"Prince Zuko, there's a bad storm rolling in. We should dock--"

"No!" the banished prince turned on his uncle. "We must capture the Avatar. The crew can handle a little storm."

Iroh simply sighed, his patience never wavering. Even as Jee and other crew members started to gripe and make snide comments about the young prince. They all saw Zuko at surface level. A disrespectful, bratty teenager that didn't care about the safety of his crew. But who could blame them?

Lightning flickered in the distance, but you were unbothered. Soldiers parted as you wormed your way through the group. Iroh's brows softened at the sight of you, though you hadn't been a crewmate long enough for the old man to really know you.

But he had seen enough in the few weeks of your employment.

You were Zuko's age, fresh out of training. Joining the dishonored prince was seen as an equally dishonorable assignment, and your peers had snickered as you were sent on the warship. But you had held your head high. And you had quickly seen Zuko as what he truly was. An alienated teenager trying to run a ship of adults and complete an impossible mission.

Zuko spotted you out of his unscarred eye. "Are you here to complain as well, soldier?"