The Thoughts of a Tiger

Yu knelt at one end of the table, waiting patiently for Meili to arrive. She was early. The light of the morning sun fell in a great shaft across the room, splashing the Pai Sho board and Yu's legs with a brilliant light. Her arms were folded and her eyes closed.

Outside, a bird cooed. More out of some peaceful sense of curiosity than any sort of concern for her safety, Yu turned her attention toward the open windows. There were tiny blue birds dancing around on the railing outside, on the balcony. They were plentiful in the Earth Kingdom and their songs were the stuff of tales.

Yu's gaze fell after a moment of watching the little creatures do their dance. She looked down at the pieces stacked on the edge of the board. As always, they were already divided into two stacks, ready for them to play. However, the White Lotus was always stacked on top. It was a tradition as old as the game itself. It was a lesson and a fact taught to her long ago by a mentor she'd not seen for many years...

~~ 26 Years Ago ~~

"Kiya!" Katsumi barked, hitting the practice dummy with her staff. She could feel the wood grinding against her palms as she struck the straw-stuffed bag figure. By now, she was used to this bitter work, but hers was a master of task. She struck the dummy again. "Kiya!"

Another solid strike, this one knocking the dummy's head clean off. It soared through the air and landed in a stand of tall grass nearby. Katsumi was soaked, her shirt clinging to her, sweat dripping down her face. She hated it when her master was right. She was always right, of course. It irked Katsumi that she knew so damn much. Panting, she turned toward her master.

"That fast enough for you?" she said, planting the staff on the ground. "Or do you want me to get a spinning start next time?"

Yu watched Zenzi obliterate the dummy slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Her staff slipped from her grasp and hit the ground with an audible reverberation.

"What the hell?" she said, looking at the shattered remnants of the dummy. Then she called after her master: "What kind of demon are you?!"

Katsumi scowled at the old woman, stooping to pick up her staff that she had dropped. She wasn't going to let this old bat show her up. She was young and strong and she hadn't survived all those years on the streets alone just to be mothered by some granny with a martial arts fetish. She didn't have a clue why Captain Ina wanted her learning with this woman. I mean, sure, she could pulverize a dummy. But what was the point? If she was going to face off against benders, all this staff stuff was a waste of time. She needed to learn Chi-blocking. And she needed to learn it fast.

"You're crazy." she said to the old woman. She lifted her staff over her head and brought it down upon the dummy with the ferocity of a tiger. Or, at least the ferocity of a very fiery-tempered girl.

"I know that." Katsumi said, turning back to the old woman. "You think I don't know that? You tell me not to rely on weapons, but you have me practice with this stupid staff all the time. How am I supposed to kill someone with this?! Put a blade on the end and then it'll be a proper weapon."

She dropped her staff on the ground again, though this time it was very much her intention to do so. In fact, it probably would have been more appropriate to say that she threw the staff onto the ground. Defiantly, she marched over to the stump up against which her straight sword leaned and picked it up. She drew it. The weapon was a horrid old piece of junk only used for practice, but it did still hold an edge. She marched right up to another of the dummies and in one fluid motion removed it's head, it arm and leg on one side and split it's gut. She was much more graceful with the sword.

"This is a weapon!" she said, brandishing the blade at Zenzi. "Even this old thing would cut clean through that staff..."

Katsumi smiled.

She carried the blade in one hand and the scabbard in the other and charged Zenzi, unleashing a furious flurry of fluid slashes and thrusts on the old woman. She might be old, but she wasn't immortal. A blade would deal with her in short order.

Katsumi collapsed, clutching the back of her head, her eyes watering with pain. It seemed like every joint she had in her body was sore after that beating. The sword and scabbard lay on the ground not far away.

"Ow!" she yelled at her teacher, straightening up. There was no pain in the shout. It was purely anger. She stood up, grabbing her weapon and it's sheath and joining the two before storming off into the woods furiously. "This is ridiculous!"

"Leave me alone!" Katsumi barked back at her, whacking bushes and trampling flowers in order to cut a path through the woods. This was absurd! She didn't know what Ina was playing at, but she didn't find it amusing. This old bat could fight, sure, but she couldn't teach worth a damn. All she could do was crack her stupid jokes!

