After Korra and Mako arrived in Fort Haruka, hugging Bolin and Opal. Mako congratulated his little brother upon his engagement to Opal. "Thanks, bro," Bolin replied. "I figured it was time I stop avoiding it. Especially with this new world we find ourselves in."
"It was about time you did so," Kuvira smiled as she walked in. "My sister was getting impatient for you to propose." She then turned to Korra and began talking. "Tomorrow, the First Elemental Expeditionary Force will go into the world that Iroh and the others have been taken to. It'll be integral to getting them used to the wider galaxy, and further build a bond between them and the Empire. I decided to lead them, personally, while you hold things together here."
"Great," Korra told her friend. "You should meet Malina in Ba Sing Se, before leaving."
"I will," Kuvira said. "I also want Ezra and Sabine to come along for the ride to T'Surr, as well. They are ideal for this mission." As the three Apostles of Darth Vader assembled the unit from the EUA that would be going into the wider galaxy, Kuvira spoke. "You are the greatest thousand soldiers of our world," the Metalbender nicknamed the Great Uniter said. "Now, it is time for us to go beyond our world, and join our Imperial friends in the wider galaxy, to save our fellow Elementals imperiled by the dangers we know all too well. Our experiences under Lord Vader will make us stronger, and more than capable of changing Elementia for the better. We will be the Fist of the Galactic Empire!"
"All hail the Great Uniter!" the thousand soldiers cheered. "Hail Korra! Hail Darth Vader! Hail the Sith, the true Bending masters!" Many of them were proud to wear helmets reminiscent of Darth Vader, now. Vader had talked to his four apostles how the Imperial Bending Corps would be the First of the Empire, an unstoppable army that would crush all in their path to bringing order to the galaxy. Korra liked the idea of having a whole army backing her up.
The unique shuttle of Director Krennic touched down at the Western Air Temple in the late morning. After the six Death Troopers came out and scanned the area, they spoke in their garbled voices and the white-uniformed officer strode out, followed by someone the Airbenders didn't know. He was roughly the same age as Krennic, with a more worn face. He wore a similar uniform to other Imperial officers, but the neck and shoulders were light green, while the rest was dark grey. He also lacked an officer's plaque.
"It is a privilege to receive your hospitality, Councilor Tenzin," Krennic said to the Air Nomad leader.
"You, as well, Orson, isn't it?" he questioned.
"Yes, and this is my oldest friend, Galen Walton Erso," Krennic introduced the man with him. Erso looked up with a slight smile to the Airbenders, and at the Imperials who were present. Apart from Agent Kallus, no one present knew that Galen was a less-than-willing engineer in the Empire.
"It is an honor to be granted entrance into such a sacred place," Galen said to Tenzin. Upon seeing Jinora, he briefly thought of his own daughter Jyn, and wondered if she was alive and still with Saw Gerrera.
"You're welcome," Tenzin said. "Any friend of Korra's is welcome here. Even Darth Vader." Galen was surprised to hear the Sith Lord mentioned, but Orson explained to him Tenzin's family had a troubled history with Vader. As their guests were shown around the Temple by Kai, Pema noticed how they almost seemed to be examining the area. As if they planned to build something of their own, there. Orson and Galen were gracious guests, however, so she didn't say anything.
"So, I heard you met Korra and Mako right after they went through the portal," Meelo said to the director.
"Yes," Krennic confirmed. "I was looking to see if Maridun had something that would help...the project Galen and I are working on."
"What's the project?" a curious Ikki asked.
"When I was brought in, it was called Celestial Power," Galen answered, before Krennic could say anything. "I had found something beautiful, a way to provide limitless energy to any world we could build it on. But first, we need to build a prototype. When it is finished, we can see how to provide it to planets as opposed to just ships and space stations."
