On Air Temple Island in Republic City, Tenzin looked at the reassembled crystal. His children, his siblings, their friend Asami, Lin, and his nephew Iroh were all there, as was his mother Katara. Opal had gone to inform Bolin of their attempt, but she hadn't returned, with or without him, and thus they began. To his brother's disapproval, Bumi had informed his son that the Obsidian Knight might be on the other side of the portal, though he neglected to inform Iroh of the entire story. "Dad, don't you think it's time to inform them of...who Korra might have befriended?" asked Jinora. "It might lead to some confusion otherwise."
"He wouldn't befriend her," Tenzin firmly stated, trying to convince himself. "He would kill her, like he would kill us, regardless of what Tonraq believes." At that point, Tenzin and Jinora began to meditate, hoping to awaken the crystal. Soon, it lit up, and everyone was engulfed in a bright green light, leaving Katara behind, who, along with Pema, was in a different room.
Tenzin and his siblings, alongside Lin and Iroh, landed in the middle of a jungle. "Jinora?!" he yelled upon realizing what had happened. "Ikki?!" Seeing flames in the distance, he and everyone else made their way to it. Little did they know what they were headed for.
On Yavin Eight, Darth Vader was momentarily distracted when he felt the familiar sense of the Dathomirian crystals, allowing the Jedi Olee Starstone to roll out of the way of his strike.
"For Master Chatak and Master Shryne!" the padawan yelled. At that moment, Vader yanked her off the ground with the Force, impaling her on his lightsaber. She'd taken refuge on this uninhabited moon alongside other refugees. None of them were fighters, and, as the Force gave him the power, he'd snuck past them and planted several bombs on the evacuation transports. When the assorted fugitives and their wretched families had run to their ships, he detonated them, destroying them all and any hope of escape.
Starstone hadn't practiced her skills as a Jedi in years, and she hadn't been very impressive to start with. She wouldn't have been much of a challenge for the typical Inquisitor. The only reason she'd managed to survive was because of his momentary distraction. But now she was dead, so now he could focus on the new disturbance. Reaching out with the Force, he realized he knew all the signatures approaching, having been on that island he'd been forced to fight his way off of. Had they come for vengeance? Whatever the case, he ordered Captain Jir and the other stormtroopers to sweep the dwellings and kill all within while he handled this personally.
As Tenzin and his party made it to the clearing, they saw the source of smoke: a gargantuan machine akin to an airship had crashed and exploded. At first, he thought it was an accident but then he saw similar wrecks close by. Close to one was a charred doll. Looking over the sight, he saw what looked like an abandoned temple with a river flowing through its base. As they entered, they saw that the inside had been modified with new technology, some more advanced than anything they were familiar with. Strewn throughout the building were dead bodies, several of which had been dismembered.
"Hey, you escape?" they heard a hushed voice to the side. Turning to face it, they saw a haggard, bearded man in filthy clothes.
"We're not from around here," Lin replied. "What's going on? Where are we?"
"What's going on is that he's found us," the man said. "We need to get to your-urk." He grasped at his throat as if something was wrapped around tightening. Kya tried to help but they soon heard a snapping sound as the man collapsed to the floor, dead.
"I was not expecting to find you, here," a deep voice Tenzin and the others had hoped to never hear again. They soon heard the menacingly familiar sound of mechanical breathing. Tenzin then felt something akin to a headache. "Interesting, you don't seek vengeance here. You look for someone you lost. A wife? A student? A child? Most intriguing."
"Enough!" yelled Bumi. "Show yourself! I'm not the helpless nonbender I was when we last met!" At that, they all heard a door opening behind them, with Bumi being yanked away by an invisible force. Turning around, they saw the Obsidian Knight in front of the doorway, grabbing Bumi and tossing him behind the door before sealing it shut.
"His eagerness was a detriment to his loved ones, before, now is no different," the Knight boasted as he unhooked his beam sword and ignited. "You would be wise to surrender." At that, Iroh fired a bolt of lightning at the dark figure that had haunted both his nightmares and that of his entire extended family for twenty years as his aunt, uncle, and Lin charged forward. The Knight blocked the lightning bolt easily before cutting one of Lin's Metalbent cables. One of Tenzin's Airbending blasts knocked him backward but not off his feet. Kya bent the water of a nearby river toward the man she'd heard called Darth Vader, sending forth dozens of ice shards at him but he repulsed it with a blast of his own energy. Moving quickly, he grabbed a piece of debris and tossed it at Iroh, who narrowly dodged it. Vader sent forth a great blast of energy that knocked all of them backward, toward the entrance to the temple. No one noticed that a blue light had started cutting through the door Bumi was locked behind.
