Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: No, I don't think I can write a better Avatar story than the original creators, and I would never dream of claiming such a thing.

Zigzagdoublezee: Lu Ten would probably have tried to grab them by now. This new officer doesn't have the same incentives, in fairness.

As Always, Please Review!

"You're from the Fire Nation," Katara said accusingly.

"And you're companions of the Avatar." The Fire Nation officer met her gaze. He was a stocky man, with a big black moustache that almost but not quite disguised the fact that he was rather young.

For a moment nobody moved.

"So... are you going to try and capture us?" Suki asked, impatiently.

"No," the officer replied. "You're not my concern."

"What?" Yue asked. "What does that mean? Your Firelord has sent his own family to try and catch me. This entire thing started with an attempt to kill me. How can you suddenly turn around and say I'm not your concern?"

Despite herself, she found herself feeling quite indignant.

The officer sighed.

"I can bring you in if you like," he said, "but my job here is to catch someone else. I come in peace, and I'll leave in peace too, if you don't mind."

Yue stood up and brushed herself down.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," she said, "but thank you for saving me there."

"Don't worry about it."

The officer sheathed his sword and made to get back on his Ostrich-horse.

Then he stopped.

"The name is Sato, by the way," he told her. "Fukashi Sato."

He bowed formally.

Yue narrowed her eyes, not returning the gesture. So this man was some kind of aristocrat then. Only the most high-status families in society had last names.

"Good for you," Sokka folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Now, if you're not going to attack us, leave us alone."

"Hold on," Yue told him. "If we're not your concern, what is?"

Sato frowned at her.

"When we defeated the army of the governor of this province," he said, "many of their men fled. Some returned to their homes, some were taken prisoner. But others took to the hills and the forests, and became bandits."

" Bandits, or freedom fighters?" Suki asked. "Because that's what I did when my home was occupied."

"Did you start attacking Earth Kingdom villages too?" Sato asked her. "Because these people did."

He nodded.

"Although had they only attacked our troops, I wouldn't like it but I would agree there is another side to the argument. There are some who are doing that, there are many different groups, with some being bandits and some more interested in fighting us."

"Argument?" Katara demanded. "What argument? None of this would even be happening if you hadn't invaded!"

Fukashi Sato ignored her.

"A little over a week ago," he said, "we lost contact with a village where a small Fire Nation garrison was stationed. When we went to investigate..."

He trailed off.

"There was nobody left to find. Nobody living, anyway. They had made no distinction between soldier and civilian, Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom."

Yue shivered. She was glad of the lack of detail.

"Who is they?" She asked.

"Bandits," Sato told them gravely. "Or to be more specific, one particular group of bandits. They claim to be fighting us, but they treat the locals with extraordinary brutality. Their leader calls himself-"

"Now the Fire Nation cares?" Taiyo asked, interrupting him. "You people chained me up and forced me to do your dirty work, which you knew would kill civilians. And now you want to pretend like you're so moral?"

"Has the Fire Nation destroyed entire villages?" Sato asked.

The Yuad looked at each other in disbelief.

"YES!" They chorused.

"Hundreds of times!" Yue added for emphasis.

"Oh," Sato frowned. "Look, that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"These people need to be stopped. War is a dirty business, but these people go completely overboard with it."

"How do we know he's even telling the truth?" Rinzen asked. "We all know the Fire Nation has a history of lying to suit their goals."

Yue knew this better than anyone, having explicitly been told by a Fire Nation general that the ends justified the means.

"I assure you, I am not-" Sato seemed to realise that this was just what someone who was lying would say. "-oh, forget it. Think what you like. I know you have no reason to like the Fire Nation or to trust me."

He mounted his ostrich-horse again.

"But look around you. You know Earth Kingdom soldiers did this, not Fire Nation ones. Those are their crossbows, for a start."

He gestured to the sideways bows- crossbows, apparently- which the soldiers had fired at them and which now littered the floor.

"Why are you still talking to us, then?" Suki asked, looking up at him. "We're not you're problem, and your quarry is getting away."

"Suppose I was just curious about meeting the famous Avatar Yue," Sato returned her gaze. "It's not every day one gets the opportunity."

"And now you have," Yue said.

"And now I have," he agreed. "Although..."

He hesitated.

"Although what?" Sokka asked, a note of suspicion in his voice.

"... Although we could... work together?" Sato floated. "Surely you want to stop these people as much as I do. They've got hostages."

"You know the Fire Nation takes hostages too, right?" Yue asked, folding her arms. "Besides, I can't be seen working with you."

"Why not?"

"You're the enemy!" Yue rolled her eyes, feeling anger rising at how little this man seemed to know. "Come on, isn't it obvious? Your people attacked my home, have been hunting me across the face of the earth ever since. I am one of the main figureheads od the resistance against you. Unless you desert the Fire Nation right now, or until this war ends, I will not work with you."

Besides, I already have a plan for learning Firebending. The absolute cheek of it! Is he totally oblivious to all that his country has wrought?

For a moment, Sato regarded her. Yue thought he was going to attack. Her hand instinctively moved a little closer to her waterskin.

Then he nodded.

"So be it," he said, turning his steed away. His men, who had been watching the confrontation silently, followed, and they rode away in a column formation. Everyone just watched them go, not wanting another fight so soon.

"Well that was strange. I think it's a first, a Fire Nation soldier who hasn't tried to kill us. Do you think we should just let this happen?" Sokka asked once he had judged they were out of hearing range.

"Doesn't sound like our problem," Taiyo shrugged. "Let the bandits and the Fire Nation destroy each other."

"Besides, haven't we got places to be?" Suki asked.

"We do," Yue nodded, "But something doesn't smell right. What if the Fire Nation are lying?"

"They probably are," Sokka reasoned. "They always do. What are you suggesting?"

"Maybe they are awful bandits," Yue said, "but I don't want to take some Fire Nation officer's word for it."

She looked around at the burning buildings of the village and sighed.

"Although he does have a point that we saw them acting like bandits, and they attacked us. I think we should go and find out for ourselves. And we should probably rescue those hostages they took and stop them ourselves while we're at it."