Final part of Kuvira's trial! To the guest reviewer that asked: no, I'm definitely not a lawyer or a law student, and my major is def not anything even remotely related to pre-law bc I'm a science major. I have been told to do law by a number of folk, though? I'm also just a stickler for realism. Onward!
"Ready?"
"Baatar?" Kuvira stood, wasting little time in crossing the room to embrace him. "You should be working."
"I'll be out soon, I just wanted to see you. We haven't had any time together in days.."
She closed her eyes and let his arms and scent envelop her, her cheek resting against his chest. "Don't remind me."
Keisai knocked on the doorframe as he entered. "Hey, sweetheart. You need to let this guy go in five minutes, he's got a sentence to work off and you've got a court date."
Kuvira turned to the lawyer, Baatar's arms still around her. "Do you mind?"
"Having a moment?" Keisai gently punched her shoulder. "I know, I'm just reminding you. Baatar, did you see that piece in Elements of Style? Looking good, my friend."
Baatar arched a brow. "Why do you read that magazine?"
"Why did you and Kuvira do a photoshoot for it?" Keisai countered. "Honestly, I think I was pretty taken with your fiancée after seeing that feature…did they let you keep that green dress?"
"No, it was a sample," Kuvira said flatly. "You followed my case because you found me attractive? I though it was because of 'a longstanding fascination with Earth Kingdom politics—'"
He laughed. "I didn't know how much of a turnoff your personality was at the time. But since you hadn't ended up a war criminal just yet, all I could think was that loverboy hit the jackpot." Keisai nudged Baatar. "Are you jealous? Kuvira told me how pissy you get—"
"Stop it," Baatar said, swatting him away. "What was in this issue?"
"Just a piece covering the trial so far. Kuvira made the cover, actually- that shot when she looked over her shoulder? Man, that was amazing. That angle is perfection, really sets off her jaw and that long neck-" Keisai tipped her head back, his finger under her chin as he gave Baatar a very deliberate smile. Kuvira actually giggled.
"That's enough," Baatar said crossly. "I'm right here."
"Relax," Keisai said laughing. "He's so cute when he's jealous," he said to her conspiratorially.
"He is," Kuvira agreed, returning her head to his shoulder again and closing her eyes. "You're not bad either, Keisai."
"It's the beard," Baatar explained. "She's very particular about facial hair."
"Oh." Keisai stroked his chin. "Yeah, I suppose I did tidy it up a bit…" He clapped her on the shoulder. "I'll be waiting outside, okay?"
"Duly noted." After the lawyer left the room Kuvira heaved a sigh. "I'm so tired of this."
"We're barely halfway," he said, stroking her hair. "Mom was upset after Keisai brought up the assassination attempts."
"I imagine she would be, she hired him and he's ruining her reputation," she said. "A year or two ago, I'd threaten to drop him on the tracks for that sort of dissent."
"I actually have a question," Baatar said suddenly. "In my trial, you said you fired because I defected. Was that true?"
She paused, guilt creeping into her face. "Not entirely."
"Tell me."
"There's one person in the world that I trust unequivocally, and that's you," Kuvira said slowly. "Due to circumstance, Keisai's made his way onto the list, but for matters outside the law? No, I still wouldn't put my complete faith in him."
"What does that have to do with defecting?"
"You were as invested as I was," Kuvira said. "So when all it took to make you back down was a threat from Korra, a part of me was saying 'ah, so he doesn't really care about the cause as much as you thought he did.' Remember, at the time I was deluded enough to think blowing up the warehouse was my only option." She ran a finger along his jaw. "A part of me thought you didn't care about the mission enough, or worse, that you had changed sides."
"It's always about the mission with you," Baatar said, shaking his head. "I've told you before, it was none of that. Laugh at me all you want for folding so quickly, but I couldn't risk losing you, not after everything that happened."
"I understand," she said softly, "but at the time I didn't. I still can barely believe that you cared so much about one person that you were willing to throw away our final victory. Granted, we had no real claim to the city, but you know what I mean—"
"You're not 'just one person' to me, Kuvira," Baatar said tiredly. "I don't want to say any more, because you'll accuse me of being a romantic idiot again—"
"I'm sorry for ever saying that," she said, kissing his cheek. "I feel worse for ever doubting you… and of course for trying to kill you."
"I've told you before, if you would just let me, I'll make sure you never feel unloved or unwanted again," he said, stroking her hair. "I wish I could've been spared the most dramatic breakup in history for you to see that."
"Well, I won't keep you any longer," she said, letting go as they heard a sound at the door. "Go on, you have a sentence to work off."
"I know." He hesitated, his arm still around her waist even as the locks clicked open. "Promise me you'll take better care of yourself. Keisai told me his concerns—"
"Why not tell me?" she said crossly. "You aren't my keeper."
"Because he knows you're stubborn," Baatar said gently. "He thought if you heard it from me, you might listen. Promise?"
Kuvira sighed as the door swung open and the chi blockers did a double take at the sight of them. "I promise," she said, removing his hands from her waist and turning to the newcomers. Baatar hovered by the door as the pair blocked off her bending for the next few hours. "Can I have another minute?" she said to the men, opting for a pitiable expression. "We barely had a chance to visit."
"You've got five minutes," one of them said gruffly. "Make it quick."
The second the door closed she fairly threw herself on him, kissing him as though she'd never get another chance. "Don't worry about me," she said in a rush. "I'll be fine, everything will work out somehow-"
He kissed her back, one hand cupping her cheek and the other pulling her body to his. "Why are you talking like this?" he demanded. "Do you already think the trial won't have an outcome we can live with?"
