Karp
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Jedi Insurgency 013
🕑 Added 2025-04-02 18:17:59 +0000 UTCCorvus didn't immediately leave for the executive meeting, as he had a few things to do on the prisons main computer.
Hacking into the system once more, he took the Stellar Envoy off the list of fugitive vehicles, and utilizing Yularen's access codes, reclassified the ship as the Millenium Falcon.
He then issued orders for the vessel to be marked as an asset belonging to an Imperial Agent of the highest order. That any Imperial planet, shipyard or docking facility was to erase the Falcon's arrival/departure from their databases. Lastly, he put in an order to fuel, arm, and supply rations to the famed ship.
While he was clicking away, Zar was reading his book, and Tann had just returned.
Wearing a spare officers uniform stolen from the Warden's quarters, Tann cut a dashing figure.
"A Jedi working as a computer scientist. I could have a use for such skills." Tann stated in an analytical tone.
"In what regard? It's a great skill for covert ops, but I'm failing to see what you're getting at." Corvus said over his shoulder as he clicked away, and set up a few finishing touches.
"Such a Jedi perspective. Law enforcement was your only outlet for the past thousand years, so I'll let it slide." Tann lightly admonished, then moved to stand behind him as she took in the data he was working on.
The scent of the lotion, and the closeness of her skin had Corvus distracted. A beautiful woman taking an interest in his computer? That was every nerd's wet dream!
"I'm still waiting to hear your point."
"You want to win the war, don't you?" Tann trailed a finger along the edge of the swivel chair, and stared at him through the monitor's reflection.
Corvus remained silent as he focused on his work, he refused to let this woman get under his skin.
Undeterred, Tann continued speaking.
"There are many things beyond hacking that such skills are needed for. Advancing the code of the B1 Battle Droid is but one such instance. You claimed that the CIS needed me, this is true, the ruling council couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. But I have a need of you, or at least that brain of yours." Tann said in a tone like an empress examining something she already considered to be hers.
"So the famed general finally makes herself known. I had worried I was recruiting another witless saber monkey, like Ventress." Corvus joked.
"The Night Sisters-in general-are emotional creatures driven by their desire. A Chiss knows when to assess something based upon its perceived value. You are useful, Revan. For now."
Staring at her red eyes through the monitor, Corvus got a sense that perhaps she was more calculated than she let on.
Three years in isolation could muffle a dog, but at the end of the day, a dog was still a beast. He would do well to ignore the playful, mischievous outward persona she presented herself with, and recall that she was a ruthless military official.
He knew very little about Tann, as canonically, she only appeared in one game, and died during the first month of the Clone Wars.
Yet she was the Supreme Commander before Dooku had named Grievous to take her place.
Tann had murdered her second command in front of her entire army, then promoted someone new on the spot just to make a point.
The Chiss was ruthless, and would do whatever it took to accomplish her goal.
Right now, that was to appear as friendly and genial as she could in front of Corvus.
Perhaps this was to lower his guard for an eventual backstab, but so long as he held the figurative leash of "the Yuuzhan Vong" over her head, he should be safe.
"You're a scary woman, you know that, Tann?" Corvus said as he erased all the footage from the last 24hrs, and shut down the cameras in the prison.
"My thanks for the compliment. Now, shall we put an end to our mutual enemies?" Tann coldly smiled.
"Please, lead the way. I'll be right behind you." Corvus gestured for her to go, and then turned invisible.
"Are you sure you aren't a Sith Assassin? Perhaps a disciple of Maul?" Tann spoke to the empty spot Corvus had just occupied.
"The gate, senator, if you would." Corvus spoke, ignoring Tann.
"You two have fun." Zar waved without looking up from his book.
Tann slightly shook her head, straightened up her uniform, then marched out the security room, out the front gates, and into the Inspectorate.
"Move in a straight line, I'll disable the biometric scanner. It's up to you to talk your way inside." Corvus whispered, and then moved ahead.
'Reboot the system, there's been another glitch.' Corvus [Mind Tricked] the clone squad lead in charge of the security checkpoint.
"Reboot the system boys, looks like we're really having trouble today." The squad lead followed Corvus's suggestion, and got to work. "Ah, sorry ma'am, but none are to pass until security is back online."
"What is the meaning of this?" Tann demanded in an icy, authoritative tone.
The clone troopers-who had been mostly loafing around-reacted to Tann by saluting and standing ramrod straight into a parade rest.
"Sir, it's protocol, my apologies, sir!" The lead saluted.
"What is your rank and designation, trooper?" Tann demanded, not missing a beat.
"Lance Corporal CZ-9595, sir! Callsign Cuz!"
"Callsign? I didn't ask for that, are you trying to disrespect an officer, trooper?"
"Sir, no sir!"
"Troopers, is it protocol to add perfunctory information when a superior requests something as simple as rank and designation?" Tann turned to the squad.
"No, sir!"
Satisfied that she had made a point, Tann turned back to Cuz.
"Are you aware of the executive meeting taking place in the offices behind you, squad lead Cuz?" Tann asked.
