Storming the war room

Inside the Hall of War were the most important figures of the nation, who had the power to change the course of the world whenever they wanted.

Inside the room, a table with a map of the enemy nation on top. With five chairs on either side, occupied by generals who had spent their entire lives fighting in the 100-year war. In front of them, a wall of fire dramatically illuminated the room, revealing a throne occupied by the Fire Lord.

- If we are going to transport this large amount of supplies, we need to get rid of that fort in the north. Its location threatens Broca's strategic advance. - Said a general "1".

- This idealization of this exercise has cost the nation large amounts of resources; if we fail, we may have serious problems from now on. -General "2" commented.

- We're running out of time. We have to take this fortress in at least 6 months if we want to stay on schedule. - General "5" stroked his beard, trying to come up with a workable solution. 

Ozai watched in silence as his generals discussed a solution that would ease the course of the war. As the Fire Nation advanced toward the center of Ba Sing Se, the enemy's defenses became more coordinated. 

- We can't coordinate a massive attack, we have our forces stationed at critical points, if we use them, it's possible the territories will be retaken by the Land Benders. - General "8" analyzed. - If we abandon the newly conquered territories, it will be more expensive to retake them.

- It won't be necessary to move the troops. - Kai said, storming into the war room.

All the generals turned their heads towards the voice, surprised by the unexpected intrusion. They observed a young man in black military fatigues, a rare shade in the experienced eyes of the generals. His hair was tied back in a ponytail style, along with a lock of hair that stood out for its unusual color. What really caught the generals' attention, however, were the scarlet eyes that shone in contrast to the hue of the inhabitant they were with.

-Who are you? Do you know where you are? - said General "1" angrily.

- SILENCE! - Kai ordered, raising his voice and making his eyes shine even brighter. - You've been trying to overthrow Ba Sing Se for 100 years, but all your attempts have failed, not even the 600-day siege of the Western Dragon could shake the defenses of a supposedly impenetrable barrier.

Ozai was truly surprised by Kai's pushiness and dominance. A small smile formed on his lips as he became interested in how the meeting would go. 

- Your tactics have proven to be useless against this kind of obstacle, so of course, I have come here to take over. - Kai walked calmly to the front of the table.

- Whoever you are, do you think you have the authority to challenge us? - General "3" said as he stared at Kai murderously. 

Some of the generals knew Kai's appearance from reports, so it wasn't hard to make the connection when they saw his infamous scarlet eyes. Of course, his attitude irritated them. 

- I'm not here to say that you're useless, I'm just making it clear that your attempts are futile. - Kai looked at each of the generals and then turned his gaze to the Fire Lord. - Of course, Earthbenders have several advantages that make their element one of the undisputed strongest, favored by an inexhaustible resource under their feet, an excellent attack level, and a relatively good defense, in other words, a perfect element if used well. Now, why am I emphasizing this?

- Who cares, why didn't the guards stop him? - General "3" got up from his chair, irritated, and moved to burn something.

- Looks like you missed your lessons! - Kai taunted the general without caring for his words. - Continuing, like all elemental bases, there are rules that must be followed, no matter how strong an element is, it still has one weakness that is missing, its own user. 

- Hmmmm... what are you getting at? - asked General "1", who was beginning to take an interest in the argument. 

- Are you going to listen to this insolent man? - General "3" shouted.

- My point is simple. You don't have to bring down a base with force, like an army in this case, but with a simple push, bringing it down with a minimum of effort. - Kai began to circle the table, heading for the nearest point on the map where the fort was located.

- Are you suggesting a discreet invasion? - General "2" continued. - What do you suggest?

- All great cities need a base to stand on, and this fort and Ba Sing Se were built on the same foundation. Underground tunnels, built thanks to Earthbenders. - Kai placed his hand on the image of the fort's location. - I know you don't think it's possible to use these routes, but let's not forget that all these cities, including ours, have an underground sewage system that has to be dumped somewhere.

- You want our men to walk in shit and piss? You have no dignity! - General "3" shouted. 

- What's the problem? Aren't we at war? As far as I've been informed, wars are won by who's the smartest, not who has the most firepower. It's no use having power if you don't know how to use it. - Kai turned to General "3". 

- As feasible as this type of invasion may be, it's impossible to take down a fort with just a few people. If the enemy knows about the invasion, it will be impossible to carry out. - General "10" commented seriously

- That's why we need a big distraction. - Kai signaled to himself. - I'll tear down the walls of the fort. 

The confident statement surprised everyone, even the Fire Lord. Some generals didn't take such confidence seriously, while others understood that it wasn't something that was just thrown out.

- Hahahahahahaha. What a joke! Do you really think you can break through those walls? - General "3" laughed like crazy, forgetting where he was.

- I've made it clear that I'm going to knock down the walls of the fort. Do you want to bet? - Kai looked at the general with a confident smile. 

- If you succeed in taking the fort, I'll give you my job and my troops. - General "3" wagered with a confident look on his face.

- Very well, before the Lord of Fire and the generals, I affirm that I will open the way to Ba Sing Se in three months.

