Episode 16: Building Budding Buddies

 At camp: Shizaku begins work on making masks for the Embers, but hits a roadblock as they discover their resources are running thin (woods burned by the Fire Nation's ingress into the region). This troubles the engineer and he begins to recalculate his plans.

Toji, meanwhile, consults with Dharma. Toji explains his desire to build a unit and take the fight to the Fire Nation Army while they can. Dharma, having learned to temper Toji's passion while they spent time together in the prison camp, urges Toji to show restraint and carefully plan out their moves.

Meanwhile, with the aide of Lan Ho and Dao Sing the land surveyors, Moshi and Bhaga begin trying to construct more intricate and defensive positions within the mountains around Shimoni Dhato. Moshi laments to Bhaga that they need more Earthbenders and the camp is evolving too slowly. Bhaga notes that Moshi and his companions treat all the problems of the camp as their personal crises, and they need to reach out and use the help of the communities around them.

Dharma and Toji begin training with Jang Tae and the other candidates for the guerilla-Embers unit. While out in the wilds, they pick up some more Earthbending rebels and learn that General Yama, upset at the setbacks of his Captains, is enroute to the region to regain control of the situation.

Eventually the group looks to interrogate Commander Bozan, brought back to the camp from the siege of Taku. Bozan cites the Fire Nation's tempered will as the correct path to unite the Four Nations from the lawlessness and civil strife that have plagued them since even the time of Avatar Kyoshi. He seems upset that an Air Nomad, like Dharma, had escaped Fire Lord Sozin's wrath, but is also intrigued by the camaraderie and resourcefulness of the camp. Feeling that there is still an opportunity to turn him into an ally, the group decides to allow him some (monitored) free time, under coordination from Bhaga and the companions.

The council of Shimoni Dhato meets to discuss the impending arrival of Yama. They fear they're unprepared to face further might of the Fire Nation Army. Knowing Yama's main interest lies in Jyoti and the Air Nomad reliquary they sent to the Misty Library, the consider making decoys and false rumors to throw him off the scent. Toji decides to head to the nearby town of Makapu to see if they can get supplies dropped from Gyara, the pirate privateer. Dharma and Moshi decided to head back west to see if they could recruit Ma Leng and her brother to the camp.

Episode 15: Expanding Horizons

 After the victories against Captain Shan and the siege of Taku, the companions return to Shimoni Dhato to convene next steps and plan against the Fire Nation. Toji calls a summit and desires to train more "Embers," freedom-fighter guerillas in the wilds. Jang Tae is willing to lead them and Toji suggests Dharma help train them.

Shizaku receives word that his supply chain from the Fire Nation is pretty much locked up by Okuru's forces' defensive line around Pohuai Depot. This causes Shizaku to get a little drunk and lament his situation.

Having acquired hawks, the camp is in need of a hawkmaster to properly train and utilize the messenger hawks (and avoid them returning to Fire Nation forces). There is also discussion of expanding the camp (possibly through the mountains into the southwestern bay), and it's deemed a surveyor would be necessary to begin expansions.

Shizaku and Layi return to Taku, where Shizaku can connect with the engineer Faohu and the two can look for a geologist and other earthbenders. Shizaku helps Layi move past her beating during the fight with Commander Bozan by explaining everyone fails and gets beaten - the important thing is getting back up. Layi reveals that she doesn't know who she is, and her parents' adoration of her brother Yoyo complicates her own self-image.

Shizaku meets with Faohu, who explains that perhaps the Fire Nation's individualistic emphases has blocked the architect, and Shizaku should instead look to the companions and community around him for support, much like the Earth Kingdom. Shizaku pleads for help, and Faohu suggests coordinating efforts.

Layi, meanwhile, returns home and sulks in the room of her brother. Her mother finds her and laments that Layi has virtually run away, but Layi comments she's still trying to find her own path, possibly returning to the soldier she was. This suggests to her to meet with Chuko. Layi and Chuko discuss their ways forward, and Layi convinces Chuko to tell her friends of the camps' efforts to stand up to the Fire Nation just like they did in Taku.

Shizaku connects with other minds in Taku, and meets Dao Sing, a land contractor, whom Shizaku talks into joining the camp. Layi finds a hawkmaster, Takashi, but he seems green and insecure, but is the best connection they have. They plan to return to camp.

To the south, in Harbor Town, Moshi and Toji investigate leads to help open shipments for Shizaku's supplies.  They learn of a pirate named Gyara, whom they convince to bring into their navigation and supply network once it can be expanded.  Gyara agrees on the condition that they don't run totally afoul of the Fire Nation, given the don't want to risk open conflict at this time.

They also learn of Lan Ho, a geologist that can help survey and expand their mountain territory. Lan Ho only agrees so long as Moshi can protect him and his family, as Okuru's defensive contraction is beginning to tighten its grip on the region.

Toji and Moshi return to camp, and the companions all collaborate at planning out the camp's next steps. Dharma begins training the Embers, and Shizaku begins to open up his company ideology to include Faohu and others....