"Stardust is a Mobile Platform, Galen," Orson said, somewhat annoyed at the wrong term. "It might look like a station, have the insides of a station, and provide all the amenities of one, but we can take it from system to system, without being towed. And after we figure out how to stabilize it, we can do the same for all worlds."
"Well, the right worlds, Orson," Galen said. "Some of them are too much in the grip of terror for them to benefit from peace. But we have to start somewhere, after all." Jinora suspected they were having a coded conversation that only they understood.
"Indeed," Krennic said, somewhat annoyed. "But we are forgetting ourselves. It is time to pay our respects to Grandpa Kahning and Grandpa Erso." With that, the two old friends went to the edge of the cliff and recited a series of words in a different language, the Death Troopers close by. At lunch, they sat down next to each other, with two of the Death Troopers sitting as well with their helmets off, as they were off duty. Two others remained close by at the ready, and the other two had taken to patrolling with the rest of the garrison.
"So, you two knew each other before the Empire?" asked Kai, sitting next to Jinora.
"We're from the same part of Loedorvia," Krennic confirmed. "Our parents died long ago, and our grandfathers raised us."
"Were they friends?" asked Tenzin.
"Once," Galen said. "They were originally from the world of Quelli. In their youth, King Aerion drastically raised taxes to pay a debt owed to the InterGalactic Banking Clan. My grandfather was a soldier in the king's army, and Kahning was his commander."
"And they rose in revolt?" asked Meelo.
"No, because that wouldn't help pay the debt," Galen said. "And for worlds like Quelli, you had to get the IGBC their money. Too bad not everyone realized that. A distant cousin of King Aerion, Rouran, was approached by people unhappy with the new tax and convinced to be the figurehead of their revolt. He killed Aerion, and our grandfathers fled to escape punishment for their wartime loyalty."
"King Rouran turned out to be a drunk who didn't know or care enough to be king," Orson continued. "He also thought that, if he could defeat Aerion, he could beat the IGBC."
"Why would he be at odds with them?" a surprised Meelo asked. "The debt was Aerion's, not Rouran's."
"He took Aerion's crown, so he took Aerion's problems," Galen answered. "His war with them lasted about a week, and after he and most of his army were killed, the IGBC took over the planet. Anyone who couldn't flee wound up an indentured servant on their own world. And if they went on strike, it was entirely possible the bank's enforcers would kill several people before the rest got back to work. Things only got worse during the Clone Wars, when the IGBC built massive factories for battle droids and warships, and recklessly tore up the planet's surface to retrieve the material to construct them. By the end of the war, there were less than ten thousand people still living on the planet, the rest were killed or driven off, and much of the air and water had been poisoned."
"In short, toppling the unpopular ruler only made things worse," Krennic said, stating the lesson he took from the story. "A somewhat common trend: the Separatist worlds wanted to leave the Republic, and were not only battered in the war, but often at the mercy of companies like the IGBC for its duration, ravaging their worlds like they had Quelli for the war effort. And in a couple cases, destroyed those worlds rather than lose them to the Republic. The Red Lotus killed the Earth Queen and wandered off to let the people sort it out, and you got a civil war in which millions have been killed or displaced."
"True, that can happen," Tenzin calmly stated. "But not always." Not wanting a confrontation between their guests and her husband, she asked Orson and Galen more about themselves.
"We went to school together, since we were twelve," Galen smiled. "We came to love engineering, as well. I was the shy bookworm, Orson was the party animal. We had just gained scholarship to a prominent university, when our grandfathers died."
"On the same day?" a surprised Jinora asked.
"Yes, Master Jinora," Krennic said, flattering the teenager with her title.
"Was it an accident?" a sympathetic Jinora asked.
"Not quite," Orson said sadly. "We haven't explained what our grandfathers did in Rouran's Rebellion."
