Yue Bay, Republic City

160AG

Sokka tucked his meteorite sword into his blue cloth belt and slung his boomerang on his back. He drew his sword and made a few practice cuts. The air sang with the skill in which he swung the blade. It had been a long time since he had needed to use the weapon in combat, but even as he advanced in years he continued to practice and hone his skills. His movements were fluid and strong, if it came to battle he knew he could hold his own. He sat down laying the jet-black blade across his knees and ran his had along the flat of the blade, remembering all the battles he had fought before. He remembered his first sword, and how he had lost it saving Toph and himself on the day Sozin's Comet came and Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai. He closed his eyes as scenes of that battle filled his mind. That day, and many others, he had come so close to death. Today, he was here on a mission of peace, he doubted this would be the day death's cold grasp would choke the life from him, but it was always good to be mentally prepared for that chance, and always being prepared was something Sokka prided himself on. He stood, sheathed his blade, and headed to the deck of the ship.

He walked up the stairs from the lower decks, covering the sun with his hand to block the intense light while his eyes adjusted, and approached the bow of the large catamaran for a better look at the city they were fast approaching. He crossed his arms as he surveyed the skyline. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from here, but looks could be deceiving. It had been just over six months since the riots, so Sato had had plenty of time to clean the city up. Sokka didn't care for what the city looked like, he just wanted to make sure the people there were not being oppressed. He knew that Zuko wanted to insure the same was true, or that is what he had told Sokka when arranging this summit of all the nations to meet in Republic City. He was glad that he had been wrong in his fears that Sato would make an aggressive move on the world stage and that in the end it had been Fire Lord Zuko that had made the first move, and not for war, but for peace. Sokka still didn't know how they were going to convince Sato of the error of his ways, but this summit would be the first step.

He thought back to his departure from the South Pole. Katara wanted peace as much as anyone, but she didn't trust Sato, and she had advised him not to go to the summit. Tenzin asked him not to go as well, it was he who had been stabbed in the back by Sato and nearly captured in the process, because of this he also had given up hope on a peaceful resolution. Tenzin was usually the first person to stand up for peace, but perhaps he had seen something in Sato that made him feel peace negotiations were futile. Or perhaps now that his daughter had been born he feared more for the safety of his family. He would not leave their side now, even though Zuko had asked him to take part in this summit as the representative of the Air Nation.

"Uncle," he heard Kya call out from behind him, and she came to stand at his side, she would come with him to the talks as his guard, he trusted his skills fully, but it was still nice to have the extra security of a waterbender. He could have chosen one of his soldiers to accompany him to the talks, but having family by his side meant the world to him, and Kya was most certainly one of the most skilled waterbenders in their tribe, to boot. "How are you feeling?"

Sokka rolled his shoulders backward and forward stretching out his muscles further. "Fine," he said, "I'm looking forward to returning to the city. It has been far too long since I've made a visit." They had passed Air Temple Island and the Statue of Aang at this point and were nearly upon the docks. The soldiers of the Southern Water Tribe were running to and fro, preparing the boat for docking.

"Me too," Kya answered back over the hustle and bustle, "my last visit wasn't as enjoyable as I would've liked it to be." Sokka chuckled, he had grown to like darker humor, and although it was not very funny, he wanted a reason to laugh to relieve some of his stress.

"Well, let's try to make this trip more fu-" He was suddenly was cut off by an earth shaking roar. He looked up and saw Zuko flying overhead on his dragon, Druk. Sokka wondered if brining the dragon was a good idea. Sato might interpret its presence as a show of force, but then again it was much faster to get around on a dragon than on a boat. In that sense Zuko's choice of transportation was logical to Sokka.

"Things just got a bit more exciting," Kya said eyeing the dragon as it landed by the docks their catamaran was just pulling up against.

"Indeed," Sokka said smiling.

