Jedi Insurgency 258

After witnessing Krayt's disastrous fall into the pool of water, Corvus was interested in exploring more of the Temple, as well as seeing what other Masters he could influence. 

Entering a massive library complex with row after row of shelves, data centers, and computer terminals, Corvus had entered the Tython Temple's Archives. 

This room was palatial in size. Towering shelves carved directly into pale stone rose toward vaulted ceilings, and brilliant crystals embedded within the walls glowed with soft golden light, illuminating winding aisles filled with datacrons, holobooks, scrolls, and artifacts whose origins predated the Republic. 

The Force flowed through the chamber like a gentle current. A decently large number of Jedi-perhaps close to 100 of them-had entered these halls, and were eagerly perusing various tomes. 

Cloaked under his veil of invisibility, he was naked to the eye, and virtually undetectable to all but the most powerful of Force Adepts. Few living Jedi could have sensed him, and the old contrarian librarian who had given him lip earlier in the day was no better. 

Jocasta Nu, former chief librarian of the Jedi Archives on Coruscant wore her white hair in a bun, and moved around the place with a strict air that belied experience. This type of venue was her domain of expertise, and none barred her path. 

The elderly archivist moved carefully between shelves, carrying a stack of records against her chest. Though age had brought wrinkles upon her face, and slowed her stride, her eyes remained sharp.

Corvus watched her from across the room. She had always been a character he both admired and disdained. 

As a preserver of knowledge, there was no other lofty goal amongst an Order that sought to understand the Force. While warriors and politicians reshaped the galaxy through action, Jocasta had become a guardian of history. 

And history, Corvus knew, possessed power. More power than most realized. After Order 66, she had gone to great lengths to save the data in the archives, and prevent it from falling into Sith hands. Unfortunately, she had grown impatient, and perished at Vader’s hands. 

As for why he disdained her, it was due to her flippant dismissal of Obi-Wan during Episode II. Acting as if her library could not possibly be missing information. As a long time book nerd, he had interacted with plenty of friendly librarians, but there were always a few who were mean, nasty or arrogant. Jocasta Nu wasn't a bad person, but she had made Corvus recall these past experiences. It was for reasons such as these-as well as a lack of general experience-that he had ultimately decided not to include her in his new High Council. 

He did not mind naysayers, nor did he dislike people disagreeing with him. Corvus was no iron fisted tyrant. Those Jedi who did not want him as Order Master were free to leave. But he would not tolerate gossip mongers and lifetime mystics into his inner circle who had not experienced the cruelties of the Clone Wars. Only those Jedi who had struggled, and witnessed first hand the destruction of war were worthy of sitting on his council. A woman like her, she could bask in the shade cast by his umbrella, and enjoy succor from the Empire's rain of blaster bolts. But never again would he allow the poison of arrogance to taint the Order so long as he sat at its helm. 

Whilst he reaffirmed his reasoning for Jocasta Nu's ostracization, his gaze drifted toward a nearby terminal. A subtle smile touched upon his lips. With the latest upgrades in Computer Use-a skill with a whopping 36 points-he could practically operate any system at a godly level. With a mere 20 or so points, he had been able to hack the Imperial Inspectorate, and create his Bond identity in less than half an hour. With new insights, he could now use the Force itself to help him cheat his way through computer programming and software. 

Raising a hand ever so slightly, he brushed the Force against the terminal, and began to interact with the terminal network. Although a passcode would ordinarily be required, he bypassed that as easy as breathing air. Even his state of invisibility was not broken, as he was not required to physically interact with the terminal. 

The influence upon the network was so delicate that only the most advanced CIS malware detectors might have a chance at catching this blip. Five minutes later-after Corvus had found all the relevant data, and edited in his own ideas-a terminal several feet away from Jocasta suddenly illuminated.

The elderly librarian paused in her steps, and her eyes narrowed as she stared at the screen. Up until this moment, not a soul had been able to log into the network. Everyone scattered in the library had been searching for a clue, desperate to unlock this hidden wealth of knowledge. Setting the books and scrolls down, Jocasta inhaled sharply as she noticed that the terminal seemed to have bypassed the login screen. 

She approached the terminal and frowned at the display. Whilst this seemed like an act of the Force guiding her to providence, this was not what she had expected. Just what was the Force playing at? 

"Strange." She murmured.

On the screen, a mask flashed to light, above which was the header reading a familiar name: 

Revan.

She blinked, then blinked again. Her expression shifted from confusion to surprise. An air of caution, and suspicion filled the old woman. Looking around left and right, she barely saw a pair of Jedi whispering in low voices as they walked away. 

“Well then. Order Master. Let us discover what kind of man you truly are.” Jocasta Nu said in a meaningful tone, intent on discovering the truth about this mysterious, dangerous, charismatic figure. 

If he was truly the secret Sith she feared…it had to be uncovered, no matter the cost. 

She lowered herself into a chair, and within moments she had forgotten entirely what she had originally been doing, absorbed entirely within her research. 