"It was fairly early in the revolt," Galen said, as if he was remembering a bad memory. "Rouran had been defeated in battle and separated from his army. Kahning and my grandfather were in charge of the force sent to capture or kill him, depriving the rebellion of its central figure. After all, Rouran was the only rebel leader with royal blood, which made him the ideal replacement for Aerion. But no matter how many times they searched the town Rouran was hiding in, they couldn't catch him, and he made it back to his army, winning the war. Then, about forty years later, our grandfathers got drunk and started waving their old blasters around."
"Then, they started arguing," Orson said, also bothered by remembering. "Galen's grandfather started ranting, about how they should have done more, mine got angry as well, and they shot each other." Galen was surprised Orson hadn't revealed more. His grandfather had ranted how they hadn't done enough, Kahning had retorted they had done everything they could, and then was the moment neither Erso or Krennic would ever forget: Galen's grandfather ranted how they didn't massacre the town. They were sheltering Rouran regardless of the rewards or punishments being offered, so Grandpa Erso said they were just as guilty. But that Kahning was too principled, and cared more about how something was done, as opposed to if it was done at all, right before they shot each other.
The lesson Galen had taken from it was not to be so wrapped up in the past. He thought Orson learned the same lesson, but he had come to a different conclusion: it was more important to succeed in your task as opposed to how you succeeded. It had led Orson to coercing him into continuing to work on the Death Star after learning the truth, as opposed to finding other people who'd be more willing. Of course, Galen was going to prove to Orson the downsides of this attitude.
"I'm so sorry," Jinora said, with her and the rest of the family looking sympathetically. "At least you two are still together."
"There is no Krennic without Erso," Orson smiled to Galen, who's own smile soon followed. Krennic thanked them for the meal, as did Erso, and while Galen looked over the view from the balcony, the Director headed for the barracks where the Imperial garrison was staying when off-duty. Ikki saw him talking to Ezra and Sabine, who came over.
"Sabine and I need to go on a mission," Ezra said. "We should be back in a couple days, along with your cousin Iroh." Ikki hugged the handsome boy at that and asked he be careful as he and Sabine went to Krennic's shuttle. A dark impulse made her wish Sabine wouldn't come back with Ezra but that quickly passed. Shortly after Ezra and Sabine flew off, the Stormtrooper Nathan Namada came after being summoned to talk with the Airbender family.
"You are off-duty right now, aren't you?" asked Tenzin. He nodded but still refused to take the helmet off. "What is the problem? We are all friends, here."
"I'm not sure, Councilor," he stated. "When Specialist Wren explained what clones were, I saw a look of disgust on your face. Your children weren't sure if it was alright to be open to the idea when you weren't."
"I'm not sure what this has to do with you," Tenzin said, keeping his opinions of cloning to himself. "I didn't know you were a clone."
"No, but my father is," Namada revealed, surprising Tenzin and his children, who had thought clones would be sterile. This would be an awkward conversation.
After Luke woke up, he was surprised to see Ben Kenobi in front of him. He was even more surprised to hear that his name was actually Obi-Wan, and that he was a Jedi Knight. Uncle Owen had always spoke dismissively of the Jedi, as a bunch of fools with magic tricks who were easily slaughtered by a conventional army at the end of the Clone Wars. After they landed back on Tatooine, he settled into the back of his speeder, alongside Mizuki, who he was now somewhat wary of. She had donned some baggy utility clothes the other Jedi, Cal, had on his ship.
"That massive fire I saw," he remembered. "That wasn't your escape pod, that was you."
"Cheng and I had just met the Sand People," the Firebender said. "They were rather unfriendly, so I scared them off."
"You were lucky Luke and Biggs were close by," Obi-Wan said. "The Sand People usually return in greater numbers when they face a threat they are unprepared for." Soon, Luke realized they weren't heading for his home but into the Jundland Wastes. "There are a few things we need to talk about," Obi-Wan said. "I think it would be best if we did so in my own home." Mizuki went on to say how 'bending the elements' was very common on her own world, but she was wary of revealing it on a different world.
