Guo Dai was a shrewd man with an unpleasant simper of a smile. Kuvira could have overpowered him easily with both hands tied behind her back, but that fact was of little use to her. He had not arrived in Zaofu by virtue of his strength; he had amassed his fortune by means of cunning and years of what she was almost certain were rather shady business dealings. He was also an important friend of Suyin's, and it had never been Kuvira's place to be anything but perfectly gracious towards him, although her feelings had always fallen somewhere between disdain and disgust. He put her in mind of a wolfrat scampering insidiously in the dark. He probably knew that, but still he sat smiling his unpleasant smile at her like they were dear old friends. It was just as well. Two could play at that game.
"Thank you for taking the time to see me," she said, offering a low bow.
"Not at all. To what do I owe this honor, Captain?"
"Call it a friendly word of advice. I am concerned for your safety, Sir."
"Safety?" Guo Dai leaned forward and steepled his hands. His smile grew yet larger and more wolfish. " What could possibly threaten my safety? Zaofu is impregnable."
"I used to believe that as well." She frowned. "But so was Ba Sing Se. And I'm sure you noticed the unfortunate breach that occurred when the Avatar last graced us with her presence."
"An isolated incident, I'm sure. The Red Lotus is no more, and I have complete faith in your abilities to keep Zaofu secure."
"That's very flattering. I do my best; but I can only do so much, and with the state of the Earth Kingdom..."
"The troubles of the Earth Kingdom are none of Zaofu's concern."
"You may be right. But what about you?" Guo Dai stiffened in his seat. His beady black eyes examined Kuvira carefully as she turned to the map that hung on the wall, tapping thoughtfully on the pins that marked his various properties. "You have farms in the Earth Kingdom, do you not? Factories, perhaps a mine or two?" Kuvira flexed her fingers, and the pins clattered to the floor at her feet. "It's a pity that no one can protect them."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I am not the threat. But I can stop it, if you want me to."
Guo Dai stared pensively at the pins scattered on his floor and the little tears in his map. It was Kuvira's turn to smile. He may have had no love for their country, but he did have quite a bit for his money; rich men were predictable that way. Money was their lifeblood, and anyone who could promise it could bend them as easily as Kuvira bent metal. Whatever debts or friendship this little wolfrat of a man had with the Beifong family would not change that. He would give her what she needed, and he would give it willingly, as all of the others had. In time, she would no longer be forced to rely on their filthy greed to save her nation, but for now she could not help but be grateful for their weakness.
"Consider my advice," she said, as she turned to leave him. "But please consider it quietly."
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The dome creaked as it unfolded. In the spacious garden of her home, Suyin paced restlessly, gazing at the morning sky. Her husband and sons did a little better concealing their excitement, but when the speck of white appeared on the horizon they, too abandoned their facades. Even Huan smiled a little, and he barely ever smiled. Their mirth, however, quickly turned to concern when the sky bison's rider fell from her seat and began plummeting towards the ground. Kuvira tensed, ready to flatten one of Huan's many sculptures and propel herself upwards.
She did not need to. Opal unfolded her—were they wings?—and glided gleefully down, laughing at the horror in her family's faces. She threw herself into Suyin's waiting arms and kissed her on the cheek.
"I keep forgetting you can do that," Suyin told her wryly. "Welcome home. We've missed you."
"What are you wearing?" Huan asked, aghast.
Opal winced. "It's a glider suit. They've become standard recently. Although they are pretty ugly."
Opal's sky bison landed behind them. Wing and Wei began to harass it immediately and received quick comeuppance when it sneezed on them, covering the twins in a layer of thick green snot. Opal laughed and went to their rescue, and the rest of the Beifong family looked on with a mixture of amusement and disgust.
Many things had changed in the past few months. Opal had not returned since she first ventured to the Air Temple for training, and Zaofu had been a little lonelier without her. Her siblings had grown rather restless with the knowledge that the youngest of them had somehow made a life for herself outside of Zaofu; the fact that this was possible at all set the gears turning in their heads, and there had been some talk of striking out on their own. Her parents had worried constantly. The thought of finally losing her children had sent Suyin in particular nearly into crisis. Opal herself was a completely different creature from the quiet girl who had left. She was lively and fearless and strong now, and Kuvira felt a pang of pride at how much she had grown in so short a time.
They had all changed. The world had changed. But the steady, unquestioning bond of their family was achingly familiar. Kuvira watched at a respectful distance, as she always had. She had never truly been one of them, but they had been kind to her, and that was enough. They were the closest thing to family she would ever have. Soon she would have to give them up, and she would miss them dearly. When that time came, she could not let her emotions interfere with her duty; her heart would have to be steel. Meanwhile she would enjoy what precious little she had left.
"Kuvira! Get over here."
