神靈

Chapter 67

Reunion


There was a lot going through Korra's head at the moment.

First off, the most important thing was getting her mom and dad safe and sound. Councilman Sokka had been kind enough to offer his residence to her folks while they got settled in, but not before Tonraq took Senna to the healing wards to get her patched up from the ordeal she went through at the warden's hand, combined with the long journey back home. She was confident that they were safe for now, despite Sokka trying his best to discourage her father from taking the issue of the arrests with Unalaq (naturally, she planned on beating both of them to it).

Next of course, was the new problem of Tarrlok and Noatak. There was no way she was going to let them take the fall for her mistakes, especially after they went through all that trouble to not only rescue her, but to take her to the South Pole to free her family. But again, Noatak's stern unspoken warning came up in her mind and she knew that this time, she would have to proceed more delicately on the matter, either with her uncle or with Yakone. Something inside her seemed to pull her back this time, perhaps a gentle reminder from a past life that was keeping her in check this time and preventing her from barging into her uncle's council chambers with threats. Or perhaps it was that uncomfortable moment where Yakone had confronted her and tipped his hand on his bloodbending abilities. That last thought made her involuntarily shudder and she took a deep breath and recomposed herself. She had been reckless and impulsive the first time she tried to defy her uncle's order, and other's had paid the price for that. She would make sure that wouldn't happen again.

However, that was a subject for another time. This time, she had another reason for finding herself approaching the Water Tribe Palaces walls. The guards on post had let her pass cautiously, which was good. It told Korra that her uncle was not at the point yet where he felt safe taking away form freedom of action, but she knew she was being watched. Although it seemed like almost a lifetime ago since she spoke with her uncle, something inside her was cautioning her to be more careful around him. Most likely it had to do with Yakone's last words still stuck uneasily in her mind from the time he locked her in a cell...

This wasn't far off from what you're uncle dear uncle had planned for you. I'm just being a little more honest about it.

The thought of her own uncle plotting against her was horrifying enough, even more so now that her family was in the mix once again. Did she go all this way to help them escape just to throw them ironically from the frying pan into the fire? Life usually had a cruel irony that way when it came to her... she found.

Either way, those thoughts were in the future, it didn't take long after passing the gatehouse into the icy courtyards did she see the master she wanted.

The master was training her usual pupils by the fountain, teaching them the traditional ways of waterbending. As her footsteps came closer, the master turned and Korra was once again reminded of that day she first laid eyes on her at the Water Tribe Council meeting. The hauntingly familiar, yet beautiful picture of the woman who had once freed her past life from the iceberg, and started the whole chain of events and adventures that brought Korra right to this spot.

Katara.

The pupils, most of them little girls, paused in their waterbending forms as they saw the Avatar approach, which caused their teacher to turn around, slightly perturbed. Until she identified the visitor who interrupted their lesson.

"Av-Avatar Korra?" Katara began in surprise, "What are you doing h-"

But before Katara could even finish her sentence, Korra had already closed the gap and just hugged her tightly. For several, painful, excruciating moments, both of them embraced each other in silence and shock, and even Katara found herself at a loss of what to do next. A lifetime of emotions and unsaid words seemingly flowing between them in that moment.

"I'm sorry...for everything." Korra said sadly, at last. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that alone."

To anyone else present, the words would have held no meaning, but for Katara, coming from the Avatar, she found even her calm composure crumbling. It was as though she was warring with herself, one part knowing that this person in front of her, this Avatar, was not the one she knew, but yet at the same time, felt so familiar.

"Korra...was it?" Katara sniffed, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry we never got a proper introduction." Katara smiled sadly, recalling that awkward moment when Sokka had summoned her to the council chambers to become her waterbending teacher. That seemed like a lifetime ago now.

"I just..." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I thought I had lost everything. Just seeing you again, reminded me of everything that had happened."

"It wasn't fair of me to take that out on you." Katara sighed. "You aren't Aang."

"It's okay Katara...It's okay." Korra gave a comforting smile, knowing just how monumentally tough this must have been for her (heck, she literally had to relive it!) And even Korra was finding her eyes watering as she recalled Aang's memories.

"I know this sounds weird for someone I literally just met once...but, I think I have a good idea of the person you are now. There's still so much I need to ask you, so much more I need to know."

Katara nodded, suppressing an involuntarily shudder, whether from the pain of the old memories or the fear of what their revelation might bring, Korra couldn't tell, but perhaps the truth was that it was both.

