Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: I miss some of the characters, those who we never find out what happened to in Korra.

Zigzagdoublezee: I wasn't so sure about Juicy's gender myself, so I looked before I wrote. Learned my lesson with the Zaofu thing there. And Opal had never had to do it before, so she wasn't very good at it yet.

As Always, Please Review!

Kuvira

The train rattled north along the recently completed Great Western Railway, speeding through deserts and sweeping plains. Behind it, several more followed, bringing thousands of men towards Kuvira's next target: Omashu.

Inside, Kuvira sat at her desk in her office, jolting rhythmically as the train went over bumps in the tracks. Bataar and Suyin sat in chairs across the small room. Bataar looked up, and caught her looking. He grinned at her. Kuvira smiled back, and mouthed the words two months at him.

"it will only take two months, won't it?" He asked.

"Of course! Provided our secret weapons work."

"They'll work," Bataar said seriously. "We have the best scientists and engineers in the land working on them. And the first will be ready for Omashu. The second not long after that."

"Good," Kuvira nodded in satisfaction. "I look forward to it."

Bataar looked at her.

"We are only planning on using it on soldiers, aren't we?" He asked.

"What? Yes, of course!" Kuvira nodded. "What do you take me for, Bataar? I'm not a monster."

Bataar nodded.

"Good," he said. "Wasn't that what Varrick was worried about?"

"Varrick turned against me," Kuvira replied bitterly. "He was weak. He was scared by the destructive power of his own creation, whereas you and I looked at it and saw opportunity. So he tried to sabotage the project. Too little, too late, fortunately."

"He wasn't the only one," Bataar pointed out. "Bolin's gone too."

"Don't remind me," Kuvira scowled. "Can we talk about something nicer?"

Instead, Bataar lapsed into a moody silence. He gazed out of the window for a few moments. Kuvira got back to sifting through some reports about taxes that had come in just before they had left Zaofu.

Suddenly Bataar sat up and turned to her.

"Why did Bolin defect?" He asked. "You never said."

"He chose the rebels over me," Kuvira lied.

Bataar blinked.

"I would never have thought Bolin capable of it," he said. "He seemed so nice. So loyal. And he's going out with Opal!"

Yeah, and that's the trouble, Kuvira thought bitterly. Loyal to the wrong people.

Instead she sighed.

"Appearances can be deceiving, my love."

Bataar flushed at the pet name.

"So they can," he said after a while. "This seems to have come so suddenly."

"What has?"

"All of this!" Bataar gestured around him. "We were finished! We'd won. The war was over. I was planning the big day! The Avatar was going to marry us! Then suddenly we're a Republic now-"

"An Empire," Kuvira corrected him.

"An Empire now," Bataar amended, "the Avatar hates us, rebels rise up, Varrick and Bolin betray us? It seems to have all gone wrong."

"Nothing's gone wrong!" Kuvira told him. "Nothing permanent, anyway. We will win this. It won't take us long, not with what you've brought with you. Then we'll go home and we'll have this wedding we promised. Ba Sing Se will party for days. And so shall we."

Bataar smiled softly. "I hope it does," he said. "They deserve it after the few years they've had."

"That they do," Kuvira agreed. "And I want it for us too. I want you to be happy, Bataar. Whatever it takes."

She grinned at him. After a moment he grinned back. Suyin looked on silently as the two of them shared the happy moment.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Lieutenant-Colonel Chao, of the newly created Imperial Guard regiment, entered and bowed. He was wearing what was in most respects a normal uniform of Kuvira's army, except that his metal epaulettes were coloured gold instead of silver. A sword hung from his waist, swinging alarmingly in the confined space, and under his arm was tucked a tall black hat with a badge depicting the symbol of the Earth Empire in gold set into the centre. A gold braid attached to one of the epaulettes ran under his right arm.

He saluted.

"How can I help you?" Kuvira asked him.

"There's been a wireless message!" He said. Most two way telephones required wires, and so couldn't be used on trains, but Kuvira had installed wireless radios that used code to allow her to communicate while on the move.

"There's been a sighting of... him."

He said this last word very ominously.

Kuvira stared blankly. "Who is him?"

If Chao was frustrated, he did not show it.

"The traitor, Ma'am!"

"Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down?" Kuvira demanded. "There are lots of traitors!"

"No, Bolin!" Chao said. "You asked to be informed personally if he was seen!"

"Oh, he escaped then did he?" Kuvira mused. "I knew the Republic was useless, but that's impressive even for them."

"Yes," Chao agreed. "He's been travelling in the company of Op-"

Kuvira coughed pointedly. It would not do for Bataar to find out Bolin was with his sister, as Kuvira suspected he might be. That might raise uncomfortable questions. Chao realized his mistake, nodded slyly to her, and continued.

"-In the company of an Air Nomad. We think they're trying to help him."

"Well why's he come back then?" Kuvira asked. Chao shrugged.

"Alright," Kuvira told him. "I don't think I'll need you for the time being, Chao, so I'm putting you and your men in charge of finding him. Bring him to me, alive."

Chao nodded. "And how are we going to do that?"

Kuvira sighed. "I promoted you because of your initiative, Chao. Use it!"

Chao nodded, and went to leave the room. Then he stopped.

"If I may..."

"Go on?"

"I think I may have a good idea why Bolin has come back. He wants to rescue you," he addressed Suyin, who nodded robotically.

Bataar just looked confused at that. "But mum doesn't need rescuing, does she?"

Kuvira glared at the Officer, who gulped.

"No! No, of course not. But there has been certain misunderstandings. But we can use that. And the thing every good trap needs, is bait."

Bait, Kuvira thought. Bait I can do. She had seen the tendency of the Avatar and her friends to display blind loyalty to their friends, walking into the jaws of death time and again to save each other. She had seen it fighting the Red Lotus, when Korra had given herself up to save the Air Nomads, and she had seen it again during the deposition of the Earth King and again at 'Beifong's Thunderstorm'. I hate that name, Kuvira decided. It's the Battle of Zaofu. But while their loyalty to one another was a strength, it could most definitely be exploited.

I'll get you yet, Bolin, Kuvira vowed. And this time, you'll be loyal to me. Whether you want to or not.

She looked over to Bataar and smiled at him again. This could be a very good week.