Kuvira spent the majority of the lunch hour pushing the food they'd given her—bland noodles with some chicken and vegetables—around the bowl it came in. She managed to eat about half of it before her nerves got the best of her and she had to set it aside.
Now she was back in the courtroom, wondering if there was any way that Lee could manage to get through all twenty of the rest of his witnesses today. Probably not, which meant that she was going to spend another night in jail. She wanted so badly to walk out of here with Nayuh today, but maybe she'd get to tomorrow.
As soon as the judges were seated and had given him the go-ahead, Lee called Asami back up. "You are the current CEO of Future Industries, is that right?" Lee asked her as his opening question.
Asami nodded. "I am."
"And is Kuvira an employee of Future Industries?"
"Yes, she is," Asami answered. "She's been an employee for almost two years now."
"What is the title of the position she holds within the company?"
"Production Manager," Asami answered. "For the snowmobile factory in Harbor City in the Southern Water Tribe."
Lee had been slowly pacing back and forth in front of the table Kuvira was sitting at and he suddenly stopped, right in front of her. He made a point to look at her, as if pausing for dramatic effect.
"So…let me get this straight: the same woman who murdered your father, right in front of you, now holds a high-level position in one of your factories. Do I have that right? Or did I miss something?"
Kuvira's jaw set as she glared at Lee. What the hell is he doing?! A knot immediately formed in her stomach as her brain tried to warn her that Lee had tricked her into believing he actually wanted her to be released.
Asami's reaction wasn't that much different than Kuvira's, and her eyes narrowed as anger and resentment briefly flashed across her face. It was something Kuvira hadn't seen from her in a long time.
"No…you have that right," Asami said, trying to force a neutral look back onto her face. "I realize that, on the surface, it doesn't make any sense."
Lee spread his arm wide. "Well then, maybe you could enlighten all of us as to how you came to the decision to employ your father's killer?"
Kuvira could hear agitated shifting coming from behind her and she didn't even need to turn around to know it was coming from Nayuh. The sudden turn of events and Lee's hostility seemed to shift the entire atmosphere in the room and Kuvira could only hope that this wasn't about to go even more downhill than it already was.
"It wasn't easy, I can tell you that much," Asami began. "Chief Tonraq had pitched to me the idea of building a snowmobile factory in the South a few years ago. I agreed with him that it was a good idea and would bring much-needed jobs and revenue to the Tribe, so I asked him to write me a formal proposal and then we could go from there.
"Unbeknownst to me at the time, the Chief enlisted Kuvira's help in writing the proposal, as she was already in the South and recovering from her injuries by that point."
"Why did the Chief enlist Kuvira's help? Why didn't he reach out to you for your help?"
"I don't know," Asami answered. "You'd have to ask him."
Lee smiled. "Oh, I'm planning on it. When did you find out that the Chief was working with Kuvira?"
"Only after the proposal was finished. And no, I wasn't happy about it, not at first." She took a deep breath. "But, I couldn't overlook how well the proposal had been written. As hard as it was for me to admit, Kuvira had done a very good job and the Chief had been right to have her help.
"So, at both the Avatar's and Chief's insistence, I agreed to include Kuvira in the factory's construction process. Neither one of them carried the amount of anger and hatred I did towards her and they could see the strides she was making, both in her recovery and as a person. The Chief especially, who was with her on a daily basis, saw how passionate she was about the project, and how working on it was helping with her recovery.
"It took a while, but eventually, I did as well. I then assigned her to assist the construction site manager, Sakku, and the work she did during that time period proved to me that she'd earned the position that she currently holds."
"So, rather than being given the position, due to her close relationship with the Chief and the Avatar, Kuvira actually had to earn it, just like anyone else? Is that right?"
"That's correct, yes," Asami said, and Kuvira breathed a very small sigh of relief as she finally figured out Lee's motive for his line of questioning. "And honestly," Asami went on, "she had to work a lot harder than anyone else would've, given who she is."
