their inherently deceitful profession.
Attacking known healers, herbalists, physicians, and their aids, is to by extension attack the sick and wounded, and is forbidden.
Attacking anyone who indicates an intent to surrender or a desire to communicate through the display of a white cloth or banner waved overhead or attached to a mast is forbidden.
Sailors stranded overboard are to be treated as if surrendered under a white flag.
Ships found in distress (example; taking on water, or burning,) are not to be attacked.
Members of the medicinal practices and those under a white banner are expected to be neutral. Engaging in war under a white banner or the medical profession is forbidden. Violators of this rule are considered combatants.
Forcefully deporting civilians from their homes without just reason (a just reason being; to remove them from immediate harm's way,) is forbidden.
Forcefully imprisoning civilians without their having been a crime committed is forbidden.
Training mercenaries to fight a state or people not engaging in war is forbidden.
Ordering the killing of civilians not participating in the war is forbidden.
Ordering no mercy, when fully capable of taking prisoners, is forbidden, unless a formal rejection of conditional surrender has been received.
Killing combatants who are not capable of resistance is forbidden.
Desecrating corpses is forbidden.
Intentionally starving occupied peoples is forbidden.
Intentionally destroying spiritual sites is forbidden.
Henceforth, anyone found in violation of these laws of war is subject to judicial punishment, and will lose protections provided by these laws." Zuko set the scroll down, finished with his reading.
"A question, if I may?" Hakoda asked to get Zuko's attention. "We're all aware that the Fire Nation during the war did not abide by its own laws. What exactly is being done about this?"
Zuko sighed lightly. "I've made it a part of my first-year agenda as Fire Lord to arrest, charge, and imprison those suspected of violations of these laws of war. As it stands, many of former Fire Lord Ozai's inner circle are serving life sentences for their crimes."
Hakoda nodded, placated by the answer, though Joo Dee was not. "And yet…" She started. "Three reside in your current company." She looked first at Kozato and Azula, then to Connor.
"What?" Connor asked, more confused by the accusation than anything.
"How… Dare you!" Kozato said, clenching his fists, and uncrossing his arms.
"That isn't a fair accusation to throw toward Connor and I especially." Azula said, furrowing her eyebrows at Joo Dee. "Whatever minor infractions or wanderings into gray areas within the accords we may have committed, should hardly matter considering we're partly responsible for ending the war."
"Forget a fair accusation." Kozato said, slamming his metal-gloved fist onto the table. "Levying one against me borders on slander."
"I'm loath to admit it." Zuko said. "But Kozato and Azula have a point. There's a fine line between prosecution and persecution, and I will not stray beyond prosecuting those deserving of punishment for their violations." Zuko put his hands together as Kozato backed away from the table. "Besides, if we were to apply blanket punishments for every individual violation across every nation retroactively, half of the people in this room would be in prison due to how complicated the war was."
Sokka looked at Joo Dee. "Yeah, I mean, if taking a hostage and fighting in enemy uniforms is forbidden, then my dad is a war criminal, and so am I." The entire room looked at Sokka, including his father, who turned in his chair and looked over his shoulder. "What? I'm just proving his point, that the war was a mess."
Zuko rubbed the side of his nose with his right hand. "Regardless, I'm suggesting that every nation and state present for this conference agree to uphold these laws of war in the future."
"You've also suggested that the accords be expanded." Chief Arnook said. "What did you have in mind?"
"I was hoping the delegation might have some suggestions, owing to their different perspectives." Zuko said, interlacing his fingers. "However, due to the development of airships and balloon-lifted gliders, I'd like to suggest that they be treated as seafaring vessels would be, with downed craft and their occupants being considered in distress."
"That's reasonable enough." Hakoda said.
"I think we can also say it's reasonable enough that under the current accords killing an entire people is forbidden, but should be reiterated, or the accord amended." Zuko said.
Kozato cleared his throat. "Playing the advocate of an Akuma, I would like to say that Avatar Szeto couldn't have imagined it possible to wipe out an entire nation, and so wouldn't make a distinction between ordering civilian deaths and ordering a people's erasure. The levels of magnitude between the two crimes are too great to measure."
"There's not even an accurate word or description for the destruction of a people on that scale." Connor shrugged. "Extermination is close, but it connotes pest control, which isn't exactly a politically good-sounding phrase."
"It is an apt description though." Azula said with a raised eyebrow.
"But killing wasn't the only thing the Fire Nation did in the war to get rid of people." Katara said. "They also put earth and water benders in prison just for their ability to bend."
"Right…" Zuko said. "The destruction of, or attempted destruction of a group of people by their race, or nation, is constituted as killing members of the group or imposing living conditions intended to destroy the group, solely due to their affiliation. Moving forward, any attempts to destroy a people is forbidden."
