Jedi Insurgency 133

As soon as Corvus had sealed the deal, sirens came from the far side of the swamp, and moments later, a group of security personnel were swarming out of SUV-sized transports. 

Flanked by a pair of Royal Guardsmen, Queen Neeyuntee disregarded the mud, and rushed onto the scene. 

“Yon! Where is my Yon?!” The young teen called out in worry. 

“Tch. Master, can we go now?” Yon whispered, and threw his Jedi cloak's hood up, and covered his face. 

Corvus released Boba from their handshake, glanced at him meaningfully as if to say ‘we'll talk later’ then ripped Yon's hood down. 

“Your Majesty! What a pleasant surprise. It warms my heart to see that you value the friendship between the Jedi & Naboo.” Corvus said in a light tone. 

“Y-yes, We are most grateful for your timely rescue. It is only fair that We rush to your aid!” Neeyuntee gasped in an out of breath tone. 

Jax raised an eyebrow, and Aurra Sing let out a loud guffaw. 

“The Human is in heat.” Bosk sniffed the air, and offhandedly remarked. 

Boba silently dragged the lizard-man away, shaking his head in disappointment, and despite wearing white makeup, Neeyuntee's blush was crimson. 

“Those robes are too heavy. Be careful not to trip on them, and don't run. Otherwise you'll suffer a heatstroke.” Yon, in an effort to end the conversation quickly, unknowingly covered for her embarrassment. 

“Thank you for looking out for Us, young hero.” Neeyuntee swooned, and stepped within Yon's personal space. 

Yon briefly scowled, and turned to look at the wrecked speeder bikes, but Corvus roped his arm around the short teen's shoulder, and brought him forward. 

“Greet Her Majesty, Yon.” Corvus pushed his student forward. 

Yon rolled his eyes. “Your Majesty.” 

“How did you survive?” Neeyuntee asked, and placed a hand on Yon's cheek, where one of Boba's helmet bumps had caused some bruising to swell. 

Corvus grinned at the interaction. Whilst the pair were ‘conversing,’ he received a message over the comms. 

“Transport's ready, General. Sending the coordinates to you now.” Hunter said over a shared frequency. 

“Very good, Captain, we shall link up with you shortly.” Corvus replied, then cut the call. 

“Jax, let's go.” Corvus lifted his chin, and gestured towards a pair of swoops that they had ‘purchased’ (dropped a wad of cash & stolen), and started walking towards them. 

“Master, are we heading out?!” Yon, realizing what was going on, pried himself off Neeyuntee's prying grasp, and power walked towards him like a man who really had to shit. 

He grinned at the awkward expression on his student's face. The way he was acting was like ants were crawling on his skin. Corvus wondered if Yon knew that Neeyuntee was interested in him? 

“Are you departing so soon?” Neeyuntee pouted. 

“Worry not, Your Highness, Yon still needs to recover after miraculously surviving such a dangerous crash. If it is not too much to ask, would it be okay if he recuperated with you?” 

“YES! I mean…yes, Yon would be more than welcome to recover with Us, Master Jedi.” Neeyuntee shouted out, and was quick to bow her head to hide her shame. 

“Ah, what, Master?!” Yon loudly protested. 

“Take this time to learn some insights from Obi-Wan. I have a feeling we won't be in the same party for much longer.” Corvus leaned forward, whispered in Yon's ear, then patted him on the shoulder. 

Yon's expression was conflicted for a moment, and then he glanced in the direction that Boba had retreated. The fires of competition once more were ignited in his eyes, and the short, black haired teen repeatedly nodded his head. 

“Thank you for looking out for me Master, I won't let your expectations down.” He said with the kind of conviction that a man would have when swearing an oath to his dying father. 

“...” Corvus glanced at the thankful Neeyuntee, and could only wryly shrug his shoulders. 

“You're a good kid, Yon. Don't let my good intentions go to waste.” Corvus ruffled Yon's hair, pushed him away, and then mounted his speeder bike. 

“Take care, Master Jedi!” Neeyuntee waved in thanks, and smiled beautifully. 

Corvus tilted his helmet, and Yon bowed. Then, revving his engine, the speeder bike rose to hover above the ground, and he was off. 

“You are cruel, Master.” Jax-who was riding beside him-said in a plain tone of voice. 

“Relationships are not forbidden for a Je'daii. You two are at that age where exploring deep bonds is normal. Repression can lead to unhealthy habits. Master Kenobi loved once, and his loss scarred him. There is no shame, Jax, in trying to find comfort with someone else.” Corvus replied calmly, well aware that Jax's best friend-and possible love interest-had died in his arms during Order 66. 

He wasn't about to confront his student, or judge him, but that didn’t mean he would afk from his development. Both Jax & Yon were his responsibility. It was his duty as a father-figure to make sure they didn't lapse into depression or fall to the Darkside. 

“...” Jax remained silent, uninterested in continuing the conversation. 

“Don't abandon hope is all I'm saying. Triss and Omega look up to you. If you want to protect them, then you have to protect yourself first.” Corvus lightly chided, and then pulled ahead. 

Before long, they arrived at a small dock that was on top of Lake Paonga. The wetlands were full of life, and the sound of birds, insects, and amphibians echoed throughout the air. Waiting for them were Triss, Omega, and the members of the Bad Batch sans Tech & Echo. 

“Tech still working on the cure?” Corvus asked. 

“He may be a genius, but not even the best can work a miracle in one day.” Hunter replied, then tossed a tin-foiled object at both him and Jax. 

Unwrapping it, he saw that it was a sandwich. 

“It's going to be an hour long trip, hope you're hungry. Now c'mon, the sub’s ready, and renting this craft wasn't cheap.” Hunter turned, and boarded a sub that was adjacent to the dock. 

