3
War, Tanya mused, was a heck of a lot less stressful when your side was winning.
Now at the age of 14, Tanya had served in the navy for over a year. And what a good year it had been. There had been a couple of naval battles, but Tanya's assumption that the Earth Kingdom would not focus its efforts so much upon maintaining a strong navy had proven correct. The only combat she saw was attacks on lone ships and the occasional raid on seaside settlements, which was less of a battle and more akin to piracy. Child's play to the battlefields she'd seen in her second life.
Most of the time their missions were to escort supply ships. With a number of achievements under her belt and a commander like Zhao, who was more than eager to report back to command how instrumental Tanya had been to their victories, she'd quickly found herself bumped up to the rank of captain. Technically speaking she now commanded Azulon's Revenge, although since Zhao chose to maintain it as his flagship she did not have the ultimate authority to control its destination or troops that she'd have liked.
Their current assignment was her personal favourite: guard duty. Henge Harbour was a port town in the southwestern Earth Kingdom that had been captured by the Fire Nation fairly early on into the war, and had quickly been converted into a major military base. Its close proximity to Southern Water Tribe territory had made it ideally placed to channel fresh troops and supplies against two enemy nations, and it had been subjected to such rapid development over the years that now little but a shadow remained of the original Earth Kingdom architecture. Commander Zhao had all the ships under his command harboured here for protection while a formidable army nearby was preparing itself to march in conquest towards Omashu.
It was as Tanya was enjoying this rare moment of peace, feet up on her desk as she lazily signed off stacks of paperwork, that a sharp knock on the door caught her attention.
"Enter."
The door opened to reveal one of the dockside clerks, who quickly snapped into a salute. "Captain, there's a vessel pulling into harbour."
"And?" Tanya raised a questioning eyebrow. The arrival of one ship wasn't something that needed to be brought to her attention.
"Well, Captain, it's a very outdated model. From the early years of the war if I'm not mistaken. And badly damaged at that."
Okay, admittedly that was unusual. Tanya was never one to advocate wasting resources, but even so she hadn't been aware that there was such an outdated ship even serving in the navy. There was a possibility that this was part of some trick, but if so Tanya couldn't fathom what its purpose would be. This was worth investigating. "Very well, I'll head over."
"Commander Zhao had already been informed. He is en route now."
With a nod of acknowledgement, Tanya fixed her cap on her head and set out to the harbour. Wherever she went soldiers snapped to attention and saluted her. Before long she arrived at the harbour, just in time to catch three familiar figures in a tense conversation.
"... That's quite a bit of damage." Commander Zhao drawled, eyeing the newly arrived ship warily. Understatement of the year. The ship, which was indeed of the smaller and less threatening models used nearly a hundred years ago, was littered with dents and deep gashes: as if it had gone toe-to-toe with a sea monster and lost.
"Yes, you wouldn't believe what happened." Replied a gruff teenage voice in an attempt at a sincere tone that just screamed lying. He always had been the most atrocious liar. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened."
Prince Zuko, for that was indeed who the mystery ship seemed to belong to, had grown up during his two years in exile. And not just in the sense that he was taller. Time at sea had stolen away the softness from his body, leaving him with sharper features and a leaner build. There was a hardness to his stance now too: an aggression that she'd never seen during his younger years, and a wariness in his eyes that spoke of the difficult trials he'd no doubt faced. The most noticeable difference however was, without a shadow of a doubt, the scar.
Tanya had not been witness to that infamous Agni Kai, or the events that preceded it, but Azula had explained what happened to her. Three years ago Zuko had decided to sit in one of the firelord's war councils. Whatever strategies had been discussed there had to be kept top secret, but apparently Zuko had insulted the honour of the Fire nation army by implying that they were weak and should retreat from an enemy force they clearly outnumbered. As tradition dictated, Firelord Ozai had no choice but to challenge his son to an Agni Kai.
