As Darth Vader marched closer to Korra and Mako, the crowd stumbled back in terror of the man they knew as the Obsidian Knight. Shiro Shinobi had been so shocked at the sight of the one man he truly feared that he dropped his microphone. Then, the crowd of fifteen hundred registered how Korra had addressed him as a friend, realizing he was the Darth Vader she was telling her cousin Desna about. Desna himself went from stoic boredom to outright terror at the sight of Vader. He'd heard many stories of the Obsidian Knight, all of them emphasizing how powerful the mysterious warrior was. "What's the problem, Desna?" Korra asked. "I just explained how Lord Vader is an innocent man."
"Innocent?!" called out Deputy Chief Saikhan, struggling to stand up. "Have you forgotten what he and his white goons did that night?!"
"Well, given how you believed Unalaq's lies about him, you'd have attacked him on sight regardless," Baatar chimed in. "Besides, the Stormtroopers were ordered only to distract and to defend themselves. Really, you should consider yourself lucky." Several of the Metalbender police got up in fury at that, but Baatar hit them with a blast of Force Lightning, causing them to scream in pain and drop to their knees quickly. Tahno and his teammates had also charged up and been hit by Kuvira using the same power.
"A little power Lord Vader has helped us master since we met him," Kuvira boasted. "Perhaps those willing to listen could also learn it."
"But until then, you WILL listen!" Korra commanded the crowd, surprising Asami Sato at how demanding the Avatar was being. President Raiko was about to demand something, when Korra Earthbent a few rocks around his mouth to shut him up. The Death Troopers had moved forward, readying their weapons after setting them to stun. Poppy, Raiko's wife, started to protest, but one of the Stormtroopers Metalbent a cuff around her mouth, gagging her.
"You clearly need to listen to your betters," the Stormtrooper commander stated. "Thankfully, Colonel Korra gave and taught us Bending, so we can enforce her will." The crowd was again shocked. The Avatar had gifted these alien aggressors the power of Bending? And she was an officer in their army? Meanwhile, Darth Vader had remained indifferent to what was happening, instead listening to Director Krennic's report on what his communicator had revealed. He'd yet to say a word, instead focusing on the T'Landa T'Il who'd been restrained.
"I told you I would do the next time we met, Teroenza," Vader spoke, gaining everyone's attention. He smashed an oil can on top of Teroenza's intact horn, covering him in flammable fluid. Then, he ignited his lightsaber and scraped his blade into a puddle in front of the T'Landa T'Il, lighting him aflame. Vader then turned around and strode toward the crowd, ignoring the muffled screams of the burning being behind him.
"President Raiko, I presume," Vader asked, his lightsaber cutting off the rock gag as he held the politician in place using the Force. "Are we adversaries?" Raiko tried to look confident, but it was a thin facade in front of the Sith, especially as he heard the screams of Teroenza in the distance.
"The law allows for...leniency in extraordinary situations," Raiko said nervously, aware that Vader's sword was right next to his neck.
"And sometimes, the law is irrelevant," a stormtrooper stated. "For example, the Avatar is the most powerful person on this planet, chosen by the spirits to uphold order. As such, the laws of this planet don't apply to the Avatar. Lord Vader is the Executor, placing him above the law on every planet." At that moment, a Star Destroyer emerged above Republic City. The grey, dagger-shaped spaceship was the largest construction anyone in the city had ever seen, and the screaming roar of the TIEs beside it drowned out the other sounds. A crossbow rang out, and Asami pushed Korra out of the way, being hit herself. As Mako tore the arrow out, tossing it away before it could explode, Korra yanked the Klatoonian toward her and beheaded him with her own lightsaber. She then rushed over to Asami, and began looking at the wound, trying to determine how best to treat it. Hiroshi also rushed forward before being grabbed by a Death Trooper, not trusting the imprisoned Equalist, until Mako ordered his release. Realizing that Asami was bleeding to death, Korra scorched the hole closed with her Firebending as her friend screamed in agony.
"We have locked onto the remaining Besadis in the city, my lord," a voice said over the comlink as Asami's friends, and her father tried to help her. At that, the Stormtroopers set up a shield generator. It was small and wouldn't last long but it would be enough for what was to come. As the shield covered the area where the Avatar, the crowd, and the Imperials were, the Sith spoke.
