The landscape shifted as they rode for the fire Nation camp. Aaron, Mark, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and three soldiers followed the village elder on their ostrich horses to the Fire Nation camp. Few words had been exchanged since they left the city, the silence agreement enough, and it wasn't until noon till they stopped riding.
Aaron and Mark dismounted and followed the Elder as they approached a chilling sight. Hundreds of men milling about large cages containing hundreds of impoverished Earth Nation citizens. Their gaunt eyes were desperate and filled with so much anger and hate that it was infectious.
Some wore blood clothes, and the few that didn't watch the fire benders with utter contempt were rolled up into a ball or seated, eyes wide and empty.
"This is so much worse than I pictured," Mark muttered.
"Just when you think you've seen everything they're capable of, the Fire Nation surprises you," Aaron said with a distasteful frown.
He'd seen a lot of darkness in his short life but never suffered on a scale like this. It took him Aaron a long moment to gather himself.
"We need a solid layout of the camp," Aaron said, "but flying and sneaking around are off the table." Towers stuck out at the four corners of the camp, manned by a team of two each.
"We'll need a distraction or wait till nightfall if we want to impersonate one of the returning scouts. Even then, we might be discovered with a simple look."
"You promised you'd help. One look at the enemy, and you're ready to give up?" The old Elder demanded.
"I never said that," Aaron sat, settling into a lotus position, and took a deep, steadying breath. It was a good time as any to explore the gift that Dopi had given him.
With how abruptly he ended their conversation, he could only hope she was not waiting for him on the other side.
"You doing that Chi-reading thing?" Mark asked
"Yes," Aaron lied. "I've been working on expanding my range. I should be able to get a read on their energy signatures. Maybe I'll catch a flaw in their defense, something we can exploit." Aaron wasn't very well going to reveal his ace days after acquiring it.
"All those hours of scanning for Chi signatures finally coming in handy, eh? I can't wait to learn One-with-the-world. Seems Uber useful."
"One with the world?"The old village elder said, "What air-bender drivel are you spouting now?" The outrage was clear in his voice. "I'm beginning to think you don't care as much as you claim you do," he said, jabbing his finger at Aaron. "You drag us out here—"
"Dad," Mark spoke up in his softest voice. "Just watch and wait. You can yell at him after he fails."
The Old man grumbled and gave Aaron one last look before he turned to his Son.
"You've changed, Igi," he muttered.
"I…uh, guess I have."
Aaron couldn't bring himself to be offended at the Old Elder. He was angry and scared and blamed Aaron for what had happened to his village.
And he was partly right.
The Fire Nation would've attacked them eventually, but his actions had stolen precious months of peace.
As he drifted into the spirit world, Aaron swore he'd do whatever it took to set things right.
--
The world slipped away in long lines of crimson and brown and yellow, replaced by a brief spell of darkness that seemed to blot out everything before the colour returned, muted and grey. It was like Aaron saw the world through a thin sheet of grey fabric.
Below him, Mark talked to Igi's Father, sharing his journey so far and failing to articulate his reason for leaving.
He eventually landed on a line about something awaking in him and pushing him to fight back against the Fire Nation. The logical side of Aaron supposed it was as good a line as any and as close to the truth they could get without completely shattering the man. His heart, though, bled for the man.
He'd debated telling him the whole truth the entire ride over but ultimately decided against it. All he could do was focus on helping the Earth Nation's people. He'd put the old man through enough.
"Mark?" Aaron called out to the boy, but no response came.
Only those spiritually attuned could see him when he was in his astral form, and it seemed neither Mark nor the Village elder made the cut.
He still kept his advantages.
That was good.
He rose higher into the air before he advanced towards the camp in the unlikely event that somebody in the Fire Nation camp was better.
At first, it was strange, zipping through the air, watching the soldiers mill about, occasionally staring at and through him, as he marked down positions, counted soldiers, and noted cage locations.
However, when it was time to root out the cage keys and gather information on their leadership, he found his spine.
Banking low, Aaron slipped into the ground and snaked to the command tent. The dirt and darkness made him feel claustrophobic until he popped out behind the commander's chair and caught the tail-end of a conversation.
"How is the preparation for the siege coming along?" A strong voice asked. It belonged to a man dressed in a commander's uniform, wine in hand.
"The regiments are on their way here, along with the siege engines," said a pitchy voice. Aaron recognized it immediately as Prince Zukos.'
'What was he doing taking orders from a commander?' Last he heard, Aaron was still a banished Prince with no support or supervision save for his small ship crew and his uncle.
What changed?
"Excellent work. In a fortnight, the fighting will begin, and you'll get your first true taste of War, Prince. It will be glorious and something you won't soon forget."