"Are you from the Fire Kingdom?" Luke asked. She clarified that, while her mother's parents were from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, her father's parents were from the Water Tribe and the Air Nomads. "It must be really cool to have family from all over your world."
"Yes," she said, worried about them, especially her parents. "I hope they are alright." After arriving in Obi-Wan's house, he proceeded to explain much about himself to Mizuki and especially Luke. Luke was surprised to hear his father Anakin was a Jedi, or that Anakin fought in the Clone Wars alongside Obi-Wan, his teacher. Mizuki could see that, even long after his friend's death, Obi-Wan still loved Luke's father. After handing Luke his father's lightsaber, he fondly reminisced about when it was the only thing he needed to use, before the Jedi were turned from Guardians to Outlaws under the Empire.
"Why didn't Luke's aunt and uncle tell him this?" asked Mizuki.
"Owen believes that, if you ignore the galaxy, the galaxy will ignore you," Obi-Wan said. "He thinks of me as a fool who will lead Luke to his death. Unfortunately, while his childhood here has bought him time, I fear that what happened on Nar Shaddaa will draw attention toward us." After a moment, Luke asked Obi-Wan what happened to his father. "There was a young Jedi who hungered for greater power, regardless of the danger, who betrayed Anakin and killed him. He took the name Darth Vader and destroyed most of the order." Mizuki was shocked, as was Luke. Obi-Wan explained how the Force, which gave Jedi their power, was generated by all living things. "I have met several cultures that use the Force differently than the Jedi, or even the Sith. Bending must be your world's unique interpretation of it." Mizuki didn't know what to say to that.
"What was that Dark Side you mentioned?" Luke asked.
"What some call the Light Side is about following the will of the Force, to best serve the common as well as the greater good," Obi-Wan answered. "It is selflessness in the face of life's challenges. The Dark Side is about putting your own pleasures and desires first, regardless of who suffers. The Sith embody the dark side more than any other faction. And since they consider themselves to have risen above their old lives, they take on a new name with the title of Darth in front of it." Mizuki now understood why Obi-Wan hadn't said Vader's original name, in his view, whoever Vader was before was now dead.
"That Cal guy said he'd be here for a couple days," Mizuki remembered. "We should go to Luke's home and get Cheng and Luke's aunt and uncle before leaving. After all, you said there's a good chance Vader has found out about Luke."
"Vader did see me when we escaped Nar Shaddaa," Obi-Wan said. "So, yes, his vendetta against me has been awoken, and there is no guarantee he will stay away from Tatooine." Luke nodded, hoping that Uncle Owen would listen to reason about how they had to leave. Then again, if he was stubborn enough to stay on Tatooine, regardless of the heat, Sand People, and the exploitation of Jabba the Hutt, he might be too stubborn to flee from the Empire.
"The T'Surr are from a world of the same name," Bossk explained to the party. "It is a cold planet scoured by fierce winds, dark even in the day, and much of it is desert. There are only one billion people on the whole planet, mostly T'Surr." The Five Benders didn't know how to respond, as Elementia only had 250 million people living on the whole planet, according to most estimates. The Imperials thought it was closer to 300 million, but still. Bossk clarified that Hsskhor had three billion Trandoshans and Kashyyyk had just as many Wookiees. Boba mentioned that worlds like Ord Mantell had four billion, Eriadu twenty-six billion, Axxila two hundred billion, and Coruscant had a full trillion.
"And Nar Shaddaa had a hundred billion," Baatar commented, remembering he sent the Recusant crashing into it. Baatar took some comfort in how only thirty million were estimated to have died on the Smugglers Moon. Less than half of one percent of Nar Shaddaa's population.
"What about the T'Surr themselves?" Bumi asked, wondering about the people who had his son.
"They are as tough as they look," Boba confirmed, pointing to a hologram of them. The blue-skinned, muscular giants had massive, three-fingered hands, extremely sharp teeth, four red eyes, a blue crest on their faces, and a pair of thin arms with crab-like pincers coming out of their ribcages. "They have good night vision, given the dim light of their world. They are also so mean and violent, that no government has included them in galactic politics."
