"She always is," she says, because to challenge that statement's premise would not be productive at this time.  "We will want that datapad back eventually, you know," she says to the Knight who looks like he's about to try taking it apart.  "Without any bugs," she adds, for the Shadow's benefit.  "We'll know if you try.  Please restrain yourselves to just examining the video."

"My apologies; it is...very good hardware.  And very good software, too.  Not what we usually see.  But it seems to be entirely in order," he can't refrain from admitting.  "The video's as real as I know how to test."

"As it should be.  While this droid's presence on the ground in that mission would have been at best superfluous to requirements, colleagues had their photoreceptors on much of the mission themselves."

"...Why not share that, then?"

"Darth Kalbetis thought it would be rather impolite to ask."

...Well.  "Fair enough, that."

"...At some point we really must admit that further suspicion seems...Rather superfluous.  If you agree the video's real...  I think we've rather reached the point where the weight of the evidence is in favor of Darth Kalbetis' being...  Not actively a threat to us, right now."

"I do think so."  Short of the astromech turning and flying them into the sun, which he'd notice early enough to stop, there's little else remaining to test.  "If the situation is as both Darth Kalbetis and Rafiik say, it is rather our duty to render aid."

"...Yeah.  That's fair enough."

"...What are we waiting for, then?  A signed invitation?"

"Everyone's concurrence, and someone informing Knight Chion.  Are you volunteering?"

"...Force no, send Master Karmin."

"...I concur."

"...On?"

"Both matters, however jokingly the last was raised."

"...Fine, I'll do it, give me a minute."

...Hatred leads to suffering?  That's the quote he pulls out about not bringing her any cookies?

Dammit, fine, if you're all so convinced that this Darth isn't necessarily evil, she'll stay back to be able to tell you she told you so.

"With that settled...

"L5-C3, if you'd inform your mistress that we've agreed to help her."

"Of course."

Everything moves according to her design.  Soon, they will be able to be done with this.  She hates being away from the By Other Means for extended periods.

Pradnakt, meanwhile, is distinctly more nervous; she's almost lost her Light alignment half a dozen times since the Spectrum left her sensory range. After the second, Daisy stationed herself within arms' reach, and she's signing snippets of poetry to her whenever she looks up from her work.

I imagine that merely my declaring this will feel like insufficient surety, but - it's going to be alright, she signs.  They left the angry one at home, and she didn't get cookies.  The rest are cautiously optimistic, by Elcie's report.

Good, she reports tersely, though if anything this seems to make her more nervous.

The ship enters Lord Pradnakt's sensory range quickly enough, at least.  If that helps any.

As evidenced by the fact that she has to pause and meditate to re-center herself, no.