A/N

Time to go down the rabbit hole.

Enjoy.

Chapter 17: Cold Worlds and Cold Minds

Kyson's POV

The scotch was just as warm as his hand. He had only a sip of it since he had gone to the bar. Garrus was there. So was John, who was looking out of the window. None of them were really interested in the booze, it was just habit to have it there in such instances. Kyson finally took another sip before lighting a cig for the first time in almost five hours.

"I don't want to be here anymore." admitted the young man before taking another sip. No one answered him. John motioned for a smoke, which was obliged. The three of them sat there. The older men worrying over Ashley while Kyson tried to block out the memories of Khoshekh. Tali had checked in with the doctor who cleared her. But she still seemed to be moving roughly. Kyson, he was beaten, bruised and battered. There wasn't a part of him that was not scared or a normal shade of his lightly tanned skin.

"None of us do." said John as he downed his shot. Garrus cleared his throat a bit before looking at the Commander.

"Ashley...I, I shouldn't have been so hard on her. She didn't deserve my outburst on Horizon." lamented the Turian. John held up a hand to stop the disturbed alien but Garrus wasn't done.

"I was a dick to her on many occasions. But, she became my friend. Despite our differences, she was a good person." said Garrus.

"I know." said John who took a deep drag on his smoke. The door opened to the lounge, Luke walked in and straight at them.

"Noveria is twenty minutes out. Would you like me to take point on this one?" asked the old Marine. Kyson just kept staring at his drink.

"No, thank you though." said John as he got up. Luke was never a compassionate man, but he grabbed Shepard in a bear like hug patting him on the back.

"Don't bury it, son. It will kill you." said Luke as he let go of John. Kyson could feel the glass in his hand start to crack from how hard he was gripping it. He felt like he was on fire now. He slammed down his drink before standing himself.

"I'm going with you." he said. John looked at him like he was crazy. Kyson jutted out his jaw with determination.

"I can't spend another second on this ship. I just can't!" he yelled. His voice echoed in the small space causing Liara to look into the room. She was probably already on the way to see John, but her steps looked to be quick.

"Kyson?" asked Liara but felt more like a statement. John finished his cig with a nod.

"Okay." said the commander as he walked away. He looked over his shoulder at Garrus.

"EDI, Garrus is in charge of the ship while I'm gone." and with that John was gone. Garrus stood up with heavy shoulders.

"Don't let him get killed down there." said Garrus as he also took his leave with Luke. Kyson poured one more shot. His knee hurt but he would pull through, maybe.

"Liara, come with us." said Kyson. The Asari watched as he slammed the slug down.

"I was planning on it." she said. Kyson was thankful to hear that otherwise he would fail Garrus otherwise. No one spoke as they got ready, everything was fresh, raw, and burning. But the war would not stop. Not now, and maybe never. The three friends climbed into the Kodiak with heavy hearts. Not a single weapon was spared. Shepard had his Mattock, Kyson his Widow, and Liara had her Tempest sub-machine. They were ready. Shepard banged on the door to the cockpit. Cortez took flight towards Noveria.

Kyson's mind was racing a mile a minute while all of the same images from back on the Normandy. He had another cig hanging out of his mouth as he rotated his helmet in his hands.

"How cold was Noveria last time?" he asked knowing the two with him had faced Rachni and Cerberus here.

"Make sure that helmet is on before I open the door. Just my advice." said John who was busy staring a hole through the floor.

"Thanks." said Kyson as he put a hand to his head. He heard the cockpit door open while he let the nicotine keep him busy.

"Your heat sinks could jam up as well if you are not careful. You said that you like cold weather right?" asked the voice of Tali. Kyson looked up with a small smile.

"I'm glad you came." he said as she took a seat next to him.

"Hey, Tali" said John.

"I couldn't stay on the ship. I...needed to get out." said Tali.

"I think we all wanted to" added Liara. Everyone nodded to themselves as Noveria loomed ever closer. Kyson snubbed out his cig before putting his helmet on. He checked his seals, shotgun, and sniper rifle. All was a go.

"Hackett is calling, I'll put it over the speakers." said Cortez. The com buoys were still in good shape around these parts it seemed for Hackett's voice came in loud and clear.

"Shepard, thanks for picking this one up." said Hackett.

"What is the mission." said John coolly as he stood up.

"Cerberus has a fighter base that they have been using to harass us with. We have word there might be some willing to defect but we need the facility ourselves. I need you to take down their defenses, clear it out if you can." said the admiral.

"Can do. We will report once it is done." said John. Kyson could see mountains covered in snow that dwarfed the Himalayas. He was standing now looking at the frozen world below him.

"It's god damn beautiful." he said as the admiral wished them luck and dropped the call.

"We never saw it on a clear day, it is stunning" said Liara. Kyson saw the mountains as ancient statures that had been waiting for him, just him to see. But, he was reminded as the fighter base came into view. As they drew close Cerberus soldiers could be seen getting into position.

"We need to get down two levels. There is a command consul there where we can shut down the defenses. Ready everyone?" asked Tali. Kyson let himself ride the adrenaline rush from the view to get ready.

