After inventorying the loot, Corvus turned to Yon, and saw that he had exited the holocron.
The short, black haired teen's face had a gruesome expression, and it looked like he wanted to throw the holocron away. Eventually, he sighed, and lowered the bright blue object.
"All is well?" Corvus asked.
"Just more unwanted wisdom." Yon replied in disappointment..
"Perhaps I should take a look?" Corvus said in a curious tone.
"No, I have it well in hand, thank you, Master." Yon was quick to hold the artifact close, as if it were a phone that had pornography on the screen, and he didn't want his parents to get a glimpse.
"No worries, keep your secrets." Corvus said in a light tone, yet he glanced at Yon from head to toe, and felt out with the Force to see if he could spot any minor discrepancies.
Being possessed by a Sith ghost was very serious, and he couldn't be too careful. But from what he could sense, Yon should be fine. Corvus was going to say something more, when a warning in the Force from Jax pierced his mind.
'Under attack.' A simple message relayed itself to Corvus, along with a 5 second 'video' type vision that showed clones shooting at Jax, as well as his escape.
"Let's go, Jax is in danger." Corvus said in a hurried tone, then began to retrace his steps in a sprint.
"Always about Jax." Yon muttered in a dark tone, and quickly followed behind.
"Don't think I didn't hear that! I took you specifically on this mission because you are my pupil. Jealousy does not suit you, if you're truly Jax's rival, I want to train both of you to be the best men you can possibly be. You want to be strong? True strength starts from within, now ponder on that as we go to save your friend." Corvus said in both admonishment, as well as to taunt the youth and tickle his pride.
Yon had a sheepish expression at being called out, but Corvus wasn't going to have any of it. He'd seen that kind of bitterness fester before, and that shit wouldn't fly. The kid had improved a bit, but was still a little shallow. Hopefully Master Qalsneek could help knock some sense into the hellion.
Shaking his head, Corvus hurried out of the dilapidated temple, and was a blur in his return to the Falcon.
Running into the cockpit, he flipped switches, and pressed buttons, to ignite the engines, then took off. As Yon silently contemplated his words in the seat nearby, Corvus was wondering what exactly had occurred back at Tipoca City. No further details via Force Bond were forthcoming, and Corvus didn't want to nudge his student for fear that it would break his concentration during a critical moment. The feeling was like knowing your friend was going to an important job interview or had a big test, and didn't want to text him for fear of getting him in trouble, except here, a lapse in judgement could lead to death!
Taking a deep breath, and focusing himself in the Force, Corvus piloted the Falcon towards Tipoca City, and began to think up contingency plans to resolve this issue.
Plan A: At the moment he still had the identity of a very high ranking Imperial Agent, and could theoretically order the Imperial forces stationed in orbit to intervene in any issue. However, should Jax have his identity as a Jedi become revealed, then those very same 'allies' would turn on them at the drop of a hat. Relying upon them was a risky gamble, and one Corvus hoped against. If he did go this route, then it would be in a calculated, reserved manner, one that maximized the conflict between Kamino and the Empire. Theoretically if he played his cards right, this could be the ideal scenario that drove a permanent wedge between the two factions. Such an action, however, would almost certainly call his identity into question, and both the Millennium Falcon and the OO7 persona would likely lose their usefulness in such a scenario. Considering he had plans that required covert actions, this would be a 50/50 transaction, one which the long term implications were uncertain.
Plan B: There was, of course another option in the back of his mind, one that was incredibly risky. He would reserve this plan for a do or die scorched earth plan, and was something he would rather not dwell upon.
Plan C: Instead, he would prefer to continue his campaign of sewing discord. Depending on how the situation on the ground developed, he would have to speak with Prime Minister Lama Su, and demand concessions from the long necked bioengineer. If he could diplomacy his way off the planet, and pit Lama Su against Palpatine; with everything he had done on the computer, and the armory he intended to steal, then he would be happy.
