783. No Place Like Home 6 - Trychon

Trychon immediately pushed the holocron to the far side of the large clearing as he sprinted to catch Cordelia mid-faint. The transparent lightning disappeared as did its source.  Cordelia's eyes immediately fluttered open and she gave Trychon a kiss.  "See?  My hero."

He lifted her to her feet so that she could stand again.  "Are you ok?"

"It didn't hurt.  It was just... overwhelming."  She replied, looking herself over to confirm she was unharmed.

The voice and the holocron reappeared in the center of the clearing.  "She will be fine.  She is merely fulfilling her role now as a tool for you.  She has been imbued with the ability to translate things that you nor I could."

"Why?"  Trychon demanded.

"As I just said.  You will need help that I cannot give.  Now follow me."

The holocron floated on its own in the direction of the ruin nearest to their camp.  Trychon and Cordelia followed only after she reassured him several more times that she was ok, and that she wanted to continue.

They approached slowly, though Trychon kept his body in front of her until they arrived.  Then she immediately pulled away from him and began studying the stones as though it was a long lost valuable she'd been searching for her entire life.

"It's an entrance!"  She exclaimed, brushing away years of dirt and grime from each symbol before she moved to the next.

"Are you sure?  I don't know loads of ancient writings... but I've never seen anything like these."  Trychon looked closely at what she was uncovering, clearly doubtful.  "I've been baffled for years since I moved away and began studies."

"Then maybe the creepy dude was right, Trych.  Maybe you do need me for this.  I don't know how, but this all makes perfect sense to me now."  She pointed to another stone and got up to brush it off as well.  "Right here it states plainly 'Enter only, those who are prepared...' or it would, if the bottom wasn't chipped off."

Trychon turned to give a disapproving look to the Sith Lord, but he had disappeared, and the holocron rested on the ground it had been hovering over.  Then, as though it had been the key to an ancient invisible lock underneath, the stones beneath the ground began to part.

----------------

They spent a little over an hour exploring the underground Sith temple, simply getting their bearings.  The holocron rested safely and quietly in Trychon's pack as they looked to see what the ancient building had to offer.

In the end, there was actually very little for the two to find.  The stones had moved to reveal a small staircase leading to a single thin hallway that left barely enough room for them to stand shoulder to shoulder.  There were only a handful of doors leading off the hallway, and the walls were surprisingly barren of even the Sith symbols that marked the ruins above.

As they walked, they noted that the only visible footprints in the layers of dirt were their own, and they wondered how long it had been since someone had been where they now were.  The doorways led to rooms that were as barren of clues or signs of life as the hallways, and they each served only the most basic needs.  There was two domiciles each with four beds, a very small kitchen with one table, and a general training room.

They found nothing of real interest until they reached the end of the hallway.  Trychon pulled Cordelia back as the dirt began shaking from the walls and a loud grinding noise overtook the hall.  The clouds of dust overcame their ability to see for several moments even after the noise had stopped.

As the dust continued to settle, light began to shine through a widening gap in what appeared to be metal doors previously hidden by the stone wall.

Cordelia coughed and tried to cover her mouth as she rushed through to the new space.

If Trychon could have expected anything as they entered, it would not have been what he found.

It contained what he expected, walls full of tomes and other resources.  The size of the room was unprecedented in his experience.

It was tiny.

The entire space was packed with knowledge to be handed down, it just did not match the giant libraries of knowledge he had encountered at THX-1138 and Korriban.

"Where do we start?"  Cordelia asked in awe as she brushed her hands along the spines of the tomes.  This room had stayed immaculately clean despite the mess the rest of the facility was.  Everything in this room had been perfectly preserved.

Trychon was also looking over the shelves.  "I think you're supposed to help me with that.  Look for 'Sith Sorcery for Nerf Herders."

"Ok."

The fact that she didn't catch his humor only spoke to how much she was taking everything in.  "I have no idea."  He added to clear up the confusion if there was any left from his joke.  He grabbed one tome that he recognized the symbols on, and directed Cordelia to one that he didn't, and they both sat down to try and make sense of it all.

782. No Place Like Home 5 - Trychon

Cordelia was disoriented when she first woke up.  It only took moments for her to remember where she was and what had transpired that had gotten her there.  She smiled as she sat up, covering her body using the blanket Trychon had brought along in his supplies.  She could not see or hear him though, and he did not answer when she quietly called out for him.

She was more than a little embarrassed about her outburst the previous night, as she seldom lost control of herself like that.  However, she could not be upset with the way events had turned after that.  After arriving at Trychon's old camp and setting up a shelter, they had talked a bit more and he had not seemed upset with the way she'd acted at all.  It had been quite the opposite, in fact.

She stood up, wrapping the blanket the rest of the way around herself so she could search for her returned lover.  Still reflecting on the wonderful night they'd shared, she affirmed for herself that everything would work out wonderfully.  After they shared everything they used to and much more, they had discussed things quietly until they were too tired to continue.

