Corvus had sheathed his lightsaber, then held out a hand to help Keira up.
The green Mirialan looked at it for a second, and then took it.
Her grasp was firm. This only confirmed to him that he would have been rolled if she was allowed to come at him full throttle.
Keira was at the pinnacle of martial techniques when it came to Jedi Knights. It wouldn't surprise him if she surpassed some Masters. She was definitely on the Mace Windu track to badassery. Hypocrite he may be, but Mace Windu knew how to throw hands, and so did Keira.
Leaning in close, Keira whispered into his ear.
"I see what kind of man you are, Corvus. When you stray, or suggest a radical plan of action, I shall be here to guide you back to the Light. While your actions are unorthodox, I am not so obtuse that I cannot recognize that these are extraordinary times. Do not corrupt Linyin." After Keira said that last part, she squeezed Corvus's hand.
Grimacing, Corvus somewhat wanted to resume the duel at such a provocation, but he settled for a smug smile to hide his pain.
"So you do care." Corvus chuckled at the 'student' of Windu's School of Jedi hypocrisy.
Keira folded her arms, and raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'I do not consent to your childish games.'
Corvus was going to tease her some more, but Zork had taken him up on his earlier offer, and was waving his hand around eager to ask a question.
"Yes?"
"H-How did you know the snow wouldn't clump? If the snow was more solid, your act of obfuscation would be moot, and Knight Keira would have closed the distance." Zork asked in a curious tone.
"That…is a good question, Zork. All I can say is experience, but I knew as soon as I left the Falcon, and I felt the consistency with my boots. We'll have to find some time for environmental training, thank you for bringing this to my attention." Corvus smiled encouragingly, then searched their faces for any more questions.
Jax, Yon, and Linyin didn't seem to have anything to say, but Zork was waving his hand so much, it reminded Corvus of when he was a kid and sat at the front of the class. Man, he must've driven his teacher and fellow classmates mad.
"Go on."
"Actually, this one is for Knight Keira. Ahem, why did you follow through with your slash at the wooden piece? S-Surely a push or saber throw would be more optimal at the moment? By forcing Master Corvus to dodge, you would guarantee your knowledge of his next location, and place him at a disadvantage, correct?" Zork eagerly asked Keira, and had taken out a dataslate at some point to take notes.
Keira, for her credit, did not become flustered, but answered in an academic tone.
"Leveraging my superior speed, I did not want to break focus, or give Corvus a chance to respond. It may not seem like it from an observer's perspective, but my intuition told me Corvus was already off balance. Perhaps I had underestimated him, but if I moved slightly faster, the duel would have ended in my victory. By using push or a saber throw, it would have slowed me down, and broken my concentration. I gambled, and I lost." Keira succinctly answered, and said in the kind of neutral tone one would have if they were teaching a student about the periodic table.
"I s-see, I see!" Zork happily nodded as he typed something up.
"Combat is not my forte, but do not be fooled by this victory, Padawans. It truly could have gone either way. Knights, I have criticism if you would hear it?" Paratus interjected himself into the conversation, and in Corvus's estimation, was sounding much more sane than he was yesterday.
Siphoning the darkside energy out of the tiny Jedi Master had evidently done wonders for his psyche. As for his opinion?
"Please, Master Paratus, I would like to improve." Corvus slightly inclined his head.
"As I said, I am no battle expert, but I am a creator, an innovator of sorts, and what I saw in your style was focused chaos. Juyo certainly suits you. That said, Keira noticed that you yourself are not quite confident in this method of attack, and almost overwhelmed you despite the curse you had landed on her. Doubtlessly you are aware that your saber style requires improvement, and this is not my criticism.
Mine is a warning, to not become over reliant on fancy tricks, and distractions. After losing to General Grievous, I came to the understanding that sometimes one could possess all the creativity in the world, but absolute power-strength-is not to be underestimated. I encourage you to strengthen your fundamentals. As for you Keira, you suffer the exact opposite problem. A lack of creativity will inevitably lead to your demise." Paratus said at length, and stared both Corvus and Keira in the eyes as he shared his wisdom.
Corvus was somewhat stunned. It was simple, obvious information, but sometimes you needed an outsider to point out the obvious for it to make sense.
2+2 was 4, every child knew that, but when they were introduced to multiplication, sometimes the jump to 2x2 = 4 could be confusing. It was simple information, but not something a child would inherently know unless someone pointed it out.
