Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: No. It doesn't seem like the best place to live in the Avatar world, in Aang's time or Korra's.

Sharpe: I thought he had postponed that to take more of an active role in ensuring the transition to democracy. After that process is complete though, provided it is completed and he doesn't just end up staying on as a constitutional monarch, I don't know. A career in the performing arts?

Zigzagdoublezee: Not against planes no, but that's not their purpose. Besides, the United Republic is the only nation who has been on the receiving end of a practical demonstration of what Flying Machines are capable of, courtesy of the Equalists, and so they are by far the most enthusiastic adopters of them- so for the moment, nobody else really has them.

Kuvira

The Great Uniter watched as a small motorboat left the shores of Republic City and raced towards her, flying a familiar green flag above it. Then she turned her attention back to the radio, where Wu was making his demands.

"First," he was saying, "freedom for all of my followers."

"But they're traitors," Kuvira frowned.

"From my point of view- never mind," Wu gave up trying to argue. "Just let them go."

"Fine."

"Second, leave the city intact."

"Obviously," Kuvira nodded.

"Third, let me go too."

"That's a bit more difficult," Kuvira leaned forwards. "You know who you are? What you are? What you represent to many people inside my empire?"

"Well, I'm me. I happen to like my life, I don't really want it to end," Wu said like it was the most obvious statement in the world.

"You are also the Earth King," Kuvira told him.

"I'm glad you think so," Wu teased her. Kuvira scowled.

"Former Earth King then," she amended. "If you remain in exile, you will always be a threat to me. There will always be people willing to follow you."

"So you just want me to hand myself over?"

"Of course!" Kuvira said airily. "What's the matter with that? I won't hurt you."

The lie came easily now.

Wu seemed to accept that answer, the gullible fool that he was, and moved on.

"Third, you will treat non-earthbenders within the population fairly."

Kuvira thought that the only fair thing to do would be to send them home again, but she sighed.

"Look,I'm not sure you're in a position to be making demands," she told him firmly. "In case you hadn't noticed, I have several spirit lasers poised to open fire upon the city."

She watched the motorboat draw level with the ship, and a rope be thrown down to it.

"Besides, I don't even need you."

"But wait, I haven't even asked for free cake yet-"

Kuvira ignored him. Several figures in green came up from the motorboat, holding between them a man in red with his hands tied. Their leader shook himself off, and placed upon his head the tall hat that was the symbol of his rank. Then Lieutenant-General Chao, of Kuvira's Imperial Guard, led his prisoner towards the bridge.

Wu was still shouting, but Kuvira ignored him now. She decided not to turn off the radio, he might need to hear this.

Baatar entered the room.

"Success?" He asked.

"We got him," Kuvira squeezed his hand. "I think we're in luck."

The sound of footsteps clanged on the steps leading up to the bridge, and then the door opened again. Chao stood there, having to stoop slightly in his hat but looking extremely smug.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "we got him."

There were cheers from the crew. Kuvira waited for them all to subside.

"Excellent work," she told him. "You've redeemed yourself well."

Following Chao's failure at the prison camp and Bolin consequently escaping with several of her most important prisoners, Kuvira had assigned Chao the opportunity to redeem himself; a potentially suicidal attack behind enemy lines calculated to throw the Fire Nation- United Republic alliance into chaos. It had worked spectacularly.

"How has he been?" She asked.

"Furious," Chao told her. "He'd rather not be here."

"Well I'm glad he is," Kuvira said. "In fact, I'm so glad that I'm going to reward you. How does a promotion to General and the rank of Marshal of the Earth Empire sound? After this, you surely deserve it."

Chao swelled up so much that Kuvira thought he might burst.

"I'd- I'd- be honoured!" He saluted. "Permission to write home about this?"

"Granted," she waved a hand. "In the meantime, I need to have a word with our prisoner."

Chao clicked his heels, turned and left. As he passed them, he signalled his men and they threw their prisoner roughly to the floor.

"Hello Raiko," Kuvira towered over him. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"That's funny," Raiko struggled to sit up and stared defiantly at her. "I was about to say the same thing."

He looked to be in a bad way. Thick metal cuffs encased his wrists and elbows, forcing him to struggle to keep himself upright. He had a black eye and dried blood running down the side of his face. But he glared up at her with undimmed defiance.

"I think I'll speak first," Kuvira told him. "You have been provoking me for months. You harbour my political enemies- you even made a regiment out of them! You interfere in my political affairs, even to the point of sending troops to support rebels. But the worst thing of all is that the very existence of your so-called nation is an insult to the pride of the Earth Empire. My patience is finite, Raiko. You must have known this was coming."

"I feared it would," Raiko admitted. "I have been working to attempt to prevent it this entire time. But I have to admit, never in my worst fears did I ever think you could be this stupid."

"What?" Kuvira's temper flared.

"You just picked a fight with the Avatar!" Raiko said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She may not be the best politician, but woe betide anybody who chooses to stand in her way."

"No!" Kuvira scowled. "Woe betide anyone who chooses to stand in my way! Including the Avatar. Including," she added ominously, "you."

With a motion of her hand, the cuffs began to move, dragging the President across the floor on his back.

"But as it happens, there is something you can do for me," she said casually. "You are the President."

"Thank you for reminding me," Raiko gasped. She ignored him.

"I've studied the structure of your government. A lot of power is invested in you. I would say too much, but I am a dictator. It makes your government very vulnerable if anything were to happen to you."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, we're far beyond that. It's an analysis. You hold the power to order this city to surrender without a fight."

"Even if I did," Raiko pointed out, "you kidnapped me. They know that I am under your control. Why should they follow my- your- orders in that case?"

"Oh, I don't know, because I'll blow up the city if they don't?" Kuvira gestured out of the window.

Raiko paused.

"You make a convincing point," he said. "But I still think you're wasting your time."

"Because they won't follow your orders?"

"No. Because I won't give them."

Kuvira sighed, feeling frustration bubbling within her.

"I don't think you understand the situation that you are in," she told him threateningly. "The only reason you were taken alive is because you could be of some use to me."

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you," Raiko did his best to fold his arms.

Kuvira cradled her face in her hands for a second, trying to compose herself. This really was an exceedingly frustrating man.

"Alright, there are two courses of action available to you here. Either you can do as I say, and live, or you can carry on being stubborn in which case I kill you right here, right now, and carry on negotiating with Wu. He at least is showing sense."

Although she said otherwise, Kuvira did agree with Wu that blowing up the city with her spirit lasers should only be a last resort.

Raiko did his best to draw himself up to his full height and mustered all of his remaining dignity.

"I have been the President of my country for five years now," he declared. "And I do not intend to be the President who handed it over to a foreign tyrant."

Kuvira turned, walked away to the other end of the bridge, and silently took Baatar's hand. She guided him out of the room, nodded to him, and closed the door in his face. She would rather he not see what was about to happen.

Then she walked back over to President Raiko, a metal strip emerging from her sleeve. Raiko cringed away from her, realizing what was about to happen. Kuvira paused for a moment, and then lashed out with an arm, sending the sharp edge of the metal strip flying straight towards Raiko's throat.