Chapter 17: Minister, Pirates and Tea

Zhan' project the Firebird was progressing quite nicely, since he got back. Wings were attached, and the body was completed, only thing that was required was the engine and other important, yet small components.

Yet for all his work, it might be for naught. The Drill had reached the outskirts of Ba Sing Se and was closing in. Along that Azula had taken a personal objective of seeing the imvasion through, according to her last sent letter. Guess it could be used for civilian purpouses after the war, or maybe he could finish it before the war, comes to an end. The Dragon of the West had besieged the city for almost six-hundred days, and hadn't able to conquer it...and he doubted the Earth Kingdom would give-up so easily. They were known for their stubborness.

"Nono...easy...with that piece.." said Zhan, seeing the two engineers, attaching the control-part. "Easy with the wire...if this isn't attached properly then the entire thing could not work.

"Yes Sir," replied the engineers, getting to work on the other one.

'All-righty, scratch down: control, frame, wings, and wheels. All that is left is the engine and breaking mechanism,' thought Zhan. If everything went smmothly, they should be able to complete the project within a couple of weeks.

"Hello?" asked a voice, from behind his door.

"Yes?" asked Zhan. Unlocking the door, to the underground facility, revealing a Royal Messenger.

"Yes well...you had informed me earlier to keep an eye open to situations and reports, regarding to the Central battle-front or related to Ba Sing Se?" he asked.

"Yes. What news to you bring?" asked Zhan, a little anxious.

"Not good...im afraid," he replied, a bit saddened. Then took out a scroll and started to read it. "We had lost a good company of soldiers - mostly captured. Yet the biggest news was that of the destruction of the War-Minister' war-machine."

"What?! Are you sure?!" asked Zhan, suddenly suprised.

"Yes. Luckily any high-personnel managed to escape unharmed, before being captured. This news had only reached the Fire Lord recently."

'Damnit,' thought Zhan to himself. "Many thanks. You may go."

As soon as the messenger left, Zhan slumped against the metal door, rage boiling.

"Damnit!" he said, punching the door. Giving him a nasty pain, and a tiny dent in the door. "Bloody-idiot-fool!"

"Useless! Ego-tistic idiot!" he said. Then went over to his desk, searching through blue-prints for the required one. Soon finding what he was looking for, soon starting to scribble onto it. "Hope you don't screw this up!"

XXX

Two days had passed and Zhan soon found himself, heading back towards Zu Dhay. A certain man was due to arrive there...and he had to give special instructions to him.

"Has he arrived?" asked Zhan, departing from the war-ship.

"Yes, M'Lord. He just arrived a few hours ago," said the dock-handler.

Zhan made with haste towards the Noble Section of the town, where a certain Minister had arrived.

"Wait! Stop! You hav-"

"Unofficial business!" said Zhan, showing the guards the Royal Token, which silenced them and moved them out of his way.

"Qin!" yelled Zhan, barging into the room. Grabbing the startled War-Minister, and pinning him against a wall.

"What is the mea-"

"Shut! Up! And listen!" said Zhan, in an angrier tone, which shut him up quickly. Qin was terrified, of being pinned against the wall by a boy, who was wearing some serious-looking black metal armor and having a look similar to the Crown Princess's - mess with me and you'll be sorry.

"Now listen: your little idea had cost the Fire Nation a sizeable interest. It's failure an unacceptable outcome, one that even the Fire Lord isn't pleased with. Now start listening to me! In your office, in the Royal Palace are some blueprints, ideas and modifications about your previous - the war-ballon," said Zhan, making statement heard. "Now get your sorry-head back to the Palace...and start working out a machine soon, so the Fire Lord doesn't get the idea of banishing you for your failure. And make sure MY facility gets the resources they need - there is a project, linked to the Crown Princess herself...so don't even think of screwing this up!"

He soon let go of the startled War-Minister, dropping him onto the floor and making his way out of the house. Leaving Qin, both frightened...and a little relieved, to have a chance to fix his mistake.

Making his way out of the Section...and in towards a nearby tavern. This one was more of calmer nature, or that it was filled with Fire Nation people: soldiers, citizens, nobles.

Taking a seat near the bar, and ordering something strong. Having dealt a warning to the War-Minister, Zhan's next move was to figure out where Azula was at the moment. After the Drill's failure and rumours that the Avatar had escaped to Ba Sing Se, he wouldn't be suprised if Azula tried to gain entry into the unpenetrable city. It was only a theory though, but a good one. Since Azula had mentioned she was now focusing more on capturing the Avatar, than his family. After the last-failure with the Drill, Zhan had decided to rendevous with her: due to her bad-streak of luck that was going on, and secondly to be near his Princess. He wasn't much on the sappy-side, and neither was Azula...yet the feeling of just sitting around, while she was doing something dead-important didn't very much suit his being. Also that the Firebird was pretty much completed, and the rest could be handled by the engineers.