"Ready!" the others shouted. They were at the landing pad, the door opened with guns blazing. Kyson and Tali shredded the first three soldiers. Liara sent a singularity up a ramp straight ahead catching four men who screamed as they were crushed in the mini black hole. Shepard, he used his Mattock with skill unmatched. The descending ramp on the left had twelve bodies already lying on the deck. None of them had time to yell out a warning.

"Kyson, I'll trade you for that shotgun." said John. Kyson swapped with Shepard.

"We have an Atlas!" shouted Tali as the mech stomped its way from the left ramp.

"Take it down, I have work to do" said John. Kyson began to shoot at the manned machine. He tossed both of his portable turrets while Tali sent a drone. Add Liara's stasis and it made short work. The behemoth fell in under thirty seconds.

"That's how it's done!" shouted Liara as she reloaded. Screams could be heard from inside the base. They were of fear.

"Quick, find John." said Kyson as he took point. That ran straight up and into the base. A hallway led into the building where a squad of Cerberus centurions were hunkered down.

"Fuck, where did he go?" snapped one soldier.

"I don't know! Ah!" the man responding was lifted off of his feet from an omni-blade running him through the lower back. Shepard's stealth cloak dropped showing the shotgun next to the first man's head.

Boom!

The first soldier no longer had said head, then Shepard was gone again with another shot of the gun. Kyson saw a few flashes from the blade but other than that John was a blur. More men and women screamed as they tried to hide from an invisible enemy. The team tried to keep up with him, but he was going too fast for them to safely follow.

Things got very quiet suddenly. Kyson figured John had cleared the area. He looked at the two dozen or so bodies around him. All of the shots were point blank range. Every cut from Shepard's blade were twice as large as necessary for a kill.

"Tali, take point." said Kyson as he shook his head. They moved in deeper to a room with more bodies. Several control panels could be seen at the back of the room with a Cerberus soldier standing alone. He saw them and raised his pistol.

"Stay back! I'll...I'll shoot!" he screamed in fear, voice cracking. He sounded young. Kyson just kept his rifle on the soldier. Kyson saw John drop his cloak right next to the man. The soldier slowly looked at John who was inches away, and began to shake.

"Like a deer in headlights." said Kyson in a low voice. With a swift movement, Shepard snatched the pistol from the soldier, punching him in the head at the same time. A loud scream came from the man as he began to run for his life out a side door. It had started to snow. John began to laugh as he walked after the man with his new pistol.

"John, finish him off quickly." said Liara. But Kyson knew John wasn't listening. The screaming was behind Kyson now as the man ran past the door leading to the lower ramp.

"Run! Run rabbit, run! Ahhhhahahahaha!" cackled John.

"What is he doing?" asked Tali, who jumped when Shepard shot the man in the shoulder. More screams now mixed with pain.

"Cats, big and small are stealthy creatures. They also, play with their food before they kill It." answered Kyson as the soldier gained his balance and ran again. Shepard kept a steady pace.

"What's wrong rabbit? Not as fun as you thought it would be?" asked John who had also moved out of view.

"Please! I just wanted to help humanity!" screamed the man. Another shot rang out.

"I bet you did!" two more shots went off.

"Did I say stop running?" tears could be heard as the man sobbed. Kyson chanced taking off his helmet. The cold almost made him choke, so he put on his goggles. They did have limited heating for heating the surface of the skin. But it was struggling. He lit a cig.

"John, what are you...?" Liara began to ask.

"He is getting revenge the only way he knows how?" answered Kyson. Liara looked at him with a lip curled in anger.

"He is acting like you." she said. Kyson didn't have any words for her.

"Please, leave me alone!" screamed the man in the distance. His last word sounding more like a drawn out moan.

"You were a slow rabbit." said John, right before the pistol went off. The sobbing stopped. Liara looked at Kyson with rage. She was blaming him for being a bad influence.

"We need to get those defenses down." said Kyson. Liara snorted before turning away. Tali wasted no time herself not wanting to get in the middle. A minute passed before John showed up in front of Kyson. He had the shotgun held out.

"Good gun." was all he said as they traded.

"What was that, John?" snapped Liara. She didn't turn away from her work. John stayed silent.

"Well?" pressed Liara. John shook his head as if he didn't understand what she was asking.

"Tali and I have shut down the defenses. Be fuckin' ready." barked Liara as she passed John. Kyson tried to make eye contact but the helmets made it impossible. John just walked back outside as troops began to pour in. Kyson fought like a damn dog as he blasted his shotgun into the ranks. But he kept getting glances of Shepard, dancing in the setting light of Pax. Shadows and fire highlighted the commander on the landing pad as laughed and played with death.

"Kyson, I can't get a hold of Shepard. I have multiple fighters on me. I need to shake them." announced Cortez over the com.

"You sound calm." he replied as he reloaded. He was down to scavenging heat sinks from the enemy.

"I live for this. I'm right as rain." said Cortez. Kyson let a small smile form.

"Copy that." he said as he pushed forward inside the base.

Another ten minutes, another thirty or so men fell. Another ten added two mechs and an Engineer squad. Then, things began to turn against them. Pax had set completely below the mountains. The lights snow blowing off of the peak now came from the skies. The temperature began to drop from -10F to -20 in what felt like second to Kyson.

