𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 && Bad Batch &&

🔱III🌊

• Vader •

Three years later

"Lord Vader." Poseidon said with wide blue eyes as he instantly stood from his throne. "This visit is unexpected but nevertheless its a delight to finally meet with the leader of the Empire." The king added, forcing kindness from the veil of his fear. "An Empire you refuse to join, isn't that correct?" Vader's voice was heavily manipulated and masked by the vocoder. Koda looked at the man from the king's side. She wondered what was hidden behind that mask. She wondered if he wore such a contraption for health or to mask his shame. Perhaps it was both. "What is the nature of your visit?" The king asked, doing his best to avoid Vader's pressing distaste for the neutral planet and its people. "What lord Vader wishes to discuss must be done so in private." A man at the side of Vader announced. He wore the muted green uniform of a military officer. The man narrowed his eyes at Koda. "Without the company of any military influence." He added and Koda scowled. "Not to worry, captain." Poseidon assured his chief of military power. "I'm sure these negotiations will not take long." He added. Koda sighed, not wanting to do what Vader's right hand man pressured her into but Poseidon seemed to see no problem with it. She gave her king a respectful bow of her head. "As you wish my king." She replied before leaving him completely alone with the sith and his second in command.

"I know what you've come for." The king said once Koda had left them. "And my answer is the same to the empire as it was to the republic." "How perceptive." Vader spoke in between the hollow breathes that echoed off of the walls of the ice palace from his dark mask. "But unfortunate." He added. "The Empire, though it was born from the Republic, has different ways of going about political matters. When an opportunity presents itself to the Empire, the Empire takes it without remorse or second thought. And the Empire will take every means necessary to ensure any threats to its power will be neutralized." "Threats?" The king hung on his words, his brows raising at the tone and choice of words. "My people are not threats. We are neutral. We do not wish to be used as soldiers but to be left in peace." Poseidon interjected. He was firm in his choice of words and beliefs and he was not about to bend to a man blinded by ambitions. "You are a man of strong intentions and loyalty to your people. I can respect that." Vader replied. "But the Empire will not." He continued, his tone becoming darker darker the more he spoke. "I will make this as clear as I can for you, King Poseidon, join us or die." A heavy silence fell on the group. "I will not surrender my people to the Empire when I know they plan to use our abilities as weapons." "So be it then. Your people will die and you will be the first one to go."

The piercing sound of a blaster shot followed by a scream of death filled Koda's ears. Her instincts kicked in and she ignored all orders given to her previously. She was doing her job, serving and protecting her people when they were in need. She made her way to the throne room, the room where Vader, his second in command, and Poseidon all discussed whatever it was Vader felt was so important that Koda couldn't be present. She instantly forced the grand ice doors open and was greeted with a terrible sight. Poseidon had fallen to the ground, trident slipped from his hand and laid dormant next to his body. His hands pressed against a blaster wound in his chest and his face was contorted in pain. Koda could see the blaster of the man who came with Vader, he held it intently as a fresh wift of smoke swirled into the air from the nozzle of the gun. Koda's spear fell from her hand, clattering to the ground as she let out a shrill scream. She sprinted to the limp body of the kind and instantly knelt down to him. "Poseidon what- what happened?" She asked in a panic. The king winced as he felt the pain from the fatal shot course through his body. His nerves were on fire. "They want to use our people- like the Republic." Poseidon breathed. "No different." He added as his breathing grew shallow. "My king wait- please!" Koda begged but it was useless. The king was out of time. "You must stop them." Was the kings final words before his body grew limp and his eyes became glassy. "Poseidon?" Koda said, her voice was quiet and her words came out in a whisper. "I'm sorry my king." She muttered. "I have failed you." She said as she balled her hands into fists. "I have failed you."

With the passing of the king all eyes in the room fell on Koda. "Perhaps you can still save your people." The voice of the man who killed the king rang in her ears. He kept his blaster trained on Koda as he spoke. "Lord Vader and I discussed an arrangement with your king who is now gone but you can still make up for his ignorance." Koda let out a shaky breath. "My loyalty lies with the king." "Your king is dead. Now you must chose your side." Koda looked up at him, her eyes red with bloodshot. "Then I will avenge his death." She spat as she grabbed the king's trident and stood. "You are a fool and you will die like one too." The man prepared to fire his blaster but he didn't even get the chance. Koda was quick to react. Her arm extended with the trident in hand and a wave of water, pulled from the moisture in the air, knocked him right off of his feet. The trident and Koda continued to move as one as she allowed water to collect around his feet before freezing in place and binding him to the ground. His gloved fingers tightened around the blaster but before he could even get a shot out Koda flipped her palm up towards the sky and the man howled in pain as the blood inside his hand began to boil, resulting in him dropping the blaster. "Do you Beleive you have won?" Koda turned to face Vader. The masked man loomed over her darkly. She pointed the trident at him, sharp ends grazed his dark clothing. "Yes." She hissed. "And I am not afraid to continue winning." "Then I truly am sorry." Vader replied. "For what?" "Your ignorance." And as the words fell from his mouth Koda could hear the sound of troopers of the Empire storming through both the palace and the streets of her home. Screams began to fill the air. "What have you done?" Koda hissed as she ran to a window of the grand ice room and looked out into the city. She could see men in white armor dragging mothers, Fathers, children, and innocent people into the streets before blasting them dead much like the man with Vader had done to their king. "I gave the command to my army." Vader replied. "Every elemental on this planet is to be eliminated." Koda could feel her heart drop. Her skin grew clammy and finally the chill of living in a palace of ice reached her spine as she shivered unintentionally. Fear took hold of her. "No." She muttered as she ran out of the throne room. "No." She shouted this time as she ran down the halls of the ice palace. There had to be something anything that she could do. She carried the king's trident as she ran, a symbol of hope that she could some how save her people before it was too late.

"Over there!" Panic filled her mind as she saw white armored men point at her before they fired several rounds of blaster shots at her. She was able to escape with just one grazing her arm. There had to be somewhere she could go, someone she could confide in. They were all going to die, her people, her friends, her family. The longer she ran the more she lost hope that she could do something to save them all, she was just one girl after all. "Koda!" A voice both familiar and terrifying filled her ears as it echoed off the ice walls of the palace. She turned to see a face she recognized but had not seen in years. "I know you." She muttered softly to herself. "Hunter." The man replied as he gestured to himself. "I'm here to help." He added. Koda's eyes narrowed at him. "But can I trust you?" The sound of the approaching troopers began to fill the corridor. "This way!" One of them shouted. "She couldn't have gotten far." Another added. Hunter looked from the direction of the sound of approaching troops and back at Koda. "You're gonna have to."