"Open fire," Vader commanded. A charging sound revved in the sky, and a barrage of green blasts shot out into the abandoned and damaged buildings of the city. Several in the crowd screamed, but the energy shield kept them confined, especially with the stray debris bouncing off the outside. After thirty seconds, the blasting stopped as more of the city crumbled. Vader deactivated the shield and used the Force to blast the dust away.
"So, Mr. President, do you want to pick a fight with the Galactic Empire?" Korra asked as she began to apply her healing water.
"No," Raiko said in a tone of resignation, realizing there was nothing more he could do. "As President of the United Republic Of Nations, I hereby pardon Darth Vader of all crimes and charges against him." The policemen and many others present in the crowd were angered by this but remained quiet.
"Good," Vader stated bluntly, retracting his lightsaber, striding in front of Desna. "Do you believe your father's claims about me?"
"I don't know," Desna said, far more confidently. "But I won't send my people to their deaths in a hopeless battle. Which would be a fight against you."
"A wise decision," the Sith replied, far more respectfully than he had to President Raiko. At that, a shuttle appeared in the sky and began to descend. Its wings folded upward as it landed. As it touched down, the boarding ramp dropped. Mako looked at his grandmother and her family, who had a mix of horror and confusion on their faces. As Korra, Hiroshi, and two stormtroopers carried Asami onto the shuttle, Mako handed his own family a piece of paper explaining where to go to meet him and Bolin for a later talk.
"I need time to process this," said his grandmother. "But we will come to you." Krennic, Mako and Vader's other apostles boarded the shuttle while the Death Troopers remained alert as they walked up the boarding ramp. Vader marched up, and looked back one last time before the ship took off, his glowing red eye lenses quelling any thought of anyone trying something against him. The shuttle flew off toward the Earth Nation border, with the Star Destroyer following close behind. Much of Republic City was in ruins but the crowd was alive and terrified at this uncertain future.
As the shuttle made its way to the EUA base, the Beifong family was sitting down as Dr. Rylen continued his daily session with Wei's prosthetics. With the 'Energy Shield' having cut off communications beyond the Earth Kingdom, all they could do was learn more about the Galactic Empire. Eska had gotten her mother to sit down, accepting that they couldn't get to Desna at the moment, when Toph had sensed something strange inside the doctor. Rylen called it a pacemaker, to keep his heart working right after an injury in battle. It also kept his heart rate steady regardless of his mood or situation.
"How convenient that you have something that beats the power of Truth Seeing," muttered Huan, referencing how seismic sense could interpret a body's reaction to questioning.
"I heard about that power," the doctor explained. "There are numerous machines on various worlds that scan for such tells and body quirks. And I know of no legal system that considers them reliable enough to be used as evidence."
"I never trusted it enough to cite in court, either," Toph admitted. "So, you're one of 'Darth Vader's favorite minions."
"Not really," he answered. "The communicator was meant to go to another officer, I wasn't expecting to have Lord Vader contact me."
"But, you work for Darth Vader, right?" Wei asked his physician.
"In the way a regular soldier works for his king and the king's council," Rylen explained. "Darth Vader is a distant superior, not a direct one."
"Okay, so you're not on his birthday invitation list," Wing added. "Well, what common knowledge is available about him to the average citizen?"
"Sixteen years ago, the Galactic Republic became the Galactic Empire," Rylen stated. "A couple months later, a band of traitors found refuge on Kashyyyk, and attempted to build an army out of local allies. Darth Vader found out, and led the attack that crushed the rebellion before it began. Afterward, he was recognized for his heroism, and given the rank of Executor. That makes him second only to Emperor Palpatine himself. And that's it for his past."
"You might not think his past before that promotion is anything special, but given how little we know of him, I'll take anything," Suyin pressed.
"I understand, but you aren't hearing me," the doctor continued. "There is no record of him before this incident. And neither he nor the Emperor has said anything about who he is under the suit or was before he wore it. He just appeared in the earliest days of the Empire, he did a bunch of amazing things, and then he was second-in-command of everything."
"What sort of ruler just accepts a complete unknown as his deputy?" an incredulous Toph asked.