Without really realizing it, she took a swing at a tree and ended up shattering her weapon's scabbard with the force she applied. The blade got stuck in the wood. She tore it out, pulling on it wildly, growling furiously all the while. Once she had freed it, she stormed on, hacking at bushes and trampling more flowers.

Katsumi mimed her master with a twisted face, her lips jabbering away soundlessly as she continued to hack her way through the woods. Why wouldn't this old bat just leave her alone. She wasn't going to go back and let her beat the crap out of her with a stick anymore.

You can forget it! she thought furiously, jerking her head back at Zenzi as though if the thought was angry enough, it would be audible without her talking.

"Ugh!" she said, finally reaching her limit, walking backward. "Why won't you leave me alone?!"

She suddenly stumbled over a root sticking up out of the ground and fell over backward, her sword flying out of her hand. Hidden by the grass was a four foot drop into a stand of bushes. She fell straight into them, cursing all the way.

"Go to hell!" Katsumi said defiantly, pointing up at her in dire accusation in between moans while clutching her head.


General Yu looked at the small white lotus tile, now held between her fingers. The piece was highly underestimated. It was truly a cornerstone to strategy, however. It acted as a guide. Played properly, it both occupied a territory of importance on the field and, given the opportunity, could disrupt a potentially disastrous enemy attack.

Yu's younger self had been on a destructive path toward war. She was undisciplined, irrational. Hers was the only way. Like the white lotus, Zenzi had protected her from the enemy with which she was fighting a furious battle -- herself. Persistence had been her weakness then. She didn't want to be cared for, didn't want to be mothered. She didn't want to be anything but a bloodthirsty tiger, waiting to pounce.

After that day, there was still much struggle between the two of them. Zenzi's patience always won out, however. Slowly but surely, Katsumi had learned her lessons.

"M'lady." said a voice suddenly, making her look up. One of her warriors had entered the room, carrying a tray with an elegant gray-green pot of tea, beautiful gold scrolling leafed onto it. The tray carried two cups to match. "Your tea."

Yu nodded, gesturing lazily at a spot on the ground next to her. Bowing slightly, the warrior placed the tray down next to her and then turned and left the room, Yu watching her go. She then poured herself a cup and sipped at it, savoring the light, faintly sweet brew. It was marvelous. Long ago, a man named Iroh had taught the palace chefs how to prepare tea flawlessly. Near a century later, they still made it was almost heartbreaking skill.

She enjoyed her few minutes of peaceful silence, and then the door opened once more. The Queen had arrived...

"As you wish, your Majesty." Yu said, inclining her head.

It seemed like not so long ago, it had been she, Yu, who bore the higher rank of the two of them. Back then, she and Meili had not yet become the great duo who drove fear into the hearts of their enemies on the battlefield. It was before they brought an end to Earth King Lei, before the Warriors had become the Legion. It was before she was the Tiger or the General, before they daily faced each other in games of Pai Sho in this palace once home to the great tyrant himself. Those were the days when their legends were not yet born...

"INCOMING!!!"

The massive fireball landed with an almighty explosion right on top of one of the small trench fortresses which had been raised with earthbending as pillboxes to protect the earthbenders who were sending stone projectiles at the Fire Nation lines. Shards of stone and burning shrapnel showered the area furiously, yielding many casualties. The screams of the wounded were drowned out by the cries of thousands of warriors and the explosions of hundreds more Fire Nation projectiles. It was a scene of utter chaos.

Yet through it all there were still a few who kept their composure. Of them, none were more impressive nor more conspicuous than the team of warriors walking in the wake of a spear-wielding warrior of incredible presence. Yellow eyes as sharp as knives, face painted for war as were those of her sisters, she marched through the trenches into the tunnel which led to the command center dozens of feet below ground...

"No!" yelled General Cao, sweat dripping from his brow. "I will not surrender!"

"But, sir!" said Major Hong. "We cannot defeat this barrage! Our trenches are useless against artillery this accurate. We must retreat! We can make our stand at Omashu!"

"And while Lei takes my head off with a blunt ax, you can explain why we abandoned the front!" General Cao roared, pointing at him in dire accusation. "WE. WILL. HOLD!"

