Chapter 22

The Khamdo Protectorate was an interesting case among the various colonies, protectorates and so on that formed a large part of the Fire Nation's dominion. Much like Lingchen, it had started its life as an Air Nomad Puppet Government, where the Serfs who worked the land for the Air Nomads but weren't Airbenders themselves formed a puppet government that owed fealty to the Fire Nation. Unlike Lingchen, Khamdo didn't get taken over by the Fire Nation Colonial Ministry.

The reason for this is largely down to the population and demographic imbalance between the Eastern Air Temple and the Towns of Khamdo. The non-bending population was around sixty percent male, however, the Eastern Air Temple was entirely run by Nuns. It was a female establishment. This had led to a situation where the serf population of Khamdo, which was majority male, was ruled by an all-female institution.

While most of the Town Elders of the Towns of Khamdo were fine with that, some weren't. Ozai courted these disaffected Elders in the lead-up to his campaign against the Air Nomads, and they formed the main supporters of the puppet government he set up in Khamdo in the aftermath. At the same time, the large veins of Iron, Coal, Copper, Zinc, Silver, Tin, and Lead of Khamdo, which were only sporadically exploited under the Air Nomads for trade, boomed in production.

It was largely this mineral wealth and the steady stream of metals tithed by Khamdo to the Fire Nation, that kept the Puppet Government of Khamdo in place after the initial collaborator regime had died of old age. Accordingly, Khamdo City did not have the quaint structure of Lingchen Port but was a giant city of monumental proportions. Its Dzong-style Architecture reaching up into the sky like some of the buildings in the Home Islands of the Fire Nation or Ba Sing Se in the Earth Kingdom did. This was, as the Puppet Tsenpo, Namri Tsenpo, would likely say, proper for the most important of the Fire Nation's Air Nomad Vassals.

"All this white stucco, you'd think that the smoke from the smelteries would have stained in black." Mused Bikki.

He, Prince Zuko, General Iroh, Deniigi, and Wong Fei-Yan were making their way from the Docks at the base of the mountainside up into the City Proper. The docks were somewhat less pristine and monumental than the City Proper was, largely made of a mix of ironwork and wood. Cranes for loading and unloading cargo were dotted around, while numerous ships of all types, including Naval ships from the Nearby Fire Nation Naval Post at Rawok Bay. They were headed for the Tsenpo's Palace after receiving an invitation to the Tsenpo's Court shortly after docking.

"The Tsenpos of Khamdo are too vain for that. Namri Tsenpo's Father ordered the smelteries be built outside the city, between the mines and the city, so that they did not ruin the beauty of Khamdo's Architecture." Scoffed General Iroh.

"Sounds inefficient. Surely smelting inside the city would be easier?" Questioned Fei-Yan.

"I don't know a whole bunch about industry, but if that's the case, you'd think the Fire Lords would've done something about it." Added Deniigi.

"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, never cared for micromanaging the Empire. So long as the Colonies and Protectorates were meeting their production quotas, he largely let them be. He was more concerned with winning the War itself than how the colonies were administrated." Shrugged General Iroh.

"My father isn't as lenient. There was talk before I was sent out of doing a purge of the leadership of the Kujira Colony on Whaletail Island. Apparently, there had been reports of some level of political unreliability in the Colonial Administration there." Muttered Prince Zuko.

"Huh, and Kujira Colony is one of the closer ones to the Home Isles. I wonder if the reports of political unreliability that were sent back to the Capital were true or if it was just someone lower down the ranks of the Colonial Administration wanting to move up by any means necessary?" Queried Fei-Yan.

"That can happen?" Asked Bikki.

"I forget that in many ways, you're still young. Yes, it has been known to happen from time to time, though never under my brother as of yet." Answered General Iroh.

"They'll likely be disappointed if that's the case." Huffed Prince Zuko.

"How so?" Questioned Deniigi.

"My father is the type to just purge the whole administration and promote people from the Home Isles to take their place." Scowled Prince Zuko.

Bikki wondered about that. It was clear that there was no love lost between Prince Zuko and his father. Every time the Prince spoke of Fire Lord Ozai it was with bitterness creeping into his voice. If that was the case, why were they still on the hunt for the Avatar? Surely Prince Zuko could see that this was yet another snub by his father? Familial, National, and Clan Loyalties were likely involved there, along with the Prince's sense of Honor. He may not have a good relationship with his father, but Ozai was still the Fire Lord, as well as the Head of Zuko's Family and the Imperial Clan.

As Bikki pondered the contradiction that was Prince Zuko, they finally made it out of the sprawling docks and into Khamdo City Proper. Here was a bustling city, there were people everywhere, and it dwarfed the large towns that Bikki's people lived in on Nagai Island. Nagai Island had no true cities, being an Island of Towns, the largest of which, Micicasi, was where the Hall of Koshamain was and had around seventy-five thousand people living in it. Khamdo City, though, looked like it could fit Micicasi in its confines one and a half times over and still have room for more.

It was a stark reminder that though the Yonbanjin were powerful vassals of the Fire Lord, they were not the only ones, nor were they the most powerful. The mineral wealth of Khamdo seems to have brought the people here more prosperity than the Yonbanjin's Warriors, textiles, smoked fish, salt, and woodworking brought to them. No wonder, with an overlord like the Fire Nation, whose forges never grew cold and were always hungry for more metal.

"So, what do we know about this Namri Tsenpo?" Queried Bikki, trying to take his mind off the unfavorable comparison it had just made between his people and Khamdo.

"Namri Tsenpo is vain, like his father." Offered General Iroh.

"Their whole Clan is vain, that's nothing new." Snorted Prince Zuko.

