PRELUDE: THE COMMANDERS NIGHTMARE

prelude: The Commanders Nightmare

The little girl ran right through the riverside and into the small clearing next to it. Her short, thick, auburn hair flew around like a small sea of clotted blood; her childish, sweet laugh echoed through the place like an elusive fairy.

She was an elusive fairy.

Catch me if you can! Her playful invitation was drowned into a big pant as she gathered speed to race towards the nearby forest.

The woman behind her was at her limits. She could keep the pace with the girl thus far, but she was getting exhausted. She tried to reach the girl, but she was too fast, and her little form got further and further away with each passing moment. The woman was desperate. She could only see the girls flowing hair and the sight crushed her heart. She wanted to catch her and hug her to look into her eyes and kiss her forehead, and the thought that she couldnt do it was unbearable.

Wait for me! The womans cry sounded rather pitiful, and the girl didnt listen to it either. With a big hop, she jumped into the bushes between the trees, vanishing from the womans eyes, leaving only a feeble echo of laughter for her.

The woman began to panic, but it was too late. A twisted scream tore the world apart, turning it inside out. The riverside and the forest disappeared, and a big room took their place. It looked like a big bar or living-room. Its wooden walls and floor were of fine Fire Nation quality, and the reddish furniture inside was also finely crafted and noticeably valuable. The scene was painfully familiar for the woman. She couldnt catch the girl She never could. And now, she had to suffer the consequences.

She could already feel the pain of the bruises and the pulsing numbness around the deep wound on her left thigh. She stumbled a step backwards

only to be kicked in the stomach with such power that it sent her flying across the room and crashing into a cabinet. Her scream of pain consumed the last bits of her strength. The world became blurry and distant for her as she struggled to stand up. But just as she thought she would find some spare power to at least run away, a massive figure walked into sight. The man was big and strong very strong and his naked upper body was covered with blood and bruises. His eyes were burning with savage fury and his lips were frozen into a dreadful snarl.

At this stage, the women couldnt even hope to fend him off, but she tried. The man was unrelenting though, easily pushing aside the womans feeble attack. He grabbed her like a doll, flinging her on the top of the bar counter. The woman tried to protect her head with her arms as the man swept the bar counter with her, but she could feel the glass breaking under her and tearing into her body. A few jagged pieces found an especially bad angle, rending her face and forcing a shrieking scream of pain out of her.

She landed hard on the floor, but the man had other plans with her. He picked her up and threw her through a door into another room. At this point, the woman was completely helpless. She lay on the floor curled up, grasping the fresh, gruesome scar on her face. She was wailing there, devastated and defeated and ready for the killing blow.

But the finishing strike never came. The man roughly pushed her onto something soft instead, and when the woman felt that she had landed on a bed, a realization struck her. With a sudden surge of strength, she struck out once more, trying to claw into the man like an animal, but her attack met with an equally bestial resistance. She could feel the man pushing aside her hand. She could feel him as he held down her head with one hand. She could feel his other hand greedily grabbing her hip

The Commander woke up with a terrified yell. She could still feel the softness of a bed, and for a moment, she thought that she was still dreaming. She struck out towards her assailant, but her forceful punch hit a metal wall. The metallic clang finally brought her to her senses as she realized that she wasnt in the same place now. She was in a different place, in a different time.

She got out of bed to wash away her nightmare. The small ship cabin had only a few marks of comfort, but it at least included a small water tap. The cold water was a true blessing for her, as it swept away the dark clouds of her nightmare, freeing her mind from their grasp. But as she looked up into the mirror hung over the tap, she could feel her momentary lightness dissolving too. Even in the dim light of the cabin, the ugly scar on the left side of her face was clearly visible: it ran from the left end of her temple through her left eye, ending just above her lips. It was wide, deep and badly healed; at some places even the white of the skull was visible. It ruined the otherwise strikingly beautiful face of the Commander: her mild and soft features, sharp green eyes and strong lips. For the Commander, this scar was not just an aesthetical hideousness, but also a mark.

A mark of the other scars she has, both on her body and inside her very soul.

A mark of a woman with stained honor and a terrible burden.

The mark of a defiled woman.

The Commander looked away from the mirror. She couldnt take it anymore. Her tears blurred her sight, and her body was shaking from the memories she relived again.

Defiled forever.

part 1: capturedAt the beginning, Suki was prepared for everything. When Azula told her that she would enjoy the hospitality of the Fire Nations worst prison, she was thinking about a really bad place. When she arrived here three weeks ago, the place looked scary at first. This Boiling Rock, as the others called it, was built in the middle of a weirdly shaped island, on top of a steaming lake. It was intimidating from a distance, but as the transporter gondola approached the installation, Suki quickly realized that she had been pretty much fooled by Azula.

The prison itself was pretty lazy and mostly relied on its unique location to keep the prisoners in check. The guards were amateurs; mostly untrained civilians from the nearby islands, and they tried to keep their distance from the prisoners most of the time. The inmates were even better, with most of them being political dissidents, deserters and prisoners of war. Just to give Suki an even better time, Azula specifically instructed the warden of the prison to watch over Sukis safety.

And this one actually troubled Suki more than anything this prison could throw at her. The guards and the prisoners left her alone, nobody talked her other than ordering her around, and nobody sought her company. Neither could she find anyone who would talk with her. As the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki was used to having people to talk with, and this isolation and boredom really hurt her.

Well, actually, this part was rather shaky, and whenever Suki was pondering about her current situation, everything came down to two people.

The first was Sokka. Suki shared a deep love with him, and she was quite sure that if anyone could help her now, it would be Sokka. The only problem with this was that Suki had no idea about how Sokka would find her in this spirits forsaken place, not to mention their method of escape, but Suki hoped for the best.

The second person was Azula. The princess had a special interest in Suki since she defeated and captured the Kyoshi Warriors while they were protecting Appa, Avatar Aangs sky bison, from her. There, the Kyoshi Warriors lost the battle against Azula and her vicious allies, but during their way to the Fire Nation prison camp, Azula talked to them a lot. She usually mocked them, but sometimes she showed a real interest, especially towards Suki.

Azula smoothed Sukis thick auburn hair, picking up a small curl that was even more reddish than the rest of her hair.

Red hair. The princess snapped her tongue. I though that this is a Fire Nation thing. She let the curl slip from her hand and pricked Sukis green uniform. But you are definitely from the Earth Kingdom.

We are from Kyoshi Island. Suki answered.

Kyoshi Island, huh? Azula giggled. I heard that Zuzu had some trouble there. Dont tell me that it was you who repelled him. Before Suki could answer to this, Azula touched the golden strip on Sukis uniform and ran down her finger on it. And what does this silly insignia means? Does it have something with that creepy makeup you wore?

Suki turned towards Azula, her face twisted by anger, but before she could reply to this insult, she caught Azulas face. She was smiling. And in her eyes, Suki could see satisfaction. Azula was seemingly enjoying the situation.

And impulsive too. Are you sure that you are not from the Fire Nation? Your parents maybe?

Im from Kyoshi Island. Azula raised her eyebrows, still smiling. But I dont know my parents. This confession dropped a huge stone onto Sukis heart and Azula knew it. The princess turned Suki back in line, and roughly pushed her forward.

So, what does that golden insignia mean?

For Suki, it took some time to realize what Azula really meant. Yes, she is from Kyoshi Island. She doesnt know her real parents. Her family is the Kyoshi Warriors. And the Kyoshi Warriors areDont worry redhead, they have exceptionally good conditions. I keep them within arms distance. Azulas smile was unbearable. Suki had had to spend the last two hours chattering with the princess in this dark interrogation room, and Azula dropped the interesting bits of information slowly and carefully. Just in case something awful happens and I need their services. Suki looked up suddenly. This one came out of nowhere.

What?

Hey, dont look at me like that! You Kyoshi Warriors are smart girls. But it seems that you are smarter when you are not alone. Your little subordinates have already realized the inevitable and pretty much swore loyalty to me. Azula stood up from her chair and slowly walked behind Suki. They are in my hands now

Youre lying!

Maybe I am. Azula leaned over to Sukis ears. But even then, what do you want to accomplish with this? I can let you rot in this prison for the rest of your life, but I think you are far too valuable for such a fate. Or I can give you a life of your choice. In my service. Azulas words rang some bells in Sukis head, but she silenced them quickly.

Forget it. I wont bow before you like a beaten dog, I wont betray my friends, and I wont betray my country.

Aaaahhhh. What a shame. Azulas voice was full of joy. But as a side note, your so-called friends are dead or have abandoned you, and your country is a small island in the middle of nowhere, ready to be invaded by the Fire Nation. If I were in your place, I would seriously reconsider my position. Azulas glance chilled Sukis blood for a moment. And my loyalties with it.

Even though Suki knew where this was going, she could do little to stop it. Her isolation in the prison made her starved for some company, so Azula always had her attention when she visited her. It was probably pre-planned by the princess, but at this point, Suki couldnt care less. The presence of the fire princess was unpleasant, but it was certainly better than nothing.

