Sokkla Saturdays 2025: October 4th to November 29th
Sokkla Community: it's time for our annual event! This year, the prompts will be as follow:
October 4: Gluttony - Self-Discipline
October 11: Lust - Reputation
October 18: Greed - Integrity
October 25: Envy - Sincerity
November 1: Sorrow - Courage
November 8: Sloth - Responsibility
November 15: Wrath - Compassion
November 22: Pride - Respect
November 29: Corruption - Redemption
We encourage participation in the form of any fanwork of your choosing.
This year, we decided to go with a sins - virtues theme. You can tackle either sin or virtue for each day or mix them together. You can go as serious or as silly as you want with the prompts. If you had any particular story or concept you REALLY wished to explore in Sokkla Saturdays this year? Feel free to find whichever prompt it fits best and build your story around it.
All this being said, let’s get ready for Sokkla Saturdays!
Please, tag #sokkla saturdays 2025 and/or #sokklasaturdays within the first five tags of your entry. Feel free to message us with links to your entries if we miss them, as some content might not show up even when adequately tagged in Tumblr’s search system. Make sure to tag your entries appropriately if they contain mature content of any nature. We encourage all participants and community members to be cordial to others. Please observe this fundamental and critical courtesy to create a positive environment for this event.
Hi! I wanted to finish this before the New Year, and I thought I was rushing it, but I think the ending and everything is satisfying.
I'm nervous about this, but I really like it too. I've never done a conflict like exes to lovers before, so I wanted to do my best and capture the emotional turmoil and reconciliation that comes with it. I hope I did ok!
Summary:
What plan is the universe weaving to push these two together once more after 4 months of… grief, to put it plainly. 4 months after they crashed and burned. 4 months after that single, stupid, callous little line that tore them to pieces.
I told you so.
Thank you for checking it out! I hope you like it!
Pride and Apologies - LateTree123 - Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) [Archive of Our Own]
Late entry for the @sokklasaturdays respect prompt.
He is surprised that she still lets him lay with her.
But they went through the trouble of booking this place again…
Spent all of that money…
She stares at the wall.
At the ceiling.
Anywhere but at him.
But that’s okay.
He wouldn’t want to look at him either.
He doesn’t think that she wants to look at herself either.
Her robe is as open as it is on any other night.
But this time it is a matter of comfort rather than unrestrained sexuality.
If he didn’t have the context he would fear that he’d gotten her pregnant.
She is definitely avoiding looking at herself.
For what it’s worth—not much—he doesn’t mind looking at her.
There are still red marks from where her sash had been tied.
There are still red marks from the tears she never wiped away.
He feels disgusted with himself all over again.
He did this to her.
And she is letting him lay with her.
It isn’t right.
He should get up and…
She catches him by the wrists.
His heart sinks.
There is a tightness in his throat.
She doesn’t want to be alone, he can see it in those sad, pretty gold eyes.
Desperate.
She has to be if she’ll settle for him.
He gets it.
He is desperate too.
So he lays back down.
He sits back up and fetches her a pair of pants.
His pants.
But they are looser, more breathable.
And it is better than letting her lay there partially exposed.
He lifts her legs up.
Pulls the pants to cover them.
She has no interest in helping.
Seems uncomfortable.
He lifts her up.
Cleans crumbs and dribbles from her collar and hair.
Lays her back down.
She doesn't say a word.
For the first time in ages he remembers to ask her if she is okay.
“No.”
For the first time in ages he asks her if she wants this.
A little too late.
“No.” “Yes?” “No…”
“Not like this.”
But she does want this in some form? He never knows what to make of her.
.oOo.
She alternates between laying on her side and clutching her stomach and laying on her back with her hand resting atop it.
Neither position is comfortable.
One makes her want to throw up.
The other comes with a dull, burning pulsating sensation.
Both come with a horrid heaviness.
It is a good thing that she hadn’t bothered to wipe her tears.
They come again.
Leak out at odd intervals.
She tries to conceal them.
But the room is so quiet.
Even the softest sniffle or the slightest hitch of her breath is so loud.
It hurts. Everything hurts.
Or aches.
And everything she does makes it worse.
She grits her teeth. Squeezes her eyes shut.
“Can I make it okay somehow?”
She shakes her head.
“Can I try?”
She furrows her brows.
She nods.
“How?”
She shrugs.
It is too much trouble to trifle with her mental distress so he opts for the physical solutions first.
He holds his hand against her belly and her cheeks warm.
He traces gentle U’s over her abdomen.
“When Katara was a kid and got a stomach ache Gram-Gram would always do this. She said that it worked every time.”
Azula squirms on the inside. Face blazingly red.
“She also said that peppermint helps.”
She doesn’t want to be touched right now.
Gross.
She feels gross.
All the same his touch does soothe the otherwise relentless ache.
He has two eyes. He can see how dreadful she looks.
What a mess she is.
He might as well feel it too.
Disgusting.
.oOo.
Warm.
She feels warm.
He wishes that he would have touched her more tenderly in the past.
He has two eyes. He can see how distraught she looks.
How lonely she is.
He feels it too.
Longing.
Soft.
She feels soft.
He could have been a source of comfort.
He has two eyes. He can see the potential.
How intensely affectionate she could be.
He wants to feel it too.
Endearing.
He should have treated her better from the start.
He should have treated Suki better.
.oOo.
Ten minutes.
He had been able to endure touching her for ten minutes.
Were her mind in a better place she would be able to appreciate this.
Would be able to recognize care for what it is.
Wouldn’t take offense to things that aren’t offensive in intent.
“Let’s go for a walk..”
A walk.
Ha!
So he wants to humiliate her now!
But she doesn’t want to go out.
Doesn’t want to parade herself around like this.
Sloppy and disheveled and inflated like a war balloon.
She has become a glutton for punishment but not humiliation.
She doesn’t have the energy for a walk anyhow.
“I heard that it helps to go for a walk.” He adds.
“Helps with what?”
He holds his hand against her belly again.
“You’re actually not supposed to lay down after big meals…”
Ha! Lying down after gorging herself is the least of her sins.
“I’m not supposed to knock back three bottles of sake and inhale opioids either.”
But she does.
She will.
She is trapped.
What else can she do but repeat the same wrecking routines.
Over.
And over.
Again.
“Please go for a walk with me.”
Were she in a better state she might have been thankful—
Relived even.
That he doesn’t mind being seen with her publicly.
“No.”
“Okay.”
.oOo.
So what then?
What is he supposed to do? “Should I…? I should go?”
“N-no?”
Raava’s tendrils! At least one of them needs to know what to do. And it certainly won’t be him.
Has to be her.
She has always be so…certian. Confident.
Always had a plan.
And a back up plan for that.
Always knew what to do.
She swipes the back of her hand at her eyes.
The tears remain.
“What can I do?”
He has to do something! Has to make it better.
Make her better.
He did this to her just like he damaged Suki and destroyed himself.
But Azula shrugs.
She just shrugs.
She doesn’t know.
He doesn’t know.
They don’t know.
What did he used to do when Suki was upset?
He asked her what was wrong.
Useless! Azula won’t tell him.
He asks anyways.
“I just—”
She presses the heels of her hands into her eyes.
Her lower lip trembles.
“I want—”
Draws a shaky breath.
“I need—”
Instead of a finished sentence he gets a hiccup or two and one poorly stifled sob.
He holds his hand against her cheek. “What do you need?”
What can he do?
He needs to be useful to someone.
He can’t and doesn’t want to fix things with Suki.
Maybe if he can fix Azula, he can fix himself.
Whatever is wrong with him.
“Why do you care?” She finally manages.
“Don’t you have that Kyoshi Warrior girl to get back to?” He hates how genuine and bitter the question is on her lips.
“I know what I am to you.” She rolls onto her side, facing away from him, and winces.
“And what’s that?”
“The same thing that I am to every—hiccup—one.”
His stomach flutters.
“An object. A fucking object!”
Her voice has this horrible hitch to it and she is sobbing again.
Shaking and shuddering.
“You’re not…that’s not what you are to me.”
Is it?
Maybe it is. Was?
He can see why she would think that.
He rubs his hands over his face.
He did treat her that way, didn’t he?
Like a quick, secret fuck. Like a secret.
She was a secret.
He’d thrown her around, hadn’t he?
He thought that she was into it.
She was, wasn’t she?
He’d stuffed her not until she was satisfied, but until he was.
Oh, spirits, he did treat her like an object!
“Can’t do it anymore…” he hears her sniffle. “I just can’t…”
He gets it. He really truly does.
Because he can’t either.
Can’t do this with her anymore.
Can’t do anything anymore.
He is so tired.
“I just want—” she wraps her arms around herself.
Someone to hold her.
He thinks that maybe she hadn’t intended for the gesture to convey her unfinished thought.
And so he does.
Against his better judgement, Sokka wraps his arms around her, hands atop hers.
Her breath catches and this time he remembers to ask:
“Is this okay?”
She moves her hand and squeezes his.
Her grip strength is terrifyingly tight.
She is terrified of letting him go.
Even though it’s better if she does.
They’re just going to destroy each other.
“Then what am I?”
He almost doesn’t hear her, she speaks so quietly.
Barely a murmur.
“Huh?”
“If I’m not an object to you, what am I? Good sex? A bit of fun? A thrill…a rebound?”
“You’re Azula.” He replies.
He doesn’t exactly know what he means either.
“But you don’t actually care about me. You go home and I don’t cross your mind until you’re looking for a way to get off.”
Yeah.
Maybe at first.
He sometimes thought of her when he was on top of Suki.
He is horrible for that.
Horrible to Azula.
Horrible to Suki.
“That’s not what I want…”
She is laying on her back again.
Tears leaking down just below her temples.
Her pillow is wet with them.
“What do you want?”
“Someone who will stay.” She gives a trembling sigh.
“You come back.” She says.
“But you never stay.”
He swallows hard.
“Nobody. Ever. Stays.”
“I will.”
Azula shakes her head. “What about…?”
“I told her about us. I think that we fell out of love a while before that.”
He just can’t place when they had simply started going through the motions, pretending and forcing themselves to have feelings for each other.
But it had happened.
Maybe when she started to move on and heal from the airship incident while he remained stuck there.
It doesn’t matter.
He wasn’t man enough to say how he felt.
He took the coward’s way out.
“I think that she’s okay.” He doesn’t know why he says it.
“I’m not.”
His heart lurches.
Stomach churns.
“Can I help you be okay?”
Can she help him be okay?
For the first time that night she finally faces him.
Looks him in the eye.
“Probably not.”
He wipes the tears from her cheeks.
“Can you let me try?”
She furrows her brows.
Purses her lips.
“Sure.”
Her expectations are so low.
It’s okay. His are too.
He pulls her closer.
Their bodies touch.
But this time there is no straddling, no slapping, no scratching, no entry.
She rests her head on his chest and her hand on her belly, absently trying to massage the ache away.
He holds one hand against her back.
Right at the very middle of it. Right upon that tattoo.
The one that depicts a broken crown, a coiling ribbon, and a shatter of glass.
Maybe one day he’ll ask her what it means.
He thinks that he already has a good idea.
He holds the other hand atop hers.
Today he can help soothe her discomfort at least just a little.
For as long as she will let him.
For as long as he can stop telling himself that he wouldn’t have to comfort her if he hadn’t done this to her to begin with.
He still thinks that they should go for a walk.
“I love you.”
“No you don’t.”
“I want to.”
Isn’t that the same thing?
.oOo.
Morning comes.
He is still here.
He never spends the night.
But he is still here.
Here and holding her.
At some point in the night he had taken her into a hug.
Or maybe she had been the one to wrap him in her arms.
She pulls herself out of them.
Rolls onto her back.
Holds her hand at sternum level.
She closes her eyes.
She is scared of what she will see.
What she will feel.
And, more than that, what it will make her feel.
She has a craving for her own distress.
So she traces the outline of her stomach.
The evidence of a life with so much excess and so little regard.
Azula prods and squeezes.
Until she leaves red marks.
Hard enough to hurt.
Azula wants to hurt herself.
She traces and pokes.
Until her mind goes numb.
Until she feels disconnected from a body that she now hates as much as her mind.
She…
Feels a hand around her wrist.
“Don’t do that, you’re hurting yourself.”
As if she hasn’t done that before.
As if it isn’t her best talent.
“Please don’t do that.”
It seems to bother him so much more than it bothers her.
She falters.
It is just enough hesitation for him to take her hand. To take both of her hands and hold them against his chest. Solid. His chest is so solid and rock hard. Not exactly comfortable to lay upon.
His touch is so much gentler than hers when he wraps his arms around her middle.
When he kisses the back of her neck.
Trails those kisses up and down her spine.
“I’m going to stay with you.”
He has no idea what that means.
What it entails.
“People will ask questions.”
He shrugs. “Doubt it. People have probably put two and two together.”
She might have been subtle but subtly was never Sokka’s thing.
“It’s the same, you know?”
“Huh?”
“You want to fix me. Objects get fixed.”
“Not people.”
He frowns so very deeply. “I don’t want to fix you. I want to make sure that you’re okay.”
“I’m not.”
“I want to help you be okay.”
“I want you to help me be okay.” He says. “Because I…care about you.”
She thinks that it might be a little too late for that. “You have no idea what that means.”
Or maybe he understands better than anyone else.
He has seen the drugs, the booze, the way she disrespects herself.
“Fine. Stay. Try to fix me—make me okay—however you want to phrase it.”
But only because she knows that he will leave her by the end of it.
A guilty conscience will only tether him for so long.
She doesn’t mean to say it out loud, “I’m tired of…”
She gestures to her stomach to a table full of empty bottles and plates and a sprinkle of opioid powder. “I want something real.”
Soooooooo... this was very long, so much Tumblr told me it won't post it :'DDDD so go ahead and read over at either of the sites linked above, it's out of my hands xD excuse me for being as longwinded as always. I'll just post the author's note, I guess, for anyone who wants to see a bit more substance from me here...
That I somehow managed to write this entire story in 3 months is kind of a miracle. That's not to say I won't change/improve any elements in it whenever I get around doing a proper, thorough rewrite for it in the future… I suspect many things required extra context, there are probably scenes that would have been cathartic to expand on, and we had a lot of chaos going on in the final chapter so maybe it's worse and harder to follow than I realize!
… That being said.
This ridiculously big mess, written over this year's Sokkla Saturdays, is the introduction and stage setting, so to speak, for my hopefully-soon-to-be-written original project. Much as this story was VERY different from everything I'd done thus far, including my first unhappy ending EVER, the big original project is going to push me in directions and past boundaries I've never really crossed before, in a myriad of ways. In itself, sci-fi has never been my forte, which is why I've spent almost a year nursing these ideas, developing them gradually and building up ALL the world around it before jumping in to write, no matter how tempted I am to do so.
Azula and Sokka's characters will be part of the original project under different names. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out who they are when we get there, but they're not going to be the leading duo by then. As was probably quite obvious due to her fluctuating importance and how often she was featured here, our future main character is actually Atsuko Takei, who will take up another name too (one that SOME PEOPLE have already seen because I made one hell of a blunder when I posted chapter 7. Woopsies), and we'll have one more protagonist aside from her, one that was hinted at veeeeery briefly in this chapter.
Dark as this scenario is, fucked up as it appears in many ways… the project I'm working on has brought me an onslaught of inspiration unlike anything I've experienced since Gladiator. It most likely WON'T take me 12-13 years to write, at least I hope not, but I will say it's almost fully plotted at this stage, barring a few elements in the final climax of the entire saga :'D we're going to have many crazy things going on in our upcoming story: a journey to restore Earth! More clashing with authority! A very unsettling and deceptive AI entity! Time traveling and multiple timelines! Another messed up father-and-daughter relationship! Lots of poking the nest wasp of the foundation of human religion! Exploration of what it MEANS to be human! Two people developing and nurturing a bond so profound that it TRANSCENDS AND BREAKS TIME!
I am very excited about getting around to writing this, and I hope you guys will be looking forward to it as well. If you'd like to know more about 7KLYA (that's our new story's codename :)? Feel free to reach out to me on my other social media accounts for more information on it, where I'll be posting gradually in the days to come!
In the mean time… Gladiator's coming back in two weeks! Look forward to that! We're getting closer to the end of the line there, as is obvious, so… I really hope you guys will enjoy our final arcs!
As ever, thank you for reading this story and thank you for all your support!
We've wrapped up Sokkla Saturdays once again. As always, I enjoyed this event. Writing and reading.
This was my first fanfiction that I've (for now) completed, and it was a fantastic experience. Writing an entire story is anything but easy. It requires a lot of planning, revisions, and adjustments. I've definitely gained a new respect for writers and authors who even write entire book series. It took a lot of thought and effort, and I really enjoyed writing it. The story ends here, for now (?). I liked this setting and this version of Sokkla, and there are characters and things I'd like to explore; develop further. I don't know, but hopefully, I can continue working on this story in the future.
For now, I hope you'll like this last chapter. I had a very different one in mind when I first started writing this story. Things turned out this way and I believe this was the right and most fitting way.=)
Thank you so much to everyone who read my fanfiction and for your lovely comments. I was so happy about them! <33 And thank you to everyone who organized this nice event! I'm already looking forward to next year.
The next month passed by quickly. After the thunderstorm that lasted for two whole days, the islanders went to their daily usual lives.
Sokka, however, wished it’d be endless thunderstorms, so that he could stay in the house with his wife forever. Talking, cuddling, playing games, preparing food clumsily and lovemaking, followed by taking a warm bath and lots of playful teasing and laughter.
But duty was calling and he went to his usual work mostly in the barracks and controlling points. Azula accompanied him every now and then. On other days she explored Kyoshi Island, spend time with the people and the guards together with Ty Lee often. Sokka made an official announcement, confirming Azula’s title as Crown Princess. Everything found its way. Keona apologized for his unfair treatment of Azula, which she accepted. Despite it all, she still was wary around him. Which was rare since Keano mostly accompanied Sokka and had other important jobs on the Island.
The weather became slightly warmer. Azula could see the sun again, since the fog had gone. She grew to like the rain and the fog, but it felt good to have warmer seasons occasionally too. It reminded her of the times she watched the sunset in Caldera City.
Sunsets could be seen clearly from her and Sokka’s house, which she never missed when she was home. Her arms crossed, she stood on the balcony enjoying the spectacle of nature.
Arms slung around her suddenly. A kiss pressed to her cheek with a pleasant humming noise. She instantly smiled.
“Hard day?” Azula asked, sliding her hands on his arms.
“Read too many protocols today. But it’s finally over.” Sokka said, resting his chin on her shoulder.
He waited patiently. When he was done he couldn’t wait to come home as quickly as possible. To Azula. His wonderful wife.
“You must be hungry.” she said.
“I definitely am.” he said.
Sokka felt a little melancholy coming from Azula.
“How was your day? Is everything alright?” he asked.
“I went to the bakery after my visit to the hut. Bought our favorite baked goods.” Azula said.
“Aren’t you the perfect wife.” he said pressing another kiss to her cheek, “Other than that?”
Azula smiled wide. He was just so mindful and attentive. How was he so amazing, she didn’t know.
“Alright, you caught me again Your Highness.” she turned around in his arms, resting her palms on his muscular chest, “You never miss anything do you?”
Sokka smiled lovely at her, pecking her lips.
“Can’t help it. Need to know exactly why my wife is troubled.” he said.
“It’s not a trouble. I was thinking that maybe I could work. As Crown Princess, maybe I could be included?” she asked shyly.
Sokka listened intently, taking her words and troubles seriously as always. Throughout the last month they talked about a lot of things, but he felt her holding back on some things. He always thought it was because certain things were painful for her, certain memories. Sokka would never want her to hold back with him. Yet he would never pressure her. He would try to read her eyes, understand her voice, and give her time. That she expressed her thoughts now, especially about her role as Crown Princess in his, their Tribe, made him very happy. He smiled encouragingly at her.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked.
Azula looked at him warily, yet with a smile. He didn’t even question her thoughts.
“The roles of the Royals are not listed in the Northern Water Tribe. Maybe centuries ago.” Sokka started explaining, “Well the male Royals and the men in general have certain responsibilities of course, which we proudly and willingly fulfill. Such as taking care of our family and providing their needs.”
“As for the women: well, no one would ever judge or question you if you don’t take part in working. But if it’s what you want, it’s respected and valued as well as motivating. But in our case, I would of course never want you to overwork yourself.”
Azula’s heart warmed more at his words.
“You know Sokka, I often wonder how lucky I am to be part of your, I mean our Tribe. To be with you.” she whispered the last bit smirking.
“It’s me, who is lucky.” Sokka said.
“I was thinking about school for one. Like, maybe including some new lessons that would be helpful.” Azula said, “Or I was also thinking to come join you in reading protocols and have an eye of the traffic on our outer islands?”
“That sounds great Azula! I’ll arrange a meeting with the head teacher next week?”
“That sounds great Sokka.” she said lovingly and they kissed.
“I need a bath.” he said.
“Me too.” she said.
Without warning, Sokka knelt and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her inside. Azula let out a shriek.
“Rude Crown Prince.”
Sokka laughed at her comment.
“Naughty Crown Princess.”
They enjoyed a round of lovemaking while the bathtub filled. After washing themselves, they relaxed in the warm water amid bubbles. Azula stroked his back scar, which he got used to. Every time she did that, it reminded him of the first time she asked him about it weeks ago.
Sokka, searching for clothes Infront of the wardrobe, felt Azula’s finger stroke his scar on his back. He went still. The scar still hurt from time to time. Right now, it felt good. It felt healing when she gently touched it. He felt her fingers trembling.
“Sokka.” she silently said, “How can you be so nice and polite to me and my family, when it was my uncle who did this to you?”
He turned around.
“I read the book. I won’t ever forget.” she said.
Sokka smiled, running his hand down on her hair once.
“I would never blame others for one person’s sin, if the others aren’t even included. Zuko for example has been my friend for years now. As for Iroh: I will forever loath him for trying to attack my sister. We never knew if he planned it, because it was a last-minute decision for Katara to go to Whaletail Island. What he did still can’t be justified, yet we could understand that hatred of a hurt father who just lost his son. In his eyes, it was our fault that he lost Lu Ten. But in his last actions, he went too far. It is never acceptable. This time, he deliberately aimed for me, us.”
Azula hugged him tightly, pressing her face to his naked chest, stroking his scar.
“Hey,” Sokka said, when she sniffed, trying not to cry, “It’s over now. Nothing hurts when you are with me.” He kissed her head, holding her close to his chest.
They talked leisurely at dinner. Sokka told her about the newest trading and what most likely awaited them in the coming weeks.
“As for working, maybe it’s time we slowly built a new foundation and form new ideas about a true partnership with the Fire Nation. Preferably with Zuko in the first place.” Sokka said.
Azula’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to calm down, wondering if it was silly of her to be excited about that, when Sokka actually wanted it from the beginning.
“Sounds pretty good. Zuko visited Water Tribe Islands often.” she said.
“Not only that, but we can also visit the Fire Nation.” Sokka said.
Azula looked up from her food eyes wideing. Sokka smiled at her reaction.
“This was my plan and wish for a long time now. For a trusting partnership. It grew immense after marrying you.” he said, taking her hand from across the table and kissing her knuckles softly, while still looking at her.
Her heart, warming constantly since coning together with him, warmed even more at his words and actions.
“I appreciate that and would like to have the same thing. But I doubt others will like it much?”
“They will, trust me.”
“What if Zhao or my father pull anything wrong?”
“They need to earn out trust of course. As far as things stand, all went smoothly so far.” Sokka said.
Azula raised an eyebrow at his claim.
“Except for Iroh of course.”
“I think it is actually a good idea. Start with ideas and plans. I especially would be glad to see my brother.”
“When we work on a plan and our court also sees it, they’ll trust you and me. And then, Zuko can also come visit us here on the island.” Sokka said.
“It sounds like a dream that wouldn’t come true.” Azula said.
“But it can be. It will be I believe in that.” Sokka said, “We also had meetings on the outer Islands of the Fire Nation.“ We can go there as well when things are safe.”
“Sokka, are you being serious?”
“Of course.” he smiled encouragingly, “So far, I visited some of the outer islands and also Fire Fountain City, which was the closest to the capital. Farer away was never allowed. But I heard Ember Island and Shu Jing are nice?”
“They are believe me. The scenery in the Fire Nation is always beautiful. Here too of course, but you know what I mean, just different. It’s also much warmer than here…” Azula kept explaining enthusiastically.
Sokka smiled, a little sadly. His chest hurt. Azula never once told him that she wanted to visit the Fire Nation. Never asked him for trading plans. Yet he deep down knew, she would welcome it. She might not miss the people she grew up with around there, except for Zuko, but she would surely like to see nature and the cities, towns and islands. And he would be excited to see it with her. He always wanted to see more of the Fire Nation. Going there with her, his wife, would be wonderful.
Azula slid in yet another one of her pretty dresses. Combing her hair in front of the mirror. Sokka couldn’t help but steal kisses. Pressing his mouth on her shoulders and neck.
Playfully and with laughter, they prepared for the day. Sokka loved hearing her laugh. It was one the most beautiful sound he ever heard.
The dining room wasn’t empty. Katara sat at the table, waiting for them. Azula and Sokka knew she’d be visiting today.
“Well, well, look whose here.” Sokka said.
Katara hugged him then turned to Azula.
“Good morning Azula.”
They only met two weeks ago after the event in the Northern Water Tribe. Other than exchanging greetings, they hadn’t talked much. Sokka didn’t urge them to, deciding it needed time. But he hoped they would slowly warm up to each other.
“Welcome to our home Katara.” Azula replied.
They sat together at the table where Yori prepared breakfast first and then left for the weekend.
“I have an invitation for the two of you.” Katara said, pulling out a scroll, that looked very elegant.
She actually handed it to Azula instead of Sokka. Azula seemed surprised at her “gesture”. She took it and thanked her.
Sokka neared her, peaking inside the scroll Azula opened.
The King & Queen’s 35th Anniversary
“Yeah, I had forgotten about that. It’s already in two weeks?” Sokka asked.
“Yes, they drive me crazy Sokka. I am so happy for them, but the enthusiasm and romantic gestures in front of me are too much to take. I’d like to stay here for a couple of days please.” Katara said.
Sokka laughed at that and Azula actually smiled. She was still kind of like a stranger to the royal couple. But she liked them. Even if Queen Kya’s actions the last time still baffled her.
“They are also excited to receive the Crown Princess properly this time.” Katara said looking at the person in question, “I think they’ll give you two tons of love advice.”
“I couldn’t get to know them so well the last time.” Azula said silently.
“Believe me, they are two goofy lovers. You might think after decades of marriage it would go away, but it didn’t.” Katara smiled, “Even if they can be annoying, they are dream couple.”
“Yup, they really are.” Sokka said, “But do you know who is even dreamier?”
Azula and Katara looked at him questioningly. They feared the answer but didn’t say anything. Sokka’s wide toothy smile faded when no one talked
“Come on guys you know!”
When still no answer came, he huffed annoyed.
“Me and my wife! Crown Prince Sokka and Crown Princess Azula of course!” he said, pulling Azula to his side.
Katara shook her head and laughed.
Azula blushed but smiled despite herself. She never thought much of relationships. Yet deep down always had wondered if someone could love another person outside their family members, much. If a person would put a loved one’s life over theirs. And she silently wished, that if she would fall for a guy, it would have to be a true man. A man. When the world around them crumbled down, and the worst things would happen to her, she would press her head on his chest, stay in his arms that would be wrapped protectively around her and everything would feel safe…
She was in the arms of that man now. And she prayed and thanked God everyday for it.
For the Love Story of Crown Prince Sokka & Princess Azula!
Sokkla Saturdays 2025, Day 9: Corruption – Redemption
Enemies, lovers, pawns… And in the end, only human, with all their fallible sides.
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Author’s note:
This is it. This is the final chapter. If you’ve followed me through the earlier stories, thank you. Each of those pieces has been a step, a stone laid down on the path that led here, and I’ve poured everything I’ve learned from them into this one.
I wanted to make this chapter feel worth it. Worth the hours you’ve given, worth the trust you’ve put in me to take these characters to places they may never have gone before. I can only hope that, as you read the last page, you feel the same pull I did while writing it: the ache, the fear, the joy, the fun, and, somewhere in the middle of it all, the quiet spark of hope.
Thank you for reading. Whether this is your first story of mine or your ninth, your time means more than I can say. So, strap in for one final story to end this amazing event. This one’s for you.
Read here or on AO3
Word count: 6900
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The Hundred Year War had burned through generations. For some, it was a childhood nightmare that never ended. For others, it was the air they had been born into, the rhythm by which their lives beat. The Fire Nation’s banners had spread across continents like a slow, relentless tide, swallowing coastlines, toppling kingdoms, bending the world toward its will.
Armies clashed on distant battlefields. Fleets set harbors alight. Small villages vanished from maps, their names remembered only by those who had fled them. The war was not just fought with blades and bending, but with supply lines, whispered treaties, and secrets bought at the cost of loyalty.
And yet… the Earth Kingdom still stood. More than that, it endured. Stubborn, vast, and fractured, but still breathing. And at its heart, wrapped in three colossal walls, lay Ba Sing Se: the city that had never fallen.
Each ring was a world of its own. The Outer Ring was restless, markets overflowing with goods brought by desperate hands, streets crowded with the latest wave of refugees, and guards who kept one eye on the horizon. The Middle Ring moved at a slower pace, home to craftsmen, scholars, and soldiers. The Inner Ring gleamed under the shadow of the palace, where the great families and the Dai Li worked in polished silence.
Within these walls, the war was a rumor, controlled, censored, reshaped into something survivable. But the truth had a way of slipping through cracks. And ambition… ambition did not stop at walls.
Ba Sing Se drew all kinds. Merchants from dusty Earth Kingdom villages who swore they’d never sell to the Fire Nation… until the right purse found their hand. Wandering healers with stories about entire towns burned to the ground and about the few who survived. Soldiers on leave, laughing too loudly in tea shops to forget the faces that still haunted them. Spies who hid their accents, their loyalties, and sometimes their bending. And then there were the strangers who didn’t seem to fit anywhere. They didn’t linger in one ring for long, didn’t share their names unless they had to, and watched the city like they were measuring it against some far-off map.
One of those girls was one of those strangers.
She stood in the shadowed mouth of a narrow alley, its damp stone walls muting the bustle of the Middle Ring. The scarf wound around her head caught what little light spilled from the street, framing sharp features and eyes that lingered on every passerby with the quiet weight of judgment. Her coat was plain enough to disappear in a crowd, but the way she carried herself - straight-backed, unyielding - betrayed something far from ordinary.
She had chosen the alley on purpose. Too much light invited recognition; too much noise meant too many ears. Here, she could watch without being watched, count each step that might lead to trouble.
Her boyfriend was late. And that meant one of two things: something had gone wrong… or he was testing her patience.
Her fingers tightened in the folds of her coat when she finally saw him. He rounded the corner with that maddeningly easy gait of his, one hand tucked inside his parka, the other holding a small paper bundle. No apology. No rush.
“You’re late,” she said flatly.
“And you’re welcome,” he countered, holding out the bundle like a peace offering. “Mochis. Don’t ask how I got them… It involved a very stubborn vendor, a lot of pointing, and maybe a joke about sea prunes.”
The faintest crease at the corner of her mouth betrayed her before she could school her expression back into cool indifference. “You risked drawing attention… for these?”
“For you,” he said, with a shrug so casual it was impossible to tell if he was teasing or telling the truth. “Besides, you’ve been standing here looking like you’re about to become one with the shadows. Thought you could use something sweet.”
She took the bundle, but her eyes stayed on him a heartbeat longer than necessary. Measuring, maybe, or just… remembering.
She turned the bundle over in her hands before speaking, her voice low. “You remember I’m from the Fire Nation, don’t you? My kind isn’t exactly welcome here. Being seen is not… ideal.”
His mouth quirked in that way she could never quite read. “Ah yes, the mysterious girl from the Fire Nation who shares no further insight into that.”
“I’ve told you enough,” she said, not looking up.
“You’ve told me nothing,” he replied, though there was no real bite in it, just that persistent curiosity he wore like armor. “Weeks together and all I know is you have a very scary way of raising one eyebrow, and you really hate waiting.”
“And yet you still make me do it,” she murmured, but the words didn’t carry the edge she’d intended.
He sat down beside her on the overturned crate without another word, his shoulder brushing hers as he unwrapped his own mochi. The sound of the market was a distant hum, muffled by the high stone walls and the single lantern burning dim above them.
Azula turned the bundle over in her hands, fingers brushing the still-warm paper. “Final verdict?” she asked, relief finally settling into her shoulders and body.
Sokka grinned brightly as he settled beside her on the crate. “Definitely worth it. You ever had mochi before?”
“Of course. But not from the crowded streets of Ba Sing Se.” Her lips curved faintly, as if the words were a small concession.
He pulled one from the bundle, bit into it with exaggerated delight, then offered the next to her. She took it, rolling it between her fingers before leaning forward and holding it up for him in return.
“You brought it, you get the first bite,” she said.
“That’s not how gifts work,” Sokka replied, though he leaned in and let her feed it to him, eyes crinkling in amusement.
She shook her head, leaning against him in a way she never would in daylight. “You make no sense.”
“And you make too much,” he countered, bumping his shoulder lightly against hers. “Azula.”
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Sokka.”
For a moment they stayed like that, sharing mochis from the same paper bundle, her arm pressed into his. The lantern above them painted the snow-speckled stones in gold, casting their shadows close together on the wall.
“Do you ever think about… after?” he asked suddenly.
Her brow furrowed. “After the war?”
