AN: Double release today~
The meeting with Tyg had gone well, however, Corvus was in a rush to leave, so had kept it brief. Currently, he was In his room aboard the Herald, traveling through Hyperspace towards Eriadu. During this trip, he sat in a meditative pose, and reviewed the events that had transpired on the important energy-rich planet of Malastare.
Wrapping up the meeting with Admiral Tyg on Malastare, Corvus had accomplished all his goals, and then some.
Hess & Dour had been confined to the brig. Their troopers under their command followed Corvus's orders with no qualms, as the 'evidence' was quite damning. The boys had done quite well in their missions.
As for his discussion with Tyg, it was brief and to the point. After revealing himself as Revan, the overweight middle-aged man had been surprised, but was quick to question him. There was some back and forth, but Corvus eventually got him to see things his way. Per his suggestion, Tyg had ordered the clones to have their inhibitor chips removed. It was kind of impossible to suss out the loyalties of 3 million men in such a short order, so he had settled for a questionnaire.
Playing the footage from the award ceremony, each man under Tyg's command was forced to watch it, and then answer a survey. They were asked their opinions on the Republic, Palpatine, the Jedi, and if they found Revan's promises to be interesting. In short, it was the generic 'very bad, bad, neutral, good, very good' type of setup.
Clones in general, were pretty honest, and gave good feedback. The vast majority of men's opinions on the Jedi (50%) picked neutral, with good & very good at (30%), whilst bad & very bad were (20%). Needless to say, the low scores were quietly dismissed to work camps on Malastare, whilst those who had joined from Kamino-the FNG's still indoctrinated to obey the Republic/Jedi-filled any gaps.
With that swap complete, Corvus had successfully bamboozled three entire Legions under the fold. All it took was some ballsy infiltration, and the persona of a righteous Imperial.
Of course, he couldn't grow complacent with this force, as Four and a half Legions was a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of Legions that were rampaging around the galaxy. Hell, he still had to rely on those trashy GR-75 transport ships, and their crappy Class-4 hyperdrives! He had nabbed 10 million FNG's from Kamino, but when 50 Venators/Acclamators was only enough to transport 1 million men, he was hit with a logistical nightmare. For now, he garrisoned one Legion locally, whilst he had the rest head out towards their next destination ahead of time. What he needed to solve this crisis, was more ships! Thankfully, Eriadu-a famed shipyard-was ripe for the picking!
As such, he had hastily set off from Malastare with the Starcrusher Corp towards Eriadu. Meanwhile, he had instructed Hess to take his expeditionary fleet towards its intended destination. His orders were to blockade the desert world. From Poggle the Lesser's POV, this would be an Imperial force.
Once Corvus was done on Eriadu, he intended to make a quick trip over on the Falcon, and resolve the issue. At the moment, Corvus had very little contact with the Separatist Ruling Council. If he was to supplant the memory of Dooku, then conquering planets wasn't enough. For example, most people wouldn't truly appreciate the police until a murderer was breaking down their door. It was one thing to know that Corvus was out there kicking ass, it was an entirely different thing when your life was saved.
This action also gave Hess time to evacuate his family from Coruscant, and message Jocasta Nu so that she could link up with other surviving Jedi on Illum.
Having settled matters on Malastare, Corvus was once again traveling through Hyperspace. Thankfully, Eriadu was only a one to two day travel with his fleet's Class-1 hyperdrives.
During this time, he had reviewed his plan. What he knew, was that the Sector fleet responsible for guarding Tarkin's homeworld had been eradicated at Geonosis thanks to a Force Storm. That left the planet largely undefended. However, it was also populated by an incredibly militant people, and their homefleet/planetary army was nothing to scoff at. At the moment, Corvus held the element of surprise, but considering how war-happy the natives were, he had sent the GR-75's ahead of his invasion force. Eriadu had a population similar to Earth's, and even though he held an advantage, Corvus didn't think taking over this fortress world would be easy.
He was certain that after this next battle, someone would get the message out that there were clone defectors. That the Jedi had begun to make a stand. This would be both good and bad. On one hand, it would serve as a rallying cry for all those who still considered themselves as members of the Republic. It would also embolden other Jedi in hiding. On the other hand, it would paint a massive target on Corvus's back, and alert Palpatine to his whereabouts. As a Jedi Shadow, his skills were best used for sabotage, and decapitation strikes.