"Thank you, Master Paratus." Corvus lightly bowed.
"I shall take your words into consideration." Keira briefly frowned, yet her expression was quick to return to stereotypical 'Jedi neutral.'
"Let this be a lesson to you Padawans. Searching out the extreme of one path can lead to monumental power, but it also leaves one weak in other areas. Do not hesitate to come to me with questions regarding Force abilities, and I am sure Keira would be happy to shore up your saber skills." Corvus looked each of the Padawans in the eye, and then held Keira in a stare as he had basically volunteered her into a part-time sensei role.
Keira eventually broke eye-contact and nodded.
"So the fight's over, now what? Zork said something about a ritual, but all we're doing is standing around! Let's hurry to Tython already, all this talk of balance is making me sick!" Yon complained.
As if in agreement with the short, black haired teen boy's tantrum, a cold wind began to whip up, and a thick snowfall began to descend upon them.
"Blizzard!" Linyin shouted, and pointed off the mountainside where a raw, unending storm of icy sleet was barreling towards them.
"Inside. Now!" Keira demanded.
Everyone started running towards the gate, everyone except Corvus that is.
Narrowing his eyes, Corvus did not see a blizzard, and in fact, it was a sunny, moderate day. At first he thought he was under the effects of [Mind Trick], but then he recalled he still had [Force Barrier] up. He was protected from Force related attacks.
Which meant!
Entering Pause, Corvus began to search his surroundings. He was on the look out for a Dark Acolyte, or maybe even an object that could be causing this. Afterall, this was an ancient Jedi pilgrim world. Maybe some artifact was driving the Jedi to enter the temple…maybe an ambush awaited them inside!
Paranoia kicking in, Corvus searched this snowy mountainside, and flexed his Awareness as he basically played a game of 'Where's Waldo.'
After an hour of tedious searching, Corvus felt like he was going to give up, when he noticed an white colored animal blending in with the snow, and resting above the gates. It was no larger than 1-2ft in height, and appeared to be an owl-like avian creature.
Wracking his brains, Corvus eventually recognized it as a native of Ilum.
It was the snowfeather bird! An animal species capable of using the Force, they were famed for their abilities to cast illusions. This blizzard was a hoax!
Leaving Pause, Corvus cast [Force Barrier] on the group, and they suddenly all came to a halt.
"It was a trick!" Yon exclaimed, and was the first to ignite his lightsaber.
"Master?" Jax questioned, and also ignited his lightsaber.
"Directly above you is a snowfeather bird. It is a relatively harmless creature, and casts illusions to deter predators." Corvus explained.
The Padawans cluelessly looked around, but nothing was evident.
"I see it. The bird is directly above us." Jax said a moment later, proving once again that he possessed keen observational skills.
Linyin cupped her hands, and made some sort of bird call.
"As if some bird would-" Yon began to say tauntingly, but halted mid sentence as the owl-like bird fluttered down from its perch, and landed on Linyin's shoulder.
"Why, aren't you cute?" Linyin cooed, then reached into her pocket to feed it some granola.
Corvus ignored the heartwarming scene, and turned to Zork. He was about to ask about the ancient text, when the Force screamed at him in warning.
Emerging from under the snow, a pack of Asharl panthers lunged at them. The snowfeather wasn't casting the illusion to deter them, it was mainly directed at these big space-cats!
Covered in white spotted fur, these alien creatures were coated in muscle, and were the size of a rhino yet possessed speed and agility comparable to a sports car!
With their backs to the gate, the other Jedi survivors were in a more defensible position. Meanwhile, Corvus was surrounded on all sides, and had about 4 panthers lunging at him, whilst 6 more were attacking the rest of the group.
Corvus-still under the effects of his buffs-took to the offensive to escape this encirclement. He ran straight at the big cat that was directly in front of him. This monstrous beast almost matched him in speed, and was swiping its massive paw down at him as he drew near.
Sliding on the snow, Corvus raised his lightsaber, and dragged it along the Ashral panther's underbelly, slicing it in half. Hot organs spilled up onto the snow, and some disgusting purple blood splattered his face, but by the time he had slid out from under its legs, the panther was dead.
