Jedi Insurgency 255

The meeting within the Jedi High Council Chamber was surprisingly a lot of fun. 

When one imagines executive board meetings, it's typically one asshole talking at length, whilst you sit there bored out of your wits…well, this time, Corvus was the one who held the reins, and was able to set the itinerary. With a sickening 45 in Persuade-in a world where 50 was the highest possible stat-he was practically a Greek demigog. 

During their meeting, Corvus had abolished the rule of ‘one master, one apprentice’ that the current era of Jedi had going on, and encouraged the passing on of skills. Practically coercing his fellow councilmembers, he transformed each one of them into the equivalent of high level school teachers. As very few Masters made up their ranks, and most Jedi were actually just Padawans & Knights with few actual skills beyond [Force Push], [Mind Trick], and basic saber skills, Corvus aimed to change that, starting from the top. 

At certain points, Obi-Wan had scoffed at his words, only to silently stroke his beard, deep in contemplation. Corvus had lowkey blackmailed him with guilt, and got Kenobi to agree to teaching a large class on ‘Aggressive Negotiations.’ He was responsible for instructing a new era of Consulars. 

Windu even brought up some wisdom of his own failures, promising to teach an open class on Vaapad and anger management. Although he had relaxed somewhat, his dedication and love for the Order was clear as day. Corvus had tasked him with discovering those who had the potential to become Sentinels. However, he had stressed to Windu, that learning to master anger superseded all other tasks. To harness that power without losing control…Luke & Anakin had done this to great effect, often conquering foes that had had them dead to rites. In his reformed Order, Corvus didn't want any of his Jedi dying because they couldn't pull upon their emotions in a pinch. 

Shaak Ti practically begged to hold a joint class with him in healing, which Corvus readily accepted. There was, apparently, an entire spire already dedicated to this in the Tython Temple, and he was eager to pass this knowledge on. Likewise, he wanted her to teach compassion. Doubtlessly, many Jedi would attempt the class, and wouldn't have the talent to heal. However, being able to draw upon kindness was something every Force Adept was capable of. 

Krayt-who had informed everyone of his name change-wished to induct people into ‘balance.’ However, Corvus had decided to table this for the average person, and instead had tasked him to work with Malicos to suss out those who may be prone towards the dark, or close to falling. Once those individuals were identified, Corvus intended to give them some brutal therapy. 

For these people, he intended to take them upon the twin moons of Tython, Ashla of the Light and Bogan the Dark. Whilst Tython was ‘Force neutral’ it was only by experiencing these two extremes, that one could truly understand what the middle was like. The majority of people on Earth, for example yearn for the middle, yet so often are lost in their own path, that they see the ‘middle’ as yet another extreme. It was Corvus's intention to expose these struggling Jedi to true darkness, so that the Light, and the mixture of the two would be much more apparent. 

Although Krayt & Malicos wouldn't be teaching-not yet at least-Corvus would find time to personally instruct them, and induct them as Jedi Shadows. None would know of this organization, save for those who were part of it. Although it was an unethical organization with a storied past, they were the eyes and ears of the Order Master. Many a Dark Jedi or Darksider was eliminated before they could rise to prominence due to the actions of the Shadows. 

When a Senator is engaging in villainy, and the Order doesn't want to tarnish its reputation…the Shadow covertly cleans house. This group would require intense supervision, as well as many checks & balances, but it was clear as day that guys like Palpatine would have never existed if the Jedi Shadows had been around in the current era. 

Speaking with Jaro and Keira, he had them agree to teach general combat, survival, and exercise classes. The large Lasat was a survivor who had trained his own Padawan in preparation for Order 66. Jaro was savvy, intelligent, imposing, and charismatic, a real man's man. A steady, understanding hand like him would play well with the stoic, standoffish overly traditional battlemaniac Mirialan. That green skinned tomboy had been quiet for most of the meeting, and all but demanded that they battle. Reluctantly agreeing, Corvus would be engaging in a show match before the entire Order sooner than later as the price for her compliance. Whilst he wasn't looking forward to any crazy fights anytime soon, he had gotten Keira to agree to play some tennis in the future, something he had enjoyed doing back on Earth. 

