More than three days had passed since Corvus had finished his missions on Coruscant.
He would have liked to have stayed on the planet, and kept up his terror campaign against the Empire and Palpatine, however he felt as if he had left just in time.
As he was leaving the System, Corvus had sensed an unimaginably dark presence that could only belong to one man.
Shortly after jumping into Hyperspace, an echo in the Force had resonated across the galaxy, and Corvus had felt the instantaneous death of millions.
Corvus could only surmise that Palpatine had unleashed something incredibly destructive in a fit of rage, confirming to him that this was Legends Palpatine that he was dealing with.
Just the thought of that sinister old man was cause to shudder in place.
Shaking his head, Corvus reflected on his journey thus far to the Illum System.
During these last few days he had been slowly grinding exp until he hit level 24.
Once he reached this threshold, he came across a problem.
No matter how many mines he disabled-or any other exp granting actions he took-every time a notification should have appeared, instead he received [+0 exp].
As soon as this had occurred, a new quest was initiated.
[Jedi Master:
1) Reach Level 50 in Path of the Jedi: 10/50
2) Master One Lightsaber Form: 0/1
3) Raise a student to Knighthood: 0/1
4) Raise a Force Ability to tier IV without system assistance: 0/1
Reward: Jedi Master (low)
+2 all stat points]
Upon receiving this quest, Corvus had chuckled to himself, it seemed that one could not simply become a Jedi Master through disabling mines, or becoming a murder hobo chasing after exp. If he wanted the system to recognize his prowess, he would have to walk the walk, to actually earn what was expected of a bonafide Jedi Master.
Honestly speaking, Corvus was a little disappointed that he couldn't farm mines into godhood, but he was also a little relieved that he would have to work for this power. By forcing him to teach a student, learn a saber form, expand his own knowledge regarding the Force, and aid the weak, Corvus would have a much stronger foundation to draw upon.
Until this point, he had mostly been winging it, and was heavily reliant on the system's abilities. Ultimately, this would limit him, and might make him shy away from exploring other paths or abilities. By breaking out of this safety net, and researching things on his own, it would set him up to go down other roads, and traverse different routes.
Abilities like flight, teleportation, or mind reading-just to name a few-were not part of his system at all, and were things Corvus was greatly interested in. Hell, even if it looked kind of stupid, Leia's ability to fly-at matching speed-with other ships in through the vacuum of space in the new Disney movies was a power worth learning. He was in a universe with insane Legends abilities, and Corvus aimed to absorb everything he could.
In conclusion, as annoying as it was on the surface, Corvus was grateful for this quest, and how it propelled him to be better.
That said, he had a lot on his plate, and the events within the galaxy awaited no man.
Whilst he would like to fuck off to Tython for a decade, and then emerge as some Jedi Savant, that wasn't really an option when the Empire & CIS were at war.
Although he found many of the CIS's actions to be distasteful, and in some cases downright repugnant, they were the most meaningful force right now that could oppose Palpatine.
From Corvus's POV, the Jedi & Republic sympathizers were somewhat like the Allies, and the CIS occupied a role similar to the Soviets during WW2. The CIS were great teammates soaking up the brunt of the attention, but they also had their fair share of skeletons in the closet.
Which is why he had to do everything in his power to subvert them to his influence, and eventually replace their problematic leaders with pro-Jedi/pro-Republic ones.
Thankfully the war should be in a bit of a lull at the moment, due to the Empire's collapsing economy. This served as much needed relief for the CIS, who were struggling and on the backfoot. However, this state of affairs wouldn't last forever, as Palpatine was a masterclass politician, and would be sure to get the affairs of state in order.
In short, Corvus reckoned he had one to three months before he needed to act, and take to the front lines of this conflict.
Thinking about the happy go lucky smiles he had seen on the teens' faces whilst they played their games, Corvus felt bad that he would be bringing them back into the horrors of war so soon.