4) Influence five Masters/Darths without them discovering your involvement: 2/5

Corvus suppressed a smile. How laughably predictable. Trying to make a nerd study something was as difficult as forcing a Wookiee to take a bath. But, make them think they're special, as if ‘the Force itself’ is guiding them, or they have some higher calling to gather research…then they'd willingly stare at a computer screen for hours. Heck, Corvus was acquainted with several top tier engineers who were in retirement age, and didn't lack money. The only reason why they didn't go home, is for the love of the game! 

A woman obsessed with history and knowledge, why placing that juicy information about Revan in front of her was like promising a good hunt to a Trandoshan. Absolutely irresistible. 

As Jocasta became increasingly engrossed in her research, she read many accounts. The first records described the Mandalorian Wars. How weak the Temple Jedi were, and the countless lives lost due to their inaction. Then the Jedi Civil War. Where Revan was forcibly brainwashed to fight for the Sith due to Emperor Vitiate. How he ultimately departed known space to hold this evil Sith off, giving the Jedi enough time to recover. 

Multiple side stories detailed his sordid past, recounting his time spent as a:

Jedi.

Sith.

Conqueror.

Redeemer.

Destroyer.

Savior.

Every account painted a different portrait. Jocasta's brow furrowed deeper with every passing minute.

"That cannot be right. No…the parallels between then and now are…no, there has to be some mistake.” She muttered to herself, and began to open up file after file, tab after tab in search of the truth.

Each new nugget of information seemed to be contradictory. Some described Corvus as a ruthless tyrant who had nearly destroyed the Republic. Others described him as the greatest Jedi who had lived since the ancient founders. One source claimed he had vanished into the Unknown Regions. Another claimed he had died. Yet another suggested he had transcended mortality entirely.

After some time had passed, Jocasta leaned back, and rubbed her weary eyes. For perhaps the first time in years, the galaxy's foremost archivist appeared genuinely baffled.

"Who were you? What have you become, truly? Can we trust you? Do we have a choice?” She whispered to herself, hoping the Force would give her an answer. 

Hidden nearby, Corvus folded his arms, a small smirk spreading across his face. 

During this time in the archives, he didn't hover over the librarian's shoulder the entire time either. Doing his own research, he had looked up a few spots of interest on Tython, and had also created a preliminary path for Jax & Yon to explore. 

5) Travel to the highest peak, lowest valley, and flattest point on a planet, meditate during Dusk & Dawn all within the same day relying upon oneself for transportation.

This section of the Jedi Shadowmaster quest wasn't going to be easy, and the sooner he began to prep for it, the better. Not every challenge or task could be ‘as easy’ as it apparently was to influence these Jedi Masters. 

In fact, ordinarily it wouldn't be as ‘trivial’ to influence Krayt or Jocasta Nu. However, given the stunning return to Tython, and finally reconvening of the Jedi after Order 66-not to mention the stunning Order Master ceremony-most normal people would understandably, still be a little shaken. 

Today was a terrible, mystical, hopeful day. One where Yoda died, and a war hero maverick had been handed the keys to the kingdom. Where the ancestral seat of the Jedi had been revealed to be real, and not some fantastical tale or legend. In fact, Corvus felt that he should try to complete part four of the quest before the night was through. Once the Jedi Masters had a moment to breath, such ‘magical guidances’ of the Force might fall under further scrutiny. Should Corvus's ‘pranks’ be discovered, then the cat would be out of the bag, and influencing them would become much more difficult. 

Checking in on the old librarian one last time to make sure she wasn't discovering anything harmful towards his Revan identity, Corvus saw a hard working woman at work. 

Jocasta continued reading article after article. The pile of records beside her grew steadily larger over time. The deeper she dug, the stranger the story became. Eventually she arrived at a heavily fragmented account describing Revan's final departure.

The record ended abruptly, with no death or conclusion so to speak, only a mystery. 

Jocasta stared at the screen. Then slowly shook her head. "I dislike unfinished stories…perhaps this new chapter is a good thing.” 

The statement caused Corvus's smile to widen, and the Force stirred around him as if in agreement. For a brief moment he considered revealing himself. Although he disliked many of her traits, it could be seen from this brief interaction that the grey haired lady was an elite tier researcher. Such skills could be very useful for the Order. Although he knew how to heal, and shield amongst other long-lost Lightside abilities, he had truly only scratched the surface of what a Jedi was capable of. With her help, rediscovering these lost mystic artes would enable the growth of a new, powerful generation of Jedi. 

And yet, he remained hidden. As showing up now would only ferment suspicion. The Temple was full of life once more, the Jedi Order was rebuilding, and history was beginning anew.

Sometimes legends served a greater purpose when they remained legends. Without making another sound, he disappeared down the hallway, leaving the Jedi Archives for another part of the Temple. 

Jocasta never noticed. Her attention remained completely consumed by the records before her.

The invisible Jedi Master walked deeper into the Temple, vanishing between rows of ancient knowledge while behind him the aged librarian continued chasing the mystery of Revan through the pages of history.

~~~~~~~~

AN: Just to be transparent, I'll probably be taking one week off next month in July 2026, as I am moving to a new place to live. But maybe I can still post anyway because I don't want to break my streak. Idk, it's like a 8 to 12hr drive to my new address, and I have to handle nonsense, so no promises. 

Anyway, see you next week, may the Force be with you.