Before Mako and Korra got on their ship, a standard Imperial Shuttle, they tucked Harou and Saria in bed, kissed them goodnight, and made sure KayBee had everything he needed to look after their children. Mako and Korra were still learning how to fly and maintain a starship, so Vader had given them a standard, unmodified Lambda-class shuttle. When they arrived at Corellia, they were greeted by Partagaz and another ISB officer.
"Korra, Mako, a pleasure as always," the older security officer said.
"You as well, major," Korra replied. "How's the Maridun investigation going?"
"Not as well as we hoped," the older investigator answered. "The prospector who made the false report was using the name of a dead man. He'd only been there for about two months before drawing the director there. He seems to have covered his tracks extremely well. Still, there is nothing to support Director Krennic's belief that Grand Moff Tarkin was behind this. But none of that is pertinent to why we are here. This is Supervisor Kirtan Loor, the Imperial attaché to the Corellia Security Force."
"Are they the local police?" Mako asked.
"Indeed, and they are becoming increasingly irrelevant and unreliable these days," Loor explained. "Which is why we won't be including them in this mission. Just the two of you, and some old friends." That is when they saw Bossk walk into the room. He then pulled out a holoprojector that showed a figure neither bender recognized. He had purple skin and dark blotches on his face.
"This is Zekka Thyne," Bossk explained. "The Black Sun Vigo in this sector." Mako remembered from their crash course on the galaxy that Black Sun was a particularly powerful crime syndicate, and that Vigo was the title for a regional boss. "And for the last three years, Fett and I have been taking numerous jobs from him, alongside Loor," the Trandoshan continued.
"Or so he thinks," the local agent said, with a look of suspicion from his superior. "In truth, we have been learning all we can about his operations so that they can be brought down in one swift stroke. But we'll have to move up our timetable."
"Why, and what are we needed for?" Mako asked, being a policeman himself.
"Thyne is trying his hand at selling biological weapons," Bossk said. "Specifically, the Blue Shadow Virus, which infects all species. At the moment, he's looking for buyers. I convinced him you are buyers."
"Wait, what?" Mako asked. "That makes no sense, we're Imperial soldiers."
"Imperial Auxiliaries, as far as most people know," Partagaz explained. "Your story is this: your homeworld is a distant planet in Wild Space that has been at war with one of your neighbors for centuries. The two of you went out into the galaxy to find some advantage to end it in your favor. Your ship crashed on Maridun, and you joined the garrison in fighting the Amanin."
"As for your elemental magic, that is the result of wearing these gauntlets," Bossk explained as he held two pairs of identical gauntlets in front of them. "I told him this story, and how you were interested in buying the virus."
"And, he believed it?" Korra asked.
"Thyne has never been too smart," Loor said. "But his viciousness has carried him to the top of Corellia's underworld, in addition to making him rich. While he only thinks that he owns me, he does own many Corellian officials and police. For that reason, we will not be including the local authorities in this operation."
"Just how dangerous is this Blue Shadow Virus?" asked Korra, taking the threat rather seriously.
"If it is the natural, waterborne variant, it will cause a significant amount of damage but it will be relatively easy to contain," Partagaz answered. "If it is the modified, airborne strain, we have only one solution: evacuate whoever the cloud hasn't reached before it arrives, and then destroy all other ways off world. Because at that point, everyone left will be infected and we won't be able to create enough medicine to treat the rest in time."
"We don't know exactly where Thyne is hiding the virus," Loor explained. "Which is why you are offering to buy it. It's better than just capturing him and hoping he'll reveal it under questioning. You will be meeting him in this rundown neighborhood, Selonia's Point," he paused, as the holomap lit up showing the building where the meeting would take place.
"They will take your weapons, which would include your gauntlets," continued Partagaz. "Thankfully, you don't need them, so you'll be able to fight your way out in case things go wrong. This is the whole reason why I asked Lord Vader for your assistance. He assured me you were ready for this."
"That's good to know," Mako replied. "What if the local police involve themselves?"
"They've been given orders, by me and their superiors bribed by Thyne, to steer clear of this area for the duration of the deal," Loor answered. "They will not be a factor."
