This chapter will be mostly about how Korra and Mako come to join the Empire as opposed to just help one garrison of it. In addition to the typical fear and uncertainty that motivates them, Korra's greatest flaw will also play a massive role. Italicized is a vision or flashback.
As Vader looked upon the young woman and man in front of him, she felt somewhat familiar to him. Both she and her companion were wearing the armor of the standard army trooper. Given her skin tone and eye color, she was presumably a Water Tribal, if he remembered the divisions of her homeworld correctly. She seemed somewhat hopeful before him but was still ready to fight. Her companion, presumably a Firebender given his own eye and skin color, was visibly nervous but Vader could still feel his willingness to fight. Given how close he was standing to the Avatar, the Sith Lord could tell it was more than just devotion that motivated him but love.
"You must be Lord Vader," she said with only a slight hint of fear. "I am Avatar Korra of the Southern Water Tribe."
"And I am Detective Mako of Republic City," the Firebender stated. Vader knew immediately they couldn't be treated the same way as the Inquisitors. The dark side using agents had deliberately limited knowledge and were kept under control through terror and their own lack of strength. In addition, they competed with each other for greater power, limiting the possibility of alliances. This made them rather easily dealt with when they overreached. Vader doubted either Korra or Mako had such a weakness. They would have to be handled much more carefully.
"Is there a place we can speak privately?" Vader asked.
"Yes," Korra agreed. Vader nodded to Krennic and the other two officers, while relief shuttles landed from the Devastator and Eviscerator. Assistant Director Namada had also come down and had begun hearing the report of the local ISB Agent. Vader could sense the apprehension from the entire garrison as he went to meet with the strange allies who had saved them. After a moment, the couple led him to the room where they were sleeping. Atop the mattress were two sets of clothes, that looked more like what they would have worn on their homeworld. Reaching out with the Force, Vader could tell that the two of them were hopeful that he would help them but were still ready to fight. Then he noticed a bit of fear but not for themselves, necessarily.
"So, I've heard a lot of things about the Obsidian Knight, as you are called, but the thing that stood out was what my parents said of you," Korra started. "Mom and Dad said you saved them when no one else did before warning them about my uncle." After a moment, Vader realized why she seemed familiar.
"I recall the pregnant couple in need," Vader said, and then sensed something within Korra that gave him a suspicion. "It appears that history repeats itself, given the child within you." Korra and Mako's surprised reaction confirmed his hypothesis, as well as the shifting of the unborn child the Force let him sense.
"How did you-" "The Force gives me great insight," Vader cut off the Firebender. "Perhaps you could learn that insight, yourselves."
"Well, that sounds interesting but right now, we'd like to get home," Korra said, trying to regain control of the conversation. "My dad's pledge still stands, and if you help the Avatar and her soon-to-be-husband get home," Korra smiled at her lover as he wrapped his right arm around her, "people will be a lot more inclined to hear your side of the story. It's not like Unalaq is that trusted a source, now."
"Unalaq is your father's brother, isn't he?" Vader asked.
"Yeah, he killed Grandpa Arlaq and blamed you for it," Korra reminded him. "Dad also wants to thank you for warning him. Unalaq was just as much trouble for him as you thought, and an even bigger problem for the world. I had to kill him, and Dad's the chief of the South, now."
"Good," Vader replied. "Can you tell me how you came here?"
"Unalaq had some pawns that outlasted him," Mako explained. "They had a second crystal and used it on us. That's how we wound up, here. But the crystal's back in the Earth Kingdom. I don't think our friends have it."
"It is almost unfortunate that you were not taken by pirates or slavers, off your world," Vader replied, to their surprise. "I have been attempting to find a more...conventional way to the world of elemental nations for almost eight years. But navigating the stars is a tricky thing. I have a general idea of where 'Elementia,' as my master and I call it, is, but not a route to it."
"And a kidnapper would know such a route," Mako realized.
"Don't you still have the crystal you took when you...killed Aang?" Korra asked, clearly uncomfortable at acknowledging how he'd killed her predecessor.
"It is with my master, the Emperor, but the energy it once held is gone," Vader answered. "If you were expecting an easy way home, I am sorry to disappoint you."
"So, what happens now?" Korra asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"For now, the Emperor wishes to meet you," the Sith Lord replied. "My shuttle is waiting, and you will receive all the amenities a guest of the Emperor is due."
"That doesn't exactly sound like a request," Korra noted.
"Emperor Palpatine is always concerned when something new appears," Vader answered. "And given your current circumstances, finding new allies is the best thing you can hope for. Of course, you are free to stay on this planet, and I'm sure that your allies here will help pay for a ticket to a more civilized world. Or perhaps one of the Bounty Hunters will offer to partner with you in his business." Mako stayed silent for a moment, as did Korra. They didn't know anything about this Empire that Vader served. If it wasn't for the fact the Amanin would have killed them alongside the garrison, they might have tried to stay out of the battle until learning more. They also didn't know exactly what Vader or his Emperor wanted with them.
But then they thought of what they did know. They were in an entirely new world so alien it was hard to even imagine on their homeworld. They knew nothing about the technology or society these people lived with, just as these people had never even heard of bending before now. And, as far as they knew, it could be years before they found their way home. With two children on the way, neither was willing to take the risk of going into this world alone. After a moment, they agreed to Vader's offer and followed him back to the shuttle. They'd put their own clothes back on and handed the armor back to Terrik but he declined, saying they'd earned it. After their new friends thanked them and wished them luck on meeting the Emperor, they took off and boarded the Devastator.
Korra was wide-eyed with wonder when she took her first steps onto the Star Destroyer, even more than when she first arrived in Republic City. When she looked out the window into outer space, Mako shared her amazement. When the ship jumped to hyperspace, they were baffled until a TIE Pilot walked up to them.
"We have gone to lightspeed," he told them. "Distances between livable worlds can be so great, that we must go faster than light itself."
"So, how long would it take to get to where we are going, without lightspeed?" Korra asked.
