#and after that...

Reality came back into its usual shape in the midst of a vast darkness, only interrupted by the bright red sun in the middle of Ross 128 b's system. Stars glowed in the distance… many of which she had visited by now. Countless others were far beyond her reach still, and she didn't expect she'd live long enough to visit most of them…

As the plasma drained, the thrumming headache that followed urged her to reach for the stability dose she kept by her pilot's seat: shrugging off her jacket, she jabbed the injection into her IV socket…

She breathed deep as the flood of tranquility rushed across her bloodstream. Little by little, the lingering unpleasant consequences of space travel receded completely.

With that, Atsuko Takei reclined her pilot's seat and relaxed for a moment, drifting knowingly, safely, towards the planet she was duty-bound to fly back to. She closed her eyes… then, she reached for her left pocket.

The conjoined rings met her fingers: the ones that buzzed with mysterious, potent energy, and the drained ones, dark and empty where the others were blue.

She lifted her old treasure from her pocket and raised it before her face: in the eyes of anyone, even her own upon finding it, the strange rings had appeared to be nothing but a child's toy. A set of twelve rings, linked together by a small bright blue orb: four of those rings were lined up horizontally, touching each other very lightly at each extreme. The next four, vertical. The last four, facing Atsuko herself. Four rings, oriented towards the three-dimensional, traditional axes: x, y and z…

Atsuko closed her eyes. Her neural chip – once a despised addition to her brain that she had rejected and refused to use – had become a reliable asset, over time… and she used it to trigger the most common function she ever utilized in it.

The familiar voices spoke, as always, repeating words she had heard countless times…

"You know I'm proud of you, don't you? That no father ever got so lucky as to have three wonderful kids like you, your brother, and sister… but, goodness, nothing prepared me for this. You always wanted to touch the stars, and I know you will. Of course you will, I just… it's hard to think that it'll be a while before I see you again. But, hey, it won't be for you! Bet for you it'll be the blink of an eye, my little girl. Don't make too much fun of me when you come back to find me all wrinkled and white-haired and so on… oh, I might even lose all my hair! You won't even recognize me! Oh, never mind me, Atsuko, dear. Just do your best out there. You know you can count on us, and we'll welcome you back home as the hero you already are. Just… come back when you can, will you?"

Even after the stability dose, the words struck her in a deep, dark place: it was the reaction she wanted, the sensation she chased… the punishment she inflicted upon herself, time after time. She trembled, clinging to the thread of emotion elicited by that voice, by those wishes and promises that had never been fulfilled as the next one started.

"Look, we had a bad run, I know that. I've always been a shitty brother, I… I wanted to be everything you could be and hell, goes without saying, I failed. But… you can't just walk away now. I know why you want to, but this family didn't fight so hard to get you to this point just for you to give up, or did we? What, want me to think I'd have been better off than you as a pilot, Alien? Yeah, didn't think so. If just to prove me wrong, you shithead… don't walk away. We'll be fine. Look, I… I met a girl the other day, alright? You can meet her when you come back. Yeah, this time I'm serious. I actually think she could be the one. Bet you're gonna say she's only with me because my little sister's going to be a spacefarer and all that shit. Well, maybe that's true! I don't even care! I'm getting laid so, you know, thanks for being my wingwoman, whether you like it or not, huh?"

Despite her better sense, that part always made her smile. Atsuko ran a hand over her hair and sighed as a new recording played in her head…

"Atsuko! Oh, I love you so much! You know that, right? You do! I'm your favorite sister for a reason – and don't damn say it's because you don't have another sister, because you DO have a brother, but, to be fair, he's not the nicest of brothers, huh? Oh, I wish Tatsu weren't late, he'd wanted to meet you all along… and yeah, he didn't know about you before we got together. Had no idea my sister was a bigshot astronaut! Yep, and then he found out and was terrified when he realized you're way bigger and stronger than him. You scare him more than our brother! Bet you're proud of that, aren't you? I know we don't see much of each other anymore and… well, we'll see even less now. But, hey, if Tatsu and I end up having kids, I'll name one of them after you! And if you get back here on time, you'll be the godmother too! How does that sound? Bet you'll love it! Bet… bet mom would've loved it, too. God, you have no idea how much I'm going to miss you. But you wanted this all along, so… go for it, okay? We're all rooting for you! Yep, even big brother, even if he tells you otherwise!"

A deep sigh at all those lost opportunities… at the painful awareness that she had never known if such a child existed or not. But the last recording was always the one that hurt the most.

"Oh, my sweet child… you know what you must do. The entire universe is out there, yours to explore, to discover! It was your dream all along… you can't forsake that just because of your old mother, can you? I know… I know we might never see each other again, I do, but I want to believe you'll still be out there once I'm gone. Maybe it's selfish of me… but I love looking up at the stars, knowing you'll be among them. My beautiful meteor… one day, we'll meet again beyond this life. You'll see… and by then, you'll tell me everything about your wonderful adventures! You'll tell me if you ever found love, if you made lifelong friends, if you fulfilled the dreams you always held onto, got answers for all your countless questions… this isn't the end, my darling child. I'll never stop believing that… just as I'll never stop believing in you, Atsuko. Fly as high and far as you will, my darling… and know that, until my last breath, I will always be thinking of you. I love you. I love you. I love you so much…"

The effects of the stability dose finished correcting her physical reactions: and as intended, the emotional stunting faded upon being countered fully by the recordings. Atsuko breathed deeply, dabbing at the tears as she allowed herself to reclaim whatever normalcy was within reach…

She raised the small cluster of rings again. Once more, the energy thrumming within didn't reveal any answers, providing no clarity, no truths regarding how, exactly, those recordings had wound up within the mysterious device.

She slid her fingers through the rings, seeking any visible changes, but there were none. Then, she sought any new software upgrades to her neural chip… surely something would be available. Just as those secret recordings had been unlocked once by an upgrade to her neural chip, whatever other secrets hid within those glowing rings might eventually be triggered by another one.

But after installing every new feature, no novel functions came up: the rings continued to be as hermetic as they ever were. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, tempted as she often was to toss it away. To forsake it for good, for maybe it had been the cause of her misfortunes, rather than any manner of salvation, or any sign that suggested she was meant for something greater, as she had often hoped in her youth.

"It's been thirty-two fucking years… or four thousand. Guess it depends on who you ask. And after all this time, you're still as immutable as the first time I found you," Atsuko hissed, glaring at the rings before stuffing the mysterious gadget in her pocket. She let out a sigh: it was enough. If there were no changes yet, there was nothing to be done about it. She had far more things to do than worry over the meaning of the warm energy looping endlessly within those rings.

Atsuko checked the predictable onslaught of messages and notifications next: returning after setting out 126 years earlier guaranteed an excessive influx of information that she wouldn't likely sort through fully. The automated systems were organized by priority, by familiarity, by rank…

There was a summons by Liu Lijun, demanding her immediate return to Earth.

Atsuko scowled at once: still alive, then. The wretch was worse than a cockroach. She shook her head, deleted the message, and instead switched to the board of available biocatalysis missions. GJ 463 c, another 60 light-years away… she could work with that. She sent a request for the mission: Ross 128 b's Command Center would likely approve of it quickly. Would Liu Lijun finally be dead by the time she returned…? How very unlikely. She rolled her eyes, rubbing her brow with her fingertips…

How many times would she need to do this until he was gone? Until a better leader took his place? The temptation to simply not accelerate out of the nucleus the next time she biocatalyzed a planet was terribly powerful, as of late…

She meant to power her way to Ross 128 b, to restock supplies and set out on her next mission, when a new message arrived.

Atsuko frowned as she tapped it open: a plea for help from…?

Her eyes widened.

Task Master.

Please reach out to us as soon as you're in the vicinity of Ross 128 b. We need to warn you about what awaits you on Earth, as well as inform you of the latest developments in its solar system. We have become renegades for the Fleet and we have no one else to rely on. Our team was torn apart. Only me and Quarter Master Harkin remain, along with a Lifeseed Specialist we've joined forces with… from TRAPPIST-1d.

We need your help. We don't know what to do. We have no one to turn to but you.

Please respond when you are able,

Captain Azula Homura.

Atsuko frowned heavily. She read the message one more time…

She activated her ship's tracking radar: only a moment after attaching the message sender's coordinates, Atsuko's vessel fired off at haste towards her new destination.

Hovering on a civilian vessel at a safe distance from Ross 128 b, sustaining themselves through nutrition shots across three weeks, had been challenging already.

Flying away from a Fleet's squad, hellbent on taking them down, had not been among the complications Sokka and Azula had anticipated for their current circumstances.

"Please! This is a civilian vessel! You have no need to do this!" Aang exclaimed into the communicator device: his cries fell on deaf ears, however, for rather obvious reasons…

"Rather skilled for a civilian, aren't you?! Shouting and piloting at the same time!" the Ensign on the other side of the communication feed exclaimed. "We are under orders to detain or dispatch you! Surrender yourself or face the consequences, Specialist Pathik!"

"Fucking bastards predicted we might come back here, huh?" Sokka growled, piloting as best he could. Azula huffed, glaring about herself.

"If we had any weapons, anything at all… I'm half-tempted to put on an exosuit and punch holes into their ships," Azula hissed. Sokka let out an unamused laugh.

"Only you would consider defeating a stellarship with your bare fists… worst part is you might actually beat them that way," Sokka said. Azula smiled slightly. "They can tell it's us. If they reach us…"

"Give up, or we'll open fire, now!"

"Fuck…!" Sokka hissed: he glanced at Azula warily, and she met his uneasy gaze. "Take over. You know how to dodge crazy stuff better than me…!"

The first beam fired towards their ship: Sokka swerved just enough to dodge it. Azula gritted her teeth and, startling him, jumped on his lap.

"Woah…!"

"No time for a proper seat swap! Strap on!" Azula shouted at Aang, who scrambled towards the nearest seats, but he failed to reach them before Azula pulled a far riskier twirl away from the weapons' trajectory.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…!" Sokka gritted his teeth, grasping the armrests of his chair tightly so as to avoid distracting Azula.

He rather welcomed having her on his lap on any given situation – they'd had no true chances to rekindle matters properly after their reunion… but this, of course, was far from the time to think of such things. He had to trust in his lover's extraordinary piloting talents, for if he didn't…

Azula took a harsher turn, spinning below and behind the other stellarships. She was pushing this simple vessel far too much, it was no core pod… she snarled, shifting the driving orbs, hoping to trick the pair of enemy stellarships into shooting each other…

A third ship appeared in the distance.

Sleek, smooth, angular and deadly.

"Is that…?" Sokka gasped: Azula shuddered atop him.

There was no way of knowing what the new arrival's intent would be, regardless of the message Azula had sent her… was she here to reinforce the Council's orders? To hunt them down, all else be damned, regardless of Azula's plea…?

