It was going to be an awful day.

The Si Wong isn't exactly renowned for its temperate climate, Qí thought sarcastically as she steered the beaten-up airship south by southwest. The needle of the fuel gauge was dipping dangerously into the red as they soared over the unending dunes of copper-red sand below, searching for the Misty Palms Oasis. Hopefully we don't end up walking far. She could feel the sun burning her skin even through the airship windows, heating her metal suit until it hurt to touch. It was the least of her problems. The healer had been good, but a minimal fix, just enough to reel them back from the edge of disaster. Jiji's ribs were still bruised grey and blue like threatening storm clouds, but that was better than threatening a punctured lung.

She could hear Guanyin's snuffling in the mess room, but didn't look back. No doubt the kid was trying to forget why they were running in the first place. He hadn't been taking it all that well.

He's just a kid, Avatar or not.

Not her problem right now. The search parties would be hunting them down soon enough, and they needed to ditch the limping ship. She figured it would take about two days for Kuvira to deal with the crippled Jin Nuo fleet, and organise enough resources to get her expedition vehicles regeared for a chase. With one day down, they didn't have time to spare. The countryside would be crawling with sentries on high alert like swarms of angry ants. I still have about a hundred yuans and plenty of food. We can do this.

The airship started beeping.

Or, maybe not.

"We're out of fuel!" She called over her shoulder, starting the landing sequence. Where the hell is this desert town? The ship keeled over slowly like a drunk platypus bear, tilting towards the shimmering dunes, steadily gaining speed. Straining, she bent the flaps out to slow them as much as possible, sending the ship skimming across the top of the dunes before grabbing the pack of supplies and pulling herself up the skewed deck, feet digging into the metal floor. Jiji was trying to bend a hole in the wall of the mess room, clinging unsteadily to Guanyin as the airship shook around them. She pushed herself over and dug her fingers in, peeling the metal back to leave a howling tear in the wall. "OUT!"

Jiji hesitated, clinging to the wall as he gazed down at the dunes flashing past below. I don't have time for this. She shoved him out and jumped after, hitting the hot sand after a couple of seconds and rolling, the force of the impact knocking the air out of her lungs and leaving her wheezing, teeth full of gritty sand. There was a whump, and the sky went dark for a moment as Guanyin nearly landed on top of her, a big ball of glossy fur grunting in disapproval as he ambled over to where Jiji had face planted in the dunes. She sat up slowly and caught her breath, watching the crumpled airship career into the side of a massive dune, throwing up sand and flames like roaring confetti.

She spat the sand out of her mouth. What a mess. The smell of smoke and burning oil wafted over in the scorching heat, filling her mouth with the taste of metal. She picked herself up slowly, metal-clad feet slipping in the sand like boiling hot ice. I'm going to need to change.

Jiji seemed to be okay; his knuckles white as he clung to the snuffling mountain of fur nudging at him. Hand shading her eyes, she scanned the horizon, searching for anything more than just dunes- the desert stretched out before her like the sea, just as endless, just as desolate. She retrieved the bag of supplies, frowning at the trail of dark sand rapidly drying up where one of the water flasks had split.

"We need to head west," she straightened her back, looking up to see where the sun was in the sky, "and we'll need to change into lighter clothes. There's a long march ahead."

"WHAT THE ZHU LI IS THAT?!"

The Zhu Li in question slapped his wrist lightly. "Varrick!"

"What? There's a giant flamey rat thing on her shoulder!"

She looked up with an unimpressed shrug, "Who cares? Don't cuss around Mingzhu."

Varrick pouted petulantly and went back to brushing his daughter's hair, running his fingers through gently to check for knots before combing them out carefully.

Asami wiped the rheum from her eyes, the room still fuzzy in front of her. She barely registered Varrick's chattering, moving to boil some water for tea when suddenly Zhu Li was at her side, peering intently at her through moon-shaped spectacles. "Asami."

