Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: My favourite style of bending is Lavabending.

Zigzagdoublezee: Kuvira is increasingly turning into a dictator, and so she mistakes Raiko's desire to maintain peace for weakness to be exploited. And I was surprised at how little the mind control featured in Korra, at least until the comics. It was almost certainly abolished after the Hundred Years' War, but Hou-Ting seems like the kind of person to reinstate it.

Mako

The airships began to circle low in the sky as they made their final approach towards Republic City, casting great shadows across the streets and buildings as they brought themselves down. Mako stood and stared out of a window, his mind racing.

That hadn't gone well.

Sure, they had got the civilians and most of the defenders out of Zaofu. That had been a success, and what they had come to do in the first place. But they had failed to stop the city itself from falling to Kuvira, failed even really to slow her down. And the Beifong sisters had been captured.

The only vague upside to that was that it seemed to have been their plan to get captured, and even that wasn't much of a consolation.

Plus, Mako really didn't know what kind of reception they'd get, turning up having directly disobeyed Raiko's orders with hundreds of refugees and a defector.

Also, Bolin was back, which was the only piece of unambiguously good news.

"Will Korra be alright?" His brother asked from next to him. Mako shrugged.

"She's survived worse."

Bolin nodded, and then didn't say anything else.

Mako watched streets passing underneath them, cars that looked like toys from this high up carrying on with their everyday business far below. Pedestrians moved like tiny insects, dots on the pavement.

Their destination was the Future Industries airship hangars, and as they got closer they saw the roof of the building split in two and fold upwards to allow them entry. Asami expertly lined the craft up, and then lowered them down. Metalbenders stationed below directed huge metallic arms to grab the ship and hold it steady, and then after one final shudder, they were still.

It took a moment for Mako's eyes to accustom themselves to the gloom, and then he wished they hadn't.

The airship was surrounded by soldiers, hundreds of them by the looks of it. And standing in front of them was President Raiko.

The doors to the airship hissed open with a discharge of steam, and reluctantly, Mako and Bolin hoisted Korra between them and stepped towards the entrance. Asami joined them a moment later, and soon the rest of the Beifong clan who had escaped Zaofu joined them.

Raiko came to meet them, in an obviously extremely forced jovial tone.

"You know, I heard the funniest thing on the Radio," he said. "They were calling it 'Beifong's Thunderstorm'. They said, you're going to love this, they said that a bunch of United Republic police in United Republic airships had directly attacked Kuvira!"

He let the friendliness in his voice vanish.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"We had to!" Mako tried. "They were going to-"

"I don't care!" Raiko shut him down. "You disobeyed my direct order! Lin disobeyed my direct order! I know you think me heartless but I did it for a reason! I had thought you simpletons might have a brain cell to rub together to see it, but perhaps I was giving you too much credit!"

He rubbed his forehead.

"Kuvira wants to conquer us!" He told them. "And you've just handed her a reason! Please tell me you at least covered those roundels up and didn't actually fight her in your uniforms."

There was a guilty silence.

"Oh, for Spirit's sake," Raiko continued. "Are you trying to start a war?"

"Lin was trying to save her family!"

"And I'm trying to save my country!" Raiko shouted. "From you, it seems!"

He paused.

"Where is Lin, anyway? I need something from her."

"What?" Bolin asked. "Maybe we could-"

"What I need is her resignation," Raiko told him scornfully. "And don't bother yourself. You've done quite enough for today."

"Thanks!" Bolin chirped.

"I was being sarcastic!" Raiko roared. "You might have doomed us all!"

He paused.

"Still, you've had your fun, made your mess. Now it's time for the adults in the room to fix it."

He turned to the Beifongs.

"Sorry you had to see that," he said smoothly. "I know you've had a rather... difficult day."

He went up to shake Bataar Senior's hand.

"I don't know how long this situation will last, but the United Republic always looks out for those in need. The resources of the city are yours until you work something out."

The Beifongs nodded gratefully.

"What about Lin and Suyin?" Asked Asami.

