Nawah and Nomi

Nomi finds Nawah on the evening after the blow-up about going to work for Seth Iscandar. Perhaps the air between the two of them is a bit awkward as Nomi gives a tentative gesture of hello. Her lekku make a motion too, but this is surely habit as Nawah would not be able to understand.

"Hey, Nawah, I want to say that I am sorry for blowing up at you when you came back from meeting with Iscandar. Of course you would agree to what he asks of you, he is holding your mother hostage. I should have been more sensitive to that and I got too caught up in my own feelings. It's complicated - a lot of angst is connected to being forced to do work for someone with power over you with no promise of reward, just trouble and possible bodily harm and so I guess I kind of slipped back into those old feelings. No excuse really, you're not the bad guy." She rubs the back of her neck. "So yeah, I'm sorry for coming at you like that."

Nawah knows enough to know that the lekku can be used for communication, but much like her own tattoos, if you weren't a member of that species or particularly skilled in the language, interpreting the gestures was a fruitless exercise at best. When Nomi arrives, Nawah waves casually back to Nomi. Her body language indicates she is perfectly comfortable around Nomi despite the earlier argument.

"Hi Nomi. I appreciate it, and don't give it much of a thought any longer. You certainly had cause to be upset, and disagreements are going to happen. For what it's worth, I don't expect us to exactly do much work for him. There are a few holes in his story, and this is just to buy us some time, really. And maybe drain his bank account for a few extra credits. Petty, perhaps, but I can't say I much care. I mean, he's part of the Empire. Can't he just get a bunch of clone troopers, who are known to be able to take down Force users, and throw them at the problem? I don't buy his given reason for specifically dragging me in being that he could get leverage on me. But I need to know what those reasons are and how he found out about me. Until this, the number of people who knew about that part of my past and are still alive to tell the tale is extremely small. Which means I have to buy, at least a little bit, into his games to get a seat at the table."

Nawah sighs. "This type of thing is why I keep my past a secret from pretty much everyone though. One of the oldest strategies is to leverage the people that your foe cares about. When I was going after fallen Force users, keeping my identity a secret meant my family didn't face retaliation if a mission went bad. And keeping it buried keeps everyone around me safe in case anyone is still out there holding a grudge and has pieced together who I am. But you were right that it was likely something I should have revealed when we were dealing with the Mirror, and for that I do apologize. I'm still trying to figure out why he thought I should be a target."

Nomi shrugs. "Believe it or not, I am not salty about you keeping your past a secret. Somi was the one who was really upset about it. I think she's past that now and maybe it was more about the fact that she thought you might be able to use your skills you'd once had against the Mirror. Though I do admit that I had wondered about your skills with a gun. Sharpshooting just doesn't seem on the right track for a negotiator." Nomi winks. "I'm sorry you have had to keep everything secret. I am sure that doesn't feel great, especially from people like Vesper and Somi whom you have known a long time. And at least you can be honest about it now. Are you feeling better with things out in the open? And knowing where your mom is, at least? I'm glad she's alive."

Nawah smiles a little bit at that. "There was, for a brief period of time on Coruscant, a saying about how when negotiations broke down into violence that it was called 'Aggressive Negotiations.' I'm not quite sure where that started though."

She considers the question about honesty for a moment before speaking again. "It is strange to have that information out among the group. It makes me a bit nervous that other people are out there who know who I was and that threat that poses. But it is probably more useful for everyone on the ship to know about it at this point, especially given the circumstances. I knew I couldn't keep the recording from everyone else, especially when I saw who it was and how it matched the description of the kidnapper that Rhen is after now. I'm just sorry everyone else is getting dragged into this. Ideally, I'd like to find a safe place for the Force users to lay low, not hang around the Core worlds. But it is good to know my mother is alive and something worse didn't happen to her. The situation can be fixed, once we get some more leverage and information, two things we sorely lack at the moment."

Nomi laughs, a short incredulous bark. "I don't think that we could get the Force users to lay low even if we ruck-tied them and put them to bed. They will always draw attention everywhere they go. Even Vesper who can vanish in shadows manages to get known. It's more a matter of making sure that the wrong people don't notice them. I think by drawing the attention to yourself you are doing a good job of that." She lifts one shoulder and drops it as she talks. "And perhaps this is a good test. Maybe after this it won't matter who else in the galaxy might know about your past. If we can handle an Imperial Commander with a network of tough guys, we can handle anything, right?"

Nawah laughs. "Vesper is the worst of the lot when it comes to keeping a low profile. Though to be fair, it hasn't been all that long since being a Padawan was a thing that got them a certain level of respect outside of the Jedi temples. It is hard to suddenly start hiding something that once brought you some measure of pride. But keeping some of the focus off them is a good thing. The Imperial Commander didn't seem to know I was traveling with anyone, or really didn't seem to care all that much."