"He's not an unknown to the Emperor and a few other of the highest leaders," Rylen said. "There are a thousand ideas about who Darth Vader is and how he gained this position. They amount to guesswork, and not only does Lord Vader value his privacy, making it hard to investigate him, no one knows where to even start looking. Unless he or the Emperor change their minds about hiding his past, I don't see how it can be found out."
"Well, enough about Vader, for now," Lin interjected, having noticed something no one else had. "The thing is you said the Empire is only sixteen years old."
"From what I understand, the crystals are a form of time travel," he answered. "What was almost twenty years for you was around six for him."
"That's not what I'm interested in," Lin clarified. "You said that the Empire was a Republic until then. How did that change?"
"When I was born, the Galactic Republic had been decaying for a long time," Rylen explained. "Sheev Palpatine was elected as Supreme Chancellor, and did his best to fix things, and then the people unsatisfied with the Republic banded together into a Separatist Confederacy. One thing led to another, and we went to war."
"I recently fought a war, myself," Eska plainly stated. "It was against Korra and the Southern Tribe that wanted independence. My father and his supporters called them fools and criminals. Then, it turned out I was fighting for the wrong side."
"The people who fought us for independence wanted freedom to do whatever they wanted, regardless of how it affected everyone else," Rylen explained, a hint of anger in his voice. "Many of them only wanted to hurt worlds they had a grudge against. And these 'Freedom Fighters' came up with such wonderful means to fight for their freedom as spreading a plague to a hundred worlds that only killed humans. All while plundering whatever world they could to fund their war effort. The Separatists consistently disregarded every accepted law regarding war, at every turn."
"Did you lose someone to that plague?" Wei compassionately asked his doctor, noticing Rylen's emotional response.
"I was still in medical school when I volunteered to help with the injured," Rylen slowly said, reliving a painful memory. "I didn't lose someone to the plague. I lost everyone to...something else."
"What was it?" asked Baatar Sr compassionately.
"We've gotten sidetracked," the doctor rapidly stated, eager to stop talking about his painful past. "We were losing on every front, and we only started winning when Chancellor Palpatine was given the power to wage war with no restraint. No senate subcommittees on what could or couldn't be done, no constitutional restraint chaining him back. It was only then that the Separatist Confederacy began to crumble. And since Senate interference in military deployment had cost several important battles, they were removed from those decisions."
"And I suppose that as the war was ending, Palpatine decided he didn't have to give this power up," Lin concluded.
"The average Republic citizen didn't want him to give it up, given all he'd accomplished and how he'd improved their lives," Rylen stated. "But a collection of senators and others were afraid of losing their power, so they banded together to assassinate Palpatine. He was badly injured but was saved by...one of the people who might have become Darth Vader. The traitors were purged, and since the Republic had become an Empire in fact, Palpatine made it an Empire in name as well. The irony is, those traitors wouldn't have been that bad off in the New Order."
"Truly?" asked Lin.
"The senate is still there, to communicate the feelings of the citizenry to their ruler, as is their purpose," the doctor stated. "They are not allowed to bicker and amass titles at the expense of everything else, like before. And when the Emperor makes up his mind, he cannot be overruled. The Jedi...well, they are another matter but I'm sure they would have continued as honored guardians if they accepted the change."
"So, it's a dictatorship," concluded Suyin.
"You can call it that," Rylen admitted. "One of the things I learned is that freedom doesn't mean much if death is around every corner."
"Thank you for your insight," Lin stated before turning to her sister, mother, and Malina, beckoning them to follow her as Wei continued with his leg therapy.
"I believe he wants to help Wei," Toph stated. "I've met plenty of doctors who don't care about their patients, and he isn't one. He also seems to genuinely believe in his Empire as opposed to just saying what he's expected to."
"His attitude reminds me of people defending Kuvira's more...questionable actions as she goes across the country," Suyin said. "I am starting to worry at just how intrigued Kuvira and Jr are by this Empire and its policies."
"From the way Rylen describes the Emperor, Sheev Palpatine sounds like what Councilor Tarrlock wanted to be," Lin noted. "An elected leader given limitless authority and power to solve a crisis, specifically a civil war. If there was an attempted coup to unseat him, I have a feeling Palpatine rewrote the narrative before people like the good doctor heard it." Before they could continue the discussion, Wing ran into the room.