"Shit, Cortez. Where are you?" asked Kyson. Nothing came back, not even static.

"Cortez went dark, and you have a big problem down there." came a voice over the com. It was Vega.

"How so?" he asked.

"If you think that sandstorm was bad on Mars, then you are going to shit yourself in a second." said Vega. Kyson frowned at the implications. Tali and Liara moved up to the next position.

"Hey, hold this position. I need to go back." he said quickly.

"Hurry." said Tali as Liara laid down suppressing fire. Kyson wasted no time bolting back down the corridors to the control center, then right out the back onto the cat walks. Eighty mile an hour winds threatened to freeze his nose off as he looked at the pass between the mountains. A dull white wall swallowed the closest peak in his view. He began to slip on the forming layer of snow as he tried to turn back. The winds howled even more and he grabbed the railing to haul himself in. Warning were blaring in his hears from his HUD. IMANANT FREEZE HAZARD.

"Vega, where the hell did this storm come from?" asked Kyson as he rushed to get his helmet on. With the visor off, what little it did to help fight the cold was lost, causing his lungs to contact from the cold.

"...it's fucking Noveria! The hell did you expect? Any word from Cortez?" asked James as Kyson sucked in huge gulps of air. He was shivering as his suit tried to keep up with the falling temp.

"No, I haven't" he replied having found his breath. Kyson checked his HUD. -35 and dropping fast.

"Damn it. You need to find shelter quick. EDI says it's a cold spell coming from the stratosphere. Think of a blizzard hurricane." added Vega.

"Sounds fun! Girls, John. Did you get that?" asked Kyson. The girls replied with an all clear. Nothing came from John.

"John, where are you?" he asked again. The com was garbled a bit.

"Landi...ad. Brin...ope." said John. Kyson ran outside to the side ramp. He was nearly lifted off of the ground by a gust of wind that had to be almost a hundred miles an hour. All, Kyson could see was white, that was quickly turning into a cobalt blue as night descended. He found the edge of the landing pad and used it for a brace.

"John where are you?" he asked again. The replay was loud and clear.

"I'm on a ledge below you. Do you have something to haul me up? It's at least ten feet." said John who sounded like his teeth were chattering. Kyson didn't have any rope.

"Anything back in that base" he called out. He got a weak reply.

"Steel...ble. On way." what Kyson thought was Liara.

"Commander, Kyson. No word from Cortez. And..." James' voice was growing weak.

"Go ahead!" shouted Kyson.

"Will see you in three days. To ...gerous. F..d ..elter!" and that was the last words from James.

"Damn, the storms here are worse than anything on Mars." griped Kyson. He watched as the HUD showed -58, he was going to freeze to death.

"Didn't you like cold...weather?" grunted John as he tried to stay alert. Kyson could barely see the ledge he was leaning against. He looked to his left where they landed. He was being watched. Kyson couldn't move, not that they could wanted him to anyways. But, two big, bright red eyes were a foot away from him. Just, floating in the white snow. With a blink, they were gone.

"John...John? John!" yelled Kyson.

"What?" snapped Shepard. A tap on the shoulder made Kyson jump up into the wind, which slammed him down to the pad.

"Kyson, it's us! Throw the cable over and haul him up!" said Tali with urgency. Kyson crawled over and did as he was told. Shepard was nearly blown off the mountain as he scrambled over the edge. All of them moved as fast as they dared towards the complex.

"Where can we go? I didn't see anywhere to get in?" shouted Tali.

"They welded all of the doors! And we only have seconds. Kyson looked around frantically. Above him, there was a ladder.

"Ladder! Everybody, use me as a boost." said Kyson. He got Liara first, then Tali. Shepard bounded up quickly leaving Kyson.

"Shit! I'm too damn short!" he cursed. A coil of steel cable smacked him in the face. Salvation hurt. On the new landing bright light flood where they stood. Five inches of snow had already dropped around them. It was a glass wall twelve feet high and twenty feet long. The most likely glass composite was six feet thick leading to an air lock.

"In!" ordered Shepard. Kyson was barely able to move as he trudged through the snow. He looked back at the ladder. The red eyes were back. Four of them now, with an odd chuffing noise.

"Kyson!" shouted Tali. He had a reason to move fast now. Once inside glass airlock, he locked the doors tight. Hot air was dumped into the room instantly. The temp inside was rising while showing the falling number outside.

-72 and still falling.

"That was close." sighed Tali as Liara took of her helmet. Kyson took his off as well. The cold world had a serious effect on the Asari. She was glaring at John with a look he had never seen before. Shepard, was too busy taking his armor off as the temp equalized out at 60 degrees. It was still cold compared to the Normandy.

"John." said Liara in a cool, even tone. John was covered in gore. His gunmetal gray was now a slurry of crimson. Frozen layers of blood shimmered in the bright lights of the airlock. He had gotten his chest armor off before he turned to Liara.

"Yeah?" he asked. Liara punched him in the gut so hard it made the Commander's eyes bug out a bit.

"Liara!" shouted Tali as she tried to Drag Liara away. But the Asari was in a rage. Tali tugged as hard as she could but Liara still had an arm free. She swatted at John who was still winded.