Vader easily avoided the tornado that Tenzin sent his way, jumping a surprising distance for someone in such heavy armor. He quickly closed the distance between himself and Tenzin, slashing the Airbending master's staff in half. Tenzin rapidly jumped away, as they had nothing which could defend against Vader's sword. They had to get it away from him, so Kya Waterbent even more shards his way. Vader hit back with a blast of his own energy, shattering the ice or knocking it to the side, before slamming into Kya and knocking her off her feet. Gripping a tree, he sent it crashing into Iroh from the side, knocking him out and pinning him under its weight. Quickly cutting a boulder in half Lin had sent his way, Vader went on the offensive.
Charging forward to Kya, he smacked her in the jaw with his lightsaber hilt, knocking her unconscious. As Lin fired another Metalbent cable his way, he grabbed it and yanked forward. She dug in with her Earthbending but he empowered his cybernetic arm with the strength of the Force, ripping her out of the ground. As she flew up to him, Vader grabbed her by the throat before sending a powerful telepathic command for her to sleep. Lin tried to resist but she didn't know how and blacked out. Tenzin was alone and doing everything he could to keep his distance while sending airblasts toward the dark warrior, but Vader sent a dozen rocks flying at him while not even being fazed by Tenzin's attacks. Unable to dodge them all, Tenzin was knocked to the side and Vader scraped the Airbender's left leg with his sword and the back of his right shoulder. The cuts were shallow, but the burns inflicted intense pain to the point Tenzin collapsed to his side in pain.
"Jir, are you done?" Vader inquired into the radio-like device in his hand.
"Yes, my lord," the stormtrooper officer confirmed.
"Get over here with four pairs of restraints, and set your weapons for stun," the Sith ordered. Before he could continue, a blast of air slammed into him, knocking him away from Tenzin. Quickly rolling to the side, Vader dodged an attack from Bumi, who'd cut his way free and was now holding a sword akin to Vader's, except blue instead of red, applying his training in sword fighting with it. "Make it five," the Sith added before silencing his comlink.
Bumi did an upward slash with the lightsaber, sending an Airbending wave Vader's way that he easily sidestepped. But Bumi charged forth, accelerated by his bending, and stabbed at Vader's face. The Sith batted the strike away and slashed at the former commander's left shoulder, who managed to block the strike despite the strength behind the blow. Vader kicked the Airbender backward with a strike to the chest before bringing a mighty strike down atop him. Rather than try to block it, Bumi rolled out of the way as the slash cut through a large stone behind him. The oldest child of Avatar Aang Airbent another slash toward his father's killer but this time, Vader stood his ground and shielded himself with his own energy.
"You have grown stronger, and your skill with a lightsaber is impressive," Vader stated. "But not enough to defeat me!" He smashed his hand into the ground and sent forth a blast of energy, shattering the stone they were standing on. Bumi narrowly jumped out of the way as Vader landed on the ground, stabbing at the United Forces commander. Bumi struck with Starstone's lightsaber again, this time scratching Vader's armor as he groaned in pain. Vader dodged an Airbending blast before locking blades with Bumi. Knocking him backward, Vader began hammering the Airbender's defenses, and they quickly began to buckle. Knocking the sword out of Bumi's hands, he gripped it in his left hand and cut through Bumi's leg like he had so many years before, destroying the prosthetic that had been put in place and sending the Airbender collapsing to the ground. Vader hooked his own deactivated blade to his belt and grabbed Bumi by the throat, compelling him to sleep. As the commander closed his eyes, Vader saw that the stormtroopers had successfully restrained the other four. Returning to his shuttle, he ordered the two star destroyers above to scour the jungle moon of life after he left.
Tenzin awoke, seeing the others to his sides, suspended from cranes in some sort of industrial facility. In front of them were the white-armored soldiers that served Vader, and soon Vader himself stepped into view.
"This is the second time you have tried to kill me on sight, with no idea of what you've found yourself in," Vader said as he strode up to them.
"This is the second time you murdered someone in front of us," Lin growled, trying to Metalbend only to feel an electric shock from her cuffs.
"I impose law and order wherever I go and destroy hives of scum and villainy whenever possible," Vader stated. "Those terrorists I slaughtered were just vermin to be exterminated."
"Yes, I'm aware of how you convinced Tonraq and Senna you are a policeman, Darth Vader," Tenzin resentfully stated. "I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now. Especially given the children present at your latest massacre."
"I saw no children, and it is surprising they would reveal their debt to me," the dark figure admitted, before pausing and looking toward Lin. After a second, Lin's face shifted in discomfort. "No, your son informed you. Shortly after your other son and daughter were...lost to the crystals. You came here to find them, but you lack the knowledge to use the crystals properly, like Unalaq before you."
"Bolin isn't my son, nor is Mako, and Korra is not my daughter," Lin quickly said back but with a surprising emptiness in her voice.
"Your feelings for them indicate otherwise," Vader replied before turning to Tenzin. "I can sense your care for these two. But you are also worried, not that they are dead but that I will find them instead of you."
"You aren't good for anyone!" Tenzin angrily yelled at his father's murderer. "People like you only care about power, not justice!