Well, it was better until their last chat two days ago.

The air of the interrogation room was unusually hot, and the lamps burned with an azure fire, coloring everything with a bluish hue. Azula was in a rather good mood. She sat in front of Suki, playing with a golden fan Sukis Kyoshi Warrior war fan with one hand and making wide gestures with the other. She was chattering without a break, and she was surprisingly informative while doing so.

And, you know, Zuzu is just such a terrible person sometimes. Even when he finally made the right decision, and I honestly gave him the credit for it, he messes up everything. And he is so ungrateful too. He frowns even when he has to smile. But hey, I cant really blame him. He has all the bad influence from our uncle Sleazy-Tea, and his little lovely occupations with Mai wont help him either. Suki had to strain her memory to remember this Mai girl. Was she the dark knife thrower or the ditzy acrobat? As far as Suki could remember, Mai was the acrobat girl. I must confess, they are rather sweet together, just as you can say that a withered lemon and a rotten apple look nice next to each other. But Mai is not the girl who Zuko needs now. She totally drags him down, giving him time to ponder his big return. Suki couldnt not notice that Azula was subtly changing topics. Back in Ba Sing Se, he chose to side with me and helped me to defeat the Avatar. In return, I gave him everything he wanted: the victory, the throne, our fathers approval, the girl, and a page in the history books. He gained everything, simply by choosing me over our treacherous uncle. And I mean everything. Azula was careful to pronounce the last world very clearly, so Suki couldnt miss it. She didnt miss it, but she didnt miss something else either.

Still, it seems that he isnt fully satisfied with his choice.

Azulas smile only widened.

Zuzu is never fully satisfied with anything. And his three years with uncle Tea-Brains changed him a lot. But I cant blame him for that. Three years with our uncle would turn even me against the Fire Nation. I dont know his secret, but I guess he poisons his tea with some sort of mind-altering drug. Azula laughed out loud at her own joke. But it isnt really your business. What is your business is that, as you can see, Im a generous person. Generous and forgiving.

Cut it out Azula, what do you want from me?

Isnt it obvious? I just want you to stand up, come over here, kneel down and swear loyalty to me both as Suki and as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Azula narrowed her eyes, and closed the fan. Her smile vanished, and the casual atmosphere of their talk gave way to something indescribably sinister. For Suki, it felt like the shadows around Azula could suddenly reach out at the princess will to catch Suki and force her to do what Azula said. Suki tried to overcome her mounting fear, but she was only partially successful. It was enough for a final word though.

Never! After Azulas change of mood, Suki wouldnt believe that she could utter this simple response as defiantly as she ultimately did. Azula raised her eyebrow, and for a moment, Suki could see that the answer unsettled Azula. The fire princess leaned forward across the interrogation table, and roughly grabbed Sukis chin. She forcefully turned Sukis face right towards hers. For a seemingly very, very long moment, the two girls stared into each others eyes without saying a word. It was a silent battle of wills, and Suki made sure that Azula knew that she would not break her. Not on her terms at least. She stared into those golden eyes, and steeled her spirit to not to show any signs of weakness, even under the gaze of this menace. She wouldnt give the fire princess the pleasure of seeing the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors cowed. But she would let her know that if she truly wanted her so much, then she should come up with something truly extraordinary.

Maybe it took only a few seconds, but this face-off put enormous strain on Suki. But ultimately, Azula backed down, with a smirk on her face. She didnt let Sukis chin slip from her hand, but she broke eye contact and swiftly glanced over Sukis auburn hair.

You know, maybe I should remind you of your current situation, and my place in it. I can do terrible things with you, or I can do similarly unpleasant things with any of your pretty Kyoshi Warriors. And I assure you, at the end of the day, you would crawl at my feet begging to serve me just to make me stop. I could do that. Azulas whisper nearly freaked Suki out. The fire princess leaned a little bit even more forward, and now her face was uncomfortably close to Sukis. Their noses almost touched each other, and Suki had to take a deep breath. But I wont. Instead, Ill tell you why I put so much effort into your case. Azula looked back into Sukis eyes, and Suki could feel an elemental fear surging up from her guts, grabbing her mind and nearly made her scream. But she beat back this feeling again, and withstood Azulas glaze with a renewed determination. You are not just a petty Earth Kingdom peasant. You are a warrior. You act like a warrior and you think like a warrior. I can see into your eyes, and I dont see only the warrior, but I can also see the killer. You are a natural-born killer Suki, and you can take this as a compliment from me. I can see your urge to simply pick up something sharp and thrust it right through my heart without giving it a second thought.

Suki didnt have any reply for this. Actually, Azula had correctly described her current thoughts. There were no suitable objects in the interrogation room though, and Azula held the war fan firmly in her hand. Suki clenched her fists, but didnt respond.

And I love this in you. And to see this in every Kyoshi Warrior It was truly exhilarating! A whole group of killers! And not spineless and opportunistic like those Dai Li agents. You are strong and tenacious warriors, steadily loyal without exception. Azula released Sukis chin and leaned back into her chair. Her withdrawal was infinitely relieving for Suki. You are simply too good to be wasted. And frankly, I am up to this challenge. I want you to serve me, no matter what it will take. And you will serve me, eventually.

With that, Azula stood up from her chair. She rearranged her clothes, and swept away an invisible mote from her armor.

This conversation is now over. Ill let you think about what I said. Dont worry, nobody will disturb you in your solitary contemplation. I think we wont meet until next week. Until then Azula handed the war fan to Suki. This belongs to you, doesnt it?

For a moment, Suki nearly fell into the trap. Taking her weapon from Azula would mean a big victory for the princess in the current situation. If she took it and attacked Azula, then it would only corroborate Azulas little killer theory. If she took it and didnt attack, then it would be a sign of trust, something Suki couldnt allow.

You can keep it. Ill take it back sooner or later anyways. Sukis little threat made Azula laugh. The fire princess left the interrogation room without saying a word, taking Sukis war fans with her.

Since then, Suki felt an ever increasing conflict within herself. Azula truly perturbed her now, and an inner voice urging her to accept the fire princess offer grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment. For Suki, the source of this voice was really tangled. Azula threatened her, threatened her Kyoshi Warriors, but at the same time she also admired her. She truly wanted the devotion of the Kyoshi Warriors, and she wouldnt stop until she got it. And frankly the voice asked Suki what is the trouble?

She can give you anything.

Anything.

And you just have to bow before her.

Easy as that. Not a big task.

Suki turned over in her bed. She felt sick at herself; like she could just simply abandon her duty, her loyalty and her dignity. She was a Warrior of Kyoshi, and her loyalty belonged only to Avatar Kyoshi. She couldnt betray her.

Silly talk

She could.

And she will.

part 2: Personal IntroductionIt was dusk on another boring day, but Suki couldnt make any progress. She tried to meditate, but it only made her even angrier. She was angry at herself for having such dishonorable thoughts, she was angry at Azula for giving her these thoughts, and she was angry at Sokka for not showing up. She felt like she was left at the edge of a huge chasm: she could step down, and fall into her demise; or she could accept the helping hand, even though it would have a terrible cost. From all those options, the simplest would be to jump onto the sky bison and fly away But there was no sky bison in sight.

A metallic knock on the door of her cell put an end to her thoughts. It was rather surprising for Suki, as bathing was still at least an hour away.

What is it?

Its time for bathing. Nice and easy, just as always. No hasty moves.

For Suki, bathing was a separate procedure. She used the inmates shower, but she could do it only after everyone else had left the facility. The two guardswomen always took her when the shower was empty, and they had orders to keep everyone out as long as Suki was in. Then they escorted her back to her cell. But it was only dusk as Suki could determine it, and they had always come around midnight so far.

Is there a problem? Its a bit early for bathing.

The door opened up, and a guardswoman stepped in. She roughly tossed Suki out into the walkway. The other guardswoman at the door quickly grabbed her arm to lead her away.

Hey! I asked something!

Silence! We have nothing to say. The guardswoman in her cell gathered the pillow and the sheet from the bed, and joined them. Another unusual thing: her bedclothes were changed two days ago, and the guards changed it only once per week.

Whats happening? Is something wrong? Sukis sharp questioning only resulted in another forceful push.

Move on!

They began their short walk towards the inmates shower, and Suki could see from afar that this time, she wouldnt be alone there. But as a new and even bigger surprise, they passed the door of the showers.

Hey, weve left the door! The guardswomen didnt slow though.

You arent bathing in the inmates shower anymore. Keep moving!

Suki let them lead the way, and they soon left the prison blocks and entered the guards quarters. But the guardswomen didnt stop here either, and they led Suki up to the officers floor. Suki couldnt believe her eyes. She could see some of the passing prison officers wonder about her presence, but they didnt ask questions. Finally, the guardswomen stopped at the door of what seemed to be the entrance of the officers shower. Suki cautiously took a step, but one of the guardswomen rudely pushed her inside.

