Chapter Text
Asami
Wolf Cove.
Finally.
Asami looked over at Ikki, sleeping in the co-pilot’s seat beside her. It had only taken a few hours to go from the sinking wreck of the Sulaco to the capital city (and only city, really) of the Southern Water Tribe. She was still exhausted, however, and more than ready to land the aircraft.
It was low on fuel, too.
“Unidentified aircraft, this is WC Tower. Please respond. Over.”
The voice that came out of the radio was expected, but still startling. It had not taken Ikki long to pass out, and Asami had been in silence ever since. Sometimes it felt like the three of them were the only three people left in the world.
There had been no other aircraft. No ships. Nothing but bright southern sky and snow-covered ground.
I can keep going. I’m okay. Just a little bit longer. Those words had been her internal refrain for the past few hours, and that wasn’t long, except for the fact that sometimes she felt that they were the refrain of her entire life, both past and future.
I can keep going. I’m okay. Just a little bit longer.
“Unidentified aircraft, I repeat, this is WC Tower. Please respond. Over.”
Asami blinked, and realized she was just circling, and not even moved towards the switch that activated her mic, never mind respond.
“WC Tower,” she responded. “Requesting emergency permission to land. Please have emergency personal standing by. Over.”
“Unidentified aircraft, please identify yourself. Over.”
“Tower...” she hesitated. Just because there were no more of those creatures, whatever they were, did not mean there were no dangers. She remembered how she had been treated after the loss of the Nostromo all too well.
“Tower, I repeat, I am requesting emergency permission to land. I have... I have an injured Southern Water Tribe citizen onboard. Please have emergency personal standing by. Fuel reserves low. Over.”
Asami circled, and waited. Fortunately Wolf Cove was not a hugely desirable destination for air traffic most of the time, so the was no pattern she had to worry about. She was so tired.
Even flying in circles seemed difficult.
I can keep going. I’m okay. Just a little bit longer.
“Asami?” Ikki asked from beside her. The girl yawned and straightened up in her seat, then stretched as only a child or a cat could do. “Where are we?”
“Wolf Cove,” Asami answered. “We’ll land soon.”
Ikki’s eyes darted around, and she looked nervous again. “What’s at Wolf Cove? Is it safe?”
Finally, the radio made sound again. “Unidentified aircraft, this is WC Tower. You have been cleared to land on runway three. Emergency crews are standing by. Winds are north by northwest at ten knots. Please respond. Over.”
“Thank you tower. Making approach for runway three. Out.”
Asami turned to Ikki as she ended her slow circle and began her approach. “It’s safe,” she said. “As for what’s there... I don’t know.”
They were both silent for a moment.
“Maybe we can stay here for a while?” Asami asked. “So... how about a home?”
Ikki looked at her, and nodded slightly.
Asami sighed. For now, that was more than enough.
She got the landing gear down, and approached the runway. The aircraft had its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, of course, but she thought a simple, old-fashioned approach would be simpler and easier for now. She would drop the last few metres vertically, so that she didn’t break the landing struts.
And it was simpler and easier.
Touchdown was without issue, and since she landed vertically, there was no rolling to a stop. The TigerShark was down, and they were done.
Asami breathed out as she shut down the engines and opened the rear hatch. Ikki hunched back, nervous once again. Boots tramped aboard.
“This must be why the pilot asked for emergency personal,” an anonymous voice asked as more boots made their way to the cockpit.
“Hey,” another voice asked, “does the marine look familiar?”
“Oh shit,” the first voice said as soldiers entered the cockpit.
Asami raised her hands above her head, and nodded at Ikki, who did the same.
“Sarge, we have the pilot and a kid up here,” one of the soldiers yelled back.
“Yeah, well you’ll never guess who we have back here,” the first voice yelled back.
A medic pushed his way into the cockpit, and quickly looked around. “I want stretchers for these two,” she ordered. “And get the healing tank unlocked from the fuselage.” He looked around at the soldiers, who were still standing with their guns pointed at Asami.
“Did I fucking stutter?” the medic demanded. “Get moving! And get the captain up here while you get the stretchers. She’ll want to see the injured marine.”