"You mean, given the amount of anger you still held towards her," Lee said, wanting Asami to clarify.
Asami nodded and looked Kuvira dead in the eye. "Yes. I will never forgive her for taking my family away from me, but I will say that she's one of my best employees. She and Sakku have turned that factory into one of the top-producing ones that Future Industries has. She's an invaluable resource to my company and to the Southern Water Tribe."
Lee smiled. "Well, that brings me to my last question. Is Kuvira here in Republic City, at your request, as her boss?"
"Yes," Asami firmly replied. "I asked her to come up here so we could meet and discuss a project that we have been working on together."
"Is there any way you can elaborate on what this project is?"
"I can't and won't go into details, because it's still under development, but what I can tell you is that it involves taking the mecha-tech that my father invented, and using it to assist the production line workers in each of Future Industries' factories.
"Kuvira was the one to come up with the original idea, which she then put into a proposal, and she's been working with me to get a prototype completed. I asked her to come up here so we could finish the prototype together. If we can get it working, it will completely revolutionize the way the entire industry does business. Not just for my company, but for everyone."
Excited whispers broke out behind Kuvira and she knew it was coming from the workers. This was the first they were hearing of it and Kuvira felt a dull ache in the pit of her stomach, knowing that she might never see it completed.
A few of the judges were whispering to each other as well and nodding as if they were satisfied with what Asami was saying. "Thank you, Mrs. Sato," Lee said. "That's all the questions I have for you." Asami smiled at him and took her seat again.
Lee called Tonraq up next. "Don't worry, I'll make this quick, Chief. I only have a few questions for you." Tonraq nodded and Lee pressed on.
"I'll ask you the same thing I asked Mrs. Sato: why did you ask for Kuvira's help in writing the factory proposal? You had the CEO of Future Industries ear. She would've easily been able to assist you."
"Initially, when Kuvira was trying to stabilize Ba Sing Se after the Earth Queen's death, she came to me for help. We'd fought together to help the Avatar take down Zaheer and she saved my life—there was a level of respect there, on both sides. It was during that time that I was able to see just how savvy she was when it came to the more political side of being a leader.
"It's a savviness I, myself, do not possess. At least, not to the extent she does. At the time I was trying to get the proposal passed by the Council of Elders—our governing body in the Tribe—I was having some issues with a local businessman, who was adamantly trying to stop the factory from happening. And since Kuvira was in the middle of her recovery, with nothing else to occupy her time or her attention, I decided to put both of those things to good use.
"I knew she was fully capable of tackling the task of writing the proposal, and I knew she'd do a damn good job of it. And she proved me right."
"What was Kuvira's state of mind, prior to you bringing her on board to help?" Lee asked.
Tonraq briefly glanced at Kuvira and she didn't miss the sympathy in his eyes. She knew what was coming, she just didn't want the entire courtroom to know. But what she wanted was a moot point.
"It…wasn't good," Tonraq said, his voice going slightly quieter. "But, given what she'd just gone through, I can't blame her. I knew she was depressed and I figured that asking for her help might provide the distraction she needed."
"And did it?"
Tonraq shrugged. "That's a question only she can answer. But, in my opinion, yes, I think it did. Everyone noticed a change in her mood almost immediately. And it only continued to improve, the longer and more in-depth her work with the factory became."
"So, in your opinion, did the work give her purpose again?"
Tonraq nodded. "Yes, I think it did. A good purpose, something positive she could focus on and look forward to." His eyes flicked to his daughter. "And anyone who's been through something traumatic like Kuvira has, will tell you that finding something like that is a key part of their recovery."
"Thank you, Chief," Lee said, inclining his head slightly. "I have no further questions for you."
Tonraq inclined his head as well, then took his seat. The next witness Lee called up was unsurprising, now that Kuvira had figured out what Lee was trying to do.
"You are Kuvira's direct supervisor at the factory, is that correct?" Lee asked Sakku.