"I don't doubt it," Zuko said, "Any update on your plan for the phantom?"
Aaron leaned closer, paying even closer attention to the exchange.
The man's face spread to a terrifying grin. "I let a prisoner slip through yesterday morning. He should bring the Phantom, the Avatar, and their entire group right to our doorstep."
Aaron stumbled back, nearly slipping through the tent flap. Of course, it was a trap. How couldn't he have seen it?
The Village elder of the last place he settled down before he appeared on the Fire Nation radar suddenly showed up in Omashu days before an attack.
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Could it have been more obvious?
Aaron's mind turned frantic as ideas rose and were dismissed. He needed to find a way out of this, but he couldn't leave Earth Nation people behind either, either as hostages or strategic pawns. The commander was not just gathering them for the hell of it.
"What if the King comes running?" Zuko asked.
"He won't," the man said, standing up from his chair. He came to a table on the side of the tent and poured himself some wine from a decanter.
"I sent a small army to several towns to ensure that. He left this morning, heading up the relief troops. And even if he makes it back in time, it won't make a difference. The Phantom is mine, and so is the Avatar and the rest of his meddlesome crew."
"But the Firelord called off the hunt."
The man swirled his goblet. "For you, maybe, but for me, he's still fair game, and I intend to capture them all without spilling blood. Well, Fire Nation blood, to be exact."
Zuko didn't speak for a moment, and he suddenly went pale. "Is that why you insisted we round up all those Earth Nation people? You're going to force the Avatar to surrender, aren't you."
"You're sharper than your sister gives you credit for, Prince Zuko," he laughed. "But do you have the edge that made your Sister legendary?
Work with me, Zuko. There are over 500 villagers in those cages. Even with a Phantom whispering in his ear, the Avatar will not permit him to lift a finger. They have no choice but to surrender. We can try the same strategy when we reach the gates of Omashu but with the Avatar as the hostage. Imagine the songs that would be written about us."
Zhao set his goblet down, poured the Prince one of his own, and strolled up to him.
"Of course, if the King has any lick of sense, he'll call our bluff. If that happens, we'll use the prisoners as meat shields during our assault or poison them with a venereal disease and release them back to the city. Either way, Omashu will fall in less than a month, and I will be in line for another promotion. When I journey back to the capital, you can either be the Prince who helped Commander Zhao conquer Omashu, capture the Avatar, and kill a wanted Phantom or the first prince in the history of the Fire Nation to lose his crown to his Sister."
Zuko's eyes shot up and met Zhao, who smirked. "There's that edge."
His hand stretched forward, and the Prince's shaky hand took the cup.
"Why help me?"
"You will be Firelord one day, Prince. Consider this an investment in the man you'll become."
The Prince took a deep drink from his cup.
"Uncle will never forgive me if he learns of this."
Commander Zhao grabbed the Prince's shoulder. "That is why I will tell him this is entirely my idea."
Aaron decided he'd heard enough and flew out of the tent and zipped through the Fire Nation camp in search of General Iroh.
He hated him as much as any Phantom, but from what he'd heard, he'd grown a heart since his time at the front, and he was famous for his Spiritual sensitivity.
Perhaps a bargain of sorts could be struck.
If any man was a Phantom's equal, it would be the Dragon of the West. His skill is legendary. Mastery of lightning, the breath of the dragon, and various advanced fire-bending techniques made him one of the most dangerous benders in the world.
If Aaron could have him support his assassination instead of fighting to save Zhao's life, he'd take the opportunity.
Not long after he began his search, he picked up somebody speaking about the General's tent. Following the servant with a giant tray of roast duck brought in front of Iroh's tent.
Before he floated through, Aaron considered turning back. He could zip back to Omashu, meditate in the spirit world, find his Father and tell him what happened.
Sure, Ren would double his punishment, but he'd receive his full support in return, and he was the most powerful bender he'd ever seen, bar his Grandfather and Uncle Wang.
Zhao would be no issue.
But could he afford to wait that long?
Zhao might get impatient and strike preemptively. And what would that say about him? Running to his Father to bail him out of a situation he could probably handle.
With war on the horizon, Ren was about to be more inaccessible.
'Lets talk to the General first,' he thought. He'd act depending on how the meeting turned out.
As for his approach with General Iroh, he hoped his love for his nephew was as great as the spies claim.
Iroh spat out a cup's worth of tea when Aaron floated into his tent.
It cleared any doubt about the man's spiritual capabilities.
"How are you here, young Phantom?"
"You can probably guess," Aaron said.
"Astral projection," he mouthed as he wiped his beard. "Your people never
cease to amaze me. You're quite capable for someone so young."
Aaron hadn't expected the compliment, from an enemy general no less.