She gave Katara a few moments to let her students know that the lessons from today were finished. And mustering the courage that she had come to know from her, Katara recomposed herself and turned to Korra with an encouraging smile. Though they were both very different ages, from two very different times, Korra saw in Katara's eyes that same weight of pain, loss and infinite weariness that she had gone through these last few months. In that moment, she felt that if anyone in the world understood what she was going through, it was Katara.

And to her credit, Katara gave a warm, almost motherly smile.

"Alright Korra, let's talk."

Even now after all these years, through all the struggles, the suffering and the losses, Korra thought Katara still seemed as radiant as ever.


Less than an hour after the confrontation at the docks, Ghazan had already found himself unceremoniously tossed in shackles in an interrogation room. Guards were flanking him at each side and pinning him down on the table as he balled his hands furiously into a fist. His found his eyes swiftly darting about, trying to find perhaps an opening, something that had some ore in it, an exit plan that he could use. Anything. More importantly, where did they take Ming Hua?

The guards too, he noted, were not the familiar Wolf Tail Warriors he had expected (and hoped to a degree) to see from Commander Sokka in their blue, fur trimmed, armor, these ones instead wore black-colored outfit with red trimmings and a red hood, with metal shoulder plates and wrist protectors. Most importantly however, was the symbol that was emblazoned on their tunics.

A Red Lotus?

"You can imagine my surprise when I saw you two among the refugees today." The door into the room opened behind him as a new visitor entered. It was a voice that was instantly recognizable, and one that he had spent years dreaming of punching as he languished in the warden's cells. Had he not been pinned down, he would have leapt at the visitor and make that dream a reality.

"...And with the Avatar no less." Unalaq smiled cooly as he pulled up a chair opposite Ghazan.

"Unalaq!" Ghazan roared angrily, only to be rewarded with a jab in the back as the two guards pinned him down by his arms and shoulders. "Unchain me and I'll show you that I'm still full of surprises."

"No," Unalaq sighed wearily, as if speaking with an unruly child. "I'm afraid we won't be doing that." The watertribe Chieftain pulled a seat across from the musclebound Earthbender coolly, as if completely oblivious to the fact that Ghazan glared at him as though he wanted to tear his head off.

"It has been awhile old friend." Unalaq said calmly, settling in to his chair across Ghazan. His lips curled into a smirk.

"More than ten years...to be exact." Ghazan growled. "When you left me and Ming Hua to rot in that prison."

"Did I not warn you and Ming Hua that it was too early to move back then?" The water tribe chief lectured his former subordinate. "Don't blame me for your mistakes. However, I suppose we can count your mission as somewhat of a success now that the Avatar's back in our hands, abeit ten years too late."

"Now, what do I do with you Ghazan?" Unalaq smiled conspiratorially.

"I'm done with the White Lotus, I'm done with you. Me and Ming Hua just want to live our lives now." Ghazan said with a low anger, visibly trying to contain his anger. "PJust let us go and we'll be on our way."

"You know I can't do that old friend." Unalaq shook his head. "Besides, it's not the White Lotus I'm asking you to join."

Oh great. Ghazan mumbled. He's going to preach again.

Unalaq smiled, as if reading Ghazan's thoughts, beginning with a flourish. "Every day the Fire Nation is destroying the balance of the world, and disrupting the natural order between man and spirits. I've seen it now after all these years. Unless we restore that natural balance between the Spiritual and Material worlds, our people are doomed." For once, the usually stoic water tribe chief was filled with a look of concern.

"The world dying is from a festering wound Ghazan and we are the ones who will heal it. The Red Lotus will need a man of your talents."

Well, that was certainly new.

"I'm done with the Lotus, Red or White, and your little pet project Unalaq." Ghazan spat. "I want out. And how long before your White Lotus friends figure you out huh? I doubt this Red Lotus crap was sanctioned by the order. General Iroh wasn't it? I saw him at one of our ships during the escape. I wonder how he would react knowing one of the Grand Lotus Masters was a traitor."

"Oh, you'll do no such thing Ghazan. You'll keep quiet and you'll cooperate." The earthbender growled as he struggled against the bindings.

"In fact. I know you will." Unalaq said confidently.

"You do realize that Ming Hua doesn't have much time left right? By the time you bought her here, her fever was already running high. With the current flow of refugees, it would take days for a healer to get to her to tend to her fever and wounds."

Had looks killed, Unalaq would have died right there, but even in his anger the earthbender seemed to understand the situation he was in.

And at that moment, Unalaq smiled. He knew his adversary well, it was a necessary part of being in his position after all, competing with various rival chieftains and tribal leaders and getting them to act for his own interests. A part of him regretted it, but protecting his people and the spirits all these years had steeled him from any compassion. And it was all too evident in Ghazan's eyes who he cared about. Now, he would take all that, and twist it into a weapon for his own needs.

