Avatar:Mission in Taku
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"I happen to know that Thapa requires a little bit of time to work up to a really large blast. I might be able to save us before then, if you give me his location. [...] I can't leave this world. I'm trapped! I always come back! Haven't you heard? You on the other hand, Zongdu Chaisee, think about what you'd leave behind."
Template:Battle infoboxAround year 17 of the era of Yangchen, Avatar Yangchen's network conducted a mission in the shang city of Taku to preempt an attempt by Zongdu Chaisee to implement the Unanimity project and break free from the four nations' control.
After an initial attempt to subtly foil the zongdu's plans failed, Yangchen's forces launched an operation that forced Chaisee's network to respond in force. For its own shadowy purposes, a contingent of the Order of the White Lotus also fought on Yangchen's side. After a series of ambushes, Yangchen's team managed to capture and interrogate Chaisee's second-in-command, Kalyaan. This allowed the Air Avatar confronted the zongdu herself, ultimately forcing the revelation of Chaisee's secret weapon: Thapa, a brainwashed combustionbender. The Avatar dueled the assassin who was eventually killed by his own bending. The clash in Taku resulted in the collapse of Chaisee's network whose remnants were subsumed into Yangchen's organization. Furthermore, the Avatar used the event to force a reform of the shang system, putting herself into control of all shang cities.
Background
The Unanimity project was a secret attempt by the shang cities to separate themselves from the authority of the four nations.[2][3][4] The project was headed and mainly organized by Chaisee, zongdu of the Shang island-city of Jonduri.[5] Under her leadership, the project developed human weapons on a remote island. This included several different approaches, though most failed or produced unsatisfactory results.[6][7] The main success of the Unanimity project was the training of three combustionbenders, namely Thapa, Xiaoyun, and Yingsu.[8] In order to keep full control over them, Chaisee subjected the combustionbenders to brainwashing. However, the mind control process was imperfect, and only ever fully worked in Thapa's case. As long as the combustionbenders were loyal, the brainwashing remained dormant.[5]
In year 17 of the era of Yangchen, Zongdu Henshe of Bin-Er prematurely triggered the Unanimity project's implementation without Chaisee's consent.[8][9] Henshe's improvised and ill-advised operation failed when he and his assets were secretly captured by Yangchen and her team.[8][4] The Avatar subsequently made a series of political moves, aiming to reform the corrupt shang system. As part of this effort, she convinced the world leaders to appoint her as the new zongdu of Bin-Er, replacing Henshe.[10][11] Furthermore, Yangchen wanted to keep the existence of combustionbenders a secret to maintain international peace, and thus covertly imprisoned Henshe as well as the combustionbenders at the Northern Air Temple.[4][10]
Prelude
Eventually, Chaisee's network discovered the whereabouts of the combustionbenders, resulting in a raid on the Northern Air Temple. Amid this attack, Thapa escaped, Henshe and Xiaoyun were killed, while Yingsu was declared dead.[8][12] Thapa subsequently rejoined Chaisee who triggered his brainwashing after he attempted to blackmail her.[5] Afterward, the zongdu secretly moved Thapa to Taku, walling him up with some supplies in the basement of the city's gathering hall.[1] Thus, Chaisee had access to a secret weapon under the place where the leaders of the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and Water Tribes were supposed to meet during the upcoming Convocation of Taku. Chaisee plotted to unleash Thapa at the right moment to blackmail or eliminate the world's elites, thereby gaining the leverage to seize control of a hereditary position of power for her family.[1] The combustionbender was conditioned to attack after hearing the great gong of Taku sound three times at an incorrect hour.[1][13]
Unbeknownst to anyone else, however, Yangchen had actually saved the life of Yingsu during the raid at the Northern Air Temple. The Avatar moved her to an isolated, but save location in the Taihua Mountains. There, the combustionbender decided to defect to Yangchen's side and revealed all she knew about Chaisee's plans, though she had no idea about the zongdu's intentions for the Convocation of Taku. Furthermore, Yingsu helped Yangchen to train combat techniques against combustionbending.[8] The Air Avatar opted to initially conceal the extent of her new knowledge even from her close friends, as she did not fully trust Yingsu and also feared voluntary or accidental betrayal by her network's members.[8][14]
Even as all these conspiracies took place, the Order of the White Lotus also operated behind the scene for its own purposes. Led by Ayunerak, order members attempted to secure information of combustionbending, infiltrate Yangchen's network through her ally Kavik, and stop Chaisee's plans.[15] Though Kavik had formally joined the White Lotus and agreed to assist their cause within Yangchen's network, the organization did not trust his loyalty and thus assigned order members to trail him.[16]
Mission
Initial infiltration
Ostensibly acting on spotty intel, Yangchen subsequently infiltrated Taku alongside her network, most importantly Kavik, Akuudan, Tayagum, and Jujinta.[17][18] Yangchen officially arrived in the city in her capacity as zongdu of Bin-Er to attend a conference of the major shang figures, mostly covering business meetings also attended by Chaisee, Zongdu Iwashi of Taku, and Zongdu Ashoona of Port Tuugaq. As part of these meetings, Yangchen subtly introduced Kavik (disguised as "Master Lio") as her companion, mathematical genius, and alleged lover; this piqued the interest of Iwashi who invited "Lio", Yangchen, and Chaisee to a game of Sparrowbones in his office. This invitation had been expected by the Avatar who intended to delay Iwashi with the game, allowing Akuudan, Tayagum, and Jujinta to enter and raid the man's private yacht Bliss Eternal in Taku's harbor. Iwashi's ship reportedly held plans relating to the Unanimity project, crucial to discovering Chaisee's next plans.[18][19]
