I know I said after Wednesday but w/e I'm really early oops. Part 2! For those of you not on tumblr, this isn't the end of her trial, there's a part 3 coming. It was that or making this a 15k word chapter. Onward!


The atmosphere of the trial was much more tense than Korra could ever have imagined, and as procedural details were read aloud and the prosecution began to build its case, she felt her palms growing damp. Through a combination of repeated entreaties and mild bullying, Korra had managed to arrange for Kuvira to be seated at the table for the defense rather than in the prisoners' dock, but seeing the woman before made her wonder if that had been a good decision. Kuvira had a grim set to her jaw, and her gaze was fixed straight ahead as her forty-nine charges were read aloud. The destruction of Republic City, multiple charges of murder and homicide, and upwards of twenty crimes against humanity were among the more memorable ones, and Korra felt trepidation rising in her chest as the seemingly endless list continued on. The lawyer also seemed perturbed; Keisai looked about as tense as she had ever seen him, his easy demeanor replaced by a tightly guarded expression and his hair already standing on end from running his hands through it repeatedly. His dark eyes were inscrutable, and when she tried to catch his attention she only received a tight nod and a cold quirk of the lips that did not reach the rest of his face.

Despite Hotah's repeated calls for order in the courtroom, there was a constant low murmur from the press in the gallery. Whenever a recess was called flash bulbs from the cameras went off and shutters clicked, and Korra watched Kuvira with an odd fascination to see how the woman dealt with the onslaught of the press. Her face was contorted into a perpetual frown, her brows heavy and her hands clasped in front of her on the table, cuffed at the wrists in platinum. With a start, Korra realized that the woman she saw in the dock was markedly different from the one she had fought in the colossus. The resolute determination was gone, replaced by a dazed and perplexed demeanor that frightened Korra more than she had expected it to. Kuvira still projected her Great Uniter facade of strength and indomitability, but the obvious concern in Baatar's face only confirmed to her that it was an act.

The tabloids were quick to remark on Baatar's presence for much of the trial, though he often arrived late and between breaks in the proceedings. Kuvira suspected few people besides the lawyer and herself knew about the extent of their reconciliation, and the guards had proved willing to follow Lin's orders to keep silent. Articles were rampant with speculation about the exact nature of their relationship, with many a story headed with pictures of the stoic defendant and her perennially anxious ex-fiancé.

"Are you okay?" Korra heard Keisai mutter when she stopped by the table to wish them luck, en route to her seat in the gallery. "When I said be sweet and contrite, I didn't mean 'act depressed as fuck.'"

"I'm fine," Kuvira said. "Everything is just surreal right now. Every morning, I wake up thinking I'm back in the train car in my bed… and then I remember where I am."

The lawyer stared. "Every morning."

"Yes, that is what I said."

"And I'm guessing you're a little depressed," Keisai said. "That's a statement, not a question."

"Perhaps a little," Kuvira conceded. "However, I consider it a side effect of pragmatic realism, so don't make much of it."

Keisai cocked his head to the side. "You're depressed, you're hazy, and by the looks of things, you've lost weight… and you're telling me there's no need for me to 'make much of it'?"

"Have I lost weight?" She glanced down. "I can't tell. I must be one of the fortunate ones… you wouldn't understand, Keisai. You aren't a woman."

Keisai stared. "This doesn't concern you at all?"

She frowned. "Is it supposed to?"

"Yes, damn it! Kuvira, keep it together. You're freaking me out, and I kind of feel like I should tell Baatar."

"What's there to tell?" she said, frowning. "It's just fatigue. I've been addled by battle fatigue plenty of times, we had a fair amount of reluctant states to deal with back during the reunification process-"

"I'm going to tell him," Keisai said. "I'm too old for this crap, and I'm barely into my thirties. Loverboy, get over here. We need you—mostly her, it's cool if I don't get a kiss."

"What is it?" Baatar said, his voice aggrieved, but it had only taken him seconds to respond to the call for his presence. "The attention from the press isn't bad enough already?" He grimaced. "And you had to go with that nickname?"

"Sorry," Keisai said, his flippant tone negating the apology and prompting the man to growl in frustration. "But listen, Baatar. Your girl isn't doing too hot—"

"I'm right here," Kuvira said irritably, crossing her arms.

"I think she's starting to lose it," Keisai said conspiratorially. "Look at her."

