Yun 7

“The Fifth Nation fleet will cease raiding the coastlines along the Xishaan Mountains,” Jianzhu said. “They’ve promised not to raise a sail under her colors within sight of the Eastern Air Temple.”

“In exchange for what?”

“For official access to the timber on Yesso Island, though they’ve been unofficially logging there for the better part of a decade. The other sages are calling it a total diplomatic victory. So much gained, for so little.”

The leaves of Yun’s tea lost their grip on the surface of the liquid. Water was the last element he’d need to master. He’d always suspected he’d have a better time of it than fire.

“Except it’s not a victory, is it?” he said, rolling the cup between his fingers. “She’s promising to halt her operations in one sector, but a fleet of marauders isn’t going to lay down their arms and pick up the plow overnight. They’ll cause trouble in the other oceans, maybe go as far north as Chameleon Bay or the Fire Nation home islands. It’s just pushing the violence from one corner of the world to the other.”

“What would you do then?” Jianzhu said. “Reject Tagaka’s offer?”

Yun took a turn staring at the blank gameboard, especially at the sections where players usually laid their boat tiles. He shuddered at the images that came rushing into his head.

...

He put his tea down and leaned back on his hands. “We should take her offer and pretend we’re glad to do it. It’s our only chance of rescuing the surviving captives. It’ll buy time for the coastal areas to build up defenses. And if Tagaka is bold enough to sail northwest, there’s a chance she’ll grow overconfident and pick a fight with the Fire Navy. That’s an opponent ruthless enough to destroy her completely.”

His proposal spilled out of his lips naturally, despite the unease it created in his core. The idea of manipulating the nations he was supposed to keep balance over was frightening, solely because of how easy and effective it would be. He waited for a rebuke.

Instead he caught Jianzhu smiling at him openly. A rare occurrence.

“See?” Jianzhu said, gesturing at the game board out of habit. “This is why you are destined to be a great Avatar. You have the insight to think ahead, to see where people are weak and strong. You know which threads of the future to pull. There’s not going to be a solution to the Fifth Nation through powerful bending. But there will be a strategy, a line of play that minimizes the suffering they can inflict. And you’ve spotted it.

“You’re everything Kuruk was not,” Jianzhu continued. “And I couldn’t be prouder.”

-RoK, The Boy From Makapu