“Yeah. When we don’t have to meet in alleys. When we can actually sit somewhere without people looking at us like-”
“Like I’m the enemy.”
He looked at her then, properly, the way he always did when her voice dipped too close to something real. “You’re not. Not here.”
Something softened in her expression. She reached for another mochi, broke it in half, and placed the larger piece in his hand.
“Not here,” she echoed.
For a while they ate like that, passing mochis between them, the lantern above spilling gold across the snow-speckled stones. Her arm stayed pressed to his, their shadows merging on the wall behind.
He broke the quiet. “You know, you could tell me more.”
Her brow arched. “More?”
“About you. Where you’re from. Who you are when you’re not… meeting me in alleys.” His tone was gentle, teasing, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity he couldn’t quite hide.
Her gaze lingered on him, unreadable. “One day,” she said at last. “When I feel secure enough, I’ll tell you exactly where in the Fire Nation I’m from.”
Sokka grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Guess I’ll just have to keep bringing you snacks until then.”
Her lips twitched. “That’s not a bad start.”
The last mochi gone, Azula stayed close, letting the quiet settle over them like a shared secret. Then, almost without thinking, she took his hand in both of hers, pressing it gently between her legs. Sokka stiffened for a heartbeat, then relaxed into her warmth, sensing her trust.
“My father…” she murmured, eyes on the ground, “he would probably disown me if he saw me like this right now.”
Sokka gave a small, soft laugh, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Good thing he’s not here,” he said. “And… good thing I’m not your father.”
She lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes with a mix of relief and daring. “I’m safe with you,” she admitted, voice low. “At least… for now.”
Azula leaned a little closer, resting her forehead lightly against his shoulder. “When all of this…” she gestured vaguely at the city, at the war, at the world outside the alley, “…when it’s over, promise me something.”
Sokka tilted his head, waiting.
“That you… that you could take me with you. To the South Pole,” she whispered, voice trembling just enough to betray her hope. “Away from all of this. Away from the Nation I left but can’t ever fully escape.”
Sokka’s hand tightened slightly around hers, warm and protective. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he let the quiet stretch, letting her words sink in. For a moment, it was just the two of them, against the weight of a world that demanded they be enemies.
Finally, he murmured, almost to himself, “I think I can do that. I think I can keep you safe.”
It wasn’t a promise - not yet - but for now, it was enough. Enough for her to believe, if only a little, that a different life could be waiting. Their fingers entwined, and Azula held his hand between hers, the warmth grounding them in a fleeting sense of peace. But then the sound of boots echoed down the street. Guards making their rounds.
Azula pulled back reluctantly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I should go...”
Sokka nodded, though neither wanted to break the closeness. “I’ll see you soon,” he promised, brushing his thumb along her hand.
With a soft, lingering kiss, they parted, the alleyway suddenly feeling emptier than before. Azula melted back into the shadows, leaving Sokka to walk home to his quarters, where Aang, Katara, and Toph awaited.
Sokka pushed open the door to the house, the smell of tea and laughter greeting him. Aang, Katara, and Toph were sprawled on the floor and couch, as usual, caught in some trivial debate over who could balance a book on their head the longest.
“Well, well, look who’s back,” Aang said, grinning as he noticed Sokka. “So… how was the date? Did you charm the pants off Azula?”
Sokka rolled his eyes, trying to hide the wide grin creeping across his face. “It was… good. We talked. Ate some snacks. You know, normal date stuff.”
Katara’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of skepticism in her tone. “Normal? With a girl from the Fire Nation? You know, Sokka, you really have a knack for picking complicated situations.”
“Ignore her,” Toph interrupted, not looking up from the card game she was half-winning. “I just hope she can handle all that hair. That’s all I care about.”
Sokka snorted, dropping onto the floor beside them. “She can handle it. More than you’d expect.”
Aang leaned forward, eyes twinkling. “Come on, you’ve got to give us some details.”
Sokka hesitated, then grinned mischievously. “I think she likes me.”
Katara crossed her arms, still dubious. “I just hope you’re being careful, Sokka. A Fire Nation girl isn’t exactly someone we can bring home for tea.”
“Oh, I’m careful,” he replied, though his mind flashed briefly to the alley, to her hand in his, to the warmth of her shoulder. “I promise.”
Toph smirked. “Just don’t mess it up, Sokka. Or I’ll be the first to tell you that you’re an idiot.”
The room filled with laughter, the usual teasing and bickering that always made Sokka feel at home. But beneath it, a quiet tension lingered, the secret of his mysterious girlfriend threading through his thoughts like a shadow he couldn’t shake.
The next morning dawned bright and heavy with the usual rhythm of Ba Sing Se. Merchants shouted over each other at the market square, their voices clashing with the clatter of pots and the calls of children weaving through the crowd. The air smelled of roasting chestnuts and fried dumplings, the scent carrying above the press of bodies and baskets.
Sokka wove through it all, a small bag of coins jangling at his hip. He had errands: rice, maybe some fresh fruit if the prices weren’t outrageous, and if he was lucky, something sweet to smuggle back to the house. Katara had insisted on cabbage again, but Sokka figured nobody would complain if he “forgot” that part.
He was just eyeing a stand selling skewers of glazed meat when he felt it… that prickling awareness, the sense of being watched. He turned, scanning the crowd, half-expecting to see a Dai Li agent tailing him. Instead, he felt someone slip in close to his side.
Before he could react, a slender arm hooked smoothly through his, fitting there as though it belonged. A faint warmth pressed against him. His first instinct was to jump back, hand flying toward his boomerang, but then a voice, low and sharp, brushed his ear:
“Don’t make a scene.”
Sokka froze. His heart skipped, then stumbled into a rapid beat. Slowly, cautiously, he turned his head, and there she was. Azula, hood low, chin slightly dipped, but with a glint in her golden eyes that could only be described as amused.
“You-” He caught himself before blurting her name. He swallowed, trying to regain his balance. “You’re not supposed to-”
“Be here? Be seen?” she whispered, still walking in perfect rhythm with him, her arm tight around his. Her smile was small, but undeniably mischievous. “Then perhaps you should stop looking so surprised. You’re drawing more attention than I am.”
Sokka’s mouth opened, then closed again. She wasn’t wrong as heads turned when you acted suspicious, not when you walked confidently with someone at your side. Still, he leaned closer, keeping his voice low.
“You know, sneaking up on people is usually my thing.”
Azula’s lips curved, brushing against something dangerously close to genuine amusement. “Consider it practice, then. You should be grateful I didn’t strike.”
“Grateful?” Sokka raised an eyebrow, trying to sound unimpressed, though his pulse hadn’t slowed. “Pretty sure this counts as a heart attack.”
Her laugh was soft, quick, gone almost as soon as it came. But she didn’t let go of his arm. Instead, she shifted slightly closer, almost daring him to protest.
For a moment, walking through the crowded market, it felt… normal. Like they were just another young couple weaving between stalls, blending into the river of strangers.
But her whisper returned, this time quieter, her breath brushing his ear.
“Don’t forget, Sokka. One wrong word, and this little scene could end both of us.”
Azula kept her arm looped through his as they drifted away from the busiest stalls to a much more secluded area. Sokka carried a basket filled with rice, dried fruit, and a few vegetables he’d bartered down with his usual stubborn flair.
“What’s all this for?” she asked lightly, tilting her head toward the basket.
“Dinner,” Sokka said, puffing his chest as if he’d just returned from war with spoils. “Do you know how hard it is to get good dried mango without getting swindled? That merchant wanted double the price. Double.”
Azula smirked faintly. “Tragic. Truly, the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“Hey, don’t mock the provider,” he shot back, though he was grinning. “Food is survival.”
She hummed, fingers tightening slightly around his arm as her gaze dipped toward the basket again. “Funny,” she murmured, almost to herself. “Once upon a time, these things weren’t treasures. They were… normal. Expected. Platters of fresh fruit at every meal. Rice imported from the best fields. People bowing while it was served.”
The words lingered, heavier than the playfulness she’d started with.
Sokka slowed, glancing sideways at her. “Sounds like… a pretty fancy life.”
Her jaw shifted, as though she were weighing something. Then, for the first time since slipping into the market beside him, she met his eyes fully.
“It was. Too fancy for me to pretend otherwise.” She exhaled, a quiet sigh that carried the weight of someone stepping toward the edge of a cliff. “Sokka… I wasn’t just an ordinary girl from the Fire Nation. I was born into its heart... Into its palace. Its throne.”
She paused, waiting for his reaction, waiting to see if he would recoil, waiting to see if the trust she had just gambled would be rewarded or broken. Her grip on his arm didn’t loosen, though her voice lowered into something close to a whisper.
“My name isn’t just Azula. It’s Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. Daughter of Fire Lord Ozai. Sister of Zuko. The heir who should never be seen like this. Buying rice in Ba Sing Se, clinging to you.”
For a moment, the market around them blurred into noise, merchants calling out prices, wheels creaking over stone, the smell of fried dumplings drifting past. Sokka just… froze.
The name hit him like a spear. Azula. Not just a girl from the Fire Nation. The girl from the Fire Nation. And yet, she was right here, looking up at him with something that wasn’t fire or fury, but fear. The tiniest crack in the armor she had never shown anyone else.
“You’re… you’re kidding,” Sokka said at last, though the words came out thin, disbelieving.
Her lips curved into the faintest, bitterest smile. “I’ve never been less funny in my life.”
Sokka blinked, his chest tight with the clash of everything he knew about Azula, the enemy, and everything he felt for the Azula standing here with her arm linked through his. He didn’t pull away. Not yet. But he couldn’t find anything to say, either.
Azula tilted her head, the faintest curve of a smile tugging at her lips, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Surprised?” she asked lightly, as if confessing to being the Fire Nation princess were no heavier than admitting she’d stolen the last mochi.
Surprised wasn’t the word. Terrified, maybe. Confused. Tempted.
He saw it again in his mind’s eye: the wanted posters plastered along Ba Sing Se’s walls. Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. Sharp cheekbones, hawk-like eyes, her hair pinned into a golden headpiece. The face on the parchment had looked untouchable, venomous, a creature spun from fire and steel.
But this girl wasn’t a poster. Her hair was loose, falling in waves past her shoulders. She wore simple earth-toned clothes that swallowed her frame, no gold, no fire, no crown. Just Azula.
Still, the match was undeniable. The eyes were the same.
Sokka’s mouth went dry. He heard his own voice before he realized he was speaking.
“Do you… do you have any idea how much your head is worth in this city?”
Azula’s smirk sharpened, the kind of smirk that used to make generals swallow their tongues. “Oh, I’d imagine quite a bit. My father always said I was priceless.”
Her tone was teasing, but the words sank into Sokka like lead. Quite a bit. That was one way to put it. Enough gold to buy half the North Pole. Enough jade to line Ba Sing Se’s walls twice over. Enough leverage to make generals - real generals, the kind who commanded fleets - listen to a Water Tribe warrior.
The thought shouldn’t have crossed his mind. Not about her. Not when she was looking at him with something almost… hopeful.
But it did. And once the thought was there, it didn’t leave.
He swallowed hard, forcing a grin, the kind that always smoothed things over.
“Yeah, well… they didn’t capture your smile on that poster. Guess they’ll have to raise the bounty.”
Azula let out a quiet huff of laughter and leaned just slightly against him, her arm still linked with his. To her, it might have been a joke. To him, it was a reminder that he had the most dangerous secret in the city pressed against his side.
And for the first time since the war began, Sokka wasn’t sure which side of himself he trusted more: the boy who wanted to protect her, or the soldier who now knew exactly what she was worth.
Sokka blinked again, trying to steady himself. The question that tumbled out of him wasn’t about posters, or armies, or bounties. It was the only one that mattered to the boy underneath the soldier.
“…Why are you here?” His voice was quieter than he meant. “Not here in the market. Here. In Ba Sing Se. Not in the Fire Nation. Not-” He hesitated, his jaw tight. “Not leading the war.”
For the first time since she’d revealed herself, Azula’s smirk faltered. She glanced down at their linked arms, then past the stalls where vendors shouted over baskets of rice and pears, as if the noise could swallow her answer.
“Because,” she said finally, her tone lighter than it had any right to be, “I got tired of being useful.”
Sokka frowned. “Useful?”
Azula’s laugh was thin, brittle. “My brother was useful too, once. Until my father decided a scar would teach him discipline. And then banishment would teach him obedience.” She tilted her head, her voice dropping to something sharper. “I knew what was coming for me, eventually. I knew he’d find a use for me… until the day I failed him. And then…”
She trailed off.
And for the first time since Sokka had known her, she looked almost… small. Not broken. Azula didn’t break. But worn, like even her pride had grown tired of holding the weight.
“So I left,” she said simply. “I chose not to wait for him to decide when I was finished. I want something else now.”
Sokka searched her face, half afraid to believe her. “Something else like… what?”
Azula turned her eyes back to him, and this time, the smirk was gone. What replaced it was more dangerous, something vulnerable. Something real.
“A quiet life,” she murmured. “Where no one bows. No one fights. Where I can walk down a street without wearing a crown or a mask.” Her fingers tightened, just slightly, around his arm. “Maybe even a life… with you.”
The words hit him harder than any weapon. Sokka’s chest tightened in a way no strategy could untangle. He wanted to believe her. Spirits, he did believe her. And yet, somewhere in the back of his mind, the image of that poster still glared back at him.
Sokka cleared his throat, forcing words past the storm in his head. “If you’ve never been part of the war… why’s your face plastered all over Ba Sing Se’s walls? Why a bounty the size of an army’s budget?”
Azula’s smirk returned, but this time it curved bitter. She tilted her chin toward the corner of the market where a half-torn wanted poster flapped on a post. Her own eyes stared back at them from the paper: sharpened, shadowed, almost feral.
“That?” She gave a dry laugh. “That’s not me. That’s what the Earth Kingdom wishes I were. The terrifying phantom princess who stalks their armies in the night.”
Sokka frowned, glancing from the poster to the girl still holding onto his arm.
“And back home?” she added, softer now. “Back home I’m still perfect. Still loyal. Still the daughter every firebender is told to honor.” Her eyes lingered on the poster, the smirk fading into something harder. “Funny, isn’t it? Two lies, opposite directions. Neither one lets me be real.”
Azula chuckled, a soft, almost conspiratorial sound that contrasted sharply with the fierce image on the poster. “And if you were wondering…” She tilted her head, letting her eyes meet his with a glint of mischief. “I’m also not the princess who only dates firebenders to keep the bloodline ‘pure.’ Clearly.”
Sokka blinked, a mix of surprise and amusement curling on his lips. “Clearly,” he echoed, letting a small laugh escape. For a moment, the weight of the poster, the bounty, the war, it all felt a little lighter. She was here, beside him, and utterly human.
Azula’s smirk lingered a moment longer, but there was a softness behind it. “You know,” she murmured, “sometimes doing the right thing isn’t about what everyone expects of you… it’s about what you’re willing to risk.” Her words brushed past him, light and playful, yet heavy with something unspoken. Sokka’s chest tightened, though he didn’t quite understand why. A small warning buried beneath the warmth of her presence.
He cleared his throat, shaking off the thought. “I should get back to my friends,” he said, reluctant, knowing they’d never fully understand the truth of who she was. “But… I’ll keep this between us, for now.”
Azula’s hands found his, wrapping around them briefly, her touch grounding yet tender. “Thank you,” she whispered, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. “For keeping me safe… and for telling me back then. It meant more than you know.”
Sokka gave her a small, reassuring squeeze in return. “Always,” he said. Then, with one last shared glance, he let go, stepping back into the bustling streets, carrying the weight of her secret and a quiet, uneasy anticipation of what was to come.
Sokka slipped through the busy streets, the chatter of merchants and townsfolk fading behind him, but his mind was anything but quiet. He had promised Azula he wouldn’t tell his friends, yet he hadn’t promised anyone else. His thoughts flickered to the bounty, the reward that could secure him a position, power he hadn’t yet dreamed of.
Could he verify it? Find a general at the palace who could confirm the amount, the legitimacy? The idea made his chest tighten with conflicting emotions: loyalty, desire, ambition, and the shadow of temptation all twisting together. He pictured Azula waiting in the alley, her hand warm in his, her smirk teasing but tinged with vulnerability. In the back of his mind, a quiet question lingered: How far would I go if that reward were real? And what would it cost me… or her?
The city felt different now, even though nothing had changed. The same merchants hawked their wares, the same children ran barefoot through alleys. But Sokka’s eyes were fixed ahead, tracing the towering walls of the palace that loomed in the distance like a promise… or a threat.
He pushed through the crowd, every thought looping back to Azula’s hand in his, her smirk, the weight of what he was about to do. To verify the bounty, to see if the reward was real, he would have to find a general, someone with authority, someone who could confirm that what he held in his mind was more than just rumor.
Every footstep felt heavier, every breath tighter. If this is real… if it’s real, could I do it? Could I hand her over and claim the prize? The question clawed at him, unbidden, and yet he pressed on, through the market, past the gates, and up the polished steps of the palace.
Inside, the halls were quiet, but Sokka knew that behind every door, men in uniform waited - generals, captains, officials - all with ears tuned to whispers of enemies, all with hands capable of enforcing a king’s decree. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, ready to ask the question that could change everything: How much is her head worth?
Sokka strode into the room where General Sung reviewed scrolls and maps. The general looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Sokka. Back so soon? And in a hurry, I see.”
“I… uh, I need to ask you something,” Sokka said, his voice steadier than he felt. “About a… bounty. On someone.”
Sung leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. “A bounty, you say? On whom?”
Sokka hesitated, his mind flashing back to Azula’s hand, her laugh, her smirk. Can I do this? Could I really? Then he forced the words out. “On… a Fire Nation princess. I think her name is Azula.”
The general’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he let a faint smile play at the corner of his mouth. “Ah. That Azula. Not exactly subtle in her… previous exploits. And what makes you ask?”
Sokka swallowed hard. “I just… need to know. How much is she worth? Is the reward real?”
Sung’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Worth? The Council of Five has deemed her a major threat. The reward is… considerable.” He leaned forward, voice dropping. “Enough to make a man think twice about loyalty, honor, and friendship.”
Sokka’s heart thudded. Friendship, loyalty… love. He clenched his fists. How much am I willing to risk? How much am I willing to betray?
Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, trying to sound casual. “Hypothetically… if someone were to… capture her… could, I don’t know… maybe someone like me… be promised a position? Like, a general, maybe? In charge of troops?”
General Sung’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Hypothetically, you say?” He leaned back, chuckling. “Oh, Sokka… you underestimate what could be offered for someone like Azula. A generalship? Consider it yours, along with the respect, authority, and every benefit a man of your talents could desire.”
Sokka’s stomach flipped. “Every benefit?”
Sung laughed, a low, knowing sound. “Every single one. And then some. The Council of Five wouldn’t promise lightly. You’d have not only the title, but influence, resources, and the right to command an army in the name of the mighty Earth Kingdom.”
Sokka swallowed hard, his mind racing. All of this… the power to help end the war sooner because he knows how to utilize troops in a way no one else – not even generals – seem to know, just by handing her over? The thought both thrilled and horrified him. And in that heartbeat, he realized the slippery slope had already begun.
Sokka forced a casual grin, trying to hide the storm of excitement and guilt inside. “Right, right… just a hypothetical. I mean, it’s not like-”
Sung raised a hand, cutting him off with a laugh. “Ah, Sokka, always overthinking. Hypothetical or not, you could bring the prince along while you’re at it. Make it a family affair!”
The jest hung in the air, playful yet sharp, before Sung returned to the piles of reports and maps in front of him.
Sokka nodded quickly, forcing a laugh. “Of course, of course,” he said, stepping back. Once outside the palace gates, he let the cool breeze wash over him. His mind raced, not just with the possibilities Sung had dangled, but with the weight of what he might actually consider doing. The streets of Ba Sing Se bustled as usual, oblivious to the dangerous thoughts swirling in the young strategist’s head.
Every step away from the palace felt like the first step down a path he wasn’t sure he wanted to follow… but already couldn’t ignore.
Sokka moved through the streets of Ba Sing Se, the knowledge that the next time he saw her, everything would change. Not just for him, not just for her, but for the course of the war itself. In that fleeting, ordinary moment between city walls, he felt the enormity of the choice looming ahead, and the truth settled cold and undeniable: the next meeting would shape the future forever.
And the next day did arrive.
Azula awoke with the first hints of sunlight slipping through the narrow window of her modest lodgings. For the first time in weeks, the weight of secrets seemed a little lighter, the edges of her anxieties softened by the thought that Sokka knew the truth and had accepted her anyway. She stretched, feeling the quiet stiffness in her shoulders dissolve, and allowed herself a small, genuine smile.
Her morning routine was simple but deliberate, a ritual that grounded her. She brushed her hair until it gleamed, letting the morning light catch the coppery strands and bring warmth to her reflection. She washed her face, each motion cleansing not only her skin but the lingering tension of endless vigilance. She dressed in comfortable, muted colors, far from the flamboyant regalia of a princess, feeling the freedom of blending in, of being just another face in the sprawling city.
Breakfast was a small indulgence: a warm bowl of rice with fresh fruits from the market, a quiet nod to normalcy. As she ate, she allowed herself to think of Sokka, of the playful curve of his grin, the weight of his hand in hers. It was both thrilling and terrifying, a reminder of the world she had left behind and the fragile life she now dared to live.
When she finally stepped into the streets of Ba Sing Se, her steps felt lighter, more confident. The city had always been alive, vibrant with merchants calling out their wares, children running past, and the steady rhythm of daily life. But today, it felt different. Colors seemed sharper, sounds clearer, and she moved through the bustling crowds not with the cautious calculation of a fugitive, but with the quiet joy of someone finally able to breathe.
She visited her usual stops: the market stall with the fragrant spices, the little tea shop tucked into a corner, even the library where she sometimes lost herself in books of history and far-off lands. Everywhere she went, she felt the pulse of life around her, a reminder that this was a world worth living in beyond the constant shadows of court intrigue and war.
By midday, Azula had tackled errands, small tasks, and indulgences alike, each one a thread weaving together a day that belonged to her alone. And yet, beneath the surface of normalcy, a current of anticipation ran through her veins. She knew that the day would end with a single, inevitable encounter and though her heart fluttered with nerves, it was also brimming with hope.
Sokka stood at the edge of the market square, heart hammering in his chest. He hadn’t even noticed his own clenched fists until Azula slipped her arm through his, her presence as effortless and natural as breathing. She tilted her head up to study him, her brow furrowed at the tension in his jaw.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she giggled lightly, her voice. “What’s wrong?”
He swallowed hard, words tangling in his throat. The reward. The general’s promise. The image of himself, commanding an army, his people finally respecting his name. Those thoughts pressed against his ribs, choking him. And then there was her, the girl who had just trusted him with her soul.
“I… I’m sorry,” Sokka whispered, his voice hoarse. “I’m so sorry.”
Her expression shifted, confusion edging toward fear. “Sokka?”
The word was a dagger. His chest tightened, and before he could stop himself, the betrayal spilled out. He turned to the nearest guard, voice rising with a force he didn’t recognize.
“Guard! Arrest her!” His voice cracked, desperate, unnatural. “That’s Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation!”
Time shattered.
Azula froze.
For an instant, the world seemed to stop, as though the words themselves had stolen all the air from the square. The noise of merchants haggling, children laughing, guards clattering their armor, everything fell away, muffled, like sound swallowed under water.
Her golden eyes locked on Sokka’s face, desperate to read him, to find some trace of the boy who had reached for her hand in dark alleys and promised – promised - that she was safe with him. She searched his expression, tearing through every flicker of muscle in his jaw, every twitch of his mouth, every cold glint in his eyes.
Why?
Tiny fractures spiderwebbed through her chest, so fine she almost couldn’t feel them. But then the first shackle clinked into place, and the cracks deepened, quickened, racing like fire through dry wood.
Her lips parted, but no sound came at first. Only a trembling breath. Her body moved stiffly, as though weighed down by invisible chains, her hands limp at her sides. For once in her life, Azula didn’t fight. Didn’t command. Didn’t burn.
The guards pulled at her arms, and the world shattered.
Her tears came hot and unbidden, streaming down cheeks that had never allowed such weakness before. The princess who had stood unflinching before her father now broke like glass in front of a boy she had trusted.
“Sokka…” The name left her lips cracked and hollow, like the cry of someone falling into an endless abyss.
They pulled harder, dragging her backward.
“Sokka!” This time it ripped from her throat with desperation, raw and jagged, her voice breaking apart the way her soul did, splinter by splinter. Each time she said his name, it grew more ragged, more unbearable, until it wasn’t a word at all but a plea, a scream, a wound.
Her eyes never left his face. Not once. Even as her knees buckled, even as the tears blurred her vision. She stared at him like he was both executioner and salvation, as though some miracle might still pull him back to her, undo it all, make it untrue.
But the shackles clinked again. Final. Irrevocable.
And Azula broke completely.
It was a sound that could splinter stone.
“Sokka…”
The sound was gentle this time, almost playful. So utterly different from the broken cry that had just torn his world apart in his mind. It tugged at him, strange and wrong in its softness.
His eyes snapped open.
The square was whole again. No guards. No shackles. No tears on her face. Azula was still there, golden eyes alight, her arm looped easily through his. She was smiling - warmly, even - and tilting her head in that way she did when teasing him for being too serious.
“Sokka,” she repeated, softer, more insistent now. “What’s wrong? You didn’t answer me before.”
He blinked, chest heaving like he had surfaced from drowning. The weight of the vision clung to him still. The sound of her breaking, the sight of her tears, the echo of her voice splintered in despair. For a terrifying moment, he had believed it real.
And yet here she was. Whole. Trusting. Her hand brushing against his as though she’d never doubted him, never seen the shadow of betrayal flicker in his eyes.
Sokka exhaled shakily, a bead of sweat running down his temple. He had seen it. Seen what betrayal would cost him. And suddenly, all the promises of gold, of rank, of armies meant nothing. No power, no throne, no general’s armor could ever compare to the fragile trust in the girl beside him. He turned to her, his grip tightening on her hand. His choice was clear.
A crooked grin tugged at his lips. “You know,” he said, shaking his head, “sometimes I think about just how monumentally stupid I’m capable of being.”
Azula arched a brow, curious. “Oh? And how stupid is that, exactly?”
He gave a mock-serious sigh. “Like, hypothetically? Sell-you-out-for-a-bag-of-rice stupid.”
She blinked… and then laughed. Really laughed, sharp and unrestrained, the kind of laugh that belonged to neither princess nor fugitive, but to a girl who - for one fleeting moment - forgot the weight of nations.
“Rice?” she managed between giggles, clutching his arm tighter as they walked. “I should be insulted.”
Sokka smirked, puffing out his chest with mock pride. “Only the best rice, mind you. Premium grain. None of that bargain-bin stuff.”
Azula rolled her eyes, still smiling as the two of them wove through the market’s bustle. And for that little while, with her laughter echoing in his ears and her warmth against his side, the war, the wanted posters, and the shadows in his mind seemed very far away.
The market pressed on around them, colors and voices and scents of spice, but for Sokka it all blurred into background noise. What mattered was the girl beside him, golden eyes lit up with something brighter than fire.
“Oh, look!” Azula tugged his arm, pointing at a vendor’s stall stacked high with bundles of fruit. “Dragon paws. I haven’t seen them since-” She stopped herself, a faint shadow flickering across her face before she covered it with a smile. “Well. Let’s just say it’s been a long time.”
She glanced at the price tag and scoffed softly. “Far too much, of course. Ridiculous.”
Sokka didn’t hesitate. “Guess I’ll just have to be ridiculous, then.” He tossed a few coins to the vendor and handed one of the plums into her waiting hands.
Azula blinked at him, caught off guard, then laughed again, soft this time, almost shy. “You really are hopeless.”
“Hopelessly smart. Hopelessly handsome. Hopelessly-” He gave her a lopsided grin. “-lucky.”
Her laughter lingered, warm and unguarded, as they walked on. This time, she didn’t just link her arm through his. She held on, fingers curling tight against him, as though in this noisy, fractured city he was the one place she felt steady. The noise of the market swelled, the crowd closing in, and then the world pulled back, rising above the rooftops of Ba Sing Se. But their voices carried upward, faint and fleeting, weaving into the hum of the city.
Reality came back into its usual shape in the midst of a vast darkness, only interrupted by the bright red sun in the middle of Ross 128 b's system. Stars glowed in the distance… many of which she had visited by now. Countless others were far beyond her reach still, and she didn't expect she'd live long enough to visit most of them…
As the plasma drained, the thrumming headache that followed urged her to reach for the stability dose she kept by her pilot's seat: shrugging off her jacket, she jabbed the injection into her IV socket…
She breathed deep as the flood of tranquility rushed across her bloodstream. Little by little, the lingering unpleasant consequences of space travel receded completely.
With that, Atsuko Takei reclined her pilot's seat and relaxed for a moment, drifting knowingly, safely, towards the planet she was duty-bound to fly back to. She closed her eyes… then, she reached for her left pocket.
The conjoined rings met her fingers: the ones that buzzed with mysterious, potent energy, and the drained ones, dark and empty where the others were blue.
She lifted her old treasure from her pocket and raised it before her face: in the eyes of anyone, even her own upon finding it, the strange rings had appeared to be nothing but a child's toy. A set of twelve rings, linked together by a small bright blue orb: four of those rings were lined up horizontally, touching each other very lightly at each extreme. The next four, vertical. The last four, facing Atsuko herself. Four rings, oriented towards the three-dimensional, traditional axes: x, y and z…
Atsuko closed her eyes. Her neural chip – once a despised addition to her brain that she had rejected and refused to use – had become a reliable asset, over time… and she used it to trigger the most common function she ever utilized in it.
The familiar voices spoke, as always, repeating words she had heard countless times…
"You know I'm proud of you, don't you? That no father ever got so lucky as to have three wonderful kids like you, your brother, and sister… but, goodness, nothing prepared me for this. You always wanted to touch the stars, and I know you will. Of course you will, I just… it's hard to think that it'll be a while before I see you again. But, hey, it won't be for you! Bet for you it'll be the blink of an eye, my little girl. Don't make too much fun of me when you come back to find me all wrinkled and white-haired and so on… oh, I might even lose all my hair! You won't even recognize me! Oh, never mind me, Atsuko, dear. Just do your best out there. You know you can count on us, and we'll welcome you back home as the hero you already are. Just… come back when you can, will you?"
Even after the stability dose, the words struck her in a deep, dark place: it was the reaction she wanted, the sensation she chased… the punishment she inflicted upon herself, time after time. She trembled, clinging to the thread of emotion elicited by that voice, by those wishes and promises that had never been fulfilled as the next one started.
"Look, we had a bad run, I know that. I've always been a shitty brother, I… I wanted to be everything you could be and hell, goes without saying, I failed. But… you can't just walk away now. I know why you want to, but this family didn't fight so hard to get you to this point just for you to give up, or did we? What, want me to think I'd have been better off than you as a pilot, Alien? Yeah, didn't think so. If just to prove me wrong, you shithead… don't walk away. We'll be fine. Look, I… I met a girl the other day, alright? You can meet her when you come back. Yeah, this time I'm serious. I actually think she could be the one. Bet you're gonna say she's only with me because my little sister's going to be a spacefarer and all that shit. Well, maybe that's true! I don't even care! I'm getting laid so, you know, thanks for being my wingwoman, whether you like it or not, huh?"
Despite her better sense, that part always made her smile. Atsuko ran a hand over her hair and sighed as a new recording played in her head…
"Atsuko! Oh, I love you so much! You know that, right? You do! I'm your favorite sister for a reason – and don't damn say it's because you don't have another sister, because you DO have a brother, but, to be fair, he's not the nicest of brothers, huh? Oh, I wish Tatsu weren't late, he'd wanted to meet you all along… and yeah, he didn't know about you before we got together. Had no idea my sister was a bigshot astronaut! Yep, and then he found out and was terrified when he realized you're way bigger and stronger than him. You scare him more than our brother! Bet you're proud of that, aren't you? I know we don't see much of each other anymore and… well, we'll see even less now. But, hey, if Tatsu and I end up having kids, I'll name one of them after you! And if you get back here on time, you'll be the godmother too! How does that sound? Bet you'll love it! Bet… bet mom would've loved it, too. God, you have no idea how much I'm going to miss you. But you wanted this all along, so… go for it, okay? We're all rooting for you! Yep, even big brother, even if he tells you otherwise!"
A deep sigh at all those lost opportunities… at the painful awareness that she had never known if such a child existed or not. But the last recording was always the one that hurt the most.
"Oh, my sweet child… you know what you must do. The entire universe is out there, yours to explore, to discover! It was your dream all along… you can't forsake that just because of your old mother, can you? I know… I know we might never see each other again, I do, but I want to believe you'll still be out there once I'm gone. Maybe it's selfish of me… but I love looking up at the stars, knowing you'll be among them. My beautiful meteor… one day, we'll meet again beyond this life. You'll see… and by then, you'll tell me everything about your wonderful adventures! You'll tell me if you ever found love, if you made lifelong friends, if you fulfilled the dreams you always held onto, got answers for all your countless questions… this isn't the end, my darling child. I'll never stop believing that… just as I'll never stop believing in you, Atsuko. Fly as high and far as you will, my darling… and know that, until my last breath, I will always be thinking of you. I love you. I love you. I love you so much…"
The effects of the stability dose finished correcting her physical reactions: and as intended, the emotional stunting faded upon being countered fully by the recordings. Atsuko breathed deeply, dabbing at the tears as she allowed herself to reclaim whatever normalcy was within reach…
She raised the small cluster of rings again. Once more, the energy thrumming within didn't reveal any answers, providing no clarity, no truths regarding how, exactly, those recordings had wound up within the mysterious device.
