I do not own any of the original Legend of Korra characters.
Freed
Sado grit his teeth, struggling to keep his temper in check and not burn the entire palace to the ground. The trial had been a sham from the beginning. Despite Unalaq's promise to allow him and Korra to tell what happened, neither were allowed to speak freely. In fact, Sado wasn't allowed to speak at all, as he was an outsider. Unalaq gave a very dramatic speech about being attacked in his sleep and waking up to find that Korra had saved him. Then, Korra was given time to speak in which she was only allowed to answer the questions the judge asked. Was there a meeting that Varrick tried to use to start a war. Were the men at the table there. Where was the meeting. Who led it. Korra tried to tell the judge, and the courtroom, that the man carrying Unalaq had specifically said that Tonraq had refused to help them and had forbidden them from doing exactly what they did, but the judge had cut her off and dismissed himself to decide the outcome of the trial, which took all of a minute and a half. As soon as he sat back down, he had found Senna innocent. Only Senna. Everyone else he sentenced to death. Korra had instantly, and furiously, threatened to kill the judge if he executed the men. Unalaq had stepped in, volunteering to speak with the judge on their behalf. After asking for mercy as the chief, the judge changed their sentence to life in prison. Then, the men were led away.
Now, about three hours later, Sado was waiting outside the prison, having been refused entry on the grounds of, once again, being an outsider. He had convinced Korra not to cause a scene, or break anything, and Korra and Senna had gone to see Tonraq. Finally, the door opened and Korra and Senna walked out, Senna barely holding together. Sado met them both with a hug, knowing both needed it, and both hugged him back, Senna nearly breaking but holding it in.
"Let's go home," Korra said after a moment. "We'll figure out what to do from there."
Sado nodded and the three of them got on Naga, who was getting used to more than two riders, it seemed, and she made her way back to Senna's house quickly. The three of them headed inside and Senna went to the kitchen, seeming to be planning to busy herself doing the dishes, only to start crying into her hands. Korra went to comfort her and Sado sat down to meditate to try and think of a solution that didn't involve the United Forces. Finally, he thought of one. Prove the trial was a sham.
He went outside and climbed on Naga. "Find the judge, Naga. Find Hotah."
Naga barked and took off, quickly going to the palace, then sniffing around before starting down a road away from the village at a sprint. Finally, he spotted a green satomobile driving away. He could see the back of Hotah's head in the window. Hotah looked up at the mirror, adjusting it, then sped up, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him. Naga charged after the satomobile, still slowly gaining. Finally, they caught up and Naga rammed into the side of the vehicle, sending it out of control. It crashed into a chunk of ice on the mountain they were racing alongside of and Naga ran over, stopping beside the vehicle as Hotah climbed out, Sado holding a fireball as he walked forward, stopping in front of the old man.
"You're going to start talking," Sado said. "And if I don't hear something I like in the next thirty seconds, it's going to get very warm. Begin."
"Please!" Hotah pleaded. "I have a family! I...I'll do anything! I can pay you!"
"Wrong subject!" Sado snarled. "Fifteen seconds."
"I was just following Unalaq's orders!" Hotah pleaded.
"Keep talking," Sado said.
"I've said too much already," Hotah said.
"That's unfortunate," Sado said. "You're trembling. You must be cold. Let me help you with that."
He pulled his hand back, the fireball growing rapidly.
"Okay!" Hotah said. "I've worked for Unalaq for years! He said he needed everyone to think the trial was fair!"
"Why?" Sado asked. "And why spare Senna and have you change your sentence?"
"He wants to keep the Avatar on his side, but he wants Tonraq out of the way!" Hotah said. "Just like when he got Tonraq banished! I was also supposed to make you angry enough for you to be arrested as well!"
"You failed," Sado snarled. "Now you're going to tell me everything you know, starting with the banishment. And you'd better not lose my interest."
Hotah swallowed, beginning his story.
Sado threw Hotah to the floor of Senna's house, Senna and Korra gasping harshly. Hotah looked up at them and squeaked, dropping his eyes back to the floor.
"Tell them what you told me," Sado snarled. "All of it!"
Hotah remained silent until Sado sent a fireball into the ground beside his head, not damaging anything but getting the point across.