We have direct orders from your overseer to take you here every night from now. Another odd thing. The overseer of Sukis block was an old man, but she had never met him personally. She gulped at the thought that why he wants to meet with her here and now. She looked around, and after realizing that she was really in the officers shower, she noticed that someone had prepared a towel for her. She could tell it that it was hers, because the same dark green silk towels were used by the Kyoshi Warriors on Kyoshi Island. Suki hadnt seen one since she left the island months ago.

Azula She whispered. So it was another of the princess games. Bribing. Suki felt disgusted that Azula could think that she would fall for such a straight lure.

Nevertheless, the officers shower was way more comfortable than the inmates shower. It had an infinite supply of hot water and separated shower rooms. She even found an aromatic soap, and could use it instead of that foul soap-like-thing shed had to use in the inmates shower. Suki hadnt had a real bath since Azula captured her, so she spent quite some time with refreshing herself.

Maybe a little too much time, as the guardswomen grew tired, and one of them entered the chamber, probably to drag out Suki. Or at least that was Sukis first thought, but after some listening, she realized that shed heard the barefoot steps of a leaving person. She peeked out from her shower room, and her heart slipped a beat when she caught the leaving person.

She was a middle-aged woman, with a tall, strong and well-shaped body. She had the same Kyoshi Warrior towel wrapped around her body as what Suki had, and she also wore a big red headscarf that completely hid her hair. Suki couldnt miss her strained muscles and slightly stiff movement. For some strange reason this woman reminded her of a closed war fan: it looked casual at first sight, but it was always ready to strike as a deadly weapon. She stood with her back to Suki, so she couldnt see her face, but she had a weird feeling that it was intentional on the womans part.

This was way too convenient to be random. Suki quickly shut off the water and wrapped her own towel around her body. The woman had probably just left the shower rooms, and Suki followed her with swift, stealthy steps. Her head was full with questions. Who is this woman? Is she an agent of Azula? What does she want? Why is she here?

Suki reached the corridor between the shower rooms and the dressing hall, and she pressed herself against the wall on the shower rooms side. Her Kyoshi Warrior training hadnt let her down so far, and she covered the distance between the shower room and the corridor without making a single noise. She had barely readied herself to slip to the other side of the corridor, when something simply materialized next to her. She could feel the presence, she could hear the slow breathing and smell the scent of soap, but they all appeared out of nowhere, and well within arms reach. Nobody could sneak up on Suki, nobody Until now.

Hi.

Suki nearly fainted from the shock. She turned around, only to find the woman standing right next to her. From this angle, Suki had a perfect view of the womans face, but now she regretted her curiosity. The woman had had a pretty beautiful face once. The left side of the face was still a reminder of this, with its soft but strong features but the right side was completely devastated by a terrible scar. Suki had never seen such a monstrous scar in her entire life: it sprawled from the womans temple, through her right eye and down until her lips. It was wide and deep, and its tattered edges were marked with disfigured, badly healed flesh. In a few places, the scar was deep enough to show the white of the skull. Suki needed some time to realize that what she thought to be the result of a single, terrifying cut was in fact a merged stream of smaller wounds. Suki couldnt even imagine what could possibly do such cruel damage. Maybe a flock of Wolfbats or a swarm of Locustbees. It was utterly horrifying and imperceptibly repulsive. Suki couldnt withhold her disgust, and it immediately showed on her face. The womans friendly smile quickly turned into a frown.

What is it, pumpkin? Didnt like your new bathing place?

The word pumpkin slapped Suki out of her shock. She hated this nickname. She took a few steps away from the woman, and this gave her some time and space to breathe freely again. This woman looked really, really tough. She was probably a seasoned war veteran from some sort of elite Fire Nation hit squad. The signs of this were many and obvious: her face scar, her body build, her stance Everything screamed assassin, and Suki couldnt ease the feeling that she could only see this because this woman let her to do it.

Who are you and what do you want from me? It was hard to acknowledge, but even with two possible escape routes, Suki felt like a cornered tiger-rat. This woman would break her in two before she could even get into her fighting stance.

Hey, show some respect girl! The woman lightened her expression, reverting to her friendly smiling face. Suki was not entirely sure if this was some sort of trick or not. Im the new overseer of your cell block. I just wanted to personally meet with the fire princess favorite prisoner. The woman gave a hand to Suki, but she reached a little bit too far for a normal handshake. Suki knew why, and she accepted her hand, but grabbed it at the forearm, placing her thumb on the top center of the limb. The woman did the same, and she placed her thumb at the right point on Sukis forearm, effectively revealing a part of her past to Suki.

Just call me Commander.

My name is Suki.

When she returned to her cell, Sukis first thing to do was to check out her new bedclothes. She carefully sniffed through the pillow and the sheets, and only allowed herself to use them after she couldnt find any trace of certain substances. She couldnt feel the sharp odor of the Mindflayer, neither the overpowering smell of the Black Lotus.

Well, at least she didnt try to drug me.

She tried to sleep, but thoughts of this Commander gave her no respite. She knew the correct way of the Kyoshi Warriors greeting, and it could only mean that at one point in her life, she was initiated into the cadre. There was another option to acquire this knowledge of course, but it was too terrifying for Suki to think about it. And if she was a Kyoshi Warrior, then what was she doing here? She seemed to be a high ranking Fire Nation military officer.

It seemed very likely that Azula had sent this renegade Kyoshi Warrior to put some pressure on Suki. But then, she had found a rather bad person, as the Commander was undoubtedly scarier than Azula. The pieces simply didnt fit together. Suki could swear that something more tangled was going on, but no matter how hard she tried to figure it out, she couldnt unfold it.

She finally felt asleep while thinking about those who she really missed: her Kyoshi Warriors, her friends on Kyoshi Island and Sokka.

The Commander felt like she had been hit by a hammer. After the girl finally left the officers shower, she nearly passed out from the strain. Her heart thudded like crazy, and she could feel her blood rushing in her veins. She felt jumpy, but also dull. She just barely managed to stagger back to her quarters, where she immediately collapsed into her bed.

This was much harder than shed thought. Fifteen years of anguish, fretting, and nightmares, and she starts with nearly scaring the girl to death. Then she opens with a simple Hi and proceeds to scold her for not giving respect. And the girl leaves frightened and thinking that this woman is probably Azulas personal death machine tasked to soften her up for good.

How stupid and awkward it was! But as the Commander fell into another nightmarish sleep, she decided that next time, she would be more subtle.

And by the spirits, it wont be hard!

Part 3: Flawed Technique

To divert her thoughts, Suki decided to practice Kyoshi Warrior fighting techniques in her cell every day. Two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Doing the well-known moves over and over again gradually cleaned her mind of all those disturbing matters that had clouded her thoughts so far.

Three days passed since her encounter with the Commander, and there was no sign of Azula. But just as Suki got rid of one annoying person, she gained another. For three days, Suki was under watch. The eye slit on her cell door opened up way more often than the patrolling guards could justify it. It was probably the Commander, but Suki had no idea why she would be so interested in her activities. But if she wanted to watch her being bored in her cell, then so be it. Suki carefully timed her training sessions for during mealtime or the briefing of the guards, and so far, no one had discovered her.

The main problem with the unarmed Kyoshi Warrior fighting style was that it was purely defensive or counter-offensive. It was impossible to train alone, as Suki couldnt perform throws and joint locks without an actual opponent. She tried to use her pillow to at least practice throws, but it was ridiculously awkward. So ultimately, her options were narrowed down to those few kicks and punches she had learned.

It was early afternoon, and the guards were busy to inspect the neighboring cell block. Suki could hear them walking around and chattering, but they were far away. This event usually kept most of the prisons guards occupied, so Suki could practice without fear of getting caught.

She started with the basic forms and stances and then proceeded with the kicks. Suki knew only three types of kicks, but she simply repeated them over and over again until she was contented with her moves. Then came the punches, and fortunately, she knew many more of these.

You kicks are beyond salvation and your attacking stance is the worst Ive ever seen from a Kyoshi Warrior. But at least you know how to punch normally. The Commanders voice struck Suki in the middle of a rather tangled move, and she nearly fell over from the shock. She looked up towards her cell door, and she could see the eye slit slightly dragged away. And she could see a stern green eye peeking in through it. No wonder the bear-pup defeated you. With that, she closed the eye slit, and according to the noises, left Sukis door.

Hey! Suki stormed to the door and slammed it. If you think Im so bad then go ahead, Im here, you can prove yourself instead of spying on me!

But there was no answer to Sukis sulky outburst. She collapsed to the floor and just sat there, resting her back against the door. She was discovered, and she wouldnt get away with this one without punishment. And she had a bad feeling that shed only worsened the situation when she called out the Commander.

Shell probably challenge me to a duel. She mumbled to herself. She knew that her chances against the Commander were slim, so to say. Score one to your recklessness, girl, well done.