"we're headed to Coruscant," the pilot answered. "At lightspeed, it will be just a day. Without it, almost ten thousand years." After a moment of shock, Mako replied.
"I'm hoping years for you are measured differently than years for us," the Firebender replied. After a moment of confusion, the golden-haired pilot responded.
"Maybe," he said, before saluting them. "I forgot for a moment you were from a different world. Thanks for keeping my pals alive until help came. I am Ensign Turr Phenirr and I salute you, Auxiliaries Mako and Korra. Just as I thank Lord Vader for remembering we are people, not resources."
"You're welcome, Ensign," Korra saluted back, wondering why he thanked Darth Vader in such a way. "When will your friends be joining us on Coruscant?"
"They will be heading to a different base for their debriefing," Phennir replied. "Probably Carida." Before the conversation could continue, a droid of a different model than KayBee walked up and greeted them. He was a medical droid, a 2-1B model, as it was called, and Vader had ordered that he give Korra an examination.
"Thank you but I'm just fine," Korra replied.
"Lord Vader informed me of your pregnancy, this is why he ordered that I make the examination," the droid replied. After a moment, Korra followed the droid to the medical bay. Unknown to them, Vader was observing through one of the security cameras. He had ordered she be given this care as part of his ongoing effort to gain her trust. He saw how surprised both her and Mako were when they learned what an ultrasound machine was. Most of the time, the ones on Star Destroyers were used to find imbedded shrapnel or parasites within a patient, but were still capable of performing their traditional role. After a little hesitation, Korra lifted her shirt for the sake of the scanner.
As Vader saw them cry in joy at the first sight of their children through the monitor, he thought back to a time when he believed he would become a father. He would have done whatever necessary to protect his children and their mother but as much as he loved Padme, she was too selfish and put her own ridiculous beliefs in democracy before all else. Vader accepted that he should have been more patient with her but if she had put their children first, they would be Emperor and Empress today, not the Palpatine. Hopefully, Korra and Mako would be far more reasonable than Padme.
As Korra and Mako were shown to their quarters on the voyage, Korra couldn't help but stare at the picture the scanner had taken of her children. She and Mako might not have their family and friends with them here, but no one else on their world had ever managed to see their baby before it was even born. After the two of them looked at their temporary quarters, they saw the instructions on how to use the shower. Apparently, on ships, it was more common to use soundwaves as opposed to water. The thing was, the instructions were in a language that neither had ever seen. After asking a crewman for help understanding them, they thanked the helpful sailor and went in the shower. Language was just another thing the two of them would need to learn while they were here.
Before the two of them turned in, Korra decided to do what she hadn't had the opportunity to do since arriving on Maridun: meditate. Jinora had been able to speak to her and Kai over long distances through meditation, and perhaps Korra could do the same to them, as well. She might not be able to get back to them but she could at least let them know she was alright. She should hide how the Obsidian Knight was helping her, though.
Korra was back in Republic City Park, specifically where the Spirit Vines hadn't overrun it. She saw Jinora, whose head was shaved and now had Airbender tattoos. Korra rushed up to the younger girl but ran right through her, and no one noticed her.
"Jinora, I'm here!" she yelled. But Jinora didn't hear. In fact, no one seemed to see or hear her. Then she saw Tenzin standing atop a podium, in front of many reporters. His family and all her friends, save her parents, were sitting behind him.
"Councilor Tenzin, what do you have to say regarding the Red Lotus conspiracy?" one of the reporters asked.
"That it is currently being investigated but that we are confident that its leader, Zaheer, cannot escape his new prison," Tenzin said. Korra was a little surprised, she knew that capital punishment was no longer practiced in most countries but the Earth Kingdom still did so. That, along with all that Zaheer and the Red Lotus had done to Tenzin personally, and she half expected to hear that he was dead, if only because his former captives had lost their temper.
"Sir, what do you have to say about the Avatar's disappearance?" asked another reporter.
"The Red Lotus, through unknown means, somehow made Avatar Korra disappear," Tenzin continued. "She is not dead, and we assume that she is trapped in an unknown realm of the Spirit World. Myself and the White Lotus are doing everything in our power to bring her back."
"Councilor Tenzin, what are your thoughts on the situation in the Earth Kingdom?" another reporter questioned. "There are now three new claimants to the throne, and twelve provinces have declared independence." Oh, so that's why Zaheer hadn't been executed. There was no ruler of the Earth Kingdom, so there was no Earther justice for Zaheer to be sentenced to.
"We are sending aid to various refugees, and have begun reaching through diplomatic-" "When will the Avatar be back?" Tenzin was interrupted. "Who will stabilize the Earth Kingdom?" "Will the Avatar return in time to stop a civil war from breaking out?" As that, and dozens of similar questions were leveled at Tenzin, Korra could see her old Airbending Master start to crack. That was strange, she knew he had his breaking point, but it usually took more than a few nosy reporters to do so.
"Avatar Korra and Detective Mako are trapped in another world, and we don't know when they will be back!" Tenzin snapped, surprising the journalists. "Right now, they have to worry about themselves, and we need to take care of things without them!" After that outburst, Lin dragged Tenzin off the stage and said that they would receive more information at a later date. Korra, however, was too stunned to move. Had Tenzin, her favorite teacher and a second father to her, just said that she wasn't needed? She sat in park for some time, trying to communicate somehow, and for a moment, it looked like Kai might have noticed her, before walking away.
"So, the Avatar isn't needed?" said a voice close by. Korra turned to see a pair of reporters talking between themselves.
"Guess not," the second replied. "You know, I heard they're making a statue in tribute to her, over here."
"Well, if the Avatar isn't needed anymore, it's only fitting they erect a memorial, even if she is still alive like Tenzin's convincing himself," the first joked back. At that moment, Korra felt the urge to scream and rip this jerk's head off for his attitude. This wasn't a vision, it was a nightmare. Everyone had decided the Avatar wasn't needed, she couldn't affect her world, or even be seen in it. Without the Avatar, what was she?
"Korra, what's wrong?" she heard as she exited her meditation. In front of her was Mako, staring into her with those golden eyes she loved so much. Realizing she was hyperventilating, she calmed down and hugged her boyfriend.
