"I am Director Orson Krennic," the white clothed officer said to Korra and Mako. "Like Lord Vader, I am a proud servant of his majesty, Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. But if we do not get out of this mess soon, none of us will meet Lord Vader. The situation is as follows: I had read a report there might be an important ore that could be harvested here. I came and went to the site. The report was false but, on my way there, I rode past a painted stone. To the Amanin," he paused, as a blue image of the native race popped up. "that is the challenge of Takital, as I've heard it called." As he paused, he wasn't sure which was more surprising to the strangers, the picture of the native race, or the hologram used to show it. He then stood aside and let the younger lieutenant brief them, as he had been stationed on Maridun the longest.
"Takital is a ritualistic war between two tribes," Lieutenant Sunber explained. "The war continues until either the invader has been utterly exterminated, or the defender has suffered the death of no less than half their population. There is no way to withdraw the challenge, and most Amanin do not speak basic like we do, anyway."
"Wait, that doesn't explain why you were wary of us, last night," Mako noted, as it didn't sound like the Amanin could form an alliance with outsiders, especially for a local tradition.
"The minerals I came to find, are not here," Krennic said. "The prospector had already fled the spaceport-" "Spaceport?" interrupted Korra.
"Oh, right, your people are still confined to their homeworld," noted the irritated director. "We have long had the ability to leave the planets we live on, and travel across the stars." As Mako and Korra processed that revelation, Krennic continued. "Anyway, after the lying prospector ran away, the Amanin amassed an army to march on the spaceport. While General Frickett was confronting them, explosions rocked through it, and fire quickly spread. All the ships were destroyed or too damaged to fly, our communications tower collapsed, and all the ways we might defend the settlement were lost. Soon, stragglers from the front made it back and revealed there were far more Amanin than we thought, and far better equipped than they could possibly be on their own."
"So, the lying prospector wanted to start a war?" Mako asked. "Why?"
"Money, for him, at least," replied Krennic, who then turned toward a bearded man with dark gold hair in a metallic cuirass. "Agent Kallus, how are you doing in tracking the payments made to him?"
"Sir, our communications have been cut," replied the man called Kallus. "I won't be able to investigate further until the Amanin are defeated."
"Then compile the best report possible, since I made sure to bring every record we could before leaving," Krennic ordered as loudly as possible. "When we get out of here, we will bring that traitor to justice." Korra thought to herself it strange a commander would be so loud that all his subordinates could hear an order to one person.
"Where are the civilians?" Korra asked.
"What civilians that are left are here," Lt. Sunber answered. "If they aren't helping to move equipment, assisting at the hospital, or digging trenches, they are among the wounded."
"I am a healer, myself, so I can help with that," Korra offered, noting how the various Imperials seemed intrigued. "But I take it you want more than that as help."
"You are a human, which, for them, makes you an Imperial," Sunber continued. "The Amanin do not have a concept of noncombatants. If they can, they will kill you just like the rest of us."
"When are your reinforcements coming?" asked Mako.
"The next supply ship will arrive in a month," Sunber replied. "We didn't get a message out, so that's the soonest reinforcements we can get, unless Turr succeeds."
"Who is Turr?" asked Korra.
"He's a fighter pilot," the young lieutenant answered. "He managed to get one TIE fighter out of the hanger before it exploded but its weapons were out. Still, he managed to blast some Amanin away with the exhaust, covering our escape. He then went into orbit to try to contact nearby naval assets."
"How likely is that?" asked the Firebender.
"Given the range and capabilities of a TIE fighter, not particularly," Sunber answered. "Even if he succeeds, they might not get here in time." That is when he looked over to the director.
"From what I understand, you can control water, and you can create fire from nothing," Krennic explained as he looked to Korra and Mako. "Thankfully, this facility was built atop a massive reservoir we have a shaft down to. And I'm sure you can find other sources of water, perhaps even inside the Amanin, themselves."
"Bloodbending's illegal," Mako noted. "And it can only be done on a full moon at night, anyway. I can burn away that tall grass surrounding the compound, if you'd like." Korra looked to her seismic sense that Kuvira had helped refine. None of them seemed to be lying but this was a different world, and Kuvira herself doubted how accurate it could be. Whatever the case, however, she believed these aliens would kill her and Mako if they got the chance. Maybe it was her pregnancy, maybe it was how negotiation had never gone her way, but she wouldn't give them that chance.
