Avatar the Last Airbender: Jedi Outcast - Book 1 - Prodigal Butcher

Chapter 8 - Benjamin the Jedi Knight

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Chapter 8 - Edited

Zhao hesitantly approached the ruins of the destroyed warehouse. Each dreadful step weighed heavily as his gaze scanned the destruction. The sight of the dead guardsman made him wince, and his soldiers were grappling with the backlash from the enraged crowd.

Kiara, the girl... Zhao let out a sigh, feeling a sense of distaste welling in his throat. He didn't want to deal with her right now; her silver eyes seemed to radiate in his mind, causing his breath to still. That girl was a monster, an animal with no respect for those she considered lesser.

When he was tasked to capture the avatar, Zhao had been thrilled for the opportunity. He had started assembling a crew of trusted individuals to aid him in his goal. However, just before he left, the fire lord sent him someone he deemed "mandatory" for the mission's success.

A girl, perhaps around fourteen or fifteen years old. Short for her age, she wore a massive black cloak that looked rather comical to him. He could remember how she smiled, excited to join his mission. Zhao couldn't care less about having her on board. He suspected she came from a noble family and had pulled some strings to get herself involved in the avatar's capture.

His eyes tensed as he stared down at his boots. He had been such a fool... one of his guards must have taunted or teased the girl, he couldn't recall clearly. But it didn't matter now.

What mattered was how she had ignited a blade of fire and sliced him in half. The faint humming of that crimson blade still echoed in his memory, haunting him as he recalled her standing over the fallen crew member.

Zhao didn't know what to do. He didn't attack or arrest her. He knew the power the girl held, and he couldn't risk jeopardizing the lives of the men under his command. So, he let it happen, and the rest of the crew did as well. He hoped it would end if the girl wasn't provoked, so Zhao warned his crew to stay away from her.

Thankfully, there were no more "accidents" on the vessel after that. But that was before their first real mission. They were sent to investigate a water tribe town for any information about the fire nation. Despite finding nothing, Kiara refused to leave.

The girl ordered them to kill the warriors and a few civilians. Zhao knew what he was doing was wrong, that he would burn in hell for this. But out of self-preservation, he followed her orders.

The once-great Admiral Zhao and his crew now obeying the commands of a girl not even sixteen. He had never seen her powers or that strange weapon before, and he was too afraid to ask for help.

"Zhao!"

A horrific shudder shot through Zhao's body, freezing him in place as if he had just been thawed out of ice. He turned to his left, his eyes falling upon the girl in question. Kiara's mouth was twisted in a disgusting snarl, and the simmering anger radiated from her like a seething storm.

"Ah... Miss Kiara, it is a pleasure to..." Zhao began, but Kiara cut him off with a sharp interruption. He stiffened his posture, choosing silence, not wanting to further aggravate her. She looked pretty beaten up, covered in scrapes and bruises, and holding her right wrist as if in pain.

His eyes widened as he took in the sight of her injuries. Her wrist was broken, visibly swollen and bruised. The once artistic face now bore a swollen eye, causing Zhao to reel in shock. Someone had been strong enough to stop Kiara and inflict such damage. "Was this the avatar's doing?" he hesitantly asked, only to be met with a chuckle that made his heart sink.