Or was she here to help them?

Azula swallowed hard and closed her eyes: Sokka's hand found hers over the steering orbs. Both their hearts raced at full speed as that ship loomed closer and closer, as the two ships they'd dodged turned around to fire again…

Their railguns, revved and ready to shoot, powered down moments before firing.

Azula's chest heaved as she glanced at the cameras: those cannons had been white-hot a second ago, and now…

The newcomer ship flew right above theirs, approaching the other two.

"What is she…? D-do you think she got them off us?" Sokka asked, his voice unusually shrill.

"I hope so. I… holy shit. Fuck, if she did…" Azula shivered, dropping her head as she breathed heavily. "We're never flying a ship without weapons again. Ever. Not after this."

"We'll need to find our old ship. Somehow," Sokka groaned. "Or something like it, I don't know… hey. Hey, they're leaving!"

The two ships pursuing them turned around: Azula raised her head, perking up as the cameras effectively showed the two vessels flying back to the Stellar Council's headquarters planet…

Moments later, the sleek, powerful stellarship piloted by Atsuko Takei appeared before them again: even across that distance, the legendary pilot could see them in the cockpit of their civilian ship… and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at the sight of the rather unorthodox position of the two pilots.

"Don't think they taught you that in the academy," were the first words she addressed to their ship through the open comms: Azula and Sokka blushed, and the former climbed off the latter's lap, unable to mask her guilt.

"Thank you for… for coming to our aid. I don't know what you did, but…" Azula started, only to be interrupted quickly.

"Pulled rank. Works like a charm when you're not actively pursued by the Stellar Fleet, I guess," Atsuko responded. "Mind explaining how the hell you landed yourself in a pickle of this magnitude, Homura?"

"It's a long story," Azula confessed. Atsuko hummed.

"Let's hope I bought you enough time to tell it, then."

Ten minutes later, the civilian stellarship had attached its airlock to that of Atsuko's ship: the overwhelmed, stressed trio entered the sleek vessel, finding it to be as top-of-the-line, sophisticated and potent as the very best stellarships could be. No expenses would ever be spared for the Council's great symbol, it seemed… Azula shivered as she walked through the hallways furnished with artificial gravity, climbing ramps with guiding lights that were leading her towards their superior officer.

She remained at the cockpit, albeit she had stepped off the pilot's seat, reclined against its backrest with arms folded over her chest instead. She regarded them silently, until her eyes drifted towards Aang.

"You," she said, growing even more tense at the sight of that familiar face. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Uh… did you want to?" Aang asked, puzzled.

"Not particularly," Atsuko admitted. Aang smiled awkwardly and nodded, trying not to take the woman's honesty to heart. She turned her attention towards Azula and Sokka next, though. "Homura and Harkin. Not exactly what I anticipated for your future way back when. What exactly got you on Liu Lijun's bad side?"

"Liu Lijun's… Ren's," Azula said: that got a reaction out of Atsuko, whose eyebrows twitched noticeably. "I fucked up. In many ways I shouldn't have. But they wanted to use me, pull me in to fight in the war… they were exploiting my brother's death, or presumed death, to that end. Whether he's alive or not is anyone's guess, but…"

"Your brother?" Atsuko's dark eyes rarely showed compassion… but they did now. "What happened, did he…? I… I'm sorry, Homura."

"I am, too, whatever the truth may be," Azula hissed. "My brother was fighting in the battle for the Moon and was presumably killed there. My mother says there was no funeral, no sign of his body… while it's possible his corpse was lost in space, we suspect he may have been taken by the Exalted."

Atsuko didn't say anything at first. She blinked blankly, shaking her head as though to process the words.

"The Exalted…" she repeated, before huffing slightly. "That's a fucked-up scenario, Homura. And… unquestionably one the Council would take advantage of. Do you know if they did it on purpose? Sent your brother to a potential death just to… rile you up, so to speak?"

"I… I don't know," Azula said, uneasy. "My parents believed he went on the mission of his own volition, but… I don't know."

"Could be true. Or your parents lied, or they were lied to," Atsuko sighed, shaking her head. "And you decided not to play their game, is it?"

"She turned on Liu Lijun," Sokka said, firmly. "Just as he was trying to profit off… well, the information Azula gave him."

"I… I thought I'd help round up any clones that might have attempted to infiltrate the Fleet," Azula said, guilt permeating her every word. "Now I know that any who tried would've been developed differently, without signs that would give away that they were clones… but even before I realized as much, Liu Lijun started rounding up people he didn't like and accusing them of being traitors, threatening to mutilate them if that was what it took to get away with it. You… you were next in line."

Atsuko stared at Azula pointedly. She tapped her elbow for a moment… then nodded.

"Huh," she turned towards the ship's windows, namely those that showed Ross 128 b at a distance. "Explains the summons he sent me. Been a while since he tried that on me."

"You can't go," Azula said, uneasy.

"I won't. I don't visit Earth," Atsuko said, firmly. Aang sighed.

"Even now, you stand by that belief?" he said. "Do you really think you'll never return to…?"

"I have no reason to go back. Much less if there's a trap waiting for me there," Atsuko retorted. "But this is getting out of hand for you, Homura. So much as meeting with you might be grounds to have me persecuted too… and I can't say I'm keen on trying to survive in this hostile galaxy without the Council's support. Maybe there's a few biocatalyzed but abandoned planets out there somewhere, so distant that we could all retire and die there peacefully before anyone finds out where we are. But that's not what I intended to do with my life, and I suspect it isn't what you wanted to do with yours, either. So… what's your plan, other than warning me to stay away from Liu Lijun, which I'm more than happy to do?"

"We have to find Toph and Katara," Azula said, firmly. "Our two remaining team members. We don't know where they sent them… we had hopes that you could help us track them down."

"Easier said than done… but hopefully doable, provided they're not such a big secret that even I'm not allowed to learn of it," Atsuko reasoned. "And after that?"

"I don't know," Azula confessed, shivering. "We just came back from TRAPPIST-1d…"

"I suspected as much," she said, glaring at Aang. He lowered his gaze. "I'd wager a guess… they sent Harkin there?"

Sokka sighed but nodded. Atsuko scowled, tightening the grip of her arms around her torso.

"It's where they send everyone they want to get rid of. You'd have been a nuisance, someone who could have broken Homura out of the blinding rage they expected her to remain on over her brother. Good on you for not falling for it, Homura… for finding him before it was too late, too," Atsuko said, looking at Azula, who breathed deeply, placing a reassuring hand on Sokka's arm. "Did you reveal Liu Lijun's bullshit publicly, then? Gave him away in front of the entire domain, hopefully?"

"Everything was recorded in my neural chip," Azula said. "Before leaving for TRAPPIST-1d, I ensured to spread it across the Extranet. They couldn't have gotten rid of all the copies yet. Hopefully, it's been enough chaos to buy us some time… I wish it had been enough to get him ousted, but seeing how corrupt the Council appears to be, I doubt it."

"You've sown plenty of discord, then. Worrisome, if understandable. Good on you for giving Liu Lijun a reality check, though. Bastard deserves far more of those than he's faced all across his life," Atsuko sighed. "What of Ren? You mentioned him earlier…"

"He's the one who tore our team apart," Azula said. Atsuko scowled. "He lied to me, took me to Earth on his stellarship and pretended everyone else would join us there shortly… after three months, the lie couldn't stand on its own anymore. I confronted him… and just then, Katara sent me a VR circlet with information about where to find Sokka. Ah, if you've never seen a circlet, it's…"

"I'll go get one, it'll be easier to just show her," Sokka said.

Sokka patted Azula's shoulder, making his way back to their ship to retrieve them. Azula sighed, turning to Atsuko again.

"It's a device, high-tech, to reproduce simulations. Probably made for entertainment purposes, I'd guess," Azula said. "As far as I can tell, it's a project Katara had been doing on the side while working with us. She sent it as a gift, she disguised information about Sokka's situation there and I… I had to go find him."

"Of course you did," Atsuko said, softly. "And you stole this ship in TRAPPIST-1d…?"

"I helped procure it," Aang said. Atsuko hummed, eyeing him skeptically, as usual. "Did I do anything that bad to you, back in the day? You seem to think I'm some kind of…"

"You distress me. You bring back memories I'd rather not engage in," Atsuko said, pointedly. Aang grimaced. "My time in TRAPPIST-1d wasn't exactly the fun ride I was promised."

"I'm aware," Aang whispered.

"You weren't there all along… but I supposed I should thank you for stepping aside and letting me return to business when I did," Atsuko sighed. Azula eyed her warily.

"You wanted to go back?" she asked. Atsuko grunted.

"Not as much as I should have. But… something compelled me to. Felt like my job wasn't done," she said: her hand slipped inside her pocket… she squeezed the cluster of conjoined rings and breathed deeply. "Problem is, it feels like it never is. Like I'm lying to myself about how much I'm supposed to achieve someday… like at this point I'll outlast humanity and still not find whatever damnable destiny I thought the stars were holding for me."

She glanced towards Ross 128 b again, a begrudging glare across her face. She sighed before turning towards Azula.

"The truth is… you're in a shitty spot, Homura. If I'm the one person who can save your ass… that's not a good position to be in," Atsuko said. "I'm hardly ever around, I actually took on a new mission as soon as I got here so I could continue avoiding Liu Lijun's bullshit summons… I meant to restock on fuel and jump out again shortly. It'll be about 120 light-years before I'm back here again. And I can't exactly point you towards anyone who can help, because… I don't really have much of a safety net to fall back on, myself. There's not a lot of people I rely on, these days."

"I suppose you may have thought Ren was reliable, but…" Azula said. Atsuko snorted.

"I've clung to no delusions about him, if that makes you feel any better," she said.

"I remember you rejected his offer to… join him? Team up with him?" Azula said, eyeing her with uncertainty. "Did you already realize how fucked up he was, back then?"

"Heh. I wouldn't exactly say that," Atsuko raised her eyebrows. "I just… I've been alone for a long time, Homura. I'm used to it. I don't have to deal with anyone's baggage but my own… and Ren brings about a lot of baggage. Made worse by the way he just…"

Atsuko sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't know what he really wants from me, is all," she admitted. "And I don't trust he's remotely as idealistic as he pretends to be. A stupid part of me wonders if I made a mistake shooting him down… I say it's stupid because I know I didn't, also because it's too late to take it back, even if I had. But I work better alone. If the day ever comes when I meet someone suitable to be my long-term partner, well… that's going to be quite the miracle."

"Then… does that mean you never had a partner, back when you started out as a pilot?" Azula asked. Atsuko shook her head.

"I'm older than any such regulations. Things were very different when I first traveled to Proxima Centauri b," Atsuko said. "Once the new rules about piloting were implemented, I'd already biocatalyzed enough planets to be an outlier and an exception to such rules. I argued a partner would hinder me… I still stand by it, more so if it's Ren. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of working with him constantly. There's just something about him that I've never been able to trust fully."