She slid her fingers through the rings, seeking any visible changes, but there were none. Then, she sought any new software upgrades to her neural chip… surely something would be available. Just as those secret recordings had been unlocked once by an upgrade to her neural chip, whatever other secrets hid within those glowing rings might eventually be triggered by another one.
But after installing every new feature, no novel functions came up: the rings continued to be as hermetic as they ever were. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, tempted as she often was to toss it away. To forsake it for good, for maybe it had been the cause of her misfortunes, rather than any manner of salvation, or any sign that suggested she was meant for something greater, as she had often hoped in her youth.
"It's been thirty-two fucking years… or four thousand. Guess it depends on who you ask. And after all this time, you're still as immutable as the first time I found you," Atsuko hissed, glaring at the rings before stuffing the mysterious gadget in her pocket. She let out a sigh: it was enough. If there were no changes yet, there was nothing to be done about it. She had far more things to do than worry over the meaning of the warm energy looping endlessly within those rings.
Atsuko checked the predictable onslaught of messages and notifications next: returning after setting out 126 years earlier guaranteed an excessive influx of information that she wouldn't likely sort through fully. The automated systems were organized by priority, by familiarity, by rank…
There was a summons by Liu Lijun, demanding her immediate return to Earth.
Atsuko scowled at once: still alive, then. The wretch was worse than a cockroach. She shook her head, deleted the message, and instead switched to the board of available biocatalysis missions. GJ 463 c, another 60 light-years away… she could work with that. She sent a request for the mission: Ross 128 b's Command Center would likely approve of it quickly. Would Liu Lijun finally be dead by the time she returned…? How very unlikely. She rolled her eyes, rubbing her brow with her fingertips…
How many times would she need to do this until he was gone? Until a better leader took his place? The temptation to simply not accelerate out of the nucleus the next time she biocatalyzed a planet was terribly powerful, as of late…
She meant to power her way to Ross 128 b, to restock supplies and set out on her next mission, when a new message arrived.
Atsuko frowned as she tapped it open: a plea for help from…?
Her eyes widened.
Task Master.
Please reach out to us as soon as you're in the vicinity of Ross 128 b. We need to warn you about what awaits you on Earth, as well as inform you of the latest developments in its solar system. We have become renegades for the Fleet and we have no one else to rely on. Our team was torn apart. Only me and Quarter Master Harkin remain, along with a Lifeseed Specialist we've joined forces with… from TRAPPIST-1d.
We need your help. We don't know what to do. We have no one to turn to but you.
Please respond when you are able,
Captain Azula Homura.
Atsuko frowned heavily. She read the message one more time…
She activated her ship's tracking radar: only a moment after attaching the message sender's coordinates, Atsuko's vessel fired off at haste towards her new destination.
Hovering on a civilian vessel at a safe distance from Ross 128 b, sustaining themselves through nutrition shots across three weeks, had been challenging already.
Flying away from a Fleet's squad, hellbent on taking them down, had not been among the complications Sokka and Azula had anticipated for their current circumstances.
"Please! This is a civilian vessel! You have no need to do this!" Aang exclaimed into the communicator device: his cries fell on deaf ears, however, for rather obvious reasons…
"Rather skilled for a civilian, aren't you?! Shouting and piloting at the same time!" the Ensign on the other side of the communication feed exclaimed. "We are under orders to detain or dispatch you! Surrender yourself or face the consequences, Specialist Pathik!"
"Fucking bastards predicted we might come back here, huh?" Sokka growled, piloting as best he could. Azula huffed, glaring about herself.
"If we had any weapons, anything at all… I'm half-tempted to put on an exosuit and punch holes into their ships," Azula hissed. Sokka let out an unamused laugh.
"Only you would consider defeating a stellarship with your bare fists… worst part is you might actually beat them that way," Sokka said. Azula smiled slightly. "They can tell it's us. If they reach us…"
"Give up, or we'll open fire, now!"
"Fuck…!" Sokka hissed: he glanced at Azula warily, and she met his uneasy gaze. "Take over. You know how to dodge crazy stuff better than me…!"
The first beam fired towards their ship: Sokka swerved just enough to dodge it. Azula gritted her teeth and, startling him, jumped on his lap.
"Woah…!"
"No time for a proper seat swap! Strap on!" Azula shouted at Aang, who scrambled towards the nearest seats, but he failed to reach them before Azula pulled a far riskier twirl away from the weapons' trajectory.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…!" Sokka gritted his teeth, grasping the armrests of his chair tightly so as to avoid distracting Azula.
He rather welcomed having her on his lap on any given situation – they'd had no true chances to rekindle matters properly after their reunion… but this, of course, was far from the time to think of such things. He had to trust in his lover's extraordinary piloting talents, for if he didn't…
Azula took a harsher turn, spinning below and behind the other stellarships. She was pushing this simple vessel far too much, it was no core pod… she snarled, shifting the driving orbs, hoping to trick the pair of enemy stellarships into shooting each other…
There was no way of knowing what the new arrival's intent would be, regardless of the message Azula had sent her… was she here to reinforce the Council's orders? To hunt them down, all else be damned, regardless of Azula's plea…?
Or was she here to help them?
Azula swallowed hard and closed her eyes: Sokka's hand found hers over the steering orbs. Both their hearts raced at full speed as that ship loomed closer and closer, as the two ships they'd dodged turned around to fire again…
Their railguns, revved and ready to shoot, powered down moments before firing.
Azula's chest heaved as she glanced at the cameras: those cannons had been white-hot a second ago, and now…
The newcomer ship flew right above theirs, approaching the other two.
"What is she…? D-do you think she got them off us?" Sokka asked, his voice unusually shrill.
"I hope so. I… holy shit. Fuck, if she did…" Azula shivered, dropping her head as she breathed heavily. "We're never flying a ship without weapons again. Ever. Not after this."
"We'll need to find our old ship. Somehow," Sokka groaned. "Or something like it, I don't know… hey. Hey, they're leaving!"
The two ships pursuing them turned around: Azula raised her head, perking up as the cameras effectively showed the two vessels flying back to the Stellar Council's headquarters planet…
Moments later, the sleek, powerful stellarship piloted by Atsuko Takei appeared before them again: even across that distance, the legendary pilot could see them in the cockpit of their civilian ship… and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at the sight of the rather unorthodox position of the two pilots.
"Don't think they taught you that in the academy," were the first words she addressed to their ship through the open comms: Azula and Sokka blushed, and the former climbed off the latter's lap, unable to mask her guilt.
"Thank you for… for coming to our aid. I don't know what you did, but…" Azula started, only to be interrupted quickly.
"Pulled rank. Works like a charm when you're not actively pursued by the Stellar Fleet, I guess," Atsuko responded. "Mind explaining how the hell you landed yourself in a pickle of this magnitude, Homura?"
"It's a long story," Azula confessed. Atsuko hummed.
"Let's hope I bought you enough time to tell it, then."
Ten minutes later, the civilian stellarship had attached its airlock to that of Atsuko's ship: the overwhelmed, stressed trio entered the sleek vessel, finding it to be as top-of-the-line, sophisticated and potent as the very best stellarships could be. No expenses would ever be spared for the Council's great symbol, it seemed… Azula shivered as she walked through the hallways furnished with artificial gravity, climbing ramps with guiding lights that were leading her towards their superior officer.
She remained at the cockpit, albeit she had stepped off the pilot's seat, reclined against its backrest with arms folded over her chest instead. She regarded them silently, until her eyes drifted towards Aang.
"You," she said, growing even more tense at the sight of that familiar face. "Never thought I'd see you again."
"Uh… did you want to?" Aang asked, puzzled.
"Not particularly," Atsuko admitted. Aang smiled awkwardly and nodded, trying not to take the woman's honesty to heart. She turned her attention towards Azula and Sokka next, though. "Homura and Harkin. Not exactly what I anticipated for your future way back when. What exactly got you on Liu Lijun's bad side?"
"Liu Lijun's… Ren's," Azula said: that got a reaction out of Atsuko, whose eyebrows twitched noticeably. "I fucked up. In many ways I shouldn't have. But they wanted to use me, pull me in to fight in the war… they were exploiting my brother's death, or presumed death, to that end. Whether he's alive or not is anyone's guess, but…"
"Your brother?" Atsuko's dark eyes rarely showed compassion… but they did now. "What happened, did he…? I… I'm sorry, Homura."
"I am, too, whatever the truth may be," Azula hissed. "My brother was fighting in the battle for the Moon and was presumably killed there. My mother says there was no funeral, no sign of his body… while it's possible his corpse was lost in space, we suspect he may have been taken by the Exalted."
Atsuko didn't say anything at first. She blinked blankly, shaking her head as though to process the words.
"The Exalted…" she repeated, before huffing slightly. "That's a fucked-up scenario, Homura. And… unquestionably one the Council would take advantage of. Do you know if they did it on purpose? Sent your brother to a potential death just to… rile you up, so to speak?"
"I… I don't know," Azula said, uneasy. "My parents believed he went on the mission of his own volition, but… I don't know."
"Could be true. Or your parents lied, or they were lied to," Atsuko sighed, shaking her head. "And you decided not to play their game, is it?"
"She turned on Liu Lijun," Sokka said, firmly. "Just as he was trying to profit off… well, the information Azula gave him."
"I… I thought I'd help round up any clones that might have attempted to infiltrate the Fleet," Azula said, guilt permeating her every word. "Now I know that any who tried would've been developed differently, without signs that would give away that they were clones… but even before I realized as much, Liu Lijun started rounding up people he didn't like and accusing them of being traitors, threatening to mutilate them if that was what it took to get away with it. You… you were next in line."
Atsuko stared at Azula pointedly. She tapped her elbow for a moment… then nodded.
"Huh," she turned towards the ship's windows, namely those that showed Ross 128 b at a distance. "Explains the summons he sent me. Been a while since he tried that on me."
"You can't go," Azula said, uneasy.
"I won't. I don't visit Earth," Atsuko said, firmly. Aang sighed.
"Even now, you stand by that belief?" he said. "Do you really think you'll never return to…?"
"I have no reason to go back. Much less if there's a trap waiting for me there," Atsuko retorted. "But this is getting out of hand for you, Homura. So much as meeting with you might be grounds to have me persecuted too… and I can't say I'm keen on trying to survive in this hostile galaxy without the Council's support. Maybe there's a few biocatalyzed but abandoned planets out there somewhere, so distant that we could all retire and die there peacefully before anyone finds out where we are. But that's not what I intended to do with my life, and I suspect it isn't what you wanted to do with yours, either. So… what's your plan, other than warning me to stay away from Liu Lijun, which I'm more than happy to do?"
"We have to find Toph and Katara," Azula said, firmly. "Our two remaining team members. We don't know where they sent them… we had hopes that you could help us track them down."
"Easier said than done… but hopefully doable, provided they're not such a big secret that even I'm not allowed to learn of it," Atsuko reasoned. "And after that?"
"I don't know," Azula confessed, shivering. "We just came back from TRAPPIST-1d…"
"I suspected as much," she said, glaring at Aang. He lowered his gaze. "I'd wager a guess… they sent Harkin there?"
Sokka sighed but nodded. Atsuko scowled, tightening the grip of her arms around her torso.
"It's where they send everyone they want to get rid of. You'd have been a nuisance, someone who could have broken Homura out of the blinding rage they expected her to remain on over her brother. Good on you for not falling for it, Homura… for finding him before it was too late, too," Atsuko said, looking at Azula, who breathed deeply, placing a reassuring hand on Sokka's arm. "Did you reveal Liu Lijun's bullshit publicly, then? Gave him away in front of the entire domain, hopefully?"
"Everything was recorded in my neural chip," Azula said. "Before leaving for TRAPPIST-1d, I ensured to spread it across the Extranet. They couldn't have gotten rid of all the copies yet. Hopefully, it's been enough chaos to buy us some time… I wish it had been enough to get him ousted, but seeing how corrupt the Council appears to be, I doubt it."
"You've sown plenty of discord, then. Worrisome, if understandable. Good on you for giving Liu Lijun a reality check, though. Bastard deserves far more of those than he's faced all across his life," Atsuko sighed. "What of Ren? You mentioned him earlier…"
"He's the one who tore our team apart," Azula said. Atsuko scowled. "He lied to me, took me to Earth on his stellarship and pretended everyone else would join us there shortly… after three months, the lie couldn't stand on its own anymore. I confronted him… and just then, Katara sent me a VR circlet with information about where to find Sokka. Ah, if you've never seen a circlet, it's…"
"I'll go get one, it'll be easier to just show her," Sokka said.
Sokka patted Azula's shoulder, making his way back to their ship to retrieve them. Azula sighed, turning to Atsuko again.
"It's a device, high-tech, to reproduce simulations. Probably made for entertainment purposes, I'd guess," Azula said. "As far as I can tell, it's a project Katara had been doing on the side while working with us. She sent it as a gift, she disguised information about Sokka's situation there and I… I had to go find him."
"Of course you did," Atsuko said, softly. "And you stole this ship in TRAPPIST-1d…?"
"I helped procure it," Aang said. Atsuko hummed, eyeing him skeptically, as usual. "Did I do anything that bad to you, back in the day? You seem to think I'm some kind of…"
"You distress me. You bring back memories I'd rather not engage in," Atsuko said, pointedly. Aang grimaced. "My time in TRAPPIST-1d wasn't exactly the fun ride I was promised."
"I'm aware," Aang whispered.
"You weren't there all along… but I supposed I should thank you for stepping aside and letting me return to business when I did," Atsuko sighed. Azula eyed her warily.
"You wanted to go back?" she asked. Atsuko grunted.
"Not as much as I should have. But… something compelled me to. Felt like my job wasn't done," she said: her hand slipped inside her pocket… she squeezed the cluster of conjoined rings and breathed deeply. "Problem is, it feels like it never is. Like I'm lying to myself about how much I'm supposed to achieve someday… like at this point I'll outlast humanity and still not find whatever damnable destiny I thought the stars were holding for me."
She glanced towards Ross 128 b again, a begrudging glare across her face. She sighed before turning towards Azula.
"The truth is… you're in a shitty spot, Homura. If I'm the one person who can save your ass… that's not a good position to be in," Atsuko said. "I'm hardly ever around, I actually took on a new mission as soon as I got here so I could continue avoiding Liu Lijun's bullshit summons… I meant to restock on fuel and jump out again shortly. It'll be about 120 light-years before I'm back here again. And I can't exactly point you towards anyone who can help, because… I don't really have much of a safety net to fall back on, myself. There's not a lot of people I rely on, these days."
"I suppose you may have thought Ren was reliable, but…" Azula said. Atsuko snorted.
"I've clung to no delusions about him, if that makes you feel any better," she said.
"I remember you rejected his offer to… join him? Team up with him?" Azula said, eyeing her with uncertainty. "Did you already realize how fucked up he was, back then?"
"Heh. I wouldn't exactly say that," Atsuko raised her eyebrows. "I just… I've been alone for a long time, Homura. I'm used to it. I don't have to deal with anyone's baggage but my own… and Ren brings about a lot of baggage. Made worse by the way he just…"
Atsuko sighed, shaking her head.
"I don't know what he really wants from me, is all," she admitted. "And I don't trust he's remotely as idealistic as he pretends to be. A stupid part of me wonders if I made a mistake shooting him down… I say it's stupid because I know I didn't, also because it's too late to take it back, even if I had. But I work better alone. If the day ever comes when I meet someone suitable to be my long-term partner, well… that's going to be quite the miracle."
"Then… does that mean you never had a partner, back when you started out as a pilot?" Azula asked. Atsuko shook her head.
"I'm older than any such regulations. Things were very different when I first traveled to Proxima Centauri b," Atsuko said. "Once the new rules about piloting were implemented, I'd already biocatalyzed enough planets to be an outlier and an exception to such rules. I argued a partner would hinder me… I still stand by it, more so if it's Ren. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of working with him constantly. There's just something about him that I've never been able to trust fully."
"As far as I can tell, he wants to win the war at all costs," Azula sighed: Sokka returned then, and Azula glanced back at him appreciatively as he patted her back. "And I worry about what he intends to do to achieve that result."
"His heart is in the right place…" Atsuko recited, sarcastically. "Problem is how many wrong things he gets away with while claiming as much, of course. Anyway… that thing is how you found out where he was?"
"It's Katara's new simulation hardware, yeah," Azula said, as Sokka handed it over to Atsuko. "If that one's mine, feel free to keep it if you want to…"
"It's mine, actually. And she can keep it anyway," Sokka said, an arm around Azula's shoulders. "I don't think I'm going to need it as much anymore."
Azula sighed, pressing her face to his chest. Atsuko continued studying the circlet, though she did raise an eyebrow slowly as she glanced in their direction.
"Your current circumstances weren't caused by this, uh, likely clandestine relationship between you two, were they?" she asked.
"Not really. Council doesn't know we're married," Sokka said, bluntly: Azula stiffened, looking up at him in disbelief. Sokka smiled and shrugged. "Hey, we're already being hunted by the Fleet. Why would it matter if we break a few more rules at this point?"
"Will matter if you expect to ever return to the fold, of course… not that I'll run around to reveal it to the first person I see, of course, but you'd better be careful with the public displays of affection anyway," Atsuko remarked, running a thumb over the circlet. "This is… very smooth technology."
"It's the best simulation tech I've ever seen. Turns TRAPPIST-1d into an even more miserable hallucination," Sokka said. "I could… see my parents. I knew they weren't there, yeah, but it didn't stop me from going back to the same scenes, over and over again…"
"Wait… it reproduces reality? Memories?" Atsuko asked, puzzled.
"Not quite? As far as I understand, it takes data, existing data, of just about whatever has taken place in a given location," Sokka said, running a hand over his hair. "Neural chips are invasive as hell, but… the amount of information that can be taken from each one, and then transformed into realistic simulations, is much more fucked up than I reasoned with. The way things are, we could probably reproduce this very conversation, five years from now, and every aspect of it would be accurate… provided the information is fed correctly into the system, of course."
Atsuko trailed her fingers over the brass circlet: her eyes betrayed confusion… but intrigue, too.
"If… if you'll let me have this, why, I… I'll owe you quite a bit," Atsuko whispered.
"You don't owe us a thing. You came here to help us, when you could've turned on us or just abandoned us to our fate," Sokka said. "We're grateful for that."
"Heh," Atsuko raised her eyebrows. "If you're sure. But I will pay you back regardless… or, if you will, consider this your own means to pay me for taking responsibility for your actions."
Her words startled them. Even Aang, who had been resigned to remain silent, glanced at her in confusion now.
"There's no other way out of this for you. I'm of higher rank… I'm a lot less disposable than your group," Atsuko said, simply. "They want certain things from me… Ren does, at least. I guess that, if I offer to do as he asks…"
"You can't!" Azula said, eyes wide with panic. "You just said it yourself, he's a bastard that cannot be trusted! You don't know what he's going to ask of you!"
"As a matter of fact… I'm quite sure I do," Atsuko said. "It's the same bullshit he always eggs me on about: join the war effort, take an active role on the battlefield…"
"You can't risk it," Sokka said. "After what happened to Azula's brother…"
"Liu Lijun wants you dead," Azula hissed. "You can't give him the satisfaction."
"I don't intend to," Atsuko said, folding her arms over her chest. "As usual… I'll have to go about this by doing something or another to secure my position in a public manner. I hate playing politics… but if I have to do it, I will. More so since that may be the only way I can do a damn thing about you lot. I'm offering this opportunity to you with no certainty that it will result in the outcome we seek… but I offer it regardless because I can't think of a better solution for your group. Remaining as renegades only makes you the perfect targets for the Exalted: if they ever find you, they'll waste no time stealing your bodies and transforming you into whatever they want you to be."
"Maybe… maybe that's it, then."
All humans turned towards the sole clone within the ship. Aang bit his lip, raising his gaze towards them.
"We can infiltrate them. We could do exactly what you feared the Exalted were doing to the Stellar Fleet," Aang said, looking at Azula. "If we're the ones who pretend to be in the outs with the Council, if you offer to join the Exalted…!"
"I wouldn't do such a thing," Azula hissed.
"You'd be able to strike from within," Aang said, looking at her desperately. "You could get into Exalsyn that way! As much as I understand why you'd refuse… the truth is it takes at least one year, if not longer, to fully craft a compatible clone's body. They won't be able to turn you into one of them right away."
"And you know this… how?" Atsuko said, pointedly, raising an eyebrow at Aang. He swallowed hard. His silence, of course, revealed enough, and the Task Master huffed before running a hand over her hair. "Well, what a team you've racked up here. Two renegades from the Stellar Fleet… and a renegade Exalted, too? Been a spy since I first met you, or is this a newer development, Lifeseed guy?"
"I… I've been a sleeper agent for longer than we've known each other, yes," Aang admitted. Atsuko scoffed.
"Well, fuck me," she sighed, looking at Azula skeptically. "When did you learn about that?"
"Just before coming here," Azula admitted, without meeting her superior officer's gaze.
"Fantastic," Atsuko said, before rolling her eyes. "Well. What Ren doesn't know won't hurt him, I suppose… provided you're certain that this guy can be trusted. Are you?"
"He refused to feed Sokka to a Lifeseed when he could have. Maybe I should get better evidence of his innocence than that, but…" Azula said, softly. Atsuko frowned.
"Hmm. Fair point. Didn't do it to me either. Bet Liu Lijun would've given him a big reward for it too, if he had," Atsuko reasoned. "Guess you're a pretty upstanding fellow, aren't you?"
"I try to be, but… I know my situation isn't sustainable and I understand there will be consequences," Aang said, closing his eyes firmly. "I have about five years left in this body. If Eun-u Cho realizes I've betrayed him… my time will be up rather quickly."
"Then let's try to finish this war in less than five years," Atsuko said, breathing deeply and looking at Azula again. "It's, unfortunately for you, a convincing plan. One the Council might go for. Want me to push things in that direction? I can claim you'll make up for your wrongdoings by infiltrating Exalsyn when you're done gathering your crew again… you'll have your chance to find your brother that way, if he's there at all. And if Liu Lijun and Ren decide that consequences are warranted anyhow, I'll shield you as much as I can, at least until you're done spying on the Exalted."
"And… you'll join the war effort actively to mitigate matters too?" Azula asked, uneasy. Atsuko shrugged.
"Don't have a better idea in mind. Much less one that will appease Ren," she said. "Liu Lijun's a piece of shit, but Ren's far more willful than him. If he thinks he's going to get what he wants… Liu Lijun's tantrums won't stop him from seizing any victories that are there for the taking. Otherwise, I would've lost all my medals and rank, let alone flying authorization, a long time ago."
"You think Liu Lijun would've taken all of that from you? Ren protected you from that fate?" Sokka asked. Atsuko shrugged.
"Hard to imagine anything else that explains how I'm still an active officer in the Fleet. I don't exactly have anyone else protecting me or watching out for me," she said. "Most higher-ups in the Council and Fleet would do anything to suck up to Liu Lijun: if he wanted me dead, their sole question would've been whether he wanted me buried in a distant planet or if he preferred my ashes scattered into a black hole. Whether Ren did it out of some ridiculous sentimentality, or because he thought I was more useful to him alive… it's simply the likeliest possibility, after I did what I did to Liu Lijun's ego."
"You never wanted to be part of the war effort," Azula said, eyeing her warily. "Can I ask… why?"
"Do you need to?" Atsuko said, hands in her pockets. "This is not my war. It's not humanity's war either. It's the clones' war: they're fighting so their existence is considered as valid as that of humans. But more than anything… it's the war between Eun-u Cho and Liu Lijun. A war between two men who, whether for good or ill, have decided they're fine with whatever debacle is needed until they get the outcome they want. I never signed up for this shit. I was not a fighter, no matter if I spent ten years in TRAPPIST-1d honing my combat skills… I only did combat training there because it was the best way to clear my mind, reclaim any of my focus. But I didn't join the Fleet because of this… hell, I was serving in space long before there even was a Stellar Fleet. I was a mere astronaut, nothing more, nothing less, flying for the space agency that turned into the Stellar Council while I wasn't mid-jump. My job, from the very beginning, was to biocatalyze planets. I never set out to fight any wars, much less theirs."
"You do understand what Lifeseeds are made of, don't you?" Sokka asked. Atsuko raised her eyebrows.
"Of course I do. It was no secret before," she said. Azula's eyes widened. "It was a controversial matter back in the day, don't get me wrong, but… the Council is the one that decided to hide the truth."
"And it doesn't… doesn't deter you?" Azula asked. "As I am, I almost want to walk away from the very notion of biocatalysis for good. I don't know what else to do with myself, sure, but…"
"As things stand now, as long as you're aligned with the Council, you can either biocatalyze or join the battlefronts. And if you don't want to do either thing… well, you're free to go back to TRAPPIST-1d. Feels like the clones don't particularly want to kill the veterans there anyway, seeing as they sent someone to infiltrate that place eons ago to no severe consequences."
Atsuko stared at Aang for a moment, as though to scrutinize him thoroughly. She sighed, however, shaking her head in disbelief.
"The fact that no one ever picked up on who you were… I didn't. Had no reason to," she said. "Moreover, unless you're hiding a body count none of us can fathom, everything suggests you've got better morals than the bulk of the Council, anyhow."
"Well, you could say I do have one, based on how many Lifeseeds I've made, but… I swear, I only ever turned life energy into Lifeseeds for those who were ready and willing," Aang said.
"Think we're both proof of that," Sokka said, glancing at Atsuko. "I begged him to do it."
"Hmm. I begged him not to," Atsuko admitted. "Probably makes me a bigger coward than anyone expects, but… I just wanted to vanish for good. Didn't expect my life's energy could be of any worth for whatever planet it was recycled into."
"Heh. So… you were even more self-deprecating than I am. Good to know," Sokka said: Azula nudged him with an elbow and he shrugged. "What?"
"Good sense was never your forte," Azula sighed, shaking her head before glancing at Atsuko. "Do you truly think you can trust Ren to take you as part of the war effort now? That he won't try to… outsmart you, or screw you over, one way or another? After what he did to our team, I…"
"He's not as bold with me as he may have been with you. In fact, after what you pulled, it's likely that he'll treat you with more respect or caution, going forward," Atsuko reasoned. "He will see you as a potential threat, which isn't a harmless thing, of course… but you have to consider that, if you continue to work for the Fleet, be it under my direct command or not, you'll likely end up serving Ren. He will give you orders, much as he gives them to me. I can't promise anything else, he's a Paladin…"
"Elite Paladin now," Azula said: Atsuko scowled.
"Right. Even worse," she said, with a heavy sigh. "Bastard will go all the way to Paragon before any of us knows it, and by then… well, all bets will be off. Doubt he's going to listen to reason much more than he does nowadays once he has uncontested power over the entire Fleet. I can try to stand up to him, to a certain extent, but you'd best watch yourself around him. Ren is not the type to forget he's been slighted. Sleep with one eye open, if you sleep at all."
"Well, I'm not keen on sleeping myself, so feel free to relax, Azula," Sokka whispered, shaking his head. "I'll keep watch."
"You can't just never sleep anyway. I know your dreams have been bad, but…" Azula said, before frowning and glancing at Atsuko again. "Have you ever had any dreams? Prophetic ones, sort of? It happens to Sokka at times… a lot more often, these days. Happened to him when he first visited Earth, and ever since…"
"When he first visited… Earth?" Atsuko repeated, eyeing Sokka warily. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Means I'm from Mars, so I'd never…?"
"No, you… why would you have weird dreams about Earth?" Atsuko said, scowling heavily. "More so if you're not even from that planet. What exactly happens in that dream of yours?"
"Eh… I don't really know. Long story short? Feels like the planet's annihilated," Sokka said, softly. Atsuko's eyes widened. "It's a big battle and… I don't know. It's like some kind of bubble breaks… I get the feeling that everything burns down, but it all turns black for me after a while, so I'm not exactly sure of what went down in the dream, anyway."
"A bubble?" Atsuko repeated. "You… do you know when that sort of thing is supposed to happen? Are there any visual cues, any signs of what year it is?"
"Uh… no. I mean, it's a dream, so…" Sokka said: Aang cleared his throat, and Sokka sighed. "Or, at least, it's what I thought it was until Aang started saying that it might be something else."
"Oh?" Atsuko stared at the Lifeseed Specialist. He gritted his teeth.
"I don't know if you've ever had the feeling, Task Master, that… things are happening a second time around? That this isn't quite the first time any of this has come to pass? The first time we've lived through this?"
Atsuko scrutinized Aang for a long moment, her brow furrowed. Where Azula suspected she might just dismiss the notion, though, she surprised them by pulling something out of her pocket.
"Is this familiar to you? Does it… trigger that sensation for you?"
All three stared at the strange, conjoined rings resting on their superior's palm. Sokka's lips parted, and Azula shuddered at the sensation the strange device elicited inside her: it was almost alive, somehow, with that eerie blue glow… she couldn't hope to put her finger on it, of course, but something unsettled her about the item.
"What is that?" she asked, looking at Atsuko in confusion. The woman shrugged.
"I've spent my entire life trying to answer that question. To no avail," she said, meeting Azula's gaze. "Thought… if this has happened before, according to your friend here, maybe his clone mind can shed light where ours can't. I don't know."
"I… I'm sorry. I've never seen anything like that before," Aang admitted. "It's intriguing, but… I don't know what it is."
Atsuko didn't hide her disappointment, even if she didn't voice it either.
"I've never seen anything like that," Azula said.
"Nor have I," Atsuko whispered. "Found it as a child. I thought… well, it wasn't just me who thought it looked like an alien device, most people around me also assumed it was one. It played no small part in my choice to become what I am now… but to this day, I've found no answers about whatever the hell it's supposed to be. Something about it feels like what he described, a familiar sensation from another time, maybe… but I don't understand it either."
"Have scientists studied it?" Sokka asked.
"Many did, but very long ago. I haven't handed it over for anyone else to study it in many years," Atsuko admitted. "It responded to some new technology in neural chips once… unlocked some hidden information within it. But after that… nothing."
Azula stared at the device pointedly: part of it appeared inactive, for whatever reason. Why Atsuko would wonder if it had any connection with Aang's claims of multiple versions of reality, she didn't know… but the strange item certainly didn't seem human, or at least, of their time. It was simultaneously simple, yet mysterious and convoluted in ways Azula suspected they'd never understand.
"Doesn't matter. What you're saying about Earth is disturbing on its own anyway, whether things have happened before or not," Atsuko concluded, tucking the strange device back in her pocket: she had returned to full determination, as fierce as she ever showed herself. "I don't particularly want to go back, but… that doesn't mean I wouldn't care if it was destroyed, be it over Eun-u Cho's actions or Liu Lijun's bullshit."
"Do you think that this is… a real vision of the future? That there's any way to prevent it?" Sokka asked, warily. Atsuko shrugged.
"Considering how bad the war's gotten, we're better off assuming anything is possible, at this point," Atsuko stated. "I'm not one for believing in supernatural things, usually, but… there's been enough weird shit in my life as it is. Your future sight ability, if it's that at all, will hopefully serve us well rather than hinder us. If we consider your visions a warning, we know what to fight against and what to prepare for. If you have any other such dreams, make sure to write down every single detail once you wake up. Send a file about it to me as soon as you can… I know it'll likely take me hundreds of years to receive it, but it still might help."
"I wasn't in those visions of yours," Azula pointed out, looking at Sokka. He gritted his teeth and nodded. "If we go back to Earth, I won't let anyone or anything tear me away from you. If just for that reason, things are going to change, if this vision of yours is truly from the future."
"That's good," Atsuko said. "Could mean there's a way to change… well, whatever's supposed to be destiny. Not that I believe in that shit anyway, haven't for ages, but if there's any truth to those visions, the best thing we can do is try to disrupt them."
"I'd ask if maybe changing things could make the ultimate outcome of matters worse, but… what could be worse than the destruction of a planet anyway?" Sokka asked, gritting his teeth. Azula clasped his hand and squeezed it gently. "So, uh… can we recap what our new plan is, going forward?"
"Plan will be for you lot to come to Ross 128 b with me, I'll settle whatever ruffled feathers I come across, send word to Ren about the new assignment I've given you, and you'll have to obey it thoroughly in order to prove yourselves to the Fleet again," Atsuko sighed. "I know it sounds like selling your souls to the devil, sure… but if you'd like a peaceful life, I'm afraid I have no idea how to provide it. TRAPPIST-1d is always an option to forget reality… but if you literally just came from there, it sounds to me like you'd rather spend your lives making a difference rather than running away."
"I'm not exactly compelled to fight alongside the Fleet again," Azula said, frowning. "Part of me worries that the clones might have better motives to fight than we do. What if they do, and we end up joining up with them for real once we reach Exalsyn?"
"If that happens, I'll just hope you're making the right choice and that we won't meet in a battlefield in the future. Wouldn't enjoy having to fight you," Atsuko said, with a sigh. "What moves you, Homura? What brought you this far?"
Azula frowned: originally, Atsuko herself was the reason for it. She was the beacon she had followed, the example she had wanted to obey… but she glanced at Sokka, knowing her motivations had changed somewhere along the way. He had become her partner, her lover, the one person she couldn't do without. Where she had longed for individuality and independence, now she refused to abide by a world where she wasn't by his side…
"Those I care for. Doing right by them," Azula whispered, squeezing Sokka's hand gently. "My friends, my allies… my family."
