Open to 1 Kashyyyk I'm Looking For the Space Wizards

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

The towering trees, their gnarled branches intertwined, cast elongated shadows that danced upon the forest floor. The air hung heavy with the earthy aroma of moss and the distant murmur of unseen creatures. Gram, ever the lone traveler, felt the weight of the wilderness enveloping him, in stark contrast to the nebula he'd flown through on his way here.

As he ventured deeper, Gram's thoughts lingered on the complexities of his chosen path. The Jedi Order, once a beacon of unity, now scattered across the galaxy like leaves in the wind. The New Republic's demise had left him at a crossroads, and the journey into the uncharted territories of the Jedi sects seemed his only way forward.

The Vahla's attire, a blend of rugged spacer's garb and the peculiar grace of his kind, melded seamlessly with the organic tapestry of Kashyyyk. His leather jacket, adorned with frilled yellow shoulder pads, seemed to absorb the dappled sunlight filtering through the dense canopy above. The insignia of the Sorosuub Corporation on his leather belt gleamed subtly, his brown leather holster devoid of it's usual blaster.

In his hands, Gram held a holopad, its luminous glow casting a soft radiance on his focused expression. The chrome commlink, now a conduit to his thoughts, recorded his musings as he navigated the labyrinthine undergrowth. The forest whispered secrets, and Gram, unburdened by the weight of his spoken words, recorded his travels on the holopad - something he had taken to after his injuries.

“Personal Log. I’ve managed to convince myself that leaving the Mantis at Thikkiana City was a good idea. That, and asking the Jedi directly for tutelage or membership…”

Gram paused, ducking under an overgrown branch.

“Taken me all day to walk through the wilderness these wookies call home. Can’t say I’m unhappy the locals have left me be. Should be arriving at the site of the Temple in a few moments. I’ll update my log after that.”. The path may be tangled, but I tread willingly."

As Gram spoke, the forest began to shift around him. The underbrush, once an impenetrable maze, yielded to a secluded clearing. Meticulously crafted stone railings bordered an overgrown walkway, leading the way to a hidden destination. Moss-laden statues, guardians of an ancient legacy, stood as beacons to the Temple that lay ahead.

Undaunted by the possibility of danger, or a hostile welcome, Gram pressed on.

His footsteps echoing in the serene hush of the Kashyyyk wilderness. The Temple awaited in the clearing ahead, even as the sun sunk ever lower into the noon-day sky.

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred chuckled to himself atop his little stone. Before him on the ground, the little green tumor-like thing wriggled inside its container. This was a very strange feeling Alhazred was developing. While the thing inside was not sentient, or at least not yet, it was still quite alive. The conversation between him and it in his head had become quite interesting. True, it was all telepathic, and the thing was only speaking in images and vague feelings and had absolutely no understanding of words, but it was a conversation none the less.

A twig snapped. Alhazred glanced up at the approach of a stranger. In the underbrush, the small Nu-Vaal could see rustling of branches. Someone was approaching. Perhaps a native wookie? Or a fellow Jedi? The recently knighted Nu-Vaal jumped off his rock and quickly fasted the container much like one would fasten a backpack.

"Hello!" Alhazred whispered, hoping his strained vocal cords were loud enough to be heard and that the appearance of such a being like himself, squidlike and dressed in robes and a turban, would not be too startling.

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Gram lost his concentration from the abruptness of the newcomers appearance, dashing his foot on a jagged pebble that send the cylindrical recording device sprawling underneath a fern.

The statue is talking. Great. I’ve officially lost my mind.

Cautiously raising his head, the Vahla took a long glance at the statue. He blinked, not entirely unconvinced that he was hallucinating. Or had lost his mind. What was the legitimate probability of running into a tiny squid thing, on a statue leading up to the entrance of a Jedi Temple.

Must be astronomically low, right? Taking a closer look at the statue before replying, Gram quickly realized that it was in fact some form of chamber. The squid-being, ironically clad in robes with a turban, peered towards a bemused Gram. The glass housing that held him suspended reminded the Vahla of a Starship in a Bottle. A Jedi-genie lamp, if you would.

“Uhm… hello, little guy. Sorry to disturb your rest. I was just trying to get to the Temple ahead of this clearing.”

Gram leaned down next to the incubator, scooping low to collect his comm, before rising again to dust the leaves and dirt of his clothing awkwardly.

“Was looking to join the Order.”