"There it is," the dark warrior stated as Tenzin felt another headache. "You aren't afraid of them dying, old man, you are afraid of them rejecting your teachings." Pausing for a moment, Vader looked at Lin and Tenzin. "How could it be that the child of a banished prince be part of both your lives? Has Tonraq triumphed over his brother and reclaimed his throne? Perhaps but why would you care so much for the Water princess? Unless," Vader paused again, "she isn't a princess, she is the new Avatar and you are her teachers. So, she is simply the weapon you wish to use to destroy me."
"No!" yelled Tenzin, awakening his brother and sister. "Korra is as much family to me as my own children, and we are incomplete without her!"
"She is cocky and full of herself but also the bravest, most selfless person I've ever known, and Mako is the greatest detective as well as the most loyal person I've ever met!" Lin exclaimed, letting her walls down. "Bolin is the most cheerful, optimistic person I've ever met, and when he heard what Senna and Tonraq experienced with you, he embraced it in the hopes his brother and best friend would return!"
"Then you will have no problem when I return them to your world," Vader retorted before turning to the white armored soldiers. "Freeze them, now." At that, the cranes suspending them in the air lowered them into a series of identical pits as steam shot out from the sides. Then, total darkness and nothing at all.
Asami grabbed onto Ikki and Meelo in the whirlwind the crystal had unleashed but Jinora and Kai were pulled away out of sight by the wind, taking the crystal with them. She saw no sign of Tenzin or anyone else as she and the two Airbender children started falling. The sky was black with smoke and hard to breathe but the trio soon fell through the cloud, toward a river of lava. Meelo and Ikki blasted them and their nonbender friend upward with their Airbending, landing on a rocky shore close to the lava.
"Don't worry, beautiful woman!" Meelo boasted to Asami. "I'll protect you, wherever we are." Looking around, they saw they were surrounded by smoke and magma as far as the eye could see. Looking closer, Asami saw what looked like a tower in the distance. With no other options, the businesswoman and her two young friends started toward it, the Airbenders occasionally helping her cross one of the lava rivers and bending the worst of the gasses away. As they got closer, they saw the structure more clearly. It was a large castle as black as coal, with a tower in the middle, on the edge of a cliff and a river of magma flowing through the center.
"That doesn't look like a nice person's house," Ikki quickly stated as they approached what looked like a door. "It looks more like the secret lair of a mad scientist plotting to take over the world. I think we should keep looking."
"Unfortunately, I don't see any other structures," Asami replied, coughing through the smoke surrounding them. "We might not have a choice."
"Okay but let me knock," Meelo bravely said as he strode in front of her, banging on the metal door. "Hello, we're a bunch of lost Airbenders looking for shelter. Is there anyone lurking inside this lair of scariness?" After a few moments, nothing happened.
"Well, I guess no one is home," Ikki eagerly stated. "We should start looking for Daddy and Jinora, who can't be anywhere near here."
"Wait, no one might be home, but it's still shelter," Asami said as she covered her mouth. "You could Airbend us upward and look for an opening up there." Before either child could respond to Asami's suggestion, a tiny hole appeared, and a mechanical arm stuck out. Before they could react, it shot out a trio of blue energy waves, hitting each of them and knocking them unconscious before the door opened.
Asami opened her eyes first, followed quickly by Ikki and Meelo. She and the two young Airbenders were in a very clean room with polished floors. Far in a blackened corner with only a few red lights, was a tank filled with liquid whose contents were unclear. Standing next to Asami and the siblings was a blue, metallic sculpture with lights coming from its eyes.
"I am pleased to report there are no lasting damage to your lungs and all of you will make a full recovery," the sculpture said in a voice akin to a radio, surprising all of them.
"Thank you, Mr. Blue Robot Guy," Meelo said in a surprised tone, thinking of a short story with mechanical men he'd read. Asami thought the whole idea was ridiculous but now she wasn't so sure. "We tried to knock on the door, you didn't have to zap us."
"My designation is 31-D, a 2-1B model medical droid," the machine replied. "It was not my decision to stun you but my master's. He thought it best under the circumstances. Please direct your inquiries to him, he is ready to join us now after his latest Bacta therapy session."
At that statement, the tank of liquid drained and they saw the contents more clearly. As the tank itself lowered, they saw a strange object suspended inside. It was in the shape of a torso, but the arms and legs had been severed at the elbows and knees. The skin looked like it had been burned at some point in the past. The head was turned away, exposing a ravaged scalp, and attached to the mouth was some sort of breathing tube.
As the tank lowered out of view, with the breathing apparatus returning to the ceiling, a pair of what looked like lower legs encased in armored boots arose from the floor and clicked into the knees. A series of small cranes lowered from the ceiling, as well, incasing the torso in dark leather before attaching something metallic on top of it. As two cranes attached the front and back of what looked like an armored collar, the figure outstretched his arms as armored gloves were lowered and screwed into the elbows while another crane attached something to his chest. Finally, as a black cape was fixed onto him, a helmet was lowered from the ceiling. As Asami's eyes shot open in realization, the helmet snapped into place with a hiss and the sound of mechanical breathing sounded throughout the room. The figure turned around, confirming it was the Obsidian Knight, Darth Vader.
