Responses to Reviews:

Zigzagdoublezee: if Amon had won, he probably would have poured support in for Equalists in other nations, including the Fire Nation. On the other hand though, without knowing to what extent non-benders are looked down upon in Izumi's Fire Nation (and especially because we never actually go there in canon) it's a bit difficult to say.

RonaldM40196867: I'd like to see Roku get his own show. We only know one aspect of his life, his relations with Sozin, and while that is the most important there is lots that could still be done with him. It could serve as a bit of a prequel to ATLA.

Guest: That is a good idea for a story, Mako as a vigilante. And yes, Hotaru is based upon a real idea the creators had that got cut for time. Hopefully they do include that character somehow in the future.

Thunder: While the Fire Nation does have treaty obligations, I think Izumi does have good reasons for not wanting to get involved. She doesn't want to see the deaths of many Fire Nation soldiers for a start.

As Always, Please Review!

Asami

Asami stood on the top of a cliff with a telescope in her hand, and watched the target boat be towed into position.

In its former life, it had been the URNS (United Republic Navy Ship) Shiokaze, a small patrol vessel used for policing the waters around Yue Bay. Now, though, it was obsolete, and had been given one last duty to do for its country.

High above it, the faint drone of engines began to grow louder. Asami focussed her telescope into the sky and watched as six blue and white torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier Washi sped into view as they dived down through the clouds, making a beeline for the doomed ship. Each flying machine carried a pilot, a radio operator and a lightningbender in the back for rear defence, and slung underneath, between the landing gear, was a sleek grey torpedo, pointing menacingly towards the water far below.

They came down in a "V" shaped formation, with one flying machine leading the others, and as they got to around fifty feet off the water the lead aircraft slowed, the others pulling level with it until they were approaching slowly in a line abreast formation. The pilots came closer, and closer, until finally Asami watched six small dots fall away from their machines and six small splashes in the water. A second later, six trails of bubbles were racing towards the Shiokaze.

Asami crossed her fingers. Moment of truth.

The flying machines had sped up, and now passed over the top of the target before circling around to return to their carrier, but Asami watched the bubbles intently. She noted a curve in one trail, and watched with a sinking feeling as it began to go round in circles. Another trail stopped short of its target, and the third slammed into the hull but did nothing. Three torpedoes, though, did hit. Three columns of water suddenly rose high over the doomed ship as a faint boom could be heard, even as far away as where Asami was standing. The ship groaned as it began to list heavily and took on water. Asami put the telescope down and sighed, not even bothering to watch the Shiokaze's final moments.

"Three hits," she reported. "One sank, one failed to detonate and one went in circles. Oh well, that's progress at least."

She turned around. Behind her, President Raiko stood with two men in admiral's uniforms. They looked at her disapprovingly.

"Half isn't good enough," one of the Admirals, a stern looking man whose name Asami had forgotten, told her. "The Equalists didn't have these problems!"

"Reverse engineering their stuff is hard!" Asami told him.

"Didn't your father help build these?"

"Yes, but he won't help me," Asami replied.

"Why not?"

"He still believes in his cause. He thinks I betrayed him."

"That's unfortunate," the Admiral replied. Asami noted he did sound genuinely sympathetic.

"So how long will it take?" Raiko demanded. "I'm sure you're aware, but we are on a time limit here."

"We don't even know if we'll need these for Kuvira," Asami pointed out. "She'll probably come by land."

"I'm just being careful," Raiko waved that away. "Don't worry, I'm pressing the army and the air force just as hard. But they seem ready. The army's forts are well maintained and the air force has bombs that work. It's only your torpedoes that are the problem."

"I'm doing all I can", Asami replied.

"I'm sure you are," Raiko replied. "But times are hard, and we need to be prepared."

Asami nodded. She knew that well enough.

President Raiko nodded and turned away. The two Admirals thanked her before following. They got into an official looking Satomobile and drove away. Asami lingered for a moment though. The views here were stunning. In the centre of the bay one of the torpedoes was still faintly visible as it made its way round in a wide circle, though it had slowed down. Any second now and it would run out of fuel and sink, but in the meantime any other ships would have to be careful. The Shiokaze, meanwhile, had now capsized, and only the red paint on the underside of the hull was visible as it bobbed about in the calm waters of Yue Bay.

Across the bay, Republic City stood proud as it always did, protected, it seemed, by the huge statue of Avatar Aang that rose high into the air in the distance. Even this far away, it seemed gigantic.

Asami studied the statue for a second, a strange sense of longing filling her. She wondered why for a moment. She had never met Avatar Aang, indeed she had only been a baby when he had died. She had heard the stories of course, everyone had, of how Avatar Aang and his five companions had prevented a genocide, stopped a war, toppled a tyrant, and saved the world. But that was a long time ago now, and it seemed a new tyrant had risen to take the deposed and long dead Fire Lord Ozai's place.

Behind the statue in its heroic pose, Republic City looked calm and peaceful. She could see sky-bison circling above air temple island, and airships hanging in the sky above the buildings, on their way to and from the great cities of the world. Nobody could know, just by standing here and looking across the bay, that this city might be in mortal peril very soon.

"Look out below!"

The voice had come from above her, and she turned to find one of the sky-bison racing towards her. At the last second, it pulled out of the dive; and came in to land beside her.

Jinora and Kai hopped out and waved to her.

"We saw you alone here," Jinora explained.

"Were you two joyriding again?" Asami asked knowingly.

"You can't joyride on your own sky-bison!" Kai replied defensively.

"Oh, I quite agree."

Though not with sky-bison, it was a philosophy she had followed religiously.

"Are you alright?" Jinora asked, approaching her seriously. "You've seemed lonely ever since Mako and Korra left."

"I've just been busy, that's all," Asami told them, nodding.

"And how has your work been going?" Kai asked. "Or can't you tell us?"

"State secrets, I'm afraid," Asami replied. "Though you may find out one of these days."

"Do you really think Kuvira will come?" Jinora asked.

"I hope not, but she seems to have gone off the deep end," Asami turned to look out over the city again, lost in her own thoughts, but remembered something.

"Have you found Opal yet?"

"No," Jinora shook her head. "When Bolin went missing the same night, I think we all guessed what had happened."

Asami had indeed guessed, knowing that Kuvira held Opal's mother and aunt prisoner.

"Don't worry, Opal's in good hands," she told them. "Bolin is one of the best fighters I know."

"I know." Jinora nodded, "but you can't help but worry sometimes."

Kai took her hand in his own and clenched it tightly. Asami noticed the gesture and her heart clenched a little. That same sense of longing she had felt looking at Aang's statue returned again.

Jinora turned to smile at her boyfriend, but just as the two of them made eye contact her smile froze, and then turned into a yell of agony. Her hands flew to her head, as Kai shouted what he hoped were comforting words at her and Asami rushed towards them. Jinora sank to the ground and began cradling her head in her hands as Kai hugged her to himself.

And then, just like that, it was over again. Jinora groaned and sat up, rubbing her head. She no longer looked in pain, just confused.

"What happened?" Kai and Asami asked at the same time.

"I don't know," Asami rubbed her head again. "I've only ever felt that once before."

"What exactly happened?" Asami asked again, opening her notebook again.

"My vision went purple, I felt a flash of awful pain, and then I came to on the ground," Jinora replied. "It was like the Spirit world was on fire, and I could feel the flames."

"Something happened to the spirit world?" Kai asked.

"Maybe," Jinora replied, shrugging. "Whatever just happened, I think it seriously angered them."

"We should get you home," Asami told her seriously. "I think your father will probably want to hear about this."