"No," she said hurriedly. "But you worry about me too much. You've always worried about me, and I want you to focus on yourself.. Focus on your work, Baatar. Don't slip up when you have four years to go until official freedom-"
"What are you saying?" he said, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Why are you bringing this up now, of all times?"
Kuvira threw her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly, his beard scratching her face. Despite her best efforts he was undistracted, and she pulled away at the last minute before the chi blockers returned. "Just for luck," she said, forcing a smile. "I don't know when I'll get another chance to do that."
"I see." Baatar squeezed her hand as the guards escorted her down a different path, and he shook his head as he left to fulfill his contracted sentence, feeling dazed and unsure of what she had meant by "another chance."
o0o
Unlike the guards, the chi blockers had not opted to keep quiet about the little episode they had partially witnessed between Republic City's most famous war criminals. The gossip papers were back in full force, with testimonials from the men about the way the former couple had interacted. "Is there another secret engagement between the former Great Uniter and her vice president?" one column read. Another made the ludicrous suggestion that Kuvira was pregnant, and that the two of them had been conducting their trysts in secret for months. That was closer to the truth, but the pregnancy suppositions were of little concern. A squeeze of the fingers and a hand at the waist could be heavily extrapolated, but only to a point.
Korra and Mako sat with Bolin and Opal in immense discomfort as the prosecution rehashed the previous day's coverage of the trial and then began their new remarks with the circumstances of Hiroshi Sato's death. "How's she doing?" Mako whispered to Korra. "I don't blame her for not wanting to watch today."
"She's okay," Korra said, thinking back on Asami's tears that morning. "I offered to stay with her, but she said she'd be fine once she got to work. I'm going to call her during the recess."
"I'll be back," Mako said, "I've got to go cover for Beifong outside. The crowd doesn't want to break it up, and she'll be testifying in a minute." He disappeared into the crowd as he made his way to the door, and Korra sighed anxiously, shaking her head when Bolin offered her some of his noodles.
"Chief Beifong, you released Hiroshi Sato from his cell on the day of the colossus," Zhang said.
"Correct," Lin said, her bearing stiff. Korra couldn't help but notice that she regarded the prosecutor with immense distaste.
"What was your reasoning behind that?"
"The city was going to hell after Raiko's surrender, and no one had any means of stopping that thing," she said. "We had Baatar Junior in custody, and I figured that two outstanding engineers might be enough to figure out a way to take down that giant mecha-suit. Sato ended up giving us the information we needed about the plasma saws, and helped cut through the platinum exterior of the mech with Asami Sato, so I'd say releasing him at that point in time had been a good move."
"This endeavor cost him his life, did it not?" Zhang asked, his voice sharp.
"It did," Lin acknowledged. "He knew the risk, going in."
"How did he die?"
"Kuvira could feel Varrick and Asami's hummingbird suits about to cut through," Lin said. "Korra tried to slow her down, but she managed to crush the suit anyway."
"What sort of move was it?" Zhang asked. "An attempt to block the intruders, or a move to kill?"
"When you're in a forty-foot-tall platinum robot, I don't think you can make that kind of distinction," Lin said drily. "Sato died by Kuvira's hand, I'll attest to that. The rest? You're asking me for my opinion, but frankly Zhang, I don't have one." She tapped her foot while she waited for another question. "Well?"
"No further questions for the witness, Your Honors," Zhang said, returning to his seat.
"Does the defense have any questions for the witness?"
"No," Keisai said, standing slowly, "but I do have a question for the clerk, if I may. Sir, you got down all of Chief Beifong's testimony, correct?"
"Yes sir," the clerk said, surprised. "Of course."
"Would you mind reading a bit of it out to me?" Keisai said, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow. "Start after my opponent said something like 'and your reasoning was?' or a similar question."
"Yes, sir." The clerk cleared his throat and started to read. "'What was your reasoning behind that?' Chief Beifong: 'The city was going to hell after Raiko's surrender, and no one had any means of stopping-'"
"Thank you," Keisai said, motioning for the clerk to stop. "That will be all. Lin-"
"In court," Lin said, a tiny trace of a smile on her lips as she looked at the young lawyer with what could only be described as pride, "you refer to me as Chief Beifong."
"Chief Beifong," Keisai said, his voice warm as he inclined his head, "do you want to redact anything you said just now?"
"Not one word," she said firmly.
"No further questions from the defense," he said, returning to his seat. The bench called for a brief recess not long after. For the first time in days, the room had gone completely silent, and Korra turned excitedly to Bolin and Opal.
"Hey," Mako said, returning without warning. "Did I miss anything?"
"Kind of," Korra said excitedly. "Lin said-"
"Nothing really," Bolin said, shoving the box of noodles under his brother's nose. "Want a bite?"
"I'll pass," Mako said. "Korra?"
"Never mind," she said, glancing at Opal. She could see her own understanding reflected back in the airbender's eyes, and the trial was suddenly starting to feel less boring.
The prosecution spent ample time going over the cached documents from Baatar's files detailing the colossus and the spirit weapon, taking extra pains to establish Kuvira's hand in the proceedings. "The Great Uniter made the call for the deforestation of the swamp in the midlands," Meilin said as she paced in front of the bench. "She also ordered the dismantling of the domes, as we have already established, and was then instrumental in the construction of the giant mech known as the colossus. The defendant has several documented instances of her involvement in weapon manufacture for the furthering of the army, but the most significant and most direct involvement is the building of the colossus. She then operated it with minor assistance from engineers when she marched on the city, and willfully fired an unprecedented and dangerous chemical weapon not only on United Forces battleships but also on civilian areas." She paused, setting down the sheaf of papers on the court clerk's desk and switching of the projector, the slides depicting Kuvira's signature on the orders and the explicitly worded text of the decrees no longer displayed to the tribunal and the spectators.