"A cop could still show up and call for backup, right?" Korra asked. "Then it's all hands on deck to help an officer in trouble, right?" After a moment, Loor continued.
"If a group of police show up, the most likely scenario is that they are gangsters in disguise," the local agent explained. "Hoping to get Thyne and his cohorts to surrender so they can then be murdered without a fight. Thyne knows this, and he won't fall for it." After another pause, Loor continued. "In the unlikely event that a policeman ignores his orders and calls for backup, Thyne will still fight, because if he's caught doing this, he can't get out of it. More importantly, since you are just as guilty of weapons trafficking as him, you will also fight your way out to continue the deal elsewhere." After a moment, Korra's eyes widened, as did Mako's.
"Are you telling us to kill local law enforcement?" the Avatar asked.
"I am telling you, that we cannot let this virus be sold to anyone," he replied. "The consequences of this are far worse than the deaths of a few policemen. Do whatever you must to retrieve these viral samples, so we can then fire them into the sun." After a moment, Korra looked over to Partagaz, the superior ISB officer, to see what he had to say.
"Loor is correct," the major said. "Hopefully, this scenario will not happen, but under no circumstances can you let CorSec capture him or yourselves. If that does happen, it is entirely possible one of his lieutenants will sell it themselves. You must retrieve it yourselves."
In the two weeks since finding the holocron, Kuvira and Baatar were quite impressed by what it had to teach them. Baatar had already felt more empowered than before. At one point, while working on his latest Mech, he dropped his screwdriver. It was just out of reach, frustrating him at how he'd have to climb down, and it flew back into his hand when he tried to reach for it again. That, along with how they'd subdued the various bandits and other outlaws in Ba Sing Se, reclaiming most of the city, and it was a good month.
"Everything okay, sir?" asked Yoshi. In addition to being a capable mechanic in his own right, Yoshi was one of the Airbenders Korra had empowered during Harmonic Convergence. He'd briefly been a part of Tenzin's training, alongside Opal, but after the Earth Kingdom fell to pieces, he and over a dozen others left, joining Kuvira's growing army.
"Yoshi, you've been doing so well, why are you leaving?" he'd been asked by Tenzin who'd tracked him to Kuvira's camp. "If this is about how there aren't as many machines to tinker with at the Temples, we can-""It's not that," Yoshi interrupted. "I like being a bender, and I appreciate all you've taught me," he told his former teacher. "But not an Air Nomad, I'm an Earther with Airbending. My country needs more than just charity, it needs stability. Kuvira is fighting for that stability, so I will do my part as well." Realizing he wasn't going to persuade his wayward students for now, Tenzin had left.
"Good work," Kuvira said to their new recruit. "Our parents and teachers often dangle approval in front of us in the hopes we'll do as they wish. But we need to do what we must. Suyin will understand, one day, as will Tenzin."
"I hope so, Kuvira," Baatar added. "But having met Aunt Lin, I've realized Mom has a bad habit of dodging her problems and hoping they solve themselves. She never tried to make amends to Lin for the accident she caused or show how she'd become more than a delinquent. Instead, she waited for her sister to show up at Zaofu despite never being invited. And now she's sitting on her hands until the Avatar returns through no effort of her own, rather than fix the problems Zaheer left herself. I will say that she's done a good job of holding him in that new prison outside Zaofu, though." Before they could continue, Bolin walked into the room.
"We've found the last Dai Li stronghold," Bolin reported. Kuvira had learned the lessons of history and refused to give the Dai Li a place in the new Earth Nation she was building. She'd ordered her army to detain or kill any Dai Li members they encountered. The Dai Li had holed up somewhere in the Upper Ring, which was why their army hadn't moved into the oldest part of the city. "It's in those crystal catacombs beneath the palace."
"Great, Bolin, Yoshi, with me," she ordered. "Baatar, I will need you too."
"My Mech is ready," he stated proudly.
"Not like that," she explained. "We both know about the children they conscript. While we handle the Dai Li, I will need you to sneak behind and free them from whatever cage they have."
