Jedi Insurgency 251

The fight between Yoda & Sidious had been eye opening to Corvus. Whilst he and Vader had wrecked an area roughly the size of a metropolitan city the size of London, those two destroyed an area the size of the North American continent. 

Such was their raw power, and large area of effect attacks, that he hadn't dared drawn close. For the duration of their conflict, Windu, Jax and him had done what little they could to relieve the ancient Jedi's burden. Unfortunately, they weren't strong enough, and Yoda perished 20+ years before his canonical death in Return of the Jedi. 

Since his transmigration six months ago, he had seen planets burn, personally slaughtered tens of thousands of clone troopers, explored the mysterious crystal caverns of Illum, battled an insane Sith Lord while nearly perishing in the process, and fought off an ancient malevolent zombie plant virus. He had spoken with Force ghosts, battled Sith Lords who should have remained dead, and gazed upon mysteries hidden even from the Jedi Archives. Yet as he stood amidst the devastation of Coruscant and felt Master Yoda draw his final breath, he experienced something unlike anything that had come before.

Through all the death, destruction, resurrection, healing, hope and suffering, for the first time he felt something that had been missing in his heart ever since that fateful day at the Jedi Temple six months ago: 

Peace. 

Corvus had many mixed feelings regarding the Grand Master, but never would he have imagined that not only would they never meet, but that Yoda's most powerful lesson to him was taught upon his death. 

All he did was send a letter to Yoda-a nasty one at that-and what had he done? Apparently-according to Obi-Wan-traveled to Ruusan, where he trained at the Valley of the Jedi. Corvus was feeling bittersweet at the moment knowing that the butterfly effect had led the venerable master down this path. At the same time, he breathed in that purity, that peace, and felt a burgeoning warmth grow in his heart. Yoda had put much of himself into that awe inspiring [Wall of Light], gifting the fracturing planet of Coruscant a cast to mend upon. Wherever he had ‘burned’ now radiated an intense Lightside aura. Those horrendous mutants that called the lower levels home had been purified, and the land was smoothed over. It was as if a nuclear blast had leveled everything in sight, but instead of toxic poison filling the air, spring, light, harmony, and growth invaded all those who stood upon this land. 

Knowing how capable Yoda was in his final hour only served as an example for Corvus. Every man needed his hero, and whilst Yoda was in many ways flawed, he went out like a man. He aspired to push [Heal] into a similar threshold as Yoda's [Wall of Light]. To be so supreme, that he could cleanse entire continents of their filth, nay, entire planets! 

As he clenched his fists, imagining his future, he glanced down at Jax. The white haired teen was clutching the ashes of the Zillo Beast, a single tear fell from his pristine face. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Corvus squeezed. 

“Come now. We must flee now. I sense that although weakened, Palpatine is more than a match for us…and I fear I may have unleashed a monster upon the world.” Corvus said in a complex tone, sensing that Vader was both much more and lesser in some regards than when he initially faced him. 

“There's no need for that.” Windu stated in a sad, solemn certainty. “The final shatterpoint-the only path to survival that began when you freed me from the Senate-has elapsed. 

As Windu finished speaking, warmth enveloped him. Golden light filled his vision, and tiny orbs carrying the final will of Yoda coalesced around the trio of Jedi. Corvus felt that he could resist this power, but sensed that doing so would be detrimental. Opening himself up, he closed his eyes, accepting this final will. 

“Home, go. In you, I trust. Rebirth the Jedi once before, once again you shall…Revan.” 

Upon hearing Yoda's final words, Corvus felt his body shift in place, sort of like the feeling one might experience whilst riding an elevator. Opening his eyes, he found that he was no longer surrounded by the broken ash-filled remains of Coruscant, but instead saw a lush grassland. 

The acrid smell of death, smoke and decay was gone. The distant thunder of collapsing buildings had vanished. And that wholesome purity that had replaced those foul sensations had almost completely evaporated. In their place came the scent of wildflowers and fresh, light rain, accompanied by the soft murmur of wind passing through ancient trees. Amongst the scenery, several small spaceships also arrived, one of which was the Falcon. For several seconds he simply stood there, allowing his senses to adjust to this new environment. 

‘Home, huh?’ Corvus thought to himself with a furrowed brow. 

"This must be Tython.” He murmured. 

