Korra and Kuvira had teamed up outside the Foggy Swamp. With Toph gone, nothing would stop them from relocating the local Swampbenders from their home. The Spirit Vines would one day become a powerful energy source, helping both Elementia as a whole and the Empire. Korra wanted to reason with the leaders of the smallest Water Tribe but remembered that the rulers of their world never listened to her, despite being the Avatar. And the Swampbenders were foolish primitives who actively rejected the modern world, thinking it brought them closer to 'Spiritual Enlightenment' as they called it. The time had come to drag them into the modern world and educate them, before the wider world came for them. Still, she would give them the chance to do the right thing and listen to her, if only to show that she'd been forced to beat them into submission. While Kuvira was wearing her standard uniform, Korra had decided to wear her regular clothes that the world had come to know her by. They had their lightsabers in reserve but if all went well, they would only need their bending.
At the same time, Mako and Baatar would be leading their own roundup of Sandbenders. The tribes of the Si Wong Desert had absolutely refused to give up their thieving ways, and with how they treated any nonbenders in their ranks, like Baatar's father, it was time to forcibly change them, as well. As the two young women came closer to the swamp, they were met by a pair of Swampbenders.
"Hi there, strangers," one of them said in the drawl common to the Swampbenders. He was wearing the minimalistic, leaf-based clothes of his tribe and while his words were friendly, he was still suspicious of them. "Why are you here?"
"Take us to your chief," Korra demanded. "It's extremely important and it can't wait."
"Well, our chief is a busy man, he can't just-""He should for me," Korra interrupted, Water and Firebending in front of them so they knew exactly who she was. Their eyes widened in surprise, and they acquiesced to her command. After Korra and Kuvira got in their boat, the swamp dwellers sped through the dense jungle with their Waterbending, quickly arriving at the main encampment of their tribe. The chief looked a bit older than Korra's father and seemed a little suspicious, but he did incline his head respectfully to her.
"Avatar Korra, it is an honor to have you here," he started. "I am somewhat surprised, however. We do not leave our home very often but we still hear things from the outside. For example, we heard you were dead or trapped in the Spirit World." At that moment, Korra decided to twist the truth in hopes of gaining his sympathy.
"Did you hear of how the new Airbenders were held captive in the hopes I would surrender to be murdered?" Korra asked.
"We heard a trap was set for you, but no details beyond that," one of the chief's advisors answered.
"Well, shortly after I rescued my friends, I learned I was pregnant," Korra said, surprising the Swampbenders. "My fiancé and I decided to go into seclusion, studying new mysteries of the Spirit World, until our children were born. To ensure the others we love weren't threatened again, our friends spread the idea of us vanishing completely." Korra then placed her arm on Kuvira's shoulder in a hug. "I entrusted my good friend Kuvira to help fix the damage done while we were gone." At that, several of the Swampbenders looked surprised.
"I understand, having a b-""Whatever you are going to call my children, keep it to yourself," Korra cut off the chief with a threatening glare, angered both at how he was insulting her children and was also too stupid to understand what she was saying. Kuvira also frowned at the backward traditionalism he exemplified, completely missing the point of what the Avatar was saying. Korra could see he didn't like being talked down to in his own home, but knew better than to challenge the Avatar. He changed the subject and looked to Kuvira.
"You are the 'Great Uniter' we have heard so much about?" he asked.
"Yeah, you have a problem with that?" Kuvira challenged.
"We've heard a lot of things about you," the chief said. "You are extremely determined to unify the Earth Kingdom."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Kuvira replied.
"We believe the world is better when people are allowed to go their own way and make their own decisions," the chief said.
"Many people don't know what's good for them," Korra replied. "They should listen to those that do. For example, in my reclusion, while I learned more about the world, I discovered that you need to leave this swamp." That shocked all the Swampbenders present.
"You want us to leave our home?" one of them asked. "Why? And why do we need to abandon this swamp?" At that moment, Korra had an idea.