"I'll get my lockbreaker," he replied. As the quartet made their way into the underground hideout, Kuvira found the place where the majority of Dai Li were. In addition to the imprisoned child conscripts, there was a large amount of explosives in this hideout as well. Bolin tossed a rock at one of the five Dai Li commanders, crushing him beneath it. This distracted the rest who readied themselves to face the intruders. Bolin easily destroyed the rock gloves the secret police fired at them. Yoshi jumped above the attack made his way, and sent a powerful Airbending wave, knocking five of them off their feet.
"Not so tough now that I can fight back, are you?" he boasted to his former captors. While that was going on, Kuvira dodged more attacks from the Dai Li and tossed one flechette after another at them. Her targets were swiftly cut on either the wrists or the ankles, incapacitating them. Five more Dai Li closed the distance, and Kuvira swiftly dodged their attacks. Turning the bendable pieces on her arms into swords, she slashed one's throat, stabbed a second, and turned her right sword into a whip. She wrapped the whip around the third's neck and swung him like a wrecking ball into the other two. She heard a snap as the one her whip was wrapped around reached the end of the rope, so she released him and Earthbent stalagmites up through the chests of the two knocked down.
While the battle distracted the Dai Li, Baatar snuck behind them and started inserting his lockbreaker into the various iron pens the captive children were within. Twisting it, the locks broke under the pressure, freeing the captives within.
"We're going to get you back to your parents don't worry," he assured the kids inside. Helping the children up, he led them to the tunnel Kuvira and Bolin had Earthbent to the middle ring. As the kids ran through the tunnel to the other side, Baatar was pulled backward by a rock glove fired his way. When the pull stopped, another rock glove was placed around his hands and the prior around his throat. His pen fell out of his coat next to him kneeling.
"You!" the agent yelled to Kuvira as the remaining Dai Li agents pulled several of the children back with chained restraints for Earthbenders. "Unless you want your boyfriend to get his throat crushed, you will remember your place, you impudent peasant!" At Kuvira's order, Yoshi grabbed the remaining children and charged out the tunnel. Bolin stayed behind with Kuvira.
"There is no going back to the Earth Kingdom we know," Bolin said diplomatically.
"And given how you failed to protect the last monarch, I don't think the next king wants you," Baatar interjected. He was trying to grip the pen just like he'd gripped his screwdriver before.
"If your woman doesn't surrender, I'll be happy to punish you," the Dai Li said. "The Bei Fong's punishment for their actions against the monarchy has been delayed too long."
"As has yours," Baatar retorted, at which point the pen next to him flew upward into the neck of one of the Dai Li. Bolin had no idea what had happened but took the opportunity to Earthbend Baatar's restraints, pulling the captive over to him. At that moment, Kuvira, who'd yet to say anything, screamed in anger and lightning shot out of both her hands, engulfing three Dai Li in it as far more entered the cavern. One of the Dai Li went crashing into a torch, knocking it close to one of the explosive barrels. The flames spread, so Kuvira and Bolin used their Earthbending to jet back through the tunnel with Baatar in tow. The Dai Li didn't make it to their own tunnels in time.
The explosion was massive, wreaking havoc on the Upper Ring. Most of it collapsed as the caverns imploded, including the royal palace. Kuvira, however, considered it a victory, especially since the Dai Li had been destroyed. Now, it was time to share the holocron with Bolin.
"Shouldn't we share this with the White Lotus?" Bolin asked. "Or tell Korra's parents we found what they were looking for?"
"Eventually," Kuvira answered. "But first, we will learn from it. Besides, we don't even know if it will help with the other crystal, assuming it even works after Zaheer broke it in half."
"Still, couldn't Tenzin help figure it out, or Jinora?" he asked.
"Maybe, maybe not," Baatar said. "But it has already given us powers we never dreamed of, even to me. At least give it a try, first." After some hesitation, Bolin went to the holocron. He did like what it had told him, and agreed that maybe, they should research it themselves for a while.
"Now that we have put you at ease, can we begin?" Korra asked as she put both her blaster and her gauntlets into a tray Thyne's minions had set out for her. Mako had just done so as well.
"They always have this much attitude?" Thyne asked in a smug tone. He was even uglier than the picture the two benders had seen earlier. He was bald, purple-skinned, and his skin had many ugly blotches on his face.
