Within this mindscape, Corvus beheld an almost entirely black area. The only light came from the azure blue of his kyber crystal floating in the air.
Looking at it, Corvus felt extremely basic emotions, like that of a baby, or animal.
Warmth. Belonging. Happiness.
All these and more came from the crystal as it invited Corvus to come closer, to open himself up in turn.
To Corvus, this was a mystical sensation that was difficult to describe.
After experiencing the awe of that rainbow map of the galaxy, he didn't think he would witness something so special.
Reaching out a hand, Corvus saw his reflection in the crystal, and then it flashed.
Several different scenes played in his mind, such as the electrocution of the Umbaran, the friendship with Huego, Maw's demise, and the resurrection of baby Organa.
Throughout all of these scenes, whenever Corvus used abilities belonging to the darkside, his kyber crystal expressed distaste. Whereas when healing or the creation of barriers meant for protection was involved, the crystal left Corvus with positive vibes.
The flashback ended, and Corvus once again found himself within the all dark endless room.
This time, a lightsaber was ignited in his hand, and as soon as he registered this transition, a blue lightsaber came humming down on top of his head.
Blocking it on instinct, Corvus was surprised to see a shadowed version of himself mirroring him, and trying to claim his life!
For a hot minute, Corvus fought the shadow, and was slowly grinding it backwards. With the aid of Pause, he could overcome anyone with skills that were a mirror of his own.
When he had pressed the shadow back, and was going in for the coup de grace, Corvus wondered what this was about.
Clearly this was a test, but of what? His martial skill, character, or ability?
Battering the shadow to the ground, Corvus held his saber towards his neck, but something felt wrong. It was as if he were pointing the blade at himself.
In fact, when the light of the blade illuminated the shadow's face, he saw that it was cracked and grey. Like what a Kotor 2 Sith character would look like!
Then it hit him.
The kyber crystal had all but told him that it preferred healing, and acts of protection over violence.
Corvus flicked the switch on his lightsaber, and its steady hum came to an end.
He then reached a hand out towards the damaged shadow, and cast [Heal].
The darkness within the room ever so slowly retreated, and the shadow began to smoke, and wordlessly wailed at Corvus as it ran towards him.
Corvus repeated the ability, forcing it to its knees. After a few more casts, it had transformed into a white-robed older version of Corvus. It smiled, and then disappeared into a thousand particles.
Nose twitching, Corvus noticed that the all black mindscape had transformed into a white lit room full of grass, flowers, wind, water, and light.
The Living Force representing life/death, light/dark, and yin/yang permeated this land, and entered his body like a balm, soothing his soul.
'Friend.' A blue light flashed in his mind.
Corvus smiled, and looked up to the sky.
"Friend."
As soon as he had said that, a wave of comfort-the kind that one experienced when lying on a nice couch or chair during summer vacation-suffused Corvus.
It was like the feeling of having all his responsibilities washed away for but a moment, and he was that wide eyed child asking his dad question after question.
This moment felt like it lasted forever, but was gone in an instant.
Snapping his eyes open, Corvus realized he was back in the caves of Ilum, and he sighed.
The weight of responsibility reasserted itself on his shoulders, and the fate of the Jedi Order, and his charges came to the forefront of his mind.
Seeing that everyone else from the group were also in meditation, or just waking up from meditation, Corvus closed his eyes, and reflected on the vision quest he had just experienced.
For the briefest of moments, he felt that he must've touched upon the Living Force.
That sensation was so relaxing, it was tempting to forget all worldly matters, and lose himself in pursuit of that feeling. Honestly speaking, it was tempting, but duty and loyalty to his people stayed his hand.
Glancing wistfully down at his lightsaber, Corvus sighed, and patted it with love.
'Thank you.' Corvus sent his heartfelt thanks to his kyber crystal through the Force.
If not for this friend of his, he never would have experienced such an amazing encounter. Should Heaven be real, he hoped that it was something like this. Freedom, harmony, bliss. These were the things the Living Force promised, and Corvus for the first time was onboard with what the Jedi were preaching.
Sighing to himself, Corvus decided he wouldn't overly focus on this, lest he lose himself, and entered Pause to see what-if any-changes there were to his lightsaber.
Checking his inventory, he saw that there was indeed an alteration. When highlighting the lightsaber, it had three abilities on display:
[Focus: At the cost of 1/4 of the FP bar, boost a lightside ability by 50% in strength. All darkside abilities increase by 25% whilst wielding this lightsaber.