"Because I am the Avatar, and I know what's best for the world," she said while waving her hand. The chief relaxed and repeated what she said before commanding the others to do the same.
"Are you okay, Due?" one of them asked.
"Of course he is, now do as we say," Kuvira said as she mind-tricked the skeptic. The remainder repeated what Kuvira said and proceeded to follow their orders. Korra and Kuvira directed the tribe to go to a place where stormtroopers would take them into custody and force them to embrace the wider world. Korra wondered how Mako and Baatar were doing with the Sandbenders.
Mako kicked a fireblast at one of the Sandbenders, knocking him off his feet. He and Baatar had smashed into the heart of the Sandbender encampment, backed up by both Stormtroopers and EUA soldiers. The Mechs they had brought had been equipped with grenade launchers, firing stun and smoke bombs into the crowds of Sandbenders, allowing the Stormtroopers to easily hit them with their stun blasts. The desert tribals were baffled at who they were fighting and, in their confusion, made for easy targets.
Baatar shot several with his own blaster set to stun, and that is when he tested his lightsaber's second function. He had modified the lightsaber Vader had given him, crafting a handguard made from what the Mandalorians called Beskar, and attached a stun blaster that could be used when the blade wasn't active. One Sandbender knocked his blaster out of his hand, so Baatar knocked him flat with a punch from his prosthetic arm.
"I think I'm getting used to this," Baatar smirked as he flexed the mechanical limb. He then punched the Sandbender in the face with his metallic hand.
"Sir, General Kuvira and Colonel Korra have joined the battle," Sergeant LaRone reported. "They are handling the southern flank."
"Great, this'll be over soon," Mako stated. "What about their redoubt?" Whenever an outside power tried to subdue the Sandbender tribes, they would go to the redoubt, a great stone fortress atop a massive cavern. If the stories were to be believed, there was a whole city beneath, alongside many tunnels that could lead throughout the desert, allowing the Sandbenders to emerge behind their enemies. But, thanks to Imperial probes and ground sonar, they had managed to find these tunnels.
"A large number of Sandbenders have taken refuge within, warriors and civilians," the stormtrooper answered, then he received a new update. "Wait, Colonel Korra is heading to the exit of one of the tunnels, and she's sent bombers to seal all the other exits. The Devastator is about to execute a surgical turbolaser blast on the fortress above." Just then, a green flash appeared in the atmosphere and hit the redoubt's surface. The explosion was massive and the mountain above was shattered.
"I guess they'll be running for the exit right about now," Baatar remarked. He had no sympathy for the technophobic savages within. All they did was steal from passersby and the occasional settlement outside the desert. In addition, his father, Baatar Sr, had been born among them and had told his children no shortage of horror stories about his youth within their ranks. As he wasn't a bender, he was continuously mistreated and degraded, as his lack of bending was considered humiliating for his family. He was still forced to lure travelers into traps so they could be robbed, endangering his life starting at age nine. When he was fifteen, his right arm was broken. As such, he was left in the desert to die rather than attempting to help him heal. The only reason the elder Baatar survived was because his future wife, Suyin Beifong, had been traveling through the area during her wild youth and saved him. He never returned to the Si Wong Desert and was always hateful when he spoke of it. Baatar Jr smirked, perhaps his father would be pleased to travel through a reeducation camp that the Sandbenders would be put inside. But that would have to wait, they had to win this battle first.
Kuvira had only Krennic and his Death Trooper squad backing her up at the tunnel's exit. But it was more than enough. The few Sandbender warriors present were easily overwhelmed by Kuvira's Metalbending as well as Krennic's Firebending. The Death Troopers had hung back and set their weapons to stun, easily hitting the various women and children in the group. Soon, the remaining Sandbenders surrendered. A middle-aged chieftain stood in front of Captain Avarik, the Death Trooper commander, and tried to bargain his way out.