"I didn't notice," Bossk replied. "Boba and I were more concerned with catching your snitch and fighting off the Amanin to notice."
"Do you have what Bossk told us about?" Mako asked, taking out a scanner capable of analyzing viral samples. At that, Thyne pulled out a strongbox and opened it. Inside, was a single vial of the Blue Shadow Virus. He handed it over to Korra.
"That is only enough to infect a single neighborhood," he told her as she inserted it into the scanner. "If you want more than that, we will have to talk price." The scanner soon beeped in confirmation. What he hadn't noticed was that Bossk was holding a wormer, as Koko Partagaz called her invention, next to Thyne's own datapad. It had inserted a program that allowed the Empire to look through Thyne's personal files.
"We have a large amount of precious metals at our disposal," Korra stated. "From what I understand, three-" "Thyne, CorSec is headed your way," Boba chirped in over the commlink. The Mandalorian had been hired to provide overwatch and guard the exit corridor. "There's already twelve outside the warehouse, and more are headed your way."
"We'll continue this deal at my compound," Thyne stated as he closed the case after putting the virus back in. Then he smirked sadistically. "Grab your weapons and follow me. At least I get to see this 'bending' that I've heard so much about." After Korra and Mako put their gauntlets back on, Bossk radioed Fett. After Fett confirmed that he had half the CorSec members in his sights, Bossk fired through the wall with his rifle. Boba fired a rocket at the second group, wiping them out. Korra smashed through another wall, Earth and Metalbending at the police beyond it. All the police were knocked off their feet, to which Thyne mowed them down before they could get back up. Mako sent flames into another group, knocking them backward, at which point he pulled out his own pistol and shot each of them once.
Korra winced at that but they had volunteered for this, and even if these cops were real, they had no one to blame but themselves for going where they were warned not to. Seeing a pair of airspeeders approaching, Mako sent a lightning bolt into the right, causing it to crash into the second, blowing both up. Korra saw a landspeeder truck with the CorSec emblem on it, and before the officers could get out, she knocked it over with her Airbending.
"Stop!" she heard from behind. "Get down on the ground, now!" She kicked her leg backward, sending a large rock smashing into the officer's jaw, and knocking him on his back, his blaster out of reach for the moment. Turning around, Korra saw that Thyne was watching her, so she formed an icicle and tossed it into the man's throat. As they ran to the getaway speeder, they piled in and sped off.
"Thanks for handling that cop," Thyne complimented Korra. "Hal Horn has been a giant pain in the neck for years. Doesn't know when to take a hint."
"Maybe you can put that thank you into a discount," Korra said, keeping in character.
"A minor discount," Thyne replied. "We'll continue the deal at my mansion." As they drove into the walled compound, they pulled up in front of the mansion and the party walked inside. Again, Korra and Mako took off the gloves that Thyne believed were the source of their power. Shortly afterward, Bossk nodded to them, indicating that Koko had gotten the information they needed.
"Boss, we're detecting an unauthorized signal inside the perimeter," one of the guards said to Thyne. Realizing the jig was up, Mako bent a wall of flame, engulfing a dozen guards, while Boba and Bossk opened fire on the balconies with their explosives as well as blasters. Thyne started running for cover but Korra sent him flying into the wall with an Airbent blast. Just as a swarm of more guards came rushing in, carrying heavier weapons, Korra unleashed the Avatar state, sending a great Earthbending wave that sent all of them flying, before unleashing a powerful blast of Firebending that burnt all of them to ash. As her eyes stopped glowing, Korra felt relieved. If she was still empowered by Raava, she was doubtless justified in what she'd been forced to do. Her thoughts were interrupted when Thyne emerged and lashed his Electro-whip at her. Catching it in her right hand, she remembered what Mako and others had taught her of Lightning redirection. Channeling the energy through to her left arm, she zapped Thyne with enough force to set him aflame.
"Your lessons have paid off, Mako," she smiled to her boyfriend. As they explored the mansion, Korra activated her commlink, contacting the ISB. "Partagaz, did you get it?"