Frowning to himself at how quickly his infiltration had crumbled, Corvus began to somewhat regret that he didn't go solo, and take care of everything invisibly. Yet if he had done so, he wouldn't have recruited the Bad Batch. Jax's presence had been crucial at diffusing their antagonism, especially since Omega seemed to take a shine to him. Ultimately, Corvus couldn't say which method of insertion was better, but that it was best not to dwell on the past.
Having thought all that, Corvus mostly meditated during his return trip, and before long, they had landed once more within the hangar at the research facility.
Standing outside in waiting was the secretary to the Prime Minister, Taun We.
"I'll go without an escort, meanwhile, I want you to investigate what happened from invisibility." Corvus said after much deliberation.
"I won't let you down, Master Corvus." Yon said with the kind of eagerness of a new employee who had yet to experience the doldrums of boring work life.
Corvus shook his head, and smirked at the puppy-dog like behavior. He would have commanded Yon to stay on the ship if he thought the kid would listen to him. Just because there were smarter people in this universe, it was still Star Wars. Telling teenagers to stay on the ship never worked. Well, it might work with Zork, maaybe Jax, but Yon & Linyin would 100% leave for adventure.
"Just stay safe. Be mindful of supply closets to rest and recuperate your invisibility ability. During this mission, it is important that you do not use your lightsaber unless under extreme peril. Remember what I told you about opening doors, and-"
"Yes Master. I got it." Yon interrupted.
Corvus felt his eye twitch. He wasn't going to belt this teen, but by the Force once they resumed training, he was going to run Yon ragged. The kid would also be spending many hours meditating on that leather Force imbued object that inspired hope. No way was Corvus about to get Anakin'd in the back due to negligence! It was almost like being proactive in a child's growth was important for stability, a mystic power that seemed to elude the Jedi.
'Yeah, miss me with that school shooter energy!' Corvus thought to himself with a determined expression.
Half the galaxy's problems were due to hormonal man children with daddy issues. Looking at you Palpatine, Maul, Dooku, Windu, Obi-Wan, Anakin. No way was he going to catch a case because of some petty jealousy!
"May the Force be with you." Corvus sighed, and then he ignored Yon in favor of equipping the Imperial regalia necessary for the 007 persona.
Dawning the all black outfit, Corvus strutted down the ramp, and walked up to Taun We.
"Come this way, Agent. The Prime Minister has finished his work early. He is expecting you." Taun We said in her typical fairy-like voice, and began to leave the hangar.
Corvus followed behind, and raised an eyebrow at the sudden turn of events. If he didn't know better, he'd say this was a trap…however, he could detect lies thanks to his prestige class. From Taun We's perspective, she was 100% telling the truth. Yeah, this was 100% a trap.
"How long, exactly, has the Prime Minister been out of his laboratory?" Corvus enquired.
Taun We glanced back at him, and through the Force he sensed disgust. "The Prime Minister has been out for one standard hour. He was informed of your visit, and eagerly awaits your arrival. However, the thoughts of such a perfect being are above ones such as ourselves." Taun We projected a 'scowl' in the Force. To Corvus, it seemed that by interrupting Lama Su's work as a geneticist, Corvus had committed some crime no lesser than someone burning a holy artifact.
Whilst he was happy to continue generating hatred and her contempt, Corvus discarded her as an insignificant, and small minded creature. Based upon what little information he could pry from her, he gleaned that Lama Su was the mastermind behind this sudden change in circumstances.
With his power and reach, Lama Su could have done many things in preparation for this meeting, including the mobilization of all the FNG clones on Tipoca City who had yet to receive Order 66.
That begged the question, what was the kaminoan's game?
Knowing how arrogant and self centered this race of perfectionists were, and how business oriented Lama Su was, Corvus pulled upon the Force for a sense of direction, or how he should handle things, yet nothing stood out to him.
"We have arrived." Taun We simply stated, then departed.