"As far as I can tell, he wants to win the war at all costs," Azula sighed: Sokka returned then, and Azula glanced back at him appreciatively as he patted her back. "And I worry about what he intends to do to achieve that result."

"His heart is in the right place…" Atsuko recited, sarcastically. "Problem is how many wrong things he gets away with while claiming as much, of course. Anyway… that thing is how you found out where he was?"

"It's Katara's new simulation hardware, yeah," Azula said, as Sokka handed it over to Atsuko. "If that one's mine, feel free to keep it if you want to…"

"It's mine, actually. And she can keep it anyway," Sokka said, an arm around Azula's shoulders. "I don't think I'm going to need it as much anymore."

Azula sighed, pressing her face to his chest. Atsuko continued studying the circlet, though she did raise an eyebrow slowly as she glanced in their direction.

"Your current circumstances weren't caused by this, uh, likely clandestine relationship between you two, were they?" she asked.

"Not really. Council doesn't know we're married," Sokka said, bluntly: Azula stiffened, looking up at him in disbelief. Sokka smiled and shrugged. "Hey, we're already being hunted by the Fleet. Why would it matter if we break a few more rules at this point?"

"Will matter if you expect to ever return to the fold, of course… not that I'll run around to reveal it to the first person I see, of course, but you'd better be careful with the public displays of affection anyway," Atsuko remarked, running a thumb over the circlet. "This is… very smooth technology."

"It's the best simulation tech I've ever seen. Turns TRAPPIST-1d into an even more miserable hallucination," Sokka said. "I could… see my parents. I knew they weren't there, yeah, but it didn't stop me from going back to the same scenes, over and over again…"

"Wait… it reproduces reality? Memories?" Atsuko asked, puzzled.

"Not quite? As far as I understand, it takes data, existing data, of just about whatever has taken place in a given location," Sokka said, running a hand over his hair. "Neural chips are invasive as hell, but… the amount of information that can be taken from each one, and then transformed into realistic simulations, is much more fucked up than I reasoned with. The way things are, we could probably reproduce this very conversation, five years from now, and every aspect of it would be accurate… provided the information is fed correctly into the system, of course."

Atsuko trailed her fingers over the brass circlet: her eyes betrayed confusion… but intrigue, too.

"If… if you'll let me have this, why, I… I'll owe you quite a bit," Atsuko whispered.

"You don't owe us a thing. You came here to help us, when you could've turned on us or just abandoned us to our fate," Sokka said. "We're grateful for that."

"Heh," Atsuko raised her eyebrows. "If you're sure. But I will pay you back regardless… or, if you will, consider this your own means to pay me for taking responsibility for your actions."

Her words startled them. Even Aang, who had been resigned to remain silent, glanced at her in confusion now.

"You're… taking responsibility?" Azula repeated. Atsuko nodded.

"There's no other way out of this for you. I'm of higher rank… I'm a lot less disposable than your group," Atsuko said, simply. "They want certain things from me… Ren does, at least. I guess that, if I offer to do as he asks…"

"You can't!" Azula said, eyes wide with panic. "You just said it yourself, he's a bastard that cannot be trusted! You don't know what he's going to ask of you!"

"As a matter of fact… I'm quite sure I do," Atsuko said. "It's the same bullshit he always eggs me on about: join the war effort, take an active role on the battlefield…"

"You can't risk it," Sokka said. "After what happened to Azula's brother…"

"Liu Lijun wants you dead," Azula hissed. "You can't give him the satisfaction."

"I don't intend to," Atsuko said, folding her arms over her chest. "As usual… I'll have to go about this by doing something or another to secure my position in a public manner. I hate playing politics… but if I have to do it, I will. More so since that may be the only way I can do a damn thing about you lot. I'm offering this opportunity to you with no certainty that it will result in the outcome we seek… but I offer it regardless because I can't think of a better solution for your group. Remaining as renegades only makes you the perfect targets for the Exalted: if they ever find you, they'll waste no time stealing your bodies and transforming you into whatever they want you to be."

"Maybe… maybe that's it, then."

All humans turned towards the sole clone within the ship. Aang bit his lip, raising his gaze towards them.

"We can infiltrate them. We could do exactly what you feared the Exalted were doing to the Stellar Fleet," Aang said, looking at Azula. "If we're the ones who pretend to be in the outs with the Council, if you offer to join the Exalted…!"

"I wouldn't do such a thing," Azula hissed.

"You'd be able to strike from within," Aang said, looking at her desperately. "You could get into Exalsyn that way! As much as I understand why you'd refuse… the truth is it takes at least one year, if not longer, to fully craft a compatible clone's body. They won't be able to turn you into one of them right away."

"And you know this… how?" Atsuko said, pointedly, raising an eyebrow at Aang. He swallowed hard. His silence, of course, revealed enough, and the Task Master huffed before running a hand over her hair. "Well, what a team you've racked up here. Two renegades from the Stellar Fleet… and a renegade Exalted, too? Been a spy since I first met you, or is this a newer development, Lifeseed guy?"

"I… I've been a sleeper agent for longer than we've known each other, yes," Aang admitted. Atsuko scoffed.

"Well, fuck me," she sighed, looking at Azula skeptically. "When did you learn about that?"

"Just before coming here," Azula admitted, without meeting her superior officer's gaze.

"Fantastic," Atsuko said, before rolling her eyes. "Well. What Ren doesn't know won't hurt him, I suppose… provided you're certain that this guy can be trusted. Are you?"

"He refused to feed Sokka to a Lifeseed when he could have. Maybe I should get better evidence of his innocence than that, but…" Azula said, softly. Atsuko frowned.

"Hmm. Fair point. Didn't do it to me either. Bet Liu Lijun would've given him a big reward for it too, if he had," Atsuko reasoned. "Guess you're a pretty upstanding fellow, aren't you?"

"I try to be, but… I know my situation isn't sustainable and I understand there will be consequences," Aang said, closing his eyes firmly. "I have about five years left in this body. If Eun-u Cho realizes I've betrayed him… my time will be up rather quickly."

"Then let's try to finish this war in less than five years," Atsuko said, breathing deeply and looking at Azula again. "It's, unfortunately for you, a convincing plan. One the Council might go for. Want me to push things in that direction? I can claim you'll make up for your wrongdoings by infiltrating Exalsyn when you're done gathering your crew again… you'll have your chance to find your brother that way, if he's there at all. And if Liu Lijun and Ren decide that consequences are warranted anyhow, I'll shield you as much as I can, at least until you're done spying on the Exalted."

"And… you'll join the war effort actively to mitigate matters too?" Azula asked, uneasy. Atsuko shrugged.

"Don't have a better idea in mind. Much less one that will appease Ren," she said. "Liu Lijun's a piece of shit, but Ren's far more willful than him. If he thinks he's going to get what he wants… Liu Lijun's tantrums won't stop him from seizing any victories that are there for the taking. Otherwise, I would've lost all my medals and rank, let alone flying authorization, a long time ago."

"You think Liu Lijun would've taken all of that from you? Ren protected you from that fate?" Sokka asked. Atsuko shrugged.

"Hard to imagine anything else that explains how I'm still an active officer in the Fleet. I don't exactly have anyone else protecting me or watching out for me," she said. "Most higher-ups in the Council and Fleet would do anything to suck up to Liu Lijun: if he wanted me dead, their sole question would've been whether he wanted me buried in a distant planet or if he preferred my ashes scattered into a black hole. Whether Ren did it out of some ridiculous sentimentality, or because he thought I was more useful to him alive… it's simply the likeliest possibility, after I did what I did to Liu Lijun's ego."

"You never wanted to be part of the war effort," Azula said, eyeing her warily. "Can I ask… why?"

"Do you need to?" Atsuko said, hands in her pockets. "This is not my war. It's not humanity's war either. It's the clones' war: they're fighting so their existence is considered as valid as that of humans. But more than anything… it's the war between Eun-u Cho and Liu Lijun. A war between two men who, whether for good or ill, have decided they're fine with whatever debacle is needed until they get the outcome they want. I never signed up for this shit. I was not a fighter, no matter if I spent ten years in TRAPPIST-1d honing my combat skills… I only did combat training there because it was the best way to clear my mind, reclaim any of my focus. But I didn't join the Fleet because of this… hell, I was serving in space long before there even was a Stellar Fleet. I was a mere astronaut, nothing more, nothing less, flying for the space agency that turned into the Stellar Council while I wasn't mid-jump. My job, from the very beginning, was to biocatalyze planets. I never set out to fight any wars, much less theirs."

"You do understand what Lifeseeds are made of, don't you?" Sokka asked. Atsuko raised her eyebrows.

"Of course I do. It was no secret before," she said. Azula's eyes widened. "It was a controversial matter back in the day, don't get me wrong, but… the Council is the one that decided to hide the truth."

"And it doesn't… doesn't deter you?" Azula asked. "As I am, I almost want to walk away from the very notion of biocatalysis for good. I don't know what else to do with myself, sure, but…"

"As things stand now, as long as you're aligned with the Council, you can either biocatalyze or join the battlefronts. And if you don't want to do either thing… well, you're free to go back to TRAPPIST-1d. Feels like the clones don't particularly want to kill the veterans there anyway, seeing as they sent someone to infiltrate that place eons ago to no severe consequences."

Atsuko stared at Aang for a moment, as though to scrutinize him thoroughly. She sighed, however, shaking her head in disbelief.

"The fact that no one ever picked up on who you were… I didn't. Had no reason to," she said. "Moreover, unless you're hiding a body count none of us can fathom, everything suggests you've got better morals than the bulk of the Council, anyhow."

"Well, you could say I do have one, based on how many Lifeseeds I've made, but… I swear, I only ever turned life energy into Lifeseeds for those who were ready and willing," Aang said.

"Think we're both proof of that," Sokka said, glancing at Atsuko. "I begged him to do it."

"Hmm. I begged him not to," Atsuko admitted. "Probably makes me a bigger coward than anyone expects, but… I just wanted to vanish for good. Didn't expect my life's energy could be of any worth for whatever planet it was recycled into."

"Heh. So… you were even more self-deprecating than I am. Good to know," Sokka said: Azula nudged him with an elbow and he shrugged. "What?"

"Good sense was never your forte," Azula sighed, shaking her head before glancing at Atsuko. "Do you truly think you can trust Ren to take you as part of the war effort now? That he won't try to… outsmart you, or screw you over, one way or another? After what he did to our team, I…"

"He's not as bold with me as he may have been with you. In fact, after what you pulled, it's likely that he'll treat you with more respect or caution, going forward," Atsuko reasoned. "He will see you as a potential threat, which isn't a harmless thing, of course… but you have to consider that, if you continue to work for the Fleet, be it under my direct command or not, you'll likely end up serving Ren. He will give you orders, much as he gives them to me. I can't promise anything else, he's a Paladin…"

"Elite Paladin now," Azula said: Atsuko scowled.