Sakku nodded. "Yes, it is. As the operations manager, I oversee the entire factory, including Kuvira's position."
"When did you first meet Kuvira?"
"Not long after construction on the factory had begun," Sakku answered.
"And what was your first impression of her?"
Sakku looked at her and Kuvira could tell he was trying to suppress a smile and keep his face impassive. "Quiet. Humble—she outright admitted to me that she had no idea what she was doing within five minutes of us meeting," Sakku added with a chuckle.
"But she was determined to learn, and learn quickly. I think that's the thing that made the biggest impression on me: the eagerness and determination she had to do the best she could, every single day. And that drive hasn't faded at all since then."
"Has she ever displayed any violent tendencies?" Lee asked.
Sakku actually looked taken aback by the question. "Absolutely not. Never."
"Have you ever had to take any disciplinary actions with her? Even something as minor as a written warning?"
Sakku firmly shook his head. "No. Never."
"Have there ever been any complaints about her by any of the other workers?"
Again, Sakku firmly shook his head no. "Never. Just ask them" —he motioned to the audience, where the workers were sitting— "they'll tell you: Kuvira—or 'Vira' as we know her—is well-liked by everyone in the factory."
Lee smiled and glanced behind him at the workers, who did indeed look eager to speak to Sakku's statement. "All in good time. Let's move on. How is the work product that Kuvira puts out? Have you ever had any issues with her productivity?"
"Never," Sakku repeated, for the third time in as many minutes. "She's one of the hardest working people I've ever met." He chuckled. "In fact, there are a lot of times I have to force her to leave the office."
Kuvira's lips curled into an amused smile. That was absolutely true and she snuck a glance behind her. Nayuh playfully rolled her eyes at her, feigning exasperation. She knew all too well how often Kuvira liked to come home late from work.
"And, in your opinion—and, I'll reiterate that this is the witness's opinion, not fact—what do you think might happen if Kuvira was suddenly unable to fulfill that position anymore?"
Sakku pursed his lips together and took a few moments before answering. "Well…in my opinion…I'm honestly not sure what would happen. The factory would still continue to run, but it would be a massive chore to try and replace her with someone else. They'd have seriously big shoes to fill. But the snowmobiles are too important to the South, so we'd find a way to make it work."
He stood a little taller, puffing his chest out slightly. "We're Southerners…resilience is in our blood."
Lee chuckled. "Thank you, Sakku. I have no further questions for you."
Sakku bowed to him and then returned to his seat. From there, Lee moved on to the workers, as Kuvira had predicted he would. He was slowly setting this up to make the argument that her presence was vital in the South—it was where she needed to be, rather than locked away in a prison cell.
And Kuvira had to give it to him. He was doing a tremendous job. He was even convincing her and she hadn't needed any convincing at all before this.
There were around eighteen more witnesses (by Kuvira's estimate) that Lee still needed to call, including Panuk and Kia. Kuvira wasn't sure if Lee was even planning on calling Nayuh's mother up (and if he was, what he'd even ask her), but Panuk was a given, since he was a worker at the factory.
Lee started at the back of the audience, and it quickly became clear he wasn't planning on going as in-depth with the workers as he had with everyone else. He only asked them a few questions, all pertaining to their relationship with Kuvira as their boss and fellow employee. All shared at least one, quick, personal story that highlighted their positive interactions with her.
Noalraq spoke of the time that Kuvira had made a point to visit him and his wife right after their daughter was born, bringing (at Nayuh's insistence, although no one needed to know that now) fresh supplies, like diapers, to them.
Salak told Lee that the highlight of his Mondays was when Kuvira would go out of her way to chat with him about the weekend's pro-bending matches. They had a good-natured rivalry going on with it and he always appreciated the banter. It wasn't something she'd ever thought about, but hearing him say that brought a smile to her face.
Kadam told the story of the time he'd been injured on the production line (moving the engine blocks, no less) and Kuvira had sat with him and kept him distracted until the healers had arrived to take him to the healing hut.
