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Kuvira

A tent had been erected atop a hill, and as Kuvira stepped outside the great city of Omashu rose up in front of her. Even from her elevated position it towered up high above her, separated from her army by a vast chasm that plunged hundreds of feet straight down. The only crossing point had already been destroyed by the defenders.

While that might have been a problem for armies before, in these more enlightened times she could order her engineers to create a metal bridge and lift it into place to allow her men to cross. She could do that, but she wasn't going to on this occasion. She had a much better plan than mere bridges.

Bataar came out to observe the city next to her.

"We're nearly ready," he told her.

"Excellent," Kuvira replied happily. "This shall be a good field test."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"We can always do things the old fashioned way," Kuvira shrugged. "It is no big deal."

Kuvira could see rows of nervous looking soldiers clustered along the walls. The levies of Omashu were equipped with old fashioned armour. The non-benders were armed with a shield and a spear, fighting in a close formation, while the benders had to rely on their earthbending to survive in battle.

Put simply, Omashu's entire doctrine of war was comically primitive, and this had suited Kuvira down to the ground. After all, if the King of Omashu was going to be allowed to maintain his own armed forces separate from the Earth Empire, as the initial plan had been, then it would be far safer to keep them comparatively weak. That would mean that Omashu was no threat to her rule.

Circumstances though, had changed. And Omashu was not as loyal as she had naively believed.

Bataar pulled out a telescope and pointed it into the city. He gasped.

"They're opening the gate!"

Sure enough, the mighty gate on the side of the city closest to Kuvira began to creak open; white flags were hoisted above the towers either side of it as three small figures emerged on the backs of ostrich-horses. One of them, the one in the centre, was holding another white flag. They rode until they reached the edge of the chasm, whereupon two of them dismounted and assumed a bending stance. The earth began to shake, and then a makeshift bridge was sliding out from the side of the chasm beneath them.

Kuvira did not think it looked very stable. She was quite glad that it was not here who had to take her chances on it.

The slab of rock made contact with the opposite wall and began to fuse with it, and the two earthbenders held their stances as the third figure, who had not dismounted, began to cross alone. Kuvira was worried he would fall in, but the Ostrich Horse's grip was firm and he made it across.

King Bayu of Omashu rode up the hill towards them in a ceremonial uniform, a white flag in one hand and a look of anger on his face.

"He doesn't look happy," Bataar observed.

"We'll see how he feels in a minute, shall we?" Kuvira replied. Imperial soldiers looked up and stood aside to let the King pass, and Bayu passed them without giving them a second glance. Five minutes later, he came to a stop in front of her.

"What is going on?" He demanded. "You attack Zaofu out of the blue, and now attack us? Why? What have we done to deserve it?"

Kuvira studied him for a moment, and then narrowed her eyes. She did not believe him to be as innocent as he made out. She had encountered entirely too many snakes in the grass of late.

"You should know full well," she replied. "You're traitors."

"That is an outrageous allegation," Bayu said, shocked.

"Well, yes it is, isn't it," Kuvira agreed. "But it seems to be no less true for it. It is outrageous that you should betray me."

"But we're not betraying you," Bayu pleaded. "I have governed this city faithfully on your behalf, and on the behalf of the Earth Queen before you."

"The earth queen was a tyrant!" Kuvira bridled. "And governing on her behalf makes you an agent of it."

"I cannot choose who rules in Ba Sing Se," Bayu replied coldly. "Not would I wish to. All I can do is my best for the people of this city."

Kuvira said nothing. Bayu looked around and seemed to see the size of the army around him for the first time. He sighed.

"What are you going to do with them?"

"I wish no ill towards the majority," Kuvira replied. "Only those who have assisted traitors."

Now Bayu looked pained, but even so, he reached for the ceremonial sword he kept at his side.

"And you promise to leave them alone?" He asked. Kuvira nodded.

Bayu pulled the sword out and examined it for a moment. The guards around them were instantly on edge, but Kuvira waved them away. She could see Bayu had no intention of attacking.

"Then I see I have little choice," he said, taking the blade in both hands, kneeling down, and offering the hilt to Kuvira. "I surrender my city to you. Please take care of it."

Kuvira looked down at the King kneeling before her. She found the sight immensely pleasing, but there was something else she had to do. She shook her head.

"No."

Bayu's head snapped up.

"What?"

"I do not accept your surrender."

"What do you mean? The city's yours! I'm offering it!"

"The city is not mine. Not truly. And it can never be so until there's been a little demonstration."

She ignored his protestations and moved over to where a young soldier stood with a mobile telephone strapped to his back. A wire trailed down from it and stretched away into the distance.

She unhooked it and dialed. A moment later, a voice answered her.

"Ma'am?" A voice came from the other end.

"Are you in position?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Excellent. You may fire when ready."

"Very good Ma'am."

There was a click as the officer on the other end hung up, and a moment later the side of one of the other hills began to crumble, rocks flying up and out of the way to reveal a rudimentary cave that had been carved into the front of it. Inside it sat a large silver tube on wheels, surrounded by soldiers rushing about preparing it. Something was inserted into the rear of the gun, a hatch was closed after it, buttons were pressed on a control panel, the elevation was fine tuned.

"What's that?" Bayu asked nervously behind her. "An air cannon?"

"Not as such, no," Kuvira replied without looking at him. "My scientists have been hard at work, and they have delivered me peace."

Bayu didn't look like he understood, but he shook his head all the same. "You can't! I've surrendered!"

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Kuvira rounded on him. "I am the Great Uniter! I am the ruler of all these lands, their protector, their guardian! And I did it all by myself!"

"Well-" Bataar tried to interject.

"You know what I mean!" Kuvira interrupted him. "And you, what are you. You're just like Wu. A parasite."

Now it was Bayu's turn to bridle. "You-"

"You only sit there in your golden palace, while your people live in poverty, because your father's father had a bigger stick than anyone else!" Kuvira snarled. "You are everything wrong with this country, and I am the cure! But you're not a spirit, are you. You're not divinely ordained to rule, or whatever fiction you've told yourself. You're just a man, no better than any other man. The power of the spirits is on my side, not yours, and I mean that most literally. I'm here to tell you that. Or more precisely, that is."

And as she finished the sentence, the spirit laser finally went off.

A deafening buzz filled the air as the sky turned purple, just like before, but this time the blast, instead of going out in all directions, was focussed out of the front of the barrel, emitting a stream of purple energy that slammed into the walls of Omashu and shattered them easily. Poor levies went flying everywhere as a huge section of wall crumbled into rubble before the power of the spirits. The sky slowly returned to its normal colour. The blast had been focussed enough not to have blinded anyone this time, for which Kuvira was very grateful because she hadn't been wearing sunglasses. Even the crew looked absolutely fine, and they had been standing right next to it. The whole thing then, looked like it had been a great success from where Kuvira was standing. That meant any enemy, either internal or external, would have to think very carefully before invoking the wrath of the Earth Empire.

She turned to Bayu, who was staring open mouthed at the weapon, which had a thin trail of smoke curling up from its barrel. Men were running up with buckets of water to cool the metal.

A huge hole had been carved into the side of the mountain Omashu stood upon. It looked easily wide enough for Kuvira's train to drive through.

She grinned as she reached forward and plucked the sword out of his hand. He was so shocked he did not even try to resist.

"I accept your surrender, your majesty."