"These instances of chemical weaponry on the battlefield are not indicative of rash and impulsive behavior," Zhang said. "Your Honors, we ask that you recognize the use of this technology as inhumane. It has been the cause of the destruction of countless buildings and homes in Republic City, as well as the weapon responsible for sparking a global arms race. The United Republic military manufacturers are working in overdrive. The budget for the United Forces was increased in the past six months. The Northern and Southern Water Tribes, each located near spirit portals, are granting their researchers funding to delve into the use of weaponizable spirit energy. The Earth Kingdom remains in a state of chaos, but the state army is continuing to proliferate. Ordering the construction of this weapon broke an international peace between all four nations."
Keisai's head snapped up. The lawyer had practically been reclining in his chair, a tiny pocketknife in his fingers as he scraped under his nails with a glazed look in his eye. "Oh, perfect," he said as he stood. "Permission to approach the bench, Your Honors?"
"Permission granted."
"Wonderful," Keisai said, winking at Kuvira. From her spot in the balcony, Korra could see the defendant smile, and she wondered what the lawyer had planned.
"Your Honors," Keisai said, "I'd like to ask a few questions to my esteemed opponent. Attorney general, I defer to your expertise. Are there any current treaties or agreements in place with regards to weapons development?"
"There is the treaty of the Common Era, enacted one year after the conclusion of the Hundred Year War," Zhang said tightly, "in which-"
"No, I know about that one," Keisai said breezily. "Yes, no wars of aggression, era of peace, resolution of conflict between the newly formed republic, the Fire Nation, and the Earth Kingdom. I know, I just thought you might know of a treaty specific to weapons development, since that's what we're talking about right now." He caught Meilin's eye and stumbled over his next words when he saw that she was smiling. "Or, um.. their proliferation."
Zhang's face darkened. "There is no such treaty."
"Oh, good," Keisai said. "I'm glad my research wasn't lacking. Perhaps there was some legislation in the United Republic against the proliferation and development of chemical weaponry?"
"Following the imprisonment-"
"No, I want something enacted during or before my client's march on the city," Keisai said coldly as the courtroom fell silent. "Nothing?" he said softly, looking from the prosecution to the tribunal. "Nothing. Your Honors, I do not deny the damages my client caused using the colossus and the attached spirit weapon. But to paint that as its own distinct crime? That's disingenuous. The prosecution has constantly reminded us of the 'novel and experimental' nature of this trial, and that we will set international law from its verdict. We have no verdict; to me that means we can't judge the case by what we'd like to see happen. And as an attorney, the lack of legislation on the issue makes this whole argument a waste of breath and a bigger waste of my time. The defense rests."
Kuvira leaned over to whisper something in Keisai's ear as he sat, and Korra nudged Mako. "They're letting him speak more."
"I think they've just realized how bad it looks to play favorites," Mako said. "Look, he isn't happy."
Korra pouted. "Stop saying things that are true."
o0o
Varrick and Zhu Li's testimony proved to be among the more interesting parts of the trial. Korra already knew that he had interviewed the couple on at least two separate occasions and had acquired information that was potentially indispensable, and was curious to see what both the prosecution and the defense would glean from the couple. Zhu Li was called to the stand first, and she gave a thorough and impartial rundown of her experience working for Kuvira from start to finish. She described the natural charisma and work ethic that had brought Kuvira her supporters, the decision both she and Varrick had made to leave Zaofu to join the cause, and the way she had threatened Varrick's life when he had refused to develop the spirit weapon.
"She hung him over the tracks by his epilettes, while the train was going at full speed," Zhang said.
"Yes," Zhu Li replied. "She was very explicit in her threat."
"What did you see during your time pretending to serve as Baatar Junior's assistant?"
"I only helped with making the weapon," Zhu Li said. "I had no idea about the colossus, or that Kuvira had anything to do with building it."
Keisai was given his opportunity to question Zhu Li, and he actually appeared apologetic. "I don't know how to ask this," he said slowly, "so I'm just going to say it. Zhu Li, you made one attempt on Baatar's life and one attempt on both his and Kuvira's during the weapon test, correct?"
Varrick tugged at his collar from his seat in the gallery, apparently nervous. "I tried to take out the weapon for the good of the world," Zhu Li said evenly. "The collateral damage did occur to me, but I was prepared for it."
Keisai nodded. "Were you also contracted to Kuvira before you were brought back after the escape attempt? Nothing is on file."
"No," Zhu Li said, "I was under Varrick's contract at the time, as his assistant. His contract was with Kuvira."
Everyone in the room sat up a bit straighter when Varrick took the stand. The cameras clicked a few more times than they had before, and Varrick pivoted on the spot, flashing a grin to the courtroom at large a bit more than necessary as he humored the crowd. "Well, let's get to it!" he exclaimed, having recited the oath to tell nothing but the truth in an unbothered and hurried way. "I've been showing up for days waiting to get this part over with."
"Varrick, you were under Kuvira's employ for three years," Zhang said. "In your testimony, you said she was a good boss until she threatened your life. Do you redact any of that?"
"No, not at all," Varrick said easily. "Zhu Li and I were thrilled to get out of Zaofu! I'm not a fan of that colossus, but those domes? They had to go. Horrible aesthetic and so restrictive… After a year there I was ready to leave that place and get to where the action was. And four and a half years ago, Kuvira brought the action."
"When did she take action in trying to end your life?"
