Darth Vader sped through space toward the homeworld he had hoped never to return to. The memories of his enslavement and what the Sand People did to his mother still coursed through him. In retrospect, that made Tatooine the perfect place to hide from him. If his son was there, he was likely hidden in the Jundland Wastes by Kenobi, trained as the ideal, mindlessly devoted Padawan that the Jedi always wanted him to be.
But then Vader thought of his daughter. If his Leia really was the Leia Organa of Alderaan he suspected, then perhaps Obi-Wan had changed tactics. After all, an isolated Padawan's life, much like Korra's own upbringing, could be done in all manner of places. Then, Vader remembered: Lars, the fool who had fallen for the dream of moisture farming, and was decent enough to free his mother, but not strong enough to protect her. He was a broken old man with only one leg when Vader had met him, so he was probably dead, but he had a son, who himself had a girlfriend. Perhaps Owen, if Vader remembered his name right, had been given Luke, with Obi-Wan watching close by until the boy grew dissatisfied with Tatooine. At that moment, Vader contacted the garrison of Arkanis.
"My lord, this is Colonel-Commandant Brendol Hux of Arkanis Academy," a red-haired man approaching middle age said. "How might I serve the Empire?"
"I need a shuttle with a security detail to rendezvous with me at Tatooine," Vader ordered, realizing his fighter might not be suited for so much as a single passenger.
"As you wish, I will meet you personally, Lord Vader," the academy headmaster affirmed. As Vader emerged from hyperspace, he saw the desert world of his birth, and waited for the shuttle to arrive. He thought he sensed something, but it was gone as soon as it appeared, just like the freighter that had jumped to hyperspace off the port side.
Bolin and Opal had been running around Fort Haruka, first trying to get a lead on the abductors of General Iroh and his sister, then coordinating supply drops for the reconstruction of Ba Sing Se. The capital's walls would soon be removed completely, and the inner ring was being rapidly rebuilt with Imperial technology. What should have taken years had instead only taken weeks. Soon, Ba Sing Se would be a shining symbol of all Imperial and Elemental cooperation could achieve. But all of that had gotten in the way of what Bolin wanted most that day: to propose to Opal.
After a long day of running around the base, doing their duties, Bolin and his Airbending girlfriend saw Varrick sitting outside the medbay. "Hey, are you okay?" Bolin asked his old employer.
"Zhu Li fell!" he exclaimed in worry. Ever since their rescue from the Hutts, Varrick and his assistant had gotten much closer than before. "Maybe it's an aftereffect of the Exultation! Or have we been working too hard since getting back from space?! I should have looked after her bet-"at that moment, the doorway opened, and the doctor asked Varrick to come inside. Zhu Li was sitting upright, bereft of glasses after that laser eye surgery the Imperials did on her while helping her overcome the T'Landa T'Il's addictive singing. As Varrick gushed over her, she leaned over and whispered something, to which he hugged her tightly in response.
"Well, it looks like those two really are stuck together, now," Opal smiled. "Good for them, Zhu Li will be a great mom." At that moment, Bolin seized his chance.
"Yeah, well, that reminds me," he smiled. "Close your eyes, please, Opal." His girlfriend did so as she felt something snug around her finger. She opened her eyes and saw a reddish-brown ring with a green gem on top.
"I found this in what was left of the Ba Sing Se catacombs," he smiled. "I've been looking for the right moment." He then stared into Opal's eyes as he smiled. "Opal, I love you and I want to be with you, forever. Will you marry me?" She gleefully exclaimed yes and hugged him as he stood up, sharing a passionate kiss. Just then, his comlink started beeping. It was a priority channel from offworld. It had to be Darth Vader.
Biggs had taken a long ride with on the Eopie with Cheng, finally arriving at the Lars Homestead. When they got there, it was already noon, and it looked like Owen Lars was about to set out himself.
"Biggs Darklighter, where the hell have you been?!" the old moisture farmer exclaimed. "Where is Luke and the Landspeeder? And who is this?"