"Also, I can do more than just Waterbend," Korra stated proudly, showcasing her Firebending. When the other Imperials showed their surprise, as they were having enough trouble wrapping their heads around the situation, Lt. Terrik spoke up.
"Well, lucky for us that Lord Vader killed your predecessor when he did," the stormtrooper commented, even as she flinched at the remark. "How many of the other elements have you mastered, Avatar?"
"All of them," she confidently replied.
"I'm sorry, I thought your people could only control one element, depending on their homeland," Krennic said. After a short explanation of what the Avatar was, he relented. "And Lord Vader killed your predecessor?"
"It was a... misunderstanding," Korra replied. After a moment, a blue skinned woman without hair and a pair of tendrils coming out of her head walked in and said that she had found the part necessary for the AT-AT.
"Well, let's get to work fixing it, then," Krennic said as he walked out. "Follow me, I can show you what you can help with. Also, since you have joined this garrison, put these on," he said as he handed them a pair of armbands, mostly blue but with the black Imperial insignia in the middle. "This marks you as foreign auxiliaries. Every Imperial who sees you will know you are on our side." After putting the armbands on, Korra and Mako followed him. As they exited the building, they started following the director past a trench being dug. At that moment, blaster shots rang out in the distance and they saw two people being chased by the Amanin as they fired back at their pursuers. One was a brown, reptilian creature with red eyes in a white jumpsuit, the other appeared to be human but he was covered completely in green, metallic armor, his face concealed by a helmet whose visor was one line atop the other, and carrying a strange backpack.
"Looks like Fett and Bossk found the enemy," Krennic noted. "Death Troopers, cover our scouts!" At that moment, the black armored elites knelt and aimed with their rifles, firing on every Amanin they saw, swiftly killing them. As the diggers fell back from the trench, Korra had an idea. As soon as the scouts were past them, Korra Earthbent a wall out of the ground right where the trenches were, to the amazement of all the Imperials. But right as the wall was erected, a rolling Amanin swerved past it and erupted out of his ball, firing his blaster wildly. One shot hit the blue woman in the knee, and another hit Krennic in the shoulder. Korra swiftly sent the Amanin flying with an Airbent blast.
"We need a medic here!" one of the Imperials yelled.
"I am a healer," Korra interjected, quickly Waterbending a small amount to her right hand. As Mako used his Firebending to get to the top of the new wall, accompanied by the green armored scout, whose backpack looked a little like that prototype jetpack they'd seen Asami reject as impractical, Korra knelt and began her water-based healing of Krennic and the alien woman. As the medic arrived, Korra looked over to the wall, and Earthbent a staircase so that her boyfriend and the scout could climb down.
"What, what did you do?" asked Krennic as he looked at where he'd been shot. "I feel perfect. My clothes are burnt but my shoulder is fine."
"As is mine," the blue skinned woman said.
"That is what Waterbending Healing can do for you," Korra smiled. They soon saw Mako come down, having set much of the jungle brush in front of the wall aflame, causing many Amanin to scream as they burned. Noticing the lizard man had a small burn on his right arm, Korra also attended to that.
"Thank you," the reptilian said in a snake-like voice. "My name is Bossk, and I am a Trandoshan. What are you?"
"The Avatar, Master of the Four Elements," Korra replied. Noticing the confusion of many of the people around her, she added, "Hey, this is all new for me, too."
"Korra, could you help us by erecting another wall on the opposite side?" asked Lt. Sunber.
"Sure, then I'll see if I can help your friends in the hospital," Korra replied. Korra enjoyed helping people, and making a good impression on Darth Vader's people would also serve to help her and Mako in this new world they were in. Krennic said something to the alien woman, he called her Soot, and she followed him to what looked appeared to be a bunker connected to a smaller one by a short neck. And on each side, were a pair of what looked like folded metallic legs. After erecting a second barrier, Korra made her way to help Doctor Rylen with his other patients. He was surprised by what she was doing and how well it was working, so she decided to take his mind off the unknown.
"So, that blue lady with tails on her head," Korra said. "What do you know about her?"