The crew lowered the plank down for Sokka and Kya to disembark. Sokka gave a quick nod to his captain. They had their orders, and if these talks broke down they knew to take up arms quickly and secure an escape rout. None of them wanted it to come to that. As the last few decades had been relatively peaceful, no one wanted another large scale war to break out. The younger generation didn't know the horrors of war as he and those of the generation that saw the Hundred Year War knew them, but the history they learned was enough to put a fear for war in their hearts. Sokka was glad they had this fear, it made it easier to stop conflicts before they began, but Sato seemed to be harnessing something stronger than fear to mobilize the non-benders of Republic City. He hoped he would see what that was when he finally met the man himself.

Sato's forces were waiting for them as they walked off the ship. They were dressed in back and read and wore masks to hide their identities. The masks were like nothing Sokka had ever seen, their eyes glowed, there was a large red dot on their foreheads, and a strange golden tube came from their mouths and wrapped around to the back of their heads. Sokka saw the had the intimidating look down. He could see a few of them speaking with Zuko, clearly unhappy about the dragon accompanying him. Zuko's face remained calm and he turned to his friend and pointed out to the bay. Druk spread his colossal wings, and with one great push down was propelled into the air. The bast of wind had caught the Equalists who had been speaking to Zuko angrily by surprise and they fell sprawling to the ground. Zuko stepped over them with a small smirk on his face. He walked passed the other Equalists and straight toward them and embraced him.

"Sokka," he said warmly, "It is wonderful to see you, my friend."

"And you, as well, Zuko." They parted and Zuko put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. It put both men at ease and gave them confidence. They had thwarted the Red Lotus' attempt to kidnap the Avatar. Now, they would stop the world from degenerating into the chaos that would surely stem from a conflict between benders and non-benders. He looked over at Kya and smiled, opening his arms to her too.

"Zuko," she said let his arms fold around her, "it's good to see you."

"Yes," said Zuko and their hug broke, "I'm glad you were able to come. I hope your mother is well."

"She is," Kya answered, "I'll give her your regards when I return to the South Pole."

"Thank you." Just as they were finishing their pleasantries when one of the Equalists approached them, clearing his throat. He was dressed differently than the others, and was clearly a much higher ranked member of Sato's forces. His mask extended just above his mouth, leaving his eyes exposed, and under his hooded trench coat his uniform seemed to be the same. He eyed them up and down before resting his eyes on Kya.

"You wont be needing that water here." He pointed at the large water pouches strapped to Kya's back. "No bending in the city."

"It's just a precaution, I'm not planning on using it." The Equalist captain's eyes narrowed.

"Leave it," Sokka said to Kya, "we wont be needing it." Kya eyed Sokka for a moment, she didn't to be defenseless in the city, not after what she had seen from Air Temple Island. Sokka's face was hard and she acquiesced. She untied the water packs and threw them back onto the ship. The demeanour of the captain changed immediately, though Sokka wasn't quite sure why. Zuko didn't need anything to bend fire from his very being, and yet they were now being treated as if they had been disarmed completely, and he still had his weapons. It seemed the Equalists didn't fear a fight, as long as it was against a non-bender.

"You're Satomobile is waiting," the captain gestured to the roadside. The three of them walked over, and one of the Equalists opened the door for them. The three of them squeezed into the back seat, the captain, who had been bringing up the rear, opened the passenger side door and got in the Satomobile, too. Sokka was thrown back in his seat by the sudden acceleration and he could see Kya had been surprised by it as well, only Zuko sat unfazed by the abrupt movement. Sokka supposed that if someone rode around on a dragon most days, a Satomobile must have felt like it was going at a turtle's pace.

Zuko leaned forward to speak to the captain, "have all the other representatives arrived?" "They have, and President Sato is looking forward to starting talks as soon as possible. This afternoon, in fact, if you are feeling up to that."