"The shield is down," he said. "Korra, Mako, Baatar, and Kuvira are headed to that base where Bolin and Opal are, along with the rescued Airbenders. Aunt Malina, you can go to Desna, now." At that, Malina ran to her blimp alongside her daughter Eska, eager to make sure her son was okay. Suyin also had her own blimp readied to go where Korra and Kuvira would be, while Lin got her own things.
"I'll have to be going back to Republic City, soon," Lin said. "I might as well hitch a ride." As she was packing her bags, her mother approached her. "What are you here for?"
"We need to talk," Toph told her daughter.
"I thought we needed to talk," Lin said sarcastically. "I thought 'Hey, if I can fix things with Su, I can fix things with Mom.' Then I remembered you didn't care about anything outside your job. And that if you cared enough to fix things, you wouldn't have walked off into the unknown."
"I know I wasn't the best mother," Toph admitted. "My own parents were so overbearing, that I thought a free reign was what you and Suyin needed. After you grew up, I thought it was too late to fix things. But I was lucky to have two amazing daughters who learned from my mistakes. You are a better mother than I ever was."
"Shouldn't you be saying that to Suyin?" asked Lin.
"I already did, but then I noticed something when Korra came to the swamp," the elder Earthbender said. "She was dismissive of what I had to say, but while she was a bit full of herself, that wasn't why she disdained me. It was because of you."
"Me?" Lin asked surprised.
"Korra cares about you," Toph revealed. "The thing she was most angry at me for was how I wasn't there when Amon captured you. A close second was how I wasn't there when Opal and Tenzin were captured by the Red Lotus. In fact, she demanded I come here so that you could get closure about me. And I am relieved I did so." Lin was shocked, Korra had done something just for her? She always thought Korra considered her an overbearing teacher or nanny to be shaken off whenever convenient. "Then, I saw how you acted with Bolin, and reacted when he told us about Korra and Mako returning," Toph continued. "Korra and her friends aren't just a chore for you, are they?"
"No," Lin admitted. "I tried to deny it, and then I met Vader again. Before freezing us, he thought that Tenzin and I were looking for our lost children."
"Well, you've certainly been acting like it," Toph noted. "Korra might not show it much, but she appreciates your care for her. I think she will listen to you and your concerns regarding this Empire." Lin hugged her mother and asked what she would be doing now. "I'm returning to the City I helped build," Toph stated. "I still have a score to settle with Vader."
"Then, you can stay with me while you are there," Lin reassured her mother before hugging her. As she moved to the airship, with Toph following behind her, she saw Su kiss her husband goodbye as she boarded as well, reassuring Baatar Sr that she would see what was up with their wayward children. As the airship made its journey, roughly an hour and a half to Fort Haruka, the EUA base that they were headed to, Lin and Suyin saw a grey, gargantuan, dagger-shaped ship with a large conning tower at the rear flying toward Ba Sing Se, followed by the screaming black escort fighters. The engines on the ship were three enormous blue drives, with four smaller backups. As they approached the base, Lin saw large numbers of walking vehicles accompanied by the Stormtroopers as well as Kuvira's own soldiers.
"Please identify," a voice on the radio said.
"This is Zaofu-3, requesting permission to land," the pilot said nervously. After a tense moment, they were granted permission, and proceeded. Looking to their right, Lin saw a shuttle of the same model that Vader had used the night she first met him. It was time to confront the scenario she had never prepared for: the Avatar on the side of the Obsidian Knight.
As the shuttle landed, Korra and her friends rushed the unconscious Asami to the hospital, which now had a bacta treatment center. As they got Asami to the doctor, Korra collapsed on a chair in exhaustion. Bolin came rushing in, bumping into his brother.
"How is Asami doing-what is he doing here?" he asked, startled at seeing Hiroshi present as well.
"Asami was visiting me when the aliens attacked," Hiroshi answered. "She decided to give me a second chance, as she was willing to take a chance on Darth Vader."