"I've got one…" Aang said, catching the room's attention. "Since the Fire Nation attacked the Air Temples, they'd been looted. What little things of value they did have, ceremonial artifacts, air bending scrolls, gliders, even clothes and toys were taken, and later used to lure nomads that escaped the temples, or weren't at them during the raids, out of hiding so they could be killed. Stealing cultural and religious artifacts should be something we all agree to never do again, especially if they're going to be used to pull people into a trap."
"In line with preserving culture and the arts, I'm in agreement with The Avatar." Pakku said.
"As am I." Suki said.
There were several more "I's" before Joo Dee raised her hand. "What of looting things of non-culturally significance?" Half of the room glanced around at each other. "During the war, the Earth Kingdom has repeatedly had its people's gold and goods stolen by the Fire Nation."
Zuko pursed his lips. "I can agree that soldiers stealing money is wrong, but there's an argument to be had for looting equipment or food if it's not necessarily essential to the people that it's being taken from."
"I agree with Fire Lord Zuko." Hakoda said. "Much of the Water Tribe's ability to fight in this war came from our taking of whatever we could get our hands on. Desperate times called for desperate measures."
"Indeed." Arnook said. "Almost all of the ships of the Northern Navy are captured crafts from the Fire Nation."
"We stole a ton of money when we were in hiding." Toph half whispered up to Connor.
Joo Dee looked around the room. "I suppose that civility while at war is something of a luxury. Very well. Looting non-essential supplies is then a violation of the laws of war?" She suggested.
"All in favor?" Pakku asked, raising a hand. Everyone raised their hands. "Glad to see we agree that theft is bad." He said half-jokingly.
"Strange notion…" Connor said, catching the room's attention, putting a finger up. "How exactly do you know who's a doctor or a healer from a distance?"
The members of the delegation glanced around the room before Chief Arnook cleared his throat. "In the Northern Tribe, our healers are all women. On principle, attacking women while at war is itself demonstrable."
"But not every nation practices war and healing as you do, Chief." Azula spoke up. "The Fire Nation recently allowed women to serve in the regular army, and there are several accomplished women in this room with you, who've proved themselves in battle."
"The Kyoshi Warriors as a prime example are exclusively women." Suki said.
"Earth Kingdom medicinal personnel stay far behind the front lines." Joo Dee said. "I see no reason why they should require special markings when they do not come under attack to begin with."
Kozato put his hands behind his back. "Cannon crews have had a hard time determining if a tent belongs to a physician and his wounded or to healthy foot soldiers…" He said, earning a shocked look from Katara. "Just some remarks shared by an artillery company captain I know."
"If this is true, then the nations need a symbol we can all easily recognize as belonging only to those who practice medicine." Zuko said.
"The staff of æsˈkliːpi.əs." Connor said, with a raised hand, earning a few odd looks. "A staff with a single snake wrapped around it. It's been a symbol of medicine since antiquity."
"I think that "little dragons" would be too heavily associated with the Fire Nation to be considered belonging only to healers." Joo Dee said.
"What about…" Aang started. "What about something new to represent all four nations? Something every nation has."
"The Lotus would have been a natural choice, however, it is taken." Pakku said with a small smirk.
"The spiral?" Connor said, asking more than anything.
Aang turned to look at Connor. "What spiral?"
"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Katara asked from across the table.
"The spiral. The little spinning line. It's all over the place." Connor said, as he pointed to the banner hanging over the door to the room, where the trapezoidal symbol of earth bending could be seen, the counterclockwise spiral sitting in its center. "You're wearing three of them, Aang." Connor said, holding a hand down to Aang's beaded necklace, the pendant depicting three clockwise spirals. "Katara's got a few on her neck." He pointed to his friend's heirloom betrothal necklace. "Even the Fire Nation's got them." He said showing off the single pin on his open robe, the center spiral connected to the three arms of the fire rising off of it.
"I've never noticed that before." Aang said, looking around at the four symbols.
"Ah, the helix." Pakku said. "The representation of the universe, it is found everywhere in nature, from tiny sea shells to typhoons. It is eternity, growth, balance between the body and the spirit."
"Sound's quite fitting for a symbol of medicine then." Kozato piped up.
"It's simple, recognizable…" Hakoda said. "What color should it be?" He continued.
"Well…" Aang started. "It can't be a color that is already part of the four nations."
"Well, that's kinda a problem." Suki said. "Shades of red, green, yellow, and blue are the vibrant colors that would stick out the most, and anything in between would be too dull."
"We could put it on a white background so whatever color it is will pop." Ty Lee said, shaking her hands in the air a little.
"The white background makes sense. Even if the symbol isn't noticed, it could be seen as a white banner of communication." Hakoda said, adjusting the crutch in his grip.
