AN: So, full disclosure I um . . . kind of haven't played mass effect. And I've never seen Sailor moon. So i'm sort of winging this. If I get some of the cannon wrong then please tell me. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Crystal Tokyo Space

Wall of the Martyr, Mars

August 11th 3927

It was unbearably humid today. But the visitors still came and went. An woman in a stylish terran dress walked by the tall obsidian wall. Little droplets of sweat glistened against her brow. She tried to act tough. Didn't want to look weak. She couldn't be weak. She was the CEO of a major company. And, her grand mother was Martian. Which is why she was here today.

The woman put her hand against the wall. The very tips of her fingers could just barely reach the bottom of her grand mothers name.

Fifty years ago there was a war. A war she'd read about in school. Where young women and men fought a desperate fight against traitors. Back then she thought it was horrible that her grandmothers war had been compressed onto stilted dead lifeless print.

How could a word capture the war that took her grandmothers life?

The woman closed her eyes. Her fingers reached higher and higher for her grand mothers name. The woman was desperate for some kind of connection. She needed something more real then the dry voice of her teachers, a truth more vivid then a war movie, and more substantial then a tattered old photograph.

A man with very dark skin was crouching to the woman's right. He was crying. And a lighter skinned woman to her left was smiling as she traced a name with her fingers. That's what Alya wanted. To be struck by the magnitude of this place. To experience some form of rapturous connection.

She was scared this experience would be underwhelming. The idea that this place could be a mere shadow of the past filled her with dread. She'd lived her whole life chasing bravery. She'd always been pushing, and scrapping for something. Call it connection, call it validation, call it what ever you want. She was looking for that here. She needed to find it here.

But, she stood by that wall. Fingers reaching towards that name for what could have been hours. She did that until her legs started to shake. She did that as Non-binary folks, women, and men filed in around her. Each of them showed some kind of emotional connection. Alya tried not to be jealous. Ha, that didn't work. She left that wall feeling very very jealous.

She was the one that lived for a stilted memory. Embracing a exotic past that should have been familiar to her. But it never was. It'd always been just words written on page. She realized that now as she walked away from the wall.

It was already dark out. She looked out the window. Red light street lamps had already come on line. Their wide sweeping light turned entire sections of reinforced concrete dark red.

The travel pamphlets bragged about the natural beauty of mars. They never mentioned the cities. How they were militarized. Just like the cities of Mercury. The only real upshot is that none of the military personnel crouched on these roof tops had red eyes, or razor teeth. They were scary. But scary in a human way that separated them from those freaks you'd find on mercury.

Alya didn't know where all this militarism had come from. Some of her colleagues said it was a response to an attack that happened in the 30th century. Her child hood friend Nashwa used to say it was a symptom of Crystal Tokyo's expansion. All those colonies needed protection against the horror that lurked between the stars.

"Hey"

Some one said that. But Alya couldn't see who said it. "Over here", the voice clarified as they got closer. A hand brushed against Alya's arm. She almost shrieked until she realized that it wasn't a man. It was a woman. Clad in some kind of reddish black armor.

"I saw you at the memorial. And I saw whose name you were reaching for. You're a legacy of Admiral Yazlcl, right?", the woman inquired.

"Yes", replied Alya.

"Then I know some one who would love to meet you! Please come with me. And don't be afraid. I don't bite- hard"

"Ok", shrugged Alya, "Show me who the hell wants to see me".

"Right this way", declared the woman as she offered the Terran a hand. Alya accepted it. And then the other woman pulled Alya into an embrace and Jumped. She jumped up two stories. Alya recognized the warping effect this woman had at once. She must've been a psychic, and a powerful one at that.

Soon as they reached the roof top this psychic threw Alya into a bridal carry and advised, "might want to keep your mouth closed for this next part. We've got some big bugs here on Mars. I've seen people choke on em".

Alya closed her mouth. She didn't realize that it'd been open. But apparently she had been gawking. How could she not? Psychic were rare, especially on the lesser planets of Sol.

When Alya closed her mouth the other woman jumped. And Alya felt weightless. Then they landed and the woman jumped again. Wind rushed through Alya's hair. Sending her unkempt wild hair every which way.

"Okay", Alya's mysterious escort yelled over the howling wind, " I can't keep it a secret any more. I'm taking you to- gacjkfak. Fuck, swallowed a bug. I just swallowed a bug!"