"Then let that be your guide," Atsuko said, pushing herself upright and looking at her compassionately. "And if that means the Fleet is wrong and must be defeated… then I wish you luck. Send word to me if possible and I might just end up throwing my lot with you, provided you're convincing enough. But for the time being… my loyalty remains with humanity. I've fought for this long to bring it as far as it has come… I have no true conflict with the clones, myself, and if they merely wanted Liu Lijun's head on a spike, I'd gladly giftwrap it for them. But as long as they're fighting mankind, targeting civilians, making innocents into clones against their will, I can't throw my lot in with them blindly."
"I don't expect I will, either. Much less if they stole my brother's life, in whatever sense they did," Azula said. Atsuko nodded.
"Then let's get going. We have no more time to waste: you need to track down your teammates and I need to get Ren off your back somehow," Atsuko concluded, slipping into her pilot's seat. "Harkin, follow my ship to Ross 128 b. I'll secure you clearance to enter the planet."
"Thank you," Sokka said.
"I… is it alright if I ride with you all the way there?" Azula asked Atsuko. The Task Master shrugged, though she glanced back at the other pilot warily: Sokka raised his eyebrows questioningly, and Azula reached to squeeze his hand again. "I just have some things I want to ask her about. I'll be with you again as soon as we land."
"You'll also stay in comms with me the whole time, right?" Sokka asked, pouting. Azula smiled.
"I'm yours. You know that," she said. Despite himself, Sokka smiled a little and nodded.
"Call me crazy but… six months without you have made sure I can barely stand a second away from you," he said, reeling her in to kiss the top of her head. "Alright, then. I'll… see you when we land?"
"You will," Azula promised, hugging him tightly.
The protocolar copilot's seat in Atsuko's ship had never been used before, a fact Azula noticed as she sat across it to find it bent in an awkward position, for it had never been adjusted. She shifted it until she could sit properly, and she lingered in silence until Sokka and Aang detached their ship from Atsuko's successfully.
"Keep up, Harkin," Atsuko said to Sokka through the comms.
"Aye aye, sir," was his response. Azula smiled slightly, though the grin faded from her face quickly.
"I… I nearly lost him for good," Azula whispered, once Atsuko cut the comms again.
"Good thing you didn't," Atsuko said. "Made the right choice to go back to him when you did. You were damn lucky, too… the light-years that it takes to travel to TRAPPIST-1d from Ross 128 b, and Earth, are surprisingly close. Doesn't work out that way as often as one would like."
"I guess you know that better than anyone," Azula concluded, eyeing Atsuko with uncertainty. "You said you never had a partner, but… you still lost someone, didn't you?"
Atsuko didn't answer right away. Her jaw tensed visibly as she piloted the ship, steering towards Ross 128 b at a reasonable pace.
"I lost… everyone."
Azula gritted her teeth. Atsuko offered her a dishonest smile, leaning back on her seat.
"I knew the cost would be great. Thought I could afford it anyway. Eight years, between Proxima Centauri b and Earth… just the one trip. I'd do it for the sake of it. Didn't think I'd be the core pod pilot, hell knows how come I was the only pilot in any condition to fly by the time the mission was ready to go. I nearly died doing it, too. But I returned and… it'd started already. Changes, losses… people I couldn't say goodbye to. I took to making mistakes upon mistakes, letting my grief take the wheel because I couldn't confront reality anymore… I flew again, and again, and again. Next thing I knew… everyone I'd ever loved was gone. And I couldn't take any of it back."
Azula gritted her teeth. Atsuko's downcast gaze fell upon the steering orbs again.
"Last time I met you… I could tell you didn't have it yet. But you do now, don't you? Space madness," Atsuko said, glancing at Azula. She gritted her teeth. "Probably because of your brother… maybe because of other things, too."
"Sokka's family. We… we saw his parents in TRAPPIST-1d. They're gone now," Azula said. Atsuko breathed deeply and nodded. "Makes you wonder why the hell we do any of what we do."
"In your case, beats me. In mine? I… have nothing better to do. Nowhere else to go. No home to speak of besides a stellarship," Atsuko whispered. "You have him, though. If you two wanted to walk away, or fly away, as the case may be… I wouldn't stop you."
"I won't pretend I'm not tempted. You… you don't mind, that him and I are…?" Azula asked. "I know it's hardly professional, or proper, but…"
"Your personal life is yours to manage. I'm not your guardian in that sense, nor anyone else's. I don't really care who's sleeping with whom," Atsuko said, bluntly. Azula's cheeks flushed.
"Well… thank you," Azula said. "But the Council's not likely to take it very well, if it's known…"
"Up to you to keep it quiet, then. I'll have it easy enough pretending I don't know anything, anyway. Don't make a habit of talking about my own personal life, much less someone else's," Atsuko said. "You have a lot more to lose than I ever did because he's with you. Make the right choices… keep him safe. You could've lost him if things had gone Ren's way and you'd traveled anywhere but to TRAPPIST-1d in your previous journey. Don't ever take that risk again."
"I won't," Azula said, breathing deeply. "I think… the only way I can keep the madness at bay is through him. I don't know what I'd do if I ever truly lost him, and I don't want to know either. But you… you say you have no bonds of the sort. People speculated about nonsense, such as, well, you and Ren…"
"Not a chance," Atsuko said, simply. "Beats me if that's what he wants from me… but if it is, bastard's married to begin with. If he's ready to throw that away out of some nonsensical fixation on me, I'm certainly not going to humor him."
"How, then, do you keep it at bay yourself?" Azula asked. Atsuko raised her eyebrows. "Or is it you…?"
"Not to be an asshole…well, I tend to be one, nothing new under the stars. But… what part of my current lifestyle suggests I'm keeping my space madness at bay, exactly?"
Azula's stomach sank at that. Atsuko smiled slightly, shaking her head.
"Stability doses are my best bet when it gets truly bad. In fact… I ought to give you some of those. I have enough to spare, can stock up on more in Ross 128 b once we get there," Atsuko said, gesturing at a small cabinet by the steering orbs. "I don't know what your situation will be, once you find your allies again… much less once you infiltrate Exalsyn. Taking a dose will stunt your emotions, which isn't always great… but it'll keep you from being too sick after jumps. That was its main purpose. Make sure to take them if the situation calls for it."
"But you take them for more reasons than just overcoming the physical consequences of stellarflights, then?" Azula asked. Atsuko nodded. "Is that… allowed? Acceptable?"
"Nope. Benefits of being a renowned bigshot in the Fleet, I guess," Atsuko said, casually. Azula smiled a little. "I get as much of it as I want or need and no one asks any questions. Keeps me focused, helps me keep the misery quiet and calm for a bit…"
"How about if you… find likeminded people? People who understand what you went through, at least to some extent?" Azula asked. "I know it might sound insane, but… you could join us, maybe. My team… we could work for you directly. Maybe you wouldn't need to use stability doses all the time if you have someone else to rely on, and… it could help with the madness."
"Having friends will save me…?" Atsuko recited, her voice almost playful. She smiled and leaned back on her seat again. "Don't know if that suits me, Homura. You only like me because you haven't spent that much time with me. In case you forgot… I'm a notorious asshole."
"In case you forgot, that's the reason why I liked you in the first place."
Atsuko actually laughed at that. Azula smiled slightly, surprised by the sound. She only realized then that she'd never heard her laughing in earnest ever before…
"I'll have to think hard about it, but… don't get your hopes up," Atsuko said. Azula nodded. "Truth is… I don't know how to be part of a team. You and your crew certainly have me beat in that regard. But… I wouldn't mind it if I could occasionally communicate casually with someone on the regular. Not that I know how to have a casual conversation anymore… we don't exactly discuss the weather much, in this day and age."
"And I doubt you're interested in updates about my relationship with Sokka," Azula said, with a small smile. "Can't pretend there's going to be any updates at this point, either… after all this time, it doesn't feel likely that we'll have children."
"Didn't do the Harvest?" Atsuko asked.
"We did, but… it doesn't feel like we live lives meant for that sort of thing," Azula reasoned. Atsuko hummed.
"Understandable. Well, we'll have to find something else to talk about, then. No weather, no children… not that I have any of my own, evidently, so that would've been a rather one-sided topic anyhow, if you ever had some, yourself."
Azula couldn't help but chuckle: the fact that her long-time hero was smiling, and not in a strained manner, should've caught her by surprise. She should have been starstruck by experiencing such an unexpected, simple moment amid so much chaos and the harsh complications of their current lives… but it might just have been the first time that it felt like Atsuko Takei was no mystery to be solved, for she, herself, wanted answers beyond her reach. For once, she was but another human being, and most surprising of all, she was someone she could consider a friend, of all things.
"With any luck, we'll figure something out," Azula said. "At worst, we can always badmouth Ren and Liu Lijun, though…"
"Ah, now you're speaking my language. Good call," Atsuko smirked. Azula chuckled again, gripping the armrests harder as the pilot finally angled to enter the atmosphere of Ross 128 b.
The whirlwind that followed upon their arrival in Ross 128 b would've left anyone dizzy, but Azula did her best to keep up with it: Atsuko indeed took responsibility for the actions of her underlings, claiming Azula's punishment was hers to determine for her irresponsible behavior back on Earth – the protests by the seating Paladin in Ross 128 b fell on deaf ears, no matter if he outranked Atsuko considerably. It was easy to tell what her deepest intent was… but when she played her final card, all worries pertaining rank fell to the wayside:
Task Master Takei gambled away her own freedom, agreeing to join the warfront after her next biocatalysis mission, provided Azula's crew was granted a full pardon for their alleged treason.
"To think she's had to do that when most of us didn't do shit," Sokka hissed four days later, as he and Azula finished stocking up their newest ship, granted to them by virtue of their connection with Atsuko. "Hell, what you did wasn't even a crime, either…"
"Well, I did inflict physical violence upon the Chairman. You can't really pretend it wasn't a crime," Azula argued, with a slight smile.
"Come on, the real crime is what they did to us!" Sokka growled, closing one of the cabinets in the ship's main deck. "They broke us away from each other, split the group to ensure we'd never join up again… and we're supposed to be fine with that? Fuck them, seriously. There's no forgiving this shit."
"You'll have to set it aside for now," Azula said, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. "I know we have a lot of big decisions to make in the coming years, and we will. I don't even know if I want to do this anymore and I suspect neither do you. But… we have to find your sister, and Toph, before we do anything else."
"We will," Sokka said, unable to suppress a shudder. "Whatever… whatever it takes. Whatever it entails."
"Are you ready to face it if…?"
"No. But I won't be ready for bad news no matter when we set out anyway. Time is always running out," Sokka hissed, turning towards her and hugging her tightly. "If I have to face my sister's gravestone, so be it… but I'll be damned if I don't try to find her, regardless."
Azula sighed and hugged him back: she understood his feelings all too well…
"How are you feeling?" Azula whispered, pulling back and cupping his face. Sokka gritted his teeth. "I thought you'd gotten more sleep last night, but if you didn't, I can pilot instead…"
"I'll do it," Sokka whispered. Azula sighed.
"Atsuko gave me some of her stability doses. Could be they'll come in handy if you're not feeling particularly well," she said. Sokka hummed.
"We're on first-name terms now with her, are we?" he asked, amused. Azula's cheeks flushed. "Kind of crazy to think we're the only people she's ever done that much for. Even if she pretends otherwise, we owe her a ton for what she's doing."
"That we do," Azula said, biting her lip. "I wasn't wrong to choose her as a role model, after all. I just… I can't help but think she's too lonely. Worst part is she doesn't seem to want that to change for the better. I suspect she's just scared of losing whatever bonds she may build. Can't let anyone too close or else it'll destroy her if she loses them too."
"Hmm. Understandable," Sokka said, breathing deeply but smiling at Azula. "But if I learned something after those horrible months, Azula, it's… I would do it all over again. I would choose you, time after time, and I don't care how many light-years it takes, I'd always be ready to find you anew. This life has only been worth it at all because you're in it."
Azula smiled sadly at him: Sokka leaned in, kissing her thoroughly, prompting her to push herself to the tips of her toes to deepen the exchange. They'd had no time, no true opportunity for privacy… they likely would find very little of it in the coming days, too. This was as good as it would get for the time being, for they'd be forced to travel at haste, between Ross 128 b and the planets where, with any luck, they might just find Toph and Katara…
It was a serious challenge, with an unpredictable outcome: they'd acquired information about the last journeys Toph and Katara had taken off into by now, namely through new simulations that turned up in Katara's VR circlets. Should they fail to track down either one of them, they'd need to return to Ross 128 b and set out again to whatever new location Toph or Katara had wound up at. And with every trip, the risk of losing them for good would only worsen…
They needed the encouragement, the blood pumping in their veins… the certainty that, whatever might come next, they would not walk this path on their own. The eager kisses offered them relief, easing their heavy hearts, promising that whatever might lie beyond the horizon, after their upcoming mission to infiltrate Exalsyn, would set them free from the burdens they had been carrying. From the moment they innocently set out from Mars, they'd known they'd be on the adventure of a lifetime… but they had remained unaware of how dangerous and corrupt their galaxy would become across a thousand years of spacefaring.
"Oh, uh… sorry to interrupt."
Aang's voice was unwelcome, but Azula and Sokka didn't overreact to it: they held each other for one more moment, sharing one last, gentle kiss, one last moment of losing themselves in each other's eyes.
The Lifeseeed Specialist swallowed hard as he made his way to his assigned cabin in the new stellarship, past the main deck in which the Captain and Quarter Master remained: the ship would be large enough for five, furnished with the weaponry that had become mandatory for the Fleet's vessels. Outwardly, it resembled Atsuko's own ship, if slightly smaller, with a sleek design that seemed as flexible as it was sturdy. The rings utilized for stellarflights would emerge far more quickly and securely than ever before – the technology seemed to improve constantly, even if the bounds of lightspeed travel had yet to be overcome.
"You ready, Aang?" Sokka called after him, still holding Azula closely.
"As good as ready!" he said: Azula sighed, dropping her head on Sokka's chest.
"Why does it feel like everything that lies ahead is… terrifying?" she whispered.
"Probably because things only ever seem to get worse? But… we'll face it together. Whatever comes next," Sokka said, rubbing her back gently.
He was the one who tensed up when someone else stepped into view, climbing the ramp of their ship: his eyes found Atsuko Takei's firm scowl, one she had worn across her face quite persistently during the past four days.
"You're all set?" she asked: Azula pulled back from Sokka reluctantly to face her, and she nodded promptly. "Tucked away the stability doses safely, Homura?"
"I did," Azula assured her. Atsuko nodded. "I… I know you'll say we owe you nothing, but that's not true. The sacrifices you're making in order to keep us alive and breathing are nothing to scoff at. Whatever you may need from us…"
"Can't think of anything so far. Maybe I will in the future, who knows," Atsuko sighed, hands in her pockets. "I don't think we'll see each other again anytime soon. I'm going to join the war effort after I'm done in GJ 463 c, so… all I can say now is good luck to you both. May you find your way to whatever future you're fighting for."
"You too," Azula said, softly. Atsuko's pained grimace suggested she had no idea what said future would look like for her, to begin with.
"I… wanted to apologize, by the way," Sokka said, turning towards Atsuko. She raised an eyebrow. "The way I acted, back when we first spoke, I… I was out of line. Azula rightfully chewed me out for it too, and… you've proven to be every bit the leader I thought you could be. Mars would've done better under your care than you'll ever accept, I'm sure… but you're not wrong to think you should've been given a choice, of course. I just… wanted to say it, for the record."
"Well, that's… thank you, I suppose, Harkin," Atsuko said, uneasy. "If you're really coming around on me to that extent, then… I guess I have something to say to you after all."
"Oh?" Sokka raised his eyebrows… and Atsuko jerked her head towards Azula.
"You take care of her. Don't ever let her go," she said, earnestly. Sokka's cheeks flushed, as did Azula's… their hands linked, if gently. "If you need a new calling in life? Make it her happiness and safety. If anything happens to her… well, I'll be the one chewing you out in that circumstance. But… it won't come to that, will it?"
Sokka smiled: to his surprise, Atsuko smiled back.
"Good. Then… consider us even, provided you fulfill that request," she said.
"Won't ask the same from me?" Azula asked, uneasy. Atsuko snorted.
"Nah. I like you better than him," Atsuko said, straightforwardly. Sokka laughed, and Azula smiled a little.
"Well, get in line if you ever want to be Azula's biggest fan. I got there first!" Sokka declared, squeezing Azula against his flank. Atsuko smiled and nodded.
"I'm fine with second place. Just do right by each other, then… no need to accuse me of playing favorites, even if I do it so blatantly," Atsuko said. "Watch out with the Specialist. He might be everything he says he is, but… remember he's one of them, willingly or no. Eun-u Cho is still bound to have power over him, and he will do whatever he pleases with him, if he decides to do so."
"We'll make sure to keep him in check," Azula promised. Atsuko breathed out heavily.
"Then… go on and find the allies and destiny you're looking for, renegades," she said, nodding her head towards them. "Good luck, and farewell."
Azula gritted her teeth and nodded… before bringing her fist to her heart. She extended two fingers in the respectful salute that Atsuko had once twisted into an insult, aimed at Liu Lijun…
"Good luck, Task Master… and safe flight," Azula said. Sokka, beside her, followed her example.
Atsuko smiled: Azula half expected her to dismiss the gesture… but she raised her hand to her chest just as well, and this time, she didn't shift her hand to show her middle finger. The thought brought a smile to Azula's face… as she and Sokka joined the ranks of the very few people to receive a greeting of respect from the legendary pilot.
The ramp closed again once Atsuko climbed off it, on her way to set up her own journey. Azula breathed deeply, taking Sokka's hand… meeting his eyes, knowing they'd both need to be at their best for what was to come.
"Doesn't sound wrong, does it?" Sokka remarked, raising his eyebrows. "Renegades, she called us… we could be Team Renegade. Or the Renegade Squad…"
"Must you give us a name?" Azula smiled. Sokka yelped.
"It's long overdue, if anything, Captain Renegade!"
"Oh, come on. Enough silly teasing: let's take off, shall we?"
"Fine, fine. Let's get started," Sokka smiled.
Azula cupped his cheek, and with one more kiss, one that didn't go interrupted this time, the two pilots moved to the cockpit, ready to take to the stars once more.
Of all things, winding up planting regular seeds and harvesting food had never been among Toph's main expectations in life, but such was the way things turned out for her upon landing, five years ago, in LHS 1140 b. A planet suitable for farming, forty-nine years away from Ross 128 b, placid, peaceful, quiet save for the groans and cries of the creatures they produced food from, through their DNA…
… Naturally, Toph despised every second in that place, while lacking any means to get out.
It was her third planet after being ejected from Ross 128 b, unceremoniously, a couple weeks after Sokka vanished. She had stowed away on two stellarships, sending word through the Extranet about her next whereabouts to Katara, hoping she'd be able to send the codified message ahead, or reunite with her somehow. But so far, nothing had happened and Toph was forced to reckon with the possibility that she'd be stuck like this, driving that gigantic harvest machine, waiting for a new chance to stow away, for her friends might just never fly in this direction…
She had started looking into the next scheduled stellarships expected to leave the planet when a sudden message popped to life in her neural chip.
Answer ASAP: where are you? Send your coordinates. We'll get there in ten.
Toph sat upright on her vehicle: it didn't take her long to identify the message's origin…
Azula's neural chip.
No one across that planet, populated by a mere 200 people, had ever heard screams of joy as cheerful as the ones that left Toph's throat that day: she continued to rejoice as openly and shamelessly once the stellarship arrived, ready to pick her up.
"See you never, suckers!" Toph laughed maniacally as she raced towards the open ramp that awaited her, as the stellarship touched down amid the large stretches of harvesting lands.
She leapt aboard and rushed to the cockpit immediately: Azula smiled at the sight of her, and was notoriously startled when the slightly older Toph jumped forth and hugged her, recklessly so.
"You're back, you little shit, you…! Fuck, yes!" Toph laughed, hoisting Azula off the ground with her enthusiasm.
"You're…! Way buffer, damn!" Azula gasped, as Toph spun her in circles happily.
"You two idiots finally came back for me! Damn, I was already thinking I'd have to go somewhere else!" she laughed, setting Azula down again before rushing to the pilot's seat. "Sokka!"
"Now, stay put!" Sokka warned her: he was already maneuvering to get them out of the planet's atmosphere anew, but the reckless, cheerful digger hugged him over the backrest of his chair anyway. "Yes, I'm glad to see you too, Toph…!"
"Fuck, yes!" Toph roared happily, beaming still…
And then the smile faded as soon as she laid eyes on Aang. He smiled, sitting in a corner, and Toph's eyebrow twitched.
"What the hell's this guy doing here?"
"It's… a long, complicated story. Might as well tell it on our way back to Ross 128 b," Azula sighed. "We'll need fuel once we get there, and… we'll need to confirm Katara's location. We're coming for her next."
"Oh, fuck, yes. Getting the gang back together!" Toph grinned, clapping Azula's arm.
"We are, but… you do have the chance to choose what you want to do, going forward," Azula said, warily. Toph blinked a couple times.
"Biocatalysis isn't really on the menu anymore," Sokka said.
"Well, sure. I'm not gonna complain too much about that, not after what we learned from this dipshit," Toph said, gesturing at Aang. "But why do you guys make it sound like whatever you're planning is, well, worse?"
The answer to that question was quite plain, of course: Toph stiffened, wary at once, as Azula offered her an uneasy smile.
"Do you have any pending business to sort out here before we leave this system?" Sokka asked.
"Not really," Toph said.
"Then mail in your farming resignation and let's go," Sokka said, powering the stellarship again, out of the planet and into the sky.
There were many revelations for Toph to learn about after they returned to Ross 128 b to refuel and confirm their next destination. She found most news quite disagreeable – particularly those pertaining Aang. But upon understanding what their ultimate mission would be, the digger was nothing but the picture of determination.
"Don't know how we're gonna go about it… don't really care: if you guys are ready to attack that ship, I'm with you," she said, firmly, before the group got started with restocking their fuel supplies – Azula and Sokka remained paranoid, throughout, over potentially receiving contradictory orders and being banned from flying anew, in case anyone with higher authority over Atsuko decided they were better off imprisoned instead.
"Well, we're not ready to do it yet, but we will be after we get Katara," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "From what I've seen in the latest logs… she set out from Ross 128 b merely a couple months ago."
"Wait, she's out and about like nobody's business?" Toph asked, raising her eyebrows. "Officially, with the Fleet's approval?"
"She is a renowned programmer, has been for a long time," Azula reasoned, breathing deeply. "Which works in our favor. They can't afford to lose her, so… she's bound to be within our reach. Provided she wants to rejoin us, that is…"
Sokka nodded: a part of him feared Katara would be better off staying away from their group… but he wouldn't forgive himself, were roles reversed, if he didn't give his sister the chance to choose.
Thus, as soon as the ship was ready, they took off into space: the planet Epsilon Indi A c stood forty-three light-years away, and it was the last of Katara's reported destinations throughout her own travels.
They couldn't know for sure if she would be around the same age anymore. Toph was older, but perhaps Katara had dodged aging far more successfully, in virtue of being as important for the Fleet as she was…
"It's been two-hundred and fifty years," Sokka whispered, trembling before beginning the acceleration. Azula, beside him, reached to touch his hand. "But if she took off just before we did, she'll be alright. She… she'll still be alive."
"We're only a few months behind her. It won't take us that long to catch up to your sister," Azula said, as reassuringly as she could. Katara had traveled much throughout the past years… how often? How far? No one could know…
Sokka swallowed hard and pushed the orbs for acceleration: the process was far smoother and faster than when they'd first set out: after what seemed like an instant, plasma filled their ship and they powered their way across the stars.
Ren's scrutiny didn't suffice to break Atsuko's stubborn front: his silent glares met their match in hers, no matter if she stood before him in alleged submission.
"After all this time, all my pleading… this is when you give out," Ren hissed. "I would've held Homura for ransom much sooner if I'd known she was your weakness. Beats me why, though… what does that foolish girl mean to you? Why?"
"Why does that matter?" Atsuko responded, bluntly. "You're getting what you've asked for, finally: I'll join your war. Isn't that enough?"
"When it comes to you? I'm not sure anything is," Ren growled, stepping closer.
Atsuko glared at him from below: as tall as she had always been, Ren towered over her ever since they'd first met in that nightmarish situation, as he jabbed nutrition shots and balancing doses into her IV socket, to restore her body as best as possible before a light-speed jump, back to Ross 128 b…
She wasn't sure yet whether he had changed, or if she had. Atsuko felt no different, on any given day… but maybe Ren wasn't any different either. Maybe time had simply brought his worst features to the fore, no matter how determined he was to succeed at saving humanity.
"You'll fly with my division. You'll follow my orders," Ren said. "You'll abide by every command I give…"
"If the commands are worth following, sure."
"This is not a game!"
Ren roared the words, slamming a fist against the wall behind Atsuko. She didn't flinch, glaring into his dark eyes with her own.
"I guess I don't trust your leadership as much as I would like to, Ren," she recited the words slowly, as though to drive across that his attempt to intimidate her had failed, utterly. Ren snarled, punching the wall again before walking away from her.
"You drive me mad," he hissed. "I can't decide whether you're wiser and seeing beyond anything I can see… or if you're just a stubborn, irresponsible asshole who has no business serving in the Fleet whatsoever."
"Guess I'll have to make the most of your indecision while it lasts," Atsuko said, frowning. "Just leave Homura's team be. Make the right decisions and I'll follow. But throw lives away for the sake of an easier victory and you'll regret asking me to join you at all. I have no idea how much use I'll be to you in combat… but if nothing else, I volunteer to find other pathways to victory if you can't find a decent one yourself."
"Sounds easy enough… and yet I can't trust you anymore than you trust me," Ren hissed. "More so with what you're asking for. Homura's group should never be allowed to fly again…"
"Not even if they successfully infiltrate and strike against Exalsyn?"
Ren froze. He glanced at Atsuko with wide eyes, lips parting upon hearing those words.
"What…?"
"They're public enemies. Got very little to lose, as far as public opinion goes," Atsuko said. "And Homura wants to find out if Eun-u Cho's killed her brother… or done worse than that. Do you know if he did?"
Ren trembled and Atsuko scowled: she rather suspected the answer to her question was written all over his face.
"She will find him there… won't she?"
"I… I don't know how many she'll find. How many of ours they've…" Ren admitted: for once, it seemed he was overcome with guilt, with grief… he raised his gaze towards Atsuko, desperate: "It can't go on like this. So many dead, so many transformed… we have to defeat them. This war cannot end with their victory. So many sacrifices cannot go unpunished."
"The more we fight, the more chances they'll have to take our people into their control," Atsuko said. "Things are only going to get harder. Victory's not going to be within reach easily and, even once it is, the work to recompose humanity and help it heal will be far more arduous than anything you've ever faced. You're ready for that, Ren?"
Ren gritted his teeth. He shivered before looking at her pleadingly.
"Not alone."
Atsuko gritted her teeth. She met his eyes, finding that very unnerving sensation in them… her foolish heart pumped blood faster, as though to overwhelm her mind with childish thoughts of what could be. Of a future beyond her grasp, of a life shared with someone who would understand her burdens and toil…
No such person existed. Not even Homura.
Ren certainly wasn't that person, either.
"We will work towards that goal. For as long as we must," Atsuko said, firmly. Ren gritted his teeth. "But don't misunderstand the terms of our…"
"I wouldn't," Ren growled: that surging, strange sensation, the glimpse of vulnerability in him, faded in the blink of an eye. "We both get what we want: Homura will have her chance for redemption… but you? You fly with me. Prepare yourself, Takei. All intel indicates that the Exalted's next target will be Proxima Centauri b."
Atsuko snarled: the first planet she had biocatalyzed… a risky target, and a significant one in which they might deal a severe blow to humanity. Eun-u Cho hadn't dared send his fleet that far beyond humanity's home solar system… finally, it seemed, he was ready to strike beyond its boundaries.
That did not bode well for the Stellar Fleet.
"I'll be ready," she said, firmly, eyes steeled with fierce determination.
For now, this would suffice. Whatever baggage and turmoil she had yet to resolve between herself and Ren would be dealt with in the future.
She had bought Homura time… enough, she hoped, for her to finish collecting her allies and to set out on the dangerous mission that awaited her team, in the depths of the Exalted's deadly base.
Epsilon Indi A c had become, across the past centuries, one of the most advanced technological bastions within the Council's domain: it was a suitable place for Katara to travel to and stay temporarily, while awaiting any kind of news from her brother and the others. Deep down, she hoped they'd turn up before she outdid her brother by twenty more years… for the time being, several jumps across many planets had staved off her aging, but as she finished that day's dissertation at the Technological Institute she had started working at, Katara could only wonder if she'd need to move on again before long to prevent that.
She had sent the circlets to all three of her teammates, hoping particularly to help Azula return to Sokka as soon as possible – there'd be no escaping TRAPPIST-1d for him, so it was entirely on her to find him. As for Toph, Katara wasn't even sure her VR circlet had reached her, for it seemed she had moved on from her first destination before it reached her.
Katara hadn't laid roots in this place, and she didn't mean to do so at all: as much as she was appreciated, and her work as a programmer was highly regarded, she wanted to be ready to go as soon as they turned up. If they ever turned up. Whenever that happened…
Another day gone by, another return to her new home with a heavy heart. She boarded her hover-vehicle, drove it above the smooth city with colorful, beautiful lights, as many other vehicles flew past her…
Save for a rather sizable one that dipped below the clouds, drifting towards the planet.
"Woah!" Katara nearly screamed, glancing back at the stellarship in question: it was unknown but large. Perhaps just the right size… "No way. No way…!"
Her neural chip alerted her: an incoming call from her brother.
Moments later, the ship was powering its way out of Epsilon Indi A c: Katara would send her resignation to her post after she was done screaming for joy as she hugged Sokka and Toph, tears spilling down her cheeks after having entered the ship with her hover-vehicle, through its airlock.
"Got a cool ride there!" Toph laughed, as Katara squeezed her tightly.
"I'm so glad…! I thought you guys wouldn't turn up anytime soon!" Katara laughed, looking at her brother in deep relief. "You're not that old yet… haven't caught up to me so far!"
"But you don't look different, so… didn't outdo me by too much either," Sokka smiled sadly, hugging his sister again. "Katara… we're off to a pretty fucked up mission from here. It's not going to be easy. If… if you'd like to stay in Epsilon Indi A c instead, we'd understand."
"What're you talking about?" Katara smiled, looking at him in disbelief. "What're you going to do, sneak into Exalsyn to murder Eun-u Cho in cold blood?"
"I mean, don't know that the boss will have it in her to just straight-up murder the guy, but the other part's not that far from the truth," Toph said: Katara's jaw dropped.
"We're infiltrating Exalsyn. With… Aang's help," Sokka said, swallowing hard. "We'll explain more of that later, if you want, but the sooner we're out of here…"
"You're infiltrating Exalsyn, attacking Eun-u Cho directly… and you somehow think you can get away with that without my help?" Katara asked. Sokka smiled sadly. "Don't count on it. I'm with you, that's final!"
"If you're sure," Sokka smiled sadly. "Things are getting really messed up, Katara. We're not exactly in the best of standings with the Council these days…"
"Oh, I'm aware. I made sure to circulate a certain video of a bold and brazen Captain, striking the Chairman after he tried to pull a very shameful stunt on her," Katara smiled, glancing in the direction of the cockpit. "Left her driving, did you?"
"For now, yeah," Sokka nodded. "Then you know…?"
"I know you guys are in trouble. Doesn't matter. My reputation with the Council might just help clear your names further," Katara said, hugging her brother again. "And I don't plan on being away from you lot anymore, not if I can help it."
"Good. Thank you," Sokka whispered, pressing his face to the top of her head.
Azula awaited by the cockpit: the others rejoined her there shortly, and while Katara rushed in to hug her sister-in-law, she regarded Aang with caution – albeit she didn't react to his presence as poorly as Toph always did.
"Team's all back together now," Sokka said, as Azula slowed the ship to a halt and rose out of her seat: they hovered right beyond Epsilon Indi A c's stratosphere, orbiting the planet temporarily before setting out to their next destination.
"Time to set the record straight pertaining what comes next," Azula said, with a deep breath. "We'll strike against Exalsyn after restocking in Ross 128 b, yes… but I'd advise we split up for it."
"Wait… split? What the…? We just got the team together again!" Sokka squeaked. Azula placed a hand on his arm to ease him.
"It will be back together anew soon enough. But the one person in serious trouble with the Fleet here is me," Azula pointed out. "Thus, I'm the main one that can argue she wants to join the Exalted… I'll claim I'll become one of them. Aang can bring me in, pretend I asked him to do it…"
"I could try, but… it's not going to be easy," Aang pointed out, frowning slightly. "Eun-u Cho's bound to react really poorly to seeing me again after I've staved off his demands for so long…"
"We'll have to figure something out to help you with that," Azula said, glancing at Katara. "Have you ever tinkered with Exalted tech?"
"Uh… no? Why? What does he have to do with Eun-u Cho?" Katara said, looking at Aang in confusion. He smiled sadly.
"He's one of them," Toph growled. "A renegade Exalted, apparently. Much like we're all renegades now, too…"
"Team Renegade, for sure," Sokka said, nodding sagely. Azula rolled her eyes: Katara's jaw dropped as she stared at Aang.
"You… you were one of them all along? Seriously?" she asked. Aang sighed but nodded. "I didn't see that one coming…"
"Eh, you should know better than to trust creepy guys who make Lifeseeds," Toph scowled. "But then… he's your way into Exalsyn? And, what, the three of us are supposed to wait on the sidelines for you to get things going?"