"Right. Even worse," she said, with a heavy sigh. "Bastard will go all the way to Paragon before any of us knows it, and by then… well, all bets will be off. Doubt he's going to listen to reason much more than he does nowadays once he has uncontested power over the entire Fleet. I can try to stand up to him, to a certain extent, but you'd best watch yourself around him. Ren is not the type to forget he's been slighted. Sleep with one eye open, if you sleep at all."

"Well, I'm not keen on sleeping myself, so feel free to relax, Azula," Sokka whispered, shaking his head. "I'll keep watch."

"You can't just never sleep anyway. I know your dreams have been bad, but…" Azula said, before frowning and glancing at Atsuko again. "Have you ever had any dreams? Prophetic ones, sort of? It happens to Sokka at times… a lot more often, these days. Happened to him when he first visited Earth, and ever since…"

"When he first visited… Earth?" Atsuko repeated, eyeing Sokka warily. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means I'm from Mars, so I'd never…?"

"No, you… why would you have weird dreams about Earth?" Atsuko said, scowling heavily. "More so if you're not even from that planet. What exactly happens in that dream of yours?"

"Eh… I don't really know. Long story short? Feels like the planet's annihilated," Sokka said, softly. Atsuko's eyes widened. "It's a big battle and… I don't know. It's like some kind of bubble breaks… I get the feeling that everything burns down, but it all turns black for me after a while, so I'm not exactly sure of what went down in the dream, anyway."

"A bubble?" Atsuko repeated. "You… do you know when that sort of thing is supposed to happen? Are there any visual cues, any signs of what year it is?"

"Uh… no. I mean, it's a dream, so…" Sokka said: Aang cleared his throat, and Sokka sighed. "Or, at least, it's what I thought it was until Aang started saying that it might be something else."

"Oh?" Atsuko stared at the Lifeseed Specialist. He gritted his teeth.

"I don't know if you've ever had the feeling, Task Master, that… things are happening a second time around? That this isn't quite the first time any of this has come to pass? The first time we've lived through this?"

Atsuko scrutinized Aang for a long moment, her brow furrowed. Where Azula suspected she might just dismiss the notion, though, she surprised them by pulling something out of her pocket.

"Is this familiar to you? Does it… trigger that sensation for you?"

All three stared at the strange, conjoined rings resting on their superior's palm. Sokka's lips parted, and Azula shuddered at the sensation the strange device elicited inside her: it was almost alive, somehow, with that eerie blue glow… she couldn't hope to put her finger on it, of course, but something unsettled her about the item.

"What is that?" she asked, looking at Atsuko in confusion. The woman shrugged.

"I've spent my entire life trying to answer that question. To no avail," she said, meeting Azula's gaze. "Thought… if this has happened before, according to your friend here, maybe his clone mind can shed light where ours can't. I don't know."

"I… I'm sorry. I've never seen anything like that before," Aang admitted. "It's intriguing, but… I don't know what it is."

Atsuko didn't hide her disappointment, even if she didn't voice it either.

"I've never seen anything like that," Azula said.

"Nor have I," Atsuko whispered. "Found it as a child. I thought… well, it wasn't just me who thought it looked like an alien device, most people around me also assumed it was one. It played no small part in my choice to become what I am now… but to this day, I've found no answers about whatever the hell it's supposed to be. Something about it feels like what he described, a familiar sensation from another time, maybe… but I don't understand it either."

"Have scientists studied it?" Sokka asked.

"Many did, but very long ago. I haven't handed it over for anyone else to study it in many years," Atsuko admitted. "It responded to some new technology in neural chips once… unlocked some hidden information within it. But after that… nothing."

Azula stared at the device pointedly: part of it appeared inactive, for whatever reason. Why Atsuko would wonder if it had any connection with Aang's claims of multiple versions of reality, she didn't know… but the strange item certainly didn't seem human, or at least, of their time. It was simultaneously simple, yet mysterious and convoluted in ways Azula suspected they'd never understand.

"Doesn't matter. What you're saying about Earth is disturbing on its own anyway, whether things have happened before or not," Atsuko concluded, tucking the strange device back in her pocket: she had returned to full determination, as fierce as she ever showed herself. "I don't particularly want to go back, but… that doesn't mean I wouldn't care if it was destroyed, be it over Eun-u Cho's actions or Liu Lijun's bullshit."

"Do you think that this is… a real vision of the future? That there's any way to prevent it?" Sokka asked, warily. Atsuko shrugged.

"Considering how bad the war's gotten, we're better off assuming anything is possible, at this point," Atsuko stated. "I'm not one for believing in supernatural things, usually, but… there's been enough weird shit in my life as it is. Your future sight ability, if it's that at all, will hopefully serve us well rather than hinder us. If we consider your visions a warning, we know what to fight against and what to prepare for. If you have any other such dreams, make sure to write down every single detail once you wake up. Send a file about it to me as soon as you can… I know it'll likely take me hundreds of years to receive it, but it still might help."

"I wasn't in those visions of yours," Azula pointed out, looking at Sokka. He gritted his teeth and nodded. "If we go back to Earth, I won't let anyone or anything tear me away from you. If just for that reason, things are going to change, if this vision of yours is truly from the future."

"That's good," Atsuko said. "Could mean there's a way to change… well, whatever's supposed to be destiny. Not that I believe in that shit anyway, haven't for ages, but if there's any truth to those visions, the best thing we can do is try to disrupt them."

"I'd ask if maybe changing things could make the ultimate outcome of matters worse, but… what could be worse than the destruction of a planet anyway?" Sokka asked, gritting his teeth. Azula clasped his hand and squeezed it gently. "So, uh… can we recap what our new plan is, going forward?"

"Plan will be for you lot to come to Ross 128 b with me, I'll settle whatever ruffled feathers I come across, send word to Ren about the new assignment I've given you, and you'll have to obey it thoroughly in order to prove yourselves to the Fleet again," Atsuko sighed. "I know it sounds like selling your souls to the devil, sure… but if you'd like a peaceful life, I'm afraid I have no idea how to provide it. TRAPPIST-1d is always an option to forget reality… but if you literally just came from there, it sounds to me like you'd rather spend your lives making a difference rather than running away."

"I'm not exactly compelled to fight alongside the Fleet again," Azula said, frowning. "Part of me worries that the clones might have better motives to fight than we do. What if they do, and we end up joining up with them for real once we reach Exalsyn?"

"If that happens, I'll just hope you're making the right choice and that we won't meet in a battlefield in the future. Wouldn't enjoy having to fight you," Atsuko said, with a sigh. "What moves you, Homura? What brought you this far?"

Azula frowned: originally, Atsuko herself was the reason for it. She was the beacon she had followed, the example she had wanted to obey… but she glanced at Sokka, knowing her motivations had changed somewhere along the way. He had become her partner, her lover, the one person she couldn't do without. Where she had longed for individuality and independence, now she refused to abide by a world where she wasn't by his side…

"Those I care for. Doing right by them," Azula whispered, squeezing Sokka's hand gently. "My friends, my allies… my family."

"Then let that be your guide," Atsuko said, pushing herself upright and looking at her compassionately. "And if that means the Fleet is wrong and must be defeated… then I wish you luck. Send word to me if possible and I might just end up throwing my lot with you, provided you're convincing enough. But for the time being… my loyalty remains with humanity. I've fought for this long to bring it as far as it has come… I have no true conflict with the clones, myself, and if they merely wanted Liu Lijun's head on a spike, I'd gladly giftwrap it for them. But as long as they're fighting mankind, targeting civilians, making innocents into clones against their will, I can't throw my lot in with them blindly."

"I don't expect I will, either. Much less if they stole my brother's life, in whatever sense they did," Azula said. Atsuko nodded.

"Then let's get going. We have no more time to waste: you need to track down your teammates and I need to get Ren off your back somehow," Atsuko concluded, slipping into her pilot's seat. "Harkin, follow my ship to Ross 128 b. I'll secure you clearance to enter the planet."

"Thank you," Sokka said.

"I… is it alright if I ride with you all the way there?" Azula asked Atsuko. The Task Master shrugged, though she glanced back at the other pilot warily: Sokka raised his eyebrows questioningly, and Azula reached to squeeze his hand again. "I just have some things I want to ask her about. I'll be with you again as soon as we land."

"You'll also stay in comms with me the whole time, right?" Sokka asked, pouting. Azula smiled.

"I'm yours. You know that," she said. Despite himself, Sokka smiled a little and nodded.

"Call me crazy but… six months without you have made sure I can barely stand a second away from you," he said, reeling her in to kiss the top of her head. "Alright, then. I'll… see you when we land?"

"You will," Azula promised, hugging him tightly.

The protocolar copilot's seat in Atsuko's ship had never been used before, a fact Azula noticed as she sat across it to find it bent in an awkward position, for it had never been adjusted. She shifted it until she could sit properly, and she lingered in silence until Sokka and Aang detached their ship from Atsuko's successfully.

"Keep up, Harkin," Atsuko said to Sokka through the comms.

"Aye aye, sir," was his response. Azula smiled slightly, though the grin faded from her face quickly.

"I… I nearly lost him for good," Azula whispered, once Atsuko cut the comms again.

"Good thing you didn't," Atsuko said. "Made the right choice to go back to him when you did. You were damn lucky, too… the light-years that it takes to travel to TRAPPIST-1d from Ross 128 b, and Earth, are surprisingly close. Doesn't work out that way as often as one would like."

"I guess you know that better than anyone," Azula concluded, eyeing Atsuko with uncertainty. "You said you never had a partner, but… you still lost someone, didn't you?"

Atsuko didn't answer right away. Her jaw tensed visibly as she piloted the ship, steering towards Ross 128 b at a reasonable pace.

"I lost… everyone."

Azula gritted her teeth. Atsuko offered her a dishonest smile, leaning back on her seat.

"I knew the cost would be great. Thought I could afford it anyway. Eight years, between Proxima Centauri b and Earth… just the one trip. I'd do it for the sake of it. Didn't think I'd be the core pod pilot, hell knows how come I was the only pilot in any condition to fly by the time the mission was ready to go. I nearly died doing it, too. But I returned and… it'd started already. Changes, losses… people I couldn't say goodbye to. I took to making mistakes upon mistakes, letting my grief take the wheel because I couldn't confront reality anymore… I flew again, and again, and again. Next thing I knew… everyone I'd ever loved was gone. And I couldn't take any of it back."

Azula gritted her teeth. Atsuko's downcast gaze fell upon the steering orbs again.

