Jedi Insurgency 289

After reforging the Bad Batch, Corvus had tiredly taken them back to the Temple, and then proceeded to rest. Practically sleeping for a full 15hrs, it wasn't until Jax's panicked thoughts through their Bond woke him up. 

Jumping out of bed with a pounding heart, he realized that today or rather, tonight was a very important night! Turning invisible, he practically sprinted out of the Temple to the valley down below, to the place where Master Yoda had first brought them after the raid on Coruscant. 

There, a venue had already been set up. Various braziers glowing with orange, yellow, blue, pink, white, and green lit the way, creating a festive atmosphere. 

Masters stood beside Padawans. Temple Guards stood with healers, lorekeepers, pilots, and warriors. Obi-Wan Kenobi stood near Shaak Ti and Jaro Tapal. Mace Windu, relaxed and drinking a cup full of punch, occupied a place beside the lum drinking Rahm Kota. Quinlan Vos leaned against an ancient stone pillar with his arms crossed. Krayt & Taron Malicos, meanwhile were somewhat gloomy, their shadows rippled under foot as the special training Corvus had given these recruits had not been light. 

Hundreds of Jedi had survived the purge, yet now, well over a thousand people filled the valley. Those people sent to the Service Corp, or deemed too weak to have the potential to be a Jedi had been given a second chance. Those who had taken the offer had been transported by Xizor's ships to a staging area, where some Jedi would then make the jump to Illum, and then Tython. Furthermore, many youths ranging in age between 5 and 15 had been gathered from across the galaxy. Typically those that were seen as ‘weak’ as Obi-Wan were overlooked. Under Corvus & the Council's auspices, they had been recruited. 

Within a month, the dwindling population of some 400+ Jedi had more than tripled. In a galaxy with over a quintillion sentient lifeforms, finding Force Sensitives wasn't actually that difficult. In the past, the Jedi & Sith of the Old Republic had hundreds of thousands at their peak. For now, this was a start Corvus could be proud about. 

Most of the new recruits were Human. Others bore horns, lekku, fur, scales, or luminous eyes. The youngest clutched the sleeves of those beside them, overwhelmed by the vast gathering. The eldest tried to imitate the grave composure of the Knights, though wonder continually drew their gazes toward the stars.

They were the first children brought into the Order since Order 66. The first class not raised within the safety of Coruscant’s marble halls for over 3,000 years. 

Some had been found in refugee camps, rescued from Imperial laboratories, and several had been hidden by families who had risked execution rather than surrender them to the Inquisitorious. One had been discovered aboard a freighter carrying food to the rebellion. Another had survived alone for weeks in the ruins of a city purged by Imperial troops. They were not merely students, they were proof that the Jedi had a future.

And at the very back of these younglings stood five embarrassed adults. The men of the Bad Batch were awkward where they stood, but Corvus had insisted they join the Order if they wanted access to knowledge about the Force. Besides-he had argued-they were literally only 13 years old chronologically, even if they technically had the bodies of 26 year olds. 

At the center of the valley stood those who had earned the right to defend it. Seven Padawans knelt upon a broad circle of white stone. Their cloaks had been removed, their lightsabers laid before them, and their braided hair stirred gently in the mountain wind.

Yon knelt among them.

For perhaps the first time in his life, the young man had nothing clever to say.

His short dark hair had been drawn back from his face, revealing features sharpened by months of war, hardship, and training. He had fought stormtroopers, escaped hunters, crossed worlds beneath false transponder codes, and faced things that would have broken many older Jedi. He had strutted through all of it with his chin high and some boast ready upon his lips.

Beside him knelt Zork.

The reptilian scholar held himself utterly still, his scaled head bowed and a solemn look upon his face. He had studied every known account of Jedi Knighting ceremonies, from the founding of the Order to the final conclave held before the Clone Wars. None of that knowledge had prepared him for this moment, or eased his nerves. 

Throughout the valley, a steady calm permeated the air. The Force rippled, and approved the gathering of so many of its children. It flowed through the stones beneath their knees and whispered in the leaves overhead. It wound among the gathered Jedi like an unseen current, touching old scars, quieting restless hearts, and awakening memories of those who were no longer there.

Then the air above the assembly began to shine. Pale-blue apparitions emerged, floating in the trees of the nearby forest. 

Temporarily released from the Living Force, the ancient Jedi watched on in approval. Armored guardians predating the invention of the lightsaber stood with their hands resting upon the pommels of spectral swords. Masters whose names had become fragments in damaged archives appeared beside those whom no living Jedi remembered at all.

Some bore the sigils of the old Republic. Others had served Orders that had risen and fallen before the Republic’s first Senate chamber had been built. Their number grew until the valley seemed crowded with the history of the Jedi.

The younglings stared in open astonishment.

One small Togruta girl reached toward a shimmering woman standing nearby. The ghost smiled but did not take her hand.

More recent spirits appeared among the ancient dead.

Qui-Gon Jinn stood beneath the boughs of a silver-leafed tree, his eyes fixed warmly upon Obi-Wan. Depa Billaba emerged near Mace Windu, and for a fleeting moment the stern Master’s composure nearly failed. Jaro Tapal felt a familiar presence behind him and lowered his head, breathing heavily through the ache it awakened.

Then a small, familiar figure appeared before the kneeling Padawans.