"I didn't get home, I had a nightmare," Korra told him and herself. "I'm...just worried what our friends, Bolin, and my parents are going through without us." Mako could tell there was more to it than that, but he knew she needed reassurance.
"I'm worried about them, too," Mako replied, thinking of his brother. "But they are strong, and they'll be on guard against Zaheer and his pals from now on. They won't give up on us, as long as a new Avatar isn't born." He paused before staring down to her belly. "We need to focus on what we can do," he said, placing his hand on her womb. "Our children need us in the moment. They are the only ones we can help, right now." Korra smiled back at him. Now that he had his priorities straight, Mako was the perfect boyfriend: he was handsome, strong, loving, supportive, loyal, occasionally funny, and knew how to say the right things whenever she needed it. As the two of them snuggled up in their bunk, one of his arms wrapped around her chest and the other around her belly, Korra smiled. She knew Mako loved her, not the Avatar. And with motherhood on the horizon, maybe she could learn to have a life outside of being the Avatar.
As they rode in Darth Vader's shuttle down to Coruscant, they sat alongside Director Krennic and Agent Kallus. Both Mako and Korra heard the whole world was one huge city but they were surprised by just how literal that description was.
"What do you eat here?" Mako asked when he saw the giant city. "Nothing grows and there's no surface water. How is life even possible?"
"I often wondered that myself, growing up here," Kallus noted. "There are a series of machines that filter the air and water, since the plants that once did so are long dead. The food comes from a variety of different worlds, some close, some far."
"How long has it been like this?" Korra wondered.
"Too long to know exactly when the great city started construction," Krennic answered. "The further down you go, the more lawless and decrepit it becomes. The first hundred or so levels, as in, from the planet's surface going up, are completely unlivable, packed with ancient trash and toxic fumes, with only degenerate mutants living down there." After hearing another strange story of this bizarre world they found themselves in, Mako decided to ask what the two of them would do now.
"First, we will make our report to the ISB headquarters about our experiences," Kallus replied, before turning to Korra. "Then, I will try to learn of these new powers you've given me."
"As will I," Krennic replied, as he had learned he was now a Firebender. "Assuming that my work will allow me to do so. Nonetheless, I would greatly appreciate any instruction you might have to give on this."
"I'd be happy to help you and the others whose bending I unlocked," Korra replied. "Also, I realized something: you were so loud about making sure Agent Kallus's work succeeded so that everyone would know their commander was confident of survival."
"There's hope for you in command yet, Auxiliary Korra," Krennic smiled back as they touched down at the Imperial Palace. "Good luck with the Emperor." After Korra and Mako said goodbye to their new friends, they followed Darth Vader into the palace, past various officials in purple robes, along with people in olive green uniforms. In addition to the stormtroopers, there were also many Red robed guards with pikes standing at various positions. They must be the royal guards. As they got on the elevator, Vader turned to them.
"The Emperor is a wise and effective ruler who brought almost the entire galaxy under one flag when no one thought such a thing was possible," Vader said. "He did all of this while ending the worst war in a thousand years. That success has earned him many enemies, and assassination attempts. Most of them came to nothing but several came exceptionally close to succeeding. His body still has the scars of those attacks."
"Well, Fire Lord Zuko has a pretty nasty burn on his face but everyone knows he's a hero," Mako replied. "I'm sure we can handle whatever happened to Emperor Palpatine." As Mako said that, the elevator opened and they walked out to a large office, with a giant window overlooking the city. There was solid metal swivel chair facing outward, to its side was what Korra had heard was called a holoprojector, showing a horned alien holding a staff. As the transmission faded, the chair swiveled back. Sitting on it was an older man in a plain black cloak, whose hooded face was unnaturally wrinkled, with piercing gold eyes.
"Welcome, young Avatar, I've been expecting you," he said in a rasping voice.
"I thank you for your hospitality, your highness," Korra replied, not sure whether to kneel or not. She and Mako were somewhat unnerved by the emperor's appearance and voice but it wasn't something the ruler could help. Still, she didn't entirely trust him
"It is the least I can do for two young heroes who saved so many of my soldiers," he complimented them. "I am looking forward to meeting the people who have molded the two of you into the heroes you are, today."
"Hopefully, their meeting with you will go better than when they met Lord Vader," Mako said, also somewhat wary of the old man. "Can we see the crystal that he brought back from our world?" At that, the emperor smiled and extended his hand. A crystal came out of the desk in front of him and floated toward the Avatar and her lover. "You are like Lord Vader?" a surprised Mako asked.
"I am his teacher," Palpatine answered. "It is why he calls me Master." As the crystal floated into Korra's hands, she reluctantly grasped it, and nothing happened. "Sadly, the energy that transports people across the stars has been expended from it. Still, I have scouts looking for your world in the general area of where it would be, so I am sure we will find it."
"What exactly will the Empire do when it is found?" Mako asked, deciding now was the time to learn more about the Galactic Empire.
"The original plan was for Lord Vader to reach out to your father, and begin diplomatic discussions from there," Palpatine stated, having been briefed about her beforehand. "I think your friendship can speed up that process. Speaking of which, I think it is time that we start teaching you more about our galaxy and how to find your way within it. In addition, I think that you should have a safe haven to relax and prepare for those children I hear you are having."
"That is extremely generous of you," Korra said, thinking back to when another ruler offered her gifts in the hopes of her validating his actions. Maybe it was just his appearance but Palpatine seemed much more untrustworthy than Tarrlock. Still, if he was as corrupt as the councilor of Republic City, she was in a far worse position with Palpatine. She had managed to defeat Tarrlock before he revealed his unique Bloodbending ability, and, if anything, Palpatine was far stronger than Tarrlock. Instead, she decided to try to ingratiate herself with him. "But I'd rather not be a burden. There must be something we can do for you in return." After a moment, Palpatine responded.
"Several of your friends on Maridun have developed powers like yours," the elder Sith replied. "I would appreciate it if you could teach them how to use them."