Agni Kais were a tricky custom. They were considered fights of honour, and though there was no legal set of rules governing them, traditionally an Agni Kai was only won when one opponent burnt the other. It was also acceptable to spare your opponent or duel them to the death, but most of the nation regarded these outcomes as too soft and too cruel respectively. It was well known that when his Agni Kai had begun, Zuko had immediately dropped to his knees and begged his father for forgiveness. Azula claimed that Zuko's courage had simply deserted him once it had sunk in just how much danger he'd put himself in, though Tanya suspected there was more to it than that. There were few people for whom the idea of attacking their own family would sit well.
Yet Ozai had not challenged his son in a personal capacity, for it was not his personal honour that had been insulted. It was the honour of the Fire Nation military that Zuko had insulted, and as the ultimate head of the military Ozai had to act in a way befitting the Firelord. To have accepted his son's forfeit with a slap of the wrist would have set a precedent that it was okay to dishonour the military, and would have had the people up in arms at such a blatant show of familial favouritism. For the sake of upholding the traditions of the nation Ozai had no choice but to settle the Agni Kai in the customary way: by burning his opponent.
It had not been an act of cruelty, but of duty. Politics had tied Ozai's hands.
Back in the homeland, with Zuko not around and Azula there to explain it to her, Tanya had swallowed that explanation easily enough. Now though, seeing the result of that fateful day forever painted across the face of a childhood friend, something about it just didn't sit right. Did Ozai really have to burn him quite so badly? It was a miracle that Zuko could see out of that eye at all.
By Zuko's side stood former-general Iroh, who's face passed through a myriad of comical expressions as his nephew put him on the spot to explain the state of their ship. "Yes! I will do that! It was incredible!" The elderly man exclaimed, before leaning closer to Zuko and not-so-subtly muttering. "What, did we crash or something?"
"Yes!" Zuko continued. "Right into an Earth Kingdom ship."
"Really?" Zhao, unsurprisingly, sounded sceptical. "You must regale me with all the thrilling details. Join me for a drink?"
Zuko glared at him and made to leave. "Sorry, but we have to go."
"Zuko. Show Commander Zhao your respect." Iroh admonished, stopping his ward with a hand on the shoulder. "We would be honoured to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favourite."
"Then please, allow me to escort you."
All eyes turned her way as Tanya made her presence known. It was interesting to see the different reactions from the three men: delight from Zhao, shock from Zuko, and a blend of surprise and concern from Iroh.
"Hello Zuko. You've grown."
"T- Tanya?! What are you doing here?" Zuko gasped. Really? Did the uniform not make it obvious?
"Captain Tanya has been serving under my command for a year now." Zhao answered smugly.
"Captain! That's quite the achievement for one so young." Iroh said, bowing his head to her politely. "It is a pleasure to see you again Tanya."
"Likewise." Tanya replied, her tone curt and her bow a little stiffer.
If Iroh picked up on her distaste for him, he did an excellent job of hiding it. "You know I've heard rumours of a young lady with golden hair serving in the navy. One who they call The Fairy. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
Tanya grimaced. "Unfortunately so." Of all the nicknames that could have followed her from her previous life, why did it have to be that one? Argent had sounded so much better.
"Of course, I hear they have a different name for you in the Earth Kingdom." Iroh continued, his eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second. "The Devil of the South Sea."
They did? That was news to her. Was it too much to ask for an epithet that didn't refer to some form of supernatural creature? Or better yet, one that didn't have anything to do with war whatsoever? She'd much rather be famed for her exceptional personnel management skills.
"You're very knowledgeable about Earth Kingdom rumours." Tanya shot back.
Iroh shrugged. "We've heard things here and there during our travels."
"Yes, I'm sure the pair of you have had quite a few adventures over the years." Tanya replied suspiciously. Suddenly she turned on her heel and began walking away. "Come, the officer's quarters are this way. I'd love to hear all about your journey."
"...- and by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule. The firelord will finally claim victory in this war."
Zuko had to fight down the urge to scoff. As always, the strategies of Zhao and so many other commanders in the Fire Nation military looked at the war as if it was in black-and-white: a game where all you had to do to win was to destroy your opponents. To them it didn't matter how much of the world was destroyed in the process, or how many soldiers were sacrificed along the way. "If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool." He sneered.
"Zuko!" Tanya rebuked strictly, like a mother scolding an unruly child. "Do not speak about your father like that!"