"We need to go inside, and sit down," Biggs said. "Luke is safe, I think." After they went inside the dwelling, into a pit which much of the home was built into, with Cheng still baffled by everything he saw, Biggs sat down with Owen and Beru. "We were already on our way home, when Luke thought he heard something in the distance," Biggs began. Owen looked concerned upon hearing that. Unknown to Biggs, Owen was concerned Luke had inherited the power of his father. Owen had done everything he could to shield Luke from knowledge of the Force, but Beru had noted to him Luke might realize there was something different about him on his own, and that it would be better if that knowledge came from them as opposed to someone else. Now, it was starting to look like he didn't have a choice. "I was about to turn around, when we saw a massive flame in the distance, like an explosion. We got closer, and we met Cheng and his friend Mizuki, having escaped the slaver ship they were on."
"I apologize for this intrusion, Mr. Lars," the stranger said, placing a fist into an open palm as he bowed his head. "But were it not for your nephew, the two of us would be dead."
"At that point, it was getting dark, so we decided to stay in Bestine," Biggs said. "After Cheng and Mizuki told us more about themselves, we headed out, but another ship landed in front of us and took Mizuki. Before I could see what was happening, Luke had grabbed onto one of the landing struts and climbed up it into the ship." That later description shocked Owen and Beru.
"Do you know who took them?!" an agitated Beru asked.
"Uh, their informant said they were heading to Nar Shaddaa," Biggs answered. "That is why I don't have the speeder. Ben Kenobi was in town and got the information out of that Rodian. He took the speeder and the snitch's payment to Mos Eisley, to go after them!" Owen was rather displeased to hear the name Ben Kenobi, as Cheng noticed, but he also looked somewhat relieved this man was going after Luke. Then, Owen turned to Cheng and tossed him into the courtyard before grabbing his rifle, despite Beru's pleas for him to calm down.
"Who are you?!" he demanded.
"I'm just a farmer!" Cheng exclaimed, raising his hands in terror. "Until a couple days ago, I didn't even know there was life outside my planet. No one did!" With that, Owen fired the rifle close to Cheng's head.
"Slaves from uncharted worlds are five per credit!" Owen exclaimed. "That's not why they took you. Tell me the truth now!" After a moment, Biggs thought of something.
"That Rodian, he called you a Bender!" Biggs remembered. "What does that mean?" After a moment's hesitation, Cheng relented, and explained what Bending was and how, people like Mizuki could control a certain element, in her case fire. Biggs initially thought these tales of magic were ridiculous, but then he remembered thinking something was off about the flame he and Luke saw.
"So, they found more people with 'the Force,'" Owen said to himself. "Maybe Ben, or whatever his name is, will settle for her and stop coming into Luke's life." He then turned to Biggs, and told him he could take the extra speeder back to his own family, letting them know he was alright.
"What about Cheng?" asked Biggs. After a moment, Owen said Cheng could stay there and await Mizuki's return alongside Luke's.
"You aren't going to Nar Shaddaa yourself?" a surprised Cheng asked. He could see that Owen and Beru loved their nephew.
"I haven't left Tatooine in almost thirty years," a resigned Owen said. "And I have tried to avoid dealing with the people in Mos Eisley and Mos Espa as much as possible. You live longer, that way. As much as I hate to admit it, Kenobi would be better off alone in finding Luke and your friend." As Biggs set out in the borrowed speeder, he promised he would return it as soon as he got back home. As he drove away, he saw what looked like a TIE Fighter flying overhead, followed swiftly by an Imperial shuttle. Looking back, he saw them heading for the Lars homestead. Feeling curious, he parked the speeder and got out his binoculars. He was stunned to see Darth Vader riding on top of the TIE, with his arms crossed.