"They rarely respect anyone outside their world, given how harsh it is and the fighting they did to survive," Bossk said. "Over a thousand years ago, a ship crashed here, and they knew enough to copy it. All their tech is stolen or based on something that was."
"The T'Surr are only encountered in the wider galaxy as slavers, drug kingpins, or their thugs," Vader said, pointing to Axxila out the window as they flew toward the space station orbiting the planet. "A few years before the Clone Wars, a T'Surr named Krayn all but took over that planet. Much of the world was enslaved to work in his spice factories."
"And his favorite minion was a Wookiee named Rashtah," Bossk added. "One of the only good things the Jedi did in my lifetime was topple his crime empire, with the child apprentice impaling Krayn on his sword, while his master beheaded Rashtah."
"Indeed," Vader said. "Among the T'Surr, wealth is measured in the number of slaves they own, with those without any being nothing." The five Benders were all bothered by this. Especially as they remembered Vader's stories of exploding implants put into the captives' skulls.
"Uh, are you sure that Iroh and the others were taken here?" Kya asked. "I mean, Hutts are found outside Nal Hutta, right?"
"T'Surr aren't Hutts," Vader said. "Early in my career as Executor, I destroyed many T'Surr communities offworld, dismantling their enterprises. They rarely leave their homeworld, anymore. Besides, while we were on Nar Shaddaa, I had our intelligence assets do some investigation. It seems that an enterprising T'Surr, Goron, has hit upon an idea: he's opened an arena for degenerates of the galaxy to test themselves against the Benders he's bought." Bumi and the rest were worried upon hearing that, before Boba spoke up to reassure him.
"He's bought suppressor fields, pain threshold sensors, and several medical droids, that you'd find in any civilized arena," Boba reassured him. "He doesn't want to lose his stock too early, after all." Fett went on to explain how, in civilized space, sport dueling was legal but had several safety nets: The suppressor fields would dampen the effects of blasters, vibroblades, and even explosives. The pain threshold sensors were armbands worn by the combatants that would inject them with tranquilizers once a certain amount of pain was reached, letting the referees decide when to declare a winner. Afterward, they would be taken to the medbay and looked over for any injuries.
"Do those suppressor fields work on lightsabers?" a nervous Katara asked.
"I don't know of any duelist using lightsabers," Fett answered. "Even so, it's unlikely a Jedi would be there, testing himself. Lightsabers are a rarity outside Lord Vader."
"And my son, daughter, Korra, and Mako," Suyin commented.
"Those blades they have are trophies from Lord Vader's victims," Boba answered, surprising the five. "And being the greatest Jedi Hunter in history, he has the largest such collection."
"Perhaps," Baatar spoke up, before holding his lightsaber up. "But I built by own with the same crystal and made some modifications. There's now a stun blaster in the handguard, and the whole handle is made of Elemental Platinum."
"Just call it Beskar, my people discovered it and named it," Boba replied, remarking on how Elementia had a material identical to the metal Mandalorian armor was made from. "Good for you, Jedi seem to be allergic to lightsaber-proof metals, given they usually make their swords out of regular material." Zuko, however, was more bothered by how Vader took trophies from his kills.
"I prefer proof of my victories," Vader said, staring at the Benders. "A Jedi will never part with his lightsaber, so it is as effective as their heads."
"And not as messy," Bossk added, before his console started beeping. "Okay, we're cleared for landing now. Time to grab our guests." As the Hound's Tooth landed inside the ships docking bay, Jade Sienar rushed out and leapt into the arms of a man, perhaps a few years older than Bumi, whose hair was starting to grey, wearing fancy robes with a blue collar. Based on their embrace, and how the older man mentioned her mother would be relieved, it was clear he was Jade's father. He promised to help her friends who were also rescued from the Jekk'Jekk'Tarr as best he could, then he turned to the Benders present.