Zuko huffed, but once again found himself looking away uncomfortable from those intense yellow eyes of hers. Normally he'd be the last person to speak against his father, but right now his nerves were tense enough to play a violin on. After two years of desperate, fruitless searching and empty hope, he'd finally done what many thought was impossible: he'd found The Avatar. And not only that, but a child Avatar who, as of yet, only seemed to know how to airbend. The shame of not only having allowed a child to escape his grasp, but damage his ship so badly in the process, stung his pride like the bite of a snake-wasp.
And to make matters worse Zhao was now sniffing around. That man's nose for glory was keener than any hunting dogs, and he would be just as tenacious as one if he finally caught the scent. Trying to stay calm and act natural when his nerves were a restless wreck was a difficult task for Zuko, and he hated how uncle made it look so easy. If Zhao found out that The Avatar was back then there was no doubt that he'd set off in pursuit as well, hoping to claim the prestige of capturing the Fire Nation's greatest enemy for himself. Zhao would be a tough competitor to beat: not because the man was much of a threat by himself, but because of the resources he had at his disposal: A small fleet of ships, hundreds of soldiers, and her.
Agni please, don't make me have to compete against Tanya. Even after being made tougher than ever by the trials he'd faced throughout his exile, Zuko still felt a shock of fear whenever Tanya was nearby. Who didn't these days? She was a psychopath! In the Earth Kingdom they whispered that she'd laughed with glee as she'd burned the crew of a ship alive, and from what he knew of Tanya, Zuko wouldn't put it past her. To think that she'd become Zhao's right-hand woman! If she'd been the one to capture The Avatar back at the South Pole the first thing she'd have done would probably have been to break his arms and legs to prevent him from escaping.
"Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue." Zhao jeered, coming to sit beside him. "So… how is your search for The Avatar going?"
Zhao was interrupted as Uncle knocked over a stack of polearms, the commotion drawing Zhao and Tanya's searching gazes away for the couple of seconds Zuko needed to breathe deeply and regain his composure. Zhao snorted condescendingly at Uncle's clumsiness, and shared a brief eye-roll with Tanya before looking back to him. By that point Zuko's expression was as schooled as he could make it.
"We haven't found him yet." He replied evenly, doing his best impersonation of Azula when she was trying to look sincere.
"Hardly surprising." Tanya interjected. "If they aren't dead already they must be what, ninety? A hundred by now? They clearly have no interest in participating in the war, and could blend in anywhere as long as they avoid bending in public. It's not like they're going to have the words I'm The Avatar tattooed on their forehead.
Oh Tanya. If only you knew.
"Unless you've found some evidence that The Avatar's alive." Zhao finished, a predatory smile stretching out across his lips. Damn it, he was starting to catch hold of the truth!
Mustering up memories of every time he'd been disappointed to have found no trace of The Avatar in the past, Zuko allowed the hollow feelings of frustration and bitterness to seep into his voice and body language. "No. Nothing."
A frown crossed Zhao's face, and he stood up to lean closer towards Zuko. "Prince Zuko, The Avatar's the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found."
"With all due respect commander, I think that's enough." Tanya said neutrality, unexpectedly speaking in his defence. "I know Zuko, and he isn't selfish. If he knew something that would endanger the Fire Nation, he'd tell us."
A worm of guilt began to wiggle in Zuko's gut, but luckily Zhao was too busy turning away to shoot Tanya a sharp look to notice. "People change, Captain."
Sensing an opportunity to leave, Zuko stood up and began marching over to the door. "Come on Uncle, we're going." He called. The sooner they could get away from Zhao's inquisition the better. Yet just before he could get through the door, the guards standing on either side lowered their polearms to block his exit, and another solder who'd just passed through spoke up. As the words left the soldier's lips Zuko felt his spirits plummet.
"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed that Prince Zuko had The Avatar in custody, but let him escape."
Damn it! For once in his life could the spirits just let something go his way?!
"Zuko!..." Tanya began, eyes wide with shock, and oddly enough a hint of betrayal if he wasn't mistaken.
"Now remind me..." Zhao smirked slowly, smugness just oozing in through his tone.
"How exactly was your ship damaged?"
Tanya was not angry. She was not! And she'd set on fire anyone who dared to imply it!
