Jedi Insurgency 130

Meandering within Theed, Corvus walked alongside a calm, glistening river that cut through town. Walking at a sedate pace, he felt the subtle trace of a king's aura. 

‘That must be Jax practicing his conceptual Zilo beast.’ Corvus mused to himself. 

Borrowing the echo of a long dead creature, one known for its nigh impenetrable scales, high intelligence, and Force Sensitivity, Jax was a curious fellow. This student of his never gave off any regal airs, nor did he act authoritative. In fact, he was calm, rational, and extremely protective of his friends. Thinking back to it, although he had been understanding of the clones & their plight, he was willing to back up Yon when they initially confronted the Bad Batch. It was Jax who helped him slay that annoying worm-like Taozin, and Jax who held off the Dark Acolytes during the fight on Ilum. 

The young male Echani was worthy of being Knighted by Obi-Wan, despite only being around 15 to 17 years of age. Mace Windu, a prodigy in his own right, didn't obtain promotion until he was 20. Although Windu also became a Master, and joined the High Council at 28, so there was still room for improvement. 

Walking with a spring in his step, and a smile on his face, Corvus imagined a world where his own students surpassed the lineage that Yoda had created. Dooku, Rahm Kota, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Cin Drallig, and many more were either directly taught by him, or inherited his teachings. 

Now that Jax had promoted, he would have to test him, and see if he was ready to truly embark on the Path of the Jedi Shadow. The white haired teen could turn invisible, but that was only the beginning. Being able to tell truth from lies, and even learning the Darkside would be in for his student's future. [Force Lightning] for example, was such a versatile medium ranged technique, one that was excellent against annoying foes like Mandalorians. Beskar may reflect the energy component of [Force Lightning], but the technique was metaphysical in nature, not elemental. It also worked against droids, and was the swiss army knife of Darkside abilities. 

Although, Jax seemed to be dabbling with the Darkside already. The aura of the Zilo beast was at times majestic, but other times, bloodthirsty, and hungry like a wild animal. The boy had good control of himself-for the most part-and he was excited to help Jax further temper himself.

Whilst thinking about this student of his, Corvus caught sight of the white haired teen. His cerulean eyes were half open, and his back was resting against a mighty tree. Shade spread all around him, and a relaxing breeze fluttered the branches ever so slightly. In his ears were a pair of microheadphones, and curled up on his chest was a striped Loth-cat. 

The beast bared its fangs as Corvus drew near, yet a scratch behind the ears from Jax set the cat into pur mode. 

Corvus-who wasn't wearing a mask at the moment so he could blend in-smiled down at his student. Flicking his finger, he used the Force, and floated one of the ear-buds into his ear, to see what Jax was listening to. Alien lyrics, and some sort of high-octane beat were playing rapidly, and at extremely high volumes. Corvus couldn't help but slightly recoil at the sudden, intense volume. 

The ghost of a smile spread across Jax's face as Corvus's own expression soured. 

If he could read his student's mind right now, it'd probably be something like ‘don't take my things, serves you right, Master.’ 

‘Cheeky little shit.’ Corvus internally scoffed, then silently handed the ear-bud back to Jax. 

Shaking his head with a smile, he once again looked at this serene, calm scene, then glanced at his student who seemed to have been in a state of pseudo-meditation…while listening to some extremely upbeat music, one might even describe the sound as chaotic. You wouldn't hear that melody outside of a dance club, or an intense videogame. 

The contrast between the two was quite radical! Narrowing his eyes, Corvus glanced down at his student, and realized that the aura of the Zilo beast-though subtle and withdrawn-was actually balancing the idea of ‘majesty’ with the concept of ‘wild hunger.’ 

‘!!! This kid sought balance on his own.’

“Jax, your insights are extraordinary…you're a genius!” Corvus wholeheartedly praised, and gripped him on the shoulder excitedly. 

Jax had put away his headphones, and bowed his head humbly. “Only thanks to Master for leading by example.” 

A wry smile spread across Corvus’s face. Was this what it felt like to raise a prodigy? He was blessed that the kid wasn't arrogant, like Anakin Skywalker. 

Taking a seat on the grass under the tree, Corvus spooked a flock of birds, and they took off from their perches. 

Slightly frowning, Jax held out a mechanical hand towards the birds, and closed his eyes. A second later, the winged beasts flew in an arc, and returned to roost. Raising an eyebrow in contemplation, Corvus figured that Jax must be practicing [Beast Trick]. Such a route would only be complimented by the Wild Force that he was practicing. 

If Jedi were Space Wizards, and Shadows were rogues, then Jax's current path was reminiscent of a druid's. 

Leaning his head back against the cool, gnarled bark, he closed his eyes, and allowed his mind to wander. After some time, he finally spoke. 

“How are you holding up?” Corvus asked nonchalantly. 

Of course what he was referring too, was what had happened earlier last night/early morning. When Jax had been possessed by the Blackwing virus, and decapitated Crosshair. 

“I…failed.” Jax slowly replied. 

The melancholy was clear in the teen's voice, but much more than that, there was a serious amount of self doubt, and shame. From what Corvus could tell, Jax wasn't affected at all by the possession, but by the fact that he became compromised, that he would harm his teammates. His people. 

Slowly opening his eyes, Corvus saw a small trail of tears trailing down Jax's cheeks. 