"Well, then red is the color to go with, specifically because of the white contrast." Mai said from beside Zuko. "The Fire Nation doesn't use plain white for anything, so it would be noticeable again either as a sign of surrender or healing, and to the other nations red is seldom seen on the battlefield, and would be easily recognized."
Aang sighed. "I still think it should be a color like purple… But if everyone else is ok with it?"
"Red is an acceptable color in this instance." Joo Dee said, resting her hands in her lap.
"Red is good." Hakoda said simply.
"It would be quite easy to spot at sea on a white flag." Arnook said, stroking his beard. "I'm for it."
Zuko sighed as he picked up the scroll again. "Right, and so any person, vessel, or encampment clearly marked with a red spiral on a white background, is to be considered neutral, and will be protected by the laws of war… Are there any other suggestions?" He asked.
Aang glanced around at the other delegates, waiting to see if anyone was going to speak, before him. "I have one…" He said. "I think we should make it illegal to send children to war."
"Define; children." Joo Dee said.
"That's just it though." Aang started. "I've been all over the world, and I know that every nation, every region, and culture, has a different set of rules for what makes someone an adult. I don't know exactly what they are, but I know that friends of mine, The Duke, and Smellerbee should never have needed to fight alongside us. Toph Shouldn't have been any more than a teacher. Azula and Suki shouldn't be expected to lead soldiers into battle. Even I'm too young to be in the position I'm in, and I'm over a hundred and twelve."
"Circumstances forced everyone's hand, Avatar…" Chief Hakoda said.
Zuko balled one hand in the palm of another. "If we do pass an age requirement into the new accords, it shouldn't retroactively punish anyone, only those who force children to fight from this point on."
"Which again brings us back to the issue of; what constitutes an adult?" Joo Dee asked.
Pakku contemplatively put his hands together. "The years someone has spent on this earth are not equivalent to one's wisdom or maturity, The Avatar being over one hundred but still a boy is an extreme example of this."
"But with age does come experience." Hakoda said. "In the South, boys become men once they've successfully led an ice-dodging run. They have to be at least fourteen, but most don't pass on their first try."
"And the women of your tribe?" Zuko asked.
"Uhh." Hakoda cleared his throat, the subject in question was usually handled by the woman of the house. "A woman comes of age when Tui first calls upon them."
"Menses then?" Connor asked, from Aang's side. "That can come as soon as what… Age twelve?"
"Sometimes sooner, but yes." Katara said from behind her father.
Arnook hummed. "The Northern Tribe did away with rites of passage nearly fifty years ago. The age of sixteen is when we consider our children capable of being married and making their own decisions in life."
"I can't speak for everywhere in the Earth Kingdom but fourteen is generally when most people are considered "mature," or at least enough to become a Kyoshi Warrior." Suki said.
Toph put her hand halfway up. "That's what I was about to say for the state of Goaling. Fourteen is when most kids start working and learning more advanced forms of earth bending." She put her fingers to her chest poshly. "The exceptionally gifted of course can start sooner."
"In the Fire Nation things are a little more… Complicated." Zuko said with a huff.
"How much more complicated?" Sokka asked.
"Adulthood in the Fire Nation means "the age compulsory education ends, and work begins" which is usually age thirteen." Zuko started. "However, the full rights and duties of Fire Nation citizens come in gradients. The age of enlistment is fifteen so soldiers have had at least some work experience they can contribute to the military. The age one can legally marry and own land is sixteen. And legal liability for crimes can still fall onto someone's family until age twenty if they live in the same estate."
"Becoming an adult as an Air Nomad is a lot simpler." Aang said, rubbing the side of his head. "Maturity and wisdom are tied to our understanding of air bending. Masters of the element who complete the thirty-six tiers are considered wise enough to travel the world alone. That's when we get our tattoos."
Connor raised an eyebrow from behind Aang. "Wouldn't that make you an adult then?"
Aang cringed. "Yeah… I became a master early though… I sort of invented a new technique, the air scooter."
Zuko turned to Aang. "That little ball you race around on?"
Aang chuckled. "Yeah, it's pretty great right?"
Joo Dee cleared her throat. "While that sounds… Fun, I should note that Ba Sing Se's age of adulthood is a much more sensible eighteen years old, the age one can purchase land, marry, and such."
"ˈʤiːzəs ˈmeəri ænd ˈʤəʊzɪf." Connor said in English, catching everyone's attention. "Where I'm from, you're considered an adult when you're big enough to work, and for me, that was age seven."
"Seven?!" Azula asked. "Then you've been an adult for what, nearly a decade now?"
"Ay." Connor said. "Come ɒkˈtəʊbə."
"How barbaric." Joo Dee muttered. "Well, of the civilized societies, it would be more sensible to raise the age one can march to war up to the standards of Ba Sing Se."