Once the cat was out of the bag, Zuko had come clean about what caused the damage to his ship. The Avatar! Alive! And as a twelve year old boy no less! She could understand him wanting to capture The Avatar himself, but to think he'd put the Fire Nation at risk by keeping it a secret! Didn't he realise that his father would have enough of an excuse to end his exile if he just helped capture The Avatar! It was upsetting to think that he'd lied to her face, endangered his nation, just for his own stubborn pride!
"You're angry." Zhao noted sagely, as if it wasn't obvious from her murderous expression. Once the secret was out, she and Zhao had rushed off to begin getting the fleet ready to mobilise. If they were lucky they could still pick up The Avatar's trail before he vanished deeper into the Earth Kingdom. With the first set of preparations completed, Zhao was now returning to the officer's quarters to inform Zuko and Iroh of when they'd be released, with Tanya marching at his side like an ever-faithful shadow.
"Really? What gave it away." She replied sarcastically, only to regret it as Zhao sent another sharp look her way.
"I've never seen you speak to me like this before, Captain. You're usually the first to give superiors the respect they're due. What's changed?"
Tanya was silent for a minute, before letting out a frustrated sigh. There was no point in keeping her feelings bottled up. Zhao had proven himself to be a kind mentor and a loyal confidant over the years. He was someone she could trust. "I'm just… disappointed. In Zuko, I mean. I 've always known honour was very important to him, but I didn't know it'd make him so blind to his duty to his people."
Zhao scoffed. "Zuko's always been weak. If he hadn't had the strength to defeat a twelve year old child, he should have at least had the courage to admit to his failure."
"He's not weak." Tanya replied, heat seeping into her tone. Whatever he may have done, Zuko was still a friend. His strengths just lay in other areas.
"No?" Zhao seemed amused. "Did I ever tell you that I was there to witness the prince's Angi Kai?"
No. No he hadn't. Tanya fell silent, but Zhao pressed onward. "It was a disgraceful display, Tanya. At the mere sight of his father he fell to his knees, weeping and trembling like a newborn baby. That's why The Firelord banished him. He doesn't have the mettle to be the ruler our nation would need him to be one day."
Wait, was that why Zuko had been banished after his Agni Kai? Had he really acted so poorly that Ozai had decided he needed to make Azula his heir instead, and resolved to banish Zuko until he could safely pass the throne over to his daughter? That did make an uncomfortable amount of sense. Academically speaking Azula had the qualities of a better ruler, and Ozai always prioritised his duty as The Firelord first and foremost.
Sensing that his words had gotten through to her, Zhao continued walking, and soon had led them back to the officer's quarters. He pushed through the doors and addressed Zuko and Iroh in the no-nonsense tone he used when addressing most of his soldiers. "My search part is ready. Once I'm out to sea my guards will escort you back to your ship, and you'll be free to go."
Zuko had maintained such a deep frown since having the truth dragged out of him that Tanya thought he looked wrinklier than a sour plum. Yet it turned out that he could get even frownier still. His face took on a mottled red hue as he glared hatefully at Zhao. "Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?"
"Zuko! Tanya admonished, not in the mood to put up with his attitude any longer. "Commander Zhao had been kind enough to let you go despite your previous deception, and even had your ship repaired and resupplied! Don't you think you owe him at least a little gratitude?"
"Gratitude!" Zuko snapped, standing up and fixing his glare on her. "You're going to try and steal The Avatar from me, and you expect me to be grateful?!"
"He isn't yours Zuko! You had your chance, and you failed!" Tanya snapped back, losing her cool in the face of Zuko's selfishness. "Are we supposed to sit around and do nothing as The Avatar travels the world building his power, all so that you alone can get another shot at being the one to capture him? Open your eyes Zuko! The Avatar is more than just a powerful bender, he's a symbol that all the other remaining nations can rally behind. The longer he remains free, the greater the chances that he'll cause serious setbacks to our invasion plans!"
Zuko snarled. "Father tasked me with the duty of capturing The Avatar! Me alone! I don't need you two getting in my way!"
Zhao laughed loudly. "Ha! I think you'll find that you are one getting in our way."
