Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: Well, there is that whole thing with not knowing about the mind control. Other than that, I don't really think so.

Zigzagdoublezee: The Earth Empire were firing air cannons at the airships. And It's definitely within character for Lin and Suyin to sacrifice themselves like that- Suyin because it's her home and people, and Lin because, well, she's done it before.

As Always, Please Review!

Kuvira

Kuvira craned her neck to watch the airships speed away from Zaofu, gaining altitude as the final few shells from the air cannons exploded around them.

Those things were not suited to firing at airborne targets, Kuvira noted. That probably had to be dealt with.

That was for the future though. For now, a great victory had been won. Zaofu had fallen. She walked the streets she had once guarded as a conqueror. It felt... good.

It also felt good because she had achieved it in record time. They were ahead of schedule, which was good, because her next target would have more time to prepare and a good idea of what was about to happen. With Zaofu falling earlier, she had more chance of taking Omashu by surprise.

Then she frowned.

The people had got away. That was unfortunate. She had come here to root out traitors, but now there were none to root out; they had all fled on board those airships- aided and abetted by the Avatar and her friends. So they had chosen a side, and it wasn't hers. So be it; Kuvira had beaten Korra twice now in single combat, and had only lost both times thanks to the intervention of friends. The second time had been a direct betrayal, and Kuvira's frown deepened as she thought of Bolin.

She had thought that bringing him but keeping him in the rear and not telling him what was going on would have been a good enough compromise between keeping him on side and making him feel valued and involved in her new campaign. Clearly, that had been a miscalculation. She would have to be a lot more careful in future when dealing with potential traitors in the ranks. Very few could be trusted now. But, she supposed, there were ways of assuring complete loyalty.

She was interrupted by the sound of boots behind her, and she turned to find soldiers, led by a Major with a sword clanking at his belt.

"The city is secure!" The Major told her, saluting. "We've apprehended the prisoners. Although that was easy, seeing as there were only two of them."

"I see," Kuvira nodded gratefully. "What's your name?"

"Major Chao, Ma'am!" The man saluted again. He was a tall man in his thirties with a thin face. "Of the Bin-Er Regiment of Foot!"

"Can I ask you a question, Major Chao of the Bin-Er Regiment of Foot?"

The Major hesitated, and nodded.

"Who are the best men in your regiment?"

"In what way?"

"Oh you know," Kuvira waved a hand, trying not to let the irritation at the return question show. "The bravest, the smartest, the most diligent. That sort of thing. I'm thinking of creating a new elite regiment. I need the best of the best for it."

Chao's eyes widened.

Kuvira continued her sales pitch.

"I understand the Bin-Er Regiment were some of the first over the wall, led from the front by you. So how does Lieutenant-Colonel Chao of the Imperial Guard regiment sound?"

"Imperial Guard?" Chao repeated, and then collected himself.

"Of course! I would be honoured."

"Great!" Kuvira clapped him on the shoulder. "Take whoever you want from your old regiment to your new one. I want your men to be the envy and the terror of the world, and I want you to help make it happen."

Chao did not know what to say, so he settled for a simple salute.

"Glad to have you on board," Kuvira told him. "Now, that's settled. Can I see the prisoners now?"

Chao seemed to be walking on autopilot as he led her away and towards the centre of town.

Good, Kuvira thought smugly. At least that's one person whose loyalty can be relied on.

The streets of Zaofu had been largely devastated by the war. Ruined buildings were scattered across the roads.

In the centre of town stood two large metal boxes on wheels. They were the size of a human body, and were meant to completely restrain one. Lin's head stuck out of the top of one and Suyin glowered down at Kuvira from the other.

"Let us out!" She demanded.

"Leave us!" Kuvira commanded. Her men reluctantly obeyed.

Kuvira waited until they were out of earshot.

"Was that your plan?" She demanded. "Get yourself captured?"

"Better us than our people," said Suyin.

"They are my people too," Kuvira said grandly.

"They were," Lin pointed out. "That went out of the window when you attacked them with an army."

"I wouldn't have treated them badly," Kuvira defended herself. Suyin snorted in disbelief.

