CH4: Finding A Conspirator

Iroh allowed himself to relax after an early morning aboard his nephew's ship. His tea had been made to perfection, and the captain had enough free time to play a game of Pai Sho. As a result, the captain looked less troubled than he had in their 8-day journey to the port.

"Every pirate in a hundred miles can see us." The man said.

Iroh rubbed his beard before sipping his tea. "You don't sound concerned."

Few ships would challenge a Fire Nation Cruiser on the water. Those who tried are quickly sunk. Wooden ships, no matter how sturdy, burned quickly at sea. That didn't stop desperate profiteers from trying.

"I've never seen anything like it. First, the crew practiced their fire bending drills, and now the boy glows while holding a flame between his hands. If there was any doubt that he was the Avatar, it's gone now. But why isn't he in chains? General Iroh and the crew needs to know what's going on. All we know is that we can't talk about the state of the world to him. But he listens; I think he can hear everything."

"The last Avatar documented was Avatar Roku, and he's a relatively modern Avatar. We can't know how long Red was frozen before something woke him. He might be hundreds or thousands of years old. Perhaps what he's displaying are techniques that are lost. He should have mastered his first element at his age and started on his next. But in ancient times, our people might have had a different opinion of the basics. Its possible knowledge was lost over time. There are tells of superhuman feats from ancient benders."

"But why aren't we treating him like a prisoner?"

Iroh decided to play on the captain's expectations. "He would leave, and we may never find him. But, there is a chance we can make him our nation's greatest ally."

"So, he isn't a prisoner you intend to bind him to the royal family. The princess won't be happy about that."

Iroh felt bile rise up in his throat. Azula might see Red's unsettling power and become quite smitten. That possibility had run through Iroh's mind more than once. "If my brother orders it, she will do her duty to the nation."

Someone rang the warning bell. They were about to make port. Iroh stood up and prepared to do something he had never imagined. He would train Red to appear as a proper Fire Nation citizen.

…

Zuko stood across from me as I tried to get used to some borrowed fire nation clothes. They were soft, and I wasn't talking about the fabric. One movement, and it felt like my clothes would tear apart. Then there was the fact that the clothes they gave me had no stats.

My shirt could take nearly any amount of damage any of these guys their ship included could put out. It even boosted my defenses by a small percentage. While it was nothing compared to the boost my rings and amulet gave me, it mattered.

"Remember to tuck your thumb in when you bow, or people will think your uneducated. Did people bow where you came from?"

"Of course, before the gods, we were expected to bow. Our emperor might have been assassinated by his own praetorian guard if he required his subjects to bow. Then again, that's how most emperors were killed anyway." I said with a chuckled.

They didn't join in my mirth. "In the Fire Nation, when confronting someone of a superior rank, you are expected to bow in fealty and respect. As a civilian, you are expected to show that respect to all soldiers of the officer rank." Zuko said.

"I don't understand. But if it's your custom, I'll tolerate it." So I bowed and felt like my pride had been stung along with my dignity. My whale even seemed a bit curious about my change of mood. But really, what could I expect. Going after the highest position in the land couldn't come without some hardships.

"For the most part, you only need to follow the example of the crew," Iroh said.

"Wouldn't this be easier if I wore a full set of Fire Nation armor?"

"That won't be an option when we reach the capitol. Think of this as a practice run. If you fool the officers into believing you're just a Fire Nation civilian, you will blend in easier in the capital." Iroh said.

I followed the crew down a ramp behind Iroh and Zuko until we were stopped by a man with mutton chops. There was a savage grin on his face and a feeling of utter superiority. A tap from one of the crew alerted me in time to bow.

"Greetings, Commander Zhao; it's pleasant seeing you here." General Iroh said.

"We just need our ship repaired and refueled."

"That's quite some damage you've accumulated. What happened?" Zhao asked.

"We hit an iceberg near the Southern Water Tribe. It came out of nowhere; we wouldn't have made it back if we didn't find a derelict ship and harvest some of its materials."

"An iceberg in the Southern Water Tribe. Could it have been a rouge water bender?" Zhao said.

Iroh coughed. "Enough of that, our men are tired, and they need time to relax; we have more searching to do."

"Yes, you're to capture the Avatar ex prince Zuko. Have you had any luck?" Zhao asked.

"None, he's hidden for over a hundred years, and no one has found him."

"Well, while your crew unwinds, I would like to invite the two of you to tea in my office," Zhao said.