"I don't like the sound of that," Sokka said, eyeing Azula meaningfully. She sighed, reaching over to clasp his arm.
"We keep saying we're never going to be apart and I want that to be the case… but I can't risk you falling into their hands too. It'll be hard enough for me to escape with one, maybe two Exalted, if Zuko and his partner were both transformed. Five people escaping will be that much worse… provided Aang comes with me, of course."
"It won't be easy," Aang admitted, lowering his gaze. "As it is, Eun-u Cho won't take it well when I turn up, no matter how important you may be, Captain Homura. I haven't done his bidding… and heavens know why he hasn't done anything to me in consequence. I can't promise I'll be able to escape with you. My mind might not be my own anymore once I'm near him."
"Maybe that's where I'll come in," Katara suggested. Aang crooked an eyebrow. "How much time will we have?"
"In Ross 128 b, for preparations? Not that long," Azula admitted. "I'm not exactly welcome around those parts, these days."
"Well, I am. I'll make sure they won't be a bother," Katara determined, breathing deeply. "I'll develop some method to keep your mind safe, Aang, but… you'll probably have to pretend you're under his thrall, even so."
"If you can make that into some manner of device, a signal, I don't know… it could come in handy for me," Azula said. "If I can reach Zuko, he might need to be broken out of Eun-u Cho's control."
"And what if he's not around?" Toph asked.
"I'll try to figure out where he is instead, if he's still alive at all, to begin with," Azula said, firmly.
"Alright, say that you and Aang head in there after all, and you find your brother: what comes next?" Sokka asked, frowning. "What's my role in all of this? Toph's?"
Azula breathed deeply: she cast a wary glance at Aang, who sighed and nodded.
"I shouldn't hear this, should I?" he said.
"We can't know whether Eun-u Cho will check through your logs to find out what we're doing. He might even figure us out without that," Azula said. Aang nodded, stepping away from the group.
"I'll head to my cabin while you discuss your plans," he said, raising a hand. "And I'll be playing music very loudly until you're done so I don't overhear anything."
"Good call," Katara smiled sadly at him, though she turned towards Azula and Sokka again quickly once Aang was gone. "Well? Do you have an actual plan, or…?"
"I'll need information. Lots of it," Azula whispered. "I will need time to acquire it. And time is also needed to make this whole scheme believable. So… you'll have to wait for a couple of days before following us, Sokka. Set a tracker on Aang, Katara, so you won't have any trouble following us to Exalsyn's exact location. He's the only one who can get us in there. So… your job will be to hover nearby, at most start a distraction, if need be. Once I send you a signal through our rings, Sokka, you'll know I'm ready to go. I'll seek some escape pod and rejoin you in the ship as soon as possible."
"You're sure?" Sokka asked, frowning. "I know this is what Takei told us to do, but… Azula, it's a major risk. The biggest one we've ever taken."
"I know," Azula said, squeezing his hand gently. "And I'm sorry that it's come to this. I wish I could think of a way to do it without ever parting ways, but… it's probably better for both of us to pilot different ships for the whole team, right?"
"Right. Then… you and Aang will leave on a different one, and I'll take this one?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded. "Well… shit. I don't like this."
"I don't like it much, either. It's very risky, but I can't think of a better alternative," Azula repeated, pressing her brow to his shoulder. "With any luck, it'll be the last time we have to play at infiltrating such a dangerous place."
"Let's hope so," Sokka sighed, reeling her into a tight hug.
Their trip back to Ross 128 b resumed after that: the jump had never felt so foreboding. Katara took her time to work with Aang's systems across almost two weeks and a half… a far longer period of downtime than any they'd gotten as of late.
It allowed the other three to spend time in the Council's Headquarters, to which they were confined, particularly Azula, until the leaders of the Fleet decreed otherwise. While Azula had never met the seating Paragon, it seemed the chief officer leading the Fleet was currently back on Earth, building up defenses for a potential attack by the Exalted. Information allowed Azula to discover, too, that many things had transpired while they were out searching for Toph and Katara…
"She's been busy," Sokka remarked, reading the same holoscreen Azula was studying… with current information pertaining the Fleet's grand hero:
"In a stroke of genius, Task Master Atsuko Takei struck the rearguard of the Exalted fleet, dealing a massive blow that broke the siege of Proxima Centauri b. In the aftermath of the battle, she was promoted to the position of Battle Master. She joined the battle for Luyten b: her leadership and battle prowess aided in preventing worse losses than the Stellar Fleet was ready to sustain. Unfortunately, the battle resulted in a defeat for the Stellar Fleet. She has joined Elite Paladin Ren Jiahao on a new battle in GJ 581 f."
"Got promoted, even. I hope she's not working her ass off just to bail us out," Azula gritted her teeth.
"Well, if she's getting promoted while protecting us… it means she can pull even more rank to help us, right?" Sokka said. Azula sighed and shrugged.
"Let's hope so," she said. "It feels like things are only getting worse. If even she can't turn the tide in every battle…"
"Doesn't feel like that's a reasonable expectation," Sokka grimaced. "As cool as your hero may be… she is but one woman, in the end."
"The best pilot the Fleet's ever known, though."
"I beg to differ."
Azula met Sokka's gaze, gentle and kind as it was. She sighed, urging him with her head to join her in the hangar once more…
It didn't take long for her to thank him for his praise once they reached the safety of their cabin: in the eyes of the Fleet, their very unprofessional relationship wasn't happening at all. But behind closed doors, where no security cams could catch them, Azula had no compunctions about giving herself fully to the man she loved: it felt like eons since she had last touched his naked body, since he had filled her and made her his while they exchanged deep, desperate kisses… afraid that their chances to find intimacy and bliss would dwindle and fade before long.
"I don't want you doing this alone," Sokka whispered, as they lay together after finishing, face to face, under the covers. Azula swallowed hard and nodded.
"I know," she said.
"I don't like who I am when I'm afraid I'll lose you," he said, gritting his teeth. "I don't know how to be any better, either, I…"
Azula rolled into him, kissing him fully as she straddled his hips anew. While there was no intent to reprise their earlier exchanges yet, she kissed him in the hopes of soothing him, little by little, through the familiar brush of their lips together.
"I'll do everything I can to return to you at haste… in one piece, too," Azula said, pressing her brow to his. "And after this is done… we can do whatever you want. If the Fleet leaves me be, I… I'll go anywhere with you. Far away, so the war won't catch up to us…"
"I… I don't know that we'll be able to do that."
"Think it'll extend that far?" Azula asked, sadly. Sokka shook his head.
"I think… neither you nor I know how to walk away from this. Not anymore."
Azula met his gaze with heartfelt anguish. Both knew a dark, foreboding future awaited them… and whatever lingered in it would likely change their lives forever, and quite possibly, not for the better.
"I really miss how easy life was back… back when we were training and our biggest problem was figuring out how to pilot half a ship each," Azula smiled sadly. Sokka laughed, nodding as tears blinked in the corners of his eyes. "Whatever comes next, Sokka… this has been the adventure of countless lifetimes. If I ever had to choose what to do with my life again? My heart would never stray from you. I'd choose you, every single time, in every lifetime…"
"In every lifetime," Sokka repeated, smiling kindly. "I would too, Azula. You're… you're everything I never knew I needed in my life until you turned up at my chosen seat, in that ridiculous ceremony…"
Azula laughed, pressing her brow to his. Sokka caressed her cheek gently.
"I won't let you fight on your own. I'm your partner… your husband. If you need me to stay behind for a day or two, I will…" he said, quietly. "But I'll be there for you. I'll find you, no matter where you may go. And if I have to infiltrate that shitty ship and tear Eun-u Cho apart myself…"
"Really? Would you do anything and everything just to get back to me?" Azula smiled. Sokka growled. "Would you forego a proper meal forevermore, I wonder? Live off nutrition shots forever if it means I'll be with you for good?"
"Not even a question. I can… eat certain parts of you, anyway. That doesn't get old," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed.
"Alright, guess I should push that further. Would you… move to Earth, permanently? If, of course, we find a way to keep your awful dreams at bay…"
"Huh. I was going to say yes regardless of that addendum, but if you'll be so kind… yes, all the more," Sokka smiled, pressing his brow to Azula's. She chuckled, kissing his lips softly.
"Alright, I've got it: would you biocatalyze a planet? Or drive a core pod into its depths, without a Lifeseed if it freaks you out too much… not sure how I feel about it anymore, myself. But, still…"
"Huh. I… I would, I think. I hope," Sokka said. Azula smiled and shook her head.
"You don't need to say as much if you don't think so…"
"If I know you'll be there, waiting at the other side… I'd go anywhere, Azula. I'd do anything," he said, taking one of her hands, kissing her knuckles softly. "You're my partner. My wife. My soulmate, as far as I'm concerned. I'm proud of all those things… prouder still of fighting for you, to hell and back if I have to. I may not be in my best shape these days, but… I would do it. You have to believe…"
"I do, actually," Azula whispered, pressing her lips to his brow. "And I'm proud of us, too. As far as I know… only a handful of people have come as far as we have, in the history of human spacefaring. I'm sorry that things are so fucked up right now, but…"
"Doesn't matter," Sokka said, with a gentle smile. "If I'm going to be an upstanding member of this Fleet by your side, that's fine by me. And if I'm going to be a renegade, I'll do it too if I'm with you. That's all I need."
Azula swallowed hard and nodded, moving in to kiss him again: Sokka's arms offered her the safety and comfort that nothing else in this life ever could. She closed her eyes, drifting away into that warm embrace, dreading the moment when she'd have to forsake it if just for a few days…
But the time came indeed, just as news reached Ross 128 b: the battle for GJ 581 f had resulted in another loss for the Fleet… and more worrisome than that, Exalsyn had been nowhere in the planet's vicinity. It was Aang who knew where it was, instead:
"It's moving towards Earth's solar system," he said, once their two ships were geared up and ready to take off. "I don't know for how long it will remain there, but… it's on its way there. Usually, Exalsyn keeps its distance from the system itself… around the level of Pluto's orbit, probably. That's where we'll need to go."
"Fuck," Azula sighed, shaking her head before turning towards Sokka.
He would lead their new assigned ship, the one meant for their entire crew… while she would pilot a smaller one, given to them so Aang could turn her in, as believably as possible, to Eun-u Cho.
"We'll meet you there. You'll just have to jump and follow our beacon," Azula said. "Once I've found what I need, I'll send a signal through my ring. I'll find my way back to you no matter what… to all of you."
Toph smiled and nodded. Katara sighed, moving in to hug Azula at haste. Aang sighed, lowering his head and ducking into their stellarship without another word.
"You know… you were a better commanding officer than you had any right to be," Katara said. Azula chuckled. "Everything you've done, all your crazy ideas… they tend to pay off. Make sure this one does, too."
She pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes. It was Toph's turn to hug Azula next… though she also threw a fist in her direction, one Azula caught quickly.
"Good reflexes are important when you're off to face the Exalted," Toph said. Azula shrugged and nodded. "You ready?"
"I'll try to be," Azula said, glancing back at the stellarship she'd share with Aang: he was already settling into his seat, undoubtedly feeling out of place in the middle of the team's farewells.
She turned towards Sokka anew: his eyes glistened with tears… Azula sighed and stepped towards him, just as Katara raised a device and pressed its button: the power blinked in the hangar for a moment, and cams were disabled as the two lovers kissed one last time before parting ways, if just for a couple of days.
"Come for me. I'll be waiting," Azula said, with an earnest smile.
"I'll be there. I swear it," Sokka whispered. She pressed her brow to his… then stepped away, towards the smaller ship's ramp.
The lights blinked back to full power by then: to her surprise, Sokka raised his fist, index and middle fingers extended, offering her the respectful salute he had never needed to give her before… her eyes only grew more clouded with tears as Katara followed his example. As Toph did the same, too, with a cheeky smirk.
They were her team: whether destiny had brought them together, or they'd merely done it all by sheer willpower, Azula knew she'd never build a tighter bond than the one she shared with her small crew.
"I'll… I'll be back with you soon, Team Renegade."
She smiled warmly at Sokka before raising her fist the same way towards her group: pride and respect roared in all their hearts as their fateful mission was slated to begin.
The next stellarflight they would embark on would carry them all the way to Earth's solar system anew: unbeknownst to them, the fate of more than just Zuko and his partner, Suki, hinged on the outcome of that mission.
Humans and clones alike, all across the Stellar Council's domain, would soon gaze towards the skies with dread and fear: the darkest days of the Human-Exalted War were about to begin.
After months of trying, Azula is finally allowed to partake in the traditions of Sokka’s water tribe, only to discover that the hardest lessons aren’t in the customs themselves.
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Read here or on AO3
Word count: 2400
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It had been months since the war ended. Months of peace talks, rebuilding, and the uneasy stitching together of fractured trust between nations. The world had begun to exhale, slowly, but in the Southern Water Tribe, the cold winds still carried memory like ice: sharp, unyielding, and unwilling to melt easily.
In all that time, Sokka had never invited Azula south. Not once. Not even as his… whatever they were now. “Girlfriend” still felt strange in his head when attached to her name, though he’d said it more than once. Azula had never complained. At first. But when subtle hints gave way to pointed comments and pointed comments to outright begging - a thing she claimed she had never done before - Sokka finally relented.
He told himself it was because she deserved to see where he’d grown up. To understand the place that shaped him. But beneath that was something quieter, sharper: a fear that his world and hers were too far apart, that his home might feel like a stranger to her… and that she might never learn the language it spoke.
Katara came too, of course. Sokka didn’t ask if she wanted to. He knew she’d never pass up a return home. But her reasons for agreeing weren’t purely about family. Even with months of peace, Katara had never fully let her guard down around Azula. Too many scars - both seen and unseen - made the idea of her walking freely through their tribe feel… risky.
They didn’t take Appa. Instead, a Southern Water Tribe trade ship happened to be docked in the Fire Nation’s capital, its hold heavy with spices and fine textiles. Its crew would be sailing home with the next tide, and Sokka, with some quick words and quicker smiles, secured passage for the three of them. The journey south would take weeks. Weeks of tight quarters, salt air, and no escape from each other.
The voyage south blurred into a rhythm of salt and wind. Days bled into weeks as the ship cut its way through restless seas, the air growing sharper with every passing morning. Azula kept mostly to the deck, watching the Water Tribe crew with a quiet, deliberate interest. She asked questions now and then - about the nets, the bone tools, the way they read the clouds - and Sokka answered every one, often with an almost ceremonial pride.
It wasn’t arrogance, exactly. But there was a precision in his words, a careful guarding of traditions, as though any misunderstanding might chip away at something sacred. Katara, who had sailed with her brother more times than she could count, noticed it too. She didn’t say anything, but more than once her gaze lingered on him in thought.
Azula could feel the temperature dropping each day, the spray on her face colder, the nights on deck longer. Somewhere deep in the horizon, she imagined the white peaks rising, the edge of the world where his childhood still lived, untouched by the war that had shaped hers.
Soon thereafter, the village unfolded in white and blue, low snow-brick homes clustered like frost-bitten shells. Children darted between them, their laughter breaking against the icy wind. And at the center, wrapped in heavy furs, stood Gran-Gran, or Kanna. Her face a map of decades, her eyes bright with the kind of patience that could outlast storms.
Azula stepped forward before anyone else, posture straight, hands folded in front of her. She inclined her head - a gesture pulled from Fire Nation court etiquette - and spoke in careful, formal tones.
“It’s an honor to meet the elder of Sokka’s people,” she said, her voice even, almost regal. “I hope to learn from the wisdom you’ve carried here for so long.”
There was a beat of silence. Gran-Gran smiled faintly, but before she could reply, Sokka cut in.
“Uh- okay, yeah, that’s… not exactly how we do things here.” His laugh was quick, too quick. “You don’t… you don’t have to talk like you’re addressing the Fire Lord, Azula. It’s just Gran-Gran.”
Azula blinked, caught between offense and confusion. “I’m being respectful.”
“And I appreciate that,” he said, with a tension in his jaw that didn’t match the words, “but we have our own way of greeting elders. You don’t… bow.”
It was subtle, but Katara’s lips pressed into a thin line. Azula, for her part, only straightened slightly, hiding whatever she might have said. The cold seemed sharper in the pause that followed.
Azula’s lips parted, but no words came. Instead, she let out a slow exhale through her nose, the kind you give when you’ve been told, again, that you’re doing something wrong despite your best efforts. Her gaze flicked from Sokka to Gran-Gran, then back.
“How should I proceed, then?” she asked, voice clipped but even, as though each word had been measured twice before being spoken.
Sokka shifted awkwardly, suddenly aware of how stiff the air between them had become. “Uh… just say hi. Maybe tell her something about yourself. That’s… that’s how we do it.”
So Azula turned back to Gran-Gran, straightened just enough to keep her dignity, and said simply, “Hello. My name is Azula. I am the girlfriend of Sokka and I’ve come here with him and Katara.”
Gran-Gran’s smile warmed, as though the ice in the moment had melted just slightly. “Then welcome, child. Come in. You must be cold.”
And with that, she stepped aside to let them pass into the largest tent, the scent of steaming broth and fresh seal meat spilling into the frigid air.
The warmth hit her first. A heavy, almost suffocating contrast to the cutting wind outside. The air was thick with steam from the stew pot at the center, the scent of fish and herbs mingling with smoke from the low fire.
Azula began to unfasten her coat, careful not to drop it on the floor. She scanned the tent for a place to hang it, settling on a sturdy wooden peg near the entrance.
“Uh… No, not there,” Sokka interjected quickly. “That one’s for hunting gear. Visitors’ coats go over here.”
Azula said nothing, just changed course and placed it where he’d pointed.
They settled on woven mats around the low fire. Azula sat with her knees tucked neatly beneath her, back straight, hands folded in her lap.
“You don’t have to sit like you’re meeting royalty,” Sokka said, almost laughing. “Just… relax.”
Her jaw tightened, but she shifted slightly, letting her legs fall into a looser cross.
When a steaming bowl was placed in front of her, she reached for it politely, waiting for everyone else to be served before touching it.
“You can start eating,” Sokka said. “You don’t have to wait here. That’s not really how we do things.”
Another pause. Another controlled exhale through her nose.
She took her first sip without comment.
They’d finished the meal in a quiet that wasn’t entirely comfortable. Sokka had launched into another careful correction about how Azula should place her bowl when she was done — and Azula, for all her patience, had simply placed it down exactly as he instructed, her jaw tightening just slightly. Conversation swirled around her - stories of recent hunts, talk of the coming weather - and she listened more than she spoke. When there was a lull, she leaned toward Gran-Gran.
“What is life like here… day to day?” Azula asked. Her voice was careful, even respectful.
Gran-Gran’s eyes softened. “It is simple. The land and the sea provide, but only if we respect their rhythm. Every day has its work. Would you like to try?”
Azula nodded once, straight-backed and steady. “Of course.”
“I’ll take her,” Katara said, not even glancing at Sokka. “I need to get some fresh air.”
Her voice was even, but there was a current beneath it, the kind only a sibling could detect. She looked at Azula then, not with the sharp, watchful mistrust she’d carried for months, but with the expression of someone who needed a conversation she hadn’t decided how to start yet.
Sokka, already halfway through his second bowl, perked up. “Just… make sure you don’t-”
“I’ll manage,” Azula said lightly, though the faint crease in her brow betrayed her weariness at yet another warning.
The wind outside was sharp, sweeping over the ice in low, whispering gusts. Katara led the way past the line of low igloos, her steps steady on the packed snow. In her hands, she carried two heavy sealskin buckets, their rims crusted with frost.
“We get our drinking water from under the ice,” she explained over her shoulder. “The snow’s too full of salt and grit from the wind. You have to cut down far enough to reach the clean layer.”
Azula followed, her boots crunching softly. The cold here was different from anything she’d felt before, not biting like frost, but heavy, like a weight pressing against her skin.
They stopped near a frozen inlet where the ice glowed faintly blue beneath their feet. Katara knelt, drawing a short, curved blade from her belt and scoring the surface. With practiced ease, she bent a column of water up from the cut, the liquid sparkling in the dim light before she lowered it neatly into the first bucket.
“Your brother,” Azula said finally, her voice low, “has a… very specific idea of how I should behave here.”
Katara gave a short laugh, more air than sound, as she filled the second bucket. “That’s one way of putting it.” She looked up, her expression softening just a little. “He doesn’t mean to be… Well, maybe he does. He’s proud of this place. Too proud, sometimes. It makes him… impossible.”
The corner of Azula’s mouth twitched, not quite a smile. “I noticed.”
Katara’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, as though deciding something. Then she said, “You can complain, you know. I won’t tell him. Actually… I might join in.”
Azula’s gaze dropped to the bucket at her feet, the water inside still swirling faintly from Katara’s bending. “Complain? I don’t-” She stopped herself, exhaling a faint cloud into the cold air. “He corrects me on how to sit, how to speak, how to… breathe in this place. It’s somehow even worse than how it was at home.”
Katara’s lips quirked. “Oh, that’s classic Sokka. He once gave me a twenty-minute lecture on the ‘proper’ way to stack firewood. In a storm.”
Azula’s brow arched. “And?”
“And I ignored him and stacked it my way. It didn’t fall over. He sulked for an hour.”
That earned a small, reluctant huff from Azula.
Katara noticed. “See? You get it. You survive Sokka by ignoring half of what he says and doing what you know works. And when he gets huffy, you just… let him think he’s right until he forgets about it.”
Azula shook her head, almost in disbelief. “You make it sound like training a pet.”
“Exactly,” Katara said without missing a beat.
This time, Azula did laugh. Short, sharp, surprising even herself. The sound seemed to dissolve some of the ice between them, and when they lifted the buckets together, the silence that followed felt… easier.
The sun hung low over the frozen expanse as Azula and Katara made their way back toward the village, each step sinking softly into the thick snow. The cold nipped at their cheeks, but the air between them felt lighter than it had in months.
Azula hesitated for a moment, then slid her arm gently through Katara’s, her grip firm enough to steady herself but casual enough not to seem forced.
Katara looked down, surprised, then smiled. “I’ve got you,” she said, her own arm adjusting to help balance them both. Katara glanced at Azula’s face and noticed her distant, absent gaze. She realized this small, quiet act - just letting herself be supported - was a rare moment of trust for Azula. Katara said nothing, knowing that calling attention to it might shatter the fragile understanding forming between them. For a brief moment, they moved in quiet sync, the sound of their boots crunching the snow beneath them the only interruption.
The rest of the walk back was spent with the two moving together, arm in arm, sharing quiet observations and small laughs. It wasn’t friendship yet, not fully, but it was a start. A fragile bridge being built over snow and shared understanding.
As Azula and Katara approached the cluster of huts, the faint scent of smoke and cooked fish growing stronger, Sokka emerged from the main square. His arms crossed, eyebrows raised, he froze mid-step, taking in the sight of Azula having her arm slit through Katara’s. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved, and Sokka’s usual confidence faltered under the sheer casual intimacy of the gesture.
“How… how did you manage to make her do that? It took me months to have her build up the trust in me.” He asks dumbfounded.
Katara, noticing his expression, smirked. “Look what’s possible when you’re not being a dork,” she said, giving Azula a playful nudge with her elbow.
Azula’s cheeks warmed slightly, but she held her posture, smiling faintly. “Apparently, a lot,” she said softly, letting her arm slide out once they reached a safe patch of snow.
Sokka blinked, still processing. “Huh… I-” He cleared his throat and waved a hand vaguely. “Well… good. Nice teamwork, you two.”
Katara rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath just loud enough for him to hear, “Teamwork only works when you’re not hovering, Sokka.”
Sokka opened his mouth to retort, then wisely closed it, stepping aside to let them pass.
As they walked past Sokka, the snow crunching softly under their boots, Azula leaned just close enough to whisper, her voice low but steady.
“You know,” she said, “there’s a difference between showing someone your traditions… and correcting them every step of the way.” She smiles faintly and teasingly.
Sokka blinked, caught off guard, then slowly raised a hand to his face and gave a small, resigned facepalm, realizing the truth in her words.
Katara, leaning slightly behind them, smirked. “Well, look what’s possible when you’re not being a dork.” She giggles lightly.
Sokka could only shake his head with a rueful grin, the snow crunching softly beneath their boots as the three of them continued toward the village.
Again, it seems to be impossible to upload on ff.net.
Due to the approaching thunderstorm, it seemed as if it were already night, although it was only dusk. Sokka urged Azula to go up to the house. He insisted on walking her there himself, yet Azula told him to go finish his business as quickly as possible.
Accompanied by half of the royal guards, Azula rushed inside the house. She wanted to wash herself and change into fresh clothes. As she entered the house, a feeling of familiarity enveloped her. She had only been gone for a day, but it had felt longer with everything that happened.
“Azula!” Ty Lee appeared suddenly.
She gave Azula a hug, looking worried.
“What happened? Are you okay? Did you really go to the tribe? And Zuko? Is it true he came here?” Ty Lee asked.
“Yes. I’ll explain everything, but first I need to wash myself.” Azula said.
“Yori prepared a meal for us. We were informed of your arrival.” Ty Lee said.
Azula nodded. She told Sokka to eat something in his meetings, since she wasn’t sure he ate anything at all today.
After Azula was ready, the friends shared their meal, having long conversations. It helped her. Ty Lee told her about her life in the hut too.
After her friend left, Azula kept staring out of the window. It had already started raining and Sokka hadn’t come home yet.
“Your Highness, this scroll arrived from the barracks for you.” Yori said.
“Thank you.” Azula said.
She immediately opened the scroll.
I might take longer than I thought, but I promise I’ll be home before the storm breaks. Please do not leave the house. If you need something, ask the guards. – Sokka
Azula smiled. She hoped he’d come as soon as possible. She wondered if it was silly of her, but she put the scroll in her dresser. A part of her wanted to keep it. It felt like a first letter from Sokka.
While wandering around the house she realized that she never saw Sokka’s room. Excitedly, she went into it. It was a room that was fitting for him she thought. She looked over his desk and took in everything. There was a little painting of him with his parents and sister when they were children. Her heart grew warm at the sight of cute little Sokka. Maybe one day, she could spend more time with his parents, get to know them better.
Her eyes caught his bone necklace on the chest of drawers next to his bed. She just noticed that he hadn’t been wearing it. She took the necklace caressing it. His bed was slightly more spacious than Her’s. With the necklace still in her hand Azula sat down on it. Surely, it wouldn’t be a problem to lay on his bed for a short while…
Night broke when Sokka finally arrived home. Thunder and lightning danced over the island. Sokka thought Azula might be already in bed. But her room was empty which scared him a little too much. He rushed through the hallway and checked the bathroom. Also empty. By reflex he opened the already ajar door to his room and breathed out of relief. He felt a little foolish over worrying so much. She wouldn’t, couldn’t possibly leave.
Warmth spread in his chest at the sight of her, on his bed, with his necklace in her hand. His heart skipped a beat now. She had a thin strapped dress, her shoulders and neck completely bare. He neared the bed and caressed her hair lovely. Carefully he pulled the duvet from under her, trying not to wake her. After covering her, he run his finger over his wedding ribbon he never removed except for when taking a bath, which he had to do now.
When he came back he put the ribbon on again and snuggled up to her from behind, putting one arm around her. Azula took his hand in Her’s smiling. Sokka didn’t say anything, just held on. He would have loved to turn her around and kiss her gently. Azula wanted to kiss him, for him to tear away her dress. But they just slept, which was the best thing for now. Sokka had to rest.
Next day arrived, the morning greeted with dark skies. Azula's back was pressed against his chest. She could feel his breath on her shoulder. They were still holding hands. Azula quietly turned around in his arms and smiled at the sight of him sleeping peacefully. A new sight greeted her: Sokka’s hair was loose. It felt soft around her fingers. Unable to resist the urge, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on his eyebrow.
The need to go to the bathroom made her leave the bed. After tending to her needs, she noticed an unusual silence in the house. No sound came from the kitchen, Yori was nowhere around. Her stomach growled and she took a small slice of bread. Then she walked down the stairs going to the garden. A loud thunder made her jump.
“Good morning Your Highness.” the guard standing in front of the patio doors greeted.
“Good morning.” Azula replied, “Do you know where Yori is?”
“She spends the weekends with her family.” he replied.
“I understand.” she said, looking up to the sky. She was amazed by the generosity of the Water Tribe Royals.
“Your Highness, this is your last chance to take some fresh air. We’ll close all doors and windows soon and stand guard inside. The storm is arriving.” he said.
“Alright then.” Azula smiled at him.
She walked around the pond, the sky was darkening although it was midmorning, she could see lightning far away. Her eyes caught Sokka in the balcony of his room, which was also connected to her room. He was standing there shirtless, watching her while holding onto the railings. Azula smiled and walked inside.
Sokka loved Azula. He admitted his feelings to himself and her. She was with him, didn’t leave him. They kissed and slept on the same bed. He was sure she cared about him too. Yet a part of him was scared. Unsure still.
“Awake already?” she asked.
Sokka turned around as she walked out to the balcony. Raindrops started to fall.
“Good morning.” he greeted, smiling halfheartedly.
“Morning.” she said, walking closer to him, standing right in front of him.
Silence filled the air for a moment.
“Sokka, is something wrong? You seem thoughtful since yesterday.” she asked.
Azula was looking so tenderly at him, with her glowing eyes and full lips. He stroked a curly strand of her hair.
“I…” he started.
“You?” Azula said, when he stopped, “You do not trust me right?”
Sokka’s eyebrows furrowed at her question.
“I gave your brother permission to sail on our waters, ensured you two could meet, took you to the Tribe , although I caught you sneaking around twice, and you think I do not trust you?” he said.
Azula both felt bad and insulted. Her mood fell a little. A part of him was still angry she thought, it wasn’t done yesterday on the ship.
“I am not saying this as to rub it in your face, never! But I think it’s you who doubts me. You are not trusting me.” Sokka talked gently, he looked hurt.
“I do Sokka!” Azula said, “I trust you more now, it’s true that I needed time. But I trust you. I came here with you. I don’t want to do anything bad to you or your Tribe, I never did actually, and I think you might figure it out yourself already.”
“Our Tribe.” Sokka corrected.
“Our Tribe.” Azula whispered, eyes watering,
Sokka took her face in his hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Azula, I want for us both to be honest with each other, always. No secrets or mistrust.”
Azula nodded, putting her hands over his on her cheeks.
“I need to hear it Azula.” Sokka whispered, “Do you want to stay, be here with me?”
The smile she carried this morning came back to her face.
“Yes. I want to be here with you. I want to live here on Kyoshi Island, in this house, together. I want …” she closed her eyes for a moment, unable to keep talking.
Sokka would wait. Even if he would have to wait forever. For her, he would wait patiently. Give her as much time as she needed, to express herself, to open up to him.
“I…” she opened her eyes again and put one hand on his heart. Sokka gulped at the touch.
“I want you. I love you Sokka.”
His features softened even more. He had so hoped to hear her say these words.
“I love you Azula.”
Both leaned in at the same time, kissing passionately. Sokka’s hand slowly stroked its way to her bare neck, to which she reacted with goosebumps. She caressed his chest, his kiss grew firmer, yet still gentle. Azula pressed her body into his, her hands landed on his shoulders. One of Sokka’s hands held her on the waist, the other on her neck went to the back of her head, holding her in place. She was shorter and needed to look up.
They broke the kiss to breathe and to look into each other’s eyes, meaningfully.
Sokka caressed her bare arms sensually and she kissed him wilder, while he tried to stay gentle, but stroked her tongue with his. He knelt down just a little, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her dress sliding up baring her legs. His hands landed on her thighs, holding her. Sokka walked into the room, closing the door to the balcony behind him in time the thunderstorm began.
Sokka carried her to the bed and climbed on top of her. Azula stroked his face and placed her hands on his shoulders, while Sokka repeatedly kissed her neck. He slowly pulled down the straps of her dress before looking for her reaction. Azula slid her arms out from the straps herself and pressed her lips to his. If it wasn't for the thunderstorm, their heavy breaths could've been heard nonstop.
Desperate, nervous, and excited, Sokka pulled down her dress and with it, her underpantie. He kissed his way down, one hand on her leg, the other on her breast, he went down on her. Azula pulled at his hair, which encouraged him. Her hands grabbed the sheets when she reached her peak. Sokka would have loved to show her more love. Kiss and touch every single part of her skin. But Azula couldn’t wait any longer. She pulled him over, urging him to get rid of his last pieces of clothing.
Full of passion, holding on closely, moaning each other’s names over and over again, they made love. Sokka gently pleased her in the best way, which made him feel great too.
Sokka kissed her lovely. Then climbed off her to lay next to her and pulled her tightly against his chest. The duvet tugged over their sweaty naked bodies, he didn’t let go, his arms wrapped around her. Azula’s hands were nestled on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. They enjoyed their most peaceful and happiest moment.
The storm would stop for a few minutes at a time and then resume violently. Sokka’s empty stomach was the only reason that led them to leave the bed. Azula and Sokka made toast in the kitchen and enjoyed their meal in the cozy room with the bookshelves.
Sokka’s eyes caught a scroll on the table.
“Have you not read your father’s letter?” he asked curiously.
“I have. Nothing new. Kinda repeats Zhao’s words.” Azula said, “You can read it too if you’d like to.”
Sokka pulled her on his lap since she seemed bothered by the letter. Azula blushed.
“We are closer to a good partnership with the Fire Nation than ever. Once Zuko is crowned, that partnership will turn into friendship.” Sokka said.
“I do hope so. But here are people who don’t even trust me yet Sokka.”
“My parents do. And believe me, there’re people who already like and respect you. You saw it when we did the tour on the island. Our guards included.”