Cheng offered his help to the Lars couple so he wouldn't be a burden to them. "You seem like a nice man, Cheng," Owen said, before pointing to a large box. "I need some help carrying that box with replacement parts fo-"a shadow all of the sudden blacked out the sun shining into the pit they were in. A screaming roar became all they could hear, and as the object got closer, the image became clearer. Standing on top of the vessel was the figure of the Obsidian Knight, who Cheng had recently learned was named Darth Vader, his arms folded as the sound of mechanical breathing echoed even over the engine's roar.
As Vader stood atop his fighter, using the Force to operate it, he noted that the moisture farm was effectively identical to when he last saw it, almost eighteen years ago. As he landed the ship close to the pit, he leapt off the fighter and into the sunken courtyard. Standing in front of him were two moisture farmers who looked older than they truly were, the woman almost tripping as she stepped out of a doorway, with the man noticeably frightened as well. Vader immediately realized this stubborn fool was the stepbrother who'd failed to keep their mother alive, Owen his name was, while the woman appeared to be the same one Vader had seen the last time he was there. Hearing a crash, Vader noticed a third figure: one of the abducted from Elementia he'd agreed to help rescue.
"Can I help you?" Owen warily asked Vader, trying to move toward the rifle on the workbench. Vader pointed with the Force, sending the gun flying into the corner hard enough to shatter it. He then gripped a pistol on the table and yanked it into his hand, crushing it in his grip.
"Where is Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Vader demanded. He sensed their fear when he asked that, and something from the Fire National as well. Focusing on the Elemental, Vader stared at him and commanded him with the Force to tell him all he knew. Soon, the man's will gave out and he began revealing everything, from how he and Princess Mizuki had escaped, to how they had been rescued by Luke Skywalker, who'd pursued her and these new abductors to Nar Shaddaa. Owen kicked the man in the side to snap him out of the trance, with Beru helping him up, but whispering she had a dagger ready to plunge into his back if he didn't stop talking. Vader was indifferent to this, however, as the fact that a boy named Luke Skywalker who was born at roughly the same time his own child would have been born, in the care of his stepbrother, was enough to confirm that this was his son.
"I barely know these people, my lord," Lars said with fake humility. "My nephew just met a beautiful girl and got roped into something dangerous. I gave all the money I have to a bounty hunter in Mos Eisley to get him back. As for Kenobi, I heard his name a few years ago when some agents thought he might be here, but I don't know him."
"Your lies are irrelevant," Vader retorted, gripping Owen and Beru with the Force and holding them in place. "Your failure to watch your nephew is what is important. Thank you for confirming who he is." With that, the two moisture farmers gained a look of resignation, realizing the game was over.
"You won't get Luke, no matter what you do to us," Owen defiantly proclaimed.
"Don't be so sure," Vader replied, tightening his grip on their throats. "Besides, this isn't about Luke. This is for your failure protecting our mother, Owen." With that, Owen and Beru's eyes shot open in horror realizing who Darth Vader truly was. And then their throats were crushed before they could react further. As the two farmers fell to the ground, Vader ignited his lightsaber and beheaded Cheng, as the Elemental was called. Storming into the homestead, he looked for everything that might tell him more about his son. He found a holo of Luke with his Aunt and Uncle, about eight years old. There were several other holos that had been smashed, no doubt by Beru to hamper the Empire's search for him. Vader found technical and flying manuals, as Luke clearly inherited his father's gift for machines and flight. After emerging from the entrance dome, Vader came across Hux and his squad, awaiting orders.
"Burn this wretched place from the face of the planet," Vader ordered as he went back to his TIE Fighter, lifting off into the atmosphere. For a moment, he wanted to go to Nar Shaddaa personally, but then he remembered that the Hutts were fairly displeased with the Empire, at the moment, so he would need to send others. But what if Obi-Wan was on Nar Shaddaa, as well? What agents could he send, that wouldn't be linked to the Empire but could actually stand a chance? He would prefer one of his Apostles but he wasn't sure if they could hold their own against Kenobi, and both Korra and Mako were too well known in Hutt Space.
