Responses to Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: Of course, more Avatar content is always welcome. I wouldn't want them to take the piss and make something bad, but if it has a good reason to exist then of course!
Sharpe: Hmm. I must admit I've fallen rather out of touch with the world of Marvel and DC superheroes. But I'll give it a go. The best fit for Asami would be Iron Man but there is also a comparison to be made to Artemis from the TV series Young Justice in that she rejected the villainy of her father to side with the heroes. Bolin, as a powerful character often used as comic relief, is maybe Wally West? And Korra herself ought to be Superman. I don't know, like I say I don't know much about those characters.
Zigzagdoublezee: Fortunately, unlike in most training the villagers examples they are surrounded by an entire competent military. It's not all bad for them.
As Always, Please Review!
Korra
A large map depicting the continent which contained the Earth Empire and United Republic stood in the centre of the room. On it, models depicting units of the United Forces stood guard at the Republic's borders, while more models depicting Imperial warships sat off the Empire's western coast. They were making their way steadily northwards.
Korra watched the map as various generals and admirals filed into the room. The Fire Nation Royals entered, Iroh and Hotaru and Zuko, with Vice-Admiral Sora. Asami was there with her father, Varrick with Zhu Li and an enormous note pad, Tenzin with his children (Meelo had wanted to see a real strategy meeting, apparently), the heads of the city's industry, and several others. There was a commotion as Opal burst in followed by Mako and Bolin, profusely apologising for being late. They were promptly informed that they weren't late at all, and thereafter stood at the back looking a bit sheepish.
"Are we all here?" Raiko looked at them impatiently. "Oh well, enough of us are. Explain the situation."
"The Earth Kingdom military was thrown into chaos following the death of the Earth Queen," one of the Generals began. "But this has allowed Kuvira to come in and rebuild it from the ground up. They have modern weapons, tanks, mechs, artillery and, most importantly, logistics because of their railways. Their artillery is particularly important, because Kuvira has developed a small number of incredibly powerful weapons powered by spirit vines. Just one shot was able to demolish the walls of Omashu. These should be targeted as a matter of urgent priority when they are seen. The only problem for Kuvira is we have seen the orders, so we know she's only got eight of them."
Korra saw Varrick shiver at the mention of them.
"Their army is also very experienced because of her fight to reunify her country, but Kuvira does not view that campaign as having finished. There has been a large build-up of military force along the border. We don't know exactly how many troops she has there now, but it is a lot. We have estimated it's somewhere in the region of 60,000 soldiers. She views us as a breakaway province and it looks like she intends to attack us."
He pointed to the models of the ships.
"Except we know that Kuvira is not with her army. She is instead coming aboard a warship, advancing towards us up the coast with 11 ships. These things are mostly relics; the Earth Kingdom never prioritised naval power before, and the state of the fleet only got worse after the collapse. Against them, we have thirty battleships, and we have a further advantage; neither the Earth Kingdom nor the Empire have embraced airpower as we have done. Our flying machines would be unopposed in the sky, and we have already been using that advantage to send reconnaissance missions over their armies. We know which units have spirit cannons, because our pilots have seen them, and have reinforced the lines accordingly. All eight are accounted for."
"No," someone shouted. Suki pushed through the crowd and gestured angrily at the board.
"She's deceiving you!" She said. "She must be."
"And how do you know?"
"She's put those spirit cannons on a ship," Suki insisted. "She killed a Unagi with one, or so my daughter tells me. She saw it!"
Korra's eyes widened. There was a pattern emerging here that she wasn't so sure she liked.
"It would make sense," Hotaru said. "Kuvira wouldn't be likely to go into battle with a far smaller fleet unless she had some kind of ace up her sleeve."
Raiko glowered for a moment. "Well then, how are we supposed to deal with them?"
"We've got an ace up our sleeve too," Asami said. "Kuvira has her spirit weapons, we've got Flying Machines, and the ships to carry them. We built the Taka and the Washi for situations like this."
