Jedi Insurgency 274

A week had passed since the Jedi arrived on Tython, and they had settled into a new routine. Each of the High Councilors had begun to act as they had discussed within the Council Chamber. The Order was slowly, but surely beginning to take on a new shape. 

Mace Windu had started instructing people how to get in touch with their inner rage, how to harness it, and turn it into a weapon instead of a path to the Darkside. Much more chill than his previous self, the white-haired, dreadlocked man often used music to help guide his pupils. From soft, steady strums, to heavy metal. One of his often said quotes was: ‘Control the tempo, do not let it control you.’ Besides that, he passed on his skills in Vaapad, and his martial arts, where a fist could meet the blade of a lightsaber. Joy & frustration passed through his dual use  dojo/auditorium in equal measure. 

Kina Ha's botanical garden became a favorite place to study & meditate due to its peaceful nature, and abundant life energy. Although she rarely spoke with anyone, the fairy-like Kaminoan was graceful in her words, often leaving listeners craving for more of her cryptic ancient anecdotes. Observing her knack for plant manipulation, a pair of Knights more interested in growth than combat began to follow Kina Ha around almost religiously. 

Jaro Tapal's lightsaber was always busy easily seen upon the mountain top as he continuously dueled all that came at him, and taught the basics of many different forms. The tall purple-cat alien was strong, stern, commanding, but not unfair. His method of teaching was similar to that of a drill instructor's, yet he always had the best interest of his students in mind. At Corvus's suggestion, Master Tapal frequently led teams into the trial grounds, simulating past fights. Obi-Wan had added his fight against Maul from the Phantom Menace, and it had already become a favorite for those aspiring Padawans & Knights wishing to test their mettle. 

Keira, meanwhile, had taken Corvus's advice, and had constructed an obstacle course testing overall fitness, strength, agility, reaction time, and above all else, will. The students-both the young and elderly, one of which may or may not be a certain librarian forced out of her comfort zone-were always sweaty, aching messes after the Mirialan was through with them. She also followed Corvus's advice, and had started a Gravball league, much to the dismay of the Padawans ‘volunteered’ into it. 

Shaak Ti was busy giving lessons on healing within the Emerald Sanctum. The Togruta master patiently taught the sunny girl-Omega-alongside everyone else. Their relationship was one of beauty, like a pair of butterflies circling one another, free & uncontained. The joy of laughter often spread through the sanctum as they mended the wounds accrued in Windu, Tapal, and Keira's classes. 

Rahm Kota had gotten his drunk ass out of the cantina-largely in part due to the goading of the Bad Batch-and also guided others into the trial grounds. Instead of fighting in grand duels, or testing ones character, he brought them to the battlefield. Kota had his aspirants train in leadership roles, and the practice of strategy & tactics. Joining in the fun, the Bad Batch-despite not being Force Sensitives-were dragged in by the powerful chamber, and acted as the opposing side. Both teams would follow a pair of Padawans/Knights, and advise them on how to defeat the other side. This method of training had become somewhat popular-and dreaded-due to the fierce competition between Kota and the clones. 

Quinlan Vos remained within the cantina, and had somewhat become something of a therapist for people to talk to. Although he had been something of a loose cannon in the past, the fact remained, Quinlan was a good person. If anyone in the Order understood what it was like to fall to the Darkside, it was him. It also helped that with a touch of the other Jedi's lightsaber, he could learn about their entire life, since he could live the past experiences of any object. Although cantinas weren't really the favorite place of most Jedi, the increased workload and high-trust nature of their community had transformed it into a hotbed of activity. There were only a few hundred Jedi remaining from the ten thousand+, but there could always be at least 12 to 50 found within the cantina's halls, no matter the time of day. 