"It has been some time since I last encountered Airbenders," the dark figure stated. "They have always run or picked fights I must end." At that, a terrified Ikki tried to jump up for the door, only to be knocked backward by an invisible barrier that flashed for a moment when she impacted it. "Which is why the forcefield is active, preventing you from leaving until I allow it. You are all much younger than the last ones I encountered. How did you come to Mustafar? Have you come because of your Avatar?" When none of the three said anything, Vader didn't respond. All the sudden, Asami felt a headache, and soon, Ikki and her brother appeared to share it, as well. "I sense, loneliness and desire," Vader stated to Asami. "You were betrayed by your family, so you found a new one. But now that has been taken from you. You seek it's return, for your old one is a rot you have excised." As Asami was shocked at the revelation he could read her mind, Vader turned to Ikki. "You seek the same that she has lost. Your admiration for them is strong but that is not what drives you. It is guilt."
"Shut up!" yelled Ikki. "You know nothing about me and Korra!"
"So, you are here for the Avatar," Vader stated, scaring the trio again at how he knew who Korra was.
"How did-""Some time ago, I encountered your father," Vader interrupted Meelo. "Alongside the policewoman, his siblings, and the Firebender prince. They thought they could defeat me. They were wrong." Upon seeing their shock, he added, "They are alive, and unharmed, but they will remain imprisoned until I decide otherwise."
"Please, my daddy and the others were just a little angry," pleaded Ikki, terrified for her father's wellbeing. "As soon as-""They've already heard of my assistance to Tonraq and Senna," Vader interrupted. "They did not care then, they won't care that I saved you from Mustafar's flames now. Besides, I suspect I know where your crystal is, along with someone else you love." Seeing their confusion, he replied that he could sense the presence of the crystal they had attempted to use and exactly where it was. Inquiring if someone they loved had it, Vader's guests confirmed it was with Jinora and Kai.
"Wait, you can't send us home, we haven't gotten Korra and Mako back yet," Meelo said upon realizing what Vader would do.
"As we head for your sister, I will inform you of the true nature of those crystals," Vader retorted. "Unlike your father and his companions, you WILL listen." After realizing there was no way out, the three of them reluctantly nodded and followed Vader to a large room open to the outside. In front of them was a gleaming, chrome craft that Vader ushered them aboard. After his white-armored followers, stormtroopers he called them, fastened them into their seats, Vader went to the vessel's cockpit and the craft took off. There were no windows, so they did not see where they were going, not that they would have recognized anything regardless. Shortly after the craft took off, Vader entered the room and sent the stormtroopers into the cockpit.
"Well, I heard you are actually a good guy, who was blamed by Unalaq for something he did," Ikki said, breaking the silence. "But if that was the case, why didn't you go to Grandpa Aang for help?"
"My injuries were life-threatening for many years," Vader answered. "At the time, 31-D didn't want me to go without a session in the bacta tank for more than two weeks." Asami didn't know what to think. On one hand, she wasn't inclined to trust someone who looked that scary and had killed one of the greatest heroes her world had ever known. But on the other hand, it was hard to believe he would mutilate himself to such a degree to sell his claims of necessity.
"Well, did you ever consider not living in a castle of evil above a volcano?" asked Meelo in his nasally voice. "You might not have suffered such a-""Your parents should have taught you when to be quiet," Vader cut him off, intimidating the young Airbender into silence. "Hopefully they will, after I release Tenzin and return you home. As for my injuries, they were not an accident. Failing to see a betrayal coming is why I was injured. I built my home here so that I might reflect on it and therefore grow stronger from it." None of the three had an answer to that, so Asami decided to change the subject.
"You said that we don't understand the crystals, which is why we can't stay here to find Korra and Mako," Asami began.
"Indeed," Vader stated. "Each crystal does not only lead to a specific place but a specific time. You might arrive in the future, or in the past, when you use it."
"Why didn't it take us to Mako and Korra, then?" asked Asami. "Why did it separate us from each other?"
"Was the crystal exactly as you found it?" Vader asked. "Or was it damaged?"
"Well, it had been broken but we put it back together with superglue, that should have fixed it, right?" asked Meelo hopefully.
"No," Vader stated. "Which is why I encountered Tenzin and his party over a year ago."
"Wait, Dad's been your prisoner for a whole year?" asked Ikki.
"Not from his perspective," the dark armored warrior stated. "Now, it is your turn, child. Why did you partake in such an extraordinary risk to use this crystal?"
"Korra and Mako are my friends and I miss them," Ikki stated.