So he had equipped his newest armor, written a request to the Fire Lord for leave, and had catched the nearest boat to Zu Dhay. Now he needed some information about her whereabouts.

"...hey did..you heard.." spoke a nearby soldier, a few feet away.

"...did I heard..." spoke another one.

"...some...women...warriors...been...captured..." they spoke in between each-other.

"Here you are!" said the bar-keeper, with Zhan' drink.

"Thanks," replied Zhan. Focusing on the soldiers conversation more.

"...local...garrison...what...they...some...fan... Kyoshi...lame...if...me..." they spoke.

'Fan? Kyoshi? Azula!' realized Zhan, flipping a silver coin on the table. Leaving behind an untouched drink, a silver coin, and a confused bar-keeper.

'Azula you sneaky...' he thought, making with haste towards the pier. By the two soldiers description, the warrior-women sounded like the Kyoshi warriors from Kyoshi Island. While still rumours, he had read the Kyoshi warriors were formidable fighters who used fan-like weapons, added to the fact they were women - and it didn't take much to put two-and-two together. No doubt Azula would try to use the Kyoshi's, to get inside Ba Sing Se and capture the Avatar. Now the only thing HE needed to do, was to get to Ba Sing Se fast...but how?

Zhan needed something fast and quick, who could set sail immediately towards there...but who-who...

'Wait, were those pirates?!' he suddenly realized, seeing an unusual pair on the pier. Turning around and confirming his suspicion, that they were pirates: a captain of Fire Nation origin by his attire and looks with an iguana parrot; a skinnier man with a mustache who seemed of Earth Kingdom origin judging by his attire; and a half-dozen of mixed ethnicity. Although their ship, seemed a little on the smaller side: a three-quarter less size of an actual war-ship, made of wood and some metal parts, yet manned by them, it no-doubt could be very fast.

"I'm telling you captain, we got bam-boozled by that ship-seller!" spoke Oh, the lieutenant of the captain' rag-tag pirates.

"There wasn't any bam-boozlement! You idiots, bought the wrong ship!" yelled the captain, shaking Oh. 'Times like this, I wonder what am I doing with these idiots...or maybe not.'

"Greetings sailors, fine ship you got here," spoke Zhan, approaching the pirates.

"You mocking me, boy?!" asked the captain, letting go of Oh.

"Not at all!" said Zhan grinning, raising his hands up in defence. "I'm interested, how fast is she?"

"She's fast!" spoke the captain, crossing his hands. "What's it to you?"

"I'm looking for a trip..." said Zhan. Pulling out a cut-emerald from his pocket, one of the monetary resources he had brought along, to aid on his trip. Tossing it to the captain, who eyed the precious gem greedily with his crew. "...straight to Ba Sing Se..."

"All aboard!" said the captain, pocketing the gem.

XXX

Zhan could see the pirates giving him various glances, on top of the crow's nest or on top of the mast. Yet in Zhan's opinion, best way to spot pirate-betrayal was as keeping an eye on them, from as high as possible. So they couldn't sneak up on you, or attack you from behind.

So far they had made good progress, by the captains and Zhan's calculation. They would reach the southern side of Ba Sing Se by morning tomorrow...currently it was dusk, a foggy one.

"Drop anchor! Full halt!" yelled the captain suddenly, with the entire ship stopping in its tracks.

"What's the matter? Why have we stopped?" asked Zhan, sliding down from the mast.

"We got an Earth Kingdom ship, holding steady," spoke the captain, looking through the spy-glass, then handing it to Zhan. "While my ship is fast, that thing will easily scuttle mine. This is as far as we go."

Zhan eyed the ship in the distance - a fair amount of metal used, signs of a conservative design, large earth-rings on the surface. Definitely an Earth Kingdom ship.

"How about if I remove that, obstacle?" asked Zhan, handing back the spy-glass.

"You?!" laughed the captain. "Better first, I grow wings and a tail!"

"My idea, my risks!" said Zhan, putting a gold coin on the captain's desk. "For the row-boat."

"Man! You're more crazier than we are!" said Oh. Seeing Zhan getting into the row-boat and making way towards the opposite ship.

"We'll see!" replied Zhan back, grinning the way. 'Oh...they'll see.'

The captain eyed the boy' trip towards the opposite ship - so far he hadn't been spotted.

"And I thought we were crazy!" said Oh, eyeing with the crew, with their own spy-glass.

"You can't fix idiocy!" replied the captain, both meaning for the boy and his crew.

He had reached the ship and was climbing up the anchor...he was good, but the earth-benders would take him down easily, once spotted. He reached the deck...then...yelled to them and mocked them?

Now sooner did earth-rings start to fly and the boy, disappeared from out-of-sight.

'Wait for it!' he told himself, waiting from the boy to fall or be thrown overboard. No sooner did someone fall overboard...an earthbender. 'WHAT?!'

