A/N: I got a prompt request from Stacey218 that piqued my interest.
AU where Kolyat is drafted into the Compact, and how that would affect Thane and Kolyat's later relationship when they meet again in ME2, how it would affect Irikah and their marriage, and how Shepard might react to that.
I really don't need to be writing another fic right now, but I couldn't resist. So this one will be done in between my main story, since I'm promising myself and my readers I'd finish it. Updates to this one will be when I get to them. It won't be all that long, but I'm thinking 6-8 chapters. We'll see. I do tend to get wordy. :)
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The year is 2166. Thane holds his newborn son close to his chest while his wife sleeps away the exhaustion of childbirth. It doesn't matter that he's already memorized each tiny stripe and spot on his son's skin, black against a delicate blue. Using less force than would be required to pull the trigger on his sniper rifle, he gently and reverently traces the patterns again.
The year is 2168. He has talked to Irikah. She is still opposed, but he can see no other way. He stops by Kolyat's room and watches his small son sleep peacefully. When he's awake, he's all energy and curiosity, but it's these quiet moments he loves best. He drops his hand to Kolyat's tiny head and caresses it gently. He would do anything to keep the two that he loves so much safe and protected. With a heavy sigh, he turns and noiselessly walks out of the room. He goes to his computer and sends a note to a contract broker. He's now officially a freelance assassin.
It's two months later in 2168. It's his first freelance contract and the first time he has hunted since he left the Compact over two years ago. He's rusty, even though his skills have been honed in him since earliest childhood. Luckily, this contract is an easy one, although that also means a lower payout. Still, it's more money than he made in the entire past six months, and he finished the job in just two weeks. Yes, this is where he truly belongs. Irikah doesn't approve, but they need shelter and food, and he will provide for them.
The year is 2171. Kolyat is five and a half and never stops talking. In that, he takes after his mother rather than his stoic father. There are times Thane despairs of ever having a moment's peace in his house again, and he doubts he can answer one more nonsensical question. But he breathes deeply, looks into his son's eyes, and answers each question gravely. He still stops by his son's room when he's sleeping peacefully and strokes his head. He's bigger, but still so young and innocent. Thane wishes he could remember his own childhood as clearly.
The year is 2172. The hanar are here. Irikah is distraught. Thane is proud, but why does it feel like his heart is breaking in half? Later, he will remember what everyone said with perfect clarity, but for now only bits and pieces penetrate his daze. "Honor the Compact..." "Your genetic potential..." "…make up for your early departure, Sere Krios." Was this how his own parents felt? Nothing shows on his face when Kolyat walks away. It's only when their son is out of sight that Irikah breaks down and cries on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around her and allows himself to give into his own grief.
The year is 2176. Irikah's tears have stopped, but the grief still runs deep. "No more, Thane," she says. "I can't go through this again." Three times they hoped. Three times, hope turned to despair and sorrow as the tiny life slipped away too soon. He tries to find something to say, but he's never been good with words. All he can do is hold his angel tightly.
The year is late in 2176. He sees his son for the first time in nearly five years. The circumstances are extraordinary, as they must be for a trainee to be allowed to leave the Compact training hall, but they are also sorrowful. Kolyat is quiet now as Irikah's body slips beneath the waves. Thane doesn't know what to say to his son. They exchange awkward formalities. In spite of the sorrow, there is a thread of pride in him at his son's quiet strength. He doesn't know what Kolyat is training for, and his son won't tell him. Thane hopes it's not assassination, but his gut fears otherwise.
The year is 2185. He has spent the last decade in a battlesleep, taking on ever more difficult contracts. He kills to protect those who have no protector and in penance for failing to save his own love. Killing Nassana Dantius was to have been his last contract, but a dead Spectre saves him this night by drawing the guards' attention and allowing him to sneak past them. Instead of dying, he accepts a new commission and walks out of the Dantius tower at her side. Now he fights to erase his sins by saving humanity.
His omni tool pings with an urgent message that shakes him from his mournful reverie. A contact inside the Guild informs him that his son is in danger. Even after so many years apart, he cannot ignore the compulsion to protect his only son. He asks to speak to the Commander and prays that she will be compassionate.
By the by, title is (obviously) from the very famous song of the same name. I actually hate the song, but it's because it brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. Still, I can't think of anything more appropriate for Thane and Kolyat in this story.
