Chapter Ten

"Mr. Ketchum," the reporter said, "can you describe to us how you feel about going on such a monumental journey?" Ash and company had heard this question incessantly for the last four days. Ever since the announcement was made four days prior that he and his friends, now including Gary and Dawn, would be joining the Normandy crew as they attempt to return home, the press just wouldn't let them be, and this made everyone extremely perturbed.

"I can only say the same thing that I've told all the other news crews," Ash said into the mic that had been forced into his face, "I am both extremely nervous and extremely excited. Excuse me." Ash then pushed by the news crews to join up with his friends at the Normandy. They had all been mentally preparing for this moment for four days, but the gravity of the situation had only really begun to sink in. He was all packed, having brought everything he needed to his quarters that morning, and now he was about to leave his family, his home, and his world, possibly forever. At least, he had his best friends with him.

Ash's path to the Normandy led by his home, and he paused when he came in front of it. The house was quiet, none of the Pokemon nor his mother were visible to him. Ash knew he had to get going, but he stepped into his home one last time. Ash opened the door, and saw his mother sitting on the couch in the TV room. She looked sullen, her head hanging low.

"Mom?" Ash asked. Delia looked up, and Ash saw tears in her eyes. He cautiously walked over to her, and sat beside her.

"All mothers look forward to and dread the day their child leaves them," she said without looking at her son. "And here I thought your leaving for your first Pokémon journey was difficult."

"I know it's hard, Mom," Ash said. His voice was deep and strong, but still only barely masked his whirlwind or emotions he was feeling. "but I'm gonna be alright. I'll have Brock and Misty with me, so it's not like I'm going to be alone." Ash was really dancing around the subject that had been bothering him all day, and he decided to be out with it. He kneeled before his mother to look her in the eye, and spoke. "I'm gonna come back, Mom. All my friends and me are going to be ok, and we'll all come back. I promise." Delia wiped the tears from her eyes, and gave her son a forced but genuine smile.

"I'm just worried about the three of you, is all," she said. "But, you are growing up. You had to go out on your own at some point." The two laughed a bit, and then Delia pulled Ash into w warm hug. "Just come back, Ash," she said after the embrace broke. "Don't go trying anything that you can't do."

"I'll be careful, Mom, and I will come back. So will Misty and Brock. You'll see us all again soon." They embraced again, and Ash made his way out of the house with his mother. They both were joined by Misty and Brock, who had just finished their goodbyes, and they all walked toward the Normandy.

Arriving at the sight of the ship, Ash felt a strange feeling in his gut. His excited feeling now turned to fear as he thought about the implications of such a mission. He knew the stakes from the beginning, but it was only now settling in. Ash looked to his friends, and they all shared the same worried expression, especially Misty, which is why he slowly took her hand in his. She met his eyes and Ash gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned with no small amount of effort. The group continued walking until they were approached by Yeoman Chambers.

"Good, I caught up to you," she said. "Everything has been prepared for you all. All that remains is for you to get settled in and we'll be off." Ash still grew more uneasy. "I know this must be frightening for you all," Kelly said, apparently picking up on their apprehension, "but I can assure you, you will all be treated as our honored guests. There's nothing for you to be worried about."

"Thank you, miss," Delia said. "That's very kind of you."

"My pleasure, Ma'am, and please, all of you may call me Kelly," she said with a smile. The teens all felt a bit better after Kelly's friendly mannerisms, and smiled in response. They then made their way to the Normandy's hangar ramp, which was swamped by more news crews. The ramp was closed, obviously keeping the parasites from entering, but Kelly contacted EDI through her Omni-tool to tell her to let everyone on board.

"Of course, Kelly," came the robotic response. Ash and Misty were still holding hands, and Ash was lost in thought until Gary whispered into his ear.

"Here we go, buddy," he said. Ash looked at his friend and rival to see a cocky yet forced smile on his face, which he returned just as they always had. "You ready?"

"I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be." With that, Gary raised his hand to Ash, and they clasped each other's in a show of camaraderie. Misty was quietly talking with Dawn about the same subject, and Brock joined in Gary and Ash's little pep talk.

After a few moments that felt like forever, a mechanical droning noise was heard from the cargo bay, and the ramp began lowering to the ground. Garrus and Vega were walking down it in order to maintain crowd control, as the crews then went wild.

"Probably should've brought a few extra crewmen," Vega said when he saw the crowd.

"We only need to hold then off for a few moments."

"You sound like this is some sort of combat operation, Garrus."

"It looks about as violent!" Ash and company, along with Kelly, ran into the cargo bay to avoid more news crews, and Garrus and Vega were trying their best to keep everyone at bay. When the group was on board, Kelly quickly brought up her Omni-tool.

"EDI, get the shuttle bay closed now!"

"Already on it." The ramp then began ascending, and Garrus and Vega ran as fast as they could inside. The ramp finally shut, and the teens had a look around their new home. They were a bit frightened, but above all else, their was a certain element of excitement and awe that pervaded their exploration of the ship.