Zhao really enjoyed driving the knife in deep into those who were once a higher rank than him. He's careful not to mess with General Iroh. I didn't know if I wanted someone like that commanding anything. On the one hand, he seemed to be a real go-getter, but he would try to usurp me. This might be a bit early, but he doesn't feel too loyal to the Fire Nation. It's just useful to him and his glory.

Nope, he was already disqualified by his lack of loyalty. Then again, high-ranking officers were prima donnas, from what Majorian told me. That would be best if I could find a hard counter to him and them at a higher or equal rank. Maybe a general from the water tribe. I needed someone not only powerful but sneaky when the situation demanded it.

A tap on my shoulder signaled me to get up and follow. I had a lot to think about. Zhao might need to die, but he was a go-getter, I could tell, and once I'm Fire Lord, it's unlikely he'll join up with any rebels. Moreover, he liked the power and prestige of being an elite in the Fire Nation.

People without qi control poured their emotions into the void and were easy to detect. Zhao was undisciplined and almost wore his emotions on his sleeves. That was the mark of a poor officer. No matter his go-getter, I'll do anything to get ahead. He was the type to make big irreparable blunders.

If I kept him, I would have to replace him quickly. So, who would I replace him with? I didn't have many options yet. Once I took over, I would have to take some time and get to know people. For that, Iroh's niece would be irreplaceable. I might have to leave the current Fire Lord alive with that in mind. I needed to crush his spirit.

The crew led me to a soldier's bar in the port. I marveled at the wealth disparity between the empire and this Fire Nation. No slaves were being auctioned off from conquered tribes, I couldn't see an arena for an equivalent of the games, and the people were weak. Weakness was something that I couldn't let go of. Power was incredibly important for a people who wanted to dominate the world.

Where were their champions of a thousand battles? They had qi but didn't know how to refine it for better control. Even as coal burned all around, the metaphor seemed lost on them. But, even if they were limited to only the qi they were born with, there were ways to refine it to enhance themselves. I heard Iroh use the word qi once or twice, so there must be some knowledge of it.

I shook my head and focused on the road in front of me. While not everything was to my liking, the roads were at least well made. Changes had to be made, and I would have work to do after becoming emperor. Red hawks flew in and out with messages, and I cringed from the sight. The message skill could allow instant communication between two parties anywhere in the world. I didn't like the low technology at all.

"What do you think of the port?" The captain asked.

"The roads are nice," I said, and that was the politest thing I could think of saying.

"True, you won't find many roads this nice anywhere else. Some earth kingdoms don't have anything more than a dirt road. I have a cousin that had to march down one, and it was terrible."

I had hoped this place was the lowest technology-wise. Perhaps they were forced to use those birds because their usual communication channels were down. Unfortunately, they couldn't use messages either, so I would have to find a workaround. Unfortunately, I didn't have one.

"You know, I'm curious how the Fire Nation communicates so quickly."

"It's not a big secret; we have messenger hawks that send messages back and forth." I nodded slowly.

The answer was simple I needed to improve the economy, subsidize education, promote a culture of inventors, lower taxes, start a patenting system, keep the fighting force from going crazy, and find time to train. That's not to mention conquering the other planet or getting the technology to reach the other world. We would have earth benders to dig out precious minerals for us. They just had to find what they couldn't bend.

Once I took control, I would establish a culture for all nations to get behind. I would need to court some of the wealthier families in the earth kingdom and marry their daughters or bribe with positions of power to get their support. Once again, Iroh's niece would be invaluable for that task.

"Alright, hawks are the fastest way for the Fire Nation to send information over vast distances. That is interesting."

A group of Fire Nation soldiers in full armor cornered us and took us to a distant building for interrogation.

"Who ordered this?"

The slap from the soldier's horsewhip was annoying. "That's none of your business. You'll answer my questions right now if you know what's good for you. What happened to the prince's ship?"

"It was hit by an iceberg." They hadn't chained my wrist, but I knew it was Zhao who ordered this interrogation. He really was a go-getter. He barely had a hunch to go on and probably jumped on Avatar as the answer. He was apparently the type to steal someone else's glory.

"Who was behind the iceberg? Is it someone, the prince, is protecting? That would be treason, and you don't want to get caught up in that, son." A rouge water bender sends an iceberg out into the water to take out Fire Nation ships. That sounded like something Katara would do. But I wasn't talking about that either.

I was sure he was giving the wrong information to get me to correct him. That was an interesting tactic and one I needed to remember.

Another crack of the horsewhip against my face further soured my mood. The whip shattered in the interrogator's hands while I struggled to remain calm.

"Hey, lieutenant, someone talked; get out here."

