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justanotherthrowaway1950 · 2 years

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Why It Made Sense for the Dai LI to Follow Azula

One of the major complaints that fans often have about ATLA is the fact that the Dai Li decided to follow Azula, a 14 year old girl whose only allies at the time where her two non-bending friends, when logically they should have either continued to stay loyal to Long Feng or try to ingrain themselves with Kuei while also staying loyal to their country.

But I think if we look past the surface facts and omniscient third person viewpoint that we, the viewers, have, the Dai Li definitely made the right decision to betray their country, their king, and Long Feng in favor of Azula.

For what probably happened was that the Dai Li had long realized that it was a matter of time before the Fire Nation took over Ba Sing Se considering it got breached three times in less than five years: Iroh’s siege, The Drill, and the Dangerous Ladies pretending to be the Kyoshi Warriors.

Not to mention Sozin’s Comet was coming, and so it was likely Ozai, who is just as cruel and evil as Sozin, would have used it to burn down the largest remaining resisting nation.

And combined with the fact that Kuei, with the support of the Gaang, had just started to take back power, they had five options: (1) continue to support Long Feng and attempt to put him on the throne; (2) support the Gaang’s invasion plan before either getting stripped of their power or facing jail time for their crimes; (3) support the Gaang’s invasion plan, and, in the event that the Gaang’s plan fails, watch the Earth Kingdom get burned to the ground by the Fire Nation while they probably get tortured for going against the Fire Princess at a key moment; (4) attempt to jail the Dangerous Ladies and use them as hostages or brainwash them and have them infiltrate the Fire Nation; (5) or join Azula and get to keep power by virtue of being her right-hand goons.

In regards to option 1, even if they manage to eliminate Kuei and the Gaang, or at least make them accept Long Feng as ruler, which is a tall task considering the Gaang’s revulsion towards the Dai Li’s mass mind rape campaign, their combat prowess, and the fact that Long Feng murdered Jet in front of them, Long Feng has no legitimacy, nor will he ever be able to gain it.

For Long Feng is heavily implied to have come from a commoner’s bloodline, and thus can’t appeal to tradition, or the mandate of heaven/the divine right to rule, like Kuei and Azula can, no one outside of the Dai Li or Ba Sing Se’s insular elite knows him, and he lacks popular support due to his relative anonymity, something that will get compounded once his crimes become public knowledge thanks to the Gaang if the Dai Li don’t manage to kill all of them quickly.

Thus, the Earth Kingdom is liable to break out into civil war, and thus become easy pickings for the Fire Nation, with all of them getting tortured for going against the Fire Princess in a key moment.

For even though the circumstances were different, the moment the Earth Queen Hou-Ting was assassinated by the Red Lotus, the Earth Kingdom devolved into a state of anarchy that only ended when Kuvira and her men forcibly brought the warlords and roving bands violently to heel while also using their advanced technology and wealth of resources to provide aid to struggling Earth Kingdomers, thereby gaining their support.

And clearly, Long Feng and Dai Li are incapable of replicating Kuvira’s cult of personality and don’t have access to advanced technology or the resources necessary to bring everyone in the Earth Kingdom under their heel, peacefully or violently.

For if they could, wouldn’t they have already installed Long Feng on the throne and won the Hundred Year War already?

In regards to option 2, even if they rejected both Long Feng and Azula and helped the Gaang successful implement Sokka’s invasion plan, therefore bringing the Hundred Year War to a relatively peaceful end, do you really think that they thought that they would have been able to keep operating as the nigh-all-powerful spy network that they had become under Long Feng and/or that they would have not faced punishment for their myriad of vile crimes?

Or do you think they thought that even if they helped the invasion plan go through smoothly they would have been stripped of their power and/or severely punished?

Especially since Kuei had expressed anger for essentially being lied to his entire life by the Dai Li, and the fact that the Gaang has a reputation of being literal social justice warriors?

(Any spy network worth their salt would have found out about the Gaang’s adventures and good deeds.)

In regards to option 3, even though Sokka’s plan seemed fool-proof, there was always the chance that it could fail.

For even if they managed to get to the palace unimpeded, what is not to say that Ozai wouldn’t have used one of his numerous hidden tunnels/rooms/passages to hide until his firebending returned, or that one of guards in Caldera City after seeing the invasion force wouldn’t have been able to send a messenger hawk to Ozai that would reach him well before the invasion force did (did you see how fast those guards who saw Aang and his arrows during The Beach were able to send a messenger hawk, and how fast said hawk was traveling?), and thus prompt him to hide till his bending returned?

(Any component spy network would realize that any well designed palace would have numerous, quickly accessible hiding spots only known to the royals living in it in the case that the royals needed to hide from any domestic or foreign attackers.)

For I know this is years later, but despite having fully realized Aang and Toph at various times at the palace, there are still numerous hidden tunnels, rooms, and passages that Zuko and his guards are not aware of, with the only real plausible explanations, in my opinion, being that they didn’t think to use their seismic senses to map out the passages and tunnels because they forgot, or because they are unable to.

Therefore, if Aang and Toph behave like the older canon counterparts do, and the Dai Li have no evidence to support the idea that Aang and Toph would not make mistakes in the heat of battle when they have to choose who to follow, it is very easy to see the invasion force not being able to find Ozai before the eclipse ends, and thus they all get slaughtered unless Aang has mastered the Avatar State by that point.

For Ozai is likely able to kill Aang before his reflexive Avatar State kicks in thanks to his quick charge lightning.

Not to mention the Dai Li, at the moment they had to choose between Long Feng, Azula, and Kuei, had no idea that Aang could master the Avatar State like that.

And before someone tries to argue that the invasion force in this timeline would be a lot bigger, and thus it would be impossible for the force to lose once they get inside the palace, I don’t think that would be the case considering the Earth Kingdom has such poor logistics that, despite their larger amount of resources and people, they were losing to an increasingly overspread invading force.

Also, if the invasion force was large enough, the Fire Nation would have seen the suspect naval movements, and therefore would have likely beefed up their security to the point that it would have been hard to send in large amounts of troops to Caldera City, even with their secret weapon, the submarines, being unknown to the Fire Nation.