During this segment of the meeting, he had suggested starting a private sports league amongst the Jedi. He thought it would be a fun way to train teamwork, comradery, Force power applications, and keep the body fit all at the same time. Unfortunately, he must've been too far ahead of his time, because everyone-except for Shaak Ti because she was too polite-shot down his idea as Bantha swill…well, 45 points of Persuade could get you far in life, but the facts were, a group of monks who preferred meditating with a cup of hot tea reading a book weren't your average sports enthusiast…he'd get them to play football one day! 

Anyway, failed Jedi sports leagues aside, Jaro Tapal & Keira would raise the new generation of Guardians, and to all those who attended their courses, but didn't necessarily fall into the Guardian path, they would teach the prospective students what it meant to protect. To embrace that emotion without becoming obsessive or with ‘needlessly’ sacrificing oneself for others. It was a difficult, fine line to follow, as self sacrifice & duty was a core trait of any self respecting Jedi. Corvus didn't have the time now, but he was 100% going to write up some ‘can't win’ scenarios, one of which would be where an extremely powerful ‘Sith’ is massacring civilians, and the weaker Jedi must decide what to do. To see the consequences of their failure. Testing both resolve, and how to deal with both defeat and loss. And learning how to deal with this pain without letting it affect performance. 

Corvus had lost many, many people to war. The last battle on Coruscant had been horrific. Those soul searing deaths that occurred just a handful of hours ago would need therapy. Meditating on the Force usually did the trick, but hopefully he could get Shaak Ti to act as a sort of psychiatrist. Although he wasn't one to talk about his emotions, and didn't think he had PTSD, it could be nice to have a place where everyone could vent a little or maybe shed a tear or two. It would be idyllic if they could all become aesthetics worshipping the Force, and delving into her mysteries. However, wherever there was evil in the galaxy, the Jedi would be there to oppose it. 

Moving on, Kazdan Paratus, the tiny alien in the mechsuit, meanwhile, had learnt the ancient art of the Jedi Artisan during his time spent on Tython. He could imbue concepts into objects. From a layman's perspective, he was an enchanter. A piece of cloth-such as a Jedi's robes-could become blaster proof, or lightsaber resistant. One of the ‘basic’ skills he learnt was one seen only in games. Applying a small boost in the Force to a Jedi's robes. Apparently, he had learnt many other small ‘enchantments’ and Corvus had encouraged him to open up a class. 

It was his hope that Paratus would teach innovation, and the happiness that came from creation. Not only would he teach the path of the Artisan, but also serve as an outlet for creativity. Arts & crafts was a hobby Corvus wasn't particularly interested in, but with all the beautiful nature around him, he could see himself picking up painting. 

Lastly were Rahm Kota and Quinlan Vos…a pair of rogue troublemakers through and through! Genuine scoundrels of the highest order! If Corvus wanted someone to sneak something under a Hutt's chin, or get away with swapping Windu's robes with something colored pink, then these two would be the men for the job. 

Kota simply didn't give a Womp Rat's ass what other people thought, and Quinlan was slippery like an eel able to seduce a Darkside baddy, then return to Team Good Guys like nothing happened. Honestly, if the Jedi Watchmen-the above board public version of Jedi Shadows-was still a thing, these two chuckleheads would be perfect examples of that role…which is why they were put in charge of a new cantina. A place where everyone could unwind, listen to some music, watch some entertainment or play some games in a safe setting. 

Although there wasn't much to be taught in such a setting-on the surface-Corvus wanted them to teach other Jedi how to cheat. It was a funny thing to say, but it was a necessary skill if one wanted to win a war. Most Jedi were above board, honorable individuals. Genuinely good people, they fought in a straightforward manner, and approached most tasks with a linear mindset. In a galaxy where morality was black & white, this singular approach would be perfect. Unfortunately, people are ugly, and lust, greed and pride degenerate society. Therefore, he intended for Kota and Quinlan to unlock an alternate path of thinking. Not to corrupt the Jedi, per se, but to present a different path. 