She didnt do any more exercises in the afternoon.

The two guards arrived in the late afternoon. Suki knew that they would come, but she thought that they wouldnt until midnight, or some other properly uncomfortable time of the day.

Get up girl! There is some work waiting for you!

Great Whispered Suki with resignation.

The guards took her to the lower sections of the prison. Suki tried to figure out the location of her new employment, but the guards had already passed most of the possible rooms. They left the door to the latrines, the hallway to the waste processing, the stairs to the coolers and the small corridor to the interrogation rooms. Actually, as Suki could remember, they had only the main security room and the prison yard in front of them.

The guards took a turn towards the security room, and led the surprised Suki right through it. They arrived at a small, open place. It was the guards training ground, as Suki could tell from all the exercise gear scattered around and the big fighting-ring in the middle of the mess.

One of the guards unceremoniously put a floor swab and a bucket full of water into Sukis hands.

You have two hours to wash up this place. And clean the equipment too! And with that, the two guards left, locking the door behind them.

Suki looked around, checking out the place. The walls around were high and there was a guard tower looking right towards the training ground. She brushed the metallic floor with her feet, and realized that it wasnt that dirty at all.

At least I dont have to work that much.

One hour passed, and Suki had pretty much finished the cleaning of the floor. She moved on to pack up and clean the equipment when she heard the door opening. She pretended to be busy with cleaning a bunch of training swords, but she watched the arriving people closely.

Suki quickly noticed the Commander in the middle of the bunch of four men and two women. The headscarf and the ugly scar on the right side of her face made her appearance quite obvious. She casually chattered with the others, but she clearly had authority over them. This could only mean that those other people were prison guards, but Suki was rather unsure of this as she couldnt recognize them without their helmets and armor.

The group went to the fighting-ring, where the Commander started to order them around.

Come on boys and girls! Get in line! The guards tried their best, but the line they ultimately formed up was rather unimpressive. Good enough Commented the Commander. So, as Ive heard, the previous overseer, sergeant Montka, personally trained you in your guard duty. The Warden has told me that a new group of prisoners will arrive in the next week, and this time we will get some more troublesome lads than we have now. So while I respect Montkas work, I think it will be insufficient against these newcomers. Handling pirates and bandits is much different than handling dissidents and petty deserters. The guards started to talk in undertones, but the Commander quickly hushed them. Silence! As the new overseer, it is now my duty to prepare you for this new challenge. So everyone, get into the fighting-ring!

The guards entered the fighting ring with quite some hesitation. The difference between the guards clumsy moves as they struggled their way through the safety ropes and the Commanders sleek jump into the ring was truly shocking. Suki couldnt miss that the Commander was in a better mood, and somehow she was less intimidating than last time when theyd met in the shower, but Suki still felt that disturbing stiffness in her moves.

Hey, form a circle! The Commander walked into the middle of the ring, while the guards encircled her. First, I want you to show me what youve got! Just pretend that Im a convict who has just made some trouble. You have to bring me to the ground or Ill hurt you. Dont hold back guys; throw everything you have at me!

The guards started to whisper nervously amongst themselves, but they all assumed their attack stances. The Commander didnt tire herself with such a thing and she just stood there smiling, her guard down. Suki stopped cleaning the training swords so she could wholly focus on the fight. The chance to see the Commander fight was really interesting.

Suki was prepared for a quick and one-sided battle, but the swiftness and the sheer brutality of the fight was truly astonishing. Two guards quickly took the chances on the first strike, but their simultaneous attacks were easily parried by the Commander. One kick was diverted, and the Commander took the chance to grab the leg and swing the guard around, forcefully pushing him into her other attacker. The two guards got jumbled and fell to the ground. One guardswoman tried to exploit the situation, but she couldnt catch the Commander off guard, and her punch was dodged. The Commander let the guardswoman get close, and then she used her attackers own momentum to grab her and throw her out of the ring. The guardswoman landed hard on the floor not far away from Suki. The Commander then took the initiative, and went for a more offensive angle. She kicked out towards the remaining guardswoman, but it was only a feint to force the woman to the right of the Commander. Two jabs hit the guardswomans chest in quick succession, knocking her out instantly. Then she leaped toward the two guards left standing, and unleashed a flurry of blows against them. Suki could barely follow her moves, as the storm of kicks and jabs brought down the guards in no time.

Only the two guards on the rings floor remained to fight, and one of them clearly had no intention of standing back up and continuing the fight. The other guard did it though, and as he stood up, he conjured a small fireball in his hand.

Take this! He shouted, shooting the fireball towards the Commander. But she evaded the firebending attack, and jumped next to the guard, incapacitating him with a single roundhouse kick.

Firebenders She uttered. They never know when to give up!

Suki had to conclude that the Commander was even more dangerous than she imagined. Challenging her to a sparring match was quickly looking like a very stupid idea. The painful groans of the defeated guards sounded rather unpleasant, and Suki was not sure that she could evade any of the attacks the Commander had shown. They were way too fast and forceful to handle with the Kyoshi Warriors technique, even though some of them oddly resembled the attack forms that Suki knew.

Count me disappointed! Shouted the Commander as she rounded up her beaten subordinates. I guess we should start at the very basics, but the new group of prisoners is only two months away. So we will train each night instead of the arranged once every third day. The guards only replied with disgruntled moans. Silence! Everyone into training formation! On the double!

Suki took great interest in the Commanders training. She was barely noticed, so nobody put her in her place and she could pay attention while cleaning the same set of training swords over and over again. The Commanders instructions were actually quite familiar for Suki.

You guys are puny, but you should remember that physical strength can be turned against its possessor. Your opponents will always have constant force in their attacks, a force that comes from their body, so it will be based on their strength. More strength bigger force behind the attack. But remember, the attack itself is vulnerable. Its path can be changed, the attack can be diverted, and the force behind the attack will follow the course. And this is my most basic lesson: when your opponent attacks, you should catch his momentum, diverting it for your own advantage, turning the force of you attacker against himself. Big guys land hard, if you know what I mean. This made the guards laugh. So lets get it started with the stance!

Suki also smiled, but not because of the rather weak joke. What the Commander had said was the most basic philosophy of the Kyoshi Warriors fighting style. Fighting defensively, using the force of the attacker to the warriors own advantage. Suki felt like she was on Kyoshi Island again, training with the girls under the supervision of instructor Tamara. The old memories drew out pleasant feelings, but they also made Suki sad inside. Instructor Tamara had left Kyoshi Island two years ago, and while she promised to return within two weeks, she never did. And the Kyoshi Warriors Suki didnt know anything about them, other than that they were in Azulas hands, far away from here.

Suki just kept cleaning the swords and listening to the Commander, but her sight was soon blurred by tears and her ears could only hear the echoes of her distant memories.

The training session was over, and the guards had already left the training ground. Only the Commander and Suki remained there. The former was busy replacing the cushion of the fighting-ring where the firebender guards fireball had hit it. Suki abandoned the cleaning of the training swords, and started to mop up the floor where the guards soiled it again. Nobody had instructed her that she could stop with the work, so she didnt, even though the two hours had long passed.

Hey, cleaner girl! Leave that stupid floor as it is, I could eat on it, its that clean! Suki turned towards the Commander, only to see that she was staring at her. Come over here.

Suki dropped the mop and walked up to the Commander. She only hoped that the Commander didnt want to spar, but she seemed to be in a much friendlier mood.

Yes? Even though Suki felt rather uncomfortable, when she looked up into the Commanders eyes, she immediately felt relieved. Shed thought that she would see the same thing she had in the officers shower: a ruthless, vicious killer, maybe behind the mask of a friendly face. But since then, that side of the Commander has vanished. Now, Suki could see something that could only be genuine concern or even caring.

Sorry for the shower and the spying. The apology sounded straightforward to Suki. But you know, meeting with a fellow Kyoshi Warrior here, especially with such a young girl, was quite disturbing for me. The Commander leaned a bit forward. Arent you supposed to be on Kyoshi Island? As far as I know, you girls are under strict orders that you can leave the island only under the supervision of your instructor. And dont even try to lie. I know that you couldnt be with your instructor and I know that the Fire Nation couldnt capture you on Kyoshi Island. Suki opened her mouth to start a long excuse, but she decided to not to say anything instead. So tell me, why are you here? And tell me the truth.

If you know all that, then you probably know that the Avatar visited Kyoshi Island during the early winter. The Commander nodded. He helped us to defend Kyoshi Island when the Fire Nation attacked.

How generous He was probably the reason of the attack in the first place

Yes, but Whatever, his appearance and his actions made a great impact on us. He is wandering around, helping people and fighting the Fire Nation. We wanted to do the same. So we enlisted in the Earth Kingdom army.

That was a bold move. Suki couldnt decide whether the Commander said this proudly or mockingly. Maybe both. And let me guess, you left someone behind. Someone important. Suki lowered her head and silently nodded. Yes, she had left one Kyoshi Warrior on Kyoshi Island. It was an awkward story. Leading young girls into a war of firebenders and earthbenders was bold. But leaving the assault specialist at home was stupid.

