"What does it do?"

"Puts an end to the poltergeist problem I've been hearing about."

"Why do you care about that?"

"Perhaps it amuses me."

She raises an eyebrow.

"You don't find that a satisfactory explanation?"

"Nope."

"It is close enough to true. I have... aesthetic objections to this sort of haunting."

"So you are stopping a haunting. Because it aesthetically displeases you."

"More or less."

Eyebrow.

"I discovered this ritual at great personal cost, and am not prepared to divulge its precise workings. The observable effects will be simply as I said, the exorcism of the ghost. I intend no harm to anyone in residence so long as I am not threatened first, if you were worried about that."

"Fine."

"You will let me in, then?"

"I want a guarantee."

Treacherous little snake-! Slithering your way up to back out now. Cut off your head and watch you writhe, yes.

-No. Control. She is close, so close. Even tone, no hint of that flash of rage: "A guarantee of what?"

"That you won't kill or maim anyone, will favor nonviolent approaches, and where violence is necessary will try to subdue over disabling." Pause. "And I guess a guarantee you'll get me the heck out of here after would be good, too."

"Fine." Words are easy, it's not as though the Jedi is any position to levy consequences should she decide to renege.

It might be worth not, just for the novelty of it.

"...and the guarantee is...?"

"My lightsaber." At Occlus's beckon, a matte-black cylinder unclips itself from her waist and zooms over to the Jedi, pommel first.

"You're serious?" she asks, shocked, not taking it yet.

"Were you expecting this to be some elaborate prank? I don't believe in half-measures."

She accepts it. "I'll help you."

"Good. When do you next have the night watch?"

"Day after tomorrow."