"No, it is more than that," Vader stated. "There is another motive you have, one which you hide even from yourself. It holds you back, hurts those around you, and makes your quest impossible. To overcome it, you must admit to it."
"Sir, we've reached Jaguada," a stormtrooper with a blue shoulder pauldron spoke up. "We are detecting a Black Sun outpost." Vader briefly returned to the cockpit to land the craft, and then ordered that the stormtroopers stay with the ship after locking Ikki and Meelo behind a force field to ensure they couldn't interfere. But he did bring Asami with him to find Jinora and Kai.
"You understand the wisdom of what I have to say," Vader stated to her. "I would prefer not to chase the two I am here to rescue. Your young friends still struggle with their father's dogma, and are liable to ignore my commands, getting themselves and their sister killed, along with her companion." After a moment, Asami relented and followed him. She didn't trust Vader but she didn't have much choice.
"What is Black Sun?" she asked.
"An extremely powerful crime syndicate," Vader stated. "If your friends are still alive, it is because there is profit or amusement in it for them. Morality has no bearing on their decisions. Which means that we must move quickly."
After being separated from her siblings, Jinora and Kai landed in the middle of a desert. Using their Airbending to quickly traverse the terrain, they saw a building and walked up to it for help before being knocked unconscious by some sort of blue energy wave. Waking up, Jinora was restrained, with a metallic collar around her neck. Kai also had a collar, with what looked like handcuffs on his wrists.
"Ah, you're awake," a woman's voice said. Looking to the right, Jinora saw a bizarre collection of creatures: they wore clothes and most of them had what appeared to be weapons but none of them were people Jinora was familiar with. One had three fingers on each hand, reddish-orange skin, and a set of tentacles around its mouth, making his head appear like a squid. Another, shorter than either her or Kai, had brown skin and a camel-like head, and stood on its hands while holding a blade with its feet. Then there was a trio of another strange race. They stood on two feet and had a pair of five-fingered hands, but their heads looked vaguely like a spider's, with big dark eyes on their black heads, while their mouths were covered by what looked like Walrus tusks. At the front was a green-skinned woman, who'd tied her hair in a topknot, and on her shoulder was an insignia of what looked like a shining sun. "I don't know where you came from, but you're small enough to reach new veins on Ylesia or Kessel. Worth more than this crystal you had." She held the crystal that had brought the two Airbenders in her right hand. Jinora was going to shout to give it back but quickly realized that, whatever this person was, it was clear she wouldn't care. Then, Kai's own eyes shot open in alarm when she slid her hand over his shoulders.
"Uh, what are you doing?" he asked in alarm.
"Having a little fun, handsome," she smirked. "Do you think I'm pretty?" All the sudden, Kai shifted uncomfortably.
"I'm with Jinora, you're not my type," he strained to say.
"That little girl is nothing," the green-skinned witch said as she unlocked his handcuffs. "Pick up that knife on the table." Jinora could see Kai had started sweating, struggling between uncomfortable and compliant. Eventually, the green lady pressed a button on a remote and some electricity shocked Kai from the collar.
"Kai!" Jinora yelled, seeing her boyfriend in pain. She was shocked as well when the green woman pressed another button on the remote.
"Pick up that knife on the table," the woman commanded. This time, Kai seemed to be in a daze and complied. The woman then told him to cut his left hand, and he did so. "Good, now cut her ear off." At that, Kai visibly struggled even as he complied but still moved toward her. At the last moment, he stabbed the wall instead, and Jinora kicked a blast of air toward their captors, knocking the criminals off their feet. The green woman quickly pressed both buttons on the remote, and a new pain shot through them. "So, you're magic weirdos, then? Good, there's plenty of people who'll pay for you." Her taunts were interrupted by the sound of an explosion from elsewhere. Most of the other thugs ran out to investigate, leaving the green woman inside but the metal doors slammed shut behind them and wouldn't open no matter how they struggled, leaving the green woman and the squat thing that stood on its hands alone.
"What's going on?!" the green lady screamed as the thugs in the hallway turned to face something. Just then, a panel on the ceiling smashed down, and Asami dropped quickly, landing on the squat creature and crushing it under her weight. The green woman grabbed a club and swung at her, but Asami easily dodged and jabbed her electric gauntlet into the criminal's chest, knocking her unconscious. Quickly turning to her two young friends, Asami pulled out a metal tube of some sort and inserted it into the locks for their handcuffs. Then, she put it into the lock for their electric collars.
"We need to get that looked at," Asami said to Kai regarding his cut.
"Jinora, I don't know what came over me," he said. "All the sudden, I felt this...longing for her. I tried to fight it but it's hard to think straight when you're being electrocuted." At that, Jinora felt an anger she didn't know she had and moved for the green woman.
