It was some time before I could bring myself to make use of the Sith Holocron given to me by the Remnant of Kun. It wasn't just the circumstances under which I had acquired it, though those were daunting enough.
The object itself was profoundly disturbing. It emanated a powerful sense of evil, as if it were a thing that was alive and waiting to strike.
In the end, though, my curiosity won me over. I had to know what it would tell me.
What it said was this: "The path to ultimate power lies through strength and control. He who is strong enough to fight with one arm behind his back will become powerful indeed."
I frowned when this message darted through my mind. There was no mention of enlightment this time, only power. The message was different. Would heeding it lead me in a different direction? I considered. So far, following the instructions that the previous Holocrons had given me had not led me in any obvious direction, or awarded me any clear enlightenment. Following this one's instructions couldn't logically be much more dangerous.
But what did it mean - to fight with one arm behind one's back?
It was several days before I understood the answer. I was leaning against one of the columns of the shuttleport in Bestine, when I saw two men undertake a friendly duel against each other, to test (or show off) their skill at fencing. One of them pinned his left arm behind his back while fighting with the other.
Suddenly, I understood. As I watched the blades of the two men flash and whirl at each other with deadly precision and marveled at the speed of their footsteps, I knew that the time had come for me to learn to defend myself. I would learn the art of Fencing, though not to gain power, as the Holocron had suggested. Just watching the two friends duel each other in the dusty streets of Bestine had convinced me that it would be an effective way to defend myself. It seemed more accessible than they mystical Teras Kasi martial art that I had seen Gerrvin use, as well. I found a trainer who was offering lessons in the town of Mos Nox, nearby our home, so I paid a few hundred credits to learn the basics of the Fencing fighting style.
I had meanwhile established a sizeable bank account, thanks in no small part to the large donation the woman I met in Bestine had given me. Though I had become quite adept at creating droids, I found that there wasn't a strong market for it, and it didn't suit my technical inclinations. I still preferred to build speeders. Though they were complicated machines in and of themselves, their complexity was nothing compared to droids. I admired the simplicity of the powerful landspeeders, and decided to stick to what I knew best as my primary source of income, at least for now. Anyway, business had been picking up - I was able to hire a few clerks to do my selling for me, and I set up a permanent merchant's tent right outside Mos Nox. I had mining installations in the ground in several places, collecting the raw materials I needed, to keep my costs down.
As I didn't have to worry much about money anymore, I was able to travel more and concentrate fully on developing my Fencing skills. I found it difficult to find sparring partners, so I concentrated on fencing against the creatures roaming the outskirts of cities, the pests that nobody would miss. I became particularly fond of those large beasts called Pikets that roam the plains of Dantooine - they were large enough to present a challenge, yet not fierce enough to really hurt me.
I also invested in a suit of composite armor, which greatly decreased the pain I had to undergo while working on my skills. Spiderwell helped me often with his medical skills as well. I think he was happy to see me finally learning to defend myself. It's a brutal galaxy, after all - my experience in being separated from my family taught me that, if nothing else.
My thoughts still turned to them every day, though the rage had subsided and turned to a sort of driven determinism. I didn't know how learning Fencing could possibly lead me to my family, but something in my gut told me it was true. The Holocron was a significant object, one that demanded respect. I intended to follow my instincts until the day they led me astray.
So far, that day had not yet come.
The object itself was profoundly disturbing. It emanated a powerful sense of evil, as if it were a thing that was alive and waiting to strike.
In the end, though, my curiosity won me over. I had to know what it would tell me.
What it said was this: "The path to ultimate power lies through strength and control. He who is strong enough to fight with one arm behind his back will become powerful indeed."
I frowned when this message darted through my mind. There was no mention of enlightment this time, only power. The message was different. Would heeding it lead me in a different direction? I considered. So far, following the instructions that the previous Holocrons had given me had not led me in any obvious direction, or awarded me any clear enlightenment. Following this one's instructions couldn't logically be much more dangerous.
But what did it mean - to fight with one arm behind one's back?
It was several days before I understood the answer. I was leaning against one of the columns of the shuttleport in Bestine, when I saw two men undertake a friendly duel against each other, to test (or show off) their skill at fencing. One of them pinned his left arm behind his back while fighting with the other.
Suddenly, I understood. As I watched the blades of the two men flash and whirl at each other with deadly precision and marveled at the speed of their footsteps, I knew that the time had come for me to learn to defend myself. I would learn the art of Fencing, though not to gain power, as the Holocron had suggested. Just watching the two friends duel each other in the dusty streets of Bestine had convinced me that it would be an effective way to defend myself. It seemed more accessible than they mystical Teras Kasi martial art that I had seen Gerrvin use, as well. I found a trainer who was offering lessons in the town of Mos Nox, nearby our home, so I paid a few hundred credits to learn the basics of the Fencing fighting style.
I had meanwhile established a sizeable bank account, thanks in no small part to the large donation the woman I met in Bestine had given me. Though I had become quite adept at creating droids, I found that there wasn't a strong market for it, and it didn't suit my technical inclinations. I still preferred to build speeders. Though they were complicated machines in and of themselves, their complexity was nothing compared to droids. I admired the simplicity of the powerful landspeeders, and decided to stick to what I knew best as my primary source of income, at least for now. Anyway, business had been picking up - I was able to hire a few clerks to do my selling for me, and I set up a permanent merchant's tent right outside Mos Nox. I had mining installations in the ground in several places, collecting the raw materials I needed, to keep my costs down.
As I didn't have to worry much about money anymore, I was able to travel more and concentrate fully on developing my Fencing skills. I found it difficult to find sparring partners, so I concentrated on fencing against the creatures roaming the outskirts of cities, the pests that nobody would miss. I became particularly fond of those large beasts called Pikets that roam the plains of Dantooine - they were large enough to present a challenge, yet not fierce enough to really hurt me.
I also invested in a suit of composite armor, which greatly decreased the pain I had to undergo while working on my skills. Spiderwell helped me often with his medical skills as well. I think he was happy to see me finally learning to defend myself. It's a brutal galaxy, after all - my experience in being separated from my family taught me that, if nothing else.
My thoughts still turned to them every day, though the rage had subsided and turned to a sort of driven determinism. I didn't know how learning Fencing could possibly lead me to my family, but something in my gut told me it was true. The Holocron was a significant object, one that demanded respect. I intended to follow my instincts until the day they led me astray.
So far, that day had not yet come.
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