"Come on, everyone," said Garrus. "Time to get you all settled in." Gars lead the teens to the elevator and pressed a button that would have them lifted to the main quarters. When they stepped out, they saw the same common area they had become very used to in the past two weeks. However, they had never actually seen the quarters, which only added to the building suspense. Garrus walked the group to one of the closed doors in the corridor behind the elevator, and pressed the holo-button, prompting the door to automatically open, revealing a large room filled with beds, almost like a futuristic dormitory. "This is where the guys will be staying," Garrus said. "You all have specified lockers where you can put your things. The girls will be staying in the next room over. Curfew's at midnight. Anyone caught in the other gender's room after that will be shot on sight." The teens looked at Garrus with frightened expressions, prompting the Turian to let out a laugh. "Relax, I'm just kidding," he said. "But seriously, anyone out after curfew will be in deep crap." The group let out a forced laugh at his joke, still being a bit rattled by how serious he had said it.

"Hey, Garrus," Ash spoke up, "just out of curiosity, when's our meals?" Ash's friends groaned in unison.

"Whenever the mess sergeant says it's ready kid." He turned to face Misty and Dawn. "C'mon girls, let's get moving." Garrus then escorted the girls out of the room.

"Well, this should be fun," Garry remarked.

"Hey, at least we're on a space ship," retorted Brock.

"Let's just get out stuff in order," said Ash as he walked to his locker. "Then we should snag some food."

"You're not gonna let this go are you, Ashy-boy?" said Gary, using his classic childhood snide that never failed to get under Ash's skin.

"Not until I've had some food, Oak." The boys then put their belongings in their respective lockers and made for the mess hall.


Admiral John Shepard peered out of the window in his personal cabin, looking down with great distaste at the paparazzi that had flocked to his ship when Ash and his friends arrived. There scrambling to get in and close the hatch before the news crews could infiltrate the Normandy was amusing in a peculiar way, but now, these people were simply being the pests they had been since day one. Shepard did not have good history with the media, specifically tabloids, and he found these crews to be no different. Credible journalists, he could handle. Tabloid writers were a different story.

"Damn press," he said in a gruff tone. Miranda, who had been sitting on the couch next to Shepard's bed as she studied the last reports on the status of the ship and crew before takeoff, lightly laughed at her fiances crass remark as she got up and walked behind him.

"Well, well," she said in a sultry manner as she put her hands on John's shoulders, beginning to lightly rub them, "the great Admiral Shepard is shook up by the presence of the paparazzi. Truly, there cameras and microphones are a force the Reapers would reckon with." Shepard smiled at her sarcasm as she continued to rub his admittedly tense shoulder muscles.

"Did your father somehow put 'unending snark' in your genetic makeup?" he playfully asked. Her dry wit was something that did annoy him from time to time, but Shepard actually did love it, just like every other part of her. It wasn't like she was sarcastic out of malice or contempt, it was just a part of her (very strong) personality. However, the strength of her personality and character was part of what he was attracted to in the first place.

"I highly doubt it," Miranda retorted. "I've read all the files and lists he made when he designed me, and none of them mentioned 'snark'. I guess it must have just been an anomaly in my creation." The couple continued to look out the window, down at the ground below. The paparazzi was finally becoming bored with the lack of attention they were getting and started to move out.

"Thank God," Shepard said. "They're leaving."

"Indeed. Must've become discouraged at the fact that we're completely ignoring them." A knock was then heard at the door.

"Who is it?" Shepard said in the door's general direction as Miranda finished her massage.

"The pizza guy," said the voice of Garrus Vakarian. Shepard laughed at the Turian's humor, and wakled over to the door, opening it with a press of the holo-button.

"Anything up, Vakarian?" he asked when the door opened.

"Just came up to tell you that the kids are getting settled and we'll be ready to launch in thirty minutes."

Finally, Shepard thought. "Thanks, Garrus. Anything else?"

"Well, there was one other thing," Garrus peered over his friend's shoulder and looked at Miranda, who gave him a head nod of polite greeting. "but it can wait. You two lovebirds seem a bit busy."

"Actually," Miranda said, walking over to the other two, "I was just leaving. I've got a few last minute things to take care of. You two can feel free to chat." She then kissed Shepard on the lips, and gave a casual "See you, Garrus." to the Turian before leaving, her sizeable hips swaying in perfect rhythm. Shepard couldn't help but feel an instinctive sense of pride as he watched her walk to the elevator. He may be a galaxy renowned hero, but he was still a man, and he was still capable of appreciating what should be appreciated.

"Um, Shepard," Garrus said, bringing the Admiral back to the real world.

"Huh, what?" Shepard stammered. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing, you just zoned out." Garrus wasn't hiding the fact that he was trying not to laugh at his best friend's apparent infatuation. "Now, back to business."

"Oh great, more business," Shepard complained.

"Something wrong with that, Shepard?"

"No, no. I'm just getting tired of all this business is all."

"I know what you mean, Commander. Er, I mean, Admiral," Garrus stuttered as he heard his mistake in rank.

"It's not a problem, Garrus. Trust me, I'm still not quite used to you it myself. With there being no war, I don't really have a fleet of ships at my beckoned call." Garrus looked solemn for a moment.

"Do you ever miss it, Shepard?" he asked. "Running a rag-tag group of heroes and renegades, trecking across the galaxy on tons of various misadventures? If I'm being honest, they almost seem like the good old days to me, even though I'm getting pretty old; really too old for any of this."