She had decided to leave with him when he was ready and he reassured her that as crazy as his new life was, there was a place for her in it.  It had been a decision she had made without any chance for prior thought, but it was not a rash decision.  She was very excited.  Not only would she gain a life with much more meaning than this backwater planet could offer, but she could be with the one person she had ever truly loved.

She knew it was going to be complicated, and that it would not be a fairy tale, but it did not matter.  As far as she was concerned, it would be great.

It was fairly simple to find Trychon as she left their tent.  He was the one thing floating in the middle of the nearby clearing.

With his back turned to her, he set his feet down.  "You look beautiful this morning.  You may want to get dressed though."

She smiled at him as he turned to look at her.  "Mmmm.  And if I don't want to?"

"I have a feeling things are going to get interesting soon."

Cordelia nodded and headed back to change, understanding that his 'feelings' were often something more.  She emerged moments later fully dressed and tying her hair back.  "Any luck so far?"

"Not yet, no."  He closed his eyes as he concentrated.  "You sure you want to be around for this?  It would probably be safer to go to the town and wait until I finish whatever it is I have to do here.  Sith temples and the like can often be uninviting... and more than double so for those who aren't Sith themselves."

She shook her head and continued walking towards the clearing, knowing he'd follow her.  "No.  You'll keep me safe.  I'm not letting you get away from me again.  Besides, I also have a feeling... that I am going to need to get used to you and your holocron-contraptions soon enough."

Trychon laughed at her characterization of the 'holocron-contraptions' and led her to a spot to sit near the edge of the clearing.  He explained to her in more detail how the Sith Master had instructed him to return here and that his fate was tied to this planet, which is likely why the Force had led him there.  He told her how difficult the Holocron could be, and he wasn't sure what he had to do or where he had to go to get further instructions.  He confessed that he may end up having to have her leave for a bit for it to work as her proximity could be interfering.  He just wasn't sure.

"You are by far the least self sufficient Sith I've ever heard of."

Trychon turned to look at the sudden apparition of the long dead Sith Lord.  For her part, Cordelia managed to restrict the startled scream to only a small squeak.

"And you..."  Trychon walked towards the translucent image while hoping Cordelia would stay put.  "Are the most complainiest dead non-real Sith I've ever heard of."

"I'm more real than you understand."  The image showed off some translucent lightning in his hand.  "But you are correct.  If I were more 'real' I probably would have killed an insolent whelp like you much sooner."

Trychon laughed.  "Alright, Master... will you finally explain why I am here and what I have to do?  Also, why you wouldn't respond to me earlier?"

"As annoying as you are, you are correct... I am not in complete control of even my own decisions, and I am compelled to help you towards your destiny.  The Force brought you to this planet because you have a skill and a future with Sith Sorcery.  There is much here you can learn, and you will.  However, be forewarned."  The holocron allowed for a small dramatic pause.  "Sorcery is the most demanding and difficult of the Sith disciplines.  There will be trials, suffering, and you will be changed.  It is a necessary part to properly tapping the very darkest energies of the Force."

"Blah blah blah."  Trychon put his hands on his hips.  "You didn't explain why you have been so cryptic and why you're finally talking to me again."

Trychon wouldn't admit it, but the smile the Old Sith responded with gave him a slight chill.

"Because, young one... you finally brought the necessary tools."

When the translucent lightning traced to Cordelia and engulfed her body, she was not successful in holding back her scream.

781. No Place Like Home 4 - Trychon

Cordelia didn't say a word while Trychon explained in detail his various exploits since she'd seen him last.  She didn't balk at his descriptions of violence, or gasp when he told of some of the malice he'd done.

She simply listened, expressionless save for the occasional nod that was the only proof she was really listening.

When he finished, she nodded again and stood up, beckoning for him to follow suit.  When he stood she gave him another hug, grabbed his hand, and began walking through the forest again.

Trychon let her lead him down random paths for some time before pulling on her hand and stopping.

"Talk to me, Cord.  Please."

She turned and looked at him.  "What in space do you expect me to say, Trych?"  She followed it with a quick punch to the arm and a small flash of a smile.  Just enough for him to know she didn't hate him.

She continued before he could answer though.  "What you've done... what you've been through... it's unbelievable.  It's the sort of thing we'd say is out of a bad holodrama, except that's not true.  Nobody would buy that story.  If you tried to sell that story to anyone else, they would laugh in your face while they spit on your pad."  She was speaking more frantically than she normally would.

"So basically your response is 'Wow...' and that's it?"

"You expect me to yawn it off?"  She looked at him quizzically.

"You're not going to call me a monster?"

She shook her heads.  "Either a joke to change the subject, or go straight to the heart of the matter.  That's the guy I grew up with, alright."  She grabbed his hands and held his gaze straight on, neither blinking or looking away.  "Many people would, or from your telling of it, do call you a monster for some of what you've done.  My opinion doesn't change that."

"I'm not asking them."