But whilst they relaxed, and celebrated their return to Tython, hundreds-possibly thousands-of Jedi were out there struggling to survive.
Corvus couldn't in good conscious let his people suffer. As a man who believed strongly in family, and loyalty, he knew that there was no better organization in the galaxy than the Order of Jedi Knights.
Once Corvus reformed the Order, it would once more become the brotherhood of Force Adepts that he had dreamed of when he was a boy. He had been a big admirer of Luke Skywalker, and would be drawing heavily on his New Jedi Order, the Je'daii, the Jedi Lords, and other types of Jedi to make the best Jedi Order that the galaxy had ever seen.
First, Corvus decided he was going to start down that path by mastering a lightsaber form. If he was to win his duel against Keira, lightsaber skills were sure to be important. By defeating her, and letting her get his measure, he hoped to convert the staunch follower of the Jedi Code to his thinking. Corvus believed that if he could sway this type of person, that she could serve as a bridgehead to help convince other Jedi survivors.
Perhaps this was wishful thinking, but Corvus knew he had to start somewhere, and defeating her would be the first step.
Now the problem was, where would he find a suitable trainer? He had so many holocrons, that he didn't know which one to choose.
Thankfully, he did have someone to go to.
Lucien Draay.
The Jedi Shadow had imprinted a mark on the top side of his hand, and had told Corvus to return once he could see the symbol.
Well ever since he received the Jedi Master quest, the symbol had revealed itself.
As he had more than 19hrs until they entered the Illum System, Corvus figured he might as well see what Draay had to say, and get a crash course on a lightsaber form. He wasn't delusional enough to think he could master it in less than a day, but considering time seemed to flow slower within a holocron, then perhaps he could get a good grasp of the basics. His feat, [Master Two-Weapon Fighting] wasn't for show, he already had some high end skill when it came to handling a weapon, and his Awareness stat also helped when it came to picking things up.
Retreating to his quarters, Corvus sat down on a mat, and began to meditate on his first holocron.
Emerging in a dojo, the tea table was gone, and Draay-the middle aged blonde dressed in a yukata-was sitting with his back turned to Corvus. At the same time, he heard birds from outside, and looked out a window that looked out into a beautiful garden. One of the birds came close, only to be snatched up by a Vornskr.
The alien dog's red eyes stared into Corvus's, and he felt something peculiar. The Force Bond he had with Huego-the Vornskr he had defeated on Coruscant-seemed to reach across the galaxy, and pulsed deep within Corvus's soul.
For an unknown amount of time, Corvus felt as if he had relived the entire life of a Vornskr. From the way it hunted, to the way it used the Force.
It was as if he was one with the flow of the natural world.
This magical and otherworldly experience evoked wonder and excitement in Corvus, and could best be described as a zen-like state, or enlightenment.
Yet like all good things in this galaxy, it was cut short by the ignition of a lightsaber.
Caught off guard by Draay's sudden attack, Corvus stumbled to his feet, and ignited his own twin lightsabers to meet Draay.
Their blades clashed several times, and Corvus was pressed back. The entire time, Draay was leaking his emotions like a sieve, demonstrating the feelings of determination, and disappointment.
Corvus was confused at first, but then he saw that the stronger these emotions became, the faster, and more powerful Draay's attacks became!
His Force Bond with Huego then flared up, and Corvus found himself mimicking the hunting techniques he had experienced during that vision-quest, and applied them to his lightsaber form. Very quickly, he started to fight back on even terms with the Jedi Master.
Corvus's lightsaber moved almost with a will of its own as he channeled his moves through the Force. Best described as 'chaotic and erratic' this was only the superficial attributes an outsider may use to describe his moves.
However…However! Thanks to his vision, Corvus knew that each strike, every furious swipe…they were all deliberate!
Like a predator driving its prey into the waiting jaws of its companion, Corvus began to press Draay back, and moved in a flurry of strikes he didn't think was possible. He had exceeded his current level, not through Force Speed or Valor, but through skill in the blade!