"Sometimes, I do miss the bravado and adventure, but in reality, I don't actually want to go back to it. I'm not a fan of the red tape and Alliance brass, much preferred the playing by our own rules, but the after all we've been through, the quiet life sounds a lot more appealing."

"Well, well," Garrus chided with a confident smirk, "the great Admiral Shepard has been housebroken. Never thought I'd see the day."

"I prefer to call it 'settled', and besides," Shepard gave Garrus a light mocking punch on the shoulder, "ever since you and Tali got together, you haven't been the same gung-ho Archangel vigilante you were a couple years ago."

"Touche, Shepard." The two let out a good laugh at their own banter.

"So, what was the other thing you wanted to tell me? We seem to have gotten a bit sidetracked." Garrus paused before speaking, seemingly in thought.

"Shepard," he began, "I respect your judgment more than anyone else's in our galaxy or another, but I just wanted to ask you one thing."

"What is it, Garrus?"

"Why did you agree to bring the kids along?" Shepard wasn't exactly looking forward to this question, but he knew it would be coming eventually. "Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against them. I can see with confidence that they're good young people, but still, what made you decide to say yes to that Arc guy?" Shepard looked downcast, and proceeded to walk over to is desk, seemingly examining the model ships that filled his display case.

"Ever since we got here, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out just how this all happened. How a Mass Relay can send someone to another dimension. When we saw the Reaper, it pretty much proved that there were other versions of our dimension where we didn't defeat them, and that terrified me. I'll admit, at first I thought Arc was full of shit when he was going on and on about immortal deities and ancient space magic, but that display of power he showed us was something to behold. I just couldn't stand by and take the chance that something as dangerous if not more than the Reapers might be out there." Garrus, with arms folded as he leaned against the wall, nodded in agreement.

"I understand, Shepard," he said. "I wasn't doubting your call, it's just that myself and some other crewmembers were a bit curious is all."

"It's no problem, Garrus. I was going to have to come clean sooner or later."

"Right. Well, Joker should be about ready to launch by now. The coordinates for Titan are already in the Galaxy Map, so you just need to give a speech or something." Shepard laughed at his insinuation. Giving a speech was almost tradition at this point.

"See you downstairs, Vakarian," he said with a smirk.

"See you, Admiral." With that, Garrus took his leave.

Shepard took a look back at his cabin. He distinctly remembered getting it when Cerberus brought back from the grave and gave the fancy new SR-2. It may have been unsettling to work for such a shady organization, but you can't deny that it came with perks. Despite the comfy bed and excellent space, Shepard was rowing tired of it all, or maybe he was just getting older. Regardless, the more he thought about settling down with Miranda, the more he wanted to do just that. The Alliance had been good to him, but it was time to move on. This was a matter he couldn't wait to sort out with the Council.


Ash, Brock, and Gary had finished getting their things unpacked, manly their Pokeballs, and were all sitting on the bunks they had been provided. Both the boys and young lades had brought their own assortment of Pokemon, each picking their personal favorites. Ash's Pikachu, however, had still refused to enter his ball and was now resting on his master's bed. The crew had been surprisingly friendly to them so far, regardless of species. Ash and Bock were bunk buddies, and Gary got the bottom bunk of one belonging to a member of a species that was apparently called "Drell", this particular member of the species calling himself Kolyat Krios. The boys were idly chatting about the day's events when the intercom spoke up.

"Attention, all crew members," said the voice of EDI, "we will be commencing launch in ten minutes. Please, report to your predetermined stations."

"What does that mean for us?" Gary asked.

"It means you all get to the CIC," said a passing Shepard. The teens hadn't noticed Shepard walking by, and were very taken by surprise.

"Oh, Admiral," Ash spoke up, "we didn't hear you walk in."

"It's not a problem, Ketchum. Just came by to make sure you were all settling well."

"We're doing fine, sir," said Brock, who was still sitting on his top bunk.

"Sir?" Shepard inquired with a grin. "Seems you're already getting used to the military way, Slate. I expect the same from all of you while you're aboard. You may be our guests, but you're still on a military vessel. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," the three said in unison.

"Good. Now, report to the CIC, we fly in five. And get into uniform too." Shepard then exited the quarters. Gary and Ash both looked at Brock with annoyance.

"What?" Brock asked confused. The trio then quickly put on their new blue and gray Alliance uniforms, and walked to the elevator, where they were met by Misty and Dawn, who were both wearing similar attire.

"Hey, guys," Dawn spoke up as they approached the boys. "You three ready to go to space."

"Ready as we'll ever be," As responded.

"Well," Gary quickly interjected, "I, for one, am quite thrilled for the experience, being a scientist and all."

"I'd say the same," added Dawn as she walked over to her boyfriend.

"Gotta admit," said Brock, "I'm still not quite used to this relationship."

"I agree," said Ash. He noticed that Misty wasn't speaking, an outright rarity for the redhead, and walked over to her and spoke quietly as Brock and Gary continued to jab at each other.

"Hey," he said in a near whisper, "everything ok?" Misty looked slightly sullen as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I guess I'm just a bit nervous, is all."