The comment about it not mattering all that much gets a shake of her head. "There are likely people I don't even know who might relish a chance at coming after me. As much as a fallen Force user is a danger who needs to be eliminated, I always preferred to find a way to turn them back, but by the point I got involved, that was usually out of the question. Most of them, at some point, had families. Some of those families might still be around and if word got around to them, we could see some assassins show up looking for me. I'd prefer to keep everyone else out of that sort of crossfire, and the best way to do that is to bury that part of my past. At the very least until I can properly deal with all that might bring about again."

The last statement is said with a small sigh before she speaks again. "Probably means i have to take up practice again, get back into something of a fighting form. Or at least get myself some proper replacement gear at some point. But what about you? How're you holding up with everything? Especially with getting tossed down possibly the galaxy's longest garbage chute."

Nomi crinkles her nose. "Oh my stars you have no idea! It smelled so bad! I was honestly lucky I didn't break anything and that Zio was with me to help me avoid the things that live down there. He has surprisingly good night vision. Honestly I was so worried about what was going on up here that I didn't have too much time to worry about what was going on with me. I knew the Mirror probably copied my likeness somehow when he touched me and I knew he would try and use it against you all and it was all I could do to hope that everything was alright and work to try and find a way back up to the top."

Nomi looks down at her arms and pokes her scrawny bicep. "Maybe Brawln would be willing to do some training sessions. Exercises and fighting and stuff. If we are going to be in more fights then I could certainly use training like that. I am not a fighter, you know? But again, if we can deal with a shape-shifting assassin clone then I think we can deal with the pissed off family of fallen Jedi that you took out. When you say "fallen Jedi" do you mean people that started doing dark side stuff?" She wiggles her fingers ominously in the air, her lekku mimicking the motion. "Whatever that means? Do you know what it means?"

"Yeah. The physical copy was fine, but it didn't take too long to see through his deception," Nawah assures Nomi. "I'm just glad you all were able to get back up here. I'm surprised they don't have something in place to detect if somebody falls down there," Nawah adds, thinking that all through. It seems like it's something somebody should be monitoring, somewhere. "Let me know if you need to borrow some clean clothes. I don't know how much you and your sister have with you, but I think we're pretty close to the same size."

She nods about the training. "It'd be a good idea. I've been doing a bit on my own, but I'll admit I'm probably going to be better with a blaster in my hand than a sword or my fist anytime soon. It takes months to see significant results, though you do get some fairly rapid results when you first start strength training. Then it tends to level off and be more of a slow, steady progression. That's how it was for me, back when I was going up against fallen Force users regularly. That line of work keeps you in shape out of necessity."

Nawah pauses for a minute before continuing. "Most people use the term 'fallen Jedi' because they equate all Force users to Jedi. But it's more accurate to say fallen Force user or something like that. Most of them who fall were once Padawans who left the Jedi Order for one reason or another, by choice or not, or those who managed never to find a mentor and learned on their own. Though you sometimes might run into someone who was trained by a fallen Force user."

The woman sighs. "And that was where I came in, to deal with those who had fallen. Fortunately, it takes time to really master those powers, so I'm hoping this person is relatively young or at least new to their abilities. That means less of a chance they're going to use some of the more unpleasant abilities they could possess. But I'm reasonably well-versed in the different sides of the Force and how Force users can fall to the Dark side, so if you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them. I can't promise the topic to be especially pleasant, though."

Nomi rubs the back of her neck as she thinks about fallen Force users. "So, is it something that the person is doing that makes them 'dark', like the way they are behaving? Or it is something that they do with the Force? Can two people act the same and only one of them be a dark Force user? Is the dark side something that a Force user can sense, is it actually something different about the Force or is it just about how it's used that makes it dark?"

"First, the easier questions. Force users can sense the Dark and Light sides assuming they've trained their Force sensitivity powers. Not every Force user is skilled in all areas, but they all have the potential to learn pretty much any Force ability with time and training. A Force user can draw on either side of the Force. The Force is basically like a really fancy mystical set of batteries for their powers. One battery is clean fuel and the other is dirty fuel and they can pick which battery to draw power from. The Force, as an entity, has probably about the same amount on each side. Most of their powers can be fueled by either side, though some exceptions exist. A fallen Force user can certainly move objects with the Force or use mind tricks just like a Jedi, but they're using the Dark side to power their abilities."

Nawah pauses before speaking again.

"As to what turns someone Dark, it is kind of a scale thing. Take shoplifting. If a Light side Force user steals a cloak or something, that might move them a relatively small amount towards the Dark side. Not much, but it's a small step. But they might not take that small step if the person they're stealing from is, say, a corrupt shopkeeper as it balances out. More extreme morally questionable choices will push a Force user further towards the Dark side. Shooting someone in cold blood is going to push them that way a whole lot faster, for example, but defending from an attack isn't going to have the same repercussions on them since all living things can defend themselves.

