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Kuvira kneeled in her platinum cell constructed from pieces of metal salvaged from her own giant Mecha Tank. She looked up at her mother as she locked the cell from the outside.
"What has become of my siblings? Keji, Hu-ni, Arely and Meng?" Kuvira asked with pleading eyes.
Her mother just gazed down at her, her expression undreadable. "Keji works for Future Industries as an airship engineer. He is stationed at a manufacturing plant in the fire nation, so he was spared the danger of your weapon. Hu-ni was a fashion designer in Little Ba Sing Se's upper ring. Your weapon destroyed the city so he has no shop now. I have been training Arely and Meng. You were right when you ran away. They are both airbenders. After Harmonic Convergence, the White Lotus lifted the restraining order and allowed them to train with their father so long as their lineage remained confidential." her mother said solemnly.
"What will my sentence be? Do you know?" Kuvira asked, with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know," her mother said looking down on her with pity and grief. "There will be a trial."
Every world leader was in attendance. Fire Lord Izumi sat beside President Raiko, former Fire Lord Zuko in the front row of the courtroom. Chief Tonraq of the Southern Water Tribe sat next to his daughter, the Avatar Korra. On the other side of the Avatar sat her cousins, the CoChiefs of the Northern Water Tribe, twins Eska and Desna. Then Suyin who was named Interim President of the Earth Kingdom and tasked with creating Prince Wu's Republic almost immediately after Kuvira's Surrender.
"Where is the Chief of Police, Lin Beifong?" Kuvira asked the two officers who flanked her on her way to her seat at one of the tables between the jury and judge, and the audience attending the hearing.
"Her whereabouts are none of your business," one of the officers said pushing her roughly.
The officers sat Kuvira down in the chair and chained her hands to the table and took their place by the door through which they came.
"The defendants are accused with the following charges: coercion of governmental figures. Exploitation of the general public, money laundering, improper use of city, provincial, national funds, sabotage, and five accounts of emotional abuse to a minor under the age of sixteen..." the judge read from his piece of paper.
Kuvira's gaze shot up. I may have torn up a few villages, but I would never hurt children, not intentionally, not directly especially when I was hurt just the same, when I was eight...
"How do you plead?" the judge asked. Kuvira looked up and opened her mouth to speak but noticed the judge was not looking at her. Instead, he was addressing the table across from her where four Grand Lotuses sat in chains.
"Guilty of all charges," The grand Lotus member said hanging his head in shame.
Kuvira's heart was racing as tears filled her eyes. She felt a callused, yet comforting hand touch her shoulder. She turned and looked up and saw her mother's brilliant jade green eyes looking down at her. "Go sit next to your father. This is my battle now." her mother said. Kuvira couldn't contain her sobs as everyone turned to her. Her mother banged a fist on the table and the platinum cuffs unlocked.
"You can bend platinum?" Kuvira asked in astonishment.
"No, but I can bend the locking mechanism in the tables and chairs. I am surprised you didn't notice them as soon as you sat down. I thought Su would have taught you better. But don't worry about that now. We will be together soon, and I will teach you," Her mother said.
"Why..." Kuvira managed through sobs as she stood, still clad in her prison garb, her hair unkempt hanging carelessly from her face. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because you are my daughter and you mean the world to me, to both me and your father. If we had stayed a family, maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't all be so broken. You wouldn't have run away. You wouldn't have felt the obligation to fight for a unified Earth Empire. Now go. Let me fight this battle." her mother explained kissing Kuvira on the head before nudging her towards the benches.
A police officer swung the low wooden gate open for Kuvira to pass through. She walked past merchants, politicians, inventors, designers, civilians, the rest of Team Avatar, and finally reached the row she was looking for. There, sat her Beifong Cousins, her uncle Baatar, and her father, Councilman Tenzin. She slowly sunk down in the empty seat beside him, wanting nothing more than the ground to swallow her entire existence.
The Councilman draped an arm around his eldest daughter as she reluctantly leaned against his body and cried for the remainder of the trial of the White Lotus Organization. She tried to cover her ears and her eyes and drown out all of the painful memories as her mother recounted their story for the world to hear.