"Don't underestimate me Zhao! I will capture The Avatar before you!"
"Prince Zuko! That's enough!" Iroh warned, but went ignored.
"You can't compete with me." Zhao gloated mockingly, looking down on the banished prince as if he were a particularly disgusting insect. "I have hundreds of warships under my command, and The Devil of the South Sea. And you? You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies; your own father doesn't even want you."
Okay, that was taking things a bit too far now. Tanya stepped forward, intending to start defusing the situation, but there was no stopping Zuko. "You're wrong!" He shouted. "Once I deliver The Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honour, and restore my rightful place on the throne!"
Zhao sneered at him. "If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now: Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes you are a failure, and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."
"That's not true!"
"You have the scar to prove it."
All of a sudden Zuko was yelling, and had closed the gap between him and Zhao. Instinctively Tanya shifted into a fighting stance, ready to move if Zuko proved foolish enough to attack a commander in the middle of his own garrison, but fortunately Zuko had enough sense to restrain himself inches away from Zhao's face. "Maybe you'd like one to match!"
"Is that a challenge?" Zhao scoffed disbelievingly.
Zuko nodded fiercely "An Agni Kai! At sunset."
What?! Was he insane?! Zhao didn't get to be a commander by lazing around on a beach! He may use the orthadox military style of firebending, but Tanya could personally attest that Zhao was no slouch when it came to fighting. Once he got into a good rhythm Zhao hit hard and fast: more than enough to overwhelm someone as inexperienced as Zuko. She had to stop this!
"Enough of this!" She shouted, trying to physically push her way between the two men, and cursing her height since even when she did so they could still glare at one another over her head. "Commander, please forgive him. He doesn't know what he's saying."
Yet if Zhao had heard her he didn't acknowledge it. Instead he kept his stare fixed on Zuko, and a wicked smile danced at the edges of his mouth. "It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you." He said at last, turning away to leave "I guess your uncle will do. Come on Captain."
Zhao disappeared back through the doors, and Tanya sent Zuko one last irritated look. Now the idiot was going to get himself badly burned again unless she could do something about it! She quickly darted outside and caught up with Zhao before he could storm further away.
"Sir, I beg you to reconsider." She began, but paused when Zhao raised his hand in silence.
"I was not the one who issued this challenge, Captain, and will not sully my honour by backing out of it." He chuckled. "Besides, this will be a good lesson. For him to get the message to stay out of my way, and for you to see just what a coward your friend really is."
Tanya bit her lip, but had to concede that, as the one who had not issued the challenge, the onus was not on Zhao to withdraw it. "Would you at least not hurt him too badly? For me."
Zhao did not answer.
"Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons."
The orange light of sunset cast long shadows along the walls of the arena, bathing the ground in a fiery hue. With clear skies and a glistening ocean nearby it was set to be a beautiful evening. How sad it was, Iroh reflected, that such a lovely sight was soon to be marked by senseless violence.
Agni Kai's really were a detestable custom in his opinion, even back before one robbed the happiness and birthright of his nephew. He could accept that there were times where one had to stand up and fight for what they believed in, but one did not need an Agni Kai to do that. How was fighting supposed to prove the honour of one's actions? Surely the only way to figure out who was in the right was with discussion and debate? Yet as ever younger men, such as Zuko and Zhao, proved too impatient to settle their differences with words. What could have been settled with a civil conversation over a nice cup of ginseng tea might now claim either one of their lives.
And people said actions spoke louder than words. Pah! If people were more willing to give words a chance, perhaps the world wouldn't be stuck in this war?
"I refuse to let him win." Zuko declared firmly, standing up from his kneeling position before Iroh and shrugging the ceremonial cape off his torso. His resolve, as ever, was strong, but Iroh feared that resolve alone might not be enough this time.
Zuko may not have possessed the raw talent his sister did, but endless nights of doggedly training and pushing himself to his limits had crafted Zuko into a much stronger firebender than he gave himself credit for. He had the strength, the skill and the determination to defeat Zhao. The only problem was Zuko's unfortunate tendency to get lost in his own frustration so quickly that it blinded him to the wise course of action. That was how The Avatar had escaped him back at the South Pole, and how Zhao might beat him here if he didn't control himself.