"When I said I didn't want to build a spirit weapon," Varrick said, scowling. "She threatened my life!" He paused. "Although now that I think on it, she probably wouldn't have dropped me... Baatar Junior didn't know diddly-squat about the spirit vine energy back then and she wanted the technology made. Let me tell you something about Kuvira," he said, shaking a finger at the courtroom, "she's not rash. Crazy, probably, but not rash."
Zhang looked pained by Varrick's spiel. "Did you know anything about the prison camps?"
"Not until we ran into the escaped prisoners," Varrick said. "I knew about reeducation camps for the people that told her and her army to put a sock in it, but prison camps? Those were just for people of non-earthbending descent. And let me tell you, if Kuvira didn't want other races working for her, she wouldn't have hired me and Bolin." He leaned in conspiratorially. "He's half-Fire Nation," he said in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Yes," Zhang said flatly. "All right... what were Kuvira's intentions with the spirit weapon?"
"To threaten the United Republic into submission, of course!" Varrick said, throwing out his arms. "She'd had her eye on it for months, but we didn't hear about it until we were on our way to Zaofu. She wanted a weapon that would be the ultimate deterrent from a war or resistance movement, because then -come on now- who'd be able to stop her?"
"So she conspired to annex the republic months in advance, as well as to usurp the prince?" Zhang asked.
"Yes, that's what I just said." Varrick said. "Anything else?"
"No," Zhang said irritably, "thank heaven."
"Varrick, I have a few questions," Keisai said once he was cleared to proceed. "And they're uncomfortable."
"Most of your questions are," Varrick said.
"Touché. Let's start with an easy one, though. Do you redact any of your previous testimony?"
"Not at all," Varick said, inclining his head.
"That makes it easier," Keisai muttered. "All right. So, you were aware of Kuvira's intentions toward the United Republic long before the train ride to Zaofu, were you not?"
Varrick frowned. "No, I just said I had no idea. I don't want to get slammed with perjury."
"You said that Raiko was 'begging' for the metal the empire was mining," Keisai pointed out. "You knew about the usurping plans too. You really didn't know she planned to annex the republic?"
"I actually didn't," Varrick said. "Is that the only uncomfortable question, because that wasn't bad."
"Let's talk about your contract, then," Keisai said, pulling his copy from the file and projecting the image onto the screen for the court. "There's the line," he said after a few moments of silent skimming. '…full compliance to the development of any and all of the technological needs or requests of the empire, within the capacity of the undersigned.'" He shrugged. "Sorry Varrick. You broke your contract, and Kuvira got pissed, to be colloquial."
Varrick nodded. "I guess I did."
"Of course she didn't need to allegedly threaten your life."
"Allegedly? There are three witnesses!"
"Allegedly," Keisai repeated, winking. "But the point is you were under military contract in a government that had issued the Reunification Order. That gave her card blanche to punish her dissenters as she saw fit. Did you blatantly violate the contract and then try to escape?"
"Well yes, but—"
"Dissent," Keisai said, shaking his head. "And I'd like to remind the court that the United Republic knew about that legislation long before the coronation and didn't do anything about it. Besides, that's something I'll need to argue in the Earth Kingdom military tribunal, not this novel and experimental international one. Oh, and one more thing, Varrick—Didn't Kuvira wrangle a presidential pardon for you, so you'd be allowed in the United Republic again?"
Varrick grinned at the defense table. Kuvira looked annoyed. "Yes, that was great of her. I'm an upstanding citizen again…on paper."
"You may need to hire me after this case is through," Keisai said, smiling. "I don't have any more questions, Your Honors. Varrick, my card," he added, trading smiles with the man as he left the witness stand.
oOo
Tenzin's time at the stand was the most uncomfortable for Korra to watch. It was evident that her mentor was struggling with an allegiance to his country and family; Kuvira had attempted to harm his children in the final battle and had been responsible for the injuries Tenzin himself had sustained. Still, she knew that Tenzin disapproved of the handling of the case. "It's completely disgraceful," he had fumed over dinner. "Korra, did you get a chance to talk to the panel?"
"I did," she had said. "No luck."
"They're making a mockery of international law," Tenzin had said in disgust. "A complete mockery."
"Master Tenzin," Zhang was saying, "you were present at the signing of the contract granting the defendant recognition as interim president."
"I was."
"The court has seen the contract. Were the terms not clear?"
"The terms were explicitly stated, yes."
"At the coronation you were a witness to the usurpation of Prince Wu?"
"Everyone saw what happened," Tenzin said. "You have testimony from countless witnesses that day. My word carries no more weight than theirs."
"Question," Keisai said, "your word carries a lot of weight on a few matters for the defense." He approached the bench. "Sir, you still advise the president and his small council. What was the reason for pushing Wu back to the throne?"
"The Earth Kingdom was just that—a monarchy," Tenzin said. "Following the demise of the queen, Wu was next in line for the throne."
"Why get involved with a foreign country's proceedings, as a citizen of the republic?"
"I'm not the president," Tenzin said, but Korra thought she saw his beard quirk upward for a second. "You'd have to ask him that question."
"I don't need to," Keisai said. "Did Raiko have intentions of ruling the Earth Kingdom by proxy? Prince Wu received his collegiate education in the United Republic, and we have it on record that the president had delegated ministers from his cabinet to help Wu in the capitol. The court will find those documents with the rest of our evidence."
"I can't speak to his intentions for the Earth Kingdom, but it's true that Raiko had arranged for United Republic ministers to advice the prince," Tenzin said.
"Final question, sir," Keisai said, glancing back at Varrick and giving the room a small smile. "Did uh.. did Raiko want the vine power weaponized?"
Tenzin looked at the lawyer sharply. "Why do you ask—"
"Yes or no?"