@Narzen

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred smiled slightly. Not at the approaching individual's fall, but rather at the openness of his task. It wasn't everyday someone just up and stated they were looking to join the Jedi. If anything, Alhazred never heard it himself. Perhaps it was more common than he knew, but this was still a first time to him. After all, in his own experience, he was approached by the Jedi, not the other way around.

"And why would you commit yourself to such an obtuse order?" Alhazred asked while approaching the man, looking up while half smiling behind his face tendrils, hands tightly gripping the straps of the container now on his own back. "Haven't you read a holonet publication? I heard those madmen are busy summoning void-spawn monsters and declaring themselves crackpot crusaders. So why would anyone want to join those idiots?"

Alhazred was referencing two things: The fact that the Jedi had recently undergone a kind of tone change and, more personally, the tabloid publication of an 'event' that he himself had participated in. But he was curious about this person. He wouldn't turn him away in the end, but if he could get to know this man better beforehand, that wouldn't be bad.

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Gram paid little heed to the squid’s assessment of the Order. It was rather interesting that this being was questioning him, while actively propagating an argument to dissuade him. Gram didn’t want to be hasty and assume that he was talking to a Jedi. Could be an Acolyte, set up here to warn Sith of any returning Jedi. But Gram didn’t sense the Dark Side, nor any hostile intent, nearby.

“I don’t tend to read tabloids. Most of the muckrakers that write for those outlets are paid off chills. I’ve got family and friends in the Order.”

Gram skirted the squid-being’s question, at first. But the strange creature, while observing him, seemed to radiate an inviting and innocent energy. The Vahla couldn’t imagine the cephalopod had much in the way of aggression at all. The last thing that the floating turban mentioned was worth noting. He’s heard musings and hearsay of the Order having split into various factions and subsections, fractured under various philosophies and Masters. Recently, he’d only encountered the Crusader-style Jedi. Whereas his cousin, Eileen, and most of his old Jedi contacts had been (and presumably still were) traditionalist.

Gram thumbed his drive into his leather pocket and cleared his throat awkwardly, considering the risks of information dumping on a random stranger in the middle of a Forest. Taking one last look at the tank, the Vahla scoffed, half-heartedly finishing his answer.

“…Long story condensed, I betrayed the Sith long before the Imperial coupe. Some of the Order’s Knights offered to help me. Ended up losing a fight trying to save a Jedi named Nykoria Tallis. Her Padawan got out alive.”

Gram paused, his organic hand reaching up the cuff of his shirt to feel the cold metal of durasteel and bronzium. His hair stood on end momentarily as a flashing memory - a white hot sting, the smell of burning flesh, the sound and sensation of bones cracking. It caused him to visibly shudder, shaking his head slightly. It had been, quite possibly, the dumbest move - trying to take on his equal in skills, and a Sith Lady in tandem.

He’d known that the likelihood of success was low. At the time, however, all he could think about was Nykoria and that Twi’lek girl. Nothing else had mattered. What he had not expected, was how quickly the bout had been decided. He’d stalled long enough for the girl to escape, but couldn’t get to Nykoria. Why he felt that this squid-being was trustworthy enough to know was nothing more than a suspicion. A suspicion that led him to believe he was more than he appeared to be.

“I’ve been in hiding, recovering from my wounds, until recently. I’ve been invited to this Temple before, when I was very young. Figured a good place as any to look.”

@Darasuum

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred raised a hand and brushed his face tendrils much how one would brush their beard in thought. This one was interesting and had a very filled past.

"Betrayed the Sith? Your words are quite enthralling."

Alhazred left his words hanging in the air for a moment. In the container, the small tumor-esque thing wriggled. Alhazred bent his head towards it, and nodded as if he heard something.

"Oh that is very true. Very true. Squirt here just advised me that the crusaders would be a good people for a revenge quester. After all, you found defeat, and the crusaders are the fighters against the dark. Yes, very true. It is as the Road Home states: 'Anger is power. Unleash it.' And what better place to unleash anger than in a crusade?"

Alhazred smiled and stepped to the side and gestured forward, almost mockingly.

"Carry on then, enthralling man. The crusaders I'm sure could utilize a ex-cultist in their war against the dark. And those traditionalists could house a weakling if revenge isn't your quest."

Alhazred disliked being antagonistic, but in his mind, he felt he could understand this being a bit better by doing so. He hoped his words could draw out the man's motives better than simply asking for them. And if his words drew out some anger, then this man probably had some less physical healing to go through, and perhaps he could help with that.