“Your father has been so nice to me. You two resemble each other a lot.” Azula said smiling. She stroked his neck and stubbles.
“I know. He has been always my hero. Both my parents actually.” Sokka didn’t say more. He was afraid since she wasn’t lucky with her parents.
“I barely talked with your mother though. And I still wonder why she let me go.”
“Next time, you’ll have plenty of time to interact with her.” he winked.
Azula looked at him with skepticism.
“What? You think you won’t ever go to the Northern Water Tribe?” he asked.
“I mean… I didn’t have time to consider it.”
“Under better circumstances of course.” Sokka said smiling. “Besides, once the storm is over, I’ll make an official announcement.”
“What announcement?” she asked.
“Your title is going to be official.”
“Sokka are you sure?”
“Ehm, you are Crown Princess already. But after the clear announcement nobody can question you.” he said.
Azula smiled. It touched her so much to know that he trusted her so much already.
“Keano can’t question you either.” Sokka said.
“I am not so sure about him to be honest.” Azula said.
“He will, trust me.” Sokka said seriously.
“Did something happen?”
“I got angry at him, well to everyone who made you sad in the Tribe. But we talked yesterday and all is good, don’t worry.” he said kissing her cheek.
“Sokka, I’d never want to stand in between you and any of the people you care about.”
He pulled her closer, “You are the one I care about.”
His thumb slipped under her dress and stroked her thigh.
“Bold of you, Your Highness.” Azula whispered dangerously.
Sokka smirked. She kissed him sensually, putting her palm on his crotch.
“Azula!” he panicked, eyes parting.
“You think only you can be bold?” Azula whispered on his lips.
Sokka put his whole palm on her thigh lightly squeezing and running it up and down. She moaned into their kiss, she caressed his neck and chest. It wasn’t long before things got heated and he carried her to the bedroom again that day.
This time they didn’t rush. It was more thorough, cherishing, yet still very loving and gentle. Sokka gave her so much love and tenderness. Azula rested on his chest afterwards, Sokka holding her closely, caressing her hair and running his hand up and down her spine. They rested for a long while, watching the lighting out of the window.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
For @sokklasaturdays opted to just drop a link this time due to the much darker turn I took with this fic. I updated the tags over on Ao3 so please do read them before proceeding with reading. And please read the author's note before the chapter as well.
Also opted to leave it out of the main tags just in case.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
For @sokklasaturdays opted to just drop a link this time due to the much darker turn I took with this fic. I updated the tags over on Ao3 so please do read them before proceeding with reading. And please read the author's note before the chapter as well.
Also opted to leave it out of the main tags just in case.
The landscape felt more polluted than anything Azula remembered from her childhood, with tall buildings and airborne military bases drifting everywhere in sight. Even while they were aboard an Elite Paladin's ship, they had been subjected to multiple security checks and confirmations that the people aboard were exactly who they were supposed to be.
Azula wondered how many clones had infiltrated Earth. How many times the Exalted had found a way through their defenses and struck against them when their guard was down. How much damage they had dealt until it had resulted in the battle for the Moon… the battle her brother had lost his life in.
It still seemed impossible to fathom. Zuko, gone… she shuddered, refusing to let her grief take over again. She had a job to do. She had duties to fulfill. With any luck, Sokka would be here soon and, if she still needed it, she'd crumble in his arms instead of here, in front of troops that needed to be inspired by her rage, her vengeance and her leadership.
Across the hours upon arriving, Azula merely stood by Ren Jiahao as he managed and organized the available troops, assigning duties and new squads for the soldiers in question. There was no point to growing impatient: her moment would come when Jiahao was ready to share battle plans with the higher-ranked officials with him.
"As of now, we are done being reactionary," were Ren's first words once he started the meeting with the Captains, Task Masters and Battle Masters available on Earth, none of whom were familiar for Azula. "The Exalted have proven time and again that they will not stop at anything to deal blows against us. Humanity must stand its ground. Bastions of Exalted forces have been tracked traveling towards Proxima Centauri b, and we have bolstered defenses there. It seems they know better than to approach Ross 128 b so far, but we will nonetheless ensure the tightest of security there."
"But the other human bastions in our system…" said one of the Battle Masters. "They've raided Enceladus multiple times by now."
"That is one of the gaps we will cover up for," Ren said. "I will assign a Regiment to Jupiter if we can afford to. There are far too many colonies there for us to be lax with their protection."
"Anywhere the Exalted strike will be valuable to us," Azula said, frowning heavily. "We have far more to lose than they do, more so at this point. If you intend to deal a severe blow against them, one to truly detract them so that we're not only reactionary… you need to target their ship."
"Their Gigaship, Exalsyn," another captain agreed, nodding. "Could it be done?"
"I don't believe I can say, with any certainty, that this is doable as things stand, Captain Homura," Ren said, eyeing her remorsefully. "I would like nothing more than to stab at the heart of the twisted corruption that are the Exalted… but I cannot pretend to know how to go about it when it is, as you say, their chief enterprise at the moment. Their full strength gathers around that ship, and the weapons they're said to have developed… they are nothing short of disturbing."
"What do the reports state about them?" Azula asked, frowning.
"Railguns of power and potency beyond anything we've developed," Ren explained. "Invasive technology that disables our own. It's how they operate in their defense so far. Whenever Exalsyn is involved in a battle, matters tend to take a turn for the worse for our forces. The battle in the Moon was the sole exception to that."
"How did you go about defeating it then?"
"Defeating it? No, we did no such thing," Ren said, lowering his gaze. "I'll explain the details in full later."
Azula frowned at the evasive answer. She did suspect there was much the Elite Paladin would need to share with her, but for now, she did her best to keep quiet and abide by the new orders and strategies developed by Ren: she would be under his direct command, assigned to leading a company whose captain also died in fighting recently.
Azula followed Ren through the hallways of the Fleet's Earth Headquarters, stepping onto his hovering vehicle, piloted automatically: she didn't need to ask where they were headed, as the small vessel powered its flight towards the higher landing platforms for the grandest building in the city: the Spire, the seat of power for Earth's Stellar Council members, and its Chairman's place of residence.
"It'll be busy over here," Ren commented. "But I do expect… your parents ought to be here. If you're ready to face them."
Azula's aching heart churned all the more: she had so many questions to ask her father… and suddenly none of them seemed to matter. Her discoveries pertaining the Lifeseeds, their origin, her father's line of work, involving them… she breathed deeply, trying to settle down. Trying to remember what, exactly, she needed to know… including the truth behind her uncle's death. She had taken it for granted, assumed the story pertaining his demise had to be real… was it? Nothing seemed real anymore, and she rather feared neither of her parents would want to answer her queries, whether they knew how to do so or not.
But her wretched, foolish heart yearned for that reunion all the same. Fear rose in her gut, dread that they might not be the people she remembered them as, not anymore… Sokka's parents had aged, and at this point they couldn't possibly still be alive. The chance to see hers again… she couldn't pass up on it. Not anymore.
Her cold, bubbling rage shifted slowly into heartbroken anticipation as they neared the platform Ren landed on. Azula couldn't seem to say a word as she followed him through the corridors. Ren greeted people, nodding in their direction, until they finally reached a grand room, with an ajar door.
Familiar voices escaped it, and Azula sped past Ren, impulsively, to push it fully open.
Where she anticipated change, where she braced herself for it, Azula nearly stumbled upon laying eyes upon her mother and father.
They spoke agitatedly with some other members of the Council when she pushed the door open: both turned to face her then… their amber eyes widening as they, instead of her, struggled to place the daughter they'd last seen when she had been but seventeen.
They looked unchanged in her eyes.
"Azula… oh, Azula!" Ursa gasped: whatever was troubling her seemed to fade into nothingness as she rushed towards her daughter, tears springing in her eyes immediately.
Azula clasped her mother's shoulders as Ursa hugged her, closing her eyes tightly to avoid breaking down as Ursa just had. She was a Captain of the Stellar Fleet… she couldn't come undone now, not even in her family's presence.
"It was the least I could do after… well. It's nothing to thank me for," Ren said, nodding his head towards Ozai. "How are matters here?"
"Arguments upon arguments, as you may expect," another man answered, an Overseer of Transportations, if his badges were anything to go by. "I simply cannot afford the investment Homura wants. We do not have the infrastructure to supply him with endless ships to carry his fuel and materials whenever the Exalted target his shipments…!"
"Can you… at least hold off for a moment?" Ozai said, with a snarl. "I would like to continue this discussion later."
"Oh… as you will," the Overseer rolled his eyes – clearly, the man was utterly unconcerned with Ozai's recent tragedies, unconcerned with showing him or his wife any manner of empathy…
Thus, Ren stepped up to the other Overseers present while Ozai approached Azula and Ursa. He gazed at his daughter with no shortage of shame and remorse… he placed a hand upon her shoulder, and guided the two outside the meeting room.
They wound up in an adjacent room, furnished with comfortable couches: Ursa sat with Azula in one, as Ozai sat across them, elbows on his knees, hands running through his long, dark hair.
"How long has it been for you?" Ozai asked.
"I thought… you might be able to keep up?" Azula asked, eyeing him warily.
"It's not as easy as you might have thought. Your brother…" Ozai started, before freezing midsentence, unable to continue. To Azula's surprise, it was Ursa who did.
"Your brother… was our age, when we last saw him."
Azula's eyes widened. Ursa sniffed, shaking her head as she clasped Azula's hand.
"It's been but three years for your father and I. We have traveled far too much, for far too long, I… I'm almost lost in time at this point," she said. "We couldn't keep up with much, but as our trips progressed, word of your successes reached us… oh, my dear. You've achieved such an extraordinary feat…"
"Doesn't feel that way. Not anymore," Azula said, bitterly. "Do you even know how it happened? Why he… why he died? Who did it?"
"We don't know," Ursa answered.
"We weren't exactly privy to the battle plans. We came and left, he told us to go," Ozai snarled. "He didn't want us to become targets for the enemy to focus on. So… we did as he asked. Upon returning… he was gone."
Ursa sobbed, struggling with the tears: Azula embraced her tightly, unable to contain the ones that spilled down her cheeks as well.
"We don't know the full details… but as far as we were told, he distracted the larger ship away from the Moon so the attack could be launched," Ozai said, shaking his head. "A reckless, suicidal mission… and he jumped into it without thinking twice of it."
"Was he still with the same partner? Suki? Is she…?"
"Same fate as his. Both… gone," Ozai said.
Azula swallowed hard and nodded. It was hardly tranquilizing to know her brother hadn't been alone… but if she were to face a nefarious fate, she would much rather do it with Sokka by her side.
"My partner should arrive soon," Azula said, softly. "We… we've built a team. I don't know if we'll be any good at fighting in the war instead of biocatalysis, but I know… I can't just sit back and wait for everyone else to do it anymore. I can't."
"That's good to know. Someone with your piloting talents certainly could be a good addition to the Fleet's defenses…" Ozai started, but Ursa gasped and glared at him.
"You just lost one son. Are you this ready to sacrifice your daughter?"
"I have no intentions of doing any such thing, and I'm sure neither does Azula," Ozai said, firmly. Azula breathed deeply and nodded. "There's no need for you to be in the frontlines as he was, but I could use your counsel and ideas on how to better protect the fuel shipments. At this rate… they keep targeting our resources. We won't be able to perform any stellarflight jumps if their wretched strike teams continue to disrupt us."
"You're harvesting our own sun's plasma, aren't you?" Azula asked.
"As well as that of other suns across the galaxy, yes," Ozai confirmed. "Red stars are far easier to harvest, but the material isn't as potent. White and yellow stars are ideal… and that's exactly what they are counting on."
"Focus on the red ones. We've biocatalyzed far more planets around those after all," Azula said, with a frown. "How far do these fuel poachers venture anyway? As far as I've understood, the Exalted don't travel too far. If so, you can set up somewhere distant, like the TOI exoplanets…"
"A good strategy… until they figure it out," Ozai sighed. "Not to mention how long it will take to set it up, and for the new fuel to reach our domains. The TOI exoplanets tend to be around ninety light-years away…"
"There has to be something that can be done," Azula said, shaking her head. "As massive as the Sun may be, they'll hunt down all your plasma harvesters if this keeps up. You have to find another way…"
"Thus why I keep clashing with our esteemed incompentent Overseer of Transportation," Ozai growled, rolling his eyes. "Perhaps Royston will pressure him into doing as I've asked…"
"Does he favor you over him?" Azula asked. Ozai shrugged.
"On any given day, yes. But…"
"He hasn't been particularly friendly ever since Zuko died," Ursa pointed out. Azula scowled.
"Why? What does that have to do with…?"
"I think it's merely his unwillingness to engage with… with anything to do with emotions, or attachments, or affection," Ursa concluded, with a scowl. "I can't think of anything else that explains his behavior. It isn't that he's uncomfortable because he doesn't know how to help, or so… he simply doesn't want to face grief. It bores or annoys him, take your pick…"
"He might just be the actual Exalted infiltrator, truth be told," Azula said: both Ozai and Ursa looked at her in astonishment. "That lack of humanity is exactly what people always use to describe them, so…"
"What is that supposed to mean… an Exalted infiltrator?" Ozai asked. Azula frowned.
"It's a suspicion I've grown to have across the past… months, I guess," she said. "Centuries, if you count all my trips. There are specific ways to figure out who's a clone and who isn't. A Lifeseed Specialist told me about it… would be rather nice to find out if Mitchell passes that test or not."
"Are there obvious tells?" Ursa asked, intrigued. "Anything we might be able to use…?"
"They don't have their smallest toes, no gonads, no navel," Azula recited. Ozai scowled. "Mainly, elements of the human body have been removed from the average clone to save up matter. As they won't reproduce the ordinary way, they have no need for those organs, so…"
"Efficient… and disturbing," Ozai said, shaking his head. "So be it. I will tell Royston of these suspicions of yours…"
"W-wait, he's under suspicion too…"
"No, he's not," Ozai said, matter-of-factly. Azula frowned. "I know you have never cared for him. I would be lying if I pretended he means anything to me on a personal level… but Royston Mitchell is still the Chairman. He has lived for longer than clones have been active…"
"Which could be one of the reasons why he's still around!" Azula exclaimed. "How do you know he didn't just transfer himself into another body?"
"The amount of hedonistic encounters he hosts in his private parties certainly suggest otherwise," Ozai said: Azula froze, bile rising in her gut. "I don't expect he'd do anything of the sort if, as you say, he had no reproductive system. He's a powerful man, rich, foolish, childish and immature in countless ways… but if he were part of the Exalted, this war would have ended a long time ago, and not in our favor."
Despite herself, Azula couldn't help but acknowledge her father had a point: if Adrian Starek was somehow Royston Mitchell's ally, there'd be no war to be fought at all. Even so, she also didn't doubt that, if Royston Mitchell weren't the man in power, it was entirely likely that Starek wouldn't have come as far as he had in his violent crusade.
"We will nonetheless carry out tests and confirmation of who's a clone and who isn't. Thank you for the idea," Ozai said, rising to his feet. "We cannot afford to be torn apart by our own infighting when we don't even know who to trust."
"Ozai…" Ursa sighed. He nodded in her direction before marching out of the room.
Azula gritted her teeth, clasping Ursa's hand. Her mother looked at her in despair.
"I need you to be forthright with me… about many things," Azula said, looking at her mother pleadingly. "Even those you don't know about for sure… just tell me what you suspect, if nothing else. Because, truthfully… I don't know who to trust either. And unfortunately, that means…"
"You don't trust your father," Ursa concluded. Azula frowned.
"I don't like who he has become. I made no secret of it back when last we saw each other. Time hasn't changed my views of Royston Mitchell," Azula said. Ursa nodded.
"Nor mine. He's despicable," Ursa concluded.
"But what concerns me now is… Uncle Iroh," Azula said: Ursa froze, looking at her in confusion. "I know you might just have believed everything I did, everything you told me… but do you actually know how Lifeseeds are made? What their components are?"
"I… what does that have to do with Iroh?" Ursa frowned.
"I… I don't know that father's behavior, his involvement in politics, in sucking up to Mitchell, is merely a matter of trying to reach for power," Azula said. "I used to think he wanted his job… but maybe all he really wants is the chance to stave away his own mortality. His own… his own turn to become part of a Lifeseed."
Ursa's eyes widened. Azula knew then that her mother, truly, had known nothing.
"I had been looking into something else, trying to figure out if my suspicions that another person was, maybe, an Exalted mole in our forces were correct," Azula said, lowering her gaze. "That's where I met that Lifeseed Specialist and he had no choice but to tell me everything. Lifeseeds need organic matter… and plasma, too, I'm sure. I don't know the full balance of what it entails. I saw that Specialist transfer a human body into a Lifeseed with my own eyes, though…"
"That's… that's horrifying, Azula," Ursa said, covering her mouth with a hand.
"I know," Azula gritted her teeth. "That's exactly why I'm telling you about it. I don't know whether he knows or not… but maybe he does. And maybe he doesn't want to be part of it, I wouldn't either… maybe he's aware of how Lifeseeds work because he's been in this business with energy for a while. But I… I don't know how to find the courage to do it anymore. To plant any others… it seems so senseless. How would I know that the people who were used to create the Lifeseed did it willingly? And when there's a war happening, too. I… I couldn't keep doing it. After what happened to Zuko…"
"You… you want to avenge your brother, and I understand that, Azula. If I could take one of those psionic weapons to cut down whoever is responsible, I would too, but…" Ursa said: Azula eyed her warily…
Her mother's hand cupped her face, tears blinking in her eyes.
"I don't want to lose you too."
The words struck Azula as a landslide might. She couldn't find an answer to them… couldn't compose herself enough to respond to her mother's unexpected expression of affection.
"You don't seriously believe that this legendary pilot who has been around for, apparently, three thousand years would not be missed if she blew herself up in a core pod…"
"Maybe she thinks so, and that's why she can do it. Maybe there's no one around to tell her they care,"
A shiver ran down Azula's spine before she pulled Ursa in for a tight hug: her mother sobbed as she clung to her, as her grief and anguish threatened to break Azula's fierce resolve…
Ursa had found herself facing a fully grown man in the place of the young adult she had last seen her son as. Determined, experienced, leading forces into battle… and his life had been claimed by the Exalted, perhaps just as Ursa was trying to make her peace with all the changes. The pain she had experienced shook Azula to the marrow… for it was similar, yes, to Sokka's own, but Kya and Hakoda had chosen their outcome. Zuko… he was supposed to be fighting for victory. Unless, of course, he had taken up a suicidal mission…
Could that have been the case? Azula's innards churned at the thought. The truth behind Zuko's death didn't sit well with her, but she might be able to unravel it. Perhaps the responsibility for it lay at more hands than solely those of the Exalted…
"I'll… try to figure out what happened with Zuko, exactly," Azula said. "I won't join any fighting until my team arrives, if that makes you feel any better. They should come sometime soon, but until they do, I'll stay put. I promise."
"T-thank you," Ursa sniffed, pulling back.
"In the meantime… if you could help me by looking into things in your own way, I'd appreciate that," Azula said. Ursa frowned. "I know you have no clearance, of course, you're an Overseer's wife… but that means you have connections. Other people in high society, in Mitchell's wretched circles. If you try… I'm sure you'll figure out some more information about what's going on in this war."
"What… what do you mean?" Ursa asked. "What exactly do you want me to figure out…? Isn't it merely this… this matter of the Lifeseeds? The clones…?"
"Where did they come from? Why are they rebelling?" Azula asked. Ursa froze. "Does anyone know that? Or are we supposed to believe that Adrian Starek riled up a whole group of docile, pacifist clones to fight against humanity on a childish whim?"
"I… I don't know. Most of the time, we've been expected to believe that… that Starek merely has a grudge of some kind on humanity. What few speeches he has given to threaten the Council suggested as much."
"Are those available? Can I see any of them?" Azula asked, eyes narrowing.
Five minutes later, a holographic screen appeared before them: the sight of the man in question, Adrian Starek, sent bile up Azula's throat. His golden smooth hair, frighteningly pale blue eyes, pristine white skin, so translucid that some veins could be glimpsed crisscrossing below it, felt like a caricature of what some people used to consider the perfect human. His delicate features were highlighted by a steel collar around his neck, a rather odd choice coming from someone fighting for freedom. The clothes he wore were utterly impractical, blue and flowing: everything suggested a farce, a manufactured entity, rather than a real human being… even his voice was smooth and sweet, even if his tone was harsh when his address begun.
"Humanity has been given chances upon chances to right its wrongs. To set a better course towards a future where it will know better than to step on those they deem their inferiors. We, the Exalted, are the evolution of humanity, the cure and cleanse of its sins. It is with us that a new, purified society may be born in place of the corrupt and twisted leadership you continue to follow. We have abandoned your vices, we have created a community, rather than a pyramid of hierarchical authority… and even still, as we make our choices together, as we fight as one among brothers and sisters, you look upon us and pretend that we are monsters. But who is the true monster, the creature born against its will in a world that will never tolerate its existence, or the cruel inventor who inflicted its own existence upon them?
"Never again shall the clones submit. Never again will we be trampled in darkness as you blind yourselves willingly to the light of a sun we should be able to share, as equals. But the day when you shall see us as such will never come: therefore, you force our hand for the sake of survival. Your refusal to share your worlds is already an act of cruelty you won't answer for… but your determination to impede our kind from building our own society, apart from yours, only bolsters our need to defy you and defend ourselves. We are more than your fodder, more than the corpses upon which you build your space conquest. We will battle to the last, stand against your cruelty, rise above your expectations and find the freedom you have denied us for all this time: we are your retribution, one you unleashed upon yourselves. This war will only end with the destruction of the old… and its rebirth as something new, something greater: we are the next stage of human evolution. The dusk of mankind has arrived."
Azula scowled: the words held such strong conviction, such hatred for humanity… they weren't merely a threat but a manifesto, one that placed the blame for the war squarely at humanity's feet. Was that fair? Probably more so than Azula was aware of, thus far.
"What do you think he meant about 'refusal to share worlds'?" Azula asked her mother. Ursa sighed and shrugged.
"I suspect… it must have something to do with how humanity stomped out clones as soon as the Exalted rose," Ursa said. Azula frowned. "Before they called themselves that, when they were but a rebellious faction, clones were still… developed, I suppose, in various places. But once the Exalted became a fully organized group, part of the Fleet's work has been, as far as I'm aware, about wiping out every bastion of control the Exalted might have had over any planet or celestial body in the galaxy. That's why they attacked the Moon, but before that…"
"Earth had its own factories, surely," Azula reasoned.
"All were razed to the ground," Ursa confirmed.
"Why?" Azula snarled. "Why did we even… need clones? What exactly was their purpose?"
"That… is quite likely something we'd best look into while we can. Quietly, if possible," Ursa said. "Perhaps leave it to me. I can weave my way between conversations and crowds, I know how to navigate Mitchell's favorites. You can focus on… on unraveling whether there are clone infiltrators within the Fleet or not, I guess. If you find any? Perhaps they'll have the answers you seek."
"Perhaps," Azula said, biting her lip. "I can't help but wonder… if they'd be careful about it. If they'd actually create clones with all humanly expected body parts and components just to make sure to fool any such readings and verifications."
"They might," Ursa reasoned. "But it would not pay off due to other reasons, right? Like… like old age. Clones don't live beyond ten years. Someone who never seems to age, or keeps growing younger…"
"How… how old are most clones? At least, visually. If they were equivalent to humans…" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "As far as I know, they appear to be around thirty years of age? So, an old clone would look… forty, instead."
"Most of them never do appear to be that age, as far as I know," Ursa said, softly. "They're likely taken back for a new body to replace the old once they're close to the end of their lives…"
"And the new version would just look thirty again," Azula said. Ursa nodded.
It was a foolish choice, perhaps, to switch her quest towards something she already had no reason to suspect anymore… but her neural chip switched to searching any official announcements featuring any images of Marcia Guerrero, once more.
"What are you…?" Ursa frowned, slow panic rising in her gut. "Azula? Y-you don't mean…"
"No… no, I don't."
Relief rose within Azula's heart as she pieced the pictures together, one after the other: even if there weren't that many of them, for nothing before the Task Master's time in TRAPPIST-1d would appear onscreen, there was no jump backwards in age… no sign that she had been rejuvenated artificially. She certainly looked around forty as she was… perhaps a year more, a year less.
"The theories about her were wrong. That's… that's how I started to consider it, to begin with," Azula said. Ursa's jaw dropped. "I found discussions about her in the Extranet… about her time in TRAPPIST-1d, claims that she had been abducted by the Exalted and replaced by a clone. But if this is how it works…"
"That'd be madness. Especially her," said Ursa, shaking her head. "Mitchell would've been delighted, no doubt, but…"
"He's still not over it, is he?"
"He never gets over anything, dear. He's worse than a fickle child," Ursa sighed. "Sometimes he just starts ranting about her out of nowhere…"
"He did that, the one time I spoke to him directly not long ago," Azula said, rolling her eyes.
"People like him never know how to handle it when others don't bend over to his every whim," Ursa said. "So… in a sense, that may just be why Starek is doing what he's doing. It's his own way to oppose Mitchell's irresponsible nature… only, his actions affect far more than Mitchell."
"It doesn't make sense to fight a war this way. But maybe he thinks there's no other way around it as long as Mitchell is in power," Azula sighed, shaking her head. "At any rate… thank you for helping me look into this. I'll do it myself, too, and… I promise I won't jump into danger needlessly. I'll be careful."
"Please," Ursa sighed, moving in to hug her daughter. "I will always miss your brother… I will always regret countless things about the lives we're living now. But you're still here… and you can make a difference, I'm sure of it."
Ursa caressed her cheek as she pulled back. Azula swallowed hard, uneasy.
"I… I'll try. I have plenty to live for, still… many things I want to figure out," she said. "Say, Mom…"
"Yes?" Ursa raised her eyebrows. Azula breathed deeply.
"I probably shouldn't do this. Shouldn't say anything, but… just promise you won't tell Dad? Or anyone else?"
Ursa raised her eyebrows. Azula, despite herself, offered her mother a small smile.
"I… I got married."
Ursa's jaw dropped. Azula smiled awkwardly, unable to hold her gaze.
"I know it's a lot to take out of nowhere, but…"
Ursa's hands gripped her shoulders: the woman was suddenly aglow with excitement, with newfound life…
"Tell me everything."
The feeling of having a strong ally in her mother, in spite of everything, brought new relief and peace to Azula's turbulent heart. It was Ursa's need for Azula's stability and safety that had helped her regain her center, remember her past clashes with Sokka… remember his hope that she would always come back to him safely. She meant to do so, this time as well…
But as days passed by, no sign of Sokka's ship was reported. Azula checked daily with LUMEN Spaceport Station, Earth's most massive artificial satellite, and they assured her they'd reach out when he turned up… but the stellarship that had become a home for Azula was nowhere to be found still. Where being with her mother eased her at first, Sokka's absence started to bring about an unsettling, worrisome feeling that she couldn't quite shrug away.
Matters didn't improve in the slightest when a massive operation to identify clone infiltrators began: civilians and military officers alike were subjected to full body scans, even more than once, all be it to confirm they were exactly who they claimed to be. Azula herself was put through the process twice in virtue of the systems failing to update with the information of the first thorough check…
"If this is how you intend to implement the investigation into clones, I'm afraid it's not going to be particularly successful, Father," Azula hissed at Ozai, in his office, who shook his head as he continued to flip through files.
"Perhaps the systems were not ready to sustain this kind of information, but… where's your mother?" Ozai growled.
"Off somewhere. I think she had something to talk about with some other Overseer's wife," Azula said, simply. Ozai sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Azula. You're evidently not a clone, I just… this isn't entirely in my control," he confessed. Azula frowned.
"Then in whose?"
"Who do you think?" Ozai grunted. "The minute I brought forth this initiative, Royston…"
"Oh, fuck him."
"He seemed to think it was brilliant," Ozai said, rolling his eyes. "But I get to face all reports, including yours, of unfair treatment while he handles any of the successful hits we've gotten…"
"Wait, you've found someone?" Azula's eyes widened. "Who?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself," Ozai sighed. "I never saw the files. Royston simply claimed he needed to interrogate them in full, so…"
"Oh. So they might just not be clones, but people who annoy him, and he's merely abusing his power to rid himself of them?" Azula asked, with a scowl. Ozai looked at her skeptically.
"And what exactly do you intend to do about it, if that were the case?"
Azula stared at Ozai in disbelief: he seemed jaded, unusually submissive, almost helpless. He knew, he had always known, that Royston Mitchell was wrong in countless ways… and not once had he decided to fight against him and his wretched whims.
"Certainly far more than you do," Azula said, frowning.
"Azula, for crying out loud… do not get yourself into trouble with him," Ozai said: panic crossed his features as Azula stared him down with a scowl. "As infuriating as you may find him, he's still the Chairman. He's above you, me, everyone in this planet. Not even if you go to Ren will you be able to do anything to defy him. If you suspect he's misusing this investigation, what exactly do you think will stop him from turning it on you?"
Her father made a good point… but not one she wanted to consider. She scowled, shaking her head before marching out of his office without another word.
Earth was massive, populated, brimming with activity. Azula had spent so long in distant planets, or even in Mars, that she had nearly forgotten how hectic and needlessly fast life could be on Earth. The days were far slower than in most other planets – provided they weren't tidally locked –, with those generous twelve hours of sunlight and darkness ensuring the human circadian circle could be completed… and yet humanity was ever in a hurry, rushing back and forth on airborne vehicles, their lights glowing all across the globe as shooting stars might.
It was ironic that Azula would feel far lonelier in the most populated celestial body of the galaxy than upon being in a newly biocatalyzed planet. Her stomach churned as she looked at her ring: no response. What was holding him back? Where was he?
"Just show up already," she grumbled, pressing her face to her knees.
She had thought she'd wind up involved in the war already. That she would be fighting tooth and nail to destroy Adrian Starek… had she held back at all, had she retained a smidge of sense, she wouldn't be here like this. She would've only arrived with her team, if they wanted to come at all, that was…
She missed them. She yearned for their company and support. To think she had scoffed at the idea of a team, that she had wanted this individuality all along… only to feel her heart breaking for it with every second that passed by. She wanted to believe, deeply, that nothing was wrong, that they'd show up sooner than later…
After a month passed, she couldn't help but approach Ren Jiahao, her trembling, aching heart dreading whatever response she'd receive.
"Captain Homura," Ren said, nodding in her direction as he stood at the center of the celestial map room.
Projected planets and stars hovered around him: the map was gigantic, easy to manipulate, scaling it for whatever purpose the user wanted to resort to. This map enabled people like Ren to plot strategies based on whatever stellarflight distances needed to be traversed, to determine new targets for biocatalysis… it was beautiful, too, a spectacle of sparkling bright lights all across a dark room. Azula stepped through it, noticing a couple of labels for planets she had biocatalyzed herself… she shook her head, pushing aside all sign of pride and focusing on her actual intent.
"I was told you'd be here. I hoped to speak about… many things, I suppose," Azula said, with uncertainty.
"If you're impatient about our next strike, don't be. We're planning it actively," Ren said, without looking at her. "Your brother's vengeance won't be far from our reach."
"Good. But I wanted to ask about… about my initiative pertaining clone infiltrators," Azula said.
"A wise call. Though…"
"Not implemented correctly, is it?"
Ren sighed and hung his head. He looked at Azula with remorse now, a hand on his hip.
"If it makes you feel any better, Royston's behavior is… namely about people he has grudges on, and such. Within a couple years, it'll be overturned once all investigations prove…"
"It shouldn't take years," Azula hissed. "Has anyone been a genuine clone so far? Or is it just full humans still?"
"So far… I do think there was one," Ren remarked. Azula frowned. "This being said, where exactly did you learn this kind of information about clones? It seems odd that you'd know these details where we didn't…"
"A Lifeseed Specialist told me about it," Azula said. Ren crooked an eyebrow.
"And where exactly would you come about a Lifeseed Specialist?"
"Are they so rare?" Azula asked. Ren nodded.
"Quite, I'd say. Most pilots never meet any," he said.
Azula hesitated to answer – why, she didn't know. So far, Ren had seemed reliable and trustworthy, more often than not…
Save for the one time she had overheard him arguing with Marcia Guerrero.
Her chest tightened. Was she a fool to trust him at all… a fool to trust her, instead? To privilege her over the man who was actually fighting this war?
She breathed deeply, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"My team and I recently traveled to TRAPPIST-1d."
Ren froze. Azula looked at him, gauging his reaction with uncertainty: nerves, unease… guilt?
"Has any of your team developed space madness?" he asked. "Why were you there, what…?"
"My partner's parents were there. Him and his sister wanted to see them again one last time, before… well. They must have passed by now," Azula said, trying to restrain the emotions that threatened to boil over. Fool that she was for ever having left that place… she should've stayed. She could've died in ignorance there, by Sokka's side, pretending the war didn't exist, that her brother lived on… but here she was instead. "I was looking into some matters, due to my suspicions of clone infiltration in our ranks, and… I was directed to speak with this specialist. He explained many things, including this… but you say it's not common knowledge?"
"Not really. Perhaps this specialist needs to be investigated too," Ren said. Azula frowned.
"He's human," Azula said, bluntly. "My team's digger… she's quite the shameless idiot for using them this way, but she has prosthetic eyes. She confirmed he had all the body parts he claimed clones didn't."
"Huh. Well, unfortunately that might just mean your specialist is either still using clones to create Lifeseeds, or did it in the past and grew to notice these details… not that he should be so certain of anything like this anyway. The way we used to grow clones was…"
Ren fell silent. He stared at Azula cautiously, finding her frozen on the spot, wide-eyed.