"Which is why you should let me finish.  I've known you longer than any of those people that would call you a monster."  She let go of one of his hands long enough to wipe away the formation of a tear.  "I've missed you.  No matter what happens or what you do, I'll always love you at the very least for the boy I grew up with.  That can never change."

He let go of her hands, not upset or disappointed so much as understanding.  "So I may be a monster, but you'll always love the ghost of the kid you used to play pranks with."

She hit him again, much harder this time.  "That's not what I said.  Don't try to turn my words into your own self doubt."  The look she gave him caused him to look to the ground.  "I will always love you because I know who you are, under everything else you may be or do."

When he still wouldn't look at her, she punched his arm again, harder yet.  "You look at me when I am talking to you, especially when I'm telling you I love you."  She could no longer hold back the tears, and she let them go.

He looked at her, and she began yelling at him in return.  "An idiot like Pon or Thad would not be the same after going through a fraction of what you've put yourself through."

Trychon tried to stop her, but she quickly cut him off.  "Don't interrupt me!  You've changed, too.  I know that.  I'm not an idiot."  She sobbed quietly, trying hard to regain control of herself.  "But I still see you when I look at you.  Underneath it all.  I see you."

She gave up fighting her own emotions and fell to her knees, sobbing.  She landed softly in a small puddle of quickly gathering rainwater and dirt.  Trychon looked up briefly, wondering when it had begun to rain.

Leaning over, he picked her up without the aid of the Force, and held her to his chest for several minutes while he waited for her loud sobs to devolve into quiet sobs.

"Take me home."  She whispered, barely audible over the sound of the rain in the trees and her own labored breathing.

He kissed her the top of her head in response, and turned back in the direction of the village.

"No."  She whispered again.

He looked around briefly to get his bearings and turned to his right towards his old camp, doing his best to shelter her from the weather as he walked.

780. No Place Like Home 3 - Trychon

Cordelia and Trychon walked down the various slightly worn paths in the forest, no longer walking towards his old camp, or towards anything in particular.

"Just like old times..."  He said, as he pointed out yet another plant that not surprisingly reminded him of his childhood.

She pulled on his arm with a laugh and made him stop.  "Do you mean that it reminds you of when we were kids, or that it reminds you of the last four times you've tried to break the silence by pointing out something that reminds you of old times?"

Trychon smiled and made very brief eye contact.  He walked over to a log on the side of the path and sat down, again making looking at her for a just a second.  "I don't want to say it's awkward."

"What do you have against telling the truth suddenly?"  She sat down directly in front of him and forced him to look at her.  "Never mind that, actually.  We always did get a kick out of making up stories together... just remember that I was the one person you could never fool."

"Maybe that's the reason it's so quiet."  He tried to force a smile.  "Ok.  Bad joke."

"Only because it wasn't a joke.  What'd I just say?"  She got up and sat next to him.  "So what's up, Trychon?"  She poked him in the ribs, the only person on their planet that knew he hadn't just made up the name, but that it had been given to him in a dream.  Only she and a few of his many temporary parents had agreed to call him by it.

"My friends call me Trych now."

"You used to yell at me when I called you that!"

She waited for a response but got nothing more than his normal shrug of admittance.  "So... tell me about your adventures in the wild wide galaxy out there."

"You start."  He replied.

"Fine."  She moved to sit closer.  "This will be quicker anyway."  She gave him a look that ensured he knew that he wasn't off the hook.  "I'll start with the big stuff.  No kids..."

Trychon wasn't sure what to think of her starting with kids.  "Married?"

"Nope.  Nor divorced."

"Relationships?"

She couldn't help but laugh.  "Don't be stupid.  I missed you when you left, and I even mourned for quite a while, despite somehow knowing you were alive... somewhere.  I'm not dead though.  I had relationships."

"Thad?"  Trychon asked, trying to hide his disapproval.

"Great trees, no!"  She laughed.  "I have been unofficially appointed to keep him out of trouble.  He tends to behave better when I'm around."

Cordelia went on for a while, explaining all the various changes in the town and her life.  At first she was hesitant to give him more details about her relationship for his own protection, but he held her to their honesty policy.

She told him about how the various families that he had been passed to as he was raised communally.  There had been a few deaths in the town, and two were 'parents' to him at one point or another.  One bothered him and the other made him glad.

Her own life had been rather uninteresting, at least to hear her tell it.  Just living her life, hanging out with friends, doing some of the communal work for the town, and trying to keep Thad out of trouble.  She admitted to sometimes walking into the forest with him and then losing him so she could wander alone, reminiscing.  She laughed about how long it took him to get back to town sometimes.

When she finished, she waited for a few moments, while Trychon pondered everything she'd said quietly.  He'd asked questions, and added in comments and jokes, but he knew what was coming next.  He wasn't entirely ready for it.

She gave him a shove anyway.  "Your turn, Trych.  Spill it.  What's really gone on for you since you left?  Don't leave anything out that you know I'd want to know."

He took a deep breath, and after an encouraging look straight in the eyes from his very first lover... he did as she asked.

Through hours of her silence, he told her everything.