"I can save her life."


Commander Hahn and his men were not gentle at all with Noatak and Tarrlok as they were thrown into their cell. Even without resistance, the guards had were not above giving them a few solid jabs in the back with their spear butts to make them move faster. These Wolf Tails, Noatak noted, clearly belonging to their father's faction and chirped and hurled taunts and insults at them as they passed. Such was the price for defying their commander.

For Noatak, this was nothing new, he had faced tougher tests from his training, but Tarrlok was visibly intimidated by all this, and stuck close to his brother. That bothered Noatak the most, Tarrlok did nothing to deserve this since rescuing Korra was his idea, and he felt a tinge of guilt at dragging him in on this in the first place.

It only too a few moments before the brothers found themselves taken to a room with a large a metal box sitting in the middle. This one being one of the new solitary confinement units that Chief Unalaq had reserved specifically for those who tried to break the lock down. It was a large steel rectangular box, large enough to fit two people inside, with only a single window slit on the door for their source of light (no waterbending his way out of that one...). Tarrlok yelped nervously as the guards threw them both into the box unceremoniously, slamming it shut as the brothers landed inside hard. They hardly said another word as they turned and left, leaving both of them in the darkness.

Noatak took a moment to gather his senses, being in total darkness, he could barely even see Tarrlok right next to him, but he could feel the edges of the cell. The walls were literally cold as ice and him.

"Noatak, I don't like this." Tarrlok said nervously.

"I know, Tarrlok, but don't worry, we've been through worse." Noatak tried to reassure his younger brother. They did not have the greatest of luck when it came to being captured, and if the situation hadn't called for it, he would have given an ironic laugh at that understatement.

It was then, that Noatak heard footsteps approaching, which caught Tarrlok's attention as that.

"Who do you think that is Brother?" The young wolf tail gulped involuntarily.

"I don't know Tarrlok, but stay close to me. I'll protect you." Noatak raised an arm to shield his brother behind him.

"Leave us."

The commanding voice boomed, followed by the thudding of salutes as the remaining guards surrounding their cell obediently marched out of the room.

Both brothers froze instinctively at the sound of that voice, and even Tarrlok couldn't suppress his whimper as he recalled that voice tormenting him for almost all his childhood. Noatak found himself gritting his teeth in anger, he would do all he can to protect his brother, but even he wasn't strong enough for him.

When the last of the guards had vacated the cell room, the voice began again from outside the box.

"Good, we're alone now." The eye slit at the box slid open, and a blinding light made Tarrlok and Noatak jump back as they saw that the other side of the door, was the glaring eyes of their father.

Before any of them could respond, both their bodies became constricted and pain flared up both their spines, dropping both of them. The sickening sound of sinew and bones grinding against the slooshing sounds of blood and muscle. This was bloodbending, Noatak knew instinctively, something that he should have been able to resist, but the overwhelming power behind this was nothing that he had ever experienced before in training.

It was almost as if his father actually wanted to kill or cripple them.

"Welcome home boys." Yakone smirked darkly, barely containing the absolute rage he must have felt to have his own sons defy and humiliate his authority so openly.

"There will be a few days before you are taken to trial for your insolence, so let's use this time wisely. Clearly, I've been too lax in your training."

Noatak, despite the lack of a full moon, was able to at least resist enough to only drop down on one knee, raising his head in choking anger at his father, but Tarrlok was shriveled on the floor, his mouth open in a breathless scream.

"It's time to you both learned the value of discipline and obedience."


Once Sokka had made sure Korra's parents were taken care of, the Wolf Tail Commander wasted no time scrambling his way through the chambers of the Northern Palace and ignoring the protests of the guards and Unalaq's personal secretary as he stormed towards the office of the Water Tribe Chief. As the doors slammed open, Sokka saw that Unalaq was sitting calmly at his desk, pen over a sheaf of paperwork as if he had been deep in thought. To his credit, the chief dropped what he was doing and in the calmest manner possible, he looked up at Sokka and gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.

"Ah Commander Sokka." Unalaq had his arms crossed in irritation, as if it was him in the wrong. "I was expecting you."

"What are you playing at Unalaq?" Sokka asked, dispensing with the formalities for once. "Arresting Tarrlok and Noatak right in front of Korra? After all they've done for the Trie?"

The Water Tribe Chief gave a sigh, as if trying to calm himself. "What they did, councilman," He stressed that term. "was kidnap the Avatar and endangered the lives of our people by violating the lockdown." Unalaq retorted back just as quick. "Believe me, I would have preferred not to, but our people need to know that there are consequences when you threaten the safety of the entire tribe."