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

“I…”

Gram was uncertain how to respond to the being’s thoughts on his past being enthralling. It had been quite brutal, overall, and something he did not often discuss.

“…these new Crusaders seem to have left you with quite the impression…”

The Vahla was now slightly bemused. The squid seems to have changed his attention to a small, strange growth in his tank. He then began to speak to it, and seemed to have a miniature conversation before uttering his musings to the mystic. The Jedi Crusaders he’d met so far were hardly big on vengeance. Sure, they were brash and unprofessional, though they were still just as pacifistic as any other Knights he’d met.

“I’m not so sure giving into anger is the Jedi way. I know well enough how easy giving in to your anger can be. I was forced to unleash it, used like a tool devoid of autonomy, for a long time…”

His amber eyes thinned, his fists tightening slightly. Sighing deeply, the Vahla allowed his words to hang in the air. The Nu-Vaal (Gram assumed, based on the mention of their holy book) seemed to be getting a tad cross with him. There was a blatant, and not so effective insult hidden in his rhetoric, as he motioned the Vahla onward. Even the motion of the creature indicated sarcasm. But Gram barely reacted, shaking his head gently, scoffing at the term ‘cultist’.

“You’re just a ton of fun today, aren’t you? What’s your deal, turban?”

He was used to some level of hostility after people discovered he was formerly Sith, nothing terribly surprising. It still revealed precious little about this Squid. He very quickly went from welcoming and naive to snappy and rude, and clearly sought to at least inquire as to why Gram was there, or otherwise prod him into something regrettable. It was… odd.

“You keen on letting a weakling like me in on what you’re doing, spooking people on a trail to a Jedi Temple?”

@Darasuum

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred shrugged. "I'm a Nu-Vaal, you ex-cultist. Call me Abda-Vaal. I'm interested in all things, but the end times and their causes especially. "

Alhazred was not lying. His own fascination with his people's religion served him well in learning the Force, and vice versa.

"And why would the Jedi care? The crusaders are seeking warriors. If anyone is spooked by my words, then what good would the weak willed have been for their cause? True, the Jedi traditionists might mind, but since I'm not harming anyone, I don't think they would force me to do anything. Pacifistic idiots the lot of them. "

Alhazred paused as he pretended to listen to the container again and nodded.

"Hmmm, yes yes, that is true. He could attack me and make me leave, and claim it was in ignorance. After all, he is exx-Sith, must have many fighting skills. Very good thinking squirt."

Alhazred looked up at the man's face and smirked. "Nah, he's too weak to do such a thing. Or too irenic. Either way..."

Alhazred snapped a finger as a thought occurred. "Tell you what, you sit with me and answer my 5 questions, I'll leave freely. That's a good compromise, yes? 5 questions to make me go away? But if you lie, or if I sense you lie, then my deal is off, and I'll sit here spooking every idiot who comes by"

Alhazred looked around and noticed a small rock nearby. Without waiting for an answer, he scooted himself over to it and took a seat on it, setting the container on the ground next to him. He looked at the man, waiting to see if he would agree or not. If he did, the questions would start. If not, then he would perhaps follow the man himself, just to keep the conversation going.

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

Gram observed the Nu-Vaal's peculiar behavior with a sense of wariness and unease. This philosophy was dangerously close to the one he had been taught by the Sorcerers of Rhand. It was clear the creature sought some form of reaction. Though, the Vahla's demeanor barely changed.

"Abda-Vaal..."

Gram acknowledged, his tone measured. Gram's eyes bore into Alhazred, his expression brusque and cold. The mention of his past had unsettled him, but he wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Yet still, his damaged memories of his training in the Nihil Retreat, before being gifted to the Sith Eternal, began to pain him.

"...Only power is real, and the only real power is the power to destroy. Existence is fleeting. Destruction is eternal. My teachers shared your people's beliefs in the end of all things. As for the Jedi and their concerns, they are bound by their principles, misguided or not."

Gram listened to the Nu-Vaal's ramblings, as they slowly grated on his patience. The creature's demeanor oscillated between amusement and condescension, making Gram wonder about the true motivations behind their surprise encounter. With a slight incline of his head, the Mystic responded, his voice carrying a weight of experience.

"Your Dun Moch needs a lot of work. You antagonize me - yet your words carry no heart, Nu-Vaal. Your game intrigues me - I admit. But like I said, you know a whole lot about me and I know basically nothing about you."