"That will be fine." Zuko sat back in his seat and stared out the window. He seemed almost bored, but Sokka was certain his mind was racing like his. They sat in silence the rest of the way to their destination, which didn't take too long. The car stopped in front of the Sato mansion and the driver stepped out and opened the door for them. Zuko turned to the captain who was exiting the Satomobile.

"I wasn't expecting that the meetings would be taking place in the President's personal residence."

"President Sato is converting his home into the center of governance in the city. The old council building has already been torn down. I can assure you that you will be safe and comfortable here. Everything that you could possibly need for this summit is here."

"Very well, Captain, lead the way."

...

Sokka sat up from his bed and stretched his arms high in the air. He was glad that all of the representatives had agreed to wait until the next day to begin talks. They were all exhausted from their long journeys. But even through that exhaustion Sokka found himself restless. He stood, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and changed back into his day clothes, deciding that a night stroll might ease his mind. His hand rested on the doorknob of his room and he looked toward the table where he'd laid his weapons down. After a moment of contemplation he tucked the sword in his belt, just feeling the weapon's weight on his side made him feel more relaxed. He wandered the halls of the Sato mansion. It was huge, and from the inside it was seemed much bigger and confusing than it had appeared when he'd seen it this afternoon stepping out of the Satomobile. After a while Sokka found himself lost in the labyrinth. He didn't mind at all, though, as he was still not even the least bit tired. There were Equalist guards posted all over the compound, but none of them bothered him, and seeing them actually comforted him, he knew no matter how turned around he got he could always ask one of them to escort him back to his room.

In his wanderings he found a large balcony and thought some fresh air would be just what he needed. He opened the door to the balcony and was immediately met by the cool night air. He breathed it in deeply. The coolness of the air refreshed him, but the smell was smokey and in the distance Sokka could see countless factories. They were the price of progress in Republic City and the cornerstones of President Sato's success. Sokka's eyes narrowed, so much had changed here since he'd returned to the South Pole to govern his tribe. He wondered if all this new technology was good for the balance of the world, but he also knew he was powerless to stop the wheels of progress. The world would have to find a new point of balance. The old world and the benders needed to find a common ground with this new world filled with technology and the non-benders pushing the advancements forward. He heard the door behind him crack open and he turned toward the sound, his hand fell instinctively to the hilt of his sword.

Before him stood a giggling child. She hadn't noticed him as she had come onto the balcony with her back turned. She stuck her head back into the mansion through the slightly ajar door, looked left, then right, before finally slowly shutting it, and with a small click it was secured shut.

"Hello," Sokka said quietly, not wanting the startle the girl. She jumped anyway and gasped as she turned away from the door to look at him. He knew who she was immediately. It was Sato's one and only child, Asami. Her black hair fell in waves around her face and at this moment it was very unkempt. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side and her sharp green eyes focused on him fearfully. He realized he was still holding onto the hilt of his sword and released his grip. He kneeled down to be closer to her level and, he hopped, less intimidating. "You must be Asami."

She back away one step, "are you a bender?"

"No, I'm not. You can call me Sokka," he extended his hand to her. She took it and they shook. Her dirty hands left black splotches on his hand, and he inspected the marks. They were made of grease and looking at her hands closer he saw they were completely covered in the stuff.

She visibly relaxed now that she knew he was not a bender. "Okay...Sokka," she said his name tentatively, "we can be friends then."

"What are you doing up this late?"

She held up her greasy hands proudly, "making things!" She had a wide smile on her face. She was truly her father's daughter, in her love of invention, at least.

"Oh yeah, like what?" Asked Sokka.

"It's a secret," she said quietly holding a finger up to him as if to scold him for the question. He laughed.

"Okay then, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for telling your secret." Sokka lowered himself further into a cross legged sitting position, and to his surprise Asami followed suit.

"We don't get too many visitors from outside the city," she said, "where are you from?" Sokka smiled, happy that she was curious about more than just technology.

"I'm from the Southern Water Tribe."