Sliding into a roll, Corvus backflip jumped over another swipe, and felt the air whoosh underneath his belly as the panther barely missed by less than an inch. Corvus retaliated by crossing his blades-the same position Anakin did when he decapitated Dooku-and he lopped off both of the big cat's front paws.
Quickly dashing backwards so as to avoid the falling panther's ravenous jaws, the other two big cats ran at him from his left and right, and were closing fast.
Corvus let loose with a double handed [Force Lightning]. Yelping at the pain, the remaining two big cats growled fiercely, but ultimately retreated, disappearing into the horizon.
Finishing off the crippled panther, Corvus turned to the rest, and saw that Keira & Paratus had taken on 4 of them, whilst the Padawans had teamed up to take the remaining 2 down.
[+0exp] floated up as if to taunt him for his efforts but he ignored it.
Approaching the group, Corvus cast [Heal] & [Valor] on everyone just to be safe. This had the added benefit of cleaning the blood off of him as well.
"This is most unusual activity. Asharl panthers are not common at this location. Something wrong must have occurred for them to be here." Paratus shook his head, and had a look of consternation on his face.
"Maybe bird brain knows." Yon huffed.
"Good idea, Yon!" Linyin cheerfully took his sarcasm literally, and started whistling at the snowfeather bird. "It's hard to tell, but she said something about a dark presence?"
"Perhaps it was that overwhelming hatred we all felt a day ago? It was so overwhelming, perhaps it spooked the wild life, and they sought the Lightside energies of the Jedi Temple?" Keira suggested.
Corvus stroked his chin. That could be the case. A dark presence was felt by everyone on the ship. Palpatine must've been malding hard for them to feel his anger lightyears away. However, Corvus couldn't help but wonder if there was something more. That explanation almost felt…too easy.
"Hrm, in any case, let us proceed with the mission. Zork, what would you have us do?" Corvus questioned.
"W-well, Master Corvus, the t-text is quite clear. We must travel to the l-largest crystal chamber, and mimic this hymn whilst holding hands, and imagine where we would like to go. Th-this ritual requires four Jedi to enter a trance-like concentration, and can take up to f-five hours." Zork explained.
"Thank you, my studious friend. Now, let's do as Zork said." Corvus clapped to get everyone's attention, and then turned to the gate.
Entering the Jedi Temple, Corvus let Keira take point, whilst he acted as the rear guard.
The facility itself looked almost identical to the one on Coruscant. It possessed tall ceilings, fabulous mosaics, and gave off a monastic air.
Given how strong in the Force Ilum was, and how monk-like the Jedi were, it surprised him that there weren't any hermits, or year-long Jedi living here.
Traversing through these wide empty halls, the party walked down some long, winding stairs until they reached a cave entrance.
Walking inside, Corvus noted that the temperature had started to warm up, and the environment somewhat resembled a mild sauna.
Temperature aside, Corvus was wowed by the numerous crystals he saw. Blue, and green were everywhere. Occasionally, he would see a purple or yellow. These crystals ranged in size from being no larger than a finger-the ideal size for a lightsaber-to being as large as an SUV. And they were going to the deepest, largest hall in the entire complex. Corvus could hardly wait as he could only imagine its beauty.
"First time on Ilum?" Keira turned back and asked in a critical tone.
"It is. No matter how many times I see a crystal cavern, it always brings joy to my heart. Such beauty, ah, we are blessed to make friends with such brilliant things." Corvus patted his hand on a large green gem, and smiled.
"Friends?" Linyin asked, cocking her head.
"When you found your kyber crystal, it was no accident. The gem reached out to you as much as you reached out to it." Corvus explained.
"Hey, I'm not dumb, I know that much!" Linyin hotly responded, and she blushed purple.
"What do you mean by friends, master?" Jax asked with brimming curiosity in his eyes.
"He means they can kill better!" Yon added.
Corvus scratched the back of his head as he thought about how to answer the kids.
"I mean what I say. You chose the crystal, but the crystal chose you too. They aren't sentient, not exactly, but they resonate in the Force, and are non-organic life forms. Beings that experience emotion and share it with their user. Why do you think the color of a Jedi's lightsaber is often considered a judge of personality?"
"So it's true! I had read about such a phenomenon, but had never had my theories expanded upon!" Zork wagged his lizard-like tail, and added something more to his notes.
