Private Seeing Double

[Kal]

Many eyes watched over the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, some organic and some mechanical. Within its halls were various Jedi, most gifted with at least a modicum of supernatural awareness; such a place was not easy to breach, especially in wartime, and yet Kal's incorporeal form more or less just... strolled in. Perhaps they had not bothered to plan for such pecularities, perhaps he was particularly subtle, or perhaps he was just lucky.

No matter, he bore them no ill will - and therein lay an advantage, for the Force often whispered of impending danger.

---

There were many a being worthy of study within these halls; Dagon Kaze was one of them, certainly, but by no means more exceptional than the rest, at least in Kal's eyes. His presence was, however, noted alongside the rest - which was why Kal was so surprised to be greeted by the very same person after passing through a few walls. One in a sparring room, one in the library. Twins? No, not quite, the second felt off.

Curiosity piqued, the Shadow drifted after the not-quite-Dagon as it made its way from the library with a stack of borrowed books, eventually ending up in a small cell - spartan even by Jedi standards, almost prison-like. How odd.​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Once the library cart had divested its contents onto the table in Kai’s cell, Aeris departed with the empty carrier, Kai waving goodbye to her as she left. The doppelganger painstakingly arranged the stacks of books, organizing them alphabetically in careful straight lines, then picked one out and sat on the bed.

He didn’t have a chance to start reading it, however, before he felt a presence somewhere nearby. There shouldn’t have been anyone else around—no one except Hrroarwic, the Wookiee Jedi assigned to guard him. This was something new and strange.

The doppelganger started to rise, more curious than alarmed. He knew the room next to his was empty—was someone in there now? His gaze went immediately to the vent which allowed him to explore the rest of the cell block, then darted toward the general direction of Hrroarwic. The chance came; Kai removed the grate covering the vent and slithered inside, contorting his body in order to fit.

Kal​

 

[Kal]

The man arranged his books carefully, seemingly unaware of Kal's observations - but that lack of awareness did not last. The length of his stay might well be the reason, or perhaps it was due to the depth of his scrutiny. No matter, the false Dagon did not seem to know his nature or location.

A gut feeling, most likely. The vague impression of something distinctly different nearby.

Following close after as the not-quite-human contorted its body to pass through the vent, Kal's suspicions were all but confirmed. A shapeshifter of sorts, clearly, but it was more than that - the nature of its movements, so decidedly inhuman, seemed familiar. Doppelganger or just Shi'ido? He had not expected to find the former in a Jedi Temple, but that could go a long way towards explaining the nature of its accommodations.

The Jedi were not particularly well-known for their acceptance of the unnatural, after all.

As the false Dagon reached the nextdoor room, he would be greeted by a cell devoid of occupants and an ephemeral voice whispering into his mind as if from nowhere and everywhere. <Close, but not quite; I am not flesh and blood like you. Impressive senses, by the way. The Jedi did not notice.​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Nobody here. Huh. Kai gave the room another once-over, then turned to go—but a voice in his head stopped him.

It had been quite a while since he had spoken with anyone using only telepathy. He’d gotten used to projecting his thoughts and having to listen to the vocalizations of those around him. The prospect of rapid mental communication excited him at first, but then he grew more cautious. This was, after all, a complete stranger, and their meeting was occurring under as-yet unexplained circumstances.

<Who are you? What are you doing here?>

Kal​

 

[Kal]

For once, Kal asked a question mind-to-mind and received an answer in the same fashion. A welcome change of pace, especially where subtlety was of some importance. The Wookie was unlikely to cause too much of an issue, but best not cut an interesting conversation short.

<Oh, no one of importance. A wandering spectator, no more, no less.> If his senses were sufficiently developed, the shapeshifter might notice the faint tingling of a presence passing him by, as if something beyond mortal eyes and ears was drifting about him, studying him avidly. <Allow me to turn the question back at you: What are you, Shifter? A prisoner, a guest, or something wholly different?>

Someone they felt the need to keep an eye on, certainly, but not one they considered overly dangerous if he was not mistaken. A wayward student, a young being recovered from the ranks of the Sith and their ilk, or one distrusted on species alone. Hard to say.