She didnt want to come. Suki felt like a little girl again, enduring the scolding of instructor Tamara. At this point, it was undeniable that the Commander was a Kyoshi Warrior. And not just a simple Kyoshi Warrior, but probably a leader, just like Suki.

So, you went to war without your assault specialist, the only person who knows the proper methods to fight in a war. Sounds good so far. Suki ignored the Commanders taunting.

We were tasked with escorting a group of refugees. The Earth Kingdom general who gave us the mission was rather distrustful. He tried to convince us to return to Kyoshi Island

My hero!

but we refused. Then we escorted the refugees up north, to Full Moon Bay. There, the local authorities recruited us as security guards.

Full Moon Bay? Asked the Commander, remarkably surprised. Wasnt your superior an old, bossy and shrewish woman who had a big collection of dolls?

She was old and shrewish, but I didnt see any doll collections.

Okay, forget that. So what happened to you there? Its not like the Fire Nation could attack Full Moon Bay, so you werent captured there.

Well, it was kind of boring. The old lady didnt let us to go out, and she tasked us with guarding a peaceful section of the facility. So when I met with the Avatar again

By the spirits, that boy means trouble!

I gladly took the chance and slipped away to escort him through the Serpents Pass. And I left a message to my warriors to follow me later.

You dont say

I planned to do a little reconnaissance. I heard that the Fire Nation was busy constructing some sort of new war machine, and I wanted to find out what. So we

You are truly a daughter of Kyoshi! Confessed the Commander, and Suki could see the admiration in her eyes. So I guess you were caught during that mission

No, we finished the task, but we only found an empty construction site. We gathered some intelligence on troop positions and army composition, and we nearly made it back to Full Moon Bay, when

The Avatar?

Just his sky bison. He was lost, and when we tried to help him to get back to Aang, we encountered Princess Azula and her ensemble Suki kicked away a towel on the floor to sweep away the taste of her defeat. and the rest is history.

And where are your warriors?

Azula separated me from them because Im the leader. I dont know where they are. The Commander reached out and gently stroked Sukis hair. She looked up at her, only to see the Commanders sad smile. And behind this sadness she could see something else like pride?

Hey, dont let this single affair put you down. You lost a battle and not the war. And I must assure you, if Azula is half as dangerous as her mother, then she should be a truly formidable opponent, and you had an elephant kois chance against her. But you know what? Thats why Im here. If you think that I borrowed this training ground just for these half-witted guards, then you are wrong, because Im here to train a real warrior. She pointed at Suki. You.

This took Suki completely off-guard. It would be extraordinary stupid to deny this proposal, but she had a weird feeling that the Commander also has something else in mind. But she steeled herself the Commander couldnt keep her true intentions to herself forever, and Suki would be there to figure them out when the time came. And until then, she would learn from her, to improve her skills and prepare for her re-match with Azula.

Im in!

Part 4: Combat Training

The training with the Commander was hard but fruitful. Her teaching methods were punishing, and they often spent most of the night studying new forms and techniques. But Suki learned fast, growing better and better with each passing day. And in the meantime, she began to like the Commander. She quickly realized that she had misjudged her character, and that there was a soft and caring heart behind the rough looks.

Five days passed since the first training, and Suki slowly learned the new attack stances. Even though they were far from perfect, the Commander decided that they were good enough to act as the basis of something completely new.

Kyoshi Warrior fighting techniques are based on your ability to counter your opponents attacks. Suki listened carefully to the Commander. They sat in the fighting-ring, taking a rest after a longer exercise. You voluntarily hand over the initiative for the ability, in order to better react to your opponent. Reaction is a key element for a Kyoshi Warrior, but waiting for the enemy to attack can often be disadvantageous. Sometimes, you simply cannot let your enemy attack first, either because he possesses some sort of unavoidable attacking technique or has a special fighting method. In these cases you have to be aggressive, taking the initiative and making the first strike on your own. But even then, you should remember your basics.

Attacks can be diverted, and their momentum can be turned against the attacker.

Exactly. As a Kyoshi Warrior you will have the advantage of knowing this, and youll make your attack considering this. You should strike fast and strong, and once you begin your attack, you should keep attacking. That way, your opponent will lack the time to prepare, and your hits will meet with an unprepared defense. Now, lets start with some punches. Get into your attack stance!

The offensive training was maybe the hardest part. It was pretty much the direct opposite what Suki had learned so far with the Kyoshi Warriors. The basic concept came easy to her, but the implementation was much harder.

But after weeks of determined training, Suki got the hang of it, and her initial clumsy attacks became swift and dangerous strikes. The Commander was pleased with her progress, and she soon began to test Sukis new abilities in a real fight.

Gather up everybody, weve had enough basics for today! The guards pulled themselves together, and lined up in the front of the Commander. For the next hour, Ive devised something more interesting than simple training. It is time for you to put your knowledge to real use, against a real prisoner! The Commanders plan produced mixed feelings amongst her guards.

It sounded interesting to Suki though. Lately, the Commander had stopped teaching her new moves, and decided to refine the learned ones with small spars. In these fight, Suki was beaten more than she wanted to be, but she realized the necessity of this. But it was still kind of unfair, as the Commander was much more skilled and thus Suki had a hard time deciding if her moves were wrong or if the Commander was simply too good. In short, it was very confusing, and the lack of an equal fighting partner really hindered Sukis advancement.

Hey, cleaning girl! Drop that mop and get over here! Suki dropped her mop and walked up to the fighting ring. She jumped into the ring with the same graceful move as the Commander used, and stepped in front of her, facing towards the guards. They hadnt arranged this, but Suki was more than eager to try out her new skills against some less potent opponents. The guards were the perfect choice, as they had some basic fighting abilities, the numbers to keep up the fight regardless of attrition, and a legal reason to attack her.

The Commander placed her hands on Sukis shoulders and looked over the guards. Their nervousness was tangible, and it made a stark contrast to Sukis calm determination.

So as I said, we will use a living dummy from now on to sharpen your skills. Dont be mistaken, I wont throw some hapless young girl at you. She gently tossed Suki a little bit forward. She is a Kyoshi Warrior, an elite soldier trained in the art of fighting from her early childhood. She is better and meaner than all of you combined, and a perfect archetype of the prisoners who will arrive in only a few weeks. Beat her, and you will have no problem with the others. The guards confusedly mumbled amongst each other, clearly distrustful of the current situation. The confident smile of the Commander didnt help them to loosen up either.

Come on people! Were going to start with duels, and if you perform exceptionally poorly then you can fight her together. But now you know your stuff, so energize yourselves and lets get this started! The guards complied rather irresolutely, but after some dispute about who should fight first, one of the guardswomen finally volunteered to be Sukis first opponent.

They started to circle around each other, but the guardswoman carefully remained in a defensive stance. Suki quickly realized that her opponent was possibly the best student within the guards. But it still meant that she was fairly clumsy with her movement. Suki didnt want to prolong this fight, so she attacked the guardswoman with a swift kick. The woman dodged her attack with a panicked yell, but she focused too much on the kick and didnt have time to prepare for the two quick jabs that followed it. Sukis fists hit the guardswomans torso with full force, instantly knocking her to the ground.

Next! Shouted the Commander, and a guard took the place of the defeated guardswoman. Suki grinned at her new opponent, and the guard nearly bailed out from the ring, but the Commander gave him an encouraging push and directed him back towards Suki.

Suki fought with the guards for nearly two hours. After badly beating them up in one on one fights, the Commander ordered them to attack Suki in pairs. This was just barely more effective, and Suki defeated her opponents again. It was extremely exhausting, but for Suki, it was definitely worth it. It was relatively easy to beat the guards even when they attacked in pairs, and it helped Suki to regain most of the self-esteem she has lost in the fight against Azula.

When the guards left, the Commander pulled Suki aside. She was clearly satisfied with her pupils performance. Suki could tell it from her smile and proud look.

You were truly fascinating tonight. Said the Commander. Youve improved a lot since we first met, and I think you deserve some kind of reward for this. Lets visit the officers canteen. There should be some sweets left for you. Suki looked up tiredly, but with a soft smile on her face.

Thank you. The Commander only widened her smile for this answer, and for a moment, Suki could see something strange in her eyes. As if, for a moment, the Commander was about to hug her, or at least she really wanted to, but she ultimately didnt do it. It was a very quick glance, but Suki caught it, and it felt rather confusing. While the training indeed drew them closer, their relationship was still far from intimate. Or at least it couldnt justify a hug. Suki still had a hard time fully trusting the Commander, and though she was grateful to her for the teachings, and their common affiliation as Kyoshi Warriors were undeniable, there were unanswered question around the Commander that made it so Suki couldnt loosen up around her. A hug would be really awkward now.