Across the courtyard Zhao arose from a kneeling position in much the same way Zuko had. "This will be over quickly." He mocked, tossing his robes down into the dusty ground and assuming a fighting stance. While he hated the thought of his nephew being in harm's way, Iroh had to concede that something had to be done about Zhao. There wasn't a more relentless glory-seeker in the entire Fire Nation. Life would be much easier for both Zuko and The Avatar without the Commander and his apprentice chasing them down.
That train of thought brought Iroh's eyes to wander over Zhao's shoulder, where the little blonde girl stood at attention and watched the proceedings. It never got easier, seeing a child in a military uniform. Iroh cursed himself for allowing Ozai to take yet another young girl filled with promise and twist them with his honeyed words into a tool of war. If the spirits were kind, he hoped they'd give Tanya a chance to see that the path she walked was not the one she'd led to believe it was. Sadly he feared that chance would not be coming any time soon.
The sound of a gong rang through the air, signalling that the Agni Kai had begun, and Iroh was pleased that Zuko didn't immediately rush in with flames blazing. It was a sign that he was trying his best to keep a cool head. After a few seconds of staring each other down, Zuko pulled a fist back to build a heavy ball of fire and launched it at Zhao. The commander dodged it with practised confidence, and continued to do so twice again as Zuko repeated the move.
The fourth time Zuko launched a fireball his way Zhao had decided that enough was enough, and settled into a firm horse stance. Rather than dodge the fireball Zhao simply tanked it, catching the flames with his own power and dispersing them harmlessly with a flick of his arms. He smirked at Zuko tauntingly, and Iroh felt fear grip at his heart as Zuko's temper began to rise to the bait.
Zuko switched to a more advanced form, leaping acrobatically and sending twirls of flame conjured from roundhouse kicks that washed across the arena like waves. Yet like a mighty ship Zhao pushed the flames away and cut through them with the palms of his hands, still taunting Zuko with his smirk. His tactic was as obvious as it was effective: have Zuko wear himself out in his anger, then beat him down with straightforward attacks.
"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!" Iroh shouted, hoping that his nephew would listen and remember their lessons. Even the mightiest tree would fall if you took away the roots it stood upon. It was one of the first lessons Iroh had taught him, and one he'd taken many opportunities to repeat in the hopes that it would stick.
Zhao sensed his opportunity, and stepped forward into a sturdy stance as he unleashed a blast of fire at Zuko. There was nothing flashy about Zhao's attack: just a straightforward punch packed with a lot of fire, but the strength of it knocked Zuko back. Zhao took another step forward, planting his feet firmly as he followed up with another attack, which again Zuko struggled to repel.
Step by step, blast by blast, Zhao advanced, hounding Zuko with an unrelenting barrage of heavy attacks. Eventually it proved to be too much, and with a grunt of pain Zuko was knocked off his feet and crashed to the floor. Yet Zhao was not prepared to let him off the hook so easily. With a warcry Zhao leapt forward, landing at a range close enough to deal Zuko a finishing blow. He brought his fists back and, with an angry roar, unleashed a great jet of fire at Zuko's head, intending to seer the flesh clean off his skull.
Iroh stepped forward, instinctively moving to intervene even though all logic told him it was already too late. If Zuko did not survive this night then Agni Kai be damned, Iroh would show Zhao the reason why the Earth Kingdoms once feared him as the Dragon of the West. Yet his fears proved unnecessary. With a graceful spin that would have made an airbender proud, Zuko not only dodged out of the fire's path, but swept Zhao's feet out from under him and landed back on his own two feet in the process.
That wasn't a firebending move. Iroh thought to himself, and a second later he realised where he'd seen it before: back at the South Pole. It would have made an airbender proud indeed. He'd heard it said that one learned more from their enemies than they did their friends, and if Zuko had picked up a few airbender moves from his conflict with The Avatar then he wouldn't catch him complaining.
It was obvious to everyone that the tide of the battle had turned. Now it was Zuko's turn to smile as he stepped forward: not hounding away with wild blasts like Zhao had, but sending small, controlled waves of flame at Zhao's feet with each step. The result was just as effective as Zhao's mad onslaught. With his balance shot, the commander could do nothing but stumble back in a panic as Zuko claimed ground.