Citadel Space

Reaper War Memorial, Palavan

June 22nd, 2227

"I wonder if they kept your fish tank"

"Not funny Garrus"

"What, was it too soon? It was too soon wasn't it?"

Shepard glared at her partner. "Yes, it was".

"The first Normandy was a Turian-Human vessel. It makes sense that they'd bring it here after it was decommissioned. At least you'll only have to look at it half the year."

Shepard rolled her eyes. If she wasn't married to this Turian then by god she'd just pack and leave. Vacation somewhere pleasant like Tuchanka. Then again Garrus would follow her there. He'd follow her anywhere.

"You're clueless Garrus"

"And handsome"

"And handsome", Shepard echoed.

Garrus's mandible split into something resembling a grin. Shepard smiled back at him. She grabbed his hand, and held it tight against her own. Her human fingers found a space between his talons. "I've been thinking", parsed Shepard, "Now that you're retired. Do you think its time?"

"I don't know Shepard. We recently made hostile first contact with a trans dimensional human empire. And while the schools around here aren't half bad I'm . . . well I'm not so sure that I'd make a good parent."

"You'd make a great dad Garrus"

"Are you sure about that? What if they do something wrong. You know that I'll just pretend to get mad at them, and take them out back for some shooting the second your back is turned. Then I'd talk things through with them. Maybe buy them some batarian whiskey when their old enough to shoot straight"

"You know Garrus. Sometimes its not about being perfect. It's about being there. Providing a home. A shoulder to lean on."

"Oh. If its that simple then I guess we could. I mean . . ."

"You don't have to decide right now"

"No, no, I want to do this"

Garrus turned to face Shepard. The Rebuilt Normandy SR-2 was behind them. Lit up by various lights. Garrus leaned in and kissed Shepard. It was a bit awkward. But he'd gotten better with practice. Then he leaned in and whispered in Shepards ear. "You, me, a few dozen little krogan, and maybe a pet Varren. We could make it work"

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "A few dozen?"

"Well", murumered Garrus as he brushed his cheek against her neck, "we could start with two or three".

"That sounds great", replied Shepard.

Shepard, and Garrus, disengaged from their embrace. Shepard turned to look at Normandy. So did Garrus. Their hands found each other once more. His Talon in hand and hand in talon, they looked upon the ship that had once been "home".

"You think they changed the combination on it?", asked Garrus.

"If they did, then I can always give Councilor Traynor a call. Her sonic toothbrush could probably get us through."

"Yeah", muttered Shepard as she inched towards the Normandy, "that just might work"

Crystal Tokyo Space

Avon Marshlands, Mars

August 11th 3927

It was dark. The short tree's around them looked other worldy. And the deep croaking of the martian fire toad sounded much more sinister at night.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To meet my friend."

The Psychic was still carrying Alya in a bridal carry. The other woman was wading through thick mud. Keeping Alya high in her arms. Far above the gunk and slithering things that dwelt in the Marsh lands.

A little ways off there was hut of some kind. A few scant rays of moonlight from Phobos and Deimos made it visible. Out front there was a soldier of some kind that wore armor similar to the psychic.

"Is that your friend?"

"She's um, well I guess you could say she's a friend form work. But the friend that I want you to meet is inside. I think you'll like her"

The Psychic leapt the remaining distance to the hut. Sending up a geyser of muddy water didn't touch Alya. No, somehow when they landed in front of the hut Alya was still dry.

"Hey Kassi, I brought a friend"

The other soldier raised their weapon. They pointed it at Alya, and pulled the trigger. A single bullet raced towards the psychic and stopped a hairs breath away from her. Stalled by some unseen force. "Its me", said the psychic, "I promise"

"If something had mimicked you, it'd probably say the same thing"

"You think that something could imitate me?", exclaimed the woman that had carried Alya all this way, "They'd have to eat my brains if they wanted to be convincing. And I'd have to loose for that to happen. You know I don't loose"

"What about her?", the other soldier asked.

"Her, she's a civilian. I brought her here to talk to the boss. We do need a civilian liaison. "

"She could have been infected"

"Doubt it, I grabbed her from the Wall of Martyrs. Do you really think a chaos agent would be hanging around there?"

"Did you at least check her?"

"Eh", replied the psychic with a shrug, "I didn't scour her mind. But she doesn't feel evil. So she's probably okay"

The other soldiers stared at their counterpart. "Just get her inside."