"Of course," Mako answered. "I can teach them Firebending, and Korra can teach the rest." After looking to Korra, she agreed.
"Excellent," Palpatine said, before looking to Vader. "Carida is already one of our top academies, and the last of a wealthy family there just died without a will. The Tower family grounds will do quite well as a training center for your students, and a home for you in this difficult time."
After Korra and Mako left the throne room, Palpatine looked to Vader. "Are you absolutely sure of what you reported before, Lord Vader?"
"I am sure, Master," the armored Sith confirmed. "The Benders of Elementia do not draw on either the light or the dark. Their morals are their own, and neither the lure of the dark or the will of the light has any bearing on them."
"We do not make a habit of creating rivals, Vader," Darth Sidious said to his apprentice. "Yet, I suspect that, when she begins to learn more of the Empire, Korra and her lover will need to learn the ways of the Sith to remain with it."
"I suspect that she has already begun to realize the truth our code teaches, as well as the reality of what rulership should entail," Vader stated. "Mako is devoted to her, and only her. He will follow her if it means protecting the family they have made together."
"And what if learning bending stokes the ambitions of our subordinates?" Sidious asked.
"I handled the greatest masters of their world, together, they won't be able to challenge us," Vader reassured his master. After a moment, Sidious agreed to Vader's proposal but warned it would be his mess to clean up if things went wrong.
Korra and Mako settled into the mansion on Carida, where the droid, KayBee, had been assigned. Their first students were Agent Alexander Kallus, Private Jonah Martin, Warrant Officer Koko Partagaz, and hundreds of other Imperials who Korra had healed on Maridun, including Corporal LaRone. Director Krennic would have come, but his duties elsewhere, classified as they were, meant he couldn't attend in person most of the time. Instead, he would learn by holocall, with Mako occasionally going in person to instruct him. One day, before he flew back to Carida, he asked if Krennic's guards were really called Death Troopers.
"It is easier than saying their official name: Military Intelligence Special Operations Stormtroopers," Krennic replied. "When they are not guarding people like me, they are securing vital resources from behind the lines or extracting VIPs."
"Okay, just wondering, so Orson," Mako said, using the director's name to address him as a student. "You are progressing rather well, just like Jonah, but you need to be more patient in your technique. The last time you bent, you almost lost control. You don't want to wind up like Admiral Zhao."
"Who is that?" Krennic asked upon hearing of the historical Firebender.
"Early in Avatar Aang's journey to end the Hundred Year War," Mako began, as all the students had been instructed in a basic history of his and Korra's world. "Aang had two main enemies: Prince Zuko and Admiral Zhao. Zuko was a disgraced teenager living in exile while Zhao was an experienced, middle-aged officer in the Fire Navy. According to Aang's own journal, Zuko was the greater threat, for two reasons: the first was that Zuko was far more responsible with his bending than Zhao. The second was that, while Zuko was fighting to regain his people's acceptance, Zhao was fighting for his own self-aggrandizement."
"I take it that these two Firebenders didn't get along," Krennic concluded.
"No, in fact, because Zhao was unwilling to share the glory of catching the Avatar, and Zuko had such a personal investment in this, they outright sabotaged each other's efforts, on at least one occasion to the point of attempted murder," Mako continued. With that, Krennic seemed to have a thought but said nothing as the younger man continued with the history lesson. "There is only one case where Aang personally fought Zhao: the Avatar used the admiral's recklessness against him, and Zhao sank his own battleship, literally. As for Zhao against Zuko, they fought twice. The first time was a sanctioned duel, which he lost even though he was theoretically the more experienced fighter, to which he tried to attack the victor while his back was turned out of frustration. The second time, it was spur of the moment and there were no rules. Zuko had been battered by an explosion, almost drowned in freezing water, and smacked around twice by a Waterbending Master to the point of unconsciousness before this fight. Zhao went into this fight fresh, and he still lost."
"Well, I'm not one to destroy my own resources because an enemy is close by," Krennic replied. "And given how incompetent he was from the way you describe, I'm guessing that Zuko killed Zhao in their second fight."
"Not quite, before that fight, Zhao had decided to invade the Northern Water Tribe, where Aang was at that point," Mako answered. "His grand strategy for winning the battle was to kill the Moon and Ocean spirits in order to deprive the Waterbenders of their power. Even when literally everyone around him told him it was a terrible idea that would wreak havoc on the Fire Nation as well as everyone else, he still went through with the plan, killing the Moon spirit. The moon was brought back through a force connection too complicated to explain right now, but before that happened, the enraged Ocean spirit empowered Aang, resulting in the single greatest military disaster in our world's history as the two of them annihilated Zhao's fleet." After pausing to catch his breath, Mako finished the story. "After Zuko defeated Zhao and the moon was restored, the Ocean spirit grabbed the admiral and dragged him beneath the waves. His body is long dead, but his soul is trapped in a part of the spirit world where especially evil humans are punished endlessly for their sacrilege."
"I keep forgetting that the gods of your world aren't just a matter of faith, for the two of you," Krennic replied, after hearing the tale. "Zhao reminds me of Grand Moff Tarkin."
"That old guy we saw talking to Vader and Palpatine on holocall?" Mako asked.
"Tarkin sees anyone of equal standing as a rival to be screwed over," the director said. "He has frequently tried to steal...my work from me. Others he has felt threatened by have had their careers ended, one way or another. If he doesn't feel threatened by the work you and Korra are doing, he soon will. It makes me think of another thing."
"What is that?" Mako asked rather intrigued.
"The house you're in on Carida," Krennic said. "It belonged to an admiral named Griggor Tower. A fool with money older than that Sozin you told us of."
"So, he's basically an idiot royal who inherited his position," Mako concluded.