"Stop that," she snapped, seizing Keisai's chin despite the platinum cuffs and roughly turning him to face her. "You told me to keep my resting bitch face under wraps, and now you're accusing me of… of… sad resting face?" she finished lamely, the annoyance still coming through in her voice. Her scowl only darkened when Keisai turned back to Baatar, and the men traded smiles of significant relief. "What is the matter with you both?"

"Kuvira," Baatar said gently, "Keisai is right. You're not well."

She glanced at Korra, still within earshot, and composed her features into her usual impassivity. "You both need to stop, this instant."

"You're better now," Keisai said cheeringly, waving Korra back to her seat. "When I feel like I'm about to get skewered by those brows, I know that you're feeling a bit more chipper—" He paused. "Are they naturally that defined? I doubt they'd give you tweezers."

"Enough about her eyebrows," Baatar said, taking her hands in his. "Don't give up, alright? I told you, no matter what happens, you won't be alone."

Kuvira heaved an irritated sigh and jerked her hands from his. "Would everyone stop worrying about me? You people are exhausting. If I have to hear 'you're not well' or 'are you okay' one more time, I'll—"

"Good thing your chi is blocked," Baatar teased, giving her fingers another quick squeeze.

"It actually isn't, they've gotten lax," she said with a shrug. "It wore off a few hours ago. They've come to take my good behavior for granted, I think."

Keisai grinned. "I knew it! I thought I felt the ground shift…"

"You never cease to amaze me," Baatar said. "You also made Zhang trip earlier, I assume?"

She shrugged again. "Don't ask me questions you don't want answers to," she said coyly.

"Great," Keisai said. "They're bragging about rule-breaking again. Would you guys cut it out? I'm trying to prove that she's kind of a good person here."

"Noted," Baatar said. "Are you—" He caught himself. "It's good to see that smile again."

Her expression softened; even from her place in the balcony Korra could see that the former dictator looked as though she had forgotten the crowded courtroom. Kuvira leaned in to say something to Baatar, and his and Keisai's reactions indicated she had spoken sharp words in a tone more suited to a declaration of love.

"Thanks, man," Keisai said, patting Baatar on the shoulder.

"I ought to be thanking you," Baatar returned as he made his way back to the gallery.

oOo

The days of the trial all seemed to bleed together, with moments of dull procedural court formalities punctuated by what Korra dubbed "the important stuff," what Mako dubbed "case building and witness testimony," and what Bolin dubbed "way over my head." Korra found herself agreeing with Bolin; while Asami seemed uninterested in the nuances of the evidence and the witness questioning, she was confident that Kuvira would be found guilty of the majority of the charges. "After all, Korra," she had said, "even homicide gets you seventy years. And we all know that she's irrefutably guilty of that, at least once." Korra had put her arm around her, bewildered and conflicted, saying whatever seemed appropriately comforting though her eyes remained on the defense table.

"Why are you so invested in what happens to her?" Mako asked, one odd evening after the court was dismissed for the day.

"I didn't risk the entire avatar cycle to see her die," Korra had replied, leaning against Mako's steady frame when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"She doesn't have to die."

"I know, but don't you think the bench is biased? Even Meilin looked uncomfortable."

There was a beat of silence before he answered. "No, not really."

"Come on, Mako."

He sighed. "Fine. Yeah, I do."

o0o

"Kuvira of the Metal Clan's claim to the leadership of the Earth Kingdom was rendered invalid, following the coronation of Prince Wu," Zhang said. "The bench will find a copy of her contract of employ among our evidence, with the three-year deadline very explicitly stated in exchange for formal recognition as the interim president. We have established through the testimony of countless witnesses that, despite the clear expiration date of her contract, the defendant chose to usurp the throne from the rightful leader of the kingdom."

"Question," Keisai said, raising his hand slightly. "Your Honors, permission to approach?" Permission was granted, and the young lawyer stood, stealthily stretching as he ran his hand through his hair again. "I don't mean to be flippant, Your Honors, but I'd like to question the legal expert of the United Republic."

Zhang raised his eyebrows. "Go on."

"Fantastic. Let's chat," Keisai said, eyes narrowing. "You've been in law for longer than I've been alive, correct?"

Zhang's jaw tightened, but the pride in his voice was evident. "Not quite so long. Twenty-five years."

"Close enough. Tell me, since you are the standing expert on constitutional law for this country, what typically happens, when the current government is overthrown?" Keisai crossed his arms over his chest.

"Typically, the military assumes power."