The Jedi were not normally prone to the latter, but perhaps if he had been touched or altered by the Dark...​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai did indeed sense a presence close by, a very strange one indeed. The mysterious being refused to identify itself and gave only a vague answer as to why it was there, but then turned around and asked the same questions, expecting clear answers. Kai was distinctly aware of the unfairness of this, in the same way a child resents an older sibling’s tyranny, but he didn’t know how to regain control over the conversation. In all honesty, he was utterly bewildered by this encounter already...

<I am Kai. I live here.>

This was true, more or less. He didn’t consider himself a prisoner, given that he could come and go as he pleased, provided he wasn’t spotted by the guards, and he rather preferred this clean little cell to the other places he’d taken shelter in before his arrival. To illustrate the difference, he projected images of arctic snow, a dark forest shrouded in fog, and the medbay of a fortress directly into the consciousness of the “wandering spectator”.

<My real home is gone, so now I am here.>

Kal​

 

[Kal]

There was something distinctly childlike about this Kai and the way he saw the world, or so it seemed from the brief peeks Kal had gotten into his way of thinking. Then there was his decision to adopt the form of a Jedi - and not in an attempt to assume his identity; an unusual choice, assuming it was one. There was always the chance the presumably young creature's abilities were still untested and unrefined.

Perhaps his control of the finer details remained tenuous at best.

<I see. Thank you, Kai.> The images he relayed certainly seemed to indicate quite the chaotic origin. Did the being truly mean to indicate that he had emerged from the wilds not long ago, or was it merely the highlights? <The Jedi found you and brought you here, then? Why?>​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

<You’re welcome.>

Kai grew restless at the spectator’s next query, ruffling his shaggy black hair with one hand as he paced the narrow, empty cell. In his mind were images of destruction and death, the end of innocence. Claws crushing the crystal body of a newborn being—

<I got put in this body by a Sith. They’re bad, very bad. I didn’t want to be bad, so I ran away.>

He stopped pacing, his agitation fading as the events he recalled became less distressing. Dagon Kaze pulling him to safety and freedom on the other side of a medbay window. The sight and sound of a blue lightsaber igniting, and the feel of Dagon's blood on his hand as Kai tried to use his power to heal the wound dealt him by the Cold One...

<Dagon found me. He’s a Jedi. He’s good. Jedi are good. I want to be good, too.>

He avoided admitting that he was there because he had no other choice, but the implication was there. He had nowhere else to go. Well, not yet, anyway.

Kal​

 

[Kal]

A painfully simplistic point of view to further reinforce his impression that the being before him was quite young indeed; not that the Sith weren't more malicious than the Jedi, at least on average. Even the purest of selflessness could be turned towards wicked ends by manipulation and simple persuasion, however, and the Jedi were no more incorruptible than anyone else - both as individuals and as a whole.

<You want to be a Jedi, then? A wielder of the Light and a follower of their Code?>

Inspired by one Dagon the Jedi, clearly a rescuer of sorts. If the being was as impressionable as it seemed, it seemed more likely than not that this would be the man whose appearance Kai had chosen to adopt. If so, was it attempting to imitate him in other ways?

More observations were needed to answer that question - both of this Dagon and the being before him.

<If I may, why would the Sith wish to move you into a new body? An experiment of some kind?>​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Yes.>

He paused as he mulled over the specifics of what Kal was saying, trying to understand this legalistic, cynical way of thinking the stranger posited. After a little while, he shrugged.

<I only want to be good.>

His definition of what was good encompassed anything which did not hurt him or others, or at its most violent, protected and defended. It also included things which brought him pleasure. Food, books, games, Jedi, comic book crime fighters, and the handful of people whom he considered friends were all good. So were working toilets and long periods of silence.

<I don’t know. The Sith said he wanted to give me a new life. He killed my companion and took me away from my old life. I don’t know why.>

The companion was a crystalline being which represented a pure ideal of love and care; a parent, sibling, and friend all in one. Their demise occurred at the hands of a demonic figure with a hideously ugly, gnarled visage—a Sith reeking of corruption. Recalling these distressing memories brought about a sharp change in Kai’s temperament. He was reminded of the stranger’s evasions, the unfairness of a one-sided conversation. It was starting to feel like an interrogation.

<Are you just going to ask questions and not answer any of mine? And stay invisible the whole time, so I can’t even see what you look like?>

Kal​

 

[Kal]

Despite his impression that the shifter was a somewhat unreliable narrator at best, his description of the Sith's actions certainly fit their Order and its ideology. The Sith were all about power, preferably over others - some exerted it through politics, some through strength of arms and force of will, and some delved deeper still, reshaping the unwilling in their image. This certainly seemed a case of the latter.

