Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196767: Maybe, though I don't know if his humour might become grating in a series focussed purely on him.

Thunder: I have a plan for Asami, and for what Kuvira is up to, but I hope you understand I can't go around giving out spoilers.

Zigzagdoublezee: Having to attack your own family unwillingly, and watch yourself do it while unable to stop, has to be pretty terrible.

As Always, Please Review!

Mako

Tiny boats crammed the waters of Yue Bay, cheers ringing through the air as flags waved and people crammed onto the bridge. The ships of the Republican Navy sounded their foghorns, their crews crammed onto their decks where they waved enthusiastically. They cheered, for the Fire Nation had returned to Republic City and they came as friends.

Mako stared at the scenes of jubilation from the flagship of the Fire Nation's Royal Navy, the Audacious. Behind it cruised 16 other warships sent by the Firelord, all flying the red ensign of her Kingdom.

These ships, Mako had discovered, were typically slightly larger than their United Republican navy equivalents, and lacked the platforms located lower down in their hulls that allowed earthbenders and waterbenders to make their presence felt in close quarters combat. The Fire Navy, not having access to these earthbenders and waterbenders, instead focussed on increased firepower and mounted more guns, giving them more of an edge at long range. They did still carry some platforms though, allowing firebenders posted there to shoot lightning or blasts of fire at closer range.

The United Republic had the more modern ships, because half of them had been sunk by the Equalists and then the Republican Navy had been forced to rebuild from there, taking into account the lessons learned, but that didn't stop the sailors of the Fire Navy from claiming that they had the superior crews.

This was, of course, hotly denied by the Republican sailors.

Beside Mako stood Iroh, Wu, Hotaru, the ex-Firelord Zuko, and the man who was formally in charge of their fleet, Vice-Admiral Sora, a tall, distinguished looking man in his fifties.

"Quite the welcome," Hotaru said excitedly.

"Makes a change," Zuko replied darkly. "I'm old enough to remember when the approach of our fleets inspired fear."

"Maybe just in Kuvira, eh?" Iroh said lightly. "Then we don't have to fight at all."

"That's the plan," Mako nodded. Personally, he wasn't sure about it. Kuvira did not seem like the kind of woman to back down out of fear, and he doubted she would have got this far if she was.

A sky-bison swooped towards them, and landed with a thump on the deck, sending gun crews scurrying out of the way. Oogie roared at them. On him sat Tenzin, Asami, Raiko, and a couple of generals and admirals. Raiko scrambled off the bison towards the rails, looking like he wanted to be sick, while Tenzin vaulted off with practiced ease and went to help Asami.

"Here comes the welcome!" Iroh pointed at them. "Shall we go and say hello?"

Mako followed the Royals as they left the bridge and went down a set of stairs, before emerging onto the deck. Immediately, Tenzin spotted them and ushered Asami towards them.

Mako was nearly bowled off his feet as Asami rushed towards him and embraced him in an enthusiastic hug.

"Mako! I'm so glad you're back, I've missed you! How have you been?"

"I missed you too," Mako replied. "I've been good! Someone tried to kill me, but look at all the new friends I've made!"

"I saw," Asami said. "It's impressive. And you've also got a girlfriend- wait, did you say someone tried to kill you?"

"Asami Sato!" Hotaru came over. "Have we met?"

"I don't think so," Asami replied.

"Then allow me to introduce myself," Hotaru said. "My name is Hotaru, Princess of the Fire Nation."

"Pleased to meet you," Asami replied. "I see you're getting on very well with my ex."

"Ah." Hotaru looked awkward, as awkward as Mako suddenly felt. But Asami only laughed.

"Don't worry about it. The past is the past."

The Princess' expression of relief made Asami grin.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

"You asked, and we delivered," Hotaru replied, gesturing around them as the other Republicans came over. "Seventeen of the finest warships in Her Majesty's fleet, at your disposal. Admittedly it took an assassination attempt to do it, but we got there in the end."

"Listen, I've got news too," Asami told them. "Father finally gave me his torpedo designs."

"He did?" Mako blinked. "So are things..."

He trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the question.

"Getting there," Asami replied. "Slowly but surely."

"I'm glad to hear it," Mako told her happily. But Iroh was more businesslike.

"Any news of Kuvira?"

Asami shrugged. "Not that I've heard. I know she went to Omashu and then south from there, but I don't know where she is now."

"Our spies in Ba Sing Se have told us that orders have gone out for several Imperial regiments to move to the border," Raiko said. "But we've also got reports that Kuvira's fleet has been ordered to sail."

"I wouldn't worry about the fleet too much," Iroh replied. "They only have ten ships, don't they? One of which is one of ours from the Hundred Years' War. It's a relic."

"I hope you're not planning on underestimating them," Zuko warned.

"Of course not! But with so few ships, it's more likely that she's planning a land attack. Especially since they are the earth empire."

"I suppose," Raiko replied. "Thank you for coming to help us. The United Republic thanks you, and honours you."

"Well, we only do what the treaty says," Zuko replied.

"I've already signed the orders to call up the reserves," Raiko told them. "We're working hard to garrison our existing forts along the border and build new ones as much as possible. Unfortunately, of course, we don't have long to do it."

"And what's our part in all this?" Hotaru asked.

"Your role is to work together with our fleet to defend us just in case Kuvira does try something by sea, and to do some joint exercises so we can try to put her off attacking us at all."

Iroh nodded.

The last Fire Nation battleship had entered Yue Bay by now, and tugboats were beginning to approach them to guide them in to where they would be moored alongside the Republican fleet.

"We have a strategy meeting soon," Raiko told them as the first tugboats began to approach the Audacious, and ropes were thrown between the vessels. "The defence of the realm won't plan itself!"

Then he gestured for Iroh and Vice-Admiral Sora to follow him. Mako was left with Asami and Hotaru.

"Have you heard from Korra?" Asami asked.

"Afraid not," Hotaru replied. "I'd heard she arrived in the South Pole, but not beyond that."

"Oh," Asami seemed disappointed. "Hopefully she'll get back soon then."

"With a Southern army in tow," Hotaru agreed.

"No," Asami told her. "Just... in general."

"Oh," Hotaru raised an eyebrow. "I see."

"Anyway," Asami changed the subject, very quickly in Mako's opinion. "How did you two get together then?"

"It's not a long story," Mako replied.

"And it's been on the cards since we first met," Hotaru added. "It just finally happened one night."

"And someone tried to kill me soon afterwards."

"What happened?" Asami sounded concerned. And so Mako told her the story.

"An assassin in the middle of the night," Asami breathed. "Someone really does want you dead."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Mako grumbled.

With that, the Audacious' engines cut out, and the tugboat began to pull it inexorably towards the shore.