CHAPTER 8: Moonrise Blues

The Brain Camp: Part Three

The Gagarin Station was surrounded with seemingly tranquil space in which many starts shimmered, but inside there was no peace... and pronounced blue shining.

When Kaidan and his friends finally got somewhat used of their implants they thought that things would become easier, but they didn't. If anything the things have become harder.

The turian expert in biotics that was sent to the station as their teacher was unforgiving, hard and a cruel man.

"I was at Shanxi and I meet your parents. They cried begging on their knees as I shoot them," were the first words that Vrynus coldly spoke to them as he entered the room to introduce himself.

Few of the teenagers couldn't bite back tears, others stared daggers at him, all of those who lost one or both parent at First Contact War. Kaidan flared profound blue even if he luckily didn't loose anybody.

"If I would have any say in it, I wouldn't be here teaching you," Vrynus continued,: "I would beat each of you into a pulp and send you bottled into jars back to your families. Instead I will teach you how to not be so pathetic as you are, if you like it or not. I wont be easy on you no matter how pathetically squishy you all are. If you wont be able to handle that, then I suggest that you find the first door that leads out and space your sorry asses out. ARE. WE. CLEAR?"

When neither of the teenagers answered he smacked at the one closest to him, which accidentally was no-other than Kaidan.

"If I ask something I expect an answer," Vrynus said.

All teenagers, except Kaidan straightened up and in one voice answered: "Yes, sir."

Kaidan stared at him in outrage, his biotics flaring madly. He wished nothing more than obliterate this turian and it took practically everything in him that he didn't.

Vrynus noticed that and with one large stride completely took over Kaidan`s personal space: "What do we have here, huh. A little freak that wants to have a piece of me. Come, strike at me if you dare," he snarled.

Kaidan clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned completely white, shivers ran over him, he desperately chanted in his mind -I wont let him provoke me... I wont let him provoke me... I wont... I wont...I wont...- as he was trying to resist.

Vrynus smirked darkly: "I thought so. You are just another coward, just like all the humans are." He turned around and left the room, seeing as if he has nothing else to say.

Kaidan slowly managed to calm his nerves, the blue shine around him dissipated, but even so, he was unable to forgo a nasty feeling that this wont end good.


Kaidan seriously considered asking his father to pull him out of the Brain Camp - as the kids started to call Gagarin Station to addition of Jump Zero- ... but he couldn't. It would give Vrynus too much of satisfaction if he would do so and besides there was also a sensitive, tender and kind Rahna here and he wasn't able to bring himself of leaving her... even if every fibre of his being was telling him to pack and run as fast as he could.

The biotic trainings had become straight cruel. All of the sudden they were forced to use his biotics for practically everything. If they wanted a knife, they had to stay on their chair and use their biotics to open the drawer with a pull, taking the knife with a lift and drift it towards them, then use a throw to close the drawer again. It was a complicated operation because they had to carefully measure the force that they were using to not cause damage. If they used to much force they were punished, usually by few lashes from the turian teacher, and those always left purple, green and black marks on them at the best.

When Kaidan made a mistake of getting up from his chair and picking a circuit board with his hands due to a migraine that he had, Vrynus lashed at him with a furry. Kaidan ended in med-bay with two broken ribs and deep cut that run under his nose over his upper lip, caused by turian's razor-sharp talon.

Other teenagers didn't fare any batter than he did. Each day at least one of them would be hurt this or that way. If the Alliance personnel didn't condone with such hash treatment, they did not do anything to stop it either. The teenagers had to endure it in painful silence.

Furthermore, due to constant use of biotics the nose-bleeds and migraines became a daily practice. Further-more, controlling the biotics was a demanding thing. If it was done wrong, if only the tiniest surge went out of control, they did self-harm. Many kids got broken bones because of it and at times they felt like their insides would become their outsides.

On top of that Vrynus had a uttermost sadistic streak at least twice per day. He would come to one of them, order them to build up the energy that would move the heaviest object in the room and when they were ready to use that energy he stopped them, ordered them to reign it in. There was nothing more painful than that. The gathered biotic energy that could not be used should be gradually released in short, weak burst but he did not allow it. Kaidan hated it. Those were the moments when he felt as if every single bone in his body would crack, his eyeballs would explode, his heart would implode, his brains would fry, his..., but he did it... every time, and hated Vrynus for forcing it on him just as much as on others. It just wasn't right.


Rahna, with long dark eyelashes adorning her deep, almost black eyes, with full pink lips, with blushed cheeks, long black silky hair, a tender smile, gentle caressing voice... was haunting Kaidan`s dreams each night.

Everybody flocked around her, boys and girls, like she would be a water source in hot desert, a sun in solar-system, a pulsar in the otherwise empty space.

Kaidan believed her eyes are space-holes that were dragging him forward, towards and he couldn't do, didn't want to do, anything to resist it.

He often found himself sitting in some corner, simply gazing at her with wistfulness. If she would turn around and looked at him, even smile at him, his lips would quick up into a shy half-smile for a second, then he would with flaming cheeks turn his gaze into the floor, his hear racing.

