Chapter 9

"So, do we know where they are currently holed up?" Sokka's voice moved over the room, and one of the General's pointed to an area on the map that their scouts had identified.

"Our scouts have reported a bunker-like set-up past this small crop of mountains here. It seems to be their headquarters. They see more and more activity, so we think they moved there a few weeks before the siege started."

Zuko was seated at the head of the table for this war room meeting, and he had Sokka and Suki on his left and right, respectively. Suki had been in charge of his personal safety, and the Kyoshi warriors had been instrumental in helping him train new guards for the city and the palace. Until Sokka had arrived a few months ago, he and Suki had been leading the war room meetings to discuss the 'Fire Nation Supremacists'. They were a radical group that had popped up in the last year. They were mainly causing trouble in the local areas that they were in, but they were slowly starting to spread out over more of the country.

They recently attacked a supply line from the coast that sent fresh fish and other seafood directly to the Capital. They had left a note with the destroyed shipment, claiming responsibility for the attack, so their threat level had been raised. From their reports, most of the people that made up the group were ex-military types who were unhappy with the equal status that the Fire Nation had been pushing for themselves since the end of the war. Notably, they were unhappy with Zuko's personal mission to make up for the hundred years of chaos and destruction that his country had spread. Some of them probably couldn't deal with being at peace, as there would be no use for them, and they would become archaic and lose their purpose in the world. They still felt that as the most industrialised nation, they should be in charge, and the rest of the world was inferior to them.

Of course, this was a ridiculous ideology, and Sokka had been sent by the Water Tribe to assist in the efforts. Since he was going to become Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, it was a great way of increasing diplomatic relations. It would not be a problem since they were such good friends.

Toph was coming over in a couple of weeks with Aang and Katara, who were coming to help since things were heating up. Toph had opened a metal bending school, and business was booming, but unfortunately, that meant he hadn't seen her in a long time. Aang's reopening of the Air Temples kept him and Katara busy. It had been around 5 months since he last saw them. His Uncle was also planning a trip to help open a branch of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop right here in the Capital. It meant that he would stay for a while, making Zuko very happy.

He focused on the reports his General gave and then called an end to the meeting after setting the next two-day meeting date. The General would come back with new reports of how the protection was going, and they would decide if further action was needed. Before this and the siege, Zuko wanted to avoid conflict. If they were going to practice their supremacy beliefs on their own, no problem. Since they had hurt merchants in their attack on the supply line, they had to be dealt with now that they weren't keeping to themselves. Hence the siege began, but now they found out that they had moved their main base, which explained why they didn't seem to care too much about the siege. There weren't as many numbers as they had expected, but now they knew why.

The General's and Admiral's waited for him to leave. First, Sokka and Suki trailed behind him. They all headed back to Zuko's room as they had agreed to hang out after the meeting. Suki was going to update him on the guards' training, so they figured they might have dinner and a few drinks together to relax.

His steward was there, straightening up and had brought him his freshly laundered clothes. He changed out of his formal robes into something more comfortable and took his hair out before he joined his friends at the table. The steward offered to bring them refreshments, and they accepted with polite thank yous.

They chatted casually, laughing together about anything and everything until the steward returned with a large tray of drinks and some nibbles. While they did, Zuko sent him to ensure he had something to eat, and the steward disappeared out the door.

"So, anything to mention with the training sessions?" Zuko asked Suki to ensure he did it before he forgot.

"Not really. Everything is good. Izara held back in our session this week, but I mentioned that to you." Suki said casually.

"Yeah, what's her deal? All the staff talked about how she led part of the siege?" Sokka asked and leaned back in his chair with a mouthful of food.

"Honestly, I think there is more to her than she lets on. When I was in the camp, and the soldiers greeted me, a few of them also showed her respect. If she was just an assistant to her Uncle, they wouldn't have treated her like that. Her Uncle got injured in the fight, and the Captain was nowhere to be seen, so she stepped up and took charge. She led the soldiers like she had been doing it all her life. They listened to her as well. It really confused me." Zuko's brow was furrowed as he spoke. It seemed like Izara was a mystery wrapped in more mystery.

"Has she ever served in the army or navy before? Maybe she was in a covert group, and that's why the soldiers respected her?" Suki suggested, and Sokka nodded in agreement.