"Unalaq hired the barbarians that attacked the Northern Water Tribe years ago, then told them to hide in the spirit forest so that Tonraq would go after them and get himself banished!" Hotah said. "He wanted Tonraq out of the way so that he could become chief! Then during the trial he gave me orders to let Senna go and to sentence everyone else to death! That way Unalaq could pretend to make me change my decision to life in prison in order to keep Tonraq out of the way while keeping the Avatar on his side!"
"Why?" Korra demanded.
"I don't know!" Hotah sobbed. "I swear I don't know! I just know he has plans that he needs Korra for! And that Tonraq will try to stop him!"
"Is it a war he wants?" Sado asked.
"No!" Hotah said. "He says that if there's a war it'll just be a temporary setback!"
"We should turn him in," Korra said. "And this coward too."
"No," Sado said. "We need to close that spirit portal. I have no doubt that's part of Unalaq's plan."
"We will," Korra said. "But first we need to get my father out of jail. At this point, a war's inevitable."
"I agree," Sado nodded. "We'll need the others. Senna, can you handle-"
Senna swiped a hand, water exploding up from below Hotah, pinning him to the ceiling and freezing him there, only his head exposed.
"I'll be fine," Senna said. "Go."
"Alright," Sado nodded. "You might want to silence him as well."
Senna nodded, freezing Hotah's mouth and leaving his nose uncovered as Sado and Korra climbed onto Naga riding to Varrick's office where they quickly told Asami and Varrick, who was hiding in a platypus bear's taxidermied body, what Hotah had told them.
"I'm busting my father out of jail," Korra said. "I need your help."
"Are you sure?" Asami asked. "If you do this, there's no going back. It'll be a war."
"I know," Korra nodded. "Will you help me?"
"Of course I'll help you," Asami said.
"Count me in!" Varrick said.
Just then, the door opened and Bolin and Pabu walked in, Bolin wearing a robe identical to Eska's with his hair combed into a bowl and a black version of a betrothal necklace, complete with a skull on the front and spikes around it. Beside him, Pabu was also in a robe, his fur and ears flattened into something vaguely resembling a bowl cut.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Sado said. "How?"
"She asked how my rash was and I said it was fine, so she said it was safe to get married now," Bolin said grumpily, a bit of hair on the right side of his head popping back up like a cat ear. "Save me."
"I'm pretty sure the guy is supposed to give the girl a betrothal necklace," Korra said, smiling half sympathetically and half trying to restrain a laugh.
"I guess Eska didn't get the memo," Bolin said.
"Look, the only way to deal with crazy women is to lie big and leave fast," Varrick said. "Lucky for you, Varrick's got your back. Now, gather around Ping Ping. Let's talk plan."
They all stepped closer to Ping Ping, the platypus bear, and Varrick began to tell them his idea. Sado had to admit, it was a decent one. Risky, but decent.
Sado nodded to Korra, who looked to Asami, receiving another nod. Then, as a guard was passing over them, she used her earthbending to open a hole in the floor, dropping the guard, who Asami electrocuted. Then, Sado grabbed the keys, climbing out and pulling both women up, handing the keys to Korra. She unlocked the door and froze, staring at the empty room, just as Unalaq stepped around a corner down the hall.
"Where is he?" Korra asked.
"I'm sorry Korra," Unalaq said. "You'll never see your father again."
"Unalaq," Sado growled, lighting a fireball over each hand.
"Where's my father!?" Korra demanded.
"On a ship, headed to the Northern Tribe," Unalaq said. "He'll serve out his sentence there."
"Bring him back!" Korra snarled. "Or I'm taking you out, and the rest of your army."
"Remember who you are!" Unalaq said. "As the Avatar, you cannot threaten war. You must remain neutral. Or our tribes will never find unity."
"When both sides are acting according to what they believe is right, and not trying to start a war intentionally, that's true," Sado said. "But not always. Avatar Aang fought a war."
"You don't want unity!" Korra spat. "You want power! You've always been jealous of my father, haven't you? You got him banished to become chief and I bet it just killed you to learn that he was the Avatar's father. No wonder you kept trying to take me away from him!"
