Lady Zannah

A lot of people seem to want to know what I'm up to now. People always seem confused because I don't tell every single person on WoSW what I am planning before I do it because I don't need their permission. Basicly the NJO lied to Lady Lioness, tricked her, then tried to put a leash on her. She felt trapped there because of a foolish bounty that Emperor Jedi Slayer placed on her head. She had to be resuced. While I was there, I studied the Jedi who claim to be the good guys which I have never believed. But they are getting closer to it. The problem is they will not accept their destiny just yet and just embrace the dark side as they should in order to save themselves and break their chains. Lets examine the journey to the dark side that they are currently on.

The Four Stages of the dark side

"Trust that even the most learned Jedi Master must always be mindful of the dark path."
?Tolaris Shim

The Four Stages of the Dark Side was a thesis presented by the Jedi Master Tolaris Shim that outlined her beliefs on what constitutes a complete fall to the dark side. Based on the events surrounding the fall of Ulic Qel-Droma, Jedi Master Tolaris Shimm studied long and deeply into the histories of those Jedi whose personal motivations drove them to the dark side for one reason or another. Sometime shortly after the end of the Great Sith War, Master Shim presented her findings to the Jedi assembly. These findings would be the standard by which Masters identified the signs of one's potential corruption by the dark side.

Stage 1: Temptation

Freedon Nadd: "Help yourself! Use the power you've been given!"
Exar: "Never!"
?Dark Lord Freedon Nadd tempting Exar Kun

Tolaris Shim believed that because a Jedi was in tune with the Force and could use it to whatever ends they saw fit, situations would arise that tempted the Jedi towards selfish applications of the Force. Rushing to help friends, facing obvious perils, and ending disputes quickly were all acts of haste that according to Master Shim would result in steps onto the dark path should the individual act first and ponder later.

Knights like the charismatic Exar Kun were less "honor-bound". Intrigued with tales of the dark side told by his master, Exar was easily seduced by what he perceived as unrestrained power--power that was his for the taking. This power was that of the dark side, and it did not hesitate in coercing other young Jedi to follow.

Stage 2: Imperilment

"Like you, he believed the dark side could be conquered from within. Such was not to be. The dark side seduced him utterly...and anger became his path!"
?Odan-Urr warning Ulic Qel-Droma

According to Master Shim, a hasty, indecisive Jedi can be quite a catastrophe to himself. Also, any Jedi who believes that a "shortcut" through the path of the dark side will be lined with signs redirecting him back towards the light is only deluding himself. One cannot be blinded by the idea of doing what they perceive to be right, by any means necessary. Furthermore, if one accepts the darkness by which he is surrounded as a means to power, then the next stage has no bearing on their concerns. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker was conflicted in this manner. To save his wife from impending death, Anakin believed that he could do so through the power of the dark side while remaining uncorrupted by it. Because he accepted the dark side as the power necessary to bring about good, he was completely given over to it. He too, like Exar and Ulic before him, succumbed fully to the wiles of the dark side.

Stage 3: Submission
Anakin: "Just help me save Padmé's life. I can't live without her."
Sidious: "To cheat death is the power only one has achieved. But if we work together, I know we can discover the secret."
Anakin: "I pledge myself to your teachings, to the ways of the Sith."
Sidious: "Good...Good. The Force is strong with you. A powerful Sith you will become. Anakin Skywalker, you are one with the Order of the Sith Lords. Henceforth, you shall be known as...Darth...Vader."
?Darth Sidious anoints Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader

Master Shim believed that once a Jedi accepts the dark path, having to justify the end by the means is of no more concern. Situations like attempting to destroy the Sith through infiltration, or trying to save loved ones from death have caused several famous Jedi to explain away their actions based on the desired outcomes. At this point, their fall to the dark side is nearly complete.

Sometimes, Jedi who wander away from the light suddenly become aware of their poor decisions. According to Master Shim, these Jedi are not so far beyond redemption. Jedi Master Atris, having succumbed to the dark side influence of Sith Holocrons in her possession, was restored to the light following a fierce confrontation with the Jedi Exile. Some Jedi, such as Exar Kun, found the power of the dark side intoxicating and so fully surrendered themselves to it. To Master Shim, these individuals are no longer orthodox Jedi but twisted perversions of their former selves. It is then the responsibility of the Jedi to either bring the dissenter back into the fold, or utterly eliminate them.

Stage 4: Atonement/Redemption

"The Dark Lord Revan is dead. I am a servant of the light now."
Revan

Tolaris believed that a Jedi who is only slightly tainted by the dark side can atone for their actions through meditation, reflection, and absolution. She also believed that a Dark Jedi was way beyond atonement, and therefore only eligible for redemption. According to Master Shim, a redeemed Jedi is one who has performed a selfless act of heroism without using the dark side to obtain results. Such acts include saving the life of another through completely selfless action (such as Darth Vader saving his son from death at the hands of Emperor Palpatine), or helping to right a wrong one has helped to create (such as Ulic Qel-Droma assisting in the defeat of Exar Kun). This happens from time to time, but on many occasions Dark Jedi were beyond enlightenment, some outright refusing to be restored. To this effect Master Shim noted,

"A Dark Jedi who has no desire to relinquish the power of the dark side and return to the light cannot be redeemed."

Addendum

While pondering the ideas behind Master Shim's dissertation, Tionne Solusar was interested in how Tolaris would view certain Jedi of more recent times, Jedi who were corrupted, restored, and held redeemed by their colleagues. Tionne provided a relatively accurate and non-biased account of the dark side journies of Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Kyp Durron, but Tolaris' interactive holorecording passed the same judgements on all three:

"Any Jedi who kills innocents while under sway of the dark side cannot be redeemed. She can only atone, or attempt to atone."
Tionne went on further to say that while many agree that some actions are inexcusable, the stipulations for redemption remain purely a matter of one's perspective.

The NJO is currently in Stage 2. From here they have the option of finally accepting the true nature of the Force, or returning to their evil ways.