Kazu Amari looked old.
He was one of the few members of the cabinet that Namiko had known of before her ascension into national politics about forty minutes ago. The court had always been rather insular, the broader public having never been permitted an active look into the dynamics of governance in the royal palace, but it was nigh impossible to go about life in the Fire Nation without having heard something of the Old Marshal, the man most responsible for orchestrating the fulfillment of the National Endeavor. While not quite a household name, Kazu Amari had lived long enough to become something of an institution in his own right, tutoring an entire generation of Fire Nation officers in the conduct of war. His service had begun in the second decade of Azulon's rule, nearly sixty years ago, and he had offered much of his life in service to the throne and the man who sat upon it. The Fire Lord had evidently trusted him enough to entrust the Crown Prince to his care, the young and impetuous Iroh having been tempered into a hardbitten and effective commander under the direction of the already-old soldier. The death of Azulon had lessened his public presence, the marshal no longer appearing alongside the Fire Lord during public addresses, though his influence in the army lingered all the same.
It was Amari who had been responsible for the modernization of the Fire Nation's logistics systems: while Sozin had done much to rationalize and centralize the organizational apparatuses of the army, a number of its systems had remained almost distressingly feudal in style prior to Amari's tenure. With the support of the Fire Lord, he had emphasized standardization: equipment and training standards had been the order of the day, allowing the army of the Fire Nation to finally become a truly national endeavor rather than the more regionalized regimental system it had adopted under Sozin. This was combined with the rationalization of industry on the home front, where major industrial leaders were forced to coordinate directly with the newly organized supply corps to provide structured sales at a regular price. His tenure as an officer had seen the transformation of the army into a truly modern fighting force, the hard-fought lessons of the Hundred Years War having finally been implemented into army doctrine, allowing the army to become the force it was truly meant to be.
Kazu Amari was a paramount officer, a man who strode across the earth as a colossus of war, while never forgetting his fealty to the dragon throne; two generations of soldiers had been raised with him as a prime example of what an officer should be. It was through his might that the national endeavor would be fulfilled, and the crumbling edifice of the Earth Kingdom finally toppled to make way for the progress and modernity carried by the children of fire.
It was difficult, though not impossible, to reconcile that legendary figure with the frail old man who sat before her. There was an air of exhaustion about him, though his posture remained straight, and he retained a quiet dignity despite it: his long beard was neatly trimmed, his robes were immaculate, and though his eyes were now long since clouded by cataracts, an ember of flame remained in them as he gazed over at the young colonial woman who sat across the table from him. His gaze carried more curiosity than enmity, the old soldier having held his tongue while the other members of the cabinet bartered and fought for the office of the Chancellor, watching impassively as they dared to bicker and squabble like children before their monarch. His disgust had been well hidden, though she had grown well accustomed to ferreting out such sentiments in the years she'd spent politicking in the colonies; it was evident that he had little respect for the other members of the cabinet, though he voiced none of it as they vacated the room. It did not take long for the two of them to be left alone in the room, dwarfed by the imposing architecture that surrounded them. He did not wait long to speak, his scratchy voice breaking the silence before it had a chance to settle.
"They will not accept you. You must know that."
It was an almost mind-numbingly obvious statement and she bit back the retort that automatically came to her lips, instead forcing a polite smile onto her face as she focused her attention on him.
"I serve at the behest of the Fire Lord, not them, Minister."
The older man chuckles, though it sounds more like a dry wheeze than an expression of joy; his voice is dry when he finally speaks, a hint of grim humor shining through."They detest you for your heritage. Some of them, are for your youth. They view you as an imposition, a degenerate mongrel whore plucked from the colonies by the eunuch and the boffin so they can cling to the coattails of a treacherous usurper for a few moments longer."
Her voice was similarly dry, her words more cautious than amused. "You speak as though those sentiments are not your own."
"I am not a fool, girl; if there wasn't strength in your blood, this war would have been won eighty years ago. Most of them will make the mistake of thinking otherwise, much as Ozai, may he rest in Agni's embrace, did. You would be wise to make use of that while you can. The Fire Lord, Ozai, I mean, always had something of a talent for selecting the most dissolute and debased of the aristocracy as companions… though I suppose you should refrain from underestimating the base cunning they can muster."
She allowed her hackles to fall as she listened to his words, now assured that the old minister was, at least for the moment, not an enemy. This time, she allowed a sliver of amusement into her tone, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as she did. "Callous words, general."
"We owe undying fealty to the Fire Lord while he sits upon the throne; once removed, he is owed only honesty." He paused for a moment, considering her intently, before continuing. "I will offer you the same honesty if you are willing to hear it."