"Affirmative," Koko answered on the other end. "We know exactly where the virus is being stored, and our strike team is headed for it. The ISB team will be joining you soon, as will your ride back to Lord Vader." Just as they heard that, Mako and Korra entered the hanger, seeing Thyne's personal starship. It was a Horizon-class Star Yacht. At that moment, Korra had an idea.
"Actually, we've found our own ride," she said smiling. "Just have the shuttle pilot transmit our destination to us on the encrypted channel."
"I'll be coming over to do that, myself, then," Koko replied. "See you in five minutes."
As his daughter helped her teachers get set up in the commandeered ship, Major Partagaz joined Supervisor Loor inspecting Thyne's compound. That is when several CorSec vehicles pulled up outside the compound before being stopped by stormtroopers requisitioned from the local garrison. Loor strode over in front of the parked CorSec vehicles as one of the Corellian policemen exited his vehicle.
"You're not authorized to be here, Horn," he said in an annoyed tone. Corran Horn had been a massive headache for Loor over the three years he'd been there. Like his father Hal, Corran refused to admit that the Corellian Security Force was, like the Republic during the clone wars, on death's door. He kept carrying himself with arrogance and self-importance, refusing to acknowledge his betters in the Empire. Well, now he would learn.
"Authorization?!" the policeman exclaimed in disbelief before pointing to Boba Fett and Bossk. "Those two are cop killers, and so are their friends! Where are the two who killed my father?"
"None of your concern, just like Hunters Fett and Bossk," retorted Loor. "Both of you were warned to stay away from Selonia's Point, tonight."
"Oh, so you're angry that we interrupted Thyne's latest scheme and cut you out of the next payday?" Horn asked rhetorically. Things were getting increasingly tense, with the stormtroopers' hands resting on their weapons.
"An act that Thyne bought, which is why my years-long undercover operation has been such a massive success, despite your interference," Loor retorted. "He was attempting to sell...something that could kill everyone on this planet. My agents understood that, against that, a few CorSec officers who couldn't follow orders are...expendable."
"We'll see if they feel that way in court!" yelled Horn, at which point his partner pulled him back.
"Corran, calm down," she said. "If you cross that barrier, they'll kill you. We can't get justice for your dad, now."
"Officer Wessiri is entirely correct," Loor smugly informed them. "This was a sanctioned Imperial operation that saved lives. Also, the pair that you seek are out of your league in every way. Even if you did somehow get to them, just one would overwhelm you and whatever backup you could bring. Together, they would be unstoppable. But assuming the impossible comes true and you do kill them, then you are not a policeman, you are a wanted murderer every Imperial soldier will kill on sight." Pausing for a moment, Loor continued. "Of course, you might not be a policeman for long, regardless. Ignoring orders has cost the lives of many officers, and if CorSec cannot be relied on, with the Empire being able to handle the problem, why do we need you?" Loor then walked back to the compound as Fett and Bossk took off in their ships. This had been a good day for him and the Empire.
Ikki was in a Republic City bookstore. She and the other Airbenders would be heading to Ba Sing Se tomorrow to help with the disaster relief in the aftermath of the Upper Ring collapse. Since they wouldn't be back home for a while, they had decided to look for some books. Eventually, Ikki walked up to the store owner and asked a question he wasn't expecting.
"Do you have any books on the Obsidian Knight?" she asked him. After a moment of shock, he replied.
"I uh, might have something in storage, let me check," he replied.
"No need, we won't be getting any," the Airbender's chaperone, Lin Bei Fong, said. After they left the store and made it to the ferry to Air Temple Island, Lin knelt and asked why Ikki would want such a book.
"Because I don't know anything about him, Aunt Lin," Ikki answered. "And whenever he is mentioned, I can see that Dad, Aunt Kya, and Uncle Bumi are mad about it. I can't ask them about it."
"You can ask me, then," Lin said, knowing it was time for Tenzin's children to hear it. "But I have a feeling that you have more specific questions in mind."
"Do you think that...Darth Vader was framed by Unalaq?" she asked.
"I do not know," Lin answered. "On one hand, I can see Unalaq killing his own father and blaming someone else, but on the other, I'm not sure that...Vader needs a reason to kill someone."