"Yes, sir!"
"Are you aware that the topic of discussion shall determine the fate of the Empire?" Tann pressed.
"Sir, that goes beyond my paygrade, sir!"
"Well you know now, trooper. Are you going to allow something as flimsy as protocol to deter a dutiful officer from executing her orders?" Tann crossed her arms, and gave the trooper a thousand yard death stare.
"But sir, I can't just-"
"You can and you will." Tann spoke sternly.
Corvus felt the subtle thrum of the Force at work, and a tiny tendril attached itself to the clone.
Corvus marveled at the action. He had noticed that brute forcing [Mind Trick] was difficult unless someone did something that they already wanted to do. He had an advantage because he often did so from stealth, or a hidden location, yet when speaking face to face, it was much more difficult since the target of the [Mind Trick] was actively engaged with the Force Adept, and might notice the blatant wizardry afoot and resist it.
However, by leading the conversation in this pattern, Tann had all but guaranteed that the clone would fall under her spell.
Cuz had already been drawn into her trap regarding protocols, he just didn't know it yet!
"Rig-right. You have the right of it, sir. Please go ahead." The squad lead nodded, and stepped out of the way.
"Most impressive. I can tell your abilities regarding the [Mind Trick] aren't all that powerful, yet by confusing him with your words, you turned a difficult task into child's play." Corvus whispered in her ear.
Tann marched down the hallways in her sleek officer's boots for a minute without saying a word back.
She knew what she had accomplished was impressive, and she allowed the smug superiority of silence to be her companion.
When they came to the end of the hallway, there was a door with a pair of guards.
"Your turn, Revan. Impress me." Tann said, and gestured towards the door.
Corvus wordlessly decapitated the clone troopers, then entered the meeting room.
Surrounding a central desk, Corvus saw 20 of the highest ranked members of the Empire.
Pausing at the door, he saw a few recognizable faces.
Among his targets, Tarkin, Isaard, Sly Moore, and Cassio Tagge were present.
However, there were also three notable future Rebels among the crowd that he recognized.
One of them was Jan Doddona, a bushy bearded, white haired old man, he was the General on Yavin IV who directed the x-wing attack on the Death Star. The dude was a legendary military figure, and one of the few figures who made the early Rebellion so threatening to the Empire.
Next was a curt looking generic military man, Vice Admiral Rampart from the Bad Batch series. A ruthless man who worked directly under Tarkin, he would be the man to destroy Tropica City on Kamino, and oversee the construction of an Imperial Army free of clone troopers. He defected once he was imprisoned, and took the blame for the massacre of the Kimonoans.
Lastly, was the legendary commando, Crix Madine. The blue eyed blonde was featured in Episode VI, and was the one responsible for stealing the Imperial Shuttlecraft, and planned the assault on Endor's moon.
Doddona and Madine were vital for the Rebellion's future. Corvus could not afford to kill them now. Of course, he had already butterflied away a lot by now, and was starting an insurgency more than a decade early, but he couldn't predict the future. All he knew, was that these were genuinely good men, and potential allies.
If Corvus went murder happy on everyone without a word, he could probably kiss their support goodbye.
In this instance, perhaps he would act less like a Shadow, and more like a Jedi. Of course, his targets would not escape his wrath, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least try to persuade some of these Imperials. After all, they were members of the Republic all their lives until 4 or so days ago.
Unpausing, Corvus caught the tail end of a conversation.
"The Separatist forces have yet to capitulate Admiral Tarkin, despite the Emperor's promises. Without the Jedi, our forward progress on Felucia, Mygeeto, and Dantooine have stalled. Every day the CIS remains, the more morale that bleeds from the hearts of our men." Doddona declared.
"The droid army will fall in due time, the Separatists cannot maintain this war footing forever. We have a stranglehold on the manufacturing sectors within Utapau, a blockade over Geonosis prevents their droids from leaving the planet, and special forces units have destroyed all tibanna gas manufacturing in the Onderon System. Gentleman, we are winning the war." Tarkin glanced at everyone at the table, then his eyes met Corvus's visor, and he arched an eyebrow.
The rest of the room's occupants noticed Tarkin's sudden pause, and turned to look at what was so interesting.
"For over a thousand generations, the Jedi have acted as the guardians of peace and order within the galaxy. Within this very room, we have worked alongside you and your forebears to combat the slavers, murderers, and enemies of all those values we hold dear. Yet the words of a man who styles himself as Emperor is enough to wash away this trust told in time? Have our actions in this war been so grievous, that our destruction means nothing to you, the Republic's most honored officers and law enforcers?" Corvus took a step forward into the light of the meeting room, and met everyone in the eye as he spoke.
"For too long the unscrupulous have been taking advantage of chinks in the bureau's armor. I say, 'no more.' The SBI will be a vital weapon in the fight against those who would fragment our government, and not a tool of convenience for the wealthy and corrupt.