"Or." Hakoda interjected. "We could decide on the median between the ages presented. Young men who wish to sail and fight as their fathers did before them shouldn't be denied because they're "not men yet," by your standards."
"Well, we can't just choose the median age of the fixed numbers given." Zuko said. "If we include Connor's… Clan, for lack of a better word I can use here. Then the median age would be lowered to fourteen."
"What if we compromised?" Aang suggested. "Sixteen is an age right in the middle of fourteen and eighteen. It's the age that The Avatar is supposed to learn of their duty to the world. It's how old Zuko and Connor are, and they're plenty wise and mature…" Connor tugged at his shirt collar. "... And it's not like we have to force the city of Ba Sing Se to lower their age laws, but everyone else, the Southern Water Tribe, the Fire Nation, and some states of the Earth Kingdom will have to raise their age laws by a few years. Every nation has to give a little."
"The idea is… Tolerable." Zuko said. "Moving forward from this day, any nation training soldiers below the age of sixteen violates The Avatar Szeto War Accords and its expansion… All in favor?"
Of the seated delegates all raised their hands, save for Hakoda, who spoke his mind on the matter. "I know that I'm outvoted here, and will ensure that my tribe abides by the accords, but I can't in good conscience vote to bar those who've become men by tradition from fighting for the tribe."
"So long as you follow the laws of war, it's your right to cast your vote as you see fit." Joo Dee said.
"Are there any other concerns that need to be raised before we conclude the first peace negotiation between the nations?" Aang asked.
Joo Dee Raised her hand, and Azula had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. "In the past year of the war, the number of explosive weapons used has dramatically increased. Unexploded Fire Nation bombs are all over the Earth Kingdom. I shouldn't have to plead a case for how dangerous this could potentially be to the people of the kingdom."
The edge of Zuko's lip nearly curled into an oft-seen smirk. "I've commissioned an ordnance disposal team within the Home Guard to get rid of Fire Nation stockpiles once the war is officially over. I figured that they could be deployed in support of peace and reconstruction in the Earth Kingdom… With your permission of course."
"It would be welcomed." Joo Dee said with a smile.
"If that's everything?" Master Pakku asked, receiving no response, other than the stenographer scribbling down their last few notes.
Zuko stood up. "Then the first conference between the nations has officially ended, and with it, the war." The other delegates began to stand, Hakoda with some assistance from Katara. "I ask that everyone keep in contact diplomatically if problems arise so we can cooperate to solve them."
Aang placed his hand on Zuko's arm. "We really did it."
"Yeah." Zuko said. "It took longer than I thought it would." He said as everyone began to leave the building, Azula and Connor close behind him.
Aang snickered. "I expected us to be here for at least a week."
"I'm just glad that we were able to come to a deal that everyone seems relatively happy about." Zuko said, running his hand along his hair towards his top knot. "And that Hakoda made it through alright."
Suddenly, Connor hissed, and Aang turned to look at the redhead. "What's wrong?" Aang asked, finding Connor clutching at his right bicep, his right hand violently shaking at his side.
Azula took his shaking hand and drew circles on his palm with her thumb, where the red scar tissue began. "It's acting up again isn't it?" She asked.
Zuko glanced back and gave Aang an answer. "His lightning burn, the one he got fighting my father, it makes him like this from time to time. It'll pass in a while."
Katara, seeing Connor's tremor, gave her father a look of assurance, as Sokka took her place in helping their dad return to his airship, before she came to Connor's side, and drew water from the pouch on her waist. "Let me help." Covering his arm in water, soaking his robe and shirt through, Katara pooled Connor's chi towards his shoulder, the fluid she commanded glowing blue, as it soothed his pain. His shaking lessened, though it didn't cease. "Come on, let's sit you down." Katara said, guiding Connor to the nearest seat. "You guys can go on without us. This shouldn't take too long."
Hesitant to leave Katara behind, Aang pursed his lips. "Alright… We can meet up at the hotel later."
"Do you need anything?" Azula asked Connor, before releasing his hand.
"An opium chew would be nice if this water doesn't hold its own." Connor said as he sat down.
Leaving Connor and Katara behind for the moment, everyone else exited the town hall and made their way to the train station to bid Joo Dee safe travels. She, the town's marshal, Master Pakku, and the man who'd tried to kill Zuko, who was in chains and being shoved along by the marshal, stood facing the other delegates. Joo Dee bowed to Zuko with her hands in her sleeves. "I hope that the peace between our nations lasts a lifetime." She said.
"So long as I'm Fire Lord it will." Zuko said, returning the bow. "I wish you well on your return to Ba Sing Se, and hope that maybe someday I'll have the honor of meeting the man you represent."