Then, he had an idea: he would send Baatar to join the bounty hunters on their ship. In addition, he would send Bumi and the other three on the mission as well, to retrieve Mizuki, and by extension, Luke. Vader saw the love in their eyes for Bumi's children, and nothing would keep them from reclaiming her. And with that, he contacted Elementia. Soon, his hologram displayed Bolin, who seemed rather pleased with something before standing straight in front of the Sith Lord.
"Inform Baatar that he is to accompany the Hound's Tooth on its mission," Vader said. "His orders will be encoded, send this to him." Vader then transmitted a text that could only be deciphered with Baatar's code cylinder.
"Uh, right away Lord Vader," he confirmed. "Opal and I needed to contact Zaofu anyway. I'll send a shuttle to take him to the RV." After sending his orders, Vader reached out with the Force, and found a nearby Sand People camp. Destroying it would be good stress relief.
"So, Aphra, you really are an archeologist?" asked Bumi, having decided to learn more about the team that he was relying on to save his children.
"Yeah, I just said it was Ba Sing Se University because you never heard of my actual college," the renegade treasure hunter confirmed.
"How do you go from looking through tombs to working for a galaxy-trotting warlord?" asked Zuko.
"I was never one to sit in classrooms, or pore over dusty manuscripts," Aphra answered. "I needed to be in the field, hunting for lost knowledge. Eventually, I realized the best way to make a living that way was to find what others wanted found. Whether the owner was willing to part with it or not."
"So, you were caught stealing and Vader decided to use you," Kya concluded.
"Not the way you think," Aphra boasted. "Darth Vader sought me out and rescued me from some jerks who didn't appreciate the treasure they had but refused to part with it. Lord Vader needed an agent like me, who was already known in the Underworld, for various tasks of his. A dream come true, really."
"Wait, you're actually happy with this arrangement?" a surprised Katara asked. From what she'd seen of Chelli Aphra, this woman was very free-spirited, as befitting an Airbender. And if she'd worked as a thief before, it was surprising she'd be happy with this Empire.
"The Empire imposes order on a chaotic galaxy," Aphra smirked, before looking a little sad. "Too bad it didn't do so, sooner."
"What happened?" a sympathetic Katara asked, reminded of her own youth in the Hundred Year War.
"One of countless tragedies back then," Aphra quickly said. "Nothing special about it. The Empire has been the greatest bulwark against more of that, across the stars. And Darth Vader is its greatest champion." Kya would have normally snapped at the tragedy Vader inflicted on her own family but said nothing.
"What is the world Tatooine like?" Zuko asked, deciding to change the subject.
"A giant desert baked under two suns," Aphra answered, eager to move away from her painful past. "The Rakata did something to the planet thirty thousand or so years ago, making it the way it is. Now, there are about two hundred thousand people confirmed living there, not counting the natives, given how disparate and frequently hostile they are."
"Who lives there now?" asked Bumi.
"Most of those towns are just rest stops for starships, out there," Aphra answered. "Or to transfer something that's stolen, illegal, or both. Though there's a racecourse that has seen better days, there too. Tatooine is one of those worlds that, if you travel the stars long enough, you will probably land on or at least pass it by. And it's also filled with crooks, looking to hide. Or to make some money. What passes for honest folk on this planet are moisture farmers."
"Moisture farmers?" an incredulous Kya asked, with the others also surprised by the term.
"The easiest way to get water there, is to use machines to draw moisture out of the air," the archeologist explained.
"And people have come to live on this planet...why?" a surprised Kya asked, shocked anyone would want to live on a world with so little water.
"A few thousand years ago, some miners thought they hit the motherlode with Tatooine," Aphra answered. "Then, it turned out the metal corroded much faster than average, so they left everything they built behind. This happened again a few times over the millennia, until about fifty years ago: a Hutt named Gardulla built that racecourse I told you about, drawing many to gamble on it. Then, Boba's dad fed Gardulla to her own Krayt Dragon, about two months before Boba was born, and her rival, Jabba, turned it into the center of his crime network, which it remains to this day. Jabba is what passes for law and order on that miserable world. The only legal way out for most youngsters there is to enlist in the Empire. Tatooine itself is a lost cause which the Imperials won't throw themselves at."