"Using certain Force abilities can push a Force user to the Dark side because using them requires actually calling on the Dark side of the Force. Those are the exceptions I mentioned. There is a reason you would very rarely see a Jedi shoot lightning out of their hands. They prefer the Force Push method of using the Force to attack people because it doesn't require them to call on the Dark side. But a Jedi could, in theory, choose to call on the Dark side to shoot lightning from their hands. If they're strong enough morally, they could remain on the Light side of the Force as a whole. But they couldn't go and do it regularly without eventually falling.

"The thing is, falling is a term that is used judgmentally by those on the Light side, since most people equate being good and being above or on top of something while bad makes you at the bottom of something. From a Dark side perspective, someone might 'fall to the Light side'. What it really means is that they've slid along that scale to one side or the other. Then you have other Force traditions that preach about staying in the middle and accepting that balance is key. Those are the people you might see use Dark side Force powers alongside Light side ones. Since the Jedi sit on the extreme side of the scale in their beliefs, they tend to look down a bit on Force users who are willing to use both the Light and Dark side."

Nawah smiles a little. "Sorry, I haven't exactly gotten to talk about this much. I can get a little long-winded. That's my understanding of how it all works, anyway. I've had a number of conversations on the matter and that's kind of my understanding of it. One of the Force users can probably explain it better than I can though. Rhen would have some interesting perspectives, being a Nightsister."

Nomi nods. "I did talk to Rhen about it a little bit earlier. About the Sith and the Force. It just seems to be such a widely varied thing that I thought I would ask you what your experiences with it are too. Basically what I am hearing is immoral choices in action or use of the force make a person more 'dark.' That even if they are not using the Force at the time that they make an immoral choice then they still become a bit darker. Thus 'dark' is another term for 'doesn't always act with the greatest good and highest level of survival and help in mind' and 'light' is 'thinks about and tries to create the greatest good for the greatest help.' Or, even more simple, good vs. evil. Everywhere in the Galaxy you go there will be good and evil people. It's just more noticeable in force users because they are much more splashy and have loud or large powers?" Nomi screws up her lips in a way that shows she is thinking hard about it. "I just don't get how the 'no attachments' thing fits into that. Relationships and attachment are not automatically good or bad. How can they be such a taboo if one is to stay 'light?' It seems like such a individuating way of thinking. I would think it was the opposite. If you love all others and care for and respect them, being wide open to acceptance and attachment to the universe, wouldn't it be easier to go about doing no harm, or judge when you are going to do harm?"

"You've got it pretty well nailed down," Nawah says, "And yeah, Force users, since they're attuned to the Force, it's all amplified within them. Should we run into a Force user who is sufficiently down the Dark side path, you'll see some physical changes to them. Skin problems will be putting it mildly."

Then came out the question on the attachment clause. "I had a conversation with Vesper about the attachment clause awhile back. From the conversations I've had on voyages with Jedi I've found the attachment thing is more nuanced than it appears. You hear them say to forego all attachments and you think that means they aren't supposed to form any relationships whatsoever. But that's not really how it works. In fact, I'd say your thoughts on it are closer to the way it is intended to be read than the way it seemed to be enforced."

Nawah reaches up, stretching, before continuing on about that part of the Jedi code. "A Jedi is to be compassionate and caring. A protector to those unable to protect themselves. But you can't be compassionate or caring without actually caring about people. That naturally forms attachments and relationships with people. The attachment clause is more about accepting that things change and actually letting change happen. That clause really drives home the idea that a Jedi might have to make difficult choices that sadden them but serve the greater good. Saving a group of helpless bystanders or saving a friend type of choices. But if it was, say, just our group in a fight, caring about someone in the group and protecting them isn't going to send them down some path to the Dark Side. Friendship, personal relationships, and all that are natural. But if a Force user can't let go and mourns someone, letting grief take over their entire being, that can take them to the Dark side."

She shrugs. "I've never directly asked, but I imagine this is why Jedi never marry. A spouse is someone who you would want to protect, no matter what consequences there are. And failing to protect your spouse would be a very quick path for a Jedi to take to the Dark side."

"Failing to protect them or choosing a path of greater evil in order to protect them?" Nomi questions. "Perhaps it's 6 of one half a dozen the other." She follows up, "I suppose it is a choice. To love, but not to be so absorbed in that love that the loss or potential loss breaks you. To have compassion, but not passion. To care, but carefully. Yes, it would be very difficult to have a spouse or children and follow that path strictly." Nomi looks away out the door toward the rooms where her sister and friends sleep. She sighs and looks back at Nawah. "Thanks for explaining your viewpoint on it all. And sorry again for exploding on you about Iscandar."

Nawah nods. "It is how the Jedi see it. Not every Force tradition agrees, but again, the Jedi have been the one everyone knows about for a very long time." She exhales as her gaze follows Nomi's out the door. "Any time, and don't worry about it. I have been yelled at far more intensely. Water under the bridge and all that."

"Well, I'll try not to do it again," Nomi says with a smile. "I'm going to go hug my sister now and tell her I love her. Goodnight."