Kuvira amended herself, her patience running low.

"Not most of them, anyway. The traitors, yes. And they would have deserved it. But not most of them."

"How would you have known?"

"I just would!" Kuvira snapped. "And don't act all high and mighty with me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You killed my men! You brought foreigners to rain lightning from the sky at them!"

"I killed your men?" Suyin almost laughed. "I'm sorry, who attacked who here? We were minding our own business!"

"Then you could have let us in to conduct our search peacefully! I am the legitimate government, after all."

"You're the legitimate government?" Suyin picked up on what she had said immediately. "As in, you personally?"

"No!" Kuvira hastily replied. "I don't have to answer to you, anyway."

Lin and Suyin exchanged a knowing side eye.

"Look, that's not important anyway," Kuvira waved it away. "The point is, you killed my men. Over 200 of them, at the last count."

"You attacked us," Lin repeated.

"I didn't attack you," Kuvira pointed out. "You were far away in Republic City when I came here. You threw away your job, your freedom, and it could well have been your life in somebody else's fight."

"You do know this is my sister?" Lin asked. "Of course I was going to defend her."

"All very noble," Kuvira said. "Unfortunately, you are the Chief of Police in Republic City, and you came in United Republic airships with people wearing the uniform of Republic City Police. That looks awfully like a provocation."

"They weren't United Republic airships!" Lin protested. "They belong to Future Industries."

"The Sato company?" Kuvira replied. "Remind me, where are they based?"

"This has nothing to do with the United Republic," Lin said.

"Oh I know," Kuvira stated.

Lin blinked. "You do?"

"Of course! I know Raiko wouldn't have ordered this, he's a coward burying his head in the sand trying to prevent the inevitable."

"It's not inevitable," Suyin tried.

"If it wasn't before, it is now," Kuvira said. "But it was before anyway. All you've done is give me a better excuse."

"The United Republic-"

"Is on stolen ground!" Kuvira told her forcefully. "It should have been returned to us 70 years ago. Instead it sits there, like an insult to our people."

"The people want to be independent!"

"They don't get a say," Kuvira said. "They are an implanted population, put there by the Fire Nation colonialists and the illegitimate Republic to justify its own existence. Their presence does not change the fact that the land is stolen!"

"Are they implanted, or are they just saying things you don't want to hear?" Suyin asked.

"Enough!" Kuvira told her. "I will right the wrongs of history, Suyin. And you will help me."

"Help you?" Suyin burst out laughing. "Have you gone mad?"

Kuvira just stared impassively at her.

"Laugh if you wish, Suyin," she said. "But I can be very persuasive if I wish. You'll soon come around to my way of thinking."

"Oh, now we get to the promises and threats," Suyin rolled her eyes. "What's it going to be? Bribes? Torture?"

"No, and no." Kuvira circled them. "You are a woman of integrity. Bribes would not work on you, and you're not worth the money anyway if I'm being quite honest. And torture is just messy, and you did raise me. That would be very poor manners to repay that with torture."

She said the last word with some distaste.

"But you misunderstand me. That wasn't a threat of harm, or a promise of wealth, just then. That was a statement of fact. You will help me."

"I will not!" Suyin said again.

Kuvira floated a pocket watch out with a flick of her wrist and checked the time.

"Five minutes," she announced.

"What?" Lin asked.

"That's about how long it will take you to change your tune. GUARDS!"

The sisters looked around as Kuvira's men approached.

"What are you going to do?" Suyin asked, as they began to wheel her box away.

"I'm offering you an invitation," Kuvira replied. "I'm not so proud that I don't think the old monarchy had some good ideas. Did your mother tell you about Lake Laogai?"

Their faces paled immediately.

"You wouldn't," Suyin shouted. "You can't!"

"You're right," Kuvira agreed, causing them to relax.

"That would take far too long."

Immediately, the protests started back up again. Kuvira held up a hand to silence them, and when it didn't work she gagged them with metal strips.

"But if I can't invite you to Lake Laogai, then I can invite Lake Laogai to you."