The entire infilitration succeeded beyond Yangchen's hopes: Akuudan, Tayagum, and Jujinta not only raided the Bliss Eternal before burning it to destroy evidence, Kavik also excelled in the Sparrowbones game by exploiting Iwashi's gambling addiction and thus winning an enormous sum of money for their network.[20] Overall, the documents from the Bliss Eternal confirmed Yingsu's claims. Afterward, the Air Avatar split her forces, with Tayagum and Akuudan assigned to stay in Taku to keep an eye on the city. Meanwhile, she, Kavik and Jujinta temporarily left to find the secret island where the Unanimity project had been started.[21] Though the three discovered the location, they could find no more clues about Chaisee's next moves. Amid this quest, the Avatar's flying bison Nujian was also killed.[22]
Though the loss of Nujian heavily affected Yangchen, she and Kavik subsequently worked out a planm to still foil Chaisee's conspiracy. They decided that they had to capture Kavik's brother Kalyaan who served as Chaisee's second-in-command and knew at least some of her most secret plans. Knowing that Kalyaan was covertly operating in Taku and excellent at covering his tracks, Kavik argued that they had to exploit his lingering brotherly feelings to lure him into an ambush. To do so, he would contact his sibling to deceive him into revealing Chaisee's plan. If this attempt failed, Yangchen's other agents would then attack and injure Kavik as an alleged traitor, using his life as a bargaining chip to blackmail Kalyaan.[13][14]
Secret battle
In accordance with her team's plan, Yangchen subsequently rejoined the discussions of the zongdus in Taku to keep up appearances.[23] At the same time, her allies initiated their covert operation. Kavik covertly gave a signal to Kalyaan about wanting to meet; confident that his younger brother lacked the means, skills, and guts to truly deceive him, Kalyaan agreed. Initially, Kavik seemingly tried to blackmail his older brother who easily invalidated his threats and thus reinforced his arrogance. Chaisee's deputy revealed that he had not come to the meeting alone, instead being accompanied by several agents –including Tael– in order to kidnap Kavik. To the the surprise of both parties, however, another force also appeared at the meeting: A group of seven White Lotus agents led by Do[16] who hoped to capture Kalyaan to gain access to the secrets of the Unanimity project.[16][14] Chaisee's agents and the order members began a deadly yet covert battle, as they struggled to murder each other without alerting civilians and other spies in the area.[16][24]
Both sides suffered losses, and Do gave his life to allow Kavik escape from Kalyaan's grasp. The waterbender narrowly avoided being killed by Tael before fleeing into an alley. There, he was seemingly surprised and stabbed by Jujinta who declared him a traitor to the Avatar for meeting with Kalyaan.[24] The latter quickly discovered his wounded brother; still loyal enough to his family to try save his sibling, Kalyaan carried Kavik to a nearby apothecary to treat his wounds. Once there, Kalyaan was ambushed and captured by Tayagum and Akuudan. The two subsequently pretended that they were allowing Kavik to die due to his alleged treason. In desperation, Kalyaan revealed the signal which would trigger Thapa's attack.[13]
Jujinta forwarded this information to Yangchen in Taku's gathering hall.[23][13] Soon after, Chaisee called for recess of the zongdu meeting and invited the Avatar to privately discuss their situation in one of the hall's upper rooms. The two engaged in a discussion of their respective strengths, philosophies, and aims. Eventually Chaisee revealed that she wanted Yangchen's support for her plans to gain a hereditary position, offering an end of their feud while effectively blackmailing the Avatar.[25] Instead of agreeing to the offer, Yangchen used earthbending to trap both of them on the room's balcony, and airbent at Taku's great gong thrice. Chaisee panicked due to realizing that Thapa had been given his attack order while she was within striking distance. In contrast, the Avatar calmly declared that they would both soon die unless Chaisee revealed the combustionbender's location. Desperate to maintain control as well as survive, the zongdu tried to implore Yangchen to not let herself die as the world needed the Avatar, but Yangchen countered that she would simply be reborn, whereas Chaisee's son would grow up without a mother. Reminded of her family, the zongdu broke and revealed Thapa's hiding place.[1]
Yangchen quickly entered the Avatar State to open the basement. However, the combustionbender's brainwashing had already been triggered by the great gong, prompting him to relentlessly open fire on the Avatar[1] and causing great damage to the building. Yangchen attempted to peacefully subdue Thapa by using her airbending to knock him unconscious, yet this failed as he continued his attacks despite the effort gradually killing him. When the Air Avatar recognized that Thapa was losing control of his combustionbending, she buried him with earthbending to protect the uninformed civilians around the ruined gathering hall. Deep in the earth, he exploded with enough force to cause a minor earthquake.[26]
Aftermath
Just as with previous combustionbending incidents, Yangchen deceived the public over the events in Taku, blaming spiritual issues for the destruction. The Air Avatar also used the leverage gained by her success in Taku to push for a general reform of the shang system: The Avatar aimed to eventually dismantle the system and end the international cold war caused by the Platinum Affair. As a first step in this plan, Yangchen convinced Earth King Feishan, Fire Lord Gonryu, and Water Tribe Chief Oyaluk to abolish the position of zongdu due to renegade actions of Chaisee and Henshe, instead appointing the Avatar herself as "protector" of all shang cities. Thus, Yangchen could improve the cities, pressure the shang merchants into self-betterment, and use the cities' resources to slowly reduce political tensions across the world.[27][28]
After Chaisee's defeat at Taku, Yangchen effectively subsumed the former zongdu's network into her own forces. She allowed Chaisee and Kalyaan to go free, turning them into involuntary allies as she was now the only person who could shield them from the world leaders' wrath. She also enlisted Yingsu into her network. Furthermore, the events in Taku restored the Air Avatar's previously shaky faith in her allies, most importantly Kavik.[27][28]