"You sure?" Ash asked.

"Will you just get in the elevator, already?" said Misty, a playful glare appearing on her face as she chastised her boyfriend.

"Yeah, alright." Ash walked into the elevator with their friends, followed closely by the redhead. "Excuse me, princess," he said under his breath.


"How are we looking, Joker?" Shepard asked his pilot, who was busily working the holo-display that controlled the ship.

"Everything seems to be running smoothly, Admiral. Ya know, it's actually pretty crazy the ship is still working. I mean, if it weren't for that new sustainable drive-core the eggheads over at Alliance R&D invented, we'd probably be stuck here forever."

"Also, our fuel supplies had not yet been depleted," EDI butted in.

"Yes, dear, that too."

"Well," Shepard interjected, "as long as we won't be stranded in space, I'll take anything. I'm more than ready to get back home."

"I'll bet you're missing that fancy apartment Anderson left you."

"That's definitely one reason." The two friends laughed lightly until they were interrupted by a voice form the comms.

"Adams to bridge. Drive-core's all heated up. We're ready when you are, Admiral."

"Thanks, Adams," Shepard said into the holo-display. "Joker, let's light this candle."

"Oh, finally!" Shepard walked down the corridor of the bridge and made his way to the galaxy map platform, until he saw the five young people coming out of the elevator.

"There you are," Shepard said to the teens. "Good timing, too. We're about ready to head out. You all ready?" Ash and company looked at each other with noticeable apprehension. "Well," Shepard said, catching on to their nervousness, "if that's the case, we could just leave you here."

"No!" the group said in unison. They then proceeded to make a garble of personal excuses in their favor as to why they look nervous, prompting Shepard to chuckle.

"Relax," he said, "you don't need to explain yourselves. It's not everyday a person goes on his first space flight. Everything'll be fine as long as you do as your told, got it."

"Yes, sir," came another unified answer.

"Good. Now, everyone, make yourselves useful however you can. If you have questions, Chambers can fill you in." Shepard then walked up the platform to the galaxy map. The hustle and bustle of the crew was very impressive to the young trainers. Every crew member worked like cogs in a well oiled machine.

"They definitely seem to have experience with this stuff," Ash whispered to his friends.

"No kidding," answered Dawn, scrutinizing the whole scene. "And I thought the research team that Gary and I worked with was good."

"You said it, hon," Gary said. Ash, Misty, and Brock all adopted the same put off expression, but quickly brushed it off. The group was still watching on in awe when Yeoman Chambers walked over.

"Excuse me," she said, grabbing their attention, "how would you five like to get to work? I'm not trying to push you around or anything, but we all do have to pull our own weight." The teens verbally agreed. "Excellent," said Chambers, a bubbly and extremely pleasant smile appearing on her face as she did so, "Mr. Oak, I understand that you are, in fact, a aspiring scientist?"

"I'm well past aspiring, ma'am," he said with an ample amount of cockiness. "I'm a certified scientist and researcher, as is my girlfriend."

"Splendid. Then, perhaps you two would like to take a look at our engineering deck or research lab?" Dawn quickly and excitedly interjected as her boyfriend attempted to answer.

"Oh, we would love to see the research lab, if we're allowed." Gary simply remained silent, knowing very well that there was no arguing with Dawn when she truly desired something.

"Of course." Chambers motioned to a hallway only a few feet from them. "Simply walk through the door and the end of the hallway, and you'll see it. Our head scientist, Dr. T'Soni, will appraise and assign you accordingly.

"Oh my gosh!" Dawn nearly squealed. "We get to work with Liara?" She grabbed Gary's hands, practically hopping with excitement. "This is way better than I ever hoped."

"Only the best for you, sweetie," Gary said as he tried to get her to contain herself. At this remark, Ash looked over to Brock and Misty and made a gagging gesture. The two lightly giggled at it, regardless of its immaturity. Gary and Dawn the hurried down the hall, leaving Ash, Brock and Misty with the Yeoman.

"Now for you three," she addressed them with the same sunny smile. "Unless I am misinformed, you three are not scientists or engineers?" They shook their heads awkwardly. "Not a problem, we'll just find some handiwork for you." Chambers faced Misty first. "Ms. Waterflower, is it?"

"That's right."

"Ms. Lawson is in dire need of a new assistant, and I believe you would fit in perfectly." Misty looked skeptical yet pleased with the idea.

"What will I be doing as Miranda's assistant?"

"Whatever you're told, which will likely be basic jobs like filing and the sort." "They're asking her to be a secretary," Ash thought. He looked at Misty, who was deep in thought about the situation. After a moment, she looked Chambers in the eyes.

"I accept," she said. Ash was quite surprised at her acceptance of such a position. A secretary desk job was the last place he'd expect her to be.

"Excellent. Just go down the elevator one floor and head to the main office on the left of the mess hall. I'll notify Ms. Lawson that you're on your way." Misty turned around, giving Ash and Brock a quick smile as she took her leave. As she walked away, Ash couldn't help but feel a primal sense of pride as to the fact that he was dating that redhead. Her personality was just as fiery as her hair, which was one of the reasons he liked her so much. They offset each other well. Her strong demeanor could keep his own in check, and vise versa. It had been that way even before they had started dating. Ash then turned again to Chambers.