"The last thing I wanted to think about was how badly my leg was busted up," he said, "and she provided a much-needed distraction. It seems small, but it meant a lot to me." He inclined his head at Kuvira in thanks, and she returned it with a smile on her face.
Every single worker Lee called up seemed to have a story like that, and as Kuvira listened to them, she couldn't help but feel a profound sense of gratitude for each and every one of them. They didn't have to take time off of work, travel to a foreign country, and speak out in front of a panel of judges for her. The fact that all of them had willingly done so—and seemed eager to do so—spoke volumes to her.
She'd never given a second thought to how her actions over the last few years would come back to haunt her. But unlike the actions she'd taken during her years in power, these actions were coming back around in a good way. What was that old Earth Kingdom saying? You reap what you sow.
Without even realizing she was doing it, she had managed to win these people over, just through simple acts of kindness. Emphasis on the simple…none of it had ever been forced.
These people—her people now, the South in general—had given her a second chance at life. It only felt right that she fully embrace it. This was the apparent end result: an entire room full of people, ready and willing to stand up and defend her like she was one of their own.
By the time Lee had finished with the tenth of the eighteen witnesses he had left, Kuvira had tears in her eyes. They were tears of gratitude and she fiercely wished she could shake each and every one of their hands right now and thank them. Even though that didn't feel like it would be nearly enough to express how grateful she was.
Lee was in the middle of calling up yet another worker when the head judge stopped him. "How many more witnesses do you have, Counselor?"
Again, Lee made a point of counting heads. "Around eight more, Your Honor. I promise I'll be quick."
"No need," the head judge replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm assuming the next eight are all workers at the factory, just like the last ten have been?" Lee nodded, somewhat sheepishly, although Kuvira could tell he was trying very hard to keep a smile off his face.
"And, is it safe to assume that you're planning on asking them the same questions you asked the previous ten?" Again, Lee nodded. "And would I be correct in assuming they all have the same sort of answer…something along the lines of Kuvira helping them in some way?"
Now Lee looked almost offended. "Well, yes, Your Honor, but I can assure you, they haven't been coached. Not by me, or anyone. They're all here on their own accord and want to tell their stories. I'm simply allowing them to do it."
The head judge gave a slight nod of her head, before leaning to her left to listen to whatever that judge was saying to her. Lee waited patiently while all five of the judges turned around and quickly conversed amongst themselves for a few minutes. Kuvira, meanwhile, wasn't so patient and nervously bounced her legs underneath the table.
Finally, all five turned back around. "Well, I think we've heard all we needed to hear for the day," the head judge said, folding her hands in front of her. "Since we've gone far longer than the allotted time, my fellow judges and I will take the rest of the evening to consider what's been presented.
"We'll reconvene at eight tomorrow morning." She looked over at Mako. "Detective, you'll be allowed your rebuttal then. I suggest you take the extra time you have to prepare."
Mako dejectedly nodded. Kuvira had a feeling he knew he was beaten unless he could come up with a miracle overnight. It was certainly a possibility. Mako had proved himself a shrewd detective and his ego was entirely too large to let her walk away from this. Not knowing what else he had up his sleeve would most definitely keep her from sleeping tonight.
"Do either one of you have anything for us before we adjourn for the day?" the head judge asked Lee and Mako. Both shook their heads no and with that, the head judge officially ended the first day with a bang of her gavel.
"Do you think she'll let the other witnesses speak?" Kuvira asked Lee. The guards were already walking toward her and she at least wanted some reassurance from him before she was taken back to her cell.
"Maybe," Lee answered. Then he smiled. "But even if she doesn't, I think we've made a pretty solid case, even without all of the witnesses."
"I'm worried about what Mako is going to dig up tonight," Kuvira said.
"Don't be," Lee replied. "He proved today that he has no argument. At least, not one he can win. His charges against you are baseless and we proved that today. Any questions the judges or anyone else might've had about what you were doing in the South and why you were free, we answered. I'll be shocked if they don't take the deal."