"Yes, and unlike Tarkin, he didn't even have the low cunning needed to hold onto his position," the director continued. "He was heading to an inquiry that would decide if he would stay in the navy at all. Then, for no apparent reason, he takes his star destroyer to the edge of its patrol zone, and sets a course for Maridun, before Ensign Phennir made it onboard his ship and explained our plight. When he made it to orbit, he was preparing to fire on everything within a hundred miles around Ziering's Drift. After all, we're just common soldiers, easily replaced just like our equipment, according to blue blooded fools like Tower." Mako was shocked, the Empire had officers that treated their forces so casually? "Thankfully, Lord Vader arrived, and ended Tower's career, along with his life. Which is why you are living in his house."
"So that's why Phennir was so grateful to Vader," Mako mused to himself. "How could Vader just kill an admiral?"
"As long as he can see you, Vader can kill you," Krennic answered. "As for how he was never reprimanded for it, Darth Vader is the Executor of the Galactic Empire. That means he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, if he thinks it's in the empire's best interest. Only the emperor can overrule him, and that almost never happens." After a moment, Mako asked why Krennic had linked Tarkin to Tower.
"Is he on the board that was judging Tower?" Mako asked.
"No but he has a lot of influence over those that are," Krennic answered. "Tarkin has never been particularly attached to the lives of others throughout his life, and from what I can gather, his default tactic for any given problem is overwhelming force. There was a time when I would have thought that was the best solution for many of the threats plaguing the Empire but you and Korra have shown me there are other ways to handle such problems. After all, not everything requires a hammer." After pausing for a moment, Krennic thanked Mako for his time, and promised to practice what Mako had taught him. Mako, for his part, had to wonder if they had a new enemy in the Empire. He and Korra had met several Imperials of rank. They had been polite but it was clear that many of them resented a pair of 'children' as they were called being given such privilege. Could their resentment turn murderous? He should ask that new colonel Korra had made an Earthbender if that was the case.
Korra smiled at her students performing their next Earthbending move. They, including the new commander of Corporals Felth and Soot, the later becoming a Waterbender. The AT-AT commander, Colonel Veers, complimented her for her brilliant instruction. While she accepted their claims of her being a brilliant Waterbending teacher, she refused the accolades of regarding her instruction of other elements. Instead, Korra said that Kuvira was the best Earthbending, and especially Metalbending, instructor anyone could ever ask for, while Mako was the best at teaching Firbending, and Tenzin at Airbending.
"Well until we help you get home, you are the best we have, Captain," Veers said, using the title given to junior instructors that had been bestowed on Korra.
"And guys like you, Fel, and Kallus are the best at teaching us how to use everything here," Korra replied with a smile. Indeed, the AT-AT commander, the TIE instructor, and the ISB Agent were in charge of schooling her and Mako in the various things they would need to make their way through the galaxy. "Something I'll be doing a lot more of, since I'm taking a break from intense training for a bit," she said, looking down at her eight-month pregnancy bump. She sighed to herself, she wanted her parents, Tenzin and Family, Lin, Bolin, Asami, and the rest of their friends like Kuvira and the Metal Clan here but hopefully, when they saw what she had to worry about, they would understand why she had worked with Darth Vader.
Honestly, however, working for Vader hadn't been so bad. While he wasn't overly friendly, he was respectful and had never lied to them. She knew this from a conversation they had two months earlier.
"What is it that you do for the Empire exactly, Lord Vader?" Korra had asked.
"I am the Executor of the Emperor's will," Vader replied. "I do whatever is required to maintain order and stability throughout the Empire. Sometimes that is unpopular, sometimes it is even cruel, but all of it is necessary."
"What are the problems you have to face?" she asked.
"That depends on the day," Vader replied. "Some days, it is pirates from Hutt Space or elsewhere who think that, if they get over the border before I can catch them, they are free to steal from us. I demonstrate how mistaken they are. Other times, there are worlds that believe they are above the obligations of being part of the empire. I remind them this is not the case, and they call me evil when their populace suffers." Korra didn't know what to say to that.
"Is it necessary to hurt civilians for what their governments do?" Korra asked.
"Not always but given how these governments frequently attempt war when I threaten their pride, smashing through their cities is often a result, regardless of our plans," Vader replied.
"What about negotiation?" Mako asked, arriving in their conversation.
"Even before I donned this mask, I found negotiation to be a questionable exercise," Vader replied. "There were many times when my friends and myself would either have to guard ambassadors or act as such. The meetings always ended the same: either things would break down, or it was a trap from the beginning, at which point I'd have to clean up the mess I was told diplomacy would prevent."
"Why do you think that happened, so many times?" Korra asked.
"The first was pride, they would rather die than give away something they possessed," Vader answered. "The second and most important was fear, or a lack of it. The Republic that men such as Tarkin, Krennic, Palpatine, myself, and so many others had served thought that understanding and compassion would make people cooperate. Instead, it showed weakness to be taken advantage of. Had more people feared us, and the consequences of our enmity, they would have been far more accommodating." There was a time when Korra would have been horrified by such an idea. But then she remembered how the Earth Queen hadn't feared her, tried to take advantage of her accommodating attitude, and tried to kill the Avatar rather than accept she'd never abandon the Airbenders. Perhaps fear did have its place. Of course, she hadn't heard much of the Galactic Republic that the Empire had replaced, and less of the Jedi Order that had been purged for treason.
"Speaking of Tarkin, Director Krennic-" "Krennic and Tarkin have accused each other of many things over the years," Vader cut off Mako. "Tower was an idiot who didn't understand who was in charge. I have already spoken with Namada, there is no record of Tarkin speaking with Tower over holocall, and they were too far away for Tarkin to have personally met with Tower. Unless you have more direct evidence, you should keep your suspicions of Tarkin to yourself." After a moment, Vader looked over to Korra. "But we've gotten off track. There is one, far more common type of enemy I have to face."
"What sort of enemy?" Korra asked.
"Rebels," Vader answered. "They frequently quarrel with each other in addition to opposing the Empire. But in truth, they have more in common than they would like to admit."
"How so?" Mako asked.