"That's what I thought," Keisai said, nodding. "But now that I think on it, the Earth Kingdom never had a formal, centralized military, did it? It only ever had state-centered armies -or in the case of the capitol, the royal guard. Is that correct?"

"It is."

"So, for the sake of the bench, walk through this with me," Keisai said, his voice measured and polite. "Zaheer and his merry band of anarchists murder the Earth Queen and do away with the monarchy. Instead of assuming power, the Council of Fa abdicated responsibility and left the state of Ba Sing Se in anarchy. The entire state was going to hell in a handbasket, and as a result so was the rest of the country. Meanwhile, in Zaofu, Governor Beifong had everything on lock, to the point that the international community was prepared to recognize Zaofu as the new capitol of the nation. Su Beifong refused to send her troops. The head of her state guard volunteered to go, and established the Zaofu army as the national army for the Earth Kingdom." Keisai paused. "Has there ever been a precedent to something like this, attorney general?"

"Never."

"That's what I thought. But from whatever precedents we do have, of military ascension of power, have we ever required a formal acknowledgement of the new authority through a contract granted by standing world leaders?"

Zhang's brow furrowed. "The formal acknowledgement of a country by the other sovereign nations grants it legitimacy in the eyes of the international community."

"I understand that, attorney general," Keisai said, his voice maddeningly patient. "Your Honors, I'm just trying to point out that when a country is in a power vacuum, the military takes power. The Earth Kingdom had no clear-cut military. The Zaofu army became the de-facto military after Ba Sing Se pledged its support to Kuvira after her work in stabilizing the state -you'll find the legal documents among the rest of our checked-in evidence. The contract from President Raiko and his bi- ah, statesmen," he said, pausing.

Korra turned to Asami and then to Mako, her eyes wide and a smile on her face in disbelief. "He wouldn't."

"Raiko and his statesmen 'granting my client legitimacy' as a world leader, to use my esteemed opponent's words, was hardly necessary, and the contract was never binding. You've heard it from the standing expert on international law," Keisai continued, gesturing to Zhang. "There is no precedent for what the Great Uniter did, but it's damn hard to make a case that she did something wrong in holding on to the seat of authority she claimed for the good of the Earth Kingdom. The defense rests."

The episodes of cross examination and testimony continued in a similar manner, with testimony from captured officers of Kuvira's army still awaiting trial, escaped reeducation camp prisoners, and the Beifongs. Bolin took the stand at one point, as a former corporal and confidante. Mako's worry for his brother was evident, and he kept a bracing hand on Bolin's shoulder until it was his turn to take the stand as Zhang and Meilin built their case against the Reunification Order.

"Under the Reunification Order," Meilin said, her heels making little clicks against the marble as she paced the length of the floor in front of the tribunal bench, "combatants encountered during Great Uniter operations were to be imprisoned immediately upon capture without trial." She gestured to the projector as the documents were displayed for the entire court. "As you've seen in the documented evidence and supplementary testimony, under this legislation, dissenters were sent to prison camps without a trial, depending on the severity of the resistance to empire rule. Lesser offenders were fined or conscripted without the option of an appeal. Dissenters in the poorer states became glorified slave labor-"

"Objection," Keisai said, holding up a finger.

His word went unacknowledged, and he scowled as Meilin continued. "Citizens of the rural states on the brink of collapse, such as Yai, were sent to work in government-appropriated mines when conscription was not needed." She clicked through a reel of grim photos, the smudged faces of workers -some of whom looked questionably young- sending murmurs through the courtroom. Kuvira remained stony-faced as ever and Keisai looked annoyed as the prisoners that escaped to Republic City with testified to the validity of the arrest papers. "The reasons for arrest range from outright refusal to empire rule," Meilin continued, "to reasons as unfounded as ethnicity. Ethnic cleansing of the empire-"

"Objection," Keisai said angrily, standing up.

"Out of order," Hotah said, bringing down the gavel. "You'll have a chance to cross-examine the prosecutor soon enough." Keisai swore under his breath, taking his seat as Bolin took the stand.

"You were a corporal?"

Bolin swallowed, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "It was really more of an honorary title.."

"Please just answer the question, Bolin."

He sighed. "Yeah, I was."

"Tell us about the way reeducation camps worked, as a former member of the inner circle."

"He's nervous," Mako murmured, his eyes on his little brother. "You know, he really liked her... he wouldn't have joined her cause if he didn't."

