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Korra

A moment of silence hung over the group after Suki's pronouncement, the only sound the waves lapping at the hull of the contraption the Kyoshi Islanders had come in. After a moment, Tonraq spoke, his voice sounding pained.

"Suki, I'm sorry for what happened-"

"I'm sure you are," she interrupted. "But we have things to do now."

And the old woman pushed past them and made her way towards the shore. Korra gaped in astonishment for a second, and then hurried towards her father.

"What happened?" She demanded.

Tonraq gazed after her.

"A mission went wrong," he admitted. "Twenty years ago. She blamed- blames me for it."

He didn't say anything else. Korra looked over towards Suki again. The other two Kyoshi Islanders came up next to her.

"I'm glad you're here, Avatar," Bulan told her. Zaochen nodded in agreement. Korra turned to look at them.

"What about you?" She asked. "He was your father too, right?"

Bulan turned away.

"It was a long time ago," she said simply. "Do you have hot drinks?"

Half an hour later, the group had returned to Tonraq's home, and were sitting in a circle awkwardly clutching mugs in their hands.

"What's the plan, Avatar?" Zaochen had asked eventually.

"I'm going back to Republic City soon," Korra replied. "I need to stop Kuvira."

"That's great! Can we come too!" Bulan asked.

"Are you sure?" Tonraq asked. "You'll be safer here, surely? As refugees, the Southern Water Tribe would be happy to provide asylum."

"I don't want to be safe," Bulan replied. "I want to stop her."

She sipped her drink, angrily.

Her sister and mother nodded in agreement.

"If anyone will listen to us, the Republic will," Suki added.

Korra thought of Raiko and doubted that, but nodded all the same.

"Can you get us an audience with the President?" Zaochen asked.

Korra shook her head.

"I don't think he likes me much. He definitely won't like me much more when I return having failed to get the Southern Water Tribe on his side. I'm not sure I have much influence with him."

She paused, and then turned to Suki.

"But you don't need me! You're a companion of Avatar Aang! They'll listen to you anyway, I would have thought."

Suki nodded slowly.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Tonraq got up to open it.

Katara stood there, flanked by two members of the Order of the White Lotus. She greeted Tonraq cordially, but Korra could tell he was not who she was here to see. She came inside, and came face to face with Suki.

The two old women looked at each other for a long while.

"Hello Katara," Suki said.

"It's been a long time," Katara replied. "Twenty years?"

"Something like that," Suki shrugged. "Retirement suited me, I think."

Korra noticed the use of the past tense.

"Must have been nice," Katara murmured.

"What about you?"

"I think I've been busier than you," Katara said, "helping look after the Avatar."

"You seem to have done a good job," Suki observed.

And with that the dam broke. The two older women embraced happily, and stayed that way for a long moment.

"I missed you," Katara told her. "Why did you have to leave?"

"You know why," Suki pointed out. "But I missed you too."

After another moment, Katara pulled away.

"What exactly happened?" She asked. "What did Kuvira do?"

And so Zaochen told her, with Bulan and Suki increasingly picking up the story as the fighting moved towards their village and the decision was taken to escape. They related their escape towards the harbour, as their village made its last stand to buy them time, and then their escape.

"You went in one of Sokka's submarines?" Katara was equally amazed and horrified. "That thing's a death trap! I don't think it's been used since the war!"

Suki shrugged.

"Seemed to work well enough," she said simply.

"It doesn't even have engines!"

"Zaochen powered us."

Katara looked at the younger waterbender appraisingly.

"It took several swampbenders to power one of those," she said.

"Yes?" Zaochen asked.

"Katara smiled. "Well done," she said simply. Then she turned back to Suki.

"I'm sorry about what has happened to you. What are you going to do about it?"

"Republic City," Suki said. "That's where the fight will be, apparently."

"And you're going to try to convince Raiko to help you?"

"I've already told her it's not going to happen," Tonraq said.

Katara ignored him.

"Then I'm going to come with you," she said.

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have to-"

"Nonsense! You're my friend, and you need my help. Even if Kuvira weren't a tyrannical dictator, that would be all the reason I need. I'm coming with you. If he won't listen to one of Aang's companions, surely he'll listen to two."

He wouldn't even listen to the current Avatar, Korra thought darkly, but did not say it. She knew Aang's name carried weight in the Republic, as its founder.

Katara did not wait for anyone to respond.

"If that's settled," she declared, "then I would like to pack. I'll also call ahead so my family know I'm coming."

Suki just grinned. "Then I'm glad to have your help," she said.

"And I'm glad to give it!" Katara replied as she turned to leave. "See you soon!"

And with that, she was gone.

Suki sat down heavily.

"I didn't expect that," Bulan breathed.

"I did," Suki pointed out, still with a hopeless grin on her face. "I know her. She's the best friend you could ask for."

Tonraq stood up.

"I'd better make arrangements too then," he declared. "I'll need to arrange your passage back, tell Raiko to expect you."

He frowned.

"Tell them about Kyoshi Island," he added. Then he stomped off.

So this was it. Her mission in the South Pole might have failed, but it seemed as though Korra would not be going back empty handed. She was going home. Back to Republic City, to Raiko, to the headaches caused by Kuvira's relentless ambition. To Asami.

There were still things to look forward to, after all.

Author's Note: would you be interested in a couple of flashback chapters detailing the events of the mission that went wrong 20 years ago and why Suki blames Tonraq? Or would you rather I just left that as a story told in a regular chapter to better suit the flow of the story? You decide!