"What about the natives?" asked Bumi.
"Well, there are two native species," Aphra said, pulling up a holoprojector, displaying a small creature with glowing eyes in an orange cloak. "This is a Jawa, a constantly curious little guy who wears colored gemstones over his eyes as goggles. He loves tinkering with outsider technology, and he lives inside a Sandcrawler, a mobile mining base left behind by the miners long ago."
"Wait, how old would those Sandcrawlers be?" a surprised Bumi asked.
"Up to four thousand years old," Aphra said. "Yeah, they are really talented with tech. They go around, from place to place, selling useful items they cobble together from junk to outsiders. But they think that if it is left alone, they can take it, which frequently leads to them getting shot by angry people they are stealing from." She then changed the hologram to a different figure, a larger one in lighter robes with a far more threatening mask and a club with a spear on the end.
"What are those guys called?" Katara asked, reminded of the Sandbender tribes that stole Appa, once.
"Some call them Sand People, others call them Tusken Raiders for their attacks on Fort Tusken," Aphra answered. "The Jawas call them Desert Ghosts. They haven't been friendly enough to reveal what they call themselves. There are stories of them kidnapping outsiders and submitting them to grueling torture for seemingly no reason, and of taking potshots at passing racers. There is only one document that really offers any insight into them, and it's almost four thousand years old: they associate all outsiders with the Rakata, and treat them as such." Everyone was rather perturbed by what Aphra had revealed of Tatooine.
"So, what exactly is so important that Darth Vader would wander off the mission to go there?" asked Bumi.
"I think we will know some other time," Aphra said, pulling up a picture. Looking closer, Katara saw it was the same woman in the recording on Polis Massa, just in a more elaborate dress with white face paint. "Damm it, she has too much makeup on. Where's a better picture?" She kept changing pictures of the woman, to which Katara was baffled at how many dresses this Padme woman was recorded in.
"Why are you looking at a picture of Padme Amidala?" asked Boba Fett after Aphra settled on one with Padme in a white jumpsuit. "She's been dead for about fifteen years."
"I just wanted to do a comparison," Aphra said, pulling up a second picture. This was of a teenage girl with the same hair and eye color, whose hair was looped into buns on the sides of her head, wearing a white, robed dress. "So, Leia Organa here was born roughly the same time Amidala died, she's an orphan with no past, and she was adopted by one of Padme's main friends in the senate. Anyone think Leia is actually her daughter?" With that comment, both Boba and Bossk looked closer at the two pictures, just as the Benders did.
"Huh, I guess no one ever made the connection, before," Bossk mentioned. "I don't think about Alderaan that much, anyway. Not enough good things to hunt."
"Yeah, you have to wonder why Padme gave birth on an asteroid no one went to," Aphra noted.
"Who was that man with her, in the hologram?" asked Zuko. "She called him Obi-Wan." With that, Fett's head snapped up, clearly agitated.
"Early to mid-thirties, brownish-blonde hair, blue eyes, trimmed beard, whitish-brown robes?" Fett demanded.
"You know him?" Katara asked, surprised that Boba recognized this man.
"All too well," Fett muttered. "He should be dead by now."
"You know, I heard rumors Amidala was pregnant at the time of her death," Bossk noted. "I just figured it was a rumor around the mystery of it. She had a truly massive number of admirers, both as a senator and a queen."
"And now, it's up to me to question the mortician," Aphra mentioned. "And then to confirm Leia Organa is actually Leia Amidala."
"Don't you mean Leia Vader?" Bumi said in realization. "I doubt Darth would just wander off if this Amidala wasn't his lover."