"Clones. You're… you're saying clones were used as fuel for Lifeseeds?" Azula asked. Ren breathed deeply, raising a hand as though to calm her down.
"The organic fuel was always needed. And while animals or plants could be cloned too, they were better off used as food instead," Ren argued. Azula's lips parted. "Earth used to be plagued by famine, you know? Lots of hunger in countless corners of the planet… when you produce enough food to feed even more than just your population, you can export it to other planets still. And you can also use it to keep clones alive until they're ripe enough to… fulfill their purpose."
"You're telling me this is… what clones were for?" Azula asked. "Is this what Adrian Starek is fighting against?"
"Adrian Starek is fighting for the sake of his own glory and ego," Ren said, scowling. "The man has extended his lifespan beyond anything natural, jumping from body to body, presumably, to ensure that he can one day dominate the entire galaxy. Haven't you heard his addresses? His threats? He claims the Exalted are the 'natural evolution' for humanity, superior to us because they're not subjected to the same limitations. They don't have carnal needs, for one thing, they also don't truly age, because all they have to do is spend about a year growing their next vessels and then transferring their consciousness, through a neural chip, into the next one. How normal is that? How natural? Do you really believe someone who has been in his faction's seat of power for so long could be holding onto it for dignified and noble reasons?"
"The same could be said about Royston Mitchell."
Ren fell silent then. Azula crooked an eyebrow, fire burning in her eyes.
"You're successfully convincing me that both sides are wrong, if that's what you intended to do. Good job," Azula said, sarcastically. Ren huffed.
"Homura… clones are not human," he said. "They're a hivemind, controlled by this wretch who will sacrifice them all as pawns just to one-up humanity. We don't answer to Royston the same way…"
"And yet, if the bastard ordered you to fly into the sun, you'd do so without thinking twice of it, wouldn't you?" Azula asked. Ren gritted his teeth. "If he ordered you to execute me on the spot, you'd just ask what shape he'd like you to turn your psionic weapon into before getting the job done. Here he is, throwing people into prison for the mere crime of having irritated him… and you're doing nothing about it. How are we, truly, that different from Starek? At least his hivemind has no choice. You do… and you do nothing with it."
Ren breathed deeply, staring down Azula with narrow, colder eyes.
"Almost feels like you're someone else entirely now, Homura. If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if Guerrero's gotten to you," Ren said. Azula scoffed.
"I… I wronged her. I thought to be loyal to the Fleet, I thought she was the one who wouldn't be…"
"She isn't. She has refused to work with us to save humanity…"
"Maybe she's refusing to fight a battle she doesn't understand. A battle that seems to be about the egos of two pathetic men who aren't worth half of what they're gambling to prove their superiority," Azula hissed. "For a time, I started to think she was on the wrong path. But now, knowing this… her refusal to be part of the war is starting to make a lot more sense."
"Even after what happened to your brother?" Ren asked, scowling.
"How was he any better than you? Putting your lives on the line to fight a battle that could have been finished if Mitchell had simply made a responsible choice, for once in his life!" Azula said, shaking her head. "Organic fuel is always needed, you say… how many people are aware of that? Aware that TRAPPIST-1d is as good as a harvesting farm for Lifeseed fuel, too? It's almost better, truly, than merely creating clones to turn them into fuel… at least, as far as I was told, they're given a chance. But is it true? Are they? Or is it just like this… where Mitchell gets to decide who to kill and who to hand over to the authorities because someone looked at him funny?"
"It might be you next, if you keep this up," Ren said.
"And that's the kind of leader you want to follow?" Azula asked, point-blank. "Someone who would shoot me down for questioning him? Is that really what humanity's great leader is supposed to be like? I… I thought you had a clearer head than this. That you would know better than to bend over so pointlessly, even if you humored him while knowing he was wrong, but maybe you never truly realized…!"
"I do know he's wrong!" Ren shouted, tightening a fist. "But I also know there are far greater, more important things than standing about, pointing fingers at someone's flaws and demanding retribution when our people, humanity as a whole, could die while we're busy infighting, clashing with our leaders and pretending to know better than them!"
Azula frowned. Ren's chest heaved as he stared at her, challenging her to say a single defiant word anew. She lowered her gaze.
"Where are they?"
"Who? The Exalted? We couldn't possibly know…"
"My team. My partner," Azula finished, coldly. "You said they'd be here shortly after we arrived. You brought me first… as though it made sense to split me from them. They did me no harm. They weren't likely to worsen my initial reaction to my brother's fate. I'm fine now. As fine as I can be, anyway. So… why aren't they here? Did they follow us and got sent elsewhere? Or… did they not follow at all?"
Panic rose in her chest at the thought. Ross 128 b was eleven years away… Sokka would be twenty-two years older than her if he had remained there, waiting for her…
"They were sent on other assignments."
Azula's eyes widened. Ren stared her down firmly.
"Without my authorization and approval?" Azula asked. Ren shrugged.
"You may have been their leader, but that does not mean you outrank those who made the decision," Ren declared.
"Where are they?" Azula hissed.
"I wasn't the one who made the call pertaining their next locations. Moreover… you'd do best to focus on avenging your brother. Or is it you'd rather forsake his memory out of nothing but pride and willfulness, Homura?"
Challenging a superior she had once respected had never been in Azula's expectations… that something like this could ever come to pass between her and Ren Jiahao was nothing short of disappointing. She should have expected it… she should have known better than to trust any of Mitchell's sycophants blindly.
"I guess you'll continue to fight for memories, for the dead, for those who need to be avenged… while neglecting those still alive, apparently," Azula said, with a heavy scowl. "You can't change what happened to those who have been lost to Starek's vendetta. I'll avenge my brother alright… but I will do it with my people at my side. As I always should have."
She didn't leave Jiahao any time to compose an answer to her words: Azula turned on her heels and marched out of the room, heart racing with rage, with nerves… with fear.
How much time had she wasted? How much time would have passed? Where would they have been sent? Could she get there before it was too late?
Maybe she could tell her mother – her father was, unfortunately, a lost cause at this point. But keeping Ursa around, bringing her along, pulling her out of the vipers' nest that was the Council would be doable still. She could help Azula with connections, surely, finding a path towards her teammates before they were too far gone…
Sokka. Her chest clenched as his face appeared before her mind's eye, and tears sprung in her eyes. She had to see him again. She needed to return to him…
A glance down at the ring revealed no reactions. He was nowhere in range still… nowhere within the solar system, in all likelihood. She snarled and pushed the door to her family's suite open brusquely, a heavy scowl on her face
"Mom, I have to…!"
Azula froze on the threshold: she hadn't said anything incriminating or revealing yet, but her rising, raging emotions only seemed more likely to worsen upon finding someone else lounging on the three-seater couch, arms spread over the backrest, legs carelessly open, with a strange circlet over his head.
"Hell, this is something else!" Royston Mitchell laughed, eyes closed as he nodded his head along to music Azula couldn't hear. "Damn, this simulation tech's getting out of hand…!"
Azula's blood boiled at the sight of the man: she stepped up to him and removed the circlet brusquely: Royston gasped and groaned as the sharper edges scraped his head.
"Ow!" he frowned. "Oh. You were here. Yeah, this tech's getting too good, I didn't even notice…!"
"Where is my mother?" Azula hissed. Royston snorted.
"Hell if I know. Probably in some tea party, where else would she be?" he said, before patting the couch beside him. "You can wait for her here, right?"
"I'm rather busy, Chairman," Azula said, impressing a scolding tone into the utterance of the man's title. "I'll be leaving shortly, in fact. So, unless you have any further information on my mother's whereabouts…"
"Wait, leaving? What's that supposed to mean?" Royston asked, raising his eyebrows. "You've got to wait! At least a couple days. What did Ren assign you to do, huh?"
"He didn't assign anything: I'm finding my team. I… I don't know where they are," Azula said. Royston hummed, with a careless smile.
"So what? Make a new one," he said, hands on his hips as he rose from the couch. "C'mon. I've got a big award to give you tomorrow. Came here to tell you that, myself! Imagine that, I didn't even send a message or leave it to someone else to do it for me…"
"I owe you quite a bit. Feels like I'm finally going to get her, when she gets here," he said. "Sent a summons to the bitch… and when she arrives? I'll finally snag her. All thanks to you."
"What are you talking about…?" Azula's eyes widened. "You… Guerrero? You're not going to accuse her of being a… she can't be a clone! She's older than they are, she…!"
"Pfft, like that means anything," Royston said, rolling his eyes. "They could design a couple clones to be conveniently off-model, you know, just to throw us off! So…!"
"That's… that's ridiculous. What's your basis to suspect her?" Azula said, frowning. "You can't just jump to conclusions like this when you have no evidence that…!"
"Oh, no worries about that," Royston laughed. "She's been under suspicion of being a clone for a long, long time. We'll just make sure to verify all those accusations…"
"That's… that's absurd. If you suspected that all along, why the hell didn't you act on it until now?" Azula asked, eyes wide.
"Because we didn't know how to prove it, of course," Royston smiled. "But, you know, missing toes, no reproductive system… that should be easy enough to confirm, right?"
"And what if she does have all those things?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "What if…?"
"You really think that matters?" Royston smiled. "Moreover… our medical tech's pretty good. Won't be that hard to take a few things out that she's not gonna need, right? That's why clones do it. They don't need it, so…"
Azula's jaw dropped. Royston smiled, as though he hadn't said anything horrifying with the same casual tone with which someone might discuss the results of a space hockey game.
"You… y-you wouldn't. You wouldn't dare do something like that, that's…!"
Royston raised an eyebrow before smirking.
"I mean… she was born back in 2134, as far as I remember. Her uterus is fried as fuck at this point. She's not gonna need it," Royston said, with a shrug. Azula let out a shaky breath, taking a step away from the Chairman. "I just didn't realize this stuff was actually how clones worked, you know? Pretty clever of Starek, too, saving up resources that way…"
"Don't you fucking dare," Azula said, trembling. "You… you got her out of TRAPPIST-1d! You did it so she could rejoin the Fleet, so why would you…?!"
"Oh, you know about TRAPPIST? Shit, you're informed," Royston said, blinking blankly. "Thought we'd buried those tracks a lot better than that. How did you find out?"
"Because… I overheard her once. Arguing with Ren, he brought it up," Azula said, scowling. Royston smirked. "But some bastard in a forum once also mentioned it, so…"
"Ah. Ah, oops," Royston snorted, covering his mouth and laughing. "Yeah, well, that one's probably on me, why lie. Didn't think anyone in the Fleet would be lurking in those kinds of forums, though. Why were you?"
"I was trying to figure out if she was…!" Azula started, eyes wide. "Wait. You posted that shit. It was you…"
"Hey, I… so what? I mean… what, she humiliates me in a public event in her honor, and I'm supposed to take it lying down?" Royston scoffed. "She started it. And she'll pay the price for it at last, I mean, it's been a long time coming, so…"
"She's not paying for shit," Azula hissed. Royston smiled.
"How do you plan to warn her?" he asked. "Doesn't matter what you do anyway: the minute she's in Earth's vicinity…"
"You have been using her image to fuel your propaganda, to clean up your image, to gather support for the Fleet," Azula scowled. "That's why you got her out of TRAPPIST-1d, isn't it? How much of that are you going to have, still, if…?"
"If I get rid of her for good? Why, that's what your award was supposed to be about: you'd have the chance to be the one who uncovered her. And then you'd be her replacement, as it were," Royston said: Azula's eyes widened. "You're racking up quite a bit of a following yourself, you're capable of the exact same things she's been boasting of… you've risen through the ranks and cemented yourself as a great asset to the Fleet. Your father's association with me, too… all of it means you can become the new female face of the Stellar Fleet, Homura, if you just… cut out all this combativeness you've got going on right now, you know? This is going to benefit you in the long run! Why're you taking it so badly, huh?"
"Right. I can get everything I want if I bend over and do anything you ask," Azula hissed. Royston shrugged. "How do I know I'm not going to end up like her, then? That the minute you're annoyed by me, you'll throw me to the wolves, rip out my body parts and claim I'm a clone?"
"Why… you don't. But I suppose I'd just warn you not to anger me," Royston said, with a shrug. "Remember your place, be grateful for your boons… that sort of thing. Of course, though, I'd love to know beforehand if you have space madness, because I'm not about to put up with yet another case of a crazed female pilot causing far more trouble than she's worth…"
"You're saying… she has it," Azula said, glaring at him firmly. "If that's the case, why is she in active duty again? Isn't this just more of your vindictive propaganda against her?"
"Oh, no, no, no," Royston laughed, looking at Azula skeptically. "I sure made those posts about her being a clone but… space madness? She's got it, alright. Probably has had it for four thousand years, for all we know."
"You said she was born in… 2134?" Azula repeated: bile rose in her guts, as the notion took root in her mind. Four-thousand years… how? How could anyone endure that much time in space… how could someone do so all by themselves?
"Yep, think so anyway. Could be off by a couple years but I dunno," Royston said, with a shrug. "Born on Earth, too! Which makes it funny that she refuses to come back, for whatever reason. Crazy bitch doesn't make a smidge of sense. But as for her space madness, ah, yes: if you really don't know, that's why she was in TRAPPIST. She went on a mindless flight the one time, spent like a week floating in the middle of nowhere, and when Ren found her she was like… what, at the gates of death? Starved, filthy, a total wreck. Bitch was so ungrateful to be rescued, too… bet she was just offended she owed her life to a man. But then we dropped her off in TRAPPIST, you see… because that's what you do to people with space madness. But rumors started, and a bunch of busybodies wanted to go see her. Thing is, TRAPPIST-1d is a planet where…"
"Where the Council harvests human matter for Lifeseeds. I'm aware," Azula hissed. Royston squealed.
"You've done so much research! Damn, that's kind of impressive. Anyway!" he said, shaking his head proudly. "We couldn't very well have the press looking into what was going on there, right? TRAPPIST-1d still needs to hold on to the reputation of being a haven for people with space madness, above all else… so we scrapped most of her record. Hid where she was, hid so much as when she was born, where…! Even the bulk of her achievements… well, we tried to hide those but a lot of smart people figure it out anyway. Kinda funny when they don't, to be honest: oh, Marcia Guerrero biocatalyzed Proxima Centauri b! Proxima Centauri b was biocatalyzed in 2163! How old could she possibly be…? Ah, what a mystery! Basic math's too much for us!"
Royston laughed, shaking his head before staring at Azula pointedly.
"Point and case being… don't piss me off. Don't play games you can't win. The Council is mine. The Fleet is mine. And no pilot is going to change that, no matter how many thousand years old they may be," Royston said, stepping up to Azula again. "You have your father's career to consider, too. Your brother's death? All those things. Join the fray, be part of the battles… and all will be fine and good. Whatever you wanted with this team of yours… you don't need them. Why would you?"
"Why…?" Azula repeated, eyes narrowing. "Do you have space madness? Did you ever?"
"Who, me? Fuck, no," Royston laughed, hands on his hips.
"Did you have a family?" Azula asked. Royston's amusement shifted into confusion. "Anyone you were close to? Anyone you ever loved?"
"Where's this coming from?" Royston said, with a slight smirk. "If you're trying to figure out if I have progeny, rest assured, I did my donation at the Harvesting Institute well before I started flying. Plenty of little Roystons can show up someday, but I'm not interested in that yet…"
"Did you leave anyone behind that ever mattered to you?"
Azula's firm question caught him off-guard. Royston's amusement faded, replaced by distaste.
"I… seriously, you pilots are so fucking weird. Might even be the female pilots in particular. Ren's not this unnerving," Royston said, shaking his head. "What'd you want me to do, tell you some sob story about the wife and child I left behind to chase my dreams? Oh, wait, maybe Starek killed them, like he killed your brother! Yeah, that'd get you riled up. Or, hmm, my mom! Oh, yeah, mom died when I was a kid, she told me how much she loved me and then I got adopted by this super rich guy who died shortly after and I got all his money and…!"
"Could you answer seriously? For once in your life?" Azula asked. Royston huffed, hands on his hips.
"You're a pain. I don't know what you're trying to figure out here," he said, simply. "But the answer is no. And that's why I've made it this far. I accepted the reality of our modern lives: nothing is permanent if you're gonna fly in the stars. I get people like your parents, sucking up to me, being a pain sometimes, I tend to get rid of those quick. But… you think I'd bat an eyelash if any of them gets left behind and I fly too far into the future? Fuck, no. Why would I?"
"Not even Ren?" Azula asked. Royston smiled.
"Ren's a very useful asset. But there are a thousand men in the Fleet ready to take his place if he fucks up, or dies, or retires. He's great… but he's not some magical, one-of-a-kind unicorn, exactly. You aren't, either… and neither is Guerrero."
Azula closed her eyes.
A painful reality she had never imagined seemed to materialize then.
As a child, she had hated this man, resented him, taken offense to his cruelty, rejoiced in his humiliation. She had thought he was the embodiment of entitlement, of a power-hungry wretch obsessed with his own legend, whereas Marcia Guerrero was everything she had ever wanted to be: freedom incarnate, answering to no one, especially to this man.
But with what she had seen and experienced now… with what she had suffered through, that now she could find traces of in her old hero, the reality of matters was changing abruptly.
It was Royston who answered to nothing. Who respected no one. Who represented a terrible aspect of freedom: having nothing to lose, nothing to hold him accountable for his countless sins.
Marcia Guerrero looked like independence and individuality… but four-thousand years of stellarflight travel did not come at no cost.
She had lost everything.
Royston had never owned anything that mattered to him to begin with.
And now that Azula had the powerful bonds she had built, the friends she had grown close to, the reality of Guerrero's words towards her, the unexpected displays of kindness, gained a stark contrast with Royston's behavior, his words…
"All I'd ask of you is… not to take this for granted. Be it Harkin, or your digger, or whoever else is with you. The lives we lead as pilots are far more fragile than they look. I can see it hasn't broken you yet… and I hope, for your sake, that it never does."
Azula shivered: those words had been spoken from experience. She did not know what Marcia Guerrero had lost… she might never understand it. Perhaps the woman flew alone out of necessity, out of fear of ever building a bond she'd have to mourn later, much like the ones she was still plagued by grief over. But Azula didn't doubt, not for a second, that the Task Master she had admired so much, who had given her the chance to warn Sokka of what he'd find when he reunited with his sister, was every bit as human as she was…
Royston Mitchell, of course, was another matter entirely.
"So. Are we clear?" Mitchell said, with a careless smile once Azula opened her eyes again. "Gonna play your part, or do you want to keep being testy and a pain in the ass? Like I just said, I can just find someone else instead of…"
"I'll be there for that award ceremony," Azula said, curtly: Royston raised his eyebrows. "You're right, of course. I need to remember my place. I'll see you then, Chairman."
"You…?" Royston frowned: he didn't trust her… and so, Azula raised a fist and pressed it to her chest, extending her index and middle fingers. "Huh. Well, that's better. As for that thing I found… it's some kind of new tech for simulations. I have no idea where it came from, but it was here waiting for you when I arrived. Have fun with it, I guess?"
Royston said, glancing down at the circlet in Azula's hand. She couldn't help but suspect he wanted it for himself: whatever it might be, she'd do best to keep it in her power and ensure the bastard couldn't steal it.
"Thank you for breaking it in," Azula said, with a dry smile. "I'll see to checking it myself shortly."
"Fine, then. See you tomorrow. I don't want to waste more time with this, so… sooner it's done, the better," Royston said: he clapped Azula's shoulder before walking past her, and she shot him a dirty glare as he whistled nonsensically, on his way out.
He was childish, whimsical, cruel. She wasn't sure she had ever known anyone who produced such revulsion in her as Royston Mitchell did. Everyone else had something to lose… and to think she had rejected bonds, pushed people, kept them at bay, in the hopes of not having to depend on anyone or anything else. In the hopes of finding her way through this twisted world without fear of losing her strength whenever someone slipped through her fingers…
She scowled heavily, knowing she would have to plan her future actions carefully. Hoping to have the chance to speak with her mother, beforehand… for it might just be the last time she saw Ursa at all.
She looked through her notifications quickly: one message from an unknown sender compelled her to check it, as opposed to the bloat of nonsensical messages, promoting businesses, investments, any kind of opportunity to seize her money. There was no confirmed sender… but the message's contents chilled her blood.
Hope you're okay. Hope you're still there when this reaches you. I'd been developing the VR circlet on my own time, until we visited my family. It works really well. You should try it. Let me know how you like it next we meet.
Azula didn't hesitate to place the circlet over her head after that: her neural chip responded at once, identifying a program for simulations…
Only one setting was loaded into the circlet's systems. Azula powered it immediately.
A recreation of Ross 128 b, so faithful it caused her to stagger, appeared before her eyes. People walked past her, through her, for she wasn't truly there… Azula shivered as she rushed into the Council's Headquarters, finding it was exactly as in real life…
The door was locked.
A rare message on it, scribbled in a pixelated font, urged her to go back to her apartment, instead.
And so she did: Azula raced all the way there, chest heaving, knowing at once that this was Katara's doing. The simulations were her line of expertise, and she had been developing entertainment ones along with the military ones. Somehow, she had gotten this all the way to Earth, to Azula… it had to be the key to return to the group. It just had to be…
Azula pushed her apartment door open… only to find a dissonant disruption, what looked like corrupt data, hovering within the living room.
After it blinked for a moment, as though glitched, a message reappeared before her:
TRAPPIST-1D.
SAVE MY BROTHER.
Azula shuddered with rage: a piercing scream escaped her throat, both in the simulation and reality.
Her mother burst through the door, removing the circlet: her words, reassuring, were not enough to shake Azula's resolve, as wild, furious tears spilled down her cheeks…
She knew where to go now.
She would stop at nothing to get her.
TRAPPIST-1d was 51 years away from Ross 128 b… but 41 years from Earth.
She had a chance. They wouldn't have lost as much time as they could have… but only if he was still there. Only if he was still alive.
She would go back to the asylum planet, and she would save Sokka.
Ozai was tense once Royston stepped up to him in the grand hall where the ceremony would be held: only highly prized journalists and media were allowed to witness as the Chairman granted Azula her award for special services to the Fleet. None of these events had taken place openly ever since the fiasco with Marcia Guerrero in Mars, and they were never broadcast live, either, to ensure that nobody would witness the humiliation of Royston Mitchell, should it ever happen again. Ozai still didn't know how they managed to scrub off almost any sign of the absurd event back when it took place… it was a miracle, truly. He hoped not to have to scrounge up another one this time, even though everything suggested his daughter was up to something.
"So… where is she?" he asked, with a tight smile. "Forced me to get this mess ready today, and then she doesn't show up? Quite the disciplined child you've got there…"
"I apologize. I don't know what has delayed her," Ozai answered, eyebrow twitching – the situation was bad enough at any given moment, but enduring Royston's nonsense made everything worse, without a shred of a doubt.
"If she so much as dares pull a stunt, I'm not going to let her live it down," Royston said. "Any sign of bullshit and your entire family pays the price. Understood?"
"Of course. But… she won't. She will be here," Ozai said, firmly. Royston eyed him skeptically.
"You better be right," he hissed, shaking his head as he took to pacing by the dais.
Five minutes later, the organizers rushed in to inform Royston: Azula had arrived. All ighly-ranked members of the Fleet and his present Overseers, Ozai included, gathered by the dais while the press remained on the ground floor… and soon, the gates opened to allow Azula, clad in the ornate formal uniform of the Stellar Fleet, furnished with the blue highlights and the singular golden arrow that symbolized her rank as a Captain.
"Finally," Royston hissed, shaking his head. "C'mon. Let's get started."
The ceremony was as pompous as could be, with Royston giving out hollow speeches about how closely he had followed Azula's career, along with several hints about how pleased he was to see rising talent to replace the old. All across the ceremony, Azula remained as firm and calm as ever, her face inscrutable even to her father… who glanced about the room, puzzled over Ursa's absence. He had made certain to tell her she could come, even that she should, for it would be an important event and a good opportunity to regain Royston's favor… he didn't know whether to worry about Ursa's behavior or dismiss it. Royston hardly cared for her, anyway…
"… Out of so many grand achievements, with eighteen biocatalyzed planets to her name, the truth of it is that Captain Azula Homura's greatest deed so far may have been her initiative to discover and unravel the truth pertaining the clones infiltrating our ranks," Royston said, with a smug smirk. "As of now, twenty-nine suspects have been apprehended, and many more will be questioned as soon as they reach the Council's Headquarters in the future. The damage these sleeper agents have dealt to our resistance cannot be understated, and will be punished as it must be: no stone will be left unturned across the entire universe until the Exalted lie defeated at our feet!"
The press clapped and Royston smirked before turning towards Azula, the small plaque in hand.
"Thus, I confer to you the prize you've earned for your services to the Fleet. May this be but the start of a long, promising career that proves… of mutual benefit to yourself and the Council, as it has been thus far, Captain."
Azula raised her hands to receive the award: Royston placed it upon her hands and applause rang across the hall. Royston's smug smirk spoke for itself: he believed he had dirtied Azula sufficiently, corrupted her by holding her responsible for his corruption and wrongful investigation into his political enemies. Any attempt to clear her name would be futile, he believed… just as any future investigations into his dreadful actions would result in him pointing fingers at Azula, claiming it was all her doing.
A trap, no different from the Exalted's tendencies of capturing and forcing people into new, makeshift bodies, securing their allegiance in virtue of knowing they will be rejected by the humanity they belonged to, and forced to seek the Exalted's aid if they intend to survive for longer than ten years.
"I thank you for this honor," Azula said, bowing her head and bringing her hand to her chest, fingers outstretched in the intended salute – Royston's eyebrow twitched at the gesture, no doubt fearful, still, that Azula might just disrespect him as Marcia had. "I would like to address the press myself to impress upon them the importance of this initiative, if I may, Chairman."
She had spoken the words loudly enough that the press would've heard them. Royston frowned, puzzled, but cornered into accepting her request. He spread a hand towards the crowd, and Azula stepped towards them, head held high.
"The Exalted are a menace that needs to be dealt with," she said. "Their schemes and cruelty would put many of humanity's most bloodthirsty leaders to shame. This being said, I would like to make it very clear that this investigation into possible moles in the Fleet, inserted by the Exalted themselves, have very clear parameters that need to be followed properly…"
"What are you…?" Royston started: Azula ignored him.
"First of all: the Exalted lack any reproductive organs since they do not need them," Azula said. "Secondly, the Exalted are also missing their smallest toes, deemed as unnecessary matter investment. Thirdly: the Exalted produce clones within the range of thirty and forty years of age. If any of these terms are disproven in any of our suspects, the likelihood of them being clones will be insignificant…"
"Wait!" one of the press members exclaimed: Azula glanced at him, allowing him to speak. "I know of a suspect! He's sixty-three, and he's…!"
"That suspect should be set loose at once, yes," Azula said, simply: Royston, behind her, gasped in horror.
"That's not your call to…!"
"I would also advise you all to do your jobs properly," Azula said, raising her voice higher. "For it would not surprise me if executions are held for so-called clones with no proof whatsoever pertaining their association with the Exalted. Your jobs should be about reporting the truth, not about reporting anything and everything the Chairman wants you to say. I did not bring up this information to the Council so that it would be misused for political purposes: I meant to help our people survive a gruesome war. It's up to every last one of you to ensure this is the case… for I know, all too well, that my time as the rising star in the Stellar Fleet has come to an end."
Azula raised the award over her head, a heavy scowl across her face as voices rose across the room: Ozai, behind her, hissed:
"Azula, stop this! What are you…?!"
"I will not serve as a symbol for persecution and cruelty inflicted by a manchild with no self-restraint!" she declared: an astonished gasp broke through the crowd. "I will not abide by a war fought over the corpses of those sent to clean up the mess the leaders created! The Exalted are but a reaction, a symptom of something so far gone within human society that it cannot be undone. If we sit aside and do nothing, the day will come when you find yourselves mutilated, accused of unthinkable sins, over the merest slight against a Chairman who doesn't deserve the power he holds! But we can take a stand. We can fight back…!"
"I am Azula Homura!" Azula exclaimed. "Daughter of Ozai and Ursa Homura! And I will not allow my honor as a Captain of the Stellar Fleet to be tarnished over a man's crusade to become the uncontestable sovereign of a subservient galaxy!"
A burst of power within her outfit caught the entire crowd by surprise: the shards of her psionic weapon escaped her sleeve and violently tore apart the award she had been granted.
By then, the security guards Royston had summoned rushed in to put a stop to the Captain's rampage: their attempt to seize and secure Azula failed as more steel slipped out of her outfit, sliding into place, buckling in to form the cataphract steel suit that she had worn to her every mission.
The psionic weapon, spread across the air, helped her strike away at each of the incoming threats, jabbing at them in key spots of their bodies to disable them, trip them, force them to stop before so much as touching her. Once her helmet slid into place, too, Azula reformed her psionic weapon into a staff…
She struck Royston Mitchell's nape, and he fell over forward, unconscious.
The gasp that rushed through the crowd should have been deeply satisfactory, but Azula had bigger priorities now than rejoicing in finally undoing the wretched Chairman's blasted schemes.
The ceremonial hall they stood in was in the twenty-ninth floor of the building: Azula rushed towards the window regardless, without so much as one final glance at her father before jumping and breaching the protective glass.
"AZULA!" Ozai roared: whether he worried for her, or wished to tell her off, she would never know.
She was in free fall but for a moment: her neural chip allowed her to activate the propellers in her suit quickly… and then she flew, at haste, towards a stellarship that awaited her by the stratosphere, airlock open and ready to take her in upon arrival.
A trembling Ursa sat by the pilot's cabin: Azula reached her after a moment, squeezing her shoulder before settling in position, ready to take them far from Ross 128 b at haste.
"They might follow us…"
"I don't care," Azula said, firmly, dropping her psionic weapon beside her. "You said you were with me. If you've changed your mind…"
"I haven't. I won't, I…" Ursa said, shivering. "Go. Let's go, Azula. We have to find your partner."
Fury and determination blazed across Azula's features as she powered the ship, probably piloting it in an unsafe manner, all in all: within a few hours, she and Ursa would be bursting through the galaxy at lightspeed… on their way to find Sokka, in TRAPPIST-1d.
Hakoda and Kya chuckled as they struggled to set their picnic blanket safely in their backyard, under the glow of a blissfully bright sun. At one point, the wind blew so hard that their basket was flung over, and the large cloth flew off, wrapping around an amused and shocked Hakoda. Kya laughed as she struggled to get it off him, the loving pair giggling constantly until they finally set everything back in place.
A quiet man witnessed their struggle quietly from the porch. His hunched shoulders suggested he had carried the heaviest loads, but perhaps he hadn't been strong enough to endure it on his own. A silver gadget rested upon his head… one that two kindly hands removed slowly.
As soon as the circlet was gone, Kya and Hakoda vanished, as did the potent sunlight, replaced by a thick layer of gray clouds.
"You didn't come see me today. We'd agreed on it."
"Guess I didn't feel like it."
Aang sighed heavily before dropping beside Sokka: dark bags under his eyes spoke for themselves pertaining his lack of rest, his struggle to find any solace in a planet so famed for providing one.
"You're not ready," Aang said. Sokka shook his head. "You're too young."
"She's never going to get back to me on time. I'm not going to inflict this on her. I went through it with Katara. She… she'll be better off like this. Forgetting me. Forgetting we were ever anything. I can just… stay here. With our memories. I can lose myself in them, like you say people do, once you send them into the Lifeseed. Who knows… maybe she'll plant mine someday. Would be… would be the best thing she could do for me, at this rate."
"Stop that," Aang said, looking at him desperately. "Sokka… this isn't you."
"You don't fucking know me," Sokka hissed, glaring at him. "You can't fix me, you can't help me, you don't even give me a damn sleeping injection or anything that could help me find any rest…"
"I don't know that you'll wake up, if I give you that," Aang said, firmly.
"What, the injection would kill me if I ask it to? Good. More reason to…"
"It's space madness."
"Of course it's space madness!" Sokka shouted, rising to his feet and glaring at Aang. "The better bloody question would be who wouldn't go insane in a life like this! In a world like this! No, I don't mean TRAPPIST-1d, I mean…! I mean everything! This entire fucked up rotten galaxy…! It's not meant for us. It wasn't meant for us! We should've just stayed in our fucking lane and died when Earth explodes! That's all we're supposed to do!"
Aang breathed deeply. Sokka's chest heaved as panic streaked his face.
"I didn't mean…"
"You had that dream again, didn't you?" Aang said. Sokka snarled. "The ones you only had on Earth before…"
"You said it's probably a sign of something. Means something. Like… I don't know, maybe it's heralding I'm as good as ready to go," Sokka shook his head. "Can't fucking sleep because, if I do, I'll dream of that shit. And if I dream of it, I get no rest. My life is torture, Aang, and I'm ready to finish it off. I'm not ready to…"
Sokka snarled, tears blooming in his eyes as he shook his head.
"I'm not ready to spend it without her."
Aang eyed him compassionately. He sighed and rose to his feet, placing his hands on Sokka's shoulders.
"It might not happen. She might just surprise us both, she might just…"
"I can't do this. I can't…" Sokka sobbed. "What the fuck does it mean? Why do I keep seeing that, Aang? What the fuck does it mean?"
Aang breathed deeply. Sokka's pleading gaze couldn't seem to persuade him… but something seemed so deeply broken today, so utterly hopeless, that the Lifeseed Specialist gritted his teeth and whispered:
"It has happened before. And… it will happen again."
Sokka's eyes widened.
That was the closest to an answer he had ever gotten out of that man.