"I know," Korra said, her eyes flitting from the witness stand to the defense table. For the first time, Kuvira's eyes were downcast, her gaze fixed on her interlaced fingers. Bolin seemed hesitant to look at her, instead focusing on Meilin. The young prosecutor seemed uncharacteristically warm despite her piercing blue eyes, speaking with a gentle intonation that, while still formal, set Bolin more at ease.

"You need to tell us what you know, Bolin," Meilin prodded. "Go on."

"The twelve charges of illegal pacification operations are true," Bolin admitted. "I was never in charge of a camp -I was more of the face of the thing- but I now that officers were stationed in each state we helped out, and they handled arrests by themselves."

"How specific were the instructions outlining what merited a full violation of the Reunification Order?"

"Um, I don't really know," Bolin said. "I think it was kind of fuzzy? Just.. it wasn't really following orders, the officers had a lot of say in what they did and Kuvira trusted them to make the call like she would."

"It is disturbing," Meilin said to the room at large, "that her officers thought she would have approved of ethnic profiling and unsubstantiated arrest warrants."

"Yeah, warrants weren't needed for arrest under that order," Bolin said quietly. "Like... I mean, it's in the papers, you have the papers. It's bad. I didn't even know it was this bad until I was going to be sent to a camp."

"All counts of illegal pacification operations," Meilin said slowly, "were legitimized under the Order. This led to the military arrest of the Beifong family-"

"Objection," Keisai said through gritted teeth, raising his hand.

Hotah's expression darkened. "Proceed."

"Bolin, how're you doing?" Keisai said, taking to the floor and glancing Meilin's way. "This whole thing is probably really awkward for you."

"You know, it is," Bolin said anxiously. "I feel kind of sick..."

"Hang in there," Keisai said. "But I meant more like this is awkward for you as a citizen of the United Republic."

Bolin frowned. "You're losing me, Keisai."

"I mean, you love your country, right?"

"Of course!"

"And we've established that the president and Councilman Tenzin knew about the pacification operations, as well as the Reunification Order, long before the war of aggression was waged on the city," Keisai said. "Isn't that… well, awkward?"

"I.." Bolin frowned again. "And... yup, you lost me."

"Ladies and gentleman," Keisai said as he pivoted on the spot, "Your Honors, may I just point out that the United Republic had intel on these activities of the Great Uniter and chose to do nothing about them?"

"Irrelevant," Meilin began.

"Proceed," Misao said, inclining her head.

"The department of intelligence was aware of the more questionable actions taken by the Earth Empire central government and chose to do nothing about it," Keisai said angrily. "And so now we're going to hold this up as a crime against humanity, when it's been established that half the time my client only signed off on the orders. It stands completely uncontested that the United Republic knew what was going on and chose to turn a blind eye. So we're dealing with incompetence, complacency, or potential complicity. If I wanted to get extremely technical, that makes Raiko and the head of the department of intelligence guilty of complacency-"

"Order," Hotah said, bringing down the gavel again. "Order. Mr. Sabad, you're diverting the topic. The prosecution may proceed."

Keisai swore again, throwing himself back into his seat to the sound of whispers and the click of camera shutters. "Bolin," Meilin said, "let's talk about your professional relationship to Kuvira. What was she like, as a commander?"

"She was great!" Bolin said reflexively. "She was bossy, yeah, but that's just because you have to be to command an army, you know? And she's really smart, and she really cared about helping the people we came across, and really..." Bolin trailed off, his forehead creasing as he strained for another positive adjective. "...threatening?"

"Threatening," Meilin said evenly. "Please, expand on that."

"Uh.. well.."

"Do you want to refute anything from your interview?" she prodded.

"Well, no..."

"Wonderful. So, Kuvira threatened your life when you insinuated you no longer wanted to take part in her conquest of Zaofu."

"Kind of," Bolin said hesitantly. "It's more like she threatened to send me to a reeducation camp... and after Varrick and Zhu Li and I escaped, she had Baatar bring us back. But she never actually sent us to the camp because we escaped.. again…" He frowned. "Yeah, I have no idea what she would have done if she had been able to keep us there."

"Presumably arrest you and deprive you of a trial, if we go by precendent. No further questions for the witness," Meilin said, returning to her seat.

"Does the defense have any questions for the witness?"

"Yeah, actually," Keisai said, standing. "Bolin, I just want to know this much. Before you broke your contract under Kuvira, did she ever threaten you with imprisonment or any sort of punishment?"