"Enough, Liara." said Kyson calmly as he watched.

"Kyson, help...me." growled Tali as she held Liara in place.

"You reckless, arrogant asshole!" shrieked Liara. John just stared down his girl while she struggled to get at him.

"Just because Ashley is gone gives you no excuse. None! I have had enough of this!" screamed Liara. John broke his gaze by looking at the ground. Liara stopped struggling but Tali didn't let go.

"I was strong! We all were when you died! We held ourselves together damn it. I was able to hold on even when I had your corpse in my arms. When I saved your body from being handed over to the Collectors. I was strong and kept it together!" Liara said with a shrill, trembling crescendo.

"Yet, I still held on. I knew I could stay strong for you to fight the Reapers. But, Ashley dies and you are excused to fall apart? That is fucking selfish!" said Liara with tears flowing down her face. Kyson lit a cig. He wanted to say that she was being selfish for not seeing that John was cutting loose. That he would and had done the same thing several times. When he looked up, Liara was staring at him now.

"And, you..." rasped Liara. Kyson couldn't help but flinch. Liara was the scariest thing he had ever seen up to this point in his life.

"John has followed your example! He has been far too soft. We have all tried to be understanding Kyson, Goddess know that we have tried. But your erratic behavior has been killing us. And put out that damn cancer! I'm tired of it permeating the ship!" snapped Liara as she turned around and entered the facility. Kyson felt his heart slow down as Tali ran after the fuming Asari. Kyson watched them leave for the inner wall was also all glass matching the outer, affording views of the mountains unrestricted. The door shut leaving the men in privacy.

"Holy shit. I thought we were going to die." said John who looked like he had seen a ghost. Kyson took a drag on his cig before putting it out.

"Normally I would say any port in a storm but..." Kyson shook his head unable to finish.

"I know. Ah, shit." Kyson looked into the facility trying to think of a plan to get inside without being stuck in the airlock praying for his life. A long corridor about sixty feet in length opened up into what looked like a great room. In the corridor four work desks with terminal lined up with four doors. He could see on the far wall from him was nothing but more glass showing nothing but white snow. Tali was there with Liara.

"Let's go in." said John. Kyson led the way with John leaving his armor to thaw. The temp was the same in the larger space. Kyson saw name tags on the four rooms. Dr. this or that was on each one. Kyson could see nothing of a homey feel here. That was until he came upon the main room. The floor was an illusion, for off to both sides were the most posh, and comfortable amenities he had ever seen!

The great room was about forty feet deep from the hall and a good eighty feet wide. Comfy over stuffed sofas surrounded several tables on warm hardwood floors. A ping pong table, fuse ball, and air hockey lined against one room to his right. While a massive holo screen was on the left. The left end was the most decked out kitchen he had ever seen as well. A table that could seat eight and an island bar with four stools still had glasses on them. Kyson felt like he had found the opposite of an oasis in a desert. And to complete the deal, the far right wall had an honest to god fireplace. With real wood stacked ten feet high by the window!

"Where are we?" asked Kyson to no one in particular. John was equally in shock.

"Not Kansas. Canada maybe?" he asked with wide eyes.

"At least we can stay warm here while this storm passes." said Liara. Who wouldn't turn away from the window. Kyson shook his head. This was going to be a hell of its own. Deciding to be useful, he sneaked off to the kitchen. A massive pantry filled to the brim with the finest ingredients, a fridge and freezer that matched. There was even Elk meat. Maybe if he played his music really loud over the fighting he could have a great time.

John had followed him with a loss of what to do with himself. He made a discovery of his own.

"Kyson, c'mere." said John. Kyson walked next to the holo screen. A massive china press was full of bottles. The kind that held liquid happiness. Kyson read three labels that equaled more money that he had ever made. And there were at least fifty. Liara must have seen them ogling the rare alcohol. With a loud snort she went down the hall.

"Damn. Liara hold on." said John as he ran after his gher. Liara didn't speak as she opened each and every room. Taking in all of the lavish details. She settled on the one on the left corner by the kitchen. John tried to follower her in but he was shoved out of the room, with the door slamming in his face. John sighed as he looked at his feet. Shepard walked down to the next room punching the wall once as hard as he could before disappearing. Then the air entered the room again. Kyson was standing in the middle of the whole plush pad.

"I'm scared, Kyson." said Tali as she latched onto his right arm. He didn't know what to say. His life was still falling apart. How? Why? What was causing this? He just stood there. Lost in the storm with a very cold mind. And as he thought about it, he could feel Tali shaking. She was freezing.

"Follow me." he said as he led her over to the fire place. He checked to make sure the flue was closed. He sat Tali on the stone hearth. He began to take five pieces of wood and set them in front of the iron ember catcher. He didn't have a knife on him. So he got a cleaver from the kitchen. He started making kindling, and in twenty minutes, a fire was coming to life. Smoke was beginning to pour out from the smoke shelf.

"Kyson, you will smoke us out? Do you know what you are doing?" she asked with concern. Kyson waited a few seconds more before opening the flue. With the extreme cold outside, he needed all the heat he could get to start a draft. And it worked. Another forty minutes of tending had a roaring blaze. He smiled as he took of his armor. The heat from the fire was welcome. Even better were the fur rugs surrounding the hearth. Now, he was down to nothing but his boxers as he stretched out on his back. The soft fur acting like a pillow.