Doubtlessly, approaching a problem from the front-such as an assault upon a fortified position-works out well when you're a top tier Jedi Master. But all too often, trickery can yield better results. 

Besides that learning lesson, Corvus secretly established this cantina so he could have some people to play Sabacc & Pazaak with. What could he say, between all the teaching he had going on, he needed to have some fun, right? Life couldn't be endless meetings, and training, RIGHT?! 

Other than establishing these various courses, they discussed a few other things, as well as the issue of new recruits. In recent culture, many Star Wars fans believed that the Jedi straight up kidnapped children without input from their parents. While it would be a lie to say this never happened, in 98% of cases, those children were willingly handed over to the order. 

For most people in the galaxy, they lived in extreme poverty, or if lucky, middle-class. Regardless, upward mobility was typically a pipedream. Meanwhile, the Jedi had served as the unofficial fourth branch of government, and de facto state religion for nearly the Republic's entire existence. Socially & culturally speaking, becoming a Jedi was like becoming a 1%’er overnight. Many parents who couldn't afford to raise their children, therefore, chose to hand them over for this ‘glamorous’ life. A life where all meals, clothing, and higher education were provided for free. Where they lived atop one of the tallest buildings on the most important planet in the galaxy. To compare Jedi to a religious organization on Earth doesn't do the Order justice when it had existed for thousands of years, and maintained power for just as long. 

All this is to say, Corvus decided to maintain the ‘controversial’ decision to continue recruiting children as Jedi. Of course, some adults would also undergo screening, but watching out for spies, and determining that they weren't total psychopaths was one of his priorities when recruiting anyone older than 14. 

As he took all the records from the Jedi Archives during his first escape from Coruscant, he had access to all those Jedi who were sent to the Agri-Corp as well as those children who were tested, and waiting to be visited by a Jedi for pick-up.

He would also be accepting those with ‘low’ Force Sensitivity who would typically join the Agri-Corp. Modern Jedi underwent an ‘elite’ route, attempting only to recruit those who ‘had the potential’ of becoming as strong as a Jedi Master. Although there was some truth in this ‘potential’ there were Jedi-like Kenobi-who weren't strong in the Force, but became absolute beasts. Corvus didn't wholly buy into this narrative, as there were plenty of people on Earth who had talent but never practiced, ultimately becoming mediocre. Meanwhile, some guys with a little talent pour their soul into something, and come out a God. 

Therefore, he was going to follow the way of the old Order, and widely recruit people. So long as they had an acceptable M-count in their blood sample, they would be subject for recruitment. 

As for how the practical applications of recruitment were to take place? Well, his System's comms could work anywhere in the galaxy, and he had been in contact with the HK's, Boba, and Xizor to resume the collections. Before long, he hoped to have more than 1,000 Jedi. In the past, there were temples across the galaxy, teaching thousands, possibly tens of thousands of Jedi. It was his dream to eclipse this number, harness secret knowledge, Force Nexuses, and professions like Artisan/Healer and forge the number one institution for Force Adepts in the galaxy! 

Taking a deep breath, Corvus stood alone within the Council Chamber after the meeting ended. Staring out the window, he placed his hands behind his back, and silently prayed to the Force that he wouldn't go astray, or become the very thing he sought to destroy. Glancing at Jax, Yon, Omega, Linyin, Caleb Dume, Cal Kestis, Gungi, Zork and some other surviving Padawans having fun down below running around, a small smile spread across his face. 

“With every generation, there is improvement…I swear, it will not end with me.” 

~~~~~~

AN: Off topic, but you guys notice that on YT, half the informers/interesting “did you know” people will say something like “and they quietly did xyz.” Idk, quietly seems to be everyone's favorite buzzword, and it's slowly beginning to piss me off due to a lack of originality or even logic given the topic. People just seem to spam that word. Sorry, rant over.