Bolin looked confused. "…Contract?"

The lawyer clapped a hand over his face, slowly dragging it down. "Yes, the contract. The contract we discussed. The contract outlining the terms of your employment under Kuvira and the formal giving of your title. That contract."

"Oh, right," Bolin said. "...What about that contract, exactly?"

"The bench will find a copy of Bolin's contract with the rest of our evidence,' Keisai said. "And I think they'll find the threat of dissent was what made Bolin in full violation of the terms of his employ. Bolin, everything was fine between you both before that, right?"

"Everything was great!" Bolin said, looking at Kuvira as he spoke. "No, Kuvira was always really inspiring. All the troops love her, she always tried her best to be fair, she was really passionate about helping the country.. I don't know what made her go a little-" Bolin leaned forward, gesturing and bugging out his eyes- "cra-a-zy, but before that? I wouldn't have signed up to work for her if I didn't like her and what she stood for." He looked at her again, his expression pleading. "And no matter what anyone says, she turned my family's old, dirty, kinda-scary neighborhood into a good place to live... and I know they'll be happy to move back as soon as they're able."

"Thank you, Bolin," Keisai said, the warmth in his voice draining away as he turned his eyes to the bench and beheld unyielding impassivity in the judges' faces.

Su was called to the stand next. Zhang did not pause in his questioning, asking Su to go into the details of how Kuvira came to Zaofu, how she became the captain of the force, and what drove her to take the army and principle investors with her to re-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth Empire. "I've known Kuvira since she was a little girl," Su said. "It came as a shock to learn that she and my son had plotted to leave, completely behind my back."

"When the defendant returned to Zaofu, she brought her entire army, annexed the state, and took you and your family prisoners," Zhang said.

Su looked uncomfortable. "Yes.."

"The conditions of your arrest-" Zhang paused. "Were you given the option of a trial?"

"No."

"Were you granted an audience with the Great Uniter afterward?"

Su's mouth tightened. "Once."

"What happened?"

"Kuvira and Baatar came to visit after arresting the boys and myself," Su said. "Baatar left soon after, and she had little to say."

"What did she say?"

"She reminded me that she warned me what would be coming for Zaofu, after the coronation," Su said, her voice tightly measured, "and she asked me why..."

Korra looked from the witness stand to the defense table, her eyes huge. "She can't think admitting to attempted assassination is a good idea-"

"Shhh," Asami said. "Let it play out."

"Did she taunt you? Were you or any of your family maltreated?"

"No." Su looked to Kuvira. "No, we weren't. You've all seen the particulars of our prison before, it wasn't anything inhumane."

"You escaped with the assistance of your daughter, your mother Chief Toph Beifong, and our own Chief Beifong," Zhang said, steepling his fingers. "You also witnessed the first unauthorized test for the spirit weapon, correct?"

"That's right." Su was evidently troubled, and she repeatedly glanced between the attorney general and the table for the defense. "We also got into a skirmish with Kuvira and her troops."

"But you escaped arrest the second time."

"That's right."

"Governor Beifong, you said in your recorded testimony that the domes of Zaofu were constructed from platinum with metal boning. We've been able to confirm that the colossus was constructed in a similar manner. We've also learned that the trackballs of the colossus that allowed the Great Uniter to control the weapon were made from highly malleable meteorites. The bench will find the documented evidence that we have presented." Zhang looked at her intently. "Where might such a collection of meteorites be found? You are somewhat of an expert on the subject."

"I wouldn't know how Kuvira and my son were able to get so many in such a short time by just looking around," Su said. "I will say that my collection was severely depleted when I returned to Zaofu after the war on Republic City."

"Thank you, Governor Beifong," Zhang said. "This leads to the next slew of charges, specifically the destruction of property without a viable reason-"

"Does the defense have any questions for the witness?" Misao asked Keisai.

The lawyer appeared supremely displeased. "Actually, no. Not at the moment."