"Is there anything we can do, miss?" Brock asked.

"Of course. You two will be needed in the shuttle bay. Warrant officer Vega will assign you two to whatever needs to be done. Now get going, we'll be leaving any minute." The two teens took their leave and proceeded to the lowest floor. "What a nice group of kids," Kelly said as she returned to her work, smiling to herself.

Meanwhile, Shepard was overseeing Joker and EDI's final preparations at the bridge.

"All systems nominal," Joker said. "Looks we're a go, Admiral. Just give the word." Shepard couldn't help but smile as he was finally getting off this rock.

"Joker," he said after a moment, "take us home."

"Aye, aye sir!" Joker loudly said. "EDI, start - uh - you up."

"Way ahead of you, Jeff." She paused a moment before speaking again. "Did I use your figure of speech correctly?" Joker laughed at her inquiry over still rudimentary improper vocabulary.

"Yes you did, honey. Yes you did." Shepard walked back to his station at the galaxy map as the engines started to roar. It felt like so long since he had heard the mechanical symphony that was his frigate. The entire crew immediately became excited at the sound of the starting engines, including their new guests. A few tense moments pass, and then the Normandy slowly begins to ascend off the ground. Some of the crew begin cheering at the sudden movement, others then go into their respective work with full force. The teens all had different reactions.

Gary and Dawn, being the scientists that they are, were nearly overflowing with anticipation as the ship began its climb. Ash and Brock, having just been chatting with James and Zaeed about their new jobs, noticeably became nervous as the ship took off.

"Don't worry yourselves, guys," James said, trying to sound reassuring yet also maintain his cool persona. "This is the best ship in our fleet. You'll be hanging out in apartments on the Citadel before you know it."

"He's right," Zaeed continued. "Just keep your shirts on and follow orders and we won't have kick your asses." All three men looked at Zaeed with surprised expressions, which inspired to laugh his crackling laugh. "I'm only kidding. But seriously, just do your jobs and you'll be fine." Ash and Brock still were perplexed, but at least the mood had lightened a bit.

The crew deck was just as bustling with soldiers scrambling about to get to their work stations, and Misty only just finishing having her new job explained to her my Miranda when the ship lurched as is takeoff began. Inwardly, Misty was busy contemplating the new situation. At heart, she was an explorer, and had always had a fascination with what lied beyond her gym in Cerulean City. This was one of the reasons she took to the frontier with Ash. She always seemed to have a case of wanderlust, meaning that she was both understandably quite nervous about going to an entirely different dimension, and doubly excited about seeing something no one from her world had ever seen. She instinctively rubbed her fingers through her orange hair out of nervous habit as she looked through the port hole in Lawson's office.

The ship continued its ascent into the sky, making the ground and people below look increasingly smaller as the Normandy rapidly gained velocity. So far the, the ride was silky smooth, with Joker noting that he hadn't lost his touch. The Normandy climbed higher and higher until it broke through the clouds, revealing a picturesque blue sky to all who were looking out a window. The golden late-morning sun shone brightly against a canvas that nearly appeared as a suspended ocean. Still gaining speed, the vessel climbed higher into the atmosphere. The vibrant blue shy began to darken as the Normandy was nearly in the void beyond, until it breached the atmosphere, now suspended in the harsh serenity of outer space.

"Launch complete," Joker said over the intercom, "igniting drive-core and finalizing coarse for Titan. ETA: twelve minutes." The engines of the Normandy roared to life, prompting a quick acceleration that should've sheared the hull, but was barely felt by those on board.

"How did we not feel that jump?" Misty asked her new superior, still peering out the window as space zoomed by.

"All high class Alliance ships are outfitted with special hulls and technology to minimize g-force and feeling of movement," Miranda responded. "Through artificial gravity and enviro-generators, we'll have to make it to eighteen times the speed of light to even feel anything."

"That's crazy, but really cool," Misty said, eyes wide form the near sensory overload she was experiencing.

"Welcome to the future, Miss Waterflower." The two women laughed at their own banter.

Before long, ten minutes had passed and the Normandy was well en route to its destination. The gas giant, Jupiter, ten came into the helms viewport.

"Admiral," EDI said into the comms, "we are approaching Jupiter."

"Are you picking up anything, EDI?" The A.I. paused a moment before answering.

"I have a run a full scan on Jupiter's surrounding orbit, and I've found something. Please, make your way to the helm." Shepard stepped down from the galaxy may and walked to meet the robotic lady.

"What've you got?"

"Sensors indicate a tightly localized yet powerful singularity of energy on the far side of Titan. It would appear that the one called Arc was correct after all." Shepard looked concerned. "The energy mass is identical in signature to the one we passed through in the Arghos Rho relay."

"I'll be damned," Shepard said.

"I was thinking the same thing, Shepard," EDI said, prompting a skeptical look form Joker and the Admiral. "That is a joke," she said.

Another minute passes as the Normandy comes around Jupiter's far side. "Approaching Titan, Shepard," Joker said. "We'll be home in no ti - holy God!" he shouted. Right beside Titan, a large ball of energy representing a black hole could be seen. It looked like a giant mix of black, blue and purple, and still looked quite menacing.