Not to mention they would not have enough waterbenders to pilot enough submarines to carry all the troops considering the small size of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, and the fact that Sokka did not think his father would be able to convince the Northern Water Tribe to help in the canon timeline, despite Sokka’s invasion plan being the best shot pre-Sozin’s Comet at ending the war .

(The above has to be the explanation of why Sokka didn’t ask for any Northern Water Tribe waterbenders to help the invasion, or else why would Sokka half-ass what is the most important thing he will ever do in his life as far as he knows?)

Thus, either they die in the failed invasion, or, if they live and/or where back home, they can do nothing as the Fire Nation probably uses Sozin Comet to end the war while also retaliating against the Earth Kingdom for supporting the invasion.

And in the very small likelihood they survive all of that, they probably end up getting tortured (ex. being sent to the Boiling Rock) for daring to go against the Fire Nation when they, in the form of its Princess, offered the Dai Li a chance to peacefully join them and their goal of spreading “propensity”.

And before anyone says torture is not Ozai or Azula’s style, Ozai disfigured his own son and had a policy of putting enemy POWs in Fire Nation armor while having them fight in the front lines.

Meanwhile, while this does take place after the coup, Azula made it a point in Suki Alone to taunt Suki about the conditions she would face in the Boiling Rock in an effort to break her. And it would not be crazy to assume that Suki was not the first person Azula personally sent to prison to break considering the active and trusted role Azula had in her father’s regime.

(I personally don’t think Azula's mission to capture Zuko and Iroh was the first time her father trusted her with an important task related to ruling, but that is not the focus of this post).

So the Dai Li would not be wrong in assuming that Ozai and/or Azula would be willing to torture them if they defied the Fire Nation and got their hands on the Dai Li afterwards.

In regards to option 4, while it would be more politically expedient to take down the Dangerous Ladies and use them, especially Princess Azula, as a bargaining chip to sue for peace against the Fire Nation, or brainwash them and turn them into sleeper agents, that only works if you can capture them in the first place.

And that is not really possible considering how Mai and Ty Lee are platoon busters (ex. how easily they took out Terra Team) and Azula is implied to be vastly above the two in terms of combat prowess, meaning that any attempt to capture the Dangerous Ladies would end poorly for the Dai Li.

Also, even in the very unlikely event that they managed to capture the Dangerous Ladies, what would make the Dai Li think that Ozai would care, or, if they brainwashed them and sent them to Fire Nation, he would not kill them all for failing him?

For any component spy network would have found out that Ozai burned and disinherited his loyal son because of Zuko’s “weakness”, or that Ozai has a history of banishing those who fail him (ex. Vachir), so why would Ozai act any differently towards the Dangerous Ladies considering in this timeline they failed to capture Zuko, Iroh, or any Gaang member on top of their failure to protect The Drill, and then ghosting him for a long time due to being mind raped by the Dai Li?

“But what about the Gaang? Or Zuko? Weren’t they able to fight the Dangerous Ladies to a standstill at various times during Season 2?”

Yeah, but doesn’t change my conclusion because Season 2 Gaang are casual platoon busters as well considering how easily they fought through the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace’s defenses, and how Aang was able to take out at least a dozen Fire Nation ships filled with soldiers despite only knowing air and waterbending during The Siege of The North. And in regards to Zuko, he was able to take on a group of professional soldiers almost entirely with just his swords despite starving during Zuko Alone, and yet he is vastly below Azula for most of S2.

And before someone tries to say that the Gaang or the Dangerous Ladies are not meant to be platoon busters, consider the facts that: Rebound!Mai was able to solo a New Ozai hideout with Tom Tom strapped on her back without getting any massive power increases or undergoing heavy training; Azula most likely killed or knocked out everyone in her asylum when she broke the Fire Warriors out; and the fact that Azula fodderized Mai in Smoke & Shadow despite Azula noticing that Mai’s knife throwing skills have gotten better.

So it seems pretty clear that the Dai Li would never been able to take the Dangerous Ladies, and even when Azula finds herself alone with the Dai Li, like when Long Feng tried to have her arrested, it is clear that Azula could have killed them all if came down it, something that must been painfully clear to the Dai Li.

“But Iroh surrendered during the climax of The Crossroads of Destiny.”

He clearly wasn’t exerting himself and probably did not want to kill Zuko, or even Azula (Iroh could have killed Azula several times beforehand but didn’t), since they would have probably fought him to the death as far as he knew. Hence, why he only fought to ensure that Katara got away with Aang’s body so Azula couldn’t double tap, and why he surrendered once that objective was achieved.

Besides, if he really wanted to fight, how come he didn’t use his advanced techniques like breathing fire or shooting quick charge lightning, both of which he used earlier during the day when he and Zuko were escaping from the Dai Li?

So that leaves us with option 5 being the only acceptable option to the Dai Li considering the circumstances and their knowledge at the time.

For the Dai Li is first and foremost a spy bureaucracy with no sense of honor, no fucks about their nation or fellow citizens, and a laser minded focus on keeping their privileges and power. And just before Azula’s coup, it looked like they were going to lose everything that mattered to them.

For a giant ass drill shows up a few days ago and almost penetrates their once thought to be impenetrable walls for the second time in five years; Omashu, one of the last remaining strongholds, is taken like less than a month ago with barely any resistance; and the Avatar not only exposed their mass mind raping campaign, but also is empowering their puppet ruler to actively cut off the strings for good.

Yet, when everything seems lost, not only is the Fire Princess out and about in their city, but also generously offers them to join her with no requirements other than helping her take over Ba Sing Se, and thus end the Hundred Year War with as little bloodshed as possible.

And while Azula’s offer might seem too good to be true, you have to put yourself in the Dai Li’s shoes and remember that the Dai Li are in on the big lie.

For they know about the war, about how the Fire Nation has taken over huge sections of the Earth Kingdom, and how it is only a matter of time before the Fire Nation takes over Ba Sing Se if they don’t use Sozin’s Comet to burn it to the ground in a show of force.

Thus, if the predominant, genocidal superpower of world says that they can avoid getting the shit kicked out of them like literally everyone else in their country, you can see why the Dai Li think it is a no brainer to take the offer.