"This feels so good. Thank you" said Tali who was still sitting as close as she could to the blaze. He sighed lightly in response. He closed his eyes trying to block out the world around him.

"Liara, I'm worried about her." said Tali breaking the blessed neutral mood. Kyson sat up to look at the fire.

"So am I. John too." he added. He knew what John was feeling and going through.

"What was Liara talking about?" asked Tali. Kyson began to laugh. He was trapped with nowhere to escape. Nothing to distract him.

"Some of the things I did after I got spaced. I wouldn't call them very smart." he said. Tali joined him on the rug.

"I'm not surprised." she said giggling with him. He stopped laughing though. He looked back over the past year, much of it was shrouded in black swirls lined with hate.

"Yeah, neither am I. I guess you want to hear all of it now huh?" he asked. Tali nodded her head quickly.

"Man, I was hoping for you to say 'nah, it's okay. You already amuse me'" he said trying to stall. He knew his time was up, but he was full of fear of what she would think.

"Not this time." said John who walked up out of the dark great room. Kyson had turned the lights off save one in the kitchen. He was wearing an emerald robe that looked like it belonged at some ritzy resort. He sat down in one of the four white wing backed chairs with the Cerberus logo on it. Kyson looked back at the fire quickly.

"You made a promise to me, Kyson. You said that after the situation on Rannoch was over you would tell Tali everything." Shepard kindly reminded. Kindly in the way a snake kindly sneaks up on its prey before killing it.

"Shepard, are you..." Tali began to ask if he was alright but John waved her off.

"I'll be okay, it's time for Kyson to talk." said Shepard. Kyson got up and found on the coffee table between two of the chairs was an ash tray.

"Right, where should I start?" he asked himself as he sat back down, lighting up again. Tali was watching him avidly.

"The problem didn't start with the act of getting spaced. The problem was the time spent alone I guess." he mused. He twitched a bit as he looked around the room. It was Kevin again, who was pacing back and forth just outside the light of the fire. He had the ghostly white face with red eyes. Kyson looked at Shepard, who nodded for him to go on.

"I watched as the fleet started to jump one by one to a new destination. I knew I was doomed. I screamed for over an hour as the ships departed. No one heard me. I had my distress beacon on. It was my only chance. No one came." Kyson fell silent then. He watched as the flames consumed the food it had been given.

"That's when things get fun." he continued as he watched his bother look out the giant window wall.

"I snapped. For a lack of a better term I went insane. I lost my damn mind, Tali" he said. He looked at Tali, hoping to get a response.

"Kyson, you were on the verge of dying. Our bond was broken by the sudden leap in distance. People who survive from getting abandoned in space almost never recover from the mental break down. That has been known since the dawn of space travel." said Tali matter of factually. Kyson shook his head.

"What the point is, because I lost it, I survived three hours past the oxygen reserves in my suit. Tali, I was visited by my dead brother." said Kyson. Tali looked at John who only stared back.

"Keelah, you were hallucinating from...that must have been unbearable." said Tali as she laid a hand on his thigh. Kyson gritted his teeth.

"It was. But, I was rescued...obviously. Han'Gerral was the one who picked me up. Apparently it was standard procedure to do a sweep just encase something was forgotten. That something was me." he said.

"That bastard! He knew the entire time!" she shouted in fury. Kyson nodded.

"Yeah, so did Kal. I was told to pack my bags and go. Han believed me about Xen and couldn't risk another power vacuum. Kerris...shit that scared the old man though. He didn't give me a name for I didn't have one that I could remember. He was the one who pushed me out of the airlock." he answered. Tali was trembling with rage.

"I should have listened. Every sign was there." she said in way of an apology.

"Even I didn't know how right I was." he admitted. He had more to say.

"After I was taken back to Earth by Kal, I wound up back at my dad's. I had made it so long, so far without having to limp back to him. I knew he would gloat. After all the hell I caused, the pain I left in my selfish wake..." Kyson felt the spiral tug at him. He glanced up to see Kevin right in his face. Wide eyed and smiling with fanged teeth.

"Luke did gloat. Beni almost had to beat the shit out of him but I was allowed to stay. I couldn't bring myself to show up at the fleet, Tali. I feared Xen would kill you if I did. So, I spent a month in my workshop. Making weapons. Thinking on revenge, drinking myself to sleep every night wondering if you had been murdered anyway." he said almost in a single breath.

"What made you leave your dad's?" asked Tali. Kyson figured she was trying to keep him talking so she wouldn't miss anything.

"Luke. He couldn't stand having a coward of a son who was broken and weak from grief being around. So he gave me a choice. Go drink myself to death on the streets of Front Royal or go join the N7 program. So, I went military. But not the usual way. I was put with a team doing wet work. Stuff the council didn't know about." he added for clarity.

"I didn't know that one." said john. Kyson laughed a bit.

"Come on, a former gang member who was an associate of the nefarious Commander Shepard? The man who coldly killed over three hundred thousand Batarians? There was no other way then slapping the N7 on me and shipping me off." snapped Kyson. John scowled at Kyson, but it quickly disappeared.