<I see. Thank you for sharing, Kai - I am sorry for your loss.> A phrase parroted from humans, perhaps, but not one without meaning; Kal truly did not want to see anyone suffer, doubly so children who had yet to be given the chance to live lives of their own.

Noting the beginnings of agitation in Kai's demeanour, Kal was quick to respond. <Please, ask away. I'm afraid I am not much to look at, however. As a spirit, any visage I choose to adopt would be a reflection of my surroundings. Much like you, I expect?> As if to prove a point, a shadowy form seemed to manifest out of nowhere, its hues of black and grey forming an otherwise identical third Dagon.

Except, of course, for a pair of white eyes, the not-quite-real light they radiated constantly shifting.​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

<You’re only a spirit? With no body?>

Kai blinked as the stranger finally took on a visible shape. The sight brought with it a small sense of disappointment, as when all great mysteries are unveiled and fail to live up to one’s exact expectations. Still, the Doppelganger stood with his legs apart and rested his fists on his hips, narrowing his eyes and wrinkling his nose at the monochrome copy of Dagon with boyish bluster.

<Can’t you change your colors? You’d be a lousy chameleon.>

To demonstrate his superiority—for he saw the shadow’s imitation of his imitation of Dagon as competition, turning the conversation into a game—he muted his own colors. The resulting silver and obsidian rendering of Dagon was like a statue of a fair young god, the eyes shining bright as inlaid gems. He didn’t hold this form for very long, preferring to wear many different shades.

<Well, spirit, do you have a name? And why have you come to the Jedi Temple? Just to go exploring? I've been through the whole place already. I can show you around, if you want.>

Kal​

 

[Kal]

Tilting his head to the side, flickers of amusement could be felt through the ad hoc link they used to communicate.

<Whoever said I cannot change my colours?> A wave of brilliant pink-and-blue rippled out from Shadow Dagon's chest, reaching the limbs before leaving nothing but the usual grey, black, and white behind. <I would imagine the lack of a body to be a greater issue, for an aspiring chameleon.>

Not that there weren't ways to work around his bodilessness - he had succeeded in scaring off Jedi before, after all.

Considering Kai's repeated inquiry, the Shadow answered without much hesitation. <You can call me Kal, if a name is needed, though I doubt it will tell you much.> He had no reason to think himself famous among the Jedi, after all, and even if he was Kai did not seem too well informed.

<I came for the people, not the structure - I very much wish to learn more about the Jedi and their ways. A guide would be nice, though. Assuming you are able to move about freely?> The exact rules that governed the maybe-prisoner-maybe-guest remained somewhat unclear, at least to Kal.​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Kal? Isn’t that a letter of the alphabet?>

It was also one swapped letter away from being his own name—or at least, the name the Sith had given him. Nonetheless, the similarity intrigued and almost delighted him. When Kal said he would like a guide, Kai beamed, his smile as easy and unabashed as a baby’s.

<I’m not supposed to walk around without permission, but I do it anyway. People think I’m Dagon and don’t bother me.> Heading for the vents once more, Kai added, <You should probably turn invisible again so they can’t see you. Three Dagons is too many.>

With that, he disappeared through the hole in the wall, slithering through to another grate opening up into a deserted hallway. He got out, replaced the grate, and then waited to see if his new friend would follow.

Kal

 

[Kal]

<I believe you are thinking of Krill, the eleventh letter of Aurebesh.>

Not the most useful information to have memorised, but then Kal had never been particularly predisposition towards forgetfulness; a consequence of a mind formed from unageing energy rather than flawed flesh and minuscule electrical charges, no doubt.

Communicating his understanding and appreciation through purely mental means, Kal followed along, a hint of amusement bleeding through as Kai pointed out the need to return to invisibility. It was a bit obvious, but the shifter likely only wanted to be helpful. Without further ado, he vanished as suddenly as he had initially manifested, though his presence remained on the outskirts of Kai's mind, accessible but not intruding.