More and more their blades clashed, the sound of lightsabers impacting one another became a constant tone within this gym.
Corvus's form, style, and bearing began to tighten into a formidable machine, one that struck a chaotic cord in battle, yet strove for balance and control in all things.
He was harnessing his emotions, yet not falling to them!
"I am at Peace; for I know Emotion.
I have Power; for I also have Knowledge.
I have Passion; for I am Serene.
I can embrace Mortality; for I know Death.
I am balanced through the Force!"
Upon finishing this mantra, Corvus felt a wave of energy coalesce around him, and it was as if the image of his Vornskr companion had super imposed itself over his form.
Twirling his blades, he evaded Draay's thrust by taking a knee. Hot azure plasma sailed over his head by less than an inch, but that was all Corvus needed. With a flourish, he cut off Draay's arms, and then diced through the middle aged blonde's torso.
Disappearing like a npc that had been despawned, Draay was gone.
"I went easy on you today. Return in a week after self reflection. Your form is sloppy, but we shall make a master of Juyo out of you yet. The Vornskr Form suits you well." Draay's voice sounded from within the room.
Vision fading to black, Corvus found himself sitting within his chambers once again.
Robes covered in sweat, Corvus took a deep breath, and then bowed towards the holocron.
"Thank you, Master Draay, and you too, Huego. Without your help, I never would have come so far." Corvus whispered his thanks, and sent out pure feelings of gratitude through his Force Bond.
Form VII was known as Juyo, but was also known as the Ferocity Form, and the Way of the Vornskr. Corvus truly did owe his animal companion a debt for helping him grasp this saber technique.
[Hungry. Steak.] Huego sent back a mental image through their bond.
Corvus chuckled, replying in the affirmative. Good boys got good meals.
Stretching his limbs, Corvus was going to get some shut eye, however his apprentice, Jax had knocked on his door.
"Master? We've arrived."
Corvus cracked his neck in annoyance.
No matter, all he had to do was win against that hot green alien girl, right?
After he won, he'd be able to ask her any question.
Grinning lewdly to himself, Corvus got up, and moved to the cockpit.
If Keira wanted him so bad, he wouldn't mind sharing a piece.
Exiting lightspeed, the Falcon rocketed forth towards the icy world of Ilum.
Viewing the planet from his 3rd Person POV, Corvus was stunned and in awe by the beauty on display.
Ilum was an icy world, and was a giant white-blue marble within the vast blackness of space. From a distance, it sort of reminded him of Earth. A small smile spread across his face, and excitement brimmed in his veins.
As a child who had grown up on sci-fi, he had always dreamed of visiting other worlds. Corvus's father had worked in the aerospace industry constructing satellites, and an interest in both tech, and space travel had been ingrained in him from a young age.
'Here's to you, dad.' Corvus inclined his head, and wiped away a single tear.
Taking a deep breath to center himself, nothing prepared him for the absolute oomph of metaphysical energy that he experienced as he started to take the Falcon into the atmosphere.
Ilum's song in the Force was so much different from Coruscant's.
This frigid icy tundra was practically devoid of life compared to the billions of sentients that called that megalopolis home.
But that did not diminish the power that emanated from this place.
Ilum had been the holy pilgrimage sight for Jedi for eons, as such, it carried with it the hopes and jubilations of every Jedi that had constructed their lightsaber here.
In short, it was a place brimming with Lightside energies. That despite the cold and frigid atmosphere, the planet sang its welcome to him.
Opening himself up to this feeling, Corvus felt as if he could hear the Force welcoming the kyber crystals home.
It was a peaceful and soothing balm to his weary spirit. Serenity filled his body, and he deliberately exuded this towards everyone in the ship, especially Jax, Yon and Paratus.