"Yes."
"No further questions," Keisai said brightly, returning to his seat and urgently whispering to his client, his hair mingling with hers as they bowed their heads over the legal pad, plotting their next move.
Baatar was the final witness called by the prosecution, and the press proved insatiable. Baatar took the stand as the third week of the trial began. The morning of his testimony, he paused by the defense table before the room filled, taking Kuvira's hands in his own and giving them an affirming squeeze. "I won't say anything damning," he promised.
"You're going to say what I told you to say," Keisai retorted. "Although if you screw up a bit I won't be too angry.. double jeopardy being illegal and all that."
"Keisai, please," Kuvira said anxiously. "You haven't made him agree to say anything that'll hurt his release, have you?"
"Sweetheart, just trust me," Keisai said, patting her shoulder. "I got your fiancé out of harms way, I'm not going to throw him under the bus to get you out."
Kuvira nodded, and as the judges entered and another day of the trial began it was evident that she was far from reassured.
"We have it on good authority that the defendant viewed Baatar Beifong the Second as a dispensable member of her cabinet," Meilin said, reaching for a tape. "The bench has been provided with the transcript—"
"Oh no," Kuvira said, her eyes huge."
"What?" Keisai said. "Is there something you haven't told me?"
"No, I just know what we talked about that day, and it's embarrassing!" Kuvira hissed. "Spirits, I can't believe this is happening again…"
Keisai glanced behind them, catching Baatar's eye from his seat among the spectators. The man gave him a rueful smile, and Keisai turned back to Kuvira. "He doesn't seem too bothered, Kuvira. I'm sure it's not too bad-"
"We made out before the trial began today," she snapped in an irritable whisper. "Of course he isn't bothered."
Keisai stared. "How… when…?"
"Don't worry about it." She stared straight ahead as the recording played, her cheeks slowly reddening though her face remained impassive.
"…more than that, obviously." Kuvira's voice crackled to life for the courthouse, a playful note to it that did not go unnoticed. "Try again."
"More than the meteor garden back in Zaofu, at night?"
"Yes, try again," the recording played. "Damn it… hold on. Block five, secure the perimeter-"
"Everything all right up there?"
"Yes, keep going, this is fun." Kuvira's voice was sharp, and the sound of mech being operated in the background clouded the audio.
"More than… the rendezvous under the overhang when we were in the desert?" There was a pause. "Did you ever get the sand out of that bra, by the way?"
Kuvira buried her face in her arms. "Here it comes.."
"Wow," Keisai said quietly. "Okay yeah, I know which recording this is now…" He patted her arm. "Don't worry, they'll get the line they want soon and it'll be over."
"No, not entirely." The sound of her laugh came through on the recording, genuinely happy rather than the sardonic chuckle the world leaders had only ever known. "Besides, I love you more than tangible things."
"Spending the night in the desert is an intangible." Baatar's voice was free of its usual aggrieved affectation, and Korra could see the softness in his expression as he listened to the recording, a marked difference from Kuvira's apparent embarrassment.
"Fine, I'll say it. …Xi, cover the left flank… no, direct the mech east. My left. Yes." There was a pause. "I love you more than anything or anyone in the world, are you happy now?"
"More than the empire?"
There was a moment's hesitation that did not escape the court. "No, darling, you know the empire comes first. It isn't personal."
"So long as you aren't secretly inviting the empire to bed with you when I'm away—"
Zhang showed no signs of stopping, and Keisai stood. "Come on, guys. This is ridiculous—"
"Can we cut the tape?" Kuvira had spoken openly for the first time since the beginning of the trial, her cheeks bright red. "They have the transcript, they don't need the rest."
"Yes," Meilin said hastily, yanking the record from the player and looking at Zhang disapprovingly. "Yes, we've played what we needed. It's evident from this that the defendant was willing to put her power grab above everything else, including loved ones…"
Meilin's voice carried over the sound of the reporters, but the hum of machinery and the repeated click of camera shutters overwhelmed the room. Keisai drummed his fingers on the table impatiently until Hotah called for order, shaking his head in disgust.
The next block of time was devoted to unpacking the legality –or lack thereof—of Kuvira's annexation of the state of Zaofu and the United Republic. The documents projected to the court were irrefutable; plotted out timelines written in Kuvira's own hand, records of progress with the weapon, markedly less embarrassing transcripts of discussions between her and Baatar detailing their next move, and spreadsheets with the logistics of moving the army to the border all were shown, some dating back as early as six months prior to the coronation. "This is in blatant violation of the nonaggression treaty between the Fire Nation, the new republic, and the Earth Kingdom," Zhang said firmly. "This is not a matter of subjectivity, this is documented proof of premeditated war."
Baatar was called to the stand as the prosecution's final witness, and as he took his place in the witness box Korra observed that his eyes never left the table for the defense. "How early was the march on the city planned?" Meilin asked.
"Six months prior to the reclamation of Zaofu," Baatar said.
"What exactly was the battle strategy?" she prodded. "There is no documentation for the actual march on Republic City."
"We intended to formally declare war the week the colossus was completed," Baatar said. "That same week, Zhu Li was found to be… working against us. After my family escaped their military arrest—"
"Can we just appreciate how weird this testimony is?" Bolin said, nudging Korra and Asami. "Like, this is stuff that happened in real life. And hearing it, it sounds so weird. Who talks about their family escaping military arrest like that?"
"Beifongs do," Opal said shortly. "Shut up, Bolin. I'm trying to listen."
"Sorry," he said, his arm around her as they watched.
