The courthouse felt tense; people fidgeted in their seats as the guards led Kuvira into the room. This would be the last day anyone spoke for or against Kuvira in this court. Within a few days, Republic City would know the Great Uniter's fate. Owing to the trouble in the streets, Lin's officers flanked each row of seats and Korra was certain more were hiding throughout the building and disguised among the curious onlookers.

Kuvira sat. As always, her back was like the pillars supporting the building, and her shoulders equally as burdened. She did not deign to glance at the room, packed to capacity. When the judges called the trial to order, she stood and curtly acknowledged them, before resuming her stolid silence.

One of the courtroom guards stepped forward. "First to testify will be Suyin Beifong of Zaofu. Please come to the podium."

At his words, the matriarch of Zaofu walked to the front of the room and pledged to answer the court's questions honestly and to the best of her ability. When she turned back to face the room, Korra could see the anger and betrayal, still molten hot after these weeks and months and years.

"Suyin Beifong, you were the leader of Zaofu when the Earth Queen was assassinated by the Red Lotus, is that correct?" Once again, Noriko, the Chief Justice from the Fire Nation was leading the questioning, with her compatriots listening from the seats beside her

"That is correct."

"And following the assassination of the Earth Queen, you were involved in a discussion about how to stabilize the territories of the Earth Kingdom, correct?"

"Yes."

"Could you indicate for the court which individuals were present at this meeting?"

"Myself, President Raiko, Tenzin," she paused, and glanced at Kuvira, "and Kuvira."

Noriko's voice played mock surprise like a harp. "Kuvira was present at this meeting? At whose invitation?"

Korra could nearly hear Suyin grinding her teeth from her seat. "At my invitation, she was at the time, my captain of the guards." Her words were clipped short.

"And could you describe your relationship with Kuvira, prior to this meeting?" Noriko leaned forward in her chair, steepling her fingers before her face.

Korra could swear she saw a shiver pass through Kuvira's shoulders, but as quick as she could blink, it was once again frozen out behind her silence. "How is that relevant to this trial?" The anger in Suyin's voice betrayed similar feelings about the question.

"I will decide what is relevant in this trial!" Noriko slammed a palm on the edge of her desk. The courtroom was stunned into silence; this was completely unlike the calm magistrate who had gently guided the earlier testimony. But as quickly as this new face had appeared, it disappeared once more. "I will ask again," she said, her voice as cool as before, "could you describe your relationship with Kuvira prior to this meeting?"

"Kuvira had been orphaned and I had taken her in many years before," she started.

"Was this something you frequently did as leader of Zaofu?" Noriko interrupted gently.

Suyin looked down at her feet. "Yes," she said and paused. "And no. Zaofu was a place for second chances. Many people came to Zaofu because they had nowhere else to turn and some of these were children. As long as they could contribute to the good of the city, they were welcome to stay."

"And you, Suyin Beifong, decided if what they contributed was to the good of the city."

Even though Noriko's tone had not posed it as a question, Suyin nodded in response. "If I did not know them well, I would get the opinions of those close to them. But yes, it was my decision whether they could stay or must leave." She glanced again at Kuvira and continued, stumbling over her first couple words, "I did not need to ask anyone about Kuvira. I said that I had taken in children to Zaofu before, but never like Kuvira. Even at a young age, Kuvira was immensely talented as a metalbender. And people listened to her. Even those who shouldn't.

"She became my protégé. I tried to teach her everything I knew about metalbending, more than I even taught my own sons. The moment she was old enough that I'd let her, she joined the Zaofu guard and rose through the ranks faster than anyone ever had. Once she became captain, I entrusted her with everything, my secrets, my life, the lives of those dear to me," she said, reminding Korra who had saved her father when Zaheer and sent him plummeting off a cliff. "It was natural that I included her in all major discussions following the Red Lotus Crisis." Her face twisted in anger. "And after all that, she brings an army to my doorstep and throws my family in chains. I wish I could go back and cast her out the very first day she ever showed her face around Zaofu!"