Kuvira frowned. "Well, I'm not as confident as you are, but I hope you're right."
"I do, too," Lee said. He suddenly frowned and held up a hand to the guards, stopping them from taking Kuvira. "Give her a minute, will you? As her attorney, I'm granting her a few minutes with her family. Then she's all yours." The guards nodded and took a few steps back, though they didn't look happy about it.
Lee motioned to Nayuh and Kia and Panuk, who were standing just on the other side of the railing from Kuvira. Kuvira grinned at him. "Thank you." Then she turned and shuffled the few steps it was over to the railing.
"No touching," Lee quickly told them and Nayuh frowned while Kuvira rolled her eyes. Still, she was grinning as she gazed at all three of them.
"I think that went very well," Kia stated, giving Kuvira the most genuine smile she'd ever seen from her. "I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow."
"Thank you for being here," Kuvira sincerely told her and Panuk. "Both of you…I wish I could tell you just how much I appreciate it."
"I think I've said it enough over the last few days for both of us," Nayuh said, smiling at her mother and brother. Then she looked at Kuvira. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay…I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see that you're alright, though. The last time I saw you…" Kuvira shuddered as she trailed off.
Nayuh's face softened and Kuvira could tell she had to stop herself from reaching for her. "The important thing is, we're both okay. And hopefully, we'll be walking out of here together tomorrow."
Kuvira made a show of crossing her fingers and everyone laughed. She glanced over at the guards, who were watching her like hawks. "I guess I better go," she said with a sigh. "I can't wait to see you in the morning."
"That makes two of us," Nayuh replied. "I love you, Vee. So much."
"I love you, too…and I'm so sorry for all of this."
Nayuh shook her head. "No…no apologies. You have nothing to apologize for."
"But—"
"Ah," Nah said, silencing her with a look, "no apologies. You can apologize all you want, after tomorrow. Right now, I don't want to hear it." Her voice was firm, but her face was soft and Kuvira smiled at her.
"Okay…no apologies. I'll see you guys in the morning. I love you."
"I love you, too," Nayuh replied. Then she motioned to her mother and brother, who'd moved a few steps away, to give them a bit of space. "We love you. Everyone in here does. Don't ever forget it."
"I won't," Kuvira said, meaning every word. She gave Nayuh one last look, then shuffled over to the guards.
Much to her surprise, the guards didn't take her outside on their walk back to the jail. Instead, they took the underground tunnel. It was a massive relief—she was emotionally drained and the last thing she wanted to deal with was an angry mob.
Once she was back in her cell, she breathed a sigh of relief. The day had gone a lot smoother than she'd anticipated, and even though she wasn't free—yet—she had a little bit more hope than what she'd started the day with.
The nerves that had plagued her all day left her alone long enough so that she could eat dinner (which she devoured in record time since she was ravenous after barely eating all day), but they returned with a vengeance once she laid down to sleep.
It seemed as though her brain wanted to remind her of every single thing she'd done wrong in her life and she tossed and turned for hours before finally drifting off. She was awoken a couple of hours (or so it seemed) later, by the guards bringing her breakfast. She sleepily ate what she could, as her anxiety had come roaring back the moment her eyes opened.
Again, she paced the length of her cell, waiting for the guards to come and get her. Again, her stomach was in knots as she was led outside, through the waiting mob of people (although she did notice it wasn't nearly as many as the day prior). Again, she nervously waited in the holding cell outside the courtroom.
The courtroom was full of the same people as yesterday, and Kuvira smiled and nodded to those who were sitting on her side. She received more than a few smiles and head nods in return and she made a mental note to properly thank each and every one of them, as soon as she got the chance.
The judges filed in not long after Kuvira had taken her seat and the courtroom suddenly got very quiet. Once all five of the judges were seated the head judge addressed Lee first. "Counselor, it is the decision of this court that we do not need to hear the remainder of your witnesses today. What you provided yesterday was more than sufficient."