"Great," Bolin said, still distrusting the Equalist who had previously convinced him that he was their friend. Bolin turned to a pair of Stormtroopers and ordered that Hiroshi be kept in the waiting area, as the Earthbender still distrusted him. As the medical droids began to work on Asami, Vader strode with Kuvira and Baatar to the command center. Bolin then turned to Korra and led her to where Tenzin and his family were.
"How are they?" Korra asked as she followed Bolin down the hallway, worried about the people who'd become a second family to her.
"Meelo's foot was broken and Tenzin was shot in the leg," Bolin explained. "But they'll be back to normal in no time, thanks to Koko's Water Healing skills. Rohan is the one who got it worst."
"What do you mean?" Mako asked, concerned over the toddler only a couple years older than his own children.
"He was pretty close to an explosion," Bolin answered sadly. "One of his eardrums was shattered, as a result."
"Who did it?" asked Korra, angered at this.
"A rival of Boba's called Bane," Bolin answered. "We think he's still alive, and there's something else: he could Airbend." As Korra was shocked by that news, they arrived at the guest barracks. As the door opened, she saw Jinora changing the bandage on her brother's ear, when Kai tapped his girlfriend on the shoulder, causing her to look up.
"Korra?" Jinora asked, gaining the attention of her siblings and her parents.
"Hi, guys," Korra smiled softly. Jinora set her brother down and rocketed up to the Avatar, hugging her tenderly as she cried in relief. She was soon joined by Meelo and Ikki, who came forward and hugged Korra as well. Korra smiled as she knelt and hugged the younger Airbending siblings. "Wow, you're almost as big as me, Jinora," Korra smiled to the oldest of the trio. "You two have grown as well." Noticing someone else was approaching, Korra looked up and saw Tenzin. Without a word, her Airbending teacher hugged her as tears burst from his eyes.
"I am so glad you are here, Korra," he said. "No matter the circumstances."
"It's good to see you as well, Tenzin," Korra smiled back. "Did my friends treat you right?"
"I appreciate what they did for us on your behalf," he said. "I'm not sure what to think of them and the Empire they serve. Even without bringing up...Vader."
"I understand," Korra said. "But you should understand I trusted them with your safety, in addition, whenever Mako or I were unavailable, they would frequently guard our children before we found a way home. You can trust them." Korra turned to Jinora and her siblings. "I have been waiting to introduce Harou and Saria to their Aunts and Uncle," the Avatar assured the young Airbenders, who smiled at the news. Tenzin put his hand on Korra's shoulder, looking regretful.
"I heard about your pregnancy from Asami," he said. "Korra, I am so sorry that we couldn't fight off the Red Lotus on our own. The fact that you had to put yourself in danger there, in such a way, I will never forgive myself."
"I know how it feels," Korra replied. "And a good way for you to show your gratitude, would be to accept the security detail I granted." After some hesitation, Tenzin spoke.
"Their actions have bought them some trust, to be sure," the Air Nomad leader said. "But there is a much more important question I have to ask you."
"What?" the Avatar questioned.
"Ezra, and his cousin Jonah," he started. "Which, if either of them, is an orphaned thief?"
"Why are you asking that?" Korra started, puzzled.
"Just answer, please," he continued. "Which is an orphan who had to support himself through stealing?" After a moment, Korra answered.
"Actually, both of them are thieves and orphans," Korra plainly answered. At that, Tenzin walked away, muttering under his breath, tearing at his beard in frustration. Listening closely, Korra made out something he said.
"Why do all my daughters fall in love with pretty boys who are also thieves?!" Tenzin yelled in exasperation. "Just for once, I hoped one of my girls would be interested in a good boy instead of a delinquent I need to teach decency to!" Everyone laughed at Tenzin's tantrum, forgetting the situation at hand.
Korra has finally reunited with Tenzin and his family. I didn't specify earlier, but yes, Ezra and Jonah really are cousins. Both are part-Zeltron in my story, after all. Lin has reached some closure with her mother, while Su is off to meet Kuvira and Baatar. Rylen's story is what I see as the typical Imperial citizen being told about events in the prequels. The URN has been intimidated by both the Hutts and Darth Vader and isn't sure what to do, yet. Next chapter, Asami is back on her feet, the Beifongs arrive at the fort, and Darth Vader forces a diplomatic meeting at the South Pole.