"Her name is Tivva Soot, and her race is called the Twi'leks," the doctor answered as she continued healing another soldier. "Twi'leks originate from the world of Ryloth, though I don't think she did personally. Corporal Soot is a mechanic at our motorpool." Before he could continue, however, they were interrupted by a new arrival. It was the man who Krennic had investigating the traitorous prospector.
"Junior Agent Alexander Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau," he introduced himself as he unwrapped a bandage. "I haven't been able to get this looked at, could you help me, Auxiliary Korra?"
"Of course," she replied, bending some water to her. As she applied it, she asked why he was so focused on his investigation given the current situation.
"This battle doesn't end on Maridun," he replied. "Someone wanted it to happen, and they are likely to do it again somewhere else." After pausing for a moment, Kallus thanked her for healing him and suggested she get fitted for armor, given the upcoming battle. As she was exiting, she saw a bizarre riding machine with two legs appear, with a pilot and someone holding onto him. Neither of them were wearing the same uniforms as most of the Imperials, and he looked much younger, about three years younger than Korra. The first was a boy with red eyes, extremely tan skin, and white hair. As he stepped down, he helped a girl about two years older, her skin much lighter but her hair just as white, dismount as well.
"Koko needs help!" he yelled. As Doctor Rylen started examining the girl named Koko, Korra noticed that he had a burn on his left shoulder akin to the blaster shot Krennic had suffered. After some reassurance that she could help him, the boy, Cadet Jonah Martin, relented as Korra treated him. Shortly afterward, Lt. Sunber and the droid KayBee walked up to them.
"Cadet Martin, ever since you have come here, you have made one disciplinary infraction after another," Sunber said, noticeably irritated with the teenager. "And now, you have deserted your post in an active warzone. If convicted, the penalty is death. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I did not desert, I rescued a stranded squadmate on the field of battle," Jonah quickly replied with a bit more attitude than expected from a cadet. "I also retrieved the pictures of the enemy camp Cadet Partagaz took while she was evading the enemy." He then reached inside his backpack and handed what looked a bit like a camera to Sunber. After a moment, Sunber replied.
"Cadet Martin, you will continue your last task of inventorying our supplies, and KayBee will make sure you don't wander off until you are called for," Sunber replied, before noticing Raylen had already walked out. "Doctor, how is Cadet Partagaz doing?"
"It's just exhaustion with a bit of dehydration, she'll be back on her feet in just half an hour," Rylen answered.
"Excellent, after she is up, she will go to the supply depot where Cadet Martin is, and after his task is finished, head to the war room to report on what they found," Sunber said, before respectfully looking at Korra. "Auxiliary Korra, Agent Kallus, continue the good work."
"Where is Mako?" Korra asked, realizing she hadn't seen him in sometime.
"He has accompanied Hunters Fett and Bossk on a sabotage mission," Sunber replied. "They should be back in about an hour."
Mako was riding on one of the speeder bikes, as they were called, the strange scouts had commandeered. When asked who they were, the two revealed themselves as bounty hunters, to which Mako replied he was a policeman himself.
"Too much red tape, not enough action," Bossk said in response. "And you're stuck on one planet, if you are lucky. It's the Bounty Hunters Guild that brings people to justice across the galaxy."
"So, who were you two hunting, here?" Mako asked as they stopped the speeder bikes and hid them behind some bushes.
"A snitch who got himself a new name on the edge of the galaxy," the human one called Boba Fett answered.
"Wait, you work for criminals, as well?" Mako asked.
"Outside the Empire, the biggest starfaring nation is the Hutt Domain," Boba replied. "The Hutts worship money and power, and they are too megalomaniacal to care about the morals of others. As such, every Hutt Clan in their homeland is a member of their council but outside their territory, they are crime lords. There is no distinction, in fact or name, between their crime syndicates and their government. It has been that way for ten thousand years, and a war to take Hutt space just isn't worth it, whether it's for conquest or liberation."
"So, it's okay to hurt the people who stand up to them?" asked Mako in disbelief.
"This guy wasn't taking some moral stand, he just got caught stealing from the boss and made a deal," Fett replied as they snuck toward their destination. Thinking it was a good time to change the subject, Bossk decided to ask about the gods Mako and Korra worshipped.