Especially when by swearing allegiance to the heir, or future puppet master depending if Zuko ever “redeemed” himself, of the most powerful royal family on the planet with an established cult legitimizing their rule (ex. Azula’s “divine right to rule” comment, or how the Fire Nation indoctrinates it citizens, especially young kids, to view the Fire Lord as an infallible figure), they not only get more power over Ba Sing Se due to becoming Princess Azula’s right-hand henchmen, which becomes true since while Azula appoints a Joo Dee to be Supreme Bureaucratic Administrator of Ba Sing Se, the Dai Li control the Joo Dees, but also don’t have to deal with any pesky legitimacy issues that would arise if they tried to assert power directly, or by backing Long Feng.

Thus, the Dai Li made the best decision in regards to their self interest that they could have.

In fact, the only reason why it didn’t completely work out in their favor in the long run was because they probably didn’t expect there to be such strong resistance even after Ba Sing Se fell and Aang was presumed to be dead, or that Azula and Ozai would be so cracked as to genocide their own lands despite the massive loss of life and environmental damage that would ensure.

And of course, no one could have predicted Azula’s Sozin’s Comet meltdown, or the events leading up to it, that ended with them being banished from the Fire Nation.

For example, could anyone other than Iroh predict Zuko turning traitor, or that Mai and Ty Lee would commit high treason in such a fashion that it triggered the onset of Azula’s childhood schizo-??? disorder?

So to sum up, if we take a moment to analyze the situation from the Dai Li’s POV when Long Feng commanded them to arrest Azula, it is easy to understand why they chose Azula since it was the only way they could remain in control of Ba Sing Se.

For if you think about it, the only thing the Dai Li care about is control and power.

And who better to give it to them than Princess Azula, the personification of the Dai Li’s ideals as far as they know?

#azula #zuko #mai #ty lee #the gaang #dangerous ladies #ozai #iroh #long feng #dai li #fire nation royal family #earth kingdom #fire nation #dai li meta #fire nation royal family meta #earth kingdom meta #fire nation meta #justanotherthrowaway1950meta

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asocial-inkblot · 2 years

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Why It Made Sense for the Dai LI to Follow Azula

For what probably happened was that the Dai Li had long realized that it was a matter of time before the Fire Nation took over Ba Sing Se considering it got breached three times in less than five years (Iroh's siege, The Drill, and The Dangerous Ladies pretending to be the Kyoshi Warriors).

Not to mention Sozin's Comet was coming and so it was likely Ozai, who is just as cruel and evil as Sozin, would have used it to burn down the largest remaining resisting nation.

And combined with the fact that Kuei, with the support of The Gaang, had just started to take back power they had five options: (1) continue to support Long Feng & attempt to put him on the throne; (2) support The Gaang’s invasion plan before either being stripped of their power or facing jail time for their crimes; (3) support The Gaang’s invasion plan, and, in the event that The Gaang’s plan fails, watch the Earth Kingdom burned to the ground by the Fire Nation while they probably get tortured for going against The Fire Princess at a key moment; (4) attempt to jail The Dangerous Ladies & use them as hostages or brainwash them and have them infiltrate The Fire Nation; (5) or join Azula and get to keep power by virtue of being her right-hand goons.

In regards to option 1, even if they manage to eliminate Kuei and The Gaang, or at least make them accept Long Feng as ruler, which is a tall task considering The Gaang's revulsion towards the Dai Li’s mass mind rape campaign, their combat prowess, & the fact that Long Feng murdered Jet in front of them, Long Feng has no legitimacy, nor will he ever be able to gain it.

For Long Feng is heavily implied to have come from a commoner’s bloodline (and thus can’t appeal to tradition or the mandate of heaven/the divine right to rule like Kuei & Azula can), no one outside of the Dai Li or Ba Sing Se’s insular elite knows him, and he lacks popular support due to his relative anonymity, something that will get compounded once his crimes become public knowledge thanks to The Gaang if the Dai Li don’t manage to kill all of them quickly.

Thus, the Earth Kingdom is liable to break out into civil war and be easy pickings for the Fire Nation, where they will be tortured for going against the Fire Princess in a key moment.

For even though the circumstances were different, the moment the Earth Queen Hou-Ting was assassinated by The Red Lotus, the Earth Kingdom devolved into a state of anarchy that was only ended when Kuvira & her men forcibly brought the warlords and roving bands violently to heel while using their advanced technology & wealth of resources to provide aid to struggling Earth Kingdomers & gain their support.

And clearly, Long Feng & Dai Li are incapable of replicating Kuvira’s cult of personality and don’t have access to advanced technology or the resources necessary to bring everyone in the Earth Kingdom under their heel, peacefully or violently.

For if they could, wouldn’t they have already installed Long Feng on the throne and won the 100 year war already?

In regards to option 2, even if they rejected both Long Feng & Azula and helped The Gaang successful implement Sokka’s invasion plan, bringing the 100 year war to a relatively peaceful end, do you really think that they thought that they would have been able to keep operating as the nigh all powerful spy network that they had become under Long Feng and/or that they would have not faced punishment for their myriad of vile crimes?

Or do you think they thought that even if they helped the invasion plan go through smoothly they would have been stripped of their power and/or severely punished?

Especially since Kuei had expressed anger for essentially being lied to his entire life by the Dai Li and the fact that The Gaang has a reputation of being literal social justice warriors (any spy network worth their salt would have found out about The Gaang’s adventures and good deeds)?

In regards to option 3, even though Sokka’s plan seemed fool-proof, there was always the chance that it could fail.

For even if they managed to get to the palace unimpeded, what is not to say that Ozai wouldn’t have used one of his numerous hidden tunnels/rooms/passages to hide until his firebending returned or that one of guards in Caldera City after seeing the invasion force wouldn’t have been able to send a messenger hawk to Ozai that would reach him well before the invasion force (did you see how fast those guards who saw Aang & his arrows during The Beach were able to send a message hawk & how fast it was traveling?) & prompt him to hide till his bending returned?

(Sidenote: Any component spy network would realize that any well designed palace would have numerous quickly accessible hiding spots only known to the royals living in it in the case the royals needed to hide from any domestic or foreign attackers.)

For I know this is years later, but despite having fully realized Aang & Toph at various times at the palace, there are still numerous hidden tunnels, rooms, and passages that Zuko & his guards are not aware of, with the only real plausible explanations, in my opinion, being that they didn’t think to use their seismic senses to map out the passages and tunnels because they forgot or because they are unable to.