"Thank you for saving my daughter," the man said. "I am Raith Sienar, if it wasn't for you, I don't know what I would have done."
"Of course, Mr. Sienar," Bumi said, trying to be happy he'd reunited one man with his daughter after failing to find his own.
"His own daughter is missing as well, Raith," Darth Vader intruded, gaining Sienar's attention. "He could use some help getting her back."
"Of course," Sienar affirmed, somewhat frightened when he saw Vader. "I will retask the Aurodium Sword with finding her. But they will need some information to begin their search."
"Thank you, Mr. Sienar," Bumi said, walking with the man over to give his information. After a moment, Katara asked who Raith Sienar was.
"He's one of the richest businessmen in the whole galaxy," Boba explained. "Almost everyone on Lianna, Jaemus, and Ryloth works for him in some way. His company builds the TIE Fighter line, the Lambda shuttle, and more."
"Is Jade adopted?" asked Kya, remarking on how the young girl was a Twi'lek instead of a human.
"She takes after her mom," Bossk noted. "Aurodium Sword is a Mercenary company that does a lot of work for Sienar. Rest assured, your niece should be found before long." The Benders tried to be relieved upon hearing that, while Baatar went over to Vader to show him a message on his datapad.
"Unexpected, but I trust my apostles to make their own decisions," Vader remarked, before turning to the four Benders. "A detachment of the EUA has volunteered to help in our rescue operation to T'Surr. It is just as well, if I am correct, only I and my Apostles will be able to disable the cranial explosives."
"Well, I think it's no surprise that the rescue will go smoother if some familiar faces rescued them instead of you," Katara remarked. "Especially if Korra and Mako are leading them."
"They aren't coming, as they are still needed on Elementia," Vader stated. "But Kuvira is a familiar face, as well, so she has taken it upon herself to come." Vader turned away, leaving the Benders surprised Kuvira was coming. As the Sith Lord removed his TIE Fighter from the Hound's Tooth, he reflected on how a T'Surr was the first thing he ever killed with a lightsaber. It would be good venting his frustration on more T'Surr, before retrieving his daughter from Bail Organa.
As Kuvira watched the Expeditionary Force she'd be commanding march into the shuttles which would take them up to the Devastator, she was informed Lady Malina of Kyoshi Island had arrived. Going over to a balcony, Kuvira looked at her adoptive mother's half-sister. She was wearing the traditional garb of the Kyoshi Warriors but not the face paint.
"Ba Sing Se has certainly changed since I was last here," Malina noted. Much of the inner ring had collapsed after Kuvira's battle with the Dai Li in the crystal caverns, with the palace itself completely destroyed. Large parts of the middle and lower rings had been ravaged in the civil war, and after moving in, Kuvira had ripped down what remained of the city's great walls.
"Walls are an illusion of security," Kuvira stated. "An illusion that has been shattered, forever. At the end of the day, the walls were the worst symbol of decadence in the Earth Kingdom. It's time for them to go."
"I suppose so, Great Uniter," Malina said, before noticing several new buildings being constructed, with Imperial machines. "Though, I wonder what the price of your unification is."
"The days of believing we were alone in the universe, are over," Kuvira stated, smiling at the new cityscape that was emerging. "Better to be unified with the strongest empire on the galactic stage than to stand alone."
"I hope you are right, and that I am wrong," Malina said, before kneeling in front of Kuvira. "I, Malina, daughter of Sokka and Suki, and Lady of Kyoshi Island, pledge my allegiance to Kuvira Beifong, Overlord of the Earth Nation and the Great Uniter. I will hold this oath until I die or am released from my oath."