He eyed his spy-glass even more, and soon soldiers started to fall into the sea: one, two, three, six. He looked at his crew, who were watching the event...mouth's open from shock and amazement.

'What in bleeding hog-monkeys?' he asked himself, cleaning his spy-glass and looking again. No sooner was the Earth Kingdom' flag, taken down...and replaced by someone' pants.

"Am I going crazy?" he asked, his iguana parrot who just graad at him. "I think...that is our que...to meet up!"

"Yeah," replied Oh, shaking away the shock, to follow the captain's orders. "All hands on deck."

No sooner did the pirates start to climb onto the deck of the Earth Kingdom ship, highly-likely to commandeer it as their new ship. While they weren't much of a match for the Fire Nation navy, it was by far larger than their wooden-dinghy.

"Now then. About Ba Sing Se?" asked Zhan, sitting on an earth-ring.

XXX

"Pirates..." mumbled Zhan. Sitting in the row-boat, with Oh rowing. The pirates idea was to commandeer the ship, and set him down a few miles away from Ba Sing Se...what piracy.

"We aim to please!" replied Oh grinning. They soon enough reached Earth Kingdom shores, with it already being night. Zhan soon got out of the row-boat, covering himself with the green cloak, gloves and leather boots he got from the earthbenders. "Alrighty! Straight north is the Serpent's Pass and Ba Sing Se. Happy walking!"

"Yeah, yeah!" replied Zhan. Kicking the row-boat back onto the sea. "And happy pillaging!"

Zhan soon made head-way into the land, keeping low and his body covered, no use getting sloppy this close. While he would have wanted to get closer to Ba Sing Se, this would have to do. He wasn't in the mood to fight pirates, after he had dealt with a squad of earthbenders recently. So it was walking from here on.

"Excuse me young man," spoke a voice, from behind him. Acting on instinct and quickly turning around in a defensive stance, and coming face-to-face...with an old man. "You seem like a refugee yourself. Could you help me with something?"

"What, in general?" asked Zhan, easing up. Making sure his black armor underneath wasn't seen, but seeing the old man, he doubted if the old man could tell the difference during the day.

"I'm heading for Full Moon Bay. Would you mind, accompaning me there? I rather not, go there along during the night...yet I must," he spoke.

"Full Moon Bay? What is this?" asked Zhan, starting to walk with the old man.

"You're from farther? It takes us, refugees to Ba Sing Se, by ferry," replied the old man.

Zhan followed the old man, for awhile, curious about this Bay. Until they arrived at a cave and started to decend and reach a wall...which soon came-down. Revealing a hidden harbor, filled with all sorts of refugees.

"Move along!" replied one of the earthbender guards, who were stationed near the 'gate'. Looking around the harbor, he could see many guards, earthbender and non-bender.

"Thank you son!" replied the old man. Shaking his hand and departing.

'Hmmm...how can I get aboard the ferry?' he asked himself. Eyeing further, he could see there was some sort of control-booth...checking passports. 'Easy enough.'

Zhan soon started to make his way towards the booth, zig-zagging through the crowd to avoid the guard' watchful eyes, paying him to much attention. Passing by a very funny group of people, dressed as the Avatar. Soon reaching the booth, but not before grabbing a passport from a nearby patron.

"Hello. One ticket to Ba Sing Se," said Zhan, approaching the booth. Where an aged, overly, and mean-looking woman worked.

"Passport?!" asked the woman, in an angry-sounding tone, to which Zhan slipped her the passport. Also making sure to be covered. "Mr. Guam? That's an interesting name?!"

"Well...I look interesting," replied Zhan, revealing his gold-yellow hair.

"I guess you are..." said the woman, stamping his ticket and letting him through.

Making his way up, through another ticket-checker, and down into the pier - where the ferries were. Wasting no-time getting aboard and out-of-sight.

'Was that a rush!' thought Zhan. Having dealt with pirates, made head-long into enemy territory, discovered a hidden harbor and secured a ride to Ba Sing Se. Now the only thing he had to do, was enjoy the ride.

The ferry-ride took a longer while, to reach Ba Sing Se. Giving Zhan some time, to catch some sleep. When he awoke, the sun was up, and they would be reaching Ba Sing Se soon.

"Welcome to Ba Sing Se, Mr. Guam!" greeted a young-teller, having re-checked his stolen passport.

"Thank you, kind lady," replied Zhan. Finally he was in Ba Sing Se...now only thing he needed to find out, where was Azula.

"Excuse me, herbal please" said Zhan. Approaching a local tea-seller.

"Here you are!" he replied, pouring him some herbal tea.

"Tell me local. Has there been anything interesting lately? Any interesting arrivals?" asked Zhan, savouring the tea.

"There has been two actually," replied the tea-seller, welcoming the chat.

"Please tell me all about it..."

XXX