"Yes, what all of you did when you found your kyber crystal was establish a basic relationship. However, should you form a Force Bond with it, your abilities within the Force will more than double, as the lightsaber acts as a focus." Corvus continued to explain.
"You speak of us as if we were magic practitioners, like the Nightsisters of Dathomir." Paratus clicked his tongue.
"Now that, is a debate for another time." Corvus playfully shook his head.
"How does one create a Force Bond?" Jax asked.
This question seemed to pique the curiosity of even Keira & Paratus, not to mention the overtly eager Padawans. As much as they may turn their noses, the promise of power often tantalized even the most stalwart of Jedi. Why else would there be so many Dark Acolytes?
Corvus nodded his head.
"Trust."
This one word answer didn't seem to sit right with Yon, as he scowled, and rapped his knuckles along the cavern wall.
"But Master Corvus, if that were the case, wouldn't all Jedi have-" Zork got out, but was forced to choke on his words as Corvus cut him off.
"No. Trust is born through conflict, or through long grueling hours of bonding. One cannot know who to trust until bantha-shit hits the fan, or a relationship has formed over time. Naturally, a Force Bond will form between people who accept and trust one another." Corvus-almost unkindly-made sure he was taken seriously, and shot Zork's enthusiasm down.
He knew that the dragon-like alien was likely asking, because he wanted everyone present to bond. It was a noble goal, because Jedi were monstrous when they fought in a group, and had their wills merged as one. Not that Zork would know that. From what Corvus could tell, the teenager was young and wanted friends or acknowledgement.
Seeing that Zork had lowered his head, Corvus sighed.
"Remember, you always have the Force. None of you are alone. The lightsaber has been with each of you for years. If you listen to the song of Ilum, it is resonating with the kyber crystals. Perhaps today is the day each of you will form a Force Bond?" Corvus spoke positively in an attempt to bring up the mood.
His words seemed to engender a contemplative atmosphere, and the group of Jedi remained silent as they continued their trek through the crystalline caverns.
Eventually, after what felt like hours spent walking, they entered an absolutely massive chamber. The medley of colors and crystals were breathtaking, and a large waterfall reflected this light, creating a rainbow.
"E-excelsior!" Zork exclaimed, and flipped through his book excitedly. "Who would like to j-join me?"
Corvus glanced at everyone present, and if he were to lock himself into a five hour ritual, he would choose Keira, Jax, Zork, or Linyin. As for Paratus and Yon, ehhh, not exactly the kind of guys he would trust with that responsibility.
"I volunteer! This experience is sure to bring me closer to my kyber crystal." Yon stepped forward, and volunteered himself.
"Me too!" Linyin was quick to follow up.
"I have participated in something like this before." Paratus stepped forward.
Corvus shared a look with Jax, but shrugged his shoulders. At least they were enthusiastic about it.
"V-very well, now we join hands, repeat the hymn, and think of reaching Tython. Whilst we are under this effect, we must close ourselves off to the outside world, and only focus on the rainbow of light generated by the waterfall. Otherwise it will not work. Then once we have reached harmony, the way will be revealed." Zork said, and started the procedure.
Corvus was a little jealous, as he had similar thoughts as Yon. He hadn't spent much time with his lightsaber, and wished to bond with it. Afterall, what was a Space Wizard without his focus?
Shaking his head, Corvus ignored the chanting, and started to look around the cavern. Something had been niggling at the back of his head ever since he heard Paratus's idle comment about the panthers unusual migration.
"Something troubles you, Master?" Jax, observant as always, questioned as he followed from behind.
"The Ashral panther's. I do not think they were at the temple as a result of that massive darkside energy." Corvus speculated.
"I do not know history like Zork, but I know animals. Perhaps they were drawn here to find sustenance?"
"Hrm." Corvus replied noncommittally, and furrowed his brow in thought.
'But what are they going to eat, some bird that small and well camouflaged is never getting caught by something as large as those big cats…heck, with how long the ritual is taking, it's almost like I'm partaking in an escort quest…!!!! Wait a damn second!'
Corvus's eyes went wide as he put the pieces together. It was just a hunch, but it felt like someone else must be here in this cavern with him!
Actively searching the ground with his Awareness, he spotted the evidence he was looking for.
"Ah, Master, it seems there might be other survivors of Order 66! Look, I found four distinct, fresh sets of footsteps." Jax softly intoned.