The words escaped his lips almost subconsciously, and came with a sense of childlike wonder. Funny how history repeated itself. When the Sith Empire doublecrossed the Jedi during the Great Hyperspace War, they raided the Temple on Coruscant, proving that it was no longer safe. Retreating to their sacred planet of Tython to remember what it meant to be a Jedi, those ancient forebears had gone back to their roots in an effort to face the galaxy's greatest evil. Now, thousands of years later, here they were, doing the same thing. 

Around him, flashes of light appeared across a sprawling valley as Jedi materialized by the hundreds. Some stumbled in confusion, whilst others instinctively reached for their weapons before realizing there was no threat to face. A few simply dropped to their knees, overcome by exhaustion and disbelief. Especially those Jedi who had taken part in the attack on Coruscant, they were startled like frightened kittens. Half of the 100 man strike force remained, whilst only 8 of the 50 or so survivors could remain on their feet. 

Dressed practically in blaster-worn rags, Obi-Wan, Shaak Ti, Malicos, and Kirak Infil’a formed the core of this group. Standing tall, they radiated an unmatched resolve, and determination to see things through until the end. Inspecting them, Corvus had caught glimpses of them in action through his shared Force Bond with Yon. They were every bit what a Jedi Master should be. In this reformed Jedi Order, he wanted them to sit on the Council. Previously, wisdom was the primary qualifier for a seat on this body. Going forward, Corvus wouldn't accept anyone who didn't pass the strength test. 

Glancing to the other set of Jedi, he caught sight of the excitable orange tangerine, Ahsoka, the long necked pale skinned Kaminoan, Kina Ha, the cool dark skinned Kiffar with dreads, Quinlan Vos, the sorrowful pale skinned Human, Rahm Kota, the purple cat-like Lasat, Jaro Tapal, as well as the tanned son of Tatooine, Krayt. This group of people would likewise make a great addition to the council. 

As for the other survivors? The likes of K'Kruhk, and perhaps Jocasta Nu could be considered for a seat. 

Rounding it off with himself & Windu, that made for about 14 Council Member tier Jedi that had survived Order 66. 

After making this quick assessment, and mental note, he turned his attention to his surroundings, as they were quite frankly, impossible to ignore. His attention had been captured by the world itself.

The ancient birthplace of the Jedi seemed less like a planet and more like a dream given form. Towering mountains framed the horizon, their peaks crowned with silver mist. Waterfalls cascaded from dizzying heights, their crystal waters feeding rivers that wound through emerald meadows and groves of flowering trees. At the center of this masterpiece, nestled in an inconspicuous peak upon a small mountain in a much larger chain was an ancient Jedi Temple. Its stone towers rose from the landscape with an elegance that felt natural rather than hand crafted, as though the Force itself had grown the structure from the living rock.

Everything here felt alive. Water, stone, wind, sun, the soil beneath his boots. It all permeated the essence of the world, and provided a constant uplifting boost. Although Corvus had never been one to indulge in stimulants, the best he could describe this feeling as was: magical. 

When he first connected to the Force, he had been in awe. Today, that same heedy feeling encompassed his very soul. The Force saturated every inch of the world, and it sang to him with a mother's voice. Tears spread down his face, and he took a knee as all the hatred & pain bottled up in his soul was smothered out of him from an invisible embrace. 

All around him, Jedi had begun to enter meditation, plopping down onto the grassy field without a care in the world. Their robes became stained, and even those who were wounded seemed to find inner peace. 

For Corvus, he had been on so many gritty grimy planets, and had experienced the cleansing effects of [Heal], so he wasn't completely shocked into a meditative coma. But even so, he felt that pull once again. That siren's song inviting him to become One with the Force. 

‘Not yet. I still have so much more to fight for.’ Corvus sadly replied, as if he were having a conversation with his mother, telling her he couldn't abandon his boys while they were out at war. 

Glancing at Jax, Yon…and even the Bad Batch & Omega who were also present, and lost in a meditative daze, he wouldn't abandon them, no matter what. 

A soft hand seemed to pat him on the back, conveying understanding. During this brief moment, he locked eyes with both Windu, and Kina Ha. It appeared that whilst they too were enjoying the atmosphere, they were life forms a tier higher than everyone else who was present, and were not quite as overwhelmed as everyone else. A guilty feeling rose up in his heart, as if he were caught with his eyes open mid-prayer whilst everyone else were wholeheartedly dedicating themselves to some message. 