"Commander! Flares!"
Iroh's smile turned upside-down as he remembered that he wasn't the only one allowed to call out advice, and Zhao's expression suddenly morphed from one of panic to a look of realisation. He took a deep breath as he began to topple backwards, and Zuko's advance halted as he prepared himself for what he assumed was another jet of fire.
Yet surprisingly it was not. As Zhao exhaled a storm of tiny sparks, each one as quick and bright as a firefly, erupted from his mouth and spread out like a cloud before him. It was a dazzling spectacle, and did a fine job of obscuring the commander from sight even as he hit the ground har. By the time the sparks had faded enough for Zuko to see again Zhao had already managed to stagger back up onto his feet.
Iroh's frown deepened. That wasn't a move taught in the fire nation military. Most officers looked down on any move designed for evasion or retreat, viewing them as cowardly tricks. It surprised him that Zhao had put his pride aside long enough to learn it, but he had no doubt as to who had taught him that particular trick. Captain Tanya certainly had made some creative adaptations to the fire sage's style.
"Need a little girl to fight your battle for you, do you Zhao?" Zuko taunted.
"Need an old man to fight yours?" Zhao shot back. Touché, Zhao. Touché.
Zuko pressed the attack again, targeting Zhao's feet remorselessly with quick bolts of fire now that he'd identified his opponent's weak spot. Zhao however had wisened up to his game, and crouched low to bat aside the bolts with wide sweeps of his arms. He needed a sturdy stance to draw the most destructive power out of his style, and once again defaulted back to the tactic of letting Zuko wear himself out until the opportunity arose.
Yet Zuko was having none of it. He leapt upwards, cartwheeling forward with a flame building around his foot in a clear sign that he was planning to unleash a heavy blast through an axe-kick. Zhao settled back into his cross-armed horse stance, preparing to tank through the flames once again. Yet the moment his guard came up the flames around Zuko's foot winked out, and the young prince leaned further into his kick to turn it into a forward roll. It had been a feint! By the time Zhao had realised no attack was coming and dropped his guard again Zuko had closed the gap between them, and the fight returned to close range.
This time however Zuko had the momentum. Zhao was being overly cautious, too afraid of attacks coming for his feet, and allowed himself to be caught on the defensive. Zuko meanwhile was letting his passion fuel him without clouding his head, and let his fists flow wild and free. Every so often he would make a show of aiming a fierce blast at Zhao's feet: either a genuine blast to keep him on guard, or a feint that would open a path for him to win a hit elsewhere. Zhao did a decent job at defending himself at first, but when the first punch hit him in the cheek with a satisfying crack Iroh knew it was over. It wasn't long before two, then three more strikes smashed against his torso, and as Zhao winced in pain Zuko swept his feet out from beneath him again.
Zhao hit the ground back-first, too exhausted for any more tricks, and Zuko closed in and brought his fist back, ready to deliver the finishing strike. Prince and Commander glared at each other in frozen silence for a few seconds, waiting for the other to break the stalemate.
"What are you waiting for?" Zhao demanded at last. "Do it!"
With a growl of anger Zuko punched forward, sending a ball of fire at Zhao's face…
Which exploded harmlessly against the ground beside him.
Iroh's heart swelled with pride at the restraint his nephew had shown. It was a brave thing to stand up to your enemies, but braver still to spare them once you had them at your mercy. It would have been within his rights to cast a scar of Zhao's face that would match the one on his. Instead he'd done the truly honourable thing, and spared his foe from feeling the same pain he felt. That sort of selfless thinking was what it would take to end this war one day. I wish you could see this Ozai. He'd make a fine Firelord, despite all that you've done to try and tear the kindness out of him.
Evidently Zhao didn't agree. "That's it?" He scoffed between heavy breaths. "Your father raised a coward!"
Yet Zuko didn't rise to the bait. "Next time you get in my way I promise, I won't hold back." He replied coldly, turning to walk away.
Zhao scrambled back to his feet, and from the look in his eye Iroh could tell what he was about to do. Zhao raised his foot and, with a desperate cry, launched a cowardly attack at Zuko's back as he walked away. Yet by then Iroh had crossed enough distance to intercept, and caught the offending foot with the casual ease of one who'd done it a thousand times before.