"What did you do to him?!" she demanded, smacking the criminal in the face. Grabbing the squat creature's knife, she held it to the green witch's throat. The evil woman just smirked in amusement before Asami calmed Jinora down, telling her that Ikki and Meelo were close by and they had to go. The green lady took this opportunity to snatch the knife and grab Kai, holding it to his throat and demanding his friends surrender. Jinora hit her with an Airbending blast to the feet, freeing her boyfriend, and another blast sent the green woman flying backward, impacting the wall with the sound of a loud snap. Looking closer, Jinora saw her neck and head were bent the wrong way and that she wasn't moving.
As the shock of killing someone, even an evil person, sunk in, Jinora heard sounds of fighting from within the hallway and one of the spider-faced, walrus people banging on the door to be let in. He stopped when a bright red beam burned through the doorway where his chest would be, to which the previously locked door slid open, and the beam retracted through his chest. As the mysterious creature fell to the ground, a shadowy figure stepped over him into view. Looking closer, Jinora and Kai realized it was the man called the Obsidian Knight, Darth Vader.
"Master Jinora, and Acolyte Kai," his deep voice said through the sound of mechanical breathing, addressing them by their titles unlike everyone else they knew. "I understand you went looking for Avatar Korra and found trouble instead. I have already rescued your siblings from their predicament. I am ready to return you home." Jinora didn't know what to do. Everything she had heard of this man, outside of Bolin's story, indicated he was a vicious killer. But no one ever suspected what Unalaq had truly wanted, either. Perhaps things were more complicated than her father thought. Regardless, she didn't have many options.
"Thank you but our search for Korra isn't done, yet," Jinora said politely as they followed him to his chrome aircraft.
"Sato and your siblings can inform you of what I've taught them while we are headed to our next destination," Vader stated, taking the crystal from the dead green woman. "Your father, aunt, uncle, cousin, and the policewoman will be joining us there. My medical droid will treat your injuries."
"Thank you, Mr. Vader, but what about this collar?" Kai asked, holding it up. "It made me feel...things I shouldn't have."
"You will address me as Lord Vader, and the collar did nothing of the sort," Vader stated as they approached the boarding ramp. "The woman who held you captive was a Falleen. The pheromones of her race easily sway the minds of others. And like most Falleen who leave their world, she was a criminal." Kai was clearly rattled by the experience and Jinora looked rather creeped out as well. Asami, however, caught on to how he mentioned 'their world.'
"Wait, she was an alien?" the engineer asked, before another thought entered her mind as she looked at Vader's chrome vehicle. "Wait, this isn't an aircraft, it's a spacecraft."
"I was waiting for you to see what was in front of you," Vader replied. "Indeed, space travel has been quite common for millennia, across this galaxy. And now, we are going to another world that contains history you should know." As Vader moved to the cockpit, Asami and the two young Airbenders processed what they had learned. After entering the room with Meelo and Ikki, Kai's arm had an advanced bandage applied to it by the robot doctor.
"So, we're out in space, exploring the final frontier," Meelo stated, sounding far more downbeat than normal. "It isn't as much fun as we all thought it would be."
"And Korra and Mako have been stuck in it for who knows how long," Ikki sniffed. "We might never get them back, and it's all my fault."
"What do you mean, Ikki?" asked her older sister.
"I knew something was up with Zaheer on Air Temple Island, but he was so nice when learning from me," she said. "He beat up Aunt Kya when she caught him and then went off to join his friends in Ba Sing Se."
"You couldn't have known who he was," Asami consoled the twelve-year-old. "None of us even knew the Red Lotus existed."
"Then he showed up to the Northern Air Temple," Ikki continued, seemingly ignoring Asami. "He took us prisoner to make Korra give up. She almost died saving us from my screwup, and then he tossed her and Mako into the portal. They could be on a nasty world like Mustafar, raising their baby all alone, because of my mistake!" At that, Ikki burst into tears, to which her siblings, alongside Asami and Kai, hugged her and assured her that Korra and Mako were okay and wouldn't blame her for what happened.
As the ship continued its journey, Jinora learned more about Vader, such as his castle surrounded by smoke and fire, his injuries, and how he apparently held their father and his party captive. She, along with Asami, didn't know what to make of him. Soon, one of the stormtroopers informed them they would be landing on a world called Korriban, soon. Jinora asked the soldier, named Contail, if he knew what Vader did on her homeworld.
"I was there in Republic City, that night six years ago," he answered. "Or twenty years ago, given how crystal travel works."
"What did you think about killing those people in your way?" she asked. "I know Lord Vader needed his healing tank sooner rather than later but what about those cops and the others you killed, who were just protecting the city, like they were supposed to?"
"Fighting through them was a last resort, one we made sure would have minimal casualties," the stormtrooper said. "But leaving aside the necessity of our situation, I am not particularly bothered by it."
"But aren't you policemen, yourself?" she asked.