Kuvira complied and found herself on the receiving end of one of Opal's hugs. She smiled despite herself.
"The Air Temple has been good to you," Kuvira said fondly. "You look stronger than ever. I expect a sparring match now that you're a fully-fledged bender." Opal paled and Kuvira chuckled. "I'm only teasing. Unless you're up for it, that is."
"I don't think I'll have the time," Opal replied deftly. "I'll only be here for a day or two."
"Can't the Air nation spare you for a little longer?" Suyin said it lightly, but she could not conceal her disappointment. She had always been a doting mother, and none of her children had ever been apart from her as long as Opal had.
"I'm afraid not." Opal's face fell. "I've actually been sent to see the condition of the Earth Kingdom first hand. Master Tenzin plans to send more airbenders to help out as soon as he can. Is it...is it as bad as they say?"
There was a moment of awkward silence. Kuvira glanced at Suyin. Their eyes met.
"It's bad," the younger Baatar said at last. It was the first time he had spoken. "It's very bad. I don't think you airbenders are going to make a dent. Not by yourselves, at least." Opal bit her lip. Suyin sent her son a weary, reproving look.
"But it's very brave of you to try. I'm sure you'll be able to do some good. And perhaps the testimony of the Air nation will finally get the world to stand together and do something."
Kuvira had said it in an attempt to smooth things over, but she was dead certain that no such miracle would occur. The Air nation was too small to make any real difference even if they decided to break their vows of peace and all swoop in at once, and the United Republic had happily ignored bloodier testimonies to the needs of the Earth Kingdom. Opal, however, was too young and too optimistic to understand this, and was soon smiling and laughing just as she had been when she arrived. Suyin gave Kuvira's arm a grateful squeeze and began to shepherd her family inside with talk of her favorite chef's new creations.
"There's no kindness in hiding it from her," Baatar Jr. said quietly as he passed her. "You know that."
It was, in fact, probably the last kind thing she would do for any of them.
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Kuvira had climbed relentlessly to reach her position as the Captain of the Guard, and she did not stop once she was there. She was severe in her duty and her discipline, and she expected nothing less from every single person who served under her. She did not tolerate laziness or weakness. She praised loyalty and strength. She was no small part of the reason why so many considered Zaofu to be the most secure city in the world, even more so than the ancient and formidable Ba Sing Se before its descent into pandemonium. As such, she was both feared and loved, although not always at the same time. She was, however, always respected, and so when she called the higher ranking officers to a meeting and demanded their silence, they obeyed.
Their obedience did not mean they were at ease. The room was heavy with their unspoken questions and their anxiety. The Captain did not call secret meetings on a whim, and whatever it was she needed so urgently to talk about was unlikely to be pleasant for them.
"Thank you for coming," Kuvira said crisply. "I trust that you have been discreet. I will ask you to be discreet again. Nothing I say is to leave this room. I need not explain that if you violate this condition, I will know, and you will be punished. Severely. Is that clear?"
A series of nervous nods.
"Our nation is dying. The monarchy is crippled, the army has scattered, and the rule of law has all but collapsed. Lords and Generals scheme and fight for control of the rubble. You know of the bandits, the slaughter, the chaos. Many of you have lost homes, friends, loved ones. Many of you will lose them." A few of the guards cast their sad eyes down. Kun, his wounds still fresh, was trembling with emotion. "You are not the only ones. All over our nation our people are crying out in suffering. Their cries have been ignored. The world has failed them and they can wait no longer. The time has come for us to take matters into our own hands."
"How?" Kun whispered. "How could we possibly save the country on our own?"
There were murmurs of agreement. Normally she would have wanted to punish them all for insubordination, but they were right to be worried. Even the most well-intentioned of battles meant nothing if they could not win.
"We are not on our own. I have secured support for our endeavor. We have enough food and weapons to take back Ba Sing Se, and once we do take it, we will have the armies of the Earth Kingdom at our disposal and the blessings of both the monarchy and the United Republic."
Kuvira's words hung in the air. The guards blinked up at her, stunned and awed. They might have thought her brilliant. They might have thought her insane. Either way, they remained silent. The specter of failure, of death, coiled its cold fingers around their hearts.
"I called you here because you are loyal and strong and good. There are none in the world who I hold in greater esteem than you. Still, I will not force you to come with me. If you wish to remain in Zaofu, I will not stop you. Neither will I promise you success. But I will promise you this: if our nation is to survive, if ever our people are to be safe and free again, it must begin with you."
Kun rose with fire in his eyes.
"For the Earth Kingdom!" he roared.
"For the Earth Kingdom!" the room echoed.
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A/N: I won't be able to update very often once the Christmas break is over.
Yes, I know Kuvira has a lot of cheesy speeches. It's a dictator thing. Really. I promise.