Gilak

"water"

- For the South to grow strong again, all foreign presence must be eradicated, especially the North.

Gilak is a Southern Water Tribe warrior who traveled with Hakoda to fight the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War.

History
During the Hundred Year War, Gilak fought under Hakoda's command against the Fire Nation and came to greatly respect the then de facto chief of the South. Having become aware of the structures of power that exist in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, Gilak deemed the lack thereof as the reason for why the Southern Water Tribe fell so easily to the latter. Upon his return home after the war, he was informed that Hakoda was to be made head chief of the Southern Water Tribe as a whole, much to his delight.

Katara and Sokka met Gilak after chasing down the two thieves of Maliq's briefcase of documents, running into a group of Southerners hidden in a cave under the shipwreck. Gilak quickly explained to the siblings that he already knew of them and that he considered both them and Hakoda himself to be heroes. He also showed them what he referred to as "a gathering of patriots", which were all people who felt like the presence of Northerners in the Southern Water Tribe was unwanted. Katara protested Becoming overly zealous in trying to convince Sokka and Katara to join their initiative, Gilak went as far as to put a knife to Sokka's throat in order to make them stay and keep the group's secrecy from the chief. However, he was quickly overpowered by Katara's waterbending, allowing the two to escape. Using a horn, Gilak rallied several warriors, ordering them to stop the siblings at all costs, but they managed to escape nonetheless.

Knowing that Sokka and Katara would tell their father of the undertaking, Gilak vacated the shipwreck, leaving a message carved into an ice wall for Hakoda, promising to show the chief the truth. Later that night, as the capital city hosted a festival in celebration of the Northerners partnership with Earthen Fire Industries, Gilak watched from a distance with his second-in-command, Thod, and his army, as Hadoka readied the capital city's defenses for a frontal assault, which Gilak felt was his former comrade's predictable response.

Using a drilling machine, Gilak tunneled underneath the city and emerged in the middle of town square, where he revealed to the assembled crowd that Malina and Maliq were plotting to take control of the South for its oil in the name of the North, showing Maliq's briefcase, which contained documents verifying his accusations. Malina shamefully admitted that it was the original plan, believing the South couldn't handle its oil fields responsibility but insisted that she cancelled the plan. However, Maliq publicly confessed that he never intended to go along with his sister's change of heart and confirmed that Gilak spoke the truth, before ranting over how the South deserved to be controlled by the North, even labeling Gilak's tribal armor as "ridiculous". Malina then managed to silence her brother before attempting to appease Gilak by canceling the Southern Reconstruction Project and offered to leave the South the next morning. However, Gilak refused a peaceful compromise and ordered his warriors to attack the Northeners, only for Team Avatar to intervene, allowing the Northeners to flee.

Gilak pursued Malina and Maliq to the city outskirts, where his two young thieves cornered them. Malina again begged him to let them go but Gilak still refused. His warriors then cast a net over the pair and the two thieves chi blocked Malina to prevent her from waterbending. Malina pleaded that her brother spoke out of term and begged for Gilak's forgiveness. However, Gilak retorted that forgiveness between family is easy and that Malina and Maliq are not truly part of the tribe. As he prepared to deliver the killing blow, declaring that their deaths would send a message to the rest of the world to think twice about dominating the South, out of nowhere Hakoda seized his hand. Gilak soon learned from his brother-in-arms that he was well aware of the Northerners' original plan but Malina changed her mind once she got to know her sister tribe. Gilak insisted it was a ruse to deceive them, but Hakoda reminded that Fire Lord Zuko was once their enemy and is now their fiercest ally, thus he believed people were capable of change. Enraged that the chief would not accept his truth, Gilak declared Hakoda a traitor and attacked him, starting a brief duel that ended when his opponent injured his sword arm. Hakoda then tried to reason with Gilak, reminding him of their adventure on Whaletail Island, but Gilak proceeded to stab him in the chest. As Team Avatar soon arrived on the scene, an enraged Katara encased Gilak in ice before attending to her father while Avatar Aang subdued Gilak's remaining followers.

Gilak was soon sent to prison, where a female officer close to Hakoda informed him that she heard his speech from the inmates. Admitting that his cause seemed just, she slipped him the key to his cell with his evening meal.

Personality
Gilak is a proud man, evidenced by his support of his own nation. He appears to be loyal to his tribe, exhibited by his engagement in the war with Hakoda and the fact that he will do what he thinks is best for the Southern Water Tribe. This also results in a fear of change instigated by foreign entities, such as the Northern Water Tribe.