Therefore, if Aang & Toph behave like the older canon counterparts do (and the Dai Li have no evidence to support the idea Aang & Toph would not make mistakes in the heat of battle when they have to choose who to follow), it is very easy to see the invasion force not being able to find Ozai before the eclipse ends and thus they all get slaughtered unless Aang has mastered the Avatar State by this point.

For Ozai is likely able to kill Aang before his reflexive Avatar State kicks in thanks to his quick charge lighting.

Not to mention the Dai Li, at the moment they had to choose between Long Feng, Azula, & Kuei, had no idea that Aang could master the state like that.

And before someone tries to argue that the invasion force in this timeline would be a lot bigger, and thus it would be impossible for the force to lose once they get inside the palace, I don’t think that would be the case considering the Earth Kingdom has such poor logistics that despite their larger amount of resources & people, they were losing to an increasingly overspread invading force.

Also, if the invasion force was large enough, the Fire Nation would have seen the suspect naval movements and would have likely beefed up their security to the point that it would have been hard to send in large amounts of troops to Caldera City even with their secret weapon, the submarines.

Not to mention they would not have enough waterbenders to pilot enough submarines to carry all the troops considering the small size of the Swamp Tribe and the fact that Sokka did not think his father would be able to convince the Northern Water Tribe to help in the canon timeline despite Sokka’s invasion plan being the best shot pre-Sozin’s Comet at ending the war .

(Sidenote: The above has to be the explanation of why Sokka didn’t ask for any Northern Water Tribe waterbenders to help the invasion or else why would Sokka half-ass what is the most important thing he will ever do in his life as far as he knows?)

Thus, either they die in the failed invasion or, if they live and/or where back home, they can do nothing as the Fire Nation probably uses Sozin Comet to end the war while retaliating against the Earth Kingdom for supporting the invasion.

And in the very small likelihood they survive all that, they probably end up being tortured (ex. being sent to the Boiling Rock) for daring to go against the Fire Nation when they, in the form of its Princess, offered you a chance to peacefully join them and their goal of spreading “propensity.”

And before anyone says torture is not Ozai or Azula’s style, Ozai disfigured his own son & had a policy of putting enemy POWs in Fire Nation armor while having them fight in the front line.

Meanwhile, while this does take place after the coup, Azula made it a point in Suki Alone to taunt Suki about the conditions Suki would face in The Boiling Rock in an effort to break her. And it would not be crazy to assume that Suki was not the first person Azula personally sent to prison to break, considering the active and trusted role Azula played in her father's regime.

(Sidenote: I personally don’t think her mission to capture Zuko & Iroh was the first time her father trusted her with an important task related to ruling but that is not the focus of this post).

So the Dai Li would not be wrong in assuming that Ozai and/or Azula would be willing to torture them if they defied The Fire Nation and the Fire Nation got their hands on The Dai Li.

In regards to option 4, while it would be more politically expedient to take down The Dangerous Ladies and use them, especially Princess Azula, as a bargaining chip to sue for peace against the fire nation, or if not brainwash them and make them into sleeper agents on the inside, that only works if you can capture them in the first place.

And that is not really possible considering how Mai & Ty Lee are platoon busters (ex. how easily they took out Terra Team) and Azula is implied to be vastly above the two in terms of combat prowess, meaning that any attempt to capture The Dangerous Ladies would end poorly for the Dai Li.

Also, even in the very unlikely event that they managed to capture The Dangerous Ladies, what would make the Dai Li think that Ozai would care, or, if they brainwashed them and sent them, he would not have killed them all for failing him?

For any component spy network would have found out that Ozai burned and disinherited his loyal son because of Zuko’s “weakness” or that Ozai has a history of banishing those who fail him (ex. Vachir), so why would Ozai act any differently towards The Dangerous Ladies considering in this timeline they failed to capture Zuko, Iroh, or any Gaang member on top of their failure to protect The Drill and them ghosting him for a long time due to being mind raped by the Dai Li?

“But what about The Gaang? Or Zuko? Weren’t they able to fight The Dangerous Ladies to standstill at various times during Season 2?”

Yeah but doesn’t change my conclusion because Season 2 Gaang are casual platoon busters as well considering how easily they fought through the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace’s defenses & how Aang was able to take out at least a dozen Fire Nation ships filled with soldiers despite only knowing air & water-bending during The Siege of The North. And in regards to Zuko, he was able to take on a group of professional soldiers despite starving almost entirely with just his swords during Zuko Alone and yet he is vastly below Azula for most of S2.

And before someone tries to say that The Gaang or The Dangerous Ladies are not meant to be platoon busters, consider the facts that: Rebound!Mai was able to solo a New Ozai hideout with Tom Tom strapped on her back without getting any massive power increases or undergoing heavy training; Azula most likely killed or knocked out everyone in her asylum when she broke her Fire Warriors out; and the fact that Kemzula fodderized Mai in Smoke & Shadow despite Azula noticing that Mai’s knife throwing skills have gotten better.

So it seems pretty clear that the Dai Li would never been able to take The Dangerous Ladies and even when Azula finds herself alone with the Dai Li, like when Long Feng tried to have her arrested, it is clear that Azula could have killed them all if came down it, something that must been painfully clear to the Dai Li.

“But Iroh surrendered during the climax of The Crossroads of Destiny.”

He clearly wasn't exerting himself and probably did not want to kill Zuko or even Azula (Iroh could have killed Azula several times beforehand but didn’t) since they would have probably fought him to the death as far as he knew. Hence why he only fought to ensure that Katara got away with Aang’s body so Azula couldn’t double tap and surrendered once that objective was achieved.

Besides, if he really wanted to fight, how come he didn’t use his advanced techniques like breathing fire or shooting quick charge lighting, both of which he used earlier during the day while he and Zuko were escaping from the Dai Li?

So that leaves us with option 5 being the only acceptable option to The Dai Li considering the circumstances and their knowledge at the time.

For The Dai Li is first and foremost a spy bureaucracy with no sense of honor, no fucks about their nation or fellow citizens, and a laser minded focus on keeping their privileges and power. And just before Azula’s coup, it looked like they were going to lose everything that mattered to them.