Getting pinned down, or bogged down in a protracted war wasn't ideal. However, he hoped that he could find some worthy Jedi Generals to help supplement the Starcrusher Corp. Freed from the burdens of command, he would be open to burning the Empire from the backlines, whilst the Republic made a stand on the front lines. With the speed of the Falcon, he could then reinforce any battlefield that he was needed at. Of course, this was all Corvus's wishful thinking, and would have to wait for later.
During this one day trip, besides making plans from within the auspices of Pause, he had been relentlessly training his lightsaber technique within the holocron.
Advancing to the rank of Jedi Master required him to fulfill the conditions of a quest:
[Jedi Master:
1) Reach Level 50 in Path of the Jedi: 20/50
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: 1/1
Reward: Jedi Master (low)
+2 all stat points]
To complete condition 1, he had to raise the continuous quest: Path of the Jedi.
[Path of the Jedi XX: Help the Innocent, Vulnerable, Pure, Just or Weak: 0/750,000. Reward: 4,500 EXP].
By going around and healing injured clones, and people hurt during the invasion of Malastare, he was able to raise the level from 10 to 20. It was an incredibly tiresome experience working on so many people, but it was very rewarding. Additionally, by removing the boot of the Grans off the Dugs necks, he increased his level a few more times.
The amount of healing he did was astronomical. By this point in time, he had cast [Heal] more times than any other skill. At first, he didn't think anything of it, and used the system ability like any other move. As if he were a character spamming a broken skill in an RPG. He did this so he could get the mindlessly boring act out of the way, and grind the Path of the Jedi quest. Midway through this task, he realized he was being stupid. After modifying his other skills/abilities such as [Energy Resistance] and his cloaking ability…why shouldn't he try his hand at [Heal]? In fact, if he could take it to the next level, and give it a qualitative change, he could fulfill the conditions of part 4 on the Jedi Mater quest! Diligently practicing the ability on literally hundreds of thousands of people, he had seen how to improve himself, and had made a breakthrough!
That left conditions 2 and 3.
Over the last four weeks-ever since Kamino-he had been diligently training Jax & Yon to complete condition 3. It would happen when it happened, but both boys were very talented. With his [Mentor] passive boosting them along, it was only a matter of time when one of them crossed that threshold.
[Mentor: Pass on 1% of any skill during a 5hr teaching session, this value is increased to 5% to a student who has acknowledged you as their teacher, and 10% for personal disciples.]
Lastly, there was condition 2. Mastering a lightsaber form wasn't easy. It was demanding, grueling work. Corvus was fortunate that he had access to his holocron, where time seemed to pass a little slower than in reality. Within that realm, he was free to practice to his heart's desire, and spar with a Jedi Master. In fact, that's where he spent most of his free time.
After he finished reviewing his gains, and plans for the future, Corvus took out a holocron from his inventory, and injected his consciousness within. Seconds later, he found his mind traveling to a space completely different from his spartan cabin.
A low wind rustled through bamboo stalks, revealing a serene garden, their green shafts clicked gently like wind chimes. A koi pond shimmered in the center, rippling under the occasional drop from a carved stone fountain. The air was rich with the scent of moss and sakura blossoms. It was a place meant for contemplation, but today, it held a trial by fire.
On the smooth, raked gravel, Jedi Master Lucien Draay-the tanned blonde man whom Corvus had studied from for the last two months-stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His robes were immaculately arranged, his aura was that of a pillar of stoic grace.
Corvus wordlessly unsheathed his lightsaber, crisp azure light hummed into existence. Like that, he stood still for a moment, and breathed. The air rippled along with his inhalation, and the bamboo shuddered as a fierce gale traveled through the garden.
He moved.
Whipping through the air in erratic yet powerful arcs, his lightsaber was like a carnivorous beast hungering for its prey. To an average combatant, his movements appeared erratic, and without substance. Yet an outside observer with keen insight might notice something…that just like a predator, this lightsaber form was corralling the blonde man into a trap!
Sweat glistened on Corvus's brow as he pushed himself through the complex motions of Form VII: Juyo.
