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Throw Her Overboard - Chapter 2

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Memory

On the fifth day of their voyage, Sokka checked the ship's current longitude and latitude using a device he had helped a little to invent (if an off-hand and half-joking suggestion that went on to inspire an actual good idea counted) and waved for Kassuq the Lookout's attention. "Send up the flare, and keep a watch on."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sokka felt a looming presence behind him, and he turned around to find Azula doing the looming, despite the fact that he was a head taller than her. She was wearing one of his shirts over the black tunics she seemed to favor now, and had it tied completely wrong.

"We're rendezvousing with someone." There was no question mark at the end, and Azula didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer.

Nevertheless, Sokka provided one with forced cheer in his voice: "Good guess! Considering that you’re wanted for crimes against civilization by every nation on the planet, I suggest you go find someplace to hide, like the brig or the bilge or maybe on another ship entirely. Also, why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Oh, this thing? It was so ragged I thought you must have discarded it. I thought wearing blue like the rest of you would help me fit in with this fine crew." She leaned forward and actually batted her eyes at him. "What do you think? Does the color flatter my complexion?"

"Sure." Sokka motioned to her face. "The blue really enhances the corpse-like whiteness of your skin, and the pale gold of your eyes completes the whole 'inhuman monster' vibe."

A grin blossomed on her face, but it wasn’t the toothy, bloodthirsty, shark-like kind that she normally showed the world. "Do you know you're easily the most entertaining person with whom I've ever conversed? You always have a reply, never admit defeat, and even aspire to a kind of wit. If only you had something intelligent to say."

Sokka smiled back at her as an idea showed up unannounced at his mind's doorstep and as he welcomed it with open arms and an offer of tea. As Azula noted, he never admitted defeat if he could help it, but he had no problem asking for help.

"Actually," he said as he leaned closer to her, "you might be on to something. We're meeting with a local protection force that asked for our help with some raiders, and they aren't fans of Fire Nation princesses. You should find some more clothes, maybe a hat, too, and pretend to be an unusually pale, soft-cheeked crew member. Just keep your eyes down and don't look at anyone. Then you’ll be able join the rest of the crew at the greeting."

Azula stared at him for a moment, all expression leaving her face, and Sokka worried that she had figured him out and was going to explode into lightning or announce that she had Katara captive somewhere as leverage or reveal the ending of 'Voyage to the Heavens' before he could get around to reading the books, but instead she bowed. "My Chief's word is my law."

She trotted off as Kassuq the Lookout called out, "Ship, ho! They're putting up a green flare."

Sokka clapped loudly to get the attention of everyone else on the deck. "Okay, people, we're officially in business. Let's go meet up with the Kyoshi Warriors and see what crazy, life-threatening fun they want our help with."




Sokka's nervousness about seeing Suki again was mitigated by the relief he felt when he saw that Ty Lee was one of the other two Kyoshi Warriors she was bringing across the plank connecting their ship. Even so, it took an effort to muster a smile as he said, "Welcome aboard. We come to you representing the Southern Water Tribe, answering your call for assistance. Pirates and raiders a specialty."

Suki's own expression looked as strained as Sokka's felt. Apparently, this wasn't going to be fun for either of them. "Men of the Water Tribe, welcome. Thank you for responding to our call. We tracked a group of pirates who have been preying on Kyoshi Island's fishing fleet, capturing the ships that sail furthest out and pressing the crews into slavery."

Sokka nodded, and turned Pukiq the Scribe. "Does that satisfy the official record?"

Pukiq finished writing Suki's explanation and looked up. "Yuppers, Kyoshi Island has officially requested our help in a matter that falls within our mission. We're good to go, Chief."

"Great." Sokka turned back to Suki. "The third person on my left is Azula in one of my shirts and a stupid hat. Could you and Ty Lee get her for me?" He helpfully pointed to the fake crew member in question in case Ty Lee was mixing up her right and left again.

There was a moment of silence, then Azula sighed and Ty Lee sprang forward with fists raised. A few frantic seconds later, Azula hung with her limbs completely nonfunctional from the arms of no less than five Kyoshi Warriors guards. Nevertheless, there was no anger on her face as she said, "I'm sensing hostility."

Suki snorted. "Is she for real?"