"Couldn't these spirit cannons destroy the machines?"
"If it hits them, I suppose," Hiroshi shrugged. "But it would have to hit them first."
"But we're not actually at war yet," Raiko pointed out. "And to be honest, I don't want Kuvira to be able to say we provoked it."
"She'll no doubt already be saying it," the first General said. "She'll cite the fact we've been hiding political opponents, and the whole Zaofu incident."
"Even so, we shouldn't fire the first shot," Raiko said. "Where is she now?"
The General picked up a stick and used it to point at the map.
"Kuvira's fleet is not travelling very fast," he said. "Which means if our fleet sails now we can catch them in the strait which separates the easternmost islands of the Fire Nation from the Earth Empire. That will force a confrontation."
"What if we don't want a confrontation?"
"Have it be a confrontation with words," the General replied. "Try to talk her out of it. Either face-to-face or simply over the radio if she will not consent to that. Either way, get her to back down."
"And if she does not?"
"You will have her three to one in an enclosed space with air supremacy. Spirit weapons or no, that is as favourable a battle as I can think of."
He moved his focus back to the Republic itself.
"Our army is around 35,000 soldiers. But we do have the advantage in that they are on the defence, will be supported by our flying machines and are safely inside a line of forts we've built along the border. The Imperials are on the offensive, they'll have to come to us to do anything. Besides, to do anything except sit on the defensive would require an advance into Imperial territory, which would be taken as another provocation."
"So we should go to meet them at sea but wait for them to come to us on land," Raiko summarised.
"Those would be my recommendations, Mr President," the General nodded.
"So be it," Raiko nodded. "Avatar!"
Korra stiffened.
"You will accompany the fleet. If you're taking the carriers, then Miss Sato can accompany you."
Asami nodded.
Raiko turned his attention to the Fire Nation contingent.
"I take it you'll all be going too?"
"We will," Vice-Admiral Sora confirmed.
"Then get to it!" Raiko clapped his hands. "We've got a country to save!"
As people began to disperse, Korra pushed through the crowd and grabbed Varrick. Ignoring his protests, she dragged him towards Suki and gestured for Jinora to follow her. The airbender looked confused for a moment and then followed, trailed by Ikki and Meelo.
"When were those Spirit cannons used?" She demanded.
"You could have asked nicely, you know," Varrick scowled, rubbing his arm. "I'm not trying to hide that information from you."
"Then tell me."
"Well, first there was the siege of Shanbao. That wasn't a cannon though, that was just a bomb. Then there was Omashu, then Kyoshi Island, apparently. Why?"
Korra listened intently, plotting what she had been doing when each of those events had taken place. She had still been in the foggy swamp with Toph when the first explosion had happened; then she had been in the Southern Water Tribe when she had collapsed in the middle of a meeting. She had still been unconscious when the third shot had been fired.
She was now willing to bet good money that she had collapsed at the exact moment that Kuvira had opened fire on the walls of Omashu.
"Those spirit guns do something to me," she explained. "Since all this has begun, at random times I've got splitting headaches, flashes of purple in my vision, and collapsed. I was unconscious for several days! I didn't know what was causing it, but now I do. It's those things."
"Is that what's happening to me?" Jinora asked.
Varrick, to his credit, suddenly looked enormously guilty.
"Avatar..." he said. "I had no idea."
"That's not all either," Korra ploughed on. "I went to see Zaheer, and he showed me things. The spirit world is on fire! Purple fire! Those things are far more destructive than anyone knows."
"Spirits," Jinora whispered.
"Angry ones," Korra added. "I have read about what happened the last time angry spirits were unleashed upon the mortal world. It wasn't fun for anyone, especially not the Avatar."
"So what can we do?" Varrick asked. "We can't stop her from firing them. I knew they were bad, but not that bad."
"No," Korra said. Then she pointed at Suki. "But you said they were mounted on a ship, didn't you?"
"They were."
"So there we go," Korra said. "We need to sink that ship. For the sake of both worlds."