For a giant ass drill shows up a few days ago and almost penetrates their once thought to be impenetrable walls for the second time in five years; Omashu, one of the last remaining strongholds, is taken like less than a month ago with barely any resistance; and The Avatar not only exposed their mass mind raping campaign, he is empowering their puppet ruler to actively cut off the strings for good.

Yet, when everything seems lost, not only is the Fire Princess out and about in their city, she generously offers them to join her with no requirements other than helping take over Ba Sing Se and thus end the 100 Year War with as little bloodshed as possible.

And while Azula’s offer might seem too good to be true, you have to put yourself in The Dai Li’s shoes and remember that the Dai Li are in on the big lie.

For they know about the war, about how the Fire Nation has taken over huge sections of the Earth Kingdom, and how it is only a matter of time before the Fire Nation does take over Ba Sing Se if they don’t use Sozin’s Comet to burn it to the ground in a show of force.

Thus, if the predominant, genocidal superpower of your world says the Dai Li can avoid getting the shit kicked out of them like literally everyone else in their country, you can see why the Dai Li think it is a no brainer to take the offer.

Especially when by swearing allegiance to the heir, or future puppet master depending if Zuko ever “redeemed” himself, of the most powerful royal family on the planet with an established cult legitimizing their rule (ex. Azula's "divine right to rule" comment or how The Fire Nation indoctrinates it citizens, especially young kids, to view The Fire Lord as an infallible figure), they not only get more power over Ba Sing Se due to becoming Princess Azula’s right-hand henchmen (which becomes true since while Azula appoints a Joo Dee to be Supreme Bureaucratic Administrator of Ba Sing Se, the Dai Li control the Joo Dees), but don’t have to deal with any pesky legitimacy issues that would arise if they tried to assert power directly or by backing Long Feng.

Thus, the Dai Li made the best decision in regards to their self interest that they could have.

In fact, the only reason why it didn’t completely work out in their favor in the long run was because they probably didn't expect there to be such strong resistance even after Ba Sing Se fell and Aang was presumed to be dead or that Azula & Ozai would be so cracked as to genocide their own lands despite the massive loss of life and environmental damage that would ensure.

And of course, no one could have predicted Azula's Sozin's Comet meltdown, or the events leading up to it (ex. Could anyone other than Iroh predict Zuko turning traitor or that Mai & Ty Lee would commit high treason in such a fashion that it triggered the onset of Azula’s childhood schizoaffective disorder?), that ended with them being banished from the Fire Nation.

For if you think about it, the only thing Dai Li cares for is control & power.

And who better to give it to them than Princess Azula, the personification of The Dai Li’s ideals as far as they know?

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Read and give your own input if you'd like. All I will say.

#submission #submissions to me #Azula #Dai Li #ATLA

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maroonmaiden · 3 years

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I don't just like my female characters hot and sexy, I like them strong.

Uraraka going toe to toe with Bakugou,

Toga running circles around heroes,

Stephanie Brown dishing out justice to goons,

Harley going batshit insane on her enemies,

Asami beating the shit outta benders,

Kuvira leading a fucking army, and yet fighting Korra one on one.

Like they are awesome. Not good or bad. Just awesome.

#bnha ochaco uraraka #mha himiko #female villains #asami sato #uraraka ochacho #kuvira #lok #legend of korra #stephanie brown #spoiler #batgirl #harley quinn #harleenqueenzel #strong female characters #female villans

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swan2swan · 4 years

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What are your full thoughts on Toph as a police chief as well as Lin by extension? If you don't mind the sudden ask...

You mean, like, in relation to that one Twitter thread that’s like “Why would Toph become a freaking cop when she’s been against institutional authority her whole life?”

Toph and Lin are idealized police officers. Their intentions are noble, they don’t use lethal force, and they practice restraint. Under their leadership, we only see them going after powerful figures--a teenage girl smashing up an entire street and rampaging through the city on an apex predator, a crime lord sitting down to lunch where he feels invincible, a corrupt weapons dealer...the Beifong police force doesn’t focus too much on petty criminals. Heck, an anti-bender propagandist is allowed to spew all the hateful rhetoric he wants to in the middle of a park.

The key is that both Lin and Toph are unshakably Good people. They’re rich enough to not need anything, but they also have no attachment to wealth or power so they don’t crave more of it. Note that as soon as Tarrlok takes control of the police, they start suppressing riots and protests with force and arresting teenagers en masse--because Tarrlok uses them as a weapon to oppress.

The metalbending police force, like all police forces, is a weapon that needs to be used responsibly--which is to say, like any weapon, it should not be used ever unless absolutely needed. Lin and Toph don’t flaunt their superpowers, and they understand how critical they are for everyday life, and they channel that fully into their work. Their lives as policewomen are simply extensions of their power, and they focus their efforts on trying to ensure that everyone lives in harmony.

Of course, we see that mob rule creeps into Republic City, and that different locations have their own personal henchmen and goons guarding their property--it’s possible that the reason why the police were exclusively metalbenders is because metalbenders were the only nigh-incorruptible members of the city’s security force: others were quickly manipulated and snapped up by mob bosses and Amon, but you can’t just drag someone into your gang if they’ve spent the past ten years learning from a one-of-a-kind teacher.

This is also why Zaofu was such a peaceful utopia: Suyin was a similarly unique teacher, but she focused on art and other efficient outlets for her students, as well as security. Of course, Kuvira was corrupted not by money or promises of power, but by her own ambitions and sense of justice.

Like many institutions, though, the metalbending corps will undoubtedly eventually suffer more schisms and corruption as the generations continue onward. The American police, obviously, were founded off of slave patrols and similarly oppressive organizations, so they’ve been rotten to the core from the start, but that’s just giving them a head start: one day there will be a metalbender who wants power, just like Kuvira, or a reject who joins a mob, or someone who thinks poor people should be oppressed...but that’s why the Avatar has learned metalbending. When that day comes, Korra will guide her successor to find balance, and the new Avatar will rise up against the police and break the organization apart.

...was this the point of the question? XD

#lok #Anonymous

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dominicknight · 6 years

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Moments

@threehoursfromtroy I hope your recovery is smooth! Enjoy! :D

The first time you saw Korra, she stood in a traditional Southern Water Tribe dress that fit her in all the right ways. You were elated to meet her because Mako talked about her so much, and this Gala was for her. She seemed less enthusiastic at the introduction, but you brushed it off. The world’s peace rested on her shoulders so you figured she must be adjusting to all this attention. You read somewhere that she spent time training in the South, so of course being in a big city would be a steep learning curve.