"Well, not all of us can move mountains." Joo Dee said, still smiling. "But perhaps if you were to visit Ba Sing Se, Hei would be willing to speak to you in person there." Kozato's jaw tightened at her words.
Zuko sighed. "Then I might just have to arrange for our next meeting to take place in his palace."
Pakku smiled at Sokka. "I hope to see you and your sister again sometime soon, but for now, the White Lotus needs me in Ba Sing Se."
Hakoda chuckled. "Well don't be a stranger for too long. You've got a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the family… Dad."
Pakku chuckled as well. "Oh please, don't call me that. I already feel old enough as it is."
The relatively empty train pulled into the station, and as Joo Dee and her company turned to board, two new faces stepped off at the end of the platform. Jin and Sa Mu both turned to find a small crowd on the other end of the wooden platform, and almost instantly Jin saw a face familiar to her.
"Lee?" She asked herself quietly, recognizing the scar belonging to the young man in the imperial red of the Fire Nation. Beside him stood three Fire Nation women in the same ensemble of reds and blacks, three water tribesmen, and two girls in Earth Kingdom green and cream-colored garments, the younger of the two being only a child. The two most distinctive of the group were the tallest man of the crowd in his full suit of shining metal armor, and the bald boy with a blue arrow tattoo.
Sam Mu crossed his arms, before putting his right hand to his chin, grinning. "Well, I'll be a hog-monkey's uncle." Sa Mu said, lowering his hands at the sight of the very clearly Fire Nation citizens. Fire Nation citizens wearing clothing fit for royalty.
Both Jin and Sa Mu made their way to the crowd before Jin quickened her pace to meet the man she knew as Lee, curious as to what he was doing with the Avatar. "Lee?" She repeated, with a little more volume.
Zuko, though already standing upright, tensed his shoulders slightly at the sound of the name he'd assumed in the Earth Kingdom, and turned to the source of the sound, as did the rest of his party. They were met by a dark-haired, green-eyed, Earth Kingdom girl, who stopped just outside arm's reach. Zuko raised his good eyebrow, recognizing the girl. "Jin?"
"Jin?" Mai asked, also raising an eyebrow of her own, though otherwise remaining unemotive.
"What are you doing all the way out here in Baiyin?" Jin asked, before glancing at The Avatar, and the tall armored man, whose left hand rested on the pistol grip sticking off of his belt. "And who are all these people?"
"Uuuuh…" Zuko muttered as he checked over his shoulder.
Sa Mu chuckled to himself, though it caught the attention of the others. "I'll tell you who these people are. The tattooed boy is The Avatar…" Sa Mu politely covered his left fist with his right hand and bowed as any earth bender would. "It's an honor to meet you."
Aang gave a small bow at his mention. "The honor is all mine." He said, feeling slightly irked by the man. There was something uncanny about his appearance that Aang couldn't quite put his finger on.
"As for most of the others." Sa Mu said, his grin becoming a scowl. "They're Fire Nation."
Azula smirked. "What gave it away, the color scheme, or our pointed boots?" She asked sarcastically, wiggling her right foot for emphasis.
Jin rolled her eyes. "I already knew Lee was from the Fire Nation." She refocused her attention on Zuko. "So…" She studied Zuko up and down. "I'm guessing that you lied about being part of a circus?"
Zuko paused for a moment, before realizing Jin was recounting the date they'd had, nearly a year ago. "Oh… Yeah." Zuko said, rubbing his neck, he could feel Mai's gaze burning a hole in the back of his head, and hoped that if she was going to kill him, she'd make it quick. "And, my name's not Lee…" Zuko took a breath and held his hand out authoritatively. "My name is Fire Lord Zuko, Patriarch of the Sages, and Protector of the Royal Houses."
Sa Mu narrowed his eyes at Zuko. "Fire Lord, eh?" He took one step back, loosening his stance. "So you're the one I've heard is responsible for ending the war… Deposed your father, yes?"
"Technically that was The Avatar's doing." Zuko said.
"Also technically, we deposed Kozato." Azula added, thumbing over her shoulder to her cousin, who grimaced at her.
"And you would also technically be responsible for Ba Sing Se's fall? For the colonies still belonging to the Fire Nation? For those flying machines that burned the earth?" Sa Mu asked, clenching his fists.
"That's enough of that." Kozato said, pushing past Azula and Zuko, putting himself between them, and the two strangers. "You ought to remember your place, commoner. You are speaking to royalty." Kozato said.
Sa Mu's grin returned. "Oh, I see… So all three of you share the blame for the Earth Kingdom's ruin?" He asked rhetorically.
Aang put a hand up. "Ok, everyone just take a step back and take a deep breath. Harsh words don't solve problems."
"Seriously," Ty Lee added. "I can smell the bad energy coming off you two." She stuck her tongue out.