"That's a gross oversimplication of what we do," the white-armored soldier answered. "Much like how your Avatar didn't have a choice in life, I never had a choice to be anything other than a soldier who protects peace and order across the stars. Those cops you mention, every one of them volunteered to join that department, which means they all volunteered for the chance to die for their city. As such, I don't see a reason to feel guilty." Shortly afterward, they touched down in the middle of a valley filled with gargantuan monuments and temple-like tombs.
"This is Korriban, homeworld of the original Sith," Vader stated, having already revealed he had the title of Sith Lord. "They learned how to use the Force in a far greater way than the more limited 'bending of the elements' you are familiar with."
"That's interesting but where's my dad?" asked Ikki a bit frantically.
"He and his friend will be here shortly," Contail stated. "Now listen, you'll learn something from him."
"Millennia ago, outsiders came to this world, exiled by the Jedi," Vader continued. "The Jedi were a hypocritical, self-righteous order of monks who hated any other way to use the Force. When members questioned this dogma, they were banished, forced to come here with no way back. They found the philosophy of the Sith to be appealing to them and joined them, becoming one people over time. The Sith Empire reigned for two thousand years in this golden age, with Korriban becoming the sacred burial ground for the greatest of their rulers, as you see before you." Looking around, Asami had to agree it was an impressive array of tombs. "But at the end of those two thousand years, explorers connected them to the wider galaxy, which led them back to where the Jedi reigned supreme. The Jedi destroyed the armies of the Sith in a brief war before coming here and to other Sith worlds."
"Why?" asked Asami.
"To annihilate a threat to their supremacy," Vader stated. "First, they bombed the cities and temples of the Sith. Then, they imprisoned the survivors they captured and began to experiment, hoping to find a way to destroy the Sith race's ability to use the Force." The Airbending siblings and Asami were shocked by that, having encountered the horror of Amon and the Equalists and nearly being subjected to it themselves. "Their failures died in the attempt, and their successes chose to die over living without what had been taken," the Sith Lord continued. "The Jedi lied to the universe and said that the Sith populace was either massacred by their rulers who refused to surrender, or that they all fought to the death out of a love of violence. Of course, many Sith escaped on a great exodus to carve out new homes elsewhere. While it is exceptionally rare to encounter someone who looks like the original Sith, there are countless people across the galaxy descended from them. More impressively, their teachings have survived. Teachings that have inspired countless beings over the millennia to follow in their footsteps. My master and I are the culmination of this, at last overthrowing the evil of the Jedi and bringing true prosperity to the galaxy under one flag. While there have been numerous Sith empires over time, ours is unopposed, and the Jedi have been torn down from their lofty mountaintop. I protect the kingdom of the Sith from all that threaten it." After a moment to process this, Vader's five guests responded.
"Well, it is good to know that the Air Nomads aren't the only ones to survive such atrocities," Jinora sincerely replied. "Our mom is also an outsider who embraced the culture of our grandfather, the only Air Nomad the Fire Nation didn't kill. But I'm not sure why you brought us here."
"I brought you here because there is enough energy present to empower the crystal one last time, to return you home," Vader stated as a ship came down from the sky. "I told you this so you might understand who I am. Here is your father and the others now. Right now, they are frozen."
"What?" Kai asked as the others' eyes widened in shock.
"Carbon freezing is how we contain particularly dangerous prisoners during transport," Vader explained. "I knew they would attempt to fight their way out at some point, and as I didn't wish to maim or kill them, I have kept them contained in carbonite for the year since then." None of Tenzin's children or either of their friends was happy about that but they didn't want to start a fight with Vader, and Aang had come out of being frozen for a hundred years no worse for wear.
"Well, can you release them now?" asked Jinora.
"Yes," Vader stated as the five blocks containing the prisoners were brought out from the shuttle. "They will be weak, and they might have trouble seeing but they will be back to normal within three days." At that, his men began to press several buttons on the sides of the carbonite casings as Vader took the crystal. Asami, realizing that Vader was their only hope of seeing Mako and Korra again, came up to him began to speak.
"I'm not sure if I can trust you or not, but Korra's parents trust you, and what you've done here has been noble," she started. "Can you pass on a message to Mako and Korra, for me?"
"You can tell them yourself when I return them," Vader replied. Soon, the five people had thawed and were caught in the arms of the siblings and their friends.
"What's going on?" Kya asked. "Everything's a bright blur." She then tensed upon hearing the mechanical breathing of Vader.
"I am sending you and the children you brought along home," Vader stated. Kya soon rose but collapsed again.
"You're too weak right now, Aunt Kya," Jinora said. "All of you are. Now isn't the time to confront him, we need to get home." The various adults didn't like it but given how Vader had just defeated them and now they couldn't see clearly, it wasn't time for a rematch, especially with the children and Asami there. Soon, the energy from the crystal expanded into streams of green energy, creating a portal that led to the living room on Air Temple Island. The kids and Asami helped guide the five adults through the portal, where they were met by Pema and Katara.
