| Well, that's not its name ... but ...
The term "Yangchen's network" has not been confirmed by official sources.
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Soon after beginning her Avatar journey, Yangchen began recruiting people as associates, informants, and spies. From this initial collection of individuals emerged a global network of assets and allies of varying loyalty to the Avatar.
The network's core was Yangchen's personal team, consisting of Kavik, Tayagum, Akuudan, Jujinta, Pik and Pak, and Nujian. This group was a potent force of bending and martial arts masters who excelled as secret agents, capable of high-level undercover missions.
The Avatar's wider network included long-time loyalists such as Boma, indebted associates like various shang merchants, and even powerful ex-enemies like Yingsu, Chaisee, and Kalyaan. Furthermore, Yangchen served as the administrator of four rich cities, Bin-Er, Taku, Port Tuugaq, and Jonduri. In this position, she could use the cities' resources to further her own cause and support her network.
History[]
Foundation[]
In her first major Avatar mission, Yangchen confronted the spirit General Old Iron.
When Yangchen began her Avatar journey, her following was limited to her flying bison Nujian, her winged lemurs Pik and Pak, and her guardian Boma.[2] In her first mission, the Avatar was forced to deal with the wrathful spirit General Old Iron, who attacked the Earth Kingdom city of Tienhaishi.[2][3] After a great battle, Yangchen was forced to strike a deal with the spirit. This agreement resulted in Tienhaishi being abandoned and its people resettled across the Earth Kingdom.[3][4]
It was during this resettlement when Yangchen realized the need to make underhanded deals and engage in deception as well as spycraft to aid others. She subsequently began to build up a network of allies.[4] Among the first recruits were two Water Tribe warriors and lovers, Akuudan and Tayagum, whom she rescued from Earth King Feishan's prisons. Yangchen provided the two with the chance to start a new life in Jonduri, a shang city-island overseen by Zongdu Chaisee. Immensely grateful for her aid, Akuudan and Tayagum subsequently volunteered to serve as the Avatar's chief spies in the city.[5]
As time went on and her network expanded, Yangchen created a number of false identities; these were designed to either be used as a disguise for her agents or as alleged recipients of secret messages to cover up her information trail. Many of these false identities were non-existent relatives of Boma, eventually resulting in the old man seemingly possessing a large family spread across all nations.[6]
Expansion and Bin-Er crisis[]
After meeting in Bin-Er, Kavik became one of Yangchen's most important allies and friends.
By Year 17 of the era of Yangchen, the Avatar suspected that the influential shang merchants were not just abusing their power on a massive scale, but also involved in shadowy operations threatening the four nations. Thus, she and Boma visited the shang city of Bin-Er to investigate.[7][8] She used the opportunity to first attempt to pressure the local shangs into improving the living standards of the local population, and later went undercover to learn about the merchants' plans.[8][9] Furthermore, Yangchen blackmailed an errand runner, Kavik, to become another network member during her visit to Bin-Er. Though initially unwilling to work for her,[10] Kavik proved to be an essential addition to her team and gradually became the Avatar's friend.[5]
Kavik's value to her operations was proven when he infiltrated Chaisee's network with the aid of Akuudan and Tayagum.[5] This mission was supposed to uncover a secretive project overseen by some shang merchants, codenamed "Unanimity".[11] While Yangchen was occupied with other Avatar duties, Kavik gradually gained access to the shangs' secrets.[12][13] In the process, he also got close to Jujinta, an exiled fighter of exceptional skill.[13] Eventually, Kavik was discovered by Chaisee's right-hand man, namely his own brother Kalyaan. Blackmailed by his sibling, Kavik relayed outdated information to Yangchen so that Kalyaan's true employer, Henshe, could bring "Unanimity" to Bin-Er. Deceived, Yangchen set out for Port Tuugaq.[14][15]
Despite his betrayal of trust, Kavik provided his bison whistle to Jujinta[14] and later secretly sent a letter to Yangchen so that the rest of the Avatar's network could still stop the shangs' human weapons.[16] This allowed Yangchen, Jujinta, Akuudan, and Tayagum to arrive in time at Bin-Er to fight the first demonstration of "Unanimity", namely three powerful combustionbenders. Together, the team subdued the combustionbenders and captured Henshe.[17]
Northern Air Temple crisis and arrival to Taku[]
Akuudan, Tayagum, and Jujinta were moved to a village by Yangchen near the Northern Air Temple due to the aftermath of Kavik's betrayal. Yangchen meanwhile hid the combustionbenders in the Northern Air Temple after they were captured in Bin-Er. About six months after the conflict, Akuudan, Tayagum, and Jujinta were all gathered in a teahouse they built when Kavik unexpectedly entered. Akuudan was the first to greet him and upon Kavik revealing his identity, it caught them by surprise.[18] Jujinta tried to kill Kavik until Akuudan had to separate them.[19] Soon afterward, Chaisee's network launched a raid to free the Unanimity combustionbenders around the Northern Air Temple. As one combustionbender opened fire during the rescue, this caused a local earthquake and rockslide endangering the village at the temple's foot. Yangchen intervened to save the village, while the core network assisted her to keep the situation under control.[20] Yangchen sent Akuudan and Tayagum to tell Abbot Sonam about the situation and to help set up a perimeter around the temple while she sent Jujinta into the temple to check where Henshe was held and wait outside the room if nothing was wrong until she arrived. Yangchen told Kavik to join to help protect him.[21] While on the way to Henshe they encountered five intruders from the village, Jujinta's use of force and intimidation caused them to remain in place until they returned from the mission. Upon arriving they saw Henshe assassinated and the two monks guarding his room unconscious.[21] Meanwhile, Yangchen arrived at the location of Yingsu's holding place. There, both of them came under attack by Thapa; the Avatar thus realized that Thapa sought to murder his co-combustionbenders while escaping.[22] Ultimately, Yangchen faked Yingsu's death to prevent further attacks by Thapa. Yingsu was subsequently brought to a hidden location by the Avatar and opted to join Yangchen's network, regarding any previous alignments void due to Thapa's betrayal. Yingsu helped Yangchen practice subduing combustionbending attacks before Yangchen freed her into the world under the condition that she lays low and does not use her ability to harm anyone again.[23]
