Post by Cain on Oct 5, 2008 21:24:24 GMT -5
Under the dark star studded night sky of Thisspias, a lone man stumbled over the rocky terrain towards a small hut located in the wilderness. The light from a bonfire within flickered dimly in the distance as the man faltered and fell to one knee. It was Cain, blood running down his face as he clutched his side, struggling to catch his breath before standing again and pressing onwards.
Upon arriving at the hut and pushing open the door, Cain collapsed onto the floor in front of a Thisspiasian in black robes. Snake-like with a long scraggly beard, the Thisspiasian slithered forward to inspect the intruder.
"Darth Cain... an old man such as myself always enjoys a bit of company, but had I known that company would include the likes of you I might have passed."
"Vassek Noir..." Cain uttered through deep breaths.
"Well at least you remember my name," Vassek said, "I don't know what kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into this time, but I'd prefer you not bring it to my doorstep. And if you expect me to heal your wounds, well you can forget it! I've warned you far too many times about the consequences of your recklessness."
"Please, Vassek," Cain stuttered, "He... he's taken it."
"Taken it? Taken what?"
"The holocron..." Cain replied. Vassek slowly backed away, a look of cold concern washing over his face as he began to nervously stroke his beard with his claws. Without a word he eased forward again and extended both hands out over Cain, gently closing his eyes. Cain's wounds suddenly began to glow and rapidly heal over.
"There, you got what you came for, now leave," Vassek said, turning away from Cain with an exasperated expression on his face. Cain slowly picked himself back up, stretching out his muscles and checking his wounds.
"Only you and Jack knew what was on that holocron," Cain answered, "It's been sealed away ever since the death of Ajunta Pall. I had a hunch that it may have been of some importance, but Jack was one step ahead of me."
"Jack's back? Oh you are in a bit of a pickle, aren't ya boy?" Vassek said with a silent chuckle, "Well the holocron contained information on that sword of his... the blade of darkness. Jack actually did most of the research... I was more of a guinea pig."
"Information on the blade? What kind of information?" Cain asked.
"Heh heh... ol' Jack wanted to know everything he could about what made that blade tick. I mean an item having a strong force resonance isn't unheard of, but this thing was ridiculous. And what's more, it seemed to have a mind of its own."
"A mind... of it's own?" Cain said with a confused look on his face. He had held the blade of balance for thousands of years and could not remember anything like that about it.
"Yes... there was something deeply evil in that blade. And I would guess it's not just the darker half. Jack used to have entire conversations with himself that were recorded on that holocron. Conversations with someone... or something he referred to as Atsuke. And as sensitive as I am in the force, I detected no other presence in that room aside from myself, Jack... and the blade."
"Atsuke..." Cain repeated with widening eyes, "Vaasek, Atsuke was the name of Jack's father. Atsuke Makura."
"Hmm... interesting," Vaasek responded stroking his beard, "It may be more powerful then even I had thought."
"Huh?"
"Though I had never shared it with Jack, I had a theory that the blade of balance was not just a weapon, but in fact itself a living being. An entity with such a massive presence in the force that it actually leeches on to those it comes into contact with. Blends it's consciousness with theirs."
Cain seemed stunned by this. He struggled desperately to recall a situation in his experiences with the blade that would validate this theory, but found it difficult to recall much of anything that had happened to him while he held the blade.
"Does Jack know this?" Cain asked.
"If he did not before, he surely does now. All my work was on that holocron."
"Hmm, I'm not sure what to think," Cain answered, "Jack destroyed the holocron to keep me from getting to it. As smart as Jack is, he would never have destroyed it if there was any possibility of it containing new information... especially information about the blade."
"Indeed," Vaasek said lowering his head, "Then perhaps he did not destroy it after all..."
"I watched him crush it right in front of my eyes."
"Did you?" Vaasek asked with a grin that caused Cain to grin back.
"I guess I still have some work to do. I'm sure there is still time though, I doubt having that information would give Jack any real advantage."
"Do not underestimate him, my boy," Vaasek warned, "Too many have already perished having made that mistake..."
Upon arriving at the hut and pushing open the door, Cain collapsed onto the floor in front of a Thisspiasian in black robes. Snake-like with a long scraggly beard, the Thisspiasian slithered forward to inspect the intruder.
"Darth Cain... an old man such as myself always enjoys a bit of company, but had I known that company would include the likes of you I might have passed."
"Vassek Noir..." Cain uttered through deep breaths.
"Well at least you remember my name," Vassek said, "I don't know what kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into this time, but I'd prefer you not bring it to my doorstep. And if you expect me to heal your wounds, well you can forget it! I've warned you far too many times about the consequences of your recklessness."
"Please, Vassek," Cain stuttered, "He... he's taken it."
"Taken it? Taken what?"
"The holocron..." Cain replied. Vassek slowly backed away, a look of cold concern washing over his face as he began to nervously stroke his beard with his claws. Without a word he eased forward again and extended both hands out over Cain, gently closing his eyes. Cain's wounds suddenly began to glow and rapidly heal over.
"There, you got what you came for, now leave," Vassek said, turning away from Cain with an exasperated expression on his face. Cain slowly picked himself back up, stretching out his muscles and checking his wounds.
"Only you and Jack knew what was on that holocron," Cain answered, "It's been sealed away ever since the death of Ajunta Pall. I had a hunch that it may have been of some importance, but Jack was one step ahead of me."
"Jack's back? Oh you are in a bit of a pickle, aren't ya boy?" Vassek said with a silent chuckle, "Well the holocron contained information on that sword of his... the blade of darkness. Jack actually did most of the research... I was more of a guinea pig."
"Information on the blade? What kind of information?" Cain asked.
"Heh heh... ol' Jack wanted to know everything he could about what made that blade tick. I mean an item having a strong force resonance isn't unheard of, but this thing was ridiculous. And what's more, it seemed to have a mind of its own."
"A mind... of it's own?" Cain said with a confused look on his face. He had held the blade of balance for thousands of years and could not remember anything like that about it.
"Yes... there was something deeply evil in that blade. And I would guess it's not just the darker half. Jack used to have entire conversations with himself that were recorded on that holocron. Conversations with someone... or something he referred to as Atsuke. And as sensitive as I am in the force, I detected no other presence in that room aside from myself, Jack... and the blade."
"Atsuke..." Cain repeated with widening eyes, "Vaasek, Atsuke was the name of Jack's father. Atsuke Makura."
"Hmm... interesting," Vaasek responded stroking his beard, "It may be more powerful then even I had thought."
"Huh?"
"Though I had never shared it with Jack, I had a theory that the blade of balance was not just a weapon, but in fact itself a living being. An entity with such a massive presence in the force that it actually leeches on to those it comes into contact with. Blends it's consciousness with theirs."
Cain seemed stunned by this. He struggled desperately to recall a situation in his experiences with the blade that would validate this theory, but found it difficult to recall much of anything that had happened to him while he held the blade.
"Does Jack know this?" Cain asked.
"If he did not before, he surely does now. All my work was on that holocron."
"Hmm, I'm not sure what to think," Cain answered, "Jack destroyed the holocron to keep me from getting to it. As smart as Jack is, he would never have destroyed it if there was any possibility of it containing new information... especially information about the blade."
"Indeed," Vaasek said lowering his head, "Then perhaps he did not destroy it after all..."
"I watched him crush it right in front of my eyes."
"Did you?" Vaasek asked with a grin that caused Cain to grin back.
"I guess I still have some work to do. I'm sure there is still time though, I doubt having that information would give Jack any real advantage."
"Do not underestimate him, my boy," Vaasek warned, "Too many have already perished having made that mistake..."