In fact, Ilum would make for a suitable location for Jedi to hide. During the Imperial Era, it was only discovered thanks to the Jedi Archives. As Corvus had downloaded, and then deleted the information, this icy world was suitable for habitation. One of the benefits of Ilum's hidden nature meant that should the Death Star ever come online, its kyber crystal requirements would be difficult to meet. Without Ilum, it would be incredibly difficult for Palpatine to power his dreaded super weapon.
Ilum was a great place, and Corvus figured he would finally get some teaching in now that he could no longer grind for exp.
Turning over his shoulder, Corvus regarded his apprentice, Jax. The white haired teen had practically become glued to his side, and watched him even when he disabled mines. It was quite embarrassing, but Corvus was determined to take responsibility for this observant student of his.
"Have you ever opened yourself to Ilum's signature within the Force?" Corvus questioned.
"Only when I searched for my kyber crystal, Master Corvus, but I have never done so before or after I had constructed my lightsaber. We were taught as initiates that opening oneself to a planet may overstimulate oneself, driving one to madness." Jax replied with a textbook response.
"Wise words, and in some cases, necessary advice when dealing with worlds tainted by the darkside. For Ilum, however, it is a wonderful world, one cared for by our Order over many millennia. Meditate on this feeling, embrace it like a friend, and when we land, tell me your results. Have no fear, I am watching over you."
"Thank you, Master." Jax lightly bowed, and then began to meditate.
Corvus caught Keira mean mugging him with a tight lipped expression, but she held her tongue.
Smirking at her, Corvus then went back to the controls, and consulted his map feature.
Flying towards the Jedi Temple on Ilum, Corvus put on some classical sounding music, and spent the next two hours of travel time doing his best to harmonize with the Force.
Before long, they had arrived at a large mountain, upon which sat a massive edifice dedicated to the Jedi.
Surprisingly, it wasn't completely frosted over, and seemed to be in decent condition.
Slowing the Falcon down, Corvus found a suitable landing spot near the temple gates, and took her in for a landing.
As soon as they touched down, Corvus turned to his disciple, and saw both a smile, and a trail of tears on his face. When he reached out with the Force to sense if everything was alright with Jax, he was pulled into a brief memory.
The sound of a girl's laughter, and Jax tripping in the snow came to mind, then it was gone, like the feeling of deja vu.
"Go get everyone else and prepare to disembark, I would like a minute with my Padawan." Corvus intoned in a low voice.
Keira glanced between the two of them, and then silently left.
Reaching out to Jax with the Force, Corvus gave Jax a little nudge.
Opening his eyes, the white haired teen was quick to dry his face off with his sleeve. His expression was almost guilty, as if Corvus would rebuke him for so openly breaking the Code.
Corvus patted him on the shoulder, and smiled reassuringly.
"Emotion is not weakness, my apprentice. Love leads to harmony, harmony leads to inner strength, strength leads to peace."
"All my life, I've been taught these feelings are wrong, that they will lead to choosing my friends over the good of the galaxy, that it is a slippery slope wrought with selfishness and murder." Jax said so softly, it was barely above a whisper.
"The good of the galaxy? Who are we to decide that?" Corvus patiently asked.
"Because we are Jedi?" Jax hesitantly asked.
"Isn't that a selfish desire? Who decided that we must hold such a responsibility?"
"The Will of the Force?"
"For the last thousand years, the Jedi have focused their efforts on guarding senators, and protecting the interests of the Republic. Do you think that was the will of the Force?" Corvus continued to ask in a tranquil tone.
"...no, I don't think so." Jax eventually shook his head.
"So you see, if the Order can be selfish, why can't you? Isn't it selfish of you to fight on the frontlines? Your death would break your friends' hearts. Isn't it selfish of you to focus your efforts on war instead of healing? Selfish to live on the surface of Coruscant, condemning billions to a life without sunlight?" Corvus's words came faster, and more intense the more he spoke.