"—we decided that formally declaring war before launching the attach was a poor decision, and so we mobilized the army as soon as we finished the colossus. We expected the United Forces to be ready for us, and so we justified a display with the colossus if Raiko refused to stand down—that's why she ultimately fired. Taking out the tower was Kuvira's call, I can't speak to that. Avatar Korra and her team had also gotten in Earth Kingdom airspace, and so that move was unplanned as well. Everything had gone exactly as we had intended, until the avatar and her stealth team captured me while I was en route with the terms of surrender."
"After your capture, you called the defendant," Meilin said.
"Yes," Baatar replied, his eyes on Kuvira. "I did."
"You asked her to stand down, and she fired at will upon hearing that the Avatar was with you."
The room had gone completely silent, and the cameras were trained on the former heads of state as they regarded one another, one at the stand and one at the defendant's table. "She did."
Meilin looked from one to the other quizzically, even glancing at Keisai with a question in her eyes. He shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "All right…" she said, "I think that fills the only gaps in our record for the plans of attack… no further questions."
"Baatar, how're you doing?" Keisai said the moment he was cleared to speak. "Lovesick?"
Baatar growled in frustration. "Really? Right now? I'm at the stand!"
"I can see that. I just have one question for you. Why make the weapon if you had no intentions of using it? What was it, an early wedding present?" A chuckle rippled through the room.
"No," he said through gritted teeth. "They were deterrents. As everyone saw, the threat of the spirit canon was enough to make Raiko accept—" he paused, and an understanding passed between the two men—"unconditional surrender."
Keisai smiled, and the reporters straightened up, flashbulbs going off with increasing frequency. "Say that again for me, Baatar, because it makes me want to call a couple of witnesses."
"The surrender was at discretion," Baatar said, inclining his head. "It was an unconditional surrender."
oOo
"General Iroh," Keisai said, his voice too formal and his fingers interlaced behind his back. "You were in charge of the defense of the city when my client's plans of annexation were confirmed."
"Correct."
"You were told to stand down by the commander-in-chief after a pretty light display," Keisai continued.
"Hardly a light display, Keisai," Iroh pointed out. "That thing would have wiped out the army."
"We'll never know, man," Keisai said. "After that you were turned in with the rest of the officers as prisoners of war for what, twenty-four hours?"
"Correct."
"Treated well, I assume."
"Naturally."
"Since the court likes hard evidence.." Keisai played the record.
"I don't think you understand the power I possess. Let me make it clear." Kuvira's voice came through the record player with a smug nonchalance that seemed out of character for the silent woman at the defendant's table.
"Mr. President, do I have your order to engage?"
"You have three seconds before I wipe out your army."
"I have no choice." Raiko's response was terse and clipped, and Korra found herself reliving the moment as she waited for Kuvira's next words.
"Time's up."
"Stop! We surrender. Republic City is yours." The panic in the president's voice was impossible to miss.
"Good. Turn your army and the Avatar over to me, and give Baatar your location. He'll present you with our terms—"
"And I think that's enough," Keisai said. "So you were told to stand down."
"That's right," Iroh said, his face suddenly collapsing. He studied his old friend with a combination of shock, disbelief, and disapproval, his fists clenching as Keisai turned away and walked back to the table for the defense.
"Dismiss the witness," the lawyer said coolly. "No further questions."
oOo
The final witness of the trial was the young woman Iroh and Keisai had met at the archives. Bao took the stand, looking at once shy and star-struck when Keisai took the floor, raking a hand through his hair and loosening his tie. "Let's get this over with," he said. "Bao, you're an aide for the legislature."
"Yes, I am."
"You have access to the archives, correct? Since for whatever reason, they're closed to the general public, and Lin has been delayed by three weeks in receiving a warrant?"
"Um.. yes," Bao said nervously. "Are you okay?"
"Just annoyed," Keisai said with a unnerving smile, "because of really bad administrative procedure in this country."
"Oh."
"So Bao," Keisai said, relaxing into his usual persona and smiling disarmingly, "you came across the minutes to the Tripartite Meeting. Explain."
"The minutes made it clear that President Raiko, the secretary of state, and the secretary of defense –along with more members of the cabinet, I can't remember all of them—were planning the execution of around thirty thousand troops in the Great Uniter's army. The president also made a joke—" She paused, frowning. "Oh, I hope it was a joke… there was something in the record about pushing a bill of attainder for the Great Uniter and her fiancé."
The room was silent, and several cameras turned to Raiko, seated in his private box in the gallery. His face was livid, and Korra nudged Mako. "What's the bill supposed to be?"
"Shh," Mako said, his face unnerved. "I'm trying to listen."
"Besides the bill of attainder, was there anything else of note in the meeting minutes?"
"He suggested a closed court at one point, and trying the prisoners solely under the United Republic court system rather than an international trial," Bao said. "The secretary of state convinced him it would be a bad idea politically, but they still toasted the bill of attainder at the end of the meeting. I'm sorry, I can't remember any more than that," she said. "I've told you all I know."
"Thank you, I have no further questions," Keisai said, his eyes flashing. "You still have my card?" he murmured to the young woman as she passed him on her way back to her seat.
"Oh, of course!"
"Good," he said, catching her by the elbow and regarding Raiko intently, stroking his beard. "You'll probably need it after this. Thank you, Bao. You've done a lot." As the woman stammered her thanks and returned to a spot in the gallery, Keisai saw Meilin observing him in the corner of his eye. He turned, sitting down next to Kuvira as the bench requested a recess before Kuvira's statement and the defense's closing.
"You'll be fine," Keisai said bracingly, patting her hand. "You've given speeches a thousand times before. Remember, if you have to default to one expression, go for 'depressed as fuck,' it's closer to contrite than bitchy resting face."