"Last time I met you… I could tell you didn't have it yet. But you do now, don't you? Space madness," Atsuko said, glancing at Azula. She gritted her teeth. "Probably because of your brother… maybe because of other things, too."

"Sokka's family. We… we saw his parents in TRAPPIST-1d. They're gone now," Azula said. Atsuko breathed deeply and nodded. "Makes you wonder why the hell we do any of what we do."

"In your case, beats me. In mine? I… have nothing better to do. Nowhere else to go. No home to speak of besides a stellarship," Atsuko whispered. "You have him, though. If you two wanted to walk away, or fly away, as the case may be… I wouldn't stop you."

"I won't pretend I'm not tempted. You… you don't mind, that him and I are…?" Azula asked. "I know it's hardly professional, or proper, but…"

"Your personal life is yours to manage. I'm not your guardian in that sense, nor anyone else's. I don't really care who's sleeping with whom," Atsuko said, bluntly. Azula's cheeks flushed.

"Well… thank you," Azula said. "But the Council's not likely to take it very well, if it's known…"

"Up to you to keep it quiet, then. I'll have it easy enough pretending I don't know anything, anyway. Don't make a habit of talking about my own personal life, much less someone else's," Atsuko said. "You have a lot more to lose than I ever did because he's with you. Make the right choices… keep him safe. You could've lost him if things had gone Ren's way and you'd traveled anywhere but to TRAPPIST-1d in your previous journey. Don't ever take that risk again."

"I won't," Azula said, breathing deeply. "I think… the only way I can keep the madness at bay is through him. I don't know what I'd do if I ever truly lost him, and I don't want to know either. But you… you say you have no bonds of the sort. People speculated about nonsense, such as, well, you and Ren…"

"Not a chance," Atsuko said, simply. "Beats me if that's what he wants from me… but if it is, bastard's married to begin with. If he's ready to throw that away out of some nonsensical fixation on me, I'm certainly not going to humor him."

"How, then, do you keep it at bay yourself?" Azula asked. Atsuko raised her eyebrows. "Or is it you…?"

"Not to be an asshole…well, I tend to be one, nothing new under the stars. But… what part of my current lifestyle suggests I'm keeping my space madness at bay, exactly?"

Azula's stomach sank at that. Atsuko smiled slightly, shaking her head.

"Stability doses are my best bet when it gets truly bad. In fact… I ought to give you some of those. I have enough to spare, can stock up on more in Ross 128 b once we get there," Atsuko said, gesturing at a small cabinet by the steering orbs. "I don't know what your situation will be, once you find your allies again… much less once you infiltrate Exalsyn. Taking a dose will stunt your emotions, which isn't always great… but it'll keep you from being too sick after jumps. That was its main purpose. Make sure to take them if the situation calls for it."

"But you take them for more reasons than just overcoming the physical consequences of stellarflights, then?" Azula asked. Atsuko nodded. "Is that… allowed? Acceptable?"

"Nope. Benefits of being a renowned bigshot in the Fleet, I guess," Atsuko said, casually. Azula smiled a little. "I get as much of it as I want or need and no one asks any questions. Keeps me focused, helps me keep the misery quiet and calm for a bit…"

"How about if you… find likeminded people? People who understand what you went through, at least to some extent?" Azula asked. "I know it might sound insane, but… you could join us, maybe. My team… we could work for you directly. Maybe you wouldn't need to use stability doses all the time if you have someone else to rely on, and… it could help with the madness."

"Having friends will save me…?" Atsuko recited, her voice almost playful. She smiled and leaned back on her seat again. "Don't know if that suits me, Homura. You only like me because you haven't spent that much time with me. In case you forgot… I'm a notorious asshole."

"In case you forgot, that's the reason why I liked you in the first place."

Atsuko actually laughed at that. Azula smiled slightly, surprised by the sound. She only realized then that she'd never heard her laughing in earnest ever before…

"I'll have to think hard about it, but… don't get your hopes up," Atsuko said. Azula nodded. "Truth is… I don't know how to be part of a team. You and your crew certainly have me beat in that regard. But… I wouldn't mind it if I could occasionally communicate casually with someone on the regular. Not that I know how to have a casual conversation anymore… we don't exactly discuss the weather much, in this day and age."

"And I doubt you're interested in updates about my relationship with Sokka," Azula said, with a small smile. "Can't pretend there's going to be any updates at this point, either… after all this time, it doesn't feel likely that we'll have children."

"Didn't do the Harvest?" Atsuko asked.

"We did, but… it doesn't feel like we live lives meant for that sort of thing," Azula reasoned. Atsuko hummed.

"Understandable. Well, we'll have to find something else to talk about, then. No weather, no children… not that I have any of my own, evidently, so that would've been a rather one-sided topic anyhow, if you ever had some, yourself."

Azula couldn't help but chuckle: the fact that her long-time hero was smiling, and not in a strained manner, should've caught her by surprise. She should have been starstruck by experiencing such an unexpected, simple moment amid so much chaos and the harsh complications of their current lives… but it might just have been the first time that it felt like Atsuko Takei was no mystery to be solved, for she, herself, wanted answers beyond her reach. For once, she was but another human being, and most surprising of all, she was someone she could consider a friend, of all things.

"With any luck, we'll figure something out," Azula said. "At worst, we can always badmouth Ren and Liu Lijun, though…"

"Ah, now you're speaking my language. Good call," Atsuko smirked. Azula chuckled again, gripping the armrests harder as the pilot finally angled to enter the atmosphere of Ross 128 b.

The whirlwind that followed upon their arrival in Ross 128 b would've left anyone dizzy, but Azula did her best to keep up with it: Atsuko indeed took responsibility for the actions of her underlings, claiming Azula's punishment was hers to determine for her irresponsible behavior back on Earth – the protests by the seating Paladin in Ross 128 b fell on deaf ears, no matter if he outranked Atsuko considerably. It was easy to tell what her deepest intent was… but when she played her final card, all worries pertaining rank fell to the wayside:

Task Master Takei gambled away her own freedom, agreeing to join the warfront after her next biocatalysis mission, provided Azula's crew was granted a full pardon for their alleged treason.

"To think she's had to do that when most of us didn't do shit," Sokka hissed four days later, as he and Azula finished stocking up their newest ship, granted to them by virtue of their connection with Atsuko. "Hell, what you did wasn't even a crime, either…"

"Well, I did inflict physical violence upon the Chairman. You can't really pretend it wasn't a crime," Azula argued, with a slight smile.

"Come on, the real crime is what they did to us!" Sokka growled, closing one of the cabinets in the ship's main deck. "They broke us away from each other, split the group to ensure we'd never join up again… and we're supposed to be fine with that? Fuck them, seriously. There's no forgiving this shit."

"You'll have to set it aside for now," Azula said, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. "I know we have a lot of big decisions to make in the coming years, and we will. I don't even know if I want to do this anymore and I suspect neither do you. But… we have to find your sister, and Toph, before we do anything else."

"We will," Sokka said, unable to suppress a shudder. "Whatever… whatever it takes. Whatever it entails."

"Are you ready to face it if…?"

"No. But I won't be ready for bad news no matter when we set out anyway. Time is always running out," Sokka hissed, turning towards her and hugging her tightly. "If I have to face my sister's gravestone, so be it… but I'll be damned if I don't try to find her, regardless."

Azula sighed and hugged him back: she understood his feelings all too well…

"How are you feeling?" Azula whispered, pulling back and cupping his face. Sokka gritted his teeth. "I thought you'd gotten more sleep last night, but if you didn't, I can pilot instead…"

"I'll do it," Sokka whispered. Azula sighed.

"Atsuko gave me some of her stability doses. Could be they'll come in handy if you're not feeling particularly well," she said. Sokka hummed.

"We're on first-name terms now with her, are we?" he asked, amused. Azula's cheeks flushed. "Kind of crazy to think we're the only people she's ever done that much for. Even if she pretends otherwise, we owe her a ton for what she's doing."

"That we do," Azula said, biting her lip. "I wasn't wrong to choose her as a role model, after all. I just… I can't help but think she's too lonely. Worst part is she doesn't seem to want that to change for the better. I suspect she's just scared of losing whatever bonds she may build. Can't let anyone too close or else it'll destroy her if she loses them too."

"Hmm. Understandable," Sokka said, breathing deeply but smiling at Azula. "But if I learned something after those horrible months, Azula, it's… I would do it all over again. I would choose you, time after time, and I don't care how many light-years it takes, I'd always be ready to find you anew. This life has only been worth it at all because you're in it."

Azula smiled sadly at him: Sokka leaned in, kissing her thoroughly, prompting her to push herself to the tips of her toes to deepen the exchange. They'd had no time, no true opportunity for privacy… they likely would find very little of it in the coming days, too. This was as good as it would get for the time being, for they'd be forced to travel at haste, between Ross 128 b and the planets where, with any luck, they might just find Toph and Katara…

It was a serious challenge, with an unpredictable outcome: they'd acquired information about the last journeys Toph and Katara had taken off into by now, namely through new simulations that turned up in Katara's VR circlets. Should they fail to track down either one of them, they'd need to return to Ross 128 b and set out again to whatever new location Toph or Katara had wound up at. And with every trip, the risk of losing them for good would only worsen…

They needed the encouragement, the blood pumping in their veins… the certainty that, whatever might come next, they would not walk this path on their own. The eager kisses offered them relief, easing their heavy hearts, promising that whatever might lie beyond the horizon, after their upcoming mission to infiltrate Exalsyn, would set them free from the burdens they had been carrying. From the moment they innocently set out from Mars, they'd known they'd be on the adventure of a lifetime… but they had remained unaware of how dangerous and corrupt their galaxy would become across a thousand years of spacefaring.

"Oh, uh… sorry to interrupt."

Aang's voice was unwelcome, but Azula and Sokka didn't overreact to it: they held each other for one more moment, sharing one last, gentle kiss, one last moment of losing themselves in each other's eyes.

The Lifeseeed Specialist swallowed hard as he made his way to his assigned cabin in the new stellarship, past the main deck in which the Captain and Quarter Master remained: the ship would be large enough for five, furnished with the weaponry that had become mandatory for the Fleet's vessels. Outwardly, it resembled Atsuko's own ship, if slightly smaller, with a sleek design that seemed as flexible as it was sturdy. The rings utilized for stellarflights would emerge far more quickly and securely than ever before – the technology seemed to improve constantly, even if the bounds of lightspeed travel had yet to be overcome.

"You ready, Aang?" Sokka called after him, still holding Azula closely.

"As good as ready!" he said: Azula sighed, dropping her head on Sokka's chest.

"Why does it feel like everything that lies ahead is… terrifying?" she whispered.

"Probably because things only ever seem to get worse? But… we'll face it together. Whatever comes next," Sokka said, rubbing her back gently.