"Well, there are many spirits the people of the five nations worship," Mako replied, knowing they would have to work together soon. "How important they are depends on where you are and the type of bender you are. For Fire Nationals like my mother, Agni is the main one we worship, as she embodies the sun. Earthers like my father are more interested in the mythical humans, Oma and Shu, as they were the first humans to learn Earthbending. Water Tribals like Korra pay the most attention to Yue and La, the moon and ocean. It used to be Tui and La but that's a story for another day. Recently, we learned of the two greatest spirits, Raava and Vaatu, who stand for Order and Chaos. Korra is the Avatar of Raava and she deprived Vaatu of his Avatar, hopefully forever."
"Any spirits we should avoid outright avoid?" Fett asked with a bit of skepticism.
"There's Wan Shi Tong, a giant owl who hates humans who look through his library, except for the ones he's too stupid to realize are evil," Mako replied, seeing what appeared to be surprise on the reptillian's face, before turning to the armored man. "He handed a friend of mine off to a bad guy who needed a hostage for his scheme. There's also Koh, who steals people's faces. So, who do you people worship?" After pausing for a moment at the revelation that Mako and his friends had actually met their gods, Fett said something.
"I am a Mandalorian, but having seen the disaster of fundamentalism, I try not to be too committed," Fett replied. "There are two gods my people acknowledge: Kad Harangir, who brings growth and change, and Arasuum, who brings sloth and stagnation. The founder of my clan, Cassus Fett, was a true believer in Kad Harangir, which is why he destroyed so many places that valued peace over conflict." Mako was initially confused but then he realized why it happened: War was a cause for growth and change, while Peace brought about stagnation.
"How many Mandalorians fit that mold, now?" Mako asked.
"Much fewer, thankfully," Boba answered, before turning to Bossk.
"I follow the Scorekeeper, like all good Trandoshans," Bossk said. "Hunting is our life, and where we go after depends on the hunters we were. I gain Jagganath Points based on my accomplishments, and I lose them if I dishonor myself or are disgraced by an enemy. The Scorekeeper decides where I go in the afterlife upon evaluation."
"Hold up, we're here," Fett interjected. As they stopped, Mako adjusted the Imperial Army Trooper armor he'd been given, along with the helmet. The helmet was akin to Darth Vader's, except with no face mask, while the armor plates were some sort of hardened, plastic-like material, much like the armor of most of the Imperial soldiers. After Bossk handed him the binoculars he'd just been using, Mako saw their targets: three large catapults being pulled by pack animals, with several Amanin carrying crates on their backs. They had just stopped for the day to rest but tomorrow, they would be in range of Ziering's Drift.
"What sort of explosives are those?" asked Mako.
"Mining charges, damaged ship drives, and the odd artillery shell," Fett explained. "They'll all hurt if detonated, and, if not wreck the base, wreck your girlfriend's wall."
"So, you and I will have to get close to our respective targets, I will plant this," Bossk said, holding a shaped charge. "Boba can hang back when dealing with his catapult. Too bad we don't have a way to deal with the third, we'll have to improvise. Maybe we can cover you while you burn it down." At that, Mako had an idea.
"What would happen if I hit one of those crates with a lightning bolt?" Mako asked.
"Wait, you can do that, too?" Bossk asked in surprise. "Just wait until I'm clear before you blow up your target." Mako then looked over to the Mandalorian.
"How will you blow your target, Boba?" the Firebender asked.
"This is a targetable rocket," he replied, tapping the middle segment of his jetpack. "I will launch as soon as Bossk detonates his charge." And with that, the three of them dispersed to their targets, Boba taking the one on the right, Bossk on the left, and Mako in the middle. Mako and Fett got to where they could launch their attacks.
Sneaking past the Amanin, Bossk managed to get halfway to the target when he was spotted. As the Trandoshan set off a smoke grenade, Fett launched his missile and it hit one of the crates close to his target. The explosion shattered the catapult. With his target, Mako hit what looked like a hyperdrive core, completely vaporizing the area and leaving a crater where his target was. Immediately afterward, another explosion rocked the area and Bossk went charging out of the smoke he'd unleashed. As the three of them ran back to their speeder bikes, shooting back at the Amanin chasing them, Mako got on Bossk's bike and held on as they sped away.
"How did you see through the smoke?" Mako asked as they raced away.