“My foolish apprentice.” Corvus murmured, and pulled his boy in for a side hug. 

Jax was silent, and Corvus didn't prompt him any further. For some men, words were pointless. Knowing that they mattered, that someone else acknowledged them, and their worth, that was enough. 

The birds chirped, the Loth-cat fell asleep, and a fresh breeze carried the scent of some alien sweet fruit into the horizon. 

After some time had passed, Corvus wiped some dirt from his hands, then held his palm down. 

“Do you remember what I promised you, when we first met?” 

Jax looked up, the face of the man he called Master was hard to discern, hidden in shadow, whilst his back was brightly lit by the shining sun. Holding out his hand, he took Corvus's grip. 

“Vengeance.” Jax whispered. 

Corvus wordlessly nodded. 

“You are a good one, Jax. Fair to the soldiers, and deeply loving of his comrades. I am honored to be your teacher. But if you think I've fallen to the Darkside, or put you on the wrong path, do not fear rebellion.” Corvus advised. 

If Revan had fallen…it could happen again. 

“Never. Loyalty until the end.” Jax tightened his grip, and pulled himself up. The white haired teen's icy blue eyes were wide open, and sparkling with the chilly depths of winter. 

An ice crystal, and small peppering of snow seemed to spawn in around him for but a fraction of a second, the Force howled with his words, witnessing his compact. The Force Bond between them strengthened, and unseen consequences struck a chord across the galaxy. 

Corvus stared deeply at this headstrong student of his. He recalled a boy who had been holding his friend-his lover's-hands as she lay legless, and bleeding out in the Jedi Temple. As she whispered her last words, Jax had wanted nothing more than to die. Now, he wanted the strength so that it never happened again. To protect the weak, and safeguard his friends. 

“Loyalty until the end.” He nodded, repeating Jax's words. 

Corvus patted him on the shoulder, then released his hold. “Let's go find Yon. Once we're together again, we're going to make a trip to Otoh Gunga, the Gungan capital city. Eriadu needs food, and our Gungan friends are going to supply it.” 

Jax was silent, and followed along without saying a word. Marching off towards the aura of his other student, Corvus knew that although new relationships, and time had helped, his students, his people-the Jedi-were still hurting. The day he brought them back home, to Tython, the promised land, the day their healing could begin. 

After walking for some time, their journey led them to a place full of bright neon lights, and the roar of deep booming music. Raising an eyebrow, and sharing a look with Jax, Corvus never would have anticipated that his short firebrand of a student would come to such a place. Several aliens-the first he saw since coming to Theed-bumped into him, and were in a rush to enter inside. 

Glancing to left and right, he discovered that this wasn't some dance club, but it was more like a place for gambling! In fact, it was a place where people raced swoop bikes! 

Besides podracing, this was the most popular form of racing vehicles in the galaxy. Palpatine, Han Solo, and Revan were all historical figures famous for their abilities to race. For Solo, he raced to improve his quality of life, for Revan, it was to save Bastille/fund his broke ass, and for a young Palpatine, it was his way to escape the dull drums of living a pampered, ultra wealthy lifestyle. 

The swoop racing venue was alive with noise and light, the air thick with the tang of coolant, burnt fuel, and excitement. Corvus stepped through the entry arch, and paused for a moment, letting the energy of the crowd wash over him: the roaring engines, the shouts of gamblers, the rhythmic hum of repulsorlifts charging at the starting line, it reminded him of Los Vegas, or Macao. 

It had been years since he’d last stood in a place like this.  After all the wars and battles, it was sort of exciting to experience something so uniquely Star Wars. Although he wasn't much one for racing games, this was real life. He was pretty tempted to join in the fun. 

As he was musing to himself, voice from the announcer’s booth snapped him back to the present. “Next up, the Outer Rim Division Finals! Crowd favorite Yon Varo taking the front position!”

Corvus’s gaze sharpened, of course he would get himself involved. The boy had skill, certainly, and an instinct for danger that bordered on recklessness, but how the hell did he qualify for the Division Finals of all things? The kid must've followed in the steps of his Master, and liberally abused [Mind Trick] or used those credits for bribes…he was also using a fake last name, but his real first name!!!...Corvus felt a pang of both pride and mild exasperation as he watched Yon’s swoop hover into alignment. Its repulsors flared with a brilliant blue light, and the short, black haired teen was revving his engines, seemingly enjoying the attention of the crowd. 

All around Corvus, the crowd surged with anticipation, as credits flashed from hand to hand and bets were shouted across the aisles. Corvus folded his arms, considering the outcome of this race. Old habits tugged at him, and the urge to place a bet ate at his conscience. The Force whispered in subtle ripples like the Devil, it promised chance, fate, and the feeling of victory. 

Mind made up, he stepped up to the nearest betting terminal, where a droid was stationed. His gloved hand began to rapidly tap on the control pad. “Five thousand credits…on Yon Varo to win.”

The droid attendant beeped in acknowledgment, confirming the wager. Corvus allowed himself a faint smile, and gestured for Jax, wondering if he would like to gamble. 

Jax looked thoughtful, then placed a 5,000 cred bet on a familiar looking kid. 

Raising an eyebrow, Corvus saw that the one Jax had bet on was none other than a teenaged Jango clone…Boba Fett! 

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AN: XD