Kazdan Paratus-the tiny shark-like alien-was always tinkering around in his forge. Aided by Zork, about five other Jedi interested in crafting had joined him in his quest for knowledge. Freely sharing what he had learned, the few surviving craftsmen had set forth on the journey to become Jedi Artisans. Although small in number, the hammers, and refineries within rarely stopped. Only when retrieving materials from the ancient Temple warehouse did these innovators take a break. All sorts of ‘useless’ objects, like a magnetic t-shirt, floating glasses, and remotely refillable glass of water were produced from this workshop. Of course, it was all in the name of ‘exploring the depths of the Force.’ Privately, Corvus believed he'd have to spend a fortune on materials once the old stock of supplies ran out. 

Obi-Wan meanwhile, was ‘having the time of his life’ teaching people how to learn Soresu, and [Force Judgement]. Occupying the top of a spire, his class could both be indoors & outdoors, as the space had a retractable roof. Corvus had thought it necessary for the Jedi to learn an offensive technique that wasn't a push, or moving some rocks. For those Jedi who were less martially inclined, they required a ‘sorcerers’ path, just like the Sith. The Negotiator wasn't keen on taking new students, but with a recent development of Qui-Gon being able to manifest his ghost on Tython, Kenobi was ‘convinced’ by his Master. Thus, a new era of aggressive negotiators was on the horizon. 

Lastly, Krayt and Malicos were waiting in the wings. Windu was busy introducing the tip of the iceberg known as the ‘Darkside.’ Once Windu's students had achieved a basic mastery of this, then, should they choose to delve deeper, they would be handed over to Malicos. From there, the somewhat sinister Master would instruct them on the depths of illusions & [Mind Tricks]. Where Windu taught control, and the physical buffs the Darkside could grant, Malicos taught the mental aspects of the Darkside. 

Once Windu & Malicos's teachings had been grasped, Krayt would step in, and teach those aspirants how to combine these concepts with the Lightside. Thus, his classes were all about reaching balance. 

Hundreds of Force Sensitive Younglings, pre-Teens, and teenagers that had been in the Jedi Archives were likewise on the way. Xizor had bribed countless unfortunate families with credits, but also made a promise that the children could visit. In some cases, the parents were taken along for the ride. To Corvus, uplifting many of these people out of poverty would directly prevent cases like Skywalker's mom suffering. By ‘airlifting’ them to Tython, they could then be hired to do miscellaneous tasks. Any non-Force Sensitive children could also be educated, and form the backbone of the Order. 

In the past, the Antarian Rangers was a special forces unit/army that threw down hands everywhere the Jedi went. Corvus was done with Jedi being sent solo into some conflict between Senators. It was time that they had their own people. And who better people to trust, than the family members of Jedi? Humans, Twi'leks, Wookies, Trandoshans, even a Hutt, the Order accepted the youth of all species & races. Those who had ‘little’ attraction to the Force, such as how Obi-Wan once was, were no longer ignored. Whilst bloodline was a key factor in potential, Corvus would not handicap his new Order by hyperfocusing on the Yoda's & Windu's. Kenobi was living proof that hard work could take one far. 

The Tython Temple was thriving, classes were happening nearly every hour of the day, the library was practically unrestricted, and holocrons-after vetting-were open to use by all. Between the administrative work, planning for his Prestige quest, and training the boys, Corvus was teaching a class of his own. 

Situated within a misty morning forest near the base of the Temple, birdsong echoed through the tranquil woodland, broken only by the excited chatter of nearly a dozen Padawans gathering around Corvus. 

The students ranged widely in age and species. Jax stood quietly near the back of the group, arms folded as always, his icy blue eyes calmly observing everything around him. Yon, meanwhile, bounced lightly on his heels, already convinced he would win whatever challenge today's lesson involved. Cal Kestis listened attentively, his previous training had him assessing escape routes at every turn. Caleb Dume kept glancing into the mist with trepidation, yet a reassuring glance from Jax had him calmly settle down. Linyin, Keira's pink-skinned Twi'lek apprentice, looked particularly energetic, already stretching as though today's class would most definitely involve sprinting. Omega had also joined them, eager to stick close to Jax's side. Zork was absent, as he was much more interested in crafting by his Master's side. 