"I know." She stood when her name was called.
"Kill it," Keisai said as he watched her step into the witness box.
"I want to take this opportunity to express how much I regret what I did to the United Republic and this city," Kuvira said, her voice as steady as ever once she took the stand. "When I arrived in Republic City for the coronation I knew fully well I'd spark an international incident. When I came a second time that year, my visit ended in surrender and my imprisonment. It should have ended in my death, and the face that I'm alive and standing trial before you all today is solely thanks to Avatar Korra. She will forever have my gratitude.
"In many ways," she said, her voice beginning to waver, "the events that followed my imprisonment-meeting Keisai, having a chance to speak to my former vice president, and ample time to reflect on my countless wrongdoings- were positive. Everything, from the months in solitary, to delving further into my personal philosophy on leadership and politics, to my loss of bending and my realization that a series of lapses in judgment, led me to conclude that I lost myself during my three year contract.
"I was the cause of happiness for countless citizens of the Earth Kingdom, and now I'm the reason for their misery," Kuvira continued. "By earning myself imprisonment, I did what I had set out to correct. I abandoned a country that needed someone to guide it because of a power-hungry grab for a nation I had no claim to. I'm truly sorry for turning a blind eye to the work of extremists under my banner who engaged in ethnic cleansing, I'm sorry for destroying families—I'm sorry for leaving parents childless, or widowing women and making widowers of men. One of the families I hurt was the one I had hoped to call my own.
"Whatever the outcome, I will forever remember the consequences I faced for my actions as a testament to what I stand for, and as just retribution for those actions. I won't ask for a second chance. But should I get the chance to prove to others and myself that my character can recover, I can help make sure my mistakes will never be repeated by me or any future dictator –because there will be others—that chance will be something I cherish as dearly as the chance at life Avatar Korra gave me."
Keisai couldn't stay in his seat, instead jumping up to escort her back to the table. A sudden burst of applause started up in the back of the room, and Kuvira frowned, exchanging looks with the lawyer. "The security detail isn't here today?" he muttered.
"No.."
"Release the Great Uniter!"
"Is this a joke?" Kuvira said, her eyes wide. "This… this is a joke—"
"Send backup," Mako barked into his radio, jumping up and leaving the balcony. "I need twenty officers on the floor—"
The loyalists were closing in, and Kuvira's eyes darted around the room frantically. It was an easy chance at escape. The floors were marble, the metal grid was several feet below the courtroom. Fleeing the city would be easy enough, with the support of the protesters and the cloak of pandemonium the courtroom brought…
"Just do it already," she heard Keisai hiss in her ear. "I know you can, sweetheart."
She fell into her stance instinctively, and even with shackled hands she imprisoned the loyalists where they stood, the marble shackling their feet in place. They fell like pins around her, and she widened her stance, her hands cutting through the air as she spun the ground they lay on in a circle, stopping it abruptly when the officers reached them. "I…" she paused, her breath coming quickly and her heart pounding, more from anxiety than exertion. "The chi blocking wore off—"
"Sit down," Keisai said, guiding her to her seat as Mako and Lin oversaw the removal of the loyalists. "Good talk, even better display."
"You didn't rig that-?"
"Of course not," the lawyer snapped. "Your supporters are shit people, though... what kind of moron thinks this is a good idea?"
"I don't know," Kuvira said, feeling Lin's eyes on her as the marble was returned to its original state. She felt nauseous; the constant clicks of camera shutters and pops of flashbulbs and repeated banging of the gavel and shouted questions from reporters only augmented her disorientation. A miasma swam before her eyes, but as she turned and happened to catch Baatar's gaze she saw that he was smiling, pride in his face despite his worry. Something about the image soothed her enough to calmly watch to Keisai's last stand.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Keisai said, pacing in front of the bench, "my esteemed opponents," he said, inclining his head to Zhang and Meilin, "Your Honors, this has been the longest four weeks of my life. If I have to hear 'novel and experimental' one more time…"
Korra looked at Kuvira. "Do you think it was rigged?"
"The trial, or the loyalists barging in?" Asami muttered. "Because both seem really suspicious, if you ask me."
Mako grimaced. "We'll talk about the loyalists later, let me listen to the defense."
"I really do admire the approach taken by the prosecution," the lawyer was saying. "I admire their focus on the hard evidence, their use of witness testimony only when necessary, and their insistence on painting a picture of what actually happened so that you, Your Honors, may judge my client's actions accordingly. I appreciate the honest reconstruction of what transpired, too," he said, nodding to the table where Meilin and Zhang were seated.
"But while our combined efforts have constructed the story of how Kuvira became the Great Uniter, it seems like we're getting bogged down in the unimportant details. Since this trial will set the precedent for international law, it cannot become a sanctimonious fraud. When you deliberate, Your Honors, please keep the following in mind.
"Kuvira embarked on her mission to help the Earth Kingdom with Baatar four and a half years ago," Keisai said. "She was all of twenty-one years old. She managed to stabilize Ba Sing Se in a matter of weeks with the Zaofu state army, establish new infrastructure and boost the economy to recovery in a matter of months, and assumed power—remember, when a government is deposed, the military steps up. With the capitol's army disbanded, Kuvira's stabilizing the state made the Council of Fa name her the commander in chief of the Earth Kingdom army. It made sense; she already commanded the most elite fighters in the country. The contract for interim president was only a formality from Raiko and Master Tenzin. Power is not given to a new world leader from the international community, it is taken or earned from the people he or she leads.