"What… what are you saying? How could it have happened before?" Sokka frowned heavily.
"I don't have all the answers," Aang whispered, lowering his gaze. "But… with every new jump, I tap into something that I can't piece together. Every new iteration…"
"You've seen this too?" Sokka asked. Aang closed his eyes.
"When you've lived as good as a thousand lives, you start to feel the echoes of the past drifting into the present. Sometimes I wonder if I sense the future, too," he said. "I can't piece it all together… but in every new glimpse, something changes. It's not the same story every time. The shards of the past don't always come together to form the same picture."
Sokka shuddered. Aang reached to touch his head, and sighed.
"The circlet is only making matters worse for you. The reality of many things cannot be denied. They're gone, Sokka…"
"I can still see them. I can still see our wedding day if I just circle back there," Sokka said, sniffing and shaking his head. "Don't take it from me, please. It's the only way…"
"Your mind is no clearer, no closer to healed, this way," Aang sighed. "Your parents loved you. They treasured you. They wanted you to have the best possible life…"
"And what is the best life I can lead in this nightmare of a place? How am I supposed to exist in a world she's not part of?"
Aang offered him no answer. He lowered his gaze, then brought Sokka close in a gentle, hug. It was enough for the broken man to shatter further, crying on his only ally's shoulder… a man he had hardly known, and still didn't, who had chased after him all the way to TRAPPIST-1d, for reasons beyond Sokka's understanding. Katara wasn't here. Toph wasn't here. Azula had never come back…
Azula would never come back.
Sokka sobbed, gripping Aang's clothes, shaking as desperation wracked him. Hakoda and Kya were gone… they were gone. There was nothing but memories of the past left, circlets coded by Katara, with her simulations of the past, more vivid and realistic than ever before.
He would have to let go… he would need to let go.
But he wasn't ready.
It was too much.
He just wanted everything to end.
Everything to…
A warm blue light suddenly blinked to life on his right hand's ring finger.
Sokka pushed away from Aang: he had imagined this warmth so many times, delusionally wishing it would come to life…
For the first time he could lower his gaze to find the ring reacting.
"W-what…? What is…?" Sokka gasped, tears still spilling down his cheeks. "T-this can't… Aang? Aang, am I crazy?! Aang, is it actually…?!"
The Lifeseed Specialist stared in disbelief at the ring as well. Neither one gave their eyes any credit… but upon finding Aang reacting with something other than mysterious words, or useless platitudes, Sokka knew he wasn't imagining it.
The ring had come to life.
He raced outside the house, to the backyard, chest heaving, heart pumping at a wild, alarming speed: he glanced about himself in a confused panic, eyes set on the unusually overcast sky…
A stellarship crossed the barrier of gray clouds.
Sokka yelped: he couldn't recognize the ship, but he didn't doubt for a second who was piloting it. The tears spilling down his cheeks before, slowed over the temporary shock, now rushed at haste as he screamed, gesturing at the incoming ship…
It slowed gradually, landing in a safe spot among the few trees in the backyard: Sokka rushed towards the airlock, chest heaving…
She was no different.
It had likely been but a couple of months for her…
By some unexpected miracle, it had only been a few more for Sokka as well.
"Sokka!"
Never before had he longed to hear his name in her voice that way… never had he expected that such anguish in her countenance would ever elicit joy in his heart.
He rushed in, and she did the same, meeting in the middle with a desperate kiss.
They clung to each other, as good as crying in each other's arms while tightening their grip as much as they could. Words tried to spill from their lips, but none seemed to form any intelligible sounds as they kissed again, and again, and with each new brush of their lips, the festering wounds in Sokka's heart, the dread of loneliness, of losing her, of not having as much time as he had hoped, faded slowly, healing steadily… though it would still be a long time, to be sure, before the two of them were fully themselves, and succeeded at putting aside the darkness of space madness at last.
"You're here… you… you came," Sokka whimpered. Azula nodded, stroking his face gently with her fingertips as she pulled back.
"Y-you… how old are you? You don't look so old, you… how long has it been for you? How long since…?"
"Six months."
Azula's chest heaved. Sokka gazed at her with hope, and she sniffed before hugging him tightly, tears spilling down her face.
"Three months," she said. Sokka smiled and nodded, hugging her tightly. "It's a fucking miracle… thanks to Katara. S-she sent me this circlet, for VR simulations, and she told me through it…"
"She sent one for me too," Sokka said, sniffing. "I… I can see my parents still, through it. I can… I… oh, I missed you. I needed you, I… I'm so sorry. I wanted to find you, I did, but…"
"They did it on purpose, Sokka," Azula hissed, pulling back and looking at him intensely. "We're as good as rogues now, I think. I… I gave Royston the slip. Got out when he was trying to reward me for something shitty that I never should've done, never…"
"Azula…" Sokka sobbed, cupping her face. Azula pressed her brow to his, shaking her head.
"Never again. You and I… we're never going to be apart again. I won't allow it," she said, her voice trembling regardless of her determination. "We'll go elsewhere if we can, I still have enough fuel for…"
"For… where? How many jumps?" Sokka asked. Azula closed her eyes tightly.
"I don't know. Maybe fifty years," she said. Sokka snarled.
"There might be somewhere else we can hide at. Away from the Council…" Sokka reasoned. Azula shook her head.
"Everywhere belongs to the Council. We're never getting away from them," Azula said. "B-but you're here. We're together, we… we almost beat time. Almost…"
Sokka nodded before kissing her again, hugging her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. His aching heart eased slowly, gradually, as Azula stroked the back of his head affectionately…
Footsteps in the ship startled Sokka: he hadn't expected Azula not to be alone.
He pulled back, immediately alarmed, but Azula placed a hand upon his chest, reassuringly.
"It's… it's my mother."
Sokka's eyes widened: Azula's mother, around her forties, appeared by the threshold of the ship's airlock. She smiled sadly at the sight of Sokka, waving shyly.
"I take it this is your husband, then?" Ursa said: Sokka's breath caught in his throat. She resembled Azula quite a bit, though she seemed gentler, not quite as deadly and sharp, not as determined and ambitious… but looks could be deceiving.
"I… it's great to meet you," Sokka said, nodding. "You, uh, told her about…?"
"Of course I did," Azula said, smiling at him. "She's my only ally in this madness right now… I gave her the choice between coming with me or staying behind."
"And here she is," Sokka said, with a gentle smile. "Good. I know you'd missed your parents… guess they missed you too."
"Heh, well…" Azula lowered her gaze. "My father most likely wants to kill me now, but I'd rather not give him the chance to lose yet another of his children."
Sokka gritted his teeth, pulling Azula close for a tight hug. She responded in kind, burying her face in his chest.
"You're here now. You're safe," Sokka whispered.
"If just for a little while," Azula reasoned, softly.
"Come… come inside. It'll start raining, so… come here," Sokka said, sniffing, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
Both Azula and Ursa followed Sokka all the way to the house: neither one was expecting to find Aang in the place as well, albeit only Azula recognized him.
"You…" Azula frowned. Aang smiled a little.
"I'd like to say I've been helping keep Sokka sane… not sure I succeeded," Aang said. "But, hey, I refused to let him act on impulses and desperation long enough for you to meet again, so… I didn't do that poorly, right?"
Azula glanced at Sokka remorsefully. He looked at her with a sad smile, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.
"I'm… pretty sure I've got it now. Space madness," Sokka said. Azula snorted.
"Who doesn't?" was her response. Sokka smiled sadly. "Bloody term is just… just an attempt to mask the truth about everything we have to go through. Every awful goodbye, every temporal displacement we endure… all of it. Only a true monster would be incapable of getting space madness… such as Royston Mitchell."
"Heh. That checks out," Sokka said, swallowing hard. "Then, you… you're not mad that I was willing to be part of a Lifeseed?"
"They did it to you so you would want to be," Azula hissed, pulling back and looking at him sternly. "It's not your fault, Sokka… it's them. It's this fucking corrupt council… it's their pretense that things are fine when they're not. My brother's death was a tragedy, surely… but half the time I can't help but wonder if it's the result of negligence and corruption instead."
"Surely," Sokka gritted his teeth. "Had no chance to avenge him, did you?"
"No. If anything, what could've counted as revenge… only made everything worse," Azula frowned heavily as Sokka led her to the couch. "I'm not proud of this, Sokka. The things I did… I tried to strike at the clones, to undo their infiltrates among our people. I thought that would be useful… it wasn't. The next thing I knew, Royston was taking advantage of the information I learned about clones to persecute anyone who displeased him. I… I tried to stop him when I came here, I recorded the entire thing in my neural chip and I've spread it across the Extranet, but… who knows if it'll serve any purpose."
"Wait… I need to see it. Whatever it is you did…" Sokka said.
Azula swallowed hard but nodded: she shared the recording with his neural chip, and within moments, Sokka was witnessing her last grand stunt against the Stellar Council… slowly, he started to smile. Azula raised her eyebrows, surprised by his reaction, more so as he finished viewing the recording and moved in to hug her tightly.
"You're a fucking hero," he laughed. "Guerrero would want to be like you now, you know?"
"Oh, please…" Azula smiled, pressing her face to his shoulder. "I wish I could've done more. I wish I could've stopped this madness, but…"
"If you shared this all across the galaxy? Maybe you have. At least, no one should be persecuted for being suspected of being a clone anymore. Do we even know if infiltrates in the Council are a thing? I know it was your theory for a while, but you gave up on it…"
"I did. And good thing I did, because… that fucking forum post I showed you?" Azula snarled, pulling back. "It was him all along. It was Royston, trying his damnedest to disparage her… he meant to take her down now, said he sent a summons to her, so she'd go to Earth. But…"
"She's not going," Aang said, surprising the others. "She won't go to Earth unless she has no other choice."
"You knew her," Azula frowned.
"I worked with her. For a time," Aang said, closing his eyes. "Her reasons not to return… she never truly disclosed them. But at any point where the idea was brought up, she refused. It's where she came from… but she won't go back."
"Just one more secret and mystery to the pile," Azula said, with a heavy sigh. "Doesn't matter. It's not like we can warn her or help her in any way…"
"Can't we?" asked Sokka, frowning. "Do we know where she was headed? As far as I know, she always returns to Ross 128 b after a mission…"
"All of us do," Azula reasoned.
"Then, if we intercept her before she reaches the planet, we could…"
"That's madness," Ursa said, eyes wide. "The Council will be ready to catch us. There's no way they won't have identified our ship by then, Azula, and surely all alarms will be ready…"
"Then switch ships," Aang said: everyone stared at him next. "I can arrange it. I… I would be able to do it. Besides, I… I have a lot to make up for."
"You? What are you talking about?" Azula said, eyeing him with confusion. "You stayed with Sokka…"
"I wouldn't be alive now if he hadn't," Sokka whispered: Azula's grip around his wrist tightened.
"Doesn't change the facts," Aang sighed, lowering his gaze, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. "I… I never wanted to do this. I was no different from most of you merely a couple thousand years ago, but…"
"You've been around for longer than us," Sokka reasoned. "What you were telling me, just now… you said these things have happened before, and will happen again? Didn't you?"
"What does that mean?" Azula asked, looking at Sokka desperately. He sighed.
"I've been having the dreams again. A lot," he said, shivering. "The fucked up dreams about… about Earth exploding. Got a lot worse once I got here."
"And… he says it happened before?" Azula frowned, looking at Aang. "Earth's been there for billions of years. There's no sense to that…"
"Something happened," Aang sighed. "Something changed. Someone, rather, changed the future by changing the past. One singular choice and everything… started over, from a certain point. That's what I think happened, but I'm not sure. No one has all the answers. And the reason why I can feel those changes, but you guys mostly can't, is because…"
Aang shivered as he pulled his shirt's collar down: the scars Azula had seen across it remained as visible as ever. Aang shuddered.
"I'm exactly what you were hunting. I knew what to tell you about the clones because…" Aang said, closing his eyes, biting his lip. "I am one of them."
Sokka froze. Azula rose to her feet, stepping up to Aang, who bowed his head towards her.
"That makes no sense. Toph looked at you, she checked…"
"I told you the truth: no gonads, no nipples, missing toes…" Aang said, swallowing hard. "I didn't lie about any of that. I'm in the right age range… that's the only sign I give away. But the truth is… when Adrian Starek wants a spy? He can choose to create a full body, a perfect human imitation. If anyone comes close to figuring out the truth? I'm… I'm supposed to steer them wrong, away from those of us who were sent here to…"
"To what?" Azula asked, frowning heavily, her voice commanding and firm. "What were your orders, exactly?"
Aang shivered, dropping on his knees before her… bowing his head in full submission.
Sokka rose too, staring at the man who had been helping him across all this time… it made no sense. A clone? How could Aang be a clone, if he was working with the Council and nobody had once suspected him? His heart thumped in his chest as doubt rose within it: should they trust Aang? Should they push him as far away as possible…?
"Adrian Starek wants revenge," Aang said, softly. "But most of all… he wants freedom."
"Freedom?" Azula repeated, frowning. "A child's dream in many ways. Nobody is free unless they have nothing to lose."
"He will never be completely free, not in an idyllic way: he wants clones to be… equal to humans," Aang said, gritting his teeth. "But no leader in humanity would ever treat them as such. So, as that's the case…"
"He wants to destroy human civilization?" Azula finished. Aang raised his gaze towards her. "And you were making Lifeseeds… what, as a front? Or were you putting something fucked up in them to…?"
"I was supposed to do the latter. I never did," Aang whispered, tears blooming in his eyes. "Sometimes I… I claim I've been called away but it's not true. I have to jump to another body, once the one I'm in grows too weak. The first time… Starek decided I'd made the right choice. That when he was ready, he'd send me a sign so I could disrupt things from my end… and I never agreed to it. I have never once wanted to be what I am, I wasn't a clone all along! But he… he took me from Europa, in Jupiter, a long time ago. He turned me into what I am now. I had… no choice."
"But you are choosing to tell us this now," Sokka reasoned. "Why?"
"How could I so much as look any of you in the eye, most of all Captain Homura…?" Aang gritted his teeth, apologetic. "The Exalted killed your brother. You should want me dead, too. And as you're a rogue agent now… perhaps you can do it to no consequences. I won't oppose it. If you will it… you can take my life, end this torment, ensure that I can never have my willpower disrupted by Starek so I can attack you, instead."
"I don't know that I believe any of what you've said," Azula whispered, confused, but there was something unexpected in that golden gaze, too… "I need real proof. What are those scars?"
"The collar the Exalted wear," Aang explained. Azula's eyes widened. "It allows Starek to control us if we appear unwilling to follow his orders. It disrupts our willpower."
"You have a neural chip," Azula said.
"I have multiple ones," Aang said, raising a hand to the back of his neck. "The surface one is compatible with the Council's technology… but the others are of Exalted make."
He touched the first chip, then raised his fingers to his temples: a burst of light bloomed across his scalp, even shining out of his eyes. The others gasped as Aang rose to his feet in that state, doing something uncanny, that they'd never known a human could do…
"I have been in Exalsyn. I have witnessed many forced transformations of humans into clones," Aang said, firmly. "I can even show you, through Katara's technology, a glimpse of the systems of the Exalted…"
Aang picked up the circlet he had taken from Sokka. He sighed before placing it upon his head, and he closed his eyes.
A projector beamed to life by the garden: the same one with which Hakoda had often watched space hockey. Only this time, the glimpse was that of memories Aang was translating into images… memories of a gigantic spaceship, across which marched a number of armed humanoids, many of whom appeared nonchalant: others were crying, instead, even as they obeyed every command given to them. All of it happened across a massive space, rotating in such a way as to counteract gravity's effect. It wasn't merely that the technology, the screens and layouts, appeared of a lush quality, but much of it was utterly unfamiliar for all the humans within the room.
"This is… Exalsyn?" Sokka said, looking at Aang in disbelief. He nodded slowly.
"I won't pretend to know it thoroughly… it's massive. The biggest ship anyone's ever built," Aang said. "Whatever information you may want, I will provide…"
"Why?" Azula asked, frowning. "And why now? This was the case since I first met you, wasn't it? You're not newly a clone, you… you've been one all along."
"Yes," Aang said, looking at her remorsefully. "I could pretend not to be one. I could give you factual information that wouldn't put me at risk… for the clones who are like those I described to you would never be tasked with missions like mine. But as for why… I don't want this war to happen at all. I don't want humanity destroyed… but I know most clones have no other choice. It's Starek's fault that they're where they are… and if anything went wrong, if anything were different, all of you might wind up in my shoes too. If Starek gets ahold of any of you, you would be forced into a clone's body… and you'd have nowhere to run, nothing to do but abide by his demands, or else risk dropping dead within ten years, if not less than that. But… I could never hate humanity, either. As bad as the Council's leadership may be, humanity is not to blame for that either. I… I come clean now because I know you've seen the truth. You're not blind to the Council's cruelty… you're not likely to fall for Starek's rhetoric either. So, if I'm to be judged for what I've done, I'd rather it's by your hand."
Aang sighed and turned to face Azula again. She scowled at him, a shiver running down her spine.
"You realize your kind… murdered my brother," Azula said. Aang closed his eyes and nodded. "Coming clean about this when that particular development sent me on a downwards spiral is not the smartest choice you could've made."
"I know," Aang said, softly. "But I don't know what else to do. I don't know what guide to follow. You came back for Sokka when I thought it was impossible… you are more than what you seem to be. If the Council were led by someone like you…"
"Not likely," Azula said, curtly. "As you've heard… they're likely to think of me as a traitor to the same extent as you are."
Aang closed his eyes but nodded. Azula stepped forward, glaring at him fiercely.
"What happened after I left? After I went back to Earth?" she asked. "Where are the others?"
"They split us up. I only got away with coming here with Sokka because of my ties with TRAPPIST-1d," Aang explained. "Katara… I think she got away with sticking around in Ross 128 b for starters. She sent Sokka the circlet…"
"Sent one to me, too. Didn't take her very long to accomplish," Azula reasoned.
"I think development on that project was almost finished when we got there, last time," Aang said, softly. "I don't know where she may be anymore. By the time Sokka vanished, I knew… there was only one likely place he would've gone to. Or rather, that a pilot would vanish to. It was a gamble, of course… but it's possible that the others are searching for him elsewhere, too. If we go to Ross 128 b, we might be able to discover where they went. But… well. Maybe you will, rather. I can find you the ship you need… but if you'd rather I'm not involved, I understand."
"I don't know that I will," Azula said, frowning.
Sokka glanced at her with uncertainty. She sighed, turning towards him, hands on her hips.
"It's hard to see him as some evil, wretched clone when you said he's saved you," Azula whispered. Sokka nodded, moving in to hug her.
"I… kept telling him to make me into a Lifeseed," Sokka admitted. Azula's grip around him tightened. "He refused. So… yeah, if I'm here at all, it's because he wouldn't let me die, no matter how many times I asked him to."
"Good," Azula said, choked up. Sokka kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back. "But… we need to find them. Toph, your sister…"
"We do," Sokka said, frowning.
"And our only way to do that is going back there," Azula said, looking at him with unease. "We may be able to find Guerrero there, as well. I don't know that she'll protect us… but there's a chance she might see our side. If someone with power isn't interested in sucking up to those bastards, it's her."
"True," Sokka conceded, stroking Azula's hair. "This is going to be the biggest challenge we've ever faced, though. We may need… to fight the Fleet ourselves, somehow. We might even get killed for it."
"I know. But… they'll come here eventually anyway," Azula said, closing her eyes. "If they do, wouldn't it be better if we're fifty years away from here once they get to this planet?"
"That… might be a wise choice. But going back to Ross 128 b is going to be very dangerous," Aang said, frowning. "We can do it if you're all sure… but it's possible that we'll be stopped, or attacked, if anyone realizes who we are."
"We can send a decoy," Azula said, shaking her head. "The ship I took? I can set it up to fly away into nowhere. You can get us the ship you said you would, and we can reenter Ross 128 b's vicinity in that one instead."
"Then… you're sure about this?" Aang asked, wary. Azula frowned.
"If you're sorry about everything you didn't reveal, everything you've kept quiet… if you're serious about trusting us, in ways you never trusted anyone else?" she said. "Then prove it by sticking with us. Help us find Katara and Toph. I'm stopping at nothing until we find them."
Aang breathed deeply and nodded: he offered Azula a weak smile.
"If you're all in agreement…" he said, glancing at Sokka. "You're really not worried that I might…?"
"If anything goes awry, if you start acting weird because of your chip, I fear we may have to finish you off," Azula said, folding her arms over her chest. "But considering I trusted the Council's leadership only for it to turn out as it has… I would be a fool not to trust someone who, as deceptive as he may have been, seems a bit more trustworthy anyway."
Sokka squeezed Azula's shoulder, reeling her close and kissing her brow. Aang sighed, watching them with unease, eyes flickering towards Ursa. The older woman nodded in his direction.
"I'm sorry for everything you've been through," she said, startling Aang. "Azula, I…"
"What is it?" Azula said, turning towards Ursa. Her mother frowned heavily.
"I don't know how to pilot. I don't really know what to do, but… I will try to do something, anyway," she said, eyes blazing with determination. "I want to find out the truth about Zuko."
"The truth?" Azula repeated, frowning. "You mean… you fear foul play? Like Uncle Iroh?"
"I mean… we never saw a body."
Azula's eyes widened. Ursa looked at her with uncertainty.
"Once we reach Ross 128 b, I'll split off from your group. I'll find a way back to Earth, the Moon, wherever I must go," Ursa said. "And I'll look into every little thing, turn over every stone throughout the solar system until I find out what they did to my boy. Because… because the Exalted don't merely kill humans."
Azula's stomach sank. Aang shuddered, and Sokka's grip around Azula's shoulders tightened. Ursa, however, scowled heavily, as every passing moment convinced her to pursue the theory she had only just developed…
"You think they did it to him too? What they did to Aang?" Sokka asked, glancing at his friend warily. Ursa nodded, slowly.
"I could be wrong… and I'd like to confirm that anyway, if it's true. But until I know for sure, until I've buried my boy personally? There's a chance, however slim… that he may be one of the Exalted."
Uploading on fanfiction.net doesn't work currently. I hope to upload it later. I don't know if it's just me or a general problem.
It was time to face her family. Her family’s unacceptable actions. Normally, Azula would feel anxious when it came to confrontations. But her anger blended over her other feelings. She needed to hear it. Needed to hear that it wasn’t her father who hired the Archer. And if it were indeed Iroh, well she hoped he wouldn’t just get away with it. Because if he did… she wasn’t sure she could stay strong any longer. Sokka might not want her in his life. Azula would feel truly alone in this world then. With her anger and deep thoughts, another part of her still wondered:
Hakoda massaged his temples. His faith in his wife was endless. But he knew his son would not take this well. If he were anything like him in this, Sokka would walk through everyone to get to his wife.
“Kya.” Hakoda sighed.
To this day, his wife never ceases to amaze him. Even in a serious situation such as this one, she could make him smile.
Out of breath, Sokka ran into the throne room, Keano, and Katara right behind him.
“Is it true?” he asked.
Kya nodded.
“Mom why?” Sokka asked desperately, “How could you just let her go?”
“She was already set to it my son. It was the right thing to do.” Kya told him gently.
“It’s dangerous…she’s… she is my wife, I had to know.” Sokka said.
“Sokka…” Hakoda said.
“Get my ship ready immediately!” Sokka told Keano, who then left the room.
“Why are you so angry? You can just get her.” Katara said.
“It’s… she might already be on Zhao’s ship.” Sokka said, voice creaking.
“You fear she might want to leave altogether.” Kya said.
Her comment made Sokka pause. He didn’t even want to consider that possibility. No, he wouldn’t fall into madness now. Every second was important. He had to rush.
“Go.” Hakoda said encouragingly, “Go to your wife Sokka.”
Sokka paced on deck. Thirty minutes. The distance between the Northern Water Tribe and Kyoshi Bridge was thirty minutes. But it felt eternal to Sokka.
“You didn’t let your wound heal a second round. Sit down boy.” Keona said.
Sokka ignored him.
“Aren’t you worried she might talk, tell Zhao about the security and the entrance?” Keona said.
“Enough!” Sokka yelled.
Before Keano could start again, Sokka walked up to him angrily.
“Enough!” he fisted his shirt. Mad. He looked very mad, “ This is the only and last time I’m saying this: Nobody, nobody is ever going to say a word against Azula. Nobody is ever going to judge her.”
He let go of his shirt and turned around for everyone on deck to see his anger. To make sure no one would dare.
“Else you’re going to face dire consequences! Azula is my wife and Crown Princess! You will respect her!”
From that moment on, nobody spoke. Keono knew, that if Sokka reached this point with his anger, then it’s too serious. Silently, they came closer to their destination. Sokka’s eyes were fixed on the metallic ship they were nearing. On the beautiful figure on it. Despite the distance, their eyes collided.
The ramps were ready and without saying a word to anyone, Sokka walked straight to Azula.
“Welcome to my ship Sokka.” Zhao said.
Keano thanked him instead, because Sokka was standing directly in front of Azula. As if there was no one else around them.
Azula felt his angry breathing on her face. He took her hand and walked to the nearest room in the ship tower. Fire Nation soldiers started to move, but the Water Tribe guards stopped them.
Sokka closed the door loudly behind them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked. Azula narrowed her eyebrows at him too.
“First, you ask me to leave the tribe together, to our house, then you sneak away and put a knife on your throat? Are you crazy?”
“No, I’m not and stop yelling!” Azula yelled.
“I… wouldn’t if, … I.” he couldn’t form sentences.
“I needed to get away! Needed to speak with Zhao myself!” Azula said.
“I told you we could go together Azula!” Sokka said.
“You needn’t worry, I haven’t told him where I was or anything of the sort.”
“I wasn’t worried about that!”
“Why were you worried then?”
Azula’s question made him pause for a moment.
“Do you …” he squeezed his eyes shut, and opened it again, “Do you want to leave?”
His question, the worried tone changed Azula’s demeanor.
“Would you let me?” she asked gently.
“Answer me first.” Sokka said.
Stubbornness was a trait coming up in emotional situations. When someone wanted to hear a certain thing.
“You needn’t worry, I won’t tell anyone anything about the Tribe.”
“Azula.” Sokka neared her.
She didn’t know if it was normal, but she so wanted to kiss him now.
“Would you let me Sokka?” she whispered.
Not being able to hold on longer, he gave in and answered, “I wouldn’t want to.”
“Why?” Azula asked.
Sokka took her face in his palms, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.
“Because … I love you!” he said gently and genuinely.
Azula’s heart clenched in the best way. He was everything at that moment. The world around them didn’t exist.
“I love you Azula. I don’t want you to leave.”
Sokka kissed her. She replied desperately, wildly. Her hands landed on his neck, pressing her body into his. Sokka lifted her, so she could sit on the table. Leaving her lips, he softly kissed her cheek and jawline, then the side of her neck.
“Sokka.” Azula breathed, softly moaning.
He breathed her in, kissing her pulse on the neck. Azula grabbed his face and kissed his lips anew. She then hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck, taking in his scent.
Admiral Zhao had seen Sokka quite often across the years. The Crown Prince truly meant it when he said something. He would protect his homeland with utmost seriousness. Sokka could also send smirks when he successfully striked his enemies’ egos in meetings. Over the years, he got used to Sokka’s stern façade. Yet it surprised him that the Crown Prince could get even more forbidding. His eyes screamed warnings and danger.
Zhao also saw the way Sokka looked at Azula when they walked out of the room, hand in hand. A completely new side of him. However, the unexpected development was that Azula looked at her husband the same way. Brightly and emotional. He recalled the worry in her voice when they talked before Sokka arrived.
“I haven’t been in the Northern Water Tribe. I don’t know where the Spirit Oasis is located.” Azula said.
Zhao sensed lying. He was sure her ship sailed from the Northern Water Tribe.
“Where did the Yuyan Archer get the courage to attack us?” she asked.
“We had to calm Zuko down, he was mad at us, unsure like you if we had anything to do with it. But I can assure you Azula, neither your father nor I have anything to do with it. Ozai would never risk your safety. It was Iroh’s doing. The Yuyan Archer was his man.” Zhao explained.
“If Sokka’s and the Tribe’s safety is jeopardized, so is mine.” Azula said.
Zhao sensed something else behind her words. She tried to sound imperceptible.
“You needn’t worry.” Zhao said, nodding.
And here he was now. After Zuko and Azula, now Sokka needed reassurance. But it wouldn’t be over. Ozai would be waiting for his report. Zhao sighed. He cared for the Royal Family and his nation, yet it took lots of energy out of him.
“As I already explained to Azula, it was a similar incident from years ago: Iroh arranged it. He claims you were his target.” Zhao said.
“From the angle the Yuyan Archer was shooting, it could’ve hit Azula. I am not convinced that it was only me Admiral. And if it is true, it doesn’t justify the carelessness to risk Azula’s life, the Princess of the Fire Nation by the way.” Sokka told angrily, “I do hope Iroh will face dire consequences.”
“Rest assured, he will. Ozai is at least as mad as you. Iroh’s actions won’t go unpunished, and he will hopefully be banned from our court, losing his title.” Zhao explained.
“I’ll try to trust Ozai’s fatherly instincts and hope he wouldn’t go as far as hurting his own daughter.” Sokka said.
“Of course not!” Zhao furrowed his eyebrows.
“Tell Ozai, if in any way, I sense that you guys’ pressure Azula. If in any way, you are a danger to her, you can’t start to imagine what I’m capable of Admiral. The Northern Water Tribe will hunt down any threats to its Crown Princess.” Sokka threatened.
“That is good to know, as Ozai wouldn’t want his daughter’s husband to react in any other way. In fact, he is thankful to you, also stated in the letter I gave you.” Zhao gestured at the scroll in front of Sokka, “He stays in your debt for protecting his daughter.”
“Of course I protect her, she is my wife.”
“As long as Azula and you don’t want to, Ozai won’t ever demand a right to the Spirit Oasis.”
Sokka was actually surprised at that. He truly hoped so. Step by step, they could work together one day. He nodded.
Upon entering the deck, Sokka caught Azula talking with a Fire Nation guard. She stopped when she saw him and Zhao. The guard greeted Sokka politely. He nodded at the guard and smiled. Zhao and Keano couldn’t believe their eyes. Sokka never reacted positively to the Fire Nation in any way. Which again convinced Zhao that the Crown Prince genuinely cared for Azula. The surprised look on Captain Keano’s face was another proof.
“Azula, your father wanted me to give you this.” Zhao held out a scroll.
“I’ll read it when I get home, thank you.” Azula took the scroll, “Send my regards to father please.”
“I will.” Zhao nodded, “Watch out Azula. Go home safely.”
Sokka took her hand.
“You too Admiral. Have a save sail. I do hope things will work out for the best for all of us.” Azula said.
“It will.” Sokka said gently.
Hand in hand, they walked to their ship and sailed to Kyoshi Island. Their home.
The sky looked gloomy. A light breeze of wind waved strands of Azula’s hair, who held the railing while watching the sky. Fog lay heavy, the lanterns the only light.
“Is the thunderstorm you mentioned the other day coming?” Azula asked.
“Yes. When we arrive on the island, we need to rush. I have to meet up with the guards there and then I’ll come home. We won’t be able to leave for a while.” Sokka explained.
“That bad?” Azula asked.
“You’ll see.” Sokka replied, “It’s not comparable with the Fire Nation storms.”
Azula caught blood on his shirt.
“Sokka, your wound is bleeding.” she said worried.
Sokka felt the pain throughout the day. But it hasn’t been as important as reaching Azula.
“Did Katara not heal another round?” she asked.
“No.” he replied.
“Let’s get inside and have a look.” she said.
They went into Sokka’s room on the ship. Azula gathered the cloth and water and sat next to him on the bed.
“You need to take your shirt off.”
Sokka did as she told. Azula couldn’t admire his muscles this time, because since they were on the ship, there seemed something off. They had a lot to talk about. Although he smiled at her on Zhao’s barge, he seemed different now. She started undoing his bandage, trying to focus on his wound for now.
“Why didn’t you let Katara heal it?” she asked.
“Didn’t want to.” he simply said.
The wound wasn’t as bad as she had thought. The first healing helped. All the blood made it seem much worse.
“Why not?” she asked, dipping the cloth into water.
“As long as you won’t accept the oasis water, I won’t either.”
Azula stopped what she was doing. The candlelight made the blue of his eyes glassy. A knot formed in her throat. She was out of words. Before her emotions got the better end of her, she gently cleaned his wound.
Sokka watched her. She felt warm. All he needed was for her to stay close like this. The scent of her hair calmed him.
After cleaning his wound, Azula took a small self-sticking bandage. Before she could place it on his shoulder, she noticed something on his lower back. A long and thick scar.
"Prince Sokka’s biggest fight"
"Upon Prince Sokka’s orders, Princess Katara was brought to safety, and he took to fighting by himself earning a deep and life threating scar."
It must be the scar he received on Whaletail Island. The one she read about days ago. His shoulder’s injury was nothing compared to that. Azula felt angrier at Iroh. Her heart broke at the sight of Sokka’s scars. He got them while protecting people he cared about. Despite everything he endured, he still managed to have a wonderful heart. She counted herself lucky to have him as her husband.
Azula placed the bandage on his shoulder. She held back from crying. When she was done, she placed the items on the chest of drawers next to the bed.
"This feels much more healing than the oasis water," Sokka said, smiling.
Azula smiled back sadly and put her forehead on his shoulder, careful of the bandage. She placed her hands on his arm and held tightly.
“Sokka.” she whispered.
He buried his face in her hair, closing his eyes as well. This. This was what they both needed. They were each other’s oasis.