If he would pass by her, she would thread her fingers through her hair and a smell of watermelon would came drifting towards him. He wasn't so fond of this particular fruit or it's smell before, but now that she was using a shampoo that smelled like it, he adored it.

If he would sat behind her in school-benches and she would tilt her head -just so-, her hair drifting to one of her shoulders, revealing a stretch of skin running from her ear to shoulder and his eyes would catch on it.

If she would deem to speak with him, his eyes would drift on her moisten lips and he would wonder how soft they are and how they taste, while his ears were caressed by her soft words, but the meaning of them lost in the air between them. When he had to answer her, he would blush deeply at the embarrassment of not hearing what she had to say.

Kaidan was in love for the very first time.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, he wished she would fall the same, he wanted... But every time he approached her a cat ate his tongue, and he didn't. He carried books for her instead. Saved her the best seats. Fixed her computer and omni-tool. If she broke something when she used her biotics and nobody seen her doing it, he would take a blame for her. She would thank him, offer him a tiny smile, perhaps briefly brushed his hand with her fingers and he would feel blissful.

Kaidan knew that he is not the only one who loved her. Everybody loved Rahna, one way or another. He would feel fangs of jealousy biting him when other boys would flock around her, touching her hand, shoulder and she would laugh at their jokes, sometimes even give them a hug.

He loved her and his migraines were intensified...

It took him some time for him to learn how to force himself to actually listen to her, and to be able to form at least half-coherent sentences without constantly blushing.

Kaidan discovered that she isn't as smart as he initially thought. She had no interest in techs, biotics, space... but he didn't cared. For him she was perfect as she was.

At first she seek him out when she needed help with something, later she searched for him when she desired his company, then when she felt distressed. She claimed that she feels safe when he is around and that she can trust him.

If Kaidan would have a migraine she would speak in whispers to him, sometimes even bring him a cup of cold water.

He saw her cry when she missed her parents or when Vrynus was mean to her and she would lay her head to his shoulder, his hand would sneak around her waist and he would try to lighten her mood.

Kaidan hoped that she would care for him as much as he cared for her... but still, he was unable to say anything of that to her. He wanted to kiss her, but he was too afraid to do it. What if she would push him away?


When Kaidan was 16 years old he lost control.

Rahna wanted a spoon, but instead of using her biotics she got up and picked it with her hand. Vrynus saw it and came to her, grabbing her by the hand so hard that he broke the bone.

Rahna screamed in pain and cried out in agony.

Kaidan couldn't take it. Any rational thought that he might posses, left him.

He jumped on his feet and before he could blink he was by her side, forcefully removed Vrynus hand from her and pushed her behind his back.

"Do not touch her again," Kaidan snarled at Vrynus, his biotics flaring bright blue, the room filled with metallic taste of ezoo coming in waves form him.

"Move aside, BOY," Vrynus barked at him, pushing him aside and smacking Rahna over her cheek.

Kaidan gathered a medium potion of his energy and threw Vrynus away from him towards the wall in a blink of an eye: "YOU. WILL. NOT. TOUCH. HER. AGAIN!"

Vrynus got up, seething in anger. Other grown-ups wanted to interfere but he stopped them. They obeyed, Vrynus over-ranked them.

Kaidan erected a biotic wall before him just in time to block a throw from Vrynus.

Vrynus clicked with his mandibles, laughing cruelly: "You are pathetic, BOY! " He sent his biotic energy crashing into Kaidan`s wall and dissipating it. He conjured up another blue ball, Kaidan realized that Vrynus intended to use a singularity and in an instant he knew that Rahna is standing to close to him. She would get hurt also, if not killed.

Kaidan`s anger intensified ten-folds as he sucked every ounce of biotic energy from his body and sent it crashing into Vrynus.

The turian smacked into metallic wall so hard that it made a dent, his exoskeleton cracking painfully.

Kaidan`s strength drained he fell on his knees and hands, his biotics flickering in and out, the blue around him shimmering on and off. He gasped for air, his head sagged towards the floor, his heart beating rapidly, his brains feeling on fire.

After a second he looked at Vrynus, He wasn't moving. His chest-plates weren't moving. His eyes were glazed with white fog.

Kaidan`s body shook. -I didn't... no... I didn't... I couldn't... He will get up and kill me any time soon... I didn't...-

Some other turian approached Vrynus, keeled beside him then after a brief examination gravely pronounced: "No life signs."

Kaidan felt lost, ashamed, cold... Everybody looked at him like he is a monster.

He slowly turned around towards Rahna, hoping that she would be his light in this dark moment.

Kaidan`s heart shattered into as many stars as there are planets in whole Universe as his eyes caught hers.

Rahna crawled as far away as she could, staring at him with eyes opened widely, fear openly seen in them.

His eyes burned as he was trying to hold tears back. He slowly got up on his feet, turned fully towards her who he loved, who he wanted to protect, for whom he even killed. He gently extended his hand and took a careful step towards her.

Rahna flinched, took quick two steps back.

Kaidan stopped, his eyes pleading.

Rahna`s trembling lips started to move, slowly as she uttered a silent: "Monster."

Kaidan`s head sagged, his hands hanging limp. Rahna feared him. He was a... monster.