Lee bowed respectfully, but Kuvira could tell he was disappointed. "Then I rest my case, Your Honor." He sat back down and the head judge turned to Mako.
"Detective, have you had ample time to prepare for your rebuttal?"
Mako stood. "I have, Your Honor."
"And do you wish to call any other witnesses or provide any more evidence that pertains to the current charges against Kuvira?" There was a subtle emphasis on the word "current" but it was enough that Mako flinched slightly. Then he set his jaw in determination.
"I do not. I do, however, feel the need to remind the court that Kuvira has lied to and manipulated people before. And it wasn't that long ago that she forcefully tried to take over this city and nation. Not to mention the terror she sowed in her own country. What's to say she's not going to do the same thing to the Southern Water Tribe, the moment the world stops paying attention to her?
"If she's allowed to go free, then I believe that she's going to fall right back into her old ways." He turned and looked at Tonraq and Korra, who were sitting next to one another. "Spirits help the South if she does."
It was supposed to sound like an ominous warning, but it lacked any real firepower, making it completely obvious that Mako was grasping at straws. He had no argument—he'd proven that yesterday and again today, by not even providing any sort of rebuttal besides his own opinion.
The head judge seemed surprised by the lack of rebuttal as well and questioningly looked to her left and right. She received a few shoulder shrugs in reply, and Kuvira had to suppress a chuckle. Clearly, they all had expected Mako to put up at least a little bit of a fight this morning.
"Counselor," the head judge said, returning her attention to Lee, "we received the written plea agreement from you prior to the proceedings yesterday. Is there anything else you'd like to add at this time before we retire to our chambers to review it?"
"No, Your Honor."
"Detective?" the head judge said to Mako. "Have you had a chance to review the agreement as well?"
"I have, Your Honor," Mako said, almost grumbling the statement out.
"Excellent…then we'll take a recess so we can review it and come to our decision." She banged her gavel on the desk and Kuvira looked at Lee, confused.
"What happens now?"
"They'll head back to their chambers to review the agreement, while we all wait out here," Lee answered.
"How long do you think that'll take?"
Lee shrugged. "Could be an hour, could be several. Just depends on how easily they can come to an agreement or not. Luckily, it doesn't have to be unanimous. Just a majority vote."
Kuvira was under the impression she'd be allowed to wait out in the courtroom with everyone else, but the guards quickly came and got her and escorted her back to the holding cell. Tiny though it was, Kuvira couldn't stand to sit, so she paced as best she could and tried not to think the worst as the minutes, then hours dragged on.
It wasn't until after lunch that the guards came to get her again. She nervously shuffled back to her seat, heart pounding in her chest in anticipation. She promised herself that, no matter what happened, she'd face it with the rigid discipline and composure she was raised with.
The judges filed back in, one by one, and Kuvira took a deep breath as the head judge stood. "Kuvira Beifong," she said, looking at Kuvira, "please stand."
Kuvira obeyed and rose to her feet. Her legs felt rubbery and she tried to steady them as the head judge began reading from the paper in her hand.
"On the charge of violating the terms of your imprisonment, this tribunal finds the accused guilty."
It was as if all the air was immediately sucked out of the room and Kuvira's heart sank like a stone. Lee had warned her that, out of all the charges, this would probably be the one they'd find her guilty of. Still, it took everything she had to keep her face impassive and her head from sagging in defeat.
"On the charge of falsifying your death to escape and evade captivity, this tribunal finds the accused not guilty." The rollercoaster of emotions continued and a small sliver of hope started to form again.
"On the charge of being a fugitive from justice, this tribunal finds the accused not guilty."
Kuvira nearly collapsed from relief and had to steady herself on the table. She looked up at Lee, wanting him to confirm what she'd just heard. He was smiling and reached over to pat her on the shoulder. That had to mean this was good, right?
The head judge gave everyone a moment to let the final verdict sink in, before moving on. Now came the important part. Now came the sentencing. The next few seconds would determine if she would walk out of here free…or in chains.