She shook herself, "I- huh? Oh, sorry, Zhu Li. Didn't see you there." A stifled yawn, "What's wrong?"

"Your shoulder is on fire."

"I, um. Thanks?"

That look. Asami sighed. "Sorry, I'm still asleep. Was that not a compliment?"

"Your shoulder is literally on fire, 'sami."

She blinked a little and looked at her shoulder and, sure enough, there it was, a small flame curled up on her shoulder and- well, looking at her. At least it's not burning me. She turned back to Zhu Li, deadly serious, "I've gone mad."

"Then we're all bleedin' mad, aren't we?!" Varrick was helping Mingzhu put ribbons in her hair, tying colourful bows in dark brown curls as the little girl sat on his lap. "But there's definitely something on your shoulder."

Asami didn't really want to look. She knew what this meant. The teapot was whistling behind her, an incessant squeal, building and building as she felt the pressure in her chest welling up, thrashing in her chest like a wounded beast. Varrick and Zhu Li were looking at her, concern etched into their brows. Time moved sluggishly, like deep, thick mud. "I wasn't dreaming."

She registered vaguely that Zhu Li was holding onto her elbow, keeping her from sinking to the floor. "Asami! You're pale as death, what's wrong?"

"It wasn't a dream." She wanted nothing more to sink through the floorboards and into the Earth. "I saw Korra last night. There's a new Avatar."

The silence lasted a millenia. Zhu Li was quiet, her face a confusion of expression- but it wasn't her that Asami was looking at. He looks ill. Varrick's arms had curled around Mingzhu subconsciously, protective and grim like a shrine overshadowing a grave. When he spoke, his voice was clipped and low, with a calculated preciseness that barely kept it from wavering.

"What exactly does she want us to do about that?"

"He's headed to Kyoshi, she wants us to meet him there." Her chest felt tight. It had taken so long to forget the whole mess, and it was all swimming up before her eyes- Korra's blood on her hands, the bubbling sound of Mako's crushed lungs, Bolin's beautiful, empty green eyes… she shook herself. One day.

"Well then I guess we'd better get packing! If Korra wants us to help, then help we will." The determined enthusiasm in Zhu Li's voice made her sick to the stomach. She had been so hurt- bleeding, so much- her head a fragile eggshell. She never really remembered that day, but Asami did; she remembered Varrick desperately trying to keep his hands from shaking as he held together Zhu Li's skull, the bodies of their friends strewn about like broken dolls, the terrifying growl in Lin's voice as she told them, they're coming, we need to get you out of here, leave the rest, there's nothing we can do-

"We're not going." Varrick was eyeing the dull white scar that ran in a jagged line through his wife's hair, jaw set. "I don't give a damn what Korra wants. We're not stepping into that mess again."

The- thing- on Asami's shoulder growled, the flame on the stove flaring up suddenly. Zhu Li sighed. "We have to help, Varrick. Korra's asking."

"I just said, I don't care." His arms had completely encircled Mingzhu now, shielding her. "We're not going."

"I'll go." Asami took a deep breath, forcing her anxieties down and out of her throat. I am going to regret this. "I'll go to Kyoshi. Then, if it's safe, I'll let you two know."

Varrick thought about it for a moment before he nodded gravely in approval, but Zhu Li was shaking her head. "You can't go alone! What if you get hurt, or captured? You'll have to go through Earth Empire territory!"

As Asami took the kettle off the stove and poured herself a cup of tea, the small, nimble creature scampered down her arm and perched on her wrist. He's completely weightless. "I won't be alone." She smiled as she looked back at the others. The fiery spirit of Pabu licked her hand happily. "Korra's watching over me."

Kuvira threw open the doors of her airship's situation room, ignoring the crash of the metal handles as they punched through the plaster walls behind her. Several of her closest officers were gathered around the table, sleep-deprived and unnerved like birds startled from their nest. The metallic click of her boots against the floor kept them wincing with anticipation at every stride.

"What news have we got?! General Tso, your report!"