"All I've ever wanted was to help you realize your destiny," Unalaq said.
"Well, I don't want your help anymore," Korra said. "That fancy light show you can do isn't worth dealing with you."
"If you start a war, the dark spirits will annihilate the south," Unalaq said. "And even I will be powerless to stop them."
"I'm done being manipulated by them," Korra said. "You're going to bring my father back, and then you and your troops will return to the North."
"And why would I do that?" Unalaq asked as Korra turned to leave, Sado stepping forward.
"Because if you don't, I'm going to roast you right here and now," Sado snarled. "There's no water inside of here for you to bend."
"Try me," Unalaq said.
Sado sent several fireballs at Unalaq, only for him to suddenly have a massive amount of water defending him from somewhere in his coat. he blocked several strikes before sending out a rapidly extending spike of ice that tore into Korra's shoulder. Sado sent a much, much more powerful blast of fire at Unalaq, but as it exploded, a torrent of water blasted into Sado's face, bouncing him off the wall to Asami, who caught him as Korra launched several fireballs, Unalaq blocking them all. Unalaq sent a blast of water at Korra but she flipped over it then sent a blast of air slamming into Unalaq, sending him bouncing along the ground all the way to the end of the hallway, slamming into a wall.
"If we get to Varrick's boat we can still save your father!" Asami said.
"Let's go!" Korra said, all three turning and sprinting out of the prison.
They ran into exactly four guards on the way, all of which Sado blasted into a wall, then got outside, getting on Naga and taking off. About twenty minutes later, they reached Varrick's boat as he was preparing to take off, he and his assistant, Zhu Li, still wearing the platypus bear costume.
"Where's your dad?" Bolin asked.
"On a ship headed North," Korra said, walking over to look around the bear costume into Varrick's face. "Think we can catch up to it?"
"Sure," Varrick said. "Once you get us past our friends from the North."
They all looked out at the half-mile-wide blockade and Sado looked to Korra.
"Can you do this?" Sado asked.
"I don't have a choice," Korra said. "If only I had a plane to get me close to those ships, I could waterbend them out of the way."
"A plane?" Varrick asked. "Well why didn't you say so?"
He pressed a button and a hatch in the deck of his ship opened, a plane like the Equalists had used rising out of it, painted blue and with the wings folded upward to fit in the ship. The wings folded downward and Sado grinned, seeing two seats, both with steering controls.
"Um, why do you have a plane on your boat?" Bolin asked.
"Why?" Varrick scoffed. "In case the boat sinks of course!"
"There's no runway," Asami said. "How do you plan to take off?"
"Zhu Li!" Varrick said. "Take a not! Build runway."
"Yes sir," Zhu Li said from somewhere in the bear's belly.
"I have an idea," Korra said, looking to Sado. "Think you can match my flames?"
"I'll have to," Sado nodded, instantly understanding the idea.
He and Korra ran to the plane, climbing on the wings as Asami took the controls. She started it up and the moment it began to move, Sado and Korra began to launch flames out of their inside hands, their others holding onto one of the poles connecting the upper and lower wings. The plane shot forward and up a pair of planks Varrick had set up as a ramp, then dropped, only to catch lift a moment later, taking off over the water, Asami pulling up. They let their flames end as they approached the ships, Varrick's ship following quickly behind them. Korra went to work, entering the Avatar State and swinging her arms rapidly, the sea below them seeming to come alive, raging around below them before suddenly rolling into a massive, semi-sphere wave that shot across the water, slamming into ships and shoving them out of the way easily, clearing a path through the entire half-mile blockade, Varrick's ship speeding through the opening below them easily. Once they were out of the blockade, they headed north quickly, Sado and Korra looking for the ship as Asami flew along. Finally, Korra spotted it off to the left and Asami turned, heading for it.
When they were close, the three of them leapt out of the ship, splashing down in the water before the plane bounced along, exploding beside the ship after a moment. Korra used her waterbending to get them onto the ship, then formed two whips out of it and smashed all of the Northern Soldiers present off of the ship into the water with them. Sado looked off to the side, seeing one she had missed and blasted him into the wall of the ship where Korra froze him in place.