Following a team briefing, the core network accompanied Yangchen to Taku flying on Nujian in Air Nomad disguises arriving at a safehouse.[24] Their next mission was sneaking on the Bliss Eternal, the boat of Taku's Zongdou Iwashi, to discover any secret records Chaisee may have about the Unanimity project and Thapa's hiding place.[25] Yangchen sent Tayagum, Jujinta, and Akuudan while Kavik and herself distracted Iwashi with a game of sparrowbones. After a successful mission upon discovering a possible island which may have more Unanimity members and secrets relating to the project, she assigned Akuudan and Tayagum to remain in Taku to keep as look outs and protect the city while Jujinta and Kavik would join her on this mission.[26]
Stopping Unanimity[]
After the discovery of Hsien and Raitei, which ultimately led to Nujian's death protecting Yangchen from Raitei's combustion upon overhearing his worth and wanting to escape, the network helped Yangchen grieve the loss of her companion.[27] Afterwards, the network partook in Kavik's final plan to bring Kalyaan to justice. Their mission was to discover Chaisee's signal to trigger Thapa's attack on the leaders of nations gathering at Taku. Kalyaan would be manipulated into believing Kavik was being tortured. Kavik agreed to be non-lethally stabbed by Jujinta prior to Kalyaan's questioning. After Jujinta's stab, Kalyaan carried Kavik to a nearby apothecary. Once he entered the trap, a waterbending fight ensued between Akuudan and Kalyaan.[28] Once Kalyaan was captured, Akuudan applied pain and extreme pressure to a wounded Kavik while Tayagum asked manipulating questions to Kalyaan. Upon being deceived that Kavik was tortured and witnessing his cries, Kalyaan gave up the information on the signal, which Jujinta forwarded to Yangchen.[28] Yangchen successfully used the technique she developed with Yingsu to thwart Thapa's attacks in Taku.[29] When the signal was heard followed by no explosions, the core network celebrated Yangchen's completion of the mission.[30]
Preventing Unanimity's future spread[]
After Thapa's death, Yangchen allowed Chaisee, who lost all her leverage, to leave Taku and go into hiding with Kalyaan and her son, swearing she would not allow the infant to come to any harm. Her intention was to pit both Chaisee and Earth King Feishan against one another, thereby prevent either of them from causing her and the world any further trouble, forcing to waste effort and assets. Yangchen also considered interfering should one side achieve too much success against the other.[31] Yangchen knew Feishan would do everything he could to obtain Chaisee's knowledge on Unanimity if he knew exact details of its existence, and he would kill her if he ever acquired it, thereby preventing Chaisee from dealing with him. Chaisee and her family would be forced to spend their lives constantly on the move, unable to stay in one place long enough to rebuild, and to prevent drawing attention from Feishan's agents tracking them.[32]
Afterward, Yangchen signaled Yingsu to fire a combustion blast next to the boat Yangchen and Feishan were meeting at, a demonstration for Feishan of the power Yangchen was protecting him and the world from, as well as to deter Feishan from beginning conflicts.[32] Yangchen invited Yingsu to become part of her network, but Yingsu was unsure about it.[31]
With Kavik's redemption and sacrifice, Yangchen viewed him as a valuable asset to her network, and asked about his plans going forward. He revealed his plan to leave the world of espionage, adding that he might go home to see his parents. Yangchen however urged him to stay with her, claiming there was so much work to do, and that she wanted him by her side. Recalling the circumstances behind his original recruitment into Yangchen's network, Kavik laughed telling her that he would sleep on it.[31]
Legacy[]
One of the citities under Yangchen's rule, Taku, prospered until its ruination in the Hundred Year War.
Even in her own lifetime, Yangchen was adored and almost worshipped by people across the world, partially thanks to her extensive network and its positive effects on the lives of many.[1] The self-sacrifice of two comrades of Yangchen was remembered and honored following her death,[33] though the intense devotion to Yangchen herself meant that her forces' achievements were often attributed solely to the Air Avatar.[1][34] Conversely, her companions were sometimes blamed for the negative aspects of her operations.[34]
At least two of the cities she had overseen, Taku and Port Tuugaq, continued to prosper for centuries.[35][36] Taku was ultimately destroyed in the early Hundred Year War.[36]
Members[]
Core group[]
Network associates[]
Enemies and rivals[]
- Chaisee (later turned into an asset)
- General Old Iron[2]
- Henshe
- Kalyaan (later turned into an asset)
- Thapa
- Xiaoyun
- Yingsu (later turned into an asset)
Notes[]
- ↑ Unlike the teams of other Avatars, Yangchen's network was a large organization. It is thus unclear whether it persisted after her death; the cities she oversaw like Taku and Port Tuugaq continued to prosper for centuries.
References[]
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