The medic looked at Asami and Ikki. “It’s okay,” he said, “you can lower your arms. You bring the chief’s daughter back alive from whatever happened to you, and you’ll get a pass from pretty much everyone here.”
The chief’s daughter.
Korra?
Oh.
It was only at that point that Asami realized that she finally had no more to give, and that she could keep going no longer. She leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes.
If the medic said anything else, Asami did not hear it.
-------
Suyin
Suyin Beifong looked at the chamber of Republic City politicians, and sneered. If a facial expression could speak words, then hers would say that the members of the Republic City governing body were worms beneath her feet, unworthy of both her time and her consideration.
And yet, Suyin knew that she had lost.
Somehow, the book was closed on an incident that had cost the life of one of the richest men in the world. And, to the best of her knowledge, the last airbending family. And a whole bunch of marines.
Marines that included her sister.
And her ward.
And her daughter.
Somehow, she was not sure how, she kept the sneer on her face. The sneer that made it seem like she was going to bend the metal screws out of the chamber’s furniture and perforate the council members with them.
The sneer that hid the fact that she wanted to weep and scream.
Lin. Kuvira.
Opal.
Oh, my precious Opal.
It had been a fear of hers, ever since her airbending daughter had joined up with the marines. Opal was a combat drop pilot. It was not as risky a job as being front line infantry, Opal had reassured her more than once, but it was still a combat job.
And now something had caused one hundred percent casualties to Lin’s unit, and the council was calling it an “unfortunate maritime accident.”
She had banged on every door. The ones that hadn’t opened to her banging she had kicked down. And still, everyone she had talked to or threatened had either pleaded ignorance or stuck by the official story.
She had lost.
Her daughter was gone, dead, without even a body for her to grieve over, and all she had was lies.
She had lost, and the council knew it. They had already dismissed her as nothing more than grieving mother. Easily dismissed.
Easily forgotten.
Suyin sneered, and slammed her fist down on the podium in front of her. Most of the council members jumped in their seats, startled, but one did not. It was to him that she directed her fury.
Tarrlok, his name was.
“You think this is over?” she demanded. “You think it is over, with your lies? Your stupid, pathetic lies?”
She stared at him, and he stared back, with a smirk. He was confident in his position, she could tell. From her few interactions with the council, in fact, she was confident that he owned the rest of the council’s august bodies, in fact.
“Lies?!” Tarrlok exclaimed with a great sadness. As if he deeply regretted having to dismiss the grieving mother who was also head of one of the most powerful families in the world. “Lies, you say.” He shook his. “I understand. It is in the midst of tragedies such as these, that we truly come to understand that the world is indeed not fair. Or even just, much of the time.”
Tarrlok’s eyes changed from triumphant to sorrowful as he looked at Suyin. “It is a sad fact, that we humans search desperately for pattern even where there is none. For malicious purpose when there is nothing more than cruel chance.”
“You. Are. Lying.” Suyin spat back.
“I look forward to the day you bring evidence to support your accusation that there is more to what happened to the Sulaco than a tragic accident,” Tarrlok said solemnly. “Until then, however, this council must continue to do the work that the citizens of Republic City require of it.”
He looked at the rest of the council.
“I move to conclude this tribunal. The city must mourn and move forward.”
To no one’s surprise, especially Suyin’s, all hands raised in affirmative. Tarrlok nodded towards his fellow councillors.
“Mrs Beifong,” Tarrlok said, “this tribunal is concluded. The city gives you its sincerest condolences-”
“You. Are. LYING!” she yelled. The councillor’s smarmy words had finally overcome her internal impediments and the rational part of her that thought that perhaps now was not the time.
“That’s enough!” Tarrlok barked. “Guards, please escort Mrs Beifong out of the building, with all the dignity afforded to her station, of course.”
“I’m not done,” Suyin growled. Metal started to swirl around her to emphasize that she would leave when she was damn well ready. “You may have concluded your tribunal. But I will find out the truth. Sooner or later. And when I find out that you have lied to me, I will come back.” She turned and glared at a guard that had attempted to approach her. He retreated instantly, hands in the air in placation.