"Threaten?" Sokka said in disgust, "They saved hundreds of prisoners!"

"Not by themselves." Unalaq noted grimly. "How many of our warriors did you take with you on your rescue mission? How many weeks did we have to wait while our own fleets were undermanned by your little expedition? For all we know, you could have led the Phoenix Empire back to Yue City. You're lucky it isn't you I'm arresting."

"It was to save the Avatar." Sokka replied, though he hated it when Unalaq usually had a point.

"And I did what I had to do to keep our people safe!" Unalaq replied back just as fiercely. "We aren't in a position yet to challenge Azula's legions. I did what I had to do...even if she is the Avatar, and my niece."

The Water Tribe Chieftain sighed, taking another look out at the docks as the inflows of refugees and submarines slowly limped in from the ocean.

"Never mind how we are going to accommodate everyone with enough food and shelter Sokka. But from the reports and tallies Commander Hahn has given me, you came back with about seventy percent of your fleet. I have no doubt more will come back in the next few days, but all it takes for the enemy to find us is one ship. I won't be resting easy until they are all back."

Sokka paused, it was true in his haste to flee back to the South Pole, he had told the fleet to scatter. But he weighed the risks and trusted each Wolf Tail Commander to make the right call, they were all veterans of dozens of raids, but even then, Unalaq's words hung heavily in the space between them, and the Water Tribe Chief gave Sokka an ominous glare.

"Tell me Sokka, are all your ships even accounted for?"


Admiral Chan was in an unusually cheery mood as he took his post at the bridge of Sozin's Judgement. The Empire-Class Battleship had recently been refitted following the Yu Dao Campaign, and although he was too late to take part in the triumph with his partner Ruon-Jian, and the disastrous rout of the Warden's forces in the Southern Prison. He had reasons to be satisfied.

True, it had been a humiliating defeat to let the Northern Raiders past their naval screens to the South Pole in the first place to breach the Southern prison. It was a foregone conclusion that the Northerners throughout the years would do their best to rescue their Southern brethern, and it was something he had to constantly remind that incompetent Warden of whenever he got too lax with his security, too focused on his little colonial project.

Yet, that was his failure, not Chans, and the fact that the submarines had embarrassed Prince Zhenjin's Crimson Lances was the icing on the cake.

The whole episode too, would have also been an utter failure and embarrassment for Chan and his fleets had the Spirits not blessed him with a storm that forced those Water Tribe scum to scatter their rescue fleet. Of course, the storm had a similar effect on his fleet, sinking a few cruisers and destroyers (replaceable, in his mind), but the true prize was found when a single, damaged Water Tribe Submarine had to resurface for air. Right in the path of one of his patrols.

He smiled as a few muffled screams erupted from below the decks, and Chan took a sip of tea to settle his thoughts. The interrogation crews were working quickly, efficiently. He was not expecting to be disappointed.

Minutes had passed before his contact reported to the bridge, adorned jet black armor with a metal face plate of the Jade Sentinels. Even Chan's marines shuddered as she passed them, knowing their fearsome reputation through the Phoenix Empire, their skills as fighters was only matched by their skills as interrogators. At this moment, with the boon of the captured Water Tribals, he was glad that Azula had agreed to lend him a few of her elite Sentinels for this mission.

"Any leads?" Chan asked, trying to hide his impatience.

"These specimens you've given us have been quite resilient." The Sentinel said flatly. "But we're making progress. We've already cracked a few of the crews' family members. We will have the information you seek."

The admiral nodded. "See to it you don't fail. The eyes of your mistress are upon us for this mission. How long?"

"A day or two at most." The Sentinel replied. "They are weakening, we will bring in the lamps from the Dai Li Sentinels to finish the work."

"You have twenty four hours." Chan said in a dismissing tone that brokered no argument.

"It will be done." The Sentinel bowed, before turning back to finish her work with the prisoners.

On that happy note, Chan turned to his communications officer on the bridge.

"Send a wire to Phoenix Lord Azula, tell her we on are the verge of a breakthrough. I recommend we mobilize every ship we have in the fleet, along with Minister's Sato secret weapon."

Chan gripped his fists in anticipation.

"It's time we wipe out the stain of Yu Dao and the Water Tribes."


A/N: One thing i realized writing this story, there is a lot of moving parts haha! A bit of a breather chapter to show where people are, but we'll see how the future holds up for our heroes! Hope you guys enjoyed this. Will update when I can :)