"You are right. Go on." ordered John.

"I was hated. For my bypassing of training, my attitude, and most of all my reckless actions. I took suicidal risks. I wrongly chanced others' lives. Anything to let me go out and kill as many people as I could. So I could prepare for this war. It cost me." he finished sadly. He had made several good men question their allegiance to the alliance for nothing more than his amusement.

"That was when he showed up under my supervision." said Liara who had been listening in on the conversation. Kyson stayed quiet as he made sure she wasn't going to start a fight. She sat in the chair next to John. Neither of them made a motion to look at each other. Kyson nodded to her, hoping she would continue. She raised an eyebrow, then sighed.

"He was deemed too much of a risk to stay N7 directly. So he was assigned to protect me at the Mars archives where I found blueprints for the Crucible device. He barely spoke to me. But, I was able to help where I could. For, he has lingering scars. I joined my consciousness with him several times to see what was there." said Liara with what still looked like honest concern. Kyson didn't blame her. The things he had seen would make anybody worry.

"Like you did with Shepard with his visions from the beacon?" asked Tali.

"Yes." was Liara responded. Kyson lit up again. He smiled, nearly two packs a day now it seemed.

"Tali. Have you ever seen anything odd? As in you swore it was a dream until you think back, and then you're not sure?" he asked Tali. Kyson wanted more than anything to have a drink right now.

"Yes, actually." said Tali. Kyson waited patiently.

"There was a Geth attack on the Neema. They breached directly into the engine room where I fought them off. I was the only one still able the fight at the end. But as I fought, everything looked like Rachni all of the sudden. I heard people fighting with me that weren't there." she finished.

"We fought Rachni not long ago. With Grunt and the Company under his command. Kyson was there as well." added Shepard.

"That's the odd thing though. I remember running through a thin gap in a cave. A creature tried to claw me down but I began to beat it to death, and I said the oddest thing. I screamed the word 'Lies'" she said with a confused tone. Kyson, on the other hand felt strangely overjoyed.

"That was our bond, Tali. You were seeing through my eyes. Saying my words." said Kyson with a smile. Tali squeaked as she realized what that meant.

"So all of those moments I...I thought about being at your dads house? Those dreams of dark figures telling me to..." Tali stopped. She was scared of something.

"To do what, Tali?" pressed John. She shook her head as if she wasn't sure what to say.

"It was relentless. Day after day, I felt like someone was in my head telling me to kill myself." she said. Kyson felt tears come to his eyes as he heard Kevin laugh in the background. Tali had been bonded to him completely, she was living out his thoughts.

"That was me." he answered.

"Goddess, that is awful" replied Liara. John got up only to disappear into the dark. Kyson just sat there looking at the fire as the commander returned. He had three bottles of beer. And one Turian ale. Everyone sipped on their drinks for a few, Tali taking a bit longer with her straw thingy.

"Tali, I still don't know how we are able to talk with our minds yet." said Kyson not able to stand the silence any longer.

"What?" asked John with surprise.

"When Kerris had us cornered back on the Normandy, he was there for us. For me." said Kyson.

"But, the only way we survived was because Tali was able to hear my thoughts. And we talked to each other." he finished. John was wide eyed now.

"So you two can talk telepathically? Can all Quarians do that?" asked John with a hint of excitement.

"No. I have never heard of it. It is rumored that some life mates can feel each other from great distances or act out what the other was thinking in a tough situation. Nothing like what is happening to us." said Tali.

"It is incredible none the less." added Liara.

"But what happened with Kerris? The ship was torn apart in ways I have never seen." asked Shepard with a worried look. Kyson explained that the darkness in Kerris had a name. Khoshekh. And that it nearly killed them. Only their new ability to communicate with mind allowed them a chance to get out.

"Holy fuck." snorted John. He was tapping his beer with a finger in agitation. But he looked at Kyson.

"That is horrifying. But there is one more thing you need to tell Tali. About Kevin." the marine added at the end. Kyson nodded.

"Tali, ever since I saw my dead brother in space...he never left." he said. Tali just stared at him, not understanding.

"I still see him. Everywhere around me, all of the time. He...speaks to me constantly." said Kyson. Those were the craziest things he had ever said in such a short manner. He was expecting Tali to laugh. She didn't.

"Can you see him now?" she asked in a hushed tone. Kyson sighed as he looked at her. Kevin was holding Tali from behind caressing her visor with an evil smile. Kyson closed his eyes. He knew the feeling he needed to reach out to Tali with his thoughts.

"Tali. Close your eyes. Try and feel something knocking on your consciousness. It's hard to explain but give it a go." he said. He could feel something warm around the back of his neck as new sensations became available to him. She had arrived.

"Keep your eyes closed" he said aloud. Shepard and Liara were looking at them with bated breath.

[You there?] Came Tali's voice.

[Yeah. Now, I'm going to open my eyes. If you see what I see, don't be afraid. He isn't real.] He instructed.

[I'll try.] She replied with a warm feeling that began to radiate through Kyson. With a deep breath, he opened his eyes.