"Yeah, I suppose so," Aphra concluded. "Well, I guess one of her admirers is who is really under that mask. And I guess that, for whatever reason, he thinks Leia's brother is on Tatooine. Oh look, our ships are here." She pointed out the window. Aphra's blue vessel, the Ark Angel, was being towed by a Gozanti freighter. It looked like a cylindrical disk with a tower attached to the front, with an engine block in the back. Another freighter was towing what looked like a long rusted container with engines and wings attached to the back. Just then, a Lambda shuttle dropped out of hyperspace, docking with the ship towing the box-like ship.
"Well, it looks like we part ways, here," Aphra said, looking at her datapad at their new orders. "Also, it looks like Baatar will be joining you four, and our two favorite bounty hunters on a trip to Nar Shaddaa."
Korra saw the airship approaching Kyoshi Island, and ordered the Stormtroopers to return to the shuttle until she called them. As it landed, Malina walked out, as her children told the crew to stay there before the twins accompanied her.
"Avatar Korra, I didn't know you were coming," Malina said cautiously.
"An Imperial shuttle is far faster than an airship," she said. "Of course, I wouldn't have had to come if you'd waited for our talk."
"We didn't know there was anything else to speak of, Korra," Desna said. "Especially given that abduction at the Western Air Temple."
"There is someone better suited than me or Mako to lead the rescue mission," the Avatar replied. "And Katara and her family need to get used to working with Darth Vader. After all, everything he did is ultimately your dad's fault." She then turned to Malina. "You're welcome, by the way."
"For what?" asked the lady of Kyoshi Island.
"For killing your ex and making your kids realize what he was actually like," the Avatar said. Malina frowned at the reminder. She'd divorced Unalaq for being a control freak who tried to use their children in order to control her. She wasn't surprised he'd provoked an uprising in the South Pole, but she was horrified when he tried to kill Eska and Desna when they defied him, as she wanted to believe there was good in the man she once loved. When looking at his later behavior, as well as his attitude after Darth Vader came to the North Pole, she couldn't help but conclude that Unalaq, not Vader, had killed his own father. Still, that didn't mean she had forgiven Vader for killing her own father and so many others.
"Why are you here?" Malina asked, trying to change topics. "What do you want?"
"Some of your warriors, and an old teacher of hers, didn't think the Empire and its forces were that impressive," Mako said. "So, five Stormtroopers sparred with twenty Kyoshi Warriors along with Chong of the White Lotus. They won fairly easily, thanks to their tech and what Korra and I taught them."
"I have a good idea of how powerful Darth Vader and his army is," Malina said. "That doesn't mean I am willing to simply go along with them."
"Even if the Avatar herself tells you it is necessary?" Korra asked.
"I am well aware of how you owe Vader and his Empire," Malina said. "But I am afraid you might have been swindled, just as Unalaq swindled me."
"Well, Unalaq tried to swindle me as well, so I'm good at spotting attempts," Korra said. "Regardless, Kuvira has taken charge of the Earth Nation, and will be pursuing a greater alliance with the Galactic Empire. That leaves us wondering where that leaves you." So that is what it was about. As governor of Kyoshi Island, she was expected to owe fealty to the ruler of the mainland. But since the monarchy was effectively over, perhaps there was another option. After a moment of consideration, Malina responded.
"I think it will be best if we stay out of the mainland's affairs for a while, and see what comes of it," the Kyoshi elder said.
"And I suppose you two will be doing the same with the Northern Tribe?" Korra asked the twins.
"It appears to be the best option," Eska said. "If there is one thing I learned from the civil war, you shouldn't blindly follow authority, not even a parent's."
"When they oppose the Avatar," Mako said. "There is no higher authority, on this planet." Korra smiled at her husband's remark but noticed that Malina and her children didn't seem to agree.
"Uncle Aang never believed that," Malina said.
"What my predecessor believed doesn't matter," Korra replied, annoyed at how everyone was determined to compare her to her predecessor.
"It does to me and many others," Malina insisted.
"I was afraid you would say that," a resigned Korra said to her cousins and their mother. "I invoke the Rite Of Kiwantiio!" That proclamation shocked every Water Tribal in sight, as it had faded into legend.