"In light, I see colors," Bossk replied. "In darkness and smoke, I see heat." Racing back to their base, they quickly got off, with Korra hugging Mako as he got off the bike. She had donned a set of Imperial Army armor, just like him, for the coming battle, complete with the helmet. After a moment, they joined the various Imperials at the war council.
"As our bounty hunting friends and fire-powered auxiliary have destroyed their catapults and high explosives, the Amanin will come with a direct assault," Director Krennic said before turning to the white-haired cadet, Koko Partagaz. "Cadet Partagaz, what have you learned while sneaking past enemy lines?"
"There are about seven thousand Amanin headed our way, sir," she answered respectfully. "Thankfully, they only have blasters for about a third of them, and they are pretty bad at aiming. They can still get lucky, as Jonah can attest."
"Thankfully, Cadet Martin has benefitted just like so many others from Auxiliary Korra's care," Krennic added. "He will be ready to fight just like everyone else who she's healed. And given how your delinquent boyfriend has done so well fighting his way to you, he will be a soldier on the west wall, under LT. Sunber's command." After a moment of looking worried, the young woman asked what she would be doing.
"You will be managing communications from here, Specialist Partagaz," Krennic said, emphasizing her new rank. "In addition to that, you will be keeping Agent Kallus's work safe while he is manning the E-Web on the east wall. On account of repairs being completed, I will be commanding the AT-AT, with Corporal Soot and Private Felth as my pilots." He then pointed to the Twi'Lek mechanic and the stormtrooper in sand-covered armor, the only two qualified and able AT-AT drivers present. "My guard detail and our friends from the Hunters Guild will hold the line in the north, in case any Amanin make it past our cannons. Guard unit KayBee will protect the hospital. Auxiliary Korra, Auxiliary Mako, I think you can handle the south with Lt. Terrik and that squad you have healed backing them up." After a moment's hesitation, Korra agreed to Krennic's plan. She didn't want to put herself in too much danger but the Amanin would kill everyone if she didn't stop them, and she was still the Avatar. Protecting people was who she was, regardless of where she was.
The next morning, as the Avatar, her boyfriend, and their new allies stood in silence, behind cover Korra had erected through Earthbending. As dawn approached, the garrison saw the Amanin completely surrounded them. Korra could feel the sensation of them rolling towards her through her Earthbending. That is when they erupted out of the grass and tossed their spears. Korra deflected them with her Airbending while Mako erected a wall of fire and sent it backward, burning the Amanin.
"I've been practicing," he smiled to her.
"Nice form," she smiled back. As that was happening, the two walls were being swarmed by the natives. There was only one E-Web repeater working, and it was on the west wall. Which that all the eastern defenders had were handheld blasters. One Amanin fell after another but soon, there was a mountain of corpses large enough for their friends to climb atop, snarling as they attempted to attack. One of the worm-like aliens pounced on Jonah Martin, trying to drive a spear through the new private's face. His blaster knocked out of his hands, Jonah attempted to kick the monster away, and a blast of fire came out of his right foot. As he and his squadmates paused in surprise, he saw that two Amanin had made it over the wall and were charging toward the comms center.
"Stop them, Private!" ordered Sunber. Swiftly following his orders, Jonah charged after them, grabbing his fallen blaster. Charging after the Amanin, he followed them into the comms center. Koko had managed to shoot one her attackers but the second stabbed her in the thigh. Shooting the second one, Jonah rushed up to the most important person in his life.
"Koko, I need to pull this out, and burn it closed," he said, tossing his hand to the side repeatedly until a flame came out.
"Well, that's a new trick," Koko replied, trying to ignore the pain. First, she groaned when he pulled the tip of the broken spear out, then she screamed as he burned it shut. Then, she looked into the eyes of her fellow cadet. "Keep me awake and protect me, I need to stay on comms." He nodded and began watching for more intruders.
"Lt. Sunber, Jonah's here with me, keeping me alive, how copy?" she asked.
"Understood, Private," Sunber replied. As that was happening, he had grabbed two discarded E-11s and begun firing them at the various Amanin. A spear had broken on his armor, leaving the tip embedded in the chest plate. "Need some backup, over."