Su was dismissed, and the hours dragged by as the prosecution projected images of Zaofu stripped of the platinum domes and Baatar and Kuvira overseeing the disassembly process with matching stances. A few snapshots of a more personal nature had slipped into the prosecution's batch. There were frames of Kuvira in a wide stance, leading a team of metalbenders in bringing down the main petal of the guard tower dome. There was a photograph of Kuvira leaning against Baatar, his hand resting on her hip and her face turned over her shoulder as she spoke to him. They were in the background of the image, with a team of metalbenders carting the platinum and the scrap out of frame, both of them evidently unaware that the photograph was being taken. Korra glanced at Baatar, and she could tell that he was reliving the moment. His hands gripped the seat, and his eyes flitted from the sight before him to Kuvira's back, only a few strides away but completely unreachable for several days. The pictures were not confined to the time spent in Zaofu, and they quickly turned darker as the location changed. There were images of Kuvira overseeing the leveling of barricades and the outer rings of cities, images of the swamp and the mutilated roots of the banyan tree, images of Omashu after the long siege and mine explosions. Throughout it all, Kuvira sat stony-faced, her eyes unfocused as the images grew more recent again, and the damage to Republic City of less than two years ago filled the screen.

Twisted, blackened hulls of battleships and crumbling buildings dominated the stills. At one point, an image of the ruined Future Industries warehouse was projected, and Kuvira's breath caught in her chest. Her hands clenched on the table, and for a moment she swayed in her seat. The laywer reassuringly gave her fingers a squeeze, leaning towards her and murmuring something in her ear. Her eyes flickered towards the back of the courtroom, her head turning almost imperceptibly. The click of a camera shutter and the brief burst of light accompanying it heralded the capture of a photo that would go on to become iconic throughout the four nations.

"Your Honors, may I question the prosecution?" Keisai said, raising a hand. "Just to clarify a couple of things..." The bench granted permission, and he stood. "So, clear this up for me... the issue with the United Republic is the damage to the battleships?"

"And the rest of the city," Zhang said testily.

"Right," Keisai said. "And this is a war crime how, exactly?"

Zhang snorted. "The definition of a war crime is sufficiently detailed and decently well known-"

"Well, humor me either way," Keisai said loudly. "Define it for me."

"Crimes committed well away from the lines of battle and unconnected in any way to military activity," Meilin said, standing. "For the United Republic, this means the events following Raiko giving the United Forces the order to stand down. A truce was to be worked out, and instead-"

"Got it," Keisai said, holding up a hand to stop her and nodding. "Thank you, I don't have any further questions at this time."

o0o

The trial wore on and the days dragged by. More than once, Mako left his seat with Korra and Asami to help the officers escort Earth Empire loyalists from the court. After his testimony Bolin joined them in the gallery, accompanied by Opal, and the five of them sat in tense silence as the witnesses were called to the stand and images of the damages incurred by the spirit weapon were displayed again and most difficult part was seeing the tearful testimonies by the families of the deceased.

"The destruction of the United Republic watchtower in a time of peace was an act of war," Zhang said. The contrast between the tall building of wrought iron and cut stone next to a photograph of a liquified mass atop rubble could not have been more apparent. "Twelve young men and women were inside that checkpoint, their lives dedicated to the safety of their nation. They did not expect to die that day. They should not have died that day..."

The families of the two young men that were on the balcony shift came forward to testify first. The mother had the same wide blue eyes as her son, and she cried freely when his image was projected to the court. He was smiling, his uniform helmet on and a stray piece of hair poking out on his forehead. "Any proper parent," the woman managed to get out, "any proper parent or wife or husband or sibling that lost a loved one to this monster.." The woman trailed off, taking a moment to compose herself and blot her eyes before continuing. "For the sake of us, bring her to justice. No parent should suffer through losing a child."

The prosecution called for a brief recess, and the defense had no questions for the witnesses.

"If that is insufficient reason to convict the defendant of the crime of an undeclared war, the firing on the United Forces battleships-"

"Objection," Keisai said, stroking the stubble that shaded his cheeks and jaw. "Permission to approach?"

"Continue, attorney general-"

"No, but seriously," Keisai said again, "permission to approach? It looks kind of bad to repeatedly tell me I'm out of order when the most I've done is ask the witnesses questions it's only natural for a defense attorney to ask, Your Honors." His tone was light, but the fire that burned behind his dark eyes indicated his dissatisfaction with the bench, and Saikhan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Misao whispered something in his ear, and Saikhan leaned closer to Hotah, saying something in a low voice. The silence in the courtroom, broken only by the occasionally scribbling or clicking from the reporters, was palpable.

"Permission granted," Hotah said through gritted teeth after a pregnant pause.

"I'm honored," Keisai said. "My esteemed colleague cites the destruction of the United Forces battleships as another reason to convict my client... can he tell me if there is a precedent for this?"