Bound: Force abilities can be deflected or absorbed. This weapon is effective against Force-entities.
Channel: Input 50% FP bar, enhance the destructive power of the lightsaber, countering the effects of energy disruptors, and is more effective against non-Force attuned armor.]
Corvus was stunned speechless as he beheld the abilities granted to him due to the Force Bond he had with his kyber crystal.
As it was something in his inventory, the additional skills were quantifiable. It made him wonder what other mystical interactions he was missing out on with Huego and Tann. His Vornskr companion had helped him learn the basics of a lightsaber form, but what more could a Force Bond unlock? Honestly, Corvus was quite curious, and eager to explore that avenue of the Force, as it went beyond his systems capabilities, and seemed quite extraordinary. But that avenue of exploration would have to wait for another time.
At the moment, he was practically salivating over the three new abilities on display.
Starting off with Focus, this one was a double edged sword. If he understood it correctly, any time he wanted to cast a darkside ability, and had this lightsaber on hand, then it would cost 25% more to cast. Ordinarily, this would be a terrible debuff, but depending on the situation, he might be able to place the lightsaber into his inventory, cast [Lightning/Slow] then retrieve his weapon. If anything, the bonus to his lightside abilities more than made up for this deficiency!
Fifty friggin percent! That was how much he could enhance Valor, Heal, Revitalize, Aura or Barrier. Unfortunately, it didn't apply to neutral abilities like Speed or Energy Resistance, but Valor/Aura/Barrier were all OP already. Valor especially didn't just work on enhancing morale, but worked towards speed, strength, and reaction time. Overall, Corvus couldn't be mad at Focus, and was in fact, quite pleased with it.
Next was Bound. It seemed like a pretty straightforward ability in his eyes. Things like Force Lightning should be easier to resist. If he was being creative, hopefully this meant he could use the lightsaber sort of like a lightning rod/conduit, and could even use it to help resist things like Mind Trick, or Force Push. Just maybe, it could be used against things like ghosts/apparitions. If he ever ran into a wraith like what the Umbaran had summoned, his lightsaber should now prove to be effective.
Lastly there was Channel.
Channel was extraordinary, and if Corvus interpreted the text correctly, the lightsaber should work against things like cortosis weave, and maybe even sturdy metals like beskar. Ordinarily, these materials resisted the lightsaber because it was a beam of super hot plasma. No more, no less. But by cladding his weapon in the Force, this beam of energy took on a metaphysical property, one not bound by the traditional understanding of science. On the flip side, if there was anything that could resist Channel, it would be something like Force attuned armor, like what the ancient Sith would wear. Overall, this ability was great, and Corvus couldn't wait to find a suit of beskar to test it on. Considering the Mandalorians were a viable option to ally with, that time might come sooner than later.
In conclusion, this was a huge W for him, and would prove invaluable moving forward. This advancement made him want to bind to all the different lightsaber colors. If blue let him increase lightside powers by 50%, then what would orange, red, white or black grant him?
It was an exciting prospect. This trip to Ilum had been wrought with difficulties, but overall, had become incredibly beneficial towards his growth.
Now that he had the coordinates to Tython, he could begin his training arc, however, as much as he wanted to go there right away, Corvus questioned if this was the best course of action.
A little more than a week had passed since Order 66 had occurred, and the Empire's economy was doubtlessly reeling at the moment. In this month, Palpatine-master politician that he was-would probably find a way to undo a lot of the damage that Corvus had inflicted upon this fledgling Empire.
If he really wanted to kick Palpatine in the balls, then going on vacation to Tython for a month would not be the way to go about it.
From the report he had overheard during the Imperial executive meeting at the Inspectorate, there were many hotbeds where the Republic held a military advantage.
Tann was great on her own, but with no support, Corvus doubted that she could rescue the dumpster fire that was the CIS.
It was with a heavy heart that Corvus ultimately decided that he had to aid the Separatists, and must search out surviving Jedi now, whilst the Empire was still getting its shit together.
If he waited, and Palpatine developed a contingency plan, or found a work around, then all of Corvus's hard work would come undone.
The Jedi he had rescued thus far wouldn't like the news, but Corvus refused to leave that old prune even a second of respite. Last time, he had angered him so much, it caused a phenomenon in the Force felt throughout the galaxy. This time, Corvus would hit him so hard, the prune would be left speechless.