"Hunter Bossk, move to the east wall," Koko relayed the order, knowing the Trandoshan was the only one available. Bossk quickly ran to the east wall, firing a barrage of grenades at the swarm of Amanin, shredding them to bits. While that was going on, Agent Kallus was busy defending the E-Web on the west wall. While the gunner mowed down dozens of Amanin at a time, Kallus shot Amanin stragglers that got close to the wall. One of them tossed a grenade and it detonated behind Kallus, knocking him off and in front of the wall. His blaster was out of reach and an Amanin was about to stab him. Before the savage alien could impale him, Kallus threw a punch and a blast of air sent the Amanin backward, crashing into three of his tribesmen. After a moment of surprise, Kallus grabbed his blaster and rapidly shot the Amanin before they could get back up.
"Sir, grab my hand," one of the army troopers, Kallus thought his name was Kimzi, shouted as he reached down. The ISB agent jumped and the mechanic pulled him up the wall.
"You get a front row seat to the trial of the traitor who caused this," Kallus promised his rescuer.
It had been years since Orson Krennic had been in an active warzone. He had fought in several battles when the Separatist droid army had gotten past the Jedi, and on one occasion, personally led the mission to save his best friend, Galen Erso. Unfortunately, Galen's wife Lyra and daughter Jyn were a chain holding him back from greatness, and convinced him to abandon Krennic's more than generous offer. Thankfully, he had found Galen and was going to drag him back to their project. He hadn't wanted to kill Lyra or chase their daughter into the wilderness but it had all worked out. He didn't know the power of the force or always agree with Darth Vader but he had heard the Sith Code. Lyra and Jyn were Galen's chains, and as a true friend, Orson had helped Galen break his chains in order to free him. Mako and Korra were much like Galen, capable of greatness but he suspected they were afraid of taking the next step. Hopefully, they would be able to break their chains, as well.
"Sir, Amanin hordes one kilometer away," reported the pilot. Davin Felth was a stormtrooper in Terrik's company who was determined to become an AT-AT driver. He had spent as much time off duty as possible reading manuals for the signature Imperial Walker, as well as using a vehicle simulator to substitute for driving the behemoth. As all qualified drivers were dead or missing limbs from the recent battle, he was the best choice for piloting the war machine.
"Warming up weapons now," added the copilot. Tivva Soot was unlike many Imperial rank and file soldiers, in that she wasn't human but Twi'lek. She had been born in the Coruscant Underlevels, and like many of her peers, regardless of species, had climbed over the dead to get out. After learning mechanical work in a chop shop, she'd cut a deal with the local police to round up the gang in exchange for her going to the Imperial academy on Corulag. She'd often been snubbed by her classmates and teachers for being an alien but others had seen her talents and gotten her a place in repair class. Being among the top ten of five hundred applicants, she'd become a repair technician first class, and a resentful academy bureaucrat had her sent to Maridun. From what Krennic could gather from her service record, she was the one who always did maintenance on the various Imperial vehicles, including taking them out for shakedown. As a result, the mechanic ironically had the most experience when it came to piloting this AT-AT.
"Fire the heavy guns, and prepare the medium ones to pick off most stragglers," Krennic ordered. "Not all of them, we want my guards to have their fun." At that, the chin-mounted cannons opened fire, causing great plumes of flame and enveloping two hundred Amanin in the back of the charging horde. While Felth fired the main cannons, Soot mowed down many more with the side guns, while the Death Troopers hid behind the cover the Avatar had erected for them, picking off any Amanin that got managed to evade the walker's guns. The few Amanin with blasters fired wildly, hitting either things too strong to punch through or nothing at all. Krennic smirked, this was a good trip, after all. They would win this battle, had gained powerful new allies, and whoever set up this trap to kill him would be severely punished. He even felt like a far stronger man than before, as if a new fire had started burning within.
Doctor Raylen was working frantically, one of his patients had been severely injured and needed help now if he was to survive. The fact that the Amanin were attacking didn't change that. He heard a crash, and saw an Amanin charge into the operating room but before it could strike, it was yanked back by KB-2015. The security droid had become far more attentive after his memory wipe was skipped, so it was skipped again, at Sunber's discretion. And his sense of humor and sarcasm had also been a boon to morale.
"Keep working, Doc, I'll hold them back," KayBee said, tossing the Amanin intruder back and shooting him. He shot one after another. One Amanin managed to toss a grenade into the operating room but KayBee tossed its thrower onto the grenade before pouncing on top of the alien. The explosion killed the Amanin and rattled KayBee but Raylen continued operating, despite the detonation being ten feet away. KayBee then trundled up with his blaster and went back to guarding against hostiles.
