Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: Avatar is getting a new film. But I think three series told the story quite well, so I'm not sure what a fourth could really have done.

Sharpe: These are shows for a younger audience at the end of the day, so maybe they thought showing an execution to be just a bit too dark even with all the other things they did. Particularly when it comes to Ling-chi, one of the most horrific methods ever devised. Besides, keeping them alive means the option is open to use both Zaheer and Kuvira in future stories. I think that they let Kuvira off the hook too easily, but I'm not totally opposed to the idea of forgiveness and redemption at some point. Kuvira should have just had to work a lot harder for it.

As Always, Please Review!

Mako

The news was sweeping the city, despite the best efforts of the authorities to keep it under wraps. The flow of refugees had increased, as more and more people upped and left. A sense of foreboding hung over the increasingly deserted streets, the sense of a storm that could break over the Republic any second. Everybody knew it; Kuvira was drawing near.

The United Republic's Secret Intelligence Service had managed to locate her on board a warship leading a fleet that was advancing northwards towards the United Republic up the western coast of the Earth Kingdom. That could mean only one thing; her main attack was coming by sea, and while the Imperial fleet was significantly smaller than the Allied fleet opposing it, it was still not a threat that could be taken lightly.

The news had thrown the already frantic preparations in the city into an even higher gear, and that included in New Zaofu.

A gaggle of Earth Nationals stood underneath a platform, upon which stood Mako and Earth King Wu. There were several members of the Zaofu security services there, as well as Lin, Suyin, Wing and Wei Beifong and the Kyoshi Islanders Zaochen and Bulan. They were taking it in turns to mark their names down on a piece of paper on a table in front of them, whereupon they would be enlisted into Wu and Raiko's new Free Earth Legion.

"Are you sure about this?" Mako asked the monarch. "Some of these people don't look like they'll make good soldiers."

"What choice do I have?" Wu replied quietly. "If I back down now I'll look weak."

That was true enough, but as Mako looked over some of the faces in the crowd he wasn't sure that was worth this.

"And you think they'll be good in a fight?"

"Yes," Wu said a bit too quickly. "No. I don't know, Mako, but I need to try. We can be trained!"

"How? Kuvira's coming now!"

"There's a Kyoshi Warrior there. The Beifongs are there! Raiko has promised to train the rest. We can work something out, Mako!"

Finally, the last signature was placed upon the paper, and someone brought it up to Wu. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

Wu stepped forward and suddenly looked lost.

"Er..." he began. "Well, I suppose I should start by saying thanks."

There were murmurs from the crowd.

"I know the circumstances that brought you here have been tragic. Most of us are here because our lives were uprooted as tyranny took hold in our country."

He paused, and shook his head.

"I admit I played a role in it. Kuvira used me as a figurehead as she built her power, and then discarded me the moment she thought I was no longer useful. Team Avatar saved me. I dread to think what might have happened otherwise. I should have seen what she was earlier. But now Kuvira is coming here, intending to do to this country what she has already done to ours."

He looked around, gaining confidence, and raised his voice to what he clearly hoped were rousing tones.

"Just one problem for her though; We're already here! All of us have reasons to fight her; all of us have suffered at her hands, been forced to flee before her and her relentless appetite for power. But this is where we stop running! Kuvira thinks that Republic City is where she will finish her campaigns of conquest and cement her position. I say it's where we will strike our first blow against her and take our homes back!"

This last sentence was met with a raucous cheer, as a pair of flags were brought on stage behind Wu. The first was a dark green flag with the symbol of the Earth monarchy displayed in the centre, while the second was red and had that symbol in one corner, while the centre had the words FREE EARTH LEGION inscribed in big white letters there. These were to be the symbols around which the new unit organised itself in battle, both something for them to take pride in and a practical aid to their cohesion. All units in the Republican and Imperial armies used similar flags, but Fire Nation soldiers rallied around golden figurines of dragons on poles instead.

Afterwards, Mako watched as the more militarily experienced people were selected as officers. Bulan, Lin, Wei, Wing and a few of the metal clan police officers were handed different uniforms with markers of their new rank, which Bulan rejected.

"I'm a Kyoshi Warrior," she said haughtily. "I'm already wearing my uniform."

Wu sighed and allowed it. Then the group was informed that they were to be heading to a camp to begin their basic training, provided by officers from the United Forces.

Mako hung back as all this was going on. He was not a member of this new Legion, and he was only here because Wu had asked him to be.

Kuvira couldn't be more than a few days away. That was nowhere near enough time for this. It couldn't be. He trusted the officers to be able to handle themselves in a fight, sure, but he didn't have much faith in many of the rest. Still, he consoled himself with the idea that they wouldn't need to fight anyway. The frontiers were manned by more experienced soldiers, and there was always the possibility that Kuvira would back down in the face of their superior navy.

He heard a shout behind him, and then a thump. Turning, he saw a sky-bison had just landed behind him, and scrambling off it were Opal and Bolin.

"Mako, there you are!" Bolin called. "We've been looking for you for literally minutes!"

"I missed you too," Mako greeted him warmly. "Having fun now you're back in the city."

"Oh yes," Bolin nodded enthusiastically. We're having a great time, only slightly put off by the pervasive sense of dread."

"Raiko wants you," Opal got straight to the point.

"Of course he does. What is it now?"

"Oh no, not you specifically," Bolin chirped. "But he's calling everyone together for a big meeting to work out our plan."

"We already know the plan, don't we?"

"Maybe someone doesn't. And what if that person is someone important who does the wrong thing and dooms us all?"

"Fair point," Mako nodded. "When is it?"

"Well, in about twenty minutes. He did say it was urgent."

Mako walked with them back towards Juicy the Sky-Bison, who groaned at him in greeting.

"Shouldn't Wu be there too?" He asked, gesturing back to where the King had gathered his officers.

"Huh," Opal frowned. "Do some of those people seem familiar to you?"

"Do they?" Mako turned and looked at them again, but couldn't see anyone he especially recognised apart from the Beifongs.

"No. maybe they were security guards in Zaofu? you would have seen them every day then."

"Maybe I did," Opal didn't seem convinced though. "It's going to bug me now."

Then she shrugged.

"Still," she declared. "It doesn't matter. Come on then! We're needed in the city."