"Well..." Kozato said, leaning away from Sa Mu. "Stone Chuckers aren't known for their good washing habits." Toph raised an eyebrow, then sniffed herself. Sa Mu took a second to chuckle. "What's so funny?" Kozato asked.
Sa Mu held his hands out slightly to either side of his body. "Oh nothing, just the fact that you think I'm an earth bender." He said, before creating a ball of fire in his left palm.
Though many in the rest of the group shared some amount of surprise at the revelation of the stranger's ability to fire bend, Kozato narrowed his eyes, both intrigued and cautious. "Who are you?"
Sa Mu's grin widened, as he assumed a horse stance, then swept his left foot back, placed his flame-filled palm near his waist, and clenched his right hand beside the fire, as if holding a sword. "My name is Samuel Inacio Espada." Sam said in Portuguese, before he squeezed his left fist closed, and drew his right fist up, having strung the fire between them like a cord, before he released his left hand's hold on the flames, and swung his right hand around his head counterclockwise, and down towards Kozato diagonally as Sam stepped back with his right foot.
Kozato held up his left forearm to block the incoming attack with his armor and shield his face. The fire Samuel had attacked him with was less like the traditional gout of flames, or even a fire whip, and more like the concentrated stream of a fire dagger, though several times longer. Like a blowtorch, the jet of flames had managed to quickly heat the mild steel plate with what brief contact it had made.
In retaliation, Kozato had shoved his right palm towards his attacker, blowing a ball of red fire at the man, who impressively flung himself to the right into a hands-free cartwheel off of the train station's wooden platform. Landing on the dirt road below, the jet of fire in his right hand still blazing, Sam held his arms wide.
Kozato looked down at Sam, as the rest of the group looked on in shock. "Sa Mu, what are you doing?!" Jin asked her partner loudly.
"Nothing that concerns you, Jin." Sam said. "This is between me and the royal trio here."
As Sokka and Arnook assisted Hakoda away from the brewing fight, with Suki guarding them, Zuko stepped towards Sam. "I don't know what it is you think we've done, but whatever it is, you know it's not worth fighting everyone over."
"On the contrary. I think the challenge alone would be well worth it." Sam said. "Getting to kill the man whose army still occupies my home kingdom? Now that's just a bonus." By now, Kozato had strapped his helmet on, and dropped down into the street with Sam. Sam took two steps back to give the man some space.
"What are you talking about?" Azula asked.
"Yeah." Ty Lee added. "Zuko just promised to hand all of the colonies back to the Earth Kingdom."
"Is that why he has all these soldiers here?" Sam asked, eyebrow raised, holding his hand up to the mounted platoon's encampment in the field just outside of town. "No, I don't buy it. The Fire Nation might have called off the war, but that doesn't mean it lost. I'm going to change that. Starting with you." Sam said, pointing the tip of his jet of fire at Zuko up on the platform.
"You may try." Kozato said, leaning back into his unorthodox fire bending stance, fingers splayed and curled. "Run along, Your Highness. I'll handle this."
"Don't think you're taking all the glory here, Kozato." Azula said, dropping down to the ground and landing in a tripod. She stood up and cocked a fist back behind her head, two fingers extended. "If anyone should be defending Zuzu, it's me."
"Is this really necessary?" Aang asked, looking around at everyone.
"Hardly." Mai said with a half-hearted sight. "But fire benders love the theatrics that come with honor fights and pitched combat."
"Can I get in on this?" Toph asked, as she carefully came down the platforms' wooden steps to the right on the three fire benders on the ground. "I haven't whooped any ass in a while."
"I don't see why not." Sam shrugged.
Mai looked up at the sky in exasperation, before grabbing Zuko's arm. "Come on. Let's get out of here." She said, sounding bored. Jin turned and followed them, Ty Lee trailing close behind.
Aang nervously took two steps in either direction between the two groups, before Toph spoke to him. "You go with Zuko. We've got this." She said, growing a grin to rival Sam's.
Hesitantly, Aang departed, catching up with Zuko.
"What are our terms?" Kozato asked Sam.
Sam thought for a moment. "This meeting was one of chance, and I'm willing to pass it by, knowing that the Fire Nation will get what's coming to it in the end. So how about this? If I get hit by any of you, I'll drop the whole thing, go check into the hotel for the night, and catch the next train to Ba Sing Se in the morning. But, if I can manage to defeat all of you, I get to take a stab at the Fire Lord himself."
Azula glanced at Kozato and then Toph out of the corner of her eye, the two remaining still as statues. "We accept your challenge." She said with a smirk.
"Ok…" Sam said, eyeing his three opponents. "Your move."
"I'm sorry about Sa Mu." Jin said as she walked with Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Aang. They were quickly catching up to Sokka, Hakoda, Arnook, and Suki. "He's a little… Eccentric."