"All of them are chasing an impossible paradise," Vader said. "Sometimes that paradise is from myth, sometimes part of a past they are nostalgic for, and sometimes it is a vague promise about the future. The result is the same: all Rebels are fanatics who would burn the world they have down if given the chance, in the hope of achieving an impossible dream." Both Mako and Korra nodded at that. The Equalists, some of Unalaq's minions, and the Red Lotus all fell under that description. To say nothing of the various fools in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation who wanted to go back to the days of Sozin or before the Hundred Year War. Hopefully, they wouldn't have too much success in the Avatar's absence.
After Vader left, Korra learned exactly why Mako was suspicious of Tarkin. At that moment, Korra knew she would have to elevate their position in the Empire. None of her enemies had hesitated to threaten their families to extort them before, and from what Mako and Korra had heard, Tarkin would be no different. They wouldn't take the chance he'd have mercy on babies. It was one of the reasons why, at their request, KayBee was retasked as the head of their family's security. The droid was as incorruptible as he was funny, after all.
"Thank you for all that you have done for my family," said Major Willem Partagaz of the Imperial Security Bureau to Mako. "Jonah is finally becoming the man I knew he could be, and Koko's new...Waterbending has only strengthened her as well."
"The honor is mine for teaching such a bright young man like Jonah," Mako replied. "If it is alright, I would like to ask a personal question."
"You may," the older intelligence officer replied.
"How did Jonah come to be adopted into your family?" Mako asked.
"Jonah had a hard life," Partagaz noted. "His homeworld of Qree was, for many generations, under the control of a vicious cult called the Order of the Terrible Glare. Eventually, they tried to spread their beliefs beyond their planet, but Lord Vader thwarted their first attacks and we invaded. The Martins worked as teachers, and their work made them enemies of the state. They were murdered and Jonah fled onto the streets, stealing to survive." Mako sadly remembered how he and Bolin struggled after the murder of their own parents.
"Was he rescued by the Imperial liberation?" Mako asked.
"Sadly, no," Partagaz replied. "Jonah was taken along with many other children by the Glarers, as we've taken to calling them. They were fed endless lies about how they would bring the glare to the entire galaxy and would be rewarded in the afterlife. Jonah, and other children around the same age, were given weapons, or just had bombs strapped to them, and told to charge Imperial guns in the hopes us civilized being would hesitate long enough to be killed. These children were frequently given alcohol to make them more willing to charge to their deaths." After a moment of processing the horror, Mako replied.
"Last month, I was at the main academy, here," the Firebender said. "I overheard one of the instructors berating a recruit for not shooting a target with a child's face, saying he had to be willing to kill anyone."
"Well, now you know why he said that," Partagaz noted sadly. "Jonah managed to escape, along with many other orphans, but they were taken by a Zygerrian slave trader. Jonah managed to impress the slaver with his fighting skills and the Zygerrian cut a deal with him: half of the children would be released onto Alderaan, while the other dozen would remain captive. Jonah would stay on the Zygerrian's private assassin, and the other children would remain captive, with one being released every year that the Qreenan stayed on. The Zygerrian, named D'Nar, frequently showered Jonah with gifts to make him more pliable but to his credit, young Martin didn't fall for them, and outright refused several of the pleasures he was offered."
"How did he manage to meet you?" asked Mako.
"Six months into Jonah's service, the slaver took Koko shortly after she left school," Partagaz answered. "D'Nar wanted me to help him past Imperial patrols, to worlds no Zygerrian has set foot on, much less raided, in seven hundred years, and he'd taken steps to ensure I couldn't call for help. What he didn't count on was Koko. Jonah was frequently guarding her, and she reached out to him. After a few days, Jonah was more than interested in helping her and turned on D'Nar. After killing the Zygerrian, he was injured but Koko managed to contact me and I was able to rescue her and the other kids."
"What happened next?" asked Mako.
"I helped Jonah get the care he would need, same with the other orphans," the ISB officer said. "Koko kept visiting him, and when he was well enough to leave, he asked to stay with her. I asked him why, and it proved a hypothesis of mine. Orphans who have had to struggle have a weakness for a compassionate upper class. Their lives have been hard, and when a boy or girl who lives far above them shows them kindness, they are utterly loyal to them, and frequently fall in love. A love that they never betray. Given his skills, strength, and loyalty, along with Koko feeling the same way, I couldn't bear to keep them apart." Mako thought on that, such a scenario was exactly how things had gone between him and Korra. He'd almost blown it but Korra had given him a second chance and he wouldn't blow it. "The only problem he had was that, given his background, he frequently mistrusts authority and defies it, even if it hurts him," Partagaz continued. "I can still see some of that, but in addition to teaching him Firebending, you've helped him overcome this tendency." At that moment, Koko herself barged in.
"Sorry, Dad, but your conversation has to wait," the pale-skinned, white-haired young Waterbender said before turning to her boyfriend's teacher. Mako heard that her mother was an Arkanian. "Mako, Korra's gone into labor." At that, Mako raced down the hall, seeing their students Ezra and Sabine helping Korra into the hospital bed.
After six hours of labor, Korra could finally hold her new son while Mako held their daughter. Her boy, Harou, had her blue eyes and tan skin but his daddy's face. He was perfect and she smiled as tears flowed from her eyes. Mako was just as enraptured by their daughter, Saria. She also looked like her mommy, with beautiful blue eyes and tan skin. Korra smiled as Mako leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Yes, this was wonderful. In addition, while she still missed her family and wished they could be here, being able to bring bending to a whole new people and teach it to them had given her immense respect. Sometimes, she felt that men like Veers, Jonah, Kallus, and Krennic had given her greater respect than the entire United Republic of Nations. When she returned, things would be perfect.
Then she remembered what her homeworld was actually like: filled with the fanatical and the greedy, and no shortage of idiots who didn't comply with her because she was young, or inexperienced, or "said it the wrong way," as they called her confident demeanor. On top of that, two of her greatest enemies had taken people she loved hostage to make her do what they wanted. The first tried to kill his hostage after Korra complied, and the second had planned to torture her to death while pregnant. There was no doubt someone else would try the same with her children.