"Commander!" Tanya cried, only a second behind the action herself, and as Iroh pushed Zhao back to fall on the ground for a third time today he found himself quietly impressed when Tanya managed to catch and hold the fully grown man despite her small frame.
A snarl informed him that Zuko had turned around, ready to finish the fight, but Iroh stuck an arm out and held his nephew back. "No Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." He advised sagely, and was pleased to feel the tension quickly bleed out of Zuko's body. He turned back again to fix Zhao with a flat, disapproving stare.
"So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat?" He shook his head. "Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honourable than you."
Zhao, for once, seemed to be at a loss for words, his humiliation leaving him floundering in silence. Iroh nodded his head curtly. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious."
And with those parting words Iroh turned away, leading Zuko to their ship as Zhao glared at their backs hatefully.
"That treacherous, impudent, cowardly little weasel!"
Tanya sighed in exasperation as Zhao ranted and raved. The Commander was many things, but gracious in defeat was not one of them. She'd used to take it as a sign of his determination to win, but after today's showing she'd have to rethink that. While normally she was far from the first one to advocate doing the 'honourable' thing, Tanya had to admit that Zhao's behaviour in an Agni Kai, which was supposed to be all about proving your honour, had been unseemly. Striking at the back of an opponent who'd spared you? That was low, even for her.
"The next time I see him I'll decorate the other side of his face the same way his father did!" Zhao continued, before rounding on her with a pointed finger. "And you, Captain! What do you think you were doing sabotaging my efforts! I had him on the ropes until you offered your vaunted advice!"
Oh, so it was her fault now was it? They must have very different recollections of what happened, because it looked to Tanya like Zhao had been on the doorstep of failure before she'd called out to him. Yet she'd learned well enough in her first life that superiors didn't want the facts pointed out to them when they were in a mood like this. They wanted to feel like they were in control again, and there was no better way to feel authoritative than to berate a few subordinates. The best way to soothe their anger was to bow your head, tell them what they wanted to hear, and file a record to the human resources department as soon as possible in case they genuinely tried to pin their failures on you.
"My apologies commander." Tanya replied dutifully, bowing lowly in a sign of subservience. "I only wanted to help. I should never have presumed to offer advice to someone as knowledgeable as you. Please forgive my impertinence."
Zhao snorted grumpily, but it was clear that her prostration had taken the white-hot edge off his anger. "See to it that you don't, Captain." He spat her rank out venomously, and turned his back on her to face his fleet of ships. "If you want to redeem yourself then personally see to it that every ship in the fleet is stocked and ready to depart at sunrise tomorrow. I don't care if the troops have to work through the night; I refuse to let the prince get a head start on capturing The Avatar!"
"Right away Commander." Tanya snapped a crisp salute, and marched away to leave Zhao to his brooding. Great, now Zhao was letting himself be caught up in a personal vendetta as well. Thanks ever so much for that Zuko. This morning she'd been relaxing at her desk enjoying a nice, peaceful assignment, and now she was preparing to get dragged across the world hunting the most powerful and dangerous bender on the planet. Even if they were a twelve year old boy who only seemed able to control one element, the fact that he could trash an entire steel warship firmly placed him in the category of someone who she did not want to tangle with.
Yet orders were orders, and complaining about them had never done anything before. She'd just have to play things smart and capture The Avatar outside of combat, or at the very least keep a nice, thick wall of soldiers between her and him. Maybe she'd see if she could even wrangle Zuko into an important assisting role somehow so that his father would finally have an excuse to let him come home?
Her expressions sharpened as her mind turned to schemes and plans for the future. The emergence of this Avatar had thrown a wrench into her carefully constructed plans for promotion, but also provided her with an opportunity. If Zhao captured The Avatar with her help then she'd be a shoo-in for his position as Commander when they made him an Admiral. Or perhaps The Firelord would make her an Admiral himself? Yes, one way or another The Avatar stood between her and the nice, peaceful life she dreamed of.
Better watch out Avatar. The Devil of the South Sea is coming for you!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone