Chapter 2: The United Coalition
Everything had to be meticulous sculpted. Sen had been over his hair with every kind of comb and brush imaginable, making sure it looked its best. Also, he needed to waste time. Everyone else was taking much longer to get ready than he was.
"Where is my coat," Miyani shouted. "Did one of you take it?"
"Your coat is huge," Whistler shouted back. "Why would one of us take it?"
"No, wait, I have it," Ada said. "Sorry, I grabbed it."
"Why?" Whistler demanded. "So you could use it as a tent?"
"It was an accident!"
Sen did not command a particularly superficial group of people, but on a day like this, everyone was concerned about their appearance. This was to be their first major outing since the day Rahm had fallen. They had been out on the town before in minor, pointless appearances, but this was the first time they would be paraded in front of the press. They needed to look their best.
"Hanjo, you've been reading those fashion magazines," Ariak said. He was turning to examine his profile in the mirror. "Is the style to wear the coat buttoned or unbuttoned."
"Buttoned for business, unbuttoned for romance," Hanjo said.
Ariak swiftly buttoned his coat as Suda unbuttoned it. Nobody was surprised. Suda had been talking about Yoki for days now. He was positively smitten.
Sen had eschewed the more traditional fashions in favor of his coat. In not much time at all, the coat had become part of his "signature" look, as synonymous with him as the blue sleeveless shirt had been with Korra. He made sure every pocket and fold was in order and looked over the rest of his team. The women were getting dressed in another room, so inspecting them would have to wait, but the men all seemed to be in order.
"I feel like a mannequin," Hanjo complained. His clothes were stiff and uncomfortable. So were everyone else's, but Hanjo was the only one complaining.
"We dress for the occasion," Ariak said. Considering that this was a military outing, he might have preferred a more practical outfit, but it was out of his hands. One always dressed for the proper arena, even if it was a political arena.
Today the Avatar would be overseeing the formation of a new United Coalition. Representatives from every nation would be gathering to contribute resources and soldiers to a massive militia, operating independently of any one nation. The new military faction would be entirely devoted to hunting down the Energybender.
Though they had danced around the issue for nearly two decades now, the attack on the North and the return of the Avatar was forcing the world to make its stand. This was not necessarily a good thing. While most would certainly stand with the Avatar, it was also certain that some would stand against him. Sen would have to watch his movements carefully to avoid making this war any more disastrous than it had to be.
While Sen had no control over which nations would or would not participate, the Avatar was, by tradition, given a vote in one crucial aspect of the United Coalition: Who its leader would be. Every nation participating in the Coalition would propose their own candidate, and Sen could vote to support one such candidate –or nominate his own. The person he chose would massively affect the course of the coming war. It was a stressful decision.
The stress of the day did not weigh quite so heavily on some of the Avatar's companions. Ada knew that she was an accessory to the days events, at best, so the biggest concern for her right now was doing her hair right. It was somewhat difficult. Whistler was a lummox and Miyani was struggling with a changing room designed for people two feet shorter than her, so occasionally the entire room shook as something was knocked over.
"Phone call for Ada," A voice called. She was almost glad to have a reason to leave the room. Ada was fully dressed already, so she stepped out to answer the phone.
"Ada speaking," She said.
"Ada, good that I reached you," a stern voice said. Ko Rin. "I was worried I would be late."
"What can I do for you," She said blankly, trying to disguise the suspicion in her voice. Ko Rin was not the Spymaster without reason. She could not give too much away about her distrust of him.
"The voting on the United Coalition's leadership will occur today. I wanted to make sure I was not completely absent from the proceedings," Ko Rin said.
"If that's what you want, you might have shown up," Ada said. Ko Rin had returned to the shadows immediately after their rescue of Hanjo. He claimed he could better lead the White Lotus from the safety of Zaofu. Ada wasn't sure she bought that.
"I have my reasons," Ko Rin said calmly. "I do what is best, and at the moment, I believe it is best for me to stay in Zaofu."
"But you're calling now, so clearly you care about the outcome of today's vote," Ada said.
"I do," Ko Rin said. "Your fellow agents have been gathering intelligence on who the likely candidates will be, and I am not impressed."
"You have a better suggestion?"
"I do," Ko Rin said. "It may seem presumptuous, Ada, but I believe that I would make a suitable candidate to lead the Coalition. You should recommend me to the Avatar. Your Spymaster commands it."
Ada could feel it again: the burning behind her eyes that came upon her so often when she talked to Ko Rin. She could feel it like a venomous sting just at the front of her mind. It wasn't normal. At another time she might have simply chalked it up to her anger or suspicion, but she was past that point now. It was connected to Ko Rin specifically somehow.
"I will," Ada said flatly. She heard a satisfied hum from the other end of the phone, and then silence. Ko Rin hadn't even bothered to say goodbye. The phone was silent now, but Ada kept it pressed against her ear all the same. She wasn't quite ready to move just yet. She felt stiff.
The sounds of chaos coming to an end in the dressing room signaled that it was time to move. The men had actually gone about getting dressed in a fairly orderly fashion, in contrast to Whistler and Miyani's inept hijinks. Miyani had actually managed to make herself look decent, but Whistler had obstinately refused to dress appropriately. She disliked authority, and she wasn't going to dress up for a bunch of world leaders.
"I'm glad they're at least practical enough to not have you wearing dresses," Ariak observed. The outfits were flashy, yes, but there were some limits to the desire for fashion. The woman were wearing pants, at the very least.
"You know, I've never worn a dress," Miyani noted.
"I don't think it would suit you," Ada said. Miyani shrugged her shoulders. Fashion could come later. They had important business to attend to.
Sen led the way out of the door and onto the streets. Hanjo held up his hand in front of his face as the initial surge of blinding camera flashes went off, filling the air with light and the scent of burnt magnesium. There was always a crowd around the Avatar's door, just waiting for him to show his face. Sen didn't do the "smile and wave" routine that most celebrities might have done in this situation. This was a serious day, not the time to play to the crowd. Sen kept his eyes forward as he walked out to the Satomobile.
There had been an argument over how they should travel to the Coalition meeting; Suda and Hanjo had been in favor of retrieving the old Avatarmobile from storage, but Ada had shot that idea by reminding them that their old ride no longer had enough seats for the entire team. Though initially Sen had felt that a limousine was far too ostentatious, it ended up being their ride, as Miyani reminded them all that she was too large to fit into most other conventional satomobiles, unless they all felt like riding in the back of a truck.
They piled into the back of the limo, arranging themselves carefully. Miyani had to stretch out over two seats, slouching heavily to fit beneath the low roof. She had heard that White Lotus engineers were designing a car she could travel more comfortably in, but that would not be completed for a long while. For now, she squished herself uncomfortably into the satomobile and waited out the ride.
"Alright, show time," Sen said, clapping his hands together. This meeting was the beginning of their serious efforts against Sarin. "Anybody have any final thoughts on the conclave?"
"I wish they'd announce candidates beforehand," Ariak sighed. "It seems foolish to ask world leaders to vote on such short notice."
"They're allowed time to stop and research the candidates," Sen said.
"Not nearly enough," Ariak said. "Or else Rahm would never have been elected."
Sen frowned. There had only been two alliances to form a United Coalition in the past; once, at the institutions very founding, to root out the remnants of Kuvira's Earth Empire, and then again but a few short years ago, to fight the Seventh Kingdom. The first Coalition had been led by General Iroh, and the second had initially been led by General Shenron, but after his untimely passing, the Coalition had hastily elected Rahm as his replacement. That had, to say the least, been a mistake.
"That was a desperate decision," Sen said. "I doubt anybody will be quite so foolish today."
"I agree, I doubt it will happen again today," Ariak said. "Just pointing out a potential problem. We need to be on guard."
"We aren't even sure who the candidates will be yet," Sen said. "And, speaking of, I do get to recommend someone myself, if I feel like it. Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions?"
Do it, Ada's mind screamed at her. Say Ko Rin.
"Ko Rin would be a good choice," Ada suggested stiffly.
"Nah," Sen said swiftly. "He's a spy, not a soldier. We need someone military."
Ada's mind burned for a moment, but it gradually faded. Sen noticed the odd pressure.
"Are you okay, Ada?"
"Just a little stressed," Ada gasped. "It's…A very tough decision."
The look in Sen's eyes told her straight away that he didn't believe that for a second.
"I don't think you should nominate your own candidate," Ariak said, tearing Sen's attention away from Ada's odd behavior. "You're still very new on the scene. It would be better to back another's candidate."
"What if their candidates suck?" Whistler added.
"She's got a point," Suda admitted. "The world leaders might have very different ideas about how Sarin needs to be handled."
"I wouldn't vote for any candidate Goto endorses," Miyani said grimly. "The Fire Lord will want a scorched earth policy. He'd tear down half the Earth Kingdom to find Sarin."
"I don't think he'd be that aggressive," Sen said.
"Maybe not," Miyani said. She crossed her arms over her chest. "But I certainly won't join any Coalition led by one of Goto's lackeys."
"You're serious about this," Sen said in disbelief. "You might not join the Coalition."
"I'll still fight the Energybender, no matter what," Miyani said reassuringly. "But if I joined the Coalition, I'd be signing myself over to whoever is in charge. I won't hand my power over to someone who'd want to misuse it."
"While we're talking about joining up, I might not either," Whistler said. "You know how I am with authority. I'd rather be a…is there a free agent in war? A mercenary or something? Could I just kind of tag along with you guys?"
Sen leaned forward in his seat and looked over both of them. He couldn't believe that they were considering the idea of not joining the Coalition. He crossed his arms. They were still planning on helping, at least. He decided he wasn't going to try and lecture them about this right now.
"Just so we're all clear, I've got your back," Hanjo said. "No matter what idiot ends up in charge of the Coalition."
"Same," Suda said.
"Well don't try and make me feel bad," Miyani said.
"No, no, I totally get it with you," Hanjo said. "Whistler should definitely feel bad, though."
"Good luck with that," Whistler chuckled. She put her feet up and leaned back, enjoying the limousine ride.
Sen sat and stewed in his own thoughts. Even the cooperation of his closest friends would be dependent on who he chose as the leader today. Miyani could be a powerful ally even if she wasn't formally part of the Coalition, but she would be much more effective as part of the actual military structure. An organized military was better than groups of wandering heroes.
The limousine came to an abrupt halt in front of the Republic City congressional building. Sen was the first one out of the door, once again stepping into a blinding storm of cameras. This one was slightly smaller, at least. Unlike the swarm of paparazzi outside their hotel, everyone here was a representative of some newspaper or television network. They were held back from the main thoroughfare by a thick wall of security; the Republic was taking no chances. They would not allow this meeting to be compromised.
Sen walked up the broad marble steps of the building, with the cameras still watching him like hawks. There were also literal hawks, or at least hawk-like beings. Many spirits had perched upon the rafters and roofs of nearby building to watch the proceedings. Rumors abounded that many spirits were also willing to participate in the war against the Energybender. While they had no formal government or leaders to represent them, the spirits were making a showing at the conclave. That was a good sign.
The broad antechamber doors were opened to welcome him, and everyone in the room turned their heads simultaneously. The meeting would not begin for a few minutes, so at the moment important world figures were simply mingling in the antechamber.
As rude as ever, Goto immediately dismissed his conversation partner and stomped over to the Avatar, greeting him with a bow and a firm handshake. Hiss bodyguards, Luan and Zouf, gave Sen a stiff nod. They were both still a bit mad that Sen had left Gai Zhu without saying goodbye. Fire Lord Goto was in a considerably better mood.
"It's about time we got this rampage of ours underway, don't you think?"
"I agree," Sen said hesitantly. He would hardly call it a "rampage". "This day is long overdue."
"You're one to talk about things being late," Goto snorted. "Three years to get ready and you still show up halfway through the fight."
"I'd say he showed up at exactly the right time," President Dahaka interjected. He stepped into the conversation and bowed deeply before Sen. Sen returned the gesture.
"I never got the chance to properly thank you for your intervention," Dahaka said gratefully. He nodded to Miyani as well. "The two of you saved my life and my city. I can never thank you enough."
"I believe he'll accept your army as a 'thank you', Dahaka," Goto said with a dry chuckle.
"It was my pleasure, really," Sen said. "But…the army wouldn't hurt."
"Not to worry," Dahaka said. "I've had every intention of fighting the Energybender, even before your appearance. I've set aside a great deal of resources to be given to the Coalition."
"Thank you, Dahaka," Sen said. "Everything you give brings us a little closer to victory."
Goto stepped forward again. He was not one to be upstaged in the military field.
"I've prepared an impressive force as well," Goto boasted. "Between my troops and the Republic's, the Coalition will have a large military. Whatever else happens during the voting today, you will have an army, Avatar."
"The events of the day might make our work a little more inconvenient," Dahaka continued. "But with our forces combined I believe we can manage anything the Energybender can throw at us."
"That's good to hear," Sen said. "Though I certainly hope we can get more."
"Naturally," Goto said. "The only thing better than a big hammer is a bigger hammer."
Goto walked stiffly to Sen's side and pointed him towards the far side of the antechamber. A few more world leaders and their entourages were gathered on the other side of the room.
"The Water Tribe chieftains are over there," Goto said. "I wouldn't waste your time with Kesuk, but Atana might be worth talking to."
"We've met before," Sen said awkwardly. He had last seen the chieftain while he was still operating in secret. It was probably time for a formal introduction.
"I know Kesuk," Miyani said. "Maybe I can talk to him."
"You're welcome to try," Dahaka said. "Kesuk himself isn't the problem, he's sympathetic to our cause, its the Council of Elders he has to answer to. They aren't eager to get the South involved in another war."
"I'll give it a shot anyway," Miyani said with a resolute nod.
"Earth King Wu the Second is here as well," Dahaka said quietly. "But I wouldn't go anywhere near him. He's brought Ministers Raisu and Hua Long."
Sen frowned. He remembered Minister Raisu, and the Weavers he commanded. The entire eastern Earth Kingdom had a heavy bias against the Avatar, and Raisu was the de facto leader of the eastern provinces.
"Who's Hua Long? I haven't heard of him before," Sen asked.
"Financier. Raisu actually cares about politics, Hua Long is in it for money and power. It's a well-known fact he's been financing some of the Energybender's operations."
"And he gets invited to the conclave?"
"If he's here, it means that the United Earth Kingdom parliament has voted for him to represent them," Dahaka said. "Which means they've voted against joining us."
Sen grit his teeth and nodded stiffly. He had never expected them to join, but he'd been hoping that the Earth Kingdom would be indecisive at best. If they were completely rejecting the Coalition, then the Coalition would have to allow Sarin to operate with impunity in the Earth Kingdom –or risk a full scale war by invading.
"That's the price you pay for democracy," Goto scoffed.
"Let's focus on our friends for now," Sen said. "I'm going to go talk to Chieftain Atana."
"I'll put in a good word with Kesuk," Miyani said. They nodded to each other and set off for the Water Tribe leaders. Politics were not Miyani's strong suit, but she had history with Kesuk, and the chief owed her a few favors.
The chieftain of the Northern Water Tribe was surrounded by no small amount of security, including to Sen's surprise, Surma. The Shorewatcher tapped Atana on the shoulder to interrupt her conversation and pointed out Sen. Chieftain Atana took on a look of amusement as soon as she laid eyes on Sen. Ariak bowed to the Chieftain and then stepped aside to talk with Surma.
"Master Avatar. It is good to see you. Again."
There was just a hint of sarcastic bitterness in her voice. Sen could tell that the Chieftain held no anger towards him. The last time they had met, Sen had still been masquerading as a common citizen.
"Chieftain Atana," Sen said with a bow. "My apologies for the deception."
"No apologies necessary," Atana said warmly. "By all accounts your actions saved the North. Far be it from me to criticize any of your choices."
"Is everything going well at the North Pole? I've not yet had a chance to catch up with events."
"We're recovering," Atana said. "And we are rebuilding. The attack was brutal, but thanks to your actions, short. We will rebuild."
"It's good to hear that," Sen said. The fate of the North had been concerning him for a long while. The damage had seemed extensive at the time.
"I do wonder how the losses will affect our ability to contribute to the war effort," Atana sighed. "I find myself wondering if our participation in the Coalition would even be worthwhile."
"Of course it would," Sen assured her. "President Dahaka and Fire Lord Goto are already planning to contribute large forces, so you wouldn't be obligated to give more than a token force. Your joining would also send an important message: even the Energybender's most daring, most devastating efforts haven't broken the North."
Chieftain Atana rubbed long, gaunt fingers against her chin. Her wry smile became almost conspiratorial as she began to nod.
"You have a point. Show the world that we remain strong," Atana said. "Very well, Avatar Sen, you have persuaded me."
As Sen was talking to Atana, Ariak was catching up on loose ends of his own. He and Surma were talking in detail about the fate of the North, and the Shorewatchers.
"We've gained some and lost some," Surma stated. "We've started recruiting a lot of young men and women, but at the same time, myself and most of the other members have stepped down."
"Stepped down? Why?"
"Sarin's treachery was at least partially successful," Surma said sadly. "People no longer trust the Shorewatchers as they used to. We're hoping that by restructuring, giving the Shorewatchers a new face, we can regain that trust."
"A sound strategy, I suppose," Ariak admitted.
"Besides, abdicating our responsibilities to the North means we can completely devote ourselves to fighting Sarin," Surma said. Those that remained of the Shorewatchers were eager to get vengeance for Kyros and their other fallen comrades. They were small in number, but they were well-trained and organized. Any army would be glad to have them.
"Your brother has also expressed an interest in joining the Coalition."
"Not-"
"As a medic, Ariak," Surma assured him. Ariak stopped talking. A medic was alright. He didn't want Tlun putting himself in danger.
Kesuk was being slightly less cooperative. Miyani had pressed him a few times for information already, but he seemed reluctant to talk about anything. It might have had something to do with the fact that he was being flanked by several representatives of the Council of Elders. They didn't seem happy to see Miyani. Kesuk had been keeping her a secret from the Council for a long time; they did not approve.
A dull bell chimed, signaling that the session was about to begin. The various representatives of factions across the world stepped towards the main chamber. As the Council of Elders finally turned their backs, Kesuk took a quick step back and pulled Miyani's arm, leaning her over far enough to whisper in her ear.
"My hands are tied," He whispered quickly. "No chance now. Re-election comes in a few months. I'm going to renegotiate with the new council."
Miyani nodded, and the two of them parted ways to head into the central rotunda. It was a massive room, designed to fit hundreds, although all the action happened in a rather small central ring. Seven large booths had been arranged; one for each of the world's great nations, and one for the Avatar and his entourage. Sen took the seat of honor closest to the central ring while his allies filed in behind them. He took a quick look around the ring.
Most of the people seated here he recognized; Dahaka, Goto, Atana, and some of their assistants. Even the Airbenders, Jinora and her kin, were vaguely familiar. The only he did not recognize were the representatives of the United Earth Kingdom.
King Wu the Second was starkly different from the memories of Wu the First that Korra had shared; it seemed he'd inherited his looks from his mother. His square face was pressed into a tight look of concern, and he occasionally glanced nervously at his companions: Ministers Raisu and Hua Long.
Minister Raisu was old and wrinkled, but he had aged with dignity. He had a severe look on his face, and occasionally cast glances towards the Avatar, but Sen could sense little overt hostility. Hua Long was a far cry from his companion. It was possible to be fat and still look pleasant; Hua Long had long passed that point. His skin hung off of him in loose folds, having given up on appearing even vaguely human long ago. He was a corpulent blob of greed and anger, his rotund face glaring with suspicion at every other living thing. Sen sneered slightly at the disgusting example of humanity and turned his attention to people more pleasing to the eye.
"Kesuk says no chance," Miyani whispered. The spectators were still getting seated, giving them some time to talk. "He'll lobby for membership again when the Council elections have changed membership a bit."
Sen grunted in frustration. The South not militarizing came with serious risks; if Sarin had access to the Southern Spirit Portal, it could be a serious problem for them. Sarin needed to get to the Spirit World if he wanted to wield the full power of his spirit allies.
"That still gives us half the world to work with," Hanjo said confidently. "Sarin can't have more than a few thousand men. We'll have a few hundred thousand."
"Numbers aren't everything," Sen said. "We've fought dozens with just four or five before."
"Yeah, dozens of them against five of us," Hanjo said. "They're mooks, Sen, and we're the best. Who needs an army when we have the seven of us?"
Sen had something to say about that, but it would have to wait. The conclave was about to begin in earnest. As a consistently neutral party, the Airbenders proctored the debates. Master Jung stepped into the central ring, as other Airbender elders kept an eye on the proceedings from their central table.
"We are here gathered to assemble the third United Coalition," Master Jung declared. "To unite into a force that transcends the concerns of any one nation, to fight the enemies that threaten us all. Rise, and state your intentions."
As the hosts of the Coalition, the Airbenders spoke first, giving their usual response: neutrality. The Air Nation would not officially align itself with any side of the conflict, although they would continue to aid the nations of the world in their usual fashion. Sen had no doubt that the Air Nation would help in other ways, but they would not be seen on the battlefield. The Republic was next to speak.
"The United Republic was founded on compromise and change," Dahaka began. "These ideals started our great nation, and we respect them, but we must know when not to comprise, not to change. Sarin would have us bow down and accept his destruction of the world as we know it. We must take a stand. The United Republic promises a full commitment to the United Coalition."
The rotunda chamber was filled with muted applause at Dahaka's speech. He'd managed to get a reaction, at least, if not an overwhelming once. It had been a decent speech.
"I hereby submit that General Kim be given command of the United Coalition," Dahaka said. General Kim stood and gave a quick bow. Sen quickly turned to his friends.
"What do we think?'
"General Kim commanded the Republic's army during the Seventh Kingdom war," Ada said. She was the only one who knew much about the global military situation. "But he was heavily criticized for being too defensive."
"We can't afford to play defense," Suda advised. "Sarin fights dirty. Bunkering down will just give him more room to maneuver."
Sen nodded. Dahaka was mostly interested in ensuring the safety of innocent people, which was commendable, but it was the wrong approach in this case. Sen could not back General Kim.
Goto had been delivering a very long monologue on destroying Sarin, but he finally wrapped it up, to no applause whatsoever. The Fire Lord sneered at the crowd and gestured to his nominee. General Cujo stood up and bowed. Sen looked over his shoulder again.
"No," said absolutely everyone. Sen shrugged. The last candidate Goto had nominated had been General Rahm. No one was going to be comfortable having one of Goto's candidates leading the Coalition. It was a shame, since Cujo might give the coalition the aggressive approach it needed to beat Sarin.
The next country to speak up was the Earth Kingdom. Sen had the feeling he would not like this. That feeling got even worse as Minister Raisu, not King Wu, rose to speak.
"The provinces of the United Earth Kingdom cannot in good faith endorse any effort to defend the Avatar," Raisu said. He spoke loudly, but calmly. Sen was surprised at his composure. "Not when the Avatar has historically shown no interest in ensuring the safety or well-being of the Earth Kingdom as a whole."
Sen leaned forward in his seat. He'd like to hear how Raisu tried to justify that.
"When our queen was assassinated and the entire Earth Kingdom was in the grip of chaos, Avatar Korra chose instead to pursue a handful of airbenders," Raisu said dramatically. "And afterwards, while Kuvira ran roughshod over the innocent people of the Earth Kingdom, Korra was again absent, returning only when her precious Zaofu was threatened."
Sen did not believe that Korra had made the wrong choice in pursuing the airbenders, but he acknowledged that Raisu had a reason to be angry. Raisu's anger intensified, and he pointed an accusing finger at Sen himself.
"Even now the eastern provinces suffer a campaign of neglect and even outright sabotage at the hands of Zaofu and western world," Raisu said accusingly. What was startling was that he actually believed it. Sen could sense no lies in Raisu's heart. He earnestly believed that Sen was responsible for his peoples suffering.
"Minister Raisu, that is enough," Master Jung said, ending the tirade. Minister Raisu fell silent, and looked at Sen. The Minister's expression of anger softened slightly when he saw the confusion written on Sen's face, but the anger returned quickly when he saw Ada, the agent of Zaofu, sitting at the Avatar's side. Ada was not looking anyone in the eyes.
There was a moment of awkward silence as Minister Raisu returned to his seat. King Wu the Second looked especially exasperated. Master Jung nodded at Chieftain Kesuk to continue the proceedings.
"In the interests of peace for our people, and the preservation of the South, we must make a stated commitment to remain uninvolved in the Coalition's efforts," Kesuk said. The Council of Elders behind him nodded sternly. The general reaction of the room was not one of surprise. There was a quick change of speakers to Atana.
"It has been only weeks since the North suffered our most devastating attack since the Hundred year War," Atana said. "But we have not been broken. We will stand strong and avenge the treachery that claimed the lives of honest men and women."
Atana gestured to her right, and, to Sen's surprise, Surma stood up.
"I nominate Surma, former commander of the Shorewatchers, as the leader of the Coalition."
Sen's allies nodded approvingly. They knew Surma and trusted her, which made her seem like a favorable candidate. Sen was thinking about the situation more deeply. The reaction throughout the room as a whole was not quite as good. Most people still didn't trust the Shorewatchers, and, moreover, President Dahaka and Fire Lord Goto both wanted their own candidate to lead the Coalition. Gradually, the realization sunk in through the rest of his allies.
"It's a three way tie," Ariak said hesitantly.
"No matter who you endorse, you're disappointing two-thirds of our allies," Hanjo said quietly.
It seemed for a moment like there was no right decision. Sen knew Surma and trusted her, but he didn't know if she was equipped to handle leading an army. She was accustomed to operating in small squads, hunting single individuals, not battling entire legions.
A contemplative silence fell over the rotunda as Sen thought. All eyes turned to him as he began to deliberate. He rested his chin in his right hand and thought to himself.
Over time he had been privileged to know many brilliant people. He could think of numerous potential candidates, but none of them struck him as exactly right. He needed somebody who could be aggressive, someone who was intelligent, someone who knew Sarin's underhanded tactics, someone that people would rally behind.
Sen glanced left and right at his friends. They were waiting on his decision. He wasn't sure he was ready to make a decision. He briefly contemplated asking for a recess to consider his options. He took a quick look around the room first, and saw how many eyes were resting on him. He could feel the expectations of every single soul in the room bearing down on him. He could feel the pressure like a heavy weight on his shoulders.
All eyes were on Sen. Everyone here, the leaders of every nation, were looking to him for guidance. Suddenly the complexities of the situation unwound, and the answer was obvious.
Startling everyone around him, and perhaps even himself, Sen stood up, rising from his seat as quick as lightning. He slammed his hands down firmly on the table and finally addressed the conclave.
"I nominate myself."
There were many audible gasps in unison. Some of them came from the Avatar's own table. A storm of murmuring filled the chamber as leaders turned to their advisors and spectators turned to their friends. Sen silenced it quickly by straightening his back and folding his arms behind him. Silence fell and they waited with bated breath to hear him justify his shocking decision.
"I know that I'm young, and I lack practical experience in warfare," Sen said. He stepped away from his table and closer to the center of the rotunda.
"But this is not a practical war," He said. "Sarin is an underhanded terrorist. He seeks no territory or resources, has no proper army. He operates with a methodology that few have ever fought against."
Fire Lord Goto leaned back and stroked his angular beard. Hanjo bit his lip as Sen continued to deliver his speech.
"I know how to face Sarin and his forces," Sen said. "I have faced them for many years in many different ways. When my enemies were greater, I evaded them. When they were equal, I outmaneuvered them. When they were weaker-"
Sen suddenly held up a clenched fist in defiance.
"I crushed them."
The Avatar proceeded to the exact center of the room, pleading his case before the world leaders, and the world itself. He held his arms wide.
"This is my battle," Sen said. "Let me lead us to its end. Let me lead us to victory."
The Fire Lord stood from his seat with surprising quickness for such an old man, holding one gnarled hand out to gesture to the Avatar.
"I rescind my nomination," He declared loudly. "And vote in support of the Avatar!"
Dahaka stood in turn. He could see the way the tide was turning now.
"The Avatar has the full confidence of the United Republic," He said. "I cast my vote in support."
Now Atana stood as well, holding her hands out, palms open.
"The Avatar saved my city," She declared. "I have full faith that he can save the world. Avatar Sen has my vote."
"Then it is unanimous," Master Jung said, burying his surprise at the situation under his ceremonial tone. "The General of the United Coalition will be Avatar Sen."
The rotunda detonated into thunderous cheers. Sen nodded at the overwhelmingly positive response. All but a small handful of those in attendance supported the movement. Of those opposed, it was exactly as one might expect; Ministers Raisu and Hua Long, and a few dissidents in the crowd, nothing more. Even the Council of Elders seemed to approve of the Avatar's new status.
Sen continued to stand firm as a purely ceremonial badge was pinned to his chest, and a handful of other ceremonies were carried out to finish his swearing in. The ceremonial proceedings were a bit confused: an Avatar had never before carried out this role. Although Korra had begun the tradition of the United Coalition, she had never taken leadership into her own hands. They had to make up much of the ceremony as they went along, but when all was said and done, Sen had officially taken charge of the United Coalition.
"Avatar Sen, now that you've officially been sworn in, do we refer to you as 'General' or 'Avatar'?"
The image on the screen was in full color, so the smile on Sen's face was still clearly visible. The burden of his new role did not weigh on him at all. He stood confidently, flanked by all his friends and allies, old and new.
"Either will be fine," He said, waving his hand dismissively. His voice crackled slightly through the televarrick speakers. "Though I do actually think hyphenating could work. 'Avatar-General' doesn't have a bad ring to it."
A new storm of activity crackled through the crowd of reports as everyone clamored to have their questions answered. Dei Sensheng looked at the screen, despair evident in his features.
"We're doomed," he said despondently.
"We have not lost yet," Sarin said confidently.
"We're as good as dead, Sarin," Dei Sensheng protested. "We couldn't manage to capture the Avatar when he commanded a handful of teenagers, now he's at the helm of an army!"
"We have an army of our own," Sarin said.
"We've been taking heavy losses for years straight," Sensheng continued. "The Combustion Bender alone has cost us hundreds of men over the past few years. We will not survive a direct conflict, Sarin!"
The Avatar's interview blurred out to white noise as Sarin thought over Sensheng's words. Sensheng gave his commander a moment to think before he continued.
"We needed the element of surprise, we needed to stay in the shadows, like Kalden intended," Sensheng said. Sarin's fist clenched slightly. "We had to catch the Avatar unaware and untrained, and we failed."
"And what do you propose we do, Commander," Sarin said. "Do we surrender? Abandon our ideals and allow chaos and order to continue devouring lives? Is your resolve that weak?"
"I believe in our cause, Sarin, but it is clearly unfeasible," Sensheng protested. "If we ever want to make progress we have to delay. Go underground, propagate a cult, create new Energybenders. One day the Avatar will forget the threat we pose, and we can strike again."
"And how many generations will that take, Sensheng, how many centuries?"
"It's a sacrifice we have to make."
Sarin crossed his arms across the grey robes that draped his figure. The sounds of the Avatar's interview came back into focus with oddly precise timing.
"Do you really think you can defeat the Energybender's army?" The crackling voice of the reporter asked.
"I think I've already won," The Avatar said confidently. He tapped the podium he was standing behind thoughtfully.
"No more questions. I have one final thing to say. A message, to someone specific," He said playfully. Sen straightened his back and looked directly into the camera.
"Sarin."
The Energybender's skin crawled. Sensheng watched as Sarin stood rigid and placed his arms by his side, fists clenched.
"I know you're listening," Sen continued, his voice slow, quiet, and taunting. Sen leaned forward slightly on his podium, closer to the camera. His eyes stared forward, piercing across miles and through the glass screen, to stare directly at Sarin.
"You've already lost," he declared confidently. "You've made it a struggle, sometimes, every now and then you even brought me to a halt. But this journey is over."
Sarin turned around to face the screen, to see the Avatar's eyes staring him down, hidden behind the barrier of glass, untouchable.
"This isn't the story of my rise anymore, Sarin," Sen taunted. "It's the story of your fall."
Sen waved a dismissive goodbye and turned his back on the camera, vanishing from sight. Sarin stood as stiff as a corpse before the darkened screen. The broadcast was over, and Sen was out of sight as well as out of reach.
Sensheng closed his eyes and shook his head. The Avatar was right, this was the end. He'd cut to the quick. The only question was how long it would take Sarin to bleed out.
The blackness on the screen grew darker and darker. Sensheng recoiled in surprise. That was obviously unnatural.
Sarin remained still. He still believed that victory was possible –he only needed his followers to believe it as well. Sensheng was the voice of their doubts: if he was persuaded, the rest of the forces would be persuaded as well. He had to make Sensheng believe, and seeing was believing.
The blackness on the screen poured forth like liquid, pooling onto the floor and seeping across the surface. Sensheng took a few steps back as the snakelike mass of darkness crept its way towards Sarin, eventually clinging to his leg and clinging to his spine. The formless black mass solidified into the massive, serpentine form of the Hssk, its four-jawed face contorted in anger at having to reveal itself to Sensheng.
"You underestimate me," Sarin growled lowly. His hands flickered with grey light, filling the air with a low, discordant howl.