"You are a mighty warrior, and your tribe certainly deserves respect," he said to the black-armored soldier. "I can arrange a suitable alliance between our people. My daughter is quite beautiful and will soon come of age. Will that be a fine arrangement?" Avarik shouted his disgust through the scrambled voice of his helmet before shooting the chieftain twice in the chest and once in the face with the lethal setting to his blaster.
"Good work, captain," Kuvira complemented the Death Trooper. "Take these dregs to the reeducation center. Try not to kill any of them. As Avatar, Korra worries about everyone's wellbeing, even theirs." Several of the Sandbenders were shocked to realize who she was, quickly spotting the Avatar herself, who'd just subdued several Sandbenders with her Airbending.
"Avatar Korra, how can you do this to us?" one of them asked.
"You'll be educated on who my friends are, soon," Korra answered. "You have rampaged against your neighbors and travelers through the desert for too long. I'm putting a stop to it. I am the Avatar of Order, after all, and people like you threaten that order."
"You can't do this, it's wrong!" one of the Sandbenders yelled as she was dragged away by stormtroopers.
"Since when did wrong become a problem for your kind?" Korra asked rhetorically. "Also, you forget, I am the Avatar. If I am doing it, it is the right thing. That is how the world works." Turning to Krennic, she ordered that the prisoners be taken away before leaving to meet with Vader and her fellow apostles. After a quick hug and kiss to Mako, while Kuvira did the same with Baatar, the four assembled in front of a hologram showing Darth Vader.
"The information we've extracted from Zaheer and his cohorts is being funneled to the various law enforcement agencies through Tonraq," Vader explained. "The various Red Lotus cells and supporters will be found and sent to the Boiling Rock, soon."
"What about Zaheer, master?" asked Kuvira.
"As far as the world knows, he was captured by the Southern Water Tribe," Korra remarked. "I'd prefer to hang him right now, but your reign will go much better if he gets a trial before his execution."
"Exactly, my apprentice," Vader stated as he turned to Korra and Mako. "Krennic and Kallus have found the traitor behind the Maridun scandal. It might turn for the worst, so I need you and Mako to go on this mission."
"Anything for a friend," Mako replied. At that moment, General Veers came into the room.
"My lord, the AT-ATs have been deployed and fitted with the modifications," the officer reported. "Following the recommendations of General Kuvira, we will not be using the AT-STs and other two-legged walkers. Nonetheless, we will crush the last of the Rebels."
"I look forward to fighting with your walkers backing us up, sir," Kuvira smirked to the Imperial. "Tomorow will be the last day of the Earth Kingdom, and the first of the Earth Protectorate."
"A noble cause, Kuvira," Vader agreed. "Afterward, I have a test for you and one for Baatar. It will require you follow me off world but if you pass, both of you will be well on your way as Sith." The meeting concluded with Korra and Mako taking the Platinum Bender for their part of the mission, while Kuvira and Baatar prepared for the coming battle alongside Bolin.
Bolin had finished strapping into his seat inside the AT-AT as it started moving. Korra's friends Davin Felth and Tivva Soot were driving the gargantuan war machine, with General Veers commanding. When he asked why the Empire had vehicles with legs instead of wheels, he was surprised to learn that AT-AT was short for All Terrain Armored Transport.
"This can work in all terrains?" he asked one of the stormtroopers. "Even water?"
"The legs can be replaced with buoyancy units and low-grade repulsors for movement," he answered. "On land, there is pretty much no terrain we can't handle in this. I've even seen them walk through lava without too much damage. The civil war will be over by sundown." Bolin nodded with a smile. He didn't agree with everything the Empire did but Korra and Mako said this was the best option, so he'd do everything he could to help it.
Kuvira donned her helmet while Baatar got in his modified Mech. He'd integrated a repeating blaster into it, along with a rocket booster and a missile launcher, in place of the bola caster and flamethrower. Many of the mechs, which were now nicknamed Dark Troopers, had similar modifications. The mechs would protect the walkers on their flanks, while the benders would ride inside until they were ready to deploy about one mile away from the enemy trenches.