Kevin was still caressing Tali's visor with a dark smile. Red eyes beaming at Kyson. He felt panic flood Tali as she began to hyperventilate. She began to flinch as if she could feel Kevin touching her.

"Hello, Tali! I have waited so long to speak with my sister-in-law." laughed Kevin. Tali screamed as she broke contact with Kyson. She jumped up and away from the spot she was sitting at.

"Keelah! That...Kyson! How can you endure that?" she asked with a heaving chest.

"What happened?" asked John quickly.

"She met Kevin. He spoke to her." he said with a dark smile. It was amusing despite how grim.

"He didn't look anything like the picture back at your dad's house. He was all pale and evil looking!" said Tali who sat next to Kyson. He put an arm around her waist bringing her close.

"I know. He isn't the only one who visits. My ex, Cynthia has paid several visits. So has my mom. And..." Kyson stopped as he remembered the little girl.

"Is there another?" asked Tali. Kyson shook his head.

"No. I was going to say 'and they show up at random' is all." he finished. Tali shook her head.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." she said with sorrow laden words. Kyson hugged her before standing up. He led Tali to the corner room on the right. Inside was a queen sized bed. He reached out with his mind one more time and could feel the weariness in her bones.

"Get some sleep babe. I need to watch the fire until it burns down low." he said.

"What? And I can't stay?" she asked with frustration.

"No, I just need a word with John." he said honestly.

"Are you still holding out details on me?" she asked with a hint of a growl.

"No. I have said everything that you needed to hear and more. This one though, it's about something long ago only he can hear. Only he can understand. Please trust me on this?" he asked. Tali reluctantly got into bed.

"Don't stay up too late." she said as she turned off the light. Kyson closed the door. He went back to the fire and only John was there.

"We overheard you. Liara went to bed so we could talk." said the commander. Kyson sat in the chair next to him.

"Tali is exhausted. I could feel it when I connected with her." said Kyson with a shrug. John sat there watching the fire with a perplexed look.

"You know if anyone finds out that you can do that, the two of you will have a career as lab rats." said the commander.

"Like hell. I can see every government, college, or research group using it in horrible ways. It's ours, this ability." he replied. He had thought about how much money he could make with this discovery. But the cost on his life seemed bleak. Noveria served as a great reminder up on Peak 15.

"Are you going to push through?" asked Kyson who jumped up to get a bottle of scotch. John didn't reply until he got back with two glasses.

"I will. It's still fresh though. I am assuming all the damage, the strange metal deformities are from this new creature?" asked John as he took a sip of the booze.

"Yeah. It freaks me out." replied Sorley.

"This tastes like heaven. Nice and peaty. I bet it costs more than my yearly wage." quipped Shepard.

"You would be right." said Kyson as he let the divine liquid mellow him out.

"You and Tali didn't elaborate much on what really happened down there." said John after a few more moments. Kyson took another sip.

"He had me against a wall by the throat and a pistol in Tali's face. He had us dead to rights. We were finished. He was going to kill us once and for all. This Khoshekh thing kept telling Kerris how we were setting them back from something. What that is, I don't know." replied Kyson.

"Whatever it is. It is very important somehow. He had met with Saren and Sovereign before. Do you think it might have to do with the Reapers?" asked Shepard.

"If I had made any connection there I would be squealing like a stuck pig about it." laughed Kyson.

"Shit, that won't help a damn thing. Look how the council has treated me. Eh?" said John causing light laughter. Kyson poured more drink.

"In all seriousness though. I am sorry about Ashley. And the other crew members. We will have to get things sorted out when we get back." said Kyson with his smile turning into a frown.

"I left orders for Garrus. He should already be getting things repaired at Port Han'shan. I imagine they are stuck like we are. And god only knows where Cortez is. I guess we will see in a few days." said John. Several hours passed as the two talked about lighter things. The scotch took hold as memories of childhood bon fires came to mind.

"What time is it?" asked John after a while.

"By earth standards, we have been up for over 18 hours. You turning in?" asked the younger man.

"Yeah. We need to make sure no one else is here. I did a sweep of the security systems. Every room outside the suites here have cameras. Nothing."

"Then where are these spoiled rotted scientists?" asked Kyson. John shrugged.

"If they tried to escape..." john looked at the long window. Kyson laughed.

"Yeah, bout that snow?" he said laughing again.

"I'll take first watch, you get some sleep boss." said Kyson. John thanked him before 'gently' knocking on Liara's door. Kyson peeked behind him to see a very much awake Liara.

"I'll take the next shift, Kyson" she said just loud enough for him to hear. He waved his thanks before turning back to the fire. (A Warm Place: by Nine Inch Nails)

Kyson just kept sipping at his drink as he watched the fire. The winds had gotten so strong that he could hear the moaning of the mountains. Above the fire place was a giant clock, and a weather meter. Outside, is was -73 with winds nearly matching. The fire made him forget that inhospitable reading as he drifted in and out of sleep.