There comes a time when a structure is so riddled by greddleback bugs that you have to tear it down and build anew. If that what it takes to root out the corrupt, that's what I will do." Armand Isard declared, and sharply glanced at Corvus, but never once addressed him directly.
Brown of hair with a white streak going down the side of his head, possessing blue eyes, and a weathered face, Isard spoke with an amount of charismatic intensity one would expect to find in a politician.
"Quite right, Director. The Jedi are an old, dying order. Less than ten thousand of you walk the galaxy, yet you wish to influence trillions. His Majesty has a vision for unity and peace through strength. I encourage you to turn yourself in, Jedi. The courts shall hear your case." Tarkin folded his hands, and looked at Corvus with cold, calculating eyes.
"Does every member of this body believe similarly? That the corruption of the senate, and the judiciary is due to malicious Jedi interference? Is honor and tradition so lacking amongst these hallowed halls, that there is no investigation into the former Chancellor's baseless claims?'" Corvus questioned, eying everyone present until one man spoke up.
"If not ineptitude, incompetence. The government does not deserve to be influenced by a sect of monks more interested in some ancient religion than the will of the people. I respect you Jedi as warriors, but from the tactical acumen I've witnessed, you have no place in commanding troops. With such poor decision making on the battlefield, one can only assume that similar blunders are carried out within the political arena as well." Tagge spoke up, and admonished.
"The Jedi have withdrawn themselves from politics for the last thousand years, ever since the Ruusan Reform. From then until now, we have acted almost exclusively as peacekeepers. But I see that my words have little impact on this meeting, nor have I swayed any of you to the justness of my cause. If you fail to even investigate the events of our so-called treachery, then you leave me no choice." Corvus said with genuine disappointment.
Nothing hurt more than the sting of betrayal, and 95% of Jedi who interacted with the public were nothing short of perfect paragons of good.
Unfortunately, this was not an idyllic universe.
"No choice? Why of course there is. Sit yourself down, and await your arrest. This room is within the deepest bowels and most secure chambers of the Inspectorate. Surely you realize by coming here, that there is only one way out." Tarkin raised an eyebrow, and gestured with a hand to the side, where an officer was actively communicating with a clone commander via hologram.
"Have any of you heard this saying? Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.
I agree, that the Jedi were weak, and allowed corruption to run rife throughout the Republic. However, hard times are upon the Jedi once again. As a sworn guardian of the Republic, it is my duty to apprehend traitors. You were right about one thing, Admiral." Corvus declared, and ignited his lightsabers. "There is only one way out."
He then applied [Speed/Valor/Energy Resistance].
"You are a Jedi, what are you going to do, kill us?" An officer from amongst the crowd chuckled as if the events leading up to this moment were a joke.
"To those of you who keep to the oaths you swore, stand against the wall. To the rest, you stand accused of treason to the Republic, how do you plead?" Corvus announced to the now dead silent room.
Nobody moved, and tension began to fill the air.
From a distance, the sound of men shouting, and the squeak of boots running could be heard.
The troopers would be here any second now.
Several officers glanced at the far wall, appearing as if they wanted to move, yet the power of group cohesion kept them in their seats.
They only needed a little nudge.
Looking at Doddona, Corvus cast a [Mind Trick].
'Follow your heart.'
Such a strong willed man was likely to resist a [Mind Trick] of Corvus's level, however, as discussed earlier, the mental arts were much more powerful when influencing someone to do what they wanted!
The famed General stroked his long, white beard, then, with the creak of his chair, moved to stand by the wall.
"I am a man born and raised of the Republic. I shall die for the Republic." Doddona quietly spoke, yet for all its low volume, his voice possessed a quality of firmness like that of steel.
Four more officers hesitated, then ultimately stood with him. Out of the 20 at the meeting, 20% had decided to honor their oaths.
It was then, at this moment of heightened tension, that Isard raised a pistol and fired it at the General.
Corvus moved, and deflected the shot right at the security bureau director, then all hell broke loose.
Comments
Karp
Shhhhhhhh
Cesar gonzalez
Glad you could course correct with tann’s personality before it got too late. She feels a lot more relatable and I could see her character doing something like this in canon. Also in canon the grand inquisitor already fell to sideous’s sway. Wonder if he’ll turn up
Karp
Maybe it would be worth mentioning, and I thought about it, but you've got to remember that for a thousand year+ the Jedi have been erasing any mention of the Sith. Maybe amongst all those people, only Tarkin would have the slightest inkling of what being a Sith actually meant. History on Earth is forgotten all the time, now imagine if the people in charge of the govt deliberately censored something for thousands of years, how many ppl would know the truth?
Real Fiend
Awesome Chapter! Was kinda hoping Corvus would point out Palpatine is literally a member of the Sith Order who’ve consistently been enemies of the republic and are known for corruption / deceit etc
Phoenix01
Damn, we really need that interlude chapter for all of the Chaos he’s causing.
Deathknight134
AHH!! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT SO GOOOOD!? Really wanna see the next chapter as quickly as possible. XD Tis' an amazing chapter as always. Tomorrow can't come soon enough... 😭