‘We shall talk later.’ Kina Ha's sing-song fairy-like voice mentally said to both him and Windu. 

Corvus nodded his head, and sighed, looking down at his students with worry as they slowly unwound from the pains of war. 

Closing his own eyes, he slipped into a meditative trance. Where Coruscant had always felt loud to him, even whilst deep in meditation, Tython was different. Tython felt like music for the soul. 

The Force flowed through the valleys in gentle currents. It lingered within the rivers, and danced amongst the trees. Even the wind carried a subtle presence, as though unseen spirits wandered alongside it. The entire planet seemed to breathe.

For the first time in months, Corvus felt the tension leave his shoulders.

The war was not over.

Palpatine still lived.

The galaxy still burned.

Yet for one precious moment, the burden of command was lifted.

Nearby, Obi-Wan Kenobi stared across the valley with an expression Corvus had not seen on the man's face since before the Clone Wars. Wonder. Pure, uncomplicated wonder was seen in those sparkling blue eyes as he blankly stared outward. 

Ahsoka took off her shoes, and stuck her orange toes deep into the mud & grass. Even Mace Windu, whose expression usually carried the weight of constant vigilance, appeared momentarily at peace.

Corvus realized then that many of these Jedi had forgotten what peace felt like.

For years they had fought on the brink of death. Each life lost on the battlefield was like a tiny psychic hammer striking at their nerves. Every day had been another struggle against extinction. They had sensed that something wrong, something terrible, cataclysmic even was on the horizon…but had no clue as to what. 

For about five hours, most Jedi remained in silent meditation. As the sun rose to its peak, and morning passed into noon, an unmistakable ripple passed through the Force, and everyone without fail opened their eyes, and looked up towards the sun. 

The light did not sting or burn as one would expect. Above the temple grounds, a familiar figure appeared:

Master Yoda.

The old Jedi hovered high above the assembled Order, his translucent form glowing softly beneath the sunlight. There was no grand display of power surrounding him, no radiant explosion of energy. He simply smiled. It was a small smile, a grandfather's smile. The smile of a teacher whose students had finally come home. An unexpected ache formed in Corvus's chest.

Across the valley, Jedi began lowering themselves to one knee. No command was given. No words were spoken. Yet the few hundred survivors of Order 66, and even those Jedi who did not belong to the primary Temple on Coruscant performed the gesture all the same.

Yoda's voice echoed through the Force.

“Gone, I am, but alone, you are not.”

Many of the younger Jedi openly wept. Others bowed their heads. Corvus remained standing, though only because his legs felt strangely unwilling to move.

“Long, the night has been. Yet dawn comes for us all.” 

Yoda's gaze swept across the gathered Order before eventually settling upon Corvus.

For a brief moment, Corvus felt completely seen through. As if his charade of playing at Revan was completely exposed. Yet instead of anger, or judgement, there was only acceptance. 

Yoda seemed to recognize every victory, every failure, every difficult choice Corvus had carried throughout his life. The old Master's eyes held only understanding.

“Carry the light forward, you will. A new generation of Jedi Knights you are.” Yoda said, looking towards Jax, Yon, Omega, and Ahsoka. 

Then Yoda's gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, beyond mountains and clouds, towards futures that none of them could yet see.

“Trust the Force, believe in Revan. Restore the Order he has, restore the Order he shall again.” Yoda finally said, bowing to everyone present. “One with the Force I am, cry do not.” He said in a warm tone. 

The old Jedi's form gradually dissolved into countless motes of light. There was no tragedy in his passing. No sorrow. Only peace.

The lights drifted upward into the sky before vanishing entirely. A warm breeze swept across the valley, and temple bells rang softly somewhere in the distance.

For a long time, nobody spoke.

Corvus stood amongst hundreds of Jedi beneath the sunlight of Tython and listened to the wind moving through the trees. Around him stood the remnants of an Order that had been betrayed, hunted, and nearly exterminated. Yet somehow they survived. 

Yoda had given them one final gift.

Not merely sanctuary, or a place to call home, but: 

A New Hope.

And as Corvus was surrounded by people looking at him in curiosity, he gazed upon the ancient world where the Jedi had first begun, surrounded by friends, allies, and survivors, he found himself believing that perhaps the old Master had been right.

Perhaps dawn truly was approaching.