Korra, Mako, or Lin couldn't always be there, she had long since realized how ineffective the White Lotus was, and as much as she loved them, she didn't think her parents, Tenzin and his family, Bolin, or Asami could protect Harou and Saria effectively. In fact, Tenzin and his family had been repeatedly taken hostage ever since she first started learning Airbending. After such a consistent display of weakness, she wouldn't entrust her children to them. As much as they trusted KayBee, Korra and Mako knew he wouldn't be enough. Which is why, after setting their children down, Korra went to Vader.
"Having Harou and Saria has made me realize something," Korra said. "I want to be like you. When I return to Elementia, I don't just want to be the Avatar. I want the power you have. I want everyone to know what happens if they defy me, or try to impose their ridiculous laws and authority on me."
"You want to be Sith," Vader replied. He hadn't explained much of what his and the emperor's order entailed but he had explained how it relied on fear to make others comply with them.
"As do I," Mako said. "I want them to be too afraid of what will happen if our children are ever endangered. For that to be the case, they know what happens to those who defy us." After a moment, Vader replied and said their first lesson would begin after the ceremony at the academy, tomorrow.
It had been over six months since Korra had disappeared. No one had heard anything, and the White Lotus's attempts to understand the shattered crystal had stalled. While Tonraq hadn't followed through with his threat of barring all Airbenders from the South Pole, Tenzin had even been able to visit his mother, they still knew it was best to avoid to avoid the Southern Water Chieftain until tempers on both sides cooled. That was when Jinora hit upon an idea. She would attempt to connect spiritually with Korra, like she had before and with Kai. She was still the most advanced in this ability, so she went into a trance in the hopes of finding Korra.
It was half an hour into the meditation that things went wrong. Jinora's pulse had become erratic and she'd started breathing frantically. As her parents, alongside her Aunt, Uncle, and Grandmother, tried and failed to awaken her, Kai decided to go into his own trance with Opal looking over him. He had been told he was far from ready but he'd connected with Jinora and he knew enough to know that, if Jinora didn't come back on her own, she might never return to her body.
"Foolish boy!" Otaku had exclaimed when he saw what was happening. "He has completely forgotten the risks we were warned of in regards to this."
"No, he hasn't," Opal retorted. "He just loves Jinora enough to risk it all." At that, Tenzin finally realized that it wasn't a simple crush between his daughter and the former thief. He genuinely loved her. Ten minutes after Kai went in, Jinora and Kai's eyes awoke screaming before collapsing from exhaustion immediately afterward.
Sometime later, Kai awoke to see Tenzin above him, at which point he frantically asked about Jinora.
"She's fine, Pema and Kya are with her now," Tenzin reassured him with more patience and compassion than Kai had ever received from the Air Nomad leader. "Thank you for saving her, you'll be able to see her in a few minutes. What happened in there, Kai?"
"I wish I knew, Sensei," Kai respectfully replied to the Airbending Master. "Hasn't Jinora told you?"
"She doesn't remember," Tenzin revealed. "Did you see Korra, Mako, or...Darth Vader?" Those there for Bolin's boast to Zaheer had yet to relate the story to anyone else.
"None, I saw something far more terrifying," Kai answered with a shudder.
Kai wasn't sure where he was. Looking around, he found himself in a large black room, with little lighting. He saw that everything in the room was made of the same polished metal. Looking to the windows, he saw nothing but stars.
Hearing a soft conversation, he turned and saw Jinora's soul, in front of a rather strange group of people. Not knowing the situation, Kai made sure to hide behind several pillars. Looking closer, he saw the group more clearly. Most of them were old men in purple or otherwise dark robes, though one was in a dark red robe. Flanking them were a quartet of guards. The guards wore bright red robes, with an all-concealing red helmet, and each carried a black staff. In the forefront was a man in a simple black cloak sitting in a completely black chair on a swivel, and he was the ugliest person Kai had ever seen: his hands and face looked downright warped in their wrinkles and his eyes were unnaturally gold. He was holding his hand in a contorted manner, with a sadistic grin on his face. Looking to Jinora's astral projection, Kai could see how his girlfriend was in pain, as if she was restrained by something. Before Kai could do anything, the servant in the dark red robe spoke up.
"Your majesty, we'll be arriving at our destination in fifteen minutes," the man said. This guy was a king? They were on a ship? An airplane? Before that thought could go anywhere, the conversation continued.
"I can always rely on you to remind me of my appointments, Kinman," the sitting figure said in a rather creepy, raspy voice before turning to Jinora. "I'm afraid that our time together will have to be cut short," the monarch said in a mocking, pretend-friendly way. "My young friend, you will not see any of your family again. Only now, do you understand." His face turned to a vicious snarl, showing yellow teeth, and lightning shot out of both his hands into Jinora's projection, causing her to scream. At that moment, Kai rushed out and looked directly at one of the red guards.
"You, do something, help her!" he yelled. This drew the old man's attention, and he momentarily let up the lightning, grasping Kai's projection as well in a sensation of indescribable pain. Kai couldn't move either, and was pulled next to Jinora, both unable to speak.
"Another Airbender?" the hideous figure asked. "At least the two of you are together. I can smell the stench of your attraction." Pausing again, not noticing the Red Guard Kai yelled at had shifted, the terrifying old man smirked and spoke. "And now, my young friends, you will die." Lightning shot out of his fingers into both of them, causing Kai to scream alongside Jinora. But then, the one called Kinman stepped in front of the moving guard, and was knocked backward. The guard swung his pike at the monarch upon his throne. He dodged the attack and swiftly blasted the guard with his lightning but in the process, released Jinora and Kai, allowing them to escape.
"Jinora really doesn't remember anything?" Kai asked as he got up.
"Not so far," Tenzin said as they walked into the living room, thinking on what he had heard. He felt another pang of grief within. Wherever Korra was, it seemed like not even Jinora could safely talk to her. As they came into the living room, he allowed himself some measure of joy. After everyone else had hugged Kai and congratulated him for saving Jinora, she came up to him and gave him a tight hug before a passionate kiss. Unlike how everyone had predicted, Tenzin wasn't angered at this. Instead, he smiled, knowing at least one of his daughters was safe with the boyfriend she loved.
