"It might perhaps be more accurate to say that I reverted to my previous self."

"Probably. Was it gradual, or did the first ghost already—do the thing?"

"The change was gradual. Though I acquired the first two in quick succession. If there were warning signs to be seen, my judgement may have already been compromised enough that I missed them."

"And what exactly did they change? You said they'd talk, but was that all, talking a lot?"

"Talking, each pressing their unsavory point of view. Rather without cease. And I believe my attention span was shortened and my time preference heightened."

"What were their unsavory points of view? And weren't there any savory ones to balance?"

"Sith Lords who were angry enough to leave ghosts behind after they died were exactly the sorts of people the Jedi formed their views of the Sith on. Extrapolate."

"Why did you only get ghosts of Sith Lords, then?"

"Sith records were all I had access to. And Jedi don't appear to leave many ghosts behind."

"...yeah, I guess they wouldn't, what with the whole no attachments thing." She shakes her head. "Stupid system."

"I don't disagree."

"Has alternatives, though, apparently, even if they're not exactly that good themselves. I wonder if I could figure out something different."

"I find it interestingly suspicious that no one has in all this time."

"...that's a good point. Although, I mean, at least to us they teach of the Light and Dark sides as if they're features of the world, not as if they're, you know, opinions on how to use the Force."

"Sith philosophy revolves around treating the Force as a weapon or tool."

"Do they leave the possibility of an alternate path open?"

"It is not mentioned and if you fail to demonstrate to the instructors that you have learned what they are teaching, you do not survive the training."

"What a fun form of brainwashing."

"Not especially."

"Didn't think so. You survived it, though."

"Seventy percent of the people who arrived within a week of me did not."

"—right, I just mean. You don't seem particularly brainwashed."

"I like to think that I am not unintelligent, and that when it is not being compromised from within, my judgement is reasonably sound."

"Well, that's reassuring, I guess. What is your stance with respect to the whole—Sith thing?"

"What do you mean?"