"I am being completely genuine," Azula huffed. "What did I ever do to merit such hatred and distr-" She descended into giggling. "No, even I can't make than line work. I understand your skepticism, but I really do want to help. I wish you would see what a useful ally I could be for your cause, but I understand that my past choices may be a bit much to get over at this time. I will therefore submit to whatever punishment or imprisonment you desire for me but I ask-" She turned to Sokka. "No, I beg the one I have accepted as my Chief to allow me to remain on the ship, so that will be available to help when you need me."

Sokka turned to Suki. "So I'm thinking we lock her in your brig."

Suki nodded, her glare never leaving Azula. "Agreed."

Azula rolled her eyes but made no effort to resist.




They had gone over the details of the Pirates' resources (just a single ship and an abandoned Fire Navy refueling center turned into a makeshift fortress with stolen supplies), came up with a plan for taking the Pirates out, gave orders to their crew, and even recited more lines for the Pukiq the Scribe to record about the goodwill and friendship between Kyoshi Island the Southern Water Tribe.

All that was left was for Sokka and Suki to stand awkwardly alone on the desk of his ship together while waiting for things to be ready.

Suki spoke first. "Remember when we didn't need to wait around like this? It was just the two of us- or the two of us plus the old gang- rushing and solving problems ourselves?"

"Yeah," Sokka smiled at the thoughts of those days, when he didn't have the whole world watching to see if he screwed up and did have a smart and capable woman at his side. He tried to avoid letting his thoughts dwell on that and instead focused on past adventures. "Remember Drak the Fang?"

Suki relaxed out of her stiff posture for the first time since she had come aboard. "That was great! I have to admit that I'm always looking for an opportunity to do that again, but you'd be surprised how few of the local smuggling operations don't keep a refuse pile next to their base that can be turned into a large bomb. Too bad Drak turned out to actually be on our side."

"Well, I had Toph make him a new mansion, so it ended up okay." Sokka let out a breath and sobered. "Can't make those kinds of mistakes now."

Suki snorted. "Since taking the Bedrock Vows, I can't even say that Chin Village makes pretty good fried krukkas, despite all their other faults, without it being taken as a sign that I want to submit to their control again and deny Avatar Kyoshi herself." She looked down at her boots. "I can't be my own person now. I'm sorry."

"I know. I've gotten over it," he half-lied. Time had let him move on from Suki herself, mostly, but he just wished he had something or someone to move on to.

"Thanks. I'm glad we could at least work together, even if we can't be together."

"Hey, I'm shameless about who I'll ask for help." He winked. "But we have more than enough now to take out these pirates, so I figure our crews will be chowing down on fried krukkas from Chin by nightfall."




Hours past nightfall, the battle against the pirates was still going on. Suki's ship was sinking even as all the Kyoshi Warriors fought frantically on the deck of Sokka's vessel to help repel boarders from the three pirate steamships that they had found guarding the enemy base, while the Water Tribe men ran around with buckets trying to put out all the fires set by the flaming arrows being shot at them.

The battle was still going on, and it was not going well.

That's when one of the pirate steamships lurched into motion with a suddenness that knocked half of its surprised buccaneer crew over the rail.

Sokka watched as the errant ship plowed on towards the pirate base on the other side of the bay, watched as its surviving crew jumped into the water just before it crashed into dockside fortress, and watched as the it then somehow exploded to destroy the remains of the base.

He didn't have much time to ponder the situation before having to get back to his swordfighting, but he wasn't surprised at all when one of the remaining pirate vessels came under attack from a Firebender in a stolen tug leading a small army of escaped Kyoshi slaves.

The sight of Azula, somehow escaped from Suki's brig before it sank and standing on the deck of the enemy ship with a flaming blue sword in each hand, leading a charge of men and women swinging the chains around their wrists as weapons, was one that Sokka was sure he would never forget no matter how long he lived.

The fighting went on for a while after that, but the outcome was already decided. The pirates eventually surrendered, the Kyoshi Warriors took control of their ships, and the former slaves were unchained and given food and the promise of a quick trip back to Kyoshi Island.

And after it all, Azula came forward to Sokka and Suki, surrendered her swords, and said, "I don't know why you all looked so surprised that everything went according to my plan. I'm here to help, remember?"