In front of Corvus, a sliding door opened up, and revealed an all white room. The room highly resembled the one that Obi-Wan had rested in after first landing, and it gave off a creepy plastic feel, as if it weren't real, or a place dreamed up by Willy Wonka. Within were two odd looking chairs hanging from the ceiling, as well as the leader of Kamino himself, Lama Su.
Wearing a black robe with purple down the centre, the gangly stick-man alien peered deeply into Corvus's mask with pitch black unblinking eyes.
"Please, sit. We haven't welcomed a Jedi to these premises since the Separatists attacked." Lama Su said in an even tone, as if he were discussing nothing more interesting than a small change in the weather.
Corvus Paused, and for about five minutes he stared maliciously at Lama Su. At that very moment, he very seriously considered taking the kaminoan's life, and framing it on the Empire. As far as he could tell, there were no guards or cameras in this room, and at the very back, was another door. Referencing his map, that was Lama Su's lab, doubtlessly his terminal was inside ripe for the hacking.
Additionally from Pause, he noticed something else. In between the two seats, there was a nearly imperceptible, clear energy shield. It must be incredibly expensive to not be detected through sound or the human eye, however, thanks to his Awareness and the Force, Corvus had spotted this defensive measure.
However, he was loath to go with Plan A from the get go. Corvus figured he would hear Lama Su out. Additionally, the kaminoan wasn't so stupid as to invite a Jedi into his presence unguarded, right? There must be something Lama Su was relying upon for survival. What leverage did he think he had over him? Jax? The Bad Batch? Corvus intended to find out.
"Choose your words carefully, Prime Minister. The Emperor affords Kamino special rights due to your valuable nature, however do not speak out of turn. Clones are a commodity, replaceable." Corvus said in a light tone belonging to one who looked down upon his inferiors.
"This behavior is most surprising, Master Jedi. From all the interactions I've had with your kind across my 3,000 years of life, this has been the most engaging. You may leave such threats to the wayside. Bio scanners are all throughout this room. Should I perish, Tipoca City shall be reclaimed by the waves alongside me. Let us discuss the purpose for your visit." Lama Su continued his spiel without a care in the world, as if Corvus's words had had no effect on him.
The Prime Minister was unphased, Corvus's threats had gone unnoticed. Worse still, his words were 100% truthful, if Corvus murdered him this instant, Tipoca City was likely to be bathed within a fiery cataclysm. Frowning to himself, Corvus tickled Lama Su's mind to see if he could influence him through other means, but he soon discovered that the kaminoan's mind was like a maze, utterly impenetrable.
He had to change tactics. Taking note of Lama Su's longevity, he hoped to spark old fears, and invoke the threat of ancient darksiders. Just because Lama Su insinuated that he was a Master Jedi, didn't mean he had to play along!
"The Emperor has recruited many Jedi to serve in his care, I am but one humble acolyte. His Majesty, the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious is most displeased with your progress, and intends to void all debts. Republic credits were paid to Kamino, now Imperial credits shall be the currency of choice, renegotiated at a reduced cost of course." Corvus replied in an arrogant tone that absolutely oozed condescension, and all but insinuated that he held total control in this conversation.
"Kamino-as you put it-had been well aware of Palpatine's alter ego for quite some time. The link between Jango Fett, Count Dooku, Chancellor Palpatine, and the laughably obtuse contingency orders had been obvious from the start. As the foremost business that produces clone armies for the galaxy, it is our business to know everything about our clients." Lama Su steepled his long white fingers, and leaned his thin neck forward as he practically stared into Corvus's soul through his visor.
He knew Lama Su wasn't Force Sensitive, but damn at this moment it felt like he was being laid bare. It almost felt like it wasn't worth keeping up the act. At this point, Corvus was moments away from going mask off, but the threat of mutual annihilation was staying his hand.