I stood up and shattered the chains hanging from my wrists. The interrogator walked back into the room. "You're free to go; I can't believe the prince had the Avatar and just let him get away. To be so close but so far is pathetic." He stared at the chain on the ground. "What did you do to them?"

"You should fire your blacksmith. The steel was too brittle." I said before walking up to the man and stepping into his personal space.

Before he said a word, I headbutted him. His nose broke with a satisfying crunch, and the man fell on his ass. I made sure not to shatter his skull or tear his body apart. Qi control was more than strengthening my body; it also held me back.

A soldier rounded on me, seeing the blood, and I flared my aura. The man fell to his knees, frozen. Normal people didn't have the power to resist powerful auras.

Using my aura was a double-edged sword. I could subdue thousands with it, but it was a blunt way to use my aura and drained my stamina. Until I solidified my foundation, using it was more for my vanity than because it was a useful tactic. It would be easier to break his legs than subdue him with aura.

"New systems have been unlocked." Lu Zhi said.

"You've gained the affection and obedience menu for important NPCs." Lu Zhi said.

"This really isn't the time for new system updates." Then, a group of guards walked through the hallway and rushed to attack me.

"I could really use a way to deal with these guys."

"Fine, I'll create a quest like a mundane system."

Quest: Road To World Domination

No emperor rules alone. Find allies

"Alright," I said and slipped through the crowd of enemies, knocking them out with measured blows. Zhao was easy to find. I picked up the pace and charged out of the building and slipped by soldiers on my way to the tower. My shirt and pants had become tatters by the time I climbed the tower's outer wall. One of the windows was open, and I let myself in.

The room was empty, but I could hear shouting outside. I doused the candle in the room and made my way to the side of the door. Zhao threw open the door and slammed it behind him. His chest heaved, and he made his way to his desk and threw all the scrolls on the floor.

I let some qi enter my voice. "What are you doing with your life Commander Zhao? Is this everything you ever wanted?" Zhao whirled around, but I had already moved. Staying out of his sight was easy.

"Show yourself. Is this about the library? All I did was burn some scrolls."

"What did you burn?" I pushed him, and the man shot forward, rolling over the ground until he hit a wall. My aura flared in a way that made me look quite striking.

"You were with the prince's crew. But you aren't a member of the Fire Nation." I walked over and sat on his desk. He had already gone to the trouble of clearing it out for me. I pondered then how to make him my go-getter.

"What did you burn, Zhao?" The tower shook as my voice carried the winds of a typhoon. A little air bending trick I employed after observing Aang.

"All of Wan Shi Tong's knowledge of the Fire Nation," Zhao said.

"So, you burned my property then."

The man stared at me. "You are not the spirit."

"This world is mine and everything within it. Did I command you to burn priceless information about Fire Nation culture and history?"

"You aren't the Fire Lord."

"No, but I will be the emperor of this world, and you can help me. When I kick the current Fire Lord off his throne and claim his daughter, I'll need supporters. And you are already in my debt." I grabbed a steel paperweight from his desk and crushed it in my hand before dropping a misshapen lump.

All of these theatrics were here for a reason. I wanted to make him feel indebted to me. So first, I scared him to throw him off his game, then I casually sat on his desk above him, and finally, I crushed something strong in my hand. A lot of it was symbolism to put some fear into Zhao.

+12 Obedience with Zhao

Zhao Obedience 12/100

That was a big gain. "What's in it for me? I'll be sticking my neck out for you and betraying my country by siding with a foreign conqueror."

"You are a hammer. And when you have a hammer, every problem becomes a nail. So you will be my hammer against the other nations, and I will offer them a deal. It's how we'll conquer the rest of the world. We'll offer them a good deal if they surrender and broadcast it far and wide. Then you'll make examples of everyone who refuses it."

"Why make deals at all when we can just conquer them?"

"Our goal isn't just to conquer them but to rule them all. I will live for hundreds of years, and while I live, the world will know of the great Admiral Zhao. Your name will go into history as Zhao, the ender of the 100years war."

+8 Obedience with Zhao

Zhao Obedience 20/100

"Why me, why not Iroh? He's the Fire Lord's brother or Zuko; he's the prince even if he's lost his honor."

"Iroh only wants peace and the restore balance to the world. Zuko has little political power, and his support won't mean much in the capital. I'm more concerned with bringing the princess to my side than them."

"She will be a problem; she's loyal to her father."

"I can deal with her. I have a plan. Everyone has their weaknesses, including her."

Zhao narrowed his eyes. "Then show me results, and you can count on my support."

"Oh, good, then you can start by pardoning my actions during the interrogation and letting us go," I said and stepped out the window.