Aspirations for Peace

**"Aspirations for Peace"** is the thirty-third episode of *The Legend of Korra: the Darkest Hours*. Following chronologically the previous episode, "Heroes on Both Sides", the episode follows Opal Beifong as she, with the help of Kuvira, Terrin Magicar, Onahondra Farr and Queen Cricket as they and their allies attempt to prevent the International Senate from passing a bill to increase the number of soldiers on the front lines, knowing this act with both bankrupt the United Alliance and increase hostilities between them and the Empire of Night.

## Synopsis

Peace shattered! Once-promising negotiations between the Alliance and the Dark Ones are now in shambles following a Imperial suicide bombing on the Republic City power grid. As fear and anger prevail, the Senate overwhelmingly passes a bill to deregulate the banks, opening a gateway to additional troops, and an increase in fighting between the forces of the Dragon Lord, under the command of Darkness, and the United Alliance of Magical Races!

## Summary

The suicide attack carried out by Dark Ones has dramatically swung the Senate towards continuing the war and funding the mass recruitment of more soldiers, despite the protests of some, like Cricket, Queen of the HiveWings and SilkWings, and Terrin Magicar, a representative of the Free Civilians, both of whom are shouted down by their colleagues who, still recovering from the attack, have allowed their fear to become anger, with Edcel Bar Gane and Zinn Paulness both voicing their outrage for how the Empire of Night, despite it's parliament's offer of peace takes, have seemingly launched an attack. Representing her home of Zaofu, Opal Beifing desperately breaks in to remind the United Alliance of Magical Races that the olive branch of peace had originally been proposed by their enemies, only for Gane to retort that this only highlighted the falsehood of the negotiations. Halle Bonteri, meanwhile, who represents Kamino, enters the conversation then to propose the purchase of new additions to the United Alliance's military, but Terrin Magicar then takes the floor, bluntly inquiring as to how the coalition of nations, which is already in heavy debt, is supposed to pay for such reinforcements, in response to which Kaminoan introduces a bill her people were drafting to amass funds from the Banking Clan that would further bankrupt the Senate, something Opal attempts to use a she continued to try and reason, attempting to convince her fellow senators that not all Dark Ones are warmongers, but this turns the general mood against her when Senator Duchi suggests from her words that she maintains ties of friendship with members of the Imperial Parliament, thus causing some to furiously question Beifong's allegiance. In addition and to make matters even worse Princess Darkness suddenly contacts the Senate over hologram and declares furiously that the United Alliance forces have carried out a devastating attack on Dark Ones territory, killing in the process many innocent civilians, including Mina Bonteri (though the Alliance contends that she was murdered by Darkness's agents for her peace efforts), to Opal's grief and the horror of Cricket and Onahondra Farr, who exchange stricken glances with Opal and Kuvira as Darkness officially withdraws the Empire of Night's peace proposal, further agitating the diplomats, who demand they maintain the appearance of strength.