Darkness, and the Light.

Aiden entered the office of Grandmaster Ala Quin with quiet composure, though the weight he carried was evident in his eyes. He offered a respectful bow before speaking.

"I did not step away lightly," he began, his voice steady but subdued. "The artifact we uncovered was not merely dangerous. When I destroyed it, something answered. A fragment of it attached itself to me. I can feel it. Faint, but present."

He held her gaze, honest and unguarded.

"I did not risk the Order because of my pride, thinking that I am strong enough that even I couldn't be corrupted.. If there is even a chance that what lingers could be used against the Council, against the younglings, or against the Republic, then distance is the wiser path. I would rather bear it alone than allow it to spread.I did not resign out of fear. I was choosing caution, until I was certain that what clings to me poses no threat, I didn't want to stand in a position where it could harm those we are sworn to protect. However recently Master Sela Basran inquired if that was the best thing, perhaps it's better that I am around those who know me best, friends. I came to ask your thoughts on the matter."

Ala was sitting, legs folded, on her desk. It was a big desk. Twice as long as she was tall. And just about as wide as she was tall. "Your instinct to protect is strong, and noble Aiden." Her expression was soft, concerned but not worried.

"But Master Sela is wise. You need to have support. Tell me more of this artifact and its effect on you," she said, leaning forward, elbows propped on her knees.

"It was Sith in origin, old and dangerous. I believe it fed on proximity…on attention. The longer it remained intact, the stronger it became. It claimed the lives of Pal Veda's friends. I felt there wasn't time to convene the Council or debate its study. When it shattered, I felt nothing unusual. I was mentally drained, yes, but otherwise unchanged. Everything seemed fine."

His brow tightened slightly.

"But since then, there have been moments." He inhaled slowly. "A sharp pain across my mind. It forces me to flinch… to grimace. It feels like a dagger lodged in my thoughts, pressing deeper without warning. It comes suddenly, intensely…and then disappears just as quickly." His gaze remained steady on her. "It is not constant. It does not control me. But it is there. And I cannot ignore that."

Ala leaned forward some more, dangerously close to losing balance and toppling to the floor, and yet she retained composure. "Interesting. It just so happens that getting inside people's heads is a particular specialty of mine."

Her eyes narrowed.

"If you would allow me, I could probe your thoughts?" Ala said, trying not to make it sound *too weird.

"You certainly know how to make that sound comforting, Grandmaster," he said lightly, a hint of teasing in his tone.

The humor faded as quickly as it came. He stepped closer to her desk, expression settling into calm resolve.

"If you believe it wise, then yes," he said firmly.

He drew a steady breath and centered himself, lowering the natural barriers of his mind with deliberate care. He trusted Ala completely, thus there was no hesitation.

Her expression nigh on melted. Aiden's degree of faith in her clearly had an affect. She dropped down off the table, and even though standing, was not much taller than he. Still, she had a presence about her that seemed larger than the amount of air she displaced.

"Close your eyes," she said, as her hands rose to his temples, and her forehead pressed against his. Concentration was writ across her face. She, too, closed her eyes.

"We are one with the Force. The Force flows through us." She began a mantra.

He listened to the cadence of her mantra, steady and grounding. "We are one with the Force. The Force flows through us."

He drew in a slow, deliberate breath, centering himself. He reached for the familiar current within, the quiet light that had always anchored him. He did not search for the pain. He did not brace against it. He simply opened his mind and let the Force move as it would.

His thoughts stilled. His posture remained firm and he waited.

The mantra continued. Ala's voice wavered. Her hands trembled. But she regained composure in her tone. The mantra was reasserted, but now it sounded like a battle cry, whispered in determined pleas. After several moments. Drawn out like time was stretching, a moment filled a lifetime. And then Ala broke away, gasping for air, and almost stumbling back into the desk.

She paused, eyes fixed in horror on Aiden, but then...softness. Recovery. And she stepped over to wrap her arms around him.

"I will fight for you every moment," she promised.


Aiden felt her pull away, the sudden absence of contact more jarring than anything he had sensed through the Force. He had felt no surge, no vision, no shift. Only stillness on his end. But the look on her face told him enough. Something terrible....

He stepped forward as she reached for him, meeting her halfway. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly yet with care.

"Hey," he said softly, steady and reassuring. "I am going to be okay. I promise. I appreciate you saying that."

He eased back just enough to search her expression. "What did you see?"

He asked, and she squeezed his neck even more forcefully.

"I saw you. Standing over a fallen Jedi. You were kicking their lightsaber away. You turned towards me...your eyes...your eyes were red...and you raised your blade to strike me down."

Aiden drew in a slow breath as her words settled between them, as her grip tightened around his neck. He did not try to pull away.

"It will not be that way, Ala," he said quietly, firmly. Just resolve within him, light, and most of all hope. "I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening." His hands remained steady at her arms, grounding her as much as himself. "I have faced darkness before. I am still here, because I wasn't alone."

"Whatever you and Council decide to do with my situation, I will follow it." He smiled, as hopeful as he could. "I promise."