"That's the portal?" Shepard asked.

"Yes," responded EDI, "that, in fact, is the portal.

"Joker, can you fly through that?"

"I'm not sure. I don't even know what that is."

"We've got to try!" Shepard exclaimed, his military commanding bravado seemingly taking hold. "Arc was right about the location of the doorway, now let's hope he was right about it getting us home." Red hot determination filled the war hero's eyes. "Joker, punch it."

"Aye aye, sir," he said nervously. The Normandy gained speed as it approached the singularity. "C'mon, Joker," Joker said to himself, "you've done crazier shit than this. You'll be fine."

"Shepard," EDI interjected, "the singularity has pulled us into its gravity field. It is sucking us into it."

"Hold coarse," he said. "We're getting home today!" The Normandy approached the energy field. All crewmen looked on through the portholes as control of the ship was now stripped from them, the gravity field they were caught in doing all the work. Their speed was continuously accelerating, until they reached the mouth of the spatial beast.

"Hold on to something!" Joker shouted, as darkness enveloped the SSV Normandy SR-2.

The entirety of the Normandy went dark as the vessel was sucked into the black abyss of the wormhole. Everything felt off; everything seemed to be in a kind of ethereal state as it was even impossible to discern if the ship was moving or not. Both the inside of the ship and the outside of space were completely black. Time seemed to even slow. Ash, for whatever reason being able to see a little bit, frantically looked around the shuttle bay to see if anyone was having the same reaction, but everyone was stock still.

"Brock," he said to his friend as he turned around to face him, "what the hell just happ-" he cut himself off when he saw Brock was just as still as the others, his face locked in a concerned expression. "That's just fantastic." He started to attempt to discern a plan of action when another thought crossed his mind. "Misty," he said aloud. "Ash rushed across the shuttle bay to get to the elevator that could take him to the crew deck on the next floor, but the automatic door wouldn't budge. "Of course," he sternly said, "what was I thinking trying to open the door?"

Suddenly, a flash of light poured through the window, nearly blinding Ash. A chorus of "whoa"s filled the shuttle bay, everyone apparently being better.

"Ash," Brock called, pulling Ash away from his thoughts as he was just trying to make sense of what had just happened, "get over here." The teen walked back over to his friend, his attention still on the outside. What they were seeing was incredible. A multitude of colors were arranged in what appeared to be an almost dome like environment that now held the Normandy. The dome seemed to be revolving as the Normandy moved through it, revealing more of itself with every passing second. To the naked eye, it appeared to be an optical illusion - the spatial place moved in a way that it made it difficult to discern if the vessel itself was moving. The experience was truly remarkable and unlike anything any of the passengers could have ever imagined.

Moments passed, or maybe they were hours, or days, no one could tell, and the Normandy continued on its voyage. The thrusters were disengaged, allowing the wormhole to propel the ship on its own, until the vibrantly colored environment started to go dark. More people began to grow worried as darkness enveloped the cruiser again. Gary and Dawn were still mesmerized at the sight along with the other scientists, Ash and Brock looked on in awe, and Misty stayed in Lawson's office out of some sort of desire for safety, her claustrophobia having already been taking hold. Regardless of how frightening the situation was, the orange haired teen was still mesmerized by how unworldly it all appeared.

As more darkness closed in, the Normandy began to experience turbulence. It started as just some slight bumpiness, but quickly intensified to the strength of an earthquake, sending instruments, loose objects, and people reeling. On the bridge, Joker and EDI were desperately trying to keep control of the ship.

"Primary systems are going haywire!" Joker shouted over the sound of panicked crewmen and alarms. "I'm barely holding her!"

"Jeff!" EDI shouted. Despite being an A.I., she was more than aware that she was now completely terrified. "Get us out of here! I can't hold on!"

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Joker said, feigning confidence, "I'm gonna get you and everyone else home. You just gotta try and help me." Shepard ran to the helm to check on Joker and EDI, barely maintaining balance as the ship continued to girate.

"Joker, what's going on?" he shouted.

"I think we're coming out the other side! Better strap yourself in, sir!" More light poured into the ship, the radiance was nearly blinding, until a mighty explosion was heard, and the ship was once again in space, next to a large alien device known as a Mass Relay. The crew took a moment to regain composure, but started cheering, hugging and celebrating when they saw the welcome sight. Shepard, Joker, and EDI looked at each other, and simply laughed.

"Not bad, helmsman," Shepard said.

"Well," Joker said, feigning bashfulness, "it's my job sir. But I did have a little help." He looked over at his android companion, who was holding her robotic head in her hands, resembling the behavior of a sick human. "Uh, you okay, babe?" EDI held up her head and looked her beloved dead in the eyes with a stare as cold as her mobile platform.

"Let's never do that again," she said. Shepard just backed away as Joker adopted the look of a man being led to his execution. "But," she continued, "thank you for pulling us through. It got pretty rough." Joker could only smile.

"Well, I couldn't let my best girl down, could I?" As EDI and Joker checked over the ship's systems to make sure nothing was damaged, Shepard resumed his position at the Galaxy Map and talked into the intercom.