She offered a slight nod; experienced as she was, she knew better than to deny information or advice when offered. Amari was a soldier, not a politician, but he had also maintained a presence in court longer than she'd been alive: it would have been nothing less than abject foolishness to refuse any insights he might have to offer, if simply due to the influence he maintained within the army.
His voice was grim now, carrying an unexpected sort of urgency. "The imperial house is weaker now than it has been at any point in my life; the boy is spirited but he is young, and should he carry through with his ill-considered intentions of ending the war, he will be in grave danger. We are bound to adhere to his wishes, such is the will of Agni, but it is a necessity that we take action to safeguard him from himself when necessary. I did much the same during the reign of his father: Ozai was a…
tempestuous man, and there were more than a few times when I was forced to act contrary to his
orders to safeguard his
interests. Do you understand what I am saying?"
She hesitated for a moment, mulling over the old general's words: they were sensible enough, particularly given the rather vague directive of 'ending the war' that they'd been offered, but there was something about it that rubbed her the wrong way. She'd never been averse to scheming - such was a simple necessity if one wished to survive in the political scene of the old colonies - but this felt like the same kind of court intrigues that she and her fellows had railed against for so long. So, rather than answering his questions, she opted to pose one of her own: "What threats do you foresee, general?"
He scoffed at the question, seeing the deflection for what it was but opting to answer anyway. "Far too many to count, girl… but principally, the Earth Kingdom will accept nothing less than our continental territories. Their pride would demand it, just as our pride demands that they be kept. In most circumstances, I would expect that this would simply lead to a resumption of hostilities, but the boy's associations have me… concerned. He cavorts with that little butcher who calls itself the Avatar and I have little doubt that he would refrain some doing something imminently foolish to secure his desired 'peace.' The generals are good men, loyal men, but any man's devotion will be tested if you take his lands, his coin, and his pride. I will ask again:
do you understand what I am saying?"
The anger in his voice was evident, though there was fear there as well now: a dangerous mix, particularly in one so influential, though she could feel a similar sort of dread now that she understood his implication. "You think he would give up the territories?"
His words were hollow. "Not just the territories, girl. The Earth Kingdom has spent the last century fighting to retake the lands liberated by Sozin; given the callousness the Avatar has shown towards our nation, I have little faith in that thing's desire to see us to a righteous resolution, should an end to the endeavor truly be imposed upon us by His Majesty. Be assured that I would be as horrified as you to see Yu Dao reduced to a chained vassal by that petty tyrant in Ba Sing Se."
"Surely… surely such a thing would not occur. The Earth King can demand the return of the colonies but he is in no position to negotiate; our army has had them on the backfoot for
decades, and his capitol was occupied by our forces not a month ago." Her voice was strained now, the realization of what tyrannies might be lurking behind the concept of peace proving most unsettling. "They have no position to demand such things; they should be
grateful that such mercy is being offered!"
"The court of Ba Sing Se has never been restrained by what is sensible; their generals are potent at times, yes, but their successes come despite the court, not because of it. It seems likely to me that the Avatar will seek to force an end to this war, no matter the cost to the Fire Nation; supposed claims of 'balance' or 'justice' are merely a pretext for the long list of cruelties and indignities that will surely be heaped upon us if the Earth King has his will." The general's voice is quiet still, though it carries all the weight and power of thunder, the tired old man disappearing for a moment as the conquering leader takes his place. "Agni would never wish to see his people reduced to
slaves by a foreign power; we must ensure that the Fire Lord understands his duties lie first with his people. The children of fire have spilled much blood to claim this land as their own and our soldiers will not accept having it robbed from beneath their feet by the conniving machinations of a possessed
child. Our lord will need good and loyal councilors in the days to come, men and women who understand the weight of their work and the necessity of steering the boy in the right direction. We
need peace with honor if there is to be peace at all: otherwise, I must fear that the reign of this Fire Lord will be short indeed!"
Her voice is quiet and measured now, her eyes narrowed as she considered the implications of his words once more. It was evident that his fervor for the dragon throne was genuine, though it was nigh-treasonous to suggest that the Fire Lord might need to be constrained in any way… but were these not times of treason? The Fire Lord who now reigned upon the dragon throne claimed his position through schemes with a foreign power; Agni knows what had happened to his sister, the Crown Princess. It seemed a reasonable enough proposition that the duty of the councilors of the Fire Lord was to protect his interests, even if such protection went against his most immediate desires… though it would almost certainly prove a dangerous route to walk.
"What would you propose, general?"