"What about him helping Korra's mom and dad?" the young Airbender asked.
"That, I'm not sure what to make of," Lin said. "It is completely at odds with everything else he did. He couldn't be sure Tonraq would ever become chief. But there is something I do know. Do you remember Tahno and the Wolfbats?"
"Yeah, no one's challenged them since the Fire Ferrets...disbanded," Ikki noted with a hint of sadness. "At least they remembered their promise when Korra restored their bending."
"All of them had parents in the White Lotus," Lin continued. "Ming the Earthbender, his mother had died years before when Vader threw a boat into his father, crushing him beneath it. Shaozu the Firebender, both his parents were cut down with Vader's beam sword. And then there are Tahno's parents."
"What happened to them?" Ikki asked, saddened to hear this story but knowing she had to learn it.
"Tahno was with his mother, a paramedic, when a call came out," Lin said. "She was driving him home but diverted, as she just thought it was a fire close by. Instead, it was Vader's white-armored minions causing a distraction for their master. They had already killed many of my fellow officers by the time Tahno's mother drove up. As soon as they saw her, they attacked. Tahno saw his mother turned into a pile of ash right in front of him before the armored assailants knocked him unconscious." After processing that horror, Ikki spoke up.
"What about his dad?" Ikki asked.
"Tahno's father was a sentry on Air Temple Island that night," Lin explained. "He was assigned to guarding your grandfather's study, right above the training dojo. I was talking with your father and Uncle Lee when Kya awoke from her meditation. She was convinced there was something horrible in her father's study, so the four of us went to investigate."
"What, like those auras she tells us about?" asked Ikki.
"Yes," the police chief answered. "As we walked toward Aang's office, we heard Vader questioning Tahno's father. His metallic left hand lifting the sentry off the ground by the throat. He wanted that crystal we've all heard so much about, and his victim choked out the answer that it was with Aang. Vader choked him to death anyway with a hint of annoyance and tossed his body aside like garbage as we entered the room. He then threatened to kill us as well if we didn't get out of his way, a threat he would have followed through on if your grandmother hadn't intervened at the last moment." After pausing for a moment at having relived such a traumatic memory, Lin spoke up. "Vader doesn't strike me as the sort to value life," said Lin. "If he ever hesitated to murder, that was no longer the case by the time we met. Do you disagree with what you've heard?"
"No," Ikki said, clearly frightened by the story.
"I know your last question," Lin said to the young Airbender. "If Korra and Mako return with his help, I will be as relieved as everyone to see them again. But I will also be concerned. If he does help them like Tonraq and Senna hope he does, I doubt it will be out of kindness."
I've fixed the last chapter and here's Korra and Mako's first official mission. I included some expanded universe characters in it. This was mostly about convincing Korra that she was in the right helping the Empire. If the spirit that empowers the Avatar lets her call upon the Avatar State, it must mean she's in the right, from Korra's perspective. I also wanted to show the Empire undermining local authority for their own interests. BTW, I'm positive Korra knows Lightning Redirection.
I will have more to say on Baatar's thoughts regarding his mother in a future chapter. I hope you all liked my fight with the Dai Li. I hoped I got the reactionary, insufferable attitude of them right. Kuvira would never bargain with them, and I doubt they would be interested in doing so, given how selfish and shortsighted they are.
In addition, I always thought that some new Airbenders would have joined Kuvira's army. After all, most of them are from the Earth Kingdom and have never been interested in the Air Nomads until now. Bolin is tempted to tell the White Lotus about the holocron but he's just seen how it can empower people and is curious about it, himself. And yes, Baatar is a Force Sensitive. I was going to have Kuvira learn Bloodbending by gaining such a command over metal, she could bend it in the bloodstream. But I decided Force Lightning was better.
The idea of Vader killing Tahno's parents has been with me from the start. I also figured the Airbending kids would be increasingly curious about him and try to learn about Vader however they could. Lin is the only one not overly traumatized by him, so she's the only one that might tell them more.
Next chapter, Mako and Korra's next mission leads them to Hutt Space. But Mako's emerging talents lead him to realize Bolin is out there as well and needs help.