The general in question hurriedly stopped rubbing the rheum out of her eyes to blink owlishly at the paper in front of her. "Debris at the docks is being cleared away, repairs are set to begin in two days. In the meantime, supplies are being shipped by long-distance rail, with armed escorts in case the situation encourages bandits."

"It will not, or they will pay." She leaned on the table, chewing the situation over. "No doubt you are all wondering why you have been kept up to this inconvenient our. I also do not doubt that you have heard the rumours concerning the part of my son and his metalbending teacher in this mess." She scanned the room, catching the eye of every officer, holding their attention. She could see them squirming uncomfortably, trying to know what they were supposed to think. "These rumours are true. At this point in time, Sergeant Qí is wanted for the kidnapping of my son, for the assault of several of her fellow officers, and for the significant amount of damage done to government property down at the docks. Before anyone asks, yes, she was the one who destroyed the airships. She also threw a train at her comrades in arms." A long pause, as she let the words sink in. A few scoffs and murmurs ran like ripples through the room. "I'm sure I do not need to convince any of you of the danger she poses as a fugitive. Her motives are as yet unknown, and until her capture she is to be considered a deserter, traitor and enemy of the state. Am I clear? Any associations or relations anyone has had with her in the past are, from this point forward, to be considered null and void. Any questions?"

"Begging your pardon, ma'am." That cocky young Colonel Bai was smirking sceptically, arms crossed his chest as though he were lecturing her. "No-one is strong enough to lift a train by themselves. That's ludicrous; it takes a team of benders, at least seven or eight. You must be mistaken."

She resisted the urge to strangle him with his own epaulettes. "Have you ever met Sergeant Qí, Colonel?"

"Can't say I have. I went to officer school, skipped the ranks."

I knew that officer's academy was a bad idea. Arrogant idiot. "Sergeant Qí is not one of 'the ranks', and has not been for a very long time. She has been trained beyond the reach of all normal metalbending training given to our officers, and could cut you open before you even knew she was there. Her position existed outside the traditional forces, within my personal employ, for many reasons." She rolled her shoulders back, "I don't know what part of officer training gave you the perception that only fighting skill determines rank, but I suggest you forget it immediately. Or you will find very soon that someone like Qí will rip you to shreds."

"Still, ma'am, it's a train."

She gritted her teeth. "If you have any further doubts, you are welcome to go to the hospital and ask Captain Guowei or Second Lieutenant Yan yourself. Otherwise, I suggest you hold your tongue before I send you after them."

Silence filled the room like a thick, viscous syrup. She could almost hear them sweating. "Qí's whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is suspected she is in the south-east, in the region of the Si Wong Desert. The airship she used to escape has been spotted by sentries crossing over the mountains of the desert edge, with no further sightings. I will be leaving in the morning with a full retrieval team- the rest of you are to continue in your duties in your normal capacities, and to ensure that no-one else gets any ideas about deserting. Are their any intelligent questions?"

A small, meek hand presented itself towards the back of the room. "What is it, Major?"

The slight, green-clad young woman stood up so as to be heard better, "Do we know the Sergeant's motives, ma'am?"

"We do not, currently." Remember that face. She's got a good head on her shoulders. "As far as we know, this crime has been committed in the interests of a personal motive of Qí's, and is not linked to the activities of any other enemy organisation at this time." The Major bowed and sat down, and Kuvira folded her arms behind her back, considering them all critically, "For those who have been selected to join the retrieval mission, we have one simple objective- track down Qí, and retrieve Jianyu. We leave at dawn. Dismissed."

A/N:

Lou: Sorry this is so late! I've been moving apartments, so I've had no wifi to work with, unfortunately :/ Hope you like this chapter, thank you all so much for reading!

(Kuvira ain't havin' none of your shit, Bai)

Pat: we'd love to get a bit of feedback from u guys so please don't be afraid to comment, we don't bite :) also updates may slow down a little as life is gettin in the way...again…