"I don't want to fight you, Korra," Malina said.
"Then you are smarter than most of my adversaries," the Avatar replied. "I still invoke my rite. Unless, you accept me as the highest authority on our world."
"So, that's it?" Eska asked. "We're back to assuming that, if someone wins a fight, they are right?"
"That's how the world works," Mako smiled. "But Korra will only use her Waterbending, so your mom should have a chance."
"Waterbending, and my lightsaber, given that sword Malina likes to use," the Avatar said, tapping the lightsaber hanging from her belt, earning a flash of anger from Malina, as it was the same weapon Darth Vader used to kill Avatar Aang.
"Korra, instead of trying to force us into go along with what you want, I have a better idea," Eska said diplomatically. "Instead, why don't you teach our people everything you know of the Empire and how to fight it, just in case you are wrong about it?"
"If I am wrong about it, our world is doomed no matter what we do," Korra bluntly stated, remembering the Death Star and all the other weapons she'd seen in the wider galaxy. "If I am right, such a move would be a betrayal of our greatest allies. As such, the best thing to do is for you to do what I say and follow my lead."
"For once in your life, Korra, will you consider that others are right instead of yourself?" pleaded Desna. With that, Korra's eyes glowed as she used the Avatar State to bend a huge wall behind herself, effectively splitting Kyoshi Island in half. Mako stood on top, with the five Stormtroopers beside him.
"Raava believes in what I am doing, that's all I need to know in order to be certain I am right," the Avatar retorted.
"Just because you can use the Avatar State, doesn't mean the spirits agree with you," Malina tried to reason with her.
"Only one spirit matters," Korra replied. "And since I can still use Raava's power, I'm going to assume she approves. My rite stands, Malina, daughter of Sokka."
"Then I will join the Rite as well," Eska said, quickly followed by Desna. Malina told them not to get involved but they insisted. "We won't abandon you, again, Mom."
"Okay, I'll fight all three of you at once, with only my Waterbending and lightsaber," Korra stated. "Should make this an interesting challenge. If I win, Malina will pledge allegiance to Kuvira, and she and the two of you will formally end the North's feud against Darth Vader and all other Imperials."
"And if we win, you will break your alliance with this Empire and do everything to help our world to prepare for a possible war with it," Malina stated, increasingly angry with the young Avatar. As one of the members of the Northern Water Tribe airship crew brought out a gong, Korra and her three opponents took twenty paces apart from each other. The Gong was struck three times, and the battle began. The Twins began with a simultaneous attack from two directions, which Korra deflected with her own Waterbending. The Avatar rushed forward and sent many ice shards flying at them, forcing them to dodge as Korra herself blocked a wave from Malina.
The Avatar created a water cyclone with herself at the top and sent a massive wave toward her cousins and their mother. Malina diverted the wave around her and swung her sword Korra's way, sending a powerful wave in return. Korra leapt out of the way, and smacked Desna's face before grabbing him by the arm and tossing him. Desna crashed into his sister, knocking them both flat, and Korra charged at Malina, activating her lightsaber. Malina blocked with her sword, as it was what her father made out of the ore of a meteor. The black blade stopped the blue saber as Korra's eyes locked with Malina's. Korra could see the older woman's anger at how she used the same weapon as the Obsidian Knight. Korra kicked up an ice shield to her side, stopping a wave Malina had summoned, then punched the Kyoshi leader in the chest, knocking her back. As the twins began to get back up, Korra split her lightsaber in two, igniting the second blade, and slashed her cousins right and left shoulders, respectively. As Eska and Desna yelped in pain, Malina charged forward, determined to protect her children, but Korra crossed her swords behind her back, blocking the older woman's blade.