You hope to talk to her away from all this attention, someplace where she can be more herself. With all the time you’ve spent in the limelight, you imagine that she puts on a facade as much as you do. Then again, she’s sixteen to your eighteen so she’s still figuring things out, too.

The next time you see her, she’s pulling on a new pro-bending uniform with the Future Industries logo on it. You designed them, keeping in mind Korra’s physique from what you saw at the gala. It suits her, and from what you can tell, fits her better. You compliment her on her hat trick and make plans to attend every game you can to support your team, plus your boyfriend.

You never thought you’d be mad at Korra. She’s intense, and brash at times, but always seems to have the best intentions. But the instant she accuses your father of Equalist ties you’re quick to anger. The idea that your father is part of a devious plan to rid the city and the world of benders seems preposterous. Korra attempts her best to explain, but you don’t want to hear it.

She came into your house and spit on your family name. The last thing you want is for her to be right because why would she be? She doesn’t know that you watched your mom die, or the depression that your father sunk into that almost ruined the company the first time. You let Korra and Chief Beifong search the Sato Estate.

Your worst fears are confirmed.

And before you know it you’re facing your father. He wants you to join him and you can’t believe this is what your mother’s death has led to. You turn against him because he’s betrayed everything you’ve been taught. The electricity through the shock glove hums across your hand as you watch your father crumple to the ground.

You go back with every to Air Temple Island because being at the Sato Estate feels worse now because it’s only you wandering the halls covered in objects that hold little meaning other than decorations. The family lawyers are discussing with the Board of Directors what to do about Future Industries now that your father is in jail. They said they would keep in touch while decisions are made, so at least for now you can put some of that at the back of your mind. You make sure the workers are continuing to get paid because not all of them knew your father’s treachery.

This island becomes your new home with its minimalism and vegetarian diet. It’s only a place to rest your head for the night, and even then it’s not a restful sleep. You spend more time off of it with the rest of Team Avatar as vigilantes speeding around the city. It’s not the first time you’ve felt part of something bigger, but this feels more important than all the designing you did for the family business.

You assumed control of Future Industries a year ago, a wild ride that saw your company almost go under twice. Now things are improving, even if the Board seems less than pleased with a few of your mistakes. You need a drive so you find Korra and offer to teach her. She grinds the gears enough times before she gets the hang of things. You smile at her as she seems to get more comfortable behind the wheel.

It feels good to talk and clear the air about everything that happened between you two with Mako. She stares at you, and you wish you could enjoy this moment forever. You love the shade of blue of her eyes, reminding you of those glaciers you saw in the Southern Water Tribe. Something catches your eye and you both turn. Korra slams on the breaks and you’re thankful for the seatbelts or else you would have been thrown out.

The Spirit Vines have taken over whole sections of the city, ruining much of the transportation framework. You know Korra’s been struggling with her public image and people are starting to voice loud doubts they don’t need an Avatar anymore. As her friend, you assure Korra she’s more important to the world than these people realize.

You want to tell her so much more, but you steel your emotions as you head back to the Air Temple.

That island gets word that Airbenders are popping up all over the Earth Kingdom. You assemble a Future Industries airship for the occasion and the journey begins to help restore the Air Nation.

Everything happens so quick, that you’re still trying to piece it all together. You shift on the bed next to Korra where she stares at the ceiling. Her eyes are glassy and you wonder if she’s reliving the moments of the battle or if she’s waiting for exhaustion to take her so she can sleep.

You get up and start to get ready for work.

You have your own room on Air Temple Island, but you’ve taken up residence in Korra’s room. She doesn’t talk much, but you’ve filled the silence with work talk, and showing her designs. Sometimes you don’t even talk, you sit next to her and read. When she does fall asleep it’s short-lived, and you’re there for when she wakes from nightmares.

Senna has mentioned that Tonraq needs to return to the south and that Katara could work closely with Korra down there. A departure date has been set and the boat is being packed and refueled.

You do Korra’s hair every day and you always tell her you’d be willing to accompany her. She looks at you and tilts her head a bit.

“I’ll be okay. It won’t be long.” Her voice has returned over the last two weeks where she has felt comfortable to speak again. You wish you could hear it more, but you don’t want to push her too much.

“Just radio me and I’ll be down immediately. I always have an airship on standby.” You smile and put your hands on Korra’s shoulders. She returns the smile and you wish you could engrain that small gesture forever into your memory. It’s the same way you felt when you hugged Korra on the airship before she went to give herself up to the Red Lotus.

It hurts to see her go, but you’re hopeful that the time back home will lift her spirits.

You turn a page of a magazine in the small waiting area of Kwong’s. Korra called you. She called you after three years of silence, after one letter, after running away for whatever reason. But she’s back and she wants to see you. You embrace her when she walks in because you’ve wanted nothing more than to hug her full and hard to ensure she’s real, that she’s truly back in your life.

And there she is standing before you with a bob, fresh clothes, and a smile. She seems different, confident and more self-assured. You see this in the way she carries herself, how she finds Prince Wu’s location and fights off the Earth Kingdom goons with ease and then helps you all escape. Once the Prince is dropped off, you take Korra back to the island.

She heads off to a meditation spot and you catch up with Pema and Tenzin. You make Korra some tea and take it to her because the sun is setting and the ocean breeze is coming in.

She accepts the cup and sips it, smiling at you. “You remembered my favorite.”

You blush and wave it off. “How could I forget?”

Korra laments about how much trouble she’s caused the world as the Avatar. She sets her teacup down with only the tiny dregs of the leaves on the bottom. You watch her wind herself up and you put a hand on her shoulder.

“Those might all seem like mistakes, but you did more good than bad.” You counter all of her negatives with her accomplishments.

You want to keep going, telling her your feelings that you’ve bottled up since she left for the South, but again you stop yourself. There’s a time and a place for all things.

You felt the heat of the explosion wave, even from where you ducked into that stairwell. It reminded you of when your father taught you how to use a blowtorch, and the first time you saw Korra firebend. You were witness to her incredible power before. But there was something about this instance that struck you with fear.