The warriors entered the command hall, two dozen strong. Their leader marched across the chamber, her short spear held at her side. As she came to the table where the General and his officers were standing, she stopped.

"Who here is General Cao?" she asked, looking between the officers. He was clearly the best adorned of the officers present, but she wanted him to announce himself.

"I am!" he declared, glaring at her. "Who the hell are you?!"

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Katsumi Yu, commander of the Kyoshi Warriors." she said, turning her fierce gaze on him. "By order of Earth King Lei, I am taking command of the front."

"What?" Cao said blankly, his eyes narrowing. "You're taking command? I don't think so."

"But I do." Yu said, extracting a stone disk from inside her armor and tossing it across the table to Cao. It landed with a thud right in front of him. "And so does the King."

Cao looked down at the disk. It bore the seal of the Earth King. With a covert glance up at Yu, he drove his fist into it, using his bending to open the case. As it fell apart, a neatly folded letter was revealed. He opened it and read the contents. With every line he read, his eyes narrowed more furiously and his look became more incredulous. Finally, he slammed the paper down onto the table.

"I am to yield to you?!" he barked. "NEVER!"

But Yu had been ready for this. By the time he had spoken, she was already halfway down the table, running over it's surface with incredibly light and silent feet. As she reached him, she spun, sliding the last few feet. The pommel of her spear struck the side of his head with force, knocking him off his feet instantly. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"Ah!" the officers chorused, each in their own way. Yu hopped down from the table, planting her spear on the floor again.

"Gentlemen." she said, turning slowly. "The failures of General Cao have displeased the Earth King. He has ordered that the elites warriors of Kyoshi Island assume command of this battle and see it to victory. If any of you object, you may say so now. You will not be harmed for your objection..."

Most of the officers' gazes fell on Cao before they answered. However, when they did, they all answered in the same way -- a shake of the head and the words: "No, Ma'am."

"Excellent." Yu said. "Now, who commands the Dai Li detachment in this division?"

Yu nodded as the Dai Li commander stepped forward, declaring her identity and rank. Commander. It was equivalent to a Major with the Kyoshi Warriors, technically a branch of the 7th General Infantry Division, albeit an elite one. Yu gestured to her warriors, all of whom nodded and began moving about the command center, examining the documents and maps for information. Her warriors were the best in the world at quickly assimilating intel.

"How many Dai Li are in your command?" she asked, turning her attention back to Commander Meili.

"There are 45 Dai Li in my command, officer." Meili answered.

Yu looked down at the map on the table. There were small figurines representing different units and assets strewn across the map.

"Major Hong." she said, looking up at the Major.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Hong asked, responding without a moment's delay. He had been one of the few who didn't seem terribly concerned with Cao's... reassignment.

"If I find a way to dispose of the Fire Nation army's artillery, can you finish this fight?" Yu asked.

The Major considered the map briefly and then looked back up at her, speaking only one word: "Yes."

"Very well." Yu said. "You are in command of the army, Major. Commander Meili," she turned her gaze upon the Dai Li commander. "Assemble your men. We make for the Fire Nation lines in twenty-five minutes..."

(JP: Meili and General Yu)

Yu was inspecting her own troops. They had been read to go when she first gave the order, so it had taken all of three minutes for them to assemble near the western wall of the command center. When Meili arrived with her Dai Li, she turned and inspected them.

"Very well." Yu said, nodding. "This is the plan, Commander; You and your Dai Li will open a tunnel in the stone of this wall. We will continue it west until we are underneath the Fire Nation lines. Once we are there, my warriors will procure some Fire Nation uniforms. We will fill EVERY uniform we have and those in disguise will go about stationing themselves in the largest center of concentration for Fire Nation artillery.

"The remaining forces will continue the tunnel on. They will open dead drops underneath the remaining artillery pieces. They will leave just enough solid ground underneath each of the artillery pieces to prevent them from falling immediately. As soon as all the artillery pieces are rigged, the Dai Li will open all the dead drops. Once we see those pieces fall, the disguised company will take the main artillery center and turn it against the Fire Nation's main camp. Questions?"