Just as the Devastator dropped out of hyperspace, Commander Shaef Corsin was surprised by what he saw to port. Another Star Destroyer had just dropped out of hyperspace, the Eviscerator. This made no sense, as there was no reason for the ship to be this close to Maridun. Corsin was one of the only people on the ship who knew exactly why they were above Maridun. Most of the crew was used to their Sith overlord keeping their missions a secret, so this was no surprise.
"Open a channel," commanded Admiral Tion. Tion was a nobleman from the sector of the same name who did nothing to earn his rank, much less command of Darth Vader's flagship. "This is Rear Admiral Tion of the Devastator, we were unaware of any other ISDs operating in this sector. Identify yourself."
"This is Vice Admiral Tower of the Eviscerator," replied the opposite commander on the viewscreen. "I was performing a test of our scanners when Ensign Phennir," he gestured to an exhausted and bandaged TIE pilot, "made it to my ship in a half-functional fighter. Natives have overrun the garrison with outside help. I have moved in to quell the uprising, and destroy any Imperial assets so they don't fall into enemy hands." Corsin could see that the bandaged pilot looked rather upset upon hearing that but was afraid of saying anything, especially given the Navy Troopers flanking him with stern looks.
"Excellent idea, sir," Tion complimented the admiral. "We will crush this rebellion in a single stroke, and Devatator stands by to assist."
"Sir, our orders are to achieve orbit and hold pos-""Circumstances change," Tion brushed it off.
"There could be thousands of Imperials down there," Corsin pointed out.
"You should learn your place, Commander," interjected Tower. "Also, they are just common ground soldiers. Easily replaced in the grand scheme of things."
"What is the situation?" a new voice asked, drawing everyone's attention. Darth Vader had walked onto the bridge. Before anyone could report, the TIE pilot spoke up.
"My lord, I am Ensign Turr Phennir," the bandaged pilot shouted. "The natives have driven the majority of our remaining forces on the surface to the base called Ziering's Drift. There are almost a thousand Imperial soldiers down there, along with hundreds of civilians who are hiding while they await relief. I took a crippled TIE Fighter to signal for help and-""Silence, mind your place!" shouted Tower. "My lord, the situation is beyond recovery, and Protocol Thirteen is no longer a-"
"Hold your position," Vader commanded. "The Devastator will enter the atmosphere for a close-range bombardment of the natives and protect all Imperial assets. Your ship will hold back and provide relief as soon as the all clear is given."
"Vader, I don't you think you understand the situation-ugh," the Vice Admiral on the other end started to say before beginning to choke.
"The Empire doesn't need officers who can't recognize their superiors," Vader stated, before looking to someone to Tower's side. "You, I've seen with Yularen on Coruscant."
"Yes, my lord, Imperial Security Bureau Assistant Director Garrick Versio," the man in the white uniform confirmed, even as he was distracted by the sight of Tower choking.
"Do you acknowledge my authority, Assistant Director?" Vader asked as the sound of Tower's neck collapsing under pressure echoed across his bridge.
"Yes, my lord, I will ensure everyone follows your instructions," Versio confirmed, trying to sound calm even as he was baffled by what had just happened.
"Ensign Phennir, good work," Vader stated, and the fighter pilot thanked the Sith Lord as the viewscreen shut off. Having heard their orders, the crew began their descent into the atmosphere.
Korra and Mako were joined by Boba Fett and five Imperials, four stormtroopers and one scout trooper, that she had managed to heal earlier. They were hiding behind a small barrier Korra had erected, while Fett got his jetpack ready. An outlet to the reservoir underground had been opened so that Korra would have a steady supply to bend. As the Amanin rolled forward, Korra sent forth a wave of Earthbending to overturn them and knock the natives on their backs. It succeeded, and the stormtroopers swiftly gunned the disoriented Amanin down. Mako saw an Amanin with grenades, and hit it with a lightning bolt, blowing it and the ones around to bits. Fett fired one of his rockets and then picked up what he called a disruptor rifle. Firing, the shot ripped through three Amanin and disintegrated them into piles of ash.