The air cooled and you moved out of the stairwell, racing towards the epicenter. This was once a park surrounded by homes that got overgrown with spirit vines. And now its a crater with a spirit portal at the center. You start searching for Korra and Kuvira in the wreckage of the giant mech. They walk out of the portal when everyone confirmed that they couldn’t find them. You’re relieved to see Korra because you didn’t want to think about the whole in your life she would leave behind.

You hug her, and again, she’s real. This time though she has some scrapes and bruises, and she could use a shower. But then again, you all could after this battle.

You’ve been working on plans to rebuild the city around the new portal. It sucks that you have to do this again after you nearly finished the last restoration before all of this started. You went home for a few hours to get clean from walking the job sites and stopping by the refugee camp. There’s a wedding tonight and you want to look your best.

Korra is there to greet you when you step off the ferry onto the island. You smile and find seats by Mako and Prince Wu. The wedding is quite the shindig, but then again, it’s Varrick and he never does anything simple or quiet. You spend time dancing and mingling with people, glad to take this break to celebrate a couple that you’re so happy are finally together for the long haul.

After a quick glance around you notice that Korra isn’t anywhere. You excuse yourself and pass off your glass of champagne to a passing waiter. On the outskirts of the party, you see Korra talking with Tenzin. She looks like you could use a break, so you approach with a lie about Varrick and airbending suits. You snicker and take a seat with Korra when she asks you to join her.

You take in the colors of the portal and then watch their glow on Korra’s skin. She looks more content now with it being just the two of you. Her eyes finally turn and she catches you staring. She starts to apologize as if you need to clear the air like you did four years ago. But there’s something about this apology that is different.

You tell her you’re happy to have her in your life because really, she’s all you have left. Korra offers her condolences when your eyes well and you turn away at the thought that you’re all that remains of the Sato family. She slides her arms around you and spirits, you wish you could have this all the time. Her skin is warm over all the firm muscle. You’re sad when she pulls away, but you don’t show it as you both look at the spirit portal.

It doesn’t take long for you two to plan a vacation. It’s spur of the moment, but you both need to get away and a whimsical place like the spirit world seems like the best option.

“Sounds perfect.”

Those are the best words to hear and they ring in your ears as you approach the spirit portal. The back of your hand brushes Korra’s and you both blush. You reach over to take her hand as you take the final last steps into the glow together.

#korrasami #asami sato #korra #legend of korra #fanfic #Shannonigans

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industryalist · 2 years

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❛❛ — is this the day i teach you how to drive ? ❜❜ coming to a rolling stop at the light , hands adjusted the tie in her hair as she looked over korra’s way. not a year after the second earth empire fiasco , still so much to do — cleaning out the stragglers the old imperial territories , the equalists splinter cells , the triad turf wars , rebuilding all the infrastructure kuvira and her goons destroyed — and here she is on a sunday drive with the avatar. important to get away from all of that , she argued , one hand on the wheel and the other on korra’s leg. ❛❛ it’s up to you. there’s always dinner , or that turtleduck ride you owe me. ❜❜ fond gaze softens , and she jokingly prods the avatar’s ribs with a grin. ❛❛ orrrrrrrrrrrr . . . i have the shock glove in the back. we could go put all those hours in the gym to good use , not like there’s any shortage of little old ladies getting robbed right now. ❜❜

@wishwove

#INT: // wishwove.#INT: // KORRA.#wishwove

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heroineimages · 7 years

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Jedi AU, part 2

So I finally got myself to continue my Legend of Korra Jedi AU. I decided to cast Kuvira as the villainess of the story mostly because I like the idea of her as an Imperial officer. I think she’d rock that uniform really well. I brought the huntress June from A:tLA entirely because I liked the idea of her as a Star Wars bounty hunter. Be warned, there’s another major character death in the next section, but I’m pretty sure it’s a character no one cares about anyway. (Part 1 of the AU, Part 3)

Kuvira didn’t bother to hide her contempt for the man as she approached Governor Raiko on the pillared veranda outside his palace. The nearsighted moron grinned smugly as if truly believed he’d accomplished something worthwhile today. But then, this was the same Governor who changed the name of his capitol from Republic City to Imperial City after joining the Empire.

“Ah, Commander Kuvira,” the idiot greeted her, stepping out from his cluster of late-night hangers-on. “Welcome back to Imperial City. Though I’m sorry your trip turned out to be a waste. As I’m sure you’ve learned by now, you’ve arrived too late to—”

“Forestall your incompetence?” she cut him off, clasping her hands at the small of her back and glaring impassively. The six Stormtroopers around her kept their blasters ready. “Yes, I am also sorry my trip was a waste. Had I known you were going to intervene, I might have arrived in time to prevent the escape of an entire city of traitors; prevent the destruction of five all-terrain scout transports, four speeder bikes, one Chariot Light Assault Vehicle, and a TIE fighter; and save the lives of twenty-eight Stormtroopers, fourteen vehicle crewmembers, eight scouts, and forty-three regular army soldiers. None of these deaths do I take lightly, nor the destruction of Imperial equipment, nor the escape of traitors to the Empire.” She maintained her steely expression in part to hide her satisfaction over Raiko’s alarmed grimace.

“You say all of this as though my soldiers failed to complete their primary objective,” Raiko argued, crossing his arms. “I assure you, Commander, that both of the Jedi fugitives were exterminated, as were any who attempted to protect them. Adopting an accusatory tone to deflect the fact that I did your job for you seems like such a childish tactic for an Imperial Commander.”

“If you had, in fact, done my job for me, I might agree,” Kuvira said, her expression not changing. “For some reason, however, you assumed that my primary objective was my only objective. I also had orders to punish the traitors of Zaofu and investigate the city for possible ties to the Rebellion. Thanks to your incompetence, neither of these objectives are attainable.”

“And how was I supposed to know—” Raiko started to object.

“You weren’t supposed to know,” Kuvira cut him off again. “That’s the whole point. Your only instructions were to stay out of my way. In effort to ‘do my job for me,’ you sent in a hastily-prepared force consisting mostly of inexperienced garrison troops against two powerful Jedi and three dozen well-equipped, well-trained security forces. You attacked the city from one direction only, allowing plenty of avenues for the citizens to escape and allowing the defenders to better coordinate their resistance. Your soldiers were only successful because of numerical advantage and that the Jedi seemed content to sacrifice themselves nobly to save others. And you failed to follow the standard procedure of leaving sensors and spotters to watch the city in case any of the Jedi’s allies return. Because of this, we have no idea the identity of the assault shuttle our sentry ships saw leaving the battle site a half-hour ago, nor what they might have found at the site.”