<Can you replicate his presence too? In the Force, I mean?> If not, best stay clear of any Jedi with overly close relationships to this Dagon character, but he could only assume that was something the creature had already taken into account, given that this was clearly not its first excursion.​

Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Nope.> The simple answer to Kal’s question led to an unexpected tangent as Kai’s brow furrowed. <I don’t think Dagon likes it when I imitate him. It reminds him of his brother. His brother is a very bad Sith. So maybe seeing me makes Dagon sad.>

Kai started walking down the hall, looking around. He tried not to look like he was sneaking, but until he was far enough away from the cell block to pass for Dagon on his way somewhere, a certain degree of caution was necessary.

<I know Aeris the librarian. She lets me stay in the library even if I’m not supposed to be out, so we could go there.>

Aeris Lashiec was a designated friend with blonde hair in a ponytail that bobbed when she walked. She was stern and almost schoolmarmish, but far from unkind.

<Or we could go watch people fight in the training rooms.>

Kai demonstrated Shii-Cho, one of the Jedi combat forms he had absorbed from others’ minds, widening his stance and swinging an invisible lightsaber. He managed to look like he knew what he was doing, without losing the spirit of a kid playing pretend.

<Where do you want to go, Kal?>

Kal​

 

[Kal]

A family divided along sectarian lines; an unfortunate reality of the galaxy they lived in, a galaxy where brother was all too often pitted against brother in some grand conflict or another. Kal did not have family in the genetic sense, but he had the equivalent - he would not want to harm or be harmed by them and the same applied, to a lesser but still notable extent, to the rest of his kind.

It was not completely unheard of for Shadows to attack Shadows, but it was as rare as it was taboo.

<The library sounds nice, as does the librarian. I saw Dagon training, earlier - best to avoid him, especially if it would make him uncomfortable.>

Besides, knowledge was far more appealing to the curious spirit than martial arts; it was moderately useful when inhabiting a body, of course, but it was not as if Kal had a habit of ending up in scuffles. No, he was quite adept at avoiding them - or at the very least staying out of the action.​

 

[Arlo Renard]

<Okay good, okay fine.>

Their destination chosen, Kai headed in the direction of the library. To avoid traffic, he took the back ways there, walking at a brisk pace to make it look like he was going somewhere on urgent business. He didn’t want to be stopped for a bit of conversation with some friend or acquaintance of Dagon’s who happened to be passing by. Plenty of people had caught on by now that there were two of them wandering around, but Kai was still routinely mistaken for the real Dagon on the basis of appearances alone—and it almost always inevitably ended with him being escorted back to his cell once it was discovered that this Dagon couldn’t (or wouldn’t) speak out loud.

He reached the library without being spotted and commenced his search for Aeris Lashiec . She had to be hanging around here somewhere, whether at the desk or among the shelves...

Kal​

 

[Aeris Lashiec]

Kal // Arlo Renard

Notebook by her side, accompanied by the hiss of graphene on paper and the flip of pages. Blonde locks waved back and forth to form a tunnel before her eyes untilthey were tucked back behind her ear again. This essay and reorganization of information regarding early post-gulag plague era Jedi was some of the most fascinating texts she could imagine spending her day delving into. The way that ancient grudges were awoken again and how it helped spiral into a religious war and crusade that, to Aeris, was by all means pointless.

In the middle of her sentence she felt a familiar presence approach. Not quite the brightest candle, but not something she felt a need to fear either. And it wasn’t alone this time. A curious brow rose as she glanced over towards Kai and spotted him.

“Oh, hey.” She said and closed the book by her side and turned to face her friend. “Managed to get out again, huh?”

“What are you up to, Kai?”

 

[Kal]

It seemed Kai had interpreted his words as a request to meet the librarian, or perhaps he simply wanted to introduce a stranger to a friend. Either way, it was not really an issue; sure he had not come here planning to interact directly with the local Jedi, but observation could only take one so far.

Sooner or later he would have to actually converse in person, though a more neutral setting would have been preferable.

These Jedi did not seem to be overly focused on spiritual incursions, but you never knew if there were hidden safeguards.

<I believe she has noticed me, or rather the vague impression of my presence.> It was not an easy feat, hiding from the senses of Force Users; more often than not he could manage, assuming he took no hostile actions and kept his distance, but he was far from perfect. In this case, it signalled the approaching end of his hiding. In regards to this particular Jedi, anyway. If Kai did not introduce him, he would speak directly, mind-to-mind.

<Greetings, Librarian. I hope my presence does not startle you, I assure you I am only here to learn.>

The truth as he saw it, relayed to Kai as well as a matter of politeness.​

Arlo Renard | Aeris Lashiec​