TO BE CONTINUED
For the second Sokkla Saturdays challenge, a series of prompt-inspired shorts detailing a special seagoing mission that Sokka and Azula undertake together. Chief Sokka is trying to show that his tribe is worthy of being on the world stage, but what happens Princess Azula shows up in all her villainous, oblivious glory?

Previous: Bow
Next: Memory

Sokkla Saturdays: www.fanfiction.net/topic/16548…
© 2016 - 2024 Loopy777
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shorewall's avatar
I love Sokka's "compliment" to Azula.  :D  And that she enjoys it in some way.

I love Sokka's plan to get Azula captured, and how they respond to Azula asking to stay on Sokka's ship.  Always do the opposite.  :D  (Although if you always do the opposite, then she'll plan for that.  Oh fiddlesticks.)

Ooo, drama!  I like how you tackled Sokka and Suki's break up.  It is vague, yet justifiable.  Still sad.  I'm not the one to let formalities stand in the way of a relationship.  :P  I mean, if it were me, I'd be trying to get Suki to deny Kyoshi, if you catch my drift.  ;)

I'm getting the sense that Azula has turned over a new leaf, but being Azula, has no way to understand how to pull off the believable redemption.  And yet, people often don't want a redemption story (irl, anyway), so her dogged determination may let her succeed where others have failed.

Azula turning the tides of battle like a badass.  It's like, I have a theory.  I mean, it's kind of a theory.  There are those types that don't follow orders well.  They act out, they rebel.  I'm thinking like Bart Simpson, or Francis, from Malcolm in the Middle.  Yet they show great talent when they put their mind to it.  They have potential, but they don't fit into the hierarchy comfortably.  So you can either punish them and hammer down the nail that sticks up, and then they turn against society, or you can let them find a positive way to express themselves, using their special talents.  You can either have a failed human, or a productive human.  You just have to bend on some of your rules.  Another example is Dr. House.

I don't like these people.  I like people who fit in, who are nice, who work together.  But I recognize the presence of these black sheep.  And I have learned that they are just that way.  They are that way from childhood.  It is in their nature.  And I believe in trying to work with nature, not against nature.  It is hard to find a productive way to fit them in, but sometimes they find their niche.  I think Azula is going through that in this story.  

She is amused by and respects Sokka.  She wants to help.  (I'm taking her at her word, because doubting her is not working so far.  Might as well try another tack.)  If she is happy doing this, she could be a great asset.  Now, it is hard for everyone (Sokka, Suki, etc.) to accept this, because they know her and what she's capable of.  But in order to get something good, many times you have to embrace risk.  Especially in this situation, where she has had plenty of opportunity to do bad, and yet has expressed a type of penitence.

Best case scenario, she is sincere, and you get a highly effective, though unconventional, resource.  Worst case scenario, she kills you, which she could do anyway.  Or maybe she has some plot to win your trust and use that somehow, but you don't trust her, and even if you accept her, you probably will never truly trust her.  And if that were her plan, it is very ineffective, unless she is Aizen levels of Plot protected.  The more complicated a plot, the less likely it is to succeed.  And by accepting her, you put the ball in her court, and you can see what she does.  There is merit to the saying, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

In the end, she could still be evil, and kill you.  But she could have done that anyway.  You were in the most danger before you knew she was on the ship.  The longer she is around without making a move, the less likely she is to make one, unless there is another variable.  (Which I cannot know about.  :P)  But it is not reasonable to live in fear of something that might happen.  The more time passes, the less foreknowledge is efficacious.  

Bottom line, she could be evil, she could be plotting.  But by not playing this game, you are at a standstill.  She can Houdini her way out of your traps.  So I say you should see what happens if you let her have her way.  If she makes the wrong move, go back to plan A.  But the small chance that she could be sincere exists, and if so, it should be entertained.  Because a world where Azula is gainfully employed in non-evil schemes is a net better world.

We can never be 100% certain and secure.  Not even when we think we are.  We are always dealing with some amount of risk, and that risk is always higher than we have knowledge of.  So the risk of Azula is a known risk, but there is also a risk that Sokka falls overboard completely innocently in a battle and drowns.  You have to be willing to deal with a certain amount of risk, because whether you are aware of it or not, you are constantly dealing with risk.  And to avoid risk is to avoid life.  Because life is a risk.  :)

Also, Azula playing at being submissive is hot.  :D