"I don't think there's much we can do for them," Raiko replied angrily. "I don't even know where they are, thanks to you, and I already have to grovel to convince Kuvira we had nothing to do with Lin's little escapade. Which, thanks for that, by the way."

He looked around. "There's an unused plain just outside the city. You can establish temporary housing there."

He turned back to Team Avatar."

"Are her injuries serious?" He asked, in a tone that did not indicate concern.

"We don't know," Mako replied. "But it seems like it. She's received a nasty blow to the head."

"Then take her to a healer," Raiko decreed. "I won't have your stupidity cost us an Avatar too. As for the rest of you..."

He looked around.

"I've been considering what to do with you ever since I found out what you were up to. I've had a lot of ideas. But while I've ruled out throwing most of you in jail or sacking you all or even expelling you from the city, make no mistake, that's only because you could yet be useful to me. You've made this mess, and you can help fix it."

"How?"

"When Avatar Aang, Firelord Zuko, and Earth King Kuei founded the United Republic after the war," The President explained, "the other four nations signed a treaty recognising its independence- and agreeing to defend it. Kuvira won't abide by it, she probably doesn't consider herself bound by treaties signed by the monarchy, but perhaps the other nations might."

"So you want us to be diplomats?" Asami guessed.

"Unfortunately," Raiko agreed. "So you can grovel at the feet of those leaders and explain to them exactly why the United Republic needs their soldiers."

He paused.

"Though hopefully it shouldn't come to that. Maybe the promise of intervention by the other nations will be enough of a deterrence to make Kuvira back down."

He pointed at Mako.

"You! I've seen the way you make lovey eyes at the Firelord's daughter. I've seen the way she makes lovey eyes at you. I can use that."

"What?" Mako was taken aback. Was it that obvious?

"You're going to the Fire Nation, where you can explain to the Firelord just why we need their help. Try not to get too distracted."

He turned his attention to Korra.

"This one can go south. The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe is her father, I believe. That gives her some leverage. Of course she can have time to recover before she leaves."

"What about me?" Asami asked.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere," Raiko told her. "I need you here, working on our special project. We may need it more than ever."

Finally, he turned his attention to Bolin.

"My ex is the co-Chief of the Northern tribe," Bolin volunteered.

"Your abusive ex," Mako muttered. He did not much like her, or her identical brother.

"There's a thought," Raiko mused, "but no. Your situation is more complicated.

"Complicated? How? I'm on your side now!"

"Yes you are, which is the problem. You defected from Kuvira, and I'm trying to keep her somewhat happy for the moment so she doesn't march on the city before we're ready."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Bolin, that you're under arrest for desertion."

"What?" The outraged shout came from all of them simultaneously.

"Look, I don't want to do this. It's politics. I hope you understand."

"I don't understand," Bolin protested.

"Very well, I'll explain like you're five," Raiko said. "I am taking in all these refugees created by your little escapade. I'm angry, but I'm not so furious that I'm going to punish them for something they wanted no part in. This is going to provoke Kuvira. But I don't want to provoke her too much, certainly not until we're ready. So to avoid that, I need to make a show of punishing you for abandoning her. Which means, you need to go to jail."

Mako shook his head.

"You're not going anywhere with him."

"Yes I am!" Raiko replied, and behind him the ranks of soldiers levelled their weapons at the small group.

"Now play nice or I'll reconsider my leniency."

Mako looked around, sizing up his opposition, but Bolin took his arm.

"It's fine," he said. "I'll go with him."

Mako blinked. "You will?"

"He'll punish you as well if I don't!" Bolin told him earnestly.

Mako wanted to argue. He wanted desperately to fight, to do something. He had only just got his brother back, and now he was being taken away again?

"Please Mako," Bolin looked at him. "I'll be fine. Trust me."

Mako looked around. Had Korra been in any position to fight with him, he was sure that the four of them could potentially have fought their way out, but without her he didn't fancy his chances.

"I'll come back for you," he told Bolin. His brother nodded unhappily, and then he was being flanked by soldiers.

Mako watched helplessly as he was led away. Raiko made to follow, and then turned around.

"Make sure the Avatar gets medical attention, will you? And then get preparing. You all have work to do."