Corvus smiled faintly as he looked over his students. "Today's lesson concerns one of the most misunderstood abilities a Jedi can possess."

Several students immediately straightened as the Order Master began hus lecture. 

"It is not [Force Push], lightsaber combat, nor any of the shielding abilities I have displayed thus far.” He said in a light tone, then folded his arms behind him, and disappeared from sight, reappearing soundlessly on a tree branch behind them. "A Jedi who can move mountains is impressive. A Jedi who cannot be found is often far more dangerous."

Several Padawans gasped as they hurriedly turned around to look up at him. 

"When the water is still...every movement becomes obvious." He said, waving a hand at a puddle beneath his feet, causing it to ripple. "Every time you enhance your body, trick another's mind, or push something away, a ripple is created in the Force. How then, do you think we shall attain this immovable state? How do we become the boulder in the center of the storm, ignored & unseen?” 

“Quearion. Are you going to teach us to turn invisible?” Cal raised his hand, and asked. 

Corvus shook his head, gesturing for another guess. 

"It's becoming...forgettable?" Caleb hesitated to ask. 

"A closer answer, but try again.” Corvus said in a smiling tone. Seeing that no one was forthcoming, he continued his lecture. "When you force your awareness outward...you announce yourself. But when you become content simply existing, the Force begins to flow around you instead."

"So we're hiding from people?" Omega asked in an innocent tone. 

"We're hiding from other Force Sensitives, isn't it obvious?” Yon scoffed, crossing his arms. 

Corvus nodded, then shook his head. 

"The Sith seek disturbances. They search for anger, fear, and the application of power. They almost never search for peace."

Corvus let them chew on that for a minute, then suddenly clapped his hands to draw their attention. 

"Which brings us to today's practical exercise. We're playing hide and seek." Corvus said, a hint of a sinister grin entering his voice. 

Stunned, baffled silence met his declaration. 

"...What?" Linyin asked, bursting into laughter.

"No way!" Omega blinked.

Yon's boastful appearance suddenly wilted, like toast sopping up milk for too long. Jax too, had a grim look about him. Caleb & Omega noticed this change in Jax, and started to become panicky. For his part, Cal was curious, and eager to learn with an open mind. 

"The objective is simple. I will count to one hundred., and you will hide. You may use your agility, the terrain, your strength and wits. But if I sense you through the Force...you'll be greeted like this.” Corvus laughed devilishly as he [Shadow Hopped] behind Yon, and then dragged him up into the branches screaming. 

The short teen's voice suddenly cut off, then grew louder as he fell down from the tree upside down and suspended on a bungee cord. Witnessing this, a clear cut message was received, if he would do that to his own student…what about me?! 

“100, 99, 98…!” 

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so students-minus Yon-scattered. 

“Oh yeah, I'm so winning this. Watch yourself, Wampa breath!” Linyin pumped her fist, and pointed at Jax before running away. 

Omega stuck her tongue out at Yon who was still hanging upside down, then beamed a smile at Jax. “Goodluck.”

“This is pretty exciting, nothing like a practical exam to start things off. Have fun, guys.” Cal awkwardly said to Jax & Caleb before finding a bush to hide in. 

“Master Revan wouldn't really do that to us, would he?” Caleb fretted, disappearing into the woods. 

Jax stared woodenly at Yon, just happy he wasn't the victim. They had rehearsed this part to help Master out beforehand, but Master didn't say anything about this. 

‘Haaah, Master truly is…troublesome.’ 

Suddenly seeing something drop down from the top of the tree, Jax flinched. Stepping forward, he saw that it was a bottle of mouthwash. Eyebrow twitching, Jax covertly wondered about that ‘Wompa breath’ comment, and knit his brows. 

‘Truly troublesome.’

~~~~~~~~

AN: We'll do another round of Interludes next week, to see how the galaxy is adapting, and then wrap up this slice of life arc back to the meat of the plot. The Insurgency has been gestating, and the Republic is ready to rise & bloody the Empire's nose.