This time Korra did not struggle to see the emotion rippling through Kuvira's body. Her arms, which had been folded across her chest, unwrapped and her palms ground into the desk. Korra wouldn't have been surprised if her fingers left divots in the wood.

"Mother, stop!" a voice called out from the back of the room. "How can you talk about her like that? You treated her like your own daughter!" Almost as one, the room turned to see Baatar, standing, one arm raised, finger pointing accusingly at his mother. And almost as one, the room gasped, then fell into chaos. Over the tumult, Korra saw Kuvira slowly turn to face her once-fiancée, an unfamiliar confusion in her eyes.

"Remove this man from my courtroom at once," Noriko's voice was not angry, but still stern. It cut through the noise and as two officers bullied their way through the crowd, her words seemed to dampen the crowd. One by one, people took their seats, looking around as though released from a trance. Baatar scowled at the police as they approached him but did not resist as they guided him towards the door.

Korra watched a waterfall of emotions wash over Suyin's face: anger, confusion, sadness, and maybe, just a hint of pride. She had placed a hand on the nearby railing to steady herself as she watched Baatar be led out of the room. Korra saw her take a breath and pull herself upright before the crowd had turned back to her. Once everyone had settled, Noriko merely nodded at Suyin to continue. "What was I saying?" she started, voice clouded, "Kuvira became captain of the guards and my close confidant. She was at that meeting at my invitation."

"Excellent. Now that we have that cleared up, let's return to the subject of this meeting. You have testified that Tenzin and President Raiko came to Zaofu to discuss the possibility of stabilizing the Earth Kingdom. Could you clarify for the court how they proposed you would do so?"

"They wanted me to take the throne as regent until Prince Wu could be safely restored to the throne. I would use the Zaofu security force to secure Ba Sing Se and then the rest of the Earth Kingdom."

"But you did not do so."

"No, I did not."

"And why did you refuse their plan?"

"Many times, in the Earth Kingdom's history, local rules have tried to conquer the nation in times of weakness and strife. Each one has pledged that their aims were noble, but they were nothing but tyrants. I did not want Zaofu and I to become the newest heirs to Chin the Conqueror."

"Did anyone speak up against you?"

"Yes. I refused their offer and Kuvira spoke up against me. She said that we could share Zaofu's prosperity with the rest of the Earth Kingdom," Suyin said and shook her head, "but the last monarch to share their prosperity with the world was Fire Lord Sozin. I would not follow the same path."

"But Fire Lord Sozin faced a world at peace. How would you describe the state of the Earth Kingdom at this time?"

Suyin frowned slightly. "As I said, the Earth Kingdom was falling apart, but that is not an excuse to-"

"And was the suggestion that you conquer Ba Sing Se and become the new Earth Queen?" Noriko cut in quickly, starting to lean forward in her chair.

"No, but it would make little difference if that was my intention-"

"And when Kuvira later entered the capital of Ba Sing Se, how did the people respond?" Noriko kept pressing quickly.

Suyin seemed a bit off balance as she started to answer. "Well, I wasn't in Ba Sing Se, so I can't be sure."

"From what you've heard then."

"From what I've heard, there was some fighting when she first entered but things quieted soon afterwards." She paused and waited for Noriko to ask another question. Yet the justice did not go on, merely tilting her head and waiting. Suyin glanced around; Korra tried to catch her eyes but couldn't as her gaze roamed onwards. Seeming to want to cut the tension, Suyin continued talking, "I heard that there were celebrations once the city had calmed down."

"Why was that?"

"After the fall of the Earth Queen, the city had pretty much been run by the gangs and other criminals. The Dai Li had been in disarray after failing to prevent the Red Lotus' attack, so the only groups organized enough to control the city were criminals."

"And at this same time, what was happening in the other parts of the Earth Kingdom?"

"Without support from Ba Sing Se, many regions found it difficult to stop banditry from breaking out. And without food and supplies from the capital or Republic City, poorer regions found themselves with little recourse but to hope they could satiate the bandits with enough left over for themselves."

"So, with all of this going on, you assumed that the Earth Kingdom would not welcome Zaofu's help? Did you ask people from Ba Sing Se what they thought?"

"You know I did not." Suyin's voice had gone very stiff.

