Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: Yes, there is going to be some more advanced technology.

Zigzagdoublezee: Bataar is Suyin's son, so although he has gone with Kuvira I don't think he would, or should, react well to her outright attacking his family. And in fairness to Kuvira, in the canon book 4 she didn't have access to Mind Control because while the Earth Empire had it she didn't know about it.

As Always, Please Review!

Mako

The convertible Satomobile cruised down the street on the outskirts of Republic City, and Mako looked up at the tall buildings passing by above him. Far above, he saw a sky-bison swooping through the sky, an orange blur on its back all he could make out of its Air Nomad rider.

He sighed, envying the Nomad their freedom, and then turned his attention back to the road. He was sat in the back seat of a Satomobile that Asami had supplied with the now deposed Earth King Wu, who was sticking his head out of the side like an excited puppy.

"I love these things!" He shouted.

They were going to the newly erected shanty town that had been established for the Metal Clan as a temporary home, which had already mockingly been called New Zaofu. As they left the last of the modern buildings behind them, the road widened and led out onto the plain. Normally, this road would have led to Yu Dao, but now it was surrounded by hastily constructed buildings made of earth and whatever metal they had been able to lay their hands on.

It was a bit of a downgrade from the modern, clean city of Zaofu that they had come from, but it would have to do.

The car pulled up outside the largest of the buildings, which had been erected basically at the side of the road, and the doors sprung open. Mako got out and stretched his legs, as Wu did the same on the other side. A moment later, the door opened and Bataar Senior appeared, flanked by Wei and Wing.

Behind them, lurking in the doorway, Mako saw President Raiko watching him.

"Your Majesty!" Bataar called.

"Yes, well, hello," Wu replied, suddenly awkward.

"Can he still call me that?" He muttered to Mako.

"Just go with it," Mako elbowed him.

Wu stood up straight, adjusted his top, and looked at the older man.

"How is everyone?" He asked seriously.

Bataar sighed. "We could be better," he said sadly. "I miss my wife. And this is all just such a big change, and so quickly."

Wu looked sympathetic.

"I know how you feel," he said. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to do more for you."

Raiko barged into the conversation. "The United Republic has supplied all of these homes, and good enough to feed these people," he said proudly. "All personally signed off on by me."

"Thank you," Wu told him gratefully. Mako scowled at the President. It's not a competition!

Bataar looked at him, and nodded in agreement.

"If there's anything you need, ask me and I'll see what I can do," Wu told him.

"Really?" Raiko intruded into the conversation.

"Yes! These are still my people, and I must do my duty to them," Wu told him firmly. "Now, can I see the city?"

"Such as it is," Bataar shrugged, but as they led the King away Raiko caught Mako's arm.

"A word?"

Dread coursed through Mako's veins. Did Raiko know?

Raiko opened the door to the building and ushered him inside. Once he had made sure they were alone, he closed it again. The room was bare, with only a couple of chairs for furniture.

"Have you heard?" Raiko asked.

"Heard what?" Mako decided to play dumb.

"Your brother escaped from prison last night," Raiko told him. "And he had help."

"He did?"

"An air nomad," Raiko continued. "We saw one of those sky-bison hovering outside his cell."

Mako's mind was racing. Bolin rescued by an Air Nomad?

"Do we know who did it?" He ventured.

Raiko shrugged. "Not for sure, but I can make a pretty good guess. Your brother has become romantically involved with an Air Nomad, hasn't he?"

"Opal," Mako confirmed. So she was behind this.

"Yes, Opal," Raiko nodded. "Although, I was a bit surprised that you never tried it yourself."

Mako stopped dead. "What?"

"I know you," Raiko scowled. "Your loyalty to your friends is admirable, and it's caused me no end of problems in the past. I thought you would have definitely tried to break out your own brother from an unjust imprisonment."

He paused.

"In fact, I was rather counting on it."

This stopped Mako short. "You were?"

"Look, I don't like Bolin. But I'm not going to complain about him deserting my enemy. I just need to make it look like I do care so I don't antagonise Kuvira more than you already have."

"Wait, are you telling me you wanted Bolin to escape?"

"So long as no guards were harmed, I didn't mind," Raiko confirmed. "It hurts Kuvira, not me."

"Couldn't you have just told us that?" Mako sighed. "We could have staged the whole thing together!"

"Plausible deniability," Raiko pointed out. "This doesn't leave this room. My plan was for you to get him out and then I was going to turn a blind eye. I'm still going to do that for Opal Beifong, but far as the world is concerned I am absolutely furious about Bolin's escape. I need them to keep thinking that."

"And all that stuff about Politics-"

"Was true," Raiko conceded. "That's why I needed to make it look good. But Politics does involve an awful lot of lying."

"So why are you telling me now?" Mako asked.

"It's not to put your mind at rest," Raiko said. "I need us to be on the same page. War is probably coming, and you have a very important role to play in either avoiding it, or winning it. I need you to get the Fire Nation to support us. Their Princess likes you, so you have the best chance of doing it. I know you don't like me. I don't like you. But I don't want the Bolin thing hanging over us causing further strain when we need to be on the same side."

"Hotaru likes me?" Mako repeated dumbly.

Raiko sighed.

"Why is that what you focus on?"

He shrugged.

"Look, the point is that we need to stand together. That's all."

Mako nodded slowly.

"That's all," Raiko told him shortly, and went to leave. Just as he got to the exit though, he stopped, one hand on the door, and turned back to him.

"Oh, and you can take Wu with you to the Fire Nation," he told Mako. "You can keep an eye on him, and Wu can plead on our behalf."

He looked very stern for a moment.

"Don't mess this up!"

And then he was gone, leaving Mako alone in the room. He looked around and sighed.

Great.