"Attention crew, this is Admiral Shepard. I am overjoyed to inform you that we have, in fact, made it home." Cheers erupted from all decks of the ship. "Even though we're all quite shaken up at this point, I'd ask you all to return to your posts until we've docked at the Citadel." Shepard paused for a moment in reflection of the miracle that they were all back home. "We are all very, very lucky," he said as he finished. "Joker, take her in," he said into the air, knowing it would be transmitted to the helm.

"With pleasure, sir," came his response. Joker looked back at his instruments, and calibrated the jump with the Arghos Rho Mass Relay. Such a thing was second nature to the helmsman, and it felt extraordinarily good to calibrate a relay jump for the first time in weeks.

All throughout the ship, crewmen were working at lightning speed to get everything in order for their return home. Miranda was watching her new assistant stare in awe at the massive alien device just outside the porthole. She remembered the first time she had ventured into space-a simple excursion to the Citadel to get some new schooling supplies when she was twelve. Even though she had read plenty of pieces of literature on the subject, she was enthralled by the great void. The mere concept of an infinite space fascinated her to this day. Infinite space meant infinite possibilities. Back then, she wanted to see it all, or at least as much as she possibly could in her two hundred twenty year life expectancy, but now that she had seen so much of it, largely due to Cerberus operations and the worst war in their respective cycle, she found herself vying only for the solid ground of Earth, along with someone to walk it beside her. Miranda saw much of herself in the fiery redhead that was now excitedly running back and forth in her office to get a better look at something she herself and everyone else on the ship had become quite accustomed to.

The aforementioned Ms. Waterflower was a surprisingly assertive and intelligent young woman, possessing an inherent curiosity for the world around her, and a passionate drive to become something truly great in life. Miranda didn't need to be told this to pick up on it. She had the entire group of "trainers" pegged the moment she saw them. Reading people had always been an inherent ability of hers that proved many times to be just as useful as her biotics. Ash Ketchum was almost the same as his girlfriend personality-wise, uncompromising drive, strong and assertive instincts, but there was something about him that always appeared different. They both were had no small amount of snark, but Ash had a very different fighting spirit, the kind of fire one can only get if their born with it, much like Shepard. Likely the reason he landed someone like Misty.

"Ms. Lawson, this is incredible!" Misty blurted out in excitement. "I could've never imagined something like this. How did you people build it?" Miranda gingerly laughed at her insinuation.

"Actually, we didn't build them. The Asari found them millenia ago."

"Oh," she said, still not looking away from the Relay as they made their approach, "well, who did build that?"

"Don't know. We've been trying to figure that out for quite some time."

"Amazing," said Misty.


Gary and Dawn had spent five minutes gaping at the machine outside the vessel, completely lost for words. The two of them had seen some rather remarkable things even before they became scientists, but this beat anything they had discovered in spades. The two teens had an excellent view of the Normandy quickly coming upon what was apparently called a "Mass Relay" from the science lab, which, according to Chief Engineer Adams, activated something called "Mass Effect" that could propel spacecraft faster than light speed. Dawn and Gary had a hard time wrapping their head around all this, and were doubly excited to be able to comb through files and study everything they could about anything they could get their hands on.

"This is extraordinary," Dawn said to no one in particular.

"I'd go with miraculous," Gary retorted, both sets of eyes fixed on the relay. "Hope I get to tell Grandpa about this."


Brock Slate was a fairly simple man. He had been rock Pokemon specialist practically since he could walk, and had a great appreciation for the way nature itself worked. This interest originally prompted him to become a Pokemon breeder, and study the social and symbiotic aspects of Pokemon and the world at large around him, always content to observe what was right in front of him. This defied everything he had come to know. Not that the presence of aliens didn't already do that, but there was something about the fact that he was seeing this device outside the window that really brought it all home for him. The Mass Relay came closer, and the engines ignited. A moment later, a prismatic display of colors surrounded the Normandy as it traveled at light speed.

"Jump successful," said Joker's voice over the intercom. "Arriving at the Citadel in twenty minutes. We are all very, very lucky."

The crew seemed to relax a bit after the jump. Everyone was leisurely doing their respective jobs and getting their personal things in order. Ash and Brock finished loading some cargo crates in the shuttle bay and settled down for a chat with Zaeed and James.

"So, kids," Zaeed said, his voice gruff and crackling, "how was your first space flight?" Ash and Brock were relaxing after a day of heavy lifting and looked rather pleased with their work when they responded.

"Incredible," said Ash.

"Really amazing, sir," said Brock.

"Sir? Slate, I ain't been a sir for twenty years, not since I got kicked out of my own merc unit. The name's Zaeed, thank you very much."

"Well, I could think of worse things to call you," retorted Brock in the same sarcastic tone.

"Watch your mouth, kid," Zaeed said as he pointed a finger at the teens face. "I've fed better men theirs for similar jokes." The group laughed it off.

Gary and Dawn were still busily studying the alien instruments in the lab after the jump, and having the time of their lives while doing so. The head scientist, a Salarian named Dr. Jarroc Korus, had taken a liking to the young humans and appreciated the help.

"You two like the Omni-tool tech?" he asked them. Gary and Dawn had just been checking out a couple of spares the doctor had let them use.