"A pact, a partnership, whatever you want to call it. I can speak with the generals of the army and the Commander of the Procession; they will be unsettled, but they will listen to me if I promise that their interests will be protected. The domestic forces are not to be trusted, even with that brute Yamaha removed - his kind are rife within their ranks and I have little doubt that he'll be contacting his subordinates soon. I can have two regiments of loyal veterans in the city within days, the Procession should be sufficient to secure us against treachery until then. You will need to convince the Fire Lord to take a… a
measured approach to peace. Ensure that the interests of the nation are respected and do not allow him to delude himself into selling our birthright down the river. Together, we can safeguard the early days of the Fire Lord's reign while ensuring that he does not make mistakes even
we cannot correct." He paused, offering a mirthless smile. "Is this an acceptable proposition to you, Chancellor?"
She hesitated for only a moment before answering…
- [] "This is acceptable, general; I will ensure he understands the situation and stress the importance of retaining the territories in these coming days."
- [] "This is acceptable, general, but you should refrain from bringing soldiers into the capitol: such would make it appear as though we have something to fear."
- [] "I will not involve myself in this sort of scheming, general; I am a loyal servant of the Fire Lord, I will not indulge such base attempts to scheme against his will."
- [] Write In
They lapsed into silence after that discussion, the weight of the chancellor's decision sitting upon them. The throne has commanded the absolute loyalty of the army for as long as Namiko has been alive - perhaps even longer, given the reforms of Sozin - but that kind of loyalty only endures if it is reciprocated. The Fire Nation had long maintained a tradition of awarding spoils to its soldiers, ensuring that their heroism and service were properly awarded and recognized with things that mattered more than mere words. If a commander were to take a region, they would often wield a great degree of authority over the officials appointed there, such positions often going to family members under such a time that the officer was able to retire and assume a more direct position of governance over their new holdings. There were some areas that maintained a more structured sort of governance - cities were typically governed by a partnership between a junior officer and an appointed scholar-bureaucrat - but it was typical for large swathes of the countryside to be treated as spoils. These men would typically then distribute lands to their subordinates as a reward for capable service and to ensure the security of their new territories: it was easier to govern conquered lands if you had a strong base of militarized settlers. The traditions surrounding war loot were much the same: while quartermasters would review what was recovered, it was the norm for it to be distributed among the ranks by the discretion of the overall commander of the operation through which it was acquired. Typically speaking, they would retain one-fifth, with one-fifth going to junior officers, and another as tribute to the Fire Lord: the last two-fifths would be split among the ranks, though it was not unknown for greedier officers to simply retain that which was intended for the enlisted, as was their right. Such avarice was typically seen as unvirtuous, however, and would easily lead to a loss of standing among one's peers should rumors of that kind of conduct spread.
This time, it was she who broke the silence, her murmured words sounding all too loud in the barren expanse of the pillared room. "You will need to dispatch a brief to the front. I would imagine that there are dragon hawks being dispatched as we speak, so it is important that we take control of the narrative before anyone else has an opportunity to do so." He eyed her speculatively, evidently curious to see where she would take this line of thought. "And what would you have this dispatch say? The men will need to know what their Fire Lord expects of them."
- [] "They should pull back from any ongoing engagements and return the men to barracks; our first goal should be to ensure that the Fire Lord's desires for peace are enforced appropriately."
- [] "They should seek to make whatever gains are possible before a ceasefire is signed. We have a unique opportunity to improve our negotiating position before the idea of peace is set in stone: we must make good use of it."
- [] "They should fall back to positions better suited to sustaining a fighting defense; they should refrain from starting further trouble, but it would be irresponsible of us not to prepare them for it should the Earth Kingdom prove… less than receptive."
- [] "We will refrain from offering any particular direction beyond information on the Fire Lord's plans. Such allows them to make their own decisions in the field while shielding us from any direct responsibility."
"Of course, there are matters beyond the broader strategic posture of our forces…" (Choose up to Four)
- [] Celebrations should be organized to celebrate the rise of Fire Lord Zuko.
- [] Paraphernalia associated with the previous Fire Lord should be disposed of.
- [] A freeze on communications between local officers should be implemented.
- [] Strategic reserves should be used with impunity given the discussion of a ceasefire.
- [] Executions of prisoners should be halted pending review.
- [] Looting should cease and discipline imposed upon those who continue.
- [] The Occupied Lands should be stripped of anything of value.
- [] The New Territories should be stripped of anything of value.
- [] Records should be preserved and kept in good order for review.
- [] Records should be verified to possess nothing that would imply dishonor.
- [] Write In
The general will offer a slight bow of his head, adopting a more formal tone, his thoughts indiscernible.
"I will see that such is arranged."
As if the Fire nation would act with anything less than complete honor.