"Maybe so, but Namri Tsenpo is also quite shrewd. A lot more so than his father. He is known as a strategist and capable administrator, but also for ferreting out intrigues in his court and turning them to his advantage. Your Grandfather had respect for him, Prince Zuko. You'd be wise to do the same." Intoned General Iroh.

"What about his court? Anyone we should watch out for?" Asked Deniigi.

"Dhundup Dorje. He's the head of the Second Most Powerful Clan in Khamdo after the Clan of the Tsenpos. He also resents that fact. He may try and draw us into a scheme against Namri Tsenpo if he has one going. Needless to say, agreeing to such a scheme is likely to be a bad idea." Advised General Iroh.

"Palace Intrigues. It's almost like I never left the Earth Kingdom." Grumbled Fei-Yan.

"I'm given to understand those are a thing all over." Pointed out Bikki.

"You are correct. Most Rulers are not loved or feared enough to avoid the occasional attempted intrigue. It is simply human nature to want to seize more than you have if you can do so." Admitted General Iroh.

"Hey, preaching to the choir here. Fei-Yan and I used to run with pirates, remember?" Grinned Deniigi.

"Indeed, and Pirates are not the only ones either. Just look at the whole War." Agreed Fei-Yan.

"Just what are you trying to say?" Demanded Prince Zuko.

"The Fire Lords wanted the world and are reaching out to grab it, proving General Iroh's point." Answered Bikki, Prince Zuko's face darkening as he spoke.

"It is true, Nephew. Do not get angry at the truth, there is no point in doing so for the truth, for it will still be here even after your anger is spent. That is why it is the truth, after all." Interjected General Iroh.

Prince Zuko took a deep breath before letting it out in a sigh. As he exhaled, he let his sudden buildup of anger go out of his body with his breath. It took the form of smoke, owing to his firebending, causing General Iroh to frown. Bikki took notice as well, as that level of anger was unusual. Zuko almost never got angry enough to let his control over his firebending slip like that. Maybe they should sit down and have a talk if something like that was bubbling under the surface.

Unfortunately, now was not the time, as they made their way into the upper town, with the walls of the Tsenpo's Palace looming like white and red cliffs in front of them. The bronze double doors were easily the size of a small building and were carved with murals of tigerdillos chasing birds. They were guarded by two guards in heavy cord and plaque armor with a spear in one hand, a sword at their belts, and a shield painted in the visage of an angry spirit in the other. It was similar to how the Lingchen Guard had been armed, which Bikki suspected would be standard amongst the local forces of the Air Nomad Protectorates and Colonies.

As the guards spotted them, the rightmost guard knocked twice on the large, double doors. Moments later, the doors ground open, pushed by a number of silk-clad attendants whose job it was to open and shut the doors. Bikki frowned, that was a great display of wealth, but probably didn't do any good for defense. In fact, it was probably detrimental to defense.

Regardless, as the gates ground open, an Aristocrat with a mustache and a beautifully embroidered silk robe of state that showed a Pheonix Spirit taking flight stepped forward. He bowed deeply to Prince Zuko and General Iroh, who nodded at the man, allowing him to straighten up.

"I am Gelek Tsogyal, Minister of the Chamber to Namri Tsenpo. I bid welcome to the Illustrious General Iroh, Dragon of the West, and Crown Prince Zuko, Scourge of Pirates on behalf of my Lord. If it would please your Royal Highnesses, I am to escort your party to Court." Offered the Aristocrat, ingratiatingly.

"Lead on and we shall follow." Intoned Prince Zuko.

As he did so, Prince Zuko plastered an expression on his face that seemed unlike his normal, lively expressions. It was more of a rigid mask of neutrality, almost a grimace. Judging by how he'd been scarred and banished at his father's Imperial Court, however, Bikki supposed he couldn't blame Zuko for it. It must bring up some bad memories. They'd have to add that to the list of things to talk about when they finally did get a chance to talk.

It was an interesting thing though. Bikki had already seen how General Iroh had various masks he put on to suit various circumstances. One moment, he could be the kindly grandfather, in another he would be the fearsome Dragon of the West, and so on. Prince Zuko, it turned out, could do so too, though the Blue Spirit might have clued Bikki in on that earlier. Was that a function of training to rule? To slip a mask over your genuine self to better allow you to handle tasks that you ordinarily would despise or not handle as well?

Bikki couldn't say. He had not been trained to lead his people. That task would fall to his Older Brother, after all. He couldn't imagine ever being able to swap masks as readily as General Iroh, though. Perhaps he could put on a mask or persona, but swapping them so easily and having as many to switch from as General Iroh did seemed exhausting. It was an interesting thought to develop later when there was more time.

For now, though, they were led inside the palace complex by Gelek Tsogyal. It was time for political intrigue, not pseudo-therapy. They had to keep their focus planted squarely in front of them on the task at hand. The alternative was to get caught up in some failed scheme, after all. General Iroh had warned them that such might occur.

And the results of that would not be worth thinking about. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, here we have the arrival in Khamdo Port. Zuko's getting a little more angry than he otherwise would have been, likely because they keep getting sidetracked. This courtly invitation and potential for Palace Intrigue is the second time they've been sidetracked on the way to the Eastern Air Temple, after all.

There's gonna have to be a talk to clear the air at some point. Can't have the Crown Prince literally exploding or anything. Mind you, in this world, learning to focus that sort of anger is a pre-requisite for Combustion-bending, not that anyone currently knows that. Right now, though, Zuko just wants to get to the Eastern Air Temple and is incredibly annoyed that he keeps getting sidetracked.

The discussion on masks and personas is one that has come up before. It will come up again as well. I'm trying to do something interesting with it and also commenting on how people in high positions tend to develop such personas as a matter of course to help them in their duties. Hopefully, you guys will like it.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the group in the Court of Namri Tsenpo.

Stay tuned. . .