Well, actually, a quick and small hug maybe wouldnt be that bad. Hugs and cuddling were always important for the Kyoshi Warriors. A good hug per day scares the bad thoughts away! as instructor Tamara often said. And Suki hadnt gotten a hug since she had been separated from her warriors. No wonder she has so many bad thoughts.

One day, the guards didnt come to take Suki to the training ground. Suki was worried at first, because the Commander hadnt said anything about this, but after the guards didnt come to take her to the showers either, she calmed down. She had already noticed that the prison was more quiet than normal, and she couldnt hear the steps of patrolling guards either. There was something going on for the prisons crew, and the Commander probably had to take part in that.

She practiced a little in her cell, then went to bed and fell asleep quickly.

She woke up to a tender fondling. The long, soft stroke on her hair and on her face felt really good, and Suki nearly fell back to sleep. But a sweet whisper aroused her.

Wake up sleepyhead, its time for training! It was the Commanders voice, and Suki slowly rose from her bed. As she turned her head towards the Commander, she could see that she was crouching in the front of her bed. The cell door was only partially open, and the lights in the cell were out, so the shadows completely hid the scarred right side of the Commanders face. Suki had to admit, without the scar, the Commander looked infinitely more lovable. And her unscathed face looked disturbingly familiar too, even though Suki had no idea where shed seen it before.

I thought you wouldnt come tonight. She replied sleepily. Whats happened?

Its the Night of the Jade Phoenix in the Fire Nation. Most of the guards returned home to their families. Only a skeleton crew remained, and since the warden also left the Boiling Rock, I became the officer in charge. Sorry, but I had to take some preparations for tonights training and I also had to oversee the prison. It took quite some time to finish up with both.

The Commander helped Suki to get out of bed. Her mention of preparations for the training sparked Sukis interest, and even though she still felt rather tired, she just shook herself and followed the Commander out of the cell.

On their way to the training ground, Suki noticed that some of the inmates had been released, and they were now celebrating something under the watch of some weary guards. As far as Suki could tell, the inmates were mostly couples, or at least relatives. She could tell from the way they interacted with each other.

The Night of the Jade Phoenix. Commented the Commander. The Jade Phoenix is the guardian spirit of families in the Fire Nation, and folks usually spend this night with their loved ones, proving they care and whatnot.

Do you have a family, Commander? Sukis question froze the Commander, but after a moment of puzzling silence, she shook her head and started to move again.

Im not from the Fire Nation, remember? I have nothing to do with the Jade Phoenix.

You didnt answer my question. Suki could feel that this time, she had gotten the Commander in a weak spot. She felt a little bit indiscreet for forcing this, but she had to get to know her better.

My family is the Kyoshi Warriors. That is all. The Commander hastened her step, not to hurry, but to gain some distance from Suki. And what about you, girl? Do you have a family? Her voice was strangely shaky, and Suki quickly realized that she had probably hit something very sensitive in the Commander.

Other than the Kyoshi Warriors, I dont have a family either. I was raised by chief Oyaji and his wife, and he told me that my parents abandoned me shortly after I was born. Well, he told me that my mother abandoned me, anyway. I know nothing about my father.

Now, this hit the Commander with the force of a lightning. She suddenly stopped, and Suki could clearly see her muscles stretching. When she turned back to Suki, she was seething with rage. Suki quivered, as the Commander showed her bad side again. But this time, it was even worse than her impression in the officers shower. Luckily, she looked over Suki, staring into the dimness of the walkway.

Did he say those exact words? That Your mother abandoned you shortly after you were born.? Her voice trembled with barely contained anger.

Yes Replied Suki timidly.

And did he explain it? Why your mother had to leave you?

No

Chief Oyaji is a dead man. She looked down to Suki, but only barely softened her face. And this conversation is over.

Do you know my parents? Suki felt like a wimp, but she somehow gathered enough strength to ask this question.

I do. Replied the Commander coldly. She slowly turned back, and softened her attitude. But dont even bother to ask questions about them. I wont answer anyways.

But

Silence! The harsh order had a good effect on Suki. It drowned her words instantly, leaving her with even more unanswered questions.

The training ground had changed a lot. The fighting-ring was disassembled and put aside, and a bunch of standing plates of metal had taken its place. There were also piles of metal sheets and bricks scattered around and one section of the wall was painted white from bottom to top.

The Commander led Suki to the middle of the place. She has already reverted back to her friendlier self, but that little scene had been really disturbing for Suki. She wasnt exactly sure if she could focus on the training tonight.

Tonight, Ill show you something truly extraordinary. Began the Commander with a ceremonial tone in her voice. You have already proved yourself to be an excellent fighter; now it is time to improve your related attributes as well. Strength, agility, speed, toughness. These are all important traits that could limit your fighting performance. Tonight, Ill show you how to breach your limits.

This sounded really fascinating. Suki was not unfamiliar with such things. One of her Kyoshi Warriors was a true master of something similar. Even the distant memory caused dull pain in Sukis tail bone.

The Commander walked up to one of the bigger metal plates. It was maybe a meter tall, a half meter wide, and maybe a little thicker than Sukis palm. As far as Suki could determine it, it was made from steel or some similarly hard material.

The world and everything within it The Commander turned around with a wide gesture. is controlled by laws and rules. When you step, there are many, many things that determine how you could do it. Rules and laws: gravity, friction and others. Every single aspect of your life is covered by these limitations. The Commander had Sukis complete attention. That little moment in the walkway quickly faded into the past. And Ill tell you: neither the rules nor the laws are written in stone. Some of them can be breached. Others can be bypassed or simply ignored. The rules and laws of the world can be bent to your own advantage.

Like, some sort of rulebending? Asked Suki skeptically.

You can call it rulebending, but it has very little to do with the real bending arts. Elemental benders do something similar, but it is still very, very different.

And how can I bend the rules? It is not like I can just defy gravity anytime I want.

You are overestimating this a little bit. You cant defy gravity. Even if you successfully breach a rule, you cant negate its existence. But you can push its limits.

So I couldnt float? That sounds rather boring. The Commander only smiled at Sukis mocking comment.

I see, so you are unconvinced. Then let me give you a little demonstration.

With that, the Commander clenched her fists, and suddenly struck the metal plate in front of her. She punched right through the plate, blowing a roughly fist-sized hole into it. The Commander pulled her arm out of the hole, showing her intact fist to Suki. There was some metallic powder on her knuckles. Sukis jaw dropped in amazement.

Close your mouth girl, or a snakewasp will fly into it and we will have to cut the training.

H-How did you do that?

Rules and laws, girl. They would control the strength of my attack and the hardness of the plate, but I broke them and forced my way to the point where those rules and laws would allow me to punch a hole into dense steel. Normally, I would barely make a dent in it, but with this rulebending, I could increase my strength to penetrate it easily with only my bare hands.

How can I possibly learn this? Suki was shocked. She knew that certain people could do stuff like this, but the possibility that she could learn it now was truly unbelievable.

Come on, it isnt that hard! Every Kyoshi Warrior I met so far could get the hang of it, so you should be able to get it too.

You mean you taught this technique to the Kyoshi Warriors? The Commander laughed.

No, not at all. Rulebending is part of the Kyoshi Warrior training. It is a very advanced technique, so normally you wouldnt learn it until you take your final oaths, but I think your situation is rather extraordinary, and that you will need this knowledge in the near future.

I I dont know Suki felt a little uncertain. But as she looked at the tattered hole on the plate, a realization ran through her. If she learned how to do this rulebending Azula would be in a big trouble next time they met! The thought of a defeated Azula appealed to Suki greatly, and she could feel her confidence rapidly growing. Lets do this!

Suki walked up to the front of the plate, and prepared to punch through it, just like how the Commander had done it. She aimed at the area next to the hole.

So, for the basics, you will break the rules with your sheer will. Dont strike with your flesh. Strike with your will. Concentrate. Focus on the task you want to accomplish. Steel your body with the force of your willpower. Suki did as the Commander told. Feel the forces that oppose your task. Can you feel the softness of your flesh? Can you see the hardness of the plate? Suki nodded. It was only a remote feeling, but as she became more and more focused, the feeling became clearer. Now accept that your flesh is hard as steel and the plate is weak, like a piece of dry paper. Dont think about it, just accept it. It is not the stuff of your mind, it is the stuff of reality. And when you are ready Suki strained her mind, and forced herself to accept that her fist was harder than the plate. DO IT!

Suki punched the plate with full force, but she probably did more damage to herself than to the plate. The steel was dented where she hit it, but the sound of tortured metal was nothing to her, compared to the sound of the cracking bones of her fist. She released a pained scream, and felt to her knees, grasping her fist. The Commander immediately rushed to her, concernedly checking Sukis hand.

Sheesh, girl, that was a big punch for a first try! She carefully rubbed Sukis hand a little bit, then pressed a few points on it. Luckily, it isnt broken.

I couldnt do it. I couldnt punch through the plate.