“I will come back for blood!” she finished as she turned back to Tarrlok and the rest of the councillors.
With that, Suyin stormed out of the council chamber, leaving a silent council behind her.
-------
Korra
“Are you ready?” Korra’s father, Tonraq, asked. They were sitting in the family kitchen of the palace.
There was another, bigger kitchen, of course, for staff and visitors, but for intimate family meals, prepared and cooked by family, for family, this was the kitchen. All of them had cooked here.
Tonraq. Senna. Korra. Asami.
Even Ikki had tried her hand a few times, as she had gotten older and started to learn some skills beyond airbending and art.
Right now, it was Tonraq and his daughter, Korra, who had kitchen duties. They were making a hearty dish of noodles and seafood, spicy and warm.
Not coincidentally, it was one of Asami’s favourite dishes.
It was primarily Tonraq who was cooking, though. Korra was distracted by the heavy object in one of her pockets, that she kept fiddling with.
“Korra?” Tonraq asked again.
“Huh?” Korra responded, finally noticing that her father was talking to her.
“Are you ready, I asked,” her father repeated.
Korra took her hand out of her pocket, and held it in her other hand, just to keep herself from fidgeting with the piece of jewellery that she had hidden there.
“Yes,” she replied quickly. “Absolutely!” She paused, and her hands separated and the right one made its way back into her pocket.
“I mean, I think so,” she continued, “but how do you know for sure? Argh! The more I think about it, the more doubts I give myself.”
Tonraq sipped the broth, nodded his satisfaction, then looked at his daughter again. “Doubts about Asami?”
“No!” Korra objected. “Not at all. She’s... amazing. The best thing that has ever happened to me, by far.” She frowned, and finally her hand stopped fiddling of its own accord.
“Then doubts about what?” her father asked.
She suspected he knew the answer, but she answered anyway. “Doubts about me. I was a grunt. A corporal, in a unit that got wiped out, for a corps that I deserted. She deserves so much better than me.”
Tonraq grunted. “And she’s told you this? That she deserves better?”
“Noooo...” Korra trailed off.
“What has she told you, then?” he asked.
Korra said nothing.
“Well?” Tonraq demanded.
Korra whispered something under her breath. Tonraq raised his eyebrows and just stared at her silently. Stared at her in a rather judging way, Korra thought.
“She told me she loves me,” Korra admitted.
“Once?”
Korra shook her head. “Lots of times.” She sighed. “Lots of times, every day.”
“Huh,” Tonraq said. ‘It seems like you were right.”
“I was?”
“Yes,” he said amiably as he turned off the burner of the stove. “The problem is you.”
“Oh,” Korra looked down. “I know I’m not good enough for her.”
“That’s not it,” her father said. “And I don’t think you should ask her until you figure it out.”
That got Korra’s attention, and out of her funk. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she demanded. “That’s your advice? Figure it out?!”
“That’s my advice,” he agreed. “Now, speaking of Asami, will you call her for supper, or should I?”
Korra glared at her father, and went out the door to get her lover.
Figure it out. For fucks sake.
She was aggravated, she knew, but was she really angry at her father? She had asked him for advice, after all.
It was all on her if his advice infuriated her.
Asami loved her, Korra knew that. The few years they had spent together they had formed a tight little family unit, her and Asami and Ikki. It was wonderful. Every bit of it.
But there was still a part of her that wondered. That was afraid.
Why her?
Because they shared the same secret, about what had happened?
Because Asami was scared she would be imprisoned or worse if she showed her face in Republic City again?
Korra walked slowly to Asami’s room, though really it was as much her room as it was Asami’s, the two of them slept together so often.
She’s the smartest, most beautiful, most wonderful woman in the world. Why is she with me? Beyond convenience and fear, that is.
Why the fuck is she with me?
She’s so smart, so beautiful...
The thought trailed off. Asami was so smart.
Smart enough to make up her own mind.
Fuck, I’m an idiot sometimes.
And Korra knew that she was treating her brilliant girlfriend like she was not smart enough to make up her own mind.
Such an idiot.
Green eyes startled her as she turned down the hallway to Asami’s room.