Another confident statement made the generals gasp. Like it or not, advancing the timetable would be enormously beneficial to the course of the Fire Nation's war. 

- Even if he was confident of victory. How do you plan to coordinate an attack? - General "7" asked curiously.

- That's easy, I'll just take 100 men to storm the front gate of the fort. The other 20 or 30 soldiers will use the sewers to sabotage and disorganize the enemy troops. - Kai placed a template on the table to make it easier to understand. - First, I want to find the sewers and infiltrate spies to give us information about routes, structures, schedules, and priority targets. Knowing this, the second step is to use a tactical group to sabotage several targets at the same time before the main attack led by me. The third step is taken when one of our soldiers confirms the start of the attack, I launch the direct attack, while our undercover men attack inside the military nucleus

The strategy, as simple as it seemed, undeniably had a simple but deadly advantage. Take advantage of the enemy's disorganization to strike a deadly blow and avoid as many allied casualties as possible.

- And so we have a checkmate, a victory without unnecessary expenditure, allowing your generals to use the expenditure on supplies or other conflict zones. - Kai simply dominated the attention of most of the generals, putting on a show even though he was so young.

-Of course, but clearly you don't have any soldiers under your command? - General "3" continues his mockery.

- If your strategy succeeds, I want to be a part of it. - General 2 stood up from his chair, his expression showing satisfaction. - I'm General Zoho, I want to offer you some soldiers as a reward for your strategic demonstration, despite your age.

General Zoho was no fool, he understood that if Kai was able to speak and approach a strategy, it was under the permission of the Lord of Fire. Therefore, he preferred the simple action of contributing to the younger man's courage.

- You can't be serious, General Zoho! - General "3" turned around in indignation and blew smoke out of his mouth.

- Enough already! General Dozo, your behavior does not reflect someone of your rank. - General "10" warned, losing what little patience he had left. - Aspirant Kai, do you truly believe that your strategy can bring victory in only three months? Would you stake your honor on this proposal? 

Kai flashed a confident smile, but didn't exaggerate it, just nodded and kept a serious look on his face. 

- I don't want to borrow your best soldiers, I'm not in a position to make such a request. - Kai went back to the front of the table, facing the generals and Ozai. - I can only offer you an alternative. If you accept it, I'll take the reins and deal with the problem myself. It's also a chance to prove that the new generation can achieve the power that you veterans possess.

Some were doubtful, but the sacrifice of a few soldiers made no difference to most of the generals in the room, so for them, it was just a simple question of whether or not they would contribute to Kai's plan.

Ozai was pleased with his courage in defying the presence of the strongest men in the nation, now Kai had to prove that his plan was viable, depending only on what he had achieved at this meeting.

***

In the evening, Kai was in a training room, fanning his flames for several minutes without stopping. His expression was serious, drenched in sweat, as if he was searching for something.

[It's not working, I can't replicate this feeling] - I think, clutching my knees and trying to keep up. 

Since the end of the meeting in the war room, Kai couldn't contain his curiosity and tried to meditate to enter the spirit world. He felt that a piece of the puzzle was missing. Deep in his soul, he instinctively wanted to return to that mystical place, like a feeling of coming home. 

-You mustn't rest easy. - said Azula, her gaze showing clear dissatisfaction.

Kai stared at Azula, a little surprised, as if he hadn't noticed her presence.

- "You want a second round?" Kai scoffed.

- "You wouldn't stand a chance against me. So... what's the problem? - Azula sneered in the same tone.

An uncomfortable silence gripped Kai. He felt uneasy, a certain fear hung over him.

- I think I took a trip to the spirit world when I was in the coma. - Kai couldn't hide the truth.

Azula couldn't help but be surprised, since a trip to the spirit realm was the greatest dream of any master or follower of the spirits. 

- Then why are you doing this? You shouldn't be meditating or anything.

- I don't feel enlightened or anything. I feel empty, trapped, like I'm in a cage somehow. - Kai expressed it with anguish in his words. - I don't have the mind to meditate, so I'm trying to recreate the feeling in our duel when I fainted. 

- Going back into a coma is not healthy at all... why don't you try to focus on other things to distract yourself? - Azula said worriedly, something she was still getting used to. 

- Maybe you're right. I do need something to distract me. 

- I have some friends, maybe it would be good to have someone else in the group. - Azula said cheerfully, trying to lift Kai's spirits.

- Mai and Ty Lee, right? - Kai commented.

- How... how do you know their names? Do you know them? - Azula looked surprised as she remembered very well that Kai had never had any contact with her childhood friends.

- Ahhhhhh... how can I put this... - Kai was nervous, trying to find the right words so as not to sound like a stranger. 

You've seen my memories, haven't you? -Azula said, walking towards Kai, a little nervous but relieved when she saw the surprised look on his face. -I visualized your memories too, I could see how you train, how you love your mother... Practically everything. 

They were only a few meters away from each other. Strangely enough, Kai felt relieved, maybe because he didn't have to keep his feelings to himself. So they decided to spend the evening talking, venting or laughing, just letting their emotions run free for each other.