"What about someone from these poorer regions?"

"No."

"Someone being preyed upon by bandits? Someone who had lost family in the chaos in Ba Sing Se? Someone watching their children starve for lack of food?" Suyin responded to each with a curt shake of the head. "Nobody? Well."

Suyin turned full to face the justice and Korra could see that her face had flushed. "If you think I made the wrong decision, then come out and say it! Don't hide behind your questions!"

Noriko smiled and sat back in her chair. "The question is not whether I think you made the wrong decision," she said in a pensive tone, "but just two more questions and you'll be free to go. From my reports, there were few incidents of banditry in the area near Zaofu, why was that?"

Suyin crossed her arms. "As leader of Zaofu, it is my responsibility to keep my people safe."

"I see. And finally, and I recognize this may be a difficult hypothetical question, but suppose that everything happened as it did, up to Prince Wu's coronation. But at the coronation, Kuvira stepped down as interim leader as originally planned. Afterwards, she and her fiancée asked to return to Zaofu to live there together. Would you have allowed it?"

Korra watched as Suyin slowly locked eyes with Kuvira, who had not let an iota of tension leave her posture during the entire testimony. Then, she watched Suyin's eyes drift to the door where Baatar had been led out of the courtroom and she remembered how Suyin had told her about the day Kuvira and Baatar left Zaofu, how Suyin had told them they would never be welcomed back. And now, she saw weariness on Suyin's face, as though every one of her nearly fifty years caught up in a single moment. "Maybe not right away. But eventually I might have. Baatar is my son and eventually I would have been willing to give Kuvira another chance."

"Thank you, that will be all." Noriko's voice was kindly once more as she dismissed Suyin.

Suyin started to walk back towards the seats but paused as she passed Kuvira. Her shoulders turned and she opened her mouth as if to say something. After a moment's pause, she shook her head and walked onwards, silently.

As she passed Korra, she met the Avatar's eyes and gave her a tired smile, raising a hand to forestall any of the questions dancing in Korra's head. She didn't stop when she reached her seat and walked to the end of the room. She left; the door clanging shut behind her.

"The last testimony will be President Raiko of Republic City," a court functionary read out as the man strode imperiously to the front of the room.

He impatiently made the usual pledges for his testimony and started to speak before the justices could ask a single question. "This woman brought an army to the doorstep of Republic City. She blatantly disregarded the treaties and truces signed by our forefathers that established this city as an area of peace between the nations, and her actions led to the deaths of thousands of Republic City's people. On behalf of Republic City and in the name of my office, I hereby request that this court give her the death penalty."

The crowd around Korra gasped and reeled back. It seemed like people were about to get out of their seats and start shouting once more. Yet as they started to stand, people glanced to their left and right, noticing the ever more substantial police presence in the courtroom. As one, people slowly sank into their seats, words of support and protest dying on their lips. Korra caught a trace of a smile flashing across Noriko's face, at last getting the order in her courtroom she had so long sought. "Your request has been noted. Unfortunately, you were not called to offer the court legal advice, but rather for your testimony. Perhaps you would be willing to answer a few brief questions," she said wryly.

Raiko glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow and gave a curt nod. "Let's make this quick."

"Excellent. First, you have heard Suyin Beifong's testimony today about a meeting that took place not long after the death of Earth Queen Hou-Ting in Zaofu. Is there anything in Suyin's testimony that you would contradict?"

"No, her account agrees with what I remember of that meeting."

"Second, near the beginning of the trial, Kuvira had testified to a meeting where you discussed the possibility of a pre-emptive attack on her Earth Empire and the court would like to hear more from someone who was present at this meeting."

Raiko's eyes narrowed. "The business of Republic City's government is confidential."

Noriko shook her head. "The agreement that organized this court says otherwise, and the unbiased pursuit of justice requires unhindered access to the truth. I will start by asking who was present at this meeting," she said, and as Raiko opened his mouth to answer, she added, "and I will remind you of your oath to the court."

"Fine then," he said with a touch of irritation, "as I recall, Fire Lord Izumi, Prince Wu, Tenzin, the Chief of Police, and I were present at the meeting. A number of others arrived uninvited later."