He was the one who tensed up when someone else stepped into view, climbing the ramp of their ship: his eyes found Atsuko Takei's firm scowl, one she had worn across her face quite persistently during the past four days.

"You're all set?" she asked: Azula pulled back from Sokka reluctantly to face her, and she nodded promptly. "Tucked away the stability doses safely, Homura?"

"I did," Azula assured her. Atsuko nodded. "I… I know you'll say we owe you nothing, but that's not true. The sacrifices you're making in order to keep us alive and breathing are nothing to scoff at. Whatever you may need from us…"

"Can't think of anything so far. Maybe I will in the future, who knows," Atsuko sighed, hands in her pockets. "I don't think we'll see each other again anytime soon. I'm going to join the war effort after I'm done in GJ 463 c, so… all I can say now is good luck to you both. May you find your way to whatever future you're fighting for."

"You too," Azula said, softly. Atsuko's pained grimace suggested she had no idea what said future would look like for her, to begin with.

"I… wanted to apologize, by the way," Sokka said, turning towards Atsuko. She raised an eyebrow. "The way I acted, back when we first spoke, I… I was out of line. Azula rightfully chewed me out for it too, and… you've proven to be every bit the leader I thought you could be. Mars would've done better under your care than you'll ever accept, I'm sure… but you're not wrong to think you should've been given a choice, of course. I just… wanted to say it, for the record."

"Well, that's… thank you, I suppose, Harkin," Atsuko said, uneasy. "If you're really coming around on me to that extent, then… I guess I have something to say to you after all."

"Oh?" Sokka raised his eyebrows… and Atsuko jerked her head towards Azula.

"You take care of her. Don't ever let her go," she said, earnestly. Sokka's cheeks flushed, as did Azula's… their hands linked, if gently. "If you need a new calling in life? Make it her happiness and safety. If anything happens to her… well, I'll be the one chewing you out in that circumstance. But… it won't come to that, will it?"

Sokka smiled: to his surprise, Atsuko smiled back.

"Good. Then… consider us even, provided you fulfill that request," she said.

"Won't ask the same from me?" Azula asked, uneasy. Atsuko snorted.

"Nah. I like you better than him," Atsuko said, straightforwardly. Sokka laughed, and Azula smiled a little.

"Well, get in line if you ever want to be Azula's biggest fan. I got there first!" Sokka declared, squeezing Azula against his flank. Atsuko smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine with second place. Just do right by each other, then… no need to accuse me of playing favorites, even if I do it so blatantly," Atsuko said. "Watch out with the Specialist. He might be everything he says he is, but… remember he's one of them, willingly or no. Eun-u Cho is still bound to have power over him, and he will do whatever he pleases with him, if he decides to do so."

"We'll make sure to keep him in check," Azula promised. Atsuko breathed out heavily.

"Then… go on and find the allies and destiny you're looking for, renegades," she said, nodding her head towards them. "Good luck, and farewell."

Azula gritted her teeth and nodded… before bringing her fist to her heart. She extended two fingers in the respectful salute that Atsuko had once twisted into an insult, aimed at Liu Lijun…

"Good luck, Task Master… and safe flight," Azula said. Sokka, beside her, followed her example.

Atsuko smiled: Azula half expected her to dismiss the gesture… but she raised her hand to her chest just as well, and this time, she didn't shift her hand to show her middle finger. The thought brought a smile to Azula's face… as she and Sokka joined the ranks of the very few people to receive a greeting of respect from the legendary pilot.

The ramp closed again once Atsuko climbed off it, on her way to set up her own journey. Azula breathed deeply, taking Sokka's hand… meeting his eyes, knowing they'd both need to be at their best for what was to come.

"Doesn't sound wrong, does it?" Sokka remarked, raising his eyebrows. "Renegades, she called us… we could be Team Renegade. Or the Renegade Squad…"

"Must you give us a name?" Azula smiled. Sokka yelped.

"It's long overdue, if anything, Captain Renegade!"

"Oh, come on. Enough silly teasing: let's take off, shall we?"

"Fine, fine. Let's get started," Sokka smiled.

Azula cupped his cheek, and with one more kiss, one that didn't go interrupted this time, the two pilots moved to the cockpit, ready to take to the stars once more.

Of all things, winding up planting regular seeds and harvesting food had never been among Toph's main expectations in life, but such was the way things turned out for her upon landing, five years ago, in LHS 1140 b. A planet suitable for farming, forty-nine years away from Ross 128 b, placid, peaceful, quiet save for the groans and cries of the creatures they produced food from, through their DNA…

… Naturally, Toph despised every second in that place, while lacking any means to get out.

It was her third planet after being ejected from Ross 128 b, unceremoniously, a couple weeks after Sokka vanished. She had stowed away on two stellarships, sending word through the Extranet about her next whereabouts to Katara, hoping she'd be able to send the codified message ahead, or reunite with her somehow. But so far, nothing had happened and Toph was forced to reckon with the possibility that she'd be stuck like this, driving that gigantic harvest machine, waiting for a new chance to stow away, for her friends might just never fly in this direction…

She had started looking into the next scheduled stellarships expected to leave the planet when a sudden message popped to life in her neural chip.

Answer ASAP: where are you? Send your coordinates. We'll get there in ten.

Toph sat upright on her vehicle: it didn't take her long to identify the message's origin…

Azula's neural chip.

No one across that planet, populated by a mere 200 people, had ever heard screams of joy as cheerful as the ones that left Toph's throat that day: she continued to rejoice as openly and shamelessly once the stellarship arrived, ready to pick her up.

"See you never, suckers!" Toph laughed maniacally as she raced towards the open ramp that awaited her, as the stellarship touched down amid the large stretches of harvesting lands.

She leapt aboard and rushed to the cockpit immediately: Azula smiled at the sight of her, and was notoriously startled when the slightly older Toph jumped forth and hugged her, recklessly so.

"You're back, you little shit, you…! Fuck, yes!" Toph laughed, hoisting Azula off the ground with her enthusiasm.

"You're…! Way buffer, damn!" Azula gasped, as Toph spun her in circles happily.

"You two idiots finally came back for me! Damn, I was already thinking I'd have to go somewhere else!" she laughed, setting Azula down again before rushing to the pilot's seat. "Sokka!"

"Now, stay put!" Sokka warned her: he was already maneuvering to get them out of the planet's atmosphere anew, but the reckless, cheerful digger hugged him over the backrest of his chair anyway. "Yes, I'm glad to see you too, Toph…!"

"Fuck, yes!" Toph roared happily, beaming still…

And then the smile faded as soon as she laid eyes on Aang. He smiled, sitting in a corner, and Toph's eyebrow twitched.

"What the hell's this guy doing here?"

"It's… a long, complicated story. Might as well tell it on our way back to Ross 128 b," Azula sighed. "We'll need fuel once we get there, and… we'll need to confirm Katara's location. We're coming for her next."

"Oh, fuck, yes. Getting the gang back together!" Toph grinned, clapping Azula's arm.

"We are, but… you do have the chance to choose what you want to do, going forward," Azula said, warily. Toph blinked a couple times.

"Biocatalysis isn't really on the menu anymore," Sokka said.

"Well, sure. I'm not gonna complain too much about that, not after what we learned from this dipshit," Toph said, gesturing at Aang. "But why do you guys make it sound like whatever you're planning is, well, worse?"

The answer to that question was quite plain, of course: Toph stiffened, wary at once, as Azula offered her an uneasy smile.

"Do you have any pending business to sort out here before we leave this system?" Sokka asked.

"Not really," Toph said.

"Then mail in your farming resignation and let's go," Sokka said, powering the stellarship again, out of the planet and into the sky.

There were many revelations for Toph to learn about after they returned to Ross 128 b to refuel and confirm their next destination. She found most news quite disagreeable – particularly those pertaining Aang. But upon understanding what their ultimate mission would be, the digger was nothing but the picture of determination.

"Don't know how we're gonna go about it… don't really care: if you guys are ready to attack that ship, I'm with you," she said, firmly, before the group got started with restocking their fuel supplies – Azula and Sokka remained paranoid, throughout, over potentially receiving contradictory orders and being banned from flying anew, in case anyone with higher authority over Atsuko decided they were better off imprisoned instead.

"Well, we're not ready to do it yet, but we will be after we get Katara," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "From what I've seen in the latest logs… she set out from Ross 128 b merely a couple months ago."

"Wait, she's out and about like nobody's business?" Toph asked, raising her eyebrows. "Officially, with the Fleet's approval?"

"She is a renowned programmer, has been for a long time," Azula reasoned, breathing deeply. "Which works in our favor. They can't afford to lose her, so… she's bound to be within our reach. Provided she wants to rejoin us, that is…"

Sokka nodded: a part of him feared Katara would be better off staying away from their group… but he wouldn't forgive himself, were roles reversed, if he didn't give his sister the chance to choose.

Thus, as soon as the ship was ready, they took off into space: the planet Epsilon Indi A c stood forty-three light-years away, and it was the last of Katara's reported destinations throughout her own travels.

They couldn't know for sure if she would be around the same age anymore. Toph was older, but perhaps Katara had dodged aging far more successfully, in virtue of being as important for the Fleet as she was…

"It's been two-hundred and fifty years," Sokka whispered, trembling before beginning the acceleration. Azula, beside him, reached to touch his hand. "But if she took off just before we did, she'll be alright. She… she'll still be alive."

"We're only a few months behind her. It won't take us that long to catch up to your sister," Azula said, as reassuringly as she could. Katara had traveled much throughout the past years… how often? How far? No one could know…

Sokka swallowed hard and pushed the orbs for acceleration: the process was far smoother and faster than when they'd first set out: after what seemed like an instant, plasma filled their ship and they powered their way across the stars.

Ren's scrutiny didn't suffice to break Atsuko's stubborn front: his silent glares met their match in hers, no matter if she stood before him in alleged submission.

"After all this time, all my pleading… this is when you give out," Ren hissed. "I would've held Homura for ransom much sooner if I'd known she was your weakness. Beats me why, though… what does that foolish girl mean to you? Why?"

"Why does that matter?" Atsuko responded, bluntly. "You're getting what you've asked for, finally: I'll join your war. Isn't that enough?"

"When it comes to you? I'm not sure anything is," Ren growled, stepping closer.

Atsuko glared at him from below: as tall as she had always been, Ren towered over her ever since they'd first met in that nightmarish situation, as he jabbed nutrition shots and balancing doses into her IV socket, to restore her body as best as possible before a light-speed jump, back to Ross 128 b…

She wasn't sure yet whether he had changed, or if she had. Atsuko felt no different, on any given day… but maybe Ren wasn't any different either. Maybe time had simply brought his worst features to the fore, no matter how determined he was to succeed at saving humanity.

"You'll fly with my division. You'll follow my orders," Ren said. "You'll abide by every command I give…"

"If the commands are worth following, sure."