"But then again, what you said about credits holds some truth. Our contract, afterall, was commissioned by Jedi Master Sipho-Dyas, and not the Republic, wouldn't you agree, Master Revan?"
To prevent any sort of twitching or show any visible cue, Corvus paused, wondering just how Lama Su knew. Frowning to himself, he thought back to his actions, and realized he had parted the sky earlier in the day. If he was being tracked via probe or satellite, they easily could have caught him in his Revan mask. Considering his speech to the people of Coruscant two weeks ago, the kaminoan could very well be familiar with him.
It was interesting that Lama Su hadn't uttered any threats yet, but Corvus knew that Jax was actively being hunted at the moment. Likely this ancient creature was trying to gain as much leverage over him as possible to make a deal.
The time for feigning Imperial loyalties was over, he might as well hear him out. And if Corvus didn't like what Lama Su had to say?
Heh. There were other ways to deal with him than murder. He was a Space Wizard after all.
Un-Pausing, Corvus placed his hand over his face, and lifted the black mask off. While it still blocked him from view, he quick swap equipped the Revan mask.
To Lama Su's eyes, it was as if he had just taken off a mask only to reveal another mask.
"You Jedi and your theatrics." Lama Su tutted.
"What business do you have with the Jedi Council?" Corvus ignored him, and asked in a civil tone.
"Kamino was commissioned to produce 50 million Jango clone troopers every quarter. We were commissioned at a rate of 10,000 credits per head, in other words, we are owed 500 billion credits this quarter. Although 40 million of said clones had already left the planet these last few weeks, it is clear payment for them shall not be honored. Our contract was with the Republic, a now defunct state. Yet the Empire continues to demand much from us at cheaper rates, even going so far as to decline the latest payment. Tell me, Jedi, are you interested in making a deal?"
Corvus was secretly pleased that his desolation of the Imperial economy and abuse of his credentials as an Agent had driven Lama Su into this direction. His plan of driving a wedge between the two factions seemed to be coming together well. All he had to do was play this intelligently, and there was a chance that things would go according to plan.
However, there remained the fact that Lama Su apparently was aware of Palpatine this entire time, and had said nothing to the Jedi in warning. Furthermore, he had attempted to capture Jax/Omega. In the books, Plageus had described kaminoans as being almost Sith-like in their thoughts, praising them for how they operated! Was it worth allying with such a mercenary ally?
"You are a businessman first and foremost, as the rumors have suggested, Prime Minister. I wonder, what is the price you seek? As you are well aware, the Jedi are not known for their riches." Corvus said in a light tone, yet his senses were heightened to the maximum as he attempted to glean Lama Su's true intentions.
"Experiment Omega. It is embarrassing to admit, but replicating her abilities has been trying. We require new test subjects." Lama Su said, and gave Corvus a look as if he were a specimen under a petri dish.
Corvus's mind went blank as he processed the implication of Lama Su's words. Did he think for a minute that he would allow himself or his fellow Jedi to become test subjects?! Lama Su must be insane to think that!
At this moment, Corvus was almost 98% certain that he would find a way to incapacitate this pale stick-man by the end of this conversation. Tipoca City may go up in flames upon his death, but depending on how this conversation played out, that might be just what he was aiming for.
Taking his silence as a license to continue, Lama Su explained his plan.
"We know that the Jedi are adept at recovering Force Sensitive children. Their growing forms are excellent for experimentation. Bring me 10 volunteers every year, and I shall provide 50 million clone soldiers every quarter." Lama Su stated in a smug, self satisfied tone, as if he had just completed the deal of the century. Hell, his feelings in the Force made it seem like he was undercutting himself!
Corvus was strongly against experimenting on sentients against their will. This went against his ethical code, and he would not tolerate such behavior. He always knew this clone nonsense was cruel to the Jango clones, they were literally 10 year olds doomed to die in their 30's and 40's. The kaminoans were sick as it was, this? This had crossed his bottom line. Plan C wasn't looking like the move, and Plan A didn't suit his current needs. Plan B it was then.