As always, Kevin tended to twist his dreams. His mind went through the usual rounds of figurative self-mutilation as he twitched in his sleep. Red eyes, swirling pools of blood with screams of pain. The dead eyes of people living on Omega, the cold grips of beggars on Earth. And as always, Cynthia dancing around the little girl on fire. These were second nature now. He began to wonder if he should ever really want to go back. Would he fight as hard without these personal horrors to keep him desensitized from the war? Kevin was lecturing him on this when a loud boom went off in Kyson's head. Then another causing him to jump up from his sleep. The fire was almost nothing but coals giving next to no light.

"Liara never said when her shift would be" he bitched as he got up.

Boom.

Kyson nearly did a back flip as he jumped out of the chair. It had gotten cold again causing him to fold his arms for heat. A soft tapping noise was echoing through the whole penthouse making it hard to figure out where the noise was coming from. Kyson made his way to the hallway slowly. The tapping kept going as he rounded the corner. The lights were off on both catwalks outside. And it was pitch black. He was pissed that he had taken off his Omni-tool.

The tapping stopped. Just the howl of the wind made any noise as he slid the door to Tali's room open. A light shown dimly on the night table. She was sprawled out in all directions. She only did that when she was in a dead sleep. Space to do so was irrelevant. Next, he checked on John and Liara. He really hoped he wouldn't see something he shouldn't but he had to do his job.

"The one I fell asleep at..." he breathed as he peeked in. Liara was passed out on top of Shepard with a second comforter on top of them. Shutting the door Kyson breathed easy.

Tap. Tap-tap. Taptaptaptaptap.

The tapping was back. Kyson could hear it coming from the entrance they had come from. He ran to the fire place grabbing his shotgun. He began his slow approach down the hall. The tapping stopped once he had gotten back to Tali's room.

"If it is something stupid like a loose grate outside..." he grumbled thinking he was being stupid. He slowly checked the two vacant rooms before moving on. Now he was at the inner door of the air lock. He tried to peer out into the black. But try as he might, he couldn't see a thing. He found the light switch. Flood lights washed the catwalk in a ghostly white. The snow was four feet up the outer wall causing a dark gray light to show the pile. Above it was a white so thick it might as well have been looking a sheet of paper.

"Holy shit... that is some serious..." the tapping came back again in the same pattern. It occurred to Kyson that, there were two layers of six inch poly composite bullet proof glass. It was the same stuff used on observation deck on the Citadel. If it sounded like taping. It must be very loud whatever it was. The storm obscured his vision so he slowly entered the air lock. He instantly became aware of the fact he was only in his boxers when he entered. The door control display showed the temperature split. Forty inside the lock. -77 outside. Kyson shivered as he thought about what would happen if the door opened. He would have less than a minute to escape inside.

The tapping was now a knocking noise in the smaller space. It must be part of the catwalk being rattled loose. That would make leaving very difficult. He got right up to the glass, the knocking was pounding as if it was right on his face.

"What the hell?" he asked himself. The tapping stopped. Kyson felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end from the cold. He could make out lulls in the snow as it whipped past the facility.

Wham!

If someone was there to watch Kyson react, they would have seen a kangaroo. He jumped back ten feet into the wall behind him landing on his ass with the shotgun up. He twitched as he saw a giant padded fist resting on the glass. It was all dark grays that almost blended with the snow. Two massive red eyes glared at him like he was nothing more than a mouse. The stare lasted for a life time. Kyson was nearly about to piss himself when he realized the door was left unlocked. He glanced at the control. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature do the same. The padded fist began to reach out for the control...

He had seen enough! He jumped up in a wink before bolting past the inner door. He shut the door and locked it tight. He looked out with a racing heart. Nothing was there.

Boom.

It came from the overlook window in the great room. He wheeled around to look at the small door that led out to an observation deck.

Boom.

There was a small four by four airlock box that led outside there as well by the kitchen. It felt like being back on the Normandy all over again. He ran up to the small door locking it quickly. The tapping began again right in front of him. He turned on the lights that flood the entire ninety feet of window. Just a dull white could be seen. Except in front of him. A thirteen foot gray figure could be seen. Then it walked towards the far right. Kyson kept his shotgun on it the entire time. Forgetting about the glass wall. The figure seemed to stop at the wood pile. Staring at the coals in the hearth. Kyson was now annoyed more than anything. If this was just some beast that was curious it was keeping him from a restful watch. He picked up a chunk of wood, then smacked it against the glass.

The creature swatted at the glass faster than Kyson could comprehend. Five deep furrows were dug into the glass outside before the creature disappeared.

"Holy shit!" he choked. He didn't move for over thirty minutes. He was facing the clock so he knew. With a new found haste to get warm, he put more logs on the fire. He sat there with his back to the hearth, shotgun in hand until Liara woke up and joined him.

"What's with the shotgun? She asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Kyson looked at the five scratches in the wall. Snow had blocked it from view now as it drifted past six feet making the color of the glass blend. He then began to doubt what he had seen.

"I...you know how my mind plays tricks on me." he said as he got up. He tossed two more logs on the fire before saying goodnight.

"The planet's daylight will be up in another nineteen hours. Should be plenty of time to rest." said Liara in parting. Kyson liked the sound of that. He dragged his cold body into the bed with Tali who had no idea he was there. It was seconds before he passed out.

A/N

I hope you enjoyed it. I will release the next chapter roughly two weeks from now. Review as you will as always.

~RJ