General Iroh settled into a calm smile, his Chi as mellow as he was. In his astral form, Aaron discovered that if he paid more attention, he could instinctively sense Chi. It was like using One-with-The-World all the time.
It was a nice tidbit of knowledge, one he hoped he could use when next he needed to train Chi.
And it was then he noticed that General Iroh had more Chi than his Father, who'd been meditating and gathering energy all his life.
'How's that even possible.' He was tempted to ask but reminded himself to stay on task.
"The last time we met, General Iroh, you stopped your nephew from doing something he'd regret, and today is no different. Commander Zhao has been whispering in his ear, and he's convinced him to threaten the prisoners to force our surrender. You know what will happen if they try it, don't you?"
General Iroh answered without blinking.
"The Avatar will surrender, and you'll be forced to obey him."
"I am sworn to protect him, not obey him. And I will do what's best for him. If that means hundreds will have to die, so be it. The Avatar's life is not worth the life of 400 hundred prisoners," Aaron said in as dispassionate a voice as he could muster.
"You would abandon your apprentice, your companions, and the prisoners too?" General Iroh asked.
"I would hate to abandon them, but I'd do it if it meant protecting him. As long as he's alive, we will win this war. You know this as well as I do."
General peered at his spirit body, stroking his beard. "You remind me of my niece, Azula, in some ways. She has the same calculated ruthlessness you do. She also has the terrible habit of hiding her weakness behind false confidence. You will not abandon them all to die, at least not willingly."
Aaron nearly gnashed his teeth in frustration. He didn't have the time for bluffing and counter-bluffing with the General. So, he came out swinging.
"Do you know what will happen if we don't come to an agreement, General? I will float back to my body and be forced to report to my Grandfather if he isn't aware of our little conversation."
Aaron didn't miss the General's eyes growing slightly wider.
"He will send my Father, Ren, and we will lay waste to the entire camp and probably the prisoners as well. Your nephew will be lucky to survive. Spirits help him if Mark gets his hands on him."
Aaron felt the General start to gather Chi. "Careful," he warned in a sharp voice. "You must know nothing about me if you think I'd allow that to happen."
Aaron was sure a bead of sweat rolled down his human body. "All I am saying is it's in our best interest to stop whatever hair-brained plan the commander has cooked up. You can stop the blood bath that is sure to come and help your nephew keep his soul. Did I also mention that you'll be saving the lives of hundreds of villagers?"
There was a bout of silence before the General finally spoke. "I will help you, but only if you agree to my conditions."
Aaron felt his spirit sag in relief, but he was still worried about the conditions the General spoke of.
"You will never spy on my nephew and me with your techniques again. You will never speak of our conversation and one day in the not-so-
distant future, you must assist me in a fight against an impossible opponent."
Aaron found no problem with the first two requests but had ideas about whom the General might want him to fight.
"Is this enemy, Samir?"
"The so-called Avatar of Fire?" General Iroh grumbled. "He is a formidable foe, but he's not your biggest concern."
Given what he'd seen, Aaron begged to differ. And from the tone of his voice, Aaron guessed he wasn't a fan of Samir either. "You're severely underestimating him if you think Samir is not a problem. Did you know he can control people's minds?"
General Iroh's eyes widened, and his rosy cheeks lost their colour. He couldn't hide his surprise. "He's learned the way of the Dai Li?"
"We do not know for certain, but we've captured a few of his agents. And some of them were fairly powerful benders. Given enough time, he could dig his claws into everybody."
"That… is disturbing news."
"That it is," Aaron nodded. "Perhaps our cooperation doesn't have to end here. After the latest threat has been dealt with, Samir could be next."
"Perhaps," he conceded, "but first, the task at hand."
"I think the course of action is to remove Commander Zhao from the equation," Aaron said. "In the madness that'll ensue from his death, you can help me set the prisoners free."
"That would mean I would be providing the distraction to allow you to enter the camp in the first place."
Aaron nodded. "I would appreciate it, but I can find a way to do without it. All I need is for you to set the prisoners free."
General Iroh raised a brow. "I'm afraid I cannot help you murder a Commander of the Fire Nation, no matter how insufferable I find him, but It would be my pleasure to help the prisoners."
Aaron blinked. The General was not as bad as the history books made him out to be. But that was if he didn't betray him.
"Thank you, General Iroh," Aaron bowed. "Wait for my signal before you free them. You'll know it when you see it."
General Iroh smiled back. "It's been lovely chatting with you, young Phantom."
"It's Aaron, and the pleasure is all mine."
Aaron drifted out of the tent and rocketed towards his meditating body. Slamming into it, his mind and body became one, and his eyes shot open.
"We have a problem," Aaron said.