"No."
"No? A pity. I had thought you were different from the rest. That your desire for an army to combat the Sith, and mimicry of that old rebel would make you see reason. Goodbye, Mr. Bond." Lama Su mocked, and then reached his hand down to press a button on his chair, however, his arm was locked in place.
Corvus had raised his own hand, and was using his base telekinesis to hold Lama Su in place.
"This solves nothing, Jedi. Perhaps you would be open to a different proposal? Release me, and you may leave these premises alive. You have my word."
Despite Lama Su's unwavering, calm visage, Corvus felt a quiver in the Force indicating the kaminoan's unease. This elicited a shark-like grin across his face.
"Having lived for over three millennia, you're still afraid of death? Good."
Corvus then worked on a datapad for a minute, and executed a code. Having hacked into the Topica City database using Taun We's credentials, he had had access to almost every system. During his editing of the clone contingency orders, he had scanned them to see if there were any he could use in times of emergency.
There were some well known orders, like 4 or 65 which apprehended the Chancellor. But they were almost useless to Corvus, as there was no Chancellor anymore. But there were other commands that could suit his plans.
After all, once a clone received a command from his inhibitor chip, all others would become useless. It was a contingency plan developed by Palpatine so that the Jedi couldn't countermand the clones. Fortunately for Corvus, all of the troopers on Kamino at the moment were FNG's. They hadn't received Order 66, and their minds were still filled with a decades worth of Republic propaganda!
"It was a shame, Prime Minister. I would have liked the Jedi and kaminoans to have worked together, but your price is too steep." Corvus smiled underneath his mask with schadenfreude. He then pressed a button on the tablet, and he was connected to the PA system across every research & cloning facility. "Execute Order 86, Code: Bantha Slaughter-Eight-Eight-Zabrak-Wookie-Niner-Bespin-Wompa-Sheev-Alderaan-Eighty-Six by command of the Senate & the Jedi council, base delta zero Kamino, and all supporters of the Empire."
Seconds later, the sound of blasterfire resounded throughout the hallways as clone guards loyal to the Empire engaged in combat with those who had received Corvus's order.
"You're no Jedi, this course of action is hardly in line with the greater good. My plan was flawless, the offer perfect…no…truly? Can it be? Revan? Inconceivable." Lama Su's all black eyes widened, and he whispered to himself.
Corvus closed his eyes, and felt outward with the Force. Scanning the walls, he found the emitters for the force field, and bent some metal & wires, disabling them completely.
Pulling out a blaster set to stun, he shot the Prime Minister, and then ran past his slumped body towards his office in the back.
Kamino was devolving into a civil war between clone brothers, and Corvus needed to find out where his people were, save all of Lama Su's data, then get the hell out of dodge.
At that moment, a group of clones broke the door down.
"There he is!"
"Blast him!"
The clones raised their rifles, and pointed them at Lama Su. It was kind of funny being on the other side of that dialogue, but he didn't have time to joke around.
Aware that his death would trigger the destruction of Tipoca City, Corvus was quick to block their blasters bolts with his twin lightsabers.
"General, sir?! Why are you defending the traitor!" A clone demanded.
"He's the Prime Minister, and my hostage. My name is General Revan. Hold this spot, and await my orders." Corvus ordered.
"Sir!" The clone saluted, and moved to follow his commands.
Corvus grinned to himself at this development. He had initially wanted to ally with the kaminoans and eventually have hundreds of millions of clones on his side. But now? He'd have to settle for the tens of millions that were produced this quarter. Hell, this event would assure that not a single clone trooper from this planet joined the Empire in the future! What would Palpatine's reaction be once he discovered this?
What could he say? He wasn't mad at it!
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AN: The great Clone Heist begins!!! Not only did my guy steal billions from Galactic bank, but now he's stealing soldiers too!
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