"What happened?" a worried Katara asked. "One minute you vanish, and the next you are back, and look terrible. And neither Korra or Mako are anywhere in sight." Jinora and the other kids now understood that time did get weird with the crystals, just like how Vader and his servants claimed. Tenzin, Lin, and the other three, however, were all shocked. They didn't know how long they'd been frozen, but they knew that it was about twenty minutes alone to reach the temple where they fought Vader. Before anyone could say anything, however, they were interrupted.
"They ran into me," the Sith Lord intruded, shocking both Katara and her daughter-in-law when they heard it. Looking through the portal, Katara saw the terrifying figure who, twenty years ago, killed her husband and almost killed all three of her children, along with so many others. "I took care to ensure they wouldn't be permanently damaged, as well as to rescue the children from danger." Before Katara could recover from the shock of seeing the Obsidian Knight, he spoke again. "I understand my friends Tonraq and Senna have lost their daughter. I will return her to them. I will also teach your Avatar the true nature of the Force." He then crushed the crystal in his fist and the portal disappeared.
"Well, Gran-Gran, I can see you have some questions," Meelo spoke up. "There's a bunch of things Dad didn't want to tell you, so we kept quiet. Also, I've been afraid to fall asleep for the last two days, so I'm going to take a nap. Everyone else can explain better, good night. Or morning, whatever." As Meelo fell asleep, snoozing like a rock, Asami spoke up as well.
"This is something you should talk to family about, so, goodbye," the head of Future Industries said as she walked out of the room.
"I don't even know where to begin, so I'll leave it to Tenzin, as well," Kai stated as he left the room alongside Jinora. Tenzin was the only one of those frozen who could see perfectly for the moment, but all he saw was his mother frowning. This was going to be painful.
Darth Vader stood outside the home of Tonraq and Senna as Korra went up to knock. His surveillance team showed that Tenzin and the others had just returned to Republic City through the portal he'd crafted over a year before he met Korra and Mako. Both of them had been a little surprised to learn he'd hidden this encounter but quickly understood he'd wanted to earn their trust before relating his mixed experience with the people they loved. Mako was standing close to him with his and Korra's children, smiling as he heard the tearful reunion happening within the house. Vader himself was rather pleased at what was now happening. It was gratifying to see his apprentice return to find her parents in far better condition than when he found his own mother. That was in addition to how Kuvira and her army would soon join the empire. Soon afterward, Korra invited Mako in to introduce their children. Mako was a bit nervous to meet Tonraq and Senna, who didn't even know their daughter had been pregnant until then. Thankfully, neither of them was upset about how their daughter's now-not-Ex boyfriend had stayed at her side through everything in the unknown, and simply asked when he'd propose as they held their grandchildren for the first time. He sheepishly smiled, since he hadn't thought about it. Soon after, Korra invited Vader inside, to which Tonraq and Senna smiled at him.
"Thank you, Lord Vader, we are forever in your debt," Tonraq said. "Is there anything we can do to repay you?"
"There is something," Vader started. "Your world has joined the wider galaxy and must be protected."
"That can wait," Korra interrupted. "There is another thing I think we should do for you." She told her parents about how he'd been burnt long ago and couldn't live outside his suit or a special room. She added how, if normal water healing could perform better than bacta, Spirit Water might be able to restore what he'd lost. Senna and Tonraq readily agreed, and Vader informed his medical droids through the comlink to prepare for his suit removal. Even if he wasn't healed immediately, he was sure he would regain something because of it.
Bumi made sure to tell his son of the danger of the Obsidian Knight, but he couldn't bring himself to believe his father's successor might join Vader. The battle was mostly to allow Tenzin and the others to release their pent-up rage from his actions twenty years earlier. In addition, as he just defeated four different master benders, they understand Vader is too powerful for them and will be far more hesitant to fight him, again. Even Bumi, who is a trained swordsman who saw Vader kill his father right in front of him, has realized this. Vader read their minds like he read Luke's in ROTJ.
Asami, Ikki, and Meelo's experience was to introduce them to Vader in a way that makes them afraid but also sympathetic to him. He has also introduced a new part of his narrative, that justifies why he couldn't just surrender until things were sorted out. I introduced Ikki's guilt because I honestly thought it would come up in the actual show, with her blaming herself for not stopping Zaheer earlier. Asami's decision to trust Vader will play into her actions in the next chapter.
Jinora and Kai were introduced to Vader in a way that shows him to be a law enforcement agent of some sort, like they heard from Bolin. The stormtrooper's attitude comes from being a clone who followed his Jedi to the dark side. Vader understood enough about the Air Nomads that he decided to reveal a bit of Sith history that is somewhat relatable to them.
Next chapter, the Empire begins to covertly move onto Elementia, Bolin and Opal adjust to the new Imperial presence, and undercover Rebels probe them, along with Kuvira, to see how they might be turned to the Rebel Alliance. In addition, another Rebel plots to free Zaheer and other revolutionaries Korra and her friends have imprisoned.