Jedi Insurgency 253

The valley beneath the Jedi Temple on Tython was silent. At least, the 586 Jedi who were present to watch Revan take a knee didn't utter a word. 

Yet silence did not equate to emptiness. Padawans, Knights, Masters, survivors. They glowed brightly in the Force, each and every one of them focusing upon the man that had been in the public spotlight these last few months. Even those Jedi who had gone into hiding had heard the name: Revan. 

They were the broken remnants of an Order that had once spanned the galaxy unchecked. Now, beaten and bloodied, their most beloved leader had brought them here, to the birthplace of the Jedi Knights. 

The sky was painted in shades of gold and violet. Fireflies made of living Force energy drifted through the air like tiny stars. Waterfalls poured upward into the sky before vanishing into mist. Ancient statues of forgotten Jedi watched from moss-covered heights, their faces worn by millennia.

The planet itself felt as if she were looking down upon them. Watching, waiting, like an expectant mother-to-be, excited for the birth of something new. This mother, however, had witnessed the Je'daii, the schism between the Dark Jedi & Jedi, and now, she was witness to yet another iteration, thousands of years later. A bemused sigh seemed to pass through the wind, and anticipation fueled the atmosphere. 

Corvus was on one knee at the center of the gathering. With his head bowed, he felt like he should be proud, or triumphant in this moment. To have his childhood heroes: Yoda, Obi-Wan & Mace Windu support him above all other Jedi…that was empowering. 

And yet, perhaps for the first time since he first placed this mask upon his face, pretending to be something bigger than that nerd from Earth, he felt uncomfortable.

He wasn't uncomfortable because of something he sensed, nor due to his molecules rearranging themselves because of the [Shadow Wrath State]. With every eye upon him, with the unmistakable weight of expectation pressing down upon him like a mountain, he felt humbled. Almost as if he were not worthy. 

To him, loyalty, honor, family. These were the bonds that bound him to this galaxy. That without them, he would be yet another harem collecting murder hobo espousing that ‘might made right.’ But he took things like the Master-Disciple relationship incredibly seriously. When guiding the younger generation, it was a man's duty not to see them go astray. 

Corvus frequently spoke of reforming the Jedi Order. How he wanted them to accept emotions, to understand the Darkside for what it was, and no longer be beholden to a corrupt legislative body like the Senate. This was his ambition. 

Now that it was within his grasp, he couldn't help but have doubts. Every iteration of Jedi or even Je'daii had gone astray at some point. Not even Luke was immune from his own Order fracturing, and his students falling to the Darkside. It was a sobering thought that no matter how much good he did, the universe would find a way to spawn evil into the galaxy. 

‘You can do it.’ His kyber crystal cheered him on. Its blue radiance encompassed his form, uplifting his spirit. 

Images of all his good deeds spread through his mind like a slideshow. Those lives he had affected-those people he had already left behind-were shown to Corvus in present day via a vision. A retired clone trooper kissing his wife, a previously emaciated slave Dug eating a full meal on Malastare, a group of teen clones playing in the streets of Eriadu, a palace maid on Naboo-cured of the Blacklight virus-being proposed to by her lover. Hundreds of different scenes of lives he had directly impacted came one after another. 

Above all these lives, those of Jax & Yon were brightest. 

He saw a private moment of Jax, shortly after he received his mechanical arms. Alone, by himself in his quarters, the white haired teen shortly after Order 66 had held his own lightsaber at his chest, his hand fingering the button, only for Corvus to open the door, dragging him out for training. Day after day, Jax would repeat this, until one day, he stopped. Not only that, but the taciturn boy left his room of his own volition, seeking out social interaction of his own will. 

In his visions of Yon, he beheld an angry child, one who stomped around his room, and performed a thousand katas until he fell to the floor, exhausted, covered in sweat, and crying. A green wave of [Heal] coated his form, and the short, black-haired teen looked at the door in both jealousy, and appreciation. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he tried to reproduce that green light himself, only to come up with an ineffectual popping bubble. Frustrated, and roaring into a pillow, he was surprised when his masked Master entered his room, and dragged him out. Under Corvus's guidance, Yon eventually learned [Heal], hiding his smile every time his head was rubbed. 

Countless scenes of their struggles, joys, doubts, aspirations, and triumphs entered Corvus's vision, and he was practically overwhelmed with the burden of leadership. 

Tears trailed down his face, and a pair of hands clamped down on both his left & right shoulder. The boys didn't say a word, but they had taken a knee on each of his sides, and silently placed a hand on him in solidarity. 

Directly in front of him stood Mace Windu.

The older Jedi looked tired. A weariness carried by a man who had seen the Republic fall, watched his Order burn, and survived long enough to witness the consequences. Consequences that were due to his negligence. The burden of leadership had taken its toll on this champion of the Light. 

His purple lightsaber hummed in the air as he remained still. For several moments, he simply looked out across the assembled Jedi, then he looked down at Corvus, and gave him a small, genuine smile, like a friend sharing an in-joke. He then began to address the crowd. 