"I accept your pledge," Kuvira said, beckoning the older woman to rise, before summoning a Stormtrooper commander. "This is General Appo, commander of the Imperial Expeditionary Force. He will return with you to Kyoshi Island to begin building a base, there. I expect you to show him every courtesy." A reluctant Malina agreed and followed Appo to a shuttle. Kuvira then joined her detachment aboard the ship which would take them to the Devastator, and then T'Surr.
After loading Obi-Wan's meagre belongings into Luke's speeder, they headed for the Lars Homestead. This time, Mizuki sat next to Luke while Obi-Wan was in the back. As they were headed for Luke's home, she realized something. "Luke, when Cheng looked upon that Imperial recruiting poster, you seemed to admire it," Mizuki said. "Is Darth Vader considered a hero around here?"
"Until Ben-I mean Obi-Wan, told us about him, I honestly didn't think much about Darth Vader," Luke said. "Uncle Owen's attitude about the Empire, and most other things, is 'it's so far away it doesn't matter.' I've never met any outsiders, so before now, I didn't know what to think of it. All that mattered to me and Biggs, is that the Imperial Academy is the only way out here available to us."
"You want to leave your home?" Mizuki asked as he maneuvered the landspeeder, impressed at how well he controlled it despite only learning recently.
"I'm baffled that Owen and Beru don't," Luke answered. "It's hot, there's so little water we have to use machines to draw it from the air, and the locals aren't that lovable, either. The Sand People attack you for no reason, and sometimes they abduct you to be tortured to death, like I heard happened to my grandmother. The Jawas are scavengers who cobble things together from garbage and sell it back to you, assuming they don't steal it outright, which usually breaks down as soon as their sandcrawler is moving away. But we buy it anyway because it's usually the only thing available to us, much less affordable. Apart from Anchorhead, the main trading post my aunt, uncle, and other moisture farmers go, almost every town is filled with crooks, jerks, and others you shouldn't trust. The only law on Tatooine is 'Don't cross Jabba' since the Hutt has decided this is the perfect place to run his scams and rackets from. Apart from a few toothless mayors, there are no 'legal' authorities. Would you want to live on Tatooine if given the choice?"
"No," Mizuki answered, surprised to hear more about Luke's homeworld. "Based on that, I'm a little surprised your uncle lives here at all."
"From what I know of Owen's past, he was born on an overcrowded Core World destroyed in the Clone Wars, though his family left long before," Obi-Wan commented, with a sad look on his face. "The Lars family thought that they would find a life of freedom on the frontier and came with no way back. I think Owen and his wife embraced the idea, even when his brother, mother, stepmother, and finally his father died tragically, then let it all be for nothing. When I gave Luke to his aunt and uncle, Owen convinced himself that Anakin hadn't died because of treachery, or the schemes of others, but because he involved himself in the world beyond his moisture farm." He then looked to Luke with a soft smile. "Believe me, it isn't on you that the Empire looked appealing," Obi-Wan said. "I have encountered too many examples of evil being attractive instead of revolting. If your father stayed on Tatooine, he would have been utterly miserable and died an even earlier death. Even as a child slave in Mos Espa, he yearned to see as much of the galaxy as possible, and whenever we had the opportunity to do so, he was happy." Luke smiled back at the encouragement, while Mizuki wondered what he would do when he met his aunt and uncle.
"The Empire is after you, and Cheng too," Luke said. "It won't take much for you to be linked to me, as well. And I doubt the Imperials have just forgotten about my father and Obi-Wan, so we have to leave, with you."
"Owen might not see it that way," Mizuki commented. "He might think that, if he keeps to himself like he has his whole life, it will just pass him by. And encourage you to do the same." For a moment, Luke looked unsure as to what to say.
"Cal is leaving tomorrow, right?" he asked.
"The day after, if we don't return," Obi-Wan said, interested in what Luke would say. "But I'm sure we can find someone else to fly us out of here, if Owen drags his feet." With that, Luke halted the speeder and looked at Obi-Wan and Mizuki.