"This is not a game!"

Ren roared the words, slamming a fist against the wall behind Atsuko. She didn't flinch, glaring into his dark eyes with her own.

"I guess I don't trust your leadership as much as I would like to, Ren," she recited the words slowly, as though to drive across that his attempt to intimidate her had failed, utterly. Ren snarled, punching the wall again before walking away from her.

"You drive me mad," he hissed. "I can't decide whether you're wiser and seeing beyond anything I can see… or if you're just a stubborn, irresponsible asshole who has no business serving in the Fleet whatsoever."

"Guess I'll have to make the most of your indecision while it lasts," Atsuko said, frowning. "Just leave Homura's team be. Make the right decisions and I'll follow. But throw lives away for the sake of an easier victory and you'll regret asking me to join you at all. I have no idea how much use I'll be to you in combat… but if nothing else, I volunteer to find other pathways to victory if you can't find a decent one yourself."

"Sounds easy enough… and yet I can't trust you anymore than you trust me," Ren hissed. "More so with what you're asking for. Homura's group should never be allowed to fly again…"

"Not even if they successfully infiltrate and strike against Exalsyn?"

Ren froze. He glanced at Atsuko with wide eyes, lips parting upon hearing those words.

"What…?"

"They're public enemies. Got very little to lose, as far as public opinion goes," Atsuko said. "And Homura wants to find out if Eun-u Cho's killed her brother… or done worse than that. Do you know if he did?"

Ren trembled and Atsuko scowled: she rather suspected the answer to her question was written all over his face.

"She will find him there… won't she?"

"I… I don't know how many she'll find. How many of ours they've…" Ren admitted: for once, it seemed he was overcome with guilt, with grief… he raised his gaze towards Atsuko, desperate: "It can't go on like this. So many dead, so many transformed… we have to defeat them. This war cannot end with their victory. So many sacrifices cannot go unpunished."

"The more we fight, the more chances they'll have to take our people into their control," Atsuko said. "Things are only going to get harder. Victory's not going to be within reach easily and, even once it is, the work to recompose humanity and help it heal will be far more arduous than anything you've ever faced. You're ready for that, Ren?"

Ren gritted his teeth. He shivered before looking at her pleadingly.

"Not alone."

Atsuko gritted her teeth. She met his eyes, finding that very unnerving sensation in them… her foolish heart pumped blood faster, as though to overwhelm her mind with childish thoughts of what could be. Of a future beyond her grasp, of a life shared with someone who would understand her burdens and toil…

No such person existed. Not even Homura.

Ren certainly wasn't that person, either.

"We will work towards that goal. For as long as we must," Atsuko said, firmly. Ren gritted his teeth. "But don't misunderstand the terms of our…"

"I wouldn't," Ren growled: that surging, strange sensation, the glimpse of vulnerability in him, faded in the blink of an eye. "We both get what we want: Homura will have her chance for redemption… but you? You fly with me. Prepare yourself, Takei. All intel indicates that the Exalted's next target will be Proxima Centauri b."

Atsuko snarled: the first planet she had biocatalyzed… a risky target, and a significant one in which they might deal a severe blow to humanity. Eun-u Cho hadn't dared send his fleet that far beyond humanity's home solar system… finally, it seemed, he was ready to strike beyond its boundaries.

That did not bode well for the Stellar Fleet.

"I'll be ready," she said, firmly, eyes steeled with fierce determination.

For now, this would suffice. Whatever baggage and turmoil she had yet to resolve between herself and Ren would be dealt with in the future.

She had bought Homura time… enough, she hoped, for her to finish collecting her allies and to set out on the dangerous mission that awaited her team, in the depths of the Exalted's deadly base.

Epsilon Indi A c had become, across the past centuries, one of the most advanced technological bastions within the Council's domain: it was a suitable place for Katara to travel to and stay temporarily, while awaiting any kind of news from her brother and the others. Deep down, she hoped they'd turn up before she outdid her brother by twenty more years… for the time being, several jumps across many planets had staved off her aging, but as she finished that day's dissertation at the Technological Institute she had started working at, Katara could only wonder if she'd need to move on again before long to prevent that.

She had sent the circlets to all three of her teammates, hoping particularly to help Azula return to Sokka as soon as possible – there'd be no escaping TRAPPIST-1d for him, so it was entirely on her to find him. As for Toph, Katara wasn't even sure her VR circlet had reached her, for it seemed she had moved on from her first destination before it reached her.

Katara hadn't laid roots in this place, and she didn't mean to do so at all: as much as she was appreciated, and her work as a programmer was highly regarded, she wanted to be ready to go as soon as they turned up. If they ever turned up. Whenever that happened…

Another day gone by, another return to her new home with a heavy heart. She boarded her hover-vehicle, drove it above the smooth city with colorful, beautiful lights, as many other vehicles flew past her…

Save for a rather sizable one that dipped below the clouds, drifting towards the planet.

"Woah!" Katara nearly screamed, glancing back at the stellarship in question: it was unknown but large. Perhaps just the right size… "No way. No way…!"

Her neural chip alerted her: an incoming call from her brother.

Moments later, the ship was powering its way out of Epsilon Indi A c: Katara would send her resignation to her post after she was done screaming for joy as she hugged Sokka and Toph, tears spilling down her cheeks after having entered the ship with her hover-vehicle, through its airlock.

"Got a cool ride there!" Toph laughed, as Katara squeezed her tightly.

"I'm so glad…! I thought you guys wouldn't turn up anytime soon!" Katara laughed, looking at her brother in deep relief. "You're not that old yet… haven't caught up to me so far!"

"But you don't look different, so… didn't outdo me by too much either," Sokka smiled sadly, hugging his sister again. "Katara… we're off to a pretty fucked up mission from here. It's not going to be easy. If… if you'd like to stay in Epsilon Indi A c instead, we'd understand."

"What're you talking about?" Katara smiled, looking at him in disbelief. "What're you going to do, sneak into Exalsyn to murder Eun-u Cho in cold blood?"

Sokka's silence froze Katara's smile. Toph, beside her, shrugged.

"I mean, don't know that the boss will have it in her to just straight-up murder the guy, but the other part's not that far from the truth," Toph said: Katara's jaw dropped.

"We're infiltrating Exalsyn. With… Aang's help," Sokka said, swallowing hard. "We'll explain more of that later, if you want, but the sooner we're out of here…"

"You're infiltrating Exalsyn, attacking Eun-u Cho directly… and you somehow think you can get away with that without my help?" Katara asked. Sokka smiled sadly. "Don't count on it. I'm with you, that's final!"

"If you're sure," Sokka smiled sadly. "Things are getting really messed up, Katara. We're not exactly in the best of standings with the Council these days…"

"Oh, I'm aware. I made sure to circulate a certain video of a bold and brazen Captain, striking the Chairman after he tried to pull a very shameful stunt on her," Katara smiled, glancing in the direction of the cockpit. "Left her driving, did you?"

"For now, yeah," Sokka nodded. "Then you know…?"

"I know you guys are in trouble. Doesn't matter. My reputation with the Council might just help clear your names further," Katara said, hugging her brother again. "And I don't plan on being away from you lot anymore, not if I can help it."

"Good. Thank you," Sokka whispered, pressing his face to the top of her head.

Azula awaited by the cockpit: the others rejoined her there shortly, and while Katara rushed in to hug her sister-in-law, she regarded Aang with caution – albeit she didn't react to his presence as poorly as Toph always did.

"Team's all back together now," Sokka said, as Azula slowed the ship to a halt and rose out of her seat: they hovered right beyond Epsilon Indi A c's stratosphere, orbiting the planet temporarily before setting out to their next destination.

"Time to set the record straight pertaining what comes next," Azula said, with a deep breath. "We'll strike against Exalsyn after restocking in Ross 128 b, yes… but I'd advise we split up for it."

"Wait… split? What the…? We just got the team together again!" Sokka squeaked. Azula placed a hand on his arm to ease him.

"It will be back together anew soon enough. But the one person in serious trouble with the Fleet here is me," Azula pointed out. "Thus, I'm the main one that can argue she wants to join the Exalted… I'll claim I'll become one of them. Aang can bring me in, pretend I asked him to do it…"

"I could try, but… it's not going to be easy," Aang pointed out, frowning slightly. "Eun-u Cho's bound to react really poorly to seeing me again after I've staved off his demands for so long…"

"We'll have to figure something out to help you with that," Azula said, glancing at Katara. "Have you ever tinkered with Exalted tech?"

"Uh… no? Why? What does he have to do with Eun-u Cho?" Katara said, looking at Aang in confusion. He smiled sadly.

"He's one of them," Toph growled. "A renegade Exalted, apparently. Much like we're all renegades now, too…"

"Team Renegade, for sure," Sokka said, nodding sagely. Azula rolled her eyes: Katara's jaw dropped as she stared at Aang.

"You… you were one of them all along? Seriously?" she asked. Aang sighed but nodded. "I didn't see that one coming…"

"Eh, you should know better than to trust creepy guys who make Lifeseeds," Toph scowled. "But then… he's your way into Exalsyn? And, what, the three of us are supposed to wait on the sidelines for you to get things going?"

"I don't like the sound of that," Sokka said, eyeing Azula meaningfully. She sighed, reaching over to clasp his arm.

"We keep saying we're never going to be apart and I want that to be the case… but I can't risk you falling into their hands too. It'll be hard enough for me to escape with one, maybe two Exalted, if Zuko and his partner were both transformed. Five people escaping will be that much worse… provided Aang comes with me, of course."

"It won't be easy," Aang admitted, lowering his gaze. "As it is, Eun-u Cho won't take it well when I turn up, no matter how important you may be, Captain Homura. I haven't done his bidding… and heavens know why he hasn't done anything to me in consequence. I can't promise I'll be able to escape with you. My mind might not be my own anymore once I'm near him."

"Maybe that's where I'll come in," Katara suggested. Aang crooked an eyebrow. "How much time will we have?"

"In Ross 128 b, for preparations? Not that long," Azula admitted. "I'm not exactly welcome around those parts, these days."

"Well, I am. I'll make sure they won't be a bother," Katara determined, breathing deeply. "I'll develop some method to keep your mind safe, Aang, but… you'll probably have to pretend you're under his thrall, even so."

"If you can make that into some manner of device, a signal, I don't know… it could come in handy for me," Azula said. "If I can reach Zuko, he might need to be broken out of Eun-u Cho's control."

"And what if he's not around?" Toph asked.

"I'll try to figure out where he is instead, if he's still alive at all, to begin with," Azula said, firmly.

"Alright, say that you and Aang head in there after all, and you find your brother: what comes next?" Sokka asked, frowning. "What's my role in all of this? Toph's?"

Azula breathed deeply: she cast a wary glance at Aang, who sighed and nodded.