"Although we have lost one of our most beloved friends, it is up to us to make sure his sacrifice was worthwhile. The Jedi Order endures." His voice carried effortlessly across the valley, clear as can be. 

"The Sith failed. They destroyed our temples. They murdered our friends. They shattered everything we built, and yet...We are still here. We remain because the Jedi were never about temples, ships, or even our weapons.” Windu said in a thought-provoking, smooth tone, then glanced down at Corvus. 

"The Jedi are an idea. A promise. A choice."

Windu then slowly stepped forward, his hand settled upon the hilt of his lightsaber as he held it high. 

"I have carried many burdens as Master of the Order. Created chaos when I sought serenity, sewed division when I intended unity. This cannot continue.” Windu stated solemnly, putting down his own actions. 

Many Jedi instinctively frowned, or sighed knowing what he said was true. Others bowed their heads, accepting everything as naturally as one drank water or breathed air. 

The blade that had stood against Darth Sidious hummed with power as he held it aloft. 

Windu turned toward Corvus, no words were needed to convey the awesome responsibility, the burden, the weight of what was about to transpire. 

There was no invisible anger in their gaze, animosity, or unwillingness. But there was an understanding. One survivor to another. One generation to the next. This was the Jedi Way. 

Then Windu slowly raised the blade, and then gently brought it towards Corvus's left shoulder, similar to the Knighting ceremony. 

The entire courtyard held its breath, not a soul looked away. 

"I have watched you. I have challenged you. I have disagreed with you…and in this time I have never once doubted your devotion to the Force nor to the Order.” 

Windu said, shifting the blade over to the right shoulder. 

"I have never doubted your courage. And I have never doubted your love for those under your protection." Windu smiled at the boys, slightly inclining his head. 

Corvus felt love & pride surge in his heart. Commanding others-anyone could do that-but raising a boy into a man…that was something he would take to his grave knowing he had done something right with his life. Glancing at Jax & Yon, he had no regrets! 

"The Jedi Order does not need another Mace Windu." The Vaapad Master said, holding his head high & keeping his voice strong so that none could doubt his words. "It does not need another Yoda. It does not need another Council exactly as it once was."

"Our traditions gave us wisdom, but some, in our arrogance, have blinded us. The future belongs to those willing to learn from both."

The Force stirred, as if Tython herself approved. Golden motes of light drifted through the air, the trees swayed, and far above, birds took flight chirping in glee. 

Then something extraordinary happened.

One by one, blue-white figures began appearing around the edges of the courtyard.

Gasps spread through the Jedi, because they were Force ghosts. Dozens, hundreds, thousands, they were Masters from every age. Ancient Jedi long thought forgotten arrived from the Living Force to witness this rebirth. 

Silently watching this procession, they clasped their hands within their robes, and the theme of the Jedi began to sound throughout the valley. The Force itself had come to observe.

Many Jedi openly wept. Others simply stared, unable to comprehend such a mystical event when all their lives, all they knew how to do was sense emotions, [Mind Trick] people, and fight in melee with their laser swords. 

Windu looked upon the gathering spirits and smiled.

"Seems like we have an audience." He said with a bit of a chuckle, eliciting a small amount of laughter from the living Jedi. 

"The title of Order Master has never belonged to one man. It belongs to the Jedi. Do you, Revan, accept this awesome responsibility?” Windu asked, now pointing his blade at the crown of his head. 

Corvus bowed his head. 

“I do.”

“Then in the name of the Jedi Order, rise. May you lead us to a brighter tomorrow.” Windu extinguished his blade, and then held out a hand. 

Taking it, Corvus stood up, and then, before anyone could react, he bowed.

First to Windu, then to the Jedi, at the ghosts, at the men of the Bad Batch, the lastly at Omega, Jax & Yon. 

A shocked murmur of approval swept through the courtyard. Then another Jedi bowed back at him. 

The Force flowed through the valley like a river of starlight. Around him, the ghosts smiled. Above him, Tython glowed.

Ahead lay an uncertain future.

A difficult future.

A future full of mistakes, triumphs, victories, and heartbreak.

But it would be their future.

The future of a new Jedi Order.

Glancing at everyone, he raised his voice to be heard by everyone present. 

"I won't be Yoda. I won't be Master Windu. I won't even pretend to be. But I will serve. Change is coming, the likes of which the Jedi haven't faced since the Ruusan Accords. We will learn. We will adapt. And together...we will bring the Light back to the galaxy."

Upon finishing his words-as if on some unspoken signal-all of the other Jedi unclipped their lightsabers, and pointed them at him, forming a ring. 

Blue.

Green.

Yellow.

Purple.

A sea of radiant stars beneath the noon sky. 

And standing amidst that galaxy of light, with the past at his back and the future before him, Order Master Revan took his first step into a new chapter of Jedi history.