“Korra!” Asami exclaimed as she leaned in for a kiss. She tasted of everything good in the world, Korra thought. “Is it supper time? I heard rumours of noodles!” she finished with a smile.
“Uh, yes!” Korra answered. “Noodles!” She stood stiff and stupid, like a recruit for her first inspection.
Asami looked at her. “Are you alright, Korra?”
“Yeah, um, totally!”
Asami cocked her head, then shrugged. “If you say so.” She started moving towards the family dining room, then turned back. “You coming?”
Korra stood there, and she knew that she was the biggest idiot ever. There was nothing about her that deserved the woman standing in front of her.
She was an unemployed ex-soldier. She was the Avatar in a world that would take the Avatar apart to see how she ticked, and then not bother to put her back together again. She had nightmares almost every night from the things she had seen. She was not book smart.
More than one person had said she was not smart at all.
She loves me, a voice whispered. Her own voice.
Appreciate that love. Treasure it. Work every day to be worthy of it.
“Korra?” Asami asked.
Never let it go.
Korra sank to her knees, and pulled the necklace she had made out of her pocket.
“Marry me?” were the only words she could force herself to say.
Asami smiled, and a tear formed in her eye.
“Yes,” Asami answered. “A million times yes.”
Korra sighed, then made a sound that was almost like a hiccup, but was actually a sob. “You said yes.”
Asami stepped close, and pulled Korra into a hug, with Korra’s head pressed into Asami’s stomach.
“Of course I said yes, silly,” Asami said. “I would have asked you already, but I listened to your dad’s advice, and waited for you to make your move.”
“You...” Korra paused, “my dad...”
“I’ve been talking to him for advice for years,” Asami said. “Seriously, you should listen to him more. He gives great advice!”
“I’m going to kill him,” Korra exclaimed.
Then she laughed.
-------
Elsewhere...
“You think this is bad?” the commander of their little submarine said. “If you think it takes a long time to get down, you should see how long it takes to get back up.”
“Why?” the head scientist asked bluntly.
“Come back up too fast,” the captain answered, “and you get the bends. You do not want that to happen, believe you me.”
“The bends,” the scientist repeated. “Decompression sickness caused by dissolved gases emerging from solution as bubbles inside body tissues.” He stared at the captain. “Inside a submarine.”
“Well, you wouldn’t want to get it!” the captain replied defensively.
The scientist snorted. “No, I cannot imagine that I would,” he replied, going back to staring out of the small view screen. “Let me know when we near the bottom.”
He watched the view screen, but so far there had not been anything to see. The water was cold, this far south, but at this depth, it was cold, no matter what your latitude.
“There’s the Sulaco,” the captain said suddenly, as he attempted to pretend that his previous attempt to scare the scientist had never happened.
“Good,” the scientist said. He was more than willing to let the attempted joke fade away. He had far more important things to concentrate on than a sailor’s feeble attempt at hazing. “Very good. Circle around.”
It took time, to circle around, but they were nowhere near at the end of their oxygen, so that was no issue. The Sulaco had settled on its side.
There was no structural damage on the top of the ship, or the side that they could see, with the other side settled in the mud. The bottom of the ship, however, was a different story.
“I think it is pretty obvious what sank her,” the captain said, as they both stared at the view screen.
“Indeed,” the scientist agreed.
There was a large hole in the bottom of the ship, made by what there was no way to tell at the present moment.
The scientist smiled.
Just because there was no way to tell, did not mean that he did not know. He knew exactly what had sank the Sulaco.
“Look for exoskeleton,” he ordered. “Something big.”
“Exoskeleton?” the captain asked. “What’s that?”
The scientist smiled. “You’ll know it when you see it.”
There was a small part of the scientist that was sad for the loss of his sister and his aunt. There was another part of him that was angry over the loss of the woman who he had hoped would become more to him than just his mother’s ward.
But the biggest part of the scientist was excited. All of the sacrifices, no matter how painful they were, would be worth it, should he be successful.
He knew that he would be. It was only a matter of time.
When the submarine finally came across the corpse of the alien queen, the scientist barely even acknowledged the accomplishment. He had known it would happen, sooner or later.
His success was inevitable.