Zuko ran his hand across the top of his head. "I can't exactly blame him for hating the Fire Nation, but a lot's changed in the past few days."
"It seems like things have been changing every month since Ba Sing Se was conquered…" Jin said. "Speaking of… You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
"Uh…" Zuko stuttered. "I was there… And what Sa Mu said, about us being responsible, is kinda half right."
Mai rolled her eyes. "Azula, Ty Lee, Connor, and I helped overthrow the Earth King's puppet master."
"Yeah." Ty Lee said. "We were trying to free Ba Sing Se, and come to a peaceful friendship with the new government, but War Minister Qin knocked down the outer wall."
Jin raised an eyebrow at the peppy girl's explanation. "And what were you doing in the city, Lee- I, uh. Right… Zuko?" She asked, catching her misnomer.
Zuko looked up at one of the small clouds dotting the sky. "Believe it or not, my uncle and I really were trying to start over and forget about the Fire Nation… That was before my sister, Azula, the girl fighting your buddy, or I guess the taller of the two, kind of had me arrested after the initial coup…"
"So you just joined her?" Jin asked.
"Well, when you put it that way…" Zuko said, rubbing his neck. "I had a lapse in judgment. She offered me everything. Claim to the Fire Nation Throne, my father's love, my honor. All I had to do was help her kill Aang." Zuko held his hand out to Aang behind him.
"Well, good thing that he didn't actually die. Otherwise, the war would still be going." Jin said.
"Oh, I actually did die." Aang said awkwardly. "Our mutual friend Connor shot me." Jin raised an eyebrow at that. "But it was alright, our other friend Katara was able to bring me back with spirit water."
"It was a complicated and confusing time for all of us…" Zuko said. "But in the end, if none of that happened, who knows where all of us would be."
Jin shrugged at that. "So you're Fire Lord now… What's that been like?"
Zuko slouched a little. "Draining… We all had to help defeat My father, and then Azula fought Kozato, my cousin wearing the armor back at the train station, for the throne, which she passed off to me. Ever since I've been having to bar my teeth and browbeat all of the military leadership to pull back to the colonies and end the war. Granted, Aang being by my side has helped a lot."
Mai looked at Jin out of the corner of her eye before looking ahead down the street. "So… Jin… Who exactly are you?" Jin gave Mai a look. "To Zuko, I mean." Mai clarified.
"Well…" Jin started. "I met Zuko when he went by Lee and worked with his uncle in a tea shop in the lower ring. I used to go there every weekend, then one day I just asked him out."
Mai turned her head to face Zuko, who sighed. "It didn't exactly go anywhere."
Jin snorted. "Yeah, well a few weeks later you disappeared into the upper ring, and I haven't seen you since… Guess you found a new girlfriend then?" She asked with a small smirk.
"Oh, you mean Mai?" Zuko asked, the two girls locking eyes. "She isn't exactly my "new" girlfriend. We've been friends since before I was exiled."
"Well, you two look adorable together." Jin said, returning her attention to the path in front of them.
"So… How've you been?" Zuko asked.
Jin sucked wind through her teeth. "Oh, you know… Joined the resistance once the outer wall came down. Assassinated the new governor. Became a whore once all the jobs started drying up after the Fire Army burned down half of the lower ring. On occasion, I'd stab army officers in their sleep."
"Charming…" Mai said.
Azula was the first to strike, thrusting her two fingers forward at Sam, the bright blue bolt of fire sailing through the air toward him. Sam, quick on his feet, sidestepped the attack, then rushed forward, leaping over a small fissure in the earth Toph created with a flick of her hand meant to trip him. Closing the gap, Sam swung his blade of fire at Kozato, as Azula tried to blast him with fire again. While she'd missed her second attack, Kozato had shot his trail hand forward, grabbing Sam's fist, momentarily extinguishing his jet of fire, then spun, shoving his lead hand into his attacker's shoulder. Attempting to use his own momentum against him, Kozato threw Sam towards the raised wooden train station, expecting him to slam into the low wall.
Still in Kozato's clutches, Sam put his left foot forward, and jumped up, kicking off the low wall, then curled himself around Kozato's shoulder and created jets of fire from his feet, causing Kozato to spin and fall flat on his face. Sam meanwhile had flexed himself amid the fall and landed on his feet.
Immediately, Sam was beset from two directions, Toph had shifted the dirt beneath him, causing Sam to seemingly slip backward, as Azula lashed out with a horizontal crescent of fire. Allowing himself to fall and avoid Azula's attack, Sam caught himself with his hands and the balls of his feet, then rotated all of his weight back onto his shoulders and kicked himself back to his feet.
