In a panic he threw up a quick, shoddy salute, and dropped it again just as quickly when he noticed that the guards had returned to standing at ease in her order. His antics seemed to draw a half-amused, half-exasperated smile from Tanya.
...
"No need to fear, private. Despite what my reputation suggests, I won't actually court martial you for making an honest mistake." She came to a stop beside him and looked at the guards. "I'm here to speak with the prisoner. Open the door."
The guards got to work so fast you'd think their life depended on it, turning keys and pulling back bolts that kept the thick metal doors firmly sealed. As they waited for the door to open, Tanya glanced over at Sokka again.
"What's your name, soldier? What brings you to visit King Bumi?"
Oh no no no! She was trying to start a conversation with him! This was bad, very very bad! He wanted the least amount of her attention on him as possible! The closer she looked, the more she might recognise him from the North Pole! Only his mighty, luxurious beard stood between him and certain death!
"Wang Fire, maam. Chamberpot duty." He replied nervously, realising that not replying at all would be more suspicious. Desperately he tried to recall if Tanya had ever had the opportunity to hear his voice before.
Tanya hummed approvingly. "That's a good, patriotic name." With an ominous creak the door swung open, and she stepped forward. "My conversation need not be private, and I'd hate to keep you from your other duties. Come on in."
He really didn't want to, but after being invited there wasn't really much choice. Hesitantly, Sokka followed Tanya into the gloomy room.
It was dome shaped, plated with thick, dull iron from head to toe, and bare of all decorations save for a single barred window at the back to let fresh air in.
In the centre of the room stood a large metal coffin, just as dark and ugly as the rest of the room. Sticking out of its front was the face of King Bumi, looking calmly excited to see them and entirely unbothered by the fact that the rest of his body was imprisoned.
"The infamous King Bumi. We meet at last. You've given me quite the challenge." Tanya announced, striding forward and coming to a stop in front of him.
Bumi gave her a curious look. "I'm sorry, have we met?"
"Face to face? No. But I like to think I've gotten to know you quite well already from figuring out your plans for your rebellion cell."
"What rebellion?"
Tanya smirked "Don't be coy. The rebellion you secretly set the groundwork for when you faked your surrender."
Bumi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything."
"Yes, I'm sure that's what you'd like me to think." Tanya began to pace back and forwards, her expression growing gravely serious. "Just as I'm sure that you knew nothing about The Avatar joining up with them."
A beaming, toothy smile spread across Bumi's face. "Aang is here? Why, how thoughtful of him! Is he doing well?"
"Please, enough with playing the fool." Tanya snapped. "Who else but a mind like yours could have concocted a plan as devilishly brilliant as the fake pentapox outbreak? You may be a genius King Bumi, but I assure you that I am one step ahead of even you."
Bumi was silent as he stared at her for a few tense seconds. Then he whistled loudly. "You are one paranoid young lady."
Sokka could physically see Tanya's patience snapping like an old rope. "Don't act like you have the upper hand here! I see through your games!"
"Games? I have literally done absolutely nothing."
"Fine! Play dumb if you want! We'll see who has the last laugh when you're sharing a cell with your friend The Avatar!"
"I would quite enjoy that actually. Aang has always been such lovely company."
"Aha!" Tanya rounded back on him victoriously. "So you know The Avatar that well? Yet my spies report that he was only in Omashu for a day! How have you been able to keep in regular contact with someone who constantly travels by flying bison?"
"I haven't." Bumi replied casually. "I knew Aang for a long time before then."
"He lived in Omashu before?" Tanya narrowed her eyes curiously, until they suddenly alighted with realisation. "Wait, is this where The Avatar was born?! I always figured some surviving air nomads must have fled somewhere."
"Oh no, you misunderstand." Bumi replied simply. "Aang never formally lived here, but he used to visit all the time. We were childhood friends."
"Childhood friends?" Tanya replied disbelievingly. "Despite the fact that you must be closing in on a hundred years old, and he can't be any more than thirteen."
Bumi chuckled. "Oh you flatterer. I'm one hundred and twelve actually. I credit my youthful complexion to a healthy diet of cabbages."
Tanya snarled with rage, and Sokka shuffled over to the thankfully empty chamberpot and tried to make himself look busy. He did not want the attention of an angry firebender on him right now. It wasn't long however before Tanya forced her composure back into place, and fixed King Bumi with a deadly serious glare.