Leaning forward slightly, Gram regarded the Nu-Vaal with a measured intensity. In his mind, the Mystic weighed the situation. The Nu-Vaal's curiosity bordered on intrusive, yet Gram sensed the being was providing ample opportunity for dialogue amidst the eccentricities. He could not yet shake the feeling this was a battery of tests, in some capacity. And so, he would play along.

"I'll indulge your questions. If, instead of leaving, you let me ask my own. A two way street, if you would."

@Darasuum

 

[Alhazred]

"Deal" Alhazred nodded and gestered to sit down. His idea of antagonizing the man to get his real feelings was perceived. Alhazred wasn't too surprised. He wasn't exactly an expert in it. "Though if i sense a lie, then you lose a question. Now sit down, my curious brain will not be hindered"

"Now I get to go first, since I proposed the deal" Alhazred stated, not bothering with neither niceties nor acknowledgement of his caveat of lying resulting is lost questions. "Lets see, where to start, where to start...ah! Of course! At the start!" Alhazred chuckled to himself and rubbed his webbed hands together. In his head, he was imitating a cousin of his back on Ektra City, who had taken up the profession of an occult fortune teller. His turban on his slick green skin certainly gave him an odd look.

"My question, my first question, is this. What was the situation when you joined the Sith?"

Alhazred chose his words carefully. He didn't know how clever this man was, but he figured simply asking 'why' or 'when' he joined the Sith would result in simply straightforward answers. Alhazred wanted to get deep into the man's heart. He wanted to understand him fully.

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

“So be it. I used work for the Sorosuub Corporation. When I was in my early twenties, I was assigned to a vessel that scouted potential hyperspace routes...”

Gram set down, crossed legged, on the greenery beneath him. He launched into his story with surprising ease, though his voice seemed to be rather monotone. As though he was trying to relay the story without reacting to its contents. The beginning of his tale was not a pleasant one, and his memories of his captivity were fresh. The damage still raw. As he spoke, The Vahla felt his mind shifting back to the past, his body becoming jittery and anxious. His adrenal system wanted to activate, to counter unseen threats that he knew no longer haunted him. He continued to speak, simply wringing his hands subconsciously

“Our hyperdrive was damaged in an accident. So, we set the sublight engines and set up our distress beacons. Before long, we received an answer from an outpost that seemed to be built inside the asteroid formation. When we acknowledged their hails and set down…”

The Vahla stopped his story. The words hung in the air for a moment, somber, as the once vibrant amber eyes lost their sheen. They seemed to glass over, as Gram was no longer in the present. His mind, his memories, were now locked in the past.

“We were captured. By a group known as the Sorcerers of Rhand. In order to appease their Dark, they sacrificed my crew. Once they realized I was Force Sensitive, they forced me to join their number, before gifting me to the Sith as appeasement.”

@Darasuum

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred looked at the man as he began to reveal his history further. A wave of pity intermixed with curiosity came from the Nu-Vaal. This man was revealing a very tough time of his life, and probably one he did not want to talk about.

In Alhazred's mind, that was the exact reason why it needed to be talked about. The Life of a Jedi required one to face their demons and traumas. By the void itself, the life of a growing sentient required one to face their past and reconcile with it.

"The Sorcerors of Rhand?" Alhazred spoke up, stroking his face tendrils again. He remembered reading a brief excerpt about those darksiders, but couldn't recall much about it. "So you were pressganged into the Sith at first, hmmm? Interesting... interesting. Ooo, but that raises my next question."

Alhazred's black eyes squinted in suspicion. If the previous question was hard, the next one might become more difficult.

"Ah, but our arrangement. You get to investigate by proposing me a question.. Come, what is it you want to know? The secrets of my race? The make of my turban? Or perhaps you want to ask squirt here a question"

Alhazred chortled as he tapped on the container. Inside it, the thing wriggled around.

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

“Just be happy I’m the first Rhandite you meet. That lot make the Sith look like amateurs.”

He spoke the words, realizing the stomach-curdling terror they were in reality. Though the Sorcerers of Rhand were largely inhuman beings, warped by the power of their dark cult, they had very similar tastes in wear. Most of the Nihil Retreat wore aristocratic-like robes, or spacer gear that invoked the image of nobility. Just like Gram did. Though he considered himself a Rhandite, in reality, he had been little more than a pawn to the addiction of that sorcery - controlled by the touch of the Dark, lacking even the most basic self-will to refuse.

“You seem to know a decent amount about the Jedi. Is it true that they can actually strip the Dark out of someone?”