"I had Wen look into her to see if that was the case, but we found nothing. No records that suggest she was military." Zuko replied with a shrug and sipped his drink.

"Unless she went under a different name," Sokka commented off-handedly but then realised he might be onto something and held his chin thoughtfully.

"I'll talk to her about it when I see her next. See if I can prod for more information." Suki seemed suspicious of Izara, but Zuko knew it came from a good place.

"Let me know if you find anything out." Zuko gave her a nod of thanks.

The conversation moved on to when Aang, Katara and Toph would arrive in a few weeks and became more light-hearted. Sokka talked about the recent letter that Katara sent him last week telling them they were coming and what else was happening. They talked about how they would pick up Toph on the way since she could leave her school for a few weeks under some of the senior students. Zuko felt good knowing that he would have his friends with him to help him deal with what had become a crisis.

The trio talked until late into the night, and Sokka and Suki returned to their room just after midnight. Although it would cause tiredness tomorrow, it was worth it to relax with his friends.

Once it was quiet in his room, Zuko bathed quickly and hopped straight into bed. He had an early meeting tomorrow, so after a few calming breaths, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep…

Izara was chatting with Ming, Lia and Nami in the common room. All the girls had the evening off, so they decided to go out into the city and help Izara get to know her way around and do some shopping. After training with the Fire Lord and Kazan, Izara was exhausted but excited to be a girl for a while.

They all set out and went to a luxury bath and skincare shop. Many ingredients came from the Earth Kingdom, and the products were handmade on-site. They had various fragrances in each line of products. Izara's pay was more than enough to cover a decent shopping trip, and she still had plenty to put away for a rainy day. She was so proud of herself for earning her wage in an honourable way and didn't mind spending it on something fancy.

The shop was owned and run by an older lady and her 3 daughters, who took good care of the girls and ensured they got what they needed. Since Izara had no idea about the products and her skin type, the middle daughter helped her out and made sure she picked items that suited her skin. They smelled different perfumes that could be added to moisturisers for an extra touch, and Izara's nose was overwhelmed with these new fragrances. As clueless as Izara was, the staff and her friends were polite and kind; they didn't make her feel stupid for not knowing about all these things that were apparently normal for a girl living in the Capital. Ming pointed out her shampoo and conditioner, which Izara happily purchased, along with several other things. She had never had anything like this before and couldn't stop smiling.

After that, they went to help Izara get some new clothes and went to a couple of stores that imported materials and designs from all over. She wasn't very picky, but the girls helped ease her choices, ensuring she was still comfortable. Some of the more fanciful options had Izara so confused she couldn't even figure out how to put them on or tie them up. Since she had always been one for comfort and practicality, she didn't worry about getting anything too dressy. It wasn't like she was getting invited to a ball or black-tie event. She had spent all her adult life in military camps, wearing clothes designed for protection, not to look good. She often walked through mud and dirt, not on lovely carpeted floors or paved ground.

Izara picked out a dress, two pairs of pants and two tops. The colours were all different but vibrant and didn't clash. Each item was comfortable and allowed her movement, but it was still flattering. The dress was the most daring pick since she had never worn a dress for as long as she could remember. But it was an excellent option if the girls decided to go out to a lovely teahouse or cafe. There was a pretty kimono shop next door that Izara decided to visit on her own, maybe after her next paycheck.

It was getting late, and the sun was starting to go down. By the time they were done, they had headed back up to the palace, laughing and chatting. They all shared dinner, continued the conversation, and enjoyed their time together. Once they had eaten, the girls all went to baths and used their new products.

Since Nami and Lia had a day shift tomorrow, they all went to bed afterwards, but Izara stayed awake and read her books while the other girls slept. She was far too excited to go to sleep yet. Even before her mother died, she had never had anything like this. She didn't have female friends, nor did she have nice-smelling body wash and shampoo to enjoy. There was no picking out a moisturiser, hand cream, or anything. Izara was so pleased that she could have these things with money she had earned honourably.

Once she had read around 4 chapters, she had finally wound down enough to sleep. She enjoyed the scent of new products on her skin and hair, which helped lull her into a deep sleep…