The Avatar kicked Malina in the stomach, knocking her back, and Korra swiftly turned around, holstering one of her lightsabers as she locked blades with the Kyoshi Warrior. Malina tried to grab her fan with her left hand, but Korra grabbed Malina's wrist and squeezed hard enough to make her drop Kyoshi Island's signature weapon. Korra knocked back Malina further onto dry land and began hammering with her sole lightsaber, forcing the older woman onto her back until the black sword was knocked out of her hands. The Avatar pinned Malina against the wall she'd erected and held her lightsaber to the other woman's throat. Malina grabbed at Korra's holstered lightsaber, but the Avatar grabbed the weapon and gave a light slash across the Kyoshi leader's right leg. The sting of the energy sword was enough to make Malina pass out.
Sometime later, Malina awoke with her son offering his hand to help her up. Looking to her leg, she saw the burn on her pants, as well as on her children's shirts, but noticed that there were no injuries to the flesh itself. Korra must have healed the burns she inflicted while they were unconscious. But it was hard to take comfort in that, as Korra had prevailed in her Rite against them.
"I will go to Ba Sing Se, tomorrow, and pledge my oath to Kuvira," a resigned Malina said. "And I will also end my feud with Vader and his Empire."
"As will we," Desna added, looking rather downcast. "I hope you're happy, Korra: Darth Vader will never be punished for killing Grandpa Sokka and so many others."
"General Appo killed Sokka," Korra replied. "Also, Vader is above the law on every world, so he was never going to be punished."
"Just like you are above the law on our world," Eska dryly stated. "You don't have to say it, you've always believed that and your actions since returning home reek of this mindset."
"I stopped denying the truth for others comfort and convenience," Korra stated. At that moment, the shuttle that had taken Korra and Mako to the island landed close by, as Korra had removed the Earthbent wall she'd erected earlier.
"You have my word, Avatar Korra, that I will cause no trouble for the Empire," Malina said, looking to her sadly. "I worry for the future of our world, and from what I saw here and in the Southern Water Tribe, I distrust the Galactic Empire. But you are the victor of this sacred Water Tribe Rite, so I will honor your request."
"That is all I needed to hear," Korra replied as the ship landed. "I know you are afraid of the Empire, and that it will take a while for you three to get used to it, so fear what will happen if you pick a fight with the Imperials." She and Mako walked back onto the shuttle, with the five Stormtroopers following close behind, and it soon lifted off. Korra decided to contact Tenzin, so he would hear from her how she invoked the Rite Of Kiwantiio, even as the shuttle sped them back to her children in the South Pole. Before she could, however, the shuttle was contacted by Kuvira.
"I just handled Kyoshi Island, for you," Korra smiled. "Malina will be coming to Ba Sing Se to deliver her oath."
"That's great news," Kuvira said. "But that isn't why I'm calling you."
"What's going on?" Mako asked the Metalbender.
"Lord Vader has called Baatar in to help rescue Princess Mizuki, and his own son," Kuvira revealed, dropping a huge revelation. Korra was shocked, as was Mako, and asked Kuvira to start at the beginning. The rescue mission had suddenly gotten a lot more interesting.
Yeah, I couldn't resist joking about how many times Padme changes clothes. Vader was always going to kill Owen and Beru, though Biggs will relate what he saw to Luke and Mizuki when they return. His arrival at the Lars Homestead was modeled after his arrival on Malachor. And yes, General Armitage Hux's dad was working in an academy close to Tatooine at the time. I hadn't shown Bolin for a while, so I decided to include him. With a glimpse of Varrick and Zhu Li. I wanted to capture Owen's caring side and not just his distaste for anything outside his farm.
As a fan of KOTOR, I couldn't resist Aphra referencing it, as well as her own past. Korra knew that Sokka and Suki's daughter would likely cause trouble for her friends in the Earth Nation, so she forced Malina into line. As well as her cousins.
Next chapter, Baatar goes out to meet with Vader and the Bounty Hunters. Katara learns more of Bossk and Boba Fett as they head for Nar Shaddaa. Kuvira brings Suyin to Ba Sing Se. And Luke and Mizuki face more of the galaxy's terrors.