"This trial is novel and experimental," Zhang said. "I think you will find that, more often than not, precedent will be set in this courtroom-"

"No, but really," Keisai said irritably, "there's precedent for this. The Southern Raiders in the Fire Nation attacked Earth Kingdom ships that entered our port despite a lack of clear-cut aggression. The penalty was reparations for the Fire Nation, not conviction of the commanding officers. During the Hundred Year War, the Fire Nation was responsible for countless acts of aggression, and the sanctions imposed were always reparations. Why are you misleading the court, Zhang?"

"It remains uncontested that this was an undeclared act of war, moving forward from the destruction of the watch tower," Zhang said, his mustache bristling. "And so it follows that-"

"-that the subsequent events were acts of war, yes," Keisai said, bringing his palm onto the table with a sharp smack. "You're proving my point, man! There is a precedent for this, and it's war debts. Not an individual charge. This case is unique in that my client was the commander of the army and launched the attack personally, but she still can't be charged as an individual for an act committed as an armyman-"

"The tribunal will take a brief recess," Hotah said, bringing down the gavel. Both men returned to their seats. Both were fuming.

"Having fun?" Kuvira whispered. "The beard looks excellent, in case I haven't said it enough yet, but you really ought to groom the sides."

"Not now, Kuvira," Keisai snapped. "You know what I'd like to tell that damn tribunal right now?"

She cocked her head to the side. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "What would you say... hmm… maybe 'go fuck yourself'?"

"That," he agreed, shaking a finger at her as he nodded, "but also 'this is bullshit' and 'this trial could not be more rigged.'"

"I'm not upset with you," she said quietly. "Please don't think I am."

Keisai looked at her with an odd combination of sadness and affection. "I won't give you reason to be."

o0o

Korra had not expected the state's legal representation to shower her with praise as "one of the most indispensable and revolutionary avatars in history," but she had more than expected the questions she faced when she took the witness stand. Zhang established the beginning of Kuvira's conflict with the most powerful bender in the world, and her attempts to permanently put her out of commission. It struck Korra as odd that she was so anxious for Kuvira; the woman had tried to end her life on multiple occasions. Still, she could only think of Keisai's casual reminder that being convicted with attempted homicide would land an ordinary civilian with sixty to seventy years in prison. That thought alone was a deterrent from answering frankly; the last thing she wanted to do was help along an unfair verdict.

"Avatar Korra, you fought the defendant for the right to Zaofu," Zhang said. "Was it ever agreed that the fight would be to the death?"

"No, but-"

"And after subduing you, the defendant attempted to murder you," Zhang continued, the phrase more statement than question.

"I mean, I'm not sure," Korra said hesitantly. "I think she was nervous. I went into the avatar state but I was still healing at the time, and so she was able to pin me down... I think she wanted an excuse to use her army and she just provoked Jinora and Opal into helping-"

"With all due respect, we cannot build a record off of suppositions, Avatar," Zhang said. "Did she advance on you with weapons at the ready?"

Korra sighed. "Yes."

"Following Zaofu, the defendant fired on you with zero provocation during a reconnaissance mission for the United Republic," the prosecutor continued. "Following that, she fired at will on the warehouse once she learned your location- you were a witness and a victim to all of this, correct?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And after you saved her life when the weapon imploded, she continued to be the aggressor," Zhang said, steepling his fingers. "Since you wanted to speculate about motivations earlier, would you say she intended to murder you by that point?"

She looked from Zhang to the defense table to the gallery, and heaved another sigh. "Okay, look-"

"It's a simple question, Avatar." Korra looked to Keisai entreatingly.

"All right, all right, stop," Keisai said, holding up a hand. "Your Honors, he's badgering the witness."

"Attorney general, you are out of order, Hotah said, bringing down the gavel. "Conduct yourself appropriately."

"Avatar Korra," Zhang said, taking a moment to close his eyes and try for a calm tone, "please give me a yes or no answer. We'll table the question of whether or not she intended to murder you. You were witness to the attempted killing of children who are effectively endangered, multiple times, correct?"

"Yes," Korra said uncomfortably, "but-"

"Then considering the events preceding that, her intent with regards to you is no stretch of the imagination. No further questions for the avatar," Zhang said, taking his seat.

"I have a few questions," Keisai said after he was cleared to speak by the bench. "Avatar Korra," he began, smiling, "how does the hot seat feel?"

"Pretty chill, actually," Korra lied. "You're going to be nicer about this than he was, right?" The courtroom chuckled, and Keisai smiled.

