The Sword of Ruin cut north through tryhard blue water with the calm certainty that everyone already knew the ocean was just embarrassing itself by getting in its way.
Lord Arza and Captain Shoko weren't watching it casually kick ass, unfortunately. The flagship was surrounded by black-and-gold smoke stacks belching cinders, but the miniatures on the war table weren't that fancy. Pennants wrestled the wind as the lord and officer wrestled with their intelligence.
Captain Shoko tapped her finger on the map of the northern capital.
"Like I thought, our information is too poor for what Her Highness first requested. She's obviously trying to get us stuck in," she said. "It's insulting that she thinks… you wouldn't notice."
"Intentional," Arza stated flatly, watching Shoko overlay a partial much older map of the capital city on the north side. "She assumes we're planning something. She wants to get me angry enough to tip our hand."
Shoko bit her lip for a moment, quickly counting the number of marines on a set of vessels, and she slid a few cruiser tokens to a point on the map near the center of the south side. "Then it's insulting she thinks you're so easy to rile," she said out of the corner of her mouth.
"That won't work," said Commander Yo, the older marine who Shoko couldn't get off her bridge to save her life. She shot him a 'you said you'd stay quiet' glance, which he promptly ignored. "Kid thinks she's Ozai, haha," he added, leaning back for a smug sip of tea.
Lord Arza shook his head, scratching stubble he'd usually shave. "Regardless, she knows as well as I do. We're not winning this together," he breathed out.
Shoko tilted her chin up, as if to speak, but Commander Yo loudly cleared his throat, and ignored her even narrower gaze. "Since you want her alive, I say you put her next door to that Beifong girl, hahaha-hrk," he was too happy to say, until coughing shut him up.
But instead of just irritation, Captain Shoko reeled back. Her voice was pitched up for maximum disbelief to say, "Commander! Even jokes have limits," with the most emotion anyone had seen from her months.
There was a pause as lesser officers on standby and the pair of firebenders guarding the door all looked back and forth in mild alarm. Shoko acting unusually didn't bode well for much of fucking anything.
But there was a slight noise from Lord Arza, now hunched over the maps and slightly trembling. He brushed aside his slightly straggly hair that he hadn't properly tied back, and with the tiniest grin, quietly said, "Shoko, was that a joke?"
"Yes, sir," she instantly reported, but saw his gaze lingering. "I'm excited," she clarified, precisely like she wasn't.
Lord Arza nodded back. "Noted."
Everyone's shoulders eased.
Shoko tapped the western edge of the city map.
"Koani's tomb should be out of reach for her soldiers with this positioning. Lot of space to give up room and avoid starting anything with the royal forces." Her finger then slid around the city's northern curve. "Unlike the final destination, local defenses should be minimal."
Lord Arza gave a faint hum of approval.
"She allowed us to have the west side," Shoko said, and allowed herself the smallest hint of smugness. "And no one contested it at all. Not Princess Azula. Not her officers. Not once." Her mouth barely moved. "The Fire Lord truly has no idea why we're really here—even if they suspect."
Then every firebender in the room snapped their heads south at the exact same instant. A bender exclusive warmth passed through the bridge, and Shoko's eyes were instantly turned aside to Lord Arza's.
Commander Yo took in a deep breath as, despite himself, he actually stood straight up. "Arzayanagi?! Ahem, mmmgh!" he gasped and sputtered a bit.
Every sconce burned a bit brighter. Every bender stood taller—at attention.
It wasn't long before all eyes were on Lord Arza, whose jaw was briefly loose. But a slow, very certain grin spread across his face.
"Wonderful," he said, turning for the door. "Our Lady is just in time, as always."
He strode from the bridge. Shoko followed at once. Even Yo actually left the bridge to come along.
By the time they reached the rear deck, the Arzayan benders were positively abandoning their posts to see what was chasing behind them. Speedy Shoko snatched up the aft spyglass from its hook, fluidly popped it open, and fixed it toward the approaching vessel.
Her face changed almost immediately. It wasn't much, but Lord Arza noticed.
"Well?" he insisted.
Shoko kept looking a moment longer, as if the answer might improve.
Then, with visible reluctance, she said, "I recognize the ship."
Lord Arza held out his hand. She did not give him the glass quite yet.
"Prince Zuko," she said. "Saw it only weeks ago, before Omashu."
That got fast movement. Before she could lower it, he yanked it out of her hands, but she barely hitched her stride as she turned to face the officers gathering in a formless blob behind them.
"It's almost noon…" Shoko breathed in horror as she glanced at the sky, then barked, "Signal the fleet! Defensive spacing! Evasive positions! Prepare for high casualties! Now!"
Bugles rose. Flagmen ran. The other vessels all had every eye on the Sword of Ruin or the outdated cruiser coming up behind them.