Corvus narrowed his eyes, as up ahead, he saw much more than the imprints of boots, there were alien-looking footfalls that were clawed, and no lesser in size than an elephant's tracks. These track marks vastly outnumbered those left by shoes.
Closing his eyes to focus on the Force, Corvus felt that his intuition was right. Danger was in the air.
"Remind me again of the creatures that roam these halls." Corvus said in a quiet tone.
"I recall three of them. The blismal is a rodent with sonic abilities, and is believed to be a Force sensitive creature. The gorgodon are savage furred omnivores that occasionally cause trouble, most Padawans carry lichen on hand when exploring, to distract them with food. Rumor has it they have a blaster-proof hide, and can even resist a lightsaber for a time, but also possess a weak fleshy spot on the back of their necks. Lastly, is the razhak, a powerful worm that tunnels through rock & ice by superheating its body." Jax matched Corvus's quiet, serious attitude, and lowered his volume.
"These tracks must belong to the gorgodon, I fear a colony is nearby." Corvus whispered.
As if on cue, a thick glob of brownish saliva dripped down from the ceiling, and splashed onto the ground in front of Corvus's boot.
Looking up, Corvus saw the sleeping forms of dozens-if not hundreds-of gorgodon's.
These grey furred, bipedal reptilians had two eyes, four nostrils, massive jaws full of razor sharp teeth, and two arms that ended in massive claws. Standing at 10-12ft tall, these monstrous creatures sort of resembled a gorilla in posture, but were upscaled 2 or 4 times.
Jax realized what was going on, and his expression turned into one of grim determination. The look he gave Corvus was one that held faith.
Corvus wanted to scratch his head as he entered Pause to think up a solution.
While these animals were sleeping for now, that didn't mean that would remain the case for the next five hours.
Mentally frowning to himself, Corvus realized that killing all of them before a single one reached the Jedi completing the ritual would be unrealistic.
Oh sure, he could spam mines and thermal detonators, but who was to say that that noise wouldn't disrupt his companions' concentration, and create a terrible backlash due to a lapse in focus? Regardless of medium, rituals were notoriously finicky, and to suddenly stop midway was a risk Corvus wasn't willing to take.
Besides that, as a Jedi, he didn't want to needlessly kill. These gorgodon's were natives to this planet. Just like those two Asharl panthers he let escape, Corvus didn't want to slaughter his way through everything.
'Hmm…Jax said that Padawans would often feed them to escape. Perhaps I won't have to kill my way out.' Corvus thought to himself as a plan began to come together.
During his escape from Coruscant, he had taken some supplies into his inventory from Bail's estate. Among those items he had 'stolen' was a literal ton+ of food.
As he intended to strand himself on Tython for a month or so, Corvus didn't want to be sustaining himself off rations or local wildlife.
Collecting ingredients, snacks, and canned food, Corvus was well prepared for the doldrums of a boring monastic planet.
It turned out that his over preparation once again worked in his favor. As the son of a Coastguardsman-his dad held many roles in life-Corvus had learnt their motto growing up.
Semper Paratus
Always Ready.
Un-Pausing, Corvus turned to Jax.
"Update Keira regarding our situation. I'll head deeper into the cave, and gather a large quantity of food. Once it looks like the gorgodons will rouse from their slumber, I'll lure them away from here." Corvus stated.
"Yes, Master. Is there anything else I can do?" Jax nodded in affirmation, and then asked.
"Stay safe. Now go." Corvus shooed Jax off, and then took a deep breath.
Getting chased by 10ft tall lizard-men and feeding them instead of killing them. Corvus idly wondered if this would count towards his Path of the Jedi quest.
Shaking his head, Corvus went invisible, and started to leave a trail of food in the opposite direction of the Jedi.
Whilst he did so, something couldn't stop bothering him.
Those boot imprints, the snowfeather bird's warning to Linyin, they all pointed to something.
Only Jedi should be aware of this location. Perhaps it was a survivor of Order 66, or an accidental smuggler. But then again, former Jedi had knowledge of Ilum too.
Whoever they were, should they be an enemy…Corvus glanced between the trail of food, and the slumbering gorgodons. An evil smirk spread across his face.
Sometimes it felt good to use your brain. If all Corvus did was kill first, and ask questions later, he probably would have been ambushed during his fight with these alien creatures.
The Path of the Jedi was one some might consider to be unnatural.