Jax began to sweat, his gaze unfocused. A sense of intense internal conflict roiled in the teen, and the Force warned Corvus that Jax was at a crossroads of sorts.
Corvus cast Valor on his apprentice, and then handed him a towel.
"Breath. Center yourself. Find balance. Only through questioning what we know can we discover more. Only through understanding our emotions can we overcome the temptations of the darkside. The Force is a vast ocean full of both wonder and terror. We are but tiny boats adrift upon its currents. Some fishermen partake in the seas bounty, drawing heavily on the deep, dark depths, they over encumber their boats, and fall to darkness. Others refrain from all that the ocean has to offer, and are so selective in their fishing, they go hungry. As my student, I expect you to eat well, but should you ever fear, doubt, or worry, I shall be here to reel you in." Corvus then activated his darkside siphoning ability, and took whatever darkside energies he could skim off the boy until Jax was more neutral in the Force.
Jax took deep ragged breaths, and held onto Corvus's arm for support as if he were a sturdy tree, and Jax was lost, drunkenly stumbling through the woods. In fact, his mechanical hands were so strong, Corvus would likely have a fracture by now if he hadn't chosen the [Improved Toughness] feat.
"I am sorry you had to see my weakness." Jax looked down in shame.
"Raise your head, boy. Raise it high. Know that our escape that day on Coruscant was in part thanks to you. You have the potential to be a great Jedi, Jax. Never let self doubt or a strict adherence to the Code dictate your life. Now come, Knight Keira doesn't outwardly show it, but I think she's quite impatient to throw me on my backside." Corvus chuckled, and then held out his hand to the troubled teen.
"Yeah, she probably is." Jax smiled, and helped himself up.
Corvus nodded, and then left the cockpit towards the ramp leading out of the Falcon.
Linyin and Zork gave Jax concerned looks, and Yon bumped into him.
"Let's go." Keira brusquely stated, then palmed the button that deployed the ramp.
Frigid cold weather buffeted them, but Corvus cast Valor on everyone, significantly cutting the chill to manageable levels.
"Woah, I wish I knew this technique!" Linyin cheered sarcastically at her teacher, and then ran out to jump into the snow before she could be rebuked.
Zork-a cold blooded creature-repeatedly nodded his head, and looked to Corvus as if he were the second coming of Revan.
Corvus ignored the Padawans, and matched eyes with Keira.
"A duel on the snow in front of the Temple Gates. I know you said you wanted me, but I had no idea you were this romantic, Keira." Corvus smirked.
Jax stumbled behind him, and Yon wolfishly whistled.
"Do not set a bad example for the Padawans, Corvus, please." Keira tutted, and walked down the ramp.
Corvus turned to the three boys, and winked, then followed after her.
"I'm starting to like Master Corvus more and more." Yon exclaimed with a smile that was all teeth. The dark haired boy placed his arms behind his head, and casually followed behind.
"Oh my s-scales!" Zork raised his history book to cover his face, but let his eyes peak, and was quick to trail behind.
Jax, meanwhile, wore a contemplative look upon his face, and remained silent, curious as to his Master's motive.
Disembarking the ramp, Corvus took a breath of fresh air, and looked at the grand gates to the Ilum Temple as if there were untold mysteries lying in wait. He felt the kind of excitement like Indiana Jones going on an archeological dig, or the guys from Jurassic Park seeing a dinosaur for the first time.
He was on another planet.
Evil space overlords could only occupy so much of his bandwidth, otherwise he'd go crazy. What was the point of being in a galaxy far far away if he didn't get to take a minute to step back and enjoy it?
Of course, as he was coming to realize, all good things came to an end when lightsabers were ignited.
"Uphold your end of the bargain, Corvus. Face me." Keira sternly demanded.
"Skipping foreplay and jumping right into the action? I can't say I'm surprised, you battleheads can't seem to keep your lightsabers in your pants." Corvus chided, and then slowly activated both of his lightsabers.