Corvus came down with a diagonal strike, pivoted sharply, and launched into a flurry, channeling his emotion into motion without letting it consume him. For a heartbeat, his strikes blurred. Power and control achieved a new level of harmony. The sudden burst of enlightenment was unexpected, throwing him off balance.
Draay exploited this weakness, his green saber buzzed near Corvus's ear, singing off a tuft of hair.
Faltering in his step, Corvus liberally used Pause to help get back into the fight, but he was flagging.
The flow collapsed with a mistimed step, his final strike overshot the mark, and left his flank exposed. Hot plasma struck his back, and Corvus collapsed to his knees in pain. Although this was a holocron, the sensation was quite real.
Draay's voice rang out with cold precision as he looked down at him without any traces of emotion on his face.
"Again."
Corvus exhaled sharply, grounding himself with a breath, and reset his stance.
"You allowed your doubt to speak louder than your will," Draay said, approaching slowly. "In Form VII, that is failure."
The Jedi Master raised a gloved hand, his tone devoid of cruelty but ironclad in judgment.
"You feel the edge. I can see it. You want to grasp it. But mastery does not come through want, it comes through overcoming oneself. You hesitate. Why?"
Corvus looked down at his blade, its hum now quiet and steady in his grip.
"...the burdens of command, raising students, and worrying over the Sith's next move are slowly draining me. Yet I am a man. I must be strong for everyone else. To be a Jedi is to sacrifice…I think I'm beginning to understand Form VII. The line between passion and peace is thin. It is called the blade of the Vornskr, yet I find I focus too much on precision, worried I will lose myself to passion. But perhaps to truly make this work, I must think of Form VII from a position of sacrifice…" Corvus voiced his concerns.
Draay stepped into the circle of raked stone, now standing eye to eye with Corvus. The garden seemed to fall still.
"Then you have finally understood the burden of this form," he said, more gently now. "Juyo is the crucible. It does not reveal strength, it demands it. Not brute force, but the strength to maintain your center when the storm calls you to surrender. Sacrifice does not mean death or defeat, it is the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important." Draay slowly nodded, then saluted Corvus with.
He ignited his own saber, a verdant green against Corvus' azure, and took a low stance. His presence shifted; he was no longer the instructor, but the challenge itself.
"One final time. I will not go easy."
Corvus did a quick stretch, and got into a stance of his own. In this space, [Speed/Valor/Energy Resistance], etc, they would be of no help to him. When it came to lightsaber combat, Force powers, amazing as they were, would only serve as a crutch in the long run. As such, he was practicing the only thing that mattered:
Skill.
'No more hesitation.'
Corvus made the first move.
Going in high, then snaking low, his seemingly wild movements were all anticipated. Yet when Draay tried to bypass his defense, Corvus was like an iron wall unwilling to bend, break or yield.
Their blades clashed like thunder under the cherry blossoms, sparks flying into the air with each calculated blow. Draay's attacks were punishing and unrelenting, but Corvus adapted. His breath came steady, his footwork exact. He struck high, spun low, reversed a grip with deadly elegance, until something within him snapped into clarity.
This time, he embraced the moment, and didn't allow it to slow him down.
He stopped anticipating.
He flowed.
The next strike wasn't just a casual blow, it was an expression of the Force itself through his body, channeled through discipline, not fury. Through sacrifice!
Draay stepped back, disengaged, and deactivated his blade. Silence fell again.
Corvus stood still, panting, saber in hand, eyes wide with realization.
Lucien Draay regarded him for a long moment, then gave a slow, rare nod.
"You've touched the flame," he said. "Now comes the harder task."
Corvus blinked. "What's harder than reaching it?"
"Carrying it...without letting it consume you."
Draay turned and began walking toward the stone path leading out of the garden.
"I have no more to teach you. You are on the cusp of mastery. I can only serve to hone that which will not break. Will you prove my expectations, and emerge like cast iron? Or are you brittle?"
"I will not break." Corvus replied with determination.
"Good answer." Draay simply said, igniting his lightsaber once more.
The koi pond came to life again, and the wind rippled along the bamboo as if in quiet applause. In the garden's heart, a Jedi Knight followed in the path of a Master.