Un-Pausing, Corvus exited his meditation, and saw that the Jedi had also awoken from the magical feeling that had suffused the cavern.
Motioning for Jax to follow him, Corvus approached them.
An excited atmosphere permeated the air, and Zork, Linyin, Yon and even the typically reserved Paratus were all prattling on about their experience.
Corvus wryly smiled when he saw that Keira was absentmindedly patting Linyin's head, much to the Twi'lek's confusion.
Smiling at how this experience seemed to have uplifted their spirits, Corvus clapped his hands to draw their attention.
"Master Corvus, did you see it! The way to T-Tython has been unlocked! A hyperlane from Ilum to Tython is in our grasp! I-I mean, it makes sense that they would be linked, but this is such a discovery!" Zork spoke like he was a kid hopped up on sugar.
"Yes, Master Keira and I are going to get strong, and kick your butts!" Linyin childishly stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Hah! Master Corvus is undefeated. He'll teach me real strength…but I'm sure you'll do well." Yon boasted, but much to Corvus's surprise, the short black haired boy had paid someone a compliment!
Corvus sighed, he hated to burst their bubble, especially since Order 66 had just ended, but it was for the best.
As if sensing his solemn demeanor, the children hurriedly quieted down, and stared at Corvus with pent up expressions.
"During your ritual, we defeated a group of Dark Acolytes. It was a grueling difficult encounter. We emerged victorious, and I have captured a girl the same age as you lot who I intend to turn to the Light."
"Tch. We don't need that Sith-spit. Leave her here." Yon crossed his arms, and scowled.
"O-oh my!" Zork covered his mouth.
"That poor girl, you are a beautiful soul, Master Corvus. We can keep her, right, Master?" Linyin looked to Keira expecting a rebuttal.
However, Keira was uncharacteristically silent. It seemed her death & resurrection had left her in a bit of a fugue. That was something Corvus would have to look into later.
"The Jedi Code calls for the expulsion of all darksiders, but does permit for redemption…perhaps exiling those like Ahsoka was the incorrect decision…" Keira eventually bit out.
'Can it be? A change in opinion from a follower of Windu's Wisdom?!' Corvus thought to himself as he stared at Keira, mouth agape.
Linyin also wasn't expecting such a response, and rapidly blinked at the sexy green alien.
"Yes. We are all at risk of falling. I agree with your actions, Corvus." Paratus-for the first time-spoke up in support of Corvus's actions.
"As expected of Master." Jax said in a low voice from behind.
Corvus scratched the back of his head, not expecting the ease with which he had 'convinced' his fellow Jedi.
"It's settled then. Zork, Linyin, Master Paratus, and Keira I will need you to take the ship the Sith arrived on to Tython. Prepare a suitable location for habitation, and the arrival of the rest of the Order. The rest of us will take the Falcon, and will be heading out to disrupt Palpatine's plans whilst he is weak." Corvus said.
"Y-you're not coming to T-Tython?!" Zork said with big bug eyes.
"Not immediately, no. A week has passed since the coronation of the Emperor, and the economy is currently ravaging this new Empire. This first month into Palpatine's reign is critical for us to further cripple his regime, and aid our 'allies' in the CIS. Inroads must be made in Corellia, sabotage upon Kamino, and the relief of Mygeeto's starfighter factories among other things. Furthermore, hundreds of Jedi require rescuing. It is my aim to save as many as possible, and bring them to Tython. I am sorry, but these things must happen before I feel comfortable returning to our homeland."
What went unsaid is that Vader just got his suit, and wouldn't be wrecking shit anytime soon. If Corvus was going to be serious about saving the Jedi Order, and destroying the Empire, he had to do something about it now.
Furthermore, to complete his Jedi Master quest, he had to reach a certain threshold in his Path of the Jedi mission. That required him to help hundreds of thousands-potentially millions-of people. A goal that would be impossible to reach if he sat around on Tython all day.
Zork & Linyin looked disappointed, whilst Keira nodded her head, as if this was the best course of action. Paratus, meanwhile, was surprisingly conflicted at the news of his departure. Yon was like a kid that just got told he was going to see his first R-rated movie, and Jax was contemplative as always.
"We will look forward to your return." Keira said in a cool tone, settling the matter.
"You hear that? Don't make any trouble for Mom while Dad is away." Corvus winked, and then took off.
Palpatine was doubtlessly conducting damage control measures at this very moment.
Corvus wouldn't give the damned prune a second to breathe!