Taking a bite of the sandwich, Corvus felt appreciation for the clone as rich, juicy flavors assaulted his tongue. Less than half an hour ago, he was threatening a teenager with death, plotting a hostile takeover of the Galactic Underworld, and now he was nomming on some S tier food. Life was strange like that. 

“Master?” Jax asked. His sandwich was inches from his lips, yet he paused in his bite, and he glanced suspiciously at the one in Corvus’s hand. 

“It's not poisoned, I'm fine. Just enjoying this brief moment of respite. It's hard to believe over 5 months have passed since Order 66. Five years since the Clone Wars began. For you, this war has lasted almost a third of your life.” Corvus said morosely as he looked out at the calm waters of Lake Paonga. 

“Do not lose hope, Master. You saved the Jedi once, I believe you will do so again.” Jax quietly uttered. 

Corvus half-grinned after hearing his own words used against himself, then levitated a nearby rock with the Force, and skipped it across the lake's surface. “The Galaxy is a large place. Over 500 million-possibly a billion-elite clone soldiers are roaming the stars. I recently discovered that a trillion life forms were roused by Palpatine’s speech, and have enlisted in the Imperial Army. My actions to hit the economy truly damaged the Empire, halting their war machine, and giving us time to breath, to reorganize, and rearm. However, the people most affected by any economic downturn are those who earn less. Driven by poverty, many see Palpatine’s promises of a brighter tomorrow as their only path forward.” 

Jax silently provided support, and began to skip rocks with him. No words were spoken, but his presence said it all. 

Corvus skipped another rock, and shook his head. He couldn't blame the people for signing up with Palpatine either. His own father had joined the army at the age of 18 when he had been kicked out of the house with nothing but the shirt on his back. Men throughout history had joined conflicts not because they were bloodthirsty, but out of necessity. 

Xizor had been constantly supplying him with data ever since their chat, and if the information was to be trusted, it did not paint a pretty picture. The Empire had been wounded, but like the USA after Pearl Harbor, the manufacturing might of the Empire was something serious. 

General Grievous's attack on Coruscant was like a wake up call for the people of the Core. Content to largely leave the fighting to the clones, and local militias/planetary armies, the untouched Core worlds largely lived life like the average Westerner. Yeah, war was happening on Earth, but it was a continent away for most people, and had almost zero impact on their day to day. With these dual attacks-economic & kinetic-it was all too easy for Palpatine to spin his lies, and manipulate public opinion. 

Five months was a long time in terms of politics, and the propaganda machine of the Empire was in full swing. And even though he said a trillion recruits, there was still the possibility for more. The Star Wars universe was estimated to house over 100 quintillion intelligent beings. Such a mind boggling number was practically unfathomable to his Human mind. 

As much as he would love to return to Tython immediately, wrangling the Criminal Underworld or better phrased, keeping Xizor under control, and maintaining access to his information network would be critical towards ending the war. 

Any armchair General would tell you that logistics wins wars. However, information was also one of the most critical components to any conflict. Corvus could ill afford to go back on his promise to the Falleen, as the momentum Palpatine had slowly been building these last few months was daunting to say the least. 

Tossing another rock, he saw a short, tan, and blonde Human-shaped missile run to embrace Jax. 

“Jax! Let's gooo, Hunta said we are going to visit a city underwater!” Omega shouted with glee. 

The white haired teen deftly side stepped the little girl, and before she could fall flat on her face, she used the Force to cartwheel, and pounced into his back. Rubbing her head on his robes like a cat, she stopped mid motion when Hunter came near, and cleared his throat. 

“Heh-hem. Sorry General, couldn't keep her seated, she kept asking if we were there yet, and well, I-” 

Corvus met Hunter's eyes, and the man stopped speaking. 

“I told you to leave him alone. Sometimes all a man needs is his solitude, and something to throw.” Crosshair decloaked from his camouflage cloak, and appeared sitting next to them on the pier cleaning his gun. 

Corvus nodded at Crosshair in acknowledgment. If anyone should understand, it would be the man who had his head cut off earlier in the day.

“Your concern is appreciated…both of you.” He slowly stated, and began to walk down the pier towards the sub. “And Hunter.”

“Sir?” 

“The sandwich was delicious.” He said, then boarded the craft. 

“Heh, told you he'd like it.” Crosshair smugly remarked without ever looking up from his gun. 

“Sometimes I wonder about that man.” Hunter shook his head in pity. 

“Only a matter of time until he snaps.” Crosshair said offhandedly. 

Hunter silently balled his fists, and let out a sharp breath. “You and me both, mate.” 

“That's why we're here, isn't that right, Mr. Ghost?” Omega giggled, and ran past Jax into the sub. 

The pair of clones glanced at Jax, and then exchanged a look as he silently passed them by. 

Crosshair lit a cigarette, and took a drag. 

“War’s gone to hell, Captain, with no end in sight. You still think keeping the girl around them is a good idea?” The bald sniper said whilst looking wistfully over the calm lake surface. 

“Frak if I know. Least the General's loyal. Sa'll a clone can ask for these days.” Hunter wrinkled his nose in distaste at the smell, then left to board the sub. 

“Loyalty, huh?” Crosshair darkly chuckled to himself, and ran a finger across his neck where the lightsaber had cut through. 

Flicking the cigarette into the lake, a fish jumped up to bite it, only to get swallowed by a sharp tongued amphibian. 

“Burn fast, die young. That's what we clones do best.” 

~~~~~~~~~

AN: Fun fact, in Legends, cigarettes exist, in Canon, their sci-fi name is “cigarra.” And the inspired replacement for tobacco is T'bac!