"Where are the prisoners?" Korra demanded.
"In the brig!" the man said. "Three floors down at the front of the ship!"
They turned, running inside and to the brig, freeing her father and the others quickly.
"Jailbreak!" Sado shouted he wrenched the door open. "Everybody out!"
They all jumped up, running after him and the others as they left the brig, Tonraq catching up with Korra.
"Korra this is crazy!" Tonraq said as they reached a gangway on the side of the ship, waiting for Varrick's to pull up alongside them. "You promised me you wouldn't do anything rash!"
"I had to, I'll explain later," Korra said, just as waterbenders began to hurl blasts of water down at them from above.
Sado began to block the incoming attacks, as he had in the last pro bending match he was in, then sent one of his own back, hitting the ship but making the waterbenders flinch back. They all turned, leaping onto the ship and Korra hurled a fireball under Sado as he jumped, Sado feeling droplets of water on the back of his neck before he landed beside her, turning to look back as they sped away from the ship.
Sado sighed, leaning against the railing and turning to the others. "Unalaq set the whole thing up. He wants to control both tribes."
"How do you know?" Tonraq asked.
"I...convinced Hotah to explain everything to me," Sado said. "It's actually a pretty interesting story."
"Unalaq hired the barbarians to get you banished in order to become chief, then he ordered Hotah to play the entire trial out the way it did," Korra said.
"Except that he was also supposed to get me arrested," Sado said.
"So, once I knew the truth, I couldn't just sit by and do nothing," Korra said.
"My own brother betrayed me," Tonraq growled. "And our entire tribe!"
"What's our next move?" the waterbender that had Tonraq's build asked.
"I've been running from my past for too long," Tonraq said. "It's time to put my brother in his place."
"You have our support, Chief Tonraq," the waterbender said.
"Me too," Korra said. "I'll be proud to fight alongside you Dad."
"And you have mine, for what it's worth," Sado said. "But you can't win this war without help. I'll contact General Iroh of the United Forces. Bumi may have retired, but Iroh's still there."
"Thank you," Tonraq said. "You're right about our chances of victory. The South can give Unalaq a good fight for a while, but without help, we're finished. Korra, you and Sado have to get the President of the United Republic on our side."
"Alright," Korra nodded.
"If all else fails, I can always ask Aunt Izumi for help," Sado said.
"Izumi?" Korra asked. "The Fire Lord?"
"That's her," Sado smiled.
"Jesus, you have family everywhere," Korra said.
"Everyone's family," Sado smiled. "Ours just recognizes that more than most."
Korra nodded, looking back at Tonraq. "I'll get you all the help you need." She wrapped her arms around him, Tonraq doing the same. "I love you Dad."
"I love you too," Tonraq smiled.
After a few more minutes of saying goodbye, the waterbenders all formed a chunk of ice and dropped onto it, using their bending to ride it back to the South Pole. After a few minutes of watching them leave, Bolin decided to open his mouth.
"I really need to thank you Korra," Bolin said.
"For what?" Korra asked. "I started a civil war!"
"Exactly!" Bolin said. "Now Eska and I are officially broken up."
"Um...Bolin," Sado said, watching something speed across the water at them. "You might want to think again."
"What is that?" Bolin asked looking through a telescope he had borrowed from Varrick, mouth falling open.
Speeding toward them was a massive wave of water, Eska speeding along in front of it, murder on her face and makeup running from under her eyes in streaks.
"That would be my darling Eska," Bolin said. "Quick question. Is this boat fast enough to get away from my crazy waterbending ex-girlfriend?"
"Why do ya think I built this boat?" Varrick grinned, shoving the throttle, the boat surging forward instantly, speeding away from Eska rapidly, Eska failing to keep up.
Sado sighed, leaning back against the wall, Korra leaning against him. "How long until we're back?"
"About a day," Varrick said. "There are some rooms downstairs you can sleep in. Just don't break anything."
"We won't," Sado said, he and Korra leaving to find a room. "I'm so tired."
"So am I," Korra agreed.
They found am extravagantly decorated room and all but collapsed onto the bed, climbing under the covers. Korra kissed Sado goodnight before laying her head on his chest, both almost instantly passing out.
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