Hasn't seen her father in a decade she says. She doesn't know.
"If whomever needed your help they weren't strong enough to begin with. The universe we know is a place of war, a place of stagnation, a place of strife. Why would we want it to stay in whatever shape it is now? With this power you could mold the galaxy into a place of order, a place of safety. Freedom is a noble goal, but one that corrupts and weakens the galaxy." Valik said, before the woman started a tirade about what she thought strength was. Her views were, as expected, skewed. Idealistic. Childish. Her imagery though, skill in illusions, it was not bad. Valik knew about it all along of course, through merit of
Truth, but deception proved at the least intellect. Her decision to let go of it however? There were better options.
"Don't flatter yourself Andra. I've fought and killed better illusionists than you." He said, his eyes redirecting towards her true position as he walked over towards one of the walls. . "The only illusion you show here is the one you tell yourself, that you can be safe by relying on the strength of others." Valik's hand was placed on the wall, Art of the Small rapidly changing the paint to depict a
familiar face. "He protects you now, and may as long as he can, but how long can he hold? He is strong, but all men have their weaknesses." A yellow lizard appeared just to the side of the mural, a ysalamir. Light purple gas began to fill around the face, depicting Ixeltal Cilona. "His reliance on the Force may prove his downfall. or perhaps it is merely his past. His enemies. His bloodlust." Other figures began to appear, encircling the original painting. Six, perhaps seven men. Three of them pulling at his skull, as if to remove a helmet. "Perhaps he can fight all of these enemies, they never figure how to adapt to his strengths, exploit his weaknesses. Maybe he gets the power he needs to protect you, your children, but what if that power takes a toll on him? Turns him into something he isn't, to a man you can't face anymore." His visage became corrupted, pale, bloody, until it was altogether unrecognizeable from it's original form. His hand left the wall. Illusionists weren't the only ones that could paint pictures.
"I won't lie. You, the stone, it produces a lot of
possibilities. You
could be extremely valuable to me. A powerful mentalist. A Farseer. But honestly, I have no care for servants, nor political machinations, nor binding myself to visions of what may come to pass. I build and craft because it is who I am, and because my art is unlike any the galaxy has ever seen or will see again. I would, if I could, wish it to be used
properly. A true Sith does not fight for bloodshed, nor rule as a tyrant because he wishes to be lauded or held above. He does it because through coddling people grow weak and through trials they grow strong." A breath to give Valik some air as his left hand reached out, pulling a beaker towards him telekinetically until he could grab it with his left hand.
"You say holding back provides strength, but when and when not to show force isn't strength, it's wisdom." Valik held the nihil smokestone above the beaker and it melted in his hands, dripping and dropping into the beaker. "Excessive Force may be unwise, but so too is not testing one's strength, demonstrating force, holding one's ground." Valik's thumbnail was alchemized to a razor's edge then run across his middle finger, exposing a hint of blood before it was squeezed out and mixed into the liquid smokestone, the beginning of his alchemical work. "I shall craft, and I shall teach you. Tis not my life this power relies on, but far be it from me to let you come here without learning something all of your other 'friends' would deny you." Valik began to walk towards another section of his lab, filled with all sort of containers, each sealed in differing manners, and holding an assortment of liquids, stones, spices, herbs, and whatever else Valik thought might be necessary. Philosophy 101 was sure to continue, but Valik also had work to do. To begin a test he'd likely never see the results of. And what an interesting subject he had.
[member="Anders Sivas"]