Captain Sung was busy patrolling the perimeter of the royalist stronghold. During the Hundred-Year War, it had been commanded by General Fong and never fallen to the Fire Nation. Under Queen Hou-Ting, it had been expanded and improved. It would stand against the upstart peasant Kuvira without a problem, regardless of the tricks she tried. The lords his father and he were a part of had reached out to Prince Wu in Republic City, and soon they would put the peasant back in her place.
"My lord, there's something coming," a sergeant informed. Sergeant, what a joke. He was a Freedom Fighter who'd joined after Kuvira had destroyed the bulk of the group. Their arms had to be twisted to learn how to use planes and mechs, as the foolish peasants had initially refused to use any machines made outside the Earth Kingdom. But loathe as they were to admit it, these war machines had given Kuvira an edge and allowed her to beat the rest of the continent into her control. They needed these war machines as well if they were to fight on even terms. What he saw in the distance, however, didn't look like any machine he'd heard of before.
Looking through his binoculars, Sung saw several gargantuan machines approaching them. At first, he thought the machines were standing on a pair of thin legs, but he realized it was walking on four such legs. The legs were underneath what looked like a bunker and in front of the bunker was a 'head' for lack of a better term. The lead vehicle's 'head' was looking to the right, exposing a 'neck' connecting it to the back section. As the 'head' turned to face them, he saw a thin window where it's 'eyes' would be and forming 'ears' and 'tusks' on the face, Sung saw several strange protrusions on the sides and bottom of the 'head.' He heard a loud scream as a bolt of red fired out of the 'tusks' and went flying over his head, blowing a mech apart in a single hit. The other walking tanks, for lack of a better term, quickly began to fire as well. Looking through the binoculars, he saw a substantial number of new mechs guarding the flanks of these strange walking machines.
"Biplanes in route!" he heard over the radio, looking to the sky as their aircraft flew overhead toward Kuvira's new weapons. Several of them were quickly blown apart by the blasts from the walkers but several vehicles flew high above and dropped their bombs. Many went wide but others hit the walkers, either on top or glancing on their legs. None of the explosions seemed to faze the walkers, however, and the mechs fired into the sky with their own weapons. Sung saw one such mech launch a rocket that twisted and turned until it hit the biplane it wanted. Hearing a screeching sound, the Royalist forces looked and saw a collection of black aircraft of unusual shape and impossible speed. They fired green bolts of flame that annihilated the biplanes in a single hit, while one twice as big dropped its own bombs on the fortress behind them.
"Sir, the Colonel's leading the charge!" one of the corporals informed Sung. Looking to the front, he saw his father, Sung the Elder, leading his squad of Earthbenders close to a walker. Shifting the ground in front of them, they caused one of the feet to fall before trapping it with their bending. The leg ripped out of the ground as if nothing was restraining it and crushed one of the Earthbenders before it. Then, a door on the side of the walker opened and several of Kuvira's soldiers jumped out. The first four were wearing the standard uniform of Kuvira's army and attacked with one of each element, as if to mock the Royalists with how they'd disregarded the Earth Kingdom's purity.
The other three were different. One of them was wearing a standard uniform but the other two were wearing armor with a helmet Sung had never seen before, and both had jetpacks like those ridiculous comic books Sung had heard of in Republic City. One was largely green in color, but with a few splashes of yellow and reddish-brown on his suit. The second, which appeared to be a woman, was colored almost completely red and black, and was carrying the standard soldier in her arms. The three quickly jet to Sung's trench and the green flyer landed with an Earthbending slam that knocked many of the defenders off their feet. The red one Firebent blasts out of her feet, hitting several rather easily. The standard soldier quickly turned the sides of the trench into Magma, burning any who couldn't get out in time.
As Sung tried to rally his company, the green-armored flyer jet forward and blasted flames out of his gauntlet, setting several Royalists aflame. The red-armored woman pulled out a pair of strange, metal devices that fit into her hand and with a shriek, bolts of orange flame shot out like lightning and hit her targets, burning small holes into the spots they hit.