Darth Sidious was quite pleased with himself through the holographic projection encased over him, making him look like he did before his scarring. Yes, he'd failed to kill the Avatar's little sister, stopping her from ever dissuading Korra from the Dark Side, but he sensed that he had hurt her, and that she wouldn't be able to reach out in such a way for a long time. And, if she did attempt to stand against him again, she would regret it. For now, he smiled through to the various people in the audience at Carida Academy, flanked by Darth Vader and one of his royal guards.
"In the four thousand years since its creation, the Imperial Cross of Valor has been awarded to those who demonstrated exceptional courage in the face of the enemy," the emperor said, invoking how the medal had been awarded long before the Republic became the Empire. "We are here to honor those who earned it on Maridun." He then looked over to Vader, who was standing by the case with the medals within. Standing in front were the various Imperials, all in their best uniforms or, in the case of stormtroopers, having shined them best. "Barristan Raylen, Captain Doctor, Imperial Surgical Corps," Palpatine began as the line began picking up the medals before Darth Vader. "KB-2015, Sergeant, Imperial Military Police. Terrik, Lieutenant, 334th Stormtrooper Legion, Daric Larone, Corporal, 334th Stormtrooper legion, Karla Brightwater, Sasha Marcross, Taxtro Grave, Joak Quiller, Daven Felth, Privates, 334th Stormtrooper Legion." Pausing for a moment, Palpatine began again. "Janek Sunber, Lieutenant, Fifth Battalion, Seventy-Second army division. Jonah Martin, Private, Fifth Battalion, Seventy-Second army division. Koko Partagaz, Tivva Soot, Corporals, Fifth Battalion, Seventy-Second army division. Alexander Kallus, Junior Agent, Imperial Security Bureau. Turr Phennir, Ensign, 35th TIE scouts."
After another pause, Palpatine shifted to the people who weren't part of the garrison at all, some of which weren't technically part of the armed forces. This was extremely surprising to many in attendance but the emperor always had his way.
"Boba Fett, Bossk, Hunters First Class, Imperial Bounty Hunters Guild," the emperor said, watching as the two in their most pristine gear walked up to Vader. "Elson Avarik, Captain, Intelligence Special Operations, Leon Tarl, Sergeant, Intelligence Special Operations." Palpatine paused again as the two Death Troopers stuck their medals to their armor. "Korra WasserFaust, Mako FeurFaust, Foreign Auxilliaries." Palpatine could sense many of the high-ranking officers were angered that two foreign volunteers would be granted the highest honor a soldier could be given but he could sense that the garrison the two saved didn't feel the same way. "Orson Callan Krennic, Director, Advanced Weapons Projects, Officer commanding Ziering's drift," Palpatine finished. He knew that the rivalry between Krennic and Tarkin had likely intensified but that was fine.
As he saw the heroes of Ziering's Drift line up and salute as the crowd applauded, Palpatine sensed there was something different about Korra, and it wasn't just that her children had been born. She had the ambition and drive to become a Sith. She'd also cut her hair short to better fit in among the Imperials. Perhaps the time of Bane's Rule of Two had ended. It would certainly be amusing to see the shock on that little girl's face when she saw her big sister at his side. Yes, it was a good day for the Empire.
I wanted to illustrate how Korra and Mako went from reluctant to enthusiastic Imperials.
As a result of her upbringing, Korra has come to believe that, if the Avatar is unnecessary, her life is worthless. In addition to gaining something outside of her role, she has come to a place where the Avatar is necessary. The vision she saw was real, and Tenzin snapping was the result of not having processed everything regarding his father's killer, and how he might never see his favorite student again. Korra's insecurities as Avatar, as well as her and Mako's justified worries as parents, have made them desire what Vader has to offer. Given their experiences, it's not that hard to think they would come to hate revolutionaries. For those wondering, Harou is a Waterbender, and Saria is a Firebender.
I hope I got Vader's characterization right. Krennic is still committed to the Death Star but having gained a power he never thought he'd possess, he is also rather intrigued by the prospect of bending, saying they will handle what the Death Star would be inappropriate for. BTW, it makes sense for Zhao to be remembered, just not the way he wanted. He's now a cautionary tale against the dangers of vanity and careless bending. I made Max Veers from Empire Strikes Back an Earthbender because I think it fits an AT-AT commander. Tivva Soot is now a Waterbender, making her the first alien bender in Korra's class.
I modified Jonah and Koko's background a little from Jormungand. Jonah's history is effectively the same, while Koko is the daughter of a prominent secret police commander instead of a weapons magnate. Like Mako and Korra, along with Kai and Jinora, they are also an orphan thief paired with an uptown girl, which is how Mako managed to get through to Jonah.
I wanted to include the Airbenders searching for Korra, so I had Jinora's astral projection meet Palpatine on his personal star destroyer, Cosinga's Bane. What happened between her and Sidious won't be revealed for a while, hence why I had her forget. Ultimately, she and Kai will come to hate him more than anyone, especially Jinora once she learns how he made Vader the way he is. Kai using a mind trick was the only they could get out, and having Tenzin accept his daughter's boyfriend is the only victory they'll have for the foreseeable future. In addition, Palpatine's blasts have hurt their ability to use the power, which is why they won't be able to talk to Korra until she comes home.
I based Palpatine's roll call off the Victoria Cross roll call from Zulu, which I've already had several references to. Up until now, stories about Ziering's Drift have spread through the ranks, mostly as rumor. It has largely been ignored by the wider galaxy but now, with the Emperor and Darth Vader themselves presiding over a ceremony honoring the heroes of the battle, the stories will begin to spread like wildfire. Korra's haircut is the one from Season 4. Yes, Ezra and Sabine from Rebels are among their students. I'll explain how that happened next chapter.
Next chapter, Korra and Mako start their journey as Sith, while Kuvira and Baatar find a secret that starts their own journey towards the Empire. In addition, Doctor Aphra is turned into an Airbender on one of Korra's first Imperial missions.