Seeing another group of Amanin, Korra Waterbent a significant amount in front of the enemy, and turned it to ice. The Amanin quickly slipped and fell, to which Korra unleashed a massive blast of Airbending, sending them flying backward twenty feet. Rebending the ice into water, she reshaped it into a swarm of icicles, sending them hailing down on the crowd of Amanin, skewering them. Seeing a swarm of blaster shots fired her way, Mako bent a shield of fire around himself and her, causing the blaster bolts to dissipate into nothing. The scout trooper jumped forward and tossed a grenade back at its sender. Her four friends quickly gunned down the Amanin about to flank the scout.
As the scout trooper jumped behind the wall, Korra advanced, her eyes glowing with the Avatar state. She sent forth a massive blast of fire, enough to envelope a hundred Amanin, and a great wave of water that knocked back fifty more. After this brief use of the Avatar state, Korra ripped out a long plate from a speeder with Metalbending, and sent it flying into the Amanin like a sharp disc, cutting them apart. Mako sent forth many more fireballs against the Amanin trying to flank his lover. Fett jetpacked closer and fired on more while in the air. The five stormtroopers charged as well. One of them got close to Korra, and a wall of rock erupted from the ground. Korra created a tornado, lifting the Amanin off the ground, and allowing her new squad to shoot them. Soon, all was quiet, and they heard over the comm that the Amanin had stopped.
"Thanks for remembering us, Ma'am," one of the stormtroopers said.
"If you mean that wall, that wasn't me," Korra replied, who then had an idea. "Soldier, what's your name?"
"Corporal LaRone, Ma'am," he answered.
"Corporal, could you move your hands, like this?" she gestured. He did, and a piece of rock went flying off into the distance.
"I did that?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes, it looks like you are now an Earthbender," Korra smiled, before hearing a message over the comm that Koko Partagaz was injured. Despite feeling a bit tired from the battle, Korra made her way to the young communications specialist as fast as she could. Unsurprisingly, her companion Jonah was by her side, looking worried as he applied pressure to her injury. Summoning water to her, Korra treated Koko's burn, which looked more like it was firebent than shot with a blaster. Before that thought could continue, however, everyone heard a strange rumbling. Looking above, Korra and Mako saw a gargantuan, light gray craft, shaped like a dagger, with two square-shaped openings in the bottom three large engines glowing blue on the back as it descended from the atmosphere. At that moment, great green blasts erupted out of it, hitting the Amanin positions and obliterating them. As black, fast-moving aircraft flew out of it with a loud screaming sound, firing their own green blasts at any Amanin remaining, the garrison cheered.
"Phennir actually did it," Sunber said in disbelief. As the ship, the others told Korra and Mako it was called a star destroyer, flew past them, another craft exited it and flew toward Ziering's Drift. It soon landed and Krennic walked in front of the other Imperials, with his Death Troopers by his side. The shuttle soon extended its ramp and out walked the one person no one was expecting.
"Lord Vader," Krennic almost sputtered in surprise. "I appreciate you coming to our aid but I didn't know you were in this part of the galaxy. There is information that Agent Kallus and I have gathered in regards to this rebellion."
"Namada is on the Devastator, she will be handling the debriefing, Director Krennic," Vader said in a direct and to the point manner. "The Eviscerator will be providing assistance to you and work toward securing this planet. None of that is why I came." As the Sith Lord moved forward, the other Imperials quickly got out of his way, but Vader stopped in front of Korra and Mako. Korra gulped in uncertainty, she knew she couldn't fight her way out of this but it remained to be seen what Vader wanted.
"It has been a long time since I encountered someone from your world, young Avatar, and Firebender," he stated. "I hope we can come to a better resolution than your predecessor."
Hope you all enjoyed Korra and Mako's first battle in Star Wars. For those of you wondering who set up Krennic, you will learn in a future chapter. As for the Imperials gaining bending, that will also tie into the story, soon. For those of you who don't realize, I'm basing the two cadets off Jonah and Koko from Jormungand. Some of you might wonder why Korra and Mako helped the Imperials so quickly. The first reason is, they are the only ones that could be friends that the couple can see at the moment. The second is that the Amanin are ugly alien savages, so our heroes don't trust them. Third, Korra's maternal instinct is kicking in and overriding the rest.