The Vahla continued, his cybernetic appendage loosely grabbing at a chain around his neck. If Alzhared looked closely enough, and knew what he was looking for, he would quickly come to recognize that the bronzium chain around his neck shared designs with a Rhandite crown. The Vahla seemed to not even realize it was there, nor that it seemed to affect him. Only that he had sought the Jedi out to help him control the Dark Side. If he could not tame himself, he would eventually devolve into an abomination. Or worse.

“I need help. I do not know how to use the Force. My abilities come from the void between life and death - it controls me as much as I control it. I would like to grow beyond this, but I don’t know how.”

It sounded unbelievably pitiful. But the humour, the general happiness that Gram was usually sporting as a mask was gone. In its place, genuine fear and anxiety had emerged. Even the small, strange growth in the chamber did not elicit a laugh. Simply a long, hard stare. He’d asked for help before, but clearly, he had not asked desperately enough.

@Darasuum (Sorry, I had this post written two days ago, but I guess I forgot to click reply)

 

[Alhazred]

"Boo!" Alhazred exclaimed suddenly while jumping slightly on his rear atop his stone, much like a child would. "Boo I say! Such a boring question. I expected something good like my point of origin, or the secrets of the stars. Boo!"

Alhazred grumbled slightly before responding. "No matter, your question is moot. Is not the dark side more like a drug? You take it, and use it, and use it, letting it slowly consume you, and in turn, consume it? You use the beast's power, and in turn, it corrupts you slowly, stronger with every use until, it is too late? Yes, that is what I believe. But who knows, perhaps the Jedi do hold such a secret power. Who can fathom the ways of the Force?"

"Then again..." Alhazred continued, musing outloud. "Did not the greatest of sith recover from the dark side ? The Skywalkers were prone to darkness and redemption, weren't they? That Vader, that Ren.... all redeemed themselves, did they not? So perhaps a ritual isn't needed, and you just need to man up and avoid the darkness all together. No Jedi needed for such a task... unless you are truly worried you will give into temptation. Then no wonder the Sith allowed you to leave, haha! You'd do more damage outside their cult!"

Alhazred smiled as he showed he actually had no idea if such a ritual did exist. Still, the best path for healing from the darkside most likely did reside with the Jedi. After all, when he had succumbed to the darkside when fighting a starweird, it was only through counseling and meditation did he redeemed himself.

"My turn, my turn!" Alhazred spoke excitedly. "Now you said you were press-ganged into the Sith. However! that doesn't mean you were officially one of them, were you? No, i doubt it. So tell me: What was the moment when you realized that you were sith. Not when you were among sith, or that you were guilty by association, but the moment when, you, yourself, realized that in your heart, you were a sith? Was it when you killed someone? Or perhaps you took advantage of someone with lesser power? No, no, you sound too timid for that. Tell me, entertain my question."

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

”Well, I’m sorry I’m being such a neglectful guest. Next time it’ll be about you. Or your friend.”

As Gram listened, the squid-being began to describe what he viewed as the Dark Side. He certainly had a romanticized notion, with the Vahla raising an eyebrow at how in-depth the knowledge seemed to be. Basically summarized, sure, but most denizens of the galaxy thought Jedi and Sith were basically the same.

Gram nodded to Alzhared’s query, sighing.

If the Dark Side was as an addiction, then by that very definition, ‘kicking the can’ would be difficult to do alone. The Nu-Vaal ended his musings with the belief that Dark Siders could simply give up the addiction. The comparison to some of the ancient, notable Sith did give the Van Alasdaire a moment of acknowledgement. Though he would be remiss to put himself on the same level as some of those beings, galactic legends that they were.

The Vahla had stopped utilizing the Dark Side since he realized its necrotic effects. But was still convinced the Order was the best equipped to help him, and give him opportunity to help the Galaxy in-turn.

Now came the Nu-Vaal’s question. He barely allowed Gram any chance to think, between all the information he had just received. And the rather loaded question he was being asked.

Did I ever consider myself Sith?

Gram haphazardly withdrew a vaporizer from the pocket of his jacket and raised it to his lips, allowing the heat of the vapour to highlight his face in a warm glow. This was one of those queries were an indirect answer would likely make his point clearer.

”Does a Tauntaun believe themselves a speeder when used as one? Even after all they have done to me, I remain incapable of their level of cruelty. I did what I had to do to survive. I have never, and will never, consider myself Sith.”

