Response to Review:

Sanuma: Yes, I know it's Zaofu now, but it's too late to change it now because of drafts so I've got to run with Xaofu. As for the rest, well, spoilers.

As Always, Please Review!

Mako

Mako ensured that his harness was safely attached and then slowly edged out onto the platform that stuck out from the side of his airship's fuselage. Looking down, the great metalbender city and its surroundings stretched out into the distance, a large part of it filled with the green shapes of Earthbender soldiers. From up here, a couple of hundred feet up, the invading army looked like ants.

Behind him, he heard a voice and turned to find Asami standing there.

"Shouldn't you be flying this thing?" He asked.

"Why?" Asami replied. "We're not moving."

"That doesn't make me feel safer."

She took a step towards him, and then realised where she was and scuttled backwards again with a yelp.

Mako fought the urge to laugh.

"Are you ready?" Asami asked.

Mako looked down again.

"Hopefully," he replied. "I'm just worried."

"Have you heard the plan?"

Mako had indeed heard the plan. It had been thoroughly explained by Korra after the Avatar had returned to the airship, and then she had gone to explain it on each of the other five vessels at once. Now she was back down on the ground.

"Yes."

"What do you think of it?"

"It seems pretty risky to me," Mako told her seriously.

"We are Team Avatar. Risky is what we do."

Asami laughed. Mako could tell it was slightly forced.

"I know," he replied. "We just need to hold them off."

"We can do that!" Asami said. "Easily. We've done it before."

"You've electrocuted her before."

"And we'll do it again!"

Far below them, a loud mechanical clang sounded from deep within the city. Mako looked down again.

"It's not long now," he observed.

An order was shouted from within the airship, and Mako turned to see a hatch open and one of the workers from the power station in Republic City crawl out and check his harness, before moving out to stand next to Mako.

"Are you ready?" Mako asked. The man looked deathly pale, but nodded.

"It's the most excitement I've ever had!"

"That's the spirit," Mako clapped him on the shoulder, and for a moment worried that the action would cause his companion to topple off the platform. Fortunately, he kept his footing, and Mako turned back around to Asami. But Asami was not focussed on him any more.

Korra had appeared behind her, and the industrialist turned towards the Avatar with a big grin on her face.

"Ready?" The Avatar asked, and Mako noted the worry on her face. Asami did too, as she rushed forward to grab the Avatar's hand.

"Ready," Asami confirmed. "Are you?"

"No," Korra admitted. "At least, I don't think so."

Asami sighed and gripped her hand tighter.

"I don't pretend to know what you've been through," she began, "but if you think you aren't good enough, then believe me, you are."

She said the last two words with force, enough to make Korra's eyes widen, before the Avatar nodded.

Asami softened again.

"You'll be fine," she told her. "You'll have Lin, and Suyin, and the other Beifongs to help you! And Mako will be keeping an eye on you."

"What about you?" Korra asked.

Asami laughed again. "Someone's got to fly the airship."

There was another mechanical crash from beneath them, causing Mako to divert his attention away from the conversation and looked down. The dome had begun to move, ever so slowly, but the segments that made up the protective cover were beginning to split apart, allowing the airships easier access to the city within.

Asami and Korra heard it too, and with one last squeeze of the hand, they split apart.

"Well," Korra said faintly. "Here we go."

"Good luck!" Asami told her seriously. She turned to Mako.

"Let anything happen to her, and I'll throw you off this airship."

She was only half joking.

Mako nodded seriously. "You think I wasn't going to do that anyway?"

With that, Korra walked past Asami and came up beside Mako. She smiled at him.

"Good luck," she said.

"Likewise," Mako nodded. "I've got you."

Korra's smile widened.

"I know."

And then she jumped, vanishing through the rapidly widening crack in the dome.

"And she's back," Mako remarked, turning back to Asami. But Asami was gone, having returned to the cockpit.

Mako sighed, and turned back to overlook the Battlefield. As the city began to come into view, the shadows receding from over the battlefield, he could see hastily erected barricades dotting the streets, manned by the tiny figures of Republic City police and Xaofu security services. Most of the population of the city, though, had congregated in the centre, and already the first platforms were being lowered from the airships towards the throng.

There was a noise from beyond the walls, where a thin cordon of policemen kept watch.

A green flood emerged from the Earth Empire trenches, which surrounded the city, and began to move towards it. The movement was initially quite slow; Mako guessed that the dome opening had taken them by surprised, and now they realised that something had to be done to exploit it but weren't quite sure what. He wondered how Kuvira was reacting. Suddenly, the tiny figures stopped, and their disorganised masses began to organise themselves. A series of tightly packed squares of soldiers formed, ranks of men standing in no-man's-land facing towards their objective.

Officers stood out in front, regimental standards flapping in the wind. The last square formed, and suddenly everything was deathly quiet, except for the sound of the airship's engines and the last clanks of the dome. Mako took in the very imposing display of Earth Empire military might in front of him, and wondered where Korra was. Then the officers drew their swords and gave the order to advance.

The squares began to lumber towards the city, and Mako felt a thrill of anticipation. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and moved his arms slowly. Power surged through him, and he opened his eyes to select a target just as the first blue sparks sputtered to life between his fingers.

The Battle of Xaofu had just begun.