Of course you couldnt! Laughed the Commander. You cant get this on your first try. Even Im not that good! You will need years of dedicated practice to do what I did. You have to learn all the more complicated stuff too, like breathing techniques and body exercises. Suki smiled at this. For a moment, shed thought that she had failed.

Still, I punched that plate good!

Yes, you did. The Commander smiled. Youre a strong girl. She gently smoothed Sukis hair, and for a moment, it seemed yet again that she was about to hug her. But ultimately, she didnt do it.

Well, I guess we could forget learning to hit hard things tonight. Lets do something else instead. What about running up a smooth wall? Suki stood up, and smiled at the Commander.

Yeah, that will do it.

That nights training was the most interesting thing Suki had ever experienced. The Commander showed her miraculous things, and Suki managed to mimic most of them with little or more success. These new powers opened up many new possibilities for Suki, even though the Commander explicitly warned her that she couldnt always rely on this rulebending:

No matter how amazing it looks, you should use this technique very carefully. The Commanders face was very serious, and Suki knew that she was about to tell her something important. You do know what will happen if you break a rule?Ill get caught?Exactly. It isnt so eye-catching if you use it only in the direst situations, but use it frequently and your reward will be a fate worse than death. You should always remember this. Suki nodded. It was too good to be true anyways

After the training, the Commander escorted Suki up to the showers to take a refreshing bath. Sukis fist still hurt a little bit, and an ugly bruise marked the point where she had hit the plate. While Suki was bathing, the Commander waited outside, just in case someone appeared.

There was a small locker in the dressing hall, where the female officers stored their cosmetics, and the Commander always opened it for Suki to take out a hair-comb or body cream. It had a mirror fixed onto its front, and generally, it was easily the most girlish piece of furniture in the whole prison.

When Suki tried to open this locker after her bath, it got stuck, halfway opened. Suki tried to forcefully open or close it, but it didnt give in. She tried to set the mirror right, as it had come out of its place, but when she began to fix it, she looked up into it, and caught the mirror image of her face.

From its half-opened angle, the mirror only showed the right side of Sukis face, its edge exactly in line with the center of her nose. And then, Suki realized why the Commander was so familiar when she could only see the unscarred left side of her face. Because Sukis face was nearly identical to the Commanders. The same mild and soft features The same strong lips Only Sukis big blue eyes were different from the Commanders smaller and sharper green eyes. And of course, the Commander was older. Much older, by at least twenty years or so.

Twenty years. Suki could feel her throat drying, and her heart beating with an increased speed.

Is there a problem? The Commanders voice snapped Suki out of her chain of thoughts.

Uhm Just the locker. Its door got stuck.

The Commander walked up to the small locker, and closed it with a single forceful push.

Better?

Better. Suki forced out a smile. The Commander smiled back, then went back to the door. Suki just looked after her for a long moment, with disturbing thoughts circling in her head.

The events of the night spanned through her mind like an endlessly repeating picture book. The Commander awakened her so tenderly, so... She cut the thought. She didnt want to think about that word yet. The walkway scene, and the Commanders reaction to her abandonment, and her refusal to answer Sukis question. The training

And it was the Night of the Jade Phoenix. Suki gulped. When people are with their families Proving they care

There were many questions surrounding the Commander. And Suki was no longer sure if she wanted to get the answers.

Part 5: private Values

Five weeks had passed since their last meeting when Azula showed up again, four days after the Night of the Jade Phoenix. It seemed that the princess had intentionally delayed her visit to soften up Suki. But she did not know that Sukis isolation was broken, and the Commanders company was much more pleasant than hers.

As two guardswomen escorted her to the interrogation room, Suki had to confess, Azula could have a few hidden Pai Sho tiles in this case. There were a lot of things floating around the Commander, questions that could become decisive if their answers were in Azulas hands. The chance that the Commander was working for Azula was still real, and if Sukis current conception about the Commander was true it would be far too much for Suki. If these two things were really true, then there would be no point to fighting anymore.

They reached the interrogation room, and Suki could hear the sounds of dim chatter from inside. She recognized Azulas voice, and she could hear the deeper, bored tone of another girl. The conversation between the two was occasionally interrupted by a sharp giggling from a third girl. The door swung open when the guards and Suki stopped in the front of it, and two girls stormed out of the room. Suki recognized both: they were Azulas henchwomen.

The first girl who came out was that stoic knife-thrower. Suki couldnt remember her name, but it was some sort of Lee. She looked blank and reserved with her long, black hair and grayish eyes. She barely noticed Suki as she walked past her.

The second girl - as Suki knew - was Mai, the dangerous acrobat fighter. She was the direct opposite of Lee, a joyful and graceful person, but Suki could remember that behind those harmless looks hid an extremely powerful martial artist. Back in the battle where Suki and her warriors had been captured by Azula, Mai took out most of the Kyoshi Warriors easily with her potent fighting technique. From the Commander, Suki has already found out that Mai used chi-blocking, a technique centered around hitting vulnerable points on the human body for various horrific effects.

Mai didnt go past Suki, but stopped next to her, and offered a hand to Suki with a huge and somewhat scary grin on her face. Suki nearly refused the gesture, but then she realized that Mais hand was a little bit too forward for a normal handshake, and she was noticeably focused on keeping her thumb in a certain position. So ultimately, Suki accepted Mais hand, but she grabbed her forearm and placed her thumb on the top of it, at a certain point. Mai did the same, but she placed her thumb on the wrong point. It was a valiant effort though, and Suki could see that she tried valiantly to hit the proper point.

Then suddenly, Mai broke the Kyoshi Warrior handshake, and cartwheeled away with a happy giggle.

Mai! Mai! She yelled after the other girl. I did it! I did it! Just how Okako showed me! And she did it too! Suki looked after the girl in confusion, but she disappeared around a corner, her voice quickly growing fainter as she went away. Do you think it means that were friends?

This little scene contained two important pieces of information for Suki: first, the dark knife-thrower girl was Mai and the acrobat was Lee; second, the Kyoshi Warriors were still alive. Suki could tell the last from Lees handshake and her words. Okako was one of Sukis Kyoshi Warriors, the second-in-command of the group. Shed taught this handshake to Lee to send a message to Suki. Lees clumsy thumb moves on Sukis forearm actually formed the lines of a few simple words. The cheerful girl was probably unaware that she has just informed Suki that the Kyoshi Warriors are alive and well.

Throw her in! Azulas sharp voice dulled Sukis relief instantly. One of the guards roughly tossed her inside the interrogation room and closed the door behind her.

Azula was already sitting in her chair, and she ordered Suki to take her place with an easy gesture. Something was unusual about her, and Suki took a moment to realize that this time Azula wasnt wearing her armor.

So, how is my favorite prisoner? Did you enjoy your solitude? Suki didnt reply immediately to Azulas questions. Awww, are you mad at me for leaving you here alone for such a long time? Sorry, but I had other things to worry about.

Im doing fine. Said Suki after she took a seat in her chair in front of Azula. And I was also thinking about what you said when we last met. This was only half true. Suki was actually thinking about how to drag Azula off of her playing field. And she was about to do what she had devised.

Oh really? Then go ahead. Im curious. Azulas voice was somewhat skeptical, and for a moment, Suki nearly gave up her plan. If Azula found out what she was trying to accomplish, then she could turn it to her own advantage very easily.

Well, I was thinking, and I realized that Im not an opponent for you. She looked into Azulas eyes, and saw only glee and smugness. She overcame her urge to punch into that face the same way she had punched that steel plate four days ago. It was hard, but she did it. Ill yield, but I wont kneel before you. You can have me, but only on equal terms. Suki smiled as she prepared her finishing blow. As friends.

The effect on Azula was rather mixed. Her arrogant smile quickly turned into a perplexed expression, and for a moment, Suki felt that she had successfully dragged down the princess, or at least hit her completely unprepared. But then, Azula burst out into a roaring laugh.

That was magnificent! You are truly entertaining!

I wasnt joki Suki tried to salvage whatever she could, but Azula drowned her words with her laughter.

You are entertaining. Azula suddenly stopped laughing, and shot a stern gaze at Suki. And you are utterly predictable. She loosened up a little bit, but her confession has already frozen the blood in Sukis veins. So if we are about to become friends, maybe we should chatter a little bit, like friends, providing all sorts of insights to each other. Azula smiled, and Suki could feel the urge to punch her in the face again. Like friends.

And what do you want from me?

So much hostility. Azulas voice dripped with mocking sweetness. Dont you remember? We are friends now! You should loosen up, Suki! Thats not the way to talk with one of your friends, isnt it?

Suki just looked away. The worst had happened: Azula had outsmarted her and completely obliterated her plan. At this point, Suki was seriously considering her chances of simply attacking Azula and beating her into a pulp. But ultimately, she gave it up for now. If Azula wanted to play this game, even with a beaten Suki, then she could have her pleasure doing it. Suki prayed to Kyoshi that the fire princess initial victory would lower her guard, so Suki could at least salvage some valuable information from the ruins of the defeat.