Kozato had got back up, as Sam stacked his hands on top of each other, recreating his flaming sword, though the jet of fire was longer than before. He swung the flames at Kozato, who was too slow to do anything more than attempt to shield the vents and eye holes of his helmet with either arm. The heat from the attack warmed up Kozato's armor to a very dull red, no doubt ruining the temper it had. Inside his suit, Kozato could feel his arms begin to sweat more underneath the cloth padding where his armor was being hit.
Sam hadn't focused on Kozato any more than to keep him distracted, before shuffling to the side, shifting his attention to focus on Azula, who'd closed the gap between them. She fired off several small but quick blasts at close range, which Sam ducked, sidestepped, and at one point spun around in the lead-up for a swing of his flame blade.
Azula had to lean her entire torso out of the line of fire but took advantage of her situation by kicking up her right foot, making a wave of fire, and then balancing herself with two smaller pulses from either hand being shot behind her. Sam was far faster and had kicked himself away from the wave. He took off in a sprint towards Toph now, who'd pulled a sizable rock from the ground, with a stomp, which was then forcefully shoved at Sam.
Toph had expected Sam to go around the attack as he'd already shown a preference, to which she'd planned on erecting a stone pillar for him to run headfirst into. However, rather than simply sidestep as he'd done to the waves of fire he'd already encountered, the man ducked into a shoulder role, sprung to his feet, into a jump, and then blasted himself higher into the air with fire projected from his feet. It was at this moment Toph realized Sam was fast, really fast, and she had no clue where exactly in the air he was.
Quickly pulling a slab of the earth up diagonally to cover her, Toph felt Sam land on the rock, and blast it with a thrust from his "sword." The intense and concentrated heat had started to melt the thin layer of stone, and Toph ran out from under her cover to avoid being burned by molten rock. Rather than give chase, Sam spun, and slapped away an orange fireball from Kozato, then leaped into a backflip off the side of the stone he was atop to dodge another flying rock, landing in the street again.
Kozato and Azula both were growing tired of the fighting, and Azula held up her two fingers, nodding to her cousin. "If you do it, it won't kill him." She said.
"Rub it in my face, why don't you?" Kozato muttered to himself, before he stood up straight, and held his fists out to his sides, two fingers extended. Trailing his right hand to the sky, and his left to the ground, Kozato conjured the beginnings of a lightning strike. His entire suit began to crackle as red electricity sparked off of him, contacting the ground surrounding his feet. Rapidly, Kozato crossed his arms, and then pulled his fingers away from each other, before cocking his hands back to either side of his torso and thrusting hir right hand forward at Sam, saving what charge remained in his left for if the man didn't go down.
But true to Toph's observation, Sam was fast, fast enough to take up a sprint once more and sidestep Kozato's first lighting strike, the static in the air causing his hair to stand on end. Having missed, Kozato fired off his second strike, which Sam ducked under in his sprint. Now within striking distance, Sam rose and began to thrust his jet of fire up towards the only real exposed part of Kozato's body, just as the much taller man pulled his six-shot pistol off of his belt with his right hand, and put his thumb over the flash hole.
Sam had stopped the tip of his flaming blade only a hand's width distance from Kozato's chin, the man's head leaned back having tried to pull away from the attack, exposing his armor's biggest weak spot. Kozato had dug the six muzzles of his handgun into Sam's chest with a little bit of force, but neither moved to kill the other. Sam grinned at Kozato. "Call it a draw?" Sam asked.
"Oh, fuck off." Kozato said, pulling his gun away from Sam's chest.
The tanned man extinguished his jet of fire and rubbed his chest. "Well, I guess you would have been able to kill me first, had you just pulled that out from the start."
Azula rolled her eyes at the two, and Toph dropped the rock in her hand. "So are we done here or?..." The earth bender trailed off.
"I think so… So long as you don't try to kill my brother again." Azula said mostly to Sam.
"On my honor, and the honor of the Espada's." Sam said, giving Azula an earth bender's bow.
"That name…" Azula said, catching it for the second time and noting its strange pronunciation, taking note that Samuel both looked and sounded like no other Earth Kingdom citizen she'd ever seen, even if he somehow had mixed Fire Nation ancestry. "That wouldn't happen to be European would it?" She asked, the word "European" being spoken as a loan word in heavily accented English.
Sam furrowed his brow, having never met anyone in his two decades spent in the Earth Kingdom who even could know that word. "It… Yes… How do you know of Europe?" Sam asked.
Azula was nearly as shocked by his confirmation as Sam was to have heard her question. "My fiancé is Irish…"
AN Part 2 electric boogaloo: Cutting it here. I keep underestimating just how long my original content chapters can go, and so this arc of the third book will once again be getting another chapter, wrapping it up with send-offs, plot-relevant interpersonal conversations, and some set up for the rest of the book.