"We have reviewed the terms of the deal that the defense counselor has proposed and we find its terms agreeable."
Again, Kuvira nearly toppled over from relief. When Lee had initially pitched the deal to her, she never thought the tribunal would go for it. Now, hearing that they were agreeing to it…it felt like a dream and she nearly pinched herself to make sure it was real.
The head judge looked at Kuvira again. "Kuvira Beifong, you are hereby sentenced to ten years imprisonment, which you will serve out in the Southern Water Tribe, on a work release granted by this tribunal. As per the terms of this deal, you are not authorized to ever leave the South Pole during this time frame."
She eyed Kuvira carefully. "You are not to step foot out of Southern Water Tribe territory for the next ten years. Do you understand?"
Kuvira solemnly nodded. "Yes, Your Honor."
"And," the head judge continued, "if you so much as put one toe out of line down there, then we will bring you right back up here, where you will serve the remainder of your sentence in prison. Also, given what happened after the last sentencing, if anything out of the ordinary happens that causes you to break the terms of this sentence, then you will contact this tribunal immediately, to get it sorted out. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"As of right now, you are hereby released from the custody of the Republic City Police Department and placed into the custody of the Southern Water Tribe. I highly encourage you to return to the South Pole as soon as possible. Do you have any questions?"
Kuvira glanced at Lee, who nodded. "Just one, Your Honor." The head judge made a motion with her hand, indicating Kuvira should continue. "Will I be able to go back to working at the factory?"
The head judge actually smiled. "I hope so, considering that's the primary reason we're granting you this work release. The good work you're doing down there cannot be overlooked. I would like to see it continue, for many years to come."
Kuvira smiled at her. "As would I, Your Honor." She bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you, Your Honors. I truly appreciate the second chance you've given me."
"Third," the head judge corrected her. "And I hope we never have to see each other again."
"Agreed," Kuvira wholeheartedly replied, eliciting chuckles from the crowd behind her.
"If that will be all…" the head judge said and she paused, waiting to see if Lee or Mako had anything else. When neither spoke up, she lifted her gavel. "This tribunal is adjourned."
Then she brought the gavel down and Kuvira heard a loud "woo-hoo!" erupt from behind her. She turned and grinned at Korra, who was smiling so wide her face must have hurt. It was followed by applause as the workers jumped to their feet, clapping and cheering. Kuvira assumed the judges were going to stop them, but when she glanced up at the bench, she realized they were already gone.
The next few minutes passed by in a blur. The guards came over and took the shackles off of her. The second they were off, Nayuh jumped over the railing and ran straight into Kuvira's arms. The world melted away as Kuvira tightly hugged her. Now that she had Nayuh in her arms again, she never, ever wanted to let her go.
"Congratulations," Lee said, from behind her.
Kuvira reluctantly let go of Nayuh and turned and offered him her hand. "Thank you. I know you didn't want to defend me, and I know you don't like me, but you did a helluva job. I can see why Asami trusts you so much. You're an amazing attorney, Lee. I owe you…big time."
"You do," Lee agreed, but he was smiling. "I'll make sure I collect on that the next time I'm in the South. Maybe you can score me some tickets to a pro-bending match down there."
"Whatever you want," Kuvira said, "you got it." She shook his hand again, then he turned to talk to Asami and Tonraq.
Kuvira realized that everyone was waiting for her on the other side of the railing and, eager to thank them all, she took Nayuh's hand and started walking towards the gate. Nayuh, however, immediately tugged her back.
"They can have you in a minute," she said, sliding her arms around Kuvira's waist. "Right now, you're all mine."
Kuvira grinned and dipped her head, meeting Nayuh halfway. It felt like their very first kiss all over again, and Kuvira nearly lost herself right then and there. She wrapped her arms around Nayuh's shoulders and pulled her as close as she could, not caring in the slightest that they weren't alone.
She was free. And she was going home.