Adjusting the power on them as they burst to life, Corvus made sure that they were non-lethal. At the same time, he cast [Valor, Speed, Force Barrier, & Energy Resistance]
Keira frowned when she saw this, yet remained silent.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Linyin called out in a tone reminiscent of a soccer mom.
"Victory is all that matters." Yon maliciously chuckled.
"Knight Keira is very talented, I'm sure Master Corvus is simply paying her his respect by going all out." Jax placated, playing damage control.
"Master Paratus, if you would officiate?" Corvus turned to the tiny alien walking around on mechanical legs.
Ordinarily, Corvus would have left him on the ship to reflect, but with the kind of flight risk attitude Paratus had, leaving him alone on the Falcon seemed like a recipe for disaster. Besides, getting him to tag along would be good for his mental health.
"Begin!" Paratus swiped down his lightsaber pike.
As soon as that happened, Keira dashed at him, and Corvus waved his hand unleashing a [Force Push] just in front of her.
Keira dodged to the side, however, Corvus wasn't aiming at her!
A second later, a flurry of snow shot up into the sky, obscuring their lines of sight.
At that moment, Corvus became invisible, and then he tossed out dozens of miscellaneous objects-mostly pieces of wood-onto the snow all around him.
Knowing that footsteps could be tracked in the snow, this was his solution to remaining undetected. It wasn't perfect of course, she wanted to get a measure for his character. Well, instead of meeting Keira head on like some saber monkey, he would rather be open and honest with who he was. Which was ironic considering he was a 'secretive' Jedi Shadow.
By the time he had finished initiating his plan, and had jumped to one of the pieces of wood, Keira was swiping down right where he had been.
Unfortunately for Corvus, his landing was a little rushed, and his weight had pressed into the wood, making a subtle, yet distinct crunching sound.
Keira wasted no time, and blitzed towards Corvus's position.
As she was running in a straight line, he actually decided against jumping to another piece of wood, and instead prepared another ability.
When she drew near, Corvus did a flip over her head, and unleashed [Slow] right into her back.
Keira, of course had powers over precognition, and turned to block, but her backwards swipe was late by half a second, and the red bolt had impacted upon her beautiful green skin.
However, her swing was not in vain, as the tip of her lightsaber brushed up against the edge of Corvus's [Energy Resistance] shield, and broke him from his invisibility.
Landing on his feet, Corvus then moved to meet Keira head on.
Her movements had become sluggish, yet her skill with the lightsaber vastly outpaced his, and she just barely managed to scrape by.
Corvus was incredibly impressed with her technical know-how. In fact, if he wasn't Pause-buffering between attacks, he wouldn't have noticed her cheeky leg sweep!
Parrying aside her lightsaber, Corvus sidestepped her attempt to trip him up, stepped into her guard, and mimicked one of the moves he had learnt whilst under Master Draay's tutelage.
Swiping at a chaotic angle, Keira was forced to reposition herself from her awkward overcommitment of her leg sweep, and moved to block high.
However, it was a feint, and Corvus was really going to swipe low.
Corvus saw the realization in her eyes as it happened in real time, and if she wasn't nerfed under [Slow], she 100% would have blocked it. If he didn't cheese this fight, and took her on head on, he would have lost 9 out of 10 times. But that just wasn't the kind of man he was. Let the young and foolish go head on, Corvus would much rather take someone like Keira from the rear.
"Bang." Corvus said as his twin sabers struck her with powerful paralyzing properties.
Then she hit the ground.
Corvus held his saber to Keira's chin, and gave her a cheeky little wave, he then turned to the Padawans.
"And that, class, is why a Jedi is more than a lightsaber wielding precog. In a fight, the environment, and every aspect of the Force are our weapons. Not every duel is some epic clash of willpower, or will drag on for minutes on end. Sometimes the difference between victory and defeat can be decided in less than a second.
Any questions?"