"Fine. You want to treat this like a joke? We'll see who's laughing in a few hours." She turned on her heel and stormed off, practically throwing the metal door open and stomping out in the same way Katara did when she was furious. Sokka, quickly remembering that he had a cover to maintain, moved to go after her.
"I am not the one who was meant to teach him."
Sokka stopped, turning back to King Bumi, who's eyes were upon him now. The old king was still smiling, but now it was regretful rather than sincere.
"I cannot leave Omashu." He whispered. "Not while it faces such a crisis. When the proper time to strike back comes, I must be here. Tell him that, Sokka. Help him to understand. The one he is waiting for is one who waits and listens."
"I will." Sokka breathed, not quite sure what Bumi meant, but taken aback by the mournful tone of his voice.
Bumi nodded to the door. "Go now. That girl is as high strung as the Fire Lord's personal guitar. Don't give her any reason to suspect you. Hurry!"
Sokka raced to obey, hurriedly marching out the door and shutting it behind him. He'd returned to the other end of the corridor just in time to catch the tail end of the orders Tanya was barking at the soldiers waiting there.
"… mocking me! Clearly he had some sort of secret code in his words; a hidden clue to gloat over later if his plan succeeds. No doubt his reference to cabbages was one such taunt. Spread my orders: all cabbage related wares in the Earth Kingdom are to be systematically destroyed by the end of the month! We can't risk the chance that they're a cover for a wide, secret network of King Bumi's informants!"
"Yes, admiral!" One of the soldiers replied quickly, snapping a clumsy salute before hurriedly scurrying off to follow her orders. The moment she was out of sight, Tanya let out a heavy, stressful sigh.
"And here I thought that picking up Mai from Omashu would be an opportunity to relax. When did my life get so damn complicated?"
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but for just a moment the demonette who savaged the north was gone, and in her place stood a girl even younger than Katara who'd been forced to bear the weight of responsibilities so much bigger than them.
The tension in her shoulders and the bags under her eyes looked just like how Aang would always look for a few days after something reminded him of the impossible burden of being The Avatar.
Quickly Sokka smothered those thoughts before they could take root. She was the enemy, a ruthless killing machine and nothing more! They couldn't afford to empathise with her!
Tanya seemed to sense his presence as he came closer and drew her posture back up into the pose of the perfect military commander; all unwavering confidence and authority.
It made it easy for Sokka to forget what he'd seen before. "Ah, Private Fire. I feel I must apologise, I'm not usually one to lose my temper so easily. Alas, meddlesome old men have a way of getting under my skin."
"Oh… uh-… no problem admiral…ma'am…" Sokka floundered, completely unsure of what he was supposed to say. It seemed as if Tanya was used to her soldiers turning into nervous wrecks around her however, for she didn't give him a second glance. She took a step away, seeming for a moment like she was going to leave, but suddenly hesitated.
"Would you walk with me, private? It's been a while since I've had a chance to talk with the boots on the ground, and it would be enlightening to know your thoughts."
Sokka wanted to say no. He really, really wanted to say no. But Tanya was not the sort of person one said no to, especially when you were pretending to be someone working for her. "… Sure…" He answered weakly, not at all convinced that he was doing a good enough job to fool her.
"Wonderful." Tanya shot him a quick smile, and began walking back down the stairs. Sokka fell into step behind her, hoping that the nervous pounding of his heartbeat he could feel in his ears wasn't audible to the admiral as well.
"Tell me, Mr Fire, do you believe that balance is important?"
"What?" The question took Sokka aback. "Balance? Yes, of course it's important." It was what Aang was working so hard to bring back to the world.
Tanya nodded. "I agree. Radical opinions and actions are either inefficient or dangerous. Being extremely passive makes one weak and vulnerable, whilst being extremely aggressive turns everyone else against you.
Be too controlling and your subordinates will rebel against you, but allow them too much freedom and they'll become lazy and uncoordinated. There are many examples in life that support the theory that the moderate, balanced approach is the ideal solution to any problem. It is no surprise really that all nations seek to attain balance in their own way."
This coming from an admiral of the nation that had attacked the rest of the world without provocation one hundred years ago. Sokka couldn't catch the derisive snort that slipped out of his mouth in time, and paled as Tanya looked at him with the first hints of suspicion in her eyes.
"You disagree?" She asked curiously, as if she found the fact surprising.
...
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