Yoda’s spirit shone more brightly than all the others.

He leaned upon his cane, though no spectral body required its support. His ears rose slightly as he surveyed the gathering. There was weariness in his expression, but also peace, the deep, immeasurable peace of one who had finally laid down a burden carried for centuries.

The entire Order bowed, to which Yoda returned the gesture.

At the top of the Temple steps, Corvus-seeing that this was the optimal moment-revealed himself. 

Clad in a white robe, and donning the mask of Revan, he slowly floated down. Corvus entered the ceremonial circle and stopped before the seven kneeling candidates. For several heartbeats he simply regarded them.

He remembered Yon as an impatient boy trying to look dangerous. He remembered Zork disappearing into archives for days at a time, emerging with theories no one had requested and insights no one else had considered. It felt as if an eternity had passed since he first convinced that ragefilled sorrowful boy to abandon the Coruscant Temple, and choose life. For a moment, great sadness and pride welled up in his heart as he looked upon his disciple. 

The Empire had tried to ensure that this ceremony would never happen again.

It had burned the Temple, slaughtered the children, and hunted the survivors from world to world. It had taken a thousand generations of Jedi history and declared it finished in a single night.

And yet, here they knelt.

Corvus drew his lightsaber, bringing a shock of blue onto the scene. The other Masters of the High Council stood in a circle around him, their lightsabers likewise humming in the dark. 

Corvus approached the first Padawan.

“Mira Tannis.”

The Mirialan woman lifted her gaze.

“You stood alone at the Gates of Vondarc and held them until every civilian transport had escaped. You chose life over victory, duty over glory, and compassion over fear.”

He raised his blade beside her shoulder.

“By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, and in the name of all those who carried this light before us, rise, Jedi Knight.”

Swiping the blade, he severed her Padawan braid, signifying her advancement to Knighthood. 

One after another, the candidates received the same judgment. They had their deeds spoken before the Order, and were praised by Corvus for their worthiness. 

Second to last, Corvus stood before Zork.

“Zork, you once believed that wisdom could be found only in what had already been written. Knowledge can guide a Jedi. It can warn us. It can humble us. But acting upon that knowledge with wisdom & foresight are the markings of a true Jedi. 

You have learned when to preserve the past, and when to let it go. By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, and in the name of all those who carried this light before us, rise, Jedi Knight.”

The braid separated with a faint hiss, and Zork bowed to Corvus, then turned toward the Order. His face remained composed for precisely two seconds before fierce, irrepressible pride broke through.

Lastly, Corvus turned to his own pupil. 

“Yon.” Corvus said, pausing as he saw his student fidget in place. Putting a calming hand on his shoulder, he gave him the loving squeeze of a father doting on his son. “You have never lacked courage.

You believed strength meant advancing when others retreated. You believed fearlessness was the measure of a warrior. You believed that requiring the aid of others was your greatest weakness.

Then, on Nar Shaddaa, truly learned the price of sacrifice. You did everything in your power to avenge your Master, and fought to save your brother with everything you had. 

Courage is not the absence of fear. Nor is it the refusal to retreat. Courage is knowing what must be protected, and accepting what it may cost you.

You came to me wanting to learn how to be strong. In my eyes, Yon, your strength of character is what will truly distinguish you going forward.

By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, and in the name of all those who carried this light before us, rise, Jedi Knight.”

For a moment, the brash young Jedi appeared younger than anyone had seen him in years. His eyes glistened beneath the stars, and he bowed deeply, not trusting himself to speak.

Corvus deactivated his weapon, the seven newly made Knights turned to face the Order.

Every lightsaber in the valley ignited in greeting. 

Blue, green, yellow, violet, white, orange, and pink joined them. Hundreds of blades rose toward the heavens until the valley became a field of living stars. 

The younglings stared upward, their faces painted in a hundred colors.

Yon looked toward them, where one small boy was gazing at him with naked awe. Yon tried to mimic his Master's posture in an attempt to look unfathomable. He understood then that he was no longer merely someone’s student. To those children, he was already part of what a Jedi was supposed to be. That any one of them might become his own Padawan in several years. The realization frightened him more deeply than any battle.

Beside him, Zork seemed to reach the same conclusion. He placed one hand over his heart and bowed to the younglings.

The spirits began to fade one by one. Qui-Gon placed a hand over his heart before vanishing. Depa Billaba offered Mace one final smile. Ancient Masters inclined their heads to the living, their forms dissolving into the starlight one by one. Then, Yoda tapped his staff against the ground before disappearing. 

A beautiful multi-colored meteor shower streaked harmlessly across the starry sky, creating a beautiful show full of splendor. 

Corvus bowed to the departing Masters, then turned to the rest of the Jedi. 

“The Jedi Order was founded to protect the Weak, the Innocent, and the Just. As many of you have recently joined us, I will tell you this truth: being a Jedi is not easy. You will witness and do things no person should have to interact with. But because of you, there is hope in the galaxy. That. Is a powerful thing. Never forget that. 

But enough boring speeches. Tonight is a night of celebration. Let the festivities begin!” Corvus ended his solemn address by holding up a goblet of fruit punch. 

As if on cue, music began to play, and delicious food started to be handed out. As a monastic Order, most of these social events were attended as diplomats or bodyguards. But tonight, everyone in the Order was welcome. Because it was a Jedi Party.