Then Lord Arza spoke, harsh it enough it stopped her mid-shout.
"Captain. Halt that order."
Shoko looked over with considerable disbelief, but he blew her out of the water, so to speak.
"Raven is onboard."
For one absurd second Shoko forgot herself badly enough to gawk.
"What?!"
"My daughter…" he slowly said, leaning forward like it would matter at that distance. "is standing on the prow… waving Arzayanagi around with a… burning sheet on the head." He sounded tired already. "I suspect the intent was a white flag."
He shut his eyes for a long moment, handing the spyglass back slowly.
"I miss Asha…" he whispered to no one.
Shoko's professionalism returned mid snatch of the spyglass, urgent lowering to mere steady and fast as she confirmed with her own eye.
"I cannot fathom—she looks about to fall overboard," she said, and her face scrunched up. "Why would she be on his ship?"
But serenity dropped over Lord Arza. "Well," he said, almost congratulating, "she must have killed Zuko at least, to have taken his ship." He sighed like he had to let her have it. "Good on her, I suppose?"
"Do you want me to talk to her…?" Shoko offered with rare uncertainty, shifting slightly to see better with the spyglass, especially moving out of sunlight. Quietly, she added, "what is she doing? She's going to fall."
Lord Arza stood beside her with arms crossed, squinting like it mattered at that distance.
"I am calm," he said. "I am simply blindsided by Our Lady's machinations."
His gaze went back to the oncoming cruiser.
"Ah…" Shoko quietly replied. "If Raven has Arzayanagi, then Raven is part of the plan. Looks like someone's coming to get her down from where she got… stuck."
Chilling, but sensible, so he nodded back.
"So…" he said with a wry grin. "Our Lady had Raven herself avenge Asha. Fitting, hah."
"No, it isn't," she tensely shot back, freezing like a statue with that spyglass.
"Hmm?"
Shoko lowered the spyglass by inches, and swiveled her head with mechanical precision to reveal her ever-so-slightly widened eyes.
"I see Prince Zuko. Alive," she breathed, almost purely composed, with a tiny little "ghk!" like she tasted vomit at the finish line.
"WHAT?!" Lord Arza detonated.
And he yanked the spyglass back so violently he nearly threw the poor captain over the railing.
There at the prow, unmistakable at this range with that scar on his face, was the wicked prince. The monster who definitely absolutely murdered Lord Arza's sweet daughter Asha when she was only eleven years old was now yanking at his significantly less sweet daughter to pull her foot free from where the prow ramp met the hull—all while both batted at the remains of the burning sheet.
At that range, Lord Arza couldn't hear Prince Zuko blurt out, "Yeah, I get the idea, Raven!" And he clenched his fingers as he caught a remnant scrap of expensive cream-white silk. "But why did you use my sheet?!"
Raven's rage drained. For an instant she stared at him wide-eyed, eyes darting to the smoldering scrap. "Uhh…?" she failed, in an airy tone. "I didn't expect it to catch fire?"
"Of course it did! You put it on the spearhead!" he threw up his hands, and ignored the black-and-gold fleet in his field of view. "My mother gave me those! When I was banished!"
She saw his gritted teeth, and the wisps of smoke peeking out from his nostrils.
"I don't know!" she snapped back, except it came out way more wounded than fierce. She glanced behind her prince to confirm no one was near. "I was paaanickiiing!" she damn near pouted.
He halted, teeth clicking, and he exhaled as she looked up at him with her stupid half-apologetic 'I fucked up but I'm a pain by nature, sorry' face.
He tried to scoff, but failed. He merely gazed when he pushed to glare. It was annoying that her prideful, half-measure, absolute D-tier apology was working on him, but she wouldn't even do that much for anyone else, and that… had to mean something, right?
Her face kept twisting between guilty and defensive like he'd trapped her in a loop of self-torture. It was so charmingly hopeless that in response Zuko's expression softened so fast it was almost embarrassing itself.
His hands lowered completely. And he let the last scrap go to flutter away in the wind.
Lord Arza, watching, thought it all looked very symbolic—whatever the everloving fuck was going on.
"Are you mad at me?" she tentatively pried.
"A little?" Zuko croaked, and gestured weakly with one hand, now sounding more tired than angry. "You could've just used the other end."
Raven's mouth pulled tighter. "No," she flatly stated, and turned away, glancing sidelong back at him. "Because I didn't think of that."
Zuko stared at her, but by the look in her eyes, she would die on that hill.
"I was worried you were going to fall overboard," he admitted, scratching his hair. "I panicked too."
Then their heads snapped up together at the blaring horns of Arzayan naval communication. They both blinked, shocked at the sheer range of readability that her father had on his 'House Arza' signature paper white mask of evil expression.