"Housekeeping stuff first- do you stand by your testimony you gave me last year, or do you redact it?"

"I have no reason to take back anything I said," Korra replied.

"The tribunal will find the avatar's testimony and the transcript with the rest of our evidence," Keisai said, nodding to the bench. "We'll address it in my closing. So, first time testifying in court is scary, eh?"

"It's... an experience."

"Let's talk about your first experience with Kuvira," Keisai said easily, prompting several spectators to wonder if the word choice had been deliberate. "You met her formally for a peace negotiation outside Zaofu?"

"Yes, but I first met her when I visited Zaofu for the first time, more than four years ago," Korra said. "She was part of Su's task force that fought Zaheer with us."

"Was she hostile at the time?"

Korra smiled. "Again, we didn't really interact, but she saved my father's life during the fight."

"Korra, you met Kuvira again in Zaofu a year ago under very different circumstances."

"That's right."

"What happened?"

"Kuvira was readying her troops to annex- or, uh, claim Zaofu for the Earth Empire," Korra said carefully. "At the time, she was in a twenty-four hour truce with Su, to negotiate. I dropped in after talking to Su-"

"What about?"

"We talked about the situation with Kuvira, and how things had gone sour between them," Korra explained. "And Su suggested I go reason with her-"

"Were those the words Suyin Beifong used?" The lawyer's eyes narrowed. "'Korra, go see if Kuvira can be reasoned with,' is that what Su said?"

Korra hesitated, her eyes flitting to Su and her family seated in the gallery. A slew of emotions crossed the woman's face, and Korra counted shock, anger, guilt, and sadness all at once. Suddenly, she was painfully aware of how silent the courtroom had become. "Um..."

"Korra," Keisai gently prodded her, "did Su ask you to conduct a peace talk on her behalf? Please remember, you swore to tell the whole truth."

"I..." Korra hesitated again. "I'm not exactly sure of her phrasing.."

"Just give us what you remember clearly, then," the lawyer said, leaning forward from his place on the floor. For the first time, Korra noticed the shrewd set to the man's dark brows, and the sly spark in his eye that she had so many times attributed to a harmless and playful mischief. Keisai's voice was gentle, his tone friendly and conversational, but Korra couldn't help but feel nervous by the hungry posture and the almost feral, singular intent that radiated from him as the interview progressed.

"Su said..." Korra could hear the words clearly in her mind and looked to Su, sympathy in her gaze, before she spoke. "She told me to go into the avatar state and wipe out Kuvira's army."

"Just the army?"

"...she didn't explicitly include its commander," Korra said slowly.

"But the subsequent assassination attempt makes it seem likely?" A murmur spread through the court.

"Unfortunately, yes," Korra said quietly. "Yeah."

"And just to confirm for anyone who didn't know, since that whole affair was hushed up," Keisai said loudly, "Suyin Beifong attempted to assassinate Kuvira? Specifically, Su and her two youngest, Wei and Wing Beifong?" A low buzzing filled the courtroom and Keisai turned to survey the crowd before returning his attention to Korra as she stammered assent. "So afterward, you met with her to negotiate on Su's behalf, and as the international dignitary the avatar is."

"Right," Korra said. "We agreed that there had to be a better solution than forcefully claiming Zaofu, and after Kuvira explained her situation we decided I'd go talk to Su and we'd all try to come to an understanding. We had a truce for an undefined amount of time, so we'd be able to talk it out."

"Was Su ever made aware of this agreement?" Meilin asked, standing. "She was captured before your return, correct?"

"Well yes, but-"

"When did you get back to Su and discover she had left on an assassination mission?" Keisai asked.

"Around evening, it was already dark," Korra said. "It was kind of a long peace talk. But like she said, Su had already left."

"No, but how soon after Su's visit with Kuvira and Baatar?"

Korra frowned. "Oh, I don't know. It was on the same day, I remember that much. Kuvira had mentioned a twenty-four hour truce with Su."

"And less than twenty-four hours later, Su made her play." Keisai nodded. "Great." A swell of low voices filled the courtroom, and Korra shifted uncomfortably on the stand, seeing for the first time just how unenviable her position had become.


A/N: HEY GUYSSSSS. Okay so idk when I'll write part 3 but this just wrote itself. I'm not quite halfway with all the points I want to address in this trial, which is why it's taking forever... but I hope you liked part 2 and I hope you're getting pumped for part three! TWO CHAPTERS TO GO TIL THE END!