"Ezra, try out the Ripper!" the woman shouted. The Lavabender unhooked a strange staff from his back and jammed a small box into a bottom opening. After pulling something back, the one called Ezra squeezed an opening on the staff and another bolt of concentrated flame flew out. It shot through an Earthbent barrier and hit the man hiding behind it. Ezra quickly fired again, this time into the engine block of a truck carrying reinforcements, blowing it apart. He fired again, and it shot through two Royalists, who proceeded to explode into a pile of ashes. Meanwhile, the green-armored flyer crouched, and a rocket flew out of his jetpack, going upward and hitting a mech directly on top, blowing it apart.
Sung ran deep into the fortress, trying to rally a defense, but when he went inside, he only saw chaos. Dozens were dead, the airship at the center was blown apart, and the buildings themselves had crumbled. Then, he heard another explosion from the bunker where the high lords had taken refuge rushing forward, he saw someone he wasn't expecting.
"Avatar Korra, oh thank the ancestors!" he said in relief as he charged up to her. "We need your help urgently! The upstart Kuvira has-" a loud sound rang out accompanied with a flash, and Sung felt great pain in his chest as he stumbled backward. The Avatar was holding a weapon like the jetpack-wearing strangers, which she then put back in its holster. Sung heard his father shout for him but Korra outstretched her hand and the elder Sung went flying forward. Holding what looked like a sword hilt, a blue flame shot out of it and with a single swing, the Avatar chopped him in half. Looking behind him, Sung the Younger saw Kuvira restrain many others with her Metalbending, before taking out her own strange weapon. Squeezing it, the weapon in Kuvira's hands sent out concentrated bolts of flame into each of the Royalists she'd restrained. Then she turned on her own sword of blue flame and beheaded a captive lord.
"Ho-how can you do this?" Sung asked the Avatar. "She's a peasant upending the order you protect."
"It's time for a new order," Korra replied, standing aside as her Firebender lover came into view, carrying the rings of several high lords in his palm, confirming their fate. He charged a lightning bolt and hit Sung, who then knew nothing at all.
"Today, is the day the Earth Nation becomes what it was always meant to be!" Kuvira boasted to her followers assembled in front of her, all of them cheering.
"With the Father of Understanding guiding us, we will achieve the greatness the foolish nobles have squandered!"
"All hail the Great Uniter!" Kuvira's army cheered in front of her. Korra and Mako smiled as they boarded the Platinum Bender.
"So, how much longer are we going to keep your return a secret?" Bolin asked as his brother followed Korra onto their ship.
"We'll be back before the end of the week," Mako reassured him. "We help Director Krennic deal with the traitor, Kuvira and Baatar pass their test, and then we announce to the world how things will be from now on."
"Great, because Opal and I are going to Zaofu, right now," Bolin said.
"Why you?" asked Korra.
"Well, at first it was just Opal but Chief Lin is also there and demanded to speak with me," Bolin related Opal's phone call from her baffled and somewhat concerned parents. "She was very...insistent I come to see her." Both Mako and Korra chuckled at this. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Oh, just thinking of something Vader said about when he last met her," Korra smirked. "Before we join Orson, we're stopping by the South Pole. We'll tell Harou and Saria their Uncle Bolin is looking forward to visiting them more often." Bolin smiled and wished them good luck.
I think the Foggy Swamp Tribe is poorly thought of by the other Waterbenders. I came up with the idea of Baatar Sr being a nonbender from one of the desert tribes to add some character to him. The attitudes of the Swampbenders and Sandbenders have only reinforced Korra and the others' attitudes of them being backward at best and barbaric at worst. This, in addition to the Apostles adopting an Imperial outlook, ensured they would forcibly remove the tribes and imprison them until they fit the standards Korra and the others want. I decided to describe the Imperial war machine from the perspective of someone who had no idea what he was seeing.
Next chapter, a bit of humor, Kuvira and Baatar's missions, Korra and Mako confronting the traitor, and a new face scheming to use the Red Lotus.