"They're remarkable, Doctor," Dawn said, her eyes never leaving the holographic device on her arm. "We don;t have anything remotely like these where we come from."

"I sure wish we did," Gary said. "It would make research and communication a hell of a lot easier."

"No doubt," said the doctor. "If you ever get some free time during your stay with us, I'd love to show you two what else we've managed to make."

"Really?" Dawn exclaimed with a large smile, nearly jumping in glee.

"Of course. I've always been about instilling a love of science and knowledge in young people; we Salarians are most passionate about these things. I have a research lab on the Citadel. You're both welcome to stop by should you ever find the time."

"We'd be honored, Doc," Gary said with a surprising amount of respect. He and Dawn then resumed combing through their new Omni-tools.


"Everything going smoothly, Kelly?" Shepard asked his yeoman.

"Yessir," Chambers said, looking up from her workstation next to the Galaxy Map. "The crew is working like a clock, including our new recruits. Everything went off without a hitch."

"Excellent." Shepard took a deep breath, letting himself relax a bit. It really had been a long day. "You ready to get home, Chambers?"

"More than ready, Admiral. Not that this hasn't been quite the adventure, but I am ready to sit in my apartment and curl up with a book or something like that."

"That sounds great at this point. If I didn't have to report to the Council immediately, I'd probably just crash in my apartment."

"I'm sure Ms. Lawson would like that as well," said Kelly with a schoolgirl-like giggle. Shepard considering responding with sarcastic chastisement, but decided to just let the redhead have her joke. He'd be lying if he said that wasn't exactly what he wanted anyhow.


Liara T'Soni stared into the holoscreen of her computer. She had just finished journaling this experience and only then realized how exhausted she was. A bright, blue light shined into the corner of her azure eyes, prompting her to acknowledge her V.I. assistant, Glyph.

"Dr. T'soni," the blue holographic ball addressed her, "are you feeling well? You look rather peekid."

"Oh, I'm fine Glyph." She got up from her chair and sat down on her bed. "I'm just a bit tired, is all."

"My sensors indicate that you are also quite stressed. Might I prepare some tea to help relieve you?" Liara smiled at her companion's jovial caretaking of her.

"I'm fine, Glyph. Besides, we'll be at the Citadel in a few minutes. Could you archive the files I just finished writing instead?"

"Certainly, Dr. T'Soni. I will get on it immediately." The holo-bot then wirelessly connected to Liara's computer while the Asari scientist peered out her window, the infiny odf space passing by in a miasma of colors. She was more than happy to be going home.


"Approaching the Citadel, Jeff," EDI said. "Coming out of lightspeed travel."

"Alright. Bring her in nice and easy." EDI and Joker both input a few commands into their control panels, and the Normandy slows to a comfortable speed instantaneously. Despite its speed dropping a few million miles per hour, the slow down was butter smooth, and there it was. A massive space station, around the size of a large moon, with five arms jutting out from its center. The purple light of the Widow star illuminated the Citadel from behind as it orbited it, giving the giant alien station an even more otherworldly aesthetic. Hundreds of ships flew around the Citadel, and anyone on the Normandy could see that the entire thing was a city. Buildings towered into the artificial atmosphere, and traffic of flying cars zoomed in between them.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Ash said to no one in particular, mouth agape and eyes wide.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" asked James Vega. "That's where you'll be staying for a while."

"I could get used to it," Brock added. "Can't wait to really check it out."

"Just make sure you two don't fall off," said Vega. Brock and Ash just laughed, now being accustomed to Vega's sarcastic sense of humor.

"Attention, all crew," came Joker's voice, "we are now docking with the Citadel. Have all personal items packed up and ready for processing in ten minutes. Thank you for flying Air Normandy, we hope you enjoyed your journey. Have a great day everyone. Welcome home." Laughs, cheers, a little overjoyed crying, and good feelings abound echoed throughout the interior of the dreadnaught. It was impossible for the Pallet Town hitchhikers to not get involved. Ash, Brock, Gary and Dawn congregated on the crew deck, where they were then met by Misty. The deck was alive with celebration. Friends and lovers of all species embraced each other. Shepard found his way to Miranda, who was then picked up by her fiance in a passionate hug with her in the air. Brock and Ash shared a show of brotherhood, with Gary then joining in. The couples hugged and kissed, with Brock snagging a well meaning smooch of celebration from an Asari crewmember. On the bridge, Joker and EDI embraced each other, and the on deck crew joined in the celebration. Joker and EDI were still hugging when a voice came over the comms.

"Attention, Normandy," a man's voice shouted, irritation prevalent in his delivery, "please confirm docking code for clearance. This is your last chance." Joker quickly sat down in his pilot's chair, giving an embarrassed grin to his A.I. girlfriend, and responded to the very annoyed docking sergeant.

"Uh, yes. Transmitting clearance codes. Sorry for the inconvenience, sir," Joker said. A moment later, a green confirmation symbol appeared on the holo-display.

"You're clear to dock, Normandy. Head to priority Council Docking bay 94. Welcome back, guys."

"Good to be back, sir." Joker and EDI then pointed the vessel in the direction of the specified bay. It truly was good to be back.