Sorry, I didnt mean it.

Much better! Now, to bring up a very friendly topic, what about a little chit-chat about each others friends? You know, Im very interested in some of your friends. Especially the Water Tribe stud with his silly boomerang. I heard that you two were really close to each other.

His name is Sokka, and hes still close to me. Replied Suki sharply. She didnt like the way this conversation was going.

Ah, Sokka. Yes, I remember his name now. So, is he your boyfriend or something?

Yes.

Yes? Suki looked up at Azula, and she could see that the princess was eager to know the whole story.

We first met when Avatar Aang visited Kyoshi Island. The memories warmed Sukis heart and momentarily made her forget the awful situation she was in. The Avatar wanted to ride one of the giant elephant koi fish that are indigenous to Kyoshi Island. We spotted his sky bison when they arrived, and we thought they were Fire Nation spies. We ambushed them and captured them.

You captured the Avatar?

It wasnt really a fight. We attacked with stealth and took them from surprise.

Hah! As a friend, Ill tell you: youve just made my brother even more incompetent in my eyes. Azula smiled, and glanced through Suki. Or you even more admirable. It is hard to decide.

Actually, the Kyoshi Warriors you know didnt participate in the ambush. They scoured the island for other possible intruders. I led a group of girls whod received some basic training as a part of a self-defense class.

A group of peasant girls led by you took out the Avatar on their first try. My brother is a moron.

So, he eventually revealed his true identity, and they became guests for a few days. Sokka couldnt believe that a bunch of girls could defeat him, and he showed up in our dojo to prove himself. He failed miserably, but showed humility afterwards so I took pity on him and allowed him to join the self-defense training. Well, I guess you could say I personally trained him. He was a jerk at the beginning, but he quickly showed that he was a brave and honorable warrior. We grew close to each other during the Avatars stay on the island, but he had to leave when your brother attacked the island.

Pardon my brother Suki, he likes to interrupt people at the worst possible moment.

After that, we met again in Full Moon Bay. I escorted him through the Serpents Pass, and there, I confessed my love to him. Suki blushed as she remembered that awkward near-kiss.

Gosh! How sweet! I should let you tell this story to Mai over and over again, and eventually, she would turn into another Ty Lee! Suki ignored Azulas scoffing.

And at the end of the journey, he responded to my feelings and we kissed. Now, Sukis face was fully red from the memories. She could feel that long and passionate kiss on her lips again and she had to bite down on her lips to not to tell Azula the exact details. It wasnt her first kiss, but it was undoubtedly the best so far.

So, you love each other?

I do love him. And from what I can tell, he loves me.

And do you think that he will try to save you? This question hit Suki a little bit unprepared. Of course she did, but it was almost impossible. Suki shook her head.

I I do. Im sure that eventually, he will come and rescue me. Suki lowered her head. Eventually.

Hey, heads up Suki! It wouldnt be that hard for him to find you and free you! After all, you are only in the highest security prison of the Fire Nation, miles away from any civilization, and there are only a handful of people who know that you are here. And by a handful, I mean me, Mai, Ty Lee and the prison guards. But you know what? Since we are friends, Ill throw a word or two at him about you next time we met. And Im pretty sure that we will meet soon.

How are you that sure? Suki had almost had enough from Azula. The fire princess was clearly awful with friendly conversations. She just mocked Suki in the same way she had before they became friends.

Oh, didnt he tell you yet? The Avatar and his friends, including your goofy boyfriend, will launch a massive invasion on the Fire Nation about a month from now. Sukis eyes widened. She didnt know this. I successfully neutralized most of their assets when I took Ba Sing Se, but I have a feeling that they will attack anyways. But Im prepared for this. She looked at Suki with a mean gaze. And now I have an extra thing in case your dark skinned fisherboy proves himself troublesome. She smirked at Suki, so she could regret her talkativeness even more. It had been a mistake to tell Azula about her connection to Sokka. Actually, Suki wondered why she even told her the story. She hadnt told it to anyone so far; not even her Kyoshi Warriors knew about the kiss. Suki felt really stupid and cursed Azulas quick wits and manipulation that had fooled her.

That was an interesting story of yours, but I guess it is over. Now its your turn. Ask anything about my friends, and Ill answer as well as I can. Just dont ask why Mai is so bored all the time, because I dont know. And dont ask why Ty Lee is so cheerful, she was just born that way.

Suki carefully thought over her question. There was a possibility that Azula would simply make up something as an answer, but she had already shown that she was in an honest mood.

What do you know about the Commander? Maybe it wasnt the best question, but Suki had to close this case.

Commander? Azula was clearly in the dark. Commander who? Its hard to identify a friend only from a rank. I have quite a few commander friends, but they all have names. So whats his name?

Just Commander. She works here as the overseer of my cell block.

I dont know who she is. Azula seemingly told the truth. It was hard to decide, because Suki was never good at detecting lies.

Forget it. Then what about my Kyoshi Warriors?

Your Kyoshi Warriors Azula widened her smile. I wasnt aware that they were my friends too, but if you say so. Suki hissed as she realized that she had been fooled again, but this time it was her own fault. They are alive and in good conditions. But you probably knew this from the secret message Ty Lee learned from your lieutenant. Sukis disconcerted face nearly made Azula laugh, but she swallowed the urge and only smiled. Yes, I knew about it, since Ty Lee practiced with me to perfect the moves. It wasnt hard to find out the hidden meaning of the thumb movement, but I let it pass. Azula cleared her throat. So, your warriors. They really are enjoying their stay in the place where I put them. Actually, one time I visited them, I interrupted a dance party. So you dont have to worry about them. I even allowed the young savage girl

Asha. Threw in Suki. Asha was the youngest Kyoshi Warrior, a wild and often thoughtless girl. Suki really worried about her, as she was the least skilled warrior.

Yes, Asha. So, I allowed Asha to have a boyfriend. Sukis eyes opened wide upon hearing this. Asha was rather mistrustful and shy around people. And I must tell you, they totally deserve each other. They are a lovely couple. Azula laughed softly, and Suki had a feeling that this story had some sort of figurative meaning.

The conversation came to a halt, and the two just sat facing one another quietly for a few minutes. Sukis thoughts zapped around in her head like a runaway whirligig. She tried to digest Azulas words and devise a new direction for this chatting at the same time. Then, out of nowhere, something strange came to her mind. It was intangible, and it felt like a strong push right from her subconscious. She didnt even have time to think it over, but she could feel her mouth shaping the words.

Whats your point with all this, Azula? The fire princess looked up from her own pondering at Sukis question.

Excuse me?

Were having this friendly conversation, but the only one who tries to be friendly is me. Youre just the same as always.

Well Azula started her sentence with an affecting smile, but Suki interrupted her.

At first I thought that it was just another clever way to interrogate me, but now, I see that youre not here for information. Azulas smile quickly changed into a frown. You really want to befriend me, dont you, Azula?

Thats ridiculous. Azula slowly stood up from her chair, and Suki did the same.

But it is true. Suki was surprised how harsh her voice sounded. She didnt mean it, but the effect on Azula was stunning: the fire princess was clearly both embarrassed and angry now.

Each time we meet, you declare how valuable I am for you. But valuable for what, Azula? What could you possibly gain with my servitude?

The Kyoshi Warriors Answered Azula, but she sounded rather vague. She let the lead of the discussion slip from her hand, and Suki gladly took it from her.

You want a friend. Someone who is equal to you. Thats why youre here. You are testing me if Im up to your expectations or not. You know that eventually, I will run out of choices and I will join you out of desperation. And you want to make sure that you will get the right girl on your side.

You have no basis for what youve said. Hissed Azula.

Of course I have. Youve just said it: you predicted that I will try to drag you down to an equal ground with offering my friendship, and you let me do it. You let me do it, because you want it. Suki raised her voice. You have people around you and you call them friends, but they are more like your playthings. This was just wild guessing on Sukis part, but seemingly shed hit the truth. Or at least her words twisted Azulas face into a furious grimace. You are alone, Azula, even more so than I am in that prison cell!

You should remember your place! Burst out Azula, yelling angrily at Suki.

At your side? Maybe, if you behave! Shouted back Suki. Now she was also angry. She had had enough from Azula, and it was payback time.

Show me respect, worm!

It isnt really proper to call your would-be best friend worm!

You are ridiculous! I dont need you!

Youre lying!

Suki had crossed a line, but a much different one than shed wanted at the start of the conversation. As they stood facing each other over the interrogation table, Suki realized that their re-match was only moments away. She could feel seething anger and cold determination running through her veins. She hardened her mind, clutched her fists and stated that her hands were made from pure steel and she would strike with the speed of a lightning. Azula stood in front of her with the same determination. Suki could see her muscles tightening on her neck and she could see the burning fury in her golden eyes. The air suddenly became very thick and very hot, probably as Azulas inner firebending power flared up. The fire in the lant