"But the world leaders wanted to get involved," the lawyer continued. "How? By gaining access to the technological sector of the budding empire. Varrick confirmed Raiko's desperation for the ore reserves, and using Prince Wu as a puppet of the republic was the perfect way to open trade routes and cut special deals with the Earth Kingdom government. If there had been real interest in helping the country get back on track, members of the United Forces could have been deployed. My dearest friend," Keisai said, his voice wavering for a moment, "is one of the most accomplished generals in the world. The world powers could have helped that twenty-one year old girl, but instead they gave her free reign to clean up a mess in a tight time limit, and were surprised when she ended up a dictator. Fixing a country in three years forces you to make tough calls. Kuvira didn't realize that the power hadn't been given to her by Raiko until it was too late.
"Forcing a ruler onto an established country is an unwarranted act of aggression, and precedent dictates it to be a technical justification of war." Keisai turned to face Raiko in his private box, pensively stroking his beard. "The legitimacy of her rule never depended on the United Republic's approval. The outrage at the ethnic cleansing prison camps –which she never approved—only began once the United Republic saw that Kuvira was unwilling to step down from the position she earned. The constant meddling, especially with repeated issued warnings under the Reunification Order, is enough to be considered acts of war against the empire, rendering the rest of the military action acceptable.
"We won't justify the annexation of the republic, but I will defend the damages she caused and the subsequent manslaughter of Hiroshi Sato. We heard it on the recording, and we heard General Iroh's testimony: President Raiko surrendered unconditionally. When the terms of surrender are first negotiated by both states, the surrender is conditional. Had President Raiko promised to surrender only after Kuvira made certain agreements, the republic would have a case. What happened was unconditional surrender, placing Kuvira under zero obligation to promise anything outside the conventions of proper prisoner treatment—which, as General Iroh attested, she did.
"So," Keisai said, his eyes flashing, "the United Republic, until Kuvira turned herself in, belonged to the Earth Empire. It belonged to the Earth Empire when Avatar Korra and her stealth team abducted the vice president, it belonged to the empire when the resistance tried to bring down the colossus and the squadron of soldiers escorting it, and it belonged to the empire when Korra and Kuvira fought one on one again, just as they did for the fate of Zaofu. The avatar, from Zaofu onward, had established herself as a personal threat to the Great Uniter and as a person willing to violate the regulations of the empire. Are we to make exceptions to the precedent of following a country's laws when on foreign soil, just because we dislike the leader? None of the offenses against the republic are valid, because of this. Even the manslaughter was in self-defense. Kuvira is a war criminal today because she recognized her wrongs in her entire political campaign, and turned herself in. She had men on the ground willing to save her and return to Earth Empire borders, but she did what was morally right, rather than what was politically and legally justifiable. The tribunal, if its true aim is justice, should take that into account.
"The Tripartite Meeting is proof that this trial was intended to fail my client," Keisai said slowly, his tone deliberate. "I've touched on the potential for abuse and the violation of several legal principles that come with resorting to a bill of attainder. If this was passed, we wouldn't be hear today and Kuvira would have been executed six months into her incarceration period. The bill was drafted, according to our witness; the warrant has still not been issued and attempts to find a copy were hindered.
"I entreat you to set a good precedent for the international community," Keisai said, looking to the bench. "I ask that you think twice before passing out guilty verdicts. Think on the facts of the case, not the subjective hurt feelings of politicians. Think of Ba Sing Se, which drove out Wu and still is loyal to Xi's military rule. Think of Kuvira as her own people saw her, if only for a minute—a symbol of progress, a young woman who helped when no one else would. When you deliberate, don't think of her as the Great Uniter, a title that evokes fear and resentment in the republic. Think of her as the woman she is, and judge her solely on her actions. That alone is the only way this trial can set a just precedent for international military rules, and establish laws and customs of war to be followed in the years to come."
There were formalities before the trial could conclude, but the applause for the lawyer never truly died as he left the stand, despite the bench's best efforts.
oOo
Waiting was unbearable.
The tribunal spent a week in deliberation, and Kuvira was rarely left to her own devices. Keisai visited her often, trying to cheer her with the reports predicting another victory for the lawyer. Other articles he clipped covered her sudden action against the loyalists in the courtroom in glowing terms, marveling at how she had subdued ten assailants with her hands cuffed together. Baatar visited as much as he was able, more often than not simply holding her against his chest, waiting for her nerves to die down and for her to return to her old self. Even Korra visited twice, awkwardly giving her a few words of encouragement and suggesting that she meditate.
The day of the verdict was announced, and she entered the courthouse in daze, Keisai's hand guiding her by the shoulders and his voice in a steady stream of reassurance in her ear. She barely registered what he was saying, barely registered the legal formalities of the court, and barely registered the verdict as it was read out. Her ears were tuned to one thing only, and she seemed unable to process anything else.
She heard the sentencing at last. "For the nineteen crimes of which she has been found guilty," the clerk read, "Kuvira of the Metal Clan will be sentenced to execution by lethal injection, on the sixteenth of the following month. The window of time during which to file the appeal—"
She didn't mean to stop listening, but somehow the man's voice tuned itself out. She felt numb, even as she heard the courtroom explode into pandemonium around her, even as she sensed Baatar forcing his way to her and taking her in his arms, even as she felt Keisai's hand come down on her shoulder hard and heard him swear profusely over the din.
"This is bullshit," the lawyer said, disbelief and anger pulsing through his voice. "Complete, utter bullshit."
"This is the verdict," she heard herself saying as the cacophony of the spectators and the press swelled to an irrepressible din that none of Hotah's demands for order could silence.
A/N: I'm the author so you gotta deal with it. Can't wait to get yelled at…
One chapter and an epilogue to go! NEARLY DONEEEEE