"And did anyone at this meeting suggest the possibility of a pre-emptive attack on the Earth Empire?"

"Yes, I did so, as Kuvira's forces had already taken Zaofu and were preparing to march on Republic City. And as it turns out, I was right. If we could have launched an attack before she could bring that monstrosity to Republic City, we would have saved countless lives."

"How did the others respond to your proposal?"

"Chief Lin was supportive, no doubt in part because her relatives had just been captured by Kuvira when Zaofu fell. Neither Tenzin nor Izumi were willing to commit their forces to support this attack. Even when Varrick and Bolin brought intelligence that Kuvira was developing a superweapon using the spirit vines, they would not change their minds."

"So, what did this council decide to do?"

Raiko shook his head. "Even before Kuvira's attack, Republic City's military was stretched too thin to go on the offensive alone. Without support from the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads, we had no other choice but to harden Republic City against the inevitable attack.

Noriko cocked her head to the side. "The inevitable attack?"

"As I said, we received intelligence that Kuvira was building a superweapon. By this time, she had already captured Zaofu, which was the last remaining territory in the Earth Kingdom. If she did not plan to use this superweapon to attack Republic City, why bother building one?"

"Perhaps to stave off pre-emptive attacks from other nations?" Noriko said and chuckled. Before Raiko could cut in, she waved a hand, "Mere speculation. Your testimony is noted. Last, I would like to ensure the court understands the sequence of events when Kuvira came to Republic City."

"Fine." He tilted his head and thought for a moment and then began to speak. "Initially, we thought that Kuvira would be bringing her superweapon by rail lines, so I'd authorized an attack by the Avatar and her associates and ordered the rail lines into the city cut. However, the Avatar discovered that Kuvira had transferred her weapon to that Colossus and planned to attack a week early. At that point she was mere hours away from the city and the evacuation was not yet complete," he turned his head and glared at Kuvira, "which left thousands still in the city."

"When Kuvira arrived, my documents show that you got in contact with her before any attacks began."

"That's correct. During our discussion, she fired her cannon on some of the warships in the harbour, disabling nearly all of Republic City's fleet."

"And in this discussion, do you recall who threatened whom first?" Noriko's question came out slowly and her eyes narrowed over interlaced fingers.

Raiko stammered slightly, "I'm not completely sure in what order things happened. She threatened to destroy the army and I told her to stand down. Before she could fire again, I ordered a general surrender and ceasefire to negotiate terms."

"You told me to stand down. I said you were in no position to give orders. You threatened to attack so I fired on the ships. I then threatened the rest of the army before you surrendered." Kuvira's voice rang out, crisp and sharp.

"Are you certain that is the order in which events occurred?" Noriko asked, glancing over at Kuvira.

Without a moment's pause or a hint of levity, Kuvira replied, "Yes, I'm certain. I've had little to do since but reflect on the events of that day."

Noriko looked back at Raiko. "Would you contradict her claims?"

He shook his head. "That's entirely plausible. After the surrender, she sent Baatar to present her terms. However, the Avatar and others kidnapped him on the way there. When she realized they'd done so, she fired on their expected location and launched a full-scale invasion of the city."

"Were you present for the later events between the Avatar and Kuvira?"

"No, I remained on Air Temple Island until after Kuvira had been taken into custody."

"Thank you, I think that will be all," before Raiko could cut in again, "and this court has received your office's details about the damage to the city and estimates of the deaths. I assure you they will be taken into consideration."

Raiko pursed his lips and walked away without another word, pointedly ignoring Kuvira as he passed her. The bailiff called the court to rest and people started to filter out. But just as Korra was getting out of her seat, the bailiff approached her and bowed his head briefly. "Avatar Korra, Chief Justice Noriko requests your presence in her chambers if you please."

Korra turned to look at the Chief Justice with some puzzlement and caught Noriko watching her with raven eagle's eyes. She gave Korra an enigmatic smile and turned to gather her things. "Tell the Chief Justice I'll be with her shortly," Korra said, watching her leave the room behind the other judges.