"I don't like Moisture Farming," he admitted. "And I can't stand Jabba's thugs, throwing their weight around as if they are untouchable, doing whatever they want. And then I go to Nar Shaddaa, where I see the same thing on a larger scale. I also get the impression the Empire does this everywhere they can." He took a deep breath and looked down. "That's it, I'm not spending the rest of my life under the thumb of people like this, much less on Tatooine. I don't want that to happen to anyone. I'll help Mizuki and Cheng find their way home. And if you'll have me, I'll learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."
"I was hoping you would say that," Obi-Wan said, pleased that Luke had the right amount of enthusiasm mixed with compassion. With that, Luke continued on the way to the Lars Homestead, Mizuki smiling at his speech.
"I'd like to be trained, as well," Mizuki spoke up. "I don't think Firebending will be enough to help my people." Obi-Wan wasn't sure of what to say, so he said nothing. Luke continued talking, after Mizuki said her piece.
"Besides, as you've pointed out, it isn't about what Owen or I want," the boy said. "The Empire won't care if they have stayed out of it. They will come for them, regardless." As the rode over the horizon, they saw a column of black smoke rising close by. Luke sped up the speeder in alarm, while Obi-Wan grabbed his lightsaber. They soon stopped a short distance in front of the blasted entrance to the house. There was much smoke billowing out of the pit, with Luke calling for his aunt and uncle after jumping out. He soon came to the edge of the pit, with Mizuki close behind him.
"What could have happened?!" he asked in shock. "There aren't any Gaffi Sticks or Bantha Tracks!"
"I think the Empire found out about Mizuki and Cheng sooner than we thought," Obi-Wan said, calm but still rattled, before pointing to a set of indentations in the sand. "Those are the marks of a shuttle's landing gear. And this one, came from the boot of an Imperial Stormtrooper."
"Where's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?!" Luke asked in near panic. Mizuki hugged Luke as Obi-Wan came to the edge of the pit and dispersed the smoke with the Force. At the bottom, surrounded by wrecked machinery and smoldering fires, were three blasted skeletons, so charred there was barely any skin left. Two of them were close together, leaving no doubt to the fate of Luke's aunt and uncle. Mizuki hugged Luke as he cried softly, with Obi-Wan helping them back into the speeder, before taking the controls. As Mizuki gave Luke a shoulder to cry on, Obi-Wan raced them toward Mos Eisley, knowing that now, they were officially being hunted by the Empire, and they had to leave as soon as they could.
I wanted to show more of the EUA embracing the Empire. Given Vader's power, and how even the Avatar has started taking his orders, they have started seeing the Sith as the ultimate Benders and hope to learn how to use the Force as well.
Orson still thinks of Galen as a friend, believing he helped Erso by getting rid of the wife who held him back. Galen is aware of this and plays along. Their backstory is something I invented, taking inspiration from A Song Of Ice And Fire. It left Krennic thinking rebellion is bad, in itself, and that it doesn't matter how something is accomplished.
I couldn't keep Vader occupied on the search for Luke/Mizuki indefinitely, so I gave Bumi a wealthy patron to help him. Aurodium Sword is a PMC akin to Blackwater that is mentioned in several sourcebooks but hasn't been depicted, as far as I know. The Suppressor Fields originated in the first KOTOR, justifying why no one died in the arena duels.
I wanted to give Kuvira something to do, and to include Ezra and Sabine, as well. We're also seeing the new Ba Sing Se take shape.
After the universe was expanded, Luke came across as a little TOO ignorant of even his own homeworld in ANH. I decided to change that. Hope you liked my reinvention of Luke learning from Obi-Wan. Given how he is usually portrayed, I interpret Owen Lars falling victim to the Sunk-Cost Fallacy. This time, Brendol Hux had no interest in hiding the Empire's involvement in its actions on Tatooine.
Next chapter, the rescue on T'Surr, Cal Kestis takes his new allies to Tanalorr, Vader exercises his power, and Bumi gains more aid.