"I shouldn't hear this, should I?" he said.

"We can't know whether Eun-u Cho will check through your logs to find out what we're doing. He might even figure us out without that," Azula said. Aang nodded, stepping away from the group.

"I'll head to my cabin while you discuss your plans," he said, raising a hand. "And I'll be playing music very loudly until you're done so I don't overhear anything."

"Good call," Katara smiled sadly at him, though she turned towards Azula and Sokka again quickly once Aang was gone. "Well? Do you have an actual plan, or…?"

"I'll need information. Lots of it," Azula whispered. "I will need time to acquire it. And time is also needed to make this whole scheme believable. So… you'll have to wait for a couple of days before following us, Sokka. Set a tracker on Aang, Katara, so you won't have any trouble following us to Exalsyn's exact location. He's the only one who can get us in there. So… your job will be to hover nearby, at most start a distraction, if need be. Once I send you a signal through our rings, Sokka, you'll know I'm ready to go. I'll seek some escape pod and rejoin you in the ship as soon as possible."

"You're sure?" Sokka asked, frowning. "I know this is what Takei told us to do, but… Azula, it's a major risk. The biggest one we've ever taken."

"I know," Azula said, squeezing his hand gently. "And I'm sorry that it's come to this. I wish I could think of a way to do it without ever parting ways, but… it's probably better for both of us to pilot different ships for the whole team, right?"

"Right. Then… you and Aang will leave on a different one, and I'll take this one?" Sokka asked. Azula nodded. "Well… shit. I don't like this."

"I don't like it much, either. It's very risky, but I can't think of a better alternative," Azula repeated, pressing her brow to his shoulder. "With any luck, it'll be the last time we have to play at infiltrating such a dangerous place."

"Let's hope so," Sokka sighed, reeling her into a tight hug.

Their trip back to Ross 128 b resumed after that: the jump had never felt so foreboding. Katara took her time to work with Aang's systems across almost two weeks and a half… a far longer period of downtime than any they'd gotten as of late.

It allowed the other three to spend time in the Council's Headquarters, to which they were confined, particularly Azula, until the leaders of the Fleet decreed otherwise. While Azula had never met the seating Paragon, it seemed the chief officer leading the Fleet was currently back on Earth, building up defenses for a potential attack by the Exalted. Information allowed Azula to discover, too, that many things had transpired while they were out searching for Toph and Katara…

"She's been busy," Sokka remarked, reading the same holoscreen Azula was studying… with current information pertaining the Fleet's grand hero:

"In a stroke of genius, Task Master Atsuko Takei struck the rearguard of the Exalted fleet, dealing a massive blow that broke the siege of Proxima Centauri b. In the aftermath of the battle, she was promoted to the position of Battle Master. She joined the battle for Luyten b: her leadership and battle prowess aided in preventing worse losses than the Stellar Fleet was ready to sustain. Unfortunately, the battle resulted in a defeat for the Stellar Fleet. She has joined Elite Paladin Ren Jiahao on a new battle in GJ 581 f."

"Got promoted, even. I hope she's not working her ass off just to bail us out," Azula gritted her teeth.

"Well, if she's getting promoted while protecting us… it means she can pull even more rank to help us, right?" Sokka said. Azula sighed and shrugged.

"Let's hope so," she said. "It feels like things are only getting worse. If even she can't turn the tide in every battle…"

"Doesn't feel like that's a reasonable expectation," Sokka grimaced. "As cool as your hero may be… she is but one woman, in the end."

"The best pilot the Fleet's ever known, though."

"I beg to differ."

Azula met Sokka's gaze, gentle and kind as it was. She sighed, urging him with her head to join her in the hangar once more…

It didn't take long for her to thank him for his praise once they reached the safety of their cabin: in the eyes of the Fleet, their very unprofessional relationship wasn't happening at all. But behind closed doors, where no security cams could catch them, Azula had no compunctions about giving herself fully to the man she loved: it felt like eons since she had last touched his naked body, since he had filled her and made her his while they exchanged deep, desperate kisses… afraid that their chances to find intimacy and bliss would dwindle and fade before long.

"I don't want you doing this alone," Sokka whispered, as they lay together after finishing, face to face, under the covers. Azula swallowed hard and nodded.

"I know," she said.

"I don't like who I am when I'm afraid I'll lose you," he said, gritting his teeth. "I don't know how to be any better, either, I…"

Azula rolled into him, kissing him fully as she straddled his hips anew. While there was no intent to reprise their earlier exchanges yet, she kissed him in the hopes of soothing him, little by little, through the familiar brush of their lips together.

"I'll do everything I can to return to you at haste… in one piece, too," Azula said, pressing her brow to his. "And after this is done… we can do whatever you want. If the Fleet leaves me be, I… I'll go anywhere with you. Far away, so the war won't catch up to us…"

"I… I don't know that we'll be able to do that."

"Think it'll extend that far?" Azula asked, sadly. Sokka shook his head.

"I think… neither you nor I know how to walk away from this. Not anymore."

Azula met his gaze with heartfelt anguish. Both knew a dark, foreboding future awaited them… and whatever lingered in it would likely change their lives forever, and quite possibly, not for the better.

"I really miss how easy life was back… back when we were training and our biggest problem was figuring out how to pilot half a ship each," Azula smiled sadly. Sokka laughed, nodding as tears blinked in the corners of his eyes. "Whatever comes next, Sokka… this has been the adventure of countless lifetimes. If I ever had to choose what to do with my life again? My heart would never stray from you. I'd choose you, every single time, in every lifetime…"

"In every lifetime," Sokka repeated, smiling kindly. "I would too, Azula. You're… you're everything I never knew I needed in my life until you turned up at my chosen seat, in that ridiculous ceremony…"

Azula laughed, pressing her brow to his. Sokka caressed her cheek gently.

"I won't let you fight on your own. I'm your partner… your husband. If you need me to stay behind for a day or two, I will…" he said, quietly. "But I'll be there for you. I'll find you, no matter where you may go. And if I have to infiltrate that shitty ship and tear Eun-u Cho apart myself…"

"Really? Would you do anything and everything just to get back to me?" Azula smiled. Sokka growled. "Would you forego a proper meal forevermore, I wonder? Live off nutrition shots forever if it means I'll be with you for good?"

"Not even a question. I can… eat certain parts of you, anyway. That doesn't get old," Sokka smirked. Azula laughed.

"Alright, guess I should push that further. Would you… move to Earth, permanently? If, of course, we find a way to keep your awful dreams at bay…"

"Huh. I was going to say yes regardless of that addendum, but if you'll be so kind… yes, all the more," Sokka smiled, pressing his brow to Azula's. She chuckled, kissing his lips softly.

"Alright, I've got it: would you biocatalyze a planet? Or drive a core pod into its depths, without a Lifeseed if it freaks you out too much… not sure how I feel about it anymore, myself. But, still…"

"Huh. I… I would, I think. I hope," Sokka said. Azula smiled and shook her head.

"You don't need to say as much if you don't think so…"

"If I know you'll be there, waiting at the other side… I'd go anywhere, Azula. I'd do anything," he said, taking one of her hands, kissing her knuckles softly. "You're my partner. My wife. My soulmate, as far as I'm concerned. I'm proud of all those things… prouder still of fighting for you, to hell and back if I have to. I may not be in my best shape these days, but… I would do it. You have to believe…"

"I do, actually," Azula whispered, pressing her lips to his brow. "And I'm proud of us, too. As far as I know… only a handful of people have come as far as we have, in the history of human spacefaring. I'm sorry that things are so fucked up right now, but…"

"Doesn't matter," Sokka said, with a gentle smile. "If I'm going to be an upstanding member of this Fleet by your side, that's fine by me. And if I'm going to be a renegade, I'll do it too if I'm with you. That's all I need."

Azula swallowed hard and nodded, moving in to kiss him again: Sokka's arms offered her the safety and comfort that nothing else in this life ever could. She closed her eyes, drifting away into that warm embrace, dreading the moment when she'd have to forsake it if just for a few days…

But the time came indeed, just as news reached Ross 128 b: the battle for GJ 581 f had resulted in another loss for the Fleet… and more worrisome than that, Exalsyn had been nowhere in the planet's vicinity. It was Aang who knew where it was, instead:

"It's moving towards Earth's solar system," he said, once their two ships were geared up and ready to take off. "I don't know for how long it will remain there, but… it's on its way there. Usually, Exalsyn keeps its distance from the system itself… around the level of Pluto's orbit, probably. That's where we'll need to go."

"Fuck," Azula sighed, shaking her head before turning towards Sokka.

He would lead their new assigned ship, the one meant for their entire crew… while she would pilot a smaller one, given to them so Aang could turn her in, as believably as possible, to Eun-u Cho.

"We'll meet you there. You'll just have to jump and follow our beacon," Azula said. "Once I've found what I need, I'll send a signal through my ring. I'll find my way back to you no matter what… to all of you."

Toph smiled and nodded. Katara sighed, moving in to hug Azula at haste. Aang sighed, lowering his head and ducking into their stellarship without another word.

"You know… you were a better commanding officer than you had any right to be," Katara said. Azula chuckled. "Everything you've done, all your crazy ideas… they tend to pay off. Make sure this one does, too."

She pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes. It was Toph's turn to hug Azula next… though she also threw a fist in her direction, one Azula caught quickly.

"Good reflexes are important when you're off to face the Exalted," Toph said. Azula shrugged and nodded. "You ready?"

"I'll try to be," Azula said, glancing back at the stellarship she'd share with Aang: he was already settling into his seat, undoubtedly feeling out of place in the middle of the team's farewells.

She turned towards Sokka anew: his eyes glistened with tears… Azula sighed and stepped towards him, just as Katara raised a device and pressed its button: the power blinked in the hangar for a moment, and cams were disabled as the two lovers kissed one last time before parting ways, if just for a couple of days.

"Come for me. I'll be waiting," Azula said, with an earnest smile.

"I'll be there. I swear it," Sokka whispered. She pressed her brow to his… then stepped away, towards the smaller ship's ramp.

The lights blinked back to full power by then: to her surprise, Sokka raised his fist, index and middle fingers extended, offering her the respectful salute he had never needed to give her before… her eyes only grew more clouded with tears as Katara followed his example. As Toph did the same, too, with a cheeky smirk.

They were her team: whether destiny had brought them together, or they'd merely done it all by sheer willpower, Azula knew she'd never build a tighter bond than the one she shared with her small crew.

"I'll… I'll be back with you soon, Team Renegade."

She smiled warmly at Sokka before raising her fist the same way towards her group: pride and respect roared in all their hearts as their fateful mission was slated to begin.

The next stellarflight they would embark on would carry them all the way to Earth's solar system anew: unbeknownst to them, the fate of more than just Zuko and his partner, Suki, hinged on the outcome of that mission.