Raiko paled with every sentence. “I apologize, Commander. I won’t make the same mistakes again.”

Kuvira tilted her head, regarding him coolly but letting her expression soften somewhat. “On that, at least, we can agree,” she acknowledged. With that, she drew her sidearm and shot him through the chest.

Raiko’s body pitched backward and collapsed to the durasteel floor, dead and no longer a problem. The various bootlickers and hangers-on present shrieked and huddled together as her Stormtroopers raised their blasters.

Kuvira surveyed the cluster of useless filth. “Spare that one,” she ordered, pointing to an older, grey-haired functionary who looked reasonably competent.

She looked on, pitiless, as her guards gunned down the remainder of Raiko’s entourage. The nobles or whoever they were screamed as blaster bolts tore into heads and chests. Several tried to flee, only to die running and terrified.

“You,” she ordered the skinny, grey-haired man who she’d spared. The man cowered behind a column next to the wall. “My flagship leaves in eighteen standard hours. You have until then to compile a list of six-to-ten effective candidates for replacement governor, as well as full information on each. At that point I’ll make a decision about your continued survival.”

“Y–yes, Commander Kuvira,” the man whimpered in a squeaky voice.

Kuvira turned and strode away without acknowledging.

“What do you have for me, June?” Kuvira asked as she neared the blasted-out remains of Zaofu’s northwest shield generator. “Find anything interesting?”

“Quite a bit,” June admitted, gesturing her to follow. Scouts and scanning crews sifted about the rubble as the morning sun started its ascent.

An ex-bounty hunter, June wore custom, matte-black scout/commando armor with built-in com/scanning gear and a HUD eyepiece over her right eye. For weapons, she carried a sniper-rifle, two holdout pistols, and a telescoping electrostaff. All of it was custom equipment, and she knew how to use it supremely well.

NY-L4, June’s innocuous-looking spherical probedroid, floated by not far off, scanning the wreckage. Equipped with multiple optics and sensor arrays, the droid also housed tranq darts, tasers, a stun-blaster, and assorted other nonlethal apprehension weapons.

Though an excellent huntress, June had run afoul of one of the local Hutt crime bosses a few years back. Seizing the opportunity, Kuvira offered her Imperial protection and high-end consultant wages in exchange for work as a scout, tracker, and commando. It so far had been a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“As I mentioned in my initial flyby report, the defenders managed to confine the battle to the city’s northwest quadrant,” June continued, gesturing to the nearby cityscape. “Of the two Jedi, we’re pretty sure the Master fell first, about four streets over,” she explained, pointing to the east-by-southeast. “Big tangle of a scrum, with a downed walker in the middle of it. The apprentice, or whatever you call her, apparently went rancor-shit when her master fell, and actually pushed back Reiko’s taskforce. She rallied the defenders and made a hell of a mess, including throwing a broken-off communications spire through a TIE Fighter’s cockpit.” She gestured to a crumpled solar panel visible further down the road.

“So she was fairly strong with this ‘Force’ of theirs?” Kuvira asked, impressed with the Padawan’s prowess. “Though those Red Lotus goons we interrogated implied as much.”

“I’m afraid ‘was’ might be the wrong verb tense, boss,” June shook her head, pointing to where a lifting droid held up a section of the shield generator’s wall. “Remember that gloat-laden holo-footage Raiko sent us, where his grenadiers managed to blast a wall over on the Padawan? There’s the wall, but there’s no Padawan under it.”

“And I suppose it’s too much to hope that someone simply moved the body, given that none of the other bodies have been moved, or even looted,” Kuvira grimaced, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger.

“Oh, no, it gets even better,” June snorted, crouching near where the lifting droid held up the broken wall. “We’ve got two sets of tracks leading to and from where the Padawan fell—that’s two people ducking, not crawling, under the rubble to retrieve the body. But at the same time, it took a heavy-lifting droid for us to pick up the wall. And yet, there’re no droid tracks where someone might have used one to lift the broken wall.”

“So unless our Jedi was somehow in good enough shape to pick a wall up off herself, but not good enough to walk out under her own power, she not only had help, she had Force-sensitive help,” Kuvira said, feeling her scowl deepen. “And thanks to Raiko’s ineptitude, we’ve no idea who rescued her or where she’s gone now. I’m suddenly wishing I’d shot him in the gut first instead of the chest.”

“Nice,” June smirked. “I kinda wish I’d been there to see that.”

“What did you find out about the escaped citizens?” Kuvira asked as they stood.

“They fled into the mines. I sent a couple probe droids down after them, but they collapsed the tunnels behind them—which was to be expected.”

“I don’t suppose we have any sensor equipment that will read deep enough?” Kuvira asked.

“Not on hand, no,” June shook her head. “There’re probably sensor arrays that we can ‘borrow’ from one of the local companies, but that could take as much as a day to get here. And I can’t say I’m in the mood to lead a force into a maze of tunnels being defended by desperate colonists protecting their families, thanks.”

“And that’s assuming they’re even still around,” Kuvira agreed. “I’m more interested in where they might come out. If they collapsed the tunnels behind them, there will be other ways out. Take your team and scout out any possible alternate exits in the surrounding mountains and canyons. Don’t engage, but follow them as best you can, eavesdrop on their communications, see if you can find out where they’re going. Even if they don’t know where the Padawan went, maybe we can use them as bait to catch her, or something.”

June crossed her arms and eyed Kuvira for a long moment. “I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you say ‘or something,’ boss,” she admitted.

Kuvira grimaced and rubbed the bridge of her nose again. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “Thanks to Raiko, this whole operation is so shot to hell that I’m scrambling to salvage something positive out of it.”

“I’ll keep in touch, don’t worry,” June assured her.

Kuvira glanced at her chrono. “I can keep the Dark Templar here another sixteen hours, so call me if you need backup. After that you and your team are on your own.”

“Just how I like it,” June smirked.

#my writing #my stories #fan fiction #The Legend of Korra #Star Wars AU #Kuvira #June #President Raiko #Korra AUs

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