"And you really aren't a waterbender?" She asked skeptically, crossing her arms.

"I promise I'm not, but I know many benders. My sister is a waterbender." Asami recoiled a bit at this information.

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"Because all benders are beasts, that's what Daddy told me." Sokka frowned. Sato was putting the hateful ideas into his child's head. He had to try to correct those misconceptions while he was here, or at least he had to try.

"Some benders are horrible people, that's true, but some are kind and caring. My sister is the kind and caring type," she scrunched up her face, thinking about his words, she clearly seemed confused. "And the same can be said of non-benders, too, you know?" He wanted to really get the gears in her brain turning. She was obviously a very smart girl, he hopped that her intellect would win out over the hate that her father was indoctrinating her with.

"Daddy says the because of the strength the benders have they get drunk on their power and hurt others." Sokka chuckled.

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Yes!" She yelled her cheeks turning red in anger.

"Alright, well then, anyone can get drunk on power, not just benders. Look at your father and all the power he has, don't you think he has just as much power as any bender? The Satomobile, mech-suits, and all the other technologies he has created, those things give people power, too." She put her hand on her chin, blackening her pure white skin. Sokka wondered if a child could really take all of this in and understand it's implications.

"I guess you are right, technology is powerful, but not as powerful as benders...there powers are frightening," her eyes filled with tears. Sokka leaned forward and wrapped her in his arms. He knew she had been with her mother when she was killed by a firebender. Those memories would likely haunt her forever, but he hopped she could let go of her fear and hate of all benders. She sobbed in his arms for a long while. "Mommy..." she choked out between sobs.

"I know, I know" said Sokka. He knew better than Asami could even guess. Finally, all her tears were gone and she was just sniffling. Sokka used his long sleeves to wipe the remaining tears from her face. "You know, my mother was killed by a firebender, too."

"How can you not hate the benders, then?"

"You can't hate all benders for something one bad one did. I hope yo-" Sokka was cut off by the door opening all of a sudden. A man wearing all black strode out onto the balcony, he had his hood drawn up, but it wasn't to hide his face as he had a mask for that. It was white with the exception of the red dot on his forehead, the symbol used by all the Equalists.

"Miss Sato," he said, his voice deep and gruff, but without a hint of emotion, "there you are."

"You found me Amon, good job," she looked back smiling at him. "Next time I'll find a better hiding place." She look forward again at Sokka, "if it wasn't for my new friend you never would have found me."

"New friend?" He turned his face toward Sokka, but through the mask it was difficult to tell if he was actually looking at him. "Miss Sato, it is far past your bedtime. Go to your room and get cleaned up for bed. I'll come check on you shortly."

"Oh, all right," she stood up, and this time it was Sokka mirroring her motions. "It was nice meeting you. I hope we can talk again. I want to hear about your mother."

"I'd love to tell you sometime." Sokka answered her and she ran off leaving her and Amon on the balcony. He approached Sokka and didn't stop until his mask was just inches from him face. This time when he spoke his voice was full of killer intent.

"You will never speak to Miss Sato again, is that clear?"

"I am Chief Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, you are the body guard of a child, you cannot give me orders."

"You're title means nothing to me. My orders come directly from President Sato. No one from the summit is permitted to speak with his daughter. Do it again, and you and I will have a problem." Amon didn't wait for Sokka's answer this time. He turned on his heals and left, slamming the door as he left the balcony leaving Sokka standing there dumbstruck.

Author's Note: Hi all! I wanted to make the events in Republic City into just one chapter, but then I realized how long that was going to make it. So I decided to divide it into two chapters. I know that means a longer wait until we get to see Team Avatar in action, but I promise that this foundation is worth it. Thanks for the follows and favorites :) I really would like to start a dialogue will all of you who are reading my story as well, so don't be shy-review! And if you are too shy to put your comments out there for everyone to see I would still love to hear your thoughts, you can always PM me. That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!