@Darasuum

 

[Alhazred]

Alhazred crossed his arms. "Hmph. A tauntan is an animal, devoid of sentience. All he knows if move and eat, and cares not for his title. We are capable of much higher reasonings, and know the complexities of life. I know I am a Nu-Vaal, but also a scholar and a nuisance. The King declares himself king, even though he knows he is a mere man. And a criminal may deny it, but he knows he is a criminal by definition. Are you saying that you never ever, even in a moment of guilt or sobering horror, thought 'by the force I am one of these madmen?"

Alhazred looked aside and waved his hand in pretend annoyance. "Fine, I accept your answer for now, as disappointing as it is. Perhaps I should ask you your worse atrocity in the Sith instead next time. No matter. Go ahead and ask me your query."

@Aurius

 

[Gram Van Alasdaire]

A slight smile crossed Gram's lips as the Nu-Vaal mused about how a Tauntaun was not capable of the same level of mental acuity most sentients were accustomed to. And therein lied his point, exactly. The Nu-Vaal had invertedly understood exactly the type of viewpoint the Vahla wanted to impart.

"To a Sith, we are all sub-sentients. None too different from a Tauntaun - to be controlled, manipulated, used and eventually disposed of. Sycophants and sociopaths tend to find themselves ranked highly among the Sith - they are easy to control. As disappointing as it may be, it's hard to consider your kidnappers allies."

Gram scoffed as the Nu-Vaal mused about his worst atrocity. Again, should he ask, the answer would likely disappoint him. Gram had been, by and large, a double agent from the moment he had enough freedom to leak information. The times were he was required to act the part of a Sith, he had been smart enough to remain on the periphery. Sure, he'd taken innocent lives, and often those lives haunted him. But if he had not been the one to kill them, their fates might have been agonizing, and torturously slow. The Van Alasdaire had been ruthless, efficient, and compassionate where he was allowed.

The Mystic did not hesitate with his next question. It was a little more philosophical, and definitely personal, but it would help the maturing Vahla to understand what the Nu-Vaal was actually doing here. He'd made no move against Gram, and seemed entirely content sitting in this open field. Perhaps this was another one of those lessons that the Force was attempting to teach him, one just beyond the cusp of his understanding.

"...what about you, Abda-Vaal. What do you and your small friend consider to be your 'defining moment'? Something that put the Galaxy into perspective, maybe showed you your true calling. Or are you just a wanderer, looking for a home, as I am?"

@Darasuum

 

[Alhazred]

"My defining moment..." Alhazred repeated the words. "Now that's a good question..."

Alhazred had to actually pause and think on this one. He had many experiences that helped develop him into what he was today. The day his host left him. The first time he tapped into the Force under a Jedi's tutelage. The day he left Yag'Dhul for the temples. By the void, the time he 'summoned' a star weird in the depths of space was defining in its own right, as when he cut off his head tendril to produce his spawn that was currently growing inside the container. But none of those were his 'defining' moment. They were simply experiences that colored him.

"Ah, I have it..." Alhazred snapped a webbed finger. "Ever heard of the planet Annwfyn? Its a beautiful place. Of all the planets in the galaxy, it is thriving with life and sentience and sophistication on a level only rivaled by those of Naboo. But it is also a place of xenophobia as well, so don't expect to be welcomed there any time soon.

My studies brought me to Annwfyn, and it was there I met with one of the natives. A fair woman, who's own knowledge in the Force and its connection to nature around us, gave me this..."

Alhazred gestured to his turban, or rather, the blue jeweled crown interwoven in the turban. "A decloration of being what they call a 'Child of Nature'. Following this, she gave me new knowledge, her husband bequeathed me a new title, and their children made me recognise there is more to life than strict study and observation..."

Alhazred looked and tapped the DX container. Inside, the tumor-thing wiggled happily, as if it knew it was being talked about.

"But that crowning moment...that defined me greatly. I may be a scholar and a follower of the Dead God, in all of his harsh lessons, but I am also a Child of Nature..."

The small Nu-Vaal sighed and sat a few somber minutes in silence, recalling the moment well. The moment when he was knighted into the Jedi Order. Annwfyn was truly a magnificent place and where his defining moment occurred. Where his old form fell and his new form arose.

"A very good question. But now, lets return back to a subject worthy of more study...you" Alhazred chortled. "You asked if the Jedi could strip the darkness out of someone. That indicates you have done misdeeds to acquire the darkness. So, confess to me: What have you done?"

@Aurius